2. November 24, 1991: Emmitt’s first 1,000-yard season
The 1991 Washington Redskins were a buzzsaw, and blew through the first 11 games of their schedule with ease. They had notched three shutouts already and outscored their opponents by a cumulative 361-139. They didn’t just beat other teams; they humiliated them. The possibility of an undefeated season was very, very real for this Joe Gibbs squad, still considered one of the best to ever take an NFL field.
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, playing on the road for the third consecutive week, the 6-5 Cowboys paid the Redskins a visit as 12.5-point underdogs.
Before the game, broadcaster Dan Fouts spotlighted the David-and-Goliath disparity.
“How big is your mortgage?” Fouts quipped. “I’ll bet your mortgage. I don’t think there’s any such thing as a ‘lock.’ But if there is, this [Washington] team is one.”
Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, unsurprisingly, had a quote of his own.
“If you got a big gorilla and you’re gonna try to beat him, don’t go tiptoeing around. You sneak up behind him with a big ol’ stick, and you swing as hard as you can and hit him in the head.”
With a gameplan full of onside kicks, gadget plays, and fourth-down conversion attempts, Dallas did plenty of sneaking. But Johnson’s big ol’ stick that day wore No. 22.
Already without tight end Jay Novacek and guard Nate Newton, the Cowboys then lost quarterback Troy Aikman five plays into the second half. Backup Steve Beuerlein took over and administered a heavy dose of Emmitt.
Smith rushed 34 times for 132 yards, pounding the eventual Super Bowl champs into submission and leading Dallas to a shocking 24-21 upset. His second-quarter touchdown run of 32 yards was a thing of beauty and showcased the explosive speed that many forget Smith had, especially in his quickness to the hole.
The game gave Emmitt a 1,000-yard season for the first time. Incredibly, he would go on to hit that benchmark in each of the next ten seasons. He remains the only player in league history to do it 11 times.