Only one time in history have the same two teams made it back to the Super Bowl. It was the 1993 NFL season when the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills returned to the biggest stage in professional sports. The Cowboys won a second straight championship and continued on the path towards a dynasty. The Bills were in their record fourth straight Super Bowl, but had to settle for a fourth straight loss.
Dallas and Buffalo had plenty of competition. The San Francisco 49ers were the primary foil for Dallas in the NFC, and this season was the second of three straight years the Cowboys and 49ers played for the NFC Championship. The New York Giants pushed Dallas in the NFC East all to the way to the final game of the season in the push for both the division title and homefield advantage.
In the AFC, the Houston Oilers were a playoff perennial that surged through the final three quarters of the season and looked poised to take the next step. But the Oilers were stopped by another playoff perennial looking for that proverbial next step—it was Kansas City, fortified by the acquisition of the great Joe Montana, that reached the AFC Championship Game.
Below the level of the top teams, NFL fans saw a stirring race in the NFC Central. The Detroit Lions ultimately won their second division title in three years. The Minnesota Vikings made the playoffs for the second straight year under Dennis Green. And the Green Bay Packers made their first playoff trip with Brett Favre at quarterback, beginning a run of franchise excellence that continues to this day.
Over in the AFC, the Los Angeles Raiders and Denver Broncos both pushed their way into the playoffs. So did the Pittsburgh Steelers, where their young head coach, Bill Cowher, made it 2-for-2 in getting to postseason play.
These 12 playoff teams defined the 1993 NFL season and you can read their stories at the links below. Each article discusses the key players and signature moments in a game-by-game narrative. Taken collectively, the articles are a great way to recapture the memories of the 1993 NFL season through the eyes of its best teams.
READ ABOUT THE 1993 DALLAS COWBOYS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 BUFFALO BILLS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 NEW YORK GIANTS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 HOUSTON OILERS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 DETROIT LIONS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 GREEN BAY PACKERS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 MINNESOTA VIKINGS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 LOS ANGELES RAIDERS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 DENVER BRONCOS
READ ABOUT THE 1993 PITTSBURGH STEELERS