The 10 biggest what-ifs in Dallas Cowboys history
• What if Tony Romo was healthy in 2016?
• What if the refs knew what a catch was?
By Randy Gurzi
1. What if Jimmy Johnson stayed for another decade?
When Jerry Jones purchased the Cowboys franchise back in 1989, he made a lot of enemies right out of the gate. One of the first moves Jones made was to fire Tom Landry, the most beloved coach in team history. He then replaced him with a personal friend, Jimmy Johnson.
Johnson had a lot of success in the NCAA ranks, winning a National Championship in 1987 with the Miami Hurricanes. While he was a proven coach, the way Jones met with him while Landry was still employed is what seemed to really start things off on the wrong foot.
After a couple of losing season, Johnson got things rolling in 1991 when the Cowboys went 11-5. They then went 13-3 in 1992 and 12-4 in 1993 — winning the Super Bowl in each of those seasons.
Despite their success, Jones and Johnson were unable to work together. Jones wanted the glory for himself and was tired of people claiming Johnson built the team. That led to him firing Johnson and bringing in Barry Switzer.
Dallas won another title in 1995 but that was Switzer coaching the team Johnson assembled. The success was short lived and the Cowboys dynasty was over.
Johnson went on to coach the Miami Dolphins and was 36-28 with a lesser roster than he had in Dallas. But if he stayed with the Cowboys, there's no telling what might have happened. Perhaps they could have been the first team to win three Super Bowls in a row.
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