The Dallas Cowboys ruled the NFL in the 1990s, but the bitter separation of Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson brought that dominance to an end. After back-to-back Super Bowl wins, the Cowboys were all set to claim a historic three-peat. But Johnson’s sudden departure left players stunned. And Cowboys legend Darren Woodson still blames the two for missing such an opportunity to create history.

“You can absolutely see there was animosity from the beginning,” Woodson said in the debut episode of The Darren Woodson Show. “You had players who had just come off back-to-back championships, including self, who was looking for a third and was expecting their head coach, Jimmy Johnson, like a Bill Belichick, to win back-to-back championships.”

“We were in the moment. We wanted to make history,” he added, emphasizing how important that moment was. “We were talking about making history after the second Super Bowl, of winning a third one. So, you can imagine where the players sat. In this situation, I think that was snatched from us. So, I’m sure there’s some animosity that’s left over from that.”

It frustrated Woodson, the way the Cowboys’ championship era ended. The problem was not Johnson leaving Dallas, but the timing of his departure and the destruction it caused within the team that trusted so firmly that it could win under the same head coach.

It happened after the Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII in January 1994, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl. The relationship between Jones and Johnson had fallen apart due to disagreements over control, authority, and the credentials for building such a successful team.

They parted ways in March 1994, as Johnson stepped down from the position of head coach. He was succeeded by Barry Switzer, who got an elite roster and coaching staff well built on a silver platter.

Woodson explained that many members of the coaching staff wanted to take over the head coach role, while the players wanted Johnson to continue guiding them toward another championship. Dallas still finished the 1994 regular season with a 12-4 record, showing that the time was stable despite the changes.

“Barry came into a role and had all of Jimmy’s coaches, like every last person was left over from Jimmy’s organization, and half of those coaches wanted the head coaching job that Barry was slid into,” Woodson added.

However, the Cowboys’ three-peat aim ended with a 38-28 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. They at last returned to the top in Super Bowl XXX by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 under Switzer in January 1996.

Woodson has previously also criticized Jones and Johnson for allowing their pride to cost the franchise’s success. He suggested that the Cowboys could have won more Super Bowl titles if the two had managed to maintain their partnership.

Woodson still feels the disappointment, as he believes the team was preparing for the next win. They won another championship under Switzer, but the chance to make history with three consecutive Super Bowl victories had already slipped away.

The post “That Was Snatched From Us”: Cowboys Legend Blames Jerry Jones & Jimmy Johnson’s Divorce for Destroying a Dynasty appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.