Super Bowl 28 featured a rematch of Super Bowl 27, a contest between the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills. It was the fourth consecutive Super Bowl that the Bills reached, but they hadn't won any of them, losing first to the Giants, then the Redskins, and finally the Cowboys the year before. The Cowboys were led by Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman behind one of the best offensive lines of all time, with Mark Stepnoski, Erik Williams, and Nate Newton all making the Pro Bowl. Aikman had a great weapon in HoF WR Michael Irvin, as well as Pro Bowler Jay Novacek and fullback Daryl Johnston. On defense, they featured Russell Maryland, Ken Norton Jr., Thomas Everett, and Kevin Smith, who all made the Pro Bowl. The Bills had their own set of Hall of Famers on offense, as Jim Kelly lead their K-Gun offense with Thurman Thomas pounding the ball on the ground and Andre Reed heading the aerial. On defense, they featured all time NFL sack leader Bruce Smith, as well as Pro Bowler Cornelius Bennett and Darryl Talley. Both teams finished at 12-4 during the regular season and were the first seeds in their respective conferences.The game started off with the teams alternating field goals. Then, after a Thurman Thomas fumble, the Cowboys kicked another field goal to go up 6-3. On the next drive, the Bills responded, moving down the field meticulously in 17 plays, capping it off with a 4 yard Thomas TD run. Then, after trading a few punts, the Cowboys were driving until Nate Odomes intercepted a deep pass intended for Michael Irving with less than two minutes left in the half. The Bills drove close, but weren't able to score a TD despite getting inside the 10, and settled for a 28 yard field goal to go up 13-6 at the half.The Bills received the kickoff to start the second half, but then disaster stuck when Thomas lost a fumble for the second time and Cowboy James Washington returned it for a TD of 46 yards to tie the game. The Bills went three and out, and then the Cowboys gave Emmitt the ball 7 times for 63 yards on the next drive, including a 15 yard TD run. From then on out, the Cowboys dominated, and the Bills only crossed the 50 twice for the rest of the game (and the second time was on the last drive of the game). Emmitt Smith punched in a TD from one yard out after Washington forced another turnover, this time an interception, to give the Cowboys great field position. The Cowboys got to the 1 yard line again after a long Alvin Harper reception, but weren't able to punch it in that time and settled for a field goal (the final score of the game), putting them up 30-13. The Bills had one more drive, but lost the ball on downs with :04 left on the clock after failing to convert a 4th-and-17.This game furthered the legacy of the Cowboys as one of the league's premier franchises, and tied them for the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history with the 49ers and Steelers at 4. It also put an end to the chances of the early 90s Buffalo Bills, who wouldn't reach another Super Bowl and became probably the biggest "almost" team in NFL history (along with the Purple People Eaters and the Broncos in the 80s) with four consecutive Super Bowl loses. Emmitt Smith was the MVP of the game, and was the first person to lead the NFL in rushing yards, be named MVP, and be named Super Bowl MVP in the same season. He gained 132 yards on 30 carries and scored two TDs. Aikman went 19-27 for 207 yards and the interception. Harper was the Cowboys' leading receiver, with 75 yards, and Irvin tacked on another 66. For the Bills, Jim Kelly had a valiant effort, going 31-50 for 260 yards, but did throw the interception. Andre Reed led the Bills with 75 receiving yards on 6 catches. On defense, James Washington was the star of the game with his interception and fumble recovery, and Jeff Wright recorded both of the Bills' sacks. via /r/nfl http://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/2cvit8/28_days_until_football_super_bowl_28/
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