Ranking Dallas Cowboys' Top 5 best seasons in the NFL

Love them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys' impact on NFL history cannot be denied. They go by many names: Them Boys, America's Team, Big D, to name a few.

Their games are often granted national television privileges in endeavors that are often near sweeps of the NFL's top ten most viewed regular-season games.

Though the team has been star-crossed since hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy (its last coming in 1996), they continue to be one of the league's biggest draws. They've nonetheless remained consistent in terms of league standings and currently sit in the top spot in the NFC East at 8-4 following a 27-17 win over the New Orleans Saints in the NFL's weekly Thursday night showcase.

SK ranks the five greatest teams in Cowboys history

Roger Staubach (12) and Tony Dorsett (32) are respected by Cowboys fans to this day (Photo: Getty)

#5-1978

Though they missed out on a Super Bowl at the end of the year (done in by a familiar foe from Pittsburgh who got the best of them three years prior) there was no denying the greatness of the 1978 Cowboys, one of the last stands of the Roger Staubach/Tony Dorsett/Tom Landry/Doomsday Defense era.

The season appeared to be a disappointment at first glance: the Cowboys sat at 6-4 through 10 games and a return trip to the big game felt unlikely. They would go on to win each of their next eight and finish second in both offense and defense.

Though they fell 35-31 to the Steelers in Miami (a game that featured 25 Hall of Famers amongst the competitors), they became the first team to appear in five Super Bowls. It was this team that earned the eternal "America's Team" moniker, as NFL Films bestowed the title to the team in its highlight reel based on the team.

Emmitt Smith (22) on the run during his MVP performance in Super Bowl XXVIII (Photo: Getty)

#4-1993

The 1993 season is perhaps known for Dallas blunders: they started the year with an 0-2 record (Emmitt Smith sat out those contests due to a contract dispute) and lost their annual Thanksgiving game to Miami thanks to Leon Lett's lapse of judgment against Miami...his second highly publicized blunder in a calendar year after January's Super Bowl.

Furthermore, the aftermath is best known for ending the Jimmie Johnson era, a departure the franchise still hasn't fully recovered from.

But the Dallas detractors quickly forgot that the Cowboys didn't lose a game after that holiday loss. They capped things off with a downright legendary effort from Smith, who suffered a separated shoulder during the season finale against the New York Giants.

Despite the injury, he picked up 229 yards of offense that allowed him to not only clinch his third NFL rushing title but also help the Cowboys clinch the NFC East title and the first-round bye that came with it. They would easily get by Green Bay and San Francisco before one more MVP performance from Smith, this one coming in Super Bowl XXVIII against the Bills.

The Cowboys earned their first championship banner in 1971 (Photo: Getty)

#3-1971

The 1971 season changed the course of Cowboys history in more ways than one: the team moved into Texas Stadium, its new home in Irving, Texas.

Roger Staubach finally prevailed in the long-standing quarterback battle against Craig Morton and they dispelled the notion that they were incapable of winning the big game.

Sitting at 4-3 after seven games, the Cowboys again used a long winning streak to their advantage, winning their final seven regular-season games before ousting San Francisco in the NFC title game.

Entering Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins, the famed Doomsday Defense had allowed no more than 14 points in any of their last six games, capping that streak off with the most dominant defensive effort in Super Bowl history, allowing only a field goal in the 24-3 victory.

The mere sight of the Cowboys entering the stadium was enough to put fear in opponents during the 1992 season (Photo: Getty)

#2-1992

Dallas had fallen off the NFL map by early 1990s, the nadir being a one-win season during franchise quarterback Troy Aikman's rookie season in 1989. But through a slow build that netted them the "Triplets" in Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, the team also built up a defense that came to be known as "Doomsday II".

Under Jimmy Johnson's watch, the Cowboys began the year by defeating their divisional brethren and consecutive Super Bowl champions in New York and Washington before finishing with the top-rated offense and defense that set numerous NFL landmarks.

They finished the trek with a dominant Super Bowl effort, forcing nine turnovers in a 52-17 dismantling of the Buffalo Bills.

LB Randy White, seen in 2005, was one of the two MVPs of Super Bowl XII (Photo: Getty)

#1-1977

The Cowboys' victory in Super Bowl XII was so nice, the voters needed to name an MVP twice: defenders Harvey Martin and Randy White were named the stars of the 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in the first and, to date, only instance of a co-MVP.

Dallas' 1977 season holds a special place in fans' hearts: it became the final Super Bowl trophy hoist for the team's original core of Staubach, Landry, etc. as the team amassed a 15-2 record, including the postseason, creating the best winning percentage in team history.

The Cowboys might've even earned themselves a win before the season ever started: a draft day maneuver with the Seattle Seahawks allowed the Cowboys to move up to the second overall slot in the draft...where they took Pittsburgh running back Tony Dorsett.