It's tough enough for opponents to stop Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman. Worry too much about stopping those guys and that can free Jay Novacek for a big game.

The tight end had 161 yards receiving as the 1992 Dallas Cowboys rolled up 458 total yards in a 34-23 victory over the 1989 San Francisco 49ers. In a critical game for both teams, the Cowboys improved to 7-4, one game behind the league-leading 1984 49ers, while the '89 Niners fell to 6-5.

The Cowboys jumped to a 14-3 first-quarter lead as Emmitt Smith scored on a 1-yard plunge and then Aikman hit Michael Irvin on a 12-yard fade route. That opened the floodgates for the Aikman-Novacek combo, as Novacek had 105 yards receiving in the second quarter, including a 14-yard TD reception.

Dallas pounded the ball with Smith in the second half and he finished with 36 carries for 170 yards as the Cowboys ran 79 plays to San Francisco's 47. Joe Montana finished 19 of 27 for 246 yards. Jerry Rice had 133 yards receiving and his ninth TD catch.