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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Maybe it was Troy Aikman's sore back. Maybe
it was Arizona's pathetic run defense.
Regardless of the reason, the Dallas Cowboys' decision to keep
the ball on the ground was a good one.
|  | | Chris Warren's two touchdowns led a Cowboys' ground game that amassed 200 yards Sunday. |
Emmitt Smith and Chris Warren rushed for a total of 176 yards
and three touchdowns, turning Aikman into a role player as the
Cowboys beat the Cardinals 48-7 on Sunday.
A swarming defense and Wane McGarity's punt return for a
touchdown also were keys for Dallas, which enjoyed its most
lopsided victory since 1980. It was quite a turnaround for a team
that had been outscored 82-38 in two previous home games this
season, both losses.
"We've been waiting for a game like this for quite a while,"
Dallas center Mark Stepnoski said. "It's not often that you get up
48-0. You have to enjoy it because they are so rare."
Arizona (2-5) endured its worst defeat since 1981. The Cardinals
have lost four of five games since beating the Cowboys in the
second week and have dropped 11 straight regular-season games in
Texas Stadium.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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The big controversy all week in Dallas was whether Troy Aikman or Randall Cunningham deserved to start this game.
Aikman said earlier this week that he expected to be booed in pregame introductions, but to the credit of the Dallas fans, they cheered.
Aikman went on to play a very efficient game with no interceptions (after throwing five last week). The Cowboys got their running game going early with Emmitt Smith and Chris Warren.
This was a pitiful performance for Arizona. The Cardinals have not played well in recent weeks, and quarterback Jake Plummer struggled again today.
But give credit to the Dallas defense, which dominated Arizona throughout the game, allowing just 99 yards through three quarters and making three fourth-down stops -- two of which were inside the five-yard line.
So at least for one week, there will be no quarterback controversy in Dallas. The Cowboys ran the ball 40 times compared to 15 pass attempts, so they were able to re-establish the running game.
But for Arizona, the problems continue to mount.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director of football operations.
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Injuries thinned Arizona's depth on the defensive line, leaving
the Cardinals vulnerable. Dallas exploited it by running on 20 of
its first 28 plays, including 10 straight, en route to a 27-0
halftime lead.
"This is one of the worst games I have been involved with,"
said quarterback Jake Plummer, who was 20-of-31 for 180 yards, with
three interceptions. "It's a sick feeling right now."
The Cowboys (3-4), who started the game with the only run
defense more generous than Arizona's, ran for a season-high 200
yards. They had just four rushing touchdowns in the previous six
games and ran for only 90 yards in a 32-31 loss to the Cardinals in
September.
"Arizona was rated 30th in the league. No disrespect to them,
but if we weren't able to run the ball against them, something was
wrong," said Smith, who had 112 yards and a touchdown.
The intrigue coming in was whether Aikman would rebound from his
five-interception outing last week. The answer: Check back next
week.
Although he was 9-for-15 for 154 yards and two touchdowns, his
first completion came 3:10 before halftime with Dallas already
ahead 21-0.
The Cowboys didn't have to pass because the run was working. It
might have been a good thing, too, because the herniated disc
that's been bothering Aikman all season was so painful that he
needed an injection before kickoff.
"I tried to get it as loose as I could," said Aikman, who kept
his left hand on his lower back throughout a postgame news
conference. "It got stiff again when I came out."
The 33-year-old Aikman, who came into the game as the NFL's
lowest-rated quarterback, admitted during the week that he's not as
good as he used to be and said he expected to be booed during
pregame introductions.
Instead, he was greeted with loud applause and there were never
any catcalls, not even when he got off to an 0-for-4 start. The
first two were dropped and the next two were knocked away by
defenders.
After a short throw to Warren turned into an 11-yard gain,
Aikman completed his next six. His best pass was a pump-and-go
throw to James McKnight just before halftime that went 48 yards, a
season-high.
As the play unfolded, Aikman hopped and pumped his right arm.
Lineman Erik Williams wrapped one arm around Aikman and used his
other to bump heads with him, causing the quarterback to smile.
Aikman made two good throws to Raghib Ismail in the second half,
including a 24-yard touchdown. He also threw a 2-yard TD pass to
Robert Thomas.
"They don't just program us to hit targets," Aikman said.
"Sometimes things don't work the way you want. I prepared myself
like every other game in my career."
Dallas held Arizona to 99 yards through three quarters. The
Cardinals gained 177 in the final period, but their only score was
a 1-yard run by Michael Pittman with 5:29 left while turning the
ball over on downs inside the 5-yard line twice.
"I have been here for five years and this is about the lowest
you can get," linebacker Ronald McKinnon said. "We have got to
have the pride to come out and work hard everyday."
Game notes
This was Dallas' widest win since beating Seattle 51-7
on Nov. 27, 1980. Arizona hadn't been beaten this badly since
falling 52-10 to Philadelphia on Nov. 8, 1981. ... Arizona has been
outscored 56-3 in first quarters this season. It has gone 23 games
without a first-quarter touchdown from the offense. ... Dallas
rookie Dimitrius Underwood got the first sack of his career. ...
McGarity has returned two punts for TDs, both against Arizona. That
ties a team record held by Deion Sanders, Bob Hayes, Kelvin Martin
and Kevin Williams. ... Arizona had been the league's
least-penalized team, but committed 11 penalties for 59 yards. ...
Charlie Williams' interception was the first of his six-year
career.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Arizona Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Troy Aikman knows the importance of Sunday's win for the Cowboys as a team.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Emmitt Smith expects the Cowboys to perform at a high level every week.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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