South Dallas End Zone Strikes Again
The Dallas Cowboys had the day off Tuesday. They needed it to recover from perhaps the most bizarre win in franchise history.
Dallas has been on the short end of several Alfred Hitchcock-type endings in the south end zone of Texas Stadium. The Cowboys had never been the recipient of a gift-wrapped victory as time expired.
Until Monday night.
On Thanksgiving Day 1993, Leon Lett goofed as he tried to field a blocked field goal. Sliding on the snow and ice, Lett fumbled the ball to Miami and the Dolphins kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. South end zone.
Last year, against Philadelphia late in the game, Troy Aikman threw a pass into the end zone that was intercepted, run out, lateraled and returned an NFL-record 104 yards to clinch the Eagles’ win. South end zone.
Then came Monday night, when punter Tom Hutton fumbled the snap, aborting a 22-yard field goal attempt on the final play and handing the Cowboys a 21-20 victory over the Eagles. South end zone.
“We’ll take it,” coach Barry Switzer said Tuesday. “We deserve it. Other people get games like that. Philadelphia got a gift last week when Green Bay missed a short field goal. Now, I’m thrilled to death we’re 2-1.”
Conspiracy theory
Conspiracy buffs will tell you those fantastic prime-time finishes are being staged by the NFL to up the ante in the bidding on the new television contract.
Not so. It’s a cabal of kickers plotting to show the importance of the game’s lowest-paid players.
For those who went to bed early (particularly in the Eastern time zone, where “prime time” games often end after midnight):
A week ago Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals rallied from 15 points down in the second half to tie the game with 1:06 left in regulation, then beat Dallas for the first time in 14 games 25-22 when Kevin Butler’s overtime field goal caromed through off the left upright. (TNT had that one.)
The next night on ABC, Kansas City drove 80 yards in 61 seconds with no timeouts, scoring the winning TD over Oakland with 3 seconds left on a 33-yard pass from Elvis Grbac to Andre Rison. The Raiders were so devastated they never showed up afterward to talk about it.
Last Sunday, Bill Parcells took the New York Jets to face his old team in New England and went from loser to winner to overtime in the space of 31 seconds. The Jets tied the game, recovered a fumble, then had the potential game-winning field goal blocked. (TNT also had that one)
Back to Monday Night Football, the Cowboys scored a TD with a minute left to take the lead from the Eagles. Then Ty Detmer moved the Eagles 80 yards for a chip-shot winning field goal. But holder Tom Hutton fumbled the snap and Chris Boniol was unable to attempt the kick against his former teammates.
Around the league
With 19 turnovers in their 0-3 start, the Saints are on pace for 98 turnovers. The team record is 47 (1981 and 1983). The league record is 63 by the 1978 San Francisco 49ers… . Doctors fused the sixth and seventh vertebrae in Ike Hilliard’s spine Tuesday, and said the Giants rookie wide receiver should be able to play next year. Hilliard, 21, sprained a ligament between the sixth and seventh vertebrae in the season-opener against Jacksonville. … The Carolina Panthers signed wide receiver Mark Carrier and waived quarterback Shane Matthews on Tuesday.