Monday, September 28, 1998

Raiders 13, Cowboys 12

By JAIME ARON AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) - On the flight back to Oakland, Charles Woodson, Eric Turner and John Jett could've gotten together to argue over whose catch was the easiest.

As for degree of importance, call it a tie.

Interceptions by Woodson and Turner prevented Dallas touchdowns, while Jett's catch went for a career-best 75-yard touchdown. Combined, they were easily the three biggest reasons why the Raiders beat the Cowboys 13-12 Sunday.

"Some teams in our league can make more mistakes (than their opponent) and win," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "But we're not one of them right now."

Dallas trailed 10-3 late in the third quarter, as Jason Garrett - who had seemed infallible in his first three career starts in place of Troy Aikman - drove the Cowboys to the Oakland 7.

Michael Irvin got open in the end zone by making an inside move that shook Woodson. Garrett, however, threw the ball outside, hitting Woodson between the numbers.

"I don't know what they were thinking," the reigning Heisman Trophy winner said of his first career interception. "He threw the ball right to me. All I had to do was catch it."

Garrett had a chance to redeem himself with Dallas trailing 13-10 and 1:31 left, but his 43-yard bomb into the end zone sailed over Billy Davis and into Turner's hands.

"It came right to me," Turner said.

Unlike Turner and Woodson, Jett could not say his ball came right to him. If anything, it went right to Dallas cornerback Kevin Smith.

However, the ball bounced off Smith's shoulder pad and Jett grabbed the carom. He ran the final 32 yards to the goal line without any pursuit.

"I saw the ball and tried batting it down," Smith said. "I didn't know he had the ball. I thought the play was over."

The Raiders are usually the team that plays sloppy and makes silly blunders. This time, the league's most-penalized team was flagged just four times for 20 yards and didn't have any turnovers.

Oakland's offense was able to run, while its defense kept Dallas from doing the same. As a result, the Raiders emerged from its season-opening stretch against Kansas City, New York, Denver and Dallas at 2-2.

"I thought we had the toughest first four weeks of any team in the league - the Super Bowl champs, two division champions and then the Cowboys," quarterback Jeff George said. "To come out 2-2, it's a pretty good mark, something to build on."

For the Cowboys (2-2), this wasn't the way they hoped to start their seven-game run against teams with losing records.

"We've just got to regroup," Smith said. "It's tough right now, but it's still early in the season."

Oakland led 10-3 at halftime behind Jett's touchdown and a 30-yard field goal by Greg Davis. A 38-yarder by Davis made it 13-3 early in the fourth quarter. Dallas got within 13-10 with 5:49 left on a 1-yard touchdown by Emmitt Smith.

Turner's interception left the Raiders 91 seconds from victory. They got there the hard way.

Three kneel-downs by George and a delay of game left Oakland with a fourth down, so punter Leo Araguz ran out of the end zone for a safety.

But there were still two seconds left, forcing Araguz to make a free kick. Deion Sanders got the ball twice on laterals, but Dallas' fourth pitch was fumbled and Oakland recovered to finally end the game.

"All I could see," said Raiders coach Jon Gruden, "was California-Stanford all over again." Notes: Chris Warren ran once for four yards and caught two passes for 13 yards in his Dallas debut, which was delayed by three games by a groin injury. ... Tim Brown had threatened to "kick my punter in the head" if he kicked to Sanders, but Araguz did anyway. Sanders had four returns for 91 yards, including a 60-yarder. ... Dallas kicker Richie Cunningham missed a 37-yarder, his second failure under 40 yards this season. He only missed one inside 40 yards last year.