Tuesday, November 3, 1998

Cowboys 34, Eagles 0

By KEN BERGER Associated PRess

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - With a few graceful plays, the Dallas Cowboys looked as dominant as ever. Now they need to work on the rest.

Troy Aikman to Michael Irvin was back with a 10-yard TD pass. Emmitt Smith did a little pirouette and cut back into the end zone, as only a precious few who've worn shoulder pads can.

Prime Time was Prime Time. What else would Deion Sanders be?

The Cowboys took a step toward reasserting themselves as an NFC power Monday night, routing the hapless Eagles 34-0. While it's hard to tell if the 'Boys from Dallas are all the way back, Aikman appears to be.

And that's a pretty good start.

"The only person I'm more comfortable with is my wife, and she doesn't throw the ball," said Irvin, who scored his first touchdown of the season to get the blowout rolling.

In his first start since missing five games with a broken collarbone, Aikman was 14-for-26 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He shook off a crushing hit by Hollis Thomas on the first play of the game and let everyone know that the Cowboys (5-3) are a different team when he's healthy.

"It was good to be back," said Aikman, injured in the second game of the season against Denver. "It was tough to watch the last couple of weeks from the sideline. I was trying to be smart and didn't want to take any unnecessary hits."

Smith ran for 101 yards and a touchdown, cutting back and fooling the entire Philadelphia defense on a 15-yard TD run that was vintage Emmitt.

"They overplayed it," Smith said. "They just shot too much to one side and I bounced back to the opening."

And Sanders had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown, the fifth of his career and second this season - both under the lights on Monday night. In those two games against the New York Giants and Eagles, they won by a combined score of 65-7.

"I think I was born on Monday night," said Sanders, who returned a punt and an interception for TDs in the game against the Giants on Sept. 21. "I'll have to ask my mother about that."

For the Eagles, this Monday Night Massacre was even worse than they had feared. They are 1-7 for the first time since 1975, with no end in sight for their terrible season.

"We were inept in just about every phase of the game," Eagles coach Ray Rhodes said. "It was very embarrassing."

Dallas has a one-game lead over Arizona in the weak NFC East and rebounded from a 13-12 loss at Chicago two weeks ago. They are 4-0 against division opponents, with games the next two weeks against New York and Arizona.

They still have problems, committing 10 penalties for 130 yards as the teams combined for 240 yards in penalties in a wretched, flag-filled game. But on the whole, it was a good sign for the folks from Valley Ranch.

"I would be disappointed if we weren't thinking about the playoffs right now," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "I'm not trying to be cocky. If we don't think about what we're doing and postseason position, we would be wrong."

With the 38-0 loss to Seattle in the home opener, the Eagles became the first NFL team to lose two home shutouts by more than 30 points in the same season. It was the first time they've been shut out twice in a season since 1957, and the first time it's happened twice at home since 1942.

In the 38 years and 78 games these teams have played, it was the Cowboys' first shutout against Philadelphia.

The 34-point debacle was Philadelphia's worst prime-time defeat since a 42-3 loss to the Rams on Nov. 3, 1975. That was the infamous "Dog Bone Game" in which fans passed large bones around Veterans Stadium to signify that the Eagles were playing like dogs.

"You could sit here and wallow in self pity," said Eagles running back Charlie Garner, whose fumble on the Eagles 9 late in the first quarter led to Irvin's 10-yard TD reception. "That's what we're going to try to prevent here."

Eagles quarterback Rodney Peete was knocked out with a deep cut on his finger, and former starter Bobby Hoying was blitzed and brutalized into a horrible 13-for-39, 124-yard performance with two interceptions. The ugly loss left the sellout crowd at Veterans Stadium in a foul mood even by Philly standards.

"We can't throw in the towel," Peete said. Notes: It was Dallas' fifth straight Monday night victory over the Eagles. They are 2-0 on Monday night this season, including a 31-7 victory over the Giants on Sept. 21. ... Smith had his third 100-yard game this season and 52nd of his career. Nine are against the Eagles, his most against any team. ... Aikman won for the first time in five tries in his first game back from an injury. He was 0-4 with six interceptions and four TDs. ... Philadelphia has shut out the Cowboys twice - 27-0 in 1989 and 24-0 in '91, both at Dallas. ... Rhodes' regular season record dipped below .500 for the first time since he got the job in 1995 (27-28-1).