Monday, September 21, 1998

Smith a big concern for Giants tonight

By TOM CANAVAN

Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- While there may be some questions about whether the Dallas Cowboys are back, no one on the New York Giants is wondering about No. 22.

Emmitt Smith is back, and that's a big concern heading into tonight's game between Dallas and New York at Giants Stadium.

After two games, Smith had rushed for 217 yards, the sixth most in the NFL.

With Troy Aikman sidelined with a broken collarbone and Jason Garrett starting at quarterback, Smith's role will be more important to the Cowboys, who like the Giants are 1-1.

"Since Troy is out this week, I'm sure the emphasis is going to be on the running game," Giants defensive tackle Robert Harris said. "They have been doing good with that."

The Cowboys are averaging 178.5 yards on the ground, a big improvement over their average of 102.3 last year when they missed the playoffs.

Smith had his seventh straight 1,000-yard rushing season, but his 1,074 yards were the fewest since he gained 937 as a rookie in 1990.

Smith credits the improvement to changes made in the Cowboys' offense by new coach Chan Gailey.

Talking about the running game recently, Smith pointed to a wall and said the Cowboys in recent years tried to run through the wall. Now, they're trying to go around it.

"I knew he would run well all along," said Gailey, who has had Smith carry 49 times, among the most in the league. "Right now we just can't take him out a lot ... He goes until he gets tired."

Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks remembers well the last time Smith and the Cowboys appeared in a Monday night game at Giants Stadium. It was 1995 and Smith took the opening handoff and went 60 yards for a touchdown to ignite a 35-0 Dallas win.

Sparks ended up chasing Smith down the field, a play that made Dallas' highlight film.

Every time it was shown, Sparks was part of the film.

To this day, Sparks gets a little testy when asked about the play. He'll talk about Smith.

"Emmitt is back," he said. "I personally don't feel Emmitt ever left."

Harris also was on the field for the play, but he wants to focus on the present.

"I think he (Smith) wants to prove to himself that he still has it," Harris said. "I think he is taking the right attitude by going out and not worrying about what everybody else is thinking and proving to himself he can still run the ball."

If the Cowboys and Smith can do that against the defending NFC East champion Giants, they will have a chance to end a three-game losing streak against New York.

If not, Garrett might be in for a long evening. Washington failed to establish the run against New York in the season opener and Gus Frerotte and Trent Green were sacked a combined eight times.