Wednesday, September 23, 1998

Cowboys take charge in weak NFC East

By DENNE H. FREEMAN AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) - With backup quarterback Jason Garrett at the helm and castoff Sherman Williams at running back, the Dallas Cowboys have amazingly established themselves as the team to beat in the weak NFC East.

Garrett, who wide receiver Michael Irvin calls "my blue collar man," hit 12 of 28 passes for 222 yards in a 31-7 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night. He never fumbled and was never sacked or intercepted. Not only that, but Garrett provided the big play, hitting wide receiver Billy Davis with an 80-yard touchdown pass.

It's just the kind of performance Dallas needs from him until Troy Aikman recovers from a broken collarbone.

"It's the kind of game Jason always gives you," Irvin said. "It's why we have confidence in him."

Added coach Chan Gailey: "We ask him (Garrett) to make the throws he can make. It's important he doesn't throw into crowds."

Garrett is 3-0 as a starter in his six years with the Cowboys (2-1), the only NFC East team with a winning record.

Emmitt Smith's right groin injury was another hurdle the Cowboys somehow overcame. They cut Williams before training camp because Seattle's all-time leading rusher, Chris Warren, had signed.

Warren pulled a groin during a preseason scrimmage and the Cowboys discovered no team had signed Williams, a former second-round draft pick for the Cowboys.

Williams rushed 20 times for 62 yards and scored on an 18-yard run against New York. He also didn't fumble, an annoying habit he has had with the Cowboys.

Smith, who had 21 yards on 7 carries, was expected to return on Sunday in Texas Stadium against the Oakland Raiders. Warren also was expected to make his first appearance, relegating Williams to special teams.

"We'll give him (Warren) a healthy dose of conditioning this week and he could be a factor on Sunday," Gailey said on Tuesday. "We'll give him as many repetitions as possible this week in practice."

Gailey said he was impressed with what Williams did, adding "He'll get a lot of work along with Chris this week."

Dallas beat the Giants by stopping the run and getting an awesome performance from Deion Sanders, who scored two touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career. He returned five punts for 100 yards, including a 59-yard score. Sanders intercepted a pass and returned it 71 yards for a score.