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Cardinals defeat Cowboys, 25-22, in overtime

By Josie Karp

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

TEMPE, Ariz. - A 20-yard field-goal attempt is no more than an extra point. It is the kind of kick that should be made with ease. But with 6:30 left in overtime, Arizona Cardinals kicker Kevin Butler's field-goal try caromed off the left upright before finally bouncing through for three points and a Cardinals victory.

It was fitting that a game between the Cowboys and Cardinals would come down to an unsightly play like that one. It was surprising only that the Cowboys, winners of the past 13 games against Arizona, could not overcome their own mistakes to eke out a victory.

The Cowboys watched as the Cardinals erased a 22-7 deficit early in the third quarter lead to tie the score with a little more than one minute left in regulation and win it on Butler's wobbly kick, 25-22.

It was the first time Arizona had beaten the Cowboys since a 20-14 victory in Irving on Oct. 14, 1990.

It was the Cowboys' first overtime loss since a 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sept. 19, 1994 at Texas Stadium. The game left the Cardinals and the Cowboys with identical 1-1 records.

"We didn't deserve to win the football game," Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said. "They played great defense. They kicked our butts in the second half."

The tone for the game was dictated by history and re-established early.

The Cowboys saw a touchdown from quarterback Troy Aikman to tight end Eric Bjornson called back when Emmitt Smith was cited for unsportsmanlike conduct after taking his helmet off in celebration. It was their first drive of the game and it set the stage for what was to come.

The offense never made it back to the end zone.

"No offense, that's why we got beat," Switzer said. "When you can't make first downs and can't score touchdowns."

Cowboys players on both sides of the ball racked up 12 penalties for 115 yards.

Aikman took a swing at Cardinals defensive end Simeon Rice late in the first half, after Rice, who sacked Aikman earlier in the game, tried to hold the quarterback down after another hit.

Wide receiver Anthony Miller made only a cameo appearance after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring. Aikman had to call a timeout early in the fourth quarter when the Cowboys did not have enough players on the field. The Cowboys did not record their first first down of the second half until less than seven minutes remained in the fourth quarter.

The overtime session even more clearly showed the way these two teams often play. The Cowboys put themselves in a position to win the game with a turnover then handed the same opportunity to the Cardinals.

Arizona took advantage when backup running back Sherman Williams fumbled the ball with 8:12 left in overtime. The Cardinals took over at their 46 after forcing Williams to fumble at the 43.

Cardinals quarterback Kent Graham, who completed just 26 of 47 passes for 249 yards, and who had fumbled the ball on the Cardinals' previous possession, led the five-play, game-winning drive.

He hit receiver Rob Moore for a 19-yard gain from the Arizona 46-yard line, then two plays later found fullback Larry Centers for a 29-yard pickup. Centers got all the way to the Cowboys' 3, setting up Butler's field goal.

The Cowboys almost won because of their own field goal kicker.

Richie Cunningham hit his first five field-goal attempts - from 24, 47, 37, 34 and 28 yards away. But his sixth attempt, a 40-yarder with less than four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, was blocked. That play paved the way for the Cardinals' comeback.

"I'm not really sure what happened on the play," Cunningham said. "It (five field goals) would have been something to talk about if we had won the game."

Trailing 22-14, the Cardinals took over at their 30-yard line. Graham completed five consecutive passes to get Arizona all the way to the Cowboys' 7. Graham then hit tight end Pat Carter in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown to bring the Cardinals within two points.

Arizona got the two-point conversion it needed when Graham connected with Moore, forcing overtime.

By that time, Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith had already been forced from the game. Smith left in the fourth quarter with bruised ribs and did not return. The Cowboys could have used him.

Smith appeared to pick up his running game on the soft grass of Sun Devil Stadium the place where, an argument can be made, he left it during Super Bowl XXX, considering last season's drop-off. Last night Smith gained 72 yards on 12 carries - in the first half. He finished with 132 yards on 19 carries.

The Cowboys turned to Smith early in the game when their plans for the passing game changed because of Miller's injury. Third-year player Billy Davis took over for Miller, but it was Stepfret Williams who racked up the receptions late in the half. With the Cardinals doubling wide receiver Michael Irvin and Davis on the outside, Aikman looked to Williams over the middle four consecutive times at the end of the first half.

It represented the only offensive consistency the Cowboys could muster.

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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