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Eagles defeat Cowboys

By Gary Myers

New York Daily News

(KRT)

PHILADELPHIA - Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was wrapped up by linebacker William Thomas and Aikman's head went forward. Eagles defensive tackle Jimmie Jones was coming off a block and Jones' head went forward.

The high-impact collision with Jones late in the first quarter on Sunday resulted in the fifth concussion of Aikman's NFL career, his seventh overall, and continued the misery of the Cowboys '97 season.

With and without Aikman, who went out for the rest of the game with what was called a mild concussion and neck strain, the Cowboys stalled once again inside the red zone, managing only four field goals, and lost, 13-12, to Philadelphia on Rodney Peete's 8-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Chad Lewis with 45 seconds remaining.

The loss by Dallas created a three-way tie at 4-4 for second place place in the NFC East between the Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins, who all trail the first-place Giants by 1-1/2 games.

Aikman, who last suffered a concussion three years ago in Arizona, was still bothered by headaches and neck pain after the game on what appeared to be an unintentional helmet-to-helmet hit from Jones, an ex-Cowboy and friend of Aikman's. Once he was no longer groggy after being taken into the locker room in the second quarter, Aikman lobbied the Cowboys doctors to let him go back in the game. They refused.

"My recollection of the play is I had my head down and I got hit in the back of my head with a helmet," Aikman said. "I was dizzy once I got up and wasn't able to focus in on things."

When he went out, the Cowboys led, 3-0. They were ahead, 9-0, at the half as Wade Wilson led them to two more field goals by Richie Cunningham, one set up by an 8-yard punt by Tommy Hutton as he tried to avoid the rush by Brock Marion.

The Cowboys still had an excellent opportunity to win this game without Aikman, despite only managing the field goals, two after drives stalled inside the Eagles 10.

They led, 12-6, when the Eagles took over at their 26 with 4:20 left in the game. The Eagles moved upfield and then faced a crucial fourth-and-11 from the Cowboys' 43 two minutes later. Peete hit Irving Fryar and the spot gave the Eagles a first down by inches at the Dallas 32.

"I tried to muster up all I had to get the first down," Fryar said.

The Eagles drove to the Cowboys 8 with 49 seconds left. Lewis, a rookie free agent from BYU, put a move on Dallas rookie safety Omar Stotmire, who slipped and fell, leaving Lewis wide open in the end zone for his only catch of the game.

"Rodney was reading the safety and threw a perfect pass," Lewis said. "(Dallas) was in a zone defense and as soon as I made my second move, I was just looking the ball into my hands."

Aikman wanted to return in the second half, even though the neck pain and headaches continued. "As far as my senses coming around and being able to focus in on things, I felt that I could have gone in the second half," he said. "With the concussions I had in the past and then having another one now, the doctors obviously didn't think I should be doing that."

Aikman, who will visit a neurologist on Monday in Dallas, said, "I have every intention of playing next week" in San Francisco.

And even though he was only 2-of-6 and sacked twice before going out with 2:26 left in the first quarter, the Cowboys need him back.

(c) 1997, New York Daily News.

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