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Hail Deion, Michael Irvin for big plays; Dallas' go-to guys come through

By Scott MacGregor / The Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO - After punt returner extraordinaire Deion Sanders obliterated the Bears' coverage team with an 83-yard return for a touchdown Sunday, he held his hands high in the air, looked at the sky and seemed to thank God, his new-found friend, as he stood posing in the end zone.

The rest of the Cowboys should take note. Only they should be thanking Sanders and Michael Irvin, the flashy big-play guys who came up with the flashy big plays that allowed Dallas to overcome a lackluster offensive performance and beat the Bears 27-3.

Sanders' punt return in the third quarter pretty much sealed the Bears' fate, giving the Cowboys a 24-3 lead and adding a little flair to an otherwise dull game. Earlier, Irvin burned the Bears on a blitz and scored on a 26-yard pass from Troy Aikman to give the Cowboys a 17-3 cushion midway through the third quarter.

Big plays have been carrying the Dallas offense. And if the Cowboys keep playing the way they have, Aikman said, they're going to need the big-play guys more than ever.

"There's no question the reason we were able to score was because we made plays in the second half," Aikman said. "For us to score points we've got to rely on the guys that have the ability to make plays, and those guys have got to make them."

Irvin agreed. "Big plays carry every team," he said. "But every time we have an opportunity, we have to make them. We had opportunities to make them tonight that we didn't convert. That's what slows our offense down."

But the story of this game was the two big plays the Cowboys did make. First was Irvin's touchdown, a brilliant piece of work against the Bears' all-out blitz.

On third and 13 at the Bears' 26, the Bears stacked eight men on the line of scrimmage. Irvin and Aikman read it, eluded Walt Harris' tackle and outran nickel back Marlon Forbes to the end zone.

"We discussed some things in the locker room and said if they blitz us, we'll have some reads," Irvin said. "We just happened to be on the same read."

It's players like Irvin, Aikman said, whom the Cowboys need to shake their offensive doldrums.

"Michael's such a great competitor, and he just makes play after play," Aikman said.

The other big play came courtesy of Sanders, whose 83-yard touchdown was his third career punt return for a score and first since joining the Cowboys in 1995. It helped that Bears punter Todd Sauerbrun again sent a low, booming kick that got there too quickly for the coverage unit.

"It was a blessing the punter outpunted his coverage and I was able to see the seam," said Sanders, who had been well-contained up to that point. "We had great blocking today. There's always a seam. You just have to have time to hit it."

Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said in each of the Bears' losses this season the opponent has done something to separate itself in the second half after a close opening half. Sunday, Switzer said, it was Sanders' punt return.

"Deion's the type of guy, if he's playing for another team, you boo him and you hate him," Irvin said. "But as soon as he puts on your uniform, he's the greatest guy in the world. I've learned not to ever let myself get amazed with what Deion can do. He's the Michael Jordan of cornerbacks."

Which is really important for the Cowboys, because the offense is playing like Dickey Simpkins.

(c) 1997, Chicago Tribune.

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