Sunday, December 22, 2002
Eagles whip Emmitt, Cowboys
Roundup of Saturday's games
The Associated Press
IRVING, Texas - The Philadelphia Eagles have scored the most points in franchise history and have matched their most wins ever. All that's left is wrapping up home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Shawn Barber returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles the jolt they needed to fend off the Dallas Cowboys 27-3 Saturday night.
Philadelphia (12-3) won its sixth straight and reached 12 wins for the first time since the 1980 squad that made it to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles can clinch home-field if Green Bay loses Sunday and Tampa Bay falls Monday night. If either lose, Philadelphia locks up a first-round bye. The Eagles can secure home-field on their own with a victory in the finale next Saturday against the New York Giants.
"The best thing now is we control our destiny and we can run with it," said quarterback A.J. Feeley, who went 19-of-33 for 253 yards with two interceptions to improve to 4-0 as a starter.
The Cowboys (5-10) performed miserably in what might've been the last home game for Emmitt Smith and Dave Campo.
Smith had just 30 yards on eight carries and was only a decoy in the goal-line situation that used to be his specialty, marking one of many questionable coaching moves Campo made - the kind that might have prompted owner Jerry Jones to meet with Bill Parcells this week.
The Dallas Morning News, citing sources close to Jones and Parcells, reported in Sunday editions that Jones had already decided to fire Campo.
Dallas failed to cross midfield until late in the third quarter and didn't convert a third down. This was the Cowboys' third straight loss, putting them in double-digit losses for the third straight year - a first in franchise history.
Campo's job already was in jeopardy and his status seemed even more shaky when it was learned Saturday that Jones talked to Parcells for five hours Wednesday. Both sides insisted no job offer was made, or even discussed.
Campo's strangest decisions came a few minutes earlier when a 71-yard punt return by Joey Galloway gave the Cowboys first down at the 9. Smith ran for 6 yards, but he didn't get the ball on the next three snaps. All were pass attempts, including a poorly thrown fade to Galloway on fourth down.
After the game, Campo said he wouldn't respond to the Parcells talk.
"The only thing I can control is what I do," he said. "I can only go and prepare for Washington."
Smith is due $7 million next season, and Jones might not want him back at any price considering he'll be 34.
The team encouraged fans to wear No. 22 jerseys and many obliged. There also were plenty of signs urging for Smith's return, including one person who held up a giant check for $7 million that had "loyalty" in the memo section.
Smith tied his season-low for carries and had his second-lowest yardage total of the season. He came 19 yards shy of breaking Walter Payton's record for the most yards against one team and he remains 38 yards from 1,000 for a record-extending 12th straight season.
"I want to apologize to all Cowboys fans. This was an embarrassing performance," said Smith, who then walked out the back door of an interview room.
Despite seemingly having nothing to lose, Campo called a conservative game. His riskiest call was an onside kick after a 42-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff early in the fourth quarter that made it 17-3. Philadelphia recovered.
But Feeley threw an interception, continuing a second-half slowdown by the Eagles. The Cowboys then drove to the Philadelphia 21 when Chad Hutchinson threw a pass toward Smith. Barber stepped in front and raced down the right sideline for an easy touchdown.
"Guys are stepping up when others don't play well," coach Andy Reid said. "That is a sign of a good team."
The Eagles beat the Cowboys for a sixth straight time. This was the third time in a row that Dallas didn't get an offensive touchdown against Philadelphia.
The Eagles went ahead on their second drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Staley and were never really threatened.
Feeley threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Todd Pinkston to stretch the lead in the second quarter, then he mounted an 84-yard, 12-play drive to set up a 32-yard field goal by David Akers just before halftime. The kick gave the Eagles 398 points this season, the most in franchise history. Akers also had a 39-yarder in the fourth quarter.
Staley had 56 yards rushing and 27 yards receiving. That put him over 1,000 yards rushing and over 500 receiving; no Philadelphia player has ever hit both totals in one season.
Hutchinson was 15-of-24 for 128 yards with an interception. He was sacked seven times and fumbled three times, losing one.
Notes
Philadelphia DT Jeremy Slechta went out with a concussion in the first half. ... This was the second straight game Dallas failed to score in the first three quarters. ... Philadelphia has won 13 straight against NFC teams, including 11 this season. ... The Eagles also have won their last 10 games in prime time. ... The Cowboys fumbled six times, but lost only two.
49ers 17, Cardinals 14
TEMPE, Ariz. - While Terrell Owens rested, Jeff Garcia put in a full day for the San Francisco 49ers in a game that meant nothing against a team headed nowhere.
Garcia completed 23 of 39 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and Garrison Hearst ran for a score Saturday as the 49ers held on for a 17-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"It was a difficult game to decide how to play, who to use for how long, and all the reasons why and why not," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said.
With the 49ers' playoff position locked - a first-round home game against a wild-card team - Owens took the day off because of a sore groin.
"He hadn't practiced all week, and I want to freshen him up for the playoffs," Mariucci said.
The NFC West champions (10-5) weathered two missed 42-yard field goals by Jeff Chandler, a lost fumble at the Arizona 17 and a late Cardinals rally.
The 49ers came to Sun Devil Stadium for the first time since a Monday night game in 1999, when Steve Young went down with what turned out to be a career-ending concussion. Garcia stepped in and has been in charge of San Francisco's offense ever since.
"It really wasn't on top of my mind until Coach Mariucci said something about this is where it really started for me," Garcia said, "and it really was."
Jake Plummer, in what might have been his last home game for Arizona, nearly engineered his 22nd fourth-quarter comeback.
After Renaldo Hill intercepted Garcia's deflected pass at the San Francisco 33, Kevin Kasper caught his second touchdown pass of the day, and of his career, from 6 yards to cut the lead to 17-14 with 4:08 to play.
But, as was the case in last week's 30-28 loss at St. Louis, Arizona's defense couldn't stop an opponent's last drive. The 49ers got a first down at the Cardinals 33 at the two-minute warning, then ran out the clock.
"We couldn't get their offense off the field," Arizona coach Dave McGinnis said. "Garcia made some plays."
Plummer, whose contract runs out after the season, completed 16-of-26 for 109 yards and two scores. He was intercepted once. Plummer said he treated it like any other game and repeated his desire to re-sign with the Cardinals.
"If you want to know the answer, call Miss Cleo," Plummer said, referring to the notorious fortune teller who used to be seen on late-night television. "Whatever is going to happen will happen."
Marcel Shipp rushed for 84 yards on 20 carries and caught four passes for 31 yards but fumbled the ball away at the 49ers 9.
The Cardinals (5-10) wore red pants with their red jerseys for the first time in the team's history. But they were the same players who have lost eight of nine.
San Francisco led 10-7 at halftime on Chandler's 24-yard field goal. He missed one 42-yarder to the left and another to the right earlier in the game.
Arizona tied it at 7 on a 15-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Kasper catching a 4-yarder for the score. The Cardinals converted five third downs on the drive, including Plummer's 14-yard scramble on third-and-9 from the San Francisco 18.
The 49ers went 63 yards in eight plays on their opening possession of the game. Garcia connected with Fred Beasley on a 25-yard touchdown play on third-and-1 to put San Francisco up 7-0.
After Cedrick Wilson returned the second-half kickoff 37 yards to the Cardinals 47, San Francisco needed just three plays to score. Garcia threw 33 yards to Tai Streets, who had eight catches for 90 yards. Hearst ran for 6 yards to the 8, then scored on an 8-yard run to make it 17-7.
Arizona held the 49ers at their 2 late in the third quarter, then drove to the 49ers 9. But on first down, Shipp was hit in the backfield and fumbled, and Julian Peterson recovered for San Francisco at the 49ers 20.
The Cardinals, who have lost five starters and two replacement starters to season-ending injuries, had offensive tackle Leonard Davis go down with a sprained left knee with 10:33 to play. An MRI was scheduled for Sunday.
Notes
San Francisco extended its NFL record of consecutive games scoring to 435 games. ... 49ers starting left tackle Derrick Deese sat out the second half to rest a sore ankle.
Vikings 20, Dolphins 17
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Vikings had nothing to lose. So why not let Randy Moss throw the ball, and send a 43-year-old kicker out for his longest field-goal attempt in four years?
Moss threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to give Minnesota the lead early in the fourth quarter, and Gary Anderson's 53-yard kick with 17 seconds left gave the Vikings a 20-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.
Anderson's previous long this season was 44 yards, and his last make of 50 yards or more was a 53-yarder on Dec. 20, 1998 against Jacksonville.
Even though Anderson hadn't tried a field goal as long as 53 yards since that game against the Jaguars, the NFL's all-time leading scorer was confident.
"You've got to bring your driver out," Anderson said with a laugh. "It's not a 5-iron shot."
The defeat prevented the Dolphins (9-6) from clinching a playoff spot. They lead New England by a half-game in the AFC East and can win the division by beating the Patriots in Foxboro, Mass., next week. A loss could leave them out of the playoffs.
"Life is simple for the next seven days," said defensive end Jason Taylor, who had 11/2 of his league-leading 181/2 sacks. "Win, or we're home for New Year's."
Moss, named to his fourth Pro Bowl this year after being left off last season, had seven receptions for 110 yards. He has 100 catches this season, 18 more than the career high he set last year.
The Vikings (5-10) continued taking risks, six days after Daunte Culpepper ran for a 2-point conversion with 10 seconds left in a 32-31 victory at New Orleans. A kick would've sent the game to overtime.
Culpepper kept the pivotal drive going Sunday by running 3 yards on fourth-and-2 at the Miami 45. Minnesota coach Mike Tice sent the punt team out, but he called timeout and changed his mind as Vikings fans urged them to go for it.
"I heard them," Tice said. "What the heck. They deserve some fun. They've been through a long season."
The Vikings reached the 35, and Anderson made the line-drive kick. It curled right, grazed the right upright and sneaked over the crossbar.
"Everyone said he didn't have the leg," center Matt Birk said. "But he showed he had it, boy."
Three plays after he caught a 60-yard pass from Daunte Culpepper, Moss took the handoff, juked safety Shawn Wooden and threw the TD pass to D'Wayne Bates, giving the Vikings a 17-14 lead with 11:53 remaining.
Bates was covered, so Moss intentionally threw the ball behind him.
"Big-time players make big plays," Tice said.
Culpepper was 20-for-29 for 244 yards and two interceptions.
Jay Fiedler was 15-for-21 for 177 yards passing and two touchdowns for the Dolphins, who were outgained 368 yards to 239.
Cris Carter's return to the Metrodome was a dud until he caught a wide-open 15-yard pass - his only reception of the game - on third-and-6 midway through the fourth quarter.
Fiedler's pass on third-and-7 glanced off Carter's hands at the goal line, and the Dolphins had to settle for Olindo Mare's 25-yard field goal that tied it at 17 with 6:09 left.
Carter retired last year after 12 seasons with Minnesota, and he joined Miami in November. As the Dolphins' third-down receiver, he was only on the field for a handful of plays.
Four first-half trips by Minnesota to Miami's 30-yard line or further yielded only three points, because of three turnovers. But the Vikings ate up half the third quarter with a 78-yard drive that Moe Williams capped with a 3-yard touchdown run to give them a 10-7 lead.
Fiedler hit tight end Jed Weaver for a 3-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-10 Miami.
Culpepper's turnovers have crippled the Vikings' offense many times this year, but he's been far better over the last month, and he even earned the NFC's offensive player of the week award after his game against the Saints.
For most of the first half, though, Culpepper reverted to earlier form against the NFL's second-ranked defense and its five Pro Bowlers. He threw two interceptions and fumbled three times, losing the second one at the Dolphins 30 midway through the second quarter.
Miami touched the ball first on Culpepper's two other fumbles, but the Vikings recovered those.
"Guys were straining their guts to get it done," Wannstedt said, "and we just didn't come up with the football."
Notes
Miami's Ricky Williams had 43 of his 67 yards in the first quarter, ending a streak of five straight 100-yard games. ... Moss also threw a TD pass against the New York Giants on Dec. 26, 1999. ... Chris Chambers caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from Fiedler in the first quarter. ... Carter and Moss hugged on the field before the game.
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LETTERS TO MIKE BROWN
Former Bengals: Hire GM, think championship
Louis Breeden's letter
Dave Lapham's letter
Mike Martin's letter
Bob Trumpy's letter
Solomon Wilcots' letter
BENGALS GAMEDAY
History in making for Bengals
Isolation Booth: Horn vs. Roman
Keys to the game
Life as a Rookie
Saints-Bengals by the numbers
NFL
Curnutte's NFL picks, power rankings
Eagles whip Emmitt, Cowboys
Bitter rivalry spiced up by playoff picture
NFL owners willing to publicly criticize coaches
Jones, Parcells discuss Cowboys
NFL parity comes at a cost
Patriots, Jets hang by thread
REDS / BASEBALL
Pitchers scramble for spots
Reds Q&A
Mizuno bat maker works with Matsui
Kent has Astros excited
NBA
Portland says it's not sorry for fight Friday
XAVIER
Talk preceded Finn's steal and scuffle
For Xavier, the Salad was more than just an appetizer
UC BEARCATS
Huggins unimpressed with upset of Oregon
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UK 70, IU 64
Davis sorry for meltdown
Wildcats feel Hawkins' presence
Ohio State 71, Seton Hall 54
Top-ranked Arizona falls
Northern Kentucky men extend start to 8-0
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
1-2 matchup doesn't dispel BCS grumbling
Additional games doesn't concern Tressel
UK's Barnhart on lookout for football coach
Raiders three-peat in D-III
SUNDAY SPOTLITE
Daugherty: Students help man take his measure
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Madeira's Unger earns national honor
Hallman finds her bearings with Jayhawks
OHIO BOYS ROUNDUP: Walnut Hills beats Aves
KY. BOYS ROUNDUP: Wulfeck, CovCath hold off Purcell
OHIO GIRLS ROUNDUP: Third-ranked Mercy tops No. 7 Sycamore
KY. GIRLS ROUNDUP: Top-ranked NewCath suffers its first defeat
WRESTLING: Harrison makes mark in Mason
Saturday's prep sports results
REGIONAL SPOTLITE
Former Warriors adjust to college game
Hamilton drills Mighty Ducks
Enquirer Page Two Power rankings
PLAN YOUR DAY
Weekend sports on TV
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