Dallas Cowboys Stay in Hunt With Win Over Chiefs
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Drew Bledsoe spent the first two months of this season proving he can still be among the best quarterbacks in the NFL. After a bit of a slump, he showed Sunday that he - and perhaps the Dallas Cowboys - are back.
Bledsoe threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, including a 1-yarder to tight end Dan Campbell with 22 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a tense, thrilling game befitting a matchup between coaches Bill Parcells and Dick Vermeil.
Dallas (8-5) ended a two-game losing streak and finally found itself on the right end of a game-ending field goal when Kansas City's Lawrence Tynes missed a 41-yarder. The Cowboys have had all but two games decided by a touchdown or less; two of their last three losses came on a field goal as time expired.
Kansas City (8-5) wasted Larry Johnson's 143 yards rushing and three touchdowns and ended a three-game winning streak. The Chiefs had a chance to move up in the AFC playoff standings as division rival San Diego also lost. While remaining among a pack of teams fighting for wild cards, Kansas City slipped to two games behind Denver for the AFC West lead.
The Chiefs were making only their fifth trip back to the area where they began in 1960 as the Dallas Texans. They lost for the fourth straight time here, with this one spiced up by the postseason stakes for both teams and the sideline battle of their coaches, Parcells and Vermeil.
Parcells told the Cowboys last week that they could still win their division by winning their last four games. They went ahead early in the fourth quarter, then found themselves behind 28-24 when Trent Green threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Kennison with 3:55 left.
Then Bledsoe, who was 22-of-34 with no interceptions, marched the Cowboys 68 yards in 14 plays for the winning score. He kept the drive alive with two third-down conversions and got a huge break when safety Greg Wesley was called for holding on an incomplete fourth-down pass to Jason Witten in the end zone.
Two plays later, Bledsoe found his other tight end - the one known for blocking - wide open in the end zone. It was Campbell's third reception of the season and his first touchdown since Nov. 9, 2003.
Bledsoe's other touchdowns were a 71-yarder to Terry Glenn on a flea flicker and a 26-yarder to Witten that put Dallas up 17-14 shortly before halftime. It was set up when Scott Fujita, acquired from Kansas City a week before the opener, sacked Green and forced a fumble that rookie Marcus Spears returned 59 yards.
Green was 20-of-32 for 340 yards. He set up Tynes' last-gasp chance with completions of 14 and 34 yards.
Johnson set a club record with his sixth straight 100-yard game and set a career-high for touchdowns. But after gaining 128 yards on 21 carries over the first three quarters, he was held to 15 on five tries in the final quarter.
Kennison had 92 yards and Tony Gonzalez caught five passes for 94.
Glenn sparked Dallas with six catches for 138 yards and added the first rushing touchdown of his career, a six-yarder that put Dallas up 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. Witten caught seven passes for 93 yards.
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Drew Bledsoe spent the first two months of this season proving he can still be among the best quarterbacks in the NFL. After a bit of a slump, he showed Sunday that he - and perhaps the Dallas Cowboys - are back.
Bledsoe threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns, including a 1-yarder to tight end Dan Campbell with 22 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in a tense, thrilling game befitting a matchup between coaches Bill Parcells and Dick Vermeil.
Dallas (8-5) ended a two-game losing streak and finally found itself on the right end of a game-ending field goal when Kansas City's Lawrence Tynes missed a 41-yarder. The Cowboys have had all but two games decided by a touchdown or less; two of their last three losses came on a field goal as time expired.
Kansas City (8-5) wasted Larry Johnson's 143 yards rushing and three touchdowns and ended a three-game winning streak. The Chiefs had a chance to move up in the AFC playoff standings as division rival San Diego also lost. While remaining among a pack of teams fighting for wild cards, Kansas City slipped to two games behind Denver for the AFC West lead.
The Chiefs were making only their fifth trip back to the area where they began in 1960 as the Dallas Texans. They lost for the fourth straight time here, with this one spiced up by the postseason stakes for both teams and the sideline battle of their coaches, Parcells and Vermeil.
Parcells told the Cowboys last week that they could still win their division by winning their last four games. They went ahead early in the fourth quarter, then found themselves behind 28-24 when Trent Green threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Eddie Kennison with 3:55 left.
Then Bledsoe, who was 22-of-34 with no interceptions, marched the Cowboys 68 yards in 14 plays for the winning score. He kept the drive alive with two third-down conversions and got a huge break when safety Greg Wesley was called for holding on an incomplete fourth-down pass to Jason Witten in the end zone.
Two plays later, Bledsoe found his other tight end - the one known for blocking - wide open in the end zone. It was Campbell's third reception of the season and his first touchdown since Nov. 9, 2003.
Bledsoe's other touchdowns were a 71-yarder to Terry Glenn on a flea flicker and a 26-yarder to Witten that put Dallas up 17-14 shortly before halftime. It was set up when Scott Fujita, acquired from Kansas City a week before the opener, sacked Green and forced a fumble that rookie Marcus Spears returned 59 yards.
Green was 20-of-32 for 340 yards. He set up Tynes' last-gasp chance with completions of 14 and 34 yards.
Johnson set a club record with his sixth straight 100-yard game and set a career-high for touchdowns. But after gaining 128 yards on 21 carries over the first three quarters, he was held to 15 on five tries in the final quarter.
Kennison had 92 yards and Tony Gonzalez caught five passes for 94.
Glenn sparked Dallas with six catches for 138 yards and added the first rushing touchdown of his career, a six-yarder that put Dallas up 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. Witten caught seven passes for 93 yards.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:44 PM
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