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ducks
09-07-2003, 09:46 PM
Atlanta 27, Dallas 13

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Bill Parcells was stoic. Other than moving his hands from his hips to behind his back, or crossing his arms, he rarely let his emotions show -- even though he had to be seething.

His Dallas Cowboys could not stop making the kind of mistakes he preaches to avoid, letting the Atlanta Falcons recover from a slow start to win the opener 27-13 Sunday.

Doug Johnson didn't make the kind of magic Michael Vick does, but he threw third-quarter touchdown passes to a sliding Warrick Dunn and a rumbling Alge Crumpler, then dove 1 yard for a victory-sealing score early in the fourth to spoil Parcells' return to the sideline.

After good plays and bad, Parcells' non-reaction was indicative of someone who understands what a big job he has to try turning around a team that's won only 15 games the last three seasons.

This was the fourth straight opener Dallas has lost.

For the Falcons, starting 1-0 with Vick watching from a coaches box with a broken leg was a huge relief. Owner Arthur Blank celebrated by hugging players on the sideline, the kind of display usually seen on the other sideline at Texas Stadium by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

The Cowboys started strong for their new boss, getting a 63-yard touchdown run from newcomer Aveion Cason to lead 7-3 midway through the first quarter. After intercepting a pass by Johnson, Dallas reached the Atlanta 8-yard line on a 48-yard pass from Quincy Carter to Joey Galloway when the problems began.

A penalty wiped out that play and Carter later threw an interception on the kind of impulse decision Parcells detests. Then Billy Cundiff missed a 33-yard field goal late in the first half.

The Cowboys didn't put together a decent drive in the second half until their four-point lead had turned into a 13-point deficit.

Carter lost a fumble on the third snap of the third quarter, then failed to get a first down until early in the fourth. Even after Carter hit Galloway for a 49-yard touchdown to make it 20-13, Cundiff's extra-point kick was blocked.

In between, Atlanta started three drives in Dallas territory and scored on all of them.

Johnson followed Carter's fumble by throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dunn, who fell as he caught it at the 1 and rolled into the end zone. The next drive last only one play: Johnson rolled right, drew in the defense and threw left to an uncovered Crumpler, who ran 41 yards.

A 31-yard field goal by Jay Feely early in the fourth padded the lead, although the Falcons got a scare when Johnson hurt his left leg late in that drive.

After Galloway's touchdown, Johnson returned and led a 14-play, 75-yard drive that he capped with his scoring run. Johnson finished 16-of-27 for 228 yards with one interception.

The Cowboys' final drive reached the 2, but Carter -- who was 15-of-32 for 268 yards with an interception and a fumble -- turned it over on downs with a sack and two incompletions.

Peerless Price had only two catches for 30 yards in his Atlanta debut, one in the first quarter, then a spectacular 22-yard grab that set up the final touchdown. Brian Finneran, the Falcons' leading receiver last year, broke his left hand in the third quarter after catching two passes for 45 yards.

Dallas' Troy Hambrick ran out for pregame introductions wearing a black cowboy hat, but backed it up with only 53 yards on 14 carries in his debut as Emmitt Smith's replacement.
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/reca...0030907006 (http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap?gid=20030907006)


cowgirls lose to A BACKUP QB. FUNNY:elephant

MickeyOnFox
09-08-2003, 12:04 PM
eagles better lose tonight so I can break even