FRANK: A LATE DECEMBER AFTERNOON. THE TEMPERATURE 65 DEGREES AND A FEW MILES FROM DOWNTOWN DALLAS. TEXAS STADIUM. AND IT WILL BE PACKED TODAY 65,000. THE DALLAS COWBOYS TAKING ON THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. HELLO AGAIN, EVERYONE. FRANK GIFFORD WITH AL MICHAELS AND DAN DIERDORF. WELCOME TO THE SECOND HALF OF OUR NFL PLAYOFF DOUBLE-HEADER. THE COWBOYS AND THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. THE DALLAS COWBOYS, OF COURSE, THE DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS. THEY COME IN A STRUGGLING FOOTBALL TEAM AT 10-6. THEY'LL MEET ANOTHER STRUGGLING FOOTBALL TEAM, THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. THEY ARE 9-7 AND UNDER HEAD COACH DENNIS GREEN THEY HAVE GONE TO THE PLAYOFFS FOUR OUT OF THE PAST FIVE YEARS. IN THE PREVIOUS THREE PLAYOFFS THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN OUT IN THE FIRST ROUND. IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TODAY AGAINST DALLAS. AL: DENNIS GREEN HAS DONE A GREAT JOB UNDER TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES THIS YEAR. A LOT OF HIS PERSONAL TREMENDOUS VEILS WERE PLAYED OUT PUBLICLY IN THE TWIN CITIES. THERE WAS RAMPANT SPECULATION. LOU HOLTZ WOULD BE THE COACH NEXT YEAR. THAT GOT GREEN CRAZY. AND ON THE FIELD, WARREN MOON WAS NEVER REALLY HEALTHY. HE HAD TO MAKE A MID SEASON SWITCH. BRAD JOHNSON IS THE STARTING QUARTERBACK. MOON HASN'T PLAYED IN SEVEN WEEKS. ROBERT SMITH, THEIR FEATURED BACK, SUFFERED A SEASON-ENDING INJURY. THEY HAD TO PICK UP LEROY HOARD. THEY GET TO POSTSEASON PLAY. BUT HOW DO THEY WIN THEIR FIRST POSTSEASON GAME SINCE 1988? LAST NIGHT DENNIS GREEN SUMMED IT UP WHEN HE SAID "OUR OFFENSE HAS TO CARRY THE DAY." IN PARTICULAR, BRAD JOHNSON. OFFENSE CARRYING THE DAY IS SOMETHING THAT COULD COME OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BARRY SWITZER AS WELL, DAN. DAN: AL, THE OFFENSE FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS MUST IMPROVE IF THEY'RE TO ADVANCE IN THE PLAYOFFS. IT'S REALLY UNFAIR TO SAY THAT THIS OFFENSE HAS STRUGGLED. THIS OFFENSE HAS JUST PLAIN DONE A BELLY FLOP IN 1996. THEY'RE POINTS PER GAME PRODUCTION OFF NEARLY 10 PER GAME. I THINK DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEASON, WE'RE AWARE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY. WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN IF THE DALLAS COWBOYS ARE TO GET BACK ON TRY TO MAKE IT 4-5 IN THE SUPER BOWL RACE. ONE, THEY HAVE TO MAKE PLAYS AWAY FROM MICHAEL IRVIN. IF KEVIN WILLIAMS AND BJORNSON DON'T GET IT DONE CATCHING TROY AIKMAN PASSES DURING THE COURSE OF THE PLAYOFFS, THE COWBOYS ARE DOOMED. AND IF THEY ARE TO GO ON AND WIN ANOTHER SUPER BOWL, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE ON THE SHOULDERS OF EMMITT SMITH. SOMEHOW HIS OFFENSIVE LINE IS GOING TO HAVE TO BLOCK BITTER THAN THEY'VE BLOCKED ALL YEAR, AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO RUN BETTER THAN HE HAS RUN ALL YEAR. AS BARRY SWITZER TOLD US YESTERDAY, EMMITT HAS TO BE THE DIFFERENCE MAKER. SPEAKING OF BARRY SWITZER, RIGHT NOW HE'S ON THE SIDELINES WITH OUR LYNN SWANN. LYNN: THANK YOU, DAN. THE PREGAME FIREWORKS ARE OVER. YOU HAVE A TEAM THAT LIMPED IN WITH MORE TAPE THAN 100 MUMMIES. IF YOUR OFFENSE ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO SCORE, IS IT GOOD ENOUGH TO KEEP THE DEFENSE OFF THE FIELD SO THEY CAN PLAY THEIR BEST? >> I HOPE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT OFFENSE. OUR DEFENSE HAS PLAYED WELL FOR 15 FOOTBALL GAMES. BUT WE HAVE GOT TO IN THE PLAYOFFS HAVE OFFENSIVE CONSISTENCY. WE'VE GOT TO PROVE THAT TODAY. LYNN: BARRY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AL? AL: THANK YOU, LYNN. BEAUTIFUL DAY AS FRANK MENTIONED. TEMPERATURE NEAR 70 DEGREES. SPRINGLIKE CONDITIONS. IT'S DRY. BRAND-NEW TURF HERE AT TEXAS STADIUM. THE HOLE IN THE ROOF. THE DALLAS SKYLINE IN THE DISTANCE. A LITTLE PAST 3:00 CENTRAL TIME. AND WE GET SET FOR THIS WILD CARD GAME WITH DALLAS IF THEY WIN ON THEIR WAY TO CAROLINA TO FACE THE PANTHERS. AL: AMP LEE BRINGS IT BACK OUT TO THE 21. TACKLED BY DERRICK FRASIER. AL: THEY GIVE THE BALL TO SCOTTIE ZPWRA HAM. HE'S TACKLED AT THE 21. MINIMAL GAIN IF ANYWAY. SECOND DOWN. AL: LEE PICKS UP A COUPLE OF YARDS. WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR LEROY HOARD, WHO SUFFERED A SLIGHT KNEE INJURY LAST WEEK. SAW HIS PLAYING TIME LIMITED. THERE HE IS. HELMET ON AND READY FOR ACTION. JUST HOW MUCH ACTION TODAY IS A BIG QUESTION. FRANK: I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT ISN'T A LITTLE MORE SORE THAN WE WERE TOLD BECAUSE OTHERWISE HE'D BE IN THERE. HE'S HAD A GREAT SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON. HE'S BEEN THE REASON THEY ARE 9-7. AL: JOHNSON AIRS IT OUT. AND IT'S INCOMPLETE BUT A FLAG IS THROWN. KEVIN SMITH TANGLED UP WITH CRIS CARTER. SMITH, NONG OTHER THINGS, SAYING HE WAS OUT OF BOUNDS. DAN: WE HAVE SOME VERY PHYSICAL RECEIVERS HERE TODAY. WE'LL SEE CRIS CARTER, JAKE REED, MICHAEL IRVIN. THEY ARE VERY PHYSICAL. THE QUARTERBACKS WILL HAVE TO PLAY THEM VERY TOUGH. I DON'T KNOW THAT BALL COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT INBOUNDS. THERE IS SOME CONTACT. BUT THAT PASS WAY OUT OF BOUNDS. EVEN THOUGH THE CONTACT -- REFEREE: NUMBER 26 ON THE DEFENSE, FIRST DOWN. DAN: THE REFEREE SETTING THE TONE HERE VERY EARLY. THEY KNOW COMING IN THE KIND OF RECEIVERS THEY HAVE ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD TODAY. YOU CAN'T DENY THE CONTACT BY KEVIN SMITH. HE'S NOT PLAYING THE FOOTBALL AND HE'S INSIDE ON CRIS CARTER. HE DID INTERFERE WITH HIM. YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT WAS AN UNCATCHABLE BALL BEING THROWN WELL OUT OF BOUNDS. AL: A PASS TAKEN IN BY GRAHAM, WHO'S TACKLED BEHIND THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE BY GEORGE TEAGUE FOR A LOSS OF ONE. FRANK: WHAT AN ACK WHICH SAYINGS GEORGE TEAGUE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY WHEN BROCK MARION WENT DOWN, THE FREE SAFETY. THE SAFETIES FOR DALLAS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN THEIR OVERALL DEFENSE. DAN: SEE RIGHT THERE THEY HAVEN'T HAD GREAT BEGINNINGS. THE ONLY TEAM IN THE LEAGUE THAT HASN'T SCORED ON THEIR FIRST POSSESSION. THEY GOT HELP FROM THE OFFICIATING CREW. AL: THEY SHOW BLITZ. HERE COME THE COWBOYS. AMP LEE TACKLED BY TONY TOLBERT, SETTING UP A THIRD AND 10. FRANK: WE TALK ABOUT DALLAS STRUGGLING ON OFFENSE. PROBABLY NEGLECTED TO SAY THEY HAVE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR ON DEFENSE. THIRD IN THE LEAGUE. 10TH AGAINST A RUSH. SECOND AGAINST THE PASS. TOLBERT A CAREER YEAR FOR HIM. 12 SACKS, 37 PRESSURES. MAKES A KEY STOP HERE. DAN: HE'S THE LONE DEFENSIVE LINEMAN LEFT. AL: JOHNSON GOES DEEP AGAIN. INCOMPLETE. FRANK: HE WENT REAL DEEP. THAT BALL WENT REAL HIGH. AL: MOCK CHEER FROM THE CROWD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FLAG. INTENDED FOR QADRY ISMAIL. FOURTH DOWN. FRANK: IN GREAT POSITION ALL THE WAY. THAT ONE WAS THROWN AWAY BY BRAD JOHNSON. ISMAEL WITH A LOT OF SPEED. HE'S NOT AS FAST AS SANDERS. SANDERS MAKING THE CONTACT WHERE IT'S ALOUBLE INSIDE THE 5. FUDGING A LITTLE BIT ON IT. AL: A FAIR CATCH IS CALLED FOR BY MARTIN. THAT'S WHERE DALLAS SETS UP SHOP. AL: HOW WEIRD IS THAT TO SEE AIKMAN'S NUMBERS FOR THE YEARS, 12 TOUCHDOWNS, 13 INTERCEPTIONS? DAN: THERE HAVEN'T BEEN VERY MANY PRO BOWL QUARTERBACKS WITH TROY AIKMAN'S NUMBERS. OBVIOUSLY TREMENDOUS RESPECT AROUND THE NFL. AL: THE PASS IS TIPPED AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE BY FERNANDO SMITH. SECOND AND 10. AL: THE PASS IS KNOCKED DOWN AS DWAYNE WASHINGTON GOT A HAND IN FRONT OF MICHAEL IRVIN. IT'LL BE THIRD AND 10. FRANK: YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS DEFENSE BEING QUICK. THEY ARE ALSO SMALL. AND THE REASON THAT DENNIS GREEN WANTS HIS OFFENSE TO WORK WELL FOR HIM TODAY, HE WANTS TO KEEP THEM OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD. WE LOOK AT IRVIN AGAIN. INSIDE-OUTSIDE COVERAGE. THE BALL HAD TO BE PERFECTLY THROWN. THEY ARE A SMALLISH FOOTBALL TEAM. THEY ARE QUICK. HE WANTS TO HELP KEEP THIS DEFENSE OFF THE FIELD FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE GAME. AL: WHISTLE BEFORE THE SNAP. IT'S MADE THAT WAY BECAUSE THE VIKINGS PLAY THEIR HOME GAME IN THE METRODOME. FASIO, THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR. REFEREE: FALSE START, 21 OF THE OFFENSE. FIVE YARDS. IT'S STILL THIRD DOWN. DAN: THAT COULD BE 21 OF THE DEFENSE. THIS TIME SANDERS MAKES A FALSE START AT THE WIDE RECEIVER POSITION WHICH IS A REALLY MAJOR MISTAKE. YOU'RE JUST REACTING TO THE SNAP OF THE FOOTBALL. HE SEES THE SECONDARY PEEL OFF AND CHANGE COVERAGES. AL: IRVIN BRAKES A BRADY TACKLE AND HAS A FIRST DOWN. MICHAEL IRVIN. DAN: THAT'S WHY THEY CALL HIM THE PLAYMAKER. FRANK: AND THEY LET HIM COME FREE UNDERNEATH. TRIED TO PICK HIM UP IN ZONE DEFENSE. TROY AIKMAN SET UP UNTIL HE CLEARED IT AND POPPED IT IN THERE BEAUTIFULLY. DAN: MICHAEL IRVIN LISTED AT 207 POUNDS. HE'S MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT, FRANK. FRANK: COREY FULLER GIVING THE CHUCK AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. AL: EMMITT SMITH, HIS FIRST CARRY, UP TO THE 31-YARD LINE. FOR EMMITT, THE EXPECTATIONS ARE SO HIGH THAT EVERYBODY THINKS IT WAS AN OFF YEAR. AND IT WAS FOR HIM. BUT 1,204 YARDS IS NOT BAD FOR HIM. 3.7 YARDS PER CARRY AVERAGE WELL BELOW WHAT YOU NORMALLY SEE FROM HIM. FRANK: I'M SURPRISED DALLAS CAME OUT THROWING THE BALL. THE PACKERS RAN FOR 233 YARDS AGAINST THIS DEFENSE. AL: SMITH CUTS IT BACK. EMMITT TAKES IT UP TO THE 35, CLOSE TO A FIRST DOWN. TACKLED BY THE EX-BILL, DARRYL TALLEY. DAN: NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A PROLIFIC RUSHING TEAM, THE GREEN BAY PACKERS. EDGAR BENNETT WENT OVER 100 YARDS LAST WEEK, THE ONLY 100-YARD-PLUS GAME HE HAD ALL SEASON LONG. AGAIN, THAT WAS A SLOW GRASS FIELD AT LAMBEAU. THAT IS WHERE FAZIO'S OUTFIT IS UNDERMANNED, OUTMANNED, UNDERSIZED, AND AT A DISADVANTAGE. AL: FINDS EMMITT SMITH, A GAIN OF SEVEN. SECOND AND 3. TACKLED BY DIXON EDWARDS. FRANK: EMMITT GOT LOST IN THE TRAFFIC ON THE PLAY-ACTION. NOTHING DOING DOWNFIELD. GOOD PRESSURE ON TROY AIKMAN. BUT ALSO HEADS-UP PLAY BY EMMITT COMING OUT OF THERE. DAN: I'M SURE MARTIN HARRISON THOUGHT HE HAD A SACK FOR SURE. AIKMAN WITH THAT POCKET SENSE GOT RID OF IT AT THE LAST INSTANT. AL: EMMITT SMITH INTO VIKING TERRITORY. FIRST DOWN AT THE MINNESOTA 46. FINALLY STOPPED BY THOMAS. FRANK: THE MOOSE. OVER THE CONDOMINIUM SIDE OF THE OFFENSIVE LINE. DAN: THEY JUST START THROWING PRO BOWL PLAYERS AT YOU. ERIK WILLIAMS, LARRY ALLEN, RAY DONALDSON AND THE LEAD BLOCK RIGHT THERE BY DARYL JOHNSTON. HE PUTS IT ON DIXON EDWARDS. BOY, THAT'S A MASSIVE CREASE FOR EMMITT SMITH. AL: CAUGHT BY IRVIN. AND MICHAEL FINALLY STOPPED AT THE 25-YARD LINE. THEY GAVE AIKMAN SEVERAL DAYS OFF. TROY DIDN'T THROW FOR SIX DAYS. DIDN'T PLAY LAST WEEK. BARRY SWITZER SAID IT'S THE BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN HIM THROW, AND THAT LOOKED LIKE IT. FRANK: THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL. THAT BALL WAS DELIVERED BY AIKMAN RIGHT ON THE CUT OF MICHAEL IRVIN WITH PLENTY OF PROTECTION, PERFECT TIMING. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WORK ON IT A THOUSAND TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF A SEASON. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. AL: KEVIN WILLIAMS, HE TURNS NOTHING INTO NEXT TO NOTHING. WAS STOPPED AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. DAN: WELL, HE TURNED A RUN THAT CERTAINLY WAS GOING TO HAVE A NEGATIVE NUMBER. HE ACTUALLY MADE A YARD OUT OF IT. SO YES, THAT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE RUN FOR KEVIN WILLIAMS. AL: GAIN OF ONE AT THE 24-YARD LINE. COACH FAZIO. THERE IS HIS OPPOSITE NUMBER, THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR FOR THE COWBOYS, ERNIE ZAMPESE FOR THE COWBOYS. AL: A WHISTLE BEFORE THE SNAP. AL: IT WAS SECOND AND 9. REFEREE: FALSE START, NUMBER 85 OF THE OFFENSE. FIVE YARDS. STILL SECOND DOWN. DAN: TWO FALSE STARTS ON WIDE RECEIVERS FOR THE COWBOYS ON THIS DRIVE. FIRST ON SANDERS. NOW ON KEVIN WILLIAMS. GUYS, PAY ATTENTION. FRANK: IF YOU DON'T KNOW, WATCH THE BALL. YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT ANYWAY THAT FAR OUT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR THE SNAP NUMBER SO YOU'RE WATCHING THE FOOTBALL. JUST WATCH IT. AL: TRIES TO HIT BJORNSON. THE COVERAGE VERY GOOD. DIXON EDWARDS IS RIGHT THERE. THIRD DOWN AND 14. DAN: DIXON'S SEEN THAT ROUTE BEFORE IN TRAINING CAMP, EVERY DAY IN PRACTICE. DIXON A MEMBER OF THEIR SUPER BOWL SQUAD A YEAR AGO, SPENDING HIS FIRST YEAR NOW IN MINNEAPOLIS. IF ANYBODY OUGHT TO SEE THESE THINGS COMING AND RECOGNIZE THEM INSTANTLY, IT WOULD BE EDWARDS. FRANK: IT STILL SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT. DAN: HE WAS THERE. EDWARDS DID A NICE JOB GETTING HIS LEFT HAND ON THE FOOTBALL. AL: THE PASS IS CAUGHT BY IRVIN, AND HE MIGHT HAVE IT. HE APPEARS TO BE A LITTLE SHORT. DEWAYNE WASHINGTON WITH A GREAT TACKLE TO TRY TO STOP THE FIRST DOWN. FRANK: WHAT A PASS BY TROY AIKMAN. DAN MENTIONED THAT HE WAS -- HAD THAT WEEK OFF BEFORE WASHINGTON, WELL RESTED. HE THREW THIS BALL TO A SPOT. HE WENT DOWN, HE NEVER SAW THE COMPLETION. WATCH THIS, A LOT OF PRESSURE. TOP OF YOUR SCREEN IS IRVIN. HE MAKES THE CUT. IT WAS THROWN RIGHT ON THE CUT. AL: THEY GIVE HIM THE FIRST DOWN. HE GOT THE WALL TO THE 15-YARD LINE. THEY MOVE THE STICKS. THIS IS THE OPENING DRIVE FOR DALLAS THAT BEGAN AT THEIR 12-YARD LINE. DAN: THERE'S SOME GOOD FORTUNE INVOLVED THERE, AL. THAT'S A SPOT WHERE IT COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN A FOOT OR TWO BEHIND IT. ■■■z AL: DALLAS CALLING A TIME-OUT. AFTER THEY PICKED UP THE FIRST DOWN AT THE 15-YARD LINE. TEXAS STADIUM CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY. THIS IS THE 20TH POSTSEASON GAME TO BE PLAYED IN THIS FACILITY. THE MOST OF ANY NFL FACILITY. TOMORROW THAT MARK WILL BE TIED BY THE FORMER CANDLESTICK PARK IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH WILL HOST ITS 20TH, AS THE 49ERS TAKE ON THE EAGLES. DAN: REALLY NOT A BAD PLACE TO PLAY IN THE POSTSEASON. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS ANYTIME YOU CAME TO PLAY, THE COWBOYS WERE HERE. FRANK: IT WAS A PROBLEM. DAN: WHETHER IT WAS SWITZER OR LANDRY. AL: IRVIN HAS A FIRST DOWN AT THE 3. DAN: HE TRIED TO STICK IT IN. MICHAEL IRVIN SHOWING A BIT OF SPEED. THAT'S A NICE JOB OF GETTING AROUND THE CORNER ON A PLAYER WHO LOOKED LIKE HE HAD THE ANGLE ON HIM. FRANK: THEY BETTER TAKE MICHAEL IRVIN OUT OF THIS GAME OR HE IS GOING TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE ARIZONA GAMES HE HAD THIS YEAR WITH NEARLY 200 YARDS. THEY'RE PLAYING WITH A LOT OF SINGLE COVERAGE, RELEASING HIM UNDERNEATH AGAINST A ZONE AND HE'S KILLING THEM. AL: EMMITT SMITH STOPPED AT THE 2 1/2. AS THE DALLAS COWBOYS HAVE NOW HAD THE BALL FOR 6 1/2 MINUTES. CHRIS JOHNSON MAKES THE TACKLE. SECOND AND GOAL. BARRY SWITZER WRAPPING UP HIS THIRD SEASON. DAN: AL, TALKING ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THIS DRIVE, 6 1/2 MINUTES GOES BACK TO WHAT FRANK TOLD YOU ABOUT DENNIS GREEN AND HIS FEAR OF HOW LONG HIS DEFENSIVE TEAM IS GOING TO HAVE TO BUTT HEADS WITH THIS 300-POUND-PLUS OFFENSIVE LINE. AL: AIKMAN GETS INTO THE END ZONE. TOUCHDOWN, DALLAS. DAN: LARRY ALLEN CAME BACK AND PICKED OFF DARRYL TALLEY. AL: HE SURE DID. FRANK: THAT IS AN ATTENTION-GETTING DRIVE BY DALLAS. ONE OF THEIR BEST OF THE SEASON. DAN: HERE COMES LARRY ALLEN. DARRYL TALLEY LOOKED LIKE HE WAS MAYBE NOT -- AT LEAST MAYBE TRIP AIKMAN UP. LARRY ALLEN PICKS HIM OFF, PRETTY GOOD MOVE BY TROY AIKMAN, NOT KNOWN AS A SCRAMBLER. FRANK: IS HE THE FASTEST 300 POUNDER YOU'VE EVER SEEN? AL: BONIOL FOR THE POINT AFTER. TROY AIKMAN HAS THROWN 22 POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWNS IN HIS CAREER. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HE'S RUN ONE IN. DALLAS GOES 88. AL: MICHAEL IRVIN A KEY PART OF THAT DRIVE. EMMITT SMITH D SOME NICE RUNNING ANAIKMAN TOOK IT IN AS DALLAS GOES 88 YARDS. AND LEADS 7-0. FRK: GOOD DIVE BY TROY AIKMAN. HE COMES TO PLAY 100%. NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. HE'S ONE OF THE PLAYERS WHO HAS BEEN BANG UP OFF AND ON DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. WE HAD THEM AGAINST THE BEARS EARLY ON. AL MENTIONED IT EARLIER. EMMITT SMITH WE THOUGHT MAYBE HAD A CAREER-ENDING INJURY IN THAT GAME. BUT THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO BOUNCE BACK. ALPALMER GETS TAKEN DN AT THE 20. GANG TACKLED. THREE COWBOYS HIT. JOHNSON AND THE VIKESO TO WORK FROM THERE. AL: MICHAEL IRVIN ON THAT DRIVE ALONE WITH FOUR CATCHES INCLUDING A COUPLE OF HUGE ONES PICKING UP A FIRST DOWN ON A THIRD DOWN PLAY, AND THEN SETTING UP A FIRST AND GOAL HERE ON THAT CATCH. AL: THIS IS LEROY HOARD UP TO THE 22-YARD LINE. HOARD SIX YEARS WITTHE CLEVELAND BROWNS, WENT WITH THEM TO BALTIMORE, STARTED THE SEASON THERE, WAIVED BY THEM, WENT TO CAROLINA,LAYED TWO GAMES WITH THE PANTHERS. WHEN ROBERT SMITH GOT HURT THEY WENT TO THE WAIVER WIRE. THEY FIGURED HE WOULD BE THE GUY BUT THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH CAN HE PLAY TODAY? FRANK: THEY GOT HIM NOVEMBER 5. 10 DAYS LATER, HE HAD A 100-YARD RUSHING GAME AGAINST THE RAIDERS. BUT HE DID HURT HIS KNEE LAST WEEK AGAINST GREEN BAY. AL: THE CATCH IS MADE HERE BY ANDREW JORDAN FOR A FIRST DOWN UP TO THE 31-YARD LINE. THE TIGHT END. FRANK: BRAD JOHNSON WITH AEW FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT. HE'S A YEAR OLDER THAN BRETT FAVRE. DAN: AND A WHOLE LOT YOUNGER THAN 45-YEAR-OLD WREN MOON. HASN'T PLAYED SINCE NOVEMBER 10. AL: NICE SLICK MOVE THERE BY HOARD. TEAGUE TACKLES HIM AFTER A GAIN OF EIGHT. THE STOP COULDN'T BE MADE. HE PICKS UP EIGHT YARDS ON THE PLAY. FRANK: IN 1994 HORTON WAS A PRO BOWL PLAYER. 225-POUNDER. HE WAS MICHIGAN. AL: CAUGHT BY JAKE REED. AND HE HAS A FIRST DOWN UP AT THE 49. REID, WHO AVERAGED THE SPARKLING 18 YARDS. BRIAN BILLICK THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. REID AND CRIS CARTER ON THE OTHER SIDE. FRANK: AND THEY GOT REID ONE-ON-ONE WITH GEORGE TEAGUE. THAT'S NOT A BAD MATCHUP. DAN: IT'S THE WAY MINNESOTA MUST MOVE THE FOOTBALL TO WIN THIS GAME. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WIN THIS GAME RUSHING THE FOOTBALL DOWN DALLAS' THROAT. SHORT POSSESSION PASSES TO REED AND CARTER. AL: THE PASS IS CAUGHT FOR A LOSS BY CHARLES EVANS. THE FULLBACK. AND DARREN WOODSON RIGHT THERE TO MAKE THE TACKLE. FRANK: HE'S NOT GOING TO THE PRO BOWL. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN WELCOMED. DARREN WOODSON IS THE GUTS OF THAT SECONDARY. HE WAS RIGHT UP THERE ON TOP OF IT. A GOOD READ BY BRAD JOHNSON OF THE BLITZ. HE HITS THE HOT RECEIVER. LOOK HOW QUICKLY DARREN WOODSON IS ON TOP HIM. GOOD PLAY BY DARREN WOODSON. THEY PLAYED THE RUN SO TOUGH. DAN: RECOGNIZE THAT GUY? AL: THIS IS AMP LEE WHO GETS UPENDED AT THE 46-YARD LINE, CROSSING INTO DALLAS' RRITORY. THE STOP IT MADE BY HARPER. DAN: TALKING ABOUT HALEY, YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY MOSTLY IT'S A CHANCE FOR THE SUPER BOWL. BARRY WILL THROW OUT OCCASIONALLY, WELL, MAYBE THERE'S A CHANCE IF WE WOULD MAKE IT TO THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. BASED ON WHAT A TREMENDOUS COMPETITOR CHARLES IS. : THE CATCH IS MADE BY AMP LEE. INSIDE THE 10. WHERE WAS HE I POSSESSION WHEN HE LOST THE FOOTBALL? THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AS GEORGE TEAGUE KNOCKED IT LOOSE. IT'S A TOUCHBACK. FRANK: WHERE DID HE HIT THE BALL? IT LOOKED RIGHT ON THE GOAL LINE. THE FORMER FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK OF T PACKERS WHO'S MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE IN THE SECONDARY. OH, MY LORD. WHAT A CRUSHING BLOW THAT COULD BE TO A FOOTBALL TEAM TRYING TO GET EV. WHAT A PLAY BY TEAGUE. DAN: WHERE DID HE LOSE POSSESSION OF THE FOOTBALL? ABSOLUTELY BEFORE HE WEPT INTO THE END ZONE. FRANK: A GOOD CALL. DAN: WHAT A PLAY BY GEORGE TEAGUE. FRANK: THAT HAPPENED AT FULL SPEED. THIS WAS A GREAT SCALL. @á FRANK: GEORGE TEAGUE, THEY PICKED HIM UP ON THE WAIVERS IN AUGUST AFTER BEING RELEASED BY THE GREEN BAY PACKERS. HE MAKES A HUGE PLAY HERE. DAN: AND IT'S INTENTIONAL. THAT'S NO MISTAKE. HE WENT RIGHT FOR THE FOOTBALL. LEE ALMOST RECOVERED IT BUT HE LANDED ON THE BALL SO HARD IT SQUIRTED OUT. AL: EMMITT SMITH GETS BY FISK AND THEN HE'S STOPPED UP AT THE 27-YARD LINE. AMP LEE MAY HAVE SEEN TEAGUE COMING BUT COULDN'T PREVENT IT. CHANGING HANDS HERE BUT TEAGUE WHO, AS FRANK MENTIONED, NOT ONLY WAS LET GO BY GREEN BAY BUT MADE A STOP IN ATLANTA. THE FALCONS LET HIM GO AS WELL BEFORE HE WINDS UP IN DALLAS. FRANK: SOME THYROID PROBLEMS. GREEN BAY LET HIM GO. HERE'S THE MAN HE REPLACED, BROCK MARION. AL: THAT'S A GAIN OF FIVE BY EMMITT. YOU HAVE TO WONDER IF YOU'RE THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GET BACK IN THE GAME. IF YOU GIVE UP A LONG DALLAS DRIVE HERE WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE UNDERDOG. DAN: WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING ON THE ROAD AND KNOW YOU ONLY GET SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES, SO MANY CHANCES TO MAKE A BIG PLAY AND FOR MINNESOTA TO BE IN THAT SITUATION AND THEN SEE A SURE TOUCHDOWN TAKEN AWAY. PSYCHOLOGICALLY THAT CAN CRUSH A TEAM. AL: END OF THE QUARTER. @@AALL'j@ AL: MICHAEL IRVIN HAS CATCH NUMBER FIVE. HE'S TACKLED BY ROBERT GRIFFITH. AFTER BREAKING A WASHINGTON TACKLE. FRANK: WASHINGTON PRETTY GOOD POSITION BUT DWAYNE WASHINGTON, 5'10", 5'11". MICHAEL IRVIN WILL FIGHT YOU FOR THAT FOOTBALL AT 6'2" AND 210. WHAT TIMING BETWEEN MICHAEL IRVIN AND TROY AIKMAN THUS FAR TODAY. IRVIN WITH THE LONG REST BEFORE THE WASHINGTON GAME. AL: EMMITT SMITH. AND THAT'S A FIRST DOWN TO THE 44-YARD LINE. THE OPENING MINUTE OF THE SECOND QUARTER, COWBOYS ON TOP 7-0. TRYING TO EARN A TRIP TO CHARLOTTE IF THE COWBOYS WIN. THEY FACE THE PANTHERS NEXT WEEK. IF THE VIKINGS WIN, THEY GO TO GREEN BAY NEXT WEEK. FRANK: EMMITT HAD A LONG REST, TOO. DAN: YES, HE DID. YOU CAN JUST FEEL WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. HERE THE COWBOYS COME AGAIN, JUST GRINDING OUT FIRST DOWN AFTER FIRST DOWN. COACH FAZIO IS GOING I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME CHANCES, TAKE SOME RUN BLITZES, DO SOMETHING TO STOP THIS. AL: EMMITT SMITH IS IN MINNESOTA TERRITORY TO THE 48-YARD LINE, SETTING UP A SECOND AND SHORT. TACKLED BY JEFF BRADY. FRANK: THE WAY DALLAS BLOCKS, THEY'RE STRAIGHT AHEAD, BULGE YOU OUT OF THERE. DAN: THEY TOOK A PAGE OUT OF WHAT GREEN BAY DID TO MINNESOTA. THE COWBOYS ARE GOING TO THE WIDER LINE SPLITS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO SPREAD OUT THE SMALLER MINNESOTA DEFENSIVE LINEMEN. CHECK OUT THE SPLITS BETWEEN LARRY ALLEN AND DONALDSON THE CENTER. AL: EMMITT SMITH BREAKS A TACKLE, PICKS UP A FIRST DOWN. GETS TO THE MINNESOTA 40-YARD LINE. BEHIND A DARYL JOHNSTON BLOCK. DAN: AND A GREAT LOOK AT IT THERE WHAT THESE MINNESOTA GUYS ARE TRYING TO DO. YOU'RE FORCING A DEFENSIVE LINEMAN NOW JUST TO COVER AN AREA THE WIDTH OF HIS SHOULDER PADS. HE'S HAVING TO TRY TO COVER A GAP THAT NOW IS ABOUT SIX FEET WIDE. AND IT'S A CHALLENGE TO THIS POINT MINNESOTA'S DEFENDERS AREN'T ABLE TO HANDLE. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN A SHOT TO DROP EMMITT SMITH. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WRAP HIM UP. AL: FIRST DOWN. HERSCHEL WALKER IN THE GAME. AL: AIKMAN GOES A LITTLE TOO DEEP. THEY CAN'T LINK. FRANK: TROY AIKMAN, WHO HAS BEEN PERFECT THUS FAR IN THE GAME, JUST OVERTHROWING MICHAEL IRVIN WHO HAD DEWAYNE WASHINGTON BEAT. DAN: HE HAS THE SINGLE COVERAGE HE WAS LOOKING FOR. FRANK: HE COULD HAVE GIVEN IRVIN A LITTLE BETTER CHANCE AT THE FOOTBALL. BUT TOTALLY DESTROYED WASHINGTON ON IT. DAN: WASHINGTON ALL ALONE ON MICHAEL IRVIN. YOU DON'T SEE THAT VERY MUCH. MICHAEL IRVIN HAS SEEN DOUBLE COVERAGE SINCE THE DAY HE CAME BACK. AL: AND HERSCHEL WALKER LOOKING LIKE THE OLD HERSCHEL. PICKS UP 22 TO THE 18-YARD LINE. AND HOW IRONIC IS THIS, HERSCHEL WALKER WHOSE TRADE FROM HERE HELPED BUILD THE DYNASTY IS NOW BACK. FRANK: WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HERSCHEL WALKER IS AN AMAZING ATHLETE. HE'S BEEN SUCH A SPARK FOR THESE COWBOYS ON THE SPECIAL TEAMS WITH HIS KICKOFF RETURNS. HE STILL HAS THAT OLYMPIC SPRINTER-TYPE OF BURST WHEN HE TAKES OFF. DAN: HE'S ALSO RUNNING THROUGH 10-FEET-WIDE HOLES. FRANK: THAT'S NOT BAD. AL: CAUGHT BY MOOSE JOHNSTON. A MOOSE CALL FROM 65,000. TACKLED BY GRIFFITH. HERSCHEL WALKER HAS BEEN A VALUABLE GUY THIS YEAR. NOT ONLY IN BACKING UP EMMITT SMITH AND PLAYING SEVERAL POSITIONS BUT ON SPECIAL TEAMS. HE'S HAD SOME VERY TIMELY RUNBACKS AND SOME GREAT TACKLES. HERE'S A GUY AT THE END OF HIS CAREER WHO IS AS VALUABLE NOW AS HE EVER WAS. FRANK: I'M NOT SO SURE IT'S THE END OF A CAREER. HE'S NEVER BEEN HURT. NEVER MISSED ANY TIME FROM BEING INJURED. AL: IT'S DROPPED BY BJORNSON, THE TIGHT END. ERIC BJORNSON, THE GUY WHO'S GETTING TO REPLACE JAY NOVACEK, OUT ALL SEASON BECAUSE OF A BAD BACK. BJORNSON HIMSELF WHO HAS BEEN HURT WITH TWO TENDERS ANKLES HEALTHY NOW. FRANK: GIVE THE VIKINGS CREDIT HERE. GOOD COVERAGE. HE COULD HAVE CAUGHT IT, HOWEVER. HE HAD THE REACH FOR IT. DAN: BEAUTIFUL COVERAGE BY THE VIKINGS IN AND OUT. AIKMAN DELIVERS A PERFECT PASS TO BJORNSON. PERFECT PASS. THAT WAS DOUBLE COVERAGE. AL: THE QUICK PASS. A FLAG IS THROWN. DEION SANDERS JUGGLES IT. A FLAG AT THE 16-YARD LINE. DAN: THE COWBOYS OUGHT TO HOPE FOR A FALSE START OR SOMETHING SO THEY GET TO DO THIS PLAY OVER. AL: FLAG IS THROWN AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. IT IS OFFSIDE AGAINST MINNESOTA. EVEN BETTER. DAN: IF IT'S NOT AGAINST THEM, IT'S EVEN BETTER. TOUGH ENOUGH TO STOP THE COWBOYS WITHOUT GIVING THEM EXTRA TRIES. THAT'S WHAT THE VIKINGS JUST DID. LOOK AT THIS DOUBLE COVERAGE. WATCH TROY. THIS IS A MAN WHO'S CONFIDENT. SHORT AND LONG IS THE COVERAGE AND YET HE GETS IT RIGHT ON TO THE PALMS OF ERIC BJORNSON. AL: EMMITT SMITH LOOKING FOR ROOM AND DOESN'T FIND ANY. TACKLED AT THE 10-YARD LINE. ■pFOURTH DOWN AND 2. THEY'LL SEND IN CHRIS BONIOL WHO ENDED THE SEASON WITH 27 CONSECUTIVE FIELD GOALS. FRANK: ANOTHER BIG RUN BEFORE THAT, DIDN'T HE, AL? AL: HE STARTED THIS SEASON WITH 25 IN A ROW AND MISSED IN THE OPENER ON A MONDAY NIGHT IN CHICAGO. DAN: SO FAR IN THIS GAME, THE VIKINGS' VIGGET REESE ARE COMING IN SMALL DOSES. AL: 28 YARDS. AL: OUR AERIAL FOOTAGE TODAY PROVIDED BY GOODYEAR. A LOOK AT THE SKYLINE OF DALLAS. WE ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF DALLAS CITY LIMITS IN THE CITY OF IRVING, TEXAS, HOME OF TEXAS STADIUM. COWBOYS ON TOP 10-0. AL: DAVID PALMER IS TACKLED AT THE 28 BY KAVIKA PITTMAN. JOE AVEZZANO THE SPECIAL TEAMS COACH. AL: THE DALLAS COWBOYS HAVE POSSESSION. SHANTE CARVER GETS TACKLED. FIRST DOWN, DALLAS INSIDE THE 40. FRANK: NOT WHAT MINNESOTA NEEDED. LEROY HOARD WITH THE GAPING HOLE TRIED TO KICK IT INTO ANOTHER GEAR, LOSES THE FOOTBALL. AND DEION, WHO ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE AROUND IT, IS THERE. HUGE HOLE OVER THE LEFT SIDE. GOOD BLOCK BY MCDANIEL. DAN: GUESS WHO KNOCKED THE BALL OUT AGAIN? GEORGE TEAGUE KNOCKS THE BALL OUT AGAIN. AND THEN I THINK FOOLISHLY, SANDERS LATERALS THAT BALL BACK TO A TEAMMATE. FRANK: WE'VE SEEN HIM DO IT BEFORE IN A PLAYOFF GAME. DAN: COACHES GO WILD WHEN PLAYERS DO THAT. BUT YOU HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE OF RECOVERING THE BALL, WHY PUT IT IN PLAY AGAIN? AL: GOOD-BYE. FRANK: THIS IS WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. DAN: ANYBODY WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO PLAY DEFENSIVE LINE FOR THE VIKINGS? I DON'T THINK SO. FRANK: WAS HE TOUCHED? I DON'T THINK SO. DAN: WHAT A JOB OF BLOCKING BY THIS FRONT FIVE AND BY DARYL JOHNSTON. THE LEAD BACK. LOOK AT THIS HOLE IN THE MIDDLE. BARELY GRAZED ON THE SHOULDER PADS BY ORLANDO THOMAS. EMMITT SMITH TAKES A NICE LEISURELY STROLL TO THE END ZONE. FRANK: LARRY ALLEN REALLY POPPED BRADY. AL: BONIOL CONVERTS. EMMITT SMITH HAS NOW SCORED 17 POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWNS, MOST IN HISTORY. DAN: WELL, EMMITT IS RUNNING HARD. NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM EMMITT SMITH BUT A LOT OF BACKS WOULD SCORE OFF A HOLE LIKE THAT. ) AL: EMMITT SMITH AVERAGING A SPARKLING 7.7 YARDS PER CARRY. THE TEAM IS AVERAGING 8.6. AND MINNESOTA GAVE UP 4.4 YARDS PER CARRY THIS YEAR. WORST IN THE LEAGUE. THEY LOOKED LIKE IT TODAY. DAVID PALMER WILL DOWN IT IN THE END ZONE. [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] AL: THE DALLAS COWBOYS. THEY WANT TO GO PLACES. AL: CAUGHT BY EVANS. HE PICKS UP EIGHT. GODFREY WITH THE STOP. DAN: DEION WENT IN THERE FOR A TEXTBOOK TACKLE. AND DID NOTHING. WIN IT LOW AND WASN'T A FACTOR. YOU YOUNGSTERS OUT THERE IN JUNIOR FOOTBALL, THIS IS NOT HOW YOU ATTEMPT TO TACKLE SOMEBODY. FRANK: A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT EITHER. AL: THAT'S INCOMPLETE. TRIED TO GUN IT TO AMP LEE. HAD TOO MANY AMPS ON IT. FRANK: THE POINT I WAS MAKING EARLIER, THE RECEIVERS, CRIS CARTER AND JAKE REED, HAD OVER 160 RECEPTIONS ON THE SEASON. THEY ARE THE SPARK PLUG OFFENSIVELY FOR THIS FOOTBALL TEAM. JAKE REED HAS CAUGHT ONE PASS. CARTER'S CAUGHT NONE THUS FAR. WE ARE ALMOST MIDWAY THROUGH THE SECOND QUARTER. THIS ONE UNDERNEATH TO AMP LEE AND THROWN BEHIND BY BRAD JOHNSON. DAN: THERE'S REED BEING HELD BY DEION. AL: PICKED OFF BY GEORGE TEAGUE! TOUCHDOWN. DAN: I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. BRAD JOHNSON MADE A THROW BY A QUARTERBACK WHO LOOKS LIKE HE'S ONLY PLAYED SIX OR SEVEN GAMES IN THE NFL. YOU NEVER THROW IT BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD LIKE THAT. FRANK: GIVE KEVIN SMITH A GREAT ASSIST. JAKE REED WAS THE INTENDED RECEIVER. KEVIN SMITH TOOK HIM OUT OF THE PLAY. JOHNSON WANTED TO GO TO HIM. IT'S PICKED OFF. THIS MAN IS HAVING A CAREER GAME. DAN: BUT FRANK, YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU EVER GO BACK TO THE FOOTBALL IN THIS SITUATION. FRANK: HE WANTED TO GO TO REED. HE WAS WELL COVERED BY KEVIN SMITH, HAD TO DO THIS OR DID THIS. DAN: I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE GEORGE TEAGUE COULD DO. GEORGE PUT THAT BALL UP A LITTLE BIT EARLY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE A PLAYER COULD DO TO HAVE MORE OF AN IMPACT ON A FOOTBALL GAME THAN GEORGE TEAGUE IS HAVING IN THIS FIRST HALF FOR THE COWBOYS. HE'S FORCED TWO FUMBLES AND INTERCEPTED A PASS FOR A TOUCHDOWN. AL: BONIOL FOR THE POINT AFTER. AL: AT STECKS TEX STADIUM, AL MICHAELS WITH FRANK GIFFORD, DAN DIERDORF, AND LYNN SWANN. AL: DAVID PALMER IS OUT OF BOUNDS AT THE 23. WELL, GEORGE TEAGUE NO STRANGER TO HIGHLIGHT FILMS AND POSTSEASON PLAY FOLLOWING THE 1993 SEASON AS A MEMBER OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AGAINST DETROIT. HE RETURNED THIS PASS 101 YARDS. THE LONGEST POSTSEASON INTERCEPTION RETURN IN NFL HISTORY. FRANK: GREEN BAY'S NUMBER-ONE DRAFT PICK IN 1993. HE HAD A LOT OF NAGGING INJURIES. HAD A THYROID PROBLEM. AL: LEROY HOARD. LOST THE FOOTBALL BUT HE RETAINS POSSESSION. HE HOLDS ON, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF POSSESSION. DAN: TONY CASILLAS WANTS THE BALL. [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] DAN: LEROY HOARD IS COMING OUT OF THE BALL GAME. DAN: CASILLAS WAS CERTAINLY ACROSS THE BALL AT THE SNAP. WAS HE DRAWN? FRANK: IF HE WASN'T, HE'LL ARGUE HE WAS. REFEREE: ENCROACHMENT, NUMBER 75 OF THE DEFENSE. FIVE YARDS. THAT WILL BE A FIRST DOWN. AL: NOPE. WASN'T DRAWN. SECOND DOWN AND 8. IF YOU'RE MINNESOTA NOW, YOU'RE AMONG THE DILEMMAS YOU HAVE -- IT'LL BE, I'M SORRY -- IT'LL BE FIRST DOWN UP AT THE 35-YARD LINE. AL: DEION SANDERS TAKES IT TO THE 21-YARD LINE. DAN: THIS HAS MOVED WELL BEYOND A DILEMMA. THIS HAS MOVED INTO THE CATASTROPHE CATEGORY. THIS IS NO LONGER A DILEMMA. AL: I THINK IT'S GONE FROM CATASTROPHE TO DEBACLE. FRANK: THAT BALL THROWN BEHIND THE RECEIVER RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF DEION. HE HAD TO CATCH THE BALL OUT OF SELF-DEFENSE. A LITTLE COLLISION THERE. RIGHT INTO THE ARMS OF DEION. DAN: QUESTION IS DID THAT COLLISION COME WHILE THE BALL WAS IN THE AIR? IF IT DID, IT'S INTERFERENCE. AL: VIKINGS HAVE HAD THE BALL FIVE TIMES, FOUR TURNOVERS, AND A PUNT. AL: EMMITT SMITH STOPPED BY HARRISON. THE DALLAS COACHES AT THE HALF. MEANWHILE HOME TEAMS HAVE WON THE LAST 35 GAMES IN POSTSEASON PLAY IN WHICH THEY HAVE FEWER TURNOVERS. SOME OF THE DALLAS COACHING STAFFER MIGHT START LOOKING AT CAROLINA GAME FILM AT THE HALF. DAN: I CAN ONLY ASSUME THIS. THEY'RE LIKE AN UNWANTED IN-LAW THAT SHOWS UP EVERY NOW AND THEN. AL: HERSCHEL WALKER TO THE 14. THE PRIOR RUN WAS BY SHERMAN WILLIAMS WHO CAME IN TO SPELL EMMITT SMITH. SO THE COWBOYS HAVE THE LUXURY OF EVEN RESTING EMMITT IN A SPOT IN A GAME LIKE THIS UP 24-0, USE WILLIAMS. EMMITT HAS THE BASEBALL CAP ON. FRANK: THEY CAN DO THAT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. THEY DID IT LAST WEEK AGAINST THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS AND GOT BLOWN AWAY 37-10. SWITZER SAID, SO WHAT? MERRY CHRISTMAS, WASHINGTON. OUR GUYS NEEDED A REST. AL: WALKER SHORT OF THE FIRST DOWN. JASON FISK FOR THE STOP. DAN: I'M SURE IF SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE TOLD THE MEMBERS OF THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS WITH SIX MINUTES LEFT IN THE SECOND QUARTER THAT WE ALREADY GOT EMMITT SMITH OUT OF THE BALL GAME AND THEY'RE DOWN TO HERSCHEL WALKER, THAT'S GOOD NEWS. AL: BONIOL HAS TWO TODAY ALONG WITH THREE EXTRA POINTS. AL: WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COWBOYS AND YOU LOOK AT THE SEASON, IT'S BEEN, IN A WAY, THE MOST TURBULENT OF SEASONS FOR BARRY SWITZER AND THE WHOLE TEAM. THE MICHAEL IRVIN SUSPENSION FOR FIVE GAMES. SHANTE CARVER SUSPENDED, CHARLES HALEY WITH BACK SURGERY. NOVACEK GONE ALL SEASON LONG. EMMITT SMITH NEVER REALLY HEALTHY. AN UN-EMMITT-LIKE SEASON. YOU GOT THE FEELING THIS WAS A TEAM THAT COULD EXPLODE IN POSTSEASON. DAN: ANOTHER FACTOR, AL, THIS IS THE BEST GAME BY FAR THAT THIS OFFENSIVE LINE HAS PLAYED ALL YEAR. THEY'VE NOT PLAYED WELL. BY THEIR OWN ADMISSION THAT THEY WERE INEFFECTIVE MOST OF THIS SEASON. THERE'S MORE THAN JUST EMMITT'S NOT RUNNING WELL AS REASON WHY HIS RUSHING PER CARRY AVERAGE IS DOWN. AL: PALMER PAST THE 40 BEFORE HE'S TACKLED AT THE 44-YARD LINE. BY ROGER HARPER. HERE'S WHAT TROY AIKMAN HAD TO SAY ABOUT ELEVATING THE LEVEL OF PLAY FOR THIS TEAM IN POSTSEASON. [NO AUDIO] >> MAYBE BEEN A LITTLE BIT BORED WITH THE SEASON. KIND OF HOPING THAT NOW WE GET INTO THE GAME THAT REALLY MATTERS AND THE GAMES THAT THIS FOOTBALL TEAM HAS REALLY THRIVED IN IN THE PREVIOUS SEASON. I'M HOPING THAT THAT ENERGY SURROUNDING THESE GAMES WILL GET US BACK. AL: A LOT OF ENERGY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL AS AMP LEE PICKS UP TWO TO THE 45-YARD LINE. IT'LL BE SECOND DOWN AND 8. DAN: I WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE, FRANK, TO PLAY ON A FOOTBALL TEAM WHERE YOU HAVE SO MUCH TALENT THAT YOU COULD SPECULATE THAT MAYBE WE WERE BORED DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. FRANK: WELL, WE WERE ONE YEAR. DAN: I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. I NEVER WAS AFFORDED THAT LUXURY. AL: THAT'S TIPPED. INCOMPLETE. AND THE WORST OF TIMES, HENNINGS GOT HIS HAND ON IT. FOR THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, JOHNSON IN HIS FIFTH YEAR. A GUY WHO DIDN'T TAKE A SNAP THE FIRST TWO YEARS IN THE LEAGUE AND A GUY THEY WERE FORCED INTO SIGNING. THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T HAVE RETAINED HIM. DENNIS GREEN AND THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS HAD TO GIVE BRAD JOHNSON A FOUR-YEAR, $15 MILLION CONTRACT. WARREN MOON AT THE AGE OF 40 IS PROBABLY GOING SOME PLACE ELSE OR RETIRING NEXT SEASON. AND THEN YOU HAVE A DAY LIKE THIS AND HAVE TO GO TO YOURSELF, WHOA. AL: THIRD DOWN AND 7 FROM THE 45. STEUSSIE WAS MOVING. REFEREE: FALSE START, NUMBER 73. FRANK: NOW THIS ONE GAME DOESN'T MAKE BRAD JOHNSON A BAD QUARTERBACK OR A BAD DECISION. HE'S PLAYED WELL. BUT, BOY, IT SURE DOES CREATE A LOT OF TOPICS OF CONVERSATION. THE PAST FOUR WEEKS HE'S HAD NINE TOUCHDOWNS. HE HAS A QUARTERBACK RATING OF 99.1. AL: JOHNSON GETS HIT AS HE THROWS. THAT'S INCOMPLETE. FOURTH DOWN. DAN: BUT 4-6 GETS YOU $15 MILLION, A LOT OF GUYS JUMPING IN THAT LINE. AL: YEP. IT SPEAKS TO OUTSTANDING QUARTERBACKS IN THE LEAGUE. IF YOU'RE THE TOP OF THAT SORT OF SECOND LEVEL, YOU CAN GET THAT SORT OF CONTRACT. AND HE DID. FRANK: YOU'RE NOT GOING VERY FAR WITHOUT A GOOD ONE. AL: KELVIN MARTIN TACKLED UP AT THE 16-YARD LINE. SO THE COWBOYS HAVE AL: AIKMAN THROWS. CAUGHT BY MICHAEL IRVIN. BARRY SWITZER SAYING YESTERDAY THAT IT'S THE BEST HE'S EVER SEEN AIKMAN THROW. WE HEAR A LOT OF THINGS FROM COACHES THROUGH THE YEARS. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU QUITE BELIEVE 100% OR 50% OR WHATEVER. BUT BARRY WASN'T KIDDING ABOUT THIS. FRANK: BUT HE HAS REALLY BEEN ON THE QUARTER. THE FIRST QUARTER WAS AN EXHIBITION FOR HIM. HE PUT ON A SHOW OF PERFECT TIMING. TO HAVE THAT PERFECT TIMING, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE IT FROM YOUR RECEIVER, MICHAEL IRVIN. THEY HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT HERE THUS FAR FROM THE FIRST HALF. AL: THOMAS FUMBLES THE FOOTBALL. DAN: I THINK BJORNSON HAS IT BACK. AL: THEY DO. FRANK: LIFE IS GOOD. WHEN IT'S GOING YOUR WAY, IT GOES YOUR WAY. AL: I THINK HERSCHEL WALKER CAME IN TO STRIP IT AWAY AFTER THE PICK. FRANK: AND I THINK ORLANDO THOMAS IS HURT. HE'S STILL DOWN ON THE FIELD. THE VIKINGS' TRAINING STAFF HAS RUN OUT THERE. DAN: THE BALL IS TIPPED. THIS IS THOMAS WHO CATCHES IT IN THE AIR. AND THEN ON HIS RETURN -- FRANK: IT'S A TWISTING TACKLE. HE COLLAPSES ON THAT LEFT KNEE. DAN: BJORNSON RECOVERS IT. THIS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY AS CATASTROPHIC A HALF AS I'VE SEEN A TEAM HAVE. AL: THOMAS BEING ASSISTED ON THE FIELD. AIKMAN KEEPS POSSESSION. THE VIKINGS HAVE COMMITTED FIVE TURNOVERS. THAT COUNTS OFFICIALLY AS A TURNOVER. THE VIKINGS DID HAVE POSSESSION. DAN: THIS MAN HAS MORE INTERCEPTIONS THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE NFL THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HAS 14. NINE AS A ROOKIE. FIVE THIS REGULAR SEASON. AND NOW ONE IN POSTSEASON FOR HIS 15TH. FRANK: HE REALLY GOT TWISTED WHEN HE WENT DOWN. DAN: I SURE HOPE HE'S NOT HURT REAL BADLY. GOING TO BE A LONG ENOUGH TRIP BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS. A REALLY FINE FREE SAFETY, ORLANDO THOMAS. AL: CLEARLY IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN. FRANK: SPUN AROUND ON THE TACKLE AND COLLAPSED ON THAT LEFT LEG. JUST REALLY WHACKED BY HERSCHEL WALKER. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS. DERRICK ALEXANDER COULDN'T CORRAL HIM. HE IS TAKEN DOWN BY JEFF BRADY. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT EMMITT SMITH COULD TAKE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF THE WAY IT APPEARS RIGHT NOW? FRANK: I THINK THEY'LL TAKE HIM OUT OF THE GAME, COOL DOWN AND PUT HIM BACK. THAT WOULD BE MAKING A MAJOR MISTAKE. AL: 27-0. THE COWBOYS ON TOP. AL: IT'S CAUGHT BY DARYL JOHNSTON FOR A MINIMAL GAIN. HE IS TACKLED BY DEWAYNE WASHINGTON. AND A FLAG IS DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. AL: ILLEGAL CONTACT. REFEREE: NUMBER 55 OF THE DEFENSE. ILLEGAL USE OF HANDS TO THE FACE. FIVE YARDS. AUTOMATIC FIRST DOWN. DAN: PENALTY GOES AGAINST DARRYL TALLEY OF THE VIKINGS. THERE APPEARS TO BE ABSOLUTELY NO END TO THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG FOR THE VIKES. SEE IF WE CAN PICK IT UP. ERIC BJORNSON AS HE ATTEMPTS TO RELEASE AND TALLEY GETS CALLED FOR THE HAND RIDING UP INTO THE FAUSE OF BJORNSON. AL: HERSCHEL WALKER MAKES THE CATCH. WALKER GETS TACKLED AT THE 44 AFTER A GAIN OF EIGHT. THAT TAKES US TO THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING. FRANK: BOY, HE'S STRONG, ISN'T HE? x'ñ AL: DALLAS, TEXAS. DAN: ABLE TO LEAP TALL BUILDINGS IN A SINGLE BOUND. THAT'S GEORGE TEAGUE. WHAT A HALFTIME THIS GUY HAS HAD. TWO FORCED FUMBLES AND AN INTERCEPTION FOR A TOUCHDOWN. AL: AND IN A GAME LIKE THIS, IT'S A ROUT RIGHT NOW. BUT IF THERE IS A TURNING POINT PLAY, IT'S CLEARLY TEAGUE'S STRIPPING OF THE BALL FROM AMP LEE. AL: THE CATCH IS MADE BY MICHAEL IRVIN. FIRST DOWN AT THE 30-YARD LINE. COREY FULLER WITH THE COVERAGE. FRANK: AGAIN, ABSOLUTELY PERFECT TIMING. THAT TIME FULLER EVEN HAD HELP TO THE INSIDE. HE WAS SHADING TO THE OUTSIDE. NOTHING HE COULD DO ABOUT IT. TOP OF YOUR SCREEN, WATCH IRVIN WITH THE DRIVE, THREATENING TO TAKE IT DEEP. THE BALL IS THERE RIGHT ON HIS CUT. PERFECT TIMING BETWEEN IRVIN AND AIKMAN ONCE AGAIN. AL: MICHAEL IRVIN HAD GOTTEN POSITION, BUT THE WALL WASN'T THERE. SECOND AND 10. FRANK: PERFECT READ BETWEEN IRVIN AND AIKMAN ON THE BLITZ. THEY PICKED IT UP BEAUTIFULLY. THEY KNEW THEY HAD SINGLE COVERAGE. IT WAS IRVIN AGAINST DEWAYNE WASHINGTON. AIKMAN OVERTHREW HIM ONE MORE TIME. DAN: YOU CAN SEE ORLANDO THOMAS ON HIS WAY TO THE VIKINGS' LOCKER ROOM. WE WILL PASS ALONG A REPORT. OBVIOUSLY, SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE LEGS OF ORLANDO THOMAS. AL: THAT'S A LITTLE TOO HIGH FOR KEVIN WILLIAMS. THIRD DOWN AND 10. FRANK: ANOTHER BAD THROW BY AIKMAN. AL: YEAH. I GUESS HE'S ALLOWED. MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE HIM OUT. DAN: AN AWFUL LOT OF PASSING FOR A TEAM THAT'S UP 27-0 HERE. I AM ONLY ASSUMING THAT TROY AIKMAN IS WORKING ON HIS PASSING GAME AND THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING HERE. NORMALLY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, THE COWBOYS WOULD BE MORE THAN CONTENT TO JUST HAMMER AWAY AT AN OPPONENT WITH THAT BIG LINE. AL: THE CATCH IS MADE. THIS IS KELVIN MARTIN. THEY CONVERT ON THIRD DOWN FOR A FIRST DOWN TO THE 11-YARD LINE. TACKLED BY BARNETT. FRANK: THIS IS WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER. DAN MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW, THE COWBOYS ARE GOING TO NEED SOMETHING ON THAT WEAK SIDE. KELVIN MARTIN OR KEVIN WILLIAMS HAVING TO STEP UP TO PICK AWAY THE COVERAGE. THE DOUBLE COVERAGE AND TRIPLE COVERAGE OF MICHAEL IRVIN. THEY HAVE BJORNSON BACK NOW. NOW THEY GET A LITTLE HELP ON THAT OTHER SIDE. THEY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE THE POTENT COWBOYS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PLAYOFFS. AL: CAUGHT AT THE 6-YARD LINE BY ERIC BJORNSON. HE'S DRIVEN OUT OF BOUNDS AT THAT SPOT. SO THEY SAY THE TACKLE IS MADE AND PROGRESS STOPPED INBOUNDS SO THE CLOCK KEEPS TICKING. JERRY JONES, WE WILL VISIT WITH THE COWBOYS' OWNER, THE MAN WHO HAS THREE SUPER BOWL RINGS. HIS TEAM WINNING THREE OF THE LAST FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS. THEY ASK SHERMAN WILLIAMS TO CARRY IT. HE TAKES IT TO THE 4. THIRD DOWN AND 2. FRANK: JERRY JONES REALLY EXCITED BEFORE THIS FOOTBALL GAME. WE LEFT HIM IN CHICAGO. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD WRITTEN THE COWBOYS OFF FOR DEAD. THEY STRUGGLED. THEY LOST THREE OF THEIR FIRST FOUR GAMES AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD WRITTEN THEM OFF. HERE THEY ARE AGAIN. ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GETTING IT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. THEY'RE GOING TO BE A DEFINITE THREAT TO TAKE IT ALL THE WAY. DAN: WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE REGULAR SEASON FOR THE COWBOYS, THAT ONE GAME IN PHILADELPHIA WHEN THEY WERE 1-3 AND LOOKING AT THE PLAY THE LAST GAME WITHOUT MICHAEL IRVIN, THE PROSPECTS OF GOING 1-4, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH TO RECOVER FROM. BUT THEY BEAT THE EAGLES AT THE VET, FINISHED IRVIN'S SUSPENSION AT 2-3, AND IN MY MIND, NO REGULAR SEASON GAME STICKS OUT MORE THAN THAT WIN IN PHILADELPHIA ON THAT MONDAY NIGHT IN OCTOBER. AL: I THINK BACK TO THAT -- WE WERE THERE THAT NIGHT. HERSCHEL WALKER RAN A KICKBACK WHEN IT WAS 10-0 PHILADELPHIA EARLY IN THE SECOND QUARTER. THAT TURNED THE MOMENTUM JUST ENOUGH, THAT CROWD WAS IN A FRENZY AT THE VET. AND HE QUIETED THEM. AIKMAN LED THEM TO A TOUCHDOWN. AL: AIKMAN THROWS IT INCOMPLETE. FRANK: AIKMAN TOOK A SHOT. ORLANDO SMITH. DAN: FERNANDO SMITH AND JOHN RANDLE. SMITH IS 95 COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE TWO OF THEM SANDWICH TROY AIKMAN. DAN: BUT AGAIN TROY STOOD THERE FOR FIVE SECONDS OR SO BEFORE HE THREW THE FOOTBALL OVERALL DECENT PROTECTION. AL: THE POSTSEASON RECORD IS FIVE. BONIOL TIED THE REGULAR SEASON RECORD OF SEVEN IN A GREEN BAY GAME. HE HAS THREE THUS FAR. 23 TICKS LEFT IN THE NEW CONTRACT. AL: IN FACT, WE'LL TAKE 10%, CHRIS. MAYBE ONLY 5%. DAN: I NEVER HEARD YOU GIVE ANYTHING BACK. AL: I JUST DID. JUST LOONG AT JERRY. GIVE ME THE EYE. IT'S THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. DAN: I UNDERSTAND. AL: WELL, THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT -- DAN: BOOMER IS RIGHT IN ONE SENSE. NOBODY IS GIVING ANYTHING AWAY MORE THAN THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS IN THE FIRST HALF. FRANK: YOU COULD SAY THE COWBOYS HAVE TAKEN IT AWAY ALSO. THEY HAVE PLAYED REALLY TOUGH DEFENSIVELY. DAN: IS THAT CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? AL: THAT'S JOHN GERAK, THE OWESIVE GUARD, WHO BRINGS IT OUT TO THE 41. THE BANNERS DRAPED FROM THE GRID. AND WILL THEY ADD ANOTHER ONE? AERIAL FOOTAGE PROVIDED BY GOODYEAR, SO THE ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL FOR DALLAS WOULD GO FROM HERE TO CHARLOTTE NEXT WEEKEND. AND THEN IF THEY WERE TO BEAT THE PANTHERS, THEY WOULD FACE GREEN BAY. AL: AMP LEE TAKES IT UP TO THE 45. THE INTERESTING THING IS IF THEY FACE GREEN BAY, WE ARE GETTING AHEAD OF OUR SFS, BUT IF THEY FACE THE PACKERS, IT WOULD BE IN GREEN BAY. BUT IF THEY PLAYED THE 49ERS, IT WOULD BE RIGHT BACK HERE. THEY COULD CONCEIVABLY HAVE A HOME GAME. THAT'S THE HALF. ALL DALLAS. ALL TEAGUE. CHRIS AND BOOR WILL HAVE JERRY JONES AT THE HALF. 30-0 THE SCORE. AL: BACK AT TEXAS STADIUM. LATE AFTERNOON. HAPPY CROWD OF 65,000 LOOKING ON. THE COWBOYS PLAYING A NEAR PERFECT FIRST HALF. AL: HERSCHEL WALKER FROM THE GOAL LINE. WALKER TAKES IT UP TO THE 20. THIS NFC WILD CARD GAME IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY -- [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] FRANK: I'VE BEEN ON THE SHORT END OF MANY SCORES 30-0, PARTICULARLY IN A PLAYOFF GAME, DAN. ONLY THING I CAN IMAGINE DENNIS WOULD HAVE SAID TO THEM, WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THIS THING FOR PRIDE. AL: TO THE AT THAT. EMMITT TOOK OFF MOST OF THE SECOND QUARTER. BACK IN HERE EARLY THIRD. LET'S GET A WORD FROM LYNN SWANN. LYNN? LYNN: VERY INTERESTING, AL. I TALKED TO BARRY SWITZER AS HE WALKED UP THE FIELD. HE SAID FOR THE SECOND HALF HE WANTED TO REST EMMITT SMITH AND DARYL JOHNSTON. HE WANTS TO GET MARK TUINEI IN THE BALL GAME AND NOT PLAY TROY THE FIRST HALF. WE SEE BOTH EMMITT AND DARYL JOHNSTON IN THE BALL GAME. OBVIOUSLY THEY WENT IN THE BALL GAME AND SAID THEY STILL WANTED TO PLAY IN THIS BALL GAME. DON'T LOOK FOR THEM STILL TO BE IN THE BALL GAME FOR THE ENTIRE SECOND HALF ESPECIALLY IF DALLAS MAINTAINS A STRONG LEAD. AL: EMMITT SMITH TAKES THE SWING PASS AND IS TACKLED AT THE 21-YARD LINE BY DARRYL TALLEY. FRANK: I CAN'T IMAGINE THEM BEING IN THERE PERIOD. IF YOU TAKE THEM OUT, THEY COOL DOWN. THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO STRETCH IN THE LOCKER ROOM BEFORE THEY COME OUT. I'M QUITE SURE THAT LYNN WAS PROBABLY RIGHT. I'M SURE THEY TOLD BARRY AND HE GAVE THEM AN OPTION, DO YOU WANT TO GO OR NOT? AND THEY BOTH MUST HAVE SAID THEY DID. AL: THIRD DOWN AND 10 FOR THE COWBOYS FROM THE 21-YARD LINE. AL: AIKMAN GETS SACKED AT THE 10-YARD LINE. DERRICK ALEXANDER, NUMBER 90, THE SECOND-YEAR GUY OUT OF FLORIDA STATE. LAST YEAR'S NUMBER ONE PICK WITH THE SACK. FRANK: ONE THING MIGHT BE DICTATING THE FACT THAT TROY AIKMAN IS PLAYING MORE THAN HE ORDINARILY WOULD IS WOODSON HAS A BAD KNEE. WERE HE TO GO IN AND GET HURT, YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK WITH AIKMAN. THE COWBOYS HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM AT QUARTERBACK. AL: PALMER TAKES IT ACROSS THE 50. TACKLED AT THE 47. DAN: LOOKS UNNATURAL PROMOTING MONDAY NIGHT WITHOUT US. AL: GRAHAM GOES NOWHERE. DAEN WOODSON RIGHT THERE FOR THE TACKLE. FIRST HALF STATISTICS, THE DOMINANT FIGURE WILL BE TURNOVERS. AL: THAT'S ABOUT AS UGLY AS A POSSESSION CHART CAN LOOK FOR ONE TEAM. DAN: THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE, THE FUMBLE CAME AT A TIME WHEN IT WOULD HAVE TIED THE FOOTBALL GAME. AL: THAT'S CAUGHT BY AMP LEE, WHO'S TACKLED ATHE 30-YARD LINE. FIRST DOWN, VIKINGS. FRANK: AMP LEE A FORMER SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICK OF THE 49ERS, WHO HAD A BIG GAME AGAINST DENNIS GREENND THE VIKINGS AS A ROOKIE IN 1993. AL: TACKLED AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE BY SHANTE CARVER. REPORT FROM THE VIKING LOCKER ROOM IS THAT THE INJURY TO ORAL ORM THOMAS, THE LEFT LEG, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW, HE IS DONE FOR THE DAY. FRANK: MEANWHILE, THAT WAS A BLITZ BY THE COWBOYS. THE COVERAGE BY DALLAS, KEVIN SMITH, DEION SANDERS AGAINST CARTER AND REED. THEY TOOK AWAY A POSSIBLE HOT RECEIVER. BRAD JOHNSON PAID THE PRI. AL: DAVE CAMPO, THE COWBOYS' DENSIVE COORDINATOR ON THE RIGHT. AL: IT'S CAUGHT BY CRIS CARTER. AND SCORES. FRANK: WE KEPT SAYING GET THE BALL TO CRIS CARTER. AL: HE BROKE A SMITH TACKLE AND THEN TEAGUE COULDN'T KNOCK HIM DOWN. FRANK: HIS FIRST CATCH OF THE GAME. DAN: YOU HAVE TO LIKE HIS TOUCHDOWN TO RECEPTION RAO. NOT A BAD THROW. COMPLETELY ACROSS THE FIELD. FRANK: I D'T THINK HE THOUGHT JOHNSON HAD■ THE ARM TO GET IT THERE THAT QUICKLY. DAN: BOY, THAT'S A NICE MOVE HE PUTS ON KEVIN SMITH. FIT AND THEN GEORGE TEAGUE COND. MAKES BOTH THOSE GUYS MISS. OF COURSE, THAT'S NOTHING NEW. CRIS CARTER ONE OF THE BEST RECEIVERS IN FOOTBALL AFTER THE CATCH. AL: SCOTT SISSON FOR THE POINT AFTER. SO CARTER SCORES TO GET THE VIKINGS ON THE BOARD. AL: THE MINNESOTA SPECIAL TEAMS COACH LOOKING ON. HIS SPECIAL TEAMS THIS YEAR HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AL: HERSCHEL WALKER DOWNS THAT ONE IN THE END ZONE. DALLAS WILL START FROM THE 20-YARD LINE. AGAIN, THE COWBOYS WITH A VICTORY WOULD GO TO CAROLINA. MINNESOTA WOULD BE ELIMINATED AND THEN THE WINNER OF THE GAME TOMORROW BETWEEN PHILADELPHIA AND SAN FRANCISCO GOES TO GREEN BAY. DAN: AS YOU CAN SEE, AIKMAN STAYING IN THIS FOOTBALL GAME. FRANK: I AM EVEN MORE SURPRISED MARK TUINEI IS STAYING IN AT LEFT TACKLE BECAUSE HE WAS QUESTIONABLE. AL: SMITH FOR FIVE, UP TO THE 25. TACKLED BY DARRYL TALLEY. AL: EMMITT SMITH, A DRAFTED NONFREE AGENT, PICKS UP FOUR. NUMBER ONE PICK OUT OF FLORIDA IN 1990. DAN: I WOULD SAY THAT THE COWBOYS GOT MORE THAN THEIR MONEY'S WORTH, WHICH A LOT OF TIMES FOR AN UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT INVOLVES NOTHING MORE THAN AN AIRPLANE TICKET TO GET THEM TO TRAINING CAMP AND MINIMUM WAGE. I WOULD SAY THE INVITATION SENT TO MR. TUINEI AND BATES WORKED OUT PRETTY DARN WELL. AL: BATES HAS BEEN TO A PRO BOWL. AL: MICHAEL IRVIN TAKES IT TO THE 35. FRANK: SINGLE COVERAGE AGAIN. COREY FULLER. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM IRVIN WITH SINGLE COVERAGE. JUST A LITTLE SLANT. DAN: HE GOT TATTOOED PRETTY WELL, FRANK. I DON'T THINK MICHAEL ENJOYED THE END OF THAT ONE. TWO PRETTY GOOD SOLID HITS HE TOOK. FRANK: IRVIN ACTUALLY UNLOADED ON HIS OWN MAN, TOO. AL: IRVIN WITH 103 YARDS NOW RECEIVING TODAY. AL: AIKMAN GOING DEEP. INCOMPLETE. IRVIN GOT HUNG UP WITH WASHINGTON. FRANK: THAT TIME I THINK FOR THE FIRST -- LITTLE SPLATTER SMATTERING OF BOOS COMING FROM THE CROWD. THE BLITZ WAS PICKED UP AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. THE DALLAS COWBOYS PICKING UP THE BLITZ REALLY WELL. DAN: MICHAEL'S GOT A LONG WAY TO GET BACK TO THE DALLAS HUDDLE. FRANK: HE TAKES IT UP. TROY HAD PUT THE BALL WAY TO THE INSIDE. WHETHER HE WAS LOOKING FOR IT DOWN AND IN, I DON'T KNOW. AL: SMITH ON A SLANT UP TO THE 38-YARD LINE. TEXAS STADIUM, 25TH SEASON, THE COWBOYS OCCUPIED THIS FACILITY. HOSTING ITS 20TH POSTSEASON GAME. AL: SMITH TO THE 46-YARD LINE AND A FIRST DOWN. TACKLED BY HARLON BARNETT. FRANK: YOU'RE GOING TO GO, AREN'T YOU, AL? AL: I THINK SO. DAN: WE'RE ALL GOING. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE VOTED. AL: WE COULD HAVE BEEN VOTED OUT. DAN: THAT'S TRUE. AND IT'S NOT TOO LATE FOR THAT EITHER. FRANK: RUN, EMMITT, RUN. THAT'S WHAT HE'S DOING. AL: DARYL JOHNSTON LOSES THE BALL BUT OUT OF BOUNDS, SO STILL DALLAS' BALL. FRANK: MOOSE GIVES HIS FANS A LITTLE THRILL AS HE BOBBLES THE BALL. DAN: BIG RAY DONALDSON OUT IN FRONT OF MOOSE. HE THREW A COUPLE PRETTY GOOD BLOCKS TO GIVE DARYL A FEW EXTRA YARDS. AL: IS THAT A CHORUS OF MOOSES OR MEESE? DAN: I THINK IT'S MOOSE. AL: WE STARTED WITH THE COWBOYS IN MEXICO. WE SAW THEM IN A PRESEASON GAME. THEY ARE AN INTERNATIONAL FAVORITE. AL: TO ANOTHER CHORUS OF MOOSE.■ FRANK: A FIRST DOWN FOR THE MOOSE. DAN: I THINK IT GOES A LONG WAY IN ILLUSTRATING HOW INTELLIGENT THE FANS ARE IN DALLAS. DARYL'S ROLE IS UNHERALDED AS THE LEAD BLOCKER FOR EMMITT SMITH. HE HAS COME TO BE A FAN FAVORITE HERE. WHAT AN AWESOME BLOCKER HE IS. FRANK: HE IS BIGGER THAN ANY OF THE LINEBACKERS FOR MINNESOTA. HE CARRIES MORE WEIGHT INTO IT. WE TALKED ABOUT MINNESOTA BEING SMALL BUT THEIR LINEBACKERS ARE REALLY SMALL. AL: IT'S CAUGHT BY BJORNSON FOR A MINIMAL GAIN. BARNETT MAKES THE TACKLE. FRANK: I THINK SO MUCH OF THE COWBOYS' FORTUNES THROUGH THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS WILL RIDE ON BJORNSON, WHO HAD A■■ GOOD HALF OF THE FIRST SEASON, REALLY DEVELOPING INTO A FINE TIGHT END REPLACING ALMOST IRREPLACEABLE JAY NOVACEK. HE WENT DOWN WITH A COUPLE BAD ANKLES. HE HAS REALLY STRUGGLED. HE APPEARS TO BE HEALTHY. THERE'S THE MAN JAY NOVACEK, THEY CAN'T SEEM TO GET HIM BACK. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS. EMMITT'S BACKUP TAKES IT TO THE 25. FIRST DOWN. DAN: WE LOOKED AT NOVACEK A MINUTE AGO. BARRY SWITZER TOLD US PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE SEASON WAS HE REALLY SERIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO GET JAY BACK. WE SAW THEM IN THE PRESEASON, HE SAID I BET IT WILL BE FOUR OR FIVE GAMES IN BUT WE'LL GET JAY BACK. THEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON, WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL GET HIM BACK AT THE END. BUT THEY COUNTED ON HIM. FRANK: HE WAS SO IMPORTANT TO TROY AIKMAN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS AT THAT TIGHT END POSITION. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS, A GAIN OF A COUPLE TO THE 22. TACKLED THERE BY FISK. DAN: I DON'T MEAN RUNNING BACK. I AM TALKING ABOUT YOUR BACK, YOUR SPINE. THEY JUST DON'T COME AROUND SOMETIMES, AND THERE'S NO REASON WHY. THAT'S APPARENT. AND EMMITT BACK IN THIS BALL GAME. I AM SHOCKED BY THIS. FRANK: HE MIGHT HAVE A FEW POSTSEASON INCENTIVE CLAUSES IN THERE. ONLY KIDDING. HE JUST LIKES TO PLAY. HE LOVES TO PLAY WHEN HE'S HEALTHY. IT'S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR EMMITT SMITH. AL: CAUGHT AT THE 15-YARD LINE BY BJORNSON. ANOTHER REASON WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE WATCHED THIS WHOLE GAME YOU DON'T GET ANY SORT OF A FEELING THAT MINNESOTA COULD POSSIBLY GET BACK IN THE GAME. BUT WHEN YOU'RE A HEAD COACH AND IT'S 23 POINTS, YOU'VE SEEN STRANGER THINGS HAPPEN. DAN: OH, YEAH. BUT EMMITT SMITH CAN ALWAYS COME BACK IF MINNESOTA SCORES AGAIN AND MAKES IT 30-14, YOU CAN BRING HIM BACK. IT'S A TOUGH CALL. [CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION] AL: TROY HIMSELF HAS THE FIRST DOWN. THE CLOCK TICKING DOWN, 3:20 REMAINING IN THE THIRD. COACH FAZIO WATCHING HIS DEFENSE. ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE IN THE FIRST HALF. DAN: ONE GUY YOU HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO IS NATE NEWTON WHO SAID WHEN PLAYOFF TIME GETS HERE, WE'LL FLIP THE SWITCH. AL: THERE'S SMITH TO THE 1-YARD LINE. FRANK: THAT'S THE EMMITT SMITH WE'VE WATCHED OVER THE PAST YEARS. NOT THE ONE THAT WAS BANGED UP THROUGH MOST OF THIS SEASON. DAN: IT'S LARRY ALLEN, ERIK WILLIAMS, AND IT'S THE LEAD BLOCK OF DARYL JOHNSTON. TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME IT'S THE SAME. THERE'S ALLEN'S BLOCK. THERE'S JOHNSTON. THERE'S DONALDSON. WILLIAMS. IT'S JUST THE SAME CAST OF CHARACTERS OVER AND OVER THAT ARE DESTROYING THE VIKINGS. FRANK: ROBERT GRIFFITH, QUITE A HEADACHE. AL: MINNESOTA HAS TAKEN A TIME-OUT. DAN: YOU SEE THE LOFTY RUSHING AVERAGE OF THE COWBOYS, 6.3. THEY'VE RUSHED FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS. THE AVERAGE WILL COME DOWN A TICK. AL: EMMITT SMITH LOOKING FOR HIS 20TH POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWN. THEY DENY HIM AT LEAST FOR THE MOMENT. TACKLED BY FISK. EARLIER TODAY THURMAN THOMAS IN BUFFALO'S STUNNING LOSS TO THE JAGUARS SCORED TWICE. THURMAN HAS SCORED 20 POSTSEASON TOUCHDOWNS. AND EMMITT TRYING TO EQUAL THAT MARK. DAN: ONE OF THURMAN'S WAS A RUSHING TOUCHDOWN. ONE WAS A RECEIVING TOUCHDOWN. EMMITT GOT CAUGHT GOING PARALLEL TO THE GOAL LINE. AL: LOSES THE FOOTBALL. HE LOSES THE FOOTBALL. FRANK: THEY'RE GOING TO SAY HE WAS BEYOND THE GOAL LINE WHEN HE LOST IT. ONE OFFICIAL RAISED HIS ARMS, TOUCHDOWN. AL: THEY HAVE A CONFERENCE. GERRY AUSTIN WILL TELL US IT IS -- REFEREE: THE BALL BROKE THE PLANE. THAT'S A TOUCHDOWN. AL: TOUCHDOWN. NOT AN ARTISTIC TOUCHDOWN BUT HE TIES THE RECORD. FRANK: NO ONE WILL EVER QUESTION IT. WELL, I GUESS THAT'S WHY HE WAS STICKING AROUND. I'M SURE THEY ASKED HIM AT HALFTIME IF HE WANTED TO COME BACK. I'M SURE HE SAID YES. DAN: LET'S CHECK OUT THE FOOTBALL AND THE PLANE. FRANK: THAT BALL WAS LONG GONE WHEN HE HIT THE PLANE. BUT HE'S GOT IT. DAN: EMMITT LOOKS LIKE AN UNORTHODOX POSITION IN THE END ZONE. IT WOULD APPEAR TO US CASUAL OBSERVERS HERE IN THE BOOTH THAT THAT BALL WAS FUMBLED. i? AA AL: THE FORMER ALABAMA STAR BRINGS IT BACK OUT TO THE 23. 1:29 LEFT IN THE THIRD QUARTER. AL: THAT IS ALMOST INTERCEED, ALMOST A GIFT PICK FOR SHANTE CARVER. DAN: DEFENSIVE ENDS ARE GETTING ALL AROUND THE FOOTBALL TODAY. WE SAW CLYDEIMMONS IN THE FIRST GAME TAY FOR JACKSONVILLE TAKE A JIM KELLY SHOVEL PASS INTO THE E ZONE FOR A TOUCHDOWN. HERE'S SHANTE CARVER GETTING HIS HANDS ON A FOOTBALL. FRANK: THE CONTINUING EDUCATION OF BRAD JOHNSON. AL:MP LEE FINDS HIS WAY TO THE 31-YARD LINE FOR A GAIN OF EIGHT. HARPER WITH THE STOP. DA THAT'S ONE OF THE CRUELTIES OF PLAYOFF FOOTBALL IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE ON THE LOSING SIDE OF THIS, YOU HAVE ALL OFF-SEASON TO HAVE JUST KIND OF TURN AWAY IN YOUR STOMAC IT DOESN'T GO AWAYOR A LONG TIME. AL: THAT'S CAUGHT BY EVANS. HAS THE FIRST DOWN. WITH8 SECONDS REMAINING IN THE THIRD QUARTER. SMITH MAKES THE TACKLE. THE AERIAL FOOTAGE PROVIDED TODAY BY GOODYEAR. DAN: OH, BABY, THAT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU -- I GOT TO LEAN BACK AND HOLD ONTO SOMETHING. AL: THAT SIX-SIDED FIGURE IN THE MIDDLE IS THE SPEAKER THAT'S EXTENDED ON WIRES. AL: JOHNSON SCRAMBLES TO THE 42. THAT WILL TAKE US DOWN TO THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER. IT'S DALLAS 37,INNESOTA 7. AL: WE START THE FOURTH QUARTER. AL MICHAELS WITH FRANK GIFFORD, DAN DIERDORF, AND LYNN SWANN. AL: THAT IS DROPPED BY CRIS CARTER. IT WILL BE THIRD DOWN AND 2. FRANK: DO YOU BELIEVE THEY'RE DOING THE WAVE HERE? I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN A YEAR. DAN: NORMALLY, A PRETTY LAIDBACK GROUP HERE IN DALLAS. I THINK THEY'RE SO FAR AHEAD THAT THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO STAY AWAKE. FRANK: I WONDER WHERE IT STOPS. IT JUST KEEPS GOING AROUND AND AROUND. DAN: WHERE DOES IT STOP? AL: ANOTHER NEAR PICK. THAT TIME BY DARRYL SMITH. DAN: BRAD JOHNSON IS HAVING A TOUGH TIME FINDING SOMEBODY IN A DALLAS UNIFORM THAT WILL CATCH HIS PASS. FRANK: AND THAT IS A PROBLEM. FRANK: COULD SAY THEY'RE VERY OPEN, THOUGH. AL: FOURTH AND 2. THE VIKINGS ARE LINING UP TO GO FOR IT. FIGURING THEY'RE DOWN BY 30. COWBOYS HAVE THE WRONG PERSONNEL ON THE FIELD. FRANK: THEY HAD THE RETURN TEAM SO THEY HAD TO CALL TIME-OUT. AL: IF NOTHING ELSE THEY FORCE DALLAS TO A TIME-OUT. AL: TEXAS STADIUM IN IRVING. FANS OF ALL AGES HAVING A GREAT TIME TODAY. THEIR COWBOYS ARE ON TOP. BY 30. AL: JOHNSON GETS SACKED BY BRODERICK THOMAS. FRANK: BRAD MIGHT GIVE A MILLION TO GET OUT OF THERE. AL: WHY STOP AT A MILLION? FRANK: BRODERICK. DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HE'S THERE. DAN: AT THAT POINT IN TIME, BRAD JOHNSON HAD DECIDED THAT HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO RUN FOR THE FIRST DOWN. HE STILL HAD ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YARDS TO GO. DIDN'T LOOK THE WAY DALLAS WAS DEPLOYED THAT HE HAD ANY CHANCE OF RUNNING FOR THE FIRST DOWN. AL: THE BALL IS GIVEN TO SHERMAN WILLIAMS, THE TRIPLETS, THE BIG THREE. THE DALLAS TROIKA. THE GUYS WHO ALL HAD KIND OF ORDINARY REGULAR SEASONS, SUSPENSION-PLAGUED REGULAR SEASONS, HAVE HAD A BIG DAY TODAY. AL: BIG, BIG DAY. DAN: THESE HOLES. AL: DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S THE FIRST TEAM OR THE SECOND TEAM IN THERE. THAT WAS NATE NEWTON, THE SECOND UNIT. DAN: YOU HATE TO BE IN A SITUATION OF -- YOU'RE ALMOST BELITTLING THE VIKINGS TO TALK ABOUT IT BUT JUST LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS HOLE. JUST WATCH THIS. FRANK: THE OFFENSIVE LINE IS NOT SECOND. THEY MAINTAIN ON THAT RIGHT SIDE AT LEAST ERIK WILLIAMS AND LARRY ALLEN. HEGAMIN HAS COME IN. DAN: THAT'S NATE NEWTON WHO COMES AROUND. AND HOOKS JOHN RANDLE BACK TO THE INSIDE. AL: FUNNY THING, YOU LOOK AT A GUY LIKE JASON GARRETT, HE LOOKS YOUNG. HE IS A GUY WHO HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS OUT OF PRINCETON. GARRETT IS ACTUALLY OLDER THAN AIKMAN. BY EIGHT MONTHS. FRANK: I THINK HE'S YOUNG BECAUSE I PLAYED WITH HIS FATHER WITH THE GIANTS. I RECALL HIM BEING JUST A LITTLE KID. DAN: TROY AIKMAN IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLDER THAN BRAD JOHNSON. BRAD JOHNSON'S 28. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS ON SECOND AND 9, TAKES SOME MORE TIME OFF THE CLOCK. AT THE 23-YARD LINE. 12 1/2 TO GO IN THE FOURTH. DAN: THERE'S MARK TUINEI WHO REALLY BATTLED A BAD RIGHT KNEE AND PLAYED VERY PRODUCTIVELY TODAY, A REAL QUESTION AS TO WHETHER HE WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLAY AT ALL. HE MADE THE PRO BOWL AS A MEMBER OF THIS TEAM. HE IS NOT GOING THIS YEAR, THOUGH. BUT AS A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF HAWAII, HE WILL BE THERE. AL: IT'S CAUGHT BY MARTIN WHO TAKES IT TO THE 11-YARD LINE. K-MART, THEY CALL HIM. KELVIN MARTIN TACKLED BY CHRIS JOHNSON. WADE WILSON, WHO IS NORMALLY THE NUMBER TWO QUARTERBACK, BUT BECAUSE OF A KNEE INJURY NUMBER THREE TODAY LISTENING IN. FRANK: MARTIN WITH A MOVE TO THE OUTSIDE. A SMART BREAK BACK TO THE INSIDE. GARRETT HAS COME OFF THE BENCH, HAD A COUPLE OF KEY GAMES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FOR THE COWBOYS WHEN HE WAS THE SECOND QUARTERBACK. AL: WILLIAMS, NOWHERE. FISK WITH THE TACKLE. COWBOYS HAVE NOT BEEN IN A WILD CARD GAME SINCE 1991, THE THREE TIMES THEY'VE WON THE SUPER BOWL THEY'VE HAD TO WIN TWO GAMES ON THE ROAD TO THE SUPER BOWL. THIS TIME THEY'LL HAVE TO WIN THREE. NEXT WEEK THEY WOULD GO TO CAROLINA TO FACE THE PANTHERS. IF THEY WIN THAT GAME, THEN GREEN BAY ADVANCES. THEN THEY'D HAVE TO GO TO GREEN BAY FOR THE TITLE. BUT IF THE 49ERS SOMEHOW SURVIVE, A 49ER-DALLAS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS WITH THE SWING PASS. FRANK: A LOT OF THE 48 TEAMS THAT HAVE COMPETED IN THE SUPER BOWL HOW MANY HAVE COME OUT OF THE WIDE CARD RANKS? AL: THE BUFFALO BILLS FOLLOWING THE 1992 SEASON. ALL IT TOOK WAS FOR THEM TO ERASE A 32 POINT DEFICIT AGAINST HOUSTON TO BEGIN THEIR ADVANCE. AND THAT ADVANCE ENDED WHEN THEY WERE BLOWN OUT BY DALLAS IN THE SUPER BOWL. DAN: WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PLAYOFF PICTURE, WITH BOTH DALLAS AND SAN FRANCISCO HAVING TO PLAY ON THE OPENING WEEKEND, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT COULD BE ANY MORE INTERESTING IN THE NFC. I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW IT COULD BE ANY MORE INTERESTING. AND THAT IS, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE YOU COULD HAVE A BIGGER TIME OF POSSESSION THAN THAT. BUT I THINK THE STORIES OF GREEN BAY BEING AT HOME AT LAMBEAU, DALLAS AND SAN FRANCISCO BEING AT HOME TO START BUT THEN HAVING TO GO ON THE ROAD, CAROLINA BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS, IT'S A FASCINATING PICTURE IN THE NFC. AL: RICKY WATTERS GOES TO SAN FRANCISCO TOMORROW. AL: DALLAS. 40-7. AL: ISMAIL GETS BANGED OUT OF BOUNDS UP NEAR THE 30-YARD LINE. FRANK: WHEN YOU'RE DOWN 40-3, YOU BREAK OUT THE OLD FAKE REVERSE. AL: WE CAN TELL YOU THATHE KICKOFF. AND WE MAY DO THIS AGAIN. AL: MAY DO THOSE BILLBOARDS AGAIN. DAN: JOE AVEZZANO, A LITTLE DISTRESSED THAT ONE OF HIS GUYS GOT A HEAD START. 9:19 LEFT IN A 40-7 BALL GAME. IT'S WORK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FIELD HERE TRYING TO KEEP YOUR GUYS WITH SOME MODICUM OF FOCUS. LIFE IS GOOD IF YOU'RE ROOTING FOR THE COW POKES, THOUGH. AL: THOSE POKES WILL KICK OFF FROM THE 25-YARD LINE. AL: DAVID PALMER BRINGS IT BACK TO THE 34. THE VIKINGS HAVE AN UNUSUAL OWNERSHIP SITUATION. ROGERS IS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. SERVES AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. THEY HAVE 10 PRIMARY INVESTORS, NOBODY OWNS MORE THAN 10% OF THE TEAM. BUT HE IS REALLY THE GUY IN CHARGE. THIS TEAM HAS NOW LOST FIVE POSTSEASON GAMES IN A ROW. THIS ONE WILL BE SIX. AND IT'S BEEN A TUMULTUOUS YEAR. AL: CAUGHT BY CARTER. IT BEGAN WITH DENNIS GREEN, INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF COURT CASES AND SOMEHOW RECORDS WERE OBTAINED BY A TELEVISION STATION AND HIS PERSONAL TRAVAILS WERE BROUGHT INTO THE LIMELIGHT. THEY FORGOT ABOUT THAT, ROGER SAID HE'S MY MAN. THEN THE BENCHING OF MOON, THE SANGES OF JOHNSON, THE INJURY TO SMITH, THE ASCENSION OF HOARD. THEN THE LOU HOLTZ THING. AL: AMP LEE UP TO THE 44. FRANK: SOUNDS LIKE A PRIMETIME SPECIAL TO ME. DAN: WHAT REALLY MADE DENNIS NUTS WHEN LOU HOLTZ LEAVES NOTRE DAME, HE IS THE FAVORITE OF SOME OF THOSE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT AL WAS TALKING ABOUT. THEY WERE VERY LOOSE IN TALKING ABOUT BOY WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF LOU HOLTZ RETURNED TO COACH THE VIKINGS? DENNIS THOUGHT THAT WAS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. HE IS TRYING TO GET HIS TEAM READY TO PLAY. THIS OPEN SPECULATION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT LOU HOLTZ IS GOING TO COME IN AND REPLACE ME, ANY COACH I DON'T THINK DENNIS WAS OVERLY SENSITIVE. AL: JOHNSON GUNNING ONE DEEP. THAT'S INCOMPLETE. INTENDED FOR CRIS CARTER. THEN IT KEEPS COMING BACK AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOURCE IS. THE SPECULATION IS GREEN WILL GO TO OAKLAND EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY DENIES THAT. BUT IT'S BEEN WOVEN IN AND OUT OF ALMOST EVERY ARTICLE IN THE TWIN CITIES ABOUT GREEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. FRANK: YOU ASK DENNIS GREEN STRAIGHT OUT, HE SAYS I AM THE COACH OF THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS. I HAVE TWO MORE YEARS ON MY CONTRACT. AL: WIDE OPEN IS QADRY ISMAIL. THE JUNIOR ROCKET MAKES IT FIRST AND GOAL INSIDE THE 5. FRANK: OBVIOUSLY A MISTAKE DEFENSIVELY THERE. DAN: TWO SAFETIES THERE WERE GEORGE TEAGUE AND ROGER HARPER. YOU SAW DAVE CAMPO THERE. EXPRESSING HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH HIS GUYS IN THE SECONDARY. FRANK: WOODSON THE INSIDE MAN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELPING ROGER HARPER. I MEAN ROGER HARPER SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELPING TEAGUE. JUST DIDN'T GET THERE. AL: TAKING IT RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE IS BRAD JOHNSON FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. DAN: THAT TOOK DALLAS BY SURPRISE. AL: EVERYBODY BY SURPRISE. DAN: QUICK SNAPPED IT AND HALF THE DALLAS GUYS ARE STANDING AROUND WITH THEIR HANDS ON THEIR HIPS. THAT'S THE WORLD'S LARGEST SNOW CONE. FRANK: AND MAYBE THE WORLD'S BEST OFFENSIVE TACKLE. DAN: NO MIDDLE LINEBACKER IN THE DALLAS DEFENSE. AL: CARTER MAKES THE CATCH. GOT POSITION ON SANDERS AND THE CONVERSION IS GOOD. FRANK: I DON'T THINK DEION SAW THAT BALL COMING. HAD HIS BACK TO HIM. AL: WE HAVE A FLAG DOWN. DAN: DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION IT'S GOING TO RUIN DEION'S DAY. REFEREE: PASS INTERFERENCE ON THE DEFENSE. THAT PENALTY IS DECLINED. EXTRA POINT IS GOOD. FRANK: NOT ONLY DID HE NOT SEE IT, HE WAS VERY BUSY. DAN: DEION DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS FLAGGED FOR INTERFERENCE. SÑ AL: 40-15 AS THE VIKINGS HAVE CLOSED TO WITHIN 25. DAN: LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO ATTEMPT AN ONSIDEKICK. FRANK: AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON, YOU WANT TO WORK ON EVERYTHING. AL: KELVIN MARTIN THE ONLY GUY BACK THERE FOR THE TOUCHBACK. DAN: GOT TO BE READY NEXT WEEK. AL: SUNSET ON THE PRAIRIE. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS PICKS UP FOUR THROUGH THE MIDDLE. DAN: RAY DONALDSON, 17 YEARS. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. IS THIS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S GOING TO BE ON THE WINNING SIDE IN A PLAYOFF GAME? AL: IT IS. IN FACT, IN 16 YEARS, HE HAD ONLY PLAYED IN ONE PLAYOFF GAME. AND THAT WAS A LOSS BY INDIANAPOLIS IN 1987. DAN: WANT TO KNOW HOW OLD THIS GUY IS? FRANK: DON'T ASK. DAN: EUSED TO PLAY FOR THE BALTIMORE COLTS. AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS RAMBLES OUT TO THE 45-YARD LINE. DAN: BILLY DAVIS JUST MADE A CRACKBACK ON CHRIS JOHNSON. AND KNOCKED HIM INTO THE NEXT ZIP CODE. WHOA. PERFECTLY LEGAL. ABOVE THE WAIST. LOOK TO THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, UPPER LEFT-HAND SIDE. WATCH RIGHT THERE. THERE GOES THE HELMET. JOHNSON NEVER SAW DAVIS COMING. THAT SPRINGS WILLIAMS. AL: LOSES THE FOOTBALL. BUT THEY'RE GOING TO WHISTLE IT DEAD AT THE 45. STILL DALLAS' FOOTBALL. DAN: I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT COACH FAZIO -- I DON'T THINK DALLAS COULD HAVE ANYTHING GO WRONG. THEY'RE GETTING EVERY BOUNCE OF THE BALL AND EVERY CALL SEEMS TO BE IN THEIR FAVOR. FRANK: LAST WEEK WITH GREEN BAY -- AL: THE GENIE IN THE BOTTLE. FRANK: ERNIE ZAMPESE. DAN: I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. IF I EVER RUBBED MY BOTTLE AND ERNIE ZAMPESE CAME OUT, I'D REALLY BE DISAPPOINTED. AL: THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF SMOKE IN THAT BOTTLE, TOO. DAN: I WOULD REALLY BE DISAPPOINTED. FRANK: FORMER U.S.C. TAILBACK. DAN: THERE HE IS NOW. AL: ERNIE DOWN TO HIS LAST -- DAN: LIGHT IT UP, BABY. AL: 49 CIGARETTES TODAY. AL: AND THEY LOSE THE FOOTBALL. AND THIS TIME IT WASN'T WHISTLED DEAD. SHERMAN WILLIAMS GIVES IT UP AND MINNESOTA DOES HAVE IT AT THE 48 WITH 4:03 REMAINING. DAN: AND THAT WAS A HARD HIT. HE WAS POPPED AND YOU COULD HEAR THAT UP HERE. SHERMAN LOOKS DAZED WHEN HE GETS UP. FRANK: YOU DON'T LIKE TO GET UP WITHOUT THE FOOTBALL FOR SURE. BIG HIT BY HIM AND HE'S STRIPPED FROM BEHIND. LOOKED LIKE DARRYL TALLEY GOT A HAND ON THE BALL. AL: JOHNSON HAS THE OPEN MAN AT THE 34-YARD LINE. THAT'S QADRY ISMAIL FOR A FIRST DOWN. AL: SO THE COWBOYS CAN MAKE THEIR RESERVATIONS FOR CHARLOTTE. THAT GAME IS NEXT SUNDAY. AND THE VIKINGS GO HOME. JOHNSON AND COMPANY HEADING FOR NORTH CAROLINA. AL: DARRIN SMITH PICKS UP THE FOOTBALL AND TAKES IT TO THE 50-YARD LINE. STRIPPED BY THE GUY WHO STRIPPED IT, THE SPECIAL TEAMS PRO BOWLER AND BACK-UP LINEBACKER. SCHWANTZ CREATES IT AND DARRIN SMITH WITH THE RECOVERY. FRANK: SCHWANTZ IS GOING TO THE PRO BOWL AS A SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER. HE'S A FINE LINEBACKER. A LOT OF SPEED. I DON'T THINK HE INTENDED TO POP IT OUT OF THERE, BUT HE CERTAINLY WAS SUCCESSFUL. DAN: CARTER JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT VERY TIGHTLY. PULLED AGAINST HIS BODY. SCHWANTZ NUDGED IT AND OUT IT CAME. AL: WALKER PLAYING OUT OF THE FULLBACK SLOT ON THAT SET FOR A GAIN OF FIVE. DAN: NOW WE WATCH THE COWBOYS GO AFTER A PIECE OF HISTORY TO SEE IF THEY CAN -- IF THEY CAN ADD TO THIS SUPER BOWL RUN, IF THEY CAN WIN 4-5. NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. THE STEELERS WON FOUR SUPER BOWLS IN A SPAN OF SIX YEARS BACK IN THE LATE 1970'S. THERE IS 3-4 YEARS. AL: HERSCHEL STILL ON HIS FEET. TACKLED AT THE 22-YARD LINE. FRANK: MAJOR REVENGE ON THE TEAM THAT TURNED HIM LOOSE A FEW YEARS AGO. HE WAS TRADED BY DALLAS, OF COURSE, IN 1989 FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY DRAFT PICK MINNESOTA HAD FOR SEVER YEARS. AND THEN WENT TO PHILADELPHIA AS A FREE AGENT. HE WENT TO THE GIANTS AS A FREE AGENT. CAME BACK THIS YEAR LOOKING FOR A RING. HE MIGHT WELL GET ONE. BIG MAN STILL HAS GOOD MOVES. HE'S NEVER BEEN HURT IN THIS GAME. REMARKABLY WELL-CONDITIONED ATHLETE. HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO OUT OF BOUNDS. AL: SEVERAL PLAYERS AND DRAFT PICKS, AMONG THE DRAFT PICKS EMMITT SMITH, WINDS UP IN A DALLAS UNIFORM. THEN HERSCHEL COMES BACK AND MAYBE REAPS A REWARD. AS WE TAKE IT DOWN TO THE TWO-MINUTE WARNING. C@Mp AL: SHERMAN WILLIAMS IS TACKLED BY BRADY. DAN: THE ONLY OTHER GROUP IN THIS STADIUM AS SHARP AS THE COWBOYS ARE OUR PRODUCTION CREW HEADED UP BY OUR PRODUCER KENNY WOLF. AL: A GREAT GANG. AS WE WRAP UP FOR OUR 27TH SEASON OF COVERAGE. AND WHAT A PLEASURE. WHAT A PLEASURE. DAN: THE BEST. AL: HERSCHEL WALKER TO THE 14. DALLAS A BIG DAY RUSHING. BARRY SWITZER ENDING HIS THIRD YEAR HERE. YOU SAW HALFTIME TALK WITH JERRY JONES. HE SAID HE IS BACK NEXT YEAR. STILL I'M SURE YOU'LL SEE STORIES ABOUT THIS AND THAT AND THEY'VE LOST CONTROL. OF ALL THE THINGS -- YOU CAN WRITE AND SAY A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT BARRY SWITS CERTIFICATE, BUT WHEN I READ THAT HE'S DUMB, IT'S ABOUT THE STUPIDEST THING YOU COULD EVER READ. AL: NEXT TIME YOU HEAR ANYBODY SAY OR WRITE THAT BARRY SWITZER IS DUMB, JUST CONSIDER THE SOURCE. DAN: THERE GOES THAT COTTAGE INDUSTRY AGAIN. AL: YOU BET. FRANK: THIS ONE IS NOW -- WELL, IT IS HISTORY. AL: IT WILL BE VERY SHORTLY. FRANK: A LONG RIDE BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS. AL: ACTUALLY, THE VIKINGS WILL HAVE TO RUN A PLAY HERE BECAUSE THE COWBOYS GIVE IT UP ON DOWNS. DENNIS GREEN TAKES THEM TO THE PLAYOFFS FOUR TIMES, BUT EACH TIME WITH A DIFFERENT QUARTERBACK. HE GOES HOME WITH AN L. DAN: DAN: I THINK THE MAN CAN FLAT-OUT COACH. HE'S PROVEN IT NO MATTER WHERE HE'S BEEN. FRANK: VERY INSPIRATIONAL COACH, TOO. AL: JOHNSON THROWS. THAT'S CAUGHT BY ISMAEL. VIKINGS, MEANWHILE, LOSING FOUR PLAYOFF GAMES UNDER GREEN. AND TWO PRIOR TO THAT. SO THIS WILL BE SIX CONSECUTIVE POSTSEASON LOSSES FOR THE FRANCHISE. AND THAT TIES A DUBIOUS NFL MARK. BIG STAR TODAY, WELL, GO BACK TO THE FIRST HALF. GEORGE TEAGUE. STRIPPING AMP LEE OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TYING TOUCHDOWN FOR MINNESOTA. THERE HE IS. PICKS OFF A PASS, RUNS IT BACK IN FOR A SCORE. AL: AND THAT'S INCOMPLETE. FRANK: LONG DAY FOR BRAD JOHNSON. SIGNED THAT NEW CONTRACT. DAN: THERE'S A GUY WHO'S EARNED A GOOD SWEAT. ERIK WILLIAMS. HE'S STILL NOT QUITE WHAT HE WAS BEFORE THE SURGERY, BUT NOT QUITE WHAT HE WAS BEFORE HIS SURGERY OF A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO STILL MAKES HIM ONE OF THE TOP TWO OR THREE TACKLES IN THE GAME OF FOOTBALL. AIL -- AL: INCOMPLETE. INTENDED FOR ISMAEL. THE CROWD GETTING INTO IT AS FOURTH DOWN COMES UP. FRANK: THE CROWD THAT REMAINS. AL: AND THAT IS A VIKING FIRST DOWN. TROY AIKMAN CAN TAKE THAT WELL-RESTED ARM. HE'S LIKE A BASEBALL PITCHER THAT THREW TOO MUCH. HE STOPPED THROWING FOR SIX DAYS AND HE WAS SHARP AS HE'S EVER BEEN TODAY. DEION AND THE GANG HEADING FOR NORTH CAROLINA. DAN: THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE DOM, AND I DON'T MEAN CHAMPAGNE. AL: THEY HOPE TO HAVE A LITTLE DOM. FRANK: CAROLINA IS FOR REAL. DAN: THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME CAPERS. AL: YES. 40-15, DALLAS. LET'S GO DOWN TO LYNN SWANN. LYNN? LYNN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AL. EMMITT, A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DALLAS COWBOYS' OFFENSE. DO YOU FEEL YOU ANSWERED MOST OF THEM THIS AFTERNOON? >> I FEEL WE CAME OUT TODAY AND PLAYED A PRETTY GOOD GAME. I REALLY DO. WE EXECUTED OFFENSIVELY GOOD ENOUGH TO SCORED ENOUGH POINTS AND WIN THE GAME. I STILL THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON. LYNN: THERE WERE A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVEN'T BEEN YOUR HEALTHIEST. PEOPLE BEGAN TO SPECULATE ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU WANTED TO PLAY IN THE BALL GAME, WHETHER YOU'RE THE SAME EMMITT SMITH. HOW DO YOU FEEL? >> TODAY WAS THE BEST I FELT ALL YEAR LONG, UP TO THE FOINT WHERE I GOT HURT. TODAY I CAME ON THE FIELD, I FELT GREAT. I JUST FELT GOOD. HAD A LOT OF SPRING. JUST FELT GOOD. MY INJURY IS HEALING AND HEALING WELL ENOUGH WHERE I CAN RUN AROUND AND NOT REALLY HAVE ANY PROBLEMS. I THINK TODAY WITH THE LEAD THAT WE HAD, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE ANOTHER REST AND LET IT HEAL UP SOME MORE. I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT IT. LYNN: WITH HAVING TO PLAY THE WILD CARD GAME, NOT GETTING THE BYE, THE OUTCOME OF THIS BALL GAME WAS AS CLOSE TO A BYE SITUATION AS YOU COULD ASK FOR BUT YOU STILL CAME OUT AND PLAYED THAT SECOND HALF, STARTED IS THE SECOND HALF. >> THE COACH WANTED US TO PLAY THE FIRST SERIES. WE DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD SERIES, SO I WANTED TO STAY AROUND FOR THE SECOND SERIES. WE HAD A PRODUCTIVE SECOND SERIES. LYNN: TROY, TREMENDOUS BALL GAME FOR YOU. HOW DO YOU EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE? >> I FELT PRETTY GOOD. I FELT LIKE I THREW THE BALL WELL. I FELT LIKE I THREW THE BALL WELL. GUYS MADE SOME PLAYS. WE HAD OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIGGER PLAYS. WE PICKED SOME GOOD TIMES TO DO IT. I LAID THE BALL UP FOR MICHAEL. WE JUST MISSED ON A COUPLE. I THOUGHT THE GUYS PLAYED WELL THROUGHOUT THE GAME. LYNN: MICHAEL SEEMED TO GET AN AWFUL LOT OF MAN-TO-MAN COVERAGE. DO YOU THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT KIND OF COVERAGE ON MICHAEL IRVIN THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS? >> NO, NO. I DON'T THINK WE'LL SEE THAT THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS. WE PLAYED MINNESOTA EARLY LAST YEAR. THEY SHOWED THEY WOULD SINGLE UP ON MICHAEL. WE FELT WITH THE WAY WE ARE ABLE TO RUN THE BALL WHEN WE'RE RUNNING THE BALL PLUS WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM AGAINST GREEN BAY LAST WEEK, WE FELT THEY WOULD BE COMING IN TODAY COMMITTED TO STOPPING THE RUN. WE'D GET THE SINGLE COVERAGE. AND WE DID. LYNN: PEOPLE MADE A BIG DEAL ABOUT GOING INTO LAST WEEK'S BALL GAME YOU DIDN'T THROW THE BALL THAT MUCH. YOU RESTED YOUR ARM. BARRY SWITZER WAS SAYING HOW WONDERFUL YOU THREW THE BALL IN PRACTICE. HOW DID YOU FEEL COMING OUT HERE? WAS THAT THE BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE ZIP ON THE BALL, DO YOU THINK? >> I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. BUT I KNOW I THREW VERY FEW BALLS LAST WEEK, TRIED TO GIVE MY ARM A REST. CAME BACK ON MONDAY AND IT FELT GOOD THROWING THE BALL. THE BEST IT FELT IN A LONG TIME. IT CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. SO I THINK IT PROBABLY HELPED SOME. I DON'T THINK THAT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT. LYNN: YOU LOVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE OFFENSIVE LINE. NATE NEWTON SAID, WE'RE GOING TO TURN THE SWITCH UP. LOOKS LIKE YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. >> WELL, THEY DID. THEY CERTAINLY DID. WE HOPE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO IT THROUGHOUT THE PLAYOFFS. WE KNOW WE HAVE A TOUGH OPPONENT IN CAROLINA. AN OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL TEAM. FOR US TO CONTINUE TO WIN, OUR BIG GUYS UP FRONT HAVE GOT TO DO THE JOB LIKE TODAY. LYNN: EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE. THANKS VERY MUCH. AL? AL: THE FINAL SCORE IS 40-15 AS THE COWBOYS KNOCK OFF THE VIKINGS. WANT TO WISH YOU A VER
