NFL WEEK 14

Dallas wins game, loses its emotions

Dallas running back DeMarco Murray (29) dives over the Cincinnati Bengals defense from 1 yard out to score a second-quarter touchdown in Sunday’s game. Murray’s touchdown tied the game at 10-10, but the Cowboys needed 10 points in the final 6:35 to pull out a 20-19 victory.
Dallas running back DeMarco Murray (29) dives over the Cincinnati Bengals defense from 1 yard out to score a second-quarter touchdown in Sunday’s game. Murray’s touchdown tied the game at 10-10, but the Cowboys needed 10 points in the final 6:35 to pull out a 20-19 victory.

— The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 20-19 Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium, but the Cowboys, reeling emotionally while dealing with the death of a teammate and the tribulations of another, didn’t do much celebrating.

Dan Bailey kicked a 40-yard field goal as time ran out, sending the Cowboys to a victory that ended a tough afternoon with a little bit of relief and their playoff chances enhanced.

“It’s a hard, hard situation we’re in,” quarterback Tony Romo said. “There’s no playback for this sort of thing in life.”

The Cowboys overcame a nine-point deficit in the closing minutes behind Romo, who held his hand over his heart during a moment of silence to honor teammate Jerry Brown before the kickoff. The linebacker died in an auto accident early Saturday.

Defensive lineman Josh Brunt, who was driving, was still jailed in Texas on Sunday, charged with intoxication manslaughter.

The Cowboys (7-6) learned about Brown’s death on their flight to Cincinnati on Saturday. Coach Jason Garrett told his team that the best way to honor him was to play well in a game with playoff implications for both teams.

One of the visitors’ metal lockers had a strip of white athletic tape with “53 JERRY BROWN” attached to the top, a wooden stool inside sitting upside-down. Brown’s No. 53 jersey was on the sideline during the game - defensive tackle Jason Hatter held it up after Bailey’s kick decided it.

It wasn’t much of a celebration by an emotionally spent team.

“I don’t remember crying this much other than maybe the day I was born,” defensive lineman Marcus Spears said. “With Josh’s situation and Jerry being gone, you felt it.”

Players couldn’t keep the tragedy out of their thoughts during the game, finding their minds wandering on the bench.

“I rarely let my emotions get the best of me,” fullback Lawrence Vickers said. “Today they did, but this was the place to do it.”

Owner Jerry Jones described his team as grieving when it took the field. It was the second consecutive week that an NFL team was playing a day after losing a teammate. Kansas City beat Carolina 27-21 one day after linebacker Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend and then himself at the Chiefs’ practice complex.

When Bailey’s kick ended it, the Cowboys had a lot of thoughts racing through their heads.

“The last 24 hours has really been something I’ve never experienced,” Romo said. “It’s something I’ve never experienced, and I think a lot of guys will tell you that. It’s just been a roller coaster of emotions.

“It was a very - and still is - a very difficult thing that this football team is dealing with.”

The Cowboys won by scoring on their last two drives against the Bengals (7-6), who had won four in a row and had a chance to move into position for an AFC wild-card berth with a victory.

Romo threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryan with 6:35 to go. Anthony Spencer’s sack of Andy Dalton forced a punt, and Romo completed four passes on the drive to Bailey’s winning kick.

Romo finished 25 of 43 for 268 yards with a touchdown, an interception and was sacked three times. Demarco Murray converted a third-and-5 play to extend the final drive and ended up with 53 yards on 21 carries.

Newcomer Josh Brown kicked field goals of 25, 33, 25 and 52 yards for Cincinnati, which wasted an opportunity to move ahead of Pittsburgh for the second AFC wild card.

“They came here in an emotional situation, and you knew they were going to fight all the way,” Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “That game meant a lot to them. They played great.”

Dallas had a few bad moments.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan went onto the field and yelled at a Bengals player who had said something to the Cowboys bench, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Dallas in the third quarter. Dallas also was penalized for 12 men on the field during the drive, which ended with Brown’s third field goal and a 16-10 Cincinnati lead.

In the end, a Cincinnati defense that has allowed only three touchdowns in the past four games couldn’t hold on. And the Bengals made it tough on themselves by using all three of their timeouts early in the second half, leaving them unable to stop the clock on Dallas’ final drive.

Dalton was 20 of 33 for 206 yards with 5 sacks, 1 touchdown and an interception that Brandon Carr returned 37 yards to set up Murray’s 1-yard touchdown dive in the second quarter.

Bryant caught four passes for 50 yards, leaving him with 1,028 yards for the season. It’s his first 1,000-yard receiving season and the first by a Cowboy since 2009 (Miles Austin and Jason Witten). Bryant has caught a touchdown pass in five consecutive games, the longest streak of his career.

Sunday’s highlights

REDSKINS 31, RAVENS 28

With Robert Griffin III sidelined with a sprained right knee, the Washington Redskins rallied behind backup Kirk Cousins to tie the game in the final minute of regulation, then Kai Forbath kicked a 34-yard field goal in overtime for a victory over the Baltimore Ravens. 4C

GIANTS 52, SAINTS 27

Rookie David Wilson returned a kickoff 97 yards for one touchdown, ran for two more scores and piled up 327 all-purpose yards and Eli Manning threw four touchdown passes to lead the Giants. The victory allowed New York (8-5) to maintain its one-game lead in the NFC East over Washington and Dallas. The loss all but ended the playoff hopes of Drew Brees and the Saints (5-8). 4C

PACKERS 27, LIONS 20

The Green Bay Packers moved within one victory of the NFC North title with their victory over the Detroit Lions. DaJuan Harris rushed for a touchdown, Aaron Rodgers added the longest touchdown run of his career and Mike Daniels returned a fumble 43 yards as the Packers (9-4) opened a one-game lead over Chicago. 5C

SEAHAWKS 58, CARDINALS 0

Marshawn Lynch had three touchdown runs and Seattle set a franchise record for points. The Seahawks forced eight turnovers.

Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner each had two interceptions. Seattle (8-5) kept firm grasp on the final NFC wild-card spot and kept alive chances of catching San Francisco in the NFC West race. 5C

Sports, Pages 15 on 12/10/2012

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