ARLINGTON, Texas — Brandon Carr found a way to silence thousands of Terrible Towel-waving Pittsburgh fans at Cowboys Stadium and send the Dallas crowd home happy.
The Cowboys cornerback intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass in overtime, returned it 36 yards to the 1, and Dan Bailey kicked a 21-yard field goal for a 27-24 victory over the Steelers on Sunday.
Bailey’s kick - 1:24 into overtime - won a game for the second consecutive week since Dallas practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown was killed in a one-car accident that led to manslaughter charges against teammate Josh Brent.
The victory pulled the Cowboys (8-6) into a three way tie for first place in the NFC East with the Giants and Redskins with two games left in the season. Dallas has won five of its past six.
“Those are the plays you dream about in the back yard,making the game-winning interception or touchdown,” Carr said.
Carr, who said he was anticipating Roethlisberger’s throw to Mike Wallace because Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley was his coach in Kansas City, made a diving catch and jumped up along the Pittsburgh sideline. Legions of black-and-gold clad fans on that side of the stadium watched as Carr ran it back and was stopped inches short of the goal line.
The winning kick came after Tony Romo, who broke the 25,000-yard passing milestone earlier in the game, took a knee to put Bailey in better position.
Bailey beat Cincinnati 20-19 last week with a 40-yard field goal as time expired.
The Steelers (7-7) lost for the fourth time in five games and trail AFC North rival Cincinnati by a game for the second wild-card spot. They host the Bengals next week. Roethlisberger is 0-2 since returning from a three-game absence with shoulder and rib injuries.
“There won’t be any quit from us, especially from me,” Roethlisberger said. “This one is going to sting real bad. It will hopefully make me and make us better.”
The defining play came from a Dallas defense playing without six injured starters, the latest being Carr’s playing partner on the other side, first-round pick Morris Claiborne. The rookie was sidelined after sustaining a concussion against the Bengals.
“I really can’t explain it. It’s something destined about this team,” defensive end Jason Hatcher said. “You look back there and you don’t know nobody back there behind you.”
The score was tied 24-24 in the final two minutes of regulation. Pittsburgh quickly moved to its 46 after a completion by Roethlisberger and a roughing-the-passer penalty against DeMarcus Ware. But Sean Lissemore and Anthony Spencer sacked Roethlisberger on consecutive plays to give the Cowboys the ball back.
“Everyone has seen Ben do that in the fourth quarter multiple times,” Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said. “We knew we had to go back there and affect him in the pocket and at least try to get in his way. Fortunately, those turned into some sacks for us.”
Dallas, playing with Brent watching from the sideline and Brown’s No. 53 jersey draped on their bench and his number on a helmet decal, couldn’t do anything in the final minute.
The drive stalled at the Steelers 43, and Bailey lined up for a 61-yard field-goal attempt with 32 seconds left, but the Cowboys called timeout and punted instead. Roethlisberger took a knee, sending the game to overtime.
Roethlisberger was sacked four times and finished 24 of 40 for 339 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.
“We’re still in the same situation we started in before we came,” said Wallace, who had 95 yards receiving, including a 60-yarder to set up a touchdown. “We know we win these last two games, we’re still in the tournament.”
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh was driving for a go-ahead score when Ware and Spencer sacked Roethlisberger at the Dallas 40, forcing a punt with three minutes left. The Cowboys opted to punt at the two-minute warning after a third-down pass to Dwayne Harris was less than a yard short of the first down.
Roethlisberger put the Steelers ahead 24-17 with a 7-yard scoring pass to Antonio Brown, and Brown was about to put Pittsburgh in control with a long punt return, but Brown fumbled when Victor Butler reached out and knocked the ball loose at the end of a 22-yard return. De-Marco Murray, who had 81 yards on 14 carries, then went in on a 3-yard run.
Dez Bryant extended his touchdown streak to six games while playing with a broken left index finger, a 24-yard score that put Romo over 25,000 yards for his career and gave Dallas a 10-0 lead.
Roethlisberger pulled the Steelers even at 10 before halftime. He stepped away from pressure and used a couple of pump fakes to keep pass rushers away before finding Heath Miller wide open along the sideline on a 30-yard score.
Sunday’s highlights
49ers clinch FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The San Francisco 49ers earned a playoff berth by withstanding New England’s comeback from a 28-point deficit. Michael Crabtree took a short pass and raced around Kyle Arrington for a 38-yard touchdown with 6:25 to go, and David Akers made a 28-yard field goal to clinch it for the 49ers. New England, which trailed 31-3 at one point, lost for the first time at home in December in 21 games. 4C
Sunday’s results
Green Bay 21, Chicago 13 New Orleans 41, Tampa Bay 0 Minnesota 36, St. Louis 22 Houston 29, Indianapolis 17 Atlanta 34, N.Y. Giants 0 Washington 38, Cleveland 21 Miami 24, Jacksonville 3 Denver 34, Baltimore 17 Carolina 31, San Diego 7 Arizona 38, Detroit 10 Seattle 50, Buffalo 17 Oakland 15, Kansas City 0 Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 24, OT San Francisco 41, New England 34
Sports, Pages 15 on 12/17/2012