Cards work overtime to post upset of Cowboys in NFL play
Published Monday October 13th, 2008
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar's punt and Monty Beisel scooped up the ball and scored from three yards to give the Arizona Cardinals a crazy 30-24 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Morey rushed untouched off the left side of the Dallas line to block the kick. Beisel, a backup linebacker, picked up the ball at about the three-yard line and bowled over the goal-line.
McBriar was hurt on the play and had to be carted off the field in the din of a crowd that included the usual large portion of Dallas fans.
The stunning play by two of Arizona's most unheralded players brought a conclusion to a game that began with a 93-yard kickoff return by the Cardinals' J.J. Arrington followed by many moments of confusion, controversy and clutch performances.
Dallas (4-2) scored 10 points in the final two minutes of regulation, sending the game into overtime when Nick Folk's 52-yard field goal barely cleared the crossbar as the fourth quarter ended.
Folk was in field-goal range only because a five-yard offside penalty was called against injured Arizona linebacker Travis LaBoy as he tried to limp off the field. That moved the ball from the 40 to the 35.
That was just one of the weird moments in Arizona's sixth consecutive home victory.
Arizona (4-2) scored 17 consecutive points, including a pair of touchdown passes by Kurt Warner, to go up 24-14 on Neil Rackers' 40-yard field goal with 3:17 left in regulation.
Tony Romo, who threw three touchdown passes but fumbled twice, connected with Marion Barber on a 70-yard scoring play that cut it to 24-21 with two minutes left.
Dallas' defence held, and the Cowboys got the ball at their 32. Romo connected with Patrick Crayton on a 30-yard play to the Arizona 39, where the Dallas quarterback spiked the ball with four seconds to play to stop the clock.
LaBoy was far downfield, and was called offside.
Officials, who had a difficult day all around, huddled for several minutes and even reviewed the play before Folk's game-tying kick.
In other NFL action Sunday, it was: St. Louis Rams 19 Washington Redskins 17; Atlanta Falcons 22, Chicago Bears 20; Houston Texans 29, Miami Dolphins 28; Minnesota Vikings 12, Detroit Lions 10; New Orleans Saints 34, Oakland Raiders 3; N.Y. Jets 26, Cincinnati Bengals 14; Indianapolis Colts 31, Baltimore Ravens 3; Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Carolina Panthers 3; Philadelphia Eagles 40, San Francisco 49ers 26; Green Bay Packers 27, Seattle Seahawks 17; and Jacksonville Jaguars 24, Denver Broncos 17.
Elsewhere, New England was at San Diego in the late Sunday night game.
At Landover, Md., Josh Brown kicked a 49-yard field goal on the last play of the game Sunday, giving the Rams a 19-17 upset of the Washington Redskins to end an eight-game losing streak over two seasons.
Jim Haslett was a winner in his St. Louis head coaching debut.
It took a fluke play for the two-touchdown underdog to pull off the stunner. The Rams (1-4) got one at the perfect time in the first half.
The Redskins (4-2) overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit and appeared set to win their fifth straight game when Clinton Portis' two-yard run with 3:47 left gave Washington a 17-16 lead. But Marc Bulger hit Donnie Avery down the right sideline for a 43-yard gain on third-and-13 to move into field goal territory.
At Landover, Md., the Rams nearly botched it. While St. Louis was trying to kill the clock to set up for an easy field goal attempt, offensive lineman Richie Incognito was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for aiming some choice words at an official. The 15-yard infraction made Brown's kick longer, but he still managed to nail his fourth field goal of the game. Two weeks ago, the Rams (1-4) looked like a team in need of a massive federal bailout. Instead, they fired coach Scott Linehan, reinstalled Bulger as the starting quarterback and used their bye week to get out of the dumps.
At Houston, Matt Schaub threw interceptions on Houston's first two possessions, but ran for a three-yard touchdown with three seconds left. The Dolphins (2-3) had knocked down consecutive passes in the end zone before Schaub ran for the score. The two-point conversion failed, but Houston (1-4) had enough points.
At Atlanta, Jason Elam made the most of his second chance, kicking a 48-yard field goal on the final play.
At Minneapolis, a questionable pass interference penalty on Leigh Bodden put Minnesota's woeful offence in position for a 26-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with nine seconds to go.
Detroit (0-5) outplayed the Vikings for the entire game in a spirited effort, but the Vikings (3-3) got a boost from a call by field judge Mike Weir. Trailing 10-9 in the final three minutes, Gus Frerotte threw deep down the sideline for Aundrae Allison, and the ball fell incomplete. But Weir whistled cornerback Bodden for pass interference despite what appeared to be minimal contact.
At Tampa, Fla., former C-F-L star Jeff Garcia, starting for the first time since the season opener because Brian Griese is injured, threw for 173 yards and a touchdown. Warrick Dunn had his best game with 115 yards on 22 carries.
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