Patriots Finally Post Win Over Cowboys
Thirty-six years after they came into existence and 26 years after the AFL-NFL merger, New England finally beat the Dallas Cowboys.
Hason Graham returned the second-half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown as the Patriots beat Dallas 31-7 in an exhibition game Monday night in Irving, Texas.
Dallas has beaten the Patriots all six times they have met in the regular season and once in an exhibition.
New England coach Bill Parcells, whose team faces the Cowboys again Dec. 15, said the Patriots shouldn’t be overjoyed by the victory.
“It’s a win, but it’s just a preseason game,” he said. “I looked out there and didn’t see Emmitt Smith playing for Dallas, but I’m glad we moved the ball against their defense. We still did too many dumb things.”
Said Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe: “We ran the ball well and that is a good sign. The Cowboys are a better team than they showed. When we play in December it will be a different game.”
An unhappy Dallas coach Barry Switzer said, “Tonight’s performance was not indicative of a world champion. We didn’t strike fear in anybody’s heart the way we played.”
Washington may retire
Safety James Washington, a star in back-to-back Super Bowl victories for Dallas, was cut by the Washington Redskins and says he might retire.
“What you first have to realize is that the best thing about success is that sometimes it does come to an end, and I’ve had a good party for eight years,” Washington said. “It’s time to start the second career, I guess.”
Washington, 31, was signed as a free agent by the Redskins last year and started 12 games. This year, he entered camp a step slower and was overtaken by Darryl Morrison and Darryl Pounds.
Lions give boot to punter
Detroit Lions coach Wayne Fontes cut punter Rich Camarillo and kept Mark Royals.
“I felt that Mark Royals was kicking the ball extremely well,” Fontes said. “When I watched them in practice, it seemed like every punt Rich hit good, Mark would hit it 10 yards farther and with a little more hang time.”
Bengals thin ranks
Cincinnati cut running back Jason Burns, wide receiver David Rhodes and defensive tackle Jayme Washel.
Burns and Rhodes were signed as free agents last year. Burns, injured most of the season, carried once. Rhodes spent most of last season on the practice squad. Washel is a rookie free agent from Purdue.
Search not a snap
The Buffalo Bills are looking for a long snapper to replace the retired Adam Lingner. It might be Adam Lingner, who now works in the front office.
Punter Chris Mohr and kicker Steve Christie have separately called Lingner to see if he is still in shape.
The coaches haven’t talked with Lingner. The problem? The Bills no longer have the luxury of paying someone to be just a long snapper.
“I wouldn’t want to sit up on the fourth floor and watch a potentially great season get screwed because of a possible bad snap or two,” Lingner said. “I wasn’t planning on doing it, but I would if they needed me to.”
Around the league
Speedy Tampa Bay receiver Horace Copeland, sidelined for the season, underwent surgery to repair a ruptured knee tendon and faces five or six months of rehabilitation… . After ending his third holdout in four seasons last week, running back Robert Smith was back on the field for Minnesota, easing resentment over his absence… . Four-time Pro Bowl center Courtney Hall underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to be out of the San Diego camp at least two weeks.