‘Boys Are Back In Town Dallas Returns ‘Home’ To Super Bowl

He who laughs last howled long into the night Sunday, loud enough to wake up half of Pittsburgh.

The team considered too distracted to advance to the Super Bowl left the road there bloodied and burned with a 38-27 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game at Texas Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys then held their sides and roared.

“We’re not going to the Super Bowl, we’re going home,” said receiver Michael Irvin, who will bring two championship-game touchdown catches with him. “It’s our house. Last year we just let somebody borrow it.

“Now we’re going to go check it out, see how it was left, see if it’s dirty … and then take it over again. We’re going home.”

But won’t the Pittsburgh Steelers also have a chance to win Super Bowl XXX in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 28?

Not according to cornerback/receiver Deion Sanders, who all but guaranteed that the Cowboys will win their third world championship in four years.

“You know what we’re gonna do when we get there?” Sanders said, raising his voice. “What are the statistics of the Super Bowl? What are the statistics? I deal only in facts. What are the statistics?”

The statistics are that the NFC team has defeated the AFC team in 11 consecutive Super Bowls.

Is that what you mean, Deion?

He stamped his feet and shouted, “I’m not saying nothing! But you know what I mean. You know!”

The only people the Cowboys showed less respect for than the Steelers were the Packers, whose charming return to glory was put on ice.

“I’m glad it struck midnight,” Irvin said. “Cinderella? Go home!”

After dominating the Packers for the sixth time in three years, the Cowboys had this to offer.

“It’s hard to be a man and say you’re wrong,” said running back Emmitt Smith, glaring at dozens of reporters after gaining 150 yards and scoring three times. “But I think right now, a lot of you individuals out there should say, ‘We were wrong.”’

He was referring to misconceptions that:

The Cowboys could not go to the Super Bowl with an owner, Jerry Jones, who cared more about suing the league than building a winner.

The Cowboys could not go to the Super Bowl with an overpaid spectacle like Sanders.

The Cowboys could not go to the Super Bowl with Barry Switzer as their coach.

On a day when the Cowboys rebounded from deficits of 3-0, 17-14 and 27-24, all tenets were proven false.

Jerry Jones? The three players he has paid huge sums to keep happy - Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Irvin - combined to score all five touchdowns.

Sanders? He allowed only one short pass completion while causing Packers quarterback Brett Favre to force the ball toward cornerback Larry Brown, who had a game-clinching interception early in the fourth quarter.

Sanders also gained 35 yards on a catch-and-run that contributed to the Cowboys’ first score.

Barry Switzer? Say what you want about his lack of NFL knowledge and inability to strategize. Early Sunday evening, that was Switzer holding up a trophy named after George Halas.

A few moments later, that was Aikman giving him a game ball.

Perhaps there should have been a game ball for everyone.

Their eventual game-winning drive, a 90-yard push that ended in a 5-yard touchdown run by Smith early in the fourth quarter, was typical.

The Packers finally wised up and double-teamed Irvin, so Aikman found Kevin Williams for 15 yards. Both wide receivers were blanketed, so tight end Jay Novacek caught consecutive passes worth 23 yards.

The Packers dropped men off the line of scrimmage, and Smith ran for 11 yards.

“Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin are as fine an offensive team as I’ve ever seen assembled,” Packers coach Mike Holmgren said. “And they were on.” Cowboys 38, Packers 27

Green Bay 10 7 10 0 - 27

Dallas 14 10 0 14 - 38

First quarter

GB-FG Jacke 46, 1:10.

Dal-Irvin 6 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick), 7:31.

Dal-Irvin 4 pass from Aikman (Boniol kick), 12:40.

GB-Brooks 73 pass from Favre (Jacke kick), 13:01.

Second quarter

GB-Jackson 24 pass from Favre (Jacke kick), :39.

Dal-FG Boniol 34, 8:19.

Dal-E.Smith 1 run (Boniol kick), 14:36.

Third quarter

GB-FG Jacke 37, 3:31.

GB-Brooks 1 pass from Favre (Jacke kick), 9:41.

Fourth quarter

Dal-E.Smith 5 run (Boniol kick), 2:36.

Dal-E.Smith 16 run (Boniol kick), 5:32.

A-65,135.

GB Dal First downs 13 27 Rushes-yards 12-48 43-169 Passing 280 250 Punt Returns 4-54 1-6 Kickoff Returns 7-148 4-90 Interceptions Ret. 0-0 2-27 Comp-Att-Int 21-39-2 21-33-0 Sacked-Yards Lost 4-27 1-5 Punts 3-48 5-37 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0 Penalties-Yards 11-84 6-65 Time of Possession 21:04 38:56

Individual statistics

RUSHING - Green Bay, Bennett 9-46, Henderson 1-2, Levins 1-1, Favre 1-(minus 1). Dallas, E.Smith 35-150, Johnston 2-8, Aikman 3-6, S.Williams 1-3, Sanders 2-2.

PASSING - Green Bay, Favre 21-39-2-307. Dallas, Aikman 21-33-0-255.

RECEIVING - Green Bay, Brooks 6-105, Jackson 5-99, Bennett 3-20, Mickens 2-38, Levins 2-11, Chmura 1-16, Freeman 1-10, Ingram 1-8. Dallas, Irvin 7-100, Novacek 5-56, K.Williams 3-32, Johnston 3-15, E.Smith 2-17, Sanders 1-35.

MISSED FIELD GOALS - Dallas, Boniol 34.