49ers Rally For 8th Straight

The San Francisco 49ers validated their return to the top of the NFC with their eighth straight victory. The Dallas Cowboys were left to confront their image as a weakened, crumbling team.

Relying on a series of defensive stands, capped by Tim McDonald’s interception of Troy Aikman in the final moments, the 49ers twice rallied from seven-point deficits to defeat the visiting Cowboys 17-10 Sunday.

No championship trip or playoff seeding was on the line this time between the two teams, who have met six times in the NFC championship game and have 10 Super Bowl titles between them.

San Francisco (8-1), tied with Denver for the best record in the league, is running away with the NFC West while the Cowboys (4-5) face a struggle in their last seven games just to make the playoffs.

“It’s a different kind of feeling, a feeling you really can’t describe,” said Dallas’ Emmitt Smith, knocked out in the second quarter by a groin strain. “I think our team is still confident. I just don’t know if we’re performing to our ability.”

McDonald, epitomizing a defensive effort that frustrated every effort by the Cowboys to get back in the game, intercepted Aikman’s pass to end Dallas’ last-ditch drive.

The 49ers survived a scare two plays earlier when the officials retracted what looked to be a pass interference call in the end zone on Rod Woodson. He appeared to trip up Michael Irvin before he could make the potential game-tying catch.

In picking up the flag, the officials explained that the two players’ feet tangled and there was no foul.

Jets 19, Ravens 16 (OT)

With backup quarterback Glenn Foley coming off the bench in the fourth quarter, host New York won on John Hall’s 37-yard field goal in overtime to move into first place for the first time this late in 11 seasons.

After Vinny Testaverde tied the game on a pass to Derrick Alexander with 3 seconds left in regulation, Foley drove the Jets 60 yards to set up Hall’s game-winner.

Packers 20, Lions 10

Host Green Bay’s beleaguered secondary intercepted four of Scott Mitchell’s passes to pull the Packers into a tie with Minnesota for first place in the NFC Central.

Darren Sharper’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Packers (7-2) the lead for good in the second quarter, and they held on to win despite Barry Sanders’ 105 yards on 23 carries, his career-high seventh straight 100-yard game.

Vikings 23, Patriots 18

New England’s offense and special teams stumbled most of the game against host Minnesota (7-2), which won its fifth straight game.

Moe Williams’ 74-yard return of the opening kickoff set up a field goal, and Minnesota never trailed. John Randle led the Vikings’ defense that allowed the Patriots only three points in three quarters and rarely gave Drew Bledsoe time to throw.

Bengals 38, Chargers 31

Host Cincinnati (2-7) won for the first time since the opening week, getting three second-quarter TDs off turnovers, one of them John Copeland’s 25-yard fumble return.

San Diego’s Eric Metcalf became the NFL’s career kick-return leader by returning two punts for touchdowns. He went 85 yards in the second quarter and 67 yards in the fourth to give him 10 TD returns.

Bills 9, Dolphins 6

Steve Christie had field goals of 41, 40 and 39 yards for host Buffalo (5-4), which overcame six fumbles, only one of them lost, and a muffed punt on the rain-slicked turf at Rich Stadium. The last came with 10:42 left in the game to break a 6-6 tie.

Dan Marino sprained his left ankle and left in the third quarter after going just 4 of 14 for 67 yards and throwing an interception.

Cardinals 31, Eagles 21

Kent Graham, who was the starting quarterback until he got hurt Oct 12, replaced Jake Plummer and had two late touchdown runs as host Arizona (2-7) broke a six-game losing streak.

Ty Detmer relieved Rodney Peete in the third quarter and threw two TD passes to erase a 17-7 deficit for the Eagles (4-5).

Jaguars 30, Oilers 24

Visiting Jacksonville (6-3) almost blew a 27-10 lead, but Tony Brackens stopped Frank Wycheck at the 2 on fourth down with 2:58 left to save the win.

The Oilers (4-5) gradually cut it to six points, and Steve McNair moved Tennessee 84 yards to first-and-goal on the seven. But Brackens’ tackle on a pass from McNair ended Tennessee’s three-game win streak.

Panthers 38, Raiders 14

Fred Lane, a free-agent rookie, replaced the injured Tshimanga Biakabutuka and ran for three touchdowns as host Carolina (5-4) ran for a franchise-record 216 yards and won its third straight. Lane, who went to Lane College, had 147 yards in 28 carries.

Carolina’s Kerry Collins threw for 198 yards and ran for one score.

Redskins 31, Bears 8

Washington (5-4) scored on its first three possessions, going 76, 55 and 80 yards for touchdowns against host Chicago (1-8).

Falcons 34, Rams 31

Morten Andersen’s 27-yard field goal with two seconds left gave host Atlanta (2-7) its win.

Isaac Bruce had 233 receiving yards for the Rams (2-7), who tied the score at 31 on Tony Banks’ 1-yard scramble with 1:10 left. But Harold Green caught a 19-yard pass, then ran 22 yards to help set up Andersen’s winning kick.

Buccaneers 31, Colts 28

In Indianapolis, Karl Williams scored two touchdowns, set up another with a 63-yard punt return and put Tampa Bay (6-3) in position for Michael Husted’s winning field goal with 8 seconds left.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SUNDAY’S BEST Quarterbacks Tony Banks 23-34-401-2-1 Drew Bledsoe 27-42-313-2-1 Jeff George 24-38-304-2-1 Chris Chandler 19-32-276-3-1 Running backs Jamal Anderson 19-159-1 Fred Lane 28-147-3 Corey Dillon 19-123-1 Receivers Isaac Bruce 10-233-2 Tim Brown 10-163-0 Cris Carter 8-116-1