Henson pulled as Cowboys win

IRVING, Texas — Drew Henson will have to wait before he’s the star of the Dallas Cowboys offense. Right now, the youngster turning heads is rookie running back Julius Jones.

Jones burst up the middle for a 33-yard touchdown on Dallas’ first drive and was still going strong at the end, scoring again from the 4 midway through the fourth quarter to help the Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears 21-7 Thursday.

Despite enduring a midgame slump, when he had just five yards on 10 carries, Jones finished with 150 yards on 33 carries, becoming the first Dallas running back to gain 100 yards this season.

Add that to the 81 yards he had on 30 carries in his first start this past Sunday and he seems to have answered the durability questions that were raised by a preseason rib injury then a broken shoulder blade that cost him half of this season.

Although Dallas (4-7) ended a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in eight games, Henson’s performance raised more questions than it answered.

After leading the Cowboys 62 yards in five plays for the opening score, the only points he produced were for Chicago (4-7) — an interception that R.W. McQuarters returned 45 yards for touchdown.

With the game tied at 7 at halftime, Dallas coach Bill Parcells decided winning this game was more important than giving Henson much-needed game experience. So he turned to 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde, who was the backup only because of injuries sustained five days earlier. Testaverde finished 9 of 14 for 92 yards.

Fans booed his arrival and several quick mistakes drew more jeers.

But early in the fourth quarter, Testaverde capped a Jones-led drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Darian Barnes. An interception by Terence Newman on Chicago’s next snap brought the Cowboys right back on the field and soon after Jones scampered up the middle for his second touchdown.