White Scores in Cowboy Win, but There’s a Catch to It

Dallas Cowboy quarterback Danny White was surprised when Coach Tom Landry sent in a flea-flicker pass play in the third quarter of Sunday’s 20-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“It was the second time today that he called it,” White said. “It’s rare it gets called once. But for it to be called twice, that’s really rare.”

From the Cleveland 12, White handed off to running back James Jones, who ran to the right, stopped and tossed the ball back to White, who was wide open for a touchdown in the end zone’s left side.

Landry had called the same play only minutes earlier from the Cleveland 13, but it never came off. White fumbled the snap and Brown linebacker Clay Matthews picked up the ball and ran for 25 yards.

“I’m glad he called it again, because I was the goat the first time he called it,” White said.

“It’s just a play we have in our playbook,” Landry said. “We resurrected it this week, and it came through. About once a year is about all you can get away with it.”

The Dallas defense kept Cleveland scoreless until late in the fourth quarter, when Browns quarterback Gary Danielson combined with Kevin Mack on a 56-yard pass play to the Dallas one, setting up Earnest Byner’s short touchdown run.

End-zone interceptions by Dallas defensive backs Everson Walls and Dennis Thurman foiled two Cleveland scoring threats.

The Cowboys (2-1) took a 10-0 halftime lead on Rafael Septien’s 39-yard field goal and White’s 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Doug Cosbie.

A 33-yard pass interference call against cornerback Hanford Dixon gave Dallas a first down at the Cleveland 12 in the third quarter. But White fumbled the snap two plays later, and Matthews scampered almost to midfield with the ball before he was overtaken.

Danielson then hit wide receiver Willis Adams for 11 and 22 yards on successive plays for a first down at the Dallas 22.

But Danielson aimed a pass for Adams on the next play in the corner of the end zone, and Thurman made a leaping interception.

From there, the Cowboys went 80 yards in 12 plays on a drive that ended with White’s third pass reception ever, and his second for a touchdown.