PRO FOOTBALL : Walker’s Run Beats Patriots

Herschel Walker won the starting job on Thursday. He won the game on Sunday.

Walker capped the fourth-best individual rushing performance in Dallas history with a 60-yard touchdown run 1:50 into overtime as the Cowboys defeated the New England Patriots, 23-17.

Walker had complained about sharing time running the ball with Tony Dorsett. On Thursday, the Cowboys said Walker would start against New England and be their primary tailback in the game.

“I love to run the ball,” Walker said. “Georgia gave me a chance in college. The New Jersey Generals gave me a chance in the USFL.”

Dallas kicker Roger Ruzek gave Walker a chance in overtime when he tied the game, 17-17, on a 20-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Walker, who rushed for 173 yards in 28 carries, burst through the left side of the line and outran cornerback Raymond Clayborn along the sideline.

“It was just supposed to be a running play,” Walker said. “It turned out to be a great play.”

Dallas Coach Tom Landry said: “It was just a regular running play, just an off-tackle play. We’d been running it all day. Once he gets into the secondary, he’s awesome.”

Dallas, by winning for the sixth time in eight overtime games, improved to 5-4. New England dropped to 4-5 and out of a five-way tie for the AFC East lead.

The Patriots are 0-9 in overtime games, and 0-6 against Dallas, the only NFL team they have never beaten.

They had a chance Sunday when Tom Ramsey’s five-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Morgan gave them a 17-14 lead with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter.

Ramsey, the former UCLA and Los Angeles Express quarterback, entered the game early in the third quarter when Steve Grogan hit his head as he was being tackled. The injury was not believed to be serious.

“It’s pretty tough to lose a game in overtime like that when you’ve rallied late in the game,” Patriot Coach Raymond Berry said.

Ramsey, playing in only his third game in three years with the Patriots, completed 8 of 16 passes for 136 yards.

White finished with 286 yards passing, completing 25 of 44 attempts, and had a touchdown pass.

Dorsett, who ran only once for five yards, left the game in the third quarter with a bruised left shoulder. X-rays were negative.

The Cowboys tied a club record of 15 penalties one week after committing 11 in a 27-17 loss to Detroit. The penalties cost the Cowboys 112 yards against the Patriots.