Cowboys Roll, 34-20; Smith Injures Elbow : NFC: Smith rushes for 116 yards, two touchdowns before leaving game because of injury as Dallas improves to 4-0.

Emmitt Smith has led the Dallas Cowboys to their first unbeaten September in 12 years, but not before another injury scare.

Smith scored two touchdowns, rushed for a 116 yards and had 53 yards receiving Sunday as the Cowboys rolled to a 34-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith fell hard on his left elbow late in the game.

“I lost the feeling in my fingers and for awhile there, I couldn’t move them,” said Smith, whose X-rays were negative, although the elbow swelled. “I was scared because I must have hit a nerve or something, but I think I’ll be back running fine.”

Smith was hampered by hamstring problems last year and two seasons ago had shoulder injuries.

Dallas (4-0) hasn’t begun a season this well since 1983, when the Cowboys started, 7-0.

Arizona (1-3), which had yielded an NFL-worst 196 yards per game rushing, watched Smith beat the Cardinals on the ground and through the air.

Smith, the NFL’s rushing leader with an average of 142 yards per game, surpassed 100 yards for the fourth consecutive game. He scored a touchdown for the 11th consecutive game to tie Lenny Moore of the old Baltimore Colts for the third longest streak in NFL history.

Smith served as a decoy as the Cowboys rolled 85 yards in nine plays the first time they had the ball. Troy Aikman threw to Michael Irvin for 50 yards and then got the touchdown on a two-yard toss to tight end Jay Novacek.

Smith scored from the six and the one in the first half but made his most spectacular moves on a 40-yard reception from Aikman that led to the third Dallas touchdown.

Smith dashed 28 yards, then bulled up the middle six yards for the Cowboys’ second touchdown.

He then ran 28 yards to position Dallas for his individual play of the day. Aikman threw to Smith over the middle and he broke five tackles to get to the Arizona one. Smith scored on the next play to end the 69-yard drive in which he got every one of the yards.

Dallas Coach Barry Switzer said the Cowboys should have scored at least two more touchdowns.

“We dropped two touchdown passes,” Switzer said. “This team just keeps rolling along.”

The Cardinal offense sputtered although Dave Krieg threw two touchdown passes. He connected with Larry Centers for a 13-yard touchdown pass in the first half and found Rob Moore with a 25-yarder against a prevent defense with 46 seconds left. Greg Davis kicked two field goals.

Aikman completed 19 of 30 passes for 251 yards.

Krieg was 24 for 33 for 324 yards with three interceptions.