Cowboys Get What They Want : Pro football: Smith sets NFL record in 37-13 win over Arizona as Dallas secures home-field advantage for playoffs.

The Dallas Cowboys Monday night earned home-field rights throughout the conference playoffs, and got Emmitt Smith one of the NFL’s most prized records in the process.

“When we got down to the 20, Troy [Aikman] said we should make a rushing touchdown,” Smith said. “The coaches said we should make a rushing touchdown. And the receivers said we should make a rushing touchdown. In my mind, I definitely thought we needed a rushing touchdown.”

And Smith produced one, his record-setting 25th, with 5:49 left in a 37-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Smith had the rushing title wrapped up before the game, the last of the NFL’s regular season, but he needed one touchdown to break his tie with Washington’s John Riggins, who scored 24 in 1983.

Kevin Williams of the Cowboys closed his third season in the league with a career day, catching touchdown passes of 25 and 48 yards from Aikman among his nine grabs for 203 yards.

They were his first scoring catches since his 1983 rookie season, when he had two. Last season, Williams watched and returned kicks while Alvin Harper took advantage of the attention paid to Michael Irvin and led the NFL by averaging nearly 25 yards per catch.

“It’s been a long season for me,” Williams said. “Trying to replace him, and with all the criticism I’ve been taking--I wasn’t big enough, I was too short, and all the different things people have been saying. You go out tomorrow and ask them how big my heart is.”

Brock Marion contributed to the Cowboys’ quick start by returning an interception 32 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, and Chris Boniol had field goals of 39, 23 and 24 yards.

The Cowboys (12-4) lost the home-field advantage to San Francisco last season, and dropped a 38-28 decision to the 49ers in the NFC championship game.

This time, the right to play at home until the Super Bowl was the only thing at stake for the Cowboys, who claimed their fourth consecutive NFC East Division title and got next week off when Chicago beat Philadelphia on Sunday.

“It’s been what? Thirty hours?” Dallas owner Jerry Jones said. “So we’ve had the most dramatic change conceivable--from not even winning the division and having to go into the playoffs as a wild card to winning the whole thing.”

Jones has defended Coach Barry Switzer since an ill-fated decision to run Smith on fourth-and-a-foot two weeks ago in a loss to the Eagles. In the interim, there have been calls for Switzer’s ouster, and Aikman has said he might consider retirement after the season.

Aikman was much more encouraged after leading the Cowboys to their fourth consecutive season of 12 or more victories.

“I’m certainly pleased with the season,” Aikman said. “We’ve been waiting for this since January.”

Larry Centers provided one of the lone bright spots for the Cardinals (4-12).

He caught 12 passes to set the NFL season record for receptions by a running back. Centers finished the game with 101, surpassing Roger Craig’s 10-year-old standard of 92 in the first half.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Scoring Machine

Running back Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys became the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored in a season Monday night. Smith also moved into a tie for ninth place in career touchdowns.

TOUCHDOWNS IN A SEASON

*--*

TD Player, Team Year 25 Emmitt Smith, Dallas 1995 24 John Riggins, Wash. 1983 23 O.J. Simpson, Buffalo 1975 23 Jerry Rice, S.F. 1997 22 Gale Sayers, Chicago 1965 22 Chuck Foreman, Minn. 1975 22 Emmitt Smith, Dallas 1994

*--*

TOUCHDOWNS IN A CAREER

*--*

TD Player, Team Year 156 Jerry Rice, S.F. 1985-95 126 Jim Brown, Cleve. 1957-65 125 Marcus Allen, Raiders-K.C. 1982-95 125 Walter Payton, Chicago 1975-87 116 John Riggins, N.Y. Jets-Wash. 1971-85 113 Lenny Moore, Balt. 1956-67 105 Don Hutson, Green Bay 1935-45 101 Steve Largent, Seattle 1976-89 100 Emmitt Smith, Dallas 1990-95 100 Franco Harris, Pitt.-Seattle 1972-84

*--*