Big Show Returns to Dallas

Cancel the burial detail. The Dallas Cowboys finally looked like Super Bowl champions again.

Troy Aikman rediscovered Dallas’ lost offense by throwing three touchdown passes Sunday, and the Cowboys, stung by a bumbling loss to Chicago, celebrated their home opener with a 27-0 victory over the New York Giants.

“I felt a lot of pressure going into this game,” Dallas Coach Barry Switzer said. “So much for the demise of Dallas. This was a big confidence game. The defense was dominant and Troy was throwing rockets. We played very well.”

The much-criticized first-team offense, which hadn’t scored a touchdown since the exhibition season opener against Oakland, went 50, 81, and 71 yards for touchdowns to lead, 21-0, at halftime.

“This was a big game for us,” Aikman said. “It was much bigger because of the way we had struggled. This was a big confidence builder for us.”

Aikman had missed suspended wide receiver Michael Irvin and injured tight end Jay Novacek. But this was a day of few busted assignments, crisp route running, perfect passes and stout defense that kept the Giants from crossing midfield until late in the game.

After the Giants (0-2) stopped Dallas (1-1) on its goal line early in the first period, Aikman hit Deion Sanders with a nine-yard scoring pass, flipped a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Williams and found Emmitt Smith with a five-yard scoring pass only two seconds short of halftime.

Sanders, who went both ways again but participated in only 52 plays compared to the 108 last week, beat cornerback Jason Sehorn for the first touchdown pass after the Giants compiled 39 yards in pass interference penalties.

Aikman, who has only a 9-6 record against New York, showed a perfect touch on the pass to Williams on third and one from the Giants 19.

Smith, still playing with a sore neck courtesy of an injury at Chicago on a play-fake, sneaked past linebacker Corey Widmer on the touchdown pass.

Smith showed no problems with his neck injury and rushed for 94 yards in 25 carries.

“I’m still a little sore, but everything went OK,” Smith said. “It was good to get that Chicago game off our backs. You guys [the media] are good about overreacting.”

Offensive lineman Nate Newton added: “It’s not how you start the season it’s how you finish. Everybody wanted to panic. We’re not there yet. We still have a long way to go.”