Smith Is Back to Carrying Cowboys

By T.J. SIMERS

Nov. 29, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

IRVING, Texas —

There are two possibilities here: 1) Dallas’ Barry Switzer is NFL coach of the year, or 2) Barry Switzer is, well, not very bright.

Those members of Switzer’s family who subscribe to the first choice believe Switzer benched Emmitt Smith a week ago and threatened to start Sherman something-or-other in his place because he wanted to light a fire under the game’s very best running back.

Worked just like the good old boy thought too if you’re buying the supposition Switzer knows what he’s doing. A motivated Smith trampled the Washington Redskins (8-5) with 155 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns in lifting Dallas (8-5) to a 21-10 victory before 64,955 in Texas Stadium.

As for the rest of mankind, which might wonder why Switzer would treat a future Hall of Famer with 108 rushing touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards rushing six consecutive years like just another guy named Smith, why be surprised?

Switzer had to be advised the Cowboys were now in an NFC East Division first-place tie with the Redskins. “Is that where we are?” he said. “I don’t follow that stuff, but that’s kinda neat.”

Bless his soul, owner Jerry Jones was right after all, there are 500 guys out there who could coach this team, and probably five million more who wouldn’t have to be pushed into playing Smith.

“To hear all the negative stuff this week, and people talking about me being on the backside of my career, it was an insult to me,” said Smith, and while Switzer stood outside the Cowboy locker room slapping his players on the back and shaking their hands, Smith came by, turned his head and ignored the man who had benched him in the fourth quarter in last week’s loss to the Giants.

“It cut deep,” Smith said. “I knew if I was not doing my job, then I have to take a back seat. I knew I still had it, but my ankle wasn’t allowing me to play like I wanted to. We had five turnovers last week . . . and the biggest focus was on me getting pulled. There were a lot of reasons why we lost, but for some reason the focus was on me.”

Switzer not only benched Smith but suggested it might be time for Smith to rest his sore ankle while Sherman Williams played. Williams and Herschel Walker took all of the snaps in practice this past week while Smith seethed, receiving treatment on his ankle and nursing bruised feelings.

“We’re in the NFC East, and it’s physical football, and even Denver in the AFC, they’re running that rock,” said Nate Newton, Dallas offensive lineman. “If you can’t run, you can’t win. . . . We believe in Emmitt, and sometimes when one of your leaders like Emmitt isn’t having the kind of year he’s supposed to have, you rally around him.”

Newton and wide receiver Michael Irvin talked to Smith on the field before the game, and tried to pump him up. After pregame warmups Smith, who was wearing new shoes with longer spikes, told Jones he felt he had a lot of spring in his legs, and he could play. Apparently, the message got to Switzer, Smith started and the Redskins were cooked.

“The rumors on Emmitt being hurt were definitely not true,” said Norv Turner, Washington head coach.

Smith, who had only two runs beyond 20 yards this season, not only popped a 42-yarder up the middle for his longest run of the year, but unlike recent performances he broke tackles and displayed quickness.

“Of course you’ve got to understand their defense is giving up 4.4 yards per rush and they are ranked about 28th or 29th in the league in stopping the run,” said Switzer, who was just trying to get Smith fired up for next week or can’t keep from putting his foot in his mouth.

The Cowboys, 1-3 at one time, had failed to score a touchdown on 28 consecutive possessions covering nine quarters and an overtime before Smith scored from four yards in the second quarter.

“We have done all we could to mess this thing up,” said Irvin, who was limited to one catch for five yards. “I like our chances now. . . . All we needed was a chance.”

The Redskins, who knocked off the Cowboys twice last season before Dallas went on to win the Super Bowl, used a 26-yard Gus Frerotte-to-Leslie Shepherd touchdown play to a 21-yard Scott Blanton field goal to take a 10-7 lead in the third quarter. But then Dallas went back to Smith, who provided a four-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a three-yard score in the fourth.

Smith is third behind Marcus Allen (112) and Walter Payton (110) in rushing touchdowns and fifth in scoring with 115 touchdowns in his career. And although the Cowboys are scoring nearly seven fewer points a game than last year and averaging a yard less per run attempt, if Smith is back to form Dallas will be coming on at just the right time.

“It’s like going fishing,” Newton said while raising his arms and casting off into the distance. “You just start reeling everybody in.”

The Cowboys have a road game in Arizona, return home to play New England, then finish the season in Washington.

“Some people are going to say the Cowboys made a statement, Emmitt made a statement or whatever,” Smith said. “The statement hasn’t been made yet. How do we handle this win? How do we handle the next game we play? If we get to the Super Bowl, win the Super Bowl, then the statement will have been made.”

* MARCUS ALLEN: He becomes the NFL’s all-time rushing touchdown leader in Kansas City’s 28-24 victory over Detroit. C5

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Up and Running

The Dallas Cowboys, before Thursday’s game with the Washington Redskins, had not scored a touchdown in their previous two games--settling for nine field goals. Surprisingly, the Cowboys had also been outrushed for the season. All of that changed as Emmitt Smith, who had been struggling, had a season-high 155 yards rushing and three touchdowns to lead a 21-10 victory over the Redskins. The Cowboy defense also shut down the Redskins and the NFC’s leading rusher Terry Allen, who had 34 yards in 12 carries. A comparison:

FIRST 12 GAMES

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Carries Yards Yards TDs Per Game Per Game Per Carry Cowboys 27.8 94.5 3.4 10 Opp. 27.9 94.8 3.4

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PREVIOUS TW0 GAMES

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Carries Yards Yards TDs Per Game Per Game Per Carry Cowboys 22.0 72.5 3.3 0 Opp. 29.5 100.5 3.4 0

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THURSDAY

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Carries Yards Yards TDs Per Carry Cowboys 48 201 4.2 3 Redskins 16 46 2.9 0

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