Return to Prime Time for Stars of Dallas

Troy Aikman was fine, Deion Sanders was dancing and Michael Irvin finally scored a touchdown.

Are the Dallas Cowboys back? It was hard to tell against the hapless Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, but they looked much better in a 34-0 victory than they had in their previous game--a one-point loss to the Chicago Bears on Oct 18.

In his first start since being sidelined five games with a broken collarbone, Aikman was 14 for 26 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Sanders returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown, and Irvin scored his first touchdown of the season on an 11-yard pass play with Aikman in the first quarter.

“I think for the first time out in five weeks, I’m pleased with my performance,” Aikman said. “I knew I didn’t get hit on the shoulder.”

Aikman, however, was sacked and driven to the turf on the first play of the game by Hollis Thomas. Aikman got right up and led the Cowboys (5-3) on a 47-yard drive that culminated with Richie Cunningham’s 33-yard field goal. The key play was an 11-yard completion to Sanders on third and 10.

On the Cowboys’ next possession, Irvin made his long overdue touchdown reception. The timing was perfect on the out-pattern to the far corner of the end zone that has accounted for many of Irvin’s 46 career touchdown receptions on passes from from Aikman.

The penalty-filled game then turned sloppy until Sanders took a punt at the Cowboy 31 late in the second quarter, faked left, faked right and ran past at least five Eagles to the end zone to make it 17-0. Punter Tom Hutton was the last to take a one-handed swipe at Sanders, who celebrated the customary touchdown dance.

The Cowboys also got 101 yards rushing and a touchdown from Emmitt Smith and allowed the Eagles (1-7) only 200 total yards in shutting them out for the first time in the teams’ 78-game series.

With the 38-0 loss to Seattle in the home opener, the Eagles became the first team to lose two home shutouts by more than 30 points in the same season. It was also he first time they’ve been shut out twice in a season since 1957, and the first time they’ve been shut out twice in a season at home since 1942.

“When you have a game like this in Philadelphia on Monday night, and you get all hyped up, it’s difficult,” said Eagle quarterback Rodney Peete, who left late in the first quarter after his finger was cut to the bone, requiring stitches. “I know I’m not going to throw in the towel, and I know a lot of guys in the locker room who are not going to throw in the towel.”

Bobby Hoying replaced Peete, getting blitzed and brutalized into a 13-for-39, 124-yard passing performance with two interceptions.

The bad play of the Eagles left the sellout crowd at Veterans Stadium in a foul mood even by Philadelphia standards.

The crowd of 67,002 had been incredibly loud at kickoff, hoping the Eagles could bring some semblance of meaning to their season. Among the few who remained at the end held a banner that read “Put In Boomer,” referring to ABC announcer and former quarterback Boomer Esiason.

“Sign Man,” who’s been hanging signs at the Vet for about 20 years, checked in with two beauties in huge black letters across the field from behind the Philadelphia bench. “We deserve better,” and once it got really ugly, “Stadium? Build a Kennel.”