Cowboys Survive Plummer

The old Dallas Cowboys were a little too much for the new Arizona Cardinals.

But Jake Plummer made it too close for comfort.

Arizona’s second-year quarterback completed 31 of 56 passes for a career-high 465 yards and three touchdowns Sunday to bring the Cardinals back from an early 28-0 deficit before Dallas escaped with a 35-28 victory.

Plummer’s 57-yard pass play to Rob Moore put the ball on the Cowboy 4 in the final seconds, but he threw two incompletions after spiking the ball on first down to stop the clock with nine seconds left.

The final throw, a high fade pass that resulted in a touchdown earlier, was knocked out of Moore’s hands by Kevin Smith as time expired. The Cardinals (5-5) vehemently claimed pass interference.

Plummer, whose passing performance was No. 3 on the Cardinals’ career list and one yard short of the most by a Dallas opponent, charged the referees as they left the field. He said he told them: “You’ve got to step up and make that call.”

About the only Cardinal who wouldn’t call it obvious interference was Moore.

“It was a tough call I guess,” he said. “To be honest with you, I was so caught up in the moment I really don’t know.”

Cowboy running back Emmitt Smith rushed for 118 yards in 26 carries and three scores to move ahead of Walter Payton and Jim Brown to No. 3 on the NFL career touchdown list with 127.

Troy Aikman completed 14 of 18 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown, but Michael Irvin did not catch any, ending his 117-game streak dating to 1990.

The NFC East-leading Cowboys are 7-3.