Patriots End Losing Streaks

The New England Patriots picked a very good time to beat the Dallas Cowboys for the first time in eight tries and also end a three-game losing streak.

The Patriots boosted their fading playoff prospects with their best defensive performance of the season and a 13-6 victory Sunday night.

Drew Bledsoe improved slightly over his recent struggles, but still threw two interceptions in the first half. Then he led the Patriots (7-5) on a 65-yard, fourth-quarter drive capped by Terry Allen’s three-yard touchdown run that gave them a 13-3 lead with 6:39 left in the game.

That and Adam Vinatieri’s first-half field goals of 41 and 23 yards were all the Patriots needed.

“We didn’t care who it was,” New England defensive tackle Chad Eaton said. “It could have been Attleboro High School. We just needed a win bad.”

That nearby school might not have fared much worse than the Cowboys, who failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season. And their 203 yards and 12 first downs both were season lows.

“I liked the way we did it because it was close the whole time and any one play could have made the difference,” Patriot Coach Pete Carroll said. “The defense just hung on and hung on and did a great job.”

Maybe now Dallas Coach Chan Gailey should listen to cornerback Deion Sanders’ pleadings to play him at wide receiver.

“I want to play offense,” Sanders said. “I’ve dropped subtle hints to the coach, but now I’m ready to go out there and do whatever it takes. It’s time to throw everything out there.”

Dallas’ Emmitt Smith joined Barry Sanders as the only players to rush for more than 1,000 yards in nine consecutive seasons.

Smith gained 75 yards in 19 carries, giving him 1,053 this season. That milestone didn’t mean much as the Cowboys (6-6) dropped to 1-6 on the road.

The Cowboys, playing for the first time in 10 days after a 20-0 Thanksgiving Day victory over Miami, remained tied for second in the NFC East, one game behind Washington, which also lost.

The Patriots’ best linebacker, Ted Johnson, started in the middle after siting out the first 11 games because of a ruptured left biceps tendon.

New England’s offense did just enough against a Dallas defense that allowed one touchdown or less for the eighth time in 12 games this season. Bledsoe completed 14 of 25 passes for 176 yards.

The Patriots’ touchdown drive began with 12 minutes left in the game with a 10-yard pass from Bledsoe to Terry Glenn that gave them a first down at their 46. Completions of 19 yards to Kevin Faulk and 11 yards to Troy Brown produced another first down at the 17.

Then the Cowboys, who lead the NFL in penalty yards, were called for offside on third and one from the eight. That gave the Patriots a first down at the four. Allen was stopped for one yard before scoring from three yards out.

Bledsoe has thrown 11 interceptions in his last four games after throwing only four in his first eight games.