Smith Looks Old Against Old Team

Emmitt Smith was all smiles. Fans were cheering his every move and camera flashes were going off. He looked around happily, savoring his return to Texas Stadium just like he’d hoped. Everything was going his way.

Then the game began. And nothing went right.

Smith lost four yards on his first carry and finished with minus-one in six carries, the worst game of his 206-game career. He was pounded every time he got the ball and was knocked out early in the second quarter by a sprained left shoulder.

He spent the rest of Sunday’s game in the locker room, his arm in a sling, as the Dallas Cowboys polished off a 24-7 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

“Every player wants to play four quarters, play his best and do everything possible to help his team win,” Smith said. “I wasn’t able to do that today.”

Quincy Carter threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns and the defense allowed only 151 yards and provided two safeties in a four-play span in the third quarter as Bill Parcells earned his first home win as coach of the Cowboys.

Dallas (3-1) already was up by a touchdown when Smith went out, then pulled away for its first three-game winning streak since opening 1999 at 3-0.

“This game was nothing personal to Emmitt,” said safety Darren Woodson, who spent 11 years playing with Smith. “It was about beating the Cardinals.”

Thousands of fans wore blue No. 22 jerseys, and even a few red ones. There were many welcome back signs, including a huge one that read “Once A Cowboy, Always A Cowboy” next to the Cardinals’ tunnel.

Smith, 34, was applauded from the moment he stepped onto the field, even sharing a brief hug with Cowboy owner Jerry Jones.

Smith, the NFL’s career rushing leader, had only 25 yards in 12 carries his previous game and has only 192 yards through five games with Arizona (1-4).