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Cowboys' comeback, muffed snap make for wild finale

By JAIME ARON AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Brock Marion didn't know what was going on, even after Philadelphia players began running. Troy Aikman was trying to watch the Diamond Vision, but couldn't figure out what he was seeing. Eric Bjornson refused to look.

From the middle of the field to the sidelines, the Dallas Cowboys had no idea what happened on the final snap of Monday night's game against the Eagles.

One second, they were expecting former teammate Chris Boniol to make a chip-shot field goal for the victory, just like he had done for Dallas so many times the last two seasons.

A few seconds later, they were quizzing each other for details about how their 21-20 lead withstood the Eagles' 22-yard field goal try to become their most improbable victory in years.

Here's what they found:

Boniol, who had made his last 46 field goals inside 35 yards, never got a chance to try for No. 47 because holder Tom Hutton didn't tee it up for him. The snap was perfect, but Hutton lost it somewhere between catching the ball and standing it on its end.

As the ball slipped away, Hutton tried picking it up and running. He didn't do that very well, either.

Dallas' Deion Sanders hit Hutton, then a pile of bodies formed around them. The ball was somewhere in there, but it didn't matter. The clock was at 0:00 and the score frozen at Dallas 21, Philadelphia 20.

Barrett Brooks and Kevin Turner hurled their Eagles helmets in frustration. Teammates Steve Everitt and Ian Beckles collapsed to the turf.

The Cowboys spilled onto the field, giddy about the victory even if they weren't sure how they did it.

"I really didn't want to watch," said Bjornson, whose diving 24-yard catch with 1:33 left was the first of a series of Dallas miracles that made the victory possible. "I figured it was a slam dunk, especially with Boniol kicking it. I didn't know what happened until I got in here (the locker room)."

Marion was on the field for the final play and wasn't sure what had happened, either.

"I saw the snap, then I'm thinking the ball should be in the air," Marion said. "Then the tight end was running down the field and the ball was on the ground. Next thing I know I'm on my knees giving thanks to the Lord."

Sanders didn't take credit for any part of the last-play heroics. Instead, he jokingly wondered whether foul play was involved.

"You need to check that holder's locker," Sanders said. "I think he's got a briefcase somewhere with a whole lot of money."

Hutton didn't sound like a man who'd just cashed in as he sorrowfully relived the last play.

"The snap was fine. I just dropped it," he said. "I take all the blame for it. It's my mistake. The sad thing is this team fought so hard."

Dallas trailed as much as 17-3, and never really seemed in sync. Five field goals by Richie Cunningham, Boniol's replacement, were the Cowboys' only salvation as they tried making a game of it.

A 23-yarder with 12:52 to play made it 20-12. A 22-yarder with 5:25 left made it 20-15. Then came Bjornson's highlight-film catch, followed by an even more amazing 14-yard touchdown catch by Anthony Miller with exactly a minute remaining.

For Miller, it was reminiscent of his days in Denver with John Elway, the king of crazy finishes.

"Troy put it up and I just had to make the play," Miller said. "I was lucky I came down with it."

Philadelphia almost answered with an even more amazing finale as Ty Detmer threw a 26-yard pass to Freddie Solomon, a 13-yarder to Michael Timpson, then a 46-yarder to Solomon to reach the Dallas 4.

The Eagles then called their last timeout to give Boniol all the time he needed to prepare.

"The game should have been over," Detmer said. "We just couldn't finish the deal."

Emmitt Smith said the Cowboys realize how fortunate they were.

"That was a gift," he said. "Thanks for the early Christmas present."