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How in the world did they win?

By LANCE FLEMING / Abilene Reporter-News

IRVING - Maybe God was watching through the hole in the roof Monday night, because it was only through divine intervention that the Cowboys beat Philadelphia at Texas Stadium.

Shortly after the Cowboys drove 62 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, the Eagles came right back down the field on the arm of quarterback Ty Detmer. He completed passes of 26 and 46 yards to Freddie Solomon, the latter taking the ball down to the Dallas 4-yard line with four seconds left.

Easy Philadelphia win, right?

Think again.

Eagle holder Tommy Hutton couldn't handle the snap from center Steve Everitt, and Chris Boniol never got the kick off. Hutton tried to run to the left, but he dropped the ball and the Cowboys pounced on it as time ran out.

It was a game the Cowboys were losing throughout the game, then thought they had won and then thought they had lost again.

But the Eagles botched a field goal against their biggest rival, and it cost them a bitter defeat.

Dallas trailed throughout the ballgame and was forced to settle for five field goals and a 20-15 deficit midway through the fourth quarter.

ut with 2:56 left, Troy Aikman whipped the Cowboys down the field, getting some help from a big pass interference call on Philadelphia's Charles Dimry at the Eagles 45-yard line with two minutes left.

Two plays later he hit a diving Eric Bjornson down the middle of the field for a 24-yard gain to the Eagle 17-yard line. Then two plays later, Aikman scrambled left and found Anthony Miller in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Miller took the ball away from Eagle defensive back Tim Watson for the eventual game-winner.

Dallas missed the try for the two-point conversion, setting up the Eagles' last drive.

But the Cowboys were saved when the Eagles botched one of the most common plays in football.

And if you had your VCR's going for this one, keep the tape because you'll probably never see another finish like it.