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Saturday, August 30, 1997

Sanders might play in Cowboys opener

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Deion Sanders might be well enough to play in Sunday's opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite a bulging disk in his back.

Sanders, who's also an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, has not played baseball since Aug. 16 because of his back problem. Earlier this week, however, Cincinnati allowed him return to Dallas and prepare for the Steelers game.

Cowboys coach Barry Switzer said he would put Sanders through some paces.

"We are going to see what he can do," Switzer said.

During a light practice at Valley Ranch on Friday, Sanders was playing Ping-Pong with some teammates.

If Sanders can't play, Wendell Davis will replace him as right cornerback. Davis said he would be ready whether Sanders plays or not.

"I'm sure I'll play some anyway," he said. "I know baseball and it's not that much running. He's been standing around a lot. So when he gets winded, I'm going to be ready."

The last time the Cowboys played the Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium was at the beginning of the 1994 season, Switzer's first game as the Cowboys' coach.

That game ended with Dallas routing Pittsburgh, 26-9. Emmitt Smith rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown while Michael Irvin caught eight passes for 139 yards. Troy Aikman passed for 245 yards and a touchdown to Daryl Johnston.

"I remember playing well," Switzer said. "I remember controlling the game."

One of the challenges Dallas is expecting, however, is Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. The 250-pound back had a career-high 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, the second-highest single-season rushing total in team history. He gained more than 100 yards 10 times, nine of which helped the Steelers to victory.

The Cowboys, however, only allowed one 100-yard rushing game last season and only six in the past four seasons. The Cowboys were 3-3 in those games.

"It's a great measuring stick for us and whenever you say your opponent is a measuring stick, that means they're a pretty good football team, so we're definitely looking at this team as a formidable opponent and a team that can come in here and beat us if we don't play a good game," Bettis said.

The Cowboys' defense against Bettis may be crippled without Leon Lett, the 6-6, 295-pound defensive end suspended in December for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He'll miss at least the first 13 games.

Lett forced teams to double-team him, leaving middle linebacker Fred Strickland open. That allowed Strickland to make at least 10 tackles in 13 games with Lett assisting him. Without him, Strickland had more than 10 tackles only once in five games.

So, the Cowboys will probably resort to a running defense Sunday. Strickland said the Cowboys will manage with right tackle Chad Hennings moving to left tackle and Tony Casillas replacing Lett in the lineup.

"Everybody can't say we're vulnerable to the run because we don't have Lett, but Chad and Tony played real good in the last preseason game," Strickland said. "Those guys can play."