Cowboys Try To Ground Eagles

	Randall Cunningham should look very familiar to Dallas Cowboys
coach Barry Switzer.
	During his years as a college coach at Oklahoma, Switzer
routinely unleashed running quarterbacks for the ground-gobbling
wishbone offense. On Sunday, Switzer will gaze across the field at
Cunningham, the Philadelphia Eagles' galloping field general.
	``I see he's back doing those acrobatic flips,'' Switzer said of
Cunningham, who scored on a dive to the end zone last weekend
against Washington. ``It will be a challenge for our defense to
stop him.
	Switzer's own quarterback, Troy Aikman, ``is more consistent,''
Switzer said, ``and Randall is more of a risk-taker. Randall tends
to run hot and cold.''
	Lately, Cunningham has been running hot and so, too, have the
Eagles, who at 4-1 share the lead with Dallas in the NFC East.
	``Well, they're No. 2 in the NFL in defense and they'll be the
best team we've played all year,'' Switzer said. ``They've upgraded
their talent better than anybody in the league. They are truly a
talented team and much better on defense than they were a year ago.
They are not the same team the Cowboys ran on last year. They will
be our biggest test.''
	Philadelphia coach Rich Kotite feels much the same about the
two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
	``They're at a level all by themselves right now,'' Kotite said.
``I don't know if we've gained anything. We'll find out. The
Cowboys are the best team in football and I don't think any other
team comes close right now.''
	In another game for first place on Sunday, San Francisco and
Atlanta, both 4-2, meet in Georgia in an early showdown in the NFC
West.
	In other games Sunday, Arizona (1-4) is at Washington (1-5),
Cincinnati (0-5) is at Pittsburgh (3-2), Indianapolis (2-4) is at
Buffalo (4-2), the Los Angeles Raiders (2-3) are at Miami (4-2),
New England (3-3) is at the New York Jets (3-3), the New York
Giants (3-2) are at the Los Angeles Rams (2-4) and San Diego (5-0)
is at New Orleans (2-4).
	On Monday night, Kansas City (3-2) is at Denver (1-4).
	Off this weekend are Chicago (4-2), Detroit (2-4), Green Bay
(3-3), Minnesota (4-2), Seattle (3-3) and Tampa Bay (2-4).
	San Francisco, winner of four Super Bowls, has played a lot of
big games late in the season, so this one against Atlanta isn't all
that large in the scheme of things. But it's as big a game as
Atlanta has faced in a long time.
	``We're really pumped up for it,'' Falcons quarterback Jeff
George said. ``The emotions are there. It's going to be fun. I
think we're going to have a great time out there.''
	``I'm hyped up,'' added Clarence Verdin, Atlanta's kick
returner. ``I never played in a game like this before. These types
of games you live to play in. Great players make plays in games
like this. If I want to consider myself one of the best return men
in the league, this has got to be the game I do it in.''
	Adding to the game is the return of Deion Sanders, the former
Falcons defensive back and kick returner who now plays with the
49ers.
	``I've been through this before,'' said Sanders, who'll go head
to head with Atlanta's Andre Rison. ``The media pretty much put a
bigger burden on this thing than it really is.''
	Atlanta's secondary also faces a challenge trying to contain
Steve Young and Jerry Rice, the NFL's career touchdowns leader with
130.
	Young has passed for 1,449 yards and 10 scores, with Rice
grabbing 39 for 559 yards and five touchdowns this year.