Tony Tolbert and Darrin Smith each returned interceptions for touchdowns and Emmitt Smith ran for another score before leaving with a hamstring pull as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New Orleans Saints, 24-16.Emmitt Smith capped a 16-play, 74-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, his 21st of the year (22nd overall), giving Dallas a 17-6 lead 6:27 into the third quarter.
But Smith left the game with one minute remaining in the third with a pulled left hamstring and did not return. He finished with 74 yards on 19 carries and his status for next week and the playoffs is uncertain.
"I really don't know what happened on the play." said Emmitt Smith of his injury. "The hole (in the line) was so big and just wanted to get through it," said Smith. "My leg just felt like a grab, a pull and that's it."
Smith needs only three of touchdowns in Saturday's game with the New York Giants to break former Washington Redskins running back John Riggins' record of 24 in a season.
"I just talked to Emmitt a minute ago," said Dallas coach Barry Switzer. "His attitude is that he thinks he'll be back this week, but obviously we're not even going to consider that."
"The doctors said that they don't think that his hamstring strain is severe but time will only tell us that." added the Dallas coach.
After a Morten Anderson field goal for New Orleans, Darrin Smith picked off Everett and dashed 13 yards for a touchdown and a 24-9 Cowboys lead with 9:17 left in the fourth quarter.
"This was the game of my life," said the Dallas linebacker. "I felt coming in tonight that something good was going to happen. Things went right for us defensively tonight. Like they say, defense wins championships and that's what we're going to have to do."
Derek Brown scored on a 4-yard run with 5:37 left, bringing New Orleans within eight points and a possible tying touchdown, but Everett was picked off for the third time and the second time by Smith, with less than three minutes remaining. The Cowboys were able to run out the clock and seal the game -- their 12th win of the season.
"The critical turnovers hurt us," said Saints coach Jim Mora. "The interceptions for touchdowns were big plays."
"We just made too many mistakes to beat these guys." added Mora. "You just cannot give them things and not help them."
The win ended New Orleans' already-slim hopes of making the playoffs and gaining a third straight triumph.
Tolbert raced 54 yards for a touchdown, intercepting Jim Everett just 4:36 into the game. Everett, other than the three key interceptions, had a decent game, completing 18-of-31 passes for 161 yards.
The Saints closed within 7-6 on a pair of late second-quarter field goals by Anderson, the first from 21 and the second from 32.
Chris Boniol added a 30-yard boot for Dallas, giving the Cowboys a 10-6 lead at the halftime gun.
Troy Aikman completed 21-of-28 passes for 165 yards and was intercepted twice for Dallas, which has clinched the second-best record in the NFC.
Saints rookie Mario Bates carried 17 times for 68 yards.
Dallas has beaten New Orleans in 14 of the 17 meetings between the teams, including the last three. The Saints' last win was a 28-0 romp at New Orleans in 1989.