CHICAGO 22, DALLAS 6

Linebacker Bryan Cox recovered a fumble in the end zone and Carlos Huerta kicked three field goals as the Chicago Bears slammed the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, 22-6.

Dallas, playing without suspended receiver Michael Irvin and injured tight end Jay Novacek, lost Pro Bowl running back Emmitt Smith to a head or back injury with 3:41 to play. Smith dove into the line as part of a play-action fake and landed awkwardly. He was motionless on the field before he was taken off the field on a cart and had his head and neck immobilized as a precautionary measure. Smith finished with 70 yards on 18 carries.

Huerta, who won the kicking job from veteran Kevin Butler, booted field goals of 42 and 34 yards in a 2:08 span in the fourth quarter to extend Chicago's lead to 16-3 with 9:48 remaining.

On the ensuing possession, Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was hit by cornerback Kevin Miniefield as he tried to throw and the ball rolled into the end zone, where Cox, an off-season free-agent acquisition, pounced on it to give Chicago a 22-3 lead with 8:47 left.

Chicago has won three straight season openers and 12 of its last 13. The Cowboys' last season-opening loss came in 1993, a 35-16 defeat to Washington.

Chris Boniol kicked a 28-yard field goal with 3:33 to play for Dallas, which was held to its lowest point total since being shut out by Philadelphia on September 15th, 1991.

The Bears took the lead for good when wide receiver Curtis Conway hooked up with Raymont Harris on a 33-yard touchdown pass.

Erik Kramer found Timpson and Conway with 11-yard passes before the Bears unveiled their first trick play. Conway took a handoff from Kramer and threw a pass down the left sideline to Harris, who came back to the underthrown ball, caught it and fell into the end zone for 33-yard scoring play with 3:31 left in the half.

Chicago extended its lead to 10-3 on a 31-yard field goal by Huerta.

The Bears were forced to punt, but punter Todd Sauerbrun threw a pass to a wide-open Harris, who lugged it 37 yards to the Cowboys' 14. Dallas grabbed a 3-0 lead on a 28-yard field goal by Boniol.

Brock Marion recovered a fumble at the Dallas 1-yard line and raced 45 yards before he was stripped from behind. Darren Woodson picked up the loose ball and got to the Chicago 38.

Smith ran for 12 yards and Aikman hit Deion Sanders for a 12-yard gain before the drive stalled.

Sanders saw extensive action playing both wide receiver and cornerback. He was on the field for 106 plays, catching nine passes for 87 yards. Sanders fumbled while trying for extra yards on one reception in the fourth quarter, setting up Huerta's third field goal.

Aikman was 21-for-37 for 192 yards and an interception. He was sacked twice and fumbled once.

Dallas had just 256 yards of offense.

Kramer was 12-for-27 for 133 yards and one interception.

Conway has thrown two touchdowns in his three career completions.

Sauerbrun became the first Bears punter to complete a pass since Chris Gardocki did so on October 25th, 1992, against Green Bay.

Sauerbrun's 67-yard punt was the team's longest since Bryan Wagner unloaded a 70-yarder on October 30th, 1988.