Earlier in the week, New York quarterback Dave Brown offered Dallas some insight into the Giants' game plan. "We're going to run the ball down their throats," said the brash Brown. He was confident that the forewarned Cowboys would be powerless to stop Rodney Hampton and the rest of the Giants attack.

On Sunday night it was Brown whose throat felt a little raspy, after the Giants' power and ball control was stuffed back down their throats by an inspired Dallas defense. A unit that saw its strong performance against Chicago overshadowed by the offense's ineptitude made sure nobody missed the point this time.

How dominant was the Dallas defense? Consider:

It limited New York to 93 total yards. It limited Hampton to 44 yards on fifteen carries. This was one game after Hampton shredded Dallas for 187 yards rushing.

It handcuffed Brown, limiting him to 55 yards on ten completions. Led by Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders, the Dallas secondary prevented Brown from using the edges of the field. Brown's longest completion was only 12 yards. It came in the fourth quarter on reserve cornerback Alundis Brice.

The Giants never threatened to score. Their deepest penetration was the Dallas 44 yard line. This was not accomplished until just six minutes remained in the game.

The main concern before the contest was the health and effectiveness of the offense. The Cowboys began the game in preseason fashion, failing to score after earning a first down at the Giants' one yard line. From that point, however, the Cowboys looked like the Cowboys. Troy Aikman displayed the timing and the accuracy he has lacked so far this year, throwing for 228 yards and three touchdowns.

An offensive line that played poorly in Chicago overran the Giants' front, allowing Cowboys backs to amass 140 rushing yards. More importantly, it kept the blitzing Giants from sacking Troy Aikman. Aikman was knocked to the turf on a couple of occasions, but he had more than enough time to find his receivers.

The result was a deliberate 27-0 dismantling of New York. After hearing that their dynasty had gone bad, the Cowboys are now a Green Bay victory from being tied for first place in the NFC East. Expiration dates can lie. So can overzealous sportwriters.

CAN SOMEBODY FIND THE END ZONE?

the Cowboys opened the game in dramatic fashion. On the first play from scrimmage, Dave Brown set the Giants in a slot right formation. He dropped to pass and looked for Amani Toomer, who was split wide against Kevin Smith.

Toomer must have told Smith what route he was running, because Smith ran it better; he shadowed Toomer for fifteen yards, then broke first on Brown's throw. Smith intercepted the pass at the 35 and ran it back to the New York eleven.

The offense appeared ready to quickly cash in the turnover. Two Emmitt Smith runs put Dallas in first and goal inside the one yard line. But here the trouble began. Smith appeared to score on first down, but was ruled down on the one foot line. On second down Thomas Randolph shot into the backfield from the edge of the Giants defensive formation, dropping Smith at the three.

On third down the Cowboys tried a bit of razzle-dazzle. Aikman faked a dive left to Smith and then handed off to Herschel Walker, who tried scoring around right end. Walker was run out of bounds at the one. With a vocal crowd urging them on, the Cowboys lined up and went for six on fourth down. Again the play went right. This time it was a pitchout to Smith. He was turned inside by a blitzing safety and was tackled at the one by Jesse Armstead.

DALLAS SCORES -- WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE FLAGS

Three plays moved the Giants to the five, forcing a Mike Horan punt. Kelvin Martin fair caught the ball at the 50. From there, the Cowboys breezed to a score in only six plays. Dallas opened by attacking Phillippi Sparks, the Giants' best corner. On first down Aikman threw for twelve yards to Kevin Williams, who ran a comeback route in front of Sparks. A Smith sweep and a bad snap from center moved Dallas back two yards to the 40.

Here, the Cowboys reverted to their Monday Night form; a fourteen yard completion to Williams was nullified by a hands-to-the-face penalty on Erik Williams, putting Dallas in a third and 22 situation. The Cowboys had nothing to lose, so Ernie Zampese called for a bomb to Kevin Williams. They were rewarded when Randolph was flagged for pass interference, giving the Cowboys a first down at the Giants' nineteen.

On the next play, Aikman threw to Sanders, who was running a slant in front of Sparks. Sparks knocked Sanders off stride while the ball was in the air, giving the Cowboys a first down at the eleven. After Smith ran left for three yards, Aikman floated a pass to Sanders in the left corner of the endzone. Sanders sold rookie corner Jason Sehorn on an inside move then beat him outside. He gathered in the Aikman lob, giving the Cowboys their first touchdown of the year. Chris Boniol's PAT gave Dallas a 7-0 lead.

When New York regained the ball Dan Reeves resumed his ball control attack. An off tackle carry by Rodney Hampton was stopped for no gain by Broderick Thomas. Reeves then called two screens, hoping to catch the Cowboys in some early blitzes. The plays gained only five yards and Horan came on the field for his second punt.

From their nineteen, Dallas began a steady five minute drive that expanded the lead. Smith ran a slant play to the weakside for four yards. Aikman then threw to Williams, who beat Sehorn on a deep in-route at the Dallas 44. Smith ran a counter play right behind Nate Newton and pushed the ball to midfield.

Here, Zampese and Aikman resumed their attack on Phillippi Sparks. Sparks was playing tight on the line and Kevin Williams blew past him on a pump and go route. He was alone on the left sideline, but a hurried Aikman overthrew him. Two plays later, Sanders ran a comeback route in front of the confused Sparks. The completion game Dallas a first down at the Giants 28.

Two Smith carries gained eight yards, and on third and two Aikman burned Sparks with his best throw of the day. The quarterback stood in the face of a Giants' blitz and lofted a perfect pass to Williams, who was running down the left sideline. Sparks had tight coverage on Williams, and even managed to grab his left shoulder before the ball arrived. But Sparks was powerless to deflect a throw that hit Williams in stride. Boniol's PAT made the lead fourteen points.

THE TRICKS ARE ON REEVES

Despite the deficit, Dan Reeves stayed with his ball control plan -- at first. Starting at the 23, the Giants ran Hampton twice for eight yards. After the teams changed sides, Hampton rambled left for five more yards, giving New York a first down at the 36.

Reeves figured he had set up the Cowboys and called for a double reverse to Amani Toomer. The play backfired when Toomer dropped the handoff from Hampton. He recovered the ball and was tackled immediately by Alundis Brice at the New York seventeen. Reeves tried a second bit of trickery when he called for a throwback screen to Keith Elias. That play was stopped by Brock Marion for a three yard gain. A bomb to Chris Calloway sailed incomplete and Horan was on for his third punt of the afternoon.

The Cowboys went nowhere and punted the ball back to the Giants after three plays. Now, New York gave up on deceit and hammered Hampton straight ahead at the Dallas front. Three consecutive running plays netted fifteen yards, giving the Giants a first and ten at its own 25. An inside trap to fullback Charles Way and a fourth Hampton carry gave the Giants another first down at the 35.

After a two yard carry by Tyrone Wheatley, Fred Strickland put the Giants into a passing situation when he stopped Hampton for a two yard gain. Darrin Smith ended the drive when he sacked Brown at the Giants 31. Smith and Bill Bates timed their blitz perfectly; they did not move until the snap of the ball, preventing Brown from recognizing the play and calling an audible.

The teams exchanged punts one more time before the Dallas offense took control of the ball at its own 28. 1:54 remained in the half, and Troy Aikman used every bit of it.

Aikman gained an initial first down when he hit Kevin Williams at the Dallas 39. After an incompletion, Dallas lined up in a three receiver set. Herschel Walker set up wide left. Kevin Martin lined up in the right slot, inside Kevin Williams. Martin ran a seam route and caught Aikman's pass behind the Giants' linebackers. He scampered to the New York 23 before he was tackled. Aikman hurried his offense to the ball, but did not call a timeout. Instead, he threw a flare pass to Emmitt Smith, who stopped the clock by running out of bounds.

33 seconds remained and the Cowboys had one time out to burn. Aikman used it after he threw complete to Deion Sanders, who ran a curl route at the eight yard line. With 24 seconds left in the half, Zampese called for another reverse, this one to Sanders. Deion was stopped at the five. With no timeouts left at his disposal, Aikman spiked the ball. Only eight seconds now remained in the half. The Cowboys would get one more shot at six before sending Chris Boniol out for a field goal.

Zampese made the play pay off. Dallas deployed a three receiver set. Williams split wide with Daryl Johnston in the left slot. Sanders lined up wide right. Eric Bjornson lined up next to Erik Williams, and Smith lined up deep behind Bjornson. At the snap of the ball, Bjornson slanted left towards the center of the field. Sanders ran a post, clearing out the right side. Smith circled out of the backfield, stopped, then wheeled back to the right sideline. He caught Aikman's dart at the two, sidestepped a would be tackler and fell into the endzone. Only three seconds remained in the half. Boniol's PAT send the Cowboys to the locker room with a 21 point lead.

THE DEFENSE KEEPS NEW YORK AT BAY

The third quarter degenerated into a punting contest. The Cowboys' first two drives ended with punts, as did the first Giants possession.

The second New York drive was not as fortunate. Facing a second and five from his own fifteen, Dave Brown had the ball stripped by a charging Charles Haley. Tony Tolbert recovered at the twelve. The Cowboys march fizzled at the five, but Boniol added to the Dallas lead with a short field goal.

The Cowboys threatened on their next possession, then once again found their season threatened.

From their 20, the Cowboys drove to the Giants' eleven. Johnston opened the drive by running a quick trap play for seven yards. Smith then followed strong blocks by Larry Allen and Ray Donaldson to the Dallas 43. Sherman Williams spelled Smith and with two carries moved the ball to the Giants 43. Aikman then crossed up the run-conscious Giants with a seam pass to Bjornson, who was brought down at the New York 20.

Smith re-entered the game and ran twice more for nine yards. On third and one, he was stopped for no gain. Of greater concern was Smith's left knee, which was re-injured on the play. Fortunately, the injury was mild. Smith walked off without assistance and needed nothing more than an ice bag. Still, one wonders how he was able to get back into the game. Boniol's second field goal rounded out the day's scoring.

The remainder of the game saw New York attempt to at least cross midfield. Up until then, the deepest Giants drive had died at the New York 39. The Cowboys had started to empty their bench, so the going was a bit easier for Dave Brown. He picked on Alundis Brice and got the Giants a first down on their own 46.

Three incomplete passes followed, leaving New York in fourth and ten. An offsides penalty allowed the Giants into Dallas territory, but this gift was quickly squandered. On fourth and five, Bill Bates dropped tight end Aaron Pierce after a four yard gain. This effectively ended the Giants' worst loss since Dallas blanked them 35-0 last year.

COWBOYS NOTES

Herschel Walker's versatility is greatly overstated. Walker should only be used as a receiver and special team's player. He proved in the preseason that he cannot be a blocking fullback. Yesterday he showed that he should not be used as a tight end in short yardage situations. His weak block on the 4th and goal pitchout kept Emmitt Smith from breaking outside and possibly scoring.

Godfrey Myles was active on passing downs yesterday. This means that he missed only one game after tearing a knee ligament in the Super Bowl last January.

Troy Aikman looked much better yesterday, but he still needs to polish his game. He left three dumpoff passes short of the target because he tried throwing them off his back foot.

John Madden quoted Aikman as saying that Eric Bjornson looked slow. Bjornson does seem to lumber after gaining twenty pounds in the offseason. He lacks the zip he displayed as a rookie. Bjornson is still a welcome addition to the Cowboys offense. He and Daryl Johnston combined to catch six passes on Giants linebackers and safeties. This kept the Giants defenders from keying on the wide receivers.

The Cowboys still need to work on short yardage plays. The team was three of eleven in short yardage situations. Many of these failures came on running plays.