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Super struggles Atlanta joins Denver at 0-2 to start '99 season
Posted: Tuesday September 21, 1999 02:21 AM
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Without Jamal Anderson or Chris Chandler, the Atlanta Falcons looked like the long-suffering losers they used to be, not the reigning NFC champions. The Dallas Cowboys throttled an Atlanta offense missing its two best weapons for a 24-7 victory Monday night. The Falcons joined the Denver Broncos at 0-2, marking the worst start by both defending conference champions. "Right now, it's a state of emergency," cornerback Ray Buchanan said. Falcons coach Dan Reeves was a bit more calm. Although he called his team's performance an embarrassment, he refused to blame the loss on injuries. He also said he's not throwing in the towel on the season. "You can't panic," Reeves said. "It's a long season. You have to regroup and get back on track." At 2-0, the Cowboys are on a track they haven't seen since 1995 - the last time they won the Super Bowl. Dallas won its opener with a huge offensive performance that bailed out a shoddy defense. This time, it was the other way around, as the defense produced four turnovers and had six sacks as they blitzed Atlanta's young quarterbacks into mistake after mistake.
"We wanted to make a statement after last week," linebacker Dexter Coakley said. "We wanted to shut down their run, then they lose their No. 1 back. That gave us more of a chance to attack their offense." Anderson limped off six with a sprained right knee six minutes into the game and took Atlanta's best chances of winning with him. The Falcons needed him to cushion Chandler's absence with a strained hamstring. Both could be back next week. Anderson said he rebounded after a similar injury his rookie year and is hopeful the diagnosis will be the same. "I was trying to make a cut and my knee gave out," he said. "I felt the sensation right away. It feels better now, but you never know." The Pro Bowl 1-2 punch of the Atlanta offense yielded to Tony Graziani and Byron Hanspard, third-year players whose empty resumes didn't get much better. Dallas held Graziani to 90 yards passing while intercepting him once and forcing a fumble. The errors led to a field goal and the second of Emmitt Smith's two touchdowns. The left-hander's biggest highlight was making it to the third quarter, something he failed to do in his previous two starts. The thrill was short-lived, though, as Danny Kanell replaced him after two possessions. "We just couldn't get into a groove," Graziani said. Kanell, who beat Dallas twice with the New York Giants in 1997, got the Falcons passed the Cowboys' 30 for the first time late in the fourth quarter and he threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Tim Dwight with four minutes left. Kanell then moved Atlanta to the Dallas 4, but on third down he threw his second interception and defensive end Greg Ellis returned it 87 yards for the Cowboys' final points. "I looked up and there was 80 yards to go," Ellis said. "I wanted to pitch to someone. It was a long, hard run and I didn't think I was going to make it." Hanspard, a Dallas-area native and former Texas Tech star, ran 19 times for 76 yards. However, he's not a bulldozing runner who can get tough yards like Anderson. That ability was especially missing on three third-and-short situations when the Falcons were down 10-0. Atlanta instead had a nearly intercepted pass, a no-gain by Hanspard and Graziani's fumble. The Falcons defense was the only reason the game remained close. Atlanta held Dallas to 231 yards, less than half the 541 yards it had in 41-35 overtime victory against Washington in the opener. Troy Aikman went from 355 yards passing to 109, his lowest total since the last game of the 1997 season. He was 10-of-22 and threw two interceptions, giving him five for the year, matching last season's total.
Smith had 29 carries for 108 yards, his second straight 100-yard outing. He also passed Tony Dorsett to become fourth on the NFL's career rushing list at 12,783 yards. Dorsett was at the game to take part in a halftime celebration honoring the Cowboys' 40th anniversary. "It was a challenge playing tonight," said Smith, who ran behind a line missing two starters because of injuries. "They are very fast and fly around the ball, but we were able to hang in there together and fight it out." Another sign of Atlanta's problems was Morten Andersen's continued struggle. He missed a 49-yarder, giving him three failures this year. He had only five last year. Dallas kicker Richie Cunningham hit a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter, but sent a 47-yarder wide right late in the third quarter. With the victory, Cowboys coach Chan Gailey took a 1-0 lead over his former Little League baseball coach Dan Reeves. The Americus, Ga., natives had never met as head coaches. Notes: Atlanta had its first two sacks of the year. The Falcons' two interceptions of Aikman were their first turnovers of the year. ... Dallas had six sacks, including two by Chad Hennings. ... Atlanta has lost nine straight on Monday night and 12 of 13. The Falcons are 5-16 all-time on Monday nights, and have two more this year. ... Dallas has won 11 of 15 on Monday night and also has two more this year. ... Aikman has won four straight against Atlanta since losing to the Falcons as a rookie.
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