News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Cardinals win a crazy one

Published: Oct 13, 2008 12:30 AM
Modified: Oct 13, 2008 01:36 AM

Cardinals win a crazy one

Blocked punt beats Cowboys in overtime

Sean Morey, center, blocks OT punt by Mat McBriar. Monty Beisel (52) recovered the ball for the winning TD.

Story Tools

Advertisements
GLENDALE, ARIZ. - Two little-known players brought an abrupt end to a day of confusion, comebacks and clutch performances in the desert Sunday.

Sean Morey blocked Mat McBriar's punt and Monty Beisel scooped up the ball and scored from 3 yards out to give the Arizona Cardinals a crazy 30-24 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

It was the first time in NFL history that a blocked punt for a touchdown ended a game in overtime.

Morey rushed untouched off the left side of the Dallas line to block the kick. Beisel, a backup linebacker, picked up the ball at about the 3 and bowled over the goal line.

McBriar was hurt on the play and had to be carted off the field in the din of a crowd that included the usual large portion of Dallas fans.

The stunning play by two of Arizona's most unheralded players brought a conclusion to a game that began with a 93-yard kickoff return by the Cardinals' J.J. Arrington followed by many moments of confusion, controversy and clutch performances.

Dallas (4-2) scored 10 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation, sending the game into overtime when Nick Folk's 52-yard field goal barely cleared the crossbar as the fourth quarter ended.

Folk was in field-goal range only because a 5-yard offside penalty was called against injured Arizona linebacker Travis LaBoy as he tried to limp downfield. The penalty moved the ball from the 40 to the 35.

That was just one of the weird moments in Arizona's sixth consecutive home victory.

Arizona (4-2) scored 17 consecutive points, including a pair of touchdown passes by Kurt Warner, to go up 24-14 on Neil Rackers' 41-yard field goal with 3:17 left in regulation.

Tony Romo, who threw three touchdown passes but fumbled twice, connected with Marion Barber on a 70-yard scoring play that cut it to 24-21 with 2 minutes left.

Dallas' defense held, and the Cowboys got the ball at their 32. Romo connected with Patrick Crayton on a 30-yard play to the Arizona 39, where the Dallas quarterback spiked the ball with 4 seconds to play to stop the clock.

LaBoy was far downfield and was called offside.

Officials, who had a difficult day all around, huddled for several minutes and even reviewed the play before Folk's game-tying kick.

The Cowboys scored the last time they had the ball in the first half and on their first possession of the second to take a 14-7 lead.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.

No comments have been posted for this story. Log in to be the first to comment.
 

 

The News & Observer is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.

Since The News & Observer does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The News and Observer.

If you find a comment offensive, clicking on the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.

Hosting Partners of
newsobserver.com

A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company