Some teams win with muscle.
The Dallas Cowboys do it with speed and skill, which is why they're officially back in the playoffs and ready to defend their NFL title.The Cowboys qualified for at least a wild-card berth Saturday by beating the New York Jets 28-7 Saturday as Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin combined on touchdown passes of 42 and 4 yards and Kevin Smith returned an interception 32 yards for a score.
Aikman was 21-of-27 for 252 yards, throwing only three incomplete passes - the Jets intercepted three in a game that featured nine turnovers, five by the Cowboys.
The first Aikman-Irvin TD came on a dazzling four-play, 78-yard drive that took just 52 seconds at the end of the first half after the two teams had exchanged mistakes for two quarters.
The second was at the end of a perfect 95-yard march with 1:13 left in the third quarter. Then, just 51 seconds later, Smith stepped in front of Chris Burkett, picked off Boomer Esiason's pass and raced untouched to the end zone to make it 21-0.
All that put the Cowboys (10-4) a step closer to a showdown with the New York Giants for the NFC East title back at Giants Stadium in two weeks. Dallas is now a half-game behind the Giants, who play in New Orleans Monday night and are the only other NFL team to have clinched a playoff berth.
The Jets dropped to 8-6, behind a pack of seven other AFC teams with five losses or less. They had one consolation - Brad Baxter's 1-yard TD run with 11:28 left in the game that broke a streak of nearly four games without a touchdown. They now go on the road for their final two games - to Buffalo and Houston.
The first half appeared to be heading for a scoreless tie - fitting for the Jets, who came into the game without allowing a TD in 12 quarters and without scoring one in 14.
But the Cowboys struck suddenly, using all the skill at their command.
Starting at their own 22 with 1:28 left, Aikman hit Emmitt Smith for six yards; Smith, who had 91 yards in 20 carries, ran for nine more; Aikman found Alvin Harper for 21, then found Irvin, who leaped over Eric Thomas and fell into the end zone.
Until then, the game was nothing but squandered opportunities.
On their first possession, the Cowboys reached the Jets' 40 and went for a first down on fourth and one. But they failed when Johnston fumbled forward, giving the ball to the Jets - a ball can't be fumbled forward on fourth down.
The Jets reciprocated, moving to the Dallas 9, but failing when Johnson was stopped on a fourth-and-one by Tony Casillas and Russell Maryland.
Rob Moore fumbled after apparently making a first down at the Dallas 25 and Darren Woodson recovered for the Cowboys. Then the Cowboys drove to the Jets' 21, but Thomas picked off Aikman's pass at the goal line.
On their next possession, Dallas moved again, but Jay Novacek fumbled at the Jets' 6-yard line and Ronnie Lott recovered.
But after the Jets squandered yet another chance early in the second half, when Mo Lewis intercepted a pass at midfield after Bill Pickel tipped it, the Cowboys took off.
Starting at their own 5, they went all the way on drive featuring a 20-yard pass from Aikman to Harper and a 20-yard scramble by Aikman on a third and 16. Aikman capped it by finding Irvin who had six catches for 91 yards in the right corner of the end zone.
Two plays later, Smith stepped in front of Burkett and raced to the end zone. The final Dallas TD came on Johnston's 3-yard run with 5:53 left.
Esiason was 21-of-37 for 194 yards.