First Erik Williams. Now Alvin Harper. The defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys are crippled with the San Francisco 49ers on the horizon.
"Not having Harp and Erik and maybe Derek Kennard, good heavens, we're going through what the 49ers did earlier in the year with all those injuries," quarterback Troy Aikman said. "There's no question we're not going to be as good a team. We've got some guys who are going to have to grow fast."Emmitt Smith rushed for 163 yards and scored twice and Aikman threw a touchdown pass and ran for another Monday night in the Cowboys' 38-10 victory over the New York Giants. But they lost one of their biggest weapons, Harper, in a wild play at the end of the first half.
Williams, the Cowboys' Pro Bowl offensive tackle, was injured in an automboile accident two weeks ago and sustained a knee injury that will keep him out for the season. An MRI exam was to determine Harper's fate today.
Kennard, the starting left guard, sprained a big toe and might not play Sunday against the 49ers.
"Not having a guy like Alvin with his big play ability hurts us," Aikman said. "I'm anxious to see how Kevin Williams will respond. He can't make the big plays Alvin does, but he'll be OK."
Wide receiver Michael Irvin said, "We were praying for Alvin on the sidelines. He said he will play, but that's Alvin. He'll play only if God is willing."
The two-time Super Bowl champions improved to 8-1, best in the NFL, with their 12th straight victory over an NFC East opponent.
Dallas owner Jerry Jones said he wasn't optimistic about Harper.
"It could be a tear, and we're worried about him being out for the year," Jones said in the press box during the game. "The way the doctors were talking, I didn't like the way it sounded."
Dallas plays at San Francisco (7-2) in an important game for playoff home-field advantage. But the Cowboys weren't thinking about San Francisco as they handed the Giants (3-6) their sixth consecutive loss.
"We dominated the game from start to finish, but we have a tragic loss because Harper is probably out for the season," Dallas coach Barry Switzer said. "It just devastates us. We'll have to go to a second team player against the 49ers."
It's the first time the Giants had lost six straight games since 1980. Dallas, which has won five consecutive times against New York, hadn't beaten the Giants this badly since a 52-7 romp in 1966.
New York coach Dan Reeves said the loss was "embarrassing."
"It was no contest," Reeves said. "We looked as bad as we could look. Dallas was too strong and too good. This hurt. I don't like to be embarrassed like that."
Aikman hit Harper with a 22-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, and the rout was on.
Smith scored twice from a yard out as Dallas continued its blitz of the reeling New York defense.
"New York was forcing us to run, and that was fine," Smith said. "We weren't looking ahead to the 49ers. We felt the Giants would challenge us. I just hope we get our guys back."
Later, Smith ran 28 yards, Aikman completed a 22-yard pass to Kevin Williams and Aikman scrambled three yards for a touchdown, his first since 1992.
Daryl Johnston bulled nine yards for a touchdown after Dixon Edwards recovered Dave Brown's fumble. Brown completed only four of 17 passes for 56 yards before he was replaced by Kent Graham, whose first pass was intercepted.
The Giants got their only touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 9-yard pass from Graham to Howard Cross.
Aikman completed 19 of 24 passes for 241 yards before Rodney Peete took over in the fourth period.
Giants linebacker Carlton Bailey said "whatever weaknesses we had, we showed all of them tonight."
Smith, seeking a fourth consecutive rushing title, has 911 yards, 171 behind Detroit's Barry Sanders.
The first half ended on a bizarre play when Harper and Giants defensive back Tito Wooten went down in a tangle in the end zone on a long Hail Mary pass.
Harper, who left the dressing room in crutches, said Wooten "cheap-shotted me. All I've got to tell him is the last game of the season is in New York and he's gonna get hurt."
Harper left, vowing "I'll be ready for Sunday. I'll be ready for Sunday."
After the play, Irvin and Jarvis Williams of the Giants exchanged swings as more players gathered around. No damange was done as both teams pushed and shoved their way to their separate dressing rooms, scattering cheerleaders and halftime performers.
Dallas safety James Washington took a tripod camera away from a photographer during the scuffle and brandished it as a weapon, although he never hit anyone.
Switzer said he didn't know what was going on.
"I thought they were trying to get in our dressing room, and we were trying to keep 'em out," Switzer said.
"We're a tight team and when somebody goes after a teammate, you have to stand up for them," Washington said. "Jarvis took a swing at our position coach. If we have to play football, we will play football. If we have to fight, we will fight. We'll go 10 rounds.
"The ball was in the air. I don't think the guy went for the ball. He went for the knees instead. Now, we don't know whether or not we'll have one of our great receivers for San Francisco."