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NFL WEEK 15 C6 MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2001 The Arizona Republic PLAYER OF THE GAME: MLB Ronald McKinnon returned an interception for a touchdown. 120 Cardinals 17, Cowboys 10 NEXT OPPONENT: Carolina Panthers at Ericsson Stadium, Sunday, 11 a.m. CARDS NOTES srots wm. mm Cards report THUMBS UP To Cardinals linebacker Ronald McKinnon and free safety Kwamie Lassiter, both of whom had interceptions that led to points. THUMBS DOWN To Cowboys coach Dave Campo, who should have gone for the first down instead of a field-goal attempt late in the fourth quarter.

INJURIES DT Barron Tanner (thigh contusion), 3-5 days. QUOTE OF THE GAME "I guess 'annoy' is a better word." Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, when asked if it bothered him that Cowboys fans outnumbered Cardinals fans at Sun Devil Stadium. g'M 1 jM McKinnon parlays INT into 1st TD ByKentSomers The Arizona Republic Cardinals middle linebacker Ronald McKinnon, who wears a cast to' protect a broken right thumb, found a kindred spirit earlier this week in Cardinals vice president Larry Wilson. Wilson, a Hall of Fame safety, played with casts on both wrists in 1965 and even intercepted a pass against Pittsburgh. "I told (Wilson) I was going to get an interception," McKinnon said.

McKinnon made the prediction come true Sunday, when he picked off a deflected pass from Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Quincy Carter, and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. "We had pressure by the defensive line, and I think (tackle) Marcus Bell had the tip," McKinnon "That was my first (NFL) touchdown, so I have to enjoy it." It was the first of two interceptions for the Cardinals. The second, by free safety Kwamie Lassiter, led to a field goal that gave the Cardinals 17-10 lead at halftime. That score held up in the second half as the Cardinals broke a two-game losing streak. Lassiter said film study and Carter's inexperience led to the interception.

The Cowboys had two receivers to the right. One receiver fan a deep route, and the other ran a corner route. Cornerback DaVid Barrett stayed with' the deep man, while Lassiter jumped on the Cardinals 17, Cowboys 10 Dallat Arizona 3 7 0 17 0 0 10 0 0-17 First quarter Dal FG Hilbert 27, :05. Drive: 6 plays. 14 yards, 2:29.

Key play: Swmton 43 punt return to Cardinals 23. Dallas 3, Arizona O. Second quarter Art McKinnon 24 Interception return (Oglesby kick), 13:19. Arizona 7, Dallas 3. Dal Swmton 45 pass from Carter (Hilbert kick), 11:43.

Drive: 3 piayst 60 yards, 1:36. Key play: Carter 16 pass to Lucky. Dallas 10, Arizona 7. Art Pittman 1 run (Oglesby kick), 4:52. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:38.

Key plays: Plummer 10 to Jackson; Plummer 57 pass to Sanders on Srdend-? to Cowboys 1. Arizona 14, Dallas 10. Art FG Oglesby 35, :22. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, :51. Key plays: Lassiter 8 yard Interception return to Cowboys 47; Plummer 11 pass to Boston; Plummer 11 pass to Sanders.

Arizona 17, Dallas 10. A GAME STATISTICS First downs Rushes-yards Passing Punt Returns Kickoff Returns Interceptions Ret. Comp-Att-Int Sacked-Yards Lost Punts Fumbles-Lost Penalties-Yards Time of Possession Dal 21 40-174 169 4-67 340 OO 16-29-2 1 441.0 2-1 M5 37:14 Art 11 2075 134 3-27 3-78 2-32 17-31-0 1-7 841.4 OO 5-27 22:46 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING Dallas, Smith 26-128, Hambrick 4-27, Wiley 3-13, Carter 5-12, Ismail 1-minus 2, Swmton 1- minus 4. Arizona, Pittman 14-58, Jones 448, Plummer 10, Boston 1 -(minus 1). PASSING Dallas, Carter 16-28-2-176, Knorr 0- 1OO.

Arizona, Plummer 17-310-144. RECEIVING Dallas, Swinton 3-72, Galloway 3-28, Harris 3-21, Wiley 3, Lucky 2-29, Smith 1-11, Wither-spoon 1-9. Arizona, Jackson 4-14, Boston 3-26, Jones 3-12, Makovicka 3-12, Sanders 2-69, Mitchell 2-11. PUNT RETURNS Dallas, Swinton 467. Arizona, Jsckson 3-27 KICKOFF RETURNS Dallas, Swinton 340.

Arizona, Pittman 2-52, Shipp 1-26. TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS Dallas, Coakley 620, Nguyen 340, Myers 4-20, Woodson 4-10, Hawthorne 3-10, Edwards 3O0, Steele 2-10, Dennis 300, Frisch 20-1, Zellner 2O0, Ellis 1O0, Evans 3O0, Noble 1O0, Reese 100, Bell 1O0, Hambrick 1O0. Arizona, Tillman 13-20, Fredrickson 8-1-1, Lassiter 4-20, McKinnon 4-20, Thompson 4-20, Davis 4-10, Barrett 500, Chavous 4O0, Wakefield 3-10, Tosi 2-20, Bell 2- 10, Wilson 2O0, Woods 2O0, Rhinehart 1O0, Rut-ledge 100, Sanyika 100, Tanner 1O0, Stone 100, Walz 1O0. Burke 020. INTERCEPTIONS Dallas, none.

Arizona, McKinnon 1- 24, Lassiter 1-8 MISSED FIELD GOALS Dallas, Hilbert 41 (WL). Arizona, Oglesby 35 (WL). OFFICIALS Referee Bill Leavy, Ump Ron Botchan, HL Gary Slaughter, Charles Stewart, FJ Pete Morelli, SJ Don Carlsen, BJ Phil Luckett, Replay Nate Jones. TIME 2:59. Ronald McKinnon evades Dallas short route.

"I knew he was going to do that, and Quincy -is not good enough yet to look him off," he said. On his weekly radio appearance Friday morning from a local tavern, Lassiter promised the co-hosts that he would intercept a pass. "I made sure to get in position for them," he said. "If I make you a promise, I'm going to keep it, I did it for them (the co-hosts) and also for the true 1 II. I i -it' Smith shows dominating form of old Boston has day he'd like to forget ByKcntSomcrs and Lee Shappell The Arizona Republic Cardinals receiver David Boston has emerged this season as one of the best in the NFL.

But he played his worst game of the season Sunday against Dallas. He caught three passes for 26 yards, both season lows. Even worse, he dropped three passes in the first half. He was disappointed in himself afterward. "I'm not going to go out there and have 100 yards every game," he said.

"I understand that. "I have high expectations for myself, and as long as we win the game," he said, pausing to laugh, "nobody is going to be angry around here except me." Receiver Frank Sanders i encouraged Boston and said I anyone can have a bad day. "I just said, 'Hey, we know you're a playmaker, just stay in the Sanders said. "For the most part, you let him work it out." Inauspicious start The NFL debut of Cardi- nals kicker Cedric Oglesby isn't going to make anyone forget the injured Bill Gramatica. Oglesby made a 34-yard field goal and two extra points.

But he also missed a 35-yard field-goal try, and one of his kickoffs went out of bounds. "It was not as good as I would have liked it to be," Oglesby said. "But it's something to build off of." Ticket count The Cardinals drew fewer fans this year than in any of their previous seasons in Arizona. The Cardinals distributed 307,315 tickets this year, an average of 38,415 per game. They drew more than 50,000 fans just once, in the season opener against Denver, when 50,913 tickets were sold.

This year looks even worse when you consider that the previous worst year was 1992, when NFL teams counted actual fans in the stadium, not tickets sold. The average that year was 38,727. Rough day The Cowboys were inches from the goal line on fourth down in the first quarter when rookie quarterback Quincy Carter rolled to his right and fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. It set the tone for the Cowboys in their 17-10 loss to the Cardinals. Dallas (4-10) controlled the clock for more than 37 minutes with several long drives but missed scoring opportunities because of penalties or turnovers.

Carter was particularly shaky. "We're a young football team," he said. "We played hard, but things happen. "I can't pinpoint any bad reads on my part. My development is coming along.

For me, it's about continuous development and being the quarterback every game." Dave CruzThe Arizona Republic Cedric Oglesby made 1 of 2 field-goal tries Sunday. Deirdre HamillThe Arizona Republic heads for the end zone. Lassiter has made big plays all season and is a contender for the Pro Bowl. Without those two interceptions Sunday, the Cardinals would not have won. "They kept us in the game," quarterback Jake Plummer said of the defense.

"If they weren't playing the way they were today, we don't win this ballgame. The offense did its part when it needed to, but the defense gets this win this week." day he did that." Smith said the 11th consecutive season would be nice. He wants it, but he'd trade it to reverse the Cowboys' 4-10 record. They are assured of no better than a last-place tie in the NFC East. "One play was all we needed, and we couldn't get it, for whatever reason," Smith said.

"We tried. We just couldn't make it happen." Smith then smiled as he recalled better days in this stadium, most of them dominating performances by the Cowboys. "I'll miss this place, I really will," Smith said. With the Cardinals moving to the NFC West in realignment next season, the Cowboys will not visit each season anymore. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has, however, offered to play a preseason game in Tempe every year in which the teams are not to meet in the regular season.

"I looked forward to coming here every year because you know what you're going to get a competitive game and nice weather," Smith said. "The fans are rowdy, cheering for the Cowboys and cheering for them. We've been well received here. I can honestly say that in the 12 years I've been playing, I've had a wonderful time." The Drives Cardinals' post. Began Plays Yards RasuH First quarter.

DAL 40 3 3 Punt 50 11 49 Fumble ARZ23 6 14 Field Goal Second quarter DAL 25 1 -5 Interception DAL 40 .3 60 Touchdown DAL 26 3... 9 Punt DAL 36 3 8 Punt DAL 34 2 3 Interception DAL 25 1 -1 End of Half Third quarter DAL 26 16 53 Downs Fourth quarter DAL 25 6 5 Punt DAL 11 11 67 Missed FG DAL 20 6 38 End of Game Cowboys' post. Began Plays Yards Result First quarter ARZ 28 3 -10 Punt ARZ 21 3.1 Punt ARZ 20 3 1 Punt Second quarter ARZ 29 3 3 Punt ARZ 39 3 0 Punt ARZ 24 8 76 Touchdown ARZ 18 3 4 Punt DAL 47 6 30 Field Goal Third quarter ARZ 21 11 2 Missed FG Fourth quarter ARZ 48 5 15 funt ARZ 31 7 10 Punt Deirdre HamillThe Arizona Republic Cardinals defensive back Kwamie Lassiter (right) hauls down Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith. quarterback Quincy Carter and Cardinal fans who were there early in the morning, like 6:30, drinking beer." Lassiter is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with nine. While his return set up a field goal, he has yet to return one for a touchdown this season.

"Ronnie (McKinnon) won't block for me," Lassiter said, smiling. "If I get a pick, he's headed to the sidelines. I'm going to block for him. I'm going to give him everything I've got." 1 4 1 Smith needs 182 yards in his final two games to reach the record-setting mark. He trails Walter Payton by 742 yards for the NFL career rushing record, a mark he likely will break next season.

This was Smith's 11th 100-yard rushing game against the Cardinals. His personal best is 12, against Philadelphia. "Emmitt Smith the name speaks for itself," Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter said. "He is one of the greatest who has ever played the game. You give him the ball with some gaps and holes, and he's going to make plays and to 14-10 lead.

Lassiter had the second interception, his ninth of the season, near the end of the second quarter. That set up a 34-yard field goal by Cedric Oglesby, which gave the Cardinals a 17-10 lead. "We made too many mistakes to win this football game," Cowboys coach Dave Campo said. "We dominated the stats, but when we got in the red zone, we didn't convert." They had the ball at the Cardinals' J-yard line in the first quarter but were stopped three times. On fourth down, defensive end Mao Tosi forced Carter to fumble through the end zone.

"It was a run-throw option with (tight end Jackie Harris)," Carter he was 3 alties and turnovers. "We made some adjustments after the way they were penetrating inside in the first half and trying to shut down the run," Smith said. "We found plays that worked." In the second half, he got to the corners and made big yardage. After getting the Cardinals linemen to tire from chasing Smith from sideline to sideline, the Cowboys had success coming back inside with the rush. "We lset them up," Smith said.

"But we've got to finish, and that's been our struggle the entire year." By Lee Shappell The Arizona Republic Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith was not slowed Sunday until he strapped an ice pack to his left hip and limped into the shower, a 17-10 loser to the Cardinals in the final NFC East battle between the longtime rivals. On the Sun Devil Stadium turf that Smith said he will miss and where he once won a Super Bowl, he looked for all the 48,883 in attendance like the compact but powerfully effective back the Cardinals have come to know and fear for more than a decade. That hasn't been the case most of this season for Smith and the Cowboys, whose large deficits have caused them to throw more than run, rendering Smith and his rushing ineffective. But in this game, Smith rekindled hope that he still might get an NFL-record 11th consecutive rushing season. He gained 128 yards on 26 carries as the Cowboys controlled the clock for 37 minutes, even as several offensive linemen fell to injuries.

All they failed to do was finish their long drives with points, largely because of pen- CARDINALS From Page Cl "and at the same time for our true, loyal Cardinal fans." In a loss at Dallas earlier this year, it was the Cardinals who gave the game away, committing four turnovers, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The roles switched Sunday, which helped the Cardinals overcome a poor offensive performance. The Cardinals gained just 4 yards in the first quarter and didn't earn a first down until there was 7:40 left in the half. Receiver David Boston, who is having a Pro Bowl season, had his worst game of the season. He dropped three passes in the first half and finished with three catches for 26 yards, both season lows.

Gladly accept parting gift from Cowboys central Play Arizona's best football pick'em game, Pick the Pros, at plckthepros.azcentral.com. Register and make your picks today. Campo elected to try a 41-yard field instead of going for the first down, even though the Cowboys were down by a touchdown and Smith had been gouging the Cardinals. A bad snap contributed to kicker Jon Hubert's miss, and the Cowboys didn't get the ball again until there was 1:03 left. "We felt we could get the points," said Campo, explaining his rationale for the field-goal attempt.

"We wanted to kick the ball off, and we felt they wouldn't get it out past the -25- or 30-yard line. We would have a chance to use our timeouts and win the football game." Instead, they gave it to the Cardinals, who were more than happy to accept. "I actually didn't want to leave the field," Sanders aid. "The drops were killing us," McGinnis said, "then we were jumping offsides and false starts. You can't do that early in a ballgame and expect to get any kind of field position." The defense bailed out the offense.

Middle linebacker Ronald McKinnon intercepted a pass that was tipped by tackle Marcus Bell. McKinnon dodged a couple of Cowboys and returned the interception 24 yards for a touchdown to give Arizona a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. The Cardinals' only offensive touchdown came late in the second quarter. Receiver Frank Sanders made a nice catch and run for 58 yards to the Cowboys' 1-yard line, and running back Michael Pittman scoredto give the Cardinals a bottled up in there, so I just had to make a play after that." The scoring ended in the first half, but the Cowboys continued to make mistakes. Their offense dominated the second half but couldn't score.

They had the ball 10 more minutes than the Cardinals. Running back Emmitt Smith gained 95 of his 128 yards, averaging nearly 7 yards per carry. A bad snap cost them a field goal in the third quarter, and penalties doomed their last real threat. In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys drove from their 11-yard line to the Cardinals' 22, but the drive bogged down after offensive tackle Char-ron Dorsey's third penalty of the" drive. On fourth down and 2,.