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January 11, 2010

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Cowboys rout Eagles to end playoff frustration

THE Dallas Cowboys ended 13 years of playoff frustration with a crushing 34-14 wildcard victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

The red-hot Cowboys, who will play at the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC divisional playoff game next Sunday, had not won a postseason contest since December 1996.

Tony Romo passed for two touchdowns and running back Felix Jones rambled 73 yards for a score as the Cowboys won their fourth consecutive game.

They also shut out the Eagles 24-0 last Sunday to conclude the regular season.

"I think we're a very good football team and we're on a roll right now," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said.

"We got stronger at the end of the year and we are playing our best football.

"We have a good shot going in. We play a tough team next week but we are looking forward to that one," said Phillips, who collected his first playoff victory after four successive losses.

The Cowboys' smothering defense consistently shut down an Eagles offense that included a few stints and a touchdown pass by back-up quarterback Michael Vick, continuing his comeback after serving prison time for his role in an illegal dog fighting ring.

Romo, meanwhile, completed 23-of-35 passes for 244 yards and continued to show the poise he has demonstrated in recent weeks.

"We can accomplish our goals if we set our mind to it," he said of the Cowboys, who capped their regular season with three straight victories, starting with a mid-December upset over the then-undefeated New Orleans Saints Jones led the ground game, rushing for 148 yards, half of them on his long touchdown run.

"Felix as outstanding," Phillips said. "Any time he gets in the open field it is a chance to make a big play."

The Cowboys, who in recent years had dreadful runs during the crucial month of December, were an 8-5 team just a month ago that looked destined to miss the playoffs for the second year running.

Vick teamed up with Jeremy Maclin on a 76-yard pass play to tie the contest at 7-7 in the second quarter and give the visitors a brief taste of parity.

However, the next 27 points belonged to the Cowboys, who had lost six consecutive playoff games before the win.

In Cincinnati, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez played mistake-free in subzero wind chill to help the New York Jets upset the Bengals 24-14 for their first playoffs victory since 2004.


 

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