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By Bob McManaman
GLENDALE, Ariz.—The Arizona Cardinals welcomed quarterback Kevin Kolb back to the starting lineup Sunday. Then they greeted the visiting Dallas Cowboys rudely, with Arizona winning 19-13 in overtime at University of Phoenix Stadium.
Kolb, playing in his first game in a month because of a troublesome injury to his right foot, hit LaRod Stephens-Howling on a screen pass that the shifty, smallish running back broke for a 52-yard, game-ending touchdown.
The victory was the fourth in five games for the Cardinals, who have now beaten the Cowboys three straight times—each of them in the final seconds or on the last play of the game.
The loss snapped the Cowboys' four-game winning streak and their chance to consolidate their lead in the NFC East.
Stephens-Howling eluded a host of would-be tackles on his way to the end zone, and the Cardinals celebrated wildly with him on the field after his touchdown.
Arizona had the ball and a chance to drive for the go-ahead score with four minutes left in regulation, but after an incomplete pass and a 4-yard run by Beanie Wells, receiver Early Doucet dropped a critical third-down pass that would have kept the march going.
The Cardinals were forced to punt, and Dallas took over with 2:54 remaining. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo completed three passes, but two penalties proved costly.
As it was, Dan Bailey had a chance to win it for Dallas in the final seconds of regulation, but his 49-yard was left and off the mark.
The Cardinals trailed 10-3 at halftime, but they came out of the locker room looking like a completely different team, especially on offense. They put together consecutive long drives that resulted in a 23-yard field goal and a 4-yard touchdown run by Wells, the latter of which tied the score at 13.
It could have been better for Arizona, though, because coach Ken Whisenhunt elected to go for a touchdown on fourth-and-1 at the Cowboys' 1. Before the Cardinals could run a play, they were called for a false start, and kicker Jay Feely was brought on for a 23-yard field goal.
Dallas responded with 65-yard drive that lasted nearly eight minutes, but all the Cowboys would get out of it was a field goal.
The Cardinals followed with a 79-yard drive, capped by Wells' ninth rushing touchdown of the season.
Neither team could get much going offensively in the first half, but the Cowboys did more than the Cardinals and took a 10-3 lead on Romo's 5-yard scoring strike to Dez Bryant with a little more than three minutes left in the second quarter.
It came just a few minutes after Bailey connected on a 50-yard field goal. The Cowboys' defense had forced Arizona into one of its three, third-and-out series of the half. A 28-yard completion from Romo to Jason Witten helped set up Bryant's eighth touchdown reception of the season.
Arizona mustered just 49 yards in the first half. Kolb accounted for only 23 passing yards, completing seven of 11 passes. He was sacked four times in the half. Kolb finished 16 of 25 for 247 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
