NFC: Arizona Cardinals 20.2C Dallas Cowboys 7 1998–99 NFL playoffs

at texas stadium, irving, texas

game time: 4:00 p.m. est/3:00 p.m. cst
game weather: 61 °f (16 °c), clear
game attendance: 62,969
referee: bernie kukar
tv announcers (abc): mike patrick (play-by-play), joe theismann, paul maguire (color commentators), , solomon wilcots (sideline reporter)

quarterback jake plummer passed 213 yards , 2 touchdowns led cardinals first playoff victory since 1947, ending longest playoff win drought in nfl history. victory satisfying against cowboys, defeated them twice during season (38–10 on opening day , 35–28 in week 11). arizona running adrian murrell rushed 95 yards , caught 2 passes 16 yards , touchdown, while defense sacked cowboys quarterback troy aikman 4 times (twice linebacker jamir miller , 2 more andre wadsworth) , intercepted 3 of passes (two cornerback aeneas williams).

dallas had chance score on second drive when tyrone hughes returned arizona punt 11 yards cowboys 38. aikman led team cardinals 19-yard line, drive ended there , richie cunningham missed 36-yard field goal attempt. on first play of cardinals following possession, plummer completed 59-yard pass receiver frank sanders, setting murrell s 12-yard touchdown catch few plays later.

in second quarter, cowboys got scoring opportunity when cornerback kevin mathis picked off pass plummer on dallas 37. dallas went on drive cardinals 7-yard line. on fourth , 1, cowboys tried convert run emmitt smith, stopped linebacker mark maddox, broke through line , dropped him 1-yard loss. dallas 3 remaining drives of half result in interception williams , 2 punts, second returned 10 yards cardinals 38 running eric metcalf less 2 minutes left in half. plummer completed 15-yard pass receiver rob moore , 20 yarder metcalf, setting 37-yard chris jacke field goal gave arizona 10-0 lead going halftime.

on second play of second half, murrell took off 74-yard run cowboys 3-yard line. longest postseason run ever surrendered cowboys in 52-postseason game history. on next play, plummer threw 3-yard touchdown pass fullback larry centers, making score 17–0. on first play of fourth quarter, williams recorded second interception aikman, setting 46-yard field goal jacke. desperate points, dallas tried convert fourth , 1 deep in own territory, have aikman sacked miller 10-yard loss. interception darren woodson prevented arizona scoring, ten minutes remaining on clock, there little hope comeback. dallas avoid shutout when deion sanders 41-yard punt return set aikman s 6-yard touchdown pass billy davis 3:33 left in game.

it last time abc aired game between these 2 teams, after 6 games on monday night football. espn aired game between these 2 in 2017 (though did meet on sunday night on espn once).