Plummer Gets Job Done

TEMPE, Ariz. â€”  Jake Plummer brought happy memories back to Arizona.

The slender quarterback, criticized as a one-year wonder after taking the Cardinals to the playoffs in 1998 and then flopping last year when he had a hand injury, passed the Cardinals to a 32-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night.

Plummer passed to David Boston for 63 yards on the Cardinals’ last possession--a gain to the Dallas 22. Two running plays later, Plummer passed 17 yards to Frank Sanders for the touchdown that produced the final score with 1:54 left.

The Cardinals (1-1) went for two, but Thomas Jones was stopped on a running play. Needing just a field goal to win, backup quarterback Randall Cunningham passed the Cowboys (0-2) past midfield, but he misfired on his last four attempts.

It was the 12th fourth-quarter comeback victory Plummer has directed in his 40-game career, and it might have saved the job of Coach Vince Tobin. ESPN, which carried the game, reported at the start that Tobin’s job hung in the balance.

Michael Pittman scored on a one-yard run, Cary Blanchard kicked four field goals and Plummer threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Sanders for the Cardinals.