Irvin’s Day Short, Cowboys’ Is Long

CHARLOTTE — All week there had been the question about the playing status of Michael Irvin and Erik Williams after they had been accused of raping a 23-year-old woman.

The two players denied the allegations, and the Dallas police made no move to charge either, thereby allowing them to play.

But two offensive plays into Sunday’s game with Carolina, Irvin’s season ended. He caught a 22-yard pass and raced across the middle of the field before being hit by linebacker Lamar Lathon, who pounded Irvin’s right shoulder into the turf, breaking his collarbone.

“That had to impact them,” said Carolina linebacker Sam Mills. “He hurt us on that first play and he’s there go-to guy.”

Irvin returned to the field in a gold-colored suit for the second half as a spectator with his arm in a sling. Deion Sanders took many of Irvin’s shifts as wide receiver before he had to leave the game.

In the final two drives, with the Cowboys trying to fight back for a win, Dallas played wide receiver Billy Davis.

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It’s unclear yet if Sanders is aware his season is over.

Sanders ran 16 yards on a reverse for a critical first down for the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, but then his head was planted into the Ericsson Stadium turf.

Team officials said Sanders never lost consciousness, but he was helped to the sideline and had to lay down before being removed from the field because of a concussion.

He was taken to Carolinas Medical Center where he underwent a CAT scan, which was reported negative. Sanders remained in Charlotte on Sunday night for observation.

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Carolina tight end Wesley Walls said, “I was so nervous I didn’t dare talk to quarterback Kerry Collins because everyone knows how nervous he gets.”

Collins, who has been known to be too keyed up for games, threw an interception on his second pass.

“If that hadn’t happened, we would have probably had to hit him in the head with a two-by-four to calm him down,” Panther guard Matt Elliott said.

Collins came back to throw two touchdown passes.

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Cowboy cornerback Kevin Smith had a game to forget.

In the first quarter, Smith was penalized twice on the same play. The Panthers declined the holding penalty, but accepted the pass interference infraction for a 22-yard gain.

On the next play, wide receiver Willie Green caught a 22-yard pass against Smith, who came back in the second quarter and was exploited again. On third and goal from the 10-yard line, Collins threw a touchdown pass to Green.

And in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys blitzed Collins, and he threw the ball up for grabs. It fell incomplete on third and five, but the officials flagged Smith for holding, giving Carolina a first down.

“I’m going to regroup over the off-season,” Smith said, “and send a few memos to the officials with the hopes that maybe next year they will give me a few breaks.”