Smith was hurt in the second period, when Giants safety Greg Jackson tackled him after a 46-yard sprint. He missed two snaps, played almost three more quarters. He accepted 19 more carries and another seven receptions and represented about all the success on offense the Cowboys offered.
He touched the ball nine times for 41 yards in the Cowboys' overtime possession, a 12-play series that covered 52 yards and led to Eddie Murray's game-winning field goal.
"He told us in the huddle to make sure we ran behind him so someone could pick him up," offensive lineman Nate Newton said. "Coach (Jimmy) Johnson asked him if he would be ready and there wasn't a doubt or hesitation. He said he was going. That really touched me because you could see how hurt he was. After we made our blocks, the main thing was to get to him and get him up."
The performance was a microcosm of the season for Smith, who missed the first two weeks because of a contract dispute. Still, he finished with 1,486 yards, becoming the first player to win the rushing title after missing two games and the fourth in history to win three times in succession.
O'Neill had a thigh pad taped to Smith's shoulder pad to absorb the punishment and provided the player a pill at halftime to limit his pain.
While Smith's right arm often hung limp, while his range of motion was so limited Troy Aikman had to lower his handoffs and passes, Smith refused to stand on the sidelines.
At one point, in the winning drive, Smith sprinted into the middle of the line, changed direction to his right and picked up 10 yards. Johnson immediately called for Lincoln Coleman, who nonetheless never played another down.
"Jimmy told me to go in," Coleman said, "but Emmitt told me to get out."
The Cowboys were able to get out of Giants Stadium with a victory because of Smith's remarkable performance, one that marked the fourth time this season he rushed for 150 or more yards against an NFC East opponent.
Smith carried 19 times for 109 yards and had six receptions for 42 more as the Cowboys took a 13-point halftime lead. He had 13 carries for 59 yards and four receptions for 19 in the third and fourth periods, his importance increasing as his team's advantage diminished.
"He's going to run the ball because that's our offense," offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. "In my time at USC with Rickey Bell and Marcus Allen and at the Rams
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