IRVING, Texas — Scoring a first-quarter touchdown wasn’t the spark theDallas Cowboys thought it would be.

Returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown for the first time since1983? Yeah, that did the trick.

Chris Canty swatted a potential go-ahead kick by Minnesota and Pat Watkinsreturned it 68 yards for a go-ahead touchdown for Dallas, sending the Cowboyspast the Vikings 24-14 Sunday in a game they dominated but nearly gave away.

Dallas bounced back from a lopsided home loss to New England and guaranteeditself at least two more weeks atop the NFC because of an upcoming bye. Duringthe time off, the Cowboys can savor being 6-1 for the first time since 1995(their last Super Bowl season) and having beaten the Vikings for the first since1996.

Minnesota (2-4) lost for the third time in four games. Rookie AdrianPeterson followed his record-setting, 224-yard performance last week with only63 this time.

Vikings coach Brad Childress may have done the most to slow the NFL rushingleader, giving him only eight carries after the opening drive, during whichPeterson ran four times for 27 yards, including a nifty 20-yarder for atouchdown.

His final carry was a fumble near his end zone early in the fourth quarter.Dallas recovered at the 22 and wound up kicking a field goal for a 10-point leadthat stood up.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was 31-of-39 for 277 yards, with a touchdownand a fumble. He had 231 yards passing at halftime, but was slowed by whatappeared to be a hamstring injury sustained while chasing a Minnesota fumblereturn for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Romo went 9-of-10 on the game-opening drive, marching Dallas 80 yards for atouchdown. Using a new no-huddle look, he converted four straight third downs onthe series, including the capper, a 5-yard TD toss to Terrell Owens. It was thefirst time the league’s second-highest scoring offense reached the end zone inthe first quarter all season; it was their first points in the first periodsince Week 2.

Dallas continued to click, but couldn’t turn it into points. So like theirlast win, a wild one in Buffalo, the Cowboys had to overcome their own mistakesmore than anything their opponent did.

Consider this: At halftime, Dallas led Minnesota 250-76 in yards, 43-18 inplays and 16-5 in first downs — yet trailed 14-7.

The Cowboys wasted all four of their second-quarter drives in unique ways:Marion Barber running for a first down, then losing it by cutting back in hopesof more yards; lost fumbles by Romo and receiver Patrick Crayton; and rookieNick Folk shanking a field goal for the first time all season.

Kevin Williams, a 311-pound defensive tackle, returned Romo’s fumble 84yards for a touchdown but it was called back for a penalty. The Vikings got atouchdown on Crayton’s fumble, even though the return featured a lateral and afumble, then had to withstand a review to make sure Crayton really caught itbefore losing the ball.

In other words, it was a weird game.

Minnesota marched 69 yards for a touchdown on its opening drive, then had atotal of 15 yards over its next five possession — four three-and-outs and akneel-down at the half. Yet the Vikes were leading anyway.

Dallas tied it at 14 on a 1-yard run by Barber, the first rushing TD againstMinnesota all season. The Vikings answered with a drive that led to RyanLongwell going for a 48-yard field goal. But instead of Minnesota going up17-14, the Cowboys came away leading 21-14. Their only other points came on a45-yard field goal by Nick Folk with 10:34 left.

Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson was 6-of-19 for 72 yards. ChesterTaylor, who continues to start ahead of Peterson, ran 10 times for 47 yards.

Barber had 96 yards on 19 carries and Julius Jones went for 28 on nine asthe Cowboys became the first team to run for more than 100 yards against theVikings.

Owens caught seven passes for 103 yards and a TD. Jason Witten caught acareer-high 10 passes for 86 yards.