IRVING, Texas -- Even though Arizona quarterback Jake Plummer made sure that Deion Sanders couldn't unveil his new touchdown dance in his much-anticipated return to the Dallas lineup, Plummer couldn't stop the All-Pro cornerback from bringing something else to the injury-plagued Cowboys defense -- attitude.

	Deion Sanders wasn't tested by the Cardinals in his return to the lineup Sunday.

The Cardinals never threw a pass in Sanders' direction on Sunday, but the mere presence of Sanders in the Dallas secondary helped the Cowboys force five turnovers en route to a 35-7 victory.

"He gives us a little more cockiness," said Dallas safety George Teague, who returned an interception 32 yards for the game's first touchdown. "We're more sure of what we can do. It makes everybody's job easier."

Sanders hadn't played in a regular-season game since last Nov. 15, when he severely injured a toe against the Cardinals. He played in the Cowboys' loss to Arizona in the playoffs and also made an appearance in the Pro Bowl, but had been sidelined since undergoing surgery in April.

On Sunday, Sanders effectively took a whole side of the field away from the Cardinals. For most of the game, the receivers Sanders covered simply ran deep routes down the field to get him out of the way.

"I thought they would have tried him just once," Dallas defensive coordinator Dave Campo said. "But he's so dangerous. You never know when he's going to make a big play."

Sanders said the toe was "throbbing" at halftime, but that it didn't bother him in the second half. He said he feels like he's in the best physical shape of his career, although he admitted some of his footwork is still off.

The only time Sanders had an opportunity to touch the ball was on punt returns, but the Cardinals had a superb effort on their coverage team, and he only managed 32 yards on six returns.

"I feel wonderful," Sanders said. "I've never lacked confidence, even as a child."

Dallas coach Chan Gailey gave Sanders credit for continuing the struggles of Plummer, who completed just 16 of 33 passes for 111 yards and three interceptions.

"That's some kind of impact," Gailey said. "When you avoid one side completely, you throw into coverage sometimes."

The Cardinals said they were hesitant to test Sanders, but coach Vince Tobin placed more emphasis on his team's failure to execute. Wide receiver Andy McCullough, part of a receiving corps that dropped several passes, agreed.

"Deion is a great player, but we don't care about that," McCullough said. "The receivers just have to make the big plays."

Although Arizona didn't test him, Sanders said he doesn't expect that trend to continue for long. He said Sunday's game proves the rest of the defense is capable of taking advantage of teams who refuse to throw to him. He thinks some teams will eventually be more willing to take their chances.

"They must challenge me in order to have success," Sanders said. "But it's just like Christmas -- you can't wait for it to get here."