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IRVING, Texas -- Deion Sanders was back doing all the things he does best for the Dallas Cowboys: rallying the fans, closing off one side of the field on defense and wreaking havoc on punt returns.

	Deion Sanders wasn't able to spark the Cowboys in their wild-card loss.

But against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, it wasn't enough.

The Cowboys lost the NFC wild-card game 20-7 despite having Sanders for the first time since Nov. 22. Dallas went 2-3 while the Pro Bowl cornerback and punt returner was sidelined with a sprained left big toe.

Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer and punter Scott Player went out of their way to avoid Sanders.

"I really hoped that they would come after me more," Sanders said. "It was a big game, and you all know how I play in big games."

Plummer threw a short pass to Sanders' right side on the second play of the game, but didn't go back in that direction until the game was out of reach.

Player either punted high and short or to the side away from Sanders the first three times he was back to field punts. Player finally rolled the dice late in the fourth quarter, and Sanders burned him for a 41-yard return that helped set up Dallas' only touchdown.

Sanders made one other big play in the game, chasing down Adrian Murrell at the Dallas 3 on a 74-yard run early in the third quarter. It didn't help much, though, as the Cardinals scored on the next play to take a 17-0 lead.

Sanders, who led players from both teams in a postgame prayer at midfield, didn't play offense. The Cowboys could've used someone with his speed and game-breaking ability.

"You can't look in a mirror and be happy with the way we played today," Sanders said. "This team is not getting any younger. It's time for some guys to step up or step out."

Sanders was expected to return Saturday, but he built suspense by not joining his teammates for pregame warmups and by remaining in the locker room when lineups were introduced. He wasn't on the field for the national anthem, either.

Then, with 4:13 left before kickoff, Sanders came jogging out of the tunnel with a slight limp. He worked his way between his teammates amid cheers from the fans, said a quick prayer on his knees against the bench, then climbed aboard a stationary bicycle.

Following the coin toss, he loosened up on the field and incited fans to holler more, then returned to the bicycle for kickoff. As the Cardinals huddled before their first offensive play, he twirled his left hand to stir the fans and danced around the field.

Sanders was injured late in the first quarter of a Nov. 15 game in Arizona. He left in the second quarter and returned for the final two drives after the Cardinals made a furious comeback during his absence.

He started the next Sunday at home against the Seahawks, but reinjured the toe midway through the second quarter and did not return for the last five games of the regular season.

Despite playing in little more than 10 games, Sanders was voted to the Pro Bowl for the seventh time in his career. And, for the second time, he was picked at both cornerback and punt returner.

Sanders, who did not play baseball last summer to concentrate solely on football, was having one of the best years of his career before the injury.

He led the NFL in punt return average at 15.6 yards and returned two for touchdowns. He also had five interceptions, his most since snaring six in 1994, with one going for a touchdown.