Cardiac Dallas Cowboys sweat out playoff berth
Football: Cardiac Cowboys sweat out playoff berth
Web Posted: 12/29/2005 12:00 AM CST
Stephen Hawkins
Associated press
IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys go into their final game still uncertain about the season's outcome. Will they make the playoffs or not? That's just like most of their games this season, when they didn't know if they would win or lose until the last few minutes. "This last game will just epitomize the whole season," linebacker Bradie James said. "It's been going down to the wire. You definitely couldn't have too many heart conditions to watch our games." Dallas (9-6), which plays its regular-season finale Sunday night against St. Louis, has played an NFL-high 11 games decided by seven points or less. The game-deciding points in nine of those games were scored with 3:06 or less left in regulation — two of them in overtime.
The Cowboys have won six of their close games (all by four points or less), twice scoring touchdowns in the final 24 seconds. That included Drew Bledsoe's 2-yard TD pass to Terry Glenn in Saturday's 24-20 victory at Carolina that kept them in playoff contention. Two Dallas victories were sealed by interceptions in the final minute, including Aaron Glenn in the end zone in the season-opening 28-24 victory at San Diego. The Cowboys lost twice on last-play field goals. "It's not really a bad thing," coach Bill Parcells said. "Your team can eventually train itself to reduce the pressure feeling when you're in enough of these games. ... It can be very beneficial to be in hard-fought games all the time." The Cowboys will know before they kick off the NFL's final game of the regular season if they have a chance to be in the playoffs — of if they are just playing for their second 10-victory season in three years under Parcells.
There are 13 possibilities for Dallas to qualify as one of the NFC wild cards. All the scenarios are contingent on a victory over the Rams (5-10), who have lost four straight and six of seven. The least complex is for Carolina (at Atlanta) or Washington (at Philadelphia) to lose earlier Sunday. "We're in Week 17, and we've got a chance to do something," Parcells said. If the Cowboys make the playoffs, they won't give a second thought to all their close games. But if they don't make it to the postseason, the near-misses will be all they remember. "If we don't get in, we have nobody to blame but ourselves," tight end Dan Campbell said. "We had our chances. We had our chance to beat New York at New York for the division lead."
After falling behind 17-0 against the Giants on Dec. 4, when they were tied atop the NFC East, the Cowboys got within 17-10. But Drew Bledsoe threw a pass that was tipped and intercepted with 1:47 left, leaving Dallas with its fifth loss of the season by a touchdown or less — and out of the division lead for good. Two weeks later, their only lopsided loss (35-7 at Washington) made them a wild-card outsider and needing help to reach the playoffs. The Redskins were also responsible for Dallas' most excruciating loss, 14-13 on Sept. 19. Mark Brunell hit Santana Moss for TD passes of 39 and 70 yards in a 71-second span starting with 3:46 left that Monday night. Dallas had dominated until then, with the Redskins not crossing the Cowboys 27 since their opening drive.
The other heartbreakers: The Cowboys lost 19-13 at Oakland on Oct. 2, when Bledsoe threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't connect with Terry Glenn on fourth-and-4 from the 5 with 1:45 left. On Oct. 23 at Seattle, Bledsoe tried to throw a sideline pass to Glenn with five seconds left. But it was intercepted and returned 25 yards to the Dallas 32, setting up Josh Brown's 50-yard field goal on the final play in the 13-10 game. Thanksgiving Day against Denver, the Cowboys had a chance to go ahead midway through the fourth quarter, but Billy Cundiff missed a 34-yard field goal. The game went to overtime, and after Ron Dayne's 55-yard run on the second play, Jason Elam kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 24-21 Broncos victory.
Web Posted: 12/29/2005 12:00 AM CST
Stephen Hawkins
Associated press
IRVING — The Dallas Cowboys go into their final game still uncertain about the season's outcome. Will they make the playoffs or not? That's just like most of their games this season, when they didn't know if they would win or lose until the last few minutes. "This last game will just epitomize the whole season," linebacker Bradie James said. "It's been going down to the wire. You definitely couldn't have too many heart conditions to watch our games." Dallas (9-6), which plays its regular-season finale Sunday night against St. Louis, has played an NFL-high 11 games decided by seven points or less. The game-deciding points in nine of those games were scored with 3:06 or less left in regulation — two of them in overtime.
The Cowboys have won six of their close games (all by four points or less), twice scoring touchdowns in the final 24 seconds. That included Drew Bledsoe's 2-yard TD pass to Terry Glenn in Saturday's 24-20 victory at Carolina that kept them in playoff contention. Two Dallas victories were sealed by interceptions in the final minute, including Aaron Glenn in the end zone in the season-opening 28-24 victory at San Diego. The Cowboys lost twice on last-play field goals. "It's not really a bad thing," coach Bill Parcells said. "Your team can eventually train itself to reduce the pressure feeling when you're in enough of these games. ... It can be very beneficial to be in hard-fought games all the time." The Cowboys will know before they kick off the NFL's final game of the regular season if they have a chance to be in the playoffs — of if they are just playing for their second 10-victory season in three years under Parcells.
There are 13 possibilities for Dallas to qualify as one of the NFC wild cards. All the scenarios are contingent on a victory over the Rams (5-10), who have lost four straight and six of seven. The least complex is for Carolina (at Atlanta) or Washington (at Philadelphia) to lose earlier Sunday. "We're in Week 17, and we've got a chance to do something," Parcells said. If the Cowboys make the playoffs, they won't give a second thought to all their close games. But if they don't make it to the postseason, the near-misses will be all they remember. "If we don't get in, we have nobody to blame but ourselves," tight end Dan Campbell said. "We had our chances. We had our chance to beat New York at New York for the division lead."
After falling behind 17-0 against the Giants on Dec. 4, when they were tied atop the NFC East, the Cowboys got within 17-10. But Drew Bledsoe threw a pass that was tipped and intercepted with 1:47 left, leaving Dallas with its fifth loss of the season by a touchdown or less — and out of the division lead for good. Two weeks later, their only lopsided loss (35-7 at Washington) made them a wild-card outsider and needing help to reach the playoffs. The Redskins were also responsible for Dallas' most excruciating loss, 14-13 on Sept. 19. Mark Brunell hit Santana Moss for TD passes of 39 and 70 yards in a 71-second span starting with 3:46 left that Monday night. Dallas had dominated until then, with the Redskins not crossing the Cowboys 27 since their opening drive.
The other heartbreakers: The Cowboys lost 19-13 at Oakland on Oct. 2, when Bledsoe threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton midway through the fourth quarter but couldn't connect with Terry Glenn on fourth-and-4 from the 5 with 1:45 left. On Oct. 23 at Seattle, Bledsoe tried to throw a sideline pass to Glenn with five seconds left. But it was intercepted and returned 25 yards to the Dallas 32, setting up Josh Brown's 50-yard field goal on the final play in the 13-10 game. Thanksgiving Day against Denver, the Cowboys had a chance to go ahead midway through the fourth quarter, but Billy Cundiff missed a 34-yard field goal. The game went to overtime, and after Ron Dayne's 55-yard run on the second play, Jason Elam kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 24-21 Broncos victory.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:10 AM
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