Clayton: First ... and 10
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys Scouting report (Sunday, 8:30 ET, ESPN)
A lot has to take place for this game to be meaningful. A couple teams have to lose Sunday afternoon to keep the Cowboys' playoffs hopes alive. Because this is a Sunday night game, the Cowboys have to watch their fate be determined without their control. They will take the field knowing if they have a chance to make the postseason or if they can start planning their offseason. Bill Parcells says this should be a tough game, but he's just trying to keep his team focused. The Rams have been coached well by interim coach Joe Vitt, but they've run out of good defensive players. They've lost four games in a row. Their defense has dropped to 30th and they are giving up 141 rushing yards a game. Considering Julius Jones almost put up 200 yards on the Panthers last week, he shouldn't have too much trouble getting over 100 Sunday. The Cowboys hold the tiebreaker edge over the Panthers thanks to last week's victory, so they will be rooting for them to lose to Atlanta. They also could get past the Redskins if they lose to the Eagles. The Cowboys have some hope, but it could end up being a meaningless game if the Redskins and Panthers win. If that happens, all the thoughts will turn to whether Bill Parcells will be back next season after back-to-back non-playoff years. There is no doubt Jerry Jones wants him back. But Parcells would be entering the last year of his contract and with the recent death of his brother, he may not be interested in getting locked up in a longer deal. Parcells' focus would rather be on the playoffs than the future.
ESPN.com
St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys Scouting report (Sunday, 8:30 ET, ESPN)
A lot has to take place for this game to be meaningful. A couple teams have to lose Sunday afternoon to keep the Cowboys' playoffs hopes alive. Because this is a Sunday night game, the Cowboys have to watch their fate be determined without their control. They will take the field knowing if they have a chance to make the postseason or if they can start planning their offseason. Bill Parcells says this should be a tough game, but he's just trying to keep his team focused. The Rams have been coached well by interim coach Joe Vitt, but they've run out of good defensive players. They've lost four games in a row. Their defense has dropped to 30th and they are giving up 141 rushing yards a game. Considering Julius Jones almost put up 200 yards on the Panthers last week, he shouldn't have too much trouble getting over 100 Sunday. The Cowboys hold the tiebreaker edge over the Panthers thanks to last week's victory, so they will be rooting for them to lose to Atlanta. They also could get past the Redskins if they lose to the Eagles. The Cowboys have some hope, but it could end up being a meaningless game if the Redskins and Panthers win. If that happens, all the thoughts will turn to whether Bill Parcells will be back next season after back-to-back non-playoff years. There is no doubt Jerry Jones wants him back. But Parcells would be entering the last year of his contract and with the recent death of his brother, he may not be interested in getting locked up in a longer deal. Parcells' focus would rather be on the playoffs than the future.
posted by The Gryphon at 1:29 PM
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