Cowboys seek rainbow at end of dangerous road
RAY BUCK
In My Opinion
Star-Telegram
What is becoming quite apparent now is that every other week, we can expect an unmistakable, warm glow to stretch across Valley Ranch like a Tony Romo rainbow.
There it was again Monday.
Ah, yes... the Cowboys are riding another one-game winning streak.
Loyal Cowboys fans are more optimistic than ever because they know that Romo would be 3-0 as a starter if not for some Larry, Curly and Moe intervention that turned a certain victory into a three-point pratfall at Washington.
The best thing about the Redskins loss is that the Cowboys recovered from it. They beat a bad Arizona team, on the road, and improved to 5-4.
In today's NFL, that's pretty good.
"This league, this year, you saw what happened just this past weekend," Bill Parcells said Monday.
He was talking about Sunday's 15-game slate, in which six teams with losing records won (the Browns, Steelers, Texans, Packers, Dolphins and 49ers), including the first three at the hands of teams with winning records.
It's the anything-goes league. And you can throw Jets over Patriots at New England into that mix as well.
"[Sunday's upsets] changed, appreciably, our viewpoint of the situation," said Parcells, stopping just short of using the P-word. "You know you have an opportunity."
What more can the coach of a notoriously peaks-and-valley team hope for? The Cowboys are tied with the Eagles, one game behind the Giants, who lost Sunday night, with seven games left.
Five of those games are home games for the Cowboys. But, as a word of caution, it's not time to exhale (shoop, shoop).
There are treacherous twists and a few tricky turns in the road ahead, especially for a team that hasn't beaten an opponent with a winning record since knocking off Carolina last Christmas Eve.
That's a lot of bullying without bucking up to the big boys.
Actually, the Cowboys are more scary than scared. This occurs on those alternating weeks when there is no rainbow.
They drop balls, blow assignments, rack up endless penalty yardage and, basically, self-destruct. The Hall of Fame coach-in-waiting apparently hasn't been able to resolve that, or else he would've done it by now.
Fox Sports broadcasters Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan related the story on the air Sunday that when one of them used the "Coach" moniker to address Parcells during the week, he said that wasn't necessary.
"I couldn't coach lions to eat red meat right now," Parcells supposedly told them.
Today's NFL coaches seem to be waging a war of attrition. There are no NFL dynasties, loads of free agents get fat bonuses... and that means few notable teams. The Bears are one. The Colts are another.
Uh, let's see... did I mention the Bears?
In a watered-down league, most teams are just trying to stay afloat. It doesn't help the Cowboys that they've lost their most irreplaceable player on defense, Greg Ellis, to a torn Achilles' tendon.
Parcells said Monday that he will try to replace Ellis with two or three guys currently on the roster.
There is the run to stop, the quarterback to rush and the flats to cover. Unlike Ellis, no one can be expected to do all three.
"Of our remaining games, do I think we're fortunate?" Parcells asked, rhetorically. "We have five of them at home... but we don't have an easy schedule. Almost everybody we play is a [playoff] contender.
"So if can get through this and do get in [to the playoffs], then we will have earned it."
The remaining seven games are against teams with a combined 35-27 record, including Peyton Manning and the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (9-0) this Sunday.
By comparison, the Cowboys have beaten teams with a combined 13-31 record, and have lost to teams with a combined 19-17 mark.
Moreover, the Cowboys' remaining schedule looks like it was put together in the dark.
There are three "short-week" games, including two against the only so-called gimmes left on the schedule: the 2-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thanksgiving Day and 2-7 Detroit Lions in the regular-season finale.
Keep in mind, the Bucs upset the Eagles 23-21 three weeks ago. So you might want to lower-case that gimme.
Next up is Manning vs. Romo. Parcells still hopes to slap the "renegade" out of his kid quarterback, while admiring his ability to lift an entire team and coaching staff at the same time.
"We have some tough games, and this kid will be tested," Parcells said of Romo. "It won't go smoothly, I promise you that. Nothing ever goes smoothly."
Not in today's NFL.
But that's OK, Bill. It keeps your team in the running.
In My Opinion
Star-Telegram
What is becoming quite apparent now is that every other week, we can expect an unmistakable, warm glow to stretch across Valley Ranch like a Tony Romo rainbow.
There it was again Monday.
Ah, yes... the Cowboys are riding another one-game winning streak.
Loyal Cowboys fans are more optimistic than ever because they know that Romo would be 3-0 as a starter if not for some Larry, Curly and Moe intervention that turned a certain victory into a three-point pratfall at Washington.
The best thing about the Redskins loss is that the Cowboys recovered from it. They beat a bad Arizona team, on the road, and improved to 5-4.
In today's NFL, that's pretty good.
"This league, this year, you saw what happened just this past weekend," Bill Parcells said Monday.
He was talking about Sunday's 15-game slate, in which six teams with losing records won (the Browns, Steelers, Texans, Packers, Dolphins and 49ers), including the first three at the hands of teams with winning records.
It's the anything-goes league. And you can throw Jets over Patriots at New England into that mix as well.
"[Sunday's upsets] changed, appreciably, our viewpoint of the situation," said Parcells, stopping just short of using the P-word. "You know you have an opportunity."
What more can the coach of a notoriously peaks-and-valley team hope for? The Cowboys are tied with the Eagles, one game behind the Giants, who lost Sunday night, with seven games left.
Five of those games are home games for the Cowboys. But, as a word of caution, it's not time to exhale (shoop, shoop).
There are treacherous twists and a few tricky turns in the road ahead, especially for a team that hasn't beaten an opponent with a winning record since knocking off Carolina last Christmas Eve.
That's a lot of bullying without bucking up to the big boys.
Actually, the Cowboys are more scary than scared. This occurs on those alternating weeks when there is no rainbow.
They drop balls, blow assignments, rack up endless penalty yardage and, basically, self-destruct. The Hall of Fame coach-in-waiting apparently hasn't been able to resolve that, or else he would've done it by now.
Fox Sports broadcasters Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan related the story on the air Sunday that when one of them used the "Coach" moniker to address Parcells during the week, he said that wasn't necessary.
"I couldn't coach lions to eat red meat right now," Parcells supposedly told them.
Today's NFL coaches seem to be waging a war of attrition. There are no NFL dynasties, loads of free agents get fat bonuses... and that means few notable teams. The Bears are one. The Colts are another.
Uh, let's see... did I mention the Bears?
In a watered-down league, most teams are just trying to stay afloat. It doesn't help the Cowboys that they've lost their most irreplaceable player on defense, Greg Ellis, to a torn Achilles' tendon.
Parcells said Monday that he will try to replace Ellis with two or three guys currently on the roster.
There is the run to stop, the quarterback to rush and the flats to cover. Unlike Ellis, no one can be expected to do all three.
"Of our remaining games, do I think we're fortunate?" Parcells asked, rhetorically. "We have five of them at home... but we don't have an easy schedule. Almost everybody we play is a [playoff] contender.
"So if can get through this and do get in [to the playoffs], then we will have earned it."
The remaining seven games are against teams with a combined 35-27 record, including Peyton Manning and the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (9-0) this Sunday.
By comparison, the Cowboys have beaten teams with a combined 13-31 record, and have lost to teams with a combined 19-17 mark.
Moreover, the Cowboys' remaining schedule looks like it was put together in the dark.
There are three "short-week" games, including two against the only so-called gimmes left on the schedule: the 2-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thanksgiving Day and 2-7 Detroit Lions in the regular-season finale.
Keep in mind, the Bucs upset the Eagles 23-21 three weeks ago. So you might want to lower-case that gimme.
Next up is Manning vs. Romo. Parcells still hopes to slap the "renegade" out of his kid quarterback, while admiring his ability to lift an entire team and coaching staff at the same time.
"We have some tough games, and this kid will be tested," Parcells said of Romo. "It won't go smoothly, I promise you that. Nothing ever goes smoothly."
Not in today's NFL.
But that's OK, Bill. It keeps your team in the running.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:37 PM
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