COWBOYS: Air of confidence grows in locker room
by Tom Orsborn
San Antonio Express-News
IRVING — Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips displayed his trademark self-deprecating humor when asked Monday if returning to Houston this weekend has any special meaning for him.
"No, it's a preseason game that we need to work our team," said Phillips, who played and coached at the University of Houston and was an assistant on his father's Houston Oilers staff.
"Now there may be some banners there saying welcome home. The University of Houston may have a big deal for me. They'll unveil the statue and all that stuff."
Phillips, of course, won't find any such monument Saturday at Reliant Stadium. And even if the Cowboys dispatch the Texans with the same ease in which they defeated their first two preseason opponents, it's unlikely anybody in Dallas will take his measurements for a bronze image either.
But there is a growing sense in the Cowboys' locker room that Phillips and his staff are sculpting something special. Sure, it's only exhibition play, but victories over two of the AFC's top teams from last season — the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos — has given Dallas reason to believe this could be a monumental season.
"Preseason is what it is," quarterback Tony Romo said. "But it's like I said (Saturday after a 31-20 victory over the Broncos): If you can't do it in the preseason, you're probably going to have a hard time doing it in the regular season.
"If you can do it in the preseason, you give yourself a better chance."
What Phillips likes best about the two games is that the Cowboys' starters outplayed the first units of both Indianapolis and Denver.
"Our team looks pretty solid right now," Phillips said. "I think everybody can see that."
Another good sign is that both the offense and defense were more impressive against the Broncos than they were against the Colts, a game Dallas won 23-10.
The first-team defense played the entire first half and held Denver to only four first downs and 78 yards. The offense also sizzled, scoring 24 first-half points with Romo connecting on 11 of 18 passes for 122 yards and an interception.
"It's preseason, so you don't want to get your expectations up too high and think you are better than you are," tight end Jason Witten said.
"But the improvement we showed from Game 1 to Game 2 says a lot about our team."
Witten and the other offensive starters were particularly pleased that they registered a penalty-free performance Saturday.
Another source of pride: The first-team offense has yet to punt in the preseason.
"Again, it's preseason, so you don't want to jump the gun there," Witten said. "But we are excited about how we are playing. Offensively, we have a lot of weapons."
The same can be said of the defense.
"We're not weak in any area," Phillips said. "We're not saying, 'Gosh, our potential starter (at any position) is not going to be good enough to play in the league.'"
Phillips said it helps that players on both sides of the ball have bought into the new schemes.
"They have tried their best to try to learn what we are trying to teach," Phillips said. "It seems to be coming along."
Still, the Cowboys know they have a long way to go before they can talk Super Bowl.
"It's a good feeling," nose tackle Jason Ferguson said of the 2-0 start. "But, at the same time, you can't get way ahead of yourself and pour all that Gatorade on your head and say, 'I'm there.'"
San Antonio Express-News
IRVING — Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips displayed his trademark self-deprecating humor when asked Monday if returning to Houston this weekend has any special meaning for him.
"No, it's a preseason game that we need to work our team," said Phillips, who played and coached at the University of Houston and was an assistant on his father's Houston Oilers staff.
"Now there may be some banners there saying welcome home. The University of Houston may have a big deal for me. They'll unveil the statue and all that stuff."
Phillips, of course, won't find any such monument Saturday at Reliant Stadium. And even if the Cowboys dispatch the Texans with the same ease in which they defeated their first two preseason opponents, it's unlikely anybody in Dallas will take his measurements for a bronze image either.
But there is a growing sense in the Cowboys' locker room that Phillips and his staff are sculpting something special. Sure, it's only exhibition play, but victories over two of the AFC's top teams from last season — the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos — has given Dallas reason to believe this could be a monumental season.
"Preseason is what it is," quarterback Tony Romo said. "But it's like I said (Saturday after a 31-20 victory over the Broncos): If you can't do it in the preseason, you're probably going to have a hard time doing it in the regular season.
"If you can do it in the preseason, you give yourself a better chance."
What Phillips likes best about the two games is that the Cowboys' starters outplayed the first units of both Indianapolis and Denver.
"Our team looks pretty solid right now," Phillips said. "I think everybody can see that."
Another good sign is that both the offense and defense were more impressive against the Broncos than they were against the Colts, a game Dallas won 23-10.
The first-team defense played the entire first half and held Denver to only four first downs and 78 yards. The offense also sizzled, scoring 24 first-half points with Romo connecting on 11 of 18 passes for 122 yards and an interception.
"It's preseason, so you don't want to get your expectations up too high and think you are better than you are," tight end Jason Witten said.
"But the improvement we showed from Game 1 to Game 2 says a lot about our team."
Witten and the other offensive starters were particularly pleased that they registered a penalty-free performance Saturday.
Another source of pride: The first-team offense has yet to punt in the preseason.
"Again, it's preseason, so you don't want to jump the gun there," Witten said. "But we are excited about how we are playing. Offensively, we have a lot of weapons."
The same can be said of the defense.
"We're not weak in any area," Phillips said. "We're not saying, 'Gosh, our potential starter (at any position) is not going to be good enough to play in the league.'"
Phillips said it helps that players on both sides of the ball have bought into the new schemes.
"They have tried their best to try to learn what we are trying to teach," Phillips said. "It seems to be coming along."
Still, the Cowboys know they have a long way to go before they can talk Super Bowl.
"It's a good feeling," nose tackle Jason Ferguson said of the 2-0 start. "But, at the same time, you can't get way ahead of yourself and pour all that Gatorade on your head and say, 'I'm there.'"
posted by The Gryphon at 5:33 PM
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