Cowboys need to regain lost killer instinct
By Scott Garbarini, Sports Network - The Sports Network
The Dallas Cowboys wanted no part of their regular-season finale with the Washington Redskins, and that apathetic mindset was evident in the NFC favorites' 27-6 loss this past Sunday at FedEx Field.
Playing with the sole purpose of attempting to attain some lofty individual achievements, the Cowboys looked nothing like the team that ran roughshod over its conference competition through the majority of this 2007 campaign. That fearsome bunch was instead replaced by a tentative and unfocused group that was hardly representative of a club that will enter the NFC playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
Dallas entered the contest having averaged better than 380 total yards and nearly 30 points per game. Against the inspired Redskins, the depleted unit mustered unbelievably pathetic totals of 147 overall yards, seven first downs and an 0-for-11 success rate on third downs.
A normally effective Dallas running game was held to a franchise-low one yard on 16 attempts by Washington, while the Cowboys' seven first downs were just one more than the lowest single-game output in team history.
The Cowboys couldn't even accomplish the seemingly-effortless goals they had set out for the finale. Quarterback Tony Romo did get the seven completions he needed to set the club's single-season record for that category, but had to play into the third quarter to reach the mark. Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber came in 19 yards shy of his first career 1,000-yard season, but managed minus-six yards on his six carries.
"Basically, I didn't get our team ready to play," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips matter-of-factly stated afterward.
Granted, Sunday's game was relatively meaningless for a Dallas squad that wrapped up home-field advantage for the conference playoffs the previous week and rested every key player that came in with even the slightest bruise. And judging by the way the Cowboys basically shrugged off their brutal performance, it doesn't seem to have affected their psyche in any way.
"We're more than confident going into the playoffs," said Romo, who went 7- of-16 for 86 yards and was intercepted once before yielding to backup Brad Johnson in the second half. You want to win the game and you want to play well, but you also don't want to show too much in some ways. It doesn't improve you in any way going into the playoffs."
That carefree attitude could be viewed as a positive as the Cowboys begin their Super Bowl quest in two weeks, but Sunday's poor showing may also be more revealing than it appears on the surface. After all, Dallas really hasn't played with the same precision and intensity since its crucial 37-27 victory over fellow NFC contender Green Bay in Week 13.
In the three games between that win and this most recent loss, the Cowboys struggled to beat a Detroit team that fell apart in the second half of the season, were outplayed at home in a loss to Philadelphia, and had to scratch and claw their way past an inferior Carolina club that had an undrafted rookie quarterback making his first NFL start.
There certainly have been teams throughout the history of the league that have been able to turn it on at will, and Dallas may indeed be one of those teams. But right now, no one really knows that for sure. What we do know is that the Cowboys don't currently have that rhythm that made them one of the most dangerous opponents in the game, and they've got two weeks to get it back.
It's funny how perceptions can turn around so quickly in the NFL. Phillips' easygoing demeanor led to his firing at previous head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo despite having moderate success at both places, but was viewed as a welcome change to the no-nonsense approach of Bill Parcells when the Cowboys were 12-1 just a few weeks ago. But if Dallas falls short of expectations in the upcoming postseason, you can bet that Phillips' coaching style will be held against him once again.
RESTING COMFORTABLY
A number of banged-up Dallas players were held out of Sunday's tilt, with Terrell Owens being the most notable of the inactives. The star receiver wouldn't have participated anyway if the Cowboys needed the game due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in the previous week's win at Carolina. The injury is serious enough to potentially keep Owens sidelined for the team's Divisional Playoff matchup in two weeks, but he's been known to be a quick healer over the course of his 12-year career.
Two other Dallas Pro Bowlers, cornerback Terence Newman and center Andre Gurode, did not play against Washington because of knee ailments, as well as starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff. All three players are expected to be ready for the first playoff game, however.
One injured Cowboy who did compete in Sunday's loss, albeit sparingly, was wide receiver Terry Glenn. The 33-year-old was in uniform for the first time since undergoing a pair of arthroscopic knee surgeries on his right knee that had rendered him inactive for the first 15 games. Glenn was in for only a smattering of plays in the first half and did not record a catch.
"I was only going to see limited action today," Glenn told the Cowboys' official site. "So I knew I could do just what they wanted me to do. But I'll have some time now. Two weeks from now, I'll be ready full-go."
REMATCH IN THE WORKS?
It's possible that the Cowboys could be playing a second straight game against Washington, which secured the sixth and final playoff seed in the NFC with Sunday's triumph. If the Redskins defeat third-seeded Seattle in this Saturday's Wild Card game, they will visit Texas Stadium for a third encounter with Dallas this season.
The Cowboys topped the Redskins by a 28-23 score in Dallas back in Week 11, led by a 173-yard, four-touchdown effort by Owens.
If Seattle emerges victorious on Saturday, then the Cowboys will face the winner of Sunday's opening-round matchup between Tampa Bay and the New York Giants. Dallas swept a home-and-home series with the division-rival Giants this year but did not face the NFC South champion Buccaneers during the regular season.
The Dallas Cowboys wanted no part of their regular-season finale with the Washington Redskins, and that apathetic mindset was evident in the NFC favorites' 27-6 loss this past Sunday at FedEx Field.
Playing with the sole purpose of attempting to attain some lofty individual achievements, the Cowboys looked nothing like the team that ran roughshod over its conference competition through the majority of this 2007 campaign. That fearsome bunch was instead replaced by a tentative and unfocused group that was hardly representative of a club that will enter the NFC playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
Dallas entered the contest having averaged better than 380 total yards and nearly 30 points per game. Against the inspired Redskins, the depleted unit mustered unbelievably pathetic totals of 147 overall yards, seven first downs and an 0-for-11 success rate on third downs.
A normally effective Dallas running game was held to a franchise-low one yard on 16 attempts by Washington, while the Cowboys' seven first downs were just one more than the lowest single-game output in team history.
The Cowboys couldn't even accomplish the seemingly-effortless goals they had set out for the finale. Quarterback Tony Romo did get the seven completions he needed to set the club's single-season record for that category, but had to play into the third quarter to reach the mark. Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber came in 19 yards shy of his first career 1,000-yard season, but managed minus-six yards on his six carries.
"Basically, I didn't get our team ready to play," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips matter-of-factly stated afterward.
Granted, Sunday's game was relatively meaningless for a Dallas squad that wrapped up home-field advantage for the conference playoffs the previous week and rested every key player that came in with even the slightest bruise. And judging by the way the Cowboys basically shrugged off their brutal performance, it doesn't seem to have affected their psyche in any way.
"We're more than confident going into the playoffs," said Romo, who went 7- of-16 for 86 yards and was intercepted once before yielding to backup Brad Johnson in the second half. You want to win the game and you want to play well, but you also don't want to show too much in some ways. It doesn't improve you in any way going into the playoffs."
That carefree attitude could be viewed as a positive as the Cowboys begin their Super Bowl quest in two weeks, but Sunday's poor showing may also be more revealing than it appears on the surface. After all, Dallas really hasn't played with the same precision and intensity since its crucial 37-27 victory over fellow NFC contender Green Bay in Week 13.
In the three games between that win and this most recent loss, the Cowboys struggled to beat a Detroit team that fell apart in the second half of the season, were outplayed at home in a loss to Philadelphia, and had to scratch and claw their way past an inferior Carolina club that had an undrafted rookie quarterback making his first NFL start.
There certainly have been teams throughout the history of the league that have been able to turn it on at will, and Dallas may indeed be one of those teams. But right now, no one really knows that for sure. What we do know is that the Cowboys don't currently have that rhythm that made them one of the most dangerous opponents in the game, and they've got two weeks to get it back.
It's funny how perceptions can turn around so quickly in the NFL. Phillips' easygoing demeanor led to his firing at previous head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo despite having moderate success at both places, but was viewed as a welcome change to the no-nonsense approach of Bill Parcells when the Cowboys were 12-1 just a few weeks ago. But if Dallas falls short of expectations in the upcoming postseason, you can bet that Phillips' coaching style will be held against him once again.
RESTING COMFORTABLY
A number of banged-up Dallas players were held out of Sunday's tilt, with Terrell Owens being the most notable of the inactives. The star receiver wouldn't have participated anyway if the Cowboys needed the game due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in the previous week's win at Carolina. The injury is serious enough to potentially keep Owens sidelined for the team's Divisional Playoff matchup in two weeks, but he's been known to be a quick healer over the course of his 12-year career.
Two other Dallas Pro Bowlers, cornerback Terence Newman and center Andre Gurode, did not play against Washington because of knee ailments, as well as starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff. All three players are expected to be ready for the first playoff game, however.
One injured Cowboy who did compete in Sunday's loss, albeit sparingly, was wide receiver Terry Glenn. The 33-year-old was in uniform for the first time since undergoing a pair of arthroscopic knee surgeries on his right knee that had rendered him inactive for the first 15 games. Glenn was in for only a smattering of plays in the first half and did not record a catch.
"I was only going to see limited action today," Glenn told the Cowboys' official site. "So I knew I could do just what they wanted me to do. But I'll have some time now. Two weeks from now, I'll be ready full-go."
REMATCH IN THE WORKS?
It's possible that the Cowboys could be playing a second straight game against Washington, which secured the sixth and final playoff seed in the NFC with Sunday's triumph. If the Redskins defeat third-seeded Seattle in this Saturday's Wild Card game, they will visit Texas Stadium for a third encounter with Dallas this season.
The Cowboys topped the Redskins by a 28-23 score in Dallas back in Week 11, led by a 173-yard, four-touchdown effort by Owens.
If Seattle emerges victorious on Saturday, then the Cowboys will face the winner of Sunday's opening-round matchup between Tampa Bay and the New York Giants. Dallas swept a home-and-home series with the division-rival Giants this year but did not face the NFC South champion Buccaneers during the regular season.
posted by The Gryphon at 10:11 PM
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