Cowboys no longer have room for error
By JAIME ARON
Associated Press
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys can't win as many games as they did last year. They probably won't repeat as division champs, either.
Yet coach Wade Phillips reminded the Cowboys on Monday they can still accomplish the rest of their goals, even the really big one.
All their 5-4 start has really cost them is a margin of error.
The Cowboys go to Washington on Sunday night knowing they'll almost certainly make the playoffs if they win their final seven games, probably even if they go 6-1. But they can't lose many more than that, and they'd really make things tough on themselves by losing to teams like the Redskins, who are ahead of them in the division and conference.
"You got to get on a run in this league," Phillips said. "We were able to last year. This year, we started out on a run then didn't keep it going. But we've got a chance to come back and win some games."
The roster is virtually the same as the one widely picked to win the NFC, then started 3-0. So the real question is whether Dallas can get back to that level after a 2-4 skid.
It sure helps that Tony Romo and other important injured players are coming back and that they had a bye last week, which gave them time to clear their heads and fix their mistakes.
"There's a clean slate," tight end Jason Witten said. "Really, that's the way you have to look at it."
The Cowboys were 8-1 this time last year, on their way to being an NFC-best 13-3 and the conference's top seed in the playoffs. Yet they lost to a New York Giants team that started slowly, but finished strong enough to win the Super Bowl.
Now those Giants are the ones who are 8-1 and pulling away from the pack. Wouldn't it be quite the coincidence if the Cowboys were the ones to follow New York's script from a year ago?
"It's possible," Zach Thomas said. "We just got to get out there and get our game together -- fast."
The Redskins (6-3) are a perfect foe to kick off this home stretch.
Washington is a good team and the game is on the road, the kind of obstacles Dallas needs to overcome to prove things are going to be different. A win would make both teams 6-4 and would split of the season series. The Cowboys need to pay attention to that kind of thing because they are 1-2 in the division and 3-4 in the NFC; nine teams are .500 or better in conference play.
Thus, it's no surprise that lines like "backs against the wall" and "must-win game" are being thrown around in the locker room.
"As a group, we understand the challenges," Witten said. "I don't think there's one thing you say, 'Oh, if we do this, we're going to be a better team.' I think collectively we can do it as a team."
There's also not much dwelling on how Dallas got into this predicament.
"Nothing you can do about it now," Thomas said. "That's why I say, 'Hey, let's start this thing over. It's a seven-game stretch. Let's play ball."'
Phillips also noted how quickly things can change.
He can use his own team as an example in how they've gone from 3-0 to 5-4. Buffalo has gone from 4-0 to 5-4. On the up side, Miami has gone from 2-4 to 5-4, Baltimore from 2-3 to 6-3, Atlanta from 2-2 to 6-3 and the New York Jets from 1-2 to 6-3.
"Three or four weeks from now, there will be big changes," Phillips said. "So, we'll see where we are."
Associated Press
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys can't win as many games as they did last year. They probably won't repeat as division champs, either.
Yet coach Wade Phillips reminded the Cowboys on Monday they can still accomplish the rest of their goals, even the really big one.
All their 5-4 start has really cost them is a margin of error.
The Cowboys go to Washington on Sunday night knowing they'll almost certainly make the playoffs if they win their final seven games, probably even if they go 6-1. But they can't lose many more than that, and they'd really make things tough on themselves by losing to teams like the Redskins, who are ahead of them in the division and conference.
"You got to get on a run in this league," Phillips said. "We were able to last year. This year, we started out on a run then didn't keep it going. But we've got a chance to come back and win some games."
The roster is virtually the same as the one widely picked to win the NFC, then started 3-0. So the real question is whether Dallas can get back to that level after a 2-4 skid.
It sure helps that Tony Romo and other important injured players are coming back and that they had a bye last week, which gave them time to clear their heads and fix their mistakes.
"There's a clean slate," tight end Jason Witten said. "Really, that's the way you have to look at it."
The Cowboys were 8-1 this time last year, on their way to being an NFC-best 13-3 and the conference's top seed in the playoffs. Yet they lost to a New York Giants team that started slowly, but finished strong enough to win the Super Bowl.
Now those Giants are the ones who are 8-1 and pulling away from the pack. Wouldn't it be quite the coincidence if the Cowboys were the ones to follow New York's script from a year ago?
"It's possible," Zach Thomas said. "We just got to get out there and get our game together -- fast."
The Redskins (6-3) are a perfect foe to kick off this home stretch.
Washington is a good team and the game is on the road, the kind of obstacles Dallas needs to overcome to prove things are going to be different. A win would make both teams 6-4 and would split of the season series. The Cowboys need to pay attention to that kind of thing because they are 1-2 in the division and 3-4 in the NFC; nine teams are .500 or better in conference play.
Thus, it's no surprise that lines like "backs against the wall" and "must-win game" are being thrown around in the locker room.
"As a group, we understand the challenges," Witten said. "I don't think there's one thing you say, 'Oh, if we do this, we're going to be a better team.' I think collectively we can do it as a team."
There's also not much dwelling on how Dallas got into this predicament.
"Nothing you can do about it now," Thomas said. "That's why I say, 'Hey, let's start this thing over. It's a seven-game stretch. Let's play ball."'
Phillips also noted how quickly things can change.
He can use his own team as an example in how they've gone from 3-0 to 5-4. Buffalo has gone from 4-0 to 5-4. On the up side, Miami has gone from 2-4 to 5-4, Baltimore from 2-3 to 6-3, Atlanta from 2-2 to 6-3 and the New York Jets from 1-2 to 6-3.
"Three or four weeks from now, there will be big changes," Phillips said. "So, we'll see where we are."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:16 AM
<< Home