Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
JAIME ARON
Associated Press
IRVING, Texas - After most games, Bill Parcells defers to the old coaching line about "needing to see the tape" before knowing exactly what his team did wrong. That wasn't the case after the Dallas Cowboys played far worse than the 23-7 score indicates in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.
"I know what happened," Parcells harrumphed during his postgame news conference. "But I'm not going to enumerate because you guys would have to send out for Chinese food by the time I finish."
Among the problems that could fit on a fortune cookie: Bad defense, worse offense, no sense of what was at stake.
The Cowboys could have wrapped up the NFC East by beating the Eagles, but by scoring their fewest points and gaining their fewest yards of the season now need some luck to win the division for the first time since the days of Aikman, Irvin and Emmitt.
Dallas needs Atlanta to stop a 2-6 skid and win on the road at Philadelphia. The Cowboys also need to take care of their end by beating Detroit at home.
Should both things happen, Dallas would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC and would have a first-round home game, the first playoff game at Texas Stadium since 1998.
But if the more likely scenario plays out, Dallas will have the fifth seed, the top wild card. The Cowboys would then be headed to Seattle for the first round. There would be no home playoff game and all the "NFC East champions" merchandise advertised in Monday's newspaperd would be exiled to some third-world country.
That explains why team owner Jerry Jones seemed like the most forlorn person in the locker room Monday night.
"Just pitiful. I'm just stunned," Jones said. "A game like this indicts us at the top, just straight through. It's just disappointing. We ought to be able to have something very special happen to us with (Tony) Romo's emergence. ... You ought to be able to take the pieces that you carefully considered, drafted and built, and those pieces ought to be able to be a good supporting cast, and that's not happening for us."
Dallas had so much to play for in its last two home games yet didn't play like a team worthy of a reward.
Before the stinker against Philadelphia, the Cowboys played New Orleans with second place in the NFC on the line. They responded with their worst defensive game of the season.
So much for Parcells' reputation of getting teams to peak at the right time.
The Cowboys' saving grace, of course, is that they are going to the playoffs regardless. So what they do in January will far outweigh anything that happens in December.
Considering Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, a first-round win would still be the crowning achievement of Parcells' tenure.
"I told the team they can either be judged by this game, or come back and compete, which they're going to have the opportunity to do," Parcells said. "We've got to get together or that's how we're going to be judged. If we can beat Detroit and get into the playoffs and do something, then we'll be judged differently."
At least the Eagles helped show the Cowboys what areas they need to work on.
The defense was sorely exposed in its inability to come up with any pressure. With Greg Ellis on injured reserve, DeMarcus Ware was so eager to make plays that he jumped offsides twice.
When he was blocked, Philadelphia quarterback Jeff Garcia had plenty of time to look at each of his receivers until one of them was open. Ultimately, Dallas' D was so worn out that the Eagles were able to run at will.
Romo and the offense never got in synch because of Philadelphia's ball-hogging. Three failed chances to score from the 1-yard line on an early drive seemed to haunt the Cowboys, too. (Not throwing to Terrell Owens more was another problem, according to Terrell Owens.)
Down only 16-7 in the third quarter, Parcells let Romo try passing his way back into the game. It didn't work for a variety of reasons.
One series opened with a botched snap and false starts from both tackles. On third down, right guard Marco Rivera gave up a sack. Only left guard Kyle Kosier went back to the sideline without a major mistake.
Soon after, Dallas tried surprising Philadelphia with a hurry-up offense. The only surprise was the double-coverage Romo threw into in the end zone. Another interception sent fans to the exits with more than six minutes left.
"We're making too many mistakes. That's been our MO when we lose," said Romo, now 6-3 as a starter. "We'll find out how good we are when we get into the tournament."