by Liam » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:22 am
I'm not posting this as a knock on the Pack...but I'm really proud of my 'Boys so far. They've got a fighting chance of going to the Super Bowl to mark the '77 win.
IRVING, Texas - If the prospect of a playoff berth before December and the inside track to home-field advantage wasn't enough motivation Thursday night, Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton found a little extra incentive on the Texas Stadium sideline.
Troy Aikman. Roger Staubach. Michael Irvin. Emmitt Smith. Tony Dorsett. The rest of the 1977 and 1992 Super Bowl squads, which were honored at halftime with a ceremonial lineup introduction from the east end zone.
"Just watching those guys put those rings up there like that, that's something that we want to be a part of," Crayton said. "That's what we're trying to do: Bring another ring back to Dallas 30 years from the date."
Thursday's convincing 37-27 victory over the Green Bay Packers clinched merely a playoff spot. No division titles or first-round byes or top seeds. Certainly not a Super Bowl title. Not yet, anyway.
The current Cowboys realize they're nowhere close to the championship level of 15 and 30 years ago. There's still much to prove, but an 11-1 record and tightening grip on the conference's best record is a large step in the right direction with four games left.
The Cowboys can win the NFC East as early as Sunday if the second-place New York Giants (7-4) lose to Chicago, but one more victory also wraps up their first division title since 1998. They also can assure themselves of a first-round bye with another win and another loss by Seattle (7-4) and Tampa Bay (7-4).
More important, the Cowboys seized the head-to-head conference tiebreaker over their closest competition for home-field advantage. Green Bay (10-2) must begin its final four-game stretch with health questions surrounding quarterback Brett Favre, who missed the entire second half Thursday night with a bruised elbow and separated shoulder. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy expects his 38-year-old starter will be ready to play next Sunday against Oakland.
"To quote the medical staff, his (249-game starts) streak is not in danger," McCarthy said.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys have a real chance to sweep their final four games and finish 15-1 for the first time in franchise history. Their remaining opponents (at Detroit, Philadelphia, at Carolina, at Washington) have a combined 20-24 record, with only the Lions (6-5) hovering above .500.
Despite three upcoming road trips, the Cowboys have proven they can win consistently away from Texas Stadium. They've won all five road games this season by an average of 14.8 points.
The Cowboys know better than to underestimate next Sunday's opponent, however. Last season's 39-31 loss to a 2-13 Lions team capped yet another sluggish December in Dallas.
"I don't see that (happening) from our team, but I will say the schedule-makers put us in a bad bind," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said. "We've got three on the road and the other team we're playing is a division team (Philly) that has beaten the Cowboys the last couple of years. We will have a tough rest of the way."
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones might agree if using history as a reference. In four years under Bill Parcells, the Cowboys had an 8-11 record after Thanksgiving and dropped three of their final four games last season to finish with the NFC's fifth playoff seed.
But Jones was encouraged by Thursday's decisive win over a team most consider the Cowboys' most worthy challenger in the conference.
"This starts us off right to addressing a swooning effect that we've had the last four years," Jones said. "And that is, win two out of the last five games, which had the net effect of leaving a bad taste in our mouth as we went into a playoff situation when we could get there."
"I think this (win) right now against a team like this, starting into the last quarter of this season, that's the most meaningful thing. Our arrow is pointed up."
The Cowboys also have better stability at critical positions. Last November, the club reluctantly ditched high-priced kicker Mike Vanderjagt and struggled to mount a consistent pass rush with Greg Ellis (Achilles) on injured reserve. This year, rookie Nick Folk (20 of 23 field goals) has solidified the kicker job and Ellis already has posted a career-high 10½ sacks in just nine games.
Offensively, quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Terrell Owens are collaboratively rewriting the club record books. Romo is the franchise's new single-season touchdown king (33), and Owens is one touchdown grab short of breaking Frank Clarke's 45-year-old record (14).
Thursday's triumph over a 10-1 Packers team - in front of the franchise's living legends - was the most significant team accomplishment yet.
"I think we established some more history," Crayton said after the Cowboys qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1998-99. "We're trying to continue history right here."
Liam
"It ain't how hard you can hit. It's how hard you can get it, and keep goin'." - Rocky
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