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Sunday, December 14, 1997

Cincinnati a good test for younger Cowboys

By Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News

DALLAS -- The Cowboys, who have ruled the NFL much of this decade, find themselves playing for pride with two weeks left in the regular season.

The Cowboys' five-year reign in the NFC East has ended and they need a miracle to make the playoffs. They have lost three consecutive games, and they're in the midst of their worst season since 1990.

Now, the question is whether the Cowboys (6-8) still will play with intensity and effort Sunday at noon against Cincinnati (5-9) at Cinergy Field in a game that means nothing except the loser enhances his 1998 draft position.

"Cincinnati is going to have the psychological edge," said Coach Barry Switzer, "because they've been in this situation before where they're not playing for anything."

The Cowboys' players and coaches insist they will play hard in their last two games because they're highly-paid professionals and competitors.

"We're all in this game because we love it and we have some ability," offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese said. "We're all professional enough to approach it in the proper manner, and I think our guys are going to play hard."

So does Cincinnati Coach Bruce Coslet.

"They're all champions. They've got three Super Bowl rings and you don't quit when you're a champion," he said. "We're gearing up for a tough, hard-nosed football game."

The Cowboys will need a good effort to beat Cincinnati because the Bengals' offense might be the league's hottest.

Cincinnati has scored at least 28 points in four of their past five games and quarterback Boomer Esiason has led the team to touchdowns on 19 of the 35 drives he has directed since he took over the starting job five weeks ago.

Then there's running back Corey Dillon, who had 246 yards against Tennessee in his last game, breaking Jim Brown's 40-year-old rookie rushing record.

That's bad news for the Cowboys, who have allowed seven consecutive teams to rush for 100 yards as well as three straight running backs.

Although the next two games will mean little in the standings, they are important for fringe players like offensive linemen George Hegamin, running back Sherman Williams and defensive lineman Hurvin McCormack, who need to prove their worth.

And for rookies like fullback Nicky Sualua and cornerbacks Kevin Mathis and Kenny Wheaton to prove they have what it takes to help the Cowboys return to the NFL's elite.

They're also important for former high draft picks like defensive end Kavika Pittman (second round) and defensive tackle Darren Benson (third round) to prove they are more than wasted selections.

"We feel like we can evaluate them better after a game like this than a pre-season game," said Switzer, "because they're going to be playing against first-teamers."

Sualua intrigues Switzer the most.

The Cowboys drafted the blocking fullback from Ohio State to replace Daryl Johnston, when he retired in a few seasons.

A neck injury, however, has left Johnston's career in limbo. He had surgery to correct a herniated disk in his neck in October, and insists he will play in 1998. But the Cowboys need a backup plan in case he can't.

"With DJ's situation, Nicky is a guy that we have to know more about," Switzer said. "He's a big, strong, physical guy who looks like he can play, but we need to know."

Defensive coordinator Dave Campo said he didn't play Benson and Pittman much during the regular season because winning games was more important than player development.

That's no longer the case.

"Sometimes in the stretch run, when you're trying to win games, you have to go with guys who aren't going to help you in the future, but can help you right now," Campo said. "We're in a situation where we don't have to do that anymore."

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(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

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