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Thursday, December 11, 1997

How hard will the 'Boys try?

By DENNE H. FREEMAN / AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Will the Dallas Cowboys mail in their last two games?

No, says Barry Switzer. No, says Troy Aikman.

The Cowboys, 6-8 with only a remote chance of a wild-card spot, play at Cincinnati on Sunday and are home against the New York Giants on Dec. 21.

Dallas has a longshot chance to make the playoffs based on so many combinations of events the NFL office hasn't bothered to compute the possibilities.

Does Switzer turn to younger players to give them experience? Or does the coach stay with the older players in their season of discontent?

"We're going to play for a win," Switzer says. "We still have a chance for a .500 season. Jerry (Jones, the owner) and the fans deserve a full day's play for a full day's pay. This team has pride. It's not going to lay down."

Switzer said there will be a tendency to play some younger players only because some of the older ones are hurting.

"We'd like to play some of our young people if the older players are hurting," Switzer said. "We're going to play hard even if we are out of it."

Defensive tackle Tony Casillas, who played for Switzer at Oklahoma, said "it's going to be very difficult to take the field knowing that we aren't going anywhere. And it will be difficult to sit at home in three weeks watching other teams in the playoffs. It's humiliating to know you should win. But we'll keep playing hard."

Aikman said he expects the team to come to play.

"It will be disappointing if we didn't go out and give great effort in the last two games," the quarterback said. "We still have to finish out the season and we should still give our best effort."

Running back Sherman Williams said, "nobody feels good. We're all feeling the pain. But we have to go out and work hard and try to better ourselves in the last two games."

The Cowboys have a long list of injuries. Tight end Eric Bjornson will be out the rest of the season with a fractured ankle and running back Emmitt Smith has a bad shoulder that could keep him from playing.

Offensive linemen Erik Williams and Nate Newton also are nursing injuries.

"We'll go with the healthy ones," Switzer said. "We have to go up there and face a hot quarterback (Boomer Esiason) in a cold town. It won't be easy."

Jones said the Cowboys need to win the last two games "to set the tone for next season." The owner, however, has yet to say who will coach the Cowboys next year.