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Tuesday, December 9, 1997

Drive for playoffs exposed as a bad joke for Cowboys

By Jim Reeves

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Give me a second while I try to figure out how to blame Barry Switzer for this one.

OK, maybe I'll need more than a second.

Honestly, I think we can safely say the Cowboys' head coach had little or nothing to do with Monday night's 23-13 hope-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers at Texas Stadium.

If you get my drift.

The farce is officially over.

Please, don't give me the math. I don't want to know, and it doesn't matter anyway. No more analyzing tiebreaker formulas. No more staring endlessly at the standings or breaking down everyone else's schedule.

No more what-ifs.

For the first time since Troy Aikman's second season in the league in 1990, the Cowboys won't be playing after Christmas nor do they deserve to be. And the fact that NFL fans may yet have to see their holiday egg nog curdle while watching the pitiful Panthers and their ilk in the postseason is a league-wide embarrassment.

At least the Cowboys' own humiliation won't be extended beyond the regular season. Just let the next two weeks quietly expire, go home and burn the films.

Especially Monday night's mortifying debacle in front of a national "Monday Night Football" audience.

'I'm disappointed, embarrassed and frustrated," Aikman said. "Nothing you haven't heard before. It's hard watching this football team become average.

"After tonight, this team doesn't deserve to make the playoffs."

Playing with a bruised thumb and index finger on his throwing hand, Aikman was awful (4-of-15 for 35 yards in the first half). Emmitt Smith reinjured his shoulder waving at a Carolina blitzer on the Cowboys' second offensive series and took a seat on the bench. Tight end Eric Bjornson didn't catch a pass and was lost for the final two games with a fractured fibula.

And the Cowboys plan to file a missing persons report on wide receiver Anthony Miller, whose face was on a milk carton by halftime.

Finally, just when Aikman had pumped fresh hope into what was announced as a sellout crowd (several thousand seats were empty) with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Michael Irvin with 6:33 left in the game, the Cowboys were undone by their worst offensive play call since fourth-and-one in Philadelphia two years ago.

The Aikman-Irvin connection had trimmed the Panthers' lead to seven points and finally ignited the Texas Stadium fans. An energy-filled defensive stand and a miserable Carolina punt put the Cowboys in business at their 46-yard line.

A short pass to rookie tight end David LaFleur (he fumbled, but Sherman Williams recovered and, yes, you're reading that correctly) netted 4 yards. Williams got five more on two carries, bringing up fourth-and-inches at the Carolina 45.

There was a long delay while injured Panthers cornerback Eric Davis was carted off the field, plenty of time for the Cowboys to plan their strategy, which should have been simple. Aikman could get the first down on a quarterback sneak or hand the ball to Williams on a quick, straight-ahead dive play.

Nothing fancy necessary here. No need to be clever. Just get the first down and move the chains. Plenty of time remained to get a touchdown and then decide whether to go for the two-point conversion and the victory or the tie and wait for overtime.

Instead, the Cowboys outsmarted themselves, and for this inexplicable call alone, heads should roll, including Switzer's, who had plenty of time to overrule anything offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese concocted.

Guess Barry overdosed on his Attention Deficit Disorder medication again.

Aikman faked the handoff to Williams at left guard, then spun to his right on a naked bootleg, looking for LaFleur. The Panthers were not at all fooled, and LaFleur was well covered.

"We tried to throw it to LaFleur in the flat or Michael on the corner, but (the Panthers) had it pretty well covered up," Aikman said. "We tried to make something happened there and just didn't do it."

Frustrated, Aikman reversed his field, retreating under the Carolina pass rush, hoping to find another open receiver. Instead, as he gave ground, his legs finally buckled beneath him and he was stuffed for a 25-yard loss.

Where's "load-left" - new left tackle Larry Allen had been manhandling everyone the Panthers put in front of him all night - when you need it?

"(Carolina) ran it (a similar play) for a big gain," Switzer said in defending the call. "They were playing heavy on the run. The play just deteriorated as it went along."

The electricity that had filled the stadium just moments earlier vanished like someone had pulled the plug on the Christmas tree lights. Stunned Cowboys' fans stumbled silently up the aisles and filed morosely to their cars.

They seemed to understand that they had just watched the final death throes of an NFL dynasty.

Taking over at the Cowboys' 30, the Panthers marched to a game-sealing John Kasay field goal but it was an unnecessary mercy bullet.

"We're not ded yet," a banner in the crowd proclaimed, showing a noble spirit as well as a lack of exposure to Daryl Johnston's literacy program.

They are now, though.

D-E-D.

Stone, cold dead.

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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