Monday, September 9, 1996

OK, the gloat's over for Cowboy haters
By Frank Fitzpatrick
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
(Sept. 9, 1996)

IRVING, Texas (KRT) - It was great fun while it lasted. For all those who would pull for Iraq against America's Team, who loathe Jerry Jones' bluster and Michael Irvin's strut, the Cowboys' season-opening humiliation in Chicago initiated one glorious week of gloating.

But Sunday, with Troy Aikman again throwing bulls-eyes, with Emmitt Smith healthy and hungry, and with a defense as stifling as the 90-degree heat, the Cowboys introduced some reality into their detractors' dreams with four quarters of sobering football.

Limiting the pathetic Giants to 93 yards of offense, the Cowboys thrashed New York, 27-0, and sent a clear message to all those NFL teams whose ambitions blossomed after their Week 1 debacle.
"Everybody that hates us was doing a lot of talking this week," said Broderick Thomas, the new Cowboys' linebacker. "They were just having a good old time. Well, I hope y'all had fun, 'cause there won't be many more opportunities for that kind of thing."

The defending champions are 1-1 and, off Sunday's performance at least, back on a Super Bowl track. Suddenly all those big questions that lingered through a sorry preseason and into last week seem resolved in their favor.

Irvin's five-game suspension will end in three weeks. Six days after departing Soldiers Field on a stretcher, Smith collected 94 yards on 25 carries in little more than three periods. Aikman completed 19 of 27 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Eric Bjornson (4 catches for 41 yards) looked nearly as effective as the injured Jay Novacek.

And - this is the scary part, Dallas-despisers - the defense was superb.

The Cowboys' play in their 22-6 loss to Chicago last Monday was so uncharacteristically poor that it even created doubt in their own locker room.

"I felt a lot of pressure this week," said coach Barry Switzer, moments after contending that he "never listened" to all those who had dumped on his Cowboys. "We wanted to come out and play well. And we did. That was total domination in all three phases."

According to some Cowboys, the normally laid-back Switzer transmitted that feeling to his players during their short week of practice.

"He was (ticked) at us this week, and I really believe that was what was needed after the way we played last week and during the preseason," said defensive end Charles Haley, who had one of three sacks on the typically ineffective Dave Brown (10 for 15 for 59 yards). "And when he gets (ticked), the guys will listen."

Aikman and safety Darren Woodson also conceded that the Cowboys had been under pressure to erase those bad Week 1 memories.

"Today was just the first step in us getting back to being the best team out there," Woodson said. "We have to show everyone out there that doubts us that we are the best team in the league."

But Smith, who limped off the field with 10 minutes, 30 seconds to play with what he described as an insignificant knee ailment, disagreed.

"This was not a response to last week," he said. "We play 16 games, and there are no Super Bowl-caliber teams in Week 2."

Don't tell that to the 0-2 Giants. Held to 37 yards in the first half, none of them in the air, New York was fortunate to be trailing by only 21-0 at halftime. The Cowboys were merciful in the second half, scoring only on two Chris Boniol field goals and permitting New York's offense 56 yards.

"There is no one but myself to blame for the performance today," said Giants coach Dan Reeves.

With 1:23 left in the opening period, Kevin Williams pulled in an 18-yard scoring pass from Aikman to give Dallas a 14-0 advantage. Smith scored the Cowboys' final TD on a 5-yard pass with two seconds left in the half.

The Cowboys outgained the Giants, 368-93, did not turn the ball over and took it away from New York twice, on Smith's interception and a Tony Tolbert fumble-recovery after a Haley sack.

"We (the starting unit) hadn't scored a touchdown since the first preseason game," Aikman said. "So this game was a confidence-builder for us. I'm very pleased with our performance. And the defense played even better than we did."

So, as Jimmy Johnson used to shout before he took his hair spray to Miami: How 'bout them Cowboys!

(c) 1996, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

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