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After shaky start, Cowboys find schedule gets tougher

By Randy Galloway

The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

So here they go Monday night, the Cowboys embarking on a stretch of schedule that will stretch necks, stretch expectations and, worst-case scenario, stretch this team to the point where heads are removed from shoulders.

Over the next seven games, every coaching job at Valley Ranch goes on the line. So does the future employment of many aging veterans. And so does the Cowboys' tradition and history established in this decade.

Like an aging Ali, they were once the greatest of champions, but now the Cowboys have to resort to rope-a-dope, hoping to duck and dodge long enough to sneak in that one knockout punch.

Consider the next seven games between now and Thanksgiving - Washington on the road Monday night, Jacksonville at home, the Eagles and 49ers on the road, Arizona and the Redskins at home, then Green Bay on the road. Based on the current performance level, the Cowboys will lose all seven. Yes, all seven.

This is unlikely, and seemingly impossible. But the way the Cowboys played the past four games also was unlikely and seemingly impossible.

Frankly, it has thus far been a season when only Jerry Jones has done his job. As the owner, he kept the nucleus of once-great players together, even added to it on offense. And in the process, Jones fully expects one more Super Bowl run, even though he has carefully hidden that goal from public consumption.

Jones won't come right out and say, as he did several years ago, "We have failed if we don't win the Super Bowl."

But listen to what he (ital) has (end ital) said:

"This is the best overall collection of talent we've had in our nine years."

That was a Jones quote in early summer, also during training camp, and as the season prepared to open.

In reality, it's a stupid statement. The '93 team might have been the deepest collection of talent in NFL history. And not winning the Super Bowl with the '94 team was the biggest waste of talent ever in the NFL.

Knowing the NFL of today is a watered-down, half-brother version of what the league once was, if Jones actually believes his words, then he's telling all of us the Cowboys are on their way to San Diego and a fourth world championship in six years.

Another Jones quote as this season was opening: "if we can keep Troy Aikman standing, then we have to consider ourselves a Super Bowl contender."

Well, Aikman is still standing. Sometimes. And that was also Aikman last week trying unsuccessfully to chase down Tito Wooten as the Giants cornerback was returning his errant throw for a touchdown.

But even before the early portion of the schedule started to unravel on the Cowboys, Jones had taken steps to assure the future was now, meaning nothing is certain beyond next season. Not one coaching contract was extended during the off-season. If total change becomes necessary, Jones left the door open.

But Jerry is an owner who thought, and rightfully so, he had a Super Bowl-caliber team. Based on the last four games, he has been tricked. But the next seven games will seal the deal, one way or the other. And since the neck stretch begins on the road Monday night at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, it's as critical a game as the Cowboys have played in forever.

With bad vibes already swirling around the team, another loss could plunge the Cowboys into psychological depths. Recovery might be impossible.

With the offense reduced to a mighty field-goal-kicking machine, the Cowboys would normally hope to brace themselves Monday night with defense and special teams. But then came the injury removal this week of defensive tackle Chad Hennings and safety Darren Woodson. Washington can run the ball, and the Cowboys were suspect at stopping the run even before two of their best run defenders went down.

The Redskins also have two good corners, allowing them to clamp down on Michael Irvin with double coverage while singling Anthony Miller. Until proved otherwise, Miller will not be respected by any defense.

If this game is going to be rescued by the Cowboys, it will be because Emmitt Smith piles up yardage against a Washington defense that has allowed freeway traffic all season on the ground. There was a time when Emmitt was money in the hip pocket against this kind of weakness. But that time hasn't been seen in awhile.

It's a stretch to think the Cowboys can win Monday night. But if they don't, it begins a stretch of schedule that can chop the head off a once-dominant Goliath.

(Randy Galloway is a sports columnist for the Dallas Morning News. Write to him at: Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, Dallas, Texas 75265.)