Sunday, January 12, 1997

The Cowboys two games short of super

By DENNE H. FREEMAN / AP Sports Writer (Jan. 12, 1997)

Ups and Downs .... || .... Highs and Lows .... || .... Games Recap

IRVING, Texas (AP) - It all started with the NFL bombshell ordering Michael Irvin to miss the first five games of the season because he was found in a hotel room with drugs.

It ended with Irvin standing on the sidelines in a gold suit and designer sunglasses with his arm in a sling as the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys lost 26-17 to the Carolina Panthers. Irvin hurt his shoulder in the first quarter and the Dallas offense couldn't do without him.

At the end of the game, the Cowboys trudged to the lockerroom, seemingly numbed by a rough season that took its toll.

There was little anger shown. There were no excuses. The Cowboys accepted their fate like they knew it was inevitable at the end of one of the longest, hardest seasons in their history.

At least this crippled and psychologically shell-shocked team didn't have to go to Green Bay and face the possibility of getting ripped apart on the tundra of Lambeau Field by the revenge-seeking Packers.

The preseason started in an unsettled manner for the Cowboys, who were involved in money-making scrimmages and international exhibition games instead of getting down to the repetitions a team needs going into the regular season.

Quarterback Troy Aikman often referred to the preseason as "unfortunate."

He needed more time to get on the same page with his receivers, particularly since Irvin was going to miss the early part of the season and tight end Jay Novacek was out with a bad back.

The Dallas passing game was a hit-and-miss affair even when Irvin came back after a 2-3 start. Tight end Eric Bjornson was injured most of the time and Aikman couldn't get into a pattern. Running back Emmitt Smith, injured in the season opener against Chicago when he fell on his head, struggled in the offense.

The defense, although it only had four starters (Tony Tolbert, Darrin Smith, Darren Woodson and Deion Sanders) available in the playoffs back from the 27-17 Super Bowl win over Pittsburgh, held the team together.

Dave Campo's defense was rated No. 1 the entire season until the last game of the year against Washington when players were rested for the first game of the playoffs.

Dallas won the NFC East for the fifth consecutive season, then whipped Minnesota 40-15 in the wild-card playoff game which was the Cowboys best offensive performance of the season.

It said a lot for the Cowboys they could win without their best receivers, Irvin and Novacek, and their best defenders, Charles Haley with a back problem, and Leon Lett, who missed the last three games of the regular season and the playoffs when he ran afoul of the NFL's substance abuse testing.

Defense and placekicker Chris Boniol carried the team. Boniol kicked seven field goals in one game to beat Green Bay and four in another to beat New England. Dallas couldn't score a touchdown in either game.

It also should be remembered Boniol kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime to beat San Francisco.

The story of the season for Dallas was the team couldn't score touchdowns and had to settle for field goals. It was the main reason the Cowboys fell two games short of winning a record fourth Super Bowl in five seasons.

"The playoff game against Carolina was the same old story for the season," Switzer said. "We were inside their 20 four times and scored one touchdown. We have to find a way to get that corrected for next season."