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Good road trip now could keep Cowboys at home in playoffs

By JAIME ARON / AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- If the Dallas Cowboys learned anything from last season's problems on and off the field, they now know the importance of having home-field advantage in the playoffs.

No wonder the Cowboys are afraid that if they don't straighten themselves out soon, their road to the Super Bowl will again be on the road.

Dallas (3-2) is one week into a five-game, make-or-break part of its season that includes four road games. The Cowboys opened the stretch with a 20-17 loss to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands last Sunday.

Next up are the Washington Redskins (3-2) in the Monday night debut of their new stadium, followed by a home game with Jacksonville (4-1) then back on the road to Philadelphia (2-3) and San Francisco (4-1).

"We've got to come out of this in good shape," fullback Daryl Johnston said. "If we don't, we could find ourselves in the same shape as last year, out of the race for the home field advantage."

The Cowboys took themselves out of that race last year by starting the season 2-3 while Michael Irvin was suspended.

Despite finishing the season 10-6 and winning the NFC East for the fifth straight year, their record was the worst of the three division winners. That forced them to play a first-round playoff game for the first time since 1991.

Dallas won that game, but lost to the Panthers in Carolina the following weekend, ending the Cowboys' season before the NFC championship for the first time since 1991.

Coach Barry Switzer reminded his team all summer that a good start this year would at least provide a better shot at a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Although the record is better than it was at this time last year, Dallas is still struggling, especially on offense.

The big problem has been scoring touchdowns. By settling for field goals so often, the Cowboys have turned potentially easy victories into nail-biters.

Dallas lost in overtime to the Cardinals in Arizona and failed to get off a potentially game-tying field goal as time expired against the Giants. If not for a flubbed field goal attempt by Philadelphia, Dallas also would've lost at home to the Eagles.

"We came up big when we needed to last year, but we played with our backs against the wall all year long," cornerback Kevin Smith said. "By losing the two road games that we already have this year against teams we should have beaten, we probably have put ourselves in a similar situation."

Tampa Bay leads the NFC Central and the conference home-field chase with a 5-1 record. San Francisco leads the NFC West at 4-1. Dallas and Washington are tied for the NFC East lead at 3-2.

"I think everyone knew this was going to be an important game when they saw where it was on the schedule," Johnston said. "But, the way that the season has transpired to this point, I think it puts a little bit more emphasis on it.

"But, the big thing is, you don't want to be 3-1 ... and then give it right back and ... drop to 3-3."