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Even improved offense can't make Barry Switzer smile

By Josie Karp

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Very little about the Cowboys' 1997 season is proceeding according to expectations, a trend that continued yesterday.

Ironically, the mood surrounding the Cowboys' offense was somewhat more optimistic after Sunday's 20-17 loss to the New York Giants than it was after the previous week's 24-point victory against the Chicago Bears. Much of coach Barry Switzer's ire yesterday was directed at the officials.

In particular, Switzer was pleased with the performance of the offensive line, a group that - in the week leading up to the game - endured significant criticism for its inability to protect quarterback Troy Aikman.

"I think they gained confidence this week," Switzer said. "I think our offensive line felt better about themselves, and they should. They played better."

In discussing the reasons the Cowboys played better and still lost, Switzer fingered some of the same culprits he identified immediately after the contest. He cited the mistakes of his own players.

But he also added to the list.

Switzer suggested that suspect officiating also contributed to the loss. The call that had Switzer most irate was the fourth-quarter pass-interference call on Kevin Smith that helped put the Giants in position to score the game-clinching touchdown.

Switzer said the team would file a formal complaint with the league regarding the call. The written complaint has little impact other than to register the Cowboys' dissatisfaction. Teams regularly submit evaluations of game officiating after each contest.

"I don't know why they don't call it the way we see it as offensive pass interference," Switzer said. "Sometimes I think they forget who holds who in the heat of action, but that's definitely what happened."

Switzer had support on that subject from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who placed a call to NFL director of officiating Jerry Seeman yesterday morning to discuss the call.

Switzer, and the rest of the coaching staff, also drew support from Jones in the form of job security - for now. Jones said he would not make any coaching changes this season but refused to guarantee any security for Switzer or his assistants beyond that point.

"It's not in our best interest of winning a Super Bowl this year to, in any way, have any type of staff change," Jones said. "I'm not compelled to look at that. That's not the direction that I'm looking at, and that's not the solution I'm looking for. It hasn't even crossed my mind."

Jones added that he was not considering any coaching changes for the following season but stopped short of guaranteeing Switzer and his staff would be back.

If Jones is upset by the team's performance, perhaps it is because of the team's consistent inability to score touchdowns after driving inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

"That's the area of biggest concern," fullback Daryl Johnston said. "That's the one we need to improve on. We need to start scoring some touchdowns instead of field goals."

Through five games the Cowboys moved the ball inside the opponents' 20 - the famed "red zone" - 22 times, second to the Green Bay Packers' 26. For their efforts, the Cowboys have six touchdowns, a number surpassed by 19 other teams.

The Cowboys are 3-2 and tied with the Washington Redskins for first place in the NFC East. But they already have two losses in the division.

They play Washington on "Monday Night Football" at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium next. The Redskins game is the second in a five-game stretch that includes four road games - New York, Washington, the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles - and one at home, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"It's an important game," Johnston said of the Redskins matchup. "I think everyone knew it was going to be an important game when they saw where it was on the schedule before the season started. But, the way that the season has transpired to this point, I think it does put 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."

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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