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Troy Aikman takes blame for Cowboys' offensive struggles

By Josie Karp

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman does not claim to have any answers regarding the Cowboys' suspect offensive performance so far this season. He will, however, claim responsibility for it.

"I take full responsibility as the quarterback of this football team for any inefficiencies that we've had offensively. I think that's my responsibility as a quarterback and I accept that with no reservations whatsoever," Aikman said Wednesday. "We've got to improve and I've got to look at myself and see what I need to do in order for our offense to improve."

Statistically, Aikman had one of his best games of the season in the loss Sunday to the New York Giants. He completed more than 65 percent of his passes and threw for 317 yards, tying the sixth-best performance of his career.

But it was a pass late in the third quarter that Giants safety Tito Wooten intercepted and returned for a touchdown that turned the game in New York's favor and defined Aikman's performance.

Aikman's inefficiencies haven't been exactly measurable. He is completing 55.7 percent of his passes this season, a number that is down from his regular-season career mark of 62.9. His 81.6 quarterback rating is less than two points off his career 83.0 rating.

The one number that is up is sacks. Aikman has been sacked nine times in five games. Aikman was not get sacked for the ninth time until the 10th game last season, when he was sacked 18 times in 15 games.

The offensive line has struggled with the blitz and allowed Aikman to get hit more than usual. With all the hits, Aikman said, his performance can suffers even on the plays when he does not get touched.

"It becomes tougher as the game goes along to maintain any type of rhythm and have the confidence to sit there and throw the football," Aikman said. "I would like to be standing here saying that I've played better," Aikman said. "I don't think that I've played real poorly. I don't think that I've played great, either. I think that I've been average about like the offense has been. I think there are some things I can do better than what I've done."

Aikman did not elaborate on what he can do better, but it seems he must show what Monday night when the Cowboys play the Washington Redskins, coached by Aikman's former offensive coordinator and current friend, Norv Turner.

The game is significant for those reasons and more. With 3-2 records, the teams are tied for the NFC East lead. The Cowboys already have two division losses. Another could be devastating.

"We've got our backs to the wall right now," Aikman said. "I would think Washington feels very similar to us right now. We're both coming off pretty tough losses, and understanding this game at this point in the season is for the lead in the division and is kind of a measuring stick for both teams."

If the Cowboys win, Aikman said, it might not be because of his triumphs. The Redskins have the NFL's top-ranked pass defense.

"I think we've got to be able to run the football," Aikman said. "If we get behind or if we get in a situation where we're unable to run the football then it could be a long night for us because they're not a group back there that's going to give you many plays throwing the ball."

The Redskins pass defense improved dramatically with the addition of cornerback Cris Dishman this season. Along with longtime starter Darrell Green, the tandem rivals the Cowboys' Deion Sanders and Kevin Smith for league supremacy.

Even without Dishman, Aikman's best days recently have not come against Washington, which has a 3-1 record against the Cowboys since 1995. He did not play against the Redskins in last year's season finale. In the Cowboys' 1996 Thanksgiving Day victory, most of the offensive firepower came from running back Emmitt Smith, Aikman completed just 9-of-19 passes for 63 yards and did not throw for a touchdown.

In 1995, Aikman got hurt in the Cowboys' first game against the Redskins and the team lost. In the second game, he completed more than 60 percent of his passes but the team lost again.

It is against that backdrop that Aikman and the Cowboys play their most important game of the season.

And it is time, Aikman said, for the offense to get well.

"We have been pretty average offensively at best, and certainly that's an area that I think is holding back the football team and an area where we've got to improve," Aikman said. "It is going to be a difficult game for us, we're going to have to play much better than we probably have all year in order to win this game."

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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