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Monday, November 24, 1997

Cowboys suffer worst regular season loss since 1989

DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys went into one of the NFL's most hyped games of the season with an eight-game winning streak against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

They came out with a 45-17 loss to the Packers and "the best kicking the Cowboys have had in a long time," Coach Barry Switzer said following the game.

The game, which was tied 10-10 at halftime, is the Cowboys' worst regular season loss since 1989 when New Orleans took down the Cowboys 28-0.

The only other team which has scored more points on the Cowboys was the Cincinnati Bengals in December 1985, when they beat Dallas 50-24.

"The last time I remember getting beat like this was by my father, and my father's been dead a long time," wide receiver Michael Irvin said afterward.

Switzer said the Cowboys were lucky to be in the game at halftime.

"We knew what plays they were going to call," he said. "It comes down to just being able to execute and we couldn't get it done."

Owner Jerry Jones said the Cowboys defense broke down and as a result kept the offense off the field.

"What happened today, we certainly didn't expect," Switzer said. "It's just that their offense made the plays today. They made every third down they had to make."

The Cowboys not only didn't have the chance to move the ball, but lost their composure and made a lot of mistakes, not to mention penalties, Switzer said.

With a four-day turnaround before the Cowboys play the Nashville Oilers at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, Jones said the team has to put this behind them and win out the season.

"If we're a playoff team. If we're capable of playing at a level that we want to play, then that's the job. That's the challenge," Jones said. "I think we can expect to do that."

The Cowboys have four games left this season, three at home against Nashville, North Carolina and New York. They play at Cincinnati on Dec. 14.

"This is a pretty demoralizing loss, but we're going to have to strap it on quick," tight end Eric Bjornson said. "We've got practice tomorrow."