[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Tuesday, November 11, 1997

Cowboys' Ernie Zampese: Offense just needs adjustments

By Jean-Jacques Taylor

Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Cowboys offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese says he believes in his 19th-ranked offense. He isn't going to change it, although he is not opposed to tinkering with it.

"What we do still fits the personnel that we have," Zampese said Monday. "We make some adjustments, but it would be foolish to change our offense."

He called a flea-flicker Sunday for the first time in his four seasons with the Cowboys. He also instituted several two-tight end sets and flashed a no-huddle offense.

The results were good.

The Cowboys scored three offensive touchdowns for only the third time this season, and they gained 329 yards, their fourth-best output of the season, in a 24-6 win over Arizona.

But Zampese insisted he hasn't opened up the offense.

"What is opening up an offense?" he said. "Every game we have some plays that we haven't run, but basically, you run what you run because it fits your personnel the best."

Quarterback Troy Aikman agreed.

He used his 51-yard completion to Anthony Miller, whose defender fell down when the ball arrived, as an example.

"It might have appeared that we opened it up because we made some plays," Aikman said. "Anthony Miller made a play. That route is not designed to go 51 yards."

During Zampese's four seasons, the Cowboys have manhandled teams with a massive offensive line and an overpowering running game.

They no longer have either, and after five consecutive seasons with an offense in the top five, the Cowboys plummeted to 24th in 1996.

So Zampese and the players have had to adjust.

Aikman, who normally directs six of every 10 passes to Michael Irvin, spread the ball around against the Arizona. Eight receivers caught passes. Sherman Williams (16) and Emmitt Smith (15) combined for 31 carries.

And the Cowboys used two tight end formations to compensate for not having fullback Daryl Johnston, out for the season after having surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck.

Instead of using Herschel Walker, a tailback by trade, as a battering ram, the Cowboys are using David LaFleur (6-7, 272 pounds) and Scott Galbraith (6-2, 263).

Zampese said it's his job to put players in the best position to be successful. They have to get it done.

The Cowboys have had 18 big plays this season - runs of at least 20 yards and pass completions of at least 25 yards. Of their 19 touchdowns, eight have come on drives that included a big play.

"You can call passes and runs, but they have to execute them," Switzer said. "There are no magic plays. Everyone runs the same stuff."

At 61, Zampese, who's in his 21st season, said he still enjoys his job and has no intentions of retiring.

"They might retire me, but I'm not going anywhere," he said with a laugh. "I like to go to the horsetrack and Las Vegas. If I retire, I can't afford to do that."

(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

Visit The Dallas Morning News on the World Wide Web at http://www.dallasnews.com/

Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Information Services.