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Season to remember for Cowboys can be ruined by December repeat
Associated Press
Updated: December 4, 2007, 6:23 PM ET
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys so far have had a season to remember, with the NFC's best record and a playoff spot already secured.
Just don't forget December.
Sorry, Jerry Jones, we can't fast-forward from now to the playoffs. There is still one-fourth of the regular season remaining.
Despite the best start in franchise history at 11-1, even better than when the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the 1990s, Jones still has an uneasy feeling.
That's because the calendar has turned to December, which has provided plenty of letdowns for the Cowboys since their last championship seasons.
"I am more excited about what is going to happen, without a doubt," the Cowboys owner said this week, then followed that immediately with a cautionary statement.
"Consequently, I am apprehensive about what can happen."
Since winning their last playoff game during the 1996 season, the Cowboys haven't had a winning record for regular season games played in December and early January. They are 16-29 in such games, plus the four playoff losses after losing momentum late in those seasons.
Dallas entered December 2003 with an 8-4 record in Bill Parcells' first season, then went 2-2 to miss out on the NFC East title. That also dropped the Cowboys to the sixth seed in the NFC and they lost the wildcard game.
The Cowboys reached December at 7-4 and atop the division each of the past two years. They went 2-3 both times, missing the postseason in 2005 and winding up a wildcard last season before the playoff loss at Seattle in Parcells' final game.
"We've tried to let go of the past, but one thing that we've done since I've been here is just faltered," linebacker Bradie James said. "We've nose-dived in December."
Another December collapse won't keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs this season. Plus, with one more victory, or a loss by the New York Giants, Dallas clinches its first NFC East title since 1998.
The Cowboys don't even need a winning month to match the franchise record of 13 victories. A 2-2 record would accomplish that and Green Bay (10-2) would then have to win the rest of its games to take away home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs.
"With each win, the confidence grows," safety Roy Williams said. "We just can't get too relaxed."
Being rested and mentally fresh is another thing. That should be easier to accomplish since the overbearing Parcells is no longer running things.
That should make a huge difference this December.
With Parcells, the Cowboys seemed worn down and had already peaked by the time they got to the closing stretch each season. Still, the coach kept pushing, and pushing.
Coach Wade Phillips' easygoing approach has created a different feel on the practice field and in the locker room. Players are at ease, working hard and seemingly ready to change how they've ended previous seasons.
"We're still trying to get that pot of gold," said linebacker Greg Ellis, who was part of three consecutive 11-loss seasons in Dallas. "We want to keep this thing going."
After the Cowboys beat Green Bay in the showdown of 10-1 teams Thursday, the players got a three-day weekend in which Phillips "didn't expect anything football-wise. Just told them to relax and whatever they wanted to do, within limits."
When the players returned to Valley Ranch on Monday, they had only a short walkthrough practice that mainly stressed fundamentals.
Dallas has a six-game winning streak since a 48-27 home loss in mid-October to New England, still the NFL's only undefeated team after an incredible escape Monday night at Baltimore.
Receiver Patrick Crayton virtually guaranteed a Super Bowl for the Cowboys after the loss to the Patriots, when he said the day after, "If they get to Arizona, we will see them again."
The Cowboys may have to play the Packers again to get there, and want to make sure they avoid frigid Lambeau Field in January.
Take care of business in December, and Dallas can play all of its NFC playoff games at home. Texas Stadium hasn't hosted a postseason game since the Cowboys beat Green Bay in the NFC championship game in January 1996 before winning their fifth Super Bowl title.
Here we are, at the part of the season that Jones was already concerned about during training camp.
"That's one of the things we've all gotten criticism over. We've habitually dropped off at the end of the year," Jones said during camp, insisting that he wasn't criticizing Parcells. "I can't blame Bill for us dropping off at the end of the year. I don't blame him. I know what he put into it and how hard he worked and how hard he worked the players. That was a surprise."
Despite his uneasy feeling, then and even now, Jones should be comforted by the biggest difference this December: Parcells will be in a television studio instead of on the sideline.
Plus, even though it was the last NFL game played in November, Jones took the Week 13 victory over Green Bay as a positive sign.
"This starts us off right to addressing a swooning effect that we've had the last four years," Jones said in the locker room that night. "The team is mentally fresh, that ought to help us."
In December, and beyond.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
Associated Press
Updated: December 4, 2007, 6:23 PM ET
IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys so far have had a season to remember, with the NFC's best record and a playoff spot already secured.
Just don't forget December.
Sorry, Jerry Jones, we can't fast-forward from now to the playoffs. There is still one-fourth of the regular season remaining.
Despite the best start in franchise history at 11-1, even better than when the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in a four-year span in the 1990s, Jones still has an uneasy feeling.
That's because the calendar has turned to December, which has provided plenty of letdowns for the Cowboys since their last championship seasons.
"I am more excited about what is going to happen, without a doubt," the Cowboys owner said this week, then followed that immediately with a cautionary statement.
"Consequently, I am apprehensive about what can happen."
Since winning their last playoff game during the 1996 season, the Cowboys haven't had a winning record for regular season games played in December and early January. They are 16-29 in such games, plus the four playoff losses after losing momentum late in those seasons.
Dallas entered December 2003 with an 8-4 record in Bill Parcells' first season, then went 2-2 to miss out on the NFC East title. That also dropped the Cowboys to the sixth seed in the NFC and they lost the wildcard game.
The Cowboys reached December at 7-4 and atop the division each of the past two years. They went 2-3 both times, missing the postseason in 2005 and winding up a wildcard last season before the playoff loss at Seattle in Parcells' final game.
"We've tried to let go of the past, but one thing that we've done since I've been here is just faltered," linebacker Bradie James said. "We've nose-dived in December."
Another December collapse won't keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs this season. Plus, with one more victory, or a loss by the New York Giants, Dallas clinches its first NFC East title since 1998.
The Cowboys don't even need a winning month to match the franchise record of 13 victories. A 2-2 record would accomplish that and Green Bay (10-2) would then have to win the rest of its games to take away home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs.
"With each win, the confidence grows," safety Roy Williams said. "We just can't get too relaxed."
Being rested and mentally fresh is another thing. That should be easier to accomplish since the overbearing Parcells is no longer running things.
That should make a huge difference this December.
With Parcells, the Cowboys seemed worn down and had already peaked by the time they got to the closing stretch each season. Still, the coach kept pushing, and pushing.
Coach Wade Phillips' easygoing approach has created a different feel on the practice field and in the locker room. Players are at ease, working hard and seemingly ready to change how they've ended previous seasons.
"We're still trying to get that pot of gold," said linebacker Greg Ellis, who was part of three consecutive 11-loss seasons in Dallas. "We want to keep this thing going."
After the Cowboys beat Green Bay in the showdown of 10-1 teams Thursday, the players got a three-day weekend in which Phillips "didn't expect anything football-wise. Just told them to relax and whatever they wanted to do, within limits."
When the players returned to Valley Ranch on Monday, they had only a short walkthrough practice that mainly stressed fundamentals.
Dallas has a six-game winning streak since a 48-27 home loss in mid-October to New England, still the NFL's only undefeated team after an incredible escape Monday night at Baltimore.
Receiver Patrick Crayton virtually guaranteed a Super Bowl for the Cowboys after the loss to the Patriots, when he said the day after, "If they get to Arizona, we will see them again."
The Cowboys may have to play the Packers again to get there, and want to make sure they avoid frigid Lambeau Field in January.
Take care of business in December, and Dallas can play all of its NFC playoff games at home. Texas Stadium hasn't hosted a postseason game since the Cowboys beat Green Bay in the NFC championship game in January 1996 before winning their fifth Super Bowl title.
Here we are, at the part of the season that Jones was already concerned about during training camp.
"That's one of the things we've all gotten criticism over. We've habitually dropped off at the end of the year," Jones said during camp, insisting that he wasn't criticizing Parcells. "I can't blame Bill for us dropping off at the end of the year. I don't blame him. I know what he put into it and how hard he worked and how hard he worked the players. That was a surprise."
Despite his uneasy feeling, then and even now, Jones should be comforted by the biggest difference this December: Parcells will be in a television studio instead of on the sideline.
Plus, even though it was the last NFL game played in November, Jones took the Week 13 victory over Green Bay as a positive sign.
"This starts us off right to addressing a swooning effect that we've had the last four years," Jones said in the locker room that night. "The team is mentally fresh, that ought to help us."
In December, and beyond.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index
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