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Parcells Not Devastated by Blowout Loss
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Bill Parcells an optimist? It almost seemed that way Monday when Parcells put his day-after spin on perhaps the ugliest loss in his three-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, a 35-7 whipping by the rival Washington Commanders that eliminated them from the NFC East race and put them on the outer fringe of the wild-card chase.
Parcells admitted to being embarrassed by the performance, but he also repeatedly hit on the theme of this being a one-game aberration.
"We just got beat up physically," an almost relaxed, even-toned Parcells said. "It was just one of those things. The game got away."
From the standpoint of his team rarely getting wiped out, this was out of character. Dallas' previous five losses were by a total of 20 points, none by more than seven.
'm not feeling helpless," Parcells said. "I know today we're basing everything on what you saw yesterday and I won't do that. I can only look at that as something that was disappointing and unanticipated. I don't think anyone in this room could have thought that was going to happen, as well.
"We have been a little erratic and we've been a little up and down, but we haven't been in one of those (blowout) games. So I think you look at that and say, `Hey, well, that's not really what we are.' And I don't think it is. I think we can do better."
From other standpoints, this wasn't as unexpected as, say, Indianapolis losing.
The Cowboys (8-6) have lost three of their last four games, never leading in the losses. The last two, both on the road, were the kind of big games that are supposed to bring out the best in players and teams. Dallas lost the other 17-10 to the New York Giants with first place in the division on the line.
Parcells said it "kind of shows a little bit of the immaturity we have on the team."
"I just think we've got enough guys that really don't know what it's going to be like until they get there and then sometimes it's too late," he said.
Against the Giants, the Cowboys trailed 17-0 seconds into the third quarter. They were down 28-0 to the Commanders before halftime.
"You have to be able to execute under pressure," Parcells said. "You have to be able to do things in adverse situations as well as positive situations. Yesterday was an adverse situation and we didn't respond well to it. ... I don't know what to attribute that to other than they haven't been there before."
Dallas can still make the playoffs, but needs help. Tampa Bay (9-5) is the front-runner for the first wild-card spot and the Cowboys are among four teams at 8-6, but they trail Washington and Minnesota in the tiebreakers.
The Cowboys have another tough road game Saturday, at Carolina (10-4). If those immature players don't grow up fast, the 2005 season could essentially end the same place where Dallas' 2003 season ended with a playoff loss.
While Parcells said he's curious to see how confident his team will be following the Commanders debacle, he finished that thought with a return to the sunny side.
"We've had a couple of disappointing losses where we've bounced back from them," he said.
However, never this season have they had so much to be disappointed about.
The offense had four turnovers, gave up seven sacks and plenty of costly penalties. The defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the third straight game and gave up four touchdown passes. Kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 38-yard field goal and punter Mat McBriar had two shanks.
"They slapped us around the way they wanted to," receiver Patrick Crayton said.
"I thought we were going to be a lot better than this," added cornerback Terence Newman.
Right guard Marco Rivera strained his neck late in the game and spent the night in a Washington-area hospital. He flew home Monday and Parcells said he might play Saturday.
"We really don't have a lot of options right now," Parcells said.
see more updates at http://gryphononcowboys.blogspot.com/
THE GRYPHON
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Bill Parcells an optimist? It almost seemed that way Monday when Parcells put his day-after spin on perhaps the ugliest loss in his three-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, a 35-7 whipping by the rival Washington Commanders that eliminated them from the NFC East race and put them on the outer fringe of the wild-card chase.
Parcells admitted to being embarrassed by the performance, but he also repeatedly hit on the theme of this being a one-game aberration.
"We just got beat up physically," an almost relaxed, even-toned Parcells said. "It was just one of those things. The game got away."
From the standpoint of his team rarely getting wiped out, this was out of character. Dallas' previous five losses were by a total of 20 points, none by more than seven.
'm not feeling helpless," Parcells said. "I know today we're basing everything on what you saw yesterday and I won't do that. I can only look at that as something that was disappointing and unanticipated. I don't think anyone in this room could have thought that was going to happen, as well.
"We have been a little erratic and we've been a little up and down, but we haven't been in one of those (blowout) games. So I think you look at that and say, `Hey, well, that's not really what we are.' And I don't think it is. I think we can do better."
From other standpoints, this wasn't as unexpected as, say, Indianapolis losing.
The Cowboys (8-6) have lost three of their last four games, never leading in the losses. The last two, both on the road, were the kind of big games that are supposed to bring out the best in players and teams. Dallas lost the other 17-10 to the New York Giants with first place in the division on the line.
Parcells said it "kind of shows a little bit of the immaturity we have on the team."
"I just think we've got enough guys that really don't know what it's going to be like until they get there and then sometimes it's too late," he said.
Against the Giants, the Cowboys trailed 17-0 seconds into the third quarter. They were down 28-0 to the Commanders before halftime.
"You have to be able to execute under pressure," Parcells said. "You have to be able to do things in adverse situations as well as positive situations. Yesterday was an adverse situation and we didn't respond well to it. ... I don't know what to attribute that to other than they haven't been there before."
Dallas can still make the playoffs, but needs help. Tampa Bay (9-5) is the front-runner for the first wild-card spot and the Cowboys are among four teams at 8-6, but they trail Washington and Minnesota in the tiebreakers.
The Cowboys have another tough road game Saturday, at Carolina (10-4). If those immature players don't grow up fast, the 2005 season could essentially end the same place where Dallas' 2003 season ended with a playoff loss.
While Parcells said he's curious to see how confident his team will be following the Commanders debacle, he finished that thought with a return to the sunny side.
"We've had a couple of disappointing losses where we've bounced back from them," he said.
However, never this season have they had so much to be disappointed about.
The offense had four turnovers, gave up seven sacks and plenty of costly penalties. The defense allowed a 100-yard rusher for the third straight game and gave up four touchdown passes. Kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 38-yard field goal and punter Mat McBriar had two shanks.
"They slapped us around the way they wanted to," receiver Patrick Crayton said.
"I thought we were going to be a lot better than this," added cornerback Terence Newman.
Right guard Marco Rivera strained his neck late in the game and spent the night in a Washington-area hospital. He flew home Monday and Parcells said he might play Saturday.
"We really don't have a lot of options right now," Parcells said.
see more updates at http://gryphononcowboys.blogspot.com/
THE GRYPHON
