Sunday, October 11, 1998

Cowboys say they owe Panthers a whipping

By DENNE H. FREEMAN

Associated Press

IRVING -- There's only one NFL team the Dallas Cowboys have played but never beaten: the Carolina Panthers. Don't think the Cowboys don't realize it.

"We remember we're 0-2 against them," said strong safety Darren Woodson. "They played us well both times. It was surprising how they put it on us, beating us in the playoffs and then coming back here last year. That's a trend we want stopped."

The winless Panthers (0-4) come calling Sunday, and Dallas hopes to avenge a 26-17 loss in the divisional playoffs two years ago and a 23-13 Monday night loss at Texas Stadium in the final days of the Barry Switzer era.

Cowboys linebacker Randall Godfrey said the Panthers will be double-trouble because of their record.

"There's nothing more dangerous than a team that hasn't won," Godfrey said. "But we know this is one team the Cowboys haven't beaten. We've got to do that even though any team can have its day, like Buffalo did against San Francisco."

Dallas coach Chan Gailey, Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator last year, said the Panthers on film don't look like a bunch of losers.

"You don't see a team that looks 0-4 on film," he said. "They're a blue-collar, hard-nosed tough offense. They've turned the ball over. That's been their nemesis."

Carolina coach Dom Capers, who was on the same staff with Gailey at Pittsburgh, said the Panthers' failure this season -- after three successful seasons -- is easy to trace.

"In the first three years we didn't beat ourselves," he said. "This year we have. It's hard enough to win a game when you do everything right, but you have very little chance when you essentially beat yourself."

Linebacker Kevin Greene said it isn't a matter of any of the players quitting on Capers.

"We're still trying to fight through all the adversity," Greene said. "Every player is giving good effort."

One player who has quit on the team is quarterback Kerry Collins, who benched himself as the starter this week because, he said, his heart wasn't in it.

Collins had the league's highest interception total and its worst quarterback rating last year. He kept the job this season but has been dreadful, completing 47 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and six interceptions.

Former Cowboys backup Steve Beuerlein is now the Panthers' starter, with Collins listed as third string on a team fighting to find itself.

"I've never been in this situation so I don't have a lot of answers," said cornerback Eric Davis. "If the guys around here have the answers, then they need to let it be known so we can get out of this."

Dallas is trying to determine its own personalty.

The Cowboys (3-2) have been up and down all year. They followed a win over Arizona by losing big to Denver. They upset the New York Giants then got beat by Oakland.

Dallas beat Washington 31-10 last week so is a loss in the cards?

"We've got to get off the roller-coaster of playing good every other week," said Dallas defensive tackle Chad Hennings. "We win, then we lose. We have to establish some consistency. And we have to beat Carolina for a change."