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Cowboys bracing for more air assaults

By MIKE BALDWIN

The Daily Oklahoman

IRVING, Texas - Defensive statistics suggest the Dallas Cowboys shouldn't be involved in too many shoot-outs.

But those statistics took a major hit Sunday in a 35-28 win at Arizona. If the Cardinals' Jake Plummer, the league's 21st-rated quarterback, can throw for 465 yards, coaches have to be concerned how the secondary will fare against more-experienced quarterbacks.

"I want to make sure we get everybody healthy and back to where we need to be in the pass defense," coach Chan Gailey said. "But look, there has only been two games the whole year that gave us problems, and we won this one."

Since they haven't faced many top quarterbacks their first 10 games, the Cowboys defensive numbers have been tainted. Danny Kanell isn't as dangerous as Warren Moon or Randall Cunningham, the quarterbacks Dallas will face the next two weeks.

"It's always a test, every week. But Warren Moon will probably be in the Hall of Fame and Randall Cunningham has been in the league a number of years and has put up some great numbers this year," said defensive coordinator Dave Campo. "This is a challenge that will tell where you are at in some areas."

Scrambling out of the pocket on numerous occasions in a no-huddle attack, Plummer threw for 314 yards in the second half.

"I don't think we were sloppy in our base coverage or sloppy with our pass rush," Gailey said. "Plummer made some great plays, bought his team some time and made throws on the run. ... We better find the answer because we'll face more guys like Plummer."

Even though they're not as mobile as they once were, Moon and Cunningham have scrambling skills. And if the Cowboys play San Francisco or Green Bay in the playoffs, Steve Young and Brett Favre have similar attributes.

"The biggest thing to me was the way Plummer bought time for guys to work down field," Gailey said. "You can't cover guys for five or six seconds; that's very difficult to do. It wasn't like we didn't get pressure. We did. He avoided the pressure. We have to be smart how we contain the quarterback."

Some of last week's defensive collapse can be attributed to cornerback Deion Sanders missing most of the second half with a toe injury. Sanders may be limited in practice this week but is expected to play against Seattle.

"Losing one guy should not make you crumble," Gailey said. "That should not happen. But I don't think you can say losing a Deion Sanders is a non-factor. That guy is a great, great football player for us and a great leader as well, so it does have an impact on your team."

He's been banged up this year, that's hurt him as much as anything," Gailey said. "But the team rallies around him. Everybody likes him. He has an awful lot of talent. He sees the field well and knows where and when to throw the football."

The Cowboys haven't faced many experienced quarterbacks. Two of the three losses have come against John Elway and Jeff George, while the seven wins have come against Kanell, Bobby Hoying, Trent Green, Steve Beuerlein and Plummer. Only Beuerlein is ranked among the top 15.

"When you play a guy like Moon, who has been in the league as long as he has, he's a guy who has seen everything," Campo said. "You have to make sure your guys understand this is another level. Although they're all tough, and you play who you play, obviously it's tougher playing a more- experienced quarterback."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)