Friday, September 25, 1998

Billy Davis-Ernie Mills duo keeps step with Randy Moss

By Kevin Lyons

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - At least for now, Billy Davis and Ernie Mills do not have to defend the Cowboys for not taking a wide receiver in April's draft. Their play as the club's second and third wide receivers is all the defense the Cowboys need.

Through three games, the Davis-Mills combination has produced 14 receptions for 262 yards and four touchdowns. And even though Davis and Mills play a different role from Minnesota's Randy Moss, whom the Cowboys did not draft because of his troubled background, this stat bears noting: Moss, whose production on third downs has made him the early leading candidate for offensive rookie of the year, has 41 fewer yards and one fewer touchdown than Davis and Mills.

"This thing has been beaten into the ground," Davis said. "Randy Moss is doing well in Minnesota and I'm happy for Randy Moss. But the Cowboys can't do it all over and draft him again."

So for the first time since 1994, when Alvin Harper made highlight reel-type plays, a wide receiver not named Michael Irvin is consistently making plays in the Cowboys' passing game. The sidebar is that Irvin has not been in the end zone. "There will be some issues if that doesn't change," Irvin said jokingly on Thursday.

"Billy and Ernie have done a good job of taking advantage of their opportunities, which has helped take some of the pressure off of Michael Irvin," said Troy Aikman, who, before he was hurt, had thrown three of the scoring passes to Davis and Mills. "More than anything, it helps us when teams look at us on film and know we are not just throwing to Michael."

Although Davis is the starter, Mills has received a fair amount of repetitions with the first team. Both play on third-down situations, and have been complements to Irvin, who is third in the NFC with 20 receptions for 267 yards.

"Michael has gotten all the balls around here - I'm just trying for a 50- or 60-catch season," Davis said.

That hasn't been the case lately for the player opposite Irvin. Neither Kevin Williams in 1996 nor Anthony Miller in 1997 was able to provide much of a threat to opposing defenses. Additionally, players such as Jimmy Smith and Willie Jackson, who were drafted by the Cowboys earlier this decade, have gone on to become playmakers for other teams.

The Cowboys' hits and - mostly misses - at the position have created much public fanfare, especially after the club did not draft Moss. Davis and Mills are aware of the fuss, but have, understandably, grown tired of it.

"It's been amazing to me all the attention paid to what the No. 2 wide receiver does around here," Mills said. "I've really never given it that much thought. But all the questions, since training camp, have really been kind of amusing to me."

Vice president Stephen Jones said the club was still looking for a wide receiver in the draft. In fact, the Cowboys scouted or watched film of more than 50 wide receivers before April. But they passed on Moss because of his past transgressions, and they would have considered Kevin Dyson in the second round, but he was selected in the first round by Tennessee.

So for the first time since 1983, the Cowboys did not choose a wide receiver in the draft. And for the first time in a couple of seasons, there is little complaint about the receiver opposite Irvin.

"It is a credit," team owner Jerry Jones said, "to Billy Davis and to Ernie Mills that they have been able to step up like they have. They have both made some super plays for us."Notes

With his fractured left collarbone tightly wrapped, Aikman threw 15-yard bullets to assistant strength and conditioning coach Blake Cundiff for 10 minutes on Thursday. "I felt OK," said Aikman, who had thrown softly on Wednesday. "I was protecting my shoulder."

The sight of Aikman throwing made Jerry Jones nervous. "It's going to be torture watching him throw the ball like that and not having him in the ballgame," he said. Aikman is out until at the least the Oct. 11 game against Carolina.

Though he wasn't at full speed because of a groin injury, running back Emmitt Smith practiced, and coach Chan Gailey said he was encouraged that Smith might be ready Sunday. Running back Chris Warren also felt no setbacks after working out, and he'll at least be the club's third-down back Sunday, Gailey said.

"We will wait until Friday or Saturday before we name a starter," Gailey said.

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Visit the Star-Telegram on the World Wide Web: www.star-telegram.com.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.