Thursday, December 24, 1998

Cowboys will sorely miss defensive end Kavika Pittman

By Jean-Jacques Taylor and David Moore

The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

DALLAS -- Defensive end Kavika Pittman, whose strained hamstring will force him to miss 3-5 weeks, has earned the respect of Cowboys' Coach Chan Gailey.

No, he doesn't have as many sacks as Gailey wants, but his relentless style has made an impression on the head coach. The Cowboys, said Gailey, will miss Pittman more than fans think.

"Kavika has had a very good season. It's tough to lose a player of his caliber," Gailey said. "His all-out hustle and speed tend to prevent a lot of big plays.

"I remember a recent game in which he chased the quarterback down the field and out of bounds two yards shy of a first down. We stopped them and forced a punt. It wasn't a sack, but it was a big play. He's had a lot of those."

Pittman is tied for the lead among defensive linemen with 59 tackles and has a team-high six sacks.

Trainer Jim Maurer said there's a slight chance Pittman could play in a divisional playoff game Jan. 9-10.

"The only way I know how to play is all-out," said Pittman, who's convinced he could play in a second-round playoff game. "I've played that way since high school. At this level, if I don't, I'll lose my job."

Dallas has rotated several people at defensive end in passing situations, searching for a suitable combination. None has worked consistently.

The Cowboys have used Leon Lett at end, as well as Randall Godfrey. Without Pittman, rookie Michael Myers will start and Hurvin McCormack will get significant playing time.

Antonio Anderson, bothered much of the season with a sprained knee, also will be worked into the rotation.

Although moving Lett to end full-time is a consideration, the Cowboys want to leave him at tackle so he can help stop the run.

The Cowboys drafted Myers because they loved his burst off the ball, an innate ability that allows him to react to the snap of the ball so quickly he often beats his man on the first step.

It also takes time to understand the nuances of playing tackle and end. At tackle, players often face combination blocks from guards and centers. The action is furious, and the space is cramped.

At defensive end, the object is to beat the tackle or the tight end and find the ball. The position requires a player who can effectively operate in space, something Myers has done.

"His initial quickness was amazing," Gailey said. "But his size dictated helping us as rush end. It's not natural for him, because he's naturally an inside player. It's hard for any rookie to learn a new position at this level."

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ACT OF FAITH:

Deion Sanders won't play Sunday. There are no assurances he'll play again this season.

But Sanders isn't about to declare himself out with a sprained big toe. The reason: his faith in God.

"No, I'm not optimistic," Sanders said. "I believe.

"I'm not going to say I don't know if I'll be back. I'm saying I believe that I will play again."

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PRO BOWL ALTERNATE:

Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Emmitt Smith was selected as the NFC's first alternate at running back for the Pro Bowl.

Atlanta's Jamal Anderson, Detroit's Barry Sanders and San Francisco's Garrison Hearst were the players named ahead of Smith.

"In my mind, he has certainly proven to any of his critics that at this juncture, he's a top-level running back in the NFL," Jones said of Smith. "He's had some great runs this year, the kind of runs he had all of his career."

Smith has rushed for 1,265 yards to rank fourth in the NFC and fifth in the NFL. That surpasses his total in each of the past two seasons. Smith has rushed for 100 or more yards in a game seven times this season, the most since he led the league in rushing in 1995.

"He's done every bit or more than we expected," Jones said. "It's been that kind of year from Emmitt."

MINIMAL PREPARATION:

Coach Chan Gailey said he will not spend much time this week preparing for the playoffs, in part, because he doesn't know who Dallas will play.

The Cowboys will host either Arizona, Tampa Bay or the New York Giants. If Arizona beats San Diego, which is 5-10, on Sunday, the Cowboys will play the Cardinals.

"Obviously, Arizona has the upper hand, but a lot of times I've seen teams spend all that time on the one team they thought might make it, and they wasted a lot of time.

"We're going to spend all of our time on Washington. We don't have time to spend it on anything else. If it takes all week any other time to prepare for that team, it's going to take all week to prepare for Washington."

(c) 1998, The Dallas Morning News.

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