Thursday, August 27, 1998

Gaily not interested in Cowboys' futile preseason history

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Chan Gailey isn't about to hit the panic button.

Never mind that the Dallas Cowboys are 0-4 under their new head coach and face the prospect of going winless in the preseason for the first time since 1986 and only the third time in franchise history.

Pay no attention to the fact that the Cowboys haven't won any game since they scored 11 points in the final 1:55 for a 17-14 victory over the Washington Redskins on Nov. 16.

Gailey has been around long enough to know that exhibition games are just that.

"Preserving the starters is more important to me than a winless preseason record," Gailey said. "I wouldn't like an 0-5 exhibition season, but that's not what's important."

The Cowboys have one last chance to experience winning before the regular season starts when they make their first trip to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars on Thursday night in a nationally televised game.

How serious is Gailey about ignoring preseason results? He says the starters might only play a quarter.

If last week was any indication, that might be all it takes to give Gailey hope that the Cowboys can again become a factor in the NFC.

The Cowboys' first-team offense finally turned a command performance against the St. Louis Rams, scoring touchdowns the first two times they had the ball. Emmitt Smith ran for 110 yards, and the offense had 13 first downs and 258 yards before taking the second half off.

"We still have a lot of work to do," said quarterback Troy Aikman. "No one is going to anoint us world champions. We haven't made many big plays in the preseason, but I think we'll eventually make more big plays than we did last year. This new offense presents itself for making the big play."

They wound up losing 22-14 to the Rams, something the Jaguars (1-2) can appreciate. The Jaguars led 21-9 midway through the third quarter last week at Kansas City before the backups lost nine yards on the final four possessions in a 22-21 loss.

"I'm not happy with the twos (second team)," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Many of our kids in the second offensive line were overmatched. I don't know if I can put it any other way."

Still, Mark Brunell and the rest of the starting offense has looked as proficient as ever, and the Jaguars are showing more balance than they ever have. James Stewart won the starting job over rookie Fred Taylor, the No. 9 pick overall, by rushing for 130 yards on 22 carries in the first three games. Jacksonville is averaging 146.3 yards rushing per game.

Coughlin said his starters will probably play no more than two quarters. That would give Jamie Martin, who won the backup quarterback spot over Steve Matthews, a chance throw his first incomplete pass of the preseason. Martin is 9-of-9 for 196 yards and one touchdown.

The Jaguars have won their last preseason game in each of their three years in the league, and they've reached the playoffs the last two seasons. That's not much of a gauge, considering that starters don't play much past halftime.

But history is against the Cowboys if they make it 0-for-preseason. The two times Dallas failed to win a preseason game, they wound up with a losing record.

"I don't put any stock into that," Gaily said. "I don't pay any attention to preseason records."