Wednesday, September 23, 1998

Cowboys' next test is consistency

By Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Knight Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

IRVING, Texas - Three games into the 1998 season, the Cowboys are back.

Sort of.

Not back to the dominance that resulted in three Super Bowl titles from 1992-95, but back atop the NFC East after Monday's 31-7 shellacking of the defending division champion New York Giants.

The victory put the Cowboys (2-1), who have won five of the past six division titles, in first place for the first time since the sixth week of the 1997 season. And considering that the next five opponents - starting Sunday against the Oakland Raiders (1-2), followed by the Washington Redskins (0-3), Carolina Panthers (0-2), Chicago Bears (0-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (0-3) - have a combined record of 1-13, they could stay there for a while.

However, Cowboys coach Chan Gailey, who still remembers the 42-23 debacle against the Denver Broncos two weeks ago, refuses to engage in talk of a Cowboys cakewalk.

"The one thing we've got to realize is that we have not arrived by any stretch of the imagination," Gailey said. "We are still working to earn something back and get back something that we had here. But we are not taking anything. In this league, as close are teams are, you got to prove yourself every week."

And as far as Gailey is concerned, the Cowboys have only proved to be inconsistent - good the first week against the Cardinals, bad the second week against the Broncos and good the third week against the Giants.

And while he liked what he saw against the Giants - especially defensively, where the Cowboys improved from the 517 yards allowed against the Broncos to 252, including 56 on the ground - Gailey said, "we got to prove it again and again. We got to be consistent."

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dave Campo was of a similar mind-set.

"We can't look good one week and not look good the next week," Campo said.

What Campo liked the most against the Giants was that all phases of the team contributed. Cornerback/receiver/punt returner Deion Sanders might have stolen the show with a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown, a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 55-yard pass reception, but he had plenty of company.

The Cowboys got interceptions from free safety Kenny Wheaton and cornerback Kevin Mathis and sacks from defensive tackle Leon Lett, linebacker Randall Godfrey, defensive tackle Chad Hennings and free safety Omar Stoutmire.

Campo said he doesn't know which performance is more indicative of his 16th-ranked defense - the one against the Broncos, or the one against the Giants - but he said he likes the way his team responded.

"I don't know where we are," Campo said. "I know I like our group of guys. I know I like the way they go about their business. I like our speed. And I like the pride we have. But when you put it all together, I don't know yet."

Gailey said the key for the Cowboys is improving the running game and being more consistent in the passing game. The running game, hampered without starter Emmitt Smith (groin injury) for most of the game, gained 80 yards on 29 carries. And the passing game was undone by four dropped passes.

Gailey, however, said the team overcome the problems because backup quarterback Jason Garrett did a nice job of running the offense and the Cowboys stayed away from turnovers and sacks. Garrett completed 12 of 28 passes for 222 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

But with Garrett starting for at least another three weeks for starter Troy Aikman (fractured collarbone), Gailey said the Cowboys are going to have to continue to be smart.

"How we played was good enough to win (Monday night), but it might not be every week," Gailey said. "But if we can continue to eliminate sacks and turnovers, we are going to give ourselves a chance to win a lot of games."

(c) 1998, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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