DALLAS - Coach Barry Switzer concedes he knows of at least one football
team stronger than the Cowboys team that broke training camp Friday.
The Dallas team that reported to training camp last month.
"That's exactly what we discussed the other night," Switzer said.
"We're less of a football team because of injuries than we were when
we started. If we had all of our players, then we're the best team. But
we've lost a lot of players and probably 80 percent of our passing game."
The whole game plan for the Cowboys as they prepared to defend another Super
Bowl championship was: A powerful offense returning every starter and bolstered
with Deion Sanders playing wide receiver could compensate for weaknesses
that might develop in a defense that for three years has leaked talent to
the competition through free-agent defections.
Dallas losses since the start of training camp that threaten to impact the
regular season include Michael Irvin, Jay Novacek, Kendell Watkins, Mark
Tuinei, Shante Carver, Roger Harper and Darren Benson.
As the Cowboys play the Denver Broncos on Saturday night in their fourth
pre-season contest, Troy Aikman confronts the prospect of opening the NFL
regular season without his two most dependable receivers and the strongman
responsible for protecting his blind side from pass rushers.
"We've definitely taken some hits," Aikman said. "There has
to be some concern coming out of training camp with the injuries and how
thin we are both offensively and defensively."
Irvin has been suspended for five games and was relegated to second-team
status among wide receivers as the Cowboys measured his replacements. Novacek's
degenerative back condition rendered the tight end the only Dallas player
unable to practice in training camp. Tuinei ruptured a knee ligament last
week and will be a diminished left tackle upon his return. All three are
Pro Bowlers.
The starting receivers are Kevin Williams and Sanders, who is so unpredictable
that Switzer did not know until Friday morning that Sanders had decided
he wanted to start at both wide receiver and cornerback against Denver.
That decision came the day after Switzer told reporters Sanders would start
on offense but not defense when the regular season began.
The combined career receiving totals for Sanders and Williams is 84 catches
for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns. Irvin's career-high numbers last season
were 111 receptions, 1,603 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The disparity between Novacek and his potential successors is sharper. The
Cowboys are without their top three players at the position. In addition
to Novacek, blocking tight end Kendell Watkins went down for the season
with a knee injury, and Eric Bjornson will miss his third consecutive pre-season
game with a hamstring pull.
The Cowboys' attention will be riveted to the lists of players released
around the NFL when rosters are cut to 60 players Tuesday, Switzer said.
The slow development of rookie Stepfret Williams probably forces the Cowboys
to locate another receiver.
With fewer passing options, Aikman might have less time to throw. The Cowboys
are dangerously thin on the offensive line.
The situation is such that Aikman might want to throw left-handed so he
can see to protect himself from the Denver pass rush. George Hegamin and
Dale Hellestrae probably will be forced to start Saturday. Hellestrae, who
has not played left tackle since his 1985 rookie season, is the first-teamer
there until Larry Allen can play the position that normally belongs to Tuinei.
While cornerback Kevin Smith's return seems promising, the Cowboys fret
about the durability of starting defensive ends Charles Haley and Tony Tolbert.
Tolbert is scheduled to make his first appearance of the summer against
the Broncos, but Haley played a few snaps last week and had so much back
pain he probably will be sidelined after missing practice all week.
"We're not as strong as we have been in the past," strong safety
Darren Woodson said. "It has taken us longer to be the team we can
be. You can see we don't have the depth we used to have, so we can't afford
to get anybody hurt. We're going to be asking more young guys to step up."