AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Dallas Cowboys broke training camp Friday, not
with talk of San Francisco, Green Bay or the Super Bowl, but with frustration
over injuries and suspensions.
As the Cowboys piled into their cars for the three-hour drive north to Dallas,
there was an underlying fear that a lack of depth might have caught up with
the defending champions.
"Right now, we can't worry about the 49ers or Green Bay," safety
Darren Woodson said. "We just have to worry about the Cowboys.
"The depth is going to hurt us. We are not as strong a team as we have
been in the past. We can't have guys like (offensive tackle Mark) Tuinei
getting hurt in the preseason. If we lose guys like that, we are one play
away from being an average team."
The Cowboys have 11 starters who missed practices during training camp because
of injuries. Six of them are recovering from offseason surgery.
Key backups at receiver (Orande Gadsden), tight end (Eric Bjornson), linebacker
(Godfrey Myles), defensive line (Darren Benson) and safety (Charlie Williams
and Roger Harper) also are hurt.
But coach Barry Switzer says the questionable status of tight end Jay Novacek,
who missed all of camp because of chronic back problems, coupled with the
five-game suspension of receiver Michael Irvin hurts the most.
"Michael and Jay are so much of the passing game," Switzer said.
"It affects us being able to get into base formations as part of our
playbook. It changes a little bit of our offensive philosophy."
The offense and defense never had a day at camp when all of the starters
from each unit were able to practice together. Mostly inconsistent backups
filled in the holes on a team that had 10 Pro Bowl selections last year.
"We haven't had Michael. We haven't had Jay, and now we don't have
Tuinei," guard Nate Newton said. "People say you've got to play
with what you've got. But that isn't the true picture. And if you don't
ever get a chance to look at the true picture, you lose a little hope and
begin to fade."
Quarterback Troy Aikman said a travel schedule that had the team in two
countries and four cities last week for two exhibition games and a scrimmage
in El Paso prevented the team from getting much-needed repetitions.
"This has probably been the least amount of work that we've gotten
done at training camp," Aikman said. "The travel schedule has
been tough for us. Last week, we got no work done really to speak of."
Even Switzer criticized a schedule that seemed only to benefit the billfold
of owner Jerry Jones.
"When you get to bed at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock in the morning after
flying in an airplane all night and play three games in one week, that's
too much for a team to do," Switzer said.
With all the injuries, Switzer struggled to find positives.
"We are not the same team right now, physically, that we were when
we started camp," Switzer said. "You anticipate injuries, but
not ones that keep you from performing during the season and that's what
happened to us with Darren Benson, Kendell Watkins, Novacek, Bjornson and
Tuinei.
"Training camp hasn't been a waste. But when you're not practicing
with who is going to be playing, you can get average in a hurry."
Still, Aikman remains positive.
"Guys on this team have proven that they can come out and play at a
very high level early in the season with very little work at training camp,"
Aikman said. "That's kind of the approach that we have taken this year
and we hope it prevails again for us."
Aikman said the preseason game against Denver on Saturday night will be
key for the team to start coming together. Dallas (1-2) has been uninspired
in losing its last two exhibition games by a combined score of 63-13.
"We realize we have to perform better than what we have over the past
two ballgames," Aikman said. "This is an important game for us
because the starters will play at least for the first half and possibly
into the second half."
Switzer said Deion Sanders would likely start at cornerback against Denver
and that Emmitt Smith and Charles Haley (injured back) probably wouldn't
play. Switzer said Sanders is still expected to start the season at receiver,
but wanted the defensive work.