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For Cowboys, no end (zone) in sight

By Josie Karp

Knight-Ridder Newspapers

(KRT)

PHILADELPHIA - It was fitting that the team that actually found the end zone at Veteran's Stadium on Sunday won the game, considering that scoring touchdowns is the reason offenses exist.

That fact might have escaped the 67,106 spectators in attendance who watched the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys spend more than 59 minutes in cold, drizzly conditions seemingly avoiding the end zone.

That the Eagles were the team to finally end the drought, with 45 seconds to play, came as no shock to anyone, least of all the Cowboys.

Philadelphia quarterback Rodney Peete hit tight end Chad Lewis, who beat Cowboys rookie safety Omar Stoutmire, for the score. Kicker Chris Boniol added the extra point to down the Cowboys, 13-12, and hand the five-time NFC East champions their fourth divisional loss this season. The Cowboys have not lost four NFC East games since 1990, when they finished 7-9.

"This game somewhat typifies the way the season has gone to this point," said quarterback Troy Aikman, who sustained a mild concussion late in the first quarter and did not finish the game. "It's been an up and down year already, much like this game was today."

At the midway point of the season the Cowboys are 4-4 and tied with the Eagles and Washington Redskins for second place in the NFC East, behind the 6-3 New York Giants. Heading into Sunday's game against 7-1 San Francisco, the Cowboys have lost three of four games.

"We just weren't good enough to win the football game," said Cowboys coach Barry Switzer, who cut short his postgame remarks.

Running back Emmitt Smith, who eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second time this season with 126 yards on 17 carries, said he knows only one cure.

"We have to score more points offensively," Smith said. "No matter how, we've got to get the ball in the end zone. If we can get it in the end zone, that will correct a lot of things."

It would have helped in the first half Sunday. The Cowboys scored three times - all field goals. The defense shut out the Eagles. But the Cowboys' halftime lead was only 9-0. Instead of being on the verge of a blowout, the Cowboys were where they have so often found themselves recently, in a close ballgame until the end.

Sunday, they failed to win without Aikman, who left during the second offensive series of the game after getting sacked for the second time in five plays. He was helped off the field and did not return. After the game he said he plans to play Sunday.

Aikman's absence is just one of the reasons the Cowboys might have used to explain how they lost their fourth consecutive road game.

The defense is another.

After a strong first half, the Cowboys defense surrendered 131 rushing yards in the second half, including 76 yards to running back Ricky Watters.

"It seemed like they were running the same play over and over and we just couldn't really find a way to stop it," safety Brock Marion said.

Then there were the penalties. The Cowboys were called for 10 for 95 yards. In three of the four losses this season the Cowboys were penalized at least 10 times.

Officiating might have also played a role. The key play on the Eagles' touchdown-scoring drive was a Peete to wide receiver Irving Fryar completion on fourth down and 11. Several Cowboys said the Eagles, who made the first down with about 2 inches to spare, benefited from a more than generous spot.

There was also the Cowboys offensive line, which has looked vulnerable at various points during the season, surrendering a season-high six sacks. Backup quarterback Wade Wilson, who took over for Aikman and completed 11 of 16 passes for 108 yards, was sacked four times.

And there were the injuries sustained before the game.

Because of them, the Cowboys started three rookies on defense. Stoutmire played in place of Darren Woodson, joining defensive tackle Antonio Anderson, who started his fourth game in place of Chad Hennings and Dexter Coakley, the regular starter at weakside linebacker.

On offense, let tackle George Hegamin was charged with protecting the quarterback's blind side. It was Hegamin's second consecutive start in place of veteran Mark Tuinei. And 35-year-old Herschel Walker started at fullback in place of Daryl Johnston.

Still, the feeling afterward was that this game looked and felt a lot like the seven that preceded it for one crucial reason: Once again, the offense failed to score a touchdown.

"We're not making plays to put the ball in the end zone. That's the bottom line," wide receiver Michael Irvin said. "You've got to score touchdowns in this league and we're not scoring touchdowns."

The Cowboys came into the game scoring touchdowns just 32.1 percent of the time when they moved inside their opponents' 20-yard line. Only two teams - San Diego (10.5) and St. Louis (31.3) - were worse.

Sunday the Cowboys were, remarkably, worse than their average. This time, four trips inside the Eagles 20-yard line yielded four Richie Cunningham field goals and no touchdowns. It was the second time this season that the offense failed to score a touchdown.

"We should eat, sleep and - I don't want to say the other word - the end zone," Irvin said. "Just the end zone. That's where our thoughts are."

(c) 1997, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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