Nov 3, 2008 - 12:08 PM
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Frank A. Clark once said, "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."
That can be considered a rallying cry for the struggling Dallas Cowboys, who limp into their bye week in last place in the ultra-competitive NFC East.
Once considered the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, the underachieving, injury-ravaged Cowboys were thoroughly embarrassed by the defending champion New York Giants on Sunday. The 35-14 blowout loss was the Cowboys' (5-4) third setback in the last four games.
Dallas' play has stunned almost everyone, including owner Jerry Jones.
"We know where we are and it's not where we planned to be at all by this point in the season," Jones said following Sunday's loss. "It's very disappointing. ... We just don't look anything like we had hoped."
Jones' high-priced, star-studded team entered the season with high hopes after finding little resistance en route to a 13-3 record and a division title a year ago. However, the Cowboys seemed to be on cruise control, and it cost them when they ran into the red-hot Giants in the NFC Divisional playoffs.
This season, the path to the postseason has had a lot more obstacles for Dallas.
The Cowboys have never been totally in sync, and have been leveled by the injury bug. Dallas was without several key players on Sunday, most notably Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo, who missed a third straight start due to a broken pinkie on his throwing hand.
With Romo out, the Cowboys' offense has gone from averaging 30.2 points to 13.6 points per game.
Now, Dallas is officially in crisis mode. Like a standing eight count in boxing, the bye week has saved the Cowboys from hitting the canvas.
"(The bye) couldn't come at a better time," said Terrell Owens, who caught five passes for 36 yards Sunday and hauled in his first TD since Romo went down on October 12.
"It will give us time to reflect," he said. "After the bye, (we will) come out ready to play. There is a whole second half of the season left. Like I said before, 'It's not how you start, but how you finish.'"
Aside from Romo, Dallas figures to get back three other key players in time for the November 16 matchup against the Washington Redskins. Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman (sports hernia), starting guard Kyle Kosier and rookie running back Felix Jones (hamstring) are all on the mend.
Cornerback Anthony Henry and Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten (rib) are among the walking wounded that will benefit from the bye.
"We've got two weeks to get ready and start playing the rest of our schedule," embattled head coach Wade Phillips said. "We know it's going to be tough, but I think we will have some players coming back from injury.
"We'll be healthier than we have been, and that'll help us out. We're going to look at the things we need to do and try and do them better."
Still, Dallas was stuck in neutral before injuries hit, and the Cowboys have to figure out a way to play up to their talent level.
The offensive line has struggled, and the defense has been beaten repeatedly through the air. More troubling, the Cowboys have struggled to get turnovers. Dallas has just four interceptions, fourth-worst in the league.
It is one of the most shocking storylines of the NFL season, the way the Cowboys have suddenly crumbled. Figure this: Dallas needs to make a major run just to avoid missing the playoffs.
And the schedule isn't doing the Cowboys any favors. Dallas has road games against Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia left, as well as home games against the Giants and Baltimore.
As Witten said, the Cowboys have to "use this bye week to get better. More than get healthy, we've got to get better."
Everyone knows how things ultimately turned out when the Cowboys' path was smooth. How will they deal with obstacles? Time will tell.
