CHARLOTTE, N.C. – This season is not about Tony Romo – no matter what you saw Sunday. It's not about an inconsistent offensive line or a defense that doesn't always play to its pedigree.
It's not even about Jerry Jones.
This is all about Bill Parcells.
Give him the credit – every bit of it – if he can salvage a season that has been bathed in controversy and filled with distractions since the start of training camp and get this team to the playoffs. In fact, waive the waiting process and induct him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer if these Cowboys advance to the postseason for the first time since 2003.
But if the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs, then blame Parcells and hand him a pink slip at the end of the season.
Jerry Jones has given Parcells everything the coach has wanted, from an indoor facility to a new scouting director to Drew Bledsoe. Jerry's grandkids aren't this spoiled.
He acquiesced to make sure Parcells had every reason possible to succeed. Parcells has more authority than any coach since Jimmy Johnson, and he is directly responsible for all but a handful of players currently on the roster.
This is his team and his responsibility. He knows that.
Perhaps that's why he didn't hide his emotions in the waning moments of the Cowboys' 35-14 win over Carolina on Sunday night. Parcells knew it was a big win, the kind that can energize a team and a coach trying to prove he can still rule the NFL.
Maybe, that's why he hugged safety Keith Davis and kissed him on the forehead in the final seconds. Only a few days ago, they had a heated confrontation in practice, but winning rights all sorts of wrongs.
"We haven't been having a lot of fun. They're having fun right now, and that's what I enjoy the most," Parcells said of his team. "I've been in a lot of locker rooms like that. ... I've been fortunate."
Parcells' team was facing a three-game road trip and was ready for a pity party after he benched Drew Bledsoe and turned the team over to Tony Romo, who had never started an NFL game. Then, the coach with a reputation for being a master motivator convinced his team it could beat a quality club on the road.
Trust me, not every coach can do that.
In the locker room before the game, the players talked about starting something special with a win. The offensive line vowed to give Romo enough time to succeed.
They were simply following Parcells' lead.
"Bill was very positive. He was a very encouraging coach this week," said Jones, "and his message to the players Saturday night was a positive one."
In December, it might be called the speech that saved the season.
 |
VERNON BRYANT / DMN Coach Bill Parcells (left), who looked despondent earlier in the week over the decision to change quarterbacks, looked happier Sunday with the success of Tony Romo (right). |
"He gave one of the most heart-felt speeches I've ever heard," Akin Ayodele said. "I haven't known him long, but it was one of the best speeches I've heard in a long time. It came straight from the heart. The whole team felt it. It was about having fun, be ourselves, and do what we do every day."
Parcells' two Super Bowl rings give him credibility with the players. They know he understands what it takes to win a championship, so they listen.He plays the us-against-the-world card better than just about any coach in the NFL.
The Cowboys didn't always play smart Sunday, but they played passionately, and they were rewarded with a victory. Now, they must sustain this momentum.
Too many times, these Cowboys lose games they should win and win games they're expected to lose. Road games against Washington and Arizona loom the next two weeks. Win them – they will be favored in both – and this team will be positioned to make a playoff run with five of its last seven games at Texas Stadium.
"This was a sign we can take a step this year. I emphasize 'this year,' " Jones said. "We have a chance with Romo to get better and better. This was a good one."
Credit Parcells because a season seemingly destined for failure now has hope.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
| ROLLING UP POINTS |
| The Cowboys' 25 points in the fourth quarter broke the franchise record. Here's a look at their top quarters: |
| FIRST QUARTER |
| 28 | Oct. 19, 1969
Dec. 4, 1971 | vs. Philadelphia
vs. N.Y. Jets |
| SECOND QUARTER |
| 24 * | Oct. 2, 1994 | at Washington |
| THIRD QUARTER |
| 24 | Dec. 27, 1992 | vs. Chicago |
| FOURTH QUARTER |
| 25 | Oct. 29, 2006 | at Carolina |
| * 6 times total, the one listed is the most recent. |
