IRVING – Bill Parcells is standing behind Drew Bledsoe. However, the Cowboys' coach is not completely happy.
Parcells wants Bledsoe to be more careful with the football. In four games, the 14th-year quarterback has had seven passes intercepted and lost one fumble.
"We absolutely have to make protecting the football our No. 1 priority," Parcells said Monday. "We're doing everything else – we're scoring points, we're fourth or fifth in rushing, we got time of possession, we're converting third downs, we're moving the ball ... . So protecting the ball is the primary thing we have to do. Until we do that, we're not going to be very good."
Parcells put much of the blame for Bledsoe's poor performance Sunday against Philadelphia on the offensive line's inability to protect him, although he did not absolve the quarterback, either.
Bledsoe was not in the locker room during the media period Monday, and later he said he did not feel like talking. But a series of e-mailers to The Dallas Morning News made their feelings known.
• I'm not a fan of the Cowboys at all. But watching Bledsoe become something he hasn't been in about six years is just bad.
• Parcells answered questions of a possible change to Tony Romo with the same qualifiers he used after the season-opening loss at Jacksonville – such as "not at this moment," but he did not get into when that moment might come.
"I don't think that's the answer right this minute," Parcells said.
• Bledsoe's got to go. Too slow with hands and feet. Maybe more.
• Bledsoe is the 27th-ranked passer in the NFL, and only injured Tampa Bay starter Chris Simms has a worse rating (46.3) in the NFC than Bledsoe's 63.6.
In the first four games last season, Bledsoe had seven touchdown passes and three interceptions. He completed 59.7 percent of his passes and threw for 1,062 yards. In five more pass attempts this season, Bledsoe has 177 fewer passing yards. He didn't throw his seventh interception last season until the Cowboys' ninth game.
Most startling, however, is the drop in Bledsoe's completion percentage, from .597 to .512.
• I think Drew's arm is done. He throws too many interceptions. I know that the blocking could be better, but I think he is lacking arm strength when he has to throw the ball down field.
• Parcells said on "three or four" of the sacks Sunday, Bledsoe did not have a chance, and "two or three" came because nobody was open. Bledsoe's arm was hit as he threw the ball several times, once leading to an interception.
"Drew, as a quarterback, he's never going to point fingers," guard Marco Rivera said. "He doesn't have to. We're all grownups here. It's our job. We know who screwed up. I know Drew's frustrated. Seeing the paper and basically calling out Drew ... call out the offensive line. We didn't give him enough time to throw."
• I used to protect Bledsoe and now, forget it. He is just terrible. No wonder the Bills and the Patriots gave him up.
• Bledsoe had time on his final pass Sunday – which was returned 102 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Lito Sheppard – but he made a poor choice, according to Parcells. Bledsoe threw to the outside. Tight end Jason Witten wasn't supposed to turn to the outside on the hook route and didn't, even though linebacker Jeremiah Trotter was to the inside. Sheppard moved into a vacant area of the zone after following Terry Glenn in motion, putting him in position to pick off the pass.
"Now, there was one little thing that may have happened later in the pattern that – if we could've held it – something might have happened with Terry," Parcells said. "But that's a long shot."
• I just don't understand why Parcell didn't get Bledsoe out in the 3rd or 4th quarter. There is NO WAY you see Troy Aikman throwing an intercepted ball at the 6.
• Only one quarterback has more interceptions than Bledsoe (Cleveland's Charlie Frye, with nine), and only four have a lower completion percentage, but – again – Parcells is sticking with him.
For how long?
"As long as I feel like, OK?" he said. "That's all I can tell you."
E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com
