Cowboys seek ways to stop fade pattern
11/02/99
By David Moore / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING - A fast start is something the Cowboys have accomplished in every game this season.
Cowboys seek ways to stop fade pattern
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Holding onto those leads is another matter.
Dallas didn't exactly break new ground Sunday when it allowed a 17-6 halftime lead over Indianapolis evaporate into defeat. It marked the third time in the last four weeks the Cowboys have led early only to lose the game. Dallas has been outscored, 51-14, in the second half of those three losses.
The search for a common denominator spawns a number of theories and questions.
Why has the running game run out of gas in the second half?
Are the Cowboys failing to make the proper adjustments, or does their personnel lack the talent and ability to execute the adjustments?
Does Dallas wear down as the game wears on, which is an indictment of their conditioning?
The answers aren't easy. Neither is enduring this slide down the standings.
"There's no consistent answer there," Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said. "I wish there was so we could solve it.
"It's been different things, it seems like, every time that has come up."
The confusion and frustration over the loss to the Colts stems from the fact that Dallas physically dominated the first half.
John F. Rhodes / DMN
Darren Woodson (left) helps as Deion Sanders tries to tackle Colts RB Edgerrin James during Sunday's game.
Owner Jerry Jones said Monday he didn't take issue with coach Chan Gailey's decision to run out the clock at the end of the first half. He didn't fault defensive coordinator Dave Campo for failing to adjust when Indianapolis scrapped its two tight end formation and went with three receivers for most of the second half.
In Jones' mind, it came down to the Colts making plays when the Cowboys didn't. It was a pattern that began to develop in losses to Philadelphia and the New York Giants.
"That's the key," Jones said. "You have to expect teams you're playing to make plays. They pay their guys, too.
"We've allowed that to happen to us in the latter part of the game."
Gailey talked about the importance of finishing games four days before the loss to Indianapolis. Campo has been telling the defense for three weeks that it needs to do a better job of closing the deal.
"You've got to go for the jugular when you're up seven to 10 points," strong safety Darren Woodson said. "We haven't been doing that."
Dallas has blown leads of 10, three and 14 points in the last four weeks.
"We've got to get better at doing it," quarterback Troy Aikman said of protecting leads. "But when you lose, you either didn't put the team away after you got ahead or you never got ahead. I don't know how to answer that, really."
One of the answers Dallas must find is what to do in the second half with its running game. The Cowboys have managed just 82 yards rushing in the second half of their three losses.
It's difficult to sustain first half success when a team averages just 27.3 yards rushing after the intermission.
"That's something you look at," Gailey said. "That's not the total answer, but it's certainly part of what we've got to make sure we continue to try to improve upon."
Gailey has come under criticism in recent weeks for failing to alter his conservative approach to calling a game. The Dallas defenders talked about how they failed to adjust to the offensive wrench the Colts threw at them in the second half of Sunday's game.
The Eagles winning touchdown came with 1:07 left came on a crossing pattern that had bewildered the Cowboys defense the entire second half.
"I like what we're trying to do in the second half," Gailey said. "We're just not getting it done."
Gailey also disagrees with those who would try to draw conclusions about the Cowboys conditioning based on the results of the last four weeks. He points to the season opener, on the hottest day of the season, when his team overcame a 21-point second half deficit to beat Washington.
Whatever the reason - or reasons - the Cowboys inability to exhibit a killer instinct has hurt them in the standings.
"I don't know if that's how you would term it," Gailey said. "We have not done what we've needed to do to finish the job.
"That's what I talk about, sustaining what we did in the first half and finishing the job in the second half. We have to be able to do that to be a playoff team and a championship team."
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