Campo defends decision not to attemept key two-point conversion in closing minutes.
By Rick Cantu
American-Statesman Staff
Friday, November 23, 2001
IRVING -- For three quarters the Dallas Cowboys did everything in their power to lose the football game. In the fourth quarter, a questionable decision by their coaching staff robbed them of a chance of winning.
But two short touchdown runs by Troy Hambrick and Reggie Swinton's dazzling 65 yard-punt return -- all in the final 8 minutes, 12 seconds -- were not enough for the Cowboys. Denver, riding Mike Anderson's 118-yard performance, nearly wasted a 23-point lead but held on for a 26-24 victory before 64,104 Thursday at Texas Stadium.
Denver (6-5) did not seal the decision until fullback Detron Smith recovered an on-side kick with 1:07 to play. It took two plays for the Broncos to run out the clock, but it took much longer for the Cowboys (2-8) to explain a curious decision midway through the fourth quarter.
Swinton's punt return with 7:29 left in the fourth quarter narrowed Denver's lead to 26-16. But instead of going for a two-point conversion to narrow the margin to eight points -- which would have put the Cowboys within a touchdown and a two-point conversion of a tie -- Coach Dave Campo sent out John Hilbert to kick the extra point.
So when Hambrick scored on a one-yard blast with 1:10 remaining and Dallas trailing by nine, the Cowboys couldn't make up the gap without another score.
Campo was grilled about his strategy in a tense post-game press conference, but he defended his decision.
"You make decisions based on whether you want to win the football game or not," Campo said. "At that point I thought our best chance was to win the game. We needed two two-point conversions (to tie) and the percentages are not with you.
"I thought we'd have a better chance to take the (extra) point, come down and score again, and we don't have to worry about two-point plays."
Campo added, "In hindsight, you might say we could have made two two-point plays, but we're going for the win."
According to the NFL, two-point conversions have been successful 46 percent of the time this season. On-side kicks, meanwhile, are successful 30 percent of the time.
The decision had mixed reviews in the Cowboys locker room.
Offensive coordinator Jack Reilly said the Cowboys initially planned to try a two-point conversion after Swinton cut the score to 26-16. Campo even raised two fingers, an indication the Cowboys would try a two-point conversion.
Campo had five minutes to think about the decision after Cowboys lineman Peppi Zellner was injured during Swinton's run and the officials called a timeout. After Zellner was helped off the field, Campo decided to go for the extra point instead of the two-point conversion.
"You're best if you talk to Dave about it," Reilly said. "He was leading that decision."
Swinton declined to criticize the late-game strategy, saying it's not his job to make decisions.
"Coach Campo calls the shots, and whatever he says goes. I don't question his decision because he's the head coach. . .I don't have any say-so. My name's not Emmitt Smith."
Smith rushed for nine yards on nine carries and was no factor in the game. But his opinions matter, and the veteran running back said Campo made the right choice.
"I thought it was a great call," he said. "You still had seven minutes left (when Swinton narrowed the score to 26-16), and the defense had been playing well all day."
Denver took its 26-3 lead when Jason Elam nailed his fourth field goal of the game, a 28-yard boot with 11 minutes remaining.
Cowboys quarterback Ryan Leaf played poorly for three quarters, but he sparked a comeback in the fourth by hitting Joey Galloway and Rocket Ismail on several deep passes. Leaf finished with 193 passing yards, including 109 in the fourth period.
Hambrick's two touchdown runs were the first scored by a Cowboys running back this season. Ismail and Galloway combined for 148 yard receiving.
The Cowboys will take the weekend off and return to action Dec. 2 against the Redskins in Washington. |
