Because that’s when we’ll all be in Glendale, Arizona, watching the Cowboys win Super Bowl XLII. Right? While you’re booking your reservations, a little perspective on Dallas’ 4-0 start, punctuated by Sunday’s 35-7 dismantling of the St. Louis Rams.
The Cowboys haven’t started a season this awesome since Don Meredith was lobbing bombs to Bob Hayes in the Cotton Bowl. Yep, 1968. That’s the last team to sprint out of the gate with four wins by double-digit margins. That team, in fact, won its first six by at least 13 points before eventually losing the conference championship game to the Cleveland Browns. If you wanna be real technical, this is the best start in Cowboys’ history, since never before has Dallas started 4-0 and scored at least 34 points in every game. So there.
And the last time the Cowboys started 4-0: 1995, last time they won the Super Bowl. Not since 1983 have the Cowboys started 5-0, something they’ll be heavily favored to do next Monday night in Buffalo.
Dallas is one of only four undefeated teams, backup Marion Barber is second in the NFC in rushing, receiver Terry Glenn hasn’t even stepped on the field yet, and, of course, Tony Romo has been perfectly Staubachian. (Hey, Bill Parcells, you still think Romo is best cast as a conservative “bus driver”?) The only negatives: Ridiculous mascot Rowdy actually went to mid-field with the captains for yesterday’s coin toss. Dallas’ four opponents are a combined 3-13. And, is it just me, or does Wade Phillips look less like a head coach and more like an arms upraised, woo-hooing Fantasy owner who has every Cowboy on his team?
Though I didn’t exactly forsee Sunday’s blowout, I’m not totally shocked by Dallas’ start. I picked them to go 11-5 and win at least one playoff game. I did, however, underrate Phillips’ influence. I called for the next head coach to be Norv Turner, who has promptly deteriorated the San Diego Chargers from a 14-2 division winner into a 1-3 laughingstock. --Richie Whitt
