Parcells' Dallas debut against Vick-less Falcons
By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer
September 4, 2003
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Twenty years ago, coaches from every NFL team stood together for a photo. Bud Grant, an elder statesman in the group, compared them to bomber pilots and suggested everyone take a good look around because next year ``there will be a few guys missing.''
Bill Parcells never forgot that. He's mentioned it often this summer while preparing for his fourth coaching job, this time with the Dallas Cowboys.
And, every time, he chuckled at the fact he'll open Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons and Dan Reeves, the only coach left from that snapshot.
With seven Super Bowl appearances between them, Parcells and Reeves are steeped in experience and wisdom. Yet both still go into this season more concerned than optimistic.
Parcells has no idea how the Cowboys, a team coming off three straight 5-11 seasons, will respond to his tactics and coaching staff.
He has unproven players in the most pivotal offensive roles and two of their top helpers, offensive lineman Larry Allen and receiver Antonio Bryant, are ailing. Injuries at cornerback and tackle have forced the defensive scheme to be tweaked.
``This is the time of year where apprehension among coaches is prevalent,'' Parcells said. ``You never know what you really got, what you really are going to be good at.''
Reeves has little sympathy. After all, Atlanta's Super Bowl hopes still are reeling from the broken leg that knocked out quarterback Michael Vick for at least the first month.
Losing every preseason game for only the second time in team history didn't help either. The Falcons scored just three offensive touchdowns their last 14 quarters.
``I'm not sure if anybody knows exactly where we are as a football team right now,'' Reeves said.
Before Vick went down, Atlanta was still riding the emotions of becoming the first team to win a playoff game in Green Bay. Then the addition of deep-play threat Peerless Price gave defenses another reason to fear Vick's arm as much as his feet.
Now the focus is on backup quarterback Doug Johnson. Teammates insist they're confident because he led them past the New York Giants when Vick was hurt last season, with Johnson going 19-of-25 for 257 yards with a touchdown pass and a TD run.
But they also know he's no Michael Vick.
``Mike took a lot of the pressure off of us because he's the cover guy of the league,'' running back Warrick Dunn said. ``Guys really have to earn their money now.''
Parcells already has started earning his. Fans are as excited about the Cowboys as they can be for a team that hasn't won a playoff game in seven years.
They probably won't this season either, but Parcells' track record gives them reason to believe they're headed in the right direction.
Since arriving in January, he's been molding the team with many of the same tricks he used to win two Super Bowls with the Giants, get the Patriots to another and take the Jets to an AFC title game two seasons after they won only one game.
``I feel his intensity already,'' safety Darren Woodson said.
Parcells made Troy Hambrick the replacement to Emmitt Smith at running back, almost by default, and chose Quincy Carter as his top quarterback before the preseason finale. It'll be his third straight opener.
After a tumultuous first two seasons, hard work off the field and mobility on it has put him in Parcells' good graces. He must make good decisions and avoid turnovers to hold onto what might be his last chance in Dallas.
``I think his confidence is higher,'' Parcells said. ``He has a better understanding of what we are doing, quite obviously, and I think he's starting to gain an understanding of stylistically what we are going to try to do with him''
Parcells began calling all the plays in the last preseason game and hopes he knows the ones his players can run best. He certainly knows what works against Reeves' teams, having gone 5-0 against them.
The Falcons, though, might have a secret weapon in Woody Dantzler, a return specialist who was signed Tuesday, a day after Dallas cut him.
Reeves was irked that anyone would think Dantzler was signed to provide inside information about the Cowboys -- although the coach admitted, ``I might ask him a question.''
``But I don't think he'll tell us anything that we probably don't already know,'' Reeves said. ``If we don't know what they're going to do by looking at film and having some idea of what they've done in the past and what Bill's profile has been in the past, then we're not very good coaches.''
