Last season, ”America`s Team” won one game. Normally, this would cause the forming of a lynch mob in Dallas. But the Cowboys were in new hands-owner Jerry Jones and coach Jimmy Johnson. The denizens of Dallas remained patient. Going into Sunday`s game at Anaheim Stadium against the Rams, the 1990 edition of the Cowboys has a 3-7 record.
More victories, yet more discontent.
Quarterback Troy Aikman-the former UCLA star, in his second year at the helm-predicted ”major shakeups” in the Cowboys` offense this week after it sputtered and died last Sunday night in a 24-6 loss to the 49ers.
Aikman fought off a challenge to his job from Steve Walsh last year; it ended for good when Walsh was dealt this year to New Orleans. But now the heat has been turned up on Aikman; his leadership ability has been questioned.
Also this week, Aikman said he has been told by coaches to tame his temper.
”I have the same frustration,” Johnson said, ”because we have been inconsistent at times, and in some games we haven`t had the football long enough to get everyone involved.”
Aikman isn`t the only forlorn Cowboy. Rookie running back Emmitt Smith questioned his role in last week`s game. He carried the ball only six times for 40 yards.
”He hurt his hand in the first half,” Johnson explained, ”and only had one carry in the second half.”
But Smith, the former Florida star who entered the draft after his junior year, said he isn`t happy with his role and the direction of the Cowboys`
offense.
”There were times when the game was still close where I could have carried the ball more,” he said. ”I should have had more than six carries.
”If it was going good for us, we should have kept going with it . . . I just felt like we were doing well on the ground, and I don`t know why we didn`t go with it more.”
Johnson responded by pointing out that the Cowboys were playing the world-champion 49ers, not some expansion team. Dallas had only 41 offensive plays, only 13 in the second half because the 49ers dominated the ball.
The Cowboys` woes run deeper. You thought the Rams had problems on offense this year. Well, they do. But while the Rams` unit may be perceived as a sleeping giant, the Cowboys` offense is just sleeping.
Dallas is ranked 27th in the NFL in total offense; only the Colts`
offense is rated lower. The Cowboys are 27th in pass offense and 24th in rushing.
Aikman is rated second to last among NFC quarterbacks, a hair ahead of Washington`s Stan Humphries. Smith is a respectable seventh in the NFC in rushing, with 468 yards on 123 carries. But among those top seven, only Philadelphia quarterback Randall Cunningham has fewer carries (71).
”We have been inconsistent on offense,” Johnson said, ”and a lot of that is because we have a lot of new players in the lineup and on our team, players who didn`t go to training camp with us this year and were not with us last year. They`re really trying to learn on the run.”
That may be one reason why Aikman`s ire has shown itself this year, although Smith claims he hasn`t witnessed it himself.
”I never see Troy showing his temper on the field,” Smith said. ”He comes in the huddle, calls the plays and is as calm as the rest of us. He gets frustrated sometimes-you can see that on the sidelines. But he never says much about it.”
In any case, Aikman`s temper has been a hot topic of conversation this week in Dallas.
”This was really made more out of than what was really there,” Johnson said. ”Troy is a very competitive individual. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. At times he gets upset when the offense isn`t doing well. At times he has to be more on an even keel.”
This won`t help the Cowboys in time for Sunday, but the owner and the head coach can take comfort in the fact that next year they`ll have three high first-round draft picks: their own, the Saints` No. 1 from the Walsh trade and the Vikings` No. 1 from the Herschel Walker deal.
”The fans are excited about what they see,” Johnson said. ”They know we are rebuilding, and they have picked up on the enthusiasm.
”We`re going as fast as we can. However soon it is, though, it is not soon enough.”
