that night four years back.
In fact, at the mention of the game, Coleman's first response is to throw his head back and laugh heartily. Then he says, "It was like a playoff atmosphere in there. Maybe not like a Super Bowl, but like a conference championship game. We had some good veteran players, now. I'm sure no one was expecting much from us, but we didn't know that. We prepared to win the game and we expected to win the game."
The Cowboys, on the other hand, weren't prepared for anything. They were beginning the last of Dave Campo's three seasons as head coach with a new offensive staff, uncertainty at quarterback and an offensive line that had been so ridiculously injured in training camp, it almost never had the five projected starters together. Still, they were the Cowboys. These other fellas hadn't ever played a game. I mean, c'mon. What could happen?
What could happen did, and if you don't think it can happen again, ask the Dolphins. If the Cowboys are concentrating on the Eagles, or their own mistakes last week, they'll get a nasty little surprise, the kind that will make it Mavericks' season around here in a hurry.
Don't misunderstand. The likelihood is that Dallas will win because they're better. We can't come in here trying to tell you the Texans are something they're not.
But we can tell you a few things they are. We can tell you Carr has the highest completion percentage in the NFL, by a bunch, and that new head coach Gary Kubiak has him playing with a confidence he hasn't had since he was the first pick in the draft four years ago. We can tell you they have two big time receivers in Andre Johnson, who's third in the AFC in receptions and yards, and Eric Moulds.
We can tell you they have a running back, Ron Dayne, last seen around here romping through the Dallas secondary for a long run to set up the game winning overtime field goal for Denver last Thanksgiving. We can tell you they have a pass rushing end in Mario Williams who was the first pick in this year's draft who has been watching tape of Flozell Adams all week.
Probably, the Cowboys are ready to move on. Coleman, returning to practice Wednesday on a one-game roster exemption, said he and Aaron Glenn wouldn't have to say anything about the Texans winning four years ago because last week's loss has caught the Dallas players' attention.
"You can kind of feel it in the locker room and on the field," he said. "There's a little more of an edge. Our guys are pretty focused."
And they'd better be. This is the N-F-dadgum-L. Bad teams beat good teams every week. And if you thought last week was bad, try the feeling of losing to Houston.
