Brees to connect with Joe Horn for 28 yards, the Saints didn't have much available.
"It's preseason," said veteran nose tackle Jason Ferguson, trying to keep everything in perspective. "We just did what we were supposed to do. We went out there and shut it down.
"But can't put too much into it."
That must have been Parcells' tune after the game, because most of the defense was echoing these words of caution. But this is two consecutive games this defense has basically "done what it's supposed to do," and it sure beats the alternative at this point.
Offensively, not sure how Parcells could have complained, although he did make a point of Romo's fumble. But other than that, this offensive line under construction was workable, giving up just one sack, and that on a blitz it probably was prepared to face.
Bledsoe showed you why this notion of Romo, who has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season NFL game, taking over as the starting quarterback for Jacksonville might be a tad preposterous. He was razor-sharp, just as he's been for most of training camp.
And if Terrell Owens ever gets himself healthy enough to get on the field, Terry Glenn just told the NFL you better not think you can handle me one-on-one too often. He might also have been telling us media types we have been writing too much about the wrong receiver all summer.
Now, granted the Cowboys didn't run the ball all that well in the first half. They gained 58 yards on 22 carries, which figures to 2.6 yards a carry.
But hey, when a team wants to play a bunch of eight-man fronts and play the receivers basically in man, why bang your head against the wall running a bunch when you can play pitch-and-catch as easily as the Cowboys did this evening?
Even Parcells couldn't hate on the running game.
When asked if the poor effort running the ball concerned him, he answers with one of his elongated "nooooo's," and then followed with, "I disagree with that statement."
Even after it was pointed out the Cowboys failed to rush for even three yards a carry, he stubbornly said, "Well, I don't know, when you take the ball and drive the ball the length of the field twice . . . ."
And while all this is good, maybe the best part is the Cowboys didn't appear to suffer any major injuries, though they won't know that until offensive tackle Flozell Adams, once again Mr. Indispensable as I still contend, wakes up in the morning and has his left calf contusion rechecked. Parcells said the team erred on the side of caution not allowing Adams to return to the game. We'll see, and they hope.
Other than that, it was clear sailing Monday night. Not even anyone suffering from dehydration, which was pretty remarkable since the game-time temperature of 99 was a good 20 degrees higher than anything the Cowboys faced on the hottest day in Oxnard, Calif.
So all in all, job well done - once this team gets around to playing football games.
