Monday, November 15, 2004
Philadelphia is coming off its first loss -- to the Steelers -- after a 7-0 start.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- When things were going well for the Dallas Cowboys early last season, Bill Parcells was asked about the great attitudes seen from several players who were not usually described that way. His response sounded more like a warning.
"It's easy to be a team player," Parcells said, "when you're winning."
His point was that players and teams show their true character in how they respond to losing.
A good example will be on display tonight, though not by Parcells' Cowboys. The scrutiny will be on their opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles, who are coming off their first loss after a 7-0 start.
History of success
There's no reason to think the Eagles are going to falter. After all, this is a team that's been to the last three NFC championship games.
But the dynamics are different this year because Philadelphia has a new leading man -- Terrell Owens, whose persona fits what Parcells was talking about.
Owens was a happy camper during the winning streak and was a big reason for it. However, he was practically a non-factor in a 27-3 loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday and cameras caught him shouting at quarterback Donovan McNabb.
The Eagles spent all week insisting that Owens was yelling words of encouragement. On a conference call with Dallas media, McNabb said they were making dinner plans and that he walked away because, "I wasn't hungry at the time."
McNabb can laugh because he knows how well his team has handled all sorts of adversity the last four seasons. Philadelphia has lost consecutive games only twice and never lost three in a row.
"The sooner you put it behind you the better," tight end Chad Lewis said. "We've got a lot of confidence, we have a lot of great leaders on our team, a lot of playmakers. No one is going to curl up into a ball and cry."
In Eagles' favor
If the Eagles had to lose a game, their timing was pretty good.
Besides dropping the pressure of trying to keep alive an unbeaten season, they were beaten by the league's hottest team, and one from the opposite conference. Now they get to try bouncing back in the spotlight of a Monday night game against a division rival they've beaten eight of the last 10 meetings.
About the only thing the Cowboys (3-5) have in common with the Eagles right now is that they lost their last game on the road by a nearly identical score. Dallas was pounded 26-3 by Cincinnati. And that made it four losses in five games.
Parcells is refusing to give up on this season, which is why Vinny Testaverde, who turned 41 on Saturday, remains the starting quarterback instead of Drew Henson.
Testaverde actually was one of Dallas' better surprises the first half of the season, but he's had seven turnovers the last two games and the Cowboys aren't good enough to overcome their own mistakes. They hardly have a running game and their defense is susceptible to big plays. Penalties have hurt, too, all of which led to Parcells calling players "stupid" last week.
How they respond tonight could show whether he still has their attention.
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