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By Charean Williams
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys began the season playing for the Super Bowl. After a 1-7 start, the rallying cry became eight consecutive wins and a miracle playoff berth.
The loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving Day -- their eighth of the season -- changed the goal again. A .500 finish was the best they could do.
The Cowboys' 30-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday officially eliminated them from the postseason and assures that, for the first time since 2004, they will finish with a sub-.500 record.
"Obviously, this isn't the situation we wanted to be in, but you talk about being a pro," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said Monday. "That's what you have to do.
"We're all being evaluated. We're all trying to build and move forward. I think Jason [Garrett] has really done a great job of laying that out there for all the players. You've got to keep building. You've got to keep working. You can't pack it in. This team won't."
Garrett gave himself something of a vote of confidence Monday. The Cowboys are 3-2 since Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips and named Garrett the interim head coach, and their two losses were by identical 30-27 scores to the Saints and to the Eagles.
Seven of the Cowboys' losses have been by seven points or less.
"We're in a results-oriented world and a results-oriented business," Garrett said. "So when you look at the bottom line of things, you would say, 'Hey, we didn't win enough games.' One of the things that we emphasize a lot with our football team is process.
"We emphasize approach. We emphasize being your best and having great pride in doing what you do as well as you can do it. Hopefully, we can do what we do as well as we can do it, and that's the emphasis. We feel like if you do that, the results will take care of themselves.
"... The approach is right. The effort is right. How we're going about our business is right. You continue to build on those positives."
The Cowboys will continue to build for next season. They are hoping to finish with three consecutive victories and momentum for 2011, and Garrett reiterated Monday that the Cowboys will not play younger players at the expense of winning.
Garrett said Jon Kitna will start this week, while second-year quarterback Stephen McGee continues to wait his turn.
"The goal each week is to win football games," Garrett said. "That's what we're going to try to do. We're going to try to put our best foot forward to that end. The nature of our roster is such that we have some young guys banged up and some younger guys will get opportunities based on injury."
Many of the Cowboys are playing for their jobs. There also is something called pride. The Cowboys' defense is on pace to give up the most points in team history (413, beating the record of 405 in 2004). It also is on pace to give up 5,342 yards, which isn't far off the record 5,608 the 1985 team allowed.
"Whether you're winning or losing, teams are always looking to get better," defensive end Stephen Bowen said. "You're always trying regardless and trying to show your best effort."
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
IRVING -- The Dallas Cowboys began the season playing for the Super Bowl. After a 1-7 start, the rallying cry became eight consecutive wins and a miracle playoff berth.
The loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving Day -- their eighth of the season -- changed the goal again. A .500 finish was the best they could do.
The Cowboys' 30-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday officially eliminated them from the postseason and assures that, for the first time since 2004, they will finish with a sub-.500 record.
"Obviously, this isn't the situation we wanted to be in, but you talk about being a pro," Cowboys tight end Jason Witten said Monday. "That's what you have to do.
"We're all being evaluated. We're all trying to build and move forward. I think Jason [Garrett] has really done a great job of laying that out there for all the players. You've got to keep building. You've got to keep working. You can't pack it in. This team won't."
Garrett gave himself something of a vote of confidence Monday. The Cowboys are 3-2 since Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips and named Garrett the interim head coach, and their two losses were by identical 30-27 scores to the Saints and to the Eagles.
Seven of the Cowboys' losses have been by seven points or less.
"We're in a results-oriented world and a results-oriented business," Garrett said. "So when you look at the bottom line of things, you would say, 'Hey, we didn't win enough games.' One of the things that we emphasize a lot with our football team is process.
"We emphasize approach. We emphasize being your best and having great pride in doing what you do as well as you can do it. Hopefully, we can do what we do as well as we can do it, and that's the emphasis. We feel like if you do that, the results will take care of themselves.
"... The approach is right. The effort is right. How we're going about our business is right. You continue to build on those positives."
The Cowboys will continue to build for next season. They are hoping to finish with three consecutive victories and momentum for 2011, and Garrett reiterated Monday that the Cowboys will not play younger players at the expense of winning.
Garrett said Jon Kitna will start this week, while second-year quarterback Stephen McGee continues to wait his turn.
"The goal each week is to win football games," Garrett said. "That's what we're going to try to do. We're going to try to put our best foot forward to that end. The nature of our roster is such that we have some young guys banged up and some younger guys will get opportunities based on injury."
Many of the Cowboys are playing for their jobs. There also is something called pride. The Cowboys' defense is on pace to give up the most points in team history (413, beating the record of 405 in 2004). It also is on pace to give up 5,342 yards, which isn't far off the record 5,608 the 1985 team allowed.
"Whether you're winning or losing, teams are always looking to get better," defensive end Stephen Bowen said. "You're always trying regardless and trying to show your best effort."