Volume CXXXIII, Number 2 September 19, 2003 f

Parcells has the magic to make all-star teams
NICK LAROCQUE
STAFF WRITER

Bill Parcells has never had it easy.

When Parcells accepted his first NFL head coaching job in 1983, he took over the New York Giants, a team that obtained a winning record only once in the last ten years. Most franchises in such dire circumstances would look to a proven veteran to come in and breathe new life into their team. However, the Giants saw something special in Parcells, who had served as the team's defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. Four seasons later, the Giants were world champions. By the time he left New York in 1991, the Tuna had transformed the Giants into one of the most dominant franchises of the '80s and established his name among the greatest head coaches of the modern era.

He performed similar miracles with the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. When Parcells took over the Jets in 1997, he was taking the helm of a team that had finished its last season with a 1-15 record. After two seasons, the Jets were in the AFC Championship game. He is one of only two coaches in NFL history to bring a team from a one-win season to a playoff appearance in only two years.

The other was Vince Lombardi.

He stands now as the third most winning active coach in the NFL, and all of his success has come with teams that were in ruin when he took over. So, it is no surprise that Parcells was the first choice of Jerry Jones to save his Dallas Cowboys, who have been in a complete state of dissaray since the Troy Aikman era ended.

Despite Parcells' excellent track record, there was a tremendous amount of doubt from both fans and media alike about whether or not he would be right for Dallas. There were many who felt after being away from football for two years, Parcells would not have the same hard disciplinary mentality or the neurotic desire for perfection that made him successful before. Many felt his return to Dallas was fueled not by a genuine desire to be back in football, but rather a financial gain. Finally, there were many analysts who predicted that Parcells would not be successful simply because "the Cowboys are a bad team." And so it seemed unanimous; if there was going to be a situation in which even Bill Parcells could not change a team's fortunes, this was it.

However, four days ago, on a rainy night in East Rutherford, NJ, on the biggest national stage that regular season football has to offer, the Tuna and his team made a statement to the NFL: this is a new Dallas Cowboys team.

The Dallas Cowboys that played on Monday night was not the same team that had, for the past several seasons, always expected failure and engaged in self-pity when it came. This team showed up at the meadowlands on Monday night expecting nothing less than a victory. This was not the same Dallas Cowboys team that self-destructed at every turn, as if they were afraid of success. All of the Cowboys players, most notably the younger ones, played with the poise and confidence of veteran pro-bowlers. Finally, and most importantly, it seemed as though the Dallas Cowboys organization, from the players to the owners to all of the fans, were ready to stop living in the past and were ready to open the book on a new era. There was no question that Bill Parcells prepared his team to play and to win.

This change in attitude was most apparent in quarterback Quincy Carter, who was awarded the starting position over Chad Hutchinson in a controversial decision during the pre-season. Despite his tremendous athletic ability, Carter lost his starting spot to Hutchinson last year because of a lack of poise and indecisiveness in the pocket. After losing his job, Carter became a scapegoat for many disgruntled Dallas fans. Needless to say, if there was one player on the field Monday night who needed to play well for both himself and his coach, it was Carter.

He responded superbly. He put his athleticism on display in the first quarter by burning the Giants defense for an eight yard TD run. After throwing an interception in Dallas's second possession, Carter settled down and went on to throw 25 completions for over 300 yards on the night. He showed tremendous poise both in the pocket and on the run, and there were virtually no signs of his weaknesses that cost him his position last year.

The most impressive of Carter's play came with his team trailing by three and 11 seconds remaining on the clock. He threw a perfectly-timed and located 26-yard strike to Antonio Bryant on the sideline. Bryant got out of bounds to stop the clock, and Billy Cundiff came out to kick the game-tying field goal. The confidence and accuracy required by Carter to make that throw are virtues he was criticized for lacking. However, he was utilizing them to the fullest on this night.

For the Giants, the game was a story of two very different halves. Due to injuries, New York was forced to start three rookies on its offensive line. This made for disasters on offense in the first-half. The Giants had eight first half possessions. Four of them ended in punts, one ended on a Tiki barber fumble, two ended in with interceptions, and the final one ended with Kerry Collins taking a knee so that the Giants could retreat to the locker room. In these eight possessions, the Giants offense could only muster up five first downs, a very small number for a team who is said to have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

After making adjustments at halftime, the Giants came out and looked spectacular in the second half. The line gave Collins time to throw and he completed three to touchdown passes. Matt Bryant's added a field goal, and the Giants were on their way to engineering a 25 point second half, and a huge comeback against a division rival. They led by three points with 11 seconds remaining in the game.

However, they fell victim to mishaps once again. Matt Bryants squib kick landed out of bounds, and Dallas received the ball on the 40-yard line. Teams coached by Bill Parcells's never suffer from special teams mistakes. He is obsessed with making sure that his teams are flawless down to the very last detail. Parcells' teams are also always prepared for any situation. The Cowboys used the Giants mistake against them, and won in overtime on Billy Cundiff's record-tying seventh field goal of the night.

For Bill Parcells and his team, Monday night was about new beginnings. After watching the game, many doubts have been erased about what Parcells is doing in Dallas. I expect the New York Giants to make the playoffs this year. I do not expect the Cowboys to. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. However, there is no doubt in my mind that Bill Parcells has the Cowboys on the fast track back to the top of the NFL. It has only been two games, and already the difference is tremendous. The Tuna is back.

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