To get momentum back, Cowboys need to beat Lions

IRVING (AP) — With ugly, costly losses in their last two home games, the Dallas Cowboys have gone from Super Bowl contenders to a bunch of finger-pointing whiners.

They still have time to straighten things out, but not much. They have only one game left before the playoffs — and it’s against Detroit today.

C’mon, could beating the 2-13 Lions really solve their problems?

“We’ve been talking about putting together a string of wins. This is the best time to do it,” linebacker Bradie James said. “You have to if you want to keep hope alive.”

The Cowboys host Detroit at noon today. The other noon starts: Oakland at the New York Jets, St. Louis at Minnesota, Cleveland at Houston, Carolina at New Orleans, New England at Tennessee, Seattle at Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, and Jacksonville at Kansas City.

Games that kick off at 3 p.m. are Buffalo at Baltimore, Miami at Indianapolis, Arizona at San Diego, Atlanta at Philadelphia, and San Francisco at Denver. Tonight’s game has the Green Bay Packers playing at Chicago, and there is no Monday night game.

Dallas (9-6) is in the playoffs no matter what, but a loss, or even a shoddy win, would do further damage to the championship aspirations that have started to dissolve after seeming legitimate as recently as earlier this month.

THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT — Dallas wide reciever Terrell Owens (81) and running back Marion Barber (24) celebrate after a Cowboys touchdown against Atlanta, as Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall looks on. The Cowboys (9-6) have already clinched an NFC playoff berth, but need a win over Detroit today to steal back momentum after a 23-7 loss to Philadelphia last weekend. Dallas can also still win the NFC East, which would give the Cowboys a home game in the first round of the playoffs. Back then, the Cowboys had given up 90 points their last six games. Tony Romo was 5-1 as a starter, with 10 touchdown passes, four interceptions and seven sacks.

Now Dallas has allowed 93 points the last three games. Romo has gone 1-2, with four touchdowns, five interceptions and eight sacks.

The losses were routs by New Orleans (in a showdown for second place in the NFC) and Philadelphia (with a chance to clinch the division title). Both games were at Texas Stadium and the home fans weren’t the only ones who went away angry.

DALLAS QB TONY ROMO After losing to the Eagles on Monday, Terrell Owens put on a Santa hat and a frown to squawk about not being involved enough, while Terence Newman squawked about an unnamed teammate’s incessant squawking. Terry Glenn mentioned he’d like more passes, too. The me-first attitude continued during the week, with seldomheard from Julius Jones grumbling about needing more carries.

Romo did his best to steady the rocking boat.

“We just need to find a way to get a win to fix everything around here,” he said. “We can change everyone’s perception with a trip deep into January.”

Bill Parcells believes it can happen, too. He spent the week telling his players that if they can snap out of their funk, the NFC could be theirs for the taking.

He even found a way to work Detroit into the equation, noting that the Lions could’ve beaten the Chicago Bears if Mike Williams hadn’t dropped a catch in the end zone.

“I pointed out that the team with the best record in the NFC played the team with the worst and ... it was just such a hard-fought, closely contested contest that if you didn’t look at the uniforms you’d go ‘Who’s what?’” Parcells said. “Really, what I’m trying to say here to everyone: No one knows what’s going to happen in this conference. No one knows.”

Well, there are some absolutes.

Dallas will either be the NFC East champions and the No. 3 seed, or the top wild card, seeded fifth and headed to Seattle for a first-round game.

The Cowboys can still win the division if they beat the Lions and if Philadelphia loses at home to Atlanta. The Eagles-Falcons game kicks off after the Dallas-Detroit game ends, so the Cowboys may have to delay their New Year’s Eve plans by a few hours.

If indeed that happens, the waiting game might continue until close to midnight to figure out who they’ll be playing in the first round.

Whoever wins the NFC East opens against the No. 6 seed and there are five 7-8 clubs that can still get it; that includes Green Bay, which plays Chicago in the late game.

The Lions have something on the line today, too: the top overall pick in the draft. Lose and it’s pretty much theirs.

Detroit and Oakland are guaranteed having the two worst records. But even if the Raiders and Lions lose, Detroit “wins” the tiebreaker because of an easier schedule.

The strange thing about the Lions’ season is their performance against the Bears was pretty typical. They usually lose by only a few points. Detroit has only lost twice by more than 10 points; the Cowboys have done so four times.

“Their attitude has been great,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “They’re working and they’re playing hard and competing, we’re just coming up short. That’s part of me. I’ve got to make sure we can get those close games.”

Who Detroit drafts may not be as intriguing as who makes the pick.

Lions owner William Clay Ford must decide whether to let team president Matt Millen keep making decisions after a six-year run that’s produced 23 wins and 72 losses. The NFLrecord for most losses over six years is 74, set by Tampa Bay from 1983-88.

Speaking of chasing history, the Cowboys have a quirky quest on the line, too.

With a victory, Dallas will have identical 5-3 records at home and on the road. The Cowboys last won as many road games as home games in 1995, when they went 6-2 both places on their way to a Super Bowl title.

But if Dallas loses, the Cowboys would have more road wins than home wins.

The last time that happened? 1989, when the Cowboys were a robust 1-7 on the road and 0-8 at home.