Cowboys Hope Irvin’s Return Will be Start of Something Good

Drawn inexorably to the precipice like a moth to the flame, the Dallas Cowboys are ready to demonstrate their remarkable resilience one more time.

Who else could lose 11 starters to free agency over three years and still be a dominant team in the NFL?

Who else could switch gears from a frenetic coach like Jimmy Johnson to a caretaker like Barry Switzer and not miss a beat?

Who else could lose their most indispensable player (Emmitt Smith) for two games to a contract dispute, start the season 0-2, and still win the Super Bowl, as the Cowboys did in 1993?

Who else could watch their offense vanish overnight because of injuries and a drug suspension, start 1-3 as the Cowboys did this season --and still be regarded as a Super Bowl contender?

“They’re still the team to beat in our division without a doubt,” New York Giants General Manager George Young said about the National Football Conference East. “I think they’re very dangerous.”

The Cowboys are not just a football team any longer, they’re a death-defying high-wire act. They play without a safety net, without regard for the consequences, always reaching for a piece of history that no one has handled before.

And history is there for the making. They are shooting for an unprecedented fourth championship in five seasons. The Pittsburgh Steelers won four Super Bowls in six years, from 1974 to 1979. The Green Bay Packers won five titles in seven seasons, from 1961 to 1967, in an era that bridged the pre-merger years and the Super Bowl.

But no NFL team has won four titles in five years.

After the Cowboys dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5 to improve their record to 2-3, quarterback Troy Aikman gently reminded his audience of one fact.

“We’re world champions,” he said, “until somebody beats us.”

That may be harder than it first appeared.

When the Cowboys reached their bye week last week, they welcomed back Pro Bowl wide receiver Michael Irvin from a five-game drug suspension. He arrives in the nick of time for an offense still missing Pro Bowl tight end Jay Novacek (chronic back pain) and third receiver Kevin Williams (broken foot).

Irvin, who pleaded no contest to felony cocaine possession charges on July 15, will start against the Arizona Cardinals at Texas Stadium on Sunday and can expect a lot of attention -- from both sides.

“Michael is going to be on the field about a minute before we start throwing the ball to him,” Switzer said.

What Irvin brings to the Cowboys’ comatose passing game is credibility and a deep threat. In his absence, two-way player Deion Sanders was the team’s leading receiver with 18 catches, but he had trouble running routes and was rarely a factor on offense.

Irvin posted career highs in catches (111), yards (1,603) and touchdowns (10) a year ago, when he was selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.

“We haven’t had a real threat of going deep,” said veteran center Ray Donaldson. “Even though Deion has the speed, I don’t know if teams respect him as a receiver enough. (But) they know Michael Irvin will get down there and catch that thing.”

The Cowboys have sorely missed Irvin, especially Aikman, who ranks seventh in the NFL’s passer ratings and has thrown for more than 200 yards in a game only once this season.

Irvin’s suspension also had repercussions for Smith, the Cowboys’ four-time NFL rushing champion. Slowed by an assortment of injuries and a weekly review of eight-man defensive fronts, Smith is averaging only 3.5 yards a carry and 74.0 rushing yards a game.

What was the NFL’s fifth-most productive offense a year ago ranks 26th in total yards this year.

“I hoped we could hold on until Mike got back,’ said Cowboys tackle Erik Williams. “We were seeing eight-man fronts quite frequently. Now that we have him back, it’ll probably take him one or two games to be where he wants to be. Just his presence on the field is going to draw double coverage.”

Ron Wolf, general manager of the Green Bay Packers, said Irvin’s presence will do a lot more than that.

“One thing that’s very evident in today’s football is what one player adds to a team, or conversely takes away from a team when he’s injured or not there,” Wolf said. “It’s amazing. You can just see the turnaround with the addition of one key player.

“That will turn that team around.”

At 5-1, the Packers remain the team to beat in the NFC. But the Cowboys could gain ground quickly with a revitalized passing game and a healthy Emmitt Smith. They trail the Washington Redskins (4-1) by two games in the division, and the team in second place, the Philadelphia Eagles, has a quarterback crisis.

“They can get on a streak,’ the Giants’ Young said of the Cowboys. “They’re a very tough team. Their offensive and defensive lines are tough, that’s what came out in the Philly game. They’re not going to give up the crown easily.”

In the absence of offense, the Cowboys relied on their defense to keep them competitive until Irvin returned. They lead the NFL in total defense and passing defense, and rank seventh against the rush.

While free agency has depleted the Cowboys’ once-vaunted depth, they still have more than their share of quality players. Ten Cowboys were invited to the Pro Bowl last season, five as starters. Eight of the 10 will play Sunday against Arizona, but the one who will command the spotlight is Irvin.

“It feels like our group is now closer to being back together,” Aikman said. “As much as anything else, along with having a great player on the field again, it gives us a lot of confidence.”