RUN DOWN

The scissors were not in his hands, and while at times it seems the Dallas Cowboys’ daily routine is practice, team meetings and a visit to the local strip club, his name has never been shamed by such controversy.

But Emmitt Smith’s crime is far worse: He has lost it.

“Usually it’s just said behind my back,” Smith said, “but that’s the basic question: Do I have anything left?”

Barry Sanders ran for more than 2,000 yards last season, Terrell Davis ran as he pleased and Emmitt Smith ran uphill.

“Granted I’m not the same automobile I was in 1990,” said Smith, who rushed for 1,074 yards in 1997, “but I’ll put my talent level against anyone in the NFL.

“Troy [Aikman] made one of the best statements I have ever heard the other day. You look at Mark McGwire, and he will probably hit 65 home runs this year, and if he comes back and hits anything less next year, he’s lost something.”

What if he whiffs the entire season? The list of top-10 rushers in the NFL last season does not include Smith’s name. Adrian Murrell ran for more yards than Smith, and New York Jet Coach Bill Parcells traded the disappointing lug to Arizona after the season.

Smith needs only a dozen more touchdown runs to become the NFL’s all-time scorer on the ground, but forget it.

Last season he had four. Three years ago he scored 25. In his last 22 regular-season games, he has seven. Now say it--say it directly to Emmitt Smith’s face: You’ve lost it.

“That’s what they say,” said Smith, leaning hard across the table. “You know what I say? I still feel like no one man can stop me. I know I got a lot more left inside me, a lot more than what people give me credit for.”

Last year, before going flat, Smith told the Dallas Morning News, “There’s a lot of tread left on my wheels. After last year I just had them rotated and balanced.”

Now he’s good only for catchy quotes. The determination also might still be there, but the 29-year-old body has been battered from 2,913 times running the ball in regular-season and postseason play.

“A whole 29 years old,” Smith said. “I’ve carried the ball a ton, a ton in my life if you go all the way back, so what--I’m burnt out? Run down? Too many hits?

“Far from it.”

The Cowboys are acting like a team not so sure. They persuaded free-agent running back Chris Warren to sign with them--and why would he sign with a team that won’t play him?--and hired Clarence Shelmon, Warren’s former coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

“We think we can prolong Emmitt’s career by bringing in a player like Chris,” said owner Jerry Jones, who needs to prolong Smith’s career another six years to justify the $42.5-million, eight-year contract, including a $10.5-million signing bonus, he gave him two years ago.

Nice plan, but now Warren’s hurt. Sherman Williams, the last guy hired to inspire Smith or replace him, has been un-retired and brought back. Although Warren might be sidelined for more than a month because of a groin injury, the Cowboys have experimented with using Smith and Warren in the same backfield.

“My first thought when they brought him in, was, ‘all right, fine, he’s not going to take my job,’ ” Smith said. Presumably, then he said hello.

The whole world has watched Smith run behind a huge offensive line and trample the opposition on the way to winning three Super Bowl titles, but when Chan Gailey took over as coach, he had Smith running full-speed goal-line plays in training camp as if the future Hall of Famer were some free-agent rookie.

And that was OK with Smith, looking a step shiftier than a year ago, and eager to remind Warren and Warren’s old running back coach from Seattle who’s still the man in Dallas.

“I don’t doubt myself ever. Never,” said Smith, who averaged 1,139 yards the last two seasons after averaging 1,604 yards the previous five.

Said Aikman: “Emmitt doesn’t have to apologize to anyone.”

No, he just has to run better. Avoid injury. And score a touchdown when the Cowboys nudge the ball close to the goal line.

“It’s me against the world, baby,” Smith said. “Over the last couple of years, a lot of people’s stats have gone down. Not just mine, but mine are the ones talked about. So much of my success is determined by whether the guys up front are at their highest level too.”

If that’s the case, this should be Smith’s retirement announcement. The Cowboys’ offensive line is nothing like it was during the days when Nate Newton slapped defensive tackles aside with his belly. Tackle Mark Tuinei has retired, tackle Erik Williams is the most overrated player in football, Newton has been prepping to become a Jenny Craig spokesman and guard Larry Allen had to block accusations that he assaulted a stripper.

“I can be ready to go, but if everyone else is not charged up, it doesn’t mean a hill of beans,” Smith said. “I know this: I’m not going to be the broken link in the chain.”

But there are no more guarantees. Smith called his own number in the past, but Gailey has brought in a new offense, which will have Smith running wide more often. In the past, Dallas’ offensive line blocked man to man, with Smith hitting a specific hole. Now the big guys will zone-block, demanding patience from Smith before he runs to an opening.

Gailey’s new offense will also probably shift to a recovered Warren more quickly if Smith runs sluggishly.

“What you’re going to learn about me this year is, can my game change?” Smith said. “Can I deal with change and all those who doubt me?”

After gaining 14 yards in his initial seven carries in the team’s first two exhibition games, Smith ran six times for 83 yards in a scrimmage against the New Orleans Saints. Then he gained 110 yards in a dozen carries against the New England Patriots.

“Everyone else thinks I’m fighting an uphill battle, but not me,” Smith said. “I’m just looking forward to the day when everyone has to rewrite their articles and say, ‘We were wrong, the guy still has it.’ ”

That’s something to clip and save: Anyone have scissors?

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Numbers

Last season, Emmitt Smith seemed to disappear after the first quarter of games and the Cowboys rarely used him in the fourth quarter. His 1997 statistics by quarter: *--*

Qtr Carries Yards Avg TD 1st 94 403 4.29 0 2nd 64 227 3.55 1 3rd 61 253 4.15 2 4th 42 191 4.55 1

*--*

STATISTICS BY SEASON *--*

Year Yards Per Carry TD 1990 937 3.9 11 1991 1,563 4.3 12 1992 1,713 4.6 18 1993 1,486 5.3 9 1994 1,484 4.0 21 1995 1,773 4.7 25 1996 1,204 3.7 12 1997 1,074 4.1 4

*--*

Falling Star?

Emmitt Smith’s production has decreased the last two seasons compared to the previous five. His averages:

1996-97

Carries: 294

Yards: 1,139

Per Carry: 3.9

TD: 8

*

1991-95

Carries: 353

Yards: 1,604

Per Carry: 4.5

TD: 17