Parcells Has Cowboys Back in the Postseason

IRVING, Texas — The first time Bill Parcells spoke to the Dallas Cowboys, he told them to “get your expectations up.”

After the Cowboys beat the New York Giants, 19-3, on Sunday, culminating a rise from four straight non-winning seasons to making the playoffs, Parcells repeated his original message.

“That’s where mine are,” he said. “So get them up.”

Behind an efficient game from Quincy Carter and another big performance against the Giants by kicker Billy Cundiff, Dallas (10-5) earned its first spot in “the tournament” -- as Parcells calls it -- since 1999 and handed New York (4-11) its seventh straight loss.

Where the Cowboys fit into the postseason bracket isn’t determined. They could still win the division, trailing Philadelphia by one game, but would hold the tiebreaker if both finish 11-5.

“It feels good to know we’re in the playoffs, but we’ve still got to get better,” safety Darren Woodson said. “The hottest team in December usually wins it, so we’re trying to get better.”

Parcells has turned three previous losing franchises into championship-caliber teams. But this is the first time he has made the playoffs in his first season. The 10 wins in his debut year is another first, and it’s the most for Dallas since 1998.

The timing was nice too. On the first anniversary of the day Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted that he had talked to Parcells, they celebrated the 27th -- and probably most surprising -- playoff berth in team history.

“This season is beyond expectations,” Jones said. “You have to give credit to Coach Parcells.”

Though Parcells will gripe about mistakes such as silly penalties on Andre Gurode and Ebenezer Ekuban, players he has demoted in recent weeks, he has to love the momentum that Dallas is building.

Since giving up 76 points in consecutive losses to Miami and Philadelphia, the Cowboys have allowed just three points in two games, albeit against bad teams. Next up is New Orleans, which was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday.

“This league is such that if you get things going, get the right pieces at the right time and get a couple of breaks, you can make some advancement,” Parcells said. “But I didn’t come here just to do that.”

The Giants are hoping that a new coach will provide them the same kind of turnaround. On Sunday, though, they still had to play the second-to-last game under Jim Fassel, who was told Wednesday he won’t be back next season.

In matching their longest losing streak since 1994, the Giants hit a season-low with three points.

Carter was 17 of 25 for 240 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and no fumbles.

Carter savored joining the fraternity of quarterbacks who’ve taken the Cowboys to the playoffs.

“You think about Staubach and Meredith and Aikman,” Carter said. “It’s an honor.”