Cowboys grasping for hope

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo says the Cowboys’ 1-4 start is more about bad luck than bad performance. “Snakebit,” Romo called it.
Dallas quarterback Tony Romo says the Cowboys’ 1-4 start is more about bad luck than bad performance. “Snakebit,” Romo called it.

— Tony Romo is floating a new theory about what’s wrong with the Dallas Cowboys: They’re not bad, just having bad luck.

Such as five of his seven interceptions being tipped balls. Or some of the costliest of their 49 penalties being borderline calls that went against them.

Such as an opponent’s punt dying around the 2-yard line instead of tumbling into the end zone, which led to a costly chain of events. They are all little things that are supposed to even out over the course of a season but have piled up quickly, sending the Cowboys reeling to a 1-4 start.

“Snakebit,” Romo called it.

Then again, maybe he’s just grasping for something - anything - to explain what a mess Dallas has been.

The Cowboys go into their game against Eli Manning and the New York Giants on tonight hearing how this could be their last chance of salvaging playoff hopes. While similar proclamations have been made on a weekly basis the last month, losing this one would put the Cowboys up against some dreadful history.

In the Super Bowl era, 148 teams have started 1-5 and only the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals wound up making the playoffs, according to STATS LLC.

The outlook is only marginally better for 1-4 teams. Since the league went to the current playoff format of six teams per conference in 1990, five teams have advanced.

“As a competitor and as an athlete, you’re always going forward and trying to get better and improve and trying to turn it around when you get in those situations,” Romo said. “All I know how to do is to work hard and keep your head down and go forward.”

The Cowboys have been within a touchdown in each of their losses, a play away from winning at the end every time.

The Giants did similar things in their second and third games, scaring fans into thinking they were headed toward a repeat of last year’s collapse from 5-0 to 8-8. Only this time they snapped out of it, winning three in a row.

Sports, Pages 13 on 10/25/2010

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