Five weeks into the regular season, Bill Parcells appears to have affected a significant turnaround for the previously moribund Cowboys. Jean-Jacques Taylor writes,
Coach Bill Parcells didn't talk about the playoffs Monday, but he toed that line.Quite impressive indeed. Of course, the Cowboys have only played four games (having had a bye in Week 3) against mediocre competition. Still, mediocre teams were easily beating the Cowboys in recent years.The mere fact that the playoffs appeared to cross his mind says a lot about the impact Parcells has made on the Cowboys since January, when owner Jerry Jones signed him to a four-year contract that pays him $4.25 million per season.
"We have a lot to do and a lot to improve upon. This is not going to be an easy task," Parcells said. "Your whole goal is to be playing for something in Week 16.
"If you're asking me my expectations and what I'm hoping for and what I coach for ... I'm not coming back to coach for practice. I'm trying to get the team to improve and understand what it takes to be competitive."
Under Parcells, Quincy Carter has been one of the most effective quarterbacks in the league, and the offense is no longer abject.Incredible.The key off-season additions – Richie Anderson, Dan Campbell, Al Singleton, Ryan Young and Terry Glenn – each have made strong contributions, and Parcells has made the players accountable for winning and losing.
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At the heart of the Cowboys' improvement this season is the offense.
Dallas, one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL the past three seasons, leads the NFL with an average of 382.8 yards per game.
Dallas and Minnesota are the only teams whose rushing and passing offense each rank among the league's top 10, and Carter's 80.5 quarterback rating puts him ahead of former Pro Bowl quarterbacks such as Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Aaron Brooks and Kerry Collins.
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