Big Question: Are Boys Back? Aikman-To-Irvin Combination Could Be Key Against Packers

The ball arrived crisply, accurately and on time into Michael Irvin’s hands. Irvin returned to the nine-on-nine practice drill and sought out Troy Aikman.

“Man, Troy, keep throwing like that!” Irvin told the Cowboys’ quarterback.

Eight long, torturous weeks have passed since the Aikman-to-Irvin connection has been on-line in Texas.

Irvin pulled his right quad muscle on Nov. 13 in San Francisco. A week later, Aikman sprained his left knee against Washington.

Not until last week have Aikman and Irvin been on the practice field on every snap, and finally in sync.

And just in time, too. Today, the Cowboys (12-4) entertain the Green Bay Packers (10-7) in an NFC divisional playoff that should tell whether Barry Switzer’s Boys are capable of a Super Bowl threepeat.

To that end, the Cowboys will need everyone healthy, including running back Emmitt Smith, who pulled a hamstring Dec. 19. He ran the ball well at Dallas’ practice headquarters.

Because Green Bay held Detroit’s Barry Sanders to minus-1 yard rushing last week and is expected to move Reggie White all over the defensive line today, this match could come down to Aikman and Irvin.

Despite Irvin’s injury in the final six weeks of the regular season, he became the first Cowboy in history to post a fourth consecutive 75-catchesor-better season, while also becoming the first Dallas receiver to earn a fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance.

“I can’t wait to see how Troy is throwing (today),” Irvin said. “He’s been throwing so well, and we’ve got our timing back. I can’t wait to play.”

The last time these two guys were on the same wavelength was in San Francisco, when Irvin caught eight passes for 94 yards in a 21-14 loss to the 49ers that cemented the notion in most people’s minds that the best team in the NFL was in northern California, not Texas.

After that game, as Irvin’s quad got worse, his production plummeted. In the next three games, he caught just 10 passes. In the Cowboys’ season finale - a 15-10 loss to the New York Giants - Irvin caught two passes in limited action.

Ask Switzer what has been wrong with the Cowboys’ offense, and he’ll point to Smith, Aikman and Irvin. Those three have combined for 5,401 yards, or nearly 61 percent of the Cowboys’ offensive yardage.

In the passing game, the Aikmanto-Irvin marriage has been disrupted.

“The timing between us is getting better, and that’s something Troy and I talked about a couple of weeks ago,” Irvin said. “It’s been different because I haven’t been at practice over the past month of the season.

“No matter what you say, you’ve got to be practicing out there to get your timing. No matter how many times Troy and I have done it, we still need to be on the field together. I have to see things right in front of my face at game speed as far as the DBs and cornerbacks getting up on me.”

Irvin said the last two months have been the most frustrating of his career. He frequently worked out only once or twice a week, and only for a few plays. Aikman, who fires the ball straight and hard, can’t gauge half-speed, only full-speed.

Aikman missed the Green Bay and Eagles games late in the season with his sprained knee, not to mention a bruised right thumb that seemed to affect the trajectory on his passes.

To compensate for his ailing quad, Irvin had to run his deep routes at a trotter’s pace for much of the final weeks of the season. Cornerbacks, sensing an injured prey, pounced on him like hungry lions.

“They were really messing with me, too,” Irvin said. “I’m looking forward to getting back at them.”

Switzer said Aikman hasn’t been this sharp in practice since, well, no one knows when. Put it this way: The past week of practice represented the first time Dallas had its first-team offense intact since early November. Aikman said that’s a huge factor in Dallas’ favor against Green Bay.

“Having Michael healthy will make a difference,” Aikman said. “Having Emmitt healthy and me healthy will make a difference.”

The last time the Packers and Cowboys met, on Thanksgiving Day, the Pack held a 17-6 halftime lead, and were still in front late in the third quarter, before Dallas mounted a comeback to eventually win, 42-31.

Dallas was without Aikman. Today, Green Bay will be without receiver Sterling Sharpe, who caught four touchdown passes from Brett Favre against Dallas.

Irvin, who is 6-foot-2, will match up on Packers cornerback Terrell Buckley, who is all of 5-9 and must concede five inches on jump balls, which are touchy subjects to Irvin.

“Why is it when we throw it, it’s a jump ball, but when someone else throws it, it’s a nice, deep throw?” Irvin asked. “I’m tired of hearing about jump balls. Tired of hearing how other teams gave up the big play. Nobody is giving us (anything). People are making big plays. You don’t give up (anything) on the big play. We make the big play.”