Cowboys Back In Saddle Dallas Maintains Playoff Hopes, Is Even Likely To Win Nfc East

Back in the 1950s, there was a comic strip character called a “shmoo.” You could knock it down, kick it, pound it, bounce it and it still bounced back.

The Dallas Cowboys are the shmoos of the NFL in 1996.

Despite the travails of the first half of the season, Dallas is still standing. More than just standing in fact, after a Sunday in which it was the only NFC power to win, a 20-17 overtime victory in the showdown in San Francisco.

Listen to Deion Sanders on Fred Strickland’s interception that set up the tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter: “That wasn’t the play of the day, that was the play of the year.”

On a day that could have ended with the Cowboys at .500, three games out of first in the NFC East, Dallas is 6-4 and one game out. Any bets the Cowboys won’t win their fifth straight division title?

Not here.

With 10 games gone and six left, it’s a good time to look at the playoff picture, with one caveat - depth. Steve Young had his second concussion of the season Sunday, John Elway played with a pulled hamstring and the salary cap makes most teams thin.

NFC

Despite a 27-20 loss in Kansas City in which the defense gave up 383 yards, 182 on the ground, Green Bay controls the conference, although the injuries keep coming. Tight end Mark Chmura, who sprained an arch Sunday, is the latest Pro Bowler to go down.

Still, it’s unlikely the Packers will be challenged in the Central and they have only two games left against teams with winning records - at Dallas next Monday night in the NFL’s next game of the year and at home to Denver on Dec. 8. They should finish no worse than 12-4, and if they do, they’re likely to get home field for the playoffs - unless Dallas wins the rest of the way. That would give the Cowboys the tiebreaker because one of those wins would be over the Packers.

If the Cowboys beat Green Bay, they could indeed run the table. Washington, which they play twice, is fading and the Cowboys get New England at home.

The best guess: Dallas and Philadelphia go down to the wire in the East, Green Bay wins the Central and San Francisco the West. Give Carolina and the East runner-up a wild-card berth although the Panthers, 5-0 at home and 1-4 on the road, have to figure out how to play away from Ericsson Stadium.

And add Washington if it can correct its severe defensive problems (522 passing yards to Boomer Esiason, who had 512 in four games before Sunday).

The other contenders: Maybe Detroit can save Wayne Fontes again, but Minnesota seems in a terminal fade.

AFC

Denver (9-1) is two games better than anyone else in the conference. Barring disaster (Elway’s hamstring), the Broncos should get home field, although four of their last six games are on the road, including trips to New England next Sunday and Green Bay on Dec. 8.

New England and Buffalo (each 7-3) should battle it out in the East and both should make the playoffs as Indianapolis and Miami fade under the weight of injury and inexperience. Pittsburgh (7-3) should win the Central and Kansas City (7-3) looks like a good bet for another wild-card.

That leaves one spot, with Houston (6-4) the front-runner. But there are plenty of others, and it’s still too early to tell:

San Diego, now that Stan Humphries is back.

Seattle, which has won three in a row and four of five to get to .500.

The Colts or Dolphins, both 5-5. Jimmy Johnson says he thinks he could get in at 9-7.

The Bengals, 4-6 but 3-0 under Bruce Coslet. Coslet might have to finish 9-0 to make it.

Bad news, good news for Young

Young, staggered by a second concussion in three weeks, almost certainly won’t play Sunday and teammates worried about the physical toll from the succession of head blows.

Young was described as “very doubtful” for San Francisco’s upcoming game against Baltimore, though coach George Seifert left open a slight possibility he could suit up if he receives clearance from his neurologist.

Young was scheduled to see a specialist today, although team physician Dr. James Klint has already recommended Young sit out at least one week.

On the good-news front, Young announced his engagement to Aimee Baglietto, 25. No date for the wedding has been set.

Esiason goes boom

Esiason’s 522-yard performance against Washington sent two messages to the rest of the NFL: He’s not done yet, and the Arizona Cardinals still believe in miracles.

In three starts in September, Esiason passed for 512 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions, leaving the Cardinals 0-3. Then the 1988 NFL MVP rode the bench for six games until Kent Graham hurt a knee last week against the New York Giants.

Esiason made up for it in Sunday’s 37-34 overtime victory at RFK Stadium a 35-of-59 performance.

It was the third-best passing day in NFL history. The team’s 615 yards of offense was a franchise record and the most in the NFL since the Redskins ran up 676 on Detroit six years ago, and Esiason set a Cardinals record, topping the 468 yards Neil Lomax put up against Washington in 1984, Esiason’s rookie season with Cincinnati.

“I had a feeling something special was going to happen,” said Esiason, who topped the 35,000-yard career mark in the game and moved into ninth place on the NFL’s all-time passing list.