Cowboys Have Lots to Learn from Final Four

     Well, thanks to Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys now have more arrests in the last week than playoff victories in the last 13 years.  As usual, the NFL postseason continues this week, and the team from Dallas has no game for which to prepare.       However, Jerry, Wade, and the rest of the gang would do well to watch and study both of the conference championship games this week because each of the four remaining teams has something to offer Dallas.  The Cowboys are the only team in the league who can say they lost this season to each of the four possible Super Bowl participants.       Obviously, in order to be title contenders, Dallas must be able to beat at least one of these four; as we all know, a win over any of them would have put the Cowboys in the postseason tournament.  Although only one of the final four NFL teams will be world champions, the Cowboys can learn valuable lessons from each.      FROM ARIZONA--A "Big-Game" Receiver:  First, look on the bright side--thanks to Atlanta and Carolina, Dallas is no longer the only team to lose a playoff game to the Cardinals since Eisenhower was in office.  Despite being awful against teams not in the NFC West during the regular season, Arizona is now hosting the NFC Championship game.      How did this happen?  Because the Cardinals have the best receiver in the conference in Larry Fitzgerald.  Throughout the season, Fitzgerald has carried this team, especially when Anquan Boldin--himself not a shabby pass catcher--missed a few weeks with a neck injury.  As the esteemed and laudable Jean-Jacques Taylor opined, "big-time players make big-time play in big games."       Fitzgerald has done just that for Arizona.  He has been the team's leading receiver in half of their 18 games this season, including each of the last four.  In the playoffs, he has 14 catches, 266 yards, and two touchdowns.  In the regular season, he caught 96 passes for 1,431 yards and 12 touchdowns.      How does Terrell Owens compare?  This year: 69/1,052/10.  Owens cracked the 100-yard mark only twice this season (nine so far for Fitzgerald), and he was the Cowboys' leading receiver only three times.  In December, when Dallas needed him most, "Big-play" Owens hauled in 17 passes, averaged 59 yards per game, and caught scored twice.  Over the same four weeks, Fitzgerald caught more passes, averaged 30 more yards per game, and scored twice as much.      And, Fitzgerald did all this without the drama that perpetually surrounds Owens.  Owens considers himself an elite player, but he has yet to show up when Dallas needs him the most.  The Cowboys need to realize that they need a "big-time" receiver in more than name only.  Michael Irvin won games by himself; with him, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls.  Dallas must dismiss Owens and find a receiver who isn't scared of big games.      FROM BALTIMORE--A Shut-down Safety:  Ed Reed is the most dynamic defensive player in the National Football League.  While he won't compile huge numbers of tackles (and safeties shouldn't have to make that many tackles anyway), he does my favorite thing for a defender to do: go and get the football.       Quite simply, teams cannot throw the football deep in the middle of the field against the Ravens.  If they do, Reed makes them pay as he runs 107 yards for touchdowns.  Reed had nine interceptions in the regular season; including the playoffs, he's had FIVE two-interception games this season alone.  He's on the field each week, and in 106 career games, he has 43 INTs, another 92 passes deflected, and five touchdowns.       Now, when cornerbacks get a reputation as a "shut-down" player, teams stop throwing to them; as a result, their INT numbers tend to drop.  Reed's INTs have increased every year since 2005.  Also, corners can only lock down one side of the field.  Reed can roam from sideline to sideline, so there is no way for opposing quarterbacks to avoid throwing the football in his direction at some point.      Since Darren Woodson retired, the Dallas secondary has lacked a strong leader and playmaker, especially at the safety position.  Although Terrence Newman is becoming an elite corner for the Cowboys, he faces the same limitations mentioned above; his impact on a game can be mitigated by the other team's game plan.  With Reed, this isn't so, because he can be at any spot on the field at any time.        The Cowboys must find someone who can make quarterbacks worry about throwing deep, rather than just worry about throwing at Newman.  This is probably also a bad time to mention that the Ravens took Reed 24th overall in the 2002 draft--16 picks after the Cowboys selected Roy Williams.         FROM PHILADELPHIA--A Triple Threat Running Back:  For the last few years, Brian Westbrook has been one of the most truly valuable players in the league to his team.  Without Westbrook, do Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb get anywhere close to five NFC championship games in eight years?  Doubtful, at best.      Look at the Eagles' receivers over the past few seasons; outside of Owens in their Super Bowl season, who really is a consistent NFL threat?  Hank Baskett?  Reggie Brown?  L.J. Smith?  Hardly.  Despite the promise shown by rookie DeSean Jackson this year, Westbrook has usually been on his own as the primary offensive factor for Philadelphia.       For years, it's been simple: stop Westbrook, and you beat the Eagles.  In spite of this widespread knowledge, this year was just the first since 2005 that he didn't get 1,000 rushing yards (936).  He's been the Eagles' leading rusher for five consecutive years, and has consistently been in the top-three among team leaders in receptions and yards.         Moreover, he's an excellent blocker in pass protection when he isn't hauling balls in.  Unlike some backs, he doesn't need to come to the sideline on second or third downs because he's a liability for his quarterback.  McNabb knows that Westbrook is more than capable protecting his blindside.      Dallas needs to find a back who can do all these things.  Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice each showed that they can be great at these things individually--but none have proven to be consistent in all three phases.  Having a back who is capable of catching the football will take some coverage off of Owens, Jason Witten, and UT Roy Williams.  Being able to keep a back in pass protection helps further disguise plays (if Barber's on the sideline, you know it's probably a pass) and gives Romo more time to make his reads, especially in the blitz-crazed NFC East.      FROM PITTSBURGH--A Real Head Coach:  When he's not solving medical mysteries, Mike Tomlin is patrolling NFL sidelines, winning football games with a terrifying scowl and loud voice.  When he walks into the locker room, you know right away that he's in charge of the 53 men around him.  In short, his coaching image is a sharp contrast to that projected by still-Dallas coach Wade Phillips.       Tomlin looks tough and mean, and he both demands and commands the respect of his team.  As a result, the players come to work each day knowing that they are going to do what he says--or their going home.  They can't go to the owner when the head coach makes them mad.       The Steelers win because they are prepared to play each week.  That preparation comes from the leadership of the coaching staff, and the attention that each player gives to his coach during practice.  We know that Jerry Jones doesn't want a strong coach who he can't bully, so the team gets the Wade Phillips' and Chan Gailey's of the world.  Can you imagine Jones trying to run Tomlin the way he does Ol' Wade?  Absolutely not.      Although they may be technically adults, many NFL players are just highly-paid brats who need a dominating presence to keep them in check.  Tomlin has that presence; Phillips does not.        Brian Smith can be reached at BLSmith@mail.utexas.edu