Red zone is dead zone for Cowboys

When the Dallas Cowboys broke training camp nearly two months ago, they appeared to possess all the ingredients needed for red-zone success. But even with two pass-catching tight ends, three hard-charging running backs, tall receivers, a mobile quarterback and a powerful offensive line, the red zone has become a dead zone for the Cowboys. Dallas owns the league's second-ranked offense (420.4 yards), but the Cowboys are only 11th in scoring (24.4 points). That's because they're only 20th in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 46.7 percent of their drives inside the 20-yard line (seven of 15 chances). Coach Wade Phillips said an ineffective running game and a passing game that's struggled to find matchups to exploit are the main reasons why Dallas scored just two TDs in their last nine trips inside the red zone. "Basically, it's not a drop-back area, it's a run and play-action area," Phillips said. "If you're a strong running team, that ...