National Football League

Guaranteed losing record, Cowboys plan no changes

Published Dec. 13, 2010 8:27 p.m. ET

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Their Super Bowl hopes long since gone, the Dallas Cowboys showed up to work Monday knowing they can't even salvage a winning season.

Time to send some young guys out to see what they can do?

Not to interim coach Jason Garrett.

''We're going to try to win the football game,'' Garrett said.

So that's why 38-year-old Jon Kitna is going to start at quarterback Sunday against Washington.

That's why Tony Romo could still return the following week at Arizona, or perhaps even for the finale at Philadelphia.

And that's why second-year, third-stringer Stephen McGee is going to have to keep waiting for a chance to show coaches what he can do. Same with all the other unproven guys.

Fans are clamoring to see them for the same reason owner Jerry Jones changed coaches - they know what the proven guys can do, and figure a change can't make things any worse. It would actually help planning for next year to find out which backups might be ready for more playing time.

''They'll have their opportunities in practice,'' Garrett said. ''If it presents themselves in a game, they need to be ready to play.''

The Cowboys have known for weeks this was a lost season, probably when they were 1-4 and absolutely when they were 1-7 and coach Wade Phillips was fired. They showed new life once Garrett was promoted, winning two straight and three of four.

With a 20-14 lead over Philadelphia in the third quarter Sunday night, there was at least a chance of finishing .500. But they wound up losing 30-27 and the best they can finish is 7-9.

There's really no motivation to the next two games. They can't even try playing spoiler because the Redskins and Cardinals are bottom-feeders, too. The rematch with the Eagles could be meaningless, too, if the playoff schedule is set.

''You don't ever pack it in,'' defensive end Stephen Bowen said. ''It's about pride right now. We're going to try and finish these last three games with wins and finish on top.''

Tight end Jason Witten is among the few holdovers from the 2004 club that was the last with a losing record. It went 6-10 under coach Bill Parcells and he, too, refused to go with a youth movement.

He stuck with 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde at quarterback instead of a pair of young guys, including one named Tony Romo. Witten remembers how hard Testaverde worked even when that season became futile.

''He was playing all the way to the end in his 19th year or whatever it was,'' Witten said. ''That mentality, I don't think you can get away from that. It has to stay that way. That's the only way you can play this game. It doesn't make it any easier, but that's the way you've got to go about it. ... Anything other than that, you're letting yourself down, you're letting your teammates down, you're letting the organization down.

''Obviously, this isn't the situation we wanted to be in, but you talk about being a pro. That's what you have to do. We're all being evaluated. We're all trying to build and move forward. I think Jason has really done a great job of laying that out there for all the players. You've got to keep building. You've got to keep working. You can't back it in. This team won't.''

Phillips was fired largely because of how badly the defense he oversaw was playing. Things got better at first under new defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni, but Dallas has allowed at least 30 point in three straight games.

Worse still, the Cowboys have allowed a 200-yard receiver in two straight games. They'd done that only twice before in the franchise's 51-year history.

Against Philadelphia, Dallas allowed its longest run and pass play of the season. And that was before DeSean Jackson took a pass 91 yards for a touchdown that was the second-longest play ever pulled off against the Cowboys.

Despite it all, Dallas could've gotten the ball back with a chance to tie or win had the defense forced a punt in the final 4:22. LeSean McCoy kept running for first downs instead.

''I didn't sleep last night because of it,'' linebacker Keith Brooking said. ''With a team like Philly and all the weapons they have, when you are out of place and out of position, it can be the difference in a win or loss on a particular play. It has happened to us continuously four or five plays a game.''

Receiver Kevin Ogletree had his right foot in a walking boot. It's not believed to be broken, but the club was awaiting further evaluation from doctors.

''He got banged up pretty good,'' Garrett said. ''The initial reports were OK. We will see as the next couple of days unfold.''

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