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Posted On: Mon Oct 20, 08 7:05 PM

How did the Dallas Cowboys go from best team in the NFL to the worst team in week 7 ?

Welcome to third place, Dallas Cowboys. Welcome to dizzying expectations unfulfilled. And while we’re at it, welcome Jerry Jones, to a dark, dark comparison – a younger, slightly less meddlesome version of Al Davis.

Injuries and a lack of toughness have dragged the Cowboys to 4-3 and third place in the NFC East after Sunday’s 34-14 embarrassing defeat to the St. Louis Rams, but some of Jones’ moves only complicate where Dallas goes from here. First we have Adam “Pacman” Jones, one of Jerry Jones’ worst gambles. Then we have Terrell Owens, who is screaming at his teammates on a weekly basis and approaching the verge of critical mass. And finally, we have Wade Phillips, a head coach who might be the least capable man in the NFL of bringing fire and brimstone to motivate a locker room.

These are three hand-selected men by Jones, and all of them are bringing drama and complication to a team trying to weather a crashing tidal wave of injury misfortune. How to solve the crises? Do the Cowboys really know? How long before Jones shakes up the coaching staff? After all, this team’s talent is better than last season – and Jones called last season’s playoff failure one of his biggest disappointments.

There are some troublesome hurdles ahead. Owens hasn’t had a 100-yard receiving performance in 11 straight games, dating back to Week 13 of last season. And no matter what Jones says, the addition of wide receiver Roy Williams is going to take catches away from Owens – not magically add them. And Pacman? Well, the word out of Dallas’ headquarters is that the team is open to bringing him back after his latest suspension. That reality showcases how foolish Jerry Jones has become with his troubled cornerback.

This is a team in dramatic disarray. Meanwhile, the rest of the NFC East looks more than prepared to take advantage. And that makes Dallas the biggest loser of this weekend.