Desperate Cowboys can’t afford loss to Giants

Tony Romo is more accustomed to answering these types of questions in December and January. But the season of doubt and despair has come early this season. It's only mid-October, a few weeks before folks usually start looking for the first signs of fatigue in Dallas, and already the Cowboys are in trouble.

They are 1-4, their worst start since 2001. Over the last three years they have won more games than any team in the NFC, and they are the annual darlings of preseason prognosticators with all of the talent on their roster. But now things are so bad that Romo brought up the name of General Custer in yesterday's conference call with New York reporters.

Is Monday night's game against the Giants the Cowboys' last stand?

"It's not a playoff game where you win or lose and your season is either over or you keep going," Romo said. "It's important and we do need this win.''

The Giants beat the Cowboys twice last year, but it was Dallas that won the division and a playoff game, so the head-to-head is not necessarily a barometer of success. But a loss would drop the Cowboys to 1-5 and make the Giants 5-2, an almost impossible gap to close with half a season left.

Despite their record, the Cowboys are third in the NFL in offense, averaging 400 yards per game, and fourth in defense at 281.4. Of course, the team that leads the league in both categories is the equally disappointing Chargers. And like them, the Cowboys' woes have come from mistakes. Turnovers - the Cowboys have nine, seven on Romo interceptions - and penalties (49 for 404 yards) have led to four losses by a touchdown or less.

"None of us here thought we were going to be in this situation," Romo said. "It's not fun, and you have to figure out a way to win and get yourself out of this, and that's what we're trying to do now."

The Cowboys are trying to do that by staying upbeat and focusing on improvement. Even owner Jerry Jones gave them a pep talk this week that coach Wade Phillips described as "real positive."

"He knows, like we all know, we had high expectations and we haven't reached that," Phillips said Wednesday. "But we still have a chance. The season is not over. And we can feel better about ourselves if we can beat the Giants."

The Cowboys may be trying to be positive, but the fans and media in Dallas are having a hard time dealing with the bad start.

"When you lose one game, it's always like that, so when you're losing a few, people are going to magnify everything," Romo said. "That's just like when you win. It's the way it is. It's the world the NFL is and I know that it's not enjoyable to be a part of the process when you're not winning . . . There can be a light at the end of the tunnel."

Notes & quotes: With the long week before the Monday night game, the Giants did not practice Wednesday. The Cowboys did. "We need it," Phillips said.