Zampese Looks to Cowboys to Charge Offense : Pro football: After losing last week to downtrodden Washington for the second time this season, team hopes to get back on track in Philadelphia today.

By T.J. SIMERS

Dec. 10, 1995 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

It was 4 a.m., and Ernie Zampese, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, was already at work.

Zampese, who rejected John Shaw’s offer to become the Rams’ head coach before the hiring of Rich Brooks earlier this year, prefers to toil in anonymity, a task that now requires a middle of the night wake-up call.

“Around here, if we win, we didn’t win by enough,” Zampese said. “If we lose, it’s the end of the world. I have never been in a place that is so intense. It’s everywhere: the newspapers, on the radio, on TV, people recognize you wherever you go. It’s like a three-ring circus all year long. . . .

“Losing just kills people here.”

The Cowboys lost for the second time this season to the downtrodden Washington Redskins on Sunday and now must play without defensive end Charles Haley (back). Defensive end Tony Tolbert (knees), defensive tackle Russell Maryland (knee) and defensive tackle Chad Hennings (knee) are limping. The sky is falling, and as everyone knows, there is a big hole in the roof over Texas Stadium.

“We just have to come out swinging,” Zampese said. “We were down pretty good after the loss to the 49ers and responded well against the Raiders. We’ve played pretty good all year. We’ve been pretty damn efficient, we have scored points and controlled the clock. Now we just need to be able to score points because of the defensive situation we are in with injuries.

“But that’s what happened to the 49ers; they went through the same thing, played through their problems and now they are rolling.”

Although many Texans are down on the Cowboys, Dallas still has a sound Troy Aikman at quarterback and Michael Irvin at wide receiver, and although banged up, there is no keeping running back Emmitt Smith out of the lineup as the Cowboys aim to right themselves in Philadelphia today.

“These players believe they can win the rest of the games--all the games to the very end,” Zampese said. “That’s what San Francisco has going for it. They have been winning since 1981 in San Francisco, and they believe that’s just the way it is supposed to be.”

Zampese’s continued success in assembling offenses had led to several head coaching job offers over the years, but Zampese prefers to remain in the background, plotting new ways to score touchdowns.

“The really good ones are very effective because of discipline, consistent discipline, and that’s not my personality,” Zampese said.

If the Cowboys are going to get the screaming meemies off their backs, they will have to do it with offense. And that’s why Zampese was answering his office phone at 4 a.m.

Zampese, the mastermind behind the San Diego Chargers’ explosive offense (1979-1986), has incorporated much of the Dan Fouts’ attack in the Cowboy arsenal. The terminology is identical, many of the same pass plays are being used, and each team has relied on an accurate passer, a bruising running back, a dominant wide receiver and one of the game’s best tight ends.

“This team is a heck more balanced run- and pass-wise than San Diego,” Zampese said. “But there are so many similarities. I think Chuck Muncie was the greatest sweep runner to ever play, but Emmitt is something special up the middle. He’s a machine.”

The Cowboys have Irvin, and the Chargers had John Jefferson. The Cowboys have tight end Jay Novacek, and the Chargers had Kellen Winslow.

“Both quarterbacks--Dan and Troy--are very very similar,” Zampese said. “Troy has more natural throwing talent and a stronger arm, but both get the ball [thrown] quickly, both are extremely bright, both are good leaders, and they really have everything you would expect to find in Hall of Fame quarterbacks.”

Zampese’s Chargers made it only so far as the AFC championship game--losing to Oakland in 1980 and losing to Cincinnati in 1981. After working with Jim Everett in 1989, the Rams advanced to the NFC championship game only to lose. Last year, in his first season in Dallas, the Cowboys lost the NFC championship game.

“It’s sad that those Charger teams never made it to the Super Bowl,” Zampese said. “We should have won the whole thing in 1981; but there are upsets every week in this game. Yet, it still upsets me.

“We just weren’t good enough in ’89 with the Rams. We had a heck of a run, but we knew it, we weren’t good enough at the time. I thought we were good enough last year here, and that bothers me.

“And it will bother me this year if we don’t make it. We are good enough.”

ON TV

* NO ROOM FOR ERROR

Buffalo (8-5) at St. Louis (7-6), Channel 4, 10 a.m.: The Rams are trying to stay in the playoff hunt--REPEAT--the playoff hunt. If Northwestern can go to the Rose Bowl, why can’t the Rams advance to the playoffs? Three reasons: Wayne Gandy, Chris Miller and Jerome Bettis. Gandy continues to block for Miller, one reason Miller is out because of a concussion. Bettis remains in full retreat. Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly says his arm is hurting, but does he need two arms to beat the Rams?

More woes for Rams: Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas has rushed for more than 100 yards in two previous games against the Rams.

* NO, NO WAY

San Francisco (9-4) at Carolina (6-7), Channel 11, 10 a.m.: Just what are the odds of the expansion Panthers sweeping the defending Super Bowl champions? Same as the Rams making the playoffs. The Panthers defeated the 49ers, 13-7, in San Francisco earlier this season and had their way with Elvis Grbac. Now the Panthers get Steve Young.

The way it was: In its last two home games, Carolina’s defense has recorded 13 sacks and given up only 296 yards in offense.

* PENALTY ON THE . . .

Pittsburgh (9-4) at Oakland (8-5), Channel 4, 1 p.m.: The winner of the last nine of 11 regular-season games between these two teams has gone on to play in the AFC championship game. So things are looking up for the Steelers. The Raiders start Billy Joe Hobert. What comes first? Hobert having a pass intercepted or a Raider penalty?

Resurrected: Yancey Thigpen, drafted by the Chargers, wasn’t deemed good enough to make it with them. But this season he became the first Steeler receiver since Louis Lipps in 1985 to top the 1,000-yard mark.

* CENTRAL CLINCHER?

Green Bay (9-4) at Tampa Bay (6-7), ESPN, 5 p.m.: The Packers will clinch the division title with a win and a loss by the Detroit Lions. A victory for the Buccaneers means more: For the first time since 1982 they won’t finish with at least 10 defeats. Green Bay’s Brett Favre became the third-fastest quarterback to reach 100 touchdown passes (in 62 games). It took Dan Marino 44 games, Johnny Unitas 53. And just how many games will it take Tampa’s Trent Dilfer?

Better block him: In 43 games with the Buccaneers, linebacker Hardy Nickerson has led or tied for the lead in tackles 35 times.

WHINERS DELIGHT

Dallas (10-3) at Philadelphia (8-5): The Cowboys spent the last week crying about how they aren’t loved in Dallas and how injuries have taken their toll on defense. The Eagles have been bellyaching all year; if not Ricky Watters, it’s Rodney Peete. Defeats by both teams last week took the luster off this meeting, but Dallas can clinch the division title with a victory.

No success: The Eagle defense, while ranked No. 2 against the pass, is 16th against the run and has already been trampled for an average of 111 yards in 11 games against Dallas’ Smith.

LOSERS TAKE A HIKE

New Orleans (6-7) at Atlanta (7-6): Two teams headed in opposite directions. The Saints have gone 6-2 since opening the season 0-5; the Falcons have lost three of their last four. Both figure they still have a chance to make the playoffs; both figure wrong.

Deceiving stat: The Falcons rank No. 29 running the ball, but running back Craig Heyward needs only 126 yards for first 1,000-yard season.

Detroit (7-6) at Houston (5-8): Wayne Fontes has gone from bum of the year to potential coach of the year on the strength of quarterback Scott Mitchell’s passing arm. The Lions have the NFL’s No. 1-rated offense, which has scored in 19-consecutive quarters. The Oilers would like to keep the ball away from the Lions, but they rank No. 30 running the ball.

Who’s hot? Houston wide receiver Chris Sanders has averaged 26.2 yards a catch in his last three games while scoring five touchdowns.

Indianapolis (7-6) at Jacksonville (3-10): The Colts had a chance to fatten their prospects for a postseason payoff with back-to-back games against expansion teams. But Carolina defeated the Colts last week, and last week quarterback Jim Harbaugh underwent knee surgery. That leaves Paul Justin and Craig Erickson in charge of the Colts’ offense. Jacksonville is in worse shape, ranking No. 29 on offense.

Meaningful stat: The Jaguars are 3-1 when they score first, which also means they are 0-9 when they don’t score first.

Seattle (6-7) at Denver (7-6): If the Broncos hold their opponent to less than 300 yards in offense, they win. This season they are 5-0 under those circumstances. The Seahawks average 347 yards a game, and that’s with Rick Mirer, the 14th-ranked AFC quarterback, in command.

Slam dunk: The Broncos are 6-1 at home.

Chicago (7-6) at Cincinnati (5-8): The Bears have faded, but they have the opportunity to get well against the NFL’s worst-ranked defense. Chicago quarterback Erik Kramer needs three touchdown passes to top Sid Luckman’s team mark. And then in the second quarter he can go after Dan Marino’s single-season NFL mark of 48 touchdowns.

On the rise: Cincinnati quarterback Jeff Blake became the first Bengal to pass for 3,000 yards since Boomer Esiason in 1990.

LIKE WATCHING SOCCER

N.Y. Jets (3-10) at New England (5-8): The Jets rank No. 28 in the league in scoring, the Patriots are No. 21, and so beyond running up and down the field all day, nothing much else figures to happen.

Big deal: The Jets have the No. 1 defense in the league, but then the Patriots’ strength is running Curtis Martin.

Washington (4-9) at N.Y. Giants (4-9): Why bother? OK, so the Redskins are red hot with a victory over the Cowboys, and they did it with Heath Shuler at quarterback. That’s something. The Giants are probably down to their last three games with Dan Reeves working as head coach. That’s something.

Big-time advantage: Reeves has a 7-1 career mark against the Redskins.