Unlikely heroes step up for Cowboys

IRVING, Texas -- With four minutes to play Sunday, this game -- and maybe even this season -- was on the line for the Dallas Cowboys.Tampa Bay was 74 yards away from spoiling everything.Where was cornerback "Pacman'' Jones when the Cowboys really needed him?In rehab.And fellow corner Terrence Newman?On the injury list.Anthony Henry, who had started this game?Limping on the sidelines.Jeff Garcia was one pump-and-go away from handing Dallas a third straight loss.And who's working in the secondary and trying to keep speedy ex-Cowboys Joey Galloway and Antonio Bryant out of the end zone?Three guys who were listed 4-5-6 on the cornerback depth chart in training camp.Garcia, Galloway and Bryant have played a total of 31 NFL seasons.Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick and Alan Ball have played a total of 26 NFL games.But on this make-or-break drive Sunday, the kids won.The Bucs' last effort for a winning touchdown -- which would have been their only touchdown -- died on the Dallas 18 when Greg Ellis pressured Garcia into short-hopping a fourth-down pass to tight end Jerramy Stevens.After 16 pressure-packed plays -- the Cowboys finally survived, 13-9.Tank Johnson did a little dance for the fans as he ran to the tunnel. Wade Phillips gave them a victory fist-pump. Roy Williams flashed the "Hook 'em Horns" sign.All is well in Big D -- for at least a week.Wade Phillips returns to his status as defensive genius. And Jason Garrett -- the guy threatening to take his job -- has one huge offensive mess he needs to get fixed pronto.But this day belongs to some young defensive backs that stood up with a game and possibly a season riding on their shoulders and turned back a veteran quarterback and his veteran receivers."I thought those guys really did an outstanding job pass-defense wise," Phillips said."This is the NFL. We all get paid. We all can play. Our number was called, and we stepped up," said Scandrick, a fifth-round draft pick this year.Garcia, Galloway and Bryant probably didn't know their names.They probably haven't been watching a lot of South Florida or Boise State or Illinois games the past few years.But they know them now.If not, check out the film and you will see Nos. 20, 31 and 32 doing the best Deion Sanders impersonations we have seen here since the real Deion left town. Only difference is these guys actually cover and tackle.And don't forget No. 27-- seventh-round safety Courtney Brown, who was also on the field on that last drive."We just kept banging away until we stopped them," Scandrick said. "We played as a team today. That's what we need to do every week, just play ferocious."It shows that we have been working and paying attention in meetings. We haven't just been sleeping and moping around because we haven't been playing as much as we think we should have been playing."After last week's Pukefest II in St. Louis, which followed Pukefest I in Arizona, and two other yawners here at Texas Stadium, Phillips announced that he would be more active in the defensive game plan.But before you go slapping the head coach on the back and showering him with credit for what the defense did against the Bucs, listen to Scandrick's take on things."I don't know who is calling the calls. I just get the calls from (linebacker) Bradie (James)," he answered when I asked him if Phillips had really taken on more responsibility of running the defense for this game."He is the coach. We hear from him all the time. Coach Stu (defensive coordinator Brian Stewart) did the game plan and ran meetings. I couldn't see that anything was different."Still, things were different on the field -- the faces in the secondary, along with the effort from everyone on the defensive side of the ball.They are the reason the Cowboys woke up a 5-3 contender today - and not a 4-4 pretender.(Nick Gholson writes for the Wichita Falls Times Record News in Texas.)