Fish story

Cowboys anxious to see how Parcells fares without Belichick

Dallas Cowboys fans are eager to see if Bill Parcells can return the team to the Super Bowl. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

By B. Duane Cross, SI.com

So what if Bill Parcells left New England? The Patriots won a Super Bowl without him.

So what if he left New York -- twice? There have been Jets playoff berths without him. Ditto the Giants.

So what if he spurned a return with Tampa Bay? That Jon Gruden hiring turned out to be OK.

So what if Dallas is 15-33 over the past three seasons? Bill's the new sheriff in town!

Parcells returns to the NFL after a three-year hiatus looking to restore the luster to the downtrodden Dallas Cowboys franchise.

The question is, how long will it be until the Tuna has his fill and hangs up another Gone Fishin' sign?

On the surface, he's looking long term: "You just can't immediately tear down what's been kind of built up here. I don't really intend to do that anyway," Parcells said. "I am hopeful that as time goes on we can integrate slowly and we can work toward the kind of players that I would like to have. Is that possible right away? No."

Fans can only wonder if incumbent QBs Chad Hutchinson and Quincy Carter are the "kind of players" Parcell's would like to have. Neither clearly established himself as the future under center, but Parcells said, "I have to be equitable with these guys and give them an equal chance. I don't think you can just say this guy is a starter. We are going to let them fight it out at camp, and figure it out as soon as possible."

Hutchinson started the final nine games last season and looked like a 25-year-old rookie who hadn't played football in four years while pursing a career as a professional baseball pitcher. He completed 127 of 250 passes for 1,553 yards with seven TDs and eight interceptions. He also was sacked 34 times.

Carter, who was hampered by injuries as a rookie in 2001 when he was the starter, is 6-9 in his 15 career starts. Last season, he was 125-of-221 for 1,465 yards with seven TDs and eight interceptions.

But even when Parcells does settle on a QB, keep this in mind: He has had only one winning season (10-6 in 1995) without Bill Belichick on his staff. Sans his defensive right-hand man, Parcells' winning percentage is .428.