1999 record: 8-8, second in the NFC East

Last five years: 46-34

Coach: Dave Campo (first year as NFL head coach)

Playoff past: The Cowboys won three Super Bowls in the 1990s, but have lost in the first round of the playoffs the past two years. Their last playoff win was over Minnesota in the 1996 NFC wild-card game.

Outlook

The guy who was worth two first-round draft picks, who is supposed to make Dallas Cowboys' fans forget Michael Irvin, told quarterback Troy Aikman earlier this summer he can't overthrow him.

"I did it early in camp," Aikman said, referring to a pass that got past Joey Galloway. "I disproved that. But he says he was tired.

"I think it's great that he feels that way. I just figure I can start throwing it as far as I can. And I think I still have about 55 yards left in my arm."

The Cowboys are hoping Aikman, 33, has enough left in his arm to make another Super Bowl run.

As much as he hates hearing about it, Aikman knows he is the reason coach Chan Gailey was fired and replaced with Dave Campo, the former Cowboys defensive coordinator.

Cowboys coach Dave Campo, who takes over for Chan Gailey, says 'If we're not successful, it's me.'(AP)

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thought Gailey's offensive system was not using Aikman's talents. So Jones dumped him after two seasons and brought back Jack Reilly as offensive coordinator. Reilly then hired Ernie Zampese, the Cowboys former offensive coordinator, as a consultant.

Together, they are expected to run an offense that is similar to the one Norv Turner uses in Washington and Mike Martz has with Super Bowl champion St. Louis.

"The offense is quite a bit different than Chan's," said Cowboys offensive lineman Dale Hellestrae, one of Aikman's closest friends on the team. "There's a lot more movement. There's a lot more things to confuse the defense. We're throwing the ball down the field a lot more.

"If you have a drop-back , in-the-pocket, very accurate thrower, you take advantage of it. I don't think Chan took advantage of it."

Aikman maintains he didn't try to get Gailey fired, and Hellestrae thinks his friend is getting a bad rap.

"Troy purposely stayed away from all of that. He didn't go into Jerry (Jones) and say, 'I want a new offense and I want Chan fired.' "

But because Aikman wasn't a fan of Gailey's system and was outspoken about the previous head coach, Barry Switzer, he has shouldered much of the blame for the coaching change.

As a result, Aikman now is under pressure. He earns $7.234 million a year, yet the Cowboys have been 24-24 the past three seasons and have gone 0-2 in the playoffs.

"Despite what people think, I have enjoyed myself here in the past," Aikman said. "But some of the things we're doing right now here are really exciting. The people I'm doing it with are exciting.

"I was frustrated the past few years because we were not as successful," he said. "That's what wasn't enjoyable. But I plan to enjoy myself my rest of the time in the game. If I can't enjoy it, I shouldn't be playing."

The addition of Galloway, acquired in a trade from Seattle, gives Aikman more speed at wide receiver than he ever had. Galloway will team with Rocket Ismail, both of whom can go deep and should help the pass offense finish higher than 24th in the league.

"Joey has very deceptive speed," Aikman said. "Rocket can flat-out fly. You can see it. Few corners will match up well with them."

The Cowboys still have a massive offensive line and running back Emmitt Smith, who has rushed for more than 1,300 yards the past two seasons.

The front seven on defense should be tough, but there are questions in the secondary because All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders is gone. He was released in a salary-cap move and signed with Washington.

"People completed passes on Deion last year," Hellestrae said. "Still, if Deion is healthy and playing, he's the best cornerback in the NFL. But he has not been healthy and has been a part-time player. Paying Deion $8 million a year to play cornerback and return punts, and he is only a part-time player, the only thing you can afford to play alongside him is a rookie free agent or a backup."

Campo, who began his stint with the Cowboys as the defensive backfield coach under Jimmy Johnson, says it won't be the fault of the secondary or Aikman if the Cowboys don't improve on last year's 8-8 record.

"If we're not successful, it's me," Campo said.

Many Cowboys fans won't buy that. They will put the blame on Aikman because the team has spent this offseason trying to surround him with the best weapons available.

"We're not just going to throw the ball as far as we can on every play," Aikman said. "The teams who have had that philosophy haven't done well. We're much more disciplined. But we're going to take our shots.

"It would be unfair to the players we have, if we didn't allow them to use their speed."

Schedule preview: A year ago, the Cowboys won only one road game. So they'll be tested early with games at Arizona, Washington, Carolina and the New York Giants in the first seven weeks. They have gone 10-22 on the road the past four years.

1999 offensive ranking: No. 16 overall, No. 24 passing, No. 6 rushing.

1999 defensive ranking: No. 9 overall, No. 23 vs. pass, No. 7 vs. rush.

Key players lost from 1999: CB Deion Sanders (Washington), LB Randall Godfrey (Tennessee), WR Michael Irvin (retired), DE Kavika Pittman (Denver), QB Jason Garrett (New York Giants).

Key additions for 2000: WR Joey Galloway (Seahawks), LB Joe Bowden (Titans), linebacker Barron Wortham (Titans), TE Jackie Harris (Titans), CB Ryan McNeil (Browns).

Rookies to watch: Without a first-round pick, the Cowboys didn't get many impact players. But they hope cornerback Dwayne Goodrich, a second-round pick from Tennessee, can challenge for a job. They also are high on cornerback Kareem Larrimore, a fourth-round pick from West Texas A&M, but injuries have slowed him at training camp.

Offensive line: If Erik Williams reports and doesn't decide to retire, this position again will be the Cowboys' strength. But with Williams out of camp, second-year pro Solomon Page, who was starting at right guard, will have to slide out to tackle. Jorge Diaz, formerly of Tampa Bay, then would start at right guard. Diaz is not an every-down player. The left side is terrific with All-Pro Larry Allen at guard and third-year pro Flozell Adams at tackle.

Wide receivers/tight ends: In five seasons, Galloway has no playoff victories. The Cowboys didn't pay him $42 million, including a $12.5 million signing bonus, to just succeed in the regular season. He and Rocket Ismail are the fastest duo in the league. But there is little behind them. At tight end, the Cowboys think Jackie Harris is the best player they've had there since Jay Novacek.

Running backs: A year ago, some whispered that Smith was done. He responded by getting 1,397 yards. He continues to be durable. He has averaged 324 carries a season, about 21 per game. Behind him, the Cowboys have Chris Warren, who is a capable backup. At fullback, converted linebacker Robert Thomas is a great success story. The Cowboys don't want him to do anything other than block.

Quarterbacks: The Cowboys might miss Garrett, who left for the Giants. Randall Cunningham had a big year in 1998 at Minnesota but has struggled in camp. He hasn't picked up Reilly's system. Aikman has had concussion problems -- he suffered two last year -- and misses several games each year. Their season could go down the tubes if Aikman has another concussion this year. Third-stringer Paul Justin was a capable backup to Kurt Warner last year in St. Louis.

Defensive line: The only question here is whether starting end Greg Ellis has recovered from a broken leg. He has been limited in camp. Pittman, who left for Denver, will be replaced by Ebenezer Ekuban. The Cowboys are hopeful tackle Leon Lett can avoid trouble and play a full season. He has been suspended twice for substance abuse violations. Lett's last suspension allowed the Cowboys to discover that Alonzo Spellman has rejuvenated his career. Veteran tackle Chad Hennings provides great depth.

Linebackers: When Godfrey left for Tennessee, the Cowboys said second-year pro Dat Nguyen was a solid replacement in the middle despite his size (5-feet-11, 231 pounds). They must have changed their minds. They signed Wortham and Bowden from Tennessee. Weakside linebacker Dexter Coakley made the Pro Bowl last year. Bowden and Darren Hambrick will battle for the other outside spot. The Cowboys think they are deeper at linebacker than they've been in years.

Secondary: This could be a trouble spot. Sanders is gone. The other starter at cornerback, Kevin Smith, has been bothered by injuries for years. The Cowboys added McNeil and have raved about him in training camp, but he was unable to secure a starting job at Detroit or Cleveland. Strong safety Darren Woodson is their best defensive back. Free safety George Teague isn't flashy but adequate.

Special teams: The kicker and punter for the Cowboys might not be on the current roster. The Cowboys think they can fill those positions off the street and hope that no-names Tim Seder or Rian Lindell can do the job. If they can't, they might bring back veteran Eddie Murray, whose kickoffs are short. Barry Cantrell will try to replace the departed Toby Gowin at punter. Jason Tucker will get the first shot to replace Sanders as the punt returner. He's no Deion.