THE Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts will have a time to come to terms their heroic efforts in vain.
Both were given little chance when entering hostile against highly fan opponents, and both outstanding performance. But both will be home awaiting the start the 1996 season when the Cowboys and Pitts Steelers contest the Super Bowl in a fortnight's time.
In the process the two under posed some serious question about the calibre of their adversaries. If the Steelers cannot an Indianapolis offence of its most lethal weapon, chance do they stand against the Dallas armoury boasting Aikman, Smith and Irvin, not to mention Sanders? If the Cowboys' defence allows a one dimensional attack such as Green Bay's so many chances, can it really be more effective against the better balanced Pittsburgh unit?
Overall, though, the feeling remains that the Cowboys are by some way the Class of `96, that they simply have too much talent in too many areas to be denied. A fearsome Pittsburgh defence can be expected to confront the challenge with gusto, but is unlikely to be able to cope with Emmitt Smith. Few do.
The Packers kept an enthralling NFC Championship game close for three quarters, but at the death were beaten by their own exhaustion. For this Smith, and the daunting bunch of heavies known as his linemen, must take the credit. Never more threatening than in a big game, Smith rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns, including the two scores in the fourth quarter that gave the Cowboys a 38-27 victory. He also played a crucial role in Dallas's two 90 yard drives that re established the ascendancy.
That Green Bay were in contention for so long was largely due to Brett Favre. The Pack quarterback's first six passes fell incomplete, but his seventh and eight yielded scores and having trailed 14-3 (thanks to two Michael Irvin touchdowns), the visitors led 17-14.
The Cowboys were back in front by half time, but a 10 point third quarter saw the Packers regain it again. By now, though, the cumulative effects of Smith's relentless plunges down the middle had taken their toll and at the denouement, Green Bay simply had no answer to him.
Afterwards Favre blamed his two interceptions for the defeat. "The turnovers cost us 14 points and the game. It's up to me and I blame myself," he said. It was a harsh assessment. But for Favre's spectacular mastery of the West Coast offence, the team from Wisconsin would never have advanced this far. To get any further, a reliable running game must be the priority.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver coach Gil Haskell was still in the intensive care unit of a Dallas hospital yesterday with a head injury he received during yesterday's game.
The 51 year old fractured his skull when his head struck the artificial turf at the Texas Stadium after Dallas Cowboys safety Darren Woodson had blocked flanker Robert Brooks out of bounds and into Haskell late in the second quarter.
