IRVING, Texas (AP) -The Dallas Cowboys started paying the price for success Wednesday with scouting director Jeff Ireland leaving to become the general manager of the Miami Dolphins.

Owner Jerry Jones had the chance to squash the move but didn't, partly because he appreciated the Dolphins allowing him to hire Jason Garrett away from them last offseason.

The twist is that Garrett, the offensive coordinator, might be the next one out of town - unless he's beaten out the door by assistant head coach Tony

IRVING, Texas (AP) -When there was a call in the Dallas Cowboys' defensive meeting room for players who had been part of a playoff victory to stand up, nearly everybody stayed in their seats.

``I'm definitely looking forward to winning my first one. A lot of us are,'' linebacker Akin Ayodele said Wednesday. ``We actually had guys stand, and it was only two of them.''

It was safety Ken Hamlin and nose tackle Tank Johnson, both first-year Cowboys whose postseason victories came with other teams.

And th

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -Jeff Ireland has rejoined Bill Parcells to help revive the Miami Dolphins.

Ireland, who spent the past seven years in player personnel with the Dallas Cowboys, was hired Wednesday as Dolphins general manager. He replaces Randy Mueller, fired Monday after three seasons with Miami.

Parcells, the Cowboys' head coach in 2003-06, joined the Dolphins two weeks ago as executive vice president of football operations.

``Jeff Ireland certainly was an important part of this organization,'' sai

An average of 34.5 million viewers watched New England rally to beat the New York Giants 38-35 last Saturday night, the most-watched regular-season game since the Kansas City Chiefs played the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in 1995.

In most of the country, the Patriots' finale against the Giants was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes with TVs. But the NFL deci

Before working with the Jets, the 42-year-old MacIntyre coached the secondary under Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-06.

MacIntyre had coaching stints at Georgia, Davidson, Tennessee-Martin and Temple before joining Cutcliffe at Mississippi. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1989 after playing two seasons under Bobby Ross. He also played two seasons at

IRVING, Texas (AP) -Of all the moves Jerry Jones made to shape the Dallas Cowboys this season, only one seemed like a sure bet: Swapping the No. 22 pick in the 2007 draft for Cleveland's top pick in '08.

Funny thing is, that might be the only one that didn't work out.

Jones lived up to his gambling-man reputation last offseason with curious coaching hires, questionable free-agent signings and other debatable decisions. Yet, it turns out that the guy who built a fortune by drilling for oil where others

Home: Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, New England, N.Y. Jets, Atlanta, Carolina, Indianapolis

Away: Denver, Kansas City, Oakland, Buffalo, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh

---NFCEASTDallas Cowboys

Home: N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay

Away: N.Y. Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Arizona, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Green BayN.Y. Giants

Home: Dallas, Philadelphia, Wash

The Dolphins' latest shake-up began before noon when new boss Bill Parcells fired general manager Randy Mueller and two other members of the player personnel staff. Jeff Ireland, vice president of college and pro scouting for the Dallas Cowboys, was the front-runner to replace Mueller and confirmed he was flying Tuesday to South Florida for an interview.

Still undetermined was the future of coach Cam Cameron, who went 1-15 in his first year as an NFL head coach. He awaited a fateful meet

IRVING, Texas (AP) -Wade Phillips figures a lack of motivation is all that's been wrong with the Dallas Cowboys lately. Once the playoffs start, he's certain they will snap back to form.

To the form that started 5-0. To the form that had them 12-1. To the form that finished 13-3, tying the best in club history.

At least, that's the spin he was pushing Monday - pushing hard, too, despite evidence the Cowboys are nowhere near entering the playoffs on a roll.

``13-3, I'm very happy with,'' Phillips said