All that’s left to prove is focus

IRVING — The way the Dallas Cowboys are rolling up points and rolling over foes, there are no longer doubts about whether they’re a legitimate contender in the NFC.

The new question: How legitimate?

Until January, it’s all a guess. But the next seven weeks should provide plenty of clues.

What we know so far is that the Cowboys have put themselves in prime position to accomplish the first two goals every team has every season: Win their division and get home-field advantage in the playoffs.

At 8-1, they’ve also put themselves within reach of a sparkling piece of team history: Most wins in a season. The record is 13, set in 1992 by the first Super Bowl champion of the Troy Aikman-Emmitt Smith-Michael Irvin era.

The win record would be nice, but the Dallas Mavericks can tell you how meaningless that is toward the ultimate goal of winning a championship. The division title would be nice, but it can be picked up along the way to home-field advantage, which comes from having the best record in the conference.

Dallas and Green Bay are tied atop the NFC, and likely will be when the teams meet at Texas Stadium on Nov. 29. Even if they are a game apart by then, the winner will still walk away with the inside track on the No. 1 seed. (If the team that trails in the standings wins, that team would move on top because of the tiebreaker.)

Count on the Cowboys being ready to go for that game. The way they played the last two weeks in Philadelphia and New York showed how good they can be when they feel challenged.

Now, let’s talk about the other six games.

Coach Wade Phillips will have to be at his motivational best to keep everyone interested. It probably won’t be too hard the next two weeks against Washington (division rival) and the New York Jets (they’re terrible, but it’s the Thanksgiving game). Then, after that ...

It’ll be December, which carries excessive baggage around here.

The flops of the last two years continue a trend almost as dark as the 11-year drought without a playoff victory. Since 1996, the season of the last playoff win, Dallas has had only one winning record in December, in 2001, when the Cowboys went 3-2 but 2-9 in all the other months.

Damning as that may be, the bigger issue in December might be focus. With a chance to grab one of the top two seeds — which means a first-round bye and home-field advantage the next round — will this club rise to the challenge?

In a way, that’s what all seven games are about. Now that they’ve gotten to 8-1, can they keep playing with the same drive and determination?

Evidence suggests they will.

“The thing I like about the team is no matter what happens they keep looking forward, trying to make a play the next play,” Phillips said Monday. “If the defense doesn’t make a play the offense doesn’t worry about it, and vice versa. If something bad happens — if they snap the ball over (Tony) Romo’s head — they still find a way to make something good out of a lot of things.

“You’re going to have bad plays or missed plays in a game. You’re not going to shut everybody out on defense. There is always going to be plays made on you. It’s how you bounce back to the next play. That’s what I like about our team overall. They seem to be on an even, high keel.”

The Cowboys showed their resilience and tenacity throughout the first six games, never scoring a first-quarter touchdown and frequently playing from behind but still managing to put up staggering point totals by game’s end.

And, in case you hadn’t noticed, Dallas has scored four first-quarter TDs the last three games, so something’s clicked.

“I told them this last week, ‘We are in the middle of the race. We’re ahead in the race, but you can stop and start signing autographs and people can pass you up. Or you can keep going and do all the things that got you to first,”‘ Phillips said. “That’s what we’re trying to do — keep focused on the finish line.”

Trainer who claims ties to NFL pleads guilty

SHERMAN — A personal trainer who claims ties to professional football players in Dallas and Atlanta pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to distribute thousands of units of anabolic steroids.

David Jacobs, of Plano, entered the plea as part of deal with prosecutors that remained under seal. Jacobs told Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT late Monday that as part of the deal he would tell federal investigators about professional athletes who use steroids.

But no names came up during the brief hearing, and afterward Jacobs was asked whether he was involved with any Cowboys.

“I can’t disclose any of those names,” said Jacobs, adding that he has been instructed “not to make any more statements.” Prosecutors also declined to comment on the case Tuesday.

On the Web site for a supplements store owned by Jacobs, he claims to have offered guidance to members of the Cowboys and Falcons. Officials with both teams have said Jacobs never worked for them.

As part of the deal, Jacobs agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to possess and distribute anabolic steroids. In exchange, other charges against him would be dropped at sentencing. A sentencing date hasn’t been set.

During the hearing, the judge asked whether Jacobs agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 40,000 units of anabolic steroids and several thousand units human growth hormone. Jacobs said yes.

An indictment filed in May charges Jacobs and three others with conspiring to possess and distribute anabolic steroids. Jacobs also had faced a charge of unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.

Two of the defendants, Matthew Williams and Amber Jarrell, have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids.

Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of two cars, about $25,000 in cash, computer equipment, four semiautomatic weapons, a rifle and a shotgun from the four defendants.

Jacobs was released on bond Tuesday and left with his lawyer.

>> Matt Curry