At 40, Vinny Going Strong By Jim Ducibella The Virginian-Pilot 9/26/04 Bill Parcells feels bad for Vinny Testaverde. The coach of the Dallas Cowboys says his quarterback is carrying too large a load on offense, that it's hard on a 40-year-old quarterback now in his 18th NFL season. "Hopefully, we can get to a point this season were we don't have to be quite as reliant on him as we have been," Parcells said the other day. "We've got to run the ball better than we have. This is a tough journey for him right now." But that doesn't mean that the volcanic Parcells is going to be any easier on Testaverde after he makes a mistake or three. When Testaverde reached the sidelines after throwing his third interception in as many possessions in last week's win over Cleveland, Parcells loudly questioned the ex-University of Miami star's intelligence. He even pointed to his head to make sure everyone in Texas Stadium and TV land got the message. Finishing a typical Parcells tirade, the coach informed Testaverde, "I need you to be a fireman, not an arsonist." Late in the game, however, Testaverde made the pass that won it for Dallas, a 37-yard connection with Terry Glenn on second-and-9 that enabled the Cowboys to run all but the final 9 seconds off the clock. "I knew it was going to come down to making one more pass," Testaverde said. "As a quarterback, if you make a bad play, you have to put it behind you and move forward." That's just what Parcells wants to hear. "I like Vinny," he said. "He's not sensitive. That's important. He can deal with Parcells when Parcells gets off the reservation." Translation: Testaverde has a really thick skin. He's also off to one of the best starts in the history of Cowboys quarterbacks. Entering Monday night's game against the Washington Redskins, Testaverde is the league's leading passer, averaging 333.5 yards per game after throwing for 355 against Minnesota and 322 against the Browns. No NFL quarterback 40 or older had ever thrown for at least 300 yards two games in a row. Only one other quarterback in Dallas history -- Don Meredith in 1963 -- ever enjoyed back-to-back 300-yard passing games. "He's a guy you never underestimate," Parcells said. "I've seen a few like him before. You just can't drive a stake through their hearts. You never think they're dead." Testaverde joined the Cowboys in June after being released by the New York Jets. Parcells wanted him and he wanted Parcells because of their magic 1998 season together. That year, Testaverde led the Jets to the AFC championship game while tossing 29 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. The following season ended in September when Testaverde ruptured his left Achilles tendon in the season opener. Although there have been a couple of bright spots since then -- he led them to a 10-6 mark in 2001 -- Testaverde has struggled to win the starting job and keep it. His record the last two seasons is 2-8. "Vinny is a well-conditioned person, phenomenally strong physically," Parcells said. "It's hard for me to describe how he's able to do the things he does with a 40-year old body. I have confidence in the player, based on my history with him. I know him. I like him personally. We have a good communication base." Testaverde said Parcells taught him maybe the most important lesson of his career in their three seasons together: Have a short memory. "I worried about bad plays in the past," Testaverde admitted. "I let them affect my decisions, my judgment for the next play. You don't do that with (Parcells) because he is so hard on you that you won't be able to function mentally. You can't worry about the past or the future. You worry about the now." It is devilishly difficult to put Testaverde's career into perspective. He's only the 10th NFL quarterback to play into his 40s. He needs just three touchdown tosses to move past Hall of Famers Dan Fouts and Sonny Jurgensen into ninth-place on the all-time list. He has the seventh-most completions in NFL history. His 41,620 yards passing are more than Joe Montana or Johnny Unitas amassed during brilliant careers. But take away 1998 and Testaverde has more career interceptions than touchdowns. His won-lost record is 83-107-1. He's 2-3 in the playoffs. Then again, that's all in the past. As Testaverde would say, and Parcells would agree, the only thing worth worrying about is Monday night's game.