Testaverde Looking Green By David Flores San Antonio Express-News 9/20/04 IRVING -- Quarterback Vinny Testaverde managed a thin smile Sunday before talking to reporters after the Dallas Cowboys' 19-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns at steamy Texas Stadium. The Cowboys got away with one and nobody realized it more than Testaverde, who almost cost his team the "W" with three second-half interceptions. "Well, it's a win," he said. "Obviously, I have to play better. The second half was a poor performance by me. "If we're going to reach the goals we set for ourselves, it starts with the quarterback. I've got to make a better effort not to make the rookie mistakes I made today." Testaverde completed 23 of 35 passes for 322 yards and one touchdown, but the three interceptions tarnished what should have been a banner day for him. Playing in his 18th NFL season and first in Dallas, he became the first quarterback 40 or older in league history to record consecutive 300-yard passing games. Testaverde, who turns 41 on Nov. 13, threw for 355 yards in the Cowboys' 35-17 loss to Minnesota last week in their season-opener. He also became only the second Dallas quarterback to pass for at least 300 yards in back-to-back games, joining Don Meredith, who accomplished the feat in 1963. But there's no looking past the three interceptions, which came on consecutive possessions. "Two of the interceptions were bad locations on the throw, and one where I misread the free safety," he said. For a while, I thought I was watching a replay of Testaverde's performance in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. A senior at Miami then, he had five passes intercepted in the Hurricanes' loss to Penn State in the national-championship game. Given his errant throws Sunday, Testaverde took little solace in racking up big passing yardage for the second week in a row. "It's hard to describe when you throw three picks and put your team in jeopardy of losing," he said. "The bottom line is winning games and playing smart. I was one out of two today. Hopefully, I'll play smarter next week." Testaverde redeemed himself -- somewhat -- with a 37-yard strike to Terry Glenn on a second-and-nine play from the Dallas 26 with 1:58 left. Testaverde is a leader who has the skills and savvy to lead the Cowboys back to the playoffs -- provided they get their running game going. But that's another story. Fortunately for the Cowboys, Cleveland quarterback Jeff Garcia had as many interceptions as Testaverde did on Sunday. "All I can say is, 'Thank you, defense.'" Testaverde said. Dallas coach Bill Parcells gave Testaverde mixed reviews. "I wouldn't say it was poor," he said, assessing his quarterback's passing performance. "You don't throw for that many yards to be poor. "I thought a couple of judgments were not good. He took a couple of chances when the game was on the line. There were a couple of plays that really bothered me." The good news for the Cowboys is that they won a game that was "not aesthetically pleasing," as Parcells said. But the even better news is that they play the Washington Redskins next Monday night. If you think Dallas was sloppy Sunday, imagine how Washington coach Joe Gibbs felt watching his players impersonate a football team at the Meadowlands. After watching the Redskins finish with seven turnovers in a 20-14 loss to the New York Giants, Gibbs might be second-guessing his decision to return to the NFL after a 12-year hiatus. Testaverde wouldn't have survived in the NFL this long if he weren't a tough cookie -- mentally and physically. He knows what to expect this week from Parcells, who coached him when he played for the New York Jets. "He doesn't want to coach a dumb team," Testaverde said. "He'll be on me a little, but I've got tough skin and I'll be back." Given Testaverde's long career, who would argue with him?