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IRVING, Texas - The first time Bill Parcells spoke to the Cowboys, he told them to "get your expectations up."
After Dallas beat the New York Giants 19-3 on Sunday, culminating a rise from four straight nonwinning seasons to making the playoffs, Parcells repeated his original message.
"That's where mine are," he said. "So get them up."
Behind an efficient game from Quincy Carter and another big performance against the Giants by kicker Billy Cundiff, Dallas earned its first spot in "the tournament" - as Parcells calls it - since 1999 and handed New York its seventh consecutive loss.
Where the Cowboys fit into the postseason bracket isn't determined. They could still win the division; Dallas trails Philadelphia by a game but would hold the tiebreaker if both finish 11-5.
"It feels good to know we're in the playoffs, but we've still got to get better," safety Darren Woodson said. "The hottest team in December usually wins it, so we're trying to get better."
Parcells has turned three previous losing franchises into playoff teams. But this is the first time he's made the playoffs in his first season. The 10 wins in his debut season is another first, and it's the most for Dallas since 1998.
The timing was nice, too. On the first anniversary of the day owner Jerry Jones admitted he'd talked to Parcells, they celebrated the team's 27th, and probably most surprising, playoff berth.
Since giving up 76 points in consecutive losses to Miami and Philadelphia, the Cowboys have allowed three points in two games. Next up is New Orleans, which was eliminated from the playoffs Sunday, giving the Cowboys another chance to try getting sharp.
"This league is such that if you get things going, get the right pieces at the right time and get a couple of breaks, you can make some advancement," Parcells said. "But I didn't come here just to do that."
Carter was 17-of-25 for 240 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and no fumbles.
After opening with a 64-yard pass to Joey Galloway, Carter avoided the impulsive decisions that often have landed him in Parcells' doghouse this season.