Four interceptions on Monday night against the Giants. The wide receiver fans love to hate. A “Tuna” head coach who has often before seemed more peeved at his team, but never more depressed by its prospects. And now a quarterback controversy isn’t just brewing in Dallas, it’s boiling over. All this leads me to just one question:

How ‘bout them Cowboys?

Monday’s pathetic 36-22 loss in Dallas was just one more chapter in the story of a franchise that has received more than its fair share of coverage so far this season. Much of this can be attributed to the media struggling to find something to discuss regarding the latest sporting “odd couple” — Terrell Owens and Bill Parcells.

Meanwhile, the real story has been on the field, not off, as the dreams of fans of “America’s Team” have been smoldering these past few weeks. And if Monday’s game against New York wasn’t indicative of the Cowboy’s chances going up in smoke, it set off the fire alarms at the very least — and now Dallas fans everywhere had better hope that Tony Romo is one heck of a good fireman.

But what makes the story of the apparently fast-fading Cowboys so intriguing is the one issue that seems to be discussed the least. Sure, quarterback controversies are always interesting, but if at any point during this season you thought that Drew Bledsoe’s spot atop the depth chart was untouchable, you might want to check the sundial again next time you see him scrambling in the pocket.

And while Owens has been the player fans most love to hate, he really has been underachieving in producing newsworthy topics this season — he has so far hurt his hamstring in training camp, denied that he intentionally overdosed on painkillers and had one fit on the sidelines. Come on, T.O., we need a better effort from you than that. Sometimes I just really need something to write about.

And most importantly, this story isn’t big simply because Dallas is America’s team. While this was perhaps one of the most successful marketing ploys in sports history, mostly because no one ever seems to challenge the assumption, America’s team right now is clearly the New Orleans Saints — everyone’s second favorite franchise in the post-Katrina world.

No, the Cowboys’ collapse is epic because this was supposed to be Bill Parcells’ last hurrah. The merger of a coach whose name belongs with the likes of Shula, Lombardi, Landry, Walsh and Gibbs with a team tied for the most Super Bowl titles was supposed to be a kind of renaissance, restoring the pride of a storied franchise fallen on hard times. Instead, it’s looking more and more as if the Parcells era in Dallas will end with a whimper rather than a roar through the postseason.

So where did the ‘Boys go wrong? That’s hard to say. Shockingly, the answer doesn’t seem to be the signing of Terrell Owens, whose actions have yet to truly handicap his team. Moreover, Parcells and team owner and general manager Jerry Jones had been quite successful drafting young, talented players to fill holes on offense and defense, finding major contributors like tight end Jason Witten, linebacker Demarcus Ware and cornerback Terence Newman. In a tough NFC East division, the Cowboys entered the season among the ranks of the conference favorites.

Six games later, the team has decidedly lost its swagger. And, perhaps even more discouraging, the future Hall of Fame coach has seemingly lost his as well. The most shocking image from Monday night’s debacle against New York wasn’t Bledsoe looking dumfounded on the sidelines or Romo looking lost on the field. It wasn’t even Terrell Owens’ game changing third-quarter, fourth-down drop on a drive that could have swung momentum in favor of the Cowboys. No, it was Dallas’ post-game press conference.

Parcells — a man who has given some classic rants in his day — wasn’t furious, angry or even peeved. He was frustrated and defeated. And suddenly it seemed like the storybook ending to a Hall of Fame career and the storybook beginning of a new Dallas dynasty might never happen.

That’s why this game was so captivating, and why next week’s contest on the road against Carolina is essentially a must-win game for newly minted starting quarterback Tony Romo, Parcells and this most recent incarnation of Dallas’ team. And when you’re talking about must-win games in October, that’s rarely a good sign.

Denis Griffin is a junior and a good guy, undeserving of an insult from this editor. Email him at djgriff@stanford.edu.