Bill Parcells knows playoff teams and championship teams.

He also knows that, by his standards, the Dallas Cowboys were not really a playoff-caliber team, something Carolina proved by beating them, 29-10, in the first round.

"There's a lot to do, and I know what it is now," Parcells said. "This season has taught me a lot more than I could've expected to be taught. I'm not under illusions. Trust me. I'm probably under fewer illusions than the majority of people in Texas."

Texans aren't the only ones.

The first weekend of the postseason demonstrated once again that there's parity in the NFL these days -- but there are not great teams. A decade and more ago, before the salary cap took effect, developing outfits such as the Cowboys didn't qualify -- they made it to 10-6 this season only because other teams were worse.

And it's not only Dallas.

At least half the teams in the postseason -- maybe more -- are seriously flawed.

How did the Cowboys turn it around after three 5-11 seasons?

They had fewer injuries to key players than a lot of other teams.

They had more luck, including a win against Philadelphia because Andy Reid foolishly opened the game with an onside kick that backfired.

They made a few big plays when they had to, such as Quincy Carter's 26-yard pass to Antonio Bryant in Week 2 that set up Billy Cundiff's 52-yard last-second field goal against the Giants.

And most of all, they had Parcells, who willed them to victories in three or four games they should have lost, such as the ones against the Eagles and Giants.

Some of the other wild-card losers also were very incomplete.

Despite eight Pro Bowlers and multiple award winners (Lewis, Lewis and Suggs -- the players, not the law firm), Baltimore went through half the season with a rookie at quarterback and the other half with nothing more than a decent backup.

And the wide receivers aren't exactly stars; tight end Todd Heap is by far the best receiver.

So Tennessee simply stacked the front, daring the Ravens to throw, and Baltimore ran Jamal Lewis just 14 times for 35 yards. Sorry, no way that's going to work -- even against a Titans team led by a sore Steve McNair, who was playing at about 50 percent.

Denver demonstrated classic 21st century inconsistency. It was outstanding in Indianapolis two weeks ago, awful on Sunday.

And who's to say that the weekend's winners are very good?

Green Bay struggled at home against a Seattle team that was 2-6 on the road. Carolina, as well as Dallas, is still building, although it has the elements needed to win: running and the NFL's best front four.

Parcells isn't the only guy in Dallas who understands how much work the Cowboys need to do to become a serious contender.

"He's going to win eventually," said safety Darren Woodson, the last remaining starter from the Cowboys' three Super Bowl champions of the 1990s. "He just doesn't have his guys yet."

The difference between now and Woodson's early years is that these days a team doesn't need a roster filled with stars to make the playoffs.