IRVING, Texas -- Dave Campo's favorite buzzword is "positive,'' and he does his best to approach life with that kind of attitude.

So even though his status as coach of the Dallas Cowboys is shaky, Campo remained upbeat Monday and tried lifting the spirits of everyone around him, too.

He told players in a team meeting that they should tune out all the talk about him being fired and Bill Parcells possibly being hired. Instead, he wants their attention squarely on extending a 10-game winning streak against Washington, Dallas' opponent in the season finale Sunday.

"His demeanor has been the same,'' running back Emmitt Smith said. "He's been on an even keel, trying to stay positive, trying to not lose focus.''

Campo said Sunday he wasn't sure if or how he'd discuss his job status with the team. Figuring it was too big to ignore, he brought it up in a meeting Monday morning.

Campo said he kept it brief: "Don't let the distraction be a distraction, just go about your business and get done what you have to get done.''

"Coach came in and said what he wanted to say, then moved on to the Redskins,'' linebacker Kevin Hardy said. "He didn't seem any different than he's been all season long.''

The Cowboys are 15-32 under Campo going into the final game of his third season. Dallas (5-10) hasn't made the playoffs since the year before he took over and last won a playoff game in 1996.

Campo has been with the franchise since 1989, when Jerry Jones bought the team and made Jimmy Johnson the coach. Campo was on Johnson's staff at the University of Miami and came along as a defensive assistant.

He said he came to work Monday as if everything was the same.

"I'm focused from the standpoint that nothing's been done,'' Campo said. "I haven't changed any of my motivation. I'm still thinking about '03.''

Whether Campo will be in charge then became a big question Saturday when word spread that team owner Jerry Jones met with Parcells for five hours last week.

Though both sides said no job was offered, it's an indication Jones is considering making his third coaching change in six years and fifth overall.

Jones said Sunday that no decision is likely this week. That leaves plenty of time for speculation -- in and out of the locker room.

"It's natural for people to do that, but you make a conscious effort not to,'' defensive end Greg Ellis said. "For the most part, I believe it has worked. Campo and the other coaches do a good job of drilling it into us at every meeting we have, 'Let's focus on this last game, let's don't throw in the towel, let's put all our effort and energy in like we've been doing all season.'''

Smith knows the feeling. Although he's the leading rusher of NFL history and has been a Cowboy for 13 seasons, a looming question all season is whether he'll be back next season.

"We're all in the same boat,'' Smith said. ``When things hit the fan, it don't miss not one man. Every man shares in that adversity and those kinds of talk.''

Team meetings and practices might be the only time players are immune to it. When not being asked about it by reporters, they face questions from family and friends.

"I tell them I don't have anything to do with that,'' Hardy said. "We can talk about it until we're blue in the face, but it's not going to make a difference.''

Smith said he won't find out until Jones holds a news conference.

"It's not like he's going to call me and say, 'E, we're going to make this phone call here and we're going to sign Mr. Parcells or this person.' That doesn't happen,'' Smith said. "I'm a player in the locker room and whatever happens with management, they make those decisions.''