Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings Where: Mall of America Field – Minneapolis, MN When: January 17, 2010, 12:00 PM on FOX

Mall of America Field. The name might not be too familiar to some of you. Perhaps if I referred to it as The Metrodome you would be a little more intimidated. This is where the Dallas Cowboys are headed this Sunday. This is where blood will be shed, tears will fall, and champions will be born. This particular Divisional Playoff round provides the NFC with 2 games that are NFC Conference Championship caliber games. The Minnesota Vikings are the team standing between the red hot Dallas Cowboys and establishing NFC dominance once again. You have to believe that the winner of this game will more than likely proceed to the Super Bowl. This is the most evenly matched game we’ve seen in a long while, and therefore, we have a lot to analyze. So let’s get started.

How They Stack Up

12-5 Record 12-4 7-2 Home 8-0 5-3 Road 4-4 5-2 Division 5-1 463 Total Points 470 15.5 Avg Points Allowed 19.5 27.2 Avg Points Per Game 29.4 6816 Total Offense 6074 4515 Pass Yards 4156 2301 Rush Yards 1918 47 TD 56 46 Sacks 47 Won 4 Streak Won 1 1st, NFC East – #3 Seed NFC Position 1st, NFC North – #2 Seed NFC

Cowboys (12-5)	Key Matchups	Vikings (12-4)
Dallas Defensive Line (3-4) DE DT DE In this game the trenches will be the decision maker. The Cowboys pass rush has become feared league-wide and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Jay Ratliff will lead an attack that I believe will penetrate this offensive line while allowing Olshanksy and Spears to plug-up the holes. I believe that our Defensive line is the stability of this defense and are showing they can get it done on all levels. On the other side Minnesota offers an offensive line that I don’t consider to be game changing. However, given the explosive offensive weapons, they do a considerable job paving the way for Adrian Peterson. Highlighted by Hutchinson and McKinnie, you better believe they’ll be emotionally and physically prepared to take on the speedy Dallas Defense. Advantage: Dallas Minnesota Offensive Line LT LG C RG RT
Dallas Offensive Line RT RG C LG LT On the other side of the ball is a large and mean offensive line. The Problem here lies completely with Flozell Adams, who will be matched up with all-pro Jared Allen. While I believe Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, and Kyle Kosier will perform up to par, it’s the mistakes and speed that Flo brings to the table that will cost this offense and ultimately keep Tony Romo from getting comfortable. Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, Pat Williams, and Ray Edwards—need I say more? This defensive line is strong, fast, and deadly. They will plug holes and harass Tony Romo all day. Bottom line is this: These are some of the toughest guys in the league. They represent the league’s second ranked rush defense, and are responsible for 47 sacks this season. Advantage: Minnesota Minnesota Defensive Line (4-3) DE DT DT DE
Dallas Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR This is a battle of numbers. Dallas’ sixth ranked pass offense goes against Minnesota’s 19th ranked pass defense. No Matter what people say, the compliment that Roy Williams gives Miles Austin is a big deal. Roy still requires attention especially as he starts to show his real self again. Match that with Patrick Crayton’s impressive play out of the slot and you’ve got a combination of players with great play ability. A real key to this matchup will lie in the play of Antoine Winfield, who will play in only his second game back from a seven game layoff due to injury. If the Vikings’ corners can stop themselves from biting on some of the double moves and cuts, I think they could be a factor. However, I don’t see that happening and I believe that our receivers can really play big against this team. Advantage: Dallas Minnesota Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB
Dallas Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB Mike Jenkins is the hottest defensive back in the playoffs right now. He is making every play needed to be considered a shut-down corner. It’s Jenkins emergence that has overshadowed the play of Terence Newman, who has been absolutely lights out. Newman was really the one who shut down DeSean Jackson but they’ll both have their hands full this weekend. I believe the major problem comes when Percy Harvin comes in the slot, Scandrick needs to be able to stop him and while he’s shown some improvement late this season, he’s still struggled. This is an explosive group of receivers as long as Favre is throwing the ball. I believe that in reality this is a mediocre group, besides maybe Harvin who has flourished. This unit will outplay the Dallas DB’s if they are given time to develop routes and get open, and they just might. Advantage: Draw Minnesota Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR
Dallas Running Backs & Tight Ends RB RB RB FB TE TE TE Here’s a big part of both teams game plans. Felix Jones was explosive against a tough Philly Defense. Marion Barber was a non-factor. What needs to be done this week will create a large role for Marion Barber. He will need to be the punishing ball carrier he is known as to wear down a tough defense so El Gato can gash them. But given Barber’s sore knee, it’s unclear right now, and likely up until game time, if he’ll be ready to go. The key here will be how the Minnesota linebackers handle Jason Witten—he has the ability to destroy any team. Minnesota’s linebackers have been in search of their identity since E.J. Henderson left for the season. Since then, they have been less successful against the run. I still think they have talent. However, I don’t believe they have enough talent here to deal with the likes of John Phillips, Martellus Bennett, Jason Witten, Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice. I believe this is the area where Dallas can really control this game. Advantage: Dallas Minnesota Linebackers OLB LB OLB SS SS LB LB
Dallas Linebackers OLB OLB MLB SS MLB LB LB OK, this is hard to argue. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer may be the best OLB tandem in the league. Mix that with the emotional and inspirational play of Keith Brooking and Bradie James and you have a tough group. Also, where did Bobby Carpenter come from? Carpenter has done a good job covering tight ends. This is the league’s fourth ranked rush defense—allowing only 85 yards a game—and still they manage to terrify opposing quarterbacks with 47 sacks across 17 games. All that being said, Adrian Peterson may be the best back in the league. Chester Taylor does a terrific job spelling Adrian Peterson, and Visanthe Shiancoe is as good as they come from the tight end position. If Adrian Peterson can break through the initial level he can take it to the house on a Dallas Defense who lacks tackling ability in the upper levels. Advantage: Draw Minnesota Runnings Backs & Tight Ends RB RB FB TE TE
	Players To Watch
	HB Adrian Peterson Peterson is a game breaker. He averages 4.4 yards a carry and destroys defenses with yards after contact. The Vikings will undoubtedly look to him to control the game and keep this from becoming a shootout. But he has a tendency to fumble the football and could very well hand the Cowboys a game changer if he’s not careful with the ball.	Adrian Peterson
	DE Jared Allen The heart and soul of the Vikings defense, Allen will more than likely cause headaches for Flozell Adams. The impact Allen makes will determine the outcome of this game.	Jared Allen
Keith Brooking	LB Keith Brooking Brooking has been spectacular for the Cowboys. Beyond his usual pregame inspirational speech to his defense, he will be responsible for stopping Adrian Peterson and keeping Favre uncomfortable. Not that hard right? He’s taken over this defense after a modest introduction earlier this year, and his teammates will look to him for solid, and big, plays.
Tony Romo	QB Tony Romo If Romo can manage the game by reading defenses and changing plays accordingly, he will win this game for the Cowboys. Balance, smart decisions, and elusiveness will be Tony’s key to success. At times this big offensive line has been suspect in protection, but Romo’s quick feet have kept him alive to make plays.
	Key Injuries
T Marc Colombo – Ankle (Probable) S Pat Watkins – Knee (Probable) RB Marion Barber – Knee (Probable) S Gerald Sensabaugh – Thumb (Probable) LB DeMarcus Ware – Wrist/Back (Probable) DT Jimmy Kennedy – Thumb (Questionable) FB Naufau Tahi – Back (Questionable) TE Visanthe Shiancoe – Quadriceps (Probable) DT Pat Williams – Elbow (Probable) G Steve Hutchinson – Shoulder (Probable) P Chris Kluwe – Back (Probable) CB Antoine Winfield – Foot (Probable)
Winner
I’m struggling here. Going to Minnesota is a tough task, have the Cowboys gotten too confident? I believe they’re on the verge of being something special but the media is going to kill them with positive talk. Don’t get me wrong, they can defeat this team. I’m just unsure that Favre’s experience will let them do that. Minnesota 27 Dallas 21

Keys To The Game Pressure Favre – The bottom line is that Favre is good—but he’s old. If you continue to harass him he’s going to get uncomfortable and start rushing his throws. If the linebackers can get penetration, it’ll be a long day for Minnesota. Stop the A-Train – Peterson needs to be contained. Don’t get frustrated with 3 yards by him; that should be considered success. Keep him bottled up on first down and limit the breakaway runs. Do that and let Jenkins, Newman and company finish the rest. He says AD stands for All Day, but in order for the Cowboys to win this game, by the end of the day it needs to stand for All Done. Patience – The ‘Boys need to be able to shrug things off and forget mistakes quickly. Big plays and opportunities are going to arise, but it’ll take the first quarter for both teams to set in. The team that can stay calm and battle the noise will win.

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A lot has been made of the upcoming matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional round of the playoffs, and it’s got me thinking about the tangibles for each defense.

I’m of the mind that numbers matter in any contest. To quote Winston Churchill, “The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.” While I doubt the intended significance toward such a triviality as football, it does have a very relevant meaning. And that’s why we keep stats—to look back and see what has been done.

I like statistics because I can look back and see what was done in order to better gauge what will be done.

I’m also of the mindset that a particular stat—the QB rating—is somewhat useless when it comes to gauging a quarterback’s play. It has become something we look at often to see how a QB did in a game, but it being high or low has never been correlated directly with winning football games.

For instance, look at week 13 between the Cowboys and Giants. The Giants won the game but Tony Romo had a QB rating of 112.1.

For those that do not know, the QB rating is calculated based on completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. It’s essentially a measure of efficiency and nothing more.

But as I stated, I believe it to be rather useless for determining a quarterback’s level of play. It is, however, a viable stat when trying to figure out what a defense can do and has done.

Consider my logic—a few good ways of labeling a defense successful is to look at how many yards per game they allow, how many third down conversions, how many yards per play they give up, how many touchdowns they allow, and how many interceptions they take. Most of which is factored into a QB rating calculation.

So I like to look at a teams schedule and see what kind of QB ratings they’ve allowed opposing quarterbacks to have. The truth is that while an efficient QB is great, e.g., Brett Favre only throwing for seven interceptions this season, I’d much rather have an effective QB. And that’s what this method is based on.

In the 2009 season the Vikings defense has allowed an average opposing QB rating of 90.8. That’s six games of 16 allowing a QB rating of over 100.

The Cowboys, in contrast, have allowed an average opposing rating of 82.8. That’s only two games of 17, including the wild card round, in which they allowed a rating over 100.

Both defenses are highly ranked against the run (Vikings 2nd, Cowboys 4th ). Both offenses rank well running the ball (Vikings 13th, Cowboys 7th).

It basically shows me that the Vikings are going to be in a tough spot trying to run against Dallas more so than Dallas will be stuffed by Minnesota. It’s a fair conclusion even considering that Adrian Peterson is a future Hall of Fame running back.

Everyone likes to say how versatile he is and there’s been references made that the Cowboys have to have three backs to equal what Minnesota has in just one, but it’s overlooked what impact that really has on the players.

Sure, Peterson is allowed to find a rhythm and ride it out being the primary back and getting 20+ carries a game, but that kind of running takes its toll. By the end of a game he’s tired. Even if he’s in a rhythm, he’s worn down from either running up and down the field, or fighting a tough defense for every yard. He does lead the league in no gain and negative yard runs this year.

Meanwhile the Cowboys have a better ranked rushing attack. Perhaps lending credit to the fact they have three guys who stay fresher during the course of a game.

What does it mean? The Vikings are going to have to rely on Brett Favre long before the Cowboys will be relying on Tony Romo. And that is when Romo is at his best—as a game manager, as opposed to a game winner.

History has shown that Favre struggles against Dallas anyway. History has shown that the Vikings struggle in home playoff games against Dallas. History has shown that teams on a late season winning streak go farther than teams wrapping up regulation under .500. The Cowboys went 3-0 the final three games of the season while the Vikings only went 1-2.

And since I predict the game will come down to how the quarterbacks play I’ll let you know how each defense has done.

Minnesota allows a higher QB rating, completion percentage, and average yards per completion. The Cowboys’ defense has one less sack over an extra game, and one less interception over an extra game.

It’s a game of numbers that these men play, and the numbers show that the Vikings will have their work cut out for them.

And finally, consider this—the Vikings are 8-0 at home this year and definitely have an advantage at home. Obviously they play better at home, but the Cowboys, this year, have played better on the road.

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Since we got out game preview out a bit earlier than either team was required to offer an injury report, here’s a complete list of each team’s injuries as of Saturday morning along with each player’s status for tonight game.

None of the injuries are going to factor heavily into the game for either team, and there is only player listed who is actually doubtful to play—Pat Watkins for Dallas. You should note that Philadelphia’s starting center is not listed as he on IR and OL Nick Cole is starting in his place.

Dallas Cowboys

RB Tashard Choice Concussion Full Participation (Probable)

OT Marc Colombo Ankle Full Participation (Probable)

S Pat Watkins Knee Full Participation (Questionable)

CB Terence Newman Knee Full Participation (Probable)

S Gerald Sensabaugh Thumb Full Participation (Probable)

LB DeMarcus Ware Wrist/Back Full Participation (Probable)

RB Marion Barber Knee Full Participation (Probable)

Philadelphia Eagles

WR Jason Avant Knee Full Participation (Probable)

WR Reggie Brown Shoulder Full Participation (Probable)

TE Brent Celek Knee Full Participation (Probable)

C Nick Cole Knee Full Participation (Probable)

S Quintin Demps Ankle Full Participation (Probable)

G Max Jean-Gilles Ankle Full Participation (Probable)

T Winston Justice Ankle/Knee Full Participation (Probable)

WR Jeremy Maclin Thumb/Foot Full Participation (Probable)

DE Juqua Parker Ankle Full Participation (Probable)

CB Dimitri Patterson Knee Full Participation (Probable)

QB Michael Vick Quadricep Full Participation (Probable)

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Step One

The Philadelphia Eagles can be a dangerous bunch if a game starts to go their way, so that’s why the No. 1 priority for the Dallas Cowboys will be to score on their opening drive, and combine that with either a defensive stop or a scoring second drive.

Donovan McNabb is good at making things happen, and when he’s got a cushion to play with he tends to put up his best numbers. It all comes down to whether his team is ahead or behind though.

The Eagles haven’t lost one in 2009 when leading at the half.

Philadelphia, when ahead, completes passes for an 8.3 yard average with 12 TD’s. In contrast, it’s a 7.5 yard average with only six touchdowns when playing from behind. The rushing attack in Philly hasn’t been great this season, but it also is at its best when the team is leading.

The Eagles are a passing team with two big playmakers in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. But it all comes down to pressure. When they have to make a big play to take the lead, they usually fail. It’s when they have the lead that they make the most of their opportunities.

So, the Cowboys absolutely must come out and score on their first possession and take control early. This team is capable of putting pressure on the Eagles, who will likely fold under it.

Step Two

Mike Jenkins has done a remarkable job of keeping pace with DeSean Jackson in two games between Dallas and Philadelphia this season. He has only five catches for 76 yards against the stingy Dallas defense in 2009. That’s a long reception of 32 yards, an average of 15.2 yards, and zero touchdowns.

He simply hasn’t done much against the blue star.

Jeremy Maclin has only managed to be slightly better against the Cowboys in ’09, amassing six catches for 91 yards total, but still with no touchdowns.

The second key to the Cowboys W is going to be keeping those two in front of them. As we’ve seen already the Cowboys have done well to limit the big play. Even though they’ve allowed a lot of completions underneath while locking it up deep, it’s not been enough to earn the Eagles a Dallas defeat.

Step Three

In the 10 games he’s won this year, McNabb has had the benefit of good protection with only a two-sack-per-game average. But he’s sacked almost four times a game when they lose.

Of the 35 sacks McNabb has taken this season, Dallas accounts for seven of them.

That’s 50 yards given up to Dallas on sacks. In games in which he’s been sacked three or more times he’s 10/four TD/INT, but he tosses for a touchdown in every game that’s he sacked fewer than three times.

Aside from numbers, it’s just a fact that any quarterback in football will produce less when he’s pressured more, and McNabb is no exception. In fact, he might just be more prone to buckle under pressure than any other franchise quarterback in the league.

So the Cowboys need their big three pass rushers to be very active in this game. DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, and Anthony Spencer will play a huge role in determining the winner on Saturday.

That’s all the Cowboys have to do to win this game. Score early to put the ill-equipped Eagles in catch-up mode, contain Jackson and Maclin to prevent the big plays, and keep Donovan McNabb uncomfortable with pressure and knock-downs.

If we had to consider a fourth step it would undoubtedly be to protect Tony Romo. While he has been a rock over the past nine games (12 TD 3 INT 0 FUM), he is at his best when he has time to throw the ball. Plus, a nagging back injury he calls “soreness” needs to be taken care of during the game.

Overall, the Cowboys are playing their best football right now and are the only team riding a three-game winning streak in the NFC heading into round one of the playoffs.

The Eagles may very well be better than they played in week 17 at Dallas, I certainly felt that while watching the game, but in 2009 they’ve hit three rough spots. The Raiders and Cowboys have given the Eagles fits and I expect that to continue in the playoffs. Cowboys win a fairly close one.

Dallas 21 – Philadelphia 14

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Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys Where: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX When: January 9, 2010, 7:00 PM on NBC

This is it – the matchup of the weekend.  There is nothing left, you win or go home.  The Cowboys are all too familiar with going home, having not won a playoff matchup since the 1996 season.  Last week the Cowboys displayed dominance over this Philadelphia Eagles team in Dallas, getting their second straight shutout this season. You can expect the Eagles to bring everything they have – as Tony Romo said, “Every blitz in the book.”  They are the masters of blitzing and their schemes are disguised brilliantly.  This game won’t be a shut out, it should be a blood bath.  We’re talking old school NFC East rivalries at their best, the winner is likely to have the Super Bowl in their grasp. Fans or not, if this game isn’t in your plans for Saturday night, I doubt you really enjoy football.  Tough D, Play making offenses – Are you ready for some football?

How They Stack Up

11-5 Record 11-5 6-2 Home 6-2 5-3 Road 5-3 4-2 Division 4-2 429 Total Points 363 21.1 Avg Points Allowed 15.6 26.8 Avg Points Per Game 22.7 5726 Total Offense 6390 4098 Pass Yards 4287 1637 Rush Yards 2103 47 TD 43 44 Sacks 42 Lost 1 Streak Won 3 2nd, NFC East – #6 Seed NFC Position 1st, NFC East – #3 Seed NFC

Eagles (11-5)	Key Matchups	Cowboys (11-5)
Dallas Defensive Line (3-4) DE DT DE The Dallas Cowboys come into this matchup with a defensive line that has helped attain 38 sacks this season, while limiting teams to a rushing yards per game average of 94.1 – good for 5th in the league. This unit is highlighted by Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Jay Ratliff who had 2 sacks against the Redskins last week. Opposing the Cowboys in the trenches is a tough offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles. This line has allowed 34 sacks this season and is responsible for the play of Donovan McNabb. If this line wasn’t good, DeSean Jackson wouldn’t be so dominant. The Eagles rank 21st in rushing offense, and have lost their starting center for the remainder of the season. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Offensive Line LT LG C RG RT
Dallas Offensive Line RT RG C LG LT The Dallas Cowboys have one of the largest offensive lines in the league. They lead the way for the leagues 8th best rush offense. They have gotten better lately in protecting Tony Romo but still have obvious weaknesses and that mostly lies at Left Tackle where Flozell Adams isn’t always reliable. Trent Cole is an animal and will be able to beat Adams from time to time, match that with the improved play of Defensive Tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson and you have a formula for the leagues 8th best rush defense. The real story will lie with the pass rush, the Cowboys have allowed 32 sacks this season, and Tony doesn’t like feeling pressured. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Defensive Line (4-3) DE DT DT DE
Dallas Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR I’m really struggling with analyzing this matchup. On one hand Miles Austin, Kevin Ogletree, and Crayton have been spot on. Austin is someone you have to account for on every play and even when you do, you still might get burned. Whereas Ogletree and Crayton have offered great plays when they are called upon, they are not called upon as often as Austin. On the other hand, Roy Williams can’t hold onto the ball and Sam Hurd, while good, has been dropping some as well in his limited playing time. Roy says he’s going to get back to basics, but only time will tell if it helps. Philly offers a decent, not stellar, pass defense that ranks in the middle of the league. There is only one man that really jumps out at me as a game changer and, unfortunately, he’s a big game changer. Asante Samuel is a tough DB to face, he’s a pick 6 threat all day long. This matchup will shape the game. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB
Dallas Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB The Dallas Defense has been stepping up huge lately and may possibly be one of the best defenses in the NFL right now. We’ve seen that they’ve improved many of their flaws but the deep game remains to be seen. Jenkins and Hamlin have been locking down their side of the field, but my biggest concern is Terence Newman. Despite his All Pro repuation, he hasn’t been playing at the level he’s capable of. Not to say he’s not good, because he is, but he needs to lock down his side of the field this week to keep us in this. Philly’s wide receivers are among the most dynamic in the league. From DeSean to Maclin to Avant you can believe that these receivers can break any game wide open. With their deep threat capability, Brent Celek is given a lot of chances to make short gains. This is a versatile passing game that is almost impossible to control. Our only hope is fundamental containment … maybe that will work. Advantage: Philadelphia Philadelphia Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR
Dallas Running Backs & Tight Ends RB RB RB FB TE TE TE The Cowboys have one of the most impressive running back rotations in the league. Combine that with Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett and even John Phillips and you have yourself a pretty amazing core. Jason Witten is going to tear through Philly’s mediocre front 7 and it’s going to be an all day combination with Tony Romo. Felix will dash, Barber will Smash, and Tash will run that wildcat to perfection, allowing plenty of offensive balance. This Eagles unit to me is mediocre. Will Witherspoon is talented, but Trotter has lost a step and besides those two the unit as a whole is young. Inexperience will hurt these guys and they will not be able to contain the Cowboys balanced offensive attack. Advantage: Dallas Philadelphia Linebackers OLB LB OLB SS MLB MLB OLB
Dallas Linebackers OLB OLB MLB SS MLB LB LB If you’re a football fan, names like Brooking, Ware, and Bradie James should keep you listening. This linebacker team is the core behind the re-emergence of the Dallas D. Ware and Spencer seem to be almost unblockable while Brooking and James have been wreaking havoc on running backs and tight ends. Most experts would consider this a top 5 unit and it’s going to be hard to break through. Westbrook is dangerous when healthy and McCoy has potential. However, neither of these two are going to make a difference in this game. Philly has a secret weapon in the run game and that is their fullback, Leonard Weaver. Weaver can run, catch, and block and it’s just plain difficult to gameplan for a fullback with that potential mixed with dangerous running backs. I’m originally from Philly and my father is a die-hard Eagles fan and he repeatedly tells me that Weaver is the difference maker and I believe him. Advantage: Dallas Philadelphia Runnings Backs & Tight Ends RB RB RB FB TE
	Players To Watch
LeSean McCoy	HB LeSean McCoy Since last weeks gameplan of complex aerial attacks didn’t seem to work against the stingy Dallas Defense, I expect the Eagles will try a gameplan that will involve controlling the clock and game.  Brian Westbrook proved ineffective in the last meeting, and LeSean McCoy is young and talented enough to be what the Eagles need in a HB.
	QB Tony Romo It will once again be Tony Romo who wins this game.  Tony played brilliantly again last week.  He has evolved into one of the leagues most elite game managers.  If Jason Garrett can keep him prepared for a complex Eagles defense, Tony will be patient enough to pick this defense apart once again.	Tony Romo
DeSean Jackson	WR DeSean Jackson After being shut down by Mike Jenkins and Company, Jackson has been talking a lot of trash via twitter.  He’ll be looking to smoke the competition and bring in a big win for Philly.  He’ll be dangerous and the Eagles might be using him on more short yardage plays, so it’ll be up to the likes of James and Brooking to keep an eye on that.
	The Dallas Cowboys Crowd Not really players to watch, but the Cowboys Fans are known as being soft and have never created such an energy that has intimidated other teams.  The noise and excitement from the crowd will impact the Cowboys as a team, so if they are loud and supportive, expect the Cowboys to meet their energy.
	Key Injuries
WR Reggie Brown – Shoulder (Full Participation) C Nick Cole – Knee (Full Participation) S Quintin Demps – Ankle (Full Participation) WR Jeremy Maclin – Foot (Full Participation) QB Micheal Vick – Quadricep (Full Participation) T Marc Colombo – Ankle (Out) S Pat Watkins – Knee (Out) WR Miles Austin – Thumb (Full Participation) CB Terence Newman – Knee (Full Participation) S Gerald Sensabaugh – Thumb (Full Participation) LB DeMarcus Ware – Wrist (Full Participation)
Winner
I’m not straying far from my decision last week.  I believe the Cowboys play an impressive game, I’m going to give them the edge but only because they are at home.  I think the Cowboys could definitely lose this game.  Even if they do, don’t count it as a lost season.  This is a young team that will be competitive for years to come. Dallas 21 Philly 17

Keys To The Game Cover 2 – Having 2 safety’s clouding the top worked perfectly and I expect the Cowboys to keep that strategy up.  Despite giving Celek the middle all day, the Boy’s were able to contain most large pass plays.  It’s important to not give up on whats working. Stuff the Run – We want a recap of last weeks gameplan.  So basically we have to stop the Eagles from achieving dominance on the ground.  This will shut down McNabb’s play action and make them one dimensional. Pressure – Pressure McNabb all day.  Make him unsure and untrusting of the capability of his offensive line and the game will become pretty easy. Stay balanced – Jason Garrett called a great game last week.  His balance of inside runs, toss’s, play action passes, and screens has kept a young Eagles D confused.  Not much will have to change here, just keep it effective.

Some Other Reading Cowboy’s VS. Eagles! Take 3 NFL.COM analyzes this matchup.

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Never without some excitement to keep us reeling, the NFC East is going postseason this year. We just watched the Eagles fall on their face in Dallas as the Cowboys went on to a historical win and the top of the division, and now we get to look forward to a grudge match like only the rivalries of the NFC East can supply.

Their records are identical, they have the same wins and losses at home, on the road, and in the division – you couldn’t find a more evenly matched game if you hand picked the teams.

They’ve got similar sacks, similar touchdowns, similar passing and rushing yards, so where is the difference in this matchup that’s going to be a difference maker? Points!

The Eagles are riding high atop their best point total in franchise history at 429, which is the exact number of points they had before last week’s game. The Cowboys are at a more modest 363 points through the first 16 games. That’s the difference.

The Cowboys have only allowed an average of 15.6 points per game this season and have really been cracking down on that seemingly high number as of late. Riding a three-game winning streak, the ‘Boys have only given up 17 points in that span, and that was to the New Orleans Saints – a far cry from the Eagles by any perspective.

What’s more is that this Eagles offense is preparing to be the unit that wins the game. Through the air or on the ground doesn’t matter, but you don’t expect to win with defense when you’re offense has been the real heater during the year. The problem that just might throw a huge kink into their plans is that their offense, rated highly among all experts and most game logs, hasn’t been able to produce against the Cowboys this year.

Add to the mix the Eagles average points allowed per game at 21.1 and the fact that they are 664 yards behind Dallas in total offense this year, and you get what should be a slugfest. The normally high scoring Philly offense Vs. the new Dallas Doomsday Defense – a matchup that should fall the way of the plains in a Dallas victory.

I’ll let the averages do the pick for me.

Cowboys 21 – Eagles 7

Now let’s give it up Cowboys fans. The team has asked us two weeks in a row to pump up the volume and put some meaning behind home-field-advantage this year. Get up. Get loud.

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How They Stack Up

11-4 Record 10-5 6-2 Home 5-2 5-2 Road 5-3 4-1 Division 3-2 429 Total Points 339 20.9 Avg Points Allowed 16.7 28.6 Avg Points Per Game 22.6 5498 Total Offense 5916 3898 Pass Yards 3992 1600 Rush Yards 1924 47 TD 40 42 Sacks 37 Won 6 Streak Won 2 1st, NFC East Position 2nd, NFC East

Eagles (11-4)	Key Matchups	Cowboys (10-5)
Dallas Defensive Line (3-4) DE DT DE The Dallas Cowboys come into this matchup with a defensive line that has helped attain 38 sacks this season, while limiting teams to a rushing yards per game average of 94.1 – good for 5th in the league. This unit is highlighted by Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle Jay Ratliff who had 2 sacks against the Redskins last week. Opposing the Cowboys in the trenches is a tough offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles. This line has allowed 34 sacks this season and is responsible for the play of Donovan McNabb. If this line wasn’t good, DeSean Jackson wouldn’t be so dominant. The Eagles rank 21st in rushing offense, and have lost their starting center for the remainder of the season. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Offensive Line LT LG C RG RT
Dallas Offensive Line RT RG C LG LT The Dallas Cowboys have one of the largest offensive lines in the league. They lead the way for the leagues 8th best rush offense. They have gotten better lately in protecting Tony Romo but still have obvious weaknesses and that mostly lies at Left Tackle where Flozell Adams isn’t always reliable. Trent Cole is an animal and will be able to beat Adams from time to time, match that with the improved play of Defensive Tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson and you have a formula for the leagues 8th best rush defense. The real story will lie with the pass rush, the Cowboys have allowed 32 sacks this season, and Tony doesn’t like feeling pressured. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Defensive Line (4-3) DE DT DT DE
Dallas Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR I’m really struggling with analyzing this matchup. On one hand Miles Austin, Kevin Ogletree, and Crayton have been spot on. Austin is someone you have to account for on every play and even when you do, you still might get burned. Whereas Ogletree and Crayton have offered great plays when they are called upon, they are not called upon as often as Austin. On the other hand, Roy Williams can’t hold onto the ball and Sam Hurd, while good, has been dropping some as well in his limited playing time. Roy says he’s going to get back to basics, but only time will tell if it helps. Philly offers a decent, not stellar, pass defense that ranks in the middle of the league. There is only one man that really jumps out at me as a game changer and, unfortunately, he’s a big game changer. Asante Samuel is a tough DB to face, he’s a pick 6 threat all day long. This matchup will shape the game. Advantage: Draw Philadelphia Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB
Dallas Defensive Backs DB DB FS DB DB The Dallas Defense has been stepping up huge lately and may possibly be one of the best defenses in the NFL right now. We’ve seen that they’ve improved many of their flaws but the deep game remains to be seen. Jenkins and Hamlin have been locking down their side of the field, but my biggest concern is Terence Newman. Despite his All Pro repuation, he hasn’t been playing at the level he’s capable of. Not to say he’s not good, because he is, but he needs to lock down his side of the field this week to keep us in this. Philly’s wide receivers are among the most dynamic in the league. From DeSean to Maclin to Avant you can believe that these receivers can break any game wide open. With their deep threat capability, Brent Celek is given a lot of chances to make short gains. This is a versatile passing game that is almost impossible to control. Our only hope is fundamental containment … maybe that will work. Advantage: Philadelphia Philadelphia Wide Receivers WR WR WR WR WR
Dallas Running Backs & Tight Ends RB RB RB FB TE TE TE The Cowboys have one of the most impressive running back rotations in the league. Combine that with Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett and even John Phillips and you have yourself a pretty amazing core. Jason Witten is going to tear through Philly’s mediocre front 7 and it’s going to be an all day combination with Tony Romo. Felix will dash, Barber will Smash, and Tash will run that wildcat to perfection, allowing plenty of offensive balance. This Eagles unit to me is mediocre. Will Witherspoon is talented, but Trotter has lost a step and besides those two the unit as a whole is young. Inexperience will hurt these guys and they will not be able to contain the Cowboys balanced offensive attack. Advantage: Dallas Philadelphia Linebackers OLB LB OLB SS MLB MLB OLB
Dallas Linebackers OLB OLB MLB SS MLB LB LB If you’re a football fan, names like Brooking, Ware, and Bradie James should keep you listening. This linebacker team is the core behind the re-emergence of the Dallas D. Ware and Spencer seem to be almost unblockable while Brooking and James have been wreaking havoc on running backs and tight ends. Most experts would consider this a top 5 unit and it’s going to be hard to break through. Westbrook is dangerous when healthy and McCoy has potential. However, neither of these two are going to make a difference in this game. Philly has a secret weapon in the run game and that is their fullback, Leonard Weaver. Weaver can run, catch, and block and it’s just plain difficult to gameplan for a fullback with that potential mixed with dangerous running backs. I’m originally from Philly and my father is a die-hard Eagles fan and he repeatedly tells me that Weaver is the difference maker and I believe him. Advantage: Dallas Philadelphia Runnings Backs & Tight Ends RB RB RB FB TE
	Players To Watch
Sav Rocca	P Sav Rocca & Mat McBriar Special teams are going to have a heavy influence on the outcome of this game. Thats why I’ve highlighted these punters as players to watch. With extremely explosive offenses for both teams you need to give them the longest field possible.	Mat McBriar
	QB Tony Romo Tony’s been brilliant as of late. Throwing only 1 interception in the last month. It’s not only about his improved play though, it’s been his ability to manage games and read defenses that has attributed to his success. Maybe the hottest quarterback in the league, Tony will have to manage, read, and deliver in this game. It’ll be up to him to make the proper changes and get this offense clicking early.	Tony Romo
DeSean Jackson	WR DeSean Jackson DeSean Jackson is the Eagles X-Factor. There is no doubt he has playmaking ability and explosive potential. In this game he’ll face a defense that has been known for being weak against the deep ball and you have to expect him to be able to find holes. The only question is if he’ll be able to burn up-and-coming CB Mike Jenkins who has played some of his best ball as of late.
	images via yahoo.com
	Key Injuries
WR Reggie Brown – Shoulder (Probable) C Nick Cole – Knee (Probable) S Quintin Demps – Ankle (Probable) WR Jeremy Maclin – Foot (Probable) QB Micheal Vick – Quadricep (Probable) G Max Jean-Gilles – Ankle (Probable) T Marc Colombo – Ankle (Out) S Pat Watkins – Knee (Out) WR Miles Austin – Thumb (Probable) CB Terence Newman – Knee (Probable) S Gerald Sensabaugh – Thumb (Probable) LB DeMarcus Ware – Wrist (Probable)
Winner
The Cowboys battle hard and won’t lose by a lack of effort but are unable to contain some of the big plays and lose, which might turn out to give them a better road to the playoffs. Philadelphia 30 – Dallas 24

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In just three short days our beloved Cowboys will face off against the Eagles in a chillingly similar fashion to last years regular season finale.

Last year the Cowboys and Eagles met up to end the season in a game full of playoff implications. One team was more dominant leading up to the game, and again this year the record says it’s the Eagles having won their last six contests.

But this year the Cowboys are riddled with injuries, and they have been playing their best football in December. Tony Romo has only thrown one interception this December, and that was a deflection off of Roy Williams’ hands at that.

This time around it’s not about who makes the postseason, there is no win-and-you’re-in scenarios this year. Both teams are locked in. They are playing merely for pride, and by pride I mean NFC seed and for the NFC East title.

So with an official game preview upcoming, I just want to know, who thinks the Eagles will be victorious for the second year in a row?

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The Cowboys are going to DC and the timing is something to remark about.

First off, they last played a Saturday night game, while the Skins played Monday night. Now normally I’d say that the Redskins would be at a disadvantage for having only six days while our ‘Boys get eight between games, but the Redskins didn’t seem to play hard enough against the Gnats to worry about being worn out. But either way, the extra day of rest/practice should bode well for the Cowboys so late in the season.

Secondly, the Cowboys just signed kicker Shaun Suisham, who was waived by the Redskins a couple of weeks ago. This will be his third stint with the team.

And finally, the Cowboys seem to be getting healthier about now. Martellus Bennett has been cleared to practice, though with John Phillips playing as well as he did Marty B will be splitting reps even more so. Marc Colombo has also been cleared to practice, though he likely won’t be available until mid-January, and that’s only if the Cowboys make the playoffs. Barber and Jones both seem to be as recovered as they’ve been all year, though that’s not to say that they are playing at their peaks.

The Cowboys have been fortunate to have Tony Romo playing at his best over the last three games. I know that includes two losses, but those losses had to with the running game, play calling, defense, and special teams – not the passing game.

But I want to know, what do you guys think will happen this coming Monday night? Will the Redskins show heart with nothing to lose for the season aside from their jobs? Or will the Cowboys roll in and continue their dominant play on their way to the real challenge against Philly?

One thing is for sure, since the Eagles and Giants won in week 15 the playoff picture has gotten much tighter. By week 17 it could very well be a repeat of last years Cowboys finale. It could be a win-and-you’re-in, lose-and-you’re-out situation, not only for the Cowboys, but depending on the outcome of week 16 it could be that type of a deal for the Eagles and Cowboys. So use the poll up top and let me know what’s the perspective, will the Cowboys beat the Redskins?

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Hello Dallas Cowboys Nation. It’s been some time since we’ve all been so proud and full of celebratory bliss but the time now is nice. The Cowboys knocked the Eagles off the top of the NFC East to claim sole possession of it themselves, and did so not by simply being the team to make the fewest mistakes on the field, but the team that dominated the game just enough to prevail the victors.

105.3 FM “The Fan” aired the word “substance” often Monday morning. They weren’t talking about drugs or media coverage though, well they did but we’ll get to that later. They remarked that the Cowboys won that game with substance, meaning they had a plan and executed it. They saw the obstacles and overcame them. They played good and sound football to win the game.

Sure, the running game was a little weak until the fourth quarter, and you wouldn’t really expect that from the triple threat combo of Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Felix Jones, but it happened. In the fourth quarter though, Barber came out and did exactly what he is best at doing – dominating and punishing a worn out defense in the final 15 minutes to control the clock. That’s the role he is most suited for, the closer, and the coaches should be more mindful of that the next time he takes a first quarter handoff and runs into the dozen players waiting for him up the middle. Getting knocked on his butt isn’t really the ideal way to win games.

Miles Austin was rather absent for much of the game as well. He was thrown to maybe 4 times and had but one catch, albeit for a touchdown over 30 yards. And keep in mind that his touchdown was the game winner … again.

But perhaps the biggest story of the game as far as the players go comes down to Tony Romo and Roy Williams finally showing some signs of meshing, of finding that elusive same page, and making something happen with it.

Just as Wade Phillips said, and others … It did appear that many of the passes to Williams before Sunday were either too high, thrown behind, or simply not where he was. Most of us would likely agree, regardless of any personal feelings against Romo, that an experienced quarterback is going to know pretty well where the route goes, so does that mean that Williams has been to blame? Maybe.

Williams caught something like 5 of 7 balls for 75 yards Sunday night in Philly and while it wasn’t a spectacular performance by any means, unless you’re the Browns, it was solid and that is what we’ve needed more of from our number 1 receiver – solid play.

If he plays solid and runs good routes and even catches half of the passes directed toward him, he’ll likely continue to see enough double coverage’s to help Witten, Bennett, Crayton, Austin, Hurd, and even Ogletree. Not to mention the benefits for the running game. So while it again was nothing worthy of praise, it was a long overdue spark to the chemistry that he and Romo must develop for this team to achieve anything beyond a divisional title this year.

And let’s face it, the Cowboys only winning the NFC East this year will be considered a bust for the season, and rightly so. We’ve won the division a few times since 1996 – the last time we won a playoff game. So doing so this year wouldn’t amount to anything more than the same and maintaining status quo this year will be the only sure fire way to lose Wade Phillips his title of Head Coach.

Which brings me to a brief mention of The Fan’s topic on firing Wade. The local press around here has been calling for Wade’s dismissal as recently as the week following the Kansas City game. Granted, that game should have been a blow out, an easy win for us, even if the team was supposed to view it as anything but that – easy.

We struggled in all aspects of that game including making the fourth quarter stop to put the game away, sending it into overtime. But the one great thing that came out of that game was that in our times of trouble, Miles Austin was given a real shot to make a play, and did he ever accomplish that.

He played so good in that game, setting a franchise record or two in the process, that he booted Crayton as the #2 guy immediately. Funny thing about that though, this team has been lacking so much of what makes a team a team. But as soon as Crayton is relegated to the third spot, he didn’t just sulk and make snide comments to the media like he and others have done before when unhappy. No, he went out instead and made the most of his remaining duties.

Two weeks in a row, Mr. Consistent who usually averages only 10 yards on punt returns goes and breaks one for six. Who would have ever saw that coming? That’s a teammate right there. Basically in the dog house and he just works harder and ends up making two huge plays in an area of the game that has been seriously raunchy up until this year – special teams.

So I’m pretty happy about this team right now. So much so that I’ve had to watch myself so that I don’t get too excited. I really think we’re playing like a Team that’s ready to compete for the Lombardi Trophy. And a game into November I don’t expect anything to change right away, not until after the Thanksgiving game against Oakland – not until we hit December.

It’s time to see if this team finding some of its identity and unity is enough to not only win games, but win in December and beyond. Let us hope.

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Carolina came into Big D with a challenge. Trying to prove that they aren’t the team that the media has painted them to be. Unfortunately for them, Dallas was on that same mission. After a slow paced first half, Dallas came up fired up, and honestly looked like the team we expect them to look like.

The Cowboys stuck to their gameplan, running the ball for over 200 yards for the first time since 1979. Felix Jones had 8 carries for 98 yards before leaving in the third with a left knee strain (severity unknown) and Tashard Choice filled in nicely with 18 rushes for 82 yards.

Tony Romo fired back after a week full of media warfare completing 22 of 33 passes for 255 yards. Though he didn’t have a touchdown, you can thank Romo for this victory. It was his ability to read the field, escape the blitzes, and make great throws to his receivers that got the victory. Witten had 77 yards off of 9 targets, Roy 4 catches for 75, Crayton battled for his 44 yards, and the backs totaled for 56 yards receiving.

The real story tonight though was the defense who until tonight had 0 sacks and 0 turnovers. That changed tonight. The rushing defense was strong allowing only 73 yards. The secondary allowed 220 yards, which is a great improvement. The real big deal is the two interceptions, mostly the one for a touchdown by Newman. The Cowboys were able to amass 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in a good victory to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Victor-y

Victor Butler got his share of snaps tonight and he made the most of it. He fought to rack up 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble to seal the game. Victor Butler, a 4th round pick, was drafted because of his pass rush abilities. He will be a project for Wade Phillips but honestly, his development along with that of Jenkins, Scandrick, Jason Williams and even Ware will mean everything to the future of this organization. Victor should see more snaps after tonight’s performance.

Draw the Line

Once again Ware was held to 0 sacks. Cause for concern? I don’t really think so. He is game-planned for week in and week out. He still gets there often and still pressures often. Ware will have trouble duplicating 20 sacks ever again, but expect a 10 sack season. Wares impact on this defense wont be statistic as much as it will be seen on the field.

The problem does however arise when talking about Bobby Carpenter. Carpenter has looked lazy and continued to do that tonight. I expect some changes to be made especially when Jason Williams returns.

Game Ball

Every game I’m going to try and hand out 3 game balls. Tonight they go to the following:

1. Terrence Newman- Newman held Steve Smith to 4 catches for 38 yards. Not an easy task. He also had a pick six to put the Cowboys up 2 scores.

2. Felix Choice??- I’m cheating here, but our running backs played well totaling 176 yards and a TD. (Patrick Crayton and Romo also accounted for 36 yards)

3. Tony Romo- Based on a hard week, he rebounded nicely, carefully orchestrating these drives perfectly.  No Interceptions… Enough Said.

Final Word

Tashard Choice said that you can thank Witten and Romo for kick starting the offense during halftime……. Keith Brooking had a wonderful game, and looks to be a great pickup……. and just like the skins, Jason Witten could be seen praying with the Panthers players at the end of the game.  Some class to end the game.

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Okay so we’re all here for some football right? Well let’s make it more interesting for us. The staff here is keeping a score of our own, and we’ll update weekly the staff picks and records in the sidebar. Just a little something fun on the side for us. We missed the first two weeks due to life, so I’m going to start each of us out with perfect records, 10-0. That’s four games a week plus a bonus pick. So let’s get started.

In week 3 we’re picking from the following:

1. Washington @ Detroit
2. Atlanta @ New England
3. Indianapolis @ Arizona
4. San Fransisco @ Minnesota

And for the bonus pick – of the teams still sitting at 0-2 for the season (Saint Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers), which will be able to snag their first win this week?

Bryson -

1. Washington Redskins
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. San Fransisco 49ers

Bonus pick is Jacksonville.

Bryan -

1. Detroit Lions
2. New England Patriots
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Minnesota Vikings

Bonus pick is Tennessee.

Jonathan -

1. Washington Redskins
2. New England Patriots
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Minnesota Vikings

Bonus pick is Miami.

Phillip (Bags030404) -

1. Detroit Lions
2. New England Patriots
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Minnesota Vikings

Bonus pick is Tennessee.

Good luck to us all!

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Earlier this week we were asked to participate in a podcast segment on Cat Crave Radio. John White at Cat Crave Radio was kind enough to invite me to give the Cowboys perspective on their weekly segment entitled “The Enemy.” This was our first such venture, and hopefully not the last.

You can hear the full program on Cat Crave Radio, or you can listen below. Afterward, be sure to let me know what you think!

Thanks again to John and the folks at Cat Crave Radio I had a great time and look forward to doing this sort of thing again.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The Cowboys started the game against Tampa sluggish, pedestrian, and uninspired. First few drives only yielded field goals and the defense had more than a few holes in it.

After the 1^st quarter the score was a shock to most as the Bucs stuck with the ‘Boys as they only trailed 6-0.

The second quarter was even more ordinary as both teams seemed to maneuver their way around the field about as good as a blind person. Tony Romo threw in front, behind, and over receivers as they marched to an eventual 13-7 halftime lead after a 42 yard pitch and catch between Romo and Miles Austin ended in a touchdown.

Going into halftime the team still seemed to be finding its way as the defensive secondary looked confused and out of sync.

But the second half was a different story.

Bum’s son must have fired the troops up in the locker room because the Cowboys emerged more focused in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters.

Immediately out the gate the ‘Boys were swinging as Romo tossed a 66 yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams and the Cowboys went up 20-7.

Seemed as if Dallas was about to blow the doors off, but Leftwich marched the Bucs back down the field and newly acquired running back Derrick Ward scored on a one yard touchdown run.

That was pretty much the last ray of hope for the pirates as the Cowboys took control from there and never looked back.

Touchdown for Crayton? Check.

Running score for Marion Barber? Check.

It’s on now; the Cowboys are riding on “28’s with the windows down on a 2010 all blue Range Rover.

Romo finally pulled his head out of the clouds and the defense patched the holes in the submarine.

All in all it turned out to be a great day for the Cowboys. Tony Romo ended up with 353 passing yards (a career high), three touchdowns, and no turnovers. Now if he could only go on a run of zero turnovers for more than one game.

Romo also completed 66% of his passes thrown over ten yards and had a healthy 149 quarterback rating.

For Roy Williams, he ended up with a solid outing. He caught three balls for 86 yards and one touchdown.

Terrell who?

The worrisome part of the game was the Dallas defense actually. The Bucs ran for over 170 yards and scored two touchdowns, racking up 5.6 yards a carry. The Cowboys cannot play that way against the Giants and expect to win, not with Brandon Jacobs in the backfield.

Cowboys secondary gave up a few big plays down the middle, something Bum’s son will have to address this upcoming week in practice.

The Cowboys beat the Bucs 34-21 and head back home to face the Giants to open their new billion dollar stadium.

Injury note: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo says that he injured his right ankle during Sundays game, the ankle will be re-examined on Tuesday. Cowboys new starting safety Gerald Sensabaugh was helped off the field after a big hit on Buccaneers wide receiver Michael Clayton, no word on if he’ll return next week.

-JH

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DVR saved my butt this week since I had to work and missed the live game, but checking it out last night was certainly worth staying up late.

The first team offense looked good. I was surprised at how good they looked actually, but before I get into that, I just have one thing to say – “False start, everyone but the center.” That was freaking hilarious!

Speaking of false starts and penalties in general, in the first half the Special Teams unit took the cake. First of all, wiping out that 78 yard kickoff return from Austin because of a penalty was just retarded; it’s the kind of mistakes we have got to cut down on. We finished the game with 11 penalties for 107 yards, but the first half, when the starters were playing, special teams had three for 35 yards, the defense had two for 20 yards, and the offense had two for 15 yards.

But it was nice to see our starters come out on offense and literally dominate the Titans defense, that is of course after they got the three and out over with to start the game.

They came back and orchestrated a 16 play drive that spanned 90 yards and netted the first touchdown of the game. The whole time I’m watching I’m thinking about what has changed since last year. It’s not just about the players either; even Jason Garrett was on my mind as I followed each snap.

Last year we all saw that Garrett had issues mixing up the run and pass, sometimes he didn’t do one enough and others he did one too much. That first drive started on the ground with Marion Barber pounding it out, and it was good too because he was gaining solid yards on each run. But once Tony Romo was cut loose the team started moving downfield.

It wasn’t a quick progression though; we didn’t just lob a deep pass into the endzone. Instead they took their time and consumed nearly 10 minutes off the clock. From then on my worries about how the starting offense and defense would do kind of faded away as I waited to see who’d kick the video board first.

By my count, the Cowboys were a little pass heavy the first half. They ran 13 times and threw the ball 19 times. But it was a good mix that kept the Titans defense working. Only on two plays did I see Romo under pressure early, and one of those times he threw the ball away, another time he completed a pass. He still had his dancing feet but the line gave him enough time to set up in the pocket, look over his receivers and pick the open guy.

What’s probably most impressive about that is Romo actually used the pocket when it held up for him. He didn’t at any point just start running around trying to make the play, he waited and let the plays develop, and then shot the ball out like a cannon. We all know he’s got a quick release, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen it that quick.

Another thing we saw that we haven’t seen from Dallas in a couple of years was an even coverage across the field on ball distribution. They didn’t just look left each play. They ran up the middle, to both sides, and threw the same way – there really was no predictability that the Titans could capitalize on.

I did see a couple of things that bothered me in the game, like the special teams either missing tackles, unnecessary penalties like Sensabaugh shoving the guy further out of bounds, or simply dumb choices by returners. Look at Kevin Ogletree’s first return, he was full steam ahead when he ran into the back of his own blocker, the first guy he reached on the field.

And what about Patrick Crayton dropping the punt … good thing he got back on it fast. But in general, the special teams unit allowed a little too much on just about every return by the Titans.

Just two more things for me, first is that Felix Jones is damn fast. You don’t even see him coming. Very elusive and hard to catch from any angle – he will certainly be trouble for any defense we face this year.

And last is Kevin Ogletree, he may have chosen a bad lane on that one return, but he got involved in the passing game late. He was the biggest factor on a late drive and displayed some good hands for his touchdown pass. You might already know that I’m not a big supporter of Isaiah Stanback with his injuries and un-astounding play even when healthy, but now I really think it’s time for him to go.

Our receiving corps should line up like so:

• Roy Williams
• Patrick Crayton
• Sam Hurd
• Miles Austin
• Kevin Ogletree

Too bad I’m not a coach or that’d be a done deal.

And a special mention to Mr. Fourth and Long – I suppose if you’re going to screw up and let a ball bounce off your facemask, it’s best if you at least end up with the ball. Maybe we could avoid letting a defender catch it, even if only for a moment, before actually securing it though. Just a thought.

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Last week, as I looked into my crystal ball, it told me to expect the worse against the Raiders and it was pretty accurate.  This week, my crystal ball is telling me to look for marked improvement, and not just because the starters will be playing the majority of the game; though that is a part of it.

The other part, and I realize I’m setting myself up for some serious mud slinging in my direction, I really don’t think the Titans are as good as everyone seems to think.  Granted, it’s just the preseason, and given the likely vanilla approach to play calling, the Cowboys very well may lose, as far as the scoreboard is concerned.  When I say the Cowboys should do better tonight, I’m not talking about the final score.  I’m talking about the match ups; the individual battles like Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten against their Safeties who give up quite a bit in height both being 6’0″ and LB’s who likely give up quite a bit in speed.  The Titans on their DL will be short Albert Haynesworth and did little to refortify that position against a team who has four running backs all capable of running it between the tackles effectively (I include Keon Lattimore in this assessment based off of his performance last week).  Cortland Finnegan received quite a bit of praise for his 5 picks last year, but if Romo is insync with Roy Williams, Roy’s 6’3″ height should create some serious issues for 5’10″ Cortland.

In other words, if the Cowboys play their game, the Titans shouldn’t get too many opportunities to field punts.  You heard me right:  If the Cowboys actually wanted to win the 1st half, I honestly believe the Titans would not be able to stop the Cowboys from, at least, getting a field goal on every opportunity the Cowboys offense has with the ball.  And you may have noticed I said in an earlier post that the Titans identity was established through defense in 08; but then I looked at their competition, and I got a better idea of how their success story came about in 2008.

The Titans placed 27th in the league in passing and placed 7th in the league in rushing.  Where is the Titans offensive identity?  The run game.   How did their opposition fair as whole a in both aspects of the game?  See the below table.

The first thing that stands out is that the Titans only beat 5 teams with winning records.  The next thing that stands out is the Titans strengths versus their oppositions weaknesses.  For instance, when looking at the 5 wins against opponents that had winning records only (highlighted in blue), since the other 8 wins where games the Titans should have won, note how they ranked in the league and compare to where the Titans ranked.  Also consider the point margins that they won by, which is also important.  From these numbers I’ll let you draw your own conclusion, but in my opinion, the Titans are not the complete package that they are being touted as (because truthfully I just don’t have the time to spell it out).

They are a run first team, which may give the Cowboys trouble, but passing the ball might be pretty difficult against the Cowboys with the secondary at full strength tonight.  On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys are strong at rushing and passing.  But since the Titans in 08 rarely faced teams that were good at doing both, I am predicting they will find it much more difficult to identify what the Cowboys are going to do presnap.  This should play heavily in the Cowboys favor.  If this was a regular season game, I’d predict an upset by a large margin in the Cowboys favor 35 – 13.  But since it a preseason game and the Cowboys primary weakness is depth, I’ll say the Cowboys will put up some serious points of about 24, limiting the Titans to 9, but likely will lose ground in the 2nd half putting up maybe 6 more points and giving up 17 for a final score of Cowboys 30 Titans 26.

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Well it’s here. It’s what we’ve all been waiting for. I know, I know … it’s just the second preseason game, what does it really matter?

Well the first preseason game mattered for a blowout loss, a few sharp comments from coach Phillips about a lack of effort all around, a few players being cut from the roster, and plenty of fodder for a week as we awaited the game tonight.

But more than that, it is the follow up to something that we all basically agreed was a crap-shoot. This team is on the rebound – from last season, from the last regular season game, from the last preseason game, even from the last stadium. It’s an important game because we get to see how, and if, the team has adjusted to overcome the many things that kept them from winning last week.

So yeah, maybe a preseason game is just a preseason game, but we play these games for a reason, and tonight we’ve got a bucket full of reasons to watch. Let’s start with the offense this week.

Offense

Tonight the Cowboys will square off against the Titans. The hype will be around the grand opening of Cowboys Stadium. The offense can expect to see it’s first team play about half the game, and what a game it should be!

What to expect?

Expect … more and more of this dynamic first team offense. Last week they showed us that they can deliver with ease. The Titans defense is pretty solid, but with a combination of Felix Jones, Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, and Miles Austin, they are looking at a serious challenge to stop these ‘Boys.

We should be able to truly grasp what the offense is offering to us now, as we get them in more of rhythm. This is where Jason Garrett will be able to see the way the triple headed running game will react in game time situations, from third and inches and goal line sets to long distance and receiving play choices. This offense is fully equipped to go the distance on any play – Romo will continue to build a report with Williams, and Witten and Romo will continue to dominate.

What to Look for?

First Team Offense – Durability, you want to make sure that this team is conditioned enough to get through games. If players are exhausted their skill set quickly diminishes.

Execution, The NFL playbook is complex, it isn’t just a bunch of dumb jocks running around clueless. You really need to pay attention to the receivers route running, catching, and explosion. Same thing goes for the running backs and Offensive Line. If plays are breaking down and Romo is eating grass you can almost surely blame it on the execution of the rest of the team.

Second and Third Team offense – Chemistry, these units were less than impressive last week at Oakland. If they don’t start producing and playing as a team, the lack of depth will become that much more of an issue. With turnovers the result of poor plays, you can expect that if they continue the way they have that the second team will be a turnover machine.

The Result

The first team offense will hush critics, conquering a top 10 defense. Romo will deliver sharp passes and the running backs will contribute effectively. Expect Roy Williams to have his preseason breakout and Witten to catch on in the end zone….again.

For the second team, same ole same ole – expect inconsistent play from most positions except at receiver where position battles have never been more competitive. Turnovers and ineffective scoring drives are the end of this story though.

Offensive analysis provided by Bryan Martin

Defense

Okay, last week against the Raiders we talked about the three main areas of concern for the Cowboys heading into the season.

• Interior Run Defense
• Secondary
• Ability to Force Turnovers

After the performance last week I think it would be safe to say that those concerns are still there! Granted we didn’t get an extended look at the starters, but what we saw from the 2nd and 3rd string guys definitely gave credence to those concerns.

The Cowboys faced the Raiders with only one first string caliber cornerback (Orlando Scandrick), and while he played well we still do not know how much or how little depth we have at the position.

Before we make a hard line stance on the secondary situation I really think we need to give the young guys a chance over the next couple of preseason games.

The interior run defense against the Raiders was, well let’s see how I can put this… not the most impressive performance I have ever witnessed. After giving up 176 rushing yards to the Raiders we need to see some improvement here this week and from now on or we could be in deep trouble.

Last but not least on our list from last week was the turnover battle, which the Cowboys lost two to zero! This defense MUST begin forcing turnovers!

Okay now that we have kind of glanced over what happened last week let’s preview what we can expect in preseason game 2 against the Tennessee Titans!

Here is this week’s list of things to keep a watchful eye on!

• The Cowboys will get a heavy dose of Chris Johnson and LenDale White (This will be the best opportunity that we have before the season starts to get an accurate feel for the Cowboys run defense).

• Can the Cowboys 3-4 scheme create enough pressure on a solid offensive line to force mistakes from Kerry Collins (Collins has looked very old to me in the Titans preseason games, but he is the epitome of a ball control, mistake free QB, no matter how old he is. The Cowboys should also get the opportunity to chase Vince Young around which could help prepare them for NFC East foe Philly)?

• Does Wade Phillips begin to open the playbook up this week or is he holding back until the real games begin?

Look for the Cowboys starters to get a little more playing time this week, lord knows they need it! Wade Phillips instituted a no tackling policy in camp to help prevent preseason injuries, and boy does it show!

As for the 2nd and 3rd string guys we need to at least begin to see some consistency from these guys. Most of these guys are younger players and have had a lot thrown at them, but the time has come for them to prove that they belong!

Defensive analysis provided by Bags030404

Special Teams

Say what you like about the offensive and defensive collective performance at the Raiders, knee-jerk reaction or not, the Special Teams looked pretty good overall. In particular, my favorite rookie so far, David Buehler impressed me. Buehler was 1 for 3 on touchbacks, a statistic that sadly already surpasses Nick Folk’s stats from last year where he had 0 touchbacks. The other two were still, at least, beyond the 10 yard line. In addition, he also had two tackles on punt and kickoff coverage. That’s not a stat you see compiled amongst kickers very often. In fact, I’d go as far as to say already that he is the most intriguing kick off specialist in the history of football. Obviously, we haven’t seen enough of him to call him the most complete, but given the right amount of grooming, he really could grant the Cowboys quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to choosing their 53 man roster. He can do it all. But enough of the gratuitous bromancing; on to the Titans game.

Keeping this as short and sweet as possible, I will suffice to say I don’t really think with as dominant as the Titans can be in various aspects of the game, Special Teams should be a concern for any Dallas Cowboys unit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not underestimating them, but if there is any aspect of the game I am confident the Cowboys can win, it’s the field position battles. See for yourself:

The Titans actually have two punters currently competing for the job and both still rank in the bottom 20 as far as average distance of punts are concerned; Craig Hentrich averages 43 and A.J. Trapasso has averaged 39.4. To get an idea of how poor that is consider number 3 ranked Mat McBriar who, coming off a season ending injury, averaged 51.8 per punt over the course of 5 punts. For further perspective, keep in mind that DeCamillis has requested that Mat place more emphasis on flight time, not distance.

Rob Bironas ranks 9th in the league for average distance, with only 1 touchback out of 8 kick off attempts. Buehler is right behind him in 10th place, but with 1 touchback out of 3 tries.

Ryan Mouton, a 3rd round rookie out of Hawaii so far has handled half of the kick returns for the Titans. Interestingly enough, he is actually at the bottom of the stats sheet (ranked 50th) with average return yards of 19.3 per kick off. Whether or not that’s a result of poor blocking or poor decision making on Ryan’s part remains to be seen, but according to his draft analysis, he is supposed to be a phenomenal return man with 4.3 speed. Ideally, we could forgo finding out with Buehler kicking touchbacks throughout the game. But chances are we will see what has the Titans rubbing their hands together ala Charles Montgomery Burns. Jason McCourty, per the team’s website, has handled the other 3 kick offs but he has only average 16 yards per return and doesn’t even register on nfl.com’s stat sheet.

Meanwhile, back in Dallas we have two receivers fighting to make the final 53 man roster who have game changer ability. Granted, Stanback’s first showing was not stellar, but considering he was the first Cowboys player to touch a ball in a game situation this season, I’ll write off that first mishandling to riled up nerves. He ranks 40th when you consider the 16 yard return he had to open up the game against the Raiders, but jumps up to 20th without it. Kevin Ogletree, out of the 50 kick returners, actually ranked 8th in the league, averaging 28.7 yards per return.

According to the Titans stat sheet, punt returns have been shared between Chris Davis (3 returns averaging 5.7 per return), Ryan Mouton (3 returns averaging 7 yards per return), and Tuff Harris (1 return averaging 5.4). Punt returner might not be as a big of a question as who backs up Jay Ratliff, the OL, or who starts opposite Terence Newman, but it has been a question.

The funny thing is, so far the Cowboys have only had two opportunities to field punts, both taken by Willie Reid, one of which was bobbled and resulted in him having to fall on it. Still, you would expect him to average more than 1 yard per return and do better than 2 yards which was his longest return. I don’t know if the Cowboys intend to continue trying to use him in the preseason, but I doubt he makes the final 53. That said, the Cowboys have other options in this area, and given Reid’s performance against the Raiders, I’d imagine we will get to see them come Friday night.

What to look for:

• More touchbacks and special teams tackles from Buehler.

• Has Folk lost his edge? He missed his first and only field goal attempt. After that, Buehler took over and was 1 for 1. There is still very little chance the Cowboys decide to cut Folk, but it does make things more interesting that Folk made this a question to begin with.

• Coverage on both the punt and kickoff teams was much improved from last year; it shouldn’t be too difficult for the Cowboys to continue that trend against the Titans but, I’ll be watching for it just the same.

• Again, who is going to be the Special Teams leader? My vote is still Buehler, as crazy as it may sound.

Special Teams analysis provided by Jonathan

- Don’t forget about the chat either, it’ll be open all day Friday for anyone to chat.

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Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Roundup. This week I had the opportunity to speak with Jimmy from Music City Miracles the top rated Tennessee Titans blog, and discuss this week’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans.

We exchanged five questions with each other, and below you will find what Music City Miracles had to say in response to our questions. Then switch over there to see what we had to say to their questions.

(1)   In the Off Season the Titans were not able to retain the services of Albert (I like to stomp on peoples heads) Haynesworth. How will his departure change the dynamics of the team and more so the defense in particular?

It won’t change things as much as people think.  The Titans were already heavily using a rotation at the defensive tackle spot and will continue to do so.  They obviously do not have a guy as talented as Haynesworth in that rotation, and you could argue that no one else in the NFL does either, but they think they can replace the production with the guys they have.

(2)   I have never really “gotten up” for a Pre Season game, but many Cowboy followers including myself believe that this game means a ton as far as the development of the team. What is the overall feel of the Titan fanbase towards this game?

It is a preseason game.  The Vince Young people are hoping he gets some time with the first team, but other than that it will just be another preseason game.

(3)   I keep hearing that the Titans want Vince Young to become a better passer and not rely on his legs so much, but then when he gets in to play the plays selected for him seem to be primarily boot legs, and option plays, do the Titans have a plan for him? Or are they simply going through the motions until they can release him?

The plays called for him are not primarily boot legs and option plays.  Do they run more of that stuff with him than Collins? Sure, but there is an obvious reason for that.I can assure they are not just going through the motions until they release him.  They honestly feel that they have a team capable of winning the Super Bowl, and they are one injury to a 36 year old quarterback away from counting on VY.  It would be dumb to give up on him considering how small the window is for winning a championship in this league.

(4)   Who are some of the Titans that Cowboy fans should keep an eye on in this game?

The Titans have a very talented rookie class that is headlined by first round wide receiver Kenny Britt, third round tight end Jared Cook, and fifth round running back Javon Ringer.  All 3 of those guys have made big plays in camp and games so far.

(5)   Last year the Cowboys were given a ticket to the Super Bowl before the season ever started and we all know how that worked out! The Titans however were somewhat of a surprise. Can the Titans pick up where they left off last year to make another push for the trophy? And if they can what aspect of their game is going to allow them to do so?

I honestly believe they can.  Jeff Fisher knows what it takes to get these guys back to the level they played at last season.

I also believe the offense will be a lot more potent this season with the editions of Nate Washington, Britt, Cook and a drastically slimmed down LenDale White.  This should be more than enough to compensate for the loss of Albert.

Bonus: All of us here at Dallas Cowboys Nation would like to send our thoughts and prayers to the McNair family and the Tennessee Titans and all of their fans for the loss of Steve McNair.

Once again a big thank you to Jimmy and the guys over at Music City Miracles, and be sure you all head over there to see our answers and leave them some good natured comments, and keep it clean folks!

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This response to the Cowboy’s vs. Raider’s game is a little late because my son was sick the Friday following the game up until Monday of this week.  Better late than never…

Call it ESP(N),but I had a premonition about Thursday night, as noted a few articles down in” Expect the worse when the Cowboy’s meet the Raider’s tonight.”  I prepared myself for the worse in view of one concept that I think tend’s to be overlooked by the average fan:  An offensive or defensive unit is only as strong as it’s weakest member.  If you consider the “youth movement” that has absorbed the majority of the attention concerning the Cowboy’s, there are quite a few player’s out there still learning their positions, which mean’s regardless of how fast they can run the 40, their mental speed is still going to be relatively slow.

Here are just a few quick observation’s from the glass half-full perspective:

1:  In an effort to keep this team healthy, Wade has prohibited tackling throughout training camp.  Therefore, missed tackles are going to happen at this stage in the process.

2:  Newman, Jenkins and Hawkins were all hurt, which represent the 1st, 2nd/3rd, and 4th Corner’s on the depth chart.  Hawkins was recently cut, so the Cowboy’s are placing quite a bit of faith in Mickens and Brown to turn the corner, so-to-speak.

3:  Should a 2nd teamer be forced into action in the regular season, he’ll be surrounded by 1st teamer’s, not more 2nd teamer’s.  That’s a huge difference to consider.

4:  If anything, the Raider’s are fast.  Al Davis covet’s speed over all attributes a player can have.  Judging angles on a team filled with speedster is not typically an ability younger defensive player’s playing in a new position are going to do well at this point.

5:  I’d prefer my rookies to be overly-aggressive in the preseason than invisible.  Victor Butler, despite his many instances of over-pursuit, still looked decent for a player in a stand up role vs. his three-down technique in college.

6:  Play calling is generally extremely vanilla during the pre-season.  I’m sure many of you may have noticed the running game being relied on quite a bit, especially in the closing minutes of the game.  If anything, that should have served as a reminder that the coaching staff was not trying to win the game.

7:  How about that starting unit?  Granted, the first series wasn’t pretty for either unit, defense or offense.  But the offense made up for it with their second chance, moving down the field, Romo getting the ball into the hand’s of a variety of different weapons to score and take the lead.  Despite a few debilitating penalties, the starting defensive unit was able to limit the Raider’s to a field goal, and that being very short-handed in the secondary.  As previously stated, it’s too early to judge the second and third unit’s considering the youth; but if they are still a turnstile come the fourth game of preseason, concerns will be warranted.

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Just a little video recap of last nights game – there were some good things happening at the start, which is good to see. Now we just need some more of it.

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Hey guys just wanna give you something tasteful to read as you enjoy the beginning of football season. The media keeps saying don’t expect to see much but you know what it’s football so SCREW YOU MEDIA. Just knowing my boys are on the field, that’s enough to me, so take your 6 figure salaries and SHOVE THEM! Now here are the things on my mind.

- Michael Vick just signed a 2 year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles… If you’re worried about this, you’re crazy. Expect it to take some serious time to pick up the game speed and knowledge as well as the mechanics. Just another issue to add to the demise of the injured birds.

- I was listening to 105.3 the fan the other day and they were discussing the toughest guy on the field. Most of the consensus said Jay Ratliff or Marc Columbo…we’ll you oversized loving radio hosts who have a better job then I do, I think your wrong! You want to know who the toughest guy on the Cowboys is? I’ll give you 2 Joe Decamillis or Jason Witten.

- Lastly, I just want you guys to know my take on the wide receiver situation. If Sam Hurd doesn’t get a fair chance to be the 2 receiver then something is wrong. He has shown speed and ability, making fantastic catch after fantastic catch. More often then not he’s out performing Austin and Crayton. Be fair Coach…Be fair!

That’s a look into my brain tonight, game night, and lets do one last thing….everyone take a deep breath, pray to god, that no one gets freaking injured tonight!

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I know, I know, I know.  You are probably hoping this game will be the cold smooth tasting beer that chases that bitter cold shot that was 44 to 6 at the hands of the Eagles out of your mouth.  But the truth is, especially if Tuesday’s practice was any indication, tonight very well may get ugly.  But for all of you who felt that Wade was soft in past camps, that aforementioned ugly is largely the result of him listening to your pleas for more intensity.  These guy’s are tired.  They are sore.  The rookies brains likely feel as though they are going to explode.  Chances are this will be a game filled with mental errors, misreads, bad timing, and poor execution.  Now, I’m not certain on that point, but it would be a mistake to expect otherwise.

But just because it’s probably going to be ugly, doesn’t mean there won’t be anything worthy of watching.  Rather than looking for a great team effort, look for great individual efforts.  That’s what Wade will be looking for.  Watch for those guy’s who realize their chances to shine are limited and give this game everything they got, regardless of how little the win actually means.  Watch for those guys competing for the last spot of their perspective position.  There are more battles in this camp than there has been in a long time with the Cowboy’s which should generate some fervency from specific players and yield some pretty good results of players who, at least, reach benchwarmer status.  Which is exactly what the Cowboy’s organization had in mind when they forgoed the temptation to trade up for specific players and actually drafted 12 rookies.

My main concern for tonight is the over-reaction we are likely to see tomorrow if thing’s don’t happen the way we need them to in the regular season.  Don’t be an idiot and lament the miscues of Romo and Roy Williams.  The fact that Roy will likely be shadowed by the highest paid CB in the business, Nnamdi Asomugha, may contribute to their lack of connections.  Don’t crucify the rookie LB’s who all are converting from different positions played in college.  Take it easy on the rookie QB who spent the vast majority of his career handing the ball off.  And let’s definitely not jump off the nearest bridge, should DeCamallis Dallas Cowboy’s debut as special team’s coach, fall flat because rookies bite on the temptation to move out of their lanes to go directly after the returning ball carrier.

This football team is a work in progress.  You wouldn’t judge an artist by a painting 1/4 of the way finished.  You wouldn’t judge an author by a book’s rough draft.  You wouldn’t judge a president by his first year in office.  So, please, don’t judge these Cowboy’s by their first game in preseason.

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The 2009 NFL season is just around the corner now. We’re four games away from the first regular season game – but that doesn’t mean we don’t still have some football to look at this month. The Titans and Bill got the preseason started and in a pleasing way I might add, but the Dallas Cowboys start this Thursday night against Oakland, in Oakland.

Millions are watching to see what the Cowboys are going to do this season. Not only because Terrell Owens was cut, not only because of how badly they lost to the Eagles in the 2008 regular season finale, and not only because our injury prone team is seeming just that, injury prone – and it’s still before their first preseason game.

Training camp injuries for us are like pads and helmets – don’t step on the field without ‘em. That’s how it’s been going since Felix Jones first went down last year, and he wasn’t even the first injury of the year. Terence Newman was the first last year, and he was either first or a damn close second this year too, with Mike Jenkins possibly edging him out on that one. Their injuries aren’t supposed to be serious, but our DB core will be missing both of its starting corners for this weeks game and why shouldn’t they sit out? After last year, I don’t think there is a man in this organization that doesn’t think long and hard about playing a hurt guy.

But there’s still so much more to it – the first preseason game – so I’ve got my fellow fans here to help me break it all down for you, one unit at a time. First up?

Read the rest of this entry »

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The Dallas Cowboys are soon headed to start their preseason against the Raiders, and to get us ready for the first game of 2009, we’ve put together a quick Q&A with Silver and Black Forever. It’s what we like to call our Weekly Roundup!

Silver and Black Forever also sent some questions to us about the Cowboys – you can view our answers to their questions by going to Dallas vs. Oakland.

1. Do you have a preseason prediction on how the Raiders season will end up?

My general sense is that the Raiders will improve upon last seasons’ 5 win total and field a much more competitive team overall than in 2008. Although the Raiders have a very difficult schedule facing off against such playoff caliber teams like the Chargers, Steelers, Ravens, Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants, I predict the Raiders will end the season at 8-8, 2nd place in the AFC West, and out of the playoffs.

I am hopeful that the Raiders win more than 8 games this year but the core players on offense are still in the developmental stage of their careers and Head Coach Cable is still trying to gain traction. The difference between a small incremental gain in victories and a big leap will be the improvement of JaMarcus Russell, the run defense, and passing attack.

2. Is it true that Al Davis sleeps in a casket?

Very funny Cowboy Nation! No, it is categorically false although Davis is known for being a late night person or nocturnal owl.

3. What happened to Darren McFadden? Is he just struggling with the NFL game, or did we really get the best running back from Arkansas last year?

Unfortunately Darren McFadden suffered a severe turf toe injury in the 2nd game of last season vs. KC and was never completely 100% healthy or able to get into a rhythm for the vast majority of the season. My projections for McFadden this year are 1,800 yards total from scrimmage (run + reception yardage) and 10 TDs. And no, you didn’t get the best RB from Arkansas last year. McFadden is on the cusp of super stardom.

4. Darrius Heyward-Bey? Really??? What the heck happened there?

The Raiders drafted the best available WR that fit their system. As you probably know, the Raiders put a premium on speed and the ability to stretch the field with the vertical offense. DHB was the fastest player at the combine and came from a pro style offense at Maryland. WRs that came from a spread offense like (Crabtree or Maclin or Harvin) were not looked upon as a good fit for the Raiders offense. My personal preference for our #7 pick would have been LT Monroe or DT Raji.

5. Do Raiders fans have something to look forward too this year, or is this season going to be a struggle?

I’m quite certain that this season will have it’s peaks and valleys. The Raider fans have a lot to look forward to in 2009. There is a sense in Raider Nation that Tom Cable is the right guy, at the right time to work in harmony with Al Davis. Stability at Head Coach and a core of very exciting, talented young players such as Russell, McFadden, Bush, Schillens beings hope. In addition, the way that the Raiders concluded their 2008 campaign on a positive note with wins vs. Houston and Tampa Bay showed the promise of a better future.

We want to extend our thanks to Silver and Black Forever for participating in this week’s edition of Weekly Roundup, and wish them luck as they face off against a much better team!

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