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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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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So I hear there’s a bit of a situation as we head into the final week of the regular season. Apparently there are still quite a few things left for the Cowboys to play for. The scenarios go on forever really, but the playoff picture has a lot of clarity, surprisingly, in the NFC.

The Cowboys host the Eagles next Sunday and while they have already made the playoffs, both teams, there is still the small matter of who takes the NFC East Championship to contend for. Because the Cowboys defeated the Eagles in the first meeting this year, they own the head-to-head tie breaker. If the Cowboys win they’d be tied at 11 wins with the Eagles, but we’d take the NFC East title.

But that’s not all we’re playing for though. There is an outside chance that we could get a first round bye if we get some help from around the conference. It shakes out like this:

If the Vikings and Cardinals lose next week, and the Vikings lose tonight, then the winner of next weeks Cowboys-Eagles game will take the number two seed in the NFC behind the Saints.

It’s a long shot, but considering that if it doesn’t happen that way we’ll have to face the Eagles two weeks in a row, it’s something to hope for. There’s also home field advantage to play for.

Aside from that though, the NFC has been locked up already. Here are the NFC teams in the playoffs.

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Dallas Cowboys

Let’s hope for some luck this week and next so that the Cardinals and Vikings don’t win another game.

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After pitching a shutout at FedEx Field on Sunday night, what could we really have to complain about? These Cowboys secured a playoff spot, even if only a wildcard, they continued to play with some dominance in December, and they have a shot at winning the division next week in Arlington against Philly, if not a first round bye depending on how the Vikings and Cardinals play next week.

It’s a wonderful life, right?

Never mind Roy Williams dropping another pass. Or that spectacular drop sending the ball flying into the hands of a defender for the pick. He did catch a touchdown pass, so he’s vindicated, right? Right?

How about the repeated attempts to gain a single yard with Barber on the ground, we can just ignore that since the team won and got in the postseason, right?

See this is the problem with winning a game, even if certain major flaws were highlighted during this game, and they were, because they got the W nobody will say anything about it, and likely won’t do anything about it.

I get into this argument often with a fellow Cowboys fan – is Marion Barber worth what we put up for him? I think Barber is a great running back and all, but if we (ahem … Jason Garrett) continue to use him wrong, we’ll suffer as a team in the long run. That score very easily should have been 28-0 if not for the two stalls thanks to Barber running right into a wall that he, nor anyone else, could penetrate.

But hey, at least this way we got some confidence in Shaun Suisham. He wouldn’t have attempted a single field goal if not for one of those Barber stalls.

I mean I was sitting there watching them come to the line repeating quickly out loud “don’t run Barber.” And low and behold, it didn’t work. They ran Barber and failed to get the yards needed. That’s a problem.

Jason Garrett has been doing this since he got here though. First he was so stuck on Terrell Owens and getting him the ball, and now he’s stuck on making Barber into something that’s he’s not – a feature back. Read the rest of this entry »

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As one of my co-writers wrote recently, the Cowboys caught a lucky break by watching all three of their NFC East foes lose while they say comfortably at home during a bye week, but they are still far behind the competition as things stand now.

Overall the Cowboys have yet to show that they deserve to be in the playoffs this year. Their play, while it has had some flare at different points so far this season, hasn’t exactly been something other teams might look at in awe. It’s left me feeling a bit uneasy actually. Normally I’d go to work and talk smack with my manager, who is a Dolphins fan for some ungodly reason, but lately I’ve been a little timid to speak up that this is the year for my beloved ‘Boys.

Next week we invite the Falcons to Cowboys Stadium for a game that really has no initial hope for a blowout in either direction, but it certainly has the potential for one. The Cowboys offense has been hit or miss, while the defense has been mostly miss.

From sacks to coverage and basic tackling, the Cowboys have looked unprepared and unwilling when it comes to wrapping up the ball carrier in the open field. DeMarcus Ware didn’t even get a sack until week 5 … who would have ever predicted that?

The new formation we were told about during camp has been all it was promised to be – simple. It’s called the 12 formation it simply means 1 running back and 2 tight ends. But we’ve yet to really see any opportunities for Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten’s production has been down as well, though he has been just as clutch as we’ve come to love him for being.

Even Roy Williams hasn’t been as bad as many thought he would be, though we can’t really praise him either. Against Kansas City, a team we should have beaten quite easily, we struggled at times in every area. In fact it really had to come down to an overtime victory because we didn’t take advantage of the opportunities earlier in the game to wrap it up for a decided victory. The end fit our performance.

But the only bright spot in that game was Miles Austin and his breakout performance, but it still had enough flaws to keep it from being anything more than a good game on his part.

He dropped easily catchable touchdown passes again and again.

His speed was nice, and his ability to stay on his feet after the first hit was nice as well, but his hands need work. Maybe it was jitters since his hands seemed to get better the more plays he made.

But who’s to really know if his great game was the result of hard work and talent or just the lackluster ability of the Chiefs defense to contain him – only time will tell.

As we invite the Falcons home to Cowboys Stadium this coming weekend it’s an obvious concern that these Cowboys will once again be inconsistent. Should a game between these two teams really be as close and hard fought as I expect it will be?

I mean this game could be a blowout, and either team could be the one blown out. It has every bit of that potential and it worries me, as it should you.

But at this point in the year, six weeks down, these Cowboys should be doing better than just 3-2, a mere score away from being 2-3. They have the talent, the skill and experience to be a 5-0 team right now, but have failed to stay consistent and passionate and have made far too many mistakes. The penalties are obviously something that hasn’t changed over these last few years, and ole Flozell is still leading them all in that category, but there is no reason that this team should be so undisciplined.

I’m worried about Sunday, this one and the next and every one after that if this team doesn’t get on track right away.

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This marks the beginning of a highly controversial and highly opinionated series. We have deeply analyzed the 2009 Dallas Cowboys Schedule and will target those teams that have the potential of giving us problems. Today we start with those crazy New York Football Giants.

The Giants will immediately come to town in Week 2, as the Cowboys open the new stadium. Here is the outlook:

Key Offseason Additions:

DE Chris Canty from Dallas.

OLB Michael Boley from Atlanta.

DT Rock Bernard from Seattle.

DB C.C. Brown from Houston.

Key Offseason Subtractions:

RB Derrick Ward

WR Plaxico Burress

CB R.W. McQuarters

CB Sam Madison

S Sammy Knight

Key Draft Picks:

WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina- Nicks is a potential game-breaker, whose known for making spectacular catches

OLB Clint Sintim- A great linebacker with good size, should start opposite Boley. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s a tradition for Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles fans to debate year after year which team will suck and which will claim the NFC East Throne. This year DCNation has partnered with Bleed Green to debate the subject and try to determine exactly who has all the answers. Cowboys fans know just what’s happening at Vally Ranch though.

Kyle Flip has given a good argument to the debate, here’s an excerpt:

The 2009 season has the potential to be an Eagles season we will never forget. With their new found passing game, and the emergence of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles have grown into a lethal pass team. In 2009, the passing game will only get better. Rookie Jeremy Maclin will utilize his quickness and agility to outrun the secondary, while veteran wideout Kevin Curtis will look to improve upon his injury plagued 2008 season. The Eagles have dumped tight end L.J Smith, who never lived up to all the hype surrounding him, and now Brent Celek will take over after Smith’s departure. Looking at the Eagles matchups with the Cowboy’s secondary, the Eagles’ wideouts have the favorable advantage. Besides Terence Newman, the Cowboys are stuck with Orlando Scandrick, Mike Mickens, and Mike Jenkins. Right there, the Eagles already have the advantage.

It’s a nice effort and you can’t really blame them for hoping but after a three mistake season for Mike Jenkins and zero mistake season for Orlando Scandrick it’s a little nuts to point them out as weak spots on this defense. Then again, with such a monster that we have DeMarcus Ware even a good player can be weakness next to him.

Here’s a piece of our side of the debate:

In 2009 we’ve got a healthy team, a much more capable safety than Roy Williams, and were light one pain in the ass receiver – something I know you guys can understand exactly. We’re focused, young, and energetic with enough experience to keep us plowing ahead for another 13-3 season.

The Eagles have too many rookie wide outs to field McNabb’s crooked passes, and they can’t cover the pass much better without the proven leadership ability of departed veteran Brian Dawkins.

Check out the full debate at Bleed Green Forever on Blogspot – The Great Debate: Part 1 and stay tuned to Bleed Green as they continue with parts 2 and 3 against the Redskins and Giants.

Also, don’t forget to check out our feature on MVN for the 2009 Dallas Cowboys Season Preview. Leave a comment over there and show us some love.

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For the past couple of years I believe the cowboys have been plagued by hype.  So many people spoke of the talent that surrounded this team, and how they were destined to win, only to find themselves wrong.  As we jump head first into the last half of the offseason we see that the cowboys aren’t the team that everyone believes to win the Super Bowl, the NFC, or even the division… And I say this is good news!

With the addition of Jason Peters, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin the eagles are predicted to be a dominant offense in the NFL this year, some people believe top 5.  This stat alone is causing people to rank the eagles in the top 5 of power rankings and to list them as the NFC East Champion.  However, there are way to many factors in this one, you are basing this projections solely on the fact that Westbrook will perform at a good level, and McNabb will be dependable.

The Giants are now the team to beat on paper, they really don’t’ have many holes, and as long as Brandon Jacobs is in the backfield you have to believe that they’ll rushing attack will be able to produce solid numbers.  They have replaced the receiver need with Hakeem Nicks and Eli Manning is poised for a good season, however, the giants have one problem to me, and that is being clutch.  The Giants deliver but they never seem to deliver when it’s needed the most.

Lastly, the Redskins who are in no shape a projected threat to the ‘Boys have upgraded with Haynesworth, but are still a bit of a mess when it comes to Quarterback, but they do have promise at receiver.  Too many questions here through.

Now for the ‘Boys, Ranked number 13 on ESPN’s pre-pre season power rankings, they have been plagued with criticism, from Romo and Williams to the Coaching Staff.  Amidst all that, I do believe the Cowboys are poised for a big season only because the distractions are gone, and I’m not only speaking about T.O. and Ellis, or Pacman Jones, but I am simply speaking of the over developed, premature, egotistical mindset that has been placed on players seasons before.  Now they are not expected to win, which allows for more focus and practice.

My prediction is that the Cowboys make a statement this season and do very well, led by a Roy Williams who also proves his worth, and a defense that can control the field.  As for the cowboys, they aren’t the favorite anymore… and that’s a good thing!

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