The Cowboys passing offense can be the best in the NFL. With a receiving core of Miles Austin who had 81 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns in only 9 starts, and Roy Williams who had seven touchdowns and is looking for a bounce back year; Dez Bryant the Cowboys first round pick is turning heads at camp.

Most feel he can be a big time player right away.

All pro Jason Witten, who is coming off another pro bowl season, will look to keep adding to his hall of fame resume. Throwing to that group will be pro bowl quarterback Tony Romo, coming off one of his best seasons.

Saying all that, the most important part of the Cowboys offense is the running game.

The Cowboys have a three headed monster at running back with Felix Jones, Marion Barber III and Tashard Choice. All of them have their own role on offense and can make plays. The problem is Jason Garrett loves to focus on the passing game with all of those weapons.

How can you blame him? It’s hard not to call a passing play every down with that type of talent on the edge. However, if you want to win games the Cowboys are going to have to run the ball. When you look back at 2009 you can see that when the Cowboys run the ball, they win more often than not.

Not only that but when Jason Garrett gets too pass heavy they lose.

Last season the Cowboys never won a game when Tony Romo threw more than 36 passes. In five 2009 Cowboys losses, Tony Romo threw and average of 40 times. The Cowboys lose when they throw too much. On the other hand, nine of the Cowboys wins this past season they ran the ball more than 25 times. And vs. the Raiders they had 24. The Cowboys don’t have to run the ball well all the time they just have to make sure they try. Last season when they played the Giants in December they ran the ball only nine times in the second half. On one possession they had three running plays and that drive ended in a touchdown.

It is great to have weapons on the outside, however, the statistics show that if the Cowboys want to win games they need to run the ball and not just air it out.

2009 Season Stats

Popularity: 6%

It’s a little sobering you know?  Seeing that team your team beat win the world championship.

Cowboys fans everywhere are reeling and there is nothing we can do about it.  A new season is upon us and it starts with an offseason that will be fairly quiet around Dallas Cowboys Nation.  There is one question, though, that needs answering and many people want it to be answered soon.

Will the Cowboys be playing at home in the 2011 Super Bowl?

I think the answer is maybe.

They have the talent, athleticism, and coaching.  They have the leadership and skill.  They do not have a coosh schedule, so if they do make it, you certainly better believe they deserved it.

There are many questions but I can promise you this—Tony Romo will be prepared for next season. His career year in ’09 proves that to all the critics.  Is he elite? Probably not yet, but he has the potential to be.

DeMarcus Ware will help make sure this defense is at its best next year.  Lastly, I promise that Jerry Jones will make sure this is a team capable of winning a championship.

That’s right, I said it. Jerry Jones is the key to this whole thing.

If he keeps the locker room cohesiveness that he doesn’t even believe in, if he trusts the leaders he paid, and the coaches he appointed, Dallas will be playing in next years championship game.

With Donovan McNabb in limbo, the Saints loosing a lot of players, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre gone, and Green Bay remaining inconsistent, the possibilities are endless with this talented Dallas Team.

Vegas odds are 15-2 for—you think they’ll make it? I do.

Popularity: 4%

There are few areas of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys that can be depicted as being “soft”, but there is one area in particular that is of great concern, moving forward. The offensive line of the Cowboys must be better next year in order for this team to continue to progress.

Last Sunday in Minnesota, Tony Romo spent the majority of the afternoon running for his life, and the rest of the day on his back. To put it mildly the Cowboys offensive line played miserably in every way.

The players would probably say they just had a bad day, and they would be wrong. Marc Colombo, Doug Free, Andre Gurode, Kyle Kosier, and Leonard Davis were outplayed, out worked, and just downright beaten.

I’ve heard fans discussing their displeasure with the play calling of Jason Garrett, and specifically his supposed fascination with the delayed runs. Jason Garrett fell in love with that type of running play for only one reason—it was/is the best way he could think of to disguise the Cowboys’ problems along the line.

For being one of the largest lines in the league this line plays extremely soft and lacks a nasty streak.

Marc Colombo was supposed to be a big lift for this unit, if for no other reason than his nasty streak. Unfortunately, for everyone involved, that did not happen. Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards (a solid DE, but far from being All Pro) repeatedly blew past Colombo like he was a street walker begging for change. And let’s be honest, as well as Doug Free played in his absence, he would have no chance against Jared Allen.

The Cowboys tried to slow the bleeding by keeping extra blockers in—the Vikings just pinned their ears back and attacked the soft interior of the Dallas line.

The Cowboys have some work to do here, and that work is going to start with upgrading the tackle position.

Flozell Adams has been one of the best left tackles in the game for a long time, but his best years are far behind him. The time is now to find his successor.

Marc Colombo has been great for the Cowboys (outside of last week in Minnesota) but his spot will be heavily evaluated by the coaching staff.

Last year Dallas drafted Robert Brewster with the hope that he could come in and eventually take over one of those tackle spots. However, Brewster went down early with an injury and never played a snap in 2009.

The Offensive line will most assuredly be addressed in this year’s draft. But just who are the most viable players?

Let’s take a look…

Russell Okung – Senior Tackle from Oklahoma State 6’5″ 300 lbs.

Graded by many as the best Tackle in this year’s draft, some throughout this year even said that he may have a shot at being the first overall selection. While he was not the starter at the beginning of his freshman season at OSU, by game 6 of that year he was and he never looked back. Okung is an athletic tackle with quick feet. He’s able to handle the edge-speed rushers, yet still strong enough to handle the bull rush. Coming from the pass happy Big 12 afforded him the opportunities to hone his pass protection skills, but don’t think for a second that he’s a one-trick-pony.

He is an excellent run blocking tackle and his agility and quickness allow him to get out in front and open huge holes.

Russell will be long gone by the time the Cowboys make their first selection as it stands now, but if management feels that they need to replace Flo quickly, this would be the guy to move up in the draft for.

Anthony Davis – Junior Tackle from Rutgers 6’6″ 325 lbs.

Anthony Davis is one of the top offensive linemen in the nation, and before that he was one of the top prep offensive linemen in the nation, and odds are very good that he will be a top offensive lineman in the NFL.

Davis has been a man among boys in the Big East conference.

As a sophomore in 2008 he was second team all conference. As a freshman he was a First Team Freshman All America at Rutgers.

Anthony Davis is the Prototypical NFL Left Tackle—he is big, strong, agile, and moves extremely well for a big man. Davis will likely be on the board in the vicinity of where Dallas selects in the first round, and if he is there, Dallas would have a very difficult time letting him get away.

Bryan Bulaga – Junior Tackle from Iowa 6’6″ 312 lbs.

Bryan Bulaga is just another outstanding offensive lineman to come out of Lineman U. (Iowa).  Bryan began his collegiate career as a Guard and he started five games at that spot as a freshman.

The following spring he became the starting left tackle at Iowa, where he has remained the last two years.

Bulaga is big and has exceptionally quick feet for his size. He has very long arms which he uses superbly to run speed-rusher’s right of the play. While he is not as strong as a Joe Thomas or Jake Long, he’s still very young and has the body to accommodate some added bulk. Bulaga is an excellent pass blocker—his main priority will be to focus on his run blocking. As with Anthony Davis, he will be in the Cowboys area code and it’ll be hard to pass him by.

Trent Williams – Senior Tackle from Oklahoma 6’5″ 318 lbs.

Trent Williams is a very large human being. He has all the physical attributes that one would look for in a Left Tackle. Trent started his career at Oklahoma as a right Tackle, and was only just moved to left tackle before the 2009 season. He’s a very solid Tackle but in my opinion he’s an underachiever.

This was the year he was supposed to be a dominant force for Oklahoma, but if any of you watched any Sooner games this year what you saw was an extremely porous line, and it was Trent Williams leading the charge.

Trent Williams will more than likely be drafted among the first four or five linemen taken, and will more than likely never make any kind of contribution. Please Dallas, stay away.

Charles Brown – Senior Tackle from USC 6’5″ 290 lbs.

Charles Brown is yet another athletic lineman to emerge from USC.

While at USC he played as a “light” tackle (light as far as NFL standards go) but he has the frame to accommodate some extra bulk without it affecting his athleticism. He’s very fast and agile coming out of his stance, and has above average mobility, body control, balance, and change of direction skills.

His major flaw, however, is his lack of physicality, power, and mass.

He struggles with holding his ground against the bull rusher. Brown has a ton of upside and could step right in and perform well in pass protection. But it will take time, bulk, and strength to improve his run blocking. He could be a very nice 2nd or 3rd round selection for Dallas.

Bruce Campbell – Senior Tackle from Maryland 6’7″ 310 lbs.

Campbell has all the tools—length, athleticism, size, and good footwork—to be an exceptional tackle in the NFL.

He sets up quickly, is able to correct and recover, gets to the second level, and is exceptional in space.

As a run blocker he seals very well and get this folks, he is the perfect tackle fit for a team that likes to run screens and delayed runs! However, where there is good there is always bad. Campbell is still pretty raw. Yes, he is an elite pass blocker, but his run blocking needs quite a bit of work.

He’s just not aggressive enough in the run game.

He sometimes gets lazy with his technique and has been known to lose the leverage battle. There were a few times at Maryland that he appeared to have a case of the don’t want to’s but that team was awful and he was young. But he’ll have to prove his dedication. This guy is the wild card of the bunch, he could be a top 20 pick or he could fall to the 3rd or 4th round.

Popularity: 20%

The 2009-2010 season is behind us now.  That being said we have a lot to reflect on.  Wins and losses have welcomed us with open arms and now we are already in gear to prepare for our next season.  (Let it be known Dallas Cowboys Nation will not take a break on any day out of this offseason)

So as we continue to reflect we question why we aren’t playing anymore.  We blame and point fingers but gosh, there were a lot of positives this year.  So I thought I’d slip an anti depressant into your day to help you from jabbing a pencil through your eye at work tomorrow.

Here are the things to look forward to in 2010:

Eagles Vs Cowboys: Has this rivalry emerged as the Cowboys most intense and hated or what?  Not to mention what DeSean Jackson and the Playoffs have done to it.  This is going to be flat out exciting next year as these two powerhouses collide twice next year again.

Tony Romo and Miles Austin: Talk about the emergence of two undrafted stars.  Given that Romo is in his 7^th season it’s really his fourth as a starter.  These two have really developed chemistry this year and they are going to continue to be explosive.  Tony Romo had his best season to date and Miles Austin is only going to help that get better.

Felix Jones: I firmly believe that Felix is the number one running back on this team.  Every time he touches the ball I feel like he’s going to either get a first down or a touchdown.  He is a flat out game changer and I’m excited to witness his impact next year.

Doomsday Defense: This season has been a coming out party for some of our defenders.  DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff proved that they belong with the elite.  Igor Olshansky, Mike Jenkins, and Anthony Spencer proved that they are going to be among the elite.  The balance of speed and toughness in this defense is perfect and it’s a recipe for disaster.

As you can see there is a lot to look forward too in this Dallas Cowboys team and it should be exciting to watch it unfold!

Stay tuned for our off-season coverage and analysis of league news.

Popularity: 2%

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.

Popularity: 1%

In an ironic turn of events, Tony Romo has won the NFL’s Player of the Month award in December. It’s hard to imagine this is the same quarterback who the media deemed “unable to win a big game in December.” So much for unable to win a big game, the Cowboys have won 3 straight defeating the previously undefeated Saints and shutting out NFC East Division rivals Washington and Philadelphia.

In the month of December in 2009, Romo has had 4 games with over 100.0 passer rating while throwing only 2 interceptions compared to his 9 touchdowns. His record is 3-2 and now has a chance to fend of those playoff critics.

Giants Continue Clearing House

The Giants continued their winter cleaning by firing D-Line Coach Micke Waufle. This is the second firing of the week for the Giants who are looking to fix the problems that have risen from no where. The Giants only had 32 sacks this season and where horrific on run defense compared to last year.

It’s important to remember that the Giants were also plagued by injuries all season which really limited the rotation of the defensive line. This decision might have been a bit fast given all the negatives that happened this season, but we’ll keep an eye on whose hired.

Cribbs Snubbed

Cleveland Browns have one good thing going for them for sure. That is Kick Returner/Wide Receiver/Quarterback Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs has been electric and has won plenty of games for the Browns himself. All he wants is to be paid like a top 5 return man, which is a bargain given that he’s the best. So what do the Browns do to honor their electric offensive playmaker? Offer him 1.4 mil a year over 3 years.

Cribbs’ agent was quoted as saying “Not only is it insulting, but it’s illogical. There is no way to objectively justify it.”

He’s spot on, Cribbs is a game changer who has returned three kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns this season.

Popularity: 2%

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.

Popularity: 1%

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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Jerry Jones is usually heavily scrutinized by fans, media, and even other coaches and owners.  In my short fanhood of only 10 years, I have been that scrutinizing individual that blames all the failures and woes on Jerry Jones and his inability to share the authority of the team.

As we moved into 2009 I expected the Jerry Complex to become ever present and probably to see him coaching the team himself in 2010.  However, Gasp, to my amazement, while I was writing my daily dose today, stumbling over articles from Philadelphia to San Diego, I noticed quite a bit about Mr. Jones.

I’ve been preaching sometime now about loyalty and continuity.  All these things I believe to be essential in building a dynasty style of frachise.  This past week Jerry Jones has been quoted as saying that firing Wade Phillips would hurt the team.  Ding, Ding, Ding!!!! We have a winner, Jones has never been more accurate in his life.  You see, a coach’s longevity increases win percentages because it allows teams to build to the philosophy of the coach.  Wade Phillips is a defensive coach, so for him to flourish he should have a good defense and a well balanced offense.  Second Gasp!  Do we have that?  Since Wade came in we’ve seen faces like Igor Olshansky, Keith Brooking, and Gerald Sensabaugh come bursting onto the scene.  We have seen players like Anthony Spencer and Marcus Spears develop into great players, and we have seen our defense become GREAT, which only compliments our balanced offense.

You see winning isn’t about great coaching, it’s about trust, it’s about knowing your guy will eventually win you the big one, and sticking with him while he can’t.  That philosophy holds true with Jerry today, as he supports Roy Williams, in September as he supported Tony Romo (who has become on of the leagues best) and last year when he cut All Pro Terrell Owens for little known Miles Austin.

You know what Jerry, my respect finally goes to you.  You have learned what it means to be an Owner and a good Gm.  May the players and coaches (including Wade Phillips) bring you back a Lombardi Trophy… In time of course.

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Typically the “Daily Dose” is an article pertaining to the news around the league, but what happens when the Dallas Cowboys are the news around the league.  That’s right, for once the Cowboys are the talk of the media world for something besides drama and December woes.  This week the Cowboys have set the mark of team who is playing on all cylinders and poised to make a play off victory.

Most will attribute it to Tony Romo, others to DeMarcus Ware, and some to Miles Austin.  While these 3 players are well known as some of the best in the league and the true future of this franchise, there is one player who isn’t getting his due.  Mike Jenkins has done a tremendous job of shutting down his side  of the field in pass coverage.  He is quietly becoming an all pro cornerback who is capable of shutting down any receiver.

In his most recent blog at MikeJenkins21.com, he writes about how he went from a cornerback who wasn’t sure of his starting job to a break out star.  He attributes it directly to the battle with Scandrick that helped mold him.  Check out the article from the link below.

Check out Jenkins Blog here.

Ochocinco Playing With Fire

Chad Ochocinco of the Cincinatti Bengals has called out Pro Bowl Cornerback Darrell Revis.

“Darrell Revis couldn’t cover me in a brown bag on a corner of a Manhattan street inside a phone booth, it’s impossible.” Ochocinco told reporters.

Now Ochocinco and Revis are friends and nobody can be sure just how long the Bengals will play their starters, but if it’s up to Ochocinco he’ll be in the whole game.  You don’t want to miss that matchup.

Slaying the Giant

Brandon Jacobs, often referred to as one of the most feared and powerful running backs in the game today, will miss his game against Minnesota this week.  Tom Coughlin announced yesterday that Jacobs would require arthroscopic surgery next week.

It is unknown how this will affect Jacobs bruising running style, but this could be bigger news then it’s being broadcasted as.

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Hey guys welcome to today’s Daily Dose of Cowboys news.  Last night was a night for the ages, as the Cowboys shut out the Washington Redskins to the tune of 17-0.  It wasn’t a brilliant performance by the boys as dropped balls by Roy Williams still covered the field, but Tony Romo continued his impressive play with another solid performance despite an interception that I’m not entirely sure was his fault.  Here’s a look at the game highlights.

Top Performers:

Tony Romo- 25/38 286 yards 1 TD 1 Int

Jason Witten- 6 Rec 117 yards

Miles Austin- 9 Rec 92 yards

Terence Newman- 1 Int

Jay Ratliff- 2 Sacks

Bradie James- 12 tackles

Around the League:

New Orleans continued it’s drought by dropping a game in overtime to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Peyton Manning becomes the fourth player to pass for over 50,000 yards.

Randy Moss and Tom Brady helped the Pats clinch the AFC East

The Helpful Giants, Help Cowboys secure playoffs by losing to Carolina in an ugly fashion.

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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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What a game, eh? I’ve only been watching the Cowboys since the 91 season, since I was seven years old, but that Cowboys-Saints game was the most exciting game I’ve ever watched.

My nerves were going haywire at kickoff wondering just how the ‘Boys would do, and low and behold, they go out and start running a muck. When is the last time any of us have ever seen a Cowboys team play so methodically and dominating? I’ve never seen it. It wasn’t just luck folks, nor was it just a fluke – these Dallas Cowboys played to win and showed what happens when they live up to their potential and talent.

Now shall we go with why that hurts so much to see? I mean we could, these guy have that talent every week and it took until this, this game in which nobody believed they had a chance in hell of winning for them to do it, but I’d rather not as that could quite easily go on for days here.

Instead let’s talk about Mr. Folk.

Talk about a bittersweet feeling seeing him cut. I used to see him as one of the leagues best kickers and I honestly think he’ll be that once again, but it won’t be this year and it very likely won’t be in a Cowboys jersey.

Simple math tells me that, whether he believes it or not, hip surgery was the doom of his season. Maybe it doesn’t hurt him, but it sure as hell cut into his prep time during the preseason. Call me crazy but I find it hard to believe a guy who had as much success as he did his first two years would need that much preparation, but clearly he does.

Moving forward, though, we’ve brought in former Redskins and Cowboys kick Shaun Suisham – a name I never really intended to be mentioning again on this website. Was he horrible? No. Was he as bad as Folk has been this year? No. I mean he was cut from the Skins roster having kicked 18 of 21 field goals – Folk kicked 18 of 28 I believe.

But he did miss a field goal that was almost identical to the proverbial final straw in Folk’s Dallas run. A fourth quarter 23-yard field goal in a tied game against the Saints for the win. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have any confidence to shake off or we might as well have kept Folk.

Overall it was a masterful win. Game balls could easily go to Mike Jenkins for his outstanding coverage of the Saints top guy, including an interception that looked like something out of the movies, DeMarcus Ware and his similarly happy ending-ish sack and forced fumble to put the game away when we needed it most, and Tony Romo for his amazing ability to keep the plays going without making stupid decisions. Those are my game balls.

Of course it’s hard to escape the fact that even while the game announcers for the NFL Network kept saying how perfect the Cowboys played and how perfect Romo played, Romo made two mistakes that almost turned out very bad for him. Thankfully both of those ill-thrown passes were dropped instead of intercepted.

Actually, that makes four games in a row now that Romo has not thrown an interception. Is it just me or is that a big deal? I mean this gunslinger isn’t supposed to make heads up plays; he’s a bad decision maker, right? Wrong! He’s only thrown an interception in five games this year, that’s nine games that he didn’t.

Unfortunately for the Romo haters of the world, we didn’t win or lose games based on his interceptions or that might be a troubling statistic. Of the nine pick-less games he’s had this year; we’ve lost two of them. Let us be reminded once more that this is a team sport, and no one guy determines our fate on gameday.

So now we head into Washington D.C. for week 16 to face off against the Redskins, and anyone who doesn’t think this could be a huge game isn’t paying attention. The Skins were virtually crushed by the Giants last night in a very lopsided 45-12 score. The Skins just couldn’t do anything right the whole game. But at the same time, this is the team that came within a single missed 23-yard field goal of beating the Saints a few weeks ago, and now we have the kicker who missed that one.

They have nothing left to play for, unless you consider a job worth playing for. With a new GM on staff spending the rest of this season evaluating his moves for the coming off season, every red and yellow/gold jersey in Washington is up for grabs depending on how they play now. This is also a heated rivalry, the Redskins and Cowboys, that has been long standing and the Giants-Redskins beef pales in comparison. Some of you may have seen their attempt to get a TD before the half, using that old swing gate formation twice! They are desperate for a win; let’s just hope the cards don’t fall their way.

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Once again through the first 2 weeks of December the Dallas Cowboys were being haunted by December’s past. Fans and media alike had one phrase circling through their minds, “Here we go again”. This time however, things would be different.

As soon as the final second ticked off the clock, with the loss at home to the San Diego Chargers Sunday a week ago, Cowboys coaches, players, and front office personnel were enveloped by a storm of fans and media, calling for the dismissal of Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett. No one and I do mean no one, gave this team a chance to knock off the “unbeatable” Saints.

Quietly however, a transformation had begun to take shape inside the locker room. That transformation was ignited, not by coaches, or by fans, or even by the owner, no this transformation was ignited by the two “Leaders” of this football team, Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Here we are one game into the December schedule and already we’re one loss into our usual December performance. It’s not that losing is always a bad thing, I mean some games are just inevitably lost, but this game was a truly saddening one to lose.

Tony Romo was already under fire for his play in recent Decembers while the rest of the team seemed to be getting a reprieve from Cowboys fans – for some unknown reason. But now it’s just gone too damn far, and yes I said damn … damnit.

Tony Romo may not always say the right things, such as his answer to a question about how he’d get his team to the Super Bowl this year – “I don’t know, I’ve never been there.” Can we say Dufus!?!

And we all probably get tired of the same old line … “We just have to keep getting better and working hard …” blah, blah, blah. Everyone keeps pointing out he is good as far as stats go, but sucks in games – um, did I miss something? How can that be? Football is essentially just stats, I mean it’s not heart that wins football games, it’s points.

So yeah we headed into Giants Stadium with a black cloud hanging over us, so what? The Cowboys go out and shut down them Gnats in their house for the first quarter of play. Good job! The only problem was that they got just as many points – 0.

But throughout the game there were several points of interest that are worth noting here. I didn’t see nearly as many penalties for us during the game and that’s always a good thing to see a reduction in that stat. Of course there was that stupid, stupid penalty by Dum-Dum Adams against a very defenseless Justin Tuck to end the half. Real high class move there Adams.

Second, Romo seemed to be spreading the ball around pretty well, not perfectly but better than usual. I mean Williams, Crayton, Austin, Jones, Barber, Witten, and Bennett all caught at least a pass or two. That’s a big deal for this team, this year.

Of course Martellus Bennett was just as unspectacular as he has been all year. I guess he was too busy trying to remember all the people following him on Twitter to really make anything happen besides the catch itself, and he even missed that too.

Witten – he set a career high for yardage right? 156 yards for him on like 15 catches, just one short of his career high. Can’t be upset about that. Roy Williams not only caught a pass, but he caught two in the endzone, and believe me, that is a shocker. But he played better; I just wish he’d stop with the damn Longhorn pride when he scores a COWBOYS touchdown. Seems a bit of a traitor when he does that, doesn’t he?

The defense seemed to be chasing their tails all day though. I mean assume that’s why they let Brandon Jacobs go 70 something yards on a dump pass for a score. Either that or they wanted to see if he could run that far – who knows. What I do know is that absolutely horrible play caused by bad decisions on the field cost us a tie game.

And the same can be said for the punt return, and we’ve all heard by now just how rare it is for a team to return a punt against us for six, even when our special teams sucked so bad last year we still didn’t give that kind of crap away.

That play cost us the game. But Tony Romo played great.

Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system already. The Cowboys lost a game in December and Tony Romo wasn’t at all the reason. I can feel your stares …

The guy played good football. He had 3 touchdowns, didn’t throw any picks, didn’t fumble it, was only sacked twice, and had career high yards. You can’t expect your quarterback to help the defense and special teams do their jobs.

Though it is somewhat to very alarming that we can never get firing on all cylinders. Either the defense plays great and the offense sputters, or the offense blows the roof off and our defense sucks it back down. Maybe this is the December when we figure out how to all play well at the same time. Maybe.

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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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Dallas followed up their dominating performance over the Falcons with a duplication against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Cowboys once again outplayed their opponent in all three phases of the game.  They were playmakers on offense, smothering on defense, and the special teams was the smoking gun to end the game for the second straight week.

Patrick Crayton followed a 74-yard punt return last week with an 82-yard punt return against Seattle that signaled the game’s end.

The main question that I have is: “Are you guys going to keep this up?”

Being a passionate and attentive fan is very painful when you see your team fail.  It is harder when your team beats themselves instead of being outmatched.

I believe the majority of Dallas’ losses last year were because they beat themselves.  That is agonizing because if they were outplayed, the team simply needs to draft an important player at this spot or trade for a playmaker at that spot.

Dallas has the talent, but they have not had the discipline needed to be consistent.  Without consistency, a team is not going to win championships or even get into playoffs.

Though they are showing discipline now, the bane of the Cowboys’ year is in December, and the loyal fans of Dallas have waited 14 years to see their team get back to a championship-contending level.

Is the wait going to be for nothing?

I’m truly excited by their play.  If they kept playing like they have the past two weeks, then I’d be fine with them losing a few games to bad luck or to better play by the opposing side.  What I can’t stand as a fan or analyst is sloppy play.

The greatest coaches of all time were understanding after a loss to a better team.  But no coach worth mentioning would be satisfied with the results of some of the Dallas games I have watched.

This team is almost too good to be true.

Tony Romo has thrown 120 passes without an interception and with eight touchdowns.

Miles Austin, an unknown receiver, has gained 482 receiving yards in his first three career starts.

Dallas has 17 sacks, four interceptions, eight forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in five games after having zero in all categories for the first two weeks.

Does this sound like the Dallas team of last year?

Want to see the rest?  Check here: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/dallas-dominates-seattle-is-this-going-to-be-a-common-result/

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After the Dallas Cowboys won the Falcons game, my good friend and fellow NFL fan voice, Dan Parzych, messaged me this: “I must say….that was one impressive victory for your Boys today. I’d say big, BIG statement game.”

This was a big statement game yes, but did it surprise me? No, it did not.

The Dallas Cowboys were under a lot of pressure. They were a 4-2 team that looked like it was hanging on by the skin of their teeth instead of the dominant team that they were in 2007 or the team that looked great at times in 2008.

They were not a bad team, but more of a team that was without focus and had mistakes instead of executions for plays.

They had not even beaten a team that had a won a game. The Buccaneers still haven’t won a game, and the Chiefs and Panthers won games after they lost to Dallas.

So, they were going up against a team that had the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, a hotshot young quarterback who was the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, the NFL’s all-time receiving tight end, a running back who led the league in rushing last year, and a receiver who had the most receiving yards last year.

Oh, and they had made playoffs too.

It was not going to be easy. Many thought the Cowboys were, to quote T.I. and Timberlake, “Dead and Gone” and were going downhill from there with a team that had just blown their chances to beat the Giants and were done away with against the Broncos.

Dallas not only won the game, but aside from two drives, they dominated the Falcons on all three parts of the game. They scored 37 points, Tony Romo threw for three touchdowns and 311 yards.

The defense had four sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. The special teams had amazing coverage and scored a 73 yard touchdown on a punt return.

Why am I not surprised though? Why am I, James Williamson, not surprised by what Dallas did to that team?

Because Dallas is capable of doing that to, if not all, most of the teams in the National Football League, and I am as serious as a heart attack when I say that.

I remember thinking to myself, before the game started, “This team is not better than us. The only way they should win is if Dallas becomes a chicken farm and starts laying eggs.”

I have watched this team for three years now. I’ve reviewed the film so many times, I’ve actually had dreams with it playing. If I didn’t know this team, then I’d be an underachieving fan voice to say the least.

These guys are special. I know they are. When they are on, I don’t think any Dallas team can compare to them.

The problem is that they don’t stay on. They are a flickering light bulb that is unreliable and that is what makes them a tough team to watch because the light bulb will fizzle out at the most inopportune time.

Look at the talent level around them.

Please finish this at: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/why-i-am-not-surprised-by-dallas-win/

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Are the Cowboys finally making the turn from NFL’s most dysfunctional into an actual competitive football team? Do things really turn that quickly in the NFL? Does this team actually have a heart and a desire to be the best? It certainly looks that way after what was undoubtedly the best game this team has played since the 20 to 8 victory against the Giants last December.

These are tough questions that frankly we just cannot answer right now. I want so badly like most of you to believe the answer to all of those questions are an emphatic YES, but I just cannot help from having those thoughts of “they will revert back to what they have been this week” and it’s those thoughts that I want erased from my head.

We all want to believe in this team. We all want to believe in Romo. What we all want are the feelings we had in the 90’s (you know the ones). Are we being unfair? This is where things get touchy.

Thanks to Troy Aikman last week during the telecast, he said something that I know I have heard before, but it just had never clicked before. Troy said “This Dallas team has had a lot of high expectations placed upon it without reason.”

Since before Troy departed as the Quarterback of the Cowboys this team has had 1 good season. All of the rest have been average at best, yet every year we say things like “this is our year”. Why have we done that? And I am as guilty as anybody for doing it.

I know your all wondering “where in the hell is this guy going with all of this?” and well where I am going is here. This football team has been rebuilt at least 3 times since Aikman’s departure. New coaches, new players, and so on and so on and during all of that never not one time has anyone said “give them time”.

Now I know you may think I have lost my mind (and while that may be true) but I really feel like some of our displeasure with where this team is or has been, is of our own doing. Notice I did not say all (Jerry receives the credit for most of it) but some.

Is it possible that this team is beginning to make the turn? Sure it is, I think we are seeing the leading edge of this team making the turn. We all got to see some wonderful signs last week that things may be changing.

My son Miller, who is 5 is beginning to really enjoy football and asking questions about it, and even watching some of the games with me. For the first time last week I was actually able to say this “son did you see how he made that tackle” and be showing him a tackle made by a Cowboy player (thanks Mike Jenkins).

The guys on this team are actually becoming a TEAM they are owning up to there mistakes and working to correct them. Many of us have taken shots at Roy Williams for his lack of production, but people, he was the first man to say he sucked, does that not count for something?

Did you all happen to see Romo’s post game conference? Well if you did not Here it is and it is a must see.

Folks he is getting it, he is understanding what he can do and what he cannot do, and better yet how to determine when he can take a chance. He is a gun slinger that is what we love about him, we cannot ask him to turn that portion of him off. What we need is for him to know when to turn it up and when to turn it down.

I am not ready to anoint this team here to stay, but I sure do like what I am seeing.

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The Dallas Cowboys have really come off to a slow start this year. If you could cut out some of their mistakes, they would be 5-0 instead of 3-2.

However, we cannot change the past, but we can learn from it.

What did Dallas learn from its past?

First off, they signed Allen Rossum, the 49ers punt and kick returner, to help improve plays on special teams. With Patrick Crayton muffing punts, and Terence Newman being injury-prone, the Cowboys needed a genuine return man to help in that third part of the game.

Helpful additions are only part of the equation. Dallas needs to be able to correct the flaws it makes with self-discipline.

I believe this team has really been the cause of their own failures. They are too talented to be beaten out of playoffs. These guys give games away, and it really is disgusting to watch.

This is one game they cannot give away, especially since their record is 3-2. They need to bump it up to 4-2 against a playoff team like the Atlanta Falcons to make the statement that they aren’t overrated, but actually a good team.

What are the keys needed to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Dallas this Sunday?

First off, this team has to  score touchdowns. Too many drives have happened where Dallas settled for a field goal instead of getting a touchdown. These results are due partly to a failed 3rd-down conversion here and there, but what is really muffling the Cowboys’ drives is penalties.

Penalties are like hiccups. They are annoying, unwanted, and mess up the flow of whatever one is doing. The flow in this case being momentum, which I’ve learned is almost half the game.

Dallas has to keep momentum going on every drive without revolvers going off around their feet.

The biggest thing for Dallas is that the run game has to happen this week. Last week, it took over a half to really get the run game going to where it kept a lot of pressure off Tony Romo and confused the defense.

It is much easier to throw passes when the defense doesn’t know if it is going to be a handoff or a pass. Atlanta is ranked 17th against the run, so the Cowboys are certainly capable of running the ball against this team.

For the run game to work, the line has to keep doing what it has been doing. Left guard, Kyle Kosier, who missed the majority of last season, has really helped the line assert its dominance on the line of scrimmage.

However, expect Dallas to feature all three running backs this Sunday, providing Felix Jones does play.

Marion Barber, who was nursing a quad injury in the game against Kansas City, was very sluggish, and when Tashard Choice took over, Dallas got the the help it needed to win the game in overtime.

Felix Jones has been out the past two games due to a knee strain, so the loss of him was equivalent to the Lakers without Kobe Bryant. I’ve spent hours yelling at Lady Luck about how she needs to keep him healthy.

He is the X-factor in the game. He brings that third dimension of offense to this team. He has speed unlike any other running back I’ve seen in the NFL, he has the explosiveness of a gunshot, and he has an eye for the hole that just stuns you.

His first NFL carry was for an 11 yard touchdown run against the Browns. We are talking about someone very special.

If those three running back can execute this Sunday, then I don’t see how Dallas can be beaten. They are, arguably, the best group in the NFL.

Once the running game is established, Dallas should be able to score via air travel.

Want to view the rest? Please go here: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/keys-to-victory-in-a-must-win-for-dallas-against-atlanta/

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Alright, 24 hours have elapsed and I can finally start getting over what happened at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium last night. I already know where this is going, the Cowboys lost, the world must deeply overreact, judge Tony Romo, and try and understand why our defense is the worst defense to ever play football. While this is happening the world is also forgetting it’s only week 4 and the Cowboys are 2-2… The last time the Dallas Cowboys went 2-2? 2006, where they made the playoffs .

Now listen to me I’m not saying the Cowboys will definitely make the playoffs, they have to work on a few things:

1) Offensive Line Play- We have one of the largest most talented offensive lines in the league. They need to start playing like it, 5 sacks isn’t acceptable.

2) Gunslinging- Tony Romo will make mistakes! Period. Why not let him do it while being the playmaker he is.

3) Offensive Play Calls- Jason Garrett needs to learn a few things still about when to run and pass, it just seems like his play calls are unmethodical.

4) Defensive Dominance- Our defense has been playing well, but they need more big plays, so many big plays that teams are afraid of them. Only then will we be a feared team in the league.

Now that we’ve established what needs to be solidified. I feel confident that I have a solid feel on how the Cowboys are playing and responding to certain situations. So where will they be come January? Lets take a further look…

Week 5 @ KC- There is no way the Cowboys lose to an unimpressive Chiefs team.

Prediction: DAL 31 KC 10

Week 7- BYE

Week 8 Home against Atlanta- This will be a tough game, but the extra preperation time pays off.

Prediction: Dallas 24 ATL 17

Week 9 @ PHI- This is a tough game, and it looks like the Cowboys are gonna battle the Eagles to the bitter end..

Prediction: DAL 17 PHI 20

WEEK 10 @ GB- This is a potential wildcard grabber. I don’t worry about Green Bay, the Cowboys Run to 6-3.

Prediction: DAL 27 GB 21

Week 11 Home against WAS- A tough one but the Cowboys sweep the Redskins.

Prediction DAL 34 WAS 17

Week 12 Home against OAK- Thanksgiving… Need I say More?

Prediction: DAL 31 Oak 10

Week 13 @ NYG- Sorry Guys but we don’t split with New York, another disappointed loss and we’re 8-4.

Prediction: DAL 24 NYG 27

Week 14 @ SD- This game is a tough one, but by now the Cowboys are rolling and the Wildcard is to close to let go. Give us the Win

Prediction: DAL 24 SD 14

Week 15 @ NO- Drew Brees…

Prediction- DAL 20 New Orleans 31

Week 16 @ WAS- Sweep Complete, and they need it. If the Cowboys don’t clinch this week, it’s up to home against PHI again.

Prediction: DAL 35 WAS 24

Week 17 Home against PHI- Cowboys avenge last season, pushing the heavily favored Eagles to 3rd in the NFC East.

Prediction: DAL 37 PHI 16

Now incase you lost count that gives the Cowboys a realistic 11-5 record. The Early bye week gives the Cowboys a chance to regroup and refocus, which pays dividends in the end.

Final Word-The Blame Game

Again for my weekly destruction of over critical fans. Last weeks loss was not Tony Romo’s… No ands, if’s or buts about it. It was a team loss. Communication, Football Knowledge, and Blown Assignments are the factor of that loss. There are 13 more weeks left, and if you want the Cowboys to do well, you better rally behind them. Many of you will bash my predictions, yet they are all generated the same way experts do. You know why you’ll bash them? Because you don’t believe. So get up, shut up, and Support your team. That means you Derek Eagleton!

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The Dallas Cowboys last week apparently took the advice that was given by former head man Jimmy Johnson, “KISS Keep It Simple Stupid” and unfortunately some of us do not like this plan!

After going back and watching the Monday night game against the Panthers for the second time, it became crystal clear to me what was happening.

People will call it a lack of confidence in Tony Romo or that Jason Garrett is an egomaniac out to prove how innovative he can be, but what I saw was a completely different picture all together.

The game plan of that game on the offensive side of the ball was one of the most vanilla I have ever seen this team take. It appeared to me that Garrett did an outstanding job of simplifying things and letting the players concentrate on just doing there jobs.

The Cowboys have relied so dearly on the play of Tony Romo and on his decision making that they simply put too much pressure onto his shoulders. Jimmy Johnson stated last week that the true way to build a players confidence (Tony Romo) was in big games to simplify things and let him focus on the nuts and bolts of things instead of trying to create things that simply are not there.

While Romo’s stat line was as average as average gets it’s what does not show up on the stat line that was so great. He was composed. He had a purpose. He did not get too high or too low. Tony Romo simply played within the confines of the plan.

People! This is a gigantic move in the right direction for this team and Tony Romo do not ruin it by failing to see what happened.

I am by no means trying to tell you that everyone did everything perfect on Monday night. I am trying to tell you that this performance was more about building confidence, a confidence that can carry this unit to all the places we aspire for them to go.

Do you all remember the 90’s? and how everyone in the stadium would know what play was about to be run, but it did not matter because the Cowboys could execute that play better than anyone could defend it.

The Cowboys made there first step towards trying to become that executing machine that they once were. The Cowboys running game is extremely good right now and that is due simply because of execution! They ran the same delayed draw at least 15 times the other night, with two different backs and each time was as successful as the time before.

Now I have read in several different places Cowboy fans highly upset with the play calls by Garrett in that one sequence down at the goal line, where the Boys through two fades in succession.

At first I like you could not understand the play call, but after listening to Romo after the game and then watching the film again I understood the calls.

Garrett saw that the Panthers had there “Big” unit in the game (the Panthers were committed to stop the run) it was at that point that Garrett and the gang decided to attack the point of least resistance. More importantly on the first fade to Roy Williams he had the preferred match up, he also got a perfectly thrown ball by Romo, but Roy could not hold on to it.

The second play designed for Marty B was an even greater mismatch but Romo simply over threw him. I will take those match ups every time! They tried to punch the thing in on first down and could not get enough push against an overloaded line.

I would love for this team to be able to just over power folks, but we are just not that team. So why beat a dead horse? TAKE WHAT THE DEFENSE GIVES YOU! That is our motto, and that is what will win games for this team!

It is time to put our egos away, we cannot continue to just cuss this team every moment of everyday. It is not there responsibility to inform us of how they plan to attack teams, but rather ours to become smarter fans of the game and recognize what is taking place.

I challenge all of you to question not only the team but yourself as well. For the most part we have some of the smartest fans in the league, it is time to put that smarts to use.

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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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…or at least he should have.

This was going to be a dissertation on how the bulk, if not all, of the blame should fall on Tony’s shoulders for that loss against the Giants.  I started on it last Monday, and had a book written but soon realized I’d be beating a dead horse if I submitted as is.  Briefly, my point was not only did his mistakes lead to points for the other team, he also hurt our time of possession ratio, meaning that are defense was exposed to prolonged play.  When that happens, players will lose a step, particularly in the secondary where all three corners were torched on a regular basis throughout the game.  In other words, going back in time and taking away those turnovers doesn’t only take points off the board, it keeps the defense off the field and likely other points off the board.  Granted, it doesn’t excuse the poor play of our Corners, in particular, but it, at least, makes me wonder how their performance would change minus a few interceptions thrown by Romo.

But that has been harped on enough.  Now it is time to look forward.  Normally, I’d take the positive angle, but it look’s as though our own Bryan Martin has already covered the bright side of having North Carolina in town.  If you haven’t read it, here’s a brief summary:  Carolina, thus far this season, has underperformed on both sides of the ball and Dallas should be able to dominate.  I’m pretty confident the Cowboys will win, as well, but there are a few things that bother me about this match up:  1.  The Panthers are 0 – 2.  Considering that only three teams since the early 90′s have made the play off’s after starting 0 – 3, the Panthers realize that this game may define the rest of their season.  In other words, the Panthers will be fighting like it’s a win-and-in situation.  2.  We have seen every aspect of the Cowboys game wow in the last 3 years, but we have yet to see it all at the same time.  The offense fires on all cylinders and the defense falters.  The pass game works great, but the running game is lacking.  The secondary shut’s down the field, but the defensive line and linebackers allow the opponents running back to gash us for large gains.  And visa versa.  Again, when do we get to see all of the Cowboys show up in the same game at the same time?

Carolina does offer us a great opportunity to see just that, but considering how much this game means to them, I’m not as confident as I’d like to be.   With Chris Harris (SS) likely out tonight, the Cowboys 12 formation (otherwise known as double dynamite with Witten and Bennett lining up as bookends to the offensive line) should have some success, but then again, it should of had success against the Giants and we all know how that story ended.   Opposite Steve Smith is 36 year old Muhsin Muhammad, whose production barely grant’s him the solid descriptor, but not enough to force Wade to reconsider focusing on shutting down the run and bracketing Steve Smith out of the game with a corner up front (likely Newman) and a Safety deep (likely Sensabaugh).  On paper, considering the above, the Cowboys win.  But on paper, in my mind, the Cowboys beat most teams in the NFL.  It will come down to execution and protecting the ball; like the wise Jimmy Johnson said earlier this week, “K.I.S.S. – Keep it simple, stupid!”  I’ll subscribe to the same approach with this contribution.

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