Revisiting the Weekend

It’s funny how one game can change a whole prediction record. I finished 3-2 for this past weekend but a 4-1 record looks so much better than a mediocre 3-2 mark. But it’s cool. I’ll take another stab at things next week in another high-voltage weekend. Last weekend was pretty electric in its own right equipped with several headliners. In case you missed anything, here’s a recap:

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

What I predicted …

Cowboys 30-20

What I said would happen …

“Philadelphia fed off turnovers and a depleted secondary against New York but the ‘Boys have been playing turnover-free football the last few weeks while getting excellent play from their secondary and sophomore cover man Mike Jenkins, who has been extremely impressive. If Dallas refrains from turning the ball over, they have the weapons and too many healthy bodies for the Eagles to handle”

What actually happened …

The Cowboys won 20-16. Against a defense that thrives off turnovers, Dallas left Lincoln Financial Field with only one gaffe while picking off Donovan McNabb twice. The Cowboys defense put on an impressive display, limiting an explosive Philadelphia offense to only 16 points in their own backyard. ‘Boys’ QB Tony Romo held strong and avoided the mistakes that transpired the last time he played Philadelphia just a few months ago.

The ‘Boys took away the big plays from the Eagles and forced them to play methodical football. For a team that struggles to run the ball with consistency, Dallas laid out the blue print on how to successfully defeat Philadelphia, provided a team has the same speed on defense that Dallas does. Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins (who I mentioned last week) came up with a big interception in the third period that led to a Cowboys field goal in the fourth quarter.

My reactions …

It’s hard to get excited over Dallas. Although the win was impressive, the Cowboys’ story the past few years has been about their struggles come crunch time in December and January. Fortunately, we’re not at the point of the season yet so the only thing we can grade Dallas (6-2) on is their work so far and so far, the ‘Boys have been pretty good. I’ve been mentioning Miles Austin for the past few weeks and I’ll continue again this week. Austin only had one catch Sunday but it went for 49 yards and a touchdown. His big play ability has restored the Dallas offense to its explosive ‘07 form and as long as Romo and the defense stay afloat, the ‘Boys will be around later in the year.

It’s hard to sour on Philadelphia (5-3) just because they lost a home game by four points while playing without their star running back and parts of the game without their starting left tackle. The defense kept Dallas under wraps until Austin’s late touchdown but the offense struggled all night. The Cowboys took away the long ball from McNabb and explosive receiver DeSean Jackson and Philly found things tough without getting that many turnovers from Romo and company. The Eagles find themselves in second place and probably wish they could get that Oakland game back but nevertheless, it’s a lot of football left to be played and the division is still up for the taking. Stay tuned

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos

What I predicted …

Broncos 20-14

What I said would happen …

“Denver’s short passing game is designed to counter against Pittsburgh’s zone coverage scheme but the running game is what fuels the Broncos and no one has a better run defense than Pittsburgh. Denver’s special teams and defense will go a long way in deciding the winner. The Broncos will need a few nice returns from the dangerous Eddie Royal and a couple of turnovers to ensure a victory. The Steelers’ special teams have allowed kickoff return touchdowns in their last two games and their dependence on the passing game will lead to a couple of turnovers and a Denver win.”

What actually happened …

The Steelers won 28-10. Pittsburgh took it to Denver on its own turf and only allowed one touchdown which came off a fumble recovery. The Steelers (6-2) started out slowly with the offense getting blanked in the first half but they came out firing after half time. Sophomore running back Rashard Mendenhall fueled the Steelers’ offense with 164 total