Bleacher Report - Articles by Daniel Evans

Cowboys-Giants: Criticism Filled Week Didn't Affect Dallas in 20-8 Upset Win

Daniel Evans — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:45:24 -0500

All week the controversy in Dallas has continued. OSF Writer Josh Schwader actually stuck a fork in Dallas and called them “done” after it was announced that Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones would miss the remainder of the season.

The media stuck the rest of the forks in. All week there were reports that the Cowboys just couldn’t get along and that Tony Romo, Jason Witten, and Terrell Owens were fighting over favoritism.

Apparently the news didn’t get to the actual players who put on the Dallas Cowboys jerseys. The NFL’s top team in a lot of people’s minds, the New York Giants, were coming to town to take on a Dallas team that couldn’t even get along. It sounded like a real dud of a Sunday night game unless the drama on the Cowboys sideline broke out in the middle of the game.

Then something incredible took place. Instead of falling apart and letting a week of controversy rip apart their dreams they came together and played their best football game of the entire season.

Instead of letting Owens feud with Witten and Romo come between them they joined together as a team and produced one of the gutsiest performances in recent Cowboys history.

Last week, they were stunned in Pittsburgh. The Cowboys played incredible defense all day long and still found a way to lose in the closing minutes. There was no way their defense could play so well again, right?

Well the critics, and the media were incredibly wrong. Tony Romo went down with an injury in the first quarter and the stir of uneasiness among Cowboys nation could be heard around Texas Stadium.

Maybe the media was right, hell Romo has never been successful in December (4-6 record coming into the game) and the Cowboys have been downright plagued with injuries.

So this was how it would all end, with Romo laying on the turf groaning in agony. When he got to the sidelines he was not likely to return, and needed help just to get up. Around the NFC, the other playoff contenders had begun popping the champagne corks.

With their star quarterback out the Cowboys were likely done. But wait...did I see this right? Well it turns out I did. Romo, who has been criticized all week and has the weight of the world on his shoulders, returned to the game with a back contusion and led the Cowboys right down the field for the first touchdown of the game.

On the sideline everything was going great until the fourth quarter. There were even signs of Romo, Witten, and Owens standing on the sideline laughing and smiling together.

Then it appeared that just like a week ago things had fallen apart. The Giants sacked Romo in the end zone for a safety and then added a field goal to pull within six points at 14-8. On the ensuing drive the Cowboys faced 3rd-and-9. Romo threw to Witten and he was being tackled three yards short of the line of scrimmage.

And then something amazing happened. A team that has been put down all week saw the ultimate effort from one of their stars when Witten refused to be tackled short of the first down and drug his defender an extra four yards for a first down that put the game away.

With Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips smirking at opposite ends of the field, Tashard Choice took the next play 45 yards for the game finishing touchdown. The final score read Dallas 20, New York 8.

And just like that everything that we have come to know in the NFL changed. The Cowboys have been put down all season but all of a sudden they showed the heart of a champion in front of the entire nation.

It seems everyone forgot this was a team that has dealt with Terrell Owens, Adam Jones, Tony Romo’s pinky, and Jason Witten’s ribs this season. Plus they were playing the same Giants team that has already clinched the NFC East and knocked them out of the playoffs at Texas Stadium last season.

Instead of just faltering under the media and Ed Werder’s reports on ESPN all week they came together and they rose above it all. They became more than individuals for at least one night in pursuit of a bigger goal than a goal they reach as individuals.

They came together as a team. In fact, this Cowboys team looked like the one that was picked as Super Bowl favorites before the season. And now instead of laughing at the thought of meeting a collapsing NFC powerhouse the rest of the league is cringing at the thought of facing the NFL’s most talented league playing its best football.

And it’s all happening in December, which is suppose to be impossible for the Cowboys.

So what drama will next week bring? Talk of Romo’s back injury is surely going to make headlines. Probably reports of another practice argument between Romo, Witten, and Owens...especially after TO personally questioned Ed Werder’s journalism after the game in an interview.

Owens is not alone in his thoughts about Werder. Although I seldom question an ESPN analyst’s integrity I tend to agree this time around. It appears that both Werder and ESPN were looking for a big story, and it might’ve backfired.

Werder has been covering the Cowboys for years, but for the first time it appeared he had turned completely against them this week for some reason. Although he never showed favoritism in past years, he did show hatred this week and he had the look of a man that was making money off of a team that was reportedly collapsing from within.

It’s sort of hard to believe three guys that can’t stand each other all agreed to be interviewed together after the game as teammates. Arguing among the talented offensive stars in Dallas? It was news to the Cowboys' Big Three.

Maybe somebody should ask the defending Super Bowl champions about the health and wellness of the Cowboys. DeMarcus Ware had three sacks and extended his NFL leading total to 18 overall. Eli Manning was sacked eight times overall as the Cowboys defense ruled the night.

So Ed Werder, why don’t you go ask Big Blue what the state of the Cowboys is right now? I think they will tell you they are clearly back as one of the best teams in the NFC, and clearly one of the few that can run through the playoffs and make a magical run to a Super Bowl championship.

I WROTE THIS ARTICLE ON MY OWN PERSONAL WEBSITE AND POSTED IT HERE AT THE BLEACHER REPORT! I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED IT!

Breaking Down College Basketball's Top 25

Daniel Evans — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:22:56 -0500

I run my own personal website and this is one article from it. I thought I'd put it here on the Bleacher Report and see what all you guys think!

North Carolina is far and away the nation's best team, but after that the argument starts. At this point the top teams are pretty clear, but after that the field starts to get blurry.

I honestly can tell you that there is not a lot of difference between my No. 18 team and the "on the cusp" teams at the bottom.

I considered extending this to 30 teams, but that's just too many. At some point all the good teams will show themselves, and my nightly bracketology already gives enough credit to teams that don't get enough.

NOTE: This is my personal top 25. Tomorrow night the rest of my writers and I will combine our top 25 ballots and create the "OSF Top 25" so make sure you check that out. Also please comment at the bottom and let me know what you think.

1. North Carolina (9-0): The Tar Heels are clearly the nation's best team right now, far and away better than anyone else. It will be interesting to see how many teams challenge UNC before the tournament. So far they have wins over Kentucky (by 19), Notre Dame (by 25), and Michigan State (by 35). The Tar Heels should roll through the rest of their out-of-conference schedule before starting ACC play.

2. Connecticut (8-0): Connecticut already has wins over Miami (FL) and Wisconsin. They survived Buffalo last week with a big defensive stop at the end. Next week's battle with Gonzaga looms large before conference play begins when they host Georgetown.

3. Oklahoma (8-0): The Sooners and Longhorns are not only fighting over bragging rights on the football field, but they are also fighting over the right to be called the favorite in the Big 12 in basketball. Hopefully there will be no three-way tie in basketball. The Sooners are led by Blake Griffin, the early preseason favorite for player of the year.

4. Gonzaga (7-0): I have to give love where it is needed and Gonzaga has earned it. Not only have the Zags been the most impressive team outside of UNC so far but they've also racked up some big Ws to prove how good they are. Wins over Tennessee, Washington State, Maryland, and Oklahoma State do not lie.

5. Pittsburgh (10-0): The Big East is absolutely loaded this year. How would you feel if you were No. 3 in both polls but still second in your conference? The Panthers have wins over Washington State, Texas Tech, and Vermont. Florida State and Georgetown will be tough games ahead.

6. Texas (8-1): The Longhorns have already played Notre Dame (L), Villanova (W), and UCLA (W) this season. On Sunday, they play Michigan State before taking on Wisconsin and Arkansas.

7. Louisville (6-1): The Cardinals just aren't playing well so far this season. The loss to Western Kentucky stings, but it better not for long. Mississippi, Minnesota, UAB, UNLV, and Kentucky are the next five.

8. Duke (8-1): Duke knows how hard it is to beat the same opponent twice in one year, as evident by their loss in meeting No. 2 with Michigan. The Blue Devils meeting with Xavier on Saturday is absolutely huge.

9. Syracuse (9-0): It's so hard to tell who is good and who isn't this early in the season. I look at Syracuse and I see their wins over Kansas and Florida (who have four losses combined already). Then I see Eric Devendorf's name and it reminds me that in a few weeks this team could look completely different.

10. Xavier (10-0): I really still have to question how good Xavier is at this point. The win at Virginia Tech was by a buzzer beater and it opened the door for the Memphis win to take place. So basically where would they be without a buzzer-beating three?

11. Wake Forest (8-0): Many media outlets are calling this team a "surprise," but I will give credit where it is due. OSF's own Blake Hofstad called this before the season. The Demon Deacons already have a win over Baylor on their early season resume.

12. Ohio State (6-0): I did not expect Ohio State to be this good. Before you call me crazy think about this: they have knocked off Notre Dame, Miami (FL), and Butler already this season. Barring an upset, their game against West Virginia on Dec. 27 should be interesting.

13. Notre Dame (6-2): How can I discredit Notre Dame for losing to the nation's No. 1 team (by far) and for losing to an undefeated Ohio State team? Remember Luke Harangody is just now getting well.

14. Tennessee (6-2): J.P. Prince didn't play in Tennessee's loss to Temple, but it was still a terrible loss. This is going to be a crazy season so I won't put too much into it at this point, at least not for a team that has knocked off Siena and Georgetown. They also played Gonzaga very tough. Wednesday night's game against Marquette should be very fun to watch.

15. Georgetown (7-1): The Hoyas have already knocked off Maryland, Memphis, and American this year. Although Memphis has been disappointing thus far the Hoyas appear to be a national contender. It still has to be discouraging to be picked No. 8 in your conference and fifth in this poll.

16. Villanova (9-1): I can't really penalize Villanova for losing to Texas by single digits, especially with wins over Rhode Island and Saint Joseph's already to their credit. The Wildcats game against Navy on the 22nd will be one of the best under the radar games this week.

17. Purdue (7-2): The Boilermakers have basically folded in their big games this season (it seems like Michigan State and Purdue have the same gameplan) with losses to Duke and Oklahoma already. On Saturday they get a chance to redeem themselves against Stephen Curry and Davidson.

18. Davidson (8-1): You cannot argue with results, and for Davidson that holds true. Their lone loss is to unbeaten Oklahoma, and they already have wins over N. C. State and West Virginia. Plus when Stephen Curry goes scoreless, they still win. On Saturday, they get Purdue in another national profile game.

19. UCLA (5-2): The Bruins have disappointed me this season, although they haven't exactly been bad. Their two losses are to giant killer Michigan and highly ranked Texas. Although Mercer is a decent team they really shouldn't be challenged again until Jan. 4 at Oregon.

20. Baylor (8-1): The Bears are trying to prove that last season was no fluke, and so far they are doing just that. They already have wins over Arizona State and Washington State, and their lone loss was to undefeated Wake Forest.

21. Arizona State (7-1): The loss to Baylor hurt, but that night they were just outplayed. On Dec. 20, the Sun Devils play an undefeated BYU team that doesn't get enough love, but at least they get them in the desert. The Sun Devils should be a contender in the Pac-10 all season long.

22. BYU (10-0): It's time to give BYU some credit. They have quietly reeled off 50 home wins in a row, and they already have knocked off WAC giant Utah State this season on a neutral court.

On Jan. 3, Wake Forest will come in trying to end BYU's streak (barring an upset before then). Shooting guard Lee Cummard is shooting 51.9 percent from behind the three point stripe this season.

23. Memphis (5-2): I still think Memphis is overrated, but they do deserve a spot in my top 25. The two losses the Tigers have suffered are to Xavier and Georgetown, both teams I rank in the top 15. Syracuse and Cincinnati are two of their next four games.

24. Clemson (10-0): I can't argue with a team that has already knocked off Temple (ask Tennessee about the Owls) and won at Illinois during the ACC/Big Ten challenge. It seems like every single season, the Tigers start strong and fade, but this year looks like it could be different.

25. Michigan State (6-2): The Spartans have been struggling up to this point. The losses were to Maryland by 18 and North Carolina by 35. Clearly, this team has not lived up to expectations. On Saturday, they will take on Texas with another chance to prove they aren't this season's biggest bust.

On the Cusp: Missouri, Illinois State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Dayton, Marquette, Butler.