Bleacher Report - Dallas Cowboys

Week 11: Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys

Derek Major — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:33:51 -0500

The Cowboys begin a two-game homestand when they host the Redskins on Sunday.

The Redskins come into Dallas riding high off their win against the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Jason Campbell is having a rough season as he's 168 for 254 for 1,870 yards with 10 TD's and eight interceptions. He's also been sacked 28 times this season. Campbell has been throwing the ball well but no one is catching it.

Receiver Santana Moss is still producing with 35 receptions for 508 yards and two TDs, but second year receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas haven't produced as they've been expected to. Kelly and Thomas have played in every game this season but have just nine receptions each and have 203 yards combined. Running backs Ladell Betts and Mike Sellers have more receptions then Kelly and Thomas.

The running game has also been mediocre for the Redskins. Clinton Portis is the leading back for the Redskins, but missed last week's game against the Broncos with a concussion and is out for this game. Ladell Betts has been serviceable as the backup (52 carries, 205 yards and two TD's) but the Redskins are just 19th in the NFL in rushing at 107.1 YPG and four TD's.

The Redskins are a team that is constantly on the field, but has good players.

London Fletcher leads the team in tackles with 77. Rookie defensive lineman Brian Orakpo has seven sacks this season and their other end, Andre Carter, has eight on the season.

Albert Haynesworth had three sacks but hasn't been the player the Redskins paid $100 million for. He hasn't helped a front seven that gives up 125 YPG rushing. He also hasn't practiced this week although his status for the game is unknown.

DeAngelo Hall has four interceptions this season and seven passed defended. But, he's the only player in the Redskins' starting secondary with an interception. Still, the Redskins are first in the NFL in passing defense giving up a league low 162 YPG passing.

Their cover two defense helps that by not allowing deep throws and they can take advantage if Tony Romo gets pass happy and tries to force things down the field.

The Cowboys return after being insulted and injured in Green Bay.

Tony Romo will be looking to get back on another winning streak after losing last week. Romo (183-303, 2,466, 14 TDs, six interceptions) will try to reconnect with Miles Austin, who had just four catches for 20 yards last week but still leads the Cowboys in yards (632), yards per catch (20.4), and TDs (7).

Roy Williams will want to redeem his game last week where he fumbled after a huge catch and dropped a wide open pass in Packers' territory. He took the blame for the Cowboys losing, but this week he'll want to be praised for them winning.

Jason Garrett took a lot of heat for the Cowboys not running, but you can bet the Cowboys will be running a lot on Washington's soft front seven this week. Smash, Dash, and Tash will get more carries this week and should perform well.

Barber is expected to play this week. Barber has participated in practice every day this week after aggravating his broken thumb last week, and will start.

Felix Jones will get the ball a lot more after just three carries and no catches last week, and Tashard Choice should get more runs out of the wildcat.

The Cowboys' defense played well last week holding the Packers for three quarters to just a field goal before giving up two TDs in the fourth—one on a drive which started at the Cowboys' own three-yard line. The Cowboys still managed to get four sacks and hold Packers running back Ryan Grant under 100 yards rushing and Aaron Rodgers under 200 yards passing.

Expect the same as the Cowboys will be aggressive against the Redskins' weak offensive line. Keith Brooking leads a front seven that's tenth in the NFL against the run, and tied with 24 sacks as a team. Brooking is the Cowboys' leading tackler with 64, including four tackles for loss and two sacks.

Linebacker DeMarcus Ware had two sacks last week and leads the team with seven on the season. Defensive Tackle Jay Ratliff is second on the team with four, and they're excited about getting to Jason Campbell.

The Cowboys will be without Safety Ken Hamlin this week and Alan Ball looks like he'll take his place. Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick, and Mike Jenkins did a good job last week and will try to stop Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. Jenkins came out of last week's game but has practiced every day this week and will start on Sunday.

The Cowboys will win this game. It's at home and without Portis playing, the Redskins' running game won't be at its best and their passing game is a joke. The Cowboys will eventually break through the Redskins' defense, put the pressure on Campbell, and should get a turnover.

Cowboys, 28-13.

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Cowboys Need To Make Jason Campbell Look Like Jason Campbell

John Saenz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:58:20 -0500

The Dallas Cowboys’ next game versus the hated Washington Redskins is a barometer game for this defense.

That might sound a little strange because usually facing a good offense would be considered a measuring stick to see how good a defense really is. And that is true.

However, I am making the argument that this Sunday’s game against a horrendous offense led by Jason Campbell can also show us how good this defense is.

The Redskins are a bad football team. Plain and simple. They are bad mainly because of their offense, which flat out stinks. Jason Campbell is not a good quarterback. I don’t care what excuse you have for him.

“Well, he has a bad coach.”

“They’ve changed offensive coordinators too many times in his young career.”

“His line is terrible.”

It doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that he has not produced at a high level in the three years he has been the Redskins starter. There is a reason why the Redskins took nine games and a fake punt to score more than 20 points for the first time all season.

There is also a reason why they lost to the Lions and Chiefs.

There is a reason why they almost lost to the Rams two years in a row and barely beat a bad Buccaneer team this year: A bad offense led by a bad quarterback.

If the Cowboys defense has turned the corner (and all signs point to yes) then they will make this Redskins offense look just as putrid, if not more, than it has all season. Hence, this game is a measuring stick.

The Cowboys must make the Redskins look worthless because good defenses make bad offenses look atrocious (see Ravens/Browns Monday Night Football contest).

And it all starts with attacking the quarterback.

Here are Campbell’s overall career stats:

Completion %: 60.9

Yards: 9112

202.5 Yards/Game

6.6 Yards/Attempt

45 TD

31 INT

Rating 81.8

Now these numbers may not look as bad as I am making Campbell out to be. However, understand that since 2007, the Redskins have only eclipsed 30 points 1 time, against Detroit. In fact, Campbell's teams have been held to less than 20 points 23 times in 38 games he started since 2007. I am even throwing out the 5 sub-20 games he had when he first became the starter in 2006.

As Ron Jaworski would say, "The points come out of the passing game", and Campbell simply does not deliver. His good completion %age is due to so many check downs and simple reads he makes. This is further evidenced by his poor 6.6 career Y/A.

The Redskins are a bad offensive team and Campbell is a big part of it. Having athletic players like Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, and Santana Moss should only help him but it hasn't. And now, he is going to be without the former two. Good luck with that.

Now, here are Campbell’s Game Logs versus the Cowboys:

2007 @ DAL

33/54 for 348 yards 2 TD 1 INT 84.5 Rating

2008 @ DAL

20/31 for 231 yards 2 TD 0 INT 108.4 Rating

2008 VS DAL

22/34 for 162 yards 1 TD 1 INT 73.4 Rating

In his three games versus the Cowboys, Campbell has been pretty effective. The 348 yards he had in the 2007 game is his career best. The 108.4 rating he posted in the first of the two 2008 contests is his 4^th highest of his career.

However, there are more disturbing stats. Campbell only had 3 completions of 50+ yards in 2008. The second longest (53) was against Dallas. The other two came against 0-16 Detroit and a very bad Saints defense of 2008. This year he has completed passes of 50+ yards against Detroit and Tampa Bay.

Again, not good company.

This is why I want to see the Cowboys destroy the Redskins and make Campbell look like, well, Campbell.

The Cowboys need not let him get the ball down the field. They need not let him throw a touchdown pass. They need to expose him. They need to hold him to his career 6.6 yards per attempt or even lower than that.

In addition, they need to force him into mistakes.

Campbell has attempted 119 passes against the Cowboys and only thrown 2 interceptions (both to Terence Newman).

The Cowboys need to force more turnovers against this team—they need to beat them up from start to finish. Chris Cooley is out. Portis may not play either. There is no reason for Dallas not to manhandle this offensively challenged rival.

I don’t want to see any fluky touchdown passes to guys like Mike Sellers. I don’t want to see the Redskins get off to an efficient start and be in the game at the half. I want to see a beat down from the opening kickoff.

The Redskins have absolutely nothing on offense. They are garbage and I want to see this Dallas defense beat them to a pulp.

I know Washington will play like it’s the Super Bowl but Dallas has every reason to match their intensity and have their talent overwhelm what very little the Skins have.

I am not just saying this because I hate Washington.

I really believe the Cowboys are that much better than this Skins team. Most especially, I believe the Dallas defense has a tremendous advantage over the Washington offense and I want them to show it from start to finish. No excuses.

This Cowboys defense is overdue to obliterate a bad offensive team for four quarters . They haven’t done so this year in the three games they’ve played bad offenses (Tampa Bay, Carolina, Kansas City).

They will get a chance this Sunday and that’s why this is a good measuring stick for them.

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Dallas Cowboys: Home Field Disadvantage

Lorraine Perla — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:07:24 -0500

Till this moment of NFL season and NFL Power Rankings - Week 11, the Dallas Cowboys are 3-0 ATS at home since Week Three but with success comes a price.

Now as Dallas (-12.5) prepares for Washington handicappers are left to ponder: home field advantage, or being taken advantage of?

Several NFL teams have built new “homes” in the past few years and along with exciting their fan base and boosting revenues, the goal was to help the team win.

It seems that the Dallas has nailed a winner in all three areas but as Dallas prepares for its Week 11 match up vs. Washington, handicappers need to consider if the standard home value is now more of a disadvantage.

Ever since a Week Two loss to the New York Giants, the Cowboys have played three games on home turf. A 20-point win over Carolina in Week Three, the 16-point triumph against the then 4-1 Atlanta Falcons in Week Seven, and most recently a convincing 38-17 walk-away victory vs. the Seattle Seahawks.

Dallas was favored in all three contests, but even after subtracting the point spread from the margin of victory, bettors are left with an additional 11.3 points per game. For this week’s game vs. the Redskins sports books were asking for at least 12 points on a Cowboy wager and it has already began the hike towards 13.

Is it overpriced, or has the success at new Cowboys Stadium demanded the double-digit deal? We looked at the two NFL teams that have opened the gates to a new field in the past two seasons.

Indianapolis Colts – Lucas Oil Stadium, 2008: Indy officially opened play in its new stadium in Week One and looked out of sync right from the get-go. The visiting Chicago Bears controlled the clock, scored on a turnover and took advantage of the situation, handing a Colts team that had won five-straight season openers a 29-13 defeat.

Indy lost its second game, too, before finally notching a straight-up win against Baltimore in Week Six that led to a winning streak which is still intact to this day – 11 games later! Indy is 4-7 ATS in that span.

Arizona Cardinals – University of Phoenix Stadium, 2007: Arizona took a little longer than Indy or Dallas getting cozy in the new confines but once they did the Cards put together a string of performances that took them within four points of a Super Bowl. Beginning with a 27-21 SU/ATS win vs. Cleveland in Week 13, 2007 the Cards went on a 9-2 SU tear right through the 2008 season. Arizona was 7-4 ATS for that stretch but in 2009 are just 2-3 ATS at home.

Dallas hosts Washington, Oakland and San Diego in its next three home games and will likely be favored by more than a touchdown in all three. The Cowboys were 4-4 ATS in 2008 at home and are already just one away from matching that win total.

If you haven’t cashed on the current three-game ATS run of victories it may not be too late but don’t think for a second that bookmakers aren’t wise to these trends as well. As much as Dallas likes winning big, head coach Wade Phillips knows he only needs to win by one.

The Redskins are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings vs. Dallas and the underdog is 20-7 ATS in the past 27 games between these two overall.

For a complete betting report on this and every Week 11 NFL match up take a look at the "Betting Stats" drop down under "NFL" along the BetRepublic toolbar. Trends, power rating plays, injury reports, and ATS records to cover every angle.

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Cowboys Injury Report Nov. 17

Derek Major — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:01:14 -0500

The Cowboys came into Green Bay the healthiest team in the league, but the injury bug finally bit the Cowboys.

Offensive lineman Marc Colombo broke his left fibula in the second series for the Cowboys offense. Owner Jerry Jones said that Colombo is out for the season, but the Cowboys haven't put him on injured reserve yet, hoping that he can be ready in case the Cowboys go on a deep playoff run.

Wade Phillips hasn't said who will take Colombo's place but did say that Doug Free was "fine" in Colombo's place during the game.

Safety Ken Hamlin suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday's game and will be out two to four weeks. Rookie Mike Hamlin has been activated, but it'll be either Pat Watkins or Alan Ball (who took over at Hamlin's spot after he left the game) who starts in Ken Hamlin's place.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins bruised his forearm during Sunday's game and came out twice because of the injury but said that he won't miss any of Sunday's game. Coach Phillips said the same thing about him, Andre Gurode (ankle), and Kyle Kosier (ankle).

Placekicker David Buehler hurt the pinkie toe on his kicking foot when he was stepped on after blocking on a punt return, and he doesn't know if he'll be able to kick off this weekend. His 17 touchbacks are a big reason the Cowboys haven't allowed a return TD this season.

Running back Marion Barber was limited in Sunday's game because his broken thumb caused him a lot of trouble pass blocking. Linebacker Bradie James suffered a stinger and cornerback Terence Newman was stepped on. All are expected to play this weekend.

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Dallas Cowboys: Just Run the Ball, Stupid

Chad Hensley — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:55:38 -0500

And when I say "Stupid", I mean Jason Garrett.

A week after calling one of the best games since he became the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator, the "Red Headed Jesus" called one of his worst.

Fans and media can blame the players and referees all they want. This one lays squarely on the back of the "head coach in waiting".

Yikes, that is scary to even think about.

A Little History

It's been about a year since I wrote the first of many articles on his incompetence as an offensive coordinator, and really nothing has changed.

I thought that last week's Eagles game was the big turn-around that the Cowboys and their fans have been hoping for in Garrett's gameplans and play calling.

For the first time in a really long time, the Cowboys had a protection scheme and incredible play calling against a team that had a great secondary and blitzed like crazy.

Garrett wasn't able to run the ball against the Eagles because of the defensive scheme, but he used the jailbreak screen, and other screens that took the place of the Cowboys running the ball.

Garrett was the architect behind that victory over the Eagles, and deserves much of the credit. This past Sunday—a week after that Eagles game—the Cowboys laid an egg to the Green Bay Packers. Garrett deserves almost all of the blame.

Just run the ball

Fans and media like to point to quarterback Tony Romo for the Cowboys not having success in December and in the playoffs, but what everyone seems to forget is that unless you have Payton Manning or Tom Brady, you better establish the run.

Many believe that the Cowboys have established the running game this year because of the 130 yards per game average on the ground. Unfortunately, that just isn't true.

Despite averaging 5.1 yards per carry, the Cowboys remain a pass-first offense.

The Cowboys rush the ball 25.6 times per game, good for 24th in the NFL.

Against the Packers, the Cowboys rushed the ball 14 times. Tony Romo had the same amount of rushes as Felix Jones and Tashard Choice—three .

That means Garrett called 11 rushing plays—give or take a couple, because of audibles by Romo.

The first three rushing attempts went for 13, seven, and five yards. There were only three more attempts the rest of the half, and eight more the rest of the game.

Even if the Cowboys would have gotten 10 yards-per-rush on all 11 attempts, that isn't "establishing the run".

On Sunday, the Packers realized the Cowboys weren't going to run the ball, pinned their ears back, and basically set up camp in the Cowboys backfield.

What happened to the great protection scheme?

Against the Eagles, Garrett called a great game against their blitz-happy defense.

When the Packers decided they were going to blitz on almost every play, Garrett completely forgot what he did in the week prior.

After the first drive or so, there were no short drops for Romo, no quick slants to the wide receivers, and there were very few screens.

And when they did decide to call the jailbreak screen to receiver Kevin Ogletree, that worked so well against the Eagles, it was in the exact same sitiuation—3rd-and-long.

Does Garrett not realize that the Packers probably had film from the Eagles game?

How much more predictable can an NFL offensive coordinator be?

What can Garrett do?

The Cowboys are built as well as any team in the NFL to run the ball effectively.

They have one of the largest offensive lines, the best trio of running backs in the NFL, and great blocking tight ends and wide receivers. That's why they have a 5.1 yards-per-rush average.

What they really need to do is "establish the run".

Establishing the run means that the defense believes and respects that you may run the ball at any time.

Contrary to popular belief, getting one and two yard gains early in the game isn't terrible. Those small gains turn into much larger gains in the 4th-quarter as the defense wears down, and it also opens up play action.

Opening up play action is good both from the protection standpoint and getting the linebackers and secondary to bite on the fake, creating separation for the receivers.

Like establishing the run, an effective protection scheme should be a staple of the Cowboys offense.

The offensive line is starting to get banged up, and unless Garrett wants to see Romo get hurt, he should limit the amount of plays that Romo must wait to develop. When the defense blitzes, there should always be an outlet, whether it be a running back in the flat, or the receivers breaking off their routes.

I also believe it is time to let Felix Jones and Tashard Choice begin games and let Marion Barber III end them. Let Barber return to the role in which he was a Pro Bowler, and let the young guys establish the running game early.

With a home game against Washington Redskins and another over Thanksgiving with the Oakland Raiders, there is no time like the present to do these things.

If Garrett and the Cowboys can't establish the run and protect Tony Romo against these two teams, fans might as well start looking to 2010.

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Oklahoma State Trivia

Stuart Whitehair — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:41:21 -0500

Oklahoma State Trivia

- Oklahoma State opened the 2009 season tied with Penn State for ninth in the preseason poll. The top ten preseason ranking was the first in school history, with the best previous preseason ranking coming in 1985, when the Cowboys started the season 16^th (that season, OSU finished 8-4 and unranked).

- Oklahoma State rose as high as sixth in the polls in 2008, the highest ranking for the Cowboys since 1985. After opening 7-0, though, OSU lost to Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma to finish fourth in the Big 12 South. The Cowboys did finish off a 9-4 season with top 10 rankings in scoring offense, total offense, and rushing offense.

- Living in the shadow of their more famous and successful rivals from Norman has to be tough on the proud Cowboy fans. While Oklahoma has won seven national championships, Oklahoma State has never finished higher than fifth in the nation, and that was in 1945. As then head coach Jimmy Johnson lamented in 1981, “When you’re at Notre Dame or Alabama, as soon as you win one game, people say you’re great. At Oklahoma State, it takes six wins before anyone notices.”

- Oklahoma State was a charter member of the Southwest Conference in 1915. OSU left, however, in 1925, to join the Missouri Valley Conference, where the Cowboys remained until 1957. After a few seasons as an independent, Oklahoma State joined the Big Seven to form the Big Eight in 1960. The Cowboys were not met with kindness, though, as OSU failed to post a winning record in any of its first 12 seasons in the Big Eight. In 1996, Oklahoma State became a member of the newly formed Big 12 Conference.

- Oklahoma State was originally Oklahoma A&M, so, not surprisingly, the first nickname for OSU teams was the Aggies (or, more precisely, the “Agriculturalists”). For a brief period in the 1920’s, the Aggies were renamed the Tigers, with the school nickname (and school colors) taken from Princeton. The team kept the Princeton colors, but adopted the Cowboy nickname in 1924.

- The Bedlam series with Oklahoma has been dominated by the Sooners, with Oklahoma carrying a series “edge” of 78-17-7. The Cowboys have made the best of some of their wins, however. In 1976, 2001, and 2002, Oklahoma came into the rivalry game with a top five ranking. On each of those occasions, the Sooners were upset by unranked Cowboy squads. (The CU/OSU series record: 26-17-1, CU. In six Big 12 games, CU is 4-2 against OSU, with 2-1 records in both Boulder and Stillwater).

- Thurman Thomas paved the way, but it was Barry Sanders who won the one and only major college football award for OSU, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1988. In ‘88, Sanders rushed for 2,628 yards and 39 touchdowns, both NCAA records. The Cowboys wrapped up a 10-2 season in 1988 with a 62-14 rout of the Wyoming Cowboys in the Holiday Bowl (Brad and I were there, taking the trip down to San Diego after attending the CU/BYU Freedom Bowl in Anaheim). That season, OSU finished with a No. 11 ranking in the AP poll.

- Famous alumni – football – Thurman Thomas (NFL Hall-of-Fame), Barry Sanders (Heisman trophy winner, NFL Hall-of-Fame), Leslie O’Neal, Hart Lee Dykes, Dexter Manley.

- Famous alumni – other - Garth Brooks, T. Boone Pickens, Chester Gould (creator of “Dick Tracy”).

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Is Wade Phillips The Head Coach Of The Dallas Cowboys? Does It Matter?

Gene Strother — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:02:34 -0500

"Everything rises and falls on leadership."

I do not know who first said that. I first heard it from a preacher named Lee Roberson, back in the '70s. Then, John Maxwell popularized it in more recent memory. Whoever said it, said it right.

All you can really add to it is, "Amen."

The Dallas Cowboys are a team in desperate need of a leader. Plenty of players have emerged as positive locker room and field leaders, not the least of which is Keith Brooking. But the dearth of leadership on the sideline is ominous and distressing to the Cowboys faithful.

Last weekend, before the Green Bay game, my wife and I went to dinner with her parents. For my father-in-law and me, the subject turned, as it often does, to the Dallas Cowboys. We were talking about this very subject: the dreadful state of the head coaching position.

Coming off that huge win in Philly, my father-in-law was optimistic and hopeful.

"You know, Gene," he said, "They don't really have a head coach. They have an offensive and a defensive coordinator."

I said that they do have a head coach. His name is Jerry.

He agreed.

He said he thought the team was mature enough and had enough team leaders to compensate for Wade Phillips' lack of leadership. I said I hoped he was right, but I rather doubted it.

After Sunday's debacle, he called and said, "I was wrong."

Now, I do think he is right about being wrong. But I wish he wasn't.

All of this got me thinking. I wondered who were the worst coaches ever to win a Super Bowl? I thought I would list the five worst Super Bowl winning coaches of all time.

That is a tough assignment. I only came up with two candidates I felt worthy to fill the five slots. But I will fill them anyway.

Don McCafferty won Super Bowl V with the Baltimore Colts. He only served as a head coach in the league for four years, posting a 28-17-2 record (a .600 winning percentage). Baltimore fired him five games into the 1972 season, just two years after he won his ring. His team was 1-4 at the time of his firing.

Barry Switzer is number two on my list, but could get serious consideration for number one. The legendary coach of the Oklahoma Sooners may have proved Jerry Jones right when Jones said, "Any of 500 coaches could have won a Super Bowl with this team."

Jones said that as he was firing Jimmy Johnson. Barry won Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys. He was fired by Jones two years later, after his team went 6-10. Switzer's record as a head coach: 40-24 (a .630 winning percentage).

Brian Billick coached the Baltimore Ravens from 1999 - 2007. He posted four winning seasons and won Super Bowl XXXV. He also built one of the league's all-time best defenses, with more than a little help from one Ray Lewis. He had a record of 80-64 (a .560 winning percentage).

Mike Ditka posted a winning record in seven of his 14 years as a head coach. His Chicago Bears destroyed New England in Super Bowl XX, 46-10 on the strength of one of the greatest defenses ever to take an NFL field. Ditka's record as a head coach was 121-95 (a .560 winning percentage).

Jon Gruden won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 11 years coaching the Raiders and Bucs, he posted a 95-81 record.

As you can see, even a list of the "weakest" Super Bowl-winning coaches gets pretty strong after you get past those first two slots. I doubt many would call Billick, Ditka, or Gruden "bad" head coaches.

So how does Phillips measure up? Through the 2009 season, he had posted a 76-52 regular season record (a .594 winning percentage). The rub comes, however, in the post-season, where he is 0-4.

The problem with Wade Phillips is not his regular season coaching record. The problem is his laissez-faire approach to leadership. The problem is his penchant for over-celebrating minor victories and down-playing major losses. The problem is his tendency to become defensive, when he should become determined. The problem is that he is not now, nor has he ever been, the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

I just don't see any way for that not to matter.

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Dallas Cowboys: Fans, Step Away From The Ledge

Phillip Brennan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:24:33 -0500

The feeling of impending doom hit me pretty early in the Cowboy 17-7 loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.

Right when Nick Folk missed that 38-yard field goal on the Cowboys' first drive was when I felt the lug nuts start loosening on the wheels.

Only when Felix failed to recover that fumble in the fourth quarter did the wheels officially come off.

They were clearly beaten, bruised and battered by a Packers team that had its season on the brink.

Funny thing was, five minutes after the game, I was over it.

The Cowboys got beat by a team that had a better defensive scheme, playing on their field, against a team with their back against the wall.

This wasn't the 44-6, heartless, playoffs-on-the-line, rotten egg, the Cowboys laid last year against the Eagles.

No, the team, specifically the defense, gave a great effort in shutting down the Packs' aerial attack for most of the afternoon.

Like most losses, you can lay blame on a lot of things.

The team got some poor performances from a few players. They lost the turnover battle and faced some inexplicably bad refereeing. Sprinkled in a few injuries and the Cowboys' penchant for stupid penalties and you have your classic recipe for a loss.

The team didn't fold up though; they simply got beat by the better team, today .

I can live with that.

Let me point something out to you. No Cowboy team which has won a Super Bowl has ever gone undefeated. Even more clearly, the teams that did win the Super Bowl all had multiple losses during the regular season.

1971 - SB VI - (11-3) regular season record
1977 - SB XII - (12-2)
1992 - SB XVII - (13-3)
1993 - SB XVIII - (12-4)
1996 - SB XXX - (12-4)

So what is my point?

The point is, even these past Super Bowl winners faced defeat on more than one occasion on their way to adding a Lombardi to the trophy case.

They all lost games they undoubtedly thought they should have won. They all felt doom, gloom and despair after dropping a game.

Every loss is ugly; there is no way to get around it. But, perspective is in order.

Are the Cowboys a Super Bowl quality team? That remains to be seen.

Let the season take its course and revisit it when the season is at least closer to its completion.

The Cowboys face a new challenge; how will they react coming off a loss after playing so well previously?

I'm the farthest thing from a homer with rose-colored glasses, but I feel like they will lick their wounds and move forward in righting the ship next week at home against the Redskins.

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Cowboys-Packers: Roy Williams Fumble, Dropped Pass Kill Offense in 17-7 Loss

Derek Major — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:47:59 -0500

The Cowboys' high-scoring offense was grounded yesterday, and the defense held the Packers for three quarters, but finally broke in the fourth as the Packers won 17-7.

Tony Romo racked up a lot of passing yards, but little else (24-of-39, 251 yards, one TD, one interception, and two fumbles), as again and again the Cowboys couldn't convert on third downs (3-for-12), and penalties (10 for 67 yards) killed every drive.

Romo was also under constant pressure, as he was sacked five times, especially after offensive lineman Marc Colombo broke his left fibula. Colombo could be out for the season.

The Cowboys' running game was nonexistent, as they ran just 14 times as a team, even though they were down just three points going into the fourth quarter. Marion Barber had five carries for 26 yards, Tashard Jones had three carries for 13 yards, and Felix Jones also had three carries for just six yards.

The receiving corps didn't do much, either. Miles Austin was silenced yesterday (four catches, 20 yards). Jason Witten had a decent game (five catches, 47 yards), but didn't get many yards after his catches, and Patrick Crayton had four catches for 52 yards.

Roy Williams was another story.

Williams had five catches for 105 yards, but his fumble after a 41-yard catch, which led to a Packers field goal just before the half, changed the momentum of the game.

In the second half, on a 2nd-and-13, Romo threw a pass to a wide-open Williams that would've put the Cowboys in Packers territory, but Williams dropped the pass, and the drive was stalled after an offensive pass interference penalty on third down.

"The fumble, it's on me," Williams said after the game. "The one in the lights, that's on me, but if the lights weren't there that's a caught ball."

"I'm going to account for that. I lost this game for this football team. That's the way I feel."

The Cowboys' defense did all they could to keep the game close. Aaron Rodgers (25-of-36, 189 yards, and one TD) was sacked four times, twice by DeMarcus Ware, and the Packers couldn't sustain a drive in the first half until their field goal just before halftime.

Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick, and Mike Jenkins, who came out of the game with a forearm injury, held the Packers' receivers in check for the first three quarters. However, the Cowboys had the ball for just four minutes in the third; the defense was on the field for the other 11, and that killed them.

After Rodgers had a one-yard TD run, Romo fumbled just two plays into the next drive after he was sacked on a blown blocking assignment. Jones appeared to land on the ball and was down by contact, but the Packers pulled the ball out and recovered it, and Wade Phillips was told he couldn't challenge because possession can't be challenged on a fumble.

That gave the Packers the ball on the Dallas three-yard line, and Spencer Havner caught a two-yard pass for a TD, making it 17-0.

This loss makes the next two weeks very important for the Cowboys, as their next two games are at home against the Redskins and Raiders. The Redskins beat the Broncos on Sunday, a team the Cowboys lost to earlier this season, so that'll be a test for them. Then they have only three days' rest before their Thanksgiving matchup against the Raiders.

The Cowboys had a chance to really turn the corner with this win, but once again they bought into the hype and paid the price for it.

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Marc Columbo: Injury Not Looking Good

James Williamson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:02:10 -0500

Not only did the Cowboys lose to the Packers this past Sunday, but they lost some players as well.

Starting right tackle, Marc Columbo, is most likely out for the season with a broken fibula on his left leg after severe contact with a Packer defender.

Columbo, up to that point, had not missed a start for the Cowboys and really was playing great. Last year, Dr. Z, the well-respected Sports Illustrated writer put Marc Columbo on his All-Pro team.

Columbo was recently signed to a long extension and he is obviously very upset with the setback.

After Columbo was lost, Dallas proceeded to allow a season high five sacks. Columbo was more than the right tackle, but also the emotional leader with a voice of a sailor. I listened to Marc Columbo on tape and he had a mouth nastier than rotten anchovy paste.

Columbo came to the Cowboys from the Bears after knee injuries shortened his time there. However, he came in 2006 and he earned his starting job in training camp and he did not stop starting, till now.

Tackle Doug Free came in to replace Columbo, and hopefully he will start gelling with the remaining four lineman so that they can get back to the dominant form they had at the beginning of the year.

Now, a broken leg bone, typically means "out for the season." But, according to Wade Phillips, Columbo may not be on injured reserve, and has a chance of returning.

Injured reserve is for players that are severely injured, most likely out for the current season. So, even if he should get healthy enough later on during the year to play, he cannot play.

Injured reserve is separate from the 53 man roster. It's inteded for those dire moments when a team is struck by a "series of unfortunate events" and needs to continually have enough men to play.

By putting Columbo on injured reserve, the team will have an extra roster spot open, so they can pick up another player, on the condition that Columbo cannot play at all for the rest of the regular season or postseason as well.

I, however, don’t see Columbo avoiding injured reserve though. We are going into week 11 now and it could take four to five weeks minimum for Columbo to recover. Then, he’s got to be careful coming back from the injury or he could injure it again.

This was the worst thing that could have happened. Dallas has great backups at every position except offensive line and Jerry Jones was concerned about that from the start.

To view the rest, please go here: http://www.nfltouchdown.com/dallas-injury-report-columbo-not-looking-good/

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The NFC East Can't Be This Fraudulent, Can It?

Teddy Mitrosilis — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:14:14 -0500

For a division that perennially defines tough, power football, this year’s version of the NFC East is softer than a feather pillow.

With the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles all playing like they’d rather auction off their potential playoff berth on eBay, there’s no other way to say it.

Maybe we’ve become spoiled with a division that typically gives us three solid football teams that grind each other into pulp well into December before sending at least one legit Super Bowl contender into the playoffs.

But count all of that as irrelevant now.

As we set our sights and stomachs on Thanksgiving, we don’t know what we have in the NFC other than the fact that the New Orleans Saints, at 9-0, are assembling their outfit for their looming date with perfection, and the Minnesota Vikings don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

The Cowboys woke up Sunday leading the East at 6-2, and drawing rave reviews from the masses after going into Philly last week and beating the Eagles.

We thought Tony Romo was finally starting to become the type of quarterback that is capable of leading a Super Bowl contender. He is done with his former costly error-ridden ways, isn’t he?

Miles Austin had emerged as a quality go-to target for Romo, and helped the Cowboys move into the top-10 in passing in the NFL.

Marion Barber is still a tough load to bring down, Jason Witten creates mismatches at tight end, and the Dallas defense uses a daunting pass rush to rank seventh in total defense.

All of that was last week.

Once Dallas walked into Lambeau Field to play the Packers Sunday, they were a different team.

The 'Boys couldn’t run the football. Multiple drives were mitigated by costly holding penalties. When Romo had his chance to pick up the offense, to show that he is indeed for real and determined to leap to the next level of efficient quarterback play, he got choked up. With a 78.0 passer rating, consider the opportunity to make a statement missed.

A touchdown pass to Roy Williams in the final minute was the only thing that kept Dallas from being shutout, but the 17-7 Green Bay victory had already been sealed.

When the game hung in the balance, Romo did what he has become known for. He turned the ball over.

Romo tried to force a throw—not surprising given that Dallas couldn’t muster anything on offense through the first three quarters—Charles Woodson picked Romo off in the end zone and the cheeseheads celebrated.

This was a chance for Dallas to build on their momentum, take a tiny bit of control over the division, and begin formulating a game plan for the Redskins. But a loss to a Green Bay team that can’t protect their quarterback and failed to beat the 1-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week puts Dallas right back on the bottom of the trust totem pole.

Next week's game against Washington—which beat the Broncos Sunday, but is nothing more than a spoiler in their own division—would have been a lock if the Cowboys handled their business at Green Bay.

Now? It’s a trap game, as the Redskins gained some confidence and the wrath of Jerry Jones will be a bit hotter this week.

The Eagles entered Week 10 in second place in the NFC East at 5-3, but you may as well roll dice to determine how they are going to perform from week to week. After beginning the season 4-1 with their only loss coming against the Saints, the Eagles were a popular pick to play deep into January.

Donovan McNabb was back after suffering a cracked rib against Carolina in the season-opener, Brian Westbrook was as healthy as he will ever be, and rookie Jeremy Maclin joined DeSean Jackson to form one of the most potent receiving duos in the league.

Things were looking up for Philly, and any preconceived notions that Michael Vick would be a distraction were proven to be false.

Then came a 13-9 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

Banging on the Eagles after losing to the Raiders is a waste of time. The game was so bad we didn’t need to drill it any deeper; we got the picture. I even wrote it off as a fluke.

And I felt good about that proclamation after the Eagles beat the Redskins the following week and then turned the G-Men into a laundry basket of grass stains and blue welts. The 40-17 shellacking dropped on New York signified Philly’s arrival as NFC heavy hitters.

After the aforementioned loss to Dallas, the Eagles met the Chargers in San Diego this Sunday, and Philip Rivers out-dueled an NFC QB for the second week in a row.

San Diego was favored in the game, and now appears to be gearing up to snatch the AFC West title from Denver, but these spurts of mediocrity don’t blanket championship teams.

Philly has scored the fourth most points in the NFL, and that is without a major contribution from Westbrook. They have a top-10 defense. They should be better than this.

The Giants, enjoying a timely Week 10 bye, are like a drunk man stumbling down Broadway. Sway right, sway left, purge ahead, trip.

New York gets immediate respect because they have a quality coach who is coarser than sand paper, a quarterback in Eli Manning that has already won a Super Bowl, and a defense that lives to draw blood. But perhaps it’s time we scale back that instant respect.

The Giants looked good through the first five weeks of the season, posting a 5-1 record as Manning broke in new receivers such as Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks to help Steve Smith make up for the loss of Plaxico Burress. The problem is, four of those victories came against Washington, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Oakland.

That was the cream puff part of the schedule.

Enter New Orleans, Arizona, Philly, and San Diego, and the Giants have lost four in a row. I assume that New York will come out rejuvenated against Atlanta next week, but assumptions are precisely what got us here in the first place.

The NFC East has far too much talent to play like the NFC West, but at some point we need to see it.

At some point we need to see the Giants get back to pounding the football and winning close games (Bengals, anyone?).

At some point we need to see Romo spend more time in the end zone than eating sod.

At some point we need to see the Eagles open up their offense and utilize the speed they have.

If not, it’s going to be Favre and Brees gliding to the NFC Championship Game and playing for the right to face the AFC’s best in Miami come February.

That would be a phenomenal show, but it will leave us all wondering what could have been.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at tm4000@yahoo.com.

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Twenty Years Of Jerry Jones and His Dallas Cowboys, A Retrospective

Gene Strother — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:45:59 -0500

Jerry Jones and the Way We Were

Can it already be 20 years? Is it really possible that it was two whole decades ago that Jerry Jones informed the disbelieving Dallas Cowboys nation that he would be involved in (and in charge of) everything regarding the team, right down to the "socks and jocks?"

It has not been easy for old school Cowboys fans to accept the brash, swashbuckling, micro-managing owner's ways. This isn't the way we were taught a successful team was built and managed.

Clint Murchison, the beloved and long-since passed original owner of the Cowboys, the man who gave the team life and then entrusted it to the tender loving care of Tex Schramm and Tom Landry, was the antithesis of Jerry Jones. Murchison loved football, obviously, but never fancied himself a football man. Instead, he identified a man with a personality as big as the state after which he was named and a reputation for knowing the game, hired him and gave him the reins.

Schramm immediately went after the young defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, a man known for his steady ways and extraordinary football acumen, a man destined to become one of the NFL's most recognized and recognizable figures, the Fedora-wearing, sharp-dressing, seldom-smiling, franchise cornerstone, Tom Landry.

Together, Murchison, Shcramm, and Landry carved out a legacy. They built what would become one of the NFL's flagship franchises, a team that NFL films would one day dub "America's Team;" and then along came Jones (Of course, there was the Bum Bright interlude, but it is hardly worth remembering, so we will just pretend it wasn't there, for argument's sake).

Jerry Jones and His Coaching Carousel Versus Clint Murchison, Tex Schramm, and Tom Landry

Twenty years is long enough for Jones to have established a legacy. Since Murchison only owned the team four years longer than Jones has at this point, it is not too early or unreasonable to compare eras and try to answer the nagging question: which was better?

Old timers will answer without reading another word, "Of course the Murchison years were better! Jones is a total idiot. He couldn't carry Murchison's jock strap."

The kids will say, "Who the heck is Murchison? When were the Cowboys great? They haven't won a playoff game since I was like five or six, they suck, man."

The thirty-something crowd will say, "Three Super Bowl Rings, homes! Jones wins, hands down, even if he is an idiot."

Inside the Numbers

But what do the facts say? If we compare the two eras side by side, how does one measure up against the other.

Glad you asked.

I have compiled some data for your consideration. We will look at winning percentages, playoff appearances, Conference championship appearances, Super Bowl appearances, and Super Bowl wins.

Winning Percentages: Each regime got off to a slow start. The Murchison era because it was an expansion franchise with little on-field talent and the Jones era because it was an aging team in decline when he bought it and subsequently blew it up to essentially start from scratch.
- The Murchison Record: 223-126-6. That is a winning percentage of 64 percent.
- The Jones Record: 179-149-0. Winning percentage of 55 percent
- Edge: Murchison by a healthy nine percentage points.
Playoff Appearances:
- Murchison, Schramm, and Landry: 17 playoff appearances in 25 years (68 percent of the time), including one streak of eight consecutive years (1966-1973) and another of nine straight years (1975-1983). Those streaks were only separated by one aberrant season, meaning they made the post-season 17 times in 18 years.
- Jones and Company: Eleven playoff appearances in 21 seasons (53%), including a streak of six consecutive years (1991-1996) and eight times in nine years.
- Edge: Murchison, Schramm and Landry (and not even close.)
Conference Championships:
- Murchison (Old School): Landry's teams appeared in a whopping 12 conference championship games in those first 25 years, winning five of them (42%).
- Jones (Old Fool): Jones' teams (most would correct this to Jimmy Johnson's teams) made four consecutive conference title games, from 1992 to 1995. They won three of the four (75%).
- Edge: Murchison for the sheer numbers, but Jones' teams had an incredible success rate in the big games, so that narrows the gap some, but not enough to give Jones the nod.
Super Bowl appearances:
- M-L-S: Five Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s.
- JJ: Three Super Bowl trips in the 1990s.
- Edge: Murchison, et al.
Super Bowl wins:
- Murchison, Schramm, and Landry won two of their five Super Bowls (40%)
- Jones, Johnson, and Switzer won all three of theirs. (That is 100%, if you are keeping score.)
- Edge: Jones and Company.

So, out of five major categories, Murchison and the dream management team he assembled win four of them. Jones, many might argue, more than redeems himself with three Lombardi Trophies in four years and that is a valid consideration. However, the current 12 year drought without a playoff victory would seem to dilute that argument just a little.

Outside the Numbers

When you consider intangibles, such as structure and stability, the scale tilts even more in favor of the Murchison team. For its first 28 years, the Dallas Cowboys had one coach and that coach led them to 12 conference title games and five Super Bowl appearances. In Jones' first 21 seasons, the team has plowed through five head coaches and is now on its sixth.

On the business side, Jones may be peerless in the NFL. He took one of the great sports brands and built it into a franchise which Forbes Magazine has valued at somewhere around 1.5 billion and rates them the number one professional sports franchise in the world.

Confusion of Biblical Proportions

When I think of Jerry Jones and how confusing it can be to determine whether he is one of the best or one of the worst owners in the NFL, I am reminded of a story in the Old Testament, in the book of Ezra. Zerubbabel led a group to rebuild the temple, which had lain in ruins for many years. When it was done, there was a celebration.

Ezra 3:11-13 describes the scene. It tells us that the young men were shouting for joy while the old men, the ones who remembered the glory of Solomon's temple, wept. The shouting and the weeping mingled together, so that you could not distinguish one from the other.

That is kind of how it feels to be a Cowboys' fan. You shout for the joy of those unforgettable, magnificent teams of the 90s, but you weep for the glory of the past, a glory that may never be duplicated or restored.

Twenty years of Jerry Jones and I still don't know whether to laugh or cry.

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Liver's 2009 NFL Week Ten Picks

Adnan Tezer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:48:14 -0500

Just to let all of my faithful constituents know; the Liver picks for the rest of the season will be coming in either late Fridays, or early Saturdays. The picks have been good this year, but even the Liver needs a third job in this shitty California economy.

I suppose I can KIND OF understand where the NFL got off fining Ochocinco for his attempted "bribe" of an official with a $1 bill over the weekend, but $20,000? And Tommie Harris only gets fined $7,500 for punching Cardinals offensive lineman Deuce Lutui last weekend? Great double standard there Roger Goodell and Ray Anderson.

Of course, it goes without saying that the following picks AGAINST THE SPREAD are for RECREATIONAL USE ONLY . Only Rick Pitino, LeGarrette Blount, Donte’ Stallworth, Braylon Edwards, Bob Griese, Miguel Cabrera, Tila Tequila, Steve Phillips, Travis Henry, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, Tony Romo, Elizabeth Lambert, Richard Heene (a.k.a. Balloon Boy’s father), the Liver’s biological father (a.k.a. The Most Interesting Man in the World), and all Somali Pirates would be drunk enough to question the Esteemed Liver's picks.

Last week’s record: 10-3

2009 record against the spread: 81-47-1 (.627)

Sunday, November 15

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (minus-7)

Yes, the Steelers looked dominant against a Broncos team that we can all say now has been exposed by bullish defenses that smack them around, and jam their receivers while laying back and saying, “Please throw on us Kyle Orton.” This Bengals team also beat the Steelers earlier in the season. Yes, I know there was no Troy Polamalu, and he clearly makes a difference on that defense.

Bengals win this game, and they are in total control of the AFC North, and 4-0 against the Steelers and Ravens. If the Cedric Benson that’s shown up this season continues his play here, the Bengals will be in position to win, granted they don’t play into the hands of this Steelers defense.

Hard to bet against the Steelers winning a game like this at home, but I think the Bengals keep this one under the seven. Meanwhile, watch as Ochocinco whips out a rare $2 bill while blowing his nose on the sideline, and gets fined $40,000 next week.

Pick: Cincinnati

Denver at Washington (plus-3.5)

The love affair is over for Denver, as has been demonstrated over the last two weeks. Punch them in the mouth and dare Kyle Orton to throw on you. And the Cowboys lost to THAT TEAM ? Meanwhile, Washington’s season goes from bad to worse as Redskins fans demand Daniel Snyder’s head on a stick.

Pick: Denver

Buffalo at Tennessee (minus-7)

Not a pretty game to watch, but Vince Young is back and that means the Titans are competitive and more often then not, will have a chance to win. He doesn’t have great numbers, but he wins more then he loses.

Pick: Tennessee

Atlanta at Carolina (plus-1.5)

Carolina has been running the ball well, yet still pissed away a win against the Saints last weekend. If Jake Delhomme can take care of the ball, they can put a scare into some teams. Atlanta needs to get on a win streak if they hope to get a wild card spot. Michael Turner needs to keep running the ball well for Matt Ryan to cut down on his picks.

Pick: Atlanta

Detroit at Minnesota (minus-16.5)

Damn that’s a lot of points, but have you seen Matt Stafford lately?

Pick: Minnesota

Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets (minus-7)

So Jacksonville is 4-4? Go figure. The Jets come off their bye and need to get back to their early season form when their defense was mauling people. That defense, however, is beat up, and may have peaked a little early.

Pick: Jacksonville

Tampa Bay at Miami (minus-9.5)

Thank you very F***ING much Tampa for ruining my weekend. True, I only lost three games last weekend, but that Tampa Bay/Green Bay game was a lock dammit! Now I suppose we should call him the great Josh Freeman?

Miami played well against the Patriots, but lost to the better team. They’re not a bad team despite the 3-5 record. Bottom line is, Miami runs the ball extremely well and Tampa Bay couldn’t stop (insert name of any dead relative, or celebrity you like here).

Pick: Miami

New Orleans at St. Louis (plus-13.5)

Just what I love to see; another insanely high line. Just call me Mr. Chalk this weekend.

Pick: New Orleans

Kansas City at Oakland (minus-2)

Not even the fans of these teams want to watch this crap. And Oakland is favored? This could quite possibly the worst game played in the NFL this season until Week 16 when Oakland plays Cleveland.

When describing how I felt about picking the Thursday night “thriller” between Chicago and San Francisco, I used the words of Sheriff Kimbel in Young Guns II when asked to go after Billy the Kid, "I'd rather drink turpentine and piss on a brushfire.” It goes DOUBLE here. I HATE PICKING THIS GAME .

Pick: Kansas City

Philadelphia at San Diego (minus-1)

After last week’s Sunday night game, I think Andy Reid made Wade Phillips look like a Rhodes Scholar when it came to clock management and challenges. Now I know why so many Filthy fans are convinced they’ll never win a Super Bowl with him as head coach. San Diego can score with anyone in the league right now, and their defense made some key stops last week against the Giants.

Pick: San Diego

Dallas at Green Bay (plus-3)

This is an excellent opportunity, as is the rest of the month for the Cowboys to put some real distance between them, and the Eagles in the NFC East race. This is the season for the Packers. I just don’t think they are a good team, which last week’s loss to Tampa Bay made painfully clear. Their offensive line sucks, Aaron Rodgers gives up too many bad sacks, and their defense can’t contain anyone good. Aaron Kampman is also probably out with a concussion. There’s simply no excuse for the Cowboys not to be 9-2 at the end of this month with Washington and Oakland waiting.

Pick: Dallas

Seattle at Arizona (minus-9)

Why is it Arizona plays better on the road then at home? If they can’t beat this sad sack of a Seattle team, they don’t deserve to win that shitty NFC West division. Wait a minute; come to think of it, NO ONE DESERVES TO WIN THAT SHITTY DIVISION .

Pick: Arizona

New England at Indianapolis (-3)

Yeah, this might be an important game to watch. Outside of Steelers-Bengals, this is the game to watch this Sunday. The best test for either of these teams so far this year with the winner likely rolling to the AFC Championship. I just think the Patriots are the healthier, better team right now.

The Colts are banged up, especially in the secondary, and it showed against the Texans last week. If any team is going to exploit their injuries, it has to be the Patriots. Then again, Peyton Manning doesn’t lose often in night games. Another tough call here.

Pick: New England

Monday, November 16

Baltimore at Cleveland (+10 ½)

Couldn’t ESPN rerun an old NFL Draft instead of this? They might actually get some people to watch. I think it’s safe to say that this Browns team has completely revolted against Eric Mangini, AND HE’S HALFWAY THROUGH HIS FIRST SEASON . Anyone want to take odds he’s fired after the Browns season finale? God I can't wait for that Oakland/Cleveland thriller in Week 16.

Pick: Baltimore

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Following The Yankees' Lead, Dallas Cowboys Could Be On The Verge

Stephen Clay — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:15:10 -0500

Cowboy fans, can this really be the year?

I'm not going to totally jump the gun on how far the Dallas Cowboys will go this season. In recent years, the team has looked strong in stretches but have faltered at year's end before flaming out in the playoffs, assuming they got there.

Racing to a fast 6-2 record with winnable games coming up against Green Bay, Washington and Oakland, the Boys could be looking at a six game winning streak heading into the home stretch. December has been a disaster for quarterback Tony Romo, but so far he has performed at a surprisingly high level, with better focus without feeling the pressure from Terrell Owens to throw him the damn ball.

Can this really be the year?

If there is any possible way to hold out hope that this is the year, then look no further than this year's version of the New York Yankees. Similarities between the Bronx Bombers and America's Team are eerie:

both opened up new facilities this year
both have maligned superstars who have suffered from past big game or playoff failures (Romo, Alex Rodriguez)
both teams are the most popular in their respective leagues with storied traditions
both have been without a world championship for a prolonged period

The Yankees overcame many of the areas that have held them back in past years, culminating into a World Series win over the Philadelphia Phillies. December and the probable playoffs will be the Cowboys moment of truth.

Looking Beyond November

Dallas will have a formidable task ahead of them to overcome their past.

Dec. 6th is a road game against the New York Giants. While the Giants have slipped in recent weeks, they will still provide a stiff challenge, especially in cold weather.

Dec. 13th, the San Diego Chargers visit Texas Stadium. The Chargers are expected to be playing for the AFC West and will play the game with urgency. With Phillip Rivers at quarterback and the trio of towers at receiver (Antonio Gates 6'4", Vincent Jackson 6'5", and Malcolm Floyd 6'5") the passing attack will be a tough one for Dallas' defense to contain.

Dec. 19th is back on the road, this time in the Superdome to play the New Orleans Saints. The Saints quite possibly has the most prolific passing attack since the "Greatest Show on Turf" teams in St. Louis a decade ago. Considering, chances are the NFC Championship will have to go through New Orleans, this will truly be a statement game for both teams.

Dec. 27th, at Washington Redskins. Who knows what kind of shape the Redskins will be in? But one thing you about the Redskins, they will want to knock off their rival regardless of the records.

The season finale, Jan. 3rd against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. The Eagles will be expected to be in the hunt for a playoff spot and will want to get revenge for the Nov. 8th loss at home to the Cowboys.

Dallas should be able to win at least three of their final five games. If not, it could be business as usual and the possibility of even missing the playoffs. But we won't think that way, will we Cowboy fans?

Think Yankees. Think Yankees. Think Yankees.

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Week 10: Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers

Derek Major — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:12:00 -0500

The Dallas Cowboys head into Green Bay to play their first game in sole Possession of the NFC East.

The Packers will have their high-powered offense tested this week by the Cowboys' aggressive pass rush, and run defense.

Aaron Rodgers is having a fine season at quarterback (164-260, 2255 yards, 16 TD's, five interceptions), but his offensive line is having trouble keeping Rodgers upright as he's been sacked 37 times this season. The Packers' line will have their work cut out for them with DeMarcus Ware and company blitzing relentlessly during the game.

The Packers have great receivers on their team. When Rodgers has time to throw he loves to distribute the ball. Eight players have at least 100 yards receiving on the season.

Donald Driver has been their most consistent receiver for years and this season is no different (37 catches, 613 yards, and four TD's). Greg Jennings is also having a solid season with 34 catches for 498 yards and two TD's.

The Packers' running game has done its part to take the pressure off Rodgers. Ryan Grant has 149 carries for 621 yards and four TD's, but they've had trouble finding consistency in Grant's backup.

Rodgers is second on the team in carries, yards and TD's. Ahman Green was signed two weeks ago but has only eight carries since returning to the team.

The Packers have a great 3-4 defense that ranks ninth in rushing YPG and fourth in passing YPG. However, there's a good chance the Packers will miss their best pass rusher in Aaron Kampman, who hasn't practiced all week after suffering a concussion last week.

Defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who leads the team in sacks with three-and-a-half was also limited in practice on Wednesday and is questionable for the game Sunday.

That could leave linebackers Nick Barnett, A.J Hawk, and Brandon Chillar, who have a combined three sacks with no one to pressure the QB except Clay Matthews, who has three. Barnett (51), Hawk (43), and Chillar (36) are in the top four in tackles on the Packers, however, and have adapted well to their new defense.

In the secondary, Charles Woodson was also limited in practice but is probable for Sunday's game. Al Harris will play opposite Woodson, but they haven't been effective against the Cowboys in the last two years—giving up an average of 284.5 yards passing.

Atari Bigby and Nick Collins are good safeties who aren't afraid to come up and make plays in the run game.

However, they gave up 205 yards passing and three TD's to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend—a team whose QB started his first career game.

The Bucs are averaging 177 YPG passing, and even after last week's game, still have more interceptions (12) than passing TD's (11). That's not a good sign with the Cowboys being sixth in the NFL in passing.

The Cowboys bring their third ranked offense into Green Bay and they'll be looking to score. Tony Romo has been great since Week Five, putting together four solid games, and tries to continue that streak on Sunday.

He'll look to Miles Austin who has had two great games against the Packers. Two years ago Austin drew two huge pass interference penalties that led to TDs in the Cowboys' 37-27 win. Last season, Austin had two catches for 115 yards and a TD in the Cowboys' 27-16 win.

Roy Williams will also look to build on his performance from last week where he had five catches for 75 yards. Jason Witten will also be Romo's reliable safe target.

Smash, Dash, and Tash will be a huge part of this game. With the Packers 3-4 defense the Cowboys won't want to get one dimensional, and using all three backs will be beneficial.

Marion Barber should get his opportunities in this game, especially if it's close late. Coach Wade Phillips said that he'll give Felix Jones more reps in this game and Tashard Choice should get more plays in the wildcat as it was successful last week.

The Cowboys defense is what's going to make the difference in this game. They know the Packers can't protect Rodgers, so they'll want to stop the run and force the Packers into third-and-long situations so they can come after Rodgers.

I expect Anthony Spencer to get his first sack in this game.

Keith Brooking and Bradie James have been fantastic this season and they're rubbing off on Bobby Carpenter, who has been playing well of late and is seventh on the team in tackles with 25.

The Cowboys' secondary will have their work cut out for them with this receiving core. Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick, and Mike Jenkins did a great job last week keeping the Eagles from getting big plays. Mike Jenkins and safety Gerald Sensabaugh both had interceptions.

The secondary could end up playing more man-to-man defense depending on how much the Cowboys want to blitz. If they can get constant pressure with their front four, they'll just play zone coverage and look to jump routes. If the Cowboys send five, six, or seven guys then they'll play man in order to keep Rodgers from throwing the ball quickly.

This is another trap game for the Cowboys. They know they could be heading into December at 9-2 if they can win their next three games, and the Packers are the best team out of those three with Washington and Oakland coming up.

That's enough motivation for the Cowboys to show up to this game and the defense will dominate the Packers' offense. The Cowboys will take some time to score but eventually they'll blow it open and the Packers will score late when the game is out of reach.

31-20 Cowboys.

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Dallas Cowboys: Despite December Struggles, Tony Romo Is Mr. November

Dan Parzych — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:41:06 -0500

Throughout his career, Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo has been criticized for the way he performs towards the end of the year. However, it may be time to award him the nickname of "Mr. November" with the type of play he's established during this month in Dallas over the last four seasons.

On November 5, 2006, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo made his second career start against the Washington Redskins. He completed 24-of-36 passes for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-19 loss.

Why was this game so significant for the seventh-year quarterback? This was the only time in Romo's career he lost a game during the month of November.

Despite all of the heat taken for his performance when the month of December rolls around, in which he has a combined record of 5-8 over his career, Romo has established himself as a clutch-performer in the month of November for the Cowboys.

Since losing to the Redskins in 2006, he has won 13 straight games in November, including two key victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles this season. Not only has his win streak been impressive, but his numbers at quarterback have been as well.

In the 13 wins, Romo has completed 68.2 percent of the passes he's thrown. Overall, he's completed 269-of-394 passes for 3,641 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions.

The Cowboys have three games remaining in the month of November with a 6-2 record and a one-game lead over the Eagles for first place in the NFC East. On Sunday, they take on the 4-4 Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, who are coming off a loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If Romo can lead the Cowboys to another win in the month of November by defeating the Packers, his streak will increase to 14 games. With two home matchups against the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders before December rolls around, there's a good chance Romo's streak can stay alive for 2010 considering both teams each have two wins so far this season.

He may not have the best reputation for being a dominant quarterback once December rolls around.

However, Romo has performed well enough over the last four seasons to earn the nickname of Mr. November in the NFL.

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Can Tony Romo And the Cowboys Stay Hot in Second Half?

Eddie Griffin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:05:57 -0500

The way that they were playing in the first month-plus of the season, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys would be lucky to be a .500 team at season’s end, that Wade Phillips would be lucky to have his job come Jan. 4, 2010, and that Tony Romo would have to endure criticisms about his intestinal fortitude and big-game ability for yet another year.

There's no telling as to how each of those things will play out, but after a 2-2 start, Dallas heads into the second half as one of the league's hottest teams. Thanks to a four-game win streak, the Cowboys are now 6-2 and all alone atop the NFC East after their 20-16 win at Philadelphia on Sunday night.

With the slumping Giants on a bye week (at just the right time, for their sake) and the Eagles facing a tough road trip to streaking San Diego, the Cowboys could be two games ahead in the division if they can win at Green Bay on Sunday afternoon.

So what's propelled the Cowboys to an unexpected place at the top of the heap in the East?

Well, for starters, there’s the emergence of receiver Miles Austin as a prime target for Romo. Over the last four games, Austin has 22 catches for 531 yards (24.1 yards per catch) and six touchdowns.

It looked like the Cowboys missed T.O.’s propensity for playmaking in the early going, but Austin’s producing big plays, and more importantly, doing it without all of that unnecessary extra stuff that perpetuated T.O.'s exit from Dallas.

It also doesn’t hurt that Romo is sharp right now. In the first four games, Romo was completing 58 percent of his passes for 990 yards, with just four touchdowns and four interceptions. Over the last four games, Romo is completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,215 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception.

Defensively, Dallas has had at least three sacks in each of the last six games, and they’ve forced seven turnovers in the last three games after forcing seven in the first five games.

So are the Cowboys for real? As nice as the Philly win was, it does have to be taken into consideration that their previous three wins came against the 1-7 Chiefs, an Atlanta team that’s 4-0 at home and 1-3 on the road, and a Seattle team that was in the middle of a run of five losses in six games.

But whether it’s the Seahawks or the Steelers, a win is a win is a win, and the Cowboys have a chance to rack up a few more and build their lead in the NFC East, all the while building a lot of steam for a brutal stretch run that will make or break their season.

Over the last five weeks, Dallas faces the Giants on the road, the Chargers at home, the Saints on the road, and after a tricky road game at Washington, host the Eagles to end the regular season.

The Cowboys went from a seemingly sure-fire playoff team to a postseason spectator by struggling in a tough final stretch last season, but Sunday night’s game in Philly was a sign that the results may be different this time around.

Against the Giants and Broncos, and Chiefs, the defense didn’t make plays when they needed in the fourth quarter, and against the Broncos, the Cowboys failed to punch it in from the two in the final minute in a 17-10 loss.

But against the Eagles, the offense made the plays, and so did the defense. Philly drove from their 25 to Dallas’ 45, and after needing one yard and having three downs to get it, the Eagles turned the ball over on downs after being stopped short three straight times.

On the next drive, Dallas had a 2nd-and-24 from their 41, and after shrinking it to a doable 3rd-and-14, Romo went for it all instead of staying conservative and playing for field position. He connected with Austin on a 49-yard score to put Dallas up 20-13 with 8:04 left, and then it was time for the D to come up big again.

On the next drive, the Cowboys held the Eagles to a field goal instead of allowing them to drive for a game-tying touchdown, and from there, the offense closed out what could prove to be a very vital road win come later on in the season.

Of course, nothing can be perfect with the Cowboys, as shown by the recent issues involving receivers Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton and their dissatisfaction with their respective situations.

However, for the time being, Dallas seems to have weathered those potential storms and a so-so start, and the Cowboys go into the second half of their season with a real chance to prove that they are who we didn't think they were—a contender.

This article was originally published on The Red Zone Report .

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Dallas Cowboys: Keys To Victory Over The Green Bay Packers

Chad Hensley — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:07:54 -0500

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers meet this coming Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Cowboys (6-2) are on a four game winning streak after beating the Philadelphia Eagles this past weekend. They are now in sole position of first place in the NFC East.

The Packers are heading in the opposite direction. The Pack had a terrific preseason—after which many had them as a Super Bowl contender—but now the Packers stand at 4-4, and just recently lost to the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Packers are better than they played against the Bucs, so the Cowboys cannot go through the motions and expect a victory, especially at Lambeau.

Here are the Cowboys keys to victory over the Packers.

Pressure Aaron Rodgers

The Packers quarterback is a good, young quarterback. His offensive line has been porous at best, as he has been sacked 37 times.

But not all of it has been on the big boys up front. Rodgers has a tendency to hold onto the ball too long. He has the NFL's best QB rating against the blitz, but some of that has to do with taking sacks instead of throwing the ball away, thereby increasing his rating, but ultimately killing his team.

Repeat the defensive gameplan from the Eagles game

The Cowboys and Eagles had the same amount of sacks last week, but the difference was the Cowboys got pressure with their front four (when Ware rushes they are in a 4-3 as opposed to their base 3-4), while the Eagles blitzed on almost every down.

This allowed the Cowboys to deploy bracket coverage over the top on the Eagles speedy wide receivers, and allowed the linebackers to cover the flats and the middle of the field. This took away most of the Eagles options in the passing game.

The Packers have some great wide receivers in Donald Drivers and Greg Jennings, and depth at the position with Jordy Nelson and James Jones.

If Dallas can get pressure up front without having to blitz, the Cowboys secondary should be able to handle the Packers wide receivers and eliminate the big plays down the field.

Establish the run early with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice

Did you see how much of a monster Marion Barber III was at the end of the Eagles game? That is the strength that horse brings to the table, and that is where they should utilize him.

The Cowboys should start the game off with a heavy dosage of Jones and Choice, who see the field better than Barber. Early in games, there are a lot of times Barber misses the holes that Jones and Choice almost always hit. Give the young guys a chance to get up on the Packers early, and then let Barber maul them at the end.

Take advantage of Aaron Kampman injury

The Packers linebacker will be out with a concussion, and rookie Brad Jones will take his place. When Jones is in there, the Cowboys should exploit the mismatch with tights ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett in the passing game. If the Packers try to counter that with a nickle defense, the Cowboys can crush them with Barber, Jones and Choice in the running game.

Don't get complacent

The Packers offense has a ton of firepower, especially in the passing game.

In the two games against the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers were on the verge of getting blown out. The Packers had incredible comebacks in both games, and would have won, if not for a Hall of Famer named Brett Favre.

If the Cowboys get up early, they need to keep the pedal to the metal until the game is over.

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