Dallas finally beat a team with a winning record and did it very convincingly. 37-21, which would have been 37-14 if it weren't for a late Falcons' garbage time touchdown.
Tony Romo shined again, Miles Austin shined again, Patrick Crayton shined and proved his worth, the O-Line shined, the pass rushers shined, and the defensive backs shined. Everyone was on point.
On defense, if it wasn't Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware or Marcus Spears getting a sack (or 4), it was Mike Jenkins or Orlando Scandrick getting interceptions, or Gerald Sensabaugh hitting receivers so hard they can't hold on to a catch.
On offense, if it wasn't Miles Austin on a 59 yard touchdown reception, it was Romo scrambling out of a broken pocket and throwing a touchdown to Patrick Crayton, or Tashard Choice catching a critical 1st down reception up the seam.
On special teams, if it wasn't David Buehler kicking touchbacks, it was Patrick Crayton, returning a punt for a touchdown.
All three units played like a playoff caliber team... there were of course some hiccups, mostly with Roy Williams playing the worst game of his career, but Marion Barber and Felix Jones both played pretty mediocre too. (All three are recovering from injury.)
Also, I'm not sure why there was so much talk about Tashard Choice getting more carries, because he didn't get any carries... I think he only had one catch, maybe two.
Martellus Bennett also made two critical catches, one for a first down. He was also called for holding, but that call was very suspect. It's good to see Bennett finally getting some looks, I'm still betting he's going to be a big threat on this offense once he really opens up.
All in all, it was a good game and shows that this team can get it together when they need to, they just have to stay consistent the rest of the season... and they still need to cut down on stupid penalties.
Next week is another home game, this time against Seattle, who has been struggling this season. Without sounding cocky, Dallas should definitely win this one and sail to 5-2. Thanks to Arizona's victory against the Giants last night, Dallas is right back in the mix for top of NFC East.
The sky is not falling this week.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Back in the Saddle Again
The Cowboys are back to practice after having the weekend off, and there are a few changes and injury updates.
As far as injuries go, Sensabaugh is back in practice with a cast on his broken thumb, and plans to play Sunday. Felix Jones is still day to day, which means he probably won't play.
Two unexpected names have popped up on the injury list, Demarcus Ware and Marion Barber. Ware is dealing with a stress fracture in his foot and Barber has a fractured left thumb... again, both plan on playing.
A few lineup changes have also been announced, starting with Tashard Choice getting more carries. Most likely this is due to the fact that Barber is still iffy, and Felix Jones may not play at all. Choice might be the only choice come Sunday.
The biggest change is that Miles Austin will be starting in place of Patrick Crayton. After a Cowboys Record day with 250 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns against Kansas City, Wade Phillips said this was an easy decision to make.
Crayton, on the other-hand, feels that it's unfair. He claims he was never told beforehand about this change at wide receiver and blah blah blah... Crayton always runs his mouth, so this is nothing new.
After muffing a punt and missing a pass or two, Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett might not be the only two people on a hot seat. I could definitely see this team being Crayton-less next season.
In other shocking news, the point spread is still favoring Dallas by 4 points. I thought that by now it would have been re-evaluated and reduced or even that Atlanta would switch positions and be favored, but it doesn't look like it. I'm hoping Vegas knows what it's talking about... We'll find out on Sunday.
As far as injuries go, Sensabaugh is back in practice with a cast on his broken thumb, and plans to play Sunday. Felix Jones is still day to day, which means he probably won't play.
Two unexpected names have popped up on the injury list, Demarcus Ware and Marion Barber. Ware is dealing with a stress fracture in his foot and Barber has a fractured left thumb... again, both plan on playing.
A few lineup changes have also been announced, starting with Tashard Choice getting more carries. Most likely this is due to the fact that Barber is still iffy, and Felix Jones may not play at all. Choice might be the only choice come Sunday.
The biggest change is that Miles Austin will be starting in place of Patrick Crayton. After a Cowboys Record day with 250 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns against Kansas City, Wade Phillips said this was an easy decision to make.
Crayton, on the other-hand, feels that it's unfair. He claims he was never told beforehand about this change at wide receiver and blah blah blah... Crayton always runs his mouth, so this is nothing new.
After muffing a punt and missing a pass or two, Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett might not be the only two people on a hot seat. I could definitely see this team being Crayton-less next season.
In other shocking news, the point spread is still favoring Dallas by 4 points. I thought that by now it would have been re-evaluated and reduced or even that Atlanta would switch positions and be favored, but it doesn't look like it. I'm hoping Vegas knows what it's talking about... We'll find out on Sunday.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Dallas favored by 4 points over Atlanta?!?
If you know me, you know that I am a die-hard Cowboys fan til the end and I wish nothing but success for my team, but even I was surprised when I opened up the sports section and saw that Dallas is actually being favored by 4 points over the Falcons.
I don't know what kind of bizarro world I woke up to, or what Vegas is thinking, but I've actually watched Dallas play the first 5 games, and the 3 wins they did manage were anything but pretty. Atlanta, however, is 4-1 and is having success all around... they're looking pretty good too.
If I were a betting man, (which I am... except when my team's involved,) I would take Atlanta getting 4 points.
The only thing I can think of is the fact that Dallas is coming off of a bye week, which means an extra week of preparation, but even with that I'm not very confident they can pull out a victory against Atlanta, whose quarterback is impressive, running game is dynamic and defense is coming along nicely as well.
Another factor in the 'favored' position might be that Felix Jones and Roy Williams should be healthy... should is the key word there.
It's only Tuesday and I expect that line to change a bit, and I of course hope and pray that Dallas will win, but let's just see how this week goes.
I don't know what kind of bizarro world I woke up to, or what Vegas is thinking, but I've actually watched Dallas play the first 5 games, and the 3 wins they did manage were anything but pretty. Atlanta, however, is 4-1 and is having success all around... they're looking pretty good too.
If I were a betting man, (which I am... except when my team's involved,) I would take Atlanta getting 4 points.
The only thing I can think of is the fact that Dallas is coming off of a bye week, which means an extra week of preparation, but even with that I'm not very confident they can pull out a victory against Atlanta, whose quarterback is impressive, running game is dynamic and defense is coming along nicely as well.
Another factor in the 'favored' position might be that Felix Jones and Roy Williams should be healthy... should is the key word there.
It's only Tuesday and I expect that line to change a bit, and I of course hope and pray that Dallas will win, but let's just see how this week goes.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Week 6 Recap : Dallas (1) vs NFC East (0)
There was no way Dallas could lose this week, with it being the Bye and all... but it is a bit surprising that Dallas actually won! They didn't add on to their 3-2 record, but they gained momentum in the NFC East as all three rivals lost today.
The Giants fell to New Orleans, which could have easily been predicted, but Washington losing to Kansas City and Philly being embarrassed by Oakland were both a shock. This automatically puts Dallas in a tie for 2nd place in the NFC East with the Giants still ahead by two games at 5-1 and Washington is left behind at 2-4. This upcoming week Philly will play Washington so I'll definitely be rooting for Washington to jump up to 3-4 and Philly down to 3-3. If that happens and if Dallas manages a win against Atlanta, they will claim the number 2 NFC East Spot... just like that.
As I write this, Chicago is playing Atlanta on Sunday Night Football, and Atlanta is looking pretty damn good. That's going to be Dallas' challenge next week. Luckily they will be playing at Cowboys Stadium, but even so, I'm not sure I can confidently predict a win.
The Giants fell to New Orleans, which could have easily been predicted, but Washington losing to Kansas City and Philly being embarrassed by Oakland were both a shock. This automatically puts Dallas in a tie for 2nd place in the NFC East with the Giants still ahead by two games at 5-1 and Washington is left behind at 2-4. This upcoming week Philly will play Washington so I'll definitely be rooting for Washington to jump up to 3-4 and Philly down to 3-3. If that happens and if Dallas manages a win against Atlanta, they will claim the number 2 NFC East Spot... just like that.
As I write this, Chicago is playing Atlanta on Sunday Night Football, and Atlanta is looking pretty damn good. That's going to be Dallas' challenge next week. Luckily they will be playing at Cowboys Stadium, but even so, I'm not sure I can confidently predict a win.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Week 5 Recap - Dallas (26) @ Kansas City (20)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good : Dallas won the game against the Kansas City Chiefs and instead of 2-3 will head into the bye week at 3-2.
The Bad : Sure they won, but they didn't do it convincingly and it took overtime to do it. Miles Austin shined but no one else did... maybe Keith Brooking too.
The Ugly : The whole game... The Penalties... The mistakes... The way Dallas played made Kansas City look like the '07 Patriots.
Overall... looks like it's back to the drawing board on correcting these mistakes. There's something wrong here, for sure, but it's hard to point out exactly what that is... I'm hoping the coaches know something I don't and I hope they know how to fix it. (Given their track record though... I am not confident.)
Now Dallas heads into a much needed bye week... hopefully giving some injured players a chance to heal... Felix Jones, Marion Barber & Gerald Sensabaugh mainly.
After the bye, Dallas also gets to stay at home for 2 weeks, hosting Atlanta and Seattle, who were once sure-things for the win column... at this point it's anybody's guess.
In Other Cowboys News : Veteran return-man Allen Rossum, was picked up from San Francisco, who cut him to make room for Michael Crabtree. Rossum will most likely be the return man on kickoff and punts for the rest of the season.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Tony Romo is the Cowboys' Best Option...
All of the so-called "fans" who are clamoring for Romo to be either benched or traded need to stop wasting their breathe because that isn't going to happen... nor should it.He is the best option that Dallas has right now and although his recent play might have knocked him off of everyone's Top 5 list, he's still an above average quarterback, which is something we haven't seen since the days of Troy Aikman.
After Aikman was forced to retire in 2001, the Cowboys have gone through 8 different quarterbacks with nothing to show for... no 13-3 seasons... no championship wins... nothing!
Romo comes along, injects some life into this dismal franchise, breaks numerous Cowboys' records and has at least got Dallas closer to winning a play-off game than any of those other 8 quarterbacks have done. Our best option is Tony Romo... whether you're sick of him or not, learn to love him, because he is not going anywhere.
Oh and on the whole, 'Let's start Jon Kitna instead of Romo,' talk... there's a quote that comes to mind from a current flamboyant Bengals' receiver who's name is 85... "Child Please!!" Kitna is the backup for a reason, and Kitna has gone through 4 different teams in his career for a reason... he is not the answer. The best option that Dallas has right now is... surprise... Tony Romo.
Why have the comparisons between Romo and Brett Favre stopped? I still feel that Romo is very much like Favre and has the talent to sustain a similar career. So look at Favre... a living legend... who plays like Romo plays... risky... which can win you games or lose you games. Favre had plenty of games that he lost because of his actions and Romo had plenty of games that he won because of his actions... just because he's already had 2 mediocre games, it's not the time to vilify the quarterback... he wants to win as much as us fans want him to.
I heard a great quote about Romo, and I will leave with it... "Tony Romo is a good quarterback who tries to be great." On some days he is great... other days he tries to be great but the game slips away from him... regardless, he is the Cowboys best option right now...
P.S.
Just something to note... this upcoming Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Kansas City and face....the Dallas Texans...?!
Yep, you heard me correctly, the Chiefs began their franchise as the Dallas Texans in 1960 and for this game will be wearing their throwback Dallas Texans uniforms while the Cowboys will wear their retro uniforms with the star on the shoulder and white helmets (as seen in the picture above.)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Still Upset... Looking Ahead
OK, let's take a step back and look at the situation the Cowboys are in. The record is now 2-2, they won two games against teams with losing records and lost two games against teams that are undefeated. If you put it that way, it doesn't sound as bad... but it still is.
The next step that has to be taken is to win games that you should win, as well as win games that you aren't supposed to win. That's the mark of a championship team, and that's not what this team is right now.
Next week, Dallas travels to Kansas City to face a team that falls into the 'losing record' category with zero wins thus far. This is one of those games that should be a win, there's no doubt about it. If this game is a loss, there may be no way to steer this ship clear of the iceberg.
Following the Kansas City game is a much needed bye week. Felix Jones and Gerald Sensabaugh (who will miss 1-2 weeks from a broken thumb he sustained against Denver,) are both expected to return after the bye. Marion Barber should also be much more healthy after an extra week of rehab.
Fingers are crossed that this coaching staff can turn things around and get this offense productive again. Every second from the clock reaching 00:00 in Kansas City until the kick off against Atlanta, these players need to be studying and practicing and these coaches need to demand excellence and press them a little.
Realistically looking at the upcoming schedule and I can see this team going 8-8, if they're lucky. That's going to be tough enough and would mean wins against Kansas City, Seattle, Oakland, both Washington games and one of the Philly games. They will be hard-pressed to win against Atlanta, Philly, Green Bay, the Giants again, San Diego and New Orleans.
Division games are the key, however. They are already a game down with the Giants loss, but if they can sweep Washington, and win one of the Philly games, maybe even the final Giants game (which would be a huge win,) then they still have a shot.
In Conclusion, I honestly don't have a good feeling about the rest of this season. As I watch this team, I feel that it is unlikely they will be able to pull it together in time... there are only so many games in the NFL, and if they are having this many problems this early, (and I'm talking about problems that should have been solved in Training Camp like penalties, poor tackling and mental mistakes,) then this team will continue their downward spiral, heading straight to another early off-season.
The next step that has to be taken is to win games that you should win, as well as win games that you aren't supposed to win. That's the mark of a championship team, and that's not what this team is right now.
Next week, Dallas travels to Kansas City to face a team that falls into the 'losing record' category with zero wins thus far. This is one of those games that should be a win, there's no doubt about it. If this game is a loss, there may be no way to steer this ship clear of the iceberg.
Following the Kansas City game is a much needed bye week. Felix Jones and Gerald Sensabaugh (who will miss 1-2 weeks from a broken thumb he sustained against Denver,) are both expected to return after the bye. Marion Barber should also be much more healthy after an extra week of rehab.
Fingers are crossed that this coaching staff can turn things around and get this offense productive again. Every second from the clock reaching 00:00 in Kansas City until the kick off against Atlanta, these players need to be studying and practicing and these coaches need to demand excellence and press them a little.
Realistically looking at the upcoming schedule and I can see this team going 8-8, if they're lucky. That's going to be tough enough and would mean wins against Kansas City, Seattle, Oakland, both Washington games and one of the Philly games. They will be hard-pressed to win against Atlanta, Philly, Green Bay, the Giants again, San Diego and New Orleans.
Division games are the key, however. They are already a game down with the Giants loss, but if they can sweep Washington, and win one of the Philly games, maybe even the final Giants game (which would be a huge win,) then they still have a shot.
In Conclusion, I honestly don't have a good feeling about the rest of this season. As I watch this team, I feel that it is unlikely they will be able to pull it together in time... there are only so many games in the NFL, and if they are having this many problems this early, (and I'm talking about problems that should have been solved in Training Camp like penalties, poor tackling and mental mistakes,) then this team will continue their downward spiral, heading straight to another early off-season.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Week 4 Recap - Dallas (10) @ Denver (17)
Well... the Cowboys just aren't ready.
The Broncos may just be the team their record says they are, 4-0 and defensively tough as it comes, but Dallas let them off the hook on too many drives. Penalties plagued Denver early on, but Dallas never capitalized on it. Penalties for Dallas came (again) in crucial situations which killed positive drives. The Cowboys' defense made great plays when they needed to, but couldn't close the game down on the final drive again. The offense didn't help the defense at all and managed only a field goal and a touchdown (by Barber on a 1 yard rush.)
Tony Romo, specifically, was the cause of many woes. A fumble, an interception and more horrible throws then I can count... one that resulted in Roy Williams taking a hard hit which sidelined him for a few important snaps. It was another bad day for Romo, and unfortunately the bad days keep piling up. He started the season with promise, throwing for career yards and a couple touchdowns in Tampa Bay... since then, he has been mediocre at best.
It's starting to be really tough watching this team... they have so much talent, but they can't execute. Do I see this team making the playoffs this year? Nope... not without a miracle. This game was one of the winnable games on the schedule, and if they keep dropping the games they are supposed to win then they are going to have major problems even keeping a winning record, let alone making the playoffs.
Here's to hoping they can stop the disappointment and actually turn it around next week and for the rest of the season.
The Broncos may just be the team their record says they are, 4-0 and defensively tough as it comes, but Dallas let them off the hook on too many drives. Penalties plagued Denver early on, but Dallas never capitalized on it. Penalties for Dallas came (again) in crucial situations which killed positive drives. The Cowboys' defense made great plays when they needed to, but couldn't close the game down on the final drive again. The offense didn't help the defense at all and managed only a field goal and a touchdown (by Barber on a 1 yard rush.)
Tony Romo, specifically, was the cause of many woes. A fumble, an interception and more horrible throws then I can count... one that resulted in Roy Williams taking a hard hit which sidelined him for a few important snaps. It was another bad day for Romo, and unfortunately the bad days keep piling up. He started the season with promise, throwing for career yards and a couple touchdowns in Tampa Bay... since then, he has been mediocre at best.
It's starting to be really tough watching this team... they have so much talent, but they can't execute. Do I see this team making the playoffs this year? Nope... not without a miracle. This game was one of the winnable games on the schedule, and if they keep dropping the games they are supposed to win then they are going to have major problems even keeping a winning record, let alone making the playoffs.
Here's to hoping they can stop the disappointment and actually turn it around next week and for the rest of the season.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thanks Vegas
Hahaha... Dallas is 3 point FAVORITES going into Denver this Sunday. I was shocked too... the 2-1 Cowboys against the 3-0 Broncos... usually for a game between two (fairly) equal teams, the home-team gives up the points... so this was a pleasant surprise.
This tells me a couple things... One thing that I take from it is that the Broncos should not be 3-0 (they'd be 2-1 if not for the 'immaculate deflection' against Cincinnati in the last seconds of the game... plus the other two teams they beat were Cleveland and Oakland, who do not have winning records.) The Broncos might not be as good as their record (please God don't make me eat those words...)
Another thing Vegas sees that some don't is that Dallas is a very good team... sure they had a shaky game against the Giants, but they only lost by 2 points and the Giants are being touted as one of the best teams in the league... to lose by only 2 points to the 'best' team isn't half bad...
Not that Vegas isn't wrong at least a few times a week, but this was definitely a nice thing to see when I cracked open the Sports section today.
Also, since I'm here, I might as well put out my prediction for the upcoming game since I most likely won't be posting another entry until my Week 4 Recap.
I have faith in this Cowboys' team, especially how they turned it around in the second half of Monday's game... There's going to be a tough defense to contend with, as well as the 'thin air,' from being at such a high altitude... these things should be minor and hopefully Dallas will stick to running and play a smart and conservative game with little error... we'll see... Jason Garrett likes to play a little risky at times... I still see a Dallas victory of 32-17... well I'd like to see it anyway...
This tells me a couple things... One thing that I take from it is that the Broncos should not be 3-0 (they'd be 2-1 if not for the 'immaculate deflection' against Cincinnati in the last seconds of the game... plus the other two teams they beat were Cleveland and Oakland, who do not have winning records.) The Broncos might not be as good as their record (please God don't make me eat those words...)
Another thing Vegas sees that some don't is that Dallas is a very good team... sure they had a shaky game against the Giants, but they only lost by 2 points and the Giants are being touted as one of the best teams in the league... to lose by only 2 points to the 'best' team isn't half bad...
Not that Vegas isn't wrong at least a few times a week, but this was definitely a nice thing to see when I cracked open the Sports section today.
Also, since I'm here, I might as well put out my prediction for the upcoming game since I most likely won't be posting another entry until my Week 4 Recap.
I have faith in this Cowboys' team, especially how they turned it around in the second half of Monday's game... There's going to be a tough defense to contend with, as well as the 'thin air,' from being at such a high altitude... these things should be minor and hopefully Dallas will stick to running and play a smart and conservative game with little error... we'll see... Jason Garrett likes to play a little risky at times... I still see a Dallas victory of 32-17... well I'd like to see it anyway...
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