The Final Stretch - Scenarios

We are getting down to the wire... Dallas won their game against Tampa Bay and currently stand at 8-6... The Giants lost to Washington and are now one game back at 7-7 and The Eagles are still somehow alive in the playoff hunt at 6-8 after winning against the Jets...

There are two games remaining and it's going to be intense... Here are the scenarios for Week 16 and 17... (keep in mind, Dallas plays Philly this week, and The Giants next week... The Giants play The Jets this week... and Philly plays Washington to end their season...)

- If The Giants win this week, and Dallas wins this week... the Eagles are knocked out and whoever wins the finale' will win the division

- If The Giants lose and Dallas wins... The Eagles are knocked out, and Dallas will win the division

- If The Giants lose and Dallas loses and The Eagles lose their finale... whoever wins the finale' will win the division

- If The Giants lose and Dallas loses and Dallas loses the finale and the Eagles win their finale... The Eagles will win the division

- If The Giants win and Dallas loses... The Eagles are knocked out and whoever wins the finale' will win the division...

Whew.... I think that's all of the possible scenarios... I will be crossing my finger that Giants lose and Dallas wins this week, that way The Cowboys will win the division and the final game won't even matter... meaning it'll probably be Stephen McGee time...

Final Stretch Predictions: NFC East

Things in the NFC East are as bad as ever, and once again I will go into my predictions for how the rest of this crazy season could play out for this division.

Washington Redskins:

I think it's pretty safe to say that Washington is no longer in the playoff hunt with their 4-9 record, so I'm pretty much going to skip over them... they do play The Giants next week and in Philly for the final game, so I can only hope they become a spoiler.

Philadelphia Eagles:

The Eagles are holding onto a 5-8 record right now, and although it's possible that they can win out, get some help and then win the division, it's a very long shot. Their remaining games are against The Jets, at Dallas and then they host Washington to finish the regular season.

The Jets are playing pretty good right now, which I think could send Philly to 5-9... if that were to occur, they would already be done and out of the playoff talk. Dallas is the next game and after the first Dallas/Philly game (which was the Cowboys biggest loss of the season (in terms of point margin,)) The Cowboys will be hungry for revenge, plus they'll be at home. This should put Philly at 5-10. Eagles final game will be against Washington, and there's a good shot they do indeed win this one... I predict Philly will finish with a 6-10 record.

New York Giants:

The current leaders of the division at 7-6 since they got the tiebreaker victory against Dallas last night. This is going to be a heated head to head battle to finish the season, Giants host Washington this week, play The Jets next week and then finish the season against Dallas which could very likely become the determining game to see who makes the playoff.

Against Washington, it's very probable that Giants win and go 8-6... I'm not sure about The Jets game, it really could go either way, but I'm crossing my fingers, legs and arms to hope Jets win and send Giants to 8-7. To finish the season against Dallas, again I am praying a'la Tim Tebow pose, hoping Dallas wins that and sends them to 8-8 and ending their season.

Dallas Cowboys:

The final stretch is when Dallas usually collapses, they will need to improve in all aspects to have a chance and finally play good in December.

This week they will head to Tampa Bay for a Saturday Night game... there's a good shot they win this and stand at 8-6. The next week they host Philly, and with Vick back it's going to be a tough game. Hopefully the 34-7 loss from earlier in the season will be remembered and Dallas will pull off a victory here, going 9-6. If they lose and end up 8-7, it will be up to the finale' against The Giants, in the Meadowlands, that will determine everything. Potentially it could be 8-7 against 8-7, winner will make playoffs. Dallas will be heading to New York and will absolutely need to play better than they have been, and if they do indeed pull it off, they will win the division at 9-7 and Giants fall to 8-8.

The stars will have to be aligned for it to play out like this, and considering the way The 'Boys have been playing, I really don't have too much hope that it will, although they have shocked me before.

The Sky is Falling

Sorry for not updating in a while, been very busy with life, responsibilities and all that jazz. Anyway, let me briefly break down the last 4 weeks.

For a moment this season, about two games ago, it seemed like Dallas was finally ready to walk right into the playoffs. Not saying they were playing great football or anything, but the rest of the division was even worse and Dallas was somehow pulling off victories.

After the Buffalo game, Dallas was 5-4 and on their way to lead the division. They played @ Washington the next week and won, barely (27-24) propelling them to 6-4. Things were starting to look up.

Dallas hosted Miami at home on Thanksgiving, and they kept their Thanksgiving streak alive with another close victory (20-19) and they were almost comfortably leading the division with a 7-4 record.

Things couldn't be going better... the way the rest of the division was playing, it became very possible that a win against Arizona and then The Giants would clinch a playoff berth for Dallas. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, The Cowboys did what they usually did when given an opportunity and blew it.

They played at Arizona the next week and ended up losing after Jason Garrett iced his own kicker. 13-19 was the score and Dallas stood at 7-5. I wasn't giving up hope yet, it's always a tough game against The Cardinals, especially when Dallas goes to their stadium.

Last night's game against The Giants could have given Dallas a 2 game lead in the division, as The Giants were 6-6. A win would propel Dallas to 8-5 and knocked Giants under 500% at 6-7. Their destiny was in their hands... and again, they blew it.

New York played really good, and for most of the game Dallas played good too, but when it mattered most, the defense couldn't get the stops they needed (and injuries all over the place didn't help anything.) At the end, it came down to another 49 yard Dan Bailey field goal attempt to send the game into overtime (the same distance as last week's debacle in Arizona.) Luckily Garrett decided not to ice his own kicker this time, but Coughlin did... during Bailey's second attempt, the ball was blocked and the field goal was missed, Dallas 34 - Giants 37.

Now Dallas and The Giants hold 7-6 records, but if it was determined today, The Giants would get the playoff berth because of the tiebreaker and it would still be tough for Dallas to get a wild card spot considering how crazy the rest of the NFC is going right now.

Next week is a Saturday night game at Tampa Bay, which should hopefully be a Dallas victory and help The Cowboys build up their confidence. The Bucs haven't been as dynamic this year as they hoped.

So in conclusion... it appears that the sky is indeed falling... Dallas could have easily secured a spot in the playoffs these last two weeks and due largely to sloppy play, they have failed miserably and now the chances of making the playoffs are looking more and more slim.

Prediction Time

I was going to make this post about my experience in Dallas, but I'll save that for the next post... I wanted to go over my thoughts and predictions of the NFC East for the rest of the season, so that's what the hell I'm doing... Sometimes I make predictions and I'm close, sometimes I'm way off, but either way, it's fun.

As of now... Week 10... The Giants lead the division at 6-3, Dallas is close behind at 5-4, while Washington and Philly both trail at 3-6.

Let's start with The Giants... Their next game is a Sunday Night game against the Eagles, which I think they win, propelling them to 7-3. After that is New Orleans, which will probably be a close game, but I'm giving the victory to The Saints, next game after that is Green Bay which they'll probably lose and then is the Dallas game at Cowboys stadium... they will hopefully lose that game and have a 7-6, record. If they heat up down the stretch they could win their final 3 against Washington, The Jets and they will probably split the Dallas game and win the last one... I could see NY finishing at 10-6.

Next... Washington... I don't think they will win this week against Dallas (at least I hope they don't.) They might have a win against Seattle the next week and go to 4-7, but after that I predict another 3 game losing streak against The Jets, New England and The Giants, making them 4-10. Their final two games are against Minnesota and Philly and I think they could win those and get to 6-10.

Philadelphia Eagles... The dream team that wasn't... I see them losing their next two against The Giants and New England, putting them at 3-8. They could probably win the next two, Seattle and Miami, going 5-8. I don't think they'll finish strong (although they often play better in the second part of year, so I may be way off.) Their last 3 games are The Giants, Dallas and Washington, and if they lose all 3 they will finish their season at 5-11.

And finally, The Dallas 'Football' Cowboys... Of course I hope they win all of the rest of their games, but that's a bit unrealistic. I can hope victories in the next two games, Washington and Thanksgiving against Miami... this will put Dallas at 7-4. I think it's winnable, but I would look far too bias if I said they win too many games, so let's say they lose in Arizona and go 7-5. It's possible they reel off the next 3 games into victories against The Giants, Tampa Bay and Philly and stand at 10-5. I hope I'm wrong, but I think they'll split the series and lose the last game against The Giants going 10-6 and if all my predictions stand, putting them in a first place tie with NY... I didn't go as far as figure the tie-breaking, but these are my guesses as of now.

Week 10 Recap: Buffalo (7) @ Dallas (44)

Where to begin?

This game was incredible, there are tons of aspects to go over and I'm not sure what to talk about first. Since I was actually at the game, I could talk a lot about the experience and atmosphere, but I'll put all of that into my next post. This recap will focus strictly on the game. I guess I could start by talking about the various records that were broken during the game:

- Jason Witten moved up to #3 on the list of most receptions by all NFL Tight Ends, ever.
- Tony Romo broke a Cowboys record for highest completion percentage in a game, successfully converting 23 of 26 passes for 88.5%.
- The margin of victory in the game was the biggest for a Cowboys game since 2000 (against Arizona.)

Not bad at all.


Next I should probably talk about DeMarco Murray.

Murray has been exactly what Dallas needed at Running Back. In the past four games he was the starter because of Felix Jones' injury and he has been dynamic each week. It'll be hard for him to top his 253 yard performance against St. Louis, but he hasn't disappointed yet. This week he rushed for 135 yards and stacked up 36 yards on receptions (That's 171 for those bad at math.) Having a running game that actually works is noticeably improving the passing game too, in fact, Murray's play is breathing life in all aspects of play.


Moving on... The Receivers.

I could single out Dez, (who had 6 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown,) or Laurent Robinson (3 catches, 73 yards, 2 touchdowns,) or even Witten (5 catches, 37 yards,) but it was really a great effort on every receiver's part. Without some spectacular catches, Romo wouldn't have broken that completion record. Even Jesse Holley, Kevin Ogletree and, surprise surprise, Martellus Bennett made clutch catches that kept drives alive.


Defense:

You get a good feeling in your gut when the first defensive play of the game is a sack, especially from DeMarcus Ware, who didn't record any sacks in last week's victory against Seattle. This made him the sack leader with 13, well for a day at least, (Jared Allen reclaimed the lead with 13.5 after he sacked Aaron Rodgers early in the Packers/Vikings game Monday Night.)

Turnovers aplenty. Terence Newman recorded two interceptions, with one being a pick-six. Frank Walker also grabbed an interception in the end zone late in garbage-time that ended the game and firmly held Buffalo to only 7 points. There was also a nice Gerald Sensabaugh forced fumble which wasn't called at first, but Jason Garrett quickly challenged and had the play reversed.


What's Left?... Oh yea, Special Teams.

There weren't many disappointments on Special Teams. Dan Bailey made another great case for getting rid of David Buehler next season by kicking off 8 out of 9 times into the end zone (6 touchbacks) and knocking in 3 out of 3 field goals. Also, although it wasn't really the doing of Dallas, the Bills missed on their only field goal try early in the game.


Overall, the game was amazing. If Dallas continues down this path, they will go far. I am honored to have seen this game in person, and like I said earlier, I will provide a detailed account of my personal experience in my next post. Go Cowboys! 5-4 and going strong! Next up, Washington and Miami.

Week 10 Preview: Buffalo @ Dallas

Thanks to my wonderful, magnificent and absolutely beautiful wife, Jen, we are going to Dallas this weekend to see this game. It is kind of a combination birthday and 2nd anniversary gift and I am so freaking excited.

Finally I will be able to watch a game and loudly cheer, proudly sport my colors and not worry about ridicule of any kind. Most people are fans of teams that are local to them, but I've never had that experience before, so I am almost excited more about that than being able to watch the game live and see the stadium.

But of course I will get to see the stadium and watch the game live... We have pretty good seats too... As you can see from the image to the right...

It's a pretty good view, especially when Dallas will be charging down the field towards us... I can't wait (I hope Dallas charges the field a lot.)

The Bills game will not be a gimmie-game, but I think that Dallas has a good shot, especially since Sean Lee and Felix Jones may be back (although I pray they only use Jones as a situational back.)

Anyway... I can't wait to see the stadium and be part of the magic and I really, really, really hope they win because I will be devastated if they lose... although I'm sure I will be happy I got to see them live. Romo, right there in front of me, Dez, Witten, Murray, Coach Garrett... I can't wait!! Go Cowboys!

Naturally, I won't be able to post my comments immediately following the game (although I rarely do that anyway,) but once I get back home and settled in I will try to work up a nice, full, recap full of live pictures.

Week 9 Recap: Seattle (13) @ Dallas (23)

Week 8 Recap: Dallas (7) @ Philly (34)

There's no explanation that makes sense, Dallas just blew it big this week. From the first drive of the game, Dallas appeared weak, confused and perhaps intimidated. I can't tell what exactly the problem was, but nothing worked right and I put most of the blame on the defense. They couldn't stop the run, Vick or his passes and it kept piling up and piling up. Tony Romo was not very effective, but in all honesty, he didn't have the ball long enough to make a difference.

Very upsetting loss, and a game that could have potentially knocked Philly out of playoff contention early in the season... as it stands now for the NFC East, The Giants have a 2 game lead over everyone at 5-3 and Cowboys, Eagles and Redskins are all 3-4... it's still anyone's division, but it got a little harder with this loss...ugh...

Nothing more to say, next week Dallas is hosting Seattle and hopefully a game they can bounce back with.

Week 7 Recap: St. Louis (7) @ Dallas (34)

Finally, a very convincing win.

Since Jason Garrett took over as Cowboys' Head Coach, every game has been decided by 4 points or less, which means they have always been competitive enough to potentially win, but the results were just about split 50/50.

This game threw that 4 points stat out the window. Although it may have been against the winless Rams, who were without their star QB Sam Bradford (A.J. Feeley was in at QB,) but even so, Dallas didn't make mistakes, they took a lead and ran with it, putting their foot on St. Louis' throats and not giving up. That's all I've ever wanted them do. If anything, this should serve as a confidence builder as they get ready to head into Philly next week.

But let's get back to the game... 34-7 and that score very much reflects how the game went.

First, Tony Romo who has been a bit inconsistent the first 4 games was on-point yesterday... nothing over the top or crazy but he managed the game very well with 14 of 24 completions, 166 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Romo didn't need to throw as much for this game, mostly thanks to DeMarco Murray, who was playing for injured Felix Jones. On the first Dallas drive, Murray's first carry was a 91 yard touchdown run, one of the longest in Cowboys history, and his historic day didn't stop there. Let's just say that even if you took away the 91 yard run from Murray's stats, he still managed 162 yards rushing (that's a total of 253 for those who don't want to do the math and that beats the highest rushing total in Cowboys history (by Emmitt Smith with 237 yards.))

Dez Bryant also had a pretty good game, with 5 receptions for 90 yards and 1 touchdown. For the games he played this year, he always was productive during the first half of the game and pretty much fell off in the second half, but he redeemed himself and made most of his clutch plays in the second half, including a stellar catch in the end zone over the pylon.

Witten was, well, Witten. He made catches when he needed to and got an early touchdown to help build up Dallas' lead.

Dan Bailey was again the lone kicker, even though Buehler said he was good to go all week (I think/hope Buehler's days are numbered... although he's a good kickoff guy, he is just not needed anymore, especially with the new kickoff rule.) Anyway, Bailey was 100% on extra points and nailed two field goals, including a 51 yarder with ease.

The defense was ON-POINT... everybody seemed to be contributing, especially Abe Elam, who was exceptional, forcing and recovering a fumble. Mike Jenkins played great at corner and pulled in a beautiful interception. Sean Lee played well, and DeMarcus got lots of pressure on A.J. Feeley and close to the end of the game finally grabbed another sack for his stat sheet.

Overall, this was how I expected Dallas to play every game, and they may have looked good because St. Louis is so bad, but a lot of times good teams don't show up and lose to bad teams. This was a great rebound game from the Detroit and Patriots losses, and will hopefully serve as a reminder of how good they can be.

Dallas heads to Philly next Sunday night, a game that is always exciting. I just hope Dallas treats Philly just like they treated The Rams.

Week 6 Recap: Dallas (16) @ New England (20)

Another game that Dallas should have won... well, obviously going into the game, not many expected Dallas to win, but once they hit the field, they had a shot. The offense sputtered at times but the defense was solid throughout, (minus the final Patriots drive which gave them the lead with only :22 seconds left.)


Here are some of the concerns I have leaving this game:

- There were far too many penalties, this needs to be cleaned up.

- There is NO running game to speak of. The backs can't get any yardage no matter what they try. Felix Jones sucks, Tashard Choice sucks and DeMarco Murray sucks... I think it's time to at least give that Tanner guy some carries.


Here are some things that I was generally pleased about:

- Romo was not horrible, he managed pretty well.

- DeMarcus Ware racked up 2 more sacks... dude is a beast.

- Sean Lee continues to impress, he scooped up a nice interception...again.


All in all, it wasn't bad, and they held The Patriots to only 20 points... unfortunately we just need the offense to put up more than 20 to be effective. Someday it might happen.

Successful BYE

Dallas had their BYE this week which is why I didn't update anything, but things turned out pretty well. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant have both been practicing, and some of the other injuries have cleared up. The Cowboys should be close to 100% for their first game back... unfortunately, it is against New England, so even being healthy might not save them.

In Other NFC East News:

Once again, the BYE Gods have given Dallas a gift in the form of NFC East losses. The two NFC East teams who weren't on a BYE (NY Giants and Eagles) both lost this week. This gives the Giants a 3-2 record and drops Philly to a dismal 1-4. This division is still up for grabs, although Washington leads right now 3-1, Dallas' 2-2 doesn't count them out yet.

Week 4 Quick Recap: Detroit (34) @ Dallas (30)

Another one of these terribly disheartening endings, where Dallas had their biggest collapse in franchise history. At one point in game, Dallas was up 27-3 (if I recall correctly,) and it all went out the window after three Tony Romo interceptions in the second half... two of which went for pick six touchdowns. The rest of the team played exceptional for most of the game, but the deciding factor was the interceptions. Thanks for the shitty birthday present, Romo. Sheesh. (And NO I am not going to start whining that we need to get rid of Romo, it is just unfortunate.)



Will provide a more in dept recap at a later time...

Breaking News

This just in... it's my birthday!

Also, this just in... My wonderful wife just gave me tickets to see the Dallas/Buffalo game IN DALLAS, November 13th!!

Can't Wait!!!

That is all for now... the Dallas/Detroit game is on in less than an hour. Go Cowboys!!! 3-1 Baby!! Let's Do This!

Week 4 Q & A

I haven't done a Q&A section in a long while, so I figured I would start this feature back up... without further ado... here we go.


Q: Why is the media over-blowing Rony Tomo playing with a fractured rib?

A: First off, it's Tony Romo, not Rony Tomo, but to answer your question, the Sports media will always take a small issue and make it larger than it really is. I believe it is somewhat courageous that Romo plays through his injury, but some media outlets are putting him in a 'Hero' category, which is probably undeserved.


Q: What's up with Miles Austin?

A: Miles has a hamstring issue and isn't expected back until after the bye week (at least.)


Q: Why have the last 9 games been decided by 3 points or less?

A: Since Jason Garrett took over this organization, he has kept this team competitive and all of the scores have reflected that. Although we wish Dallas could blow out some teams, at least they are giving themselves a chance.


Q: How can Dallas beat Detroit?

A: They will have to pressure the QB as much as possible, stop the running game from developing, and the defense has to get turnovers and prevent The Lions from scoring... just like any other game.


Q: Why does Dallas still have two kickers on their roster, especially after Dan Bailey's 6 field goal performance last week?

A: Unknown... but more likely because Buehler (when healthy) has the ability to kick touchbacks, something Bailey struggles with.


Q: What the hell is wrong with Phil Costa?

A: There is still debate whether Costa was thrown off by the defense calling out the snap count, or if he was just nervous and messing up, but one thing is for certain, they better get this worked out ASAP. No professional center should have 4 premature snaps in one game... somewhere, Andre Gurode was probably watching and cracking up.


Q: How's the new job going?

A: Pretty good, thanks for asking.


Q: How long will you keep doing this stupid blog that no one even reads anyway?

A: Until I die jerk, so shut up! Enough questions for now, I'm outta here...

Here Comes The Lions...

Sunday at 1 pm may be the toughest challenge yet for these Dallas Cowboys (well, until the New England game that is.)

The Detroit Lions are firing on all cylinders and their 3-0 record proves it. Will Dallas, who is still hobbling into the game with injuries and missing players, be able to contend and walk away with a victory? It's pretty much a crap shoot.

There is no denying that The Lions' defensive line is a major threat... QB Matt Stafford is inching his way into conversations of 'Top 5 QB's'... and of course 'Megatron' Calvin Johnson is probably one of the best receivers in the league.

One could say that The Lions haven't played the highest quality teams their first three games (Tampa Bay, Kansas City & Minnesota) but they did manage to put up 48 points against Kansas City, and held them to only a field goal. Regardless who you play, that's pretty impressive.

Do I think Dallas has a chance, even without Miles Austin and a less than 100% Dez Bryant, Tony Romo & Felix Jones? Absolutely.

Rob Ryan will be dialing up some different looks for Stafford, you can be guaranteed of that. Hopefully the offense will be working hard at fixing some of the mistakes from last week, including improved route running...ahhem...Ogletree.

It's a home game for Dallas, and because of that they are 1.5 point favorites on the Vegas line. I may be biased, but I think there's a good chance Dallas can play a close game (as they have been lately) and succeed in the 4th quarter. My prediction is Dallas 31, Detroit 24.

Week 3 Recap: Washington (16) @ Dallas (18)

A 'win' is a beautiful thing, The Cowboys victory against Washington was far from beautiful, but it was a win.

This Monday Night Game was not a high octane, offensive battle with points being racked up left and right... it was a slow, defensive struggle where Dallas had to win with 6 field goals and no touchdowns, in fact the only touchdown of the game was a 5 yard screen pass to Tim Hightower who wasn't being covered properly and walked right into the end zone.

Tony Romo played with fractured ribs and you could see that they were trying to gameplan to protect him as best as they could. He utilized more screen passes and quick throws than he normally does, but was still efficient out of the pocket...although with Miles Austin out and Dez Bryant not 100%, the young receivers gave Romo some problems. They didn't know where to line up and Kevin Ogleetree ran the wrong route at least 3 times during crucial moments of the game.

Romo also wasn't helped out by Center Phil Costa, who had no less than 4 premature snaps resulting in Romo scrambling around to recover the loose ball. Luckily, none of those were lost and he even made a couple yards with one of the faulty snaps. All this with a fractured rib... unbelievable. His frustration was evident and his leadership (which many used to question,) was on full display as he seemed to be constantly yelling at his receivers and center.

Let's move on to the positives, shall we...

- Tony Romo played exceptional given the circumstances... he threw 22 for 36, 255 yards and 1 interception (which was moreso Ogletree's fault than Romo's.)

- Sean Lee had another outstanding game on defense, with 4 tackles, 4 assists and another interception.

- Dez Bryant made the catch that kept Dallas alive in the 4th quarter, converting a 3rd and 21 to set Dallas up for the game winning field goal.

- DeMarcus Ware added another sack, as well as Victor Butler and Anthony Spencer.

- Speaking of Anthony Spencer, he chased down and forced the fumble at the end of the game, extinguishing any chance Washington had for a comeback.

- Felix Jones finally broke off some nice runs, giving the team it's first carry for over 9 yards (21 and 40.) He finished the day with 115 rushing yards.


Overall, it was not an easy win, but Dallas managed to stay alive in the game the whole time and pulled it together in the end to finish with a field goal to give them the lead, and a defensive stand to close the game out. Dallas now leads the division at 2-1, although that doesn't mean too much this early in the year, it does feel good though.

Injury Bug

Now that the dust has settled a bit from Dallas' overtime victory in San Francisco, we will start seeing how things will play out for Monday Night's game against Washington.

Due to the game being on Monday, The Cowboys will be receiving an extra day off, which should help some of these guys heal a bit.

And speaking of the injury front... there are a lot of injuries:

- Miles Austin reaggrivated his hamstring and it seems he is not expected to play against Washington.

- Felix Jones sustained a separated shoulder during Sunday's game and depending on his tolerance for pain, he should be a go for Monday Night.

- Dallas is 'hopeful' that Dez Bryant will be healthy enough from his thigh contusion that he will play this week. I think he'll be listed as questionable and they will take it day-to-day to evaluate him.

- Terence Newman has tweeted that he will be playing in the Washington game, further evidence of this is Dallas cutting CB Bryan McCann yesterday (to re-sign WR Laurent Robinson.)

- Tony Romo, the warrior, will more than likely play. Apparently the fractured rib and punctured lung (which sounds worse than it actually is,) won't medically force him to miss the game, as long as Romo can handle the pain, he'll play.

- There are a few other injuries like Lineman Bill Nagy, CB Orlando Scandrick and a few others, but there hasn't been any definitive word on them, so we'll see as we get closer to gameday.


In Other News:

- Two former Cowboys have been signed by, surprise surprise, The Miami Dolphins... LB Igor Olshansky and CB Nate Jones.


In Stat News:

- Dallas has notched a couple top spots in regards to stats for the first two weeks of the season. Sean Lee leads the league in tackles with 23. DeMarcus Ware leads the league in sacks with 4 and Tony Romo has the fifth most passing yards in the league with 687 (although it's still a far cry from Tom Brady's 940.)

Week 2 Recap: Dallas (27) @ SF (24)

This match-up may have been a sure-thing win for Dallas on paper, but when it came down to it, The Cowboys needed everything they could muster to pull off a victory, including an overtime field goal.

The opening drive seemed like something straight out of last season, 14 plays, wasting 2 timeouts and driving all the way to the 3 yard line when newbie, Dan Bailey, missed the 21 yard field goal. What a whammy.

The rest of the first half was almost as bad... The 49ers managed two touchdowns which started the despair with a score of 0-14 and a real possibility of losing to a mediocre San Fransisco team. Dallas' offense just couldn't get rolling, with a 3 and out, after 3 and out, after 3 and out. Luckily late in the second quarter, Romo connected with Miles Austin on a slant for a 53 yard TD which brought the game back within reach at 7-14 going into the half.

To start the third quarter, things started looking rough again, Romo appeared to be out for the rest of the game with a fractured rib which he apparently injured early in the game (also Felix Jones was hampered with a dislocated shoulder.) Kitna came in the game and ended his drive with an interception. Alex Smith followed suit and threw an interception on the next drive and thankfully Kitna took advantage of great field position and threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin, tying the game up at 14.

San Fran and Dallas went back and forth, 49ers punted and then the next drive, Kitna was driving down the field nicely when he threw another interception. Alex Smith responded with a touchdown pass putting the 49ers back in the lead 14-21.

Something special happened after that... Tony Romo, who sideline reporters were telling us would be out for the rest of the game, asked for his helmet and then marched onto the field. Although his first series back resulted in a punt, you could tell the team was influenced by his courage.

Heading into the 4th quarter, San Fransisco managed a field goal and took a 14-24 lead. Romo came back in again and drove down the field, ending with an amazing Miles Austin dive for a 25 yard touchdown. 21-24.

The defense held strong and forced a 49ers punt and Romo came in driving down the field once again, thanks to some clutch catches by Miles Austin and none other than '4th and long' reality show winner, Jesse Holley. They were not able to put up 6 on the drive, but Dan Bailey redeemed himself from the missed 21 yard field goal by knocking threw a 48 yarder with :04 left on the game clock and sending them into overtime.

Dallas lost the coin toss and was forced on defense to start OT. The defense held up yet again, forcing SF to punt. On the first play of the drive for Dallas, Romo connected with a streaking Jesse Holley, who ran for 77 yards and ended up on the 1 yard line. Although they were tempted to run it in, they decided the smart move would be to kick a field goal. Dan Bailey, who missed the first 21 yard field goal of the game lined up ready to kick the game winning 19 yard field goal, and... SUCCESS, it was good. Dallas 27 - SF 24.



Other Things I Forgot to Mention:

- Jason Witten, for the second straight game, had over 100 yards receiving.
- Sean Lee led the team with tackles again, racking up 8 tackles and 2 assists... he currently leads the NFL in tackles through 2 games.
- Demarcus Ware added 2 more sacks to the 2 he had last week. Jason Hatcher also had 2 sacks. Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff each had 1.
- Miles Austin had a career day with 3 TD's and 143 yards, but he re-injured his hamstring and didn't play in OT.
- Felix Jones separated his shoulder early in the game but still played throughout, although the running game was not very effective regardless.
- I'm sure there's more but that's all I remember right now...

Looking Forward

Cornerback Concern:

There are troubling issues in Dallas' secondary. Terence Newman was inactive for the opening game and it is not known when he will return. Mike Jenkins wasn't healthy going into the game and was injured multiple times throughout, leaving his week 2 status in question. Orlando Scandrick sustained a high ankle sprain during the matchup and is expected to be out 3-4 weeks. Without these three corners, The Cowboys' secondary is very spotty.


O-Line is Fine:

One of the main concerns heading into the game was the offensive line, and besides a few missteps here and there, they actually played fairly well, especially Tyron Smith who was listed as questionable going into the game. I would almost say that Kyle Kosier, the only veteran, played the worst... well maybe not the worst but he did allow the first sack of the season.


Marty B? How About Johnny P?!

John Phillip was replacing Martellus Bennett as second string tight end while Bennett is nursing a high ankle sprain, and he played exceptionally well. There was one play in which Phillip caught a screen, shook a tackle off his leg (Bart Scott nonetheless,) and jettisoned forward for a first down. Although I had tons of faith in Marty B for the past 3 years, he never lived up to his potential. I hate to say it, but I just couldn't see Bennett grabbing that pass (w/o dropping it) and then shaking the tackle the way Phillip did. This is likely Bennett's final season as a Cowboy.


Wide Receiver Concern:

There actually isn't really that much concern at WR except Dez Bryant hurting his thigh and cramping up, which obviously hampered his ability to run on Sunday. Bryant is a big part of this offense and proved how valuable he can be on that first drive, but unforunately it seems that he is injury-prone. If he can get healthy and stay healthy, he has the talent to be as prolific as that other number 88.


Defensive Positives:

The defense played pretty well for having limited time with a new coach and compiling injuries play after play. Sean Lee was especially good, leading the team in tackles, with an interception and a recovered fumble. Demarcus Ware was also as dominant as usual, adding up two sacks to start his year.


Forty-Niners:

This upcoming Sunday's game will see Dallas traveling up to 'The City by the Bay' to face the 49ers who just dismantled Seattle 33-17. I wouldn't say that San Fransisco was great in the game (mostly Seattle just plain sucked,) but The Niners did put up 33 points and win so they aren't horrible.

This could easily be a trap game, especially with Dallas' injuries piling up, so they will need to be careful how they approach San Fran. I think Garrett and Ryan will tweak the offense and defense over the week and might even bring in some free agent cornerbacks to help our crippled secondary. We shall see.

Go Cowboys!

Week 1 Recap (foreal this time)

This season is eerily beginning just like last season. Dallas had every chance to win last year's opener against Washington, but due to some poor play-calling and horrendous mistakes, they were defeated. That devestating loss propelled them into a downward spiral that lasted up until Wade Phillips was fired about halfway through the season.

Last night's opening game was not too much different. Dallas had control of the game and held a 14 point lead going into the 4th quarter. Due to mistakes on special teams, mistakes by Romo and critical injuries, The Jets were able to rally in the 4th quarter and it looks like the downward spiral may have begun again for these Cowboys. The question is, will they quickly break the curse or are they doomed to repeat their woes.

There were many factors that led to this loss. Injuries to CB Orlando Scandrick, CB Mike Jenkins and WR Dez Bryant didn't help anything (especially since Terence Newman was already inactive due to injury.) Having a punt blocked and returned for a TD didn't help anything. Romo throwing a foolish pass toward a double-covered Dez that got intercepted didn't help anything. Romo trying to run for a TD on a broken play on 3rd and goal, which he then fumbled, didn't help anything either. Overall, the 4th quarter was a comedy of errors.

It's not like anybody was predicting Dallas to win last night, but when you're heading into the 4th quarter with a 14 point lead, at that point you don't expect to lose. This is also the first game Dallas has lost after holding a 14 point lead in the 4th. Depressingly interesting.

The good news is that it is only the first game of the year... Sure the season could go the way of last year and Dallas could spiral into lose after lose after lose, but there's actually a decent chance they will pull off victories in the next three games (San Fransisco, Washington & Detroit.) If Dallas can carry a 3-1 record heading into the BYE (week 5) then things won't feel so grim.

If Dallas wants success, there are a lot of factors involved and a lot of things will need to be corrected and tightened up... it's funny, I said that we need to correct and tighten things up for the past 3 years but never had confidence that Wade Phillips would actually do anything. This season however, I have faith that Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan can enstill some discipline and actually correct problems. Maybe I'm just being optimistic.

Week 1 Recap - Dallas (24) @ NY Jets (27)

For any Dallas fan that masochistically watched all of The Cowboys' games last season, this opening game feels quite familiar.

Before the game, I certainly didn't expect Dallas to win, in fact I was bracing myself for a blowout, but the most disheartening thing about this loss is that they had this game in the bag for 3 quarters but fell apart in the 4th. When it mattered most, they couldn't put it away.

There are many aspects of this game that were good, but the bad things came in crucial times, and unfortunately, it was Tony Romo that ultimately gave the game away.

I will rant more about this loss later, but for now I just want to wallow in my sorrows as I chalk up the first 'L' for the season. 0-1. Ugh.

Let's Roll!

Football Season has officially started with Green Bay (mostly) dominating against the Saints and winning Thursday Night's kickoff game with a score of 42 to 34. It was a pretty exciting game to start things off, there was a little bit of everything, three TD throws from Rodgers in the first quarter, a kickoff return TD, sacks, fumbles, etc, etc... very exciting indeed.

But I don't care much for Green Bay or the Saints, so tomorrow is the day I'm really looking forward to. There's some pretty good games on in the afternoon and I'll get to see how the NFC East rivals play and then to cap off the night will be the very tough challenge of Dallas vs NY Jets. I have no clue how things are going to play out, Dallas has some major injuries already, including Terrence Newman, Martellus Bennett, possibly Tyron Smith and more. The secondary is what scares me the most, but who knows if the young guys will step up. We'll find out tomorrow night and it's sure to be intense.

It's also going to be an emotional game, in fact every game tomorrow will be special because it will be the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Players across the league are planning to go against some of the NFL dress codes (they were given permission btw,) and will be wearing red, white and blue incorporated in their cleats and maybe elsewhere too, we'll see. Tomorrow night's Cowboys/Jets game will top it off because of it's proximity to Manhattan which was hardest hit during 9/11.

While I'm on the topic, I can't stress enough how grateful I am for all firefighters, police and emergency workers who lost their lives being heroes on that day. The average citizens who all came together during the tragedy and everybody who believes in freedom, I give my thanks to.

In other news...

Since my brother got the Sunday Ticket from DirecTv and since I have a Playstation 3 and since DirecTv is allowing (for a $50 addition) Sunday Ticket to be streamed to Playstation 3... well, I will technically have the ST for the season through my PS3. Woo Hoo... that's all. Go Cowboys!

T-Minus 2 Days...

There are now only two days until we kickoff the season. There hasn't been a huge amount of news since yesterday, but there has been some.

- Dallas is working out WR Laurent Robinson, who recently played with The Rams. There is obviously a big dropoff from our # 2 receiver (Dez Bryant) to our #3 (Kevin Ogletree) so it makes sense to try-out some veteran wideouts. I wouldn't expect him to play in Sunday's game or anything, but if they sign him it would be a nice back-up option.

- Rob Ryan is certainly confident in his defense, he said in a recent interview that he expects to 'win it all,' and that 'no other coach has changed things around like he has in Dallas.' Judging by preseason, the defense was spotty at best, but Ryan assures us that he's 'saving the best stuff for later.' We shall see. Either way, I am liking his attitude in comparison to Wade Phillips.


The Jets have a pleathora of emotion evoking events planned for Sunday night including:

- Every spectater given an American Flag
- Firemen and Police Officer bagpipe players will perform 'Amazing Grace'
- Children of first responders are set to be the Jet's honorary captains
- Robert DeNiro will speak during halftime
- and much more...

Needless to say, emotions will certainly be running high and the stadium will be extra hype. I don't think that necessarily equates to an instant victory, in fact it might be too much pressure on The Jets which can negatively affect their play. Who knows.


In Other NFL News:

- It looks like Peyton Manning will definitely be missing a few games, if not the entire season. His neck injury isn't healing as fast as they would like it to, so it seems pretty set that come Sunday, Kerry Collins will be under center against Houston.

- Speaking of Houston, things may have gotten a lot easier for them in the AFC South this year. David Garrard was just cut by Jacksonville after 9 seasons. Quite a shock.


In Other College Football News:

I can't let it go.

I usually don't talk much about College football, mostly because my team is Notre Dame, who has been horrible for years... but last night in the Miami vs Maryland game, The Terrapins have unveiled their new uniforms (see picture,) and I gotta say, I haven't seen a worst uniform EVER. Sure there are some bad uniform designs out there, but I couldn't even watch the whole game because of those duds. C'mon Son! Back to the Drawing Board.

T-Minus 3 Days...

We now only have three days until New Orleans and Green Bay kick off the 2011/2012 NFL season. Most are prepping for the first game, but Dallas has made a few changes with the roster, and I'm willing to bet a few more moves are made before the season starts... The 53 is always subject to various mutations.

First, Montrae Holland (Guard) and Sam Young (Offensive Tackle) have been cut and Dallas decided to add two semi-veteran players in Tony Fiammetta (Fullback from Carolina) and Derrick Dockery (Offensive Lineman who played with Washington.) For what it's worth, Fiammetta should provide more support than Gronkowski has done (ah..hem, cough*broken collarbone*cough) and Dockery may simply be a voice of experience for our young, budding O-Line. This has also forced a few Cowboys players to change up their numbers, most notably Marcus Spears who will now sport # 98.


In Other News Around the League:

Andre Gurode, who recently was sent away from Dallas, has been signed by The Baltimore Ravens. I always liked Gurode, so I hope he does well... unless we play them, which we unfortunately do not this year (unfortunate mostly because if it was in Baltimore, I would be at that game without a doubt.)


That's about it for Labor Day news.

And Then There Were 53...

Today, Dallas' roster was cut from 80 to 53... most cuts were expected but there were a few that were a little bit surprising...

Some players who got cut that I didn't think would:

- Chris Gronkowski (I'm betting this was a request from Romo to Garrett... maybe a little karma for causing his broken collarbone.)

- Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (I didn't think he did horrible last year but I guess when Abram Elam was signed, it pretty much sealed Akwasi's fate.)

- Brandon Williams (I wouldn't say he was a draft bust, but he never really showed his true potential when he had the opportunities and he was just plain ol' expendable.)

- Igor Olshansky (perhaps the biggest shock cut in my opinion, Olshansky played good the last two years but I guess he was nothing spectacular.)


The 53:

QB (No real surprises here.)
- Tony Romo
- Jon Kitna
- Stephen McGee

RB (They really liked what they saw with both Murray and Tanner and it has paid off, I didn't expect them to carry four Runningbacks but there it is.)
- Felix Jones
- Tashard Choice
- DeMarco Murray
- Phillip Tanner

WR (Again, no real surprises... also to note, Raymond Radway was placed on IR for the season due to the injury (broken leg) he received in the final preseason game.)
- Miles Austin
- Dez Bryant
- Kevin Ogletree
- Jesse Holley
- Dwayne Harris

TE (With Bennett out for possibly the first month of the regular season, it made sense to keep all four of these Tight Ends.)
- Jason Witten
- Martellus Bennett (injured)
- John Phillips
- Martin Rucker

OL (The Offensive Line is being totally rebuilt, with Columbo, Davis and Gurode gone, they will need as many O-Linemen as possible and hopefully the experienced players step up and teach the noobs well.)
- Kyle Kosier
- Phil Costa
- Doug Free
- Tyron Smith
- Bill Nagy
- Montrae Holland
- David Arkin
- Kevin Kowalski
- Sam Young
- Jeremy Parnell

DL (Sounds about right to me... not sure how well Clifton Geathers plays but if he made the 53, he got someone's attention.)
- Jay Ratliff
- Marcus Spears
- Jason Hatcher
- Sean Lissemore
- Josh Brent
- Kenyon Coleman
- Clifton Geathers

LB (again, this squad comes back fully in tact from last year, with Alex Albright being the addition.)
- DeMarcus Ware
- Anthony Spencer
- Victor Butler
- Bradie James
- Sean Lee
- Keith Brooking
- Alex Albright

S (I like Sensabaugh and Elam is a nice addition to the Safety spot.)
- Gerald Sensabaugh
- Abram Elam
- Barry Church
- Danny McCray

CB (Ball and McCann are pretty much interchangeable as Safety's so they should be OK as the backup deep field guys.)
- Terence Newman
- Orlando Scandrick
- Mike Jenkins
- Alan Ball
- Bryan McCann

K (I don't like that we don't have a dedicated kicker for kickoffs and field goals/extra points, this roster spot could be given to someone of greater value. It is expected that Buehler will be kickoffs and Bailey will handle field goals...sigh.)
- David Buehler
- Dan Bailey

P (Shocker!)
- Mat McBriar

LS (Who else but LP to be the LS...word.)
- LP Ladouceur


In Other NFL Cut News:

Some other notable cuts from around the league include:

- Brandon Meriweather (S) from NE
- Chester Taylor (RB) from CHI
- Desmond Clark (TE) from CHI
- Larry Johnson (RB) from MIA

Dallas should actively pursue Meriweather if they can... with Sensabaugh, Elam, Church and Meriweather... they would be very strong in the secondary. Also related to the Cowboys, Chester Taylor being cut by Chicago... they have a lot of faith in Barber and I like Barber a lot so I wish him luck.) Clark and Johnson were not what they once had been, so I guess it just felt right to cut the baggage.

Well, that's pretty much it for now... Thursday will bring the official start of the season as New Orleans battles Green Bay in the Kickoff Game.

Let The Countdown Begin!

Here we are, officially into September and that means Football, Football, Football...

Tonight will be most team's final preseason game, and starters are expected to sit this one out while coaches evaluate the 3rd and 4th stringers to see who will make the 53, who will make the practice squad and who will be cut.

Dallas will be heading to Miami to face the Dolphins.


Next week, in a game that The Cowboys seem destined to lose, Dallas will travel to New York (well, New Jersey technically,) and face off against the New York Jets on 9/11. Besides the 9/11 sentiment and memorials, this is also going to be another 'Brother-Bowl' as Rex Ryan will be pitted against his brother, Rob. I'm sure there are some other subtle story-lines, like kicker Nick Folk facing the team that cut him, but either way it should make for a good game.


I think I already did predictions for the season, but I don't remember and don't care to look back so I'll just make another one... I believe Dallas has a good shot at going 11-5, which should be good enough to get to the playoffs... I don't know if we'll win the division, everyone is hyping Philly to the point that they are already representing the NFC in the Super Bowl this year, but we'll see.


Well, that's pretty much it for a recap... Oh yea... in Preseason so far, Dallas won against Denver (barely) and crushed Minnesota, but lost to San Deigo pretty bad. At least it's just preseason.

Back in the Mix

Hi, I'm back!

I'm not sure what happened from May to July, but now that it's August and the lockout is officially over, football is steadily shifting it's way back into my focus.

As far as Dallas in the free agent market... they haven't made any huge splashes, a couple guys were signed, but no one of importance (yet, anyway.)

The Cowboys did part ways with WR Roy Williams (bout time,) and RB Marion Barber (eh...) and unfortunately they lost WR Sam Hurd... all of these players went to Chicago. Columbo was also cut, as well as a few others which I can't remember right now.


In other Cowboys news:

Jason Garrett is trying his best to change the enviornment in Dallas... for rookies, he is only giving them silver helmets... if they want their star, they have to earn it. It would probably be wise to implement this for the veterans too, but one step at a time.

Rob Ryan is also a very welcome change of pace and he seems to be on schedule to turn this defense up a notch or two. His attitude is vastly different than Wade Phillips and that is a very good thing.


In other NFL news:

- The Eagles seem to be going for a record to sign the most free agent names they can acquire. They got CB Amosugha from Oakland, they got RB Ronnie Brown from Miami, they got Rodgers-Cromartie, they got Vince Young, they got... etc... I'm hoping they are all a bust.

- Madden 2012's release date has been pushed back to August 30th in an effort to be "closer to the start of the season." which kind of sucks, but you know, whatever, I'll still get it.


That's all for my quick recap... I am positive that I will be writing more and more since the 2011/2012 season is just heating up... GO COWBOYS!!!

2011 NFL Draft - Round 1

With the 9th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select... LT Tyron Smith from USC!

With a strategy to rebuild the offensive line, Smith is arguably the best OL in the draft and will be great at providing support to protect Romo as well as opening up holes for the running game.

Tonight will be a few more rounds and then Saturday will be the conclusion of the draft.

The Season is ON... I think

A Judge has ordered the NFL lockout to be lifted, although I believe the NFL owners have put in for an appeal, so the season isn't a definite, but at least we're one step closer.

Since I really don't know much about the legal system and all of the specifics of the lockout, here's an article I found online about it... check it out...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110426/SPORTS03/104260323/Judge-orders-end-NFL-lockout?odyssey=nav%7Chead

I am really hopeful that the players benefit from all of this and that the season continues without problem. Finger crossed.

Earliest Prediction Yet

Hopefully the lockout will be resolved soon so that there is no delay in the schedule... (it could throw my predictions way off...) but anyway, my guess for this upcoming season is...

10-6 (the complete opposite of last year.)

I could potentially see losses against The Jets, New England, Philly (once), Miami, The Giants (once), and Washington (once.)

There are some very favorable home games, so I can almost predict 7-1 at home.

However it plays out, I can at least predict a better record than 6-10... I hope...

2011/2012 Schedule (lockout pending)

NFL Fans Rejoice! The 2011/2012 Season Schedule has been released. Please see the updated schedule on the right hand side of this blog to see the particulars.

Some highlights...

- 5 prime time games (even after last season's horrid record)
- A Sept. 11th opener at The Jets
- Thanksgiving day game against Miami
- A crappy Week 5 Bye
- Christmas Eve game at Home against Philly
- New Years Day season finale At The Giants

The draft is close too... nothing is set in stone as to who Dallas is targeting, so this week will be filled with lots of speculation, I'm sure.

Pre-Season 2011

With the lockout still looming over our heads, the NFL has released Pre-Season schedules for all teams... the dates of the games are still pending on the lockout but for 2011 Dallas will kick off two home games against Denver and San Diego followed by Minnesota and Miami on the road.

April Update

My apologies for not updating in such a long time... I got a new job which was occupying all of my time for a while, plus life, plus wife, plus everything else...

Anyway... to very, very briefly recap:

NFC won the Pro Bowl... it was a blow-out and actually was pretty boring...

And Green Bay won the Super Bowl... they did great and made Pittsburgh look douchey. I like that.


In recent news... there's the NFL lock-out that has not been settled yet, and we should soon have the draft as well as the schedule released. Hope there is football this year...[gulp]

Pro Bowl 2011

This Sunday will be the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii between the best of the best of the AFC and NFC.

The Dallas Cowboys had 5 players who will be representing the NFC, and just yesterday it was announced that WR Miles Austin was also added to the roster to make the total 6.

The 6 Cowboys who will be on the Pro Bowl roster are:


WR - Miles Austin
TE - Jason Witten
C - Andre Gurode
NT - Jay Ratliff
OL - DeMarcus Ware
P - Mat McBriar


In recent years, the AFC always seems to pull ahead at the end and take the victory, so we will see if this year is different and the NFC can finally get a win.

Super Bowl XVL

Well it is set. Championship Weekend is over and the match-up for Super Bowl 45 will be between The Pittsburgh Steelers and The Green Bay Packers.

That is what I least wanted to happen, so of course, that is what happened. Oh Well... I'll be rooting for The Packers because I couldn't stand seeing Pittsburgh get another ring.

Next Sunday is a little break with the Pro Bowl and then the Sunday after that, February 6th, will The Big Game. Go Packers!

Dallas in 2011

Before the Championship games lead us toward Super Bowl 45, I wanted to talk a little more about Dallas and their schedule next year.

It wasn't just announced or anything, and we won't have the schedule dates until sometime in April, but next year is a nice mix of the good and the bad as far as The Cowboys' opponents go.

Dallas will face off against the NFC West and the AFC East... so while that means we may get some help with match-ups against St. Louis, San Fransisco, Seattle and Arizona... it also means we will be challenged against Miami, New England and The Jets.

Also on the schedule will be Detroit and Tampa Bay.


The Home Games for Dallas are: New York Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, St. Louis, Seattle, Buffalo, Miami and Detroit

Away Games for Dallas are: New York Giants, Philadelphia, Washington, Arizona, San Fransisco, New England, New York Jets, Tampa Bay


There you have it... I don't think there's any way that Dallas will do worse than they did in 2010... with the coaching changes and the inevitable player changes, it should be a good season coming up... now just to keep our eye on the holdout.

NFL Playoffs: Championship Sunday

The time has come... The 2010/2011 NFL Playoffs will finally come to an end tomorrow and we will find out who will be matching up in Super Bowl XLV (That's 45 for us non-Romans.)

The NFC will be represented by either the Green Bay Packers or the Chicago Bears. The Bears have been excellent all year, and the Packers, despite having been plagued by injuries all season, have finished strong and are breezing through the playoffs.

The AFC will be represented by either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New York Jets. The Steelers will be vying for a chance at a 7th Super Bowl ring, topping the nearest competitors by two. Pittsburgh has been playing great all season and have been explosive on defense when all of their pieces have been in play. The Jets have a defense that is just as strong, and with Rex Ryan at command and with the Jets already proclaiming a victory, this will be a great battle.

So after tomorrow we will know if The Super Bowl will be Jets/Packers, Jets/Bears, Steelers/Packers or Steelers/Bears.

Next Weekend will be the Pro Bowl and the following Weekend will be the Big Game. It is a great time for football fans everywhere.

New DC for The DC

The changes for the Dallas Cowboys have only just begun with the announcement of Jason Garrett as Head Coach. The interim defensive coordinator, Paul Pasoquolini has left Dallas and been hired for the same job at UConn and so the search began for a new DC.

It is not official yet, but all signs are pointing to Rob Ryan as the Cowboys new defensive coordinator. Yes, that Rob Ryan... son of Buddy, brother of Rex, and a much needed change of pace from the likes of easy-going Wade Phillips. The announcement is apparently imminent, as sources close to the matter have stated.

There are a few other positions that need to be filled and many players that will be cut and replaced, and I will do my best to update the blog as soon as I know any of these changes.

IN PLAYOFF NEWS

The playoffs are winding down, and with Divisional Weekend out of the way, the Super Bowl match-up will either be The New York Jets or the Pittsburgh Steelers representing the AFC against either The Green Bay Packers or The Chicago Bears repping the NFC.

Personally, I'm rooting for a Jets and Bears Super Bowl... I could live with a Jets and Packers Super Bowl I guess, but I certainly don't want Pittsburgh to get in... I would never hear the end of it.

The Rest of the Season

Well it certainly has been quite a long absence since I posted on here, and for that I do apologize, I had to deal with some professional problems as well as the Holidays, but here we are, in 2011 and things are definitely going to be interesting this year for The Dallas Cowboys.

To very, very briefly recap the final weeks of the 2010 season:

Week 12 - New Orleans (30) @ Dallas Cowboys (27)

If not for a late, Roy Williams fumble, this Thanksgiving game would have been a victory... oh well.


Week 13 - Dallas (38) @ Indianapolis (35)

I don't know how, but Dallas always seems to win the match-up against Indy, this was no different.

Week 14 - Philly (30) @ Dallas (27)

It was close and the defense lost this one in the final minutes and allowed Desean Jackson to score the final touchdown which gave Philly the lead. Ugh.


Week 15 - Washington (30) @ Dallas (33)

This was closer than it should have been, since Rex Grossman was the Redskins' qb and not McNabb, but Dallas pulled ahead and remained victorious.


Week 16 - Dallas (26) @ Arizona (27)

Another game that should have been a 'W' for Dallas. This one can be easily be blamed on David Buehler missing an extra point which would have at least gave Dallas a shot in overtime.


Week 17 - Dallas (14) @ Philly (13)

With Kitna out and the team being led by Steven McGee, it didn't seem that we would win this match-up, but McGee went down and scored the winning touchdown in the final minute.


Following the end of the season, it was time for Jerry Jones to let us know if Jason Garrett would be head coach or if someone new would be stepping into that position. Well, just yesterday (01/06/11) Jason Garrett was indeed named Wade Phillips successor and the first former Cowboys' player to be named Cowboys' head coach.

I believe Jason Garrett will be a much needed improvement. His philosophy of coaching is strict but not overbearing and I think he will make some much needed changes to the staff as well as the players. This team could be great and there are some great players that will be around next year... the small window of opportunity to win championships is closing and hopefully Garrett will help keep that window open a bit longer.

I will do my best to keep this blog updated as Jason Garrett begins making his changes, and I may update a bit throughout the playoffs as well. Until then, peace!