Week 5 Recap - vs. Cincinnati - Heaven on Turf

If there was any doubt that The Cowboys' biggest fan is the one and only God, it was evident on Sunday as The Cowboys hosted The Bengals. They said that the hole in the roof of Texas Stadium was there so God could watch his team play. They also say God has quite the sense of humor. I will attempt to break down all the divine interventions in this game which ended, Dallas 31, Cincinnati 22.

Exhibit A: Fans have been utterly baffled by the lack of interceptions this season and people were starting to worry. The prayers of Dallas fandom were miraculously answered on the first play from scrimmage when an overthrown pass from Carson Palmer landed directly into the hands of Greg Ellis. It was almost embarrassing that Dallas and Detroit were the only two teams not to have an interception this year, but fate stepped in and resolved that problem.

Exhibit B: The 33 yard touchdown run by Felix Jones on a 4th and 4. He looked like he was walking on water. Need I say more.

Exhibit C: God's sick sense of humor came out when The Bengals scored 16 unanswered points and brought The Bengals 2 points away from the lead. Throw in a surprise onside kick attempt by Cincinnati and things looked dreadful for a while.

Exhibit D: Terrell Owens, who had even less catches and throws than last week, caught a pass and ran for a 57 yard touchdown, keeping 'The Boys in the lead, 24-16. After the game, T.O. claimed that it was God's glory that was working through him to make that play. Interesting...

Exhibit E: After The Bengals scored a touchdown late in the 4th quarter, they attempted to tie up the game with a 2 point conversion that was beautifully broken up by 3rd string SS Keith Davis, who is playing for Roy Williams and Pat Watkins, both out for injury.

Exhibit F: There was 1:59 left in the game, Dallas is at the Cincinnati 15 and it's 3rd and 11. The score is 24-22 and if they only managed a field goal, it would still give The Bengals a slim shot at victory. The same kind of miracle that began the game also ended the game, as Romo passed to his left trying to hit Miles Austin. Patrick Crayton was coming from the other direction and when the ball came at Austin it bounced off his fingertips, right over the two corners' head and into the arms of Crayton. Touchdown! Cowboys 31 Bengals 22 and with 1:52 left to play, that spectacular catch pretty much put the game away.

It wasn't a pretty win, but God likes drama. Ocho Cinco's wishes were denied, as he finished with just 3 catches for 43 yards, no touchdown and no kissing of the star. His romantic affair with Dallas will have to wait for another day.

Chris Perry and newly acquired Cedric Benson were held to about 30 yards a piece, proving that Dallas' run defense is back to top form after slipping and allowing Washington to rush over 150 yards last week.

It was far from the prettiest of wins, but it is a 'W' and it puts the Cowboys in a good position at 4-1 and there are only 4 other teams in the NFC with records as good. Unfortunately 2 of those 4 are in the NFC East and we've already lost to one of them, but 'The Boys are still in a good spot.

The skeptics will cast doubt that although winning, it isn't enough. They will shout about the fumbles and interceptions. They will cry about how Dallas only picked the ball once in 5 games. They will criticize the off field comments of players & coaches and they will continue to expect perfect games every time.

Unfortunately, this game of football is not very predictable and it's probably more wise to hope for the best and expect the worst. Although not pretty, they are winning, and wins are what gets you in the playoffs. Remember that God backs this team, and that's a 12th man I can have faith in.

Last Minute Updates

- Terence Newman's groin injury from pre-season is bothering him again, and he is now listed as questionable on the injury report.

- Andre Gurode rolled his ankle in practice earlier this week but is expected to start.

- Montrae Holland, who was supposed to get some action in last week's game, before it became a game of catch-up, should make his first appearance against The Bengals, relieving Cory Proctor at left guard.

- Roy Williams is still not healthy and Pat Watkins is doubtful for Sunday, which means they'll be rotating Keith Davis and Courtney Brown at safety.

- The Cowboys are still yet to intercept the ball. In fact, in the entire league, Dallas is only better than The Detroit Lions in turnovers.

- Carson Palmer fully participated in practice Friday and is expected to start.

- Recently re-signed wide receiver Chris Henry is also expected to play, which could create more problems in The Cowboys lackluster secondary.

- Chad Ocho Cinco seems dead set on scoring a touchdown and kissing the star as a, "sign of respect." If this goes down, not everyone will be entertained and I can almost predict a scuffle and penalty flags galore.

- The Bengals have also recently signed Cedric Benson, as Kenny Watson is now released and Chris Perry is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Cincinnati Preview

On Sunday afternoon, Dallas will welcome the struggling Bengals to Texas Stadium. Now it's true that Cincinnati is an 0-4 team, having fallen victim to Baltimore, Tennessee, The Giants and Cleveland, but they can't be overlooked.

Baltimore and Tennessee have amazing defenses, so that's a tough start for any team. The Giants game came down to the wire in overtime, they easily could be 1-3... as a matter of fact, they could be 2-2 if Carson Palmer wasn't on the bench for the Cleveland game.

Ocho Cinco even gave reporters some fodder as he declared (in jest, or not) how they will throw everything they got at The Cowboys and finally show the world that they aren't an 0-4 team. He went as far as to claim that when he makes a touchdown he will take off his helmet and kiss the star on the field, happily taking the penalty yards and fine.

In a sense, it is frightening to play an 0-4 team. They are due a win and they are definitely better than their record. They also have the capable firepower to ignite at any moment, all they need is some rhythm.

I'm hoping they don't get their groove back in Dallas. Sure, it'll be sad to see such a good team go 0-5, but at the risk of being 3-2, I won't feel that bad. The rest of Cowboy Nation wouldn't be able to take it either.

To some of the fair-weather and/or die-hard fans, it seemed like it was the end of the world after Sunday's loss to The Redskins, imagine 2 loses in a row!! The sky would surely fall and all civilization would be wiped out. The flames of hell would erupt and consume the earth from the north pole to south pole while demons would inhabit the souls of any living thing that could still breathe, causing a never ending purgatory of distress, fear and agony.... Or not.

Dallas let one slip away against Washington, but these Cowboys are still one of the best in the league. The play-makers are there, the coaching (with the exception of last week) is there and the hunger is there, and if the 3-0 start filled their stomachs, the 26-24 loss to our arch rival has made them hungry again, and I expect nothing but high octane action on both Dallas' offense and defense.

They won't take Cincinnati lightly, and they will be better prepared for battle. They don't like that foul taste of defeat in their mouth, so it's time to spit it out and take a sip of victory again. It's on! Let's go Dallas, Let's go... LETS GO!

Week 4 Recap - vs. Washington

Ugh... 'Skins 26 - 'Boys 24

Nothing was working right against this amped up Washington Redskins team. The Cowboys' defense gave up way too many yards and 3rd down conversions. The offense couldn't convert enough 3rd downs. The refs missed some obvious Redskins' penalties, and for some reason the coaches decided to forget about the running game.

The whole game was ugly. Perhaps after doing so well the first three games, they were due a loss. Maybe they were too arrogant, after easily defeating Green Bay and coming into this game as 11 1/2 point favorites. Could it have been beginner's luck for Jim Zorn coaching his first Cowboys' rivalry game. Whatever it was, it needs to be corrected if this team wants a true chance at the playoffs.

Divisional games always have a bit more intensity it seems, especially within the NFC East. I certainly didn't expect Dallas to sweep all 6 Division games, but there were mistakes that occured during this game that shouldn't have ever happened. Number one thing I will complain about until it changes is forcing turnovers. Not one interception to date. Unacceptable. The defense also needs to better protect against big plays in the secondary. They gave up one too many 20+ yard passing plays for me to stomach.

The offense isn't bad, but there were things not utilized this game. T.O. may been looked toward too often, Miles Austin, not enough. The lack of running was absolutely foolish. I don't know if Felix Jones had any touches on offense, and Barber wasn't given enough of a shot before they went right back to passing. There was a huge lack of balance, and I have to blame the coaches for at least 75% of this loss.

All in all, it's one game, it's only week 4 and hopefully this loss will humble The 'Boys a bit and get them to refocus quickly. The next stretch of games will hopefully better prepare us as we host Cincinnati, then go on the road to Arizona and St. Louis.

This was the last time Dallas welcomed The Redskins to Texas Stadium and they are handed a dissapointing defeat. After the last two Washington games, I hope they have revenge on their minds come November 16.

Next week, Dallas will invite the winless Cincinnati Bengals to Irving, and try their best to avoid a trip to the basement of the NFC East. Will Cincinnati be due a win? Will Carson Palmer still be sidelined for next week? Will The Cowboys shake off this ugly loss and be back on track to take control of the NFC? We shall see.

Rivalry Re-Match... 'Sup 'Skins...

Ah, it's time again for The Washington Redskins to come down for a little trip to Irving and catch-up on things. The last meeting didn't end so well for The Cowboys as they fell 27-6 on the final regular season game of 2007.

Having already clinched the #1 seed in the playoffs, the starters only played about a half, there was no T.O., and it was bitterly cold and freezing rain was soaking the players, the ball, the fans and the field. The Redskins were playing a potential tie breaking game for the chance at a wildcard birth and Dallas was playing like they were asleep.

The next game for each team ended their post-seasons, as Washington lost to Seattle & the next week Dallas was beaten by the eventual Super Bowl Champions, The New York Giants. A year has gone by, both teams have made improvements, and it's time to reheat the rivalry.

Redskins' quarterback Jason Campbell, who made his first NFL start shortly after Tony Romo was made starter in 2006, hasn't had the breakout success that Romo has, but he is steadily improving every game. New head coach Jim Zorn, feels he finally has his players in a rhythm with his new schemes, and it is transferring to the field, as they claimed victory in their last 2 games and advanced to a 2-1 record, making the NFC East the only division with all teams having winning records.

Washington and Dallas tend to always mix it up regardless of records, so I don't go along with Las Vegas' 11 1/2 point spread favoring The Cowboys. I expect a much closer battle, and having seen so many varying schemes, formations and surprises last week, I somewhat expect The 'Skins to pull a Miami on us. I only hope The 'Boys have a plan B for such things.

Homefield Advantage is always good (and of course it's the last time that The 'Skins will play at Texas Stadium... it should make the fans hype.)

The Cowboys' offense is rated #1 so far this season, Sam Hurd will make his return to help the receivers, and Marion Barber and Felix Jones are creating a better rushing attack duo than we ever could have hoped for.

The defense is finally coming around. The cornerbacks are healthy and Pacman is finally shaking off the rust and meshing better with the system. OLB Anthony Spencer also returns from injury.

It'll be a showdown... Cowboys vs. Indians. It's one of the biggest rivalries in all of football, and it kicks off again this Sunday at 4:15 p.m. The intensity will be set to 11, and both teams are going to show up. My predicition... Cowboys 34 - Redskins 27. I think Barber and Felix Jones will have good days, and maybe Sam Hurd will fly under the radar and make an impact for his first game back. T.O. will do his best to get back into the passing game and the defense will get their first interception of the year, I hope. Let's crack a beer, warm up the edge of the seat and get ready for kickoff. Go Cowboys!

Week 3 Recap - @ Green Bay

Deep in enemy territory with a crowd of cheeseheads totally surrounding you and all of them loud, excited and screaming for a victory.

No, I'm not referring to the Cowboys heading to Green Bay, I'm talking about me going to my Father-in-Law's football party, held in his basement, which is the most spectacular Packers' Mecca this side of Lambeau Field. It has autographed footballs and pictures, pennants galore and even has Packers carpet and the walls are painted green and yellow. Nice place for a Packer fan to watch a game... not so much for a Cowboys fan.

I was surrounded by 7 die hard Packer fans, a Redskins fan, a Steelers fan and an Eagles fan, and not one person thought Dallas had a chance to win except me. The pre-game predictions around the room ranged from 28-21, 31-17, and even 41-3, and I think the guy was serious.

When 'Pacman' forced a fumble and ran it to the Green Bay 14 on the 2nd play from scrimmage, somewhere inside of me I could sense this was going to be a better night than I thought. At times, the party would have been dead silent if not for the claps of my hands.

I was however, totally silenced when Romo drove the ball nicely only to throw an interception in the end zone, which was run back into Dallas territory by Nick Collins for 61 yards. But when Felix Jones bursted a 60 yard touchdown run I finally decided to get loud again. By the time Marion Barber punched in a goal line touchdown late in the 3rd quarter giving Dallas breathing room at 20-9, the party had dwindled down from 11 to 8.

It was all over when Miles Austin caught a 52 yard pass down the sideline and ran in for the game clinching touchdown with the Cowboys sailing ahead 27-9 with only 6 minutes of game left to play. That's when I took a bathroom break.

The few Packers fans who were still there did get excited briefly when Marion Barber had a rare fumble recovered by Green Bay. That mistake opened up a drive that led to the Packers only touchdown of the game. Unfortunately by that point only 2 minutes remained on the clock.

An illegal touch on the Packers' onside kick attempt pretty much sealed the game's fate and the score stood strong at 27-16, Dallas moves on to 3-0 while Green Bay goes 2-1.

Tony Romo didn't start out well, Terrell Owens was held to only 2 catches and 17 yards, and Crayton was without a catch at all. Luckily, Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Miles Austin, Jason Witten and the entire defense showed up ready to play. When one aspect of this team is not 100%, the other aspects seem to play 150% to compensate. This marks the first time since the early 70's that Dallas started two back to back seasons 3-0.

Next week Dallas goes back home and will jump back into another divisional match-up as The Washington Redskins come down to play. Washington's games so far have been inconsistent, but there's no reason to take them lightly, just look what Miami did upsetting The Patriots this past Sunday... anything can happen.

Week 2 Recap - vs. Philadelphia

What more could you ask for? It was a high scoring, high octane, high intensity battle under the Monday Night Lights which saw The Dallas Cowboys barely squeek by The Philadelphia Eagles, 41-37. This game saw ups and downs and at times it wasn't pretty, other times however, were beautiful.


What wasn't pretty...

-The scrambling, pressured throw by Tony Romo directly to Asante Samuels for an interception.

-Romo's bobbled handoff in the endzone which resulted in 6 points for The Eagles.

-The 10 penalties for over 100 yards.

-Letting McNabb break away from more potential sacks than I can count.

-And of course losing Roy Williams for over a month due to a broken forearm.


What was beautiful...

-The 72 yard bomb to T.O. for a touchdown.

-Felix Jones' 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

-Marion Barber's 17 yard catch and 1 yard run for touchdowns.

-The Clutch field goals by Nick Folk for 51 and 47 yards.

-TE Martellus Bennett's first catch in his career going for 20 yards.

-The defense shutting down McNabb when it mattered most in the 4th quarter.

-The two blocked passes by rookie Mike Jenkins and by veteran Zach Thomas that saved potential touchdowns.

-The fact that Dallas pulled out a win for the last Monday Night Game played in Texas Stadium.

-And we can't forget Jason Witten dislocating his shoulder late in the first quarter, but coming back in the game and making 7 crucial catches for 110 yards.

It was one of the most memorable games you could have seen, (at least since last year's Monday Night Game at Buffalo,) and it provided the most points scored in the history of all Eagles/Cowboys games.

There were tons of big plays which made it directly to the highlight reel on Tuesday Morning, including the boneheaded play by The Eagles' DeSean Jackson who foolishly dropped the ball 1 yard from the goalline when heading into the endzone.

There's not much more to say. The game gave me about 3 heart attacks and 2 anxiety attacks with it's 7 lead changes, and if you missed it, you missed a great match-up. Next week it's off to Green Bay (2-0) to challenge the emerging superstar QB Aaron Rodgers. Let's Go Cowboys, Let's Go!

Magical Monday Night Preview

The Dallas Cowboys walk away from Cleveland with an impressive victory and now they head back home to host The Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night. Division rivals are never an easy task to tackle and The Eagles are always unpredictable when it's time to match-up. Luckily, home field advantage never hurts and with this being the last season for Texas Stadium, the fans should be at their hypest.

The Eagles will not be pushovers this year, and they proved that as they routed The St. Louis Rams 38-3, led by a healthy and dangerous Donovan McNabb and rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson. McNabb ended the day throwing 21 of 33, 361 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading all quarterbacks for the week. Are they really this good, or are The Rams just that bad? We shall soon see.

The Cowboys are in good shape, but a few questions have been brought to attention, starting with Marion Barber's injury, which is still listed as mysterious bruised ribs, x-rays are negative, so we'll see how he feels in practice this week. It's also unknown if Sam Hurd or Miles Austin are ready to play this week. In positive news, Terence Newman should be playing on Monday Night, but it will most likely be very limited.

Another problem to correct is penalties, but besides that, most areas of Dallas' play is top notch. Tight end Martellus Bennett has yet to show his stuff in game, and if Barber is limited due to his injury, Felix Jones and 3rd running back Tashard Choice have plenty of potential to work with.

Next stop, the Monday Night lights at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys are used to the spotlight and this should become another moment for them to shine.


MONDAY NIGHT MEMORIES

It was 2 years ago on Monday Night Football against The New York Giants when a statuesque Drew Bledsoe took one too many sacks for Bill Parcells to handle, so Bledsoe was pulled from the game to make room for Tony Romo. That particular game was lost to The Giants, but it was at that moment that something magic happened to this Dallas Cowboys' team.

Week 1 Recap - @ Cleveland

BROWNS DOWN... 15 MORE TO GO...

If there was any worry or doubt that The Cowboys were overhyped heading into Cleveland, it was quickly squashed once the game got going. The 'Boys won in convincing fashion, beating The Browns 28-10. The injuries to Kyle Kosier, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, Anthony Spencer and Terrance Newman made little difference in this match-up. Adam Jones starting in Newman's place, however, did cause a crucial pass interference call in the end zone which led to the Browns' only touchdown. We'll have to see if Newman will be ready to play any downs next week, I imagine if he is, it will be limited.

Tony Romo played an impressive game going 24/32 for 320 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He even took a helmet to the chin which caused a lot of blood to gush and a makeshift bandage had to be applied. He connected with 7 receivers, putting to rest the Wide Receiver concerns.

Felix Jones proved his worth during his first game by taking 9 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. Marion Barber lead the rushing charge with 16 carries for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns, but left late in the 3rd quarter with 'bruised ribs,' it is unknown the extent of this injury, I'm certainly keeping an eye out for new info.

Jason Witten, Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton averaged about 5 catches each and 88 yards on average, and Isaiah Stanback, who was questionable for today's game also had 2 catches for 24 yards, which included a critical first down reception. Nick Folk was a perfect 4/4 on extra points and no need to even attempt a field goal, which we know he can handle quite well.

The main problem I see and it has plaqued this team on and off for the past three years or so are the penalties. Stupid penalties over and over.

Ok, so I expect a Flozell Adams false start every now and then and T.O. getting 15 off the kickoff for a celebration, that's all forgivable, but the holding and pass interference calls are making me sick already. This game saw Dallas piling up 11 penalties for 82 yards, which included two or more penalties on 3rd down giving The Browns a steady drive when our Defense could've been back on the bench.

Thankfully there's room to grow in most every aspect, and with injured players getting healthy and Dallas finding their rhythm, there's great potential for this team. If they don't lose focus, can commit less penalties and stay as healthy as possible, this team will make a great run. Next week Dallas goes back home to host The Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night, so until then... YEE HAA!!
P.S.

In other NFL News. There were a lot of things that happened this opening weekend that caused waves. Atlanta upset Detroit 34 to 21, Philadelphia absolutely dismantled The Rams 38 to 3 and Carolina also upset San Diego in the last two seconds of play 26 to 24. Brett Favre impressively led The New York Jets to victory over Miami 20 to 14, and Roscoe Parrish of The Bills ran back a kick-off against Seattle, as they rolled past The Seahawks, 34-10.

The biggest news however revolves around The New England Patriots. They had the best record of last season winning every game in the regular season and the playoffs, but then falling victim to The Giants in The Super Bowl. People asked if they might step into this season with a Super Bowl hangover, and fumble the season away in desperate fashion. Some contended they would easily make it to The Super Bowl yet again and reclaim their dynasty.

Many of those hopeful people's wishes dissappeared before the second quarter even began as Tom Brady, superstar quarterback was hit low as he was throwing a pass to Randy Moss. Obviously in pain and needing to be helped off the field, Brady immediately went to the locker room to get checked out and did not return the entire game. It now appears that Tom Brady will be out the whole season having had a major knee injury. The full details have not been released as of yet, but this puts in question the future of The New England Patriots. They did still manage a win of 17 to 10 against Kansas City (which isn't the biggest victory there could be,) but will Matt Cassell have what it takes to lead this team to the playoffs.... I guess he'll have to be.

Goodbye Pre Season, Hello Cleveland

My apologies for not updating anything during the Pre Season, but now that it's over, it's time to get serious. The Dallas Cowboys went 2-2 in the Pre Season, winning against Houston and Minnesota and losing against San Diego and Denver.

Unfortunately, the 2 loses in Pre Season weren't the only things lost. Besides the roster being cut from 80 to 53, a few key players are out due to injury. Anthony Spencer and Kyle Kosier have been injured and are out for a few weeks, and even more important, Miles Austin, Issiah Stanback and Sam Hurd have all been hurt, leaving The Boys with only 2 healthy wide recievers, Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton.

Miles Austin suffered a problem with his knee and should be ready for Philly in week 2, or week 3 in Green Bay at the latest. Sam Hurd sustained a high ankle sprain and should reappear around the same time as Austin. As for Issiah Stanback, after dislocating his shoulder and being forced to adopt a harness, he has been practicing this week and most likely will be activated for Sunday's game.

Barring any further injury, this team is still looking good. The locker room has barely changed from last year, with only 8 new faces hanging around. The 13 Pro Bowlers are back and ready for action, and the stars are still shining bright. Adam 'Pacman' Jones has officially been reinstated to the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell, and last year's Special Team Captain, Keith Davis, who was released early in the off season and picked up by Miami, has been cut by The Dolphins and is coming back to make an impact on Special Teams. All the elements are in place and once the injured players return to the field, Dallas should be an unstoppable force in the NFL. It's Thursday, and the Regular Season kicks off tonight with The Redskins vs. The Giants, and in just 3 days the rest of the teams will begin their run toward the playoffs or bust. 'Tis time for Hank Williams Jr. to sing us our anthem as the lights dim and the spotlights shine... "Are you ready for some football?" I hope you are, because here it comes...