A Frustrated Fan ...sharing his disappointment

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It looks like he will be making a return to the NFL though, and ESPN thinks that his ideal destination would be Tampa Bay. But, although Tampa Bay has a nice little ballclub, they will not be elevated to Superbowl status if Favre were to join. Maybe a 5th or 6th playoff seed, but Superbowl? No way. Who's Favre going to throw to? The aging Joey Galooway or inconsistent and disruptive receiver Michael Clayton? That's a long way away from Donald Driver and the rest of the Green Bay wide receiver corps.

I simply do not care if Favre comes back or not, because if he makes a return as Tamp Bay's QB he can go for 11 straight losses in Texas Stadium this season. I'm glad the Cowboys perhaps may have another shot at beating up on Favre, since ESPN loves to talk about his toughness and all. Who remembers Nate Jones blitzing Favre and knocking him out of last season's game? I sure do, since the NFL network and ESPN only replayed it 10 million times. I really want Favre to continue his streak of "never getting a win in Texas stadium," why not add on to another one of his greatest records?

Well Brett, I wish you luck and hope you have a great 2008 NFL season, and I also look forward to your appearance in this year's Madden 2009. You are on the cover and all, so why not play? I'll be glad to blitz DeMarcus Ware and knock you down just like old times. Who's Tampa Bay's left tackle again? I have no idea, but he's no Flozell Adams and you're no spring chicken anymore, so you're in trouble.

It turns out that the NFL owners unanimously voted on Tuesday afternoon to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which could possibly lead to an uncapped salary year for NFL teams in the year of 2010. Knowing this bit of information, and patiently waiting despite the screams of Cowboys fans (including yours truly), Jones signed Terence Newman and Marion Barber to gigantic deals. Although the deals are tremendously large for each player, Jones must have been anticipating the collective bargaining vote, which means that he expects a deal to be done in the future that expands the current salary cap. Because of the high prospects of the salary cap being expanded so that there is no NFL lockout in 2011, Jones most likely saved the Cowboys some money in the future...by locking up their great players in the present.

The original rumors for Marion Barber's deal would be that he would be signed for around $30 million dollars, but Jones splurged and paid Barber $45 million dollars over 7 years with a guaranteed signing bonus of $12 million dollars. That my friends, is what you call LaDainian Tomlinson ($50 mil) money...so I hope Barber will be worth it.

What was the biggest surprise of the day involved Cowboys star cornerback, Terence Newman, who was finally awarded the contract he deserved: $51 million dollars over 7 years, with a $12 million dollar signing bonus. Newman finally made the Pro Bowl in his 4th season, but he should have been there since the second. If not for some lame campaigning by Dante "I got burned terribly for two touchdowns by Terrell Owens" Hall, Newman would already have two all-star trips to Hawaii under his belt. Hall knows that the voting is a popularity contest, and he did everything he could to garner votes to get himself on the field in Hawaii while Newman was left at home. Newman was the far better player this past season though, so at least part of the NFL recognizes talent now.

Barber's contract size really surprises me because he has only two or three starts in his NFL career, yet he is getting paid like LT. If Barber had the home run power of LT, in terms of speed, then I would gladly give him his money. But, although Barber is the most brusing runner in the league, he just cannot break the big one. Hopefully Felix Jones will shine in the home run department, but locking up Barber is still a big deal for the Cowboys. They now have a legitimate starter for years to come, and opposing teams will not have an easy task in stopping him while he runs behind the Cowboys' massive O-line.


On another note...Hopefully with this gigantic contract Barber will finally decide to sign some autographs at training camp this year in Oxnard, California. When the Cowboys first started training in Oxnard under Parcells, I noticed on numerous occasions how guys like Terence Newman would always sign, yet Marion Barber hardly ever did the same. Maybe all that green in Barber's bank account will make him a little more happier to sign things other than contracts this summer, but we shall see.

. Believe it or not, even TO has been seen at some of these. Barber is not exaclty missing in action because he is currently getting ready for the upcoming NFL season by training in Miami, Florida, but we all know why he is not in Dallas. Since Barber is a restricted free agent and was not signed to an offer sheet by another team before the free agency deadline, his only choice is to sign the Cowboys tendered offer of $2.56 million for this upcoming season. Then, after signing the offer, Barber is free to negotiate with the Cowboys and determine a realistic and high paying contract extension. Barber has yet to sign his offer, which means that he is clearly unhappy with it, but he still has until June 1st to sign it. If June 1st passes without Barber signing on the dotted line, the Cowboys can actually lower the offer...and that would not be pretty. If you're wondering who is behind Barber's sudden "Me First" and team second mentality, look no further than his new high profile, and money sucking agent: Drew Rosenhaus.

Drew Rosenhaus is the NFL's most successful sports agent, as he has represented many high profile and controversial athletes...including TO. His name is also synonymous with the term "Hold Out," and do not be surprised when training camp rolls around and Barber is not in attendance.

The reports from Jerry Jones and company seem to indicate that Barber is going to be offered a $30 million dollar contract extension once he signs his restricted free agent tender of $2.56 million, but word from the Barber (Rosenhaus) camp is that Barber is looking for a deal in the vicinity of $50 million. That astronomical contract that Barber is seeking is ridiculous, and why do you wonder? Because that is nearly what LaDainian Tomlinson is paid, who happens to be the best running back in the NFL for the last five seasons and counting. Barber only started one game last season, the playoff loss to the Giants, so he is in no position at all to command such a high priced contract.

Rosenhaus thinks he can shake down the Cowboys for more money than they are willing to give out, so look for Marion Barber to join fellow Rosenhaus client, Chad Johnson, on the sidelines or whatever vacation spot they have picked out to watch training camp from. I am predicting that Barber will be a hold out, following the history of many Rosenhaus clients, and in the process mess up the chemistry of a very already sound and hungry Dallas Cowboys team.

If Barber wanted to be a team player then he would sign his tender and negotiate his contract while working out with his team at the same time, but he has chosen to go a different and selfish direction. Chris Canty, who was also a fourth round pick turned into a dominating presence, is faced with the same situation as Barber but has still chosen to report to camp and work out with his team...despite not signing his offer. Canty is the definition of a team player, and Barber clearly is not.

You would think that Barber would not hesitate to play ball with the Cowboys, since the departure of Julius Jones paved the way for him to be the starter at running back, but Barber looks like he is being greedy. I do not care if Barber is in the best shape of his life while training in Miami; because he is not doing it with his team. Training with the team helps to establish leadership and comradarie, and players who train in Miami do not seem to know what that is. Look at Jeremy Shockey, for example. He trained in Miami last season and was not even needed in the Giants' playoff and Superbowl run, thanks to the impressive performance of backup rookie tight end, Kevin Boss. Shockey was also nearly traded during this year's draft to the New Orleans Saints, which shows how his value is not as high as he believes it is.

Luckily for Barber, the Cowboys do not have a player they can start at running back besides him because all of his backups are unproven rookies. Barber knows that the Cowboys need him in camp, and thinks that Jerry Jones will blink first and give him the money he desires. The one thing that Barber seems to be underestimating though is how tough of a business man Jerry Jones is, so do not look for Jones to simply roll over and pay Barber undeserved money. If Jones wanted to, Barber could be paid only $2.5 million this season. But, Jones is willing to renogotiate to a $30 million dollar contract.

So, Marion Barber, what is it going to be? Are you going to hold out until mid-August for a contract you could be signing sometime in June, or are you going to make this process incredibly difficult in Drew Rosenhaus fashion? Are you going to be a team player or tell your team to shove it during these OTA's? And lastly, are you going to embrace your role as a starter and team leader, or will you be a dollar counting workout warrior in Miami?

Those questions are for #24 to answer, but hopefully he does the right thing and gets himself to Dallas.

The Cowboys have two main needs this offseason, which are starters at the cornerback and wide receiver position. Anthony Henry has proven that he is not a consistent starter, whether it is because of injuries or just getting beat down in a few games, and third corner Jacques Reeves has also shown that he should be bagging groceries as a career. At wide receiver, big-mouth Patrick Crayton has proven to be a terrible pressure player, as he dropped one TD pass and inexplicably stopped running for another in the pathetic playoff loss vs. the Giants in the divisional round. Crayton won his starting #2 receiver position by default, due to the injury of Terry Glenn, and he clearly is not capable of being a starter in this league. He is no more than a slot receiver, so the Cowboys must use free agency to find a solid #2 guy behind T.O.

Here are my suggestions, Dallas Cowboys front office: Sign cornerback Asante Samuel from the Patriots, since they will not be able to retain him because he was slapped with the franchise tag before the 2007 season. Samuel was greatly angered by being franchised, and he nearly held out of Patriots training camp last year. He was also even considering a 10-week holdout, but decided to play instead. That all basically means that the Patriots will not be able to resign Samuel, since they will not be able to afford his services. They also cannot franchise tag him again, since that is against league rules. Samuel will also not be resigned because Randy Moss will be a free agent, and it is a safe bet that a great majority of the Patriots funds will be used to sign him to a long-term deal.

My second suggestion is to go after Bernard Berrian of the Chicago Bears, because Randy Moss will definitely not leave the Patriots. Terry Glenn may not ever recover from his knee problems, so the Cowboys must move forward and sign a speed guy like Berrian, who can stretch the field and make huge plays. Having T.O. and Berrian on the field, with Crayton back at his slot position, would be make a huge difference. The Cowboys are clearly vulnerable when T.O. is out, so having Berrian could also somewhat fill the void if T.O. goes down again.

The Cowboys are deep enough to only go after these two guys in free agency, so they better make a strong sales pitch to acquire them. I do not want to see Jacques Reeves on the field next season, and I better see Anthony Henry and Patrick Crayton in more limited roles. Both of those players are not starters in this league, so they need to be replaced.

If the Cowboys make these changes and have a strong draft, then they will win a playoff game. Lets just see if they actually decide to make it happen. I know Jerry Jones has the money, but will he spend it wisely?

d. Beating a team twice in one season is always difficult, so confidence-wise the Cowboys must have had an edge. Tony Romo also had the greatest season ever for a Cowboys quarterback, breaking the touchdown and pass completion records. Jason Witten, the Cowboys tight end, had the 3rd greatest season in the history of the NFL for his position, and the best overall for any Cowboys tight end. The Cowboys also were sending 12 players to the Pro-Bowl. I'm sure any of those guys would trade a trip to Hawaii for a trip to Phoenix for the Superbowl, but they just did not get the job done. The Cowboys fell to the Giants because of the recurring problems they have had all season long, as the Giants exposed several of the Cowboys mental and disciplinary deficiencies.

If you want to see a mentally tough team, then take a look at the New England Patriots. The San Diego Chargers are also a good example. When Tom Brady gets hit or flustered, you would never know it by the look on his face. He is always a stone cold focused quarterback, and does not let adversity ever get in the way of his drive to win. The Chargers faced a great Colts team, the defending Superbowl champs, and without LT for 3 quarters and a gimpy Antonio Gates they managed to pull out a stunning victory over the Colts. When the Chargers were down and out, they came together as a team and found a way to win. That did not happen with the Cowboys, as they practically imploded on the field mentally. Visually, it was easy to see that they could not get out of the hole they had dug themselves, and they could not find a way to withstand the Giants' attack by responding with mental toughness.

As usual, the Cowboys were the most penalized team on the field, getting flagged 11 times for over 80 yards. That is flat out inexcusable, as several of these penalties came by way of false starts, facemasks, and personal fouls for unnecessary roughness. Although I understand that DeMarcus Ware was just trying to get a nice jump on Eli Manning's snap, there is no excuse for his prolonging the drive by jumping offsides. The play was broken up and the Giants were about to punt, but Ware's costly penalty resulted in an eventual and improbable Amani Toomer 52-yard touchdown catch. This was not the first time Ware had jumped offsides like this, as I can recall it happening at least 3 or 4 times thoughout the season, and the Cowboys never sat him down to fix the problem.

Just before the end of the half, 48 seconds to be exact, the Cowboys were poised to go into halftime with a 14-7 lead. That all changed when Jacques Reeves decided to get a personal foul, 15-yard facemask on the Giant he was trying to tackle out of bounds. The receiver was already going out of bounds, so there was no need to grab that facemask. All he had to do was tackle correctly and force him out. This was no aberration by Reeves, as he has played poor defense the entire season. He has clearly shown that he is incapable of being a 3rd corner, and needs to be replaced. Who would I replace him with you may ask? How about Anthony Henry, who has clearly shown that he cannot be a starter in this league. But what about Henry's position, who would I replace him with? How about getting Asante Samule in free agency. If the Cowboys ever want to win a playoff game, then they need to get Samuel.

Obviously the outcome of this game does not belong on the shoulders of Ware and Reeves' dumb plays, but how about the atrocious play of the Dallas offensive line? I'm not talking about Kozier or Columbo; I'm talking about the 3 pro-bowlers: Flozell Adams, Andre Gurode, and Leonard Davis. Once again, Flozell Adams managed to jump offsides several times againt the Giants. This also is not an aberration, as he has done this a countless number of times this season. I do not know what it is, but Adams has a serious problem with concentration. He is easily the most penalized lineman in the NFL, which is flat out inexcusable for a man of his size and talent. Now on to Leonard Davis, who's personal foul on Michael Strahan took away a Romo pass completion that would have landed the Cowboys on the Giant's 33-yard line. That was terrible, pathetic, and inexcusable. Strahan was down on the ground, and although I do not like him as a person, Davis still had no right to make that play. It was an easy flag to get, and it clearly showed that he was not being disciplined as a lineman.

Andre Gurode will get his own paragraph for his terrible play on Sunday. I have never seen a pro-bowl center have so much trouble snapping the ball while in the shotgun formation. This can't be a physical problem, since the ball weighs nothing and he can bench over 500 lbs I bet, so this has to be a mental problem. Gurode's bad snaps have come in all shapes and sizes. There's the over the head snap, the worst of them all, that did not occur vs. the Giants. Then there is the floater snap, the one that seems to take FOREVER to get to a grasping and flustered Romo. Then there is the bullet snap, which usually goes to the right or left of Romo, but never directly to his chest. If I were the Cowboys coaches, I would paint a target on a wall and have Gurode snap to that target 100 times a day. If he hits 90% of his snaps then he gets a Texas-sized steak or something, but if not, then more snaps until he gets it right. That problem of his is not too difficult to correct, and it really has to be very annoying for Romo because he never knows what he will get. The slow floater snap also helped Osi Umenyiora and Strahan immensely in their pass rushes. So Gurode, you played a massive role in the Cowboys' historic loss, and I sincerely hope you work on your snapping in the offseason. I hope you are working on them right now, seriously.

Instead of pointing out another particular player, I would like to now shine the spotlight on the entire Cowboys special teams unit, who's pathetic play vs. the Giants (and pretty much all season long), cost the Cowboys the playoff game. Two of the Giants' touchdown scores resulted from a short field, as the Cowboys allowed a 50-yard kickoff return after they went up 14-7, and another huge punt return that would eventually lead to the Giants going ahead for good. As with Reeves' terrible coverage and Adams' awful false starts, the Cowboys' special teams unit did not have a fluke of a game by playing so badly against the Giants. All season long they had let teams back into games by giving up huge returns, and that is just a terrible thing to have happen. It deflates both the offense and especially the defense, as no defender likes to walk onto a short field. Bad kickoff and punt coverage also destroys momentum, which happend several times in the Cowboys vs. Giants game. The bad overall coverage certainly played a huge role in the Giants' victory, and every member on the Cowboys' special teams should be ashamed of themselves. They played with no heart, no desire, and poor ability.

Last, but certainly not least, let's talk about our team big-mouth: Patrick Crayton. First of all, as Keyshawn Johnson so eloquently put it, Crayton won his position by default. If not for Terry Glenn's injury, Crayton would not have had a chance to start. He put up very average numbers this season, and would not be the lead receiver on any team in the NFL. Second of all, and this annoys me to a horrible extent, Crayton just loves to talk trash. He always takes the media's bait and goes off on all subjects, whether it is making snyde comments about Roy Williams' horse collar suspension or giving the Giants all the bulletin board material they need. Worst of all, Crayton does not even have close enough to the amount of talent needed to be able to backup what he says. If you look at the Patriots, they hardly ever talk trash in the media. It is just not them, and whatever they do stays in the locker room. Crayton has made himself an open forum, and I am getting sick of it. If he ever backed up his comments then I would care a little less, but against the Giants he did not come close. Crayton had a shot at a touchdown run after the catch, but dropped the sidearm throw by Romo and forced the Cowboys to punt. On another possession, Crayton had a chance at a 40-yard touchdown catch in the endzone, yet decided to stutter step and stop running. He had a jump on the Giants' corner, and if he had kept running then he would have had a sure touchdown grab. That is two passes that Crayton could have taken for TD's, yet he did not take advantage of the opportunities presented to him. Just like his fellow couterparts, he was not mentally tough and choked under the pressure. Also, when the Cowboys were down 21-17 and had the Giants backed up and punting from their own endzone, Crayton fumbled the punt at the Dallas 40-yard line. He had plenty of room, and could have returned the ball to at least mid-field, yet his mental choke cost the Cowboys a shot at great field position. Because of Crayton's play on Sunday, the Cowboys could not have hoped to win the game. He did everything he could to prevent that from happening, so hopefully he learns to keep his mouth shut in the future and let his play do the talking. That seems to work out well for the undefeated Patriots, or any other team still left in the playoffs.


If there's one central theme to pick up from this article about the Cowboys loss, it is that they simply did not perform well mentally to give themselves a chance at winning. The Cowboys could have all the physical talent in the world, which they had loads more than the Giants, but all the little things count greatly as well. Tackling correctly and not getting facemask calls counts. Knowing the snap count is huge. Snapping the ball efficiently to the quarterback, which does not seem to be that hard to do, also appears to be a very significant factor to the success of plays. Catching passes, especially touchdown passes, is also major.

Discipline wise, the Cowboys were just not all there. Romo had to resort to yelling at his lineman at the end of the game, and when I saw that I knew it was not going to end well. The Cowboys nearly won the game at the end, but should have never been in that position in the first place. If their special teams would have been disciplined and not run up field past the blocks, then maybe the Giants would not have had two touchdowns. All the little things count in the NFL, and if teams refuse to take them into consideration they get burned.

The Cowboys got burned, as did their fans, and the Giants' game is just another contribution to the last 12 years of frustration.


In 1994, Troy Aikman and the Cowboys had a chance to win 3 Superbowls in a row, but they did not do the little things required to beat the SF 49ers in the NFC championship game. The following year they pulled together and won their 3rd and last title. That game was also the Cowboys last meaningful playoff victory. Will the Romo-led Cowboys of today pull together as Troy, Emmitt, and Michael Irvin did in the past? Or will they fall apart next season?

Only time will tell.

The Giants just walked all over the Bucs, and have now earned the right to play the Cowboys at Texas Stadium for the Divisional playoffs. This will be the 3rd meeting between both teams, and the Cowboys should treat this upcoming meeting with a great sense of urgency.

To be honest, the Cowboys have not been playing well. They barely came from behind to beat a Detroit team that had lost its previous 5 games in a row, and then followed that terrible performance with a 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The next week they traveled to Carolina and somewhat got it together, but with the injury to TO, the offense seemed to sputter in the 2nd half. Against the Redskins that offensive sputter turned into a downright stutter, as Romo and the TO-less offense could not do a thing. Although the Cowboys rested their starters for the 2nd half of the game in Washington, I still feel they would have lost the game anyway had they played everyone they had for the entire game.

So obviously, things are not going well for Dallas, but they did have a few injuries and did rest 5 pro bowlers for the game in Washington. Things are definitely looking up now though, as Wade Philips expects to have TO ready for the game and all other injured Cowboys players have been practicing. Although I think that the Cowboys will have a good game this Sunday, ESPN obviously does not feel the same way.

According to ESPN, the Cowboys "limped" their way into the playoffs. I do not know how it is possilbe to "limp" into the playoffs with a 13-3 record, but ESPN has all the experts, right?? Also, the Cowboys finish of 2-2 has been incredibly bashed. But, didn't Seattle, Indy, and Green Bay also finish their respective seasons with a 2-2 record?? Was it not Green Bay who was horribly beaten down by the Chicago Bears by a score of 34-7 in their season finale? All of this seems to have gone unnoticed, but with the Cowboys nothing ever seems to slide.

So, with all the negativity that seems to be surrounding the Cowboys, I'm going to say that they will have a good game against the NY Giants. They will have every starter back at every position, and most importantly, Terence Newman will be there to match up with Plaxico Burress. ESPN, Fox, CBS, or whatever sports affiliate you can think of will tell you how badly Plaxico burned the Cowboys in Texas Stadium on opening day, but the next time they played in the Meadowlands, Newman shut down Burress.

Another reason why I think the Cowboys will have a great day is because Roy Williams will not have to guard Jeremy Shockey, who has historically made Williams look like an inexperienced rookie. Shockey is out with a broken leg, so that gives Williams more blitzes and the ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage. He will also be able to help out and tackle mammoth back, or Brandon Jacobs.

For the running game, Julius Jones has to come out of his shell and work some decent gains. He has been stopped for no gain way too often this season, and if he continues to be subpar, then Marion Barber III must replace him quickly. I would be perfectly fine with Barber being in their full-time if Jones fails to step it up in the first quarter. Also, Barber has got to get open for the screen play and make something happen after the catch. I know the Cowboys will use the screen a few times, since the Giants' defensive line loves to come up field on pass plays, so Barber must take advantage and get some big yardage.

The most important aspect of the Cowboys/Giants game is the matchup between the Dallas offensive line and the New York defensive line. In the first meeting I would say it was a draw, but the second meeting went to the Dallas o-line. If the Cowboys big men can win the battle in the trenches during this third meeting, then the chances of a victory will be greatly increased.

Also, the Dallas outside linebackers, Ware and Ellis, need to keep up the pressure on Eli Manning. When Manning is hurried he tends to make bad throws, such as his game against the Vikings, so the Cowboys must blitz often and disguise them well.

Finally, no stupid penalties or mistakes. This game will probably be decided by 7 points or less, and I'm expecting a bigger defensive battle than the first 2 games, so the Cowboys cannot have stupid roughing the passer penalties that put the Giants in field goal range. Also, they must not get flagged on deep pass plays for pass interference.


If I were the Giants, here's exactly what I would do to the Cowboys while on offense:
1) Throw it down the middle and force Brady James to make a play. Sometimes he gets confused in pass coverage, so I would test his area early. Not having Shockey to take advantage of the Cowboys mid-field defense is a huge disadvantage here
2) Run Brandon Jacobs up the middle. The Cowboys linebackers are too quick for side to side runs, but lately the Cowboys have been giving up huge gains for TD's up the middle. I would run in this area until they stop it
3) Throw slants or comeback routes on Anthony Henry. Henry defends deep very well, but he can be tricked for shorter gains

As for Defense:
1) Stop TO early. TO often gets angry when not given the ball early, and sometimes takes himself out of the game. Don't let him get started
2) Get pressure on Romo. You never know when he'll make a bad Favre-like gunslinging throw, especially when there's pressure.
3) Shut down Jason Witten. I do not know how this is possible, but the Giants will have to find a way.
4) Shut down Jones and Barber. If either of these guys starts running well, then the game will be over because the passing game will be completely opened up. If Barber goes over 100 yards, the Giants lose.


For the Cowboys to win, I'll just summarize with this list:
- Pressure Eli
- Shut down Burress
- Contain Jacobs
- Work the ball to Witten, he has a mismatch on Antonio Pierce
- Be physical with the Giants d-line and ware then down
- Run the Ball well
- Throw deep to TO, the Giants have nobody to defend him
- Take care of the football, and take it away on defense


Both teams have difficult tasks, but whoever can accomplish the most on the lists above will win the game.


Just one more thing, Cowboys: You have not won a playoff game in 12 years now. That is way too long, and I am getting very agitated and impatient because of this. Last year's game in Seattle was ridiculous, even though it was a great performance. The "W" is what matters here, so give the 3rd one to the Giants and stamp your ticket for the NFC Championship.

Now that's certainly a lot of wishful thinking, and I know that some of it is correct, but could the Cowboys have played any worse today? Since they already have the #1 seed in the playoffs and did not necessarily need to close the season out with a victory, I guess that is why they let the Redskins walk all over them. In the process though, they let Washington sneak into the playoffs with the #6 seed, and I know for a fact they do not want to encounter this Redskins team again in the post-season.

The first time around the Cowboys barely escaped with a 28-23 victory-- in Texas Stadium, so they better hope that the Seattle Seahawks take care of business in the upcoming wildcard weekend battle. If Seattle fails to beat Washington this weekend though, the Redskins will find themselves back in Texas Stadium looking for some more revenge. The good thing about this game today was that the Cowboys did not sustain any more injuries, as they rested 5 starters (4 pro-bowlers), but the con was obviously the fact that they let a team in to the playoffs who has historically given them some tough games. When the Patriots were going for 16-0 they did not have to win that game against the Giants at all. What was evident in their game vs. the Giants that did not show up in the Cowboys game was their desire to finish out the season strong. Today the Cowboys showed me the difference between Champions and good teams-- as in, Champions finish strong, but good teams rest players. I really want to believe that the Cowboys intentionally looked as bad as they did today because the game meant nothing, but it was not only today that they looked bad. The last 4 games they have looked downright awful on offense, so luckily they have the upcioming byeweek to get themselves together before the divisional playoffs begin.

Today in the Indianapolis Colts game it was evident that head coach Tony Dungy would only be playing Peyton Manning in the first half, and that was fine because both player and coach accomplished everything they wanted to do in that span. They moved the ball well, ran the offense well and managed to put up a few points. Everything was working well for Manning, and he was in that playoff groove he seems to get in.

Romo on the otherhand...I do not know what is going on. I will be lenient and say that he had around 5 dropped passes today, two of which should have been TD's, but he still needs to pick it up. I bet Romo is praying to the football Gods that TO recovers from his high ankle sprain in time for the playoffs, because without TO, Romo seems a little lost. TO is a necessity for opening up the running and passing game, so the Cowboys really need him to be back for the divisional playoff home game.

I'm not going to go into the specifics of the game @ Washington in terms of stats, because it really was quite pathetic to watch. Wade Philips has been great at making adjustments all season long, and he definitely needs to work his magic before the first playoff matchup comes. The Cowboys just seem to be out of sync right now, but who knows, maybe they will find a way to snap back into their midseason form.

Only time will tell.

I still cannot believe how much that story was blown out of proportion, because she had nothing to do with Romo's performance at all against the Eagles, but sometimes certain sports networks just need some drama to talk about. Romo had a fairly decent game even though he only threw for one TD pass, but the biggest concern was the apparent high-ankle sprain suffered by TO. Most importantly though, with this win and a Packers loss, the Cowboys have now clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The road to the Superbowl will be going through Texas Stadium, and the Cowboys finally have a strong shot at getting their first playoff win in the last 12 seasons.

Although TO is known for being a fast recuperator, I'm not sure if he will be able to make it back in time for the January 12th divisional playoff game in Texas Stadium. He has 3 weeks to get healthy, but for some reason these high sprains tend to take forever to recover. But, if there's anyone who can get healthy in a flash, it certainly is TO. One positive aspect about the Panthers game was that TO managed to catch another TD pass before exiting, giving him a total of 15 on the season.

Another encouraging sign about the Carolina game was that the Cowboys defense is appearing to play a lot better. Last week they yielded only 10 points to Philadelphia, and this week Carolina managed only 13. Carolina's 3rd string quarterback, Matt Moore (who lasted a few weeks in Cowboys camp before getting cut), was bottled up all night long. He was sacked five times and also gave up an interception, and now the Cowboys defense has racked up 43 sacks on the year-- which is currently 3rd place in the NFL.

Cowboys pro-bowler Marion Barber III also had a great game, as he ran yet again with vengeance in his eyes. He is clearly one of the toughest players on this Cowboys team, besides maybe Jason Witten, and he is going to make a big impact in the playoffs. He is nearly impossible to bring down with one man alone, and has proven himself to also be a very good receiver out of the backfield.

This win over Carolina now gives the Cowboys home field advantage throughout the playoffs, which will have huge implications should they make it to the NFC championship game. Next week they travel to Washington to face an extremely hot Redskins team, and do not think that the Cowboys will just let the Redskins waltz themselves into the playoffs. Washington gave them a run for their money the first game around, and I guarantee that the Cowboys will do everything they can to prevent them from getting that coveted wild-card playoff spot.

Left tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode, and left guard Leonard Davis were all selected, which truly is amazing and really shows how dominant this Cowboys line has been all season. The rest of the Cowboys selected to the pro-bowl are tight end Jason Witten, wide receiver Terrell Owens, outside linebacker (and pure dominator) DeMarcus Ware, rookie kicker Nick Folk, quarterback Tony Romo, cornerback Terence Newman, running back Marion "The Barbarian" Barber III, and free safety Ken Hamlin. Roy Williams was not selected this season, ending his 4 year streak, but I did not think he deserved a trip anyway. His pass coverage has just been terrible, and I think he was lucky to make the pro-bowl last year too. All of the Cowboys selected to go to this NFL all-star game played incredibly hard all year, and it is not suprising at all why the Cowboys are 12-2. Here is a spotlight look at the great achievements of these players:

DeMarcus Ware- If I could give my vote for Dallas Cowboys MVP of this year's season, it would not go to Romo or TO, but rather to this outside linebacker. Ware has been a force to be reckoned with this season, registering 11 sacks with 2 games yet to play. He is only 1/2 a sack away from his season high of last year. Not only can Ware rush the quarterback, but he has also proven himself as being highly capable of defending the running back out of the backfield and sometimes even the opposing team's slot receiver. Ware is a master at all defensive facets of this game, and his great play was finally recognized. When opposing teams step on the field, I guarantee that their quarterback always looks to see where Ware is lining up. He is definitely proven why he was picked above Merriman in the draft, and I'm sure every defensive coordinator around the league recognizes Ware as one of the top, if not the top, linebackers in the NFL.

Jason Witten- Witten has reached a number of milestones this season, and has already passed 1,000 yards receiving as a tight end. He leads the Cowboys in receptions and also tied an NFL record this season with 15 catches in a single game. When TO is double teamed or dropping balls, Witten has always stepped forward to take control of the game. He has become Romo's favorite target, and a dependable one. One thing that is very underrated about Witten's game is his ability to run-block. He can block nearly any defensive end in the league, and this has done wonders in opening up the running game for Julius Jones and MB3. Witten is also great at breaking down zone defenses and finding the holes in them for big catches. He is also tough as nails, and rarely takes punishment from any opponent. Witten is the definition of an all-purpose tight end, and he will have many pro bowls in the future.

Tony Romo- As time goes by Romo appears to get better and better with every game he plays. Sure he takes a step back once in a while by throwing a few more interceptions than he should each game, but that's what happens when you take risks and play like a gunslinging and fearless QB...I wouldn't have it any other way. Romo leads the NFC in passer rating and TD passes, but he is the pro-bowl backup because of that superstar over in Green Bay. Romo should be the starter, but it's nice to see Favre playing so well at this stage in his illustrious career. Romo has thrown for 38 TD passes this season, and should definitely break 40 by years end. He owns the Cowboys single season record for most TD passes in a season, and should also throw for over 4,000 yards this season. What an accomplishment for this great young quarterback, who went undrafted. That really shows how much NFL scouts know about quality and stand-up players. Romo is a great leader, and has definitely been one of the main reasons why the Cowboys are having their greatest regular season in the history of the franchise.

Terence Newman- After being snubbed of a pro-bowl spot the first 3 years of his great NFL career, this Dallas Cowboys cornerback is finally going to Hawaii. The thing about Newman is this: He may not get a lot of interceptions, but how many can he get with the amount of balls thrown his direction? Throughout his career, opposing QB's have definitely been shy to throw his way, and for good reason. He has great instincts and has proven himself to be a shut down corner in this league, and he is definitely one of the most athletic players on the Cowboys. There is no receiver in the NFL that Newman cannot match up with, which is a huge reason why he is so important in this year's defense. He can take away half the field when he's playing, and at one point this season he also had 3 interceptions in 3 straight games. This pro-bowl trip has been a long time coming, but Newman definitely deserves it.

Flozell Adams- Big Flozell has proven himself yet again to be one of the most dominant left tackles in the NFL. He is great at blocking finess and power guys, because he has that rare size and speed combination which NFL coaches dream of. Part of his success can definitely be attributed to the great coaching by former Dallas Coach Bill Parcells, who turned him into a bone crushing monster. Flozell also has shown great work ethic since meeting up with Parcells, and without that he would not be where he is today. I sincerely hope the Cowboys resign him, because he is still one of the top players at his position.

Andre Gurode- When Gurode first got into the NFL he struggled a little bit, even losing his starting job for a portion of his young career, but in the last 2 seasons he has definitely turned it all around. He has made some great calls on the line and has defniitely shown to be a very capable unit leader. He is the eyes and ears of Tony Romo on the field, and has played a key role in giving Romo the time he needs to work his magic. Gurode is still a very young player, and his trip to Hawaii this year will not be his last.

Marion Barber- MB3, Marion the Barbarion, or whatever you would like to call him...is just a beast of a player. He runs with anger, hits with vengeance, and stiff arms like every play is the last of his career. He is the toughest player in the league when it comes to running hard, and is never brought down by one guy alone. He is also a true team leader who leads by example, and his competitive nature has been unmatched this season. What's even more interesting is that he is not even the starter of the Dallas Cowboys, since he come in to relieve Julius Jones, but every Cowboys fan knows that Barber is the heart and soul of this Cowboys team. When the Cowboys need to be lifted up, he brings it. When Dallas is down and needs a big play, Barber often creates it. MB3 deserves this pro bowl, and also the Cowboys starting job at running back next season. If I had my choice, he would be starting right now.

Terrell Owens- TO is clearly the most dominant receiver in the NFC, and perhaps the NFL if not for Randy Moss, so it is no surprise that he has been chosen to yet another pro bowl. TO is having the best season of his great career this year, with career highs in yardage and TD catches. TO has also significantly decreased the number of dropped passes from last year to this year, and that is a very good sign. The crowning moment of this season for TO had to be his 4 TD catches against the Washington Redskins in Texas Stadium, and if not for his great game, who knows if the Cowboys would have come away with a 28-23 victory. TO is fearless when going over the middle, and he is another Cowboy player who delivers punishment. Teams hate to guard him, and TO is definitely not soft spoken when it comes to wanting the ball. His competitive nature rubs off on this Dallas team, and he has also shown that he is capable of being a great team player and leader.

Leonard Davis- Here is an example of a great free agent pickup. After 6 so-so seasons in Arizona, Davis was allowed to pursue free agency dollars and quickly signed a huge $49 million dollar deal with the Dallas Cowboys. He has definitely been worth every single penny, and has been a dominant force in what can be considered one of the greatest offensive lines in Cowboys franchise history. He is great at blocking defensive lineman and then branching off to take care of quicker linebackers. His pass protection has also been great, allowing Tony Romo large amounts of time to make his passes. Another thing Davis has done well is to show off his ability to pull on run plays. I cannot imagine the fear opposing corners or linebackers have when the see Davis coming off the edge to lay a smackdown on them. Davis is yet another player that really makes you wonder how dominant the Cowboys would be without him, and his trip to Hawaii is definitely earned.

Nick Folk- This rookie kicker out of Arizona has quietly put together one of the greatest kicking seasons in recent memory for a Cowboys kicker. His greatest game of the year had to have been when he won the game @ Buffalo by making not one, but two 53-yard field goals back to back. He has icewater in his veins, and is great under pressure. Kickers good under pressure are always great to have, just look at Adam Vinatieri's success. Folk was drafted by the Cowboys in the 5th round, and he has definitely been worth the pick. He should have a lot more pro-bowls coming in his career.

Ken Hamlin- A true leader and hitter, Hamlin has been just what the doctor ordered for this Cowboys secondary. He may get beat from time to time, but he rarely has given up the big play. He sets the tone with his big hits, and hopefully he will continue to play as a Cowboys next season. Hamlin has also proven to be a very capable blitzer, and on occasion has shown that he is able to cover the tight end. Overall a very great year for Hamlin, and this free agent pickup and former Seahawk should definitely play a key role in this year's playoff run. I really hope he gets a shot at Seattle in the playoffs, because you know he wants it bad.


Thanks to the players mentioned above, this Dallas Cowboys team has had one tremendous season. Lets hope they can keep it up and make a deep playoff run.

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was constantly pressured throughout the game, as the defense sacked him four times and put relentless pressure on him. He was constantly hurried into short range dumpoff passes to running back Brian Westbrook, and pretty much bottled up all day long. However, the great defensive play which only allowed 10 points on the day was not enough, as the Dallas offense, Romo in particular, had its worst day of the season. I do not know if it was something in the water that Sunday afternoon or whether Jessica Simpson makes Romo incapable of playing smart, but something was definitely wrong-- as Romo had by far his worst game of the season by throwing for only 214 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. In the last 8 quarters of play, Romo and TO have combined for only 68 yards passing, and that is a recipe for disaster.

If these Cowboys want to hang on to the top playoff spot and get homefield advantage, Romo and TO need to find that chemistry again. Romo needs to get his precision passing back, and TO needs to stop dropping big passes. Every single game TO seems to lose his concentration and drop very big passes, and it really is getting irritating. TO is one of the top receivers in terms of gaining yardage in NFL history, so there is no excuse to drop as many passes as he does. It is simply a lack of concentration, and he needs to fix it before he faces a tough Carolina secondary. Romo also missed TO on deep routes several times, and both players appeared to be frustrated with each other throughout the game.

The one thing I noticed all game long was the body language of Romo and TO. Both players looked as if they were beat, all because Romo was having a bad day. TO also was not helping with the fluttering of his arms in dismay every time a pass failed to reach him. Both players need to grow up and be more mature about the situation. Hey, you're having a bad game...so what? You guys were only down 10-6, yet acted like it was the end of the world every time a pass fell incomplete. Either find some maturity, or start eating that Patriots humble pie. Yes, humble pie, they talk about it every week, and they seem to love it. You rarely see Moss and Brady get all emotional if they miss a pass, because they know they will get it next time. I want to see the same interaction between both Romo and TO, and TO, you need to just start playing football. Until you can go a game without dropping a pass, you have no right to criticize Romo's horrible play.

Romo, do not think I will let this terrible day of yours go unnoticed without devoting an entire paragraph to it. Leading into this game, I read that you were mentioned in People Magazine running around with Jessica Simpson in not only 1 issue, but 3 of them. You are appearing in People Magazine, Extra, Access Hollywood, or any other gossip show more than you are in any type of sports programming or publication. You want to know why you are so popular with the girls now? I will tell you exactly why. It is not because of your looks, personality, or football ability...it is because you just signed a contract worth $67.5 million with 30 mil of that guaranteed. As Jerry Jones said, and he said this to you, "girls can smell new money." Jessica Simpson definitely does, and I do not want to see her at another Cowboys game for the rest of the season...and because there are no more games in Texas Stadium this year, that means the playoffs. Some guys are capable of performing well in the presence of beautiful women, but you Romo, are definitely not. Do not even make me mention how you played when Carrie Underwood was watching a game last season. Here's the point in all of this: play football. You have an entire offseason to meet girls like Jessica Simpson. This season you have a great shot at winning a Superbowl, so do not let your fans down by letting off the field distractions consume you. Play football again, put fear into the eyes of opposing defenses, and dominate like I know you can. Jessica Simpson can barely sing anyway.

Now I would like to take some time and point out the great play of 3rd year defensive player DeMarcus Ware. Ware is easily pro-bowl bound, and is definitely striking fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators throughout the league. He is nearly impossible to block in a one-on-one matchup, and has shown that he has a great ability in containing running backs off the edge. Quarterbacks always have to look to see where he is before they snap the ball, and when he hits, he hits hard. In every game this season DeMarcus Ware has come to play, and I wish his great play and passion for the game would rub off on some other Dallas defenders...particularly Roy Williams. Ware is easily one of the top outside linebackers in the league, and what is even scarier is that he is not even close to his prime yet. He is only in his third year, so imagine what he will accomplish in the next five. For those Dallas fans who felt that Merriman should have been drafted ahead of Ware, I am sure you are all singing a different tune now.


The Cowboys are off to play @ Carolina once again, and they better strap themselves up for that game. Carolina just came off a big win over Seattle, and they appear to be getting themselves together. Romo needs to find TO early and often, and somehow the Cowboys have got to get Julius Jones more involved in the running game. If he is not going to perform though, then go to Marion Barber as soon as possible. We all know MB3 should be the starter anyway.

Green Bay has 2 remaining games this year, both against the lowly Bears and Lions. I will assume that Green Bay wins both games, so the Cowboys need to follow suit. Winning out and beating Carolina and Washington is a must, or else the road to the Superbowl will not go through Dallas. I know the Cowboys do not want to make an appearance to the frosty terrain of Lambeau Field for an NFC Championship game in late January, so they better find a way to pick themselves up and start winning again.

Romo now has 17 straight games in which he has thrown at least one touchdown pass, which sets a new Cowboys record. This game also marked Romo's 9th 300-yard game of the year, and the main beneficiary in the receiving game was tight end Jason Witten. Witten found numerous holes in the Detroit pass defense, and also set a Cowboys record for most receptions in a game with 15. In a day full of accolades for the Dallas offense, suprisingly TO was held to only 21 yards receiving. He was often being doubled with a safety standing guard behind his corner the majority of the game, which really opened up the middle of the field for Witten. For some reason Detroit was perfectly fine with giving Witten whatever he wanted, and that strategy proved to be unsuccessful-- especially as Witten secured the game winning catch in the middle of the endzone with only 18 seconds remaining, lifting the Cowboys to a stunning come-from-behind 28-27 victory.

Although the Cowboys pulled out a nice victory at the end, this game overall was very frustrating to watch. Numerous times the Cowboys' defense was vulnerable to the mid-range passing attack orchestrated by Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna, and with all the talk going on by the defense in the media the preceeding week, one would think they would have shown up to play. Not only did the secondary have an awful game, buot the front seven barely managed to get any pressure on Kitna. They recorded only one sack against the most sacked quarterback in the NFL, which is truly pathetic. What is even more irritating is that it appears the Cowboys' rushing defense is starting to get thin. They gave up a 35-yard touchdown run to journey man running back TJ Duckett, who I'm pretty sure almost forgot what being in the endzone felt like until his meeting with Dallas.

There were so many occasions where a Detroit receiver would catch a ball, yet not have a Dallas defender within 10 yards of him. This is inexcusable, especially since Detroit was without star wide receiver Roy Williams, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. So basically, the Cowboys let Shaun McDonald and rookie Calvin Johnson burn them all game.

One player I would like to point out for having an especially terrible performance this week is middle linebacker Bradie James. If I had to vote in a linebacker for the pro-bowl, after watching this performance, I can say for certain that the vote would not go to James. Remember that TJ Duckett run mentioned earlier? James missed an easy tackle on that play because he simply misread it. He also misread several other plays and missed a handful of tackles on Detroit's other running back, starter Kevin Jones. James, along with the rest of the Cowboys secondary, better pick it up next week against Philadelphia...or they will be blown off the field. Brian Westbrook is a little more difficult to contain than TJ Duckett...

I can already say that the Cowboys' 2008 1st round draft pick will go towards picking a defensive player, and it will be in the secondary. I would prefer them to get a cover safety, but I still would not discount the drafting of another corner. Sometimes Anthony Henry has no idea what's going on, and 3rd corner Jacques Reeves definitely has no idea at all. The Cowboys need to get better at this position, because teams are starting to figure out how deficient and vulnerable they are.

There was one bright spot about this game though, because we can now call the Cowboys NFC East Division Champs. For the first time since 1998, the Cowboys are back atop their division, and lets hope they can keep up the good play and secure a 1st round playoff bye and home field advantage throughout. They are now 12-1, which is the best start in franchise history.

Next week the Eagles come to Dallas in the last home game of the season in Texas Stadium, and you know who will be excited about that. TO will definitely not have as quiet a game as he did in Detroit, count on that.

Since the game was televised on the NFL Network, which only approximately 35% of America has available to them, many fans had to either go to bars or watch the game at a friend's house. My excuse was the latter, but I sure had fun...watching the Cowboys offense simply overpower the Packers and walk away with a 37-27 victory.

This win gives the Cowboys an 11-1 record, and if they can win all or 3 of their next 4 games then they lock up homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Packers are now 10-2, but since their division is so weak, they will probably still be able to get the second bye and have a home playoff game in the divisional round. This win sure was important though, because I guarantee there is no way that the Cowboys wanted to go out to freezing Lambeau field in January for a possible NFC Championship matchup. That time of year is flat out horrid when it comes to playing in Green Bay, where the temperature is offen near or below 0 degrees and the field crunches when you walk on it.

Going into the specifics of the Dallas/Green Bay game, if I could hand out game balls they would definitely go to quarterback Tony Romo, his offensive line, and the great front seven of the Dallas defense. Romo had another insanely crazy night, has he passed for 309 yards and had 4 touchdowns with only 1 interception-- which never should have happend since TO practically gift wrapped it for cornerback Al Harris in the endzone. That is just unforgivable, TO. The offensive line was also a force to be reconed with, and as ESPN so wonderfully put it, "they gave Patriots-like protection to Romo." Although I have always felt that the Cowboys offensive line is a stronger unit, I will agree with that statement and say that the Green Bay Packers defensive front was just dominated. They rarely got pressure, and if they did, Romo made sure to check down to Jason Witten or Patrick Crayton for some very big gains.

The turning point of this game came in the 2nd quarter, when Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre went down after being blindsided by a Dallas cornerback blitz by Nate Jones. Jones came off the strong side end, yet for some reason Favre never saw it coming. The hit led to nerve damage in Favre's elbow, an injury that sidelined him the rest of the game. I really wish Favre would have played the entire game, because his injury somewhat diminished the quality of the victory, and led many reporters to spout the "what if" statements in post game reports. Just so it's clear, in 19 minutes of play Favre was put on his back 15 times, sacked twice, and had only 56 yards and 2 interceptions. He could have very easily had 3 interceptions, but the Cowboys' safeties collided with each other and somehow neither of them came up with the ball. So, what I'm trying to say is this: Favre was not having a good game-- he was having a very bad game-- and if he would have stayed in, then I'm sure it would have just kept getting worse.

Green Bay's backup quarterback, Aaron Rodgers out of Cal, provided a spark for the Packers because his playing style was markedly different from Favre-- something the Cowboys defense has not game planned for. Because Favre rarely runs when he is in trouble, the Cowboys were not planning on using an extra guy to keep an eye on the quarterback. Rodgers proved to be very successful in avoiding the pass rush, so he was able to run for 3 first downs and catch the Cowboys off-guard on several plays. I believe that because Rodgers had such a different style of play, this actually helped the Packers get back into that game while Favre was out. Also, once Favre left the field and was declared out, for some reason the Cowboys defense thought they could take a break for the rest of the game. This was inexcusable, and I'm sure coach Wade Phillips will talk to them about that.

Rodgers was able to get the Pack within 3 points, trailing 24-27, but that is when Romo and the Cowboys took over. Romo found a wide open TO in the endzone to make it a 34-24 lead, but the Packers answered back on a Mason Crosby field goal to make it 34-27. Rookie kicker Nick Folk then answered back, nailing a field goal with 1:03 remaining to ice the game and give the Cowboys an exciting victory.

Although the Cowboys had a few lapses on defense-- such as giving up a 62-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 (which was the longest run yielded this season), I am overall proud of the defensive effort. Roy Williams had a slightly better day in coverage, but he still needs to continue to work on his game. One player who definitely brought the hammer this week, who brings it every week, is DeMarcus Ware. Ware pressured Favre and Rodgers several times, and his biggest play came in the 4th quarter when the Packers were only down by 3 points and threatening to take the lead. On 3rd down in Cowboys territory, Ware sacked Rodgers for a huge loss and forced the Packers to punt. Had Ware not have made this spectacular play, who knows how this game would have turned out.

If you're wondering why I didn't give TO a game ball, its mostly due to his dropped pass in the endzone which gave Al Harris the easiest interception he's had in his entire career and life. Previously before that horrible play, TO also dropped several passes that could have definitely opened up the game a lot sooner. One dropped pass, on 3rd and 7 in the 1st quarter near midfield, was just inexplicable. TO is one of the greatest receivers of all time, but he needs to practice better concentration. He is on pace for one the greatest years of his career though, so I must commend him for his exceptional work and effort he has put forth this season. Without TO, who has been a leader on and off the field, the Cowboys team probably wouldn't be in the position it is right now.


Now its on to Detroit, where the Cowboys must make up for a terribly pathetic loss they suffered at their hands in Texas Stadium last year. Also, I clearly remember a play in which Detroit wide receiver Mark Furrey, yes...former Arena Football star Mike Furrey, caught a touchdown pass and threw the ball against a wall and knocking off a Cowboys hanging star. He sure thought very highly of himself after doing that, but trust me, the Cowboys defense will remember and he is in for some pain.

That's all for now, and this 11-1 start, which is the best in franchise history by the way, sure is something to be excited about. Hopefully the Cowboys will keep the fire alive and finish the season strong, because I desperately want to see them get a playoff win-- the first since 1995.