Well, I didn’t get a chance this weekend to post my pre-game thoughts of yesterday’s Cowboys-Deadskins game. However, if I did, I would have said that I thought Dallas would win by 14-18 points and would handle Washington with relative ease. But that was anything but the case yesterday as the Cowboys were outplayed and outcoached for much of the game. This was only Washington’s 2nd win at Texas Stadium in 13 visits but they certainly looked like the better team…at least yesterday.
The first quarter generally looked like the other 3 games Dallas had played except for the fact that they didn’t score on their first possession. Maybe that should have been a hint of things to come. But, by the end of the first quarter, Dallas got their offense in gear and Romo threw a touch down to Jason Witten and it looked like Dallas was off to the races. However, in the 2nd quarter, Washington clamped down and started to play with more energy. That, coupled with poor defensive play by Dallas, allowed Washington to score 17 second quarter points. Terrance Newman did not have a good game as he fell down on the touch down to Washington wide out James Thrash and was AWOL on a 53 yard completion to Santana Moss, who has had some of his best games against Dallas and had 8 receptions for 145 yards yesterday. Almost every big passing play Washington had was to Moss. Dallas simply has problems stopping him.
The Cowboy’s run defense was also not very good yesterday in giving up 161 yards on the ground…121 of those to Clinton Portis as helped salt the game away in the 4th quarter after a Romo interception. At the time, Washington was only leading 23-17 and they seemed content with just pounding the ball with Portis to take as much time off the clock as possible. Washington completed the 12 play, 55 yard drive with a field goal to make it a 2 score game and that was basically the game. Dallas scored a late touch down to make it a 2 point game but needed to successfully execute an onside kick, which they almost did, but the ball went through the hands of Sam Hurd. Game over. But the defense is what lost the game for Dallas yesterday as Washington scored on 6 of its final seven possessions going back to the middle of the 2nd quarter.
I really didn’t understand the play calling of Jason Garrett during the game. Last week vs. Green Bay, Dallas pounded the ball with Marion Barber to the tune of 120 yards. They used Felix Jones effectively, as a change of pass RB, and mixed in passes to Witten and Miles Austin as well. Yesterday though, Dallas really didn’t even try to run the ball. Of the 58 offensive plays Dallas called, 47 were passes and 11 were runs. Of Dallas’ last 38 offensive plays, they ran 4 times and passed 34 times (and 2 of those runs were a scramble by Romo and an end-around by Owens). So really, Garrett called 2 true running plays in their last 38. Garrett said after the game that the Washington defensive scheme dictated more passes. Correctly me if I’m wrong but I’ve always heard that, as a coach, you dictate the tempo, and style of play, to the other team and not acquiesce to your opposition. The amazing part of this is that Felix Jones got 0 plays called for him during the game…0. Felix is an amazing talent and we have all seen the type of speed he possesses. Why not mix him in a little bit and try to get him the ball in space? Try a screen pass to him or and end-around or even split him out in the slot to divert attention away from Witten and/or Owens (that is how Witten got his 1st quarter TD…Felix was sent in motion which took attention away from Witten and left him one on one with a linebacker). Felix needs to be more involved, period.
Another thing I think Garrett did was force feed Owens. I don’t know if he was trying to correct not getting TO involved more in last week’s game vs. Green Bay or what but there were 17 passes thrown Owens way and he caught 7 of them for 71 yards and 1 TD. And I don’t care what Owens says, they got him involved (or at least tried) and his production at the end of the day was decent. You can’t have 100+ yard receiving days every week in the NFL. I could go on but I think I’m just going to wrap up here.
The Deadskins came into Texas Stadium yesterday and played with more aggressiveness and urgency (on both side of the ball) than Dallas did. No excuses…Dallas got outplayed, outcoached, out fought, out everything by a team that is simply not as good although you wouldn’t be able to tell that from yesterday’s game. The next three games (Cincinnati, @ Arizona and @ St. Louis) are all very winnable and Dallas should be a heavy favorite going into each one so this is their chance to pad their record a little. But they need play a lot better than they did yesterday if they want to get to Tampa in February.
In some cases, a loss can be a good thing because it brings the team back down to the ground and shows them they aren't invincable. I think that's the case here. I think the players started believing what everyone was saying about them being the "Super Bowl favorite" and the "best team in the best division in football", etc. Maybe now they will see that ANY team, especially in their division, can beat them on a given week.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Jesus is a Friend of Mine
Ok, a friend of mine emailed this to me and I just had to post it. On a scale of 1-10, the “cheese factor” is about a 15.
Ok, first off, when was this made? It looks like from the hair and clothing styles that it was in the mid to late ‘70’s. I wish I had a vest and big collared shirt like that.
Second, I feel like I’m listening to a song that was made for 1st or 2nd graders to listen to in Sunday school. I mean, “Jesus will never leave you flat” and “will zap you anyway he can” are the type of lyrics you live your life by. And can this really be considered “rock ‘n roll” as the lead singer says? Oh my…
Third, the portly gentleman in the back looks about as interested in singing as someone awaiting a root canal. If you’re lip syncing like this, at least show some emotion. Take a tip from the guy in front on the red guitar…I think he thinks he is a member of Van Halen or something.
Truly awesome.
Ok, first off, when was this made? It looks like from the hair and clothing styles that it was in the mid to late ‘70’s. I wish I had a vest and big collared shirt like that.
Second, I feel like I’m listening to a song that was made for 1st or 2nd graders to listen to in Sunday school. I mean, “Jesus will never leave you flat” and “will zap you anyway he can” are the type of lyrics you live your life by. And can this really be considered “rock ‘n roll” as the lead singer says? Oh my…
Third, the portly gentleman in the back looks about as interested in singing as someone awaiting a root canal. If you’re lip syncing like this, at least show some emotion. Take a tip from the guy in front on the red guitar…I think he thinks he is a member of Van Halen or something.
Truly awesome.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Lets Contain Our Enthusiasm a Little
Even though I am one of the biggest Cowboys fans I know, I try to be objective about things and not be polarized to one extreme or the other. This was not always the case though. When I was in college ('93-'97), I was the type of fan that thought the Cowboys could do no wrong and expected them to blow teams out every single week. I was pretty annoying about it too which is why I was given such a hard time anytime Dallas lost. Even if it wasn't a significant game but just the garden variety weekly game, and the Cowboys lost, it was a party at the house. I would hear about it all week but then I would give back, just as good as I got, when the Cowboys got back to their winning ways...and they did a lot of winning during that time.
The other day I heard someone call in to the sports talk radio station I listen to and honestly say he thought Dallas would go undefeated...after the 3rd game of the year. I mean, what? He was serious too. He really believes the Cowboys will not be beaten this year. All I could do is shake my head and just remember back to my college days when I acted like that idiot. Mind you, I never thought the Cowboys would go undefeated though. The '72 Dolphins are the only team to accomplish that feat and I believe no team will ever go undefeated again. Today's NFL is a different league than it was in 1972. The season is just too long and teams are too good these days for any team to go undefeated. Just look at last year's Patriots team. As good as they were, they failed to go undefeated. Dallas WILL slip up and have a bad game, or will run up against a team having a good game, and will lose. It's not a question of IF it will happen, but WHEN it will happen.
One thing Dallas will need to solve, if they hope to make a trip to Tampa in Feb. '09, is the perplexing trend of late season let downs. I knew the in past several years, the month of December was not very nice to the Cowboys but I didn't think it went further than that. I was surprised to learn the following:
-'98 season: Dallas started off 8-3; finished 2-4*.
-'99 season: Dallas started off 6-5; finished 2-4*.
-'00 season: Dallas started off 4-6; finished 1-5.
-'01 season: Dallas started off 4-8; finished 1-3.
-'02 season: Dallas started off 5-7; finished 0-4.
-'03 season: Dallas started off 7-2; finished 3-5*.
-'04 season: Dallas started off 5-7; finished 1-3.
-'05 season: Dallas started off 7-3; finished 2-4.
-'06 season: Dallas started off 8-4; finished 1-4*.
-'07 season: Dallas started off 12-1; finished 1-3*.
(*went to the playoffs that season)
So, over the past 10 seasons, Dallas has finished their last 4-6 games with a record of 14-39 including 5 first round playoff exits. That is definitely NOT finishing the job. And the remarkable thing is that those weren't just bad teams that did that. Those teams ranged from bad to good to very good with different players, different coaches and different offensive/defensive philosophies. And all of them ended their respective seasons with a thud with last year's team, arguably, experiencing the biggest collapse in franchise history when they lost to the Giants.
Are the Cowboys are good team. Certainly. Are they a great team? I think we can say they are. But let's just hold things right there and make no prophesy of being undefeated, especially after the 3rd game of the season. Let's enjoy the ride because this could be a special year for the Cowboys but let's also remember that they haven't accomplished anything yet.
And while were on the subject of trends Dallas will need to change if they want to reach the Super Bowl, here's one more...Dallas is a -3 in the turnover margin (last season, they ended the season a +10). The Cowboys have no interceptions on the year either. And guess who they share that distinction with...the Bengals (0-3), the Rams (0-3), the Lions (0-3) and the Chiefs (0-3). So Dallas has gotten away, this far, with turning the ball over more than they have gotten turnovers but that definitely has to change. I can't remember a team who went to the Super Bowl that was a minus in the turnover margin. But they have only played 3 games so I'm not terribly worried about this stat...yet.
The other day I heard someone call in to the sports talk radio station I listen to and honestly say he thought Dallas would go undefeated...after the 3rd game of the year. I mean, what? He was serious too. He really believes the Cowboys will not be beaten this year. All I could do is shake my head and just remember back to my college days when I acted like that idiot. Mind you, I never thought the Cowboys would go undefeated though. The '72 Dolphins are the only team to accomplish that feat and I believe no team will ever go undefeated again. Today's NFL is a different league than it was in 1972. The season is just too long and teams are too good these days for any team to go undefeated. Just look at last year's Patriots team. As good as they were, they failed to go undefeated. Dallas WILL slip up and have a bad game, or will run up against a team having a good game, and will lose. It's not a question of IF it will happen, but WHEN it will happen.
One thing Dallas will need to solve, if they hope to make a trip to Tampa in Feb. '09, is the perplexing trend of late season let downs. I knew the in past several years, the month of December was not very nice to the Cowboys but I didn't think it went further than that. I was surprised to learn the following:
-'98 season: Dallas started off 8-3; finished 2-4*.
-'99 season: Dallas started off 6-5; finished 2-4*.
-'00 season: Dallas started off 4-6; finished 1-5.
-'01 season: Dallas started off 4-8; finished 1-3.
-'02 season: Dallas started off 5-7; finished 0-4.
-'03 season: Dallas started off 7-2; finished 3-5*.
-'04 season: Dallas started off 5-7; finished 1-3.
-'05 season: Dallas started off 7-3; finished 2-4.
-'06 season: Dallas started off 8-4; finished 1-4*.
-'07 season: Dallas started off 12-1; finished 1-3*.
(*went to the playoffs that season)
So, over the past 10 seasons, Dallas has finished their last 4-6 games with a record of 14-39 including 5 first round playoff exits. That is definitely NOT finishing the job. And the remarkable thing is that those weren't just bad teams that did that. Those teams ranged from bad to good to very good with different players, different coaches and different offensive/defensive philosophies. And all of them ended their respective seasons with a thud with last year's team, arguably, experiencing the biggest collapse in franchise history when they lost to the Giants.
Are the Cowboys are good team. Certainly. Are they a great team? I think we can say they are. But let's just hold things right there and make no prophesy of being undefeated, especially after the 3rd game of the season. Let's enjoy the ride because this could be a special year for the Cowboys but let's also remember that they haven't accomplished anything yet.
And while were on the subject of trends Dallas will need to change if they want to reach the Super Bowl, here's one more...Dallas is a -3 in the turnover margin (last season, they ended the season a +10). The Cowboys have no interceptions on the year either. And guess who they share that distinction with...the Bengals (0-3), the Rams (0-3), the Lions (0-3) and the Chiefs (0-3). So Dallas has gotten away, this far, with turning the ball over more than they have gotten turnovers but that definitely has to change. I can't remember a team who went to the Super Bowl that was a minus in the turnover margin. But they have only played 3 games so I'm not terribly worried about this stat...yet.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Losing Streak at Lambeau is No More
Last night, Dallas proved they can win a road game against an NFC contender even when their quarterback isn't close to sharp in the first half. Dallas came away with their first ever win at Lambeau field beating the Pack 27-16 however, the game was not as close as the score indicates. I won’t say Romo’s performance last night was as bad as the Monday night extravaganza last season vs. Buffalo, when Dallas had to overcome 6 Romo turnovers to win the game on a last second Nick Folk field goal. But Romo’s performance was not up to his regular all star, 300+ yd. passing performance.
Dallas put together a long methodical 15 play drive converting on 3 different 3rd downs. It was the kind of drive reminiscent of the early to mid 90’s Cowboy teams where they would just keep the drive going wearing down the opposing defense early in the game. However, Romo thought he could get the ball with a double covered Jason Witten and ended up throwing an interception in the end zone which promptly returned 61 yards by Nick Collins. Not a good throw by Romo…he can’t be a Jedi all the time. He even had a couple of uncharacteristic “intentional grounding” penalties. However, with the win, Romo improved to 13-2 in regular season road games. That’s not too shabby, kids.
Romo did have his moments though. He tossed a 52-yard touchdown to Miles Austin, into double coverage, down the right sideline to give Dallas a 27-9 lead with 9:17 remaining. I actually thought that was going out of bounds the second it left Romo’s hand. Austin also had a 63 yard catch in the middle of the 3rd quarter giving Green Bay yet another offensive weapon to contend with.
Green Bay did a good job shutting down TO Owens as he only had 2 catches for 17 yards. But that doesn't mean he didn't contribute. On the Nick Collins interception mentioned above, Owens was the one that ran Collins down from behind, 61 yards later. And on Felix's touch down, Owens was running stride for stride, with Felix, doing some good blocking. And we all know how fast Felix is so that just goes to show how fast Owens is.
And even though Green Bay put the clamps on TO Owens with double, and sometimes triple, coverage, that opened up other options for Dallas, such at Jason Witten. Witten had another big night and had 7 catches for 67 yards but several of those were on 3rd down to keep offensive drives going. Witten is by far the best TE in the league. He not only is a great offensive weapon with great hands but he blocks like a beast as well. Witten helped seal off the end of the defensive line on Felix Jones’ big touch down run. Witten is truly a man among boys.
The offensive line dominated a 2-0 team on the road in a place they had never won before. Marion Barber ran for a career-high 142 yards and a touchdown and Felix Jones’ 60 yard TD was a thing of beauty. Felix became the first player in Cowboys history to score a touchdown in each his first three games. He's the perfect complement to Marion the Barbarian. Jones and Barber combined for 218 yards rushing and by the end of the game, the Packers’ defensive line looked whipped.
The thing I was most impressed with though was the defense. Green Bay had several offensive drives that culminated in only a field goal. Aaron Rogers completed 22 of 39 passes for 290 yards but a lot of those yards came after the game was decided. Rogers was sacked five times and looked flustered for much of the game. After giving up 30 points last week to the Eagles (I don’t count the touch down Filthy got because of Romo’s fumble), I wasn’t sure what to expect against Green Bay. However, Green Bay only had one long completion, a 50 yarder to Donald Driver in the 3rd quarter, and for the most part kept the Packers’ offense in check holding them to 4 of 14 on 3rd down conversions.
It wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch but they came away with a pretty decisive victory, despite not playing the best. Up next is little Danny Snyder and his Washington Deadskins. Hopefully the Force will be back with Romo and the team will have the same success they did at Lambeau. I so love it when Danny Snyder experiences defeat, especially at the hand of Los Vaqueros.
Dallas put together a long methodical 15 play drive converting on 3 different 3rd downs. It was the kind of drive reminiscent of the early to mid 90’s Cowboy teams where they would just keep the drive going wearing down the opposing defense early in the game. However, Romo thought he could get the ball with a double covered Jason Witten and ended up throwing an interception in the end zone which promptly returned 61 yards by Nick Collins. Not a good throw by Romo…he can’t be a Jedi all the time. He even had a couple of uncharacteristic “intentional grounding” penalties. However, with the win, Romo improved to 13-2 in regular season road games. That’s not too shabby, kids.
Romo did have his moments though. He tossed a 52-yard touchdown to Miles Austin, into double coverage, down the right sideline to give Dallas a 27-9 lead with 9:17 remaining. I actually thought that was going out of bounds the second it left Romo’s hand. Austin also had a 63 yard catch in the middle of the 3rd quarter giving Green Bay yet another offensive weapon to contend with.
Green Bay did a good job shutting down TO Owens as he only had 2 catches for 17 yards. But that doesn't mean he didn't contribute. On the Nick Collins interception mentioned above, Owens was the one that ran Collins down from behind, 61 yards later. And on Felix's touch down, Owens was running stride for stride, with Felix, doing some good blocking. And we all know how fast Felix is so that just goes to show how fast Owens is.
And even though Green Bay put the clamps on TO Owens with double, and sometimes triple, coverage, that opened up other options for Dallas, such at Jason Witten. Witten had another big night and had 7 catches for 67 yards but several of those were on 3rd down to keep offensive drives going. Witten is by far the best TE in the league. He not only is a great offensive weapon with great hands but he blocks like a beast as well. Witten helped seal off the end of the defensive line on Felix Jones’ big touch down run. Witten is truly a man among boys.
The offensive line dominated a 2-0 team on the road in a place they had never won before. Marion Barber ran for a career-high 142 yards and a touchdown and Felix Jones’ 60 yard TD was a thing of beauty. Felix became the first player in Cowboys history to score a touchdown in each his first three games. He's the perfect complement to Marion the Barbarian. Jones and Barber combined for 218 yards rushing and by the end of the game, the Packers’ defensive line looked whipped.
The thing I was most impressed with though was the defense. Green Bay had several offensive drives that culminated in only a field goal. Aaron Rogers completed 22 of 39 passes for 290 yards but a lot of those yards came after the game was decided. Rogers was sacked five times and looked flustered for much of the game. After giving up 30 points last week to the Eagles (I don’t count the touch down Filthy got because of Romo’s fumble), I wasn’t sure what to expect against Green Bay. However, Green Bay only had one long completion, a 50 yarder to Donald Driver in the 3rd quarter, and for the most part kept the Packers’ offense in check holding them to 4 of 14 on 3rd down conversions.
It wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch but they came away with a pretty decisive victory, despite not playing the best. Up next is little Danny Snyder and his Washington Deadskins. Hopefully the Force will be back with Romo and the team will have the same success they did at Lambeau. I so love it when Danny Snyder experiences defeat, especially at the hand of Los Vaqueros.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Up Next for Dallas...The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field
Well, maybe this time of year Lambeau isn't so frozen but you really can't call it anything else but the "Frozen Tundra". No, rest for the weary. Dallas only got to relish that classic Monday night victory over the Eagles for 1 day because they had to start preparing for their next big test...Green Bay.
Lambeau Field hasn't been all that kind to the Cowboys in the past. This will be their 6th trip up to Green Bay and their record of the previous five meetings...0-5. However, this team is probably the best team they have ever taken up to Green Bay. Here is a brief rundown of the previous 5 times Dallas has played at Lambeau:
1960 - This was the expansion year for the Cowboys in which they went 0-11 on the season.
1967 - This was the famed "Ice Bowl" where the temperature was -15 degrees and the wind chill was -40. That day, the "Frozen Tundra" was just that...frozen. Not many teams would have fared better than the Cowboys did that day.
1989 - This was Troy Aikman's/Jimmy Johnson's first season in which the Cowboys won all of 1 game that year. The '89 team probably rivaled the '60 team as the worst two in Cowboys history.
1997 - The Cowboys went into this game 6-5. The Packers were the reigning Super Bowl champions and were salivating to get to play Dallas in Green Bay. The game was late in the year, the temperature was very cold after a 10-10 half time score, Green Bay torched Dallas in the second half turning the game into a route. Dallas didn't win another game that season, ending up with a 6-10 record, and Barry Switzer was promptly replaced when it ended.
2004 - Dallas visited Green Bay and was led at QB by Vinny Testaverde who was a couple of years shy of collecting social security. This team also ended the season with a 6-10 record.
So, looking at the 5 teams above, it's pretty evident that the '08 Cowboys team is quite a bit better than any of the previous 5 teams Dallas took up there. A big reason for that is Dallas offense, which has been among the best in the NFL the last season and a half.
The offensive line is the key to the success of the offense, just as it was in the early to mid '90's, for Dallas. They are one of the best in football and have been over the last few seasons which is why the Cowboys have risen back to prominence as of late. The offensive line's play give the rest of the offense so many options and way to gash the opposition's defense because, more often than not, Romo doesn't have to worry about blitzing linebackers or getting sacked. The offense is so good that a first round, super talented RB like Felix Jones is the 4th or even 5th option on that offense. For the opposing defense, it really is "pick your poison" because if they double cover TO Owens or Witten or work to primarily stop Marion Barber, they they will leave themselves open for another offensive option. It truly does remind me of the early to mid '90's Cowboys teams.
The defense played well the first game (vs. Cleveland) but played just ok last week vs. Filthy. They gave up 30 pts (7 of the Eagles 37 pts came on a Romo fumble recovery in the end zone, so I don't count that against the defense) and didn't really get consistent pressure on McNabb. They did play well enough to win and looked like their philosophy, at times, was "bend but don't break". However, they did give up that bomb to DeSean Jackson so I'm sure the Packers will look to do the same thing. However, Roy Williams is out with a fractured arm so that actually be a blessing in disguise due to his inability to cover, well, anything that has two legs.
I think tomorrow night's game will be similar to last week's game vs. the Eagles. I believe both offenses will have some success against the opposing defense but I think Dallas' offense will be able to score one more time than Green Bay's will. Aaron Rogers is playing well but he is still learning the game and I think the big stage on Sunday night against Dallas will play into that. I also think that special teams will play a big role in this game with either a punt, a punt return by Pac Man Jones or a kick return by Felix contributing to the outcome.
As good as Dallas is, they aren't going to go 16-0. I don't even think, had Brady not gotten hurt, the Patriots would have done that again either. The NFL season is just too long for a team to stay on top like that week after week. So, Dallas is going to lose somewhere and this game has that potential. Green Bay is a good team, they are at home and probably have a bit of revenge on their minds from what Dallas did to them last year.
So, will I be surprised if Green Bay wins? No. But do I think it will happen? No.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Green Bay 24.
Lambeau Field hasn't been all that kind to the Cowboys in the past. This will be their 6th trip up to Green Bay and their record of the previous five meetings...0-5. However, this team is probably the best team they have ever taken up to Green Bay. Here is a brief rundown of the previous 5 times Dallas has played at Lambeau:
1960 - This was the expansion year for the Cowboys in which they went 0-11 on the season.
1967 - This was the famed "Ice Bowl" where the temperature was -15 degrees and the wind chill was -40. That day, the "Frozen Tundra" was just that...frozen. Not many teams would have fared better than the Cowboys did that day.
1989 - This was Troy Aikman's/Jimmy Johnson's first season in which the Cowboys won all of 1 game that year. The '89 team probably rivaled the '60 team as the worst two in Cowboys history.
1997 - The Cowboys went into this game 6-5. The Packers were the reigning Super Bowl champions and were salivating to get to play Dallas in Green Bay. The game was late in the year, the temperature was very cold after a 10-10 half time score, Green Bay torched Dallas in the second half turning the game into a route. Dallas didn't win another game that season, ending up with a 6-10 record, and Barry Switzer was promptly replaced when it ended.
2004 - Dallas visited Green Bay and was led at QB by Vinny Testaverde who was a couple of years shy of collecting social security. This team also ended the season with a 6-10 record.
So, looking at the 5 teams above, it's pretty evident that the '08 Cowboys team is quite a bit better than any of the previous 5 teams Dallas took up there. A big reason for that is Dallas offense, which has been among the best in the NFL the last season and a half.
The offensive line is the key to the success of the offense, just as it was in the early to mid '90's, for Dallas. They are one of the best in football and have been over the last few seasons which is why the Cowboys have risen back to prominence as of late. The offensive line's play give the rest of the offense so many options and way to gash the opposition's defense because, more often than not, Romo doesn't have to worry about blitzing linebackers or getting sacked. The offense is so good that a first round, super talented RB like Felix Jones is the 4th or even 5th option on that offense. For the opposing defense, it really is "pick your poison" because if they double cover TO Owens or Witten or work to primarily stop Marion Barber, they they will leave themselves open for another offensive option. It truly does remind me of the early to mid '90's Cowboys teams.
The defense played well the first game (vs. Cleveland) but played just ok last week vs. Filthy. They gave up 30 pts (7 of the Eagles 37 pts came on a Romo fumble recovery in the end zone, so I don't count that against the defense) and didn't really get consistent pressure on McNabb. They did play well enough to win and looked like their philosophy, at times, was "bend but don't break". However, they did give up that bomb to DeSean Jackson so I'm sure the Packers will look to do the same thing. However, Roy Williams is out with a fractured arm so that actually be a blessing in disguise due to his inability to cover, well, anything that has two legs.
I think tomorrow night's game will be similar to last week's game vs. the Eagles. I believe both offenses will have some success against the opposing defense but I think Dallas' offense will be able to score one more time than Green Bay's will. Aaron Rogers is playing well but he is still learning the game and I think the big stage on Sunday night against Dallas will play into that. I also think that special teams will play a big role in this game with either a punt, a punt return by Pac Man Jones or a kick return by Felix contributing to the outcome.
As good as Dallas is, they aren't going to go 16-0. I don't even think, had Brady not gotten hurt, the Patriots would have done that again either. The NFL season is just too long for a team to stay on top like that week after week. So, Dallas is going to lose somewhere and this game has that potential. Green Bay is a good team, they are at home and probably have a bit of revenge on their minds from what Dallas did to them last year.
So, will I be surprised if Green Bay wins? No. But do I think it will happen? No.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Green Bay 24.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Josh Howard, Where Have You Gone?
Josh Howard has had quite a year. Let me get this staright…after admitting to smoking weed, throwing a party on the night before a playoff game, getting arrested for going 94 mph in a 55 mph zone, and then complaining about getting negative press at a charity softball game, Josh was caught on camcorder saying this while the national anthem was being played at a charity flag football game: “The Star Spangled Banner’s going on right now, and I don’t celebrate that s***. I’m black.” GD Obama and all that s***.” This is on YouTube however I didn’t want to post it because of the language used.
What is going on with Josh Howard? Does anyone seem to know? Has he always been this troubled and we are just finding out now? What is with this implosion that has gone on the past 6 months? Honestly, Howard was one of my favorite players until all this foolishness.
I’ve been a supporter of Howards during all this. I’ve said that he’s not a bad guy…maybe misguided, but not a bad guy. He hasn’t been accused of sexual assault. He hasn’t been involved in any shooting. And to tell the truth, I didn’t necessarily think it was appropriate for a reporter to ask him questions about his admitted marijuana use at a charity softball game in ear shot of kids. However, it’s getting increasingly difficult to defend Josh if he can’t keep himself out of the news
This is how I would like to think of Josh Howard:
And I still think this is one of the funniest moments captured on YouTube where former Mavs coach Avery Johnson inadvertently slaps Howard…in an area no man wants to be slapped:
There is still an incredible basketball player within Josh Howard and the Mavs/Rick Carlisle hope they can bring that back to the fore front. In fact, they’re betting on it. At this point, it’s a gamble because if they can’t get that back out of him and he plays like he played the second half of the season last year, they’re going be on the hook for not trading him to the Sad Sac Kings for Ron Artest (which I still can’t believe went to Houston…). Here’s hoping the Mavs don’t crap out on this Howard gamble. If they do, it could be a really long year for the Mavs.
What is going on with Josh Howard? Does anyone seem to know? Has he always been this troubled and we are just finding out now? What is with this implosion that has gone on the past 6 months? Honestly, Howard was one of my favorite players until all this foolishness.
I’ve been a supporter of Howards during all this. I’ve said that he’s not a bad guy…maybe misguided, but not a bad guy. He hasn’t been accused of sexual assault. He hasn’t been involved in any shooting. And to tell the truth, I didn’t necessarily think it was appropriate for a reporter to ask him questions about his admitted marijuana use at a charity softball game in ear shot of kids. However, it’s getting increasingly difficult to defend Josh if he can’t keep himself out of the news
This is how I would like to think of Josh Howard:
And I still think this is one of the funniest moments captured on YouTube where former Mavs coach Avery Johnson inadvertently slaps Howard…in an area no man wants to be slapped:
There is still an incredible basketball player within Josh Howard and the Mavs/Rick Carlisle hope they can bring that back to the fore front. In fact, they’re betting on it. At this point, it’s a gamble because if they can’t get that back out of him and he plays like he played the second half of the season last year, they’re going be on the hook for not trading him to the Sad Sac Kings for Ron Artest (which I still can’t believe went to Houston…). Here’s hoping the Mavs don’t crap out on this Howard gamble. If they do, it could be a really long year for the Mavs.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Final Monday Night Football Game at Texas Stadium
Well, I predicted a close game and that is what we got. Except that I didn’t think the game would be high scoring…that’s where I was wrong. Last night’s game became an instant classic and exceeded the hype with Dallas pulling out a hard fought 41-37 win. It took me a while to go to sleep and even though I was dragging this morning, just knowing Dallas beat Filthy gave me a little extra zip I probably wouldn’t have had if the Eagles had emerged victorious.
I really didn’t know how either team would come out and play but it was evident early on that there was going to be a tremendous amount of offense, from both teams. Romo came out hitting on all cylinders. He hit T.O. Owens on a 72 yd bomb on Dallas’ first offensive possession. That play electrified the entire crowd. He ended up having 3 catches for 89 yards and 2 TDs and even though he had a quiet 2nd half, he opened things up for Jason Witten down the middle of the field because the Eagles secondary was double covering him. Owens talent and play making ability definitely make him an elite WR. And even though Romo had a couple of pretty bad mistakes early on which turned into 14 Eagles points, he recovered to connect on 21-30 passes for 312 yards and 3 TDs with a 123.2 rating.
Speaking of Jason Witten, I’m not sure you can find a tougher player anywhere in the NFL. Last year, when the Cowboys played the Eagles on Sunday night football, Witten caught a pass and was running down field when he had his helmet ripped off his head by a Filthy defender…and yet kept running with the ball gaining another 20 or so yards. Last night Witten’s shoulder popped out of place but he popped it back into place, came back in the game and ended up with 110 yards receiving. As I said below, the Eagles don’t have much of an answer for Witten…and it defiantly showed.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones each contributed to the win as well. Barber looked a lot like Brian Westbrook last night in that he not only ran the ball effectively but did some damage catching the ball out of the backfield (63 yards rushing; 51 yards receiving). Felix took a kickoff back 98 yards for a score and had 247 return yards. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Felix is going to be very special.
The offensive line did a good job all night against the Eagles defense which generally brings tons of pressure. The line allowed no sacks on the night and Filthy’s defense never got the consistent pressure they usually get against the Cowboys. They gave Romo enough time to find Owens/Witten/Barber, etc.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the two clutch field goals Nick Folk made. The first one was 51 yards and helped Dallas go into the locker room at half time with a bit of momentum and being down only 7 points. The second field goal came in the second half and was 47 yards. I was trying to think today about the last time Dallas had a money kicker like Folk. It’s definitely been a while and I don’t think anyone should take him for granted. Those kicks were huge.
However, not everything was rosy for the Cowboys last night. Obviously, with a final score of 41-37, neither defense really did that great of stopping their opponent. Dallas defense didn’t really get a ton of pressure on McNabb and if he had a decent group of receivers, like Dallas does, the score might have been different. Next week, in Green Bay, the defensive line better do a better job of getting to Aaron Rogers than they did of getting to McNabb or that game will be high scoring as well. The defense did get 4 sacks but those were basically coverage sacks and McNabb even ran into a couple of those.
Dallas also has got to cut back on the penalties. They had 10 for 108 yards last night vs. 5 for 44 yards for the Eagles. I know the officiating wasn’t great, on either side of the ball, last night but Dallas was one of the heavier penalized teams last year and it doesn’t look like they have changed much in that dept. this year yet. However, that has got to change.
But for now, I’m still enjoying last night epic win and probably will up until kickoff in Green Bay on Sunday evening. It was definitely a fitting end to MNF at Texas Stadium.
I really didn’t know how either team would come out and play but it was evident early on that there was going to be a tremendous amount of offense, from both teams. Romo came out hitting on all cylinders. He hit T.O. Owens on a 72 yd bomb on Dallas’ first offensive possession. That play electrified the entire crowd. He ended up having 3 catches for 89 yards and 2 TDs and even though he had a quiet 2nd half, he opened things up for Jason Witten down the middle of the field because the Eagles secondary was double covering him. Owens talent and play making ability definitely make him an elite WR. And even though Romo had a couple of pretty bad mistakes early on which turned into 14 Eagles points, he recovered to connect on 21-30 passes for 312 yards and 3 TDs with a 123.2 rating.
Speaking of Jason Witten, I’m not sure you can find a tougher player anywhere in the NFL. Last year, when the Cowboys played the Eagles on Sunday night football, Witten caught a pass and was running down field when he had his helmet ripped off his head by a Filthy defender…and yet kept running with the ball gaining another 20 or so yards. Last night Witten’s shoulder popped out of place but he popped it back into place, came back in the game and ended up with 110 yards receiving. As I said below, the Eagles don’t have much of an answer for Witten…and it defiantly showed.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones each contributed to the win as well. Barber looked a lot like Brian Westbrook last night in that he not only ran the ball effectively but did some damage catching the ball out of the backfield (63 yards rushing; 51 yards receiving). Felix took a kickoff back 98 yards for a score and had 247 return yards. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Felix is going to be very special.
The offensive line did a good job all night against the Eagles defense which generally brings tons of pressure. The line allowed no sacks on the night and Filthy’s defense never got the consistent pressure they usually get against the Cowboys. They gave Romo enough time to find Owens/Witten/Barber, etc.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the two clutch field goals Nick Folk made. The first one was 51 yards and helped Dallas go into the locker room at half time with a bit of momentum and being down only 7 points. The second field goal came in the second half and was 47 yards. I was trying to think today about the last time Dallas had a money kicker like Folk. It’s definitely been a while and I don’t think anyone should take him for granted. Those kicks were huge.
However, not everything was rosy for the Cowboys last night. Obviously, with a final score of 41-37, neither defense really did that great of stopping their opponent. Dallas defense didn’t really get a ton of pressure on McNabb and if he had a decent group of receivers, like Dallas does, the score might have been different. Next week, in Green Bay, the defensive line better do a better job of getting to Aaron Rogers than they did of getting to McNabb or that game will be high scoring as well. The defense did get 4 sacks but those were basically coverage sacks and McNabb even ran into a couple of those.
Dallas also has got to cut back on the penalties. They had 10 for 108 yards last night vs. 5 for 44 yards for the Eagles. I know the officiating wasn’t great, on either side of the ball, last night but Dallas was one of the heavier penalized teams last year and it doesn’t look like they have changed much in that dept. this year yet. However, that has got to change.
But for now, I’m still enjoying last night epic win and probably will up until kickoff in Green Bay on Sunday evening. It was definitely a fitting end to MNF at Texas Stadium.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Final Time Filthadelphia Visits Texas Stadium
Growing up watching the Cowboys, I generally disliked two teams…San Francisco and Washington. Every other team Dallas played was just another game. This included the Giants and Eagles. Even though they were division foes, I really didn’t have a deep disliking for either of these teams. My deeply rooted disliking for the Eagles came in 1999 as I saw Michael Irvin lying motionless on the turf at Veterans’s Stadium in Filthadelphia due to a hit he had just sustained. For fear of a spinal injury, his helmet was left on but his face mask removed while he was transported off the field on a stretcher. And the classy Eagles fans cheered. Make no mistake, they weren’t clapping, as he was being transported off the field, honoring him for his play or the injury he had sustained which is normally heard at stadiums, for the home and visiting teams alike, whenever someone sustains an injury. No they were cheering out of joy that Michael Irvin was hurt and had to be carried off the field. At that point, no one knew if Irvin would ever walk again, much less play football. But they just cheered as if they had won the Super Bowl. Their hatred the Cowboys permeated all levels decency and class and showed them for what they are. It was at that moment that my hatred for all things Filthadelphia was born.
For the past few years, really since 2000, this is the game that has made me more nervous than any of the others on the Cowboy’s schedule. This is due in part because the Foul has pretty much owned the Cowboys since then and also because of my dislike for that team…and city. When the NFL schedules come out each spring, this is the game that I look for first…the Eagles @ Cowboys (the next game I look for is Cowboys @ Eagles). So when I turned on the TV last Sunday in the final two minutes of the Eagles/Rams game and saw Filthy was up 38-3, I felt an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. The uneasiness was quelled a bit watching Dallas destroy Cleveland but there still is a nervous residue that remains.
The Eagles look pretty formidable this year. In playing the Rams last week, which I read looked like they were playing their 16th game of the year instead of their first, Filthy put up 522 yards of offense (414 passing; 108 rushing) went 8 of 14 on 3rd down conversions and had 28 first downs. The Eagle’s defense gave up only 166 yards (130 passing; 36 rushing) and had 4 sacks. Now that is a dominating performance. The area that the Eagles needed to address in the off season, special teams, has been addressed with the addition of DeSean Jackson and for the first time in several years, Donovan McNabb is completely healthy. So even though Dallas may be the “team to beat in the NFC”, the Eagles might be the team to beat Dallas.
I believe (just like I did last week) that this will be a tight game. Even though last week’s game vs. Cleveland ended up not being quite as tight as I thought it would be, the Eagles and the Cowboys aren’t that far apart and I can’t see either team blowing the other off the field. I think both teams will find weaknesses of the opposing defense and exploit those weaknesses for big plays and large chunks of yardage. I think TO Owens will want to make amends for his poor Week 15 showing against the Eagles last season and I think Witten will have a big day as Filthy didn’t have an answer for him last year (11 passes for 190 yds in two games last season) and I don’t think they will have much of one this year. I think Barber, based on what he did last week, will run with a purpose but due to the fact that Eagles blitz quite a bit, I look for Felix Jones to play a bit more this week than he did last week. Also, I think the game will come down to the turnover battle and the number of big plays that were made and not missed. And even though the Eagles could only play the opponent in front of them last week, the Rams and the Cowboys are leagues apart. Dallas playing at home and this being the home opener will have a little to do with it despite the fact Filthy has been successful at Texas Stadium of late. After the smoke clears, Dallas will be a game up on Filthy in the NFC East
Prediction: Dallas 27, Filthy 21.
Oh, one more thing…I’m getting so tired of seeing Jessica Simpson and the Dallas Cowboys in the same news story. During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier this week, Jessica Simpson screamed "Go Cowboys!" She later added that when the Cowboys play the Eagles Monday night that, "We're gonna kick your butts, too!" Vomit, Vomit, Vomit. This is not an anti Jessica Simpson rant (although it may sound like one) but, Jessica, for the love of all things blue and silver can you please just fade into the background? I know you and Romo are supposed to be Ozzie and Harriet but, honestly, crap like this make you look like a buffoon. Just be his girlfriend, go to the games and be a classy fan and let that be it. Don’t go out there chirping about how “we’re gonna kick your butt” because here’s a hot tip…YOU aren’t doing anything. YOU aren’t kicking anyone’s butt. YOU are in the stands (or luxury suite) or watching on TV at home just like the rest of us. I mean, you never heard that she was this big Cowboy fan before she and Romo hooked up despite the fact she grew up in the Dallas area. Here ends the rant…for now.
For the past few years, really since 2000, this is the game that has made me more nervous than any of the others on the Cowboy’s schedule. This is due in part because the Foul has pretty much owned the Cowboys since then and also because of my dislike for that team…and city. When the NFL schedules come out each spring, this is the game that I look for first…the Eagles @ Cowboys (the next game I look for is Cowboys @ Eagles). So when I turned on the TV last Sunday in the final two minutes of the Eagles/Rams game and saw Filthy was up 38-3, I felt an uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. The uneasiness was quelled a bit watching Dallas destroy Cleveland but there still is a nervous residue that remains.
The Eagles look pretty formidable this year. In playing the Rams last week, which I read looked like they were playing their 16th game of the year instead of their first, Filthy put up 522 yards of offense (414 passing; 108 rushing) went 8 of 14 on 3rd down conversions and had 28 first downs. The Eagle’s defense gave up only 166 yards (130 passing; 36 rushing) and had 4 sacks. Now that is a dominating performance. The area that the Eagles needed to address in the off season, special teams, has been addressed with the addition of DeSean Jackson and for the first time in several years, Donovan McNabb is completely healthy. So even though Dallas may be the “team to beat in the NFC”, the Eagles might be the team to beat Dallas.
I believe (just like I did last week) that this will be a tight game. Even though last week’s game vs. Cleveland ended up not being quite as tight as I thought it would be, the Eagles and the Cowboys aren’t that far apart and I can’t see either team blowing the other off the field. I think both teams will find weaknesses of the opposing defense and exploit those weaknesses for big plays and large chunks of yardage. I think TO Owens will want to make amends for his poor Week 15 showing against the Eagles last season and I think Witten will have a big day as Filthy didn’t have an answer for him last year (11 passes for 190 yds in two games last season) and I don’t think they will have much of one this year. I think Barber, based on what he did last week, will run with a purpose but due to the fact that Eagles blitz quite a bit, I look for Felix Jones to play a bit more this week than he did last week. Also, I think the game will come down to the turnover battle and the number of big plays that were made and not missed. And even though the Eagles could only play the opponent in front of them last week, the Rams and the Cowboys are leagues apart. Dallas playing at home and this being the home opener will have a little to do with it despite the fact Filthy has been successful at Texas Stadium of late. After the smoke clears, Dallas will be a game up on Filthy in the NFC East
Prediction: Dallas 27, Filthy 21.
Oh, one more thing…I’m getting so tired of seeing Jessica Simpson and the Dallas Cowboys in the same news story. During an appearance on Good Morning America earlier this week, Jessica Simpson screamed "Go Cowboys!" She later added that when the Cowboys play the Eagles Monday night that, "We're gonna kick your butts, too!" Vomit, Vomit, Vomit. This is not an anti Jessica Simpson rant (although it may sound like one) but, Jessica, for the love of all things blue and silver can you please just fade into the background? I know you and Romo are supposed to be Ozzie and Harriet but, honestly, crap like this make you look like a buffoon. Just be his girlfriend, go to the games and be a classy fan and let that be it. Don’t go out there chirping about how “we’re gonna kick your butt” because here’s a hot tip…YOU aren’t doing anything. YOU aren’t kicking anyone’s butt. YOU are in the stands (or luxury suite) or watching on TV at home just like the rest of us. I mean, you never heard that she was this big Cowboy fan before she and Romo hooked up despite the fact she grew up in the Dallas area. Here ends the rant…for now.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
A New Level of Ineptitude for Miss. State Football
Anyone who doesn't care about Mississippi State football (which is probably the majority, if not all, of all 5 people who read this) probably should stop reading about here...
Well, at least I can take solace in the fact that no one can ever accuse me of picking where I went to school based on the football program. After watching tonight's Auburn/MS State game, I'm seriously rethinking that decision. The game ended with Auburn winning 3-2...3-2. Are you freakin' joking? That's a baseball score. I haven't written, before now, anything about State's football program because, well, they aren't very good. Every once in a while, State will have a 3-4 year period of being pretty good but then will revert back to sucking the knee caps of the SEC elite. So needless to say, I've seen some crappy football from my beloved Bulldogs. But I can't remember when I have been so utterly frustrated at the lack of offensive cohesion from a MS State team. Did I just say offensive cohesion in the same sentence with MS State? Ugh.
The defense played wonderful and should be praised for playing their guts out against the #9 team in the country. Time and time and time again, State's defense shut down Auburn's offense. They brought pressure, got sacks, stuffed the run and defended the pass pretty well most of the night. The defense played the way you want to see them play. They were heroes tonight even though the team lost. The offense however was utterly abysmal.
I have absolutely no idea what State's offense was doing tonight but it sure wasn't playing football. The offensive line is a terrible, at best, and the quarterback...well, the best thing I can say about him is that he played like a gutless gimp. That may be harsh but I really don't care. Plant his rear end on the bench if that's the best he can do and put in the back up. Heck, I don't even know who the freakin' backup QB is but I'll be willing to bet he could do a helluva better job than Carroll did tonight. I'm not even sure he would be the backup at my high school. It might help the QB to have an offensive coordinator that used a little imagination as well. Here's a hint: up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt is NOT a good offensive series. Maybe they really don't have any imagination because the offense couldn't handle it if they tried.
Here's the thing. I've seen all this before. This level of offensive suckiness is not new. No, what was new tonight is that the defense didn't go quietly into the night, they kept fighting. Auburn was holding a 3-0 lead in the 4th quarter when State's defense got a safety. Then with under 5 minutes left in the game, Auburn still holding on to a 3-2 lead, State's defense came up with, not one, but two fumble on successive series...gifts sent down by the football gods. And State couldn't even get a 1st down either time. Absolutely pathetic. Auburn was trying their best to give the game to State...but State said "no, we're MS State...don't you know we aren't suppose to win?"
Even though I love MS State, and don't regret going there at all, I can't help feeling a bit envious while I watch USC dismantle Ohio State. I wonder what it would have been like to go to a school that went to major bowls, every year, and compete for the national championship on a regular basis. I think that would be pretty stinkin' cool to go to a school like that.
It's gonna be another long year for the Bulldogs...a very long year.
Well, at least I can take solace in the fact that no one can ever accuse me of picking where I went to school based on the football program. After watching tonight's Auburn/MS State game, I'm seriously rethinking that decision. The game ended with Auburn winning 3-2...3-2. Are you freakin' joking? That's a baseball score. I haven't written, before now, anything about State's football program because, well, they aren't very good. Every once in a while, State will have a 3-4 year period of being pretty good but then will revert back to sucking the knee caps of the SEC elite. So needless to say, I've seen some crappy football from my beloved Bulldogs. But I can't remember when I have been so utterly frustrated at the lack of offensive cohesion from a MS State team. Did I just say offensive cohesion in the same sentence with MS State? Ugh.
The defense played wonderful and should be praised for playing their guts out against the #9 team in the country. Time and time and time again, State's defense shut down Auburn's offense. They brought pressure, got sacks, stuffed the run and defended the pass pretty well most of the night. The defense played the way you want to see them play. They were heroes tonight even though the team lost. The offense however was utterly abysmal.
I have absolutely no idea what State's offense was doing tonight but it sure wasn't playing football. The offensive line is a terrible, at best, and the quarterback...well, the best thing I can say about him is that he played like a gutless gimp. That may be harsh but I really don't care. Plant his rear end on the bench if that's the best he can do and put in the back up. Heck, I don't even know who the freakin' backup QB is but I'll be willing to bet he could do a helluva better job than Carroll did tonight. I'm not even sure he would be the backup at my high school. It might help the QB to have an offensive coordinator that used a little imagination as well. Here's a hint: up the middle, up the middle, up the middle, punt is NOT a good offensive series. Maybe they really don't have any imagination because the offense couldn't handle it if they tried.
Here's the thing. I've seen all this before. This level of offensive suckiness is not new. No, what was new tonight is that the defense didn't go quietly into the night, they kept fighting. Auburn was holding a 3-0 lead in the 4th quarter when State's defense got a safety. Then with under 5 minutes left in the game, Auburn still holding on to a 3-2 lead, State's defense came up with, not one, but two fumble on successive series...gifts sent down by the football gods. And State couldn't even get a 1st down either time. Absolutely pathetic. Auburn was trying their best to give the game to State...but State said "no, we're MS State...don't you know we aren't suppose to win?"
Even though I love MS State, and don't regret going there at all, I can't help feeling a bit envious while I watch USC dismantle Ohio State. I wonder what it would have been like to go to a school that went to major bowls, every year, and compete for the national championship on a regular basis. I think that would be pretty stinkin' cool to go to a school like that.
It's gonna be another long year for the Bulldogs...a very long year.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Now We’ll See What Is More Important…A Good QB or a Good Team?
There is an old debate I’ve heard hashed and rehashed by friends, commentators and radio talk jocks several times. The debate is what is more important…a good QB or a good team. I think it’s safe to say that quarterback is one of, if not the most, important position in all of sports. If a team has a solid franchise QB at the helm, then typically they will be successful. Prime example of this is the Cowboys. Throughout their history, Dallas has had several outstanding quarterbacks which are why they now have 5 Lombardi Trophies. I know this isn’t the norm as several teams haven’t been as blessed over their history, in this way, as Dallas (Chicago, Arizona, New Orleans and Atlanta to name just a few). But even with the Cowboys, the times they haven’t had good quarterback play (recently, the 2000-2004 seasons), they haven’t been real successful. Now that they have Romo, Dallas is the team with the best odds of winning the Super Bowl.
So, back to my point. The debate is which type team will go further…an average, or even slightly below average, team with a good quarterback or a good team with an average, or slightly below average, quarterback. We are about to find out this season by looking at which team will have more success this season, the New Yawk Jets or the New England Patriots. The Jets were 4-12 last season and no one really expected much of them this year. The Patriots on the other hand went 18-1 last year, loosing only the Super Bowl, and were the preseason odds on favorite to win the championship this year. However, the Jets traded for Brett Farve who, even though is a bit long in the tooth, is still a top 10 quarterback and the Patriots just lost reigning MVP Tom Brady for the season and are moving forward with Brady’s backup, Matt Cassel, who hasn’t started a game since he was in high school. Which team will end up with more wins at the end of the season?
You can make a case for both. In the case of the Jets, one can argue that a great quarterback will make other around him better. A transcendent quarterback has the intangibles that every team looks for in their leader. Some call it the “it factor”. “It” can’t be measured, like height, arm strength or foot speed, but “it” is the burning desire to win and whatever it takes to get there. If that means making everyone around them elevate their respective level of play, so be it. If you look at all the great quarterbacks, the majority of them all have, or had, “it”. Peyton Manning has “it”. Tony Romo has “it”. Brett Farve has “it”…as well as a pretty average team around him this year in the Jets. But Farve elevated his team to a road victory over Miami on Sunday which I’m not sure would have happened with Kellen Clemens leading the team, despite how bad the Dolphins are.
In the case for the Patriots, you can make the case that football is the ultimate team sport and that no one person is bigger than the team. If the team itself is strong, then you don’t necessarily need a great leader to get to the championship. Two examples of this would be the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both of those teams won the Super Bowl without having a high profile quarterback. Baltimore had Trent Dilfer and Tampa Bay had Brad Johnon neither of whom produced eye popping stats but they played within their respective team’s “system” and, as a result of the team being strong, ended up winning the Super Bowl. Matt Cassel has no skins on the wall but team itself does having won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. However, the 2007 Patriots were the most prolific scoring team the NFL has ever seen and that success was due, in large part, to the ability of Tom Brady. What will happen if the incumbent quarterback doesn’t possess the skills Brady has? Will the offense still continue to click or will defenses load up to stop the run daring Cassel to try to pick them apart as Brady would have done?
If I were a betting man, I would bet that the Patriots have a better chance of being a playoff team with Matt Cassel than the Jets have with Farve. Even thought the Patriots are an aging team, they have experience on their side and a solid coaching staff. Plus the Patriots have more talent at their skill positions (WR/TE/RB) than the Jets. So, I guess we will see if a more talented and experienced “team” can offset an inexperienced quarterback. By the end of the season, I would expect the Patriots to be 10-6, maybe 9-7, and the Jets to be 7-9, maybe 8-8.
So, back to my point. The debate is which type team will go further…an average, or even slightly below average, team with a good quarterback or a good team with an average, or slightly below average, quarterback. We are about to find out this season by looking at which team will have more success this season, the New Yawk Jets or the New England Patriots. The Jets were 4-12 last season and no one really expected much of them this year. The Patriots on the other hand went 18-1 last year, loosing only the Super Bowl, and were the preseason odds on favorite to win the championship this year. However, the Jets traded for Brett Farve who, even though is a bit long in the tooth, is still a top 10 quarterback and the Patriots just lost reigning MVP Tom Brady for the season and are moving forward with Brady’s backup, Matt Cassel, who hasn’t started a game since he was in high school. Which team will end up with more wins at the end of the season?
You can make a case for both. In the case of the Jets, one can argue that a great quarterback will make other around him better. A transcendent quarterback has the intangibles that every team looks for in their leader. Some call it the “it factor”. “It” can’t be measured, like height, arm strength or foot speed, but “it” is the burning desire to win and whatever it takes to get there. If that means making everyone around them elevate their respective level of play, so be it. If you look at all the great quarterbacks, the majority of them all have, or had, “it”. Peyton Manning has “it”. Tony Romo has “it”. Brett Farve has “it”…as well as a pretty average team around him this year in the Jets. But Farve elevated his team to a road victory over Miami on Sunday which I’m not sure would have happened with Kellen Clemens leading the team, despite how bad the Dolphins are.
In the case for the Patriots, you can make the case that football is the ultimate team sport and that no one person is bigger than the team. If the team itself is strong, then you don’t necessarily need a great leader to get to the championship. Two examples of this would be the 2000 Baltimore Ravens and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both of those teams won the Super Bowl without having a high profile quarterback. Baltimore had Trent Dilfer and Tampa Bay had Brad Johnon neither of whom produced eye popping stats but they played within their respective team’s “system” and, as a result of the team being strong, ended up winning the Super Bowl. Matt Cassel has no skins on the wall but team itself does having won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. However, the 2007 Patriots were the most prolific scoring team the NFL has ever seen and that success was due, in large part, to the ability of Tom Brady. What will happen if the incumbent quarterback doesn’t possess the skills Brady has? Will the offense still continue to click or will defenses load up to stop the run daring Cassel to try to pick them apart as Brady would have done?
If I were a betting man, I would bet that the Patriots have a better chance of being a playoff team with Matt Cassel than the Jets have with Farve. Even thought the Patriots are an aging team, they have experience on their side and a solid coaching staff. Plus the Patriots have more talent at their skill positions (WR/TE/RB) than the Jets. So, I guess we will see if a more talented and experienced “team” can offset an inexperienced quarterback. By the end of the season, I would expect the Patriots to be 10-6, maybe 9-7, and the Jets to be 7-9, maybe 8-8.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
100th Post
In celebration of this being my 100th post and in preparation for the upcoming season of The Office, I think a montage of pranks pulled by Jim, on Dwight, is in order.
Gotta love it.
Gotta love it.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Miscellaneous Items on the First Weekend of the 2008 Season
-I wonder if Seattle Seahawk fans were as impressed as I was with their big time RB free agent signing after Sunday’s thumping at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. Seattle fans thought they had Shawn Alexander’s replacement when the club signed Julius Jones in the off season but I’m thinking they might be a little more reserved about him after seeing him run for only 45 yards on 13 carries. Oh, and one of those runs was for 24 yards so if you take that out of the mix, he had 21 yards on 12 carries. Impressive to say the least…
-Recently, Bengals WR Chad Johnson (who wears #85) legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. The Bengals promptly came out and said that they would recognize this and change all team documents, including the back of his jersey, which had previously read Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. However, no one bothered to check with the NFL on this. Apparently, Reebok (which makes the jerseys for all the NFL teams) has made, and shipped out, a plethora of Chad JOHNSON jerseys and since the league has that financial commitment to Reebok, Ocho Cinco’s name will remain C. Johnson on the back of his jersey. The NFL issued the following statement: "He will wear the name Johnson on his jersey today and will be referred to as Chad Johnson on the official play-by-play sheet…certain issues remain [with the NFL] to be resolved before Ocho Cinco will be permitted to wear his new surname on his jersey. He has a financial obligation to Reebok, which produces the jerseys available to fans. That has to be resolved before the on-field jersey can be changed.” So, I guess we will all have to wait a little longer before Ocho Cinco really becomes Ocho Cinco.
-Looks like The Patriots’ season might have just gone up in flames as Tom Brady suffered a season ending injury in the 1st quarter of their game vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. Matt Cassel, his replacement came in in relief and guided the Patriots to a 17-10 victory but if Brady would have been in there, the Patriots probably would have won 38-10. Now we see what a QB who, before yesterday, started his last game in high school can do with one of the best teams in the NFL. Cassel backed up Carson Palmer then Matt Leinart at USC but never got the starting nod himself. Reports are that New England is going to bring in Chris Simms for a workout and might actually sign him. I’m sure a few Texas fans will roll their eyes at that and say “yeah, bring in Simms…he’s your savior.”
-Is the 2008 Tennessee defense the new ’85 Bears? I know that is a dumb question but Tennessee beat Jacksonville on Sunday 17-10 and did it was some pretty sick defense. Keep in mind that Jacksonville was considered a top 5 or top 6 team in the NFL. Last season, Jacksonville’s offense was ranked #7 and was ranked #2 in rushing offense. Here’s how they fared yesterday against Tennessee’s defense:
-189 total yards on offense
-33 rushing yards (Fred Taylor – 18 yards on 9 carries; Jones-Drew – 13 yards on 5 carries)
-3 turnovers
-7 allowed sacks
That is ferocious defense. I’m glad Dallas doesn’t plat Tennessee this year.
-Recently, Bengals WR Chad Johnson (who wears #85) legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. The Bengals promptly came out and said that they would recognize this and change all team documents, including the back of his jersey, which had previously read Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. However, no one bothered to check with the NFL on this. Apparently, Reebok (which makes the jerseys for all the NFL teams) has made, and shipped out, a plethora of Chad JOHNSON jerseys and since the league has that financial commitment to Reebok, Ocho Cinco’s name will remain C. Johnson on the back of his jersey. The NFL issued the following statement: "He will wear the name Johnson on his jersey today and will be referred to as Chad Johnson on the official play-by-play sheet…certain issues remain [with the NFL] to be resolved before Ocho Cinco will be permitted to wear his new surname on his jersey. He has a financial obligation to Reebok, which produces the jerseys available to fans. That has to be resolved before the on-field jersey can be changed.” So, I guess we will all have to wait a little longer before Ocho Cinco really becomes Ocho Cinco.
-Looks like The Patriots’ season might have just gone up in flames as Tom Brady suffered a season ending injury in the 1st quarter of their game vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. Matt Cassel, his replacement came in in relief and guided the Patriots to a 17-10 victory but if Brady would have been in there, the Patriots probably would have won 38-10. Now we see what a QB who, before yesterday, started his last game in high school can do with one of the best teams in the NFL. Cassel backed up Carson Palmer then Matt Leinart at USC but never got the starting nod himself. Reports are that New England is going to bring in Chris Simms for a workout and might actually sign him. I’m sure a few Texas fans will roll their eyes at that and say “yeah, bring in Simms…he’s your savior.”
-Is the 2008 Tennessee defense the new ’85 Bears? I know that is a dumb question but Tennessee beat Jacksonville on Sunday 17-10 and did it was some pretty sick defense. Keep in mind that Jacksonville was considered a top 5 or top 6 team in the NFL. Last season, Jacksonville’s offense was ranked #7 and was ranked #2 in rushing offense. Here’s how they fared yesterday against Tennessee’s defense:
-189 total yards on offense
-33 rushing yards (Fred Taylor – 18 yards on 9 carries; Jones-Drew – 13 yards on 5 carries)
-3 turnovers
-7 allowed sacks
That is ferocious defense. I’m glad Dallas doesn’t plat Tennessee this year.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Dominant Performance
Well, the 2008 NFL season opened yesterday for the majority of teams. I really didn’t know what to expect from the Cowboys to tell you the truth. I knew what they were capable of but with all the Hark Knocks hype and opening on the road vs. a team that went 10-6 last year, I just wasn’t sure how Dallas would come out yesterday. But Dallas lived up to the hype and turned in a dominant performance beating the Cleveland Browns 28-10…and it could have been worse than that.
First the offense. The offense looked like a well oiled machine most of the day in racking up 487 yards and 30 1st downs. They came out firing and took the fight right to the Browns. Romo was 24-32 for 320 yards. The offensive line was much tougher than the Browns defensive line at the point of attack and most of the time Romo dropped back to pass, he had enough time to make a three course dinner before finding an open target. Jason Witten had 96 yards receiving, TO Owens had 87 yards (and 1 TD) and Crayton had 82 yards and had some real nice catches as well as runs after the catch.
The running game looked about as sharp as the passing game too. Marion Barber showed how tough he was in getting 101 total yards (80 yads rushing, 21 yards receiving). I’m excited to see how he handles the bulk of the rushing load this year. I told a friend of mine yesterday Barber reminds me of a smaller Earl Campbell. Barber isn’t as big or strong as Earl but runs a lot like him looking to dish out punishment to any defender who is coming to make the stop. Felix Jones came in and showed why Dallas took him in the 1st round of the draft this year. He has the acceleration where if he gets just a seam, he will be into the defensive backfield before you can blink. There was a couple of times a Cleveland defensive back had to make a touchdown saving shoestring tackle on Felix. In the limited time he played, he rushed for 62 yards and if one of his runs wasn’t called back for holding, he would have been in the mid 90’s. He is going to be exciting to watch this year, no doubt about it.
Now, the defense. I was pleased with the overall play of the defense. Even though Terrance Newman was inactive yesterday, Dallas’ defense managed to hold Cleveland’s high octane offense to only 205 yards and 11 first downs. The big thing Dallas didn’t do yesterday is give up the big play. They bent, but didn’t break. The one thing I would have liked to see more was the amount of pressure they got on Derek Anderson. I really thought the Cowboys would get to him more than they did. That is going to have to be something they improve on, especially playing McNabb this week, if the defense if going to be successful this year. Also, Pac Man Jones better shake the rust off a bit quicker than he has. He bit on several double moves by the Cleveland receivers and had to drag Braylon Edwards down in the end zone to keep him from scoring a touchdown. I know he hasn’t played in a year but he needs to get back to form quick.
Another issue Dallas needs to address is penalties. Dallas had 11 penalties for 82 yards yesterday. They could afford that yesterday against a bumbling Browns team but won’t be able to get away with that against Filthadelphia next Monday night and win. TO Owens really needs to cut the end zone celebrations, that draw flags, as well. I’m fine with the celebrations but he CAN do that without drawing a flag. And if he does that against Filthadelphia and gives DeSean Jackson another 15 yards of running room, that could be a touchdown for the Eagles, quite easily.
All in all, I was very pleased with the initial game yesterday. I bet that was a nice plane ride back to Dallas…but first thing on Wednesday morning, Dallas needs to put that game in their rear view mirror and press on toward Monday night because the Filthadelphia Foul looks very formidable (they routed St. Louis yesterday 38-3).
First the offense. The offense looked like a well oiled machine most of the day in racking up 487 yards and 30 1st downs. They came out firing and took the fight right to the Browns. Romo was 24-32 for 320 yards. The offensive line was much tougher than the Browns defensive line at the point of attack and most of the time Romo dropped back to pass, he had enough time to make a three course dinner before finding an open target. Jason Witten had 96 yards receiving, TO Owens had 87 yards (and 1 TD) and Crayton had 82 yards and had some real nice catches as well as runs after the catch.
The running game looked about as sharp as the passing game too. Marion Barber showed how tough he was in getting 101 total yards (80 yads rushing, 21 yards receiving). I’m excited to see how he handles the bulk of the rushing load this year. I told a friend of mine yesterday Barber reminds me of a smaller Earl Campbell. Barber isn’t as big or strong as Earl but runs a lot like him looking to dish out punishment to any defender who is coming to make the stop. Felix Jones came in and showed why Dallas took him in the 1st round of the draft this year. He has the acceleration where if he gets just a seam, he will be into the defensive backfield before you can blink. There was a couple of times a Cleveland defensive back had to make a touchdown saving shoestring tackle on Felix. In the limited time he played, he rushed for 62 yards and if one of his runs wasn’t called back for holding, he would have been in the mid 90’s. He is going to be exciting to watch this year, no doubt about it.
Now, the defense. I was pleased with the overall play of the defense. Even though Terrance Newman was inactive yesterday, Dallas’ defense managed to hold Cleveland’s high octane offense to only 205 yards and 11 first downs. The big thing Dallas didn’t do yesterday is give up the big play. They bent, but didn’t break. The one thing I would have liked to see more was the amount of pressure they got on Derek Anderson. I really thought the Cowboys would get to him more than they did. That is going to have to be something they improve on, especially playing McNabb this week, if the defense if going to be successful this year. Also, Pac Man Jones better shake the rust off a bit quicker than he has. He bit on several double moves by the Cleveland receivers and had to drag Braylon Edwards down in the end zone to keep him from scoring a touchdown. I know he hasn’t played in a year but he needs to get back to form quick.
Another issue Dallas needs to address is penalties. Dallas had 11 penalties for 82 yards yesterday. They could afford that yesterday against a bumbling Browns team but won’t be able to get away with that against Filthadelphia next Monday night and win. TO Owens really needs to cut the end zone celebrations, that draw flags, as well. I’m fine with the celebrations but he CAN do that without drawing a flag. And if he does that against Filthadelphia and gives DeSean Jackson another 15 yards of running room, that could be a touchdown for the Eagles, quite easily.
All in all, I was very pleased with the initial game yesterday. I bet that was a nice plane ride back to Dallas…but first thing on Wednesday morning, Dallas needs to put that game in their rear view mirror and press on toward Monday night because the Filthadelphia Foul looks very formidable (they routed St. Louis yesterday 38-3).
Friday, September 5, 2008
And the Quest to Tampa Begins…
The preseason is over. No more meaningless exhibition games. Time for the real thing. And the real thing started off last night with the Giants beating the Deadskins 16-7. To tell you the truth, I was pretty impressed with the Giants…at least for the first half. I’ve never been terribly impressed with Eli. Other than the playoffs and the Super Bowl last year, he’s always looked somewhat average, maybe a little above. However, there were times last night where Eli looked like Peyton as he completed 19 of 35 for 216 yards and an interception and capped a game-opening 84-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. His main target was Plaxico Buress (who signed a 5 year contract extension before the game) who had 10 catches for 133 yards. Add to that Brandon Jacobs who had 21 carries for 116 yards and the Giants offense looked pretty potent.
I expected more from the Deadskins though. Washington only got in New York territory three times in the game, the last time in the final seconds and possessed the ball for less than 25 minutes. I don’t think they will even make the playoffs this year. However, I don’t really think they are as bad, defensively, as they played last night and I don’t think NY is as good, offensively, as they played last night. Probably somewhere in the middle. One thing’s for sure though…Washington left a lot to be desired, which is just fine with me.
Now, on to the game that matters (or at least matters more to me)…
Dallas and Cleveland face each other in their respective opening games on Sunday. It is the featured 3:15 game on Fox and the Browns fans, from what I hear, are already whipped into a frenzy over this one probably because Dallas is the visiting team but also because Cleveland has received quite a bit of preseason hype and is picked to win their division. Looking at their offense from last year, it’s easy to see why expectations are lofty for the Browns.
In 2007, Cleveland’s offense ranked eighth in total yards (351.3) and points (402) behind quarterback Derek Anderson, who came out of nowhere, passing for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs. Cleveland wanted to make sure Anderson didn’t get away so they signed him to a contract extension in the off season (which pretty much guarantees Brady Quinn will be traded at some point). Supporting Anderson, the Browns have a variety of offensive weapons to utilize in WR Braylon Edwards, RB Jamal Lewis and TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. In 2007, Edwards caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns; Lewis ran for 1304 yards and had 9 touchdowns; and Winslow caught 82 passes for 1106 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cleveland also added another potent WR in the off season in Donte’ Stallworth who was in integral cog in the New England juggernaut offense last year.
Dallas also knows how to score though. The Cowboy’s offense in 2007, ranked third in the league with 365.7 total yards per game, and second with 455 points. Romo, was third in the league with 4,211 passing yards and second with 36 touchdowns. Dallas also has 3 star performers in Terrell Owens who had 81 catches for 1355 yards and 15 touchdowns, RB Marion Barber who had 975 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (in part time duty) and TE Jason Witten who had 96 catches for 1145 yards and 7 touchdowns. Patrick Crayton is a solid #2 receiver and the addition of Felix Jones will give more speed and options to Romo. And I really don’t think the addition of Pac-Man Jones can be discounted especially in the return game. I think he’s going to make a big difference there.
The Achilles heel for Cleveland though is their defense which ranked 30th in the league in 2007. So the Browns can score points but they also give them up almost as fast as they score them. However the Dallas defense, while not being top flite last year, was solid ranking 9th in the league holding opponents to an average of 307.6 yards. The defense bent but didn’t break which is how Dallas won 13 games in the regular season last year and entered the playoffs the #1 seed in the NFC.
Also, I’m not real impressed with the teams Cleveland had wins against last year:
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (5-11)
Miami (1-15)
St. Louis (3-13)
Seattle (10-6; in OT @ home)
Baltimore (5-11)
Houston (8-8)
NY Jets (4-12)
Buffalo (7-9)
San Francisco (5-11)
So, even though the Browns were a 10 win team last year, they had only 1 win against a team with a winning record and it took OT to get that win.
I think the first half of the game both offenses will be clicking and be productive. However the 2nd half is where Dallas’ defense tightens up and allows the offense to put more distance between them and Cleveland. Also, I think with the way Dallas’ season ended last year, Romo and company have been counting down the days until they can get back out on the field. In the end, I don’t think Cleveland’s defense will be able to keep up with Dallas’ offense whereas Dallas’ defense will, again, bend but not break and allow the Cowboys to start off the 2008 campaign with a “W”.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Cleveland 20.
I expected more from the Deadskins though. Washington only got in New York territory three times in the game, the last time in the final seconds and possessed the ball for less than 25 minutes. I don’t think they will even make the playoffs this year. However, I don’t really think they are as bad, defensively, as they played last night and I don’t think NY is as good, offensively, as they played last night. Probably somewhere in the middle. One thing’s for sure though…Washington left a lot to be desired, which is just fine with me.
Now, on to the game that matters (or at least matters more to me)…
Dallas and Cleveland face each other in their respective opening games on Sunday. It is the featured 3:15 game on Fox and the Browns fans, from what I hear, are already whipped into a frenzy over this one probably because Dallas is the visiting team but also because Cleveland has received quite a bit of preseason hype and is picked to win their division. Looking at their offense from last year, it’s easy to see why expectations are lofty for the Browns.
In 2007, Cleveland’s offense ranked eighth in total yards (351.3) and points (402) behind quarterback Derek Anderson, who came out of nowhere, passing for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs. Cleveland wanted to make sure Anderson didn’t get away so they signed him to a contract extension in the off season (which pretty much guarantees Brady Quinn will be traded at some point). Supporting Anderson, the Browns have a variety of offensive weapons to utilize in WR Braylon Edwards, RB Jamal Lewis and TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. In 2007, Edwards caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns; Lewis ran for 1304 yards and had 9 touchdowns; and Winslow caught 82 passes for 1106 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cleveland also added another potent WR in the off season in Donte’ Stallworth who was in integral cog in the New England juggernaut offense last year.
Dallas also knows how to score though. The Cowboy’s offense in 2007, ranked third in the league with 365.7 total yards per game, and second with 455 points. Romo, was third in the league with 4,211 passing yards and second with 36 touchdowns. Dallas also has 3 star performers in Terrell Owens who had 81 catches for 1355 yards and 15 touchdowns, RB Marion Barber who had 975 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (in part time duty) and TE Jason Witten who had 96 catches for 1145 yards and 7 touchdowns. Patrick Crayton is a solid #2 receiver and the addition of Felix Jones will give more speed and options to Romo. And I really don’t think the addition of Pac-Man Jones can be discounted especially in the return game. I think he’s going to make a big difference there.
The Achilles heel for Cleveland though is their defense which ranked 30th in the league in 2007. So the Browns can score points but they also give them up almost as fast as they score them. However the Dallas defense, while not being top flite last year, was solid ranking 9th in the league holding opponents to an average of 307.6 yards. The defense bent but didn’t break which is how Dallas won 13 games in the regular season last year and entered the playoffs the #1 seed in the NFC.
Also, I’m not real impressed with the teams Cleveland had wins against last year:
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (5-11)
Miami (1-15)
St. Louis (3-13)
Seattle (10-6; in OT @ home)
Baltimore (5-11)
Houston (8-8)
NY Jets (4-12)
Buffalo (7-9)
San Francisco (5-11)
So, even though the Browns were a 10 win team last year, they had only 1 win against a team with a winning record and it took OT to get that win.
I think the first half of the game both offenses will be clicking and be productive. However the 2nd half is where Dallas’ defense tightens up and allows the offense to put more distance between them and Cleveland. Also, I think with the way Dallas’ season ended last year, Romo and company have been counting down the days until they can get back out on the field. In the end, I don’t think Cleveland’s defense will be able to keep up with Dallas’ offense whereas Dallas’ defense will, again, bend but not break and allow the Cowboys to start off the 2008 campaign with a “W”.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Cleveland 20.
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