Big College Football Weekend

Well, I was only slightly off on my prediction last week that OU would win by a mere 14 points. Ha! It has been a long time since I have seen such a thorough dismantling of a team like OU took apart Tech last weekend. I turned the game off at half time because, even though I said no lead is insurmountable for Tech, I could tell the Raiders were done. They weren't going to win, much less come back...not that night, in that stadium, against that OU team. No way. There was not a team in the country that could have won that game against OU. Not Texas, not USC, not Florida, not Alabama...nobody. It's just a shame that Tech had to lose in such a fashion, on national tv, in a game that would have solidified them as true national championship contenders. Because now, with the way they lost and when they lost, even IF OU gets beat by OSU this weekend and Tech beats Mizzou in the Big XII championship game, I don't think Tech will get to the BCS Championship...I just don't. Losing 65-21 on prime time tv does that unfortunately. They may get a BCS bowl big even if they don't win the Big XII, but I don't think Miami is in Tech's future.

OU is in the drivers seat because they "control their own destiny" in that if they win out, they will be in Miami on Jan. 8th. And right now, with they way OU is playing, I can't aruge with that any. However, Texas is still in a nice spot because IF they take care of business this tomorrow night against the Aggies, then all they have to do is sit back and watch what unfolds. The way I see it, Texas could still get to the championship if one of the following happens:

-OSU beats OU this weekend
-OU beats OSU, then OU loses to Mizzou in the Big XII Champ. game
-Florida St. beats Florida this weekend, then Florida beats Alabama in SEC Champ. game.

That last scenario assumes OU wins out and makes it to the national championship game. That would stage OU vs. Texas for the BCS Championship. A couple of people have told me that can't happen because in order to play for the national championship, you have to win your conference. However, I am 99% sure that is not a rule. I have looked for that everywhere and I simply can't find it. Plus think back to 2003 when OU got drilled by Kansas St. in the Big XII champ. game and then wound up playing USC in the title game (where they got smoked even worse). The BCS would lick their chops at the thought of an OU-TX champ. game. The ratings, I think, would be through the roof. And it is possible that happens...probably not a huge possibility because I don't think Florida will lose to Florida State.

At this point, if I had to name my title game today based on how I think things will shake out, I would put Florida and OU in Miami. Although I would love to see Texas there, I think OU has the inside track and it's gonna take an almost perfect game from OSU or Mizzou to beat the Sooners. And yes, I know Alabama is currently #1 and, up until now, I haven't even mentioned them. But, even though they are a great team, I don't think they have the horses to keep up with Florida, period. However, we're not at that point yet so let's just be concerned with what's happening this weekend. Whatever happens, it's gonna be a great weekend for college football.

***Oh, and this post wouldn't be complete without me mentioning the greatness that was LSWho going down in utter flames last weekend to Ole Miss. And the fact that the game was in Baton Rouge made it even better. To me, LSWho fans and Filthadelpia Foul fans are on the same level. So to see both of those teams just get stomped last weekend gave me, well, joy.

Hey TO Owens, You Satisfied with 213 Yards?

TO Owens generally seems to have big days against his former team. In Dallas’ 2nd game this year, playing the Filthadelphia Foul, he had 89 yards receiving (on just 3 receptions) and 2 touchdowns. Last year, when Dallas visited Filthadelphia, Owens caught 10 balls for 174 yards and a touchdown. Needless to say, TO Owens is motivated when he plays against former teams. This was no different yesterday as Owens had 7 receptions for a whopping 213 yards and 1 TD helping Dallas win 35-22 over the San Francisco Forty Whiners. That was the second-most yards of his career, behind only the game he played for San Francisco in 2000 when he caught an NFL-record 20 passes for 283 yards. Earlier in the week, Owens was interviewed by Deion Sanders (um…ok) of the NFL Network and indicated that he was not getting the ball enough and that “when I get the ball in my hands things happen.”

I know Owens is a drama queen. I know this is what we (or whatever team he is playing for) have to deal with when he is on the team. But for the love of Tom Landry, give it a freaking rest TO. Especially now that Tony Romo is back at the helm. You are going to get your numbers. Just take a valium, run the correct routes, GET OPEN and the ball will find its way to you. You don’t have to go on the freaking NFL network to espouse you getting the ball more. During the 3 games that Romo wasn’t playing, who exactly was going to get you the ball? Neither of the other two quarterbacks on the Cowboy’s roster, that’s for darn sure. Since 2006, you and Romo have hooked up for more TDs than any other QB/WR tandem. So just chill!

TO Owens ability to magically get open was due in part to his ability but also due in part to the soft San Francisco defense. And when I say soft, I don’t mean gutless. I mean that
Nate Clements played several yards off the line of scrimmage instead of jamming Owens during the first 5 yards. The fact that Owens got off the line cleanly and unmolested meant that he had a running start and, in most cases, he will pass most corners in the league. I really have no idea why San Fran’s defense played Owens like this. In just about every other game, the cornerbacks were right up in Owens face and would hit him as the ball was snapped which interrupted his timing and blew him off his route before he even got started. But the Forty Whiners? Who know why they didn’t employ this obvious and useful tactic against Owens. I’m not complaining…just wondering.

Romo was back on his game although it took a full quarter to get there. The first quarter of the game the offense seems to be AWOL and Romo wasn’t doing much to help. However, by the end of the day Romo was 23-of-39 for 341 yards and three touchdowns. That is what we are used to seeing from him around here. Also, I noticed something else which was absent from him, even when they were winning, before he got hurt…his smile. I know that might seem gay saying that but seriously, I think part of Romo’s success is due to his carefree personality and we saw some of that return on Sunday…and it was good to see it back.

The defense played well enough in the first quarter to keep the Cowboys in the game until the offense got warmed up. San Francisco missed a 53-yard field goal on its opening drive, then reached first-and-goal from the 4 on its next two drives—yet managed only a pair of field goals. The fact that San Fran was dominating the Cowboys in the first quarter, yet only had 6 points to show for it, was huge. I really think that played a big part of why they got so far behind. Shaun Hill was sacked four times, including consecutive plays inside the 20 in the first quarter. And Frank Gore who, before Sunday, was responsible for 1/3 of San Fran’s offense was held to 26 yards on 14 rushes. So the front seven picked up where they left off last week in Washington.

However, the defensive unit as a whole didn’t play as well as they did last week, especially the defensive backs. The Forty Whiners were passing the ball all over the Cowboys in the first quarter. The Dallas corners made Isaac Bruce look like he was 15 years younger and he ran free time after time after time. TE Vernon Davis would have had a touchdown in Shaun Hill had been more accurate because Davis was behind everyone running free but the pass from Hill was just a bit to long for him. This is an area Dallas desperately needs to shore up before their brutal Dec. schedule hits…and it IS brutal. But, injuries have killed this part of the team with Roy Williams being on IR, Mike Jenkins being iffy for Thanksgiving, Pat Watkins being banged up and Terrance Newman not 100%. This is probably why Jerry is welcoming back Pac Man Jones with open arms…because he has to. I’m not going to rant and rave about this because, frankly, I don’t want to get worked up again. Just be rest assured that I am against Pac Man coming back to the Cowboys and really don’t see how it can help the team. He is a bad seed, will always be such and it will only be a matter of time before he is banned for life from the NFL.

The Cowboys need to get more consistent especially before their final four games. They really ought to win on Thursday against a Seattle team that can’t seem to get out of their own way. They will be playing a fired up Julius Jones but with the way they have played run defense the past few weeks, I anticipate seeing what we saw from Julius last year…a whole lot of nothing. Hopefully they can shake off any soreness and get through Thursday’s game without any more injuries and get a good 9 day rest to get ready to invade Steel town…and the rest of their gauntlet in December.

Can Tech Do It Again?

This year, the Big XII has been ridiculously good. And even though I’m more an SEC guy, I have to admit that this year the Big XII is better. A big reason for that is the offenses in the Big XII and two of the big dogs, Texas Tech and OU, square off tomorrow in Norman with the winner moving one more step toward the Big XII title and the national championship game.

Tech has been in the zone lately. They beat Texas a few weeks ago on a last second touchdown to Crabtree. It was the biggest game Tech had ever been apart of…and they didn’t blow it. That may seem like a harsh statement but really the last few years, they have done exactly that. They have feasted on the weaker bunk mates of the Big XII south but then when time comes to play Texas or OU, they seemingly cower and get rolled. But not this year. This year, Tech has a decent running game, to compliment their usual ultra pass happy offense, and they have a very solid defense which all but shut Colt McCoy down in the first half of the Texas game and limited Okla. State’s QB, Zach Robinson, to only 182 passing yards. In my opinion, the reason Tech is where they are this year is the emergence of their defense but in order to win tomorrow in Norman, a place where Leech (who was Stoops’ offensive coordinator in 1999) has never won since leaving in 2000 to become Tech’s head coach, Tech’s defense is going to have to bring their “A” game. The Sooners carry the nation’s longest home winning streak at 23 games, and this is probably the biggest game in Norman since top-ranked Nebraska came calling in 2000. The Huskers left in defeat that day and OU marched on to the national championship behind QB Josh Huepel (who is now OU’s QB coach). Oh yeah, OU is 59-2 at home under Stoops…not too shabby.

I feel like the masses still haven’t fully bought into Tech yet though...or maybe it’s just me. I mean, everyone knows Tech is very good…probably great. But when you mention teams that are in the national championship hunt, Tech is not a team that generally comes to mind. That’s probably because of their history, or lack thereof, in big games like this. This is exactly the type of game that Tech would usually lay an egg. And to be quite honest, I thought they would do just that two weeks ago against Oklahoma State however the exact opposite happened. But OSU is not OU and Mike Gundy is not Bob Stoops. OU has also had a 2 week layoff from their last game, just as Tech did, so both teams should be rested up and ready to roll.

Tech is going to score some point as they almost always do. Their offense is probably the best oiled machine in college football today…darn near unstoppable. Techs QB Graham Harrell, who has 36 TD passes and leads the nation with 4,077 yards, has already guided the Red Raiders to victory against Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma State in consecutive weeks. OU's secondary struggled with passes over the middle against Texas, and that's where Texas Tech makes its living. And just when you think you know what pass Tech is going to throw next, they’ll slip a running play in on you. Tech doesn't run the ball a bunch, but they run it effectively keeping the opposition off balance and guessing.

OU will also score as they normally do. The Sooners have scored on everyone, including five TD passes by Bradford in a 45-35 loss to Texas. Texas Tech's pass defense is better than people think, but Bradford on his home turf should be lethal. OU’s running game, while not what it was with Adrian Peterson, is effective and a bit better than Tech’s. OU scores in bunches quickly and if they get up early, things could get ugly for Tech. However, with Tech’s offense and the efficiency of it, no lead is insurmountable (Tech rallied from a 31 point deficit to beat Minnesota in the Insight Bowl game two years ago).

I think this game will come down to OU’s offensive line vs. Tech’s defensive line. If OU can get their running game going and consistently keep the chains moving, I’m not sure Tech’s defense will be able to hold up. OU’s o-line is pretty big and when they are working well, they push defenses around like nobody else. However, if OU gets into a quick scoring match where they are trying to match Tech score for score, OU could be in trouble. I think OU needs to slow down their offense and grind it out a bit more. The key for OU is to lean on Tech’s defense more and more, thereby keeping Tech’s offense off the field, and by the 4th quarter, their defense will be gassed. And I think that is what will happen.

As much as I would love to see Tech win (I’ve got no love for OU), I think their schedule catches up with them here. Plus the fact that OU is at home where they have lost 2 times since ’99 I think is too much for Tech to overcome. I think it will be a good game but in the end, I think OU wins by 14 points.

What A Game

Well, I know it's been a couple of days since Dallas' 14-10 victory over the Deadskins but I've had so much going on and have been so tired that this is the first chance I've had to post my post game thoughts. There is so much to say, I'm not sure where to begin. I think the main thing is that the Cowboys played as a team for the first time in a while. Really, ever since the 1st game against the Redskins, Dallas has played like a bunch of individuals and not as a team. However, on Sunday night, the team concept seemed to return which yielded positive results. I did have a feeling that Dallas would pull this thing out of the ditch and get it pointed in the right direction...now what they do from here is up to them.

A couple of injured players, Romo and Newman, returned on Sunday night and both made a pretty big impact. To start off, it is now clear what Tony Romo means to this thing. While Romo didn't produce eye popping numbers as he usually does (he completed 19 of 27 passes for 198 yards and 2 INTs) he made plays when the team needed him to. One of the biggest plays in the game came right after the usually sure handed Witten was wide open and dropped a pass that hit him on the hands. It was 3 down and 7 and, with the pocket collapsing, Romo flipped a little forward pass to Miles Austin for a first down. That was huge because on the very next play, Romo hit Martellus Bennett for a 25 yard touchdown, which proved to be the go ahead score.

Terrance Newman, who had also been out for several weeks, returned and looked like he made it his mission to shut Santana Moss down who absolutely torched Newman in Dallas earlier in the season. NBC flashed up a stat that said Moss, since signing with Washington in 2005, had averaged over 100 yards a game every time he played the Cowboys. However, on Sunday he only had 5 receptions for 29 yards and one of those was for 13 yards. Moss was definitely shut down. And Newman had several balls he knocked away from Moss and even intercepted a ball thrown to Moss.

The defense, as a whole, played lights out. After allowing a touchdown on Washington's first drive, the Dallas defense only allowed 3 pts the rest of the game. And while Dallas' offense was shooting themselves in the foot from time to time with interceptions or untimely penalties, the defense kept them in the game and didn't allow Washington the kill shot they were looking for. Jay Ratliff made a huge sack which knocked Washington out of field goal range and as a result, The Deadskins had to go for it on 4th down which they did not convert.

And this post wouldn't be complete without talking about the man's man, Marion Barber. He reminded me so much of Emmitt during the game especially with the way he finished the game off. With 6 minutes and 40 second to go in the game, this is what Dallas' final possession looked like:

1st-10, at the DAL 37 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 5 yard gain
2nd-5, at the DAL 42 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 7 yard gain
1st-10, at the DAL 49 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the left for 8 yard gain
2nd-2, at the WAS 43 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 5 yard gain
1st-10, at the WAS 38 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for no gain
2nd-10, at the WAS 38 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the left for 2 yard gain
3rd-8, at the WAS 36 yard line, T. Romo passed to M. Barber down the middle for 10 yard gain
1st-10, at the WAS 26 yard line, M. Barber rushed up the middle for 2 yard gain
2nd-8, at the WAS 24 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 3 yard gain
3rd-5, at the WAS 21 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 4 yard gain
4th-1, at the WAS 17 yard line, M. Barber rushed to the right for 3 yard gain

And on that final 4th down play, where Dallas had to pick up the first down or Washington would have gotten the ball back with about a minute to go, everyone in the stadium KNEW the ball was going to Barber...and he still picked up the 1st down. I am loving that guy more each week. He is truly one of the best RB's in the league...maybe not the fastest, but one of the best.

Dallas' season was saved on Sunday night but they haven't won anything yet. Hopefully they will build on this win and go streaking into the playoffs...just like Landry said he always wanted his team to do but hasn't happened in Dallas in about 13 or 14 years. The Giants turned their season around last year, streaked into the playoffs, won the Super Bowl and haven't looked back. If Dallas can get on a roll, who knows what they can do. Heck of a game indeed.

The Biggest Game of the Season

Well, Dallas comes off their bye week and travels to Washington (who is also coming off their bye week too) to play what is probably their most important game of the season. If Dallas loses this game, they will be 5-5 and 2 games behind the Deadskins, plus Washington will have the head-to-head tie breaker advantage. And in order to make the playoffs, I really think Dallas will need to be at least 10-6. So, if Dallas loses this game, in order for them to get to 10-6 they would need to win 5 of their remaining 6 games which I'm not sure they can do with road games looming against Pittsburgh and Filthadelphia and home games against New Yawk and a much improved Baltimore team. Basically, Dallas needs to win Sunday night if they want to play in the post season.

The Cowboys will be getting a few players back that have been out with injury. Most importantly, Romo will be back in the lineup for the first time since the Arizona OT loss. However, just because Romo returns doesn't mean all that ails the Cowboys will be fixed. The offensive line must play better, period, if Dallas is to have any shot in this game. I think that Romo's return will provide a spark to the offense because of his play making ability but if the o-line doesn't play well, it won't matter who is in at QB. However, Romo will have a new weapon to utilize he didn't have before he got injured in Roy Williams. Williams will be starting opposite TO Owens this week and Crayton will be the 3rd WR. Hopefully that will make a difference as well.

The defense also gets one of it's injured stars back in Terrance Newman. However, just like Romo, that doesn't guarantee they will play better. Earlier this year when the Deadskins visited Dallas, Newman has an abysmal game and got torched by Santana Moss. That is the one guy that the Dallas defense MUST account for every down. Since he has been with Washington, he has been a thorn in the side of the Cowboys so they really need to keep him in check. Clinton Portis, who ran all over the Dallas defense earlier in the season will be pretty limited, if he even plays at all. Portis has a 2nd degree sprain of the MCL in his knee however Washington has decent backups in Rock Cartwright and Shaun Alexander. But Portis is a major cog in Washington's offense so is he is out, or even limited, that is good news for Dallas.

Call me crazy but I have a good feeling about this game. It may be just blind hope or homerism but I really do think Dallas will find a way to win this game and get back in the playoff race. I think that the return of Romo and Newman plus the injury to Portis will make a difference for both teams and could be the reason Dallas wins. Plus, Dallas is the more desperate team right now. Washington can afford to lose this game and still be in decent shape for contention for a wild card. But if Dallas loses, they are all but out of that and they know it. It think they will play with the drive and determination that Washington played with when they visited Dallas earlier in the season. I'm not saying I think Dallas will win easily but I do think they will win a hard fought game, get their confidence back and start the second half of the season on the right foot.

My prediction: Dallas 27, Washington 24

No, I Didn't Forget About the Mavs

I know recently all my posts have been about the Cowboys and their ups and downs. And because I've been so busy at work, I haven't really had time to post this week. But I do have some thoughts on not only the Cowboys but college football and, of course, the Mavericks which is what this post is centered on.

Oh the Mavs. I've had several conversations with coworkers and friends about where I thought they would be this year. Before the season started, I thought they would probably be about where they were at the end of last season...about 7th or 8th in the West, which would get them into the playoffs, then another first round exit at the hands of the Lakers, Hornets or even, dare I say, Rockets. I thought this because of what kinds of moves they made, or didn't make, in the off season...which wasn't many because of the Jason Kidd trade they made last year. Basically, the Mavs resigned Devean George (um, why?) and DeSagana Diop (he was traded the the New Jersey last year in the Kidd trade) and signed free agent Gerald Green who had been with Minnesota. That's about it in the off season because that was all the Mavs could do. Except, they could have (and SHOULD have) traded for Ron Artest, which is what Houston did. Now the Rockets have Artest and with the rest of their fire power (Yao, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Rafer Alston and Luis Scola) should go deep into the playoffs and contend for the Western Conference this year.

It's a little depressing to see the quick decline of a team that just three years ago was playing in the NBA finals and two years ago won 67 of 82 games. But with breaking in a new coach this year and seeing, for the most part, the same roster we saw last year, I'm just not that optimistic about what this team will do this year. They still have some solid players in Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Brandon Bass and Jason Kidd but still have aging albatrosses in Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George and Erick Dampier. That's just not going to get it done in the West. If the Mavs were in the East, they might be ok even though several Eastern teams have gotten better this year.

One thing I heard all off season is that Dallas is going to start taking the ball to the basket more, run fast breaks more efficiently with Kidd on the point and play better defense. Well, they have, at times, been better in transition but as to driving more to the hoop...well, the Mavs have more 3 pt. attempts this year then free throw attempts. And if Jason Kidd is leading your team in 3 pt. percentage (as he currently is), there is something wrong. But really, the reason Dallas has started out 2-5 is because of their defense, or lack thereof, especially in the 4th quarter. In 3 of their 7 losses, they were outscored in the 4th quarter 27-16 (by Houston), 30-23 (by the Clippers...by the Clippers?) and 30-20 by the Lakers. Against the Nuggets and Lakers, the game came down to the final few mintues but the Mavs just couldn't get the stops they needed to win, which is not a good sign. Even Dirk called some team members out after one of their losses inferring that some of his team mates weren't giving max effort.

I know it's a long season and I do have some hope they can turn things around but trying to be a realist, I think this may be the year the Mavs miss the playoffs for the first time in about 8 years. It certainly will if they don't get their defense squared away. But they need to start getting better effort, every game, from every player. But a few wins in a row can get a team rolling and three of the next four games for the Mavs (Bulls, Knicks, Bobcats) are very winable. Hopefully they can pull this thing out of the ditch before much more of the season goes by.

Mike Jenkins Cowardly Nontackle

In case any of you were wondering what I was referring to, in the previous post, when I said Mike Jenkins was gutless and cowardly, this is what I was referring to (Mike Jenkins is at the far right of the screen, jersey #31):



Keep in mind that this guy was one of Dallas' first round draft picks THIS YEAR. He's not a 36 year old veteran who has taken on one too many running backs. This guy is a young pup, a rookie in fact, that totally gave up on even trying to tackle the Giants BACK UP running back. If this team fails to make the playoffs this year, it will be because of poor effort like this, period.

Another Gutless, Heartless Performance by the Cowboys

Well, much to my disgust, I was correct about yesterday’s Cowboys game. And it didn’t take me very long to realize it was going to be a long afternoon for Los Vaqueros as I watched the Giants take the opening kickoff, march right down the field and score a touchdown. I predicted a 37-14 Giants win but was only off by 2 points. How has this thing fallen so far so fast? How have they gone from being Super Bowl FAVORITES to the pile of crap we’ve seen over the past 6 games? And make no mistake…this is one of the biggest piles of crap I’ve seen Dallas roll out. There have been years where, going into the season, we didn’t expect the Cowboys to have much so when they ended with a 5-11 record, there wasn’t much disappointment. But this year, one year off of going 13-3 with pretty much the same roster, Dallas was expected to not only make the playoffs but go to the Super Bowl. But to know and see how much talent this team has and then see the type of gutless, heartless play they rolled out yesterday is absolutely ridiculous. All we heard before last week’s game vs. Tampa Bay was that the team finally realized their back was against the wall and they had to play like it, which they did in beating the Bucs. However, it looks like that desperation reverted back to the apathetic play we saw the previous 4 games.

The offense, without Romo at the helm, is utterly abysmal. I really do wonder, given pads and time to warm up, if Aikman could have done better than Brad Johnson yesterday. Heck, throw Staubach in there as well. He’s 70 years old and can still throw the football like a dart. Brad Johnson…he has no business being in the league. I was going down the list of NFL rosters looking at backup QBs and there really wasn’t one that I wouldn’t take over Johnson. Last week, against Tampa Bay, he did well in not turning the ball over. Yesterday, he was 5 of 11 for 71 yards and threw 2 interceptions for a whooping 27.3 QB rating. Johnson made a nice throw to Roy Williams who made an awesome 1 handed catch deep in Giants territory. Then on the next play, with TO Owens running a slant, Johnson made one of the worst throws I’ve seen in a long time which was intercepted and returned for 57 yards. Pathetic.

Brooks Bollinger wasn’t much better in the 2nd half going 9 of 16 for 63 yards, 1 interception, 1 touchdown and a 60.2 rating. Johnson and Bollinger’s combined rating didn’t even equal Eli Manning’s 95.8 rating. What has happened to the offensive line? The o-line sent how many to the pro bowl last year? Are they out of shape or do they just don’t care? Or is it something else? They can’t even run block that adequately anymore. The running game only produced 81 yards on 24 carries. What a joke. What a very bad joke. The only thing positive I can say about Dallas’ offense is at least they aren’t Oakland’s offense, which produced all of 77 total yards of offense yesterday vs. Atlanta.

I know Romo is out, Felix Jones is out, and Jason Witten is limited in what he can do but none of them play defense which, in my opinion, is the saddest part of this whole tragedy. Talk about no stomach for the fight. Last year, 1 running back ran for over 100 yards…they have already had 3 this year. Three of the last 4 opponents have scored over 30 points and one of those was the ding-dong St. Louis Rams. This defense ranks almost last in the NFL in turnovers and 26th in scoring defense with only the Bengals, Lions, Chiefs, Forty Niners and Rams behind them. Has Dallas’ defense really fallen that far? Really? What is going on here? I tell you what’s going on…the defense has no freakin’ heart. This was illustrated no plainer than when Derrick Ward, the Giants BACKUP running back, was running for a touchdown and CB Mike Jenkins, who was one of Dallas 1st round draft picks, barely made an attempt to even get in Ward’s way much less make a tackle. Talk about gutless and cowardly. I mean, at least try…do something. If it were me, and I know I’m not alone, I would have benched Jenkins for the rest of the game right then and there. I wouldn’t have even spoken a word to him except to tell him to sit his butt down on the bench and don’t move or I would put him back out there to play nose guard.

Not only does this team play heartless football but they also play unfocused football. They are the most penalized team in the NFL. They were no different yesterday being penalized 9 times for 55 yards, the majority coming on offsides calls or false starts…and those penalties boil down to a lack of focus which points directly back to the coaching staff.

This thing is in a bad, bad way right now and IF Romo comes back for the Washington game, it’s not a given that it gets much better. If the team doesn’t come together and figure things out this will be a repeat of the 1997 season which saw the Cowboys limp to a 6-5 record, through 11 games, get thumped by Green Bay and not win another game the rest of the season in route to a 6-10 record and firing of Barry Switzer. If Dallas gets routed by Washington in 2 weeks like they did yesterday, that is exactly what will happen. What a waste…