Baylor football. Yes, that's right, I said Baylor football. And I'll bet the 2 or 3 people that actually read this thing never thought in a million years I would have any opinion(s) about Baylor football, especially since I didn't even go there. However, I do have a few good friends that did (and my wife has a few as well) so I am well versed on the subject.
I know every just about every fall season, in recent memory, Baylor has been the big punch line around the Big XII, the school other schools try to schedule for their homecoming. Since the Big XII's creation in 1996, Baylor has 11 conference wins. Kids, that ain't too good. However, being as I went to Mississippi State, I too have been treated to some baaaddddd football in recent years. But things are looking up for State this year which bring me to my point. Everything, and I mean everything, in life (and in sports) is on the wheel. Good teams don't stay good forever and bad teams don't stay bad forever.
I'll give you 2 examples: Nebraska and Kansas State (both Big XII schools coincidentally). Since the dawn of time, it seems Nebraska has had a good football team, that is until the last 4 years. Nebraska went to 25 straight bowl games and had 3 national championships and they were almost impossible to beat in Lincoln. Fast forward to 2007 and where is the team now? Average at very best (and sometimes not even that). Another fine example of a team you never thought would disappear from the top 25 polls is Florida State...they will be lucky to go to a bowl this year.
My second example is Kansas State. Kansas State was dubbed in 1989 by Sports Illustrated as "the worst college football team in history." If Baylor is barely on the conference radar, K-State wasn't even registering on the radar. However, 10 years later, they were one of the best teams in the country (albeit with mostly juco players).
Baylor is a fine school. They seem to be at least competitive, if not very good, in all sports besides football. And I know I may sound loony when I say this but Baylor will not be the doormat of the Big XII much longer. I have nothing to base that on except my 'wheel theory'. But if MS State who competes, recruiting wise, with LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Florida St., Miami, and Georgia can become competitive again, then Baylor will figure out how to become competitive and get back to the level they were at in the '80's when they went 66-46 in SWC games.
Baylor needs a couple of things for this to happen. First, Baylor needs to hire the right coach who knows how and where to recruit. All it takes is for Baylor to get one player like Chase Daniel (QB of Missouri who went to HS at Southlake Carroll) which I don't think is that far fetched. That kind of player makes other players around him better. Most Baylor fans will remember quarterback JJ Joe...that's the kind of player I'm talking about.
The other thing Baylor needs to do is learn how to win which is where the right coach comes in. The right kind of coach will actually change the climate from a loosing mentality to a winning one. This type of change is a slow process but once the ball gets rolling the momentum picks up and that's when things start happening. Guy Morris may, or may not, be the right man for the job. But I really don't think in 10 years, we will view Baylor the same way. Things may not change over night but I really do believe they will get things figured out and turned around down in Waco.
Take heart my Baylor friends and keep your chin up. Things could be worse for you...you could be a Notre Dame fan.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Running Up The Score...Thumbs Up or Down?
Well, this past Sunday while the Cowboys were on their bye week, the Foreskins were getting dismantled by New England to the tune of 52-7. And ever since then, all I've heard from those whiny little Washington fans, and players, is that the Patriots ran the score up on them. If you ask me if I think Belichick ran up the score, I would tell you yes. And to tell you the truth, I would also tell you I really don't have a problem with it.
I remember, when I was back at State, Steve Spurrier was coaching Florida and became very well known for running up the score. I remember watching Florida and South Carolina play one Saturday. Florida has some crazy lead, like 55-7 or something, and with less than a minute left in the game, Spurrier called a pass play that went for a touchdown. And he didn't care what anyone thought of it. If you were playing Florida, when Spurrier was coaching them, you knew Florida was going to try to win by as many points as possible...which is nothing different than what New England is trying to do.
Now don't get me wrong. I am NOT a Patriot, Belichick or even Boston fan. I generally have no love for that part of the country. However, all this crap about Belichek running up the score is exactly that...crap. Here is my philosophy about a team running up the score: if you don't want it to happen to you, play some freakin' defense and stop them from running up the score! It is that simple, it really is. I'll bet those sorry Washington players (along with their sorry owner) were sitting over on the sidelines feeling sorry for themselves thinking big, bad Belichick was just being a meany when what they should have been thinking about was stopping Belichick from being a meany.
Yes, the Cowboys lost by 21 points and 7 of those came in the final minute as New England scored a late TD. Could New England just have taken a knee and ended the game? Sure. But that isn't beating the other team into submission. That, in a sense, is giving up. If New England could beat a team by 100 points, they would. Is it well within their right to do that? Of course...just as it is well within the defense's right to stop New England from beating them by 100 points. With all the crying going on, you would think all those pansies up there in Foreskin land were wearing tutus and toe shoes rather than shoulder pads and cleats. This is football...and there's no crying in football.
I remember, when I was back at State, Steve Spurrier was coaching Florida and became very well known for running up the score. I remember watching Florida and South Carolina play one Saturday. Florida has some crazy lead, like 55-7 or something, and with less than a minute left in the game, Spurrier called a pass play that went for a touchdown. And he didn't care what anyone thought of it. If you were playing Florida, when Spurrier was coaching them, you knew Florida was going to try to win by as many points as possible...which is nothing different than what New England is trying to do.
Now don't get me wrong. I am NOT a Patriot, Belichick or even Boston fan. I generally have no love for that part of the country. However, all this crap about Belichek running up the score is exactly that...crap. Here is my philosophy about a team running up the score: if you don't want it to happen to you, play some freakin' defense and stop them from running up the score! It is that simple, it really is. I'll bet those sorry Washington players (along with their sorry owner) were sitting over on the sidelines feeling sorry for themselves thinking big, bad Belichick was just being a meany when what they should have been thinking about was stopping Belichick from being a meany.
Yes, the Cowboys lost by 21 points and 7 of those came in the final minute as New England scored a late TD. Could New England just have taken a knee and ended the game? Sure. But that isn't beating the other team into submission. That, in a sense, is giving up. If New England could beat a team by 100 points, they would. Is it well within their right to do that? Of course...just as it is well within the defense's right to stop New England from beating them by 100 points. With all the crying going on, you would think all those pansies up there in Foreskin land were wearing tutus and toe shoes rather than shoulder pads and cleats. This is football...and there's no crying in football.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Mavs Don't Need Kobe!
Recently, rumors have started floating, again, that Kobe is demanding to be traded from the Lakers. He did this earlier this year when he came out on a radio talk show with Screamin' A Smith of ESPN and said that there was nothing the Lakers could do to get him to stay (later that same day, it was reported that he reversed what he said on this talk show). Now, Kobe is back at it with Lakers management and it has been reported that Dallas is on a short list of teams he would like to play for (Kobe basically can name the team he is traded to b/c he has a "no trade clause" in his contract). And while many talking heads on sports radio, ESPN, etc. think that the Mavs should trade the farm for Kobe, I say tap the brakes on that.
First, let me say that Kobe is probably the best player in the league and no one really comes close except maybe LeBron. But what has Kobe shown of himself? Kobe was the one that pretty much told the Lakers a few years ago that he couldn't play with Shaq anymore so they traded Shaq to appease Kobe. And how did Kobe repay them? By getting involved in that rape case in Colorado, which was a massive distraction to the whole team. Now, he is pulling yet another power play to get his way just like a petulant child. And the Mavs, for the most part, have not had to deal with this kind of crap before so bringing Kobe into this mix may not be the wisest idea.
Next, I'm not sure what the Mavs would have to give up for Kobe but it certainly wouldn't be cheap. Dirk for Kobe, straight up, would work but I'm not so sure I would do that seeing as Dirk is still young and will only get better in time. Kobe is not really old but is older and, in my opinion, has maxed out his game (even though his game is mind blowing at times). But the idea, for the Mavs, would be to get Kobe and Dirk on the floor at the same time. And while that intrigues me, in order for that to work, Dallas would probably need to give up Devin Harris, Josh Howard and Jet Terry, plus draft pick(s) to the Lakers. So what you would have is Dirk, Kobe and and bunch of guys, which would probably be championship caliber. My question to that is, what do you have if Kobe or Dirk go down? We all know Dirk has weak ankles and rolls/sprains them more frequently than we would like to see. If that happens, or even if Kobe goes down with some ailment, then the Mavs go from championship caliber to above average...just as the Lakers were last year.
And finally, let's not forget what the Mavs have done the past 2 seasons. I know they have performed 2 of the BIGGEST choke jobs in NBA history in back to back post seasons (I try not to think about either because they both sting). Dallas was on the cusp of winning the championship 2 years ago when they were up 2 games to 0 on the Miami Heat when Miami, with the help of Dwayne Wade, reeled off 4 straight wins to steal the championship from Dallas. Then last year, Dallas wins 67 out of 82 games during the regular season and goes into the playoffs the #1 seed in the NBA only to be the first team in NBA history to get bounced in the first round (in a 7 game series) by an #8 seed in Golden State Warriors (I STILL can't believe that happened...stinkin' Nellie). But, and it is a BIG BUT, the Mavs still got to the NBA finals AND still won 67 games with, primarily, the same crew they have now. And I think they can do it again. They may not win 67 games (few teams in NBA history have won that many) but I truly believe they have what it takes to get back to the NBA finals. So, let's not blow the team up just to get a mal-content in here in hopes that it will work out. And if Kobe and Shaq couldn't get along, what is there to say that Kobe and Dirk could coexist? Dirk would probably acquiesce to Kobe but you never know what Kobe would do with another super star on the floor. He is a knuckle head, that's for sure.
The Mavs will win a title. It may not be this year, but it will happen. And they can do it WITHOUT Kobe.
First, let me say that Kobe is probably the best player in the league and no one really comes close except maybe LeBron. But what has Kobe shown of himself? Kobe was the one that pretty much told the Lakers a few years ago that he couldn't play with Shaq anymore so they traded Shaq to appease Kobe. And how did Kobe repay them? By getting involved in that rape case in Colorado, which was a massive distraction to the whole team. Now, he is pulling yet another power play to get his way just like a petulant child. And the Mavs, for the most part, have not had to deal with this kind of crap before so bringing Kobe into this mix may not be the wisest idea.
Next, I'm not sure what the Mavs would have to give up for Kobe but it certainly wouldn't be cheap. Dirk for Kobe, straight up, would work but I'm not so sure I would do that seeing as Dirk is still young and will only get better in time. Kobe is not really old but is older and, in my opinion, has maxed out his game (even though his game is mind blowing at times). But the idea, for the Mavs, would be to get Kobe and Dirk on the floor at the same time. And while that intrigues me, in order for that to work, Dallas would probably need to give up Devin Harris, Josh Howard and Jet Terry, plus draft pick(s) to the Lakers. So what you would have is Dirk, Kobe and and bunch of guys, which would probably be championship caliber. My question to that is, what do you have if Kobe or Dirk go down? We all know Dirk has weak ankles and rolls/sprains them more frequently than we would like to see. If that happens, or even if Kobe goes down with some ailment, then the Mavs go from championship caliber to above average...just as the Lakers were last year.
And finally, let's not forget what the Mavs have done the past 2 seasons. I know they have performed 2 of the BIGGEST choke jobs in NBA history in back to back post seasons (I try not to think about either because they both sting). Dallas was on the cusp of winning the championship 2 years ago when they were up 2 games to 0 on the Miami Heat when Miami, with the help of Dwayne Wade, reeled off 4 straight wins to steal the championship from Dallas. Then last year, Dallas wins 67 out of 82 games during the regular season and goes into the playoffs the #1 seed in the NBA only to be the first team in NBA history to get bounced in the first round (in a 7 game series) by an #8 seed in Golden State Warriors (I STILL can't believe that happened...stinkin' Nellie). But, and it is a BIG BUT, the Mavs still got to the NBA finals AND still won 67 games with, primarily, the same crew they have now. And I think they can do it again. They may not win 67 games (few teams in NBA history have won that many) but I truly believe they have what it takes to get back to the NBA finals. So, let's not blow the team up just to get a mal-content in here in hopes that it will work out. And if Kobe and Shaq couldn't get along, what is there to say that Kobe and Dirk could coexist? Dirk would probably acquiesce to Kobe but you never know what Kobe would do with another super star on the floor. He is a knuckle head, that's for sure.
The Mavs will win a title. It may not be this year, but it will happen. And they can do it WITHOUT Kobe.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing Adrian Peterson
I knew when Minnesota took Adrian Peterson with the 7th pick in this year's draft, they got a good player...I just didn't know how good because of a couple of injuries he sustained while at OU. But Peterson looks like he has regained the form he had when he was at his best at OU. Last week, Peterson put up 224 yards rushing against the "vaunted" Bears defense (although, this year, they really don't look so "vaunted") which was the most rushing yards EVER against any Bears defense. And Peterson did that to Chicago in Chicago which is always a tough place to play no matter when the game is played.
There have been a myriad of comparisons of Peterson to Eric Dickerson and I think those comparisons are accurate. It looks like though, that Peterson is about the only real weapon of note Minnesota has (just as Earl Campbell was for Houston in the late 70's). They have a few decent receivers but no real QB to speak of (watch him light up Dallas' secondary today just because I typed that). Anyway, even though Peterson was the really the only player Chicago had to worry about last week, he still put up 224 yards on them. If Peterson gets the ball and gets his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, look out because he has the capability and speed to take it home every time. Peterson is, in my opinion, the rookie of the year (or at least leading in that category) and is probably one of the 3 best running back in the league right now.
Obviously, stopping Peterson will be the key for the Cowboys, who not only haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, but a run longer than 15 yards from scrimmage since week one of the season. And if there is any running back I think can put up 100+ rushing yards on Dallas , it's Peterson. And although Minnesota has the best rushing defense in the leagues, they have the worst pass defense in the league so today would be a good day to get TO Owens going. Owens only has 27 catches through 6 games so I would expect him to have a pretty salty day today. I also expect to see Jason Witten have a good day too.
I think Dallas will get back to their winning ways today but if for some reason the Cowboys goof around and lose this game, then it could spell trouble on the horizon. The Giants are playing very well these days, Washington has a decent record (although I still think they are frauds) and you really can't count out Philly until that witch is dead. Dallas has to play all three of those in succession right after their bye week (Philly and NY on the road, Washington at home). So if Dallas looses today then they will be going into Philly on a 2 game skid which is not what I would want.
In the end though, my prediction is for a Dallas win, 31-14 which will send Dallas into their bye week 6-1 and with some much needed recovery time before they venture up to Philly to play the Foul.
There have been a myriad of comparisons of Peterson to Eric Dickerson and I think those comparisons are accurate. It looks like though, that Peterson is about the only real weapon of note Minnesota has (just as Earl Campbell was for Houston in the late 70's). They have a few decent receivers but no real QB to speak of (watch him light up Dallas' secondary today just because I typed that). Anyway, even though Peterson was the really the only player Chicago had to worry about last week, he still put up 224 yards on them. If Peterson gets the ball and gets his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage, look out because he has the capability and speed to take it home every time. Peterson is, in my opinion, the rookie of the year (or at least leading in that category) and is probably one of the 3 best running back in the league right now.
Obviously, stopping Peterson will be the key for the Cowboys, who not only haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, but a run longer than 15 yards from scrimmage since week one of the season. And if there is any running back I think can put up 100+ rushing yards on Dallas , it's Peterson. And although Minnesota has the best rushing defense in the leagues, they have the worst pass defense in the league so today would be a good day to get TO Owens going. Owens only has 27 catches through 6 games so I would expect him to have a pretty salty day today. I also expect to see Jason Witten have a good day too.
I think Dallas will get back to their winning ways today but if for some reason the Cowboys goof around and lose this game, then it could spell trouble on the horizon. The Giants are playing very well these days, Washington has a decent record (although I still think they are frauds) and you really can't count out Philly until that witch is dead. Dallas has to play all three of those in succession right after their bye week (Philly and NY on the road, Washington at home). So if Dallas looses today then they will be going into Philly on a 2 game skid which is not what I would want.
In the end though, my prediction is for a Dallas win, 31-14 which will send Dallas into their bye week 6-1 and with some much needed recovery time before they venture up to Philly to play the Foul.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Not Enough Time in the Day
Well, I'm not sure how many people, besides my wife, even read this as only a couple of people have even commented but I really do have more to say than I have posted...and it's not all about the Cowboys. I've got some HSO's about the Mavericks, college football and even a few things about life in general. I've just been really busy lately and have had much of a chance to post so start checking back and I will do my best to update a couple times a week...yes I have that much hot air to update a blog more than once a week.
Let me hear some comments though, even if it's just to tell me I suck at this (which I probably do).
Let me hear some comments though, even if it's just to tell me I suck at this (which I probably do).
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Undefeated No More
Kind of like last week's game vs Buffalo, I don't really know where to start here. I'm not going to rehash the Dallas/NE game play by play as I did last week as it would depress me too much. However, the Patriots have done the exact same thing to every opponent they have played this season. I was just hoping Dallas would keep it a bit closer.
Dallas needed to play almost a perfect game to have a chance to win and they played far from perfect. The thing that was driving me insane this afternoon was the MASSIVE amount of penalties Dallas committed. They were the kind of penalties that kill their own drives or keep the opponents drive going. Dallas had 100+ yds in penalties while NE only have about 40-50 yds in penalties. I know of twice Dallas gave NE a first down b/c Dallas encroached when NE had a 3rd down and 5 yds or less. And then there was the holing penalty that Kosier committed which negated a nice run by Barber on a 3rd down conversion. Dallas is the most penalized team in the league. If they want to go to the Superbowl, they definitely need address that. A lot of the penalties are just a matter of not staying focused and/or lack of concentration. Dallas couldn't get out of their own way much of the time today.
However, Dallas did not "go quietly into that good night" without putting up a fight. At one point Dallas was down 14-0 and then went up 24-21 in the 3rd quarter. But the offensive machine that is New England just drove right down the field. Just as I said in my previous post, New England has entirely too many weapons to cover at the same time. They kind of remind me of the early - mid 90's Cowboys team although I definitely think those Cowboys teams would put a hurtin' on this New England team (New England doesn't have the offensive line or defense Dallas had back then). But for right now, New England is the best in the NFL. I don't think they will go undefeated...I don't think that will ever happen again. But I'm not sure where they will loose either. Their best chance to loose is to Indy in a few weeks but I guess we will see.
Dallas played pretty well, even with all the penalties they committed, on both sides of the ball. The offense, as usual, got going a bit late but when they did, NE was having a hard time dealing with all their weapons. Romo had a pretty good day, Witten was more productive than I thought he would be and we finally saw a little something out of Julius Jones. Marion Barber ran hard like usual...I love watching that guy run the ball. However, TO Owens didn't have the game I thought he would have. I actually thought he would have the type of game Randy Moss had for NE...but I was wrong. He needs to step up his game and do it now...not later but now.
The defense just couldn't hold up under the assault of the NE offense. They did play well for a while but with Anthony Henry out, Dallas really had no answer for the plethora of receivers NE threw at them. And you could really see Dallas' defense wilting during the last drive NE had. They just looked disinterested in stopping NE. Roy Williams had a couple nice plays but also had a couple bone-headed plays as well. I swear someone needs to teach that guy how to TACKLE, which involves wrapping up and making sure the opponent is on the ground. How many times have we all seen Roy just lay his shoulder into someone while looking for the big SportsCenter highlight. Absolutely ridiculous at this level.
I'll tell you where I think Dallas lost the game. NE had just gone up by 14 and Tyson Thompson took the ensuing kickoff back 70+ yds. Dallas put together a few good plays after that to get down to the 5. Finally with a 4th goal at the 5, down 2 scores, Wade decides to kick a field goal. That is where Dallas lost the game. That decision, in my opinion, sucked the air right out of the team and the stadium...you could hear it on tv. My wife, who normally doesn't watch football games with me was watching then and said the decision didn't make sense to her either. That field goal put Dallas down by 11...they were still down 2 touch downs regardless. I know it's easy to look back with hindsight but I was telling Wade right then he should go for the touch down. If Dallas gets the touchdown, the crowd is energized, the team is energized and NE has it's work cut out for it. If Dallas doesn't get the touch down, they are still down 2 scores so the field goal doesn't make any sense to me at that point.
I had a friend at church today trying to convince me Dallas was going to win. I asked him to convince me of that and he pointed to Monday night's win (vs. Buffalo) asking me if I expected that to happen. And then he said "you've just got to have faith." Well, sorry Carlos but I told you exactly what was going to happen...and it came to fruition (but I do applaud your faith). But, big picture wise, Dallas is still the best team in a weak NFC. This game doesn't change my opinion of them. I mentioned before that I didn't trust the defense and they somewhat proved me right although they played better than I expected. The loss stings a little but doesn't hurt because I think Dallas is going to beat Minnesota next week, get healthy during the bye week and come out guns blazing for the 2nd half of the season. I still think they have the inside track to home field advantage in the NFC. Lets just hope if they do go to the Superbowl that they don't play New England.
Dallas needed to play almost a perfect game to have a chance to win and they played far from perfect. The thing that was driving me insane this afternoon was the MASSIVE amount of penalties Dallas committed. They were the kind of penalties that kill their own drives or keep the opponents drive going. Dallas had 100+ yds in penalties while NE only have about 40-50 yds in penalties. I know of twice Dallas gave NE a first down b/c Dallas encroached when NE had a 3rd down and 5 yds or less. And then there was the holing penalty that Kosier committed which negated a nice run by Barber on a 3rd down conversion. Dallas is the most penalized team in the league. If they want to go to the Superbowl, they definitely need address that. A lot of the penalties are just a matter of not staying focused and/or lack of concentration. Dallas couldn't get out of their own way much of the time today.
However, Dallas did not "go quietly into that good night" without putting up a fight. At one point Dallas was down 14-0 and then went up 24-21 in the 3rd quarter. But the offensive machine that is New England just drove right down the field. Just as I said in my previous post, New England has entirely too many weapons to cover at the same time. They kind of remind me of the early - mid 90's Cowboys team although I definitely think those Cowboys teams would put a hurtin' on this New England team (New England doesn't have the offensive line or defense Dallas had back then). But for right now, New England is the best in the NFL. I don't think they will go undefeated...I don't think that will ever happen again. But I'm not sure where they will loose either. Their best chance to loose is to Indy in a few weeks but I guess we will see.
Dallas played pretty well, even with all the penalties they committed, on both sides of the ball. The offense, as usual, got going a bit late but when they did, NE was having a hard time dealing with all their weapons. Romo had a pretty good day, Witten was more productive than I thought he would be and we finally saw a little something out of Julius Jones. Marion Barber ran hard like usual...I love watching that guy run the ball. However, TO Owens didn't have the game I thought he would have. I actually thought he would have the type of game Randy Moss had for NE...but I was wrong. He needs to step up his game and do it now...not later but now.
The defense just couldn't hold up under the assault of the NE offense. They did play well for a while but with Anthony Henry out, Dallas really had no answer for the plethora of receivers NE threw at them. And you could really see Dallas' defense wilting during the last drive NE had. They just looked disinterested in stopping NE. Roy Williams had a couple nice plays but also had a couple bone-headed plays as well. I swear someone needs to teach that guy how to TACKLE, which involves wrapping up and making sure the opponent is on the ground. How many times have we all seen Roy just lay his shoulder into someone while looking for the big SportsCenter highlight. Absolutely ridiculous at this level.
I'll tell you where I think Dallas lost the game. NE had just gone up by 14 and Tyson Thompson took the ensuing kickoff back 70+ yds. Dallas put together a few good plays after that to get down to the 5. Finally with a 4th goal at the 5, down 2 scores, Wade decides to kick a field goal. That is where Dallas lost the game. That decision, in my opinion, sucked the air right out of the team and the stadium...you could hear it on tv. My wife, who normally doesn't watch football games with me was watching then and said the decision didn't make sense to her either. That field goal put Dallas down by 11...they were still down 2 touch downs regardless. I know it's easy to look back with hindsight but I was telling Wade right then he should go for the touch down. If Dallas gets the touchdown, the crowd is energized, the team is energized and NE has it's work cut out for it. If Dallas doesn't get the touch down, they are still down 2 scores so the field goal doesn't make any sense to me at that point.
I had a friend at church today trying to convince me Dallas was going to win. I asked him to convince me of that and he pointed to Monday night's win (vs. Buffalo) asking me if I expected that to happen. And then he said "you've just got to have faith." Well, sorry Carlos but I told you exactly what was going to happen...and it came to fruition (but I do applaud your faith). But, big picture wise, Dallas is still the best team in a weak NFC. This game doesn't change my opinion of them. I mentioned before that I didn't trust the defense and they somewhat proved me right although they played better than I expected. The loss stings a little but doesn't hurt because I think Dallas is going to beat Minnesota next week, get healthy during the bye week and come out guns blazing for the 2nd half of the season. I still think they have the inside track to home field advantage in the NFC. Lets just hope if they do go to the Superbowl that they don't play New England.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Game of the Season...The Way I See It
I'm starting to get nervous. Little butterflies are already starting to invade my mid section just thinking about it. This weekend's game vs. New England is, in my opinion, the biggest game Dallas has played since their last Super Bowl. I am sitting here trying to think of another game Dallas has played, since beating Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX, that had an importance equal to this weekend's game but I can't think of one. There have only been a handful of times, since the merger, that two 5-0 teams or better faced each other. And this is probably the most important game of any of those.
The game is important to both teams but it would hurt New England more if they lost than if Dallas lost. The NFC, as everyone knows, has been down for a while and this year is no different. There are really only a few contenders to challenge Dallas for home field advantage in the playoffs. Yes, the NFC is that bad that I'm talking about Dallas having home field advantage in the playoffs after only the 4th game. The only NFC teams that even look like they might challenge are Green Bay and maybe Seattle...I think Washington is a fraud (Campbell reminds me of a better than average Quincy Carter - Quincy wasn't really even that good). Don't get me wrong...I'm not totally counting out Philly but they look like they have some issues to solve. Anyway, if Dallas keeps rolling the way they have, things should set up nicely for them in the playoffs. However, the AFC is quite a bit stronger and if New England looses a couple of games, Indianapolis could very well get home field advantage (Indy's schedule isn't overly difficult). So, in the end, a loss on Sunday would be more costly to New England than to Dallas because New England has to keep pace with Indy.
This past Monday night in Buffalo, Dallas' offense managed to put 25 points on the board despite 6 turnovers, not much of a running game to speak of and horrible, awful, terrible games from it's 2 most talented players (Romo and TO Owens). And despite being mugged much of the night, Witten had over 100 yds receiving. The offense had a pretty poor night, overall, but still managed to pull out the win.
Dallas' defense played well though. They bent but didn't break. They allowed only 3 points for the entire game (the other 21 came on INTs returned for TD and a kickoff return for a TD). They stopped a 4th and 1 (with Marshawn Lynch running the ball) when Buffalo's crowd was really getting into it. However, as good as they played, they weren't really tested. Buffalo, not once, threw the ball down the field...just little dinks and dunks here and there. And with Newman not 100% (a 100% Newman WOULD NOT have been chased down by a WR) plus Anthony Henry being out, the defense is really going to have it's hands full on Sunday.
New England has been (and probably will be) the team of the decade. They have been the most dominate team since 2001 winning 3 out of 4 Super Bowls and doing it without superior talent and in the free agent era. I really did think the 90's Cowboys would be the last dynasty due to free agency and parity in the league but I was wrong. New England is a well oiled machine and has been for a while. And this year's team is better than any they have had in the past.
This year's Patriot team was pretty much dubbed the best team in the NFL from the start of training camp back in August and they have lived up to their billing, which few teams seldom do. Not only do they have one of the best all time QBs in Brady but now they have given him some cool weapons to use like Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker. Add to those a pretty freaking good RB in Maroney plus an awesome TE in Watson and what you've got is an offense that could set all time offensive records. Their offense is currently ranked #2 in the league (Dallas is #1).
The Patriots defense is just as good as the offense (their not the '85 Bears or the '00 Ravens defenses...but their aren't far from them). I mean when you start looking at names like Tedy Bruschi, Rosevelt Colvin, Rodney Harrison, Asante Samuel, Junior Seau, Mike Vrable and Vince Wilfork you can see how New England's defense is currently ranked #2 in the league (Dallas is #8). They are fast, smart and do what Belichek tells them to do. Belichek is a defensive guru and if your team has a weakness, he can usually find it...and exploit it.
So, looking at the game as objectively as I can, I think New England leaves Sunday with a W (I pray I'm wrong). I think that Romo will be fine...that game on Monday was not the norm for him and he will bounce back to have a good game as I think TO Owens will as well. In fact, I think the whole offense for Dallas will bounce back and have a good game despite playing the Patriots defense. However, I think New England's offense will be too much for Dallas' defense and I will give you the one main reason...Randy Moss. Every time he has played the Cowboys, and I mean EVERY time, he has had a HUGE game. And this Sunday will be no different. I'm not sure how to stop Moss. But if they can, by double teaming him, Brady can just go to Stallworth, Welker or Watson...oh and don't forget about Maroney either.
No, I think the game will match the hype. I think it will be a good game and each team will do it's share of damage to the other. But in the end, I think New England will have a little too much for Dallas. My prediction: New England - 38 Dallas - 28. I really do hope I'm wrong. And if I am wrong, then all that respect Dallas fans have been crowing about will start to be given and the Cowboys will be seen as a consensus front runner to win the NFC. But even if Dallas looses, this could be a preview of another game in Arizona on 2/3/08. And it's pretty dang hard to beat the same team twice in the same season that's for sure.
The game is important to both teams but it would hurt New England more if they lost than if Dallas lost. The NFC, as everyone knows, has been down for a while and this year is no different. There are really only a few contenders to challenge Dallas for home field advantage in the playoffs. Yes, the NFC is that bad that I'm talking about Dallas having home field advantage in the playoffs after only the 4th game. The only NFC teams that even look like they might challenge are Green Bay and maybe Seattle...I think Washington is a fraud (Campbell reminds me of a better than average Quincy Carter - Quincy wasn't really even that good). Don't get me wrong...I'm not totally counting out Philly but they look like they have some issues to solve. Anyway, if Dallas keeps rolling the way they have, things should set up nicely for them in the playoffs. However, the AFC is quite a bit stronger and if New England looses a couple of games, Indianapolis could very well get home field advantage (Indy's schedule isn't overly difficult). So, in the end, a loss on Sunday would be more costly to New England than to Dallas because New England has to keep pace with Indy.
This past Monday night in Buffalo, Dallas' offense managed to put 25 points on the board despite 6 turnovers, not much of a running game to speak of and horrible, awful, terrible games from it's 2 most talented players (Romo and TO Owens). And despite being mugged much of the night, Witten had over 100 yds receiving. The offense had a pretty poor night, overall, but still managed to pull out the win.
Dallas' defense played well though. They bent but didn't break. They allowed only 3 points for the entire game (the other 21 came on INTs returned for TD and a kickoff return for a TD). They stopped a 4th and 1 (with Marshawn Lynch running the ball) when Buffalo's crowd was really getting into it. However, as good as they played, they weren't really tested. Buffalo, not once, threw the ball down the field...just little dinks and dunks here and there. And with Newman not 100% (a 100% Newman WOULD NOT have been chased down by a WR) plus Anthony Henry being out, the defense is really going to have it's hands full on Sunday.
New England has been (and probably will be) the team of the decade. They have been the most dominate team since 2001 winning 3 out of 4 Super Bowls and doing it without superior talent and in the free agent era. I really did think the 90's Cowboys would be the last dynasty due to free agency and parity in the league but I was wrong. New England is a well oiled machine and has been for a while. And this year's team is better than any they have had in the past.
This year's Patriot team was pretty much dubbed the best team in the NFL from the start of training camp back in August and they have lived up to their billing, which few teams seldom do. Not only do they have one of the best all time QBs in Brady but now they have given him some cool weapons to use like Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker. Add to those a pretty freaking good RB in Maroney plus an awesome TE in Watson and what you've got is an offense that could set all time offensive records. Their offense is currently ranked #2 in the league (Dallas is #1).
The Patriots defense is just as good as the offense (their not the '85 Bears or the '00 Ravens defenses...but their aren't far from them). I mean when you start looking at names like Tedy Bruschi, Rosevelt Colvin, Rodney Harrison, Asante Samuel, Junior Seau, Mike Vrable and Vince Wilfork you can see how New England's defense is currently ranked #2 in the league (Dallas is #8). They are fast, smart and do what Belichek tells them to do. Belichek is a defensive guru and if your team has a weakness, he can usually find it...and exploit it.
So, looking at the game as objectively as I can, I think New England leaves Sunday with a W (I pray I'm wrong). I think that Romo will be fine...that game on Monday was not the norm for him and he will bounce back to have a good game as I think TO Owens will as well. In fact, I think the whole offense for Dallas will bounce back and have a good game despite playing the Patriots defense. However, I think New England's offense will be too much for Dallas' defense and I will give you the one main reason...Randy Moss. Every time he has played the Cowboys, and I mean EVERY time, he has had a HUGE game. And this Sunday will be no different. I'm not sure how to stop Moss. But if they can, by double teaming him, Brady can just go to Stallworth, Welker or Watson...oh and don't forget about Maroney either.
No, I think the game will match the hype. I think it will be a good game and each team will do it's share of damage to the other. But in the end, I think New England will have a little too much for Dallas. My prediction: New England - 38 Dallas - 28. I really do hope I'm wrong. And if I am wrong, then all that respect Dallas fans have been crowing about will start to be given and the Cowboys will be seen as a consensus front runner to win the NFC. But even if Dallas looses, this could be a preview of another game in Arizona on 2/3/08. And it's pretty dang hard to beat the same team twice in the same season that's for sure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
