Not In Their House

The Cowboys were offensive in New York on Sunday (rock me).

I don’t have any idea how Dallas was still in position to compete in that game in the 4th Quarter, because their offense was about as pitiful as I have seen.
They cannot run. They cannot throw. My theory is that it begins and ends (as I have preached all year) with the offensive line. There is too much wrong with the OL to pinpoint exactly who’s fault it might be. Both tackle spots stink. The center position stinks. And, while you want to say that the guards are solid enough, we all know that Larry Allen and Marco Rivera have been at the wrong end of plays that have gone poorly this year. There is no way to predict Flozell Adams would get hurt this year, but otherwise these are the players that they put in these positions, and they are not getting the job done.

So what do you do? Take a knee?

They are struggling. They need a win on Sunday against a Kansas City team that looks like they are gaining some momentum courtesy of Larry Johnson.

Other notes:

Aaron Glenn was awesome yesterday. That game really would have gotten out of hand if it wasn’t for the fine job Glenn did. A really nice signing.

Jason Ferguson often does stuff that doesn’t show up on tv or stat sheets (for instance, demanding a double team which frees up his line mates to get single coverage) but I thought yesterday he was a fine disruption that was obvious for all to see.

11:00 in the 4th quarter, and the Cowboys have 2nd down and 3 at their own 36 yard line down 17-10. Pitch left, and Julius Jones is one on one with Ossi Umenyiora. Evidently, that is not a good matchup for the Boys, as Jones is dragged down a yard short of the first down. That shouldn’t happen, Julius. You got to get to the marker, bro. He is a defensive end! So, it is now 3rd and 1. You have a 6’4 QB who can fall forward. Instead, deep ball to Terry Glenn? Incomplete. Time to make way for a lousy punt from McBriar.

You know how people will tell you if Brett Favre’s name was Craig Nall, he would have been pulled a month ago? Well, let me say if Eli Manning’s name was Eli Smith, there would be a lot of people wondering if he is as good as the national media is telling us he is. Not saying he sucks, but I also will not be one of those people who promise the Giants have found their QB for the next decade. Let’s see.

It sure seems impossible to win a game “Parcells Style” if you can’t run the ball. I don’t care how many times Tuna says yards per rush don’t matter, the Cowboys cannot run 3 yards a carry and be effective.

That Cowboys defense is good enough to go anywhere and keep the team in the game. Maybe they are not the Bears defense, but they are good enough for what the Cowboys need. Unless, the offense is going to suck that much.

Cowlishaw decides it is Bledsoe’s fault …

Look, I am not saying Bledsoe played well, but Tim wrote this:

He was charged with two fumbles lost. One put an instant seven points on the board when linebacker Antonio Pierce ran 12 yards for a defensive score on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter.

Technically, yes. But I assume Tim was at the game. If he was, he saw that Bledsoe had as much to do with that Giants gift Touchdown as Mickey Spagnola did. What was Bledsoe to do on that play, exactly? Use the eyes in the back of his head to detect that the center had no so much as touched the nose tackle? Gimme a break.

Archer places the blame on the OL …rightfully, so…



Michael Lewis on Mike Leach in the New York Times …


Farnsworth did not know Texas wanted him???

Right-handed reliever Kyle Farnsworth accepted a three-year, $17 million deal Friday with the New York Yankees. The Rangers had offered a guaranteed three-year, $15.5 million contract, with a vesting option for a fourth year at $5.5 million.

Incentives in the offer brought the total possible value to $24 million.

Oddly, Farnsworth said in a conference call Friday: "I didn't hear anything about [the Rangers] until [Thursday] when I was getting my physical for the Yankees. ... If they would have come out, say, when the Yankees started to have interest in me, maybe things would have been different."

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said by phone Friday: "If that's the case, then that's unfortunate and it wasn't represented to him accurately."

The Rangers, Daniels said, expressed interest in Farnsworth weeks ago, made a contract offer by phone Monday and faxed a formal offer Tuesday. Several people, including shortstop Michael Young, left Farnsworth phone messages. Daniels said Farnsworth's agent, Barry Meister, told him as late as Friday morning that Farnsworth had not yet made up his mind.

Wow. Not saying Daniels and the Rangers aren’t being truthful, but this, combined with the Delgado pursuit of last winter, and numerous other odd details which call into question how badly the Rangers really want these players, sure don’t help the credibility problems in Arlington these days.

Yankees said to have lost big money …do you think that George will stop competing (like someone else we know)? Me, neither…

Despite drawing more than four million fans, the Yankees lost between $50 million and $85 million for the 2005 season, several Major League Baseball sources told the Daily News. The benefactors of baseball, who pumped more than $200 million into their payroll and almost $110 million into revenue sharing and luxury tax, are deep in the red this year.

"Yes, even George has his limits," one source said.

And it may get worse.

Taylor beats Hopkins …again…

Dirk playing perimeter offense again …

Nowitzki's free throws are down (9.1-6.4) and 3-point tries up (2.9-4.4) per game from last season, as the Mavs (11-5) embark on a demanding three-game road trip, beginning tonight at Chicago.

"I don't really think I'm driving the ball as much as I need to this year," Nowitzki admitted. "I think I did a better job getting to the free throw-line last year. I averaged almost 10 a game.

"This year I'm settling a lot more for my jumper, and nights like Toronto and Milwaukee, I probably should have [driven] a lot more and got to the foul line."
Why hasn't he?

"I have no idea," Nowitzki deadpanned before a wry smile crept across this face. "I'm soft."

I doubt anyone will enjoy that quote around the league…

Len Pasquarelli thinks Vince Young is strongly considering the draft …Insider required…

While scouts are a bit divided over Young, with some feeling that Notre Dame's Brady Quinn is the superior junior, there is little doubt he would be a first-round pick if he entered the draft as an underclassman.

Young has great physical stature, has played in and won some big games, and is viewed by teammates as a terrific leader. The early read from scouts is that he might not be quite as athletic as all those long runs make him appear to be, but there are plenty of tools and a lot of intangibles to work with.

It has happened again. Earnhardt enjoys how his last name makes him popular amongst those sheep who really have a tough time thinking for themselves …

Earnhardt is NASCAR's most popular driver for the third straight year.

"This one probably means more to me than the others because of the kind of year we had," he said Friday.

Earnhardt failed to make the Chase for the championship and finished a miserable 19th in the Nextel Cup standings.

"It's one thing to have fan support when you're riding high and winning races," he said. "It's another thing to have it during the rough times.

"No matter what we went through this year, I never once felt like my fans were turning on me and the team."

The award is presented by Chex and the National Motorsports Press Association. Earnhardt received a record 1,403,544 votes. Jeff Gordon, who also missed the Chase, finished second with 594,434.

Kasey Kahne was third, Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart fourth and Rusty Wallace was fifth in his final year of racing.

Coakley breaks leg, season over …

Very Sportsy blog today. Sorry about that. And I didn't even mention Texas, USC, or Liverpool.