Giants 36, Cowboys 22 (3-3)

• Let’s get this out of the way right now: The Cowboys are in complete disarray. How this happened so quickly is hard for me to put into words. I swear, around 7:30, we were talking about how they are one evening of football from being alone in first place in what we considered to be the best division in football. Then, by 8:30 we were all quite sure that this team should not be considered a favorite to win almost any game they have left on the schedule. That must be some sort of record for a team that did not lose any significant player to injury in that one hour. The entire house of cards collapsed last night, and I hate to agree with those that knee jerk, but it is hard not to agree when one of the chief knee jerkers appears to be the Head Coach of the team.

• Someone suggested that when you have 2 QBs that appear so close, then you really have none. I thought the first half and second half of the Monday Night mauling demonstrated that with perfect clarity. Where the plot twists to take us next Sunday is anyone’s guess. But, wow. I swear, they were only down 12-7 at the half. This was still a winnable game that could have made you 4-2. When you pulled your veteran QB, you pulled your season off the table. This is not to say you were going to win the Super Bowl this year, but this is to say what I believe to be obvious: As average as you may thing Bledsoe is, and as promising as you may think Romo is, you had to expect exactly what you saw out of Romo if you have ever watched pro football before yesterday. That is exactly what new QB’s do against good defenses. And if you thought that was bad, wait to see what Carolina does against him when they have a week to game plan. In one halftime strategy session, Bill Parcells removed Jerry Jones from the “All-In” hand that he promised everyone last spring when he signed Terrell Owens. They just folded before seeing the flop for 2006. I sure hope they know what they are doing.

• This offensive line is the reason why there are in this mess to begin with. Check that. This front office is the reason why the offensive line is a mess. Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Fasano are the two most pedestrian top draft picks in NFL History it would seem. To spend valuable picks on guys who make no impact, and to spend valuable dollars on Wide Receivers and Kickers when the heart of your OL looked so bad last December, you must wonder what the heck the Cowboys brain trust was thinking. It is ok for fans to live with some optimism, but your decision makers in personnel must be able to see something for what it is. This offensive line would not be suitable for pretty much any QB.

• The New York Giants are good.

• A quick message to Cowboys fans who have Romo optimism. I really like the kid. Many who see the kid play (including me) have labeled his style somewhat “Favre-like”. So, it may interest you to hear what the first few years of Favre were like: A lot of heart. A lot of interceptions. Many plays you really get excited. But through it all, you will see excitement – basically much of what you saw last night. Now, whether he is another flash in the pan gun-slinger or one of the most prolific passers in the history of the game will come down to his ability to learn very quickly. But for Cowboys fans who have not had to deal with a crazy improvisational QBs since before Troy Aikman, this could be unsettling. Gun slingers will gamble at every opportunity. Whether he is a good gun slinger or a poor one will be decided on the scoreboard.

• Drew Bledsoe took a shot at Bill Parcells last night on the way to his car. He called it a “bad decision” to pull him at the half. He has also said he would not be a backup again, after his experiences in Foxboro and Buffalo. Should we expect a retirement this week? He certainly doesn’t need the money.

• Terrell Owens cost this team mightily on that dropped 4th down pass. I certainly don’t care to see a smile on his cocky face moments later. Make no mistake: Your patience for him will likely dissipate quickly now that the season is in the tank.

• What did Bledsoe see on the pass that may have ended his career? There was no place to throw the football when Terry Glenn was totally covered by Sam Madison. He wasn’t open and the decision was brutal. If you just take the FG, you are only down 12-10 at the half. Why force it in there? Why was Owens such a small part of the game-plan again through the first 5 possessions? Why did they use Witten so little again? Well, Romo is looking for Witten and Owens at every opportunity, so now we can look ahead. I just don’t understand how we got to this point.

• I don’t believe Michael Strahan is washed up.

• Lost in all of the blame on the OL and QB is the fact that the defense has once again let down the team. They allowed several more big plays on Monday night. This Cowboys team needed domination from its defense and has gotten nothing of the kind. For all of the money and draft picks sunk into this unit, you would certainly expect more. But, alas, it is a very average defense. The Giants defense is so much better.

• Except DeMarcus Ware. He is a man-child.

• Best Line of the Morning by some guy on Sportscenter: Lucky Tony Romo is more mobile than Drew Bledsoe, it helps him run down interceptions better. Seriously, at what level of football was that screen pass interception acceptable?

• Tiki Barber looks like he could still play plenty of football. His elusive ability at this age is far superior than he seemed in his mid-20’s. I have all the respect in the world for Tiki.

• Nothing makes me more crazy than seeing Eli Manning play well at Texas Stadium. He put several passes up for grabs and the Cowboys let them slip through their fingers – kind of like the season. That QB is over-rated, but he looked just fine last night.

• What an incredible departure for Bill Parcells to look ahead. 2006 is now an elongated 2007 preseason. Is this the same coach that rode out Vinny for 16 games in 2004? I really didn’t think that Parcells had it in him to roll with a young QB. It must be an indication of what he thought Bledsoe had left.

• Nice blitz pickup on Arrington on that flea-flicker. Witten and Jones could not contain a stinking Linebacker together? I am not saying that was an automatic touchdown, but it would be nice if your QB could throw the ball without someone hitting his arm on the throw.

• Roy Williams cannot cover anyone in pass defense. No offense, but he cannot do it. He does many things well, but coverage will never be one of them.

• How would you like to be a fly on the wall in Jerry Jones office today?

• Carolina awaits in 5 days. Ouch.