Cowboys '09: Game 17 vs Philadelphia - Playoffs

0 days.

It has been 0 days since the Dallas Cowboys have won a playoff game. Nobody has a shorter drought. It may have took 4,761 days to get there, but I would say if you are going to win a Wildcard Weekend playoff game, you would want your foe to be the Philadelphia Eagles (especially after 44-6) and you would want to beat them like a drum.

Check. and, Check.

Every Friday, we try to break down the game in terms that will give you some ways to view the game that the national tv guys may not be on top of. This week, it seemed too easy . I suppose that is what happens when you play a team 3 times in one year - things become clear. Things become clear about what they have no answer for. Mismatches that are not going to fix themselves in 6 days time. Styles make fights. And for reasons that now seem all too obvious, the Cowboys new style is impossible for the current Eagles to deal with.

I am sure with an offseason to deal with the pain, the Eagles will address those shortcomings. They will get some valuable injured pieces healthy, and then they will go get some help at safety, linebacker, and offensive line. But, they didn't have time for all of that on Saturday night. They had to bring the same crew back in here that they rode with last Sunday. A team that could not deal with the Cowboys "power run" sets. A team that could not get the Cowboys blocked to allow Donovan McNabb a chance to find his guys. A team that could not scheme a way for DeSean Jackson to get loose. A team that could not stop Tony Romo from taking easy routes all night long and playing catch with wide-open slant routes. And, a team that could not stop a freight train that has been obsessing about this day since 44-6.

From a Cowboys perspective, this was about a team that would not be denied. And to me, that comes back to two guys erasing their legacy. Wade Phillips got a monkey off his back that spans his entire head-coaching career. Whatever you think of his job performance and his personality (I think I have made myself clear over the years), you have to be happy for a guy who stayed the course and kept chipping away to eventually he can field a team that will step up at the moment of truth. His defense has the entire league spooked right now, because they look like a defense that is not going to give you an inch. They are not only stopping you, but they are punishing you physically in the process, too.

And then there is Tony Romo. The bar that he must jump over as a star QB in the NFL will continue to rise. But, he was painted with a certain brush by an awfully lot of people who now have to reconsider what they think of him. And he made that happen by determining that enough was enough. I have written at great length what I think of Romo and what I think he had to do this past off-season. After a long year of being ripped, I believe he has been vindicated. He has put this offense on his shoulders with performance after performance that has been nearly perfect - and they all happened after Dec 1. The challenge was laid out for him - play your best football when your team needs you most - and he has. I think any Cowboys fan has to be proud of the man. He had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he proved he is fit to play the part.

Yesterday demonstrated a valuable lesson: History does not win playoff games. Quality football teams do. No amount of Andy Reid 1st round victories could stop the Cowboys offense, nor could any playoff failures from other Cowboys teams help the Eagles pass protect.

Next weekend, the Cowboys will face a team with many fewer holes than the Eagles and in a stadium where they have not lost since Brett Favre became their Quarterback. The challenge will be pretty immense, but the beauty of this thing is that there is no telling what the Cowboys do now. They could throw that burden off their back and begin destroying the NFL one team at a time (given that they are 2 wins from the Super Bowl and 3 wins from Lombardi Trophy #6...). Or, they could celebrate beating the Eagles like it was their Super Bowl and go out quietly next week. I don't think any of us have any idea what is next. But, the key here is that there is a "next".

Well done.

And now, with more playoffs on the horizon (seriously!), here are various other notes and observations that should be remembered from an unprecedented 3rd defeat of a team that went 11-5 this season:

* Ken Hamlin put quite a fingerprint on this game. I have to tell you that having exceptional safety play is not something this team has seen for much of this decade, but I wonder if they may have figured it out in 2009. Gerald Sensabaugh and Hamlin are seldom exposed, and more importantly, they seem to make positive plays. Last night, Hamlin was flagged for putting some pretty questionable hits on Brent Celek and Jeremy Maclin. My opinion? Fine with me. I think if you are going to have a dominating defense, occasionally, you just have to let the rest of the league know that there is a chance that you will get your head taken clean off if you go across the middle on us. You have to pick your spots, but I almost felt like Hamlin was putting the rest of the NFC on notice for future dates with some of those kill shots he put out there. And you cannot convince me that he wasn't in Maclin's head as a carry-over from last week.

* Desean Jackson is a remarkable player who will be dangerous for years to come. But, he is a knucklehead. That is why he fell in the draft and that is why so many teams didn't even have them on their draft board. Well, this week, with all of twitter nonsense he might not have helped his cause (although I don't suppose that we know for sure what Twitter has done for providing platforms for people who might not be sure with what to do with said platform), but he surely pushed my buttons last night. The situation: Late 3rd, Cowboys up 34-7, and McNabb throws an interception to Mike Jenkins. Jenkins makes an odd decision (as DBs often do) on his return and while trying to pitch the ball back to Terence Newman, Jackson strips him of the ball and gets it back for the Eagles for one of their bigger gains of the day. But, after the play, here is Jackson trash talking up in the face of Jenkins. I don't mean to be the old man here, but nothing makes me crazier than the trash talker who is on the wrong side of a 4-touchdown margin. That should be grounds for a league suspension, and my memory of the Dave Campo Cowboys who went 15-33 in his 3 years is Darren Hambrick celebrating a big tackle after a 9 yard gain at Baltimore when the Ravens were up 31-0. The true definition of embarrassing.

* Felix Jones rushes for 148 yards and a catch for 30 yards was gigantic. As you know, I have questioned a number of times whether or not he is a "full time back". Well, that remains to be seen, but with Barber hurt yesterday, he was money. His explosiveness is shocking, and he is a true game-breaker from the RB position which is a rare bird in football. So, I guess I still have a hard time seeing him durable enough to be a 300 carry guy, but I think you limit his work over the course of the season and play to his special and rare strengths. That was remarkable stuff.

* We talked about Field Position all season, so let's not lose track of it now. It is so huge to play a team like Philadelphia and to be able to neutralize a huge part of their big play attack with your 2 kickers. David Buehler and Mat McBriar did it again last night. Eagles average start spot was their 20. In the first half, they started at the P10, P5, P17, P20, P20, and P25. Meanwhile, the Cowboys started 8 drives outside their 40 yard line! Keep it up. Percy Harvin can return kicks, too.

* If the Cowboys are going to keep torching everyone on 3rd Down (9-16 again last night) then they are going to keep winning. The 3rd Downs are all out of S11 it seems, and it sure looks like there is nothing they enjoy more than Patrick Crayton in the slot against Joselio Hansen on a simple slant. Pitch and catch, and a game of spreading you out and picking the matchup they like. Hansen is one of several Eagles defensive backs who played a reasonable season but were gobbled up by this Cowboys offensive machine.

* Marc Colombo is back. I was a bit nervous about messing with what was working, but Colombo did very well in his return. Doug Free will reemerge soon enough I am sure, but Colombo is a tone setter for the entire offense. You want him out there stirring everything up like he does.

* This is probably a good time to mention the single most important Replay Challenge in Cowboys history. I thought Wade wasted a challenge, and I am still not terribly sure that wasn't an interception, but talk about a pivotal moment in the game. At the time, the Cowboys are nervous, the Vick to Maclin play just happened, and the very first snap for the offense is a back foot prayer from Romo to Sean Jones in center field. It sure looked like he had control of that, and if the Eagles punch it in the score is 14-7, Eagles, and who knows what happens next. But, Wade got this right, too. You know, I must tell you, Wade is on quite a hot streak. Since that night in the Superdome, I am having trouble finding much to bust his chops about.

* How does it feel to be the last NFC East team standing for a change? I dare say that is the first time since we have gone to 4 divisions in the NFC that you have outlasted the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins.

* I think the shine is off Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. Especially Brown, who the Cowboys were seeking out with great regularity and going right at him. I think he is serviceable, but nothing better than that. And Samuel? Nice Int Numbers, and he has made some big plays in his career (of course, a dropped Samuel INT cost the Patriots the 2007 Super Bowl, too), but he guesses on routes, he doesn't like to tackle, and Miles Austin had his way with him 2 weeks in a row.

* I hope you had a chance to read the Sports Illustrated feature on the Eagles blitz a few weeks back. If not, check it out. I felt like the Double-A blitz was easier to understand in depth after reading it, and the context it gave me for the game last night was excellent. Here is one passage:

The best way to exploit the Double A Gap is to block it effectively, a difficult proposition says Gruden, but "if you're using it against a CEO-type quarterback, like Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, who understands how to pick up blitzes, you can have problems because you're short of personnel in coverage, and they'll get rid of the ball quickly." Says Trotter, "Teams run quick screens, slants, things like that, because normal pass routes take too long, and the pressure is right on the quarterback."

Quick screens, slants, things like that? Think Jason Garrett and Tony Romo read SI?

* Strike up the annual will McNabb be back conversation. As someone who roots against the Eagles, I hope they send him away. He is quality. And I would love to see them with Kevin Kolb.

* Look, I don't know where this thing is headed, but the combination of Roy Williams making plays, Bobby Carpenter recovering fumbles, and almost no injuries at all, you can see how people are starting to get that feeling.

* I would like to nominate DeMarcus Ware's sack and strip of McNabb late in the 4Q for the "Thing in sport that most resembles a lion running down a wildebeest". What a violent thing of beauty.

Do me a favor: Enjoy this for a few minutes. Nobody takes more grief than Cowboys fans (some of it has been earned, mind you) and you should not get caught up in the Vikings just yet. Be proud of your heroes for 10 minutes, before you start to worry about more. Tony Romo, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, and the rest have never tasted this before. They were told they weren't worthy, and that they will never measure up. Well, guess what. They proved they can put the sword to a hated rival when it matters most.

44-6? Vindicated.

Next?

Cowboys '09: Game 16 vs Eagles

2009 NFC East Division Champions.

How many thought this was a likely result to the regular season when the Giants were running away with the division at 5-0? Or when the Cowboys lost in Denver to drop to 2-2, and needed overtime at Arrowhead to keep from going 2-3? But, 2 1/2 months later, the Cowboys are 11-5 and have won the division.

Good for them. And, I mean that. The Wade Phillips' Cowboys have been painted with the same brush since that 2007 finale against the Giants - all sizzle, no steak. But, this 2009 crew swore they were a different animal. Through subtractions and maturation, they claimed that the leadership had shifted, and that because of that, this is not the same ol' Wade Phillips-led Cowboys.

This group was different. This group would not crumble at the moment of truth, they said. But, I was skeptical when they started slow in September. I was even more skeptical when they started December with 2 straight typical close-but-no-cigar losses. At 8-5, the playoffs were in great doubt yet again. And the Divisional crown seemed like it had floated away.

But, then something changed with this team. Some suggest it was DeMarcus Ware's injury against the Chargers. Others say it was Tashard Choice addressing the team the next day. Personally, I don't have a clue what happened, but the end result to me is watching a Cowboys team that doesn't seem to play like a team that keeps waiting for something bad to happen anymore.

Surely, you know what I am talking about. This team, for the better part of 3 seasons, looked like a team that was under such severe pressure - be it real or imagined - that they were like the kid at the recital that could play the song in practice perfectly, but when the show started he felt something warm running down his leg. Their mental block, perhaps best demonstrated by their QB, was that of a team that was afraid to fail - rather than a team that was ready to win.

Now, if they were a reflection of their QB, I would imagine that we can all understand why he was a mental wreck. Being the QB of the Dallas Cowboys is tough under any scenario. Then, the last two playoff exits from a team riding a 4,755-day drought between playoff wins were either fully blamed on him, or merely the lion's share of the blame was heaped on the undrafted QB. Then, between a high profile "private" life and a high profile spat with Terrell Owens, suddenly the kid is an absolute sports-talk lightning rod from sea to shining sea.

And the bigger the situation became, the more everything came crashing down on his head, culminating in his confusing post-game address to his public following the Eagles 44-6 thrashing of the Cowboys at the end of the 2008 campaign.

He went into hiding, and before we saw much of him again, he had shed both the high profile romance and the unwanted alpha male in his huddle. So would his 2009 be different?

The Regular season sure was. Career high in QB Rating, Yards, and most importantly, both the fewest interceptions and the fewest fumbles of any season in his career. By a huge margin. He looks composed, calm, and in control. And, he plays like it. And whether this made the team click gradually - as if they saw him trying to carry them during those first 2 losses in December - or if something else triggered this perfect December storm, I don't know. But, the team showed up in New Orleans like a new team. A team that those of us who watch this team closely didn't recognize. They were a team that was playing like they don't give a flip. They are tired of playing scared and nervous and "not to lose". They are done doing that. And what we have seen the last 3 weeks is a team that is going for it. They are playing to win. They are playing with confidence and dare I say just a bit of swagger.

Don't ask me how they got here. But, try to stay as long as you can.

The results of Sunday's dismantling of the 24-0 win against the Eagles will not be fully known until next week's rematch is played. The win seemed dominating and dangerously easy in some regards. But, much like any other details of this season, any success is attached to the stated mission of winning in the playoffs, ending the 13 season drought, and thereby detaching themselves from the '07 and '08 Cowboys teams that did not achieve. A win of the division was great, shouldn't be marginalized, and it made you feel better about last year's week 17 failure, but now what?

And that is why this edition of the "Morning After" may seem a bit more of a "state of the union" address rather than a breakdown of the win. I think most of us feel like the Cowboys-Eagles game is only at halftime, with a week between halves - and the first half score doesn't matter.

I loved the domination. I loved the determination. And yes, I even enjoyed the Cowboys leaving Romo out there and throwing for more. Sure, maybe they should have taken him out when it was 17-0. But that is playing with caution and concern. This team has tried cautious and concerned, and it hasn't work. Now, it is playing with disregard for caution, and I dare say that these last 3 weeks now have me wondering what this thing could turn into.

They have self-belief. A direct reflection of the maturity of their QB. Now, let's see if he is ready to break on through to that other side of playoff accomplishment.

How about some observations from the 2nd consecutive shutout against a divisional foe:

* 1st Drive Touchdowns are all part of this Cowboys transformation. I don't quite know why things are clicking, but you cannot underestimate the effect of taking the opening kickoff, driving 80 yards, and scoring 7. In the New Orleans and Washington games, they did not get the ball first, but in all 3 games, after each team enjoyed the ball the Cowboys had 21 points, and the opponents had 0 - with just 1 solitary 1st down. They are ready to play when the game begins. It changes everything.

* 9 times this season, Tony Romo had a QB rating of over 100. Including, 5 of his last 6 games this season. We detailed at the start of December how he has his worst numbers in the biggest month. We can no longer say that. His last 6 games, his ratings were, in order: 121.2, 112.1, 111.7, 104.0, 86.7, and 106.4. That more than qualifies as saving his best for last.

* That Touchdown run from Felix Jones demonstrates why so many Cowboys fans go crazy over him. I know that I have painted myself as a bit of a pessimist on the Felix front, based solely on the idea that I have a very hard time projecting him as a #1 RB if he cannot take the beating. But, with his workload slowly increasing, I must concede that we are making progress in that regard. Anyway, the TD was that same Power 35 play they have run to the right again and again. Kosier pulls and kicks out, the 2 TEs cave in, and we have big success running right. But, a few times this season, they will run that play, except pitch it left when the entire play is running right to see if the LBs are keying off the blockers instead of watching the ball. We saw it work to perfection, as he only had 1 or 2 guys to beat (with help from Witten) and his speed did the rest. More on that play in Football 301 on Tuesday.

* Field Position is important as usual. Let's check the Eagles starting field position for their first 9 drives: P20, P14, P19, P20, P20, P12, P20, P20, P20. Tough to score points when your shortest field is 80 yards. Full marks to Mr Buehler and Mr McBriar for their fine work once again.

* No, I do not believe for a second that the Eagles were "playing vanilla" or holding things back. Look, they had a chance at the #2 seed and a bye week. If they were making decisions based on the idea that they are about to drop to the #6 seed, then they have no business in the playoffs anyway. Now, if your point is that they called off the dogs at 17-0 and showed nothing in the 2nd half, I will buy that. But that 1st half performance was not because the Eagles were trying to hide things. They just got their butt beat.

* Mike Jenkins is a pro bowler, whether he is invited or not. I apologize for having ever doubted his Football IQ. He is a very intelligent, competitive CB who the Cowboys are lucky to have. I am quite leery of Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin being held down a 3rd time, but so far, whatever Wade is doing is giving the Eagles absolute fits.

* The fact that the Cowboys passed for an all-time team record 4,483 yards in 2009 should tell you once and for all that the Cowboys do not miss Terrell Owens statistically. And the fact that they are 11-5 and seem to like each-other should tell you once and for all they do not miss Terrell Owens emotionally, either.

* Slant passes to Patrick Crayton that go for 30 yards are both wonderful and suspicious with their ease. How did that keep happening?

* With the exception of the Brent Celek show and Asante Samuel guessing right once, the key players on that Eagles roster were collectively very quiet. Do not make the mistake of expecting to see that happen again on Saturday night. I expect they will get their act together and offer a far more abrasive stand when these teams meet again. But as far as this business of it being impossible to beat a team 3 times in a season, my numbers indicate that there have been 19 such instances in NFL History, and in fact, the team going for the 3-game sweep is actually 12-7. Which would suggest a win rate of 63%, and proving that it is far from impossible. Of course, the Cowboys are 0-2 in such instances. So....

* Take this for what it is worth, which isn't much, but I do not particularly care for putting on "Division Champs" shirts and hats as the game ends, and then go across and shake hands with Andy Reid, who you have to play again next week, with your hat on. It seems like A) something that doesn't require much celebration and B) it could be interpreted by Philadelphia as bulletin board material. Again, not the biggest issue in the world, but since I have accused the Cowboys of over-celebrations and getting satisfied with themselves quite easily, it did strike a small nerve last night.

* The Cowboys had 40:23 minutes of possession. They also had 474 yards of total offense. The runners combined for 32 carries for 179 yards, and a QB who threw for 311 yards. To suggest that the offense had great success is fair. Troy Aikman suggested that the Eagles will try some different things next week. I think they better.

* Four more sacks, with 2 from Anthony Spencer. No matter how much pressure you get, it still looks like you need more. Donovan McNabb always seems like he is one throw from really hurting you, and the Eagles have to feel like they left plenty of points on the field.

* Who have you given up on more? Roy Williams or Martellus Bennett? You just can't predict this stuff in training camp, can you?

So here we go. Now we can spend the next several days breaking these two teams down further. Saturday Night cannot get here soon enough. The Cowboys have come a long, long ways. But for Wade Phillips, Tony Romo, and this entire Cowboys team, a playoff win is badly needed. This can change their legacy. To feel good about Cowboys football, it must start with ending that drought of 1996. Until they do, they will be painted with the same brush that all the Cowboys have been painted with in the "post-triplets" era. But, bouncing the Eagles would demonstrate progress and change. Wade would no longer be the winningest coach who has never won a playoff game (and he likely keeps his job) and Romo would then have as many playoff wins as a guy like Drew Brees (1!).

To say it another way, 11-5 is nice. A division title is nicer. But, to feel good about the direction the Dallas Cowboys are headed, they need at least one more victory this season.

Saturday Night.

How to Be a Football Dork

I often get asked about my fascination with football strategy and understanding what each team is trying to accomplish and how they are going to get there.

Well, It is just inside me. I want to know more. There are enough people in my business that focus on the ball and watch football from a fantasy football perspective. Meanwhile, I want to know what each player is supposed to be doing on each play and how it all fits together.

I want to know. I want to understand. I want to feel like I comprehend the idea behind the Jason Garrett offense and how that differs from the Norv Turner offense.

So, how does someone who never played 1 down of football go about trying to learn the sport from a coach's perspective?

Luckily, in 2010, there are a few places where football dorks can find this sort of thing. The best is to speak to those who know what is going on (but that might not be practical for the average person). The rest are open to all:

1) Sirius NFL Radio - Moving the Chains - Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan (2p-6p) - I realize in the business of radio, it is poor form to plug the competition, but I have never learned more about a topic than what these two guys have explained to me and their audience over the last few years. Kirwan is amazing in explaining terminology and coaching points. Ryan is so good as a Fox commentator (even though he gets buried as their 3rd or 4th team) that I often Tivo his games just to have him explain more football to me.

2) Smartfootball.com/ - this blog is about the strategy side of football and I find it wonderful.

3) Football Outsiders.com - The brother site of baseballprospectus.com doesn't really explain coaching points, but their statistical analysis is invaluable when you consider what a team does well. So, I consider it an essential part of the total package.

4) Matt Bowen's inside the Playbook - Matt is a longtime NFL Defensive Back, and because of this, he actually knows how to break it down at the National Football Post website. Below, I want to show you his Inside the Playbook features. I love them:


Inside The Playbook
May 13 - The Tampa 2
May 19 - Cover 3
May 21 - Zone Blitz
May 25 - How to Defeat the Tampa 2
May 27 - Brady to Moss
June 1 - Defeating Man Pressure
June 4 - Peterson runs on Cleveland
June 8 - Defeating 2 man coverage
June 17 - The Miami Wildcat
June 23 - Porter's Super Bowl INT
June 29 - Defeating 2 man in the redzone
July 1 - The “Spot” Route
July 6 - Complex blitz schemes
July 8 -Red Zone passing concepts
July 14 - Play Action Game
July 22 - The Tebow Impact
Aug 19 - Redskins Swap Option

They used to call Bowen's feature "Scheme Session" last season, so here are those features, too.

Scheme Session -
Oct 6 - The Zone Blitz
Oct 13 - Ed Reed's Pick 6
Oct 29 - Beating the Minnesota Blitz
Nov 5 - Big Play Eagles (DeSean Jackson
Jan 16 - Romo vs The Vikings
Jan 18 - Favre lights up Dallas
Jan 26 - Favre's INT vs Saints
Jan 28 - Peyton in the Redzone
Feb 2 - The Darren Sharper factor
Feb 4 - Big Play Saints

By the way, none of this means I actually do understand football more. It just means that I have fun trying.

Cowboys '09: Game 15 at Washington

Anytime you beat a division rival on the road with such ease that a 17-0 final score is still the source of some level of discontent, you know that either A) you are a pretty good team, B) your opponent is certainly not, or C) both of the above.

I choose C.

I imagine that all accounts of the Cowboys' 10th victory of the 2009 season will focus on the importance of taking care of business and setting up the chance to play for a NFC East division title in 6 days time. We will spend the next few thousand words discussing things that went right or wrong, but I would find it simply irresponsible, on a day when teams like the Saints and Giants would welcome a less-than-perfect win, to point out the absolute lead story was that this Cowboys team responded very, very well to the Saints victory by rolling out a road-trouncing of the rival Washington Redskins.

The Redskins, as we knew all week (or all decade), are a mess of the highest order. Their organization seems to often hamstring their own team's efforts with the insane nature in which they do business. No matter how goofy Jerry Jones makes things in Dallas, to suggest that he has set up the most chaotic environment in the NFL is to ignore the Raiders and Redskins. So, at least we have that going for us.

The story of Game #15 for me would have to be the precision with which the Cowboys offense seemed to operate with again - only to leave many, many points on the field due to the inability to get the last yard at the moment of truth. The Cowboys called 5 running plays on 3rd and 4th down with 2 yards or less to go. All 5 were some variation of a power run to Marion Barber. And all 5 failed. It is certainly not difficult to imagine the trouble that can cause down the road. If you combine that with a kicking situation that is less than rock-solid, you can understand the ice the Cowboys stand on is exceedingly thin. Think about it: The Cowboys are in a crucial game with huge stakes (every game from here until the Super Bowl would qualify as a crucial game with high stakes) and they face a 4th and half of a yard from the opponents 31 yard line. Do you trust the kicker to make a 49 yarder? No. Do you trust your OL and RB to be able to get that last 18 inches? How could you after the issues against the Chargers and Redskins in the last few weeks? The quandary is there for all to see.

So, why can't this team move the chains when they need to most? Especially when I have spent the season talking about how this team seems to be a solid power-run team. Well, running in "21" or "22" personnel is one thing in normal down and distance situations because on 2nd and 8, you do not face 10 or 11 in the box. But, when it is 4th and half of a yard, the defense knows what you want to do. They plug a jumbo personnel group right at your OL, and if your OL cannot push back, the RB doesn't have much of a chance. This is not to say that Barber is not to blame - because he is. Barber looks tentative and frankly a bit lacking with his usual strength in busting through with his relentless abandon. But, I also have to question the boys up front getting and winning their individual blocks. We have quite a few plays to consider in these last 3 weeks that fall under the "short yardage" banner, and the fact is that there are a number of reasons they are not getting it done. But, I don't think you blame Jason Garrett (this time). What else would you call on 4th and 1? You play the percentages. And the percentages suggest that any NFL offense should be able to get 18 inches. But, especially this NFL offense, who has many rich men on that offensive line - some who attend the Pro Bowl on a regular basis. This isn't Garrett's problem. This is on the players.

But, otherwise, the passing game still looks sharp - with Miles Austin and Jason Witten again combining to show us how elite they really are. Austin had 10 balls thrown his way, caught 9 and moved the chains 7 times. Witten had 7 passes in his direction, caught 6 for 4 first downs. The efficiency with which those 2 have operated this year have almost made the frustrations of watching Roy Williams a story that while annoying, does not seem to hamstring the offense dramatically.

The defense was very good at snuffing out any of the feeble attacks the Redskins could mount. This was not a stiff test for them, but it was more of the same from the last several weeks, with Ware and Spencer on the flanks looking the part of destructive OLBs in a 3-4 defense that make production extremely difficult for most offenses.

Other observations from the completion of the first season sweep of Washington since 2004:

* Let's start with Joe DeCamillis who was in the hospital at the time of the game with a "sudden attack of appendicitis" according to Evan Grant. Man, that guy has had a rough 2009. The Special teams coach suffered a broken neck back in May during the practice facility collapse, and now will stay in a Washington hospital until Wednesday. I think most of us have appreciated his improvements to the special teams, but for some reason writing about his coaching seems a bit irrelevant when the guy is still in his hospital bed, so let's wish him a speedy recovery and get on with some of the other details. However, I should say this: When you talk to guys who work for the Cowboys - you often get the claim that he is a great candidate to be a future NFL head coach.

* Keith Brooking has been such a great addition to this team. He makes plays and he brings intensity. I have no idea what that audio routine proved that NBC showed of his "WWF-style" pre-game rant, but it did bring a smile to my face. After the Zach Thomas era came and left with little result or effect, I was not overly optimistic about what the Brooking signing might mean. But, the intangibles that he has presented this squad seems to be just what was needed. But, as we have found over the years, the ability to speak in the lockerroom often is dictated by the ability to make a real difference on the field. He, obviously, can do both.

* It is clear to me that Cris Collinsworth has no idea who Alex Ovechkin is.

* That Touchdown pass on the 1st drive of the game was such a thing of beauty that further demonstrates that Tony Romo is a player with rare talents. He doesn't panic in the face of a pass rush, and is more than willing to buy that extra split second to make a play. That particular play looked dead in the water with Kedric Golston breathing down his neck, but in typical Romo fashion, when he is in the red zone he seems to develop even a better feel for what is available. He lobbed that pass on a perfect trajectory to Roy Williams and scored a TD that was beautiful. The ball floated right over the hands of DeAngelo Hall and right in front of Reed Doughty.

* So, London Fletcher's hit on Patrick Crayton is not a penalty? Blow to the head and defenseless receiver rules don't apply if they don't feel like calling it?

* If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know I was not terribly bullish on shares of Doug Free when Marc Colombo broke his leg in Green Bay. But, I must tip my hat to the young man and suggest that he shows plenty of promise. I still think he can stand to gain some strength, but he appears to have plenty of fight and desire, as well as solid quickness for a tackle. If a guy enters with no experience to a team that is on a playoff run, then plays 6 weeks without any sort of train wreck games that cost you, then it is time to declare his showing a solid success. I do wonder about short yardage with him versus Colombo (evidence shows this team was quite a bit better when Colombo was there), but otherwise, Free looks like a keeper.

* NBC's game broadcast always has more information and statistics than the other networks. I assume this is because they can focus on 1 game rather than the 6 or 7 that Fox and CBS must prepare for, but regardless, I enjoy the numbers that they produce. In particular, the stat of Roy Williams leading the NFL in "on-target drops" with 10 was a number that merely confirmed our beliefs. I think it might be harsh to call that interception last night Roy's fault completely - as the ball may have been a tad high - but, I need Roy to out battle Carlos Rogers for position on that play. It always looks like he has half as much fight for the ball that he needs.

* 1 play after that interception, Anthony Spencer (with help from Igor Olshansky) tried to take the ball right back on a sack that almost resulted in a fumble strip, too. Spencer looks so confident right now, and you can clearly see that when a pass rusher is no longer satisfied with just the sack. He wants to take that ball, too. And he came darn close. I think Spencer's breakout stretch is continuing quite well.

* I don't believe Terence Newman enjoys dealing with Santana Moss. His interception early was a real momentum changer, but through the night, anytime Moss grabbed one of those WR screens (which appears to be about the only route on the Redskins' route tree), Newman looked fairly uncomfortable trying to contain, control, and tackle. Moss has given him fits for so many years, and I believe Newman would be happy to be done with him.

* Albert Haynesworth is an absolute impossible matchup. I am not sure I have ever seen Kyle Kosier tossed around like #92 caused last night. Albert is a handful, and while I agree that he is a bad investment for a team like Washington that possesses so many holes that spending a huge chunk of change on Haynesworth doesn't make sense. However, he is tremendous quality. And he is unblockable in certain spots. And, he is perhaps the best reason the Cowboys couldn't win their blocks on those short yardage situations. So, I understand this idea that Washington overpaid and that it likely will not work. I also understand that his conduct this past week is not admirable in any way. But, wow. He is unstoppable.

* I am very much on the record with my opinion of Wade Phillips. I think he should have been fired in the lockerroom after 44-6. But, since he wasn't, I wonder where we are now. They are 10-5, and have a chance to win their division. If they do, they will host a playoff game with an 11-5 record. If they win the first playoff game in 13 seasons, we would have to admit progress was made. That is alot of "ifs" but, if those "ifs" happen, how do you fire him?

* Jay Ratliff is awesome. And there is no bigger punctuation mark for a big Cowboys performance than a Ratliff sack celebration. What a stud.

So, 10 wins. A playoff berth. And a rematch with the hated Eagles for a division crown on Sunday afternoon. This is what you want. This is riveting stuff. Who knew 2 weeks ago that the season was going to take this turn?

Now, Green Bay and Arizona play in Week 17, and the Eagles are here. All 4 teams are likely to play during the Wildcard weekend, with the only things assured are that Arizona will be a home team and that Green Bay will be on the road. Beyond that, it is all in front of us.

Strap in.

EPL Fun Bag - Week 3

Opening Weekend of the English Premiership is in the books, and we are out of the gates in brilliant High Definition.

I really don't want to get carried away, but with the addition of HD and the new 1-hour replay of the games on Fox Soccer (also in HD), I have caught myself watching a ton more than usual. Now surely, the start of the college and NFL seasons will severely consume most of my free time, but I am pretty fired up about what we have cooking in England.

Highlights of the Weekend according to me:

- The thrilling season opener between Tottenham and Man City at White Hart Lane will demonstrate to some newcomers to the EPL that winning on the road is very difficult. If you are like me, you have a favorite team, and then you love to look for upset possibilities. Well, first know that defeats are bad, but so are dropped points. "Dropped points" is what decides the title every year, and it isn't defeats as much as it is bad draws, too. To tie a match means you get only 1 point instead of 3, so if Chelsea and Man United and Arsenal want to win the title, they surely realize that pulling 1 point here and 1 point there will not cut it. They know that they need 3 points most weekends. So, is Manchester City up for this? Despite the absolute advantage in wages, they did not look the better team on Saturday. The goaltender, Joe Hart, kept them in the match, but Spurs was all over them in the 1st half. Is Man City too conservative because of their manager, Mancini? Many think so. But, that was an absolute wonderful 0-0 draw (yes, you will see wonderful 0-0 draws if you watch the match).

- Blackpool won its first match at the top level in 40 years by beating Wigan 4-0 on the road!?!?!

- Chelsea proved that they can name their score in most matches at Stamford Bridge. They are loaded and amazing. Drogba is still the most imposing striker in the league, and he scored 3 in barely 70 minutes. I do enjoy watching Chelsea play for a number of reasons, but one thing that is fun to look for is how much Frank Lampard appears to hate Drogba. The video below shows most of what I saw on Saturday, but when there is a free kick, both players want it. Drogba takes it without Lampard's consent, and Frankie stands there and pouts. So much so that when the ball hits the net, Lampard looks angry and never considers celebrating or congratulating. This is not a Chelsea issue, necessarily, but rather on the big clubs in Europe, there are all sorts of personalities put together like in the NBA that might not fit. But, unlike the NBA, here, they also speak different languages and come from different corners of the planet, and play on teams where they know the coach is disposable. it is just the way it is - the players are not always happy for eachother or pulling in the same direction. Lampard doesn't even look like he enjoys 6-0 wins sometimes. Life on a big club.



- And then on Sunday, new-look-but-still-poor Liverpool hosted Arsenal in a "Big 4" clash that was way too early in the campaign. In fact, the promo on Fox Soccer channel right before the match advertised "Fabregas and Arsenal take on Torres and Liverpool from Anfield!" Well, they got Anfield right. Torres, Fabregas, and Robin Van Persie were all left out of the starting 11 for each side citing World Cup Recovery (it is a long season for these boys). Anyway, Arsenal looked to be the better side, Liverpool somehow scored with a man down (Ngog shuts me up) and then just when it looked like the Reds might start a season properly, Arsenal pulls a draw with a late goal that put a knife in the heart. Honestly, I think it was a pretty tough play for Reina, but it is one he must make or the result gets away.



Anyway, a great match on Sunday ended in a 1-1 draw where both teams likely thought they deserved 3 points. Have you ever seen Fanzone? It is where one of the networks in England gets a fan from either side to call the game and you can actually watch their broadcast (I think) on one of the alternate audio channels. Then, they show the highlights here:



THe USA needs to steal this idea. Yankees and Red Sox fans sitting next to eachother in October would be money.

This Week's TV Schedule - ALL TIMES EASTERN! - Games in Bold indicate my "best matches of the weekend for you to check out"

Saturday, August 21:
10am: Everton v Wolves, Fox Soccer Channel
10am: Stoke v Spurs, Fox Soccer Plus and FoxSoccer.tv
10am: Arsenal v Blackpool, ESPN2
10am: West Ham v Bolton, FoxSoccer.tv
10am: West Brom v Sunderland, FoxSoccer.tv
10am: Birmingham v Blackburn, FoxSoccer.tv
12:15pm: Wigan Athletic v Chelsea, Fox Soccer Channel

Sunday, August 22:
8:30am: Newcastle United v Aston Villa, Fox Soccer Plus and FoxSoccer.tv
11am: Fulham v Manchester United, Fox Soccer Channel

Monday, August 23:
3pm: Manchester City v Liverpool, ESPN2

Yes, I bolded 3 games - including Blackpool vs Arsenal. You truly must read up on Blackpool to understand how awesome this story is. This is why the promotion/relegation system is superior to anything we do over here.

OK, and now on to your email:


hey bob. Any idea why dempsey only played 17 minutes? Michael


The Clint Dempsey situation is one of many that we should not get too concerned about this early in the season. Especially in a World Cup season, you should never read anything into playing time in the first few weeks of a season. Dempsey played 15 minutes + against Bolton in their opening match which was a scoreless draw.

The reasons not to get too caught up in it are many; 1) He has a new manager, Mark Hughes. Hughes will basically look at this roster and make the best 11 emerge on their merit. The old Manager at Fulham, Roy Hodgson is up at Liverpool now, and despite the fact that he loved Dempsey, it won't matter this year at Fulham.

2) The transfer window is open for a few more weeks, so rosters won't be settled until Labor Day or so. Guys are coming and going and it is too early to get worked up about it all. and 3) we don't know the full level of his health - I believe he is fine, but they are not always open about everything. He was really physically beat up at the World Cup, so there is a chance he isn't ready for 90 after a tough summer.


Hey bob, I am going to London in early nov with my wife & we are hoping to catch a soccer game while we are there. I saw that fulham is playing @ home while we are there but I have no idea how to get tickets? Can you let me know the best way to get tickets to a game? I appreciate any help on this.

Thanks man

Grant


Sure, Grant. Fulham at home for Aston Villa? I think your chances are pretty good. I might start by contacting Fulham (google it) and work with the ticket office. It is possible that you might be able to get in at face value. The bigger the game, the bigger the whip to get in. Here is what I wrote in 2007 On this topic ...

Last October, I surely thought that getting tickets was not going to be a problem, since I now know several soccer “VIPs” from various places. During my last journey, those VIPs were able to gain us admission to the matches we wanted to see, but this time I had chosen what amounts to one of the biggest matches of the soccer year. My connections could not get me in. I was going to have to pay about $700-$800 each to get these tickets from ticket brokers. Wow. People always ask me what these tickets cost and of course it depends on the game. If you are going to go over there, may I suggest you do not select the biggest games. Pick your favorite team playing a team of lesser appeal. Unless you don’t mind $700 a ticket. Usually, $100-$200 can get you into most games, but just don’t pick the big 4 clubs (Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal, Chelsea) against eachother. If you do, prepare to get hammered.

Anyway, long story short, through an incredible coincidence, Tom Hicks bought Liverpool a month ago, and although I don’t believe he is fond of my work, someone who he employs hooked me up, and I was able to get into this match for face value - $67 a piece. That person knows who he is, and I know owe him a ton. The other game we attended was Blackburn at Bolton, and for this game, you could get tickets at the gate without any problem as it was not nearly sold out.

And then this email. last week from the Ticket's Craig Miller!

Saw your tweet about soccer in HD. I’ve been wondering that myself—will FSC and GOL games be in HD once the regular season starts? I don’t like watching it in normal def.

I’m 2/3rds through Fever Pitch. I got sidetracked this weekend when the English version of Laurent Fignon’s autobiography arrived in the mail, so I’ve been reading both. Will have FP back to you shortly.

So, in the EPL, there are no playoffs? Best record wins the league, that simple? Is that ever a buzz-kill at the end of the year? Has it always been that way? I notice Hornby in the book talks about going to Cup Final games a lot—I realize that they play for many cups each year, but it seems that he’s mentioned going to the league championship (before it was the EPL, I guess?) a few times—did they used to have a playoff?

C


Gol went HD on Directv a few days ago. I actually watched the Bundesliga match on Saturday (Schalke vs. Bayern Munich) in HD. I never watch German soccer, but in HD, it felt right.

Fox Soccer and Fox Soccer Plus are said to be flipping the switch on Aug 11. I hope and assume you have HD.

Fever Pitch is wonderful. It teaches us all that we are not alone if we obsess about sports.

Playoffs? Not for the Premiership. I know it seems crazy, but without playoffs, everything matters so much! It is wonderful and different. You must experience it.

Hornby references Championship Playoff, but I feel if I explain what he means, it will only confuse you.

But, there is no end of season buzz kill. The promotion/relegation battle is intoxicating. Sometimes, the championship is decided. But, since 3 teams at the bottom of the league will be kicked out, the battle is fierce.

Imagine, instead of NBA teams jockeying for position in the lottery, what if Minnesota, Memphis, the Clippers, the Warriors, and the Raptors were competing to STAY IN THE NBA!!!! Because 3 are leaving, to be replaced by the top 3 teams in the D league or somesuch.

This is from a blog entry from 2006:

http://sturminator.blogspot.com/2006/08/english-football-101.html

Every season, there are as many as 5 different trophies your team can win (although you could not win all 5 during the same year). For instance, my club, Liverpool has not won the Premiership since 1990. But, in 2005, they won the European Cup, and in 2006 they won the FA Cup. So, while not winning the league, they have added to their hardware and have celebrated as champions. Here are the 5 competitions each season:

#1 – Premiership Title
This goes to the team who demonstrates the dominance in the ultimate marathon, a trip through the entire 10 month marathon. It takes 38 games (all 19 opponents, home and away) and is considered as good a test to determine the team with the best quality as any. Chelsea has won the Premiership title the last 2 years, Arsenal before them, and the Manchester United owner the decade of the 1990’s more than the Cowboys did.

#2 – FA Cup
The oldest football tournament in the world, this trophy is won by advancing through an amazing field much like the NCAA tournament. Except that there is open admission. Last season, that meant 687 teams make the tournament. Imagine the NCAA basketball tournament, except that any city league team may enter the tournament, too. The big teams don’t join the tournament for 2 rounds, thus generally bouncing the ridiculous entries first, but every team that wants in can be in. This is a knockout tournament but without brackets. Instead, after each round, there is a new random draw. It sets up amazing drama and the players seem to act like this is the Super Bowl.

#3 – European Cup (The UEFA Champions League)
This is possibly the biggest championship of them all, but because it is so rare, it is almost the impossible dream for most clubs and they don’t even consider it. The best teams of each of the European Leagues play in a full fledged 32-team tournament every year. Last year, Barcelona beat Arsenal in the Final, the year before Liverpool beat AC Milan. It is an amazing tournament matching the best teams from Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Holland, France and beyond against each other in clashes that are almost all played at night in mid-week.

#4 – League Cup or Carling Cup
This is very similar to the NIT. It is inferior to the FA Cup, and there are years when some teams don’t even try to put their best effort out in games of this tournament. They will almost lose on purpose so that they can preserve their team for the competitions they deem more important. Unlike the FA Cup, it is limited to only the 96 teams that make up the English Football Association (All 5 divisions). The Championship is played in Early March, and often thought of as a consolation prize for a big team, or a huge victory for a little guy. The only problem with my NCAA/NIT comparison is that you can be in both tournaments at the same time.

#5 – UEFA Cup
This is the NIT of the Champions League. In England, the top 4 teams go to the Champions League, and I believe the next 4 teams go to the 32-team UEFA Cup. Playing in Europe is very presitgous to all clubs, and for many teams in Group 2 or 3, just playing in the UEFA Cup is thought of as a pretty huge deal. Of course, if Manchester United is in this tournament, they are pretty embarrassed. But, it does happen, and it is better than nothing.

There you go. Now, to really make your head spin, all of these competitions are going on at the same time. It is not uncommon to play your Premiership game on Saturday, a Champions League game on Tuesday, The FA Cup on Saturday, and another Prem game on Monday. This is where you need lots of depth on your club, because no player can sustain a schedule like that.

---------------

Of course, since that email exchange with Junior, HD is up in full force on Directv. Life is so right now.

Cowboys '09: Game 14 at New Orleans

Raise your hand if you understand pro football. I am obsessed with this sport. There is nothing I spend more time thinking about and reading about and studying than the NFL. But, I sure don't understand it. Except, I do understand one important element about my lack of understanding: You can never account for the unaccountable. Said another way: Last night is why it is not smart to gamble on "sure things".

The Cowboys pulled the unthinkable last night in New Orleans with their performance that surely was one of the best games of football any of them had ever played. Once in a while, with all of the chips down, they find what they were looking for, and it so happened to be with the entire football world watching (provided they had the NFL Network) on this Saturday night in December (of all months).

On one hand, you have to be very pleased for these guys who spend a lot of time answering why they are not up to the challenge of winning important games such as these. On the other hand, you wonder how this is going to feel if they lose to Washington next week. But, that can wait for 8 days. This was a thing of beauty.

The offense made all the sense in the world. And it made all the sense in the world because the offensive line held up its end of the bargin, because Jason Garrett seemed to pull the puppet strings with great precision, and because your QB was the perfect maestro of the proceedings.

Tony Romo has not been the focal point of too many of these "Morning After" columns for a few reasons, but I think this may be the perfect day to spend a moment or two on the leader of this offense. Nobody is more scrutinized nationally than Tony Romo - whether it is appropriate or not never seems to matter. He had painted a large target on his chest long ago, and has been declared dead quite a few times by the experts.

All along, he has just chipped away at the mountain before him, and I dare say his QB work this season may be his finest year yet. Nobody is willing to admit that he isn't the problem, it seems, but to play the Giants-Chargers-Saints trio in succession in December, and emerge on the other side without one single giveaway (fumble or interception), 6 TD's, and a QB Rating of 109.7 is remarkable. They have lost 2 of those 3 games, so there is still that thread of blame that can be taken back to the QB because that is how we discuss this game. But, in December, Romo has been nearly flawless with absurd pressure and scrutiny aimed at his head. Put it another way: By George, I think he's got it.

And here is the good news: It is still a secret. Romo, it would seem, can still sneak up on the league because some have spent so long claiming he is the problem that they will not concede that point until he has a trophy in his hand. And we all know that is a long trip from here. But, in a 2009 where he had to prove he wasn't the problem, I think most fair observers would realize that the Cowboys have a useful Quarterback - maybe not a perfect one, but one who is very good.

Beyond Romo, there are so many others with their fingerprints on this unlikely win. As Junior Miller said last night, this may be Wade's signature defensive win. I argued that the Green Bay win in 2007 qualifies as well, but in fairness to Craig, that Green Bay team was not the juggarnaut the Saints are, and were not held to 3 points through 3 Quarters on their home field. The defense played very well, holding the Saints to just 1 3rd Down conversion - which occured in the final minute of the game. The Saints set the industry standard on 3rd Down conversions, but on this one night, they could not move the chains on the money down.

And then there is everyone's quiet hero, DeMarcus Ware. There are a number of reasons to look at his performance last night and marvel. One, of course, is that we feared for his physical well-being on Sunday evening at Cowboys Stadium when they are unscrewing his facemask from his helmet and strapping him onto a stretcher. Late in the day yesterday, there were still many reports circulating that he would not be able to play at all. Then, for him to play as well as he did - with a sack and fumble to end the final Saints' drive of the 1st half, and then another sack and fumble to end the final Saints' drive of the game - was the stuff of legends. The Cowboys could have very well crumbled under the pressure in that 4th Quarter - but #94 would not be denied. Joined by #93, Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys pass rush finally made sense for a night. It was like Ware and Ellis used to be. A speed LB who can not be blocked for long on each flank. Was it just a 1-night mirage?

The Cowboys' best players were their best players. They stepped up an emerged with a team victory that could certainly take this team to a new level. But, because of how this league and this team works, we are all wondering if we should read too much meaning into this game. Did the QB break through? Did the coach? Did the team? It all depends on where they go next.

But, for one night, they played like they could win a Super Bowl. I just don't understand the NFL sometimes.

Other observations from the night that ended the New Orleans quest for perfection:

* I suppose I should not allow this Nick Folk elephant in the room go on any longer before we address it. Look, I am all for trying to let a guy break out of his slump before we knee jerk and go to "Kickers-R-Us" for another one, but it is time. There is too much riding on everything this team does to allow one guy to get his head screwed back on. He is a kicker. He must make kicks. To miss that 24-yard Field Goal in that situation is an absolute fireable offense. He nearly cost you the football game - which in turn would have cost many men their jobs. I am sure he is a nice guy, and I hope his career can continue somewhere else, but like a group of athletes in our lifetime, it appears his head is not allowing his foot to do its job. That footage the NFL Network presented showing his pregame warm-ups was quite revealing. And then, on cue, he missed what amounts to an extra point. The Cowboys must get a kicker before Washington. And they are darn lucky that their refusal to address this issue sooner did not cost them another game.

* Mr Austin, your contract is ready. What a stud. 1100 Yards and counting. Was Terrell better than this? And, evidently, the Cowboys' offense also took note as we did Friday that the deep ball is but a faded memory. Brilliant double move off play action on the first drive of the game resulted in a 49-yard bomb to signal the attack. A thing of beauty.

* Does anyone know why the Cowboys would call timeout after Patrick Crayton's big 25-yard catch at the end of the 1st Quarter? I was thoroughly confused as the Saints were given time to review every replay possible during that timeout and decide if they should use a review on that 3rd and 8. Luckily, it held up, but I found that most curious. Let's not act like last night was not without brain freezes, as that decision, the 12-men in the huddle, the play where Barber forgot he was supposed to get the ball, the Flozell facemask, and a few others that we would all be pointing to if the Cowboys did not close the deal. But, they did, so they are but details in a notebook.

* Speaking of the review impacting the game, I was interested in what effect the review of the Spencer hit on Brees with :18 to go in the game had on the next play. If you recall, the Cowboys were rushing Brees on that final drive for 11 consecutive plays. Since they were in the no-huddle, you could make the case that the longer the drive goes on, the more depleted the energy becomes for the pass rushers. But, when they were reviewing the question of whether Brees' arm was going forward, DeMarcus and friends are catching their breath on the sideline. On the very next play, Ware beats Jermon Bushrod round the corner again and seals the game. It might have all happened the exact same way without the break, but my theory is that it helped Ware.

* I would never question the offensive genius of Sean Payton, but David Thomas gets 10 targets? He wasn't bad, but I think I have to adjust my gameplan when I find out my starter (Jeremy Shockey) can't play. The goal was obviously to isolate the Cowboys LBs in space (Carpenter, Brooking, James) and he was willing to work his back-up TE all night to do so. If I am the Cowboys, I am comfortable with Thomas trying to beat me.

* Every week, Garrett rolls out a new wrinkle. I really enjoy trying to predict what it might be, but this week, it was the mutiple looks with Kevin Ogletree. His 2catches were helpful, but I really think they were trying to spring him for a deep TD early in the 3rd Quarter and Romo just didn't have enough time to hit him so he checked down to Austin (who dropped the pass). Even Sam Hurd made a rare appearance late.

* We had to like the way the ball was run in New Orleans, too. They really set the tone and were physical throughout. Marion ran over Darren Sharper in short yardage, showing us that he is not the guy we saw at the goal-line against the Chargers. Felix showed bursts as well in certain situations and always looks like he is about to break one. I thought Bigg Davis played one of his better games of the recent stretch.

* Flozell looks very old. I think Left Tackle better be looked at very closely this offseason. And no, I don't think Leonard Davis is the answer, nor Doug Free.

* If there has been one guy who has certainly showed his quality as this season has gone along, it would be Mike Jenkins. But, if there have been 2 guys, we should add Anthony Spencer. I needed him to bust out, and while it might have taken him until nearly Thanksgiving, I now see his ability each week. He is not just "some guy" opposite DeMarcus. He looks to be very imposing, and difficult to deal with. That sequence where he had a sack disallowed by a Scandrick penalty, only to get one on the very next play was lovely. Of course, sacks are easier to get when you are not blocked.

* 2 potential plays of the game happened on 3rd downs in the 4th Quarter for the offense: #1, 3/4 at the 46, Romo puts one right on Roy Williams in stride which would keep the drive alive - but he drops it. #2, 3/7 at the 23, Romo again finds Austin in the face of a blitz and Austin sprints for 32 more and seemed to seal the game (thanks, Folk). But, overall, the telling stat for the Cowboys offense seems to be 3rd Downs. In Philly and in New Orleans, Romo and the offense made those plays. Against the Giants and Chargers, not so much. Must make the plays in the money scenarios.

* Today,my friend, Doug, notes, the Cowboys world must cheer for the Steelers, 49ers, and Redskins? Strange bedfellows for sure.

So, tell me, was this the aberration? Or is this the start of a 3 game winning streak heading into the playoffs with a division crown on their head and a home playoff game on tap? I wish I had an idea one way or the other. The good news is this thing is still now very much alive. The bad news is that the 2008 Cowboys won their 14th game against a top NFC foe, only to hit the wall in a ball of flames in games #15 and #16.

Is 2009 different? Only the final 2 weeks will tell us.

Cowboys '09: Game 13 vs San Diego

I am officially out of excuses. And optimism. And positive spins.

For those of you that look to me to offer you some "half-full" mentality, I might be letting you down this week. I just can't believe that they spit the bit again. I blame myself for thinking this season was different. I blame myself for trusting this organization to get it right at the moment of truth.

I mean, at some point, if you keep picking the coyote to catch the road runner and you are wrong repeatedly, do we blame the coyote or those picking him despite the ever mounting pile of evidence that says the road runner will always get away?

On Sunday at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the Chargers avoided any and all aspects of the "ambush theory" and did what good teams do in the month of December, waited out a reasonable performance from the inferior home team and then made all of the plays in the 4th Quarter to seal their 10th victory of the season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys followed their familiar December path, where the crucial moments of the game are all wrong, and despite doing a few things well, they leave with their 5th defeat and the sinking feeling that defeat #6 is merely 5 days away.

The Cowboys offense left at least 10 points on the field - and when you lose by 3, that is an enourmous number. The Cowboys defense surrendered scoring drives in the first half of 84 and 64 yards. Then in the 4th Quarter when it absolutely needed a stop, they allowed 2 stake-in-the-heart possessions of 75 yards and 73 yards. In "win" time, Dallas could not get a drive going, and the Chargers could; marching right down the field with 11:23 Time of Possession in the 4th Quarter alone.

The fact that really shows in a game like this is that you can see the fragile mentality of the Cowboys organization. I was asked last night if the Cowboys are "soft" and I think that is a difficult conclusion to draw when a team wins many physical battles over the course of a game and a season. But, do they possess the composure and the mental strength to weather a storm and emerge on the other side? Or, when adversity arrives on the door-step, do the Cowboys collectively collapse under the pressure? I think the evidence answers that question. They appear to be "mentally soft". You can wait them out. At some point, they will crack under the pressure. They will miss a Field Goal. They will let Vincent Jackson get behind them on 3rd and Long. They will give up a 15 play drive when they absolutely must get the ball back for the offense.

So, who do we blame? I suppose today will be one of those days on the radio where nobody will be free from the ridicule. And who should be safe? If the object of the game around here is to quiet the ghosts of past failures at the moment of truth, then these 2 losses in the last 2 weeks don't exactly accomplish that mission.

As difficult as it is to admit, the Cowboys franchise is merely following its same path that it has worn since its last Super Bowl victory in 1995. A path that often includes a hierarchy of relatively powerless men answering to an owner that promised us he would be involved in everything to "socks and jocks". He is keeping his word, and his results are there for all to see in the record books - nearly 5,000 days since the last playoff wins.

It would surely be easier to handle this team if they would not demonstrate their reasonable quality so often. They are not a bad team and they are not devoid of talent. They play hard and have many quality individuals. But in the end, they end up with what appears to be shockingly similar results. And, of course, what makes me angry is that I only get these moments of clarity after I realize how silly a win prediction on Friday truly was. Again, don't blame the coyote for being the coyote. Blame yourself for believing this episode he will actually catch the roadrunner.

Now, some random observations from the game that showed us 2009 will most likely not end differently:

* The best news to emerge last night from this loss was the report that DeMarcus Ware is out of the hospital and resting at his house. Ware, who was carted off the field with 11:28 to go in the 4th Quarter, appeared to suffer a severe neck injury during a pass rush sequence. At that point in the game, the score was 10-10, and the Chargers were going to face a Ware-less defense for a 3rd and 12, from the SD 47 yards line. Could the Cowboys hang in there without their best defender? Well, 2 plays, and 53 yards later, Antonio Gates is celebrating an easy Touchdown. My first thought is to acknowledge that losing Ware demonstrates his immense value to this team, and we should not be shocked that the results after he left were not positive. My second thought is that, once again, this shows the mental fragility of the team, that losing one guy can make the defense collapse like a house of cards when it needed someone to step up and make a play in Ware's absence. Ware appears to be suffering from a sprained neck, so his return in the next few weeks appears to be a real possibility.

* The Cowboys almost took the game over in the 2nd Quarter, with a phenomenal drive that was primarily that "power run" set domination. Felix Jones for 12, 12, 5. Barber for 8 and 5. Choice for 5 and 6. Jones for 7, Barber for 3 - down to the 1 yard line. The entire length of the field without a single pass completion. It was a thing of beauty- Physical strength and demoralizing results for the Chargers defense. And, then the game turned. 2nd and goal: nothing. 3rd and goal: nothing. 4th and goal: Less than nothing. When they had 3 cracks from the 1 with the season hanging in the balance, the Cowboys could not get the 36 inches necessary. What happened? Well, we could carefully analyze every block to see who got it done, and who didn't, but I will save some of that for Football 301. But, if I may offer a cheap 2nd guess, it would be three-fold about that 4th down call. First, if I have one run with my whole season on the line, do I run to the right behind the new guy, Doug Free? Or do I take it to the left, like I did on the goal-line in Philadelphia? Second, on the 1 yard line, when 11 defenders are on the line, can I afford to wait for the development of the pulling Kyle Kosier? Brandon Siler sure didn't wait. He shot the gap, beat Kosier to the point of attack, and blew up the play. And Third, don't I have Barber at Tailback, with Deon Anderson's thunder blocks in front of him, rather than trying to get cute and have Felix deep and Barber up front? Would the Chargers really believe that for the first time in his career, you would trust Felix Jones in a short yardage situation? Or, did the Chargers know, like we all did, that Jones was a decoy, and Barber was getting the rock again. Regardless, the game changed right then and there, and we will have all off-season to debate if any of those 3 issues have merit, or if we are all just second-guessing the result - that Barber was stopped at the 1-yard line; and the season might have been stopped, too.

* Nick Folk.

* I know that my vote is not the deciding vote in the Jerry Jones approval rating test, but I cannot tell you how nuts he makes me sometimes. From the role that his head coaches must take, to the assumption that he needs more Felix, to the idiocy of the bits in his new stadium, to the roof being closed when it is 68 degrees outside - the hits just keep coming. So, let me get this straight: It is arguably the biggest game of the year. One in which the crowd needs to make a difference and help will the Cowboys to victory. A game that is so crucial that many will lose their jobs over it if the result doesn't go the right direction. And with that all in mind, he thought it would be a great time to hand out 70,000+ 3D glasses to his fans, which effectively distracts his own audience from doing their job in the game? What is the point? What are we doing? Is the whole point of this new stadium to bring further glory to Jerry by proving we can herd well-meaning Cowboys fans onto a party platform 50-deep? Is it to show the silliness of the world's largest television - while ignoring the reality that it actually keeps your own fans from wanting to watch what is going on down on the field below? You cannot make this stupidity up! Why not issue XBoxs and cellphones to everyone attending so that they pay even less attention to the game? I can feel my blood pressure raise as I type this, so let me end this rant by admitting this stadium and I are never going to be on good terms, I don't believe.

* The Cowboys are 1-6 at home in December in their last 7 games. Amazing.

* The pass rush was ineffective again. I will readily admit that Philip Rivers was hit on several occasions as he delivered the ball, but the hits never seemed to affect the flight of the ball. He stood tall, took a hit, and moved the chains again. I was very impressed with his performance for much of the day.

* As for Romo, the numbers of efficiency were there all day. But much like the Cowboys, numbers are nice, but football comes down to scenarios and key moments in a game. During those scenarios and key moments, the offense has to cash in. And for whatever reason, they were 1-8 on 3rd down conversions. Not converting on 3rd down ends drives and turns TD opportunities into Field Goals (or missed Field Goals). A QB Rating of 111.7 was surely impressive, but unlike last week, you would have to admit he was the 2nd best QB on the field. Rivers had a lower QB rating (89.6) but converted several 3rd and long throws that kept his team rolling down the field, while going right after Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins. The corners for the Cowboys seem good enough usually, but clearly not anything that scares Rivers.

* I was asked by a few emailers to reprint my "end of another season" paragraph from last year's Baltimore game that I received so many compliments on. I hesitate to do so, because there are 3 games to go. The Cowboys can still save their skin (there I go, believing in the coyote, again). Regardless, your wish is my command:

As I was leaving a frigid Texas Stadium after the game, I was walking right behind a Dad and his boy. The boy must have been 7 or 8 years old and was crying about the result. Some people might roll their eyes, but I knew how the boy felt. When you are young, and you love a sports team, you believe the games and the seasons will all have the happy endings of the Disney movies that you watch. Guess what, son, if you are going to pledge allegiance to a team as it appears you have with the Dallas Cowboys, I want to welcome you to the fellowship of the die-hards. Understand, that once you do, you are not allowed out of this commitment, and you should also understand that most seasons are going to end in tears. A favorite team is the only thing a male human feels the same about when he is 5 and when he is 45 and when he is 75. You will change your mind on everything else. Girls, money, hobbies. But, you will always still feel the adrenaline rush of a win, and the gutting sadness of a horrible loss. I didn’t say anything to the boy, as his Dad was handling it (and he might not have welcomed my advice) but I felt for him. Welcome to sports, young man. Someday, you may live to see a championship or five, but most years will end with your guts spilling onto the floor. - December 21, 2008

Fellowship of the Die-hards or Fellowship of the Miserable? It is a fine line between the two.

3 games to go. Anyone believe in the coyote?

Cowboys '09: Game 12 at New York Giants

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Stats are for losers"?

On occasion, this phrase will be used by professional athletes in a locker-room (either winning or losing) after some media guy waves a stat-sheet in his face and wants a full explanation on how you could win/lose with these types of numbers that would suggest the opposite result should have happened.

And, I suppose, today would be a good day to remember that phrase. The Cowboys went to New Jersey Sunday with a game plan for success. And they executed a fairly reasonable amount of it. Yet, in the end, they leave with a loss. Let's look at all of the metrics besides the only metric that matters (Scoreboard):

- The Cowboys won the turnover margin (+1)

- The Cowboys dominated total yards (424-337)

- The Cowboys easily owned Time of Possession: (38:50 - 21:10)

- The Cowboys had the best QB on the Field: Romo had a QB rating of 112, Eli's was 89, and only 61 if you subtract the throw to Brandon Jacobs.

- The Cowboys won 1st Downs (27-15), 3rd Downs (9 conversions to 4), and total plays (80-49).

And, yet, here we are again. Losing a key December game in which a lot of things went very well.

"These are the times that try Cowboys fans' souls"

So, how do you lose a game like that? How do you find yourself answering all of the same questions when you know that was a game that was asking to be won?

In every game there are about 130 plays. When we add them all up together, we find the big numbers that look neat on a stat sheet. But, when we separate them and pick out the few that would be called pivotal, we realize that some key battles were lost along the way that lead to the loss of the war.

* Holding a 10-7 lead, and almost assured of taking that lead into the locker-room, the Cowboys go searching for more. When Tony Romo hits Marion Barber for an easy first down into Giants territory, it appears they are on their way to regaining control of the game and adding to this lead. Then, Barber has the ball taken from him at just the wrong time. Mathias Kiwanuka is not even trying to get the ball, but as he tries to tackle MB3, the ball comes loose, and Osi Umenyiora takes it and runs. This, of course, sets up a 28-yard TD drive, and the Giants have a 14-10 halftime lead, after trailing 10-0 at the 2-minute warning.

* Exactly 19 seconds after taking the lead, 17-14, the Cowboys give it right back on a 74-yard Touchdown reception to Brandon Jacobs (of all people). Jacobs out-ran the entire Cowboys LB corps, and gathered in only his 2nd career reception of more than 40 yards. Yes, the other one was a 43-yarder against the Cowboys in 2006. If ever there was a play that changed a game in the blink of an eye, it had to have been this - a play so simple in its design and yet so lethal in its result. Who knew that Anthony Spencer couldn't run down Jacobs with a 1-yard head start?

* Down 24-17, the Cowboys are forced to punt following a crucial intentional grounding penalty on Romo. Mat McBriar, who has had a fabulous season as the punter (let's not talk about McBriar as the holder), perhaps out-kicks the coverage. Then as Domenik Hixon breaks somewhere between 2-4 tackles, the Cowboys see their chance of holding on to the NFC East lead slip through their special teams. It was the first punt return for a TD allowed since 2007, when Dante Hall turned the trick for the Rams. Game Over.

3 plays that made the other 126 plays look pretty unimportant in comparison. And thus, the Cowboys drop their 4th game of the season, giving up all ground to Philadelphia and the Giants. And, now, the collar tightens as December rolls on.

Other Notes and Observations from a decidedly predicatable day at Giants Stadium:

* I think it goes without saying that Romo was exactly what he needs to be to quiet the critics and to rise another level amongst the QBs in the NFL. His passes were precise and he stood tall in the face of the pass rush. Romo seemed to control the game wonderfully for most of the day, hooking up with both receivers and his big tight end down the middle for great success. 3 TDs, 0 INTs, and crucial 3rd Down conversions time after time. Obviously, the miss to Roy Williams with 4 minutes to go might have helped pull a miracle down 14, and was a huge moment. The grounding play killed the drive prior to that, too. But, if he is going to drop back 50 times, all you ask is that he makes several big plays and stays out of trouble. He did both, and I think you are trying too hard if you want to blame the Cowboys' QB on this one (Tony Dungy).

* Nick Folk has become a problem. 4-10 from 40-49 yards is brutal, and the miss yesterday was very large. The Cowboys could have cut the lead to 21-20 with the majority of the 4th Quarter yet to play (10:38), and he duck-hooks a 42-yarder with fabulous side spin. Only the Philadelphia game features a day in the last 6 games where Folk did NOT miss a FG. Do you think this team can afford to give away points for any reason in tight road games in December? 16-24 in 2009 pretty much erases all of his credibility from 2007 and 2008, and now I am wondering if the Cowboys can afford to ride this slump out.

* Keith Brooking looks tired. Coming off 10 days rest, I was hoping that he could have plugged things up better. He has been a wonderful addition to this team, so I hope he has gas left in his tank.

* Here is the reality of play-calling: You can call anything you want and if your OL is going to get whipped at the line of scrimmage by a DL that seems to want the game far more, then it doesn't matter what you call. the interior of the OL offered very little along the lines of movement last night, and it seemed the Giants were dead-set on limiting the running game at all costs. We can debate how much that made Romo's job easier through the air, but it was clear that the Giants were committed to making sure the Boys did not run for 250 again. I would say this simply proves the theory of "Just because it worked last time against these guys, doesn't mean it will work next time". I would like to give you are report on which running back was more effective against the Giants, but the fact is the OL was beaten so badly that none of them had a true chance to get anywhere, even against the vaunted "22".

* Arm tackles don't work well in December.

* Martellus Bennett is going to have to decide if he wants to be a great pass catching tight end or not. We already know he is a fine blocking tight end, but those guys generally make league minimum for much of their career - and they have John Phillips serving that role, too. He has not demonstrated that Romo can trust him this season - with another drive-killing drop. And if you don't get the trust of your offense, they stop going to you. I think the same can be said for Felix Jones, although he has the benefit of his owner demanding that he get the ball. Earn your stripes, young men. Then, Romo will throw the ball to you at every turn, like he does that Witten guy.

* Pass Rush versus Giants: 2008 = 12 sacks in 2 games. 2009 = 1 sack in 2 games. I would say this was a point of emphasis for the Giants OL, and it would appear they figured it out. The only sack for the Cowboys was 2:33 left in the game yesterday, and the Giants up 14 points. Basically, the Cowboys did not get to Eli Manning this season at all.

* David Buehler had 17 touchbacks in the first 7 games, and has just 3 in the last 5 games. His kickoffs yesterday were sometimes lucky to get the 10 yard line. I will happily admit that outdoor kicks in December are no picnic at Giants Stadium, but if the idea is to give him a roster spot because of his special ability to kick it deep, then....

* Stop me if I write this every week category: Jay Ratliff is awesome - that strip and recovery was marvelous. I cannot believe we once had a debate between Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. Flozell Adams confuses me sometimes. And Roy Williams with another 2 Touchdowns! (Just making sure you were paying attention)

Well, here we are again. Adversity and December. Here come the red hot Chargers in a week's time, and the questions will be asked. No unit can escape blame today as the offense was beaten physically, the defense surely did not cover Steve Smith or tackle well, and the special teams missed FGs and surrendered a huge punt return TD. Spread the blame, and get back to work.

8-4.

Who has resolve?

Picking the Playoffs

Last year, 12 teams made the NFL Playoffs. In the AFC, it was the Colts, Chargers, Ravens, Patriots, Jets, and Bengals. In the NFC, the Cowboys, Eagles, Packers, Cardinals, Vikings, and Saints.

So, now, we have to begin sorting through who we shall select to go in 2010. I have some ideas, but I am actually going to continue to examine things for another week or two before I try to get it right this year. Sidenote: In 2009, I did about as well as I have ever done when I wrote this about 1 year ago:

This year I predicted that the Eagles, Cowboys, Packers, Saints, Seahawks, and Falcons would make the NFC Playoffs, and the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, Steelers, Chargers, and Titans would make the AFC Playoffs. I had the Saints-Chargers in the Super Bowl, with the Saints winning it all.

Not bad, right? Anyway, we must look at history before we make our selections. What is the most important trend to keep in mind?

The Trend is this - Since 1991, when the NFL Expanded its playoffs to 12 teams, each year has averaged 5.8 new teams each year. To say it slightly differently, only 6 teams make it back to the playoffs the next year - and the other 6 teams are brand new.

Obviously, this flies in the face of most of our predictions. Because we look at each season and assume those who made it to last year's tournament will no doubt have good years - and those who failed in 2008 are doomed to fail in 2009.

It just isn't true. In the chart below, I will show you each year, and list the new teams who made the playoffs that year, but weren't in the playoffs the year before. The teams in the 1991 playoffs (the 1st year - so they were all new) were Dal, Atl, NO, Chi, Wash, and Det in the NFC; KC, Oak, Hou, NYJ, Den, and Buf in the AFC:

Year	# New	New Teams making Playoffs
1992	6	Min, SF, Phi, Mia, Pit, KC
1993	5	Det, GB, NYG, Oak, Den
1994	5	Chi, Mia, Clev, NE, SD
1995	4	Phi, Atl, Ind, Buf
1996	5	Min, Car, Jac, Den, NE
1997	5	NYG, Det, TB, KC, Mia
1998	5	Arz, Dal, Atl, NYJ, Buf
1999	7	Det, TB, StL, Was, Sea, Ten, Ind
2000	6	Phi, NYG, NO, Den, Bal, Oak
2001	6	SF, GB, Chi, Pit, NE, NYJ
2002	5	NYG, Atl, Ten, Cle, Ind
2003	8	Stl, Car, Dal, Sea, NE, KC, Bal, Den
2004	5	Min, Atl, SD, Pit, NYJ
2005	7	Was, Car, TB, NYG, Chi, Cin, Jac
2006	7	Phi. Dal, NO, SD, Bal, NYJ, KC
2007	6	Was, TB, GB, Pit, Ten, Jac
2008	7	Phi, Atl, Car, Min, Arz, Mia, Bal
2009	6	Dal, GB, NO, Cin, NE, NYJ

Table Tutorial

Cowboys '09: Game 11 vs Oakland

Unlike Sunday, this was an absolute fine case of "Taking Care of Business". Instead of using all 60 minutes of the clock to secure a victory, the Cowboys seemed to put their Thanksgiving opponents to the sword well before halftime. The Raiders seemed to cooperate, but let's give the Cowboys full credit for accomplishing their top 2 goals.

1) - Figure out how to turn 2-2 into 8-3 by the day after Thanksgiving. This would put you in a great spot entering a very formidable December schedule. As they say, "make hay while the sun shines", and they did. Full marks to the Cowboys for getting through October and November with a record that can certainly be used to allow a small amount of wiggle room in the final 5 games.

2) - Enter December with a little momentum from the offense. Again, it was just the Raiders, but to get 10 explosives (plays of 20+) and nearly 500 yards of offense was a spectacular show of force, and now they can rest for 10 days knowing what they are capable of. The alternative would have been to head to New York to play the Giants with the complete lack of momentum from the Green Bay and Washington games and try to fight through that doubt in the back of your mind against a desperate Giants team. I have to believe the assurance that Miles Austin, Jason Witten, and Felix Jones are all prepared to make a game-breaking play puts them in a confident spot for December 6.

The offense is the big story from Thursday, and the big story inside the big story is the fact that Miles Austin did it again. When you have 7 catches for 145 yards and it is only your 3rd best performance of the year, you know you have an elite Wide Receiver. We have been around this discussion plenty this year, but let's all admit that contracts, fantasy football draft position, jersey sales, and national reputation do not a star player make. The only thing that makes you a star player in this league is making plays again and again and again. Despite the first 4 games where he was a complete after-thought in this offense, Austin now is almost assured a 1,000 yard season (he needs 176 more yards in 5 games) and has proven that he can get open and make a play. To think that this guy was only a "prospect" 60 days ago is a tough thing to wrap your arms around. He has taken the job and run with it, and I don't think it would be too soon to find a way to pay that man to insure his future his secure as a Dallas Cowboy.

And then there is that running game. Balance is a nice thing, right? Obviously, you would like to play the Raiders every week, but let's remember their defense is not really that bad. The Cowboys ran for 195 yards on 25 carries - a staggering 7.8 yards per carry. Again, not to get too demonstrative here, but I really feel that anyone that doesn't think the Cowboys are a "power running team" is ignoring a building mountain of evidence. It is truly staggering how devastating a run team they are, and equally staggering to me that they have only not had success on the ground in 2 games - 1 in which they never really tried to run it (Green Bay) and 1 in which they had only 1 healthy RB (Choice in Denver). When the Cowboys run the ball from a power posture (multiple TEs and/or a FB) there has been almost nobody who has stopped it. It was their 8th game of running for over 100 yards, and their 4th game of running for more than 150. They can run the football right at you, and you cannot stop it - a very valuable trick in December if you can remember it, Jason.

8-3 required no real slips along the way after losing 2 of the first 4. But, the Cowboys did a nice job of taking care of their business and then were given the added bonus of the 5-0 Giants turning into the 6-5 Giants. They enter December in the driver's seat in the NFC East and now they can cast history aside and get after the true meat of this meal.

Other notes and observations from a Thanksgiving game that will not become an "instant classic" but was truly effective:

* Anthony Spencer had his first 2 sacks of the season! I have been watching this guy very carefully over the last month to make sure he is pulling his weight despite his 0 sack total through 10 games. I must tell you that I feel that he is flying around the ball and causing problems. I think Anthony Spencer has played very well in many departments of his game, and for this reason, I have had no problem with his performance beyond the pass rushing results. Even there, Spencer has had as many hits on the QB as anyone, but still 0 sacks. Yesterday, he had 2, and almost had 2 more, so perhaps he is starting to take off and get some results. His 1st sack of the season was exactly the way we saw him getting 8 or 9 sacks this season in our preseason projections - 94 flushes the QB right into 93's arms. It shouldn't take 11 games for this to happen.

* The Roof was open. Amazing. I know I should not take any credit for it, but for some reason, I felt satisfied with the change.

* In the 1st Quarter, the Raiders started the game with quite a few big running plays; Fargas +21, Fargas +12. McFadden +12. In the first 6 carries, they had gashed the Cowboys for 58 yards. The, on 2nd and 6 from the 46 on their 3rd drive, the Cowboys rolled out the 3-5 package. I cannot tell you how many times they ran it, but it was clear that once they saw the Raiders were running with success, they rolled out Ware-Brooking-Carpenter-James-Spencer all at the same time to snuff that threat out - while only playing 3 DBs. Raiders running backs were 15 for 36 yards the rest of the game.

* Sebastian Janikowski did not step on the field until the 2nd half kickoff. Not sure it pays to have an elite kicker if you are the Raiders.

* When did it become ok to field punts inside your 10 yard line? Did I miss the memo or did both teams violate one of the most basic edicts of special teams multiple times?

* I like the Cowboys deciding to use a little play action, including the Red Zone touchdown to Roy Williams. One critique: When using the play action fake, make sure the RB runs in the same direction as the fake handoff. A fake to nobody is not nearly as convincing to the defense.

* If I were to predict one of Norm's "5 plays that affected the game that you might not remember" for today, I would say the safe money bet for #1 would be the mark of the Miles Austin catch on 3rd and 11 early in the 2nd Quarter. It was the Cowboys 4th drive and they enjoyed just a 3-0 lead. It was 3rd and 11 from their own 10 yard line, and Austin made the catch and then had to twist and fight for the final few yards. I thought he was short, but he got the favorable spot and made the 1st down by a link of the chain. 2 plays later, there was a 27 yard catch to Austin, and 1 play after that Felix Jones broke a 46 yard touchdown run. 10-0 Cowboys, and the Cowboys had taken off offensively. If that was a 3-and-out, the offensive frustration could continue and the boo birds might make an appearance.

* Keith Brooking, Jay Ratliff, and DeMarcus Ware all need trips to the Pro Bowl. I am confident that Ratliff and Ware will both be there, but will Brooking? That needs to happen.

* What offers less insight than putting a microphone on a coach and the entire audio segment features him yelling "nice run! nice block!". Pointless at best.

* I don't want to get into Roy Williams again, but 2 catches for 15 yards does not change his role in the offense in my mind as we head to December. One thing I was very happy to see from the Cowboys offense was finding Jason Witten down the seam. It used to be a wonderful staple of this offense, when Witten finds a LB mismatch, and the Cowboys gain an easy 37 yards. Apparently, the Raiders are not going to let the rest of the league's philosophy of covering Witten with a safety affect them. I liked it, though.

Rest now for the banged up Cowboys. 5 Games to go, with the most oppressive element of this stretch is attempting to tune out the questions and conversations about Cowboys historical failures in December. Keith Brooking reminded the media that those teams have nothing to do with this team. I agree with his premise, but that won't keep the stories from being written. Prepare for the stretch.