You can't walk to the promised land these days.

The Dallas Cowboys will not make it to the SuperBowl this season. Write it down, carve it in stone, cast it in bronze, whatever. But understand it, let it sink in, and get ready for next season. They won't make it to the SuperBowl because they do not have a running back that can consistently make a difference in ball games.

Oh yeah, they get some production out of this running back by committee thing they've had going for several years, but let's look at history. I'll put a few names out on the table to look at:

Emmitt Smith
Barry Sanders
Walter Peyton
Thurman Thomas
Franco Harris
Tony Dorsett
Marcus Allen
Earl Campbell
Ricky Watters
Larry Czonka
Corey Dillon

First of all, most of those running backs have a SuperBowl ring. Some have three. All of them played for playoff contenders. A couple of them, Sanders and Peyton, played for really lousy teams and still became great running backs. And who can say how much more lousy those teams would have been without that great running back. Earl Campbell immediately elevated the play of the Houston Oilers by just showing up.'

You can go look at the stats of all the SuperBowl winners throughout history and find that almost certainly, there was a top grade running back lined up for that team. Not some guy that might get you the yards you need, but a guy that the other team had to change their defense because he was in the game. I don't care how bad the Detroit Lions were, teams had to account for Barry Sanders. Or he'd burn them. Same for Emmitt Smith. And Franco Harris.

I contend that to get to the big game, a team must have a top 3 running back. Not a top 3 committee. There has to be one guy that the opposing team simply fears. Yes, there has to be a decent offensive line in front of him and all the other supporting cast, but bad running backs don't always do well even if they have all that. Good running backs, really good running backs, make a difference in almost every game they play. Even if it's just a matter of making the defense account for him on every play.

Emmitt Smith has 3 SuperBowl rings, the NFL record for yards gained and God knows how many other records. Barry Sanders allowed the Lions, who weren't good at all without him, compete. Walter Peyton was just Walter Peyton. Sweetness. For his team. Danger to opposing teams. The Chicago Bears would have been looking up to see the basement without Walter. Thurman Thomas only took his team to 4 SuperBowls. They lost them, but he got them there, which is more than all but one other running back could say each year. Franco Harris has the SuperBowl rings to prove he did his job. So do Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen. Earl Campbell never made it to the SuperBowl, but he was a huge part of the Houston Oiler offense and got them into the playoffs when they would have never made it without him. The Forty Niners of the early 90's wouldn't have been what they were without Ricky Watters. No one played them without having to account for Ricky. Larry Czonka is the only one of those listed above that can claim a perfect regular season. 14-0, and a SuperBowl ring after winning out in the playoffs. Corey Dillon is the current guy that's making his mark in history with the Patriots. Tomlinson looks to be the real thing out in San Diego.

To get to the Promised Land, you have to run. Walking won't get you there. What these guys brought to games was heart. These guys came in, did their jobs and made differences in ball games. Consistently.

That's the difference in what the Dallas Cowboys have had for several years now. Consistency. Julius Jones has proven to be average, at best. Barber has scored touchdowns all season, but nothing shows he's capable of being an every down back.

There are several problems with the Cowboys team right now. Defense, of course, particularly safeties and pass rushers. The offensive line is a problem that has not been properly addressed. But Jerry Jones knows what it took last time to get the Cowboys to the big game. A good quarterback. Tony Romo has the potential of being that. No doubt he needs some more experience. Good wide receivers, with one being a game changer. Dallas isn't in too bad of a shape at wide receiver right now. And a top grade running back. Dallas does not have that currently.

Add to that a defense that can just shut down the other team, regardless of whether it's passing or running and the Cowboys can add to their trophy case. Fiddle farting around with these half-assed running backs and trying to fix a position for one year by bringing in someone like TO hasn't worked. This running back by committee thing might get things done early in the season, but it hasn't worked late in the season and I don't see it working well in the postseason with current personnel.

If you'll spend $5 million on a kicker, Mr. Jones, surely you will consider spending some real money on a running back. Especially since you have the privilege of being able to look at the results of spending good money on one in the past by just glancing up at your trophy case.

You can't walk to the promised land these days. You have to run.

Of course, this will be read by fans, not by anyone on the team. So It won't make one iota of a difference. But damned if I don't feel better after writing it.

I am just livid with myself. . . .

I know better than this. I held out longer than almost all of you. Amidst claims of going to the promise land, the SuperBowl, all that, I maintained a wait and see attitude.

But last week, I bit the cheese. Romo had done well, played consistently and I just felt like it was all coming together. The Cowboys had it going their way. NFC East title was within reach. The #2 spot in the playoffs was within reach, albeit with some outside help. Someone had to beat the Saints. The Cowboys had cinched the playoffs, now it was just a matter of jockeying for position.

But there was a minor problem. The Philadelphia Eagles. Not only that, it was the Philadelphia Eagles coming to Texas Stadium. Here at the end of the season, when the Cowboys should be building momentum to go into the playoffs, they started losing home games. And not just any home game. No, they lost home games that were critical to playoff posturing. New Orleans came to Texas Stadium and just had their way with the Cowboys. The Philadelphia Eagles did the same thing yesterday.

The odds are that Dallas will finish the season 10-6. The should beat the Detroit Lions. But don't put your money on it. This is the inconsistent Cowboys. Change the score on two games and the Cowboys basically win every other game. They had a 4 game streak after Romo first became the starter, but since then, it's been win one, then lose one, repeat.

I posted an article back on Nov. 6th and said:

"Seeing half a season go by with the pattern of up one week, down the next, and seeing our record at this point being exactly where it should be based on performance, 4-4, one can only come to the conclusion that the Cowboys are mediocre, average. . . .bordering on bad. Yes they can improve. Yes, they can get worse, too. It's a wash."

I guess I left off the fact that they could just stay like they were, middle of the pack. Oh sure, they had the 4 game winning streak, which improved them from a 50% team after game #8 to a 60% team where they are now.

60% . . . Let that one soak in.

I don't know about you, but where I went to school, anything less than 70% was failure. And before anyone comes up with the argument that if it hadn't been for that freak play at the end of that Washington game, the numbers wouldn't be the same. The bottom line is it wasn't different at the end of that Washington game and the numbers are the same. There certainly was no freak play in the New Orleans game. Or in the Philly game yesterday. The Philadelphia Eagles kicked asses and took names. When someone asks the Cowboys "who's your daddy", they can collectively say "The Eagles are my daddy!" It sucks, but it's reality.

Also reality is the inconsistency. In training camp and preseason, the expectation was that Dallas would have a great defense this season. At no point in this season could you have claimed the Cowboys had a great defense. The best game they played, in my opinion, was against the Colts. One game does not a great season make. They won't be a great defense this season. The playoffs aren't the time of year to begin learning how to work as a unit. If a defense hasn't learned it by the time the playoffs begin, they won't be learning it this season. No pass rush, poor secondary play, giving up too many long plays and plays across the middle will send them home early from the playoffs. They haven't played well enough to deserve to be there and they won't be there very long. Again, it's reality.

As for the offense, the first half of the season, Drew Bledsoe's immobility was a factor. Most folks blamed him on the four losses in the first half of the season. This second half has shown us that even Romo's excellent mobility and decision making isn't enough to overcome a porous offensive line. It's hard for a quarterback, regardless of how mobile he is, to dodge 4 defenders simultaneously. Danny White had the same problem. The poor play of his front line kept him from being the SuperBowl winner he surely could have been. A quarterback cannot win games flat of his back. Period. Another reality.

Terrell Owens proves one more time that he's going to make sure everyone knows it's all about him. Wasn't it convenient that there was a camera crew there to film him visiting all of his former Eagles buddies. He did his talking before the game. The Eagles did their talking on the field. TO was hardly a factor in the game. One touchdown, when the opposing team is having their way with you, is hardly a contribution. But TO got his name mentioned on TV and that's what's important. If Parcells decides to stay, and if Jones and Parcells decide to keep TO in Dallas, I think they have both left their senses. It's a team sport and you simply cannot have one guy that spends every waking moment of his life trying to make sure that everyone knows the sun, moon, planets and stars orbit around him, regardless of method or consequence. Terrell's play is not good enough to make up for his lack of team spirit. There are other receivers out there that don't come with the financial cost or the distraction cost. They need to find one and let TO go play elsewhere.

The only person who can possibly find something to be happy about on the Cowboys is possibly Gramatica. At least they can't blame this one on him. I'm sure that's great comfort for him. NOT!

I cannot see any team going into the playoffs without momentum, with a defense playing as poorly as they have basically all season, with an offensive line being as porous as they are, and with all the distractions this team has and almost certainly will have to tolerate so long as TO is on the roster, going very far in the playoffs. To even consider they are legitimate SuperBowl contenders this season isn't founded in reality. If, by some freak circumstance, they make it to the SuperBowl, the AFC has so much better teams, they'll eat them alive. The playoffs are big games. Important games. And the 2006 Cowboys haven't shown they are consistent in those games. And you don't get but one inconsistent game in the playoffs. Then you go home.

No, it won't happen this year, folks. There'll be no 6th trophy on the shelf at Valley Ranch after this season.

I screwed up and bit the cheese, drank the kool-aid and looked around for more. My deepest apologies to those that expected better of me. It won't happen again. As Parcells said, "you are what you are". The Cowboys are at the moment 9-6. That's a 60% team. And lucky to be there with the problems that they have to get corrected.

Now, how do i get the taste of bad cheese out of my mouth. . . . . .

Posted on http://www.dallascowboystalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7573#post7573

Business as usual. . . .

I've said several times this year that the Cowboys haven't played well in December. I was basing that on memory, but I pulled the stats just to make sure I was right. The stats didn't have actual dates of the games, so I pulled the final 5 games for each season and looked at the W-L ratios. Here's the facts:

2006 2-2 (one game left)
2005 2-3
2004 2-3
2003 2-3 Playoff game (1)
2002 1-4
2001 2-3
2000 1-4
1999 2-3 Playoff game (1)
1998 2-3 Playoff game (1)
1997 0-5
1996 2-3 Playoff games (2)
1995 3-2 SuperBowl win

So you have to go back eleven years before you find a winning record in the final 5 games of a season. It's been since 1996 that the Cowboys have won a playoff game. If the Cowboys can manage to pull out a win against the Detroit Lions this next weekend, they will have stopped that losing December streak they have going. Then they have a 3 game run to get to the SuperBowl. More than likely, on the road. The Cowboys have had only one 3 game winning streak this season and it was the first since 2003. If the Cowboys can beat the Lions, that begins that streak. As we know, one loss and you're out in the playoffs, so the Cowboys will have to beat the lions, then win 3 more in a row just to get to the SuperBowl.

To achieve a SuperBowl win, the Cowboys would have to win 4 playoff games, probably on the road. Potential opponents include the Bears, Seahawks, Giants, Eagles, or Saints. Three of these teams have already beaten the Cowboys this season. The Cowboys didn't play the other two. If you throw in winning the game against the Lions to go into the playoffs off a win, that makes it a 5 game winning streak necessary.

With a defense giving up 113 points in their last four games, an offense who just had their lowest scoring game of the season, and an offensive line that is letting defenses camp out in the Dallas backfield, the likelihood of a five game winning streak is slim to none. I'm sorry, TO, they don't start games early enough to get you in it to make up for the problems the Cowboys have on their team. I thought for a short time there that we had a good team that had some bad luck with the Saints and was going to head into the playoffs with a good head of steam. After yesterday's Christmas flogging, I've decided they've been a lucky team, being fortunate to make enough plays in a couple games to win them, giving the illusion they were a good team. I'm a Cowboys fan. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing the luck. I'm just sorry it's running out as we head into the playoffs.

I don't think a team that goes into the playoffs with a losing record in their last 5 games of the season is going far at all. One and done, as they say, wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't be lining up airplane tickets for a Cowboys SuperBowl this year, folks. The likelihood against it is just too high.

No, this is more "business as usual" for the Cowboys. For the past 10 years, the Cowboys have had losing records in their last 5 games each season. This year looks no different. There's a problem when a team goes that long without having a winning record. It can't be all Parcells. He's only been here 4 of those 10 years. The Cowboys have a letdown in December each year. They've had another one this season. It's a December to remember. It's just not a very good memory.

Needs and Hopes and Wants and Shoulds and Ifs. . . .

"We should win out even though"

"Cowboys need to answer the bell"

"If they don't understand it now, they're never going to."

"We need to play better against Atlanta"

"I hope Parrish can get prepared enough to start"

"if we had a quality speedy FS then we could let roy actually play his position"

"I just want them to win"

These are just a sampling of what's been posted in the past week. Monday morning brought a different light on the Dallas Cowboys after suffering humiliation at home against the Saints. Now, we're not so sure about the defense. Or the offensive line. Or Tony Romo. Or the coaching staff. One game and the questions are back. With a vengeance. Because one loss at this point can be devastating. Playoff positioning is at stake. Hell, the playoffs themselves are at stake.

Rope is being purchased for public hangings. The contract for building the gallows is still up for grabs, but let one more loss happen and expect a contractor to be hired immediately.

As a fan myself, I understand how people focus their anger towards one aspect of the game, or one player. When you have a game like the Saints game where the Cowboys were just outplayed at virtually every aspect of the game, it takes a few days for it to all sink in. We all seem to admit that there were many problems, but many focus the blame on one part of the game. Fans of Julius Jones and/or Marion Barber point out that the Cowboys shouldn't have abandoned he running game. Fans of the coaches point out that any coach can call a play, but if the players don't execute, it is all for naught. Fans of Tony Romo point out the lack of protection as the cause of his poor play. Fans of the defense point out that the offense was unable to maintain drives and the defense was forced to stay on the field too long and thus became tired.

And guess what. They're all right. I have said all week that this was a total team meltdown. No one is exempt from blame or criticism. Everyone could have done better than what they did. Period.

And we all know what "needs" or "should" or we "want" or "hope" to happen. And we all know the answers. They all begin with "if".

If the defense picks it up a notch. If the safeties can get the job done. If the offensive line provides protection. If Tony Romo can come back from such a loss. If, if, if. Seven days ago, most of us weren't doing much if'ing. Now, that's all we're doing and frankly it just sucks. While I never bit into the Tony Romo/Pro Bowl/Hall of Fame cheese, there's no doubt his play had been superb and riding the high was very infectuous. Dallas Cowboys football was a whole lot more fun before Sunday night's game. Now, to quote Bill Parcells, it's "critical". Critical isn't fun, in case you're wondering.

Now, it's Saturday morning and tonight is the game against the Falcons. While I did have some concerns about the Saints game last week at this time, there's no way I expected the absolute asskicking that transpired. Until last week, I wasn't overly concerned with the Falcons game. Sure, it's a road game and all that, but the Cowboys were on a roll. That roll got buttered last week by the Saints. Now, I'm right in there with most of you. I have no clue what's going to happen. This team has come back from some losses. Tony Romo has come back from losses and performed well. But this team hasn't come back from anything remotely resembling the Saints game. Can they? Of course. Will they? I have no idea and neither does anyone else.

I do have to say this, though. The Cowboys seem to be living a charmed existence this season. When they need other teams to lose, games the Cowboys aren't playing in, it seems to happen. The Bears drop a game. Seattle drops a game. Will this continue? I have no idea about that one either. Someone's going to be the winner in the Giants/Eagles game. And someone's going to be the loser. The Giants losing would be better for the Cowboys than Philly losing. I think. On the other hand, Philly is getting on a roll with Garcia and no one's buttered that roll yet. And we don't need to be facing a hot Philly team next week. Regardless, the Cowboys need to tend to their own business by winning this game. Next week will have enough of its own "if"s.

We "should" win out the rest of the games. We "need to" and "I hope" we do. I "want" the Dallas Cowboys to play like men on a mission. "If" we do, maybe some of this uncertainty will go away.

In the meantime, it sucks.

I'm Not Really Into It. . . .

"On the field, sometimes, I'm not really into it," T.O. said. "It's almost like I'm kind of faking it. I'm not happy, and it really was, it was affecting my game."

And of course, most of us saw the video from the interview Michael Irvin had with Terrell Owens which explained the source of his unhappiness. He doesn't trust his teammates. Someone's saying bad things behind his back and that has manifested itself in bad play on TO's part.

Pardon me, but wouldn't you think that a player deemed good enough to earn gozillions of dollars would be capable of coping with that without letting it cause him to drop balls?

What is he really saying? And is it anything new? Well, to me, it looks like he's saying that he's not responsible for any dropped passes. If that nasty person wasn't running his mouth behind TO's back, he wouldn't have missed one ball. It's all Mr. Unknown's fault.

To really make it juicy, no one elaborated on what Mr. Unknown was saying behind TO's back. Mr. U might have been talking about him sleeping in meetings. Mr. U might have been talking about how stupid his touchdown celebrations were when they were costing the Cowboys field position by drawing penalties. Mr. U might have said something bad about TO's mother. Mr. U might have said that TO wasn't the Number One Receiver. Mr. U might have mentioned TO throwing hissy fits during games early in the season, games they were losing partially because Owens had dropped balls. Mr. U might have just called him a bad name, like PooPoo Boy or Mister Balldropper.

Whatever it was, it was awful. It had to have been to cause such a psychological reaction from TO. It was damaging enough for Owens to come on national television and proclaim to the world that it was "affecting my game".

Go back and read that quote again. Nevermind, here it is a second time:

"On the field, sometimes, I'm not really into it," T.O. said. "It's almost like I'm kind of faking it. I'm not happy, and it really was, it was affecting my game."

Sometimes he's not really into it? He's cashing the checks, isn't he? If that's not enough to keep his attention, why is he here? It's "almost" like he's "kind of faking it"? What in hell does that mean? Faking what? Faking playing? Well, I guess enough dropped passes would lead an observer to come to that conclusion.

And the best part of that whole thing. "I'm not happy?" I thought he had umpteen million reasons to be happy!!! Who cares if he's happy in the first place? Like I said, he's cashing the checks, isn't he? If he's so unhappy it's affecting his game, he needs to leave. This is the biggest crock foisted upon an NFL team since Ricky Williams did his dog and pony show in New Orleans and later Miami.

Terrell Owens, you are being paid to produce positive results for a football team. If your unhappiness is causing you to not produce positive results or produce negative results, then you need to get therapy, take up crossdressing or needlepoint, change your diet, buy another diamond earring, go visit Michael Jackson and see if he'll let you play in Neverland, go to Six Flags, learn organic gardening, visit Ravi Shankar, go to the boats in Shreveport, La., or whatever else it takes to get over it. Hell, start a career in professional wrestling, they love the drama crap over there. This is the National Football League. You're a multi-million dollar player and you're sounding like some whiney assed crybaby squawling because the other kids are pointing at your feet and laughing at you.

TO, you're NOT the Number One Receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. And your mother dresses you funny. Get frigging over it. You have a job to do.

Side note: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/statistics

ESPN QB Rankings 12/12/2006

1. Drew Brees, NO 101.2
2. Carson Palmer, CIN 98.7
3. Damon Huard, KC 97.6
4. Tony Romo, DAL 96.6
5. Philip Rivers, SD 96.3

"We are at a critical time of the season."

That's what Bill Parcells said on Monday after the Saints opened up a can of whipass on the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. He's right. If this team is a contender, they will make a statement in Atlanta Saturday night. If Tony Romo is the "real deal", so will he.

I can talk all day long about what the team "needs to do", but everyone knows. The bottom line is the entire team, coaching staff included, needs to climb back on that pony and ride it like there's no tomorrow. For all intents and purposes, there isn't one. If they lose the Atlanta game, it'll be more of a psychological breakdown, Philadelphia will get pumped up even more, as will the Giants and the NFC East title will be in serious jeopardy.

This will be the fifth critical game in a row for the Cowboys. The one that I declared to be the defining game for this season was the one against the Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys won that one and the first serious talk about playoff contention began. Then the Thanksgiving Day game against Tampa Bay. Tampa isn't a contender, but if the Cowboys dropped that game in front of a national audience, the questioning would begin whether they were serious contenders or not. They won that one. Then the Giants game. On the road, NFC East opponent, NFC East title on the line, playoff positioning on the line, and the Cowboys won it. Barely. But barely counts. Then the Saints, again for playoff positioning. And the Cowboys screwed the pooch on that one.

Now, all the Romomania has stopped. The road to the promise land doesn't look like it's paved in gold quite yet. No one is expounding on how Romo's previous games have proven that he will come back from a 42-17 knockout punch. And the reason they're not expounding on that is very simple. They have no clue how he'll react to that game. There is absolutely no data to draw from that would give anyone an indication one way or the other. This week, what we hear is "I hope" and "they need to" and "he needs to". Well duhhhh. Of course we hope, and the Cowboys need to, and Romo needs to.

Bill Parcells says it's a "critical time". I agree, and so do most Cowboys fans. Extremely critical. I firmly believe that a loss to the Falcons will cause several catastrophic events to occur. I think a loss will bring about a psychological letdown that they won't recover from this season. They might limp into the playoffs, but they won't stay long. I already believe this will be Parcells' last season in Dallas. But a loss here will just cinch it, I believe. Then we're talking new coach, new philosophy, etc. And that leads to a year or two of getting things lined up for the new way of thinking before the Cowboys would get back into contention. Yeah, I'd consider this one "critical".

For Romo, this one's critical. If he comes in, with renewed confidence, has another stellar game like we know he's capable of having, that will filter to the rest of the team. If he comes in looking like the second coming of Quincy Carter, running like a scared jackrabbit, throwing the ball just because he can, not necessarily at anyone in particular, folks, we're in trouble. We desperately need Tony Romo to be "the man", "the real deal", etc. Did I say "desperately"?? I meant it. We need to be able to use that annointing oil Parcells mentioned. The pressure is on Tony Romo with a vengeance. The moon eyed, blindly staring minions are no longer lined up to get on the train to the promise land at Romo's mere beckoning. Someone stuck up a sign that reads "Bridge Out" and Cowboys Nation is wandering around in mindless stupor like Katrina victims were doing last year after the hurricane struck.

What a time for Fathead to come out with their Romo rendering. I bet sales haven't met expectations this week. See, this need for Romo to be "the man" actually affects lives. We all know it's just a game, but there are real life consequences to the ups and downs of particular players and teams. There is pressure on Tony Romo. From his team, his fans, his coaches, and probably more than from anyone else, from his own self.

There are still a few more things I want to see before I decide to climb on the Romo bandwagon. Obviously, one is to know whether there's even a bandwagon to climb on. Another is to see how he handles getting hammered several times in one game. He stuttered for a moment after that solid hit in the Giants game. We don't know how he'll do if he gets several of those in one game. No discussion needed. We simply don't know. And we don't know how Tony Romo deals with an absolute buttkicking. We'll know the answer to that question Saturday night.

One of two things happen this weekend, in my opinion. The Cowboys win, definitively, proving the Saints game was a fluke and gain their confidence back, proving they're a legitimate playoff contender with potential of going further than one game. Or the Cowboys lose, and you can stick a fork in them, they'll be done. You'll get no prediction from me today, either way. Not at a critical time like this.

Parcells - Get Up or Get Out?

I have been a Cowboys fan since 1972. Diehard Cowboys fan. That was a great time to become one, too, with Staubach and Doomsday and Drew and Preston and Tony Dorsett and all the guys on those great teams.

I learned to loathe the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Cardinals and of course, the New York Giants. I didn't like their fans or their players. To this day, I don't like to watch Jaworski or Theissman as analysts. It's just old habits.

I didn't like their coaches. And of course, one of those coaches was Bill Parcells. Even when Parcells went to the Jets, those emotions remained. I couldn't bring myself to root for Joe Gibbs in his racing endeavors. When the Cowboys signed Randall Cunningham as backup to Troy Aikman, I never did like it. I rooted for the guy when he played for the Cowboys, but never liked him.

Players and coaches changed teams. I knew that. Still know it. And now with free agency, there's even more change. It's not uncommon at all to find guys that have played on 4 to 5 different teams.

But this article is about a coach, not about players. Specifically, Coach Bill Parcells. When Jerry Jones fired Dave Campo and handed the reins to Parcells, I was not happy. My mind's eye simply couldn't see Parcells pacing the Dallas sideline. He was the enemy. Sure he had the credentials. And we needed the credentials, badly. But he once coached the Giants. Ewwwwwww

But being the fan I am, I bolstered the courage to get behind him and give him my support, if not my total trust. First, we had the Quincy Carter year. And a One and Done playoff experience. Then the QB controversies and then Parcells was getting his old players in, reminding me in some twisted way like the next Rocky movie. Even this season, we've seen quarterback changes.

But what I want to talk about is play calling and coaching. The Cowboys have been a mediocre team for many years. Eleven years ago, in another millenium and with another coach, the Cowboys won a SuperBowl. Since 1995, they have struggled. Parcells arrival led expectations to soar that we were two or 3 years away from a SuperBowl appearance. Of course, that hasn't happened yet. After a couple years as head coach in Dallas, I started liking Parcells. I don't know how or why it happened, it just did.

Last night, Sean Payton, now head coach of the Saints, formerly assistant coach under Parcells for the Cowboys, just embarassed the Cowboys. When Payton was here, many accused him of being too conservative offensively. Last night should have shut that argument up once and for all. Over 500 yards and 42 points is not conservative. Hammering the nail in the coffin with an onside kick when you're 20 points ahead is not conservative.

Where was that kind of play calling last year? Obviously Payton didn't suddenly become annointed by the football genies into greatness.

On the other side of the ball in Dallas, Mike Zimmer has been coaching the defense. His playcalling during Parcells' first year was incredible. With a bunch of not so outstanding players, he created an NFL #1 defense. Since then, the playcalling has become very conservative. Rushing the passer appears to be an afterthought. "Bend, don't break" is the buzzword. The problem is, they do break.

For some reason, there are players like Roy Williams who are not playing to their strengths. They're in the wrong place to truly use their talents. Williams is in pass coverage, when everyone admits he's better as a run blocker. The Cowboys are in their second year of 3-4 defense, a style Zimmer hadn't coached previously, so some of it could be simply ignorance of the nuances of the 3-4. We saw glimpses of how good that defense could be if given the leeway to be aggressive, not conservative, in the Indianapolis Colts game. The Colts were the hot offense and the Cowboys stayed in Manning's face the whole game. Why they didn't do that last night with the Saints, also a hot offense, we'll never know.

But I have an opinion. I think Parcells is keeping a bridle on both the offensive coaches and the defensive coaches. Too tight of a bridle. After seeing the offensive performance the Saints had last night, you can't call Payton conservative. After seeing that Colts game this year, you can't call Zimmer conservative or ignorant. I don't for a minute think Zimmer suddenly popped up with one great defensive game, enough to beat an unbeaten playoff bound team, all at once. That wasn't a fluke. That game was planned to be that way. And I don't think Zimmer would have one great game like that and not do similar things in other games, in hopes of having another great game.

No, something else is happening. I think Parcells' idea of managing a game, working the time clock to your advantage, playing conservative ball control football is a great idea. Until you're getting beaten 42-17. Then you simply have to say that what you're doing is just not working.

Parcells on several occasions this year has looked like he was ready to scream. His team in some games have looked like a bunch of undisciplined hooligans. Last night's game is the best example of that so far this year. I have a couple theories why I think all this is happening.

Theory #1: Parcells is just hung up on the past too much. Hiring several of his former players is the clue. Testaverde and Bledsoe. Everyone knows both of those guys were past their prime when he hired them. Neither of them were going to improve from game to game. And neither were the longterm solution at QB. Parcells was just confortable with them. And he planned games based on their declining abilities. Meaning more conservatively. Has the game passed him by? I'm beginning to think it has. We haven't seen the Cowboys go into the locker room at halftime and come out a different team in the 2nd half. Last night, the 2nd half was simply a continuation of the first half. What didn't work in the first half, still didn't work in the second. What did work wasn't tried very often. There's just something fundamentally wrong with that strategy.

Theory #2: Parcells has lost control of his team. I think this began with the hiring of Terrell Owens. The Bill Parcells of old would not have completely ignored that alleged drug overdose by Terrell Owens without having some kind of comment directly to Owens. The Bill Parcells of old wouldn't have let that "naptime" celebration of Owens after a touchdown go with no punishment. The celebration cost the Cowboys 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff, if you remember. The Bill Parcells of old wouldn't have put up with Owens saying he disagreed with Vanderjagt's firing, a snide comment about being asleep in team meetings and missing what Parcells said about playoff contenders, and an interview in which he said he "felt like he was faking it" during games. No, the Bill Parcells of old would have a comment in each of those instances.

I think Jerry Jones forced Owens on Parcells. And Parcells is having to suck it up and play all the shenanigans that come with Owens. And other team members are seeing all this. For a long time this season, the Cowboys were the most penalized team in the league. An undisciplined team isn't going far. And once again, the Cowboys were very undisciplined last night.

I believe this will be Parcell's last season. I'm not predicting that, simply telling you that I fully expect it. I've proven I'm no prophet, so take it at face value. But I believe he's had enough. Win, Lose, or Draw, I believe he'll retire this season. Games like last night take too much of a toll on him these days. He's comfortable and I think he has lost that competitive edge. So it is time for him to retire. For his sake and for the Dallas Cowboys' sake. He'll go back to New Jersey and do what old coaches do. Become a talking head or just play golf and bet on the ponies. I wish him well.

Now, what that does to the future of the Cowboys is anyone's guess. In the meantime, let's hope the players get their heads out of their asses and get the job done going into the playoffs. Trying to mold this team into a mirror of the Giants during Parcells' tenure hasn't worked. Different personnel, free agency, different schemes have all pushed the game beyond Parcells' reach, I think. It's up to the players now to get the motivation required to get them far in the playoffs. I don't think Parcells will do much more than ride the bus.

Lessons from LaLa Land

It's Monday morning, after the Cowboys/Saints game where the New Orleans Saints came into Texas Stadium and absolutely humiliated the Dallas Cowboys. 42-17 was the score, in case you might have been held incommunicado somewhere in Bangladesh and didn't hear.

Crown Prince Romo was discovered to have soiled his pants during that drubbing. Two interceptions and not enough production to play Pop Warner football, much less in the National Football League. Drew Brees showed why experience matters. Tony Romo showed why inexperience matters.

The offensive line for the Dallas Cowboys should simply be marked absent for the game. So should the Dallas secondary on defense. Automatica became Cosmetica, shanking one to the right as good as Vanderjagt ever did. How much more humiliating could it be for the Cowboy to watch Brees begin kneeling down to let the clock run out with three minutes left in the game? Coach Sean Peyton took mercy on his former mentor, but that mercy had its own form of humiliation.

Terrell Owens had a break out game. Everything thrown to him broke. Out, In, Up Down. It didn't matter. It just broke. One touchdown pass and a bunch of opportunities is all he had. Perhaps he was still too sensitive and just couldn't get into it. Perhaps we should be more understanding and not hurt his little multi-million dollar feelings.

And the fans. How many jumped off that Romo bandwagon last night? Fickle is such an ugly color on a Cowboys fan. I actually saw some folks online last night wanting to see Bledsoe in the game. The pretense was to protect Romo from injury. I suspect that many just couldn't bare to see the reality that Romo is after all, human. I did see a couple messages online from folks who have been diehard Romo fans. You know the type. The ones that get almost violently angry when one even mentions the remote possibility that Romo isn't quite ready for induction into the Hall of Fame. Those messages eluded to all the problems the Cowboys had last night. . . offensive line play, receivers screwing up, defense just not there, special teams screwing up, Gramatica, etc. But no mention of the two interceptions. Apparently, that's now allowed in LaLa Land.

I predicted a win by the Cowboys last night. As I stated last night, I am now officially out of the prophecy business. I'll talk statistics, tendencies, whatever. But you're not going to get a prediction out of me. But you will get opinions. Lord knows I have a lot of them this morning.

Speaking of statistics, here's a little fact I dug up this morning. These are stats on the final 5 games played in the past 10 years.

2006 1-1 (three games left to play)
2005 2-3
2004 2-3
2003 2-3
2002 1-4
2001 2-3
2000 1-4
1999 2-3
1998 2-3
1997 0-5
1996 3-2

Stats from http://www.pro-football-reference.c...ms/dalindex.htm

You might have heard me mention that the Cowboys haven't had what you'd call a banner December in years. Well, the facts are they haven't had a winning record in their final 5 regular season games for 10 years. And after last night's fiasco, this December might match that. It isn't a long reach to see this team implode like many, including me, were claiming the Giants were going to do. Getting absolutely humiliated like they did last night could have a serious psychological effect on the Cowboys. It could also work as a rallying cry to boost their play. Based on statistics, the reasonable assumption is to look for bad news.

Of course, in LaLa Land, today's buzzword is "everyone has a bad day, it'll be all right". Unlike before yesterday's game, when the buzzword was "he can do no wrong, he will lead us to the promise land". I guess they forgot the promise land is full of Saints.

Before any of you start typing responses telling me how happy I am because I was right about not seeing how Romo handled adversity and dealing with massive pressure, let me tell you emphatically how I feel about this situation. I would revel in having been wrong. I am almost sick at my stomach over watching Romo look like he was a high schooler who made a wrong turn and wound up in Texas Stadium with the big boys. I would much rather see him throwing 5 touchdown passes, while the Dallas defense had a field day with the Saints offense. It didn't happen. Romo sucked, along with the rest of the team, coaches included. I wouldn't be surprised if the towel boys didn't screw up something, too. This was an absolute total meltdown of the entire team. No one escapes blame for this one.

Now, the question remains, will they snap back and get the much more difficult job done. Who knows. You can bet your hiney that every team facing the Cowboys will be dissecting the film from last night to see what it takes to disrupt the Dallas Cowboys. If they follow history, they'll finish 9-7, maybe 10-6 and a wildcard berth. One and Done is another buzzword I'm hearing this morning. One playoff game, losing it, and watching the rest of the playoffs from home is what that one means, if you don't know. Sounds very Quincy Carterish doesn't it?

Last night was bad. Really, really bad. This morning, not only does the emperor have no clothes, but the whole empire has no clothes. The Cajun Cowboys turned this place into a nudist camp. And there's no Jessica Simpson around to make it even somewhat palatable.

Anyone else want to argue with me that we have seen enough of Tony Romo to vote him into the Hall of Fame? I say we haven't. But then, I don't get my mail at the LaLa Land Post Office.

Deal or No Deal

Tony Romo is heading into his 7th game as the starting quarterback. Has he been perfect so far? One can argue that he isn't the one that lost the Washington game, that that loss falls completely on the botched field goal attempt or the ensuing penalty which gave Washington just enough field goal range for them to successfully make the play. On the other hand, one could argue that if it weren't a 3 point game at that point in the first place, all that would be irrelevent, and therefore Romo, as de facto leader of the offense, holds the blame. But regardless, Tony Romo has not been perfect. Stellar, most definitely, but not perfect. Perfection is simply not possible in this realm of existence.

But we have seen amazing things at that position since he took the reins. His mobility has changed the entire offense. His ability to adjust to the speed of NFL play almost immediately is nothing short of phenomenal. For a quarterback who, although had two years on the bench watching but had not seen any regular season action, Tony Romo has been the most pleasant surprise for the Dallas Cowboys in years.

But the question at hand for many of us remains "is he the real deal or not?" So, what yardstick do we use to determine the answer to that question? Should we use quarterback rating? If so, he's been top of the totem pole for several weeks. Ahead of Peyton Manning and everyone else in the NFL. Is six games enough to declare him able to sustain that level of play? Five wasn't to me. Six is getting closer. Will seven be the magical number for me? It may very well. He just had his worse game to date as a starter. And he rallied the Cowboys to a win over the Giants in the last minute. When a play from the quarterback was needed, he made the play. He hasn't panicked, nor has he lost his confidence.

Perhaps we simply look at number of wins as the barometer to decide if Tony Romo is the real deal or not. If that's the case, then again, he's at the top of the totem pole. He's coming off of his fourth consecutive win, and 5 wins out of the 6 games he's started. He is the one with the "hot hand" in the league. Seasoned veterans are watching this guy and just shaking their heads in amazement that he is playing at the level he has so far. Coaches who are looking at a game against the Cowboys are definitely factoring Tony Romo into their defense. So far, not one has shut him down.

We could also look at leadership ability as the measuring stick for judging Tony Romo. He trots onto the field in the second half of the first Giants game and immediately throws an interception. But he came back on the field when the Cowboys got the ball and proceeded to produce. The Cowboys lost that game, but he had started carving his notch on the team. The next game, he was the starter. And they won. Then the freak Washington game, another loss. And since then, he's been "the man". The offense stepped it up a notch and both the running game and the passing game has improved. Points per game have increased. No longer are only a couple receivers getting the ball. Now, the guy that's open gets it. And defenses haven't been able to stop it. Tony Romo has shown he has great field vision. He sees the open receivers and gets the ball there. And because of all this, his team believes he'll get the job done. He has earned their respect and their trust. He walked on that field and just took command. Rightfully so, he is now the leader of the Cowboys.

If winning big games is an important criteria, Tony Romo fills the bill there, also. He led the Cowboys to a win against the unbeaten Baltimore Colts. He has now finished 6 games, winning 5 of them. The last one put the Cowboys in the lead in the NFC East. With 3 of the final 4 games in the season being played in Texas Stadium, everyone expects the Cowboys to be in the playoffs, and quite possibly with a bye week.

How about winning "big games"? I've already mentioned the game against the unbeaten Colts. Romo led the team to a victory there. And then the Thanksgiving Day game, before a national audience, Romo led the team to a victory over Tampa Bay. And also previously mentioned, the Giants game for lead in the NFC East. He put the team in position to win at the very end of the game. And they did win. Yes, he can play in the big ones.

So, what's the negative side of things? As I said earlier, no one is perfect. The biggest obstacle to declaring Tony Romo as the "real deal" is simply the number of games he's started. We're talking 6 games here, folks. Pop Warner seasons last longer than that. This isn't a career yet. Sure, he's been in the NFL too long to call him a rookie. But sitting on the bench is not a career. Neither is 6 games. If he were injured tomorrow, beyond return, would we talk about his great career? No, we'd talk about his potential to have a great career and have to settle for the "what if" routine.

Tony Romo, so far, has shown just about everything one needs to show to be declared the "real deal". Except longevity and the ability to sustain play at his current level. And there's no way to magically make those two items appear tomorrow. It's going to require him receiving snaps, throwing passes, making decisions, etc. Bill Parcells can't give it to him, his teammates can't give it to him, you can't give it to him and neither can I. Not today, anyway. It's simply going to take time.

So, in answer to the question "Deal or No Deal?" I have to say "No Deal". Not because he won't be the real deal, but because he hasn't had time to become the real deal yet. I fully expect him to do just that. But, isn't it fun watching him mature into what this team has needed for years?

Cowboys win against the Saints. Dallas' defense tightens the vise. Tony has a better game than he did in New York. It won't be in Gramatica's hands this time.

Rod

Romo-itus - Is It a Disease or a Religion - A clinical analysis

Originally posted at www.dallascowboystalk.com

Everywhere you look these days, you see the symptoms. Rapid pulse, dilated pupils, rapidity of speech, muscle twitching, an unconstrained impulse to speak opinions as being fact, the tendency to ignore well established practices of interpreting factual statistics and a belief that one is part of a larger group that has discovered the fountain of youth.

Yesterday, I was in the office of a local insurance agent and the discussion turned to the Cowboys. I told him I was one of the staff writers on a Cowboys forum and told him that I was the boogie man. One of the few really vocal ones that chose to wait a bit before crowning Tony Romo as a gift from the one true God, who everyone knows is a Dallas Cowboys fan Himself. As the old joke goes. . . "why does Texas Stadium have a hole in the roof? Answer: "so God can watch his team play football."

My friend was duly impressed by my exalted status as staff writer. Not being one to let that diminish in any manner, I neglected to tell him that my salary for my writing efforts amounts to the same number the Pittsburg Steelers had in their column for points scored in their last game. Zilch, Zero, Nada, Nothing. For the mathematically challenged, here's the figure: $0.00.

That would have made him think less of me and since I was holding court, as the obvious expert as an exalted staff writer, I just left off that bit of information.

Anyway, I told my friend that I thought Romo had done amazing things in his first five games. And that if he continues, he will definitely be what the Cowboys have been looking for since Aikman left the stage.

Of course, we discussed the upcoming Giants game and came to the conclusion there's no real reason for the Giants to even show up this weekend. The Cowboys are going to win. They can use it as a voluntary bye week and heal up some of the injured guys.

I was not surprised to hear my friend say he thought it was a bit early to be talking Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame and all that for Romo at this point. Most fans around my neck of the woods love the way Romo is playing, but are realistic enough to know it's just too early to tell.

There are a few, though, of the hardcore Romo fans. The ones that believe the NFC East title is in the bag, that the Playoffs are a mere formality before Romo leads his team into the NFC Championship game, only to totally humiliate the Bears defense, while the Dallas offense dissects Chicago's offense like a frog in biology class, and the SuperBowl game pitting the Dallas Cowboys against the AFC winning Colts will be a replay of their earlier meeting this season, except Romo will toss 6 touchdown passes this time, just to add a personal touch to the season. The Pro Bowl might not even be played, since no other quarterback can be found to step on the field, only to look pathetic beside Romo, whose head has strangely started to have a glow around it, like many of the older paintings of Jesus. Even Drew Bledsoe wouldn't step on the field against Romo when politely asked to. Defenses, of course, know they cannot play in the glare of that light, so they won't step on the field either and the game is forfeited without one play being run.

All of this is, of course, made up, but if you listen to these guys, this is the picture that comes to your mind of what they think is likely. Not just possible, but likely.

Numerous times this year, I have been chastised for what was perceived to be my unbelief. Because I wasn't ready to place the crown, jump on the bandwagon, and become a "Romo Homo", "Romosexual" or whatever. I just didn't drink the Kool-Aid.

So I've studied this phenomena. Trying to figure out whether it's a disease/malady/condition, etc. or if this is a religion. I lived through, and survived, the Quincy Carter religion. Before you start saying I'm comparing Romo to Carter, you're out to lunch. I'm comparing the two fevers that overtook some Cowboys fans during these QB tenures. Quincy Carter shouldn't be allowed on the same field with Tony Romo.

In the Quincy Carter years, there were those fans who simply believed he would be the one to take the Cowboys to the Superbowl, i.e. the "promised land". No infusion of facts to the contrary would sway them. Here's a quote from about a week ago from a Cowboys forum:

Re: Romo being "the man"

"Romo is the chosen one.... Follow him and he will lead us back to the promise land!" - after Romo's 4th game

See any similarities?

After Chad Hutchinson entered the picture, there was a three way rift. Those who were Carter fanatics, those who were Hutch fanatics, and a few of us that didn't think either of them were going to make it. Fans of each of those QBs elaborated on why each of them would make the Pro Bowl. Particularly Carter, who, with the help of a fairly good defense managed to put together some wins, most of the time, in spite of Carter whose stats were dropping like a lead balloon. But the hardcore Carter fans were saying Carter would be in the Pro Bowl. Here's another quote from the other day:

Re: Romo in the Pro Bowl

"speaking of that, i need to vote him into the pro bowl" - after Romo's 4th game

Note that this speaker didn't say he was going to vote "for" him, but that he, apparently, thought he had the power to actually vote him "into" the pro bowl. Also note, this wasn't expressed as a desire to do this, but a "need".

Some of Carter's die hard fans thought he would eventually be selected to the Hall of Fame. Granted, there was only a couple, but they were there, nonetheless. Here's what a couple fans have said recently on a Cowboys forum:

Re: Romo being a Hall of Fame Inductee

"You wont need to worry about that because I already commissioned a reputable sculptor to start on Romo's bust after the Colts game." - after Romo's 5th game

"I used Aikman as an example simply because this is a Cowboy site. I could just as easily have said that he is playing better than any number of other HOF QBs." - after Romo's 5th game

Now, by the end of the season, Tony Romo might have shown the world why he should be in the Pro Bowl, and actually be elected to go. But these statements were made after he had played 5 games. I recall some statements similar to these about Julius Jones in his first few games. I guess the potential of him not completing a full season just didn't enter into the thought process. Nor has that potential entered into the thought process in regards to Tony Romo.

Of course, Carter was compared to Aikman, whom he replaced. When the fever struck some of the fans, they were not reticent to inform us quickly how great Carter was/would be. Comparisons to Aikman abounded. So here's a few things that have been said in the last few weeks.

Re: Romo being better than Aikman

"He is playing better than Aikman ever did." - after Romo's 5th game

"The facts are that Romo is more accurate than Aikman ever was though a 5 game peiod. (Editor's note: the original poster's misspelling, not mine)" - after Romo's 5th game

"I'll take what I've seen from Romo over Troy any day." - after Romo's 5th game

"We all realize that 5 games is not a career and nobody knows what Romo's future play will bring but the reality is that he is playing better football over his 5 starts than Troy Aikman ever played." - after Romo's 5th game

"No, I would argue he is playing better than Troy ever did over any five game stretch of his career." - after Romo's 5th game

Did you notice that these things are stated as fact. "the reality is. . . ." and "the facts are". When Carter was playing, and his QB rating was dropping weekly until he was in the lower 1/3 of NFL QBs by rating, Carter fanatics still would argue how well Carter was playing. I remember posting statistic after statistic, but it went into deaf ears. The fever, or religion, or whatever it is, simply prevented them from absorbing cold hard facts. One of those quotes says "we all realize that 5 games is not a career". I would have to classify that as an untrue statement. I firmly believe there are some out there that are clueless to that point, therefore "all" could not be true.

Now, I've said all that, to say this. I think Tony Romo has done a fantastic job as quarterback since he became the starter. He's making the throws, not turning over the ball and generally doing what great quarterbacks do. But great quarterbacks have a track record behind them that shows that quarterback can sustain that type play for an extended time. 1/3 of a season is simply not an extended time. It's not Romo's fault he doesn't have that track record. And he won't ever have that track record if he doesn't play any more games. At this point, for Dallas Cowboys fans, he's the greatest quarterback anomaly to come down the pike since the invention of football. If he continues like he has been playing, he will prove to be the best quarterback the Dallas Cowboys ever did have, or probably ever will have. I would venture to say that if the Cowboys, with Romo at the helm, play consistently like they have played since Romo took over for 5 more years, they'll be the owner of a minimum of 4 new SuperBowl rings.

But folks, it hasn't happened yet. Romo's number of SuperBowl rings equals the salary I get for my exalted position as staff writer. The number of times Romo has received a solid hit equals that number also. The number of playoff games Romo has won equals that number. The number of Pro Bowl appearances Romo has made equals that number. The number of NFC Championship games he's won equals that number. The number of NFC East titles he's won equals that number, too. Zero, Zilch, Nada, Nothing. I repeat: $0.00.

So, is this a religion, or is this a medical condition. Frankly, I'm beginning to think it's a medical condition that manifests itself after what is perceived to be a spiritual experience. Lord knows, there are many things on this planet that can make a man lose touch with reality. A nice pair of legs in a short skirt. A snake crawling in your fishing boat when you're miles from shore. Telling your buddies about the shot you made to kill the prize deer at the hunting lodge. And apparently, quarterbacks who haven't played enough games yet to be crowned Emperor of the NFL, but are playing well at the moment.

Having a team like the Cowboys have been for this millenium as your favorite football team is just tough. You want them to excel. You want them to regain the glory of what they have been in the past, on several occasions. You want to be able to point with pride and say "that's MY team!" The playoff famine that has been our plague for years can make one see visions of grandeur, even when that grandeur is not a proven thing yet.

The Cowboys have had quarterbacks that started cold. Aikman is a prime example. His first year would give no one reason for hope. Staubach got the starting job, lost the starting job, got the starting job, lost the starting job his first couple years. No one would have predicted his success in the beginning. On the other hand, Quincy Carter had a couple good games in the beginning of his first full season as the starter. But it went south quickly. And we all know how that deal turned out.

Tony Romo has had an excellent beginning of his real career with the Dallas Cowboys. If he continues, he'll be King of the Mountain. But he's got to earn his crown first. Bill Parcells keeps saying that and folks accuse him of just never saying anything positive to a quarterback. I tend to lean on the wisdom and experience of a man who has been around the block a couple of times with quarterbacks. I can't imagine why a coach would want to spend his time convincing his quarterback that he's going to screw the pooch any day now. If anything, I would think he would be working to help him keep a positive mental attitude. No, I don't buy that Parcells is just trying to get into Romo's head. I think Parcells is simply calling a spade a spade. Romo is going to screw the pooch. The question isn't whether, it's when. Then we get to see what the boy is truly made of.

Until then, take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

Rod

Giants & Cowboys - Round 2

Giants vs Cowboys - Round 2

Round 1 was humiliating for the Cowboys. Played in Texas Stadium, the Giants had their way with the Cowboys. The only good that came from that game was the change in quarterbacks at halftime. No one could have predicted the success Tony Romo would have in future games, nor could anyone have predicted the difference this made for the entire team.

While I have been very reticent to proclaim Tony Romo as the next Joe Montana, simply because we haven't seen enough of him yet, only an idiot could ignore the success the team has had since Tony Romo became the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys step onto the field at Giants Stadium for their second meeting. Much has changed since their first. The Cowboys have gone 4-1, with the only loss being to a freak play by Washington at the end of the game. The Cowboys handed the Indianapolis Colts their first loss this season. And four days later took care of business by delivering a Thanksgiving beating to Tampa Bay, while the world watched.

The Giants, on the other hand, won their first two games following the Dallas game, over Tampa Bay and Houston, both low ranking teams. Then they dropped three in a row, including last weekend's game where the Giants led 21-0 going into the fourth quarter, only to lose 24-21 by giving up 24 unanswered points in less than 10 minutes. Injuries have played a part of this meltdown, but many suggest that Eli Manning has lost confidence and may not get it back this season. Tiki Barber blamed the loss to the Jaguars on being outcoached. Coach Tom Coughlin is fighting to keep the ship from sinking.

Round Two will be a tale of two teams. At this point in time, one is a wounded tiger. How wounded that tiger is remains to be seen, but no one would deny that the Giants are currently in a downward spiral. The Cowboys are playing the best football they've played all season currently. Romo fever has attacked the Cowboys nation with a vehemence, with no known cure in sight for many. Tony Romo has gone from virtual obscurity to a place on the ballot of the Pro Bowl in 5 games as a starter. He currently holds the highest quarterback ranking in the league at 110.8. Eli Manning has dropped to #23 on the list at a rating of 76. The Cowboys now hold the lead in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys are playing confidently and are getting better each week. The Giants are now giving up 21 point leads to lose to a lesser ranked team in the last 10 minutes of a game.

And the vocal Jeremy Sharper (TE - Giants) steps up to rally his team by declaring there's "no way" the Cowboys can come into Giants Stadium and win. I think Jeremy Sharper is forgetting the fact that the coach of the Dallas Cowboys has more wins in New York than anyone playing or coaching for the Giants at this time. The Cowboys will win this game and this game will be spoken of next year by announcers and game analysts pointing to the point in the season where the Cowboys settled the question of who owned the NFC East. The Giants will lose.

As a somewhat sidenote, I should mention the release of Vanderjagt as Cowboys kicker. I was somewhat shocked to see a couple messages from folks who were surprised it happened. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't occur before the Tampa Bay game. If Vanderjagt couldn't get up to play the Colts, his former team, why expect him to get up to play any of the other games ahead. Personally, I think Vanderjagt is still affected by that game-losing shanked kick in the AFC Championship game last year. I don't think he has ever recovered from that. Regardless, he's no longer a Dallas Cowboy. His replacement is Martin Grammatica who has had good years and so-so years. The Cowboys are hoping for the former.

Question of the week - Which Cowboys wide receiver has seemed to completely drop from the radar of the press since he pretended he was taking a nap on the field as his touchdown celebration a few games back? His celebration drew a 15 yard penalty which didn't please Bill Parcells at all. I have said on several occasions that I believe Parcells had a heart to heart talk with that unnamed receiver and led him to the light. I acknowledge that there has been no further discussion of that receiver's sleeping habits during team meetings nor has there been any controversial touchdown celebrations. I think Parcells might have gotten the boy's attention. Time will tell.

Cowboys win this one. Giants implode the rest of the season. Tiki Barber will remember his last season in the NFL with less than fondness. The Dallas defense will make sure of it. Someone send Jeremy Shockey a sympathy card. Address it to:

No-Way Shockey, c/o
New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, NJ 07073
(201) 935-8111

Rod

There's no way the Cowboys can come into Giants Stadium and get a win

In an article that appeared at the Fort Worth Star Telegram site (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/16088631.htm) on Thursday, Randy Galloway reports Jeremy Shockey has made a declaration to Ed Werder of ESPN.

(quoting Randy Galloway) "There's no way the Cowboys can come into Giants Stadium and get a win."

It's simply not possible.

Parcells, upon hearing about Shockey's pompous statement said, "I need that Shockey tape from this week. I need it in my hands." Delivery was promised to be forthcoming.

While most of the buzz on the Giants fan websites has mostly been about Tiki Barber's statements about the team being outcoached in their last outings, little has been said about Shockey's statement. Expect to hear much more about this proclamation in Dallas in the coming week. The Cowboys players got an early Christmas present when Coach Parcells sent them home for a much-welcomed three day rest. Practice resumes Tuesday. Parcells himself said "I just need a break." Shockey's remark should become a major topic of conversation beginning Tuesday morning.

So let's dissect Shockey's statement for a moment. First of all, let's look at "no way". This indicates it's completely and utterly outside of the realm of possibility for this to happen. No way. Period. Even the most ludicrous fan shouldn't expect the impossible to occur.

Then the limiting factor of the statement, "come into Giants Stadium and get a win". This implies that the Cowboys cannot, regardless of how good the Cowboys play or how badly the Giants play, expect to win. If the Cowboys merely show up for the game, they lose. It's beyond possibility for the Cowboys to win a game in Giants Stadium.

What does history say about this? The last time the Cowboys won in Giants Stadium was in 2003, when the Cowboys finished 10-6 before losing to the Panthers in postseason. That win in Giants Stadium in 2003 was led by the mighty Quincy Carter, who struck fear into the hearts of opponents with his rocket release and mind blowing accuracy. (translate: the Cowboys barely beat the Giants that day (35-32) and won in spite of Carter). But it was a win. That 2003 Cowboys team couldn't stay on the same field with the 2006 Cowboys and Carter couldn't stay in the same state with Tony Romo.

The Giants do have the edge so far this millenium. But this includes the Campo years (three 5-11 seasons in a row), Parcells first year where he made very few personnel changes and the "QOTD" years (quarterback of the day) when the Cowboys tried several guys at the quarterback position. With only 5 games into the Romo experiment, we still don't know if those QOTD years have ended, but the outlook is very bright at this point. The Cowboys team that Jeremy Shockey last faced on the field is not the same one that will show up for the NFC East matchup at Giants Stadium. Perhaps that's where he's confused. He's comparing this team to the one from a month ago.

Now, we have an added factor that simply must be considered in the face of Shockey's declaration. The Cowboys played Tampa Bay on Thanksgiving Day. It was ugly. For Tampa Bay. The Cowboys now have a 10 day break before stepping on the field for another game. Aches and pains get some well deserved rest. Coaches get to clear their minds and prepare a plan for the ensuing battle. And other than the season ending injury to Greg Ellis, no major contributor on the Cowboys team is injured. The Giants, on the other hand, have several major players that are out or questionable. And the Cowboys historically have been hard to beat after their 10 day post-Thanksgiving break. And the Cowboys aren't in the middle of a controversy (Barber's "outcoached" remarks) at the moment. (Of course, that could change, but let's all just knock on wood and move forward.)

No way. . .

Perhaps Roy Williams and Demarcus Ware should deliver a few clues why No-Way Shockey's (remember that name and use it often this next week) declaration might be somewhat flawed in fact. Expect the Dallas defense to step up the pressure on the struggling Eli Manning. Expect Shockey to get "special" attention. I fully expected TO to have a breakout game on Thanksgiving and while he had an excellent game, it wasn't quite what I expected. In this game, expect TO and Terry Glenn to have big days. Romo will be a bit more rushed than he has been in his previous games, but he won't be the same QB in this game that he was coming into the 2nd half of the last Giants game. Expect him to get the ball out early and open up the running game with short quick, but successful passes. Then Barber and Jones can do their thing. The Giants aren't going to roll over and give this game to the Cowboys, and this game might very well come down to the foot of Wide-Right Vanderjagt. Let's hope this doesn't happen. If the offensive line does its job, Romo will do his. I believe the defense can handle the Giants offense.

Cowboys win this one and take sole control over the NFC East.

Billese - An Interpretive Primer

I know there are many on here that think I live to throw water on the Cowboys fire, but I assure you that isn't true. What I am, I repeat, is a realist. I think Bill Parcells is a realist. He's also a very closed-mouth realist. He's coached teams that looked good for awhile then started falling apart. Last year's Cowboys team for example.

One of the first thing Parcells did was establish the "If They Ask, Don't Tell" rule for coaches and players. Assistant coaches aren't allowed to address the press. So the "inside info" you get from Valley Ranch comes from Parcells or Jerry Jones. Even Jones is more guarded with what he says since Parcells moved in. And Parcells has his own language, with different meaning for words than what you find at dictionary.com. I call it Billese.

In Billese so called superstars are referred to as "the player". Quarterbacks who move from a backup to the highest rated QB in the league in 5 weeks are referred to as "the kid". The playoffs are referred to as "the tournament". Getting into the playoffs, with a viable chance to go to the SuperBowl is referred to as "something". All this while the #1 draft pick for the current season hands him his water to keep his throat from drying out too much to offer this Billese to us. Parcells will never be accused of being one to overstate one's situation.

So, here are two quotes coming from Parcells on Thanksgiving Day that I deem the most notable:

#1 (referring to Tony Romo):

"He's a football guy and he's interested in playing well"

As many of us know, a "football guy" is an exalted status endowed by Bill on certain players who exhibit a combination of skill, class, competitiveness, knowledge, willingness to learn, ability to learn, willingness to perform, ability to perform, durability, and wisdom. Simply being a so called superstar will not get you to "football guy" status. Terrell Owens is not a "football guy". Terry Glenn is. Marion Barber is. And as of yesterday, Tony Romo is now officially one.

#2. (referring to the future of the Dallas Cowboys this season):

"I think we're going to be in it here for a little while"

"in it", if my Billese translations skills are what I think they are, means "having the status of being a viable contender to get into the playoffs (otherwise known as "the tournament"). "little while" is a bit more vague, but I'm going to go out on a limb and make a linguistic guess and translate that to mean "a few games, at least". That could very well be a poor translation and could actually mean anything from "at least one game" all the way to "winner of the SuperBowl". In this instance, one must simply hazard a guess as to the exact intent of the speaker. Billese linguistics is not an exact science.

So, let's review what we've learned here today. Tony Romo is now a "football guy", meaning he's shown enough to Bill Parcells to be added to a very elite group of guys that have exhibited certain desirable characteristics to set themselves apart from ordinary players or your average superstar. And the Cowboys players have convinced their coach that they have a legitimate chance of getting to the playoffs, at least for one game, if not much, much more.

Now, wouldn't that be "something"?

Not Yet, But. . .

While I'm not ready to declare Romo as a Hall of Fame inductee quite yet, I am hereby claiming copyright on the term "Romo Mojo" as of this date. Public use of this term is hereby allowed, so long as the accompanying "©2006 Optyk, all rights reserved" tag is added, unless prior written permission is granted.

Rod

Ready or Not, Here I come. . . .

Game Preparation

Thanksgiving Day and the Dallas Cowboys. That move got made in the sixties and arguably is one of the things that makes the Cowboys "America's Team". Having that game every year on their schedule gives them national recognition, no doubt. Those of us who have watched them for years have seen great games and horrible games. But the Cowboys are 23-14-1 on Thanksgiving Day.

Detroit also plays every year on Thanksgiving Day, but they don't have five SuperBowl trophies in the lobby of their home office. No, the Cowboys, by marketing and winning have propelled themselves into the position of "America's Team". The Cowboys are very much like me. Folks either love them or they hate them. There's very little apathy to be found. Many football fans of other teams hate when they hear that "America's Team" monicker. But it's hard to argue with success and although the Cowboys have had very little of that lately, the general expectation is that they are a team on their way back.

But this article isn't about expectations or whether the Cowboys deserve that "America's Team" designation. It's about game preparation. The Cowboys have a very distinct advantage in the Thanksgiving Day game. They have a history of having to get prepared in four days for a huge, nationally televised game. Since this game is in November, late in the season, at this point every game becomes a big game, even without the national spotlight. The Cowboys need this win to confirm their turnaround, to maintain the momentum they are beginning to build. So this game is a big one.

They just played a big one. And won it. And now, with 4 days available, three actually since they play on the 4th, they have to get ready. They practiced lightly on Monday. Tuesday, they practiced. The coaches had begun prepping for this game against Tampa Bay last week, so that part of things was already done. They'll practice today also. And I'm sure tomorrow morning, there will be all the immediate pregame preparation.

On the Tampa Bay side of the coin, a team that hasn't played on Thanksgiving Day at least as long as Ronde Barber has been on the team, I watched the game Monday Night, Giants vs Jaguars. Ronde Barber was in the announcer's booth for most of the 2nd quarter. He had come to the game to watch his twin brother play. I was thinking at the time how strange it was for him not to be in Tampa Bay preparing for this game.

This morning, i read this comment by Ronde, regarding the Thanksgiving Day game:

''It's a challenge, but teams have been doing it for years,'' cornerback Ronde Barber said. ''This is our first experience with it. I think Jon (Gruden) will be smart with the schedule.''

You're right, Ronde. Teams have been doing it for years. And 60.5% of those teams went home sucking eggs. And some of those teams actually prepared. According to another article about the upcoming game, the Bucs plan to have only one full practice and a "walkthrough" on Thursday.

Coach Gruden, for the Buccaneers said "You can't practice everything, we've got a lot of young guys playing. I'm a little uneasy about it, but I'm eager to see what we can get done.''

Well, I agree with Gruden that they can't practice everything with only one day's practice. I don't think age comes into factor there. I think it's a matter of time to get it done. The rumormill is just abuzz about Gruden as a potential replacement for Bill Parcells as head coach for the Cowboys. Some have said that this Thanksgiving Day game is an "audition" for that position.

Well, let me be the first to say it. Teams that don't get ready for this game against the Cowboys generally don't win it. If your audition for any position shows that you won't prepare for the audition, what would lead one to think you'd prepare for the actual job? Bill Parcells is taking this game very seriously. I believe the Cowboys players are taking it deadly serious, based on comments all week. They seem to be maintaining their focus and not just riding a high from the win against the Colts.

Bill Parcells has been working on this game since the middle of last week, knowing that it's a big game and that the Cowboys need the win to "get into the tournament". Gruden seems to be acting like this is a preseason game. I don't understand that "lot of younger guys" remark. To me, that would be more reason to have them on the field practicing. No, I think Gruden is dropping the ball on this one. I think preparation will be the key to this game and one side is preparing and the other is not.

I don't usually get into the prediction business, but I'm going out on a limb on this one. The Cowboys will win this game. They'll be prepared and fired up. Tampa Bay will not be prepared and the Dallas defense will stomp on them. It'll be Thanksgiving Day and Terrell Owens is a showboat and loves the big stage, so expect him to come out smoking and stroking. Romo should have a field day. Expect it to be a real ass whupping.

And Gruden, well, let's just say his audition won't go very well.

Cold Hard Facts - Pro Bowl Selections

Here's a list of Pro Bowl QB's selected from 1970 until present:

1970 Bob Griese 14 games
1970 Daryle Lamonica 14 games
1970 John Brodie 14 games
1970 Fran Tarkenton 14 games
1971 Len Dawson 14 games
1971 Bob Griese 14 games
1971 Greg Landry 14 games
1971 Roger Staubach 13 games *
1972 John Hadl 14 games
1972 Daryle Lamonica 14 games
1972 Joe Namath 13 games *
1972 Billy Kilmer 12 games*
1972 Norm Snead 14 games
1973 Bob Griese 13 games*
1973 Ken Stabler 14 games
1973 Roman Gabriel 14 games
1973 John Hadl 14 games
1974 Bob Griese 13 games*
1974 Ken Stabler 14 games
1974 James Harris 11 games*
1974 Jim Hart 14 games
1974 Fran Tarkenton 13 games *
1975 Ken Anderson 13 games *
1975 Terry Bradshaw 14 games
1975 Dan Pastorini 14 games
1975 Mike Boryla 7 games *
1975 Jim Hart 14 games
1975 Roger Staubach 13 games *
1975 Fran Tarkenton 13 games *
1976 Ken Anderson 14 games
1976 Bert Jones 14 games
1976 Ken Stabler 12 games *
1976 Jim Hart 14 games
1976 Roger Staubach 14 games
1976 Fran Tarkenton 13 games *
1977 Bob Griese 14 games
1977 Ken Stabler 13 games *
1977 Pat Haden 12 games *
1977 Jim Hart 14 games
1977 Roger Staubach 14 games
1978 Terry Bradshaw 16 games
1978 Bob Griese 11 games*
1978 Archie Manning 16 games
1978 Roger Staubach 15 games*
1979 Terry Bradshaw 16 games
1979 Dan Fouts 16 games
1979 Archie Manning 16 games
1979 Roger Staubach 16 games
1980 Dan Fouts 16 games
1980 Brian Sipe 16 games
1980 Steve Bartkowski 16 games
1980 Ron Jaworski 16 games
1981 Ken Anderson 16 games
1981 Dan Fouts 16 games
1981 Steve Bartkowski 16 games
1981 Joe Montana 16 games
1982 Ken Anderson 9 games *
1982 Dan Fouts 9 games *
1982 Joe Theismann 9 games *
1982 Danny White 9 games *
1983 Dan Fouts 10 games *
1983 Bill Kenney 16 games
1983 Dan Marino 11 games *
1983 Joe Montana 16 games
1983 Joe Theismann 16 games
1984 Dave Kreig 16 games
1984 Dan Marino 16 games
1984 Neil Lomax 16 games
1984 Joe Montana 16 games
1985 Dan Fouts 14 games *
1985 Dan Marino 16 games
1985 Ken O'Brien 16 games
1985 Jim McMahon 13 games *
1985 Joe Montana 15 games *
1985 Phil Simms 16 games
1986 John Elway 16 games
1986 Boomer Esiason 16 games
1986 Dan Marino 16 games
1986 Tommy Kramer 13 games *
1986 Jay Schroeder 16 games
1987 John Elway 12 games *
1987 Jim Kelly 12 games *
1987 Bernie Kosar 12 games *
1987 Dan Marino 12 games *
1987 Neil Lomax 12 games*
1987 Joe Montana 13 games *
1988 Boomer Esiason 16 games
1988 Dave Krieg 9 games *
1988 Warren Moon 11 games *
1988 Randall Cunningham 16 games
1988 Wade Wilson 14 games *
1989 John Elway 15 games *
1989 Boomer Esiason 16 games
1989 Dave Krieg 15 games *
1989 Warren Moon 16 games
1989 Randall Cunningham 16 games
1989 Don Majkowski 16 games
1989 Joe Montana 13 games *
1989 Mark Rypien 14 games *
1990 Jim Kelly 14 games *
1990 Warren Moon 15 games *
1990 Randall Cunningham 16 games
1990 Jim Everett 16 games
1990 Joe Montana 15 games *
1991 Jim Elway 16 games
1991 Jim Kelly 15 games *
1991 Dan Marino 16 games
1991 Warren Moon 16 games
1991 Ken O'Brien 16 games
1991 Troy Aikman 12 games *
1991 Chris Miller 15 games *
1991 Mark Rypien 16 games
1992 Jim Kelly 16 games
1992 Dan Marino 16 games
1992 Warren Moon 11 games *
1992 Troy Aikman 16 games
1992 Brett Favre 15 games *
1992 Steve Young 16 games
1993 John Elway 16 games
1993 Boomer Esiason 16 games
1993 Joe Montana 11 games *
1993 Warren Moon 15 games *
1993 Troy Aikman 14 games *
1993 Brett Favre 16 games
1993 Bobby Hebert 14 games *
1993 Phil Simms 16 games
1993 Steve Young 16 games
1994 Drew Bledsoe 16 games
1994 John Elway 14 games *
1994 Jeff Hostetler 16 games
1994 Dan Marino 16 games
1994 Troy Aikman 14 games *
1994 Warren Moon 15 games *
1994 Steve Young 16 games
1995 Jeff Blake 16 games
1995 Steve Bono 16 games
1995 Jim Harbaugh 15 games *
1995 Dan Marino 14 games *
1995 Troy Aikman 16 games
1995 Brett Favre 16 games
1995 Warren Moon 16 games
1995 Steve Young 12 games *
1996 Drew Bledsoe 16 games
1996 Mark Brunell 16 games
1996 John Elway 15 games
1996 Vinny Testaverde 16 games
1996 Troy Aikman 15 games
1996 Kerry Collins 13 games *
1996 Brett Favre 16 games
1996 Gus Frerotte 16 games
1996 Steve Young 12 games *
1997 Drew Bledsoe 16 games
1997 Mark Brunell 14 games *
1997 John Elway 16 games
1997 Warren Moon 15 games *
1997 Chris Chandler 14 games *
1997 Trent Dilfer 16 games
1997 Brett Favre 16 games
1997 Steve Young 15 games *
1998 John Elway 13 games *
1998 Doug Flutie 13 games *
1998 Vinny Testaverde 15 games *
1998 Chris Chandler 14 games *
1998 Randall Cunningham 16 games
1998 Steve Young 15 games *
1999 Mark Brunell 15 games *
1999 Rich Gannon 16 games
1999 Peyton Manning 16 games
1999 Steve Beuerlein 16 games
1999 Brad Johnson 16 games
1999 Kurt Warner 16 games
2000 Rich Gannon 16 games
2000 Elvis Grbac 15 games *
2000 Brian Griese 10 games *
2000 Peyton Manning 16 games
2000 Daunte Culpepper 16 games
2000 Jeff Garcia 16 games
2000 Donavan McNabb 16 games
2000 Kurt Warner 11 games *
2001 Tom Brady 15 games *
2001 Rich Gannon 16 games
2001 Kordell Stewart 16 games
2001 Brett Favre 16 games
2001 Jeff Garcia 16 games
2001 Donovan McNabb 16 games
2001 Kurt Warner 16 games
2002 Drew Bledsoe 16 games
2002 Rich Gannon 16 games
2002 Peyton Manning 16 games
2002 Brett Favre 16 games
2002 Jeff Garcia 16 games
2002 Brad Johnson 13 games *
2002 Donovan McNabb 10 games *
2002 Michael Vick 15 games *
2003 Peyton Manning 16 games
2003 Steve McNair 14 games *
2003 Trent Green 16 games
2003 Daunte Culpepper 14 games *
2003 Brett Favre 16 games
2003 Donovan McNabb 16 games
2003 Matt Hasselbeck 16 games
2003 Mark Bulger 15 games *
2004 Tom Brady 16 games
2004 Peyton Manning 16 games
2004 Drew Brees 15 games *
2004 Daunte Culpepper 16 games
2004 Donovan McNabb 15 games
2004 Michael Vick 15 games *
2005 Tom Brady 16 games
2005 Peyton Manning 16 games
2005 Steve McNair 14 games *
2005 Trent Green 16 games
2005 Carson Palmer 16 games
2005 Michael Vick 15 games *
2005 Matt Hasselbeck 16 games
2005 Jake Delhomme 16 games

* played less than a full season


Fewer than 10 games = 2.8%

Fewer than 12 games = 7.4%

Fewer than 14 games = 20.3%

14 or more games = 79.6%

12 or more games = 92.6%

10 or more games = 97.2%

No quarterback has ever been selected that had played in less than 7 games that season. Only one has been selected that had played less than 9 games that season.

Apparently at no time has a majority of voters for Pro Bowl candidates felt that anyone that played less than 7 games had accomplished enough to be elected.

This isn't wishes or desires. These are the results of actual votes for Pro Bowl candidates. Does this mean Romo isn't qualified? Absolutely not. What it does mean is that it's highly unlikely that he could get selected for the Pro Bowl if the election happened today. If he wins out the last 6 games, and the election was held then, of course he'd have a chance. And would have the credentials to back it up. But at 4 games, you're not going to convince enough people that he's a viable candidate to garner their votes.

Rod

Two Scenarios - Cowboys vs Colts

Scenario #1:

The Cowboys lose the coin toss and the Colts elect to get the ball first. With the crowd noise at an all time high, the Cowboys kick off high and deep, forcing the returner to back up and ultimately signal for a fair catch at the 11 yard line. The Cowboys defense come on the field and line up. The ball is snapped, Manning drops back only to find the line is already collapsing, so he hands it off to his RB, who gets snuffed for a 2 yard loss. On second down and 12 to go, Manning takes the snap, drops back only to see a virtually untouched Roy Williams coming at full speed towards him. He ducks to his knees and is sacked for a loss of 5 more yards.

The crowd is wild as Manning tries to signal a change of play at the line of scrimmage .The ball is snapped, he takes a three step drop and fires one to his tight end on a crossing pattern. A violent hit just as the ball arrives causes it to leave the TE's hands, falling to the carpet and is promptly pounced on by the Cowboys. The ruling on the field is that it's an incomplete pass so it's now 4th down and 17 yards to go at the 4 yard line.

From inside the endzone, the Colts barely get the kick away. The ball is returned by the Cowboys to the Colt's 44 yard line.

Beginning there, the Cowboys offense moves onto the field and systematically marches down the field using an equal mix of runs by Julius Jones and passes to four different receivers, plus one short scramble for 5 yards by Romo himself. The scoring play is a five yard bullet from Romo to Witten. The extra point is good and the Cowboys have the lead.

For the rest of the first half, Dallas' defense stays in Manning's face, allowing him some short passes, but taking away the big plays. One fumble by Manning causes a turnover and Anthony Henry puts an end to Manning's tendency to pick on him by taking an interception to the bank for Dallas' second touchdown and the second turnover of the game by the Colts.

The Colts get a break with a reception and 38 yard run after catch to get to the 14 yard line. Dallas' defense holds and forces the Colts to settle for a field goal. The half ends on the score of Cowboys 14, Colts 3. Only two penalties have been charged to the Cowboys for the entire first half and the Cowboys had no turnovers.

Coming back onto the field after halftime, the Cowboys find themselves staring at a stadium full of fans giving them a standing ovation. The noise level is deafening in Texas Stadium. Tony Romo is caught on camera as he's being talked to by a Coach Parcells with a very stern face. Tony is nodding his head and smiling. The announcers have a field day with this for a few minutes, then ball is kicked off to the Cowboys.

The Cowboys kick returner catches the ball, scrambles for a few moments then is down at the 17 yard line. Romo and company walk on the field. Players have to signal the crowd to quieten down so they can hear what they're doing on the field. The crowd cooperates and on 1st down and 10 at the 17, Romo fakes a handoff to Julius Jones who causes the defense to pursue, only to see Romo loft one up towards Terrell Owens. TO becomes airborne between two defenders and snatches the ball from the air, hangs onto it, hits the ground running and never looks back until he's at the 5 yard line and heading into the endzone. Vanderjagt's extra point is good, making it a 21-3 game in favor of the Cowboys.

The Colts are again smothered deep in their own territory by Dallas' special teams. Roy Williams has already spent half the game pressuring Manning and gets another sack on third down as the Colts are not able to move the ball. The Colts finally get a touchdown towards the end of the third quarter, going into the fourth quarter with a score of 24-10, Cowboys leading. Tony Romo spreads the ball around between receivers and running backs during the fourth period and manages to get the ball to Terry Glenn at the 22 on a short pass. Glenn evades tacklers and takes it to the endzone, making the score 31-10. Dallas' defense tightens up even further, allowing short yardage, but no big plays and the Colts are only able to get one more field goal before the final buzzer goes off with the Cowboys winning 31-13. Manning is held to 178 yards passing with two interceptions, three sacks, one fumble and one touchdown. Romo finished the day with 323 yards, one interception no fumbles, one sack and three touchdowns.

A shot from one of the cameras catches Manning shaking hands with a smiling Vanderjagt as the teams exit the field. Another shot shows a smiling Bill Parcells walking into the tunnel.Yet another camera shot catches a jubilant Jerry Jones with a huge smile as he hugs Terrell Owens that proves that today would be a great day for anyone to go ask Jerry for a raise.

==========================================

Scenario 2:

The crowd is wild and loud as the Cowboys win the toss and elect to receive the ball. The Colts kick off to the Cowboys and the kick returner is brought down after a 6 yard runback to the 21 yardline. A penalty for holding against the Cowboys moves the ball back to the 11 where Romo and company take over. On first down, Julius Jones gains 6 yards out to the 17. On second down, Romo hits Witten on a crossing pattern for a 6 yard gain and a first down. On first and 10, Romo fires a bullet to Terry Glenn who is hammered by a defender, but hangs onto the ball for a 12 yard gain. The next play is a pass to Terrell Owens on the left sideline which rolls off his fingers for an incomplete pass. On second down and 10, Romo hands the ball to Julius Jones who jukes and jives for a 5 yard gain, bringing up 3rd and 5. A flag for movement on the line brings a five yard penalty, making the play a 3rd and 10. On 3rd and 10, the ball is snapped, but all receivers are covered. Romo spots an opening and scrambles for six yards, but not enough for a 1st down. The Cowboys kick to the Colts.

The Colts begin by trying a running play to the right which is stopped at the line of scrimmage. On 2nd down, Manning rolls to the left and hits Harrison for a 15 yard gain. On the next play, Manning hits the TE on a fade route for another first down. A couple more pass plays and the Colts on a short touchdown pass take the lead.

The Cowboys offense takes the field again after the kickoff and under Romo's guidance, move the ball down to the 7 yard line of the Colts where they are stymied. A field goal by Vanderjagt makes the score 7-3, Colts leading.

The rest of the first half is similar to the previous, with the Colts scoring two more touchdowns, and Dallas scoring one touchdown and missing a 46 yard field goal attempt after a 15 yard facemask penalty had pushed the Cowboys back on the previous play. After Vanderjagt's miss, the camera pans the Colts' sideline showing all the laughing and high fiving going on over there. Parcells is shown clutching his clipboard to his chest with a look of disgust. Halftime ends with a score of 21-10, Colts leading.

The Cowboys come back to the field and kick off to the Colts. A holding penalty adds 10 more yards to the Colts runback, putting them on the 36 yardline. On first down, Manning again hits Harrison, who runs out of bounds at the 48 for a 1st down. Two more plays and the Colts are on the 27 yard line of Dallas' with a 1st and 10. Manning decides to go for it all but is intercepted by Roy Williams on that same type play the sportscasters have belittled Williams' about this season.

Dallas takes over at the 12 yard line and moves the ball down the field for a score on a 32 yard pass to Hurd. The score is now 21-17, Colts leading. On the ensuing kickoff, the Colts get a long return out to the 49 yardline of Dallas. Manning marches the team down to the 11 yardline, but is again stymied by Dallas' defense and the Colts settle for a field goal, bringing the score to 24-17 Colts leading.

Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Dallas gets the kickoff from the Colts and after another poor runback, takes over at their 16 yardline. Romo comes out firing, with a 12 yard pass to Glenn, a 6 yard pass to Witten, and a 27 yard pass to TO. With the ball on the 39 yardline of the Colts, Romo hands the ball off to Julius Jones who breaks through the line and is finally brought down at the 2 yardline of the Colts, a 37 yard run. Two plays later, Marion Barber bulls his way into the endzone for the touchdown. Vanderjagt nails the extra point and the stadium crowd goes crazy.

With 8:32 left on the clock, the Colts take the ensuing kickoff and the returner is hammered immediately, putting the ball on the 13 yard line. Manning and company comes on the field and attempt a couple passes. One falls incomplete, the second is batted away by the defender. Roy Williams looks like he has set up permanent camp in the Colts' backfield. The Dallas defense is fired up and prevents the first down. With 4:48 left in the game, the Colts kick off to a fired up Dallas specials team unit. After the first good runback to the 39 yardline by the Cowboys, a holding penalty moves the ball back to the 29 where it's 1st and 10. The Cowboys quietly start moving the ball down the field with running plays.
A reverse sweep gets the ball to Terry Glenn who gains 17 yards on the ground. The clock continues to run, with neither team wanting to give extra time to the opponent. At the two minute warning, the clock stops with the Cowboys on the 46 yardline of the Colts and 2nd down and 6 yards to go. Marion takes the handoff and gains 4 more yards, leaving it at 3rd and 2. The clock continues to run. A short pass to Witten barely gets the 1st down, but he's stopped before getting out of bounds, so a time out is called with 47 seconds left in the game. The ball is snapped, but Romo can find no receivers open so he scrambles for a 5 yard gain, leaving the ball on the 31 yard line. Two more failed running attempts leave the Cowboys with a 4th and 5 at the 31. And 9 seconds left on the clock.

Vanderjagt lines up for the field goal attempt. A time out is called by the Colts. So the waiting continues. The noise level has reduced dramatically. The announcers in the booth analyze what this kick means to both teams while we all wait.

Finally, we hear the signal from the referee to start the play. The linesmen get into their stances. Vanderjagt gets into position. The ball is snapped. The holder catches it, plants it perfectly just in time for Vanderjagt's foot to strike the ball. The kick is up and it's . . . . . .



time to find another writer. This one's tired. :-)

Rod