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