CowboysBlog.Net

Now that my anger with tears have let up, I’m going to take a look into the future - a bit more realistically. Right now, it looks like Jason Garrett will end up in Atlanta or Baltimore, he is interviewing with both clubs for the second time. Garrett as the HC for the Cowboys is not going to happen.

Here’s what IS going to happen though: Garrett will probably get a HC job elsewhere this season. Sparano is gone. Jerry will keep Wade Phillips around another year. I suspect the Cowboys will have a difficult year next year with the schedule they’ve earned this year. Its been said that “Player Coaches” have strong 1st years, but the subsequent years are less than stellar (Dungy is the exception) The Cowboys should have a winning record, but I feel that the Cowboys will not be 13-3 under Wade next year. After its all said and done, another one and done will be the last straw. Jerry Jones knows this team will need a return to discipline and this means Jerry will pull “The Chin” out of retirement. Bill Cowher will be the Cowboys coach in 2009.

The one position that is throttling down the defense is SS. Roy Williams cannot return in 2008. He MUST be traded for whatever you can get. As long as Roy is back there, it will not matter how many Ware’s are upfront, the pass to Roy is money for every team in the league. You know that problem with have with 3rd down stoppages? That’s Roy alot of time.

Another so-so performance from the offense as far as points go, but a win is a win. This is not the type of performances we should be having this late in the season, and its definitely a concern. Romo looked to be back on track and the thumb did not seem to be a big factor, Marion Barber was back in form, and Witten continues to be clutch. The defense was shaky in the beginning, but they were able to ratchet down and shutdown the Panthers.

So, the Cowboys win and improve to 13-2, but they are still in a dogfight for homefield advantage with the surging Packers. The Cowboys will be on the road to close out the regular season against the much hated Redskins, who could also be battling for a wild card game, so this is going to be a huge game for both teams.

Historically, the Redskins have played the Cowboys tough, and this game will be no different. The Cowboys could be missing T.O. and this will be a big blow, I don’t care how other people may try to be optimistic, but get real. Without T.O. on the road, at Washington, a slowing offense…I don’t like those odds at all. I’m hoping for an upset from the Bears tomorrow so we can rest everyone against the Redskins and get that monkey off our back.

Players of the game (offense): Romo, Barber, and Witten

Players of the game (defense): Ware and Canty

This was a close game, and like last week, we mange to find ways to keep teams in the game. Gurode has his worst game in several seasons, what was all that about? Yes, Jason Campbell looked good, but the defense just floundered around in the 2nd half and let the Redskins in the game, very disappointing. The offense has the killer instinct, but the defense has some ways to go. Newman made a play at the end, but other than that, the 2nd half was too easy for the Redskins.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this win, I hate the Redskins, so let’s take this win and move forward to that “trap” game. The Jets are horrible, and we’re at home… Let’s play with some intensity, crush the Jets and have some momentum for the following week in a game that could be for homefield advantage against the Packers.

Player of the game: Terrell Owens

LVP: Andre Gurode

Its a boring week with the Cowboys on their Bye Week. Thankfully though, we have some bye week news to keep our minds busy. The latest rumor hitting the net is Chad Johnson. Its believed Chad Johnson will NOT be with the Bengals next season. The Bengals will probably move the receiver in a trade or release him. There will be a market for Chad’s services, and look no further than Dallas for a potential landing ground.

Jerry Jones is seeing what the Patriots are doing on offense, and you can bet that Jerry wants the same, and adding Johnson would make our offense even more devastating than the Cheatriots. The thing about this scenario is money and the cap. We have ALOT of contracts that need to be attending to this offseason, core players like, Marion Barber and Tony Romo to name a few. Then you have players like Patrick Crayton and Keith Davis that play important roles, but could be seeking greener pastures. There’s going to be alot of money being spent this offseason.

The Greg Ellis Effect

The DMN Blog has this to say about the re-emergence of DeMarcus Ware:

Another pressure player emerging — The concern was whether another pass-rusher would emerge to take pressure off DeMarcus Ware. Rookie Anthony Spencer was solid, and Greg Ellis looks almost as good as ever. Ware was quiet the first two weeks, but he’s been a beast since then.

Anthony Spencer will develop this season, he’s shown flashes and still brings the pressure, but its clear that Greg Ellis is a boss at OLB, he’s back, he’s the real deal and has always been solid with the pass rush. DeMarcus Ware can thank his latest successes on the return of dominance, Greg Ellis. We saw it last year, and this year just proves that with Ellis in the lineup, Ware gets more pressure. Ellis is a great asset.

Start Hatcher

That’s all that needs to be said. How much longer is Phillips going to keep Jason Hatcher from starting? Hatcher is clearly the player we need at DE. We need to stop teams on their opening drives, we need more pressure, and that means Hatcher. Hatcher is a playmaker on defense, he brings the heat, and has a high motor. Seriously, start Hatcher already. I’m gonna take a twist from T.O.’s “Getcha popcorn ready” and give Hatcher his one liner he can use in locker room interviews: Getcha gurnies ready

The Rest of the East

While the Cowboys are off this weekend, the rest of the East will be on the road and they will have their hands full. I look forward to watching these losers lose in their games this weekend.

Giants @ Dolphins: The Giants should win this game, but the Dolphins will play them hard, and they will not let them win easily. Should be a decent game. Go ‘Fins!

Eagles @ Vikings: The Eagles have fallen on hard times this year, and will probably play spoiler towards the end of the season, as they are on pace to having a losing season, they could knock out someone in the NFC East race down the line. The Vikings probably win this game at home. They have a good defense, and Peterson should be able to run over the Eagles. After another Eagle’s loss the “start Kevin Kolb” drums will beat louder. I love it.

Redskins @ Patriots: The Patriots are going to destroy the Redskins, we’ll be taking notes, and when we play the Redskins we will destroy them as well. The Redskins don’t have a chance in this game. I hoping both teams get beat up though. I can’t stand the Patriots and Belicheat, and I really hate the Redskins even more.

The Cowboys go into Buffalo as the last undefeated team in the NFC. The Packers dropped one to the Bears. It seems like forever since the Cowboys last game, but fans remain pumped over this upcoming game. A win over the Bills will further solidify their supremacy atop the NFC. The Cowboys cannot take the Bills lightly, they do have some strong points in their game despite being banged up. They have a solid running back in Marshawn Lynch and he’ll be the first good back the Cowboys have faced this season and their special teams are also solid with McGee and Parrish.

Keys to Victory

Same as always, limit turnovers, limit stupid penalties, sustain drives, create pressure and earn some take aways. If we do all this, we will win the game. The Bills cannot double team all our offensive weapons. Romo knows this, and his quick throw will punish the Bills defense.

Go for the fast start this week. The Patriots come to town next week, and these guys have been very consistent with the fast start, so the Cowboys need to see if we can execute a fast start in a real game. So, let’s do what we do in the 2nd half, and smother the Bills for 4 quarters.

Pressure Edwards Early

The Cowboys defense is feeling confident, and resurrected with the return of Newman and Ellis. This defense will be looking for blood early and often. Edwards had success against the Jets, but we now know that the Jets are a horrible team on both sides of the ball. The Bills will have their hands full with Ware, Ellis, and Spencer bringing the pressure at any given time. Phillips wants to whip the Bills, and the defensive playbook will drop down on the Bills.

Special Teams

Special teams has also improved over the last few weeks, and this week the Cowboys will have to contain Roscoe Parrish, he’s speedy and elusive. If the Cowboys contain Parrish like we did against Hester, then we should be fine. Mat McBriar should have another great game. We’ll see how Folk does at this stadium. Ralph Wilson Stadium is one of the windiest stadiums in the NFL, so we’ll see how he responds to those variables.

Feed the Quadruplets

Romo will lead the way, as the head of this four-headed beast, but the Cowboys will be looking at a fast start this week, its been talked about all week. We’ll probably see a good dose if it early, and that means feeding the Quadruplets early and often. I think we’ll see TO, Witten, and Barber fully involved on the opening drive.

Cowboys @ Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium - AstroTurf Gameday Grass
ESPN 7:30 PM CST
Analysts: Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Tony Kornheiser
NFL.com Gamecenter

The Rest of the NFC East:
Redskins defeated the Lions (3-1)
Giants defeated the Jets (3-2)
Eagles BYE WEEK

Browns Watch:
Brows lost to Patriots (2-3)

Join us for LIVE GAMEDAY discussion on the message boards!

Madden Forecast: Cowboys 26 Bills 24
My Prediction: Cowboys 30 Bills 20

Sounds like Jacques Reeves will continue to start, this time as Henry’s replacement. Henry has suffered a high ankle sprain, and its one of those nagging type injuries that could take time to fully heal. Henry had nagging injuries last year, but was able to play through them; however, his production was horrible. I warned about this a few posts ago. With Terence Newman back, and Henry on the opposite side, you will see QBs attacking at will against Henry again. Now with Henry being banged up, you can guarantee a few blown plays coming up. Here’s the latest from DC.com:

Phillips labeled Henry “real iffy” for next Monday night’s game at Buffalo because high ankle sprains, which involve ligaments above the ankle joint, typically require longer recovery time. Running back Julius Jones missed three games and parts of a fourth with a high ankle sprain in 2005.

The Cowboys will have an extra day to evaluate Henry because of the Monday night game.

“Now it’s not a severe one they say, but still normally if it’s a high ankle sprain it’s like four weeks,” Phillips said of Henry’s injury. “If it’s not severe, it may be two weeks, I don’t know. They’ve heard of people coming back from one that were slightly (sprained).”

This is bad timing, as we approach one of our truest tests of the season against the Patriots in two weeks. The defense is stepping it up, so we may be able to absorb this latest setback in the secondary. We will see.

Current NFC East Standings:
Cowboys 4-0
Redskins 2-1
Giants 2-2
Eagles 1-3

Browns Watch:

The Browns are surprising some people, including myself. Any aspirations of possibly drafting Darren McFadden are slipping away.The Browns beatup the Raves 27-13, so either the Browns are better than we thought, or the Ravens are just horrible. The Browns improved their season to 2-2, 3rd in the AFC North. The Browns face a huge test against the Patriots on Sunday Oct. 7th. Let’s hope for another loss.

I got together with our Football Rivals Network affiliate site, StLouisRamsX.com and conducted a brief Q&A covering the upcoming game between the Cowboys and Rams.

CowboysBlog.Net: We know the Rams are pretty banged up on both sides of the ball, do you see the Rams having any chance at all in winning this game?

StLouisRamsX.Com: No way, the Cowboys are rolling right now. We have no answer for TO, have perennially had difficulties with good TEs, but we may be able to contain the running game. The Cowboys will get their points, but the old Rams used to be able to match teams point-for-point. No longer. Brian Leonard isn’t too much of a dropoff from Steven Jackson but when your OL is shot to pieces, you need the bull to drive the pile. Those extra 2-3 yards really make a difference and I don’t think Leonard has the same power. The Cowboys defense doesn’t really scare me but this watered-down offense won’t be able to do enough to keep up.

CB: On offense or defense, who could be your playermakers against the Cowboys?

SLRX:  The playmakers on offense should be the usual suspects, but they’re being held back by coaching. Bulger probably can’t go deep without pain, but the OL can’t hold for a seven step drop and no deep plays are called anymore. We can’t even run a slant for double digit yards anymore. I’d watch out for McMichael, some day Linehan will wake up and use him but we’ve been saying that about that position for over a year now. On defense, we have some promise up front but so far no one’s been consistent. If they all pulled it together for one game, it would be something to watch, but various players are taking turns disappearing. Ryan and Carriker have shown promise, at times Hall is great but he has lost contain several times that I’ve noticed, Little can be great but he’s been neutralized a lot lately too. Backers are speedy and no one should outrun them but they will get caught in the wash, CBs are decimated, if you see Vinnett, throw at him, Atogwe is a hard hitter, and Chavous is - I don’t know - sometimes just lost.

CB: With Orlando Pace out for the season, do you think DeMarcus Ware will have an easy time at getting to Bulger, or do you have someone there that can hold their own?

SLRX: Ware can give someone the standing 7 count from flag football and still get to Bulger. Career day in store.

CB: If you were the Cowboys offense, what would you do to score points against the Rams defense, what if any are the weaknesses?

SLRX: Use the run to set up the pass, try to get some hard yards inside, probe to see if Carriker or Ryan are on or off today and let Romo fire at will. Haslett has a lot of blitz packages but rarely uses them. Even when he calls them, they rarely get to the QB. Run blitz seems to be working better, I think he’s calling them to the right holes now. Before, he’d call a run blitz and we’d tip it off or they ran to the other side for a big gain. Haslett has seemed to have fixed that now - finally.

CB: What do you think about Isaac Bruce’s “I will guarentee a win” headliner, do you think he really believes that or is it more of something to get the team pumped for the game or what?

SLRX: I didn’t hear that but it may be a veteran trying to pep up the team. We just don’t have the guns (or the general won’t use them), and the Cowboys offense is rolling. While the Rams D has been improved, we really haven’t faced anybody yet so this is a big test for them. Right now, just hanging with the Cowboys and coming away without anyone else injured would be a moral victory.

I really still despise the Cowboys and a lot of their fans. And in my experience, if you run into a blue star-wearing Cowboy lover anywhere outside of Texas, I’ll lay 10-1 that guy is a complete a*hole. No offense, just an observation. Kind of like all Eagles and Patriots fans.

But Romo is a great story. Undrafted kid from nowhere, living the dream, appreciates the situation he’s landed in, big smile on his mug, etc. And in my pools and fantasy teams you have to appreciate the talent. I’m playing Romo and TO for big points and picking:

Lastly, what is your final score prediction?

SLRX: Cowboys 47 Rams 13

Special thanks for StLouisRamsX.com, be sure to check them out!

Cowboys Nation is on fire, after a dominating showing by the offense against one of the elite defenses of the league. The Cowboys may not have a dominating defense, but we do have Championship conditioning. Our huge offensive line tired out and out hustled one of the best defensive units in the league, take notice. The Cowboys can play anyone in this league and go toe-to-toe and put on a show on offense. Our offense is just bad to the bone right now.

Slow Starts, Strong Finishes

That’s our M.O. on offense, I’m convinced that Garrett’s gameplans for each game is designed for proding and poking. Once Garrett finds the weakness, its on; and, its attack mode at full speed. Terrell Owens has been virtually unstoppable in this rejuvated offensive scheme, and Tony Romo is leading the way with solid numbers. I said it last week, but I’ll say it again: Jerry, give Romo the combination to the safe and pay him like the bigtime QB that he is!

Special Teams

I’ve been dogging the special teams play all preseason and all throughout the regular season; however, I have to give some props now. Special teams gets a gameball, their coverage was spot on, and Keith Davis had another good showing on special teams. Sam Hurd was also exceptional tonight, he had a complete game in every aspect too.

Love me some #6

That’s right, its official now, Nick Folk is a boss at the kicker position. After years of having instability and inconsistency, we now have a solid place kicker in Folk.

The Defense

The Cowboys defense is starting to mirror the offense as far as how long it takes for them to get on track. The defense has been pretty good in the 2nd half as well. Against the Bears, the defense had good coverage and had Grossman rattled. Rattle Gator Arms, Win the game, I said it all week, and that’s what happened. Stephen Bowen looked good in the lineup tonight, along with the rest of the unit. I like what I saw from everyone on the line tonight.

Here’s the Beef

Our Offensive Line means business, and we’re imposing our will upon the best defensive lines in the league. We are out playing, and out hustling some of the best in the NFL, very impressive. The critics of Bigg Davis can take a back seat and come along for the ride to the Pro Bowl. Bigg Davis was a great free agent addition, and we’re reaping the rewards. Can you imagine if Rivera was still at RG? Davis is just mauling people on a regular basis.

The running game

Julius Jones had a good game, and helped moved the chains. Marion Barber continues to run like a man possessed. With Barber in the backfield you always get the filling he will break a tackle and take it to the house. Barber is a bad dude! The running attack had a slow first half, but Garrett’s second half adjustments had them running through and over the Bears defense.

We have the lowly Rams next, and need to be focused and not fall in this potential trap game.

BOX SCORE

Rest of the NFC Updates

Giants defeated the Redskins. The Giants are 1-2, Redskins are 2-1

The Eagles crushed the Lions. The Eagles are 1-2

Brown Watch

The Browns lost at Oakland. The Browns are 1-2

The Cowboys continue to shoot themselves in the foot with penalties. We have not sustained a decent drive. Crayton’s bad finger is effecting his ability to catch the ball, pull him now.

Not only are we playing against the Bears, but we’re playing against the refs in this game. We’re getting some horrible calls, and Im starting to wonder if we have a ref in this game that’s throwing the game like that one ref from the NBA!

The last play off the game was dead with 3 seconds left and we did not get our free kick! we are getting ripped off.

One thing to look forward to is Garrett’s adjustments. Garrett has been the master of second half adjustments with the offense. He’s seen what the Bears are doing, and will come out attacking. Let’s go Cowboys!

Well, the day of reckoning is here, its our first big game on the road. This game against the Bears will assess how good this new Garrett offense stacks up against one of the better defenses in the NFL. Questions remain for both teams: Do the Bears have a good defense or have they simply not played anyone yet? Is the Cowboys offense the real deal
or have we not played anyone? Two teams are on a collision course and after tonight, most questions should be answered.

Keys to Victory

Turnovers above anything needs to be zero against this solid Bears defense. Romo has been wise in his game management and game decisions, so I expect more of the same. Every inch of territory is premium in this game, so that means limit the dumb penalties. Sustain drives and control the clock.

The fast start has yet to materialize, and I don’t know if it ever will. Garrett is very analytical, and from what I’ve seen, Garrett will run some plays to test out what the Bears will do, and the 2nd half is where its at. We’ll probably see more of the same. Fast start would be nice, but don’t be surprised if the first half is low scoring and close.

Rattle Gator Arms

I’ve been saying this all week; If you rattle Grossman, you increase your chances of victory over the Bears exponentially. Let’s throw more Bradie James up the middle again, and rush him all night. He will throw a few INTS.

Kick Away

This could be a game of kickers, and Nick Folk could be the man at the end of the game. Let’s see how Folk does on the road under the big lights, in the swirling fields in Chicago. We could see alot of field goals being exchanged in this game.

In addition, Mat McBriar will have a busy day as well. The gameplan will be simple on punts…kick out of bounds. I don’t want any of Hester. Call it what you want, whatever
it takes to win, its called strategy. It would be dumb to even try it and see what happens. If we had a decent coverage team, maybe, just maybe I would reconsider; unfortunately, our coverage team is not good.

In Garrett We Trust

You have to know that when Garrett saw the schedules come out, he already had some ideas swirling in his mind. I’m confident Garrett will throw the kitchen at this Bears defense. He’ll prod and poke that defense until he finds the weakness, and he will go after it. Let’s see what he has in store.

Running Attack

Julius Jones needs a solid outing tonight. Too bad his brother is gone, because last time we played the Bears, Julius had a solid day and outshined Thomas Jones. Can Jones repeat his solid performance. I think this is a game where Jones will turn on the burners and showcase what he can do against an elite defense.

MB3, Marion the Barbarian, The Closer, or whatever you want to call him will continue to energize the offense. If Julius Jones struggles early on and the offense stagnates, the
bring in the boss. Barber is just fun to watch, but he can deliver the goods. I’d rather have Jones start this one, and utilize his speed, and have Barber deliver the KO in the second half. If you also notice, the 2nd half has been where the offense has really turned on the afterburners, and who else better to serve up another ass whippin on the ground than MB3? He’ll have another solid game.

Special Teams

The Bears are always looking for the easy takeaway, and with Crayton being a little banged up with his hand, you can expect them to take some swings at the ball once he has it. So again, Crayton, please tuck that ball in after the catch. Thank you sir!

Cowboys @ Bears
Soldier Field - Grass
NBC 7:15 PM CST
Analysts: Al Michaels and John Madden
NFL.com Gamecenter

The Rest of the NFC East:
Giants @ Redskins 3:15PM CST FOX
Lions @ Eagles 12:00PM CST FOX

Browns Watch:
Browns @ Raiders 3:05PM CST CBS

Join us for LIVE GAMEDAY discussion on the message boards!
Madden Simulation: Cowboys 27 Bears 34
My Prediction: Cowboys 27 Bears 17