Hostile
The Duke
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Now can we celebrate and be happy?
Actually, not yet. Goal number one has been accomplished. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East for the 17th time, and their 21st Division crown overall.
Goal number two has been accomplished too, we won after Thanksgiving and put aside the can't win in December and January myths that have haunted this team since 1997.
Now, we have got to end the playoff drought and beat the Eagles back to back. You had to know that before the game this was a big game and after the game it wouldn't matter until we win in the post season. Please don't tell me you didn't realize that would be the case. You had to know. It has been the story all year.
Atlanta, @ Philly, not even beating the unbeaten Saints was proof. All of them were big games until we won them. Once we won, there has always been a caveat. Why would today be any different?
The criticism and cynicism is valid. We have not won a playoff game since December 28, 1996. That is 13 years, 6 days and counting. In that period of time we have lost 6 straight post season games. Of course there will be doubts.
This time the doubts are surrounded by a lot of metal shavings. Everywhere you look there are stripped gears about the 2009 Dallas Cowboys. A lot of the metal shavings are from the back tracking I already mentioned. A lot of them are about players like Anthony Spencer, Tony Romo, and Mike Jenkins who could not get the job done.
It was always a big game that would change minds until we won it. Then it wasn't a big game because it wasn't in December. Then a win in December wasn't enough because nothing was on the line. Today a lot was on the line. What sound do you hear behind the cheering? If you say grinding gears you are right. Today's win, even though it was a dominant shut out that delivered an NFC East Crown and at least one home game in the post season was not a post season game already, so gears will strip.
The Eagles didn't even try today. Next week will be a different Eagles team. Dallas has to prove it in the post season, winning the NFC East doesn't mean anything. You're going to hear all of that and more. The thing is, it isn't wrong.
On the positive side, the Cowboys know it more than any of us. It is time to stop saying "these Cowboys say all the right things." Yeah they do, but they are backing it up too. It is time to acknowledge that.
The wheels could come off and we could lose next week. If that happens you will not be able to stop the howling. It is inevitable. The entire season will no longer matter. That is what I am going to disagree with. It will end up getting me labeled a homer all over again. That is fine. I really don't care. I say the regular season always matters.
Let's take a look at this losing streak and drought to gauge how we have earned this incredible amount of cynicism and gear stripping. In 1996 that team was still the core of players built by Jimmy Johnson. I find it hypocritical and ludicrous to say that team were "losers" and didn't know how to win. When you get to the playoffs and lose you are losing to a playoff caliber team. Does that make it any easier? Hell no. But to say the 1996 team was a team of losers with a losing mentality is pure fertilizer.
1998 is a painful post season loss. We swept the Cardinals in the regular season, had the home field advantage and laid an egg. The Triplets were still intact even though some key pieces were starting to fall apart. That loss hurts. There is no excuse for it.
In 1999 we backed into the playoffs at 8-8 and the loss did not surprise me. We were ushering in the Campo years and the gradual decline and exodus of the Triplets, three of our greatest Offensive legends.
The hiring of Bill Parcells brought renewed hope. When we made the playoffs in 2003 it was a miracle. I don't know how anyone could have expected us to win.
2006 is a different story. Anyone who tells me that was a bad team is a fool. Bad teams do not score over 400 points in a season. The Cowboys scored 425 points that year. Tony Romo came in, yelled "clear," and hit the paddles. The team's heart started that season. You can call the playoff loss a choke if you want. I can't. I could if the team sucked like the loss to the Cardinals after 1998. The 2006 team did not suck. They had victory in their hands and it slipped away. No pun intended.
I can't call the 2007 team a bad team either. Again they scored over 400 points in the season with 455, and they went 13-3. I know people hate hearing that. I don't care. If you call that a bad team then you don't know football. It is the one time you can say the team did choke. I also like to give the Giants credit. They played awesome football that Post Season. They controlled the clock and did not turn the ball over. I have never understood why we can't acknowledge that and be considered honest or realistic.
Which brings us to today. Much like 1998 and 2007, we are facing a Division rival after a regular season sweep. Will it be easy to beat the Eagles 2 games in a row, and 3 times in one season? Of course not. Is it impossible? It depends on who you listen to. It is going to sound impossible all week. Please don't tell me it won't. I see the metal shavings on the ground already and the piles are growing.
Tony Romo has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Even the 2 December losses he was outstanding. He has been a joy to watch. Today Tony Romo led a team that held the football for more than 40 minutes. That's right, the Eagles had it for under 20 minutes. This is going to favor the Dallas Cowboys all week. Our Defense will be fresher than theirs. If ours shows up motivated like they have the entire months of November, December, and now January, then we have a very decent shot.
This team is not giving up points. Back to back shutouts have not happened for the Cowboys since...ever. This was the 20th career shutout by the Cowboys including three post season shutouts. It was also the 2nd shutout against the Eagles.
The Cowboys rolled up 474 yards today and if they didn't have 80 yards in penalties would have cracked 500 yards of Offense for the game. 5.6 yards per carry and 8.7 yards per pass combined with 40 plus minutes of time of possession and it equals an all around dominating performance.
It wasn't all perfect. We were 0 for 1 on 4th down again. We were only 5 of 13 on 3rd down. I have already mentioned the 11 penalties. We also turned it over once and yet again we missed a Field Goal. I hate Kickers. The Coaches will have things to remind the team of to keep them sharp. The team will still say all the right things. The media and critics are going to bring up the post season drought all week long. I'm going to sweep up a lot of metal shavings from the stripped gears.
Especially if we finally end the drought and win.
Actually, not yet. Goal number one has been accomplished. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East for the 17th time, and their 21st Division crown overall.
Goal number two has been accomplished too, we won after Thanksgiving and put aside the can't win in December and January myths that have haunted this team since 1997.
Now, we have got to end the playoff drought and beat the Eagles back to back. You had to know that before the game this was a big game and after the game it wouldn't matter until we win in the post season. Please don't tell me you didn't realize that would be the case. You had to know. It has been the story all year.
Atlanta, @ Philly, not even beating the unbeaten Saints was proof. All of them were big games until we won them. Once we won, there has always been a caveat. Why would today be any different?
The criticism and cynicism is valid. We have not won a playoff game since December 28, 1996. That is 13 years, 6 days and counting. In that period of time we have lost 6 straight post season games. Of course there will be doubts.
This time the doubts are surrounded by a lot of metal shavings. Everywhere you look there are stripped gears about the 2009 Dallas Cowboys. A lot of the metal shavings are from the back tracking I already mentioned. A lot of them are about players like Anthony Spencer, Tony Romo, and Mike Jenkins who could not get the job done.
It was always a big game that would change minds until we won it. Then it wasn't a big game because it wasn't in December. Then a win in December wasn't enough because nothing was on the line. Today a lot was on the line. What sound do you hear behind the cheering? If you say grinding gears you are right. Today's win, even though it was a dominant shut out that delivered an NFC East Crown and at least one home game in the post season was not a post season game already, so gears will strip.
The Eagles didn't even try today. Next week will be a different Eagles team. Dallas has to prove it in the post season, winning the NFC East doesn't mean anything. You're going to hear all of that and more. The thing is, it isn't wrong.
On the positive side, the Cowboys know it more than any of us. It is time to stop saying "these Cowboys say all the right things." Yeah they do, but they are backing it up too. It is time to acknowledge that.
The wheels could come off and we could lose next week. If that happens you will not be able to stop the howling. It is inevitable. The entire season will no longer matter. That is what I am going to disagree with. It will end up getting me labeled a homer all over again. That is fine. I really don't care. I say the regular season always matters.
Let's take a look at this losing streak and drought to gauge how we have earned this incredible amount of cynicism and gear stripping. In 1996 that team was still the core of players built by Jimmy Johnson. I find it hypocritical and ludicrous to say that team were "losers" and didn't know how to win. When you get to the playoffs and lose you are losing to a playoff caliber team. Does that make it any easier? Hell no. But to say the 1996 team was a team of losers with a losing mentality is pure fertilizer.
1998 is a painful post season loss. We swept the Cardinals in the regular season, had the home field advantage and laid an egg. The Triplets were still intact even though some key pieces were starting to fall apart. That loss hurts. There is no excuse for it.
In 1999 we backed into the playoffs at 8-8 and the loss did not surprise me. We were ushering in the Campo years and the gradual decline and exodus of the Triplets, three of our greatest Offensive legends.
The hiring of Bill Parcells brought renewed hope. When we made the playoffs in 2003 it was a miracle. I don't know how anyone could have expected us to win.
2006 is a different story. Anyone who tells me that was a bad team is a fool. Bad teams do not score over 400 points in a season. The Cowboys scored 425 points that year. Tony Romo came in, yelled "clear," and hit the paddles. The team's heart started that season. You can call the playoff loss a choke if you want. I can't. I could if the team sucked like the loss to the Cardinals after 1998. The 2006 team did not suck. They had victory in their hands and it slipped away. No pun intended.
I can't call the 2007 team a bad team either. Again they scored over 400 points in the season with 455, and they went 13-3. I know people hate hearing that. I don't care. If you call that a bad team then you don't know football. It is the one time you can say the team did choke. I also like to give the Giants credit. They played awesome football that Post Season. They controlled the clock and did not turn the ball over. I have never understood why we can't acknowledge that and be considered honest or realistic.
Which brings us to today. Much like 1998 and 2007, we are facing a Division rival after a regular season sweep. Will it be easy to beat the Eagles 2 games in a row, and 3 times in one season? Of course not. Is it impossible? It depends on who you listen to. It is going to sound impossible all week. Please don't tell me it won't. I see the metal shavings on the ground already and the piles are growing.
Tony Romo has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Even the 2 December losses he was outstanding. He has been a joy to watch. Today Tony Romo led a team that held the football for more than 40 minutes. That's right, the Eagles had it for under 20 minutes. This is going to favor the Dallas Cowboys all week. Our Defense will be fresher than theirs. If ours shows up motivated like they have the entire months of November, December, and now January, then we have a very decent shot.
This team is not giving up points. Back to back shutouts have not happened for the Cowboys since...ever. This was the 20th career shutout by the Cowboys including three post season shutouts. It was also the 2nd shutout against the Eagles.
The Cowboys rolled up 474 yards today and if they didn't have 80 yards in penalties would have cracked 500 yards of Offense for the game. 5.6 yards per carry and 8.7 yards per pass combined with 40 plus minutes of time of possession and it equals an all around dominating performance.
It wasn't all perfect. We were 0 for 1 on 4th down again. We were only 5 of 13 on 3rd down. I have already mentioned the 11 penalties. We also turned it over once and yet again we missed a Field Goal. I hate Kickers. The Coaches will have things to remind the team of to keep them sharp. The team will still say all the right things. The media and critics are going to bring up the post season drought all week long. I'm going to sweep up a lot of metal shavings from the stripped gears.
Especially if we finally end the drought and win.
:starspin
