Cbz40
The Grand Poobah
- Messages
- 31,387
- Reaction score
- 39
Dallas on deck
Pats’ clash in Texas already creating buzz
By John Tomase / Patriots Beat
Monday, October 8, 2007 - Updated 2h ago
Boston Herald Sports Writer
Patriots beat writer John Tomase joined the Herald in 2005 after six years covering the Red Sox.
FOXBORO - America’s Team has never had much relevance in Foxboro, but that changes this week.
During their Super Bowl runs in the ’70s and ’90s, the Dallas Cowboys were generally at their best when the Patriots [team stats] were at their worst. They weren’t going to be meeting in the Super Bowl.
But this year they’re the class of their respective conferences, and they meet on Sunday in a battle Dallas hopes will provide legitimacy, while the Pats seek to take another step toward 16-0.
Yesterday they took care of business against the Browns, not playing at their highest level, but nonetheless cruising to a 34-17 victory to improve to 5-0. The Cowboys will require a different kind of effort.
“I know that what we did today is not going to get it done next week,” said cornerback Ellis Hobbs [stats]. “We have to go in there ready to play, because they’re obviously going to be ready.”
The game is huge in Dallas. The Morning News had a reporter in Foxboro yesterday, and it’s all the Cowboys and their fans have been talking about for the last two weeks. The Cowboys have only beaten one team with a winning record (the 3-2 Giants), and they view the Pats as a prime opportunity to make a statement.
“It’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot of intensity,” said Patriots receiver Donte’ Stallworth. “That crowd gets really loud out there in Dallas.”
Hobbs grew up in Texas and has plenty of family and friends in the area, so he knows how big the game is in the Big D.
“You know how everybody already is as far as when the Patriots come to town, they turn it up,” Hobbs said. “That’s all they’ve been waiting on, because we’re the Patriots. We’d better be prepared.”
The Cowboys have heard the major criticism lobbed their way, which is that they haven’t beaten anybody. Their four wins have come against teams that are a combined 4-15, and they face the one-win Bills tonight in Buffalo.
However, the same critique holds for the Patriots, who have won five games against teams with a combined record of 7-16. It’s not their fault the Chargers and Jets have morphed from playoff teams into dogs, but dogs they are.
Running back Sammy Morris - a Texas native - downplayed talk of the Pats testing themselves against an elite squad.
“I’m looking forward to playing the Cowboys because they’re next on the schedule,” he said. “I’m more frustrated with all the tickets I’ve got to get. It’s in the 30s now.”
The Cowboys are a mirror image of the Patriots in a number of areas. Quarterback Tony Romo is playing like an MVP, although a full step below Pats signal-caller Tom Brady [stats]. The Cowboys lead the NFL in scoring at 37.8 points a game, just ahead of the Patriots at 36.4.
Terrell Owens is a big-play threat at wideout in the mold of Randy Moss, with nearly 100 yards receiving a game, three touchdowns, and a reputation for coming up big against the Patriots, as he did in Super Bowl XXXIX.
“I’m going to text T.O. and tell him he’s got an all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil for two weeks,” Stallworth joked. “Let him take that trip and hopefully his team will play without him.”
The next week should be interesting. The Patriots [team stats] pride themselves on treating every game the same, but they’re looking at a possible Super Bowl preview, and that’s hard to ignore.
“It’s going to be a big game,” Stallworth said. “You can’t lie about that. You can’t underplay it. It’s going to be a big game for us and for them. It’s always a competitive game in the NFL, but a team playing as well as they are right now, it’s going to be fun.”
Pats’ clash in Texas already creating buzz
Monday, October 8, 2007 - Updated 2h ago
Boston Herald Sports Writer
Patriots beat writer John Tomase joined the Herald in 2005 after six years covering the Red Sox.
FOXBORO - America’s Team has never had much relevance in Foxboro, but that changes this week.
During their Super Bowl runs in the ’70s and ’90s, the Dallas Cowboys were generally at their best when the Patriots [team stats] were at their worst. They weren’t going to be meeting in the Super Bowl.
But this year they’re the class of their respective conferences, and they meet on Sunday in a battle Dallas hopes will provide legitimacy, while the Pats seek to take another step toward 16-0.
Yesterday they took care of business against the Browns, not playing at their highest level, but nonetheless cruising to a 34-17 victory to improve to 5-0. The Cowboys will require a different kind of effort.
“I know that what we did today is not going to get it done next week,” said cornerback Ellis Hobbs [stats]. “We have to go in there ready to play, because they’re obviously going to be ready.”
The game is huge in Dallas. The Morning News had a reporter in Foxboro yesterday, and it’s all the Cowboys and their fans have been talking about for the last two weeks. The Cowboys have only beaten one team with a winning record (the 3-2 Giants), and they view the Pats as a prime opportunity to make a statement.
“It’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot of intensity,” said Patriots receiver Donte’ Stallworth. “That crowd gets really loud out there in Dallas.”
Hobbs grew up in Texas and has plenty of family and friends in the area, so he knows how big the game is in the Big D.
“You know how everybody already is as far as when the Patriots come to town, they turn it up,” Hobbs said. “That’s all they’ve been waiting on, because we’re the Patriots. We’d better be prepared.”
The Cowboys have heard the major criticism lobbed their way, which is that they haven’t beaten anybody. Their four wins have come against teams that are a combined 4-15, and they face the one-win Bills tonight in Buffalo.
However, the same critique holds for the Patriots, who have won five games against teams with a combined record of 7-16. It’s not their fault the Chargers and Jets have morphed from playoff teams into dogs, but dogs they are.
Running back Sammy Morris - a Texas native - downplayed talk of the Pats testing themselves against an elite squad.
“I’m looking forward to playing the Cowboys because they’re next on the schedule,” he said. “I’m more frustrated with all the tickets I’ve got to get. It’s in the 30s now.”
The Cowboys are a mirror image of the Patriots in a number of areas. Quarterback Tony Romo is playing like an MVP, although a full step below Pats signal-caller Tom Brady [stats]. The Cowboys lead the NFL in scoring at 37.8 points a game, just ahead of the Patriots at 36.4.
Terrell Owens is a big-play threat at wideout in the mold of Randy Moss, with nearly 100 yards receiving a game, three touchdowns, and a reputation for coming up big against the Patriots, as he did in Super Bowl XXXIX.
“I’m going to text T.O. and tell him he’s got an all-expenses-paid trip to Brazil for two weeks,” Stallworth joked. “Let him take that trip and hopefully his team will play without him.”
The next week should be interesting. The Patriots [team stats] pride themselves on treating every game the same, but they’re looking at a possible Super Bowl preview, and that’s hard to ignore.
“It’s going to be a big game,” Stallworth said. “You can’t lie about that. You can’t underplay it. It’s going to be a big game for us and for them. It’s always a competitive game in the NFL, but a team playing as well as they are right now, it’s going to be fun.”
