Cowboys/Giants 2007 playoffs

[KJJ]

1994 NFCCG

I don't think that game haunts fans quite as much as the 81 NFC title game loss to SF and the 2007 playoff loss to the Giants. Both games could have easily been won had it not been for maybe 1 or 2 plays. Yes the 94 NFC title game could have led to 4 straight SB wins but having won back to back SB's in 92 and 93 helped reduce the pain of that loss a little. After Jimmy left I don't think most thought the Cowboys would three peat. The Cowboys hadn't won a SB in 4 years when they lost to SF in the 81 title game and they had just lost in the NFC title game the year before to Philly. That team was starving for another championship with the window appearing to be closing. The way the Cowboys lost that game with The Catch by Clark in the last minute of regulation and the fumble by White on the Cowboys last ditch effort to pull the game out in the final seconds added to the PAIN of that defeat.

The 2007 loss to NY in the playoffs was an extremely bitter defeat because the Cowboys were 13-3, the #1 seed and were knocked out by a division rival who the Cowboys had beaten twice that season. What added more frustration to the loss was watching the Giants go on to win the SB. I haven't seen 2 losses by the Cowboys more dwelled on than the 81 NFC title game loss and the playoff loss to NY in 07. Both games were so winnable but they just didn't go the Cowboys way. The archives are loaded with threads discussing both games.

 

[KJJ]

Actually, I think the Seattle bobbled snap game has been rehashed more (by Cowboys and non-Cowboys fans,) simply because it involved such a specific, clear, crystallized-in-history-forever gaffe.


The loss to the Giants in the playoffs did not have anything that was that particularly remarkable about it, as opposed to many other playoff games in NFL history, except that it simply was very painful.

The "fumbled snap" has been rehashed probably more than any single play other than maybe Jackie Smith's drop in the SB vs Pittsburgh in 78 but that 06 Cowboy team was clearly not one of the better Cowboy teams certainly not as good as the teams in 81 and in 07. It was a team that probably would have gotten knocked off the following week. What made the 81 title game loss so painful as well as the 07 playoff loss was that those were 2 Cowboy teams that could have gone on to win the SB. Those were very good Cowboy teams that were favored to to go to the SB.

 

[KJJ]

The loss to the Giants in the playoffs did not have anything that was that particularly remarkable about it, as opposed to many other playoff games in NFL history, except that it simply was very painful.

There doesn't have to be anything particularly remarkable about a playoff loss for it to be a very painful loss that haunts a franchise. What made that loss to the Giants even more painful besides the things I mentioned in my previous post was it came at home where the Cowboys should have had an advantage. Heading into the game the Cowboys were a very well rested team having not played in 2 weeks while the Giants were just coming off a road game at Tampa a week earlier.

It was a game that setup perfectly for the Cowboys vs a team they had already beaten twice that season. There were 2 plays in that game that are rehashed over and over Crayton's drop that he might have scored on or at the very least put the Cowboys in FG range and his hesitated route that could have led to another score. It was a game the Cowboys had led and it was a game they could have overtaken the lead and won in the final minute.

For what the Cowboys had accomplished that season with a division championship, a franchise record-tying 13 wins, a #1 seed and 2 wins over the eventual SB champion it makes that loss one of the most painful in franchise history. It clearly played a part in the Cowboys coming back flat the following season which ended in another huge disappointment with the team missing the playoffs when expectations were so high.

 

[Red Dragon]

There doesn't have to be anything particularly remarkable about a playoff loss for it to be a very painful loss that haunts a franchise. What made that loss to the Giants even more painful besides the things I mentioned in my previous post was it came at home where the Cowboys should have had an advantage. Heading into the game the Cowboys were a very well rested team having not played in 2 weeks while the Giants were just coming off a road game at Tampa a week earlier.

It was a game that setup perfectly for the Cowboys vs a team they had already beaten twice that season. There were 2 plays in that game that are rehashed over and over Crayton's drop that he might have scored on or at the very least put the Cowboys in FG range and his hesitated route that could have led to another score. It was a game the Cowboys had led and it was a game they could have overtaken the lead and won in the final minute.

For what the Cowboys had accomplished that season with a division championship, a franchise record-tying 13 wins, a #1 seed and 2 wins over the eventual SB champion it makes that loss one of the most painful in franchise history. It clearly played a part in the Cowboys coming back flat the following season which ended in another huge disappointment with the team missing the playoffs when expectations were so high.

Agree. Every since that game, I think the Giants have simply held a mental advantage over the Cowboys.

As I posted in a thread elsewhere, 4 yards could have prevented 2 Giants Super Bowl championships. If Crayton had just run his route 2 yards deeper near the end of the 2007 playoff game, he could have caught Romo's pass for a touchdown. Most likely, that would have prevented the Giants from advancing to Super Bowl XLII.

If Romo had just thrown the ball 2 yards closer to Austin on that 3rd-and-5 in the Cowboys-Giants Week 14 game in the 2011 season, Austin could have caught it for a first down. Most likely, that would have prevented the Giants from making the playoffs, and, hence, advancing to Super Bowl XLVI.


It's maddening.

 

[FiveRings]

I hate how people's memory of this game evolved to it ending with a costly Romo pick. It was fourth and long with under thirty seconds left and Romo threw a desperation shot to the end zone.

The real memory of this game should be Patrick Craytons stone hands.

 

[CF74]

Am I the only person who recalls Fasano dropping a TD pass?

 

[mldardy]

Am I the only person who recalls Fasano dropping a TD pass?

If you are you shouldn't be. Everytime this game is brought up that is one the key plays that I always mention. It seems to get lost in the shuffle.

 

[Red Dragon]

Am I the only person who recalls Fasano dropping a TD pass?

If I'm not mistaken, Fasano and Owens weren't able to corral passes from Romo that could have ended in touchdowns early on in the third quarter.

Dallas settled for a 17-14 lead instead of a 21-14 lead.



That being said, however, it was still so early on in the second half that very much of the game was still yet to be played. I wouldn't call that touchdown or lack of touchdown a decisive difference.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Being a Cowboys fan living in Connecticut, this game still haunts me. I literally get a physically ill feeling from it.

It reminds me of an old Jimmy Johnson quote- "The best team doesn't always win. The best team on that particular Sunday wins".

Only the most die-hard (or delusional) Giants fans can say the 2007 Cowboys were not the better team. Just a play here, a play there, and history is altered. The "choker" label on Tony Romo never would have had a chance to stick. And New York fans would still probably be bringing "Eli Was Adopted" signs to home games.

 

[Red Dragon]

That game was such a turning point in the Cowboys-Giants rivalry.

Romo and the Cowboys had defeated the Giants 3 straight times heading into that game. Criticism of Eli Manning was high.


Ever since that game, the Giants have simply owned the Cowboys.

 

[KJJ]

What disappointed me the most about the Cowboys 07 playoff loss to the Giants was how they changed their approach for that game from what they did against the Giants in their first 2 meetings during the regular season. They attacked the Giants in the first 2 games with Romo putting up 345 yards, 4 TD's, completing 62.5% of his passes with a passer rating of 128.5 on opening day. In their 2nd meeting in week 10 Romo was on again passing for 247 yards, 4 TD's, completing 71.4% of his passes with a passer rating of 123.1. They kept the Giants defense off balance in both games. As the season wound down so did the Cowboys offense and Romo's productivity. The only stat that was on the rise for Romo was his turnovers which had reached 5 in the final 3 games of the regular season compared to only 1 TD.

While the Cowboys offense and Romo were on the way down the Giants defense (pass rush) was on the rise. With Romo's game in a tailspin the Cowboys decided to play not to get beat in the playoffs. It was obvious the Cowboys had lost their confidence the final month of the season. That was clearly not the same team we saw for the first 12 weeks of the season. The Cowboys took a page out of Bill Parcells' 4 yards and a cloud of dust playbook and decided to start Barber for the first time all season...DUMB! It was clear from the Cowboys first possession they were going to run him ragged. They also started Terry Glenn for the first time all season who wasn't healthy and hadn't played all season except for a few plays vs Washington in the season finale....DUMB! It was clear in that game he couldn't run he didn't catch a single pass.

With Romo's turnovers increasing the Cowboys wanted to play it safe and try and control the ball on the ground rather than allowing Romo to face the Giants pass rush all day. The Cowboys ended up burning Barber out in the first half with over 100 rushing yards that only resulted in 14 points and a tie game at halftime. He hadn't carried the ball like that in the first half all season and had no legs in the second half. It was a stupid game plan that was devised due to Romo and the Cowboys offense struggling entering the game. The Cowboys played right into the hands of the Giants defense. It kept the Giants in the game which is how they've always won big games. It was a game that not only disappointed me but angered me.

 

[Red Dragon]

It was clear in that game he couldn't run he didn't catch a single pass.

Glenn did catch two passes in that game. But that was it.



I think the main reason for the slowed offense was Owens' injury, but it was still unwise to play grind-it-out football.

 

[KJJ]

Glenn did catch two passes in that game. But that was it.



I think the main reason for the slowed offense was Owens' injury, but it was still unwise to play grind-it-out football.

I was referring to the season finale vs Washington it was clear in that game he still wasn't healthy and didn't catch a single pass. The Cowboys should have never started him against the Giants. He ended up never playing another down after that game.

 

[KJJ]

I think the main reason for the slowed offense was Owens' injury, but it was still unwise to play grind-it-out football.

You hear a lot of fans mention TO not being 100% for that game but he still caught 4 passes for 49 yards and a TD. He still had to be accounted for even at 90% and he did make an impact in that game by scoring a TD. He had back to back games in 07 where he produced less than vs the Giants in the playoffs and the Cowboys offense still rolled. Romo wasn't sharp heading into the game and the Cowboys defense couldn't stop the Giants on 3rd down most of the day especially in the second half. It seemed like every 3rd and 5, 6 and 8 the Giants converted. We saw a lot of the same issues with the defense in that game that we've seen the past 2 seasons with the division title on the line in week 17.

A 3rd down stop here and there could have been the difference vs the Giants in 07. On their first scoring drive Ware was called for a penalty on 3rd down in which the Cowboys made a stop but it ended up giving NY a fresh set of downs. A few plays later the Cowboys had Toomer surrounded for what should have been a short gain and allowed him to break free for a TD. It's been a collective effort offensively and defensively that has caused the Cowboys to come up short in these critical make or break games.