Gryphon
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By Rik Sehgal | January 8th, 2008
http://mvn.com/nfl-giants/2008/01/08/cowboys-scared-of-the-giants-joe-gibbs-steps-down/
Living in Dallas, I am privy to a lot of the sports-talk and news stories regarding the Dallas Cowboys. And if I learned something over the past two weeks, it’s that the Cowboys did not want to play two specific teams in the NFC playoffs: the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants. With the Commanders losing (more on the Gibbs retirement below), the Cowboys had their pom poms out rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take care of the Giants. We all know how that turned out.
The biggest reason for the Cowboys not wanting to play either team is because of familiarity. Being NFC East rivals, these teams know each other inside and out. Like Amani Toomer said after the Giants victory over the Bucs, there are no secrets amongst them. Both games between the teams this season were close and usually came down to one big play. Just because Dallas has been the team coming up with the big plays doesn’t mean New York won’t be able to this time.
Another reason the Cowboys fear the Giants is because the Giants are on a absolute roll. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are strugg-uh-ling. Losers of 2 of the past 3, the Cowboys have not played well since beating Green Bay in week 13. Surprisingly, their main problem has been offensive production. With the Giants’ stifling defense, it’s going to be very difficult to get that offense back on track.
The Cowboys have also not won a playoff game in over 11 years. That’s right, 11 years. The Giants just won a road playoff game which took the world off of Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin’s shoulders. Tony Romo’s last playoff memory is botching a snap that would have beaten the Seattle Seahawks. It’s surprising to say this, but the pressure is on the #1 seed Dallas Cowboys. Will they crack under the pressure?
For the Giants, this is probably the best scenario that could have happened to them. Going to Green Bay would have proved difficult with the unpredictable weather and crazy fans. Seattle, albeit a bit warmer, would still be a hostile place to play. Dallas, on the other hand, should be relatively warm (50s or 60s) and has fans that don’t get nearly as into the game. Trust me, I’ve been to several Cowboys-Giants games in Texas Stadium. Additionally, Eli has played well at Texas Stadium, and I don’t expect that to change.
If T.O. plays, I think the Cowboys just barely edge the Giants in overall player talent. But it is VERY close. The Giants will obviously still have a chance to beat the Cowboys even if T.O. plays, but it makes it that much harder. This game will be incredibly close and probably cause a few heart attacks in the bodies of die-hard Giants fans. Getcha popcorn ready.
Joe Gibbs to Step Down
I thought I’d include a short note about Commanders coach Joe Gibbs stepping down as head coach. Without a doubt, he had one of the toughest coaching challenges this year with handling the death of Sean Taylor. But I think Gibbs knew that if he couldn’t make his team successful in the playoffs this year that he would give it a rest. It’s been pretty clear with a few of the coaching decisions he’s made (time-out fiasco in Buffalo), that the game has kind of passed him by. He’s an old school coach that has had trouble adapting to the new type of league.
The Commanders will definitely be a team to watch next year. They have a young, talented QB in Jason Campbell and will most likely get a young, offensive minded head coach (Jason Garrett). The NFC East just got a little more difficult for next season.
__________________
for more updates visit http://gryphononcowboys.blogspot.com/
http://mvn.com/nfl-giants/2008/01/08/cowboys-scared-of-the-giants-joe-gibbs-steps-down/
Living in Dallas, I am privy to a lot of the sports-talk and news stories regarding the Dallas Cowboys. And if I learned something over the past two weeks, it’s that the Cowboys did not want to play two specific teams in the NFC playoffs: the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants. With the Commanders losing (more on the Gibbs retirement below), the Cowboys had their pom poms out rooting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to take care of the Giants. We all know how that turned out.
The biggest reason for the Cowboys not wanting to play either team is because of familiarity. Being NFC East rivals, these teams know each other inside and out. Like Amani Toomer said after the Giants victory over the Bucs, there are no secrets amongst them. Both games between the teams this season were close and usually came down to one big play. Just because Dallas has been the team coming up with the big plays doesn’t mean New York won’t be able to this time.
Another reason the Cowboys fear the Giants is because the Giants are on a absolute roll. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are strugg-uh-ling. Losers of 2 of the past 3, the Cowboys have not played well since beating Green Bay in week 13. Surprisingly, their main problem has been offensive production. With the Giants’ stifling defense, it’s going to be very difficult to get that offense back on track.
The Cowboys have also not won a playoff game in over 11 years. That’s right, 11 years. The Giants just won a road playoff game which took the world off of Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin’s shoulders. Tony Romo’s last playoff memory is botching a snap that would have beaten the Seattle Seahawks. It’s surprising to say this, but the pressure is on the #1 seed Dallas Cowboys. Will they crack under the pressure?
For the Giants, this is probably the best scenario that could have happened to them. Going to Green Bay would have proved difficult with the unpredictable weather and crazy fans. Seattle, albeit a bit warmer, would still be a hostile place to play. Dallas, on the other hand, should be relatively warm (50s or 60s) and has fans that don’t get nearly as into the game. Trust me, I’ve been to several Cowboys-Giants games in Texas Stadium. Additionally, Eli has played well at Texas Stadium, and I don’t expect that to change.
If T.O. plays, I think the Cowboys just barely edge the Giants in overall player talent. But it is VERY close. The Giants will obviously still have a chance to beat the Cowboys even if T.O. plays, but it makes it that much harder. This game will be incredibly close and probably cause a few heart attacks in the bodies of die-hard Giants fans. Getcha popcorn ready.
Joe Gibbs to Step Down
I thought I’d include a short note about Commanders coach Joe Gibbs stepping down as head coach. Without a doubt, he had one of the toughest coaching challenges this year with handling the death of Sean Taylor. But I think Gibbs knew that if he couldn’t make his team successful in the playoffs this year that he would give it a rest. It’s been pretty clear with a few of the coaching decisions he’s made (time-out fiasco in Buffalo), that the game has kind of passed him by. He’s an old school coach that has had trouble adapting to the new type of league.
The Commanders will definitely be a team to watch next year. They have a young, talented QB in Jason Campbell and will most likely get a young, offensive minded head coach (Jason Garrett). The NFC East just got a little more difficult for next season.
__________________
for more updates visit http://gryphononcowboys.blogspot.com/
