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Henry back in the lineup
6:49 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Anthony Henry may have "started" the two games before this one. But he wasn't truly a "starter" again until today.
Henry was lined up at right corner in the base defense, with Terence Newman moving back to his accustomed spot on the left after spending the last eight weeks on the other side as his bookend healed a high ankle sprain.
This story, though, isn't all rainbows and candy canes. Henry was targeted early on by the Lions and gave up several plays underneath. And after the game, he was willing to admit he's still trying to re-gain his stride.
"I definitely will play better next week," Henry said. "I feel like I’m ready to make those plays, I just have to get in a rhythm. Previously, I was coming in on passing downs and now I’m in on all situations. I had to get my second wind, and Jacques (Reeves and I) were talking about it and toward the end of the third quarter, I was feeling a little bit better."
Wade says challenge wasn't option
6:55 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
The situation: First-and-goal at the Detroit 10, Jason Witten catches a ball underneath, gets to the 1, and fumbles. Greg Blue recovers, Detroit rejoices, then shuffles its offense on to the field quickly to try and get a play off before Wade Phillips can get his red hanky out to raise issue with the ref's call.
Only, if you listen to Phillips, he wasn't reaching for the flag at all. He'd gotten word from his coaches above, in the booth, that the fumble ruling was correct.
Now, here's where I had an issue with it: The Cowboys wound up calling a timeout anyway. So if you're going to burn a timeout, why not give the challenge a shot? The way Wade explained it, a player actually called the timeout to get out of a defensive call, so the stoppage of time was not a coaching decision at all.
"We were going for a safety and we didn’t have the right call on there," Phillips explained.
And the replay did show a fumble. But I thought -- and I could be wrong -- that Witten collected the loose ball and trapped it against his body after fumbling and hitting the ground. If that was the case, since Witten was on the turf, the play would immediately be dead and the Cowboys would have the ball at the 1.
Either way, I thought it was worth looking at, considering the magnitude and the spot the play was in.
Cowboys: Road Warriors
7:03 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
The Cowboys are now 6-0 on the road for the first time since 1968. They've already tied for second most road wins in a single season in club history, with the '83, '92, '93, '94 and '95 teams.
What's amazing is this team has won five Super Bowl titles, and in none of those years were they quite as steely as this group is away from the comforts of home. And why?
"Just believing in one another and knowing that each time, someone can go out and make a play and help us win," captain Bradie James said. "That’s what’s going on, Wade preaches accountability and belief, and that’s what we have.
"To win championships, you gotta win on the road," he continued. "That’s what we had to do, we had to rally together, because it’s us against everybody else in this kind of environment."
6:49 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
Anthony Henry may have "started" the two games before this one. But he wasn't truly a "starter" again until today.
Henry was lined up at right corner in the base defense, with Terence Newman moving back to his accustomed spot on the left after spending the last eight weeks on the other side as his bookend healed a high ankle sprain.
This story, though, isn't all rainbows and candy canes. Henry was targeted early on by the Lions and gave up several plays underneath. And after the game, he was willing to admit he's still trying to re-gain his stride.
"I definitely will play better next week," Henry said. "I feel like I’m ready to make those plays, I just have to get in a rhythm. Previously, I was coming in on passing downs and now I’m in on all situations. I had to get my second wind, and Jacques (Reeves and I) were talking about it and toward the end of the third quarter, I was feeling a little bit better."
Wade says challenge wasn't option
6:55 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
The situation: First-and-goal at the Detroit 10, Jason Witten catches a ball underneath, gets to the 1, and fumbles. Greg Blue recovers, Detroit rejoices, then shuffles its offense on to the field quickly to try and get a play off before Wade Phillips can get his red hanky out to raise issue with the ref's call.
Only, if you listen to Phillips, he wasn't reaching for the flag at all. He'd gotten word from his coaches above, in the booth, that the fumble ruling was correct.
Now, here's where I had an issue with it: The Cowboys wound up calling a timeout anyway. So if you're going to burn a timeout, why not give the challenge a shot? The way Wade explained it, a player actually called the timeout to get out of a defensive call, so the stoppage of time was not a coaching decision at all.
"We were going for a safety and we didn’t have the right call on there," Phillips explained.
And the replay did show a fumble. But I thought -- and I could be wrong -- that Witten collected the loose ball and trapped it against his body after fumbling and hitting the ground. If that was the case, since Witten was on the turf, the play would immediately be dead and the Cowboys would have the ball at the 1.
Either way, I thought it was worth looking at, considering the magnitude and the spot the play was in.
Cowboys: Road Warriors
7:03 PM Sun, Dec 09, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
The Cowboys are now 6-0 on the road for the first time since 1968. They've already tied for second most road wins in a single season in club history, with the '83, '92, '93, '94 and '95 teams.
What's amazing is this team has won five Super Bowl titles, and in none of those years were they quite as steely as this group is away from the comforts of home. And why?
"Just believing in one another and knowing that each time, someone can go out and make a play and help us win," captain Bradie James said. "That’s what’s going on, Wade preaches accountability and belief, and that’s what we have.
"To win championships, you gotta win on the road," he continued. "That’s what we had to do, we had to rally together, because it’s us against everybody else in this kind of environment."
