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Updated: December 21, 2007, 12:19 AM EST 267
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If you listen closely, you would think Chicken Little has become the new team mascot for the Dallas Cowboys. Folks think the sky is falling.
Dallas needed a last-second miracle to beat the rebuilding-since-1957 Detroit Lions two weeks ago.
Last weekend, the Cowboys lost to the sub-.500 Eagles at home.
The quarterback, playing in front of his new squeeze, had a terrible game and got hurt. The star receiver, who was supposed to dominate his former team, blamed (playfully or not) the pop tart for the quarterback play. The run game was non-existent. The defense wasn't clutch. Dallas now has as many wins as Green Bay heading down the stretch. The Cowboys are on the road this week, with a Saturday night date with the Panthers. You can feel, see and hear the panic setting in with the Cowboys fans and the news media.
Both the Cowboys and Packers stand at 12-2 with two games to play, with Dallas owning the tie-breaker with the head-to-head win.
Slow down. Take a deep breath. The Dallas Cowboys, even with the Packers playing great ball and taking care of business, still remain the best team in the NFC.
Let's examine:
Before the game against Detroit, Terrance Newman made comments on my Sirius NFL Radio show about seeking revenge on Jon Kitna and the Dallas Cowboys. I think it is more than fair to say that the Lions were highly motivated and prepped for the affair two weeks ago. It was a road game. The Cowboys won with a little Tony Romo magic. I really cannot stress the negative in this win.
Last week, the Eagles stormed into Dallas and beat down the Cowboys. Dallas couldn't stop Brian Westbrook. Donovan McNabb made key plays with his arm and legs. And most especially, the Philly defense was nasty. Trent Cole, Mike Patterson and Co. battered the usually stout Dallas offensive line and, consequently, Romo. The quarterback was simply off all day. The chemistry with Terrell Owens somehow disappeared, with equal blame shared between the quarterback and the wideout. Marion Barber and Julius Jones were totally engulfed.
Time to panic?
How about crediting the Eagles?
Someone cue up Dennis Green: "The Eagles are who we thought they were."
At least they were who I thought they were.
Back in September I picked Dallas to win the NFC East, but I thought the Eagles absolutely had the makings of a wild-card team. And I stayed with that thought straight through the loss to Seattle, a game Philly could've won.
I am also on record believing there was a zero percent chance that the Cowboys would sweep the NFC East.
Why spend so much time and effort ripping the Cowboys? Why don't you give some credit to the opposition?
Philadelphia earned this win. The Eagles have great talent. It's easy to fault Romo and Owens for their spotty play. How about crediting Lito Sheppard, who was draped over Owens all game? The Eagles have underachieved this year. But playing a division foe in the NFL on FOX's featured game got the Eagles playing like, well, we expected.
Then there's the Jessica Simpson nonsense.
Like Romo's new flame had anything to do with anything, good, bad, or indifferent.
I actually feel badly for her.
She was at the game. She was wearing the jersey. She did some kind of funky move on camera, as if to announce to the world that, yes, she is dating the Dallas quarterback. But Ms. Simpson isn't a curse or a jinx. Now T.O. gave this story legs Wednesday, but come on ...
Listen, Romo is an incredibly focused player. You need to trust me on this; there isn't a thing in his life he cares about more than winning. All he yearns for is bringing another Super Bowl to Dallas. You see it on his face in the post-game pressers after a defeat. Simpson's presence has nothing to do with the Eagles play, Romo's thumb or the bad timing with Romo and Owens.
I don't want to hear about a book on playing Romo. He's had an amazing season, rightly being named to the Pro Bowl.
Now that we got that out of the way, back to reality.
Dallas finishes up the season in Carolina and with the rivalry spot in Washington.
The Cowboys are a lock to win against the Panthers. Sure, Carolina stunned Seattle last week. But the Dallas offensive line, with freshly named Pro Bowlers Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis (Andre Gurode is hurt and might miss the contest), is vastly superior to Seattle's. Barber, a stunning Pro Bowl selection, and Jones will be able to run on the Carolina defense.
And where Dallas will once again exert its will is on defense.
In a wide-open race for defensive player of the year, DeMarcus Ware is a top-flight candidate who can impress voters playing in the Saturday night window of exclusivity. The sack artist has had a flair for the big play. Poor, young Matt Moore, the latest name on the Carolina quarterback carousel, really doesn't stand much of a chance against the Dallas front seven. And when Ware, Greg Ellis and Co. put the heat on, Terrence Newman, also named to the Pro Bowl, will make him pay.
Adam Schein on Tony Romo: "You need to trust me on this; there isn't a thing in his life he cares about more than winning. All he yearns for is bringing another Super Bowl to Dallas." ( / Getty Images)
Look, there isn't that big of a margin separating Dallas and Green Bay. Mike McCarthy told me the day after the Packers' loss in Dallas that his team would have a lot of confidence playing the Cowboys again, and rightly so. Brett Favre got hurt. Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila missed the game. Green Bay is incredibly strong in every phase.
Plus, a team like Tampa, angry after being snubbed without one single Pro Bowler (No Barrett Ruud? Barber over Earnest Graham? What a joke.) is going to be nasty in playoffs. Seattle has a great quarterback and difference-making defenders. And even teams like the Vikings, Giants and Saints, whoever makes it, have certain strengths that could equal success.
But take the season and big picture in full, Dallas fans. The team hasn't played great the last few weeks. But Dallas, with Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett putting this team in position to succeed, is still the NFC's team to beat.
Even with Jessica hanging around.
LINK
comments RSS digg blog email print
If you listen closely, you would think Chicken Little has become the new team mascot for the Dallas Cowboys. Folks think the sky is falling.
Dallas needed a last-second miracle to beat the rebuilding-since-1957 Detroit Lions two weeks ago.
Last weekend, the Cowboys lost to the sub-.500 Eagles at home.
The quarterback, playing in front of his new squeeze, had a terrible game and got hurt. The star receiver, who was supposed to dominate his former team, blamed (playfully or not) the pop tart for the quarterback play. The run game was non-existent. The defense wasn't clutch. Dallas now has as many wins as Green Bay heading down the stretch. The Cowboys are on the road this week, with a Saturday night date with the Panthers. You can feel, see and hear the panic setting in with the Cowboys fans and the news media.
Both the Cowboys and Packers stand at 12-2 with two games to play, with Dallas owning the tie-breaker with the head-to-head win.
Slow down. Take a deep breath. The Dallas Cowboys, even with the Packers playing great ball and taking care of business, still remain the best team in the NFC.
Let's examine:
Before the game against Detroit, Terrance Newman made comments on my Sirius NFL Radio show about seeking revenge on Jon Kitna and the Dallas Cowboys. I think it is more than fair to say that the Lions were highly motivated and prepped for the affair two weeks ago. It was a road game. The Cowboys won with a little Tony Romo magic. I really cannot stress the negative in this win.
Last week, the Eagles stormed into Dallas and beat down the Cowboys. Dallas couldn't stop Brian Westbrook. Donovan McNabb made key plays with his arm and legs. And most especially, the Philly defense was nasty. Trent Cole, Mike Patterson and Co. battered the usually stout Dallas offensive line and, consequently, Romo. The quarterback was simply off all day. The chemistry with Terrell Owens somehow disappeared, with equal blame shared between the quarterback and the wideout. Marion Barber and Julius Jones were totally engulfed.
Time to panic?
How about crediting the Eagles?
Someone cue up Dennis Green: "The Eagles are who we thought they were."
At least they were who I thought they were.
Back in September I picked Dallas to win the NFC East, but I thought the Eagles absolutely had the makings of a wild-card team. And I stayed with that thought straight through the loss to Seattle, a game Philly could've won.
I am also on record believing there was a zero percent chance that the Cowboys would sweep the NFC East.
Why spend so much time and effort ripping the Cowboys? Why don't you give some credit to the opposition?
Philadelphia earned this win. The Eagles have great talent. It's easy to fault Romo and Owens for their spotty play. How about crediting Lito Sheppard, who was draped over Owens all game? The Eagles have underachieved this year. But playing a division foe in the NFL on FOX's featured game got the Eagles playing like, well, we expected.
Then there's the Jessica Simpson nonsense.
Like Romo's new flame had anything to do with anything, good, bad, or indifferent.
I actually feel badly for her.
She was at the game. She was wearing the jersey. She did some kind of funky move on camera, as if to announce to the world that, yes, she is dating the Dallas quarterback. But Ms. Simpson isn't a curse or a jinx. Now T.O. gave this story legs Wednesday, but come on ...
Listen, Romo is an incredibly focused player. You need to trust me on this; there isn't a thing in his life he cares about more than winning. All he yearns for is bringing another Super Bowl to Dallas. You see it on his face in the post-game pressers after a defeat. Simpson's presence has nothing to do with the Eagles play, Romo's thumb or the bad timing with Romo and Owens.
I don't want to hear about a book on playing Romo. He's had an amazing season, rightly being named to the Pro Bowl.
Now that we got that out of the way, back to reality.
Dallas finishes up the season in Carolina and with the rivalry spot in Washington.
The Cowboys are a lock to win against the Panthers. Sure, Carolina stunned Seattle last week. But the Dallas offensive line, with freshly named Pro Bowlers Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis (Andre Gurode is hurt and might miss the contest), is vastly superior to Seattle's. Barber, a stunning Pro Bowl selection, and Jones will be able to run on the Carolina defense.
And where Dallas will once again exert its will is on defense.
In a wide-open race for defensive player of the year, DeMarcus Ware is a top-flight candidate who can impress voters playing in the Saturday night window of exclusivity. The sack artist has had a flair for the big play. Poor, young Matt Moore, the latest name on the Carolina quarterback carousel, really doesn't stand much of a chance against the Dallas front seven. And when Ware, Greg Ellis and Co. put the heat on, Terrence Newman, also named to the Pro Bowl, will make him pay.
Adam Schein on Tony Romo: "You need to trust me on this; there isn't a thing in his life he cares about more than winning. All he yearns for is bringing another Super Bowl to Dallas." ( / Getty Images)
Look, there isn't that big of a margin separating Dallas and Green Bay. Mike McCarthy told me the day after the Packers' loss in Dallas that his team would have a lot of confidence playing the Cowboys again, and rightly so. Brett Favre got hurt. Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila missed the game. Green Bay is incredibly strong in every phase.
Plus, a team like Tampa, angry after being snubbed without one single Pro Bowler (No Barrett Ruud? Barber over Earnest Graham? What a joke.) is going to be nasty in playoffs. Seattle has a great quarterback and difference-making defenders. And even teams like the Vikings, Giants and Saints, whoever makes it, have certain strengths that could equal success.
But take the season and big picture in full, Dallas fans. The team hasn't played great the last few weeks. But Dallas, with Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett putting this team in position to succeed, is still the NFC's team to beat.
Even with Jessica hanging around.
LINK
