Chuck 54
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Man, talk about over-reaction.
Fire Wade? Trade Tony? No heart or guts....idiotic.
I'm heartbroken, but there is only one reason we lost this game...make no mistake. It wasn't because TNew got burned on a long pass play...he's a great CB, and that big play didn't bear any serious result.
It wasn't Tony's overthrow of Roy in the endzone...he's being chased and can't throw it with his right arm, so he throws it lefthanded.
It certainly isn't the defense or Wade Phillips for gosh sakes.
The only reason we lost this game is because Tony had his worst game ever, even worse than the first half turnovers against Buffalo last season (because he came back and had a great half of ball that game. Today, he was pretty bad off and on all game long.
Encouraged?
Despite horrible special teams play where guys did nothing on punt coverage, very little on KO coverage, gave Pitt the ball on their own 40 when it was ours on their 30 if we just run off the field on a short punt, and our Kicker couldn't get the ball inside the 10 with the wind...despite all that, the defense bailed them out time and time again all game long.
Despite Tony Romo throwing 3 ints, one for a TD, and fumbling away another, missing receivers all game, stepping into defenders in the pocket like a rookie, etc., The defense was incredible. Our defense gave up 6 points for most of the game despite our other guys giving Pittsburgh the ball numberous times inside our own 30, 2-3 more times around the 50 or our 40, and putting them on the field extra with 5 turnovers.
To only give up 13 points, to have one of the greatest goal line stands in Cowboys history against a great power team, two downs from about the 6" line, I am encouraged. So they ran out of gas towards the end (I think that's obvious...the pass rush ran out of gas, guys started getting cramps...hard to make yourself hydrate on a bitterly cold night.
We also found a true starting caliber RB tonight, a rookie put in the toughest of situations in 19 degree weather against the best defense in the NFL, had a great game running, blocking, and receiving until one pass at the end bounced off his chest...this was a 3rd stringer.
The OL played better than I could have dreamed against that Pittsburg front...pass blocking and run blocking, and the offensive penalties were almost non-existant...unbelievable.
If Championships are won with defense, running the ball and stopping the run, then yes, I am very encouraged for the stretch run, despite the disappointment of this loss.
You can look at a few single plays or calls, but the only reason we lost was Tony Romo, who has proven this won't happen often.
Some have mentioned the 3rd and 6 draw call...I called that one to my friend because that play was open all game in pass situations...we had gashed them with it...once Choice had an easy first down and stumbled, falling 1 yard short...once he had an open field and was dragged down from behind by the blitzing Palomalu when Witten let him run right inside of him.
I thought the worst call Jason Garrett made all game was the fourth down and less than one when we sent Choice in motion and handed the ball to freakin' Anderson. We needed a few inches...you run the best play in football that almost never gets stopped for inches...the QB sneak behind Gurode and Davis...they both got a push, and if Anderson runs behind Davis instead of bending it back to the left of Center, it's a first down anyway....Romo gets it easily on a sneak...that was a horrible call where boy genius outthought himself.
Romo robbed us of many other opportunities to score with his foolish turnovers...he put Pitt. in great scoring positions with turnovers and horrible throws that made us punt...he was jittery and just didn't seem himself...maybe it was the 19 degrees and he'd never had to contend with the way the ball feels....or maybe he just picked a bad night to gag.
The bottom line is Romo is a great QB who has carried our team, and I find it ridiculous that some would still question his ability to win big games after seeing this year what he means to our success.
If I had to lose this game any other way, I'd pick this way because Romo is the least likely guy to play poorly again...I am very encouraged at how we played in this Dec game and how we'll finish Dec.
Sidenote...Witten also picked a horrible time to go brain dead...the pick six coming on some idiotic non-pattern when Romo threw it where he should have been with his big body between the defender and the ball. Then on 4th down, Romo rushes a throw under no pressure because 99 times out of a hundred Witten runs his pattern, realizes he's wide open in a dead zone of the defense and stops for what would have been the easiest 15 yards + of the game...instead the dufus runs right through the wide open space and turns to the post and the defender.
Romo and Witten are two of the most reliable guys we have...whether it had been in the first half or the 4th quarter as it was, the defense gave up only 13 points in what I see as an incredible effort under horrible field position conditions, thanks to Tony. Tony and Witten took care of the final 7 points when we should have been driving down for the game winning FG or overtime where you end up with the wind or the ball in OT.
It hurts, but if you didn't see an incredible effort by every facet of our team except special teams and a rock solid game plan on both sides of the ball, along with incredible personal efforts on the parts of guys like Ratliff, James, Pacman on defense, and Ware, the OL, Choice, etc. then you weren't watching. Blame Tony Romo for the worst game of his career in his first game below 32 degrees and his first game without the splint...it happens.
Blame the special teams for lousy freakin' coverage that should have killed us, but actually the defense bailed them out.
Overall, the rest of the defense and offense played their hearts out...If Tony even has a mediocre game, we win this one handily, imo.
It happens...there's a lot to build on. I think we win against the Giants at Home next week...I actually believe we can control their running game and pressure Manning. Heartbroken tonight, but encouraged by our team.
Fire Wade? Trade Tony? No heart or guts....idiotic.
I'm heartbroken, but there is only one reason we lost this game...make no mistake. It wasn't because TNew got burned on a long pass play...he's a great CB, and that big play didn't bear any serious result.
It wasn't Tony's overthrow of Roy in the endzone...he's being chased and can't throw it with his right arm, so he throws it lefthanded.
It certainly isn't the defense or Wade Phillips for gosh sakes.
The only reason we lost this game is because Tony had his worst game ever, even worse than the first half turnovers against Buffalo last season (because he came back and had a great half of ball that game. Today, he was pretty bad off and on all game long.
Encouraged?
Despite horrible special teams play where guys did nothing on punt coverage, very little on KO coverage, gave Pitt the ball on their own 40 when it was ours on their 30 if we just run off the field on a short punt, and our Kicker couldn't get the ball inside the 10 with the wind...despite all that, the defense bailed them out time and time again all game long.
Despite Tony Romo throwing 3 ints, one for a TD, and fumbling away another, missing receivers all game, stepping into defenders in the pocket like a rookie, etc., The defense was incredible. Our defense gave up 6 points for most of the game despite our other guys giving Pittsburgh the ball numberous times inside our own 30, 2-3 more times around the 50 or our 40, and putting them on the field extra with 5 turnovers.
To only give up 13 points, to have one of the greatest goal line stands in Cowboys history against a great power team, two downs from about the 6" line, I am encouraged. So they ran out of gas towards the end (I think that's obvious...the pass rush ran out of gas, guys started getting cramps...hard to make yourself hydrate on a bitterly cold night.
We also found a true starting caliber RB tonight, a rookie put in the toughest of situations in 19 degree weather against the best defense in the NFL, had a great game running, blocking, and receiving until one pass at the end bounced off his chest...this was a 3rd stringer.
The OL played better than I could have dreamed against that Pittsburg front...pass blocking and run blocking, and the offensive penalties were almost non-existant...unbelievable.
If Championships are won with defense, running the ball and stopping the run, then yes, I am very encouraged for the stretch run, despite the disappointment of this loss.
You can look at a few single plays or calls, but the only reason we lost was Tony Romo, who has proven this won't happen often.
Some have mentioned the 3rd and 6 draw call...I called that one to my friend because that play was open all game in pass situations...we had gashed them with it...once Choice had an easy first down and stumbled, falling 1 yard short...once he had an open field and was dragged down from behind by the blitzing Palomalu when Witten let him run right inside of him.
I thought the worst call Jason Garrett made all game was the fourth down and less than one when we sent Choice in motion and handed the ball to freakin' Anderson. We needed a few inches...you run the best play in football that almost never gets stopped for inches...the QB sneak behind Gurode and Davis...they both got a push, and if Anderson runs behind Davis instead of bending it back to the left of Center, it's a first down anyway....Romo gets it easily on a sneak...that was a horrible call where boy genius outthought himself.
Romo robbed us of many other opportunities to score with his foolish turnovers...he put Pitt. in great scoring positions with turnovers and horrible throws that made us punt...he was jittery and just didn't seem himself...maybe it was the 19 degrees and he'd never had to contend with the way the ball feels....or maybe he just picked a bad night to gag.
The bottom line is Romo is a great QB who has carried our team, and I find it ridiculous that some would still question his ability to win big games after seeing this year what he means to our success.
If I had to lose this game any other way, I'd pick this way because Romo is the least likely guy to play poorly again...I am very encouraged at how we played in this Dec game and how we'll finish Dec.
Sidenote...Witten also picked a horrible time to go brain dead...the pick six coming on some idiotic non-pattern when Romo threw it where he should have been with his big body between the defender and the ball. Then on 4th down, Romo rushes a throw under no pressure because 99 times out of a hundred Witten runs his pattern, realizes he's wide open in a dead zone of the defense and stops for what would have been the easiest 15 yards + of the game...instead the dufus runs right through the wide open space and turns to the post and the defender.
Romo and Witten are two of the most reliable guys we have...whether it had been in the first half or the 4th quarter as it was, the defense gave up only 13 points in what I see as an incredible effort under horrible field position conditions, thanks to Tony. Tony and Witten took care of the final 7 points when we should have been driving down for the game winning FG or overtime where you end up with the wind or the ball in OT.
It hurts, but if you didn't see an incredible effort by every facet of our team except special teams and a rock solid game plan on both sides of the ball, along with incredible personal efforts on the parts of guys like Ratliff, James, Pacman on defense, and Ware, the OL, Choice, etc. then you weren't watching. Blame Tony Romo for the worst game of his career in his first game below 32 degrees and his first game without the splint...it happens.
Blame the special teams for lousy freakin' coverage that should have killed us, but actually the defense bailed them out.
Overall, the rest of the defense and offense played their hearts out...If Tony even has a mediocre game, we win this one handily, imo.
It happens...there's a lot to build on. I think we win against the Giants at Home next week...I actually believe we can control their running game and pressure Manning. Heartbroken tonight, but encouraged by our team.
