The Emperor
Marcus Aurelius Maximus
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This is the last thing I'm going to do regarding the Dallas Cowboys. Once I finish writing this detailed prediction, which is actually about a couple of days late, I'm done. I'm stepping away from the internets. Not to get religious, but I'm probably going to meditate with the Good Book. I've been uncharacteristically grouchy today.
Living here in the Metroplex, the sports talk station I approve is 105.3 The FAN. I don't like BSPN for obvious reasons. When I'm on the AM dial, I like to keep the position on WBAP, so I'm not about to move it over to listen to The Ticket. It's The FAN all the way for me.
Consequently, I've been listening to that 21-hour pregame show of theirs anytime I've been in the car. I'm not too concerned that Ratliff is out. Just as we didn't know much about Ratliff who backed up Jason Ferguson in 2007 (when he was done for the year after only one quarter of play against the Giants in Week 1), we don't know much about Josh Brent and Sean Lissemore. Tonight will tell us. They're either going to be like Jason Siavii or they're going to be like Ratliff was in 2007.
In the passing game, I'm not too worried about Brent/Lissemore, or really our defensive line as a whole. I saw the theory in action this preseason when Carr and Claiborne bought our defensive line enough time for a coverage sack or two. So I think the pollyannas were right about that. What they never could rebut and what we're going to see tonight is our run defense not as stout as we would like. The Giants runningbacks are going to have some good gains, but we're not going to give up any big plays on offense. That's part of the reason why I see the Giants scoring 13 points.
The other reason is we're going to play ball control offense with Lawrence Vickers and Demarco Murray. For Joker28's sake, Felix Jones can get in on the action. What do I care? The point is this Cowboys ground game is going to average over 4 yards a carry and make those 2nd and 3rd downs more manageable. I don't foresee Miles or Dez going off in this game, except in the red zone where there's really no one the Giants have to stop Dez Bryant. Neither do I see John Phillips or James Hanna making names for themselves this early. We'll move the ball enough to eat clock, and we'll protect the ball enough to not surrender easy points.
Romo's not going to have those impressive fantasy statistics tonight. However, his command of the situation will be on full display tonight. He's going to play that November-type football where he makes good decisions with the football, even though it doesn't result in a big play. It's about having the fewest negative plays tonight.
The score will be close in the fourth quarter, but you'll be able to see it on the Giants' faces as they know they can't move the ball now that it counts against this revamped Dallas defense. Rob Ryan's slovenly composure may gross you out, but his defense won't.
In the end, the Cowboys do something the media said was impossible: beat the defending champions shortly after the unveiling of their Super Bowl banner.
COWBOYS 3 6 7 7 23
GIANTS 0 7 3 3 16
1st -- Dan Bailey, 37-yard field goal -- 3-0
2nd -- Eli Manning throws a 3 yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett -- 3-7
2nd -- Dan Bailey, 43-yard field goal -- 6-7
2nd -- Dan Bailey, 24-yard field goal -- 9-7
3rd -- Demarco Murray runs for a 2 yard touchdown -- 16-7
3rd -- Lawrence Tynes, 48-yard field goal -- 16-10
4th -- Lawrence Tynes, 33-yard field goal -- 16-13
4th -- Demarco Murray runs for a 12-yard touchdown -- 23-13
COWBOYS
Tony Romo -- 21/31, 244 yards
Demarco Murray -- 29 carries, 119 yards, 2 TD; 3 catches for 16 yards
Dez Bryant -- 5 catches, 69 yards
Miles Austin -- 2 catches, 58 yards
DeMarcus Ware -- 1 sacks
Gerald Sensabaugh -- 1 INT
GIANTS
Eli Manning -- 25/42, 301 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Ahmad Bradshaw -- 15 carries, 63 yards; 1 catch, 9 yards
David Wilson -- 8 carries, 37 yards
Victor Cruz -- 4 catches, 76 yards
Martellus Bennett -- 2 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
Living here in the Metroplex, the sports talk station I approve is 105.3 The FAN. I don't like BSPN for obvious reasons. When I'm on the AM dial, I like to keep the position on WBAP, so I'm not about to move it over to listen to The Ticket. It's The FAN all the way for me.
Consequently, I've been listening to that 21-hour pregame show of theirs anytime I've been in the car. I'm not too concerned that Ratliff is out. Just as we didn't know much about Ratliff who backed up Jason Ferguson in 2007 (when he was done for the year after only one quarter of play against the Giants in Week 1), we don't know much about Josh Brent and Sean Lissemore. Tonight will tell us. They're either going to be like Jason Siavii or they're going to be like Ratliff was in 2007.
In the passing game, I'm not too worried about Brent/Lissemore, or really our defensive line as a whole. I saw the theory in action this preseason when Carr and Claiborne bought our defensive line enough time for a coverage sack or two. So I think the pollyannas were right about that. What they never could rebut and what we're going to see tonight is our run defense not as stout as we would like. The Giants runningbacks are going to have some good gains, but we're not going to give up any big plays on offense. That's part of the reason why I see the Giants scoring 13 points.
The other reason is we're going to play ball control offense with Lawrence Vickers and Demarco Murray. For Joker28's sake, Felix Jones can get in on the action. What do I care? The point is this Cowboys ground game is going to average over 4 yards a carry and make those 2nd and 3rd downs more manageable. I don't foresee Miles or Dez going off in this game, except in the red zone where there's really no one the Giants have to stop Dez Bryant. Neither do I see John Phillips or James Hanna making names for themselves this early. We'll move the ball enough to eat clock, and we'll protect the ball enough to not surrender easy points.
Romo's not going to have those impressive fantasy statistics tonight. However, his command of the situation will be on full display tonight. He's going to play that November-type football where he makes good decisions with the football, even though it doesn't result in a big play. It's about having the fewest negative plays tonight.
The score will be close in the fourth quarter, but you'll be able to see it on the Giants' faces as they know they can't move the ball now that it counts against this revamped Dallas defense. Rob Ryan's slovenly composure may gross you out, but his defense won't.
In the end, the Cowboys do something the media said was impossible: beat the defending champions shortly after the unveiling of their Super Bowl banner.
COWBOYS 3 6 7 7 23
GIANTS 0 7 3 3 16
1st -- Dan Bailey, 37-yard field goal -- 3-0
2nd -- Eli Manning throws a 3 yard touchdown pass to Martellus Bennett -- 3-7
2nd -- Dan Bailey, 43-yard field goal -- 6-7
2nd -- Dan Bailey, 24-yard field goal -- 9-7
3rd -- Demarco Murray runs for a 2 yard touchdown -- 16-7
3rd -- Lawrence Tynes, 48-yard field goal -- 16-10
4th -- Lawrence Tynes, 33-yard field goal -- 16-13
4th -- Demarco Murray runs for a 12-yard touchdown -- 23-13
COWBOYS
Tony Romo -- 21/31, 244 yards
Demarco Murray -- 29 carries, 119 yards, 2 TD; 3 catches for 16 yards
Dez Bryant -- 5 catches, 69 yards
Miles Austin -- 2 catches, 58 yards
DeMarcus Ware -- 1 sacks
Gerald Sensabaugh -- 1 INT
GIANTS
Eli Manning -- 25/42, 301 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Ahmad Bradshaw -- 15 carries, 63 yards; 1 catch, 9 yards
David Wilson -- 8 carries, 37 yards
Victor Cruz -- 4 catches, 76 yards
Martellus Bennett -- 2 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
