Is Big D loose or overconfident?

[Alexander]

Is Big D loose or overconfident?
Posted by Mark Craig

Last update: January 13, 2010 - 8:19 AM
DALLAS -- Hindsight is a beautiful thing. And only it will allow us to judge whether the Cowboys are being loose (which is good) or overconfident (which is bad) heading into Sunday's game at the Metrodome.

I'll get a better feel for the mood of the players when the locker room access opens later today. But I can tell you some of the team's ex-players, the fans and the city sure have a swagger to them this week. Unlike Minnesotans, who tend to assume the worst with the Vikings, Cowboy fans down here are already talking about winning the Super Bowl. Not getting to the Super Bowl. Winning it.

Meanwhile, some of the team's Hall of Famers were at an event at a local high school. Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett both said the Cowboys would beat the Vikings.

"I would actually be surprised if they don't come back from Minnesota with a win," Dorsett said. "That's how well they're playing. Offensively, defensively and on special teams, they're clicking on all cylinders."

Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, whose current job as Fox's top analyst, requires him to be impartial, said the two teams are very similar.

"Both don't turn the ball over very much," he said. "Both have good quarterbacks. Both are pretty powerful running games. Both quarterbacks are red-hot and not making turnovers. So if you look at the NFC right now, the quarterbacks are red-hot. I really think it's going to be he defense who ultimately decides who goes on to the Super Bowl."

By the way, I was in my hotel room for less than an hour when I saw the Drew Pearson play against the Vikings twice on television. Funny, but not a single mention about the official not calling offensive pass interference.

I know this will get me in hot water up there, but I'll say it anyway. I've seen that replay a million times. Not once have I thought offensive pass interference should have been called. But I have often wondered where your safeties were when the ball was landing in Pearson's hands.

 

[CowboyMort]

I think the team seems confident, but focused. You gotta think that you are going to win going into a game.

 

[theebs]

I forgot to record laufenberg last night.

he is talking about laufenberg's broadcast.

They showed the hail mary, but more importantly they showed the play before it where after pearson made a first down catch on the sideline a security guard came over and kicked him in the face....

pearson was on talking about how if a security guard kicked a player today he would go right to prison, but nothing happened to him.

It was amazing to see that video by the way. the guard ran up and kicked him right in the face.

 

[Zman5]

Great sig there Mortboy.

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

Great sig there Mortboy.

I was thinkin' the same thing...

 

[CowboyMort]

I was thinkin' the same thing...

Thanks guys. I just did it up. It was mainly because Emmitt was back on the bandwagon after calling a 7-9 record before the season starts. Now he is a believer.

 

[Big Dakota]

I think the team seems confident, but focused. You gotta think that you are going to win going into a game.

Exactly!

 

[zrinkill]

The team has shown no signs of being overconfident.

Just the media.

 

[Bad Fan in Lewisville]

This defense is confident, but I don't see any indication that it's overconfident.
When you have guys like Demarcus Ware and Keith Brooking running your huddle, you better not get the big head.
Ware is the picture of poise, even when he dominates.
Brooking is the picture of intensity and fire, no time to pat himself on the back.

That said, there are some things (the Mike Jenkins lateral attempt, and T.New's encouragement of that move, anyone?) that trouble me a tad. You just slashed the jugular, don't go trying to save the man!
I expect things like that to be ironed out more and more going forward, though.

Just remember, if you walk the walk, there's no such thing as overconfident.

 

[brickman]

Like someone said above, they are focused. This team really understands what it has to do. They are confident, yet won't lose the focus to get the job done. It'd going to take a complete effort by EVERYONE and that is the key.

 

[Idgit]

I forgot to record laufenberg last night.

he is talking about laufenberg's broadcast.

They showed the hail mary, but more importantly they showed the play before it where after pearson made a first down catch on the sideline a security guard came over and kicked him in the face....

pearson was on talking about how if a security guard kicked a player today he would go right to prison, but nothing happened to him.

It was amazing to see that video by the way. the guard ran up and kicked him right in the face.

Are you serious? This was on that 4th and 23 play or whatever it was that they converted, probably? Man, I wish there was footage of that someplace. I'm constantly defending Pearson on that play against the three MIN fans in my office.

 

[theebs]

Are you serious? This was on that 4th and 23 play or whatever it was that they converted, probably? Man, I wish there was footage of that someplace. I'm constantly defending Pearson on that play against the three MIN fans in my office.

laufenberg showed it last night on his sports segement, with a clip from pearson saying the guy would get 5 to life in the current times for kicking him in the head.

I wish I recorded it. I am sure he will show it again! but it was clear as day. he makes the catch, goes to the ground and the security guard runs up and kicks him while he is down....

Just imagine that happening this weekend.

 

[Idgit]

laufenberg showed it last night on his sports segement, with a clip from pearson saying the guy would get 5 to life in the current times for kicking him in the head.

I wish I recorded it. I am sure he will show it again! but it was clear as day. he makes the catch, goes to the ground and the security guard runs up and kicks him while he is down....

Just imagine that happening this weekend.

Wow. On top of that, that was the game where the ref was sent to the hospital for catching a whiskey bottle to the forehead. Yet Vikes fans think they were the victims in that game, poor dears.

 

[theebs]

Wow. On top of that, that was the game where the ref was sent to the hospital for catching a whiskey bottle to the forehead. Yet Vikes fans think they were the victims in that game, poor dears.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100113/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_cowboys_vikings_hail_mary_1

Cowboys vs. Vikings in playoffs conjures Hail Mary


By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron, Ap Sports Writer – Wed Jan 13, 4:50 am ET

IRVING, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys are headed to Minnesota for a playoff game Sunday, which means longtime Vikings fans probably won't want to watch much television the next few days.
Otherwise, they're going to see it again.
The Hail Mary.
On Dec. 28, 1975, the Vikings were hosting a first-round playoff game against the wild-card Cowboys, and were winning 14-10 in the final half-minute, when Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard pass to Drew Pearson for the winning touchdown. Known at the time as merely "a bomb," Staubach entered a new term into the vernacular of football when he described how he pulled off the miraculous throw by saying, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary."
The quote is what made the pass stand out in NFL lore. But it meant so much more to both teams.
The Cowboys were plucky upstarts, a year removed from missing the playoffs and supposedly in rebuilding mode. Twelve rookies made the club, earning them the nickname "The Dirty Dozen." Dallas rode the momentum of the Minnesota game all the way to the Super Bowl, only to lose a thriller to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For Vikings fans, it remains perhaps the most excruciating film clip imaginable — for so many reasons.
First off, the '75 Vikings might have been the best in franchise history.
Led by NFL MVP Fran Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman on offense, and featuring a defense fronted by a group known as the "Purple People Eaters," Minnesota won its first 10 games and finished 12-2, tying for the best record in the NFL. Coach Bud Grant's group had few weaknesses, perhaps fewer than his four teams that reached the Super Bowl.
In this game, Minnesota fell behind 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, then Tarkenton led a 70-yard drive for the go-ahead points with 5:56 left. Dallas had the ball on its own 15 with less than 2 minutes left. It was cold outdoors in Bloomington, so some fans headed to the exits.
It looked over when the Cowboys were facing fourth-and-16 from the 25. Then Pearson, who hadn't caught a pass all game before this drive, caught a pass and went out of bounds at the 50. While he was sliding on the ground, a security guard kicked him.
After an incomplete pass to Preston Pearson, Staubach and Drew Pearson talked about a play that had worked before, a deep pass down the sideline with a pump fake along the way.
"We knew what we needed to do; we had to have a bomb," Hall of Fame offensive lineman Rayfield Wright said Tuesday. "It's a play I'll never forget."
Staubach put so much into selling the fake that he nearly lost control of the ball. He held on, but awkwardly, which is why he underthrew the pass.
And that leads to the next layer of Vikings fans' ire.
Pearson slowed to catch it and bumped into cornerback Nate Wright as they jumped for the ball. Wright landed on the ground while Pearson felt the ball go through his arms. Somehow, he actually pinned it to his hip — a la David Tyree and his head in the Super Bowl two years ago. Pearson turned and scampered the last few yards into the end zone, then the former college quarterback heaved the ball into the crowd.
The throw fans wanted to see was a flag. The only one that came was against Minnesota's Alan Page for griping about the non-call. Fans threw all sorts of things onto the field. An official reached to pick up some trash when a whiskey bottle conked him in the head, opening a gash.

"I don't think he pushed off," Rayfield Wright said, smiling.
Hours after the game, things got far worse for Tarkenton. He learned that his father — a pastor named Dallas — died of a heart attack while watching the game on television.
Dallas beat Minnesota in an NFC championship game following the 1977 season, then again in the playoffs on Dec. 28, 1996. That had been the Cowboys' most recent playoff victory until last Saturday. The Vikings have won five of the six meetings since the '96 playoffs, including a playoff game following the 1999 season.

 

[NextGenBoys]

One thing is certain -- this team does NOT have a recent history of handling their success well.

I think this year is different though.

 

[Idgit]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100113/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_cowboys_vikings_hail_mary_1

Cowboys vs. Vikings in playoffs conjures Hail Mary


By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer Jaime Aron, Ap Sports Writer – Wed Jan 13, 4:50 am ET

IRVING, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys are headed to Minnesota for a playoff game Sunday, which means longtime Vikings fans probably won't want to watch much television the next few days.
Otherwise, they're going to see it again.
The Hail Mary.
On Dec. 28, 1975, the Vikings were hosting a first-round playoff game against the wild-card Cowboys, and were winning 14-10 in the final half-minute, when Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard pass to Drew Pearson for the winning touchdown. Known at the time as merely "a bomb," Staubach entered a new term into the vernacular of football when he described how he pulled off the miraculous throw by saying, "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary."
The quote is what made the pass stand out in NFL lore. But it meant so much more to both teams.
The Cowboys were plucky upstarts, a year removed from missing the playoffs and supposedly in rebuilding mode. Twelve rookies made the club, earning them the nickname "The Dirty Dozen." Dallas rode the momentum of the Minnesota game all the way to the Super Bowl, only to lose a thriller to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For Vikings fans, it remains perhaps the most excruciating film clip imaginable — for so many reasons.
First off, the '75 Vikings might have been the best in franchise history.
Led by NFL MVP Fran Tarkenton and running back Chuck Foreman on offense, and featuring a defense fronted by a group known as the "Purple People Eaters," Minnesota won its first 10 games and finished 12-2, tying for the best record in the NFL. Coach Bud Grant's group had few weaknesses, perhaps fewer than his four teams that reached the Super Bowl.
In this game, Minnesota fell behind 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, then Tarkenton led a 70-yard drive for the go-ahead points with 5:56 left. Dallas had the ball on its own 15 with less than 2 minutes left. It was cold outdoors in Bloomington, so some fans headed to the exits.
It looked over when the Cowboys were facing fourth-and-16 from the 25. Then Pearson, who hadn't caught a pass all game before this drive, caught a pass and went out of bounds at the 50. While he was sliding on the ground, a security guard kicked him.
After an incomplete pass to Preston Pearson, Staubach and Drew Pearson talked about a play that had worked before, a deep pass down the sideline with a pump fake along the way.
"We knew what we needed to do; we had to have a bomb," Hall of Fame offensive lineman Rayfield Wright said Tuesday. "It's a play I'll never forget."
Staubach put so much into selling the fake that he nearly lost control of the ball. He held on, but awkwardly, which is why he underthrew the pass.
And that leads to the next layer of Vikings fans' ire.
Pearson slowed to catch it and bumped into cornerback Nate Wright as they jumped for the ball. Wright landed on the ground while Pearson felt the ball go through his arms. Somehow, he actually pinned it to his hip — a la David Tyree and his head in the Super Bowl two years ago. Pearson turned and scampered the last few yards into the end zone, then the former college quarterback heaved the ball into the crowd.
The throw fans wanted to see was a flag. The only one that came was against Minnesota's Alan Page for griping about the non-call. Fans threw all sorts of things onto the field. An official reached to pick up some trash when a whiskey bottle conked him in the head, opening a gash.

"I don't think he pushed off," Rayfield Wright said, smiling.
Hours after the game, things got far worse for Tarkenton. He learned that his father — a pastor named Dallas — died of a heart attack while watching the game on television.
Dallas beat Minnesota in an NFC championship game following the 1977 season, then again in the playoffs on Dec. 28, 1996. That had been the Cowboys' most recent playoff victory until last Saturday. The Vikings have won five of the six meetings since the '96 playoffs, including a playoff game following the 1999 season.

What a game that was. Dallas dominates on defense, Tarkenton takes them back to score, Dallas comes back. Converts a 4th and 15, then a freaking security guard runs over and kicks a player in the head. Then the Hail Mary as time runs out. The Vikes bellyache and blame officials for their blown coverage, get the flag instead. Ref catches a bottle in the head, and Fran later learns his dad died of a heart attack during the game (RIP). That's seriously old-school right there.

Thanks for the link, theebs. It'll come in handy.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

One thing is certain -- this team does NOT have a recent history of handling their success well.

I think this year is different though.

I think that their recent history is actually a good thing, they know first hand what happens when they are overconfident and they've seen first hand what hard work and consistent improvement can do (see the 2007 Giants).

Also, I don't see how any Cowboy player can walk into that hornet's nest and face the much ballyhooed Viking offense and defense and special teams and be "overconfident",,, I'm sure they are well aware of the danger.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think this is a very confident team who is playing great football. Lately we have not just been winning we have played dominate football on both sides of the ball. As Phillips said we do not have one side of the ball carrying the load, both offense and defense have been doing the job. That is what is giving me a good feeling about this team. If guys continue to focus on their responsibilities they will have a very good chance of moving on to the NFC title game.