My football logic antenna tells me that by the time Dallas walks off the field in New York, the Cowboys will be 12-1, and the Giants will be 8-5. The Steelers and Cowboys are about to pop that cystic zit in The Meadowlands.
That would pretty much put to bed the division, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before a wild-card bye. I said, Tony Romo and the second string will take the field in Philly before the wild-card bye. I just wrote that without laughing.
So why am I so fidgety?
This impossible year, cloaked in rookie messiahs and defensive nobodies, marches onward through the NFL season virtually unblemished. Meanwhile, awful football pervades throughout the rest of a league wrought with sloppy teams. The Panthers, Packers, Cardinals, Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, Broncos.....the supposedly elite teams are anything but.
The almighty Seahawks, whom we are supposed to fear, scored a whole 3 points on offense yesterday against the ding-dong Buccanneers and their 80s hair-band uniforms.
The NFL is just bad. The party-all-you-want CBA has ripped the quality from it. Almost everywhere, that is, but here in RKG land, thanks to Coach Garrett and our soothsayer, Will McClay.
So, again, why my pessimism about where this thing lands come playoff time? Perhaps it's just the 20 years of crotch-kicking I've endured. The post-90s crash-and-burns of ill-conceived rosters around here are legendary. Why can't I shake the funk?
My leeriness, like many of yours, lies within this time-bomb defense. Let's not kid ourselves, it's bad, and even worse, it's increasingly hurt and gimpy, and that spells trouble come playoff time. The Cowboys haven't forced a turnover in a month and don't put pressure on the QB ever. Yes, they play with fire and Rod Marinelli is a defensive prophet, but that voodoo only goes so far come the knockout round.
I know, points-per-game, yadda, yadda. Offensive ineptitude doesn't equal good defense. I watch all the games every Sunday. Offense is putrid across the NFL this year.
My team of concern is Atlanta and what it might do to this defense. Matt Ryan with an all-day vacation in the pocket and countless receivers.....yeesh. Never mind what Tom Brady would carve this group into in a Super Bowl, lest we get that far.
Understand, I'm only talking about the here and now. The future looks dominant. DOMINANT! I couldn't be happier with where this franchise is right now.
The rookie phenoms continue to protect the ball, and the offensive line is mowing down good fronts like dallisgrass. So Dallas continues to win methodically and demonstrably against flawed foes, and the entire NFC shudders of what a good defensive offseason for the Cowboys means going forward. It could be lights out for a good while.
Yes, I realize how preposterous this is. Greed is overcoming my logic here, I know full well. Just enjoy the damn ride, Erod, you ungrateful nincompoop. Sorry, can't help it.
I'm just trying to figure out if this is 1991 or 1992. I'd prefer the latter. You long-timers know what I mean.
