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No Joy In Irving-ville
Mickey Spagnola
December 25, 2006
IRVING, Texas - Baaah-HumBug.
Come on, what was that?
Why, 62,829 people feverishly descended upon Texas Stadium on Christmas Day, the majority hoping to unwrap the franchise's first NFC East Division title since 1998, one that was going to be presented to them by the Dallas Cowboys - beating the Philadelphia Eagles for the clinching victory the sparkling red bow. Spiked eggnog for everyone afterward.
Instead, they got Eagles 23, Cowboys 7, nothing but big black chunks of coal.
The Cowboys had a failure to engage. Spoiled eggnog couldn't taste worse.
Or as Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells very succinctly and accurately said, "We were non-competitive tonight."
Or as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "You see me as frustrated as I have been in years."
Or as Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman said, "It's the worst feeling in football - we're at home, on Christmas, everything was set up for us to look pretty good going into the playoffs and then we come out and play like that. We play like that next week, we might as well forget it . . . .
"We got out-muscled tonight. We had something to play for, and we come out like that. I'm embarrassed."
No kidding.
And you know, it's not that the Cowboys (9-6) got beat by the Eagles (9-6), who can wrap up their fifth NFC East Division title in six years next Sunday by simply beating Atlanta at home after winning four straight since sitting 5-6 - and most impressively, the last three on the road right through the NFC East. But it's how the Cowboys got beat.
With a division title on the line, a full house on its feet in great anticipation, the Christmas Day game on national television and the dreaded Eagles on the other side of the field, the Cowboys come out and . . . .
Gain a season-low 201 yards, the fewest a Cowboys team has gained since putting up 178 at Tampa Bay on Oct. 26, 2003, with Quincy Carter at quarterback for goodness sakes.
Pass for a season-low 118 yards, the fewest since getting clobbered at Washington in Game 14 of last year.
Score a season-low seven points, the first time in 15 games this year the Cowboys have scored fewer than 17 points, matching the fewest they have scored in their past 39 games, and needing to go back to Nov. 7, 2004, to find fewer in that 26-3 loss to Cincinnati.
Give up a season-high 204 yards rushing, the most since Green Bay ran for 220 on Oct. 24, 2004, in a 41-20 licking at Lambeau Field.
Give up 426 yards offense, not only the second time they've given up more than 400 yards offense this season, but much worse, the second time this has happened in three game, the Saints in another pivotal game for playoff positioning putting 526 on them.
Good gosh, it's beginning to look a lot like 2003.
Super Bowl? Let's worry about the Lions, first.
Now it would be nice to tell you this was just another one of those things, and Parcells would caution everyone to tap the emergency brakes lightly, saying, "I told the team they could either be judged by this game or they could come back ready to go next week (Detroit) and have a chance to try to compete for the championship, which they are going to have a chance to do.
"I think we will know next week at this time which way we are going to go, and that is exactly what we are going to do."
Because, you know, there had been so much promise, even despite the pasting at the hands of New Orleans. After all, that loss merely interrupted a four-game winning streak, and the Cowboys had gone 6-2 ever since Tony Romo had taken over at quarterback.
But, coupling this loss with the New Orleans loss - both right here at Texas Stadium - means the Cowboys have now lost two of their past three games, turning in their two worst defensive performances of the season, which sandwich a less than stellar performance in Atlanta the previous Saturday when they gave up 28 points and just 24 yards short of 400 that night.
Now there were excuses for those, right? Well, New Orleans, which thanks to beating the Giants Sunday and the Cowboys losing Monday has clinched its first-ever first-round playoff bye, had Reggie Bush. Well, Atlanta had Michael Vick.
But Philadelphia, what did the Eagles have? They lost Donovan McNabb for the season seemingly eons ago.
As it turns out, the Eagles had Jeff Garcia, the 36-year-old quarterback nary another team in the league even wanted as a backup, and who put down a 0.00 QB rating in his last appearance at Texas Stadium (2004). He was the straw that stirred the holiday punch, throwing for 238 yards and running for a back-breaking 43.
Too much for the Cowboys.
So was the Eagles' defense, yep, the same one nearly given up for dead during their stretch of losing five of six games to fall to 5-6. The same one that had given up more than 100 yards rushing in seven consecutive games until beating the Giants last week, and the same one which during that stretch had been scorched for more than 200 yards rushing in four of those games.
The Cowboys, good gracious, they rushed for 83 yards, the second fewest yards of the season. Worse, the leading rusher was Romo. A quarterback! Get out of here. Romo had 42 yards, five more than Julius Jones, who actually was running pretty well in this game, and became the first Cowboys quarterback to lead the team in rushing since Thanksgiving of 2003 when Carter put up, uh, 42 yards against Miami.
But once the Cowboys got behind 16-7, they began playing as if this was Holiday Follies. Let's see, on third-and-19 (because of a sack) from their 29, Terrell Owens drops the first of two passes, this one right in his bread basket at the Philly 25. And the guy had the nerve to say afterward he needs to get involved earlier in the games. Involved? Just shut up and play.
Then in succession the next time the Cowboys get the ball, at the Atlanta 19, Andre Gurode sails a shotgun snap over the head of Romo, who salvaged the play for a six-yard game; Marc Colombo gets called for a false start; Flozell Adams gets called for a false start; and one play later on third down Romo gets sacked.
Still trailing by just 16-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, having moved to the Eagles 39 and sensing their defense reeling, the Cowboys go no-huddle and Romo throws deep into the end zone for Owens. The ball was inside. Romo admits it should have been outside Owens.
Still, Owens never locates the pass when the Cowboys were involving him, and Brian Dawkins easily intercepts. If he was a centerfielder, he could have pounded his glove twice before pulling in the can of corn, Owens making no effort to even break up the pass.
And if that were not enough, after the Eagles drove a stake in whatever heart the Cowboys brought to this game, driving 80 yards in seven minutes for a touchdown, Romo throws an ill-advised pass into traffic that was picked off by Lito Sheppard, his third interception against the Cowboys this season - and the third he had to do nothing more than just stand their and catch the ball.
That was no mistletoe hanging from the crossbeams at Texas Stadium.
That was an Eagles hammer hitting them in the kisser.
So is this it? Is this who the Cowboys are in 2006? A team capable of beating only one team (Indianapolis) - for sure - that will finish with a winning record this season? (Tennessee at 8-7 has a chance.)
Is this who the Cowboys are? A team incapable of winning the big one, seeing that you would have to consider this game, the Saints game and those early-season games with the Eagles and Giants big games?
Well, chances are, the Cowboys won't know if the New Year's Eve game against Detroit (noon, CST) is a big game or not. It's big for them since a victory will put some pressure on the Eagles. But the Eagles will play for the NFC East title on Fox's 3 p.m. game, while the Cowboys, if they win, will have to sit around and wait. A Cowboys' win and Eagles' loss would bring the seemingly air-mailed NFC East title back to Dallas.
If not, the Cowboys will be heading to Seattle for a first-round playoff game. Big game, right?
"We've come back before when people have counted us out - said we're dead," Romo said. "We'll see."
Yes we will. No, the Cowboys aren't dead by any means. Just not living large.
Mickey Spagnola
December 25, 2006
IRVING, Texas - Baaah-HumBug.
Come on, what was that?
Why, 62,829 people feverishly descended upon Texas Stadium on Christmas Day, the majority hoping to unwrap the franchise's first NFC East Division title since 1998, one that was going to be presented to them by the Dallas Cowboys - beating the Philadelphia Eagles for the clinching victory the sparkling red bow. Spiked eggnog for everyone afterward.
Instead, they got Eagles 23, Cowboys 7, nothing but big black chunks of coal.
The Cowboys had a failure to engage. Spoiled eggnog couldn't taste worse.
Or as Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells very succinctly and accurately said, "We were non-competitive tonight."
Or as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "You see me as frustrated as I have been in years."
Or as Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman said, "It's the worst feeling in football - we're at home, on Christmas, everything was set up for us to look pretty good going into the playoffs and then we come out and play like that. We play like that next week, we might as well forget it . . . .
"We got out-muscled tonight. We had something to play for, and we come out like that. I'm embarrassed."
No kidding.
And you know, it's not that the Cowboys (9-6) got beat by the Eagles (9-6), who can wrap up their fifth NFC East Division title in six years next Sunday by simply beating Atlanta at home after winning four straight since sitting 5-6 - and most impressively, the last three on the road right through the NFC East. But it's how the Cowboys got beat.
With a division title on the line, a full house on its feet in great anticipation, the Christmas Day game on national television and the dreaded Eagles on the other side of the field, the Cowboys come out and . . . .
Gain a season-low 201 yards, the fewest a Cowboys team has gained since putting up 178 at Tampa Bay on Oct. 26, 2003, with Quincy Carter at quarterback for goodness sakes.
Pass for a season-low 118 yards, the fewest since getting clobbered at Washington in Game 14 of last year.
Score a season-low seven points, the first time in 15 games this year the Cowboys have scored fewer than 17 points, matching the fewest they have scored in their past 39 games, and needing to go back to Nov. 7, 2004, to find fewer in that 26-3 loss to Cincinnati.
Give up a season-high 204 yards rushing, the most since Green Bay ran for 220 on Oct. 24, 2004, in a 41-20 licking at Lambeau Field.
Give up 426 yards offense, not only the second time they've given up more than 400 yards offense this season, but much worse, the second time this has happened in three game, the Saints in another pivotal game for playoff positioning putting 526 on them.
Good gosh, it's beginning to look a lot like 2003.
Super Bowl? Let's worry about the Lions, first.
Now it would be nice to tell you this was just another one of those things, and Parcells would caution everyone to tap the emergency brakes lightly, saying, "I told the team they could either be judged by this game or they could come back ready to go next week (Detroit) and have a chance to try to compete for the championship, which they are going to have a chance to do.
"I think we will know next week at this time which way we are going to go, and that is exactly what we are going to do."
Because, you know, there had been so much promise, even despite the pasting at the hands of New Orleans. After all, that loss merely interrupted a four-game winning streak, and the Cowboys had gone 6-2 ever since Tony Romo had taken over at quarterback.
But, coupling this loss with the New Orleans loss - both right here at Texas Stadium - means the Cowboys have now lost two of their past three games, turning in their two worst defensive performances of the season, which sandwich a less than stellar performance in Atlanta the previous Saturday when they gave up 28 points and just 24 yards short of 400 that night.
Now there were excuses for those, right? Well, New Orleans, which thanks to beating the Giants Sunday and the Cowboys losing Monday has clinched its first-ever first-round playoff bye, had Reggie Bush. Well, Atlanta had Michael Vick.
But Philadelphia, what did the Eagles have? They lost Donovan McNabb for the season seemingly eons ago.
As it turns out, the Eagles had Jeff Garcia, the 36-year-old quarterback nary another team in the league even wanted as a backup, and who put down a 0.00 QB rating in his last appearance at Texas Stadium (2004). He was the straw that stirred the holiday punch, throwing for 238 yards and running for a back-breaking 43.
Too much for the Cowboys.
So was the Eagles' defense, yep, the same one nearly given up for dead during their stretch of losing five of six games to fall to 5-6. The same one that had given up more than 100 yards rushing in seven consecutive games until beating the Giants last week, and the same one which during that stretch had been scorched for more than 200 yards rushing in four of those games.
The Cowboys, good gracious, they rushed for 83 yards, the second fewest yards of the season. Worse, the leading rusher was Romo. A quarterback! Get out of here. Romo had 42 yards, five more than Julius Jones, who actually was running pretty well in this game, and became the first Cowboys quarterback to lead the team in rushing since Thanksgiving of 2003 when Carter put up, uh, 42 yards against Miami.
But once the Cowboys got behind 16-7, they began playing as if this was Holiday Follies. Let's see, on third-and-19 (because of a sack) from their 29, Terrell Owens drops the first of two passes, this one right in his bread basket at the Philly 25. And the guy had the nerve to say afterward he needs to get involved earlier in the games. Involved? Just shut up and play.
Then in succession the next time the Cowboys get the ball, at the Atlanta 19, Andre Gurode sails a shotgun snap over the head of Romo, who salvaged the play for a six-yard game; Marc Colombo gets called for a false start; Flozell Adams gets called for a false start; and one play later on third down Romo gets sacked.
Still trailing by just 16-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, having moved to the Eagles 39 and sensing their defense reeling, the Cowboys go no-huddle and Romo throws deep into the end zone for Owens. The ball was inside. Romo admits it should have been outside Owens.
Still, Owens never locates the pass when the Cowboys were involving him, and Brian Dawkins easily intercepts. If he was a centerfielder, he could have pounded his glove twice before pulling in the can of corn, Owens making no effort to even break up the pass.
And if that were not enough, after the Eagles drove a stake in whatever heart the Cowboys brought to this game, driving 80 yards in seven minutes for a touchdown, Romo throws an ill-advised pass into traffic that was picked off by Lito Sheppard, his third interception against the Cowboys this season - and the third he had to do nothing more than just stand their and catch the ball.
That was no mistletoe hanging from the crossbeams at Texas Stadium.
That was an Eagles hammer hitting them in the kisser.
So is this it? Is this who the Cowboys are in 2006? A team capable of beating only one team (Indianapolis) - for sure - that will finish with a winning record this season? (Tennessee at 8-7 has a chance.)
Is this who the Cowboys are? A team incapable of winning the big one, seeing that you would have to consider this game, the Saints game and those early-season games with the Eagles and Giants big games?
Well, chances are, the Cowboys won't know if the New Year's Eve game against Detroit (noon, CST) is a big game or not. It's big for them since a victory will put some pressure on the Eagles. But the Eagles will play for the NFC East title on Fox's 3 p.m. game, while the Cowboys, if they win, will have to sit around and wait. A Cowboys' win and Eagles' loss would bring the seemingly air-mailed NFC East title back to Dallas.
If not, the Cowboys will be heading to Seattle for a first-round playoff game. Big game, right?
"We've come back before when people have counted us out - said we're dead," Romo said. "We'll see."
Yes we will. No, the Cowboys aren't dead by any means. Just not living large.
