NextGenBoys
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Hey everyone, I'm in a News Reporting class at a Community College in Iowa and we had a "pop" assignment, so I threw together this feature on our Dallas Cowboys in a few hours. I think its decent, so let me know your thoughts on it, strengths/weaknesses etc. Anything is welcomed as I'm going into journalism so I'm definitely looking to get better. I couldnt post this in the DailyZone for some reason, so Anyways here it is:
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are putting together what very well may be the best season in NFL history. The Patriots are 10-0, Tom Brady is on pace to obliterate the record for both passing touchdowns in a season and quarterback rating, and the Patriots are on pace to score 657 points, which would shatter the single season scoring record of 556 points set by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. While the Cowboys currently aren't quite on the Patriots level, they are still putting together a very successful season, which would be historic any other year, if not for the Patriots.
The Cowboys are 9-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Patriots. While they may have lost that game, they are one of only two teams to have a lead against the Patriots in the 2nd half this season, the other team being the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys rank 2nd in the NFL in points per game averaging 32.4, ranking only behind the Patriots' 41.1. Tony Romo, the Cowboys quarterback is enjoying an MVP caliber season, if not for Tom Brady. Romo is completing 65.4% of his passes on pace to throw for 4,557 yards and 43 touchdowns, both of which would be franchise records. That is saying a lot for a franchise that has hosted Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. His quarterback rating of 105.6 is phenomenal, as the league average is 84.8. After dropping a potential go-ahead field goal in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks last year, Romo has rebounded well, and is among the league's elite at quarterback; the hardest and most demanding position in all of professional sports. While success at the NFL level may be new to Romo, he is not one for individual accolades, is not getting a big head, and is keeping his eyes on the prize.
"I don't really look at individual records very often," Romo said. "If you go out and win a Super Bowl and you do some good things individually, then it's exciting but you do it without it it's an empty feeling. The accomplishment will be to do things as a team and that'll make it very rewarding. The best part of the journey is the time you took to get there, all of the things you had to do to get to that point. I kind of learned along the way that, hey, you know what? Enjoy the process, the good and the bad. But enjoy it and you'll appreciate it that much more."
While Romo may be the leading the charge, it is an entire team effort from the rest of the 9-1 Cowboys. Wide receiver Terrell Owens, who in years past was criticized for being a selfish individual and bad teammate, has bought into the team oriented approach. After catching eight balls for 173 yards and a career high four touchdowns against the rival Washington Commanders, Owens praised his teammates saying, "I'm just playing kind of out of my mind right now, and I can only attribute that to the success that we're having as a team, and I think they are feeding off each other."
The team oriented approach is working for Owens. T.O. as he is called, is currently 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards (1028) and receiving touchdowns (12), trailing only Randy Moss of the Patriots in both categories, and is also 3rd in the league in yards per game with 102.8 per contest. He would be the main talk for the best receiver in the league, if not for Randy Moss.
While T.O. and Romo get a lot of the much deserved notoriety, the rest of the offense has been very productive as well. Tight end Jason Witten is 2nd in the NFL among tight ends with 55 catches, and 3rd with 696 yards. Running back Marion Barber is tied for 4th in the league with 6 rushing touchdowns, and has added a touchdown receiving. Patrick Crayton, the teams' receiver opposite Terrell Owens, has posted 33 catches for 482 yards and 5 touchdowns. While the numbers aren't as gaudy as Owens' or Romo, they are still quality numbers for a player who is not the main option on the majority of plays. His five touchdowns are tied for 8th in the league. Not bad for a player playing alongside teammates who are two of the best at their respected positions.
While the offense gets a lot the credit, the defense has also played very well and has it's own share of success. They have only allowed more than 20 points in four of ten games, and rank 4th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. The defense, which in years past would always seem to have trouble getting interceptions and sacks, is now tied for 2nd in the league with 15 interceptions, and tied for 6th in sacks with 27. Anthony Henry leads the team with 5 interceptions, and standout linebacker DeMarcus Ware leads the team with 9 sacks, which is good enough for 2nd in the NFL. However, the defense has seemed to have trouble stopping the pass at times, as the team is ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards given up, at 24th out of 32. This is usually the case for a team who has a high powered offense. Opposing teams must score at a high rate to keep up, and are forced to abandon the run, and pass the ball instead. The defense still needs to improve a lot if they want to be considered on New England's level.
New England boasts a defense that is very talented and balanced. They rank in the top three in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and points per game. They are ranked 4th in sacks, two notches ahead of Dallas and 3rd in the league in interceptions, a notch below Dallas. Perhaps that is the difference between perfection, and near perfection. Receiver Patrick Crayton has other thoughts on the Patriots defense.
"Offensively, they are the real deal. I'm not going to lie about that," said Crayton. "Definitely, I can tell you, no, [the defense is] not. The only time they stopped us is when we had penalties. If that's stopping us, it is what it is. But they're definitely not the real deal on defense."
Whether they are the real deal on defense or not, the Cowboys are 9-1 and lost to the undefeated Patriots. However, even with that loss they are putting together a remarkable season and have the potential to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history, which would be historic, if not for the Patriots.
Romo and Co. Enjoying The Ride
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are putting together what very well may be the best season in NFL history. The Patriots are 10-0, Tom Brady is on pace to obliterate the record for both passing touchdowns in a season and quarterback rating, and the Patriots are on pace to score 657 points, which would shatter the single season scoring record of 556 points set by the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. While the Cowboys currently aren't quite on the Patriots level, they are still putting together a very successful season, which would be historic any other year, if not for the Patriots.
The Cowboys are 9-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the undefeated Patriots. While they may have lost that game, they are one of only two teams to have a lead against the Patriots in the 2nd half this season, the other team being the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. The Cowboys rank 2nd in the NFL in points per game averaging 32.4, ranking only behind the Patriots' 41.1. Tony Romo, the Cowboys quarterback is enjoying an MVP caliber season, if not for Tom Brady. Romo is completing 65.4% of his passes on pace to throw for 4,557 yards and 43 touchdowns, both of which would be franchise records. That is saying a lot for a franchise that has hosted Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. His quarterback rating of 105.6 is phenomenal, as the league average is 84.8. After dropping a potential go-ahead field goal in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks last year, Romo has rebounded well, and is among the league's elite at quarterback; the hardest and most demanding position in all of professional sports. While success at the NFL level may be new to Romo, he is not one for individual accolades, is not getting a big head, and is keeping his eyes on the prize.
"I don't really look at individual records very often," Romo said. "If you go out and win a Super Bowl and you do some good things individually, then it's exciting but you do it without it it's an empty feeling. The accomplishment will be to do things as a team and that'll make it very rewarding. The best part of the journey is the time you took to get there, all of the things you had to do to get to that point. I kind of learned along the way that, hey, you know what? Enjoy the process, the good and the bad. But enjoy it and you'll appreciate it that much more."
While Romo may be the leading the charge, it is an entire team effort from the rest of the 9-1 Cowboys. Wide receiver Terrell Owens, who in years past was criticized for being a selfish individual and bad teammate, has bought into the team oriented approach. After catching eight balls for 173 yards and a career high four touchdowns against the rival Washington Commanders, Owens praised his teammates saying, "I'm just playing kind of out of my mind right now, and I can only attribute that to the success that we're having as a team, and I think they are feeding off each other."
The team oriented approach is working for Owens. T.O. as he is called, is currently 2nd in the NFL in receiving yards (1028) and receiving touchdowns (12), trailing only Randy Moss of the Patriots in both categories, and is also 3rd in the league in yards per game with 102.8 per contest. He would be the main talk for the best receiver in the league, if not for Randy Moss.
While T.O. and Romo get a lot of the much deserved notoriety, the rest of the offense has been very productive as well. Tight end Jason Witten is 2nd in the NFL among tight ends with 55 catches, and 3rd with 696 yards. Running back Marion Barber is tied for 4th in the league with 6 rushing touchdowns, and has added a touchdown receiving. Patrick Crayton, the teams' receiver opposite Terrell Owens, has posted 33 catches for 482 yards and 5 touchdowns. While the numbers aren't as gaudy as Owens' or Romo, they are still quality numbers for a player who is not the main option on the majority of plays. His five touchdowns are tied for 8th in the league. Not bad for a player playing alongside teammates who are two of the best at their respected positions.
While the offense gets a lot the credit, the defense has also played very well and has it's own share of success. They have only allowed more than 20 points in four of ten games, and rank 4th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game. The defense, which in years past would always seem to have trouble getting interceptions and sacks, is now tied for 2nd in the league with 15 interceptions, and tied for 6th in sacks with 27. Anthony Henry leads the team with 5 interceptions, and standout linebacker DeMarcus Ware leads the team with 9 sacks, which is good enough for 2nd in the NFL. However, the defense has seemed to have trouble stopping the pass at times, as the team is ranked near the bottom of the league in passing yards given up, at 24th out of 32. This is usually the case for a team who has a high powered offense. Opposing teams must score at a high rate to keep up, and are forced to abandon the run, and pass the ball instead. The defense still needs to improve a lot if they want to be considered on New England's level.
New England boasts a defense that is very talented and balanced. They rank in the top three in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, and points per game. They are ranked 4th in sacks, two notches ahead of Dallas and 3rd in the league in interceptions, a notch below Dallas. Perhaps that is the difference between perfection, and near perfection. Receiver Patrick Crayton has other thoughts on the Patriots defense.
"Offensively, they are the real deal. I'm not going to lie about that," said Crayton. "Definitely, I can tell you, no, [the defense is] not. The only time they stopped us is when we had penalties. If that's stopping us, it is what it is. But they're definitely not the real deal on defense."
Whether they are the real deal on defense or not, the Cowboys are 9-1 and lost to the undefeated Patriots. However, even with that loss they are putting together a remarkable season and have the potential to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history, which would be historic, if not for the Patriots.
