so... any cowboy fans worried about the game?

[silverbear]

This game has that same feeling before the Buffalo game. Fans very overconfident. The Skins have a running game and can throw the deep ball

Actually, they don't throw the deep ball well at all... they currently rank tied for 23rd in the league for most pass plays of 20 yards plus, with 20 (for comparison, the Boys rank 1st in the NFL, with 36)... they rank tied for 11th in most pass plays of 40 plus, with 4 (the Boys rank tied for 5th, with 6)...

And I do seem to recall that two or three of those 40 plus plays were actually short passes that the receivers turned into big plays with yards after the catch...

If they were really so dangerous throwing the deep ball, how could it POSSIBLY have taken them 9 games to have a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass?? No sir, the Skins' pass offense is mostly dink and dunk, as demonstrated by their rather low 6.6 yards per attempt average (tied for 20th in the NFL)...

So, you focus in on stopping the run, double Randle El and/or Cooley (depending on the defense they're in at the time), and see if Campbell can beat you with his arm... given that he's probably gonna need to score at least 27 points (the Boys have scored more points than that in 7 of their 9 games so far), and the Skins have done that exactly once this season, I don't think much of his chances of getting that done...

 

[tyke1doe]

With Sean Taylor and Carlos Rogers out and Moss hobbled, no. I expect the Cowboys to torch the Skins secondary.

 

[silverbear]

Riggo, you have a Joe Gibbs coached team that will do everything it can to control time of possession. If Portis has a good day, this is an achievable goal.

Portis will be running against the fifth ranked rush defense in the league (86.8 yards per game), the fourth in yards per carry (3.6)... that will be the toughest run defense the Skins have faced so far this season; in the 4 other games that the Skins have played against top 10 run defenses, Clinton has gained 223 yards on 63 carries, with 1 TD (a 3.5 yards per carry average)... let's not forget that while he had two real nice ball games the last two weeks totin' the rock, one of them came against the Jets, who are ranked dead last in the NFL in run defense, the other came against the Iggles, ranked 12th (it took him 30 carries in that game to gain 137 yards)... against good run defenses, Clinton has been held in check...

And historically against the Cowboys, Portis really hasn't been much of a factor... he's played 5 games against the Boys since joining the Skins, and has 96 carries for 374 yards (3.8 average, 74.8 yards per game) and 1 TD...

Which is my typically long-winded way of predicting that Clinton Portis will not have a good day against this Cowboys defense (which after all has yet to allow even one running back to gain 100 yards on them this season)...

 

[FCBarca]

There's always the 'concern' of a letdown game like the one against Buffalo...Moreover, the last couple of losses to Washington have been bizarre and painful so you never know with them.

That being said, IF they play the way they have been AND capitalize on the advantages they have over the skins, then they should win this walking away

Portis can be a factor but with a dinged up WR corps, they may end up loading the box and daring the Skins to throw the ball otherwise it's going to be dink and dunk football from Campbell.

On the other side of the ball, weapons galore for Rome et al...As long as there aren't any injuries or turnovers, shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Actually, they don't throw the deep ball well at all... they currently rank tied for 23rd in the league for most pass plays of 20 yards plus, with 20 (for comparison, the Boys rank 1st in the NFL, with 36)... they rank tied for 11th in most pass plays of 40 plus, with 4 (the Boys rank tied for 5th, with 6)...

And I do seem to recall that two or three of those 40 plus plays were actually short passes that the receivers turned into big plays with yards after the catch...

If they were really so dangerous throwing the deep ball, how could it POSSIBLY have taken them 9 games to have a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass?? No sir, the Skins' pass offense is mostly dink and dunk, as demonstrated by their rather low 6.6 yards per attempt average (tied for 20th in the NFL)...

So, you focus in on stopping the run, double Randle El and/or Cooley (depending on the defense they're in at the time), and see if Campbell can beat you with his arm... given that he's probably gonna need to score at least 27 points (the Boys have scored more points than that in 7 of their 9 games so far), and the Skins have done that exactly once this season, I don't think much of his chances of getting that done...

I wasn’t going by stats and i haven’t watched all the Skin games. But what i do think is that Campbell is good at throwing a nice deep ball. Now his wide receivers have dropped a number of passes too plus Gibbs is extremely conservative. Also i didn’t say the Skins were making bigger plays than the Boys. Even with all the injuries, i think the Skins are better than Buffalo and Minnesota...two teams that gave us trouble. Now i think we are going to destroy them but they do pose a threat.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I am not worried about this game at all.


They dont have a QB.

They dont have any WR's left. The QB they dont have couldnt hit them if they were the size of a barn.

Sean Taylor may or may not play.


All they have is a running game.

NO WAY THEY WIN.

 

[HogsRLegends]

Not sure, but I think Hamlin is new. Also, not sure, but I think Leonard Davis is new. Spencer looks new too; I think.

And though I am not sure, I think Owens is slightly better than Keyshawn. And Romo might be a hair better than Bledsoe.

Then there is a slight difference in offensive/defensive theory than we had two years ago.

And unless I am mistake, we might have had some players progress, like Crayton, Witten, Ware, Ratliff, James, etc.

But yeah, I can see the similarities between this 8-1 team and the team that got blown out by you two years ago.

Why would their curve for improvement be greater then the Commanders players who we had in 2005?

 

[dallasfaniac]

Why would their curve for improvement be greater then the Commanders players who we had in 2005?

Because our players are young home grown players, not high priced veterans that weren't that great on their previous teams?

 

[gazjor1]

The fact that were at Home leads me not to worry - but then with our current road record i wouldnt worry then either.

The only thing that worries me is the fact that, we will slow down the scoring when were up by 30. Lets pound 'em i say - if its good enough for others......

Mr.Phillips is too nice a guy for that though - isnt he?? :laugh2:

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

but then with our current road record i wouldnt worry then either.

Dang near undefeated if not for the lucky Skins and the unlucky Cowboys kicking/blocking woes of that game

 

[03EBZ06]

Even with all the injuries, i think the Skins are better than Buffalo and Minnesota...two teams that gave us trouble.

Do you think Giants and Eagles are better than or equal to Skins?

I think Giants are better than Skins and Eagles are equal to Skins but we beat them (one very lopsided and one we win going away in second half) relatively easy ON THE ROAD and that speaks volume about this team.

 

[CalCBFan]

Was it just the year before last (or was it last year) that we sat here and posted 100K words about how bad the 'Skins were and how Brunnell had a rag arm, and how our D would sack the snot out of him, etc., etc., and guess what? We let them hang around (BP tried to sit on a 13-0 lead for 3 quarters) and in the closing 2 minutes or so Gibbs and Brunnel isolated Santana Moss, was it, on Roy Williams for 2 quick TDs and the 'Skins won 14-13!!

I don't expect that to happen this year because BP is gone, but it is wise to remember that this is a game and it has been full of suprises over the years. Tom Landry's last victory was in '88 and he beat the 'Skins, who were pretty good that year...

 

[5Stars]

Was it just the year before last (or was it last year) that we sat here and posted 100K words about how bad the 'Skins were and how Brunnell had a rag arm, and how our D would sack the snot out of him, etc., etc., and guess what? We let them hang around (BP tried to sit on a 13-0 lead for 3 quarters) and in the closing 2 minutes or so Gibbs and Brunnel isolated Santana Moss, was it, on Roy Williams for 2 quick TDs and the 'Skins won 14-13!!

I don't expect that to happen this year because BP is gone, but it is wise to remember that this is a game and it has been full of suprises over the years. Tom Landry's last victory was in '88 and he beat the 'Skins, who were pretty good that year...

You do realize who their QB is, right? That guy has a hard time reading a vanilla defense, much less what he's going to see during this game!

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Do you think Giants and Eagles are better than or equal to Skins?

I think Giants are better than Skins and Eagles are equal to Skins but we beat them (one very lopsided and one we win going away in second half) relatively easy ON THE ROAD and that speaks volume about this team.

Yea i would agree with you. I think with the current Skin injuries, they may end up being last in the division.

 

[firehawk350]

The only thing that worries me is the fact that, we will slow down the scoring when were up by 30. Lets pound 'em i say - if its good enough for others......

Mr.Phillips is too nice a guy for that though - isnt he?? :laugh2:

Interesting (at least to me) sidebar to this, I read that some rural HS team was up 72-0 (no typo, seventy-two to zero) in the first quarter. Despite consistent calls from Belicheck advising him otherwise, the head coach just instructed his players to run out of bounds. Which makes me think, what goes on in his head where he was thinking, 65-0, we gotta keep going at them, you never know with this much time left! But 72-0, it's in the bag.

 

[5Stars]

Interesting (at least to me) sidebar to this, I read that some rural HS team was up 72-0 (no typo, seventy-two to zero) in the first quarter. Despite consistent calls from Belicheck advising him otherwise, the head coach just instructed his players to run out of bounds. Which makes me think, what goes on in his head where he was thinking, 65-0, we gotta keep going at them, you never know with this much time left! But 72-0, it's in the bag.

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Concord]

Haven't read the thread but the last time that someone said they weren't worried about a Cowboys opponent...the Cowboys almost lost to the Bills.

 

[5Stars]

Haven't read the thread but the last time that someone said they weren't worried about a Cowboys opponent...the Cowboys almost lost to the Bills.

Well, you should have read the whole post then!!







:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[Concord]

Well, you should have read the whole post then!!







:laugh2: :laugh2:

No need to.

Mine is the cautionary tale.

Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.

 

[Sarge]

sad as it is for me to say, this is the least excited i've been about a boys/skins game in years.

Me too..........