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This is a three part post so bare with me because it may be a bit of a read.
Part one. Here's Mac's article from the Star Telegram today. ---
Undone in December
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING -- There have been worse and more embarrassing defeats in Bill Parcells' four-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, but few were in the mood to debate which ones after losing to the Detroit Lions on New Year's Eve.
The coach said it was as low as he had been in a while.
As the Cowboys prepare for their first playoff game since 2003, they do so at a time when they are playing their worst football of the season.
"They hit rock bottom when they lost to the Detroit Lions," NBC color analyst John Madden said during a conference call.
How did a team that was once a lock to win the NFC East and host a playoff game fall in one month? This is the anatomy of a team hitting rock bottom.
Saints start the decline
It seems that since the start of the Sunday night game against the Saints at Texas Stadium on Dec. 10, the Cowboys have been trailing. After taking a 7-0 lead over New Orleans, they quickly fell behind 21-7 entering halftime. Final score: Saints 42, Cowboys 17.
After taking a 14-0 lead in Atlanta, they trailed 28-21 in the third quarter before rallying to win.
Against Philadelphia on Christmas Day, they fell behind 10-0, and chased the Eagles throughout before losing by 16.
And the final kick to the stomach: They trailed the Lions 13-0 before losing 39-31.
Falling behind early has led to the Cowboys relying on Tony Romo to pass his team back into the game, putting too much pressure on an offense that needs to be able to control the clock.
Romo loses his magic
In the month of December, Romo was intercepted eight times and fumbled seven times. Against the Lions, he was intercepted once and lost two fumbles.
"It's like a pitcher in the major leagues; you may fool them once but the second time around it's tougher," NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said.
Romo and the head coach have discussed the importance of holding onto the ball. And when it's time to get rid of the ball, either throwing it out of bounds or to the right person.
"Taking care of the ball is always at a premium," Parcells said. "And when you're on the road and playing in the playoffs, then these things get magnified."
If Romo continues the Tony Turnover routine, don't expect the Cowboys to do much.
Turnover turnaround for the worse
A defense that had been thriving on creating turnovers suddenly can't create any.
Entering the game against the Saints, the Cowboys were plus-7 in turnover differential, eighth in the NFL. When the season ended, they were plus-1 in that category, tied for 15th.
"They don't have a pass rush, and they're not very good [in the secondary]," Madden said. "[Defensive back] Anthony Henry is injured, and they never got the free safety fixed. They have one pass rusher: DeMarcus Ware. [There] are no other guys."
Defense suffers a meltdown in final month
Just about every number, almost all negative, has found its way into print or on the airwaves about this Cowboys defense and its abysmal performance in December.
The defense allowed 152 points in five December games; they gave up 150 total points in their previous eight games.
"We just need to be aggressive," linebacker Akin Ayodele, above, said. "Nobody is playing scared. After the New Orleans game, guys were concerned with getting beat. We're not being football players and just being instinctive. You need to fly and go to the ball. That's when anything can happen."
-----------------------------
Part two. Here's an email I sent to him directly after reading this. ---
The Cowboys are going to play in the biggest game of the season TOMORROW and yet you write about the tired subject of the Cowboys playing like crap over the last four games.
Your editor should have told you that the piece was done about 1,000,000 times this week and that it was time to write something directly about the game tomorrow.
Way to mail it in buddy. Let me guess...the wife will also be spending all day today talking about how the Cowboys collapsed over the last month. Both of you, and most of the Dallas media, seem to be afraid that the Cowboys will once again start winning Super Bowls with Coach Parcells. If that happens most of you would have to start doing some grunt work and think harder about some intriguing stories to write about.
Here's a story you could have focused on.
Up and coming Super Star LB Demarcus Ware going up against a future Hall of Famer in Walter Jones who is having an off year by allowing 10.5 sacks this season. That's a great storyline where people would dive into. This tired story about December has been done to death.
Shame on you.
And yeah. I want you to respond to me with an explanation. I think I have read enough of your articles that I deserve at least that from you.
Owner and Ceo,
BG
DCFanatic.com
------------------------------------
Part three. Here's his email back to me. --
I'm not sure what to call you; is it BG or Owner and Ceo or DCFanatic.com?
Sorry you didn't care for the story and that you found it tired. It's my name on it so if you want to fire me on this one, you're the reader so your entitled.
I agree that about half way through this I thought, "I don't know what else is new in this." Call that one a bad day at the office. I've learned that as a beat writer who writes four or five days a week you're going to whiff sometimes. If you want, call it a whiff.
So I promise you this: The story that I wrote for Saturday's paper will be better.
Have a good one, and I do appreciate the feedback.
Mac Engel
FW Star-Telegram
----------------------------------
So I guess he is admitting that this article was crap. I think I can respect a guy who can admit when he 'whiffed' on an article. Let's see what he comes up with tomorrow.
What do you guys think about Mac Engel?
Part one. Here's Mac's article from the Star Telegram today. ---
Undone in December
By MAC ENGEL
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
IRVING -- There have been worse and more embarrassing defeats in Bill Parcells' four-year tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, but few were in the mood to debate which ones after losing to the Detroit Lions on New Year's Eve.
The coach said it was as low as he had been in a while.
As the Cowboys prepare for their first playoff game since 2003, they do so at a time when they are playing their worst football of the season.
"They hit rock bottom when they lost to the Detroit Lions," NBC color analyst John Madden said during a conference call.
How did a team that was once a lock to win the NFC East and host a playoff game fall in one month? This is the anatomy of a team hitting rock bottom.
Saints start the decline
It seems that since the start of the Sunday night game against the Saints at Texas Stadium on Dec. 10, the Cowboys have been trailing. After taking a 7-0 lead over New Orleans, they quickly fell behind 21-7 entering halftime. Final score: Saints 42, Cowboys 17.
After taking a 14-0 lead in Atlanta, they trailed 28-21 in the third quarter before rallying to win.
Against Philadelphia on Christmas Day, they fell behind 10-0, and chased the Eagles throughout before losing by 16.
And the final kick to the stomach: They trailed the Lions 13-0 before losing 39-31.
Falling behind early has led to the Cowboys relying on Tony Romo to pass his team back into the game, putting too much pressure on an offense that needs to be able to control the clock.
Romo loses his magic
In the month of December, Romo was intercepted eight times and fumbled seven times. Against the Lions, he was intercepted once and lost two fumbles.
"It's like a pitcher in the major leagues; you may fool them once but the second time around it's tougher," NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said.
Romo and the head coach have discussed the importance of holding onto the ball. And when it's time to get rid of the ball, either throwing it out of bounds or to the right person.
"Taking care of the ball is always at a premium," Parcells said. "And when you're on the road and playing in the playoffs, then these things get magnified."
If Romo continues the Tony Turnover routine, don't expect the Cowboys to do much.
Turnover turnaround for the worse
A defense that had been thriving on creating turnovers suddenly can't create any.
Entering the game against the Saints, the Cowboys were plus-7 in turnover differential, eighth in the NFL. When the season ended, they were plus-1 in that category, tied for 15th.
"They don't have a pass rush, and they're not very good [in the secondary]," Madden said. "[Defensive back] Anthony Henry is injured, and they never got the free safety fixed. They have one pass rusher: DeMarcus Ware. [There] are no other guys."
Defense suffers a meltdown in final month
Just about every number, almost all negative, has found its way into print or on the airwaves about this Cowboys defense and its abysmal performance in December.
The defense allowed 152 points in five December games; they gave up 150 total points in their previous eight games.
"We just need to be aggressive," linebacker Akin Ayodele, above, said. "Nobody is playing scared. After the New Orleans game, guys were concerned with getting beat. We're not being football players and just being instinctive. You need to fly and go to the ball. That's when anything can happen."
-----------------------------
Part two. Here's an email I sent to him directly after reading this. ---
The Cowboys are going to play in the biggest game of the season TOMORROW and yet you write about the tired subject of the Cowboys playing like crap over the last four games.
Your editor should have told you that the piece was done about 1,000,000 times this week and that it was time to write something directly about the game tomorrow.
Way to mail it in buddy. Let me guess...the wife will also be spending all day today talking about how the Cowboys collapsed over the last month. Both of you, and most of the Dallas media, seem to be afraid that the Cowboys will once again start winning Super Bowls with Coach Parcells. If that happens most of you would have to start doing some grunt work and think harder about some intriguing stories to write about.
Here's a story you could have focused on.
Up and coming Super Star LB Demarcus Ware going up against a future Hall of Famer in Walter Jones who is having an off year by allowing 10.5 sacks this season. That's a great storyline where people would dive into. This tired story about December has been done to death.
Shame on you.
And yeah. I want you to respond to me with an explanation. I think I have read enough of your articles that I deserve at least that from you.
Owner and Ceo,
BG
DCFanatic.com
------------------------------------
Part three. Here's his email back to me. --
I'm not sure what to call you; is it BG or Owner and Ceo or DCFanatic.com?
Sorry you didn't care for the story and that you found it tired. It's my name on it so if you want to fire me on this one, you're the reader so your entitled.
I agree that about half way through this I thought, "I don't know what else is new in this." Call that one a bad day at the office. I've learned that as a beat writer who writes four or five days a week you're going to whiff sometimes. If you want, call it a whiff.
So I promise you this: The story that I wrote for Saturday's paper will be better.
Have a good one, and I do appreciate the feedback.
Mac Engel
FW Star-Telegram
----------------------------------
So I guess he is admitting that this article was crap. I think I can respect a guy who can admit when he 'whiffed' on an article. Let's see what he comes up with tomorrow.
What do you guys think about Mac Engel?
. The riveting conversation was capped off by a call from Mac himself, moaning about the hole the heavy tv made in the floor when it fell out of the armoire.
