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Cowboys primed to stake claim as NFC's best
By Mike Florio, Sporting News
Posted September 21, 2007
Last year, the Chicago Bears were who Dennis Green thought they were. But, this year, are the Bears who we (and Denny) think they are?
Ignore the rest of the Week 3 schedule -- Cowboys at Bears is the game of the weekend. The winner will assume the inside track in this young but rapidly aging season, asserting dominance among the 16 teams that make up the AFC's knock-kneed nephew.
Although recent history suggests that the Bears are the more likely team to flex their pecs, the Cowboys look ready to punch back. Even if the Bears are who we think they are, the Cowboys are even more.
To fully appreciate the potential impact of this game, let's jump into the DeLorean and set the dial for Nov. 17, 1985.
The Cowboys were an established power, and the Bears were up-and-comers. Sure, the Cowboys had missed the playoffs the prior season, breaking an uncanny string of 17 playoff berths in 18 years. And the Bears had won the NFC Central for the first time since there even was an NFC Central. But there still existed a sense that the Cowboys (7-3) were better than the Bears (10-0).
On that day in 1985, the Bears beat the chaps off of the dudes from Big D, hanging a 44-0 loss on the proud franchise. At Texas Stadium.
Ladies fainted. Grown men wept. God nearly choked on his popcorn. It was the moment at which the football world realized the Bears were the best team in the NFC -- for the first time since there even was an NFC.
Fast forward, 22 autumns. The Bears are the reigning cocks of the NFC walk. The Cowboys hope to rekindle some of that 17-in-18 magic. On Sunday night at Soldier Field, the Bears and Cowboys play for only the 21st time ever.
Though the only real similarities that these two teams have to their 1985 counterparts are the uniforms, I've been thinking a lot this week about that so-called statement game of yesteryear. There's nothing like a good statement game.
This looks and feels like a statement game -- for Dallas.
The Cowboys hung 82 points on the Giants and Dolphins the last two weeks. The Dallas defense, shredded by the Giants and more generous than it should have been in Miami, is good enough to slow the Bears.
Coach Wade Phillips surely has studied the tapes of the Bears' Week 1 game against the Chargers, whose defense Phillips coordinated a year ago. San Diego shut down running back Cedric Benson and held quarterback Rex Grossman in check -- no difficult task. The Cowboys might lack the horses to hold the Bears to a mere field goal, like the Chargers did, but more than 14 points from the Chicago offense Sunday night will be a surprise.
Thus, the game will be decided when Dallas has the ball. Though the Bears run the cover-2 defense as well as anyone, the scheme can be beaten by an elite quarterback who is sufficiently patient to take what the bend-but-don't break defense allows and one who has the mobility and/or the brains to find the open man when linebackers blitz.
Is it a coincidence that three of the Bears' four losses in 2006 came against the likes of Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning? With a passer rating of 119.3 through two weeks, Dallas' Tony Romo could be on the verge of joining the club of elite NFL quarterbacks. Romo has the legs to keep plays alive while receivers get open, and he like he has put last year's disappointing finish in his rear-view mirror.
Helping Romo is a running back (Marion Barber III) who can out-muscle guys in the short zones, a tight end (Jason Witten) who can get to the holes in the middle of the field when the safeties drop into deep coverage and a wide receiver (Terrell Owens) who still can run past everyone. Remember what Panthers wideout Steve Smith did to the Bears in the '05 playoffs? Smith's line that day: 12 catches, 218 yards, two touchdowns. With due respect to the Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, the Bears haven't seen a guy as dynamic as Smith since. They will Sunday night when T.O. comes to town.
The Cowboys are ready and able to send the same kind of message in '07 that the Bears delivered in '85. The final score won't be 44-0, but the outcome could be nearly as surprising. At a time when most assume the NFC is Chicago No. 1 and then a heap of 15 interchangeable rosters, the Cowboys will make their statement: The Road to Super Bowl 42 runs through Dallas.
NON-SEQUITURS (THANKS, TIKI)
At a time when many assume the Saints will display the same kind of magic that engulfed the Falcons during an emotional Monday night return to the Superdome in 2006, don't forget that this week's game also marks the Monday Night Football debut of Titans quarterback Vince Young. He'll be looking to have a breakout performance in prime time. Also, the Saints were 1-3 last year against AFC teams, losing by an average of 14 points at home to the Bengals and the Ravens. Don't be surprised if Tennessee extends the Saints' season-opening downward spiral.
The disparity between the AFC and the NFC was displayed clearly in Charlotte last week. After spotting the Panthers 14 quick points, the Texans roared to life and dominated the game. Though it's hard to tell whether Houston is for real, the Texans already vanquished what appears to be the best team in the NFC South -- and will play the other three later on.
Chiefs running back Larry Johnson held out for most of training camp and has sputtered in his first two games, generating a total of only 98 yards rushing. On Sunday, he faces the Vikings' stout run defense. It probably means Johnson will go wild, chalking up numbers north of 150.
Already two games behind division rivals Dallas and Washington, the Eagles already are in a must-win situation Sunday at home against the pass-happy Lions. And it'll be interesting to see if the boo-birds soar sooner (and louder) if quarterback Donovan McNabb continues to sputter, especially given his comments (eye roll) this week.
Four of the 2-0 teams -- Broncos, Commanders, Lions and 49ers -- easily could have been 0-2. While it's always good to win close games, teams that dodge bullets in the parity-driven NFL eventually will rack up the close losses to counter those wins. The Broncos are the most likely of this quartet to keep it going; it wouldn't be surprising to see the Commanders, Lions and 49ers all miss the playoffs.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.
LINK
By Mike Florio, Sporting News
Posted September 21, 2007
Last year, the Chicago Bears were who Dennis Green thought they were. But, this year, are the Bears who we (and Denny) think they are?
Ignore the rest of the Week 3 schedule -- Cowboys at Bears is the game of the weekend. The winner will assume the inside track in this young but rapidly aging season, asserting dominance among the 16 teams that make up the AFC's knock-kneed nephew.
Although recent history suggests that the Bears are the more likely team to flex their pecs, the Cowboys look ready to punch back. Even if the Bears are who we think they are, the Cowboys are even more.
To fully appreciate the potential impact of this game, let's jump into the DeLorean and set the dial for Nov. 17, 1985.
The Cowboys were an established power, and the Bears were up-and-comers. Sure, the Cowboys had missed the playoffs the prior season, breaking an uncanny string of 17 playoff berths in 18 years. And the Bears had won the NFC Central for the first time since there even was an NFC Central. But there still existed a sense that the Cowboys (7-3) were better than the Bears (10-0).
On that day in 1985, the Bears beat the chaps off of the dudes from Big D, hanging a 44-0 loss on the proud franchise. At Texas Stadium.
Ladies fainted. Grown men wept. God nearly choked on his popcorn. It was the moment at which the football world realized the Bears were the best team in the NFC -- for the first time since there even was an NFC.
Fast forward, 22 autumns. The Bears are the reigning cocks of the NFC walk. The Cowboys hope to rekindle some of that 17-in-18 magic. On Sunday night at Soldier Field, the Bears and Cowboys play for only the 21st time ever.
Though the only real similarities that these two teams have to their 1985 counterparts are the uniforms, I've been thinking a lot this week about that so-called statement game of yesteryear. There's nothing like a good statement game.
This looks and feels like a statement game -- for Dallas.
The Cowboys hung 82 points on the Giants and Dolphins the last two weeks. The Dallas defense, shredded by the Giants and more generous than it should have been in Miami, is good enough to slow the Bears.
Coach Wade Phillips surely has studied the tapes of the Bears' Week 1 game against the Chargers, whose defense Phillips coordinated a year ago. San Diego shut down running back Cedric Benson and held quarterback Rex Grossman in check -- no difficult task. The Cowboys might lack the horses to hold the Bears to a mere field goal, like the Chargers did, but more than 14 points from the Chicago offense Sunday night will be a surprise.
Thus, the game will be decided when Dallas has the ball. Though the Bears run the cover-2 defense as well as anyone, the scheme can be beaten by an elite quarterback who is sufficiently patient to take what the bend-but-don't break defense allows and one who has the mobility and/or the brains to find the open man when linebackers blitz.
Is it a coincidence that three of the Bears' four losses in 2006 came against the likes of Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning? With a passer rating of 119.3 through two weeks, Dallas' Tony Romo could be on the verge of joining the club of elite NFL quarterbacks. Romo has the legs to keep plays alive while receivers get open, and he like he has put last year's disappointing finish in his rear-view mirror.
Helping Romo is a running back (Marion Barber III) who can out-muscle guys in the short zones, a tight end (Jason Witten) who can get to the holes in the middle of the field when the safeties drop into deep coverage and a wide receiver (Terrell Owens) who still can run past everyone. Remember what Panthers wideout Steve Smith did to the Bears in the '05 playoffs? Smith's line that day: 12 catches, 218 yards, two touchdowns. With due respect to the Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, the Bears haven't seen a guy as dynamic as Smith since. They will Sunday night when T.O. comes to town.
The Cowboys are ready and able to send the same kind of message in '07 that the Bears delivered in '85. The final score won't be 44-0, but the outcome could be nearly as surprising. At a time when most assume the NFC is Chicago No. 1 and then a heap of 15 interchangeable rosters, the Cowboys will make their statement: The Road to Super Bowl 42 runs through Dallas.
NON-SEQUITURS (THANKS, TIKI)
At a time when many assume the Saints will display the same kind of magic that engulfed the Falcons during an emotional Monday night return to the Superdome in 2006, don't forget that this week's game also marks the Monday Night Football debut of Titans quarterback Vince Young. He'll be looking to have a breakout performance in prime time. Also, the Saints were 1-3 last year against AFC teams, losing by an average of 14 points at home to the Bengals and the Ravens. Don't be surprised if Tennessee extends the Saints' season-opening downward spiral.
The disparity between the AFC and the NFC was displayed clearly in Charlotte last week. After spotting the Panthers 14 quick points, the Texans roared to life and dominated the game. Though it's hard to tell whether Houston is for real, the Texans already vanquished what appears to be the best team in the NFC South -- and will play the other three later on.
Chiefs running back Larry Johnson held out for most of training camp and has sputtered in his first two games, generating a total of only 98 yards rushing. On Sunday, he faces the Vikings' stout run defense. It probably means Johnson will go wild, chalking up numbers north of 150.
Already two games behind division rivals Dallas and Washington, the Eagles already are in a must-win situation Sunday at home against the pass-happy Lions. And it'll be interesting to see if the boo-birds soar sooner (and louder) if quarterback Donovan McNabb continues to sputter, especially given his comments (eye roll) this week.
Four of the 2-0 teams -- Broncos, Commanders, Lions and 49ers -- easily could have been 0-2. While it's always good to win close games, teams that dodge bullets in the parity-driven NFL eventually will rack up the close losses to counter those wins. The Broncos are the most likely of this quartet to keep it going; it wouldn't be surprising to see the Commanders, Lions and 49ers all miss the playoffs.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.
LINK
