CCBoy
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The Lady or the Tiger?
by CCBoy
Writer/Contributor
...and this time, the Cowboys had best be expecting the Tiger!
Let's hedge our outlooks a little at this point...
There are a pair of games that go directly into a playoff picture, this weekend. Let's eliminate all misunderstanding here, they in effect are playoff in tone.
Those are the games between Green Bay and Arizona, and the game involving Philadelphia and Dallas. Win solidly, and each of the winning teams will establish an advantage going into the playoffs. When a win comes the week before, it puts a mental edge and some panic into the picture for the losing team.
Now this goes to the psyche of the team, and not in playoff criteria or statistical analysis. When a team dominates another team and then turns around to play them again, it puts an added burden to overcome when the second game arrives. The physicality of the box area is where this picture comes to the front. When one team actually dominates, it evolves around efficiency in this area specific.
There are things that can be manipulated for temporary advantages, such as special team plays, kicks, and returns. Those types of game changes can be defensed and planned around in consecutive contests. With a team such as Philadelphia, they attempt to pad opportunities by being extremely aggressive on defense. They go for 'easy' turnovers, creating fumbles, and going for overloads and rushing 'trick's to create field advantages and other turnovers.
A team such as Philadelphia will also try to take advantage of a lack of clarity in identification of play progressions, to get receivers open and in areas that they can exploit open areas in their adapting defenses. Even repitiion of play, will allow for better identification of the West Coast progressions and manner of hiding routes until they are sprung on a defense.
In their first meeting, Philadelphia was much closer to the vest, than they will be this meeting. They will pull the plug on cover and try to exploit any and everything that they can figure out on the Dallas side. They will be coming like thieves in the dead of night...and hoping to be successful in their thievery.
A victory here, and they will be given a week off, and free from immediate scrutiny by an opponent on the field, and then homefield and emotional strength for a shortlived and emotional advantage in Philadelphia. They have motive to fight for.
They also have precedence in successes and recent experience from which to take into this very defineable part of the playoffs. NO, let there be no misunderstanding in this game this weekend. The animal instincts in them, will be at full and heightened levels...just as a cougar stalking a prey. They will unleash upon the Cowboys with all their fury and anger.
Here, the Packers and the Cowboys will be in similar situations. They will be the new kid on the block as to recent successes on the 'street.' Each has built a strong team that is eager and full of opportunity and determination. Both teams have a prospect of dealing with their opponent for this weekend, the very next weekend in similar situations.
Starting this weekend, both Green Bay and Dallas will be in similar projections as to playoff entrance. Green Bay is stuck in a wild card role, and as such, will be doing all that it can do to develop that specific picture. They will be going strongly to get a regular season win against Arizona.
The motives for Dallas are much stronger. They are faced with the prospect of dealing with a very hated and divisional foe. The two teams have a very long history, that has been settling back towards parity between the two. That stated, Philadelphia sat upon Dallas and humiliated, insulted, and disrespected the team at the conclusion of last season, where all Dallas had to do was win their last game and claim that birth into the playoffs themselves. The Eagles attacked all the points of stress on the Cowboys, and then sat on them as a team. That was very sobering to a prideful group of players.
After that ending season in the old stadium, this whole team was reforged as to purpose and roles. Players on the Dallas team, were challenged and allowed to redirect and develop individual strengths and contributions to a more defined team directed play.
Instead of adapting around positional privilege, in many players such as TO, Greg Ellis, Roy Williams, and even a Zach Thomas...the Cowboys were told to grow and develop skills that would then be brought into the picture, and not just worked around positional privileges and coping with what that presented.
Tony Romo went back and started an intense work. He has worked and gone within himself. He worked intensely on mechanics of delivery, and although still developing in areas such as crossing routes, Tony has done a great job of improving his very mechanics. He has become a very grounded quarterback in the process, and since he can work well within his own abilities, he is better able to confront chaos and intensity, and deliver in the crunch.
He then was blessed with the distraction of Roy Williams attracting double coverage and no one wishing to allow a new animal to be uncaged. In the injury period following ribs fractured on Roy Williams, Miles Austin was given that all important creature....opportunity! He has since forged an All Pro animal in what had been observed as potential prior to this showing of his OWN skill set.
No longer, can teams carte blanche pick up on eliminating a single Roy Williams, Jason Witten, and then packing the line of scrimmage and blitzing the run into submission. There are now functional dynamics that can make you pay for taking this cerebral approach to game control. The Cowboys have some real punch while in the ring, and one had best take that to heart. A combination of punches are now coming, and they are landing with authority.
The road for Dallas is a bit harder at this point, in they have to overcome mental aspects of change. The team is developing synergy with it's fans in the confines of a magnificent but new Stadium. It is forging direction with a coattail tugging media that is just coming to grips that this team has strength and dynamics of it's own.
The offense has continued to weather the frustrations of adaptation and changes, but have grown and demonstrated a NFL level of distinction and ability. Although finishing the deal of scoring has been a drawback through some of the more intense times, it has grown in dependability and dynamics itself. The head is definably Tony Romo, and he has a huge chip on his shoulder to square. He has the burden that he feels that prior failures in the playoff arena have been a reflection of his own, and very personal short comings. He is a driven beast now, and will continue to pace until he has his victim squarely in his sight, and then will pounce. A team had better not let this tiger become the stalker, as they will have a new storyline to contend with...
But the real unseen animal, has been the Dallas defense. As the operation of removal was completed last off season, and the blood settled about the departures of six players from that defense...Jerry Jones and the Scout Department went to serious work. They were trying to replace a departing and out of place Zach Thomas, and hit a home run. In his place they acquired what is now the emotion and FOCUS of this defensive side. The team acquired a player committed to the team, in all of it's implication. Keith Brooking brings the heart to fruition for all to see, relate with, and develop around. He is a vocal and very real on the field leader. He brings his stubborness to the locker room as well. When periods of doubt and introspection would arrive after disappointment and challenge, he rallied their spirit. That is major, as the heart of the defense just came back INTO TOWN.
This team has acquired the required us against the world and bunker mentality of survive as a team. That is where Championships are won. The team can now take their own direction with any and all comers, as the talent about the focal points have grown to the level of play production...making plays. Confidence in the youthful players has come to the front. Just as when Pittsburgh had a bunch of future Hall of Famers come onto it's team, and then was dominant for a whole decade, this Dallas team now has a top producing group that includes DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, and Mike Jenkins. Add in a growing Jay Ratliff, and then more motivated Spears, Oshansky, and even Bowen, and Bradie James and the Cowboy box area is now aggressive and bringing heat upon opposing quarterbacks and their running backs. That boils down to dominance in the very area that dominance grows.
No longer does Dallas, with chips on the table, have to rely upon PERSONALITIES as was the story with Adam Jones, Roy Williams, Zach Thomas, Greg Ellis, and 'Tank' Johnson. In their place are real team players that are learning to efficiently work together, and attack an opponent. 'Killer' Davis is no longer searching the secondary for a single highlight hit. In his stead are a pair of safeties that actually work at integration into a team umbrella.
That previous defense now has closure. In it's place is a dynamic, growing, and very aggressively growing group. This is the dynamics that can now take control, finish, and put to rest the opponent that in the past, could rely upon a late game surge and eventual success. The new animal has a growing taste and desire for victims, and with an added memory of anger and frustration that now needs to find fruition.
This group of Cowboys has the view, personal habits, and talent to meet this new challenge. It also has the depth of tradition and history from which to draw...as the franchise is that of a WINNER. It now has to challenge, overcome, and reclaim that tradition. That, although, should be the next step as this group already is tempered by dedication, focus, and motivation to achieve, and not merely survive an opponent.
This team brings a lot to the 'show', and an opponent had best not take this team for granted, as a monster will then be unleashed.
This time around, the team won't be naive and unsuspecting as to what will be going on the carpet...as they will be developing it themselves.
The team has a chance to work it's way all the way to a #2 seed, and their motivation is not lacking the least. They have an opponent that they know well, but this time, all the attitude will be removed. They will have taken the distance away from that opponent, and dragged them into their home for the fight....and fight, they will!
by CCBoy
Writer/Contributor
...and this time, the Cowboys had best be expecting the Tiger!
Let's hedge our outlooks a little at this point...
There are a pair of games that go directly into a playoff picture, this weekend. Let's eliminate all misunderstanding here, they in effect are playoff in tone.
Those are the games between Green Bay and Arizona, and the game involving Philadelphia and Dallas. Win solidly, and each of the winning teams will establish an advantage going into the playoffs. When a win comes the week before, it puts a mental edge and some panic into the picture for the losing team.
Now this goes to the psyche of the team, and not in playoff criteria or statistical analysis. When a team dominates another team and then turns around to play them again, it puts an added burden to overcome when the second game arrives. The physicality of the box area is where this picture comes to the front. When one team actually dominates, it evolves around efficiency in this area specific.
There are things that can be manipulated for temporary advantages, such as special team plays, kicks, and returns. Those types of game changes can be defensed and planned around in consecutive contests. With a team such as Philadelphia, they attempt to pad opportunities by being extremely aggressive on defense. They go for 'easy' turnovers, creating fumbles, and going for overloads and rushing 'trick's to create field advantages and other turnovers.
A team such as Philadelphia will also try to take advantage of a lack of clarity in identification of play progressions, to get receivers open and in areas that they can exploit open areas in their adapting defenses. Even repitiion of play, will allow for better identification of the West Coast progressions and manner of hiding routes until they are sprung on a defense.
In their first meeting, Philadelphia was much closer to the vest, than they will be this meeting. They will pull the plug on cover and try to exploit any and everything that they can figure out on the Dallas side. They will be coming like thieves in the dead of night...and hoping to be successful in their thievery.
A victory here, and they will be given a week off, and free from immediate scrutiny by an opponent on the field, and then homefield and emotional strength for a shortlived and emotional advantage in Philadelphia. They have motive to fight for.
They also have precedence in successes and recent experience from which to take into this very defineable part of the playoffs. NO, let there be no misunderstanding in this game this weekend. The animal instincts in them, will be at full and heightened levels...just as a cougar stalking a prey. They will unleash upon the Cowboys with all their fury and anger.
Here, the Packers and the Cowboys will be in similar situations. They will be the new kid on the block as to recent successes on the 'street.' Each has built a strong team that is eager and full of opportunity and determination. Both teams have a prospect of dealing with their opponent for this weekend, the very next weekend in similar situations.
Starting this weekend, both Green Bay and Dallas will be in similar projections as to playoff entrance. Green Bay is stuck in a wild card role, and as such, will be doing all that it can do to develop that specific picture. They will be going strongly to get a regular season win against Arizona.
The motives for Dallas are much stronger. They are faced with the prospect of dealing with a very hated and divisional foe. The two teams have a very long history, that has been settling back towards parity between the two. That stated, Philadelphia sat upon Dallas and humiliated, insulted, and disrespected the team at the conclusion of last season, where all Dallas had to do was win their last game and claim that birth into the playoffs themselves. The Eagles attacked all the points of stress on the Cowboys, and then sat on them as a team. That was very sobering to a prideful group of players.
After that ending season in the old stadium, this whole team was reforged as to purpose and roles. Players on the Dallas team, were challenged and allowed to redirect and develop individual strengths and contributions to a more defined team directed play.
Instead of adapting around positional privilege, in many players such as TO, Greg Ellis, Roy Williams, and even a Zach Thomas...the Cowboys were told to grow and develop skills that would then be brought into the picture, and not just worked around positional privileges and coping with what that presented.
Tony Romo went back and started an intense work. He has worked and gone within himself. He worked intensely on mechanics of delivery, and although still developing in areas such as crossing routes, Tony has done a great job of improving his very mechanics. He has become a very grounded quarterback in the process, and since he can work well within his own abilities, he is better able to confront chaos and intensity, and deliver in the crunch.
He then was blessed with the distraction of Roy Williams attracting double coverage and no one wishing to allow a new animal to be uncaged. In the injury period following ribs fractured on Roy Williams, Miles Austin was given that all important creature....opportunity! He has since forged an All Pro animal in what had been observed as potential prior to this showing of his OWN skill set.
No longer, can teams carte blanche pick up on eliminating a single Roy Williams, Jason Witten, and then packing the line of scrimmage and blitzing the run into submission. There are now functional dynamics that can make you pay for taking this cerebral approach to game control. The Cowboys have some real punch while in the ring, and one had best take that to heart. A combination of punches are now coming, and they are landing with authority.
The road for Dallas is a bit harder at this point, in they have to overcome mental aspects of change. The team is developing synergy with it's fans in the confines of a magnificent but new Stadium. It is forging direction with a coattail tugging media that is just coming to grips that this team has strength and dynamics of it's own.
The offense has continued to weather the frustrations of adaptation and changes, but have grown and demonstrated a NFL level of distinction and ability. Although finishing the deal of scoring has been a drawback through some of the more intense times, it has grown in dependability and dynamics itself. The head is definably Tony Romo, and he has a huge chip on his shoulder to square. He has the burden that he feels that prior failures in the playoff arena have been a reflection of his own, and very personal short comings. He is a driven beast now, and will continue to pace until he has his victim squarely in his sight, and then will pounce. A team had better not let this tiger become the stalker, as they will have a new storyline to contend with...
But the real unseen animal, has been the Dallas defense. As the operation of removal was completed last off season, and the blood settled about the departures of six players from that defense...Jerry Jones and the Scout Department went to serious work. They were trying to replace a departing and out of place Zach Thomas, and hit a home run. In his place they acquired what is now the emotion and FOCUS of this defensive side. The team acquired a player committed to the team, in all of it's implication. Keith Brooking brings the heart to fruition for all to see, relate with, and develop around. He is a vocal and very real on the field leader. He brings his stubborness to the locker room as well. When periods of doubt and introspection would arrive after disappointment and challenge, he rallied their spirit. That is major, as the heart of the defense just came back INTO TOWN.
This team has acquired the required us against the world and bunker mentality of survive as a team. That is where Championships are won. The team can now take their own direction with any and all comers, as the talent about the focal points have grown to the level of play production...making plays. Confidence in the youthful players has come to the front. Just as when Pittsburgh had a bunch of future Hall of Famers come onto it's team, and then was dominant for a whole decade, this Dallas team now has a top producing group that includes DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, and Mike Jenkins. Add in a growing Jay Ratliff, and then more motivated Spears, Oshansky, and even Bowen, and Bradie James and the Cowboy box area is now aggressive and bringing heat upon opposing quarterbacks and their running backs. That boils down to dominance in the very area that dominance grows.
No longer does Dallas, with chips on the table, have to rely upon PERSONALITIES as was the story with Adam Jones, Roy Williams, Zach Thomas, Greg Ellis, and 'Tank' Johnson. In their place are real team players that are learning to efficiently work together, and attack an opponent. 'Killer' Davis is no longer searching the secondary for a single highlight hit. In his stead are a pair of safeties that actually work at integration into a team umbrella.
That previous defense now has closure. In it's place is a dynamic, growing, and very aggressively growing group. This is the dynamics that can now take control, finish, and put to rest the opponent that in the past, could rely upon a late game surge and eventual success. The new animal has a growing taste and desire for victims, and with an added memory of anger and frustration that now needs to find fruition.
This group of Cowboys has the view, personal habits, and talent to meet this new challenge. It also has the depth of tradition and history from which to draw...as the franchise is that of a WINNER. It now has to challenge, overcome, and reclaim that tradition. That, although, should be the next step as this group already is tempered by dedication, focus, and motivation to achieve, and not merely survive an opponent.
This team brings a lot to the 'show', and an opponent had best not take this team for granted, as a monster will then be unleashed.
This time around, the team won't be naive and unsuspecting as to what will be going on the carpet...as they will be developing it themselves.
The team has a chance to work it's way all the way to a #2 seed, and their motivation is not lacking the least. They have an opponent that they know well, but this time, all the attitude will be removed. They will have taken the distance away from that opponent, and dragged them into their home for the fight....and fight, they will!
