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Giants at Cowboys Analysis: Jerry Jones came down to the Cowboys' sideline for the final drive and was shouting at the coaches and officials. That must have been helpful! On the final possession, Dallas had the ball in Jersey/A territory with an excellent chance to win. Owner Jones, who has long considered his personal genius the essence of the Cowboys' success -- never mind that his personal genius hadn't won a playoff game in 11 years -- shows up and starts shouting at people. Already, the week before, he'd made a point of lending only a lukewarm endorsement to coach Wade Phillips, who had just rung up the best Dallas regular season in a decade but to whom Jones would not give unqualified backing. The best regular season in a decade must have been because of Jones' personal genius! Now Jones is down on the sideline next to Phillips as the coach tries to make decisions on the final drive. Ever see Robert Kraft standing near Belichick in the closing moments as Belichick tries to make critical decisions? When the double whistle sounded, it still had been 11 years since Dallas won a postseason contest, and Phillips had became a career 0-4 in the playoffs. Bonus anti-Jerry Jones note: As pointed out by many readers -- including Gary Toth of Stephentown, N.Y. -- several days before Sunday's game, Jones grandly handed each Cowboys player a pair of tickets to give to friends -- tickets to the NFC Championship Game at Texas Stadium, a game the Cowboys had not yet earned. The football gods surely took notice of that hubris.
You won't see many first-seeded 13-3 teams lose in the postseason at home to a team that gains only 230 offensive yards, but then, you won't see many first-seeded 13-3 teams whose coach is being distracted by the owner in the closing seconds as it goes down to the wire. The Giants' win was a testament to the role of special teams, but also was a meltdown by Dallas. For instance -- in the second quarter, the Cowboys staged a 20-play touchdown drive that lasted 10:28 and put them ahead 14-7 with 47 seconds till intermission. Ahead by a touchdown at the half at home, what's not to like? Except the defense allowed Jersey/A to counter with a 40-second, 71-yard touchdown drive that left it tied at 14 at halftime. The Giants' drive didn't even have any big plays, just several quick, intermediate passes aided by a careless personal foul by the Cowboys. As Jersey/A staged this quick drive for an amazingly easy seven points, several Dallas players were dancing and celebrating on the sideline as if they'd already won. They hadn't even gotten to halftime! Maybe they were looking at those NFC Championship Game tickets from Jones!
With Dallas leading 17-14 late in the third, Boys' receiver Patrick Crayton dropped a perfect pass on third-and-13. Crayton would have made a substantial gain, but he took his eye off the ball to glance upfield. What do they teach receivers from middle school on? Look the ball in, catch it first, never start to run before making the catch. Jersey/A got a big runback on the Dallas punt and soon recorded what would prove to be the winning touchdown. How many million dollars does Crayton make a year to be a professional receiver, and he doesn't even look the ball in? Highly paid receiver Terrell Owens also had a slapdash drop, then grinned like an idiot. This was in preparation for weeping at the postgame news conference about how desperately badly NFL players need in-season vacations and how horribly, horribly wrong it is when NFL players are criticized. Watching the weeping, Hillary Clinton must have thought, "Suck it up, you wimp."
The 21-17 Jersey/A lead held because Dallas did not score in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were the highest-scoring team in the NFC in the regular season, then failed to score in the fourth quarter at home in the playoffs, when one touchdown meant advancing to a home-field championship appearance.
What went wrong in the fourth quarter? First, Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, subject of head-coaching rumors, abandoned the run. Coming into the final quarter, Marion Barber had 125 yards rushing. In the fourth, Garrett called 20 passes (attempts plus sacks and snaps nullified by penalties) versus four rushes. Incompletion after incompletion clanged to the turf when running plays might have established rhythm and made use of crowd energy. Next, Jersey/A, a strong pass-rushing team, began blitzing in the fourth quarter. Though the Giants recorded only two sacks on the game, they regularly pressured Tony Romo into heave-hoeing the ball away in the fourth quarter. Jersey/A seemed to sense that Romo was not properly prepared for the game and would wilt under pressure, which is what happened. Romo kept trying to throw deep, rather than throwing slants, which are the standard counter to the big blitz. You sensed Romo wanted to hit a deep pass so everyone would credit him for winning the game. Garrett never straightened Romo out in the fourth quarter -- perhaps because Garrett's head wasn't really in the game, either.
In the fourth quarter, Dallas' offensive line play broke down. Could this have something to do with offensive line coach Tony Sparano not having his head in the game because he spent the bye week interviewing for head-coaching jobs? The Cowboys put three offensive linemen into the Pro Bowl, best ever for one team, yet, in the fourth quarter, the Dallas offensive line looked awful, simply atrocious, barely slowing the Jersey/A rush. Rescind those Pro Bowl letters! Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams was doing poorly despite getting double-teaming help from a running back or tight end -- and Pro Bowl offensive tackles should not need a back chipping off to assist them. With Jersey/A leading 21-17 with 1:50 remaining and Dallas facing second-and-1 on the Giants' 39, Barber was stopped for a loss as blocking totally broke down. Three guys from this line made the Pro Bowl, and they couldn't clear a path for a single yard with a home-field championship game on the line!
Yes, the Cowboys were hurt when Romo was called for intentional grounding with 4:16 remaining after he threw the ball away despite no Giant being near him. The rule says grounding occurs when the ball is thrown away by a passer "facing imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense." After Romo sailed the pass, he ran over to the zebras and started shouting at them -- instead of doing the smart thing and jogging back to the huddle. When Romo began shouting, the referee pulled his flag and called grounding. It was a bad call, but why was Romo shouting at the officials, practically begging them to flag him?
At the end, it was the second consecutive season the Cowboys lost in the playoffs after their glam-boy quarterback spent late December and early January boasting to the media and mingling with celebrities instead of focusing on football. And it was the second consecutive season the Cowboys lost in the playoffs after Romo made an error on the Cowboys' final play. Last year at this time, Romo played poorly against the Seahawks in Seattle, then, on the final Dallas play, botched the hold of what would have been the winning field goal. This year, with Dallas facing fourth-and-11 on the Jersey/A 23 with 16 seconds remaining, the Cowboys kept seven back to block because of their offensive line meltdown. Romo had plenty of time to scan the field, then forced the ball to a covered man, interception. This, with both starting Giants cornerbacks out injured! And the ball did not need to go to the end zone; there was enough time to throw under, then run up and spike for a last try. Two straight years, Dallas has made the postseason, then Romo has been awful in his playoff game.
As for the Giants, there is only one thing to say -- the football gods continue to reward this team for its valorous showing in the regular-season finale against New England. Jersey/A had locked in its playoff seed and had every reason to rest starters. Instead, the Giants went all out to win, with coaches playing the starters and every Giant on the field giving his all versus the heavily favored Flying Elvii. The good karma from that performance now glistens on the Giants, and has carried them into the NFC Championship Game. Had Jersey/A rolled over in its final game against New England, surely the Giants would have honked in the postseason. Instead, Jersey/A played with valor and now is rewarded. The football gods smile on the gentlemen in gray pants.
Single Worst Play of the Season So Far: Flozell Adams, the Cowboys' Pro Bowl left tackle, has played well this year. But in the fourth quarter at home in the postseason, as the Dallas offensive line discipline broke down, Adams, the line's senior player, did not assert any leadership role or attempt to rally his linemates. Now it's Jersey/A 21, Dallas 17 with 26 seconds remaining, Cowboys' ball on the Giants' 23, crowd roaring, one pass completion might win it. At the snap, Adams merely brushes his man, Osi Umenyiora, then turns around to watch, doing nothing at all, as Umenyiora hammers Tony Romo, forcing a bad incompletion. Two snaps later, the Cowboys lose, have blown the No. 1 seed and are 12 years removed from their last postseason victory. With a home-field NFC Championship Game appearance on the line, Adams merely brushes his man, then turns around, doing nothing at all, watching his quarterback get hammered. Flozell Adams, you are guilty of the Single Worst Play of the Season -- so far.
Giants at Cowboys Analysis: Jerry Jones came down to the Cowboys' sideline for the final drive and was shouting at the coaches and officials. That must have been helpful! On the final possession, Dallas had the ball in Jersey/A territory with an excellent chance to win. Owner Jones, who has long considered his personal genius the essence of the Cowboys' success -- never mind that his personal genius hadn't won a playoff game in 11 years -- shows up and starts shouting at people. Already, the week before, he'd made a point of lending only a lukewarm endorsement to coach Wade Phillips, who had just rung up the best Dallas regular season in a decade but to whom Jones would not give unqualified backing. The best regular season in a decade must have been because of Jones' personal genius! Now Jones is down on the sideline next to Phillips as the coach tries to make decisions on the final drive. Ever see Robert Kraft standing near Belichick in the closing moments as Belichick tries to make critical decisions? When the double whistle sounded, it still had been 11 years since Dallas won a postseason contest, and Phillips had became a career 0-4 in the playoffs. Bonus anti-Jerry Jones note: As pointed out by many readers -- including Gary Toth of Stephentown, N.Y. -- several days before Sunday's game, Jones grandly handed each Cowboys player a pair of tickets to give to friends -- tickets to the NFC Championship Game at Texas Stadium, a game the Cowboys had not yet earned. The football gods surely took notice of that hubris.
You won't see many first-seeded 13-3 teams lose in the postseason at home to a team that gains only 230 offensive yards, but then, you won't see many first-seeded 13-3 teams whose coach is being distracted by the owner in the closing seconds as it goes down to the wire. The Giants' win was a testament to the role of special teams, but also was a meltdown by Dallas. For instance -- in the second quarter, the Cowboys staged a 20-play touchdown drive that lasted 10:28 and put them ahead 14-7 with 47 seconds till intermission. Ahead by a touchdown at the half at home, what's not to like? Except the defense allowed Jersey/A to counter with a 40-second, 71-yard touchdown drive that left it tied at 14 at halftime. The Giants' drive didn't even have any big plays, just several quick, intermediate passes aided by a careless personal foul by the Cowboys. As Jersey/A staged this quick drive for an amazingly easy seven points, several Dallas players were dancing and celebrating on the sideline as if they'd already won. They hadn't even gotten to halftime! Maybe they were looking at those NFC Championship Game tickets from Jones!
With Dallas leading 17-14 late in the third, Boys' receiver Patrick Crayton dropped a perfect pass on third-and-13. Crayton would have made a substantial gain, but he took his eye off the ball to glance upfield. What do they teach receivers from middle school on? Look the ball in, catch it first, never start to run before making the catch. Jersey/A got a big runback on the Dallas punt and soon recorded what would prove to be the winning touchdown. How many million dollars does Crayton make a year to be a professional receiver, and he doesn't even look the ball in? Highly paid receiver Terrell Owens also had a slapdash drop, then grinned like an idiot. This was in preparation for weeping at the postgame news conference about how desperately badly NFL players need in-season vacations and how horribly, horribly wrong it is when NFL players are criticized. Watching the weeping, Hillary Clinton must have thought, "Suck it up, you wimp."
The 21-17 Jersey/A lead held because Dallas did not score in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were the highest-scoring team in the NFC in the regular season, then failed to score in the fourth quarter at home in the playoffs, when one touchdown meant advancing to a home-field championship appearance.
What went wrong in the fourth quarter? First, Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, subject of head-coaching rumors, abandoned the run. Coming into the final quarter, Marion Barber had 125 yards rushing. In the fourth, Garrett called 20 passes (attempts plus sacks and snaps nullified by penalties) versus four rushes. Incompletion after incompletion clanged to the turf when running plays might have established rhythm and made use of crowd energy. Next, Jersey/A, a strong pass-rushing team, began blitzing in the fourth quarter. Though the Giants recorded only two sacks on the game, they regularly pressured Tony Romo into heave-hoeing the ball away in the fourth quarter. Jersey/A seemed to sense that Romo was not properly prepared for the game and would wilt under pressure, which is what happened. Romo kept trying to throw deep, rather than throwing slants, which are the standard counter to the big blitz. You sensed Romo wanted to hit a deep pass so everyone would credit him for winning the game. Garrett never straightened Romo out in the fourth quarter -- perhaps because Garrett's head wasn't really in the game, either.
In the fourth quarter, Dallas' offensive line play broke down. Could this have something to do with offensive line coach Tony Sparano not having his head in the game because he spent the bye week interviewing for head-coaching jobs? The Cowboys put three offensive linemen into the Pro Bowl, best ever for one team, yet, in the fourth quarter, the Dallas offensive line looked awful, simply atrocious, barely slowing the Jersey/A rush. Rescind those Pro Bowl letters! Pro Bowl left tackle Flozell Adams was doing poorly despite getting double-teaming help from a running back or tight end -- and Pro Bowl offensive tackles should not need a back chipping off to assist them. With Jersey/A leading 21-17 with 1:50 remaining and Dallas facing second-and-1 on the Giants' 39, Barber was stopped for a loss as blocking totally broke down. Three guys from this line made the Pro Bowl, and they couldn't clear a path for a single yard with a home-field championship game on the line!
Yes, the Cowboys were hurt when Romo was called for intentional grounding with 4:16 remaining after he threw the ball away despite no Giant being near him. The rule says grounding occurs when the ball is thrown away by a passer "facing imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense." After Romo sailed the pass, he ran over to the zebras and started shouting at them -- instead of doing the smart thing and jogging back to the huddle. When Romo began shouting, the referee pulled his flag and called grounding. It was a bad call, but why was Romo shouting at the officials, practically begging them to flag him?
At the end, it was the second consecutive season the Cowboys lost in the playoffs after their glam-boy quarterback spent late December and early January boasting to the media and mingling with celebrities instead of focusing on football. And it was the second consecutive season the Cowboys lost in the playoffs after Romo made an error on the Cowboys' final play. Last year at this time, Romo played poorly against the Seahawks in Seattle, then, on the final Dallas play, botched the hold of what would have been the winning field goal. This year, with Dallas facing fourth-and-11 on the Jersey/A 23 with 16 seconds remaining, the Cowboys kept seven back to block because of their offensive line meltdown. Romo had plenty of time to scan the field, then forced the ball to a covered man, interception. This, with both starting Giants cornerbacks out injured! And the ball did not need to go to the end zone; there was enough time to throw under, then run up and spike for a last try. Two straight years, Dallas has made the postseason, then Romo has been awful in his playoff game.
As for the Giants, there is only one thing to say -- the football gods continue to reward this team for its valorous showing in the regular-season finale against New England. Jersey/A had locked in its playoff seed and had every reason to rest starters. Instead, the Giants went all out to win, with coaches playing the starters and every Giant on the field giving his all versus the heavily favored Flying Elvii. The good karma from that performance now glistens on the Giants, and has carried them into the NFC Championship Game. Had Jersey/A rolled over in its final game against New England, surely the Giants would have honked in the postseason. Instead, Jersey/A played with valor and now is rewarded. The football gods smile on the gentlemen in gray pants.
Single Worst Play of the Season So Far: Flozell Adams, the Cowboys' Pro Bowl left tackle, has played well this year. But in the fourth quarter at home in the postseason, as the Dallas offensive line discipline broke down, Adams, the line's senior player, did not assert any leadership role or attempt to rally his linemates. Now it's Jersey/A 21, Dallas 17 with 26 seconds remaining, Cowboys' ball on the Giants' 23, crowd roaring, one pass completion might win it. At the snap, Adams merely brushes his man, Osi Umenyiora, then turns around to watch, doing nothing at all, as Umenyiora hammers Tony Romo, forcing a bad incompletion. Two snaps later, the Cowboys lose, have blown the No. 1 seed and are 12 years removed from their last postseason victory. With a home-field NFC Championship Game appearance on the line, Adams merely brushes his man, then turns around, doing nothing at all, watching his quarterback get hammered. Flozell Adams, you are guilty of the Single Worst Play of the Season -- so far.
