2nd Half Thread, Cowboys - Broncos

Sorry for the Donkey spammer. Kids (sheesh).

It isn’t any wonder this “donkey” fan is really a jacka$$… :roll:

I’m hping we can get the running game going here in the second half, setting up the play action. Our defense have really come along quicker than I thought they would. Bodes well if we can come away with a win with Henry and Shanle out.

we have not tried to run on this game or have we?….very few attempts….Bledsoe looks capable of killing this D but just made two very ugly throws…

dead even between runs and passes….16 each

Bledsoe has had 25 pass attempts in the first half, so we really haven’t established the run all that much. So much for shortening the game and manage it with the run that bill likes to do.

Derrick,

He doesn’t try to shorten the game until he gets a lead, which he hasn’t had today.

hopefully that will change when we have the first drive to start the second half.

Posted this earlier but will again,Dallas has held Denver to 34 yards rushing and 63 passing so far….

sharkz, The D has been playing very well…just hope they do it for 0 minutes this time…the Offense has to get a bit better

60 minutes I meant to say

wow, 19.44 of time possession, didn’t seem like it though.

I agree mantab……..nice KO return by TT!

1st dooooownnnnnnnn witten

I think a nice long drive here really hurts Denvers Defense.

Nice throw-away by Bledsoe……

what a bad play

throw that play out of the play book, screens dont and have never worked for this team

Broncos seem to have a jump on all the Cowboys plays.

we still can’t execute screens…and keep on going to Bailey’s side….that guy is very very good

holding….go back

hold them D

we cant get to the QB….

pick play onn that first down

noooo…glenn

we need a stop….this drive lloks too much like the one when they scored

Burnett got caught on the boot leg

3rd down…please stop…it’s a rollout to the right of Jake Plummer

where’s the red carpet?

impressive drive there by denver

C’Mon dallas,time to answer their score with one of ours!

Anybody doubt this team needs another good OLB?

Raf looked like ware got caught inside again….

Cmon Dallas we can beat these guys!

they need a hit in the head and a wake up call first

Here we go!!!!!! Keep a rollin…..

Julius needs to break one….the guy seems down

running play takes toooo long to develop

the hell was that crap?

get bledsoe into shot gun

what a kick

ManTab,

Marco Rivera. Like a statue. Let the guy lined up across from him come free. Too bad because Glenn was WIDE open on a seam route.

a safety would look nice here

yessss!!!!!!!

oh man…..love you newman

TNEW!!!!!!!

no challlenges left, hahaahhhahhhah

the ball was out of bounds I believe……thank you shanahan

Make ’Em pay. GO COWBOYS!

We need this! Don’t waste it Cowboys!!!

whats the score?!?! :O!!!!!

Barber to the 3 and a half!

KJ fade

21-14 denver

21-14 Denver nags on top with Dallas at THEIR 4 yard line….

that’s right!!!!!!!!

TD WITTEN!!!!!!

21-21 touchdown!!!!!!!!!

YEAH! WHITTEN!

Cardiac cowboys strike again…this one will also go down to the wire

thank you Newman, Witten, Bledsoe and Shanahan

OK D…let’s get it on

we need the stop…..cmon….

newman!!!!!!

NEWMAN had it

Dammit Newman had that for a TD!Cmon D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok stop them

there’s the pressure

now we look dominant on D

Sack Ellis!!!!! with an assist to Canty!!!!

throw something deep

nice run Julius

great call against that defense

It’ sooooo good to see us playing better!!!!!!

i think the TOP is starting to wear away at the denver D. Dallas has 30+ min to denver’s 18.

this is still a tied game, we still need a score and a stop….long way to go…gotta keep them playing hard

good call bill

whoever wins, this is two really good teams slugging it out – really fun to watch.

look at the old man move…..wow

KJ!!!!

why dont we have a toss sweep to the outside, were not getting anything inside

JJ to the 15!!!!!!

That was a hell of a hit that Jones took.

another dumb call

i love keyshowan….wow that hurt for jj

Excellent job by Bledsoe to throw it away!

oh man

what the *uck!!!!!!!!! damn cundiff

OMG!!!!!

god damn it cundiff

Darn that Jose Cundiff!!!

I can’t beleive he missed that Okay let’s regroup and get the ball back on D!!!!!

haahahhaahahaha

if we lose cause of that crap!! knock on wood.. i will kill him

That’s a nice way to really f**k up momentum….c’mon coaches, play them hard…no quitting here….get a quick stop and let’s win this game

we need TNew to get us back in it…..that was a real bad call on third down, and Cundiff ….dman

if only newman had got the pick and taken it to the house………..

Yes!!!!!!

please get a stop…..watch out for the rollout

get noisy Dallas……cmon

we need a stop on 3rd and 15…please….dont let the washington crap happen again

need this stop right here

very good…..Offense….win one for us…please

Stopped em!!!!!!Now lets score baby!!!!!

do we not run any stnts upfront, just looks like we bull rush all the time

1st down…Keyshawn

and then a run for no gain

this is a huge third down

nice

whitten’s the man

Witten for player of the game!!!!lol

KJ first down!!!!

Cundiff you bum….start warming up

stop running up the middle for christ sake.

Cundiff kicks the game winner???

WITTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

whitten’s got 9 catches for 82 yds and 1 TD

forget the field goal, lets get a touchdown.

WERES BONIOL WHEN YOU NEED HIM

sharkz….we hope….and he better hope he doesnt f**k it up or Parcells will kick his dumb ass outta valley ranch before turkey tonight

i’m with derrick. dallas FG spotty, but hopefully cundif redeems himself if it comes down to it

Glenn has sucked today…badly

uh oh

get to the goal line Copper

D….gotta play when it counts….C’mon

Cardiac Cowboys are killing me!!!

that’s pass int on the offense

looks like a concussion for Glenn

sharkz, tell me about it

offensive interference on glenn

they are still 21-21????

Glenn hurt…..dont know if it is good or bad….I dont like him very much

yes brenda

brenda, yup 1:41 left, Denver has it 2-10 on their own twenty

dont get that guy back in….he’s in limbo now

Looks like he might be okay….

let’s go D

looks like overtime

cmon D…..damn glenn back

Glenn back….good!

glenn back in there

thats what you call sending the house

uffffffffffff scary one……good play Glenn…..dont like but I gotta give this one to him

put newman in on Offense and throw one exteremely deep and get this one over with…..yes, I am desperate already

four wide and shot gun

what is a three yard pass get you

hail mary

Peerless …..go deep…i dont want overtime

Hail Mary….Pass Int…and Cundiff wins it

guess not

why didn’t we open up this drive with a four wide set.

OT

I HATE CUNDIFF RIGHT NOW

who gets the ball?

Not good. Denver gets the ball. COME ON D

DEFENSE!!!

ok, roy, run down on this kickoff and knock the living snot out of the ball carrier and knock the ball loose

we need moe than a stop….we need a turn over deep….i dont like our Offense today either

cmon D……cmon

noooo

game ovr

fuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry

any way we can block this?

Dammit!!!

blame it on billy

Ron Dayne is 245 lbs. He has fewer moves than Troy Hambrick. And Keith Davis tries to tackle him by his helmet. Not smart Keith.

looks like raf and I hit it on the head, Denver win. tihs team isn’t ready to contend with the better teams if we cant run the ball.85 yards rushing, you cant win in the playoffs doing that

Cundiff killed us……dammit!

we can’t contend because bill parcells plays it close, and we don’t have the kicker for that type of game.

The D has to show up when it counts…..long passes and now a 55 yard run in overtime….hell with that….

not billy – 2:00 – 2nd and 2 – no first down

Cundiff also lost this one…..the Offense is just horrible….damn….noooooooo

Get teh rope and meet me at the goal post with the kicker

Our playcalling on that 3rd and 1 lost it for us. When are people going to complain about this playcalling?

TO’s agent,

Explain how Parcells kept this team from scoring 35 today? Please. Losing sucks but you’re being ridiculous.

Cortez, seeya,
Suisham,thanks for coming,
Cundiff, NEXT QUESTION?

even with the miss we had a 2-1 on the Denver 45 and had to punt. Our offensive playcalling is painfully brutal

Carl,

The coach and the OC have no confidence that this team can convert on 3rd and 1. Do you? I don’t.

I think the play calling was not bad….some people had bad games….Glenn dropped like 5 balls, Bledsoe had a good game but stupid throws cost us points….Cundiff has to be murdered

run the ball with barber on short yardage

no positive yards on first down, and cant convert on third and short

we call plays scared. if u can run the ball on a 3-1 and get it we have no business going anywhere near the playoffs.

and then davis on that run and the linebackers…..the D just breaks at the end when we’re close….these close gams can go either way and we just never finish teams early…..

i meant can’t run on 3-1

i’m not going to blame the D. they stepped up all day. remember this is 2 games in 4 days

I dont think we would’ve gotten that first down running….they had like 9 guys on the line ready to kill….we couldn’t push their D line all day…it wasnt gonna happen….Glenn just dropped it…

This was a game that we could loose….we need washington and the giants (very likely) to loose and then beat the giants and we’ll be allright…

i blame cundiff and whoever called that 3-1 play at the denver 45

If Jerry Jones is really sincere about winning then why doesn’t he spend the big bucks and get some real football players out there. All we have got is a bunch of has been cast offs left over from losing Parcell’s teams. I am getting so sick of losing. The Cowboys have not been a legitimate contender in about 10 years now. I am getting very impatient.

Carl it’s two games on four day for them as well…..and they had to travell here…

BD,
what are you talking about. Did you not see the thirty million handed out during the offseason.

BD 30 million not enough?

we know davis is not the real answer at safety. they ran well off tackle against us

30 million handed out to a bunch of old choke artests!

if we can’t get a yard on 3-1 then we deserve to lose. i’m sick of apologizing for the offensive deficiencies. man up run for a yard. barber has been great on short yardage. i think barber is better than jones

henry, ferguson, rivera, bledsoe,Glenn, yeah, ok buddy, get a clue

yeah like Henry and Bledsoe who have been about the best we’ve had this season…

Sorry, you’re just wrong on this one.

Or maybe you want Danny Snyder as your owner? Jeery has done a great job since he bought the cowboys…had some bad years but in 15 years we’ve had 3 championships and are positioning this team for a lot of sucess in the next 5 years

They played a good team today. And they played them very well. But the bottom line is they lost. This team reminds me of the 2003 team. I am not satisfied with the playoffs! Playoffs are for Eagles fans super bowls are for Cowboys fans!

this team is nowhere close to that mirage of a team.

We have lost 4 times like this. terrible execution at the end of games and lousy kicking. a 33 yard FG. Didn’t we all know he would miss that?

If all of these off season pickups are so great then why didn’t they win a big game against a good team today? For 30 million dollars you should beable to convert a 3rd and 1. And please do not tell me that led foot Bledsoe is the future for the cowboys.

Derrick, we’re close…..this team is 2 – 3 players away from being great. We need a better O-line to support Julius and Barber and this team would be unstoppable….once our running game get’s going we will be able to ut teams away and not rely so much on D, then the D will really show how good it is….now they just have to win for us which is too much to ask for

BD, enjoy your Turkey my friend….you’re arguing a point nobody will agree on….I’m outta here…..go Seattle!…

Bye

didn’t win because our offensive line cant make any holes to have a run game to repect to allow play action, teams are just pinning their ears back and blitzing with a line that has two young tackles that need help from chip blocks and keeping backs in to help with protection limiting the amount of recievers in the passing game. Forced to throw short oyt patterns that the defenses are sitting on

Just dropped in to say hello to you guys. Particularly enjoyed the field goal kicking. Happy Thanksgiving.

Oh well, I still love the Cowboys. I must say they are better than last year!

I’m stating the obvious but almost all our games will be in this fashion because we have just a good offense and just a good defense…..not dominating on either side! Leaves little margin for error!

Refael,
when you watch the game again, let us know if davis was held (tackled) in the hole on that big run in OT.
The boys had plenty of chances to win it. Cundiff missed a close one and that 3rd and 1 at midfield was ugly. A play action and shot over the middle would have been nicer. oh well.

how am i being ridiculous? perhaps you are, i never said bill wouldn’t want to score 35+, but the way he has built this team and plays the game it won’t happen.

bill has employed a strategy which he thinks will win us the most games, playing good d and using a conservative offense which protects the qb and runs a lot.

all year long we’ve had close games. and having a bad kicker will make it a crap shoot. if we had vinatieri, we’d probably have 2 more wins.

Hey ExCowboysfan,

Cortez would have missed more than that field goal. Your boy had trouble making converts.

Why don’t you go eat some Turkey or something. wait I have a better Idea, why don’t you GFY?

I take that back.
Just unhappy with the loss and the backhanded comment from buddy.
Sorry for the off color sentiment.

Haha most of you guys are funny as hell. We lost in OT to a 9-2 team who won 9 out of their last 10. Our D gave up 17 points on a good offense. We’re 7-4 and will beat the Giants next week.
Jones and Parcells not doing anything? YOu still like the 5-11 seasons? If your going to talk at least make your statements reasonable, we lost to a good team and showed the national audience we can hang with the big boys.

Our D is great, we gave up only 235 yards total to a good O during regulation. Other than that 55 yard run in OT, the D was great. The O has to get it going, starting with better play calling, if we want to do anything this year.

And we were without our Starting RCB and ILB. Shanle and Henry were out, Glenn played real good.

Our O needs to start scoring in the Red Zone. Thats it to me. Look at the stats, when our Offense was hot we were had something like 11 TDs in 15 Trips. Then we went to 11 TDs in 29 Trips. Theres your answer.

HOW MANY FRIKIN GAMES DO WE HAVE TO LOSE BECAUSE WE CANT MAKE CHIP SHOTS!!! I am so mad at cundiff right now, how can u go from making a 56 yarder to missing a 30 YARDER!!! seas of nazareth

i think the boys showed improvement. Everybody was saying the broncos are the best team in the afc. So i see no need in whining today.

yea, cundiff missed…shit happens, look, I can accept this loss, the best team weve faced all season, played a hell of a game, stayed with them punch for punch, couple stupid plays, (Glenn 3rd and 1, definately…stupid), I despise the system of OT, its stupid, adapt the college system, but make it from like the 35, so much better, this coin toss shit is stupid…we cant win them all…

Damn FG Kickers to HELL!!!!!!!

I hope they bring 20 kickers to camp next year and have L.Allen hand them their pink slips if they miss one from 35 yrds in.

Three Things from this game:

1. We miss Efren Hererra, Rafael Septien and Toni Fritsch. Hell, Chris Boniol and Lin Elliot for that matter. In other words, we still do not have a consistent kicking game. If CundMiss makes the 34 yarder, we win 24-21, instead of the other way around. I had a rotten feeling that we were gonna lose after he missed it.

2. We miss Flozell “Hotel” Adams! The offense has not been the same since he’s been injured. JJ is a shadow of his former self. I hope it’s just the sophomore jinx. Bledsoe is regressing to his erratic self. If he doesn’t throw that pick…..Aaaargh!!!!!

3. The defense is the reason why this team is 7-4 and not 4-7. They have kept us from from getting blown out anytime this season and have kept us in games. Missed field goals have hurt us more than our defense. The rookies appear to be hitting a wall, but Al Singleton’s absence is huge.

Moving forward, we have to beat the Giants at their house next week, otherwise we may slide out of the play-off picture, because there are more difficult games ahead. We won’t beat the Giants if the offense doesn’t get it going. The offense is too inconsistent.

Game wasn’t televised here, but Brad Sham said ‘Dropped!’ several times on passing plays, including the first series.
It also sounded like Ware had a big game, even without sacks, and the Cowboys played slightly better than the Broncos.
My idea for the red zone is to use Crayton, as soon as he’s back, as quarterback, and let him run options.
Crayton would be harder to catch than Jake or McNabb, and he was a quarterback at Northwest Oklahoma State.

We are so much better than we have been in the last 7 years that it hurts when we are in a tight game and lose. Should have made the short FG of course, but then Denver would have opened up their offense in the last 3 minutes and…….. oh well guessing games are what keep blogs and talk radio in business.
  We took the 2nd best team in the NFL into OT and now have 10 days to rest and prep for NY. Sweep them and we are in first place whether they lose or win Sunday.
  So I say hats off to Jerry and Bill, they have our expectations up to an unreasonable level again.

Funny how we love to blame the kicking game. Yes, Cundiff sucked, but we loved him last week. LOL! The life of a kicker.

The true villain in this game, and all the games we’ve lost, is the inconsistent offense. IF we make the playoffs, we’ll get bounced in the first round, if TG, Key and company keep dropping balls. If Bledsoe keeps having brain farts, and JJ cannot run. It all starts with the offensive line, whose play has been rather offensive.They can’t pass protect, and can’t open holes for the running game. We miss Flo!

The defense has been there all year, but is not without blame. They are not applying enough consistent pressure on opposing QBs. Ware and Spears have hit a wall and disappeared.

Tough loss! Thanksgiving losses suck. The worst one was in ‘93 or was it ’94? That was the one we lost to Marino’s Dolphins when Leon Lett touched the ball. Yeah, the snow game. Aaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!

this team is still settling in, I think we are a year away. Next year they win these games. I’m still beleiving for 11-5 anyone with me?

No, it looks more like 10-6 or 9-7…we have a very difficult schedulle playing good teams, Giants, Carolina, Wash, Kansas, St Louis, these arnet detroits and ariznonas you know

Throw away those throwback uniforms… ever notice how we always get beat wearing those things?? I would be interested to see the W/L’s wearing those uniforms. I would bet my wife’s Pug it is under 10% on the winning side.

In the past few games everyone has been saying that Ware has hit the wall. I actually disagree, sure he hasn’t been getting the sacks, but he has been unreal against the run which is the last thing I thought I would be saying at the start of the year. Canty has been playing consistantly solid. As for Spears he really has hit a wall.

Lee,

Ware didnt have a big game, he played average and had a couple of mistakes. Canty was getting more pressure than Ware IMO. I dont know about Crayton at QB, but I would love to see a play in the red zone that Bledsoe goes to change the play and direct snap it to JJ or KJ.

Ware will be a stud. 11 games does not make or break a player. anyone 6’5" or 6’4" or whatever he is, he is large and fast. anyone that runs a 4.4, id be patient with. as for the tough schedule… 4 loses by a total of 13 pts. I think we have a lot to look forward to. And who in the NFC is really that much better than the boys? eaxactly, no one!!

matt,

you might be right there. Spears has seemed to sag recently.

Anyone notice that JJ would run into the pile even if the whole side of the field seemed open. It really seems like He has been told not to bounce outside and with MBIII on his ass he might be worried about his starting position.

the O line needs some tweeking though. still missing flozell very much. Running game has fell off big time. Is the Giants game a must win?

JJ is not the same… he’s lost some of that Barry Sanders style… still crippled. Let’s face it, the Boys are just a mere ghost of what they were. Old timers aren’t going to cut it all season. Need to spend money more wisely. We’ll be lucky to get the playoffs…

I think the Tuna runs some static for JJ and others doing there thing. I agree, JJ has shyed away from the bounce, but maybe he is nursing the ankle still?

FYI: THE COWBOYS WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS!!

I hope so, but its gonna take a lil’ luck! ;)

It was a close game, hence it turned on several plays, many of them we won’t see unless we review the film. Here are a few that I noticed though.

There was a screen play in the third quarter and JJ only had one man to beat to gain quite a bit of yardage. Johnson was held by a defensive linemen as he was moving out to block that one man. That could have been a first down if Johnson had gotten out cleanly and would have been had the foul been called.

Newman played another great game, but he had a chance at another INT in the 4th and might very well have taken it to the house. In a nutshell, Bailey caught his chance and Newman didn’t.

There were a lot of dropped passes, especially early. In the first drive, when we had a chance to establish something, we went 3 and out after 2 drops.

I’m sure Rafael will see a bunch of other things. Despite the loss, I’m sort of encouraged. I was really worried about this game. Denver is one heck of a team, and they did not dominate, instead we squandered our chance to win.

In 2003 we played over our heads. In 2005, we have yet to play to our full potential. We’re 7-4, exactly where we hoped to be record wise when we looked at the schedule where we were 5-3.

Frankly, our destiny is still in our hands. If we go 11-5, including beating both New York and Carolina, then we have a chance to finish with a 2 seed. If that happens, I like our chances.

So, now we root for Seattle to win out and be the one seed and we root for Chicago, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Atlanta to be mediocre.

iT’S THE PROCES OF ELIMINATION. iM NOT SOLD ON THE GIANTS EITHER. EVEN IF THE BOYS GO 3-2 THE REST OF THE WAY, I THINK THEY WIN THE DIVISION, BUT I WILL ADMIT, THE GIANT GAME IS HUGE.

Come on Guys…let’s be real!!!
I live in Denver and of course, I am a big Bronco fan. Yes, Denver is a better team than Dallas, but Dallas showed me they have the talent to be a serious contender in the playoffs this season. Dallas has a better defense than I thought, and if they play the rest of their games as tough and as good as they played Denver, they will win their division and be a serious NFC playoff contender.
You can’t blame the loss on one player, field goal kicker, it is a team sport. Yes, I am very happy Denver won, but Dallas proved to me that they are a very good team and will be there in the playoffs. It is one thing to play good at home, now Dallas has to travel to New York and beat the Giants on their home turf. This will be their real test.
A good team, such as Denver, has to be good enough to win on the road. And if Dallas can play as good on the road as they played against Denver, I really think they can beat the Giants and whomever they face on the road the rest of the season. Denver had to beat Dallas on the road to legitimize them as a very good team, now Dallas has to do the same the rest of the season, win on the road, to legitimize themselves as a serious NFC playoff contender.
I am just being real….

For all the credit Tom Brady gets, who made the kicks to win the game? vinatieri! No Vinatieri no Superbowls. The Cowboys NEED a real field goal kicker. You just can’t win games when your kicker misses chip shots late in the game. 2 games were lost because of missed field goals.

excellant points rob. this team has had many missed opportunities, it will come along. remember, the Tuna didnt make all the changes he usually would do in season 2. he tried to add on, didnt work and last year was a loss. I really believe this team is a year behind schedule, but by the time this season is over, we’ll be happy with them. Honestly, does anyone want them to go play the Colts in the Superbowl?…lol

Heres what I predict:

Cowboys 10-6
@NYG- W
KC- L
@WAS- W
@CAR- L
STL- W

NYG 9-7 (eli’s young, and their on the road)
SEA- L
DAL- L
PHI- W
KC- L
WAS- L
OAK- W

1. SEA 13-3
2. CAR 11-5
3. CHI 10-6
4. DAL 10-6
5. TB 11-5
6. ATL 10-6

Wow, really hard to stomach that finish after all that holiday food.
 I am not happy at all with Cundiff’s 33-yard attempt, right when he missed that I felt uneasy. The Cowboys’ D was very good against a good team. Minus the overtime run by Dayne, we shut down one of the best running games in the NFL. Dallas also created several turnovers and kept the team in it. The Cundiff missed field goal was monumental, but let’s not forget that Dallas had the ball with 90+ seconds left before OT and pretty much gave up at one or two downs. Playing for overtime is stupid!!! The team that gets the ball first usually wins, as we saw today and in the last Thanksgiving OT game with Det and Pit. We should have ended this game in regulation. I can’t stand these losses – all 4 have been very close and we should have won. If we were in the AFC playoffs would be impossible. Despite, we have to win at least 3, if not 4 of our final 5 games and hope the Giants stumble.
I’m still optimistic, but we have to close out these close games, or else more losses will continue to sneak up on us.

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but seems to me that I am, considering that nobody has talked about it, for those who have the game on tape, look at the Dayne long run in OT, a DLineman was standing in front of Dayne and suddenly an OLineman pushed him from his back taking his out of the play, 15 seconds after I saw that my mother came telling me that I have a dirty mouth. Damn zebras…

I don’t think anybody wants to play the Colts in the playoffs, not even Denver. If they played in Denver I would feel much more confident, but I think all AFC roads to the SuoerBowl goes through Indy, and that is where Denver losses and thats even coming from a die-hard Bronco fan. Indy is just too tough and wants it too bad to lose at home.

does anybody agree with me?

The Cowboys will beat the Giants, Chiefs, Redskins, Panthers, and Rams, to finish with 12 wins and 4 losses.
Stop talking about ‘next year’.

for_real:
Don’t forget about the Steelers, or the Bengals, or the Chargers.
I guess the Patriots have been too injured.

what’s up??

for_real:
Without Denver’s win of the OT coin toss, or the 3 points avoided by no skill of the Broncos, you wouldn’t have been able to make your comparison of the Broncos as the ‘better’ team.
And when the Cowboys beat the Giants in the Meadowlands, they’ll achieve a win that the Broncos couldn’t.

A good team has to be able to win on the road. The day Denver lost a close on to New York was a day that the Giants were better. I am not a sore loser, it just the facts. Denver should have played solid Defense all through the game, to win it. Denver lead by a large margin until the 4th, and it was Denvers fault for not playing for 4 quarters that decided the game. Yes, that game pissed me off, but Denver learned from it, and made them a better, 4 quarter, team.
  There will be a lot of good teams in the playoffs, any team capable of beating the other. Home field advantage means a lot, but it is not the main factor when the playoffs get here. It’s a new season then, anything can happen.

lee:
do you live in Dallas?

are u still there?

“lee:
do you live in Dallas?”

jedthroe:
No, I live about 10,000 miles southwest of Dallas.

Chandus,

I think you can be blocked from the side and behind the in the box.

Now, I hear the sound of old saws whirring. The Cowboys have lost and here come the same explanations. Some have some merit, IMHO. Others…..

1. Jerry is wasting $30 million dollars. Let’s see, it bought him four free agents — a. Anthony Henry. Does anybody on this list really want to say he’s old and a waste of money? Anyone? b.) Jason Ferguson. Notice the Broncos had a lot of trouble running inside today? And that a lot of teams are having trouble running inside on Dallas this year? He’s one big reason why. c. Drew Bledsoe. He’s not perfect, but when was the last time a Dallas QB played as well as he has? I’d say about 1996. Got any better options in mind that don’t cost a top draft pick in return or a $10 million plus cap hit per season? d. Marco Rivera. Okay, I’ll give you this one. He’s been a BIG disappointment. His mental mistakes are what drive me nuts. No veteran should blow assignments the way he does, which also makes me wonder about line coach Tony Sparano, but he’s fodder for another thread…

2. Julius Jones has developed running back dementia. Dallas, with a so-so o-line, just faced the second best running D in the NFL. Their yards per carry sucked, but they dominated time of possession. The lines and the RBs performance (both of them) were on par with matchups against other top front sevens this year. Was Marion Barber averaging twice what Jones was? No. Barber got 3.1 yards per attempt today. Jones got 2.8, which means Barber got about three inches more per carry than Jones. Put your thumb and index finger three inches apart. Is this worth the argument?

When running backs can make their own holes, I’ll take this one seriously.

3. It’s the play calling. Was the play call responsible for overthrowing Dan Campbell by ten feet on a five yard out and handing Denver a TD? Did the calls cause all the dropped passes? Or cause Billy Cundiff to miss a 33 yard kick? I didn’t like the third and one call late in the game, but I wouldn’t say the game plan cost the game.

This is a good but flawed team that played one of the league’s best. And it showed that it can match up with the Denvers of the world, but has no margin for error if it wants to beat them. The team made some big mistakes today and paid the price.

To quote the late Flip Wilson, what you see is what you get. If we’ve seen the same play for eleven games, I don’t see that it’s going to change the rest of the way. These are the ‘05 Cowboys. They’re not the ‘95 Cowboys, but they’re better than every other team that’s come in between.

And they’re going to get better. That’s the key part.

Cowboys average loss- 3.3 points

Some Other NFC TEAMS:
Bears- 10 points
Bucs- 9 points
Giants- 8.5 points
Panthers- 5.3 points

I just thought that was intersting. Even the Seahawks lost by 12 one game. We have been in every one so thats optimistic.

Whats everyones impression of JJ? Sophmore slump or overrated? I won’t jump to conclusions yet. Look at his career: 15 games, 1334 yards, 10 TD’s. No matter what hes done this year (while not fully healthy) he still has alot of promise in him.

Raf, when u go over game tape, can you tell me if u see any D-Line with Ellis, Glover, Spears, Canty?

The free agent spending was great, Julius Jones is still awesome and the play calling, although bad sometimes, can’t be blamed in the grand scheme of things.

 The truth is that the Cowboys are lacking that killer instict, they have to be able to put these type of games away while they still can (especially at home!). It’s a young team, at least defensively, so let’s hope they mature and develop that winning attitude. And let’s be extremely happy that they play in the NFC and the playoffs are still a possibility. Teams like the Chiefs and Panthers aren’t going to roll over, and the rest of the NFC (which we play on the road) want more than anything to beat the cowboys.

The cowboys are going to keep getting better, but they have to finish games, starting right now to get things going. let’s not forget this was the 3rd game in 11 days. cowboys should still make the playoffs

Rafael:
As far as I know, pushes on the back of DLineman’s made by Olineman’s are penalized, just like they’re penalized when a Lineman is near to sack the QB and is pushed from the back, though as you said, if the push came from one side then I’ll shut my big ol’ dirty mouth.

Good job on answering some of the blank points of some of the fellows in this site, just one point, how in heavens name is a RB supposed to run for more yards when in almost every play there’re from 6 to 8 guys in containment? And how does a team survives while doing so? Simple, they get to the QB or won’t let him to wait for his receivers to break open.

Rafael,

Agree with you on everything. The only one I think you’re wrong is the play call on 3rd and 1. When you watch the tape, please note they had at least 8 players lined up front. Their line was dominating our O-Line…it was not going to happen on the ground. That CB was giving a big cushion all game, they just did a good job, but the play calling was good on that one.
JJ is not healthy, is like TNew last year, he can’t cut, he looks like he’s in pain. He won’t be better than average this year. We all now the guy is capable, I question his durability.

DAMN! The rats are jumping off the bandwagon!

Rafael & ManTab are obviously older, wiser folk, as are a few of the other apologists. Perspective (proper, reflective) comes with age.

This was a game we lost last year getting blown out by 30. This team is two OT’s away from the best team in the NFC. Add a playmaker, one year of chemistry and experience for our youngins, and this team WILL win the Super Bowl, next year.

This year, they could get there. Even with all their warts.

Enjoy. What a great game that was. We should have won. Had it won. Shit happens. Great theatre and miles from where we’ve been since ’96 when it all slowly fell apart.

Be a fan, not a critic.

Rafael,
good job again.
on the late 3rd and 1, i wonder if that was the call from the sideline or a bledsoe audible.

Just want to add a few things. Play-calling: If you’ve watched all the games, you’ll see that play-calling sucked at certain points in all of them, and usually in big situations. Overall, it’s been decent considering the defenses we’ve faced thus far. But take the 3rd and goal situation, where eventually they went for it on 4th and goal. If you’re gonna go for it on 4th, then you run it on 3rd and 1. You have to be able to get that push in those situations. That roll-out was pitiful, and where was the tight-end, or maybe Osaka Polite. The kicker has lost us 3 games. Washington-they don’t even catch us if field goals were made earlier in the game. Giants-they don’t even tie us if field goal was made earlier, eventhough we won. Seattle-that pick probably never happens, and prob wouldn’t mean much if the field goal was made earlier, because not only did we not get the 3 points, but then later we had a 4th and goal where we had to kick the field goal because we missed earlier. We could have gone for it on 4th and goal and put the game away there if we didn’t miss earlier. So these missed field goals not only hurt right when they happen, but they directly affect the rest of the damn game, and also the psyche of the rest of the players. Our defense is great and can be better if the offense opens it up a little more, gets a lead early, so we’re not always playing tight games, or from behind. Then maybe they could be a little more aggressive like some other teams as far as consistent pressure on the QB. You can complain overall, cuz they’re dominating. Injuries hurt on offensive line(Flozell), and defense(Henry, Singleton). We have to beat the Giants, after that I like our chances against anyone…

Watching that game unfold last night was almost like looking into the future. I suspected we would lose by 7 points or less when Bailey picked off that pass and went home with it. But I KNEW we would lose (probably by 3) when Cundiff missed that field goal.

However, I walked away from that game encouraged. We gave those guys all they could handle, and they’re ranked number one in some of the power rankings. This loss SHOULD move the Cowboys UP in the power rankings, but that usually doesnlt happen following a loss. What’s clear to me is that this team has the talent to take it all.

I’m not at all happy with the play calling. The call on the touchdown pass to Keyshawn was great thinking, but then we turn around and throw the quick outlet pass to Terry Glen with the game on the line. What the hell was that? They had seen this too many times, and when Keyshawn did it, he was just one right turn from being dropped himself. And don’t get me started on the quick dumps to Julius Jones. We don’t do screen type passes well at all. We should just stop doing that. One last thing, are we ever going to go back to pitching the ball to Julius and letting him just run with the damn thing, or run more draw plays for him? Clearly, running him up the middle all the time is not working. Let the guy use his speed on the outside.

We’ve got New York next week, and we had damn well better be ready. You know Tiki Barber was watching that 55 yard sprint from Dayne and thinking he can do better than that. Next week is probably going to be the biggest game of the season for us. God, I hope we’re ready. But after a performance like yesterday, I know we can take the Giants, IF we don’t srew it up for ourselves.

There, now I’ve gotten a couple of things off my chest. I feel better now.

Ultimate,

Sounds like you were getting your pain out at the same time I was. Seems I’m not the only one who has a problem with the play calling.

Ultimate Sin,

This is a good defense. It’s an improving defense. It’s an exciting defense. But it’s not a dominating defense and won’t be until upgrades for Keith Davis and Scott Fujita are obtained. I expect them to be obtained this coming offseason. Then I’m going to enjoy watching this defense smother everybody in ’06.

Okay Raf,

I’ll agree with you on the defense, but I think our biggest problems are on offense:

1. The offensive line – We’ve got to do a better job of protecting Bledsoe. There was one play where he was sacked before he had a chance to blink. I know the line isn’t the same without Flozell, but that can’t keep happening.

2. The play calling – How many times have we seen calls in situations where we’re at 3rd and 6, only to throw a quick pass for 4 yards? Not gonna get it done like that. Also, as I said before, plays like that quick pass to Terry Glenn on the outside don’t make much sense, especially once we’ve run them two or three times. Defenses do adjust.

Raf don’t forget that a year of experience for DWare and maybe a fly-around-smack-the-wr FS in Beriault. And another year for Burnett. I was encouraged by this game, but it is frustrating to lose by three and have a 33 yrd chip shot missed in the fourth Quarter.

I still think that JJ isn’t running to the outside at all even when it’s there.

Alan,

The one thing I noticed yesterday was that most of Jones’ runs are right. When he got sweeps to the left he would not cut firmly off his left foot. He injured his left ankle. I don’t think he’s close to 100%

WHEN YOU BLEED BLUE,ALL LOSSES ARE HARD,BUT ILL TELL YOU WHAT,THIS IS A REALLY GOOD TEAM AND IM PROUD HOW THEY STOOD TOE TO TOE WITH THE BIG BAD BRONCOS,{sarcastic}..AND WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,THIS TEAM WILL BE SUPER.GOD I LOVE THE COWBOYS

Manster65-could not agree more. The faithful need not hang thier heads on this loss. It was a heck-of-a game. I thought our best game this year outside the Philly game. Unfortunately we lost. But the other NFL teams are now on notice- The Dallas Cowboys can play and beat any team in the NFL—-right now. Not next year -not with a few more games of seasoning- RIGHT NOW.

Silverblood,

I agree with you and Manster about keeping our heads up. We could have won this game, and more importantly, there has not been one game this year we couldn’t have won. No team we’ve faced has dominated the boys, so I consider us one of the elite. My concern is our penchant for shooting ourselves in the foot, along with the protection breakdowns. I think there’s just cause for optimism, but until we correct those weak spots, I’m not ready to put us in the superbowl.

Besides, the Colts are playing on a different level than anyone else right now. They’ve got the most efficient offense in the league. Those guys score from start to finish. I’m not sure we’re quite ready for them just yet.

I can’t wait to play the Giants. If we can rest and give that effort in 10 days we blow them out by 10.

I saw MBIII split wide at one point and line up as the Flanker. (pretty sure it wasn’t slot)

Can we do that with TT? He is wayyyyy fast and might stretch the defence. He can run an out can’t he?

I guess the question is can we block for DBledsoe without max protection schemes.

Also, Did I see a stunt on the Canty sack?

Say, didn’t we draft some linebackers this year? i thought I read that we had. What happened to them, did they get cut or what?

I agree with you, my fellow fans. I’m still not over this loss, but I tell you what; This defense is for real! We’ve never been blown out all year, and have been in every game we’ve played this year. Tell you what, I’d rather be watching these “Cardiac Cowboys” than suffer the blow-outs of years past!

What an exciting team we have. And yes, we’re a couple of defensive players and a healthy o-line from being a dominant team.

I agree that the Giants game may determine whether we are NFC East Champs, or a wildcard team. I really like our chances of doing some great things the rest of the season, especially if Henry and JJ are 100% healthy.

We need a healthy o-line more than anything. Flo’s injury was a major blow. Hopefully Crayton comes back healthy next week, because Price has certainly not taken up the slack. Price may not be as familiar with the offense as Crayton is, or it may be that Price isn’t as good as I thought. However, I still pin our offensive problems on the o-line. Poor run blocking and poor pass protection are killing this offense. A silver lining is the fact that Torrin Tucker and Rob Petitti are gaining much needed experience, which bodes well for us next year.

JJ needs to get healthy. I’d like to see TT get more reps while we rest JJ for the final push. What’s wrong with letting him rest the next two games and have him healthier for the stretch run? A 100% TT is certainly a more dangerous weapon than a 75% JJ, who can’t plant on his left foot. Same with Henry. Hopeully A. Glenn’s cuncussion isn’t a bad one.

Overall, I still like our chances. We hung with one of the best teams in the NFL yesterday, and would have beaten them if Cundiff makes that kick.

We served notice yesterday, that our defense is stout enough to stop any team, even the Colts. If we had our early ‘90s o-line, we’d be undefeated. If we take care of the Giants next week, We’ll win the NFC East. I would love to have another shot at the Seahawks in the playoffs!

1pan,

we can’t play TT as more than the third back cause everyone knows he can’t block. They would stack 7-8 in the box and Bledsoe would get killed or we wouldn’t get much running.

Glenn,

The only true linebacker from this draft that I’m aware of is Kevin Burnett in the 2nd round. He’s been injured, but he’s playing now. He’s just got to fully recover and get some more playing time. He’s currently backing up Fujita, and sometimes, Ware. I expect to see more of him as time goes on, especailly if Fujita doesn’t kick it in to high gear. As far as I know, none of our draft picks was cut.

Not only would we have won if we make that kick, but we would have won if Bledsoe didn’t throw that 1st pick. That was at the least a 10 point turnaround, because we were going in for a score. Parcells got Bledsoe because of his experience and his arm, to manage games and not make many mistakes. He’s been pretty good at it, but the few he’s made have killed us(ex:Seattle, Denver). Also as some of u have said about the screens, and quick outs, etc., when Aikman was the QB, the ball was thrown accurately and the timing was awesome. With Drew, it seems like the recievers either have to wait a sec or two after making their breaks or/and have to reach up or back for balls way too often. Ex: They were backed up, it was 3rd and long, I think, KJ ran a slant, and Bledsoe threw behind him. That’s when he slammed the ball down to the ground, eventhough he caught it. If the ball is where it’s supposed to be, KJ catches and makes a nice run up the middle of the field which was open. They get a 1st down and more. Simply, Bledsoe’s accuracy and timing need improvement. You could say it’s because of pressure, but Aikman was under pressure plenty of times too. It’s about reading defenses, audibilizing, and making accurate, well-timed throws. The offensive line only gave up 1 sack, and alot of that is because of the quick release from Bledsoe, but ya have to think that when a team puts that many guys up in the box, and don’t even try to mask it, we have to be able to beat them somewhere with TG, or one of the other recievers. You beat them a few times and the pressure gets backed off. So, eventhough the O-line being hurt is hurting us, it could be alot worse, like 5+ sacks, etc. The protection has been ok, but the play-calling leaves alot to be desired. I wonder how much influence Parcells has on Sean Payton’s offensive preparation(game-plan). I couldn’t stand Payton when he was with the Giants, and I haven’t seen anything to change my mind about him here. The 1st Philly game is what we need to do, come out and strike quick, get a lead, make the other team change their game-plan. We have the weapons, utilize them. Then once we have a lead, the defense can play more aggresive, and get more consistent pressure, instead of going on the field every series like it’s do or die. It has helped them grow up quick though. When I meant dominating before, I meant no team has been able to do what they normally do. We stopped Tiki, Tomlinson, Alexander, what else could u ask for. That’s two of the premier backs taken out of their game. I feel that with the few additions your talkin about, and getting the starters all back healthy on Defense, and giving them a decent lead, they WILL be DOMINANT!

Guys the broncos really didn’t beat us,we beat ourselves.I felt like our guys played a very good game against a quality opponent.No team this year has been able to soundly beat us!Off topic,but do you remember Steve Hoffman?Our kicking coach who was released? Well,if I remember correctly we had a much better kicking game when he was around.He even helped rehab Cundiff after his injury.Since there is no salary cap on coaching staff,why couldn’t we bring him back in as an advisor/coach to help with focus and accuratcy?I mean it’s obvious that we have a propensity to play with any team therefore causing us to have lots of close games at the end,so having a deadly FG kicker is an absolute must!He’s not with another team right now as far as I know and we sure had better kicking when he was around.Having an accurate FG is gonna be so important down the stretch and well worth the cost…….just my opinion.

I wouldn’t write off Cundiff just yet. Up until that kick, his FGs and X-pts were pretty damn straight, nice kicks. Even the 56 yarder was perfectly straight. Unlike Cortez who made ya cringe even on the x-pts. The kick he missed was actually kicked pretty straight, but the ball was placed on the left hash mark, and then it was slightly pulled, not much, he just missed it. Kick the damn ball from the center of the field. I don’t know about anyone else, but I was down at Texas Stadium last year for the Giant game, and got to go down on the field/locker room tour on Monday. We got to kick filed goals, throw balls around, etc. It was totally awesome by the way. I never tried kicking a field goal before, but after a few tries, I was able to get the hang of it, and was kicking from the 20 – 25 yard lines, so about 35 yard filed goals. I had plenty of leg, eventhough it was more of a line drive, no o and d-lines in front of me, etc. BUT… These guys kick who knows how many on a daily basis, it’s their job, and they have to be pretty damn good to even make the pros. Plus, most of them have big, strong legs. Simply put, they should be damn near perfect from inside the 40 as long as there is no bad snap, bad hold, and the weather isn’t a factor(the snap & hold were perfect btw yesterday) That’s why Parcells took Cundiff back, because he was pretty accurate from inside the 40, I think like 27 out of 28 or something. That should be his last miss for awhile…

TNEW also dropped a chance at 6 points…….Bledsoe gives CHUMP Bailey 6 and Cundiff misses.

We can play with anybody. I liked Parcells assessment……I liked the EFFORT but not the OUTCOME.

Our Defense is for real and an OT letdown is not surprising after holding them to just 89 yards in regulation.

We will beat the Giants and gain sole possession of first place after Seattle beats the GMEN as well!!!!

Raf, Can we really have a better team for 06? What players are going into their last year of their contracts? Then…we need a Safety, Linebackers and a few offensive lineman. How long before we don’t have LA and Rivera up front? How about Bledsoe, KJ and Glenn?

I really hope Jerry doesn’t crew up and bring T.O. or if they do, I hope Parcells gets a few chats with him before we joins us….I hate that selfish SOB…

the running was stuffed over and over-then they pulled out some weird-looking outside run for JJ that actually worked pretty well-I I know some people don’t want to blame the play-calling and I see their points, but what happened to running OUTSIDE every once in a while!!!! Pitch the ball to the RB, stretch out the defense, and let him make a quick cut when a seam opens! You can’t just run off-tackle!!!!! Emmitt wasn’t the quickest RB but he did all right with that play. But in the end, we’re going nowhere in the playoffs with this O-line. It’s so bad our coaches are changing the whole game plan based on lack of confidence in protection. It’s a sad day when you throw, what, 4 wide receiver screens! And a lot of quick drops, short passes-all because the Oline couldn’t protect. The Denver Def. had the equivalent of a 6-8 sack day, no matter what the stats show, because they disrupted our whole play-calling

After taking the 2nd best team in the AFC to overtime yesterday and losing by a fieldgoal, I can say this with confidence:

DALLAS IS THE BEST TEAM IN THE NFC.

We WILL be in the playoffs, and WE WILL BE IN THE SUPERBOWL THIS YEAR.

Write it down.

rich,

Amen!

We’re not heading to any superbowl this year with this offensive line, maybe playoffs, but this team cant afford to make one mistake in games, they’re just not good enough to overcome them. Heading down the stretch, you have to be able to run the ball consistantly, we have proven all year that we cant and with the questionable play calling at times in certain situations in games, this team will be hard pressed to be 3-3 down the stretch, but superbowl, forget it. And saying we are the best team in the NFC, doesn’t say much, since the best teams are in the AFC.

Write it down, NO SUPERBOWL THIS YEAR.

bUT I’ll be more than happy to eat that crow.

I was surprised that Henry wasn’t active for the game. Did he hurt himself again in last Sunday’s game or Did BP just want to make sure he’s ready for the giants and Plax?

What’s up with Dat? He was the leading tackler on the team before the injury now I don’t even hear his name? Is he not getting better or has he been demoted?

enough of this crap, its time to run the table, end all this speculation, beat the giants, go right back, beat the skins, beat the panthers, chiefs and rams, sweep it all, get our bye, run the playoffs, and roll to Detroit…but either way, I love this team, I wont sit here and nitpick or criticize this game, thats for the coaches to do, like fighter15 said, Im a fan, not a critic…
one point that hasnt been adressed (since all the rest of them have been covered), someone said that crayton needs to come back and we need to pull Price cuz hes no good, or cant cut it…hes had no chance this year so far, they dont have plays designed for him…its not his fault…

ManTab,

Who’s in serious danger of falling off performance wise because of age? Larry Allen and Rivera are the only guys I can think of. Glenn still burns people and Keyshawn isn’t exactly a burner, so I’m not concerned about them. Ellis, Ferguson and Glover are over 30 defensively, but with Spears, Canty and Coleman playing well, and Ratliff coming back, they’re not going to get overworked.

Guard is my primary concern. I’m watching the tape right now and see some good things from Al Johnson. Tucker may be a lifesaver next year, since he can play three positions (more on this next week).

Here’s a teaser, the guy struggling most on the o-line yesterday was Larry Allen. I think because he’s the lineman with the legs least likely to bounce back in a short week. He’s getting beaten repeatedly by Michael Myers of all people.

Let that one sink in.

Raf,
I agree, the O-line and guard play and particularly Allen was terrible, Johnson appears to have played with an injury, and may be done for the year, he was having an MRI today. Julius Jones is clearly not right and appears to be still suffering from the ankle injury. We get no push at all from our O-line and the Backs rarely hit the hole without having juke someone in the backfield before hitting the line.Rivera has been a big disapointment in my opinion, he’s average at best. We’ve got to revamp this line through the draft in the offseason and get a good offensive line coach, we really miss hudson hauck

Raf,

really? LA? All I saw on the replays during the game was him getting off a couple of blocks during runs? I guess they don’t replay the OLine Pass Blocking….

Can’t wait for your post tape viewing review.

AW,

where are you?? If any game seemed to scream – someone break something big – it was this one.

Raf,

I can’t help but think back to Training camp when someone wrote in that their 17 yr old kid could block better than Torrin Tucker…….

AlanTdot,

Yeah, that’s why we’re watching and Parcells is making the big money. He held on to Tucker and right now he’s saving the o-line, such as it is.

Derrick,

The line didn’t play badly yesterday, at least in the first half, which is where I’ve stopped watching for the day. What I see is a damn good run defense that blitzes linebackers off the backside of plays. D.J. Williams can fly.

What’s also clear, and this is not news, is that Dallas would really benefit from a blue chip fullback. There are many plays where the linemen all get hats on people but that knockout block to lead Jones and Barber through the hole is missing.

Trouble is, where do you find good fullbacks these days? The college game is even more wide open than the pros, so nobody develops them anymore.

The emergences of Myers & Ekuban in Denver make Jones & Lacewell—and Shanahan, look a little less obtuse right now. Before the season I figured Denver’s relocation of the Cleveland D-line would be a bust but they have really have made it work.

I donâ€â"¢t have film or stats on which to base this, itâ€â"¢s just my impression that there has not been a terrible drop-off in performance between Flozell Adams & Torrin Tucker. Adams was getting beat inside and turned around a lot and generally underachieving—a continual focal point for Parcells, when he was playing and the Cowboys noted ability to run left behind he and L.A. had diminished somewhat. Tucker may actually be doing a better overall job especially considering the jump in improvement from preseason to now. I donâ€â"¢t think a healthy Adams is an automatic fix; his play was not of pro-bowl caliber. Petitti has done well for a sixth-round rookie and even though I agree that Rivera has been a bigger disappointment, The Cowboys can actually mount a successful rush right, a dimension that seemed absent last season.

Excellent point-and no way should people be getting on JJ’s case-there was nowhere to run!! When there’s a hole he and Barber are fine. What about the way Denver got off our snap so quick? I wonder if anything is going to be found on that, that we’re tipping off somehow. Alsom I was mad that we didn’t blitz more, but then I watched Denver’s first scoring drive-we blitzed twice and got burned-I think our linebackers aren’t athletic/quick enough to be effective blitzing. I wish we’d send Roy in a few times more each game, though. I’m beginning to think we just don’t have the personnel to pressure the QB right now-maybe next year as the young guys develop……….In some ways this was an encouraging game, but I guess what’s frustrating is that our weaknesses are so easy to see. At least we have a secondary now-and don’t have to pick and choose which holes to fill in the offseason-a fullback and Oline, either free agents or draft. And yet, we should make the playoffs, and once we do we have a good chance with an experienced QB and a tough D-just wish we had a running game too. It’d be fun to see this team go up against the Colts………………

If we win the division I think we will grab the 3 seed (the bears getting the 4th) that means we would play the wild card team that gets in last (bucs, giants, falcons) All winnable games at home. With a win we face either the Panthers (i think) or Seahawks. Wait, we faced SEA on the road already and already faced the Panters on the road already. We CAN win the NFC this year, but I think it all depends on:

3. Step Up In The Red Zone
2. Get Healthy (Henry, Crayton, Dat, Shanle, Julius) Flo has been a great loss but Tucker has showed something.
1. PROTECT BLEDSOE

Anyone else notice that in the 1st quarter the Broncos seemed like they jumped offsides nearly EVERY play?

Did everyone read the bit about Shaun Suisham in Mick’s Mail on DallasCowboys.com?

The kid kicked field goals of 57 & 58 yards in consecutive weeks of high school playoffs. He also led the team in tackles and was the enforcer on their hockey team. That either reveals a lot about Suisham as a player or tells more about the state of their football & hockey teams!

Mick said Cundiff will be due a larger paycheck next season as a free agent, suggesting we may not have seen the last of Suisham.

Mick also said that Al Johnson will undergo arthoscopic surgery this week. He hurt his knee I think in warmups yet played the whole game through it. Thats pretty impressive

BTW, Rafael, Spagnola in Mick’s Mail responds a question to a guy in Washington that says that in the Dayne play Spears got hugged by a defender, Spagnola reviewed the film and saw that too, a really bad game by that crew, a really bad game…

Go cowboys

Here we ‘go’… I ‘hate’ the broncos.

The worst part about this loss is hearing how Denver is the 2nd best team in the NFL now, after they were just outplayed by the Cowboys and won because we spotted them 10 points (Bledsoe’s gift to Bailey and Cundiff’s missed chip shot FG.)

Just like we’ve been hearing how Seattle is tough, when Dallas had them beat at their place.

Dallas needs to stop giving games away, so we can make the playoffs and make everyone shut up.

damn straight lex,im tired of giving other teams props for how good they are, when the facts are we beat them down and if we dont screw up we win,PERIOD.when we play the gints,i fully expect us to beat their -SS.

Mickey Spagnola suggested that the coaches may have slowed the speed of the snap from Johnson to Bledsoe, to correct earlier exchange problems. Slower snaps could give an advantage to defensive linemen. Did anyone notice slower snaps?

I think it’s just the law of averages as Parcells has said. As long as we keep every game close, we’re gonna lose a few. Sometimes we get lucky (in Philly), sometimes unlucky (Cundiff’s kick), and sometimes players make boneheaded plays (Roy Williams), and sometimes they come up big (Williams again).

We all like to think of the team as a team that could be 9-2. They could also be 4-7, y’know. I mean, we couldn’t put away San Francisco early in the season!

That being said, as long as the Boys get to the playoffs, they can hang with anyone. This truly is an Any Given Sunday type of team.

I was reading through the April archives and came across a post (comment 86, â€Å"Second Round Timeline”, http://blog.theboys.com/?p=112) that was facetiously made but now seems both prophetic and strange because, well, maybe we can chalk one up to the curse after all. I said, â€Å"McNabbâ€â"¢s on the Madden cover, heâ€â"¢s done. ;)” Coincidence?

Jay Feely’s my hero! LOL