One Down, Six to go…

by gee-roj on Dec 15, 2008 1:14 PM CST

In 1992 the Cowboys lost to the Redskins at RFK to fall to 11-3 and fell out of the home field race against the 49ers who finished 14-2. At the time I thought to myself, “This team cannot lose again if they’re going to win a Super Bowl this year; they have to win 5 straight games now, all the way through.” Sure enough they did. The run started with a Monday Night drumming of the Falcons to improve to 12-3 and ended with an overall record of 16-3 and hoisting up the Vince Lombardy trophy, as they dismantled the Bills in Super Bowl XVII.

The following year was even more precarious as the defending champion Cowboys fell to 7-4 in the infamous, “No Leon” game in the snow. Somewhere in between accepting defeat at the hands of Dolphins and trying to understand the incredibly stupid way in which it had just happened; I came to another realization, “This team cannot lose again if they’re going to repeat as Super Bowl champs; they have to win 8 straight games now, all the way through.” Sure enough they did. This run started with an ugly win over the Eagles to improve to 8-4 and ended at 15-4 with a second straight Lombardy trophy and a second straight dominating performance over the Bills in Super Bowl XVIII.

Fast forward to 2008 and last Sunday, as I slowly cooled down from a most disappointing loss to the Steelers when I thought to myself, “This team cannot lose again if they’re going to win a Super Bowl this year; they have to win 6 straight games now, all the way through,”

Last night was certainly a great start. Next up, the Ravens. Let’s hope we can all say two down, five to go on Saturday night.

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Comments

Cowboys aren't going to lose another game this year

their defense is playing at a championship level for sure and Romo will start lighting teams up again.

I see them beating the Ravens and Eagles to finish the regular season and then beating the Cards, Giants and Panthers to advance to the SB and then beating the Steelers and exacting revenge from our Dec 7 loss in SB XLIII.

You heard it here first. ;)

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Dec 15, 2008 5:24 PM CST reply actions

I want Terry's Faith

unfortunitly I am stuck with my pessimism. Terry sometimes people like you make me sick and sometimes people like you make me feel a little better. Thank You

by bad knees on Dec 15, 2008 5:36 PM CST up reply actions

We will beat Baltimore

But Philly scares the hell out of me.

A free man with no honor is a prisoner.

by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Dec 15, 2008 6:48 PM CST reply actions

Me too

Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry - ESPN

by Nelson... on Dec 15, 2008 9:33 PM CST up reply actions

yup

let’s be honest, they had us beaten early this year

a gaffed handoff between mcmoron and westbrook gave us the victory.

granted, our D is much better now, but we’ll have to do even better this time around.

I commented. You're welcome.

another transplant from The Blue & Silver Report

by bulldog jeeper on Dec 16, 2008 6:12 AM CST up reply actions

The handoff didnt give us the victory.

by aussie_cowboy on Dec 16, 2008 7:02 AM CST up reply actions

The handoff didnt give us the victory.

They were still only on the halfway line and with four minutes or so left there is nothing to prove we wouldn’t have just moved back down the field to regain the lead even if they did score.

by aussie_cowboy on Dec 16, 2008 7:04 AM CST up reply actions

One game at a time

Beat Baltimore on Saturday night. That’s the only item on the horizon.

The key to winning that game is for the D to prove it is the best defense on the field, and for our offense to have another turnover-free game.

If we don’t turn the ball over, we should win every game. I hope our offense begins to realize that by now.

by VAfan on Dec 15, 2008 10:35 PM CST reply actions

The one game at a time thing might be important for players...

but not to us as fans, us looking ahead is not going to influence the Cowboys play next Sunday.

by aussie_cowboy on Dec 15, 2008 11:06 PM CST up reply actions

Philly

looks like they could beat you guys but you should tear up Baltimore, they suck against the pass. Colts passed against them and so did we, so it should be a blowout as long as you stick to the pass and mix some runs in there.

I don’t know about making it to the SB, you are playing well but if you play the Giants with Brandon Jacobs, I don’t think you win that game but that’s just my opinion. Eli is not a great quarterback and really needs a running game to have a fighting chance. Your D doesn’t like to tackle big guys so I don’t know how you are going to fare against McClain next week but you should win still. The Giants may beat you in the playoffs though because they are going to be looking for revenge. Not to mention Carolina ain’t too bad.

A rematch in the SB between the cowboys and steelers would be one for history. I don’t know how we would win, but we seem to always find a way.

by Bleed-Black&Gold on Dec 15, 2008 11:51 PM CST reply actions

Cowboys vs. Steelers part 4...

That would be a truly historic super bowl. It would be the 4th time these two franchises will have met and they’d be playing each other to see who would the first to 6. Wow! I wouldn’t be able to sleep for the entire two weeks leading up to the game.

However, I do think the odds are currently stacked against that happening. Pittsburgh I think will end up with home field but Dallas has got a very tough road, (literally, because after this Sunday every game will most likely be on the road) to get there and they need to stay healthy.

If I had to bet right now I might guess Giants vs. Steelers would be the Super Bowl but the Giants are definitely much more vulnerable now. Biggest reason is because the better defenses in this league don’t fear the Giants’ passing game down the field anymore. Now teams can stack the line and dare Eli to beat them down the field and until he does they won’t win.

This season has been so exhausting for me that I personally can’t look past the Ravens at this point. You don’t see an inter-conference match up with so much on the line very often.

0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.

by gee-roj on Dec 16, 2008 7:57 AM CST up reply actions

Speaking of Cowboys/Steelers in the Super Bowl....

I believe that Super Bowl XXX was actually the last time both conference’s top seeds squared off on Super Sunday; which since it hasn’t happened in so long might be all the more reason to think that it will finally occur again where both top seeds reach the Super Bowl this season. Actually, if you look at what’s happened recently, that would suggest a better chance of a Wild Card team reaching the Super Bowl than the Steelers holding serve at home in the AFC Title game.

Yep, that’s the only red flag about Pittsburgh is that they’ve consistently sucked at home in the playoffs. Besides that warning sign, I don’t know who’d beat them out of the AFC besides the Ravens; and it’s actually happened before like that for the Ravens when in their previous Super Bowl season they had to knock off a top-seeded Titans team.

As for the Giants, I don’t even think they’ll get the top seed. Carolina has more than enough talent on offense to make a run in the playoffs and what’s more; call it heresy if you want, Carolina actually knows how to maximize their offensive weapons week in, week out unlike a certain Ivy leaguer howdy doody looking motherhumper. Steve Smith’s had 4 straight 100-yard receiving games and averaging over 100 yards in his 12 games. DeAngelo William’s performing at a higher level than any back in the league right now. As long as Delhomme doesn’t melt down, the Panthers can definitely take the top seed away from the Giants next week.

Looking way too far ahead, the Cowboys do have a pretty good record playing in Carolina recently winning 3 out of the past 4 years up there.

by MadMick on Dec 16, 2008 2:05 PM CST up reply actions

Actually

The Steelers were the number 2 seed in the Super Bowl 30 season. Kansas City, (w/ Marty Schottenheimer), was the number 1 seed that year and lost their one and only playoff game to the Colts. The last time two number 1’s made it was in the 93 season when Dallas beat Buffalo. Is it sad that I know all of this?

It has really been an odd streak in the NFL however… The last 3 Super Bowl champs in a row have all come out of the first round of the playoffs. You have to look back to Super Bowl 39 when the Pats beat the Eagles to find a champ that went into the playoffs with a first round bye and the last number 1 seed to win was New England the year before. In fact, five of the last eleven champs have come out of the first round.

Compare that to the first 31 Super Bowls which only had one champ that came from round 1, (The Raiders in 83).

I don’t expect this trend will continue forever but I’d love to see it happen one more time this year. :-)

0 = The number of Super Bowls the Eagles have won.

by gee-roj on Dec 16, 2008 3:44 PM CST reply actions

You're right.

It’s pretty easy to forget either of Schottenheimer’s ’90s top-seeded Chiefs, though. Marcus Allen was the only household name on their offense. Donnell Bennett? Kimble Anders? Tamarick Vanover? The balance of their talent was definitely on defense.

Wow, so it’s actually been 15 years. That’s even more mind-blowing.

I definitely think it can happen one more time. Besides, there would be a fitting kind of symmetry to the Giants and Cowboys’ roles being reversed in this year’s playoffs, though.

by MadMick on Dec 16, 2008 4:00 PM CST up reply actions