Tampa or bust for the Dallas Cowboys
JJT has really been on fire of late. Recently he's pumped out a few good articles and started his own blog. I give a lot of the Cowboy beat writers grief but I really respect what they do. They do it a lot better than I can.
He hits a variety of high notes in his latest article. "Bling bling" should be our motto this year because anything less than a Super Bowl trip won't do.
The Cowboys are also the NFC's best team. That's not meant to disrespect the Cowboys' NFC East rivals, Seattle or New Orleans, all of whom are capable of beating the Cowboys on a given day, but let's be real.
The Cowboys were the best team in the NFC last year, compiling a 13-3 record, but failed to get the job done in the playoffs.
Again.
We must give the Giants credit for a remarkable playoff run that included road wins over Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay, before shocking the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
But no one really thinks the Giants were the league's best team last year. They simply rode a dominating defense and an opportunistic offense to a championship.
There's no shame in that. Any franchise would love to do that. The Cowboys certainly would.
Still, there's no need to act as though the Giants are a great team or Eli Manning is about to become the next Tom Brady. He's not.
That would be a zinger directed toward Eli Manning!
FOXSports.com's John Czarnecki continues the Romo-Eli comparisons.
Who doesn't like Tony Romo? Heck, he passed for 36 touchdowns last season and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to give him millions and secure his employment for years to come. But there are people who say until Romo wins a postseason game, something he didn't do in college, either, he will never be considered a top-notch NFL quarterback.
There is no question that the Hall of Fame is full of quarterbacks who won multiple championships, but there are also a few like Dan Marino and Dan Fouts who never won a Super Bowl. Fouts and Warren Moon never even played in one. I believe this is the season that Romo finally wins a playoff game...
Romo and Manning are perfect examples of how over-analyzed the NFL quarterback position is on an annual basis. Romo, with Jessica Simpson on his arm, is already considered a star whereas Manning really is one. He was the Super Bowl MVP.
Nick Eatman has a great training camp preview at dallascowboys.com. It's very thorough. Although it doesn't cover much new ground it's an excellent synopsis of each position. I highly recommended it.
Key quotes about the offensive line.
Offensive Line
The Cowboys had three offensive linemen starting in the Pro Bowl last season, but still looming large is how the line struggled against the Giants' heavy pass rush in the playoff loss. Left tackle Flozell Adams was re-signed to a six-year deal and likely will end his career in Dallas. Marc Colombo will anchor the right side once again, while Kyle Kosier and Leonard Davis, who made his first Pro Bowl appearance last year, are returning to handle the guard spots. Andre Gurode made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons and should start to get some national attention as one of the NFL's best centers.The question marks come after the starting five. The Cowboys drafted three offensive tackles - Pat McQuistan, James Marten and Doug Free - in the last three seasons and someone from that group needs to emerge. Cory Procter and Joe Berger have the inside track for the backup spots at guard and center, respectively.
The Cowboys also added some depth in the offseason, signing Cory Lekkerkerker, who played under new line coach Hudson Houck in both San Diego and Miami. The club also signed offensive tackle Ryan Gibbons and guard Adam Stenavich. All three players have minimal playing experience in regular-season games.
ESPN's LZ Granderson says he's got to know the real T.O. and he's a pretty good guy. Imagine that.
The cynics who are reading this think I'm either a jock-sniffing columnist or just plain naive. I can tell you I'm neither. I'm just a guy who has gotten to know someone and has grown a little tired of the rampant misrepresentation of that person. Again, he's responsible for a lot of the criticism that's directed his way, but there are cats with DUIs and steroid suspensions who receive much more love. Is it really all about his constantly putting his foot in his mouth, or are some of us just shooting at an easy target? And, in either case, when do we cut the guy some slack?
Word. And that goes double for Tony Romo.
Alright. I've always respected Donovan McNabb's game. Mostly because he kicked our butts for a good portion of a decade. I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he came under fire from critics and I disagreed with almost all of them -- including Terrell Owens.
But now it seems like McNabb has been liberated by the criticism and he's saying some off-the-wall stuff. Take this for example.
"We beat the Cowboys last year, and we should have beaten them in the first game," said McNabb, apparently not afraid to provide a little bulletin board material for the folks training in Oxnard, Calif. "The Redskins, we should have beaten them the first time. The Giants, we should have beaten them both times. It's not just teams in our division; it's the NFC, period. I feel like we can compete with all of them. If you ask those teams, they'll tell you the same, that we have the type of team you have to look out for.
Uh, check this out. We whipped you in the first game. In Philly. 38-17. You fumbled on the first play. T.O. had 10 catches for 174 yards. We had 437 total yards and reached the end zone five times. The entire debacle is here.
You can compete with us. But you're not going to win. We'll look out for you. Then look back out the rear window after we run over you.
Sweet delusion. I know it's a comfort to most Iggles fans but wake up and smell the fava beans, Mr. Chunky Soup.
Hat tip and shout out to bigdogarita and his fanpost here.
Hat tip and shout out to billito and his fanshot here.
FOXSports.com's Randy Hill has a weird article that details what each team in the league should be happy about and what they should be worried about. His take on the 'Boys? Be happy about Adam Jones and our running game. Be worried about our locker room. He also compares our team to "The View."
Are we comparing the 'Boys to the "The View" now? Really? I hit the mute button whenever I hear Elisabeth Hasselbeck talking. I might have to do the same with you Mr. Hill.
Dallas released OLB Khari Long and will bring in Jeff Terrell.
Hat tip and shout out to Deke for his fanpost here.
Go to dynastyrogues.com to hear Dave Halprin talk about Felix Jones and our No. 2 wide receiver issues. Scroll down a bit and you'll see it in the middle column.
Man. I feel so proud hearing Grizz represent for BTB. I feel like clapping my hands like Mama Klump. Hercules! Hercules! Hercules!
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Quinn Gray
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/SPORTS03/80724031/1100
Looks like Quinn Gray found a home with Colts.. That should have been us. Well we know he will not see the field behind the ironman Peyton Manning..
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on Jul 24, 2008 5:05 PM CDT 0 recs
they also picked up the hefty lefty
hopefully lorenzen gets the #2 job and peyton is still recovering week 1, so I can see the starting qb for the colts looking bigger than their center
by Zak on
Jul 25, 2008 4:32 AM CDT
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Nice job TH
But didn’t I tell you McNabb was over-rated a couple seasons ago? Just sayin ;)
T-New, shutting down WR's for Dallas since 2003
by APerfectStar on Jul 24, 2008 5:37 PM CDT 0 recs
McNabb
I don’t think he is over-rated. Look at the scraps he has been working with..
He is top 10 QB..
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 24, 2008 7:43 PM CDT
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i get the feeling...
terry’s gonna jump in the conversation soon…
but when he’s HEALTHY he CAN be a top 10 QB…but he hasn’t been a top 10 QB for a while…since…oh..i don’t know…T.O. left…..
but i do fear him tho. and that’s the highest compliment I can give to an opposing QB…
by Tuna Helper on
Jul 24, 2008 7:45 PM CDT
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who
Are the 10 better QB’s? I don’t see it..
Is it fair to knock a guy with very little talent to work with?
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 24, 2008 10:16 PM CDT
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for the most part...
i think we agree. i happen to think highly of mcnabb’s skills. but, like I said, the caveat is that he’s healthy.
10 QBs that are better? let’s see.
Romo.
P. Manning.
Brady.
Carson Palmer
Brees
Garrard
Roethlisberger
Hasselbeck
that’s the cut off. I could make arguments for Derek Anderson, Bulger and Garcia but I don’t think they are quite the weapon McNabb is when he’s healthy.
Ok. That’s only 8. Guess your right. lol.
by Tuna Helper on
Jul 24, 2008 11:53 PM CDT
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He's not suited for that offense
His weakness are the intermediate and short passes.
When healthy, he is great at avoiding the rush and flinging the ball downfield. But he has a noticeable lack of touch on passes that you should make as a QB in that WCO. His stats bear this out. You can’t blame the people around him( except Fred-Ex and Stinkston). He was leading the Iggles right out of the playoff race in 2006 before he got injured, Garcia came in and showed how to run the offense. Same supporting cast, and they made the playoffs. His days as an Iggle are numbered. He’d probably be great if you put him in an offense where they run the football well, and set him up for play-action passes.
T-New, shutting down WR's for Dallas since 2003
by APerfectStar on
Jul 25, 2008 2:17 AM CDT
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I agree that he was an excellent QB
but with age and injury, skills decline. And especially for a guy who was most effective when he was buying time with his feet and forcing defenses to assign spies (though not in the Patriot sense of the word). McNabb is not the QB he was five years ago.
What strikes me, though, is how ego-driven he is. The world piled on Owens for the Philly blow-up, but I’m beginning to see what McNabb’s part might have been. At my most charitable, I’d say he is not the right personality to deal with TO.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
by dunkman on
Jul 25, 2008 6:46 AM CDT
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talented guy, but he has become injury prone
Still a top 10 QB, but a tough guy to count on considering his injury history..
I am not sure how you can get mad a guy for telling you how he really feels. I hate the fact that players get killed because they make a prediction.. The media can make predictions on the game, but the players who actually have control of the game can not? Media can be more wrong more then they are right, but a player makes one bad call, and they are an idiot? Makes no sense to me.. You are telling me McNabb should go in to the season thinking they can’t compete? The guy has lead his team to 4 straight NFC Championshp games, he knows what it takes. I don’t get it.. Mean what you say and say what you mean..
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 25, 2008 9:40 AM CDT
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Only that
he’s pretty deluded. He should be able to recognize that the Giants won the SB and Dallas is an up and coming team. Believing that you can compete is one thing. Believing that you are the best in the toughest division is something completely different. His statement is extreme in this sport and smacks of whistling past the graveyard.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
by dunkman on
Jul 25, 2008 9:17 PM CDT
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what do you mean by over-rated?
Up until 2 years ago he had more playoff wins then Peyton, actually he still might..
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 25, 2008 9:41 AM CDT
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he's not the elite qb
he’s portrayed to be. Sorry, but he’s not that accurate of a passer and usually wilts in pressure situations. ala SB XXXIX when he’s puking up all over the field.
In Romo we Trust
by Terry on
Jul 25, 2008 10:02 AM CDT
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Elite, nope
Good yes, I have never considered him Elite, but he is good. There are 2 Elite Qb’s in the leauge. Ben has a ring, but Ben was horrible in the Super bowl… So I guess he isn’t over-rated by my standard.
Most of the media says Donavan is good QB, I agree with that. You are in PA so the media you listen to might over hype him, but the national consenus is dead on.
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 25, 2008 11:33 AM CDT
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I don't ever listen to local media
NFL Network and ESPN are really the only media I listen to or watch. I’m from western PA so the local media doesn’t cover the Eagles anyway.
In Romo we Trust
by Terry on
Jul 25, 2008 1:09 PM CDT
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THEN
I definitely don’t know where you are getting the elite tag for McNabb, even though he looked close when he was throwing to TO
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 25, 2008 3:50 PM CDT
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well, I've heard many ESPN and NFL Netwqrk guys
say he was an eilte qb, now ones definition of elite might differ, but I’ve heard him praised as one of the best which he isn’t.
In Romo we Trust
by Terry on
Jul 25, 2008 4:07 PM CDT
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This gem had me laughin
“Sweet delusion. I know it’s a comfort to most Iggles fans but wake up and smell the fava beans, Mr. Chunky Soup.”
bahaha.. nice Tuna, nice..
by sublimezg on Jul 24, 2008 5:49 PM CDT 0 recs
wait, so you actually watch The View??
(I did once when Obama was on, but that’s it…)
by scottmaui on Jul 24, 2008 6:14 PM CDT 0 recs
Go ahead Scott
get it all off your chest. Did you cry during “Terms of Endearment”? Do you go to Hannah Montana shows?
This is 2008. It’s really OK.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
by dunkman on
Jul 25, 2008 6:48 AM CDT
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okay, I admit it
I tivo Oprah and my favorite movie is On Golden Pond (in honor of Golden Richards, of course) ;)
by scottmaui on
Jul 25, 2008 11:54 AM CDT
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Team flight and presser delayed
FYI, Spags says team flight was delayed, and “So for those expecting a 4 p.m. (PDT) press conference, beware. that will be delayed, too.”
by scottmaui on Jul 24, 2008 6:15 PM CDT 0 recs
McNabb is dumb...
..And I’m an Eagles fan. This Cowboys game was the only time of the year when I felt we couldn’t compete. The Boys destroyed the Eagles, period.
by bubqr on Jul 24, 2008 7:33 PM CDT 0 recs
I don't actually think the Eagles will be bad this year
especially if McNabb is healthy, but you have to wonder about a guy who loses perspective like that. The NFC East is going to live up to its reputation as the toughest division in the league. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Eagles are good, but last year’s performances weren’t “on paper”. Dallas won the division, NYG won the Super Bowl and the Redskins played into the playoffs.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
by dunkman on
Jul 25, 2008 6:56 AM CDT
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He's a bit more thin skinned than an NFL QB should be
I think the drafting of Kolb really stung him hard. Maybe he’s over-doing it with these predictions to show the world he’s still the man in Philly. IMO
As much as I hated him when he was whipping the Boys, I always thought he was a tough, stand up guy. After the SB performance and the feud with TO, that changed.
T-New, shutting down WR's for Dallas since 2003
by APerfectStar on
Jul 25, 2008 5:39 PM CDT
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Thanks for the shout out TH
Way to give some love to the fanshots. Although McNabb is bordering on delusional, I still don’t like that loss to them last year and the eagles really have owned the boys wayyyyy too much in the last few years.
Sweep of the eagles and some playoff wins would sure taste sweet this season.
by Billito on Jul 25, 2008 12:12 AM CDT 0 recs
Eatman link is bad --NT
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
by Caradoc on Jul 25, 2008 1:47 AM CDT 0 recs
Larry Brown was superbowl MVP and he definitely wasn't a star
both Brown and Manning were nothing special. The difference between the two is Brown deserved to be superbowl MVP. Eli won because his last name is Manning.
by quincyyyyy on Jul 25, 2008 8:39 AM CDT 0 recs
i don't doubt that he got more consideration...
because his last name is manning…but that last second TD to beat an undefeated Patriots team and Romo-like scramble with the game on the line probably had more to do with it…....IMHO….he was aided by a great catch by Tyree tho. That has to be said too.
but like JJT said. let’s not pretend manning is the second coming of Brady. he ain’t. but he ain’t chop liver either. i kinda feel about manning the same way I feel about Mcnabb. despite the weaknesses in their game, I respect them as QBs and fear them as opponents because they’ve historically played well against the ‘Boys.
by Tuna Helper on
Jul 25, 2008 9:04 AM CDT
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So you say because he had one or two good drives that makes him a superbowl
MVP. Well in most football games it takes more than that to win the day. And you even said it yourself, on the most famous play of that game Manning overthrew the ball, but Tyree made a great catch. So Manning even screwed up there but his arse was saved thanks to Tyree. The whole game were other players making up for Manning’s lackluster play, especially the players on the defense.
Manning is not a bad QB, but he is not good either. He is a good bus driving QB. A QB that does reasonably well in a heavy running offense and can make some good throws every now and then, but you don’t trust him enough to put the game entirely on his shoulders like what we have asked of Romo time and time again. Comparison’s between Eli and Romo are ridiculous. Eli is a pissant compared to Romo in terms of talent. It’s not even close.
by quincyyyyy on
Jul 25, 2008 9:53 AM CDT
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Who should have been the MVP, then?
That’s why Eli won. The QB wins by default when nobody else has a big game. You can’t give it to Tyree for one catch. Peyton won it on the same grounds.
And why not Eli, exactly? He played pretty well when the chips were down, even if that meant Tyree making a miracle catch and Samuel dropping a championship-clinching INT.
by grapejoos on
Jul 25, 2008 3:01 PM CDT
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Justin Tuck
Eli didn’t play all that well. His performance wasn’t MVP worthy in any sense of the phrase. Justin Tuck had an excellent game from start to finish, Eli didn’t. I can’t see how you can justify Eli getting the MVP over Tuck.
by quincyyyyy on
Jul 25, 2008 3:17 PM CDT
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When a Qb leads his team down the field in the superbowl for a late game winning TD, he's getting the MVP award, period
by Deke on
Jul 25, 2008 3:49 PM CDT
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yup
and there’s an argument that you deserve it too.
by Tuna Helper on
Jul 25, 2008 6:43 PM CDT
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Eh if he made that trip to the endzone at the beginning of the first half
the would you still think he is an MVP? Its kind of arbitrary that he made a “late” game winning TD. You don’t get extra points in football for scoring points later in the game than earlier. The fact that he only led his team twice to the endzone the entire game is very unimpressive. Tuck had an excellent game from beginning to end. He should have been MVP.
Moreover, Tyree saved Eli’s tuchas. He bailed him out on that drive with that amazing catch. I wouldn’t give as much credit to Eli for that drive’s success as you seem to be doing.
by quincyyyyy on
Jul 26, 2008 12:10 PM CDT
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If you're going to look at the last drive,
you have to look at the fact that he nearly through the game away, if not for a dropped INT by Asante Samuel, the best CB in the league…..not. Anyway, the fact that anyone not named Justin Tuck won the MVP of that game is laughable.
by Mandmeisterx on
Jul 25, 2008 11:07 AM CDT
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i agree with the tuck comment, but..
i still see the eagles as the toughest of our foes in the east, they are well coached and have solid players at most positions, except o-line and that could bit them in the ass, still i think it’s between us and them for the east….jmo
The main Ingreident to pickle bread is dill dough...
by hashishkabob on Jul 25, 2008 12:37 PM CDT 0 recs
+1
As long as Westbrook is on the team, they are the biggest threat.
T-New, shutting down WR's for Dallas since 2003
by APerfectStar on
Jul 25, 2008 5:43 PM CDT
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IMO
Whatever team has the least amount of injuries is the biggest threat. Washington only team in the division that gets better when there QB goes down..
"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"
by Wmillion on
Jul 25, 2008 6:41 PM CDT
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NFC East best
division in the league, even over history, i think this division has accounted for more Championships than any other, & we just happen to lead the pack in that area.
ok, forget them now, this year we regulating.
Finally we got the speed to keep up with the likes of Westbrook,shutn that down.(screen play)
by bleedn blu on Jul 25, 2008 5:53 PM CDT 0 recs









