Blogging The Boys: FanPosts

We go big or we go home...

2009-11-06T18:52:09Z

I just can't help but feel there is no middle ground this weekend. No "Hey we lost, but it was close and we'll get 'em next time."

No "Hey, we won, but it was close and we could do better."

Nope. Not this time. We go big, or we go home. That's my prediction. This game, I think, will go one of two ways:

Scenario #1

Cowboys score early and often. We give up one big play to Jackson, and stumble and give up a big play on special teams, but our D-backs step up for the most part, D-ware and the Rat get a couple sacks each, and our offense is lights out. Miles has a 90 yard game, Roy gets in the mix to hush the Media, the trio in the backfield have a solid day, and Crayton gets us good yardage on all those punts that the D forces.

and then there's that other option...

Scenario #2

Dismal. Remnants of last season's closing game. McNabb makes our D-backs look foolish. d-ware and Rat get shut out. Romo slips back into the turnover machine mode. Crayton fumbles the few punts we force.

Not sure why, I just feel like this won't be a "shoot out that;s decided on the last possession" like the NFL films guy said.

But, I could be wrong. And if I'm right, God let it be scenario 1.

great article from Philly writer

2009-11-06T16:04:04Z

The last place you would think to hear good things about the Cowboys would be a Philly newspaper, but hear is one. This article has a lot of good things to say about the Cowboys. Sounds very weird coming from a Philly writer. It does not sound like this guy was in the stands when Michael Irvin was laying on the turf hearing the cheers.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/columnists/20091106_Les_Bowen__Eagles_prepare_for_well-rounded_Cowboys_offense.html

Bench Roy Williams

2009-11-06T06:00:31Z

The most powerful, motivational, and smart move the Cowboys could make at this moment is to bench Roy Williams for the Philadelphia game.

Hear me out.

Our opinion of ESPN does not matter. It doesn't matter if they have a bias against the Cowboys.

The intent behind Roy's comments does not matter. He's been around long enough to know that the media will twist anything and everything in order to create a story.

The fact is this: Roy opened his mouth to reporters when 110 percent of his words and deeds should have been directed at either/both Romo and the coaching staff, in a productive manner.

The message should be sent by the Cowboys: we WILL NOT tolerate internal team dynamics to be made public. It is public knowledge that TO was let go primarily because of the dissent his brought to the locker room. To tolerate this -- even just a little bit -- moves the line back yet again. It sends a signal that one individual is greater than the team at large.

That attitude needs to be stamped out, with a vengeance, and right now, to reiterate our commitment to "team first."

It will also be a huge boost to the other leaders on this team -- Ware, Brooking, Witten, Ratliff, and more -- when they recognize that the "team first" concept -- the very thing THEY have been fighting for -- is indisputably in place.

For management to remain passive and/or quiet on this will no doubt subtly undermine those individuals who are doing their best, on the field and on the sidelines, to take this franchise to the next level. Ever expect your wife, husband, partner, whatever to have your back in a unified front? Um, yeah.

This might create problems for the Philly game -- and obviously important game. Then again, if he hasn't stepped up yet, how much will RW's absence affect us? It removes another threat, sure -- but I don't think a ton of teams are centering their game plans around RW, right now.

Demonstrate to Roy -- and the rest of the world -- that with Romo, Witten, Bennett, Crayton, Austin, Choice, Barber and Hurd -- we have enough to get a win over Philly.

Because we do.

And imagine the focus, discipline and respect with which those true teammates will take the field at the Linc.

Many of us say "Cupcake". . .we blather on about wanting a tougher-minded coach. . .but when something like this happens, we blame ESPN and make excuses for an underachieving wide receiver.

Time to man up. Act like the team we are and want to be.

Do what's radical.

It will pay off.

Matchups? Cowboys and Eagles looking to beat each other

2009-11-06T00:34:27Z

The questions are asked, the hope is there for us fans to see, you can't stop him, you can't stop that and my team is going to beat yours!

So senseless... So rose-colored vision... I believe that the game's going to be a though matchup that will be decided by many things that will take it either way, so I'll go through the most common scenarios from the Cowboys perspective and I'll try to be objective.

Battle of the trenches.

Everyone knows about the Eagles pass rush, or at least now we do... With the late Jim Johnson off the Eagles sideline, some expected that his D wouldn't be itself with a new DC in charge... Well, so far they're making Jim proud... They're stout, they continue to leave QBs with a grass adversion and they continue to be though to read.

The Cowboys pass rush used to be anemic in this season, they now have a series of games with 3+ sacks and they aren't using smoke and mirrors, they're mostly using the base packages for most of the damage. And furthermore, with all the 3 step drops that they've been seeing they're averaging a little above 10 QBs pressures per game, including 12 against Ryan and 16 hits.

The OLines and RBs will have to be on their toes, because these 2 teams don't like to keep maximum protection packages from hurting the passing options and explosiveness.

Coverage.

Sheldon Brown is playing at a shutdown corner type of level and Asante Samuel will make you pay if you go after him in a consistent basis, so, don't go after them in a consistent basis. With Romo coming from a game were he connected with 10 different targets we know that he can throw the ball to ALL of his options, I wouldn't be surprized to see the exact game plan that the team used against Seattle with Romo ending with a pretty good day and no receiver surpassing 80 yards. We've seen Witten, Austin, Bennett, Hurd, Choice and Jones going against LBs and Ss as their assignments in the past few games, I'll take that kind of matchup 10 times out of 10 against the Eagles.

I look at DeSean Jackson and I think of a healthy Santana Moss, Eagle fans would rip me for such a comparison but this early in DeSean's career it isn't far fetched... Jackson is on his way to a 1200+ yards season, Moss career best 1400 yards... They are also at their best when going deep... And that's a problem for Dallas, because they've been burned by them, but they have also found ways to control their damage and that's what they have to do. Damage prevention. I'm also more concerned about Celek than Maclin, but after seeing the Cowboys control and even dominate the likes of Gonzalez, Carlson, Scheffler and Boss, I'm not that intimidated... Look for the Cowboys to use Hamlin in deep support and Sensabaugh closer to the line to get the TE or a RB with some help from the LBs. Sensabaugh was close to flawless against Carlsoon and Gonzalez and that's no easy feat.

I believe that this will depend on the sharpness of the QBs because if they don't take advantage of their opportunities they may pay for it and they're both known for waking up with the inaccurate worm from time to time.

To run, or not to run.

That's the dilemma. Garrett, Reid, you both have a couple of great RB stables under your direction, running the ball has to be as close to a 50-50 proposition as possible, not doing isn't smart and you're both supposed to be pretty smart.

Run the ball!

And that's all that I can think of so far.

Roy - Your Dirty Laundry Stinks!

2009-11-05T22:44:24Z

We all went through it last year ... a divided locker room ... the finger pointing. Heck, we still have the "player" in Buffalo trying to point the finger at his old quarterback.

That is why Roy Williams' comments this week are all the more frustrating. With the team seemingly playing together for the first time in a long time, Roy wants to air out his personal frustration via the media. I think all Cowboy Nation gasped at first sight of Roy E. Williams' suggestive comments that his quarterback is to blame for his poor stats.

To me, there is only one thing to do: BENCH ROY!

Not that Williams' claims do not have any merit, they may, they might not. We could probably debate who is at fault, with good points on both sides, but right and wrong is not the point here. After a season were the locker room became divided by a certain "player" airing out his and the team's dirty laundry ... continuing that trend is not the answer.

The Cowboys as an organization have to make a statement that they will not tolerate this ... and benching Roy for a half or so might give him food for thought.

10 Keys to the Eagles game

2009-11-05T21:29:43Z

I think either team could win this game. It could be a close barnstormer, like last year's opening game in Dallas. Or it could be a lopsided affair, as it was at the end of last year, or the 2007 game when Dallas came in and dominated Philly. Of all the outcomes, I'd say a dominant Dallas win is the least likely, but it is certainly possible. If you bottle up Philly's weak running game and pressure McNabb, they can get frustrated on offense.

That being said, here are my thoughts on keys to the game for Dallas.

1. Protect the ball. If you look at the stats of the two teams, what jumps out is the turnovers Philly has generated. If we hand them the ball, they are going to beat us, plain and simple. And one turnover tends to morph into multiple turnovers, as Philly is able to gamble more with a lead, bring the blitz, jump routes, etc. If I had only one key to the game, and I'm tempted, this would be it. Equalize or win the turnover battle, and I think we win the game. Lose it and I think we lose the game.

2. Pressure and sack McNabb. Oakland beat them by sacking McNabb 6 times. When he has to run for it, his passes lose their accuracy and their offense can become ineffective.

3. Don't let Jackson get behind the secondary. We beat them in Dallas last year even though Jackson had a long TD hookup. But that's not a recipe for winning. The Eagles are not a team that dinks and dunks its way down the field any more. They like the HR ball. Stifle that and they become far less effective.

4. Cover KOs and punts. Our special teams play has been outstanding in both areas this year. But Jackson will test us. We need to neutralize them at least. It would be nice if either FJ or Crayton broke off some good returns of our own.

5. Use Felix Jones more. One pass on Sunday to FJ was Romo's easiest of the day -- judging by how wide open the receiver was and how quickly the ball came out -- and it went for 30 yards. This same play went for even more yards to open the season. With Philly likely sending lots of blitzers, the Cowboys need to use these outlet passes and screens to burn Philly and force them to consider dialing the pressure down a bit or pay for it. A well-designed trap/draw can also beat some blitzes, though Philly tends to try to get the runner on the way to the QB.

6. Don't force it to Roy. Romo to Williams needs to get fixed, and the sooner the better. But if it's not working early the same way it hasn't been working the last couple of games, then go somewhere else to keep the chains moving. 10 guys caught passes this last week, and Tashard was not even one of them. There are enough options out there without missing on Roy passes over and over again.

7. Keep hitting hard and forcing turnovers. Lately we've been getting these. The streak needs to continue and get better.

8. Let Choice run if MBIII is still too slow. MBIII had some nice holes and a couple of nice runs Sunday. But he can't get too far because it is obvious his leg is not near 100%. Given those same holes, Choice would likely have had quite a few more yards. If you aren't going to give those runs to FJ, then give a few to Choice. Granted, MBIII is still the best blocker. But in terms of running skill, with a bum leg he's the 3rd best choice (unless you are talking short yardage).

9. Use the tight end down the middle and to keep the chains moving. Boss had some of the Giants' best plays down the middle. Witten used to beat Dawkins here regularly. I'm still waiting for Dallas to throw this pass to the faster Bennett, who might actually break it all the way. Also, Philly's corners have a lot of their picks, but are less likely to cover the TEs.

10. Be more physical. We have a huge, bruising offensive line. And Philly's offensive line, while in better shape than it was a few weeks ago, still has holes. We need to win the battle in the trenches. Philly often makes up for this by bringing unique blitzes and by swarming. Still, when Dallas has won these matchups, it is usually b/c we find ways to take advantage of our superior size. This game should be no different.

Relax Dallas Fans; Roy Williams Isn’t Turning Into T.O.

2009-11-05T21:16:33Z

via www.nfltouchdown.com

There was a section on MSN.com about Roy Williams possibly being another Terrell Owens which we can all sum up in a few words like selfish, whiny, and destructive.

The quotes given were taken from a direct article by Tom Orsborn on mysanantonio.com

Roy Williams said, "I’m the No. 1 receiver, but things are just going No. 2’s way."

Immediately, one could think that he is complaining about the ball not being thrown to him, but that isn’t the case here.

This rumor here needs to be blown into tiny little pieces before ESPN starts acting unprofessional and reporting this junk, and I will start preparing my TNT right now.

For one thing, couldn’t the statement mean that things are working for Miles Austin instead of Miles Austin is getting the ball more than him?

Roy Williams has not been the productive receiver that he was in Detroit, and that is disappointing, considering Dallas traded a first, a third, and a sixth round draft pick for Roy Williams and a seventh round pick.

I think that was has happened with the lack of production between Williams and Romo is a series of accidents and miscues between the quarterback and the wide receiver.

Passing is all about timing. It isn’t like the Madden games, where you just press the button and the ball goes directly to the receiver accurately.

The receiver has to know the routes, has to know the passer’s tendencies, and vice-versa.

Roy Williams frustratingly said that the balls aren’t being thrown correctly though. "I’m stretching and falling and doing everything. Everybody who’s been here, (their) balls are there. Our footballs (thrown from Romo to Williams) are everywhere right now."

Yeah, that sounds negative, but he’s a receiver. Every receiver wants the ball.

He isn’t trying to say that he needs the ball over everyone. He’s saying that he and Romo need to be on the same page more often so that he can prove to Dallas fans that he is a great receiver.

Now, I don’t know who is at fault on those passes. I can’t read their minds, but it could be Romo’s fault. It could be Williams’ fault.

What I do know is that there is an old saying out there.

Want to finish the rest of it? Please go here

I hope you enjoy my work and even subscribe.

Should Wade's contract be extended???

2009-11-05T17:51:52Z

Buddy who lives in the Dallas area said that this was the topic of the mediots most of the morning yesterday. Our Boys do something bad and they are ready to run the lot out of town, do something good and they are full of the cheese. He was incredulous over it. His reasoning was sound, what has he done to deserve it? What has he proven yet? Wait until he shows the capability of getting us over the December/playoff hump.

Got me to thinking however (I know, scary stuff). What if it was smart to simply hedge your bet so to speak? IF, I say IF, you could extend his contract in such a way that gives him an extension with some pay increase, but keeps the possibility of sending him packing at the end of the year. You are covered both ways. If he is able to do it, he gets some stability and you've locked him up from other teams when he could command more money. That would save you money down the road. If he isn't able to get us over that hump, you aren't restricted from moving on.

Again, this post isn't meant to make the arguement that he should get one based on merit in anyway whatsoever. I completely disagree with the premise of what the media was arguing. My line of thinking was based on a past fanshot by Tim Wilson, http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2009/10/19/1091130/youre-not-a-winner-until-youre-a. We don't know how this season is going to play out, but enjoy the ride and plan for the what ifs.

The true reason I hate Philly more than any other team...

2009-11-05T11:15:54Z

I saw this while scanning Bleeding Green Nation..the SBNation Eagles blog...

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2009/11/3/1113770/pretty-angry-after-reading-this

*Disclaimer - I know not all Eagles fans have this mentality and am not trying to insinuate that they do. But, some of them do and this is unbelievable*

There is no way anything like this would ever happen at Cowboys Stadium. Say what you want about the band-wagoners (which you hope would be gone after a 12 year playoff drought) and Hollywood image of the Cowboys. At least we have the ability to differentiate fanhood from manhood. This is despicable and miserable.

I know this is not necessarily a reflection on the team and I keep that in mind..but, the way Philadelphia fans identify themselves as the most rowdy and antagonistic fans in the nation has truly hit a new low. There is a great thing to be seen in supporting your team and being willing to throw out some verbal daggers in support of your home turf..that's what being a fan is all about. But that all means nothing when people lose track of their simple humanity and become vile loathsome individuals like the ones described in this post.

Before now I was hoping for a good game that Dallas would pull out in the end...now I want these newly confident Cowboys to go in there and absolutely trash the Eagles...not so much to show the team disrespect but to give these fans what they truly deserve...a good whooping behind the wood shed.

If this ever happened at Cowboys stadium I'd hope that other Cowboys fans would pummel the idiots for disgracing our team.

(Football post to follow tomorrow...but saw this and had to see others opinions)

Is Roy Williams even #2 ?

2009-11-05T03:34:51Z

At this point I have seen just about a seasons worth of Roy Williams and I'm not sure he is even the second best receiver on the team. Austin has clearly emerged as our # 1 receiver, and I don't think Williams is any better than Crayton, and I think given the oppertunity Hurd would be as productive. You could even argue Williams doesn't have as much value as Hurd and Crayton because of their special teams play. And I just have a gut feeling about Ogletree. I guess the jury is still out on Williams, but something is missing for sure!!!!

Poll

Do you think Williams is the best option at the #2 receiver spot?

Poll: Does Austin have what it takes?

2009-11-05T02:13:19Z

Austin is about to go up against one of the best secondaries in the NFL. Their yards per attempt is 4th, and they rank third in ints. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are arguably the most potent CB duo in the league. If there was ever a test to truly see if Austin is the real deal here it is.

f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f f

Poll

How will Austin do Sunday night?

Soy Willy tries to throw Romomentum under the short bus

2009-11-04T23:13:11Z

NFL Network just reported that Williams speaks out saying 'Im the No 1 receiver, but the balls going to No 2'

to tell you the truth, I have wondered if Romo is freezing out Roy Williams for his role in the attempted playcalling coup at the end of last season. the disconnect is so painfully obvious when you can see Romo is keyed in on austin, crayton, hurd, witten and now bennett.

it's ridiculous for Roy to come out with this now, especially because he is doing more than his share contributing to the problem. this is just crazy. who needs this drama during philly week? i've seen a fair share of blame between tony's inaccuracy and roy's lack of effort on routes. the thing is, if tony is freezing roy out, hello-- earn your way back into his good graces. it's obvious this ship is going to sail with or without you, so get on board. this is the exact opposite effect.

here's the link from BSPN

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/news/story?id=4622709

you can see the frustration growing, and I know manipulative media can sneak a quote out of the best of them, but where is the professionalism to not distract the team for your own selfish gain. now, whatever happens- the mainstream media will have a juicy storyline to abuse. if williams breaks out, storyline. if he still struggles, discord in the locker room storyline.

dumb.

shout out to Soy Willy originator

Is this the week the Eagles attack with an unforeseen use of the, "Wild Cat" featuring Michal Vick?

2009-11-04T15:59:30Z

Is this the week the Eagles unleash (no pun intended) Michael Vick? I certainly hope not because I think it will catch the Cowboys’ D “off-guard.” I fear that Andy just might have 4 or 5 choice plays he’s been developing (for Vick) and has been waiting for both the chemistry to come to together in practice and the right game to unpackaged them in. Could that be this Sunday?

Will we see the more pass happy explosive Cowboys of the past couple games this Sunday? Or will it be the bruising version that lead the league in rushing after week 3? Personally I hope it’s a balanced mix of both. I don’t expect the Eagles to play a one dimensional defense so neither do I expect the Cowboys to counter with a one dimensional offense. Garret has, so far, this season done a good job of taking what the defense gives him. The Eagles defense, however, presents the biggest challenge (so far), in that they make it very difficult to see what it is they’re keying on, (trying to take away) on any given down. The Eagles will be looking to stop the pass and the run on Sunday and Garrett should find himself in a very interesting chess match.

The Cowboys’ defense has improved but are they ready for the most explosive offense they will have faced so far this year? For a long time now the Eagles have been the masters of the screen pass. Reid seems to have an uncanny sense of when and where an opponent is blitzing from and he will offset that with a beautifully designed screen pass. Wade has done a great job these past few games of choosing when to dial up the blitz and an even better job of knowing when to call off the dogs and mix it up. In each of the past two games the Cowboy’s opponents have started out with long, impressive drives and in each of those games Wade and company have done an outstanding job of adjusting and shutting them out for their next several possessions. When playing chess against Andy, Wade will have to do some of his best “in-game” adjustments of the season so far; should be interesting.

Will special teams make the difference? The default thing to say is, “whoever wins the turnover battle will win the game.” But what if that battle is even when the final gun sounds? I’m anticipating that both teams will have a pair of turnovers this Sunday, so does this mean special teams could make the difference? Both teams have proven themselves capable of producing both points and great field position in the return game… Might a key 4th quarter punt return be the difference?

And finally will I be able to go to sleep on Sunday night once this game is over? Will I be tossing and turning with anger due to an obnoxious loss? Or I will I be wide-eyed with giddiness due to a remarkable win? Will my 4 month old son allow me sleep through the night either way? Time will tell.

Can’t wait for Sunday night.

Why The Eagles Game Is Not About Romo

2009-11-04T03:44:47Z

I know.

He's the bus driver. He's the guy that makes or breaks the team. He's the guy everyone looks to when the chips are down and the game is on the line.

But this upcoming game is not about Tony Romo. I’m not suggesting that Romo won’t lay an egg and cause the team to lose any more than I’m suggesting that he’ll turn in a Joe Montana-esque performance and lead the team to victory. Either or neither could happen.

It’s not about any of that. At least not in this game. You see, the wounds, my wounds, haven’t healed. The pain is still too fresh in my mind. I remember what it was like to watch every God-forsaken moment of that so-called football game last December when the Dallas Cowboys quit. Dallas didn’t just lose the game 44-6; they lost a whole lot more. It was clear (at least to me) at that time that Winnie the Coach had lost his locker room. It was clear the Cowboys had lost not only the game, but they had lost their way as well.

The post-game and post-season spins were focused on how there were too many divisive forces in the locker room which subsequently led to a housecleaning. As Jerry and Stephen “disinfected” the locker room and added players like Brooking and Olshansky and coaches like DeCamilis, there was the overarching implication that what happened against the Eagles on national TV would NEVER happen again. Not with these guys. Not with this locker room.

Well here we are, nearly a year later, and once again, Dallas goes to Lincoln Financial Field with a lot riding on the game. Once again, national TV. Once again, facing their nemesis, Andy Reid. Once again, into the breach.

So this game isn’t about Tony Romo. He’s the under card, not the main event. This game is a chance for the defense to shut down the Eagles’ explosive deep passing game and stuff LeSean McCoy’s inside runs. It’s a chance for Hudson Houck’s guys to open up some holes and stifle the myriad of blitzes that will surely come. It’s a chance for Special Teams to make a game-changing play or two. This game is a chance for all Cowboys fans to see whether or not the Jones Boys’ strategy paid off. This game is THE litmus test for all of the off season changes. They dumped T.O. and Ellis and Tank and Roy W (the SS). They put their faith in Miles Austin (and Roy). They kept Winnie AND Jason. What did that buy us?

The Eagles’ strategy is the same as every other contender when playing Dallas – punch the Cowboys in the mouth and see if they have the stones to hit you back as hard or harder. I’m not in the business of prognosticating these games, and frankly, I don’t know what to think of this one. I’m scared, I’m hopeful, I’m…excited.

And so, with apologies to those who think the planets revolve around Tony Romo, I won’t be watching him as intently as I usually do. Truly, if we lose this game 13-10 in a slugfest, I won’t be happy, but I’ll be able to rip the bandages off of last year’s deep cuts. This is most likely the first true test of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys’ new locker room. I know you’re supposed to focus on your next game and forget what happened last week, to say nothing of what happened last season. But for me…it still stings, and I bet I’m not alone. The Cowboys just need to go out and execute the game plan and play a solid physical game to make me believe that things have changed.

GO COWBOYS

Giants and Eagles Fans

2009-11-04T03:19:40Z

Saw this clip today and really felt it lampooned these Gints and Igles fans well. They covered everything from cheering Irvin's injury, the classy nature of their women, and the generally uncouth behavior of these sports fans. I hadn't realized that the Giants, Eagles, Phillies and Yankees were all playing on the same day in Philadelphia. What a burden for a city to bear.

Check out Jon Stewart and crew's piece on these guys - hilarious

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-november-2-2009/clash-of-the-cretins

Tale of the Tape

2009-11-03T20:58:19Z

How do the Cowboys and Eagles match up stats wise?

Lets take a quick look at the numbers.

First, the Offense:

Total Offense as of Week 8

Rank

Cowboys #2 411.1 yards per game

Eagles #15 344.4 yards per game

Passing (Yards per Game)

Cowboys #7 263.6 yards per game

Eagles #13 229.9 yards per game

Rushing (Yards per Game)

Cowboys #6 147.6 yards per game

Eagles #15 114.6 yards per game

Both quarterbacks have shown some inconsistency at the beginning of the season, but seem to be settling down.
Both teams have hot young receivers that are tearing up opposing defenses with long plays.

Now let's move to the defense.

Total Defense as of Week 8

Cowboys #22 giving up 342.1 yards per game

Eagles #10 giving up 296.9 yards per game

Passing (Yards per Game)

Cowboys #22 giving up 237.1 yards per game

Eagles #10 giving up 193.7 yards per game

Rushing (Yards per Game)

Cowboys #13 giving up 105 yards per game

Eagles #12 giving up 103.1 yards per game

The Eagles get the advantage in the on this side of the ball. Again, I am not factoring into the quality of the opponents that either team has played against, just doing some basic data mining on numbers.

X-Factors

Sacks

Cowboys (tied #11) 17

Eagles #2 23

This stat will be one of the biggest game changers.
Field position will be critical in this game, with rushing yards coming at a premium.
I will not be surprised if it comes to a last second field goal either way.

Interceptions

Cowboys #28 4

Eagles #3 14

Very obvious edge here. Hopefully, Romo will continue to get the to the line with plenty of time to make his reads.
I look for JG/Romo to counter the aggressive rush of the Eagles with screens to Felix and alot of quick passes to the hot receiver.

Opponent Scoring

Cowboys #10 TD's against: rushing 3 receiving 12

Eagles #7 TD's against: rushing 4 receiving 11

The Opponent Scoring shows a very similar defensive snapshot of both teams: Great against the run, but giving up plays in the passing game.

With both quarterbacks able to extend the play with their legs, this game could be a shootout.
However, if either team can establish a solid run, or consistently get pressure with their front 4, you can throw these stats out the window.

My thought is that this game is going to be decided by the secondary that makes the fewest errors.
I am personally hoping that Samuels is put against Austin. Miles has shown that if you don't wrap him up quick, he will make you pay, and Samuels has shown problems in that area.

I think this will be one of the wildest games of the year.

Oh, and for the haters who dogged me on this post, I still stand by what I said!

Steppin' Up

2009-11-03T20:50:10Z

Last year, before the season began, we heard Tony Romo talk about his studying of Tom Brady and how he handles the pocket. Brady always appeared relaxed in the pocket and at times seemed to stand upright before finding his receiver and delivering the ball. Romo seemed to mimic Brady's stance and when he had time in the pocket, everything was great. He delivered the ball on time and appeared more comfortable in the pocket. This had the result of keeping Romo in the pocket, but prevented him from taking off and running so much. However, when things broke down and he did not have as much time, Romo still stayed in the pocket and that is when he seemed to get careless with only one hand on the ball and turnovers would occur.

This year, he seems to have gotten rid of that philosophy which worked for Brady, but not so much Romo. I have noticed Romo stepping up more in the pocket which prevents the outside defensive ends from slapping at the ball and creating turnovers. This has the result of moving the pocket forward and allowing more time to find a receiver. It also allows Romo to take off and run for some yards. Romo has taken off and run straight up the field more in this short season than all of last year. Folks, this is a great thing. I think this is a very important change in Romo's philosophy of pocket presence. Has anyone else noticed this?

Cowboy / Eagle game analysis - using Drives instead of pure stats

2009-11-03T20:14:33Z

Below is a "different approach" to analyzing the games with the Eagles, using drive analysis instead of just pure stats.

I went back and looked at the drive charts for each game this year, looking at the Eagles and their opponents and the Cowboys and their opponents. I broke the scoring drives into categories: Long Drive (drive starting from the 39 or longer with no play over 35 yards), Short Drive (drive starting at 40 or long with no play over 35 yards), Turnovers (those drives that started with a turnover without a direct TD, regardless of length of drive), Big Play Offense (all drives that had a play over 35 yards, regardless of where it started), Big Play Defense (defensive touchdowns on Turnovers) and Big Play Special Teams (touchdown from returns). If a play was designated a Big Plays (BPO, BPD, BPS, Turnovers), I classified it as such and did not fall into Long or Short Drives

For the Eagles on offense, they scored on 35 out of 88 drives. The amazing fact is only 6 of the 37 scoring drives came on long plays and only 5 of the 37 scoring drives came on short drives! 26 out of 37 scoring drives came on Big Plays / Turnovers! Of the 26 scoring drives coming from Big Plays, 1 came from BPST, 3 came from BPD, 10 came from Turnovers and 12 came from BPO. Of the 12 from BPO, 5 came from Jackson, 3 from Celek and 3 from Maclin. I think the takeaway from here are the Big Plays to Jackson and the fact only 6 out of 88 drives came from a long field!

For the Eagles on Defense, they allowed 23 scoring drives out of 94 drives. 7 scoring drives came from Long Drives, 8 from Short Drives, 5 from TO, 2 from BPO and 1 from BPD. Bad news is the Eagles are not beating themselves, good news is it seems like you can mount a long / short drive on them.

For the Cowboys on offense, the tale of the tape is different when compared to the Eagle offense. Cowboys had 85 total drives, scoring on 35. They had a whopping 20 Long Drives, 3 Short Drives, 2 score off of TO, 8 drives from BPO, one play BPD and 2 from BPST (Crayton of course). What is encouraging from this is the ability for Dallas to make long drives and keep the Eagles off the field or, if they do not score on either long or short drives, to punt it and pin the Eagles back. It does not seem like the Eagles can score on a long field except for Jackson.The discouraging is the scores resulting from TO’s (this maybe due some of the BPO’s scores after a turnover).

For the Dallas on Defense, they were also stingy on defensive scoring. The other team scored on 24 of 85 drives. 14 on Long Drives, 2 on Short Drives, 6 on TO’s, one on BPO and one on BPD. The number of long drives are discouraging but when compared to the BPO it says this defense is bend but do not break.

One other note, I went back through the 2008 / 2009 season looking at the Eagles losses. What I saw was the Eagles seemed to always lose when the number of passes were doubled compared to the number of runs. In those situation, it seemed like either the Eagles running was anemic, Eagles got behind early or in some cases Reid just got pass happy. Donovan McNabb is not good in these situations as he is not very accurate with his shorter passes.

Just to summarize, the Eagles tendencies on offense is the Cowboys strength on defense (Eagles BPO and anemic Long Drive Capability vs. the Cowboys bend but do not break defense). The Cowboys offense can be a problem for the Eagles defense if they can sustain a couple of first downs and punt it for a long field or just drive it for a few field goals (of course taking a few long shots when they are near mid field). The Cowboys should play bend but do not break and double up on Jackson with the corner they want to protect, and put their best corner on Macklin. Cowboys need to play the run first (while doubling Jackson) to turn them into a one dimensional team and make McNabb beat them on short passing. The Eagles seem to make more hay with turnovers than the Cowboys, and obviously this is biggest key because of the Eagles noise / crowd and the Cowboys psyche.

NFL Power Rankings - Week 9 - Final Edition

2009-11-03T19:49:50Z

Here's a double-serving of power rankings heading into the showdown with the Eagles: As an extra Eagles column doesn't make a whole lot of sense, this week I've added the comments for the Eagles as a form of 'preview'.

For your reading pleasure, I've maintained the three different sections.

1. Klick me, pleeeaaase. Major Media Networks & Affiliates

SportingNews.com:

Cowboys: 7th (+3). "Tony Romo is on a mistake-free roll. Next up, a date in Philly for the NFC East lead."
Eagles: 9th (+5). "Young playmakers make their offense far less dependent on Brian Westbrook's health."

ESPN:

Cowboys: 8th (+1). "Don't look now, but the Cowboys are quietly sneaking up on people and playing like a playoff team. (Clayton)"
Eagles: 9th (+3). "The young legs of LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson have the Eagles' offense soaring. (Clayton)"

NFL.com's Brain Trust of Experts: Cowboys 8th (+4), Eagles 7th (+4).

Pete Prisco at CBSSports.com:

Cowboys: 9th (+2). "Is it time to stop ripping on Tony Romo? He's playing some of his best football. The defense, which was a problem much of the season, is playing better."
Eagles: 8th (+-0). "We get Eagles-Cowboys this week for first place in the NFC East. That should be fun. The Eagles are rolling after that Oakland disaster two weeks ago."

NationalFootballPost:

Cowboys: 9th (+-0). "Tony Romo is playing his best football and Miles Austin is showing that he wasn’t a one-week wonder. Can they go into Philly and take over first place in the East?"
Eagles: 8th (+4). "The Philly big-play offense isn’t slowing down after they rolled the G-Men at home—and their defense continues to force turnovers."

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports:

Cowboys: 10th (+-0). "Can they compete in Philly next Sunday, or will they collapse like they did nine months ago with their season on the line?"
Eagles: 9th (+5). "Is there a single fantasy football league in the world in which Leonard Weaver’s 41-yard touchdown run actually scored points for one of the participants?"

Fox Sports:

Cowboys: 10th (+1). "Miles Freaking Austin. Wow. It took a while, but the Cowboys finally found their answer to filling the T.O. void and restoring their offensive machine. And best yet, it didn't cost several draft picks in a trade and many more millions of guaranteed greenbacks (Subtle dig alert, Roy Williams). Now the 'Boys get a chance to make an emphatic statement in Philly with a shot to take over first place in the NFC East."
Eagles: 9th (+6). "The Eagles are like spitting images of their baseball neighbors, the Phillies. Swinging for the fences on offense with loads of weapons, as seen by how they ambushed the Giants. But capable of the big whiff, too (they lost to the Raiders, wow). If Andy Reid can remember to run the ball enough, Philly can be dominant. But we don't trust ya, Big Red."

[update] Don Banks' Power Rankings:

Cowboys: 9th (+2)."Just when folks were starting to shovel dirt on the idea of Tony Romo ever being one of the NFL's premier quarterbacks (see Week 4 loss at Denver), Mr. Cap on Backwards responded with the first three-game interception-less streak of his career, with eight touchdown passes and passer ratings of 108.1 or higher each week. Now comes the ultimate test; can he keep it going Sunday night in Philly, the scene of where the Cowboys season crashed and burned in Week 17 last year? If he can, watch the hype machine crank right back to life in Dallas next week."
Eagles: 8th (+-0). "With comfortable wins at Washington and home against the Giants in a six-day span, the Eagles are off to a 2-0 division start and now get to complete the first half of their season with a visit from the revitalized Cowboys. That three-game run will tell us just where Philly stands in the NFC East as it embarks on four road games in the coming five weeks, against four potential playoff teams: San Diego, Chicago, Atlanta and the Giants."

Peter King in MMQB:

Cowboys: 10th (+1)."In the past three games, the Cowboys have scored 101 points. The Giants have allowed 112. That's why there's been such a big role reversal in the NFC East -- the Giants can't stop anybody and the Cowboys can't be stopped."
Eagles: 9th (+5)."The Eagles' weaponry is so diverse. Think back to the preseason, when all wondered how long it would take Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy -- all third-year players or younger, all 24 or younger -- to contribute as a group. Well, in putting up 40 on the Giants, those four touched the ball 24 times for 278 yards and four touchdowns. I guess chemistry class is going well, Professor McNabb."

2. I write, therefore I am: Blogs & Other Media

Weii.com:

Cowboys: 9th (+2). "Once again we have another exciting race in the NFC East. The Cowboys offense has been dominating during their current three-game winning streak. Tony Romo is spreading the ball nicely to his talented receivers."
Eagles: 8th (+7). "No Westbrook, no problem for the Eagles. It’s hard to believe this team lost to the Raiders a few weeks ago after this dominating performance against the Giants. DeSean Jackson has turned into an elite playmaker in the NFL. The main question mark for the Eagles is: can they be consistent?"

Zac Wassink at AssociatedContent:

Cowboys: 9th (+2). "My sleeper pick of the 2009 season is moving up NFL power rankings. After losing to Big Blue earlier this season, the Cowboys are now ahead of the Giants in the standings."
Eagles: 5th (+4). "Even though the Giants are shaky, ca-rushing New York has earned the Eagles the 5 spot in my NFL power rankings."

[update] ColdHardFootballFacts.com provide comments not just on the teams but on Romo and McNabb as well, who both made their list of QBs currently Feasting On Their Success.

Cowboys: 9th (+2). "When Tony Romo is on, like he was Sunday, the Cowboys are pretty much unbeatable. Since 2007, the Cowboys are 20-1 when Romo has a passer rating of 100 or better. When it’s under 100, they’re 5-9"
Eagles: 7th (+3). "Eagles CB Asante Samuel has five interceptions; if he can finish with 10 he’ll have 30 over his last four seasons. The last player to do that was Chiefs safety Deron Cherry (1983-1986)"
Romo: "Jessica Simpson’s Tony Romo voodoo doll wasn’t working over Halloween weekend. The Dallas signal caller rolled up 256 yards and three touchdowns in an easy 38-17 win over Seattle, giving him eight scores and no INTs in his last three games. That’s like 21 games without an INT in gunslinger years."
McNabb: "McNabb had about as easy a day as a QB can have against the reeling Giants. He completed 74 percent of his passes, racked up an awesome 10.4 YPA and threw three TDs in Philly's 40-17 blowout win, its third straight victory over the G-Men. McNabb is feeling a rare bit of love from the Philly unfaithful – at least for one week."

[update] SBNation:

Cowboys: 9th (+2). "The Cowboys have quietly moved their way up the standings, finally doing what good teams do: easily handling lesser teams. If Marion Barber can get healthier and Miles Austin can continue his strong play, the Cowboys could be right where everyone expected them to be before the year began: in position for Tony Romo to choke away the season in December."
Eagles: 7th (+3). "A classic Donovan McNabb game: just as Eagles fans were beginning to grumble about McNabb and the offense, Philadelphia unloads on the Giants and puts to rest any and all questions (for now)."

ProFootballWeekly:

Cowboys: 9th (+3). "Don't overlook them. Any other year that statement is ridiculous."
Eagles: 7th (+2). "McNabb: 'I think we're just kind of touching the surface.'"

Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com:

Cowboys: 11th (+-0). "Beat the Eagles, and this team gets into the top ten."
Eagles: 8th (+1). "Even with Terrell Owens long gone from Dallas, Philly fans probably will be chanting "T.O. sucks" on Sunday night."

Walter Football:

Cowboys: 13th (+4). Comments only provided for top ten or bottom 10 teams. I have recently found out that this Walter guy is from Philadelphia, so I may have to remove his site from these Power Rankings if he continues his slanderous ways. He even has the Texans (!!!) ahead of us. Then again, he is a product of the Philadelphia public school system, so I may grant clemency.
Eagles: 8th (+7). "Did anyone else find it ironic that Donovan McNabb donned rose-colored glasses during his press conference where he spoke about how much potential the Eagles offense has? Philly's debaclation [sic] over the Giants was impressive, but let's not forget that they're just two weeks removed from scoring zero touchdowns against the Raiders."

3. Just the facts, ma'am: Statistics & Computer based rankings.

[update] tom slick publishes his Rankings on SBNation's The Falcoholic: Cowboys 4th (+6), Eagles 3rd (+3).He weighs offensive and defensive points scored/allowed relative to all other teams to determine his rankings.

WhatIfSports: Cowboys 5th (+4), Eagles 8th (+8). These guys simulate every possible matchup in the NFL 100 times, and use the winning percentages from those nearly 50,000 games to evaluate every team, with updated rosters and depth charts.

[update] AdvancedNFLstats.com: This ranking model includes offensive and defensive passing and running efficiency, offensive turnover rates, defensive interception rates, and team penalty rates.

Cowboys: 6th (-1). Offense ranked No. 2, Defense No. 25
Eagles: 9th (+5). Offense ranked No.14, Defense No. 3

Great Blue North Draft Report. Cowboys 7th (+2), Eagles 5th (+5). This site calculates rankings by first round draft selection order based on own and opponent W/L record if the season were to end today.

[update] FootballOutsiders.com: Adjust their rankings for opponent strength. Long history as notorious Eagles & Patriots lovers.

Cowboys: 9th (+2). Offense ranked No. 5, Defense No. 22, Special Teams No. 4
Eagles: 2nd (+4). Offense ranked No.12, Defense No. 5, Special Teams No. 5

[update] Covers.com: compute offensive and defensive statistics into one number for each team, while accounting for factors like recent performances and strength of schedule.

Cowboys: 10th (+4). "Dallas is on a three-game winning streak and is tied with the Eagles atop the NFC East. The Cowboys are 2-1 on the road but the wins were against the Bucs and Chiefs."
Eagles: 15th (+5). "The Eagles scored 13 points before the Giants got out of the locker room as they put that Oakland debacle behind them. Dallas comes in this week with first place in the NFC East on the line."

Jeff Sagarin's NFL rankings: Cowboys 13th (+1), Eagles 17th (+5). The Giants plummet 7 places to 20th. These are rankings based on W/L record, points differential and schedule strength.

Here's how the NFC East fared:


	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week	This Week	Last Week
tom slick	4	10	3	6	17	8	20	20
Whatifsports	5	9	8	16	21	18	30	30
Advancednflstats	6	5	9	14	11	7	25	24
Great Blue North	7	9	5	10	10	10	24	26
SportingNews	7	10	9	14	15	9	24	27
ESPN	8	9	9	12	15	8	25	25
NFL.com	8	12	7	10	13	8	26	26
NFP	9	9	8	12	14	10	28	28
CBSsports	9	11	8	8	12	10	27	27
Assoc. Content	9	11	5	9	11	8	30	28
FootballOutsiders	9	11	2	6	13	9	22	22
Weii.com	9	11	8	15	12	9	27	26
CHFF	9	11	7	10	13	8	26	25
SI.com	9	11	8	8	14	10	25	23
SBNation	9	11	7	9	13	8	26	23
ProFootballWeekly	9	12	7	9	10	7	25	25
Yahoosports	10	10	9	14	13	12	26	25
Foxsports	10	11	9	15	13	10	27	26
Covers.com	10	14	15	20	17	11	30	30
ProFootballTalk	11	11	8	9	12	8	28	28
Sagarin Ratings	13	14	17	22	20	13	30	30
Walter Football	13	17	8	15	12	4	26	26
Average	8.8	10.9	8.0	12.0	13.6	9.0	26.3	25.9

For a summary of all NFL teams using some of the same rankings, go to NFLpowerranks.com

Washington Redskins Jokes

2009-11-03T17:44:21Z

I think we can all agree that we take pleasure in what is going on int Deadskin nation at this time. So a buddy of mine who happens to be a redskin fan sent me these jokes. Thought some of you might enjoy them. My favorites are the Billy Graham and the Goal Post in the yard. Enjoy.

HEADLINE: "D.C. Police are "cracking" down on speeders. For the first
offense, they give you two Redskins tickets. (If you get stopped a second
time, they give you two Nationals tickets.)"

Q. What do you call 53 millionaires sitting around a TV watching the Super Bowl?
A. The Washington Redskins.

Q. What do the Redskins and Billy Graham have in common?
A. They both can make 90,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ".

Q. How do you keep the Redskins out of your yard?
A. Put up a goal post.

Q. Where do you go in D.C. in case of a tornado?
A. To FedEx Field - they never have a touchdown there!

Q. What do you call a Redskin with a Super Bowl ring?
A. Senior Citizen

Q. What's the difference between the Redskins and a dollar bill?
A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.

Q. How many Redskins does it take to win a Super Bowl?
A. We may never find out in the 21st century.

Q. What do the Redskins and possums have in common?
A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.