Everybody is loving the NFC East. We are in first place in the NFC East, so everybody must be loving us! No? OK, that would be too much to ask, but apparently everybody does watch us.
Back to the NFC East thing, the question is – are the Cowboys the team to beat in the NFC?
Yes, this is the Cowboys' conference to lose. They are the team to beat, even if they did struggle at times during a win against the Vikings. But the offense is still as dangerous as ever and the defense is improving.
If the Cowboys don’t find their way into the Super Bowl, there is a good chance it will be the red-hot Giants, who haven’t lost since starting the season 0-2. So, yes, the NFC Super Bowl team likely rises from the East.
Don Banks loves the NFC East, also.
It's pretty apparent that the NFC East is back. Three of the division's four teams are at least two games over .500. Only the Eagles are struggling, and I could make a convincing case for any of the other three teams winning the division. Dallas has lost some of its mojo the past three weeks, but the Cowboys are still 6-1 and dangerous. The Giants and Redskins are playing quality defense in the division that has always rewarded just that in the season's second half. And despite the Eagles 2-4 record, I refuse to totally discount Andy Reid's team after last year's late-season revival. Philly has a knack for getting things fixed and rolling in November.
Tony Romo interview on DC.com. The most revealing parts are where we learn that Romo now listens to some new music, some of the fellas have given him a taste of Soulja Boy. Also, he didn’t know we play Philly next. Romo is definitely on the one game at a time vibe.
I like the new guy over at the DMN blog, but this piece assigns blame without looking closely at the play.
Two plays later, Kenechi Udeze beat [Marc] Columbo around the corner to strip-sack Romo and end the threat.
He's talking about the play when Romo fumbled the ball and the Vikes recovered. Actually what happened is a little different. Romo was in the shotgun, 4 yards behind center and he drops back another 3 yards to set up for the pass. Meanwhile, Colombo’s man has taken a speed rush angle upfield in hopes of bending around Colombo and getting to the QB. It’s the same type of rush that DeMarcus Ware uses all the time. Tackles are taught to use the rushers speed and angle upfield against them by running them past and around the QB, leaving the QB room to step up in the pocket. Colombo did exactly that and had his man 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage when he finally got around Colombo, a full 3 yards behind Romo. It’s all good if Romo steps up in the pocket. But Romo sensed a little pressure in the middle of the pocket from Flozell’s man and decided to get outside, he rolled to his left and even drifts backwards for a yard. Voila, the guy that Colombo had sent around Romo and out of the play suddenly runs right into Romo from behind because Romo left the pocket.
That’s a long way of saying, Colombo actually made an OK block and used proper technique, but Romo never saw the DE, because Colombo had pushed him so far behind Romo’s view that Romo rolled right into the player. Colombo can’t be expected to be a mind-reader and know that Romo would leave the pocket and run right into the guy he had blocked. It’s just an unfortunate consequence of having a mobile QB. Think of it this way, if Romo steps up in the pocket or rolls-out the other way, no one would say Colombo got beat on the play. If anything, it was Flozell’s guy who caused the pressure, Colombo’s man just happened to be standing at the right spot to collect the sack.
Although I do agree it wasn’t Colombo’s best day.