Well, well, now we are the lone undefeated team in the NFC as the Bears took down the "old Tony Romo" in Green Bay. I got a read on some of our NFC competition this Sunday and the reviews are mostly negative. Green Bay couldn’t beat a team at home that we slapped around at their joint. Seattle was shutout against one of the AFC’s best in Pittsburgh, and similarly the Bucs got whooped by another of the AFC powers, the Colts. Granted, both of those games were on the road but they didn’t look to be in the same class as the AFC teams. Don’t look now, but could Washington be the 2nd best team in the conference at 3-1? I’m just saying. Probably not, Green Bay still looks to be. Now Dallas just needs to take care of business in Buffalo and remain undefeated. Then we get our own shot at an AFC power.
Special teams ace and known bullet magnet Keith Davis will not be playing against Buffalo.
Keith Davis has been ruled out of Monday's game at Buffalo. He practiced in a limited fashion during the week after missing the St. Louis game. Davis suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle against the Bears.
Uh oh, McGee and Parrish are dangerous return guys.
ESPN is pumping the game since they’re broadcasting it, so Michele Tafoya and Ron Jaworski penned columns for the paid Insider subscription. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, you’re not missing too much. Here are the most interesting parts. First, Tafoya:
It was Monday, Oct. 23, the sixth game of the 2006 season. Drew Bledsoe, were trailing the New York Giants 12-7. Without much prompting, Parcells told me: "I'm going to play [Tony] Romo."
"How soon?" I asked.
"Right now."
As Parcells walked away, I bellowed a rarely used phrase into my "Monday Night Football" microphone: "Red dog! Red dog!" (We use that when there is breaking news.)
"What is it?" asked Jay Rothman, the show's producer, from the truck.
"Tony Romo's going in the game. Bledsoe has been benched."
And what ensued was the beginning of the Romo era in Dallas.
Red dog! I guess that should be the battle cry whenever we need Romo to jump into the phone booth, don his Superman cape, and pull out a miracle. Like when the ball went over his head last week, we can all cry "Red dog! Red dog!" and Romo will scoop it up, juke a defender or two and pick up the first down. Red Ball can name a play Red Dog, and we’ll judge Romo on degree of difficulty of the miracle. It will be Gurode’s choice as to where he wants to snap the ball. OK, maybe not.
Tafoya also gave the Cowboys some love by saying people aren't giving Romo the respect he deserves because the other three undefeated teams (this was pre-Green Bay loss) have QB’s with Super Bowl rings.
So why aren't people talking about Dallas in the same breath as New England, Indianapolis and Green Bay?
All four teams are 4-0. Each one has a proven quarterback.
Ooooooh. Maybe people consider Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre proven, but aren't willing to go out on a limb for Romo.
Meanwhile, Ron Jaworski has much love for the offense.
The Cowboys have a tremendous attack this season and balance is one reason why. When I broke this team down in the film room, I was amazed at how potent they are at every dimension of the offense. The passing game attacks from sideline to sideline, vertically and with screens. On top of that, opposing defenses can't pick out who is going to get the ball because Tony Romo's pass distribution has been so even this season.