NFL.com video preview of our upcoming matchup with the Redskins.
Apparently, Washington is in the top five in the league in calling blitzes and Jason Campbell has a QB rating of more than 107.0 in the past two games.
We've got quite a challenge Sunday. But nothing we can't handle.
Bill Barnwell continues his awesome series of Five Downs with Football Outsiders. This week he discussed Romo's redzone miscues and Bradie James' Pro-Bowl status (or lack thereof).
There's no statistic we've seen that suggests James is anything but a very decent linebacker. Last year, he made 13.2% of his team's plays, 43rd amongst linebackers. He had 15 defeats, plays where he stopped a player from getting a first down on third or fourth down, stopped a player behind the line of scrimmage, forced a fumble, or intercepted the ball -- that's a good number, but certainly not an elite number.
The Washington Times gets it. We're more than just a team of stars.
A reporter with the unfortunate name Andy Friedlander explains.
As it turns out, though, some of the Cowboys' other weapons aren't exactly popguns.
On Sunday, backup wide receiver Miles Austin and rookies Felix Jones and Martellus Bennett hurt the Green Bay defense with long gains and quick touchdowns while Romo and Owens were struggling. The result was a relatively stress-free 27-16 victory.
The message: Beware the other guys, too.
"It's not only the star players who have been making the plays, and that's been good for us," coach Wade Phillips said. "The more variation we can give, the harder it is to defend us. When you're trying to double-cover the tight end and a wide receiver, the running back runs one all the way and the other receiver makes two big plays, and that's going to get you beat."
Jimmy Johnson loves Marion Barber. Yeah. Get in line buddy.
Wade's a big fan too. And our rookie's pretty good as well.
Jim Zorn, current head coach of the Deadskins, was involved in a bit of intriguing Cowboy history. In 1975 he was involved in a battle to back up Roger Staubach. His main competition was Clint Longley.
The Cowboys would chose Longley. Longley would became semi-famous for his heroics in this game and forever infamous for sucker punching the Dodger. Zorn? Oh he would just go on to be one of Seattle's greatest QBs of all-time.
Nice.
Landry's final decision: Longley. Had he kept Zorn, Cowboys history may have been quite different."If I remember it correctly," said former Cowboys radio broadcaster Verne Lundquist, "they had some arguments when it came down to the cut."
Looking back, Lundquist joked that Zorn "was the normal of the two." Longley was out of football after 1976. And Zorn?
He joined the 1976 expansion Seattle franchise the following season, threw for more than 20,000 yards over nine years and became a member of the Seahawks' Ring of Honor. Now he's the head coach of the Washington Redskins.
"What I do remember vividly is the personality and the approachability," Lundquist said. "He was just a really decent guy. And when you like a guy, you pull for him."
Did you think I was done gushing over our running back tandem? Ha ha! Let's milk this one more time. Take it away Spags.
IRVING, Texas - They can slice you or dice you, able to run through you or past you.
They are thunder and lightning, able to pound you or strike fast enough to leave your head spinning.
They are salt and pepper, one sure to raise your blood pressure and the other swiftly causing heartburn.
They are the newest most dangerous combo in the National Football League:
Marion Barber-Felix Jones.
They are what the Cowboys once hoped they had back in 1986 with Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker, a running back combo needing only two years to fizzle out, their egos unable to fit in the same locker room.
They are what the Cowboys wanted to have the past three seasons with Julius Jones and Barber. Trying to create this time-share position, Julius failed to uphold his end of the bargain last year.
They are the necessary combo the Cowboys absolutely needed to complete this offense, one averaging 32 points a game over the first three of this season - up nearly four from last season's total - and the main reason the Cowboys are undefeated heading into yet another biggie-sized contest this Sunday afternoon when they hope to meet the Washington Redskins (2-1) for the final time at a retiring Texas Stadium.