Dallas Cowboys News: Gutsy Win Puts Cowboys In Position For Stretch Run

By winning 4 straight, grabbing 1st in NFC East, Cowboys are set up for an interesting finish - The Washington Post
The Cowboys have won four straight. They didn’t play their best football or face the toughest opponents. Yet they always found a way to win, and their recent surge has put them in a position for an interesting finish.

NFC East: The day in injuries - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Jerry Jones announced on Friday Tony Fiammetta and Jon Kitna are already ruled out for the Dec. 4 game in Arizona. Fiammetta situation remains unclear and Kitna's back injury is serious enough that the Cowboys are looking around for a veteran backup to Romo.

Cowboys use helping of 'guts' to deliver win - Bob Sturm
Bob Sturm offers this take on the Miami game:

Romo showed guts. The defense made a stand. Murray never quit on a single run.

So, you can fixate on the issues that are still around on this team, for there are more than a few. But after these last two games, I think it is notable to point out that this team has something that has been missing around here for a while.

Resolve. Fortitude. Guts. Those characteristics can go a long way down the stretch in the NFL.

Romo carrying the Cowboys - NFL.com
Michael Lombardi has some love for Tony Romo:

For me, the highlight of the day was Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. I love the fact that he threw interceptions early on, but when the game was on the line, he made every throw, every play and won the game for the Cowboys. Too much is made of Romo's interceptions, especially early in the game.

He is like the centerfielder in baseball that can get to almost every ball, which is why he has more errors than a player that can't cover as much ground. Romo is a risk-taker, so throwing interceptions won't affect his play; his confidence never wanes. Like a great golfer, Romo never lets a bogey affect his next hole.

Cowboys not always pretty, but poised for stretch run - NFL - CBSSports.com Football

"Our hope, like any coaches hope, is to improve throughout the course of the year," coach Jason Garrett said. "And as you learn from your early experiences. You try to get better individually and collectively and hopefully as the year goes on you start to come together as a team ... chemistry-wise ... from a camaraderie standpoint and just hopefully you play better."

"And you're always in that process. We're always trying to get better ... learn from what just happened and go forward to the next challenge.

"So I thought our guys did a good job just managing the schedule of the last three weeks. The different challenges we had there's a lot of things on this tape that we're not going to like. We'll look at them, learn from them and go forward to the next challenge we have against Arizona."

Laurent Robinson 'would love to wear star rest of career' - ESPN Dallas

"I would love to be wearing the star the rest of my career," Robinson said. "I love everything about Dallas, my teammates. The stadium is out of control. That’s why you see me smiling every time I catch the ball. I just feel like this changed my whole career around. I’m just loving it here. I would love to stay a Cowboy, but we’ll see. I’m just going to try to keep getting better every week and see what happens later."

The Cowboys once gave Patrick Crayton, a quality No. 3 receiver who was solid as a starter, a four-year, $14 million extension during midseason. Does that sound about right?

"You’ve got to talk to my agent," Robinson said with a laugh.

Giants season close to slipping away - NYPOST.com
The New York Post writes that the Giants still control their own fate in the NFC East, but their recent play gives no one confidence they can win the division. Particularly since the resurgent Cowboys gave the Gaints plenty to chew on this Thanksgiving.

"I was pulling for Miami so hard, and they had it,’’ running back Brandon Jacobs said. "It slipped away.’’

Slipping away is a feeling that comes naturally to the Giants this time of year, the article argues.

Streaking Cowboys on the rise - SI.com
Don Banks doesn't trust the Giants' up-and-down nature either.

The minute you start to feel good about Tom Coughlin's team, you can be sure a losing streak is on the way (see upset at New England, then defeats by the 49ers and Eagles). And just when you're ready to give up on the Giants and declare them a bastion of mediocrity, they will rise up and prove you wrong, before repeating the entire process. It makes for a dizzying trip up and down the power rankings.