Monday, December 26, 2011

It All Comes Down to This

There were about 15 minutes on Saturday when I thought the season was over. Romo was in the locker room getting his right hand x-rayed and it didn't look good. Watching Stephen McGee operate ineffectively made it painfully obvious that the Cowboys can't beat anyone without Romo.

So when the news came that Romo is ok I was all for sitting him out and giving up the Philadelphia game. There was next to nothing to be gained. Felix Jones was pulled around the same time as the news came that the Giants had defeated the Jets eliminating any chance that the NFC East crown could be sewn up early.

We could sit here and try to analyze the outcome of the Eagle game but I don't know what can be gained. Not having a legitimate offense puts extra pressure on the defense. But the defense only gave up 20 points. On the other side of the coin, the Eagles had a 20 point lead and no real reason to try to extend that lead. It was essentially a preseason game in week 16...weird.

In a season that so many of the Cowboys games have come down to the last few minutes it seems fitting that their playoff life will be determined at the last possible moment. It is entirely possible that with 2 minutes to go on Sunday night we still won't know if the Cowboys will make the playoffs. And, if the game a few weeks ago against the Giants is any indication, it might be a very stressful evening for fans of both teams.

The best news out of the game against the Eagles was that Tony Romo is ok. He should be good to go on Sunday night. And that gives the Cowboys a fighting chance in the winner take all matchup.

4 comments:

  1. The defense would have given up 27 if it weren't for the freak fumble into the endzone turning a touchdown into a touchback. I almost hope for a loss to the giants to avoid a humiliating loss in the playoffs. Brees or Rodgers would shred this defense then shred the resulting shreds. Only Sean Lee is playing sound defense. Even Ware is only interested in sack stats and opening up a running lane on every other play rushing wide and deep around the guard.

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  2. around the tackle (not guard)

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  3. I believe the DEFENSE will have a huge game. I think this is going to be a great low scoring game and Bailey gets his redemption!! GO COWBOYS' Have faith, and hope we get Detroit in tourney, and ROMO gets his revenge!!! Cant wait for Sunday Night! get your popcorn ready

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  4. Usually, I love your posts. That's why I keep coming back. But I'm not getting nearly enough this time. What do you think will happen? Frankly, for the Cowboys to win this game they will have to show an intestinal fortitude that we haven't seen from them all year. Ironically, the sporadic moments it has been on display, the San Francisco, Washington and Miami games, the heart has largely rested on the shoulders of Tony Romo, everybody's favorite whipping boy. He won't be enough against the Giants. The offensive has got to play their best game. That unit has just lost its unsung hero, Montrae Holland. The secondary will have to shut down Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith and Victor Cruz. What have we seen from them this year that tells us they can do that? I'm not sure I'm ready to buy in completely on Anonymous' assessment of Ware but I'm close. It seems like if we see a sack out of that guy in the first quarter, that's it. We can kiss him good-bye for the rest of the game. Everybody who has a tendency to disappear during games has to show up -- at the same time -- for this team to stay in the game. That's Dez, Miles, Doug Free, Felix Jones, Martellus Bennett, Kevin Ogletree, DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Bradie James, Terence Newman, shoot, I'm sure I'm forgetting some. And then, they can all show up and we have to hope that Tony Romo, in the midst of perhaps his best season, doesn't turn into the guy that gave away the Jets and Lions games.

    Oh man, that is a LOT of "ifs".

    What's your call?

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