Over Two Weeks of Good Vibes Continue

As if the game yesterday wasn't enough to get you feeling really good about the Dallas Cowboys for the first time all year, Demarcus Ware's deal today capped off what has been an enjoyable 15 days. I know I have to remind myself once in a while to enjoy the good moments because there will be bad times down the road and I take the losses harder than I enjoy the wins. I'm sure a lot of the fans have the same problem that I do. Don't forget to relish the big victories like the one yesterday. Those are the moments that make it fun to be a fan. Here is a brief recap of what has transpired over the last 15 days.

1. It started with a breakout performance by Miles Austin in a dramatic overtime victory that may have saved the season. Miles Austin only got the start because Roy Williams couldn't play with his rib injury. All Austin did was put up 10 receptions for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns including the dramatic game winner in overtime.

2. The Cowboys played an awful game but managed to pull out a victory against the hapless Chiefs thanks to great play by Miles Austin, a good performance by Tony Romo, and a timely special teams play (blocked field goal).

3. During the bye week the Cowboys got to watch the entire NFC East come back to them as the Giants, Eagles and Redskins all lost.

4. During practice in the week leading up to the Falcons game, the Cowboys got Roy Williams, Felix Jones, and Gerald Sensabaugh all back on the practice field.

5. Leading up to the game most of the "experts" believed that the Cowboys wouldn't be able to defeat a team of the caliber of the Falcons. We got to hear how good the Falcons were and what a mess the Cowboys were. That seemed to just add fuel to the fire of the Cowboys.

6. The Cowboys started slow but overwhelmed the Falcons in every phase of the game from the second quarter until the end of the game. Miles Austin put up another great performance and Tony Romo played very good for the second game in a row. The defense was flat out dominating for the majority of the game. They sacked Matt Ryan 4 times after he had only been sacked 2 times all year coming into the game. The defense tackled very well and put some tremendous hits on the Falcons receivers and even forced three turnovers. Tony Romo had all day to survey the field thanks to great play by the offensive line. I loved how Patrick Crayton redeemed himself with a touchdown reception and a punt return for a score.

7. In what may have been the play of the year so far, Tony Romo pulled a Houdini act and escaped two defenders to throw a touchdown pass just before the half to give the Cowboys some separation from the Falcons. It was the type of play that makes you love Romo. Not many guys in the NFL could have made that play.

8. Last night the Arizona Cardinals pulled off an upset of the Giants to put the Cowboys right back in the thick of the NFC East race. It is probably going to be a tough fight between the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys down the stretch for the NFC East title.

9. And now we get the news today that Demarcus Ware finally got his long term deal ironed out with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. He is signed through 2015 so we are guaranteed to have one of the top defensive players in the NFL for many years to come. Ware is the type of guy who deserves to make big money because he is a not only a great player, but an even better person. It makes me happy to see guys like that on my team.

Isn't it crazy that the Cowboys have possibly discovered a franchise receiver in Miles Austin after unearthing Tony Romo as an undrafted free agent? Say what you want about Jerry Jones and his meddling, but the Cowboys are continuing to discover and develop talent through the draft and rookie free agency.

So where do the Cowboys go from here? We have to hope the team stays focused and doesn't take the Seahawks lightly. A good outing could give the Cowboys a three game winning streak and some real momentum heading into a big Sunday night matchup with the Eagles. The penalties still need to be reduced. But if the Cowboys can play good offense, defense and special teams then they can beat any team in the league.

Game 7 Keys to Victory

After a bye week to prepare it looks like the Cowboys have reached a crossroads. Beat the Atlanta Falcons and they will appear to be a playoff contender. Lose to another winning team and it would seem that the Cowboys will be toiling in mediocrity all season long. I still believe the Cowboys have the talent to play with anyone in the league. They just need to get out of their own way so they can start winning against the top teams. Here is what I think they need to do to beat the Falcons.

1. Slow down Tony Gonzales. I didn't say stop Gonzales because I don't think that is possible. But the defense can focus on him to force Matt Ryan to beat the defense with his wide receivers. That doesn't spell success since the pass defense hasn't been the best, but at least Matt Ryan would be forced to hold the ball longer to allow his receivers to work down the field on deeper routes. That could help the pass rush get to Matt Ryan. He has only been sacked twice all year because he doesn't hold the ball. the coverage will have to force him to second and third reads on pass plays.

2. Don't give up any big plays to Michael Turner. If you can keep Turner contained he won't hurt you. But let him get past the first line of defense and he is likely to take the ball all the way to the endzone. The front seven can't make any mistakes playing the run.

3. Give Tony Romo time to run the offense. Romo looked good against the Chiefs throwing the ball and may be back on track in terms of accuracy and confidence. He'll need time to get the ball to Roy Williams and Miles Austin since the defenses will be focusing on stopping Jason Witten.

4. Keep the defense honest with Felix Jones. Defenses have to play the Cowboys differently when Felix Jones is on the field. He may not be 100% but no one really knows what he can do until he gets out there during the game. I think he needs to be on the field as much as possible even if the play doesn't go to him just to keep the defense worrying about the threat of his speed.

5. Play a clean game. We are entering game 6 and we still haven't seen the Cowboys put together a complete game. They'll need to cut down on dumb penalties, turnovers, and bad play calls to win this game.

I really feel like the Cowboys are going to break out in this game. They have a tendency to play to the level of the competition so we can probably expect a close game. The difference is going to be whether the Cowboys can score in the red zone and stop the Falcons in their two minute offense. I believe the Cowboys will put together their best game of the season and win 30-21.

Time for a Quality Win

I'd like to believe the Cowboys have figured a few things out over the last few weeks. They have had two weeks to prepare for a team that is young but very talented. The Cowboys have three wins but they have all come against teams that aren't exactly spectacular. They had a real chance to beat the Giants and the Broncos but they didn't get the job done down the stretch. If the Cowboys really want to be a playoff contender then they are going to have to beat some quality teams this year. They need to start this week.

Winning would not only prove that the Cowboys are capable of beating playoff-caliber teams, but it would also establish the first winning streak of the season. So far they have alternated wins and losses over the first five games. I mentioned before the Chiefs game that this stretch of games would give them a great opportunity to rip off three or four wins in a row. That can only happen with a quality win in the game on Sunday.

Tony Romo tends to play well in these types of regular season games. The Cowboys are over due for a good game across the board. I mean good play on offense, defense and special teams all in one game. They should have basically their full complement of players for the Atlanta game. Felix Jones should be back with a knee brace, Gerald Sensabaugh will play with a cast, Marion Barber will have a cast on his newly discovered broken thumb, and Roy Williams should be close to 100%. A lot of these guys are playing injured but having the starters at 80-90% is better than some of the backups getting steamrolled.

I don't think any of us know what to expect any more from this year's team. But if they are ever going to make a legitimate run into the playoffs then they are going to have to start putting together some quality wins. This week is as good as any for them to put everything together.