I had to let the game yesterday marinate a little while before I posted anything because I didn't want to overreact to what happened. I'm very worried about the playoff hopes of the Cowboys. The game yesterday was eerily similar to the playoff game in 2007 against the Giants. It seemed like the Cowboys were the better team but somehow the final score says otherwise. The Giants flat out beat the Cowboys. There are no excuses, no fluke plays to blame it on, just a loss to a decent team.
The good news is that Tony Romo played great. You can blame that loss on a lot of things but the play of the quarterback is certainly not one of them. The running game was terrible but the offense moved the ball up and down the field with relative ease most of the game. Career days by Romo and Witten were wasted due to the big plays the Giants made.
The defense had been so good over the last two months that I think we all were expecting them to continue their stellar play. They did not play well at all and they allowed several backbreaking plays at key moments in the game. The 74-yard catch and run by Brandon Jacobs was just inexcusable.
The special teams had its first bad game of the season. Nick Folk is clearly struggling and if his problems are really being caused by bad holds then its time to find a new holder. If it is the kicker then its time to find a new kicker. The punt return for a touchdown essentially sealed the win for the Giants. The coverage unit picked a terrible time to allow a big play like that one.
And the Marion Barber fumble may have been the turning point in the game. The Cowboys were up 10-7 and driving late in the first half when Barber fumbled. The Giants scored quickly to make the score 14-10 at the half after the Cowboys had dominated for the first 27 minutes.
So where do they go from here? I'm not sure but I know that the San Diego game has turned into an absolute must-win. The Cowboys need to win three of their last four to guarantee a playoff spot. They might be in first place but they are in trouble in terms of a wild card spot because the Packers and the Giants hold the tiebreaker against them. So the best path to the playoffs would be a division championship. (Keep your fingers crossed that the Ravens can beat the Packers tonight.)
The way the Eagles are going right now it is probably going to take eleven wins to clinch the division. We all know the Saints are still on the schedule and that would be a major upset if the Cowboys beat them. So that means the Cowboys have got to beat the Chargers, the Redskins and the Eagles to secure the division crown. The biggest game of the season is Sunday and the Cowboys better come out with their "A" game or I fear we might be in for a disappointing finish. I'll be at the game and I'll do my best to help give the Cowboys a home field advantage. I hope all the other fans at the game do the same.
I agree with you that Sunday is a must-win. The way the Giants and Eagles typically play at the end of the season and the fact the Packers are now 8-4 and hold the tiebreaker puts the game in Dallas as a must-win. Going 2-2 in the final 4 games could very well get the 'Boys a wild card, however, as you stated the best way to do it is to go
ReplyDelete3-4 which should win the division. It all starts Sunday at 4:15. GOT to WIN that game.
GO COWBOYS!!!
Personally, I think it's going to be like this EVERY YEAR until the NFL does some changing with the NFC. I just know that one of these years the Cardinals are going to go 7-9 and win their division and one of the NFC East teams will go 9-7 or 8-8 and not make the playoffs.
ReplyDeleteThe Cowboys need to win this game and I'm gonna have to go for the Eagles against the Giants. If we win and they lose, we'll be 2 games up on them in the wild card with 3 left to play. I have to admit though, it doesn't look good for this team.
ReplyDeleteNot looking good at all - the Giant game was HUGE!! Still holding out hope, but until they prove us wrong, the doubt creeps in. MUST WIN vs SD!!! Maybe they should hold a team meeting? A la Packers and Broncos..2-0
ReplyDeleteI watched the game with my cousins who are both Cowboys fans and when it became obvious the Cowboys would lose, one said "well we've got 4 games left to make the playoffs." My response was "do you really wanna see this team in the playoffs?" I want the Cowboys to win and I am hoping they will, but nothing in their recent history shows that when it comes to crunch time they can do anything except fold. And I really think Wade is the problem. He's just too nice of a guy. I can't recall ever seeing him argue a call, get in a players face, or show anything remotely resembling fire and when your General is reluctant to fight the troops will be too.
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