Vindication!

Anyone want to talk about 44-6 now?  What a difference a year makes.  The Cowboys have finally taken the next step and look like a team that can beat anyone right now.  I don't want to get into the match up next week just yet, but I do like their chances against the Vikings.

This is about celebrating a win that the die hard fans have been wanting and needing for over 13 years.  Keith Brooking was right...it feels like King Kong has been lifted off our backs.  We all deserved this one after enduring all of the ups and downs over the last few years.  The Seattle playoff loss a few years ago and the Giants game to end the 2007 season were probably the two worst losses I can ever remember.  This win doesn't erase those memories but it does ease the pain a little bit.

It is amazing to go on ESPN and watch those guys all fighting to get on the bandwagon first.  I guess the Cowboys will forever be the best team in the league or the worst team in the league based on their last game in the eyes of ESPN.  It sure feels good to see that so many of us who believed in this team and dealt with all of the mockery from the media, family and friends are being proven right about Tony Romo and the rest of the Cowboys.

Now, the key to everything here is the doors that have opened up for the Dallas Cowboys.  Not only do they have a legitimate shot at making a run to the Super Bowl this year, but now that they have gotten over the hump it looks like the Cowboys will be contenders for at least the next four or five years.  Expectations heading into this year were low and even the most optimistic fans like me were just hoping for one playoff win.  Now the stakes will be higher and nothing less than a Super Bowl is going make most people happy from this point going forward.

It is great to see that we can now raise our expectations and realize that this team has the talent, experience, and intangibles to be one of the top teams in the league.  

What went right:  Well, basically everything.  Felix Jones was unstoppable, Tony Romo was good, and the defense shut the Eagles down for the third time this season.  Patrick Crayton had several excellent punt returns and Sean Suisham even made two field goals.  The Cowboys forced turnovers and protected the ball.  They scored touchdowns when they got in the red zone and they made the big plays that the Eagles could not make.  DeSean Jackson was completely shut down again.  I wonder if he'll be sending our any Twitter messages?

What went wrong:  Marion Barber left the game early after aggravating his sore knee.  Mike Jenkins made a boneheaded play after his interception to give the ball right back to the Eagles.  The Cowboys committed way too many penalties.  And Jason Witten did not have a good game.  He committed several penalties and missed a few blocks during the game.  Roy Williams missed a perfectly thrown ball that nearly resulted in an interception for Romo.

Things to Work on for Next Week:  Reducing penalties has to be a priority.  Jason Garrett has figured out how to beat the Eagles defense, but I'm sure the wide receiver screens won't be so successful in every game.  Garrett will need to mix things up a bit more next week.  Has anyone else noticed that each week there is only one play in the wild cat arsenal?  It would be nice if they didn't line up and run the same play out of the wild cat all game long.  Kick returns for the Cowboys were not good at all and they need to get better.  

Make sure you stop and savor the feeling from this game for a few days.  It has been a long time coming.  Wins like this one help remind me why I get so emotionally invested in the Dallas Cowboys.  The bad times are terrible, but the good times make it all worth it.

I Hope the Cowboys Aren't As Nervous As I Am

Less than 24 hours from the game and I can't take much more waiting. A lot of fans were enjoying the victory early in the week but I was already getting amped for the playoff game even before the game Sunday ended. Like I've said many times here, all of the regular season stuff was great, but the big hurdle is still remains.

The Cowboys have managed to contain DeSean Jackson twice and they will need to limit his impact a third time to keep the Eagles under control. He may break off a play or two and even score a touchdown but they can't allow him to change the game with too many big plays. And the Cowboys especially need to keep his punt returns to a minimum to force the Eagles to drive the length of the field to score.

Donovan McNabb is not a consistent passer and he rarely takes his team methodically down the field. The Eagles live and die on the big play. If the Eagles have bad field position then a big 30 or 40 yard play may not even put them in scoring position. Special teams is going to be a big key to the game.

Tony Romo has been great for over a month but he has got to deliver one more time in this game. He doesn't have to do anything spectacular, but he needs to put points on the board and limit bad plays. If he can limit his mistakes and turnovers then it will be very hard for the Eagles to score enough points to win the game.

And finally, the defense needs one more solid showing in this game. I seriously doubt they can throw a shut out for the third game in a row, but if they can keep the Eagles to 20 points or less I believe the Cowboys will win. They need to stop the run early and then force McNabb to rush his throws. They will need to stay disciplined in their pass rush so that Donovan can't start scrambling around like a mad man because that is when he becomes very dangerous. If they can pressure him from the outside and up the middle then he won't have anywhere to run when he starts to get antsy in the pocket.

I've said it all week long. We've waited long enough for a playoff win. Over 13 years and counting. I believe the streak ends tomorrow night. I predict the Cowboys win 27-17.

NFC East Champions But The Cowboys Want More

A three game winning streak to end the season. A blowout victory over the Eagles to avenge the season ending disaster last season. The #2 offense in the NFL. The #2 scoring defense in the NFL. Six pro bowlers. NFC East Champions. All of this sounds good doesn't it?

The Cowboys have achieved more than many of the preseason prognosticators ever imagined. I would like to point out that I picked the Cowboys to go 11-5...but I also picked them to win the Super Bowl the year before so I can't boast too much. Now I also predicted a playoff win so there is still some work to be done. And that is what the Cowboys are thinking as well.

All of the regular season accomplishments and accolades will be greatly diminished if the Cowboys can't find a way to put on a repeat performance against the Eagles Saturday night. But if they do win on Saturday they suddenly have a very real shot at greatness this season. I'm trying to look at this one game at a time but it is hard not to let your mind start playing out the playoffs. Minnesota will be next if the Cowboys win but we'll save that talk for next week.

It is pretty obvious that Tony Romo has turned into the quarterback that we were all starting to wonder if he could be. He is a playmaker who also knows how to protect the ball. His transformation is the biggest key to the success of the team this season. The defense has been great in the second half of the season but without Tony Romo this team would be nowhere near its current level.

After the blatant late hit by the Eagles defender late in the game it became obvious how important Tony Romo is (how do the officials miss that call by the way???). As he slowly got himself off the turf everyone was holding their breath knowing that he was the key to any potential playoff run. Turns out he is fine but for a few brief seconds images of Brad Johnson flashed through my head.

So now the Cowboys face the task of stomping out what remains of their demons of last season. The Eagles clearly did not play their best game on Sunday and you can be sure they'll be ready to go Saturday night. The Cowboys need to not just match but exceed the intensity of the Eagles just like they did on Sunday. I believe the Cowboys have superior talent and coaching but they have to prove it one more time.

There are a lot of fans who seem to have quickly forgotten what can happen when you face a team in the playoffs who you are facing for the third time. The 2007 season ended in a similar situation when the Giants pulled the upset after the Cowboys had swept the regular season games. I am sure that Andy Reid is looking at the tape and drawing up plays to expose any holes in the Cowboys defense. And you can be sure that Sean McDermott will be dialing up more blitzes this week after watching his defense get manhandled by the Cowboys offense.

Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips need to add some new wrinkles this week and I'm sure they know that. If they can do a few things to keep the Eagles off balance then I believe they will finally end this playoff drought talk that has been killing all of the loyal fans for 13 years. That is a long time to wait for your team to make a playoff run.

You know Donovan McNabb and the Eagles won't go quietly on Saturday. DeSean Jackson has to be contained again and Tony Romo has to keep beating the blitzes with quick passes to his wideouts and running backs. Something tells me that Roy Williams will be more involved this week because I'm guessing the Eagles will be ignoring him this week defensively after he was shut out. I like Roy's attitude but it seems like he and Martellus Bennett are the only two guys who can't find a grove with Tony Romo.

I'm trying to remember to enjoy the win and the NFC championship that the Cowboys just won, but I can't do it knowing that the game I have been waiting to see for 13 years is right around the corner. I hope the fans bring even more energy to the stadium this week because the team needs it. A playoff win is so close you can taste it. It feels like the big moment is finally here for the Dallas Cowboys but they have to go stomp the Eagles again to give everyone what they've been waiting for. I can't wait for Saturday night!

Who Wants to Win the Game the Most?

That is the big question heading into the game on Sunday. There is a chance that they game Sunday afternoon will determine the #2 seed in the NFC. But there is also a chance that they game will just determine who gets the home field advantage in the wild card game next week. There will be something on the line no matter how things play out in the other games this week. So both teams will be playing for something come game time.

In a game that is evenly matched you usually want to look at which team has more to play for to determine the advantage. Both teams know they are in the playoff picture regardless so we need to dig a little deeper. Let's look at all of the different reasons that each team has to play. I'll determine a winner based on the cumulative results from the different categories.

Home field advantage - Both teams have a home playoff game hanging in the balance. And both teams have a shot to secure the #2 seed in the NFC. The Cowboys need help to get the #2 seed, the Eagles do not need help. There is no telling if the Cowboys will get the help they need.
Edge - Eagles

Coaching - Wade Phillips knows that he probably needs to win a playoff game to insure his return as the head man next season. Andy Reid is entrenched as the head coach in Philadelphia. Wade knows that a home game will raise his odds to win his first playoff game as a head coach.
Edge - Cowboys

Players - We all saw what happened last season in the finale. The Eagles not only knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs, but they completely embarrassed them on a big stage. Tony Romo and the rest of the Cowboys who were there have not forgotten how that felt. Regardless of what the players are saying you know that the game means more to the Cowboys players than the Eagles players.
Edge - Cowboys

Crowd - The Cowboys have the home field advantage for the game. Even if the new stadium lacks the energy that Texas stadium could generate I think the crowd will be in a frenzy for this game. The fans know how important home field advantage will be for the playoffs and they haven't forgotten what happened to end the season last year. The Eagles are a hated rival even without extra motivation for the fans.
Edge - Cowboys

Pro Bowl Snubs - The two teams are pretty even on pro bowlers. Some guys who get left off the team sometimes get extra motivation to show that they should have been included. The Cowboys have 6 players on the team and the Eagles have 5 (although DeSean Jackson was named at 2 positions). So who could argue they were snubbed? Tony Romo is probably playing the best football of his career but his numbers don't match the QB's named to the team. McNabb had a good year, but not a great year especially considering the weapons around him. Brent Celek could make a case that he should have made it but he can't block like Jason Witten and he doesn't have the numbers of Vernon Davis. Mike Jenkins was borderline.
Edge - Even

History - The Eagles have a track record of performing well in high pressure games. They have made the Super Bowl with McNabb and Reid running the show. The Cowboys still haven't broken through but they are overdue for a playoff run. Whoever wins might be catapulted to a Super Bowl run. The Eagles go in knowing that recent history is on their side. The Cowboys enter the game trying to buck the recent historical trend.
Edge - Eagles

Overall - Eagles 2, Cowboys 3, Even 1

To me it appears the Cowboys have the edge based on what happened last season. The players, coaches, and the fans all still feel like redemption needs to be won with a dismantling of the Eagles. I believe the Cowboys will win the game but it won't be easy.
Final score - Cowboys 31, Eagles 27

I could have gone into more categories in terms of player matchups but I tried to look purely at the motivation heading into the game. Feel free to add your own categories and give the edge to the team you think would be favored.

How to Beat the Eagles

We've all seen the games between the Cowboys over the last few years. They are usually close and there are usually big plays for both teams throughout the game. Last year's season finale was the obvious exception. But with the Eagles adding another play maker in Jeremy Maclin this season and the Cowboys discovering the talent of Miles Austin it seems like both teams are primed for a shootout. While that would be entertaining for fans who like scoring I think the Cowboys would be making a mistake by playing that type of game.

I don't mean the Cowboys shouldn't run their offense. I think what they have been doing over the last month is exactly what they need to do in this game. Mix the pass and run, play safe at times and go for the big play in the right moments. The main thing is that the game has to remain relatively close or the Cowboys will be forced to open things up which could mean a shootout or it could mean disaster if Tony Romo isn't having one of his good games.

So how do they keep the game from turning into a shootout? I believe the key to stopping the Eagles is to contain DeSean Jackson. I know Westbrook, Maclin and McNabb all present their own challenges, but the Eagles have lived by the big play this season. They don't have a single scoring drive that has lasted over 5 minutes. That means that when the score the drive usually involves one or more big plays.

There are two places I worry about Jackson. Punt returns are a big concern just because, at some point, the Cowboys are going to have to punt the ball to him. It is going to be vitally important that the punt coverage gets down the field quickly and bottle him up before he gets in the open. If he gets in the open field he is gone. The other concern is the big pass play. That is where the pass rush becomes the key to the game. The only way McNabb can throw 50 yard bombs to Jackson is if the Cowboys give him time to let the play develop. Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer need to be in McNabb's face all night long. I'm sure Wade Phillips will be dialing up blitzes to prevent the deep balls, but the best plan is to get your pass rushers to beat their blockers one-on-one without blitzing.

If the Cowboys can prevent the big plays in the Eagles passing game and continue their improved special teams play I believe they will win. Donovan McNabb is not an accurate passer and he will make mistakes if the Cowboys pressure him. And not only get to him but bring him down once they get there. McNabb is a big guy and he is hard to bring down so the defense needs to wrap up when they get to the quarterback.

I believe Tony Romo has turned the corner and he will continue to play good football this week. That means that the Cowboys will score enough points to win provided that the Eagles don't hang a big number on the scoreboard. I predict a 31-20 victory for the Cowboys.