The Revisionists Are Questioning the Crayton Trade?

I can't believe this is still coming up. The media is trying to re-write history and call into question the trade the Cowboys made last year shipping Patrick Crayton to the San Diego Chargers. While it is easy to second guess the decision now, you have to go back to the 2010 preseason to really evaluate what the Cowboys did at that time. Too much has changed in the last year to now go back and re-evaluate the trade based on the current roster situation.

Last preseason it really looked like it was finally time for Roy Williams to shine. And with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant filling out the rest of the top three receivers it didn't leave a lot of potential playing time for Crayton. And Crayton didn't like it. And he didn't mind talking about how he didn't like it either. And he even mentioned that maybe he needed to go to a team that could get him on the field.

Given Crayton's history of causing controversy in the media the last thing the team wanted to do was force Crayton to sit on the bench and then listen to him whine to the coaches and the media throughout the season. Crayton had asked for his release right after the draft when the Cowboys picked Dez Bryant with their #1 pick. You can't forget that fact when you look back at the events that led to Crayton's trade to San Diego.

So the Cowboys go what they could in a trade a shipped him off to San Diego. Problem solved. Or so it seemed for a while. Roy Williams started the season out on fire. Miles Austin was the clear #1 receiver with Williams and Bryant sharing time at the #2 spot. But then Romo got hurt. And without Romo Williams' promising start to the season fizzled out and he finished out the year in a serious decline.

Now that the Cowboys finally had to cut the cord on the gargantuan Roy Williams contract it is easy to second guess what the Cowboys did a year ago. Sure, the Cowboys need help at wide receiver. But Crayton isn't exactly a young player and it would have made it very difficult to develop any young talent since Crayton wouldn't have been willing to take a lesser role in the offense while Kevin Ogletree and/or Dwayne Harris got on the field.

Don't be fooled by the reporting that calls the trade from a year ago into question. It is easy to say what someone should have done a year later. But, at the time, the trade made perfect sense.

Observations from the San Diego Game

Jason Hatcher got the start at defensive end. I wonder if that means anything. I don't think Bowen or Hatcher have done anything that would force the coaches to make a change in the starting lineup when Spears gets back.

Alan Ball made a good open field tackle on Darren Sproles on a screen pass. I would have been more impressed if the tackle didn't come after a 20 yard gain.

The first team defense didn't look great on the opening drive. The Chargers were able to run and pass all the way down the field. But Terence Newman made a great play to undercut and intercept an out route in the red zone. Hopefully the turnover is a sign of things to come from the defense this year.

The first series from the offense ended in an interception. Romo forced a bad pass with a free rusher in his face. Romo and Roy Williams missed another easy connection on the drive as well. Brewster and Holland both seemed to do a decent job on the opening drive.

Gerald Sensabaugh appeared to injure his left shoulder on the defense's second series. Barry Church stepped in for him. Keith Brooking did a good job (illegal contact?) covering Antonio Gates on a third down play. Barry Church made a nice goal line tackle on the drive. Philip Rivers finished the drive with a touchdown on a quarterback sneak and then ran his mouth as usual after the play.

The first team offense was very sloppy on their second drive. They look like a unit with a bunch of backup players trying to keep the offense afloat. Romo was heavily pressured on every pass.

Sean Lee got extended playing time because Keith Brooking banged up his shoulder and was taken out of the game as a precaution. Lee made two tackles in three plays on a three and out forced by the defense. Lee had a pretty good game for his first preseason appearance. He is going to be a starter for a long time if his knees hold up.

Doug Free made a great lead block on a toss left to Marion Barber. Unfortunately the drive ended on a dropped pass by Miles Austin. Once again, the first team offense just didn't look good.

Barry Church, filling in for the injured Sensabaugh, picked up a fumble and nearly scored. Tony Romo connected with Miles Austin a few plays later to end the offense's preseason touchdown drought.

Brewster earned a lot of respect tonight. He did a decent job with the starters at right tackle and then shifted to left tackle in the second half. He might be developing into a real NFL player right before our eyes. When I first saw Brewster play I thought he fit better at guard but he looked a lot more comfortable against San Diego.

Martellus Bennett reminded everyone why he had some much excitement surrounding him last year in the preseason. He made several nice plays including a great catch for a touchdown. And, more importantly, I didn't see any plays all night where he had to be told where to line up.

Owusu-Ansah had a 45 yard punt return called back for a block in the back, but his burst and vision was impressive on the return. He had a fumble on a kick return earlier in the game so ball security is an issue. But I'm excited about his potential.

What to Watch for Against the Chargers

It feels like a long time ago that the Cowboys played the Raiders. There hasn't been much news out of training camp recently outside of the injuries to Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier. Now that we are getting to the meat of the preseason schedule we have reached the point that the starters get a lot of playing time. This is what I will be watching for:

1. Can the offensive line hold up with two starters out? Like I have said before, in some ways it is a good thing to have some starters out for the preseason. The coaches are forced to get Montrae Holland and probably Robert Brewster some meaningful playing time with the first unit. I'm pretty confident that Holland can get the job done but Brewster is a big question mark.

2. Assuming Romo gets some protection, can the offense finally find a good rhythm and score a touchdown? It sounds like the offense really found their groove in practice this week but until they score points in a game there are going to be questions.

3. Is David Buehler going to keep it up? He has been solid so far in the preseason games, but he needs to keep improving heading into the season.

4. Is Stephen Bowen good enough to start when Spears finally gets healthy. Bowen has looked pretty good so far but he still needs to prove he can stuff the run like Spears can do.

5. Who is going to win the #4 cornerback job? There are a lot of young guys vying for the job. Whoever makes the most plays will win the battle but right now it is too close to call.

6. What can Akwasi Owusu-Ansah do at the NFL level? He missed the first two preseason games but he'll be playing on Saturday. I'm excited to see what he can do in the return game.

7. Does Martellus Bennett have his head screwed on straight? He has been lighting it up in practice but I still need to see him prove he knows the play book. I'd like to see him get lined up every play without help from Romo or anyone else on the field.

8. Will Kevin Ogletree snap out of his slump? He looked so good in his limited action last year I think everyone expected him to challenge for more playing time this season. So far his play has been flat and uninspired in the first two preseason games.

9. Will the linebackers impress again? Last week it looked like the Cowboys were stacked across the board at the four linebacker spots. Having too many good linebackers is a good problem to have. I hope they look good again this week.

Everything Is Still There for the Taking

I know the loss last night was extremely disheartening. I was at the game and I can tell you how demoralizing that loss felt first hand. The stadium cleared out with about 4 minutes to go as the Chargers methodically drove down the field, grinded the clock down and then hit the game clinching field goal. It was horrible to be there and feel completely helpless watching your team get dominated.

As I drove home for the next four hours I kept trying to find something positive to take from the game. Unfortunately it just seems like they were beaten by a better team. Nick Folk is now horrible, they can't gain a yard with three cracks from the one yard line for a touchdown, and the defense can't come up with the big play in the big moment (to be fair, Demarcus Ware was hurt right before the big 3rd and 14 conversion play on the Chargers 4th quarter TD drive).

So there really isn't much there to make anyone believe that the Cowboys can compete with the big boys of the NFL this season. But there is still hope. We've seen teams get hot late in the season for the last two seasons and ride the momentum all the way to the Super Bowl. I'm not saying it is going to happen, but it is still possible. The Cowboys could be the 2009 version of the 2007 Giants and the 2008 Cardinals.

The Cowboys will still win the NFC East if they can find a way to win out. That is an awfully tall order with the New Orleans Saints waiting for them on Saturday. But if they can some how find a way to pull off the upset it just might give them the confidence to get on a roll to close the season.

There isn't a great chance that it will go the Cowboys way on Saturday, but it is possible. The Saints have pulled out some close games over the last few weeks. They seem ripe for a loss, but you know they'll be ready to go in the national spotlight on Saturday night.

If the Cowboys play their best game of the season and lose then we know they just aren't good enough this year. But if they manage to shock the NFL world, then maybe it could be the start of something special. I think we all need something to hope for at this point in the season. It isn't very likely, but there is hope. Don't give up on the team too early because you just might miss something special from this team.

The End or Just the Beginning?

The game this week is either going to be the game that starts another December slide or it could be the game that springboards the Cowboys to a special season. I've thought long and hard about this game and I have no idea what to expect. I think the teams are pretty even but the Chargers have proven they can win big games in the late season and in the playoffs over the last few seasons. The Cowboys are going to have to defeat a seasoned team.

I will be at the game and I am going to do my best to help give the Cowboys the upper hand tomorrow. I wrote a few days ago that the crowd is the biggest asset for the Cowboys this week. I just hope the crowd comes to the game ready to make a difference.

I'm going into this game with a very odd feeling. I don't feel optimistic but I'm not pessimistic either. I could see either team winning this game. But I'm going to hope for the best a pick the Cowboys to win the game by a final score of 27-21 because they are the more desperate team this week.

The Cowboys Need Their Fans on Sunday

This is it. The moment we all have been waiting for. It is the biggest game of the season. Win and anything is still possible. Lose and it would take a minor miracle for the Cowboys to win a playoff spot.

The Chargers aren't planning to come into Cowboys Stadium and roll over for the Cowboys. They have won 15 straight December games as I'm sure everyone has heard at this point and they've won 7 consecutive games coming into this game. They know how to win big games in December. And the Chargers are clinging to a one game division lead so it isn't like they are feeling like they can afford to lose on Sunday.

The Chargers have a +9 turnover ratio to Dallas' -2. The Chargers score 28.5 points per game compared to 23.2 for Dallas. The Chargers have the 12th rated defense to the Cowboys 14th rated defense based on yards allowed. Nate Kaeding has made 89% of his field goals compared to just 67% for Nick Folk.

Not all of the statistics favor the Chargers but a lot of them do. But if you look at the personnel for both teams it would appear to be a very even match up on paper.

So what big factor do the Cowboys have working for them? Home field advantage.

Unfortunately, that usually doesn't mean a whole lot when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. The fans tend to sit down during the entire game and only really get into the action when the offense is piling up points. That isn't going to cut it this week.

The fans need to be rabid. They need to be loud from opening kickoff until the final whistle. Of course they need to stay quiet for the offense, but the defense and special teams need their energy. The crowd can force false starts. The crowd can get the players motivated. And the crowd can be the biggest advantage for the home team on Sunday.

The Cowboys need their fans this week more than ever. To the fans going to the game on Sunday...if you are like me and you are dying to see the Cowboys finally break their playoff drought then you need to pour your heart and soul into the game this week. Your team needs you and this is your chance to actually make a difference in what happens on the field. Don't sit on your hands. Let the team hear you and do anything you can to send the Chargers home with a loss.

Don't be afraid to make noise. People around you might look at you like you are an idiot but the real fans will appreciate your enthusiasm. That enthusiasm tends to be contagious. Maybe by getting loud and crazy you'll get the people next to you more excited. And they, in turn, will get the people next to them going and on and on. Before you know it Cowboys Stadium will be roaring like never before. We can make a difference this week. Don't let the opportunity to go waste!

Now It Is a Tough Road to the Playoffs

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.