The Stage Is Set

Here we go again. Tony Romo is once again the worst quarterback in NFL history. The Cowboys have no shot to win against the Patriots in Foxboro. Tom Brady and Wes Welker are the greatest of all time. Bill Belichick is a genius. I could go on but you get the point. The media would have you believe that there isn't much of a chance of the Cowboys coming away from the game on Sunday with a victory.

But something tells me that this is going to be a defining moment in the season for the Cowboys. And I mean that in a good way. The Cowboys are due for a big win. And they are due to knock out a top team. Romo has done it before against future hall of fame quarterbacks. He led his team to victory against Peyton Manning and also against Brett Favre. Now it is Tom Brady's turn.

This isn't going to be an easy task for the Cowboys. Rob Ryan's defense will be under the gun all game long. Turnovers by Tony Romo will lose the game. And missed field goals or allowing big kick returns could lose the game as well. The Cowboys don't need to play a perfect game, but they need to play very good for 4 quarters. That is something they have not done yet this season.

I realize that Tom Brady is going to be hard to stop. I have accepted the fact that the Patriots are going to score some points. But as much as possible the defense needs to force field goals and turnovers. Brady and Welker will get their yards. But if the defense can force field goals then the Cowboys offense can score enough to win the game. And if the defense can force 2 or 3 turnovers it could be enough to allow the team to win. Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer need to force Brady out of the pocket. Brady on the run is not a good quarterback.

On offense the Cowboys will be able to move the ball. It sounds like the Patriots are going to focus on stopping Jason Witten. That is ok. The Cowboys have plenty of weapons to make up for a low stat game from Witten. Dez Bryant and Miles Austin are both back at 100% for the first time since the first half of the Jets game. And Felix Jones has had two weeks to allow his shoulder to heal. Romo's cracked rib has had two weeks to heal as well. I think the Cowboys can put up 30 points if they can keep from turning the ball over.

Dan Bailey will need to hit all of his kicks. The Cowboys can't afford to go on a long drive and come away with no points this week. And, more importantly, the kick coverage needs to force the Patriots to drive the length of the field as much as possible. As crazy as it sounds, Matt McBriar is very important in a game like this. If he can pin the Patriots deep in their own territory a few times it will do wonders for keeping the Patriots' scoring down.

I know there really isn't a reason to trust Romo this week. But I loved the way he dealt with the media like he had a chip on his shoulder after all of the Romo bashing that has been going on for two weeks. He has something to prove and he knows it. And winning against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at Foxboro will definitely help him regain some credibility.

I think the Cowboys are going to pull off the upset this week. You can call me crazy if you want. I just feel like the Cowboys have had two weeks to think about how close they came to making a real statement against the Lions before the late game collapse. This will be the week that everyone around the league realizes that the Cowboys are building a team that will be very good for years to come. I am picking the Cowboys to win the game 32-27.

The Real Dallas Cowboys?

We finally get to see a nearly healthy version of the 2011 Dallas Cowboys this weekend. After the first four games there seem to be just as many questions about the team as there were before the season started. But now that the Cowboys have had a week off and will be getting most of their injured players back it is time to find out if this team can really compete at a high level.

The Patriots will certainly test every facet of the team. And I don't mean to say that the Patriots are an unbeatable opponent. But they will present challenges that are beyond what the team has faced up to this point. Wes Welker and Tom Brady are going to provide a big test for the new Rob Ryan defense. And you know they will score some points no matter how well the defense plays.

So that means that the offense will also be under the gun. We already know that Tony Romo has the weight of the world on his shoulders based on his second half performance in the Lions game. Add to that the pressure of having to go score for score with Tom Brady. The offense is going to have to play a clean game and put up a lot of points if the Cowboys expect to win. With Miles Austin and Dez Bryant both back to 100% there are no excuses this week.

I don't know what to expect from the team this week. I do have confidence that the Cowboys can win the game. But the big question is if Jason Garrett can get his team to play good football for four quarters against a quality opponent. This isn't a make it or break it game but it will go a long way to answering the question of how good the Cowboys can be this year.

The Blame Game

I don't even know where to start. I was at the stadium for the worst collapse in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. It was a completely helpless feeling to sit there and watch Tony Romo and the Cowboys give away a 27-3 lead and lose a game they should have won in a blow out.

I place the majority of the blame for this loss on Tony Romo. Like I said when he made the throw on 3rd and 21 last week against the Redskins, Romo does things that a quarterback isn't absolutely not supposed to do. Sometimes it pays off like last week and sometimes it loses the game like yesterday.

The first interception just looked like Romo didn't see Carpenter covering out in the flat. A boneheaded mistake but at least understandable. The second interception is probably more on Laurent Robinson than on Romo because the receiver has to get inside the defender on a slant.

The third interception is the one that really makes me mad. The Cowboys were still clinging to a 6 point lead. The game was still in the hands of the offense. A few first downs and the game is over. The worst part of the play was the fact that Romo threw the ball late off his back foot and forced it into coverage when all he had to do was throw the ball away. It was just a flat out stupid play by Romo.

But we can't forget Jason Garrett's role in this disaster. He is the one who was calling high risk passes with the game on the line. All the Cowboys needed to do was run a ball control offense for a 4 minutes and the game was over. But instead he went for the jugular. The smart move would have been to be safe and milk the clock. It was just horrible on Garrett's part to even allow Romo to have the option to screw up again in the game.

And as much as I don't want to put blame on the defense they had a lot of chances to make a play to stop the Lions as the collapse slowly occurred. Sure, Romo and Robinson handed the Lions 14 points. But the pass rush disappeared for the Cowboys in the second half. All it would have taken was a sack or two or even just one turnover in the 4th quarter and the game would have been won even with the mistakes by the offense. It seemed like Rob Ryan went conservative in the second half when the aggressive, attacking style was what helped shut down the Lions for the first quarter and a half.

So where does this loss leave the Cowboys? They have won two games they should have lost and lost two games they should have won. So 2-2 feels about right considering the inconsistency that the team has shown. All is not lost. But at some point this team needs to put it all together or we are looking at an 8-8 team who can beat any team in the league or lose to any team in the league.

I'm giving Jason Garrett until midseason to clean up this mess. It seems like a lot of the mistakes that plagued the team last season are still popping up. I realize Garrett didn't get an offseason to fully implement his system and that is why I am cutting him just a little slack. But the slack is starting to run out. Either he gets the team to pull it together or I have to start questioning whether he is ever going to change the culture of the team. I believe he has improved the team's practice habits but he needs to get them playing smarter. The clock is ticking.

If there is a bright side to the mess we saw it is that we got a glimpse of how good the Cowboys can be if they can play good football for four quarters. It will just be a question of whether the players on the team are capable of playing smart, fundamentally sound football. There are 12 games to go. Hopefully the Cowboys will find a way to fix the mistakes that are costing them games.

Cowboys vs. Lions

This is going to be a big test for the Cowboys. I’m not ready to say that the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL but they are certainly a big step up from the last two opponents the Cowboys have faced. It definitely looks like this will be the best offense that the Cowboys have faced this year. And the offense will be very limited again without Miles Austin and a hobbling Dez Bryant.

There are two guys playing for the Lions that are going to be quite a handful for the Cowboys. Calvin Johnson is probably the best wide receiver in the NFL. And Ndamukong Suh is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the defensive line for the Lions. The Cowboys don’t have a good answer for either of those guys if you try to take them on with one guy. So the Cowboys won’t try to stop these two with just one man. You can bet that Suh will be double teamed on the majority of plays throughout the game. And Calvin Johnson will surely get extra safety attention on most plays.

The good news is that the Cowboys have a few guys that will cause big problems for the Lions. Demarcus Ware has to be the biggest fear for the Lions. They will try to double him when they can but now that Rob Ryan is moving him all over the field that becomes much more difficult to do. And I have to throw in Sean Lee on the defensive side of the ball. He seems to be all over the field this year and I don’t know if there is any good way to contain him. If you try to focus too much on Lee and Ware then someone else in the defense is going to be left unblocked and make some big plays.

And on offense it is hard to stop Jason Witten and Tony Romo. It helped last week that both guys were playing with hurt ribs. But Witten seems to be feeling better this week and Romo is getting better every day. While the pressure the Lions will bring at Romo is certainly a concern you also have to remember that what makes Romo so good is that he can escape pressure and then make a big play. So, in a way, Romo will neutralize the front four of the Lions that everyone keeps talking about.

I think there are two keys to victory this week. Dez Bryant has to make plays to open up the offense and the defense has to contain Calvin Johnson. I know Dez still isn’t going to be 100% for the game but there is a noticeable difference in the way the defense plays when Dez is on the field versus when he is off the field. Opposing defenses just aren’t worried about Ogletree, Holley, and Robinson. But Dez puts fear into the defense and keeps them honest.

Notice I didn’t say that the Cowboys need to stop Calvin Johnson. That isn’t going to happen. He is just too good. What the Cowboys need to do is prevent Johnson from going crazy for 10 catches for 150 yards and 3 touchdowns. To me if they can keep him to numbers like 5 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown I would consider that a success.

It is going to take a total team effort to win this game. Last week special teams and the defense allowed the offense to have an off game. This week all three phases need to play well. I think the offense will be improved enough to allow the Cowboys to win. I predict a win for the Cowboys 26-21.

Another Heartstopping Finish

What a game last night. And what a season it has been so far. The Cowboys could easily be 0-3. But they could just as easily be 3-0. After escaping last night with a win that felt like stealing you have to be happy with the Cowboys sitting at 2-1.

Say what you want about the embarrassing performance of some of the players on offense last night. There is something to this Jason Garrett guy. For some reason the Cowboys have suddenly remembered how to come through in the clutch and win the game late. And, like I have said many times, winning in situations like that becomes a habit just as much as losing games like last night’s does.

It was another gutty performance from Romo. I have never seen him get so visibly angry with his teammates as he did last night. I’m sure the “leadership” questioners were loving the fact that he was yelling at his teammates to get things fixed. That is what many people think leadership is. But it really isn’t too shocking that a guy playing in immense pain is going to get more than just a little frustrated with repeated boneheaded mistakes. What I really liked about Romo was the way he kept fighting throughout the game even though things just weren’t going right. That is what I am looking for in a leader. I don’t mind the yelling but I think what he does when he is coaching up his teammates on the sidelines is a bigger sign of leadership.

The play on 3^rd and 21 late in the game was the back breaker for the Redskins. They sent an all out blitz and the Cowboys did a decent job picking it up. Nothing was there for Romo so he retreated and rolled right to buy time. Dez broke deep and Romo made a Romo play. He threw off his back foot across his body running away from the line of scrimmage. It was basically everything that a quarterback is taught not to do. But it works for Romo when he is in the zone. It was one of those plays where it was amazing but it could have also turned out to be like the interception late in the Jets game where you wonder what in the hell Romo it thinking. It’s what makes him Tony Romo.

I have to admit I was wrong about Dan Bailey. I was ready to cut him after he missed the 21 yard field goal early in the 49er game last week. After nailing the kick to send the game to overtime last week and the game winner last week and then going 6 for 6 with another game winner this week I think he’ll be the kicker for years to come. I love the way his kicks go right down the middle. I am actually starting to have a little confidence when the Cowboys line up for a field goal that the kick will go through the uprights.

Is there any doubt that Sean Lee is a force to be reckoned with at this point? The guy is just all over the field. He reminds me of one of my favorite Cowboys of all time, Dexter Coakley. The reason I loved Coakley is the same reason I am loving Lee. Just watch where Sean Lee is and that is where the play is going. He has a natural feel for the game and he just keeps making plays.

And let’s not forget that this game was really won by the defense and special teams. Sure, Romo gets a lot of credit because he is the quarterback. But the offense was not very good most of the night. The defense kept the Cowboys in the game. And Dan Bailey’s field goals speak for themselves. In a low scoring game like last night’s game it reminds you how important Matt McBriar can be. He completely swung the field position on a couple of punts and you can’t overlook how important that can be.

I’m certainly not going to complain about a win. But there are a lot of problems that need to be fixed. The biggest problem has to be the confusion with the wide receivers on where to line up and what route to run. Not knowing your job is at least understandable if you are new to the team like Laurent Robinson. But Kevin Ogletree should be ashamed of his performance outside of one nice catch that he made late in the 4^th quarter. One more game like that from Ogletree and he’ll be packing his bags at the end of the season. I’m not going to harp on the botched snaps too much because it turns out the Redskins were illegally mimicking Romo’s snap count to get Costa to snap the ball early. The Cowboys should have adjusted once they realized that the horrible officiating crew wasn’t going to call a penalty but it is a problem that is easily corrected.

At the end of the day the Cowboys escape with a win and a 2-1 record. Not bad for a team with so many injuries. Next week’s game is going to be a real test. The offense better find a way to play much, much better or it is going to be a long day against Detroit. Hopefully the defense will be able to continue their stellar play and shut down the Lion’s seemingly unstoppable offensive machine.

Beating the Redskins

With another unexpected loss by the "dream team" today the Cowboys have a shot to pull into a tie for first place in the NFC East with a victory on Monday night. While the Redskins are coming into the game at 2-0 it isn't like they are world beaters. The Cowboys will have to play good football to win but they don't have to play a perfect game to beat the Redskins. Here are my keys to victory.

1. Make Rex Grossman uncomfortable. A lot of people laugh off the prospect of getting beaten by Rex Grossman. But when Grossman is on he is a very good quarterback. That is the bad news. The good news is that Grossman is also one of the worst quarterbacks in the league when he has a lot of pressure on him. It will be very important for the Rob Ryan defense to bring pressure at Grossman all game long.

2. Contain the Redskins running game. The best way to pressure the quarterback is to put the offense in obvious passing situations. The Cowboys need to keep Tim Hightower under control and it will make priority #1 (see above) much easier to achieve.

3. Don't let Santana Moss get deep. We all know what can happen when Moss gets behind the defense. Moss is the type of receiver who will disappear if you take him out of the game early on.

4. Protect Tony Romo at all costs. While I would love to see Romo come out and throw for 300 yards and 4 touchdowns I really don't think this is the week for that. Miles Austin is out and Dez Bryant will be a game time decision. With the limited options in the passing game it will be important for the short passing game to efficiently rack up first downs. It could be a big game for Jason Witten and for the running backs in the screen game.

5. Run the ball. I don't expect the running game to suddenly put up 250 yards. But it will be important to control the time of possession and keep the offense in manageable down and distances. I'm not looking for 60 yard touchdowns. But 4 yards a carry would be nice.

This game isn't like climbing Mt. Everest for the Cowboys. All they need to do is play solid football and they will win the game. It would be nice to get help from the defense with a few turnovers and on special teams with some nice returns. I expect the Cowboys to come out focused a play solid football. It won't be a blowout but the Cowboys will win. I predict a 23-13 win for the Cowboys.

Should the Offense Adjust for Romo's Injury?

Heading into the Monday night game against the Redskins there has been some speculation about the status of Tony Romo for the game. But let's be real here. Tony Romo is playing. There isn't much of a chance that Romo will be forced to miss the game due to the injuries he sustained in the 49er game.

And there is good reason Romo is playing. The team needs him on the field. Can they win without him? Yes. But the odds of winning without Romo on the field drop dramatically. And as nice as it was for the Cowboys to get their first win of the season they can't afford to lose any of the winnable games on the schedule if they expect to compete for a playoff spot.

So let's go under the assumption that Romo is playing. Does Jason Garrett adjust the game plan to try to protect Tony Romo? I'm sure he will try. Conventional wisdom would say that you run the ball more and do a lot more max protect in the game plan to limit the hits that Romo takes.

That's all fine and good but the Cowboys have been terrible running the ball this season so far. And running a max protect protection scheme means that you usually only have three receivers out in routes on any given play. That requires your receivers to be able to regularly beat a double team. Miles Austin is likely out. The only hope for a receiver who can beat double teams is Dez Bryant getting back on the field this week. I think Dez playing and playing with a little spring in his step will be the key to the success of the offense this week.

I think Jason Garrett is going to try to call a conservative game that protects Romo. But that game plan will only last as long as the Cowboys are able to keep the game close. If the Redskins find a way to get a lead more than 7 points I expect that the Cowboys would be forced to open up the offense. Of course that would open up Romo to more hits.

Hopefully the running game can finally find its way this week against the Redskins. And hopefully Dez Bryant can take over as the #1 receiver who can keep the Redskins from over-committing to stop the running game of the Cowboys. Otherwise it is going to be a tough game to win with no true threat at wide receiver and a quarterback who is only one good hit away from heading to the locker room for the evening.