Get Ready for Another Wild One Against the Redskins

I don’t know what it is about the rivalry the Cowboys have with the Redskins. But for some reason the games are decided by some sort of wacky play on a regular basis. You don’t have to look back more than a few games to see what I mean.

Last year the Cowboys appeared to win and then lost on the final play of the game when Alex Barron was called for a holding penalty that nullified the game winning score.

This year Dan Bailey hit six field goals to provide all 18 of the Cowboys points as Tony Romo made a miraculous play on 3^rd and 18 late in the game to get the Cowboys in position for the game winner.

You can go back not only for a few years but for a few decades and you’ll see similar games that have been played between the two teams almost every season. So why would this game be any different?

On paper it would appear that the Cowboys and Redskins are heading in opposite directions. The Cowboys are just starting to get on a roll and are beginning to look like a playoff team. The Redskins have lost 5 straight and appear headed for a top 5 draft pick. But those types of things don’t usually matter in the Cowboys-Redskins series.

The year the Cowboys went 1-15 with first year coach Jimmy Johnson guess who they beat for that lone victory. That’s right, the Washington Redskins. No one expected it that day and no one expects the Redskins to be able to win this week.

I’m not saying all of this to predict a loss by the Cowboys this week. I just think we need to realize that another 44-7 win is probably not in order this week. The Cowboys should win, but it will likely be much closer than that if history tells us anything.

The Cowboys will obviously try to keep their running game rolling this week. But with Tony Fiammetta out battling a mystery illness the running game will lose one of its biggest assets. The good news is that Felix Jones will return and will likely give a nice #2 option to the running attack.

The Redskins have a good defense despite what their record shows. The majority of the losses the team has had are due to the completely inept play they have had at the quarterback position. Tony Romo and the rest of the offense won’t have to be special to win the game this week. But they need to protect the ball so that the Redskins have to work for any points they get.

The defense will be challenged to stop the run yet again this week. You know that Mike Shanahan wants to be able to hide Rex Grossman with his game plan. That means a heavy dose of the running game. If the Cowboys can shut down the run then Grossman will be forced to throw the ball. The Redskins have no receivers who can provide a threat and Fred Davis at tight end is the only real playmaker on the offensive side of the ball.

It is hard to envision a scenario where the Cowboys lose this game barring a catastrophic injury to Romo or a Romo meltdown. But, as I say that, all I have to do is picture a few of the crazy things that have gone on in this rivalry over the last few years to realize that it only takes a few odd plays here or there and suddenly the Cowboys will be on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

I think the Cowboys will find a way to overcome any odd moments that come up in this game. I’m not expecting a blowout this week. But I wasn’t expecting one last week either. The Redskins just can’t score enough points to keep up with the Cowboys offense. I’m picking the Cowboys to win 24-12.

The Tide Might Be Turning

The Cowboys played their most complete game of the season today. And as I write this the Giants are in the process of losing to the 49ers. And just like that it appears that the Cowboys will be just one game out in the NFC East and ready to start rolling through the next three games on their schedule.

I'm certainly not going to make more out of the Bills game than I should. But the win and the absolute complete domination of a team that many thought was a quality team heading into the game can't be overlooked. The Cowboys started scoring early in the game and they never stopped.

Tony Romo was finally Tony Romo again. He was moving around with ease and taking shots down the field without hesitation. And, what was even better, he seemed to be picking his moments to be aggressive. A few times in the second half he had a thought to go deep on play action passes. But when the defense didn't bite he either checked the ball down or simply ran it. Lessons were learned in the Detroit game but he finally got his mojo back today too. Games like today make all of the idiots who talk about how terrible Romo is look like fools.

DeMarco Murray looks better in every game he plays. I have no idea how Jason Garrett can possibly justify making Felix Jones the starter when he is finally healthy again. But it will be nice for DeMarco to be able to get a rest more often when Felix is ready to play. It is really starting to look like the Cowboys might have found a franchise back in the third round of the draft.

What was most impressive to me today was the performance of the offensive line. I can't think of any hits that Romo took outside of plays that he ran the ball. And the running game was dominant even when the Bills knew the run was coming. Maybe the line is starting to gel. Time will tell, but that is two straight weeks that they have looked great. And Jason Garrett even felt confident enough in them to pound the ball into the end zone from one yard out with DeMarco Murray. The ability to run in the red zone has been the missing link for the offense.

The defense was able to force 4 turnovers but I wasn't overly impressed by their performance. I realize that the Bills had a very good offense coming into the game. And I know the Cowboys only gave up 7 points. But the Bills were moving the ball with ease on the ground and through the air. Ryan Fitzpatrick missed a couple of deep throws in the 2nd half that could have gone for touchdowns. Luckily it didn't hurt the team but the defense has a lot to work on despite the fact that they only gave up 7 points.

Dan Bailey was perfect as usual and I am really trying to remind myself not to take his consistency for granted. I love the way he nails his kicks right down the middle and they don't hook or fade at all. And the kickoffs for Bailey today were great. He had touchbacks on all but two kickoffs which makes the thought of having Buehler on the team next year seem ridiculous.

The Cowboys are heading in the right direction. After the Eagles game I had to admit that the Cowboys were mediocre. But good teams continue to improve throughout the season as Jason Garrett likes to say. It certainly appears that the Cowboys are still improving and it is exciting to think that their best football still might be in front of them. It is going to take a great final 7 games for the Cowboys to find a way into the postseason. But today makes it feel like anything is possible.

No Sure Thing Against the Bills

For some reason the media seems to be picking the Cowboys to win on Sunday against the Bills almost unanimously. I don’t understand why. Yes the Cowboys are at home. And the Bills have been fading after their fast start to the season. But this is the same Cowboys team that only played 2 quarters of good football last week.

I’m certainly not saying I think the Cowboys will lose. But I think that is a real possibility. The Cowboys will need 4 quarters of good football and the run defense needs a dramatic improvement over their last two performances.

There are a few things that make me worry about this game. This is a game that will likely prove to be the pivotal moment in the season. Win and they could go on a pretty good run against a weak schedule to get back in the NFC East and playoff race. Lose and they are probably in too deep of a hole to get back in the playoff hunt. So far this season the Cowboys haven’t been able to win any games that felt like they were season changers. We all know how the Jets game went down and the Eagles game was a disaster. Should I even mention the Lions game?

The run defense has me very worried. They have given up big yardage in two straight games. The good news is that Sean Lee will be back in the lineup this week. But he’ll be playing with only one hand. But Sean Lee with one hand is leaps and bounds better than Keith Brooking on any day. Hopefully the missing link in the run defense has been Lee because the Cowboys won’t win this game if they can’t stop Fred Jackson. I have to believe that Rob Ryan is making the adjustments to the defense that will help shore up the huge cutback lanes that have been opening up over the last two games.

Miles Austin is injured again. Laurent Robinson has been an unexpected surprise as the #3 receiver but now he will get more attention from the defense. Hopefully he can do enough to keep the defense from focusing on Jason Witten and Dez Bryant all day. Dez Bryant is going to have to step up and become the receiver he was drafted to be. Dez is long past due for a 10 catch for 200 yards and 3 TD’s type of performance. Maybe this will be the week.

As usual I have no doubt that the outcome of this game will probably depend on Tony Romo’s performance more than anything else in the game. Tony needs to be aggressive but also protect the ball. He has seemed a little gun shy since the disastrous second half of the Lions game. Maybe now that he is fully healthy he’ll get his swagger back. The offense needs him to hit big plays to keep the defense from focusing on stopping DeMarco Murray.

I’m really uneasy about this game. Half of me thinks I should pick the Bills to win because they are coming off of a tough loss and they have been a good team this year. But the other half of me feels like the home field advantage and they Rob Ryan defensive schemes can do enough to shut down the Bills offensive attack. Either way I think it will be a very close game down to the end of the 4^th quarter. I’m going to stick with what my heart tells me and pick the Cowboys to win 26-23.

Good & Bad from the Seahawk Game

Rather than just a recap of the game I thought I would try something a little different this time. I know there were a lot of things to dislike about the game yesterday, but there were also a lot of things to like. Let's take a look at things that should give up hope and things that should make us worry.

The Good: DeMarco Murray is starting to look like the real deal. It is now three straight weeks that Murray has looked like a legitimate starting running back. It will be interesting to see how many touches Felix Jones gets when he gets healthy. Hopefully Garrett will keep Murray as the starter and use Felix as the change up.

The Bad: The running game still isn't punching the ball into the end zone from close range. I don't know if Jason Garrett just doesn't trust the offensive line, but the Cowboys didn't make much of an effort to power the ball into the end zone from close range. Until they start running the ball in they red zone offense will continue to struggle.

The Good: Tony Romo didn't turn the ball over at all. By protecting the ball the Seahawks were always forced to drive the length of the field to score. That helps the defense prevent touchdowns more than any scheme Rob Ryan can draw up.

The Bad: Tony Romo is still playing too safe. It feels like Romo is still gun shy after what happened in the Detroit game a few weeks back. Romo is definitely protecting the ball but he seems to be lacking what makes him great right now. Romo is at his best when he is in gunslinger mode. He is a very average quarterback when he plays the bus driver role.

The Good: Dan Bailey continues to nail his field goals right down the middle. He is having the best season by a Cowboys kicker since Nick Folk's rookie season.

The Bad: The return game for the Cowboys is awful. Kevin Ogletree is just a very bad kick returner. And Dez Bryant made a horrible decision to field a punt inside the Cowboys five yard line.

The Good: The defense came up with 3 turnovers. The interceptions in the second half helped turn the tide in the Cowboys favor.

The Bad: The run defense was bad again. Last week seemed like a blip on the radar when McCoy went crazy for the Eagles. But Marshawn Lynch made it back to back weeks that the run defense has struggled. Run defense is becoming a major concern.

The Good: The offense had great balance with both Romo and Murray coming up with good games.

The Bad: Jason Garrett is still struggling to find a way to get the offense in the end zone consistently. I don't know if the offensive line is just handcuffing him in critical situations, but it is frustrating to see some of the questionable calls in short yardage situations.

The Good: Anthony Spencer finally woke up. He came up with a sack and a huge blocked field goal. Now he needs to show up next week again.

The Bad: Keith Brooking was terrible starting in place of Sean Lee. Brooking is so bad it is embarrassing. It seems like he should have retired 2 years ago. He is always a step or two late, he gets run over, and he seems lost in pass coverage. Lee can't get back on the field fast enough for me.

In the end a win is a win. It wasn't pretty but the Cowboys just need to start getting on a roll before it is too late. Buffalo is coming off of an embarrassing loss and will present a tough challenge next week. If the Cowboys can win that game we might see the Cowboys make a run to 8-4 against a very soft schedule. With the Giants playing with a 2 game lead in the NFC East getting to 8-4 is going to be needed to get back in the playoff race.

This Should Be An Easy Win

The game on Sunday against the Seahawks reminds me a lot of the game against the Rams a few weeks ago. The Cowboys just have an overwhelming talent advantage entering the game. That should be a recipe for another dominating victory.

I am still reeling from the beat down the Cowboys took from the Eagles. It has convinced me that the Cowboys just aren’t as good as I thought they were this season. Good teams don’t lose 34-7 to a 2-4 team. I have come to the realization that the Cowboys aren’t going to do anything this season if they don’t start getting on a roll right now.

Fortunately the Seahawks are coming to town at the right time. The Cowboys need a win. Any kind of win. The Seahawks are a team that could beat you if you took them lightly. But the Cowboys can’t afford to take anyone lightly.

I have some big concerns about Keith Brooking filling in for Sean Lee at linebacker. Brooking was absolutely terrible last week. He looked like a guy who should have retired a few years ago and it made me wonder if a big part of the defensive problems last year came from his performance. Hopefully he can get the Cowboys through this game before Sean Lee can hopefully return for the Bills game next week.

Is the offensive line ever going to improve? There has been a lot of talk about the lack of deep passes by the offense in recent weeks. It seemed pretty obvious to me against the Eagles that Romo just didn’t have time to get the ball down the field. Deep routes take time to set up and Romo isn’t getting enough time from the offensive line to get receivers open deep down the field.

On the positive side with the offensive line at least their run blocking seems to be rounding into shape. As bad as the game was last week was at least DeMarco Murray found some big running lanes on his limited attempts last week. I expect to see that continue this week against the Seahawks. I don’t think he’ll be running for 250+ yards but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t break 100.

I’m confident the defense will be able to force a few Tavaris Jackson turnovers even without Sean Lee and Mike Jenkins. As long as Romo doesn’t have one of his high turnover games there is no reason to think that the Cowboys will lose this game. I’m picking the Cowboys to win big, 27-16.

Maybe the Cowboys Are Just Mediocre

After watching the Cowboys get completely destroyed against the Eagles on Sunday night I am finally convinced about the state of the team. The Cowboys are just a completely average team right now. They aren't as terrible as the Eagles' game might make you believe. But they also aren't nearly as good as the dominating win against the Rams might fool you into believing. The Cowboys can beat any team and they can lose to any team. That is a sign of a team that is very average.

I think it is pretty obvious that the odds of the Cowboys making a run at the Super Bowl are not good at this point in the season. It isn't impossible but it doesn't look very likely. But I also don't expect to see the Cowboys collapse down the stretch either. 8-8 or 9-7 appears to be where this team is headed if something doesn't change.

No fan wants to see their team go 8-8 or 9-7, but I can't be completely disappointed in that type of a season either. Let's be honest. The Cowboys have problems on the offensive line. It is preventing the offense from establishing a consistent attack. Tony Romo is very rarely comfortable in the pocket against the better teams in the league. It was wishful thinking to believe that an offensive line could be pieced together on the fly a few weeks before the start of the season that could be playoff caliber.

I'm not ready to give up on Tony Romo or Jason Garrett like many members of the fan base are ready to do. I feel like Jason Garrett is slowly whipping the roster into shape. He was dealt a bad hand with the moves that had to be made right before the season thanks to salary cap issues. But Garrett isn't standing pat with the players he has. He is churning the roster to try to find new pieces that the Cowboys can rely on for years to come.

And for those who think that there is any chance that Romo is fighting for his job...dream on. First of all, Tony Romo is a top 10 quarterback in the league. His stats are no aberration. And Tony's contract isn't the type that the Cowboys can afford to dump now that they are already handcuffed by the salary cap. Romo's contract was restructured before the season started, and the adjustments that were made virtually guarantee that he will be here for at least 2-3 more years.

Just because the Cowboys are average at this point in the season doesn't mean that they are destined to be average at the end of the season. The team can improve. But the Eagles game was a step back. The schedule for the Cowboys gives them a shot to make a run at a playoff birth but the improvement has to start now. I have no doubt that the Sunday night game was a wake up call. I expect to see a dominating win against the Seahawks. But all that will do is get the Cowboys back to .500 for the season. They need a winning streak. And they need to start beating quality teams.

I won't be convinced the Cowboys are done this year until they prove they can't beat the lesser teams on their schedule. But injuries could change that view as well. I'm really hoping that Sean Lee will be able to play through his wrist injury. It was obvious against the Eagles that Keith Brooking can't get it done any more. And Matt McBriar's injury is a major concern as well. The hamstring pull that Mike Jenkins had on Sunday night isn't going to help the defense either.

So this is where we are right now. The Cowboys are just a run of the mill team right now. They are very average. Some would argue that they are below average. So now we'll see what Jason Garrett is made of. A great coach can find a way to get his team to play above their talent level. The final 9 games will tell us a lot about whether Jason Garrett is a coach that can be the difference.