Tag: Dallas Cowboys (Page 15 of 62)

Nothing surprising about Cowboys’ dismantling of Texans

September 26, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 19: Linebacker DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Dallas Cowboys sits in the bench during their game against the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on December 19, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

If you hate the Cowboys, these past two weeks have been glorious.

Food has tasted better. Little gumdrop midgets have been seen frolicking in dewy meadows. Even naked Twister with your wife has actually been somewhat enjoyable.

Yep, life has been good. “I told you they’re not as good as the media makes them out to be,” could be heard muttered from New York to Philadelphia to Washington over the past two weeks.

But alas, all that ended Sunday when the ‘Boys somehow lucked into a 27-13 win. Well, it may not have been luck but it sure feels like it. Dallas may have outgained Houston in virtually every statistical category and scored more points, but pay no attention to that – they were fortunate to win.

If you’re a Cowboy fan and you’re seething – relax. I’m being sarcastic. The truth of the matter is that people should have seen this win coming from a mile away. The Texans were coming off two emotional victories and were now facing a desperate Dallas team in search of its first win. They were also down their starting left tackle Duane Brown, who was suspended four games earlier this week for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Cowboys entered Sunday with only two sacks, yet they recorded four today in Brown’s absence, two by DeMarcus Ware (who probably couldn’t sleep Saturday night thinking about playing against a shorthanded Houston O-line).

The point is that the Texans were due for a letdown and the Cowboys were due to get back on track. Cowboy haters have relished the past two weeks, but the fact remains that Dallas is a pretty good football team. They’re still an underachieving bunch, but this game was set up perfectly for them to win and they did.

As for the Texans, this is a painful reminder that if they want to reach the playoffs then they have to play at a top level each and every week. They’ll learn from this.

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Overrated doesn’t even begin to describe the Cowboys anymore

September 19, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Quarterback Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on September 19, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys continue to prove that talent only takes you so far.

Talented teams don’t win when they turn the ball over three times and don’t compile any takeaways themselves.

Talented teams don’t win when they commit six penalties and their opposition (who is playing on the road, mind you), only commits two.

Talented teams can’t win when they only rush for 36 yards and can’t make field goals.

The Cowboys might be talented, but talent doesn’t always translate into victories. Dallas haters will say that the Cowboys aren’t that talented, but they are. You’re fooling yourself if you don’t think they are. But something is obviously missing and it’s not just Wade Phillips’ inability to keep his team focused week in and week out.

The Bears played a damn near perfect game in their 27-20 win over the Cowboys on Sunday. Jay Cutler was outstanding in throwing for 277 yards on 21-of-29 passing and three touchdowns. The fact that he had such a tremendous day after he was nearly swallowed whole by Dallas’s pass rush in the early going made his performance even more impressive.

The Chicago defense also played extremely well, holding the Cowboys to only 36 yards rushing and forcing three turnovers. They also held Dallas to only six points (two field goals) in the second half and didn’t buckle with the game on the line late in the fourth quarter.

I give the Bears a lot of credit. I was one of many people who described their Week 1 win over the Lions as “lucky” and had the Cowboys took it to them today, I probably would have been one of the first people back in line to bash Chicago again.

But they were the ones that stuck it to a talented, yet incomplete team on the road. The Bears proved that they’re going to be a handful in their division, while the Cowboys proved that they’re not even close to being the best team in the NFC East.

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Barron, Cowboys might as well return game checks after loss to Skins

September 12, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo passes during their NFL game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, September 12, 2010. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

I think it was rather fitting that the Cowboys scored what would have been the game-tying touchdown tonight, only to have the play negated by a holding penalty.

There are some people that believe the Cowboys could be the first team that plays in their host city for the Super Bowl. So naturally, they come out in Week 1 and throw up a dud performance against a team that won only four games last year.

Everyone has seen the Cowboys play uninspired football before, but their 13-7 loss Sunday night to the Redskins was extra special. Every time they did something positive, they negated it by doing something stupid. They committed 12 penalties for 91 yards tonight and most of them came after they had either picked up a first down or converted a big play opportunity. Of course, the biggest blow came when Alex Barron was flagged for holding (his 17th penalty on the night) on the final play of the game, which nixed what could have been a game-winning touchdown.

And what was that at the end of the half? Tony Romo either has to chuck that down field or run forward three yards and fall down. OR Tashard Choice either has to run out of bounds or run forward three yards and fall down. What did Choice expect to happen on that play? All the Redskin defenders to trip over themselves and he was going to have a clear, 69-yard path to the end zone? That play was a massive punch to the gut right before halftime.

I know the ‘Boys made it interesting in the end, but if it weren’t for the Redskins being so inept offensively, this would have been a blowout. Its understandable to look a little stagnant because of injuries, but it’s inexcusable to only score 7 points when you rack up over 350 yards of total offense.

On a more positive note, what a great win by Mike Shanahan to start his tenure in Washington. Obviously this wasn’t a sharp performance by his offense, but Jim Haslett’s defense played its ass off.

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2010 NFL Preview: NFC East Predictions

September 2, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

MINNEAPOLIS - JANUARY 17: Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys yells to call a play during the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on January 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Much like its counterpart in the AFC, the NFC East is extremely difficult to predict this year. Three of the top four teams are legitimate playoff contenders and the Redskins have improved after going 4-12 last season.

It’s going to be a battle in this division this year, much like it is every season.

Here’s how I see things shaking out in the NFC East in 2010. Be sure to check out the link entitled “2010 Question Mark” under each team’s preview, which is a breakdown of one or two potential weaknesses that could derail that squad’s hopes this season.

1. Cowboys

What to Like: The ‘Boys already had quite the offensive core in Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Marion Barber, Jason Witten and Felix Jones. But then they had Dez Bryant fall to them in the first round last April, which gives the offense yet another playmaker that defenses have to deal with every Sunday. After finishing sixth last year in total offense and 14th in scoring, I don’t see any reason why Dallas shouldn’t light up the scoreboard again this season. Defensively, DeMarcus Ware returns as a pass-rushing terror from his outside linebacker position and the unit is littered with underrated players like Jay Ratliff and Igor Olshansky.
What Not to Like: The biggest two question marks surround the free safety and left tackle positions. Alan Ball is an intriguing prospect, but he’s only a rookie and no matter how well he plays, he’s going to make some mistakes. At left tackle, the ‘Boys dumped long-time veteran Flozell Adams and replaced him with the inexperienced Doug Free, who played well on the right side last year but he has never been counted on to protect a quarterback’s blindside. The good thing is that if Free struggles, the team added Alex Barron this offseason as insurance. The other concern when it comes to the Cowboys is that they have a habit of fading down the stretch, with last year being the exception. I put that on coaching more than anything and with Wade Phillips (good coach, but he doesn’t come without his criticisms) still roaming the sidelines in Dallas, that means a late-season free fall isn’t out of the question.
Keep Your Eye On: Dez Bryant, WR
The Cowboys’ first round pick has already turned heads this offseason (both for his play on the field and his decision not to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads after practice) and if he can recover from an ankle injury that has sidelined him for the preseason, he’s going to have opportunities to make plays out of the team’s three receiver set.
The Final Word: This is the most talented team in the division and they’re pretty deep at most positions. The problem is that the Cowboys usually get in their own way down the stretch and late season collapses are nothing new to this franchise. That said, they got the playoff monkey off their back last year by advancing to the second round and as long as Phillips can keep this squad motivated, the ‘Boys should win the East for the second straight year. Their offense will be tough to stop and their defense will put pressure on the quarterback. The talent is there, now let’s see if the execution follows.

Dallas Cowboys 2010 Question Mark: Free Safety

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2010 NFL Predictions 2010 NFL Preview 2010 NFL Season Preview Albert Haynesworth Andy Reid Brandon Jacobs Dallas Cowboys DeSean Jackson Dez Bryant Donovan McNabb Eli Manning Kevin Kolb Mike Shanahan New York Giants Philadelphia Eagles Tony Romo Wade Phillips Washington Redskins

Emmitt Smith’s HOF speech

August 9, 2010 / John Paulsen

Smith got rave reviews for his recent Hall of Fame speech, even though he forgot to thank the University of Florida (which he apologized for on his Twitter page). Anyway, the first part is an intro video and the second part is the first portion of his speech. At the very least sure to check out the end of part two, where Smith thanks his fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston.