Dallas Cowboys Season in Review

Considering how the season started it ended about same. In between were a lot of highs and lows. Both NY Giants games seemed to be the lowest points in the season. The Eagles would like to know what the Giants have that they haven't . The three Eagles victories along with the Saints road win are classified as the highs of the year.

We watched Tony Romo wake up after a horrible first Giants and Denver games to set Cowboys season records. Most attempts, completion, QB rating fewest interceptions are now records owned by Tony. We saw a team get better by subtracting T O from the team. We watched Miles Austin become a true number one and Roy Williams fail on the biggest stage.

We watched the Cowboys defense finish number two in the league in scoring defense. We started with a platoon between Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick and ended with Jenkins in the Pro Bowl. All totaled the Cowboys put nine in and that tied the Eagles for most.

We watched "Wade's Guys" perform at a high level..Keith Brookings and Igor Oshanski both performed over what was predicted as did Gerald Sensabaugh. We also saw MartyB with so much potential live down to his. We watched the good and the bad of the Oline. Running wild against NO and Philadelphia,yet being eaten alive by GB and Minnesota.

We stayed healthy until the final game and suffered the consequences when Flozell went down early against the Vikings. If not for a horrible field goal kicker and the inability to make fourth and one, we might still be playing. We saw the offense get yards at will and yet struggle to score.
All in all twelve wins came as a surprise to nearly everyone. If you include the real predictions and not "Homer Calls" this team exceeded every one's expectations. Avenging a 44-6 drubbing by the Eagles was sweet satisfaction only to be eclipsed by a blow out loss to the Vikings a week later.

In conclusion this off season is going to be interesting. The Cowboys have nearly everyone under contract with only Miles Austin as a significant free agent and he is restricted. This team actually has a number one pick and a pick in all seven rounds. Wade got a two year extension and except for Dat Nguyen, all coaches are coming back. This season was a victory in the sense the team won the NFC East and won a playoff game. It could have been better but judging by what happened the year before all is good.

Go Cowboys..

Why The Longhorns Will Defeat The Tide

Nearly everyone is picking Alabama to defeat Texas in the BCS Championship. I hear about the Tide's awesome defense and how Texas was just lucky to be in the Game. Well let us take a look at the team from an unbiased point of view. The Stats.

Nebraska/Tennessee..UT escaped with a field goal on the last play of the game. Few people seem to acknowledge the Tide escaped with a blocked 44 yard field goal attempt by Tennessee on the last play of the game. Texas had more yards than Nebraska..more first downs..Alabama was out gained by over a 100 yards..had fewer first downs and had to block two field goals.

Texas A&M/Auburn..These are both rivalry games. They are hard to play and harder to win. You nearly throw out the records. Texas ran into a QB playing out of his mind. He had done nothing close before this and nothing afterward. Colt McCoy had a career day. In a game where he had to step up he did big time. He threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 175 and another touchdown. Texas out gained A&M..had more first downs and won by 10...Auburn out gained Alabama ..had more first downs and held Alabama to 5/14 on third down. They also held Ingram to 30 yards on 16 carries.

Defense......You hear a lot about Alabama defense and with good reason. They are really good and stand as number one in the NCAA..but...Texas is number eight..Plus on offense Alabama wants to run the ball and UT is the number one rushing defense..On offense Texas wants to pass..Alabama is number thirteen in pass defense..A word about Texas' defense coordinator Will Muschamp. He was the coordinator at Auburn and Texas runs the same defense that held Ingram to 30 yards..Texas is also tied for # 1 in the nation in interceptions..Ala. is # 20..Texas is # 3 in tackles for loss..Ala. is # 20..Sacks Texas # 5..Ala..# 20..

Offense...Not ever close..UT is # 4 in scoring offense..averaging over 40 points a game..Alabama is number 27 and scores more than 10 point a game less..Texas QB Colt McCoy is a fifth year senior and is undefeated in bowl games..Including two previous BCS games..,Alabama QB Greg MeElroy is a junior who wasn't a starter until this season.

My Conclusions:  Special Teams are a wash as both teams are really good. Texas does have a big advantage in KO returner D J Monroe who is number two with nearly 40 yards a return..The big difference is what the teams want to do on offense and what the defenses are good at..Texas wants to pass and will go against the # 13 pass defense..Alabama wants to run and Texas is the # 1 rushing defense..Add this to the historical fact that Alabama has never defeated Texas..(0-9)..

I rest my case..Except for...U T.....28.....Alabama 17

Dallas Faces a Tough Foe in San Diego

Here we go again. We have another week and the Cowboys are facing yet another good QB. Phillip Rivers is having one of the best years in the NFL and no one is noticing. With all the oxygen being drained because of Manning(the good one Peyton),Brees and Favre there is little left for anyone else. Quietly Phillip Rivers,who the Chargers drafted to replace Drew Brees, has went about his business and gotten his team to 9/3 in the AFC..

He has a 108 QB rating with 21 td's and only 6 picks. Unlike Brees who plays great at the Super Dome(131 qb rating at home) but average on the road(90 qb rating with 11 td's and 7 ints on the road), Rivers has a 108 rating but a 102 on the Road.

The Chargers have won 7 in a row..Unlike the Cowboys who sink in December the Chargers are at their best in the same month. In 2008 the Chargers won the last 4 games of the regular season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. In 2007 they won the last 6 and lost in the Conference finals to N.E. I can go back to 2006 and see they won the last 10. This team is hard to beat anytime but in December they just don't lose. You have to go back to 2005 to see a loss in December.

The come to town this week riding high and playing great. In their 7 in a row wins San Diego has defeated the Giants and Eagles. They are no fluke. Coached by Norv Turner(who Jerry Jones scorned to hire Wade Phillips)has the offense running the same offense as the Cowboys. It is his offense that Jason Garrett learned and runs. In an irony of ironies the Chargers run the same defense as the Cowboys. It is Wade Phillips defense.

With so much inside information, these teams shouldn't surprise the other team..The QB's are close..Romo 20 tds/7 ints...Rivers 21 tds/7 ints..Offenses/Defenses are compairable..Dallas #11 offense/San Diego #3..
Dallas #5 defense/San Diego #13..Penalties..Dallas 62/San Diego 61..

I expect a close game. Dallas plays better at home and San Diego plays the same no matter where they are. The line is Dallas -3..

Dallas Cowboys 09...vs...Dallas Cowboys...08

Seem every December the Cowboys swoon and it kills their playoff chances or seeding..Although I might remind you in the 2007 season of 13-3 the Cowboys went 2-2 in December and didn't play any starters in the final game..

Here is a comparison between the 08 Cowboys and the 09 Cowboys...



Current Position............Leading Division..............08......2nd...................Big Edge 09

Current Record.............09.....8-3........................08......7-4................... Big Edge 09

Home/Road...................09....2-3........................08.......3-2....................Big Edge 08

Opponents Records.......09....32-19.....................08......36-23-1..............Slight Edge 08

Offense Rankings..........09...23.2 ppg/14th..........08.....22.6 ppg/18th.......Slight Edge 09

Defense Rankings..........09...16.5 ppg/3rd...........08.....22.8 ppg/20th........Big Edge 09

Point Differential...........09...+6.6 ppg/6th............08.....-0.2 ppg/19th........Big Edge 09

Take Aways.................09....-3/19th....................08.....-11/30th...............Big Edge 09

Their is a clear edge in three areas for the 09 team..

One...The Cowboys of 09 have a one game lead on last years 9-7 team..On game last season would have been the difference in making and missing the playoffs..

Two...The Cowboys of 09 are a statistally better team than last season..They are healthier,scoring a little more,giving up a lot less and have one of the best special teams in the league..

Three...The Cowboys of 09 have a one game lead in the division..The 08 version was three games behind the NYG and were playing for a wild card berth..This team is playing for a division title and a home game in the playoffs..

Go Cowboys..

Dallas..24 hours later..

Just some observations on the team:..Some mine, some stolen..

Dallas beat Dallas...
I just watched the replay and the Cowboys had 9 possessions..Eight of those possessions the Cowboys committed severe mistakes to stop their drives..

The Defense is Really Good...
The D has went from..not being able to stop teams to a force..They are now the number one scoring defense in the NFC..number 8 total..but best in the NFC..The only time the Packers did anything was when someone was injured..In the second half they D allowed 120 yards and 80 came on one drive..Jenkins was injured and Scandrick was in..the result was two miscues on Orlando resulting in first downs and a td..

Maybe too many days off...
For the third or maybe fourth week in a row Wade gave the team an extra day off..The offense looked like they hadn't practiced in a month..Once was a nice touch..but this week after a big win it seemed strange..Don't believe me..Jimmy Johnson is where I got the idea..


Get a new Holder...
Earlier in the season Folk missed a field goal when McBriar..the holder didn't turn the laces away from the kicker..Sunday on the Cowboys first drive McBriar admitted after the game he didn't get the ball down vertical..he took the blame..I do wonder if that three points would have made a difference?

Maybe we should rush more..
Eleven rushes..that's it..Need I say more..

Injuries...
Mark Columbo..out 4 to 6 weeks...Ken Hamlin..out 2 to 4 weeks...Yea Pat Watkins and Doug Free..Time to earn that money..

Roy Williams...
Anyone else think it is strange that his best day as a Cowboy was also his worst?

Next Week...
The great thing about football is the Cowboys are tied with Arizona with the 3rd best record in the NFC..It is still there for them..The good is the defense is playing at championship level and the offense can't be stopped except by the offense..Go Gowboys..

Longhorns Are Moving Toward BCS Championship Game

With the dominating win against Oklahoma State, Texas is on track for a game in Rose Bowl. The Longhorns moved up to number two in the BCS standings. Their destiny is assured if they continue to win.

Mack Brown has used the loss to Texas Tech, last season, as a motivator. He reminds his team that putting their fate in the hands of voters is not an option. Instead of win and we are in, he uses win and we are out. The team seems to have responded. They are playing their best football since the OU game.

Having a healthy Colt McCoy helps. He was ill with flu like symptoms the week of the Sooner game. Every game he seems to look a little more like the quarter back who led the nation in passing proficiency. He was very accurate against the Cowboys. He completed 76% of his passes and had several dropped.

The real star of the season is the defense. Zac Robinson was leading the nation in passing proficiency until he ran into this defense. He was held to 143 yards, with a completion percentage of 53% and threw 4 picks. The Longhorns did allow 134 yards but the Cowboys had to rush 43 times to get them, for an average of 3 yards per carry.

With four games remaining it seems the only potential road block may well be a rejuvinated Texas A&M on Thanksgiving day. The Aggies drubbed Texas Tech and Iowa St while scoring over 80 points. The game is also at College Station, making it even more of a potential threat. With no appreciable threat from the Big 12 North, it may well be on to Pasedena.

Question for after the bye

 Question: How will Miles Austin respond to his new role?


Miles Austin has a big reputation to live up to and he created it. You can't go out and put up all time Dallas Cowboy's record numbers and just go back to being a guy. There is a great opportunity for Austin and with that great risk. Once you are out there, you are noticed.

Hiding in the shadows of first T O and then R W it was easy to be a cult player. He had his fans and though they were a small group they were out there. Well now the group is larger and will be expecting great things. Don't believe me, ask Tony Romo..

It is easy to be a back up and have people love you. There is a certain portion of fans who always know more than the coaches. They are the this guy should start and this other guy should be traded bunch. Now with the conspiracy bunch moving on to Ogletree as the new receiver who must get time, Miles is now main stream. MS has it's downfall because it brings out the I told you so bunch. They are the other part of the X-File group that likes a player until he becomes a regular and then, not so much.

Miles problem may well be, he had his career game in his coming out party. How do you top something that may be impossible to top? I believe the answer is simple. You don't try to do anything different than you did the first game. Just keep running routes and catching the ball. The rest will take care of itself.