SB Nation - Keith Brooking

The VRR: Cowboys Must Charge Ahead

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:37:27 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Cowboys will need their playmakers to step up when they face the red hot Chargers on Sunday.

Even though the Cowboys dominated the Giants in many facets of last week's game, they failed to match their rivals in the number of big plays made. Although they lost, they are still atop the division and must strive to remain there.

It's Wednesday, so let's start transitioning towards some Chargers' talk!

First, how hot are the Chargers? Seven games-in-a-row hot!

The red-hot Chargers make their first visit to Dallas since 2001 this Sunday and haven't lost since a 34-23 verdict to division-rival Denver back in Week 6.

San Diego has scored 30 points or more in each of its last four victories under head coach Norv Turner, who helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls during his three-year run as offensive coordinator from 1991-93.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers is having an MVP-type year. Yikes!

Lost in the excitement over the play of undefeated quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees has been Rivers' sensational campaign. He has followed up 2008's phenomenal output with more eye-popping numbers (3,311 yards, 21 touchdowns).

He will now take aim on the Cowboys' 20th-ranked pass defense.

Rivers is up for the FedEx Air Player of the Week award for his 18-for-25 for 373 yards and two touchdowns performance against Cleveland.

More VRR after the jump.

The Cowboys can ill-afford to have special teams breakdowns this week.

The Chargers take special teams seriously. Kicker Nate Kaeding has been to the Pro Bowl, as has San Diego's own special teams ace Kassim Osgood. If Oakland's Shane Lechler didn't kick in the same division, Chargers punter Mike Scifres would have been to a Pro Bowl by now as well. They supply the routine plays that have allowed the Chargers to finish in the NFL's top 10 in special teams each of the last three seasons.

But (Darren) Sproles supplies the big plays, scoring four touchdowns on kick returns the last three seasons. He ran a punt (45 yards) and kickoff (89) back against Indianapolis in 2007, a kickoff back 103 yards against Denver in 2008 and another punt back 77 yards this season against Denver.

The 'Boys and Bolts have alot in common, especially in the staffing and personnel departments.

There are several connections between the two squads. The most notable is Dallas coach Wade Phillips, who was the Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2004-06 and was the architect of the Chargers' current 3-4 defense. Chargers coach Norv Turner made a name for himself as the offensive coordinator in Dallas from 1991-93, a span when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls.

On the players side, DE Igor Olshansky was drafted by the Chargers and left as an free agent in the offseason. Dallas CB Cletis Gordon was cut by the Chargers early this season. Chargers ILB Kevin Burnett played for the Cowboys from 2005-08 before coming to the Chargers in the offseason.

No new injuries have popped up yet for the 'Boys. We will keep an eye out today to see if FS Ken Hamlin returns to practice.

If you have yet to read John (obviousman)'s FanPost, it's to the right. He' has been kind enough to come over from Bolts From the Blue to answer your Chargers questions. Thanks, John!

Keith Brooking had quite the exchange with CBS 11's Steve Dennis regarding the perception surrounding Wade Phillips and the Cowboys' December record.

"He owns up to it every day in front of us," Brooking said. "Because you might not perceive it as that means nothing, means nothing to me, means nothing to the football team. I’m there every day. I’m there at every meeting, I’m there at every day during practice. You’re in the locker room for 35 minutes a day maybe, you’re on the practice field while we stretch. You’re not there every day. You don’t see what goes on at every meeting and every practice, the sacrifices that we make, the accountability that Wade Phillips holds us to every day."

"I’ll go to fight for that man until I hang my cleats up and I’m done playing football, because I have the utmost respect for him. Everything I’ve seen from my teammates and everything I’ve heard, they feel the same way, bottom line."

One game at a time, but here's a quick refresher of what Dallas may need to do to return to the postseason.

The Cowboys (8-4) need to go 3-1 over the final four to guarantee a playoff spot with an 11-5 record. They could get in at 10-6 but it's no guarantee.

They would lose a wild-card tie breaker with the Packers (8-4) and the Giants (7-4). Remember the loss to the Packers and the Giants swept the season series.

Here's an overview of the playoff picture, so far.

As we all have seen this year, Miles Austin is a beast after the catch. So is San Diego TE Antonio Gates.

According to STATS Inc., Austin ranks third among wide receivers/tight ends with 397 YAC, trailing only Wes Welker (557) and Antonio Gates (442). That's 43 percent of his 928 total receiving yards.

Ray Sherman gives all the YAC credit to his receiver.

"When he catches it, you tell him, 'Get up the field and be explosive' because he has a God-given talent," receivers coach Ray Sherman said.

"You don't coach that. "The thing that I teach is understanding coverages, understanding what people are trying to do to you, understanding how to run a particular play versus coverage. But after you catch it, protect the ball and get going. That's all him."

The league fined Flozell Adams $50,000 for pushing Justin Tuck in the back.

Hat to ImpactNate for the FanShot.

Tony Franklin, a former NFL kicker, says that Nick Folk's 42-yarder was makeable despite Mat McBriar's supposed bad hold.

"If the ball is tilted slightly backward or forward, it shouldn't make that much of a difference," Tony Franklin said Tuesday. "The only time I had kicks that looked like that is when I happened to catch the ball when it was still spinning. ... (The hold) shouldn't have affected it at all, but, hey, different strokes for different folks."

The ball, with its laces facing away from him, appeared stationary when Folk struck it. After the miss, the Giants drove for a 23-yard field goal for a 24-17 lead with 7:23 left.

Here are the ratings for the Cowboys @ Giants game - huge, as usual.

The broadcast drew an 18.9 overnight rating and 35 share. That's the highest since a 19.1/35 for a matchup between the two teams in 2006.

Wear your protective visors; don't want to get poked in the eyes! The JerryTron will go 3D this week at Cowboys Stadium.

Sunday, December 13 at the Dallas Cowboys-San Diego Chargers game, HDlogix, a company that has created a synthesized 3D technology, will convert HDTV video of the sports action into 3D. At half-time and during the game, attendees at Cowboys Stadium will see real time 3D video created from HDlogix’s new ImageIQ 3D technology.

Could this mean that spectators will be dodging blood and sweat if Jerry Jones lands the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight?

Promoters are in Dallas today to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as the momentum continues to grow for a March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will tour new Dallas Cowboys stadium and listen to a proposal from Jones to host the fight, a person close to the promotion said.

$140 million has been spent since the opening of Cowboys Stadium.

For all you Dallas locals, ESPN Dallas is hosting its Jingle Ball 2009 event tonight. Many past and present Cowboys will be making appearances, some will be signing autographs.

Come out and join us at Cape Buffalo in Addison on Wednesday, December 9th for this celeb-packed event benefiting the Dallas All Sports Association and the Ron Springs and Everson Walls Gift For Life Foundation!

Vote for some Cowboys to make the 2010 Pro Bowl here. Let's get Sam Hurd in there!

Remember, that every Friday at 3 PM EST (2 CST), Blogging The Boys appears on ESPN Radio 1250 in San Antonio with Paul Alexander for a segment of Cowboys talk.

Week Thirteen: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:13:29 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Anthony Spencer has recently joined the sack-dance club.

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It's Saturday, so it's time to talk some fantasy football! This a huge week for the Cowboys as they travel to Giants Stadium in an effort to bury New York in the standings.

In the next week or two, fantasy playoffs will begin. For many of us, we will be facing a must-win situation this week...or, we're out!

Make the jump for the Week 13 Fantasy Focus.

QB Tony Romo -The Cowboys have yet to lose when Romo is the starting QB at Giants Stadium. In 2006 - his first year as a starter - he hit 20 of 34 passes for 257 yards with 0 TDs and 2 INTs to lead the team to a 23-20 win. The 2007 game there was a much more fantasy-friendly game for him; he lit up the Giants for 247 yards and 4 TDs with 1 INT. Last year, a hand injury forced him to miss the game in New York.

In Week 2 of this season, the Giants' defense seemed to have Romo figured out. His 127 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs scared many fantasy owners. But, that was before the emergence of his number one toy: WR Miles Austin. Last week against the Raiders, Romo and Austin connected for 130 yards in the first half, alone. Austin's ability to gain yards after the catch has helped the Dallas offense tremendously, and helped Romo notch another 300-yard performance. The middle of the field passes clicked last week as TE Jason Witten also had a 100-yard day.

The Cowboys' 10th-ranked passing offense (254.1 YPG) will be going up against the 4th-ranked Giants' passing defense (allows just 182.6 YPG). But, in terms of scoring, the Giants' defense ranks 25th in the NFL, giving up a whopping 23.7 points per game.

I wouldn't expect a huge day for Romo, as this should be a physical NFC East battle. Though, he is definitely worth a start.

RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - Each one of these backs broke off large gains on Thanksgiving. Felix scored on a 46-yard run, Barber had a 42-yard catch and run to go along with his 61 rushing yards, and Choice ripped off a 66-yarder from the "Razorback" formation. That is the type of production the Cowboys envisioned having from this trio when the season began.

Not since the Week 2 home game against the Giants, has Dallas' three-headed monster looked more healthy. In that game, both Barber and Felix decimated the defense to combine for more than 200 yards rushing. They also each scored a TD. Recently, the Cowboys have continued their use of Choice as a WildCat QB.

With both Barber and Felix healthy, the Cowboys still try to get Choice 3-5 touches a game, which isn't ideal for fantasy owners. For Felix owners, though, his knee brace is off and his quickness and agility looked to be unencumbered against Oakland. Offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, realizes that it's time to get the ball in his hands at least 10 times per game. He's back to being a home run threat whenever he touches the ball. And Barber owners have reason for excitement, as well. The Barbarian has been catching well, which suggests his fractured thumb is healing; and he is running with his usual boost of power and purpose.

WRs Miles Austin - His huge game last week proved several things: 1) he can beat the best of them in man-to-man - just ask Nnamdi Asomugha, 2) he's tough as nails - hard to bring down and has no fear catching the ball in traffic, and 3) Garrett is still finding ways to get him open - slants, screens, comebacks, crossing routes, you name it. He even had Austin sit underneath zone coverage for Romo to check down to.

You're kicking yourself if you didn't start Austin last week. He's returning to play in his home state of New Jersey, so you may not want to kick yourself again by benching him. He'll get his targets; he's worth the start.

Roy Williams - Not flashy, not a PPR guy; though, he could get you a TD grab. The Giants may be starting converted CB, Aaron Ross, at FS. If they wanted to use him to double anybody, it would be Austin. Roy could see alot of single coverage, but he has yet to confirm that he is a reliable pass catcher. Start him at your own risk.

TEs Jason Witten - Hitting the century mark against the Raiders was a step in the right direction. That lone TD on the season is still lurking. JWitt's foot sprain has healed some over the extra days off after the turkey day game. It sure didn't seem to bother him on his 44-yard catch!

This has got to be the week he returns to the end zone. Start him.

Cowboys D/ST -This unit now ranks second in the league in scoring defense. That is music to fantasy owners' ears. What is even better is that SOLB Anthony Spencer is picking up some sacks now. Combine his play, along with the other pass rushers - DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, and Keith Brooking - and Eli Manning could be in for a long day.

In Week 2, Manning's WRs, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham, embarrassed the Dallas secondary by catching 10 passes and a TD a piece. CB Mike Jenkins has come along way since then, growing into the team's best at the position. Veteran Terence Newman often learns from his mistakes made the first time around, as he seems to respond well in payback games. SS Gerald Sensabaugh is playing consistently well. The question in the back four is how much the loss of FS Ken Hamlin (ankle) will effect how the secondary covers NY's corps of young WRs. His replacement, converted CB Alan Ball, has been adequate so far. The only knock on him has been in regards to how his 188-pound frame will hold up in run-support. Nevertheless, the unit has not lost a beat with him in the lineup and ranks 9th in rush defense (102.7 YPG).

If the defense can start forcing more turnovers, this will quickly become a dominating unit. ST coach Joe DeCamillis and punter Mat McBriar have helped tremendously in forcing offenses to earn their yards. With the tough schedule the Cowboys face, fantasy owners can't expect any shutouts, but these guys do enough to earn double-digit points each week.

This is the last regular season week for the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues on FleaFlicker. If you are in one of the leagues, check out the standings for where you sit. Some teams have already guaranteed their spots in the playoffs, while others badly need to get this last win. Below are the current standings.

Just ONE Loss...Are You Serious? (11-1)

kill everbody

Where the Cowboys are Headed (9-3)

The Speed of Dark

StarBoys

Doubling Your Losses (8-4)

Paper Cranes
Maui Paniolo Boyz

Seventh Heaven (7-5)

Flashlights

Doomsday Redux

Dallas Destroyers

Reykjavik Roughnecks

Official Spoiler

Static

Holy .500, Batman! (6-6)

WheresWare?

BigRigga31's Team

Dillababies

Quincyyyyy

Felix Jones At Every Position

A Must Win this Week? (5-7)

NameBrandj

Second Chance

BTBfantasyCHAMPS

4 X 2 = (4-8)

Apes

My Team Sucks

The Doomsday Defense Reborn

Three Squared (3-9)

high505
No Doubter
Brady's a b!tch
Damage,Inc.

If you've got a fantasy dilemma, post it here for the BTB community to discuss. As always, feel free to jump in with other Cowboys/football related discourse even if you don't play FF.

Remember, for all your fantasy football needs, SBNation's fantasy webpage is chock full of live updates to help you set up your team from week-to-week.

For your convenience, here's the link: sbnation.com/fantasy.

BTB Game Balls: Raiders @ Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:14:47 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Thanksgiving night was a good, good night for the Cowboys and Miles Austin.

Browse more photos »

It's time to hand out game balls for the Cowboys' home victory against the Raiders! We've got one for a player from each unit: offense, defense, special teams, as well as one for the coaching staff.

Offense

Miles Austin -It all began on the first offensive series, man-on-man against one of the best CBs in the game. Tony Romo stepped up in the pocket and hit Austin crossing the field as he burned Nnamdi Asomugha en route to a 49-yard gain. This was the trend for much of the day as Austin gobbled up the middle of the field and made the most of his opportunities, catching six passes for 130 yards and a TD in the first half.

Often, it's those little plays, those extra efforts that bring out the best in everybody. In the second quarter, the Cowboys faced a 3rd-and-11 deep in their own territory. Austin sat in the middle of the zone to catch just a five-yarder from Romo. He then turned, broke two tackles, and picked up the extra yardage needed for the first down. Two plays later he beat CB Chris Johnson for a 27-yard catch and run across the middle. That gain would not have happened had he not broken those two tackles on the 3rd-and-11. Do you know what else would not have happened? Felix Jones' 46-yard TD run to finish the drive.

Austin's domination of the Raiders' secondary also helped open things up for Jason Witten in the second half.

Being at the game myself, it was quite evident that Austin has quickly become a fan favorite. Girls were screaming all around me when he kept standing up off the bench and raising his hands after his replay-reversed score just before the half. He pumped up the crowd again after officially grabbing back his TD after an impressive, side-stepping screen play. When he's smiling, all seems right with the Cowboys' offense.

Honorable Mention: Tony Romo, Jason Witten

Make the jump to see who else gets a BTB game ball.

Defense

Keith Brooking - Against a poor Oakland passing team (45 yards in the first half), it was important for the Cowboys to stop the run. Brooking made his presence known from the Raiders' first possession. In successive plays, he tackled Justin Fargas for just a four-yard gain and then pressured Bruce Gradkowski into throwing an incomplete pass. On the next possession, there he was knifing through the line on a run blitz to drop Fargas for a loss (though there was an accepted holding penalty against Oakland on the play).

All day, he and Jay Ratliff terrorized the middle of the field. The Raiders' backs did manage to pop some runs loose to the outside, but Brooking always seemed to be around the ball. If he was not making the tackle himself, he was around the pile - sometimes trying to punch at the ball. He was everywhere. I even saw him cover Darren McFadden, who split out wide and ran a deep route. Not even Robert Gallery's long, sweaty hair could block Brooking from getting to the ball carrier.

He ended up leading the team (again) with nine total tackles, six of which were solos.

It's his face on the videoboard that pumps up the crowd at Cowboys Stadium. "80,000 Fans..." his image points to them when the defense is looking for a key stop..."Remember What I Said".

Honorable Mention: Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware

Special Teams

Mat McBriar - Absolutely amazing day for the Cowboys' punter. While Oakland's punter kicked for more than 400 yards, McBriar responded with deadly accuracy. He averaged only 40.2 yards on six punts, but many of those were pooch kicks from around midfield - four of which landed inside the 20.

In the first quarter, a punt can't get much better than what McB did from the Oakland 41. With a little english, he pooched it to the two. He didn't even give his cover guys a chance to make a play on it because it spun and bounced out of bounds at the six. In other similar situations, he pinned the Raiders at the 11, the 13, and the 5.

When the Cowboys were pinned back, themselves, at around their 10, he blasted a 56-yarder all the way to the Oakland 35. This Aussie can do it all!

Honorable Mention: David Buehler, Pat Watkins

Coaching

Jason Garrett - This game goes down as one of the best I've seen Garrett coach this season. On a shortened work week, he had the Raiders' defense figured out from the tee. That unit had done enough damage against the Bengals' and Eagles' offenses to pull out victories, but Garrett would not let that happen to the Cowboys.

He ignored the fact that Nnamdi Asomugha is one of the best CBs in the game because he knew that his guys (most notably, Austin and Witten) would match up well against man coverage. And did they ever! Then, when it looked like the Raiders would blitz with their DBs locked in man, he made them pay with a 66-yard Razorback run from Tashard Choice. When they had to adjust to that, he hit them up the middle with Witten. With the CBs in man and the LBs in zone, there was Marion Barber wide open for a 42-yard catch and run.

The best thing about Garrett's day is the way he created passing lanes for Romo. Once Austin became the Raiders' focus, they could not stop the bleeding. LB Sam Williams could not cover Witten. And the 2TE-formation that flanked Barber in the backfield on the Roy Williams' TD was just cruel. The Raiders' defenders were utterly confused after much of the offense looked to move left, leaving noone inside to help on the post route.

Garrett did what you need to do when you face a weaker opponent: keep hitting them big to confuse them, then Felix and Barber them down until the clock reads 0:00.

Honorable Mention: Skip Peete, Todd Grantham

This was a game I had the privilege of seeing in person. Unfortunately, I happened to sit in the end zone opposite to all of the touchdowns. Still, they were great seats and it was a such a blast being there. During the TV timeouts, the Jerrytron kept the crowd entertained with fun videos. The funniest was of the offensive linemen racing go-carts.

My favorite was a Dallas Cowboys rendition of the Black Eyed Peas' song "I Gotta Feeling". The video featured every level of the team's employees from the event staff to the players. Each clip portrayed them singing the lyrics, jumping up and down, and bobbin' their heads..."Tonight's gonna be a good night...tonight's gonna be a real goood niiight!" Marion Barber, Sam Hurd...Andre Gurode and Jay Ratliff...they were all feeling it - as was the crowd, especially since the video ran as soon as we got the feeling that the game was in hand. Indeed, it was a good night.

If you have not seen my pictures from the game, you can see them on BTB's Facebook page. Here is the direct link to the album.

Before we focus our full attention on the Giants, who gets your Thanksgiving Day game balls?

The Cowboys Now Rank Second in Scoring Defense

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:51:30 -0000

More photos » by Mike Stone - AP

Mike Jenkins has been flying around, making sure opponents don't score.

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Read it and weep upcoming, opposing offenses. This Dallas defense may not be in the top five of any yardage category, but they will limit you in arguably the most important category of all: scoring defense. By holding the Raiders to just a touchdown and an extra point, this unit now only gives up an average of 16.5 points per game. In the league, that's second only to Cincinnati, which is holding opponents to 15.8 PPG.

Okay, so the Raiders' are dead last in scoring offense (10.5 PPG), but the Cowboys helped put them there. Because I know it's hard for us not to look down the road, let's take a peak at where the Cowboys' upcoming opponents rank in terms of scoring offense.

More after the jump.

Week 13 @ The Giants (T-8th, 24.7 PPG)

Week 14 vs. The Chargers (3rd, 28.4 PPG)

Week 15 @ The Saints (1st, 37 PPG)

Week 16 @ The Redskins (29th, 15.5 PPG)

Week 17 vs. The Eagles (7th, 26.6 PPG)

To sum it up, Dallas will face four of the top ten scoring offenses within the final five weeks. As you can see, having one of the league's best scoring defenses will be a necessity as the team seeks a return to the postseason.

What is amazing about this defense is that the Cowboys began the season with four new starters, including at least one at each level. On the line, Igor Olshansky has been brutalizing running backs. At linebacker, you can arguably count SOLB Anthony Spencer as a fifth new starter. He, too, has been solid against the run and has recently grown into an asset against the pass. Keith Brooking is everything you want in a ILB - 'nuff said. Mike Jenkins is playing lights out at CB who, along with slot-man Orlando Scandrick, brings a youthful exuberance to the position. And, Gerald Sensabaugh is that early Christmas present we've all been asking for at strong safety.

As a unit, they have gone from learning to work together to playing consistent, hard-nosed football. Coach Phillips sounds confident in how his group has grown.

"We've just been more consistent, went back to basics," Phillips said, explaining the improvement since the early problems. "Just melding the defense together. No excuses, but we did have new guys. Those guys playing together, it's a little bit different. ... (we) found a niche to what we can play defensively and what we can't play, what our strengths and weaknesses are."

The players are well aware of where they've been, and of the challenges they have yet to face.

"The first few weeks of the season, we would play really good football for 3 1/2 quarters and it seemed like for a half a quarter, all hell would break loose. We're a lot more consistent in our play," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We want to be the best. We're not there yet, we're not even close to being there yet. ... We can't take any steps back at this point. We've got to keep moving forward."

And America's Favorite Prime Time Team Award goes to...c'mon, you know who!

The Cowboys have averaged 19.152 million viewers for their 16 games on NBC’s "Sunday Night Football" and ESPN’s "Monday Night Football" since the start of the 2006 season, when NBC began broadcasting the Sunday night NFL package and ESPN started airing "Monday Night Football."

According to a SportsBusiness Journal review of Nielsen Sports data, of the five most-viewed prime-time teams, only the Cowboys have not reached the Super Bowl since 2006. The Colts, Giants, Bears and Patriots have all played in the NFL’s title game over the past three years.

Some practice squad moves were made. The Cowboys waived CB Jamar Love and signed CB Marquis Floyd and LB Donovan Woods.

Floyd spent last season on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. He was on the Cleveland Browns practice squad for a week in 2009 before being cut Sept. 29.

Woods, former quarterback and safety at Oklahoma State, played five games last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He opened this season on the Steelers practice squad before being released Nov. 24.

BTB Game Balls: Redskins @ Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:24:36 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Anthony Spencer ran away with his BTB game ball.

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It's time to hand out game balls for the Cowboys' home victory against the Redskins! We've got one for a player from each unit: offense, defense, special teams. We've even got one for the coaching staff.

Make the jump to see who gets a BTB game ball.

Offense

Tony Romo - It wasn't pretty, but Romo got the job done when his team needed him most. If a win is a win, then a game-winning touchdown pass is a game-winning touchdown pass. Sure, his stats on the day stunk (15 of 27 for 158 with one TD and one INT), but it's the team that counts. As he said in his post-game press conference, the team "continued to believe and have faith" that they were going to win the game and it showed. He and Patrick Crayton sure showed that they have faith in each other - enough to keep the play alive until a passing window opened up.

The team-first mentality is bridging the barrier between units, as well - best exemplified by Keith Brooking voicing his concern over Romo's back injury. Do you think Brooking cares about Romo's numbers? He, along with most of us, cared more that #9 sacrificed his body to secure the tackle on DeAngelo Hall. That Marion Barber fumble bounced pretty far. No telling how many more yards Hall could have taken it had Romo not lunged at him.

The win has been called "ugly", the passing game "inefficient", and Romo's passes "inaccurate". Yes, there is cause for concern on offense. Nevertheless, the running game got going despite missing RT Marc Colombo. A running game can be a quarterback's best friend, especially for an ailing quarterback. Hopefully, that will translate into some more success through the air come Thanksgiving.

Honorable Mention: Marion Barber, Doug Free

Defense

Anthony Spencer - Yes! Spencer made the play to save the day! His game-saving interception more than made up for that sack the zebras took away from him. Although he did not register a tackle for a loss against the 'Skins, his physical presence (5 total tackles, 3 solo) helped limit the running backs to a combined total of 78 yards rushing.

That pass he batted in the air was perfectly timed. He keeps showing his ability to obstruct passing lanes, which could come in handy this week if Bruce Gradowski relies on his penchant to throw side-arm passes - ala Bernie Kosar.

Honorable Mention: Keith Brooking, Bradie James

Special Teams

Pat Watkins - On coverage units, this guy blasts someone in just about every game. He not only lays the wood with his 6'5" frame, but he wraps up, too. I was disappointed that his name was not listed as the Cowboys' Special Teamer on the Pro Bowl ballot. Sam Hurd's is, instead. Perhaps this game ball (that has been a long time coming) will ease the sting of being left off the ballot.

Say what you will about Watkins in regard to his defensive role(s), but his tenacity in getting downfield on special teams has kept him a Cowboy. Coach Joe D has a sure tackler with which to work, and his tutelage has greatly benefited Watkins. Where was little Antwaan Randle El to go? Zero punt return yardage for him.

Honorable Mention: L.P. Ladouceur, David Buehler

Coaching

Wade Phillips - Ignore the offense's lack of scoring for a moment and focus on that of the Redskins'. Aided by two missed Shaun Suisham field goals, the Dallas defense held Washington to a measly six points. This happened on a day when QB Jason Campbell looked impressive, going 13 for 13 on his third-down passes. The defense only sacked him once, but pressured him often. Cowboy-killer, Santana Moss, was held to just 38 yards on five catches as the secondary refused to be beat by anything downfield.

As Raf pointed out in his "Monday Musings", Coach Phillips' defense has cracked the NFL's top five in points allowed (17.5 PPG). The defensive line, linebackers, and secondary are all working hard to keep games manageable while the offense works out its kinks. And it's not just the starters...backups such as Alan Ball, Stephen Bowen, Victor Butler, and Junior Siavvi have been able to come in and actually contribute.

Coach Phillips and his assistants have their guys prepared. Having a top notch defense will prove a valuable asset as the Cowboys continue to control the division.

Honorable Mention: Dave Campo, Hudson Houck

The Cowboys did what they needed to do: pick up a divisional win at home. Let's chalk this one up as a defensive victory.

Who gets your game balls?

The VRR: Cowboys Must Get Back in Saddle after Pulling off Squeaker over 'Skins

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:48:58 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Tony Romo has to take his bumps and bruises from Redskins to Raiders in just a few days.

Browse more photos »

The 7-6 victory over the rival Redskins did little to boost fans' confidence in the Cowboys' struggling offense. Running the ball 33 times - including six straight called in the first quarter - may have made the playcalling seem more "balanced", yet it produced no points.

However intriguing it is to see Felix Jones break the double-digit carry barrier for the first time in his career, or to see Marion Barber come up a yard shy from hitting the century mark, the scoreboard is still dependent on Tony Romo to pull that big, fat "0" down.

Heck, even Nick Folk failed (again) to get the team on the scoreboard prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the defense again refused to let that other side of the scoreboard be lit up.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be a bit more banged up heading into the shortened Thanksgiving week. Nothing major, but there are some bumps and bruises that must be played through as the team hosts the Raiders on Thursday. Making it through this week unscathed can be a real asset, as the team will get a few extra days to rest up before the Week 13 road game against the Giants.

More VRR after the jump.

Here's the latest on who's hurting:

QB Tony Romo - back (11/22) The quarterback injured his back in the first quarter when he was kneed in the backside while making a tackle. Romo never missed a snap against Washington, but he was limited in practice on Monday. Romo received a pain-relieving shot after the game Sunday, but told reporters he expects to play. Wade Phillips told the media Monday the quarterback was feeling better, but hinted that backup Jon Kitna might have to take some precautionary reps in practice.

TE Jason Witten - foot (11/22) Despite playing the entire game Sunday, Witten didn't practice Monday because of a foot injury. The All-Pro tight end caught two passes on the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

LB Keith Brooking - ankle (11/22) The veteran linebacker was limited in Monday's light practice with an ankle injury he suffered near the end of Sunday's win over the Redskins. Brooking said on Monday he expects to play this week.

CB Mike Jenkins - elbow/head (11/22) Jenkins got "banged up" in the Redskins game, according to head coach Wade Phillips. The cornerback was already battling the elbow injury from the Packers game but suffered the head injury late in the game when making a tackle. He did not practice with the team on Monday in the light workout.

Despite the blow to the back, Romo impressed in the end and sounds good-to-go for Thursday's game.

"That's Romo being Romo," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We had guys wrapped around him, and he still escaped. He's a tough sack."

And a tough guy. Romo bruised his back in the first quarter tackling cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he picked up a Marion Barber fumble in the red zone.

"I must have asked Tony 10 times, ‘Are you OK?'" Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You could tell he was hurting, but he kept grinding."

Romo said he never considered leaving the game.

"I've always felt you can play as long as it's not something like a broken bone," Romo said. "With the adrenaline of the game, you can always do it. It only hurts right before the snap and right after."

The Redskins' injuries were much more severe. RB Ladell Betts and OL Chad Rinehart will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.

Along with Coach Phillips' aggressive blitzes, Keith Brooking credits DeMarcus Ware for his career-high four sacks.

Brooking has taken advantage of all the attention opponents pay the NFL’s reigning sacks leader in pass protection. He said his sacks often come on "hug blitzes," when he’s in man coverage against a running back and rushes when the back stays into block. When the back goes to chip Ware, that often leaves a lane for Brooking.

"The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "As I said yesterday, I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

Anthony Spencer was almost credited with a sack, but getting the game-winning INT proved much more rewarding.

It was Spencer's first career interception. The theft made up for a review taking away what he thought was his first sack of the season.

Late in the first half, Spencer chased Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell out of bounds for an apparent 5-yard loss. But a replay showed Campbell had released the ball just before stepping out.

"I gave the ref a little mouth about it," Spencer said. "But I'd much rather have the interception. It's a relief for the simple fact I've been around so many opportunities to make plays. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Bradie James on winning ugly:

"We have been sexy," linebacker Bradie James said. "We have been trying to be glamorous. And teams have come in and beat us. They have us ugly. What’s wrong with ugly? We won. That’s all that matters. Now we’ve got Oakland. We are concentrating on winning and getting ready for the stretch drive in December."

Coach Phillips squashed the media's attempt to get more info on the Campo-Newman argument.

If you haven't read it by now, LaRon Landry called Roy Williams "scared". Landry didn't get all Xs-andOs about it, but did imply that Williams' play was "scared".

"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry continued, by way of explaining how he knew Williams was scared. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."

A good area of focus on both offense and defense will be third-down conversions.

With the short week, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips might not have an opportunity to address the team's struggles with their third-down offense and defense.

"We just haven't played well enough on third downs, and we need to take a look at it."

Nick Folk knows he's in a "funk", and will stay patient.

"A little funk," Folk said Monday. "I got to work my way out of it right now."

Folk said he's not too concerned because he's hitting the ball well. On the 46-yarder he missed on Sunday, Folk said he hit it well, but it just stayed right. The last kick he missed, a 38-yarder in Green Bay the previous week, Folk said he just missed it.

"I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right," Folk said. "I dont know I got to go look at it. it felt good coming off my foot had a good week of practice."

Patrick Crayton has worn many hats in his football career. Did you know he can kick? Well, sort of.

Patrick Crayton was once the emergency kicker on his college team.

"Make that the emergency-emergency kicker," he said, smiling. "If it had ever come down to me, we probably would have gone for two."

Even then, at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Crayton had a strong leg. Once, on a bet, Crayton surprised himself.

"I made a 50-yarder," he said, again smiling. "You never know when it comes to kicking."

After waiving KR/PR Allen Rossum, the Cowboys re-signed CB Cletis Gordon to the active roster.

The Buccaneers sure like the Cowboys' practice squad players. They've already plucked rookie CB Mike Mickens off there, now they've signed QB Rudy Carpenter as well.

Matt Mosely is shopping Shanahan. If the Cowboys were to part ways with Wade Phillips after this season, he thinks Mike Shanahan could be a good fit.

I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.

Anthony Spencer: So Close to Being a Playmaker

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:00:19 -0000

by Morry Gash - AP

Anthony Spencer: Close, but no cigar.

View full size photo »

Instead of forcing game balls on an unproductive game against the Packers, I went back to take a look at one player who did have a productive game for the Cowboys: Anthony Spencer.

The Dallas rush defense in now ranked 10th in the league, allowing just over 103 YPG. Spencer is a big part of that. Often playing next to Marcus Spears with Keith Brooking behind him, Spencer rounds out the trio to provide the Cowboys with a physical presence that attacks opposing offense's strong side.

In Green Bay, Coach Phillips would sometimes line up Spencer across from the slot receiver and rush him at the quarterback. When he and DeMarcus Ware would flip, he often began in a three-point stance. Sometimes, he would backpedal from his stance to cover the short zone. On at least one occasion, Ware lined up next to him.

Obviously, moving Spencer around is a direct result of Phillips trying to get the best possible mismatches for Ware. Although Spencer still does not have a sack on the season, he is continuing to match Ware in quarterback pressures and is dropping running backs for losses.

On the Packers' second offensive drive, Spencer dropped back into a short zone coverage, read the HB-screen to Ryan Grant and darted forward to drop the RB for a one-yard loss. On the very next play, he collapsed the pocket by overpowering the LT and forced Aaron Rodgers to scramble. He ended up tackling Rodgers for a two-yard gain.

Make the jump.

Towards the end of the first quarter, up against the RT, it was his hit on Rodgers that forced a pass incompletion. So close to a sack, Anthony...again, so close.

In the second quarter, he showed what makes him such a solid strongside OLB. Using the weight and momentum of the Packers' tackle, he used an olé move to push him to the ground and ended up crashing into Grant. On the next play, he did a nice job in disguising a blitz, and then backpedaled quickly into covering the short zone. It was in this quarter that I noticed the Packers began using a RB to chip him when it became obvious that the RT was having problems with him.

In this game, Spencer also showed great hustle and athleticism to complement his physical style of play. This proved evident on the drive just before the half when, after failing to create a pass rush, he peeled off to sprint 20 yards downfield to make the tackle on Donald Driver. The other Dallas defenders were having a tough time getting Driver to the ground. The play may not have saved any points on the scoreboard, but it prevented any Brandon Marshall-type magic.

Spencer always seems just a step away from single-handedly owning a series or two. During one drive in the second quarter, he nearly had Grant two yards behind the line of scrimmage. It's too bad Grant was able to slip through his grasp because he ended up gaining 13 yards and a first down. Just two plays later, though, Spencer showed off his quickness by splitting the TE and RT to drop Grant for a two-yard loss. On several passing plays, he got his hands up in the lanes, but was inches away from blocking the throw.

On the day, Spencer registered 10 tackles with two going for losses. Indeed, that is a solid game for a strongside linebacker.

How many times have we each said, "if only he were there a split second sooner"? He could have some sacks, perhaps some forced fumbles, a pass or two batted in the air that leads to a pick-six, a pick-six or two of his own. In defensive battles like we witnessed on Sunday, such a play could change the outcome of the game. At the very least, it would have given the Cowboys the momentum they failed to muster.

If only...if only...if only Anthony Spencer can make those one or two big plays per game that he is so close to making. It would help add a another playmaking presence to an already improving defense. As the Cowboys enter their stretch run, another big-time playmaker on defense could make for a dominant unit.

Hopefully, he'll be able to get his first sack in this upcoming contest against the Redskins. If so, as we've seen with DeMarcus Ware earlier this season, that may be all it takes for the sack-floodgates to open.

The VRR: Hot Cowboys Prepare to Take on Cold Packers

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:36:53 -0000

by Mel Evans - AP

Miles Austin has had success in the past against the Packers. Perhaps, we will also get to see some more success in the Tashard Choice-featured "Razorback".

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Because both the Cowboys and the Packers finished third in their respective divisions in '08, they are once again facing off this season. With the weather expected to be in the high 40's at Lambeau Field, there won't be much for a frozen tundra. But judging by Green Bay's 38-28 loss at Tampa Bay last week, the Packers will bring in a cold front of their own.

Hopefully, the red hot Cowboys' defense can continue to freeze another NFC offense. ~~David Carr~~ Aaron Rodgers is getting sacked left and right this season. DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff ought to be licking their chops.

Rodgers has spent a lot of time on his back side — Tampa Bay dumped him six times Sunday. The Packers have given up a league-high 37 sacks, seven more than Kansas City and 20 more than Dallas.

"Well, it has to stop," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after the demoralizing Tampa loss. "You can’t sit here and keep taking sacks."

Injuries have added to the problem on the offensive line. The movement will likely continue this week with rookie T.J. Lang possibly getting the start at right tackle after Mark Tauscher re-injured his knee in his first start at right tackle at Tampa Bay.

More VRR after the jump.

The Cowboys look to have an advantage over the Pack's special teams, as well.

The Packers are hurting on special teams. They rank dead last in net punting and are one of four teams to give up a blocked punt. While the Cowboys have thrived on field position, the Packers have not. They rank 26th in opponent starting field position, 24th in punt return and 17th in kickoff return.

The Star-T scouts Rodgers.

OLB Aaron Kampman is missing practice and may not play against the 'Boys.

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy is pessimistic about outside linebacker Aaron Kampman being able to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Kampman emerged from Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay with a concussion and will miss his second consecutive practice on Thursday. McCarthy said on a conference call that the Packers will treat Kampman cautiously because of the nature of the injury.

Much of Miles Austin's potential was evident in games against Green Bay.

Miles Austin has had some pretty good games against the Green Bay Packers in his four-year career. In 2007, Austin didn't have a catch but returned six kickoffs for 166 yards.

Then last season, Austin had just two catches -- but they went for 115 yards, including a spectacular 63-yard score that was the first of his career. Austin almost had another touchdown in that game but was caught on his way to the end zone for a 52-yard gain.

"If I look back at that game, I look at the touchdown, rather than the other one," Austin said.

The Cowboys got Kevin Ogletree involved last week via bubble screens. Makes you wonder what they have in store for him this week.

The bubble screen calls for the receiver to take a step forward before darting back toward the quarterback to catch the ball.

"We've been working on it in practice," Ogletree said. "If there's a play the coaches design and call for me, I'm just going to give it my maximum effort."

That the No. 5 receiver made such a big contribution underscores a major reason the Cowboys (6-2) will ride into Green Bay (4-4) this weekend possessing the NFC East lead and a four-game winning streak: Everybody's pitching in offensively.

"We have so many people contributing," coach Wade Phillips said. "You don't have to count on a running back to make 150 yards for you to win, or one receiver having two or three touchdowns."

Tashard Choice is digging his role as a Razorback quarterback.

"Just another way we can get the football, man," Choice said. "It was cool to be in the game. And for the coaches to call it [and be] comfortable with it, that was really important."

The Miami Dolphins are the only NFL team that uses the Wildcat formation on a consistent basis. Choice says he watches film of how the Dolphins use the scheme.

"Ronnie Brown is perfect for it. He's awesome," Choice said of the Dolphins' running back. "One of top three backs in the league, to me, running the football. He's patient and he makes people miss. That's what really makes it."

Does everybody on the team refer to the formation as the "Razorback"?

Most teams have nicknames for their "Wildcat" formations. In the case of the Cowboys, "Wildcat" QB Tashard Choice was asked what the official name of the formation was. Choice's answer was simple.

"It's called TC, that's it."

Ken Hamlin (strained groin) and Andre Gurode (ankle) were held out of practice today.

On Wednesday, Hamlin was suited out but later worked strength and conditioning coaches, who were running with return specialist Allen Rossum, who is expected to miss another game with a hamstring injury.

As for Gurode, he suffered a ankle injury in the Eagles game and missed two snaps, before returning on the next series.

The rest of the Cowboys' injury report.

Steve Wyche begins his "Best free-agent moves" article by talking about three Cowboys: Keith Brooking, Igor Olshansky, and Gerald Sensabaugh.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh, defensive end Igor Olshansky and linebacker Keith Brooking have been the glue at each level of the defense that is now allowing stars Terence Newman, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware to hit their strides.

"(With) Igor and myself, Wade (Phillips) knew what he was getting because he coached us in San Diego and Atlanta," said Brooking, the Cowboys' leading tackler who spent his previous 11 seasons with the Falcons. "Sense (Sensabaugh), he's in the same boat, except I don't think they knew he was such a playmaker. It's working because this means something to the guys. Not just us three, but to all 11 guys on the field."

Sensabaugh (Jacksonville), Olshansky (San Diego) and Brooking were deemed expendable by their former teams. But their experience, toughness and desire were inherent qualities that have allowed them to mesh with the guys in place and fill voids that were areas of concern. Adding experienced pieces to prime parts is a long-held formula to success, but some teams, especially those in need of "franchise" talent or marquee appeal, spend for the big dogs that don't always help the overall cause.

The offseason moves the Cowboys made to achieve better team chemistry have worked since the season began.

Linebacker Bradie James said the sense of community began in training camp. He said that was evident in crunch time against the Eagles Sunday.

"This year, so far, has been definitely the best team atmosphere," James said. "With the characters we have on this team, guys are really just playing for one another, understanding the goals we have, sticking by each other's side. You want to know as players what you can count on and who you can rely on when the funk hits the fan and we know that we can definitely rely on each other."

Matt Mosely takes a look back at the Cowboys' first half of 2009, and then looks forward to the rest.

There's no reason the Cowboys can't win at least 11 games. After a trip to Green Bay, they come home to play the Redskins and Raiders. The worst they'll do in that stretch is 2-1, and I think they have a great chance to come out of this stretch 9-2. I think 11 wins will seal the division race -- and the Cowboys are headed in that direction. Will they win a playoff game? Yes, I think they'll finally break through and get a win. I'm very interested in that game in the Meadowlands in early December. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Giants will have turned it around by then.

Jason Witten spent Tuesday going back to school.

Witten picked up the fourth-grader and his family in a limo Tuesday and took them to Akin Elementary School in Wylie ISD. The Cowboys tight end was welcomed by screaming students and teachers chanting "Cowboys! Cowboys!"

Weaving around the fans shaking sparkling blue pompoms, Witten went straight up the middle of the crowd in the school cafeteria to speak about good health as part of the NFL Play 60 campaign. The program encourages youths to exercise at least an hour a day.

Cowboys Stadium could soon host a Manny Pacquiao title fight.

"Keep an eye on this Pacquiao fight Saturday," Jones said. "That's a big one. Keep an eye on that. Some big things might happen if he could win that one."

Last week rumors began of a possible matchup between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather at the stadium should Pacquiao dethrone Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

BTB Game Balls: Cowboys @ Eagles

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:47:02 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

"You'd better not prevent me from getting my BTB game ball," yells Tony Romo at the Eagle defenders.

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It's time to hand out game balls for the Cowboys' road victory against the Eagles! We've got one for a player from each unit: offense, defense, special teams. We've even got one for the coaching staff.

Offense

Tony Romo - As the Cowboys transition into a well-prepared team that strives to get better every week, their quarterback is also conforming into that mold. Both the gun-slinging mentality and the critical stereotype of being a choke-artist seem to be dissolving from the aura that is Tony Romo. If Sunday night's game is any indication of how he has grown as a player, then maybe we can begin to expect a more patient, less risk-taking Romo. With the defense steadily improving and a seemingly growing number of offensive weapons waiting to contribute, Romo can just focus on taking what defenses give him.

Leave it to the Eagles to break Romo's no-interception streak. Whether Jason Witten was looking inside or Romo just overshot him didn't matter for very long. It was forgotten, as all interceptions should be. Instead of piling on more picks like we've seen him do in past division games, he refused to gift wrap anything else for the pesky Eagles' secondary. And that pesky Eagles' blitz was on him early and often. Personally, his fumbles have irritated me more than his throws to the wrong-colored jerseys. I concur with ImpactNate, "Way to take that sack, Romo!"

Aside from those big passes to Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton, Romo made the most of the little passes too. It was great to see him connect with Kevin Ogletree on those screens. First downs for everybody, especially if your name is Jason Witten or Roy Williams. And I loved how that little hop-of-a-pass out to Marion Barber early in the first quarter seemed to foreshadow that he would be able to get away from the rush - enough to at least pick up some postive yardage.

21 of 34 for 307 with a TD and a win against a quality division opponent on the road. That's positive.

Honorable Mention: Jason Witten, Marion Barber

Make the jump to see who else gets a game ball.

Defense

Jay Ratliff - Double-team, double-team, double-team. No problem. Ratliff often just spins around them, or as we saw Sunday night, Coach Phillips will line him up at DE to terrorize the gap between the guard and tackle.

The Eagles had to have been wondering how they could continue double-teaming Ratliff when their rotating LTs were being harassed by DeMarcus Ware. When they didn't double-team him with a guard and a center, there he was disrupting running plays and leading the pocket collapses on passing plays. His pressure up the middle helped hurry McNabb on the Sensabaugh pick. And it was Ratliff crashing down the Eagles' line on that 4th-and-1 to allow Keith Brooking to fly over and prevent McNabb from sneaking out a few more inches.

One of the coolest things about watching the Cowboys now is how Ratliff roars to the sky, and then bashes his fists into the ground. In finishing the game with five solo tackles and two sacks, we got to see him do his signature move often against the Eagles (even though Stephen Bowen interrupted the completion of one). You can call it a sack dance or a celebration; whatever it is, is a precise representation of what Ratliff does to an offense: he wreaks havoc.

Honorable Mention: Mike Jenkins, Gerald Sensabaugh

Special Teams

Mat McBriar - On the season, McBriar is averaging 46.1 YPP (41.8 net) on 35 punts with only one of those being for a touchback. 20 of those 35 have landed inside the 20-yard line and 9 have been fair caught.

Against the Eagles, McBriar faced one of the league's best returners in DeSean Jackson. Because of his directional kicking and superb hangtime, Jackson did squat - being able to return just one of five punts for nine yards. For the night, McBriar averaged 42 YPP with three landing inside the 20 and a long of 57.

Honorable Mention: L.P. Ladouceur, David Buehler

Coaching

Wade Phillips - A defensive-minded head coach should love the challenge of taking on a divisional offensive-minded head coach. That's what Coach Phillips did against Andy Reid. Phillips used both his stars and his situational players to shake, rattle, and roll Reid's offense to giving up four sacks and two interceptions. McNabb and the Eagles' blockers looked confused more often than not. The Dallas defenders stuck to their leader's gameplan and gave up no big plays - keeping everything in front of them.

Sure, the Eagles got in some of their patented HB-screens and TE Brent Celek succeeded in pushing off on Sensabaugh for a score; but the homerun-hitting WRs were simply shut down. Jackson caught two balls for a measley 29 yards, while Jeremy Maclin led the group with three catches for 44 yards. The longest gain for the group was by Jason Avant for 23.

This felt like an over-the-hump game for the Cowboys and Coach Phillips had his team prepared. Amidst all the drama leading up to this game, the team persevered. After the game, Coach called the players "selfless". On offense, four different players carried the ball, seven different players caught at least one. The entire defense showed up (both starters and reserves) to play all-out and held the Eagles to 16 points. I would agree that there certainly is some selflessness going on around Valley Ranch.

Honorable Mention: Jason Garrett, Todd Grantham

The Cowboys did what they needed to do: pick up a divisional win on the road. A lot of players made plays, and it can easily be seen as a team victory.

Who gets your game balls?

Edgerrin James Messes with the Wrong Fullback

John Morgan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:39:19 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Farewell, guy. We knew you less well than you knew the system.

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One final note before I excuse myself this blustery Friday evening. I will post notes for the third and fourth quarter tomorrow.

I wonder sometimes when a player is cut - what was the play that put them over the edge? What did Edgerrin James do that ended his Seahawks career? He had struggled since joining Seattle and his performance at Dallas didn't seem out line with his season average. We had waited for James to get up to speed and he hadn't, but what back could excel behind Seattle's piecemeal line?

So it was with some amusement that I watched Justin Griffith raise his hands into the air and then clearly point "inside" where James had cut, and then "outside" where James was supposed to cut.

It was the first play of Seattle's second drive of the quarter. The defense had slowed Dallas enough to keep Seattle in it and the Seahawks were on their own 44. Great field position. Seattle's consistent strong middle push was beginning to translate into yards. Julius Jones had run for 19 in four rushes to start the half. An additional five and a first resulted from an obvious Jay Ratliff hold. Seattle broke in a two wide receiver, I formation with a tight end on the right. Snap.

Keith Brooking rushes into the backfield and Griffith engages him and extends so Brooking is at arm's length to the right. This isn't smashmouth football. Griffith does not Mack Strong Brooking, he shields and turns. James cuts in and into Brooking and is tackled after one. Griffith's gesticulations follow.

Now maybe that wasn't the play that did James in, but I would guess it was. He picked up a blitz ably later in the drive and rushed for five and three in his final two attempts. James messed up the read and made Griffith look bad and nobody messes with Greg Knapp's fullback.