SB Nation - Marion Barber

BTB Game Balls: Cowboys @ Saints

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:58:46 -0000

Coach Phillips told his guys to go out there and earn him a BTB game ball.

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

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

Offense

Tony Romo - The 49-yard TD pass to Miles Austin was one of those passes that makes you wonder how a QB can be so accurate. It was as if the ball knew how fast Austin was running. He didn't have to adjust to it. He just ran underneath it. It was a perfect pass. So was the 26-yard floater to Austin. So was the deep mid post to Crayton. So was the 17-yard sideline job to Ogletree. No defender could have caught any of those passes.

He's throwing them all well. Even the ones he's thrown right at defenders seem to just bounce away. Sure, that's luck or lack of hands on their part. But no INTs in four games still stands.

Romo has brought this team back several times this year, but the thing that has impressed me lately has been his ability to protect the lead. In the second quarter against the Saints, he was sacked three times - twice while the Cowboys were up 14-0, once while up 14-3. On the first sack, he did his Romo-esque dance to escape the defenders; then finally, he just plopped on the ground. On the second sack, he tried to step up in the pocket and ended up tucking the ball in like a RB to take the hit. On the third, he just went down.

No heroics were necessary. Just take the sack. He did, which looks to be a growing tendency of his. One fumble could have popped the Saints right back into the game. He hasn't had one since Green Bay even though this line has been giving up some major ground.

Way to go #9. Keep it up!

Honorable Mention: Miles Austin, Marion Barber

Defense

DeMarcus Ware - While Spencer had a much bigger stat line (6 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits), Ware saved the day. When the Cowboys needed him most, he came up big. His patented ball-swatting QB sacks stalled important drives for the Saints, and eliminated their chances of getting back into the game.

With less than a minute to go in the first half, Brees was aiming to swing some momentum back in his team's favor. Most of us still carry the apprehension of the '07 Giants playoff game when Eli zipped right down the field to put up points before the half. Ware would not let that happen in New Orleans. He blew past the LT and slammed Brees to the ground. Spencer recovered the fumble at the Saints' 24; and a drive that could have put up points for the home team, turned into a quick three for the Cowboys.

Despite playing with a sore neck, Ware kept the pressure coming. Time after time, we have seen the Dallas defense play a good game only to give up points on the opposition's final drive. Nerves were rampant on Saturday night because it was the New Orleans Saints...the undefeated Saints with that high-octane, top-ranked NFL offense. They could score from anywhere on the field even with 12 seconds left from the Dallas 43. They were driving, but the Cowboys needed a play and got one from Ware.

Again, he knocked the ball loose while bringing down Brees. Ratliff recovered it to ice the game. Wade was pumping his fist and Romo stopped holding his breath.

A great game for a great guy and a great player. Rock that Abe Lincoln-beard, DeMarcus!

Honorable Mention: Anthony Spencer, Mike Jenkins

Special Teams

Patrick Crayton - What's better than having the defense hold the Saints to two consecutive three-and-outs to open the game? Having the punt returner be on his game - that's what. From the get-go, Crayton looked fluid in his returns.

He only ran two - a small sample size. Had the defense not forced so many turnovers, who knows what Crayton and the return team could have done? The unit fit right in with the game plan: get on top of the Saints early. To do that, the offense would need good field position.

His first return began the first TD drive, though it was nothing big (7 yards). After the next three-and-out, his evasive moves gained 28 yards to give the offense the ball on their 40. That was off a 52-yard punt that he fielded at the 12. Had he been tackled around the 15, the Cowboys could have had a much tougher time scoring that second TD.

Maintain the momentum to help the team get on top early. Crayton did just that.

Honorable Mention: David Buehler, Orlando Scandrick

Coaching

Wade Phillips -The Saints offense was averaging something like 35 points per game going into Saturday night's contest. That's insane. Well, these Cowboys held them to less than half of that.

Could Coach Phillips' defense be clicking at the right time of the season? Having just held the vaunted Chargers to 20 points and the Saints to just 17, one could assume so. His guys are playing well for him. Four sacks on Brees between Ware and Spencer, alone. They forced three turnovers on New Orleans. That is a feat all in its own because forcing turnovers has seemed an unattainable goal for much of this year. And they are forcing them at opportune times, to boot.

I think we can all remember the game against the Saints a few years back when Sean Payton brought his team in to spank that of Bill Parcells'. It seemed like Payton outwitted the Tuna, using various weapons, featuring Mike Carney and an onside kick en route to a 42-17 blowout.

Well, Wade avenged that memory. With just enough pressure on the quarterback, aided by the return of Ken Hamlin in the secondary, it seemed as if Brees' best option was to check down to his TE. There were no bombs completed unless you count that one that Mike Jenkins caught. And the Saints running game? Reggie Bush led the way with one attempt for 29 yards, followed by Pierre Thomas' six carries for 20.

Honorable Mention: Jason Garrett, Joe DeCamillis

This is probably a game I will try to save on TiVo for the offseason when I'm dying to watch some Cowboys football. 'Twas a major win and it couldn't have come at a better time. Had this team lost three in a row, much would be in doubt. Now, Dallas remains controller of its own destiny - just the way we like it!

On the other end of Christmas Day, are the downtrodden Redskins. Let's remember this win and expect this team to come out the same way again at FedEx Field. One more win, plus a Giants loss, and they're in!

Who gets your game balls?

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades vs. Cowboys

saints-nation — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:00:16 -0000

by Bill Feig - AP

4 days ago: New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) leaps over Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) who is tackled by Saints cornerback Malcolm Jenkins during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

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Below are the grades for the defensive and special teams players. The letter grade represents the player's performance in the game, and the GPA is the player's cumulative performance of the season.

Cowboys vs Saints coverage

Cowboys vs Saints recap

Cowboys vs Saints boxscore

Will Smith: A- (2.81) Smith put constant pressure on Romo and continuously beat Flozell Adams, especially on passing downs. Unfortunately, he often let Tony Romo out of his grasp because of the Dallas QB's escapability. He ended the game with 4 tackles, 2 sacks, another tackle for a loss and he must have put Romo on the ground at least 4 times. He drew a 15 yard facemask penalty at one point as Adams did everything he could to stop him. I saw Smith victimized by holds that went unflagged several times. The effort and performance was there, the only negative was he over pursued on some plays.

Charles Grant: B- (2.02) Grant bounced back in this game, and while he wasn't flashy or great, it was a much better performance than what we've seen from him the last few weeks. He did a decent job against the run, and he also put a lot of pressure on Romo. He didn't get the stats to back it up, finishing with just 2 tackles, but he caused disruption consistently and was the main party responsible for one of Smith's sacks. He put great pressure on Romo on that play, not biting on the play action, hit the quarterback to slow him down, and both Ayodele and Smith came up to clean up the play and tackle Romo. That sack was all Grant, but somehow Will Smith got full credit for it. Remi Ayodele should have at the very least inherited half of that sack statistically, but Grant deserves credit for making that play happen. I guess the coaches lit a fire under his ass. Let's see if he builds on this or goes back into his shell of gluttony.

Bobby McCray: C+ (2.00) McCray compiled no stats either, but did a good job of applying pressure from the edge when he was in. Still, an overwhelmingly disappointing season from the former Florida Gator who was so promising a year ago.

Anthony Hargrove: D (2.21) Hargrove was pushed around like a rag doll up the middle, and contributed nothing against the run. Suprisingly he wasn't much help rushing the passer, either. I think he should be moved back to defensive end. He finished with no tackles.

Remi Ayodele: B+ (2.39) Another impressive performance by Ayodele. Not only did he push the pile back and show good technique, he actually showed an impressive motor and some hustle. I've been on him all season for not finishing plays, so I was literally shocked at one point to see him running down Jason Witten downfield. He deserved at least half a sack on the play I mentioned above. He finished with 4 tackles, and I'm now a believer he's a key component to our success in the playoffs based on the way he's been playing the last few weeks.

Scott Fujita: B+ (2.88) Fujita made some mistakes, mostly in coverage. At one point he over pursued on a blitz allowing the tailback to get out wide for a flare out. Fujita tried to recover on that play and chase Marion Barber down, but he didn't have the speed. That said, Fujita was all over the field making tackles, and he had a nice aggressive mean streak. It was just really encouraging to just see him on the field about a week after surgery. Add to that the fact that he actually played extremely well, and we might be rounding into shape with our linebacking core. He finished with 10 tackles and used solid technique.

Scott Shanle: B- (2.60) Shanle was overshadowed by the play of Fujita and Vilma, who were both excellent, but Shanle was pretty good in his own right. He was pushed around on a few running plays, but he held his ground ok and made not egregious mistakes. He finished with 6 tackles.

Jonathan Vilma: A- (3.03) Vilma was all over the field and showed impressive speed running sideline to sideline. It seemed like Vilma was in on almost every single play making a tackle. I'd give him a higher grade, but he blew a chance to tackle Marion Barber short of the end zone on a touchdown run, and he missed a coverage assignment on Witten. Just being nit-picky, though, because he had 14 tackles, a sack, and was playing at an extremely high level. After those first two drives, the defense as a whole was overall pretty good. It's just too bad they had to get the team in such an early hole/deficit early.

Tracy Porter: B+ (3.13) Gay left the game early with an injury, and Porter was thrown into the fire. He's making his way back from the knee injury, so he was supposed to only see limited reps, but he ended up playing starter minutes. He finished with 6 tackles and 2 pass deflections. He also did a good job of pushing Miles Austin out of the end zone on what would have been a touchdown pass. Porter was the only player in the backfield making plays. It made me realize just how much of a difference it makes in this defense to have good corners. Greer and Porter are just much superior to the guys behind them. It's honestly not even close. I think we already knew that, but seeing him back strongly confirmed it. Despite not being used to game speed and playing on a healing knee, he was much better than anyone else in the back four. He shut down Roy Williams and came up with some big breakups on third down.

Malcolm Jenkins: D+ (2.48) Jenkins was burned badly by Miles Austin on the first touchdown of the game, once again biting on a double move. Granted it was a picture perfect throw by Romo, but Jenkins just doesn't have the catch up speed to hang with speed demons like Austin if he makes a mistake in coverage. He was targeted by Romo often, and more times than not he was beaten. The guy is just not NFL ready, in my opinion, on a consistent basis. When you're 13-1 fighting for homefield advantage and getting ready for the playoffs, my opinion right now is that Jenkins is a liability as a starting corner. I'm not saying he shouldn't play, I'm saying he's not good enough to play the role he's currently playing. We better pray Jabari Greer makes it back healthy by then. I'm not sure the Saints currently have a better option, either. Anyway, Jenkins did at least show some toughness and tackling ability. He had 7 tackles, a lot due to how much he was picked on.

Roman Harper: C (2.81) Like last week, when the Cowboys needed a play on third down, just find who Roman Harper is covering and go there. His coverage this time was mediocre, which is better than what we've been used to recently. He had 6 tackles, but like Jenkins a lot of those came from being targeted. He made a lot of plays around the line of scrimmage against the run, but he also whiffed on a handful of others. On one blitz he completely missed Romo to allow a third down conversion. He was never great, and he was up and down the whole game. He was able to show off his brick hands, too, as he dropped a very easy interception that would have killed yet another clock killing Dallas drive.

Darren Sharper: C (2.82) Like Harper, Sharper was very active and put some nice hits on players, but ultimately his speed was a real liability out there. Once when the Saints sent a blitz, his attempt at running with Miles Austin resembled me running after a leopard. He had 10 tackles and made some nice plays in the box, but Sharper can be exposed by a good quarterback and a speedy receiver because he just doesn't have the wheels anymore. The instincts are still there, but he's just not making the plays like he was earlier in the year.

DeMario Pressley: C (2.60) He finished with 1 tackle in limited action. He was fine, not much to say.

Mike McKenzie: D+ (2.00) McKenzie played less against the Cowboys than previous weeks, and that was a good thing. Still he managed to allow a pass to Miles Austin to go for a 1st down at the most crucial of times late in the game on a 3rd down play. Come to think of it, why was McKenzie even on Austin? His coverage was awful on that play, and his weak dive tackle attempt was embarrassing. Who was that guy playing against the Patriots anyway? He finished with 2 tackles, and actually did a decent job on a couple of plays in coverage, but never showed up when the Saints needed him most.

Thomas Morstead: B- (3.02) Morstead's depth on kickoffs were shorter than usual, allowing Felix Jones to get some looks that he made the Saints pay for. He also crushed one punt, but outkicked his coverage and allowed a 28 yard punt return to Patrick Crayton. You can't blame that all on Morstead because the coverage units were mostly at fault, but he's good enough that he could have taken both players out of the game and he didn't. He had one punt that also went for a touchback, but again his coverage unit had a shot to pin it inside the 5 and failed. He did have an impressive average on four punts, though, with 50.3 yards per punt, but his net average was only 36.5. It's not all on him, but the bottom line is the Saints did a poor job in the kicking game setting up favorable field position.

Courtney Roby: B (2.92) The Cowboys took him almost completely out of the game by either kicking the ball so deep that Roby had no chance to take it out, or kicking it short to Lynell Hamilton. The one look he did get he took 67 yards to give the Superdome some life. Unfortunately the Saints couldn't do anything with the field position Roby gave them. He also had a tackle as a gunner, but he was also called for an illegal block in the back that negated a decent punt return by Bush.

Garrett Hartley: B+ (3.11) Hartley hit both extra points (thankfully down the middle) and made a 34 yard field goal. Not much duty, but he made the most of his opportunities.

My Defensive Player of the Game: Jonathan Vilma

My Special Teams Player of the Game: Courtney Roby

Poll

Who Was Your Defensive Player of the Game?

Cowboys Win Over The Saints Changes The Perception

Dave Halprin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:00:22 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

The Cowboys Anthony Spencer has improved his game this year by leaps and bounds.

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The NFL, come December, is a week-by-week league. Those teams still in the playoff hunt, or those already in the playoffs proper but still jockeying for a higher seed, rise and fall on each week's game. Take the Dallas Cowboys and their rousing victory over the previously unblemished Saints. Dallas was a team on a two game losing streak, already being counted out by some, and generally agreed to be teetering on the precipice by all, and now they are the new hot team. Going on the road and beating a Super Bowl favorite like New Orleans, and doing it in a dominant, non-fluke way, means teams and fans see you in whole new light. But, lose next week in Washington and...well...you know what will happen. That's just life in the NFL playoff hunt. For a look at the other end of the spectrum, the Vikings are a team that suddenly looks very vulnerable.

The highlights from Saturday's big win:

- You really can't say enough about the performance of DeMarcus Ware. Going from a moment last week when we were all contemplating the idea of not having him for the rest of the season, to watching him make two huge sacks on Drew Brees, the last one sealing the game, was an incredible testament to his competitive spirit and athletic prowess. Thank goodness he's going to be a Cowboy for a long time.

- Don't look now, but Ware's little buddy at the other end of the line might just be growing up before our eyes. Earlier this season, BTB's-own Aaron noted that Anthony Spencer kept coming close to making big plays, but was just missing. Then, over the last few weeks, he started to make a play or two a game, and on Saturday he was the perfect complement to Ware's pass-rushing attack. No longer content to play the run tough, the kid is now making plays on QBs. If that continues, the defense would be that much better.

- Sorry Nick Folk, but your time has come. Maybe next year we give you a tryout and see where you're at, but we just can't live with the problem any longer. Seriously, a 24-yarder to seal the game and you miss? The Cowboys are already planning to bring in kickers for tryouts this week, and not a moment too soon. We've gone from Folkin'-A to What the Folk?, and that ain't good.

- Welcome back Marion Barber. It seems like ages since the Barbarian punched one across the goal line, and it was. MB3 scored way back in Week 8 against Seattle before racking up two scores on the ground this week, accompanied by some hard running.

- It's quite possible Tony Romo is on his best run of football since becoming the Cowboys starter. Have you noticed the absence of turnovers from the QB position? Romo hasn't thrown an interception in four straight games and hasn't had a multi-interception game since Week 2 against the Giants. The Cowboys may be 1-2 in December this year, but none of that can be laid at #9's feet. His decisions to either run the ball, or take the sack, instead of forcing a turnover has made a huge difference.

- A lot of the glory in the Saints game is going to the Cowboys defensive line and outside linebackers, but let's not leave out the secondary. Besides for a brief spell in the 4th-quarter, they were lights out. There were plenty of plays when Brees had time in the pocket, and normally that would spell disaster for a team facing the Saints array of weapons. But the Cowboys defensive secondary was up to the task and even turned in a turnover with a Mike Jenkins interception.

- Roy Williams needs to quit writing checks that Miles Austin's butt has to cash. Roy's infamous guarantee/non-guarantee of a victory made his drop on a crucial third down all the more galling. Less talking, more catching.

- Jason Garrett called a great game. Usually, if the player's execute, then the perception is that the coordinator called a good game. If the player's don't execute, then the coach called a bad game. But this week, Garret really did seem to be on his game. We saw a variety of plays like toss sweeps, 'smoke' passes to the outside when the situation was advantageous, and a solid mix of run and pass. Sure, it always looks better when it works, but Garrett never got predictable and left the Saints guessing. Last week, the Chargers seemed to know everything we were doing, this week the Saints never seem to get comfortable on defense.

- The Dallas defense was finally able to exorcise their third-down demons on defense. The Saints were 1 of 7 converting on third down. On the other hand, the Cowboys offense converted 8 of 15 third downs.

- No Marty B? No problem. Rookie John Phillips chipped in with three catches for 40 yards.

- Felix Jones didn't break a big one, but did anyone else notice his tough, determined running and ability to drive the pile forward after contact? He also had a good evening returning kickoffs.

- With a loss by the Giants on Monday night, the Cowboys could lock up a playoff birth with a win over the Redskins next week.

- Finally, I don't know exactly why the Cowboys played so well on Saturday, maybe it was the desperation born of seeing their playoffs hopes starting to flicker out. Or maybe it was Tony Dungy saying the Cowboys had no chance earlier in the week. It sure caught Tony Romo's attention as noted in his post-game interview. Just to be safe, please pick against us again this week, Mr. Dungy.

Cowboys vs. Saints Preview: Knocking Off an Undefeated in Six Simple Steps

Rafael Vela — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:49:18 -0000

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

The Cowboys would benefit from more plays like this tomorrow. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jose Yau)

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Simple to identify, difficult to execute:

1. Get the lead.

The Saints don't usually fly out of the box, the way the old 'Niners teams of the '90s used to do. (More on this in a second.) They've more like an old Saturn V rocket. They start slowly, but consistently build momentum every quarter, until they're outracing bullets by the 4th.

Several teams have built early leads on them. The Dolphins had a huge lead. The Panthers built a fair one. The Redskins kept them off balance for most of their game. The Cowboys will need to join them, which means the second quarter will be vital. The Cowboys, at least in the Garrett-era, make their offensive hay in the 2nd and 3rd. They'll have to join these other teams in wringing points out of the first 30 minutes.

2. Keep the foot on the accelerator

The Panthers ran their way into the lead, as did the Dolphins. They faltered in the second half because they lacked the firepower to keep scoring once the Saints sold out and slowed those rushing attacks down. If the Cowboys find the lead, either through the air or on the ground, they need to keep attacking. To me, this suggests a steady diet of Romo passing, with the expected draws and counters mixed in. Marion Barber isn't, or shouldn't be counted on to ice away the game with late running, if it comes to that. The Cowboys are a big play team, and score from the opponents 20 out much of the time.

When the Cowboys pass their own 40, the big play calls are coming; the wrinkle runs, the attacks over the middle, the combination routes up the sidelines. They'll likely start here and continue until the Saints 20. The imperative is to score touchdowns. Missing a field goal, as Shaun Suisham did for Washington two weeks ago, and as Nick Folk has done seemingly every week since the pre-season, sets up New Orleans for the quick-strike counter attack.

3. Don't Forget to Defend the Run

The Cowboys have been steady at containing running attacks since the Bucs ripped them to open the season. The Saints get leads, get you worried about their many passing threats, and then hammer you on the ground. They run more than just about any team and run effectively.

Pierre Thomas must be kept under some measure of contain. The Redskins and Falcons held New Orleans to two of their season lows in rushing the last two weeks and knocked the Saints scoring maching off rhythm. It may seem counter-intuitive, because Drew Brees passes so well, but putting the game on his shoulder, putting him in second and third and longs, would greatly increase Dallas' competitiveness.

4. Self scout yourself extra hard this week

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams often builds his defenses from the back forwards. In Washington, he drafted Sean Taylor and Laron Landry to roam the deep middle. They gave him the flexibility to blitz more with his front seven, which had trouble sacking QBs with a four man rush.

When he came to the Saints, Williams inherited a team which also had a so-so rush, and a weak pass defense. The team invested heavily in the secondary, adding free agents Jabari Greer, an unsung YPA leader in his Buffalo days, and Darren Sharper, a smart, but aging FS who seemed to lose his top two gears in Minnesota.

They teamed with second year CB Tracy Porter to shore up the Saints pass defense. Gregg's guys have not made a huge step forward, but they are three points better per game this year than last. Add a seven point improvement from the offense and you can see why the Saints have rocketed from .500 to perfection.

Williams' fronts look vanilla till just before pre-snap; he gives a lot of base 4-3 looks, then makes a lot of late shifts. He's a streaky game caller, and when he's on, it looks to opposing teams that he's in the huddle. His philosophy is to take away your ten best plays and make you adapt. Sharper's production shows the effectiveness of this strategy; many observers thought his legs were gone in Minnesota, and he won't win many foot races these days, yet he has 8 picks, because he knows where to be.

For this reason, opponents need to understand what they do, because the Saints will. The challenge then is not to try to make yourself over, but to change your tendencies, so you can still do what you do best, but do it in slightly unpredictable ways. Have a pet play you like to run in the red zone? Run it, but run it outside the 20. Have a play you favor on 3rd downs? Run it on first instead this week.

That said, look for Jason Garrett to use an inside/out passing tactic which he used very effectively against Williams' defense in a 28-23 win at Texas Stadium. He started Terrell Owens out wide, then motioned him into the slot. T.O. was sent up the field on combination routes. Tony Romo would fake to him, then lob passes over the top of the secondary. The motion isolated Owens on the middle linebacker, who had deep responsibility in the cover-2 the Redskins played a lot, or put him on a safety. Owens ended the day with 173 yards and four scores.

I look for Dallas to try similar plays with Miles Austin. Garrett got him off to a hot start three games ago against the Raiders by motioning him across the middle. He may do this again, but take his routes farther up the field in this game. Sharper is smart, but he's not fast anymore. Saints MLB Jonathan Vilma is the most athletic of the Saints LB trio, but he nonetheless will have some trouble tracking receivers across his zone.

5. Ball custody, ball custody, ball custody

The Saints have turned leads into blowouts by racking up defensive turnovers. They have taken the ball away 37 times in 13 games, nearly three times per game. That's double the Cowboys' defense, for example.

Poor to average teams which have protected the ball have scared New Orleans. The one-win Rams only turned the ball over once, and therefore gained possession in the last two minutes with the score at 28-23. They couldn't find the end zone, but gave themselves the chance.

The Falcons' secondary bled yards, as they have all year, but their backup QB Chris Redmond only turned it over once. They too had the ball in the last minute with a chance to win the game.

The Cowboys have been pretty good at ball custody lately. Marion Barber made a costly turnover in New York, but Dallas actually won the turnover battle the last two weeks. Tony Romo has just three interceptions in his last nine starts.

Dallas will need another strong week from him. If the Cowboys keep their turnovers low, they'll have a fighting chance. If Romo gets pass crazy, as Tom Brady did last month, and makes early picks, as Brady did, the game could spiral away from the Cowboys quickly.

6. Relocate the Big Return

When the Cowboys went on their four game winning streak in October, Patrick Crayton made some huge punt returns. Lately, the Cowboys' return game has gone missing. San Diego twice downed punts inside the Dallas two last week.

The kickoff return game has struggled all year, though Felix Jones returned the opening kickoff past the Dallas 40. Another big return or two would greatly help the cause.

Overall

The Cowboys defense was able to hang on last week against San Diego. Philip Rivers made his share of plays, but he's done that to everybody all season. Dallas held him to a season low 20 points. The D will need a similar effort this week. They need to set their cap around 23 or 24 points, hope they match the game Atlanta sprung last week, and then get the offense to get near 30.

Can it be done? Yes. Three teams at the bottom of the standings, the Rams and Redskins, have given New Orleans two of its toughest games this year. The Falcons had their chances in both close losses and the Dolphins fizzled once the game fell to their passing game, which served up three crippling interceptions. The Saints have their weaknesses, and Dallas has weapons to exploit them.

On the other hand, the Cowboys' middle pass defense is soft. The Chargers and other recent opponents are gaining big yards throwing at Keith Brooking, Bradie James and the Dallas safeties. San Diego bled the clock dry in the 4th running Malcolm Floyd, Vincent Jackson and its backs across James' zones. New Orleans has weapons to do the same.

The result will likely come down to whether Dallas loses the big play races, as it did in New York and against the Chargers, or whether it edges ahead, as it has in its wins.

The VRR: Cowboys Hope to Tell the Saints it Ain't Happening

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:21:53 -0000

More photos » by Sean Gardner - AP

Could it be a scary night for the Cowboys in the Louisiana Superdome? Not if they play like a playoff team.

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Dome, dome, dome, dome...

When the Cowboys travel to the Superdome to face those undefeated Saints, who have the number one offense in the league with the number one QB in the conference, they must go in thinking two words: "UP" and "SET".

The home loss against San Diego last week was a heartbreaker, but Dallas now has this one last chance to play up to the level of one of the league's top teams - the elite team in the NFC, in fact. A win can do wonders, but it won't be easy. The dome teams are doing quite well this season.

This year, three indoor teams have either secured homefield advantage for at least one game or are on the verge of doing so. The Colts, Saints and Vikings should soon consume both two No. 1 seeds and the NFC's No. 2, respectively.

Times may have changed but it remains to be seen if these teams aren't haunted by their indoors postseason history. The Colts are 4-3 in home playoff games, the Saints are 2-3 in the Superdome in the postseason, and the Vikings are just over .500 (5-4) in the Metrodome come playoff time.

This season, the three teams are a combined 37-2 overall and own a perfect 20-0 inside their domes.

More VRR after the jump.

Sure, they face an undeated team. But the Cowboys are also trying to prevent a three-game losing streak. Just win, baby!

Snapping out of this skid will be tough. Dallas is headed to New Orleans for a Saturday night game against the undefeated Saints and a Superdome crowd that's sure to be, uh, boisterous. The Cowboys could lose that game and still get in the playoffs. But a third straight defeat would clinch a 13th straight December without a winning record and would leave them ripe for a knockout.

"We're not down, we're not out,'' receiver Roy Williams said Tuesday. "We're still going to play. Got a tough week this week and a bunch of naysayers around the country, but in this room, we know what we can do.''

A victory could be the springboard they need. A 3-0 finish is the only way the Cowboys are guaranteed to salvage the division title.

Like the great competitor he is, DeMarcus Ware wants to play despite soreness in his neck.

"Just taking it day-by-day and go from there," Ware said before practice on Tuesday morning. "Neck is a little sore right now so you have to be cautious with that. But at the end of the day, treating it and trying to get ready for this week."

[snip]

Ware said the injury scared him, but will do whatever the doctors say before getting back on the field. "It's really important," he said about listening to the doctors.

"Since not only are you talking about the team standpoint of being able to go out there and make plays and try to win a game this week. But also you got to think about the player's health. He can go out there and he might get paralyzed, hurt himself even more. Which one is more important: longevity or right now."

If DWare can't go, it will be interesting to see how well rookie Victor Butler handles his first starting gig in the pros.

"With D-Ware, you lose a leader," said the 22-year-old linebacker. "Not only a verbal leader, but he leads by example. With a guy like that out, you just have to step up everywhere. Special teams have to step up, individual guys have to step up to make the team better — myself, Steve Octavien. Guys have to step up and elevate your level of play."

While Martellus Bennett (concussion) will miss another game, Ken Hamlin has returned to practice and should get the start in New Orlearns.

Phillips said he believes Hamlin, who calls the defensive signals, will help the Cowboys make adjustments against the Saints' complicated offense. However, Phillips acknowledged that it could be difficult for a safety missing a month to return against the NFL's top-ranked offense.

"I don't think he'll make any mental mistakes back there," Phillips said. "Physically, how quickly he'll react to things and get back in the swing of it, I don't know for sure. I think he will, but he may be a little rusty."

The Saints' RB/PR/WR, Reggie Bush, could give the Cowboys headaches if they're not ready for his unique skill set.

The Saints may be targeting the nickel linebacker or the nickel cornerback. So Bobby Carpenter and Orlando Scandrick must be ready to chase the former Heisman Trophy winner in pass coverage. On first downs, when the Cowboys are in their conventional 3-4 defense, the Saints may decide it's a safety's turn to cover Bush. So Ken Hamlin or Alan Ball may wear the bull's-eye.

If the Cowboys go light Saturday night and lean on their nickel and dime packages out of respect for the NFL's third-ranked passing attack, the Saints may opt to hand the ball to Bush. Few are better in the open spaces a spread formation creates. Bush rushed for 83 yards on six carries against the Rams.

Against the high-scoring Saints, the Dallas offense needs to make plays to stay competitive. Other than Miles Austin, Felix Jones is a player who can score from any point on the field. But that doesn't mean the Cowboys will use him more than Marion Barber.

The Barber of September is better than the others but not the Barber who is in the midst of another three-month slide. A year ago, Barber ran for 311 yards with 4.4 yards per carry in the first four games and 574 yards with 3.4 yards per carry for the remainder of the season.

He is on the same path this season and has been at the center of costly plays in each of the last two games: a lost fumble late in the first half of the loss at the Giants and failing to score on three tries from the 1-yard line in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

Jones is going in the other direction, averaging five yards over his last 36 carries. He has the big-play capability that the pedestrian Barber lacks. The Cowboys have been reluctant to use Jones for more than about 10 carries per game out of concern he will break down.

Nah, there won't be much difference in the backfield. Look for the Cowboys to try to control the ball some with Barber. Yes, they need points, but they also need to keep Brees and the offense off the field.

Phillips was asked if he's considered reshuffling his running back rotation in an attempt to spark the team. Starter Marion Barber failed to get in the end zone against the Chargers despite three carries from the 1-yard line in the second quarter.

"Marion ran the ball really hard and really well except we didn't get him in on the goal line," said Phillips, who essentially blamed that failure on the offensive line. "Those plays down there dropped his average (to 3.4 yards per carry) or he would've had a big average... I don't know that that's really the answer."

Nick Folk's recent failures have David Buehler thinking about his long-term career goals.

"Eventually, to have longevity in this league, I need to be able to kick field goals," Buehler said. "I'm not going to be a kickoff specialist my whole career. So I need to fine-tune that and be able to be a reliable field-goal kicker."

Buehler said he's been kicking a few field goals in practice, but not many and not as seriously as he needs to now.

"Most of all, it's mental," he said. "I mean, going out there and getting back into that rhythm and doing the consistent motion every single time. ... I'm going to be there if need be. Who knows when they'll need me, if they'll need me at all."

DC.com posted an interview with K David Buehler here.

The Tony Romo of old VS the Tony Romo of today.

In four December contests last season, Romo threw five touchdowns and was intercepted six times. Through two games this month, he's thrown five touchdowns without a single interception.

Since his poor outing in Week 2 against the Giants, Romo has thrown 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions while averaging close to 280 passing yards per contest. Friends, that is flat-out elite quarterbacking.

Alex Marvez lists Miles Austin as his third biggest bargain player in the NFL.

Miami and the New York Jets should be kicking themselves. Neither franchise signed Austin to a tender offer as a restricted free agent when he could have potentially been lured away from a Cowboys team with cap challenges. He drew interest from the Jets before they backed off, while a Dolphins front office that comes largely from Dallas should have known Austin was set to blossom in his fourth NFL season. He has already posted career-highs in catches (52), receiving yardage (928) and touchdowns (9) while becoming QB Tony Romo's favorite wide receiver.

Austin is playing under a one-year, $1.545 million contract that would have required any suitor to surrender a second-round draft pick if the Cowboys didn't match a tender offer signed elsewhere. Austin will never come as cheaply again to other NFL teams or, for that matter, the Cowboys.

This is the last week to vote for the Pro Bowl. While DeMarcus Ware looks like a shoe-in, these other Cowboys could use a few more votes.

Sam Hurd is second among special teamers, while Miles Austin and Deon Anderson are third at wide receiver and fullback. Tight end Jason Witten, tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode, inside linebacker Keith Brooking, kicker Nick Folk and punter Mat McBriar are fourth at their positions. Safeties Ken Hamlin (free) and Gerald Sensabaugh (strong) are fifth.

No sign of nose tackle Jay Ratliff in the defensive tackle race, which is somewhat surprising.

Here's the link to the official Pro Bowl Ballot.

Updating the Pacquiao/Mayweather venue fight.

No definite venue has been agreed upon although reports are that, among those bidding, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is the frontrunner. Texas' Dallas Cowboys has made a strong $25 million dollar bid to steal it away, but MGM is said to be putting together a deal that will reach over $30 million.

Dallas Cowboys @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview

Saintsational — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:00:45 -0000

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-5) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-0)

SERIES

	COWBOYS	SAINTS
SERIES LEADER	14-8
STREAKS		Past 5
COACHES VS. OPP.	Phillips: 1-1	Payton: 1-0
LAST WEEK	L 20-17 vs. Chargers	W 26-23 at Falcons
LAST GAME	12/10/06: Saints 42 at Cowboys 17. New Orleans QB Drew Brees passes for 384 yards & 5 TDs as Saints tally 536 yards of offense in road win vs. Cowboys.
LAST GAME AT SITE	12/28/03: Saints 13, Cowboys 7. New Orleans WR Donte' Stallworth catches 76-yard TD pass & K John Carney adds 2 FGs as New Orleans defeats Dallas in 2003 season finale.
BROADCAST	NFLN (7:20 PM CT): Bob Papa, Matt Millen. Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Randy Cross, Kevin Kiley (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 124 (WW1), 126 (Dal.), 125 (NO). XM: 124 (WW1), 103 (Dal.), 102 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Romo: 276-444-3,574 (3C)-22-7-97.4	Brees: 302-432-3,832 (1C)-32 (1L)-10-112.3 (1L)
RUSHING	Barber: 166-716-4.3-4	P. Thomas: 135-713-5.3-5
RECEIVING	Witten (TE): 77 (3C)-793-10.3-1	Colston: 56-908-16.2-9
OFFENSE	391.1 (3L)	426.1 (1L)
TAKE/GIVE	-1	+16 (2L)
DEFENSE	329.4	347.6
SACKS	Ware: 9	Smith: 10
INTs	Jenkins: 4	Sharper: 8 (T1C)
PUNTING	McBriar: 44.9	Morstead (R): 42.7
KICKING	Folk: 84 (33/33 PAT: 17/26 FG)	Carney: 89 (50/52 PAT; 13/17 FG)

NOTES

COWBOYS: QB TONY ROMO aims for 4th in row with 100+ rating. Has 7 TDs, 0 INTs & 114.3 rating in past 3. Team is 24-5 (.828) when he starts & has 100+ rating...RB MARION BARBER has 35 rush TDs since 2006, 2nd most in NFC. RB-KR FELIX JONES averages 42.5 yards per TD in career...WR MILES AUSTIN ties for NFL lead with 7 rec. TDs of 20+ yards. Has 999 yards, 17.2 avg. & 10 rec. TDs & can become 1st Cowboy since 1979 (TONY HILL) with 1,000+ yards, 17+ avg. & 10+ rec. TDs. TE JASON WITTEN has 254 receptions & 2,890 yards since 2007, both 2nd most among NFL TEs. WR ROY WILLIAMS had 4 catches for 111 yards (27.8 avg.) in only meeting (12/24/05 with Det.)...LB DE MARCUS WARE has 43 sacks since 2007, most in NFL. Has 9 sacks in past 9. Had sack in last meeting. CB TERENCE NEWMAN had INT last week...

SAINTS: Are 13-0 for 1st time in team history. Lead NFL with 35.8 scoring avg. Head coach SEAN PAYTON was asst. with Dal. from 2003-05...QB DREW BREEScompleted 26 of 38 (68.4 pct.) for 384 yards with 5 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 140.8 rating in last meeting. Is 6-0 at home with 131 rating, completing 136 of 187 (72.7 pct.) for 1,926 yards (321 per game) with 18 TDs vs. 3 INTs. Needs 168 yards for 4th consecutive 4,000-yard season...RB REGGIE BUSH had 6 catches for 125 yards (20.8 avg.) & TD in last meeting. Had 2 rec. TDs last week. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 4 TDs (2 rush, 2 rec.) in past 3 at home...WR MARQUES COLSTON has 11 rec. TDs in past 10 Dec. games. WR ROBERT MEACHEM has TD in 5 of past 6 (7 TDs). In last meeting, WR DEVERY HENDERSON had catches of 50 & 42 (TD) yards...DE WILL SMITH has 3 sacks & FF in 2 meetings. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Dal. with sack. Has 7.5 sacks in past 7. S DARREN SHARPER has 57 INTs, 1,309 yards & 9 INT-TDs since 2000, most in NFL.

The VRR: DeMarcus Ware is the Dallas Pass Rush

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:03:56 -0000

More photos » by Michael Thomas - AP

To win the third-down battles on defense, the Cowboys could use more pass rushers to help out the secondary.

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DeMarcus Ware's injury in yesterday's game scared many of us, but it's now not seen as something too serious. In fact, Coach Phillips said in his press conference today that Ware is considered day-to-day. That's great news!

Having been released from the hospital with what is considered a sprain at the base of the neck, Ware is feeling much better and could be back soon.

"There is a possibility - again he came back a lot better today," Phillips said. "He was let out of the hospital early last night. He came back a lot better today so we will just have to see."

Though it is a shortened week because Dallas travels to New Orleans for a Saturday night game, Ware has yet to be ruled out. That's even better news for the Cowboys. Going up against the number one rated passer in the league in Drew Brees, they will need all the pass rushing help they can get.

Hat tip to OCC for the FanShot.

So what happens if Ware is not able to go on Saturday? The team could very well look to rookie Victor Butler to start.

The 6-2, 246-pound Butler has three sacks in limited playing time, all of which have come late in games. Phillips said the rookie, who played defensive end at Oregon State, is still learning the Cowboys' scheme and adjusting to playing outside linebacker.

"He's not a real big guy," Phillips said, "so that's part of it, too."

With or without Ware, I think we can all agree that the Dallas pass rush is rather inconsistent. Until recently, Jay Ratliff and Keith Brooking had been getting a rush up the middle. Perhaps Stephen Bowen can play a more prominent role against the pass-happy Saints.

If Ware is out, who is going to demand double teams? It's time for Anthony Spencer to step his game up one more level. DWare may make the game, but he'll be banged up. I saw Spencer maul the Chargers' tackles at times, yesterday. Although both the Saints' tackles are listed at 6-5, 315 lbs., Spencer brings a strong power rush.

Like Coach Phillips said, Butler is not too big a guy; and neither is the other option: Steve Octavien. He's more of a LB in the mold of Al Singleton instead of a DE/LB tweener like Ware and Spencer.

Whoever it is must be able to cover, too. Both RBs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas each have caught more than 30 receptions.

Speaking of covering - what's up with the third-and-longs? The secondary could definitely use some help on passing downs. Can't blame it all on the lack of a pass rush, but something's got to not give.

For the season, Cowboys' opponents have converted four times in seven chances on third-and-12, an abnormally high rate. In the last five games, Cowboys' opponents are 11-for-34 on third-and-eight or longer, also higher than the league average.

In other injury news, SS Pat Watkins sprained a PCL in yesterday's game. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. That's a big blow to the special teams coverage units.

TE Martellus Bennett will return to practice, but is not expected to play until the Redskins game.

FS Ken Hamlin will also return to practice this week. His status will probably depend on whether he participates fully or on a limited basis.

Phillips put the blame on the offensive line, not Marion Barber, for coming up short on the goalline.

"He hit it up in there good, but there was somebody there that we felt we could have come off and blocked. They played it a little bit different from what we had seen, but it wasn't that much different. We felt like we should have scored.''

Here's what Jason Garrett had to say about the series.

"Those were three different plays,'' Garrett said. "We had knocked them off the ball fairly consistently on that drive. Logic tells you we should be able to do it again."

"They did a good job making the stand.''

Week 16's Cowboys @ Redskins matchup will remain on Sunday Night Football.

The NFL and NBC have decided that Week 16 game between the Cowboys and the Redskins will remain in prime time.

Week 14's Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:08:05 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Anybody get the feeling Felix could have a big game tomorrow?

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As the Cowboys play host to the Chargers, many of us will be dreaming of playoff scenarios. Obviously, the Cowboys always come first. But, in the world of fantasy football, the playoffs are now!

For leagues that start their playoffs next week, some of us owners face win-and-in situations. Hopefully, those Cowboys we have on our squads can help us out.

Make the jump for the Week 14 Fantasy Focus.

QB Tony Romo - Last week, I said not to expect a huge day from Romo. Boy, was I wrong! After having a career day (41 of 55 for 392 and 3 TDs with 0 INTs), Romo asked the special teams coach if he could be the placekicker's holder. Now, the ball will hit his hands on every offensive play other that Razorback and punt formations.

San Diego will be a challenge for the Dallas passing attack. It currently ranks 8th (204.4 YPG) in pass defense, but the defense ranks averagely in points allowed (15th in NFL, 20.2 PPG). The Chargers have a tendency to force teams into a shootout with them. That, alone, should tell you that Romo is a great start this week.

RBs Marion Barber - The reason the Chargers try to force teams into a shootout is to cover for a weakness: their run defense. It ranks 21st in the league, giving up an average 117.8 YPG. SS Eric Weddle will miss the game and the rotation at NT has done little in clogging up holes.

Barber has looked great in the past few weeks, but did have a rare fumble against the Giants. The problem with the Dallas rushing attack looks to be the offensive line's inability to beat down the opposition (not a Flozell joke). It would make sense for the Cowboys to control the ball and keep Philip Rivers off the field. If they can manage to do so, Barber would get around 20 carries. I'd start him if I had him.

Felix Jones - Rumor has it that the Chargers don't do a very good job at containing RBs on outside runs. Felix excels at outside runs, so does the Dallas O-line. Starting "El Gato" is a gamble every week. You gamble on him having a big game, but more often that not, you are disappointed with the amount of touches he receives.

I'll go out on a limb and bank on him hitting a homerun this week. That doesn't mean he'll have double-digit carries though. Flip a coin.

Tashard Choice - He's buried on the depth chart, so getting 5-10 points out of him is the most you can expect.

WRs Miles Austin - If anyone can benefit from a shootout game, it's Austin. CB Antonio Cromartie can be a gambler at times, and I've heard that the San Diego secondary is not comprised of sure tacklers. OC Jason Garrett will have Austin running all over the field.

He caught 10 for 104 and a TD against the Giants - a week after abusing the Raiders. It's not presumptuous to chalk up another big day for him.

Roy Williams - Okay, RW is finding his niche on offense...and it's catching TDs. He caught two last week and one the week before. Don't expect him to rack up the yardage, but he could score you 10-15 points if he's your best option. Not great, but not bad either.

TEs Jason Witten - Holy career day from JWitt last week! He caught a whopping 14 passes for 156 yards. And get this: he averaged more YAC than Miles Austin, 11.1 to the WR's 10.4.

The end zone is still eluding Witten though. This has got to be the week he scores, right? Right?

Cowboys D/ST - Uh oh. Giving up a 30-burger to the Giants dropped the scoring defense from 2nd down to 5th in the league (now allowing 17.8 PPG). Both the D and the /ST can be blamed for that. Giving up two big plays to cost the team the game had to have humbled these units. They've got to regroup fast because Philip Rivers is spearheading an offense that ranks 3rd overall in scoring, averaging 28.5 PPG. If the Chargers' running game wasn't ranked so low (30th averaging only 88.7 YPG), the total offense could be up there in the top three with that of the Saints, Colts, and our Cowboys.

CBs Terence Newman and Orlando Scandrick will have their work cut out for them. Luckily, Mike Jenkins is back in the secondary both preventing big plays and making a few himself. SS Gerald Sensabaugh gets one of the tougher jobs in the NFL: covering TE Antonio Gates.

The Chargers score TDs, so it may not be wise to start the Dallas D/ST this week. Although they could get some sacks on Rivers, he's only thrown 6 INTs this year.

It's playoff time for the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues on FleaFlicker! Below are the playoff brackets for both leagues. If your team is not in either one, then you are playing in the Consolation #1 bracket.

BTB League

Round 1 (14 Tue 12/8-Mon 12/14)	Semis (15 Tue 12/15-Mon 12/21)	Finals (16 Tue 12/22-Mon 12/28)

	#1 The Speed o...

		[TBD]
#4 Flashlights
	[TBD]
#5 Quincyyyyy
			Winner
#3 Doomsday Redux
	[TBD]
#6 Official Sp...
		[TBD]

	#2 Static

BTB Part Deux League

Round 1 (14 Tue 12/8-Mon 12/14)	Semis (15 Tue 12/15-Mon 12/21)	Finals (16 Tue 12/22-Mon 12/28)

	#1 kill everbody

		[TBD]
#4 Paper Cranes
	[TBD]
#5 Reykjavik R...
			Winner
#3 Maui Paniol...
	[TBD]
#6 WheresWare?
		[TBD]

	#2 StarBoys

As always, feel free to use this thread to discuss your FF dilemmas as well as anything Cowboys, anything football.

SBNation's fantasy webpage features injury updates, a Start/Sit section, and even a Flash in the Pan Alert. Check it out!

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

Game Preview: San Diego Chargers at Dallas Cowboys

John (obviousman) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:38:27 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2007, file photo, Dallas Cowboys' Tony Romo, left, bobbles the snap as kicker Martin Gramatica steps in for the kick with 1:19 left in the game against Seattle Seahawks in an NFC wild card playoff football game in Seattle. Romo practiced as the holder for kicker Nick Folk on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, and will do it Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. The last time Romo held for the Cowboys was in a playoff loss against the Seahawks. (AP Photo/John Froschauer, File)

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The Chargers playoff scenarios are still in play for this week! I didn't even bother to watch the Thursday night game because I thought rooting for the Browns would be hopeless. Boy, was that a mistake on my part. I'm really all for any situation where the Chargers don't have to play Pittsburgh in the post-season, where they're practically unbeatable.

Anyways, onto this week's game. This starts a rough stretch of games for the Chargers where they're facing two division leaders (Cowboys, Bengals) and two losing teams that are playing really good football lately (Titans, Redskins). This game is also the second-half of the Chargers' only back-to-back road games all season.

The Cowboys are a team that many of us have compared the Bolts to in the past. They have a reserved coach that's constantly on the hot seat, a high octane offense and never seem to live up to expectations. Also, much the same way the Chargers typically start the season slow, the Cowboys have a knack for ending the season with critical losses. So let's dive in and compare these teams to see just how similar they are in this week's game preview.

When the Cowboys Have the Ball

via mentalfloss.cachefly.net

Overall Offense

The Cowboys can certainly rack up yardage. They're 3rd in the league in offensive yards per game, 2nd in yards per play.
Being 10th in the league in points per game, with the amount of yards they get, can only point to one thing. Trouble converting red zone chances into touchdowns.
Typically, going hand in hand with trouble in the red zone you'll find trouble converting 3rd downs. So when you see that the Cowboys are 15th in the league in 3rd down conversion percentage, it should come as no surprise.
In an evenly matched game, many times the winner is decided by mistakes. As in, who wins the turnover and penalty battle. Well, the Cowboys' offense has racked up the 5th most penalty yards this season and has a turnover margin of -2. They're a team that will shoot themselves in the foot if you give them a chance.

Passing Offense

The Cowboys, who throw it a lot more than the Chargers (more on this in a second), are 7th in passing yards per game and 5th in yards per pass attempt.
Tony Romo has been about as careful with the ball this season as had Philip Rivers, throwing 20 TDs against just 7 interceptions.
The Cowboys rank 6th in pass plays of 20+ yards.
Romo, like Ben Roethlisberger, sometimes holds onto the ball too long as he tries to make a play that isn't there. That, plus a couple of injuries on the Cowboys O-line, has led to 27 sacks allowed this season. That puts them in the bottom half of the league in terms of protecting the QB.

Rushing Offense

The Cowboys three-headed rushing attack of Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice are averaging a little over 130 yards per game on the ground. That's good for 8th best in the league. Their 5.0 Yards Per Carry, however, makes them the 2nd most efficient running game in the league.
Being tied for 13th in the league for rushing TDs shows that the Cowboys either have no success running inside the red zone, or prefer to try to pass the ball in for six.
The Cowboys are tied for 4th in the league in running play of 20+ yards. This wouldn't scare any Chargers fan if Eric Weddle was playing, but without him the Cowboys running game could certainly get some big plays.

Overall Defense

The Chargers allow the 12th least yards per game, and rank 11th in lowest yards allowed per play. They are ranked 15th in least points allowed per game.
The Bolts' problem on D continue to be 3rd downs, where they are still ranked 26th in the league.

Passing Defense

The Chargers rank 8th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, and are tied for 9th in yards allowed per pass attempt.
The Bolts' 11 interceptions ties them for 15th best in the league. Their 30 sacks ties them for 8th.
This stat is huge when going up against the Cowboys. The Chargers are tied for 2nd in the least amount of passing plays of 20+ yards allowed. All season this has been a defense that does not give up big plays, and that continues even without Eric Weddle in the lineup.

Rushing Defense

In terms of rushing yards allowed per game, the Chargers are 21st in the league. Their 4.4 Yards Per Carry allowed ties them with four other teams for 21st in the league for that stat as well.
The 8 rushing touchdowns allowed by the Bolts ties them with three other teams (including FO's favorite team, the Eagles) for 11th best in the league.
Going back to the idea that this D does not give up big plays, the Chargers are 6th best in the league at stopping/preventing running plays of 20+ yards. They have allowed only 5 against them all season. They still have not given up a run of 40+ yards.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

via i79.photobucket.com

Overall Offense

The Bolts are 12th in the league in offensive yards per game, but are incredibly efficient. They are 5th in terms of yards per play and 3rd in terms of points per game.
The Chargers' offense has gotten better and better at converting 3rd downs ever since Chris Chambers was sent packing. They've worked themselves up the ranks and are now the 9th best team in the league on 3rd down.
In an evenly matched game, many times the winner is decided by mistakes. As in, who wins the turnover and penalty battle. Well, the Cowboys' offense has racked up the 5th most penalty yards this season and has a turnover margin of -2. They're a team that will shoot themselves in the foot if you give them a chance.
I left that in for comparison's sake. The Chargers' offense has accumulated the least penalty yards of any NFL team this season. The Bolts' turnover margin is +9. This is a team that does not shoot themselves in the foot, and takes advantage of the mistakes of their opponents. Reason for optimism.

Passing Offense

First, a shocking stat. If somebody were to ask you if the Chargers throw the ball a lot, you'd answer "YES!" quickly and emphatically, wouldn't you? Well, you'd be wrong. In terms of pass attempts per game, the Chargers rank 25th in the league. 25th! They throw it less per game than the Dolphins, Redskins, Steelers, 49ers and Giants!
It's kindof funny how similar Philip Rivers' and Tony Romo's stats are, both for this season and their careers. Everyone looks at Romo as a gunslinger and Rivers as an efficient QB, but I suppose that's mostly perception. Just about every stat is the same when you compare them. It's no different this year, as Rivers has thrown one more TD (21) and one less interception (6) than Tony.
The Chargers rank 2nd in pass plays of 20+ yards, having two more than Dallas.
Since Week 1, the Chargers offensive line has changed somewhat dramatically (2 new starters, several new backups) and has seemingly gotten better at protecting Philip each week. They've allowed only 21 sacks this season, and many of those game in the first 5 games. It's still good for 7th best in the league.

Rushing Offense

The Chargers ground game, powered by LaDainian Tomlinson and whoever else wants to give it a try, is averaging just 88.7 yards per game. That's good for 30th best in the league, or two slots better than the undefeated Colts. Their 3.3 Yards Per Carry makes them the 32nd most efficient running game in the league (four slots below Indy).
Being ineffective over the course of a game does not mean the Chargers aren't able to punch it in when they need to. Their "league worst" rushing attack is tied for 12th with 12 TDs.
The Chargers are tied for 23rd in the league in running play of 20+ yards, and it surprises me that they're that high. This is Philip Rivers' offense, and the running game is just for show.

via www.deion-sanders.com

Overall Defense

The Cowboys allow the 14th least yards per game, and rank 16th in lowest yards allowed per play. They are ranked 5th in least points allowed per game.
The Cowboys aren't too shabby on 3rd down, where they have the 14th lowest 3rd down conversion percentage against them.

Passing Defense

"America's Team" ranks 20th in terms of passing yards allowed per game, and are tied for 16th in yards allowed per pass attempt.
The 'Boys 8 interceptions ties them for 21st best in the league. Their 29 sacks ties them for 10th. The pressure is roughly the same as San Diego's, but the turnovers just aren't there.
The Cowboys, although they don't allow many points, do allow big plays in the passing game. They are ranked 13th for the least number of 20+ yard pass plays allowed.

Rushing Defense

In terms of rushing yards allowed per game, the Cowboys are 9th in the league. Their 4.2 Yards Per Carry allowed ties them with three other teams for 14th in the league. This is not the strongest run defense in the league, and the Yards per Carry is not much less than the Chargers D.
The 5 rushing touchdowns allowed by Dallas makes them 5th best in that category.
Much like their passing defense, the Cowboys do occasionally allow a big play to an opposing RB. They've allowed 8 runs of 20+ yards this season, tying them for just 18th best in the league.

Conclusion

After going through these numbers I'm more optimistic about Sunday's game. The running game has a chance to do something, and the offensive line should protect Rivers. Any time you put those two things together, it usually equals big points for the Chargers. Also, eliminating big plays from the Dallas offense will force them to avoid turnovers and penalties, which they haven't done a great job of so far this season.

Add in the Chargers record-breaking winning streak in December against the Cowboys' terrible record in the last couple of Decembers and there are a lot of things working in the Chargers' favor. If you're asking for a prediction from me, as a Chargers fan, I'm saying that the Bolts score a lot of points early to take away the Cowboys running game and end up winning a close game. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

Run Aground: The Giants Beat the Cowboys With Big Plays, 31-24

Rafael Vela — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:10:56 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Jason Witten had pretty stats. The Giants got the pretty win. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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Tony Romo started December '09 with a 112 QB rating game. He completed 75% of his passes for almost 400 yards. He made one dubious throw, and was bailed out by Jason Witten, who played volleyball over Giants CB Bruce Johnson for a big first half gain. His offense was 9 of 17 on 3rd down. They ran 31 more snaps than New York's offense.

Roy Williams quietly had his best game as a Cowboy, catching two touchdown passes and making big receptions over the middle. Jason Witten piled up his career high in yards, with156 on fourteen catches.

Yet, the Cowboys again began December with a loss, because the defense, which has carried the team thus far, giving up yards, but not points, gave up both by the bucket full Sunday evening. I warned last Sunday:

When you see the "Perils of December" stories, and some are already around, know that the quarterback may get the attention, but it's the defense which will either navigate the rocky waters at last, or wreck the Cowboys ship again.

-- Wade's Defense Will Guide the Cowboys December Ship, BTB, Nov. 29th

Wade's guys ran the ship onto a sandbar off the New Jersey coast. They showed the maddening '08 tendency to surrender points immediately after Dallas scores. They did so twice, each time with depressing speed. Dallas had dominated the first 27 minutes of play, and had taken a 10-0 lead after Williams caught a fade in the far right corner of the Meadowland's left end zone with 3:14 to play in the second quarter.

Eli Manning and his offense snatched one back in just four plays, going 74 yards in 1:28. Manning made two key throws, the first a dumpoff to Kevin Boss, while Bobby Carpenter was trying to wrestle the QB to the turf. Boss' sixteen yard romp moved New York past midfield for the first time. Two plays later, Manning zipped a pass past Terence Newman up the right sideline. Hakeem Nicks sidestepped the gambling Newman for the Giaints first score.

The second rapid collapse came late in the 3rd. Dallas had driven 58 yards in methodical fashion to take a 17-14 lead, but the defense gave it all back in one play. The Giants deployed in a two tight end set that had Kevin Boss tight left and their backup flexed wide left, where he drew Gerald Sensabaugh into space. The two receivers were split right.

New York sent Jacobs on a quick out to the left flat. He got behind Anthony Spencer and raced up the left sideline. Gerald Sensabaugh had a chance to bump Jacobs out of bounds at the Dallas 30, but went low on the runner, who hopped over him, and continued up the sideline for a score.

Nineteen seconds after Dallas had taken a lead, it trailed again.

The defense had company in the big negative play department. Marion Barber provided the lone Dallas turnover and it proved to be devastating. The Cowboys were moving to answer New York's first touchdown with a late scoring drive of their own. Felix Jones had returned the kickoff to his 35 and a Barber draw had given Dallas 2nd and one on its own 44 with 1:18 left.

Barber released a blitzing linebacker on the next play and caught a screen to Tony Romo's right. He motored past midfield but fumbled the ball. Osi Umenyiora picked up the ball and ran it to the Cowboys 28. As the had in September, the Giants moved 28 yards for a key score just before the half. Two Manning passes to Steve Smith moved the Giants to one, where Jacobs scored with just 19 seconds left in the half.

Dallas' special teams added to the misery, surrendering a 79 yard punt return just over five minutes into the final quarter. Mat McBriar punted 59 yards to Domenik Hixon, who floated to his left, then cutback sharply to his right, escaped Pat Watkins and a couple other Cowboys, then picked up a wall of blockers up the right sideline. His score pushed New York's lead to 31-17.

For the day, New York's four touchdown jolts took 1 minute and 28 seconds, 45 seconds, 19 seconds and 15 seconds off the clock, respectively.

That's no way to treat your offense.

Notes

-- How do we define Nick Folk? Critical? Mental? His yips are no longer a distraction. They are an official impediment to the season. Folk wasted an early 4th quarter drive, which included a dandy 3rd-and-14 conversion by Romo to Roy Williams, when he hooked a 42 yard attempt. Folk's head is not right, and his miss, which would have closed New York's lead to 21-20, messes with every Cowboys fan's brain.

-- Sophomore slumps: Martellus Bennett makes plays here and there. He had a big 18 yard gain off a Romo scramble in the 3rd quarter. His tendency to drop one easy one a game is starting to grate. Bennett scuttled the promising opening drive, which had marched 50 yards from the Dallas 18 to the New York 38, when he dropped a 3rd down Romo dart aimed right at his face.

Orlando Scandrick also needs to shake off the second year funk. He may have been running 1B to Mike Jenkins 1A in camp, but there's no comparison between them now. Jenkins had several breakups and picked off Eli Manning in the end zone early in the 3rd, when the Giants were threatening to expand their 14-10 lead.

Scandrick, on the other hand, had another miserable day on Steve Smith's rack. Scandrick excelled in the slot last season but has been a liability much of the time this year. He's got a ways to go to reach Terence Newman's standard in the slot. He's got a ways to go to approach Kenny Gant class.

-- Another breakout for the bookend: Anthony Spencer had a strong game and continues to make late season strides. He pressured Manning out of the pocket on several plays and forced at least three incompletions with his pressure. Teams are doubling Demarcus Ware and Spencer is making them pay a higher price every week. Dallas needs him to continue his push.

-- We saw today what the passing game is capable of, with decent protection: the starting wideouts and tight end snagged 30 balls for 320 yards.

-- The line, on the other hand, could not break lanes in a front which run blitzed heavily on early downs. Marion Barber's 8-yard run was Dallas' best of the day. This was an inversion of the first game, so Dallas went up top and found its yards in the middle of the field, against the Giants linebackers and safeties.

-- The defensive and special teams breakdowns overshadowed one of Dallas' most creative touchdowns. On a 2nd and goal in the 3rd, with Dallas at the Giants' five, trailing 14-10, Dallas lined up in a two tight end, two wideout set with Marion Barber in the backfield. Roy Williams was alone left, Jason Witten at tight end right, Martellus Bennett flexed into the right slot and Miles Austin split right.

Before the snap, Austin motioned into the backfield and lined up as an I-back behind Barber, who was just five yards behind Romo, in the fullback spot. At the snap Romo first faked a dive right to Barber, then faked a pitch left to Austin. The second fake yoked both Giants linebackers towards Austin and held the corner on that side. This allowed Williams to release into the middle of the end zone. Romo's superb fakes produced a wide throwing lane and he tossed to Williams for an easy score.

-- Hurry back, Ken Hamlin. Gerald Sensabaugh had to overcome a hold on Brandon Jacobs' touchdown reception, but neither he nor Alan Ball tackled well. Both were invisible on a series of short crosses by Steve Smith which converted 3rd-and-long situations.

Cowboys fans know that poor safety play hamstrung the defense in '06 and '08. This is no time for the problem to recur.

SB Nation - Marion Barber

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