SB Nation - Patrick Crayton

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

3 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?

Folk or McBriar? A Kicking Controversy for the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:34:16 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

What the Folk, mate?

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After Nick Folk missed his 42-yarder yesterday, he looked down at his holder, Mat McBriar. I think we all saw how perplexed their two faces were. At first glance, McBriar's hold didn't look to be all that bad. Apparently, it was. He said so, himself, to Coach Phillips.

Today in Coach Phillips' press conference, the first questions asked to him after his general opening statement regarded the placekicking problem.

"Was it a terribly bad hold?"

"That's what Mat said. He said he didn't get it down right," responded Phillips. He also said the laces were turned the wrong way and that Folk "hit" them.

When asked who worries him more, Phillips was not clear on whether to blame the kicker or the holder. What he said concerns him more is the confidence of the two players together in that situation. If it is indeed a confidence issue, it could be addressed by changing holders. But, as Phillips said, McBriar was the best of them when the team worked out holders during training camp.

Make the jump for more.

The other players worked out were WRs Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton, and K David Buehler. Phillips also mentioned QB Jon Kitna, but said that he had no experience holding before, and honestly he did not sound as if Kitna could even be a holding option.

A reporter also asked whether Phillips considered giving Buehler a try at placekicker. He shot that idea down rather quickly, saying that he is not yet ready to kick in game situations.

"Why?"

"Consistency...being able to make them."

That settles that.

If anyone can fix what ails the special teams, it's coach Joe DeCamillis. This week, he will have his hands full.

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said the Cowboys needed to look at "the whole operation" and acknowledged a change at holder was a possibility.

"We've got limited options obviously, but we’ve worked with several guys," DeCamillis said. "We’ll just have to see as the week goes on."

DeCamillis said if the Cowboys change holders, he plans to keep that information a secret until the first time Folk attempts a kick Sunday.

"We are not going to tell you who the change will be going in," DeCamillis said. "Maybe it’s Patrick Crayton, we might want Patrick Crayton to run a fake the first play. That’s a competitive situation." DeCamillis stressed that he isn't losing faith in Folk.

In other special teams-related news, here's what Giants' PR Domenik Hixon said about how their return team beat the Cowboys' coverage unit.

"I'd been watching film of [the Cowboys' punt coverage unit] and their gunners had been doing a great job. We decided we needed to start one way and then try to head it back the other direction. If you try to go lateral for too long, you'll be in trouble, but I was able to get vertical pretty quickly against them. Seeing all those blue shirts was pretty exciting."

The VRR: Cowboys Look to Win their Last Game at Giants Stadium

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:16:43 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Let the intensity begin! On Sunday, Flozell Adams and Miles Austin will look to win one last time at Giants Stadium.

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The bad blood runs thick through the NFC East. Sure, it was tense two weeks ago when the Redskins paid their first visit to Cowboys Stadium. After managing a 7-6 win, and then feasting on the beleaguered Raiders, the Cowboys now find themselves looking down in the division at the 6-5 Giants.

This 2009 version of the Giants began the season with five straight victories - their second, coming at the expense of the Cowboys to open Cowboys Stadium. On Sunday, the Cowboys can atone for that 31-33 loss by winning their final game at Giants Stadium, which would push the Giants down to a paltry .500 record.

Playing the Redskins and Eagles are always intense matchups for the Cowboys. But recently, these games against the Giants have seen a noticeable uptick in rivalry ratings. Maybe it's because Tony Romo has won both of his career starts at Giants Stadium. Maybe it's because of Brandon Jacobs' penchant for trash-talking. That 2007 playoff loss certainly still stings the Cowboys.

Whatever caused this recent rivalry surge has created an infamy monster that continues to grow. Expect it to do so as long as guys like Romo and Jacobs, Bradie James and Eli Manning, DeMarcus Ware and David Diehl, Patrick Crayton and Corey Webster, remain with their respective teams.

Flozell Adams and Justin Tuck, anyone?

More VRR after the jump.

Bradie James takes on the December grumblings, and wants badly to beat the Giants.

"The truth is the truth,'' he said. "What I've learned is no matter what your season is individually - you can have one of the best seasons of your career - if you lose and don't go to the playoffs, you're going to get criticized. Nobody is exempt from the criticism if you don't take care of business in December and go to the playoffs and do what we need to do. That's what time it is now. That's what we've got to do.''

Apparently, the insults from the teams' first meeting this season are still evident.

As if all that wasn't bad enough, James said Manning rubbed it in by scribbling his name and adding the score, the date and the words "First Win in the New Stadium'' on a concrete column in the visitors' locker room. James hasn't seen it, but he's seen a picture and is convinced it's real. True or not, it's being used as motivation.

"We won't forget that,'' James said. "It just makes for a more intense game.''

With the Giants moving into a new stadium next season, this almost certainly will be the Cowboys' final appearance at Giants Stadium. So is James bringing a pen to leave his own mark on the visiting locker room walls?

"I don't know, I might,'' he said. "I just want to win and that's it. I'll let our playing do all the talking. That's it. ... I don't care if it's by 30 or if it's by a point, we just have to take care of business and get rid of these guys right now.''

We can all talk about the Cowboys' December woes until we're blue in the face. Speaking of blue, the Giants have been pretty horrible in recent Decembers, too.

New York has not been good in December the past two seasons. The Giants were 1-3 in the final four regular-season games in 2007, when they won the Super Bowl, and they went 2-3 to close out last season with an NFC-best 12-4 overall mark.

Stopping the run could be the key to a Dallas victory.

When Tom Coughlin’s Giants run for at least 100 yards, they are 40-19. They are 13-19 when they don’t. In winning five consecutive games to start the season, the Giants averaged 160.4 yards on the ground. The past six games, New York has averaged only 98.8 yards rushing, with a high of 141 against the Eagles. The Giants had a season-low 57 rushing yards last week against the Broncos, a week after gaining only 88 yards against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Giants are still good at controlling the ball. The Cowboys have to counter that by taking it away.

The Giants (6-5) have lost five of their last six games but still own one of the most productive offenses. They rank second in yardage (374.7) and are tied for eighth in scoring (24.7) even with quarterback Eli Manning fighting foot issues.

"They're going to run to try to win games, control the ball," Phillips said. "I think they're in the top three or four in the league in time of possession. I think their philosophy is still the same whether they run it for enough yardage or not, but they've got good backs and a really good offensive line."

An area for defensive improvement - and one that will aid the Cowboys' offense - is more takeaways. The Cowboys' 13 (seven interceptions, six fumble recoveries) are tied with Washington for last in the league.

If the Giants focus their blocking assignments towards DeMarcus Ware, Coach Phillips will have to again be creative with how he uses his best pass rusher.

Phillips has tried to help Ware by moving him around to avoid the thicket of blockers. Ware rushed from the left side instead of his usual right side a significant number of times during the Thanksgiving win against Oakland. He has also blitzed as a middle linebacker and, as a change of pace, dropped into pass coverage on a few plays.

Ware's approach has broadened, too. Ware is not always a speed rusher trying to go around a blocker. He has slanted inside at times, allowing the tackle to go to the outside. That stunt led to Stephen Bowen's deflection of a Jason Campbell pass that led to a win-sealing interception against Washington.

"We want to keep them honest," Ware said. "If I just go outside, they'll be waiting on me. I don't want to be predictable."

Unless defensive coordinator, Bill Sheridan, can turn things around for his unit, the Giants' search to replace Steve Spagnuolo will continue.

The first logical replacement is Dick Jauron, fired nine games into this season as head coach of the Bills and someone with strong ties to Tom Coughlin, who in 1995 hired Jauron to run the expansion Jaguars defense.

A more interesting choice - certainly more intriguing to Giants ownership - is John Fox, who likely is to be a free agent if the Panthers continue their downward spiral.

When the Giants placed MLB, Antonio Pierce (bulging disk in neck), on IR, they lost a strong amount of leadership on defense.

So strong, in fact, that many players have said he was the true leader of the defense even when Michael Strahan was around. Strahan may have been revered, but Pierce had more of a connection with his teammates. The linebacker set the tone for the team, which usually rode the enormous chip on his shoulder, and it always looked to him when things got rough.

Who's that type of leader now? There might not be an answer. Justin Tuck, valiantly trying to play through shoulder and leg injuries, seems to prefer to lead by example. Osi Umenyiora, who once walked out on his defensive coordinator and team in a huff earlier this season, tried to fire up his team in Denver, but his effort looked more like an angry rant.

New York may look to second-year man, Jonathan Goff, to be Pierce's replacement.

Eli Manning has been playing with an injured foot and claims that it's getting better.

He's suffering from a stress reaction in his right foot, which previously had plantar fasciitis. Some reports say this could lead to further damage. But he claims the injury has no effect on his throwing. And he's doing his best to downplay the issue.

``The foot feels great, it really does,'' he said after Wednesday's practice. ``It feels better than it ever has since i originally injured it.''

Brandon Jacobs and rookie Gartrell Johnson may be the only tailbacks healthy enough to play for the Giants.

Ahmad Bradshaw and Danny Ware both missed practice on Wednesday, and are looking increasingly doubtful for Sunday's division showdown with Dallas at the Meadowlands. Bradshaw is struggling to return from a foot and ankle injury that kept him out of Thursday's Thanksgiving Day loss to the Denver Broncos.

Ware, a rookie, suffered a concussion during that loss and, given the NFL's newly adopted, suddenly strict policy concerning injuries of this sort, a weekend return seems unlikely.

Ken Hamlin's high ankle sprain kept him from practicing Wednesday, which indicates that Alan Ball will start his third consecutive game at free safety.

Trainers said last week Hamlin could possibly return to practice Wednesday, but he has yet to make enough progress, and spent the team's practice time rehabbing, the same as Monday.

OLB Victor Butler, who sprained his knee against the Raiders, practiced yesterday and expects to play Sunday.

Butler fully participated in practice and said he is ready to play Sunday against the Giants.

"It’s as good as it needs to be," said Butler, who has three sacks this season. "... I’m good to go."

Here is the updated injury report from DC.com.

What the Folk is up with Nick? The Dallas kicker says there is no excuse for his recent misses.

Folk has missed four of his last eight attempts and has at least one miss in each of the last three games. But Phillips said he's not worried.

"A guy that has a strong mind-set like he does will improve and keep working and won't go into a slump where he's really kicking it bad," Phillips said.

Offseason hip surgery prevented Folk from doing much kicking until the start of training camp, but he isn't using it as an excuse. "Physically, I'm fine," Folk said. He also isn't blaming new holder Mat McBriar, although McBriar said poor holds caused two misses. "I don't want to put blame on anyone else," Folk said. "I just have to get it right ... and make a good playoff run."

Mike Florio posits that the NFL Network may be "pressured" into simulcasting the Week 15 Cowboys @ Saints game.

For a chance to win SuperBowl tickets, vote on Sprint's "Can't-Miss Plays of Week 12". There are not any Cowboys' choices, but there is an anti-Giants one: Brandon Marshall's one-hander last Thursday night at Mile High.

Pro Bowl: Vote for Miles Austin!

Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald is first with over 500,000 votes, and Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson is second with 293,408 votes. Austin is third with 261,107 votes.

Hat tip to scottmaui for his FanPost.

Sam Hurd can use some of our support in the ST department, as well.

Also, it's worth noting that Sam Hurd is second in voting among special teamers. The Vikings' Heath Farwell has 103,215 votes; Hurd has 70,647.

ProBowl ballot link.

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.

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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.

The Cowboys Escape the Redskins Death Embrace, 7-6

Rafael Vela — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:46:57 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, is sacked by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking, center bottom, and linebacker DeMarcus Ware (94.) (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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Just win, baby.

Dallas worked out Al Davis' motto today, relying on a late, nine-play, 60 yard drive to push them ahead of the game Redskins 7 to 6. Tony Romo's 10 yard pass to Patrick Crayton with 2:50 left let the Cowboys Nation exhale after a frustrating afternoon where nothing offensively seemed to work.

Quick Notes:

Romo was 7 of 8 on that drive.

Jason Garrett didn't call a single run. We can debate the reasons. Perhaps he didn't want to take his erratic-throwing QB out of his delicate rhythm. Whatever the case, it worked.

Miles Austin, Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton made plays. Roy Williams? I think we can officially declare him a divo.

The defense again surrendered yards, but proved stingy with points. They played 60 minutes and every one counted.

The Doug Free experiment looks okay, one week in. The Dallas run mix, which was heavy in the first half, saw more runs called to his side than to Flozell Adams'

I think you can see the problems with a ball-control offense. The line takes too many flags. You can't rely on 10 to 12 play drives because a hold or an procedure will arise somewhere in the mix. Having Marion Barber fumble at the 12 didn't help.

It's time for Joe DeCamillis to float the prospect of David Buehler as the lone kicker. Nick Folk has been off all year. He was missing kicks in preseason and has consistently missed this year. He again missed a sub-40 attempt today.

This is the way Washington plays. They drag teams down into the mud and rubber dirt with them. Dallas won. For all the ugliness, they're 2-1 after one tour through the East. That's big.

Take a shower. Have another stiff drink and start thinking about Thanksgiving. Dallas escaped like this in Kansas City and regained its offensive mojo. The team had no time to take a breath and relax but may find its bearings again.

More tonight.

Upset: Green Bay Packers Beat Cowboys 17-7

Brandon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:30:37 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

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If you read my preview, you'll know I didn't expect them to win. Box score from ESPN. So how did they pull it out?

Protect the QB. 4 sacks and 4 QB hits on 40+ pass attempts isn't a Pro Bowl performance for the offensive line. LB DeMarcus Ware had a big game with 2 sacks, 2 QB hits, and forced at least a couple holding penalties. But as far as this season has gone, this actually marks an improvement. But it's not the reason they won.
Stop the penalties. The Packers committed 12 penalties costing them 100 yards. Nope, that didn't win them the game.
Coverage on special teams. The kick coverage was good, holding Dallas to only 60 yards on 3 returns, with nothing over 25 yards. But the kickoffs weren't that deep either which left the Cowboys with good field position. They did hold PR Patrick Crayton to only 8.2 yards/return, with a long of 18 yards. Not great, but at least they didn't start any drives in Packer territory. Better, but it wasn't the reason they won.
The defensive shutout (almost). The Packers have allowed 38 points in each of their previous two games, which masked the fact the defense had been playing well. The pass rush hadn't been getting to the QB, but defensive coordinator Dom Capers opened up the playbook and the blitz got to QB Tony Romo this week. There's been a lot of talk about QB Aaron Rodgers holding the ball too long, but Romo was guilty of it this week. And the pressure forced the turnovers that had been absent the past 2 weeks. The final 2 Dallas drives created 139 yards of offense and will slightly mask how dominant the Packers defense was. On 8 separate drives, the Cowboys were held to under 20 yards of offense. The Packers D allowed another TD pass in the red zone, it was the 6th one they've allowed in the last 3 games, but it was offset by a big INT by CB Charles Woodson that ended one red zone drive. Another Dallas red zone drive ended with a missed FG. Definitely the reason they won.

The past two weeks have been ugly, but a big win like this turns it all around. We can't expect the defense, no matter how well it's been playing, to lockdown their opponents like this every week. But after 2 disappointing losses in the previous 2 weeks, and 2 tough losses to the Cowboys in the previous 2 seasons, it's a big win. Hopefully that momentum carries them forward through the 2nd half of the season.

As far as MVP goes, LB Nick Barnett had a huge game with 2 sacks and 2 QB hits. But CB Charles Woodson forced 2 fumbles, both recovered by the Packers, had 1 sack, and his INT stopped a sure Cowboy scoring drive.

Cowboys at Green Bay Packers: 5 Questions With Blogging The Boys

Brandon — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:33 -0000

by Donna McWilliam - AP

2 months ago: Dallas Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, left, cornerback Terence Newman (41), cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) and linebacker Bradie James (56) celebrate Newman's interception that he returned for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the second half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. The Cowboys won 21-7. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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Blogging The Boys is one of the best NFL sites on SB Nation. I had the chance to ask their editor, David Halprin, 5 questions about the Cowboys. He did the same, and my answers are posted over at Blogging The Boys.

Brandon: I read a comment recently that the Cowboys pass defense has been playing better in recent weeks, but then I look back two weeks ago and saw that QB Matt Hasselbeck had a pretty good game against them. Are they having problems with their pass rush or pass coverage? Or have there been signs of improvement?

David: Hasselbeck didn’t have that good of a game. He threw for under 250 yards and had 2 TDs, but one of them was in garbage time after the outcome was pretty much decided. They also passed a lot because the running game was weak, so he had a lot of attempts but not a great yards per attempt average.

The pass defense has improved as the year has gone on, part of the reason is the pass rush has come on strong after a slow start. We sacked Hasselbeck three times and got McNabb three times, plus a whole lot of pressures. In addition, CB Mike Jenkins is really starting to play well, and having Gerald Sensabaugh back from injury helps solidify the safety position. After a very bad start on defense, the Cowboys have been steadily improving each week.

Brandon: What's the over/under on sacks of QB Aaron Rodgers? Who's do you expect to be lining up over the left tackle? (He should expect to have 2 to 5 sacks in this game).

David: I’ll let you guys set the over/under on sacking Rodgers, you have much more experience watching Green Bay’s offense. I will say the Cowboys have been getting a very good pass rush recently and sacks are a big part of the defensive game-plan. Wade Phillips is a "pressure" defensive coordinator. The Cowboys will flip-flop DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer depending on strong and weak-side formations, but sometimes if they find Ware is winning a particular battle consistently, they leave him in place. If LT is your weakness, then I’m sure the Cowboys will try to get Ware that matchup as often as possible.

Brandon: Patrick Crayton should have a good game returning punts against the Packers' awful punt and kick coverage, but how about Felix Jones? Will it be Jones having a big day on kick returns or will they hand those duties off to Kevin Ogletree?

David: We’ll have to see but it looks like the Cowboys want to get Kevin Ogletree involved more. Last week we saw him catching a few screens and other short patterns and this week, he and Tashard Choice might be the guys on kick returns. At this point were not sure.

Brandon: In the last two weeks, the Packers have allowed 5 TD passes in the red zone. Who is the Cowboys best receiving option in the red zone?

David: Before the emergence of Miles Austin, a lot of the Cowboys TDs were coming by way of the running backs. A lot of the time on the ground. The Cowboys modus operandi seems to be spread the ball around and hit big plays in the passing game for TDs, but when in close try to use the backs and the offensive line’s size. So really, there isn’t a top target in the redzone. Miles Austin has the bulk of the receiving TDs, but a lot of his scores have come from long-range.

Brandon: It appears that Andre Gurode and Ken Hamlin will play on Sunday. Are there any other notable injuries? Or anyone else playing through them?

David: Right now, the only guy not expected to play is return-specialist Allen Rossum, who we signed mid-season but immediately got injured and has been out for a few weeks. Other than that, we’re pretty healthy.

Week Ten: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:59:47 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

Patrick Crayton seems to come up with a big play every week.

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It's Saturday, so it's time to talk some fantasy football! Let's preview and predict which Cowboys can help you achieve victory as they fly to Lambeau to take on the Packers.

Make the jump for the Week 10 Fantasy Focus

QB Tony Romo - Against a blitz-happy Eagles defense last week, Romo hung in there to throw for more than 300 yards and a TD. Offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, is finding ways for the Dallas receivers to get open; and, for the most part, Romo is hitting them. At Philly, he remained calm and checked down to his backs and hit WR-screens for big gains. His chemistry with Roy Williams looks to have grown and he is again finding TE Jason Witten on third downs. Romo is still on a roll.

The Packers boast the 4th stingiest defense in the league, allowing just 282.9 YPG. But, they are in the middle of the pack, allowing 21.5 points per game. Led by aggressive CBs, Charles Woodson and Al Harris, the pass defense is 8th in the league (185.8). Although their best pass-rusher, Aaron Kampman, is a game-time decision, the Packers will still try to force Romo into committing turnovers.

Romo, along with the rest of the Dallas team, is on a hot streak. They do not want to break that by losing to a slumping Green Bay team that will try to come out swinging. Look for Romo and the offense to try and maintain possession of the ball and wear down the young 3-4 defense. He will want to get a win in his home state of Wisconsin, and could exploit defensive weaknesses by connecting with his speedy receivers.

RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - Considering that the Cowboys will look to control the clock, Barber should be a solid start. Neither his quad nor his thumb seem to be affecting his game much. Though he only received 12 carries last week, he made the most of his touches - running for 50 yards and catching 3 passes for 20.

What could negatively affect Barber's fantasy status is if Dallas continues to use the ~~WildCat~~ Razorback formation on the goalline. As it showcased last week against the Eagles, Tashard Choice is the QB; therefore, he could get some of the TDs that would otherwise go to Barber. Dallas may look to run the Razorback more often in other parts of the field too, so Choice's fantasy value goes up a notch. Also, rumor has it that he could be returning kickoffs beginning this week.

The fact that the coaches are taking a look at Kevin Ogletree and Choice as KRs suggests that they want Felix Jones more involved in the offense. He has had success in the past against the Packers, and they seem to want him more involved in the passing game. This could be the game that he gets double-digit carries. I wouldn't bank on it, though.

WRs Miles Austin -The Eagles did a great job in making sure Austin didn't have a huge game last week. Unfortunately for them, the Cowboys did a better job at staying patient and finding an opening for Romo to hit him for his only catch of the game - a 49-yard score. The Packers CBs will try to be aggressive with Austin. That should work in his favor. For fantasy owners, he's still a must start every week.

Roy Williams - With defenses paying more attention to Austin, Williams may very well become the Cowboys much-needed possession WR. He showed some sticky hands and nice skills running after the catch against the Eagles. His extra work after practice with Romo is starting to pay off. If you have him in a PPR league, he could come in handy down the stretch towards FF playoffs.

Patrick Crayton - He usually catches around 3 balls a game. Every game, he seems to make a big play - such as his 64-yard catch and run last week. He's a real bonus if you are in a league that gives points for return yards. Green Bay has some of the worse ST coverage units in the league.

TEs Jason Witten - Mr. Reliable still has only found the end zone once this season. But under further review, he was wide open for a score last week. Romo just didn't see him in time. You have to think that they caught that in the film room and will make the appropriate adjustments. In PPR leagues, Witten is a gem. He led the team in receptions last week with 7 and continues to lead for the season with 44.

Cowboys D/ST - 37 sacks of Aaron Rodgers on the year. Yowza! This week, Green Bay will be starting a 3rd-round draft pick at RT. Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware harrassed Donovan McNabb and his pass protecters last week. Expect them to do the same this week.

Coach Phillips is finding ways for his defenders to excel in all kinds of situations. He's moving his pass rushers around and disguising his blitzes more. The secondary seems intent on not giving up big plays. Mike Jenkins is beating WRs to the ball. Overall, the team is limiting opponents by making solid tackles.

This week is a huge test for them because the Packers are averaging nearly 27 points per game (7th in NFL). WRs Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones are speedy, big play threats that can go the distance whenever they get their hands on the ball. This game could be a shootout, but the Cowboys should register some sacks and a turnover or two to help you out.

After nine weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are racing to the finish line. Last week, the last undefeated team, kill everbody, fell for the first time to Maui Paniolo Boyz. 'Twas a great run.

Here's how both leagues are shaping up:

The Mighty Has Fallen (8-1)

kill everbody

Where the Cowboys are Headed (7-2)

Maui Paniolo Boyz

Heated Competitors (6-3)

WheresWare?

StarBoys

Paper Cranes

BigRigga31's Team

The Speed of Dark

A Head Over .500 (5-4)

Static

Quincyyyyy

Official Spoiler

BTBfantasyCHAMPS

Dillababies

Felix Jones At Every Position

Dallas Destroyers

Looking to Break Even (4-5)

Doomsday Redux

Apes

Flashlights

The Doomsday Defense Reborn

Second Chance

Reykjavik Roughnecks

Doubling Your Losses (3-6)

No Doubter

NameBrandj

Deuces Are Wild (2-7)

high505

My Team Sucks
Brady's a b!tch

One is the Loneliest Number (1-5)

Damage,Inc.

If you've got a fantasy dilemma, feel free to post it here for your BTB brethren to analyze. Let's help each other out!

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

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