SB Nation - Bradie James

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.

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 VRR: Redskins (3-6) @ Cowboys (6-3)

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:29:58 -0000

More photos » by Gerald Herbert - AP

Dallas defenders must try to limit Ladell Betts and the Washington offense.

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The Cowboys can accomplish quite alot in beating the Redskins. Most importantly, they can regain the momentum they lost up in Lambeau. They can also increase their division record to 2-1 and their conference record to 6-2, which could come in handly for tie-breaking purposes down the road.

And, by handing the Redskins their seventh loss on the season, they could pretty much force them to begin waving bye-bye to their playoff chances.

Much of the talk this week at Valley Ranch has centered on Big D's offensive lack of production last week. On the flip side, Washington's offense seemed to show some signs of life for one of the first times this season. At home against Denver, RB Ladell Betts and QB Jason Campbell each scored, WR Devin Thomas showed some play-making potential, and the special teams found success on a fake field goal.

More VRR after the jump.

Perhaps it's the Cowboys' defenders that need to come up big. Beating the Broncos 27-17 last week boosted the Redskins' confidence. Deflating it early could be key.

"Coming off last week's victory, we've definitely got confidence. It was a big confidence-builder for us," Rock Cartwright said.

"You've got to keep it rolling. That's the whole objective," receiver Devin Thomas said. "You can never give up on a season just because things have gone bad. We knew we were just one click away from hitting on all cylinders."

With a win in Dallas, the Redskins would be only two games out of the NFC East lead with six games to play, three against the other division teams - including the Cowboys at home two nights after Christmas. Dallas, whose 57 wins against Washington are more than against any other team, doesn't want things to get that close. The dismal day in Green Bay likely got the Cowboys' attention.

The Cowboys should expect to see a heavy dose of RB Ladell Betts with Clinton Portis (concussion) out.

Betts rushed for a season-high 114 yards on 26 carries in last Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Denver Broncos.

Asked how Portis's status impacts him, Betts replied: "You get to be the man on first, second and third down, because before that, it was pretty much only on third down. Now I know that I get to play a full game, so it’s a little bit different mindset."

And it won't change the offensive game plan vs. Dallas, Zorn added. "We didn't change the run game necessarily to accommodate Ladell," Zorn said. "We ran our stuff, and what he did was push up into the hole and fight for yardage."

The Dallas secondary may be a bit banged up, but Mike Jenkins and Alan Ball sound ready to go. Ball should also receive help from Gerald Sensabaugh.

Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins injured his bicep in the Packers contest. Coach Wade Phillips said Jenkins has looked well and even had a couple of interceptions off QB Jon Kitna in scout team practice.

With S Ken Hamlin (ankle) out of the lineup for the Cowboys the next several weeks, look for safeties Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh to split the duties of lining up the defense. Coach Wade Phillips had high praise for the smarts of Sensabaugh and his ability to handle the job.

Ball talks about the difference between playing free safety and cornerback. Also, it looks as if rookie SS Mike Hamlin will see his first action this week since the preseason.

"At cornerback, you don’t have to talk a lot," Ball said. "At safety, you have to know a lot. You have to make a lot of adjustments, a lot of checks. So you have to know a lot more going in. That’s about what it is."

Ball has five tackles and a pass breakup on defense this season. He has 12 special teams tackles, but is expected to have his special-teams workload lightened this week.

Phillips said rookie safety Mike Hamlin and cornerback Orlando Scandrick will fill in on special teams. Mike Hamlin has not been active this season.

Ball and Doug Free will be replaced on special teams.

With Alan Ball starting at free safety, reserve cornerback Orlando Scandrick will likely become the ``gunner,'' with outside coverage on punt-coverage teams. In addition, offensive tackle Pat McQuistan is scheduled to be active for the first time this season and replace Doug Free as a wall blocker on kickoff returns.

DeMarcus Ware talks about how Washington's blocking schemes and Jason Campbell's mobility in the pocket make it difficult to get to him.

"To be honest, it’s really hard to get to him because they keep in extra guys," Ware said. "They might have some guys on the front line so they do a lot of split backs and a lot of protection schemes to keep the guys off Campbell to make sure he’s effective in the pass."

[snip]

"He’s a great pocket passer," said Ware, who has seven sacks, tied for 10th in the NFL. "He makes sure he has confidence in his line and the guys around him so he can step up in the pocket to make plays."

"When he extends, when he moves around, when he flinches the ball, it causes the secondary, the linebackers, to hesitate, to go, to move," Zorn said. "And then if he can pull it down and have time to hit somebody else, it is very hard. It is the most difficult thing in football because you got the coverage, and if you throw on rhythm, you think you can handle it. When that rhythm's broke and you have to cover long through the coverage that you had, it's hard. It's what makes those quarterbacks very difficult to defend and he's been good at it for a few years."

Brian Orakpo thinks the Packers mapped out a way to get to Romo.

"Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah," Orakpo told ESPN 103.3’s Galloway and Co. "They gave us a lot of good tips the way Green Bay was able to get after it with a lot of different looks. Best believe we’re going to go out there and try to perform some of those things and try to change it up a little bit and give Dallas a little different look."

[snip]

"It seemed like they didn’t know who to block," Orakpo said. "You see guys flying out of nowhere and hitting Romo from behind and forcing fumbles. I mean, they were all over the place. I guess what we’ve got to do is switch it up ourselves. We’ll see how the game plan is and what the calls will be called, but obviously, we got a lot of tips from that game."

Yes, they have Albert Haynesworth and London Fletcher, but the Redskins' run defense isn't all that.

The Redskins continue to struggle in run defense this season. The unit has yielded 100+ rushing yards in eight of nine games this season, including 120 yards in last Sunday’s win over Denver. Overall, the Redskins have allowed an average of 125.7 rushing yards per game, ranked 24th in the league. They have allowed 4.3 yards per carry, which is ranked 17th in the league.

Felix Jones pre-strained knee ligament, and Felix Jones post-strained knee ligament.

Before the injury, Jones had 21 carries for 212 yards (10.1 yards a carry). Since coming back after the bye week and wearing a knee brace, he has 23 carries for 92 yards.

The DallasNews guys talk to Bradie James and Roy Williams about the game.

The Redskins are looking forward to playing in Cowboys Stadium for the first time.

"That’s the first thing I thought about going to Dallas, ‘Man, I get a chance to play in the new stadium,’ Santana Moss said. "Just to see it--I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about. It looks nice on TV. You get mesmerized. "I remember seeing the first game there [on TV]--you had cheerleaders dancing on platforms. I was like, ‘Wow.’"

Rock Cartwright admits he plans to check out the video screen, hopefully after he makes a big play. "I’m really looking forward to seeing that screen," Rock Cartwright said. "I guess every seat in the house is a good seat. I’m sure I’ll take a look at it after I make a nice run, or so. But I won’t be focused on it too much. I’ll be focused on what’s happening on the field."

The series history between the two teams:

The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with Washington, 57-37-2, including an unconventional split of last year's home-and-home. The Redskins were 26-24 winners in their trip to Texas Stadium in Week 4, but dropped a 14-10 decision when the clubs met at FedEx Field in Week 11. The teams engaged in conventional home-and-home splits in both 2006 and 2007. Washington is 2-0 against Dallas in the postseason, winning in the 1972 and 1982 NFC Championship games.

Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is 3-2 all-time against Washington, with one of those wins coming for his Bills team in 1999 at FedEx Field. The Redskins' Jim Zorn is 1-1 against both Phillips and the Cowboys as a head man.

Here is the NFL Game Center for the Redskins at Cowboys.

DeMarcus Ware had the privelege of meeting President Obama as they worked together on a PSA to promote the NFL's Play 60 campaign.

"I was like ‘Ohhhh my God,"’ when Obama came out in a Bears pullover, Ware said in a telephone interview. "It was me, Polamalu and Drew Brees there, so you know how we feel about the Chicago Bears. But he’s a big Chicago Bears fan. He greeted each one of us, and he knew everything about our teams."

Ware is Dallas’ representative for the Play 60 program, which began in 2007. The NFL estimates it has committed $200 million worth of programming, grants, and time for PSAs to the initiative.

"I think it’s really important," Ware said. "If the players are getting involved in it, Obama, a lot of important people getting involved in it, sometimes it encourages kids to get out and do those type of activities and show them just how important it is."

The VRR: Cowboys (6-2) @ Packers (4-4)

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:00:33 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

The combination of a healthy offensive line along with Tony Romo's athleticism has allowed 17 sacks this season. That's chump change compared to Aaron Rodgers' 37.

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When the Cowboys leap into Lambeau Field, they will do so in an effort to take down their fourth straight NFC opponent. Prior to the start of the season, many thought the Falcons, Seahawks, Eagles, and Packers were all in contention to win their respective divisions.

In the crazy world of the NFL, anything can happen. Just to ensure that the Cowboys keep the edge on any head-to-head tiebreakers that could come into effect, a road win at Green Bay is in order.

This week, we've heard how awful the Packers' special teams and offensive line have been this season. Nevertheless, they still have a game-breaking passing game led by the young arm of Aaron Rodgers.

In this article, Jeff Caplan compares and contrasts Rodgers and Tony Romo.

Rodgers, who will be 26 on Dec. 2, appears taller and brawnier in the pocket. Romo, 29, seems more athletic, a superior scrambler, swashbuckling even compared to Rodgers’ more measured, yet highly effective, maneuvering. Romo celebrates touchdowns with wild leaps into the arms of his linemen. More composed, Rodgers barely cracks a smile.

"They look different," said former Cowboys personnel director Gil Brandt, "but they’re really the same."

More VRR after the jump.

Some notes on sacking Rodgers.

-The only team to not sack Rodgers were the Browns, who must feel like the one kid at the party who didn’t get any beer

-Roughly 1/3 of Green Bay’s sacks were result of Rodgers holding onto the ball for too long

-Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher played their first game as a tackle tandem all year for the Packers last week. The Bucs still managed to sack Rodgers six times.

-The majority of sacks against the Packers have been registered by defensive ends. HOORAY FOR DEMARCUS.

Dallas is the best in the league in forcing offenses to drive far for a score.

Cowboys' opponents have had the league's lowest average starting point for possessions at 25.7 yards. Green Bay's opponents have had the third-highest starting point at the 33.2.

There aren't many nose tackles in the league better than Jay Ratliff.

Ratliff is first on the team in tackles for loss (14), second in sacks (four) and fourth in pressures (14).

"Man, he's a beast," linebacker Bradie James said. "I don't know if there is a tackle in the league as quick, fast and relentless. He's one of our biggest assets."

Ratliff is expected to have another big game this weekend. According to STATS, Inc., Packers left guard Daryn Colledge has allowed 7.25 sacks this season, second most in the NFL and a big reason Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a league-high 37 times this season.

"He's a great effort player, but he also has great ability," Phillips said of Ratliff. "I've coached a lot of Pro Bowl nose guards, but he's by far the best pass rusher at that position."

A couple of rookies will most likely start for the Pack: RT T.J. Lang and OLB Brad Jones.

And it's looking increasingly likely the Packers (4-4) will be starting two of their second-day picks from April's NFL draft - linebacker Brad Jones and offensive lineman T.J. Lang - when the Cowboys (6-2) roll into town.

Outside linebacker Aaron Kampman, who suffered a concussion in last Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay, didn't practice for the second straight day Thursday, Neither did backup Brady Poppinga, who had a quadriceps injury flare up earlier this week. That left Jones, a seventh-round pick out of Colorado, to work with the starters at Kampman's left outside linebacker spot during the portions of practice open to reporters Wednesday and Thursday.

Here's the rest of the Cowboys @ Packers injury report.

Like the Broncos and Chiefs, the Packers are new users of the 3-4.

Wade Phillips, for one, didn't see any particular reason 3-4 defenses would cause problems for the Cowboys offense. To Phillips it's more about how good the defense is and how well it plays than a tough schematic matchup.

"I think it's each team and each game," Phillips said. "Denver played really good on defense against us up there. The only other game we lost was a 4-3 team (Giants). We made a lot of yards against Kansas City, we didn't produce as many points early as we would like to have."

The Packers, in the first year of their 3-4 metamorphosis, are fourth in the league defensively.

A.J.Hawk and Erik Kramer break down the matchup in this FoxSports vid link. "Stop the run, and pressure the quarterback," says Hawk. Of Romo he says, "get him down, and hopefully get some turnovers."

Coach Phillips and Coach Garrett could look to keep the offense balanced.

The key to Wade Phillips' game plan the two times he has led the Cowboys into battle against Mike McCarthy's Packers has been balance. In the teams' 2007 matchup, the Cowboys threw the ball 30 times, while their running backs notched 28 carries.

In 2008's affair, quarterback Tony Romo attempted 30 passes, while Barber and teammate Felix Jones toted the rock 35 times. In both games, the Cowboys came out victorious.

It is looking less likely that Felix Jones will be returning kicks on Sunday.

Coach Wade Phillips has said that as Jones' plays on offense increase, his special-teams duties would decrease. The Cowboys have worked out rookie Kevin Ogletree and running back Tashard Choice in the position this week.

``If that's what the head man says,'' Jones said.

The series history between the two teams:

The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with the Packers, 12-10, and have won each of their last two meetings against Green Bay. Dallas was a 27-16 road winner when it visited Lambeau Field in Week 3 of last season, and was a 37-27 Thursday night winner when the Packers visited Big D in 2007. The former win was Dallas' first all-time win in six trips to Green Bay.

The Packers last triumph in the series was a 41-20 win at Lambeau in 2004. In addition to their regular season history, the clubs have met six times in the postseason, with Dallas holding a 4-2 edge.

The Cowboys have won four straight playoff games against Green Bay since the 1967 NFL Championship, better known as the "Ice Bowl." Dallas' most recent playoff win over Green Bay was a 38-27 triumph for the 1995 NFC Championship.

Getting a little touchy in Lambeau? The Packers fired a long-time maintenance worker for his comment to head coach Mike McCarthy.

Fifty-three-year-old Mike Wood said he was sitting in a maintenance cart in a stadium tunnel a few days before the Minnesota Vikings visited Lambeau Field. As McCarthy talked to members of the grounds crew, Wood said he yelled out to McCarthy to "get the boys ready to kick some butt this weekend."

Here's the NFL Game Center for the Cowboys @ Packers.

Remember that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty thrown at Jason Avant after Brent Celek's TD catch? Apparently, Celek has been rumored to be tied to a Captain Morgan ad campaign. The league is now on the lookout for such liqour-related poses.

The (ad campaign) has been going around internally for a while and (Celek) learned of the program through his contact at Diageo (Captain Morgan's parent company),'' said Glenn Lehrman, an account director at Rogers & Cowan, the Los Angeles-based firm that handles Captain Morgan promotions. ``Brent said, `You know what, if I get the opportunity, I'm going to go ahead and do it.' He sort of beat us to the punch, but we're certainly not going to complain.''

Lehrman said that each time a player was caught on camera in the pose Captain Morgan planned to donate to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a nonprofit that helps retired NFL players. The campaign was to be unveiled next week with donations of $10,000 during the regular season, $25,000 for the playoffs and $100,000 in the Super Bowl.

The win in Philly was great, but the overtime win in Kansas City may be where the real greatness began.

Turns out the Cowboys might have known something nobody else did. Instead of the latest in a repeating win-one-lose-one cycle, that 26-20 victory started a four-game winning streak that sent Dallas to the top of the NFC East heading into Sunday’s game at Green Bay.

"That’s what really kind of jump-started it," receiver Patrick Crayton said Thursday. "We’re on the road against a team that people are like, ‘Aw, this is going to be an easy one.’ We knew we were going to get their best. It was like their Super Bowl."

Maybe Dallas celebrated like it was the Super Bowl because players realized at halftime what was at stake. The Cowboys were down 10-3 and hadn’t scored a touchdown in five quarters. They risked falling to 2-3 with much tougher games coming up.

Is Mike Florio trying to pique teams' interest in signing recently released Chiefs' RB Larry Johnson, or what? C'mon, man!

But a league source tells us that Johnson is in Dallas for a social visit only, and not because he's meeting with the Cowboys.

Yet.

There are, per the source, no plans to meet with the Cowboys. And it's not known whether the Cowboys are or will be interested in Johnson. Most likely, the Cowboys aren't currently interested. But they'll likely become interested fairly quickly if one of their top tailbacks becomes unavailable.

And just for fun...JJT vs. Skip Bayless!

The VRR: Hot Cowboys Prepare to Take on Cold Packers

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

by Mel Evans - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

More VRR after the jump.

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

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

The Star-T scouts Rodgers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tashard Choice is digging his role as a Razorback quarterback.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The rest of the Cowboys' injury report.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jason Witten spent Tuesday going back to school.

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

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

Cowboys Stadium could soon host a Manny Pacquiao title fight.

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

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

The Linc - It's Eagles vs Cowboys. Nuff said.

JasonB — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:34 -0000

Cowboys @ Eagles: This Is Why We Watch Football - Blogging The Boys
This Sunday's game between the Cowboys and the Eagles has the all the makings of a big-time contest.

Scheme Session: the big-play Eagles | National Football Post
In today’s edition of "Scheme Session" here at the NFP, we are going to take a look back at the Giants-Eagles matchup from Sunday, where Donovan McNabb once again hooked up for a big play down the field that produced points. This time—a 54-yard TD pass that gave the Eagles a 23-7 lead and put the Giants away for good.

Cowboys return to scene of the crime - NFC East - ESPN
In one of the most regrettable performances in franchise history, the Cowboys suffered an embarrassing 44-6 loss. Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown intercepted Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo late in the first half, setting up a Brent Celek touchdown catch that gave the Eagles a 24-3 lead. The rest of the afternoon is still a blur for some Cowboys players and coaches -- and they'd prefer to keep it that way.

Cowboys' Williams: 'I'm Not a T.O.'
While his lower-paid teammate breaks records, Cowboys receiver Roy Williams sounds like a broken record.

Eagles should take care of Cowboys at the Linc | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/06/2009
Now that the World Series is out of the way, Eagles-Cowboys week takes its place in the spotlight, and nothing is finer than whipping Dallas.

More after the jump

Eagles-Cowboys: 100th meeting | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/06/2009
The Eagles face the Dallas Cowboys for the 100th time when they meet Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Some facts about the series:

Les Bowen: Eagles prepare for well-rounded Cowboys offense | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/06/2009
WHEN THE PASS-HAPPY Eagles run the ball effectively, as they have the past few weeks, their offensive players are eager to tell you how much of a difference balance makes, how it pushes defenses back on their heels. This Sunday night, when the Cowboys come to town, we'll see the other side of that coin

Eagles TE Celek now among the best in NFL | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/04/2009
With this season set to reach the midpoint Sunday when the Eagles face the Cowboys in a first-place showdown at Lincoln Financial Field, coach Andy Reid's tight end should most definitely be included in the debate about the division's best player at that position.

Dallas Cowboys motivated by more than revenge | Dallas Cowboys News | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News
Bradie James avoids the word revenge. But the Cowboys linebacker doesn't want to fool himself or anyone else, either. He admits the team's 44-6 loss in Philadelphia to end last season is incentive as the Cowboys prepare to return to the scene of the crime. More important, James believes this game will speak volumes as to where the team stands at the midway point of the season.

BTB Game Balls: Seahawks @ Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:30:28 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Steve Octavien congratulates Patrick Crayton for picking up his second-consecutive BTB game ball.

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

Offense

Tony Romo - Down 3-0 in the first quarter, faced with a 2nd-and-1on the Seattle 36, Romo had a choice: run for an easy first down, or get the ball in the hands of one of the receivers.

Had it been third down, perhaps he would have tucked it in to pick up a new set of downs; instead, he found Sam Hurd running a short crossing route in front of two Seattle linebackers. A mismatch all the way turned into a go-ahead score. Plays like this show that Romo's decision-making process has continued to mature past the pressure to make a play, himself, into a faithful patience that lets the plays develop.

For all the passing plays Jason Garrett called, Romo (36 attempts) responded again with accuracy (58% completed) and confidence. This game marked his third straight without an interception. Even more impressive is that he is hitting the throws that this offense depends on: slants, deep-outs, and that back-shoulder TD throw to Miles Austin was one of the better 3-yard passes I've seen. We already know he can throw the deep balls and the curl routes. Now, we're getting to see him trust his receivers - whether it's Felix coming out of the backfield or Ogletree on a screen.

Honorable Mention: Miles Austin, Leonard Davis

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

Defense

Terence Newman - Timing is everything, especially for a cornerback. It was apparent that Dallas wanted to get up on Seattle early. Newman's hit on Justin Forsett that forced a fumble towards the end of the first quarter helped to do just that. After Orlando Scandrick's recovery and return, the turnover gave the offense the ball on the Seattle 30, which led to Marion Barber's 2-yard score. That put the Cowboys up 14-3.

After Nate Burleson caught that 36-yarder on Newman on the next drive, Seattle's top two WRs went on to have a rather frustrating day (T.J. Houshmanzadeh made that visibly apparent with his tantrums on the sidelines.) T-New kept the rest of the passes caught on him to 16 yards or less. He looks to be playing up to the level of his counterpart, Mike Jenkins, in that he's playing physically and following through with his tackles (6 solo, 1 assist).

Honorable Mention: Keith Brooking, Bradie James

Special Teams

Patrick Crayton - Thanks to Crayton's sudden surge at punt returning, the Cowboys are now atop the league leaders in punt return average. The team's 14.3 YPR average ranks only second behind Cleveland's 16.4. Individually, Crayton's 16.6 YPR average trails only the Vikings' Darius Reynaud, who has 10 less returns. Also, Crayton is the only player in the league with two touchdowns.

This most recent touchdown return against the Seahawks differed from the one against the Falcons in that this one was a little less dependent on his blockers. Although he did get some key blocks from Scandrick and Steve Octavien (also, check out David Buehler coming over from the right side of the field in the highlight), Crayton's burst allowed him to weave in and out of the protection. And he finished it all like all punt returners should - stiff-arming the punter to the ground to get to paydirt.

Honorable Mention: David Buehler, Victor Butler

Coaching

Reggie Herring - Herring and his assistant, Dat Nguyen, are getting the most out of each of their linebackers. We know how dominant DeMarcus Ware and Brooking are, and we've seen the consistency over the years from Bradie James. What these coaches are doing with the younger players is impressive.

Anthony Spencer is getting better every game. You get the sense that he's going to take a FB-flat pass to the house at least once this year. And he seems to be just a step away from sacking the quarterback in every game. He's stout against the run, collapses the pocket more and more consistently, and nearly took Hasselback down on the TD throw to Deion Branch.

Herring is a loud guy. You've got to imagine that his tough persona has got to rub off on a guy like Bobby Carpenter. What's great is that Herring, Nguyen, Coach Phillips, and Coach Joe DeCamillis have worked well together to find roles for players like Carpenter, Victor Butler and even Steve Octavien - roles that are putting each of them in position to contribute to the team. That's what makes a good coach.

Honorable Mention: Joe DeCamillis, Skip Peete

The Cowboys did what they were supposed to do: beat a team they should beat. And, again, they dominated in all phases.

Who gets your game balls?

Keep the Rhythm but Sell the Hooks

John Morgan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:42:17 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Football is both a battle for ten and a battle for the end zone. A team must keep the rhythm to keep the drive alive, but it also must cash in with its money calls.

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My friend Uncle Mike taught me how to freestyle. He said: You memorize the good lines and improvise the filler. It should sound smooth, integrated and uncontrived. The filler keeps the beat and the money lines punctuate the point. He said: Count off the beat and be ready.

Greg Knapp may not know hip-hop, but he gets the good and the filler.

Chris Spencer was blown back and dropped by Jay Ratliff and Ratliff virtually stood atop Spencer when he tackled Julius Jones for a loss of one. It was a worrying start for Seattle's offense compounded by miserable field position. Matt Hasselbeck was working from his own end zone on the next play, and the man with two busted ribs and a Fangoria-spread of aches and pains stood tall in the pocket, keeping his eyes at the marker and turning to read right just long enough to target Nate Burleson and connect for ten. Seattle converted the first on a screen pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Housh was grouped with John Carlson and John Owens in trips right and turned two good blocks, a little too much patience and a veteran spot into a first down.

Spencer got revenge. He forced back Ratliff and turned him allowing Julius Jones to cutback left and rush for six. Seneca Wallace handed off to Jones on the next snap and Jones glided for seven. Seattle had escaped jail, was first and 10 on the 29, and after keeping beat for a string of snaps, was about to punctuate the action with a series of big plays.

First Hasselbeck found Carlson for 18 out of play action. Then Jones snaked the ball for three. Then Knapp dropped mathematics.

The screen pass is a money play in the Knapp playbook. We've seen it's a worthy one when executed. Dallas was blitzing off left end. Justin Forsett was the sole receiver on the left. Hasselbeck skated back and slung it to Forsett curling under on the left. Dallas is boned. If only.

Spencer shoves out nose tackle Junior Siavii and then flops, cutting inside linebacker Bradie James. Forsett does not curl in quite enough, and Damion McIntosh struggles to set a block in front of him. Seattle loses time. Forsett jukes behind McIntosh, attempting to zigzag forward while keeping the tackle between him and the defender. Seattle loses time. Forsett runs up Rob Sims legs and Sims stumbles but regains and runs straight ahead. Seattle loses time. Forsett finally releases from his lead blockers, but without great speed - without sufficient speed to evade Keith Brooking. Max Unger never gets round from the right and in front of Forsett to throw a block. He can be seen jogging just outside the action. Sims runs past Brooking, when if he had stopped and blocked, Forsett could have evaded him. But Brooking was not supposed to matter. Forsett splits his blockers and releases clean into the second level, but Seattle had already lost too much time, and Forsett doesn't have that gear to recover and outrun a linebacker with the angle.

And so the first money play was clever but it lacked teeth. 14, 14..it stings when it could have been 50.

The VRR: Losses Across the Division Helped, but the Cowboys Must Continue to Improve

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:14:42 -0000

More photos » by Sandy King - AP

Tony Romo receives the key to the City of Charleston from Mayor John Inyart, right, and Eastern Illinois University President, William Perry Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 in Charleston, Ill. Romo's No. 17 was officially retired by Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

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Even with the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins all losing yesterday, the NFC playoff picture is full of teams with winning records. The Cowboys must continue to improve.

Looking at the division standings, the Giants still hold a comfortable lead, sitting at 5-1 and having already beaten the Redskins and Cowboys. The Eagles and Cowboys are now at 3-2 and still have division games to play. Washington also has five games remaining in the division, but at 2-4, they're three full games behind the Giants, who beat them in Week One.

But more than just the division race, it appears the battle for the final two Wild Card spots will be tight as well. Through six weeks of the regular season, 10 of the 16 NFC teams are 3-2 or better, including a pair of undefeated teams in Minnesota (6-0) and New Orleans (5-0).

Getting key players back to 100% will certainly help. All signs are pointing to Felix Jones and Roy Williams returning to a full-time practice schedule.

Not only will Roy Williams and Felix Jones practice Wednesday but they are on the field today. The players are in jerseys and helmets today as they get an extra day for Atlanta.

[UPDATE: In today's press conference, Coach Phillips said that they will hold Gerald Sensabaugh out of practice for a few more days. They have not ruled out the possibility of him playing against the Falcons. END UPDATE]

More VRR after the jump.

Keith Brooking is really looking forward to playing against his former Atlanta teammates.

For the first time in his 12-year NFL career, Brooking is playing for a team other than the Atlanta Falcons. That makes Sunday's home game against Atlanta a special one for Brooking.

"It will be very exciting. I've had it circled on my calendar since I signed here," Brooking said. "I'd be lying to you if I told you that I didn't."

He likes playing for the Cowboys and that energy has rubbed off on the other players.

"I've really enjoyed my time here. It's been a great experience," Brooking said. "I think I've fit right in with these guys and what we're trying to do." Talk to anyone in the locker room, and they rave about Brooking.

"He's added fire. He's added passion. He's very productive," linebacker Bradie James said. "I'm just happy that we got Atlanta's seconds." Added nose tackle Jay Ratliff: "He came in with the attitude that he wanted to work and just be a great teammate. He plays with a lot of emotion and we just feed off of that. You can't help but follow a guy like that."

Linebacker Anthony Spencer was answering mundane question after mundane question last week before he was asked about Brooking. Instantly, he lit up, flashing an ear-to-ear smile. "I love playing with Keith," Spencer said. "He loves the game so much. I don't see him retiring any time soon. He's an old guy, but you don't see it on the field at all."

Brooking admits that if the team is going to succeed this year, they must eliminate the little things that kill.

"I call it sweeping the corners," Brooking said. "It means don't leave anything behind, get in the corners, and clean them out real good. Do the small things. "If we do that, we are going to be right where we want to be. This is a very talented team. As long as we prepare the way we are supposed to prepare, the way championship teams are supposed to prepare ... it's going to show up on Sunday."

ILB Jason Williams is learning much about the pro game from Bradie James.

Williams has received help in this area from veteran linebacker Bradie James. He has become a mentor to Williams in some instances and it has helped boost his football IQ.

"Me and Bradie James actually talk a lot, and he tells me that he was in this position before, so he knows how it is," Williams said. "He tells me about some mistakes I made on reads or helps me with the little things. He has been helpful."

Tony Romo became the first player from Eastern Illinois to have his jersey retired. He wore the number 17 for the Panthers.

"You don't expect it," the Dallas Cowboys quarterback said. "It's almost embarrassing that everybody wants to look at you and tell you that you did something good."

As Eastern's quarterback from 2000-02, Romo was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year three times. In 2002, he won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS.

"The time I had here was an unbelievable time in my life, helped shape me in a lot of ways to become the person that I am today," Romo said.

By the way, the Panthers won the game 23-15.

Dating back to last season, Tashard Choice has, in a way, been the Cowboys' lead back.

Don’t let the depth chart, where Choice is listed behind Marion Barber and Felix Jones, fool you. This is no third-string back. And don’t restrict your sample to the start of this season.

Choice has amassed 402 more yards than Barber since Thanksgiving of last season and has 56 more touches in those 10 games. Jones is so far back, he’s not part of the discussion. Barber is the starter. Jones is the most dangerous offensive weapon the Cowboys possess. But their inability to stay healthy has thrust Choice into the primary role.

Roy Williams will be at Pizza Hut today for a charity event to help end world hunger.

The football player will catch passes thrown by fans at a Dallas-area Pizza Hut, 9550 Dallas Parkway in Frisco, on October 19 from 4 to 6 p.m., in exchange for donations to the World Food Program.

"Too many people in the world go to bed hungry," Williams says. "We can all be team players to help end world hunger, and I'm inviting the great fans of Dallas to join my team to make a difference."

Anthony Spencer returned home to help his mother during the bye week.

[H]e returned to Fort Wayne to appeared at the Fort Wayne Next Level golf fundraiser at River City Links. Spencer's mother, Tonia Creech, is executive director of Fort Wayne Next Level, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping at-risk boys in grades 4-9.

"She told me about it and I said, ‘Golf? It's getting cold out,'" Spencer said, laughing. "I try to help out as much as possible with whatever she needs me to do. I know it's a good cause."

Ray Buck lists his 50 Greatest Dallas Cowboys.

Remember, to go to fanschoice.com to vote Emmitt Smith!