SB Nation - Tashard Choice

Week 14's Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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

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

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

Make the jump for the Week 14 Fantasy Focus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BTB League

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

	#1 The Speed o...

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

	#2 Static

BTB Part Deux League

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

	#1 kill everbody

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

	#2 StarBoys

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

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

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

Game Preview: San Diego Chargers at Dallas Cowboys

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

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

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

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

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

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

When the Cowboys Have the Ball

via mentalfloss.cachefly.net

Overall Offense

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

Passing Offense

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

Rushing Offense

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

Overall Defense

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

Passing Defense

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

Rushing Defense

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

When the Chargers Have the Ball

via i79.photobucket.com

Overall Offense

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

Passing Offense

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

Rushing Offense

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

via www.deion-sanders.com

Overall Defense

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

Passing Defense

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

Rushing Defense

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

Conclusion

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

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

Week Thirteen: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

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

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Anthony Spencer has recently joined the sack-dance club.

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

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

Make the jump for the Week 13 Fantasy Focus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

kill everbody

Where the Cowboys are Headed (9-3)

The Speed of Dark

StarBoys

Doubling Your Losses (8-4)

Paper Cranes
Maui Paniolo Boyz

Seventh Heaven (7-5)

Flashlights

Doomsday Redux

Dallas Destroyers

Reykjavik Roughnecks

Official Spoiler

Static

Holy .500, Batman! (6-6)

WheresWare?

BigRigga31's Team

Dillababies

Quincyyyyy

Felix Jones At Every Position

A Must Win this Week? (5-7)

NameBrandj

Second Chance

BTBfantasyCHAMPS

4 X 2 = (4-8)

Apes

My Team Sucks

The Doomsday Defense Reborn

Three Squared (3-9)

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

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

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

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

FISH on FOOTBALL: Top Ten Cowboys Takes, With Thanksgiving Pizza And Cigars!

Mike Fisher — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:28:37 -0000

More photos » by Mike Stone - AP

The Cowboys showed a lot of love for each other this week.

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Top Ten Takes from a Cowboys Turkey Day that features pizza, cigars and Bugs Bunny. (Yes, in my house we celebrate Thanksgiving in a decidedly unorthodox fashion!)

1. We're all concerned about December. These Cowboys have tried to do that month in a Bill Parcells way and they've tried to do that month in a Wade Phillips way and ... we should worry about December when it gets here.

Granted, that's in, like, 72 hours or whatever, but ...

First, the Cowboys should be congratulated on vaulting from a dubious 2-2 to an impressive 8-3. Part of that is Dallas' November success, best exemplified, I think, by Tony Romo's career record in this month.

Romo's career record in November is 15-2.

Jimmy Johnson used to say that there is no reason to be nervous about a test if you know the answers. I don't know if the Cowboys "know the answers'' in December. But they clearly pass their November quizzes and that's a start.

2. Some observers want the Cowboys to be able to grind it out. Other observers want the Cowboys to be able to be explosive.

Can't this be like Deion Sanders' pizza order? You know. ... both?

The Cowboys were good for 10 plays of 20-yards-plus, an impressive showing from an arsenal of guys -- Miles Austin, Tashard Choice, Jason Witten, Felix Jones - that you KNOW can do this. ... but have been waiting to see your confidence justified.

I still say the foundation of it all is being able to run for 195 yards on 25 carries ... and that the explosiveness is an extension of that.

But whichever comes first ... I'm greedy. I want both.

3. I hear a lot of people - including players themselves - saying that you don't have to like the guy next to you to succeed.

To which I respond by borrowing a line from Bugs Bunny: "It couldn't hoit.''

Maybe it was just my heart having been softened by Thanksgiving, but I thought it was cool to watch Austin and Witten repeatedly approaching one another on the sideline to offer congratulations for their respective big days. Austin was happy for Witten. Witten was happy for Austin. The effervescent Austin would look up at the JumboJerry and wave at fans. ... and then he'd go back over to Witten and pat him on the butt again.

It couldn't hoit.

Then there was offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who sought out Marion Barber as the running back came off the field for a final time. Garrett and Barber are both very skilled at keeping the lid on their public emotion. But in one brief moment, the two of them exchanged an out-of-character chest bump.

How meaningful was it all? Does mutual respect and maybe even friendship equate to wins?

"A close-knit group," Phillips says of his team. "Our guys are not selfish. They are very focused. ... They are the kind of group you love to coach. It is not a big ego group, but it is a group that pulls together and pulls for each other offense, defense and special teams."

Yup. And it couldn't hoit.

4. "Close'' finally became "cigar'' for outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who recorded two sacks - his first two of the season - after three months of almosts.

Of course, a Sunday can't go by without Spencer notching an "almost'' of some sort. So let the record show that he came within a whisker of an interception, too.

5. We said in this space a few weeks ago that Roy Williams is a perfectly acceptable non-No.-1 receiver ... and all that needs to happen for that to be fully realized if for Roy himself to realize it.

And now ... it is so.

Williams is gifted, but erratic and not fully dependable ... not unlike plenty of other No. 2 receivers in the NFL. So when he hangs onto a slant pass, or when he contributes a touchdown catch (he did both against the Raiders), it's a nice bonus.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the No. 1 receiver gives you seven catches for 145 yards and a TD.
Does Roy not want to go over the middle? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Can Roy not run away from defenders? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Will Roy not hold onto the ball in traffic after the catch? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Rafael says the targets went: 10 to Miles, three to Roy. Sounds about right to me.

Roy Williams played like a solid No. 2. Miles Austin pretty much carried this team's luggage and was in charge of buying the donuts for the first month of the season but is almost certain to be a 1,000-yard receiver in this breakout season.

That's a No. 1 receiver. ... who in this case is tied for the NFL lead with 15 catches of 20-yards-plus. ... and it doesn't matter what his name is or where he came from.

6. The roof was open. Lovely! I've heard 100 different lame justifications for why it hasn't previously been open and they all sound as bogus as Jerry Jones' explanation for why there weren't American flags inside the stadium ... until this week.

Sometimes, we overthink these things ... and then we fib about our overthinking.

Cowboys Stadium has a retractable roof. Retract it.
The Cowboys are America's Team playing in America. Display America's flag.

OK?

7. I'm going to defer to Rafael on the research on this one ... I'll just throw out what I think I saw: Did the Cowboys play much of the game with such disregard for the Raiders' passing game that Dallas used five linebackers and three defensive backs? I've seen that done in high school; what NFL offense is so crappy that it cannot exploit a three-DB defense?

8. Here's hoping that previous to Thanksgiving the reason Jason "I Want To Be A Weapon'' Witten has looked a step slow, hasn't been able to get downfield, hasn't been able to get open at all, really, is related to that bum foot. Here's betting, though, that for the rest of his career, when the medical staff informs him that maybe he shouldn't go, Witten will rub some dirt on it, play, and look fresher on a bum foot than he's looked since camp.

A 37-yarder? A 44-yarder? His two longest gains of the year?

Seriously, if you had Witten on your fantasy team, did you even sweat for a moment whether or not he'd play?

9. Thanksgiving home games are obviously an advantage. An otherwise historically awful Detroit franchise flirts with .500 on Thanksgiving. And Dallas? With Romo at QB, the Cowboys have won four straight Turkey Days, beating their foes by a combined score of 130-29.

10. Did CBS's Jim Nantz really say during the game that the Cowboys are experiencing a successful season while "under the radar''? Is that what the broadcasters from over in the AFC think? That the Cowboys are suddenly now underpublicized, under recognized and under-scrutinized?

The Colts, Saints, Vikings, Patriots and ... the Cowboys. The five teams that are certainly under nobody's radar ... and given their records, rightfully so.

Big Plays = Big Win: Cowboys 24, Raiders 7

Rafael Vela — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:18:56 -0000

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

The Raiders couldn't touch Miles Austin yesterday. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald,Jose Yau)

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A Thanksgiving Day game is usually the last place a struggling offense expects to regain its swagger. The short week often produces sloppy games, with lots of drops, slips, bobbles and missed assignments.

Jason Garrett's bunch found their mojo somewhere between the tray of stuffing and the cranberry sauce dish yesterday, creating a new category in process. Coaches refer to explosives as running plays of 12 yards or greater and passing plays of 16 yards or more. Against the Raiders, the Cowboys went beyond explosives, unleashing six "thermonuclear" plays: runs or passes of 35 yards or greater. The big bomb approach is Garrett's style and will hopefully end the hubbub about his play-calling skills.

Garrett threw a 54:46 pass-to-run mix at the Raiders, which has been his normal mix all year. He runs a big-play attack, through the air and on the ground. The problem the prior two weeks has been execution. The same calls got receivers open but Tony Romo and his receivers were not synchronized. Yesterday, they showed the best execution in a month and knocked the Raiders off-balance from their first series on.

The early problem for Dallas was that the big play was their only option. Tony Romo found Miles Austin for 46 yards on the Cowboys first attempt of the day. Austin turned Nnamdi Asomugha inside out with a feight upfield and got inside separation. Austin probably got a bonus 20 yards when Oakland's free safety jumped Martellus' Bennett's shorter post route, leaving the deep middle unoccupied. The play took Dallas to the Oakland 30, but the Cowboys could not advance and a Romo sack forced a punt.

Tashard Choice opened Dallas' third drive in the Razorback set and ran a designed cutback up the middle. Choice lined up as a shotgun QB and followed offset FB Deon Anderson towards the guard-center gap on the left side. Choice cutback to his right, where Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis had created a seam in the right A gap. Oakland's middle linebacker lost Choice in traffic, meaning once Choice was past the linebacker's level he was free. Asomugha ran Tashard down at the Oakland eleven 66 yards later. Here, an Anderson holding call put Dallas in a first-and-20 they could not overcome. Nick Folk salvaged the field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Dallas next drive showcased Garrett's most significant adjustment from the past few weeks. Dallas had been using its receivers almost interchangeably, with Roy Williams playing the split end and working the middle of the field on deep posts, square ins and shallow crosses.

Yesterday, Austin was given the inside responsibility and the lion's share of the receiver attempts. The adjustment seems sound. Austin is the stronger player of the two and therefore breaks tackles better. He can run routes with multiple cuts, whereas Williams appears to be a one-cut-and-go type of guy. Austin also has much better acceleration. Patterns over the middle of the field require stopping to freeze linebackers and safeties and then quick starts to dash away from them.

Austin demonstrated those skills on two key receptions. With the Cowboys in 3rd-and-11, he caught a short crossing route at eight yards and dragged a Raiders defender the final three yards, pushing the ball inches past the yard marker. On the next play, he lined up wide left, ran a short curl route, and then pushed it hard back outside. Romo hit Austin in stride and the WR ran away from a safety for 27 yards.

On the next play, Dallas lined up in its 22 package, with two TEs, two backs and Williams the line receiver. Both Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten lined up right, outside of Doug Free, with Bennett as the TE and Witten outside him as the F-back. Dallas called power right, its stock counter play, with LG Kyle Kosier and FB Anderson leading Felix Jones behind the overload.

Bennett and Witten rolled the Raiders DE Greg Ellis inside. When they got him moving, Witten released Ellis -- whom Bennett drove to the turf -- and picked off the Raiders weakside linebacker. Anderson blocked the strongside outside backer and when the pulling Kosier hit the middle linebacker, Felix had a wide crease off the RT gap. He bolted upfield, broke an ankle tackle attempt by SS Michael Huff and skipped the last five yards of his 46 yard touchdown romp. Felix looks healthy again, his blocking looks healthy again and the 10-0 lead looked tasty to a Cowboys Nation which had grown hungry for points.

Garrett blew up Oakland with another thermomuclear play on the next series. Dallas deployed in a bunch package left, with Bennett spearheading a triadjust wide of LT Flozell Adams that had Austin flanking Bennett on the left and Witten to Bennett's right. Williams was split alone to the right and Marion Barber stood to Romo's right in the shotgun. At the snap the bunch scattered, pulling Oakland's coverage to their side. Williams ran a shallow cross, pulling the corner with him and creating acres of space up the right sideline. Barber ran a swing route, caught Romo's pass about eight yards upfield and raced untouched for another 34 before he was pushed out of bounds at the Raiders' 30.

The drive again sputtered and Folk's second attempt clanged off the right upright. Even the misses had the look of improvement yesterday. The execution improved, and while rough edges remain, the character of the offense is back.

This is who the Cowboys are, folks. They have a line that can create big running plays, but which leaks too frequently on passing downs and draws too many penalties to generate regular ten or twelve-play, ball-control drives. They play fast break football, and they regained some of their flash. Now, to maintain it...

How Will They Replace T.O.?

It's been a while since we have had that question ground into our collective consciousness. The answer appears to be, quite well. Yes, Roy Williams continues to struggle, but Garrett's use of Miles Austin showed he has finally settled on a role for the newbie starter and views Austin as the fulcrum of the Cowboys passing machine.

-- Austin had ten balls thrown in his direction, compared to three for Williams. Eight of those ten came in the first half. Garrett wanted to establish Austin early and he succeeded. Many of his tosses were short, at distances of 8 to 12 yards downfield.

Mike Martz made a similar move in Detroit in late '07, when he gave up on centering his passing attack around Roy Williams. He dialed the pass mix rich for Calvin Johnson and never looked back. We probably saw Jason Garrett cross his receivers Rubicon yesterday. Austin can play the Michael Irvin role. Roy Williams can't, and the offense can't wait. He's playing Alvin Harper now, running most of his attempts upfield and in the red zone. If he can accept this and chip in his 3-4 catches and red zone snags, he'll do his part.

-- Notice what Austin's breakout did for Jason Witten. As I noted earlier in the story, the Raiders appeared to game plan for the tight ends, as other teams have in recent weeks. The Raiders safety was looking for Martellus Bennett on an intermediate post, not Miles Austin running a deeper post over the top.

Once Austin put some big catches on the stat sheet, the safeties backed off, and note what Witten was able to do: He made a 37 yarder running an "F-post" on Dallas' first offensive play of the second half. On the Cowboys final TD drive, Witten caught an intermediate pass, shook free from the linebacker and meandered his way for a 44 yard gain that put Dallas on the Raiders' eight. He may have had a sprained foot, but he also had the best therapeutic option a tight end can have -- a legit wideout threat.

(While we're on the subject, it appears Witten played more F-back yesterday, with Martellus Bennett in the traditional tight end spot on the line. This shifts more of the blocking duties to the kid and puts less stress on Witten's crocked foot.)

How well can Miles Austin perform in the top slot? Let's compare Austin's '09 production to Terrell Owen's monster '07 after 11 games:

Austin '09 -- 7 starts, 42 catches, 824 yards, 19.6 YPC, 8 TDs.
Owens '07 -- 11 starts, 64 catches, 1093 yards, 17.1 YPC, 13 TDs.

The big difference lies in that first number; Austin has only seven starts through eleven games, versus a perfect eleven for T.O. Austin spent the end of the preseason on the injured list and didn't hit the lineup until Williams left the lineup with banged up ribs. He had just 5 catches for 81 yards the first month of this campaign.

It may turn out that D.J. Williams' kill-shot in Denver was the happiest Cowboys accident this decade. Let's return to peak T.O. and compare Austin's and.Owens' production per start:

Austin '09 -- 5.6 catches per game, 19.1 ypc, 106 yards per game, 1.0 TDs per game;
Owens '07 -- 5.8 catches per game, 17.1 ypc, 99 yards per game, 1.2 TDs per game.

Almost identical, no? And remember, this was Owens' career year in Cowboys white, the second best of his career. We still have no idea if we're seeing Austin's peak, giving the tiny sample size of work. It's possible Austin may get even better. Garrett's game plan suggested that Austin is his guy. If he continues to see 9-10 balls per contest, his numbers could explode even more.

Feed the Teeth, Jason!

Notes

The defense did its part, holding Bruce Gradkowski and the Raiders offense to just under their season average of 11 points per game. Oakland did muster an impressive 88 yard drive in the 3rd quarter, but the Dallas rush kept them from finding their early rhythm and from sustaining it once, found.

-- Oakland needed 36 minutes to cross mid-field.

-- stress fracture? Who said anything about a stress fracture? Demarcus Ware looked like his old self yesterday. The acceleration and constant motion was there. He only logged one sack, but he was on Gradkowski on many more passes.

-- Finally! After weeks of bad luck, Anthony Spencer bagged a quarterback. Not once, but twice. Had the shifty Gradkowski not dashed half a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before Spencer dropped him, number 93 would have a hat trick of sacks today.

-- The defense's climb continues. They now sport a 16.5 point- pe- game average, which has them knocking on #2 New England's door. If the Saints hang some points on the Pats Monday night the Cowboys will enter the home stretch in rarified air. It's too early to get smug, however. The Giants, Chargers and Saints loom on the schedule's horizon and they can all score.

-- Your wrinkle of the game. On a 3rd down early in the game, Wade Phillips threw a Bears nickel look at Gradkowski. Operating from the 3-3 look, Dallas kept Jay Ratliff slanted on the nose, Stephen Bowen in the left guard-tackle gap and Jason Hatcher in the same gap on the right side. Bobby Carpenter lined up in the left OLB spot and Bradie James and Demarcus Ware floated behind the linemen. Just before the snap, James dashed wide and lined up next to Carpenter. Ware dashed wide to the other side and lined up outside of Hatcher.

The look was a Chicago front, with an overload on the weakside and Ware charging from the right. Carpenter occupied the left tackle, Bowen crashed the guard and James charged untouched between them. His pressure forced an incompletion.

The defense was a one-off, however. As formation afficionados will note, there was no middle linebacker behind Ratliff to handle the back. Darren McFadden stayed in to block Demarcus Ware, but had Dallas shown this look a second time, it's likely he would have run a hot route, as Rock Cartwright did last week, and caught a quick pass over the middle in space. Cartwright has some speed, but he doesn't have McFadden's top gear. Wade took his gamble, won the down, and knew to walk away, as good poker players do.

-- David Buehler's toe problems appear to be behind him. He boomed three kicks for touchbacks.

-- Everybody is aware of this fact, no? Broncos 26, Giants 6. Dallas gets ten days off but so do the Giants. The last time Dallas faced a desperate team on the road we got the Lambeau Letdown. The game will be Dallas' last in Giants Stadium. Let's hope for a memorable result. A happy memory.

Week Eleven: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:45:09 -0000

It's Saturday, so it's time to talk some fantasy football! Not only is this a huge week for the Cowboys as they host the rival Redskins, but it is also an enormously important week for fantasy football.

Bye weeks are over, many of us may be smelling fantasy playoffs, and next week is the trade deadline for many leagues.

Make the jump for the Week 11 Fantasy Focus.

QB Tony Romo - Romo owners found some relief last week when the Dallas quarterback refused to let the team be shut out. His garbage-time TD pass to Roy Williams helped to ease the pain of having the Packers' defense completely dictate the day. It was just one of those games for the Cowboys' offense. If a receiver was open, Romo just barely missed him. If he was on target, the ball would be dropped or a Packers' defender would make a better play on it. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, stuck with his QB and his aggressive style of play-calling. That should show you that the Cowboys have a ton of faith in their signal caller.

This week, Romo and company are up against the NFL's number one pass defense in the Redskins. The argument can be made that the 162.7 YPG they are giving up in that department is a result of playing a weak schedule. Against the Broncos last week, some huge plays were given up to Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall. Romo and his WRs will look to exploit the same weaknesses, although it is unclear whether CB Carlos Rodgers will be benched in favor of Fred Smoot.

After being dominated by the Packers' blitzers, look for the Cowboys' offense to regroup and get back to basics. Romo and Garrett should then be able to find gaps and create mismatches in the overrated Redskins' secondary.

RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - 5 carries for 26 yards for Barber last week. Nobody is happy with those numbers. When he did have the ball, he looked strong running it. He should have at least double the amount of carries this week. The Cowboys can still pull him out for pass-protection because of his thumb, but the fracture only looks to bother him there.

Felix Jones looks a mere shadow of his explosive-self since injuring his knee in Week 3. It's a bit of a mystery each week on how much the team will use him. He did see a good amount of action against the Packers, but the game was such that the RBs totalled only 11 carries with Felix getting 3 of those. It would be best to take a wait-and-see approach with him.

Tashard Choice is being integrated more into the offense through the "Razorback" formation, as well as his 3rd-down duties. His fantasy success depends so greatly on Barber and Jones that it's tough to predict how much of an impact he will have. Until the Cowboys get their running game back on track, sit him if you have a better option.

WRs Miles Austin - Austin owners now have a tough decision. He's been exposed to the league, so defenses focus on taking him out of the Dallas gameplan. It worked in Philly, until he busted out for a 49-yard TD catch and run. He was held in check last week, catching 4 for just 20. The targets are there and will continue to be since Romo is so comfortable with him. And, if you look at what Marshall did against the 'Skins last week, Austin should be able to have a big game.

Roy Williams - When defenses take away Austin, that leaves Romo to go to Williams. Although RW did have some boo-boos last week, he had a solid fantasy game, catching 5 for 105 with a score. Couple that with the 5 for 75 he caught the prior week, and he's beginning to look like a decent WR again. If he could get rid of the dropsies, he could have some huge games for owners. By doing so, he would also receive more targets from Romo.

This week, he will be going up against DeAngelo Hall. The Cowboys have picked on him in the past with success; expect them to continue to do so.

TEs Jason Witten - It feels like every week I write, "Witten is still looking for the end zone, and this should be the game he finds it." He almost had a TD late last week, but the pass was behind him. 5 catches for 47 yards is nothing to get excited about for Witten owners. Considering Romo rarely had time to pass, Witten still snagged roughly 20% of his passing yards.

You know he's gonna get his targets, and you know he's not going to get you zero points. Stick with him unless you have a better option. He's gotta come up big soon, right?

Cowboys D/ST - Steady as they go...this unit continues to improve week-to-week. By sacking Aaron Rodgers four times last week and holding him to under 200 yards passing, the Dallas defense jumped from ranking 20th in the league to 16th. It is in the top-10 in points allowed (18.8 PPG) and rushing yards allowed (103.1 YPG).

This week, Big D's defense will face an improved Redskins' ground game that now features RB Ladell Betts. The matchup should bode well for Dallas as SOLB Anthony Spencer is coming off one of his best games and the defensive line has continued to limit running opportunities. The secondary is a bit banged-up and will be missing starting FS Ken Hamlin. Converted CB, Alan Ball, will take his place and is considered to be a good cover safety. With the pass rush always a threat, the DBs should be able to take advantage by luring QB Jason Campbell into throwing a pick or two.

K Nick Folk - Holder Mat McBriar took the blame for Folk's miss last week. He's just 14 for 18 on the year, which is uncharacteristic of him.

After ten weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are racing to the finish line. In the BTB league, The Speed of Dark has taken the lead with a 7-3 record (some major parity in that league). Here's how both leagues are shaping up:

The Mighty is Back to Winning (9-1)

kill everbody

Where the Cowboys are Headed (7-3)

Maui Paniolo Boyz

The Speed of Dark

StarBoys

Paper Cranes

Heated Competitors (6-4)

WheresWare?

BigRigga31's Team

Static

Dillababies

Dallas Destroyers

The .500s (5-5)

Quincyyyyy

Official Spoiler

BTBfantasyCHAMPS

Flashlights

Doomsday Redux

Second Chance

Felix Jones At Every Position

Reykjavik Roughnecks

A Must Win this Week? (4-6)

Apes

The Doomsday Defense Reborn

NameBrandj

Triple Crown Members (3-7)

No Doubter

Brady's a b!tch

Deuces Are Wild (2-8)

high505

My Team Sucks

One is the Loneliest Number (1-5)

Damage,Inc.

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

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

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

The VRR: Can the Cowboys Regain their Balance Against the Redskins?

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:04:37 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

When the Cowboys host the Redskins this Sunday, many eyes will be watching how Jason Garrett divvies up his runs and passes.

Browse more photos »

The first time the Cowboys hosted an NFC East rival in their new stadium, the offense featured a devastating rushing attack that mixed both power and speed. Marion Barber ran 18 times for 124 yards and a score. Felix Jones averaged 13.7 yards on seven carries and picked up a score of his own. Tashard Choice didn't have a big game, but you could tell the coaches were trying to get him involved. Typically, that's how many of us imagined the Dallas ground game producing for the rest of the year.

Much has changed since that Week Two game against the Giants. It all began with a strained quad, and then a sprained knee, a fractured thumb. But it was okay. Miles Austin saved the day, and then Tony Romo got hot. Their success has helped make up for the fact that the Cowboys no longer lead the league in rushing.

Choice has maintained his injury bug repellent, and the team is still ranked 8th in rushing - averaging 130 YPG. That's great, but the worry is that the rushing YPG is slipping every week. The worry is that the Dallas offense is growing unbalanced. The worry is that too many passing plays draw more hits on the quarterback, and can effectively lose the time of possession battle. Losing that can wear out a defense.

Shouldn't it be the Cowboys' offense doing that to opposing defenses this back half of the season?

More VRR after the jump.

Last season, in a loss to the Redskins, the Cowboys' RBs had 8 carries. Last week, in a loss against the Packers, they had 11. What does offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, have to say about this?

Garrett said it was because of "game circumstance," mentioning that the Cowboys trailed by three scores with 10 minutes remaining in the game. But the Cowboys abandoned the run after the first quarter, when Marion Barber had four carries for 27 yards.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters after the game that Green Bay, which sacked Tony Romo five times, could blitz aggressively because the Cowboys were so one-dimensional.

"You don’t want to be one-dimensional in anything you do," said Garrett, whose offense has run pass plays 62.7 percent of the time this season, including sacks and Romo scrambles.

"You don’t want to just be an inside running team. You don’t just want to be an outside running team. You don’t just want to be a dropback team. You want to be able to move the quarterback, you want to be able to run the ball, play-action, drop back. "The more you can do, the harder it is on the defense. At the same time, you need to have an identity. Identity is important, too. You don’t want to be all things to all people, but you want to be good at a lot of different things."

Clarence Hill takes the opposite approach to the Cowboys' lack of rushing attempts: the running game has simply been ineffective.

Their running attempts and yards have a diminished dramatically since the start of the season. That is a more of a product of Marion Barber and Felix Jones being injured. Neither has had the same burst since returning to the lineup. Barber missed one game. Jones missed two. Barber has started to look more like his old self of late.

But Jones looks uncomfortable and tentative. He has not been a game-breaking threat. Consider that he has had only two runs longer than 10 yards the last four games since returning from the sprained knee and they were just 12 and 11 yards each. He has not had a run longer than four yards against the Eagles and Packers the past two weeks.

Jones needs to be game-breaking good for the Cowboys to be truly special on offense. He hasn’t been that lately.

Barber didn't get much of a chance to perform...apparently because of his thumb.

Running back Marion Barber saw his time limited against the Packers because of problems with a fractured left thumb that was causing him trouble on pass protection at Green Bay. Barber had four carries in the first half for 26 yards, but he carried it just one time for minus-1 yard in the second half. The Cowboys went with Tashard Choice because he could handle the blitz pickups.

"We use Marion because he's such a dominant blocker," coach Wade Phillips said, "but he was having problems so we took him out."

If Barber can't get the job done in pass protection, the coaches are more apt to go with Choice rather than Felix.

When Barber's broken left thumb prevented him from blocking effectively in the second half Sunday, the Cowboys turned to Choice to protect Romo.

"He is a better pass protector than Felix, and he picks up the blitzes better," Phillips said of Choice. Hamstring and toe injuries forced Jones to miss 10 games last season, time he could have used honing his blocking skills.

"He's just not as adept at it yet," Phillips said. "(Choice) knows his assignments well and does a good job of blocking."

We may have seen a decrease in handoffs, but we have seen an increase in the "Razorback" lately.

According to Stats & Information, the Cowboys are fifth in the league in terms of Wildcat plays with seven. Tashard Choice had a touchdown run out of the Wildcat against the Eagles in Week 8.

The Cowboys will need to run the ball against the Redskins. They are first in the league in pass defense, giving up an average of just 162.7 YPG.

Romo will be facing the top-ranked passing defense in the league as well as one of the NFL's most improved pass rushes. The Redskins had 24 sacks last season to tie for the third-worst mark in the league, and have already matched that total. Linebacker Brian Orakpo, the No. 13 overall draft pick, leads all rookies with seven sacks and veteran Andre Carter has eight. Last season, the Redskins failed to sack Romo.

"Last year I felt we had some QBs feel very comfortable in the pocket," coach Jim Zorn said. "And this year we are making quarterbacks uncomfortable in the pocket."

That pass rush could be even more potent with Doug Free expected to make his first career start Sunday at right tackle for Dallas in place of Mark Colombo, who had started 57 consecutive games. Colombo had surgery after he broke his left leg and suffered ligament damage in his ankle against Green Bay.

Look for DE Andre Carter and rookie Brian Orakpo to again spearhead the Redskins' pass rush.

Orakpo already set a club record for sacks in a season by a rookie with seven, three more than any other rookie in the league.

With 15 sacks between them, Carter and Orakpo rank as the No. 3 tandem in the league behind the Colts' Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (17.5) and the Vikings' Jared Allen and Kevin Williams (17).

"That's what they drafted me for, to make big plays," Orakpo said. "[Andre's] a guy I've looked up to and admired. That's what keeps great pass rushers hungry and able to improve - it's competing. You don't ever want one guy doing all the workload."

Andre Gurode has no ill-feelings about the 2006 game when Albert Haynesworth stomped on his face. The violent injury necessitated 30 stitches along with plastic surgery.

"It's good that he moved passed it. I moved passed it," said Gurode, a Pro Bowl pick the past three seasons. "He is a great player."

Haynesworth calls Gurode "one of the best centers in the game. ... He has good movement. He is big. He is strong."

Gurode opted against filing criminal charges against Haynesworth, who publicly and privately apologized to Gurode in the days after the October 2006 game in Nashville. Now that they will be on the field together again, Gurode knows there will be plenty of reminders of what happened, from the questions being asked to the video replays sure to be on TV.

"I expected when he signed with the Redskins and we played them that it was going to be brought up," Gurode said. "It's something in the past and you can't let what happened in the past define who you are today."

Haynesworth (ankle) may be questionable for Sunday's game. RB Clinton Portis (concussion) will not play.

Bob Cohn asks if Portis' best football is behind him.

But a decline would not be unprecedented or unexpected because Portis' durability and ruggedness might be catching up to him. Going into the season, only four active runners had more career carries. All of them - Edgerrin James, LaDainian Tomlinson, Fred Taylor and Jamal Lewis - have seen better days.

You may have read earlier that Doug Free will get the start at RT for Marc Colombo. The new face on the first-team defense was also announced today. Alan Ball has been named the starter at FS for the injured Ken Hamlin.

Coach Phillips makes it sound like Ball can "ball".

"He's so aggressive," Phillips said. "I mean we've seen him on special teams and he's very aggressive. And he tackles well. He's not a big guy but he tackles well. It's a concern. Their running game is a concern because they have a strong running game. They had 174 yards last week against Denver, who we know can play the run pretty well."

Special teams dynamo, David Buehler, did not practice today because of a pinky toe injury. Todd Archer said that Buehler was "limping noticeably".

Some of the Cowboys have begun the holiday season by helping to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the Dallas Salvation Army homeless center.

SB Nation's power rankings dropped the Cowboys just two spots - from 7 to 9.

Where has Jason Witten gone this year? While Romo still targets him plenty, Witten's yards per catch are at a career low, and he's been a non-factor at the goal-line. With teams keying in on Miles Austin and Roy Williams generally hit-or-miss, the Cowboys will need more from Witten if they're going to develop some offensive consistency. (And losing RT Marc Colombo to injury won't help either)

FISH on FOOTBALL: No Question, Cowboys Offense Has 'Power' To Put On Thinking Caps

Mike Fisher — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:13 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

Resorting to the running game might have put a stop to some of this.

Browse more photos »

You are the Cowboys in Green Bay. You are wearing stocking caps on the sideline. It feels like winter.

There are reasons to play what we might call "power football'' ... and in what turns out to be a 17-7 loss to the Packers, you fail to do that.

Are there reasons why the Cowboys seemed to shift away from a power offense that almost certainly was part of the pregame plan? Are the reasons justified? Do those reasons serve as an explanation for why this otherwise-accomplished offense just ended up in a 3-0 game after three quarters for the first time in the Cowboys franchise's 50-year history? Let's raise some questions ... as we remove our stocking caps and put on our thinking caps:

Question: What do the Steelers, Broncos and Packers have in common? In addition to all of them in recent memory taking on a visiting Cowboys team and winning, all of them play a 3-4 defense. Is there something about the Cowboys' offensive approach against a 3-4 that doesn't fly? Is that reasonable, considering the fact that the Dallas offense has ample opportunity to practice against its own Wade Phillips 3-4?

Question: How to explain the disappearance of Marion Barber? MB3 was allowed just one carry after the first quarter. Now, some of that is due to what happened in the final quarter, when the Cowboys were in hurry-up/catch-up mode. (Down 17-0, leaving Tony Romo and the starters in? Questions for another column.) So Tashard Choice was on the field and remained on the field. But there was a time before Marion Barber became "the primary back'' when he was "the grind-it-out back.'' Here, he was neither. Why?

Question: Can we attribute Dallas leaning away from the power game to the offensive-line injuries? Marc Colombo broke his fibula. Flozell Adams exited for a moment. Guys were flip-flopping positions, this fine and durable O-line suddenly in scramble mode and praying that the depth beyond Doug Free wouldn't require testing. Is there a coordination along the line in the power running game that is made more difficult when a group of blockers is just trying to make sure five of them are upright?

Question: Isn't one way to keep a QB upright in a close game to focus on the run and sometimes even concede that you will have to punt? I am quite certain that the Cowboys didn't come in fearing the Green Bay pass rush; the Packers have injury issues there, and maybe put good people in odd positions. In total, they entered yesterday with 13 sacks all season. (The Vikings have that many sacks against the Packers in just two games!) But here, they sometimes brought extra people, sacking Romo five times and roughing him up a lot. Did this offense forget that in a 3-0 game, there is nothing wrong with trying to run, trying to grind, and conceding with a punt? Did GB surprise Dallas with its success in this department?

Question: If these Cowboys lean away from the power running game, shouldn't they do it because something else seems easier to accomplish? Getting the ball to Miles Austin wasn't easy; he'd probably like a do-over. Getting the ball to Jason Witten wasn't easy; his numbers all came in garbage time. And getting the ball to Roy Williams was a clown show of fumbles and losing sight of the ball in the clouds or the lights or the sky or something. I think Dallas found a way to match up Williams with a safety by moving him inside, and that was smart. But otherwise, where was the edge, the advantage, in morphing into a throw-first offense?

Question: Isn't there a give-and-take/risk-reward formula on using the Shotgun formation that in high-risk situations simply isn't worth the reward? We've certainly seen this in Denver and now in Green Bay: Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett plays The Riverboat Gambler and backpedals into the Shotgun ... and the defense plays The Dealer by answering with an overwhelming blitz. And really, is this Jason being "gutsy'' or Jason being "impatient''?

Question: Can three turnovers, 10 penalties, drops, a missed field goal and a minivan full of injured players be blamed on the absence of power football? Maybe not, but I do have an answer here: Those woes can be overcome by a team that now in a five-day span faces have-nots in the Redskins and the Raiders with the chance to enter December with an 8-3 record.

I say Dallas would increase its chances of accomplishing this by playing power football. But no matter what, if they rebound from what ailed ‘em in the frost of Wisconsin, being 8-3 would be a powerfully good record.

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.

SB Nation - Tashard Choice

Week 14's Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Round 1

Semis

Finals

Round 1

Semis

Finals

Game Preview: San Diego Chargers at Dallas Cowboys

When the Cowboys Have the Ball

When the Chargers Have the Ball

Week Thirteen: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

FISH on FOOTBALL: Top Ten Cowboys Takes, With Thanksgiving Pizza And Cigars!

Big Plays = Big Win: Cowboys 24, Raiders 7

Week Eleven: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

The VRR: Can the Cowboys Regain their Balance Against the Redskins?

FISH on FOOTBALL: No Question, Cowboys Offense Has 'Power' To Put On Thinking Caps

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

Week Ten: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys