SB Nation - Dallas Cowboys

Anatomy of a Game Changing Fumble Recovery

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:00:07 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

A routine play punctuated by hustle made this amazing pass possible.

I hit on the staggering consequences a dropped route and blown block can cause when Nate Burleson indirectly assisted a forced fumble by the Dallas Cowboys. Seattle hustled its way into a fumble and fumble recovery in a similar fashion this last Sunday. Fumble recovery is not luck, strictly speaking; it's just unpredictable. Luck implies a lack of skill, whereas fumble recovery is a skill, just one that is exceedingly hard to measure.

The play didn't look too exciting at the onset. Seattle broke in a nickel package against the 49ers two-tight end, power formation. David Hawthorne knifed into the backfield but lost Frank Gore when Gore followed his lead blocker left. Jordan Babineaux followed but overpursued. Bad things were about to happen. Seattle was in nickel against a run, and two of its three run stuffers, the linebacker and strong safety, were behind and out of the play. Bad things were about to happen for the 49ers.

Darryl Tapp anchored against tight end Delanie Walker and forced Gore to cut back inside. Tapp slowed Gore and ankle tackled him into and onto prostrate non-entity Craig Terrill. Terrill, through no achievement of his own, played an essential part in the play. His was the body that kept Gore from being down.

Here's where hustle gets its due: Wilson started the play just outside the tackle box and in position to be blocked by a pulling lineman. And so he was. Right tackle Adam Snyder pulled out and put a body on Pistol, but Pistol didn't quit. He went high on Snyder and yanked him aside by the shoulder pads. Back in the scrum, Babineaux recovered and punched out the fumble. Gore was attempting to wrestle his ankle free and somewhat atop Terrill. The ball bounced forward and toward no team in particular before a streaking Wilson looped into the action and recovered for 43 yards.

It was the single most important play of the game, worth 30% of win probability, worth more than Matt Hasselbeck's late strike to Deon Butler, and more than the field goal that won it. It ended a menacing looking drive by San Francisco that had advanced into Seahawks territory and flipped field position. Seattle took the lead on the ensuing drive. It wasn't the better team all game, it isn't the better team on paper, but it mustered all the character Tim Ruskell saw in it and granted him his parting wish: Win.

The VRR: Cowboys Must Charge Ahead

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More VRR after the jump.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ray Sherman gives all the YAC credit to his receiver.

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

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

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

Hat to ImpactNate for the FanShot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dude Abides...The Stats That Don't Lie, Week 13

TJ Johnson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

3 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) is chased by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Travis Daniels (34) while running for a short gain during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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"Stats washed over The Dude...darker than a black steer's tookus on a moonlight prairie night..." Sam Elliott

In almost every Hollywood movie there is a moment that comes, about three-fourths through the movie, in which the hero or heroin appears defeated. This moment is called the "dark moment," and if you're paying attention, it appears in almost all stories. The great mythologist, Joseph Campbell, wrote a book called The Hero With a Thousand Faces, in which he described the hero's journey, and briefly, the dark moment:

Beyond the threshold, then, the hero journeys through a world of unfamiliar yet strangely intimate forces, some of which severely test him...(page 246)

For modern day storytellers, this is the moment in which everything appears bleak and all is lost. In the greatest movie ever made, The Big Lebowski (Citizen Kane, stay down), the dark moment occurs when The Dude is drugged by Jackie Treehorn (don't ask me for the rest of the plot, or you'll be here for hours).

Why all this talk about dark moments? Week 13 of the NFL. Aside from the normal unlucky-number reference, week 13 in the NFL was a dark moment for many teams. Some of them still have the ability to break through this dark threshold (Ravens, Cowboys, and Patriots). Others are headed for the abyss (Titans, Texans, and Falcons).

In what could have been the darkest moment of the Broncos' season, they decided to summon some inner-strength, face their own December demons, and emerge battle-tested on the other side.

Welcome to another edition of the Stats That Don't Lie, your own weekly Hero With a 1,000 Stats. These are the stats that won't refuse the hero's call. They are your statistical elixir. As always they include Turnovers, Field Position, Time of Possession, and 3rd-Down Efficiency.

A little note before our we enter the fray. I've been asked why I use these stats and why not other stats that have an even higher correlation to winning, like passing yards/drive or point differential. Although I do spend time on these other stats, and they are extremely useful and predictive in nature, I'm not as interested in them at the individual game level as markers or plot points. That's because I'm still interested in a good story. And I've found the four stats that I keep track of--when told together--weave one hell of a story in a language most fans understand. And in the rare instances in which they don't, I'm even more interested in telling that compelling narrative. And it's during these times I can bring in other stats.

The View From High Up

Here I usually put up a graph showing the turnover margin from each game, but let's do something a little different this time. Let's also see what the games would have looked like if we included turnovers on downs:

The orange bars represent the recorded turnover margins. These are the turnover margins that include fumbles and interceptions. Notice that only the New England game did the Broncos lose the turnover margin and win the game. Previously, I "normalized" Orton's Hail Mary from that game to show an even-turnover margin. I decided to leave it in this week since a few comments have been made that I could just as easily "normalize" other types of interceptions like tipped balls, etc. While I think everyone would agree that a Hail Mary is in a different category altogether, there is some validity to the point. So I let it ride. It doesn't materially change the point, however. When the Broncos lose the turnover battle, they generally lose the game.

The blue bars represent the turnover margin to include turnovers on downs. This changes things only slightly, but it's an important distinction, and worth a few words. Some stats geeks have argued for decades that turnovers on downs should be included in the turnover statistics. The thinking is that no matter the method of turning the ball over (fumble, interception, or downs), it still has the same basic result: the drive is dead. Clearly, there is a higher value in an interception or fumble because of the inherent possibility of a score, but a turnover on downs stops your drive just the same.

Why do I bring this subject up this week? Because it helps explain the Denver-Kansas City turnover margin. From the box score, the turnover margin looks even. But everyone who watched the game can tell you that, in reality, the Chiefs came out in the 2nd half, in their own territory, and on 4th down, attempted a fake punt (which was open, by the way). There was a turnover on downs and Denver was sitting pretty inside the opponent's territory. This would have been no different than if an fumble or interception had occurred.

Later in the game, the Chiefs again went for it on 4th down and failed. When you add these two additional "turnovers" to the total, Denver came out of the game plus 2. This explains a lot (not all), and certainly helps to explain the larger margin of victory. As Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know the rest of the story."

There are other issues in the Broncos-Chiefs game to discuss, but we'll put those aside for the moment to get into the meat of the rankings.

Team Rankings

Here's where the Broncos stack up against the rest of the league after week 13. Keep in mind these are averages/game:

You will immediately notice I added another boon this week for your amusement and education (what else is there?). This week I included average turnover margin/game. There was a reason for this. I wanted you to be able to see the discrepancy between a good team and a team masquerading as a good team.

Two examples will drive the point home. First, notice New Orleans. While they are ranked only 14th with respect to giveaways/game, the are ranked 2nd when it comes to turnover margin. What does this mean? Simply that, although they are giving the ball away regularly, they are getting the ball back in spades. Conversely, let's look at the Dallas Cowboys. They are ranked 8th in giveaways/game, but 17th in turnover margin/game. So we can say the exact opposite about the Cowboys. They aren't giving the ball up (on average) as much as the rest of the teams are, but their defense isn't creating opportunities either. America's team? Only if Americans like facades.

The Broncos continue to get by with a rather pedestrian 3rd-downconversion rate, at 35.12%/game. The league average for all teams is through 13 weeks is 37.80%. While this will beat the Chiefs and the Raiders (maybe), it simply will not get it done against the Colts (more on this later) or in the playoffs--unless the defense simply dominates and turnovers continue to come Denver's way.

On the positive side, Denver is doing a better job with field position and their time of possession average increased since they played ahead the entire second half and killed the clock by running Moreno.

Notice who have taken over the top stop in giveaways. It's the team quarterbacked by Philip Rivers. Want to start a 7-game winning streak? Don't turn the ball over. Want to win some close game that you shouldn't? Don't turn the ball over. Want the mainstream media to anoint you a contender (go ahead and crown their @#%!) for the 100th time? Don't turn the ball over. After week 5, San-Diego was ranked 22nd in giveaways, averaging 1.67/game. Now they are ranked 1st with .91/game. They aren't measurably better all of the sudden (no one in the NFL is). They aren't David Blane or Criss Angel, or even Siegfried and Roy (well, perhaps they are that). It's just that they have stopped turning the ball over.

Also, please stop thinking that the Jacksonville Jaguars are a playoff team. Right now they are simply playing one on TV. Their average turnover margin/game is -.33, and let me pull out another stat on you--points differential. Jacksonville's current point differential is -48. That's right. A team with a winning record is -48. This trend can't continue. Their points/points allowed ratio is .83. Historically (over the last 25 years), this ratio suggests they are a 6-10 team. Since they already have 7 wins, they are playing with house money. I believe they are--in the immortal words of one of the finest poets of our generation--Kip Winger, "headed for a heartbreak."

Picking Super Bowl teams isn't really fun until Indianapolis and New Orleans lose, so let me throw out a few more controversial choices. How about the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots. Both teams rank very well in all four categories, and speaking of points differential, the Packers have a points/points allowed ratio of 1.41. The Patriots, despite all of the crying by the main stream media, have a ratio of 1.46. There have been many Super Bowl Champions that have ratios at or below this ratio, including the 2007 Giants, the 2006 Colts, and 2003 Patriots. The highest ratio of points/points allowed in the last 25 years? The 1985 Chicago Bears with a ratio of 2.3.

Speaking of the Bears, it's now time I get in my weekly obligatory Jay Cutler blast. Once again I'd like to point out that Chicago is ranked 1st in field position. Imagine the kind of damage they could do if they had a QB who wasn't chain smoking interceptions.

Week 13 Summaries

There are a few games worth mention in week 13, but let's exhaust our analysis of the Broncos and Chiefs first. Already, we've noted that the turnover margin wasn't reflective of the true turnover margin in the game, since KC had two additional turnovers on downs. We can also look at the context of each turnover as well.

Denver turned the ball over on its first possession. Statistically, they were down minus-1 in the turnover battle early in the first quarter. Big freakin' deal. As we know, a turnover committed early in the game can be easily overcome. In this case, the first drive was simply 1 out of 15 drives that Denver had in the game. They scored on 7 others.

But it was even more interesting was how quickly Denver scored. Denver's average number of plays per scoring drive was just 6 plays. And Denver's average yards gained/play on these scoring drives was 6.5. Most of this was done on the ground. They were shredding the Chiefs--in a hurry. Combine this with Denver's points off of turnovers, 13 (including turnovers on downs), and you have the makings for a nice victory.

This does helps all of us swallow the 3rd-down efficiency pill a little easier. Even though Denver was only 30.77% on 3rd downs, they only had a total of five 3rd downs during their 7 scoring drives. They were making quick work of the Chiefs' defense.

Also of note is Denver's total domination with respect to the time of possession. Don't let this fool you. Much of this stat came in the 2nd half as Denver was simply killing the clock. In the 4th quarter alone, Denver dominated the time of possession 11:32 to 3:28. In this case, the time of was truly a reflection of Denver having the lead going into the 2nd half.

There are two other questions remaining from week 13. How did the Saints escape with a win in Washington? And how did Oakland beat the Steelers? Both questions have the same answer, and let's just be honest, stats won't make you feel any better about it.

But let's point out the obvious. First, the Steelers and Redskins did lose the turnover battle. In addition, the Steelers and Redskins were pitiful in the Red Zone. The Steelers were 2 for 5 and the Redskins were 3 for 7. Neither of these stats helped either team. However, with the game on the line, each team had the ability to win the game. And here's where one of the truths of football rears its ugly head:

Sometimes crap just happens.

That's right. How else do you explain what happened at the end of both of these games? Players make plays? Well, I guess if we are being technical. I was listening to the post game radio show on the Raiders' radio network (a mortal sin), and Gradkowski essentially said he was just throwing the ball up for grabs and knew it had a good chance of being picked off . Then a few plays later, the refs call a personal foul penalty on a seemingly normal hit, giving the Raiders 1st and goal. I suppose we should all be happy, for it it helped the Broncos in their quest for the playoffs, and it put the Raiders one step further away from being able to draft Ndamukong Suh. Still one has to wonder if the Raiders would be smart enough to draft him if he was available. Perhaps they would need to see a 40 time. It's always good to know the Raiders are not on the hero's journey.

The Redskins didn't fair much better. An interception-fumble-TD return by the Saints on 3rd-and-26? Seriously? A missed 23-yard field goal? Sometimes crap just happens, but it seems to happen to the Redskins a little bit more often, although after the game, Drew Brees credited Karma. Oh, well, one man's Karma is another person's crap.

2-Turnover Rule (Explained Here)

4 teams had 0 turnovers. 4 won (100%); For the season, 60/74 (81%)
10 teams had 1 turnover. 7 won (70%); For the season, 64/109 (59%)
10 teams had 2 turnovers. 2 won (20%); For the season, 48/110 (44%)
6 teams had 3 turnovers. 3 won (50%); For the season, 16/56 (29%)
1 team had 4 turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 4/25 (16%)
1 teams had 5+ turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 0/10 (0%)

Week 13 - Big Picture

The team that won the turnover battle won 13 of 16 games played (81%).
In the previous category, remove the ties (1 game) and this changes to 75%
The team that won the time of possession battle won 9 of the 16 games played (56%).
The team that had better third-down efficiency won 12 of the 16 games played (75%).
The team that had better average starting field position won 10 of the 16 games played (63%).
There were 3 games this week in which a team won all four categories. In all 3, the same team won on the scoreboard (100%). For the season, this stat is 62 out of 67 games. In only 3 games, however, has a team won outright in all four categories (no ties in the turnover battle) and lost.
The winning teams this week averaged 1.25 turnovers, 31:43 in time of possession, 40.45% on 3rd downs, and their average starting field position was the 30.23-yard line.

Top 5 in Week 13:

Top 5 in giveaways: New York Jets, Oakland, Philadelphia, and San Diego tied with 0.
Top 5 in time of possession: 1.Dallas 2.Jacksonville 3.Cincinnati 4.Denver 5.Green Bay
Top 5 in 3rd downs: 1.Indianapolis 2.Washington 3.Dallas 4.New York Jets 5. Tennessee
Top 5 in avg. starting field position: 1.Saint Louis 2.Denver 3.Cincinnati 4.Green Bay 5.Pittsburgh

Running Totals, Season (through 13 weeks):

192 games have been played this season
80.73% were won by the team with less turnovers (counting ties as wins)
66.67% with a better time of possession
66.67% by the team who won on 3rd down
70.31% by the team that won the field-position battle.

13-week League Averages:

13-week running average/game, turnovers (all teams): 1.70

13-week running average/game, time of possession (all teams): 30:11 (thanks to numerous OT games)

13-week running average/game, 3rd down efficiency (all teams): 37.80%

13-week running average, starting field position (all teams) 29.73 yard line

The Look Ahead

Looking ahead to Indianapolis, here is how the two teams stack up in the four statistical categories (keeping in mind these are averages/game):

Team Turnovers/Game Time of Possession Field Position 3rd-Down Efficiency

Denver 1.50 30:04 28.74 35.12%

Indianapolis 1.33 28:21 28.42 49.96%

I don't need to tell you what you already know, but Denver is going to struggle to win this game. Indy's speedy defense is built for 3rd downs. Peyton Manning and the Colts don't need time of possession and field position to win. They are last in the league in number of drives, but first in the league in yards/drive. The last thing the Colts do is waste time. Additionally, they are deadly running the no-huddle offense, which has vexed Denver to no end this year.

Most impressive is the Colts on 3rd down. There was really only one game this year in which the Colts had a bad day on 3rd downs. It was in week 3 against Arizona, and the Colts still won 31-10. However, the game is instructive. The Cardinals did a pretty good job in the first half of not giving away their defense at the line of scrimmage and stacking their linebackers to hide their blitzes. Manning had a bit of difficulty calling his audibles properly. Later in the game, Manning started using quick counts to counteract this strategy. Still, the tape would be useful to the Broncos so that they don't stand stationary in their standard 5-2 sets.

If there ever was a time for heroes, it is now. This will be an important test for the new Broncos and their new 3-4. In past years, Denver has been destroyed by the Colts--except the year the Colts decided to rest Manning. But just like winning in December in Kansas City, this Broncos' team could care less about what happened under Mike Shanahan. Perhaps this version of the Broncos will continue to buck the trends and return to Denver after slaying the monstrous Colts' offense.

It would be a great story, indeed. And the dark moment of Denver's 4-game losing streak would simply fade into myth.

Hail, Kyle Orton!!

Last stat: 50% (percentage chance that you can beat Dallas Clark in a 40-yard dash).

Week 13 Review: Chargers @ Cleveland Browns. Final: 30-23 Chargers.

Jeff (sliderockmpc) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:37 -0000

Behind a somewhat deceiving final score of 30-23, the Chargers handle their business in Cleveland, racking up an impressive offensive game and getting by on defense without some key players.

Chargers vs Browns boxscore

By and large, the Chargers treated this game as an exhibition, especially on defense. On offense, the Chargers pretty much had their way with an overmatched Browns defense. And, as was the case against Kansas City, the Chargers took advantage of opponents mistakes, played largely mistake free football, and ran their record to 9-3.

However, there were enough miscues, especially by the more inexperienced players on defense, that will give the coaching staff plenty to review and correct going into next week's game against what should be a desperate and dangerous Dallas Cowboys squad.

Grades are below the jump.

Quarterbacks: A

Philip Rivers is spoiling the Chargers and their fans. On the back of his impressive effort against Kansas City, Rivers posted another monster afternoon, completing 18 of his 25 pass attempts for 373 yards and 2 TDs. As usual, he was in total command of the offense, completing passes to 6 different receivers, and giving his receivers opportunities to make plays after the catch - both TDs were 5-10 yard throws that were turned into plays of 66 and 31 yards. He missed 2 opportunities on the Chargers' opening drive, one to Sproles at the 2 yard line, and another to Jackson in the endzone, but this is nitpicking.

Running Backs: B+

It was surprising to a degree that the Chargers did not run for more yards. LaDainian Tomlinson was effective, if not quite productive running the ball, producing 64 yards on 20 attempts and 1 TD. As usual, Darren Sproles was not effective running the ball in the middle, but the running backs as a group were spectacular as pass receivers. For the first time in a few weeks, Sproles got loose on screen passes, one of which was the 31 yard TD. The other was a great 66 yard catch and run by FB Mike Tolbert. Tomlinson had a 21 yard catch off a pass from WR Legedu Naanee to set up a 2nd quarter score. Blitz pickup was effective from the running backs a s a group, and as was the case against Denver a few weeks ago, the running game got better as the game progressed.

Congratulations to LT for passing Jim Brown for 8th on the career rushing yardage list, as well as being the fastest NFL player to 150 TDs.

Wide Receivers: A+

For the 2nd consecutive week, TE Antonio Gates had his best game of the year on Sunday, posting 8 catches for 167 yards. There was nobody in the Cleveland secondary who could cover Gates with any consistency, and even double teams on Gates had no effect, he pulled in receptions of 36 and 56 yards while double-teamed. Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd were largely quiet on receptions, but both players were brilliant blocking down the field. Jackson, in particular, threw the key blocks that sprung Tolbert and Sproles for their TDs. The Chargers pass offense has reached the moment we've dreamed of for a few years - regardless of which option you take away, there is someone else who will beat you.

Offensive Line: B-

Run blocking was marginally better than against Kansas City, but considering the Browns were missing DT Shaun Rogers, the Chargers OL should have dominated the line of scrimmage. It was surprising that the Chargers did not attack the middle of the Browns defense with more regularity. RG Louis Vasquez continues to improve in run blocking, driving a Cleveland defender into the endzone on Tomlinson's 4 yard TD run. RT Brandyn Dombrowski was solid for the second straight game, despite some early struggles on delay rushes from OLB Matt Roth. LT Marcus McNeill and LG Kris Dielman were solid as usual.

Defensive Line: B

The defensive line played better against the run than was the case last week, but there's no getting around how badly DE Luis Castillo is missed. Barring a run out of the Wildcat, and end around by Cleveland WR Joshua Cribbs, the Chargers defense played very well against the run. Considering the quality of players opposite them, the DEs Jaques Cesaire. Travis Johnson, Alfonso Boone, and DTs Ogdemi Nwagbuo and Ian Scott turned in a workmanlike effort. Their primary struggles were the inability to open pass rushing lanes for the blitzing LBs, Corners and Safeties.

Linebackers: C+

OLB Shaun Phillips had a decent game, making the key hit on Brady Quinn and forcing a fumble to stop a Cleveland scoring drive. Re-signed OLB Marques Harris also contributed a sack, which helped kill a Browns' drive in the 3rd quarter. Beyond this, unfortunately, the pass rush was virtually non-existent. OLB Larry English was handled by Browns' LT Joe Thomas. Inside, LB Brandon Siler has another solid game, recording 6 tackles and a defensed pass. However, both ILBs Kevin Burnett and Stephen Cooper really struggled in pass defense. Cooper, in particular, was exploited multiple times on seam routes by Browns' TE Eric Moore, and overran a play that should have been a INT return for TD.

Secondary: B-

For the 2nd straight week CBs Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie both had some issues giving the opposing WRs too much operating room outside. The Chargers also missed FS Eric Weddle in a big way in this game, with several missed tackles in the secondary. Also, the Safety blitzes which have been very effective over the last month and a half, were almost completely ineffective. DB Steve Gregory had his worst game in over a month, getting beaten down the field by Moore on a couple occasions. DBs Paul Oliver and C.J. Spillman also had problems - Spillman missed Jammer turning WR Mohammad Massaquoi over to him in the endzone, resulting in a TD on the Browns' opening drive.

Special Teams: B

As might be expected, the Chargers' coverage teams struggled to contain KR Joshua Cribbs, allowing an average 24.7 yards, with a long return of 42 yards. However, on Cribbs' 1 punt return, he was rocked by Spillman on a great tackle. Due to the effectiveness of the offense, P Mike Scifres was called on only once, and he produced a 49 yard kick. PK Nate Kaeding hit a trio of FGs from 22, 32, and 42 yards. Punt and kick blocking was problematic, as Sproles was shut down in Special Teams opportunities.

Coaching: B

Norv Turner took a workmanlike approach to this game; clearly he was interested in doing only what had to be done to win the game and nothing more. As a result, he was more conservative in his play calling - excepting the throw-back pass from Naanee to Tomlinson late in the 1st half. Turner went too conservative twice in the 4th quarter, running a FB dive on 4th-and-1 that came up short, as well as running 3 times inside the Browns' 10 on the Chargers' last possession. By going so conservative, Turner allowed the Browns to stay within striking distance - playing more aggressively on either drive would have shut the door on any Cleveland comeback. On defense, it might be time for Ron Rivera to tweak his blitz packages, as it appeared that the Browns were well prepared to handle them.

Hidden Plays (Non scoring, non-turnover plays that directly affected the outcome):

On the Chargers' 1st possession, Rivers misses Sproles and Jackson on back-to-back throws, forcing the Chargers to settle for a FG and giving the Browns some unwelcome confidence.
Cooper overran his zone assignment, missing out on an INT that easily could have produced a TD, as well as breaking the Browns' confidence early.
After the Chargers had taken a 10-7 lead, the Browns mounted another scoring drive. Cromartie makes a great tackle on Massaquoi to keep him out of the endzone - Phillips' strip and fumble occurs 3 plays later.
With 6 seconds remaining in the 1st half, Rivers throws to Floyd along the sideline for 11 yards, and Floyd gets out-of-bounds, preserving 2 seconds and Kaeding's FG opportunity.
The previously mentioned FB dive by Jacob Hester with 13:45 left in the 4th quarter comes up short. Instead of chewing up another 3-5 minutes of clock and putting a clinching TD on the board, the Browns drive for a TD and cut the lead to 13.

Biggest Positives:

No major injuries reported.
Penalty problems from last week are corrected, 1 penalty against the Chargers for 5 yards.
Re-emergence of Antonio Gates as a dynamic offensive weapon.
Several reserves and younger players get major experience and playing time.
Team play on offense contributes to huge scoring plays.

Biggest Areas of Concern:

Offensive line is unable to assert itself in the run game until the middle of the 3rd quarter.
Safety blitzes were ineffective.
ILBs struggle in space, allowing multiple big plays to the TE, slot WRs, and RBs on seam and flat routes.
Inability to finish the game on offense.
Allowing a seriously deficient opponent to hang around longer than necessary.

Looking ahead to:

To checking out the Cowboys brand-new spacecraft (seriously, it looks like the Axiom from WALL-E) and continuing the December blues for the Cowboys. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing just how far the Chargers have come, as it's been 3 weeks since the Chargers last faced a quality opponent.

Cowboys Fans: The Annoying Optimists

aramnath — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:36:55 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

These guys are among the reasons why Cowboys can really get under your skin. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Browse more photos »

I hate the Cowboys. As a Bills fan that grew up watching two Super Bowl beat downs at the hands of Big D it's hard to not to hate them. Not only that, but growing up an hour north of New York City, I grew up on a steady diet of Giants and Jets games. I was too young to even remember that the Giants beat us in a Super Bowl and with the Jets being a division rival I developed a strong affinity to the Giants as my second favorite team.

Side Note: I was 3 when they lost to the Giants so I have no recollection of that Super Bowl, but during the losses to the Cowboys I was 5 and 6. I became a Bills fan because I felt bad for them that they got beaten so badly both times by Dallas.

Neither my support for the Bills or the Giants however is the reason why I get such pleasure out of rooting for the Cowboys' misfortune. What really gets me going on that account is the way Cowboys fans just have a way of exaggerating anything and everything related to their team.

Tony Romo is an all-time great. The Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl this year. Every year we have to hear some bullshit excuses when your team fails to live up to your bloated expectations. This is then followed up with the usual talk about how next year is going to be different, which it hasn't been for 14 years now.

Romo is an above average quarterback. Forget top-5 in the league, the guy is the third best quarterback in his division behind Eli Manning and Donovan McNabb.

You're team is not a Super Bowl contender and hasn't been since your last playoff win in 1996, so don't act like the Cowboys are the shit. If they make it to the playoffs this year, which would be surprising, don't make the mistake of hyping them up as some kind of dark horse. When you have the same exact players and Wade Phillips as your head coach for three years, without adding much significant talent, the results are not going to change.

Also, please stop talking about the tradition that is the Dallas Cowboys. You're starting sound like an NFL version of Notre Dame fans. Nobody cares anymore that you won three Super Bowls in the early 90's and we really don't want to hear about those unforgettable teams from the 70's.

I know how it is to support a perpetually underwhelming team with the fan allegiances. So for your own sake, just stop being shocked by your team's continued failure, because nobody else is.

State of the AFC West Week 13

Sam (sdsuaztec4) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:16:37 -0000

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

Dude, smell my fingers! (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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Good news, everyone! The Chargers can become the first member of the AFC West to clinch a spot in the playoffs if they beat the Cowboys, like 8 other teams lose, Tim Tebow dies for our sins, and Brett Favre retires for the rest of the regular season and makes a comeback in the playoffs...for the Broncos.

Anyway, after being left for dead (by me and the MSM at least) after their 4 game losing streak, the Broncos have come back with two dominating victories over the G-Men and the Chiefs to stay within 1 game of the Chargers. The Chargers have a tough 3 game stretch (@DAL, vs. CIN, @TEN) but hold the tiebreaker over Denver so the Chargers still hold the best position to win their 4th straight AFC West title.

The Raiders now have two big wins on their schedule after the Gradkowski led them on multiple 4th quarter TD drives to win over the Stillers in Pittsburgh, something the Chargers couldn't do. While they still aren't very good, the are now clearly much better than the sucky sucky Chiefs. (HA! Take that Chiefs fans! I called your team sucky!) Let's see if the Raiders can beat the Broncos and prove they can win a division game (other than over the Chiefs, HA!) and maybe we'll think about considering whether the Raiders can be relevant again anytime soon.

Click the jump link thingy. Please.

AFC West Standings

	W	L	PF	PA
San Diego	9	3	342	242
Denver	8	4	240	202
Oakland	4	8	142	282
Kansas City	3	9	196	326

(updated 12.8.2009 at 1:21 AM PST)

Kansas City Chiefs: The whispers are Matt Cassel better get his act together soon are he might go the way of the Dodo. I'm not sure what they expected from a career backup who came from the devious Patriots. Although Josh McDaniels sure wanted him and he obviously knows about him. On the other hand, maybe he was just feigning interest to get the Chiefs in on him to guarantee they would suck. Josh is pretty douchy like that, coming from the counsel of Bill Belichick. All of that, and now the Chiefs might be facing the first blackout in like a really really long time. Not to mention they've only won one homegame out of the last 12. Anyway, enough bashing on the Chiefs. If you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all, right? That Jamaal Charles guy is really good.

Oakland Raiders: Even if their best defensive player is out and their QB is coming back from his 23rd concussion, anytime you beat the Steelers on their home field it is impressive. Anytime your QB leads you on two 4th quarter TD drives that's impressive. Gradkowski has now led two winning drives in the final two minutes in three weeks. Vote in the poll for the AFC West Question of the WEEK! Was Jamarcus Russell such a black hole of Suck that he made the entire team awful? Or are the Raiders just catching some breaks and playing teams at the right time? 400 yards of offense by the Raiders on Hienz field. Think about that. This is way too much Raider love though; probably because I hate the Steelers more than the Raiders because the Raiders suck and they have two former Aztecs starters on their team. (C. Shillens and K. Morrison).

Denver Broncos: So, after getting shellacked in Denver by the Bolts, the Broncos b*tch slapped New York and then pimp slapped KC. I still can't understand this team. Streaky is an understatement. The Broncos appear headed for a wildcard spot in the #5 seed, which means they would play the #4 seed in an away game in the wildcard round of the playoffs. It looks like right now that would be the Patriots. Can this Broncos team beat the Patriots in Foxbourgh in January? If I had to bet, I'd say no, but then again I thought they'd lose to both the Giants and the Chiefs. The good news for the Broncos is that they really got the running game together against the Chiefs which will do good things for them in the playoffs; although that might say more about the Chiefs defense than anything else. The Broncos have a tough 3 game stretch coming up (@ IND, vs. OAK, @PHI) we'll know a lot more after we see how they do in those games.

San Diego Chargers: Here's what we know: The Chargers have the best passing offense in the NFL according to ~~G0d~~ Football Outsiders, a sometimes useful running game, an inconsistent defense, and really injury prone starters. A lot of the Chargers future success will depend on the health of the team. Sound familiar? Like every post season from the last 4 years familiar? I'm REALLY starting to wonder about the training staff. The health of Eric Weddle, Shawne Merriman, and Luis Castillo are going to be very important down the like; not only because of the players themselves, but when Shawne is in, Shaun doesn't get doubled and is able to get more pressure...our match-ups against offensive players are much better. Eric Weddle might be the most important player on our defense. We get killed on defense without him. (See Browns, Cleveland). If the Chargers beat the Bengals, they have a very good chance of locking up the #2 seed and a first round bye...which is very important given our health issues. We definitely could use that time to heal up.

Poll

Is Bruce Gradkowski the long term answer in Oakland?

Previewing the Enemy: Washington Redskins

Rated-R Superstar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:39:28 -0000

It's a Super Bowl XVIII rematch! [via prod.static.raiders.clubs.nfl.com]

Alright, it's not quite a rematch from Super Bowl XVIII when the Raiders smashed the Redskins en route to their third Super Bowl title in franchise history. Nonetheless, this Sunday, the Oakland Raiders (4-8) will look to put together a winning streak as the Washington Redskins (3-9) will be coming to town. Don't let that 3-9 record fool you. This Washington team is better than their record and it clearly showed after taking Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans to the wire. They don't lay down and will play hard. With the team 2-1 with Bruce Gradkowski starting, the Raiders look to come away with another hard-earned victory as they did last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers as 15-point underdogs.

Let's take a look at their schedule and see how they've fared so far.

Week 1: @ New York Giants -- L, 17-23
Week 2: St. Louis Rams -- W, 9-7
Week 3: @ Detroit Lions -- L, 14-19
Week 4: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- W, 16-13
Week 5: @ Carolina Panthers -- L, 17-20
Week 6: Kansas City Chiefs -- L, 6-14
Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 17-27
Week 8: Bye Week
Week 9: @ Atlanta Falcons -- L, 17-31
Week 10: Denver Broncos -- W, 27-17
Week 11: @ Dallas Cowboys -- L, 6-7
Week 12: @ Philadelphia Eagles -- L, 24-27
Week 13: New Orleans Saints -- L, 30-33 (F/OT)

Well, this team is certainly interesting. Sitting at 3-9, this team could easily be 6-6 or even better. We will have to bring our "A" game, of course, if we want to secure a victory on our home field this Sunday.

Let's check out the Redskin offense first.

Pass Offense Rank: 220.2 yards/game; 18th in NFL
Rush Offense Rank: 101.0 yards/game; 22nd in NFL
Total Offense Rank: 321.2 yards/game; 21st in NFL
Scoring Offense Rank: 16.7 points/game; 26th in NFL

With stars Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis out, others must step up for the Redskins. [via cache.daylife.com]

If you recall, the Redskins offense was the subject of some controversy or what not concerning head coach Jim Zorn. Well, he gave up his play-calling duties to assistant Sherman Lewis. Since then, the offense has performed better. Who is the leader of this Redskins offense? I really don't know to be honest with you. Let's look a little bit into their personnel.

Jason Campbell, QB: Many people questioned Campbell's status as the quarterback this season. He was even benched in favor of veteran Todd Collins earlier. To me, Campbell is actually a pretty solid quarterback. He isn't going to set the world on fire or anything, but he can still hurt you. Campbell is completing 66 percent of his passes this season even if they are "dinks and dunks" most of the time. With 15 turnovers and 15 touchdown passes, Campbell's ratio isn't all that great. He has been sacked three or more times in five games. Obviously, getting some pressure on him would be nice.

Rock Cartwright, HB: Rock is solid, just like a rock. (Ha, get it?) If you want him to be the running back, he can. If you want him to be the fullback, he can. He'll even run back kicks and run down there on punt returns. He is a threat out of the backfield to catch passes. A somewhat physical runner, Cartwright doesn't really stand out in terms of either his speed or his strength. Cartwright has stepped up for the injured Clinton Portis (concussion), who just put on injured reserve. Also on injured reserve is Portis' backup Ladell Betts, so the Redskins are thin at running back.

Quinton Ganther, HB: Ganther, just in his second year out of Utah, is someone I just don't know too much about. Essentially moving up from fourth on the depth chart to splitting time with Cartwright, Ganther was mildly successful against the Saints last Sunday with 46 yards on just 8 carries. The week before that against the Eagles, Ganther had 32 yards on just 5 carries. We may see more of him against the Raiders with him averaging 5.8 yards per carry over the past few weeks.

Santana Moss, WR: The pint-sized and speedy Moss is Washington's leader in receptions (49), yards (642) and touchdowns (3). He is what you would call the team's go-to-guy, but really the Redskins have a lot of guys they go to. Still, Moss provides that veteran presence and can't be overlooked. Maybe this would be one of the few times where I wouldn't mind Nnamdi Asomugha moving around from receiver to receiver, which he will at least a little bit.

Wide receiver Devin Thomas had two touchdowns last week against the Saints. [via a.espncdn.com]

Devin Thomas, WR: The second-year receiver out of Michigan State, Thomas is a young man seemingly improving with each game of late. He has even been prominent in the kick return game of the past two weeks. Still, he has shined brightly in the passing game over the course of those two same weeks. After a decent game against the Eagles, he broke out for 7 receptions, 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week against the Saints.

Antwaan Randle El, WR: The ex-Steeler is still in Washington. Randle El, who is very durable having missed only one game in his eight-year career, he is a dependable target for Campbell despite only averaging 3.3 receptions per game. I believe this is more in part to the number of targets the Redskins like to use. The team isn't confined to both Moss and Rande El as you will see here in a minute in this preview.

Fred Davis, TE: After Campbell's favorite target Chris Cooley went down for the year, someone had to step up. Unknown at the time to Washington, it'd be his replacement. Fred Davis. Since October 26, Davis is averaging 7.5 catches and 45.7 yards with finding the end zone three times, including two times in his last three games. As most tight ends are, he is a threat in the red zone and Campbell has no problem looking his way.

Let's shift gears to the Redskin defense now.

Pass Defense Rank: 190.2 yards/game; 5th in NFL
Rush Defense Rank: 121.8 yards/game; 24th in NFL
Total Defense Rank: 312.0 yards/game; 9th in NFL
Scoring Defense Rank: 19.8 points/game; 14th in NFL

Linebacker London Fletcher leads Washington's better-than-you-think defense. [via cdn.bleacherreport.com]

Defensive coordinator Greg Blache and his Washington Redskins actually have a pretty solid group defensively operating out of the 4-3. You may not think so because of their 3-9 record, but I'm sure people don't think highly of our defense since we're just 4-8. Anyway, the Redskins are particularly strong against the pass. Safety Reed Doughty has quietly had a good year and young LaRon Landry is solid at his spot as well. A pretty solid group of cornerbacks are headed by veteran Fred Smoot, who is in his ninth year out of Mississippi State. The leader of the defense is the man in the middle, London Fletcher, who leads the team with 109 tackles. Brian Orakpo, the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft, plays on the outside along with veteran Rocky McIntosh. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season. He signed a monster contract in the offseason, but the Redskins' defense is only ranked 24th against the rush. His presence is desperately needed for Washington. Haynesworth is listed as questionable as of right now. At right defensive end, Andre Carter has nine sacks and deserves some Pro Bowl recognition for his great play. Again, this is a very solid defense and will do everything it can to keep their offense in this game late on the road.

Conclusion: The thing that sticks out defensively about the Redskins is their 24th-ranked rush defense. With Haynesworth questionable, he probably won't be playing on every down. Justin Fargas, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden should have success as long as head coach Tom Cable keeps giving them the rock. I believe of the first 28 plays against the Steelers, 18 of them were rushes. That is a similar ratio that I hope to see this week considering how strong Washington's pass defense is. Speaking of the pass, the breakout of Louis Murphy was something else, especially with Darrius Heyward-Bey out. It's nice to see someone step up at the receiver spot. Chaz Schilens even found the end zone for the first time in 2009 and Todd Watkins caught a key pass in the final drive. Johnnie Lee Higgins came through for us as well. Wide receivers against Pittsburgh caught 12 balls for 248 yards, both of which I'm sure were season-highs for our club. We're definitely going to need that against the Redskins' formidable pass defense against the previously mentioned Smoot and also Carlos Rogers and ex-Raider DeAngelo Hall. This may be a good test for Bruce Gradkowski as well, even though he did perform well against two really good defenses already in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I think we're ready for this.

Feel free to leave your predictions or even your own thoughts and ideas about the Pittsburgh Steelers and how we can earn a win our fourth win of the season on Sunday.

*-All stats are through Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

Poll

Do you feel more confident in a win, less confident in a win or about the same in a win after reading this preview?

FISH on FOOTBALL: A Cowboys Top Ten Takes Featuring Tony Romo's 'Turtle Shell'

Mike Fisher — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:20 -0000

Top Ten Takes on Cowboys-Giants, a FISH on FOOTBALL examination that includes "happy faces,'' "dirtbags,'' "December talk'' and Tony Romo's "turtle shell.''

1. I want to paint a happy face on the performance/potential of Felix Jones.

It's not going to be easy - he totaled nine touches, 19 yards and 1,900 references to him by Aikman and Buck as Dallas' "home-run hitter" - but I shall try:

Let's do it within the context of the Roy Williams TD catch that put Dallas up 17-14. Rafael describes it in beautiful detail here, and I'll coattail on that: Miles Austin in the backfield? A fresh look. Marion Barber as a sort of "fullback''? Nice wrinkle. Two tight ends? Suggests a run. Play-fake handoff to Barber? Good enough to draw attention at the point of attack. A pitch-out left to Austin? Wait, that's a fake, too! And finally, on second-and-goal from the 3, Roy Williams working in the confined spaces of the red zone for the touchdown catch.

Timing and precision and detail and execution, all designed with a very specific goal in mind.

Look for the Cowboys to apply the same philosophies to get Felix Jones untracked.

2. Three quick personnel notes:

*Anthony Spencer had a fine, impactful game. But I did not know that he was slower than Brandon Jacobs.

*Mike Jenkins is now almost good enough to earn the coveted title of "cover corner.''

*Some guys' performances are diluted by big contracts. Jay Ratliff? He seems to play every down as if he's trying to re-earn it.

3. I've defended Flozell Adams at most every turn this year ... even as some of those turns have turned nasty. There are logical reasons for the false starts and there are justifiable explanations for the tripping penalties.

But the half-ending brawl apparently triggered by Flo's cheap shot on rival Justin Tuck? I can't figure out what gives here.

Tuck is now calling Adams a "dirtbag.'' In context - and without knowing if Tuck did anybody to precipitate the incident - I see his point.

Adams is now calling Tuck a "nobody.'' And that cannot be true, inasmuch as Tuck is a co-star in those opera-singing Subway commercials with Jared. And they don't give Subway commercials to "nobodies.''

Unless you count Jared himself.

4. Folks are hesitant to say such a thing around here because of the heroic nature of special-teams coach Joe DeCamilis' presence, but ...

The kicking game suddenly sucks.

*Rookie David Buehler's touchbacks are disappearing. Four touchbacks in the last five games? Is that right? Add it up, even take into consideration the weather circumstances at Giants Stadium, and remember that's an entire roster spot being used on a kid who is suddenly not consistently booming it to the back of the end zone. He hit the endzone 7-out-of-7 times against Seattle, and he's still among the league leaders, and he's now got a bum toe. So let's stay hopeful that David gets this fixed.

*Nick Folk is a mess. When he missed that 42-yarder in the fourth, it did more than prevent Dallas from being down just 21-20. It drained the life out of a Cowboys team that was on the border of buoyancy because it has just converted on third-and-14. Is that four straight games in which he's missed a FG? Is Mat McBriar an inferior holder? When is enough enough?

*Patrick Watkins used to be known for his special-teams braincramps and he suffered one again on Domenik Hixon's crushing 79-yard punt return. Watkins was supposed to keep containment, let his focus wander ... and next thing you know, Hixon wanders 79 yards.

You can't kick field goals, you can't kick off and you can't cover ... I won't harp on the botched onsides-kick attempt, because that's so hit-and-miss ... but if you can't do those first three things, which shouldn't be hit-and-miss, there ain't much left.

5. I think my media brothers were relentlessly rough on Wade Phillips in his Monday presser. He says "Our guys are winners,'' and reporters badger him to offer "proof.'' Guys, what would you have Wade say about his 8-4 team? That it is something less than "winning''?

6. Regarding Marion Barber's screen-pass fumble: the Giants knew they were livin' right on that play. NY's Mathias Kiwanuka, allowed freedom from a poor Leonard Davis block, did not seem to really be trying to tackle the ball; it just sorta squirted loose from Barber. Then it's picked up by NY "star'' Osi Umenyiora, who'd been benched for this game but was in there as a specialist. His recovery sets up a 28-yard TD drive, makes it a game, and makes the Giants believe that even their gaffes are gifts.

7. At the risk of being a Cowboys-rootin' Pollyanna: The Cowboys had a chance to turn this into a laugher. Seriously.

Dallas was up 10-0, and the Giants - who have over the last five weeks struggled as badly as almost any team in the NFL - had to be mired in self-doubt. With 3:14 remaining in the first half, Bobby Carpenter blitzes. He's going to get a sack, the Cowboys are going to score again, and Dallas will take a 13-0 or 17-0 edge into intermission.

But Carpenter can't quite hold onto Eli Manning, who survives the pressure to somehow flip the ball to tight end Kevin Boss. He rumbles for a 16-yard gain, three plays later the Giants score, and the blowout that was ... wasn't.

8. Dallas' tackling - especially from its safeties - was a problem a year ago at this time, and I don't know, maybe the cold weather doesn't agree with the fellas, but Gerald Sensabaugh and Alan Ball had problems in this department.

I think arm tackling demonstrates a lack of "want-to.'' Don't you?

9. Valley Ranch filing cabinets are loaded with evidence that says the Cowboys are better than the Giants.

Consider Tony Romo's day: 41 completions, 55 attempts and 391 yards passing! (Too bad he missed Roy on a potential TD pass when the Cowboys were down 31-17 with four minutes left ... and the intentional-grounding hurt. ... but that's nitpicky, right?) Compare him to Eli Manning; take away Eli's dump to Brandon Jacobs that became the longest, slowest touchdown of the year, and Eli did nothing.

Or consider the raw data: The Cowboys won in turnover ratio, time-of-possession, total yards, third-down conversions, you name it.

But still - again - the supposedly inferior team won.

Why?

10. Well, don't dismiss December talk.

"We don't care about December talk,'' said Romo, trying to dismiss December talk. ... and fibbing about it.

They do care. They do know. Romo actually said the criticism has caused him to develop a "turtle shell,'' which is a rather cute word-picture. Up next on the schedule, the division-leading Chargers and the undefeated Saints. Let's see if the Cowboys pull their heads out. ... of their shells.

December is a Rorschach Test for Cowboys Fans

Rafael Vela — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:30 -0000

What does this look like to you:

Is it:

A. a sign of a team in 1st place?
B. A wolf wearing Patrick Crayton's number?
C. a black hole consuming the Dallas Cowboys?
D. A beef and cheese burrito?
E. something else?

From what I see on site, and hear in the Metroplex, the answer depends on your state of mind. And a lot of people are in a dead panic. Situational backups are being offered as sacrifices to the football gods. Coaches and QBs on other teams are openly coveted.

All because Dallas has lost one game in New York, in December. Funny, but I recall Tom Landry losing in the Meadowlands in December to some awful Giants teams. (Joe Danelo anyone?) Jimmy Johnson's guys lost at the Meadowlands in late '91, when all the penalties went New York's way. He lost at RFK in December '92 when Emmitt Smith tried throwing a pass out of his own end zone in the final two minutes and fumbled the game away.

Barry's guys went 2-2 in December '94, one of them a loss at the Meadowlands. His guys went 2-2 the following season, with the second loss the infamous "4th and 1" game at the thankfully-demolished Veterans' Stadium. His '96 team had their season put on temporary life-support by a 20-6 late-season loss in New York.

Chan Gailey's two playoff teams were 2-2 and 2-3 in December. Bill Parcells '03 playoff team was 2-2 in December.

Tom Landry's December record his last nine years as head coach ('79-'87) a period which saw six playoff teams and three NFC Championship Game appearances, was a lukewarm 16-15. That's right, 16-15. I don't recall any talk of December meltdowns back then, or cries for Tom to rush into retirement.

Every Cowboys coach has seen good teams, ones that won Super Bowls and went to NFC Championships, lose games in December. But I see some fans falling for the myth of a "December curse." Former Cowboys CB and current post-game radio show host Larry Brown gets my Kneejerker of the Week award for his amazing Sunday screed, where he said Wade Phillips should be fired at the end of the season, no matter what happens the rest of the way, because the team lost the Giants game. Ponder that: even if Dallas gets back on course and perhaps wins a playoff game or two, Wade should be instantly terminated because he lost to New York on December 6th!

Proof that announcers probably need the same 10 minute cooling down period after the final gun that the players and coaches receive.

The team has lost one game. It has lost four this season. It has responded to the other three with wins or winning streaks. The reasons for each loss have been different. The Denver loss was not the same as the Packers loss, and neither bore much resemblance to this one. There is no recurring breakdown which suggests a glaring personnel problem the team cannot overcome, though a Flozell Adams suspension would throw the offensive line into chaos this week.

There's a poll sitting in the right hand column of this site. It asks what people think the Cowboys' record would be over the final five games. Only 5% said 5-0. The overwhelming majority , nearly 50%, said 3-2. Well, they've lost one of the two games YOU PREDICTED. So why the instability?

Don't be spooked by press-fed ghosts, especially those which lack all context. If the team loses to San Diego, and looks awful in the process, okay, go nuts. In the meantime, remember where the Cowboys sit in the standings, because some of you are scaring me far more than any shortcomings I see on the roster.

Vote Emmitt, "Too Tall", and Haley for the HOF

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:09:51 -0000

This is a sponsored post by JC Penney/Van Heusen

It's Round Two... time to vote on the 25 Hall Of Fame semifinalists at fanschoice.com!

In October, we ran the first piece of our campaign to get BTBers and Cowboys fans to vote for Emmitt Smith. At that time, he trailed Jerry Rice for the #1 spot. Now, he and Raiders' punter, Ray Guy, are neck and neck for #2. A punter for crying out loud! Rice is one thing, but Emmitt can't lose out to a punter!

He needs our votes.

Make the jump for more details.

For just one more month, you can vote everyday at fanschoice.com. When voting, you can also enter in the sweepstakes to attend the induction ceremony. Voting ends January 7, 2010.

And when you vote for Emmitt, be sure to also drag the other two Cowboys, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Charles Haley, onto your ballot. These two great defensive ends have made it into the semifinals!

"Too Tall" played his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and is currently at #20 on the Fan's Choice list. He looks to be comfortably ahead of John Randle, and could move up past Joe Theismann with just over 100 more votes.

Haley won five SuperBowl rings, three coming with the Dallas Cowboys. How many HOF players have five rings? None. Currently, he's sitting at #14 between Richard Dent and Randall Cunningham.

Blogging The Boys and SB Nation have teamed up with Van Heusen/JCPenney and the Pro Football Hall of Fame to promote the first ever HOF fan vote. Although the Hall's official board of selectors will have the final say, our votes will be heard with the results being announced live on the NFL Network.

With the holidays upon us, time will fly so vote for your Dallas Cowboys!

While we're at it, Sam Hurd could also use our help in making it to the Pro Bowl as a special teamer. He's in on every unit - if it's not Pat Watkins making the tackle, it's Hurd. He's second on the team in ST tackles and doesn't even play one of the gunner spots; he makes his tackles from the fullback position.

Currently, he is second only to the Vikings' Heath Farwell in votes. It sure would be nice to see another helmet with a star on it in Hawaii.

Pro Bowl ballots are still open. Vote for Sam Hurd here.