SB Nation - Dallas Cowboys

The Division Race Could Be Over Soon. Really Soon.

Gonzo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:55:53 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey Phelps - AP

Thanks, guys! Because of you, we might be able to get a lot of rest over the last month of the season! (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)

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How soon? Well, how does Week 12 work for you?

In an entry on his blog this morning, Kevin Seifert points out to us how the NFC North divisional race could be over before the calendar hits 1 December. How? Well, a few different things would have to happen, none of which are entirely unfeasible at this point. According to Seifert, the things that would have to happen are as follows:

1) Minnesota would have to win their next three games to move their record to 10-1.

Thankfully, Minnesota has a three-game homestand coming out of their bye week, and none of those games are against teams that are playing particularly well. After the Vikings (hopefully) beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday, they have games against the Seattle Seahawks (currently 3-5) and the Chicago Bears (4-4) at the Metrodome. The Vikings should be favored in all three of those games, and probably heavily favored in the first two. . .heck, I've seen lines that show Minnesota as a 16.5-point favorite over Detroit (for entertainment purposes only, of course). Seattle has been abysmal on the road this year as well, sporting an 0-3 mark thus far and losing those three road games by an average of 17 points.

2) Chicago would have to lose one of their next two, in addition to their Week 12 matchup against Minnesota

The Bears have to turn around on a short week and fly out to the west coast to take on the San Francisco 49ers tomorrow night. (I almost feel bad for. . .wait, no I don't.) The Niners are reeling a bit, having lost four straight after getting off to a 3-1 start, but the Bears are reeling as well, having given up 40+ points in two of the last three weeks. After that, Chicago gets a little bit of extra time to plan for a home game against Philadelphia, (tenatively) scheduled for Sunday night, part of the NFL's inexplicable "Hey, let's try to get the Bears on in prime time as much as possible" strategy.

In any case, a loss for the Bears to either of their next two opponents and a loss to the Vikings would leave them at 5-6, and incapable of finishing any better than 4-2 against the NFC North, thanks to their Week 1 loss to the Packers. Speaking of Green Bay. . .

3) Green Bay would have to lose two of their next three games

It's tough to determine how many "easy" wins are on the Packers' schedule right now, what with them just having lost to the last winless team in the NFL. However, this seems like the least likely of the three things we would need to have happen to occur. On Sunday, the Packers will host a Dallas Cowboys team that is leading the NFC East and is riding a four-game winning streak since starting the season 2-2. It's going to be some tough sledding for the Packers to win that one, and frankly I'm not sure if they can do it. A loss there would put us halfway to what we would need.

However, the Packers' two games after that are a bit easier, with them hosting San Francisco and then getting a trip to Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Niners will probably give them some trouble, and Thanksgiving in the Motor City for the Packers has always been a bit of a minefield, but there's a pretty good chance of the Packers winning both of those games, in my opinion. But if the Packers were to fall to Dallas and to either Detroit or San Francisco, they would also be staring at a record of 5-6, and they've already been swept by the Vikings head-to-head.

So, if all three of these things played out over the next couple of weeks, the Vikings could go 0-5 over the last five weeks of the season to drop to 10-6, and if either Green Bay or Chicago ran the table to get themselves to 10-6 as well. . .they can't both run the table, as they have a head-to-head matchup in Week 14. . .the Vikings would remain ahead of the Packers on the strength of head-to-head record, and they would stay ahead of the Bears on the strength of division record (a Minnesota victory over Chicago in Week 12 would mean Minnesota couldn't finish worse than 5-1 against the NFC North, while a Chicago loss in that game would mean they couldn't finish better than 4-2 inside the division). Hence, the Vikings would sew up the NFC North division title after their upcoming victory over the Bears in Week 12.

Basically, it's not a matter of if the NFC North division race is over. . .it's a matter of when it's going to be over. We're Niner fans for the next couple of weeks for sure, as they'll be taking on both of our "closest" competitors, so hopefully they can help us out a bit on that front.

Analysis: Packers (4-4) After 8 Games

Brandon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:42 -0000

by Chris O'Meara - AP

2 days ago: Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Kellen Winslow (82) grabs a fourth-quarter touchdown pass as Green Bay Packers cornerback Charles Woodson (21) looks on during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. The Buccaneers defeated the Packers 38-28. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Obviously the 1st half of the season ended badly with a loss to what was previously the last team without a win. Ex-Packer DT Gilbert Brown took some shots at Mike McCarthy this week, and former S LeRoy Butler says it's time for Mike to "turn the play calling over to Joe Philbin." Really? Philbin might be a heck of a guy, but he's primarily been an offensive line coach since 1986 and became a 1st time offensive coordinator in 2007. After watching the offensive line struggle this season, it's not exactly clear whether Philbin is doing a very good job himself.

Here's how they measure up statistically after the first 8 games compared to the rest of the league, rankings from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	10	9	9	8

They're top 10 in every major statistical category. I would expect a winning record with those stats. For as bad as the offensive line has been this season, it sure hasn't stopped the offense from being productive. I'm not defending them, just pointing out that we can't just say the 4-4 record is all the offensive line's fault. There's something else going on here. More after the jump.

Let's compare them to three other teams, the unbeaten Colts and Saints, and the Cowboys. I think everyone would consider those three teams better than the Packers. Again rankings from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Saints	5	4	19	16
Colts	29	1	14	9
Cowboys	8	6	12	20

According to Football Outsiders: all 3 teams have an offense in the top 5 (the Packers are at No. 8); the defenses of the Colts (No. 6 overall) and Saints (No. 4) are playing great (the Packers are No. 5), while the Cowboys are struggling with the No. 20 defense. The No. 29 run offense from the Colts sticks out like a sore thumb, but obviously their No. 1 pass offense is more than compensating for it. The official rankings don't take into consideration that the Saints lead the NFL in INTs, but their run defense really isn't very good anyway you look at it. And the official stats don't notice that the Colts have only allowed 4 TD passes this season.

My point is that the Packers seem to measure up well against 3 teams that have combined for 2 losses in their first 24 games.

Though one area I haven't addressed is special teams. The Packers are dead last by a comfortable margin, according to Football Outsiders. The 3 worst special teams games of the season have been against the Bengals, Vikings (at Lambeau), and Buccaneers; all losses. An easy answer might be it's the special teams fault, but good special teams play doesn't necessarily equal a winning football team. Currently the Browns have the best special teams unit in the NFL, while some winning teams like the Saints (No. 26), Broncos (No. 27), and Steelers (No. 30) aren't getting much from their special teams either.

But something else jumped out in those 4 losses this season: passing TDs allowed. The Packers have allowed 16 passing TDs this season, tied for 4th worst in the NFL. 12 of those have been given up in the 4 losses, and it has worked out exactly to 3 TDs in each game. The common theme in those 12 TD passes was the absence of the pass rush.

Another problem is that 10 of those 12 TD passes were for 15 yards or less. In theory it might be easier to cover in the red zone, where there is less field to cover, but that hasn't been the case this season.

Against the Bengals: TD passes of 5, 5, and 13 yards. If you watch the highlight of each TD pass on NFL.com, you'll see QB Carson Palmer dropping back with no pressure in his face as he steps up in the pocket and throws. On the final 2 TD passes, you'll also notice S Aaron Rouse standing around after the play, looking confused. Which is probably one reason why he was released a couple days later.

Against the Vikings (in Minneapolis): The first TD pass from the 1 yard line was asking for trouble (Favre ran one way then turned to throw across the field for the TD) but they got away with it. The 2nd one was a strike to WR Sidney Rice for 14 yards, and similar to the TD passes by Palmer, Favre dropped back in the pocket and then stepped up to throw with little pressure on him. The final TD was a 31 yard pass to Berrian on which S Derrick Martin played the wrong coverage, and he hasn't been seen playing defense since.

Against the Vikings (at Lambeau): The 12 yard TD pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe had no pass rush again. The 51 yard TD pass was a fluke play where 3 Packers collided as they jumped for the ball, and Favre got away with throwing into triple coverage. The final 2 yard TD pass was a quick pass out into the right flat which the OLB couldn't get to.

Against the Buccaneers: A 6 yard TD pass that was a quick pass out into the right flat which the OLB couldn't get to. That play is something teams will try and exploit again since it worked in consecutive weeks. A 7 yard TD pass during which the Packers finally got some pass rush! DE Johnny Jolly broke free and collapsed the pocket, but LB Clay Matthews tried to go inside, so there was nobody outside to the left when QB Josh Freeman scrambled to throw a high arching pass to TE Kellen Winslow that only he could catch. On the final 7 yard TD pass, CB Jarrett Bush was fooled on a double move by a rookie WR into the right corner of the end zone. He could have gotten it if he hadn't been fooled, but Bush has been underwhelming us with his coverage skills for the past 3 seasons.

Some of those TD passes couldn't have been avoided. But on most of them, the QB had too much time to throw. The special teams and the offensive line have been bad this season, and the team would be a lot better if those units could get themselves turned around. But where they're losing games is on TD passes allowed in the red zone. What they really need is a pass rush, especially up the middle (paging Cullen Jenkins and B.J. Raji), to turn the opponent's red zone opportunities into FGs or stops.

The Linc - A lot of people watched Eagles vs Cowboys

JasonB — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:43:26 -0000

Eagles vs Cowboys a Rating Run Away - Radio Business Report/Television Business Report
From 8:30-11:45 p.m., NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the Philadelphia Eagles, averaged a 14.3/23 in metered-market households.

Are Westy's days in Philly numbered? - NFC East - ESPN
I hate to be the guy to say it out loud, but does anyone else think this could be running back Brian Westbrook's last season with the Eagles? He's been one of the best players in the history of the franchise, but at age 30 he appears to be more fragile than ever.

Court Rules Vick Can Keep Bonus Money
A federal appeals court is backing the judge who ruled against the NFL and let quarterback Michael Vick keep more than $16 million in roster bonuses from the Atlanta Falcons.

Sam Donnellon: Eagles always taking 'the next step' but going in circles | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/10/2009
Eagles head coach Andy Reid blamed himself for Sunday's debilitating, 20-16 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, saying, "It is my responsibility to make sure that we win those games.

Ankle is latest sore point for Eagles RB Westbrook | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/10/2009
"I don't think Brian's head is a [problem]. Brian had some work done on his ankle, so if he doesn't go on Wednesday that would be the cause unless something crazy [happens] with his concussion," Reid said.

Bills players split on idea of bringing in Vick - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com
In Buffalo, players seem split. Cornerback Donte Whitner said he thinks Vick would be a good fit. "I would encourage whoever to bring Michael Vick in ..." Whitner said. (via ESPN) "I would welcome bringing Michael here." Wide receiver Lee Evans, meanwhile, wasn't so optimistic. "I love him as a player and everything that he's done for the league," Evans said, "but I don't think it'll be anything we'll aggressively go after."

BTB Game Balls: Cowboys @ Eagles

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:47:02 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

"You'd better not prevent me from getting my BTB game ball," yells Tony Romo at the Eagle defenders.

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

Offense

Tony Romo - As the Cowboys transition into a well-prepared team that strives to get better every week, their quarterback is also conforming into that mold. Both the gun-slinging mentality and the critical stereotype of being a choke-artist seem to be dissolving from the aura that is Tony Romo. If Sunday night's game is any indication of how he has grown as a player, then maybe we can begin to expect a more patient, less risk-taking Romo. With the defense steadily improving and a seemingly growing number of offensive weapons waiting to contribute, Romo can just focus on taking what defenses give him.

Leave it to the Eagles to break Romo's no-interception streak. Whether Jason Witten was looking inside or Romo just overshot him didn't matter for very long. It was forgotten, as all interceptions should be. Instead of piling on more picks like we've seen him do in past division games, he refused to gift wrap anything else for the pesky Eagles' secondary. And that pesky Eagles' blitz was on him early and often. Personally, his fumbles have irritated me more than his throws to the wrong-colored jerseys. I concur with ImpactNate, "Way to take that sack, Romo!"

Aside from those big passes to Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton, Romo made the most of the little passes too. It was great to see him connect with Kevin Ogletree on those screens. First downs for everybody, especially if your name is Jason Witten or Roy Williams. And I loved how that little hop-of-a-pass out to Marion Barber early in the first quarter seemed to foreshadow that he would be able to get away from the rush - enough to at least pick up some postive yardage.

21 of 34 for 307 with a TD and a win against a quality division opponent on the road. That's positive.

Honorable Mention: Jason Witten, Marion Barber

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

Defense

Jay Ratliff - Double-team, double-team, double-team. No problem. Ratliff often just spins around them, or as we saw Sunday night, Coach Phillips will line him up at DE to terrorize the gap between the guard and tackle.

The Eagles had to have been wondering how they could continue double-teaming Ratliff when their rotating LTs were being harassed by DeMarcus Ware. When they didn't double-team him with a guard and a center, there he was disrupting running plays and leading the pocket collapses on passing plays. His pressure up the middle helped hurry McNabb on the Sensabaugh pick. And it was Ratliff crashing down the Eagles' line on that 4th-and-1 to allow Keith Brooking to fly over and prevent McNabb from sneaking out a few more inches.

One of the coolest things about watching the Cowboys now is how Ratliff roars to the sky, and then bashes his fists into the ground. In finishing the game with five solo tackles and two sacks, we got to see him do his signature move often against the Eagles (even though Stephen Bowen interrupted the completion of one). You can call it a sack dance or a celebration; whatever it is, is a precise representation of what Ratliff does to an offense: he wreaks havoc.

Honorable Mention: Mike Jenkins, Gerald Sensabaugh

Special Teams

Mat McBriar - On the season, McBriar is averaging 46.1 YPP (41.8 net) on 35 punts with only one of those being for a touchback. 20 of those 35 have landed inside the 20-yard line and 9 have been fair caught.

Against the Eagles, McBriar faced one of the league's best returners in DeSean Jackson. Because of his directional kicking and superb hangtime, Jackson did squat - being able to return just one of five punts for nine yards. For the night, McBriar averaged 42 YPP with three landing inside the 20 and a long of 57.

Honorable Mention: L.P. Ladouceur, David Buehler

Coaching

Wade Phillips - A defensive-minded head coach should love the challenge of taking on a divisional offensive-minded head coach. That's what Coach Phillips did against Andy Reid. Phillips used both his stars and his situational players to shake, rattle, and roll Reid's offense to giving up four sacks and two interceptions. McNabb and the Eagles' blockers looked confused more often than not. The Dallas defenders stuck to their leader's gameplan and gave up no big plays - keeping everything in front of them.

Sure, the Eagles got in some of their patented HB-screens and TE Brent Celek succeeded in pushing off on Sensabaugh for a score; but the homerun-hitting WRs were simply shut down. Jackson caught two balls for a measley 29 yards, while Jeremy Maclin led the group with three catches for 44 yards. The longest gain for the group was by Jason Avant for 23.

This felt like an over-the-hump game for the Cowboys and Coach Phillips had his team prepared. Amidst all the drama leading up to this game, the team persevered. After the game, Coach called the players "selfless". On offense, four different players carried the ball, seven different players caught at least one. The entire defense showed up (both starters and reserves) to play all-out and held the Eagles to 16 points. I would agree that there certainly is some selflessness going on around Valley Ranch.

Honorable Mention: Jason Garrett, Todd Grantham

The Cowboys did what they needed to do: pick up a divisional win on the road. A lot of players made plays, and it can easily be seen as a team victory.

Who gets your game balls?

The Cowboys Win the Second Quarter

Rafael Vela — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Kevin Ogletree is the latest find from The Playmaker Maker, Ray Sherman. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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We're at halftime of the '09 season and the Cowboys enter the intermission on the high, winning their fourth straight game, rising to 6-2 overall.

The jump was no fluke, as these tables demonstrate:

Offense

Games 1-4	Games 5-8
24 points per game	30 ppg.
401 yards per game	408 yards per game
164 rush ypg.	115 rush ypg.
237 passing ypg.	294 passing ypg.
6 turnovers	5 turnovers

Defense

Games 1-4	Games 5-8
19.5 ppg.	18.5 ppg.
371 ypg.	302 ypg.
115 rush ypg.	91 rush ypg.
256 pass ypg.	211 pass ypg.
6 sacks	15 sacks
4 turnovers	7 turnovers

Steady improvement across the board. The offense was producing yards in bunches and has continued, though the mix has shifted from the run to the pass. You can see the Miles Austin effect in the passing yards per game, which have jumped almost 60 yards per contest since Austin became a starter.

The defense has been much tougher to run against and to pass against, though the turnarounds on that side of the ball came much earlier. No team has run effectively against the Dallas front since the season opener in Tampa. The low point for the pass defense came the following week when Eli Manning ripped them apart. The secondary has steadily improved since then.

The weakness has been inability to close out games, though they made the necessary stops against the Eagles Sunday night. The Chiefs drove for a late, tying touchdown, and the Falcons and Seahawks each put garbage-time TDs on the board. If this unit wants to improve in the third quarter, the 60 minute men we just saw will have to replace the 55 minute men on a more consistent basis.

What a Difference Some Health Makes

One year ago, the Cowboys were coming off another tough, 4-point win and were at a very respectable 5-3. That's the only real similarity between the '08 bunch and this one.

On last year's offense, Kyle Kosier, Felix Jones and Sam Hurd were already gone for the year. Tony Romo was rehabbing his broken pinkie for the second of four weeks. Flozell Adams was playing with one good arm and one good hand. Miles Austin was rehabbing a bum knee for the second time since Oxnard; new Cowboy Roy Williams was learning the playbook and how to fit in with that Terrell Owens fellow. His QB was Brad Johnson.

On defense, safety Roy Williams had just been placed on I.R. Adam Jones was suspended. Terence Newman was rehabbing from hernia surgery and Anthony Henry was on his 19th nervous groin strain. Zach Thomas was playing one inside linebacker spot and looking like a human pinball at 227 lbs.

The injuries this year have been far less severe and of much shorter duration. Marion Barber and Felix Jones have missed games but are back in the lineup. Roy Williams rib injury proved the happy accident that forced Austin into the starting lineup. On defense, Gerald Sensabaugh missed some time with a broken thumb, but has played remarkably well since returning with that thumb in a splint.

There's only one games worth of difference between last year's Cowboys and this year's bunch, but it seems like so much more.

Mid-Season Game Balls

I'm going to crib Aaron's idea and note the coaches who have distinguished themselves thus far this year:

Todd Grantham -- It's not Jay Ratliff and a bunch of guys anymore. Igor Olshansky and Marcus Spears are pushing their men backwards and resetting the line of scrimmage on wide runs. Stephen Bowen has stepped up his pass rush, as has Jason Hatcher. Junior Siavii was a big question mark but he's giving Dallas the active dozen or so snaps they need to rest Ratliff.

Reggie Herring -- Anthony Spencer is still looking for sacks but he's extremely active against the run, covers well, and is doing a fair Carl Banks impersonation in his second year as a starter. Herring has gotten Victor Butler to perform. He has three sacks in very limited time and could match Greg Ellis' '08 sack totals with a modest uptick in production.

Dave Campo -- His guys looked great in the Alamodome, then all stumbled against the Bucs and Giants in weeks one and two. Nobody is ripping him now. Mike Jenkins was the first to snap out of the post-Giants funk and has three interceptions at right corner. He looks like an emerging star. Terence Newman has a newfound desire to hit people and is no longer giving up the deep throws we saw the first month. Orlando Scandrick found his game last weekend and had another good game this week. The Seahawks and Eagles each completed a seam on him but Scandrick had skin-tight coverage on both plays. This is the guy we saw last year.

First Half Assistant Coach of the Year

Ray Sherman -- The Cowboys keep giving this guy low picks and undrafted free agents and Sherman never complains. He just develops his kids and they're making him look great right now. Austin has made plays for a full month now and his bomb against a tough Eagles secondary suggests he's won't disappear. Kevin Ogletree showed an Austin-esque ability to rack up YACs against Philly. Look at his two flanker screens from yesterday and you see a guy who attacks corners and safeties like a halfback. He's got some power and can slither and spin. Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd pick their spots, but at least one of them makes a big play each week.

Sherman has three UFAs, a 7th rounder and a 1st rounder in his arsenal. They're all producing. A nod of recognition and gratitude goes Ray Sherman's way. If Michael Irvin was The Playmaker, Sherman could be called The Playmaker Maker.

Special Mention to the Front Office

The Cowboys didn't spend much in the offseason, but their investments have paid huge dividends. Bart Scott and Ray Lewis were the big ticket ILB free agents. Dallas was linked to Lewis for a while, but what Cowboys fan wouldn't want Keith Brooking right now? The Ravens wish they had his contract, instead of Lewis' long-term monstrosity.

The Cowboys passed over big-name, greybeard safeties Brian Dawkins and Darren Sharper and brought in Gerald Sensabaugh. Dawkins and Sharper have given their new teams huge boosts,but it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their level of play for 16 games. Sensabaugh has filled the need at strong safety, combining solid coverage with aggressive run support.

Dallas' biggest move involved scaring the Jets off Miles Austin. New York had an offer sheet prepared but didn't follow through after the Cowboys made it clear that they would match any offer. Think the Jets would prefer Austin today, or Braylon Edwards?

The team paid small money and has seen big results from Austin, Brooking and Sensabaugh. Their plan to eliminate the malcontents and the stupid has done nothing but good thus far. A tip of the cap to Tom Ciskowski, Stephen Jones and that Jerry Jones guy.

Now, get back to work!

Armageddon 2009: Patriots v. Colts

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:40:02 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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This week, we get to gear up for (arguably) the most anticipated regular season game on the entire NFL schedule: The New England Patriots at the Indianapolis Colts. Despite both teams not playing in the same division, and despite both teams not facing in other in the playoffs since the now-legendary 2006 AFC Championship Game, this match-up is indeed still the best rivalry in pro football.

Hell, it might be the best rivalry in all of sports.

More people will likely watch this game than any Red Sox v. Yankees game that was played last baseball season. It will likely gain higher ratings than the World Series, the NBA Finals, or the excellent Hockey playoff match-up last season that pitted their game's best players (Capitals ace Alexander Ovechkin and Penguins phenom Sydney Crosby) against each other. And while football rivalries like Packers v. Vikings, Cowboys v. Giants, and Steelers v. Ravens feature impressive teams loaded with big stars who are followed by large fanbases, no two players get debated more than Tom Brady v. Peyton Manning. And there is a reason for this.

They are the best in the league; maybe ever.

With all due respect to Drew Brees, who is having an amazing year with the still undefeated Saints, he can't touch Tommy Terrific or Perfect Peyton. Brees has all the physical tools, but until we see him rise to the occasion and lead his team to a conference championship game win, one can't put him on Brady or Manning's level.

Personally, I have long maintained Peyton is better than Tom, and unlike many of the Pro-Brady faction, I actually have tangible evidence to back it up. Peyton has helped his team to more wins. He has more impressive career numbers than Brady. And, to put it bluntly, Peyton has had a bigger overall impact on the league than Tom.

That no-huddle, spread offense the Patriots have used since 2007? Yeah, Peyton brought that back en vogue ten years ago.

But regardless of where you fall in the debate, what many of us agree upon is that these two are, quite possibly, the best to ever play the position. And while the morons in the established media world might claim that this reason or that prevents Manning or Brady from being in the all-time discussion (remember Chris Collingsworth saying earlier this season that Peyton Manning needed to win one more championship to be considered on the same level as Dan Marino... why does this schmuck still have employment?), what we fans know is that time and again these two have DEFINED great quarterback play for an entire generation. And as these two continue to re-write history books, the classic Pats v. Colts rivalry has begun to take a turn.

More so than any other time before, the rivalry has evolved from a nasty, bitter slap fest into one of mutual respect. Sure, we think (and know) the Patriots are cheaters, and Patriots fans think our Colts are nothing but cry-babies who change the rules to help them win. However, despite the outward silliness (and name-calling fun) of the rivalry, both sides also know that both teams demand (and have earned) respect.

In addition, both fanbases also respect one another. For me, pro football suffers when the Pats v. Colts rivalry suffers. I know about a billion Patriots fans who likely agree with that sentiment.

Keep an eye out here and at Pats Pulpit for more lead-up to this excellent rivalry game.

FISH on FOOTBALL: The Cowboys Stand For Everything That Is FIRST In The NFC East

Mike Fisher — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:28 -0000

John Harbaugh, the Ravens coach formerly with Philadelphia, has a quote recently revealed in an Eagles-centric book that goes, "The Cowboys stand for everything that is wrong with the NFL.''

My response? If winning five Super Bowls is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

An assortment of post-Philly reflections on a Cowboys team that at this moment stands for everything that is first in the NFC East:

* Few teams make big plays like the Eagles offense makes big plays. McNabb is a quick-strike/deep-strike talent. Jackson catches nothing but 50-yard gainers, and I mean that as a compliment. Even the running back, Westbrook, seems when healthy like a home-run threat on every touch.

But what the Eagles do not do - and I think this was critical to the Cowboys' 20-16 victory at Philly on Sunday night - is sew together multiple series of little plays.

That's not an offensive team capable of grinding you down, of setting up third-and-2's, of facing a good defense (which Dallas certainly is right now) and pulling off a few eight-play/80-yard/eight-minute drives. They are explosive and they are scary, but an over-reliance on 50-yard pass plays means that when they aren't there, the Eagles lose. ..

The Eagles managed just two plays of 20-plus yards. So the Eagles lost.

* Now, compare that to what the Dallas offense did on a trio of late-game third-downs.

Third-and-2 with 2:02 left, a "little play'' for a first-down for Witten.

Before that, third-and- 13 with 8:13 left, and maybe because of Dallas' penchant for "little-play'' success, Philly bites on a pump fake and Romo lofts a beauty to Austin for a 49-yard catch-run-and-score.

Romo's passing on Sunday on third downs? He was 9-of-11. That's nine, nice "little plays.'' ...

* Jerry Jones catches a lot of hell for the swing-for-the-fences personnel moves that don't work out, but I think we take for granted the at-bats that do work out. Example: Jay Ratliff. Came from nowhere. Paid big money while on the cusp of reaching his peak. Now doing so while playing at an All-Pro level. Disbelievers, go watch the Philly-Dallas tape. The kid is taking on blockers as nose tackles must yet doing things not unlike what Vikings DT Kevin Williams does. And that's All-Pro level.

* I thought Felix ran way too "careful'' on kick returns. Was he trying to hit homeruns on every touch? Was he protecting a wound? Somebody needs to tell Felix that a north-south approach that allows the Cowboys decent field-position starts, say, at the 30, is advantage enough. ...

* I'm going to assume that clock operator in Philly doesn't even know how to Fall Back and Spring Forward because his work was an embarrassment to the league. You get home-towned on the clock in high school, not in the NFL.

* Some people might consider the unbalanced line to be a "High-School Harry'' trick. And indeed, when I coached kids, we did it all the time. Flipped our right tackle over to the left side - especially if that was the wide side of the field - and ran left. The other team had to know it was coming ... but they still had to consider staying balanced on defense and they still had to contend with my best blockers all pushing people around in front of the ballcarrier.

It's not a gimmick - it can be a staple. Besides, I dare you to tell Marc Colombo to his face that he's a "gimmick.''

And that's how to exorcise memories of 44-6. ...

* The defensive coordinator of this team - and his players - are starting to come up pretty big in mano-a-mano moments. Dallas had a large fourth-down stop in Denver that didn't result in a win. But Brooking-vs.-Nabb on fourth-and-1? That's practice, gameplanning, preparation and want-to.

Advantage, Cowboys. ...

Now, rookie defender Victor Butler grabbing McNabb's toe to prevent a third-down conversation and creating a situation where Philly never again got the ball back? I'm not sure how you plan for Victor Butler to grab McNabb's toe.

But whatever ... Advantage, Cowboys, again.

* I know conventional wisdom has it that Andy Reid is a genius and Wade Phillips is a doofus. But when Reid decided to kick a field goal with four minutes left to cut the lead to four - while the Eagles, I believe, had no timeouts remaining?

Goes to show you, sometimes everybody is a doofus.

* Roy Williams' positive reaction to Miles Austin's game-sealing TD catch in Philly was suitable for framing. Once all the talk and all the fake controversy was quieted, Roy was the embodiment of what your mama used to say about your character: "It's measured by how you behave when nobody is looking.''

Oh, and five-for-75 was helpful, too.

* Who does Michael Vick play for again? And why?

The Aftermath: Eagles Week Nine Injury Report

Bob_Q — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:11:57 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

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As if losing to the Cowboys at home wasn't bad enough, the Eagles now have a lengthy injury list to deal with during the coming week. Probably the most worrisome loss is that of weakside linebacker Akeem Jordan, who suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. The Eagles have had a very rough season at linebacker so far, and with Jordan's status labeled as "uncertain" the defense will have to rely on backups Jeremiah Trotter, Moise Fokou, Tracy White, and Joe Mays, none of whom have performed very impressively so far. Let's hope Jordan gets better soon so he can bring his tenacity back to the field.

Another potential major loss comes in the form of an ankle injury to one Jason Peters. Peters' ankle has been giving him trouble all season, and while Todd Herremans is certainly a capable fill-in at left tackle, the last thing the Eagles offensive line needs is for another starter to miss playing time.

Leonard Weaver, Ellis Hobbs, and Quintin Demps all made the injury list as well. Fortunately, Weaver's sprained ankle is not expected to cost our valuable fullback any practice time. However, the same cannot be said for cornerback/kick returner Hobbs, whose neck injury will require further evaluation. Demps' ankle sprain should limit his practice time this week, but there is a chance he will play against San Diego this Sunday.

But not all is lost, Eagles faithful. This week we get to witness the return of three and a half starters: Brian Westbrook, Victor Abiamiri, Chris Gocong, and Kevin Curtis. According to Andy Reid, all four players are expected to practice this week. Not a moment too soon, either. The absence of Gocong was certainly felt last game, as rookie backup Moise Fokou drew two very costly penalties, including one that negated an Ellis Hobbs return TD. The return of Westbrook and Curtis will certainly help our offense by giving Donovan McNabb more options to throw to, but don't expect to see Curtis take back his starting job from Jeremy Maclin. Curtis has been out the entire season and will likely have a lot of rust to knock off.

The VRR: Cowboys Bring Down Their Third Consecutive Bird Team

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:39:55 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

T-E-A-M! Once again, the Dallas offense and defense unite in victory.

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Since their bye week, the Dallas Cowboys have achieved home victories against the Atlanta Falcons, the Seattle Seahawks, and then hit the road to take down the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. They outscored these three bird teams 95-54. This run through the NFC aviary exemplifies how well the offense, defense, and special teams units in Dallas have come together to launch the team atop the division with a 6-2 record.

While scrolling through stories regarding last night's 20-16 victory over the Eagles, I noticed many writers use the same four-letter word when describing the Cowboys: team. Sure, Dallas did not play a perfect game, but it seems as if the coaches are getting the most out of each of their players. In turn, the players are responding by being in position to execute their playcalling. Simply put - the Cowboys are, all-together, clicking.

More VRR after the jump.

Pairing up a good pass rush with some nice coverage in the secondary is always a good recipe for defensive success.

Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware overwhelmed the Eagles' offensive line and stayed in quarterback Donovan McNabb's face throughout the game. McNabb was only 16-of-30 for 227 yards and he threw two interceptions. He appeared completely out of rhythm for much of the evening -- and the secondary played a large role in that. If you take away the deep ball from the Eagles, they're not much to look at. It's not like they can turn to a power running game.

"We took it personally that no one was giving us any respect," Jenkins said. "We've been shutting receivers completely down, but people weren't talking about it. I think we made a statement tonight. To come into their house and walk away with a win ... I think it's a big statement."

'Twas a quiet night for the Eagles' young WRs.

Although speedy wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin looked as if they could break a huge play at any moment, they never did. The Cowboys' secondary held them in check while a fierce rush and a heavy blitz maintained serious pressure on McNabb that produced four sacks and two interceptions.

Jackson, who had at least one 50-yard play in five of the first seven Eagles games, was limited to two catches for 29 yards. Four Dallas wide receivers caught passes for more yards.

Again, Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and Miles Austin combined to break the opposition's heart at a crucial point in the game.

Austin beat Brown badly off the line of scrimmage to make the catch all alone at the 24. He then cut inside to race untouched into the end zone, where he celebrated by firing the ball into the net behind the goal post.

"They had a double move there," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "Sheldon played a heck of a game, but they got him on a double move there."

Romo helped sell it with a pump fake. "I thought they had been jumping it a little bit throughout the game, so we went with it," Romo said. "They bit on the fake, a couple of guys went to it, and I just gave him the ball and he did the rest."

The four-play, 55-yard drive that ended with Austin’s score began after the Cowboys made their biggest defensive play of the season. On fourth-and-one from the Dallas 45, Donovan McNabb tried to sneak it over right guard only to get stopped cold by Marcus Spears with 10:49 left. The Eagles challenged the spot, but the play was upheld, costing them their final timeout.

With the game on the line, when you need just one more first down, go to Jason Witten.

"That’s just the way it is . . . I understand it, we have to get it blocked," Witten said. But on the third-and-3 late in the fourth quarter, Witten knew the final pass was going to him."Yeah, that was the play," said Witten. "I knew I was going to get the chance to make it."

And he did, catching his seventh passes of the game for 43 yards. But it was those last five yards that put the game away. When it comes to wanting the ball, Witten really is no different than any other receiver. He feels like he’s good enough to make the play when it counts.

The "spread" offense continues as Romo hit seven different receivers.

One game after Romo spread the ball around to 10 pass-catchers, seven caught balls Sunday totaling 307 yards, Romo’s fourth 300-plus-yard game of the season. And, yes, his perfectly placed 49-yard bomb to Austin in the fourth quarter was the back-breaker.

But Romo’s best achievement might have finally been getting him and struggling receiver Roy Williams on the same page. Williams caught a season-high five balls for 75 yards. Most impressive was the percentage Romo completed to him. Romo threw his way eight times, completing five. Entering the game, the two had connected just 38 percent of the time.

Razorback > Wildcat.

"It was good to see us get that working tonight," center Andre Gurode said. "To us (linemen), it's really not anything different. We're still blocking like any play. But we knew it's something that can be successful."

(Leonard) Davis, who paved the way on the three rushing plays, said the always-vocal Choice gives him a personal pep talk before each play in the huddle.

"He goes up to me and says . . . 'Big Leonard, I'm running it up right behind you . . . I'm running it behind you,'" Davis said of Choice. "He gets excited about it. I already know before we run the play, I already know what the results are going to be. It's just something you have to study the look and how they're going to scheme against it. It's like any other run play -- when we have the numbers, it's going to be hard to stop."

Another new offensive weapon came through for the 'Boys: WR Kevin Ogletree.

Twice Ogletree snatched third-down screen passes from quarterback Tony Romo, for 20 and 17 yards, to put the Cowboys inside the Eagles’ 5-yard line both times, setting up the first touchdown and a field goal late in the first half.

Ogletree also recorded the first run of his career, picking up 6 yards on an end-around, a play used mostly for Patrick Crayton and then last week for Miles Austin for the first time.

Some Cowboys bumps & bruises:

Felix Jones strained his neck. Andre Gurode sprained an ankle. Mike Jenkins "jammed" his wrist. All are expected to be fine. Also, Anthony Spencer suffered a groin injury, which we should learn more about in Coach Phillips' press conference today. It doesn't sound too worrisome, though.

Philly writer, Bob Ford, uses last night's game to question the strength of the NFC East.

"We battled our tails off," Reid said. "It was two heavyweights swinging at each other, a tough, hard-fought game."

That might be how he saw it, but the two teams combined for three turnovers, 11-for-27 third-down efficiency, and more than 150 penalty yards. These teams looked like welterweights at best. It has been difficult all season to figure out how good the Eagles might be. Until last week, when they thumped the Giants, their only meeting with a legitimate opponent had ended in a loud defeat against the New Orleans Saints. They also managed to lose to the Oakland Raiders along the way, which is the textbook definition of being unpredictable.

The Cowboys split their first four games, losing to the Giants and the Denver Broncos, and have now won four straight.

The Giants, meanwhile, won their first five games, have lost their last four, and head into their bye on fumes.

The question is whether these are three very good teams taking turns pounding each other, or whether these are three inconsistent teams that show up sometimes and not others. Watch a game like last night's and it's tempting to say the latter. Apologists and head coaches will tell you that tackle football is a messy business and that motivated opponents can make any team look sloppy. There's some truth there, too, but it doesn't account for stupid penalties and unimaginative play-calling.

Here's a cool, new website to check out if you plan on attending a sporting event. It's stadiumjourney.com. They even have an awesome review of Cowboys Stadium...he, he.

The Linc - Time is trouble

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:08:33 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

2 days ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb covers his mouth in the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Philadelphia. Dallas won 20-16. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Phil Sheridan: Once again, time is trouble for Eagles | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/09/2009
Andy Reid's reasoning wasn't terrible when he sent his field-goal team out with 4 minutes, 33 seconds showing on the clock. His math was another story.

Eagles come up short against Cowboys | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/09/2009
RED FLAGS and red faces were the story at the season's halfway point, as the Eagles stumbled last night when given the chance to take control of the NFC East.

Cowboys bury past, McNabb - NFC East - ESPN
It wouldn't be wise to make any sweeping judgments on the Dallas Cowboys until their cruelest month arrives in December, but it's fair to say they took an important step at the Linc on Sunday night. They returned to the site of one of the most regrettable performances in franchise history and seized control of first place in the NFC East with a 20-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brown Eager to Forget About Blown Coverage, Loss
It’s not easy being a cornerback in the NFL. Not during the game, and often not after it, either.

Eagles' Stewart Bradley, Cornelius Ingram making progress with injury rehab -- themorningcall.com
Two injured Eagles who are rarely seen during open locker room sessions reported encouraging news about their recoveries Thursday at the NovaCare Complex. Linebacker Stewart Bradley and tight end Cornelius Ingram, who each underwent surgery to repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments suffered in the preseason, are making excellent progress with their rehabilitation work.