Who do YOU give kudos to after this win?
The Cowboys finally did something they haven’t done since I was a senior in high school, win a playoff. The 34-14 win over the Eagles was the first playoff win for the Cowboys since 1996. It would seem that, for the most part, the demons of the past are going away from this team.
Congratulations are in order for the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys. After posting consecutive shutouts for the first time in franchise history in a 24-0 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys claimed their second division title in three years. The reward: a rematch against the one and same Eagles.
The Cowboys went to Washington and got themselves a shutout, beating the Redskins 17-0. In the process, they snatched up the last available playoff spot in the NFC (thanks Giants!).If the Cowboys are going to advance in the playoffs, there are some issues that need to be ironed out in the run game.
Swoon over? For one week, at least, you bet! The Cowboys stunned everyone but themselves by taking down the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints at the Superdome, 24-17.
For the first time in a while, the Monster, two-thirds of it at least, played a significant part in the win, totaling 32 carries for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 2 catches for 21 yards.
When KRLD-FM asked Jerry Jones about Marion Barber’s role, he gave a very candid and (believe it or not) accurate response. According to ESPN.com, Jerry said,
I think the real question is, should he be finishing rather than beginning? In his Pro Bowl year, where he had his best year, [Barber was] finishing the game. If you recall, Julius Jones started the game. We injected the quickness of his speed there early.
OOPS! The worst case scenario for the Cowboys is in full effect as Dallas fell to the Giants 31-24 at the Meadowlands Sunday evening. Along with that, the Eagles won Sunday, which puts them in a tie for first in the NFC East with the Cowboys with the Giants a game behind and holding the tie-breaker with the Cowboys. There are several area to look at in this loss and the ground game is one of them, as the “Monster” finished with 23 carries for 45 yards and 6 receptions for 20 yards. I think its safe to say you’re not gonna win many games averaging less than 2 yards a carry.
WOW! For one week at least, the Monster got its groove back, finishing with 24 carries for 194 yards and one touchdown to go along with 4 receptions for 42 yards in the Cowboys’ 24-7 Thanksgiving Day thumping of the Oakland Raiders. The Monster was responsible for two of the biggest plays of the game and and had a much bigger impact on this game than in previous weeks.
We got our wish this week as extra emphasis was placed on the run game against the Redskins. What did we get for having our wish fulfilled? A lot of yards on the ground (149 total) but not much scoring. In fact, the once-vaunted Cowboys offense was once again held to a single touchdown on the day. Thankfully, Washington’s offense has been pathetic all year and that continued in a 7-6 Cowboys victory at the Death Star Sunday afternoon.
After losing to the Packers in Green Bay I think my basic question is back on the table: Do the Cowboys make it to and win in the playoffs? I thought going into Green Bay game the Boys ought to have run the ball much much more:
- off tackle with Barbarian
- end around with Jones
- play action with Choice.
A most frustrating Sunday evening in Green Bay for the Cowboys mercilessly ended with a 17-7 Packers victory. The only points Dallas scored came on a touchdown pass to Roy Williams with less than a minute to play in the game. The Monster was pretty much a non-factor (thanks Jason Garrett!) in the game, as they totaled 11 carries for 45 yards and 4 catches for 20 yards. For this backfield to have a TOTAL of 15 touches in any game is inexcusable and, I believe, the lack of committment to the ground game game played as big a part as any in this defeat.
Some new wrinkles from the Monster this week as the Cowboys exorcised some demons from last year with a 20-16 victory over the Eagles Sunday night. With the victory, Dallas now has sole possession of first place in the NFC East. As for the new wrinkles, we saw several plays from the “Wildcat” formation as well as some plays from the three tight end set. The running game wasn’t a huge part of the game plan, as the Monster picked up 73 yards on 19 carries and 1 touchdown to go along with 4 receptions for 28 yards, but it’s impact was felt when used.