Cowboys, can they be the dark horse surprise in late January?
After a disappointing start, where the Dallas Cowboys lost some close games to some good teams, the future is in their hands! by Mark Vogl
(conservative)
Monday, December 19, 2011
After a terrific first half, Dallas went on to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 - 15 last Saturday night. On Sunday, the Giants lost their game to division rivals, the Washington Redskins, dropping one game behind the Cowboys and looking forward to Jets this week. If New York loses to New York, that's the Giants losing to the Jets, and Dallas beats Philadelphia on Saturday, the Cowboys will clinch the NFC East Championship. Should the Giants beat the Jets, and the Cowboys beat the Eagles, than the last game of the season is crucial. A Cowboy loss to Philly could end the season prematurely.
So this season is really in the Cowboys' hands. If Dallas wins the next two games, the NFC East title is theirs!
This is one of those situations where it's up to the organization. Head coach Jason Garrett knows the Cowboys control their own fate, and the Giants have an uphill climb. And even so, it ain't over yet. Losing tight games to Detroit, the Jets and Arizona, that could have been theirs, the Cowboys have to prove they can put people away and the Eagles and Giants are great tests for this. The 'Boys must replace disappointment with joy, if we are to believe they are for real.
Tony Romo has had a solid season, despite playing with broken rib and punctured lung for several mid-season games. The receiver corps of the Cowboys with Austin, Witten, Bryant, and Robinson is probably the best in the NFL. The offensive line has shown improvement throughout the season and even without sensation McMurray, the Cowboy running game is not something opposing defenses can ignore. Felix Jones and Moore have an opportunity to earn their NFL spurs. On special teams we still have a great field goal kicker, and punter.
This leaves one third of the game, the defense, as the part of the team that has to to step up! The Cowboy defense looks awesome. Their front seven have been really good most games, and their backfield has tightened some. Still, the defense has not won a big game for Dallas. The offense has put the points on the board, but the defense has not always been able to shut the other team down, especially in the fourth quarter. If the Big D is going to make the playoffs, and if they are going to make a run at the big bowl, they will need the defense to do what I believe they can, dominate a game...more than once in the run.
Dallas has been a non-team for too long. For fans of America's Team, it has been a long drought, something people in Texas have also been enduring when it comes to rain. Aikman, Smith and Irvin were the last great trio, and we know how much better it felt when you knew the Cowboys were for real. This team could be the next generation of greatness in Dallas. The talent is there. Tony has just shown too many times that this "practice squad quarterback," as Terry Bradshaw referred to Romo, is a leader and athlete who can make a play when it seems impossible. Austin, Bryant, and MLB Lee on defense, along with so many other Cowboys have shown brilliance at times. Jones can run, if given just a crack at the line. Ware, Spencer, Hatcher and others on defense have shown toughness this season. But the question lingers, can they shut the big guns down?
Yes, owner Jerry Jones built a new stadium, probably the best in the world. And yes, Jones has provided the monies to get the play makers. Now, it’s time for the team, the coaches, players and staff to do their thing. God has provided a window, an opportunity. If we sweep from now ‘til the end of THE bowl, we are the world champs! It's up to the Cowboys; one game at a time, one play at a time.
Other's may scoff, Green Bay can't be beat. Or, the Giants will be back, Manning can do it, like his brother did. Or if we look to the AFC, people could say Dallas can't hang with Pittsburg or New England, or Denver. But, for me, I believe everything is there in this team. I believe the first 14 games were preparation for now. I believe Tony is the man, and the Cowboy offensive line can do what Robert E Lee always said of Hood's brigade; ... "My Texans always move them!"
It's only been seven weeks since Dallas was 3 - 4 and Romo was the target of unwarranted criticism, but now, if they can work together, if they can set aside premature celebration, and play a full sixty minutes, the Cowboys can play with any team in the NFL, and they could be Super Bowl champions, if they decide to bring God into the huddle. The Eagles beat up the Cowboys pretty good the last time they played, and NFC East games are wars between rivals. Anything can happen, anybody can win. It's usually a shootout. So Dallas must prepare for, and play this game like its a play off game. This is a pivot game, if we win the pressure is on New York, if we lose, the season could be about over.
Will Dallas surprise everyone and still be standing at the end of January? The game with Philly will tell us alot.
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