Cowboys WIN, Cowboys WIN

What a tremendous football game! This game is why you and I love football. This was a very hard-fought game in which both teams refused to give up. The lead went back and forth the entire game with both sides supplying numerous big plays. All this was topped off by a dramatic finish or I might say dramatic finishes in which Dallas scored a touchdown with 22 seconds left, (they got a second chance on a fourth down holding call on KC), only to have KC miss a game-tying 41 yard field goal.

Bill Parcells opened up the Dallas offense and they responded. They had several good drives with Bledsoe throwing well and Barber and Jones both having some good runs. The offense seemed to have the spark that they have lacked in recent games. The offensive line still had problems, but the game plan showed imagination. The play calling with end-arounds, quick-openers, and deep passes kept the Chief defense off-balance.

The Dallas defense was another story. KC drove the ball on practically every one of their possessions. They moved effectively both running and passing. Our defense did play hard -- we followed the ball very well -- but we missed WAY too many tackles. KC, as you know, does have a very good offense.

Two big plays won the game for us. First, right before the half, with KC up 14-10 and about to score, Scott Fujita sacked Trent Green and forced a fumble. Marcus Speers picked the ball up and rumbled down the sideline for 59 yards. Bledsoe then hit Witten for a touch-down pass giving Dallas a 3-point half-time lead instead of probably being down 11 points. Second, on the final Cowboy drive, Dallas faced third and long inside the KC 20. Marion Barber then caught a short pass, dodged 2 defenders, raced for the sideline, got a key block, and the went out of bounds at the KC 6 yard line. This resulted in a first and goal for Dallas. This is the best pressure run I have seen a Cowboy make this year. I think Marion Barber has passed Julius Jones as Dallas' best runner.

To sum up, what a GREAT game, and Cowboys WIN, Cowboys WIN, Cowboys WIN!

Cowboys / Giants

Oh, oh, oh, home-field advantage. The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants are both pretty good football teams. Going into Sunday, both teams had identical W-L records and were evenly matched talent-wise. However, Dallas had to play this game on a cold, damp field in front of a loud, boisterous crowd in New York City. Therefore, particularly on offense, the Cowboys were no match for the Giants. The game was not as close as the score indicated and the Cowboys only scored a touchdown because Aaron Glenn set them up inside the Giants' 10 yard line with an interception.

The game was actually lost at the offensive line. Dallas never established a running game or gave Drew Bledsoe enough time to pass.

The Cowboy defense, for the most part, played very well. The secondary played excellently, providing very good coverage the entire game. Their run defense was spotty, giving Tiki Barber too many five to ten yard runs. Roy Williams, Terrance Newman, Jason Ferguson, and Brady James all had excellent games.

All in all, this makes Dallas' playoff run a bit harder, but not impossible. Two wins "at home," and a split on the road will give them a 10-6 record. That will probably be enough for a playoff berth. Who knows, in a very balanced NFC, I'm not ruling out the playoffs with a 9-7 W-L and a good conference record. GO COWBOYS!!

Broncs on Thanksgiving Day, 11/24/05

Dallas lost a close, hard fought game and we are all disappointed. However, they played very well against a very good team. Dallas played Denver a pretty even game, and probably would have won if Cundiff had made a 34 yard field goal in the middle of the fourth quarter. Terrance Newman and Roy Williams played excellent ball games. I think both Newman and Williams are having All-Pro years.
I am actually encouraged about the Cowboys' performance, and think they could be a real factor in the playoffs. They need to win their division very badly, as home-field advantage will be extremely important among the evenly balanced teams in the NFC. So don't get too low, the Boys are back, and the remainder of the season will be very exciting.