Entries Tagged 'Cowboys Corner' ↓

After breezing through September, October proved to be just a little more of a challenge. However, despite taking their first loss of the season, the Cowboys rebounded to finish the month still on top in the NFC East and tied with the Packers for the best record in the NFC.

So, let’s take a look back at the month that was, and take a look ahead to see how the final two months of the regular season shape up.

October results: Week 5 - won 25-24 at Buffalo, Week 6 - lost 48-27 to New England, Week 7 - beat Minnesota 24-14, Week 8 - bye

Rapid review: After ending September 4-0, Dallas extended their unbeaten streak to five games with an unforgettable come-from-behind win in a Monday nighter at Buffalo, where Nick Folk drilled a 53-yard field goal on th final play (twice) to cap a wild 24 seconds, in which Dallas overcame a 24-16 deficit with a touchdown, an onside kick recovery, and Folk’s clutch kick. But, that’s where the streak would end, as the Patriots came into Texas Stadium and walked away with an emphatic victory. There might have been a hangover from that loss going into the Minnesota game, and if so, it showed in the first half, when two turnovers had them down 14-7. But, by the end of the third, the Cowboys had the lead, and went into their bye week on a positive note.

The Good: Minus the first 50-odd minutes against Buffalo, Tony Romo has continued to play well, and is well on his way to another Pro Bowl. And, more than that, his start helped earn him a fat new contract, which means this is still very much just the beginning for him in Dallas.

The pass rush has gotten better week by week, especially with the return of Greg Ellis. Ellis has overcome all of the uncertainty about his future and is back to terrorizing QBs like we expect him to (4.5 sacks in four games).

He, DeMarcus Ware (5.5 sacks in the last five games), and about everyone else in the front seven harassed the heck out of poor Tarvaris Jackson (6 of 19, 72 yards, three sacks), and even though Tom Brady was able to have a huge game, they got to him a lot better than most teams have been able to.

The Bad: The run wasn’t as much of a presence as it could have been, partly due to the Cowboys being behind well into each game they played this month.

There’s still been the issue with slow starts. Dallas was behind at halftime in each game they played, and while they were able to come back against the Bills and Vikings, it hurt their chances to hang with the Patriots for 60 minutes.

Looking Ahead: November and Beyond

Dallas has played only one division foe thus far, which means that five of their final nine games will be against division opponents. So, if they want to win their first NFC East title in nearly a decade, it’s going to be done the hard way.

The next three weeks will do a lot to decide not only if the Cowboys are really contenders, but if they go into the final five weeks with a comfortable lead in the division, or if they’re going to be fighting all the way to the end.

First up is a game on Sunday night at Philadelphia, which is never a fun place to play. The Eagles are down, but as enigmatic as they have been, nothing can be taken for granted. Next up will be a visit to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, whose defense has had a complete turnaround since giving up 80 points during an 0-2 start, spearheading a six-game win streak that has tightened things at the top of the division. Thankfully, the Cowboys get to play the final game of the NFC East stretch at home, against Washington.

Following those three contests, Dallas will finish out November with two Thursday games, the first being the annual Thanksgiving game (vs. the Jets), and then a Thursday night visit from the resurgent Brett Favre and the Packers, which will be very pivotal in the hunt for home-field advantage, along with the Giants game.

Romo has the chance to really beef up his numbers and make all of his receivers happy, as only one of the five November opponents (and for that matter, one of the final nine) - the Giants - are in the top 11 in the league in pass defense. And, while New York’s pass defense has improved since the first two games, the only team they’ve faced since Dallas and Green Bay with a decent passing offense was the Eagles.

The defense is going to be tested, but the return of Anthony Henry is going to be a big boost, and so will the insertion of Tank Johnson into the rotation starting Sunday. This guy has a lot to prove, and no doubt is ready to get back on the field after having his livelihood taken away from him. If he’s got himself in the right mindset, and is conditioned both physically and mentally (and all indications are that he is), he could be a huge, huge addition for the rest of the year and beyond.

Getting at least a 4-1 record in November would be big, considering Dallas has to go on the road for three of their last four games, and have the Eagles coming into town in Week 16.

The Giants appear to be the closest challenger for the division title, and as good as they have been over the last several weeks, Dallas can’t afford to lose any games that they shouldn’t.

Not only are the head-to-head matchups important, but so are the ones with common opponents. New York lost to Green Bay, but beat the Jets and Dolphins, and have roadies at Detroit, Chicago, and Buffalo, with home games against Minnesota and New England left. Dallas won at Miami, Chicago, and Buffalo, and beat Minnesota at home, with the only blemish coming against the Pats. So, winning those remaining games against the Packers, Jets, and Lions is almost as important as knocking off the Eagles, Redskins, and of course, the Giants.

The first two months have been a lot of fun to watch, and the Cowboys have the potential to do something special this season. And, as long as they keep their heads in the right place, and bring their best week in, week out, the next few months will hopefully be as exciting.

The pieces are in place. Now it’s just time to close the deal.

Well, Tony Romo’s got his money. His shiny, brand new contract extension was made official today, and it’s a six-year, $67 million deal, with at least $30 million in guarantees.

There wasn’t any real doubt that it would happen sooner or later, but it’s happened sooner, and the timing certainly couldn‘t be better.

Romo has gotten off to a great start in his first full season as a starter, and minus a hiccup against the Bills, has been excellent, throwing for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns (both third in the NFL), and posting a 95.6 passer rating (fifth).

He’s on pace to set team records in yards and touchdowns - if he keeps up his current pace, he’ll break Danny White’s team record of 3,980 yards and 29 touchdowns with a couple of games to spare, and finish with over 4,500 yards and 35+ touchdowns, which will net him two Pro Bowls in two seasons as a starter, which is an honor many of the game‘s best can‘t claim.

But, not only are his numbers great, but he’s becoming the team leader that he needs to be to guide the team to a championship. Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman weren’t known for eye-popping numbers, but more for their abilities to bring the best out of the guys around them and for simply being winning quarterbacks. Romo has both the physical abilities and the intangibles to make him an elite QB.

That was evident in the game against Buffalo, when he had the worst game that he’ll likely ever have in his career, but in the end, rallied the team and made the throws he needed to in crunch time to help the Cowboys win.

Many will question the deal, considering he’s made only 17 career starts and hasn’t done anything overly noteworthy, at least in their eyes.

But, he’s 12-5 as a starter, and has been a big part of Dallas’ transformation from a boring, little more than .500 (at best) team for most of the past several years, back into one of the top teams in the NFL. Dallas’ offense was ranked no better than 8th in points and 9th in yards in any season from 1996 to 2005, but finished 4th and 6th in those categories last season and are ranked second in both thus far this season.

Romo patiently waited while Bill Parcells developed him and stuck with Drew Bledsoe until the wheels fell off, and when he finally got his chance, he‘s fully taken advantage of it.

Many of the skeptics will point to his bad spell at the end of last season, and to his game against Buffalo, but even the best have down spells, may it be Peyton Manning (100 interceptions in his first five seasons, 42 in the last four-plus since), Brett Favre (everyone loves him again, but couldn’t wait to get rid of him just last year), John Elway (Tommy Maddox, come on!), Dan Marino, or even Tom Brady. But, those guys are all considered to be among the elite QBs in the history of the league. Even Dallas’ most well-known signal-callers, Staubach and Aikman, had plenty of bumps in their journeys to the Hall of Fame.

And, Marc Bulger got a comparable deal in the offseason, and it’s not as if he’s led the Rams to glory in his five-plus seasons as a starter (two playoff appearances, one win, barely over .500 as a starter). Romo is already surpassing Bulger (it helps to have a much better team around him), so if he had gotten any less, it would have been a travesty.

Hate him all you like, but if Romo continues to develop as he has, he’ll earn his money and then some, and in another decade, we’ll be talking about him as the standard for the next Cowboys QB to set.

He knows that the owner has faith in him, and that the team is in his hands for the long haul, and that means he can put the money talk behind him and get on with having an excellent season.

It’s a deal that not only helps Dallas in terms of what they can and will be able to do with signing and re-signing, because they avoid having to worry about waiting until after the season (when a) his value could be astronomical, or franchising him would have been the only, and most financially debilitating option), but it also sets the foundation for the future. Dallas has their franchise QB, after their Rolodex of starters after Aikman.

Now Jerry Jones can focus on taking care of the other important assets, and getting the rest of the necessary building blocks. Instead of having to worry about going after a QB in next year’s draft, Dallas can address their real needs.

And, they can now sew up one of their running backs as well, so, Mr. Barber, come on down!

12:15: Romo completes a couple of passes, but misses on consecutive passes to Witten on 2nd and 3rd down and medium, so Dallas is forced to punt. He made some interesting throws on that drive, and would have had a huge gain on that third down play had Witten caught it, because he was behind the defense and would have had plenty of room to run.

The punt takes a nice roll, going alll the way down to the Minnesota 9 to put the Vikings in poor field position yet again. McBriar has punted three times today for an average of 53.8 yards, and all three punts have gone inside the 20.

11:51: On the first play, Jason Hatcher knocks the ball loose from Peterson, and Bradie James recovers the ball at the Minnesota 22. If Dallas can get in the end zone here, that would all but seal the victory.

11:01: The drive stalls with the Cowboys being unable to go nowhere, actually lose yardage on a third down sack that puts them back at the 28, but Folk drills the field goal to put Dallas up 10. Given that the Vikings haven’t quite been able to crack the Cowboys defense today, that might be enough to breathe easy.

9:28: On 2nd and 3, Jackson finds Troy Williamson for 21 yards, and the Vikings, like they have in their last couple of drives, are moving the ball close to midfield. Bend, don’t break time again for the Dallas defense.

8:17: On second down, James sacks Jackson, which is the first sack of the day for the defense. James is having an excellent game, as he has nine total tackles (six solo, three assists).

On third down, the pass is incomplete, and once again, the defense comes up with the stop when they need to. However, the offense will be up against it, as the punt goes out of bounds at the 1. A few first downs would go a long way, as the Vikings only have one timeout, and are down two scores with time running out.

6:32: The Vikings make a relatively quick stop, limiting Barber on two runs and then forcing an incompletion from Romo on third down. Minnesota should get the ball back in pretty good field position, so, it’s not over just yet.

6:21: The Vikings get the ball at the 45 after McBriar’s punt, but go incompletion, incompletion, sack on the drive, and instead of oging for it on fourth down, will punt on fourth down, and Crayton makes the fair catch at the 19 with five and a half minutes to go. Once again, a couple of first downs could finish it off.

4:00: Barber goes for four yards on each of the first two plays, then busts a 21-yard run to get a crucial first down. That might do it, but one more would be good.

2:30: And there it is, as Barber gets loose again, running hard and getting inside the 30 on a 24-yard run on a 2nd and 6 play. The Vikings are forced to take their final timeout, and that should wrap it up. Barber now has 89 yards on 15 carries, with 57 of those yards coming on this drive.

2:00: Barber goes for two yards on the final play before the two-minute warning, taking his total to 91 yards and taking the clock down to the two-minute mark.

1:00: Barber gets stopped for a two-yard gain on third and 7, and the Cowboys take a timeout with 28 seconds to play. They don’t need to kick the field goal, and just give it to Barber on fourth down. He gets only two yards on the play, and will finish four yards short of the 100-yard mark.

Jackson gets sacked by Ellis on the first play of the drive, and for some reason, he decides to spike it to give the Vikings one more play. That ends with an inconsequential pass completion, and it’s all over from Texas Stadium, as the Cowboys overcome a couple of first-half mistakes and a 14-7 halftime deficit, and score 17 points in the third quarter en route to a 24-14 win.

The Dallas defense did an excellent job of limiting the Vikings all day, and the Cowboys got significant plays on offense and special teams to carry them to their sixth victory in seven games, which keeps them alone in first place in the NFC East. The Giants beat the 49ers today to go to 5-2, and the Redskins held off the Cardinals 21-19 to go to 4-2, while the Eagles gave up a touchdown to Chicago in the final seconds to lose 19-16 and drop to 2-4. The Eagles will be Dallas’ next opponent, as the Cowboys will travel to Philadelphia following next week’s bye week.

13:16: The Cowboys stop the Vikings on the first drive of the second half, and after the punt, get the ball at the 35.

11:18: On third and five from the 40, Romo scrambles and comes up a yard short of the first-down marker. The Cowboys punt and pin Minnesota back at the 7.

9:36: On the first play, Tavaris Jackson has to get the ball off before he’s nailed near the goal line, and gets called for intentional grounding, which puts the ball just outside the white line. On the next two plays, Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor just miss getting tackled for safeties, and the Vikings have to punt.

Chris Kluwe gets off an excellent kick, and Crayton has to retreat to the Dallas 40 to take the 58-yard boomer. He returns it to the 49, but the Cowboys will start at the Minnesota 36 after a Vikings’ player gets a personal foul for going out of bounds and not making an attempt to get back in.

Dallas is virtually being handed a golden opportunity to score, so we’ll see if they take full advantage of it.

7:45: Barber busts a nine-yard run on the first play of the drive, and then gets a first down to the 25. On the next play, Romo finds T.O. on the right sideline inside the 5, and the Cowboys are in business. T.O. has gotten his wish and has seen plenty of balls his way, and is already over 100 yards.

7:00: Two plays later, Barber barrels in from the 1, and the Cowboys are an extra point away from tying it. Or, maybe not. One ref made the touchdown call, while the other didn’t, so we’ll wait and see what it is. And, after a few seconds of deliberation, it is indeed ruled a touchdown, but Minnesota’s Brad Childress will challenge the call. Wade Phillips already used both of his challenges (won one, lost one), so the coaches are defintely making use of the red flags today.

After the short review, the play is rightfully upheld, and the Vikings allow their first rushing touchdown of the season, as Barber gets into the end zone for the first time since the Chicago game.

4:00: The Vikings convert a third and 8 from the Dallas 26 with a 16-yard completion from Jackson to Bobby Wade, and the next two plays get the Vikings into scoring position as Jackson scrambles for 12 yards, and Peterson busts loose for a 15-yard run before he’s upended at the Dallas 31.

3:05: Dallas makes an impressive defensive stop, stuffing Taylor for no gain on first down and then forcing two incompletions from Jackson to make the Vikings have to attempt a 48-yard field goal. The Vikings have to use their second timeout due to unpreparedness.

2:52: Chris Canty is up front for a reason. The 6′7 Canty uses his frame with optimal effectiveness, blocking Longwell’s field goal. Pat Watkins picks up the loose ball and takes it the other way, streaking down the left sideline into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown return to put the Cowboys ahead.

End of the third: Peterson and Taylor gain 12 and 16 yards on the first play of the ensuing drive, but from there, the Cowboys defense stands tall and stops the Vikings short on a 3rd down to get the ball back as we begin the fourth.

As usual, I’m a little late, because rarely do I ever make it before the second quarter. We’re at the two-minute warning, and the Cowboys are moving the ball.

Both teams scored on their first drive, and due to both taking up most of the first quarter, each team has had only a handful of possessions thus far. The Cowboys opened the game by going 80 yards in 14 plays, and Tony Romo found T.O. for a 5-yard touchdown. The Vikings responded by going 69 yards in 11 plays, and Adrian Peterson scored on a 20-yard run.

And, while I’m typing this, Crayton makes a catch right out of the two-minute warning, the ball gets knocked loose, Ben Leber scoops it up, then pitches it to Cedric Griffin, who returns it for a touchdown.

That’s the second time in the game that the Cowboys have hurt themselves with a fumble on a potential scoring drive. On the previous drive, Dallas went to the 9, but then Romo was hit, the ball came loose, and the Vikings recovered.

On this play, it looks like Romo may have injured himself, and he hobbled off the field, careful not to put weight on one leg. He’s had a great first half, going 21 of 24 for 182 yards, but those two fumbles have cost he and Dallas dearly, as instead of it being a double-digit Dallas lead, the Vikings are ahead 14-7.

It looks like Romo might have injured his hamstring, but all indications are that he’s going to stay in. How effective he’ll be, well, we’ll just have to see.

Minnesota has done next to nothing on offense, and Peterson has been bottled up outside of his touchdown run, but those turnovers have kept them in it and given them a chance to win. As for Dallas, the offense is on pace for another 400-plus yard day, though the run game hasn’t been used all that much, as has been the case in the last few games.

0:28: Romo indeed stays in, and has the Cowboys on the move, completing two passes to Jason Witten, one to Marion Barber, and one to T.O. to get Dallas inside the Minnesota 40 with plenty of time still on the clock.

0:20: Romo throws his 30th pass of the half and completes it to Barber, but it goes nowhere, and Barber gets tackled in-bounds, so Dallas has to use their second timeout.

Halftime: Romo, under pressure, throws to Barber, which loses one yard and forces Dallas to use their final timeout. On third down, Romo completes a pass to Witten, and he gets it to the 32, so Folk will come on for a long field goal attempt, which misses wide left. So, the Cowboys have driven into Minnesota territory four times in five possessions and outgained the Vikings 250-77, and gotten 16 first downs to Minnesota’s five, but the Vikings go into halftime thanking the man above that they somehow have a 14-7 lead.

LOOKING AT THE VIKINGS

2007 Results: beat Atlanta 24-3, lost at Detroit 20-17, lost at Kansas City 13-10, lost to Green Bay 23-16, bye in Week 5, won at Chicago 34-31.

Offense

Where they Rank (NFL)

Points Per Game: 20.2 (t16th)
Yards Per Game: 353.8 (13th)
Pass Yards Per Game: 183.6 (28th)
Rush Yards Per Game: 170.2 (1st)

Personnel

Second-year QB Tavaris Jackson is the Vikings’ starter under center, and makes his sixth career start on Sunday. Jackson missed two games with a groin injury this season, and is still being bothered by it, but returned against Chicago, going 9 of 23 for 136 yards and a touchdown. On the season, he is 39 of 79 (49.4%) for 465 yards, 2 TD, and 5 INT.

Adrian Peterson is only a rookie, but he’s quickly making a big name for himself. Not only is he the focus of Minnesota’s offense and the leader of the #1 rushing offense in the league, but he’s also the league’s leading rusher. Last week against the Bears, he ran for 224 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns, and has 607 yards and four touchdowns thus far. If he can keep it up, he could legitimately challenge Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record of 1,808 yards, set in 1983, and push for a 2,000-yard season. Peterson is also one of the team’s leading receivers with 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Former Tennessee Titan Bobby Wade is Minnesota’s leading receiver, with 18 catches for 203 yards. Two former South Carolina Gamecocks are in Minnesota’s receiver rotation, in third-year receiver Troy Williamson (8 catches, 134, TD) and rookie Sidney Rice (11 catches, 119 yards, TD).

Defense

Where they Rank

Points Allowed Per Game: 18.0 (13th)
Yards Allowed Per Game: 370.8 (26th)
Pass Yards Allowed Per Game: 304.6 (32nd)
Rush Yards Allowed Per Game: 66.2 (1st)

Personnel

The Vikings play a 4-3 defense, and up front, start Kenechi Udeze and Ray Edwards on the ends, with Kevin and Pat Williams (no relation) stuffing the middle at tackle. Rookie end Brian Robison sees regular time and leads the team in sacks with three.

The starting linebackers from left to right are Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, and Chad Greenway. Henderson is the team’s leading tackler with 39, while Greenway is second with 35.

In the secondary, the Vikes will have won starter missing, as veteran free safety Dwight Smith will miss today’s game with an ankle injury. In his place, Tank Williams will likely start.

As for the rest of the secondary, veteran Antoine Winfield starts at left corner, with Cedric Griffin on the other side. At strong safety, it’s another veteran back there in Darren Sharper. The three-time Pro Bowler has two interceptions this season, and now has 51 in his 11-year career.

Special Teams

Ryan Longwell has long been one of the NFL’s top kickers, and he showed why last week, nailing a career-long 55-yard field goal as time ran out to give the Vikings a win over the Bears. On the season, Longwell is 8 of 9 on field goals and 11 of 11 on extra points. Longwell, in his 11th year in the league and second with the Vikings, is 255 of 311 on field goals (82%) and 414 of 419 on extra points.

Chris Kluwe is averaging 43.8 yards per punt and has punt more than half (15 of 29) kicks inside the 20.

Peterson, Williams, and rookie receiver Aundrae Allison are the kick returners, and collectively average nearly 30 yards per return. All three have returns for over 50 yards this season.

Wade is the primary punt returner, and hasn’t fared as well, as he’s averaging only 5.8 yards per return on eight returns.

The Vikings punt coverage is 27th in the league, one place above Dallas, giving up 13.4 yards per return. The kick coverage team, however, has done a much better job, giving up only 20.5 yards per return, which is fifth in the league.

Looking to put Sunday’s loss to New England behind them and head into their bye week on a positive note and in control of the NFC East, the Cowboys take on Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The Minnesota game will be Dallas’ last home game until November 18th, when they take on Washington. In between now and then, there’s a bye week and two road games against division rivals Philadelphia and New York.

The Cowboys are coming off of their first loss of the season, a 48-27 loss that wasn’t as bad as the score indicates. Dallas led 24-21 in the third, but Tom Brady and New England put their foot down and outscored the Cowboys 27-3 to win the game comfortably.

As for the Vikings, they’re coming off of an impressive 34-31 road win at Chicago, in which Peterson ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns, and Ryan Longwell kicked a career-long 55-yard field goal to win it on the game’s final play.

Will Dallas forget Sunday and rebound with a win over Minnesota, or will the Vikings come in and pull off a surprise?

Last Time They Played…

Daunte Culpepper torched the Cowboys for five touchdown passes in the 2004 season opener as Dallas went down 35-17 at Minnesota.

The Cowboys actually had a 3-0 lead after the first quarter, on a 27-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff on the game‘s opening drive. But, the momentum turned when the Cowboys failed to score on a 19-play, 76-yard drive spanning the first and second quarters, that went to the Minnesota 6 before a botched field goal attempt left the Cowboys empty-handed. On the ensuing drive, Culpepper threw the first of his two second-quarter touchdown passes, a 63-yarder to Onterrio Smith to give Minnesota the lead, and on the next drive, connected with Marcus Robinson for a three-yard score.

Still, it was a pretty close game, as Vinny Testaverde and Terry Glenn hooked up for a 32-yard score five seconds before halftime to make it 14-10 going into the locker room.

The teams traded touchdowns early in the third quarter, as Culpepper threw a short touchdown pass to Randy Moss, and then Rashard Lee returned the kickoff 62 yards, then carried the ball all four plays of the ensuing drive, which ended with him getting into the end zone to make it 21-17.

But, the Vikings quickly struck back, and a second short touchdown pass to Moss made it 28-17, and Culpepper finished his day off with touchdown pass #5 in the fourth quarter.

Testaverde was 29 of 50 for 355 yards, but the Cowboys were pretty one-dimensional, as they picked up only 71 yards on the ground on 21 attempts.

Moss caught only four passes for 27 yards, but the two touchdown catches were big.

Dallas outgained Minnesota 422-415, and had more first downs (27-23), but along with the long drive that came up empty, they also fumbled deep in Minnesota territory in a drive in the fourth with the score still 28-17.

Series History

The Cowboys lead the all-time series 13-12. Five of those games have come in the playoffs, where Dallas has won four of the five matchups, including a victory in the 1977 NFC title game, and the unforgettable 1975 playoff game, where Roger Staubach’s touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in the final seconds gave Dallas a 17-14 win, and was the beginning of the famous ‘Hail Mary’ term.

While Week 7’s 14-game slate doesn’t feature too many ‘marquee’ matchups, there are a couple of games worth watching, outside of Sunday’s Dallas-Minnesota game.

The best game of the week is likely going to be the Monday night game, when 5-0 Indianapolis visits 4-1 Jacksonville. The Jaguars always play the Colts tough, so don’t be surprised if Jacksonville pulls out the win.

The only other game of the week pitting two teams with winning records takes place in Detroit, as the 3-2 Lions welcome 4-2 Tampa Bay. The Bucs are back to their old selves, winning with great defense and a serviceable QB. The Lions need a victory to make sure they don’t fall too far behind Green Bay, but that’s going to require their offense to not disappear like it did against the Redskins two weeks ago.

In a couple of clashes pivotal for the home teams, Tennessee visits Houston, Chicago visits Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh visits Denver.

Houston has not been the same without Andre Johnson, and they need to find a way to somehow stay over .500 while he remains out injured, which stands to be for at least another week or two. But, Vince Young may well not play on Sunday, so that’s good news for Gary Kubiak.

A lot of people may have figured the Bears were on track after beating the Packers, but they took a step back in a loss to the Vikings. As long as Brian Griese has to throw it 85 times a game, and the Bears aren’t defending as well as they should, they’re going to be looking up in the NFC North. With that said, things don’t bode well for them going into Philly, after the Eagles rolled up over 400 yards against the Jets. Then again, the Eagles have been as up and down as the Bears, so no one knows what to expect going into this one.

The Broncos have looked progressively worse in losing their last three games, and with one of the league’s top rushing attacks coming into town to take on the league’s worst rush defense, Broncos fans could be in for a third straight home loss. They best start making plans for when Travis Henry is suspended, which looks to be in only a few weeks. But, right now, he’s the least of their worries, as very little is going right in the Mile High City.

In the other games involving NFC East teams, 3-3 Arizona goes to 3-2 Washington, and 4-2 New York hosts 2-3 San Francisco. The chances look good for both NFC East teams, because Arizona and San Francisco are dealing with some serious QB issues going into this weekend. For Arizona, Kurt Warner may force himself to play through a torn ligament in his non-throwing elbow, while the same could be said for a still-healing Alex Smith. I know Tim Rattay and Trent Dilfer aren’t exactly attractive alternatives, but it would be smart for Warner and Smith to sit this weekend because they’d be testing their injured bodies against two tough defenses.

Full Week 7 Schedule

San Francisco (2-3) at New York Giants (4-2)
New England (6-0) at Miami (0-6)
Tennessee (3-2) at Houston (3-3)
Tampa Bay (4-2) at Detroit (3-2)
Baltimore (4-2) at Buffalo (1-4)
Atlanta (1-5) at New Orleans (1-4)
Arizona (3-3) at Washington (3-2)

St. Louis (0-6) at Seattle (3-3)
Chicago (2-4) at Philadelphia (2-3)
Minnesota (2-3) at Dallas (5-1)

Pittsburgh (4-1) at Denver (2-3) - Sunday Night Football
Indianapolis (5-0) at Jacksonville (4-1) - Monday Night Football

Green Bay (5-1), Carolina (4-2), Cleveland (3-3), and San Diego (3-3) all have their bye weeks in Week 7.

Now that I’ve had a couple of days to not think about the Cowboys’ loss to the Patriots, I’m back to give a little post, post, post-game analysis.

The 48-27 scoreline may well not do the game justice, as the Cowboys were in it until they took themselves out of it.

They could have very well taken themselves out of it early, as they got down 14-0 in the second quarter, but came back to pull within 21-17 at halftime, and even took a 24-21 lead in the third quarter.

But, the Patriots had a little bit more fight in them, and once they got back ahead, they didn’t let go of the lead, because while they limited the mistakes that they made, the Cowboys let mistakes spell the end of their chances. And, when you hand a team like the Patriots an inch, they go three miles, and once the machine got going, it rolled to a win that looks a lot easier than it was and should have been.

But, as disappointing as the loss was, both because it was a missed opportunity and because the unbeaten record is no more, it’s a learning experience more than anything.

And, hopefully, it’s enough of a learning experience that the Cowboys get back down to business and back up the ‘guarantees’ about seeing the Patriots again this season.

On to the real meat and potatoes of this entry - the analysis.

Offensive MVP: Offensive MVP: Julius Jones. If only he had gotten the ball more. He had some impressive, aggressive runs in the second half, and ran for 51 yards on eight carries. After struggling to really get going through the first several games, dealing with a few nicks, and with Marion Barber gradually getting the ball more, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Jones’ confidence was down. But, it looks like the fire is back, and hopefully he carries that with him for the rest of the season, because the offense needs both he and Barber to be productive to be the best that it can be.

Defensive MVP: Defensive MVP: Is anyone really deserving of it? There were a few nice individual performances, even though the 48 points allowed overshadows most of them. CB Nate Jones had his best game, registering eight tackles (six solo, two assist), one sack, and forcing a fumble. Demarcus Ware also had his third straight game with a sack, as he picked up 10 tackles (six solo, one assist), one sack, and one forced fumble. Greg Ellis had the other Cowboys’ sack, which caused the fumble that Jason Hatcher returned 29 yards for a pivotal score in the second quarter.

Offensive Analysis: The offense started slow, gaining -4 yards on its first three possessions. But, on the next three, they had their spurt, gaining 212 yards and putting 17 points up. But, after that, the last five possessions yielded 27 yards and only three points. Suffice it to say, but that’s not going to get it done when the Patriots are almost scoring at will.

Even despite the defense’s troubles with slowing the robots down, the offense had ample chances to keep Dallas in it until the end, but when you shoot yourself in the foot, you give yourself no chance before the other team does it.

The turning point of the game was after New England had gone up 31-24. Dallas had a 4th and 1 at their 47 at the start of the fourth quarter, and Marion Barber easily picked up the first down on a run into Pats’ territory. But, an extremely unnecessary holding penalty by Kyle Kosier negated the first down and forced Dallas to punt.

Just four plays later, Tom Brady effectively put the game away with touchdown pass #5, a bomb to Donte’ Stallworth that made it 38-24. The game still wasn’t over, with 12 minutes still on the clock, and a 72-yard kickoff return by Tyson Thompson put Dallas at the New England 23. But, that drive only netted a field goal, which really wasn’t enough at that point.

The run definitely could have been established more. When Dallas did run it, they got some pretty solid gains (97 yards on 15 attempts - 6.5 yard average). But, when you’ve got two good backs, you need to use them. It means you have the chance to wear down the opponent’s defense, take control of the game, and give your own defense a much-needed breather in a shootout.

Defensive Analysis: Defensive Analysis: They would have had a nice game, had Brady not thrown for nearly 388 yards and five touchdowns.

They did well to get pressure on him a few times, including the forced fumble that was returned for a score, but Brady found ways to beat the pressure with quick throws.

Speaking of those quick throws, if the Cowboys defense does not work on defending quick, short passes, teams are going to be able to pick on them. The Bills utilized that strategy with their rookie QB, and the Patriots must have picked up on it and ended up using it with a heck of a lot more success, because, well, Tom Brady 100x> Trent Edwards.

Randy Moss’ production was limited, but that meant Wes Welker and Donte’ Stallworth were able to have big games. That’s the thing about a championship-caliber team - if one guy gets stopped, there are other guys to step up in his place.

But, the defense did a good job against the run for the most part, up until when the Patriots just started wearing them down, and the outcome became more decided.

In the end though, it goes without saying that it hurts to not have Anthony Henry in the lineup. The outcome may have been the same, and you definitely have to hand it to Nate Jones for stepping up and playing well, but you can never have enough quality players out there when you’re facing as deep and talented of a receiving corps as the Patriots now have.

Overall Analysis: Point blank - If you make mistakes against a team as good as the Patriots have been this year, you will pay, regardless of if you’re the Bills, the Bengals, or the Cowboys.

The penalties are going to have to be cleaned up, in a hurry. As confident of a team as the Cowboys appear to be, making unnecessary penalties is not a sign of confidence. When you truly are in that right mindset, mistakes like Kosier’s holding penalty can and should easily be avoided.

But, I’m not going to sit here and rip the Cowboys forever. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this game, and those lessons might be the missing link that separates Dallas from being a really good team and being a great team. When you see right in front of you an example of what you need to do to be a serious, serious contender, then the only thing you can do is learn and apply.

Sunday showed that there’s definitely still room for improvement (and little room for error, or injuries to key players), but Wade Phillips does have this team on the right track, and I’d like to think that he and the team now know what’s ahead of them and what they must do and what they must improve upon to be a Super Bowl team.

Looking Ahead

The guys don’t have any time to dwell, as they have a tough game against Minnesota coming up on Sunday. This will be the last game of October, as the Cowboys have their bye week the following week, and it will be the last home game until a Nov. 18 game against the Redskins.

The Vikings, while 2-3, are a dangerous, dangerous opponent, mostly because of one dynamic rookie. Adrian Peterson, a Palestine native, was the Vikings’ first round pick in April (7th overall), and has made a big impact early on, none more so than in a 34-31 victory over the Bears, where he tore Chicago‘s defense up for 224 yards and touchdowns of 73, 67, and 35 yards.

Peterson is the league’s leading rusher with 607 yards in five games, and he has four rushing touchdowns. He’s also proved to be a pretty good receiver, with 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown.

Peterson’s presence helps offset a passing game that’s among the league’s least productive. So, if the Cowboys can slow him down, that will put Minnesota in the uncomfortable position of having to throw the ball more than they’d like to.

Sunday’s game offers the potential for the offense to quickly get back on track and re-establish its dominance. The Vikings’ defense gave up 458 yards to the Bears on Sunday, with 375 coming through the air. Minnesota has the league’s worst pass defense (304.6 yards). But, they have the #2 run defense (66.2 yards per game), which might be helped by the fact that they played a couple of teams who haven’t had a lot of success running the ball thus far. Even if Tony Romo could have a field day, Jones and Barber need to see their fair share of carries, and if they do, it will no doubt pose a challenge for the Vikings’ (so far) stingy rush D.

Rebounding from Sunday’s disappointment with a win would send the team into the bye week with some positive momentum, which will help heading into a key stretch where the Cowboys face all of their NFC East foes in the first three weeks of November.

I’ll have an in-depth preview of Sunday’s game later on in the week, and hopefully, when I do this analysis next week, I‘ll be analyzing a sixth win in seven games.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Cowboys go for it on fourth down and easily get it, as Barber gets into New England territory on a run up the middle. However, an unnecessary holding penalty by Kyle Kosier on Tedy Bruschi negates the gain, and Mat McBriar comes on for the punt.

If there’s anything that has gotten in the way for Dallas this season, it’s penalties. Today, they’ve picked up a dozen, for 98 yards. If the Cowboys can’t win today, they’re going to look back at the amount of penalties and the third-down conversions they gave up as what hurt them the most.

12:21: The Patriots, as the Patriots do, make the Cowboys pay as Brady hits Stallworth for a 69-yard touchdown to extend the lead to two scores. New England has scored 17 unanswered points, and Brady has a career-high in touchdown passes with five.

12:08: Tyson Thompson ignites the crowd with a 72-yard kickoff return that puts the Cowboys at the New England 23. That’s instant momentum for you.

Romo quickly finds T.O. for 13 yards, and the Cowboys into the red zone in one play. It’s certainly not over folks, so don’t leave your seats, your couches, or in my case, your bed.

10:07: The first and goal play is a sack, and the second-down play gets the Cowboys a manageable third and goal from the five. But, Romo’s third-down pass to Hurd in the end zone is incomplete, and the Cowboys are forced to kick the field goal, which Folk makes from 23 yards out. Going for it on fourth down might have seemed like a nice idea, but it might still a little too early to have gone for it on fourth down and risk not getting anything. Dallas has all three timeouts, and there’s plenty of time left, so a quick stop gives Dallas a chance to come back and not have to hurry.

8:00: After a kick return by Welker give the Pats excellent starting field position at the 35, two completions to Moss get New England into Dallas territory, and a run by Faulk and a completion to Welker has the Patriots inside the 35. DeMarcus Ware got shaken up on the play, so we’re in a timeout right now.

If the defense can make a stand here and hold New England to another field goal, it’d still basically be the same situation as it would have been already, as Dallas would still need two scores. But, from the looks of it, Dallas might need three, if they can’t stop the run.

5:51: Moss unnecessarily pushes off on a touchdown catch, and the Patriots are pushed back from the 19 to the 29. The Cowboys are starting to look a little defeated now, but the clock hasn’t run out yet.

It doesn’t need much mentioning, but the absence of Anthony Henry is big. Brady might have had a big day anyway, but Henry would have at least helped provide some resistance.

3:59: The defense makes a little stand and keeps New England out of the end zone, so the Patriots can only increase their lead to 14. Monday night’s game shows that it’s not over until it’s over, but now it is, after Junior Seau picks off Romo on the first play of the drive.

While it’s going to be a disappointing loss for the Cowboys, it’s going to serve as a learning experience, because Dallas will know what they have to do and not do in order to be a championship-caliber team come January.

Going down 14-0 early on puts you in a bad position, no matter what personnel you have, and while Dallas’ comeback and the way that they never really were out of it until the end is commendable, it goes without saying that you can’t make mistakes or show your weaknesses in even one area against a team like New England and not pay for them, because a close game can turn into a whipping in a hurry.

But, Dallas should come out of this one much better, because, as I said, if anything, it should serve as a learning experience, and when it comes time for you to play the best of the best, the experiences, both good and bad, are big, if you take the right lessons from them.

The Patriots let one of their rookies get a late rushing touchdown, and that puts a capper on this one, as New England outscores Dallas 27-3 in the last 20+ minutes to remain unbeaten and hand the Cowboys their first loss. I’ll have my analysis later on.

10:24: Touchdown Cowboys! Romo executes the fake perfectly, and tosses one over the middle to Crayton in the back of the end zone for the score, and Dallas leads for the first time today.

It was a heck of a drive by the offense. Romo was perfect through the air, going 4 of 4 for 31 yards and the score, and connecting with Crayton three times for 25 yards. And, Julius Jones might have run better on that drive than he has all season long. He was down on that second carry, which went for 18 yards, but you might as well give him the yards, because he ran as hard on those two carries (25 and 18 yards) as you want to see him run.

9:30: It looks like the Patriots didn’t take too kindly to the Cowboys taking their lead, as they get a first-down catch by Moss and a nine-yard run by Kevin Faulk on the first two plays of the drive.

In injury news, Sammy Morris likely won’t be back for the rest of the game, which is a blow, considering Ben Watson is already out.

8:50: Welker makes a key grab on a third and one, and goes over the 100-yard mark for the first time in his career. With Moss not having a big day as of yet, and Watson out, Welker and Donte’ Stallworth are getting their fair share of opportunities.

7:00: The Patriots convert yet another third down, as Brady shakes off the pressure to find Jabar Gaffney for a first down inside the 30. They might as well take a knee on first and second down if they’re going to keep getting it on third down, no matter the length.

4:56: Key pass interference call on Pat Watkins, as he and Moss made contact in the end zone. The call moves it from the 16 to the 1, and it was a close call, but there’s no turning back now, as Brady finds Kyle Brady in the end zone for the one-yard touchdown.

On that pass interference play, it looked more as if Moss ran into Watkins as they went for the ball than anything else, but it might have been better for Watkins to have just stood where he was and let Moss run into him.

It looks lke Brady is going to log at least 50 pass attempts today. That could be a bad thing, if he continues to throw it well, but if they don’t get the run going, that puts the game squarely on Brady’s shoulders.

3:46: Me and almost every other Dallas fan watching the game just about had a heart attack, as Barber got pushed back and nearly got tackled for a safety, but somehow managed to turn it into a positive gain.

But, the drive fizzles as Romo throws two incompletions to Witten, and the Cowboys punt. The Patriots get a short field, as Welker returns the punt into Dallas territory. They immediately strike as Moss appears to make an incredible catch in the end zone for a zone for a touchdown. This one’s going to be reviewed, because it’s close. It looks like he might have gotten two feet in just barely, but a) the ball came loose when he hit the ground, and b) he may not have had full control as he went out of bounds on the right sideline.

And, vindication! The pass is ruled incomplete, as the ball came loose as he hit the ground, and the touchdown is off of the board. However, there was a roughing the passer penalty on the play, which takes the ball from the 43 to the 28. But, that’s a heck of a lot better than it being 35-24 right now.

2:14: The Cowboys make a defensive stand, as a first-down run goes for a loss, a second-down pass is incomplete, and a third-down pass goes almost nowhere. Stephen Gostkowski comes on for the 45-yarder and nails it to make it 31-24. All in all, not so bad, considering it’s still a one-score game, by the thinnest of margins.

2:09: Hard running by Barbers nets a 17-yard gain and a first down on the first play of the drive. If the Cowboys can continue to establish the run, the Patriots are in trouble.

:30: Big illegal shift penalty negates a 23-yard completion to Owens, and puts the Cowboys in a 2nd and 14 from the 34. The second-down pass is incomplete, and a third-down throw to Owens comes up a yard short of the marker.

Dallas quickly lines up as if they want to go for it on fourth and one, but the quarter ends before they can snap it. Going for the fourth down would be really risky at this point, but considering how well the offensive line is playing, then it’s not that much of a risk.

One drive can change the complexion of a game, and that may well be the case with Dallas’ touchdown drive at the end of the first half. It wasn’t a pretty first half, as Tom Brady shredded the defense for 213 yards and three touchdowns, but at the end of the half, Dallas is still very, very much in it.

New England dominated in the first quarter, putting together two touchdown drives. The first came after the Cowboys went three and out on their first possession, when the Pats went 74 yards in 14 plays, with the drive ending in a 6-yard touchdown from Brady to Randy Moss.

The second was a six-play, 69-yard drive that ended with Wes Welker catching a 35-yard touchdown pass.

That touchdown must have been what woke Dallas up, as they went 64 yards in 10 plays, and got a 38-yard field goal from Nick Folk to draw within 14-3. Within two minutes, the Cowboys were within four, as Greg Ellis hit Tom Brady at the 32 and knocked the ball loose, and Jason Hatcher recovered and took it 29 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-10.

The Patriots responded as the Patriots do and drove 72 yards in 12 plays, and got a 12-yard TD pass from Brady to Welker to make it 21-10. But, the Cowboys came right back down the field, and overcame penalties to get their first offensive touchdown. After a T.O. catch was ruled incomplete on 2nd and 5 from the 12 (when it should have been ruled complete, due to Ellis Hobbs pushing T.O. out when he had only one foot in), Romo tossed a throw over the pressure to a wide open T.O., who beat Hobbs and walked into the end zone.

So, a game that could have been over in the first 20 minutes is now up for grabs.

POSITIVES

It’s not over, by any means. The Patriots, for all their offensive glory, didn’t play at their best. Welker did make six catches for 94 yards, and had the two touchdowns, but he also fumbled twice, and there was the Brady fumble that led to the Hatcher touchdown.

And, while the Patriots defense did a great job of slowing Dallas down in the first quarter, Dallas woke up in the second and got themselves back into the game in a hurry.

NEGATIVES

The Patriots are 7 of 9 on third downs. Converting third downs helped them on all three of their scoring drives.

Keys to Second-Half Success

1. Keep the Pats from converting those third downs. If you get a team in a third and long, and they keep converting it, that makes it very, very difficult for you to have a chance.

2. Run the ball. The Cowboys had only seven rushing attempts in the first half, but did produce decently when they did, as Marion Barber had 27 yards on his five carries. Not only does the run make you less one-dimensional, but it also uses up the clock and breaks down the opposing defense, but also gives your defense a rest.

3. Pressure Brady. When you get some pressure on him, that means he is, believe it or not, as human as any other quarterback.

4. Win the battle of 81s, and utilize the targets the best. Moss had only the one catch, while T.O. came on late in the half and got three catches for 34 yards and the score. But, not only does T.O. need the ball, but Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton need to see the ball regularly. As for the Patriots, if you keep shutting Moss down, that can limit what Brady can do, especially considering TE Ben Watson might not be back for the rest of the game, and RB Sammy Morris is nicked up as well.

Okay, on to my second-half analysis, because the half’s already started, and I’m missing it trying to catch up.

LOOKING AT THE PATRIOTS

OFFENSE

The Patriots have the #2 offense in the league, led by the top quarterback-receiver tandem in the league.

Tom Brady has thrown for at least three touchdowns in every game thus far, and has 16 touchdowns through five games - with only two interceptions. Brady is having his best season thus far (maybe it’s the joys of being a new father), and has completed 74.1% of his passes for 1,383 yards. He has the league’s best passer rating at an astronomical 128.7.

He’s been helped by a number of reliable targets, with the most reliable being Randy Moss, who has experienced a little resurgence in his new home. Moss leads the league in receiving yards (551) and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns (7), and is tied for fourth in catches (34).

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney had 252 yards in the first three games, but has missed the last two games with a groin injury, and looks likely to miss today’s game as well. But, the Patriots always have someone to step up whenever there’s an injury problem, and this time, it’s been Sammy Morris, who has rushed for over 100 yards in the last two games, in which he has started in place of Maroney. On the season, Morris, who is in his first season in New England after playing previously for division rivals Miami and Buffalo, has rushed for 370 yards and three touchdowns.

Overall, the Patriots are averaging 427.8 yards per game, which has them second behind Dallas. The Patriots are fourth in pass offense (272.8 yards per game) and third in rushing (155.8 yards per game), and are first in points per game (36.4).

DEFENSE

New England has been firing on all cylinders on offense, but the same can be said for the defense, which is always formidable, even though naming their starting eleven might take a few hours and some serious Internet searches to do.

The Patriot defense is #2 in the league in yards allowed (251.4 per game) and tied for third in points allowed per game (13.0), and has 11 takeaways on the season (8 interceptions, 3 fumbles).

Up front, the Patriots, who play a 3-4 defense, start Ty Warren and Jarvis Green on the ends, with DT Vince Wilfork filling the gap in the middle.

The Patriots’ linebackers are perennially among the best in the league, and that’s largely in part to longtime defensive stalwarts Mike Vrabel and Tedy Bruschi. While Moss was the Pats‘ top free agent acquisition on offense, LB Adalius Thomas was their top free agent acquisition on defnese, and is the team’s leader in tackles, with 28. The other starting linebacker is Roosevelt Colvin. Junior Seau still has plenty left in him, and is one of the team’s leading tacklers with 24.

The secondary does see a couple of a couple guys banged up. Both left cornerbacks, Asante Samuel and Randall Gay, are banged up heading into today’s matchup. Samuel, who led the league with ten interceptions last season, leads the team with three thus far.

Eugene Wilson is the starting free safety, while Rodney Harrison, who returned from his four-week steroid suspension last week, is back starting at strong safety. The other starting corner is Ellis Hobbs. Rookie Brandon Meriweather should see plenty of action, either as a corner or a safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Second-year kicker Stephen Gostkowski is off to a solid start, as he has made 7 of 8 field goals and all 23 of his extra points. In 21 career games, he is 27 of 34 on field goals, with a long of 52, and 66 of 67 on extra points. Because the Patriots have been in the red zone so many times, Gostkowski has had to kick only one field goal longer than 40 yards this season, and, as it turns out, that’s his only miss so far.

Chris Hanson hasn’t had to work his leg much so far, as he’s had to punt only 11 times in five games. Hanson, who kicked for the Jaguars for the last six seasons, is averaging 36.3 yards per kick.

Ellis Hobbs is the primary kick returner, and is averaging 32 yards per return. That average is helped by an NFL-record 108-yard kick return for a score that he had in the season opener against the Jets.

Wes Welker, who, along with Moss, was one of 18,000 receivers to come to New England in the offseason, is the primary punt returner. Welker, who played his first three seasons in Miami, is averaging 11.5 yards per return, with a long of 29 yards. He is also the team’s second-leading receiver, with 27 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown.

The coverage team has had to handle many a kickoff so far, and has done a pretty good job of coverage, allowing 22.7 yards per return (10th in the league), with a long of 34 yards.

Well, the matchup we’ve been waiting for all season is finally here.

Call it a matchup of the two best teams in their respective conferences, a potential Super Bowl matchup, the game of the year, or just another game on the Week 6 schedule. But, whatever it is, the New England Patriots are coming to town, and that means that someone is going to walk off of the field a loser for the first time this season (unless there’s a tie, which, well, is very unlikely).

The Patriots have been the talk of the league this season. For a little while, it was about the videotaping controversy that cropped up in the first few weeks of the season. But, that seems to be all but forgotten as Tom Brady and the Pats have mercilessly obliterated every opponent this season.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, have rolled along to a 5-0 record themselves. But, for more than 59 minutes on Monday, it didn’t look like Dallas would be unbeaten heading into today’s matchup, as six Tony Romo turnovers had them headed towards a loss at Buffalo. Then, a touchdown, an onside kick, and a 53-yard field goal - all in the final 24 seconds - turned a 24-16 deficit into a unbelievable 25-24 win.

Needless to say, Tony Romo is going to have to play a lot, lot better this week, because the Cowboys don’t want to become another spectator on the Patriots’ dominant run.

Last Time They Played…

The three teams have played only three times in the last decade, with the last being in 2003.

That last meeting took place in Week 11, with 7-2 Dallas making a trip to 7-2 New England. It would be all Patriots, as they got just enough offense and shut down Quincy Carter and the Cowboys to win 12-0.

Neither team had their best day on offense, as Tom Brady was only 15 of 34 for 212 yards, and the Patriots managed only 268 yards total. But, the Cowboys, despite outgaining New England 291-268, were hurt by Carter’s three interceptions, which all came in the second half.

New England had a 9-0 lead at halftime, through an Adam Vinatieri field goal and a touchdown run by Antowain Smith (PAT was blocked). Both scores were set up by long completions.

The lead expanded to 12-0 late in the fourth when Vinatieri kicked his second chip shot.

Dallas did have a few good chances, but couldn’t convert. They had a long drive in the first half, but were forced to punt after 14 plays and taking 7:23 off of the clock. They also got into the red zone in the third, but one of Carter’s interceptions thwarted that chance, and in the fourth, the Cowboys failed to convert on a 4th and 1 from midfield.

That matchup was also the first between Bill Parcells and his former assistant, Bill Belichick, who spurned succeeding Parcells with the Jets for taking the Patriots job (wise move, as it turned out - though it does make you wonder how the Jets would have turned out if Belichick had stayed).

Series History

Dallas leads the all-time series 7-2, but the Patriots have won the last two meetings (1999 and 2003). The last time the Cowboys won was in 1996, when Dallas won 12-6 at home in a Week 16 matchup. That season, the Patriots went to the Super Bowl behind Drew Bledsoe, where they lost to the Packers, who got their only championship of the Brett Favre era up to this point.

The action is already underway, so these are a little late, but here they are anyway.

Washington at Green Bay: Can the Redskins knock off the top two in the NFC North in consecutive weeks? Whether Green Bay wins for the fifth time in six games or loses their second game in a row will hinge on Brett Favre’s decision-making. If he succumbs to the Redskins’ pressure like he did in the third quarter against Chicago last Sunday, Green Bay’s in trouble.

The Redskins offense needs to put back to back good weeks together to convince me. It won’t be easy against a defense that has, for the most part, been tough. But, Jason Campbell’s improving, and for him to become an elite QB in the NFL, then he’s going to need to be consistent on a week-to-week basis.

In the end, I’ll take Green Bay to rebound and pick up the victory.

Score: Green Bay 28, Washington 20

Miami at Cleveland: The Cleo Lemon era begins! Well, that is, until John Beck takes over, which instead of next year, could very well be sometime this year, if Cam Cameron so decides to speed up the rookie’s development.

The game might be more interesting to see how many altercations Joey Porter gets into today. Then again, it doesn’t matter, because Miami will still be winless at the end of the day.

Score: Cleveland 24, Miami 10

Minnesota at Chicago: Is Chicago back on track, or was last week just a case of Green Bay handing the game to them? That defense isn’t out of the woods yet, and that offense is one-dimensional until Cedric Benson

If Minnesota really wants to win, they’ll line Adrian Peterson up at quarterback, running back, receiver, and on defense and special teams. But, I’ll take the Bears, only because the Vikings aren’t particularly good overall right now.

Score: Chicago 17, Minnesota 13

St. Louis at Baltimore: I wouldn’t be shocked by a Rams victory. The Ravens aren’t really blowing anyone away right now, and with Kyle Boller likely in (at least he should be, because Steve McNair needs to think about later, and not right now), anything can happen.

But, the Ravens defense means that they should shut down St. Louis’ beat-up, patchwork offense.

Score: Baltimore 20, St. Louis 14

Tennessee at Tampa Bay: Tennessee can’t afford to make the same mistakes they did against Atlanta. Tampa can’t afford to lose anymore running backs.

I’ll take the Titans here, as long as Vince Young doesn’t have to throw 33 passes against this week.

Score: Tennessee 21, Tampa Bay 17

Philadelphia at New York Jets: In an alternate world, both of these teams would have winning records. But, in the real world, they have two wins combined. Earth to McNabb: wake up, and while you’re at it, wake your team up too! #5 has a knack for coming up with a big day when he needs to, and today is that day.

Score: Philadelphia 31, New York 24

Cincinnati at Kansas City: At the start of the year, this game may have been picked as one of the most exciting of the season.

A few more losses might mean Marvin Lewis’ job is in jeopardy. Thankfully, loss #4 will wait another week, as the Bengals finally come up against an opponent with as many problems as them.

Score: Cincinnati 34, Kansas City 20

Houston at Jacksonville: Now that Houston is actually playing well, the AFC South could be considered as the best division in the league.

The games between these two are usually pretty competitive, and today won’t be any exception, as it’ll come down to the fourth quarter. I’ll take the Texans to pull out a close one.

Score: Houston 24, Jacksonville 21