Cowboys Closeup

Time to move on.

2008-01-18T01:40:00.000-06:00

So, I’m finally ready to start posting to this blog again after the Cowboys’ playoff exit on Sunday, but I have my sunglasses on, just in case I get a little emotional.

I won’t speak very much about that game, because frankly, what happened shouldn’t have, and I’ll leave it at that.

Now that the season is over, albeit a little earlier than any Cowboys fan wanted it to be, it’s time to look ahead, because dwelling doesn‘t help anyone.

Tony Sparano leaving was expected from the word go; Dallas’ loss just sped up the whole process and allowed Parcells and Co. to get the deal done a lot sooner.

Thankfully, Jason Garrett used both his head and his heart and decided to stay in Dallas, which works out great for everyone.

While that little raise he got is certainly a nice perk, Garrett gets to continue to ready himself for being a head coach, and frankly, getting to work with one of the league’s best offenses and be a part of big success for the foreseeable future sounds a lot more appealing than going to Atlanta (unless he likes the thought of going out to dinner and a show with Pacman Jones) or Baltimore.

A less secure man would probably get a little uneasy about all of the love that Garrett’s getting, but if you’re Wade Phillips, you have nothing to worry about, and not just because you’re still raking in more $$, even with Garrett’s hefty raise.

He knows he’ll be leaving the franchise in capable hands when he decides to retire, and besides that, after the success that Dallas had in ’07, having to install a new offensive gameplan likely wasn’t on Phillips’ list of things to do in 2008.

And, if you’re Jerry Jones, you now don’t have to worry about potentially making other plans for the future.

Now, provided that the Cowboys don’t lose anymore assistant coaches in the off-season, it’s time to think about the on-field personnel.

Marion Barber needs to be tied up soon, with a nice new long-term contract for the new starter. With all apologies to Julius Jones, but if it‘s a decision between giving one a new contract and letting the other one go, Barber‘s the choice, hands down.

Jones’ touches and effectiveness went down in the latter part of the season, and it was a pretty telling sign that Barber was the starter against the Giants after Jones had still held onto the starting job despite Barber getting more carries.

And, instead of giving Julius a hefty new contract, Jerry should just use the draft to get someone that will complement Barber’s physicality and add an extra dimension to an already high-powered offense (where it wouldn’t be strange to see both backs in the game at the same time), and allow Jones to pursue a fresh opportunity as a starter elsewhere.

Those two guys aren’t the only free agents the Cowboys have to make decisions on, but I‘ll address that and the draft in an upcoming post, along with a quick preview of next season, which promises to be another (and hopefully more) successful season, unless Tony Romo decides to give up his promising football career to become a movie star. And Tony, Dukes of Hazzard 2, no matter how nice Jessica might make it sound, would not be a good career move.

Ellis wins Comeback Player of the Year award.

2008-01-13T00:37:00.000-06:00

Five months ago, no one, not even Greg Ellis, knew when, or if, he was going to step on a football field this season, or ever again.

When the Cowboys defense takes the field on Sunday afternoon against the Giants, Ellis will be out there, starting at outside linebacker, as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Ellis beat out New England’s Randy Moss, who rose like a phoenix to have a record-setting year for the Patriots.

Moss’ numbers are great, but if you base the award on how far the winner had to come back to succeed, Ellis should have won it in a runaway (he got 12 votes to Moss’ 10).

After Ellis tore his Achilles’ tendon last season, in the midst of what could have been a career year for him, when he would return to the field was up in the air.

Then the Cowboys drafted Anthony Spencer in April. Then, Ellis aggravated the injury early in training camp, and as he waited, waited, and waited for the nagging pain to subside, he sulked openly, both about his uncertain future, and about his contract situation.

For a little while, it was easy to wonder if he was going to get on the field again, may it be in Dallas, or at all.

The season started, Spencer started in his position, and Ellis waited some more.

Finally, he got back on the field in Week 4 against the Rams, and when he did, it looked like he’d never left, as he had a sack and a half that day.

With a two-sack night in the 37-27 win over Green Bay on November 29, Ellis had a new career high of 10.5 sacks in only nine games, one higher than the nine that he had in 16 games in 2004.

He finished the season with 12.5 sacks, which tied him for sixth in the NFL.

From doubts about his career to a career year.

Congratulations Greg, and hopefully you still have plenty of sacking and QB harassing left in you.

'Undisclosed source' strikes again.

2008-01-07T02:02:00.001-06:00

Everyone’s favorite rumor monger, this time speaking to the New Haven Register in New Haven, Connecticut, said that Cowboys offensive line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano had not only been offered the Dolphins head coaching job but had accepted it as well.

However, Todd Archer got the skinny straight from the horse’s mouth here - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/010708dnspocowbriefs.296a018.html.

If Sparano had been offered the job, it would have been in violation of the Rooney Rule, which specifies that at least one minority coach must be interviewed before any hirings are done. The Dolphins are interviewing Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier today, so any offer can made after that.

Sparano has been the favorite even before Cam Cameron was fired, and it would seem like the job would be his for the taking in the end, but it’s good to see where his focus lies right now, while he’s still got a job to do with his current team.

And, as Albert Breer points out on the DMN’s blog, it’s far from a done deal, much like the Steelers‘ coaching search last season, when two Pittsburgh assistants looked to be the favorites, then Tomlin went in there and snared the job. It could turn out that his successor as Vikings’ D-coordinator does the same with Parcells and Ireland.

It could end up that Sparano, along with Jason Garrett, could end up staying in Dallas. The haste or patience the Dolphins, Ravens, and Falcons have in terms of their coaching search, how far the Cowboys go in the playoffs, and how well the other candidates do could be the difference in the two coveted coaches going or staying.

No telling what’s going on Garrett’s mind, but you’d have to hope that he’s as focused as Sparano is. These guys know that they have a job to do, and that they have to do that one before they can put serious thought to another one.

NFC playoffs update.

2008-01-06T15:22:00.000-06:00

For the third time this season, the Cowboys and Giants will tangle, as New York’s 24-14 win at Tampa Bay means that Dallas will be hosting their NFC East rivals in the divisional round next Sunday afternoon.

The Giants have been one of the league’s best road teams this season, and that was the case again today. Eli Manning was efficient, going 20 of 27 for 185 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and the Giants forced three turnovers in erasing some bad memories against Jeff Garcia, who previously beat New York in the postseason with the 49ers and Eagles.

The last time Eli and Co. came to Dallas was in the first week of the season, when he and Tony Romo had an aerial tit-for-tat, as both threw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns, but it was the Cowboys that came out on top in the highest-scoring game in the two teams’ rivalry, a 45-35 Dallas victory.

Here’s hoping that the third time isn’t the charm for the G-Men, and that the Cowboys can bookend the Giants’ season with defeats at Texas Stadium.

In the other NFC divisional round game, it’ll be Seattle going to Green Bay, after the Seahawks ended the Redskins’ ride with a 35-14 victory. It was quite a fight for Washington though, as they battled back from a 13-0 deficit to take a 14-13 lead with 12:38 to go.

It looked like destiny was going to shine on the ‘Skins again, when they recovered the ensuing kickoff at the Seahawks 14. But, former Cowboy Shaun Suisham missed a 30-yard field goal. Still, things looked good after Matt Hasselbeck was picked off on the next drive.

However, a short punt gave the Seahawks great field position, and they would take the lead with six minutes to go.

From there, it quickly unraveled for Washington, as an illegal block nullified a long kick return, and on the next play, Todd Collins was picked off, and Marcus Trufant returned it 78 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-14.

The game was sealed when Jordan Babineaux (remember him?) returned a second Collins pick 57 yards for a score with a half a minute to go.

Even though the Redskins went down, you’ve got to give them a lot of credit for how they fought this season, especially after all the ups and downs.

And, as for Seattle, or more specifically for Matt Hasselbeck - 1) Please don’t grow that hideous sorta-stache back, even if it may seem to be lucky, and 2) if this one goes to overtime, let someone else handle the coin toss, and if you do, don’t guarantee a win, because the last time you did it at Lambeau, Al Harris picked you off and sent you home.

Assistant coaches' update.

2008-01-04T15:45:00.001-06:00

The Dallas Morning News’ website confirmed what we knew was going to happen already, that Cowboys offensive line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano will have an interview with the Miami Dolphins about their head coaching vacancy.

Sparano will have the interview tomorrow in Dallas with new Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, following his interview with Baltimore Ravens execs about the same job.

Sparano and Jason Garrett were scheduled to have their interviews with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank today. Whether or not Garrett will be interviewing with the Ravens on Saturday hasn’t been confirmed yet.

According to the report by the site, Sparano is one of several candidates, with former Dallas assistants Todd Haley and Maurice Carthon (both now with Arizona) in the mix, along with Minnesota’s Leslie Frazier, Jacksonville assistant and former Vikings coach Mike Tice, and Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Late-night news and notes.

2008-01-04T01:43:00.000-06:00

It’s not new news by now, but Roy Williams was named as Sean Taylor’s replacement on the NFC Pro Bowl team on Thursday.

Even though that officially makes Williams the starter now, I wonder if the NFC is going to send only ten men out on the field on their first defensive play of the game, much like the Redskins did when they took the field against Buffalo, their first game after Taylor passed away.

Williams’ addition gives the Cowboys a dozen Pro Bowlers, adding to their league-high total.

There’s also another bit of Williams news, as he’ll be changing his number from 31 to 38 next season, going back to the number that he wore when he was at Oklahoma. He’d worn 31 since his rookie year, when Duane Hawthorne, and then Lynn Scott had the number, and now, after it’s been available for a couple of seasons, he’s finally going back to it. According to the Cowboys’ official site, nice guy Roy didn’t make the change until now for several reasons, one being that he didn’t want Jerry Jones to lose any money from all of the #31 jerseys in circulation. So, if you haven’t gotten one by now, get one before they go off the shelves.

The former Sooner star could have come in handy for his old team on Wednesday night in their Fiesta Bowl loss to West Virginia.

Speaking of the BCS, the Cowboys have several players who played in BCS bowls during their collegiate careers, with Williams (2000 season with OU), Marcus Spears (2003 season with LSU), and Bobby Carpenter (2002 season with Ohio State) all being part of national championship teams.

With LSU and Ohio State set to face off for the national championship on Monday night, could there be a friendly wager between Spears and fellow LSU alum Bradie James and Ohio State alums Carpenter and Terry Glenn?

Can we just fast-forward to next weekend already?

2008-01-03T13:50:00.000-06:00

The tornado that is Bill Parcells' rebuilding project continues to roll through what used to be the Miami Dolphins, as head coach Cam Cameron was fired today after a 1-15 season, his only one on the job.

This isn’t a surprise, considering that we all know Parcells wants to bring in his own guy, someone he knows, someone he trusts.

Cameron didn’t inherit that great of a team from Nick Saban, and the injuries upon injuries that they had this year ruined any chances for even a slightly respectable season.

There are some people who are better coordinators than head coaches, and Cameron may be one of those guys.

Given how fast things have moved in Miami this week, in the next 24 hours, we should know who’ll be interviewing for the job.

Sparano looks like the favorite, and secondary coach Todd Bowles has also been mentioned in some reports, along with, as expected, Jason Garrett.

Sparano and Garrett are already scheduled to interview with the Falcons tomorrow, so it looks to be a busy few days for those guys, as Grizz over at Blogging the Boys reports that the Ravens have requested permission to talk to a few NFL assistants, with Sparano and Garrett among the names mentioned.

So, it looks like we’ve got three teams fighting it out for two guys. From the looks of it, the Dolphins job is Sparano’s for the taking, with Garrett the hot name in Baltimore.

Garrett to interview with Falcons tomorrow, Ireland takes Dolphins GM job.

2008-01-02T15:18:00.000-06:00

According to the Cowboys’ official site, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is expected to interview with the Falcons on Friday about their head coaching vacancy.

Garrett joins O-line/assistant head coach Tony Sparano as targets for Arthur Blank.

As for one move that’s already finalized, Cowboys scouting director Jeff Ireland is joining Bill Parcells’ rebuilding project in Miami as the Dolphins’ new GM. Ireland interviewed for the position on Tuesday, a day after Parcells fired Randy Mueller.

Ireland’s got a great eye for talent (DeMarcus Ware, Marion Barber, to name a couple), which is what Miami severely needs right now, so he’s a good get for the Dolphins.

Tough slate awaits in '08.

2008-01-01T22:58:00.000-06:00

We’re not done with the 2007 season as of yet, but if the Cowboys want to successfully defend their NFC East title, they’re going to have to do it the hard way, with the list of opponents they’re set to face in 2008.

We won’t know the dates for a little while, but the schedule certainly doesn’t do Dallas any favors, as they‘ll go up against every other team that will represent the NFC in the playoffs this season, with several more tough matchups on tap as well.

Along with facing their divisional opponents twice, which equates to playing three playoff-caliber opponents six times, the Cowboys will have several more quality teams on their slate.

Dallas will have to face four division champions, two at home (Tampa Bay and Seattle) and two on the road (AFC North champ Pittsburgh and Green Bay), which makes for a total of six playoff teams.

The Cowboys will also face a trip to Cleveland to face the Browns in the ‘#22 Bowl,’ though Brady Quinn may or may not be starting, depending on what the Browns do with Derek Anderson (a restricted free agent) in the offseason.

There’s also a road game at Arizona, who finished 8-8 this season, so all told, the Cowboys will have 12 games against opponents who finished .500 or better, with another who finished 7-9.

The other opponents will be San Francisco (home), St. Louis (away), Baltimore (home), and Cincinnati (home). Baltimore and San Francisco were supposed to be playoff teams this year, but severely underachieved, and so did the Rams and Bengals, with all four being hurt by injuries and ineptness on at least one side of the ball.

So, we’ll renew that once-fierce rivalry against the 49ers, and there also may be an added storyline in the Ravens’ visit to Texas Stadium, with Jason Garrett (as mentioned a few posts below) a potential candidate for the recently-vacated head coaching position in the Charm City.
2008 Opponents

Home: New York (10-6), Washington (9-7), Philly (8-8), Seattle (10-6), Tampa Bay (9-7), Cincinnati (7-9), Baltimore (5-11), San Francisco (5-11)

Away: Giants, Redskins, Eagles, Green Bay (13-3), Pittsburgh (10-6), Cleveland (10-6), Arizona (8-8), St. Louis (3-13)

The Last Time The Teams Met…

I’ll leave out the divisional opponents and the NFC teams that the Cowboys could meet in the next few weeks

Baltimore: 2004 - Ravens won 30-10 in Baltimore
Cincinnati: 2004 - Bengals won 26-3 in Cincinnati
Cleveland: 2004 - Cowboys won 19-12 in Dallas
Pittsburgh: 2004 - Steelers won 24-20 in Dallas
Arizona: 2006 - Cowboys won 27-10 at Arizona
San Francisco: 2005 - Cowboys won 34-31 at San Francisco
St. Louis: 2007 - Cowboys won 35-7 at St. Louis

It’ll be interesting to see how the schedule plays out in terms of dates, as there stand to be at least a trip or two into the cold in December, which means Tony Romo might have to reluctantly pull out the gloves, or tough it out and play bare-handed, which shouldn‘t be a problem, considering he grew up in Wisconsin and played his college ball at Eastern Illinois. You can imagine he’ll get as many tickets as possible for when the Cowboys visit Green Bay. I’ll put 7-2 odds on him doing a Lambeau Leap into his personal rooting section if he scores a rushing touchdown.

A little update on comment posting.

2007-12-31T23:23:00.001-06:00

I hadn't adjusted the comment settings since I started the blog, but I adjusted them so that those without Google accounts could leave comments. So, if you tried to leave a comment before and couldn't, now you can.

Sorry for any inconveniences or annoyances that might have caused anyone.

A look back at a big year for the Dallas Cowboys.

2007-12-31T22:12:00.000-06:00

As we all get ready to ring in the New Year in some form, whether it by ringing up a giant bar tab, busting out the box of wine, or everything else in between, it’s time to reflect on the year that it’s been for the Dallas Cowboys.

From bobbling to baffling, here are the major moments for Dallas in 2007.

January 8: Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20 - This game is remembered by most not for what happened for the first 58+ minutes, but for Tony Romo’s bobbled snap that on a chip-shot field goal attempt with a little over a minute to play that ‘cost’ the Cowboys a playoff victory.

What many who made that single play a story that shouldn’t have been don’t care to remember is that the Cowboys let the game slip away before Romo supposedly did.

After a 29-yard field goal by Martin Gramatica, Dallas led 20-13 with 10:15 to play. On the ensuing drive, the Seahawks drove all the way to the Dallas 1 before the Cowboys defense held, and Seattle turned it over on downs with less than seven minutes to play, giving Dallas the ball at the 2.

On the first play, Romo completed a pass to Terry Glenn, who couldn’t hold onto the ball, and it went out of the end zone for a safety (initial call was a touchdown for Seattle, but it was reversed after a challenge), trimming the lead to 20-15 with more than six and a half minutes left.
Seattle got the ball at the 50, and four plays later, went ahead on a touchdown pass by Matt Hasselbeck.

Then came the drive that ended with Romo’s only real mistake of the night, but one that very well could’ve turned out just a little differently, because what those same idiots failed to mention is that after bobbling the snap, Romo picked it up and ran with it, and got tackled just short of the first down marker and the end zone.

Thankfully, that play has been forgotten and been replaced by even more irrelevant talk about Romo’s personal life, which frankly doesn’t matter to me unless he’s putting himself or anyone else in danger, or unless it affects his play on the football field.

Janaury 22: Bill Parcells retires - There’d been a lot of speculation about Parcells’ future after the playoffs ended, and he put all of it to bed by stepping down as head coach a little over two weeks after the loss in Seattle.

First, thanks Bill - I‘ll expound upon that in a moment. Second, when Bill Parcells says ‘retire,’ his definition of the word must be closer to ‘hiatus’ than the actual meaning of retire, since Parcells is now busy shaking things up in south Florida, trying to mend the mess that is the Miami Dolphins.

February 8: Wade Phillips gets hired as head coach - After a search that saw no less than 10 candidates interviewed for the job, Jerry Jones got his man in former Broncos and Bills coach Wade Phillips.

It was the best hire he could have made then (along with bringing in Jason Garrett), and ten months later, that A is now an A++.

September 9: Cowboys start Phillips’ era with 45-35 win - Sure, it left something to be desired defensively, but it was a precursor to what was a regular sight in 2007 (and hopefully for many years to come), Tony Romo picking apart a defense.

October 8: Cowboys make miraculous last-minute comeback to beat Buffalo 25-24 - Thanks to six turnovers by Tony Romo and two interception returns and a kick return for scores by Buffalo, it looked like Dallas was going to drop their first game, until a wacky final four minutes and the finish of all finishes.

Down 24-16 with less than four minutes to go, Romo calmly led Dallas 80 yards down the field, completing 9 of 11 passes for 77 yards, the last of which was a 4-yard touchdown to Patrick Crayton that made it 24-22 with 20 seconds to play.

After Nick Folk's successful onside kick (which turned out to be only his second-biggest kick of the night), Romo moved the Cowboys in position for a 53-yard field goal, which the rookie drilled not once, but twice to cap off an unlikely win. Stuff of Folk-lore indeed.

October 14: Patriots hand Cowboys first loss - After their Monday night miracle, Dallas had to turn around and face the Patriots in a much-hyped battle of unbeaten teams.

There were two lessons learned that day: 1) Slowing down Randy Moss doesn’t equate to slowing down the Patriots, when you let Wes Welker and Donte’ Stallworth combined for 18 catches, 260 yards, and three touchdowns, and 2) You can’t get down 14 points to the Patriots and expect to win, unless you play error-free football, which still might not be enough.

December 9: Cowboys clinch first NFC East title since 1998 with comeback win over Lions - The little leprechaun who snuck on the sidelines during the Buffalo game made his appearance in Detroit in Week 14 to help deliver the Cowboys an unlikely win (and the NFC East title) at Ford Field.

The Cowboys survived a 13-point deficit, a fumble by Jason Witten at the 1-yard line on a potential go-ahead drive in the fourth, and a fumble that bounced the right way on what proved to be the game-winning drive, with Witten redeeming himself with the game-winning touchdown catch in the final minute.

Let’s hope that leprechaun has his tickets for the playoffs and the Super Bowl already…

December 18: League-high 11 Cowboys named to NFC Pro Bowl team - Seven were on offense, with five as starters (three on the O-line in Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, and Flozell Adams, and T.O. and Witten as the others), and Marion Barber getting named to the team despite not being the ‘starter’ at running back. Three more were on defense, with DeMarcus Ware deservedly getting a starting nod (Ken Hamlin and Terence Newman as reserves), with Folk being #11, one of three rookies named as representatives from the NFC.

December 23: Cowboys clinch home-field advantage - Thanks to the Bears’ 35-7 demolition of the Packers, and Dallas’ 20-13 win over Carolina the previous night (and a 37-27 victory over Green Bay on Nov. 29), the Cowboys clinched home-field advantage for the first time since 1995.

The year got off to a rather conspicuous start, but it’s ended with one of the best regular seasons in team history.

After years of bumbling along offensively, the Cowboys’ offense is now one of the most exciting to watch in the league (minus yesterday, and in the last few weeks of the regular season), and even though they’ve scared the daylights out of us a number of times this season, it feels damn good for that ‘edge of your seat’ feeling to be the good kind again. And with the foundation that’s being built, it looks like it’s only going to go up from here (knock on wood).

What will 2008 bring? The Lombardi Trophy back to Dallas, I hope. That, a new contract for Marion Barber, a couple of future stars in the draft, and Jason Garrett still on the Cowboys‘ payroll come the fall.

What do you think of the year that it’s been for the Cowboys?

Cowboys assistants in demand?

2007-12-31T15:58:00.000-06:00

Assistant head coach Tony Sparano is set to interview with the Atlanta Falcons later this week about their head coaching vacancy.

Sparano, who joined the Cowboys staff in 2003, will interview with the Falcons on Friday after the team was granted permission to talk to him.

This could hasten whatever decision Bill Parcells is going to make about Miami head coach Cam Cameron.

Parcells has already shown the door to GM Randy Mueller and a couple of other guys in the front office, and the next step might be to give Cameron his pink slip and go for someone he knows and trusts, namely Sparano, who was one of his right-hand men during his time in Dallas.

Whether or not firing Cameron would be the right move is up for debate, considering that he’s been in the job only one year, and you can’t pinpoint him as the reason why the Dolphins were as bad as they were this season (injuries, lack of quality personnel, aging in a number of positions).

But, if the Tuna wants to give the Dolphins a complete makeover, then he might see firing Cameron as the best move for the future, and by bringing in Sparano, he could really start molding the team/organization the way he wants to.

Sparano isn’t the only Cowboys assistant that’s going to field some offers in the offseason, as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is already being mentioned as the potential favorite to succeed Brian Billick in Baltimore.

I’d really hate to lose Garrett to the Ravens, but if he does get offered the job, he’ll have a decision to make from remaining in Dallas and biding his time as a coordinator until Wade Phillips retires (which could be a while yet) or taking a head coaching job and getting his feet wet.

No doubt about it, Garrett could inject a lot of life into an offense that needs it. But, Ravens brass might be warned off of Garrett because of what happened the last time they went after the hottest rising assistant in the league.

Brian Billick went to Baltimore as one of the hottest offensive coaches in the game for his part in turning Minnesota’s offense into one of the best in the league. But while the Ravens defense became one of the most formidable in the league, the offense was barely above average at best, even in its most successful years, thanks in part to having the likes of Tony Banks, Elvis Grbac, Jeff Blake, and Kyle Boller running the show.

Of the two, Sparano seems more likely to leave, especially if the Miami job does come open. As for Garrett, he could decide to leave if he feels it’s the prime opportunity for him to test his abilities as a head coach.

Postseason Preview: Wild-Card Weekend.

2007-12-31T01:48:00.000-06:00

Now that the playoff matchups are set, here’s a quick preview of next weekend’s wild-card action.

On Saturday, the Redskins (9-7) will take on the NFC West champion Seahawks (10-6) in Seattle, and the AFC North champion Steelers (10-6) will host the Jaguars (11-5). On Sunday, the NFC South champion Buccaneers (9-7) will host the Giants (10-6), with the AFC West champion Chargers (11-5) and the Titans (9-7) rounding out the quartet of first-round games.

NFC

Washington at Seattle: Both of these teams bumbled along for a part of the season before getting their heads on at just the right time.

As for the Seahawks, they had the habit of looking good one week and bad the next, as they started the season 4-4. Then, after a 33-30 loss to Cleveland in Week 9, the Seahawks won five in a row to make themselves look pretty formidable heading into the home stretch, in which they lost two of their last three, at Carolina (13-10) and Atlanta (44-41).

What to make of this Seattle team? Matt Hasselbeck has had a career year, but Shaun Alexander is a shell of his former self. Given their schedule, they should have done better, considering they played only three teams with winning records (lost to Pittsburgh and Cleveland, beat Tampa Bay).

Thankfully, they’re playing at home, so we should see their best on Saturday (7-1 at home). And they’re going to need it against a Washington team that’s going into the playoffs with a ton of momentum.

The Redskins started 5-3, but lost four in a row, including a 17-16 loss to Buffalo in their first game after star safety Sean Taylor was murdered.

But, something clicked, and the ‘Skins won their last four, beating the Bears, Giants, Vikings, and Cowboys to get into the postseason.

Todd Collins has done a great job guiding the Redskins down the stretch, and it looks like it’ll be up to him and Hasselbeck to lead their teams, since both teams have pretty respectable run defenses.

New York at Tampa Bay: Which Eli Manning will show up? If it’s mistake-prone Eli, the Giants are going to be undone against one of the best pass defenses in the league.

But, if it’s good Eli, the one that threw four touchdowns against the Cowboys and Patriots, then the Giants have a good chance to move on to face Dallas in the divisional round.

Playing away from home might be just down the Giants’ alley, as they went 7-1 away from home in the regular season and only 3-5 at home.

Tampa Bay scored 24 points or more only five times during the season, with all of those coming against Atlanta, St. Louis, and New Orleans, none of whom are formidable defensively (and aided Tampa by making mistakes). So, if it becomes a high-scoring game, the Bucs might not be able to keep it up, especially considering that the Giants have played their best defense on the road (besides the Dallas game), allowing 21 points or more on the road only twice (45 vs. Dallas in Week 1, 21 vs. Buffalo in Week 16).

But, the Bucs have an experienced QB in Jeff Garcia, a great defense, and home-field advantage, which have all been big factors in their success this season.

AFC

Tennessee at San Diego: Hooray for recycled matchups!

Fortunately, this one could actually be entertaining, given that their first meeting, in Week 14 in Nashville, was decided in overtime.

In that one, Tennessee led 17-3 in the fourth quarter, but the Chargers forced overtime on a touchdown run by LaDainian Tomlinson and a game-tying two-yard touchdown catch by Antonio Gates with nine seconds left in regulation.

In OT, the two teams traded punts, with Tennessee’s punt giving San Diego the ball at the Titans’ 48. L.T. and Philip Rivers made them pay, driving 48 yards in six plays, with L.T. going 16 yards for the game-winning score in a 23-17 Chargers win.

That loss put a dent into Tennessee’s playoff hopes, but they won three in a row to finish out the season and edge Cleveland out for the #6 seed in the AFC.

But, in order to knock off the Chargers, they’re going to have to stop one of the league’s hottest teams, as San Diego will enter the playoffs on a six-game win streak and having won 10 of their last 12 after starting 1-3.

San Diego was 7-1 at home in the regular season, with their only home loss coming in Week 4 to Kansas City, so you’ve got to favor them, especially with the way that their offense (more than 30 points per game in their six-game win streak) and defense (12.5 points per game in the streak) have been playing.

But, the Titans were a good road team (5-3), and if they can slow down the Bolts’ offense, and produce a little something of their own on O, they’ll have a chance.

Jaguars at Steelers: We've got another repeat matchup in the other AFC wild-card game, as these two teams met up in Week 15. Given the way that the Jaguars handled the Steelers in their own house then, Pittsburgh might be wishing that they could have gotten the #3 seed, but alas, that wasn’t to be the case, as they lost three of their last four games to finish a game behind San Diego for the #3.

In Week 15, Jacksonville ran for 224 yards in a 29-22 victory in Pittsburgh, in the snow, wind, and cold, nonetheless.

Pittsburgh will be going into the playoffs with a banged up Ben Roethlisberger, with Willie Parker already out for the rest of the season due to a broken leg suffered in Week 16 against St. Louis. Najeh Davenport is going to have to get something going against a tough run defense, and he could, given that Parker went for 100 on only 14 carries against them in the first meeting.

As for Roethlisberger, he doesn’t necessarily need to throw for 300 yards and three scores, but has to be efficient as he has most of the season, and from there, the defense is going to have to step up in order to lighten the load on the offense.

It’s not easy to go into someone’s backyard and beat them twice, so it’ll be up to the Steelers to prove that the Week 15 loss was just an aberration and that it‘s them that‘s the cold-weather team and not the Jaguars.

I won’t make any set predictions just yet, but I’m sure at least one of the higher seeds will fall, with the likeliest possibility being in the #4 vs. #5 games, but it won‘t be a surprise if Washington goes into Seattle and wins.

Well, that's that - Redskins 27, Cowboys 6.

2007-12-30T18:22:00.000-06:00

First off, congratulations to the Redskins. They’ve been through quite a lot this season, and for them to turn it around like they have and wind up in the playoffs is something to give them a great deal of credit and kudos for.

Secondly, while this game does not matter to the Cowboys, and it means everything to the Redskins, this isn’t exactly the performance that you’d like to see from your team heading into the playoffs, especially on offense, which hasn’t been as much of a strength lately as it was for the better part of the season.

But, every team is allowed their subpar performances, so it’s nothing to panic about, especially with so many guys sitting, some sloppy conditions, and the motivation level not as high as it should be in two weeks.

I will say this much - as much of a high as the Redskins are on right now, the Seahawks better come to play next weekend, because I think I’d much rather face Tampa Bay or New York than Washington in the first round.

Inspiration and heart can take you a long way, and that definitely won out today. So, congrats to the ‘Skins, see you (and hopefully beat you) in the playoffs.

Early afternoon news and notes.

2007-12-30T14:09:00.000-06:00

A little Sunday update, while I’m waiting for the Dallas game to start.

The Saints, who need the Cowboys to beat the Redskins and the Broncos to beat the Vikings in order to make the playoffs, aren’t helping themselves out right now, as they’re trailing 24-17 at halftime in Chicago.

That’s right, the Bears’ offense has created 24 points in one half. Alert the presses!

All kidding aside though, you’ve got to hand it to them for not throwing in the towel in such a disappointing season, having beaten the snot out of the Packers last week (thanks Lovie!) and now on track to derail the Saints’ playoff hopes.

Cleveland, meanwhile, is taking care of their end in the AFC. The Browns have to beat San Francisco and hope Tennessee loses to Indianapolis in order to get into the postseason. So far, so good, as they’re up 17-7 in the third.

As a side note about that game, Brady Quinn finally got his first regular-season action, going 3 of 8 for 45 yards.

Who’d have thought - at the time of that trade, it looked like a steal for both the Cowboys (potential #1 pick, yay!) and Browns (franchise QB late in the first round!). Now, the Browns have a QB they don’t exactly need (but a damn good insurance policy in case Derek Anderson gets hurt or plays horridly next year), and that pick that we all expected to be a top-5 or 10 is going to be in the 20s, quite possibly the same #22 that the Cowboys traded to the Browns last April.

Not that it’s a bad thing, however. The Cowboys will likely get more out of that pick in 2008 than they would have in 2007 (if they plan on using their two first-rounders on corner/receiver/O-line), but we’ll just have to see how they play their cards come draft time.

And as for the Browns, well, they could be on their way to a Rivers-Brees like situation in a few seasons, where they have to choose between keeping one and parting with the other, though it‘s worth nothing that it’s worked for Rivers and Brees (both succeeding with their respective teams).

Well…it’s not exactly working out for Brees right now, as his Saints are now down 31-17, but they already have it in Chicago territory, so that deficit could be down to seven again soon.

'72 Dolphins, you can still rest easy for now.

2007-12-30T01:41:00.000-06:00

Well, Tom Coughlin kept his word. He not only played his starters, but he played them the entire game.

Problem was, Bill Belichick had the same idea.

The Giants took a 28-16 lead in the third quarter before the Patriots (surprise, surprise) came back for a 38-35 victory to wrap up a perfect regular season.

Besides finishing 16-0, the Patriots set an NFL record for most points in a season, Tom Brady became the first QB to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season, and Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice’s record for touchdown receptions in a season.

Yawn.

None of the records will mean much unless the Patriots get three more wins and take home the Lombardi Trophy.

Don’t think that I’m bitter, because I’d say the same thing if the Cowboys were in this position. I’d certainly be happy, no doubt about that. But, there's nothing like realty and perspective to keep that excitement reeled in.

New England has had a great season, and they deserve a ton of praise for all that they have done up to this point. But, there are three teams still standing in their way of glory, so no confetti and thrones yet.

They’re the favorites to do so, especially if Tom Brady is as sharp as he has been most of the year. You don’t throw for more than 4,800 yards and 50 touchdowns without being good and having some quality receivers to throw to, and both are certainly the case with Brady. It doesn't hurt when you have Randy Moss, who's back to being Randy Moss (minus the dysfunctionality) and Wes Welker, who's having a career season.

But, it’s certainly not all Brady, because the team as a whole just gets it done, somehow, which is why so many people hate/envy them. You can’t blame them though, because they get paid to win, just like everyone else in the NFL, but just happen to do it more than most, thanks to that 'walking, not talking' attitude that they have, thanks to the stone-like Belichick, who's good for about three smiles a year. He does deserve whatever criticisms that he has gotten for the videotaping controversies, but that's another issue for another time, and doesn't carry much relevance now when they've emphatically answered any questions about if they need to cheat to win.

Before it starts to look like I'm joining the Patriots' love fest, let's get this straight: They, like the other 31 teams in the NFL, and any other football or sports team on the planet, can lose, and will, sooner or later, and maybe sooner rather than later.

They can be beaten, but it’s just a matter of actually getting the job done, which involves minimizing your flaws, because one little mistake is more than enough for New England to punish you. Just ask the Cowboys, Colts, Eagles, Ravens, and Giants, who all did plenty of things right against the Patriots, but not quite enough, because football is a 60-minute game, and knocking off the Patriots requires remembering that important fact.

For example, when the Giants went up 28-16, they just seemed to shut it off, and that allowed the Pats to come back. And then, even when New England went up 31-28 in the fourth, it wasn’t over, with 11 minutes still left. But, with a holding penalty that negated a first-down run and then an interception on the next play, the Giants all but sealed their fate.

Aside from making few mistakes (or at least not letting the ones you make burn you), it also requires finding the dents in the Patriots’ armor, because believe it or not, they do have their flaws like anyone else - their running attack is questionable, and their defense is susceptible to getting scored upon. And, as invincible as Brady looks, he can be forced into a mistake or two here and there, especially if he’s under duress - which is something that the Giants, as good as their pass rush is supposed to be, didn’t do much of tonight.

Best team through 16 games in 2007? Certainly. Best team ever? Ask me again in a little more than a month.

Yay! It's Week 17!

2007-12-29T16:31:00.001-06:00

After 16 weeks, we’ve finally reached the end of the regular season. It couldn’t get here soon enough, and honestly, it can’t be over soon enough either, with the playoffs in plain view now.

Most of the playoff spots are secured, and we know who’s going to have the #1 draft pick, but there’s still plenty to play for - for some - in Week 17.

The biggest storyline for this weekend is whether or not the Patriots will beat the Giants at the Meadowlands to finish a perfect regular season.

With both teams having locked up their playoff positions, it’s unknown how much the starters will play a role, or if they should, but Tom Coughlin has said he plans to play his starters, and play to win.

As for the Patriots, we’ll see, literally, because there’s no way around it. The game will be simulcast on both CBS and NBC, and you can bet ESPN will be providing score updates on a regular basis.

Hopefully it’ll be worth all the hype that it’s getting. New England doesn’t really stand to gain much from winning, outside of remaining unbeaten. The same goes for New York, who’ll just have the satisfaction of ending New England’s chances at history.

There’s certainly a lot that could be lost though, so we’ll see how long Coughlin will keep his word, and if Bill Belichick bothers to keep Brady in for more than a quarter, or turns the glorious pursuit of history over to Matt Cassel and the rest of his second-teamers with plenty of time left on the clock.

There are only two playoff spots to be decided, and both are the #6 seeds in each conference.

In the AFC, Cleveland hosts San Francisco and Tennessee goes to Indianapolis, with the Browns and Titans both at 9-6.

If Tennessee wins, they’re in, and there’s a good chance that they could do it, considering the Colts have zero to play for, and won’t play Peyton Manning for more than a half, at most.

First up, though, is the Browns’ matchup with the 49ers. Cleveland must beat the hapless ‘Niners, who will be on starting QB #4, with Chris Weinke getting duties under center on Sunday afternoon, in order to have a chance at a playoff spot going into the evening. Then it’ll be up to the Titans to make or break their destiny.

In the NFC, the #6 seed comes down to Washington and Minnesota, both at 8-7.

If Washington beats Dallas, then they’re into the postseason at 9-7. The Cowboys are in much the same boat as the Colts (and for that matter, the Patriots and Giants too) are - they don’t need the win, and won’t really gain anything from keeping their starters in for longer than they need to.

Minnesota will hope that the Cowboys somehow do get the W, so that they’ll still have a chance at the postseason heading into their late afternoon clash with the Broncos in Denver. The Broncos don’t really have anything to play for besides pride, as they’ve had a disappointing year, but won’t hand a victory to the Vikings.

There’s sure to be some drama in the next 30-odd hours, but then again, with several teams with something to play for going up against teams with little or nothing to play for, then things could very well be just a little anti-climactic.

One out, one in for receiving corps.

2007-12-26T12:31:00.000-06:00

[This is a little late, but I took some time away from the computer to enjoy the holiday.]

According to the Cowboys’ official site, T.O. definitely won’t be playing against Washington on Sunday, but Terry Glenn might.

Glenn has missed the first 15 games because of knee-related issues, but he’s gradually worked his way back, and he may see some action on Sunday, according to head coach Wade Phillips.

"He ran a lot of go routes after we did his workout, 10 or 15 in a row, and some other routes. It was encouraging," Phillips said. "That's why I'm encouraged enough to say maybe this week we're going to see him on the field."

That’s welcome news, considering the fact that the timetable on T.O.’s return is up in the air for now.

As I said in an earlier post, Jacksonville’s David Garrard suffered a high ankle sprain, missed only three games, and since he‘s come back, may be on the best stretch of his career.
But, on the flip side, Anthony Henry suffered the same injury in Week 4 and, though he came back after the Cowboys’ bye in Week 8, he was still limited for the next couple of weeks.

However, Phillips is cautiously optimistic that Owens could be back by the time Dallas starts prepping for their first playoff game, judging by the MRI and his past injury history.

"Looking at his background, after the MRI and some of those things they tell me, I think he'll be back. I know he's tough and I think he's a fast healer and all those things. I'm certainly hopeful but I don't know if confident is the word for me."

No one can forget how he stubbornly came back from a late-season injury to play in the Super Bowl while he was with the Eagles, and considering that this injury is a little less serious than that one, seeing him in the divisional round game won’t be a surprise, and frankly, might be expected (not that he‘s Superman or anything, but he takes care of his body a whole heck of a lot better than many do).

He could very well be held out of that divisional round game if he isn’t 100%, just for the sake of looking at the bigger picture and not risking his health and availability afterwards.
But, even if he’s held out or limited for that weekend, it’s certainly encouraging that Glenn could be in there to help pick up some of the slack.

Cowboys clinch home-field advantage in NFC.

2007-12-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

With the Packers going down 35-7 at Chicago today, Dallas has clinched the valuable home-field advantage through the conference championship game. The Cowboys are 13-2 after their 20-13 win over Carolina last night, with the Packers' loss dropping them to 12-3, so even if Dallas loses at Washington next week, they'll have home field because of their 37-27 win over the Packers in Week 13.

So, if the two teams meet up in the NFC title game, Dallas won't have to make the trip to freezing (and possibly snowy/icy/rainy) Green Bay.

T.O. injury update.

2007-12-22T22:53:00.001-06:00

The injury that T.O. suffered in the second quarter is reportedly a high ankle sprain.

In all likelihood, or if Wade Phillips is looking big picture, we won't see T.O. next Sunday at Washington.

This is one good reason why it's good to have that first-round bye, because with two weekends off to heal, he'll hopefully be fine for the divisional round game, but that might be wishful thinking.

Jacksonville QB David Garrard suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 7 and missed the next three games, so Owens could potentially miss even the divisional playoff game if his is similar to Garrard's.

It's too early to assume or worry, so let's wait and see what the prognosis is.

Dallas improves to 13-2 with 20-13 win at Carolina.

2007-12-22T22:28:00.000-06:00

It wasn’t sealed until Marion Barber’s 11-yard run inside the final two minutes, but Dallas has their 13th win of the season by a count of 20-13 over the Carolina Panthers.

Barber ran for 110 yards, the second-highest total of his career behind a 127-yard game against Arizona in his rookie year, and Dallas needed all of those yards tonight, especially at the end.

Tony Romo bounced back well from Sunday's nightmare game against Philadelphia and finished 28 of 42 for 257 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, and broke Danny White’s single-season team record of 3,980 yards (it now stands at 4,125).

Give credit to the Panthers for staying in it even though the Cowboys should have had it sewn up well before the end. Matt Moore certainly has the tools to be a success as a starter in the NFL, as he’s shown in his first two starts - it wouldn’t have taken long for him to be the backup in Dallas, but he’s much better off in Carolina - and he nearly came back to haunt his old team.

But, the defense certainly didn’t take it easy on Moore, sacking him five times, with DeMarcus Ware upping his total to a career-high 13 with two sacks and Greg Ellis adding one to his total, which is now at 12.5 for the season. The key plays for the defense were keeping the Panthers out of the end zone both times in the second half when they had a chance to cut into the Cowboys’ lead.

Judging by the statistics, it was a dominating performance by the Cowboys, even though the scoreboard indicates otherwise - 405 to 216 in total yards, 25 to 12 in first downs, 39:00 to 21:00 in time of possession.

That dominance could have translated on the scoreboard if not for a few missed opportunities for Dallas, but in the end, it’s not about the opportunities you miss, but the ones that you convert, and the important thing is that the Cowboys converted more than the Panthers, and thusly, Dallas is a Packers loss (or a win at Washington next week, if the Packers beat Chicago tomorrow) away from having home-field advantage in the NFC, while 6-9 Carolina is eliminated from playoff contention.

Into the final few minutes, Cowboys holding on...

2007-12-22T21:54:00.000-06:00

Things have greatly quieted down in the second half, and as time winds down, Dallas is a stop and a few first downs from having it in the books.

All each team has to show for in the second half is field goals, with Carolina trimming the deficit to a touchdown right out of the locker room with a 37-yard field goal from Jon Kasay on a drive that got down to the Dallas 1, but was pushed back by a false start and two sacks.

The Cowboys moved the ball into scoring position early in the fourth, but a Romo interception kept the Panthers in it. But, he made up for it on the next drive, leading Dallas to a field goal and a 20-10 lead with less than nine minutes to play.

It’s far from over though, as Moore just hit Smith for 57 yards on fourth down, and Carolina has it at the Dallas 9 inside four and a half a minutes.

A touchdown here, and it gets a little nervy, because the Panthers still have two timeouts.
Time to close it out…

Cowboys on track for lucky #13.

2007-12-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

It’s back to business as usual for Dallas, as the Cowboys are up 17-7 over the Carolina Panthers at halftime.

Tony Romo has already thrown 32 passes, but he’s surpassed last week’s completion mark by eight (21 to 13), and with his 188 passing yards in the first half, Romo has a new single-season Cowboys record of 4,056 yards.

It’s good to see Romo back on track, and even more so to see a semblance of balance in the offense, as Marion Barber has 80 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

The offense has thoroughly dominated proceedings in the first half, outgaining Carolina 291 to 109, but more importantly, holding a 50 to 17 edge in plays and a 15-minute edge in time of possession.

But, the Panthers are still very much in the game because of the one successful drive they put together, when a short kick gave Carolina the ball at the 37, and after a first-down completion and a 39-yard run by DeAngelo Williams, Matt Moore threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith to get Carolina on the board.

After responding with a field goal, the Cowboys could have added to the lead before halftime, but a penalty for an illegal shift wiped out a first-down pass to Sam Hurd (that would have put it at the 20), and then Dallas simply ran out of time.

The second half just started, with the Panthers getting the ball first. The Cowboys will be playing the rest of the game without T.O., who left during the last scoring drive with an injury and won’t return. He had five catches for 48 yards and the score before he was hurt, so it’s a blow for him, since he was a key part of the offense after being quiet in the last two games. It shouldn’t be a big concern for the duration of the night, but hopefully it’s not an injury that will keep him out of any games from this point.

Carolina’s moving the ball and has it inside the 10, so the deficit could quickly be trimmed.
I’ll check back here and there…

Quick Take: Dallas at Carolina.

2007-12-22T17:53:00.000-06:00

After seeing their seven-game win streak come to a abrupt halt against Philadelphia last Sunday, the Cowboys look to not only get back on track tonight, but take a big step towards clinching home field in the NFC when they take on the Carolina Panthers tonight.

For Carolina, the stakes are pretty high, as they need a win to keep their slim postseason hopes alive.

Dallas is 6-0 on the road this season, and the signs point towards the Cowboys rebounding from their atrocious offensive performance last Sunday in the 10-6 loss to the Eagles.

Dallas is averaging 32.2 points per game on the road thus far, with four of Tony Romo’s seven 300-yard games coming on the road, including a 35 of 44, 302-yard, two-touchdown afternoon in the 28-27 comeback win over the Lions in Week 14.

After shooting blanks last week against Philly with his newest love interest, Jessica Simpson, in attendance, Romo has to keep his head on straight tonight if the Cowboys aren’t to lose their hold on home field. He’s playing with a sore thumb, which could affect him if he chooses to let it, but you know what they say about molehills and mountains.

The offense should have the chance to move the ball against the Panthers, even though they shut down the Seahawks last Sunday. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 274 yards, so a big night is there for the taking if Romo wants it.

T.O. hasn’t been a factor lately, making only five catches in the last two games, but the last time he had a dry spell like this, earlier in the season, he busted out of it by going over 100 yards in five of the next six games.

More important than getting the ball to T.O., though, is utilizing the run, which has been completely invisible at many times this season, both due to the great success that Romo has had throwing the ball and because the Cowboys have had to play from behind on several occasions.

As for the Panthers offense, it’s led by none other than Matt Moore, the rookie QB that Dallas cut at the end of the preseason instead of keeping on the roster. The Panthers snapped him up before the Cowboys could put him on the practice squad, and with injuries ineffectiveness at the position, Moore has gotten the chance to see the field much, much quicker than he would have in Dallas.

He performed well in his first career start last Sunday, going 19 of 27 for 208 yards in the 13-10 win over Seattle. His offensive line made things a lot easier for him, not allowing him to be sacked at all, so it’ll be on the Dallas pass rush to wreak havoc and rattle the rookie, and leave the hugs and handshakes for before and after the game.

But, Moore might not have to worry about having the world on his shoulders tonight, as the Dallas defense hasn’t been as adept at stopping the run in the last three weeks as they had been for the better part of the season, and they’ll have their hands full with Carolina’s double-De’s, DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster, who haven’t been consistent week in, week out, but aren’t to be taken lightly.

Tonight’s game is being broadcast by the NFL Network, and it starts at 7:15, which means it’s time to head to Applebee’s, Chili’s, Friday’s, or your nearest sports bar, go to the neighbor’s house, or, if you’re lucky, watch the game from the comforts of your living room.

Which one will I be doing? Well, considering I plan to provide periodical updates of the game on here, I’ll let you guess.

Quick Take: Pittsburgh at St. Louis

2007-12-20T16:10:00.001-06:00

Week 16 gets underway tonight, with 9-5 Pittsburgh on the road to face 3-11 St. Louis. I'll have my preview for the Dallas-Carolina game tomorrow and Saturday, but this will kick off my previews of the other action around the league.

Pittsburgh at St. Louis

The Steelers have lost their last two games and their hold on the AFC North heading into tonight’s visit to St. Louis.

They’re now tied with Cleveland for first in the division at 9-5 (though they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker), and considering that four of their five losses have come on the road, Pittsburgh’s in quite the precarious situation. As for the Rams, they don’t have anything to play for besides pride and a top-5 draft pick, but could be a spoiler to Pittsburgh’s division title hopes. The Rams have lost four games at home by seven points or less, and were hanging tough with Green Bay for a while until the Packers ran away with it.

Pittsburgh’s defense has struggled in the last two games, and tonight will be a chance to regain their pride, but given that the Rams moved the ball well against the Packers on Sunday, they can't afford to get burned in the air (vs. the Patriots and Jaguars) and on the ground (vs. the Jaguars) like they have lately. As for the offense, considering the fact that the Steelers have had to play in horrible weather multiple times lately, being in the dome might be just what the doctor ordered. Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been as sharp lately, but could be in line for a big night, and so could the NFL's leading rusher, Willie Parker, who's put together back to back 100-yard games and has a total of eight on the season.

The Rams won’t go quietly, but the Steelers are a better team, and should show it. But, if they stumble, they're going to be looking at going into the postseason limping. How much of a chance St. Louis has tonight will depend on which Marc Bulger takes the field - if it's the same one that's struggled most of the season, it could be a long night. But, given that the Steelers haven't been too fearsome with their defensive pressure as of late, Bulger could have plenty of time to throw, and Steven Jackson could have a hole straight through to his third straight 1,000 yard season.

And, if that's the case, then we could be in for quite the battle, and this one could be worth going to your local sports bar for, or at the least, following on-line.

Score: Pittsburgh 27, St. Louis 17