A little update on comment posting.

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.

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Thankfully, that play has been forgotten and been replaced by even more irrelevant talk about Romo’s personal life, which frankly doesn’t matter to me unless he’s putting himself or anyone else in danger, or unless it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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.