GDR-v. Redskins game 15

[alexamenos]

Have I had too much scotch tonight or do we not have a GDT for a potential playoff clinching game?

Anyhoo...go 'boys!!!

[FINtastic]

Barber sucks and Garrett sucks for STILL overusing him.

[alexamenos]

The defense is playing stellar ball and Romo has been great in December. That's a pretty nice combo going into the playoffs.

[FINtastic]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

The defense is playing stellar ball and Romo has been great in December. That's a pretty nice combo going into the playoffs.

I do have to agree with that. Romo's been money tonight again. Most of his incompletions have been on drops (*cough* Roy *cough*)

[FINtastic]

Washington is just terrible by the way. The Cowboys haven't played all that great tonight, and yet this game still hasn't ever really been in doubt.

[alexamenos]

Shut out baby. I know the 'skins suck, but shut outs are pretty rare.

The 'boys have ten wins, a solid running game, a qb that is playing extremely well, a defense that is very good, and no significant injuries.

What's this I'm feeling? Ummm...I think I'm optimistic. I don't normally do optimism. I think I feel an erection coming on.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

Shut out baby. I know the 'skins suck, but shut outs are pretty rare.

The 'boys have ten wins, a solid running game, a qb that is playing extremely well, a defense that is very good, and no significant injuries.

What's this I'm feeling? Ummm...I think I'm optimistic. I don't normally do optimism. I think I feel an erection coming on.

But then again I've had a couple of drinks and I'll do most anything when I'm drunk.

[FINtastic]

I'll be honest, I'd feel a lot better if the Cowboys did two things - bench Roy and give all of Barber's carries to Felix/Choice. Those two guys are killing us right now.

At the same time, I do agree with the points you are making. Romo's playing some great ball right now, and the defense is finally living up to its potential. I'd feel a lot better about the running game if we didn't give most of the carries to the worst back on the team (all of those short yardage stuffs we've seen lately have me ready to jump off a bridge).

It may seem like I'm coming off negative, but I do feel pretty good about the Cowboys. One thing that bothers me is that the Cowboys have a extremely high chance of seeing the Eagles in the first round. So we are going to see them twice in two weeks with two possible scenarios. The first is that the Cowboys win the first matchup and host a game against them. This means the Cowboys would have to beat them a third time this season, not exactly an easy task against a team like Philly. The second scenario would be the Cowboys lose this week and have to play Philly on the road in the playoffs in a cold and rowdy environment.

Oh well, the most satisfying goals in the NFL don't come easy so I'll just put my faith in our jedi quarterback (and yes, I do think we've seen the return of the jedi this December).

[Thespiralgoeson]

I defended Roy as long as I could this season, but that drop was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I agree with the consensus that both he and Barber need to be benched. Those repeated failures on 3rd or 4th and 1 were just maddening.

[Male30Dan]

Yeah - was a frustrating season for RW...

Wish we would have made that trade I called for - Barber for RW - and not given that 1st round pick up for him. Looks REALLY bad right now for the production we are getting.

[horse900703]

now lets beat the eagles next week!

[92bDad]

Congrats to the Cowboys for making the playoffs.

Now with regards to Roy Williams...it's no secret that I too have been on the bench Roy bandwagon.

With that being said, this team needs Roy to make a few plays in the playoffs...if he does, and they contribute to winning in the playoffs, all will be forgivin.

If he can make 3-5 catches per game in the playoffs with perhaps 1 TD per game, then he will be a solid #2 and take some heat off of Austin and Witten.

He needs to have a solid game, gain some confidence in himself and perhaps even some confidence from Romo ... then he could become a factor that takes this Cowboys team from merely making the playoffs to actually contending for the Title.

I'm not placing bets on Roy, but I am also ready to back off and not place any bets against him.

The opportunity has been provided, now let's see what happens.

[Underdog]

With one game left to play this season:


- Miles Austin has 1,230 receiving yards, good for eighth on the Cowboys' single-season list.

- Marion Barber has 915 career carries, becoming the sixth player in franchise history with at least 900 rushing attempts.

- Barber passed Walt Garrison (3,893) for sixth place on the Cowboys' all-time rushing charts.

- Barber has 43 rushing touchdowns, third-most in Cowboys history behind Emmitt Smith (153) and Tony Dorsett (72).

- Rookie David Buehler has 25 touchbacks this year, two shy of the single-season record of 27, set by Lin Elliott in 1992 when NFL rules allowed kickers to kick off from the 35-yard line, instead of the current rule of the 30-yard line.

- Terence Newman is tied with Darren Woodson for 10th place on the Cowboys all-time interceptions list with 23 (eight have occurred against the Redskins).

- Tony Romo has 4,172 yards and is on pace to surpass his record-breaking total of 4,211 yards from 2007.

- Jason Witten's 69-yard reception was the second-longest of his career. He is now 46 yards away from posting his second career 1,000-yard season.

- The Cowboys should become the first team in franchise history to record 6,000 yards in a single season. With 5,916 yards, the Cowboys should surpass the 1978 team that produced 5,959 yards.


link

[ty]

Not sure if I love Brooking or the People's Choice more...This was absolutely glorious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjoBf...layer_embedded

Sweet article about Choice too:

LINK
Posted by nickeatman at 12/28/2009 3:02 PM CST on truebluefanclub.com
After two straight wins, the Cowboys players spent a lot of Monday’s open locker room period answering questions to the recent turnaround.

Several of them spoke of an impromptu team meeting called by none other than second-year tailback Tashard Choice, the team’s third running back. Apparently, Choice had an emotional, heart-filled speech to his teammates on the Monday following the Cowboys’ 20-17 loss to the Chargers. Much of the speech centered around the health of DeMarcus Ware, who had suffered the scary neck injury the day before. And as far as Choice and the players were concerned, they weren’t sure when, or if, Ware would return.
“He felt like it was important enough to tell the team what he had on his heart and on his mind,” Marcus Spears said. “And we listened. We all left the meeting room and went about our business. What he said was important and we needed to hear that.”
Choice, who has one of the most popular videos on YouTube, displaying his leadership skills at Georgia Tech, is never lost for words. As a second-year pro, he was in the same draft class as cornerback Mike Jenkins, who admitted he could’ve had done what Choice did.
“I would’ve never done that. I would’ve felt like I’m still a young guy. for him to do that, it says a lot about him and especially to the vets for not correcting him or to say, ‘who are you to be telling us this.’ It just lets you know that everyone respects each other.”
To one established veteran, and one who likes to chirp himself, Patrick Crayton said he never has a problem with a player speaking his mind, regardless how many skins on the wall he might have.
“It was fine. Fine with me,” Crayton said. “If a guy feels like he has something to say to the team and he feels is important, I’m fine with it. And he’s earned that type of respect, that everyone knows how he’s going to play on Sunday, and what he’s going to give you.”

[Kirobaito]

OK, I'm going to assume that New Orleans and Minnesota are 1-2 in the NFC, which of course is silly, but it's still the most likely scenario. That leaves two games of note in week 17, Dal-Phi and Ari-GB. It really helps that these are the four teams playing each other.

Scenarios:

Philly and Arizona win
3 Philly 12-4
4 Arizona 11-5
5 GB 11-5
6 Dal 10-6

Philly and GB win
3 Philly 12-5
4 Arizona 10-6
5 GB 11-5
6 Dal 10-6

Dallas and Ari win
3 Ari 11-5
4 Dal 11-5
5 Phi 11-5
6 GB 10-6

Dallas and GB win
3 Dal 11-5
4 Ari 10-6
5 GB 11-5
6 Phi 11-5

Basically, in all four of these scenarios, we're playing Philly in round 1. Just playing them for home-field advantage.

[Mavericks Rockets Fan]

The Bears just beat the Vikings. So that means if the Eagles beat us next week, they will get the bye and we will play on the road against either Arizona or Minnesota...

[Kirobaito]

Well, scratch all that. No telling what will happen now.

[Male30Dan]

OK, first off, keep in mind on that list of stats that Miles Austin has all of that despite not starting the first 4 or 5 games of the season.

Regarding playoff seeding, Dallas can now actually get the #2 seed with a win and some help.

Dallas gets the number 2 seed if the following happens:

Dallas wins against Philly at home
Green Bay beats Arizon on the road
NY beats Minnesota on the road

Obviously it is unlikely that all of that happens, (two road wins needed with the two home teams being playoff teams that both have a legitimate shot of being the #2 seed in the Playoffs), but how sweet it would be. NY is going to be pissed after being eliminated from the playoffs and are arguably just as talented as Minny is at this point. Green Bay has the same record as Arizona and has put up some decisive wins lately.

It genuinely could happen, but it is indeed unlikely. Either way, we are in the dance and any given Sunday, despite home field advantage, any team can win. We are SUCH a stupid team that recently has played VERY smart. Who knows if that has just been good luck that will eventually turn around or if this is the start of a trend where coaches have finally gotten through to some boneheads.

Here is to a helluva successful playoff run that will, at the very least, end the playoff win drought.

Go Cowboys!!!

[Kirobaito]

OK, here are scenarios, as best as I can calculate them. Cowboys can play on the road at Minnesota, host Philly, play at Arizona, or host Green Bay. Or, in one, have a bye.

37.5% @ Minnesota
25% vs. Philadelphia
12.5% vs. Green Bay
12.5% @ Arizona
12.5% Bye

Strictly treating these games as 50/50 chances (which they're not), we'd most likely be going to Minnesota.

Minnesota wins, Philly wins, Arizona wins

1 NO
2 Phi 12-4
3 Min 12-4
4 Ari 11-5
5 GB 10-6
6 Dal 10-6

Minnesota wins, Philly wins, Arizona loses

1 NO
2 Phil 12-4
3 Minn 12-4
4 Ari 10-6
5 GB 11-5
6 Dal 10-6

Minnesota wins, Philly loses, Ari wins

1 NO
2 Minn 12-4
3 Ari 11-5
4 Dal 11-5
5 Phi 11-5
6 GB 10-6


Minnesota wins, Philly loses, Ari loses

1 NO
2 Minn 12-4
3 Dal 11-5
4 Ari 10-6
5 GB 11-5
6 Phi 11-5


Minnesota loses, Philly wins, Ari wins

1 NO
2 Phil 12-4
3 Ari 11-5
4 Minn 11-5
5 GB 10-6
6 Dal 10-6

Minnesota loses, Philly wins, Ari loses

1 NO
2 Philly 12-4
3 Minnesota 11-5
4 Arizona 10-6
5 GB 10-5
6 Dal 10-6

Minnesota loses, Philly loses, Ari wins

1 NO
2 Ari 11-5
3 Dal 11-5
4 Minn 11-5
5 Phi 11-5
6 GB 10-6

Minnesota loses, Philly loses, Ari loses

1 NO
2 Dal 11-5
3 Minn 11-5
4 Ari 10-6
5 GB 11-5
6 Phi 11-5

Wouldn't that be crazy.

[alby]

all I will say is...

HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS?!

[92bDad]

Fire Wade, Bench Roy, Bench Marion, Cut Folk...oh wait we did that last one...

This team sucks...wait a minute, we're still in it...maybe we don't suck...hey, why are the front seats to the bandwagon empty, were did everybody go...

Oh their they are, up at the next stop...looks like a few million people are waiting at the Monday stop...they'll be climbing on board and the Cowboys Bandwagon will be full again.

I wonder if these bandwagon fans will be as supportive to Keep Wade, Roy and others, in light of some level of success...playoffs in 2 of the three years coached...if they win, it'll be the first in what some 13 years.

To top, if this team actually succeeds to the highest level, will there be enough Crow to feed all the haters...who happen to be Cowboy fans?

I'll be the first to say, that I had lost faith...and I will be due my own serving of Crow...but then again, I expected this team to win the Superbowl this year...so they still have a ways to go to meet the expectations...fair or not!!!

[MavsX]

dammit dad

[FINtastic]

In case you are bored and you wanna figure out all the scenarios for the Cowboys playoff seeding, here's Yahoo's playoff scenario generator:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffs...om&16=00000000

[Male30Dan]

Originally Posted by FINtastic

In case you are bored and you wanna figure out all the scenarios for the Cowboys playoff seeding, here's Yahoo's playoff scenario generator:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffs...om&16=00000000

I will be the first to play...



Wild Card weekend would then be:
Green Bay again over Arizona in back to back road wins
Minnesota over Philly at home
N.E. over Baltimore at home
Cincy over N.Y at home

Divisional Playoffs would then be:
N.O. over Green Bay at home
Dallas over Minnesota at home
Indy over Cincy at home
N.E. over San Diego in the lone road win

NFC Championship would then be:
Dallas over N.O. on the road

AFC Championship would then be:
Indy over N.E. at home

Superbowl would then be:
Dallas over Indy

[Underdog]

Austin Among Six Cowboys Pro Bowlers

link

IRVING, Texas - This time last year, Miles Austin had zero starts and 18 career catches.

In 2009, he's been the Cowboys' most explosive offensive target - and now he's got his first career Pro Bowl selection to prove it.

Joining Austin at the Jan. 31 NFL all-star game in Miami will be tight end Jason Witten, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis. Ware and Gurode will start.

One notable omission is quarterback Tony Romo, whose 97.0 passer rating trails only the three NFC selections: New Orleans' Drew Brees (109.6), Minnesota's Brett Favre (104.3) and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers (102.4). Through 15 games, Romo (4,172) has produced his second career 4,000-yard season (the only two in franchise history) with 24 touchdowns and a career-low 8 interceptions.

Second-year cornerback Mike Jenkins (tied for sixth in the NFC with six interceptions) also had garnered support for his first career trip, and Tuesday's announcement snapped a three-year streak for five-time selection Flozell Adams.

Fan, coaches and players each comprise one-third of the voting process. Alternates could be used more than ever this year because the game will be held a week before the Super Bowl

Austin is the only first-time selection of the group. The Cowboys' six overall picks matched last year's total, the lowest since 2005.

But the Cowboys are clearly more focused on team goals. At 10-5, they can clinch the NFC East with a win this Sunday against Philadelphia, and still have an outside chance at a first-round bye.

Here is a closer look at the Cowboys' six Pro Bowlers:

WR Miles Austin: Like Romo's first Pro Bowl season in 2006, Austin didn't become a starter until mid-season. In only 11 starts, Austin leads the NFC in receiving yardage (1,230) with 74 catches. He's only the sixth Cowboys receiver to score at least 10 touchdowns (11) in a season, and has 20 of the offense' 56 total 20-plus-yard receiving gains this year.

G Leonard Davis: Playing primarily tackle his first six NFL seasons with Arizona, Davis has now made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons with the Cowboys. Anchoring the right side of the offensive line with tackle Marc Colombo and Colombo's injury replacement, Doug Free, Davis' physical style has helped establish the Cowboys' eighth-ranked rushing attack (128.3).

C Andre Gurode: With his fourth straight appearance, Gurode is one of 32 players in franchise history to make at least four Pro Bowl appearances. Gurode has started 61 of the Cowboys' 63 regular-season games since 2006.

NT Jay Ratliff: One of the league's most underrated linemen, Ratliff didn't rank among the top five defensive tackles in fan voting. Ratliff is well deserving of his second Pro Bowl appearance, though, with six sacks and eight tackles for loss in the middle of the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.

OLB DeMarcus Ware: The only Cowboys player to lead fan voting at his respective position, Ware has played through a variety of injuries: a stress fracture in his foot, a chip fracture in his wrist and most recently, a strained neck muscle that prompted a precautionary trip to the hospital Dec. 13 against San Diego. Through it all, Ware has produced a team-high 11 sacks (tops among NFC linebackers), five forced fumbles and 43 quarterback pressures. This is his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance.

TE Jason Witten: With 954 yards, Witten is approaching his second career 1,000-yard season. In Sunday night's playoff-clinching win over the Redskins, his game-high 117 receiving yards passed Mike Ditka and Todd Christensen for eighth on the NFL's all-time tight ends list (5,889). His one touchdown ties the lowest total of his career, but with 88 catches, he has a chance Sunday to match or break his career high of 96 (2007). Witten becomes the 14th player in team history with at least six Pro Bowl selections.

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Austin Among Six Cowboys Pro Bowlers

link

IRVING, Texas - This time last year, Miles Austin had zero starts and 18 career catches.

In 2009, he's been the Cowboys' most explosive offensive target - and now he's got his first career Pro Bowl selection to prove it.

Joining Austin at the Jan. 31 NFL all-star game in Miami will be tight end Jason Witten, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis. Ware and Gurode will start.

One notable omission is quarterback Tony Romo, whose 97.0 passer rating trails only the three NFC selections: New Orleans' Drew Brees (109.6), Minnesota's Brett Favre (104.3) and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers (102.4). Through 15 games, Romo (4,172) has produced his second career 4,000-yard season (the only two in franchise history) with 24 touchdowns and a career-low 8 interceptions.

Second-year cornerback Mike Jenkins (tied for sixth in the NFC with six interceptions) also had garnered support for his first career trip, and Tuesday's announcement snapped a three-year streak for five-time selection Flozell Adams.

Fan, coaches and players each comprise one-third of the voting process. Alternates could be used more than ever this year because the game will be held a week before the Super Bowl

Austin is the only first-time selection of the group. The Cowboys' six overall picks matched last year's total, the lowest since 2005.

But the Cowboys are clearly more focused on team goals. At 10-5, they can clinch the NFC East with a win this Sunday against Philadelphia, and still have an outside chance at a first-round bye.

Here is a closer look at the Cowboys' six Pro Bowlers:

WR Miles Austin: Like Romo's first Pro Bowl season in 2006, Austin didn't become a starter until mid-season. In only 11 starts, Austin leads the NFC in receiving yardage (1,230) with 74 catches. He's only the sixth Cowboys receiver to score at least 10 touchdowns (11) in a season, and has 20 of the offense' 56 total 20-plus-yard receiving gains this year.

G Leonard Davis: Playing primarily tackle his first six NFL seasons with Arizona, Davis has now made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons with the Cowboys. Anchoring the right side of the offensive line with tackle Marc Colombo and Colombo's injury replacement, Doug Free, Davis' physical style has helped establish the Cowboys' eighth-ranked rushing attack (128.3).

C Andre Gurode: With his fourth straight appearance, Gurode is one of 32 players in franchise history to make at least four Pro Bowl appearances. Gurode has started 61 of the Cowboys' 63 regular-season games since 2006.

NT Jay Ratliff: One of the league's most underrated linemen, Ratliff didn't rank among the top five defensive tackles in fan voting. Ratliff is well deserving of his second Pro Bowl appearance, though, with six sacks and eight tackles for loss in the middle of the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme.

OLB DeMarcus Ware: The only Cowboys player to lead fan voting at his respective position, Ware has played through a variety of injuries: a stress fracture in his foot, a chip fracture in his wrist and most recently, a strained neck muscle that prompted a precautionary trip to the hospital Dec. 13 against San Diego. Through it all, Ware has produced a team-high 11 sacks (tops among NFC linebackers), five forced fumbles and 43 quarterback pressures. This is his fourth straight Pro Bowl appearance.

TE Jason Witten: With 954 yards, Witten is approaching his second career 1,000-yard season. In Sunday night's playoff-clinching win over the Redskins, his game-high 117 receiving yards passed Mike Ditka and Todd Christensen for eighth on the NFL's all-time tight ends list (5,889). His one touchdown ties the lowest total of his career, but with 88 catches, he has a chance Sunday to match or break his career high of 96 (2007). Witten becomes the 14th player in team history with at least six Pro Bowl selections.

woo hoo!!!!!!!!!