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The December curse continues...
This is not how it should have turned out. The Giants are still not a good team. The Cowboys are still not a bad team. But they are a very inconsistent one.
There has yet to be a game this year when the Cowboys can put it all together. The offense was adequate, though not dominating. Jason Garrett never panicked, continuing to run enough to keep the defense honest as long as the game was in reach. In addition, we saw a little bit of play action along with passes from run formations. It was a well-called game offensively.
For his part, Romo passed for a career high 392 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions or fumbles. Jason Witten also chalked up a career high with 156 receiving yards. The Cowboys were a brilliant 9-17 on third down. So, as "Cowboys can't win in December" story lines go, can we at least drop the "Romo can't play in December" part - at least for one week?
None of that mattered, though.
There are no moral victories in the NFL. The defense and special teams were simply abysmal today. They gave up a 74 yard catch and run by Brandon Jacobs, and a 79 yard punt return for a touchdown. Folk missed another field goal. Manning was not sacked, and barely tasted turf, until it no longer mattered.
In another less-remarked blown play, on Barber's fumble, the real cause was a whiffed block by Leonard Davis. We expect runners to cover up with two arms in contact, but Barber was totally blindsided by Kiawanuka after Davis blocked air. Kiawanuka was not even going for a strip - he was as surprised as anybody that nobody blocked him.
I don't think the Giants will make the play-offs. But now, I'm not so sure about the Cowboys, either.
- Tim's blog
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Yea - I think that was what
Yea - I think that was what I was trying to say in the sentence regardless of draft status or contract. Barber falls into the contract category in his comparison with Choice because you are right - they were both 4th rounders. Right now I think it is more about justifying the money he is being paid. I just can't see any other reason to have a back in this particular offense with zero elusiveness as your main back. Barber would be OUTSTANDING in the closer/goalline role but all his early carries in games with little to no results is consistently putting us in a hole...
Danny Smith
Dallas Cowboys Fan Network Creator and Administrator
Yet at the goal-line, we now
Yet at the goal-line, we now use Choice and "Razorback..."
With all the talk about the "three-headed attack," couldn't they at least start rotating series between Choice and Barber, then stick with whichever one is performing? Barber has never complained about sharing carries. I don't think they need to spare his delicate feelings. Barber wants to win, too.
Tim - yep I definitely saw
Tim - yep I definitely saw the numbers and understand the point. It just got extremely frustrating (and even boring) knowing every single rushing attempt was going to be stuffed. We only scored 24 points and a lot of that was at the end so basically all game even though we were completing passes our drives were stalling and for once it was not because of stupid penalties, sacks or turnovers (other than Barber's fumble).
So, even though we weren't making mistakes and we were passing the ball well our drives were stalling. Just think - if we were able to complete so many passes on passing downs what could we have done with more passing on 1st down, etc? This is one of those games where we had them outmatched with our passing attack and we could have possibly put 40+ points on the board...
Anyway I will have to rewatch the game to break it down further...I just know that winning teams (the current Saints and Patriots of the past as examples) worry very little about balance and much more about finding a weakness on the defense and exploiting it to the fullest...which means piling up points and winning the game...
Danny Smith
Dallas Cowboys Fan Network Creator and Administrator
Oh and BTW - you and I have
Oh and BTW - you and I have both been saying it but I will keep repeating it until someone listens and makes the change...until Tashard Choice becomes the starting tailback on this team our rushing attack will continue to disapear in key games for us because we are leaving too many yards on the field. That is one thing I REALLY miss about Parcells - he just played whoever got the results regardless of draft stock or contract. Choice has always produced when he has started (if memory serves) - Barber has a good game about 50% of the time. Barber is best to come in at the goaline and also at the end of the game to punish tired defense...
Danny Smith
Dallas Cowboys Fan Network Creator and Administrator
Hey, Barber and Choice were
Hey, Barber and Choice were both fourth round picks. I'm not sure what the blind loyalty to Barber is right now. He was still getting carries when he was hobbled with the quad, and now he's been playing with a fractured thumb.
As far as the scoring (or lack of it) that didn't start against the Giants. We only put up 24 against Oakland, too. Next week looks pretty scary.
Oh, yes, they paid him the
Oh, yes, they paid him the big money. I'm just saying he and Choice have the exact same draft pedigree. I thought when they benched Crayton in favor of Austin they might be changing that philosophy, but I guess that was a one-time deal...
I thought Barber signed a
I thought Barber signed a contract extension with some big "featured back" numbers? Maybe I am wrong...I have lost track of some of the recent signings...
Danny Smith
Dallas Cowboys Fan Network Creator and Administrator
Have to disagree slightly
Have to disagree slightly with the "well-called game" observation. Didn't anyone else feel that after a while in that game every running play was a wasted down? The Giants were obviously loaded up to stop the run which means they were vulnerable to the pass. Not only was this apparent in the schemes they were using but it was also apparent in the actual results of the game. We simple could complete a pass to Witten any time we wanted. So what do we do? We continue to try to force a running game? WHY? Why not take what they are obviously giving us instead of playing right into their hands? It was only until we were averaging LESS THAN 2 YARDS PER ATTEMPT when we decided "okay maybe we better give up on the run...
We obvioulsy had an advantage on them in the passing game - they could not cover us period. Play action is used to create an advantage when one is not already there. It's one thing to keep them honest with run fakes - it is quite another to continue to waste down after down when som many passing yards were there to be had...
Reminds me of the New England game a few years ago after which I said (during the 13-3 year) we would never win a Super Bowl with Phillips as coach. Against New England, we loaded up to stop the run. So they passed almost every down and beat us. Phillips said after the game he would do the same thing again which is when I knew we were doomed...
Danny Smith
Dallas Cowboys Fan Network Creator and Administrator
I don't know, Danny, it's a
I don't know, Danny, it's a little hard to argue that with 392 passing yards and almost 40 minutes time of possession they weren't taking what the defense was giving - although obviously we needed to take a little bit more (like 8 more points.)
There were 57 passing plays called vs. 23 running plays. Even on the opening drive, there were seven passes and only three runs, which suggests that the game plan anticipated exactly what the Giants defense was going to do.
Not sure I'm willing to give
Not sure I'm willing to give Barber a pass on yesterday's game. I've been less than pleased with the guy for several games now. He hasn't run with the same bull style he used to and at least two plays stick out in my mind yesterday. One was the turnover. Davis may have wiffed but Barber can't cough up the ball. Add to it that he failed to get beyond the 1st down marker before turning for the ball on that last 4th try. Dumb.
The Vegas thing is iditotic. Romo played a good game yesterday. Worst thing I saw him do was over throw Williams when the defender fell. That's going to happen. He played well so the discussion is talking heads not watching the games.
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Don S.