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Browns are pissing me off. They need to go on a losing streak right about now.
After watching yesterdays games, I think the Browns might be better than the Hawks
Browns are pissing me off. They need to go on a losing streak right about now.
Romo Grinds Through Rough Night
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...EE77F5746D9880
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - His old coach once said a quarterback's mettle is truly tested once he gets hit in the mouth.
Tony Romo took several shots to the chin Monday night. Six, in fact, when considering his five interceptions and lost fumble that gravely jeopardized the Cowboys' first 5-0 start in 24 years.
But based on Bill Parcells' adage, Romo proved something new to himself and his teammates in the Cowboys' dramatic 25-24 win over Buffalo.
"He was a fighter, man," tight end Jason Witten said. "That just shows what kind of character he has, the compe or he is. Really a leader for this team."
Romo hadn't dealt with this much adversity since the infamous dropped field-goal snap in the Cowboys' wild-card loss to Seattle this past January. He responded in the first four games this season by earning NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors with a conference-best 112.9 passer rating.
That rating was shattered in the first half by an unthinkable four interceptions. Romo threw a fifth pick in the fourth quarter with the offense driving towards a potential game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion, all leaving him with a season-low 49.9 QB rating for this game.
"I just kept telling him in his ear, 'It's not going to be easy,'" wide receiver Terrell Owens said. "'We're going to get everyone's best.'"
Said Witten: "I tried to say something to him just because we're buddies and everything, but he doesn't need that. He's got confidence in what he is and what he does. I think that shows at the end of the game. As bad as he may have played, without him we're not in that thing at the end."
Romo ultimately put his team in position to win. He threw a touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton to cut Buffalo's lead to 24-22, then got Nick Folk in position for his game-winning field goal following an onside kick.
Not pretty, but effective when it counted most.
And his teammates noticed.
"He already had the respect of this team," Witten said, "but I think this team really respects the way he played tonight and the way he fought."
How many of you turned off your tv early?
It's disgusting here at work.
People wearing cowboy jerseys like they watched the whole game...
Don't confuse Cowboys fans with foreskin fans. We don't turn our T.V.s off early.
i watched dora with my daughter halfway through the third quarter, than watched the rest of the game. i can't expect her to sit through a full game, though. i would have watched it at halftime but she needed her bath.
Shame.i watched dora with my daughter halfway through the third quarter, than watched the rest of the game. i can't expect her to sit through a full game, though. i would have watched it at halftime but she needed her bath.
Shame!!!!
You need to teach her at an early age to be a Cowboy fan.
You disappointment me.
hahahaha ur daugter is an explorer. Wheres digeo!i watched dora with my daughter
Collision Course
Cowboys Riding Emotional Win With Patriots Up Next
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...82B7A0D1F76F28
IRVING, Texas - The fifth battle of 5-0 teams (or better) in NFL history was hardly in question.
All it took was a touchdown pass with 20 seconds left, an improbable onside kick following a failed two-point conversion, two short passes for 12 yards and a 53-yard game-winning field goal as time expired from a rookie kicker who hadn't attempted 50-yarder in his first four games.
No sweat.
By the end of perhaps the wildest Monday Night Football game ever played, the Cowboys held their end of the bargain with a scintillating 25-24 victory over Buffalo. CBS network now gets its dream match-up of two 5-0 teams Sunday (3:15 p.m. CDT) when the New England Patriots visit Texas Stadium.
"You guys are right again - barely," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips told reporters in his Tuesday news conference, fully aware the Patriots' impending arrival has been hyped more than the previous two opponents over the last two weeks.
The Cowboys avoided potential traps against the Rams and Bills, who have a single win between them. New England is a completely different animal, however - a team some consider the class of the league, not just because of their recent dynasty.
The Patriots own the league's second-ranked defense and offense, trailing only Dallas in total yardage with 427.8 per game. They've scored at least 34 points and won all five contests by 17 or better, most recently beating Cleveland 34-17 on Sunday.
"They've been better than the first five teams they've played," Phillips said. "That's the only thing they've done that I can say for sure. We still haven't played a third of the season yet."
The Cowboys, meanwhile, simply survived at Ralph Wilson Stadium. They trailed from the opening kickoff until Nick Folk officially drilled his first game-winning field goal as a professional. He initially connected from the same distance, but Buffalo called timeout just before the snap in attempt to ice the guy Phillips calls an "icy" rookie.
No matter the teams' paths to perfection, something has to give Sunday between two of the league's three remaining undefeated teams.
"Both of us are 5-0 - I don't care what the situation is," wide receiver Terrell Owens said. "We're going to be ready on Sunday, period. We're going to play like we've been playing. Nothing's going to change, and nobody's going to come in here and dictate how we're going to play."
The Cowboys beat their first four opponents by an average of 19.75 points, but Sunday provided their first close encounter of the season. Several players said it was the most dramatic game they'd ever played, having overcome six turnovers to erase an eight-point deficit in the final 24 seconds.
"I haven't been a part of anything close to this, and that's what makes it so special," defensive end Chris Canty said.
"I've never even seen anything like this," tight end Jason Witten said. "Not only we played so bad, it was so emotional. To be able to come back and fight at the end like that and come away with the win, it's just a total team effort."
Phillips has preached that team concept since his arrival in February. He feels emotional wins like Sunday's can only build morale, that staring down adversity can only benefit them against tough teams like New England.
"Every team I've been with has won some games like that," Phillips said. "I've been lucky to win a lot of close games. I think mentally it just helps you fight through things."
"We talk about that every week, being emotionally ready for games. But I don't think we'll have any problem this week."
Not with Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Co. headed to town.
she watched most of every game the last 2 seasons, i think that's pretty good. when i watch games at my friend's apartment, she runs around giving high fives when the boys score. i think that's pretty good.
People turn their TV's off early? In an 8 pt game?
Here Are The Vikings . . .
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...728B5EBB7BD2D4
IRVING, Texas - The respective confidence arrows for the Cowboys (5-1) and Vikings (2-3) might be pointing in opposite directions after Week 6, and the Vikings can't be mistaken for an easy win. Minnesota, which lost three straight after opening the season with a win over Atlanta, got a shot in the arm Sunday when rookie running back Adrian Peterson ran wild on the division rival Bears at Soldier Field.
What's Up?
Plain and simple, Sunday's game, slated for 3:15 p.m. (CDT) is an important one, probably more so than the so-called "Duel in Dallas." While there won't be the same national attention, this game will likely mean more to the Cowboys in terms of playoff positioning than is readily apparent. After next week's bye, the Cowboys play their three division opponents in successive weeks, and knowing how hard division games, particularly those on the road are to win, beating the sneaky-good Vikings would certainly be better than entering that stretch on a two-game slide.
It might be tough, though, considering how well Peterson played against the Bears on Sunday, rushing for a Vikings-record 224 yards and three touchdowns. And since Peterson's a native of Palestine, Texas - not far from Dallas - you can bet he'll come in ready to play against the team he grew up rooting for and in front of a lot of people who have been rooting for him.
Statistical View
Thanks to his big day against the Bears, Peterson leads the NFL in rushing with 607 yards in just five games, 80 yards ahead of LaDainian Tomlinson. Those fresh 22-year-old legs have Peterson averaging an eye-popping 6.3 yards per carry.
The most noticeable strength of Peterson's game is his big-play ability. Against the Bears he scored on runs of 67, 73 and 35, while catching a pass and trucking 60 for a score in the season opener. He also broke a 55-yard run in Week 4 against the Packers.
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson isn't exactly lighting it up in his second NFL season, completing just 49.4 percent of his passes, while throwing just two touchdowns to five interceptions. He hasn't been the running threat he was billed as either, with just 26 rushing yards on the season to go with his 49.8 QB rating.
While the Vikings have shown themselves to be a turnover-creating defense, they're getting burned through the air, allowing a league-high 288.4 passing yards per contest.
Chalk Talk
As in most games, the Cowboys' defense will be trying to make the opposing offense one-dimensional, but against the Vikings, it will be especially imperative, because as well as Peterson is running, Jackson's throwing may be equally bad. Dallas has shown it can stop the run this season, and they've struggled at times against the pass, so the matchup may play right into the Cowboys' hands. Limiting big runs will be key, as will be third-down defense. The longer the Cowboys' defense is on the field, the more effective Peterson becomes.
Offensively the Cowboys need to run the ball better, earlier. They finished the Patriots game with 15 carries for 97 yards, but weren't effective enough on the ground early to continue grinding it out, particularly since they were forced to play from behind. The Vikings may have the best pair of defensive tackles in the league in Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, so the Cowboys' interior line will have their work cut out for them to make the running game go. Led by those run-stuffing tackles, Minnesota has the second-best run defense in the NFL, surrendering just 66.2 yards per game.
And if none of that works out, why not air it out, as the Cowboys have done so well much of the season. With the Vikes struggling to cover receivers, Tony Romo should be able to make a few plays passing.
Connections
Cowboys backup quarterback Brad Johnson was originally drafted by Minnesota in 1992, and played nine years for the Vikings in two different stints there . . . Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson played for Minnesota from 1981-1991 . . . Cowboys wide receivers coach Ray Sherman spent three seasons as the Vikings quarterbacks coach (1995-97) and then came back in 1999 for one more as the offensive coordinator . . . Vikings fullback Tony Richardson entered the NFL in 1994 as a rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys and spent the '94 season on their practice squad.
Miscellaneous
The Cowboys hold a narrow edge against the Vikings all-time, leading the series 13-12 . . . The two teams last met for the 2005 season opener, which the Vikings won 35-17, their fifth straight W against the Cowboys . . . The Cowboys have also lost seven straight regular-season home games to Minnesota, never having beaten the Vikings in Texas Stadium except for that 1996 season playoff game, coincidently the last playoff game the Cowboys have won. Other than that, you have to go back to 1968 to find the last time the Cowboys have defeated the Vikings at home, which also includes that 1973 NFC Championship loss, 27-10 . . . . Thanks in large part to Peterson, the Vikes have the league's best running game, averaging 170.2 yards per game.
Suspended Tank Johnson will practice Friday with Cowboys
Associated Press
Updated: October 18, 2007, 6:02 PM ET
IRVING, Texas -- Suspended defensive tackle Tank Johnson will be allowed to practice starting Friday, which will be his first team session with the Dallas Cowboys since they signed him last month.
Johnson still has two games left on his eight-game NFL suspension for violating probation on a gun charge. Unless the suspension is reduced by commissioner Roger Goodell, Johnson will be eligible to play when the Cowboys play at the New York Giants on Nov. 11.
"It will be good to get him out on the field and get him in the meeting room too," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "All I know is he's going to practice. I don't know when he's going to play, or when he'll be able to play."
Johnson, who was released by the Chicago Bears after his suspension, signed with the Cowboys last month. The Bears let him go after he was picked up for speeding at 3:30 a.m. shortly after he was suspended.
He has been able to work out individually at Valley Ranch and meet with the team's player assistance staff, headed by Calvin Hill. Until now, Johnson hasn't been able to work out with the team or work with the coaching staff.
"He's a gregarious kind of guy," Phillips said. "He's ready to play, wants to play and seems excited about it. He's a pretty personable guy, so it's all positives as far as I'm concerned."
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Goodell had given Johnson permission to practice because the Cowboys have a bye week next week and won't practice much. Aiello emphasized that the suspension had not yet been lifted officially.
Johnson wasn't in the locker room when it was open to reporters Thursday before practice.
Johnson, a second round pick by the Bears in 2004, started 10 games for Chicago as it went to the Super Bowl last season.
Last December, police searched his suburban Chicago home and found six unregistered firearms, a violation of his probation on a charge stemming from Johnson's 2005 arrest. That came after a Chicago nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his SUV. He subsequently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.
Two days after last December's raid, Willie B. Posey, Johnson's bodyguard, was shot and killed in an early-morning fight while he and Johnson were at a Chicago nightclub.
Johnson was suspended by the Bears for one game for being at the club. But he played in the Super Bowl as the Chicago lost to Indianapolis.
He eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge stemming from the December raid as part of a deal with prosecutors that kept him from serving more time in jail. He was ordered to serve 45 days for violating probation, which he served concurrently with the sentence on the guilty plea.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3069433
After Romo, Who's Next For Cowboys To Lock Up?
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cf...1A73106286F90B
Nick Eatman - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 30, 2007 7:31 PM
IRVING, Texas - Forgive the Cowboys, especially vice president Stephen Jones and his personnel assistants, for kicking up their heels and maybe lighting a cigar or two over the next few days.
Signing Tony Romo was one of the biggest priorities this franchise has had in recent years, and Romo's contract was the largest since inking Troy Aikman to an extension back in 1998.
So getting Romo's deal out of the way is definite cause for a sigh of relief around Valley Ranch.
However, completing Romo's contract means it won't be too long before the Cowboys turn their attention to the next priority.
Stephen Jones wouldn't give a specific name as his top target to sign, but said there are some "obvious guys out there whose contracts are running down" that will be addressed.
"I will say this, we're capable of doing more than one thing at one time," Jones said. "There are some obvious guys we want to look at. You always hate to get things too convoluted during the season. So I would say we probably won't do anything else this year."
Jones said the Cowboys have plenty of cap space to sign other players to long-terms deals. And if they could get a deal in place before the Nov. 5 deadline, they could still put some of the extra money towards this year's salary cap. That's one benefit of getting Romo's contract done now.
So with the quarterback of the future out of the way, who is next?
Romo was expected to be an unrestricted free agent next off-season. Now, the biggest names on that list include left tackle Flozell Adams, running back Julius Jones, wide receiver Patrick Crayton, safety Ken Hamlin and cornerback Jacques Reeves.
Adams signed a five-year, $25 million deal back in 2003, and while he has made the Pro Bowl three of the last four seasons, the Cowboys have two rookie tackles on the roster in James Marten and Doug Free and second-year pro Pat McQuistan waiting in the wings as well.
Crayton's contract situation might depend on what happens with veteran receivers Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn. If both players are back for another year - both still will be under contract - Crayton might at least test the free-agent waters, looking for a deal as a possible No. 2 receiver for another team.
Hamlin signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys this off-season, but after immediately taking over as the starting free safety, it would appear the club would have interest in signing him to a long-term contract.
But the Cowboys' bigger priority would appear to be locking up some of their restricted free agents, despite having the option to match any offer sheets signed with another club or receive draft compensation if needed.
The top player on that list undoubtedly would be running back Marion Barber, who leads the Cowboys in rushing this year with 479 yards and six total touchdowns.
It's likely the Cowboys would tender Barber at the highest level - meaning they would receive a first- and third-round draft pick if he signed with another team.
"Well, he's restricted so we'll have a chance to do something there," Jones said of Barber. "You have a little more flexibility with those guys."
Other restricted free agents next year include defensive end Chris Canty, defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and long-snapper L.P. Ladouceur.
Perhaps the most interesting player on that list is Ratliff, a seventh-round pick in 2005. The Cowboys likely would want to give him more than the original-draft pick tender, meaning they would only get a seventh-round pick as compensation. However, with Tank Johnson in the fold and Jason Ferguson returning from injury next year, the Cowboys might not want to spend too much on Ratliff.
However, don't forget Ratliff is a converted defensive end, and the Cowboys eventually might have to make a decision on signing either Canty or Ratliff to a big deal.
It's not even too early to start thinking further ahead than just next year.
Players such as Owens, Terence Newman and Marc Colombo will enter the last season of their contracts in 2008. DeMarcus Ware's contract runs through 2009.
"You look at all of the guys," Jones said. "You try to get ahead of the game if you can. You don't ever want to get in a situation where you feel like it's too late. So we look at all of our options. And we've got this (Romo deal) out of the way. So we can start looking at the next one."
I wish Tank Johnson all the best, not only because I am one of the few Cowboys fans here in Chicago, but he seems to be a good guy who got caught up in some bad situations and was influenced by some unsavory characters. Plus I would hate to see another successful brother go down. Get em Tank!!!
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