Game Thoughts: Cowboys - Seahawks

[mexicanjunior]

The Good:

* For the 3rd straight game, Tony Romo has been terrific and is starting to show signs of real maturity at the position. For the first time in his career, he has gone 3 starts without an interception and his decision making seems to improve with each week. Granted, he has done this against 1 good team and 2 bad ones but I think he now understands the value of keeping positions alive and not forcing the issue to any one receiver. I've also liked his willingness to run when necessary to at least setup a punt instead of throwing a pick on 3rd down. His only blemish was the fumble in the 4th quarter after holding the ball too long but I blame Wade more for this since he should not have even been in the game at that point.

* Like Romo, Miles Austin also had his 3rd straight great game. I think earning the starting role has given him the confidence to run his routes without hesitation. It shows with all the timing routes him and Romo are connecting on. Also, his YAC (yards after catch) continues to be impressive and really helps 5-10 yard plays turn into 30+ yarders. If he keeps up this kind of pace, we could be seeing him in Hawaii come February.

* Eventhough they gave up 2 sacks, I thought the offensive line did a great job both protecting Romo and opening up holes for the RB's. Also, I didn't see nearly the amount of mental mistakes on penalties that I am used to for this unit. I guess Flozell decided to remember the snap counts.

* Special teams once again was a huge factor in this game. DeCamillas has really gotten them to play hard, block hard and not make costly mistakes. Folk had one hiccup on his missed FG (3rd of the year) but was solid the rest of the way. Buehler is also making the coverage units look really good by always making the returner start deep in the end zone. I think Patrick Watkins could also get some serious pro bowl consideration as a ST specialist for his coverage work this year. McBrair should also be a serious candidate to make the pro bowl as well.

* Patrick Crayton had an up and down game but his punt return for the TD made up for alot of his mistakes. His botched fair catch and fumble on the reverse withstanding, he did a good job being one of Romo's safety valves in the passing game. With 2 punt returns for TD's in the last 2 games, he has probably won back his starting job from Alan Rossum. Let's hope he gets more consistent in holding onto the ball.

* The defensive front 7 again did a great job putting pressure on Matt Hasselback and stopping the run. After very poor performances to start the year against the Bucs and Giants, they have really turned things around, especially against the run. Seattle is no world beater in the ground game but holding them to 79 yards on 22 carries is impressive. I'm sure Julius Jones wanted to have a great game against the team that let him walk, so they made sure he didn't get the chance to hurt them. Ware now has 5 sacks in 7 games, which at least puts him back on pace for double digit sacks after that terrible start.

* Outside of a few bad plays by Terrence Newman, I thought the secondary also did a nice job of containing Houshmandzadeh and Burleson (to my fantasy teams detriment). Mike Jenkins is starting to show why the Cowboys drafted him in the first round, he is a quick and physical corner that does a good job of tackling in the open field. It seems like he is trying to do everything he can to shake off the embarrassment from the Giants game last year. Sensabaugh continues to also be one of their best signings of the off season and has manned the position better than Roy Williams ever did in the last 4 years.

The Bad:

* There was not alot to complain about in this one as the entire team really played a complete game. That said, Roy Williams seemed to be the scratch on the sports car. He appears to constantly break off routes, turn the wrong way and have no chemistry with his QB. I'm starting to think all the "off season working with Romo" talk was lip service. Luckily for him, Austin has stepped up and made plays to help this team survive but they will eventually need RW to make more of a contribution than a few catches a game. Even his TD catch at the end of the first half was nearly botched when he lost the ball at the goal line.

* Wade and the coaching staff for 3 1/2 quarters did a decent job but, once the game was out of reach, I thought they really dropped the ball. Why would they risk Romo and Barber out there when the team is up 28 points? What made this decision worse was the fact that Doug Free was out there instead of Flozell, which exposed Romo's blind side even more. Had that sack/fumble resulted in an injury to Romo also (like Arizona last year), he would be ripped through the coals. Luckily for him, they escaped the last quarter without a scrape. Also, Tashard Choice is not getting enough quality opportunities.

Overall, aside from a few issues, this was one of Dallas's best games of the year and I am glad I got to witness it in person. Jerry really needs to be commended for how well the stadium is setup, it's a beautiful piece of work. Let's hope this 3 game win streak's momentum carries it's way to Philly and the ghosts of last December haunt this team into staying focused.

[mexicanjunior]

Game Pics from my trip to Jerryworld...

The cab drive up (only $5 a person from Sherlock's)


Walk up to the stadium...


Another stadium walk up shot...


Walking into the stadium...


Throw contest, line was too long to play.


The AA Club Lounge with bar and concession stands


"Well...I'm on the big screen...guess I need to fine myself..."


Funny can race...


Big screen cheerleaders...


Nice flat screens at the concession stands...


Club area concession stands...


The chairs were really comfortable and cushioned...


Cage dancers on the big screen...


They were giving these generic banners out at the gate...the other side said "Go Team!"


Endzone side...


Other endzone side...


Most generic jersey ever...


We could only afford some hot dogs and fries...


Grinch on the big screen...

[mexicanjunior]

Halftime show with someone named Jessie James...she was kind of a generic countrified Christina Aguilera...


Pregame fire introductions...


Jo Mamma jersey was greatness...


Marcos in the lounge area...


Blurry shot of us...


Memorabilia section...


Lawn mower race between O-Linemen dubbed "The Fat and the Furious"...


Outside view from upper deck...


Big screen outside stadium...


Overhead shot of me and Marcos...


View from the party pass area...


105.3 Pregame show booth with Larry Brown and Richie Whitt...


Madness in the pro shop...


Check out line for the pro shop...


Me and Marcos surrounded by refs at 105.3 booth...


View from our seats...


Another game shot from seats...


Lower deck stairs shot...


Shot from a little higher up...


Me standing on the steps...


Steeler fan with decent poster schtick...


The other side of his poster...


Marcos texting at his seats...


Nice video board shot of Lombardi trophies...


Post game jumbotron...


I would have got more pics but my cell phone died...

[badfish22]

Those are some nice refs.....

[NewJerSpur]

Here's a thought that game sucked (from a disgruntled Seahawk fan). Actually, austin got some favorable call on Trufant that really got Dallas rolling. Beyond that and some nice plays on offense in the first half, my team sucked last Sunday...Jim Mora HAS to go.

[SpuronyourFace]

Nice pics bro, thanks for sharing and nice thoughts.

Stadium looks incredible.

Props to that Steelers fan with the clever sign, lol.

[SpuronyourFace]

Here's a thought that game sucked (from a disgruntled Seahawk fan). Actually, austin got some favorable call on Trufant that really got Dallas rolling. Beyond that and some nice plays on offense in the first half, my team sucked last Sunday...Jim Mora HAS to go.

I agree, that call on Trufant should of been a no-call.

I guess Austin is going to be getting the favorable treatment from the refs now that he is a rising star.