Lone Star Struck

Tonight’s the night. The team’s first game ever in Cowboys Stadium kicks off at 7:00 PM tonight against the Tennessee Titans and will be televised on Fox for all the world to see.

The stadium has been open since June and has already featured the Jonas Brothers and even legendary rocker and former Beatle, Paul McCartney. But they were just warming it up for the main attraction, the Dallas Cowboys. About 75,000 people are expected to be on hand for the Dallas Cowboys’ first game at the new stadium which should be a memorable and breathtaking experience.

As for the pre season game, it certainly will be out-shined by the staggering dimensions of the state of the art park, but it does bare watching so pay attention.

Ladies and gentlemen… Now entering the game for the first time since the 2008 season… The incomparable… The magnificent… The oft injured… The one and only… Let’s give it up for cornerback… Terence Newman. That’s right, Newman will be making his pre season debut and on the other side will be Mike Jenkins who will also take the field for the first time this preseason. Assuming they both stay healthy, I expect both will soon be named starters and hopefully they will deliver solid seasons. Last week the Cowboys corners looked inept and were easily burned by a not so great Raiders offense who absolutely owned them.

It’s been reported that Roy Williams is coming off his best week of practice, and that he and Tony Romo are gaining chemistry. If they can flash some of that chemistry in this game, I’ll breathe a sigh of relief as will most of you. We don’t need Roy Williams to be the NFL’s number one receiver, but we do need him to be our number one guy, and it’s time for him to claim that job in convincing fashion.

The Titans will be looking to spoil our fun and prevent us from notching our first win at Cowboys Stadium, albeit a pre season win. Running back LenDale White had this to say,

“I’m trying to beat some butt and trying to get a victory. I’m ain’t concerned about that stadium at all. We’re not playing the stadium. We’re going in there to play the Dallas Cowboys and get a win. Maybe after the season when we win the Super Bowl and they have an all-star game there, I can go back to sight see.”

Talk about high hopes… That’s some big time smack coming from a team that just lost defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Maybe he forgot that the last time we faced them in 2006, the Cowboys stomped their asses 45-15. Or that the last time we faced them in the pre season, the Cowboys pulverized the Titans 34-10.

Getting back to the better half of this contest, if the Cowboys want to impress me, we need our defense to step up and play the caliber of football we all know they are capable of.

Last week was an embarrassing loss mostly because it was the lowly Raiders who were 5-11 last season. The Titans were 13-3 last season, feature a great ground attack and even with the loss of Haynesworth, their defense is among the best in the game. They will give our team a grueling challenge, and expect to see some tough man to man matchups. It should be a battle that will test the readiness, toughness, and determination of both teams.

Our starters will most like play for at least one half tonight, if not more. Last week we got a loss that was drenched in excuses. Tonight we need to ditch the excuses and deliver some high octane performances.

It’s time for us to make a statement and deliver a message to the rest of the league. If not now, then when?

Cowboys (9-6) vs. Eagles (8-6-1)  Sunday, December 28, 3:15 PM CT on FOX

Week 17 Preview:

Playoffs Begin Now For Battle-Tested Cowboys

Forget the fact that it is only Week 17 of the regular season.  The playoffs begin now for the Dallas Cowboys.  A win against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday propels them to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, while a loss eliminates the Cowboys, making it one of the most disappointing seasons in Dallas Cowboys hstory.

All the Cowboys need to do is win and they’re in, but Philadelphia needs losses by both the Chicago Bears against the Houston Texans and by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Oakland Raiders in addition to beating Dallas.  The Eagles should know whether or not they still have a shot at making the playoffs shortly before the game begins, which could help or hurt the Cowboys a little bit either way.  The Eagles would like nothing more than to ruin the Cowboys’ chances of getting in though, so it should be a battle no matter what.

The Cowboys will have to put constant pressure on Donovan McNabb and stop Brian Westbrook to have a chance to win the game.  Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Cowboys sacked Joe Flacco 5 times in the first half but none in the second.  They also limited Baltimore’s running game in the first half, unlinke in the second half when they allowed backto-back 82 and 77-yard touchdown runs to seal the game. 

DeMarcus Ware needs just 3 sacks to break the all-time sacks recordfor a single season.  He will line up against tackle Tra Thomas, who held him to just one sack when they faced one another back in Week 2.  It should be an intriguing matchup to watch.

Tony Romo’s back has been acting up on him ever since he took those shots against the Giants a couple of weeks ago.  Whether it is that, lingering effects of his broken pinky finger, or a combination of both is unknown.  It is obvious that he is not at 100% and has not thrown the all very accurately, missing some wide open receivers against Baltimore and making mistakes throwing the ball.  He cannot make these mistakes against the Eagles.  Jim Johnson knows Tony Romo very well, and will blitz at will if he senses a weakness in Romo.  Tony Romo has only had one game in which he did not turn the ball over all season long, and that was Week 15 against the Giants in a 20-8 win.

The final thing that the Cowboys need to do in order to ave a successful game is to limit the penalties. They cannot give the Eagles free first downs and back themselves up into 3rd and long situations taking unnecessary penalties.  They are the most penalized team in the league, committing 115 penalties for 911 yards. 

The bottom line is that the Cowboys just need to find a way to win this game and bring a win at all costs attitude out on the field with them.  This will be their last of the season if they lose, so it is time to lay it all on the line against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon.     

Cowboys (8-4) vs. Steelers (9-3) Sunday, December 7, 3:15 PM CT on FOX

Cowboys Face Tough December Stretch Starting With Steelers

The Dallas Cowboys will head to the cold confines of Heinz Field to take on the Steelers in a battle with two teams fighting for playoff spots. 

These two teams have illustrious histories, and it promises to be a great game.

This is a very interesting matchup for the Cowboys.  Throughout the rest of the season, the Cowboys face the number 1, 2, 3, and 7 ranked defenses, respectively.  Pittsburgh is number one overall, and they will look to put the pressure on Romo and help force bad decisions.  We have seen Romo carve up defenses like this throughout his career, and it’s no wonder with the weapons that he has.  (T.O., Jason Witten, etc.)  If the Cowboys can protect Romo and give him time to throw the ball, the Cowboys should have a great chance to win, but if they can’t, it could be a long day. 

With Marion Barber out for today’s game, Tashard Choice will get the start.  That means that Barber will not be there to pound out those tough yards for the first down that he usually does.  If Choice proves to be ineffective against the Steelers stout runnng defense, the play action for Romo would go away and let the Steelers anticipate the pass to make it that much more difficult for him.  

Adams Jones will finally make his return today after being suspended six games for getting into a scuffle with his body guard at a Dallas hotel.  His impact at corner will not be known until we see it in the game.  Lately, the Cowboys have been very stingy about allowing touchdowns to the opposition.  Excluding the game against the Giants, they have given up just three touchdowns in their last four games, with two of those touchdowns given up to the 49ers when the game was virtually out of reach.    

Seahawks (2-9) vs. Cowboys (7-4)  Thursday, November 27, 3:15 PM on FOX

Cowboys Continue Push For Playoffs Against Seahawks on Thanksgiving

The Dallas Cowboys will continue to make their run toward the playoffs and extend their winning streak to three games as they host the Seattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium.  If the Cowboys can get the win and improve to 8-4 on the season, they will be in a pretty good spot heading into the toughest stretch of their schedule in December, but a loss could be devastating. 

The Cowboys are coming off of a 35-22 win against the 49ers while the while the Seahawks lost 20-17 to the Redskins.

The Dallas Cowboys should be able to easily win this game, but not so fast.  Remember when we played the St. Louis Rams?  That should have been an easy win too.  It didn’t happen.  Granted Brad Johnson was our quarterback and we were beat up, but still a game that the Cowboys should have taken  care of but didn’t.

The Cowboys are relatively healthy this time around though, and Dallas should be able to explode offensively against Seattle.  The Seahawks gie up 25.2 points per game, ranking 25th in the NFL, and 29th in the league, allowing 381.2 yard per game to opposing teams.  The Seahawks offense is ranked 31st in the NFL, but that doesn’t necessarily mean an easy time stopping the Seahawks.

Terrell Owens is coming off a big game against the San Francisco 49ers, catching seven passes for 213 yards with a touchdown, a 75-yard bomb.  It will be intriguing to watch him to see what he does against the Seahawks’ secondary.

On defense, Terence Newman and Anthony Henry will need to keep wide receivers Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson in check, and they need to put pressure on quarterback Matt Hasslebeck as well.  Look for Demarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, and Greg Ellis to be key contributors in that area. 

This will be Julius Jones’s first trip back to Texas Stadium since he left the Cowboys for the Seahawks.  He will be fired up to face the Cowboys, so the offensive line will have to be at the ready to get penetration and fill in the holes to stop Julius Jones from gaining big yardage and moving the chains.

Happy Thanksgiving!   

Cowboys (5-3) vs. Giants 6-1) Sunday, November 2, 3:15 PM CT on FOX

Week 9 Preview:

Cowboys Are Huge Underdog Against Defending Champion Giants

After the defense stepped up in a 13-9 victory over the Bucs last wek, the Cwboys now head to Giants Stadium to take on the New York iants in a pivotal game. 

A win would put the Cowboys right back in the NFC East race headed into their bye week, just a 1/2 game behind the Giants for first, but a loss would likely mean that they would have to start focusing on the wild card. 

For the Cowboys to have any chance in this game, they will need to have a defensive performance similar to the one that they did against Tampa Bay.  Without Tony Romo, the Dallas offense will not be able to match the Giants point for point in a shootout. 

The task of stopping Eli Manning and the Giants will not be so easy though.  The Giants rank 3rd in the NFL in total offense, and 8th in scoring offense.  Stopping the three-headed monster that is the Giants’ running game will be crucial, especially Brandon Jacobs.   

The Cowboys’ offense will once again be led by Brad Johnson.  For the Cowboys to be effective on offense, the offensive line will have to protect Brad Johnson extremely well against the Giants fierce pass rush.  Brad Johnson is not a very mobile quarterbck, and while Tony Romo can work his magic to escape the pressure most of the time, Brad Johnson can’t.  If the offensive line doesn’t do its job, it will be a long day for the Cowboys. 

Starting cornerback Anthony Henry (thigh), backup outside linebacker Anthony Spencer (hamstring), and backup safety Pat Watkins (neck) are probable.  Starting tight end Jason Witten (cracked rib) did not practice all wek and is a game-time decision.  Starting quarterback Tony Romo (broken finger), starting cornerback Terence Newman (abdomen), starting left guard Kyle Kosier (foot), and backup runningback Felix Jones (hamstring) are all listed as out, but could return after the bye.   

Buccaneers (5-2) vs. Cowboys (4-3)  Sunday, October 26, Noon CT on FOX

Week 8 Preview:

Cowboys Getting Close To “Must Win” Situation Against Bucs

The Dallas Cowboys need to right the ship and fast.  After losing three of their last four games, the Cowboys are now 4-3 on the season, and if the season ended last week, the Cowboys would not even be in the playoffs.  A win would put Dallas right back in the thick of things though, so it is imperative to get a win. 

The Cowboys were beat downfield and run all over by the Rams last week, and that is going to have to chnge for the Cowboys to beat the Bucs.  The corners will have to do a better job of tackling and stay on their man for the Cowboys to have a chance to win the game.  The Cowboys still have a lot of weapons on offense, but without Romo until after the bye week, the Cowboys will have to get some help from the defense in this one.   Brad Johnson neds to be much more effective on offense than he was in St. Louis, especially against a stingy Tampa Bay defense that is ranked 9th in the NFL, allowing just 292.7 yards per game, and 4th in points per game allowed, at just 15.3.

After letting Steven Jackson run all over them in St. Louis, the Cowboys lok to stop Earnest Graham. Jay Ratliff will be a key cog in not allowing him to gain big yardage on the Cowboys. 

Running back Felix Jones (hamstring), left guard Kyle Kosier (foot), cornerback Terence Newman (abdomen surgery), starting quarterback Tony Romo (broken pinkie finger), and outside linebacker Anthony Spencer are out.  Linebackers Kevin Burnett and Greg Ellis (calf), linebacker Bradie James (elbow), nose tackle Tank Johnson (ankle), and safety Pat Watkins (neck) are listed as probable.        

Cowboys (4-2) vs. Rams (1-4) Sunday, October 19 at Noon on FOX

The Cowboys have so many players listed on the injury report that they could make a whole baseball team if they wanted to.   Wide receiver Sam Hurd (ankle, placed in IR), punter Mat McBriar (foot, placed on IR), running back Felix Jones (hamstring, starting left left guard Kyle Kosier (foot), staring cornerback Terence Newman (sports hernia), outside linebacker Anthony Spencer (hamstring), and safety Pat Watkins (neck) are all out.  Linebacker Kevin Burnett (calf) and starting quarterback Tony Romo (right pinkie finger) are listed as questionable.  They will both be game-time decisions.  Backup safety Keith Davis (thumb), backup defensive tackle Tank Johnson (ankle), starting safety Roy Williams (forearm), and defensive end Marcus Spears (illness) are all listed as probable.     

Cowboys (4-1) vs. Cardinals (3-2) Sunday, October 12, 3:15 PM CT on FOX

Guard Kyle Kosier (foot), cornerback Terence Newman (sports hernia), and cornerback Pat Watkins (neck) are out.  Roy Williams practiced on a limited basis in practice this week, and is still out with the injury to his forearm.  Fullback Deon Anderson (knee), backup defensive end Stephen Bowen (hamstring), starting center Andre Gurode (ankle), backup defensive tackle Tank Johnson (ankle), and starting tight end Jason Witten (shoulder) all had full participation in practice this week and are probable.  

Bengals (0-4) vs. Cowboys (3-1)  Sunday, October 5, 3:15 PM CT on CBS

Cowboys Look to Pounce on Bengals;  Get Back on Track

The Cowboys look to get back to their winning ways when they face the Bengals at Texas Stadium today.  A win would improve the Cowboys to 4-1 on the season and help them keep pace what is a mad NFC East.

On the offensive side of the ball, look for the Cowboys to run the ball a lot than they did against the Redskins.  Felix Jones did not get any carries last week, and the Cowboys only ran the ball 11 times total, including a scramble by Romo.  The pass offense should have an easier time of it against the Bengals though. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys will face another touch test and they will need to do a much better job than last week.  The corners will be faced with the challenge of stopping pro-bowl caliber wide receivers in Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.  Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, and Adam Jones will need to do a much better job than they did last week.  They will also need to stop running backs Travis Henry Texas product Cedric Benson to get the defense off of the field. 

The Cowboys have only forecd two turnovers all season, and one of them was the botched exchange between Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook in Week 2.  The Cowboys still don’t have an interception all season. 

Starting left guard (foot) and starting safety Roy Williams (forearm) are out.  Backup safety Pat Watkins (neck) did not go through much of practice all week, and is doubtful.  Backup defensive end Stephen Bowen (hamstring), backup nose tackle Tank Johnson (ankle), starting corner Terrence Newman (groin), and starting center Andre Gurode (ankle) are all questionable.  Newman and Gurode both had limited practices and are game-time decisions.  Starting tight end Jason Witten and starting fullback Deon Anderson are probable and will play.

Redskins (2-1) vs. Cowboys (3-0)  Sunday, September 28, 3:15 PM CT on FOX

Rivalry Renewed as Cowboys and Redskins Clash

The Dallas Cowboys look to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East when they take on the Washington Redskins at 3:15 PM CT on Sunday at Texas Stadium.  This is a huge game.  Not only is it a divisional game and an intense rivalry, but a win would mean the difference between first and third place in the NFC East.

The two teams split their meetings last season, with both teams winning on their home field.

The Cowboys are in a groove right now, but they cannot afford to overlook the Redskins.  After a sluggish game against the Giants in their opener, the Redskins followed up with two strong outings against the Saints and Cardinals.  Anything can happen on any given Sunday. 

The Redskins would already figure to have a tough time stopping the Cowboys’ offense, and with Jason Taylor’s calf injury, that will make their challenge even steeper.  After Terrell Owens was limited to just two catches for 17 yards against Green Bay, look for big plays from him against the Redskins on Sunday.  If they do the same thing as Green Bay did though, look for Jason Witten down the middle and for big plays from Felix Jones and Marion Barber.  Owens scored four touchdowns the last time the two teams met at Texas Stadium.  The Redskins will have to find a way to put some pressure on Romo to have any hope of slowing down the Dallas offense. 

The the defensive side of the ball, it will be critical for the Cowboys to stop Redskins’ wide receiver Santana Moss.  In the past he has been a Cowboys killer, scoring four touchdowns in six career games against Dallas.  The Cowboys can’t allow him to run wild in this game.

Starting strong safety Roy Williams (forearm), fullback Deon Anderson (knee), and starting left guard Kyle Kosier (foot) are all out for this game.  Cory Procter will start in Kosier’s place once again.  Backup nose tackle Tank Johnson injured his ankle against the Packers, and is listed as questionable.  He went through limited practices on Wednesday and Friday, but did not practice on Thursday.  Backup wide reciver Sam Hurd (ankle), backup linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee), starting tight end Jason Witten (shoulder), and backup safety Pat Watkins (neck) should all play and are listed as probable.  Watkins will replace Roy Williams in the lineup.

Cowboys (2-0) vs. Packers (2-0) Sunday, September 21, 2008, 7:15 PM CT on NBC

Week 3 Preview:

Following Emotional Win and Short Week, Cowboys Face Another Tough Test 

The Dallas Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, not even a week removed from their emotional 41-37 victory over the Eagles at Texas Stadium on Monday night.  A win would move the Cowboys to 3-0 on the season.

If the Cowboys want to move to 3-0 on the season, they will have to shake the struggles that they have had at Lambeau Field.  The Cowboys have beaten the Packers three times in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but since the Packers moved to Lambeau Field, the Cowboys are 0-5 all-time, including playoffs. The last meeting at Lambeau was a 41-20 loss in 2004.   

The offensive line has been nothing short of spectacular in the first two games of the season.  They have given Tony Romo plenty of time to deliver the ball, and he is the only quarterback that hasn’t been sacked yet this season.  For that to continue, the offensive line will have to hold down Packers’ defensive end Aaron Kampman, who was 30 sacks since the 2006 season, the most in the NFC since that time.  Unlike the game last year, the Cowboys’ offensive line will have to hold Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. 

The Packers will also have cornerback Charles Woodson back in the secondary too.  He wasn’t there last year, and Terrell Owens benefited greatly, scoring two touchdowns against Harris in the Week 13 37-27 win last year. 

Aaron Rodgers went 18/26 for 201 yards against the Cowboys’ defense after replacing Brett Favre, who suffered an ijury to his elbow.  The Dallas defense has now seen Rodgers once already and have plenty of film to study on him.  Expect the defense to be much more effective against Rodgers than last year, despite what you saw from the Cowboys’ defense last week.  The Cowboys have one of the best overall defenses and should not be underestimated. 

Fullback Deon Anderson (knee), linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee), and safety Roy Williams (forearm), are all out.  Wide receiver Sam Hurd (ankle) went through limited practice all week and is listed as questionable.  Left guard Kyle Kosier (foot) is ready to go and will start Sunday night.

Eagles (1-0) vs. Cowboys (1-0) Monday, September 15, 2008, 7:30 PM CT on ESPN

Week 2 Preview:

Eagles and Cowboys Clash Under the Lights in Texas Stadium on MNF

Firece NFC East rivals meet at Texas Stadium when the Cowboys and Eagles play at Texas Stadium on “Monday Night Fottball.”  The winner of this massive showdown will likely be considered the early favorite to win the NFC East.

There have been so many things going on leading up to this game.  Terrell Owens talking about Donovan McNabb, saying that McNabb was “jealous” of Owens stealing the spotlight, and Jessica Simpson saying that the Cowboys will “kick the Eagles butts”, and just the fact that this is one of the best rivalries going right now in the NFL. 

There are five critical things that the Cowboys must do in order to win this game.  It is an absolute must that the Cowboys limit Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, limit the Eagles passing game, don’t let Donovan McNabb run wild on them, contain the Eagles’ blitz, and avoid taking too many penalties. 

The Cowboys have already made it a point to know where Brian Westbrook is on the field at all times.  The Cowboys’ offensive line was great last week against the Cleveland Browns, but they will have to be even better this week to contain the Eagles’ blitzing defense under Jim Johnson.  Even with Tony Romo’s mobility, he will still get sacked, possibly be forced into some bad throws, and it will kill some drives if the offensive line cannot contain them. The Cowboys committed 11 penalties for 82 yards last week.  That will need to improve this game or it could cost the Cowboys the game.

On offense, look for the Cowboys to give more carries to Marion Barber and Felix Jones to help keep the Philadelphia blitz honest.  Both Barber and Jones had great days in week 1.  Marion Barber rushed the ball 16 times for 80 yards with two touchdowns, while Felix Jones carried it 9 times for 62 yards and a touchdown.  Jones’ touchdown came on his first NFL carry, an 11-yard run.

Cowboys guard Kyle Kosier (foot) and wide receiver Sam Hurd (ankle) are out.  Wide receiver Miles Austin (knee), cornerback Terence Newman (groin), and ourside linebacker Anthony Spencer (knee) are questionable.  Of the three Wade Phillips was more optimistic of Miles Austin returning, but still says that Newman and Spencer could play.  All three are game-time decisions and have only gone through limited practices.  Wide receiver Isaiah Stanback (shoulder) and running back Marion Barber III (bruised ribs) are both probable and have gone through full practices all week.

Cowboys (0-0) vs. Browns (0-0) Sunday, September 7, 3:15 PM CT on FOX


Cowboys Look to Shake Off Injuries in Season Opener

Week 1 Preview:

If linebacker Demarcus Ware can beat tackle Joe Thomas and the
defensive and offensive lines can win the battle at the line of
scrimmage for the Cowboys, they should be in great shape to bring home
a Week 1 win headed back home for a Week 2 matchup against the hated
Philadelphia Eagles.

Texans (2-0) vs. Cowboys (0-2)  Friday, August 22, 7:00 PM CT on CBS 11

Cowboys Have Plenty of Room for Improvement Against Houston

“The good news is we do have two more preseason games left to polish
this thing up,” Cowboys nose tackle Tank Johnson said. “And luckily,
we’re not 0-2 in the regular season and we’re not behind the 8-ball in
that respect. We definitely have a fresh start coming up here in week
one.”

As usual, the  Cowboys and Texans will play for the Governor’s Cup again.  The Texans won it last year by defeating the Cowboys 28-16. 

“Fast,” said running back Tashard Choice, set to make his Texas Stadium
debut. “They get to the ball. They play hard and make plays. (Mario
Williams) is a great player, somebody you’re going to have to pay a lot
of attention to on every play. All of them. (Defensive tackle Amobi)
Okoye is really good, too. He’s going to be awesome.” 

Time to get back to our winning ways and make adjustments!