Matchups That Make You Go Hmmmm
Posted: December 31, 2006 @ 8:15 pm
A longtime boxing maxim states that the best fights come when differing styles face off. A boxer versus a slugger provides a more compelling matchup than two sluggers or two jab-and-dancers in the ring.
If the same holds for football, we could have some really good games next weekend. Consider the Colts vs. the Chiefs. Kansas City hammers with Larry Johnson. The Colts can’t stop the run. The Colts throw as well as anybody. The Chiefs will try to prove they can stop people better under Herman Edwards than they did under Dick Vermeil. The Chiefs are the rock. Will Indy be the scissors or the paper?
The late Saturday match is the blunder bowl. Which of the Cowboys and Seahawks can patch their leaks better than the other? The so-so defenses suggest a shootout, but the coaches know each other very well, which probably means bet the under.
Sunday’s late matchup features the Giants and Eagles. Philly’s hot. New York’s not. But they’re division rivals who played two close games this year. I give the Eagles an edge, but anything is possible when teams play round three.
The most nervous guy next week might be New England’s Bill Belichick. He should be the most confident, but how would you feel if Dallas was hosting New Orleans a second time next weekend? You would have probably already sweat through one undershirt thinking about a second helping of Sean Payton.
Eric Mangini already beat his mentor once this season — in New England. Belichick took some guff for his less-than-gracious behavior afterwards. I’ll bet he’d rather face anybody in next week’s field except New York.
That said, Belichick still has Tom Brady, so he’ll probably sleep some the next few days.
Comments
11 Responses to “Matchups That Make You Go Hmmmm”
Got something to say?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
-
"The Sports Doctors"
iTunes/
Winamp
Windows
Media
RealOne -
Cowboy Up
Dedicated to providing the best Cowboys analysis anywhere, our efforts are free of charge but not free of expense. Your kind donation today will keep our drive alive.
Thank you
Or mail payment to:
RV2 Enterprises
P.O. Box 150093
Austin TX 78715-0093
Advertisers
-
Fave it!
-
SiteMeter
Burst Media
1st,
Is it true that our deffense was exposed by ain’ts… and every team after that used tha same strategy to beat us?
I mean if we can some how get back to the earlier deffense when we won 4 in a row … who knows we may go far on this play offs..
cowboys vs giants for the nfc title game.
I had to look up the year to be sure, and it was 1985.
The Boys won the division, and made the playoffs. My brother asked me how I thought they’d do against the Rams. He knew I was a big fan, he didn’t really follow football.
He couldn’t believe it when I said they would probably get killed by the Rams, that we wouldn’t be able to stop Dickerson. We lost 20-0. He was amazed at how I had predicted that. But I watched them every wek, I knew what they were!
That year we lost to Chicago 44-0, and Cincinati 50 (!) -24, in Dec. That’s how I feel about this team, I don’t see us stopping Seattle.
When the F’in Lions put 39 on you, you’re done.
I never gave up all year when some others on this site were throwing the season away. But now it’s week 16, not week 5. We were lucky we beat the Falcons.
I just cannot explain what happened to our defense. They can’t stop anyone, esp. through the air.
Actually, I’d rather lose and get it over with, and get a higher draft pick.
I just wish Tenn. would have stunk, and maybe we could have gotten Fisher.
Squid, how do you like my pregame comments now?
Philly may struggle with the Giants indeed - I think it is always hard to beat any team three times in a row.
Larry - I remember that game, and I tend to agree with you. We may beat Seattle, but that isn’t exactly saying much at all.
Some thoughts I have:
-Don’t blame Romo. I knew in the back of my head that he couldn’t be THAT great ALREADY during his little hot streak, but he’s still a very good QB. If not for his being stupidly careless with the football when it’s in his hand, he’d have had a pretty good game. 300+ yds, a beautiful long TD to TO, and although he got lucky there, how ridiculous was that play when he dropped the ball in the end zone and somehow managed to complete a pass afterwards. We knew he was a ’slinger. Give him some time, and a whole offseason as the starter, and he’ll be even better. We thought he couldn’t throw the long ball. Seems like he can do that now. He doesn’t throw THAT many stupid INT’s…just one that game. Now maybe he can learn to hold onto the ball. Romo is the one bright spot of this season, guys.
-I want TO back. I think he hasn’t been too bad and c’mon, every WR complains about not getting the ball enough. It’s just that it becomes a big deal when TO does it. If I thought Crayton could replace him, I’d be all for it, especially with Cray’s hands, but I’d take a 6′3” 230 lb WR with speed and ok hands that might get better next season after surgery over a guy with great hands but is 6′0 200 and is not as fast. TO’s flashed his speed this season and his tackle-breaking ability. He also has good chemistry with Romo (although so do Glenn, Crayton, and Witten). If there’s some stud pass rusher that could be obtained with his $$$, I’d think about it but don’t see the burning need to cut him otherwise. What makes you think Thomas makes it to free agency anyway?
-Wish list for 2007: some OL players with a mean streak, a pass rusher besides D-Ware, some DE’s with mean streaks and pass rushing abilities, and just people in general who play with emotion!
-Has Watkins played any better lately? He has 3 picks this season. I know FS is a liability but I’m not sure I give up on a 6′5”, 4.4 guy right away. Drafting a FS in Rd 1 or getting a high-profile FA would pretty much mean that Watkins’ gig is up.
-Then again, I hope somehow we get a stud FS and unleash #31.
And you guys calling for Cowher are just plain silly. He hasn’t shown too much fire this season either and doesn’t spit all the time anymore either. And we’re not getting Fisher. I’m happy with the Tuna and a new DC.
Geeze guys, lets play Seattle first, then if we lose, we can start firing everyone.
Larry, don’t gloat over a predicted Cowboy loss, unless of course, you’re really a Redskins fan. Then it’s OK.
Maybe a road game will be good for us. It seems we can’t win at home anyway. We may just luck out in the end.
After the Giant game I was stoked that they had 3 of four left at home. And the road game was the only game they won! And not convincingly.
Hopefully, another road trip is the cure. We’ve been talking all season about the lack of a pass rush and bad safety play. I find it hard to believe it took until the NO game for the rest of the league to see it. If we knew it, I’m sure the other coaching staffs knew it too.
I think the D is in a big funk and just need to get it together. They can play well enough to get another win.