This Game Means Nothing, Reason 37
Posted: December 30, 2007 @ 7:36 pm
Flashback — Dallas beats the Redskins at midseason. Why?
Because Jason Garrett had Terrell Owens going nuts in the middle of the field. He had four TDs that day, and three of them came when he motioned into the middle of the field and torched linebackers or safeties.
Was T.O. playing today? No. Dallas’ top matchup nightmare was gone. And even then Miles Austin had a chance to get some big highlight plays, and dropped two TD passes.
Pro Bowl wide receivers have value. You saw exhibit A today.
Now, let’s consider another very important factor. The Vikings lost today. Washington would have made the playoffs even if Dallas beat them.
Why load up, create a special menu game plan that can expose them and then have its surprise value lost to you if the Redskins beat Seattle and come to Dallas in two weeks time? How stupid will the OC and DC feel having wasted special blitzes, coverage packages, etc. on a meaningless game, and then making their playoff week that much harder?
What’s that Robert Johnson line, “if you cry for a nickel you’ll die for a dime?”
This game was a nickel in terms of value. It gets Dallas no closer to the Super Bowl. It can only serve to diminish the team’s chances if it wasted vital strategic secrets and/or got key people hurt.
Washington has to travel cross country, to play on Saturday, against a Seattle team that rested a lot of key people today and hence lost to Atlanta. Who’s going to be better prepared for the short week?
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Raf
Will schedule be set today? Who plays on Saturday?
Will the schedule be set today for the playoffs?
Seattle hosts Washington Saturday.
The Bucs host the Giants Sunday.
Skins at Seattle - Saturday at 4:00
Jacksonville at Pitt - 8:00
Raf, thanks for answering. Guess you’re right but it still feels like crap. Forgot all about the Vikins losing.
BTW, do you actually think Jerry would go after Moss?? I mentioned before that I kind of wished that the Cowboys would have traded a 4th round pick for Moss but I still can’t imagine TO and Moss on the same team. Of course, a lot of people thought Jerry wouldn’t even go after TO so what do I know??
Giants at TB 4:00
Tenn/Clev at SD 1:00 - Sunday
Cowboys play January 13th @ 4:30 eastern
From last thread: Who do ya’ll want to play if you had your druthers? It won’t be SEA, they’re 3rd seed and we play the lowest seeded winner, IIRC
People forget all the time about how old our CB’s are. Newman was 24 when we drafted him and 25 by the time his first season started. Need youth. Reeves is actually a pretty good #3 CB and an even better #4 CB. If we can get a good, fast CB who can cover the slot then we’ll be well off. I was high on CB Chris Houston last year and he went to the Falcons I believe. Wonder how he’s done this year?? Where’s Scout when we need him?? LOL
Why would the Chargers @ 10:00am locally?
Sunday
Bucs Giants @ 1:00
Chargers @ 4:30 ET
Pittsburgh 8:00pm…sounds cold
Kam
Chris Houston started 10 games, but I didn’t watch more then 10 minutes of Falcon football this year. He played in all 16 games.
Ok, my take is that I’d rather see The Dork instead of Jeff Garcia. That little bastard has always found ways to kick our ass. JMO
You plat to WIN the Game!!!
Dallas mailed it in……but TO better get healthy and fast. Without him our Offense looks pathetic.
Definitely not the foreskins, but not bcuz of today. Raf has calmed my nerves, but not enough to see those guys again
kameleon……
Al Harris and Charles Woodson are no spring chickens……..neither are Bailey and Bly.
I am all for a CB early next year……but Newman and Henry when healthy are as good as those other heralded guys. Henry has had some injury issues for a couple of years.
Why was Newman a 25 year old rookie?
Charb,
Thanks. I just looked at Houston’s stats. Nothing mind blowing but then look at his team. Has no INT’s, 1 FF, and quite a few tackles for a CB. Is that because QB’s are completing a lot of passes on him?? Don’t know ’cause I haven’t watched them much either.
dcfan,
I was thinking the same thing about Garcia, but then I remembered when he was with the Browns that one year. We held him to a 0.0 QB rating. Crazy. But other than that he’s played pretty well against us. Typical West Coast QB. Short, quick passes right in front of our LB’s. Just what’s killed us all season.
Jon B.,
I’m not saying that they can’t still play at a high level at that age. Just that they’re getting to the age where typically these guys stop producing like top flight CB’s. Seems like after 30 every time you get a good year out of an older CB you breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of looking at it like we need a young CB to replace our old CB’s, look at it like you need at least 3 good corners in this passing league. Ideally 4. Think Reeves is a decent #3 CB and a damn good #4 CB. Adding another quality CB to that mix would be sweet.
BTW, now that Jon B. asks it, why WAS Newman a 25 year old rookie?? Did he go to some sort of prep school or something?? Get held back a year in school??
Did you guys hear what some players said about that hit Landry put on Glenn?? Guess they thought the same as me that it was a cheap shot. Glenn and Romo thought the same thing. Here’s what they said according to the DMN blog:
“From what I heard, the guy was really trying to take me out,” Glenn said. “So now I look back on it, yeah, I think it was intentional, because he could’ve stayed back. If I’m running in for the ball like that, why is he coming at my knees?”
QB Tony Romo was as upset as anyone, saying in his postgame presser that it was “disappointing” while characterizing the hit as a cheap shot. Glenn wasn’t happy either, but seemed willing to chalk part of it up to youth.
“He’s a young guy,” Glenn said. “And hey, I guess he wanted to play a little dirty, I don’t know, I’m not sure.”
kam……I knew he was a 25 year old rookie but never knew why?
Was he a 21 year old High School Senior? If so it would have helped with Keg Parties.
I think Reeves hits FA and walks. We replace him with a draft pick.
Kam
T New has a September birthday. So, he may have started school a year later. He was redshirted and played 4 years at K State.
Anyone know if Terry Glenn got hurt again or if he just didn’t want to play in those less-than-welcoming conditions after he got undercut by Landry.
I wouldn’t mind spending the 1st rounders on a CB and an S. Roy takes terrible angles to the ball and everyone knows he can’t cover. At this point, I see him having maybe 1 year of usefulness to us now unless he has some sort of revival.
Also, if Desean Jackson from Cal is available, take him; he’s a game-breaker.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Jerry Jones take a stab at Moss. He went for TO when we still have Keyshawn. I would not be against seeing Moss and TO as the WRs, but that’s HIGHLY unlikely to happen.
I also hate to admit it, but I feel a bit uneasy about the Cowboys, in their last 3 games, they seemed to have lacked fire. Oh well, second season begins next week, I can’t wait!
Jon B
T New was a 19 year old Senior.
Just read in my Mel Kiper draft book from 2003 that Newman was a red shirt freshman in 1999. He was born in 1978 so that would be about 20 or 21 during his first year of college. Had to be prep school or he was held back in school.
So Kam,
You like the NYG for us? I do. We seem to get under Eli’s skin somehow. This Todd Collins thinks he’s hot now that our 2nds didn’t get it done. They will get their butts kicked next week, so it comes down to TB or NY, I dunno, either–or, don’t really matter I guess
I’d probably like to see TB first then Seattle. Division opponents last. I thought losing Shockey would hurt them more and then they got some other big guy to catch the ball. Manning’s O-line is really blocking well for him right now and allowing him to get the ball out quick. They also have no fear of playing us at our place. They do it twice a year. We just need to regain that swagger and confidence we had after the GB game. If we do that we can beat anyone.
I have already bought my tickets to the playoff game…..sure hope I didn’t waste my money!
I hope Raf is right and we are holding something back for the playoffs because the last few games have not looked good at all to me
Isn’t our game against the winner of the Seahawks and Redskins?
Boyz4Ever, our game is going to be whoever the lowest seed is.
Oh and Raf, great article… I was trying to explain the same thing.
One yard rushing? Sorry but that’s a disgrace. So much for Barber gaining 1000 yards, huh. One effing yard? Come on!
Let’s hope this season-ending wretched vanilla effort still helps the Cowboys win big playoff games, like in 1994 and 1996. Of course, notice neither of those years were Super Bowl years.
I wasn’t able to watch the game, did Carpenter play at all? Please advise, thanks.
Carpenter was in there in the 4th quarter. He did his usual nothing.
It took BJames several years to show up, but the difference is Carpenter was a 1st round pick, so expectations are higher. As simply a special teams player, he’s a bust at this point and a wasted first round pick.