America’s team comes into this game with a 5-4 record, facing a tough 6-3 Washington Redskins team. This marks the 96th regular season meeting between these two franchises, but the game lacked the usual intensity of the rivalry. Don’t get me wrong – practically any game from week 10 and on will be filled with emotion and at least some desperation, but the typical fiery hatred was not brewing between the teams. Notable players coming back from injuries are the Cowboys starting quarterback, Tony “broken pinky” Romo, and Redskins starting running back, Clinton Portis. While Romo was out, the Cowboys dropped 2 of the 3 games they played.

Romo Throwing with Cast (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Jason Witten, who I simply cannot say enough good things about, is starting at tight end for the Cowboys again with a broken rib. You hear that, Romo? A broken rib, not a broken pinky finger! Felix Jones, typically the Cowboys back up at running back is out with a hamstring injury, which means Cowboys starting running back, Marion Barber, will be carrying the ball much more. Barber easily makes my top 5 favorite running backs, but his fumbles are surprisingly high as he comes into the game with 6 on the season.

This would be my first game catching the Redskins this season, and their new head coach, Jim Zorn. Zorn is a former quarterback himself, so he coaches his young starter, Jason Campbell, on literally every play. Zorn brings a West Coast offense feel to the Redskins passing game, but leaves their running game as it was before his reign.

1st Half

After Cowboys defensive lineman Jay Ratliff sacks Jason Campbell, the Cowboys now have at least one sack in the last 30 games. But the Cowboys defense did not phase the Redskins on this impressive scoring drive. Portis got several early touches, and Redskins big, strong full back Mike Sellers picks up a big passing play. Coach Zorn makes a gutsy call for the Redskins to go for it on 4th and 1 at the Cowboys 11 yard line. They go for it with a rush to Portis, who not only picks up the 1st down, but damn near scored. This setup the easy touchdown pass to Sellers, capping a 10-play, 49-yard drive. As part of this drive, Portis surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season – not too shabby for a guy that missed the last two games, and we’re only on week 10.

Romo starts the game going 6 for 6, and although he looks pretty comfortable, there were a couple passes he threw that were obviously very cautious when the Redskins defense got right in his face. This was actually a pretty drive for the Cowboys, with nice pick ups from Barber (both on the ground and in the air), and Roy Williams. Both of Barber‘s plays were made possible by massive blocks for Witten. While it was of no consequence to the drive, Terrel Owens got absolutely up-ended after a 2-yard gain by Redskins corner back Fred Smoot. I only mention it because I love seeing Owens get rocked. On Romo‘s 8th pass of the game (so he was 6 for 7 at this point), he throws behind Owens, who handily beat his man, corner back DeAngelo Hall of the Redskins, allowing for the easy interception by Hall. The Cowboys escape the first quarter being down only 7-0.

Campbell Keeping his Focus in the Pocket (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Kind of interesting that the Cowboys run several pitches to Barber, rather than your typical hand off. Rather than pounding Barber up the middle, they pull a tackle off the edge to lead block, allowing Barber to get to the perimeter. My guess is they were being cautious with Barber, considering Jones was not suiting up for the game, and wanted Barber to avoid the heavy running early in the game.

Romo is picked off for a second time, once again going for Owens on the right side of the field, running a slant. This time around, Owens gets drilled by corner back Carlos Rogers of the Redskins, which pops the ball straight up into the air; this gave Rocky McIntosh enough time to run it down and get his first career interception. Romo was going to Owens a lot in this first half, but did not throw him (or anyone else, for that matter) any deep balls. The cast Romo is wearing on his throwing hand is definitely effecting his accuracy and partially his confidence.

Not a whole lot to mention off the Redskins side in this first half. I liked Campbell’s pocket presence, and quarterbacks that scramble are always fun to watch. Campbell had a big run on a 3rd and 7 for the first down, where he knocks over free safety Pat Watkins of the Cowboys secondary at the end of the run. The Redskins most impressive drive of the half, hands down, was their opening drive.

Romo Pitches to Barber Several Times (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Romo finally opens it up on the Cowboys last drive of the first half. He goes for a deep ball to Witten, for 28 yards, and then follows it up for another big pass for 25 yards to Owens. This drive leads to a Cowboys touchdown, with Barber pounding it in from the 2 yard line. On the following possession, the Redskins start with great field position after a nice kick return from running back Rock Cartwright; he was freed up from some sexy blocking by the wedge. With the great field position, and a couple nice passes from Campbell, the Redskins are able to put another 3 points on the board with a field goal. Tight end Chris Cooley was really the only Redskins player worthy of noting in this first half, with some honorable mention to Portis. The Redskins go into the locker room up 10-7.

Even though the Redskins led going into half time, I can’t say that they were the better team on the field. Romo started feeling it towards the end of the half, and the Redskins defense still had the pounding running from Barber still to come. Unlike any other game I’ve seen out of the Cowboys, they actually played like a team in this first half. Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware both had sacks in the first half, but the Redskins defense was definitely more physical. Neither team really had any big plays, on either side of the field; most certainly a conservative first half.

2nd Half

Redskins open the second half with several pass plays. Cowboys defense steps up their physicality a notch, with strong safety Keith Davis getting a big hit on Portis, and corner back Terence Newman clobbering Santana Moss. Cooley gets some easy touches with short plays underneath, and the Redskins continue with their short yardage pass plays. The problem with these types of plays is that unless you scare the defense with a big play here or there, they are going to play your receivers much tighter at the line, making these 2-yard pass plays about as ineffective as rushing plays with no blocking. I suppose the Redskins woke the fuck up, and went for a big 21-yard pass to running back Ladell Betts. To me, it was very odd that Portis was not a factor on this drive, and they didn’t give Campbell any opportunities to run it himself. The 12th play of this drive is a huge play from Cowboys Newman; he literally took the ball right out of Santana Moss‘ hands for the interception.

Barber Having a Field Day (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they did nothing with their next possession. But it’s not like the Redskins did any better on their last drive of the third quarter. They get a big 24-yard pass play to Antwaan Randle El (surprisingly, his only catch of the game), Portis gets a big 20-yard run, but Ratliff sacks Campbell for the second time in this game, forcing the Redskins to take a 46-yard field goal. Not to say 46 yards is unheard of, but with 35 or even 40, you feel a lot more confident of your chances. Of course, kicker Shaun Suisham misses the 46 yarder, which leaves the game at the Redskins up 10-7.

Barber is unleashed in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys go to four rushes in a row to Barber, who is just having his way with the Redskins defensive line. At the same time, Romo is looking his best of the game. Even though my main man Witten dropped a really easy one, his back up, rookie tight end Martellus Bennett comes through with a clutch catch off a very well-placed through from Romo. This scoring drive went 8 plays, spanning 67 yards.

Bennett with a Big Touch Down Catch in the 4th (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Newman was playing Santana Moss pretty damn well for the most part. His biggest mistake was not taken advantage of, which came on the Redskins next drive. Campbell throws a bomb to Santana Moss, who blew right by Newman, but he dropped it right through his hands. Had he came down with the catch, it would have put the Redskins inside the Cowboys 10 yard line. In general, this was an extremely sloppy drive by the Redskins, at a monumentally crucial part of the game. Not only do we have the first dropped ball to Moss, but Devin Thomas also drops another ball, which would have resulted in a first down. The Redskins face a 4th and 4, and they are down 4 points, 10-14. They could go for it, which is pretty down risky, or they could attempt the 56-yard field goal (let’s not forget Suisham already missed from 46 earlier in the half), which is also very risky. Coach Zorn elects to take a time out and think it over, and I’m sure part of the time out was “if only one of those two motherfuckers would have caught those balls, we wouldn’t be in this mess”.

Key Dropped Ball by Moss (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

After the time out, we see Campbell and the offense step onto the field, which pretty much means it is all-or-nothing at this point. This is where they separate the hockey moms from the future Vice Presidents. It is a passing play, to no one’s surprise, intended for Santana Moss, but broken up by Newman beautifully. There is still plenty of time left in the game for the Redskins to make a defensive stop, and get the ball back. Plenty of time if the other team does not have Barber carrying the ball; the fourth quarter is where Barber makes his living.

Barber, as expected, keeps getting the ball to break the Redskins spirit. Barber tells the Redskins defensive line to jump, and they ask how high. Not only does he keep picking up first downs, but most importantly, he is staying in bounds, milking that clock like it’s Friday at 4:30 and you can’t wait to start your weekend. The Cowboys trot down the field with ease, with Barber pulling the sled. There is only one pivotal play left, on the Redskins 19, with 4th and 2. Rather than go for the field goal, and give the Redskins a chance to tie it up, the Cowboys decide to go for it on fourth down. My mom could guess who gets the ball on this call – Barber takes it to the right sideline and dives forward just getting the first down. That’s all she wrote, and the Cowboys win 14-10.

Barber Turns the Dagger with a Key 1st Down in the 4th (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Barber easily had the best game of any player on that field. The man was fucking relentless. In the fourth quarter, every rushing play the Cowboys ran was to Barber, save a kneel down by Romo at the very end of the game. Barber pounded the Redskins for 66 yards in the fourth quarter alone. I hate to say it, but I actually liked how the Cowboys played this game, even though it was definitely on the conservative side. That’s to be expected though, when our quarterback is playing with a cast on his arm. The Cowboys played like a team that was coming in with high expectations, and only at a meager 5-4 record; they played like an anxious team that needed a big win badly. Romo had this to say after the game:

Everyone worked hard all week, and it showed on the field.

Doubtful that everyone worked hard, but I give the Cowboys offensive line a lot of credit; it’s not like those running lanes for Barber grow on trees. Witten and Owens had pretty quiet games, but they did their part when they were called upon. The team got over their own super star status and decided they preferred looking bad and winning, than looking good and losing. As for the Redskins - I don’t really know why you were 6-3 coming into this game. They didn’t play with any intensity on the offensive side of the ball, and the defense was pretty flat in the fourth quarter. Those hard hits of the first quarter became broken tackles int he fourth. Campbell’s calmness in the pocket during the first half became shaky and confused in the fourth quarter, but his receivers definitely did not help with two key dropped balls. This wasn’t the most entertaining game to watch, but it was nice seeing the Cowboys play with purpose for a change.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images / NFL.com

Week 9 brings the Dallas Cowboys come into New York Giants stadium needing a win against a playoff contender. Cowboys, at 5-3 go up against a really tough Giants team, at 6-1, with back up quarterback Brad Johnson leading the Cowboys for the third week in a row. Giants come into this game with the third best offense in the NFL, and the number one overall rushing offense. Tony Romo, the Cowboys usual starting QB is sitting out because his pussy is aching – or as they tell the NFL, because he has a broken pinky finger on his throwing hand. Compare Romo‘s injury to Jason Witten, the Cowboy’s all-star tight end, who is the NFC’s top receiver, who came into the game with a broken rib. Cowboys have a bye next week, and pussy Romo should be coming back for their game in two weeks.

Offense

Giants start the game exactly the way they ended it – absolutely walking over the Cowboys. Giants opening drive ended with a nice 13-yard touch down to Eli Manning‘s big tight end, Kevin Boss. The Giants attack was relentless, and everyone was involved. Eli Manning had a solid game, with three touch downs in the first half (only the second time of his career). Really, the only blemishes on Manning‘s day was a pass in the first half to Plaxico Burress, where they were not on the same page, which meant rookie corner back Mike Jenkins was able to run back an easy interception for a TD, and a play in the second quarter where the ball just slipped out of his hand, where the Cowboys recovered on the Giants 16. Not like that play mattered though, since two plays later, the Cowboys Terrell Owens was stripped by defensive back Antonio Pierce, and the Giants recovered. While I really don’t like Terrell Owens, I will give him some credit and mention that this was his first fumble as a Cowboy, and his first fumble since 12/12/04.

Manning Hand off to Jacobs (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Brandon Jacobs ran really hard today, with a 12-yard touch down run giving him his 7th TD of the year, along with a big 31-yard gain, which took him to his 8th career 100+ yard rushing game (3rd of this season). The Cowboys defense was simply way too undisciplined, and played like they had no heart – both Jacobs and Derrek Ward ran all over them, including a 17-yard touch down run where Ward went virtually untouched. Amani Toomer, in his 13th season in the NFL, caught his 52nd career touchdown, and 2nd of this season. Steve Smith had a decent game for the Giants as well, including his first TD of his career.

Kevin Boss Excellent TD Reception (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

It is tough to make this review seem not so one-sided, but that is simply how the game was. Marion Barber, the Cowboys starting RB, is one of my favorite players to watch, but even he was quite for nearly the entire game. Main reason with Barber being so non-existent is that Felix Jones, the Cowboys other explosive back, is injured, and without Romo starting at QB, the Giants really did not have to worry much about any passing game. Barber‘s only memorable rush was a nice 16-yard burst, but he did not have his usual dominance.

One of Owens Few Catches (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Cowboys offense only scored 7 points today, but even that drive was too little, too late. That touchdown came off of the Cowboys‘ only real drive of the game, which ended early in the fourth quarter, being capped off by Terrell Owens‘ 137th touchdown catch (he is #4 on the all-time list). Just to give you an idea of how bad it was for the Cowboys offense – before this drive, they had 72 total yards – this drive alone was 75 total yards. Jason Witten is arguably the best tight end in football today, but you could not tell with his performance today. Not like I am going to fault a guy playing with a broken rib, but he definitely did not his usual high-caliber play.

Defense

The Giants defensive line was brutally relentless, led by Justin Tuck having his way with the Cowboys offensive line. Tuck ended the game with two and a half sacks. Brad Johnson throws a terrible pass intended for Terrell Owens, which Corey Webster picks off for his second interception of the season, and his first interception of the game. Webster does not finish there, as he picks off Johnson again, who forced a ball in for Jason Witten, who was triple-covered.

Tuck Sacking Bollinger (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

After such horrible play from Johnson in the first half, the third string quarterback for the Cowboys, Brooks Bollinger, starts the second half. For his first pass play, Bollinger throws a really under-thrown pass, intended for Jason Witten, which is easily picked off by James Butler of the Giants. In addition to that first pass from Bollinger, he had two passes that went right through the hands of the Giants secondary, which should have been interceptions.

Corey Webster Interception (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Absolutely poor tackling by the Cowboys all game, especially in the second half. Cowboys had six defensive penalties in the first half, which is not the way you want to start a game against a team as powerful as the Giants. While the Cowboys did get some pressure on Manning early, it was merely a fluke, as the Cowboys defense was practically non-existent. DeMarcus Ware, on the Cowboys defensive line was literally the only player on the Cowboys defense that seemed to give a shit about winning. Cowboys defense had to be completely exhausted by the end of the game, with the huge time of possession advantage the Giants held. The time of possession edge the Giants held was 20:57 versus 9:03 for the Cowboys.

Recap

Although the Giants only beat the Cowboys 35-14, the game was never a contest. To say the Giants merely put a beat down on the Cowboys is an understatement. This was the most pathetic I have seen the cocky Cowboys play this season, or even in recent memory. Today, the Cowboys fans had to be embarrassed, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The Cowboys will need to get some changes in place before they meet the Redskins and Steelers, or they might be looking at the 2009 for actually making the playoffs. America’s team got it up the butt, with no lube, and a sandpaper condom. The Giants, on the other hand, are putting themselves in a very good position to look seriously at back-to-back titles. Agreeably, it is still very early in the season to make those kind of projections, but the Giants are simply playing at a higher level than the rest of the league.

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