There is a lot riding in todays game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas this afternoon. Each team has a chance for a first round bye, but a loss by either team could have them go from that #2 seed to #5. Both teams are already in the playoffs. Which team will play with more motivation and drive to get to the bye is the question to be answered.
We will see if Tony Romo will ger the "Monkey" off his back with a big win today against the Eagles.
The Eagles(11-4) control their own destiny. Simply, a win and they are the #2 seed in the NFC. They are the winners of six in a
row and must carry the momentum they have right now into the playoffs. A win would do so much for this team in both seed and psyche. A loss on the other hand would be devastating to their fierce division rival. I am sure the Eagles will go all out today and try to make it seven in a row.
Dallas (10-4) will be looking to capitalize off their recent momentum of two victories in a row.The Boys would need a win and some help in order to secure a #2 seed. A couple of weeks ago, they beet previously unbeaten New Orleans. Tony Romo has been playing well in recent weeks and needs to get the “Monkey ” off his back with a victory today. He has been criticized for not showing up for the big games. Add to the fact, that last year the Eagles whipped the Cowboys 44-6 in Philadelphia will a playoff seed on the line. The score wasn’t even that close. Romo needs to redeem himself in front of the Dallas fans period.
Dallas did defeat the Eagles in Philadelphia on November 8th 20-16. They have all the motivation they need to take out the Eagles today. They will hope to sweep the Eagles. This game is what Pro Football is all about. Get down and dirty and lay it all on the line.
The final week of the NFL season is upon us and the playoff scenarios are the talk of the NFL. In the NFC, the teams have been decided, but the seeding are a crap shoot from positions 2 to 6. Only the New Orleans Saints get the opportunity to rest this week knowing they are assured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and everyone else is fighting for the other first round bye.
The Eagles control their destiny. A win secures a first week bye and home field, a loss send them on the road for the entire playoff. With an Eagles loss, a free-for-all will ensue, giving every team left a shot at that first week bye. The following is a breakdown of all the possibilities for today’s games.
The Dallas Cowboys take on the Washington Redskins tonight in Washington. To me, this is a must win game due to what is on the line ,and the momentum they are carrying off of their big win at the hands of the unbeaten New Orleans Saints 24-17 last Saturday. A loss would be devastating to both their playoff hopes and their psyche.
Tony Romo and the Cowboys hope to be smiling after tonight in Washington.
Dallas is 9-5 and right in the thick of both a wildcard spot and they even have a good shot at winning the NFC East. But they need to beat their division rival tonight in Washington. If the Boys win and the Giants lose to Carolina, Dallas would be in the playoffs. Dallas can pull off the NFC East if they win out and beat the Eagles in the final week. So there is a lot on the line for the Dallas Cowboys tonight.
Dallas looked great in their victory over the Saints and got great play from their quarterback Tony Romo. They add no turnovers and held the vaunted New Orleans Saints offense to their lowest output of the season. This is the momentum that you want to carry into the final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs if you are fortunate to be there. Add this to the fact that their opponent the Redskins looked about as awful as you could look last Monday in their defeat at the hands of the Giants 45-12. The boys must win and carry their momentum.
I think the Cowboys will take out the Redskins and put themselves in a great position for the playoffs and set up a potential big game next week at home against the Eagles for the NFC East. Momentum will be carried tonight in Washington.
The Saints could not get things started until it was too late and ended up with their first defeat to the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints lost 24-17 that stopped their winning streak at 13. That leaves the only unbeaten team in the NFL the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts survived Thursday night’s game at Jacksonville winning 35-31 and going to 14-0.
Tony Romo is all laughs after handling the Saints their first loss.
The Cowboys jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The scoring started with a 49 yard scoring strike to Miles Austin. Austin had a great game with 7 catches for 139 yards and that first touchdown to set the momentum for the Boys. Dallas was in command from the start and held a 24-3 lead after three quarters. In the battle of two big name quarterbacks it was Tony Romo who outplayed Drew Brees.
Romo threw for 312 yards and one touchdown and zero interceptions. He was a efficient 22-34 and Dallas as a team had no turnovers. If you do not turn over the ball, you have a great chance to win any game in the NFL. Dallas ended up with 439 total yards and controlled the time of possession with 36:26. If you want to beat the Saints, keep Brees and the Saints off the field. Dallas had a good game plan and executed it to perfection. This victory leaves Dallas within a half game of Philadelphia in the NFC east and greatly increases their chances of playing playoff football.
In contrast, Brees and the Saints seemed to never get off the snide to start the game. Falling behind by three touchdowns after three quarters was to insurmountable to overcome. The Saint got it to 24-17 and had the ball but got held on downs to end the game. Brees was 29-45 with a touchdown and one interception. He also lost two fumbles and the Saints were held to their lowest output of the season. It was a credit to the Saints to make it this close considering they played so poorly the first three quarters.
This loss leaves the Saints at 13-1 and they are still the #1 seed in the NFC. Brees is very disappointed tha the could not bring the deserving fans of New Orleans a perfect season. This loss could only motivate the Saints and Brees to stay focused and not be complacent. It could be Blessing in Disguise.
The New Orleans Saints will hope to stay unbeaten and make it to 14-0 as they take on the Dallas Cowboys in front of their home crowd tonight. The Saints will hope fortune continues to shine down on them as they tempt fate and try to stay perfect. Last week, they held off a pesky Atlanta Falcons team and pulled out a 26-23 victory. The Saints will need to play better if they are poing to stay perfect, because the Boys have a lot on the line tonight.
Dallas is currently 8-5 and one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and this victory would not only vastly increase their playoff chances but could give them the confidence they would need to make a serious playoff run. The Saints will need to play inspired as the Cowboys have just as much to play for tonight in New Orleans.
Drew Brees and the Saints hope to go to 14-0 tonight against Dallas.
The Saints have a legitimate shot at pulling off the next three victories thanks to their great quarterback Drew Brees. Brees knows that this opportunity does not come often and is a chance to make NFL history. He will pull out all the stops and will certainly hold nothing back in hopes of keeping the streak alive and hampering the playoff chances of the Dallas Cowboys. I love his attitude as you should always play to win no matter what. If you are a true competitor, you can’t just shut down the drive to win. Brees has passed for 3832 yards with 32 touchdowns and has a incredible passer rating of 112.3. He will bring his A game tonight. Dallas Beware!
After tonight the Saints have Tampa Bay at home and finish their season in Carolina. If they get a victory tonight, I think the Saints will Brees in the last two to make it a perfect 16-0 regular season. I am routing for Saints so the city of New Orleans can truly celebrate something special in the Big Easy.
The NFC East was on showcase in the NFL yesterday with marquee matchups that would set the tone for remaining games on the schedule. The Dallas Cowboys played host the streaking San Diego Chargers while the Philadelphia Eagles battled it out with the New York Giants in the Meadowlands. After all was said and done, the NFC East showed themselves to be also-rans in the playoff conversation.
In Dallas, the Cowboys continued their annual December swoon with a 20-17 loss at home to San Diego. While Dallas has compiled a 3-8 record in December over the last three seasons under Wade Phillips, San Diego has compiled a perfect 11-0 record in the same time span under Norv Turner. The trends didn’t change yesterday.
While the game was decided late, the tone was set early as San Diego took a 7-3 lead after a 7 play, 84 yard drive capped by a LaDainian Tomllison 1-yard plunge. The game was defined by the inability to execute when it counted. That difference showed up on third down, where Dallas was an underwhelming 1 for 8. While Dallas played turnover-free football, they just couldn’t make plays when it counted. And for the second game in a row, the Dallas defense was unable to place pressure on the QB, leaving their questionable secondary open for attack.
To add further misery to the Cowboys locker room, defensive star DeMarcus Ware was taken off the field in a stretcher in the fourth quarter. Ware was hospitalized, as early reports suggest a severe neck sprain that may keep him off the field for awhile. This is unfortunate news for a team already reeling with a tough schedule ahead.
The Eagles and Giants duked it out in a 45-38 offensive war that saw the Eagles come out on top. A matchup of teams where a defensive struggle is the norm, the teams combined for 83 points, the most ever between these teams with a storied history of games played against one another. The Eagles eked out the victory thanks to four lost fumbles and some favorable calls from officials.
Despite the victory on the scoreboard, the Eagles performance on the field was less than stellar. The Giant offense racked up 512 yards of offense as they rumbled up and down the field without the Eagles putting up much of a fight. Once again, the Eagles interior defense was exposed, as the Giants attacked over and over again across the middle, piling up yards in chunks. The Eagles once again had no answer to the middle defense attacks and showed they can be exploited with relative ease.
On the otherside of the ball, the Giants just did themselves in by giving up big plays. DeSean Jackson had a career game with 6 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown as well as 72 yard punt return score. The plays by Jackson were less about his terrific skills and more about a Giant team that can’t get it done. On the two long passes caught by Jackson, Donovan McNabb had underthrown Jackson. The Giant defenders were so far behind, they still couldn’t make up the difference. Then Domenik Hixon total blew the punt return coverage that opened up the run lane for Jackson to break free. The big plays were about blown coverage and non-execution, coupled with poor defensive schemes by the coaches.
When you remove the big plays from the box score, it displayed significant weaknesses in the Eagles offense as well. They didn’t move the ball very effectively despite the Giants placing limited pressure on McNabb. The running game was a disaster again, as the Eagles turned to fullback Leonard Weaver over the struggling rookie LeSean McCoy. More than half of their total offense came on Giants lapses rather than their own solid execution.
The saddest part of the story in the NFC East right now is that the hottest team in the division is the Washington Redskins. With their 34-13 spanking of the Oakland Raiders and their quandered victories against Dallas and Philadelphia, it appears the Skins are the most feared team in the division.
Washington's Jason Campbell Admires A Fumble Versus Giants
Every Autumn during the NFL pre-season it seems that all analysts are talking about is the prowess of the NFC East. This could not be further from the truth.
Ok, ok, I know you’re saying “The Giants did it only two seasons ago!?” but everyone knows that was a complete fluke, and based on how many other years analysts said someone from the NFC East was going to do it, the division would have 6 rings in the past 10 years.
Every week I have to hear Sal Pal (Paolantonio) covering the Giants and Eagles running his mouth at how their defenses are so stout, while opponents quiver at the variety of talent on their offenses. Ed Werder does his own rendition down south covering the Cowboys. He can’t get much of a rational thought across the screen with that microphone so far up Tony Romo’s tail.
Let’s take a closer look:
New York Giants
Get a pass because they’ve actually won it this decade. However, last year they were the high and mighty favorites only to get knocked out in the 1st round to a streaky Philadelphia squad, in their own house nonetheless, for the 2nd time in a month. This year they were heavy favorites once again, and everyone was riding the train at the start of the season. Of their starting 5 games they were 5-0 with a seemingly big (but clearly now over-rated) victory over the Cowboys. Turns out, all of the victories came against teams that still now have losing records. The following landslide of losses came in dominant fashion, except for the close San Diego game, and a late-win vs. ATL. Last Thursday’s “statement” game now has the G-Men looking for answers while pointing fingers, an ultimate low for the season. Look for them to play spoiler this year and not even come close to fulfilling expectations.
Philadelphia Eagles
Perhaps the most successful group of losers over the past 10+ years. Everyone knows their 5 NFC East crowns, 7 Playoff Appearances, 5 NFC Championship Games, and 1 Superbowl. Since 2004, analysts chose the birds to fly “all the way” and they have only made it once to the big stage. Of their first 5 games, they’ve come out the victor in all but one beat down by the Saints, who are the truth at this point. Things were looking up until coaching idiocracy reared its ugly head again in a disasterous loss to Oakland. Pass 90% of the time against the worst defense against the run in all of the NFL, great choice. This team has so much talent but their coaching staff finds ways to muck it up. Reid eats timeouts faster than Dollar-Menu cheeseburgers, and their offensive coordinator destroys all possibilities of continuity on offense. With the passing of Defensive Coordinator, Jim Johnson, it seemed that the only thing keeping Philly in it for the past couple years was about to go too. Luckily, new guy Sean McDermitt can run the ship, which is saving Reid from ploppin that behind right on the hot seat. Two additional losses so far puts the Eagles at 7-4, and in control of their road to the playoffs. They’ll blow another one, don’t you worry. They’ll probably even make the playoffs, but fulfill Superbowl aspirations? I don’t think so.
Dallas Cowboys
Probably the most consistently over-rated of the bunch. Again, this squad behind Tony Romo and a brand new ridiculous stadium, was expected to run the table. Just like last year, and the year before it, many believed the Cowboys to be the team to beat, even though they failed to win a single playoff game in any year since 1998 under Chan Gailey. They’ve been trying to find the next Jimmy Johnson ever since, and this current attempt with Wade Phillips defines sideline silliness on Sundays. But year in and yea out, they are the favorite to win it all when they haven’t even gotten on the doorstep (well, they were on their way but Romo’s superpowers are only limited to QB duties, not place-holder). So far this year “them Cowboys” dropped games to the hapless Giants, over-rated Broncos (remember when that D was “unstoppable”) and the Packers. They eeked one past the disaster that is the Washington Redskins with a pathetic 7-6 win. Their road doesn’t get much easier with a NYG rematch, then the Chargers, Saints, Skins, and Eagles. Even if they make it through that gauntlet, and win at least one playoff game, their jubilation of that one victory will sidetrack them from the ultimate goal, and again head home early as an over-rated squad.
Washington Redskins
Ok, this could be the only team that hasn’t had high expectations to fill, but they deserve some fault for consistently spending ungodly amounts of money for players that add no value to the team. Mark Brunell, Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Shaun Alexander, De’Angelo Hall, Santana Moss, Adam Archuleta, and now an oft-injured Albert Haynesworth for a $100 contract. You gotta hand it to Dan Snyder at trying to be the Yankees of the NFL, but someone get that man an advisor! The poor hogs have been squealin for a quality head coach ever since Gibbs left, returned, then retired again as they’ve been lucky to sneak in only a couple successful seasons since their last NFC East championship in 1999. This year has been no different with the addition of Jim Zorn, the offensive guru who doesn’t even call offensive plays anymore. That sideline circus must have Jason Campbell’s head spinnin. The only plus side is that their defense has been something to look forward to as London Fletcher is a tackling machine.
Say what you want, but once again the beast of the NFC East proves to be mediocre at best. Maybe they just beat themselves up? Who knows, but I guarantee this year ends with the same failed expectations. What do you think?
The Eagles control their destiny. A win secures a first week bye and home field, a loss send them on the road for the entire playoff. With an Eagles loss, a free-for-all will ensue, giving every team left a shot at that first week bye. The following is a breakdown of all the possibilities for today’s games.
