Talking Cowboys on Facebook

After nearly two years of running this blog, we've decided to now take most of our Cowboys discussions over to Facebook. We've found Facebook to be a very fast and easy way to post breaking news regarding the Cowboys, as well as links to good Cowboys-related newspaper and magazine articles. It also allows us to talk Dallas with each other in the "comments" section below each post. In fact, the nice thing about Facebook is that, should you post a comment on a topic, and others also post comments on that topic, you should get a notification, so it's an easier way to have discussions. We'll still post things here from time to time on the blog, but if you haven't yet done so, please join the "Dallas Cowboys Fans of NEPA" page on Facebook. Thanks!

Wade Phillips coming back for two years

Not only is Wade Phillips coming back to coach the Cowboys next year, but he's been given a new contract that will keep him on the job for 2011 as well. Some are questioning the move, but I like it. I explain why in the "comments" below. What are your thoughts?

NFL playoffs: Vikings - 34, Cowboys - 3

The Vikings crushed the Cowboys on Sunday in Minnesota in the second round of the NFL playoffs, ending the season and what was a great month of football in Dallas. The Cowboys offensive line folded, Romo was in trouble all day and was sacked six times, they turned over the ball and the Cowboys came away with no points from several early drives that should have resulted in points. If there is any consolation, some people on ESPN last night compared this team to the 1991 Cowboys. That team also went 11-5 and got killed in the playoffs, but came back to win three Super Bowls. This team is not THAT good, but by cleaning up the locker room, winning the division, discovering that Romo can be a leader and Phillips can win a playoff game, and with the emergence of Miles Austin, they seem to be on the right track. Looking forward to the 2010 season.

NFL playoffs: Cowboys - 34, Eagles - 14

The Cowboys once again kicked the hell out of The Eagles on Saturday, defeating them for the third time this season. Running game and passing game looked good and the defense continued to shine. First playoff win since the Aikman-Smith-Irvin era and the team's biggest win in more than a decade. On the Minnesota ...

Week 17: Cowboys-24, Eagles - 0

The Cowboys kicked the hell out of the Eagles today at Cowboys Stadium, 24-0, to win the NFC East title. It was the first time in team history the defense has put up two shutouts in a row and Romo became the first quarterback in Dallas history to take every single snap of an entire season. Running game looked good, as did the passing game. Next week, we tango with Philly again in the first round of the playoffs. Nothing at all negative about this win, though I think Romo should have been pulled in the fourth quarter rather than go for a pretty meaningless team record. Other than that, a perfect day.

Congratulations to the 2009 Cowboys!

Week 16: Cowboys - 17, Redskins - 0

The Cowboys clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a nice 17-0 pounding of the Redskins. Romo certainly looks a bit different this December and has got some fire in his eyes. If they can beat Philly this week, they are NFC East Champs for 17th time. Let's go!

Week 15: Cowboys - 24, Saints - 17

The Cowboys defeated the undefeated Saints on Saturday in what was, so far, the team's biggest win of the season. In fact, though the Saints came on and made a game of it in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys really kicked the shit of them for most of the game. Who knows? Maybe this will be the year they get hot down the stretch, rather than fold.
On a related note, though I have never kicked a field goal in my life, I am considering flying down to Dallas later today and giving it a shot. Though they aren't holding tryouts, I really can't imagine them turning anyone away.

Week 14: Chargers - 20, Cowboys - 17

It must be December. The games are more intense and more important, and the Cowboys can't seem to win them. Barber gets stuffed three times on the three and the field-goal/kicking situation is ridiculous. Aren't any of those 60-year old Barr brothers still around that we can call in and take a shot at the kicking job? The Boys still have a shot at playoffs, but this in not a championship caliber team.

Week 13: Giants - 31, Cowboys - 24

The Cowboys lost to the Giants again on Sunday, 31-24. It certainly seems like the G-Men have our number. They knocked us out of the playoffs two years ago, ruined the opening of the new stadium this year, and now have us once again thinking about all of our December woes over the past few seasons. Not even going to get into the details and stats of this game. Let's just say fumbles and no running game will always kill you.

Week 12: Cowboys - 24, Raiders - 7

The Cowboys offense finally showed some life on Sunday with a 24-7 victory over the Raiders. Dallas rolled out 494 yards of total offense on the day, posting seven plays that went for at least 30 yards, including five that were for more than 40. Romo finished the game with 309 yards off of 18-of-29 passing with two touchdowns. Miles Austin added to his already impressive totals for the year by leading all players with seven catches for 145 yards, adding a score, while tight end Jason Witten also had his first big game of the year, earning 107 receiving yards off of five grabs.
On the ground, the Cowboys totaled 195 rushing yards, Felix Jones earning 68 and a touchdown on seven carries, Tashard Choice posting 67 yards on three tries and Marion Barber earning 61 yards on 14 rushes. Barber also had 41 receiving yards. Nice. Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 11: Cowboys 7, Redskins - 6

An "ugly win" is what Jimmy Johnson used to call games like this. Fine. We'll take it. This isn't college football. A win is a win. Dallas managed only 305 yards of total offense and were held to just one lone touchdown, a score late in the fourth quarter. But the Cowboy defense stepped up. Again, we'll take it. Especially a win within the division.

Week 10: Packers - 17, Cowboys - 7

The Cowboys got their tails kicked at Lambeau Field, losing 17-7 and scoring their only touchdown in the final seconds to narrowly avoid their first shutout loss since 2003. Romo was 24-for-39 for 251 yards passing while the team managed just 61 yards total on the ground. And, Green Bay dominated the time of possession, 35:58 to 24:02 for Dallas. Just when things were starting to look decent again, Dallas has a setback. We are getting used to this.

Week 9: Cowboys - 20, Eagles - 16

The Cowboys improved their record to 6-2 last night with a win over Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football. The win also put the team in first place in the NFC East. Romo threw for 307 yards and hit Austin Miles on a 49-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, which helped ice the win. Roy Williams also showed up for work and caught five passes for 75 yards. Defense was solid. Dare we even think of saying it? The Cowboys are lookin' pretty good.

Week 8: Cowboys - 38, Seahawks - 17

The Cowboys improved their record to 5-2 with a whipping of Seattle on Sunday. Romo was solid again and has now gone three games in a row without an interception for the first time in his career. Patrick Crayton returns another punt for a TD. Hard to believe, but this team is now tied for first place as it heads to Philly next week. Props to The Boys, who it seems have really turned the season around.

Week 7: Cowboys - 37, Falcons - 21

Romo again played well and Miles Austin continued to emerge as the Cowboys thumped the Falcons and moved their record to 4-2. Maybe the season still has some juice in it after all.

Week 5: Cowboys - 26, Chiefs - 20

It took some overtime heroics for the Cowboys to beat the mighty Chiefs on Sunday. Granted, Dallas has had some key injuries, but isn't this a team they should have crushed? They're a pretty hard team to figure out this year. A break here or there, and they could be 5-0. Yet it also sometimes feels like they're lucky to be 3-2. Whatever the case, they do not look like a team that will be playing much, if at all, in January.

Week 4: Broncos -17, Cowboys -10

Dallas loses another game it could have won. Lousy play selection in some big spots. And even though the running game only got 74 yards, it still seems like this team should run more often, especially in the red zone. Barber is a beast. Turn him loose in tight games.

Any thoughts?

Week 3: Cowboys - 21, Panthers - 7

The Cowboys got their first win at their new stadium last night on "Monday Night Football." Romo played pretty much mistake-free football and the defense was excellent. And the stadium looks more and more fabulous every time you see it. The Panthers aren't very good, so we can't get too excited, but a win is a win. We'll take it.

Week 2: Giants - 33, Cowboys - 31

With four turnovers - including three picks by Romo - Dallas pretty much handed the season home opener to the Giants. More than 105,000 people turned out for the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium, only to see an ugly loss. Giants can't score touchdowns, yet Dallas kept handing them field goals. Running game was fantastic, but the secondary was awful and Romo was awful. Eli did what he always does when he has to. Gets it done. This team should be 2-0, but as always, when the light shines on them the brighest, they fold. I just read where Jones requested that the new stadium open with the Giants. He probably wanted all of the New York media there. Nice idea, but he should have asked for Washington. Or, better yet, Detroit.

Week 1: Cowboys - 34, Buccaneers - 21

The Cowboys looked good in the 2009 season opener at Tampa Bay. Romo threw for three touchdowns and 353 yads. Barber and Jones combined for 101 yards rushing. The wide receivers played well. Defense had some problems and gave up 174 rushing yards, but overall, a nice road win to start the season. On to the home opener against the Giants ...

"OURS IS BIGGER!"

Here's a look at a cool t-shirt the Cowboys are selling to help celebrate the opening of the new Cowboys Stadium. Very, very Texas.

Cowboys Stadium: Wow!

Catch the Cowboys/Titans pre-season game on TV this weekend? The new stadium looks awesome. Really awesome. I've been reading the Dallas newspapers on-line and listening to some sports talk-radio out of Dallas, and it seems the only three concerns I had about the place are nothing to worry about ...

If you noticed - as many did - there was no big blue star on the 50-yard line, but it will be there for the official home opener on Sept. 20 against the Giants. The "Ring of Honor," also missing on Friday night, will also be in place by then. And all of the fuss over the punt hitting the video board is not a concern. It is actually five feet higher than required by the NFL, and it can be raised even more if need be.

Everything that I've read about the place and everybody that's been there has had only one reaction: Wow!

And, oh yeah ... the most important thing: The Cowboys looked pretty good in the game.

Jerry Jones talks with ESPN

Jerry Jones recently sat down with ESPN's Chis Mortensen for a pretty good interview. It was cut up and edited a lot for TV, but ESPN has posted the whole thing on its website. Here is the link to the interview:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/nfceast/0-13-7/Video--Sunday-Conversation-with-Jerry-Jones.html

Cowboys Stadium a true wonder

Jerry Jones says he wanted the new Cowboys Stadium to be the greatest sports facility ever built. He says he wanted it to be bigger and better than anything anybody has ever seen, and that he was going for a "Wow! factor" in its design. Money was not an issue. He wanted Texas-big, and he got it. And initial reports of the place from every media outlet have all given it a big "Wow!" Can't wait to see it ...

Who the hell would buy this?

It's time to start getting excited about the 2009 season, and I don't want to be negative once training camp really kicks in, so let me get this out of the way now: Who would buy a piece of memorabilia like this? It's a tribute collage of Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo. Sorry, but Romo does not belong in this company. Staubach and Aikman are Hall of Famers who helped the Cowboys win five Super Bowls and eight NFC titles. Romo has never even won one playoff game. He is not even the third greatest quarterback in Dallas history. As of today, both Don Merideth and Danny White were better. Don't you think memorabilia like this is jumping the gun a bit? I support Tony and obvioulsy want him to do well, and even if he wins just one Super Bowl someday I could deal with it, but right now, stuff like this is just plan stupid. Agree?

T.O. is history in Big-D

The vermin has been exterminated. The cancer has been removed. The snake has slithered away. The mouth has been silenced. The Dallas Cowboys have released T.O. The shine on the star is a little bit brighter today.

Still "America's Team"

Don't believe or buy into any of the nonsense some people are saying about the NFL as a result of Super Bowl 43. Though all I really care about is how we, as fans, feel about the team, the fact is Dallas Cowboys are still the bomb and the biggest team in the NFL. Don't believe it, read the comments ...

Roger Staubach weighs in on Cowboys

Several all-time Cowboy greats, including Roger Staubach, have weighed in on the current state of the team. As you might expect, they are not pleased. Tony Dorsett is particularily blunt. Here are the stories from the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/football/

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1174333.html

T.O.is killing the Cowboys

It just keeps getting worse in Dallas. This team has pretty much "jumped the shark." Now, we learn that T.O. will have his own "reality show" on VH1 this summer. Great. Just great. That's just what this team needs right now. Maybe there will be a scene where he wears a leather Cowboys jacket while riding on water skiis. Here is the story:

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1166316.html

Irvin to host Cowboys reality show

I love Michael Irvin. Toughest, most passionate wide receiver I've ever seen. Was not happy, however, to hear about his upcoming "reality show" in which some unknown player gets a shot to make the Dallas Cowboys training camp roster. Even some of the ESPN guys were saying yesterday that it sounds pretty cool and like a fun thing to watch, and that "The Playmaker" will be great at hosting it, but it just doesn't seem like something this organization needs right now. But after reading the story in the Dallas Morning News, I guess it's not as bad as I thought. By the way, if you want to hear Irvin's show on ESPN Radio, which is on every day in Dallas, you can listen on-line at espnradio.com. Once there, click on "Dallas" under the "get local" section. Randy Galloway, who covers the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News, also has a show there. Bewteen ESPN Radio in Dallas and "The Ticket" radio station, you can pretty much hear people talking Cowboys all the time. Here is the link to the story about Irvin's new TV show:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/012309dnspoirvinshow.26cc7bc.html