DALLAS COWBOYS 2015 REGULAR SEASON

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys begin preparation for the Washington Redskins today for their Monday Night Football game here in Week 13. Because of the MNF schedule the Cowboys had an extra day off but the Cowboys didn't spend it goofing off at Valley Ranch. The players and cheerleaders teamed up for their annual Christmas visits to Dallas area hospitals for visit kids and to bring gifts for them. I mention this because so much bad press gets air time for the bad things that occur and the vast majority of the NFL players are good people who routinely give back to the communities their teams represent. This is an annual trip for the players and cheerleaders and it is beneficial for the kids and it puts life in a little more perspective for the players who get caught up in the intensity of their sport. The Cowboys made some roster moves on Tuesday in preparation for this week. The biggest surprise is probably the fact that the Cowboys didn't put Tony Romo on season ending IR. There seems to be a feeling that if Dallas can win out they stand a chance of making the playoffs. The feeling is that if you can make the tournament then anything can happen and if it's possible for Romo to come back for the NFC Championship or, God forbid, the Super Bowl then they want Tony available. Jerry Jones won't give up on Romo and he stated in a radio interview at 105 The Fan in Dallas that he feels that Romo has 4-5 good years left and he's going to do whatever he can to get to the Super Bowl and that includes this season.

 

It's unfortunate that the chips have not just failed to fall Dallas' way those chips fell right off the table and rolled down the hall. Dallas has lost Orlando Scandrick and Lance Dunbar to season ending injuries. The Cowboys had to deal with the 4 game suspensions of Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain to begin the season. They lost Dez for 5 games after he was injured in Week 1 against the Giants and they lost Romo for seven games in 8 weeks when he was injured in Week 2. They had injuries at just the wrong time in 2 overtime losses that resulted in defensive breakdowns that allowed TDs in the first series of those OT games. A special teams gaff gave up a 100 kickoff return to former Cowboys special teams ace Dwayne Harris to lose to the Giants moments after scoring the go ahead touchdown. The only blowout losses they suffered were to at the-time-unbeaten Patriots and to unbeaten Carolina. Every other game they've played was inherently winnable. If it wasn't one thing or another Dallas found ways to lose winnable games. They have even been screwed in at least 3 occasions I can name now by the refs that directly cost them wins. How the Cowboys even have morale much less the fighting spirit they continue to show is a tribute to Jason Garrett and the players themselves. Think Dallas has no heart or character? I respectfully disagree with that line of thinking. There has been no give up visible by the Cowboys even after the game was out of hand against the Panthers on Thanksgiving. Maybe things will be different in these last five games. Maybe the Cowboys have paid their Karma penance and the football gods will back off a little bit. Maybe, but probably not likely.

 

The actual roster moves made were bringing QB Kellen Moore up to the active roster off the practice squad. Room was made on the roster on Monday when RB Trey Williams who they signed off the Redskins practice squad a couple of weeks ago. 2015 3rd round draft pick Chaz Green was put on the 53 man roster activating him off the Injured/Unable to Perform list. Green, an offensive tackle from Florida had hip surgery during training camp and he's been recovering since. He has actually been practicing for the past 3 weeks per the league rules so Dallas could determine whether or not he would be placed on season ending IR or signed to the 53 man roster. Apparently his progress was good enough to justify putting him on the roster. To make room for Green on the roster Dallas put 2015 5th round draft pick DE Ryan Russell on IR because of an abdominal injury he's been dealing with. The Cowboys added 3 players to their practice squad to fill open spots. One was RB from TAMU Ben Malena. They also added developmental DE Efe Obada who was brought in to training camp when a Cowboys scout was alerted to his play in a semi-pro league in London when Dallas went there last year to play Jacksonville. Obada has tremendous athletic talent but he's only played American football for a couple of years. It is felt that Obada just needs time to develop and he will be a good player. The third guy signed to the practice squad is CB Terrence Mitchell who was a 7th round pick by the Cowboys last year. Williams was a scrappy player but he was cut in the final cuts last season. Williams has been with the Chicago Bears ever since until he was cut a couple of weeks ago.

 

The hottest topic in the Dallas area since Thanksgiving has been the need to draft a new franchise QB with this latest setback to Tony Romo. Everyone wants the Cowboys to get the next franchise-worthy guy. The guys with a little perspective think fans should tap the breaks a little and there are 2 reasons for that. 1) There is no guarantee that even a 1st round draft pick will be "the guy". Stats prove that even first round picks bust at a higher rate than the successful draft picks. 2) You take a QB with a first round pick you may or may not have the next guy and you sacrifice getting the next stud at another position. You have an owner who feels his current franchise QB has 4-5 more quality years left which means the guy will sit until Romo hangs 'em up. Former Cowboys OG Nate Newton is an analyst on the Cowboys.com podcast Talkin Cowboys as well as a commentator on FoxSportSouthwest said recently, "Jason Garrett and the Cowboys are trying to build a team for the long haul. The really good franchises in the NFL like the Patriots, Broncos, Steelers all have deep rosters that can absorb injuries and still play at a high level and that's what they are trying to get to. The Cowboys are trying to build a roster to take advantage of the short window left for Tony Romo to lead the Cowboys to a Super Bowl. So, you don't draft a QB of the future in the first round when there is someone who can help you win right now. Who would you rather Dallas draft, a QB who won't play for 5 years or the RB from Alabama, Derrick Henry or one of the RBs from Oklahoma Samaje Perine or Joe Mixon? Most people would choose the player that can help the team now." OMG how awesome would it be if Dallas could get Henry. 6"3" and 240 lbs he's a tank with a Ferrari engine. As it stands now Dallas would get a top 2 or 3 draft pick. If Dallas wins out and makes the playoffs they draft in the middle of the pack in all likelihood which means Henry would be off the table. That is a hard choice. Make the playoffs despite being undermanned with little or no chance of winning it all or continue to lose and get a stud in the draft and reload for 2016. It is hard for me to root for Dallas to lose but it's hard not to look at the possibilities during a season that is probably going nowhere.

Edited December 3, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

It's not like things didn't go completely wrong yesterday but things could have been better for sure. The one thing that did go right was that the Jets beat the Giants. It took an overtime period to get it done but the 23-20 win was just what the Cowboys needed to happen. The thing that went wrong yesterday was the stupid Eagles took advantage of some uncharacteristically bone head play by the Patriots and they beat the Pats 35-28 in Foxborough. You know it's a weird day when the Patriots lose at home and even weirder when the Patriots do dumb things to beat themselves. So, the standings in the NFC East are as follows. Giants 5-7, Eagles 5-7, Redskins 5-6 and Dallas 3-8. If Dallas wins tonight the Eagles, Giants and Redskins will be 5-7 with the Cowboys one game back at 4-8. How crazy is that? The Cowboys will have to overcome the fact that they are oh-fer with a backup QB so far this year. They also have to overcome the fact that Washington is 5-1 at home and winners of 5 straight at home. With a 3-8 record you can't really say anything about Dallas except they have won 2 of their 3 wins on the road. Yeah, I know right? Big friggin' deal. What is the important is this is Cowboys-Redskins, one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL. Moreso for the fans especially in Washington but long time Cowboys fans have no love lost on the hated Redskins. Like all rivalry games the respective records don't mean much and I'll bet this game is no exception. Dallas needs to win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive but so does Washington. The records don't say so but collectively this is a big game with a lot on the line. It is Cowboys-Redskins and it's been while since this game meant anything. Since RGIII's rookie season when the last game of the season was a play-in game to the playoffs. The Redskins won that day so you would think the football gods may tip the scale in Dallas' favor tonight. You just never know especially with this snake bit 2015 Cowboys team involved. All I know is I want Dallas to win and I don't care if it's by one stinking point. Like Al Davis used to say, "Just win, Baby!".

[eagle eye]

It wasn't pretty but it was a win. It looked for all the world that neither team really wanted to win the game last night. When the score is 3-3 at halftime you know that both teams were offensively challenged. It got a little better in the second half but not much. The real fireworks started when Dallas tied the game at 9, that's right I said NINE, at around the 5:30 mark of the 4th quarter. Dallas forced the Redskins to punt on the possession after the tying field goal and the Eagles returned the favor by forcing Dallas to punt from their own 43. DeSean Jackson fielded the punt on the right side of the field and he began running left giving ground trying to find an opening in the Dallas punt coverage unit. At about the 10 the Cowboys tackled Jackson hard enough to force a fumble which was recovered at the Washington 15 with 1:26 left in the game. Two plays later Darren McFadden broke through for a 6 yard TD. After the Dan Bailey extra point the score was 16-9 Dallas with 1:14 left in the game. Now, I'm used to Dallas giving up easy TD or FG drives at the end of the half or the game. It happens way too often to this team. I don't know why but I suspect it has something to do with the so-called "prevent defense" most teams employ in such situations. Special teams played a hand in this too because on the ensuing kickoff the coverage unit allowed the Redskins to return the ball 41 yards to their own 42 yard line. To make matters worse the Cowboys were flagged for a facemask penalty giving the 'Skins the ball at the Dallas 43 but there was still just 1:06 left in the game with Washington needing a TD to tie. Advantage Dallas, right? Wrong. 4 plays and :17 seconds was enough for the Redskins to score the tying TD on a 28 yard pass from Kirk Cousins to DeSean Jackson. It wasn't terrible coverage by Mo Claiborne but it is typical of what the Cowboys do at the end of halfs and games. In the first half with a 3-0 Dallas lead the Redskins got the ball after a Dallas punt at their own 13 with 6:31 left in the half. The Redskins proceeded to use every second of the clock in a 14 play 61 yard drive for a field goal that tied the game at the half. At the end of the game they pulled a bonehead special teams play with a personal foul penalty added on to set the 'Skins up in great shape for the tying TD and the Cowboys allowed that to happen too. Of the 16 points the Cowboys allowed the Redskins for the game 10 came at the end of the half and the end of the game. Dallas' defense cannot make a stop when it counts and it's been that way for the entire time Tony Romo has been the starting QB of the Cowboys. Doesn't matter the personnel, doesn't matter who the DC is, doesn't matter who the head coach is. The Cowboys defense just plain sucks in the clutch. In the other losses the Cowboys have suffered this season 5 of them were as a result of this type of bonehead defense or special teams work and it directly cost them those games. Last night looked like it was heading for overtime and another probable loss but, for a change it didn't happen that way. First of all, the Redskins scored too fast giving Dallas :57 to work with. Next the Redskins gave up a good return to Lucky Whitehead out to the Dallas 44 for a 46 yard kickoff return. Matt Cassel then hit Dez Bryant on two passes for a total of 20 yards giving Dallas the ball at the Redskins 36. The Cowboys failed in two attempts to pick up 2 yards for a 1st down to keep the drive going but by that time there was just :14 left in the game. Dan Bailey came on and just nailed a 54 yard field goal to take the lead 19-16 leaving just :09 second left in the game. Dallas kicked the ball near but not into the end zone and the Redskins began the endless lateral play to try to salvage the game but they were finally stopped and the Cowboys had finally won a game with someone other than Tony Romo at QB not only this year but since Stephen McGee did it in 2010, six seasons ago.

Of course now the NFL media is shaking their collective heads in wonderment over the Cowboys, with a 4-8 record on the season, being just one game out of first place in NFC (L)East. It is possible if Dallas wins its last four games to even their record to 8-8 that they could actually win the division. Just like the NFC South last season and the AFC South this season a poor record doesn't knock you out of playoff contention. After all, Carolina end up with a 7-8-1 record and won their division last season so it is possible, however improbable, that Dallas could sneak into the post season tournament. Hope is still alive in Dallas!

We will all have to tap the breaks here. Dallas has the most difficult schedule down the stretch. All four teams are playoff possible teams. Green Bay leads the NFC North, the Jets are in contention for a wild card in the AFC and Buffalo is also in contention. The Jets and Buffalo are in the same division so they may cancel each other out before it's all over but right now they are playoff team. The Cowboys last game is against the same Redskins team they beat last night and who are also pushing to win the NFC East division crown. To make matters worse the Cowboys have play the Packers and Bills on the road. Those are two places you don't want to play in December in must win situations.

The other problem is if Dallas hopes to beat any of the rest of the teams on their schedule they will need to put up more than 19 stinking points. The Redskins play much better at home than on the road but c'mon man. Matt Cassel looked like crap in the first half. There is no other way to say it. He tried throwing two passes to Dez that were so laughably high Shaquille O'Neal couldn't have caught them and it's lucky they didn't get picked off. The Cowboys were throwing up 3-and-outs left and right. If the defense hadn't been playing lights out this game could have gotten ugly in the hurry. Another problem is Dallas lost the turnover battle yet again in this game 3 to 1. Fortunately, none of the Cowboys turnovers were INTs by Matt Cassel. There were two fumbles by Darren McFadden and one fumble by Devin Street. All 3 Cowboys turnovers were in their end of the field and the defense only allowed one field goal.

Dallas will have a short week to face a rested Packers team that beat Detroit last Thursday. This is like the 4 time Dallas will play an opponent coming off a bye or a Thursday night game. Seems kind of unfair to me especially with the Cowboys having a short week off themselves.

 

Jason Witten became only the 12 player in NFL history with 1,000 receptions in his career. Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald became the 11 player on Sunday. During the game Witten needed 2 catches to reach 1,000 and he ended up with 5 catches for 45 yards giving him 1.003 for his career. He is now the 10th all time leading receiver as he passed Fitzgerald (1,000) and Hines Ward (1,000) for tenth place in NFL history. He is currently 21 catches behind former Rams WR Isaac Bruce for 9th place on the list. Witten is most certainly going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer and his place in Cowboys history is approaching legendary status. In 2012 his 110 receptions were the most ever by a TE in NFL history and his 77 receptions per year average over his career is a testament to his reliability and longevity. If Witten manages to play two more years and average 60 catches a year plus however many catches he gets in the final four games of this season he will vault all the way up into 3rd place in receptions in NFL history behind only Tony Gonzalez and Jerry Rice. If he does it would be interesting to note that 2 of the top 3 receivers of all time are tight ends.

 

I need a nap, Monday night games keep me up way too late!

Edited December 8, 2015 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Monday night could be the game that turns Dallas' season around. As noted by Jason Garrett in his post game locker room speech the Cowboys were far from perfect on the night. They had a lot of opportunities to lay down and give up. They had every reason to give up on the game with an "it isn't our night" mentality. But, as Garrett pointed out, they didn't give up and they never stopped fighting and they got a win they would not have gotten earlier in the season.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2015/12/09/jason-garrett-locker-room-speech-after-redskins-win

 

Sometimes when a team gets a win like the Cowboys got on Monday night it can change the whole darn season. This was a huge game for Dallas. They finally got a win with a backup QB. They finally got a few breaks to go their way and they capitalized on an opportunity to win which they hadn't done 8 times before. A rivalry game, on the road, with the whole deck seemingly stacked against them Dallas pulled it out on a 54 yard field goal by Dan Bailey. Can you imagine the load of pressure that was lifted off Matt Cassel's back? No wonder he looked like crap for most of the game. Pressure with mess you up but when he finally said eff it, I'm going to go for it and he finally found Dez Bryant when it really counted. It's got to feel like a thousand pound weight was lifted off his back Monday night. That win could be the thing that give Cassel enough confidence to display the talent he has instead of being that journeyman QB who is trying not be the reason the Cowboys lose. It could be he feels like he is part of the reason Dallas won. How nice would it be if Cassel has turned a corner and he was the guy who led the Patriots to an 11-5 record in 2008 when Brady tore his ACL in the first game of the season. How about the confidence the defense is playing with. I still need them to be better at the end of the half and the end of the game. They need to stop giving up points in those situations but they have been playing really well since the first of November and they were really good last Monday night. We are finally seeing the impact a healthy Sean Lee and a healthy and not suspended Rolando McClain have on this defense. They were the top two tacklers on the defense against Washington with Lee getting 13 and McClain 11. Lee was spectacular for most of Monday night and he seemed to be everywhere. Except for the TD to DeSean Jackson that tied the game late in the 4th qtr CB Mo Claiborne played a nice game, his first since pulling his hamstring 3 weeks ago. This defense is really playing well. Now, if Cassel is finding himself and Dez is finally healthy this offense can maybe start to click again and if Dallas does go on to win out and make the playoffs that frustrating Monday night game in early December could be the game everyone points to as the one that turned the whole dang season around.

 

And for the record, Dez caught that ball the last time Dallas went to Green Bay.

[eagle eye]

You know the storylines. The story practically writes itself doesn't it? Catch or no catch. Revenge for the perceived robbery of the Cowboys opportunity to play in the NFC Championship, one game away from another Super Bowl in what had been a sort of magical season by the Cowboys. Damn Dean Blandino and the gutless, spineless sheep at the NFL league office. The Cowboys would have beaten Seattle, beaten them at their own game of smash mouth football just like they had done in September. Done it at their house and the Cowboys were ripe to do it again. "Finish The Fight" was their mantra and darned if it didn't look like the Cowboys were a team of destiny. Tony Romo was finally going to get his Lombardi Trophy and join Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman in the Hall of Fame. Romo's time had finally, finally come. But no, the bastard Blandino ruled Dez didn't make a football move and he didn't maintain control of the ball through the catch. Horse hockey. What do you call catching the ball at its highest point, coming down with it and in the course of righting himself he changes hands with the ball and lunges forward extending his arm with the ball toward the goal line trying to score? It is a freaking catch. Period.

The other storyline is the defense. Last season they were ranked number 19 in the NFL but their Achilles heel was they didn't get to the QB. In that game this past January Aaron Rodgers was hobbled and he could barely walk much less run but the Cowboys could not seem to put any pressure on him. They managed two sacks but that wasn't nearly enough as Rodgers threw for over 300 yards in the game and he engineered a drive after the Dez Bryant non-catch debacle that chewed up the final 4+ minutes of the game. Dallas couldn't pressure Rodgers and they couldn't get off the field on 3rd down. That futility is why Jerry Jones decided to take a chance on media poison DE Greg Hardy. That's why the Cowboys chose CB/S Byron Jones in the first round and, what was considered a savvy move, the Cowboys jumped on DE Randy Gregory from Nebraska in the 2nd round. They resigned LB Rolando McClain after allowing him to test free agent waters prior to the draft and the Cowboys were getting Captain America, I mean Sean Lee, back from a season lost in 2014 due to a torn ACL. Now, the question begs to be asked can this revamped front seven along with the outstanding play of Jones, not to mention the successful return of Mo Claiborne, stop Aaron Rodgers? The Packers are hurting. Their offensive line is a shadow of what it was because of injuries and without Jordy Nelson the WR corps is pretty weak. TE Richard Rodgers hasn't set the world on fire but he had a good game in Detroit last week including hauling in that 61 yard hail Mary to pull victory out of the jaws of defeat. If the Packers don't complete that improbable game winning desperation pass for a TD and lose to the Lions the Packers would have lost 5 out of their last 6 games. Going 2-4 in their last six isn't all that much better. This isn't the same old Packers. Eddie Lacy has been a complete bust between poor performance on the field, being benched for missing curfew and fighting a reported alcohol abuse problem he just hasn't been a factor in 2015. James Starks was given every opportunity to keep the starting job but he wasn't setting the world on fire either. It's just Rodgers and a weak supporting cast with a piece-meal, struggling O-line. As Nate Newton said earlier this week, the Packers are ripe for the taking. He sounded like his old coach Jimmy Johnson. You could almost hear him frothing at the mouth the way the 90s Cowboys did in their prime. Nate smells blood in the water and he was jacked up with the prospect of pouncing on the Packers on Sunday. God, I wish this Cowboys team would get that shark mentality, find that killer instinct and bury these guys on their own frozen tundra.

It all starts and ends with Matt Cassel. I hate to put pressure on him like that but as is the current cliché, it's a quarterback driven league. However your QB goes is how your team goes. I believe the defense can hold down the Packers. They have been playing extremely well over the last month except for the Carolina game and they got sabotaged by 3 INTs by Romo before he was lost again with that pesky collar bone. Even that game the defense only gave up one TD and 3 field goals. Yeah, this defense will be solid. The way that Rolando McClain and Sean Lee have gelled they are making it better for everyone across the board. Byron Jones has been amazing for a rookie and he has specialized in shutting down opposing TEs. You can be sure he will be stuck like glue on Richard Rodgers today. The question is, did the win over Washington on Monday night give Matt Cassel the confidence to start unleashing this offense? I said in an earlier post that we could look back at that final 2 minutes of that game in Landover, Maryland as the turning point of the Cowboys season. If that is going to be true it needs to start today.

So, what's the final score? As I have done recently I am making no prediction on the final score. All I'll say is the Cowboys will win. I don't care if it's by one point, one TD or a blowout, I just believe they can win. Thanks Nate Newton for giving me some confidence that we can pull out this win. Now, LET'S GO COWBOYS!!!!

[eagle eye]

I really don't know what to say about how awful this season has been. What I figured could have been a springboard for the last month of the season when Dallas won in Washington was just smoke and it was dissipated in the rain in Green Bay yesterday. The only real difference in the Packers yesterday was on the sideline and that was head coach Mike McCarthy decided he was going back to calling the offensive plays instead of offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett. The primary difference in McCarthy's play calling was his dedication to the run. It didn't hurt that Dallas had no answer for the run game. Could it be Rod Marinelli was too worried about Aaron Rodgers passing and the fact that the Packers running attack has been just this side of non-existent that Dallas wasn't properly prepared for the run game? Who knows but a beat up offensive line full of subs overpowered a healthy Dallas D line and the Packers rushed for 233 yards on the day. That was 31 more yards than Aaron Rodgers threw for in the game. His 202 yards looked pretty anemic but compared to Matt Cassel's 99 yards passing it was a bloody explosion.

To say I'm fed up with Cassel is an understatement. This guy just plain sucks. He had one great season leading the Patriots to an 11-5 record and even that wasn't enough to get the Patriots into the playoffs. I'm sorry, but the guy has had six starts since taking over for Brandon Weeden and he's 1-5. The real damning stat is that Dallas has scored a grand total of 7 TDs in the six games Cassel has started. That is 1.2 TDs a game. Is it any wonder that Dallas is 1-5 in Cassel's 6 starts. That puts Dallas 2 full games behind both Washington and Philly, who both won yesterday, with 3 games left to play. The Giants will probably win tonight in Miami but even if they don't Dallas has no shot at winning the division in a real sense because of the piss poor offense the Cowboys are putting on the field. I think the Cowboys need to bench Cassel and give Kellen Moore a shot. It's for damn sure he can't do any worse. Yesterday Cassel's passes were consistently high and the real kick in the pants was on the Cowboys opening drive. They drove down the field on the strength of a 50 yard run by Darren McFadden and they had 1st and goal at the 2. The Cowboys got nothing out of the possession because on 3rd and goal from the 3 Cassel threw way high on a slant to Dez that Dez only managed to tip resulting in an INT by the Packers and the end of the only threat of a Dallas score until the end of the 3rd quarter. The past two weeks the Cowboys are 2-20 in 3rd down conversions. It is just sad. It's a short week because Dallas has to play the Jets on Saturday night but considering just how bad Matt Cassel has been I have no problem with Moore taking over. Moore has been here most of the season so the learning curve isn't steep and the guy had a tremendous amount of success in college at Boise State going 46-2 over his career breaking Colt McCoy's record for most wins by an FBS QB of 45 wins. Give the kid a shot. The reason he's in Dallas is because Scott Linehan had him in Detroit and he brought him in after Tony Romo got hurt the first time in Week 2. It's clear Cassel isn't getting the job done, give the kid a shot.

Of course there are a lot of other problems the Cowboys have but the lack of offensive production is on QB. The absolutely awful 3rd down conversion rate goes on Cassel but the O-line hasn't gotten the job done either. None of those guys has played anywhere close to Pro Bowl level this season even when Romo was healthy. The play calling is suspect too. How long does it take to realize that when you go into the bunch formation with 3 tight ends in the game and everyone crowed up from tackle to tackle and the defense knows you are going to run the ball AND you get stuffed every single time that you change what you do. Third a one is a death knell for any Cowboys drive and it's pathetic that Dallas can't convert these short yardage plays for first downs more often than they do.

After going 12-4 last season it is disheartening to see how bad they are doing this season. It's a shame to waste what has been a really nice defensive effort this year. You can see the players that have been brought in and the draft picks and free agents have really accomplished what was intended. It's a crying shame the offense has been as limp as a wet noodle. It's also a testament to the culture Jason Garrett has developed that the Cowboys are giving the effort they had to this point. Their failures have not been a result of lack of effort. Jason and his staff will be back next year, of that I am certain. Hopefully, they can feed off the misery of this season to find new highs next year.

[eagle eye]

Looks like we will have Matt Cassel again this week vs the Jets. I really don't know if it's because it's a short week, we play the Jets on Saturday night, or the coaches have no faith that Kellen Moore can step in and play. I'm not saying "if" Dallas loses on Saturday night, I'm saying "when" they lose and they are mathematically eliminated from all possibility of making the playoffs then perhaps Dallas will see if Moore is a viable option going forward or if Dallas has to purge the current crop of backup QBs and start over. The harsh fact is I really don't think Kellen Moore can be as bad as Cassel has been and even if he is at least we'll see what we've got heading into next season.

 

Oh well.

[eagle eye]

Kellen Moore? Matt Cassel? The debate continues every single day on Cowboys fan sites and blogs. The facts are these. Matt Cassel is 1-6 in his seven starts this season. The stats say he has not done well. The Cowboys record says he has not done well and the eye test says he has not done well. To be honest he has sucked. Kellen Moore has been in the NFL for 4 years, all as either a backup or practice squad player. He has not taken a snap in a regular season game in the NFL. The coaching staffs of the Detroit Lions and the Cowboys have not seen fit to play the young man.

The argument for playing Moore over Cassel has mainly been, "He can't be any worse!". This statement is both true and indicates give up on the part of fans. The argument for Moore is that he had a very successful college career as he set the NCAA FBS record for number of wins in his career. I understand fans frustration with Cassel and feeling that Moore could be much better. He was successful in college and Aaron Rodgers and our own Tony Romo sat for 4 years before getting their chance. The marriage of frustration and hope is usually a bad one.

The main reason the Cowboys are giving is that they feel Cassel is still the QB who gives the Cowboys the best chance to win. Jerry Jones said if they didn't put the best QB on the field it would be disrespectful to all the players busting their hump to put a guy who has never taken an NFL snap on the field. I get that but former Cowboys OL Nate Newton said the players who are there in the locker room know what both men can do and they know how bad Cassel has been and unless Moore is just not showing anything in practice they would probably be open to a QB change. Now the question here is, is he not showing up in practice or are the Cowboys too stubborn to take a chance on Moore? Who knows but if Dallas loses to the Jets on Saturday (yes, I said Saturday!) I would test the Kellen Moore waters in a heartbeat. I don't know that Dallas would do that but if they lose I believe they will be mathematically eliminated for playoff contention. What's the harm in letting Moore start the last two games? Sometimes you may think the coaches or the people who write about the team are too conservative for their own good. I can understand the coaches being conservative because their jobs are on the line. In a losing situation making rash moves is usually equal to becoming unemployed. But, I fall back on the old definition of stupidity which is -- doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result -- and that is what seems to be happening with Cowboys and Matt Cassel at QB. Short week, still an outside shot at winning the division. Okay, I get it. Play Cassel but if history repeats itself yet again I am lobbying for Kellen Moore for no other reason than we keep doing the same damn thing with the same damn guy and getting the same damn result. Hasn't this 2015 football season been frustrating enough?

 

CB Tyler Patmon was cut earlier this week and the word is he has not been doing his job. When asked about why Patmon has been released Jason Garrett admitted it was performance based decision. I heard that analysis by the DallasCowboys.com writers who study film that Patmon deliberately avoided making tackles when he had the chance. There was an instance when Patmon blew his coverage responsibilities on the TD pass to James Starks in the first half of the Packers game. He also had a chance to help out on the tackle attempt on Aaron Rodgers who converted a 3rd and 11 on a scramble that netted the Packers a first down on the drive when they extended their lead to 21-7 late in the 4th quarter. The Cowboys probably wouldn't have done anything on a drive after the Packers punted but at least Dallas would have had a chance to tie the game and create a chance to win. Didn't happen and now because he wasn't putting out the effort Patmon is gone. One thing, the Cowboys have played hard and the defense has been pretty damn good for the most part they just aren't getting any help from the offense to give them hope and inspiration. It's a natural wonder that Jason Garrett and his staff are not going to quit on the season. Cutting a guy like Patmon who was dogging his job is a prime example of expectation by the coaches and sends a clear message to the team that they had better not give anything less than their best every single play. For that I say, thank you Jason.

[eagle eye]

Dallas plays Saturday night on the NFL Network. Probably be wearing those "color rush" unis. I was checking out the Tampa-St Louis game and I still don't know if I like either team's color rush attire. Tampa's were red from the neck down with grey numbers and accents while the Rams had all bright yellow unis with dark blue numbers and accents with their throwback blue and yellow helmets. The all yellow was something I am a bit ambiguous about but I do like the navy and yellow colors better than the navy and gold they currently call their own. Never liked those. Since the Rams switched colors back in 2000 the Rams haven't won squat and it spelled the end of the "Greatest Show on Turf". But I digress. Dallas' color rush unis I like. I'm not sure I like the all green color rush unis the Jets sport but, to be honest, all the teams look like Christmas tree ornaments to me anyway. All that said I don't believe Rolando McClain will play this week because of the concussion he suffered at the hands, er, feet of team mate Jeff Heath who kicked McClain in the head while both were trying to make a tackle last Sunday. McClain hasn't practiced this week and usually if a player doesn't practice he doesn't play. We'll see because Jason Garrett said yesterday that they are still hopeful McClain can play. Everyone else is relatively healthy and that includes Dez Bryant who his position coach said he has had the best week of practice this entire year this week. This is a good thing but it won't matter if Matt Cassel continues to be as lousy as he has been up to this point. It did leak out that backup QB Kellen Moore got a few 1st team reps this week. Will it matter? Eh. At this point I want Dallas to win games, heck they even have an outside chance at winning the division, but oddly enough I sort of hope they lose so they improve their 2016 draft position. If you're going to suck why not get something out of it? Dallas is at home so there's that but then again, how long can Jason Garrett keep this team motivated? Can I say I hope Dallas sucks bad enough for the Cowboys to put Moore in for Cassel and let the chips fall where they may? I'm sorry, I just have no faith in Matt Cassel any more. More importantly, I have lost faith in this 2015 version of the team. It doesn't mean I don't love my Cowboys but sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. The 2015 Dallas Cowboys are a big old deuce--of spades. As for the outcome of the game? I just hope the Cowboys don't embarrass themselves. Win or lose, I hope they continue to put out the same effort I've seen out of them all season. All that effort hasn't gone for squat but at least they haven't ever given up.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys lost again. No big whoop there but I, and a lot of fans, got their wish. It came in the early stages of the 2nd qtr after Matt Cassel stunk it up on 4 consecutive possessions after a promising first drive died inside the Jets 10. Dallas's 4th QB to play this season came in and provided some spark to the Cowboys offense. Dallas still didn't light up the scoreboard but they did manage a nice drive that led to a game tying field goal by Mr Clutch, Dan Bailey. But, as has happened at least 5 times this season that I can remember the defense made a critical mistake with the game on the line. This time the D was in cover 2 with Byron Jones covering short and JJ Wilcox was supposed to be giving Jones help deep. Jones took responsibility for allowing a 30+ yard completion that put the Jets in position to kick the game winning field goal. IMO it was JJ Wilcox who blew the play. Yet again he took a bad angle on the play AND he was late getting over to help Jones.

Kellen Moore is the story. He provided the offense with a spark and you sort of believed Dallas could win with him. Moore showed enough to get the start in Buffalo tomorrow and I hope he does well. He did okay against the Jets but 3 INTs, including a costly one in the end zone, were his and the Cowboys undoing. It would be nice if Dallas could win at least one of the next two but after the fight the Cowboys showed against the Jets last Saturday I know this team won't quit.

 

Predictions are a moot exercise now. With the loss to the Jets Dallas is mathematically eliminated from winning the NFC East. Tonight the Redskins clinched the division by beating the Eagles. So now the Cowboys will be playing for pride and roster spot next year.

 

4 Cowboys made the Pro Bowl as the Pro Bowl rosters were announced earlier this week. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick each made their 2nd straight PB. The 4th cowboy to get a PB nod was K Dan Bailey. This Bailey's first time to be named to the PB.

 

Kellen Moore will get his first ever NFL start but he will have to do it without Dez Bryant. Dez is a likely scratch because of a sore knee, foot and back. Truth be told, Dez has been hurting somewhere on his his dodgy since training camp. It's time the rest of the receiving corps to step up and show something or think about playing elsewhere in 2016.

[eagle eye]

Happy New Year! I hope you all have a happy and safe New Year's Eve. I'll wager that by the time a lot of you read this post you will have made it back from a night of revelry and are nursing the inevitable January first hang over. It's ironic that on a day when you feel like crap that the traditional food is black-eyed peas and cabbage. I am not drinking tonight and I am still cringing over the potential gastric distress! I just got home from vacation and I will tell you that Florida, Orlando and Miami anyway, is still there and doing well and it's a darn sight warmer than here!

 

A lot seems to have happened since I left for Disney World in the Dallas Metroplex. First, the Cowboys lost their 11th game of the season up in Buffalo. Like most of their losses the Cowboys were just a hair short and a step slow. The Cowboys continued their offensive futility despite a pretty decent performance by QB Kellen Moore. The Cowboys have scored no more than one TD in the last 4 four games and they were unable to score even that against the Bills. Two Dan Bailey field goals were all the 'Boys could muster and I guess being named to his first Pro Bowl was enough to jinx Bailey into a miss around the new extra point range. It wouldn't have made a difference. Dallas was 50% on 3rd down conversions and Moore did provide an offensive spark that neither Matt Cassel nor Brandon Weeden could and that bodes well for him going forward. It won't mean squat if he and the Cowboys can't figure out a way to score some TDs.

 

Dallas lost more than the game last week. Both S Barry Church and DT David Irving both suffered broken bones and ended up on IR by Monday morning. Church broke his forearm and Irving broke his wrist. I feel bad for both players because Dallas needs Church on the field and since he was signed earlier in the season off the Kansas City practice squad Irving has seen his playing time grow each week. Dallas may have stumbled on a diamond in the rough in the rough and I would really liked to have seen him one more time before the end of the season Sunday afternoon. Dez Bryant was placed on IR yesterday with complications from his foot surgery he had after breaking it in Week 1.

 

Happy New Year!

[eagle eye]

This is it. It's the final game for Dallas in the miserable 2015 season. Hasn't it seemed longer than 17 weeks? It has to me but maybe you don't catch hell every single Monday after yet another Sunday disappointment the way I do. It's all in fun but it was a lot more fun last season when Dallas went 12-4, won a playoff game and was a bad call away from winning another. This season was supposed to be redemption for that "non-catch" in Green Bay last January. But, no. It was punishment for that failure. Tony Romo was the key loss as he only played in 4 games and was only able to finish 2 as he went 3-1 as the starting QB for the Cowboys. As we currently stand the backups to Romo when a measly 1-10. Nobody could have foreseen how bad Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel would be and the 4th guy to start for Dallas this season, Kellen Moore, didn't have any better success than the other two guys although he did move the football better. Still, he was just as touchdown challenged as his predecessors scoring 0 TD's against Buffalo last week in his first ever start in the NFL.

What we're hoping (or not, I'll explain later) is that Moore finds that added spark to push his team over the goal line for a TD or two or three. Maybe they can just score one. That seems realistic considering Dallas has scored just 3 TDs in their last 4 games. However, I believe it will take more than one TD to beat the Redskins. They have been on a tear averaging 32.3 points in their last 3 games. The last time the 'Skins were held to under 20 points was in Week 13 against---wait for it----Dallas who won 19-16 on a 54 yard last second winning field goal by Dan Bailey. That was in Washington and today the game will be played in the Death Star in Arlington. (There's my Star Wars reference for the day!) Unfortunately, the Death Star hasn't been all that great of a home field advantage for the Cowboys since it opened in 2009 but the Cowboys didn't have much in the way of talent in the years hence. But, to be fair, last year the Cowboys set a league record by going 8-0 on the road and they were 4-4 at home. Not exactly domination. This is a game Dallas can win if all things fall right but so far in 2015 nothing has fallen right yet.

We will get to see some young players get some playing time. Guys like QB Kellen Moore, DE Randy Gregory, CB Terrence Mitchell, CB Deji Olatoye, DT Casey Walker, WR Lucky Whitehead and WR Bryce Butler to name just a few. It was commented earlier this week that Dallas will have 17 players in the lineup this week with 2 years or less experience. Talk about witnessing the future! It shouldn't be a cake walk for Dallas because despite the Redskins clinching the division championship last week they say they intend to play to win to keep their momentum going. Now, that could change if Dallas jumps out to an early lead but I don't look for that to happen.

For whether Dallas should win or not, that is an item open to debate. If Dallas loses they almost guarantee a top 5 pick in the 2016 draft. If they lose they might fall to 8 or 9 in the draft order. Jason Garrett won't let this team quit but they might just be out matched without Romo, Dez and maybe not Sean Lee. Dallas is talented in their starting roster but their backups, particularly on offense, have not been good enough to win. I am going to be happy to see this season pass into the mist of history like some bad dream but this is the last time for 9 months Dallas will play a game that matters so I will suffer through the whole darn thing. What's the final score? Dallas just can't seem to get out of their own way and I don't expect any different today. So.....................

Washington 31 Dallas 9

[eagle eye]

It's time to put this thread to bed. Or maybe take it out in the back yard and give it a decent burial. I can't say I'm sorry to see the pain of this season gone because it just plain sucked. Not the whole season just 14 and a half games of it. When Tony Romo went down in a Week 2 victory over Philadelphia that was the end of the line although at the time we didn't know it. First we thought Brandon Weeden, who spent the last year getting a full practice to himself on the "Romo Wednesdays" when Dallas went 12-4 in 2014. The handwriting on the wall was there however. When Weeden came into a game in progress he seemed to do okay, case in point a Monday night game in October. Tony Romo goes out when he got speared in his back and he left the game. Weeden comes in and leads the Cowboys back to tie the game. Dallas ultimately lost in overtime when Romo came back in and failed to orchestrate the comeback. The next week Weeden started at home against the Arizona Cardinals and he looked like crap. Of course Dallas lost the game for their only 2 game losing streak of the season and the only games Romo did not play start to finish all year. When Romo went out in Week 2 Weeden came in and led the Cowboys to a victory over the Eagles to stake the Cowboys to a 2-0 start to the season. Unfortunately, Weeden's next 3 starts were not good. It all started out good as Dallas jumped out to a 28-17 halftime lead over the Falcons but the offense stalled and defense collapsed allowing the Falcons to score 22 unanswered points while shutting out the Dallas offense for a 39-28 loss. Then Dallas lost a heartbreaking game against New Orleans when Weeded led Dallas back to 20-20 tie late in the game forcing overtime. Dallas lost the coin toss and the defense gave up a 70 yard TD in the first possession of overtime thereby losing the game. The 3rd start was against the Patriots and nobody in their right mind expected the Cowboys to win and they didn't. They were actually blown out 30-6 and the ineptitude of the offense got Weeden benched for the rest of his tenure in Dallas. When Romo came back the Sunday before Thanksgiving Weeden was cut. This wasn't the end of the story for him. He was signed by Houston after starter Brian Hoyer went out with a concussion and Ryan Mallett was released for being a douche. Yates tore his MCL and was lost for the season and he came in for his second look at the Patriots. He got blown out there too but it was the last game Houston lost in the season and Weeden actually led the Texans to a victory over Indianapolis in Indianapolis to break an oh-for-forever steak for Houston in Indy and gave the Texans a one game lead in the division which they never relinquished. Weeden also led Houston over the Titans in Week 15 giving way to Hoyer for the season finale last Sunday in the final game of the season. It's still a conundrum why Weeden was successful in Houston and inept in Dallas. Back to the Cowboys, after Weeden came a 10 game losing streak broken up by a random win in Week 14 game against the Redskins. Matt Cassel never was able to get the Cowboys offense over the hump in his tenure. He was even less able to lead the Cowboys to touchdowns than Weeden was. For the final two games the Cowboys brought in practice squad QB Kellen Moore. He didn't do much in his first NFL start in Buffalo except throw 3 picks. Still no TDs for the Cowboys. In the season finale last week Moore actually got the Cowboys offense in gear as he threw for 435 yards and 3 TDs. He did have have 2 INTs and a fumble that helped Dallas fall into a 24 zip hole which they never recovered. Obviously, either drafting Romo's eventual replacement or signing a decent veteran backup in case Romo goes out again should be on the to-do list this off season. The hurting is over and I am totally washing my hands of this season and this tread. Thanks to the folks to have read my posts. I wish there was more interaction with you all but I really do appreciate you at least giving this thread a look.