Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys: Wild Card Weekend

The Dallas Cowboys host the Eagles once again, this time on Saturday night of Wild Card Weekend.

The Eagles have to return to the place where they were routed just six days before and this time they’re mad.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb said last week’s game was a “humbling experience.” He’ll be trying to make this weekend a fantastic experience, but his receivers can’t fail him this time around.

Brenk Celek was the only reliable (and open) receiver for McNabb last week with seven catches for 96 yards. Jeremy Maclin didn’t look like himself and was hearing footsteps all game long. Jason Avant had just one catch, but isn’t counted on to do much in the Eagles offense anyway.

DeSean Jackson had one nice catch for 32 yards, but the Eagles turned the ball over on the next play when McNabb overthrew Jackson when he was wide open with nothing but the end zone near him. I expected the Eagles to make Jackson a big part of their offense, but they used him on just one end around and threw to him just eight times

The Eagles’ running game was abandoned in the second half since they were down so much. The running game wasn’t working much in the first half, though, as the Cowboys’ bigger and faster defense took control of the Eagles’ running, giving up just 37 yards on ten carries.

This time the Eagles need to get the ball moving with the run. If they make themselves one-dimensional again, the Cowboys front seven will tee off on McNabb and the Eagles wakened offensive line.

Michael Vick may be a factor in the run game this week. He was dressed last week but didn’t play. This week expect to see him in a wildcat play or two. He might even end up throwing to Jackson. Also expect Leonard Weaver to get more carries.

Defensively, I expect a completely different approach from the Eagles. In the first matchup they blitzed almost 60 percent of the time. Last week they barely blitzed in the first half and didn’t get to Romo in the second half. This week they’ll blitz relentlessly, hoping to throw Romo off.

However, the most important thing the Eagles’ defense must do is stop the run. The Eagles’ linebackers couldn’t catch up to Felix Jones and couldn’t bring down Marion Barber. Will Witherspoon, Jeremiah Trotter, and Moise Fokou need to get the Cowboys’ backs before they hit the secondary.

Asante Samuel killed the Eagles trying to jump routes all game, but don’t expect him to change his style. Instead, expect him to try to do it more, especially if the Eagles blitz more. He wants to avenge last week’s game.

The Cowboys host the Eagles once again and they want a repeat performance.

The Cowboys need to sustain long drives again this week in order to be successful. They also have to convert third downs. They were just 5-13 on third down conversions. They have to do better than that this week.

Tony Romo had a great game last week picking the Eagles apart when they blitzed or played in a zone. He has kept his turnovers down throughout the season and made plays when the Cowboys needed them. 

Romo might be throwing to Roy Williams in the rematch. Last week, the Eagles decided to cover Roy Williams and leave Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton open. This week, they’ll force Romo to throw to Williams, who’s humbled himself in recent weeks and says he ready to make the big plays.

Williams hasn’t caught a pass in seven straight quarters so it’s anyone guess how he’ll react when he’s able to make a catch. Austin, Crayton, and tight end Jason Witten will still receive the majority of throws, especially if the Eagles blitz and don’t get to Romo.

Felix Jones and Marion Barber will get a lot of carries. Last week they had 29 carries for 182 yards. If the Eagles give up that much again they’re going to lose. Expect to see Barber early and Jones in the second half a lot on misdirections and pitches.

Marc Colombo could be a big factor. He’s bigger than backup Doug Free who’s played great since Colombo broke his fibula against Green Bay. Colombo is expected to start this week, but if the Cowboys have trouble running early, coach Wade Phillips could go back to Free, who sprung Jones for a TD last week.

The Cowboys defense hasn’t give up more than 20 points since their loss to the Giants in week 13 and the Giants are the only team to score more than 21 points in a game on Dallas. 

The key to this game is the defense keeping the Eagles from sustaining long drives. They held McNabb and his offense to just three third down conversions last week. That type of performance needs to be repeated.

Expect the front four to give McNabb problems again. They’ll bring pressure on third downs, but on first and second they’ll drop the linebackers back. Jay Ratliff had a great game last week with a fumble recovery but didn’t get to McNabb; I expect him to have at least one sack this week. DeMarcus Ware will also want in on the sack party this week.

Keith Brooking and Bradie James did a great job of containing the run and making solid tackles. Bobby Carpenter is having a good season but needs to stay with Brent Celek this week; last week he was burned twice by Celek for big gains.

The secondary’s job is to keep DeSean Jackson in front of them. Jackson got behind Terence Newman once, who covered him most of the game, but McNabb overthrew him. Newman can’t let that happen again.

Mike Jenkins did a fine job last week and almost had an interception on an under-thrown deep ball. Orlando Scandrick also did a good job but needs to stop missing tackles across the middle. He also got hit with a penalty last week.

This game will be a lot closer than the last game. The Eagles don’t want to get embarrassed again on the road and will be ready to play. The Cowboys are riding their momentum into this game and know they have to do something special this season.

The Eagles will try to throw curve balls to the Cowboys on both sides of the ball, but their overall philosophies will stay the same, look for the big play on offense and bring pressure on defense. The Cowboys will take a while to get adjusted, but once they do, they won’t have a problem getting down the field.

The Eagles will come out to play but in the second half the Cowboys will take the game over with their running attack and McNabb will be constantly pressured trying to get the Eagles back in the game late.

Cowboys 24-20.

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Cowboys Must Come Through Saturday To Make Last Week’s Win Meaningful.

The Cowboys did a great job on Sunday. With their 24-0 thrashing of the Eagles, they simultaneously broke their nine game season finale losing streak, recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time ever, and avenged their 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia last season with the playoffs on the line. 

However, all of that means nothing if the Cowboys don’t beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night.

The Cowboys need to stay focused; they’re a sexy pick in the NFC right now, with the Vikings losing two in a row before beating a defeated Giants team, and the Saints losing their last three games of the season. 

Head coach Wade Phillips has to make sure his team doesn’t caught up in the hype like in years past. He also has to get them ready for a more intense Philly team. Donovan  McNabb called Sunday’s game a “humbling experience” and you can bet they’ll make some changes in game planning and personnel.

However with a short week the Cowboys have an advantage. They were able to stop everything the Eagles were doing on both sides of the ball; that undoubtedly put the ‘Boys ahead of the curve on the game planning for this week.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have to figure out why their plan was unsuccessful and try to develop a different game plan that can penetrate the Cowboys suddenly stifling defense.

Right now the ‘Boys are saying all the right things about Saturday’s game. Wide receiver Roy Williams wants to make an impact after not recording a catch in last week’s game.

“The big plays are still going to be there,” Williams said. “I just have to be ready when it comes.”

Linebacker Keith Brooking has the defense preparing for the rematch; “I know what this locker room’s about and you’re gonna get our best shot this week…we’ve got some guys that have been in some big time games and it starts to pay huge dividends for you when you get in these big time players when you have smart players that are very talented.”

For the Cowboys to snap their 13-year playoff winless streak they’ll need to come out and play better than they did last week.

The Eagles are going to come out hungry. What’s more, in the Andy Reid era they’ve never lost in the first round of the playoffs—so they know how to prepare themselves.

For the ‘Boys this is it; this is the year they have no excuses. It’s just win, there is nothing else.

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Dallas Cowboys Injury Report: Playoff Edition

The Cowboys could be at full strength for their Wild Card game against the Eagles on Saturday.

Running back Tashard Choice got his bell rung picking up a blitz in the first quarter on Sunday and was kept out of the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Choice has been diagnosed with a slight concussion and he will undergo further tests this week, but he hasn’t been ruled out of Saturday’s game. In fact, head coach Wade Phillips said there’s a “good chance” he will play.

Cornerback Terence Newman suffered a knee contusion in the second half of Sunday’s game. He missed the rest of the defensive series but did come back to finish the game on the next series. Newman said after the game he was “feeling great” and should practice and play, but will probably end up this week’s injury report.

Quarterback Tony Romo was slow getting up after falling on his back in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, but never missed a snap and finished the game. He should practice in full this week and be ready for Saturday night.

Tackle Marc Colombo was cleared to work with trainers last week and could be cleared this week to practice with the first team offense. Coach Wade Phillips said that Colombo would start if he’s cleared to practice, but that Doug Free would also play.

Safety Pat Watkins missed the last three games with a PCL tear. Phillips said yesterday that Watkins will return to practice this week but in a limited role. If he does play on Saturday, it will most likely be on special teams.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh has fully recovered from his broken thumb, but has said he will keep playing with a cast for support.

DeMarcus Ware has suffered neck, foot, and wrist injuries but has played through them, and this week will be no different.

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Week 17: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of the regular season with the NFC East title on the line.

The Eagles are riding a six-game winning streak into big D, and with a win, they clinch the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Donovan McNabb will be looking to have a better game against the Cowboys than the last time he matched up against them. In Week Nine, McNabb was 16 for 30 for 226 yards, one TD, and one INT. The Cowboys’ defense took away the big plays for McNabb and forced him into small gains when he scrambled.

DeSean Jackson also wants to show the Cowboys he can play. Coming off his Pro Bowl invite, Jackson had just two catches for 29 yards in his last game against the Cowboys and was targeted just five times. McNabb will target him more in this game, even if it’s not deep. Expect him to run a reverse or a play in the wildcat formation.

Brent Celek will also be a factor in the passing game. McNabb loves to find Celek on third downs, and Celek doesn’t disappoint, ranking second on the team in catches (69), yards (875), and TDs (eight). Celek is also playing with a chip on his shoulder after being snubbed by voters for the Pro Bowl.

The Eagles’ running game is back to full strength with Brian Westbrook coming back from post-concussion syndrome, which will help the Eagles run their screen game. The emergence of LeSean McCoy has also helped the Eagles.

This season, McCoy has 154 carries for 633 yards and four TDs. The Eagles won’t run anymore than 25 times, but expect them to run their screen game to combat the Cowboys’ aggressive front seven.

The Eagles defense is very aggressive in the front seven and secondary. Trent Cole and Jaqua Parker have had great seasons as the Eagles’ defensive ends, combining for 86 tackles and 19.5 sacks.

The key for the Eagles defense is their secondary. The last time around, the Eagles let Roy Williams go off (for him anyway) for five catches and 75 yards and gave up the game winning score on a 49-yard TD catch by Miles Austin. Sheldon Brown and Pro Bowler Asante Samuel have to stay at home because the Cowboys will use a lot of double moves in this game to free up their receivers.

The Eagles’ front seven will generate pressure, which could force Tony Romo into some bad throws, and Samuel, as well as Brown, could get opportunities to force turnovers.

The Cowboys were blown out 44-6 against the Eagles last year, but this year they’re the home team and they want to return the favor to the Eagles.

Romo had a great December, and he wants to turn that into a solid January. He’s kept his interceptions down and kept the Cowboys in games. Sunday will be no different, so expect Romo to keep Dallas in this game with short passes to Jason Witten and Austin.

Roy Williams had a big game in the first matchup between these two, catching five passes for 75 yards, and after coming out and saying it’s his fault that Romo has lost trust in him, expect him to be focused on having another big game against the Eagles. 

Marion Barber and Felix Jones combined for over 100 yards last week, but were stopped on short yardage situations three times. The Cowboys have to run the ball successfully in order to have a chance at winning. Expect Smash and Dash to share the carries 50-50.

Tashard Choice will come in on wildcat situations, and after last week’s busted double reverse, expect the Cowboys to be conservative in the wildcat.

Defensively, the Cowboys have not given up more than 20 points in the last three games. Bradie James (108) and Keith Brooking (106) are first and second on the team in tackles. Jay Ratliff will be counted on to stop LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver, whose role has increased in recent weeks.

DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer will look to rush McNabb and put him on the ground several times. Look for the Cowboys to run stunts inside to neutralize McNabb and stop him from stepping up in the pocket and scrambling.

The biggest key for the Cowboys defense is their secondary. They need to keep the Eagles from making big plays in the pass game. Mike Jenkins will be seeing a lot of Jackson, and he did a good job against him in the first matchup. Orlando Scandrick will have help in the slot, but needs to start jumping some balls; he’s too conservative.

Ken Hamlin will be the quarterback in the secondary, and he has to make sure everyone is lined up or else somebody will get beat deep.

This will be a close, low-scoring game. The Eagles’ big plays will be limited, and because of that, they’ll find it hard to score. The Cowboys will try to run a lot in the first half, but they won’t be successful and that’ll leave them in a lot of 3rd-and-long situations.

Dallas will win this game. They’ll be at home and don’t want to be embarrassed like they were last year. Romo will have another solid game and the Cowboys will ride a third quarter lead into the fourth, where they’ll hang on until the end on defense. Cowboys, 24-20.

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Wade Phillips Needs Playoff Win to Get Off Hot Seat.

Wade Phillips has led the Cowboys to three winning seasons, two playoff appearances, a ton of Pro Bowl selections, a top 15 ranking offensively and defensively, and a 32-15 overall record with the Cowboys.

However, all of that may mean nothing in two weeks if Phillips doesn’t win a playoff game.

Jerry Jones said on Sunday Night Football that he wants Wade Phillips back next year, but he needs some evidence to ratify doing so.

That evidence is a playoff win.

Jerry Jones hasn’t had a playoff win since 1996, and considering he won three Super Bowls before that, he’s not asking much.

It’s obvious Jones doesn’t want to fire Phillips. The players love Phillips and the drama that was around when Parcells was coaching the ‘Boys is gone for the most part. Also, Phillips allows Jones to be who he is: He doesn’t stop Jones from watching the game on the field, coming into the locker room to give speeches, coming to the combine and giving his opinion on prospects.

However, winning comes first for Jones, and with Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher sitting around at home, he has options to go to.

Also going against Phillips is Norv Turner. Turner was the other finalist for the Cowboys job and now he’s with the Chargers, who are the second seed in the AFC. Turner also has a playoff win on his record from last season.

So for Phillips, it starts on Sunday at 4 pm on Fox (the Cowboys have lost their last two late-afternoon games on Fox) against the Eagles.

For Phillips, winning the NFC East would be good, but breaking the Cowboys playoff winless streak would be great.

And being great is what Jones wants.

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Cowboys Injury Report: Dec 29th

The Cowboys have been healthy all season and heading into the last and most important game of the regular season, it’ll be no different. 

Safety Pat Watkins will miss at least one more game with a strained PCL. He’s already missed two games since sustaining the injury against the Chargers. Watkins said that he most likely won’t be ready to play this week, but will be ready for the playoffs.

Fullback Deon Anderson missed two practices last week while fighting a cold, but was able to play against the Redskins on Sunday night. He will fully participate in practice this week and should play against the Eagles.

Linebacker DeMarcus Ware started with the first team defense against the Redskins Sunday night, after playing limited snaps against the New Orleans Saints the week before. Ware will most likely fully participate in practice again this week and should be fine to start against the Eagles.

Offensive lineman Marc Colombo is working with trainers now that he’s been cleared to resume football activities. However Coach Wade Phillips didn’t sound confident that Colombo would return this week. Also with Doug Free playing so well, even if Colombo is able to return he might not play.

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Week 16 Preview: Dallas Cowboys Vs. Washington Redskins

The Cowboys travel to Washington to complete the season series against the lowly Redskins on Sunday night.

The Redskins were dismantled by the New York Giants on Monday night and will want to show their new GM that they can bounce back and have a good showing at home.

It’ll be hard for the Redskins to generate some offense against the Cowboys. In the first matchup they managed just 324 yards of offense.

Jason Campbell was sacked five times against the Giants and suffered a shoulder stinger but coach Jim Zorn has said he will start Sunday night.

In his last game against the Cowboys, Campbell was 24 of 37 for 256 yards and one interception. This week he’ll try to get the ball into the end zone.

Part of Campbell’s ineffectiveness this season is because his receivers aren’t that good.

Santana Moss (56 catches, 755 yards and three TDs) is the only receiver with over 500 yards and tight end Fred Davis is the only player on the entire team with more than five TDs. Malcolm Kelly has just four catches in the last three games and less than 15 yards receiving in each game.

The Redskins will try to have more success this time around in the running game than they did in the first game, where they had just 78 yards as a team.

However, it will be hard since Quinton Gather (43 carries, 159 yards, three TDs) and backup Marcus Mason both have less than three years experience and haven’t played much this season.

The Redskins’ defense will play their base cover two but the Cowboys should expect some twists this time around. The Redskins did hold the Cowboys to just 304 yards in their last matchup, but it’s hard to imagine them doing it again.

Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo have 22 sacks combined and should give Romo some problems with their pass rush. Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth didn’t play in the previous game against Dallas but will play this week; he should have an impact on how the Cowboys run.

The Redskins pass defense is ranked fifth in the NFL but largely because of their cover two scheme.

DeAngelo Hall and Carlos Rodgers did a pretty good job against Dallas in their last game until the Cowboys quickened their pace and used their short passing game to find holes in the Redskins zone.

The biggest key for the Redskins secondary is LaRon Landry, who will occasionally be matched up against Jason Witten. Landry has been targeted by the opposition of late and this is his chance to show teams he can cover someone.

The Cowboys have a chance to clinch a playoff berth this week with a win and a Giants loss.

Tony Romo will want to have a much better game than he did last time against the Skins where he was 15 of 27 for 158 yards and one TD. While Romo may not throw as much because of the weather conditions, expect him to be more efficient in the passing game. 

Miles Austin and Jason Witten will be targeted a lot by Romo but the dark horse receiver will be Roy Williams. Last week against the Saints, Williams had just one catch; he’ll want to keep the chemistry he had with Romo when he had 10 catches for 134 yards and two TDs.

However, the Cowboys will need to convert third downs, something they didn’t do last time when they 3 for 11. If they can convert on Sunday night, they won’t give the Redskins defense a leg to stand on.

The biggest factor for the Cowboys is their running game.

They racked up 153 yards on 33 carries as a team in week 11, but they didn’t score a touchdown and Marion Barber fumbled at the Redskins 20-yard line ending their only solid drive before their last drive of the game.

Marion Barber will get the bulk of the carries as usual, but Felix Jones will also see a lot of action as the Cowboys home run hitter.

The Cowboys’ defense will be gunning for Jason Campbell this week. DeMarcus Ware has no ill effects from playing on Saturday night and practiced all week. Linebacker Anthony Spencer wants another multi-sack game.

Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and middle linebacker Keith Brooking will be assigned to stop the Redskins running game.

Head coach Wade Phillips said earlier this week that he thinks Mike Jenkins should be in the Pro Bowl.

Jenkins is having a good year with a team leading five interceptions but if he has a good game here when the pressure is on it’ll show the country that he might deserve that Pro Bowl vote.

Ken Hamlin will be starting at safety for the second game in a row and he said that he’s feeling better than he did last week. He’ll be assigning the coverages and playing the center fielder, giving Gerald Sensabaugh the ability to help in the running game.

This will be a low-scoring affair but expect both teams to come out firing.

The Redskins were embarrassed on Monday night and will want to show everyone they can compete with a playoff caliber team.

The Cowboys are still riding high off their win against the Saints and will want to keep their playoffs hopes in their own hands.

The Cowboys will win this game; if they come out fast and score the Redskins will fold like a cheap wallet.

If the Cowboys come out slow, their defense will hold out long enough for the offense to wake up.

Cowboys 24-13

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Cowboys-Saints: Dallas Dominates First Half, Holds on To Win, 24-17

The Dallas Cowboys came into the bayou and played a near-perfect game, handing the Saints their first loss of the season.

Tony Romo (22-34, 312 yards, one TD) played another great game and led the Cowboys to a TD on their first possession, making it the first time all season they’ve done so.

Romo hit Miles Austin (seven catches, 139 yards, one TD) for a 49-yard TD pass on a stop and go route, beating Saints’ corner Malcolm Jenkins.

The Cowboys’ defense forced the Saints into a three-and-out for the second consecutive time and drove down the field again, capped by Marion Barber’s two-yard TD run to go up 14-0.

Late in the first half, with the Cowboys up 14-3, Drew Brees (29-45, 298 yards, one TD, one INT) threw deep to the Cowboys’ end zone, looking for Devery Henderson, but threw the ball short, and Mike Jenkins made the interception giving the Cowboys the ball with 1:55 remaining.

Dallas went three-and-out, but, on the Saints’ next drive, Brees was sacked by DeMarcus Ware (who was carted off the field last week on a stretcher) and fumbled.

The fumble was recovered by Anthony Spencer, and the Cowboys converted it into a field goal going into the half with a 17-3 lead.

In the second half, the Cowboys got the ball and went right down the field, as wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and back-up tight end John Phillips made nice catches, and Marion Barber finished the drive with a two-yard TD to put the Cowboys up 24-3. 

In the fourth quarter, Drew Brees and the Saints woke up and drove from their own 20 to the Cowboys two-yard line before running back Mike Bell ran in for a TD.

After a Cowboys’ three-and-out, the Saints went right back to work, driving 70 yards, this time scoring on a Lance Moore TD catch on a bubble screen. 

On the ensuing possession Dallas faced a quick 3rd-and-7, but Romo hit Miles Austin for a 32-yard pass to put the Cowboys in Saints’ territory.

After two more first downs, the Cowboys milked the clock and set Nick Folk up for a 24-yard field goal to put the game away.

But Folk missed (his 10th miss this season), giving the Saints one last chance to tie the game.

The Saints were in trouble right away at their own 20, but converted a 4th-and-10 and kept the ball moving on short passes, getting to the Cowboys’ 42-yard line.

With 12 seconds left, Brees dropped back, and Ware beat lineman Jermon Bushrod and hit Brees, who coughed up the ball, and defensive tackle Jay Ratliff recovered the ball, ending the Saints bid for a perfect season.

The running game was efficient for the Cowboys, as Felix Jones and Marion Barber combined for 31 carries and 120 yards.

Tight end Jason Witten had five catches for 44 yards, and John Phillips had three catches for 40 yards, but the story for the Cowboys was their defense.

The Cowboys’ defense forced three turnovers (one INT and two fumbles), sacked Drew Brees four times, and held the Saints without a third-down conversion until the last drive of the game.

Anthony Spencer had his second multi-sack game of the season, and DeMarcus Ware also had two sacks and two forced fumbles.

They also shut down the Saints’ running game, holding Pierre Thomas to 20 yards on six carries.

 

Extra Points

Reggie Bush pulled his hamstring early in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game.

Tony Romo is 82-119 for 953 yards and six TDs in December this season.

Marion Barber scored a rushing TD for the first time since Week Eight against Seattle.

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Week 15: Dallas Cowboys Vs. New Orleans Saints

The Dallas Cowboys head to the bayou on Saturday night to face the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

The Saints have had some close calls lately. Still, Drew Brees has rejuvenated his career in New Orleans after running out of favor in San Diego. This season Brees leads the best offense in the NFL with 3832 passing yards, 32 TDs and only 10 interceptions. 

The Saints love to open the field up and let Brees throw to anyone who’s open. New Orleans has six players with over 30 receptions, seven players with over 200 yards receiving and six players averaging over ten yards per catch.

Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Marques Colston are Brees’ favorite targets and all three have lightning speed. Head Coach Sean Payton loves to put them in one-on-one situations and let them run deep routes.

They could be without starting tight end Jeremy Shockey, who hasn’t practiced this week with a toe injury.

The Saints can also run the ball well, as they are fifth in the NFL with 138.9YPG rushing. Leading running back Pierre Thomas (135 carries, 713 yards and five TDs) has been limited in practice this week with a hip injury. Backup Mike Bell will get more carries than usual and hybrid back Reggie Bush is always dangerous.

The Saints had the top rated offense last season but their 23rd ranked defense let them down a lot. Things are different this season as the Saints have the 12th ranked defense this season.

Defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant love to generate pressure and force QB’s to make mistakes and bad throws so the Saints secondary can take advantage. Smith and Grant have 14 sacks combined and the Saints are ranked second in the NFL with 24 interceptions.

Jonathan Vilma, who’s played great with the Saints since leaving the Jets, has three interceptions of his own to go along with his team leading 90 tackles and seven tackles for a loss.

Safety Darren Sharper leads the team in interceptions. Sharper loves to sit in the backfield and jump routes and loves to bait QBs into mistakes.

The Cowboys are once again playing in desperation mode after losing their last two games. A win on Saturday could put them in the playoffs; a loss could mean the end of their season.

Tony Romo will have to be at his best and so far this month he’s been just that. Last week Romo threw two TDs and led the Cowboys on a 99-yard TD drive. He’ll have to keep an eye on Sharper all night long.

The big matchup for the Cowboys is Jason Witten against Scott Shanle and Scott Fujita. Both outside linebackers are slow and if Witten can work the numbers he’ll be open all night, look for him to have a big game. 

The Cowboys running game also could have a big night. The Cowboys love to run the draw and run it better than any team in the league expect Marion Barber to get a lot of carries. If Felix Jones can get to the outside, he’ll get some big gains.

Roy Williams and Tony Romo finally have developed the chemistry everyone has been waiting for. In the last two games, they’ve connected 10 times for 134 yards and two TDs. Williams could be a big factor especially if the Saints roll their coverage towards Miles Austin, who in the last two weeks has 16 catches for 175 yards and two TDs. 

The biggest factor for the Cowboys defense is DeMarcus Ware. He did some light drills and wore a helmet on Thursday but didn’t officially practice and will most likely be a game-time decision after injuring his neck last week.

For the rest of the defense, the key is getting off the field on third downs. Cowboys’ opponents have converted just 37.1 percent of third downs, but the Saints have a 46 percent conversion rate and Brees has a 104.5 QB rating on third downs.

Inside linebacker Keith Brooking and nose tackle Jay Ratliff will have to stop the Saints running game. They stifled Ladanian Tomlinson last week and made the Chargers one-dimensional.

It’s going to be a tough game for the Cowboys to win. Even if they do everything right, they could still lose. Not to mention the fact that this game is in New Orleans, where the Saints are a completely different team.

The Saints haven’t been themselves in recent weeks and the Cowboys could take advantage, but I just don’t see it. The last two games, the Cowboys had complete control of the game, yet made mistakes and lost their edge going into halftime. I believe those mistakes will continue and while the Cowboys will keep the game close, the Saints will take advantage of Dallas’ errors.

Saints 35-28.

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Defense, Phillips Not Romo To Blame For This December.

The last two Decembers weren’t good ones for Tony Romo. In 2007, Romo’s stats in December were 83 of 138, for 860 yards three TDs, and four interceptions. Last season wasn’t much better for Romo; 84 of 150, 889 yards, five TDs, and six interceptions.

This season, Romo has toned down his gunslinger mentality while keeping his flair for the dramatic.  When it came to December however, everyone was still skeptical on how Romo would perform, but he’s done well.

So well in fact, Romo is pretty much the reason that the Cowboys were in both games the Cowboys lost. Against the New York Giants, Romo kept the Cowboys driving down the field with no running game to support him. He also set a personal record in attempts, completions, and yards and didn’t throw an interception.

Against the Chargers last week, he took the Cowboys on a 99-yard TD drive to take the lead in the third quarter. He also didn’t have a turnover in that game. He scored a TD in garbage time of both games to give Cowboys fans at least some hope for a few minutes. 

Another sign he’s playing well this month is that Romo is finally on the same page with Roy Williams, who in the last two games has 10 receptions for 134 yards and two TDs. 

If you want to blame someone, look no further than Wade Phillips and the Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys defense hasn’t executed in the last two games. The Giants’ Steve Smith went off for six catches and 110 yards (and that’s with two drops, one in the end zone) and on the biggest play of the game Sunday, Terence Newman gave Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson too much room along the sideline and he caught a 39-yard pass that set up the game winning TD.

The reason I’m looking at Phillips is that he has absolutely no sense of urgency. After the Giants game, he seemed optimistic that they could turn things around, but on Sunday during his post game press conference, he seemed more tired of losing than upset about losing.

Phillips’ calm demeanor is rubbing off on the players, and that’s a problem. I understand that Phillips isn’t going to yell, curse, and get angry, but didn’t he say he was going to hold more players accountable this season? That hasn’t happened. It’s ok for the Cowboys to be calm and relaxed, but you still need to realize that your season is about to end with you on the outside of the playoff picture.

The Cowboys are treating this like its October and there’s still time to let things work themselves out. That’s not the case. It’s December, it’s time to leave your body, blood sweat, and tears on the field.

Instead the Cowboys just leave opportunities and TDs.

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