One and Done: Giants Fire Defensive Coordinator Bill Sheridan

The New York Giants have parted ways with defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan just hours after co-owner John Mara said there was to be “changes” to the coaching staff and player personnel according to ESPN.com. 

Under Sheridan the Giants defense was ranked No. 30 in the NFL in  points given up, with only St. Louis and Detroit ahead of them. Ironically, Steve Spagnuolo, the head coach of the Rams, is the same man who vacated the Giants defensive coordinator position last year.

New York gave up over 30 points seven times this season, a sharp contrast to last season when they only allowed that to happen twice.

While no replacement has been named, Mara has assured the public head coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese’s jobs were safe.

 

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5 Potential Free Agents The Giants Should Consider

The New York Giants are a team built for success now and in the near future.
Injuries hurt them this year, but they aren’t as bad as their collapse perceives them to be. New York is a few pick ups away from being at the top of the NFC East again. Here are five potential free agent pick ups that could help next year.

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Giants News: Bill Sheridan Is Fired

DC Let Go After Tumultuous Inaugural Season

The Giants have announced that defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has been fired.

Sheridan, who many feel is to blame for the Giants’ poor defensive performance this season, took over the defense when Steve Spagnuolo left last year to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.

The Giants surrendered 427 points this season, a franchise-high for a 16-game schedule.  They also allowed opponents 40 or more points in a game five times, another infamous franchise record.

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Chicago Bears Play The Waiting Game With Lovie Smith and Staff

LAKE FOREST — The Bears made everyone wait until the season’s final two games to see the true potential of their offense.

A day after the season ended they were still making people wait — this time to learn the fate of the coaching staff. Players cleaned out their lockers Monday after meeting with coaches, and it seemed like business as usual for the last day of a season with one exception.

Instead of holding a Monday post-season press conference, the team pushed Smith’s and/or general manager Jerry Angelo’s annual exit Q and A back to Tuesday at 2 p.m.

It could have significance in terms of the coaching staff’s fate after a third straight non-playoff season. Then again, it could be a matter of the entire organization meeting Monday to get their stories straight on how best to present a course of non-action to the public.

If the organization has decided to eat the final two years and $11 million in salary on Smith’s contract by dispatching him, it didn’t show when coaches met with players Monday.

“Lovie talked to us like we expect everything to be the same next year, like what our goals need to be for 2010 and what we need to do in the off-season to get there,” linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said. “I know that across the locker room you’ve heard it from a lot of guys, that we think that he should be here.

“I’m under the impression that he will be. I certainly hope he will be, and that’s the way he talked to us today.”

Following Sunday’s 37-23 season-ending win at Detroit, players made it clear they want Smith back. They continued issuing pleas for retention Monday by absorbing blame for their second 7-9 record in three years.

“I believe in coach Smith, so I think when you have people who believe in each other that’s a good start,” linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said. “That’s one of the big reasons I’m here, so I’m an advocate for Lovie. So I’d be surprised if he’s not here.”

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, who like Tinoisamoa ended up on injured reserve, thinks Smith can still guide a rapid turnaround. “Anything can change in a heartbeat,” Ogunleye said. “And next year could be the year. So for the way that he’s taken this organization to the Super Bowl and to the NFC championship, I think he deserves a little bit more credit than he’s getting.

“We’re not going to be on top all the time. Even if you’re Bill Belichick or Lovie Smith, you’re going to have your ups and downs.”

The team’s late-season two-game winning streak may or may not weigh down on Smith’s side. The Bears did not lose to a single losing team this year, although five of their seven wins came against the dredges of the league: Seattle (5-11), Cleveland (5-11), St. Louis (1-15) and Detroit (2-14) twice. That’s a 15-65 combined record.

Their losses included two defeats by Green Bay and one each by Minnesota, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Arizona. All were playoff teams.

Missing the playoffs even after bringing in quarterback Jay Cutler may come down harder in favor of getting rid of the offensive coaching staff, or at least coordinator Ron Turner.

With Cutler throwing eight touchdown passes the final two games and wide receiver Devin Aromashodu coming on strong at season’s end, it might look on the surface like Turner’s offense and a line with three new starters finally started to gel.

Then again, maybe it would have happened earlier if Aromashodu had been playing more and the coaches had identified the need to bench left tackle Orlando Pace while moving Chris Williams to left tackle.

Unlike with Smith, no one rushed in to throw their support behind Turner or even quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton. In fact, after Sunday’s finale, Cutler went out of his way to compliment his receivers while still getting in a perceived jab about how they need to be used in a different way.

“I think it’s a bunch of good guys who can grow together and kind of complement each other,” Cutler said of his receivers. “If we get D.A. (Aromashodu) over on the weak side a little bit more with his big body and let those other guys run underneath, it’s going to be fun.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can take the top off the defense and stretch the field.”

The issue of which players return now comes into play, as well. Speculation has it that center Olin Kreutz could be cut with Josh Beekman waiting in the wings at center, or that defensive tackle may be on the way out.

It’s also possible the team might not pursue free agent defensive end Adewale Ogunleye after Mark Anderson had two sacks, three hurries and a couple tackles for loss in the final two games playing for Ogunleye.

“At the end of the day, I would love to be here in Chicago,” Ogunleye said. “That‘s definite. I love the city. The fans are the best in the country.

“But I don’t beg. I know the kind of player I am: a great leader, a great defensive end who still has a couple years left in the tank. For anybody, I‘m going to be an asset. Hopefully it‘s here. I pray it‘s here. If not, I know that‘s the way the business goes.”

Tinoisamoa, who had signed only a one-year deal, didn’t express as much uncertainty.

 “There’s probably a good chance I won’t be here,” he said. “This is just the business.”

It seems certain he isn’t alone in thinking this. Now the question is whether some of those who think it are coaches.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Five First Round Possibilities for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Now that the Pittsburgh Steeler’s season officially came to an end yesterday it is time to look forward to the future. The Steelers desperately need to fill some big holes for 2010—see anyone in the secondary.

The Steelers will be drafting higher in April than usual, so the Steelers will definitely be looking to upgrade significantly at certain positions. These are five players who I believe the Steelers will be looking at closest come April.

I will also be doing this for the second and third round too.

Enjoy!

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New England Patriots: Need Wes Welker and Tom Brady to Win Against the Ravens?

The devastating loss of Wes Welker and the injuries that Brady is playing with could spell the early departure of the Patriots from the playoffs.

Wes Welker has suffered ligament tears that didn’t just end his season but honestly it’s an injury that could end his career. Injury reports have also been issued indicating that Tom Brady is playing with not only broken ribs but also a broken index finger on his passing hand.

The argument goes that because Wes Welker is out then it is a simple defensive task of double covering Randy Moss to reduce the Patriots offense to a tortoise pace.
Let’s think about that for a moment. Who’s left on the offense that could give a defense fits.

There is a surprising Welker like rookie by the name of Jullian Edelman, and another new name, Sam Aiken not to mention the tight end Benjamin Watson for receiving chores.
There is also a running back crew that has Sammy Morris, Fred Taylor, Lawrence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis and good ole stand-by Kevin Faulk.

I’ll agree that in that group there isn’t a single standout superstar running back stud but the Pats are averaging 120 yards rushing per game. That’s not even mentioning receiving yards or yards after catch when these backs are the receiver.
That’s a lot of offensive tools that have been discounted without consideration of their talents.

Making the assumption that Tom Brady will continue playing despite his injuries, the loss of Welker and double team of Randy Moss provides Tom with the incentive of more effective ball distribution amongst the remaining players.
In years previous Brady was known for spreading the wealth. He’s been a bit stingy with those balls of late as it’s always easier to focus on a sure thing. That’s what Welker and Moss provided him with a, safety net.

I’m going to throw out one more name: Brian Hoyer.  He’s young, he’s a rookie and he has shown to be a pretty good back up quarterback. Despite his fumble in the backfield giving up a defensive touchdown in his first snap of the Patriots game against the Houston Texans it’s my contention that fumble could have happened to fully half of all starting quarterbacks in the league today.
Simply, it was a bad offensive call.

I understand that Hoyer is a rookie but it wouldn’t be the first time in NFL history to see a back up QB take his team deep into the playoffs. It’s been argued that the Patriots have a quarterback system that would allow even the most mediocre quarterback to succeed.

Could Hoyer be our Cinderella if Brady can’t go? He could be the rookie who’s to dumb to know that he’s not supposed to win.

Despite that thought Hoyer probably won’t get the chance unless Tom gets rocked early and often. Apparently he’s been playing hurt all season, he’s not going to just hand the ball to Hoyer and beg Bill Belichick to pull him out of the game.

For this upcoming Wildcard weekend playoff game it’s not the offense that I’m worried about it’s the defense that needs a backbone.
We expect some big defensive players to return for this first playoff game and I’m hoping that Vince Wilfork, Jarvis Green and Ty Warren all make it back out on to the field to help solidify the front line.

Yes the Patriots can win without Wes Welker and yes they could win without Tom Terrific but if the defense doesn’t show up…the postseason will be as good as over.

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NFL Quick Hits (Jan. 4): The Coaching Cycle Has Begun

Wes Welker Reportedly Out For Playoffs

Welker sustained a knee injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, and according to several sources, he has torn both his ACL and MCL ligaments.

Welker’s absence will hurt the Patriots fluidity on offense, although rookie receiver Julian Edelman displayed the ability to step up with 10 catches for 103 yards in Week 17.

Look for Welker to have a difficult time making it back in time for the start of the 2010 season, which should force Edelman into the slot until he returns.

 

Jim Zorn Fired, Redskins Pursuing Mike Shanahan

Zorn being fired wasn’t a surprise, and neither is Washington chasing after Shanahan. Reports have Shanahan on a plane with owner Daniel Synder and GM Bruce Allen, although they cannot be confirmed.

Regardless, Shanahan is said to not be overly interested in the Buffalo Bills head coaching position, and has his sights on taking over the post in Washington.

 

Bill Cowher May Not Coach in 2010

With several teams retaining their head coaches and other openings not appearing attractive to Cowher, the CBS analyst is not expected to rush back into coaching.

It’s quite clear that Cowher is willing to take his time and be careful as to where he continues his coaching career, so don’t bank on him returning before 2011.

 

Chad Ochocinco Having Issues With Knee

Ochocinco is reportedly unable to fully extend his knee, which he injured against the New York Jets in Week 17.

Ochocinco claimed that the injury was caused by the horrible field conditions, and was scheduled for an MRI on Monday. Regardless of numerous reports on the injury, few in Cincinnati regard this as a serious injury, and No. 85 is fully expected to start at home against the Jets next week.

 

Jaguars Expected to Retain Jack Del Rio

Early reports suggest that Jacksonville “quietly” retained Del Rio and his coaching staff, despite the Jaguars dropping their final four games and finishing at an average 7-9 on the season.

This doesn’t guarantee that Del Rio stays on for 2010, but the extensions have apparently been signed, keeping Del Rio and his staff in Jacksonville until we’re told otherwise.

 

Buffalo Bills Unload Entire Coaching Staff

After firing Dick Jauron earlier in the season, Bills management finished the job by ridding the team of Jauron’s entire coaching staff, including recent interim coach, Perry Fewell.

Fewell wasn’t terrible in a little less than half a season as the head coach, and is expected to even still interview for the top position.

However, the firing of the entire staff gives the Bills flexibility, and allows them to pursue whoever they want, while also giving Fewell some more consideration.

 

Tom Cable Likely to be Fired

The 2009 season was full of upsets for the Oakland Raiders, as Tom Cable did a good coaching job against supposedly superior opponents, but watched as his team struggled against talent on their level.

Regardless of the minimal success, Al Davis is expected to let Cable go, which will undoubtedly ignite “Gruden to Oakland” rumors, raising speculation that former coach Jon Gruden could make a return.

For more NFL news and articles, go here .

 

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Mike Leach and the Oakland Raiders: Yay, It Shall Come To Pass

Fantasy footballers, announcers, coaches, defensive coordinators and almost everyone else peripherally involved with professional football are slowly coming to a similar conclusion: the NFL is now a passing league.

But the transformation has been slow, tentative. At any moment, we’re capable of regressing back to the grind-it-out, run-run-incomplete pass-punt offense of our esteemed forebears.

“Please, NFL, stop passing on first down!” we cry, clutching our heads in fear. “You’re much too exciting! Put us all back to sleep now!”

Our longing for Joe Buck-induced torpor now hangs in the balance with the rumors that fired Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is in the mix for the Oakland Raiders’ future head coaching vacancy .

Yes, the progenitor of the Airraid—the shoot-em-up attack that sent the Texas Tech Red Raiders to ten straight bowl games and propelled them to the doorstep of the national championship for at least a few weeks—is on a list of names to take over if Al Davis fires Tom Cable in the Raiders’ upcoming coaching performance review.

Leach has already remade the Big 12 in his image. The conference that formerly featured 12 variations on the option-pitch now resembles a high-powered gunslingers’ duel.

Leach has taken the players passed over by the big programs and plugged them into a system that is proven to succeed. By spreading the ball out to a multitude of receivers, defenders aren’t able to predict where the ball will go, and the lesser secondaries have gotten torched.

It works in college. As of this year, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas and Baylor all run some variation of the wide-open passing spread spawned from Leach’s days under Hal Mumme and LaVell Edwards, and the attack is spreading to the other conferences as more and more of Leach’s disciples find positions elsewhere.

So is it too much of a stretch to say the Airraid, which emphasizes quick outlets for quarterbacks and demands smooth, intuitive route-running from wide receivers, will remake the League? Will Mike Leach push the NFL from pass-favorable to pass-only?

Yes, it is; and no, he won’t. Depending on your sympathies, college football is either a crucible in which to test the limits of the game, or a three-year nuisance standing between a freakishly talented high-school player and his millions of entitled dollars.

In either case, it is without question a poor, poor place for college offensive minds to ply their wares. Leach to Oakland is an experiment whose results we’ve already seen. Steve Spurrier, a similarly talented offensive mind who retooled the passing game, survived two seasons with the Washington Redskins before being run out.

Saying Mike Leach will go to Oakland to tutor JaMarcus Russell and make the Raiders’ passing attack scary again is as insane as projecting Rich Rodriguez to take over for Mike Tomlin and retool Pittsburgh’s rushing attack with the zone-read. (Dennis Dixon for NFL MVP in 2010!)

Of course, some part of me wants to see this. Leach is as good on the microphone as Ric Flair in his prime . His unorthodox approach to the media and the PR machine is praised by us old-schoolers who are tired of the PC path the game has taken.

And Leach is also an outstanding teacher; he’s taken middling three-stars and broken every meaningful Big 12 passing and receiving record. He’s produced league- and nation-leading offenses consistently, and demonstrated uninterrupted continuity and production between quarterbacks and receivers even within a single year. He’s done much more with much less than what’s available in Oakland.

But as much as I love insanity—particularly of the Leach variety —I love the integrity of Leach’s system more. I wouldn’t want to see it fail, as it inevitably would, at the next level. Coverages are too good, but more importantly, Leach’s system would fail for the same reason Spurrier’s did—it put its quarterback in too much danger.

For the amount of money a team invests in its quarterbacks, dropping back to throw an average of 50 times per game amounts to financial suicide.

Plus, Oakland’s administration is diseased enough already. The deacon of the dysfunctional, Al Davis, and his perennially poor draft picks have led Oakland past mediocrity and into the land of conference irrelevance year after year.

And as many of us know, two crazy people can’t date each other. Someone needs to be the steady hand, and that will never be Mike Leach.

But hey, JaMarcus Russell and Louis Murphy could be the next Graham Harrell/Michael Crabtree. Right?

If Adam Schefter tweets about it , then yay, he shall come to pass.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Regular Season Roundup

It’s that time in the NFL—the remaining 12 teams are gearing up for the playoffs as they compete for the Lombardi trophy. Looking back at the 2009 NFL season, who should be considered the favorite to win it all? Who was the worst in football? Read on to find out…

 

Cumulative Power Rankings

    (Based on entire season)

 

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-2) No Tony Dungy, no problem. The Colts fired on all cylinders for 14 weeks, then mailed in the last two. That could be a potential problem heading into the postseason without momentum, but without question, no one was better than Indy all season long.
2. San Diego Chargers (13-3) After a so-so start, San Diego ran off 11 straight victories en route to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Only time will tell if Norv Turner can correct his woeful playoffs record. Phillip Rivers was arguably the second best QB in football this year.
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3) For the first half of the season, New Orleans was probably the best team in football. They’ve lost three straight games, but none of those were meaningful in the standings. Drew Brees ran a high-octane offense, and Jonathan Vilma led a much improved D alongside Darren Sharper.
4. Minnesota Vikings (12-4- The Vikings were able to reinvent their offense to a pass-first style once Brett Favre came on board. With Adrian Peterson and first-time Pro Bowler Sidney Rice also playing well, that O proved to be lethal.
5. Green Bay Packers (11-5) The Pack attack was nearly perfect the second half of the season, and Aaron Rodgers appears hungry for a third chance against Minnesota. Dom Capers did a great job at improving Green Bay’s defense.
6. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) The Cowboys shook off all the naysayers and were the first to take down the Saints. They followed that up a few weeks later with an impressive win over the Eagles that gave them the NFC East crown. Tony Romo quietly threw for over 4,400 yards and 25 touchdowns.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) DeSean Jackson has emerged as one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL. His speed, coupled with Donovan McNabb’s leadership and Philly’s hard-nosed defense helped the Eagles finish 11-5. They have that Michael Vick guy too. 
8. New England Patriots (10-6) Not exactly an ideal record for the usually top-seeded Patriots, but a three-seed in the AFC is nothing to complain about. The loss of Wes Welker could spell doom for Tom Brady and company next week.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) The Bengals were definitely the surprise team in football this year. Their defense actually played well above average, and Cedric Benson revived his career at RB. 
10. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) Baltimore gets the nod over Arizona because they played a much tougher schedule, and because their margin of victory was 80 points larger than the Cardinals. 
11. Arizona Cardinals (10-6- Better regular season than last year, but that NFC West division is just too weak for the Cardinals to not win. 
12. New York Jets (9-7) Many wanted to count the Jets out, but that defense under head coach Rex Ryan was enough to get New York a wild-card spot. Mark Sanchez had a very up and down rookie campaign. 
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) No one saw this one coming. The defending champs lost easy games to bad teams, and maybe this proves what many thought all along: Troy Polamalu is the Steelers MVP. The Madden curse continues…
14. Atlanta Falcons (9-7) Considering ATL played without Michael Turner and Matt Ryan during some of their most crucial games, 9-7 isn’t such a bad record. Expect the Falcons to be a playoff contender next year. 
15. Houston Texans (9-7) Houston deserves credit for completing their first ever winning season. Still, that running game was atrocious all season long. Steve Slaton may have been the LVP (least valuable player) this year.
16. Tennessee Titans (8-8) Chris Johnson was by far the fantasy football MVP for 2009. The Titans’ revival was in part because of Vince Young’s improved passer rating. Hopefully, Jeff Fisher learned his lesson and won’t start 2010 with Kerry Collins at QB.
17. New York Giants (8-8) The Giants were off to a 5-0 start, appeared to be Super Bowl contenders, then absolutely collapsed. What happened to that defense? Two straight games allowing 40-plus points is unacceptable. 
18. Carolina Panthers (8-8) With Matt Moore at the helm, the Panthers didn’t look like an average football team. They’ve got two 1,100 yard rushers and a good offensive line, but Jake Delhomme cost Carolina multiple victories early on.
19. Denver Broncos (8-8) Denver’s season was a roller coaster ride to say the least. Unfortunately, Josh McDaniels isolated his best player, Brandon Marshall, and may have cost his team a playoff appearance. 
20. Miami Dolphins (7-9) The ‘Phins played like a playoff contender one week, then faltered the next week. They were far too inconsistent to make the postseason. Chad Henne played well, and surprisingly, so did Ricky Williams.
21. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) Mike Singletary certainly had his team playing 110 percent every game, but the 49ers need to add a few pieces on both sides of the ball to make it beyond 8-8. Frank Gore and Vernon Davis were bright spots for San Fran. 
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9) Somehow, the Jags were two games above .500 and fighting for a playoff spot earlier in the season. Eventually, the football gods intervened and brought an average team back to earth.
23. Chicago Bears (7-9) Da Bears underachieved all season, and Jay Cutler had a tendency to throw to the other team. Chicago needs to add a legitimate receiver and find a way to get Matt Forte more involved in 2010.
24. Buffalo Bills (6-10) The Bills were supposed to have an outstanding passing attack, but that plan faltered without a decent QB to throw the ball. At least they have two great RBs (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch) to build around. 
25. Cleveland Browns (5-11) Eric Mangini probably saved his job by running off four straight victories to end the season. Without a true starting QB or much of a defense, it could be more of the same below-average football in Cleveland next year.
26. Oakland Raiders (5-11) For some reason, Oakland beat great teams like Philadelphia, and then lost to bad teams like Washington. I guess nothing should surprise me as long as Al Davis runs the Raiders.
27. Washington Redskins (4-12) Adios, Jim Zorn. The ‘Skins faced front office turmoil for 17 weeks, and were simply a bad football team. They had one of the worst offenses in football, but at least Brian Orakpo was a bright spot.
28. Seattle Seahawks (5-11) Seattle played uninspired football all season long, and it shows in their 5-11 record. Perhaps it’s time to move on from the Matt Hasselbeck era. 
29. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) Matt Cassell probably wishes he still had the Patriots offensive line in front of him. Jamaal Charles was playing out of his mind by season’s end though, which helped KC knock out the Broncos.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13) Josh Freeman helped the Bucs avoid a winless season, but Tampa Bay was pretty awful. Still, they had a rookie head coach and a very young team.
31. Detroit Lions (2-14) Hey, they won two more games than last year, and Matt Stafford is no Joey Harrington, so that’s something to be encouraged about.
32. St. Louis Rams (1-15) Congrats on getting Ndamukong Suh, St. Louis.

 

• MVP – Peyton Manning – Best player on the best team in football.

Runners Up: Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Chris Johnson

 

• Defensive Player of the Year – Charles Woodson – Woodson was a lockdown defender on a Green Bay team with a completely different defensive scheme. He narrowly beats out Darren Sharper for this pick.

     Runners Up: Darren Sharper, Elvis Dumervil, Darrelle Revis

 

• Offensive Rookie of the Year – Percy Harvin – Harvin was a dangerous weapon that Brett Favre loved to utilize. He had nearly 800 receiving yards and even finished with 15 rushing attempts.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year – Brian Orakpo – Orakpo was seventh in the NFL with 11 sacks, which also led all rookies. He is one of a handful of rookies who will appear in the Pro Bowl.
• Coach of the Year – Marvin Lewis – Lewis took a Bengals team expected to finish third in the AFC North and led them to a division crown.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Romomentum: Can the Dallas Cowboys Contend This Postseason?

We have all heard the headlines about the Dallas Cowboys’ struggles in December and going into the postseason, and we all remember Tony Romo’s botched snap that ousted the team from the playoffs.

Tony Romo is a guy that is easy to love and easy to hate.

On one hand, he is the pretty boy that dates hot celebrity women, so it’s easy for guys to hate him for his glamorous life off the field. 

But as a sports fan, it’s hard not to like this guy.  He is a leader, does and says all the right things, and, with the exception of Terrell Owens, most people would agree that he is a great teammate. 

For these reasons, Cowboys fans want this guy to succeed and remain the face of their franchise.

They also want him to bring another championship home to adorn their new billion-dollar facility.  No one wants this worse than the guy that paid for that stadium, Jerry Jones.

Could this be the year?

I believe it is. 

This season, Tony Romo has been the picture of consistency.

Since Week 12 against Oakland, Romo has led the Cowboys to a 4-2 record and has had an average passer rating of 106.9. 

He has also averaged 309 yards per game in this stretch and quieted doubters that said he could not win in December.

Sunday’s absolute destruction of the Philadelphia Eagles 24-0 showed that Romo and his Cowboys are ready for the playoffs.

Unfortunately for Dallas, they have to play that same Eagle team this week, and beating the same team twice is a tough thing to do in the National Football League.

The Eagles will undoubtedly come back to Jerry World with a chip on their shoulders, but unless they can get more pressure on Romo, the results may be the same. 

Philadelphia’s lack of pressure on Romo allowed the Dallas quarterback to throw for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 106.4.

Look for Romo and the Cowboys to come out slinging again this weekend, and look for them to ride this momentum deep into the playoffs, maybe even to Miami.

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