A lot of Dallas Cowboys’ fans have given up on quarterback Tony Romo. Despite the quarterback’s impressive 2011 campaign that ended, not due to his play, but due to defensive slipups and coaching mishaps, fans don’t want to give Romo the chance to lead the team to the Super Bowl. One fan who is giving Romo all his support is the Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones.

Tony Romo
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There have been lots of people down on Romo that believe he can’t win a Super Bowl. Just scroll through comments on any article about the quarterback and you will find people who guarantee that Romo is not good enough to lead Dallas to a Super Bowl. That is strange talk since Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins led their teams to the Super Bowl.

Even former teammates like Deion Sanders said that Romo isn’t good enough to win the big one. However, in the 2011 season, he finished with the highest QB rating of his career (102.5), threw 31 touchdowns and only ten interceptions. Romo had one of the best years of any quarterback in 2011.

That is probably why Jerry Jones said he wouldn’t trade Romo for either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III. That’s pretty big support since the Indianapolis Colts plan to dump the best quarterback in the NFL for Luck this year. Tony Romo means more to the Cowboys than Peyton Manning does to the Indianapolis Colts. That is pretty big.

Romo is entering his eighth season as starter of the Cowboys in 2012 and has improved almost every season in his on-field play. He has been accused of making mental mistakes late in important games but limited that in 2011 and was more valuable than a hindrance in 2011. Romo is the reason Dallas won quite a few of their games, and if not for defensive mishaps and bad coaching, would have quarterbacked them into the playoffs.

Manning, one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history only had a QB rating higher than Romo’s 2011 numbers twice in his career. Manning also routinely throws more interceptions than Romo. Manning never won his first Super Bowl until his ninth season in the league. If the Colts gave up on Manning after seven seasons, they never would have won that Super Bowl.

Romo has what it takes to win the big one. Dallas just needs to give him the pieces necessary for it, preferably a competent offensive line and more defensive playmakers. Just stop blaming Romo.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports.com

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With all the talk about the Dallas Cowboys’ need to fix their defense, let’s look a little at the one problem area on offense: the offensive line.

Tyron Smith
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Before the 2011 season, Dallas cut three starting offensive linemen in Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo. That brought them into the season with rookies protecting Tony Romo. Phil Costa, Tyron Smith and Bill Nagy all started the season as men the Cowboys relied on to protect their franchise quarterback. Romo ended up with broken ribs.

Dallas has to do a better job of protecting the quarterback, who will remain the starter in Dallas for a long time. Stephen Jones said earlier in February that the Cowboys would sign Romo to an extension way before 2013, keeping him from being a free agent in 2014 and ensuring he will be the man to lead Dallas to the Super Bowl, if that is ever to be.

They also need to protect DeMarco Murray, their running back who excited fans with his play as a rookie in 2011 before falling to an injury himself. Dallas took one major step in protecting Murray by giving fullback Tony Fiammetta a tender to ensure that Murray at least has a lead blocker before he hits that line.

Hopefully, the line will improve in their second year together as a unit. Head coach Jason Garrett already announced a big move that most Cowboys’ fans expected. Tyron Smith is moving to left tackle in 2012 to protect Romo’s blindside. That is a huge decision since Smith was the one offensive lineman that looked great in 2011.

Doug Free, who gave up one too many blindside hits in 2011, will move to the right side. That is a nice move too since that is where Free started out at in 2009 for Dallas. Next up is Costa, who was not a good fit at the center position. There is a good chance they could move him to guard, where he played in college, and then look for an upgrade at center.

However, the player that many people predict Dallas will chase with their first round pick is not a cornerback, like I believe they should draft, or a center but instead offensive guard David DeCastro. The Stanford guard impressed a lot of people at the NFL Combine but might be someone to be careful of. The move would send Dallas into 2012 with another rookie on the line again and fans can only hope this one will be more Tyron Smith and less Phil Costa.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

As the free agent period comes near, the Dallas Cowboys have made their first decision on their own free agent players. Cowboys’ Vice President Stephen Jones only offered one restricted free agent a tender and that went to fullback Tony Fiammetta.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium
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That means that receiver Kevin Ogletree and running back Chauncey Washington will not return at this time and, if either player returns, it will be for league minimum. That is not a big loss because Ogletree has had a few chances to prove himself as a starter and failed. When Miles Austin went down with a hamstring injury in 2011, Dallas did not trust Ogletree and went out to sign free agent Laurent Robinson instead. That is all that we need to know about their opinion of Ogletree.

Fiammetta, however, is a great return for the team. The fullback was the lead blocker when DeMarco Murray was breaking the Dallas record for most rushing yards in a game. When Fiammetta went down to injury, Murray’s numbers dropped. It is clear that Dallas needs a blocking back, especially with their offensive line a work in progress. Fiammetta is not the next Daryl Johnston but he will help the Cowboys run the ball, which is something they have to do if they want to win.

Next up for Dallas is figuring out what to do about Anthony Spencer. I think Dallas needs to re-sign Spencer and then add one more linebacker in the draft. If they get a good enough pick, they will have the middle of their defense locked up.

Then, Dallas will more than likely waive Terence Newman. There is a good chance he will be gone by the time free agency starts on March 13. However, if they release him after June 1, the Cowboys will save around $6 million, which will come in handy to sign their new draft picks.

There is also the question of what to do about a number of other unrestricted free agents, including Laurent Robinson, Mat McBriar, Alan Ball and Bradie James. March 13 is the deadline we are looking at and anyone unsigned at that time might be on their way out the door.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Dallas Morning News

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The Dallas Cowboys need a cornerback pretty bad for the 2012 season. Terence Newman is on his way out the door, Orlando Scandrick is nothing better than a nickelback and that leaves only Mike Jenkins as the only sure-fired starter in the secondary.

Cortland Finnegan
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With that in mind, there is both the free agency period that kicks off in a matter of weeks and the 2012 NFL Draft for the Cowboys to fill that deficiency. The place to find a true star is the draft but the safer bet is to find a free agent that can help Dallas fill their needs.

Here is a look at three names that might be available to help the Dallas Cowboys fix their cornerback problem.

Brandon Carr

According to a number of sources, the Dallas Cowboys plan to sign Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Carr and use their first round draft pick on an offensive lineman, a decision that makes no sense at all. Yes, Dallas needs offensive line help but their line in 2011 was young and should be better in 2012. They need defensive help the most and Jerry Jones even said he wants to draft a pass rusher.

However, Kansas City said they want to re-sign Carr and will continue to discuss a contract with him heading into the free agent period. Carr had a career-high four interceptions in 2011 (the same as Terence Newman) but finished with a career low 45 tackles.

Cortland Finnegan

There are a lot of teams that want Tennessee Titan’s cornerback free agent Cortland Finnegan. The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions both mentioned chasing him but the Cowboys’ name is on the list as well. However, Finnegan finished 2011 with only one interception, his least since 2008, and 75 total tackles, a drop-off from 2010. He is also 28 and it might serve Dallas better to go young at the position, especially when watching Newman’s numbers drop.

Dre Kirkpatrick

The chance of Dre Kirkpatrick being available when the Dallas Cowboys come to the podium to make their first round draft pick is slim. However, with his marijuana possession charges possibly scaring off some suitors and maybe one cornerback (Morris Claiborne) going ahead of him, there is a chance he could slip. If he does, Dallas needs to jump on him.

First, the criminal charges were dropped, so that is cleared up. Second is his numbers. Kirkpatrick has played corner for eight years, all the way back to the eighth grade. Over that time, only one wide receiver has ever scored a touchdown against him. That is one touchdown reception, for someone he was covering, over eight seasons of football.

Kirkpatrick might have gotten in some trouble but he has not gotten in any real serious trouble. If Kirkpatrick is available when the Cowboys come up to draft, they would be fools not to take him.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: NFL.COM

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With the NFL Combine coming to an end, there has been a lot of talk about strange 40-yard dash times. However, when it comes time for the Dallas Cowboys to bring in their new 2012 NFL Draft class, I want them to look way past how fast a person can run a 40-yard dash.

Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones
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Sure, if Dallas drafts one of the best cover cornerbacks from the NFL Combine, it would be a great pick as far as skills and talent goes but would it be worth it to take a chance on someone like Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama? Kirkpatrick was arrested for possession of marijuana in January.

The charges were dropped but how can a kid get involved in a situation like that when the NFL Draft is approaching? It sounds a lot like the problems that Dez Bryant suffered throughout his tenure in Dallas. The charges were not always upheld but the fact is that he allowed himself to enter those precarious situations. Doesn’t the intelligence of the individual have to be worth as much as the talent on the field?

Take a long hard look at Adam “Pacman” Jones. Coming out of West Virginia, he had all the talent in the world. Jones was a first round draft pick in 2005 for the Tennessee Titans and should have been a huge star. The Titans knew that Jones was on probation for fighting but took the chance on him anyway.

Jones, shortly after the NFL Draft, was arrested again, this time for assault and felony vandalism. By the time it was all said and done, the NFL suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season and part of the 2008 season for a number of arrests and off-field problems. The Titans wasted their draft pick on a kid with talent but without a brain.

To make things worse, Jerry Jones took a chance on Jones in 2008, despite all the criminal charges, because everyone thought they could help rehabilitate him and give him a fresh start. When the Cowboys learned that Jones was a suspect in a shooting the year before, they finally dropped him.

Janoris Jenkins of North Alabama is another first round cornerback option but was dismissed from his football team after two marijuana possession charges as well as an arrest for a fight outside a bar. This brings up huge warning signs and sounds a lot like what Tennessee saw when they drafted Jones.

What Fitzpatrick did in college is nothing near as bad as what Jones or Jenkins did before the NFL Draft but it shines a harsh light on what a team should look for outside of obvious raw talent.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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Jerry Jones decided the most important aspect of the Dallas Cowboys that need fixed right now is not the secondary or the offensive line. Jones believes the biggest deficiency for the Cowboys right now is the pass rush.

Jerry Jones
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The Cowboys finished 14th in the NFL in total defense. Dallas finished 23rd in the NFL in passing defense but finished ninth in the league in sacks. However, of their 42 sacks, DeMarcus Ware had 19.5 of them. Anthony Spencer finished with 6.0 from the other outside linebacker spot and only Jason Hatcher finished with more than three on the defensive line with 4.5.

On offense, Dallas was 14th in the NFL in sacks given up, which explains the numerous injuries quarterback Tony Romo suffered through the season. Dallas expected three young, inexperienced linemen to replace the veterans that they let go, so Jones might expect them to improve in their second year as a unit.

Dallas ranked 19th in the NFL for interceptions with only 15 on the season. Linebacker Sean Lee logged four, the most in the NFL for linebackers, and Terrance Newman finished with four as well.

Those are the three areas that Dallas needs help at the most, but I can’t really see how a pass rusher will help more than a top notch shut-down cornerback.

What Jones is looking for is a strong pass rusher in the front seven, either a linebacker or defensive end. Jones sees Ware, Jay Ratliff and Spencer as his only options right now as pass rushers. I don’t see the need for a defensive lineman. Dallas, when running the 3-4 defense, have Hatcher on one end, can move Ratliff to the other end position and place Sean Lissemore on the inside.

In the linebacker corps, Ware and Spencer man the outside positions with Sean Lee at one of the inside positions. Dallas needs another inside linebacker but that does not help with the pass rush. If Jones thinks that Spencer can move inside and wants to bring in another outside linebacker, that might be nice. However, Dallas needs to find a shut-down cornerback and if Jones’ doesn’t believe Dallas needs one, the team is in trouble in 2012.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

To understand how hated the Dallas Cowboys are in the city of Philadelphia, just listen to what Daryl Johnston said about the town. “They flip me the bird in Philly. It’s good,” Johnston told the Dallas Morning News recently. For one of the more popular NFL players during his playing days, that says a lot.

Veterans Stadium
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One strong memory I have of watching the Cowboys play during Johnston’s era was when Dallas would play teams like the Arizona Cardinals on the road and the fans would all vocally chant “Moose” whenever Johnston touched the ball. It happened almost everywhere the Cowboys played. Johnston was one of the real good guys in the sport and it seemed fans loved him everywhere he played.

However, playing the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, especially at the old Veterans Stadium, is a completely different kind of experience. This was where the fans booed Santa Claus in 1968. This is the stadium where fans threw snowballs with batteries in them at Troy Aikman in 1989. These are the fans who cheered when Michael Irvin suffered the spinal cord injury that ended his career and continue to jeer him today.

Philadelphia’s stadium was so dangerous to visit that the City of Philadelphia assigned a Municipal Court Judge to try lawbreaking fans at the stadium immediately after their infractions. Philadelphia Eagles’ fans have never been known for their class.

Luckily, Philadelphia is an anomaly. Johnston, who played for the Cowboys from 1989-1999, became known for his numerous charitable works. He has recently been working on helping NFL veterans get medical assistance, something the NFL has been balking at. According to Johnston, he normally gets accepted everywhere he goes.

“People recognize me as Moose. I think that’ll always be a part of who I am. It’s fun,” Johnston said. “When you talk about America’s Team, I think the moniker for the Dallas Cowboys really fits because we have a fan base that extends to every city.”

Dallas has fans everywhere, except for Philadelphia that is. Those fans even hate Santa Claus.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Dallas Morning News

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It seems like as the 2011 NFL regular season rolls to a conclusion, the person we hear from the most with Dallas Cowboys’ related news is Jerry Jones. He is the owner and general manager, but it almost seems lately he is their chief PR man as well.

Jerry Jones
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This week, Jones has even more news about his team to deliver to the press and the public in general.

The first thing that Jones wanted to make clear is that Jason Garrett will be his head coach in 2012. Jones said that, even if Dallas loses to the New York Giants on Sunday night and misses the playoffs, there is zero-percent chance he fired Garrett.

I agree with this stance. Jason Garrett has been head coach for just over one year. If a team drops a coach without giving them a fair chance, and one full season is not a fair chance, they will end up like the Oakland Raiders.

Garrett, in his head coaching career is 13-9. A lot of people talk about his play calling, but in his first year in Dallas calling the plays, the Cowboys went 13-3, the best record in the NFC. That was four years ago. Now that he is the head coach, a lot more is expected of him.

However, in the 2011 season, his first full season as the head man, he has had to deal with a starting quarterback breaking his ribs, his starting wide receiver missing half the year with a bad hamstring and his explosive new rookie starting running back going down with a season ending injury. That is a lot to deal with. Add in the fact that their leading tackler has been playing with a cast on his hand and the best player on the entire team, DeMarcus Ware, has been playing hurt as well.

It sounds like I am making excuses for the Cowboys’ record but I’m not. I am just stating the facts. Dallas proved this season they can beat any team they play, and all but one loss was due to mental lapses at the end. That is on Garrett but it is something he will grow with as his career wears on.

Jerry Jones says he is not going to fire Garrett if Dallas loses. In my opinion, that is a good thing because it means he is going to let his coach actually try to build something here. Playing hot potato at head coach is no way to develop a franchise.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: CBSSports.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

For Dallas Cowboys’ fans worried about Tony Romo’s status for the New Year’s Day game against the New York Giants, Miles Austin says not to worry. The receiver, who has been working this week with Romo, said the quarterback is practicing just fine.

Austin went on to say that Romo has been accurate and does not show any signs of the hand bothering him at all. While he said he doesn’t know how Romo feels, he knows that the passes feel normal and are on par with what he is used to from the Cowboys’ signal caller.

Luckily for Romo, there were eight days between the injury and the Giants’ game, so the hand had time to heal. His hand has been wrapped up and protected this week during practice while Romo has been throwing the ball. On Friday, it was heavily taped up in an effort to further decrease the swelling.

Romo has said all week he expects to play in the game. He said his hand has improved day-by-day and the swelling has been going down on a steady basis. In an interesting statement for fans, Romo said that playing with the injured ribs earlier in the season was much harder than playing with the swelling in his hand.

Romo has been playing in pain all season, so it was no surprise to learn he would not miss the game that will determine the NFC East champions. In the first game against the Giants this season, Romo threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns, which makes sense with the Giants having the 27th ranked pass defense in the NFL.

However, Dallas’ defense collapsed in the final two minutes and the Giants came back to win. With the defense prone to slip-ups, especially late in games, Dallas needs Romo at full strength. Thankfully, that is what Austin says his quarterback currently is.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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Brandon Jacobs has a message for Dallas Cowboys’ football fans. He said that it is not the team’s fault so many people hate them. The New York Giants’ running back said the reason people hate the Cowboys is because their fans are so bad.

Brandon Jacobs
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Jacobs even said that Dallas fans are worse than Philadelphia Eagles fans. He did back up and say it is not the way they act at games that makes them bad but it is instead the way Cowboys’ fans act in their everyday life.

This week, Dallas Cowboys’ fans are at the tip of Jacobs’ hate filled tongue.

It is nice to see that Jacobs has moved on. If you remember right, this is the same Brandon Jacobs who went face to face with Rex Ryan last week when Ryan told the running back to shut up until they win the Super Bowl. Jacobs then told Ryan he would punch him in the face and called him fat.

While Rex Ryan took a lot of grief for the confrontation, it was Jacobs who kept talking. In the press conferences and interviews after the game, Ryan said it was a private conversation and he knows that Jacobs doesn’t like him. When Jacobs was interviewed after the game, he made more fat comments and reiterated that he would punch Ryan in the face.

Someone needs anger management classes.

In interviews this week, Rex’s brother Rob Ryan, the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, was asked about the situation. He said he respects both his brother and Jacobs and then said that he was pretty sure it was not a one-sided argument. He then pointed out that Jacobs ran for 101 yards last time the Cowboys played the Giants.

In interviews, Jacobs also claimed there was a long standing feud between the Ryan family and Giants’ assistant coach Kevin Gilbride. Rob Ryan laughed that off as well.

This is a championship game between the Giants and Cowboys. This isn’t about grudges, it is about winning the NFC East. Anyone who thinks otherwise is only trying to create problems. Of course, if you ask Jacobs, that is what Dallas Cowboys’ fans might be best at.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Dallas Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten missed the Pro Bowl in 2011, his first time to miss the big game in eight years. Witten played in the Pro Bowl from 2004-2010, but in 2011, it is Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham getting the call instead.

Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
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While Dallas fans might complain about his omission, the fact is that Witten, once the best tight end in the NFL, is now realistically not even the third best in the NFC.

Jimmy Graham has given the New Orleans Saints something they have not had, a tight end who can contribute major stats for the team’s offense. Heading into the final week of the season, Graham has 91 receptions for 1,213 yards and ten touchdowns. Graham is also only 25 and looks to be the next generation’s Jason Witten.

Tony Gonzalez is at the other end of the spectrum, 35 years old but enjoying his best season since he played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. Heading into the final game of 2011, Gonzalez has 79 receptions for 867 yards and seven touchdowns. The Pro-Bowl loves rewarding legendary comeback players.

Unless Jason Witten has his best game of the 2011 season, he will miss out on 1,000 yards for the first time since 2008. He has 72 receptions for 873 yards and five touchdowns. There is a chance he will have his lowest yardage totals and receptions since 2006.

In the first two games of the season, it looked like Witten was going to have another great season. He had 13 receptions for 113 yards in those first two games. He has not gained 100 yards in a game since. Since pulling down eight receptions in Week 4, he has not caught more than five balls in a game. Over the past three weeks, heading into the season finale, Witten has two games with under 25 receiving yards.

This is not the same Jason Witten that Dallas Cowboys’ fans are used to. He is still a solid player but is a step below what he once was. In 2011, he definitely wasn’t a Pro Bowl tight end.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Dallas Cowboys will not see many players on this year’s Pro Bowl squad. As a matter of fact, they were shut out completely on the offensive side of the ball. However, they will send two defensive players to the Pro Bowl, so Dallas fans have something to look forward to in the season ending exhibition game.

Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys
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It should come as no shock to anybody that DeMarcus Ware is the highest vote getter on the Dallas Cowboys’ squad. Ware is tied for second in 2011 for sacks at 18 and is widely considered not only one of the best linebackers in the game but one of the best overall defensive stars in the NFL.

Over his seven year career in Dallas, Ware has averaged 14 sacks a season and needs only two more in the final game with the New York Giants to match his season high over his career. He also has 53 tackles on the year for Dallas.

The second player to make the Pro Bowl is nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Even as a Dallas fan, this is a little strange to me. Ratliff has 35 tackles on the season, 26 solo, and two sacks. It’s not bad but is it a Pro Bowl year? Cullen Jenkins of Philadelphia had 37 tackles, 29 solo, and 5.5 sacks.

But at least Ratliff was the second Cowboys’ player to make the lineup.

Now, let’s talk about who got shafted.

Inside linebacker Sean Lee has been hurt a couple of times this season but it didn’t matter. He kept playing. The second year player out of Penn State has 94 total tackles on the season with two fumble recoveries and four interceptions, tied for the most of any linebacker for picks in the NFL alongside New York Jets linebacker David Harris. Something else the two have in common is that neither made their respective Pro Bowl teams.

Starting linebacker Patrick Willis is a monster. He has also been injured since Week 14. He has 93 tackles on the season, one interception and four forced fumbles. Willis and Lee are very similar when it comes to stats. Brian Urlacher is the other man headed to the Pro Bowl. He has 92 tackles on the year with two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. I argue that all three men deserved to make it to the Pro Bowl.

Only two made it and that means that, despite his amazing year, Sean Lee was snubbed in the NFL Pro Bowl. In any other year, he could have been the starter. Luckily, he is young and his opportunity will come.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The 2011 NFL Pro Bowl teams were released and there were only two Dallas Cowboys’ players in the lineups. Despite being one win away from making the playoffs, only two defensive stars were deemed worthy of the Pro Bowl. That is not my main problem with the NFC choices in 2011.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
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I already said awhile back that I thought Tony Romo should not make the lineup. There are three quarterbacks in the NFC who deserve this spot over Romo. The problem is that only two of those players made the Pro Bowl. Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees deserve the honors more than any other quarterback in the NFC.

However, there is no way Eli Manning should be in the Pro Bowl over someone like the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford. The Detroit Lions are back in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and it is all because of Stafford. The Giants are one loss away from sitting at home during the playoffs, and Manning gets in. What is wrong with this picture?

On the season, Stafford has 4,518 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Detroit is 10-5. Manning has 4,587 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The Giants are 8-7. Look at those numbers and tell me that Manning is better than Stafford. Romo has 3,895 yards, 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions with an 8-7 record. Touchdowns and turnovers are more important than yards, so I say Romo deserves the spot over Manning.

But, as a Dallas fan, I will say that Matthew Stafford deserves the spot over both of them.

Other than that, I don’t have many problems with the choices. Matt Forte won’t play, so I assume they replace him with Marshawn Lynch. Michael Turner might get the call but Lynch deserves it.

There is also talk that Jason Witten was snubbed but I don’t see it. Jimmy Graham is heads and shoulder above everyone else and Witten is struggling to get his stats this season.

As a Dallas fan, I have little interest in the Pro Bowl this year because of the absence of any offensive Cowboys’ stars, but honestly, no one I see really deserves it. That is, unless you believe Eli Manning deserves his spot and then I will argue Romo all day long.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat up the Dallas Cowboys for the second time this season. The big difference this time around is that no one cares. The Eagles beat the Cowboys, 20-7, in a game that meant absolutely nothing to either team.

When the game started, it still meant something. If the New York Jets could have come from behind to beat the New York Giants, the Eagles could have had something still to play for. Dallas could have clinched the NFC East with a win. Since the Giants lost, the Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention and Dallas will play for the NFC East title in Week 17, win or lose.

That is why when Tony Romo hurt his hand by slapping it off a helmet in the first quarter, his coaches wouldn’t let him return even when X-rays came back negative. That is why, with Felix Jones running on a tight hamstring, he also left the game along with Romo to protect his health.

These are not excuses, these are facts. Dallas pulled their starting quarterback and starting running back in the first quarter to protect them from further injury because the only game that matters is Week 7 against the Giants.

Instead, Stephen McGee got some pretty solid playing time. Sure, Troy Aikman made all kinds of backhand comments while announcing the game, saying Romo better get healthy because the way McGee is playing, he won’t win for the Cowboys. He didn’t win but he did throw 24-of-38 for 182 yards and a touchdown at the end of the game to Miles Austin. He didn’t throw an interception. That is a lot better than Aikman gave him credit for.

Sammy Morris shouldered the running game, but did little on the ground. Morris ran for 29 yards on 13 carries, only one yard more than McGee scrambled for on four carries. Felix Jones finished with four carries for 24 yards. Newly signed Chauncey Washington carried the ball once for negative one yard.

Plus, you have to credit the defense. They did give up 293 yards through the air to the Eagles, and two passing touchdowns for Michael Vick, but they held LeSean McCoy to 35 yards rushing on 13 carries. This wasn’t a butt kicking in any sense. Even with the Cowboys’ offense anemic, the Eagles managed a touchdown in the first quarter, another in the second quarter and two field goals in the second half.

That was it for scoring.

Now, Dallas prepares for the Giants and a chance at the playoffs. A banged up hand will not keep Tony Romo off the field and a tight hamstring won’t keep out Felix Jones. Week 17 actually means something and will determine if the Cowboys’ season ends or continues on.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys’ fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys’ related news, good or bad

Source: dallascowboys.com

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