For the NFL schedule maker, this is perfection.

After a season of inconsistency and disappointments, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants play one game that will make the winner forget the frustrations of the regular season and send the other home for a long rest.

Archrivals facing off for a division title in prime time. Delicious.

The Cowboys (8-7) and Giants (8-7) close the regular season Sunday night at Metlife Stadium, the winner getting a first-round home game against either Atlanta or Detroit. Oh, in case of a tie, which hasn’t happened all season in the NFL, the Giants capture the division and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2008 based on head-to-head play.

“I think everyone knows this is the most important game of the season,” Giants veteran left tackle David Diehl said. “We all know what’s at stake. We know what we are playing for. When we started this season our No. 1 goal was to win the division and here we are. It’s right in front of us.”

The division title has been in front of both teams all season and neither has grabbed hold of it.

The Giants won six of their first eight games then went on a four-game losing streak to fall a game behind the Cowboys in early December. New York, however, rallied from a 12-point deficit on Dec. 11 to beat Dallas 37-34 and regain first place on a tiebreaker.

The momentum lasted a week. New York put in a no-show in losing to Washington on Dec. 18, putting Dallas back in first. Of course, the inconsistency continued last week as the Giants played one of their best games of the season in knocking off and shutting up the local rival Jets 29-14.

Meanwhile, Dallas lost to Philadelphia for the second time this season and quarterback Tony Romo bruised his right hand — his passing hand.

So who shows up this week with everything on the line? Who knows?

“I think these two teams are very comparable team-wise, not only in record but the types of seasons we have had,” said Romo, who plans on playing. “I suspect that talent-wise, we are pretty close so there will be a few plays here or there that will decide this game. We have to be ready to make those plays.”

Coincidentally, both teams have been in similar situations in recent years as far as making the playoffs and came up short.

The Giants have had late-season collapses the past two years. They lost to Carolina and Minnesota in the final two games of the ’09 season to miss the playoffs and they were beaten by Philadelphia and Green Bay in the 14th and 15th games last season — blowing a 21-point fourth-quarter lead against the Eagles — to also go home early.

The Cowboys, who last went to the playoffs in the 2009 season, had another win-and-in game on the road in 2008 against the Eagles and were blown out 44-6.

“I think it’s the same thing,” Cowboys Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware said of the parallel to 2008. “Going into this game, this is an opportunity where you can sort of get a birth, an opportunity where you can catapult yourself sort of where you need to be, showcase what we actually have. We haven’t been the most consistent team this year but if you get this game and get to the playoffs, that’s like rebirth, a rebirth of the team. I think it’d be great to just keep going.”

Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said this is an easy game to get ready to play because the picture is so clear, the teams know each other so well after having played only three weeks ago — and having played each other twice a year for decades.

“There is only one game we have to focus on and only one game we have to win to get to what our next goal is,” Kiwanuka said. “We have one game and one opportunity to continue on our way to accomplishing our goal, which is winning a national title.”

The Giants could get a lift on defense with two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora expected to play for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain late last month. The Cowboys might be a little fresher because they rested several players after the Giants beat the Jets with the outcome of their game against the Eagles having no effect on the showdown nature of Sunday’s game.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin or Cowboys coach Jason Garrett will be under the microscope if their team fails to make the playoffs. Coughlin, who hurt his left leg when run into on the sideline by Giants running back D.J. Ware in the fourth quarter last week, might be in a better position after the win over the Jets, a result that had co-owner John Mara singing his praises.

Garrett has seen his team blow fourth-quarter leads of at least 12 points three times this season and might be in a little more trouble if Jerry Jones’ team misses the playoffs a second straight year.

“It’s do or die,” Dallas linebacker Bradie James said. “We can all sit here. The coaches talk about the Xs and Os and my job is just to go out there and play. It’s just sheer determination. Coach Garrett talks about will. It’s heart, determination. We can get in there and talk about execution and what we plan against this guy. They know us, we know them. It’s really going to be whoever outlasts the other. That’s how you break it down. I like to keep it as simple as possible.”

This will be the first time the NFC East winner has less than 10 wins since the division was created in 1970. The lone exception was the strike-shortened 1982 season when teams played nine games.

The Philadelphia Eagles have a tough test against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. The playoff hopes could still be alive when the game kicks off so there is something to play for in terms of saving the season. But even if those hopes are shot, the Eagles still need to come out strong. They want to finish the season strong and a win against Dallas is a good way to do that. As an Eagles fan, here are five things that need to happen for the Eagles to beat the Dallas Cowboys.

1. Air it out

Michael Vick is finally looking healthy. His ribs are healed and he seems like he can throw the ball deep again. That needs to happen in this game. Vick has played well against NFC East opponents and I think that trend needs to continue. I think the he will air it out in the first quarter. The Eagles will have at least one or two deep passes completed early. That will help set the tone for the entire game.

2. Run the football

As Philadelphia fans, we know Andy Reid is afraid of the running game. But he is smart enough to know that there is a big correlation between LeSean McCoy’s carries and Eagles wins. McCoy is the best player on this football team and he needs the ball. He is a threat to make something happen every time he has the football. Reid needs to run enough plays to McCoy to allow him to be effective.

3. Rush the passer

The Cowboys have no running back depth with DeMarco Murray out. Felix Jones is battling a hamstring injury and might not be effective. That means that Dallas will throw the football as much as they ever have. Jason Babin and Trent Cole need to rush the passer the way they have all season. Babin has been a sack machine the last three weeks. If he gets to Tony Romo early in the game, the quarterback will start making mistakes.

4. Special teams

The Eagles don’t need to worry about the kicker and the punter. Instead, they need to worry about the return game. They have had four turnovers in the past two weeks in the return game. That simply can’t happen. The Eagles have been lucky so far but that luck will only go so far. If they botch a return again, this football team will be in trouble.

5. Stay aggressive

For the past two weeks, the Eagles players seem to have shed their attitudes and focused on the game. It has shown on the scoreboard. Everyone looks like they are playing with passion. That is important even if they find out they are eliminated from the playoffs. If the Eagles maintain their swagger, it will say a lot for the coaches and the players.

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Credit: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Texas –

Almost completely out of character for Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner has publicly expressed fear about facing the Philadelphia Eagles again after what happened earlier this season.

Dallas (8-6) is the only team that doesn’t need help to win the NFC East, and the outcome of the game may have no effect at all on who does.

Star-studded Philadelphia, anointed by many in the preseason as a team with Super Bowl expectations and sure to defend its division title, now harbors only long-shot playoff chances, which could be gone before kickoff at Cowboys Stadium on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Since the Eagles (6-8) failed to parlay an impressive 34-7 victory over Dallas nearly two months ago into something much more significant, they would be eliminated from postseason contention if the New York Giants beat the Jets earlier in the day.

“I don’t worry about it,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “If you let all that other garbage get in the way, then you don’t go through the process of preparing for the Dallas Cowboys. . . . And if you worry about all that other stuff, that doesn’t help you. You can’t control that.”

Despite any possible anxiety by Jones, who later characterized his feelings as an exciting time that “carries with it all the emotion of what’s at stake for us,” there is another strange twist if the Giants (7-7) win.

Not only would the Eagles’ playoff hopes be dashed, likely changing their entire demeanor, the outcome of the game for Dallas would be rendered meaningless in determining the NFC East title. The division champion would then be the winner of the regular-season finale between the Cowboys and Giants.

“We’re focused on playing our best game against Philadelphia, and we won’t really get emotionally involved in that (Giants-Jets) game,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said.

Plus, if the Giants lose to the Jets, who lost 45-19 to Philadelphia last week, Dallas would have the opportunity to wrap up its 18th NFC East title before the home fans instead of having to worry about what happens New Year’s Day at MetLife Stadium.

So there could be a lot of scoreboard watching for both sides during pregame warm-ups at Cowboys Stadium, when the Giants and Jets will be playing their game.

Or maybe not.

“We don’t think anything other than just playing these guys this week. It’s literally nothing less or more than that,” Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said. “We’re out here to beat the Eagles. That’s all we can control.”

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick figures he will at least have an eye on the Giants-Jets score.

“But you try to stay away from watching it,” Vick said. “You can’t get too wrapped up in it.”

Regardless of what happens in the New York game, the Cowboys have a chance to avenge their most-lopsided setback in a season otherwise filled with close losses. Their other five losses are by an average of four points, the largest a six-point overtime loss.

When Philadelphia wrapped up that rout at home against the Cowboys on Oct. 30, both teams were 3-4 and two games behind the Giants.

NFC rushing leader LeSean McCoy had a career-high 185 yards with two touchdowns for Philadelphia in that Sunday night rout earlier this season after new Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had referred to the Eagles before the season as the “all-hype team” and predicted his squad would dominate them.

The Cowboys could be short-handed at running back. They already are missing DeMarco Murray, who’s out for the season, and Felix Jones is listed as questionable after missing practice all week because of hamstring tightness. The Eagles will be without Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who suffered a strained hamstring in last week’s win over the Jets.

While Jones is excited about what good could happen for the Cowboys, there still is that uneasy anticipation.

“Because it is the Eagles, after the butt-kicking they gave us up in Philadelphia, I’m scared,” the owner said during one of his regular radio appearances this week. “I have that kind of feeling about the respect turns into being afraid of what they can do to you if you have some breakdowns out there. You can put that scared in there if you want to. I think sometimes I do the best when I’m scared.”

Then again, Jones and the Cowboys might not have anything to worry about.

The Dallas Cowboys hope to avenge an early season loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve and have a chance to clinch a playoff spot if they win and the New York Giants lose. Dallas can also mathematically eliminate the Eagles from playoff competition as well with a defeat.

Owner Jerry Jones has already stated he is scared of the Eagles and here is a look at the players Dallas should be afraid of.

LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy has 1,274 rushing yards on the season and 17 touchdowns. He ran for 185 of those yards against the Dallas Cowboys. He also ran for two of his touchdowns against Dallas. Sure, he did it with the Cowboys losing defensive starters Sean Lee and Mike Jenkins but he did it anyway. McCoy is the man the Cowboys must stop if they want to gain vengeance on the Eagles.

Michael Vick

At the start of the season, people asked who you would rather have in fantasy football between Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick. Now, people question if Vick is even worth starting in fantasy football. Vick has struggled with injuries and recently suffered the same rib injuries that Tony Romo did earlier in the season. However, Vick sat out and let them heal. Last time against Dallas, Vick threw for 279 yards with two touchdowns. Dallas has allowed 20 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks. Once they stop McCoy, they have to contain Vick.

Jason Babin

It is interesting. A few weeks ago, DeMarcus Ware and Jared Allen were battling for the 2011 sack crown and both men had Michael Strahan’s record in their cross-hairs. Now, it looks like neither man will reach it and someone new has passed them both in the sack race. Jason Babin has back-to-back three sack games heading into the Dallas matchup. When he played Dallas last time, he had two sacks. With eight sacks in the last three weeks, Babin could be the man to break the record.

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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The Philadelphia Eagles will face the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, December 24. Both teams are still entertaining playoff hopes in Week 16, but the game is much more important for the Eagles. Fortunately, they are no strangers to big games in Dallas. These two bitter rivals have a long history of great games. As an Eagles fan, I can think of plenty of great games for the Eagles in Dallas. Here is a look at the five most memorable Eagles wins in Dallas.

September 3, 2000 – Eagles 41, Cowboys 14

This game is famous for pickle juice. However, the more important factor in the game is that it kick started the best years of the Eagles under Andy Reid. Coming off a 5-11 season, the Eagles started the 2000 campaign by recovering an onside kick. They dominated the Cowboys after that. Duce Staley ran for 201 yards in the game and the Philadelphia defense completely shut Dallas down. This started a nice trend of Reid winning big games in Dallas.

November 23, 1989 – Eagles 27, Cowboys 0

Sure, Dallas was an awful team when the two teams met in this game. But going into Cowboy Stadium and shutting out the Cowboys on Thanksgiving is pretty sweet. The Eagles pulled off that feat in this contest thanks to a strong defensive performance. Dallas managed just 191 yards of offense as the Eagles rolled from start to finish.

November 3, 1996 – Eagles 31, Cowboys 21

The early 1990s were not kind to the Eagles when it came to Dallas, especially when they traveled there. But that changed when the 6-2 Eagles visited the 5-3 Cowboys in 1996. The game was back and forth but the Eagles had a 24-21 lead late in the contest. Dallas was driving for what seemed like the winning touchdown. However, Troy Aikman threw his second interception of the game. Troy Vincent took it back 90 yards for a touchdown that sealed the win.

November 15, 2004 – Eagles 49, Cowboys 21

This game took place in the memorable 2004 season for the Eagles. It was a Monday Night Football showdown that was really no contest. Donovan McNabb threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns. At one point, he scrambled for what felt like an eternity before finding Freddie Mitchell deep. Terrell Owens also had three touchdown catches in the game.

December 25, 2006 – Eagles 23, Cowboys 7

The Eagles needed a big late season rally to win the NFC East in 2006. They won three straight road games against division opponents in order to earn their playoff spot. This was the biggest win in the stretch. The 9-5 Cowboys looked like they should have easily handled the 8-6 Eagles. But backup quarterback Jeff Garcia and running back Brian Westbrook helped the Eagles to 426 total yards. That was more than twice what Dallas had.

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Read More: Felix Jones (RB – DAL), DeMarco Murray (RB – DAL), Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys

During the Cowboys win over the Buccaneers on Saturday, Felix Jones’ hamstring tightened up on him. Jones had tied his career high with 22 carries in the win. Since DeMarco Murray was lost for the year, Jones had 38 carries for 214 yards and nine catches for 54 yards in two games.

With Demarco Murray and Phillip Tanner both out with injury, the next man up is Sammy Morris for Jason Garrett’s offensive unit as they prepare for the Eagles on Saturday.

Here is the full injury report for the Dallas Cowboys in week 16:

Held out of practice:

• Nose tackle Josh Brent (knee)
• Wide receiver Andre Holmes (hamstring)
• Running back Felix Jones (hamstring)
• Safety Danny McCray (ankle)
• Wide Receiver Kevin Ogletree (knee).

Limited in practice:

• Cornerback Mike Jenkins (shoulder)
• Right guard Kyle Kosier (foot)
• Nose tackle Jay Ratliff (rib muscle strain)
• Wide Receiver Laurent Robinson (shoulder)
• Outside Linebacker DeMarcus Ware (stinger)

For all news and information regarding the Dallas Cowboys, please visit Blogging the Boys. Go check out all things Philadelphia Eagles at Bleeding Green Nation.

But there is also that one lopsided blemish, a 34-7 loss nearly two months ago at Philadelphia, the team the Cowboys (8-6) play in their regular-season home finale Saturday.

Maybe that’s why Jones uncharacteristically expressed publicly being scared of the Eagles.

“There is obviously a thrill to dream about what can be out here, the success,” Jones said during one of his regular weekly radio appearances this week. “But I’m also, because it is the Eagles, after the butt-kicking they gave us up in Philadelphia, I’m scared.”

Jones probably also remembers the 2008 season finale the Cowboys lost 44-6 at Philadelphia to get left of the playoffs.

Because Jones is so often overly optimistic, maybe there is some psychological theory to his sudden seemingly pessimistic outlook.

“It’s probably not my position to explain that,” coach Jason Garrett said Wednesday. “I know that we as coaches and players are focused on getting ready to play our best on Saturday. … We have great respect for their team. I think everybody is excited about the challenge.”

A day earlier, Garrett just smiled when asked about Jones’ comments.

Like their coach, Cowboys players don’t seem to be worried about or trying to analyze what Jones said.

“We obviously took a tough loss to the Eagles last time, so we know this team is dangerous,” quarterback Tony Romo said. “We have to play a great game out here to get a win. I know we’ve approached it that way. We’re excited about going and playing those guys.”

The Eagles (6-8) still have a chance to win the NFC East and get to the playoffs, if they win both of their last two games and get some help.

That would include the New York Giants (7-7) losing their game earlier Saturday against the New York Jets. But if the Giants win, Philadelphia would be eliminated from the playoffs even before kickoff at Cowboys Stadium, which could alter the dynamic of the game.

Until then though there seems to a sense of uneasy anticipation for Jones.

“I have that kind of feeling about the respect turns into being afraid of what they can do to you if you have some breakdowns out there,” Jones said during an interview on KRLD-FM, the team’s radio flagship station. “You can put that scared in there if you want to. I think sometimes I do the best when I’m scared.”

If the Cowboys had won some of those close games, most of which they led in the fourth quarter, they might have already wrapped up a playoff spot.

Dallas led by 14 points in the season opener against the Jets before losing 27-24, and there was the 24-point lead against Detroit that evaporated into a 34-30 defeat after the Lions scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. New England got a winning touchdown with 2:31 left for a 20-16 victory.

Before winning last week at Tampa Bay, there were consecutive losses by the Cowboys to start December when they missed field goals at the end of regulation. One of those was in Arizona, where the Cardinals blocked a kick on the final play of regulation and won with a touchdown in overtime.

“You can’t really concentrate on that. … We still have a ton of opportunity ahead of us that we need to take advantage of,” linebacker Sean Lee said. “So as much as those losses were tough, I think we’ve done a good job of moving on, and have focused on what we need to do.

“When you have a team like the Eagles coming in, you better be focused,” he said. “Or it could be another night like it was last time.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Dallas Cowboys are 1-2 in the month of December but are still in position to win their division. With a win in Week 16 and a loss by the New York Giants, the Cowboys would wrap up the NFC East. Unfortunately, the Cowboys will have a tough time pulling that off. Not only are they facing a streaking Philadelphia Eagles team. The Cowboys could also be without running back Felix Jones. With an already depleted running game, Dallas is looking one dimensional at the worst possible time.

Jones has missed practice for two straight days as the Cowboys prepare to face the Eagles on Saturday, December 24. Jones is experiencing tightness in his hamstring. Dallas is hopeful that Jones will be able to play against the Eagles, but he is definitely questionable at this point. Jones has already missed action because of injuries in 2011. As a result, he lost his starting job to DeMarco Murray. The rookie sensation was doing well for Dallas but he is out for the year. After getting 11 carries in the three previous games, Jones has had 38 in the last two. It is possible that the increased workload could have aggravated his injuries.

Dallas is desperate for Jones to play. If he can’t, the team will have to use veteran Sammy Morris as the primary back. Dallas just signed Morris off the scrap heap after Murray was injured. Clearly, he is not the kind of running back that Dallas can lean on against the Eagles. If Jones does play, he might be limited. No matter how you look it at, this injury looks like it could doom the Cowboys. If Jones is hurt or limited, Dallas becomes a one dimensional team. They will rely entirely on the passing game. While Tony Romo has been playing well, opposing defenses will be able to shift more focus on him. A passing game can’t be too successful if it doesn’t have a running threat to support it. Dallas could learn that reality if Jones isn’t 100 percent by the time they face the Eagles. This will make winning the division and advancing the playoffs pretty difficult.

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It is time for the Dallas Cowboys to try to gain some revenge against the Philadelphia Eagles but this is a definite trap game for the Cowboys. Even if Dallas loses to the Eagles, they can still beat the Giants the next week and make the playoffs. However, Philadelphia just found a glimmer of light, and if they win their last two games, they might still make the playoffs as well depending on the Giants final two games.

It is a trap game because Philadelphia has to win but Dallas does not. Of course, if the New York Jets beat the Giants in the noon game then the Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot by beating the Eagles that afternoon. But, if the Giants win, it all comes down to the last game of the season.

And that might be a good thing, because the last times these teams played, Philadelphia beat Dallas, 34-7. The Eagles out-gained the Cowboys, 495-267 in total yards and held onto the ball for 42:09 while Dallas only notched 17:50. Needless to say, Philadelphia whipped Dallas every way there is to beat a team.

The bad thing is that the Eagles dominated the Cowboys offense and took them completely out of their game plan. DeMarco Murray only ran eight times in the game, and when Dallas runs less than 20 times in a game, Dallas loses. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant only finished with three receptions each. Laurent Robinson was the only reliable target in the game, catching 103 of Tony Romo’s total 203 yards of passing.

The Dallas defense was shredded as well. Coming into the game, it was an exciting matchup pitting the No. 1 rush defense in the nation against the No. 1 rushing offense. LeSean McCoy made a joke out of the matchup by running for 185 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns. Dallas’ defense has not even sniffed the top of the rushing defense leader board since.

That was also the game that Sean Lee was injured. Punter Mat McBriar and corner Mike Jenkins also left the game with injuries. It was a game Dallas might want to forget but should take strong note of heading into Saturday.

After the Eagles trounced Dallas, they lost four of the next five but have won two straight heading into Week 16. Their season is on the line this game. Win and their playoff hopes are still alive, with a Giants loss. Lose and go home. By the time the two teams play, they will know the result of the Giants game. If the Giants win, the Eagles are only playing for pride. If the Giants lose, Dallas is playing for and early division win.

This might be the most exciting game of the season for one of these teams.

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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Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Tony Romo, QB

Averaging 21.80 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, Romo is a solid fantasy quarterback to carry in the playoffs. He scored 25.86 fantasy points last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but has a tough matchup this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. He scored just 12.02 fantasy points against Philadelphia in week eight but should have a better performance this time around at home.

Felix Jones, RB

Jones had a solid game last week against the Buccaneers scoring 13.10 fantasy points after putting up 11.70 fantasy points the week prior against the New York Giants. He has a very favorable matchup this week against the Eagles who are giving up 20.75 fantasy points per game to running backs this season. Expect a strong week this week.

Dez Bryant, WR

Averaging 10.40 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, Bryant is a solid fantasy receiver to carry into the playoffs. He scored 10.00 fantasy points last week against the Buccaneers and has a decent matchup this week against the Eagles. Philadelphia is giving up 22.01 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season so expect Bryant to get his fair share this week.

Laurent Robinson, WR

Averaging 13.00 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, Robinson has proven to be a reliable receiver to carry in the fantasy playoffs. He scored 8.90 fantasy points last week against the Buccaneers and shares the decent matchup with the rest of the Dallas Cowboys’ receivers. Expect a similar performance this week against the Eagles as he had last week.

Miles Austin, WR

Austin put up a solid 11.30 fantasy point performance last week against the Buccaneers to follow up his 12.80 fantasy point performance against the Giants the week prior. He has looked good since returning from injury so expect a similar performance this week.

Jason Witten, TE

Averaging just 6.50 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, Witten’s performance has dropped as the wide receivers have stepped up their game. He scored 7.70 fantasy points last week against the Buccaneers and should have a similar game this week against the Eagles. I would recommend seeing if other options are available first, but if not, feel confident in starting him this week.

Dan Bailey, K

Averaging 9.00 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, Bailey is still a solid fantasy kicking option to start in the playoffs. He scored 7.00 fantasy points last week against the Buccaneers but should show some improvement this week against the Eagles.

Defense

Averaging just 5.40 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, it would appear the Cowboys’ team defense would not be the best option. However, they did score 9.00 fantasy points last week against the Buccaneers and have a very favorable matchup this week against the Eagles. It is a risky move given their recent history but I am confident they will continue to do well this week.

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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The Dallas Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving Day and find themselves now all alone in first place in the NFC East. With the Arizona Cardinals on the schedule, it looks like they will remain in that position when they host the New York Giants on Dec. 11. With the NFC East suddenly in the Cowboys’ hands, here is a look at their opposition within their own conference.

New York Giants

What has happened to the New York Giants? They began the year on a tear. They started off with a 6-2 record and looked to be coasting to the NFC East title. However, this is the New York Giants we are talking about and have always had the propensity to choke in the NFC East race. It is also interesting that two of their early losses were to Washington and Seattle, two teams that Dallas beat pretty soundly.

People like to talk about how Dallas is playing an easy schedule now and that contributed to them taking this lead. However, during the 6-2 start, New York beat St. Louis, Arizona, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Miami. Does that sound familiar to a certain Cowboys’ franchise? Yes, the Giants beat New England, but since then, they have lost three in a row, including to San Francisco, who Dallas also beat this season. Next up is Green Bay and Dallas should have a two-game lead when the Giants come to town.

Philadelphia Eagles

Remember when the season started and everyone called Philadelphia the 2011 Dream Team? Everyone compared them to the Miami Heat. But then, they beat St. Louis is Week 1 and dropped four in a row. When they beat up Dallas on Oct. 30, it looked like they were about to rebound into the NFC East race. It didn’t happen as they lost three of the next four games.

However, don’t count Philadelphia out yet. They are three games out of the NFC East, and if Dallas chokes down the stretch, the Eagles have a tiebreaker over them right now. Their next three games are against Seattle, Miami and the Jets, so they could easily win those three heading into their next game with Dallas. Could the Eagles race back? Stranger things have happened.

Washington Redskins

Norv Turner. Marty Schottenheimer. Steve Spurrier. Joe Gibbs(notes). Jim Zorn. Mike Shanahan. Three of those names were extremely successful earlier in their career. Another had greatest success after leaving. Another was a college legend. The other used to be a quarterback. None of them have been able to win since Daniel Snyder bought the Washington Redskins. They have been to the playoffs three times since he took over ownership and this will be another disappointing season for the Redskins

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys

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With an entire week to ponder the blowout that was the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game, there have been a lot of questions asked about what happened. Here is a look at the game as I grade the Dallas performance from that Week 8 loss.

Pass Offense

Tony Romo(notes) looked horrible this entire game. He was antsy in the pocket, he was off on all his throws and he looked completely shaken. He barely hit 51-percent of his passes and threw one touchdown and one interception. Romo also only threw for 203 yards in the game and 103 of those yards were to Laurent Robinson(notes). Miles Austin(notes) had three catches for 27 yards, Dez Bryant(notes) had three for 28 and Jason Witten(notes) had four for 28. This was the worst performance of the year. – F

Rushing Offense

Here is the problem with the Dallas Cowboys rushing offense in Week 8 – they only ran the ball ten times. DeMarco Murray(notes), one week after breaking the Cowboys single game rushing record, carried the ball eight times for 74 yards. Murray averaged 9.25 yards a carry and only ran for eight times. The reason for this is that Dallas was down 24-0 at the half and gave up on the run. They should not have given up on it this much. I raise the grade because Murray was great in limited time. – C-

Rushing Defense

The Dallas Cowboys had the No. 1 rushing defense in the league. They gave up 185 yards and two touchdowns to LeSean McCoy(notes) and 50 more yards to Michael Vick(notes). Sean Lee(notes) was hurt, and that damaged this defense, but this was embarrassing. – F

Passing Defense

Michael Vick threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Dallas did not intercept one pass and it was the tight end Brent Celek(notes), operating against a linebacker corps missing Lee, who led the team with 94 yards and a touchdown. At least they held back DeSean Jackson(notes) so he couldn’t score and do another stupid touchdown dance. I raise this score because DeMarcus Ware(notes) had four sacks in the game. – C

Special Teams

Mat McBriar(notes) was injured and that kills Dallas. He had two punts inside the 20. Kicker Dan Bailey(notes) took over punting duties and kicked it longer but couldn’t pin Philadelphia back. Also, Bailey only got one extra point attempt and no field goal tries. Meanwhile, Dallas stuffed the Eagles on punt returns. It was the only thing that looked halfway competent. – B

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

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

Sunday, Oct. 30, was an embarrassing day to be a Dallas Cowboys fan. Coming off the win over St. Louis, Dallas fans had to feel great. Sure, the Rams were not a good team but they beat the Saints this week so the win had to mean something. Besides, Dez Bryant(notes) came to life and DeMarco Murray(notes) gave Dallas the running threat they have not had all season.

The big talk was the No. 1 rushing defense against the No. 1 rushing offense. By the end of the game, Philadelphia proved why they have the No. 1 rushing offense and the Dallas Cowboys got spanked, 34-7. LeSean McCoy(notes) ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Before this game, Steven Jackson’s 70 yards were the most gained against the Cowboys. Michael Vick(notes) ran for 50 yards on his own. By the end of the game, the Eagles had 239 rushing yards and Dallas will surely drop in the defensive standings.

Meanwhile, the Dallas offense looked horrible.

Tony Romo(notes) was off the entire game. He only had one interception but constantly overthrew receivers, bounced a few balls off the turf and just seemed to be shaken the entire game. One play when Dallas was in the red zone, Laurent Robinson(notes) ran the wrong route and bumped into Jason Witten(notes), who was supposed to cut out for a pass in the corner of the end zone. That is the kind of game Dallas played against the Eagles.

Dallas’ leading tackler Sean Lee(notes) left the game injured. Mat McBriar(notes), the Dallas punter and one of the best in the NFL, left the game with a foot injury. By the end of the game, few people were even talking about the four sacks DeMarcus Ware(notes) finished with, moving within 0.5 of the NFL lead.

The loss drops Dallas into a three-way tie for second in the NFC East. Vicariously, that is also a three-way tie for last. Philadelphia holds the current tiebreaker although Dallas remains ranked above Washington, thanks to their win earlier in the season. This was a huge game for the Cowboys and they fell on their face.

Next up is two home games with Seattle and Buffalo and Dallas has to hope they can rebound from this quickly or the downward spiral will begin.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has followed the Dallas Cowboys since he was a child, his favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s. Through the great years of the ’90s and the hard times of the ’80s, Shawn never turned his back on America’s Team.

Source: Dallas Cowboys Website

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