IRVING, Texas — Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is listed as probable for Sunday’s game at the New York Giants, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave a more optimistic report.

Romo has a swollen throwing hand.

According to an ESPN.com story, Jones on Friday told KRLD-FM radio: “He (Romo) is going to be playing at full strength. It’s just a very big-time feel-good to know that we’re going to be going in with this kind of quarterbacking.”

The NFC East title will be at stake when the 8-7 teams meet.

Jones, also the team’s general manager, said of Romo: “He’s a top, top quarterback and he’s got a good team around him. In my belief, a very good team around him, so the stage is set for us to play well in a big game.”

Romo was limited in practice Friday, according to ESPN.

Meanwhile, running back Brandon Jacobs of the Giants ripped Dallas supporters.

“You know what it is: (The reason) a lot of people and a lot of guys on other teams hate the Cowboys is their fans,” Jacobs said. “Some of their fans are loud and obnoxious and just bad. Just everywhere you go, you got some Dallas fans, and they’re just running their mouth about Dallas.

“It’s not really the team and the star (logo) and all that ’cause they’re just like any other team if you ask me. But their fans are the ones who have me just really feeling the way I feel.”

Are they worse than Philadelphia Eagles fans?

“Yeah, they are … I’m just talking about everyday life,” Jacobs said. “Cowboys fans get on my nerves.”

Jacobs rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns to help the visiting Giants beat the Cowboys 37-34 on Dec. 11.

Cardinals’ Dockett is docked $30,000

NEW YORK — Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has been fined $15,000 by the league for hitting Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton below the knees last weekend and another $15,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Bengals running back Bernard Scott.

Dockett was called for 15-yard penalties on each play in the Cardinals’ 23-16 loss last Saturday.

Arizona hosts the Seahawks on Sunday.

Dockett was fined $7,500 in 2009 for pushing his forearm into then-Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s throat while Hasselbeck was down.

Washington safety Reed Doughty was fined $15,000 by the league for striking Minnesota’s Christian Ponder in the head and neck area as the quarterback slid. Houston defensive end J.J. Watt received a similar fine for hitting Indianapolis quarterback Dan Orlovsky below the knee.

Atlanta linebacker Curtis Lofton was fined $15,000 for unnecessary roughness for striking New Orleans receiver Marques Colston in the head and neck area.

Notes

• Standout Houston receiver Andre Johnson will play against Tennessee on Sunday after missing the last three games because of a strained left hamstring.

• Quarterback Tom Brady is listed as “probable” on the New England Patriots’ injury report for Sunday’s game against Buffalo. An injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder limited Brady’s participation in practice Friday for a second consecutive day after he sat out Wednesday’s practice session.

• Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety Troy Polamalu each attended practice Friday and are listed as probable for Sunday’s game in Cleveland.

Roethlisberger (high ankle sprain) missed last Saturday’s 27-0 victory over St. Louis. Polamalu (knee) did not practice until Friday but is expected to start.

• Miami running back Reggie Bush won’t play in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets because of an injured right knee. He has a team-high 1,086 rushing yards.

• The Green Bay Packers, who play Detroit on Sunday, will be without three key players on offense: running back James Starks (knee/ankle), receiver/kick returner Randall Cobb (groin) and receiver Greg Jennings (knee). Jennings has missed the past two games.

• Kicker Ryan Succop signed a $14 million, five-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Kansas City quarterback Kyle Orton and about 20 other players, who weren’t identified by the plaintiffs’ attorney, are suing Chicago law firm Chuhak & Tecson for more than $10 million, claiming they received bad advice on investing in energy concerns.

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
Wikimedia Commons

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.

IRVING, Texas – With another NFC East title so close for the Dallas Cowboys, team owner Jerry Jones seems to be caught between the excitement and fear of what could happen.

The Cowboys can clinch their 18th division title since 1970 by winning their last two games. They are in that position after plenty of close games, with five of their losses coming by an average margin of four points and the biggest being six points in overtime.

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.”

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

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

Friday, December 16, 2011 – 12:08pm

TJC

TYLER —
Before there were Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, there were Apache Belles.

During the 1960s, the Tyler Junior College Apache Belles performed as the official half-time entertainment of the Dallas Cowboys franchise. The Belles performed not only at home games but also traveled to away games in Buffalo, New Orleans and California.

When the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were established, the Apache Belles shifted their focus to local sports but were still invited to take the field at Texas Stadium on occasion. Many Apache Belles have gone on to become Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

On Christmas Eve, the Apache Belles will perform for the first time in the new Cowboys Stadium and present a pre-game show for those attending the Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles game. They will showcase their dazzling high kicks and sharp pom precision in a Christmas show while proudly sporting their traditional black and gold uniforms and trademark white hats and boots.

“It is always an honor to entertain the NFL fans,” said Apache Belles Interim Director Jasilyn Schaefer, “especially America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys.”

The Apache Belles have spent much of the holiday season on the road.

“This will definitely be a season to remember for the 64th and 65th lines of the Apache Belles.” Schaefer said. “They will be spending all major holidays together performing.”

On Thanksgiving Day, the group performed for the Houston Holiday Parade; and Christmas Eve will be spent in Cowboys Stadium.

On Dec. 29, the Apache Belles leave for Florida, where they will perform on New Year’s Day for another NFL game as the Miami Dolphins take on the New York Jets at Sun Life Stadium. The Apache Belles and the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders will team up to present a special half-time show. On Jan. 2, the Apache Belles will be featured performers at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla., where the Nebraska Cornhuskers will play against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Kickoff is at noon and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

For more information on the TJC Apache Belles, go to www.apachebelles.com, or find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/apachebelles.

Information from TJC

IRVING, Texas (AP)—There will be plenty of chances for the Dallas Cowboys
to recover in the NFC East.

Forget about how bad that last game was and their losing record.

The Cowboys (3-4) are just now reaching the midpoint of their schedule at
home against Seattle. They are in a three-way scrum for second place in the NFC
East with Washington and Philadelphia, the team that just beat them 34-7.

Dallas still has a game left with each, and plays the division-leading New
York Giants (5-2) twice in the final month of the regular season.

“If we do what we have to do, everything will take care of itself,” safety
Abram Elam(notes) said Wednesday. “We’re only as good as our next game. If we don’t
handle our business this Sunday against Seattle, it puts us even further in the
hole. All we can do is control what we have in front of us.”

That begins Sunday against the Seahawks (2-5), the first of five games
Dallas has before facing the Giants for the first time at home Dec. 11.

In that five-game span, Dallas plays AFC East co-leader Buffalo (5-2) and
four teams with a combined record of 6-22.

The Cowboys play the Bills at home before going to Washington, which lost
18-16 in Dallas back in September. Their Thanksgiving Day game at home is
against Miami (0-7) before a trip to Arizona (1-6).

“We don’t look ahead too much, we certainly feel like we just have to
control our own business,” coach Jason Garrett said. “Again, we live in the
day of practicing well on Wednesday, and then hopefully coming back and
practicing well on Thursday. Certainly our entire focus is doing our best to get
ourselves ready to play Seattle.”

Second-year linebacker Sean Lee(notes), the Cowboys’ leading tackler with 73,
didn’t practice Wednesday because of a left wrist injured Sunday night. Garrett
described Lee as day to day and refused to rule the linebacker out of Sunday’s
game.

“We had some evaluations Monday that we feel really good about, and it got
us to the point to say we do not have to do surgery Monday afternoon. We’re
going to evaluate him day to day, week by week, and just see how that thing
responds,” Garrett said. “Knowing Sean Lee, he’s probably a fairly quick
healer. … Trust me, he’s chomping at the bit.”

The Cowboys haven’t been able to get any kind of consistency going this
season.

Since blowing a lead in the fourth quarter to lose the season opener at the
New York Jets, they have won consecutive games, lost consecutive games, then
followed a 34-7 victory over St. Louis with the 34-7 loss at Philadelphia.

But the season is far from a lost cause because of the mess that is the NFC
East.

“Right now everybody’s mindset is to make it to the playoffs,” defensive
end Marcus Spears(notes) said. “We’re still in position to do everything that we
wanted to at the beginning of the season, and we just have to do something about
it. We can’t talk about it, we have to do something about it.”

Every week, Garrett reinforces to his players to forget what happened in the
last game, win or lose. So is that harder to do after a 34-7 victory like two
weeks ago, or the 34-7 loss they just had?

“We’ll see,” defensive end Kenyon Coleman(notes) said with a hearty laugh.

“At times, I forget what our record is,” Elam said. “It’s easy for us,
because we’re on game plan thinking about Seattle, so we’ve just got to focus on
that. … That (loss) was last week, definitely. The St. Louis game is even
further behind.”

The Cowboys have to wait until Christmas Eve for a rematch against
Philadelphia, at Cowboys Stadium. They will finish the season on New Year’s Day
at the Giants.

“Honestly, I think the worst thing you can do is look ahead because you
can’t do anything about that,” Coleman said. “If you don’t handle your
business week by week then it don’t matter what happens in the future.”

Notes: Orlando Scandrick(notes) will likely start Sunday in place of cornerback
Mike Jenkins(notes), expected to miss three games or more because of a right hamstring
problem. … Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar(notes) is still dealing with a nerve problem
in his left foot that he plants when kicking, an injury that kept him from
finishing the Philadelphia game. It has been bothering him for a couple of weeks
— “the St. Louis game, I was lucky to get through that,” he said—though he
is trying to get through practice and ready for Seattle. “We thought we’d be
fine getting through the (Philadelphia) game and obviously it didn’t work out,”
McBriar said Wednesday. “It’s pain. I know it hasn’t improved at all.” …
McBriar planned to change the brace he wore on his left foot, and said the one
he wore in the last game rubbed against the affected nerve and caused more
problems. A neurologist told him the foot will eventually get back to normal.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots have watched plenty of film of each other. They’ve pored over their own playbooks, probing for ways to gain an advantage.

That’s fine, but there’s nothing like facing each other on the field to get a real feel for their strengths and weaknesses.

And that hasn’t happened in four years.

“We’ve got a crash course going here on the Cowboys,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “I think this would be a lot easier team to prepare for if you were playing them twice a year.”

Instead, they’ve met 10 times in 51 years since 1960 when Dallas entered the NFL as an expansion franchise and New England started as a charter member of the AFL.

Sunday’s game will be the first between the teams since 2007 when both were 5-0 before the Patriots, behind Tom Brady’s five touchdown passes, won 48-27 en route to an undefeated regular season. They finally lost in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

Both teams are much different now. The Patriots (4-1) have six active players who were on the 2007 team. Jason Garrett is in his first full season as coach of the Cowboys (2-2).

“We don’t know each other that much, but we’re kind of going into the game the same way. We both have the same kind of look at each other. Certainly, they’ve been a marquee franchise in this league for the last decade,” Garrett said. “They’re a team that everyone in this league has studied over the last 10 years, so even though we haven’t played them, we’ve watched them. … Hopefully , we can gain some advantage that way.”

They may need it to control Wes Welker, who leads the NFL with 45 catches and 740 yards receiving. And running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming off a career-high 136-yard rushing performance in last Sunday’s 30-21 win over the New York Jets.

But the Cowboys have the stingiest run defense in the league and will be rested after a bye week. They are 16-6 after having a weekend off and have won their last five road games following a bye.

The Patriots have their bye after Sunday’s game and don’t want to go into the break with a loss.

“You never want to lose one,” guard Logan Mankins said, “but that would make it tough.”

The Cowboys will have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back from a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for all but the opener. He generally covers the slot receiver, Welker’s position.

“It’s the fastest team we’ve played this year,” Belichick said. “You look at plays and you stop the film and you say, ‘Looks like this is going to be a good play,’ and then it just collapses. … They haven’t given up very many plays, period, run or pass.”

They did in their last game, a 34-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in which they squandered a 24-point, third-quarter lead and Romo threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

“You never want that to happen,” said Romo, who may have better luck Sunday against the NFL’s lowest-ranked defense. “You have to minimize turnovers in key situations. We did that for two of the games and two of the games we didn’t.”

Brady had a different problem against the Jets. He was sacked four times and the pressure is likely to continue against DeMarcus Ware, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, and a defense tied for eighth in the league with 13 sacks.

“He doesn’t let the pressure rattle him. His composure is not like any other quarterback,” Ware said. “You’ve got to do some things on defense to take them off kilter.”

Brady has thrown six interceptions, but four came in a 34-31 loss at Buffalo. The Patriots have one fumble all season, but recovered it.

“They are always doing everything right,” Ware said.

Not quite, but they have won 19 straight regular-season games at home and scored at least 30 points in the last 13 regular-season games, one less than the record set by the St. Louis Rams in 1999-2000

The last team to hold New England below that total was Cleveland in a 34-14 win last Nov. 7. Rob Ryan was the Browns’ defensive coordinator, a position he holds now with the Cowboys.

That gives them some extra insight into the Patriots, although Ryan is coaching different players.

“If you have an experience where you played against a team before, you certainly go back and watch that game to see if there is anything that continues to relate to what that offense or defense is doing,” Garrett said. “I think we get more focus on what’s happening in 2011.”

The Patriots knowledge of the Cowboys could get a boost from defensive end Andre Carter, who faced them 10 times in the last five years as a member of the Washington Redskins.

“I have made a few pointers,” Carter said, “but I just think as regards to our study, we’ve been just dead on, constantly learning what they’re trying to do.”

Both teams did plenty of preparation for each other long before this past week.

“It wasn’t like we walked in here (last) Monday morning and were like, ‘Who are we playing this week? Let’s go to work on them,’ “ Belichick said.

But once the game starts, both teams must adjust to what the unfamiliar players on the other side of the line of scrimmage are doing.

“They change their scheme based on who they’re playing,” Belichick said. “What we get and what they did last (game) are probably two different things.”

The Cowboys are coming to town.

The Patriots are about to blaze new trails.

“We’ve got our work cut out as far as preparation goes,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said during a conference call on Tuesday, “and becoming familiar with a team that we don’t know very much about.”

It’s been a “theatre of the absurd” season already for the Cowboys, one that’s featured the good, the bad and the ugly – most of it orchestrated by the trigger hand of their quarterback, Tony Romo.

The Cowboys will carry a 2-2 record into Sunday afternoon’s game with the 4-1 Patriots at Gillette Stadium, a place they’ve only visited once in their history.

In fact, New England and Dallas have met just twice previously during Belichick’s 12-year regime, the Patriots winning both of those games by double figures, but the cast of characters reflects the fact that these meetings have been few and far between:

Nov. 16, 2003 – The offenses were chillier than the weather on a 38-degree Sunday night at Gillette as the two teams combined for just 559 total yards in a game the Patriots won, 12-0, on the strength of two Adam Vinatieri field goals (23 and 26 yards) sandwiched around Antowain Smith’s 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

As he so often did during his NFL career, Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter struggled in this one, serving up three interceptions to the Patriots’ starting cornerbacks – two to Ty Law and one to Tyrone Poole.

While he played turnover-free ball, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wasn’t sharp, either, hitting on just 15 of his 34 throws for 212 yards.

Oct. 14, 2007 – Brady was razor sharp in throwing for 388 yards and five TDs as the Patriots won a Texas shootout at the old Texas Stadium, scoring 27 of the game’s last 30 points to pull away for a 48-27 victory that gave them the sixth win in a 16-0 regular season.

Wide receivers Wes Welker (11 receptions for 124 yards and two TDs), Donte’ Stallworth (seven receptions for 136 yards and one TD) and Randy Moss (six receptions for 59 yards and a score) and tight end Kyle Brady (a 1-yarder that put the Patriots ahead to stay, 28-24) all hauled in touchdown passes in the game.

Romo connected on 18-of-29 pass attempts for 199 yards and two TDs (one to Terrell Owens, who had six receptions for 66 yards in the game) with one interception (linebacker Junior Seau).

The NFL’s third-ranked passing game, the Cowboys pose some serious matchup problems for a Pats pass defense that even with Mark Sanchez’s pedestrian 166-yard performance with the New York Jets last Sunday, ranks dead last in the league.

Romo’s favorite target this year (when he’s throwing it to his teammates, that is) has been Jason Witten. En route to what will be his eighth straight Pro Bowl, the tight end has had games of six, seven, six and eight receptions for a total of 366 receiving yards, although there’s more to his game than that.

“I think the big thing that separates Witten from a lot of other tight ends is blocking ability,” said Belichick. “He’s a very good point-of-attack blocker. They run behind him.

“You’ve got to deal with him in the running game and in the passing game he’s really good in all three areas. He’s good on the short routes and he’s a hard guy to tackle. He’s good on the intermediate routes and he can get down the field.”

Wide receivers Miles Austin (a 16.6-yard average on 14 receptions in two games; returning after missing two games with a hamstring injury), Dez Bryant (a 17.1-yard average on 10 catches; missed one game with a thigh injury) and Laurent Robinson (a 16.5-yard average on 10 receptions in two games since being re-signed following his release earlier this year) bring stretch-the-field ability to the passing game.

Felix Jones (56 carries for 241 yards, a 4.3-yard average) has been the Cowboys’ only threat running behind a young offensive line. The rest of the Cowboys’ ball carriers are averaging 2.4 yards on 45 attempts.

“This is a team (with) Tony Romo (and) they have weapons all across the board,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said on Monday. “They’re fast, a very fast football team. So we really have our hands full and we have to prepare well for them.”

Five-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (the 2010 league leader in sacks with 15 has five thus far this year) is a disruptive force on a defense that ranks fourth in the league overall and is No. 1 in stopping the run (nose tackle Jay Ratliff plays between ends Jason Hatcher and Kenyon Coleman up front).

“He’s definitely a guy that can affect a game,” Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said during a conference call on Tuesday.

“He’s having a really good year and they do a great job – Rob Ryan (the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator) and his staff do a great job – of moving him around so you can’t really get a beat on where he is.”

For the fifth year in a row, you love the Dallas Cowboys more than you love anyone else. Even Curtis Painter’s Aunt Judith (pictured, right) loves the Cowboys.

According to a Harris Poll that asked people to name their favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys remain America’s preference. An online survey asked 2,462 adults to name their two favorite teams, and the results show the Cowboys at the top. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the last team before the Cowboys to hold the top spot, are second, followed by the Green Bay Packers. Here’s how the rest of the top 10 shakes out:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Green Bay Packers
4. New England Patriots
5. Chicago Bears
6. Indianapolis Colts
7. New York Giants
8. Washington Redskins
9. New York Jets
10. Minnesota Vikings

Note that these results come from Sept. 12 through the 19th, before Tony Romo(notes) had a chance to make everyone in Texas wish for his death.

As for the least popular teams, congratulations again, Jacksonville Jaguars. No one likes you. The Jags finished last for the third straight year. Keep in mind that the question only asked participants to name their favorite teams — no one said they hate the Jaguars, it’s just that almost no one named them as their favorite team. In a way, that’s worse than being hated. No one cares.

Here’s the rest of the bottom 10:

23. Houston Texans
24. San Diego Chargers
25. Oakland Raiders
26. St. Louis Rams
27. Seattle Seahawks
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29. Buffalo Bills
30. Kansas City Chiefs
31. Cincinnati Bengals
32. Jacksonville Jaguars

In 2002 and 2003, the Raiders were as high as third. This year’s ranking of 25th is the lowest it’s been in at least 12 years.

Also of note is that 55 percent of Americans said they followed the NFL this year. Why is that important? Because last year, that number was 53 percent, which means that the NFL somehow became even more popular through the lockout. Hopefully, the NFL doesn’t take that as a sign that they can do it again, consequence-free.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
• ESPN, Hank Williams Jr. have differing views on his departure
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Related: Tony Romo, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins

Prime Time does not think Tony Romo can get the Dallas Cowboys to “prime time.”

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders spoke out against the Cowboys quarterback after watching Dallas blow a 27-3 lead to the Detroit Lions on Sunday as Romo threw three second-half interceptions.

“I don’t understand this guy,” Sanders said on the NFL Network. “Just when you want to believe in him, heroic effort, came back against San Francisco, they said punctured lung and everything. And we praised him, we said, ‘Yeah, he’s that leader, he’s their guy.’”

“And then you come and do this. What are you thinking?”

Romo’s season has been a roller coaster. The Cowboys, for the first time in franchise history, blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead on opening night against the New York Jets as the Jets capitalized on two Romo turnovers in the final 15 minutes.

In San Francisco, Romo suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung but returned to the game to lead the Cowboys to an overtime victory over the 49ers. He followed that up with a gutsy win at home against the Washington Redskins, wearing a Kevlar vest to protect his injured ribs.

Despite the praise Romo received all week leading up to the game against Detroit, being under center for the biggest collapse in Cowboy’s history is now on Romo’s resume.

“Sooner or later,” Sanders said, “we’ve just got to quit guessing and assuming that this
guy’s is the guy to get you over the hump, and say, ‘You know what? This
guy is always going to be great statistically, but he’s not that guy
that can take you to where you want to go.’ And that’s the Super Bowl.”

One person not giving up yet on Romo is his owner.

“There’s no issue about faith in Romo at any place in this organization, period, any place,” Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Sunday. “”There’s no issue regarding Tony. I had all the confidence in the world
in him on the last drive. He has the ability and gives us the best
chance to go down and score a touchdown. We didn’t get it done, but we
have a lot of faith in Romo.”

Sanders believes the views of the fans differ greatly from those of the owner.

“Dallas Cowboys fans are sick of it,” Sanders said. “We had (Romo) on our shoulders last week. ‘Oh Tony, he’s our king!’ But now we want to stone him. I’m serious, that’s the way (fans) feel about him because you can’t trust him.”

Redemption won’t come quickly for Romo this time. The Cowboys are on their bye and will return to the field Oct. 16 at New England.

With a 2-1 record, the 2011 Dallas Cowboys are already ahead of where many local pundits thought they would be. Predictions of a 9-7 season were the norm, a record which would likely not give the Cowboys a chance to make the playoffs.

Game 1 Loss to the New York Jets

In game 1, the Cowboys played on the road against a very good New York Jets team, and they came very close to winning it but blew a 14-point lead in the 4th quarter.  Quarterback Tony Romo threw a last-minute interception after fumbling the ball during a previous goal line play in which he pretended he was former running back Marion Barber trying to bulldoze his way through a pile of bodies.  It was a play reminiscent of those that the former coach of the Cowboys, Bill Parcells, feared most about Romo’s decision-making ability in pressure situations.  Fans of the Cowboys will remember Parcells’ cautionary remarks when he was responding to criticism about staying with veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe as the starter, whom many thought to be on his last legs before he ever arrived in Dallas to play.

Romo: Worst Quarterback in History

Like every win and every loss in Dallas, the tendency is to overreact.  During the following week, the local and national press jumped on the bandwagon in blaming Romo for the loss, despite the Cowboys having given up a blocked punt for a touchdown and a botched field goal attempt earlier in the game from extra-point territory.

Romo the Messiah: Victory in San Francisco

The following week, playing the San Francisco 49ers on the road, they pulled off a narrow victory in which Romo and kicker Dan Bailey both redeemed themselves.  In a storybook scenario, Romo left the game with a broken rib and sat out much of it while old-timer quarterback Jon Kitna handled the Cowboys offense. That is, until Romo came running onto the field to lead the team to its first win of the season.  

The following day it was reported that Romo had not only broken his rib, he had also suffered a slight puncture in his lung.  It was played locally as an “outhouse-to-the-White-House” comeback for Romo given the bad publicity from the week before.  Like I said, it’s an overreaction city and always has been since the days of their earliest successes under coach Tom Landry.