The 2012 Dallas Cowboys schedule is out, and it looks like a tough one for the Cowboys. I would not be surprised if they go 8-8.

The Cowboys will be tested immediately. On Wednesday Sep 05, 2012, the Cowboys visit the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. The Cowboys have not fared well against the Giants in recent years. Defeating the defending Super Bowl champions on their home field, in the NFL season opener will be no easy task.

As if facing the Giants twice was not enough, the Cowboys will face the AFC North this season. That includes three teams that made the playoffs last season: Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. Two of these games will be away.

The Cowboys will face two other playoff teams from last season. On Nov 04, they will visit the Atlanta Falcons. On Dec 23, the Cowboys will host the New Orleans Saints. Despite the bounty scandal on the Saints this offseason, they are still a talented team. By the time they visit Cowboys Stadium, the Saints could be on a roll.

And don’t forget the highly talented Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles struggled in 2011. They failed to meet their high expectations. This season could be different. The Eagles have something to prove. And a talented team with a purpose is always dangerous.

So it looks like a tough season ahead for the Cowboys. I see a mediocre finish in store for them. That means no playoffs. But hey, you never know. That’s why they play the games.

Here is the complete 2012 Dallas Cowboys Schedule:

Week 1: Wednesday, Sep 05, at New York Giants, 8:30 pm ET

Week 2: Sunday, Sep 16, at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 pm ET

Week 3: Sunday, Sep 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 pm ET

Week 4: Monday, Oct 01, Chicago Bears, 8:30 pm ET

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: Sunday, Oct 14, at Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 pm ET

Week 7: Sunday, Oct 21, at Carolina Panthers, 1:00 pm ET

Week 8: Sunday, Oct 28, New York Giants, 4:15 pm ET

Week 9: Sunday, Nov 04, at Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 pm ET

Week 10: Sunday, Nov 11, at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:15 pm ET

Week 11: Sunday, Nov 18, Cleveland Browns, 1:00 pm ET

Week 12: Thursday, Nov 22, Washington Redskins, 4:15 pm ET

Week 13: Sunday, Dec 02, Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 pm ET

Week 14: Sunday, Dec 09, at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 pm ET

Week 15: Sunday, Dec 16, Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:15 pm ET

Week 16: Sunday, Dec 23, New Orleans Saints, 1:00 pm ET

Week 17: Sunday, Dec 30, at Washington Redskins, 1:00 pm ET

More from Edwin Torres:

Running Quarterbacks Do Not Win Super Bowls

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Edwin Torres has been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since the days of Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach. As a longtime fan of the National Football League, Edwin follows many interesting games and stories each week. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

NFL – Statistics – Yahoo! Sports

Don’t tell me the Dallas Cowboys don’t have the players to win the NFC East. They do. In fact, they were in perfect position a year ago to claim the division for the second time in three years.

But they didn’t, and they didn’t because they couldn’t win their season finale vs. the New York Giants and because they lost four of their last five starts. Basically, the Cowboys blew it, with missed field goals, blown leads and poor play punctuating a descent that had them finish 8-8, with an 0-4 record against the Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

Afterward, owner Jerry Jones pledged support for embattled coach Jason Garrett, and that’s good. The guy needed someone to stand behind him. Now he needs a defense to rely on, and last year’s unit didn’t qualify. It ranked 23rd vs. the pass and 16th in points allowed. Worse, it blew five fourth-quarter leads.

The Cowboys haven’t had a winning season in two years, losing 19 of their last 33 starts, and that must change. Garrett knows it. He was hired to put this team back on its feet, and this is his chance.

Again.

QB: After awhile, the criticism of Tony Romo gets old. The guy played through a broken rib, punctured lung and bruised throwing hand and still managed one of the best seasons of his career, with 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, one fumble and a career-best 102.5 pass rating. The problem, of course, is that he must prove he can lead this team to the playoffs, then win at the next level. He has been to the playoffs, but he has won only once there. That’s the hurdle Romo must clear, and he might’ve made it last season if the Cowboys hadn’t become so one-dimensional after the loss of running back DeMarco Murray. If the heat is on Romo, it’s only to prove that he can take Dallas deep into the playoffs. Signing Kyle Orton as a backup was smart. The guy is a perfect safety net in case Romo suffers another injury, and he can and will win if called on. That’s not a knock on Romo’s predecessor, Jon Kitna. But getting Orton is an upgrade at a key position.

RB:Had you polled people close to the team at midseason they would’ve told you that DeMarco Murray was the Cowboys’ MVP. The reason: He resurrected the club’s rushing game and became the Cowboys’ first legitimate feature back since Emmitt Smith. Murray averaged 5.5 yards per carry and produced a 253-yard game == that is, before he bowed out with a fractured ankle. Felix Jones was supposed to have a big season but demonstrated he can’t play extended periods of time without getting hurt and is probably best suited as a backup. Jones enters the last year of his contract and, barring a breakout year, there’s no reason to believe he has a future here. Phillip Tanner is the next option, a strong special-teams player who plays hard. Murray has a future, but the Cowboys must keep him healthy. Remember, this is a club that last year had only five rushing touchdowns, the second-lowest total in the league.

WR: In Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have two legitimate playmakers. Yeah, I know, Bryant still must run more precise routes, but he caught nine touchdown passes, while Austin was handicapped by injuries that sidelined him six games. Still, he managed to score seven times. The real question here has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with the No. 3 receiver … because there isn’t one. Not now there isn’t. A year ago, that man was Laurent Robinson, but he left for Jacksonville and took 11 touchdowns with him. Robinson was the red-zone threat Dallas had been missing, and there’s a hole there — with nobody on the scene today to take his place. Kevin Ogletree was re-signed, but he’s not the answer. Neither, I suspect, is Andre Holmes or Raymond Radway. Look for the Cowboys to spend at least one draft pick on this position.

TE: Jason Witten remains one of Romo’s favorite targets, coming off his eighth straight season with 60 or more catches. But he didn’t have a spectacular season, with his string of consecutive Pro Bowl appearances ending at seven. Nevertheless, he’s one of the most reliable pass-catching tight ends and will be among its leading receivers. John Phillips is the backup, taking the place of Martellus Bennett, who left for the New York Giants. Bennett never became the threat the Cowboys envisioned, and they grew tired of waiting on him. This is another spot where a draft pick or free agent could land.

OL: Tyron Smith shifts from right to left tackle to protect Romo’s back, and the move makes sense. First of all, Smith was the team’s best offensive lineman last season. Second, Doug Free, who played the position, was not. In fact, he struggled so much the Cowboys moved him back to the right side where he originally played, hoping the switch makes a difference in a game that was nothing more than mediocre last season. The acquisitions of guards Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau should make the Cowboys better inside, and maybe they help a running game that had trouble finding the end zone. The real question here has to do with center Phil Costa, another lineman who struggled in 2011. His play must improve. Otherwise, there’s an opening for Bill Nagy of Kevin Kowalski. Trust me, center could be a focus of concern as the season unfolds.

DL: Jay Ratliff continues to be a top defensive tackle, but his play and numbers declined last season. Still, he made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight season, and there’s a chance he could be moved to defensive end where the Cowboys are desperate for playmakers. Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears and Jason Hatcher are decent vs. the run, but all had trouble pressuring the quarterback. Coleman was OK the first half of the season but wore down, while Hatcher — who had a career-high 4.5 sacks — was moved inside in nickel packages. Josh Brent is a promising backup at nose tackle, but look for the Cowboys to exercise a draft choice, and maybe a high draft choice, on this position.

LB: With DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the outside, the Cowboys seem to be set. Ware had 19.5 sacks, second best in the NFL and the second most in his career, while Spencer held up well against the run. In fact, Spencer was so solid the Cowboys made him their franchise player. But Dallas drafted him as a pass rusher, not a run stopper, and he had a disappointing season in that department, producing six sacks. That must improve … or the Cowboys must find someone better to pair with Ware. Inside linebacker Sean Lee is the second best player on defense, leading the team in tackles, tackles for losses and interceptions, while newcomer Dan Connor should compete with Bruce Carter at the other spot. Carter, a second-round draft pick, missed the first six games last season with an injury and struggled to make an impact.

DB: Brandon Carr moves into the left cornerback position after playing the right side in Kansas City, but the Cowboys are covered on the right with Mike Jenkins, who played OK despite a series of injuries. Carr was expensive, but a move was necessary. Dallas last year surrendered 3,906 passing yards, the second most in franchise history, and the Cowboys had to upgrade the position. So they got rid of Terence Newman and signed Carr. Gerald Sensabaugh returns to strong safety, but a true free safety is needed. For the moment, Brodney Pool is penciled in as a starter, but that could change. Orlando Scandrick returns as the nickel back but must improve on inconsistent play from 2011. Make this another area where a draft pick or veteran free agent could land.

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
Wikimedia Commons

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

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

The disappointing 2011 National Football League (NFL) Season is finally over for the Dallas Cowboys. There were some high moments and some very low ones. Here are five areas that need fixing on the Cowboys.

The Philadelphia Eagles embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
commons.wikimedia.org/Billy Bob Bain

Primary Running Back?

Who will be the primary running back for the Dallas Cowboys next season? DeMarco Murray should be the guy. However, Murray suffered a fractured ankle in Week 14 that ended his season. That is cause for concern because the Cowboys are thin at running back. Felix Jones continues to be plagued by injuries. Even when healthy, Jones is not the power back the Cowboys need.

Defense When it Counts

New defensive coordinator Rob Ryan implemented a new scheme that promised aggressiveness. The defense played well at times but failed in the most crucial moments. Poor defense resulted in two late-season losses to the New York Giants. Are the players still learning the new system? Do the Cowboys simply lack enough talent on defense?

Dr. Tony and Mr. Romo

Will the real Tony Romo please stand up? Sometimes you get a gutsy performance like the Week 2 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Other times you get the Romo who literally threw the game away against the Detroit Lions in Week 4. How many more chances does Romo get? He is still not an elite quarterback in the NFL.

Is Garrett the Guy?

Why is owner Jerry Jones convinced that Jason Garrett is the right coach for the Cowboys? Jones criticized Garrett for being too conservative in Week 6 against the New England Patriots. Garrett goofed in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals. His clock management effectively iced his own kicker and lost the game. The Cowboys were embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. They failed to clinch the playoffs in Week 17 against the Giants. Garrett is supposed to know these teams. Aside from the Washington Redskins, his division rivals got the best of him this season.

Involved Owner

Jones is one of the most involved owners in the NFL. But his control on the team may be part of the problem. Jones is the owner, president and general manager of the Cowboys. He is not the head coach. Jones needs to step back and let the coach be the coach. He needs to give his coach the power to make all coaching decisions and fully support those decisions. Until that happens, this team will not move forward.

These are five areas that need fixing on the Cowboys. They have a lot of work ahead of them. The offseason starts now.

More from Edwin Torres:

The Ten Commandments of Tim Tebow: Explaining His Stunning Success

Giant Loss Reveals Truths About the Dallas Cowboys: Fan Reaction

Top Ten NFL Stories in 2011: Fan View

Edwin Torres has been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since the days of Tony Dorsett and Roger Staubach. He enjoyed watching the Dallas teams of the 90s dominate opponents on both sides of the ball. As a longtime fan of the National Football League, Edwin follows many interesting games and stories each week. For more articles, follow him on Twitter @FlipPoker.

Sources:

NFL – Statistics – Yahoo! Sports

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

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
Wikimedia Commons

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.

84,834 excited Dallas Cowboys fans showed up at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Christmas Eve hoping for an early Christmas present and a Cowboys victory over the hated Philadelphia Eagles. Philly embarrassed the Cowboys earlier in the season in Philadelphia, and Dallas was hoping for revenge to maintain their 1-game lead over the New York Giants in the NFC East on the next to the last game of the regular season. Unfortunately, it became pretty evident early on things weren’t going to go Dallas’ way.

The Eagles won the coin toss and elected to receive to begin the game. Michael Vick led the visitors down the field, aided by a couple of spectacular catches by his receivers and a face mask call on Anthony Spencer. He hit Brent Celek in the end zone from 13 yards out with 11:30 left in the first quarter, capping an 8-play, 80-yard drive that took 3:30. Alex Henery added the PAT and Philly led 7-0.

Dwayne Harris returned the kick from the goal line out to the 34, setting Tony Romo and the offense up with good field position. The offense picked up 1 first down and moved the ball to midfield, but on a 4th-and-4, the offensive line fell apart, forcing Romo to rush his throw, and after an incompletion Matt McBriar punted the ball away to the Eagle 19.

Vick moved his team out to his 45, but the Dallas defense stiffened and Dallas went back to work on offense at their 20. The offense came back on the field with Stephen McGee at the helm after it was announced that Tono Romo had suffered an injury to his right hand and was in the locker room undergoing x-rays.

McGee moved the offense out to the 48, but the drive stalled and McBriar punted the ball down to the Philly 9 and the Eagles took back over on offense from there with 2:44 left in the opening period.

The Eagles picked up 1 first down and then stalled out, and Dallas got the ball back at their 21 after Chas Henry punt with 14:52 left in the first half of play. It was announced as the drive began that x-rays on Romo’s throwing hand were negative, but McGee came back on the field with the offense.

McGee moved the team down the field, but a holding call resulted in the possession running out of gas, and McBriar punted away down to the Philadelphia 10. A holding call against the visitors during the kick moved the ball back to the 5 and Vick and the offense took the field again.

Vick carved the Dallas defense up like slicing a turkey, aided by a bone-headed unnecessary roughness call on Anthony Spencer. Philly moved 95 yards and appeared to score their second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard pass from Vick to Jason Avant, but when the call was reviewed it was determined that Avant fumbled the ball into the end zone prior to the ball crossing the goal line, and Dallas was awarded possession on a touchback at their 20, averting what could have well been a deficit too large to overcome. The turnover gave the Dallas fans new life and hope that their hometown heroes would still find a way to win the game.

The ‘Boys got a good drive going, but stalled out on the Eagle 39 and McBriar punted the ball down to the Philly 13 where the visitors got the ball back with 55 seconds left in the first half.

Vick took his team 87 yards in just 6 plays, using 50 seconds off the clock, and hit Jeremy Macklin from the 5 on a 3rd-and-goal play for the second Eagle TD of the day. Henery added the point after and Philly had a commanding 14-0 lead going into the locker room.

Dallas got the ball to begin the 3rd quarter, but had a quick 3-and-out and the visitors got the ball back. Thanks to an intentional grounding call against Vick, Dallas got the ball back on a punt. Dwayne Harris took the ball and took a helmet-to-helmet blow from an Eagles defender, giving the Cowboys an additional 15 yards out to their 47.

McGee hit Martellus Bennett for a gain of 14 on the first play of the drive, moving the ball to the Philly 39. Two incompletions and a run for no gain later, McBriar punted the ball away to the Eagle 12 with 10:50 left in the 3rd quarter.

Rob Ryan got the defense motivated and after a 3-and-out, the offense got the ball back again. The offense came back out at the Dallas 25 after a 56-yard punt. The inept offensive line was non-existent as far as protecting McGee, and the ‘Boys suffered another 3-and-out. After a 43-yard McBriar punt, the Eagles had excellent starting field position at their 41.

On the first play of the possession Vick hit Celek for a gain of 39 down to the Dallas 20, and Cowboys fans began to realize the game was almost certainly a lost cause. The defense stiffened, forcing a 43-yard Henery field goal, but the visitors had an almost insurmountable 17-0 lead with 4:30 left in the 3rd quarter. The scoring drive was 5 plays, 34 yards, and 2:27.

The offensive line was inept yet again in the next Dallas possession, and the Cowboys suffered yet another 3-and-out. Chad Hall returned McBriar’s punt 1 yard to the Philly 41 with 2:53 left in the quarter.

The Eagles went on a 9–play, 26-yard drive in 4:28 before settling for a 51-yard Henery field goal, putting the visitors ahead 20-0 with 13:25 left in the game.

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 51-yards to his 49, giving his team their best starting field position of the contest. It didn’t do any good though, as the offense proved once again they didn’t belong on an NFL field this day, going 3-and-out yet again.

Philly picked up one first down before having to punt away on the next series. Harris returned the punt to his 23 and Dallas took over with 9:33 left in the game, trying to find the end zone for the first time.

The offense FINALLY managed to put a decent drive together, converting on a 4th down at the Eagle 34. They ‘Boys had another 4th-and-8 at the Philadelphia 16 with 2:22 left in the game. McGee’s pass for Bennett in the end zone was incomplete and the Eagles took over at their 16 with 2:13 left in the game.

The defense rose to the occasion, forced a punt, and Bruce Carter blocked the kick inside the Philly 20, giving the home team one last chance to get on the scoreboard and avoid a shutout. The inept offense finally got it together and McGee hit Miles Austin with under 30 seconds left for a touchdown. Dan Bailey hit the PAT, and the gap narrowed to 20-7. The Cowboys attempted an onside kick but the Eagles recovered, ran one play, and the game was over.

To make matters even worse, on top of the loss, the Giants defeated the New York Jets, earlier in the day, technically giving the Giants the lead back in the NFC East, with both teams at 8-7 on the year.

It all comes down to Sunday at the new Meadowlands when the Cowboys travel to East Rutherford, NJ. The winner of the game will win the NFC East, while the loser is done and doesn’t make the playoffs. Cowboys’ fans hope the ‘Boys take care of business, realistically they DON’T deserve to make the playoffs and they very well may be one-and-done if they do.

As fans seem to say about them annually, there is always next year!

By Kris Willis

– Newsdesk contributor

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Dec 26, 2011 – The Dallas Cowboys could be without the services of starting left guard Montrae Holland who was injured in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Holland has a partially torn left biceps muscle and is undergoing tests to determine the severity of the injury and whether or not he might be able to play again this season.

Holland has started 10 games for the Cowboys at left guard since being signed to replace rookie Bill Nagy who suffered a season ending ankle injury. Holland had originally been among the final cuts made by the Cowboys in training camp before being re-signed.

Undrafted rookie Kevin Kowalski replaced Holland on Sunday and will be a candidate to start if Holland can’t play Sunday in the pivotal match up against the New York Giants. Derrick Dockery is also an option for the Cowboys to replace Holland.

For more on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line situation and Montrae Holland be sure to check out Blogging The Boys.

Read More: Derrick Dockery (G – DAL), Montrae Holland (G – DAL), Kevin Kowalski (C – DAL), Bill Nagy (C – DAL), Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants

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The loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday is now behind the Dallas Cowboys and now it is time to look ahead to the New York Giants. The Eagles loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things but the Giants game will mean everything.

The most important thing for the Cowboys, and this is especially true of the Eagles loss, is to come into the Giants’ matchup at 100-percent. That means that losing to the Eagles, because they rested Tony Romo and Felix Jones, was exactly the right decision. Dallas also has to hope that defensive players, like cornerback Mike Jenkins and linebackers Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware are also ready to go.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo injured his hand on this second pass attempt of the Eagles’ game when he knocked it against the helmet of a rushing Jason Babin. It was really the closest that Babin, the NFL sack leader, got to a Dallas quarterback in the game, which says great things about that maligned offensive line.

X-rays were negative and the hand bruised and swelled. It is thought to be broken vessels in the hand but it should be healed and ready to go for the big Giants’ game. The hope is that there is no soreness in the hand. Romo has not thrown an interception since Week 12 against Miami and he has eight touchdown passes since that game.

Felix Jones

Felix Jones had back-to-back 100-yard games heading into the Eagles matchup. However, early in the week he showed up on the injury report with a tight hamstring. When this started is unknown, but once Romo left the game and Dallas learned the Giants won, they pulled Jones out to allow him to rest his leg. There should be no worries here as Jones averaged 6-yards a carry before leaving the game.

Mike Jenkins

Mike Jenkins has been battling injuries all season but Dallas needs him in the lineup against the Giants. With the playmakers that New York has, and Eli Manning able to throw the ball all over the field, the Cowboys secondary needs all the help it can get.

DeMarcus Ware

You can’t get Ware out of the lineup. Even after Dallas learned that the Giants won, and the Eagles game meant nothing, he remained in the game and finished with two more sacks, moving his total to 18 on the season. He has been dealing with a neck injury but has not missed a game. He needs two more sacks to tie his own personal best.

Sean Lee

Sean Lee injured his hand in the first game with Philadelphia. He missed one week and has been playing with a cast ever since. In this game, he injured his hamstring. He says he could have come back into the game but didn’t because of the Giants win. He finished with five tackles before leaving the game. He says he will be ready for the Giants.

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.

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

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

The Philadelphia Eagles should not be favored over the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 24. Even Eagles fans like myself know that Philadelphia is as likely to get blown out by Dallas and be utterly humiliated as it is to pull off an upset. However, due to the Birds winning two straight games for once and somehow still being alive in the NFC East, they have become the popular pick.

The Cowboys are the one who control their own destiny, lead the NFC East by a game and are extra motivated to avenge the 34-7 loss to the Eagles on Oct. 30. Now that Philadelphia is being talked up as the scariest 6-8 team in history – even by owner Jerry Jones – it gives Dallas an extra reason to play with a chip on its shoulder.

It isn’t like the Cowboys haven’t taken care of a red hot Eagles team before. In 2009, the Birds came in on the last week of the season on a seven-game winning streak. But Dallas still utterly slaughtered Philadelphia to win the NFC East, and then destroyed the Eagles again the next week for its only playoff win in 15 years.

These Eagles should be a lot easier to defeat, especially if they have one of their off weeks. They haven’t won three games in a row this season, so they may be due for a collapse pretty soon. Of course, the Cowboys aren’t one to judge since they have been up and down all year themselves, although it has paid off for two more wins so far.

Dallas can easily defeat Philadelphia and get closer to the NFC East title, despite all of the buzz favoring the Eagles lately. On paper, it should be simple – although both the Eagles and Cowboys are much better on paper than they have been in reality in 2011. Fourth quarter collapses have doomed them both all year, yet the Cowboys’ only blowout loss was to the Eagles almost two months ago. At the least, Dallas has pulled out a few close victories since then, while Philadelphia hasn’t really been tested in the fourth quarter in the last two weeks.

The entire complexion of this game could change even before kickoff, depending on the New York Giants-New York Jets showdown. If the Giants win, the Eagles will be eliminated and will really have no reason to play. Of course, the Cowboys will be rooting for the Jets as well, since they can clinch the NFC East with a win and a Giants loss. But no matter what, Dallas can clinch the division with a win next week while Philadelphia has absolutely no margin for error left.

These are two teams that can each shoot themselves fatally at a given moment, or blow each other out. Yet even though the Eagles are still closer to last place than first place and are on the road, the Cowboys are the ones being underestimated. That kind of disrespect could give Dallas all the added motivation it needs to kill off its arch-rivals once and for all.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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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 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)

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