Two members of the Dallas Cowboys were named to the Pro Bowl today, with both earning starting nods. The game will once again be held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii and be played one week before the Super Bowl on Sunday, January 29.

Two defensive players – Jay Ratliff (fourth) and DeMarcus Ware (sixth) were selected. Ware was named as a starter for the sixth straight year, and Ratliff earned his fourth straight selection, third overall as a starter.

2011 DALLAS COWBOYS PRO BOWL PLAYERS

** DeMarcus Ware, LB (sixth selection)  

** Jay Ratliff, NT (fourth selection)

** denotes starter

DeMarcus Ware on being selected:

“It’s a great honor to be selected to play in the Pro Bowl. It shows that all the work through the offseason and season pays off. It’s special because you are selected by the fans, your peers and coaches around the league. I am excited to represent the Dallas Cowboys and the entire NFL in the game. Since my rookie season, I always strived on working hard, being consistent and playing at a high level, and it really means something on a personal level to be rewarded.” 

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t give their fans a very Merry Christmas with their performance Saturday.

In a game where little was on the line, the Cowboys couldn’t do anything to build on the momentum from the previous week at Tampa Bay.

But the Cowboys and Giants did wrap a big present and put it under NBC’s tree. The network of Sunday night football gets a chance to wrap up its season with a ratings bonanza.

But given one final chance to show they deserve to be in the playoffs as the NFC East Champions, can the Cowboys demonstrate the ability to receive?

Opportunity has knocked on the door all season long. The season opened on NBC’s big stage in New York and the Cowboys couldn’t close the deal against the Jets.

Fourth-quarter leads have led to head-scratching failures in many cases. The Cowboys probably realize they should be sitting down at the postseason party with 11 or 12 wins and letting Stephen McGee and Sammy Morris play out the string Sunday as they rested up for the playoffs.

The completely mediocre Broncos and Chiefs with gaping holes all over the roster should be fighting it out on NBC to be the last team in.

The Giants are in the same boat as the Cowboys as at times they look better than their record. They have an excellent quarterback and a couple of name players who can rush the passer. But the only consistency has been their inconsistency.

Both are considered dangerous teams in the NFC. We’d be surprised if the NFC East winner made it to the Super Bowl, but an upset win at New Orleans or San Francisco wouldn’t shock anyone.

I’ve been picking Dallas to win this division all year. There’s a chance I’m proven wrong on Sunday night.

As easy as I can make the argument that the Cowboys should already have won this division, there’s the fact that they are 2-3 in division games and those two wins were the result of a little bit of luck with a wild scramble pass to Dez Bryant and then a missed field goal in overtime turning two Washington victories into narrow Dallas escapes.

It’s not Tony Romo that has given me reason to doubt. It’s more a result of the defense and Jason Garrett’s brief history in decision-making down the stretch of close games.

I’ll pick the Cowboys one more time. They were the better team for 55 minutes just two weeks ago. But seizing on opportunities, the way the really good teams do in this league, has been a season-long problem for the Cowboys.

I guess we’ll watch and find out if everything really does begin and end in New York, at least for the Cowboys of 2011. Recent history doesn’t favor the Cowboys in any game considered big. Their previous “last-chance” for playoff finale at Philadelphia three years ago was a disaster.

But just as we pull out our new calendars, they get one more chance to prove this team is different.

Dallas fans felt like they got the short end of the “Dirty Santa” game on Saturday evening. Garrett, Romo and Rob Ryan will see if they can do better for a Happy New Year.

The Dallas Cowboys hold a one game lead in the NFC East but that could all fall by the wayside if the New York Giants beat them on Dec. 11. Despite the team’s winning record and current division lead, fans of the team find plenty to complain about. The biggest target right now is Jason Garrett and his play calling.

Now, on Dec. 5, some interesting information has popped up surrounding the fact that two teams have contacted Jeff Fisher with interest in bringing him aboard as their new head coach. While Garrett’s name has never appeared on any hot seat list, Dallas is one of the team’s mentioned when talking about Fisher’s eventual destination.

When trying to determine which two teams might have reached out to Fisher, Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network mentioned the following teams: the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams. He mentioned that Fisher has strong ties with the Cowboys and Giants, while San Diego is a home town team and he has ties in the Rams’ front office.

Garrett has been a Dallas assistant since 2007 and moved into the interim head coach position in 2010. Since taking over as head coach, Garrett has built up a 12-8 record with the Cowboys. So far, he has the Cowboys at a 7-5 record in 2011 as they fight for the NFC East crown and a playoff spot.

Jeff Fisher’s only head coaching stop was with the Tennessee Titans. He took over as head coach in 1994 when they were still in Houston and he coached there for 17 seasons. Over his career in Tennessee, he took the Titans to the playoffs in six of those seasons. While Fisher is seen as one of the more successful coaches in recent years, he only finished with double-digit wins in six seasons and failed to even post a winning record in the other 11.

I don’t think trading up for Fisher would be a great move. He has been successful and coached his team to a Super Bowl appearance but has not been as successful as you would like. Garrett, on the other hand, finished 2010 with a winning record (5-3) and needs two more wins in 2011 to finish the year with a winning record. That makes Garrett more successful right now in my eyes.

Compare the two. Jeff Fisher took over midway through the 1994 season and finished with a 1-5 record. He then finished his first full season with a 7-9 record. Even if he doesn’t win another game this season, Garrett has been a more successful coach than Fisher was at the start of his career. I feel pretty good about sticking with Garrett and don’t consider Fisher an upgrade at this time.

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

Source: CBSSports

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The Game

The Dallas Cowboys edged the Washington Redskins by a score of 27 to 24 as the Redskins downward spiral continued. For more than a month, the Redskins have been in the doldrums. The Redskins started out red hot winning 3 of their first 4 games. Since then, they have lost six straight and are now at 3 wins and 7 losses. They are out of the playoff contention and the season is basically over. It is the longest losing streak since Dan Synder owned the team, and the longest losing streak in Mike Shanahan’s head coaching career.

Characteristically, the Redskins gave the Cowboys a great fight as the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry is still alive and well. The Redskins scored more points than in their three previous games.

Tired of Losing

I live in Pennsylvania and I have the mighty Steelers and the hopeless Eagles to cheer for, so many are wondering why I care about the Redskins. It is because I am a Redskins fan and Redskins fans are a special breed. As a matter of fact, I am so tired of the Redskins losing that I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went to the Redskins website and I sent a message to General Manager Bruce Allen. I said the Redskins really need a franchise quarterback and suggested that he use his first round draft pick to acquire one. He replied that he had received many similar suggestions. Hopefully, the Redskins will draft a franchise quarterback and build a Super Bowl team. To understand what is so special about the Redskins and their fans, one must understand the culture where the Redskins play.

The Culture in Washington D.C.

Washington is a diverse and fascinating city and the Redskins are an integral part of the city. In Washington, the richest and most powerful people in the world and the country share the city with the poor and the powerless. In between them are the great middle class of government workers and military personnel. These groups have nothing in common and nothing to say to each other. There is only one thing that unites them and they can agree on: they love the Redskins and they want to see them win. The Washington Redskins unite their community like no other team in professional sports. To be a Redskins fan is to be part of that community, to have something in common with millions of people you have never met. It becomes an integral part of who you are and what you are. It gets in your blood and stays there as long as you live. I lived in Washington when they won their last two Super Bowls. The diverse people in the city stopped what they were doing to watch the Redskins win the Super Bowl. There was electricity in the air, the people were united like never before, and there was great camaraderie among the citizens. I left Washington years ago, but I still love the Redskins, follow every move they make, and I want to see them win.

A National Team

The Redskins have millions of fans across the country and are truly a national team. Millions and millions of Americans work for the Federal Government or serve in the military in Washington and then return home. Just about every military career includes a two year tour in Washington. When these American go back home, they take the Redskins home with them and this is the basis of their national following.

Source: Joseph White of the Associated Press, Romo leads Cowboys past Redskins, The Citizens’ Voice, November, 21, 2011.

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With Laurent Robinson(notes) joining the Dallas Cowboys, he proved himself as he substituted for starter Miles Austin(notes) during the stars hamstring injury. After Austin came back, Robinson impressed the Cowboys enough to keep him on the roster, which was great since Austin went down again weeks later. With Robinson’s performance, here is a look at reserve receivers from past Dallas teams that came through big as well.

Kelvin Martin

In the days of the early ’90s Cowboys teams, there was Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek and then there was everyone else. The No. 2 man through most of that time is Alvin Harper. However, one receiver who made his name as a fan favorite during this time was Kelvin Martin. K-Mart played for the Cowboys from 1987-1992 and won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys as one of the most valuable third receivers in the nation. He caught 237 receptions for 3,083 yards and nine touchdowns over his career in Dallas.

Patrick Crayton(notes)

Patrick Crayton joined the Cowboys in the 2004 season and played there until moving on to San Diego in 2009. During his time in Dallas, he backed up Terrell Owens(notes) and made his name as a solid third option in the Cowboys’ offense during his time there. He finished his career in Dallas with 196 receptions for 2,888 yards and 23 touchdowns, with his best season coming in 2007 (50 receptions, 697 yards, seven touchdowns). Despite his strong play, he couldn’t earn the starting job when Owens left the team.

Butch Johnson

In the ’70s, the main receivers for the Dallas Cowboys were Drew Pearson and Tony Hill, with Pearson the starter until giving way to the younger, more explosive Hill in the early ’80s. However, Butch Johnson was an integral part of the offense during that time as well. Johnson played for Dallas from 1976-1983 and caught 132 receptions for 2,124 yards and 19 touchdowns in his time there. Over his career at Dallas, he became the second best punt returner for the Cowboys and caught touchdown passes in back-to-back Super Bowls.

Kevin Williams(notes)

While Kelvin Martin was the big name in the first ’90s Super Bowl win, it was Kevin Williams who took his place from 1993-1996. A second round draft choice from Miami, he played on the other two Super Bowl squads as the third receiver on the team. He finished his Cowboys career with 98 receptions for 1,268 yards and five touchdowns.

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: all stats from fantasyfootballchallenge.com

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