Another final game of the season for the Cowboys means another chance for the Playoffs

Even with the Cowboys sitting at 3-5 or even 5-6 and what seemed like season ending injuries happening every week, they are still in position to win the NFC East title and head into the playoffs. The 8-7 Cowboys are currently preparing for their title match against the rival 9-6 Redskins who beat them back on Thanksgiving, 38-31. It's very simple for the Cowboys. Beat the Redskins and win the NFC East or lose and go on home until next season. As the Cowboys prepare for their do or die match-up with the Redskins this coming Sunday, it brings back memories of recent seasons when it came down to the last game of the season for the Cowboys.

- Back in 2008 the 9-6 Cowboys traveled to 8-6-1 Philadelphia for the last game of the season. A win would earn the Cowboys a Wildcard spot in the playoffs and send the Eagles home. It didn’t work out for the Cowboys as they were humiliated by the Eagles, 44-6.

- Back in 2009 the 10-5 Cowboys once again traveled to 11-4 Philadelphia for the last game of the season with the NFC East title on the line. The Cowboys bounced back from their horrible loss to the Eagles in 2008 and beat them 24-0 to earn the NFC East title based on head-to-head win percentage vs. the Eagles. The Cowboys would also beat the Eagles in the Wildcard round the next week 34-14.

- Last season it once again came down to the last game of the season with the NFC East title on the line. The 8-7 Cowboys traveled New Jersey to play the 8-7 NY Giants. The Cowboys quickly went down to the Giants 21-0 and ended up losing 31-14. Not only did the Cowboys lose out on another division title, but the loss allowed the Eagles to take over second place in the NFC East and dropped the Cowboys into a third place finish for the season.
So, for the fourth time in the last five seasons the Cowboys have a chance to make the playoffs if they can win the final game of the season. Also, for the third time in the last four seasons the last game of the season will be for the NFC East title.

The Cowboys have won three of the last four games since that Thanksgiving loss to the Redskins. The offensive line has played better as of late which has allowed Tony Romo to play better. Over his last five games Romo has thrown for 1,769 yards, 13 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions. The Cowboys will also have a healthy DeMarco Murray for the Redskins game that they did not have back on Thanksgiving. Dez Bryant, even with a broken finger caught 9 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns in a loss to the Saints last week. The Cowboys offense is as ready as it can be as they look to continue their good play that will hopefully get them into the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Rob Ryan has done everything possible to keep his defense afloat even after season ending injuries to Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Jay Ratliff, Barry Church, Orlando Scandrick and Kenyon Coleman. Not to mention players like DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher and Gerald Sensabaugh who are dealing with injuries. All three are expected to play against the Redskins. There seems to be no quit with this defense as they continue to put new players on the field like Ernie Sims, Michael Coe, Eric Frampton, Sterling Moore, Charlie Peprah and Brady Poppinga.

It once again comes down to the final game of the season for the Cowboys. Will they continue to fight through everything that they have faced this season or will things finally catch up to them? Even though the Cowboys lost to the Redskins a month ago I believe it will help them as they once again have to deal with rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III. This is the exciting part of football as team’s battle for a chance to get into the playoff tournament where anything can happen.

As far as this Cowboys fan is concerned I see the Cowboys taking care of business against the Redskins on Sunday night, winning the NFC East and then getting themselves ready for a home playoff game against the Seahawks where some payback will be in order.

Another week, another bright side for the Cowboys, maybe!

I'm not about to write something that we as fans don't already know. The 2012 season has been filled with disappointments when it comes to the Cowboys. Just when fans get a little excited about a Cowboys victory, the Cowboys turn around and lay an egg and fans lose hope again. This week is no different as they prepare for the Eagles Sunday night with their playoff lives on the line...again. It's another roller coaster season for the Cowboys.

Let's look at the season up to this point.

Week 1: Up week as the Cowboys beat the defending Super bowl Champion Giants. 1-0

Week 2: Down week as the Cowboys lose to the Seahawks. 1-1

Week 3: Up week as the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers in their home opener. 2-1

Week 4 and 6: Down weeks as the Cowboys lose to the Bears, then to the Ravens after their bye week. 2-3

Week 7: Up week as the Cowboys even their record by beating the Panthers. 3-3

Week 8 and 9: Down weeks as the Cowboys lose to the Giants and then lose to the Falcons. 3-5

Week 10 and 11: Up weeks as the Cowboys beat the Eagles and the Browns. 5-5

Week 12: Down week as the Cowboys lose to the Redskins. 5-6

Up and down, up and down just like a roller coaster. Just when we think the Cowboys are going to make a move there is another dip in their season. It's almost as if the Cowboys can't over the hump and make a move. Whatever the reasons are it seems to be a constant in recent years.

That brings us to Week 13 against the Eagles. If the trend stands true then the Cowboys will win and get to 6-6. Now even before the Cowboys take the field Sunday night against the Eagles, the Cowboys may be looking at another bright side to their season. Look at the teams ahead of them right now in the playoff race. The Seahawks, the Buccaneers and the Vikings are all 6-5. If those teams all lose Sunday, then they will drop to 6-6. The Seahawks play at the Bears, the Bucs play at the Broncos and the Vikings play at the Packers. If they all lose and they could, it would benefit the Cowboys of course. Provided the Cowboys take care of their own business against the Eagles and let's face it the Cowboys never do anything the easy way.

The Redskins and the Saints are both 5-6 along with the Cowboys. The Redskins play the Giants on Monday night and the Saints play at the Falcons on Thursday night. If they lose then its good news for the Cowboys, but if they both win it still won't be bad news as long as the Cowboys take care of business against the Eagles because the Cowboys still have games against the Saints and the Redskins this season.

1. Falcons, 10-1

2. 49ers, 8-2-1

3. Bears, 8-3

4. Giants, 7-4

5. Packers, 7-4

6. Seahawks, 6-5

7. Buccaneers, 6-5

8. Vikings, 6-5

9. Redskins, 5-6

10. Cowboys 5-6

11. Saints, 5-6

Sooooo. My point is that this week could be one of those bright side weeks for the Cowboys and for their fans to believe that they could still make a playoff run in 2012 provided they win. Of course if they beat the Eagles and fans become hopeful again, then following the trend, the next game against the Bengals will be a down a week. At this point nothing should be a shock to Cowboys fans.

As far as this Cowboys fan is concerned I HATE roller coasters and can do without the wild ride year after year because at this point I'm very close to throwing up!!

A win is a win, but we've been down this road before with the Cowboys

The Cowboys earned an important division win on the road against the rival Eagles yesterday. It may have also been a victory that saved their 2012 season as they move forward. The Cowboys currently sit at 4-5 and in second place with five of their final seven games at home. Not to mention that they don't have to go on the road for the next month with the Browns, Redskins and Eagles next up before a trip to Cincinnati in mid-December.

Although it was a nice win against the Eagles, I'm not about to get all warm and fuzzy considering how the Cowboys have been playing and their history of losing in December. Let's not forgot that the game yesterday was 17-17 going into the fourth quarter. If not for Dwayne Harris' punt return and Brandon Carr's interception return this game could have gone either way. These Cowboys teams have let us fans down way too many times for me to get all excited because they finally broke a two game losing streak. If they are the truly the team that they keep telling everyone that they are then they will take advantage of the situation that is in front of them get on a roll now.

What bothers me is that once again the Cowboys committed 13 penalties yesterday. Many were offside penalties from the defense on third down that allowed the Eagles to keep their drive going. Morris Claiborne had his worst game in his short career, but he is a rookie and is going to have some growing pains. These are things that can be corrected which are good signs for the defense. One the positives coming out of yesterday's win is how Bruce Carter is growing into an elite middle linebacker. He has taken control of the defense with Sean Lee out and has shown what kind of player and leader he can be for the Cowboys.

On offense it's another story. I heard this description of this Cowboys offense yesterday. It was called a "Grab Bag" offense, which fits them perfectly. This unit, led by Jason Garrett has no identity at all. They don't know if they are a running offense, passing offense or even somewhere in the middle. It just seems as though Garrett uses his play sheet as a grab bag during the game. Before every snap he reaches into the bag and whatever he pulls out is what they run. It has created issues all season for the Cowboys offense and will continue to cause issues as the season moves on unless something is done. Maybe things will improve once DeMarco Murray returns from his foot injury, which is hopefully very soon. Although Felix Jones did play a very nice game yesterday, he still needs to prove he can do those things week after week. Tony Romo's security blanket continues to be Jason Witten with eight receptions against the Eagles. Romo needs to open it up more with his other receivers and bring this offense to another level, but that in the hands of Garrett as he struggles with an identity for this Cowboys offense.

The time is now for Garrett to decide what he wants to do with this offense. If he wants it to be a pass first offense then he needs to start getting more creative with his offensive weapons. Start creating more plays for Cole Beasley in the slot. Maybe more plays for Romo to roll-out to create something down field. If Garrett wants to run the ball first then he needs to start using Lawrence Vickers more. He has proven that he is a quality fullback and can lead the other runners to daylight. I think the problem is that Garrett doesn't know how to put his offensive players into position to have success.

With the win over the Eagles yesterday and with the Giants struggling, the Cowboys have a great opportunity to make a move and possibly make a run at the division title. The question is can they correct the things like penalties, poor tackling and lack of identity so that they can take advantage of the situation that's in front of them? The defense is going to continue to improve. I have no doubt about that. It's the offense that worries me. Even with how bad they have been playing recently they have a golden opportunity to make something of their season. I'll be watching, but will hold off on the warm and fuzzies for a while until I see some changes, especially from Garrett and his grab bag offense.

Is Jason Garrett more Princeton material then NFL head coach material?

After two days I'm still trying to figure out what the Cowboys were doing when trying to set up for the potential game winning field goal against the Ravens. Does the blame fall on Jason Garrett or Tony Romo or maybe both of them? I saw no sense of urgency from the Cowboys offense after Dez Bryant caught the one yard pass with 20 seconds left and one timeout remaining. I saw players standing around, I saw Bryant arguing with the official. To me it seemed as though everyone was looking towards the sidelines wondering what to do next. In that situation I wish Romo would have either got the offensive unit up to the line to clock the ball or call the timeout right away instead of letting it run down to three seconds. Even if the offense didn't have another play ready (which they should have) the smart thing would have been to rush the players to the line so that Romo could spike the ball. Then there is probably about 15 seconds left and the Cowboys still have their one timeout left. Then they could run almost any play they wanted to get Dan Bailey closer. It was poor clock management by Garrett and there are no excuses in my opinion. Garrett says that Ogletree and Austin ran vertical routes and it would have taken them longer to get back to lineup. Then that falls on Garrett for calling a horrible play with so little time left on the clock. I want Romo as the true leader of the offense, with the game situation at that time to take control and know what to do instead of looking towards the sidelines for answers from Garrett. I'm not really blaming Romo since he is only doing what the coaches tell him to. In those situations I wish Romo would just stand firm no matter what the coaches will think and quickly make a decision on his own instead of waiting for his own coach to make a decision as the clock to running down. Seriously, what's going to happen? Does anyone believe that Garrett would bench Romo for making a quick decision like that?

It's almost as though Garrett coaches scared sometimes. I would hope his only thought in that situation is to get his team closer for the field goal attempt and not thoughts of an offensive penalty or a sack or a turnover. As the head coach you not only have to be aware of the situation, but you also need to be aggressive and be ready. There is no time for Garrett to be learning on the job for the Cowboys. He needs to be prepared no matter what situation comes up.

“We had the one time out, so we had the ability to throw the ball inside,” Garrett said. “Tony was going to get them on the ball as quickly as he could, knowing that we had that one in our hip pocket, and try to get a play run, knowing that we could throw the ball anywhere we wanted with the timeout. It just took too long for everybody to get un-piled. It got down to the single digits, so we said ‘take it down to four seconds and bang the timeout.”

Un-piled? Where exactly did Garrett see a pile? There was never any pile after the Bryant completion.

“The urgency to get back is critical in that situation,” Garrett said. “We have to do a better job in that situation, and it starts with me.”

There was no urgency from anyone. That is the main concern. Why did it seem like everyone was looking towards the sidelines for what to do next?

“They chose to bring pressure and we got the ball out quickly to Dez,” Garrett said. “The initial thought process was try to get everyone back on the line of scrimmage as quickly as we can and, at minimum, clock the ball. And if everyone gets back quickly, we can call a play and then we’ll save the timeout for the final kick. Having said that, when you have those combinations up and you have some people running away from the line of scrimmage, it’s going to take them longer to get back. When I look at that as a coach, I say, ‘OK, I like the answers, but one of the issues is we have two receivers running vertically down the field and it’s going to take too much time for them to get back.’ So that’s my responsibility. I made that play call and I’ve got to do a better job of that.”

“You keep working on it and keep learning from it,” Garrett said. “I think we won four of five games last year in the last second or overtime, in similar-type situations, so the idea is to handle them that way every time. Those guys get paid on the other side too, and we’ve got to make sure we handle situations when we think we're going to be able to get this. To be able to make a good play, you have to respond better. The more you put your team in that situation in practice, the more you learn from not only your game experience, but the situations that happen around the league, the better your going to get at it.”

Right now the Cowboys are 2-3 and are last in the NFC East. Next week they travel to Carolina in what can only be seen as a must win game. Falling to 2-4 will be crushing for the Cowboys with teams like the Giants, Falcons and Eagles coming up.

At this point I don't see Garrett progressing as a head coach. Maybe he will, but how many more games will the Cowboys lose at the expense of Garrett not doing a better job when it comes to clock management. Maybe Garrett was Princeton material, but right now I don't think he is NFL head coach material. I was going to say that I don't believe Garrett is in any jeopardy of losing his job after this season if it ends badly, but after reading Jerry Jones latest quote I'm not so sure anymore.

“We know that you want your team as healthy and as in sync as it can be as we get on in to the end of the season. We know that we’ve played one division game and won it. We’ve got those guys, the Giants, coming back in here. We know that’s going to be a big game for us. All of those things give us a chance to take a team that is evolving into — if you look at the pluses yesterday — evolving into a team that can be a team that can compete for the championship. Not next year, this year.”

Wait, compete for the championship this year?

“Correct,” Jones responded. “Correct. Let me emphasize that. I’m not into everybody getting better, learning for years to come. It’s this year.”

Like I said in my last article, there is a common thread over the last few seasons as players and coaches continue to say they need to learn and get better. At this point I'm still waiting for that to happen and I guess so is Jerry Jones!

A new season brings the same old story for the Cowboys

So who are the 2012 Dallas Cowboys? Currently they sit at 2-2 after a Monday Night beating by the Bears 34-18. They now enter their bye week with games against the Ravens, Panthers, Giants, Falcons and Eagles coming up. With the way they are playing they could easily go winless against those teams as they go into the middle of November.

Once again I find myself scratching my head trying to figure this team out. I have the same questions I've had every season since 2008. They are the model of inconsistency. They go out week one and play a great game against the defending champion Giants and then go to Seattle and get crushed. Then they win a close game against the Buccaneers and then of course the loss to the Bears last night. Once again it looks to be another roller coaster season for the Cowboys. Are they just an average team with a few above average players who have a good game every now and then? Maybe they are just not good enough to deal with the elite teams in the NFL on a weekly basis.

What is wrong with this team and why do they seem to go through the same things year after year? Other teams in the league seem to put everything together with far less talent. Is it the players, coaches, owners?? Is it a combination of everything in the Cowboys organization? What is certain is that there is a black cloud hovering over this team that just won't go away. As a fan I can only write about what I see and what I've seen are the same things that have plagued the Cowboys year after year recently. It just always seems to be the same story with this team as each season passes.

Here is what I see from the Cowboys. And keep in mind this over the last five seasons, not just this season...

- Lacking intimidation on offense, defense and special teams

- Conflicting comments coming from the head coach and the owner as well as players

- Unable to play four quarters consistently

- Dropped passes

- Penalties

- Over throws, fumbles and interceptions

- Lack of focus

- No imagination on offense

- No identity on offense

- Confusion on defense

The 2012 season can easily spiral out of control in the next month and a half. I understand that many teams go through a lot of the things that I have listed above about the Cowboys, but I've also seen a lot of those teams work through their issues and move on to compete for championships. With the Cowboys it's always the same old story. Learn from things that happen, improve and get better is what the team says. But how many years can that be said before they finally learn and get better? When is it time to do it instead of saying it year after year? I for one am sick and tired of it being said over and over again. What is stopping this team from getting over the hump and competing for a championship?

I just don't know and I won't pretend that I do. What I do know is that as a fan it's beyond frustrating to watch the Cowboys play the same way in recent years and then be told that they will learn from what is happening, they will get better and they will make sure it doesn't happen anymore. Enough already!!! It's like swinging a hammer and hitting your hand. You know it hurts every time you hit your hand and you express that something needs to be done about it, but you keep doing it. When does it finally get through to you that maybe, just maybe if you stop hitting your hand then it will stop hurting!!

Just look at some of these quotes I found over the last few seasons. It may seem that I'm picking on Romo considering most of the quotes are from him, but I'm not. It just seems like he is the main player who keeps saying it.

After losing to Chicago 34-18 this season.

“I’m going to have to reassess a couple of things that are happening and make sure that they don’t happen again,” Romo said. “We just have to make a conscious effort to make sure and control that aspect, and saying that I can’t try to do too much. I think that I tried to do that tonight, and going forward, I just have to do my job and I will.”

After losing to Seattle 27-7 this season.

“You’ve got to be able to learn. This is all part of that process. Coach Garrett said it today, today’s an important day of never really getting too high after a big win or too low after a loss. You’ve got to be critical of yourself, evaluate it – win or loss – and get better.”

After losing to New England 20-16 in 2011.

"This team is continuing to grow and get better," Romo said. "We just need to finish a game like today and we will I think."

After losing to Detroit 34-30 in 2011.

"Today and over the next week or two, it's going to be difficult to look back at it, but at some point here, we're going to move on," Romo said. "There's a lot of guys doing a lot of good things. We'll evaluate it and get better from it."

After losing to the Giants 33-31 in 2009.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to play up to the level the rest of the other guys did," Romo said. "I have to get better at the mistakes I made and I will."

This is just a small sample, but it's something that has bothered me the last few years. It's almost like the movie Groundhog Day. It's the same story over and over again and it gets to be too much after a while. I want nothing more than for the Cowboys to achieve greatness again. It's been too long since the glory days when the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four years back in the 90's. After the Cowboys bye week the next five games will tell a whole lot about how the 2012 season will play out.

Ten things I saw in the Cowboys 2012 season opening victory over the Giants

To all the so called experts out there who said there was no way the Cowboys could go into MetLife Stadium and beat the Giants. Well, all I can say is better luck next time with your predictions. I'm not big on writing game recaps because we all saw what happened and we all saw the final score...24-17 Cowboys!! The Cowboys not only got off to a great start in 2012, they did it on the road against a division rival. I understand that this was only one game, but it was a BIG game. The Cowboys needed to come out and not only play well, but they needed to prove something to themselves. They did just that and now can use it to build on instead of starting from a 0-1 hole. And as far as this Cowboys fan is concerned, any win over the Giants is a great win!

So what did I see last night?

1. I saw a team that even when things weren't going their way still stood strong and fought.

2. I saw Kevin Ogletree take advantage of his opportunity while other players like Dez Bryant and Miles Austin were being taken out of the game by the Giants defense.

3. I saw DeMarcus Ware do what he normally does. Two sacks, five tackles and was all over the field, but last night he seemed to do it with anger, which I loved.

4. I saw Jason Witten being the warrior that he is playing injured. He may not have been affective for the most part, but he was out there fighting and I'm sure that meant a lot to the team.

5. I saw great coverage for the most part from the Cowboys rebuilt secondary.

6. I saw new Cowboy Ryan Cook come in early and do an outstanding job at center for the Cowboys and may have just taken away Phil Costa's job.

7. I saw 13 penalties for 86 yards, most of them coming along the offensive line which needs to be corrected. One penalty I did not mind was on Tyron Smith as he prevented the touchdown on the interception return. Even though it was a horse collar and he could have hurt the player, he still prevented the score.

8. A saw DeMarco Murray run inside, run outside and never gave up even when the holes weren't there. I saw him go out of his way at times looking for contact. He is a difference maker in so many ways on offense.

9. I saw Bruce Carter showing his speed at linebacker as well as toughness as he collected five tackles. I also saw Sean Lee continuing to be a defensive leader as he forced a fumble and had 12 tackles, 10 of them solo.

10. I saw Tony Romo extend plays with his feet as he connected with eight different receivers. I saw accurate passes and control of the game throughout.

In the end the Cowboys played a great game and beat the World Champs in their own building. Now they have 11 days until they visit Seattle in Week 2. Let's hope that this victory is a sign of things to come in 2012 and building block to their season. Congrats to the Cowboys on a job well done. As Walt Disney once said..."Keep Moving Forward"

It's time for my 2012 NFL predictions

Every year before the start of the season I make my predictions. I do it just to have a little fun. I can't remember ever being right, but there is always a first time for everything. Maybe this season will be the first. Sometimes I try to find an interesting angle when I pick my Super Bowl teams. For example, two years ago I predicted an all Texas Super Bowl with the Cowboys and Texans playing in Cowboys Stadium in Super Bowl XLV. So much for that prediction! This year I thought of another angle that I'm going with.

Here are predictions for 2012.

AFC Division Winners
Buffalo Bills
Baltimore Ravens
Houston Texans
Denver Broncos

AFC Wildcard Teams
New England Patriots
Oakland Raiders

NFC Division Winners
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wildcard Teams
Atlanta Falcons
Detroit Lions

AFC Championship Game
Denver over Baltimore

NFC Championship Game
Dallas over Green Bay

Just as it was back in 1977 in the New Orleans Superdome, when the Cowboys beat the Broncos in Super Bowl XII, 27-10. This year it will once again be the Cowboys beating the Broncos by the same score in Super Bowl XLVII in the same New Orleans Superdome.

Super Bowl XLVII
Dallas Cowboys over the Denver Broncos, 27-10

Those are my official 2012 NFL predictions. Enjoy the season everyone and hopefully this is the year I'm actually right with my picks.

Excitement and concern as the Cowboys enter the 2012 season

With the Cowboys preseason over and the 53 man roster set, it's now time to get the 2012 season started. With every season comes new hope and excitement. This season is no different. I'm excited for some of the new players like Morris Claiborne, Brandon Carr, Cole Beasley, Tyrone Crawford and Kyle Wilber. The 2012 Cowboys have a nice mix of experience and youth. Of course the core players of Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee are still in place and are ready to make a run at a championship. The excitement level is high and I can't wait to see what kind of team the Cowboys will be in 2012.

Even with the excitement and all the talent the Cowboys have on their roster and the new players with so much potential, there is also concern. My first concern is how the offensive line will come together this season. With two new guards in Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau, center Phil Costa who has been less than impressive and tackles Tyron Smith and Doug Free switching sides, it's something that will be looked at early and often. I think Costa will benefit from having Livings and Bernadeau on each side and he won't struggle like he did in 2011. The one player I worry about is Doug Free. If preseason is any indication he is going to be the weak link on the Cowboys line and he should be watched closely. If these chosen five players do come together and become a solid unit the first player who will benefit from it is Tony Romo who seemed to get hit throughout the 2011 season.

In 2011 Romo seemed to be under constant pressure, but was able to put up some good numbers despite the offensive line. With a solid offensive line in front of him Romo will have the time to find his weapons in Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. It seems as though Kevin Ogletree has become the Cowboys third receiver and that worries me. Ever since joining the Cowboys Ogletree has been inconsistent at best. Dwayne Harris once again has shown signs of being a really good receiver during the preseason, but he showed those same signs in the 2011 preseason and then did nothing in the regular season. The player I'm really hoping gets a chance to play is rookie Cole Beasley. To me if Beasley is given the chance can own the middle of the field. He seems to catch everything thrown his way and can take a hit as well. I believe he can also be a difference maker as the Cowboys punt returner. But he needs to given the chance and I'm hoping Jason Garrett will give it to him.

The running game now belongs to DeMarco Murray who rushed for 897 yards in 2011 before being lost for the season with a broken ankle. Murray has shown no signs that his ankle will affect him in 2012 as he showed great quickness and speed in the preseason. Felix Jones will be the change of pace back and Cowboys fans are hoping he can stay healthy for a full season. Jones will also most likely help out on kick returns as well. Phillip Tanner is back from injury and will be the short yardage back. Free agent fullback Lawrence Vickers is going to greatly improve the running game with his toughness and leadership.

Some say that defensive line pressure will make a weak secondary look good. With the Cowboys I believe it's the exact opposite. The Cowboys secondary has been rebuilt with new corners Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne. Gerald Sensabaugh is back at safety and will be joined by Barry Church who has been promoted to a starter. I'm also hoping that Mike Jenkins can come back from his shoulder injury and be given the chance to play some in the slot. My reason for wanting this is because I believe Orlando Scandrick is the weak link in the secondary. He seems to always give up the big play or ends up being called for a penalty. If the rebuilt Cowboys secondary can do a better job in coverage compared to 2011, when they were ranked 23rd and opposing receivers seemed to always make a big play, it's going to greatly improve the defense and allow more pressure on opposing quarterbacks..

The only constant pressure in 2011 seemed to come from DeMarcus Ware who collected 19.5 sacks. The Cowboys need to do a better job getting to the quarterback. Last season opposing quarterbacks had way too much time to set up and make a play. I think this season will be a big year for Jason Hatcher who had 4.5 sacks in 2011 and I'm hoping that rookie Tyrone Crawford is everything the Cowboys think he is when they drafted him in April. As far as stopping the run, the Cowboys defense was ranked 7th in 2011 and I believe in 2012 they will once again be in the top 10 as far as rushing defense. The Cowboys need Jay Ratliff get healthy and stay healthy so that he can clog up the middle and disrupt the running lanes, which will allow Sean Lee, Dan Connor and Bruce Carter to get the job done in the running game.

When it comes to the kicking game I don't think there is a Cowboys fan alive that doesn't feel like Dan Bailey will miss when he lines up for a field goal attempt. Bailey made 32 of 37 field goals in his rookie season, which included 26 straight at one point. Bailey picked up where he left off last season as he made all three of his field goal attempts in the preseason. The punting job has been given to Chris Jones as the Cowboys said goodbye to Matt McBriar. This preseason Jones averaged 45.8 yards on eight punts and also kicked four of them inside the 20 yard line.

So there are my thoughts as the Cowboys get ready for the 2012 season. Even with my concerns about the offensive line and defensive line I'm excited to get this season going. I'm excited to see the veterans continue to grow and get better and I'm excited to see the new players get out on the field and show what they can add to the Cowboys. I want nothing more than to beat the Giants come next week. Beating them will do a lot for the Cowboys as a team and set the tone for the season.

It was good to see the Cowboys back on the field, but there is still a lot of work to do!

The time finally arrived last night. It was a long wait, but we finally got to see the Cowboys play their first preseason game of 2012. So what can someone really take out of the first preseason game? It was a game that many starters didn't play in and many of those who did play won't even make the team come the final cuts. So, do we go crazy that the offense couldn't do anything or that the defense gave up some big plays early? Is it a big concern that the Cowboys had 12 penalties for 91 yards?

What we did see was an offensive line that was, well...offensive. There were no signs of a running game and all four quarterbacks were under pressure. The offensive line is by far the number one priority for the Cowboys and it needs to be straightened out before the start of the season. There are lot of injuries to the offensive line and because of that there is no chemistry. But again, this was the first preseason game so I wouldn't go into panic mode just yet. I did see plenty of times where Doug Free and David Arkin were beat at the snap of the ball. Will the Cowboys continue to look for a veteran center this week? Conflicting reports say that former Cowboys center Andre Gurode may be coming in for a workout. What is certain is that offensive line coach Bill Callahan has his work cut out for him.

A few players who stood out were new starting safety Barry Church and third receiver hopeful Andre Holmes. Church seemed to be around the ball a lot and also showed some speed as he closed in on plays. Holmes caught 3 passes for 40 yards and looked good as he used his height to grab a few passes.

I refuse to go crazy after the first preseason game. I understand that many things did not look good against the Raiders, but there is time to get the injured players healthy and back on the field. Over the years I have put less importance on winning preseason games. I look more at the players and the execution as a team. I understand that offense; defense and special teams did not play well for the most part, but let's see if there is any improvement going into the next few games. In the end the Cowboys did beat the Raiders 3-0, which is always nice, but the team has a long way to go before the start of the season.

With the Cowboys dealing with so many injuries is it too soon to talk about the 53 man roster?

As the Cowboys move on with training camp 2012, they are preparing for their first preseason game against the Raiders next Monday night. The injury bug has hit the Cowboys hard since training camp opened to the staggering amount of 18 players. Some of the injured players are day to day while others could be out a few weeks. Since it's so early in training camp there is no need to panic at this point. Hopefully these players can recover quickly and get back out on the field.

As of right now here are the Cowboys injured players per the Dallas Morning News.

CB; Mike Jenkins; Shoulder; Placed on PUP list
G/C; Kevin Kowalski; Ankle; Placed on PUP list
S; Matt Johnson; Hamstring; Day-to-day
NT; Jay Ratliff; Foot; Out indefinitely
OLB; Anthony Spencer; Hamstring; Day-to-day
G; Nate Livings; Hamstring; Out indefinitely
DE; Jason Hatcher; Groin; Day-to-day
RB; Lance Dunbar; Hamstring; Day-to-day
DE; Marcus Spears; Concussion; Day-to-day
TE; John Phillips; Ankle; Day-to-day
CB; Morris Claiborne; Knee; About one week
WR; Saalim Hakim; Finger; One to two weeks
RB; Phillip Tanner; Hand; Out indefinitely
CB; Teddy Williams; Concussion; Day-to-day
WR; Miles Austin; Hamstring; About one week
G/C; Bill Nagy; Ankle; Out at least two weeks
G; Mackenzy Bernadeau; Hip, Knee; Out indefinitely
WR; Danny Coale; Foot; Expected to return this week

With so many injuries it gives other players a chance to show their stuff to the coaching staff in hopes of making the team. I was able to watch the entire Blue-White scrimmage from Sunday, even though it was hard to see some of the plays due to bad camera angles. I saw some good things from certain players like Rudy Carpenter, Ronald Leary, Orie Lemon and Mario Butler.

The Cowboys released safety Brodney Pool on Monday, which means that Barry Church has done enough for the coaching staff to think he can be a quality starting safety for them. It also didn't help that Pool came into camp and failed his conditioning test. It was also reported last night that Mike Jenkins was not cleared to practice by Dr. James Andrews who performed his shoulder surgery. Depending on how things go the rest of the month, Jenkins could end up missing the first six games of the season.

Looking over the current Cowboys roster I tried to do what I do every year and pick the final 53 players. Keep in mind that I'm never right and I just do it for fun. Jenkins injury will play a big part in the selection of backup cornerbacks. Also, out of every position I think the wide receivers are the hardest to select outside of Austin and Bryant. Like last year I don't believe the Cowboys third receiver is currently on the roster.

The X denotes the starters.

Quarterbacks
1.       Tony Romo, X 

2.       Kyle Orton

3.       Rudy Carpenter

Running Backs
1.       DeMarco Murray, X

2.       Felix Jones

3.       Phillip Tanner

Fullback

1.       Lawrence Vickers. X

Tight Ends

1.       Jason Witten, X

2.       John Phillips

3.       James Hanna

Wide Receivers

1.       Miles Austin, X

2.       Dez Bryant, X

3.       Kevin Olgetree

4.       Raymond Radway

5.       Cole Beasley

Guards

1.       Ronald Leary, X

2.       Nate Livings, X

3.       Bill Nagy

4.       Derrick Dockery

Tackles

1.       Tyron Smith, X

2.       Doug Free, X

3.       Jermey Parnell

4.       Pat McQuistan

Centers

1.       Makenzy Bernadeau, X

2.       Phil Costa

Defensive Ends

1.       Jason Hatcher, X

2.       Sean Lissemore, X

3.       Tyrone Crawford

4.       Marcus Spears

5.       Clifton Geathers

Defensive Tackles

1.       Jay Ratliff, X

2.       Josh Brent

Outside Linebackers

1.       DeMarcus Ware, X

2.       Anthony Spencer, X

3.       Victor Butler

4.       Kyle Wilber

5.       Alex Albright

Inside Linebackers

1.       Sean Lee, X

2.       Dan Connor, X

3.       Bruce Carter

4.       Orie Lemon

Safeties

1.       Gerald Sensabaugh, X

2.       Barry Church, X

3.       Matt Johnson

4.       Danny McCray

Cornerbacks

1.       Morris Claiborne, X

2.       Brandon Carr, X

3.       Mike Jenkins

4.       Orlando Scandrick

5.       Mario Butler

Long Snapper

1.       LP LaDouceur

Punter
1.       Chris Jones

Kicker

1.       Dan Bailey

Questions and stories as the Cowboys enter training camp

In less than a week the Cowboys will be starting their 2012 training camp. Although they have made a lot of moves this off season with free agent signings along with some of their own free agents leaving, there are still questions when it comes to the roster. There could be as many as three different players along the offensive line this year. The secondary has been rebuilt and will have at least two new players and maybe a third depending on the safety position. The good news is that the core group of players is still in place with Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, DeMarcus Ware and Sean Lee.

Gone are players like Brady James, Keith Brookings, Martellus Bennett, Matt McBriar, Alan Ball, Montrae Holland, Terence Newman, Laurent Robinson and Abe Elam. Some of them will be missed and others will be forgotten quickly.

New to the Cowboys as they head into training camp are free agents Brandon Carr, Lawrence Vickers, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Nate Livings, Dan Connor, Kyle Orton and Brodney Pool. The Cowboys are also excited about first round draft pick Morris Claiborne stepping in to contribute right away. As well as some of the other draft picks hopefully being able to help the team early rather than later like, Danny Coale, Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilber and Matt Johnson.

As with any training camp the excitement level is high, big things are expected and the hope is that the team has done everything they can do to improve so that they can reach that next level. What's exciting is that with so many different players it creates competition and that will be a positive for the Cowboys. Some of the interesting stories and questions going into training camp are...

Quarterback : In past seasons the Cowboys have had Brad Johnson and John Kitna backing up Tony Romo. Now they have Kyle Orton who is a tremendous upgrade to the backup QB spot. I don't believe there is competition for the starting spot because there is no question that Tony Romo is the starter, but what I'm hoping for is that Orton can push Romo a little and help him to become a better player.

Wide Receiver : Now that Laurent Robinson has left the team, once again the question will be who will step up to become the third receiver? Kevin Ogletree will be trying again to secure that spot, but had not been able to do so in the past. Young receivers like Raymond Radway, Andre Holmes and Dwayne Harris will also be fighting it out along with rookies Danny Coale and Cole Beasley. Is the Cowboys third receiver currently on the roster or will they be looking for another veteran receiver like Robinson as the season gets closer?

Offensive Line : How will the Cowboys interior line shape up during training camp? Phil Costa looks to remain the Cowboys center, but will face competition from Kevin Kowalski and maybe even Bill Nagy. The Cowboys brought in Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau through free agency to be their new guards this season. But with Bernadeau still recovering from hip surgery, it's going to open things up for Bill Nagy, David Arkin and rookie Ronald Leary. The tackles are set, but Tyron Smith and Doug Free are switching sides this season. Is Smith ready to take on the challenges at left tackle at such a young age? With so many changes to the offensive line it's up to new line Coach Bill Callahan to form these players into a solid unit.

Linebackers : Sean Lee became a solid starter for the Cowboys in 2011, as well as the anchor and leader of the Cowboys defense. What will be decided in training camp and the preseason is which player will be alongside Lee on the inside. Free agent Dan Connor is a five year veteran who will be working against Bruce Carter who is now over a year removed from knee surgery. The competition between Connor and Carter should be interesting. Anthony Spencer is back opposite DeMarcus Ware for at least 2012, but will Victor Butler push Spencer for more playing time? There is also rookie Kyle Wilber who will be looking to get on the field as well.  

Safety : With Gerald Sensabaugh holding down one safety position who will step up and take over the other safety position? The Cowboys signed free agent Brodney Pool, but he will be facing fierce competition from third year player Barry Church. Some believe that Church has the edge going into training camp. Adding to the safety competition will be rookie Matt Johnson.

The five positions listed above are just some of the stories to look for as training camp gets going. There are also these stories to watch...

1. How will Mike Jenkins fit in on Cowboys this season or will he be traded at some point?

2. Is Sean Lissemore ready to step in and be a starter and where does rookie Tyrone Crawford fit in on the defensive line?

3. Can Felix Jones stay healthy this season?

4. Is DeMarco Murray the real deal at running back?

Even with so many stories and unanswered questions as training camp begins, the Cowboys are once again stacked with talent and are looking for their rookies to step in and make a difference. Competition is good for any player and I'm hoping it makes the Cowboys into a stronger, better team as they get ready for the 2012 season. As a fan I'm excited about the players currently on the Cowboys roster as well as the training camp battles that will take place. The Cowboys have a good mix of veterans and younger players. I'm looking forward to see how things play out as the regular season gets closer and to see what the final product is going to be when the Cowboys take the field on September 5th against the NY Giants.   

Harvey Martin needs to be the next player into the Cowboys Ring of Honor

I'm not sure how Jerry Jones decides on who goes into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, but the fact that Harvey Martin hasn't been enshrined yet is a huge disloyalty to him. Martin is the best defensive end in Cowboys history and deserves to have his name displayed in Cowboys Stadium with the other great players.

Harvey Martin was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 1973 draft out of East Texas State. Martin became a full time starter at defensive end in 1975 and became one of the most feared players in the NFL. Playing besides players like Randy White, Jethro Pugh and Ed (Too Tall) Jones they formed one of the best defensive units in the league.

Although the NFL didn't start keeping track of player sacks until 1982, the Cowboys have their own record books and show Harvey Martin having a total of 114 sacks in his eleven seasons with the Cowboys. Martin is still the Cowboys sack leader, but DeMarcus Ware is closing in fast with 99.5 sacks going into the 2012 season. Martin was the Cowboys sack leader for seven of his eleven seasons with his career high coming in 1977 when he recorded 23 sacks in only 14 games.

In his rookie season of 1973 he only played on passing downs as a pass rushing specialist. Even in his limited playing time he still led the Cowboys with nine sacks. After his record 23 sacks in 1977, he followed that with 16 sacks in 1978, 10 in 1979, 12 in 1980, 10 in 1981, 8 in the strike shortened 1982 season and he finished his career with only 2 in 1983.

Some of the honors Harvey Martin received in his career were four Pro Bowl selections in 1976-79. He was a first team All-Pro selection on 1977, as well as second team All-Pro selection in 1976, 1979 and 1982. In 1977, which was his best season with the Cowboys he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Martin was also selected to the NFL 1970's All Decade Team.

In Super Bowl XII, Martin along with Randy White and Ed (Too Tall) Jones dominated the Broncos and harassed both Craig Morton and Norris Weese all game. Martin had two of the Cowboys four sacks in the game to go along with constant defensive pressure. For his efforts Martin was named the game's Co-MVP along with Randy White as the Cowboys beat the Broncos 27-10 to earn the teams second Super Bowl Championship.

Twenty nine years have passed since Martin retired in 1983. That is too many years to wait to see Harvey Martin's name in the Cowboys Ring of Honor. Unfortunately if the time ever comes that Martin is put into the Ring of Honor, he won't be able to enjoy his enshrinement. Martin passed away on December 24, 2001at the young age of 51. By his side when he died was best friend and teammate Drew Pearson.

As I've said before, I don't know how Jerry Jones determines who goes into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, but I think he needs to give special consideration to making Harvey Martin a member. No disrespect to Larry Allen and Charles Haley, but I don't think they should have even been a thought for the Ring of Honor before Martin. Although Martin is no longer with us he deserves to be honored by the Cowboys organization, an honor that is well past due for a player who gave so much to the Cowboys. I hope that Jerry Jones does the right thing and make Harvey Martin the next player that goes into the Cowboys Ring of Honor.  

A Dallas Cowboys history lesson

With a few weeks left until training camp things tend to be a little slow. So I had an idea to list some things that some people may not know about the Cowboys or maybe just have forgotten over time. Enjoy!

1. On December 28, 1959 Tex Schramm introduced Tom Landry to the media as the head coach of the new Dallas Rangers. They were originally going to be called the Dallas Steers. After realizing that there was a minor league baseball team from Dallas called the Rangers, Schramm announced that the new Dallas franchise would be called the Cowboys.

2. The new Dallas franchise was almost voted out in 1960 because of then owner of the Washington Redskins George Marshall. Before the owners meeting to discuss expansion Marshall fired the Redskins music director who had also composed “Hail to the Redskins”. The music director retaliated by selling the song’s copyright to an attorney on behalf of Dallas owner Clint Murchison. The attorney denied George Marshall and the Redskins the right to play “Hail to the Redskins”. This left Marshall no choice but to vote in favor of an expansion team in Dallas and in return for his vote “Hail to the Redskins” was returned to Marshall.

3. During the 1971 training camp the running back competition was between Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill. The Cowboys ended up trading Duane Thomas to the New England Patriots for Carl Garrett and two other players plus the Patriots top pick in 1972. Thomas reported to Patriots training camp, but was thrown out for not following instructions during running drills. Commissioner Pete Rozelle negated the trade and sent Thomas back to the Cowboys and the Cowboys had to send the players they received and the draft pick back to the Patriots.

4. On October 24, 1971 Texas Stadium opened. The Cowboys entered the game against the New England Patriots with a 3-2 record. They beat the Patriots 44-21 with Duane Thomas scoring the first ever Texas Stadium touchdown on a 56 yard run just 2 minutes into the first quarter. The Cowboys would not lose in the new stadium in 1971 on their way to victory in Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins.

5. In 1971 the Dallas Cowboys wowed the world with the opening of Texas Stadium. In 1972 they would wow the world again. This time they introduced a more glamorous concept…The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Tex Schramm wanted to change cheerleading. He said that fans wanted to enjoy the sights of attractive young women who danced instead the usual “Fight, team, Fight!” cheerleading the league was use to. They would wear outfits in traditional Dallas Cowboys colors of blue and silver and have choreographed routines. Their appearance at Super Bowl X made them a national phenomenon. They also became the subject of two made-for-TV movies.

6. Before the draft in 1977 the Cowboys pulled off a trade with the Seattle Seahawks who were 2-12 during the 1976 season, which was their first as an NFL expansion franchise. The Cowboys traded their own first round pick which was the 22nd overall and three second round picks. In exchange the Cowboys would get Seattle’s first round pick which was the 2nd overall. The Cowboys watched as Tampa Bay, who had the first overall pick selected running back Ricky Bell. That put the Cowboys in position to select the man they wanted in running back Tony Dorsett who would go onto a Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys.

7. On January 3, 1983 with Minnesota leading the Cowboys 24-13 in the final Monday Night football game of the season, Dallas found themselves on their own one foot line. Danny White brought the offense to the line not realizing there were only 10 players on the field. The missing player was fullback Ron Springs who was standing on the sideline watching. Danny White handed off to Tony Dorsett who exploded through the middle of the line. Then Dorsett turned towards the right sideline as Drew Pearson blocked for him. Dorsett was able to stay in bounds as he tightroped his way into history with a 99 1/2 yard touchdown run. A record that will never be broken. Not realizing what he just did Dorsett dropped the ball in the end zone. Even with a history making run and 153 yards rushing in the game the Cowboys still lost to Minnesota 31-27.

8. On October 12, 1989 the Cowboys pulled off "The Great Train Robbery". With the Cowboys being one of the worst teams in the NFL, rookie head coach Jimmy Johnson decided to trade Herschel Walker to the Vikings in what would be a blockbuster trade involving 6 players and 12 and draft picks. Originally it was the Cleveland Browns who had an offer on the table for Walker that the Cowboys were considering until the Vikings presented their offer to the Cowboys. The trade laid the groundwork for the Cowboys to become the team of the '90s as they went on to win three Super Bowls in four years. Some of the players that were drafted by the Cowboys from the trade were Emmitt Smith, Alvin Harper, Darren Woodson and Russell Maryland.

These are just some of the things that come to mind about the Dallas Cowboys. A team rich in history, but not without some strange happenings through the years.

That magical Dallas Cowboys 1992 season 20 years later

Anytime a team wins a Super Bowl it’s special no matter how they get there. The last two Super Bowl Champions didn’t make it into the playoffs until the final game of the season. The Packers got in back in 2010 as the 6th seed and won it all and the Giants got in last season as the 4th seed and won it all. I’m sure the fans of those teams loved every second of the postseason as their teams got hot at the right time. The Giants were 6-6 in 2011 at one point and were left for dead by most experts as well as their fans. The Packers back in 2010 needed to win in the last week of the season along with some help to back into the playoffs. All of the bad things from the regular season were forgotten once these teams won the Super Bowl. It’s rare to have one of those magical seasons from beginning to end, but when it does happen it’s the greatest ride ever.

I realized the other day that it has been 20 years since the Cowboys had one of those magical seasons and went on to win the Super Bowl. Back in 1992 the Cowboys were on a mission from the first game of the season right through the Super Bowl. It seems like just yesterday as I can remember every game they played and how they became more dominant as the season went on. It was Jimmy Johnson’s fourth season as head coach and the Cowboys had ended the 1991 season with a horrible playoff loss to the Lions, 38-6. Some thought the Cowboys were probably still a year or two away from seriously competing for a championship. The Cowboys thought differently.

The Cowboys fielded the youngest team in the NFL in 1992. They also had the top ranked defense in the league, but when it came time for Pro Bowl selections not one player from the Cowboys defense was selected. The defense did not really have house hold names other than Charles Haley, who the Cowboys traded for before the start of the season. Haley was looked at as the final piece the Cowboys needed for their Super Bowl run. Some of the others joining Haley on that top ranked defense were Russell Maryland, Tony Casillas, Jim Jeffcoat, Tony Tolbert, Leon Lett, Ken Norton Jr., Vinson Smith, Robert Jones, Larry Brown, Thomas Everett, Kevin Smith, James Washington and Darren Woodson.

On offense it seemed as though the Cowboys were unstoppable most of the time. It started up front with Erik Williams, John Gesek, Mark Stepnoski, Nate Newton and Mark Tuinei. From there defenses had to deal with Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Alvin Harper, Kelvin Martin, Jay Novacek and Daryl Johnston. With Norv Turner running the offense the Cowboys developed a balanced attack that opposing teams had a hard time defending them at times.

The Cowboys finished 1992 with a 13-3 record. There best record since going 12-2 back in 1977 when they went on to win Super Bowl XII. They were 7-1 at Texas Stadium in 1992. Their only loss was to the LA Rams 27-23. On the road they went 6-2 with losses to the Eagles 31-7 and the Redskins 20-17. They beat out the Eagles for the NFC Eastern Division Championship, but came up short for home field advantage to the 49ers.

Here are a few games that will always stand out from that magical 1992 season.

Week 1: The Cowboys opened the season in Texas Stadium against the Redskins who were defending Champions. Issiac Holt Blocked a punt that went out of the end zone to give the Cowboys an early 2-0 lead and they never looked back. Emmitt Smith rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown and Kelvin Martin added a 79 yard punt return in the third quarter. The Cowboys went on to win 23-10.

Week 2: The Cowboys traveled to New Jersey to take on the Giants. It seemed to be no contest as the Cowboys jumped out to a 34-0 third quarter lead. The Giants scored twice before the end of the third quarter to make the score 34-14. What I remember most is that the scoreboard operator changed the score to show that the Giants had won the game 35-34 during the fourth quarter. The Giants did make it interesting, but the Cowboys held on for a 34-28 victory.

Week 9: Just a few weeks earlier the Cowboys were crushed by the Eagles 31-7 in Philadelphia. In the rematch the Cowboys defense took a stand and dominated as they only allowed 190 yards to the Eagles offense. Emmitt Smith rushed for 163 yards as the Cowboys won 20-10 and improved to 7-1.

Week 10: The Cowboys ended the 1991 season with a 38-6 loss in the playoffs to the Lions. In 1992 the Cowboys made a return trip to Detroit, but this time it would end much different. Emmitt Smith scored three touchdowns and Michael Irvin had 114 yards receiving and a touchdown. The Cowboys defense only allowed 201 yards to the Lions offense as they cruised to a 37-3 victory.

Week 13: It was Thanksgiving at Texas Stadium and the Giants were coming for a visit. Unlike the first match-up with the Giants this time it would not be close. The Cowboys defense once again dominated as they collected four sacks and only allowed 207 yards to the Giants offense. Emmitt Smith rushed for 120 yards and scored twice, which included a 68 yard score in the third quarter. The Cowboys improved to 10-2 with a 30-3 victory.

Week 16: The Cowboys traveled to Atlanta for a Monday Night game looking to lock up the NFC East title. The game included one of the most incredible runs in Emmitt Smith’s career. He seemed to get stopped by a wall of Falcon defenders, but then he bounced away and broke free down the right sideline as he beat Deion Sanders to the end zone for a 29 yard touchdown run. Smith added another 29 yard score and rushed for 174 yards. Troy Aikman completed 18 of 21 passes and threw three touchdown passes. The Cowboys won their first NFC East title since 1985 as they beat the Falcons 41-17.

Divisional Playoffs: For the third time in 1992 the Cowboys would be playing the Eagles and for the second time at Texas Stadium. It was also the first playoff game at Texas Stadium since 1983. Once again the Cowboys dominated the Eagles and won 34-10. The Cowboys defense only allowed 178 yards to the Eagles offense and sacked Randall Cunningham five times. Emmitt Smith added 114 yards and a score.

NFC Championship: Leading up to this game there seemed to be two stories. One was the last time the Cowboys played in San Francisco for the NFC Championship back in 1981, which ended with “The Catch” by Dwight Clark. The other was the muddy field conditions after a week of soaking rains. None of that mattered to this Cowboys team as they showed no fear against the 14-2 49ers led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice. What always comes to mind was early in the game Kevin Smith left the field for a play with a shoulder injury. On the next play Young connected with Rice on a long touchdown as he beat Issiac Holt who replaced Smith. But the 49ers were called for holding and the touchdown was called back. It seemed as though from that point on the Cowboys had the upper hand. The Cowboys defense controlled the 49ers offense and the Cowboys offense was able to move the ball and control the clock as they built a 24-13 fourth quarter lead. Young was able to bring the 49ers to within 24-20 late in the fourth quarter and most thought that Jimmy Johnson would try to get a few first downs and run out the clock. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff Troy Aikman connected with Alvin Harper across the middle as the defender fell down. Harper broke free and was finally taken down at the 49ers ten yard line after a 70 yard gain. From there Aikman sealed the game with a short touchdown pass to Kelvin Martin. The Cowboys beat the 49ers 30-20 to advance to Super Bowl XXVII. It was the first Super Bowl for the Cowboys since 1978. It was also the game that will be known for Jimmy Johnson yelling in the locker room “How bout them Cowboys!!”

Super Bowl XXVII: My first ever Cowboys game was Super Bowl XII against the Broncos back in 1977. I can’t really say I knew what was happening, but I remembered the star on the helmet. Now 15 years later I was enjoying every second of the Super Bowl including all the pregame leading up to it. I couldn’t wait to see the Cowboys name in the end zone as well as watching the player introductions. I took it all in and remember it like it was yesterday. I also remember the Cowboys being down 7-0 to the Bills after getting a punt blocked, which led to a Thurman Thomas touchdown. From that point on it was all Cowboys as they outscored the Bills 52-10. The Cowboys defense recovered five fumbles and collected four interceptions for a record nine turnovers in the game. The defense also scored two touchdowns by Jimmie Jones and Ken Norton Jr. It could have been three touchdowns and a Super Bowl record 59 points, but we all know what happened when Leon Lett celebrated too soon on his fumble return. Troy Aikman earned the game’s MVP as he competed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns. Emmitt Smith added 114 yards and a touchdown and Michael Irvin added two touchdowns. All the great numbers aside, what really meant the most was the incredible journey from that 1992 season and then seeing the team holding the Lombardi Trophy and celebrating. It was a feeling unlike any feeling I have ever felt as fan.

It’s just so hard to believe that it has been 20 years since that magical season of 1992. The players have long been gone, but will never be forgotten. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin have all entered the Hall of Fame. Watching Jimmy Johnson every Sunday on Fox always brings back great memories. Charles Haley has been helping out the Cowboys defensive linemen recently as well as waiting for his own name to be called for the Hall of Fame. We also remember Mark Tuinei who passed away too soon back in 1999.

The 1992 Cowboys will always be remembered as one of the great Cowboys teams of all time as well as one of the great NFL teams of all time. Their magical season will never be forgotten.

“How bout them Cowboys!!”

Welcome to Through the Eyes of a DC Fan

Hello and welcome to Through the Eyes of a DC Fan. I've been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since 1978 and I like nothing more than writing about them. You will find that I like to be honest when it comes to the Cowboys. I don't live in a dream world. I tell it like it is. My articles will be about recent happenings with the team and also include some strange views. I love to be creative at times because the same old stuff can get boring. What it comes down to is that I love the Dallas Cowboys and I want to share my thoughts, opinions and crazy observations. I hope that you enjoy what you read and want to come back for more.