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"
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
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.
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.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
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.
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.
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