This is the final MVN post for Eagles Eye, as six years of dedication and devotion by our web publisher, MVN.com., headed by Evan Brunell, comes to an end. We couldn’t have done anything without the help of Evan and his expert staff. Thank you, guys, for everything…and for finding us a new home at eagleseyeblog.com, under the Bloguin banner………………..Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles are on the brink of either temporary disaster or redemption, depending on how you look at Saturday night’s upcoming one-and-done showdown at the Dallas Death Star. After suffering a 24-0 beatdown last Sunday, the Eagles have only three days of practice to figure out a new plan. Suddenly, the realization has come to Eagles nation that this season may be the one where the Cowboys peak late and the Eagles collapse early in the playoffs, finally falling under the weight of attrition due to injuries, with a record 16 players on the IR. Knowledgeable fans know the Eagles have over-achieved all season long, patching a linebacker here and a guard or tackle there, and that, all things considered, Donovan McNabb and his offense have had a pretty good year. But the groundlings out there are once again calling for Donovan’s head, screaming the dreaded “C” word (choke) and moaning about failing to win “the big one”… To them, I would advise: it’s pretty hard to win on offense when Dallas sacks you 4 times and hurries your play 8 times and your receivers drop the ball 6 times…Obviously, the problem is the Eagles’ offensive line has been overmatched by the big, quick front line of the Cowboys, featuring DT Jay Ratliff, and further assaulted by the outside pass rush of the hybrid LB’s, notably DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James and Anthony Spencer…The stunts, the loops, the blitzes will be raining down on McNabb, especially with the loss of C Jamaal Jackson, which has forced the right side of the Eagles’ offensive line to change, with Nick Cole moving to center and Max Jean-Gilles filling in at RG. The timing and the spacing of the right side were completely out of sync last Sunday. The result was McNabb on his back…a lot. And when he was upright, Dallas cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman had his primary receivers DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant covered and shut down. The Eagles couldn’t even counter with a running attack, so dominant was the Dallas front line and linebacker scheme. It was simply the worst loss by an Eagles’ contender I’ve ever seen in a meaningful game in January. Making it worse was the futility of the Eagles’ defense, which usually bends but doesn’t break…Well, it broke badly last week at BrokeBack Stadium. I counted at least 9 plays where Tony Romo and crew gained 20 yards or more. The Eagles’ front line failed to get any real pressure on Romo, whose offensive line was dominant. The Cowboys’ running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones gained nearly 200 yards between them. Tackling in the Eagles’ secondary was shoddy, and CB’s Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel made crucial route-jumping gambles on 3rd down plays, gambles that failed miserably. Better they should stay at home on the route and break up the play or make a stop…….The only consolation is the Eagles get a second chance, coming right back to Dallas and 100,000 fans screaming for their ‘Boys on a prime-time Saturday night (NBC)…McNabb’s been in these pressure-cookers before, and now his younger players and the veterans who’ve been picked up from other teams have tasted the angst of the Dallas-Philly rivalry…By now, they know it’s a faster, quicker, tougher game when you’re in the NFC playoffs. Everything speeds up, everyone tries harder…No matter how handicapped the Eagles are now in overall health and strength relative to the Cowboys, and how disadvantaged they are playing away at Dallas, there is a chance they’ll patch a game plan together and find a way…After all, America is the land of second chances, and they’re playing “America’s Team”….

Man, this one was ugly for Philly fans…the only thing missing was a big close-up of Jerry Jones laughing like the Emperor on the Death Star JumboTron at the end. It was a great performance by Dallas, who claimed the NFC East Division title at 11-5 by virtue of their head-to-head record with the Eagles (11-5). But the loss dropped the Eagles to #6 seed in the playoffs: no division title, no bye week, and they have to come back to Dallas again next weekend for the possible one-and-done playoff curtain call with the Cowboys. At this point in the post-loss hangover, it’s hard to imagine the Eagles rebounding to beat the Cowboys. Dallas’ defense was clearly superior to the Eagles’ shredded patchwork of defensive backs, linebackers and defensive front men. Tony Romo, with the help of his huge offensive linemen and his receivers and backs, tore apart the Eagles’ zone coverages for almost 500 yards in total offense. Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb was not able to finish a single drive for points, as he was pressured badly in the pocket, missed targets, had six passes dropped by his receivers, and his running game disappeared. It was a disaster from the beginning to end for the Eagles, who looked like a high school team playing a Division I college team. Nothing worked for Philly and every weakness was exposed. And the bread-and-circus atmosphere of the Jones Mahal with 100,000 Cowboy fans in the seats only made it worse. For diehard Eagles fans back home and around the globe, it was depressing to say the least. Comments like “embarrassing”, “disgusting”, “and why didn’t we blitz more?” abound in the Eagles Fan web pages today. My biggest complaint would be about the lack of decisive tackling and wrapping on defense, which of late has been a problem for the Eagles’ secondary…but that’s a moot point when you score zero points on offense. At least better tackling would have minimized some of those 20+ yard plays that Romo and Company kept running over and over again… It was mind-numbing to watch the Eagles’ offensive line and the running game being shut down so thoroughly by Dallas’ talented defensive front. Maybe the Birds miss C Jamaal Jackson (IR, knee) a lot more than we’d ever realize. The timing of the entire O-line seemed off. McNabb committed a key fumble on a shotgun snap in the red zone when the game was still close. RB Brian Westbrook played, but FB Leonard Weaver and RB LeSean McCoy seemed to disappear due to Westbrook’s presence. Something is clearly out of sync with the Eagles’ offense. Even WR DeSean Jackson was shut down by Dallas for only minimal gains, and the one time DeSean was deep and wide open, McNabb overthrew him… The part I don’t buy from the day-after fan complaints is the theory that the Eagles “played like they didn’t care, they lost on purpose, they covered up the playbook for next week…” Trust me, they cared, and they wanted to win this thing to get the title and the #2 seed bye week…They simply got beat by a better team yesterday, beaten and outcoached in every phase of the game. They were beaten so thoroughly, it is almost impossible to imagine they can improve enough to come back and play a flawless game, which is what it would take to beat Dallas next weekend. The Cowboys are sizzling hot right now, and if the Eagles show up this weekend (a Saturday night game) with another weak zone coverage scheme and another weak offensive game plan, the Cowboys will put their heel on the Bird’s neck early and will never let up. Andy Reid said in post-game as any coach must say: “We will be ready…” And history shows regular-season showdown results are often reversed in the playoffs. But it’s hard to be a believer for most fans who observed the flat, uninspired Eagles of yesterday’s trouncing in Dallas.

This 2009 regular season has been a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, expectations, and streaks of good fortune for fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. So many injuries and plug-ins early, a string of losses by mid-season to New Orleans, San Diego, Dallas and (gasp) Oakland, then a winning streak including some dramatic end-games, and here we are at 11-4, flying into Jerry-Land for a season finale with the 10-5 Cowboys to determine the winner of the NFC East and a #2 seed in the playoffs. Man, what a ride it’s been! Is it too much to ask for a W at the Jones Mahal on Sunday? Have we been so blessed with good fortune on the current run that any more mojo prior to the playoffs would spoil us, perhaps even dim the competitive edge of the players themselves, who have now become very used to winning? True, losing to the Cowboys on Sunday would not be the worst thing that could happen to the Eagles, although getting that bye week and a playoff opener at home would be sweet if the Birds can pull off the win. No, the worst thing that could happen would be McNabb or DeSean or Celek or another offensive lineman getting knocked out of the lineup for the rest of the year, like what just happened to the Eagles’ very good Center, Jamaal Jackson, whose torn ACL ends his season. Anything, even a loss to Dallas, would be preferable to any further key injuries. That being said, the oddsmakers in Vegas do favor the Cowboys by -3, so maybe being the underdog will suit the Eagles and provide the on-field competitive edge they’ll need to beat a Dallas team that’s playing very well of late. QB Tony Romo has been extremely efficient the last month in leading his offense, and he’s still got Miles Austin playing all-world at WR, which can cause fits for the Eagles’ secondary. Jason Witten is still churning away at TE, too, and the Eagles’ improving patchwork corps of LB’s will be sorely tested to stop him. Meanwhile, DeMarcus Ware will be bringing a determined rush from his hybrid LB/DE looks which is not going to be easy for the Eagles to stop, given the fragile state of their revamped offensive line. Also, the Eagles will have to depend on their running backs LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver to do a better job of blitz pickup, because the Cowboys are going to be on a mission to knock McNabb into the cheap seats…oh wait, there are no “cheap” seats at the Mahal… and CB Mike Jenkins has been bragging all week how the Cowboys are going to shut down WR DeSean Jackson, taking away McNabb’s favorite go-to blitz-buster target. Coaching strategy will be key in this game, too, as both teams will be sky-high emotionally, and the better coaching staff may emerge as the one who can keep their players dialed down just enough to avoid stupid penalties and remain aware of field position relative to ball security…not to mention, Andy Reid’s game/clock management decisions will be on Fox TV’s national stage, and Eagles fans pray he will stay away from crazy gambles and wasted time-outs…Pray is the word, and praying for a W in this upcoming game may be the best strategy of all, since I feel this game is unlikely to be a blow-out, and will probably involve a last-minute revelation for either side. PRO BOWL UPDATE: Just learned that DeSean Jackson has become the first player ever to be voted into the Pro Bowl at two positions (WR and Punt Returner)…that’s pretty cool…also named to the Pro Bowl team were Eagles Jason Peters (LT), David Akers (K), Asante Samuel (CB), Leonard Weaver (FB), and Trent Cole (DE)… Good stuff, but how do you explain leaving TE Brent Celek off the team— he’s having an amazing year statistically as well as blocking-wise for a winning team? I don’t get that one, but in the end it doesn’t matter—there’s only one Bowl worth caring about, and it’s not the silly one they used to play in Hawaii…

THUMBS UP

I looked for some. I really did. I scoured the game action and the stats for a player or two deserving of a thumbs up after this latest atrocity against Redskins fans. But nothing came up. The easy go-to guy, MLB London Fletcher, made some nice tackles, but was victimized too frequently in pass coverage, clearly his greatest weakness. Nobody deserved a thumbs up after this game, apart from, perhaps, the aforementioned fans who streamed to and from the game with admirable loyalty. I never thought I’d write this, as a life-long Redskins fan and former season ticket holder, but the loyalty of us Redskins fans is becoming depressing. Our devotion to this team, which clearly does not deserve our flattering attentions, is beginning to get me down.

THUMBS DOWN

Offense: The offense was horrible, managing 218 yards of total offense only because the Cowboys played prevent defense on Washington’s last drive of the game. Jason Campbell had too little time to throw, as usual,  but he was also a bit wild at times and didn’t anticipate some of the Cowboys blitzes properly. The running game did nothing, with poor blocking from the offensive line and a Cowboys defense stacked near the line of scrimmage to stuff the run and force quick passes. A team with Washington’s poor pass-blocking cannot afford to average 2.4 yards per carry, but that’s what they did. The running game couldn’t get reliable yards at any time, forcing Washington into obvious passing situations — which has led to disaster and defeat all season. RT Stephon Heyer was a turnstile and C Casey Rabach and the guards were consistentl outclassed by Cowboys interior linemen, particularly Ratliff. The wideouts failed to get open in most cases and big plays in the passing game were out of the question, as the team focused, as always on very short passes — the only kind the offensive line will permit them to throw.

Defense: The Redskins offense has been putrid all season long and was again last night. This allows the defense to evade a lot of responsibility for its failures, relying on a deceptively high rating to deflect criticism back on the offense. However, the Redskins defense only did one thing right last night: stop the run. Much-maligned DT Albert Haynesworth plugged up the middle, ably assisted by DT Cornelius Griffin and DT Kedric Golston. However, the defense was undone again by a total lack of a pass rush. Washington got only one sack — of less than one yard — and that only because Cowboys QB Tony Romo ran into DE Phillip Daniels. The Cowboys offensive line easily controlled the outside pass-rushers of the Redskins and Defensive Coordinator Greg Blache continued his season-long aversion to blitzing. With the 4-man pass rush unable to pressure Romo and Blache unwilling to blitz more than occasionally, Romo sat back in the pocket and cooly completed 66 percent of his passes. The Cowboys converted 7-13 3rd down opportunities and had 15 first downs through the air. The only time Dallas’ offense was stopped was when it foolishly and stubbornly tried to run for a short yardage conversion on 4th down — twice. This is almost always a mistake against the Redskins, as running right at Haynesworth and Fletcher means taking on what is easily the strongest part of Washington’s defense. Stuffing the run on 3rd and 4th down is what Washington has done best this year and Dallas would have been well-advised to have passed on both 4th downs.

The fact is, Greg Blache’s defensive scheme is part of the problem. He plays his safeties 20-25 yards off the line of scrimmage on most plays, leaving huge gaps underneath, particularly over the middle. With Redskins linebackers often left alone against opposing backs and tight ends, a smart offense can move up and down the field with a short-to-intermediate passing game. Blache’s insistence that his cornerbacks play 10 yards off wide receivers also makes it easier to complete quick slants on the Redskins and the Cowboys did just that several times.

Blache’s scheme is designed to hold down the score by allowing teams to complete lots of short and intermediate passes, but counting on them to commit some mistake — a killing penalty or dropped pass — that will force the offense to punt. If you wondered why the Redskins defense has forced a league-low 16 turnovers this season, this is a major reason why. With Blache unwilling to blitz and play a more aggressive style, opposing passers just are not forced into the kinds of situations that typically produce turnovers.

One final point: Since destroying an awful Raiders offense several weeks ago, Redskins pass-rushers, particularly DE Andre Carter and OLB/DE Brian Orakpo, have done absolutely nothing. Both players have been absolutely dominated by the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys offensive lines.

The single biggest attribute that Brett Favre, Drew Brees or Peyton Manning should employ during this holiday season is not quick feet, superb vision or an innate pocket presence that allows them to avoid the bone-crunching hits and deliver the football on time.

No, what the N.F.L., and its fans, could use while Santa Claus is readying his sleigh is a little selective hearing.

It’s fun, I suppose, to justify heat-of-the-moment reactions with vigor and debates around the fireplace, but where does a sloppy Week 15 for the league’s elite leave us? In the same place we have been for weeks.

All right, all right, the gritty Jacksonville Jaguars took Manning and his boys to the wire on Thursday night before succumbing to the aura of Manning and allowing Indianapolis to escape Florida with perfection still intact.

The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, couldn’t hold off a desperate Dallas team Saturday evening, and their pursuit of an undefeated season lost its way in the bayou.

What did the “crushing” loss do to the Saints? Well, they will still be the NFC’s top seed, they will still have home field throughout the playoffs, and they will still boast one of football’s most potent offenses when they begin a Super Bowl run in January. You’re right, poor Saints.

That’s four weeks in a row now that Tony Romo hasn’t thrown an interception as the 9-5 Cowboys are one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and look primed to secure a wild card berth. Round of applause for Tony, everyone.

We can all agree on something, here. If there is ever a team that looks like it is counting the days until the playoffs begin, it is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings couldn’t hang with the Carolina Panthers Sunday evening, and didn’t even appear to care. This has to count for something, right? Maybe, maybe not.

But that’s the point of all of this. On a slow Monday in the sports world, there will be a slew of pundits drawing irrational conclusions from one weekend of football, conclusions that don’t necessarily foreshadow what we will see in January or February.

Since there’s no new Tiger Woods angle to explore, we must declare champions and losers when in the N.F.L. is largely divided at this point in the season? Is that the theme of the holiday season?

Lets breathe a little.

I’m not saying what we witnessed over the past four days is utterly irrelevant. But, honestly, did we learn anything?

I’m not going to take a machete to the Colts’ defense when Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were held out for exclusive downs only. The two best players on Indy’s D didn’t even need to wash their threads after the game. Take out two premier pass rushers and enter an opposing All-World running back like Maurice Jones-Drew and, yeah, there is going to be a few hiccups.

In other words, the lapse was to be expected. I’m not going to overly fault the Colts for not matching Jacksonville’s intensity when that Thursday night game on the N.F.L. Network was the Jaguars’ season. For the first time this season, the Jags sold out their stadium and they had the attention of the nation as they tried to knock off an undefeated beast. The Colts have bigger plans.

It was a great game and a valiant effort. But Manning did his MVP thing, the defense put just enough pressure on Garrard to force him to sail some critical fourth-quarter throws, and the Colts gave the finger to their critics saying, “Come talk to us after the AFC Championship.”

I wasn’t surprised by the Saints tumble, actually. The city of New Orleans was giddy over the thought of perfection, and it’s a story that would have been magnificent to watch unfold. But the Saints have been vulnerable for a while. The loss to Dallas came after struggling to beat Washington and Atlanta in the previous two weeks.

In fact, the only “easy” wins for the Saints since October came in Week 11, with a dismantling of Tampa Bay, and Week 12, with a route of New England. Other than that, the Big Easy has been nothing but easy.

And lets face it. The Cowboys had to win Saturday night’s game. Nobody doubts the talent of Dallas, so is it really a shocker that a talented team showed up with a ferocious pass rush and played a December game like they actually cared? Not really.

The Saints can now set their sights on winning a title for the city of New Orleans, something that would be much more satisfying than pulling a New England and choking away the final game of the year.

What’s a perfect regular season with no ring to show for it? Point is, the Saints are no different today than they were Friday. Brees will still take a blowtorch to your bare back in the playoffs if you let him.

Teams get better over time. People change over time. Life is gradual, and rarely does such metamorphism occur immediately.

Why do we typically order the same sandwich when we walk into Subway? Why do our mornings usually unfold the same way (coffee, newspaper, etc.)? Why do we do anything the same way repeatedly? Because there is a certain level of familiarity and comfort that accompanies the way our brains are wired.

Sure, I may have eaten meatball subs for the last three years and then decided to switch to the healthier turkey sub, but the conscious change takes time. If I’m a meatball guy on Monday, odds are I’m not going to be a strictly turkey guy when I wake on Tuesday. Ain’t happening. I’m going to slip a meatball sub into my month every once in a while.

That desire to levitate to an area of comfort isn’t much different with athletes and teams. Until we have weeks and weeks of evidence to prove the contrary, Romo is still a shaky quarterback when it comes to December and playoff time. Nothing against Romo. Just prove it.

My guess is that the Cowboys can’t come out with that same energy and tenacity every week for the rest of the year. It’s not in their blood. I hope I’m wrong because the Cowboys are a team that is talented enough to win the Super Bowl, but you are what you are after 15 Weeks. The only thing that can change is momentum, “hot” streaks, and the like.

On the other hand, the Saints, Vikings and Colts aren’t less dangerous today. I’m still convinced the Saints and Colts are the best teams in their respective conferences. The Vikings can still bully a team in their dome, and all three teams have quarterbacks that have played at a ridiculously high level the entire year.

Speculate if you wish while you wrap Christmas gifts, but pump the brakes a little on all the definitive reactions after this weekend.

Meatball guys are still meatball guys, and the N.F.L. is still the same league it was last week.

Teddy Mitrosilis writes for Bleacher Report. You can reach him at tm4000@yahoo.com.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday announced its class of 2010
semifinalists. The Cowboys are virtually guaranteed at least one player, as
Emmitt Smith is eligible for selection. Few would doubt that he will earn a spot
along with Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, and Shannon Sharpe. A few others have a more
question marks, but former Cowboy and 49er defensive end Charles Haley also has
a good shot. Here’s the complete list:

Emmitt
Smith, RB – 1990-2002 Dallas Cowboys, 2003-04 Arizona Cardinals 

Charles
Haley, DE/LB – 1986-1991, 1999 San Francisco 49ers, 1992-96 Dallas Cowboys

Cliff
Branch, WR – 1972-1985 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders 
Tim Brown, WR/KR – 1988-2003 Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, 2004 Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
Cris Carter, WR – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002
Miami Dolphins
Don Coryell, Coach – 1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers

Roger Craig, RB – 1983-1990 San Francisco 49ers, 1991 Los Angeles Raiders,
1992-93 Minnesota Vikings
Terrell Davis, RB – 1995-2001 Denver Broncos
Dermontti Dawson, C – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
Richard Dent, DE – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996
Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Chris Doleman, DE/LB – 1985-1993, 1999 Minnesota Vikings, 1994-95 Atlanta
Falcons, 1996-98 San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Greene, LB/DE – 1985-1992 Los Angeles Rams, 1993-95 Pittsburgh Steelers,
1996, 1998-99 Carolina Panthers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers
Russ Grimm, G – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Ray Guy, P – 1973-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Lester Hayes, CB – 1977-1986 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Rickey Jackson, LB – 1981-1993 New Orleans Saints, 1994-95 San Francisco 49ers
Cortez Kennedy, DT – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
Art Modell, Owner – 1961-1995 Cleveland Browns, 1996-2003 Baltimore Ravens
John Randle, DT – 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks
Andre Reed, WR – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Jerry Rice, WR – 1985-2000 San Francisco 49ers, 2001-04 Oakland Raiders, 2004
Seattle Seahawks 
Shannon Sharpe, TE – 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Steve Tasker, Special Teams/WR – 1985-86 Houston Oilers, 1986-1997 Buffalo Bills
Aeneas Williams, CB/S – 1991-2000 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, 2001-04 St. Louis
Rams

The modern-era Cowboy most noticeably absent from this list is safety Darren Woodson, who earned five Pro Bowl berths and was named all-pro three times. This is a pretty stout list of players, but Woodson deserves a spot.

As for the seniors, the two players selected were former Lion cornerback (and current Pittsburgh defensive coordinator) Dick LeBeau and former Bronco running back Floyd Little. LeBeau would not be a bad pick, given that he had 62 career interceptions. Though his coaching career should not be a factor, it’s hard to believe that it won’t be.

The choice of Little will probably have some heads turning. His career stats include only one 1,000-yard season (he played during the 14-game-season era), and he finished his career with 6,323 yards. That number currently ranks 61st in NFL history. He retired before the Broncos
earned their first berth in a Super Bowl in 1977.

A website devoted to Little’s induction argues the following:

It’s time to elect Floyd Little
to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Without Floyd’s impact, the Denver Broncos
would have been forced to relocate over 40 yrs ago. The 5-Time Pro Bowler
who retired the 7th All-Time Rusher in NFL History saved the franchise.

No offense to Little, but this justifies Little’s induction into Broncos’ Ring of Fame, but Little is not as deserving as several Cowboys. These Cowboys are the same names we’ve heard plenty of times before: Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, and Drew Pearson.

But given that 2010 will be the year that the Cowboys celebrate Smith’s induction, we can save other debates for future inductions.

The Cowboys seriously lacked firepower during the last two weeks in games
where they scored only seven points in consecutive games. This was nothing a
game against the Raiders couldn’t help.

Consider these performances:

Tashard Choice

Past two games: 4 att., 14 yards

vs. Oakland: 3 att., 67 yards, including a 66-yard run out of the Razorback
(Wildcat)

Felix Jones

Past two games: 13 att., 55 yards, with a long run of 9 yards.

vs. Oakland: 7 att., 68 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run.

Jason Witten

Past two games: 10 rec., 90 yards

vs. Oakland: 5 rec., 107 yards

Miles Austin

Past two games: 8 rec., 67 yards

vs. Oakland: 7 rec., 145 yards, 1 TD

Tony Romo

Past two games: 409 passing yards, 2 TD, 74.6 QB rating

vs. Oakland: 309 passing yards, 2 TD, 121.2 QB rating

What has been consistent during the past three games has been the Dallas
defense. The Cowboys gave up only one touchdown against the Raiders and held an
opponent to fewer than 10 points for the third time this season.

During the week that Greg Ellis returned to Dallas, it was his replacement in
the Dallas lineup that had one of the biggest games. Anthony Spencer was a
monster on Thanksgiving, recording two sacks and eight total tackles.

The Cowboys had a few miscues against Oakland, but thanks to the defense,
those miscues became largely irrelevant.

On the second offensive play for the Cowboys, Romo hit Austin on a crossing
route that gained 49 yards to the Oakland 27. However, right tackle Doug Free
committed a penalty, followed by another penalty by Kyle Kosier. The drive
stalled, and the Cowboys were backed up so far they had to punt.

Two drives later, Tashard Choice took a snap out of the Razorback and took
off. He probably should have had a touchdown but was run down after a 66-yard
gain. Next play: Holding on Deon Anderson. Dallas had to settle for a field
goal.

In the second quarter, Romo hit Marion Barber in the right flat, and Barber
raced 42 yards up the sideline. Next play: False start on Flozell Adams.

Despite those plays, the Cowboys wrestled control of the game in the second
quarter. Leading 3-0 with 13:09 left in the second quarter, Dallas took the ball
at its own 11. Two passes to Miles Austin moved the ball to the Oakland 46. Austin’s first reception on the drive was big, as it came on a 3rd-and-11 play from the Dallas 10. He stretched at the end of the play to give Dallas a first down. Two plays later, he caught a pass on a crossing route and gained 27 yards. Felix Jones then found a hole up the middle and raced all the way for a touchdown. It was Jones’ first touchdown since the Cowboys’ week 2 loss to the New York Giants.

Late in the first half, Dallas moved the ball into Oakland territory. Romo
hit Austin over the middle, and it appeared that when the defender tackled
Austin that Austin’s knee never hit the ground. A review showed that Austin’s
ankle and lower leg did touch the ground, but the ruling did not end up
mattering. Romo hit Austin two plays later on a screen pass that Austin ran in
to give the Cowboys a 17-0 lead.

Oakland managed to cut the lead to 17-7 in the second half, but the defense
stepped up after the lone Raider touchdown. Meanwhile, the Dallas offense
effectively put the game away when Romo hit Roy Williams on a six-yard touchdown
early in the fourth.

Dallas piled up 494 total yards in offense, marking the team’s best offensive
output in terms of yardage all season. The last time the Cowboys gained more
yards was against St. Louis in 2007, when Dallas gained 502.

With the Giants’ loss to the Broncos on Thursday night, the Cowboys have a
two-game lead over New York. The Eagles can stay within a game of Dallas by
beating Washington on Sunday.

The simulations of the Dallas-Oakland game heavily favor the Cowboys. This is hardly a surprise. However, thanks to consecutive seven-point scoring performances, few think that the Cowboys will cover the 14-point spread. Dallas managed to win by an average margin of 14 points in only one of the three simulations noted below.

AccuScore: Dallas 27, Oakland 13

The Cowboys won 83% of AccuScore’s 10,001 simulations by an average score of 27-13. This was the most optimistic of the three simulations.

The Cowboys offense has struggled and the past 2 weeks and they barely cracked 300 yards last week. If they are held to under 300 yards the Cowboys are still heavy 75 percent favorites against the Raiders because the Cowboys defense is expected to hold the Raiders to just 13 points. If Bruce Gradkowski throws no interceptions and the Raiders trio of RBs can average over 5 yards per carry the Raiders chances improve all the way to 46 percent. If the offense is good and they also hold Dallas to under 300 yards the Raiders are actually a 5 point favorite.

WhatIfSports: Dallas 25, Oakland 15

The Cowboys were less successful in WhatIfSports’ simulations, winning 72.3% of the games by an average score of 25-15. Tony Romo threw for fewer than 200 yards on average in these simulations. The Raiders averaged 300 yards in total offense, with 140 coming on the ground.

Madden Simulation: Dallas 23, Oakland 13

ESPN’s simulation of the game using Madden was similar to the WhatIfSports simulation.

The Cowboys matched their entire scoring output from their last game in their first drive against the Raiders, and they never looked back, winning their Thanksgiving showdown, 23-13.

Tony Romo completed 26 of 41 passes for 289 yards, including one touchdown and one interception. Marion Barber added 94 bruising yards on the ground as the Cowboys get their eighth win of the season.

The Raiders, meanwhile, drop to 3-8, although they look much more competitive on offense now that JaMarcus Russell watches the game from the bench.

My Guess (7-3 this season based on win-loss)

My wild guess last week accurately predicted that the Redskins would only score six points against the Cowboys. I never once thought the Cowboys would only score seven for a second consecutive week. Here was my prediction:

As for this week, I think Dallas will control the clock by using shorter passes and the running game. Romo may have a couple of big plays to Miles Austin to help set up scores, but the real story in this game will be the defense’s role in smothering the Redskins and the offense’s role in grinding out yards and keeping the ball out of Washington’s hands.

For the season, here is the record:

Week 1: Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 24 (actual: Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 21)

Week 2: N.Y. Giants 17, Dallas 14 (actual: N.Y. Giants 33, Dallas 31)

Week 3: Dallas 31, Carolina 21 (actual: Dallas 21, Carolina 7)

Week 4: Dallas 24, Denver 14 (actual: Denver 17, Dallas 10)

Week 5: Dallas 31, Kansas City 14 (actual: Dallas 26, Kansas City 20)

Week 7: Atlanta 28, Dallas 17 (actual: Dallas 37, Atlanta 21)

Week 8: Dallas 31, Seattle 17 (actual Dallas 38, Seattle 17)

Week 9: Dallas 23, Philadelphia 17 (actual: Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16)

Week 10: Dallas 31, Green Bay 20 (actual: Green Bay 17, Dallas 7)

Week 11: Dallas 20, Washington 6 (actual: Dallas 7, Washington 6)

Since I am going to the game, I refuse to believe the Cowboys are going to struggle against the Raiders, who have had problems putting together back-to-back wins. Dallas will jump out to a 16-0 lead thanks to three Nick Folk field goals. The Raiders will cut into the lead, but two second half touchdowns will put the game away for Dallas. The result:

Dallas 30, Oakland 13

Dallas has had two consecutive poor performances on offense, so the rankings
of the offensive players had to take a hit. One player taking a dive this week:
WR Roy Williams. Two others were running backs Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.
On the other hand, Martellus Bennett jumped up a few spots.

On defense, the team has shown improvement in nearly every area. Anthony
Spencer had another very solid game and rose in the rankings as a result. The
top player for the week is perhaps a bit of a surprise.

The Cowboys released kick returner Allen Rossum this week and replaced him
with cornerback Cletis Gordon. Thus, Rossum falls off the relative value ranking
list.

53. Cletis Gordon, CB

Last week: n/a

Poll rating: n/a

vs. Washington: This is Gordon’s second appearance on the Cowboys’ roster,
with him appearing in the week 5 win over Kansas City.

52. Duke Preston, C

Last week: 52

Poll rating: 1.40

vs. Washington: Inactive.

51. Montrae Holland, G

Last week: 50

Poll rating: 1.40

vs. Washington: Inactive.

50. Stephen McGee, QB

Last week: 49

Poll rating: 1.50

vs. Washington: Third quarterback.

49. Jason Williams, LB

Last week: 48

Poll rating: 1.70

vs. Washington: Inactive. He still has not played since week 5.

48. Curtis Johnson, LB

Last week: 45

Poll rating: 1.50

vs. Washington: After being active for two weeks, Johnson was inactive
against the Redskins.

46. Michael Hamlin, S

Last week: 46

Poll rating: 1.70

vs. Washington: Hamlin was active for the first time of his career against
the Redskins. He did not record a tackle.

47. Pat McQuistan, T

Last week: 51

Poll rating: 1.40

vs. Washington: McQuistan finally made the active roster. He filled in for
Doug Free on special teams.

47. Steve Octavien, LB

Last week: 47

Poll rating: 1.60

vs. Washington: Octavien picked up a special teams tackle against the
Redskins.

44. Jon Kitna, QB

Last week: 44

Poll rating: 2.00

vs. Washington: Backup quarterback. Even with Romo being banged up, Kitna
still has not stepped on the field.

43. Cory Procter, C/G

Last week: 43

Poll rating: 2.00

vs. Washington: Backup lineman who plays on special teams.

42. Jason Hatcher, DE

Last week: 41

Poll rating: 2.20

vs. Washington: Hatcher did not record a tackle against the Redskins.

41. John Phillips, TE

Last week: 40

Poll rating: 2.20

vs. Washington: Third tight end. He did not have a reception but was targeted
on one play early in the fourth quarter.

40. Victor Butler, LB

Last week: 39

Poll rating: 2.20

vs. Washington: Butler recorded a tackle and an assist against the Redskins.

39. L.P. Ladouceur, LS

Last week: 38

Poll rating: 3.00

vs. Washington: The snap on Nick Folk’s missed field goal appeared to be
fine. Ladouceur just keeps doing his job.

38. Junior Siavii, DT

Last week: 42

Poll rating: 2.00

vs. Washington: Siavii had two tackles and an assist in his most active game
on paper.

37. Kevin Ogletree, WR

Last week: 36

Poll rating: 2.50

vs. Washington: Ogletree has been good for a few WR screen passes, but he has
not proven that he can catch the ball downfield. Moreover, he does very little
on special teams, especially compared with Sam Hurd and Pat Watkins.

36. Sam Hurd, WR

Last week: 35

Poll rating: 1.90

vs. Washington: Hurd recorded one special teams tackle against the Redskins.
He was not targeted on a single pass.

35. Deon Anderson, FB

Last week: 34

Poll rating: 2.70

vs. Washington: Not to be so harsh about Anderson, but he really isn’t much
more valuable than John Phillips. Anderson has shown the ability to catch the
ball in the past, but he is never used in the passing game.

34. David Buehler, K

Last week: 31

Poll rating: 2.70

vs. Washington: Buehler’s job is to kick the ball into the end zone. He did
so on one opportunity, but his kick to open the game was a line drive that Devin
Thomas returned 38 yards.

33. Pat Watkins, S

Last week: 37

Poll rating: 2.10

vs. Washington: Watkins recorded a tackle on defense and another tackle on
special teams. He earned a game ball at

Blogging the Boys.

32. Stephen Bowen, DE

Last week: 32

Poll rating: 3.10

vs. Washington: The unsung hero against the Redskins? That would be Stephen
Bowen, who tipped Jason Campbell’s pass that Anthony Spencer picked off to seal
the win.

31. Nick Folk, K

Last week: 27

Poll rating: 2.70

vs. Washington: A special teams player is certainly a thankless job. But when
your field goal kicker’s misses hurt the team’s momentum in two consecutive
games, the kicker’s relative value has to suffer.

30. Roy Williams, WR

Last week: 24

Poll rating: 1.90

vs. Washington: Granted, the passes to Williams haven’t been great, but the
guy just isn’t impressing anyone. Against the Redskins: 0 Rec., 0 Yds., 0.0
Ave., 0 TD.

29. Marc Colombo, T

Last week: 23

Poll rating: 3.42

vs. Washington: Colombo is going to have to fall a bit as long as he is
injured. There was not a huge dropoff between Colombo and Doug Free.

28. Alan Ball, S

Last week: 29

Poll rating: 2.30

vs. Washington: Ball filled in for Ken Hamlin at free safety. Ball did not
make any major mistakes, though he missed a couple of tackles, including a big
miss on Rock Cartwright on a big run in the second quarter. Ball finished the
game with two solos and an assist.

27. Ken Hamlin, S

Last week: 25

Poll rating: 2.30

vs. Washington: Hamlin missed the game with an ankle injury. His absence was
noticable.

26. Bobby Carpenter, LB

Last week: 28

Poll rating: 2.80

vs. Washington: Carpenter continues to make plays as a nickel linebacker. He
had three total tackles against the Redskins.

25. Orlando Scandrick, CB

Last week: 26

Poll rating: 2.10

vs. Washington: Scandrick had five tackles and an assist. He made a great
play in the second quarter to break up a pass to Malcolm Kelly on a play that
would have given Washington the ball in field goal range. On the other hand,
teams appear to pick on Scandrick on third-down plays a little bit too often. On
the same drive, Scandrick had trouble covering Santana Moss on a third down
play, and the pass to Moss set up the Redskins’ first field goal.

24. Martellus Bennett, TE

Last week: 30

Poll rating: 2.00

vs. Washington: For much of the game, Bennett appeared to be the Cowboys’
best weapon. He caught three passes for 43 yards.

23. Doug Free, T

Last week: 33

Poll rating: 2.82

vs. Washington: Free had a solid game against Washington. He missed a block
on Andre Carter late in the game, but otherwise, he appeared to do a good job.

22. Tashard Choice, RB

Last week: 18

Poll rating: 3.00

vs. Washington: Choice deserves more carries than Jones, but Choice isn’t
being used. He had one carry for one yard against the Redskins.

21. Marcus Spears, DE

Last week: 22

Poll rating: 2.67

vs. Washington: Spears had two assists against the Redskins.

20. Felix Jones, RB

Last week: 19

Poll rating: 2.58

vs. Washington: He had a pretty good opening kickoff return. After that…?

19. Igor Olshansky, DE

Last week: 21

Poll rating: 3.08

vs. Washington: Olshansky had two solos and an assist against the Redskins.
One of his tackles in the third quarter resulted in a two-yard loss.

18. Flozell Adams, T

Last week: 17

Poll rating: 3.08

vs. Washington: Adams had a pretty quiet game against the Redskins, though he
was called for holding in the second quarter.

17. Mat McBriar, P

Last week: 15

Poll rating: 3.58

vs. Washington: McBriar only averaged 37.0 yards on six punts, but three of
those punts were downed inside the 20.

16. Kyle Kosier, G

Last week: 13

Poll rating: 2.67

vs. Washington: Kosier has not done very much to set himself apart during the
past few weeks. When the team gets a good push, it is more likely to come from
Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis rather than Kosier.

15. Patrick Crayton, WR

Last week: 16

Poll rating: 2.67

vs. Washington: Crayton had only one reception, but it was huge as it won the
game for the Cowboys. Crayton had only one punt return, but he managed to gain
13 yards on it.

14. Bradie James, LB

Last week: 11

Poll rating: 3.58

vs. Washington: James had four tackles and four assists. He has taken a back
seat to Keith Brooking in terms of playmaking, but James has been solid.

13. Jason Witten, TE

Last week: 10

Poll rating: 3.58

vs. Washington: Witten had a typical game: 5 rec., 43 yards. This is the
sixth time in 10 games that Witten has had exactly five receptions.

12. Andre Gurode, C

Last week: 14

Poll rating: 3.08

vs. Washington: The Cowboys managed a few nice runs up the middle, and the
Redskins also weren’t able to get much pressure on Romo from the center or guard
position. However, the Redskins were missing Albert Haynesworth, so that had to
make Gurode’s job a bit easier.

11. Leonard Davis, G

Last week: 12

Poll rating: 3.25

vs. Washington: Davis had a false-start penalty, but otherwise had a solid
game.

10. Anthony Spencer, LB

Last week: 20

Poll rating: 3.67

vs. Washington: "Almost Anthony" didn’t have a sack, but he hurried Campbell,
made some key tackles in the run game, and then made the game-clinching
interception in the fourth quarter.

9. Gerald Sensabaugh, S

Last week: 8

Poll rating: 4.00

vs. Washington: Rather surprisingly, Sensabaugh only had one assist and no
solo tackles.

8. Terence Newman, CB

Last week: 9

Poll rating: 3.92

vs. Washington: None of the Redskins’ receivers hurt the Cowboys, and that
was thanks largely to Newman’s play. He only really bad play occurred in the
first quarter, when Devin Thomas got behind Newman after Campbell had escaped a
pass. Newman and secondary coach Dave Campo had a bit of an argument after the
series, and this was probably a result of the third-down play. Newman also
committed a costly penalty in the first quarter when he was called for illegal
contact.

7. Mike Jenkins, CB

Last week: 7

Poll rating: 4.17

vs. Washington: Jenkins was just as effective as Newman in shutting down
Santana Moss et al.

6. Miles Austin, WR

Last week: 4

Poll rating: 3.08

vs. Washington: Austin came up with some big catches late, but he had been
quiet for far too long in two consecutive games.

5. Marion Barber, RB

Last week: 5

Poll rating: 3.31

vs. Washington: Barber ran hard, picking up 99 yards on 20 carries. His
fumble in the first quarter was costly, though.

4. Tony Romo, QB

Last week: 3

Poll rating: 3.62

vs. Washington: Romo didn’t fold in the fourth quarter, marching team down
for the game-winning score. It might not have come down to that final drive if
Romo were a little more accurate on his throws, which were too frequently off
target.

3. DeMarcus Ware, LB

Last week: 2

Poll rating: 4.62

vs. Washington: Ware had a solo tackle and three assists. He was also near
Campbell on several plays and just missed recording a sack.

2. Jay Ratliff, NT
 
Last week: 1

Poll rating: 4.69

vs. Washington: Ratliff had one assist and one quarterback hurry against the
Redskins. It was a rather quiet game for him, though he was also double-teamed
on several plays.

1. Keith Brooking, LB

Last week: 6

Poll rating: 4.08

vs. Washington: Brooking is playing out of his mind. On the first drive of
the game, he stopped Ladell Betts cold at the line of scrimmage, holding the
Redskins to a three-and-out. He finished the game with four tackles, four
assists, a sack, and three hits on Campbell. He would have had another sack, but
a penalty on Terence Newman negated the play.