MVN: Most Valuable Network

     Sunday: Romo Returns; Cowboys Win; Season Saved.

     Monday: Off; season remains saved.

     Tuesday: Tony Romo takes homeless man to movies.

     Wednesday: Adam Jones reinstated to team.

     Thursday: Felix Jones out for year with toe injury.

     Sadly, such a week is the norm in Dallas now.  Which of these events doesn't belong?  The answer is D--Pacman reinstated.  Adam Jones belong in prison, where he cannot do anymore harm to society.  He's had many more chances that he deserves.  You know he is not going to change.  He's a criminal and always will be.  Just 41 days into his "last shot" at the NFL, Jones was suspended for drunkenly brawling with his bodyguards.  Now, after "rehab" he's supposed to be a new man?

     PUH-LEASE.

     He will let down the team again.  Obviously, this exposes the absolute joke Roger Goodell is willing to let his league become.  For a moment there, I was actually convinced he cared enough to clean up football.  Apparently, he's only willing to do that if it meets with Jerry Jones' approval.  The message is clear to fans, teams, and players: do whatever you like and hope Jerry is stupid enough to fall in love with you.  Remind me to bring him along to my next Monopoly tournament; he's a personal "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

     Because the football gods are so hateful, the Cowboys got back the bad Jones and lost the good one.  Felix Jones is officially out for the year in order to have surgery to repair a torn ligament in his toe.  His hamstring, though, appears to be fully healed.  Before that injury, Jones was making a strong case for Rookie of the Year.  Without him, Marion Barber hasn't been able to carry the offensive load as completely as the Cowboys need him to in order to win consistently.  Even against Washington last week, Barber didn't earn most of his stats until late in the second half.  Against San Francisco on Sunday, Barber needs to be ready to play on the first drive.

     This week, I had an opportunity to get Samuel Lam's thoughts on the Niners.  Lam is MVN's primary San Francisco writer at "Mining the Gold Rush."  Here's what he had to say: 

1. What's been the biggest difference between recently-fired Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary?

     I think many people will see that Singletary is a motivational speaker that really understands what it takes to get players to play. As a former player, we know that he understands the importance of intensity and discipline. Singletary doesn't want people to be weak and he will do whatever it takes to get everybody on the same boat. Nolan didn't seem to portray that. Or at least he didn't give me that feeling that I want in a head coach. He would look the other way and sometimes he would just try to get through things without truly solving issues. Singletary's hands-on approach may be the biggest difference between the two. Coach Sing will be in your face if mess up, just like he did with Vernon Davis. And since then, VD has been scoring touchdowns and the team is back on the right track.

2.  Who/What has been SF's biggest disappointment this year?

     It would be easy to say Davis in this case, but I will go with J.T. O'Sullivan. Maybe it was the hype that came along with him being favored by Mike Martz, but for a guy that already can make the offense work, he really took two steps back for every one step he took forward. I wish that he wouldn't have turned the ball over that much. But that's what happens when experience isn't something JTO had a lot of.

3.  Which players (on offense and defense) does Dallas most need to stop to win?

     On offense, it's definitely RB Frank Gore. The most talented player on the team sets the tone for the whole game. If Gore can be shut down, then that forces the pass. And even though it looked great last week, I know that the Cowboys will be ready to prevent the short yardage starts to the Niners.
     On defense, it has to be LB Patrick Willis. Not only is stopping Marion Barber a huge deal, but with Terrell Owens and Jason Witten trying to run right up the middle, it may be Willis' opportunity to stuff the passing game. But also, if he comes on a blitz and he isn't picked up, Tony Romo might have a long day. To stop Willis, the Boys must find a way to run routes that would leave Willis to cover at least one of two receivers, thus forcing the other linebacker to come up.

4.  Who should SF start at QB (this game and rest of year)?

     Shaun Hill has been more consistent (dating back to last year) than any other quarterback I've seen on recent years. Hill may be the answer for the 49ers for the rest of the season, but there definitely needs to be a re-evaluation at season's end.

5.  Who wins?  Why?

     My roommate is a Cowboys fan and I made a bet with him. We have $10 worth of Popeye's chicken and biscuits on the line for the game. I'm that confident in my team. I actually will go for the upset. After watching the Boys last week, they struggled to score and it was only at the end when Barber was able to finish it off that the game was out of reach. Now, I am not saying that the 49ers are on the same level as the Redskins, but I think they have the ability to duplicate a few things. I say the Niners win by a field goal.

OVERALL:  If the Cowboys have proven anything this year, it's that they cannot afford to assume any wins.  With Romo's home return (apparently he is a magic fix), and a very one-dimensional 49er offense, the Cowboys should be able to continue the season's salvation.  It won't be pretty, but a win's a win.

     Dallas 27, San Francisco 20

     Brian Smith can be reached at BLSmith@mail.utexas.edu