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Felix the scatI don't know what to think anymore.
I'm pretty sure of this: I wouldn't bet on either team. They could lose to the worst team in the world and beat the best on any given Sunday and if you have any clue as to how the NFC East is going to shake out the next two weeks, then you could win a lot of cash in Las Vegas.
A day after the Cowboys whipped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-15 Saturday night, the Giants made the nation a shit sandwich in getting whipped themselves by the Washington Redskins, 23-10.
And I don't think either game was as close as the score.
For the Cowboys, everything is in their hands. You beat the Eagles, you beat the Giants and you are in the playoffs. If there's a better motivation in professional sports, I'd like to see it. Otherwise, it will be fascinating to see the Cowboys play. They need 100 percent more effort than the first time they played the Eagles. They will need to beat the Giants despite the one-game edge.
Certainly, Saturday night was a fine showing. Outside of Mat McBriar's punting (which has been atrocious ... if he can't help due to injury, why is he not on IR?), there was very little to hate. No matter what kind of effort the Bucs provided, the Cowboys got up early and Tampa Bay is simply unable to claw back. The Cowboys were balanced. They beat the shit out of a bad team and that's what you expect.
Remember, in August, this game -- against a team coming off a 10-win campaign a year before -- was not considered a "win" when prognosticating.
The big issue, I think, is the gaggle of teams now in contention in the NFC. The Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions are at nine wins, but are not certain of the wild card. Each have tough match-ups the final two weeks. At 7-7, you have the Giants, the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, the latter two playing inspired football of late.
At 6-8, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to linger like a bad fart, although their only way into the playoffs is by sweeping the Cowboys and Redskins plus the Cowboys losing to the New York Giants, all of which is entirely possible. Some might think it's probable. I wouldn't argue that. The Eagles would be 5-1 in the division and with two division losses already, the Giants would be out.
As it stands, the Cowboys are on top. For now.
Grades:
Quarterback -- A
Tony Romo is squarely on pace to smash his personal and franchise records for yardage, attempts, touchdowns and interceptions. Most impressively, he's also on pace to set a new completion percentage standard. He's sitting at 66 percent and his career high came last season when he played just six games. Still, to put a wet blanket on everything, Romo's having a career year and the Cowboys are inching along at 8-6.
Running Back -- A
Sammie Morris! There is little wrong with an athlete playing a boy's game like a boy. That guy was jacked and thrilled to be out there. Love him. Felix Jones ran really hard. Probably should've had a touchdown and about 30 more yards had he cut to the left on that long run. That dude has the worst field vision for any starting running back in the league.
Wide Receiver -- B+
No pass catcher had more than five touches. There were no egregious drops (although Miles Austin is due for one per game) and the top three (Miles, Laurent Robinson, Dez Bryant) each caught a touchdowns.
Tight End -- B+
If you're calling Martellus Bennett's name several times a game, things are going well. Should be interesting to see, with Romo maybe gaining confidence in the guy, how he'll be used in the next two games when opponents will be all over Jason Witten.
Offensive Line -- B-
To tell you the truth, I didn't notice them. Which is probably good. Loved the isolation shots with Tyron Smith. The dumb guy on the TV is right: He'll be at left tackle in a year.
Defensive Line -- A
Again, you're living right if Marcus Spears is making not one, but two substantial plays in a game. Geez Louise. What got into that guy. They were not just substantial plays, but they were possibly game-changing. I believe his commotion in the backfield stymied an early Tampa drive and then his disruption of a forward pass killed a late drive as the Bucs attempted a comeback.
Linebacker -- A
It was hard not to notice the linebackers. Bradie James recovered a fumble caused by Anthony Spencer. DeMarcus Ware and Keith Brooking had sacks. You'd have to be blind.
Secondary -- A
I was disappointed to see that Frank Walker failed to commit a drive-charging penalty. In fact, the Cowboys committed two penalties for 15 yards. Although, I think Terence Newman made up for it by "attempting" to tackle opponents. In fact, he led the team in "attempted" tackles with 20.
Special Teams -- B
If McBriar is hurt, he doesn't need to play. Failed twice to nail the Bucs deep. Probably the 12th time this season.
Coaching -- B+
Whatever was broke the last two weeks was mended for this week. Bad teams can make anyone look good. Let's see how these coaches react in a playoff atmosphere.
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