Every Down Back
by Dave Gardner
The Cowboys have a tough road ahead without Tony Romo, but their problems are deeper than that.
One play doesn’t determine the outcome of a game, but, this weekend, 10 seconds determined the outcome of five.
As Bears receiver Rashied Davis was hauling in what the he certainly thought would be a game-winning touchdown against the Falcons, Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell sent a short game-winning field goal through the uprights against the Lions.
As Texans quarterback Matt Schaub scrambled up the middle with three seconds left for the go-ahead touchdown against the Dolphins, the Rams were driving down the field to cap off an improbably win over the Redsksins.
Among 30-10, 31-3, 27-3 and 34-3 routes, were those five improbable finishes. In total, six games were decided by a touchdown or less Sunday, and Week 6 could easily be called the “clutch week” in the NFL.
The biggest story line coming out of the weekend, however, is the demise of the Cowboys.
It was a rough Sunday for the Cowboys, as they lost in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals. The loss, which started with a special teams touchdown — a kickoff return by J.J. Arrington — also ended with a special teams touchdown — a blocked punt for the Cardinals.
Monday was a little rougher.
The Cowboys found out that they lost star quarterback Tony Romo for four-to-five weeks with a broken finger.
Then they found out that they won’t have the services of stud rookie running back Felix Jones, who was on paceto break the single-season record for yards per rush attempt.
Finally, they lost their punter, Mat McBriar, who is one of the best in the league, for six-to-eight weeks.
And that all is before the commissioner may decide to suspend cornerback Adam Jones this week.
The plane is on fire, and it’s crashing into the sinking ship, which is in the middle of a hurricane.
Well, it’s not that bad. The Cowboys were on the decline even before this series of injuries. They had just lost two out of their last three game — games they were favored to win.
They have been forcing the ball to Terrell Owens instead of giving it to Marion Barber III, and the offensive line has performed poorly in both pass and run blocking.
Maybe with Brad Johnson at the helm, that will all change. The Cowboys will have to run the ball more, and Owens may understand that he will get the ball less with the weaker-armed quarterback.
Until we see the Cowboys in action against the Rams Sunday, it’s hard to say for sure whether this team will rebound of collapse.
If Romo is not back by the bye week, though, they will have to take on the Redskins in Washington on Nov. 16 in a crucial divisional matchup. What looked impossible in the preseason could be true.
The Cowboys could be the team that loses the NFC East.
Monday Night Notes
Playoffs? You wanna talk about playoffs?
AFC
1. Titans (5-0): The Titans should have had a relaxing bye week, but they instead saw their hold over the AFC South loosen with Colts’, Jaguars’ and even Texans’ wins.
2. Steelers (4-1): If Ben Roethlesburger looked as good as he did on a bum shoulder, how will he be throwing the ball when it’s healthy?
3. Bills (4-1): Trent Edwards is back to practice again, and the rumors about Fred Jackson being off the team have been debunked, so the Bills should be ready to go Sunday.
4. Broncos (4-2): Jay Cutler says he has a stronger arm than John Elway, and he may be right, but until he has as many Super Bowl rings, he’d better not talk about it.
5. Patriots (3-2): It’s hard to remember a Patriots’ defense get so thoroughly exploited, but it’s clear that the secondary is the weakness. Deltha O’Neal is going to hurt this team really badly.
6. Colts (3-2): Marvin Harrison and Peyton Manning are back up to game speed, but the ground game is still suffering behind a shaky line.
NFC
1. Giants (5-1): The Giants showed something Monday night, that they will go as far as Eli Manning will take them. They probably tried to force the ball to Plaxico Burress in his first game back after a suspension, and as a result, they couldn’t hold the ball for as long as they normally do.
2. Buccaneers (4-2): The Buccaneers are 18-0 under Gruden when they don’t commit a turnover. Jeff Garcia didn’t commit a turnover (or take a sack). You do the math.
3. Cardinals (4-2): That was a gutty win for the Cardinals; it seems like Ken Whisenhunt has this team believing that they belong. With the weak state of the division, they just may.
4. Packers (3-3): Aaron Rodgers is writing himself a nice beginning to his Packers legacy: he is playing through the pain of a dislocated shoulder each week, and he is playing well.
5. Redskins (4-2): Pretty simple to figure out why the Redskins lost. They had no offensive turnovers in their first five games, and they had three Sunday.
6. Panthers (4-2): 20 carries, 40 yards. That’s not John Fox football, and it dropped them into a three-way tie for first in the NFC South, which is now arguably the second-toughest division in the NFL (behind the NFC East).
Call it, Coach
There are 48 seconds left, and the Eagles are holding onto a seven-point lead over the 49ers, who have the ball at the 50. The Eagles are in dime, and, because the 49ers have no times outs, conventional wisdom says to drop eight into coverage and keep the play in between the hashmarks. Jim Johnson is not a conventional defensive coordinator. The Eagles show a seven-man blitz pre-snap, but then drop their linebackers into coverage and blitz five — three down linemen and their slot corners. The blitz forces a quick J.T. O’Sullivan pass which lands in the hands of Juqua Parker, a defensive end. He returns the ball for a touchdown, sealing the game.
Fast Facts
Fact of the Week No. 1: Every one of Jacksonville’s games has been decided by seven points or fewer.
Fact of the Week No. 2: The Cowboys have turned the ball over in 20-straight games.
Fact of the Week No. 3: Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson saw his streak of consecutive games with a catch end at 98 on Sunday.
Weekly MVPs
Offense: Drew Brees, QB, Saints. Brees completed at least two passes to eight different receivers and to nine total on Sunday. He started off the game by completing his first 16 passes, and he finished the game 26-of-30 with 320 yards, 3 touchdowns and no picks. Brees is a complete package at quarterback: he shows great touch and timing on his deep passes and is the most accurate passer in the league. There is no quarterback playing better than Brees right now, and the Saints’ playoff hopes rest on his strong right arm.
Defense: O.J. Atogwe, S, Rams. A young star at safety, Atogwe may not have had his best game on Sunday, but he made the most important play of his young career. A Jason Campbell tipped pass went into the hands of guard Pete Kendall, who fumbled. Atogwe picked up the fumble and ran it back for a 75-yard touchdown. It was just the moment switch that the Rams needed to stay close in the second half and eventually take home the win.
I’ll Deny I Ever Wrote This…
The Colts are going to come back and win the AFC South for the sixth year in a row. They’re a full two games behind the Titans right now, but they haven’t played them yet this season. It will be an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object when an up-to-speed Indy offense takes on a stout Titans defense on Oct. 27 in Tennessee on Monday Night Football.
Don’t fight it, write it! Got a question or a comment? Send it in to theconstantgardner@newerascouting.com. Include your name and hometown, and I might include you in an upcoming article (unless you instruct me otherwise).