What did 2009 mean to you? What stories caught your attention, what songs buzzed around in your brain like a fly whacked on speed? Everyone had their own personal ups and downs, of course. For me, it was (is) recovering from a pretty bad car accident. Breaking up with a boyfriend of over five years (my choice, but none the less hard), coping with the backlash of the recession and trying to move past my friends death that happened at the end of 2008. Sorry to be a downer there, but 2009 has been ROUGH! I’m looking forward to a fresh beginning in 2010, but before the year rolled over, I thought I’d blog about the events and happenings that caught my attention in ‘09. 

First off, the recession. It’s almost become it’s own entity, hasn’t it? People talk about it like it’s a living, breathing thing with actions and no conscience. People have lost their jobs, homes, security. Businesses have closed down, new graduates have struggled to find work. It has been a terribly hard year for everyone, but we battled through and its only up from here!

The Recession Trend

The Chris Brown/Rihanna debacle where Chris attacked Ri-Ri while he was driving and she was in the passenger seat. This was brutal and alarming – you don’t think such horrendous behavior happens between celebrity couples. It has highlighted how violence can permeate into anyone’s life, including those who seemingly “have it all”. I won’t go into the he said, she said stuff – google it if you want details. All I want to say is that after it happened, the world was awash with sympathy for the Umbrella singer, and Chris continues to be shunned. Abusing someone is never okay, and I’m just glad that Chris was given the dunce hat on this one as opposed to being excused. I hope a lot of people out there learned from this situation, at the very least. Rihanna will continue to make great music, and seems to have become stronger despite all of the negative media attention and hype. Chris played the “I don’t know what happened, it just wasn’t me” card, but at least owned up to what he did. He didn’t blame her. I just hope he can learn to harness his temper so that the next girl doesn’t cop it too, and I also pray that his fans don’t take direction from his actions and let themselves lash out too. Sad to say, it happens when people are impressionable. This was a big story in 2009 – and I look forward to seeing more and more celebs being pulled up on their behavior in the coming years. I don’t care about sex, drugs and alcohol. That’s personal, it’s not my business. But when it’s something like violence, I do not believe they should get away with it because of their fame. Step one. 

Chris Brown and Rihanna

President Barack Obama had a bit of a full on year. He was elected 44th president (and first African-American one to boot, whoop whoop!)  in November of 08′, but was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Along with that, he also won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. What a year, and what a man! The news has been saturated with everything Obama has done, from his decisions regarding Iraq to his economical plans and strategies to beat the global recession. I finally have faith in the US government with him at the reins. 

Barack Obama

The release of the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon (based on Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling books) was a big event in my eyes! My friends and I, all avid fans of both the books and the first flick, spent most of the year discussing the up and coming release. Edward or Jacob? Could they get across the sorrow of New Moon, the book, into the movie? Could Taylor Lautner pull off Jacobs physical change? Would the movie work with Edward leaving at the beginning? Ahhh, it’s the big questions in life! You may laugh at me, but I was merely one of MILLIONS waiting for the same thing. A bit of Vampire/Werewolf action – oh yeah! 

New Moon Movie Poster

On a sad note, many celebrities died in 2009. A scarily high amount, and a lot of them far too young. This struck a chord with me, and I do believe, with the world. So R.I.P. to the following greats:

* David Carridine – 08/12/1936 to 03/06/2009. An actor, well known for many roles over the years. One of his most recent magic roles was Bill in the Kill Bill movies. He was found dead in Thailand from, err, accidental asphyxiation. Enough said. 

* Edward (Ted) Kennedy – 22/02/1932 – 25/08/2009. A United States Senator and an integral part of the Kennedy family. In 2008 he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, and died from the ensuing complications in 2009. 

* Farrah Fawcett  - 02/02/1947 to 25/06/2009. An actress known most famously for her role in Charlie’s Angels. Died from the complications of rectal cancer. 

* Frank McCourt – 19/08/1930 to 19/07/2009. Teacher and famous author of the books Angela’s Ashes and Teacher Man. He died from metastatic melanoma.

* Jade Goody – 05/06/1981 to 22/03/2009. TV personality and “Queen” of reality television in the UK. Died tragically of cervical cancer. 

* Jett Travolta – 13/04/1992 to 02/01/2009. Jett wasn’t a celebrity, but his parents were (John Travolta and Kelly Preston.) This poor kid captured the heart of the world when he died. It made everyone think, if it could happen to a celebrities child it could happen to mine. So sad. His cause of death was an epileptic seizure

* Michael Jackson – 29/08/1958 to 25/06/2009. This was probably the most famous death of the year, and one that truly stopped people in their tracks. MJ was possibly the most talented performer ever to live (okay, I’m a bit biased, so sue me) and was known world-wide for his amazing music and bizarre lifestyle. He died in his home from an overdose of drugs… It has yet to be determined if this was the fault of his Doctor or just the result of his chosen lifestyle. Either way, we lost an amazing talent. 

* Natasha Richardson – 11/05/1963 to 18/03/2009. An actress in movies like The Parent Trap and Maid In Manhattan. Died far too young due to a skiiing accident which resulted in a fatal epidural hematoma.

* Patrick Swayze – 18/08/1952 to 14/09/2009. Actor and dancer – famous mostly for his roles in Dirty Dancing, Ghost and Point Break. Died of pancreatic cancer. 

* Stephen Gately – 17/ 03/1976 to 10/10/2009. Singer with Irish boyband Boyzone. Died from a pulmonary oedema.

* Walter Cronkite – 04/11/1916 to 17/07/2009. Famous US journalist. Died from cerebrovascular disease.

* Brittany Murphy – 10/11/1977 to 20/12/2009. An actress famous for rom-com roles in such movies as Clueless and Just Married. Her autopsy results have yet to be released at the time of me writing this, but she was found collapsed in her bathroom from suspected heart complications/failure. So young, so sad.

There were more, but these are the people that passed that truly made their mark on the world (in my eyes, at the very least.) R.I.P. to you all, you amazing, talented, wicked bunch. 

R.I.P.

The Swine Flu Pandemic. Now, that lasted through a huge chunk of 2009! A lot of people poo-poo’d it, but at the end of the day, it was a flu that could take down someone with a compromised immune system. The young, the old, the already sick. But it certainly caused an uproar – but with less panic than the Bird Flu (remember that?) At the very least, I hope it taught people to wash their blimmin’ hands. (Pet peeve, don’t mind me!) 

Swine Flu

The Tiger Woods debacle. The car accident, the cheating, the media circus surrounding it. I kind of feel sorry for the guy… I don’t believe in cheating, and his poor wife for having to go through it all, but imagine how it must feel to be them! With the media glare watching their every move – how humiliating. Over a dozen women have stepped forward to say Tiger cheated on his wife with them, and at this point (to be fair), there’s no proof that these allegations are all true. I’d say most of these “ladies” (scoff) are lying just to get into the headlines and on tv. But Tiger has admitted to transgressions in his statement here and most recently, his wife Elin (a model, so why Tiger, WHY?!) has walked out on their marriage with the kids in tow. Looks like this sports star has a rough path ahead of him… But at the end of the day, he is human. If everyone could forgive the rapscallion President Clinton for his “transgressions”, I’m sure we can all move past judging Tiger and leave him and his family to sort themselves out in private. This has been such a major story for 2009 – sad huh?

The Woods Family

This year has been a major year for book to screen adaptations. Of course this is a concept that has been around for ages, and has been gaining real momentum in the past ten years or so. But I found 2009 to be quite heavy with it. The movies that came out in ‘09 that were originally books are:

* The Twilight Saga: New Moon – The sequel to the movie Twilight about two star-crossed lovers, Bella anordinary human girl, and Edward, a tortured vampire. Another dimension is added with Jacob, a werewolf who is also in love with Bella. Based on the series by Stephenie Meyer.

* The Lovely Bones – Directed by Peter Jackson and written by the amazing Alice Sebold. This is about a young girl who is raped and murdered, and how she watches over her family as they fall apart over her death. She is stuck in the “in between”, having not quite passed over and yet not on earth. Her Father strives to find her murderer, and becomes consumed by this. Heart wrenching.

* My Sisters Keeper – A wonderful movie made from the amazing book by Jodi Picoult. It’s about a beautiful teenaged girl who has spent her entire life dying of cancer, kept alive only due to her mothers absolute refusal to give up. When her daughter is diagnosed with cancer, the mother chooses to give birth to a genetically specified child so that she can harvest blood and stem cells etc from this healthy child to save her dying daughter. Heartbreaking, thought provoking and makes you appreciate your family. 

* Up In The Air – Originally a novel by Walter Kirn, this movie has yet to be released in NZ, but has been (just!) in the US. This is about a corporate downsizer and his travels. Where he goes, who he meets and what he learns.

* Invictus – A movie directed by the great Clint Eastwood and based on a book called Playing the Enemy, by John Carlin. A true story about newly elected Nelson Mandela, and how he joined with the captain of the South African rugby team in the wake of the apartheid to push forward his country, leading them to the 1995 world cup championships. 

* Julie & Julia – A movie about the chef Julia Child, based on the book about her experience with Julia’s cooking by Julie Powell. 

* Where The Wild Things Are – A childrens book by Maurice Sendak that has been adapted for the big screen, about a boy called Max who is naughty and sent to bed early, and creates his own world where there are monsters and he is king. 

* Precious – You may have heard of it, because it has Oprah Winfrey’s fingerprints all over it. The movie is based on the book that was originally titled Push (later renamed Precious) by the author Sapphire. The story follows a young african american girl called Precious, who is overweight, illiterate and living in poor-town Harlem. She becomes pregnant after being raped by her own father, and struggles with the help of her teacher to create a real life for herself and her child. 

* Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince – This is the sixth book/movie in the multi-million dollar franchise that J.K. Rowling wrote as a struggling, single mother. Harry Potter is a teenage wizard who attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his friends and has to face many challenges along the way. (Usually evil ones)

* The Time Travelers Wife – This novel by Audrey Niffenegger has sold so many copies worldwide that it’s not surprising that it was turned into a movie. About a man who spontaneously time-travels against his own will, and the complications it brings to the absolute love of his life, his wife.

* Angels & Demons – The sequel to The Di Vinci Code, another very smart book by Dan Brown turned into a bit of an action flick for the big screen. 

* Confessions Of A shopaholic – Based on a series of light-hearted books by author Sophie Kinsella, this was easily adapted into a Rom-Com type flick.

* The Road – A book written by Cormac McCarthy, about a father and sons relationship evolving as they are left alive while most of the world is killed. A post-apocalyptic tale about survival. 

* Coraline – A children’s book by Neil Gaiman, turned into a movie, about a little girl called Coraline who finds a way into an alternate world where all her dreams come true. It’s a tale of “be careful what you wish for”.

Honestly, that’s not even all of them, just a few of my picks! Obviously they have caught on to the idea that you just can’t beat a good book – or perhaps they are just relying on the pre-existing fan base? Hmmm…

Adaptations: Books to Movies

Another thing that stuck out in 2009 for me was the iPhone. I know it wasn’t released in 2009, but it has become stronger and stronger in popularity, especially in the past year. From applications, to music, to using your iPhone to update your Twitter/Facebook account, the iPhone is this years must have. 

The iPhone

2009 also brought forward the brilliant Lady Gaga. She truly became an artist of her own standing this year, and I kind of see her as the Madonna of the naughties. Weird, funky, catchy, freaky – she is an odd act, but one no one can get enough of! I have even caught my Mum singing along to her – which has to mean she is saturating the market because my Mother only listens to the oldies stations!

Lady Gaga

Michael Jackson found the uber-talented, Australian born guitarist Orianthi before he died – he even had her set up as his lead guitarist for “This Is It”. She released an album this year due to her sudden popularlity – and it’s okay, she can sing, meh – but OMG her guitar riffs are orgasmic! (I can say that, it’s my blog!) So check her out on iTunes or YouTube – WOW! Best newcomer for 2009, even if it’s for her instrument artistry. 

Orianthi

So, 2009 has been insane for celebs having babies and calling them Sunday-Roast or whatever. But I don’t want to do a run through of that because I don’t have another 12 hours to list them all. So I’m going to list another popular hobby this year for the rich and famous: Breaking up. Doesn’t matter how sexy you are, or how much money you have, there is always someone willing to leave you. Bless.

So here are a list of some of the most famous of golden couples that have decided to walk (according to magazines and gossip websites – I take it all with a grain of salt myself!)

* Kim Kardashian & Reggie Bush

* Joe Jonas & Camilla Belle (Awww… Poor kids)

* Kim Cattrall & Alan Wyse

* Jessica Simpson & Tony Romo

* Jon & Kate Gosselin (Thank god, for the kids sake, sheesh)

* Billy Joel & Katie Lee (Might be the age difference… ?)

* Megan Fox & Brian Austin Green

* Paris Hilton & Doug Reinhardt

* Miley Cyrus & Justin Gaston

* Mel Gibson & Robyn Moore 

* Lindsay Lohan & Samantha Ronson (Not that they ever publicly declared they were together either *shrugs*)

* John Mayer & Jennifer Aniston (Poor Jen )

* Holly Madison & Criss Angel

* Hayden Panettiere & Milo Ventimiglia

* David Cook & Kimberly Caldwell

* Patricia Arquette & Thomas Jane

There are sooo many breakups it’s not funny. And yet, a lot of the big ones stayed together… Tom and Katie, Brad and Angelina, Posh and Becks… Maybe it only happens when your are only so-so famous? PFFT, yeah right.

Heartbreak

One of the really sickening events in New Zealand in 2009 was the Clayton Weatherston case. He was sentenced this year for the murder of his former girlfriend, the beautiful and intelligent Sophie Elliott. He stabbed poor Sophie 216 times in her own bedroom while Sophie’s mother tried to break down the locked door. No one believed his plea of self defense (that she had tried to stab him with scissors first – but even if she had, why retaliate by stabbing her that many times? Who goes somewhere with a knife? One word: Premeditated) and he was sentenced to 18 years non-parole. This was another case that highlighted the culture of brutality between some couples, or at least the potential of it. As awful as it sounds, I hope he rots.

Clayton & Sophie

So thats the things (or as much as I can be bothered to write about) that shaped my year… Events and news that touched me, angered me, stayed with me. What was yours?

It being a holiday weekend for many, including myself, the picks for this week will be brief.

Christmas Night

Tennessee (-3) over San Diego

With the glut of 7-7 teams in the AFC right now, and given the improbable nature of the Titans’ season (lost the first 6, then won 7 out of 8), it only makes sense that Tennessee would thrust themselves squarely into the hunt for a wildcard berth.

While San Diego is on an impressive winning streak, their position in the AFC pecking order is secure. The Chargers have the AFC West won. Tennessee is the more desperate team. They’re the pick.

Titans 27, Chargers 21

Sunday’s Games

Green Bay (-14) over Seattle

With each passing week, the Seahawks seem to become more pathetic. The Packers lost a heart-breaker in Pittsburgh last week. They should welcome an opportunity at redemption at home against the Seahawks.

Packers 31, Seahawks 13

Oakland (+3.5) over Cleveland

Both of these bottom-dwelling tms have played better football lately.

However, with Brady Quinn on injured reserve for the rest of the season, the feeling is that the cohesiveness the Browns’ offense has shown lately will slip against an improved Oakland defense.

Raiders 23, Browns 14

Cincinnati (-14) over Kansas City

The Bengals will feed off the energy of their fans in the wake of Chris Henry’s funeral earlier in the week. Playing the woeful Chiefs in a supportive environment should provide catharsis both emotionally and on the scoreboard.

Bengals 33, Chiefs 10

Buffalo (+9) over Atlanta

With Matt Ryan and Michael Turner both back, the Falcons won on the road last week against the Jets. Meanwhile, the Bills are coming off a sluggish home defeat to the Patriots.

It’s clear that the Falcons are the better team. However, they are not a trustworthy pick to cover the spread. The Falcons’ defense is mediocre at best, and the Bills have done better in recent games at getting the ball to Terrell Owens. Atlanta doesn’t have anyone in the secondary to match up with Owens.

So long as Ryan Fitzpatrick can get Owens and Lee Evans the ball a few times, Buffalo should make enough big plays to stay in this game.

Falcons 27, Bills 24

Miami (-3) over Houston

The Houston Texans can score on most teams, but can’t stop most teams from scoring.

The Dolphins have a pretty diverse offense and a capable defense. They should be able to contain the Texans’ passing attack and push their record to 8-7, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

Dolphins 28, Texans 21

NY Giants (-7) over Carolina

In their Monday Night rout of the Washington Redskins, the Giants played with a sense of purpose it seemed. They dominated in all areas and put the game out of reach by halftime.

Like the Redskins, the Panthers are out of the playoff picture this season. Unlike the Redskins, the Panthers have a stable front office and a coach that seems to be in place beyond this year. They should provide more competition for the Giants. In fact, they could derail the Giants’ playoff hopes.

Still, the Giants’ play last week is reflective of their understanding that their season has gone wrong, and that they have the ability to play their way into the postseason. They have something to play for. Thus, the pick is the Giants.

Giants 30, Panthers 21

New Orleans (-14) over Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers played the Saints well earlier in the season, and it was tempting to pick them to cover this big spread.

However, with the undefeated season gone, the Saints recognize that they need to play better football in the next few weeks to be well-prepared for the playoffs. Surely their coach, Sean Payton, has relayed that message to his team during practice sessions leading up to this game.

Expect the Saints to perform well and win big.

Saints 37, Buccaneers 17

Jacksonville (+7.5) over New England

The Patriots’ offense has been predictable in recent weeks, and the team has struggled to beat teams they should dominate.

Jacksonville needs this game in a big way. At 7-7, they need to win this game and see other teams (Denver, for instance) lose in order for the Jaguars to have a chance at the playoffs.

Of course, New England has yet to lose at home this season, and the Patriots are trying to play better football and improve as the playoffs approach. They need a big performance just as much as the Jaguars need a win.

The Jags have played close games all season long, thanks to their style of play, and this figures to be another one.

Patriots 23, Jaguars 21

Pittsburgh (-2.5) over Baltimore

With their miraculous win over the Packers last week, the Steelers’ playoff chances were revitalized.

Pittsburgh remains a longshot to get the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl championship. Plus, in the Ravens, they face a team that is in the exact same position they are: desperate for a win this week to have a chance at the playoffs.

This has the potential to be the game of the week. It could be high-scoring, it should be dramatic, and it may come down to the final minute.

With the Steelers at home and favored by less than a field goal, they’re the safe bet. It should be a wild game though.

Steelers 37, Ravens 34

Denver (+7) over Philadelphia

Alright, I’m personally rooting for a Christmas miracle here. The Broncos are my team and I make no apologies for my allegiance to them.

The Eagles are playing better football at this point. They’re at home, and they can put the NFC East on ice this week, if they win and the Cowboys stumble against the Redskins. This is game that many expect the Eagles to win, and win easily.

Denver, despite losing six of eight, can make the playoffs without any help by simply winning their remaining two games. If they can limit the Eagles’ big play-driven offense and open up their own offense a bit, the Broncos can win.

It’s been a long time since the Broncos scored over 20 points, and this could be the week they find holes in the Eagles’ defense and make it happen.

Broncos 27, Eagles 23

Arizona (-14) over St. Louis

The Cardinals have been inconsistent lately and could use a big game against a weak opponent to boost confidence as the playoffs approach.

Enter the St. Louis Rams.

Cardinals 34, Rams 13

San Francisco (-12) over Detroit

The Lions have played more competitive football this year compared to last year. It may be trendy to pick the Lions in a game that doesn’t matter much to either team, since neither is in contention for a playoff berth.

However, the 49ers are 9-5 against the spread on the season. They may have missed some opportunities to win a few close games during the course of the season, but San Francisco is a better football team than they’ve shown. They should be able to score easily on the Lions’ woeful defense, and give their fans reason to cheer loudly on this holiday weekend.

49ers 31, Lions 14

NY Jets (+5.5) over Indianapolis

The Colts have home-field advantage wrapped up. They are 14-0. All they have to play for is a chance at a 16-0 regular season, something members of the organization have said repeatedly that they are unmotivated for.

While there may be some measure of pride in going undefeated, the Colts’ goal is another Super Bowl title, not going 16-0 and losing at some point the postseason.

The Jets are not better than the Colts. About the only way they even cover the spread, let alone win, is if Peyton Manning rests for the majority of the game. That’s what I’m betting on.

Jets 21, Colts 20

Dallas (-7) over Washington

Speculation swirls around both of these franchises. While it’s a near-certainty that the Redskins will have a new coach in 2010, the Cowboys could also have a new man in charge if they falter in the next two weeks and/or disappoint in the postseason.

Yet, following their strong performance and surprising win over New Orleans last week, the Cowboys should ride that momentum into Washington and throttle their division rival. Based on last week’s debacle against the Giants, the Redskins appear to have mailed in the remainder of their 2009 season. This game could feature the largest margin of victory of the week.

Cowboys 34, Redskins 7

Monday Night Football

Chicago (+7) over Minnesota

Brett Favre has faltered lately, and the Minnesota Vikings have not run the ball well in recent weeks. Some of that is due to the competition they’ve faced, but part of the reason the offense has struggled is that some key players, like Adrian Peterson, are playing through injuries that have limited their effectiveness on the field.

The Bears have the talent to pull off a win. In fact, many believed the Bears were a playoff team at the start of the season. To say this has been a disappointing season for the Bears would be an understatement.

With Minnesota slipping, they are ripe to be upset. The gut feeling is that the Bears will keep the score close for much of the game and the Vikings will manage to win late, fending off the naysayers for a week as the playoffs get closer.

Vikings 27, Bears 24

NFL.com

A huge win against the undefeated New Orleans Saints last week. The defense dominated for three quarters and the end result was allowing the Saints to their fewest points total all season long. Tony Romo was also playing one of his best games in his career.

But this win could mean nothing if they Cowboys are unable to end the season without a playoff spot.

Everyone should rightfully feel good about beating the Saints, especially in the ways that they were able to beat them. The Cowboys controlled the entire game. Not even the most optimistic Cowboys fan could have imagined that.

Even though the Cowboys have given the fans a feeling of elation, we all must take a step back. We all know that this team is capable of letting us down, no matter how good they look.

Case in point is how the Cowboys talked before the Giants game. They sounded like they were more focused than they had ever been. I liked what I heard and I said how this team feels different from years passed. Well, we all know how disastrous that game went, even though it was only a 7 point game in the end. This game could prove to be the Cowboys’ bane of this season.

One of my biggest statements has been “if this team is different, they will…” So, from now on, I will refrain from saying that.

Many people will be worried that the Cowboys used all of their will and power on beating the Saints and they will relax and still not finish out strong. I can understand that.

That is why they need to keep this momentum going. Instead of feeling relaxed after just taking down an undefeated team, they should have the mentality that if they keep up that same will for every team they face from here on out, they have a chance to dominate.

You will be hard pressed to find a more explosive offense than the Saints in this league. There could be arguments for the Colts, Chargers and maybe even the Eagles. The Cowboys did a nice job containing the Eagles’ explosive offense earlier this season and they did a somewhat decent job on the Chargers.

The first step in sustaining momentum is visiting the Washington Redskins this Sunday. A team that had been playing well until they disappointed us in the rare case of a loss, in which they were destroyed by the Giants.

A lot of people will tell you that it is the Redskins and they always play hard against the Cowboys, so do not expect a smooth victory.

In most cases, I would feel the same way. But as I look at certain positions, the Cowboys need to punish the Redskins this time. Washington has a makeshift offensive line at the moment and look at the pressure we were able to get against a line that was not giving up much on Drew Brees all season long.

The Redskins are also on their fourth starting running back of the season. Also, Mike Jenkins is playing out of his mind this year and unless Terence Newman has another abdominal/groin tear before the game, he usually does a great job on Santana Moss.

This is not saying that it will not end up being a close game since it is a big rivalry. That would not surprise me. What I am trying to say is that the level of competition is unbalanced. The Redskins offense has some missing parts that favor the Cowboys.

The biggest issue will be facing the Redskins’ defense. They seem to be pretty healthy and the Cowboys were only able to muster up 7 points near the end of the game to beat the Redskins in Cowboys Stadium earlier this year.

But the Giants offense torched this same defense and I for one believe that the Cowboys have a better offense than the Giants.

My main point in all of this is that the Cowboys need to build off of the Saints win and they need to live up to their competition and beat a team who is struggling. There is not more time to bounce around mediocrity. You need to have a convincing win going into the final week of the season, where you really could be playing for your playoff lives.

The Cowboys do have a clinching scenario this weekend, but the Giants must lose before it goes into effect Sunday night. If the Giants do lose earlier to the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys could clinch a spot with a win.

If the Cowboys lose one of their last two and the Giants won their final two, see you next season. The Packers could still miss out, but the likeliness of them losing their last two is not good.

So, the Cowboys need this game badly and I think that a blowout type of win are as I said, a more convincing win should help going into the final week against the Eagles.

Obviously the best way to get into the playoffs is win out. You cannot rely on getting help because as we all know, the Cowboys can never let their fans rest easy until the final game has been completed.

This past week of football showed us two things, that the Redskins blow, and that Dallas can win a big game in December.

Honestly, Tony Romo should be getting MVP consideration for the way he has played this season. He as played even better in December. The Cowboys upset of the Saints puts them in prime position to make the playoffs. It’s simple, if they win out, they are in. If they lose to either the Redskins or Eagles, then there is a shot the Giants jump them for a wild card spot.

Washington has nothing to play for, they just put up one of the saddest performances in recent memory. Jim Zorn will be gone after this year, and for good reason. Zorn can make on last coaching move however, bench Jason Campbell.

Campbell is awful, I have hated him as a quarterback since his first snap. If the Redskins want to give their fans one last show this season, they need to upset the Cowboys, their biggest rival. In order to do so, start Todd Collins. Collins started in 2007 for the final four games and played perfect football, guiding the Redskins to the playoffs. When he came into the game on Monday against the Giants, he did what Campbell didn’t even make an attempt at, throwing right at the horrific Giants secondary.

Want to know why the Skins blew? Not only did the Giants break through their offensive line, but Campbell did nothing but look for short slants and screens. Collins came in and threw bombs down the field and looked like a pro bowler. I was surprised that Zorn didn’t stick with Collins to see if he could lead some sort of attempt at a comeback.

In order for the Redskins to win this game they will need to shut down the Dallas run game, which they can do. Next, they need to be able to make big plays in the passing game, which Collins can provide. He throws spirals tighter than any Jonas Brother vagina. Campbell is going to be gone with Zorn, so really there is no point in keeping him in to develop him. Campbell has shown what he can give you, as much as I hate when quarterbacks are blamed for the struggles of a team, he needs to be this year.

No Luck Needed On This Play

Lets go Jim Zorn, give us Giants fans something to love you for, because we need some luck right now. Who knows, maybe this coaching decision will at least land you a coordinator job in the future, you’ll get no job if not.

3-1 after this weekend makes it kind of hard to argue with a 30-18 record on the season. This past weekend kind of had it all from the major upset to the major play of the year. You just got to love football. What other sport gives you as much passion and as many highs and lows than the gridiron? You can check if you want to but don’t waste your time. In case you missed anything from this past weekend, spend some time catching up:

Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

What I predicted …

Colts 24-16

What I said would happen …

“The Colts have the league’s second best defense in terms of points allowed so Manning and the offense may not need to do much to dispose of Jacksonville and keep their undefeated season alive. Jacksonville hasn’t beaten many teams with a winning record this season and they won’t on Thursday either.”

What actually happened …

The Colts won 35-31. Indianapolis survived a shootout and Manning threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns as the Colts added another victim to their 23-game win streak. Behind a 140-yard and two touchdown performance from Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville led 31-28 with under seven minutes left before Manning found Reggie Wayne for a 65-yard touchdown strike down the left sideline. The Colts then held off two drives from Jacksonville and picked off David Garrard on the Jaguars’ final possession to secure the victory.

My reactions …

Thursday’s loss dropped Jacksonville to 7-7 and a six-way tie with teams in the AFC playoff hunt. Jacksonville’s divisional record is an even 3-3 but their conference record is 6-4. The Jags may have to win out if they want a realistic shot at the postseason but road games against the Cincinnati Bengals or New England Patriots could be too daunting a task but let’s not look too far ahead. Jones-Drew will keep the Jags in competition the rest of the way but Garrard and the defense will have to raise their levels of play if Jacksonville is going to qualify for anything this year.

If they want to, Indianapolis (14-0) will probably go undefeated to close the year but that’s only if they want to. It would probably be in the club’s best interest however to fight for the unblemished record just to avoid a scenario where Manning and the boys fall out of synch from resting. The Colts have won games each and every way possible this season and have had the type of magical season that players will probably be sitting around the house in their 50’s and 60’s telling stories of. It’s Super Bowl or nothing for Indianapolis and if they fail to bring home the hardware, you can be sure players will still be kicking themselves well into their 50’s and 60’s.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints

What I predicted …

Saints 34-24

What I said would happen …

“The perfect game plan against the Saints: ball control and short passes. The motto of the ‘Boys’ offense under Jason Garrett: quick strike and heavy emphasis on throwing. Something’s got to give and if offensive coordinator Jason Garrett wants any chance of solidifying his return for next year then a game against his normal grain would be ideal for Saturday. New Orleans is going to score, that’s a given, how soon Garrett gives up on the run will determine Dallas’ fate. In a game against the top offense in the league, Garrett will probably be inclined to match wits with Saints head coach and former Cowboy coordinator Sean Payton. As has been shown for the last few seasons, Payton’s clearly a step ahead of Garrett.”

What actually happened …

The Cowboys won 24-17. Dallas came through the Superdome and punched New Orleans square in the mouth on their way to opening a 14-0 lead. The ‘Boys led 24-3 at the start of the fourth quarter and held off a late Saints run to preserve a rare December win and hand New Orleans a rare loss. Dallas QB Tony Romo was flawless on the night, completing 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown. Forgotten bruiser back Marion Barber made a surprise reappearance, totaling 73 yards and two touchdowns.

My reactions …

It’s funny how a club can go to written off to a possible Super Bowl favorite all in one game but that’s exactly what happened to the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday night. The Cowboys (9-5) played a flawless game aside from ex-kicker Nick Folk’s chip shot miss from 24 yards. The Dallas defense was dominant and DeMarcus Ware’s surprise appearance after sustaining a serious-looking neck injury was inspirational. Ware caused havoc for the Saints’ protection schemes all night and his strip of Drew Brees with little time remaining on the clock was something ‘Boys fans will be bragging about for years.

One loss doesn’t define a season and of course New Orleans (13-1) has had a dominant year but Saturday’s defeat raised some pressing concerns for New Orleans. The Saints defense hasn’t been spectacular the last few weeks and Dallas took advantage of their weakness against the run and probably would’ve scored more than 30 had Jason Garrett not took the foot off the gas after Dallas got a lead. The Saints offense is still plenty powerful but their defense will be under the microscope as the season wears on. Stay tuned…

Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Diego Chargers

What I predicted …

Chargers 28-13

What I said would happen …

“The Chargers are hot and Cincinnati has been struggling, that’s pretty much the gist of things. The Bengals are going to have to do more than the 94 passing yards they put up against the Minnesota Vikings in last week’s loss but don’t hold your breath. Palmer hasn’t thrown for more than 271 yards in any game this year and has passed for under 200 yards five times this season. The Chargers have scored over 24 points nine times this year and don’t expect things to change on Sunday against the struggling Bengals.”

What actually happened …

The Chargers won 27-24. San Diego and Cincinnati waged a slug fest this past Sunday, battling down to the wire before Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding kicked 52-yard field goal with three seconds left to give San Diego the AFC West crown and a lock on second place in the AFC. The grieving Bengals battled back from a 24-13 deficit at the top of the fourth quarter to tie it up with just under 54 seconds. San Diego QB Philip Rivers then led the Bolts 44 yards in six plays to set Kaeding up for the game winner.

My reactions …

The sudden death of Bengals receiver Chris Henry was a stunning blow for Cincinnati (9-5). The Bengals had already been struggling before his passing and they played one of their finer performances of the year in a loss to the hot Chargers. Cincinnati is going to have a tough road to climb as they try to battle the loss of their teammate and the behemoths of the AFC. Carson Palmer and the passing game are going to have to up their play as more teams stack the box and force Palmer to beat them. A few seasons ago, forcing Palmer to win the game was something teams feared. This year however, it’s been the key to beating the Bengals. Stay Tuned…

Besides Indianapolis, no team is hotter than the Bolts. San Diego (11-3) is the best team in the AFC in my opinion and defenses are going to find it tough in the playoffs to stop Rivers from lobbing the ball up to his tall and talented receivers. The defense is playing well, special teams is clicking, offense is one of the best in the league… the Chargers are just on top of their game right now. There shouldn’t be anything stopping a Bolts/Colts AFC Championship matchup but of course, as always, Stay Tuned…

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

What I predicted …

Steelers 26-21

What I said would happen …

“The Packers have won five straight and are catching their stride as they wind down their regular season. Rodgers has weapons everywhere on offense and his defense is suffocating. Against a weak Steeler Oline Green Bay should be able to corral Pittsburgh’s offense with no problem. But it’s hard betting against the champs though. The loss to Cleveland was a definite kick in the rear and if pride is all that Pittsburgh has to play for, expect them to show a lot on Sunday in front of their home fans.”

What actually happened …

The Steelers won 37-36. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Mike Wallace with no time left on the clock to snap the Steelers five-game losing streak. Roethlisberger and Wallace connected for a 60-yarder to open the game before Rodgers sliced the Steelers secondary for 383 yards and three touchdowns. The Steelers led 24-14 at the top of the fourth quarter before Rodgers moved Green Bay ahead 36-30 with two minutes left to play. Roethlisberger then led Pittsburgh 86 yards in 12 plays before he connected with Wallace for the game winner.

My reactions …

When Rodgers has time to throw, the Packers (9-5) have one of the best offenses in the NFC. Rodgers has guts galore and his receivers run patterns with fearlessness and authority. The Packers are still a favorite for a wild card spot in the NFC and have the potential to pull off a road upset if any playoff team takes them lightly. With Rodgers at the helm and a steadily improving defense, Green Bay should be a title contender for years to come. Stay Tuned…

It took a memorable game for Pittsburgh (7-7) to break its five-game slide but they got it done. Roethlisberger and the Steelers still have an outside chance at making the playoffs but will need some help. They’ll get their biggest rival (Baltimore Ravens) at home next week in the biggest game of their season. With the Ravens (8-6) looking to steal one of the last few post season slots, the Steelers will be trying everything they can to prevent that from happening. Some changes are destined to come through Pittsburgh after a disappointing season but in the mean time, the Steelers still have something to play for.

The Washington Redskins are a talented football team. Yes, I really did just write that. If you take a look at the ‘Skins’ roster, it contains RB Clinton Portis, S LaRon Landry, CB DeAngelo Hall, LB London Fletcher, and offensive linemen Chris Samuels and Randy Thomas. These are talented players, when healthy, which has been a big part of the Redskins problem this year. However, after a terrible blowout loss at home against the Giants, fans everywhere are calling for the job of head coach Jim Zorn. That is not entirely wrong because he should have been able to do a better job with the players he did have healthy. However, I believe the problem lies deeper within the Redskins than anyone is realizing.

In 2005, the Redskins finished 10-6, and lost in the playoffs to the Seattle Seahawks. That team consisted of most of the ‘Skins core players now, such as RB Clinton Portis, QB Jason Campbell, and WRs Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. Ever since 2005, the Redskins have finished 5-11, 9-7, 8-8, and are looking at a possible 4-12 finish this season. Over that time period, Washington has had several different offensive coordinators and two head coaches. On defense, the team has fluctuated from a rating of 7th – 29th in a span of one season. The obvious thing that is lacking is consistency, but it is something that runs deeper.

In Washington, there is no chemistry. QB Jason Campbell is not the quarterback that you want to be airing the ball out all game, but someone who you let move the ball slowly down the field through his running game and short passes. However, WRs Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El are speed receivers that are best at running deep routes. On the ground, any team with RBs Clinton Portis and LaDell Betts should be a running minded offense. However, Campbell had 506 pass attempts in 2008, which was a year where Portis almost gained 1,500 yards.

There has been similar cases of very talented teams that just couldn’t get over the hump because of lack on chemistry issues. The most recent and obvious example would be another team in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys. Throughout the years of 2006-09, WR Terrell Owens clouded the ‘Boys locker room, and had many chemistry issues with QB Tony Romo. Romo was a young quarterback in those years, and didn’t need the stress of making sure that Owens was happy with how much he got the ball. This all led up to the crazy accusations that Romo and TE Jason Witten were having secret meetings with their offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, in order to keep Owens from getting the ball.

Now, if we all travel back a year ago, the memories of Dallas getting shut out of the playoffs should come back to us. At the time, all of the Cowboys’ fans were calling for coach Wade Phillips’ job. However, the firing never came, and instead, Owens was released. This allowed QB Tony Romo to spread the ball through the offense at his will, and it has run more efficiently. Now, the Cowboys are 9-5, and most likely heading to the playoffs.

I’m not saying that the Redskins can get rid of or add one player to turn the ship around. It is just simple moves that help put players into positions in which they can succeed which define a season’s outcome.

Shaun Suisham is back in Dallas as their kicker.  His most recent NFL stint was with the Washington Redskins, but after missing a chip shot, he was cut.  The Cowboys cut place kicker Nick Folk after he missed a league-leading 10 field goals this season.  Suisham kicked for Dallas in 2005 and 2006.  He is excited for the opportunity and could get revenge this Sunday night at Fed Ex Field against the Redskins.  Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said that quarterback Tony Romo will most likely be relieved of his holding duties in favor of punter Mat McBriar.  It is an important game for the Cowboys as they must keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles.  The image is courtesy of kickingit4kids.com.

Analysis of Week 15 in the NFL

Game Recaps

Colts 35 Jaguars 31

Every week, these undefeateds get a little closer to losing their way. The Colts, however, stayed on course. Peyton Manning seemingly got out of his funk, and Indianapolis needed a performance like that to find their way over the desperate Jaguars. His completions to Reggie Wayne (five for 132 yards and one touchdown) and Dallas Clarke (seven for 95 yards and two touchdowns) made this game exciting from the start, but it was Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones Drew, who ran for 110 yards and one touchdown, that gave the Jags  lightning. For the record, David Gerrard was one costly interception away from proving himself on national television.
Game Ball: Peyton Manning went 23 for 30 for 308 yards and four touchdowns.

Cowboys 24 Saints 17

We can’t say we are entirely surprised. Tony Romo and the Cowboys have had decent games (Romo has been playing extremely well as a matter of fact) and just have not been able to come away with the win. While Romo got the job done, he didn’t exactly outplay Drew Brees and the Saints by himself. The key to this game was a massive surge from DaMarcus Ware and the Dallas defense, who forced two of Brees’ fumbles as well as an interception and held New Orleans run game to only 65 yards total. It was truly inspirational to see Ware come back from that injury and play the game the right way.
Game Ball: Miles Austin had seven catches for 139 yards and one touchdown.

Patriots 17 Buffalo 10

Traditionally, the Pats put up huge numbers and beat the Bills fair and square. This week, Buffalo beat themselves. Tony Brady didn’t have to throw bombs, Lawerence Maroney didn’t have to run the length of the field, and the defense…well they didn’t really have to try. The Bills had 100 penalty minutes in just the first half of the football game, finishing the game with 124, completely giving New England control of the game. The Pats’ defense, who now looks like the who’s-who of Madden 2001, came alive behind Junior Seau and Tully Banta-Cain, but it wasn’t a great effort.
Game Ball: Banta-Cain had three sacks on the day.

Arizona 31 Lions 24

We will say it every week if we have to – give this Lions team a couple more years and they will be competitive again, and this week they were behind third-stringer Drew Stanton who only threw for 72 yards total!  Even the Lions’ defense was up for the task of defending the great Kurt Warner, who is looking older and more tired by the day. What we are happy about is the rookie, Beanie Wells, grabbing the first hundred-yard game of his career.  One thing is for sure: The Lions can not and will not play behind Daunte Culpepper and actually win.
Game Ball: Wells had 17 rushes for 110 yards and one touchdown.

Dolphins 24 Titans 27

After a couple of lack-luster weeks, Vince Young is back with a vengeance. The Titans just won’t go away, and their defense took care of business against Miami. The Dolphins had gotten their wake up call: One good week does not mean Chad Henne is good enough to run your team around. His three interceptions pretty much cancelled out all of the running Ricky Williams did (80 yards and one touchdown’s worth). Miami’s defense didn’t look so hot either – Justin Gage only had 43 yards receiving but his short-yardage catches led to two touchdowns, and Chris Johnson had his ninth straight 100+ yard game.
Game Ball: Young went 14 for 27 with 236 yards and three touchdowns.

Browns 41 Chiefs 34

Did you think this game would be this great? The best part = Brady Quinn got another win today, and he only threw for a total of 66 yards. And this is two in a row for Cleveland! By now you know the story lines: Third string backup Jerome Harrison runs for 286 yards, while Josh Cribbs returns two 100+ kicks for touchdowns. What you may not know is that Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles had 154 more rushing yards and one touchdown. Matt Cassel can’t catch a break these days.
Game Ball: We will give it to Harrison, who along with those 286 yards had three touchdowns and averaged 8.6 yards per carry.

Texans 16 Rams 13

Hey Houston! When we say you are completely inconsistent, this is what we mean. Not only did the Texans struggle with St. Louis, but they damn near almost lost this game. The numbers here don’t match up. Matt Schaub had a fantastic game, going 28 for 40 with 367 yards and one touchdown. Keith Null only completed passes for 173 yards and threw an interception. Andre Johnson had 150 yards more than any Ram receiver. The Texans even held Steven Jackson under one hundred yards. They just can’t get it done some days, beyond all reason, and we can’t figure it out.
Game Ball: Johnson had nine catches for 196 yards.

Falcons 10 Jets 7

You keep giving them the ball, eventually they are going to score. Matt Ryan and the Falcons continue to look horrible, but they escaped with the W after numerous mistakes by the Jets. New York’s offense just couldn’t get going – After Mark Sanchez’s three interceptions, Thomas Jones only racked up 52 yards, while Braylon Edwards’ big catches led to only one touchdown. For the record, it must suck to be Kellen Clemmens… but make no mistake Atlanta did not look any better, even behind Ryan. There just isn’t enough time or space to diagnose what is wrong with these two teams.
Game Ball: NO ONE.

Raiders 20 Broncos 19

Denver must be in trouble. Oakland went thru three quarterbacks: Charlie Frye, JaMarcus Russell, and JP Lossman - all of whom only three for a combined 102 yards – and they still somehow managed to upset the Broncos. The fire in Denver’s eyes earlier in the season is gone, and the Broncos are looking at potentially missing the playoffs and having an identical season as last year’s. We won’t have answers to most of the questions this game raised, but the fact that JaMarcus Russell threw the game-winning touchdown means one thing: They will never be able to truly part ways with them.
Game Ball: Michael Bush had 18 carries for 133 yards and one touchdown.

Bengals 24 Chargers 27

This was an especially tough one to watch. It was also incredibly out of character for both teams. Both Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer played almost identical mediocre games. Both teams’ rushing games were all but completely shut down. It came down to two things: San Diego has a better receiving core and that Cincinnati’s defense slipped for just one split second… oh and Nate Kaeding’s leg is extreme to say the least. When Antonio Gates is having a bad day, Vincent Jackson steps up, and that makes them very hard to defend.
Game Ball: Jackson had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

49ers 13 Eagles 27

At the end of the day we have learned three things: San Fran is not there, yet… There won’t be a game where DeSean Jackson doesn’t get behind you at least once… And the Eagles should be on the league’s radar. Donovan McNabb threw two interceptions, but he never gets points for the touchdown he scored on an eight yard run or the laser passes to Jackson down the field. The defensive side of the football was equally as impressive, although they failed to shut down Frank Gore who had another 100+ yard game. The worst part of the whole day was potentially losing Michael Vick because that was a surprisingly effective part of their offense. The Eagles do, however, need to play a more disciplined game – those penalties and missed plays could cost them a playoff game against a team that can take advantage.
Game Ball: Action Jackson had six catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.

Packers 36 Steelers 37

To be honest, we can’t believe the Steelers are still considered “in the hunt”. It took Ben Roethlisberger five hundred passing yards to keep it that way. Usually, games between these two are centered around defense and huge stops. Apparently, that is no more. We are surprised and somewhat dismayed that the Steelers defense couldn’t get through to Aaron Rodgers more than once, while the Pack had Big Ben on his back five times. For two nitty-gritty teams, this was all passing, quick movement, and a very high scoring game. Overshadowed in Roethlisberger’s numbers is the fact that Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes as well – just not that fateful final one. They just couldn’t stay on the outside looking in could they?
Game Ball: Roethlisberger went 29 for 46 with 503 yards and three touchdowns.

Buccaneers 24 Seattle 7

Once again: Matt Hasselbeck is on his way out. And no, Senece Wallace is not the answer here. It looks like Tampa Bay’s growing pains are starting to pay off  – the team has a quarterback who is getting smarter with each game and can obviously rebound, as well as a defense who knows how to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. Maybe in the coming years they will be what they once were, but Seattle, we can say with utmost certainty, will not. Their quarterback may be pretty horrible, but their receivers are even worse (yes, we mean you TJ Houshmandzadeh) and their defense can’t stop a thing. They need an overhaul, and Jim Mora will be the guy to do it.
Game Ball: Josh Freeman went 16 for 26 for 2o5 yards and two touchdowns.

Bears 7 Ravens 31

Like most weeks, we could go on and on about what is so wrong with the Bears… but maybe we should concentrate on what went so right with Baltimore. With Cincinnati slipping, they are surging for a playoff spot and what a showing to prove themselves. Joe Flacco’s arm could be considered perfect after this performance – although we will say some of his receivers dropped those perfectly thrown balls – and their defense showed heart and tenacity. Chicago can’t hope to win a game on six turnovers, three of which were by Jay Cutler, although they did limit the penalties this week. It’s a long road to redemption for the Bears… but in Baltimore they will be celebrating.
Game Ball: Joe Flacco went 21 for 29 for 234 yards and four touchdowns.

Vikings 7 Panthers 26

For such a great record, the entire Vikings team looks tired and completely unaware that they still need to earn that second seed. We won’t put this all on  Brett Favre’s shoulders, although controversy and other issues stem from his actions Sunday. That crazy defense looked completely besides themselves. Jon Stewart ran all over them, Steve Smith was pretty much allowed to run where he wanted when he wanted, and this was with backup quarterback Matt Moore at the helm! Julius Peppers came out like a complete animal – he had one sack, but completely destroyed Favre all night. Carolina needed this wake up earlier in the season… and something tells us Jake Delhomme is not welcome there right now.
Game Ball: Moore went 21 for 33 with 299 yards and three touchdowns.

Giants 45 Redskins 12

The Redskins had been playing remarkably well – that is until apparently this week. We have to say it – someone has to – that they looked completely confused and like they had no idea of the plays let alone how to execute them. The Giants, searching for a way back in to the playoff spot, took advantage of that. Eli Manning looked close to perfect, connecting with three different receivers for touchdowns, and their running game looked back on track (granted, it was used in the right situations). Five sacks by their defense obviously had Jason Campbell looking through his ear hole, but thats no excuse for his abismal performance.
Game Ball: Manning went 19 for 26 with 268 yards and three touchdowns.

Week 15 Wrap Up

- Injury Report: Eagles runningback Brian Westbrook plans to practice with the first team this week. He is expected to be available this coming Sunday against Denver… Tennessee lost linebackers Keith Bullock and David Thornton for the season. Bullock tore his ACL Sunday, while Thornton is having season-ending shoulder surgery this week…
- After their loss to the Panthers Sunday, Brett Favre made some widely inappropriate comments about his coach, Brad Childress, trying to remove him from the game. There is a time and a place boys… and that place is never at a press conference.
- Contrary to previous beliefs that Mike Holmgren would be taking over as head coach in Cleveland, Monday he signed a contract to become the team’s new president. Holmgren is expected to be involved in both personell decisions as well as game planning.
- The Cowboys cut place kicker Nick Folk Monday after a series of missed field goals. They replaced the kicker with Shaun Suisham, who was cut earlier this year for being horrible in Washington.

And the UDU Game Ball Goes to…

This week, this wasn’t that hard of a choice. Cleveland’s games this season have normally been nothing short of disasterous, but this week they have someone to thank for victory: Jerome Harrison. Harrison rushed for 286 yard (only ten shy of the record), breaking Jim Brown’s Cleveland record. His runs nearly netted the win for the Browns – seeing that their passing offense was limited to only 66 yards. Harrison rushed for more yards than Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, and Marion Barber combined (thank you Adam Schefter)… not bad for a third-stringer.

The Dallas Cowboys finally won a game in December.  They control their own destiny because they are one game behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the division lead with the Washington Redskins and the Eagles left on their schedule.  Dallas defeated the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints 24-17 in the Louisiana Superdome.  It was another big game for Cowboys teammates Tony Romo and Miles Austin.  Romo had another game without throwing an interception.  He went 22 of 34 for 312 yards and a 49 yard touchdown pass to his wideout Austin.  Dallas had 294 yards through the air.  Dallas’ power running back Marion Barber led the rushing attack with 17 carries for 62 yards and two scores from three yards out and two yards out.  Austin and tight end Jason Witten really stepped up in this game.  Austin caught seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.  Witten grabbed five receptions for 44 yards including a 21 yard catch. 

The defense was fantastic.  The first two drives for the Saints were both three and outs.  The real standouts on this side of the ball were right outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, left outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, and cornerback Mike Jenkins.  Ware, who sprained his neck in last week’s loss to the San Diego Chargers, was unsure if he could play.  He did play, and recorded two sacks and two forced fumbles, the last one to seal the victory.  Spencer was attacking all night adding two more sacks to his total for the season as well as a fumble recovery.  Jenkins picked off Saints quarterback Drew Brees in the first half and had four total tackles and three pass deflections. 

Dallas will travel to Washington in a rivalry game then fly home to face the Eagles which should decide the NFC East.  The image is courtesy of silverandblueblood.com.

Dallas Cowboys’ game effort pins first loss on Saints 24-17

Simply put, the Saints’ quest for perfection and run at making history ran head-on into a desperate and motivated Cowboys team looking to save its season and keep its playoff hopes alive.

The Cowboys came up with their best performance of the season in the 24-17 eye-opening and possibly destiny-turning victory in front of a crowd of 70,213.

The loss sent the Saints to 13-1.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been as nervous as I was at the end because this one meant so much,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “This was a big one. It could be the one to blast us off into the playoffs and beyond. There’s no doubt it was probably a season-defining and destiny-defining win.”

It was the Cowboys’ first victory in December, snapping a two-game losing streak. It has them still in the thick of the NFC East title race and in the sixth wild-card position with two games to go.

… for more visit startelegram/cowboys win

Drew Brees, I’m sure you want someone to make sense of why the sky last night suddenly turned green and some large defensive player was panting on top of you. In football, we call that a sack and you without a ball in your hands is called a fumble. Watching the cowboys celebrate their victory in front of you, that feeling like something bad happened in the pit of your stomach, and the 1 on the losses side of your record; I know it seems like you haven’t really experienced this before, so I’ll tell you what its called. Loosing your perfect record.  This is why I love football. An undefeatable team is on top of the world one moment, and the next crushed by some team everyone lost faith in. It’s the classic David and Goliath story. Someone finally manages to understand if you want to stop the damn giant you have to knock it out with a stone. In order to stop Drew, you have to break through the line and shake him up: have a massive defensive player so close he can give Drew a kiss, a slap on the butt, and shove Drew Brees’ helmet in the stadium’s grass. Then once you have the ball run like hell and earn your TDs. Sure its tricky, sure that little black and gold qb can run, but if your persistent, if you’re the cowboys; then you can do it. Finally, a game when the Cowboys defense and Offense seemed to work towards the same goal.

What is a football post without me mentioning that sexy hunk of man flesh, who was spotted on the cover of a GQ magazine in Target and his team (my other favorite team) the New England Patriots? (I unfortunately couldn’t find the game on television) A little birdie ::cough::NFL.COM::cough:: told me the Pats defeated the Bills, and I’m betting T.O. is wishing he hadn’t screwed up his chance with America’s Favorite Team.

I’d talk a little smack about next week’s adversaries, but Dallas is playing the Redskins and my Pats are playing the jags. Why would I waste my valuable shit-talking on ,of all the teams in the NFL, the Redskins and the Jags (who managed to be blown out in week 5 (0-41) by the Seattle Seahawks! The Seahawks!)? So instead, I’ll leave you guys with some tasty photos of Tom in that GQ magazine I saw.

Guess we will not be shooting up TV’s this week now will we? No more thoughts of 19-0 for the Saints as the Cowboys put it to them in the Superdome on Saturday night. Get ready. All hell may be set to break loose in the NFC East depending on how things shake out in the next 21 days. The lone dim spot for Dallas appeared to be that they will need to find a new kicker.

By Kyle Bauer

Glad to see that my update last night fired the Cowboys up and it lead them to a stunning upset of the Saints.

Yes, I like to think that the Cowboys read the post below yesterday and it fired them up. I imagine everyone huddled around Tashard Choice’s lap top at his locker.

Marion Barber read it and said “HEY WHAT THE FUCK! That’s shitty of the Saints. Look how stupid these fans are! I’M ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO BE AN UNDERACHIEVING SCRUB FOR ONE GAME AND LEAD THIS TEAM FOR DETROIT!”

Then DeMarcus Ware wasn’t going to play, but he read the blog. Ware began to “hulk up” and stormed into Wade Phillips office, demanding to play, telling him that he was going to get a sack and a forced fumble. The sack will be for Detroit, the forced fumble will be for the Real Deal on Sports!

Tony Romo looked in the mirror and said “hey this paper boy hat looks fucking stupid. And maybe I shouldn’t be a pussy and blow another big game. Not only am I going to take off this stupid hat and put on a real one, I’m going to go out there and dominate!

The instance of Tony Romo may or may not have been related to yesterdays blog post.

I’m just happy to contribute to the deconstruction of the New Orleans Saints. Funny how the Cowboys still tried to go Cowboys and choke that away. The RDOS karma was just too strong though.

Now I can go back to hating the Cowboys. Especially because with one win, apparently they are suddenly Super Bowl contenders again. Thanks for the integrity Keyshawn Johnson!

Continue to be a “Real American” and ‘hulk up’ by visiting realdealonsports.com

I

After a surprising win against the Cinderella Saints, I am starting to wonder if I am witnessing the beginning of a super bowl run??? Now, I could say a few underhanded things after the first statement, but let’s look at this honestly for a moment:

The Cowboys were the early super bowl favorite this season. Jerry Jones certainly threw enough money behind the team and the stadium, so really losing as badly as they were in the middle part of the season – was not in the plan. Tony Romo is certainly a stud, and I may say otherwise because MY NY FOOTBALL GIANTS have beat them twice this year. However, we lost badly to the Eagles, twice, and the Cowboys have beat them… (*arggh*)

I am hearing whispers that after today, they could, maybe, almost, take ownership of 1st place in the division. I need Philly to lose  and against the 49ERS… they might….

The 49ers are on a short week and it’s a home game in Philly, so it’s cold there. ESPN says McNabb is a “wet-ball QB nightmare” — Their words, not mine so maybe the 49 ers may pull the upset…. hmmm, how to pick???

…here goes:

1. NE @ BUF
2. AZ @ DET
3. MIAMI@ TN
4. CLEV @ KC
5. HOU @ STL
6. ATL @ NYJ
7. OAK @ DEN
8. CIN @ SD
9. TB @ SEA
10. CHI @ BAL
11. SF @ PHILLY
12. GB @ PITT
13. MINN @ CAROLINA(sunday night)
14. GIANTS @ WASH (monday night)

Yes sir, all the praying in the world didn’t help the Saints last night! “My” Dallas Cowboys thoroughly beat up on the Saints, who looked more like the Aints once again. America’s team decided they had had enough negative talk from the football “experts” throughout the media and took it to the previously unbeaten Saints at their home field. Hopefully Dallas can keep their winning ways and bust through the playoffs on their way to another Super Bowl title.

One of the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed the victory, in addition to being a huge Cowboys fan,  is because I have Pierre Thomas in my fantasy teams, and he’s clearly the most talented back on the Saints. Yet, Sean Payton has screwed me on several occasions this season with his RBBC (running back by committee) BS, shuffling in Mike Bell and Reggie (the wuss) Bush, who’s about as tough as a wet noodle. Now that two of my fantasy teams are in the playoffs, Pierre Thomas in on my bench, being that he spends most of the games standing on the sidelines instead of on the field where he belongs. Sean Payton, you’re a jerk!

Go Cowboys!!! TGO

P.S. We need a new kicker, Nick Folk’s head is messed up; he has to go…

Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS – A perfect record would have been lagniappe, as they say in Louisiana — a little something extra.

The history-making achievement the Saints and their fans really covet is a first Super Bowl appearance, which is all that’s left to accomplish now that Tony Romo and Dallas ended their December doldrums at New Orleans’ expense.

Drew Brees and the Saints are marching toward an unbeaten season no more after their frenzied rally fell short in a 24-17 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night.

“This is going to sting for a while but we’ve got to be able to put this behind us,” Brees said, noting that the Saints remain in control to finish the No. 1 playoff seeding in the NFC. “It’s all about the next game.”

Romo threw for 312 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown to Miles Austin, and DeMarcus Ware punctuated his comeback from a neck injury with a game-sealing strip of Brees.

The loss by the Saints (13-1) left the Indianapolis Colts (14-0) as the NFL’s only unbeaten team this season.

“We’ll digest this,” Saints coach Sean Payton said. “Nonetheless, it is what it is and we’ve got to get back to work next week. We have two important games in front of us and we’ll take that approach.”

The Saints’ start had New Orleans hoping its team could go 19-0 and win the Super Bowl after so many years of losing and heartbreak. It was seen by some as a symbol of New Orleans’ ability to come back better than before from the epic disaster that was Hurricane Katrina a little more than four years ago.

Brees had sensed all of that, and made no secret that he wanted the Saints to go for it.

“We feel like we deserved it and the whole city deserved it and we wanted to make it happen,” Brees said. “That’s probably the most disappointing thing about it.”

Instead, the Cowboys (9-5) overcame failures of a more recent nature, ending a two-game skid and proving they were good enough to beat the top team in the NFC in front of a charged-up, hostile crowd. They came to New Orleans 3-8 in December games in their last three seasons under coach Wade Phillips, who was finding himself increasingly on the defensive about his club’s ability to play well down the stretch.

Dallas dominated early, scoring on its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead and went up 24-3 on Marion Barber’s second short TD run of the game in the third quarter. Then the Cowboys held on despite Nick Folk’s surprising missed 24-yard field goal shortly before the 2-minute warning.

“I said all along this team has a lot of heart, a lot of character and a lot of leaders,” Phillips said. “I didn’t think this team could get beat three times in a row.”

The high-powered Saints nearly pulled off what would have been the latest of several improbable comebacks.

Mike Bell’s 1-yard run made it 24-10 with 12:35 to go. Brees followed that by capping a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with 8 minutes left, cutting New Orleans’ deficit to 24-17.

That left it up to the Saints’ defense to hold once more. Dallas faced a third-and-7 on its own 23 and the crowd was going so wild Romo had to call timeout a moment before the play clock expired.

The noise was still deafening when Romo returned to the line of scrimmage, but that didn’t stop him from finding Austin on a short crossing route for a 32-yard gain.

“We did what we knew we had to do on that drive,” Romo said. “We all know how good their offense is so we had to move the ball on them.”

On the next play, Romo spun away from the rush and hit tight end John Phillips for a 23-yard gain to New Orleans’ 22. From there, Dallas went conservative and set up what looked to be a game-sealing field goal from nearly the same distance as Shaun Suisham’s miss two weeks ago, which allowed the Saints to come back and beat Washington in overtime.

When Folk’s kick bounced off the upright, the crowd erupted, sensing the Saints were simply destined not to lose. And it looked that way after Brees converted a frantic fourth down on a pass over the middle to Marques Colston, who made a one-handed catch.

The Saints marched to midfield in the final minute, but the Cowboys held firm. Ware stripped Brees for the second time in the game and lineman Jay Ratliff recovered, silencing the packed Superdome while the Cowboys leapt in the air and embraced one another.

“That was a fun one,” Romo said. “These are the ones you love to play.”

Ware had to be taken to the hospital only a week earlier after what looked like a serious neck injury in Dallas’ loss to San Diego. He didn’t practice fully all week, but said he was feeling better and was cleared to play. He certainly looked rested and healed.

He sacked Brees twice, forcing fumbles that the Saints’ lost both times. The first one set up a field goal that gave Dallas a 17-3 lead at halftime. Linebacker Anthony Spencer also had two sacks.

Very little went right for Brees, who was intercepted once, sacked four times and pressured all night. Even what looked like a certain 36-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter slipped through Devery Henderson’s hands in the end zone. Brees was sacked by Spencer soon after and that drive ended with a punt.

NOTES: The Cowboys outgained the Saints, 439 yards to 336, holding the Saints 90 yards and nearly 19 points below their averages in those categories. The Saints, who came in converting nearly 48 percent of third downs this season, converted only one of seven. … Miles caught seven passes for 139 yards, going over 1,000 yards for the first time in his four-year career. … Reggie Bush pulled up lame in the second quarter, favoring his right leg, and did not return. The Saints did not provide an update on his condition.

A few random thoughts on the Week 15 Saturday-night special between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. Dallas ended the Saints’ dreams of perfection with a 24-17 road win.

*This loss doesn’t really hurt the Saints. The Cowboys were a desperate team, and Dallas got most of its offensive traction via the pass, which we already knew was the Saints’ flaw. It remains to be seen whether that flaw is fatal for New Orleans in the long run.
*For Dallas, meanwhile, this is a huge win, because it stands in stark contrast to the historical December performances the ‘Boys have had. By going from Who Dat to How ‘Bout (as in How ‘Bout Them Cowboys), Dallas proved it can win a key game in December. Doing it on the road against a 13-0 team only adds to the credit banked by this victory. Most of all, Tony Romo played well, answering many of the critics who had been assailing him. Dallas still must build on this by beating Washington next week, but for now this is a key win.
*When I was at Pro Football Weekly, I asked why we didn’t include a Most Improved Player award among the year-end awards, a la the NBA. That’s when the magazine decided to institute such an award. And if I had a vote this year, Dallas WR Miles Austin would be the runaway frontrunner for it. No other player in the NFL this season has taken such a quantum leap into stardom.
*In our post choosing the best linebackers by jersey number, we gave Anthony Spencer of Dallas the nod at No. 93, but as we did we called it a tepid choice. Well, Spencer outplayed tepid in a big way Saturday, with two sacks, a fumble recovery, and a key pressure on the final drive. Then I read on Twitter (I think it was on Peter King’s feed, but I’m not sure) that some scouts say Spencer has been playing well all year. So I’d like to revise upward my assessment of Spencer’s value.
*Despite the win, Nick Folk has to go. He’s already survived one near-release, and few kickers (especially few as young as Folk) are able to withstand two. You can’t blame Romo’s holding for the late-game miss that kept Dallas from salting the win away. The Cowboys need someone more reliable than Folk has been this year. I’m not usually one to call for someone’s job, but facts are facts in this case.
*I’m not including fantasy football thoughts in this post because there weren’t any surprising performances. At this point in the fantasy season, lessons have to be huge to make an impact on your team, and there weren’t any of those monster pointers in this game.

Can everybody now please just shut up about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo?  Can all the talk about Romo not being a clutch QB and his inability to win in December just go away forever?  Because last night, as far as I’m concerned, Romo silenced all of his critics forever.  Not only did Dallas stun the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints 24-17, they were able to do it because Romo played like an elite level QB.  Dallas won the game because Romo, maligned since becoming the Dallas starter in 2006, outplayed the Saints Drew Brees, who is having an all world season.  It was Romo, not Brees, that threw a 49-yard TD pass on the opening drive to get the Cowboys kick started in a MUST WIN game.  It was Romo who directed a clock chewing drive with under 10 minutes left in the game.  It was Romo who completed a vital 32-yard, 3rd down completion on that drive to Miles Austin to essentially put the Saints in desperation mode. So, I don’t want to hear anymore about how Romo is not an elite talent in the NFL.  He has played well all season and all everybody talked about was how he never plays well in December.  Well, last night he shoved it up his critics you-know-what.  (Yes, the Dallas defense also deserves credit for last night’s win, but that is a separate story.)  This is about Romo.  I watch every Dallas game and I’ve been saying all year that Romo is the least of this team’s problems and, finally, America got to see that.  I felt so good for him after the game because I’ve read the criticism he has faced in the Dallas and national media.  Look, this Dallas team is still coached by Wade Phillips and has no kicker so not all of the team’s issues are solved.  Who knows if these factors will allow them to make the playoffs?  But if they fall short, it isn’t because Romo couldn’t lift them.  On a night he needed to outplay an all-pro QB in Brees, Romo did just that.  It’s time to give him his due.

The New Orleans Saints perfect season is no more. The Saints lost their perfect season to the Cowboys last night 24-17. Tony Romo had 312 yards and one touchdown in the win. The Saints are now 13-1 on the season.

~Signing Off~
AGE

Romo led the Cowboys to the victory with 312 passing yards and 1 TD.

Well, it’s up to the Colts to bring Mercury Morris out of his retirement home and back into the spotlight.

The Dallas Cowboys beat up on the New Orleans Saints from the opening kickoff to the final whistle on Saturday night in the Superdome winning the game 24-17. They were led by QB Tony Romo, who threw for 312 yards and 1 TD.  Marion Barber did some work on the ground as well with 62 rushing yards and 2 TD’s.

With the win, Dallas was able to take the giant monkey off of its back known as December and perhaps now can make a full-fledged playoff run.

The Saints trailed the game by as much as 21 points heading into the 4th quarter.

Full recap and box score from Yahoo.

I haven’t really enjoyed listening to Matt Millen as the NFL Network color analyst in the past few weeks, but he said it best tonight: The Dallas Cowboys played like a team that needed to win this game. While the Saints weren’t in as desperate a situation as their opponents, they certainly could have used this game. Not just for perfection, but for playoffs. A win tonight would have put them one Vikings loss away from clinching home-field advantage in the NFC.

But it just didn’t look as if the Saints wanted to win tonight. They couldn’t pass protect. They couldn’t run on the limited attempts when they actually tried. The dropped first downs (Marques Colston). They dropped touchdowns (Devery Henderson!). Brees’ offensive numbers don’t look too bad, but know that with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, he had just 127 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Clearly, the Cowboys wanted this one more. And for fans in the Superdome who are always ready to party on a Saints game day, that’s a tough fact to realize.

• Tony Romo is rolling. He was on point all Saturday night and would have had an even better stat line (312 yards, one touchdown, no turnovers) if Miles Austin didn’t let a couple gimme passes bounce off his mitts. Romo spread the ball around, never panicked and knew when to just take what he could get and throw the check-down. He was impeccable. And this is just a beauty. In his last four games, Romo has averaged 316 passing yards with eight total touchdowns and no turnovers. Before then, he was seen as a fantasy quarterback who could barely scratch the top-10, given the matchup. Now he is a must start. His final two games this season — @ Washington, vs. Philadelphia — aren’t great matchups, but you shouldn’t care. Let it ride.

• Marion Barber’s roller coaster season continued against the Saints, but this was a peak game. Last week, he couldn’t get the ball in from the 1-yard line on three consecutive tries. He hadn’t scored since week eight. And then, he suddenly breaks out for a pair of touchdowns, both of which came from inside the 5. I’m sure that made those fantasy owners who lost faith in him after last week’s failure feel cozy inside. You can’t really trust Barber, but you know that he’ll at least get the majority of the carries ahead of Felix Jones, including the goal-line touches. You just have to set your expectations for him each week at 8-10 points.

• Austin may have ended up with 160+ yards without his drops. But 139 and a score is just fine, thanks. He now has 1,138 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He has to be near or at the top of the list for best fantasy free agent pick-up of the year. Obviously, I haven’t spent time considering the other possible candidates.

• The two words I thought of when I saw Nick Folk miss that field goal in the fourth quarter: Shaun Suisham. Folk is cut by noon Monday, over-under? I have to go under.

• Fantasy seasons were undoubtedly shattered tonight as the Saints could get nothing done on offense until the fourth quarter. You’re not benching Brees, Colston or Robert Meachem going forward … that is if your still playing after this weekend. That valuable trio combined for just 21 fantasy points. You have to look at it as just a bad game, albeit a game that crushed championship

• REGGIE BUSH HAS MADE IT THROUGH TWO WHOLE WEEKS WITHOUT SUSTAINING ANOTHER INJU — Oh, Jesus Christ! Another non-contact injury for Mr. Overrated. Preliminary reports state that he pulled a hamstring. That’s certainly what it looked like. I just couldn’t help but realize how similar that scene looked to when he tore his PCL in 2008 (at about the 1:20 mark of that link). Regardless, you shouldn’t expect Bush to be ready for next week’s game against the Buccaneers.

• Bush’s absence should mean more carries for Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell, as long as the Saints don’t fall behind by 21 points again. Thomas led the team with six carries for 20 yards. The first Saints touchdown was scored by Bell, who suddenly stepped in for two carries inside the 10-yard-line when Brees apparently grew bored with successfully slinging the ball all over the Cowboys. The second touchdown was scored by Lance Moore, who was playing in his first game since week 8. Thanks for nothing, kids.

For you, Saints fantasy owners. You are not alone

Yes, it was not a pretty fantasy night for Saints owners. I send those of you my condolences. And always realize that it could be worse. An owner in my league, which is in week two of its playoffs, started Colston, Meachem and Thomas. Yeah, his season is done.

I’m not sure who that was playing tonight but I hope they stick around.  I like this team–they had moxxy. They were moving with alacrity. They were walking the walk and talking the talk. They had a little “dog” in them as Michael Irvin would say. Where has this been all year long? The Saints were down 24-3 at the start of the fourth quarter but the Cowboys did not lose their intensity. I have never seen the Dallas Cowboys of this new era play with such urgency. I don’t know what Jerry Jones said to them after the game last week, but please Jerry keep it coming. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first two drives. They haven’t done that all year.

Who was that out there?

They even went all Belicheck on us going for it on 4th and 4. We got a flag for the first down fortunately. That first half was as perfect as I’ve seen this group play. I was so pleased with the first two offensive drives I did not hardly care what happened after that. Well, not really. When the Saints converted that 4th and 10 in the 4th quarter I couldn’t feel my legs. That Nick Folk almost made me lose my dinner. Another short kick missed at a key point in the game for Nick Folk. I’m so sorry Nick Folk but it’s time to part ways, your expiration date has arrived. On the other hand, I am so happy with Tony Romo’s play. This December’s losses do not hang on his shoulders, and he deserves much credit for leading us to a huge win in a place Jerry’s teams have never won I believe. How loud was it down in the Superdome today?

The Cowboys looked sharp. They converted 8-15 3rd downs as opposed to the Saints being only 1-7 on 3rd down. We rushed for 145 yards and the Saints had only 65 yards. Two rush TDs for Barber. The mighty Saints had three, count em, three turnovers (How much do you love Mike Jenkins?), and we had none. Not one Romo interception or fumble or what-have-you. We came close, but we escaped without turning the ball over. Penalties were under 50 yards for the whole game…I just don’t even know what to say…I’m ecstatic! A win like this can really create some momentum.

As for the Saints I never thought going for a perfect season was worth it. When you win the Superbowl the following year every team you play no matter how pathetic their record plays you like they’re the second coming of the ‘85 Bears. That’s why it is so hard to repeat. When you are undefeated late in the season a similar thing happens. Every team brings their ‘A’ game. Knocking off an undefeated is tremendous bragging rights and everyone wants a piece of you. You have a super hard road to the Superbowl, without the luxury of already having won a Superbowl. It drains you mentally (See 2007 New England Patriots) to have to fight tooth and nail every single week with the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins. Do you think  maybe they did not take us too seriously? Maybe Payton was not as hyped because Bill Parcells was not on the sideline anymore?

But anyway, back to the ‘Boys.

I hope the Cowboys finally realize how much talent they have. If they actually had a little confidence, and play all three phases of the game well like they did tonight for 60 minutes–they are hard to stop. Did you notice that Miles Austin made the second biggest play of the game with that crucial catch on 3rd and 9 that went for 32 yards? Roy played so-so, but that 3rd down drop could have really done us in. Forty-five million dollars and a few draft picks does not equal dropped third downs. Demarcus Ware made the play of the game forcing that fumble off Drew Brees with six seconds left on the clock. After seeing him on a stretcher last week I did not expect to see him play this Saturday and have such a tremendous presence to boot. I heart D-Ware. Even with a sprained neck he had two sacks and so did Anthony Spencer. So there you have it. Finally a December game to remember. Rich Eisen, don’t pop our playoff bubble just yet.

How ’bout dem Cowboys?

NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are marching toward perfection no more.

Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware helped Dallas end its December doldrums and the Cowboys held off a frenzied rally by the Saints for a 24-17 victory Saturday night.

The loss by the Saints (13-1) left the Indianapolis Colts (14-0) as the NFL’s only unbeaten team this season.

The high-powered Saints trailed 24-3 going into the fourth quarter, then scored two fast touchdowns. After Dallas kicker Nick Folk watched his 24-yard field goal try clang off the right upright shortly before the 2-minute warning, Brees got a final chance to tie it.

Brees quickly moved the Saints into Dallas territory. But on second down, Ware sacked Brees and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Cowboys with 6 seconds left.

Romo passed for 312 yards, including a 49-yard touchdown to Miles Austin. Ware returned from a neck injury that left his status in doubt and was part of a relentless Dallas pass rush that pressured Brees all night.

Marion Barber had two short touchdown runs for the Cowboys (9-5), who ended a two-game skid and proved they were good enough to beat the top team in the NFC in front of a charged-up, hostile crowd.

The Cowboys’ troubles in December had been well documented, but this win provided a dramatic boost to their playoff chances. They’ll hold on to a wild car spot for at least another week.

The Saints did not score a touchdown until Mike Bell’s 1-yard run with 12:35 to go. Brees followed by capping a seven-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Lance Moore with 8 minutes left, cutting New Orleans’ deficit to 24-17.

That left it up to the Saints’ defense to hold once more. Dallas faced a third-and-7 on its own 23 and the crowd was going so wild Romo had to call timeout a moment before the play clock expired.

The noise was still deafening when Romo returned to the line of scrimmage, but that didn’t stop him from finding Austin on a short crossing route for a 32-yard gain. On the next play, Romo spun away from the rush and hit tight end John Phillips for a 23-yard gain to New Orleans’ 22. From there, Dallas went conservative and set up what looked to be a game-sealing field goal from nearly the same distance as Shaun Suisham’s miss two weeks ago, which allowed the Saints to come back and beat Washington in overtime.

When Folk’s kick bounced off the upright, the crowd erupted, sensing the Saints were simply destined not to lose. And it looked that way after Brees converted a frantic fourth down on a pass over the middle to Marques Colston, who made a one-handed catch.

The Saints marched to midfield in the final minute, but the Cowboys held firm. Ware stripped Brees for the second time in the game and lineman Jay Ratliff recovered, silencing the packed Superdome while the Cowboys leapt in the air and embraced one another