UPDATE: If you don't have the NFL Network, try this to watch the game. Good luck. I hope it works for all of you screwed over by the NFL and the cable companies.
OK Dallas Cowboys fans, here we go. We are less than 90 minutes away from kick off for what is the biggest game for the NFC so far this year.
Both teams are 10-1, a match-up made in heaven. The aging Brett Favre is having one of his best seasons, while Tony Romo is devouring the Cowboys record book.
How do I see this game playing out? I won't sway from my last post: I do think Dallas will win tonight, and I also think they can dominate this Packers team. Will they? I won't be surprised if they do, but I see the game close until the middle of the fourth quarter, when Dallas pulls away with a touchdown and wins by 10 points. I think rookie kicker Nick Folk will be faced with at least one 50-plus yard kick, which he will make to put the Cowboys ahead at half time.
As I said before, Favre will lose this game for the Packers. He will try too hard and turn over the ball at a key moment in this game. Not to mention, Dallas has a superior running game, and I expect the coaches will use the Julius Jones-Marion Barber duo possibly more than they have all season. Thirty carries total? Maybe.
Let's look at some statistics:
1. Green Bay has allowed a lot less points, nearly a touchdown a game less. But they have also played far worse offensive teams like Minnesota and Chicago, their only loss of the season.
2. Favre has a better completion rate, 300 more yards and five less interceptions than Romo, who threw five in one game. But Romo has a whopping seven more touchdowns than Favre, and he has already broken the single-season TD record for the Cowboys.
3. The Packer rushing game has nothing on Dallas.
Green Bay Rushing | ||||
CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
Grant | 107 | 494 | 4.6 | 2 |
Wynn | 50 | 203 | 4.1 | 4 |
Dallas Rushing | ||||
CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
Barber | 145 | 715 | 4.9 | 7 |
Jones | 124 | 495 | 4.0 | 2 |
4. Jason Witten has almost as many catches and yards as Donald Driver, the top receiver for the packers. Get real. Witten is going to have a huge game. Terrell Owens is blowing them all out of the water, with already over 1000 yards and 13 touchdowns, tying what he had last year.
Green Bay Receiving | ||||
REC | YDS | AVG | TD | |
Driver | 63 | 832 | 13.2 | 2 |
Jennin... | 39 | 625 | 16.0 | 9 |
Dallas Receiving | ||||
REC | YDS | AVG | TD | |
Owens | 64 | 1093 | 17.1 | 13 |
Witten | 59 | 750 | 12.7 | 6 |
Offensively, statistics show we are very close outside of rushing the ball, where the Cowboys hold a distinct edge. Again, I think we will run the ball very well today and more than 30 times. No reason to get into a passing battle with Favre. On defense, Dallas has given up slightly less yards per game. In fact, the defenses, statistically, are nearly identical until you get to one category: rushing. Dallas has shut down the running game for opposing teams, giving up less than 100 yards per game. Green Bay, however, is right at the century mark for opposing teams' rushing. That's good news for Dallas.
Here are the full statistics:
TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS | ||
TEAM OFFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
Total Yards | GNB | |
DAL | ||
Yards Passing | GNB | |
DAL | ||
Yards Rushing | GNB | |
DAL | ||
TEAM DEFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
Yards Allowed | GNB | |
DAL | ||
Pass Yds Allowed | GNB | |
DAL | ||
Rush Yds Allowed | GNB | |
DAL |
The only concern I have is the secondary, and namely Roy Williams. Favre is doing a lot of dump passes and slants for 10-yard gains. This is where Roy has trouble. I think all Cowboys fans are concerned about this and the big pass play. However, Williams has to show up sooner or later, and this is the game to do it. I expect him to play well, possibly even intercept one of those slants if he watched the film this week.
I am so pumped up for this game I can barely breathe. I had to skip the gym today because I didn't eat anything and I was too overwhelmed. I finally ate, and now it's time to drink some beer.
For the first time this year, sadly, I won't be able to live blog. I have to watch this game at a friend's house because I don't get the NFL Network since Comcast took it off the basic cable lineup. I don't even want to get into it, but hey, I cannot complain too much: My friend has a big-screen HD television. Plus, he apparently bought the beer!!!
2 comments:
http://thenosebleedsblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/how-bout-dem-cowboys.html
Love your blog and your team.
Link me up, would ya? I'll do the same.
You got it bro.
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