What’s the Problem in Big D?

     “Last game of the season. Winner takes the division. Loser goes home. Cowboys vs. (NFC East team). Cowboys lose. 8-8.”

     That is the exact script for the past three years for the Dallas Cowboys. Sure, there are some minor differences, but the end result is the same. 2 years ago aginst the Giants it was Tony Romo’s swollen hand. Last year it was Tony Romo’s 3 interceptions, including a game killer. This year it was a hurt defense and Romo and a killer Kyle Orton interception.

     This year has been a little bit different though. The reason being, the blame has been on pretty much every single person in this organization. Let’s recap:

• ·      Tony Romo throws a killer interception against the Broncos after passing for 506 yards
• ·      Miles Austin can’t live up to his contract as hamstring injuries make him ineffective.
• ·      Sean Lee first injures his hamstring then his neck, which keeps him out for long stretches of time
• ·      Demarcus Ware deals with injuries and is not effective
• ·      The defensive line plays 19 different players
• ·      Morris Claiborne can’t stay healthy
• ·      Brandon Carr gets torched by Calvin Johnson and is then never the same (Peirre Garcon also torched him)
• ·      Dez Bryant fails to control emtions while going off on sideline or walking off (Personally, I don’t think those were major)
• ·      Tony Romo misses key game
• ·      The play calling (Callahan, Garrett, and Monte Kiffin) is constantly in question on both sides of the ball
• ·      Jerry Jones talks “moral victories” and putting on a “show”

      

     So yes, the Cowboys have had their issues, but who hasn’t? The Patriots and Bengals are just as injury depleted, if not more. The Saints have road problems. Packers played half their season without Aaron Rodgers, arguably the most talented quarterback in the game. 49ers didn’t have Michael Crabtree. The Colts lost Reggie Wayne. But all of those teams made it to the dance, so why not the Cowboys?

     You can point the finger to many people in the organization but I don’t think anybody is more responsible than Jerry Jones. The reason for that is because the biggest problem with the Cowboys is the culture. Mediocrity is accepted. The past three seasons have been 8-8. Since 1997, they are 136-136. Shoot, even their backup quarterback has a career record of 35-35! Mediocrity runs through the organization and that culture is acceptable to Jerry. If it weren’t, he would bring in some winners. But he won’t because he knows in order to win consistently, the owner MUST STAY OUT OF IT. Think about it. Team of the 70’s: Steelers, Chuck Noll. Team of the 80’s: 49ers, Bill Walsh. Team of the 90’s: Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson. Team of 2000’s: Patriots, Bill Belichick. You never heard much from the Rooney’s or the Robert Kraft. Jerry can’t say he didn’t have it because as I said above, he had it in Jimmy Johnson. But it wasn’t working with him, because he can’t take not getting all the credit. So he sacrificed a coach who had a winning culture for mediocrity. Why could he never make it work with Johnson or Parcells? Those are guys who have winning cultures. Jerry let go of Parcells and he went and turned a 1-15 Dolphins team into a playoff team the very next year.

     What needs to happen in Dallas is a culture change. The man who won’t let it happen: Owner, General Manager and Businessman, Jerry Jones.

AFC Playoff Scenarios

     This is arguably the most important and confusing time of the year in the NFL. I’m going to break down the AFC playoff picture today and what you should be watching for from your teams in Week 17:

AFC:

If you are a fan of the Bills, Jets, Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Titans, or Raiders, you can start checking out players coming out of college that your team may select. Also enjoy Sunday, because it will be the last time you see your squad till August.

Broncos- They have clinched the AFC West and with a win on Sunday against the Pryor-led Raiders, they will clinch home field throughout the AFC playoffs. If they lose and New England wins, Denver will fall to the two seed. They can not go lower than that

Patriots- Patriots have clinched the AFC East but they can be anywhere from the 1 seed to the 4 seed. If they win and Denver wins, they are the two seed. If they win and Denver loses, they are the one seed. If they lose and Bengals win they fall to the three seed. If they lose and both the Colts and Bengals win, they fall to the four seed. Patriots play the Bills at home on Sunday.

Bengals- They can clinch the two seed if they win and a New England loss. If they win and New England wins, they are a three seed. In that case, they would play the 6 seed in the wild card round.

Colts- If they win and New England and Cincinnati win, they are the 4 seed and will play the 5 seed (Kansas City) in the wild card round. If they win and the Bengals and Patriots lose, they can clinch a first round bye.

Kansas City- They have clinched the 5 seed and in any scenario, nothing will change for them. The will face the 4 seed (Patriots, Bengals, or Colts).

All of the above teams are for sure at least in the playoffs

Dolphins- Miami can clinch the 6 seed if they win and either Baltimore loses or if the Chargers win. If they lose, they will need the Ravens and Chargers to lose to get in.

Chargers- They will clinch the 6 seed with a win and also losses from the Ravens and Dolphins.

Ravens- They will clinch the 6 seed if they win and Miami or San Diego lose. They can also clinch if the Steelers, Chargers and Dolphins all lose.

Steelers- The Steelers can only clinch the 6 seed if they win and the Ravens, Chargers, and Dolphins all lose.

Dallas' Dreadful Defense

     It’s December. The Dallas Cowboys are playing football. And through 17 days, they are winless. They never do fail to entertain though, losing in different fashion. First game of the annual Cowboys December swoon was against the Chicago Bears in which the defense didn’t force a single punt. The next was against the Green Bay Packers in which the offense abandoned the efficient run game and Tony Romo threw two critical interceptions in the last 5 minutes of the game. The common thread? They lost to two NFC North opponents led by their backup quarterbacks.

     Putting the blame on Romo’s shoulders is common-and in some cases like last week, deserved- but let’s take a look at this atrocious defense. This is a defense that ranks 26^th in points allowed with 27.5, 28^th in rush yards allowed with 129.9, and dead last in the NFL in pass yards allowed and total yards allowed. That’s despicable.

     Lets get the excuses out of the way. Yes, this is a unit that has been hit hard with injuries. But who hasn’t? The Cowboys have had flashy availability from Sean Lee, Morris Claiborne, Jason Hatcher and ever the always-reliable Demarcus Ware. Justin Durant, Lee’s backup, was just placed on IR. No question about it, the injuries are a factor and play a role. But this bad?? This defense is historically bad. They are setting records and trust me; it is not in a good way. A lot of teams play through injuries. Let’s take the New England Patriots as an example. We won’t even talk about their no-name offense. Defensively, they lost their top two defensive tackles in Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly in the 4^th week for the season. In Week 6 they lost stud MLB Jerod Mayo. Starting safety Steve Gregory missed some time with a broken thumb. Top two corners Aqib Talib and Alfonzo Dennard have been in and out of the lineup. They, like the Cowboys are near the bottom in a lot of categories but they are 11^th in arguably the most important one: Points allowed. This means, although they give up lots of yardage, they bend but don’t break. They Cowboys break. And they crumble. The personnel on defense for these two teams is not that different. The talent level is about the same. Rod Marenelli, the defensive line coach, has been able to generate some production from his unit even though he has had to use over 15 people on his defensive line. That is especially painful for a unit that was expected to be headed by Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer on the outside and Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher on the interior.

     The coaching from a scheme standpoint is a significant issue for the Cowboys. All you have to do is ask the man at the top. Jerry Jones himself after the Bears debacle said the defense had to “take more risks”. Okay, well isn’t that exactly what Rob Ryan stands for? Isn’t that what is going on in New Orleans, where he took one of the worst defenses in LEAGUE history and made them formidable, if not one of the best? Jerry took Ryan out because he needed a scapegoat last year. He then made a very typical Jerry-esque signing when he signed Monte Kiffin. A bargain that was getting a spot on the Cowboys because of his past accomplishments. Kiffin’s Tampa 2 defense can’t work because of some of the lack of talent. That kind of zone-defense will get picked apart by quarterbacks if you aren’t getting pressure on the passer. This was evident last week in Chicago and in New Orleans and many other occasions. And to make up for the lack of talent, you need a coach who can dial up some blitzes and get creative. It’s what Rob Ryan was and what Monte Kiffin isn’t.

     The Dallas Cowboys are a mess right now, losing to backups and blowing leads. They are down but not out just yet. But if they don’t get things figured out quick, things could change. Big time. They play a backup for the third straight week this week in Kirk Cousins. Cowboys nation cannot take another loss. There is plenty of blame to go around: the defense, injuries, offensive production, late game Romo, questionable play calls and more. But it all starts with one man. The General Manager of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones.

Benching RG3 the Right Move?

     Mike Shanahan decided enough was enough. RG3 has made his last appearance on the NFL game field. And apparently, it wasn’t just Shanahan. Shanahan said that this decision was made after talk with owner Daniel Snyder, who is known to have a deep affection for the young stud.

     The question is, is this the right move? I personally do not think so. I think the Redskins organization is just trying to gain some draft picks at this point. The Redskins just might be in the worst position in the NFL. They have a horrible record, which for most teams would translate in a chance to get an amazing young talent high in the draft. Problem is, they gave that pick to the St. Louis Rams a few years ago to move up and grab Robert Griffin III. The year they got RG3, it is widely publicized that Shanahan did not even want him, the owner Daniel Snyder did. So while the owner made his pick with the number 2 overall pick, Shanahan made his later in the draft with Kirk Cousins. Now things get fishy.

     Most people believe that Shanahan is basically already out the door. However if that is somehow not the case, then it’s hard to see what way this organization might go in at the quarterback position. 

     For prediction sake, lets say Cousins lights up the NFL these next three weeks while RG3 watches in shorts and t-shirt. Most people would say that would translate in a nice trade for the Redskins and indeed it would. The question becomes, which quarterback goes out the door? If Shanahan is fired, there is little doubt RG3 will be taking the snaps for the Redskins come September. However, if Shanahan is to stay, does he pick his personal favorite over the supremely physically talented? You typically can’t keep two starting quarterbacks on your team for too long. Once the second starts doing well, trade talks begin to pick up. Look at Green Bay with Matt Flynn a few years ago. Same with New England in 2008. And the same for Chicago this year. No question if Cousins does good, one of the two will go. Who is calling the shots might be the determining factor.

     Now as far as RG3’s benching goes, I think it sends the wrong message through the locker room. This is the ultimate team sport, and by doing this, the organization is putting one individual above the team. The reasoning behind it is because RG3 isn’t healthy. Excuse me, it is Week 14, who in the NFL is completely healthy?? You want RG3 to stop taking a beating because of the horrible Offensive Line play? Then why not rest Alfred Morris who takes a pretty bad beating as well. What about Pierre Garcon? What about Santana Moss? It simply is not fair. It can’t be blamed on RG3 because it is a coach’s decision, but how will it feel on Sunday after the game when the team is breathing hard and has dirty jerseys and they see Prince Griffin walk in front of them completely spotless. It hurts RG3’s respect.

R     Washington has 3 more weeks till this season mercifully comes to an end. Until then, the drama will roll on. Without Robert Griffin the third on the field.

Romo's Fault?

     For most people, October is the month filled with scary things leading up to Halloween. For Cowboys fans, that month of scary things is December. The NFL only has 16 games in the regular season, so unlike other sports, each game is a huge game. Then throw in the fact that you’re tied with a division foe for the division lead and you’re playing an inter-conference team. On top of all of that, it is December and after every game, pundits are going back to see how it affected the playoff picture. That is precisely the scenario the Cowboys faced on Monday night vs. the Chicago Bears. The Bears were without their top quarterback, cornerback, and middle linebacker. The Cowboys were getting back their stud linebacker in Sean Lee and special team ace Dwayne Harris. The Bears had nothing to lose. The pressure was all on the Cowboys.

     The outcome? A 45-28 drubbing at the hands of those Chicago Bears. This goes as another blemish on Tony Romo’s December record. What won’t be mentioned next to this “Tony Romo December loss” is that the defense allowed the Josh McCown-led Bears to score on every single offensive possession. So was it Tony Romo’s fault? Not completely but he was part of the problem. Where many Cowboys viewers go wrong is that they either label a December loss as all on Tony Romo or not on Tony Romo at all. That’s not how it goes. Tony Romo was 11-20 for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns. Romo supporters will point to the 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Romo haters will point to the 104 yards and the 55 percent completion percentage. So yes, it is partially Romo’s fault that he did not manage to lead a single scoring drive from the middle of the 2^nd quarter till late in the 4^th. No, it isn’t his fault that in that span the defense allowed the Bears to score 28 points.

     Romo supporters can’t just bring up how Romo ranks in the top 5 in a lot of major statistical categories in December. You can’t just say it isn’t his fault at all because in December he has 30 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. The fact is, as ESPN Dallas’s Tim MacMahon wrote after the game, “Fair or not, only franchise quarterbacks and head coaches get assigned win-loss records in football. That’s just a fact.” You can’t put Romo up with the Bradys and Mannings of the world in some conversations but not others. To put in perspective, Tom Brady is 41-8 in his career over the last 4 games, the best over the last 4 games of the season since the 1970 merger. Romo right now stands at 11-16. Many times you hear from players that they will take an “ugly win” over a “pretty loss”. Even Romo earlier this season said after the Broncos game, the big numbers do not matter if you don’t win the game. In that game, the Broncos defense allowed Romo and the offense to score 48 points. The Broncos could have lost that game and blamed the lack of defense. Instead, Peyton Manning did what great quarterbacks do: Lead his team to even more points, scoring 51. When Manning lost to the Patriots in New England, people didn’t point to the defense that allowed Brady and the Patriots to climb back in the game. They said that Manning was unable to move the ball in the cold weather. Justifiably so. That is what happens when you are a big time quarterback in this league.

     My point is, Romo does not lose in December. The Dallas Cowboys do. People who say Tony Romo chokes are wrong. But people who say Romo is completely not at fault are also wrong. Romo could be doing more to prevent that from happening. Some things do not show up on the stat sheet. The offense being inept for about half of the game on Monday night is proof of that. When the Cowboys lose, it is justified to point the finger a little bit at Romo because after all, we all put his skill in the same class as Rodgers, Brady, Manning, Brees and others playing the game at a high level today. I guarantee you, if the Cowboys were to win a playoff game, everybody would be praising Romo and talking about how he overcame his late season demons. They wouldn’t be talking about the Dallas Cowboys overcoming those late season demons. That is the way the NFL is. Big time quarterbacks receive a big chunk of the credit when their team wins, but they receive a chunk of the blame when they lose. Whether it's fair or not, that is a different story.