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2011-2012 Regular Season: Result To Remember
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September 23, 2011
At 12:30 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
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- The Dallas Cowboys organization
spent much of the past week getting pounded by the press for
coughing up a clear victory against Mr. GQ’s Jets, but Romo was the
only one really getting relentlessly ribbed.
Who would have believed the Cowboys’ next opponent would have
literally delivered a damaging display of that persistent prodding?
Epic Battles & Baby Rattles
While the Cowboys and 49ers have played each almost dead even over a
33 game span, there have been some epic battles among these two
former standard bearers of the NFC.
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- If the Cowboys and 49ers of yesteryear had been monopolistic
technology corporations, they would have faced Federal anti-trust
lawsuits . . . with the specific intent of spreading their quality
coaches and ridiculously talented rosters to the four corners of the
NFL (with respect to the other historic NFL teams I have mentioned
more than once in the past).
Fans get a chill up their collective spine thinking of the potent
performers who played each other to the final whistle on so many
sensational Sundays.
It has been approximately 16 years since Dallas and San Francisco
entered into a titanic tussle of any real consequence – where
playoff seeding or NFC representation in the Super Bowl were at
stake.
The Cowboys were to the 1970’s and early ‘80s as the 49ers were to
the 1980’s and early ‘90s. The Cowboys enjoyed a Super repetitive
resurgence with back to back championships in ’92 and ‘93 – followed
by one more San Francisco Super Bowl in 1994.
Every NFL fan on Earth – who saw that big time battle – knew and
knows the Cowboys would have easily been playing for a three-peat in
the 1994 Super Bowl against the San Diego Chargers.
Troy Aikman's career is celebrated as much for his accuracy as it is
for his winning. While Michael Irvin and Kevin Williams did their
teammates no favors with point-producing fumbles, Aikman began the
Cowboys' brutal first quarter when he hand-delivered an
interception-turned-touchdown to the 49ers' Eric Davis to start the
1994 NFC Championship Game. Aikman might not have needed 381 yards
that day to keep the score close if not for his three interceptions
in total . . . but I digress in perfectionist disgust.
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- The 49ers had apparently been practicing against the Aikman-to-Irvin
slant pattern all week . . . but I digress with armchair quarterback
apoplexy.
Though the vaunted timing-based offense used by then-offensive
coordinator Ernie Zampese (and still used by former offensive
coordinator Norv Turner) requires the quarterback to throw with
pinpoint accuracy to a spot – with the expectation the receiver
should always be there – nothing in that successful playbook says
“continue to go back to the well even when you are under water” . .
. but I digress from my snorkeling lessons.
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- Emmitt Smith’s ridiculous hamstring injuries and Larry Allen’s sore
sprained ankle had nothing to do with that loss – as they were both
wicked warriors until the bitter end . . . but I digress with
bitterness towards a dynastic Dallas destiny unfulfilled.
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- Hmmm, where was I? Ah, yes . . .
Following the Cowboys “tit-for-tat” 1995 Super Bowl victory,
Dallas was lucky to have achieved a small handful of playoff
appearances (let alone post season victories) to end the ‘90s –
simultaneously suffering from advanced age, neglected depth, and
increasingly poor drafting.
San Francisco – after enjoying an Elvis sighting, letting out a
"Drunkenmiller" hiccup, and enduring even less memorable QB quandaries
– managed to stave off similar destruction until the very early
2000s with the timely help of Jeff Garcia . . . but, then, the
bottom fell out in the Bay area after the departure of the
underappreciated Steve Young stand-in.
The Cowboys certainly had their share of rip-roaring roster rejects
until a certain Big Fish arrived at Valley Ranch in 2005, but fans
need not recall those perplexing player personnel decisions from B3
(Before Big Bill) . . . thus, the
players – who should have said their prayers before putting fans
through so many scares – shall remain nameless.
The 49ers have not been to the playoffs since 2002, and the Cowboys
have not been back since 2009 . . . although fans would have never
known it from their 2010 performance.
Those epic battles for which fans used to live have been replaced
with baby rattles. Poor top-to-bottom decision-making and the salary
cap have conspired to take away the “unfair” depth these two teams
used to easily enjoy and maintain over almost everyone else for so
many years.
Fans can only dream of seeing either team achieving that level of
year-round domination ever again – let alone for a single season in
the parody-driven NFL . . . but that is the beauty of NFL parody, as
stranger things can, indeed, happen.
Fractured Faith
Going into the second game of a still young and promising season,
fans were wondering whether either of these ancient Old West legends
was going to finally reawaken.
After seeing Dallas crash and burn against the Jets, fans were
wondering rather loudly whether the 49ers would discover fool’s gold or
force the Cowboys to accept second place silver and a second
straight loss.
Fans – some but not all – were suffering from fractured faith in
their Cowboys.
Some fans would say, “What Wild West whiskey have you been drinking?
Our faith in the Cowboys went from blind to fractured the day Aikman
succumbed to the final ache of his courageous career!”
Other fans would say, “Every season is a new opportunity to fulfill
potential untapped or to reinforce and enhance potential achieved.
The Cowboys deserve no less support in the face of that fact!”
Fans wanted to see Dallas dig in its silver spurs this season and
finally fulfill their potential – or significantly improve towards
that fulfillment.
The Cowboys proved incredibly human last season, and because humans
are supposed to have incredible pride, fans expected the Cowboys to
use it . . . as a tool to match and erase (no – obliterate) the
incredible embarrassment they created for themselves and their fans.
The Cowboys showed up in Frisco to face the 49ers – a team looking
to do some digging in of their own . . . believing they were primed
to put on a pickaxe performance befitting the beleaguered Boys.
Tony Romo had (mentally) recovered from Revis, and he was ready to
redeem himself with a relentless revival.
It took all of three plays for that pickaxe to penetrate Tony Romo’s
ribs . . . making fractured faith a fleeting fickle fan feeling to
be forgotten in the face of a factual physical fracture.
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- While frustrated fans saw their suddenly chaotic Cowboys fall behind
14-0 to the 49ers, Romo righted his rankled rib and aimed for Austin
on a 53-yard touchdown strike . . . to get his gang right back in
the game at half time.
Fans – some but not all – might have fainted during a commercial
“break” had they found out that pain-wracked Romo was rallying his
receivers while also reeling from a punctured lung. Pneumothorax
also prevented that collapsed lung from expanding for anything more
than a shallow breath. Romo was realizing rarified air, indeed.
Other fans might have said “So what? He played through pain but he
still is not the leader this team has lacked for years and with
which the fans are so familiar from the great plays of the good ole’
days.”
Still other fans – unaware of Tony’s trauma – only temporarily
clapped for Kitna through the third quarter after he threw a timely game-tying touchdown to
Austin . . . the amazing man with much mileage and a high-strung
hamstring.
I once had two broken ribs – broken clean through – and even without
the pressurized attacks of Pneumothorax, I felt like I could not
breathe in the first few minutes after the accident. While I can
identify with how Romo was feeling after his fracture, it certainly
took him a lot more gumption to function with a punctured lung that
made him feel like he was being hung . . . but I digress.
Even former heavy hitting Rodney Harrison said during his NBC
“Football Night in America” show with Tony Dungy: "Tony Romo had
every excuse to give in. I missed two weeks with a cracked rib.''
But I digress . . . again.
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- Hidden under all of this hospital hysteria was the fact that
DeMarcus and the Dallas defense did another dynamic job of keeping
an opposing offense down in the dirt for much of the grinding and
gritty game. The 49ers gained minimal yardage and produced only
shortened-field scoring, courtesy of two turnovers by Kitna. Even
the Cowboys' special teams quietly quelled any chance that Ted
Ginn, Jr. would get past them.
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- While Romo returned in the fourth quarter having relied heavily on
an awesome Austin and a wonderful Witten, he had to dial up a
different dude (in the dearth of Dez) . . . in the form of Jesse
“Just Heavenly” Holly.
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- Romo had a sideline huddle with Holly to clairvoyantly prep the
Cowboy for a potential possibility.
Holly – the special teamer and Michael Irvin dreamer – helped
himself to a few first down hauls which led to a game-tying field
goal as time expired. He also hung on for a happy 77-yard haul in
overtime which led to a game-winning field goal . . . but just
narrowly missing a touchdown after being caught at the 1-yard line.
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- Holly went from long-haired hoax to holy high-stepper – providing
Romo some rewarding relief from his royal ribbing . . . which would
become a major mess in the locker room once it was time to get
dressed.
Romo and his revived teammates knew the score, knew what the fans
and prognosticators saw in them, and knew they had to rewrite the
script of what appeared to be their second straight loss . . .
before their season became seriously squeezed.
George Lucas has already gotten in touch with Romo’s publicist about
an autobiographical film adaptation entitled “Return of the Romo: Going for Broke(n)”
. . . but I digress.
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- While some fans are 100% loyal to the Cowboys no matter how they
play, others operate through fractured faith . . . demanding “a
little more” or jumping off the wagon at a moment’s notice.
Still others, well few others . . . they are like me – The Tortured
Cowboys Fan. I cannot bear the thought of supporting any other NFL
team, but I want more from America’s Team than any professional
sports organization should ever have to consistently deliver to its
fans. Then, again, positive and productive consistency has been a
prolonged problem for this team over the past several years . . . so
maybe I am not asking for too much.
And while I “torture” myself by desiring from Dallas an unreasonable
level of satisfaction, I also have an unusual amount of compassion
for some of the Cowboys’ more "catastrophic" moments.
“If only Phil Pozderac had not held – not once but twice – deep in
Giants territory when Steve Pelluer (after replacing the
broken-wristed Danny White) hit Timmy Newsome in stride (not
once but twice) to easily get the Cowboys into game winning field
goal range . . . then, maybe, just maybe, he could have built up
what would have been some hard-earned confidence and avoided ‘rhymes
with manure’ every time his name was mentioned around town.”
“If only Leon Lett had not showboated on his way into the end zone
in the 1993 Super Bowl – getting the football shot out of his hand
by a (Don) Beebe gun – the Cowboys’ blowout win would have been
record-breaking" . . . but I digress in recalling my enjoyment at
seeing most Jimmy Johnson teams (from college to pros) rub it in on
the biggest of game days.
We all have a choice in who-and-why we cheer and – with all things
being relative – I would rather continue being a perfectionist,
ultra-competitive armchair quarterback, The Tortured Cowboys Fan . .
. than a bandwagon fan of fractured faith any day.
MASH Unit
After the junker against the Jets, fans were calling for the Cowboys
to quite literally send Romo to ROMO (Ridiculous Offensive
Management Office) . . . or to petition a league subcommittee to
create one.
After the fabulous finish against the 49ers, fans – most but not all
– are hoping the Cowboys can piece Tony “Humpty Dumpty” Romo back
together again before the rib-focused Redskins rendezvous with
Dallas for their Monday night matchup.
Fans would not be surprised if the new wing of a North Dallas
hospital was suddenly announced this week . . . and appropriately
dubbed “The Jerral Wayne Jones MASH Unit.”
You know – a true blue and silver MASH (Multiple Athletes Suffering
Health Hindrances) unit.
Tony Romo is operating on a tenuous rung with the condition of his
rib and lung.
Miles Austin has been hanging on by a hammered hamstring thread.
Dez Bryant has a quad injury that has been healing none too quick.
Phil Costa has re-aggravated his MCL and may not be able to answer
the Monday night bell.
Mike Jenkins has resembled a rag doll who is awaiting the arrival of
bionics to fix all.
Felix Jones has a dislocated shoulder that may not make him bolder
like a certain record holder.
Jason Witten has ribs that are bruised, but he has always been ready
no matter how he is used.
Derrick Dockery has a fractured fibula and right MCL sprain, and if
he continues to think he is week to week, he will be out of his
brain.
Terence Newman will finally be making his season debut – and fans
will tell you they are praying that Captain Groin Pull does not look
the fragile fool . . . allowing Redskins receivers to rule.
David Buehler – who has gone from
physically impenetrable in his first two years to a physical phony
since training camp – also has a groin pull. While the season is
only two games old, people are already beginning to ask "Hey - who
is that tough looking guy with the big legs who is just riding the
pine?"
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- Any frustrated fantasy football fan
will tell you, pullin' yer' groin has gotten mighty annoyin' – no
matter which player you are on the Cowboys roster . . . but as long
as Dan Bailey keeps makin' 'em daily, Dallas fans can breathe
freely. I happen to be the anti-fantasy football fan . . .
but I keep digressing.
While Brian "Little Man (On The
Totem Pole)" McCann was officially cut earlier this week, he is
really an honorary injured player – because injuries at wide
receiver are strangely what forced him to
no longer be there. Then, again, recently signed veteran cornerback
Frank "Wiley" Walker may have simply walked right into McCann's
cornerback slot
with a solid show in San Francisco . . . as fans would have expected
the newest addition (and least familiar with the defensive system)
to be the first player cut.
Fans can only hope the
previously-cut-and-injured free agent wide receiver Laurent Robinson
is healthy and worth cannibalizing a Cowboys secondary that already
nearly ate itself by training camp's end. If Newman does not appear
to be a new man after his hefty healing time – and with Scandrick
still scarce – the Cowboys may realize some regret minus
multi-faceted McCann. Then, again, Rob Ryan may get on a roll in his
apparent ability to run up and down his defensive roster for ready
replacements.
I am sure I missed somebody on this week's Dallas Damage Dossier, but this season of attrition – which
has become every NFL season – does not wait for teams to train
properly or establish solid depth.
As I stated two weeks ago, fans need look no further than last
season’s Green Bay Packers – or this season’s New York Giants – to
see how fortunes can or might change in the face of a ridiculous
rash of injuries.
No one likes seeing someone on which you were going to rely suddenly
sink out of sight, but there is no room for excuses in professional
sports. Give none, get none – remember?
Why have backup players if you are never going to use them?
Emergencies happen all the time, but a bench player must be more
than a professional mime.
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- Salary cap-free seasons – of stockpiling strong-salaried starters
two and three deep at every core position – are long gone unless
more labor strife cuts through cost controls like a knife.
NFL organizations must do more of what they have always attempted
(but not always needed) to do . . . and build up backups into a
happy medium between two-year trials and first year fame. The "Phils"
– John Phillips and Phillip Tanner – are a great example, and their
potential is ample.
Fans can only hope Jerry’s MASH unit can stay in one piece for as
long as possible. If not, fans will watch with one eye closed to see
if Cowboy backups can buck the system . . . and avoid becoming
Jerry’s TRASH unit.
You know – a true blue and silver
TRASH (Tremendously Rotten Athletes Sent Here) unit.
Maybe Romo’s rib-wrenching performance will help round the rough
edges off this team . . .resulting in this year’s version of last
year’s Super Bowl champions.
Will They Or Won’t They?
Jim Harbaugh – known as Captain Comeback with the Colts – and his
California crew came close to clearing out the Cowboys – until some
Romo razzle and Dallas dazzle overcame them in overtime.
Last week’s game against the 49ers was a result to remember but will this week’s
Redskins rematch be – once again – revolting . . . or another
hair-raising round of Romo redemption?
Will the highly touted T-Rex retread triumph over the currently
clobbered Cowboys or will Ryan’s big bullies turn him into a
short-armed shadow boxer?
Will Romo be able to utilize lots of YAC (Yards After Catch) –
against rib-seeking Redskins – in his passing attack?
Will Brian Orakpo – and his
feather-topped friends – be able to get their meaty mitts on Romo?
Will Kitna be able to come on in and
captain the Cowboys' offense if a failed "fling and YAC" attack
still lands Romo permanently on his back?
Will the Cowboys have the confidence to continue with their two
tight end sets . . . but allowing them to chip their challengers and
chance early releases for quick catches?
Jesse Holley made the most of his opportunities against the 49ers.
Will this mean he suddenly supplants Kevin Ogletree on the Dallas
depth chart – or will Holley have to play his way and earn his way
into Ogletree's spot . . . showing the same grit and determination
that got Michael Irvin's attention in the first place?
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- Fans who have been rightfully critical of Ogletree’s poor production
(and pre-school approach to unpaid parking tickets) since joining the Cowboys should not be
entirely shocked to learn the 49ers
may have been guilty of overlooking Jesse “Just Special Teams”
Holley. Will the Redskins really do the same? Will Holley be able to
heap a second straight helping of happy times against an opponent
that is paying attention to him?
Will the Cowboys' offensive line realize a way to reverse their
receding run blocking?
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- Will Felix “Shoulder Shy” Jones and DeMarco Murray enjoy some safe
swing (pass) dancing out on the wings and slot shots down the seams
. . . while Tashard Choice charges up the middle for no-haggle
running between the tackles?
Will Terence’s comeback be cathartic enough for his cornerback
colleagues to stop Santana Moss from growing on a rolling Redskins
offense – or will they simply be at a loss?
Will speedy Sean Lee beat the always-clever Cooley to his hot spots
and give Chris the cold shoulder in the flat and down the seam?
Romo may have finally found himself but will he be able to get the
job done this season before the rest of his banged up team ends up
on the shelf?
Will the Boys build on their Bay area breakthrough?
We shall see. We always do.
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