*** 2009 Dallas Cowboys ***

lukin2006

Playoff Game set For Saturday Night...
Posted by nickeatman at 1/3/2010 9:02 PM CST
We all knew the Cowboys and Eagles will play again next week at Cowboys Stadium in the Wild Card round of the NFC Playoffs.

But the league just announced the game will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. (CST), marking the first time the Cowboys have faced an opponent to end the season and to open the playoffs in club history.

Tickets for the game will go on sale at 10 a.m., Monday. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Cowboys Stadium box office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com

The Cowboys (11-5) get the division title, their second in three seasons under Wade Phillips, because of a head-to-head tiebreaker having swept the Eagles this season. Philadelphia also finished 11-5, but drops to the sixth seed, despite having the chance to claim the No. 2 spot and a first-round bye with just a win.

As the No. 3 seed, the Cowboys will play at Minnesota in the Divisional round, if they were to defeat the Eagles next week.

With the Bengals and Jets still playing, the AFC side of the bracket is still a bit undecided.

But as for the NFC, it looks like this:

Saturday, 1/9 :
(3) Dallas vs. (6) Philadelphia, 7 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday, 1/10 :
(4) Arizona vs. (5) Green Bay, TBA (Fox)

The Juggler

Hammerdonkey wrote:

Well it's not impossible to do obviously but ot is pretty hard especially in this matchup. I would expect a sharper and more aggressive Philly team next week. If we win handily then, I say we walk to the Superbowl.

if you guys win handily next week....in an actual playoff game....then yes, i may agree with you on that given how open the nfc is. the again with how the packers are playing, i could easily say the same about them.

we'll show up next week. that much i promise you.

Flagg

The Jeagler wrote:

Hammerdonkey wrote:

Well it's not impossible to do obviously but ot is pretty hard especially in this matchup. I would expect a sharper and more aggressive Philly team next week. If we win handily then, I say we walk to the Superbowl.

if you guys win handily next week....in an actual playoff game....then yes, i may agree with you on that given how open the nfc is. the again with how the packers are playing, i could easily say the same about them.

we'll show up next week. that much i promise you.

None of this matters until next week. Remember 2007.

cowboypjfan

If our defense plays the way they are playing, we will surely beat the Eagles again next week. The Boys match up really real with the Birds and take away the long ball. Jenkins is playing out of his mind!

24-0!!!!!!

Flagg

crazypjfan wrote:

If our defense plays the way they are playing, we will surely beat the Eagles again next week. The Boys match up really real with the Birds and take away the long ball. Jenkins is playing out of his mind!

24-0!!!!!!

Man, that is one guy I missed on this year. I expected him and Scandrick to share duties. I don't think anyone saw him coming on like this.

PatrickBateman

Jenkins has been awesome....Here's to hoping the 'Boys break their playoff slump and shut everyone up

cowboypjfan

Flagg wrote:

Man, that is one guy I missed on this year. I expected him and Scandrick to share duties. I don't think anyone saw him coming on like this.

And everyone thought we had a good CB in Newman. Jenkins is clearly our best corner and I am comfortable with him guarding any receiver in the league! It takes a lot for me to speak that highly about a player. The best part is that he is gaining more and more confidence as the season progresses.

cowboypjfan

The Jeagler wrote:

you got it buddy.....while you're at it, you can also buy my next pj ticket after we continue your streak next week hey oh.

looking forward to a free show with the Jeags!

cowboypjfan

Cowboys Stadium digital board goes untouched
9:51 AM Tue, Jan 05, 2010
Todd Archer/Reporter

I wonder what A.J. Trapasso thinks now?

In the first preseason game at Cowboys Stadium, Trapasso, an undrafted free agent punter for Tennessee, hit the digital board that hangs 90-feet above the field and predicted it would be pelted during the regular season.

Eighty punts later, we're still waiting for the first punt to hit the board. The only concession made by the Cowboys was removing the Mitsbubishi ad that hung below the board.

And it's not like the stadium didn't host some good punters. Both Pro Bowlers - Oakland's Shane Lechler and San Francisco's Andy Lee - had chances to hit it. So did San Diego's Mike Scifres. And of course Mat McBriar has a strong enough leg to hit it and didn't.

McBriar always felt this was made into a much bigger deal than should have been.

"I thought the San Diego guy was going to hit it," McBriar said. "That was the only guy I pegged to hit it all year and he was injured [groin] when he came in here."

I somehow doubt the Competition Committee will look at the issue again in the off-season.

lukin2006

crazypjfan wrote:

Cowboys Stadium digital board goes untouched
9:51 AM Tue, Jan 05, 2010
Todd Archer/Reporter

I wonder what A.J. Trapasso thinks now?

In the first preseason game at Cowboys Stadium, Trapasso, an undrafted free agent punter for Tennessee, hit the digital board that hangs 90-feet above the field and predicted it would be pelted during the regular season.

Eighty punts later, we're still waiting for the first punt to hit the board. The only concession made by the Cowboys was removing the Mitsbubishi ad that hung below the board.

And it's not like the stadium didn't host some good punters. Both Pro Bowlers - Oakland's Shane Lechler and San Francisco's Andy Lee - had chances to hit it. So did San Diego's Mike Scifres. And of course Mat McBriar has a strong enough leg to hit it and didn't.

McBriar always felt this was made into a much bigger deal than should have been.

"I thought the San Diego guy was going to hit it," McBriar said. "That was the only guy I pegged to hit it all year and he was injured [groin] when he came in here."

I somehow doubt the Competition Committee will look at the issue again in the off-season.

If a punter did hit the scoreboard I think he would have some explaining to do to the special teams players, it hard enough to cover one punt, never mind 2 in row, plus the injury factor on punt coverage. I also don't see the big deal, it was built within NFL rules.

lukin2006

Fellow cowboy fans, win or lose on Saturday, will everyone be fine with Philips back as head coach. I will be if the D plays well, mainly because he's in charge of the D not the O. My feeling is if we lose and its close he will be back, a blowout by the eagles and he's gone. A win and he's back for sure, I want a win, so I guess I want Wade back.

The Juggler

lukin2006 wrote:

Fellow cowboy fans, win or lose on Saturday, will everyone be fine with Philips back as head coach. I will be if the D plays well, mainly because he's in charge of the D not the O. My feeling is if we lose and its close he will be back, a blowout by the eagles and he's gone. A win and he's back for sure, I want a win, so I guess I want Wade back.

i'm obviously not a cowboys fan, but how can you possibly want him back if he loses? it would mean he still has never won a playoff game....ever...in his entire career. if i were jones i'd have him fired by sunday morning if you guys lose another playoff game.

lukin2006

The Jeagler wrote:

lukin2006 wrote:

Fellow cowboy fans, win or lose on Saturday, will everyone be fine with Philips back as head coach. I will be if the D plays well, mainly because he's in charge of the D not the O. My feeling is if we lose and its close he will be back, a blowout by the eagles and he's gone. A win and he's back for sure, I want a win, so I guess I want Wade back.

i'm obviously not a cowboys fan, but how can you possibly want him back if he loses? it would mean he still has never won a playoff game....ever...in his entire career. if i were jones i'd have him fired by sunday morning if you guys lose another playoff game.

The only way I see him being fired is if the eagles blow out the cowboys. I have to give home credit for the way thew D has played over the last month of the season and are probably the reason they are in the playoffs. I see Garret going before him.

Flagg

I want him back.

Look, the only thing that has driven me more crazy over the years since Aikman, has been the QB carousel. Romo is what he is (and he's been awesome this year), but look what we had before. Same with Wade. We have had some awful coaches since Barry and one great one and none of them could win a playoff game either. So I am not sure what yet another coaching change will do. I am also for stability at this position if there is potential. And I think there is. Man, they may get beat Saturday. The Eagles are a good team. They scare me even if we did beat them twice. There won't be any shame in losing to them. They are an experienced playoff team and I don't think Wade should have to take the fall for that.

I've done a 180 on Wade this season. I think he has done a tremendous job. Our defense is now one of the tops in league. No Cowboys D has ever posted back to back shutouts. We have held opposing offenses to well below their averages all season. Only twice this season do I fault the defense for losses (Denver and at NY). Phillips is well regarded as a defensive genius and it is finally paying off here. I'd like him to stay.

If anything, our problem lies with the offense. The other losses can be placed squarely on Jason Garrett's head. Offensive ineptitude cost us the Chargers game, only got us 9 points against Washington. They are statistically the best offense the Cowboys have had, but can't score and have no short yardage game. Get that fixed and we have a shot at going undefeated with the way the defense is going. And no, that isn't a joke. The defense can hang with any team in the league.

And there is one more thing. With a possible lock-out in 2011, there is no way Jerry fires Wade and hires a big time coach only to have him coach one season and then go into a lockout. I think no matter what happens, Wade is back next year and will be gone if there is no playoff success then, heading into the work stoppage.

cowboypjfan

Flagg wrote:

I want him back.

Look, the only thing that has driven me more crazy over the years since Aikman, has been the QB carousel. Romo is what he is (and he's been awesome this year), but look what we had before. Same with Wade. We have had some awful coaches since Barry and one great one and none of them could win a playoff game either. So I am not sure what yet another coaching change will do. I am also for stability at this position if there is potential. And I think there is. Man, they may get beat Saturday. The Eagles are a good team. They scare me even if we did beat them twice. There won't be any shame in losing to them. They are an experienced playoff team and I don't think Wade should have to take the fall for that.

I've done a 180 on Wade this season. I think he has done a tremendous job. Our defense is now one of the tops in league. No Cowboys D has ever posted back to back shutouts. We have held opposing offenses to well below their averages all season. Only twice this season do I fault the defense for losses (Denver and at NY). Phillips is well regarded as a defensive genius and it is finally paying off here. I'd like him to stay.

If anything, our problem lies with the offense. The other losses can be placed squarely on Jason Garrett's head. Offensive ineptitude cost us the Chargers game, only got us 9 points against Washington. They are statistically the best offense the Cowboys have had, but can't score and have no short yardage game. Get that fixed and we have a shot at going undefeated with the way the defense is going. And no, that isn't a joke. The defense can hang with any team in the league.

And there is one more thing. With a possible lock-out in 2011, there is no way Jerry fires Wade and hires a big time coach only to have him coach one season and then go into a lockout. I think no matter what happens, Wade is back next year and will be gone if there is no playoff success then, heading into the work stoppage.

I agree with everything you said, except that the Eagles may beat us this week. I think the Cowboys have their number and they are firing on all cylinders at the most perfect time!

cowboypjfan

A message to the Cowboys from Keith Brooking:

"Not that you ever really take it for granted, but you realize how precious these opportunities especially with the team that we built here from our off-season conditioning all the way through our mini-camps and training camps, all the hard work we've put into it, it's all done and it's all come to a head to get in this position," Brooking said. "These moments are precious. There are a lot of teams right now that are sitting at home wishing and dreaming that they were in our position, so we have to take advantage of every opportunity and have absolutely zero regrets when you step on that field and leave it out there for your organization."

cowboypjfan

Here's another vote of confidence for you Cowboys fans



Eagles understand they have no margin for error vs. Cowboys

By MARCUS HAYES
Philadelphia Daily News

Mistakes will not be tolerated.

Mistakes can not be tolerated. Not if the Eagles expect to win, anyway.

That's the message the team is sending. It's the message it received after two losses to Dallas this season.

It might seem to be an obvious observation after Sunday's shutout in Arlington, Texas, in the season finale. However, the Eagles managed just one touchdown when the teams met Nov. 8, a 20-16 Cowboys win.

That means the Birds - who set a franchise scoring record this season with 429 points - averaged eight points per game against the Cowboys.

They need to be nearly perfect Saturday night in the NFC wild-card game. And that might not even be enough against the host Cowboys.

"There's some things we've got to correct . . . in order for us to have a chance," said running back Brian Westbrook.

That's right. Not to win. In order for us to have a chance.

"We saw some things in their defense we thought we could attack. We were unable to do it," said fullback Leonard Weaver. "Those guys came out fired up and tremendously intensified. You can't make any mistakes. You have to be on top of your game. We didn't do that."

Is it the best defense the Eagles have seen?

"Yeah," Weaver said. "They are flying around. The secondary, to the linebackers - and, of course, you know, D-Ware and Spencer on the ends, and you've got Ratliff in the middle."

DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer - listed as outside linebackers, actually - have accounted for 17 sacks this season. Jay Ratliff is the sort of presence at nose tackle who facilitates pressure from the ends by pushing back the pocket and who occupies blockers to help quash the run.

Ware and Ratliff are Pro Bowl starters, the anchors of a stealthily dominant defense.

Dallas might have been slightly better than average in yardage allowances, and fourth in the league against the run, but those statistics can be misleading. The Cowboys were tops in the NFC in points allowed, second in the NFL only to the Jets. To defenses, that is always the stat that matters.

To the Eagles, it's the only stat that matters. There can be no more bumbling, as happened during significant stretches of games during the six-game winning streak that preceded Sunday's mismatch.

"We've got to play well. They've got a lot of great defensive players. We've really got to focus on doing everything right. We can't afford any mistakes."

That came from tight end Brent Celek, who, in the two games against Dallas, caught 10 passes for 135 yards and the sole touchdown. Yet, after Celek smoked the Cowboys for six catches and 94 yards by the third play of the third quarter, the Pokes shut him down: one catch, 2 yards thereafter.

When the Eagles had at least three points in their sights Sunday, center Nick Cole lobbed a low shotgun snap to quarterback Donovan McNabb, who failed to snag it at his shins. That lost fumble gave the Cowboys the ball at their 20.

It also defused momentum-turning bombs to young, deep threats Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson.

With Westbrook having missed half the season with injuries and playing only a limited role now, the Cowboys locked Jackson up: five catches for 76 yards in two games for the most dangerous player in the game.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb missed him deep, twice, and Jackson had two drops, but, against better defenses, offensive miscues usually come about more frequently. Maclin, a rookie, had a big drop, too.

"I think we've hurt ourselves a little bit, too," Celek said. "Not catching the ball. Not blocking right. Small things, that we can fix."

"For us, we missed some blocks. We missed some protections here and there," Westbrook added. "There were penalties. Dropped balls. Missed assignments."

This is not a sudden phenomenon. During their winning streak, the Eagles weren't exactly flawless against the Bears, Redskins, Falcons, Giants, 49ers and Broncos - all teams who missed the playoffs, by the way.

Those teams were not Dallas, playing at home, against a hated rival. Alarmingly, the Eagles missed something else on Sunday, too.

"We didn't . . . play hard, play physical, play strong for the whole game," Westbrook said.

That's OK when you're playing a half-dozen losers, but it's tough to win when the other team keeps hammering you in the mouth.

"We've got to come out and be prepared. Be focused, determined," Weaver said. "That's the only way you can compete with a team like that."

Not beat. Just compete.

That appears to be the best the Eagles can hope for.

mr.pink

crazypjfan wrote:

A message to the Cowboys from Keith Brooking:

"Not that you ever really take it for granted, but you realize how precious these opportunities especially with the team that we built here from our off-season conditioning all the way through our mini-camps and training camps, all the hard work we've put into it, it's all done and it's all come to a head to get in this position," Brooking said. "These moments are precious. There are a lot of teams right now that are sitting at home wishing and dreaming that they were in our position, so we have to take advantage of every opportunity and have absolutely zero regrets when you step on that field and leave it out there for your organization."

I absolutely LOVE that we got Keith Brooking this year for this very reason. This is exactly what the Cowboys were lacking. Jenkins and Sensenbagh wave been HUGE, HUGE additions as well, but Brooking has provided something we really needed.

Hammerdonkey

If Dallas will stay intense and hungry, they'll be tough to put out. Aside from the Eagles, the Vikings are the only other NFC team I worry about.

As far as the Superbowl, I know SD beat us and I'm aware of the Colts but I'm not really impressed with the AFC as we head towards the playoffs.

Obviously, this week is key. I think it'll be the toughest of all the postseason games we could potentially have.

Flagg

Hammerdonkey wrote:

If Dallas will stay intense and hungry, they'll be tough to put out. Aside from the Eagles, the Vikings are the only other NFC team I worry about.

As far as the Superbowl, I know SD beat us and I'm aware of the Colts but I'm not really impressed with the AFC as we head towards the playoffs.

Obviously, this week is key. I think it'll be the toughest of all the postseason games we could potentially have.

Yeah, if Dallas could score from 1st and goal on the 1, the Cowboys may have beaten the Chargers.