17
Jan
2010
Tony Romo Saves Greatest Fail for Last; Favre puts on a Clinic as Vikings defeat Cowboys (video)
When you see the Romo Face, you know the game is over (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images via ESPN.com)
It was only a matter of time, really. All through December, as the Dallas Cowboys finished the regular season uncharacteristically strong with 3 straight wins, culminating with their first playoff win in 13 years last week, you (or, at least I) just couldn’t shake the feeling that it would all come crashing down sooner or later for Jerry Jones’ club. And today in Minneapolis, oh boy did it come down on Wade Phillips and the ‘Boys, who were embarrassed by the Vikings 34-3 in the NFC playoffs.
Dallas QB Tony Romo once again crumbled in the biggest game of his life, with 3 fumbles (2 lost), 1 interception, 0 TDs and less than 200 yards. Much credit goes the Vikings defense who, led by DE Ray Edwards, harassed Romo all day, getting constant pressure and finishing with 6 sacks. But Romo, who apparently dipped his hands in butter before the game and whose turnovers cost his team the game, is clearly the goat for Dallas. You can just see it in Romo’s eyes when he is playing scared. The proven recipe for success against him is constant pressure … once he’s rattled, you see the “Romo Face”, and the game is won. And early on today it was obvious that Romo had lost it.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images via ESPN.com)
On the other side of the ball, the old man Brett Favre put on a clinic for the Vikings, throwing for 4 TDs – 3 to Sidney Rice - and no interceptions in leading his club to the win. Favre, at 40 years old, still plays the game like a kid, and his passion elevates the play of everyone around him. And oh yeah, he can still make all the throws and drop the ball on a dime for his receivers to make plays.
For all the flack he received over the whole un-retirement saga (including a healthy dose from this site), Favre has put to rest any remaining doubts as to his ability to still play the game better than almost anyone in the world. After the game, Favre had this to say:
“Today was like this season — it’s been wonderful,” Favre said. Asked if it was an emotional game for him, he said, “I’m kind of worn out right now, but it is. It was emotional before the game.”
After the game, it was all smiles in the Vikings locker room, as Favre led the team on a rendition of pop hit “Pants on the Ground” from American Idol.
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR HIGHLIGHTS OF FAVRE SHREDDING THE COWBOYS DEFENSE
10
Nov
2009
NFL MIDSEASON BULLETIN: GIVE UP NOW
We arrive at that brutal hour of the season—the midpoint—and far too many teams, despite their outward posture of exuberance and bravado, know it’s over. They haven’t the men to go the distance. They’re unable to pound the ball on the opponent, their defensive front is too meek and moveable, and their passer is unsure of himself in the dark moments of the night. In some form, there exists a fatal flaw.
This time around, nice guys go home. (Source: AP)
I see no need to examine all 32 teams—80% of them are complete jokers. Organizations getting by, at best—some putting on a better show than others. They will all fail in the end—all but one.
I find the New York Giants vaguely intriguing, but floundering. I haven’t over-analyzed their recent losing streak, and I don’t need to. The entire league understands that something is wrong with Big Blue. They’re flailing, they’re exposed, it’s been a terrible month. Their loyal fanbase, so used to victory, is at a point of conflict: they see something drastically wrong, and must ultimately come to grips with it, but still hold hope that the G-Men will roar back to life and re-materialize as the team everyone believes them to be. The facts are less forgiving: Eli and the Giants have been scorched and stand vulnerable before the NFC East and the league, in general. Few fear them.
As much as it pains me to say it, the Steelers are one of the few teams to be taken seriously. (Source: AP)
It’s vanity. So many of these teams are pathetic. Wandering drunken, it seems. Two or three teams are legitimate. The rest of it is comprehensive farce. Looming as a colossal joke. As a fan of Atlanta, Miami, San Diego, Baltimore—or anyone lesser—you’d be better off spending evenings at the library, mowing lawns, helping the poor and the orphans, or backpacking through Europe with your tedious college friends. This season will end in despair for you, and devoting another second of your life on it is a waste of time. Go do something with your one chance on earth. Disembowel your fantasy football team, turn off the television, and find something better to do with your existence.
Saints fans: You’re probably rolling up your sleeves, thinking you’re badass—but your fate will be horrendous. Drew Brees will bite it in Week 15, sustaining a season-ending injury. The Saints, NFC darlings, will be taken down in the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs. Why? Here’s why. Each year, without fail, we get a lovable team that goes 14-2 in the regular season only to get bounced early—and the Saints are that team. You’re the pre-2006 Indianapolis Colts. You’re the Chiefs under Schottenheimer. You’re the 1986-1988 Chicago Bears. Huge regular season. Tons of feel-good press. Overrated by the blind. Total memory by mid-Jan.
Dallas Cowboys followers (who love ease): Your team is stocked with an unlikeable, cocky, self-entitled and underachieving collection of forgettables. You will make no dent in the postseason. You strung a few wins together: don’t care. Tony Romo, who’s about as endearing as a frat boy accused of murder by hazing, has never won when it matters. This team will dissemble at the critical hour. This team is impossible to root for. Under no circumstance can the average American find solace in the Dallas Cowboys. Hilariously, they still label themselves “America’s Team,” with no recognition of why our country, and our people, have moved beyond lauding a team like the Cowboys. Why does ESPN still center on them? Because ESPN feeds on the weak. We don’t live the in 1970s anymore. The whole cocksure, megalomaniacal position embraced by Dallas is a joke at this point. Our country has changed, we’ve woken up to our own flaws, and the Cowboys don’t represent anything anymore—beyond the disease of style before substance. We don’t care if the press caters to the lowest common denominator, harassing us with Cowboys pregame segments on a weekly basis–this team hasn’t made an impact on the NFL playoffs since the mid-90s. That isn’t about to change.
The Dallas Cowboys -- always poolside, always overrated, always bathed in hype -- haven't done a thing in 15 years. (Source: AP)
As much as I hate to say it, the Pittsburgh Steelers stand as the team to beat. They aren’t flashy, they aren’t undefeated, but they know how to win big games—and they know how to win ugly. They’ll march right back to the Super Bowl—and this is coming from a wildly pissed off Browns fan. This team isn’t afraid of anything. They might hit January with a 10-6 record—it doesn’t matter. These guys win. I can’t stand the sight of them, but they win.
Football fans—most of them—are in for a big disappointment. The practice of deluding yourself, rooting for a doomed team, will never pay off. It’s over for you. But not everything: Unlike Eli Manning, you still have to toil away at your endless day job, you still have a load of bills to pay, you still have to scrape ice off your car in order to drive to the office on Monday morning at 6:41 a.m.—that exhaustion is alive and well and enduring—but your football team is lost and over and nearing its final hour.
And this will be you come January—if not sooner.
Get out now.
Go do something valuable with your life.
You’ve wasted too many years living vicariously through others.
Turn away from the machine.
Turn off the TV.
Vanish into the western plains. Disappear forever into the earth—turn your eyes away from this.
17
Oct
2009
Bertinelli sacks Romo
This is getting out of hand. First, her “sister” MacKenzie Phillips went on Oprah to drop this little nugget: she had a consensual, incestual relationship with her father. Now, little sis Valerie Bertinelli is making headlines of her own (is there some kind of One Day at a Time DVD box set that is for sale that I don’t know about: why are these people getting interviews?) by ripping Tony Romo:
What’s next, the red head mom on One Day reveals she isn’t actually a red head? Romo, of course, had nothing to do with the offending video, which was actually a Burger King creation.
A bad season just got a little worse for Tony Romo. What’s ironic here, of course, is that Marion Barber is the real victim: I mean, who talks like that?
11
Oct
2009
Miles Austin single-handedly beats the Chiefs
Miles Austin took the Dallas Cowboys and carried them on his back this afternoon in Kansas City, with a club record 10 catches for 250 yards and 2 TDs, including this game-winning 60-yd catch-and-run in OT:
[Via]
6
Oct
2009
VIDEO: Tony Romo didn’t know what down it was
As if things haven’t gone bad enough for Dallas QB Tony Romo so far this season, video has now surfaced showing Romo during the critical closing moments of Sunday’s Cowboys/Broncos game, seemingly unaware of what down it was.
The Cowboys were driving the field, down 17-10, with less than a minute to play. On 1st down from the Denver 8-yard line, Romo completed a pass to Patrick Crayton and then spiked the ball at the 2-yard line to stop the clock. That made it 3rd down. But following 2 consecutive incomplete pass attempts to Sam Hurd, it seems that Romo still thought he had one more chance to tie the game up.
Watch the video from MyFoxDFW.com:
22
Sep
2009
Ex-Cowboys piling on the Anti-Romo train
Oh Snap!
In the wake of his 3-interception performance in Sunday’ loss to the New York Giants, QB Tony Romo has become the whipping boy of fans, media and ex-Cowboys alike. The backlash against Romo and his backward-hat wearing-fratboy-failure-in-the-big-game routine has been swift and justifiably harsh.
First, Terrell Owens Twitter-slapped Romo on Monday with the post in the above banner pic. Juvenile, self-serving and expected. Yawn. But then, legendary Cowboys RB and Miller Lite silent pitchman Tony Dorsett went on Fox Radio and had this to say about the hope of the Dallas franchise:
“Well, for one thing, I don’t know why on God’s earth Tony Romo has been anointed a superstar in the National Football League. Tony is very young in his career. Not to say you can’t be young in your career and be a superstar because you’ve got one up there in Minnesota in Adrian Peterson. But the thing is this: you have a guy who hasn’t done much and quarterbacks in the National Football League, most of them go through this growing curve. He hasn’t gone through that growing curve, but he was anointed this great player all of a sudden. Now he’s having to live up to that.
But, he’s a good player who’s still learning how to play in the National Football League and I think the media has given him too much credit for doing nothing. He hasn’t done anything really in the National Football League to deserve all the recognition and visibility that he’s gotten so far. And now he’s going to have to live with how they treat the quarterback in the National Football League whether you’re a young quarterback or you’re a superstar or you’re not.”
Ouch. But Dorsett is completely right. And his criticism actually means something, because he’s a Hall of Famer, and not a me-first pinhead like T.O. Dallas fans had better hope Romo takes some of this to heart and starts focusing on winning games instead of believing his own hype. As is stands now, he’s got a long way to go before he’ll be remembered for anything more than fumbling a FG snap and dating Jessica Simpson.
Now I suddenly have an urge to watch Tony Dorsett highlights. And maybe drink a cold Miller Lite.
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
22
Sep
2009
Week 2 NFL Highlights – Drunken Lions Fans edition
Every Tuesday here at ReadAndReact, we’ll bring you video clips of the best highlights from the previous weekend’s NFL action. This week, we kick things off with a highlight that comes from the stands rather than the playing field, as we capture Lions fans in their natural state: DRUNK.
Watch as these two fully inebriated ladies make a scene during Sunday’s Lions/Packers game, and ultimately get escorted away by Detroit’s finest:
And now, back to your regularly scheduled in-game highlights.
Kenny Phillips INT off of Jason Witten’s foot:
Ray Lewis stuffs Darren Sproles on 4th and 2
21
Sep
2009
Jerry Jones picks a loser, Giants spoil Cowboys Stadium debut
The Giants WRs don't scare anyone, but Mario Manningham sure enjoyed the new Cowboys Stadium (Photo: NFL.com)
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said he hand-picked the Giants to be the first team to christen his new $1.2 billion dollar stadium. Ummm … that might have been a mistake. The opening night of “Jerry World” was spoiled in grand fashion last night by the New York Football Giants, who defeated the Cowboys 33-31 on a last-second FG by Lawrence Tynes.
It was a back-and-forth contest, in which Dallas QB Tony Romo was intercepted 3 times, and New York won the turnover battle 4-0. But the Giants stalled inside the red zone repeatedly, settling for FGs instead of TDs and making the score much closer than it could have been. But in the end, Romo was completely out-played by Eli Manning, who found his WRs in Mario Manningham (10 catches, 150 yds, 1 TD) and Steve Smith (10 catches 134 yds, 1 TD), and calmly led the Giants on a last-minute drive to win the game.
And while everyone has been talking about the Jumbotron (which was a non-factor last night), perhaps the more intriguing in-game entertainment option provided at Cowboys Stadium is the presence of cage dancers at one end of the stadium. Apparently the dancers are positioned right above the standing-room-only “Party Plazas”, to give those tickets more of a strip club feel to them. So that’s classy.
Unfortunately for Jerrah, fancy stadiums and exotic dancers don’t win football games, and their golden boy QB failed miserably once again when put to the test in a big game.
In other news, Justin Tuck is scheduled to get an MRI today to check out his injured shoulder, but says that he’s “fine”, and will play next week. The All-Pro DT was hurt when Flozell Adams blatantly stuck out his foot and tripped Tuck, after being beaten at the line of scrimmage.
20
Sep
2009
WEBINAR-OFF: Giants v. Cowboys v. Fufkin v. C-O-U-R-T-N-E-Y!
UPDATE: WE’LL BE PERIODICALLY BLOGGING OUR THOUGHTS ON THE GAME IN THE COMMENTS. FOLLOW ALONG.
I lay down the gauntlet early this morning because I know fufkin will need all day to formulate a response to the verbal devastation that follows. To begin with, I lowercase fufkin in an intentional lack of respect, similar to the lack of respect that the giants have shown to Americans (as fans of America’s team) in recent years. At every turn, the giants talk, talk, talk about the Cowboys. The base, verbal diarrhea that falls from brandon jacobs pouty lips is fare usually reserved for pro wrestling and is all part of the lame mystique that the giants–led by THE human embodiment of a clown show in eli womanning– appear to be trying to carve out for themselves. Intimidating? Poppycock: the giants are a laughable collection of men.
Eli Wo-Manning surveys the secondary
And here is why the Cowboys will whup ‘em tonight:
1. JerryWorld- There is an unwritten rule that says “thou shall not lose one’s inaugural game in one’s new stadium”. To ensure that would not happen, Jerry Jones (1) gathered his players during the off-season and told them how much money he was spending on a daily basis to build JerryWorld, and (2) made utterly idiotic claims that he believes JerryWorld will inspire his team to the Super Bowl, antagonizing fans and foes alike. What better way to inspire than economics? What better way to motivate than by way of high-def jumbotron/executive suites/frittering glass/retractable roofs?
While Jerry’s thought process helps to explain the Cowboys lack of playoff success in the Cowboys’ post-Jimmy Johnson world, there are unique advantages to be gained by the Cowboys playing at home tonight. Nobody on the giants has ever played at Cowboys stadium. Everything will be new to them. The locker rooms. The sidelines, sight lines, lights– all new. Recently, we moved offices WITHIN THE SAME BUILDING and I lost two days of work because of the distractions. Where is the coffee machine? Does Dave really think it is OK to talk on speakerphone with his door open? If you think the giants won’t be distracted by a 60 yard high definition screen hanging above their heads, you haven’t moved offices recently. The distraction factor will be a factor. According to Rick Gosselin, a new stadium virtually ensures first season success. The mere fact that the Cowboys have played (pre-season) and practiced in the new stadium gives them an edge. Look for Dallas to get off to a good start tonight as the giants try to figure out their ass from their elbow.
2. Super Bowls are won in September- The Cowboys under Tony Romo have gone like gang busters in September since he took over quarterbacking duties. There are a lot of reasons for it, but chief among them are that the Cowboys are fresh, injury free, and haven’t yet been exposed as heartless fairies. Few teams, including the giants, have as much front line talent as the Cowboys. From DeMarcus Ware to a bevy of talented players on the offensive side of the ball, Dallas is loaded. Dallas’ problem is that as soon as it has to pull from its depth pool (see offensive line play last year after Kyle Kosier went down) or persevere through the inevitable fatigue and adversity that a season brings, they wilt. While they claim this year will be different and have every reason to be motivated to exorcise the demons of last season, it is of no matter here. Dallas wins in September, and will win tonight, because they simply have more talent than the giants and talent wins 75% of the time in the NFL.
3. The three-headed-monster- Goodbye earth, wind, and fire; hello Tash, Smash, and Dash. The healthy three-headed monster of Tashard Choice, Marion Barber, and Felix Jones gives the Cowboys the promise of offensive balance, which it lacked last year. One way to negate the giants vaunted pass rush (and to cut down on turnovers) is to run the ball effectively and use your running backs in the passing game. Dallas has the weapons and, unlike last year, the patience (read: no T.O.) to do that this year. The Giants have also never had to play against Felix Jones. Although limited by a thigh bruise in week one, reports are that Jones is ready to go. One flash of his speed and open field ability will force the giants to think twice before bringing the heat. Expect him to play a big role in tonight’s game plan.
4. Balance- I was at a dinner party last night where people spoke of balance. In life, in food, in all things. It made for terrible, when-will-it-end conversation. Although buzz-killing when amongst suburbanites, balance is brilliance if your name is Jason Garrett. Dallas is more committed to the run and taking what the defense gives them (as opposed to forcing the ball to Terrell Owens just to shut him up) this year. Garrett’s new approach was masterful in its execution against the Bucs. While the giants pose a bigger threat, Garrett’s commitment to balance will be on full display tonight and will also help to negate the giants pash rush.
5. The giants receivers don’t scare me (or anyone for that matter)- Dallas has some vulnerabilities on the defensive side of the ball. For one, they struggled to stop the run against the Bucs. According to Wade Phillips, the Cowboys gave up most of those yards because they were blitzing too much, a problem he says that was corrected at halftime. The problem with that argument is that the Bucs were trailing the whole second half and had to pass more, which likely had more to do with them abandoning the run than any technical adjustments. The giants will run the ball. Often. Expect the Cowboys to load up the box in an effort to force womanning to turn to his untested corp of you-don’t-scare-me receivers. When coupled with a fast start by the ‘Boys, the pressure will build on the giants to make plays in the passing game. While I think the giants receiving core will be fine as the season wears on, the Cowboys have they advantage of facing them early in the season.
FINAL SCORE: Cowboys 30-22. fufkin. Have I convinced you?
CONTINUE READING AFTER THE JUMP FOR ARTIE FUFKIN’S RESPONSE
9
Sep
2009
Top #9s in NFL History
Jergensen & McMahon dressed to the nines
In honor of 09.09.09, we figured we’d delve into the numerology of the NFL, and list the best players ever to don the fabled #9 jersey. From elsewhere in the sports world, we have names like Ted Williams, Roger Maris and Gordie Howe. But because of the NFL’s positional numbering rules, this means we’re looking at Quarterbacks, Kickers and Punters … so pretty much just QBs.
We’ll admit it, this started as a top 9 list, to go along with the theme of the day. But we simply couldn’t come up with any more than seven (sorry, Matt Stafford doesn’t make the list yet). And when we started scouring the annals of NFL history for punter jersey #s, we just started to feel bad about ourselves.
Here’s our list … feel free to chime in with any we might have missed:
- Sonny Jurgensen: During his 18 seasons in Philadelphia and Washington from 1957 to 1974 established himself as one of the best pure passers in league history. Vince Lombardi once stated of Sonny: “Jurgensen is a great quarterback. He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have ever seen.”
- Steve McNair: In 13 seasons with the Titans and Ravens, McNair threw for more than 31,000 yards and, perhaps more importantly, proved to be one of the toughest players in league history. RIP
- Jim McMahon: The punky QB was also a pretty good passer who led the Bears to Super Bowl glory in 1985. An outstanding leader, McMahon became a cult hero during the 80s for his rebellious approach to the game and headbands.
- Drew Brees: It’s hard to believe the Dolphins weren’t willing to take a chance on Brees, preferring to go with Daunte Culpepper instead. All Brees has done since is rack up huge yardage and heads into the 2009 season as the top-ranked QB in the NFL.
-
The legendary Bill Wade
Bill Wade: starting QB for the 1963 NFL champion Chicago Bears, Wade threw for over 18,000 yards in his twelve seasons in the AFL/NFL.
- Carson Palmer: Has thrown for over 15,000 yards and 100 TDs in his 5 seasons as Bengals starter. Gets extra points for having to work with Ochocinco day in and day out.
- Tony Romo: The Cowboys starter since 2006 has been a great regular season performer, who is perhaps more notorious for his taste in women than he is for his football accomplishments. Simply cannot rank higher until he shows he can play solid football past November.
