Dallas Cowboys "Get Real" Chat No. 3: The Giants game really happened

Thanks for checking in for this Dallas Cowboys Get Real chat to cover the wreck that was their 34-18 loss at home against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Don't worry, it was actually much worse than the final score indicated.
 
Post your comment underneath and we can begin a discourse.

THE COWBOYS BEAT NEW YORK? NOT THE JETS, THE GIANTS? IN NEW JERSEY: After watching the last three games it does seem a bit amazing these same Dallas Cowboys traveled up East and defeated the Giants, 24-17.

The number decrease since then is amazing:

at NYG: 433 yards offense; Romo 22 of 29, 307 yards, 3 TD, 1 int; DeMarco Murray 20 carries, 131 yards
at Sea: 296 yards; Romo 23 of 40, 251 yards, 1 TD, 1 int; DeMarco Murray 13 carries, 44 yards
v. TB: 297 yards; Romo 25 of 39, 283 yards, 0 TD, 1 int; DeMarco Murray 18 carries, 38 yards
v. Chi.: 430 yards; Romo 31 of 43, 307 yards, 1 TD, 5 int; DeMarco Murray 11 carries, 24 yards

WHICH TEAM ARE THEY? The Cowboys have more matchup problems than you might think. The Giants were victims of their own unforced errors - dropped passes, etc. - the Seahawks out-physicaled the Cowboys, the Bucs were equally as ugly, and the Bears are much better defensively.

Despite an upgrade in talent here and there, the Cowboys simply don't look that much different than a year ago, and are playing like they are going to finish between 7-9 and 9-7.

@MacEngelProf
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Cowboys chit chat No. 5: Brandon Carr & Morris Claiborne make Rob Ryan look genius

In the first of what will be a season-long, next day chat with you - the greatest people on earth - we will chat about the Dallas Cowboys' previous game.Post your comment underneath and we can begin a discourse.

Question: Does Rob Ryan suddenly have great hair?

Answer: Yes. The mop atop Ryan's head is likely more a source of envy, but the way the Cowboys defense played against the Giants every thing looks pretty good. And even if you are no good at lip reading, it was pretty easy to determine what Ryan was screaming from the sidelines on Wednesday night: "Play some bleep bleep bleep defense! If you want to bleep bleep bleep bleep win bleep bleep bleep this bleep bleep bleep game you have to bleep bleep bleep ... I forgot what I was going to bleep bleep bleep bleep say!"

Props to corners Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, each of whom held coverage longer than their predecessors allowing a front seven to get a little more pressure on Eli Manning.

Jason Hatcher, whom not enough people realized what a raw project he was coming out of Grambling, was solid as a starter as was nose tackle Josh Brent, who filled in for the injured Jay Ratliff. Brent is developing into a solid nose tackle; he doesn't have Ratliff's motor, but he is a bigger body who can occupy space.

Sean Lee forced a fumble, had more than 10 tackles, and is chasing DeMarcus Ware as this team's best defensive player. The guy makes quality plays all the time. Second-year LB Bruce Carter continues to make the Cowboys look good for drafting him last year even though he was coming off a torn ACL. He has the speed, and looks like he has the instincts.

The Cowboys held Eli Manning to 187 yards passing and sacked him three times; the Giants were 4-of-12 on third downs, and ran for 82 yards.

And a tip of the cap to Cowboys LT Tyron Smith for hustling to tackle Giants LB Michael Boley at the 2-yard line after he intercepted a second-quarter pass. The Cowboys defense held on the ensuing possession and forced a Giants field goal after a 1st-and-goal from the 1.

Anything about this defense you didn't like?

@MacEngelProf
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Cowboys chit chat No. 4: Cleaning Jerry's glasses

In the first of what will be a season-long, next day chat with you - the greatest people on earth - we will chat about the Dallas Cowboys' previous game.Post your comment underneath and we can begin a discourse.

Question: How do I get the job of cleaning Jerry Jones' eyeglasses and where do I apply?

Answer: During the NBC telecast of the Cowboys/Giants game, cameras caught Jerry Jones in his suite sitting next to his son, Stephen Jones. Sitting behind him was a man who, during one shot, was cleaning a pair of eye glasses with a cloth and he handed Jerry the glasses.

That man is Shy Anderson, who is Jerry's son-in-law. Shy is married to Jerry's only daughter, Charlotte.

The footage reminded me of Cameron Diaz feeding Alex Rodriguez popcorn during the Super Bowl two years ago at JerryWorld. Both shots became punchlines. 

Can you get this job? Probably not.

@MacEngelProf
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The Dallas Cowboys always seem to win the NFL's schedule championship

The NFL is moving its preferred season-opening time on Thursday to Wednesday to accomodate the President, but the league obviously has zero intention of giving in to the idea that the Dallas Cowboys do not merit anything other than a prime time slot.

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Football Giants will host the defending 8-8 playoff-less champion Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, Sept. 5 in New Jersey to be televised on NBC.

How cute. The Cowboys 2011 season begin with a loss in New Jersey against the Jets on NBC, and ended with a loss to the Giants in the same stadium, on the same network.

The league normally begins the season on Thursday, but it does not want to interfere with President Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for that evening.

The NFL could have put the Giants against any of the following:
- Washington Redskins, and QB RGIII
- Philadelphia Eagles, and that train wreck
- SF 49ers, whom they beat in the NFC title game
- Baltimore Ravens, a team that nearly went to the Super Bowl
- Carolina Panthers, and QB Cam Newton
- Atlanta Falcons, which made the playoffs last season and lost to the Giants in the first round
- Green Bay Packers, whom the Giants beat in NFC divisional round
- New Orleans Saints, who potentially may be coached by former Giants coach Bill Parcells and this season will be one of the most interesting teams to watch as a result of the Bounty Gate fallout.

Instead the NFL went with the .500 Dallas Cowboys. 

The Cowboys may never again do well in January and early February, but no team rocks an offseason schedule like this team.

 

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Dallas Cowboys moves: The fine line between lipstick on an 8-8 pig, or the path to 11-5

Happy St. Patrick's Day ... Did you know the next Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) is actually Irish? Yeah, me neither. And I really don't care, either.

... ... ... ... ...

Brandon Carr vs. Terence Newman. PLUS
T-New was finished as a top corner. Carr has to be better than T-New, but at least Orlando Scandrick and he has to stay healthier than Mike Jenkins. This is an upgrade, but Brandon Carr is not Prime Time.

Kevin Ogletree/TBD vs. Laurent Robinson. MINUS
Robinson was the team's most reliable route runner and had quickly become a go-to for Tony Romo. He got stupid money from Jacksonville, and he had to take it but this is a loss. Unless Dez Braynt starts to developing into a reliable producer, Robinson's departure creates a serious void that no one on this roster can fill. 

Dan Connor/Bruce Carter vs. Bradie James/Keith Brooking. PLUS
Both James and Brooking had fallen off dramatically, and the Cowboys had to go younger here. Don't expect Connor to make plays. Expect him to just be there and not screw up.
This position is about Sean Lee and the development of second-year player Carter, who basically did nothing his rookie year because he was recovering from an injury.

Brodney Pool vs. Abe Elam. WASH
Elam was signed one season ago to a one-year deal to play safety, and really didn't produce much. Pool (left) was signed to a one-year deal, and his previous numbers suggests he will produce more than Elam. Either way, the safety spot for the Cowboys remains a serious issue.
 
TBD vs. Martellus Bennett. PLUS
Bennett is a nice, fun, jovial guy and someone whose physical skills suggests he could have been so, so much more. I don't expect him to do much with his new team, the New York Giants.

FB Lawrence Vickers vs. Tony Fiammetta MINUS
Fiametta had developed into a solid lead blocker, and was a nice receiver for Romo out of the backfield. Vickers is a good lead blocker, as Arian Foster knows from running behind him in Houston, but he's not as versatile as Fiammetta.

QB Kyle Orton vs. Jon Kitna WASH
Orton is a solid backup, as was Kitna, who retired. Both were able to make positive plays and win a game or two, but if you are counting on either to win a lot of games you're screwed.

OG Mackenzy Bernadeau vs. TBD  WASH
Depends on whom Bernadeau replaces. The interior of this offensive line is in a major need of an upgrade, and this has the look of trading this OK guy for that OK guy.

OVERALL IMPACT: There appear to upgrades in a lot of these moves, but there remain serious issues: The interior of the offensive line, the development of Dez Bryant, a defensive front seven that is overrated in terms of applying quality pressure, and a secondary that remains suspect.

Are these the types of moves that can make them 11-5, or leave them looking at 8-8 again?

@MacEngelProf
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Looming disaster: New York Giants sign former Dallas Cowboys TE Martellus Bennett

The Dallas Cowboys adding cornerback Brandon Carr, quarterback Kyle Orton and guard Mackenzy Bernadeau should offer an immediate upgrade, however there may not be a greater addition to the team's locker room than the subtraction of tight end Martellus Bennett.

Martellus Bennett is now a New York Giant waste of talent. Have fun with this, Tom Coughlin.

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants decided they don't want to win another Super Bowl any time soon and have signed the former A&M world-class underachiever.

In classic Marty B fashion, he Tweeted that he signed with the team. Then he removed said Tweet. Now he has signed with the club. That he signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million tells you everything you need to know.

Props to MartyB for saying the following, according to Giants beat writer Mike Garafalo, that he "learned a lot about football" from Jason Witten.

This guy could have been just like Witten, an All-Pro tight end, if he had just cared a little more than he did. He has not had a touchdown since his rookie year, and it appears he loves the NFL lifestyle more than the actual NFL. There is still time, he is only 25. 

I absolutely loathed this draft selection in 2008, and Bennett did nothing in his time with the Cowboys to prove otherwise. He was the 61st pick overall.

FYI, the New York Giants selected cornerback Terrell Thomas two picks later. Until he suffered a torn ACL, Thomas was a constant in the Giants secondary. He recently re-signed with the team.

Bennett can still block, but for a man who is 6-foot-6, 275 pounds and runs so effortlessly he should be a top-10 tight end rather than a yuckster living on one-year deals.

 

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