Parcells' gamble pays off for Cowboys
Shawn Clarke, NFL Contributing Editor
(Sports Network) - Eyebrows were raised and even Terrell Owens had his own opinion about the move when Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells opted to release kicker Mike Vanderjagt last week and sign Martin Gramatica.
Parcells probably wanted to kick his own rear end when he watched Gramatica push a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right early in Sunday's win over the rival New York Giants. Parcells then experienced substantial relief when Gramatica redeemed himself with three successful field goals, including the game-winning 46-yard boot with one second left.
"Gramatica made me look good," Parcells said after the game.
He certainly did, coach.
Owens and a few others were scratching their head at Parcells after he cut the inconsistent Vanderjagt, who is the NFL's most accurate kicker of all time. Owens befriended Vanderjagt earlier this season and stated he hoped the move to release Vanderjagt wouldn't "come back to haunt" the team.
Stats and streaks don't matter to Parcells, whose gutsy switch helped the Cowboys to their fourth straight win and an 8-4 record. Dallas now leads the NFC East by two games over the Giants with four to play.
Gramatica's Cowboys debut was one for the ages, especially since it took place at Giants Stadium after a week of media hype and varying predictions. Gramatica had kicked just one field goal in the NFL since 2004, and had his head coach worried during warmups. A few hours later, Parcells was smiling, and seemed to have gotten rid of all of his angst.
"First game back in the league for a while, that kick, you can't get more pressure than that for the division lead," Parcells said of Gramatica. "He did a good job. I told him he was making me look good."
Kickers have made Parcells look good in the past. Buffalo's Scott Norwood missed a field goal try in the Super Bowl and the Parcells-led Giants won their first-ever Super Bowl. Also, Billy Cundiff gave Parcells his first win as Dallas head coach with seven field goals in a 35-32 overtime win at Giants Stadium on September 15, 2003.
Quarterback Tony Romo didn't look quite as good until the last few minutes of the game, when he orchestrated a long drive to get Gramatica in field goal range. Romo's 42-yard completion to tight end Jason Witten gave Dallas possession at the New York 26-yard line, and Gramatica sealed the deal a few plays later.
Romo avoided the rush and scrambled to his left before connecting with his Pro Bowl tight end inside Giants territory. Romo didn't put up astronomical numbers on Sunday (257 yards, 2 INTs, 58.1 rating) like previous weeks, but did just enough to improve to 5-1 as a starter and have Dallas on the brink of the playoffs.
"If I've got one drive, I want that guy as my quarterback," Witten said of Romo. "That's a bold statement, but I think that's the way I feel because he's so competitive. He wants to win so bad. He's willing to do what it takes.
"That wasn't his best game (Sunday), but he showed a lot of poise doing what he did there in the last couple of drives."
The Cowboys got another lift from backup running back Marion Barber, who is slowly taking away carries from starter Julius Jones. Barber outplayed the other Barber -- New York's Tiki -- on Sunday with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Barber owns a team-high 11 touchdowns this season, while Jones has had only 11 carries in each of the last two games, tying his season-low.
Jones' 24 rushing yards Sunday were also his lowest output of the season. He is still a big threat to opposing defenses and has 877 rushing yards this year, just 123 yards shy of the first 1,000-yard season of his career.
Owens, meanwhile, has been using actions rather than his words on the football field lately, and finished with eight catches for 84 yards against the Giants. T.O. has led or tied the Cowboys for the team lead in receptions eight times this season, and is clearly Romo's favorite target.
UP NEXT: 8-4 COWBOYS HOST 8-4 SAINTS
Two of the top teams in the NFC square off Sunday at Texas Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys host the resurgent New Orleans Saints in a battle of 8-4 teams.
The Saints are coached by Sean Payton, who served as assistant head coach in Dallas from 2003 through 2005.
New Orleans leads the NFC South Division and has won its last two games. Led by quarterback Drew Brees and running backs Deuce McAlister and rookie Reggie Bush, the Saints will try to post their fifth straight win over Dallas. New Orleans has won six of the past nine meetings, including a 27-13 victory in the previous matchup on December 12, 2004.
The Cowboys are looking good and sitting pretty in the conference. But New Orleans is feeling the same way and will do anything to spoil a home game for the fans in Dallas.
Dallas will need a better performance from its defense against New Orleans' top-ranked offense. The Cowboys gave up a season-high 396 yards against New York and didn't sack Eli Manning. Saints QB Drew Brees is more mobile than Manning and releases the ball quicker, making it more of a challenge for the Cowboys' defense.
(Sports Network) - Eyebrows were raised and even Terrell Owens had his own opinion about the move when Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells opted to release kicker Mike Vanderjagt last week and sign Martin Gramatica.
Parcells probably wanted to kick his own rear end when he watched Gramatica push a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right early in Sunday's win over the rival New York Giants. Parcells then experienced substantial relief when Gramatica redeemed himself with three successful field goals, including the game-winning 46-yard boot with one second left.
"Gramatica made me look good," Parcells said after the game.
He certainly did, coach.
Owens and a few others were scratching their head at Parcells after he cut the inconsistent Vanderjagt, who is the NFL's most accurate kicker of all time. Owens befriended Vanderjagt earlier this season and stated he hoped the move to release Vanderjagt wouldn't "come back to haunt" the team.
Stats and streaks don't matter to Parcells, whose gutsy switch helped the Cowboys to their fourth straight win and an 8-4 record. Dallas now leads the NFC East by two games over the Giants with four to play.
Gramatica's Cowboys debut was one for the ages, especially since it took place at Giants Stadium after a week of media hype and varying predictions. Gramatica had kicked just one field goal in the NFL since 2004, and had his head coach worried during warmups. A few hours later, Parcells was smiling, and seemed to have gotten rid of all of his angst.
"First game back in the league for a while, that kick, you can't get more pressure than that for the division lead," Parcells said of Gramatica. "He did a good job. I told him he was making me look good."
Kickers have made Parcells look good in the past. Buffalo's Scott Norwood missed a field goal try in the Super Bowl and the Parcells-led Giants won their first-ever Super Bowl. Also, Billy Cundiff gave Parcells his first win as Dallas head coach with seven field goals in a 35-32 overtime win at Giants Stadium on September 15, 2003.
Quarterback Tony Romo didn't look quite as good until the last few minutes of the game, when he orchestrated a long drive to get Gramatica in field goal range. Romo's 42-yard completion to tight end Jason Witten gave Dallas possession at the New York 26-yard line, and Gramatica sealed the deal a few plays later.
Romo avoided the rush and scrambled to his left before connecting with his Pro Bowl tight end inside Giants territory. Romo didn't put up astronomical numbers on Sunday (257 yards, 2 INTs, 58.1 rating) like previous weeks, but did just enough to improve to 5-1 as a starter and have Dallas on the brink of the playoffs.
"If I've got one drive, I want that guy as my quarterback," Witten said of Romo. "That's a bold statement, but I think that's the way I feel because he's so competitive. He wants to win so bad. He's willing to do what it takes.
"That wasn't his best game (Sunday), but he showed a lot of poise doing what he did there in the last couple of drives."
The Cowboys got another lift from backup running back Marion Barber, who is slowly taking away carries from starter Julius Jones. Barber outplayed the other Barber -- New York's Tiki -- on Sunday with 76 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Barber owns a team-high 11 touchdowns this season, while Jones has had only 11 carries in each of the last two games, tying his season-low.
Jones' 24 rushing yards Sunday were also his lowest output of the season. He is still a big threat to opposing defenses and has 877 rushing yards this year, just 123 yards shy of the first 1,000-yard season of his career.
Owens, meanwhile, has been using actions rather than his words on the football field lately, and finished with eight catches for 84 yards against the Giants. T.O. has led or tied the Cowboys for the team lead in receptions eight times this season, and is clearly Romo's favorite target.
UP NEXT: 8-4 COWBOYS HOST 8-4 SAINTS
Two of the top teams in the NFC square off Sunday at Texas Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys host the resurgent New Orleans Saints in a battle of 8-4 teams.
The Saints are coached by Sean Payton, who served as assistant head coach in Dallas from 2003 through 2005.
New Orleans leads the NFC South Division and has won its last two games. Led by quarterback Drew Brees and running backs Deuce McAlister and rookie Reggie Bush, the Saints will try to post their fifth straight win over Dallas. New Orleans has won six of the past nine meetings, including a 27-13 victory in the previous matchup on December 12, 2004.
The Cowboys are looking good and sitting pretty in the conference. But New Orleans is feeling the same way and will do anything to spoil a home game for the fans in Dallas.
Dallas will need a better performance from its defense against New Orleans' top-ranked offense. The Cowboys gave up a season-high 396 yards against New York and didn't sack Eli Manning. Saints QB Drew Brees is more mobile than Manning and releases the ball quicker, making it more of a challenge for the Cowboys' defense.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:09 PM
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