Cowboys are class of the NFC
Adam Schein
Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 4 hours ago STORY TOOLS:
The Dallas Cowboys are the best team in the NFC.
And if you don't believe me, just ask Patrick Crayton.
The beauty of interviewing the receiver is that he always says what is on his mind.
Monday, he told us what beating the Giants meant.
"The statement was we wanted to show we were the best team in the NFC East. We wanted sole possession of first place. We do not believe in sharing leads. We believe we are the best in the division. And that's what we accomplished Sunday."
And to paraphrase the rest of the conversation, Crayton lives for beating teams in the NFC East, craves the top seed and wants another piece of the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
At this stage, it's all likely.
With the way the Cowboys are playing in every phase of the game, Dallas is the team to beat in the NFC, by a hair over Green Bay.
Look, let's not pooh-pooh what Dallas did the last two weeks. To go on the road and win in Philadelphia and New York is flat-out amazing. The Cowboys imposed their will and smacked the Eagles. To follow it up by humbling the Giants seven days later, in essence wrapping up the NFC East, that's accomplishing something.
Dallas is 8-1. New York is 6-3. The Cowboys are three games ahead of the Giants since they swept them and own the tie-breaker. That's taking care of business.
Tony Romo was brilliant. Terrell Owens was once again was the ultimate playmaker.
But what really makes the Cowboys a truly great team is the total depth, talent and coaching.
The offensive line, a weakness last year, is mauling defenders. I thought Jerry Jones was nuts to give Leonard Davis, a bust tackle in Arizona, a huge free-agent deal to play right guard. How's this for humble pie? If Davis doesn't make the Pro Bowl this season, folks aren't paying attention.
Crayton couldn't say enough about the guys up front.
"They don't get their just due for the job they perform, allowing us to be able to execute and put up points on the board. This group dominates the opposition. The way they have been playing all year is such a credit to them and line coach Tony Sparano."
And Crayton agrees that the unsung hero of the Dallas offense is new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
"He's done such a great job of balancing the attack. You have no idea what we are going to do to you. He gets everyone involved, whether it is running with Marion Barber III and Julius Jones or using Tony and our talented receivers. And Jason is an aggressive play caller and he always has his foot on the gas. That's why we all love playing for him."
Barber picked up a big first down against the Giants with his strength and Jones, for the third straight week, used his speed to dance past the opposition. The tandem works. And it keeps the heat off of Romo.
Plus, Wade Phillips' defense is really making strides and has yet to play its best ball.
Terrence Newman is healthy and making a difference. Fellow corner Anthony Henry is rounding into shape.
Tank Johnson is back. While he had a rusty game against New York, you can see the signs of him making an impact in the middle on a more consistent basis.
Kevin Burnett (not counting his horrible taunting penalty against Brandon Jacobs), the underrated Bradie James, and DeMarcus Ware flew around vs. the Giants. Chris Canty had an excellent game up front.
There's a good debate raging — Dallas or Green Bay? The Packers are just fantastic. Michael McCarthy, as we have written before, has his team focused and playing rugged football. Brett Favre and his receivers have been outstanding. So has the defense, which is ranked higher than Dallas' D'.
What separates Dallas from Green Bay is the consistency running the football. Ryan Grant was great for Green Bay against Denver and Minnesota, but we need to see it every week.
And Owens and Romo have been sensational. It's the best passing combination in the NFC. Say what you want about Owens, he just dominated two road division wins for Dallas. This is gaudy stuff. Plus, there's Jason Witten, who has been one of the best weapons in the NFC. But when Garrett needed him to block this week to neutralize the Giants pass rush, Witten did it. Throughout the first eight games of the season, he was the best pass receiving tight end in the game. And if there's an area of weakness in the Green Bay defense, it is stopping the tight end.
We are counting the days until the Dallas vs. Green Bay showdown in Week 13.
Special to FOXSports.com, Updated 4 hours ago STORY TOOLS:
The Dallas Cowboys are the best team in the NFC.
And if you don't believe me, just ask Patrick Crayton.
The beauty of interviewing the receiver is that he always says what is on his mind.
Monday, he told us what beating the Giants meant.
"The statement was we wanted to show we were the best team in the NFC East. We wanted sole possession of first place. We do not believe in sharing leads. We believe we are the best in the division. And that's what we accomplished Sunday."
And to paraphrase the rest of the conversation, Crayton lives for beating teams in the NFC East, craves the top seed and wants another piece of the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
At this stage, it's all likely.
With the way the Cowboys are playing in every phase of the game, Dallas is the team to beat in the NFC, by a hair over Green Bay.
Look, let's not pooh-pooh what Dallas did the last two weeks. To go on the road and win in Philadelphia and New York is flat-out amazing. The Cowboys imposed their will and smacked the Eagles. To follow it up by humbling the Giants seven days later, in essence wrapping up the NFC East, that's accomplishing something.
Dallas is 8-1. New York is 6-3. The Cowboys are three games ahead of the Giants since they swept them and own the tie-breaker. That's taking care of business.
Tony Romo was brilliant. Terrell Owens was once again was the ultimate playmaker.
But what really makes the Cowboys a truly great team is the total depth, talent and coaching.
The offensive line, a weakness last year, is mauling defenders. I thought Jerry Jones was nuts to give Leonard Davis, a bust tackle in Arizona, a huge free-agent deal to play right guard. How's this for humble pie? If Davis doesn't make the Pro Bowl this season, folks aren't paying attention.
Crayton couldn't say enough about the guys up front.
"They don't get their just due for the job they perform, allowing us to be able to execute and put up points on the board. This group dominates the opposition. The way they have been playing all year is such a credit to them and line coach Tony Sparano."
And Crayton agrees that the unsung hero of the Dallas offense is new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
"He's done such a great job of balancing the attack. You have no idea what we are going to do to you. He gets everyone involved, whether it is running with Marion Barber III and Julius Jones or using Tony and our talented receivers. And Jason is an aggressive play caller and he always has his foot on the gas. That's why we all love playing for him."
Barber picked up a big first down against the Giants with his strength and Jones, for the third straight week, used his speed to dance past the opposition. The tandem works. And it keeps the heat off of Romo.
Plus, Wade Phillips' defense is really making strides and has yet to play its best ball.
Terrence Newman is healthy and making a difference. Fellow corner Anthony Henry is rounding into shape.
Tank Johnson is back. While he had a rusty game against New York, you can see the signs of him making an impact in the middle on a more consistent basis.
Kevin Burnett (not counting his horrible taunting penalty against Brandon Jacobs), the underrated Bradie James, and DeMarcus Ware flew around vs. the Giants. Chris Canty had an excellent game up front.
There's a good debate raging — Dallas or Green Bay? The Packers are just fantastic. Michael McCarthy, as we have written before, has his team focused and playing rugged football. Brett Favre and his receivers have been outstanding. So has the defense, which is ranked higher than Dallas' D'.
What separates Dallas from Green Bay is the consistency running the football. Ryan Grant was great for Green Bay against Denver and Minnesota, but we need to see it every week.
And Owens and Romo have been sensational. It's the best passing combination in the NFC. Say what you want about Owens, he just dominated two road division wins for Dallas. This is gaudy stuff. Plus, there's Jason Witten, who has been one of the best weapons in the NFC. But when Garrett needed him to block this week to neutralize the Giants pass rush, Witten did it. Throughout the first eight games of the season, he was the best pass receiving tight end in the game. And if there's an area of weakness in the Green Bay defense, it is stopping the tight end.
We are counting the days until the Dallas vs. Green Bay showdown in Week 13.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:56 PM
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