Cowboys have edge in Week 13 clash of NFC titans
by Mike Florio
http://www.sportingnews.com
Posted: November 23, 2007
But for the greatest ... game ... ever from earlier this month between New England and Indianapolis, next week's game matching the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, with both teams at 10-1, would be the biggest regular-season game since 1990, when the 10-1 New York Giants took on the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers.
Seventeen years ago, San Francisco won that game 7-3, only to lose the rematch in the NFC championship game 15-13.
So who'll prevail in the initial skirmish between this season's 10-1 teams? At the risk of riling up Cheeseheads everywhere, the Cowboys seem to have the edge.
The first, and most obvious, source of comparison is their respective performances against common foes. Through 11 games, there are five that each has played -- the Redskins, Eagles, Giants, Vikings and Bears.
And, generally speaking, the Cowboys have fared better in those games.
The Packers struggled with the Eagles; the Cowboys blew them out. Both teams handled the Giants, the Cowboys doing it twice. Both teams won at home by less than a touchdown against the Redskins. The Cowboys came from behind to beat the Vikings by 10 in their post-Pats hangover game; the Packers beat Minnesota by seven on the road, and dismantled them 34-0 at home.
The biggest difference? The Cowboys pulled away from the Bears in the second half of a Sunday night game at Soldier Field. The Packers blew a 10-point lead at intermission to Chicago at Lambeau Field on two Sunday nights later.
So if any of that means anything, the Cowboys look to have the inside track.
The matchup also seems to favor Dallas. The Cowboys' offense has seen a 4-3 defense, which Green Bay employs, far more often than the Packers have played against a 3-4 front, which Dallas uses. If you think that doesn't mean anything, look no farther than the Colts' past difficulties in getting past the Patriots, who were one of the few teams Indianapolis faced that used the 3-4.
At the offensive positions, the quarterbacks are even, with maybe a slight edge to Brett Favre over Tony Romo for his experience and leadership. The Cowboys have the better running backs. The receivers, when taken together, are better in Green Bay -- but the Packers lack a guy with Terrell Owens's explosiveness. The Cowboys have an edge at tight end, although the gap between Jason Witten and Donald Lee isn't as big as many would think. The lines are roughly even.
On defense, the teams' front sevens are generally equivalent. The Packers have a slightly better secondary -- but unlike the Cowboys they don't have to worry about chasing around T.O.
And while Favre is having an excellent season, he has struggled against the Cowboys. Favre lost seven straight to the Cowboys to start his career, and he never has won at Dallas. The Packers and Cowboys have played twice in the past 10 seasons, with Green Bay winning in 2004 and Dallas prevailing in 1999.
Now, they're poised to play twice this season. Though the signs point to the Cowboys winning at home next week, all bets will be off if/when they meet in the postseason. Whether they play in Dallas or Green Bay or in a gravel lot behind a butcher shop, there's a sense that Favre will find a way to get back to the Super Bowl. So, like the Giants and 49ers of yesteryear, the 10-1 team that wins the first time around might not be the team that wins the one that counts.
And, like the Giants of 1990, who stared down the Buffalo Bills and eked out an unlikely Super Bowl victory, one of these two teams could be the one that shocks the football world by finding a way to fell the Patriots.
Scratching random itches (thanks, coach Ditka)
The Packers' win at Detroit opened up a four-game lead in the NFC North, with five to play. Meanwhile, the Lions could go from 6-2 to out of luck in the postseason as they continue to fade into a pack of teams that could nudge them out of the No. 6 seed. ...
While watching the Cowboys dismantle the Jets, one thought kept coming up: How in the heck did the Steelers lose to the Jets? It means that there really isn't anyone in the AFC that can hang with New England; when the Steelers trek north in a few weeks to Gillette Stadium they might be getting 23.5 points, too. ...
If John Fox wants to coach the Carolina Panthers in 2008, he must reverse a four-game losing streak. Now. Then again, with all of the team's starters under contract for next season, it's hard to imagine why he'd want to return. ...
After they were shredded by 37 points at Detroit on Nov. 4, it looked like the Denver Broncos had no shot at winning the AFC West. Two games later, they're tied for first place in the division and they control their own destiny against a so-so slate of opponents. ...
The Houston Texans quietly have won half of their games and could spring into playoff contention if they can find a way to beat the Cleveland Browns on sunday. The X factor for the Texans is the return of receiver Andre Johnson, who forces extra attention and opens things up for the rest of the offense.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.
http://www.sportingnews.com
Posted: November 23, 2007
But for the greatest ... game ... ever from earlier this month between New England and Indianapolis, next week's game matching the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, with both teams at 10-1, would be the biggest regular-season game since 1990, when the 10-1 New York Giants took on the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers.
Seventeen years ago, San Francisco won that game 7-3, only to lose the rematch in the NFC championship game 15-13.
So who'll prevail in the initial skirmish between this season's 10-1 teams? At the risk of riling up Cheeseheads everywhere, the Cowboys seem to have the edge.
The first, and most obvious, source of comparison is their respective performances against common foes. Through 11 games, there are five that each has played -- the Redskins, Eagles, Giants, Vikings and Bears.
And, generally speaking, the Cowboys have fared better in those games.
The Packers struggled with the Eagles; the Cowboys blew them out. Both teams handled the Giants, the Cowboys doing it twice. Both teams won at home by less than a touchdown against the Redskins. The Cowboys came from behind to beat the Vikings by 10 in their post-Pats hangover game; the Packers beat Minnesota by seven on the road, and dismantled them 34-0 at home.
The biggest difference? The Cowboys pulled away from the Bears in the second half of a Sunday night game at Soldier Field. The Packers blew a 10-point lead at intermission to Chicago at Lambeau Field on two Sunday nights later.
So if any of that means anything, the Cowboys look to have the inside track.
The matchup also seems to favor Dallas. The Cowboys' offense has seen a 4-3 defense, which Green Bay employs, far more often than the Packers have played against a 3-4 front, which Dallas uses. If you think that doesn't mean anything, look no farther than the Colts' past difficulties in getting past the Patriots, who were one of the few teams Indianapolis faced that used the 3-4.
At the offensive positions, the quarterbacks are even, with maybe a slight edge to Brett Favre over Tony Romo for his experience and leadership. The Cowboys have the better running backs. The receivers, when taken together, are better in Green Bay -- but the Packers lack a guy with Terrell Owens's explosiveness. The Cowboys have an edge at tight end, although the gap between Jason Witten and Donald Lee isn't as big as many would think. The lines are roughly even.
On defense, the teams' front sevens are generally equivalent. The Packers have a slightly better secondary -- but unlike the Cowboys they don't have to worry about chasing around T.O.
And while Favre is having an excellent season, he has struggled against the Cowboys. Favre lost seven straight to the Cowboys to start his career, and he never has won at Dallas. The Packers and Cowboys have played twice in the past 10 seasons, with Green Bay winning in 2004 and Dallas prevailing in 1999.
Now, they're poised to play twice this season. Though the signs point to the Cowboys winning at home next week, all bets will be off if/when they meet in the postseason. Whether they play in Dallas or Green Bay or in a gravel lot behind a butcher shop, there's a sense that Favre will find a way to get back to the Super Bowl. So, like the Giants and 49ers of yesteryear, the 10-1 team that wins the first time around might not be the team that wins the one that counts.
And, like the Giants of 1990, who stared down the Buffalo Bills and eked out an unlikely Super Bowl victory, one of these two teams could be the one that shocks the football world by finding a way to fell the Patriots.
Scratching random itches (thanks, coach Ditka)
The Packers' win at Detroit opened up a four-game lead in the NFC North, with five to play. Meanwhile, the Lions could go from 6-2 to out of luck in the postseason as they continue to fade into a pack of teams that could nudge them out of the No. 6 seed. ...
While watching the Cowboys dismantle the Jets, one thought kept coming up: How in the heck did the Steelers lose to the Jets? It means that there really isn't anyone in the AFC that can hang with New England; when the Steelers trek north in a few weeks to Gillette Stadium they might be getting 23.5 points, too. ...
If John Fox wants to coach the Carolina Panthers in 2008, he must reverse a four-game losing streak. Now. Then again, with all of the team's starters under contract for next season, it's hard to imagine why he'd want to return. ...
After they were shredded by 37 points at Detroit on Nov. 4, it looked like the Denver Broncos had no shot at winning the AFC West. Two games later, they're tied for first place in the division and they control their own destiny against a so-so slate of opponents. ...
The Houston Texans quietly have won half of their games and could spring into playoff contention if they can find a way to beat the Cleveland Browns on sunday. The X factor for the Texans is the return of receiver Andre Johnson, who forces extra attention and opens things up for the rest of the offense.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a frequent contributor to Sporting News.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:11 PM
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