Cowboys, and their drama, visit Cards
By Bob Baum
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.12.2008
GLENDALE — This could be one of the biggest shootouts in Arizona since Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp caused all that ruckus at the OK Corral.
The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals bring two of the best offenses in the NFL to today's showdown in Glendale.
"It's the closest to a playoff atmosphere that we're going to get until we get to the playoffs," Arizona cornerback Eric Green said.
Not surprisingly, Dallas (4-1) brings drama, too.
First, there's the emotional Terrell Owens, who read a statement in last week's post-game news conference then left without taking questions after catching a 57-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo in a 31-22 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
Then there's Adam "Pacman" Jones, who will play despite getting into a scuffle with his bodyguard at a Dallas hotel on Tuesday. Jones came to Dallas after serving a 17-month league suspension for a series of arrests and legal problems.
"This is not that big of a deal," said Dallas nose tackle Tank Johnson, no stranger to off-field trouble himself. "Nobody's in jail. Nobody's in trouble. Nobody's hurt. We're all here ready to practice, ready to work."
In contrast, the Cardinals are downright boring, until they get their offense in high gear.
"We feel we can do well against anybody we play," Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "The focus is on us — make sure we don't make any turnovers or stuff. That's the key."
The Cardinals (3-2) have yet to commit a turnover at home, with their opponents having nine. Arizona, trying for its first playoff appearance since 1998, are alone atop the NFC West. The Cardinals know it's never an ordinary game when the Cowboys come to town.
"We're excited about this football game because this is a good team," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "There's a lot of attention that comes to the Dallas Cowboys. If we can play well, it's a good challenge for our team."
Dating to last year, Arizona has won five straight at home and eight of its last 10.
Kurt Warner, who bounced back last week from an awful outing against the New York Jets to pick apart Buffalo with short passes, will take on a banged-up Dallas secondary.
Terence Newman will miss another month of action after having surgery for a sports hernia, and safety Roy Williams was limited in practice this week with a forearm injury.
"We have some young players playing, and I'm including Pacman in that," Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "We've got two rookies and a guy we haven't had before that's 23 years old. So it's a concern overall for us."
Recent history points to a high-scoring affair.
Both teams also rank in the top five in the NFL in total offense (Dallas third, Arizona fifth) and high in several other offensive categories.
But Romo said that a shootout is far from guaranteed.
"We have had a couple games now that have been more low-scoring," Romo said. "I try not to get into that stuff. Each game has it's own moments."
The Cardinals also have several players who might not go, including safety Adrian Wilson, who was a game-time decision last week and then knocked Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards out with a concussion on the third play of the game.
Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin probably will remain sidelined after surgery to repair a sinus fracture. In Boldin's absence, Warner threw to nine different receivers in last week's win.
The Associated Press
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.12.2008
GLENDALE — This could be one of the biggest shootouts in Arizona since Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp caused all that ruckus at the OK Corral.
The Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals bring two of the best offenses in the NFL to today's showdown in Glendale.
"It's the closest to a playoff atmosphere that we're going to get until we get to the playoffs," Arizona cornerback Eric Green said.
Not surprisingly, Dallas (4-1) brings drama, too.
First, there's the emotional Terrell Owens, who read a statement in last week's post-game news conference then left without taking questions after catching a 57-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo in a 31-22 victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
Then there's Adam "Pacman" Jones, who will play despite getting into a scuffle with his bodyguard at a Dallas hotel on Tuesday. Jones came to Dallas after serving a 17-month league suspension for a series of arrests and legal problems.
"This is not that big of a deal," said Dallas nose tackle Tank Johnson, no stranger to off-field trouble himself. "Nobody's in jail. Nobody's in trouble. Nobody's hurt. We're all here ready to practice, ready to work."
In contrast, the Cardinals are downright boring, until they get their offense in high gear.
"We feel we can do well against anybody we play," Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. "The focus is on us — make sure we don't make any turnovers or stuff. That's the key."
The Cardinals (3-2) have yet to commit a turnover at home, with their opponents having nine. Arizona, trying for its first playoff appearance since 1998, are alone atop the NFC West. The Cardinals know it's never an ordinary game when the Cowboys come to town.
"We're excited about this football game because this is a good team," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "There's a lot of attention that comes to the Dallas Cowboys. If we can play well, it's a good challenge for our team."
Dating to last year, Arizona has won five straight at home and eight of its last 10.
Kurt Warner, who bounced back last week from an awful outing against the New York Jets to pick apart Buffalo with short passes, will take on a banged-up Dallas secondary.
Terence Newman will miss another month of action after having surgery for a sports hernia, and safety Roy Williams was limited in practice this week with a forearm injury.
"We have some young players playing, and I'm including Pacman in that," Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "We've got two rookies and a guy we haven't had before that's 23 years old. So it's a concern overall for us."
Recent history points to a high-scoring affair.
Both teams also rank in the top five in the NFL in total offense (Dallas third, Arizona fifth) and high in several other offensive categories.
But Romo said that a shootout is far from guaranteed.
"We have had a couple games now that have been more low-scoring," Romo said. "I try not to get into that stuff. Each game has it's own moments."
The Cardinals also have several players who might not go, including safety Adrian Wilson, who was a game-time decision last week and then knocked Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards out with a concussion on the third play of the game.
Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin probably will remain sidelined after surgery to repair a sinus fracture. In Boldin's absence, Warner threw to nine different receivers in last week's win.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:11 AM
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