Optimism remains for Dallas
By SEAN McCANN • Courier-Post Staff • November 16, 2008
Whatever you do, don't call Jerry Jones an optimist.
The Cowboys owner was asked this week if he saw his team -- which is 5-4 and headed to 6-3 Washington for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff tonight -- as a playoff contender.
Jones took a sober, nonbiased, pragmatic look at Dallas' situation, and proclaimed the Cowboys postseason-bound.
"That's not optimism," he said. "I just see that we were going to have to be a team that is playing well and win a lot of ballgames at the end of the year to be what we want to be anyway.
"This is as good a time to start as next week," he went on. "I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."
To be fair, Jones and the Cowboys do have reason to be optimistic, at least more so than they have in the previous month.
With the bye week under its belt, Dallas is getting healthy.
Quarterback Tony Romo is ready to take the reins back from Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger, who struggled to a 1-3 record in the Pro Bowl quarterback's stead. The Cowboys are also getting back starting guard Kyle Kosier and cornerback Terence Newman, though rookie running back Felix Jones is still out with a hamstring injury.
Perhaps even heavier in Dallas' favor this week is the questionable status of Redskins' running back Clinton Portis.
The NFL's second-leading rusher with 995 yards, Portis sprained his left knee in Washington's pre-bye loss to the Steelers, and was unable to practice at all this week. In fact, he didn't even stand on the sideline watching practice until Friday.
Redskins head coach Jim Zorn held out hope, however, saying he would use Portis in a limited role if that was all the running back could do.
Portis' backup, Ladell Betts, is also coming off a knee injury.
He's expected to play, but one wonders what Washington might look like without the firepower behind the league's fourth-ranked rushing offense.
Incidentally, it would behoove Eagles fans to root for Dallas tonight, as a Cowboys win, coupled with a Philadelphia win at the 1-8 Bengals, would result in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East at 6-4.
Lynch finished
Nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch called it a career Monday.
The hard-hitting former Buccaneer and Bronco played 15 seasons in the NFL, terrorizing the league's running backs and receivers with his vicious hits. He announced the decision in a press conference in Tampa, Fla.
Lynch ended up with 1,277 tackles, 100 pass breakups and 26 interceptions in 224 regular-season games. He also helped lead Tampa Bay to a win in the Super Bowl in 2003, and Denver to the AFC Championship Game in 2006.
The end wasn't what he wanted, however.
Disappointed by his diminishing role with the Broncos heading into the season, Lynch asked to be released so that he could find a place to play. He landed with the Patriots, who cut him on the eve of the season.
Fast fact
With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, this year's rookie quarterback sensations Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have both led their teams to more victories than in all of 2007.
Both Flacco's Ravens and Ryan's Falcons are 6-3. Last year, Baltimore finished 5-11, and Atlanta ended up 4-12.
Whatever you do, don't call Jerry Jones an optimist.
The Cowboys owner was asked this week if he saw his team -- which is 5-4 and headed to 6-3 Washington for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff tonight -- as a playoff contender.
Jones took a sober, nonbiased, pragmatic look at Dallas' situation, and proclaimed the Cowboys postseason-bound.
"That's not optimism," he said. "I just see that we were going to have to be a team that is playing well and win a lot of ballgames at the end of the year to be what we want to be anyway.
"This is as good a time to start as next week," he went on. "I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."
To be fair, Jones and the Cowboys do have reason to be optimistic, at least more so than they have in the previous month.
With the bye week under its belt, Dallas is getting healthy.
Quarterback Tony Romo is ready to take the reins back from Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger, who struggled to a 1-3 record in the Pro Bowl quarterback's stead. The Cowboys are also getting back starting guard Kyle Kosier and cornerback Terence Newman, though rookie running back Felix Jones is still out with a hamstring injury.
Perhaps even heavier in Dallas' favor this week is the questionable status of Redskins' running back Clinton Portis.
The NFL's second-leading rusher with 995 yards, Portis sprained his left knee in Washington's pre-bye loss to the Steelers, and was unable to practice at all this week. In fact, he didn't even stand on the sideline watching practice until Friday.
Redskins head coach Jim Zorn held out hope, however, saying he would use Portis in a limited role if that was all the running back could do.
Portis' backup, Ladell Betts, is also coming off a knee injury.
He's expected to play, but one wonders what Washington might look like without the firepower behind the league's fourth-ranked rushing offense.
Incidentally, it would behoove Eagles fans to root for Dallas tonight, as a Cowboys win, coupled with a Philadelphia win at the 1-8 Bengals, would result in a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East at 6-4.
Lynch finished
Nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch called it a career Monday.
The hard-hitting former Buccaneer and Bronco played 15 seasons in the NFL, terrorizing the league's running backs and receivers with his vicious hits. He announced the decision in a press conference in Tampa, Fla.
Lynch ended up with 1,277 tackles, 100 pass breakups and 26 interceptions in 224 regular-season games. He also helped lead Tampa Bay to a win in the Super Bowl in 2003, and Denver to the AFC Championship Game in 2006.
The end wasn't what he wanted, however.
Disappointed by his diminishing role with the Broncos heading into the season, Lynch asked to be released so that he could find a place to play. He landed with the Patriots, who cut him on the eve of the season.
Fast fact
With seven weeks remaining in the NFL season, this year's rookie quarterback sensations Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have both led their teams to more victories than in all of 2007.
Both Flacco's Ravens and Ryan's Falcons are 6-3. Last year, Baltimore finished 5-11, and Atlanta ended up 4-12.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:26 AM
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