Romo's return should make T.O. happy
By Ashley Fox
Inquirer Staff Writer
The Dallas Cowboys have lost four of six games to plummet from a Super Bowl favorite to an also-ran in the NFC East, but owner Jerry Jones still is convinced that his team will be playing in January.
"That's not optimism," Jones told reporters in Dallas on Thursday in an impromptu session during practice. "I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."
Jones certainly spent enough money in the off-season on players.
After a much-needed bye week, the Cowboys will try to rebound tonight in a crucial division game at Washington. Quarterback Tony Romo returns after missing three games with a broken right pinkie, and Terrell Owens should be happy. With Romo on the sideline, Owens caught just 12 passes in three games for 100 yards and one touchdown.
Owens still is looking for his first 100-yard receiving game of the season. He's caught more than five passes in only one game all season, a 26-24 home loss to the Redskins on Sept. 28.
Next target
The New York Giants are coming off just their second game of the season without a sack, and that doesn't bode well for Baltimore and its rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco. Earlier this season after failing to get to Cleveland's Derek Anderson, the Giants rebounded the next week with six sacks against San Francisco. Ouch.
The Ravens have allowed Flacco to get sacked just 17 times in nine starts. While they've faced imposing pass rushers already this season - Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth, Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and Miami's Joey Porter, among others - the Giants, third in NFL with 30 sacks, should be their toughest test yet.
Superstitious
NFL coaches and players are creatures of habit, especially when things are going well. Take Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins. With his Titans undefeated heading into their game today against Jacksonville, Collins has listened to the song "Good Time" by country music star Alan Jackson every day to and from work since Week 1. Collins doesn't want to switch his music for fear he'll disrupt Tennessee's streak, which is at nine games.
"In the past, I've tended to pick one CD and listen to it for a while, but we're going [into] uncharted territory right now," Collins told the Nashville Tennessean.
Slippage
Thanks in part to a season-long shoulder injury, Ben Roethlisberger has tumbled from near the top of the unofficial "best quarterbacks in the NFL list." In Pittsburgh's last three games, Roethlisberger has thrown eight interceptions and only one touchdown.
The good news for Roethlisberger and the 6-3 Steelers is that running back Willie Parker should play today against San Diego, which has never won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh in 12 tries.
Missed opportunities
Last week against Pittsburgh, Marvin Harrison faked out a Steelers defender and was wide open for a sure touchdown, but dropped Peyton Manning's pass. It used to be those types of plays were an easy six for the Colts. Not anymore. Harrison, a likely Hall of Famer, is fourth on the team this season with 30 catches for 357 yards, and some in Indianapolis are beginning to wonder whether the 36-year-old, who missed 11 games last season with a knee injury, has it anymore.
"I really don't have a whole lot to say about that," Manning told the Indianapolis Star. "We're all fighting. Every time you throw an incompletion, everybody wants to know: 'What's wrong? How can that possibly happen?' I'm trying to make good throws, and every time I throw an incompletion I always look to see if I could have made a better throw or not. Everybody's making a big deal about the game [Sunday] night. I thought I could have made some better throws in that game. Some of those should have been in-stride catches with a better [ball], so I think everybody's overreacting a little bit."
A quiet 7-2
How good are the Carolina Panthers? Apparently good enough to win when their quarterback, Jake Delhomme, is terrible. Against Oakland last week, Delhomme misfired on 20 of 27 passes, had four interceptions, and threw for just 72 yards. Still, the Panthers won, 17-6.
After saying he should've been the AFC defensive player of the week after that game, Delhomme vowed to be better against Detroit today.
Bud Grant Jr.?
When Lovie Smith got the Chicago Bears head coaching job in 2004, he set his priorities thusly: Beat the Packers, win the NFC North, and get to the Super Bowl. Today, Smith will try to improve his record to 7-2 against the Packers, and a stellar 5-0 in Green Bay. Smith is the first coach since Hall of Famer Bud Grant of Minnesota to win four consecutive games at Lambeau Field. (Grant won five straight from 1971 to 1975).
Inquirer Staff Writer
The Dallas Cowboys have lost four of six games to plummet from a Super Bowl favorite to an also-ran in the NFC East, but owner Jerry Jones still is convinced that his team will be playing in January.
"That's not optimism," Jones told reporters in Dallas on Thursday in an impromptu session during practice. "I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."
Jones certainly spent enough money in the off-season on players.
After a much-needed bye week, the Cowboys will try to rebound tonight in a crucial division game at Washington. Quarterback Tony Romo returns after missing three games with a broken right pinkie, and Terrell Owens should be happy. With Romo on the sideline, Owens caught just 12 passes in three games for 100 yards and one touchdown.
Owens still is looking for his first 100-yard receiving game of the season. He's caught more than five passes in only one game all season, a 26-24 home loss to the Redskins on Sept. 28.
Next target
The New York Giants are coming off just their second game of the season without a sack, and that doesn't bode well for Baltimore and its rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco. Earlier this season after failing to get to Cleveland's Derek Anderson, the Giants rebounded the next week with six sacks against San Francisco. Ouch.
The Ravens have allowed Flacco to get sacked just 17 times in nine starts. While they've faced imposing pass rushers already this season - Tennessee's Kyle Vanden Bosch and Albert Haynesworth, Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and Miami's Joey Porter, among others - the Giants, third in NFL with 30 sacks, should be their toughest test yet.
Superstitious
NFL coaches and players are creatures of habit, especially when things are going well. Take Tennessee quarterback Kerry Collins. With his Titans undefeated heading into their game today against Jacksonville, Collins has listened to the song "Good Time" by country music star Alan Jackson every day to and from work since Week 1. Collins doesn't want to switch his music for fear he'll disrupt Tennessee's streak, which is at nine games.
"In the past, I've tended to pick one CD and listen to it for a while, but we're going [into] uncharted territory right now," Collins told the Nashville Tennessean.
Slippage
Thanks in part to a season-long shoulder injury, Ben Roethlisberger has tumbled from near the top of the unofficial "best quarterbacks in the NFL list." In Pittsburgh's last three games, Roethlisberger has thrown eight interceptions and only one touchdown.
The good news for Roethlisberger and the 6-3 Steelers is that running back Willie Parker should play today against San Diego, which has never won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh in 12 tries.
Missed opportunities
Last week against Pittsburgh, Marvin Harrison faked out a Steelers defender and was wide open for a sure touchdown, but dropped Peyton Manning's pass. It used to be those types of plays were an easy six for the Colts. Not anymore. Harrison, a likely Hall of Famer, is fourth on the team this season with 30 catches for 357 yards, and some in Indianapolis are beginning to wonder whether the 36-year-old, who missed 11 games last season with a knee injury, has it anymore.
"I really don't have a whole lot to say about that," Manning told the Indianapolis Star. "We're all fighting. Every time you throw an incompletion, everybody wants to know: 'What's wrong? How can that possibly happen?' I'm trying to make good throws, and every time I throw an incompletion I always look to see if I could have made a better throw or not. Everybody's making a big deal about the game [Sunday] night. I thought I could have made some better throws in that game. Some of those should have been in-stride catches with a better [ball], so I think everybody's overreacting a little bit."
A quiet 7-2
How good are the Carolina Panthers? Apparently good enough to win when their quarterback, Jake Delhomme, is terrible. Against Oakland last week, Delhomme misfired on 20 of 27 passes, had four interceptions, and threw for just 72 yards. Still, the Panthers won, 17-6.
After saying he should've been the AFC defensive player of the week after that game, Delhomme vowed to be better against Detroit today.
Bud Grant Jr.?
When Lovie Smith got the Chicago Bears head coaching job in 2004, he set his priorities thusly: Beat the Packers, win the NFC North, and get to the Super Bowl. Today, Smith will try to improve his record to 7-2 against the Packers, and a stellar 5-0 in Green Bay. Smith is the first coach since Hall of Famer Bud Grant of Minnesota to win four consecutive games at Lambeau Field. (Grant won five straight from 1971 to 1975).
posted by The Gryphon at 9:23 AM
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