SPORTSDAY

Posted by Michael @ 3:05 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

I like our chances if we can bring consistant pressure. If you remember, Wade's D had them beat last year. It is going to be fun!

Posted by GoldenStateCowboyFan @ 3:19 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

I'm as big a Cowboy fan as anyone, but you have to look at it realistically. If you're going to point out that Wade had the pressure on Brady last year then you also have to remember that his top receiver was Reche Caldwell. It's a whole different offense this year that the Cowboys are facing as opposed to what the Chargers saw last year.

Posted by William @ 3:26 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Not to be snippy, but isn't "Good Receivers Help Quarterback" sort of a "Dog Bites Man" kind of story?

At any rate, we have the firepower to shut down Moss and Stallworth, but it means putting our LBs on an island with Watson and occasional slot formation receivers. We won't be able to prevent a 200-250 day from Brady. What will be key is red-zone stops and stiffening on conversions.

Posted by jrs2300 @ 3:26 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

it wasn't the Cowboys Defense that has Given up 100 yd Receivers the last 2 weeks.. it was the Patriots..

Hobbs is 5'9" vs. 6' Crayton or 6'2" Hurd
Randall Gay... Who is that... he don't pump any fear in anyone..

Posted by Bill In DC @ 3:27 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Nope, not mano-a-mano I don't. Our only hope will be pressuring BRady and forcing him to throw where he doesn't want to.

Can't let him sit back there and go through his progression.

We need to bring the house on nearly every play.

Posted by Paulm @ 3:37 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

William - You forgot that we also have Asante Samuel at CB, So you might not know Randall Gay but you will know Asante Samuel when he picks off Tony twice. Don't forget, he tied for the most Int last year.

Posted by Brandon @ 3:54 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Wow, Goose sure is proving that his Masters of Obviousness degree is being put to good use. Good receivers make a QB better than less than average receivers? That thought never would have crossed my mind in a thousand years.

I love this line:

"No pass is too high for the athletic Moss and no pass too long for the speedy Stallworth."

To that I say no brown-nosing is too dirty for Goose.

Goose, why don't you do a little real reporting on something like why the NFL destroyed the Patriots' spying material so quickly? What was the NFL trying to hide? Did the Patriots really mic up the defensive line to record the QB signals as has been rumored?

Instead we are treated to articles like RB's are better with first-round pick linemen or CB's are better with a defensive line that gets after the QB.

Posted by r @ 3:55 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

PaulM...Asante Samuel can't cover TO.....remember Super Bowl in 2004 ??

Posted by Mike @ 3:59 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Tim, I think we all know how Brady "somehow managed" to win 3 Super Bowls with mediocre receivers.

And, well, get to Brady. Then you don't have to worry about the receivers as much. If you can't get to Tom Brady then we don't even need to worry about going to the Super Bowl.

You have to get to the QB at that level.

Posted by Ray @ 4:02 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Wait, I'm writing this down, New...England...has...good...receivers... wow, i shudder to think where we would be without Captain Obvious. Tomorrow's story, "Penalties are bad."

Posted by Patriot Nation @ 4:02 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

jrs2300... the Pats gave up 2 100yd receiving days by 2 opposing wideouts, you're right. BUT... they both got most their yards on late garbage-time drives (look it up)... oh, and the Pats still won by 21 & 17 points respectively. Trust me, T.O. or Crayton getting 100 is really not a big deal. Points are. If they score multiple TD's, that will matter much more than getting a few yards. Even the Pats' best D's this decade have given up yards... they just don't give up a lot of points.
Last week, Cleveland shutdown Moss... and look what that got them. 2 receivers with big days (Stallworth & Watson) I would look for the Pats to spread it out and make you cover eveyone... all while begging you to blitz where Brady kills teams.
Should be fun!

Posted by Len @ 4:16 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Funny to me how all those guys were either has beens, never weres or wanna bes until the Patriots picked them up. Moss was a quitter last year; Welker a role player; Stallworth an erratic drop king. We never heard what great free agent pickups these journeyman WRs were for their former teams, did we?

Funny how the conventional wisdom changed whenever the Patriots got ahold of them.

Posted by evilinc @ 4:17 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Depends on who's playing. No one matches up with a healthy, focused Moss-he's always been that unique a talent. But it ain't like anyone ought to be having nightmares over Stallworth and Welker. Welker's a good, solid player, and a real good #3. Stallworth, is a fast, athletic receiver, who get's injured when he sneezes and whose hands aren't always consistent. We saw him with the Eagles, and with the Saints. "Scary" he ain't.

Moss? Absolutely. And as was shown last week, you can go to so much effort to take him out of the game that you leave things open for others.

The key is Brady. Gotta get to him, make him uncomfortable. 2 things. As our new blogger, Mr. Breer pointed out, Tom Brady has had one 4-interception game each year since 2003. He ain't infallible. He can be beaten and have a bad game just like anyone else. I'm going to go out on a limb and say he won't end the season with a QB rating of 128 or higher.

2nd, I seem to recall that we weren't given a great shot over then-unbeaten Indy last year. And the same defense that got dive-bombed by Philly, the Giants, and, of course, the Saints, and for whom John Kitna had unkind words, held Peyton Manning in check quite well. This is the NFL. And contrary to what the media often suggests, the talent-level in the league isn't nearly as far apart as it might appear. Witness Monday. That cliche about "any given Sunday" exists for a reason.

It frankly isn't a question of whether the Cowboys have the talent to match up with New England--they have the talent to match up with anyone. It's whether they have the mental focus and werewithall to play up to their capabilities under the glare of expectations. Can they seize the moment, or will the moment seize them?

Frankly, I'm happy all the talk is about New England. I think Belicheck is a bit worried about that as well thus the effusive praise directed towards Dallas. His players are no more immune from press-clippings than anyone else (of course, in Brady's case, given who he dates and has sex with, it's understandable if he believes he's the "chosen one")

All that said, I can't help remembering once before when there appeared to be a meeting of two powerful teams taking place in Texas stadium. Anyone remember 44-0?

I seem to recall Wade mentioning his skill as a defensive coordinator. This is what we like to call, an opportunity.

By the way, the last time a Wade Phillips coached defense faced Tom Brady and the Pats, it grabbed 3 interceptions and held Brady to a rating under 60.

Posted by Andre @ 4:18 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

I'm sure Brady feels the same way you do Patriot Nation, and his wonderful receivers are laping it up as well. That's how you loose games buddy.

Posted by BigTexKahuna @ 4:28 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

I could be wrong, but I don't think our heroes have beaten Randy Moss, have they? Oh well... doesn't matter. I remain optimistic that our guys will find a way to win this Sunday... like they found a way to beat the then undefeated Colts last year.

Posted by craig @ 4:39 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

I've never felt that good about our secondary, and they haven't changed that much this year. So yes, the patriots will score. I think we can hold them to under 30 though and that might be enough, because I think our offense can score against them as well.

Posted by Yaeger @ 4:48 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

If the ends can't get to Brady then the game is over.

Posted by Gary T @ 4:50 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Not many people thought Buffalo had a chance against Dallas last Monday and look what happened. Few people gave Dallas a chance last year when Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts came to town. Who won that game?

Posted by Chris @ 4:50 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

evilinc: Great post.

You're right -- as I wrote the other day in another thread:

The only way -- the ONLY WAY -- we beat the Patriots is if we get to Brady on a consistent basis.

Posted by Gary Mc @ 5:10 PM Wed, Oct 10, 2007

Nice to have the Massholes show up! Welcome!

I would rather see the Cowboys play coverage from time to time. NE has been playing a lot of max protect against blitzing teams while giving Moss 5-6 seconds to wander through the secondary. I'm much more concerned about that than sending the house at Brady. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing Dallas do the same thing Buffalo did against us which take away the deep pass for the most part and force the underneath. Who would you rather see the ball go to, Moss and Stallworth or Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris? D Ware and Spencer need to be able to get to Brady by beating the man in front of them so we don't have to send the house. Brady vs. big blitz = big plays for Pats.

Posted by Joe Moreno @ 3:42 AM Thu, Oct 11, 2007

And the best team thie Patriots have played is who???
Kinda like our team.

Posted by Stevie D @ 4:11 PM Thu, Oct 11, 2007

I feel good about our matchups. Randy Moss is awesome, but good teams can beat individuals.

Remember the first Super Bowl the Pats won against the Rams? The Rams had all kinds of receiving weapons, and the Pats beat them with a pedestrian crew that rose to the occasion. The Cowboys have more than just a pedestrian crew.