Close....

On the Cowboys score. I had it 23-16 Dallas. The final score was 23-20 Dallas but I was not so close on how the teams would end up with their scores. I really thought Dallas would be more in control of the game than they were. But a win is a win and this was a good game. Alwasy better when your team comes out on top so that is just some icing on the cake. Dallas did have their chances at some turnovers but I guess the cold weather made them fumble fingers. Their was Aaron Glenn's drop of a certain interception in the end zone and Tiki Barber's fumble that three Cowboys had their feet around and yet could not come up with the ball. Romo's final figures were slightly off of my prediction as well. He through more passes than I thought he would but the yardage was about right. He did throw it down field more than I thought he would have but then what do I know?? What I do know is that the Cowboy's are 8-4 and are not afraid of any team in the league. If Rex Grossman continues to play the way he has, Chicago will be a non factor. Dallas is the only team in the league that is top 5 on both offense and defense, so they are well balanced. Which means other teams just cannot load up on side of the ball and dare Dallas to beat them with another part. Dallas runs the ball effective enough that teams have to pay attention to it and they have enough weapons in the passing game that teams must account for it. Take away the outside receivers and the tight ends and back tear up the middle. Send linebackers out to play the passing game and the running backs gash the middle for yards. Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens are too good for defenses to play man to man more than a few plays so they must give them help. On defense, Dallas a very good against the run and their corners are good enough to one on one with most teams or at the least they only have to double one opponents receivers leaving a safety to help out with tight end coverage over the middle. And then there is Ware's speed rushing that is starting to cause havoc for quarterbacks. Double him and that will leave someone else uncovered. Last night showed that Dallas can play pass defense well enough that they do not have to live and die by the blitz constantly. New Orleans is going to be a big test this week again but this team seams to be rising to the occasion with each passing game. The believe they can win against anybody and Romo's swagger is trickling to down to each player. We have seen Brees pass for over 500 yards in a game this season along with a much improved running game but the Saints are also susceptible on defense. If Dallas once again plays ball control, then Brees and company have fewer chances to do something with the ball. That in turn places pressure on them to make something happen when they do have it and that is when turnovers and mistakes happen. This is the time of year when each week is almost like a playoff game and Dallas once again has the power offense to impose their will on other teams and control the game. Even with the Giants offense success yesterday there was the impression that Dallas still controlled the game. The Giants were always going uphill and did not really demonstrate the ability to stop Dallas. That comes from the energy and attitude of Tony Romo. He is in control and the others now feel a leadership within him that has not been there since Aikmans days. I read an article yesterday about how there is the feeling in New York that how can Manning tell others what to do? He is the young one. Well,age does not matter, it is position and the responsibility that comes with it that matters. It is how a person carries themselves. There are butter bar Lt. in the military that take firm control of their units and there are some that never get more than what the enlisted has to give them. Demand respect and you will get none. Command respect and you will get it.