Romo and the Cowboys could run the table

I hesitate to write anything favorable about the Cowboys…ever. I don’t like the franchise, Jerry Jones is a tool, Wade Phillips looks so clueless every time he’s shown on TV and most things about the Dallas Cowboys are just obnoxious. Perhaps most importantly, I watched them beat up on the Packers during the 90s (though practically ALL the games were in lame Texas Stadium) and my hatred for the Cowboys eventually grew to rival my hatred for the Bears. (Imagine then, how coollame, new word, sort of like bittersweet, if you will, it was when I golfed with Cowboys WR Alvin Harper a few years back).

But there was something about the way the Cowboys took down a quality Redskins team. It was similar to what I saw when I watched them beat up on the Packers at Lambeau earlier this season. I think the Redskins are really good. They are a very sound team with a strong running game, a safe, sensible passing game and a quality defense. But Dallas controlled the second half of that game and were it not for a few nice defensive plays by the Redskins that led to picks, Dallas might have won by a couple TDs.

Here is why they could run the table:

1. Romo is very good. He is confident and while he’s prone to the boneheaded pass here and there, he is savvy and can make some beautiful throws (the throw to win the game to Bennett was beholdable, as it were).
2. Witten and Bennett both are great receivers – but John Madden is right, Witten is a tremendous asset for many other reasons.
3. TO and Roy Williams will be an exhausting duo to have to defend for defenses for the remainder of the year. Both of these guys can break games open with quality catch/run plays. Romo can also throw to Miles Austin who just makes plays whenever he’s on the field. The receiving options for Romo in the red zone especially make playing defense against them brutal (Witten, Bennett, Williams, TO, Barber, Jones).
4. Marion Barber runs very hard and is a smart football player. His taking tackles inbounds at the end of the game last night on several occasions was smart football – and his 100+ yards pretty much won the game. He can catch, run, juke and roll right through defenders.
5. Felix Jones is hurt but when he returns, there is yet another scary offensive weapon.
6. Terrance Newman is a great corner. He shut down one of this year’s best WRs last night.
7. Ratliffe and Ware are both scary D-Linemen (though Ware may not be the best run defender.

In the NFC, I think there are only 2 teams right now who could spoil things for the Cowboys: the Giants because I can’t leave out the obvious and the Packers, if we get to the playoffs. While I’d worry re the Pack’s run D trying to stop Barber/Jones, our pass D is so good that Romo’s tendency to throw a bad pick or two could result in defensive TDs for us. And the way our offense clicked yesterday, stopping such a balanced attack would be a tall order for anyone. Anyway, I don’t mean to get ahead of myself but after watching a bunch of games yesterday, both the Cowboys’ scariness and the Packers suddenly brighter prospects have been dominant thoughts this morning.