Okay, I may be getting ahead of myself by anointing Garret Top as the Messiah but I was completely floored by the Cowboys performances these past two Sundays after the banishing of Wade Phillips. Not that they have played great in any way, shape, or form, but they are playing with great tenacity and effort. Their lackadaisical play and sense of self-entitlement seems to finally be a thing of the past. (By the way... you would think that fat clown Wade would have wallowed in his mire of embarrassment and disappointment indiscreetly. Instead, he went on Bruce Smith's
Okay, back to what is relevant. Since Jason Garrett has taken over, this team has suddenly come back to life. Throughout the past three weeks Garrett has talked tough, with a military like presence that is a refreshing change from the yawn and gone tactics of Wade Phillips. He's demanded accountability and effort from his new team all week and that is what he has received. One could argue the Lions may have outplayed the Cowboys and I wouldn't disagree. Under Wade, the Cowboys give up and the Lions win. Under Jason Garrett? Not on your life. I think this team has found something special in Garrett. I would not be surprised if they win the majority of their remaining games...including the Thanksgiving shootout against the Saints. Watch them go 9-7 on the year and miss the playoffs. How annoying would that be?
Red Jesus has injected some life and adrenaline into these boys. All of a sudden they're playing with some pride. (The fact that grown men who are paid to play football need someone to remind them that they have pride to protect is more baffling to me than the Yankees current stance with Derek Jeter) He has put them in pads during practice, required them to be early to meetings, implemented a dress code and has fined players for being messy. I'm not saying any of these things directly translate into victories but they provide structure and discipline that this team has lacked. Red Jesus also is curt but to the point with the media. His replies are instantaneous and there is none of that "fat-man stuttering syndrome" that chronically gripped Wade. He's a
The Cowboys recent string of success hinges on the fact that they are playing harder and executing better in all three phases of the game. Against the Giants Jon Kitna looked like a pro-bowler, firing the ball all over the field. He tossed the rock 13 times for 327 yards and finished with a stellar 124.1 QB rating. It seems that the entire offense played with a great sense of both urgency and confidence. The line looked like a new set of players compared with the group we've been gagging over for the past 8 weeks. (Leonard Davis still needs to grab some bench though) I'm not saying Kitna is better than Romo but Tony would do well for himself if he took a few notes from the wily veteran. Kitna makes sure all of his receivers are on the same page with him. He is constantly conferring with Dez Bryant on the field to make sure the rookie knows where to be. The result? Dez Bryant is playing like a stud and in a few years he will be the best receiver in the NFL. He is the definition of being in Beast Mode. The fact that his mom may or may not be a crack head/hooker is irrelevant. If the ball's in his vicinity it’s getting gobbled.
The defense still looks slow and vulnerable but they are playing much harder. They will face a stiff test against the Saints especially with Reggie Bush coming back from injury. The Cowboys defense still suffers from the fact that its linemen are not getting enough pressure (where the hell have Anthony Spencer and Demarcus Ware been hiding?!) Their linebackers are too old and can't cover in the middle of the field. Their secondary is downright despicable and that is not a formula for success.
My bold Thanksgiving prediction.
