Your Dallas Cowboys vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ahhhh, do you, friendly readership, know what that clock means?

It means that it is September 11, and that football season is underway!

First, a note on this, the eighth Anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the country- I was in seventh grade then, and I remember getting the news in my second period Spanish class. I walked in, and, as I was walking in, the first tower came down. I didn't see it, but the class was looking at me like something awful had happened. I had to wait an hour before my third period biology teacher, Mr. Witchman, sat at the front of the class and told us that things would be different. He was right. It is a different world.

Now, on to the Cowboys:

The new look 'Bucs are in trouble- they are starting a castoff quarterback (Byron Leftwich) and a new, unproven coach (who was only the defensive co-ordinator for like, a few months) who this past week dismissed the offensive coordinator for his team. That, friends, means trouble.

Let's look at this, bullet point style-

-Vegas has Dallas at -2.5, so the boys in Vegas favor the Cowboys over the home favorite three points and then two and a half points more. What does this really mean? Take the Cowboys- the Bucs have looked lost with their first teamers in, and you don't solve your problems by firing your offensive coordinator the week before the season.

-The Cowboys defense excels at stopping teams like this- poor quarterback, limited receiver options, and a reliance on the running game. DeMarcus Ware and his little buddy Anthony Spencer, who, unless he proves something, is a confirmed bust, should be able to sack Leftwich several times. Several times. The secondary will get a good opportunity to tune up against a bad passing game.

-Offensively, the Bucs still, somehow, have a reasonable defense. But the cowboys array of weapons, and their excellent offensive line (which is still excellent, doubters be silenced (go on doubters, silence yourselves!)), should prevent even the inevitable Tony Romo Interception from doing any damage. Felix Jones and Marion Barber the Barbarian will both have good games- the Bucs run defense hasn't been the same since they started losing defensive linemen, last year being the sort-of exception.

-Roy E. Williams will get his targets, and so should second-year sensation Martellus Bennett. Both of these are supposed to be featured parts of the offense, and this is the time the coaches will be trying to prove it.

Prediction: Cowboys 28, Bucaneers 10

The way it will go down: Tony Romo, 2 TD-1 INT, 270 yds Marion Barber 2 TD, 70 yds, Felix Jones, 50 yds on like, two carries, Witten 1 TD, Wide Receiver Field 1 TD.

Gerald "46" Sensabaugh, 1 INT, DeMarcus Ware 2 sacks, Anthony Spencer, 1 sack, rest of defense, acceptable

And that's the way it will have been.

Roy E. Williams

Roy Williams may as well be the Omega 13 of the Dallas Cowboys (obscure Galaxy Quest reference)- you’re not sure what will happen, but you have to give it a chance, otherwise you’ll never know.

In not nerd terms, Roy Williams was added to the team last year and didn’t do anything of note because he was a late addition as a receiver. When you really think about how hard learning a playbook is and how tough it is to establish chemistry with a quarterback, that’s a lot to ask, so I’m willing to forgive and forget. Now he’s got an off-season under his belt, a whole summer working with Tony Romo, and game time is fast approaching. It’s time to know what happens when you push that button (sorry, no more Galaxy Quest references).

Roy Williams is now the number one receiver on the Cowboys, because he who must not be named has finally been banished to Buffalo, and it’s time for him to step up and accept that job. Roy was with Detroit for the past five years,and before that he attended college at the University of Texas, where he was a big star. In the NFL, though, he has a lot of proving to do. The Cowboys are currently a “short” team in the NFL (with regards to yards-per-play); Roy needs to truly dominate this year, or the Cowboys are in for a long reason. Metrically, Roy stands 6’3’’ and weighs 220 lbs. I’m not sure how big his feet are, but they better be pretty substantial, because he’s got some big shoes to fill.

NFL Kickoff Spectacular

Ok, so right now I'm watching the NFL on CBS, brought to you by GE, and by those freaking Prius comercials. Cool the first time, awful awful awfully annoying these last 200.

So, what have we learned about the NFL, and, in a more specific context, the Cowboys in these first three quarters of football?



Well, nothing about the Cowboys. But there are some interesting Dallas and Texas storylines in the game in general:

Punter Daniel Sepulvada has so far punted seven times, with a net over 42. Sepulvada is a Highland Park native, like me, and so I am cheering for him. His first punt was great. His second was lucky. Then he punted five more times.

Former Texas players Vince Young, Michael Griffin, Bo Scaife, and Limas Sweed are in this game. VY, Griffin and Scaife play for the Titans, and Limas plays for the Steelers. Sweed is without a catch, VY is contemplating breaking Kerry Collins leg on the sidelines, and, all in all- HOLY CRAP JEVON KEARSE, THAT WAS FREAKING RIDICULOUS- all in all, Scaife is making the only impact. Holy crap. Jevon Kearse. The Freak.

Also, the Steelers may be in trouble this year. If Big Ben wants to hold onto the ball that long, maybe he should think about being a point guard for the New York Nicks (oh, snap!).

I'm sure I've missed other people. Anyway. Looks like the Steelers are about to score, oh well. If they don't, another maxim proves true- Vince Young Just sits on the sideline as his team Wins Football Games, or VYJWFG.

Win on, Vince. Win on.

UPDATE: Michael Griffin, who Jevon Kearse made me forget, just got a HUGE strip off of Hines Ward. Strip Town, baby! Population Hines Ward!

The Great (BIG) Leonard Davis

This begins the "a player a day keeps the doctor away" saga as the season ramps into its starting gear, and with the swine flu running rampant, I think we all need to be reading. Check back daily for quick bios on each of the 22 starters on the Cowboys so that when the season starts, you know what you’re watching and know what you’re talking about. Hope you enjoy the inaugural entry about our favorite right guard, Leonard Davis.

At 6’6’’, and a solid 353 pounds, Leonard Davis is a big dude. Weighing considerably more than all the other starters on the offensive line, Leonard is a huge (see what I did there) reason the Cowboys have had such success running the ball. The Cowboys acquired him in 2007 as an unrestricted free agent, and he is actually the highest paid offensive lineman acquired on the free agent market in club history. A graduate from the University of Texas, since he began his stint on the Cowboys he has been to two consecutive pro bowls, and is cementing himself in the upper echelon of offensive guards in the NFL today. Wearing number 70 and playing right guard, watch for Leonard this season to dominate opponents and to hopefully make his way into his third straight pro bowl.