7th round pick Sean Lissemore

With their final pick in the 2010 draft, the Cowboys picked up a defensive tackle from William and Mary named Sean Lissemore. Not knowing anything about Lissemore, I used my “insider” subscription at ESPN.com to learn more. Turns out that ESPN doesn’t know much more than me, except that he was projected as a free agent prospect.

The best scouting report I could find came from a Jacksonville Jaguars blog. Here is the summary:

One of the more popular of the William & Mary recruits is defensive tackle Sean Lissemore. Lissemore has to be one of the only, if not the only, defensive tackle to enter a draft as a former track star in high school. His 11.20 seconds in the 100m made him one of the best sprinters in New Jersey. A high school linebacker at 6’3, 240 pounds, Lissemore has since gained 50+ pounds yet managed to keep his linebacker speed. His 4.83 40 yard dash would have placed him among the fastest DTs at the combine if he had received an invite.

With all that speed, the next, logical step is to question his strength. His 36 reps on the bench press would have earned him third amongst the defensive lineman at the combine. His 30 inch vertical is very respectable for anybody near the 300 pound weight range. Clearly Lissemore is an athlete with the necessary NFL measurables.

At 298 pounds, Lissemore is not the big nose guard that many Cowboys fans want. It is possible, though, that he could continue to get bigger.

Dallas took CB Jamal Wall in the 6th round.

The Cowboys added another defensive back in the 6th round by taking Texas Tech CB Jamal Wall in the 6th round.  With Alan Ball slated to be the team’s free safety, the Cowboys are left with Orlando Scandrick and Cletis Gordon as the top backup corners. Wall should provide some depth should things work out.

Here is his summary from CBS Sports:

One of the more underrated players at his position, Wall was named second-team all-conference after he made 58 tackles, intercepted two passes, broke up 15 others, and forced two fumbles.

Wall had very similar numbers with five interceptions and six pass breakups as a sophomore. As a true freshman he contributed primarily on special teams, but stepped in because of injuries to deflect two passes.

Wall is a good athlete who had a storied high school career where he ran for over 2,000 yards in both his junior and senior seasons.

Though a bit shorter than scouts prefer, Wall’s stocky build, athleticism, aggressive play and sure tackling make him a potential starting zone corner in the NFL and worthwhile Saturday draft pick.

The guy can apparently hit. Or at the least, he could hit Jake Sharp of Kansas:

The Cowboys took Notre Dame tackle Sam Young in the 6th round.

The Cowboys addressed the tackle position in the 6th round by taking Notre Dame tackle Sam Young.  At 6’8″, 320 pounds, he has the size. However, at least one site says that he can’t play left tackle.

Too big to be very effective blocking in the open field and on the second level. Doesn’t have the quickness or athleticism to play left tackle. Sometimes plays too upright, loses leverage and allows rushers to walk him back. Loses control at times and drew a number of personal fouls this season, something which must be tempered.

Here is more on Young from Notre Dame’s site:

Notre Dame’s top returning offensive lineman enters his final season with the possibility of setting the school record for most starts in a career … has started all 38 games of his career and is the only Notre Dame offensive lineman to have started every game since his freshman year … became the first Irish offensive lineman to make his debut as a freshman in the season opener since freshmen regained eligibility in 1972 … veteran leader of the offense has more starts under his belt than any other player on the roster … started 28 games at right tackle and 10 games at left tackle in his career … started the first 15 games at Notre Dame at right tackle and started all 13 games in 2008 on the right side as well … one of four returning starters on the offensive line in 2009 … selected to Phil Steele’s preseason All-America second team in 2009 … ranked by Steele as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the country … Lindy’s tabbed him the seventh-best offensive tackle in 2009 preseason … key reason why Steele ranked Notre Dame’s offensive line as the fifth-best in the country.

The Cowboys have had their chances to draft a tackle, given that Maryland’s Bruce Campbell did not go until the fourth round. However, the Cowboys (as is more typical than their pick of Dez Bryant) snagged to defensive players in the second and fourth rounds.

Sean Lee, LB, Penn State

Sean Lee was the Cowboys' 2nd round pick.

Lee is supposed to provide depth this year at inside linebacker. At the worst, he may be a long-term replacement for Bobby Carpenter as a backup and as a special teams player. If things work out, Lee could eventually replace Keith Brooking.

The Cowboys picked up linebackers Jason Williams and Victor Butler last year, and if Williams shows development, Carpenter may be may be out.

Here is more on Lee.

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB/S, Indiana (Pa.).

The Cowboys will apparently attempt to convert Owusu-Ansah to safety, and if so, the team has addressed one if its big needs. He is also a good returner and could take over duties on kickoff return.

Here is more on Owusu-Ansah.

* * *

The Cowboys have three more picks, including two sixth round picks and a seventh. If the Cowboys take a tackle with one of these picks, here are some options:

Selvish Capers, West Virginia (awesome name)

Kyle Calloway, Iowa

Ciron Black, LSU

[Update: Okay, so these names were way off. The Cowboys took Notre Dame's Sam Young]

Dez Bryant is heading to Dallas.

There have been rumors on the past few weeks that receiver Dez Bryant could fall to the Cowboys in the draft, even though the Cowboys held the 27th overall pick. The chances were along the lines of a snowball’s chance in hell, given that the Cowboys still need to sign Miles Austin to a long-term deal and still have the costly bust known as Roy Williams.

Rumors that the Cowboys would move up to take safety Earl Thomas were more believable, but those rumors were largely squashed by team sources last night. By the time the 24th pick (held by the Patriots) came up, Bryant was still there. The Cowboys exchanged the #27 (1st round) and #90 (3rd round) picks for the Patriots’ picks at #24 and #119 (4th round).

It will be very interesting to see how the Cowboys handle the using the trio of Austin, Bryant, and Williams, along with other returning receivers and the Jason Witten. This, of course, assumes that the team keeps Williams, who told ESPN:

“If all goes well, not trying to talk noise, but if all goes well, we’ll have the best wide receiving corps in the league. Dez is a big dude, he can play. He will help us win some ballgames.”

Here are some of Bryant’s Oklahoma State highlights:

Fair to say that he catches the ball in traffic pretty well. I think this is a great move.

The NFL released the 2010 schedule today. The team will open on the road at Washington on Sunday night, September 12.

The interesting stretch of games once again comes in December. Here’s a look:

Sun., Dec. 5: at Indianapolis, 3:15 p.m.* (Fox)
Sun., Dec. 12: PHILADELPHIA, 7:20 p.m.* (NBC)
Sun., Dec. 19: WASHINGTON, noon* (Fox)
Sat., Dec. 25: at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. (NFLN)
Sun., Jan. 2: at Philadelphia, noon* (Fox)

Of course, Philadelphia and Arizona will both be playing with new quarterbacks, so whether those teams are as strong as they have been in the past is yet to be seen. Opening with a trip to Indianapolis, though, won’t be easy. Moreover, the team also faces the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving.

The Cowboys have parted ways with left tackle Flozell Adams.

The Cowboys provided some real news today when they released left tackle Flozell Adams and safety Ken Hamlin. The Hamlin move is not surprising, but I’m not sure how many expected the team to dump Flozell.

The team has had considerable success at the left tackle position, with Adams serving the longest as a starter. One blogger posed a ridiculous question of whether Adams should be a part of the Ring of Honor; that’s very far-fetched, in my opinion, but he was certainly one of the more consistent linemen in team history.

In the past 50 years, the team has only had to rely on 10 permanent starting left tackles. Here’s a look:

Bob Fry, 1960-1963
Tony Liscio, 1964, 1967-1970 (as well as the 1971 playoffs)
Jim Boeke, 1965-1966
Ralph Neely, 1971-1977
Pat Donovan, 1978-1983
Phil Pozderac, 1984-1986
Mark Tuinei, 1987, 1989-1996
George Hegamin, 1997
Larry Allen, 1998
Flozell Adams, 1999-2009

(As a footnote to this list, Torrin Tucker started 10 games in 2005 when Adams was injured).

Most of these players did not play left tackle exclusively.

• Fry played both left and right tackle towards the end of his career.
• Liscio was injured after starting at left tackle in 1964, then returned to play guard. By 1967, he returned to start at left tackle.
• Neely was named all-pro three times at right tackle before taking over at left tackle in 1971.
• Donovan played right tackle in 1977 before taking over as the starter at left tackle in 1978.
• Tuinei was drafted as a defensive tackle.
• Allen is best known, of course, for playing right and left guard, but he played at the tackle position for part of 1997 and all of 1998 season.
• Adams started 12 games at right guard in 1998 before taking over full-time at left tackle in 1999.

With this information in mind, who is the best left tackle in team history. Please participate in the poll below.

This is a tough one. Adams is certainly more decorated than the others, but I think that Tuinei was just as consistent and more reliable in terms of avoiding mental mistakes. My vote goes to Tuinei, but I suspect I’m in the minority.

Here’s a trivia question: which injured player did Adams replace at right guard in 1998?

Pro-Football-Reference has a page that allows users to sort through coaching records, including playoff wins, champions, and so forth. According to this list, a total of 80 coaches have coached at least four playoff games during their career. Among those 80 coaches, Dallas coach Wade Phillips’ career record of 1-5 is tied for 78th in terms of winning percentage.

Wade Phillips and Jack Pardee both have 1-5 career playoff records.

The other coach with a 1-5 playoff record? Um, that would be former Chicago, Washington, and Houston coach Jack Pardee. That doesn’t bode well for Wade.

Pardee was Walter Payton’s first coach in Chicago. He led the Bears to the playoffs in 1977, but Chicago was blown out by the Cowboys. Pardee then had a rift with management in Chicago (here is an article on Google), and in 1978, Pardee wound up in Washington. He was the coach who led the Redskins to a 10-6 record in 1979 but lost to the Cowboys in the final week of the regular season when Roger Staubach pulled out his final miracle. In three years in Washington, Pardee never led the Redskins to the playoffs.

(Two years after Pardee left Washington, the Redskins won their first Super Bowl title. You might recall that the Broncos won a Super Bowl title two years after Phillips was replaced by Mike Shanahan in Denver.)

During the 1980s, Pardee wound up coaching in the USFL and then at the University of Houston. Ten years after leaving Washington, he was hired by the Houston Oilers and installed the run-and-shoot offense featuring Warren Moon. Pardee recorded his only playoff win in 1991 when the Oilers beat the Jets in the wildcard round of the AFC playoffs. However, the Oilers blew a 21-6 lead and lost the Broncos in the divisional round. One year later, the Oilers had a 35-3 lead at Buffalo but fell apart and lost 41-38.

(Completely trivial, of course, but Phillips first two permanent head coaching jobs were with the Broncos and Bills).

Pardee led the Oilers to another division title in 1993, but Houston lost to Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. In 1994, Houston started at 1-9, and Pardee resigned.

Here is the comparison of the careers:

Jack Pardee

Permanent NFL head coaching jobs: 3
Overall record: 87-77 (.530)
Total seasons: 11
Seasons above .500: 6
Playoff record: 1-5
Notable losses:

• With the Bears, a blowout loss to the Cowboys in the 1977 playoffs.
• With the Redskins, a 35-34 loss to the Cowboys that cost Washington a division title and a playoff berth.
• With the Oilers, gave up a 21-6 lead to the Broncos in a 26-24 loss.
• With the Oilers, gave up a 35-3 lead to the Bills in a 41-38 loss.
• With the Oilers, lost to an aging Joe Montana, who left join the Chiefs after many years in San Francisco and led Kansas City to a championship game appearance.

Wade Phillips

Permanent NFL head coaching jobs: 3
Overall record: 81-54 (.600)
Total seasons: 10
Seasons above .500: 6
Playoff record: 1-5
Notable losses:

• With the Broncos, couldn’t stop Napoleon McCallum or Jeff Hostetler in a 42-24 loss.
• With the Bills, appeared to have beaten the Tennessee Titans, but the Titans used a controversial lateral on the kickoff return to score and win the game.
• With the Cowboys, lost a first-half lead to the Giants, and the Cowboys could not manage a comeback in a 21-17 loss.
• With the Cowboys, suffered a 44-6 blowout loss to the Eagles that cost the Cowboys a playoff berth.
• With the Cowboys, lost to an aging Brett Favre, who left join the Vikings after many years in Green Bay (with a stop-off in New York, of course) and led Minnesota to a championship game appearance.

* * *

The only coach on the list who never won a playoff game after having at least four appearances is Jim Mora, Sr.

In 15 seasons, Mora went 125-106 (.541) and led his two teams to the playoffs six times. He went 0-6.

His two teams? That would be Super Bowl XLIV participants New Orleans and Indianapolis.

Jerry Jones today confirmed what most already knew—that Wade Phillips will be back next year and probably longer.

In three seasons under Phillips, the Cowboys have gone 13-3, 9-7, and 11-5, the latter of which produced a playoff win. Former Star-Telegram columnist Jim Reeves (now with ESPN) and many others believe that by bringing Wade back, the Cowboys have ended their Super Bowl-or-else expectations. I don’t agree, because I think next year is a Super Bowl (at least appearance)-or-bust season.

How that might happen depends on whether Phillips and the Cowboys can find a way to have the regular season success of the 2007 season and the late-season success of the 2009 season. Dallas also has to learn how to win more than one playoff game, which the franchise hasn’t done in 15 years.

For Phillips and the Cowboys to accomplish all of this, the team not only has to find areas to improve to get over the hump, but the team also has to avoid pitfalls that derailed the 2008 season. Here are some thoughts:

1. Don’t Forget About the Backup Quarterback

It’s easy to assume that the Cowboys are solid with the backup QB position, given that Dallas signed Jon Kitna last year. He didn’t play a down, meaning that nobody knows what Kitna might bring to the table. In 2007, Brad Johnson threw a total of 11 passes, and it wasn’t clear to the Cowboys—somehow—that he didn’t have anything left until Tony Romo went down with an injury. Johnson was 39 in 2008, while Kitna will be 38 next year. If Romo misses any time in 2010, the team can’t afford to give away losses if Kitna isn’t the answer. It’s possible that Stephen McGee could develop during the offseason, but that’s a big if.

2. Someone Needs to Complement Miles Austin

The emergence of Miles Austin certainly saved the Cowboys’ season, but when teams have been able to shut Austin down (Green Bay, Minnesota), the Cowboys don’t have a great second option other than Jason Witten.  Dallas has chosen not to go after receivers in the past several drafts, and some of the players available in those drafts have emerged as stars. This would include Syndey Rice (2nd round, 2007), DeSean Jackson (2nd round, 2008), and Steve Smith (2nd round, 2007). The Cowboys have a serviceable Patrick Crayton and a completely unreliable Roy Williams. The team’s second-round pick in 2008, tight end Martellus Bennett, showed little improvement in 2009.

What I wish will happen won’t happen, but here it goes: release Roy Williams, take a chance and draft a receiver late in the first round (or second round at the latest), hope for further development from Kevin Ogletree to provide a spark early in the season, and hope the rookie develops into a threat later in the season.

3. Continue to Worry About Offensive Line Depth…and the Offensive Line in General

The Cowboys were very lucky that Doug Free came through as a capable backup to Marc Columbo in the second half of the season, because during the preseason, it did not appear that the Cowboys had a viable backup tackle at all. Dallas fortunately did not suffer any injuries at the center or guard positions, but I don’t think the team can expect such great fortune every year. And I don’t think anyone wants to see what would happen if Cory Procter got back on field in 2010 to the extent that he did in 2008.

The Cowboys should get to see what Robert Brewster can do when he returns from injury in 2010, but I’m not sure that he provides any sort of answer at guard. Duke Preston may be an option, but he spent the entire season on the inactive list. Even with these players, though, the team can hardly afford injuries to Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, or Kyle Kosier.

Even if the offensive line stays healthy, there’s still this matter of wondering whether the line is as talented as we’ve been led to believe. Against the Eagles, the line looked dominant in both pass protection and the running game. But against the Vikings and in some of the previous games, the line tended to look old and slow, failing to give Romo time or failing to give Dallas backs a chance on short yardage. This team isn’t going anywhere if the Minnesota game is any kind of reflection of the line’s true ability.

4. “This is What We Do. You Can’t Stop Us.”

Something stood out to me in watching the Jets perform against the Chargers. On several occasions near the end of the game, it appeared obvious to me that the Jets were going to run the ball right up the gut. What happened was that the Jets ran the ball right up the gut. This was against the same San Diego defense that stuffed Marion Barber on the goalline on three straight plays in a big game in Dallas in December. Unlike the Cowboys, the Jets kept moving the ball—so well, in fact, that Shonn Greene burst right through an arm tackle for a touchdown that gave the Jets what turned out to be an insurmountable lead.

On several occasions in 2009, I thought the Cowboys needed to pound the ball right up the gut. This was true when the Cowboys had a lead in the third quarter against the Giants in week 2, but Tony Romo instead threw a terrible deep pass that the Giants picked off. This was also true in the playoff loss to the Vikings, when Dallas ran the ball three straight times for 34 yards, only to call a play with Marion Barber running outside and right into the arms of Ray Edwards. In fact, I think this was true when the Cowboys needed to kill the clock against the Eagles when Dallas led 24-0 in the season finale. Instead, Tony Romo was throwing the ball, taking the risk that he could be injured.

I won’t pretend to know the nuances of Jason Garrett’s offense, but at some point, I think that the team’s offense needs to reach a point where the playcalling doesn’t seem to mask some sort of weakness. Of course, if there are truly that many weaknesses, this entire post is moot.

5. Cure All of the Special Teams Woes

Joe DeCamillis’ coverage units were so much better than Bruce Read’s that it’s hard to criticize the Cowboys’ special teams at all. In other words, put the field goal kicking situation in a separate category and be happy with the rest.

Bad field goal kicking has plagued this team for much of the decade. In 2005 and 2006, missed field goals cost the Cowboys games. The Cowboys had solid kicking in 2007 and 2008, but the coverage units broke down. In fact, poor punt coverage hurt the Cowboys’ chances against the Giants in the 2007 playoffs. Punting has been great under Mat McBriar, but when he was injured in 2008, the team lost a big weapon and also lost the field position battle in several games. McBriar was back to his old form in 2009, but the field goal woes returned. Moreover, the Cowboys could not manage any sort of effective return game.

I don’t know what the answer to all of this is, but the play of the special teams could easily be the difference between an 11-5 season and a 13-3 season. That’s the difference between playing in another wildcard game and getting a bye. It might also be the difference between home field advantage and yet another season of trying to win on the road.

Incidentally, it’s hard not to notice the quality of kickers who have missed huge kicks during the playoffs—Nate Kaeding, Neil Rackers, Shayne Graham, Stephen Gostowski. Moreover, none of the four kickers left in the playoffs has missed a field goal during the postseason. This includes 41-year-old Matt Stover, who is a Dallas native.

6. Hope That Terence Newman Has Some Time Left in Him, or That Orlando Scandrick Improves Quickly

Terence Newman has been the team’s best corner for most of this decade, but that was not true in 2009. Mike Jenkins looks like he may be better than Newman ever was, and it would seem that the team should have the benefit of two shutdown corners. However, Newman made some mistakes in 2009 that we should have expected from the youngsters in the secondary. Newman will be in his eighth year next year, but he will also be 32.

Orlando Scandrick did not emerge the way some (including me) expected. He had some trouble with slot receivers running right in front of him, especially on third downs. When Newman was injured briefly against the Eagles late in the season, Alan Ball went in, and I’m not sure that Ball wasn’t better at corner than Scandrick.

7. Hope for More Forward Progress from the Front Seven

There have been some calls for the Cowboys to make some changes in the front seven. I’ve seen criticism of the likes of Bradie James and Igor Olshansky, and I’ve seen more calls to bring in a big nose tackle to allow the team to move Jay Ratliff to defensive end. My reaction is don’t do anything other than watch this unit get better. Anthony Spencer’s play toward the end of the year was huge in the team’s late push, and the defense as a whole hasn’t been so dominant in many years. Dallas will get a chance to see what Brandon Williams might offer, and Jason Williams and Victor Butler are still developing.

* * *

Here’s something for me to remember about my own superstitions when it comes to this blog.

One day before the Cowboys faced the Chargers, I predicted that Nick Folk would make two field goals and not miss any. He missed a big field goal, and Dallas lost by three.

One week later, I predicted that Folk would miss three field goals and three extra points in a Dallas loss. He missed one field goal, but the Cowboys still won.

I seem to have forgotten this trend last week when I predicted that Shaun Suisham would make the game-winner against the Vikings. He missed two field goals, which were costly in the Dallas loss.

So I apparently jinxed the team against Minnesota and apologize profusely. Just a reminder to myself: don’t express confidence in a kicker of you want the team to win.

I am fully aware that this means nothing in the long run, but the 2009 season has been so eerily similar to the 1991 season, it is hard not to hope that next year follows the same pattern.

Here are points of comparison.

Four-Game Winning Streaks

1991: The Cowboys started at 1-2 but then went on a four-game winning streak to improve their record to 5-2.

2009: The Cowboys started at 2-2 but then went on a four-game winning streak to improve their record to 6-2.

Ends of the Winning Streaks

1991: The Cowboys ended their winning streak by losing to a northern team (Detroit) on the road.

2009: Same, except the loss occurred at Green Bay.

Upsetting Undefeated Teams

1991: On November 24, the 6-5 Cowboys were coming off a two-game losing streak, with one of those losses occurring on the road against the Giants. Dallas faced the 11-0 Redskins at Washington. The Cowboys pulled off the huge 24-21 upset, giving the team momentum down the stretch.

2009: On December 19, the 8-5 Cowboys were coming off a two-game losing streak, with one of those losses occurring on the road against the Giants. Dallas faced the 13-0 Saints at New Orleans. The Cowboys pulled off the huge 24-17 upset, giving the team momentum down the stretch.

Learning from Previous Year’s Mistakes

1991: The Cowboys needed to win one of their last two games against the Eagles or Falcons to make the playoffs in 1990. Dallas lost both games. In 1991, the Cowboys faced the Eagles and Falcons again in the last two weeks, and Dallas won both games, securing a playoff berth.

2009: The Cowboys needed to win one of their last two games against the Ravens or Eagles to make the playoffs in 2008. Dallas lost both games. In 2009, the Cowboys faced the Redskins and Eagles in the last two weeks, and Dallas won both games, securing a playoff berth.

11-5

1991: The Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record and finished in second place in the NFC East.

2009: The Cowboys finished with an 11-5 record and won the NFC East.

Playoff Droughts Ended

1991: Dallas had not won a playoff game between 1982 and 1991. That streak came to an end when the Cowboys beat the Bears on December 29, 1991.

2009: Dallas had not won a playoff game between 1996 and 2009. That streak came to an end when the Cowboys beat the Eagles on January 9, 2010.

Blowout Losses in a Dome in a Northern City

1991: Dallas traveled to Detroit to take on the Lions in the 1991 playoffs. Dallas expected to have to stop running back Barry Sanders, but instead, Erik Kramer destroyed the Dallas secondary in a 38-6 Detroit win.

2009: Dallas traveled to Minnesota to take on the Vikings in the 2009 playoffs. Dallas expected to have to stop running Adrian Peterson, but instead, Brett Favre destroyed the Dallas secondary in a 34-3 Minnesota win

* * *

There are some other parallels and points of comparison, though some of these will need to play themselves out in 2010 and beyond.

Emerging Triplets (?)

1991: Troy Aikman was in his third season, Emmitt Smith was in his second season, and Michael Irvin was in his fourth season. Smith and Irvin emerged as Pro Bowlers in 1991, but Aikman was a year away from proving he was the real deal.

2009: Tony Romo is in his fourth season as a starter, Felix Jones is in his second season, and Miles Austin has emerged as a starter. Austin became a Pro Bowler, and Jones emerged as the team’s best running back at the end of the season. Romo got over one hump by beating the Eagles in the playoffs, but he needs more playoff wins to truly prove himself.

Head Coaches

1991: Jimmy Johnson was in his third season as head coach after replacing Tom Landry. Playoff wins as of 1991: Landry 20, Johnson 1.

2009: Wade Phillips is in his third season as head coach after replacing Bill Parcells. Playoff wins (for Dallas) as of 2009: Phillips 1, Parcells 0.

Brett Favre

1991: Favre was a little-known backup with the Atlanta Falcons. He was on the team that lost to the Cowboys in the final game of the regular season.

2009: Favre is probably the best known football player on the planet. He signed with Minnesota in August, leading the Vikings to a #2 seed and a playoff win over the Cowboys.

Randy Galloway

1991: Galloway was columnist with the Dallas Morning News. His column after the Cowboys’ 38-6 loss to the Lions:

They had come this far, this fast, but then they lose like that. Every defensive wart exposed. Every coaching move trumped. Every angle covered by the other guys.

They had come this far, this fast, but then they depart the playoffs looking Sunday like a ringer that had slipped past NFL security.

2009: The comment above could describe the Cowboys’ loss to the Vikings, except the focus of his piece in 1991 was on  Jimmy Johnson’s response to the loss. He’s since moved on to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where the focus of Galloway & Hate this week most likely won’t express confidence in Wade Phillips.

Jerry Jones

Okay, so the pictures are from 1992 and 2006. You get the idea (KNIFE).

The Following Year

1992: Dallas goes 13-3 and wins Super Bowl XXVII.

2010: We can only dream for now.