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COWBOYS AT
PACKERS +3
9/21/08
Both of these teams had offensive explosions last weekend.
Marion Barber got just 63 yards in 19 carries. One came in a big
chunk for 19 yards. Otherwise the Cowboys couldn't get much going
against the Eagles defense. Keep in mind he had 12 yards on seven
carries in the first half, the rest of the numbers came in the
second half when the Cowboys were at least serviceable on the
ground. Tony Romo was spectacular when he wasn't helping the Eagles'
cause with an interception and fumble that led to touchdowns. He
completed 21 of 30 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns.
Terrell Owens and Jason Witten were the primary targets. Owens had
three catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns against his former
team, including a 72-yard bomb. Witten had seven catches for 110
yards.
The Cowboys held Brian Westbrook to 58 yards on 18 carries. So they
stoned the traditional run well. Quarterback Donovan McNabb
slithered away with 20 yards on five scrambles. Donovan McNabb gave
the Cowboys fits for most of the night with his ability to make
plays with his arm and feet. They seemingly could not get him on the
ground. Most damning was DeSean Jackson repeatedly running free in
the Cowboys' secondary against Adam Pacman Jones. The defense did
corral McNabb and the Eagles' passing game when it mattered most,
notching two sacks on the final drive to preserve the victory.
Felix Jones was an All-American kickoff returner in college and he
showed on Monday night his ability translates to the pro level. He
had 247 yards in returns, including a 98-yard kickoff return for a
touchdown. Kicker Nick Folk quietly scored some momentum changing
points with a 51 yard field at the end of the half to give the
Cowboys momentum going into the locker room.
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The Cowboys did a good job of taking what the defense gave them.
Early on they beat the Eagles with Terrell Owens over the top. Then
they took Owens away, opening up things for tight end Jason Witten
over the middle and running back Marion Barber and the running game.
For reasons that still aren't clear, defensive coordinator Jim
Johnson kept the blitzing to a minimum against Tony Romo. His front
four weren't able to get pressure without it and Romo threw for
three TDs and 312 yards.
The Preview:
Tony Romo now has consecutive 300-yard games to open the season and
four touchdown passes. He also has two interceptions, but he did
throw 19 last season, so it is definitely not a new trend. Big
things are expected from the Cowboys in 2008 and Romo could end up
being one of the top Quarterback producers. Marion Barber now has
four touchdowns through two games and is doing exactly what Dallas
expected -- put points on the board. He no longer has to share
carries with Julius Jones and 2008 could be Barber's finest season.
The only other offensive player that contributed significantly was
star wide out Terrell Owens.
The Eagles-Cowboys game lived up to the hype offensively,
unfortunately, the defenses paid the price. Dallas is a team that
doesn't blitz a lot out of the 3-4 formation, but they usually get
pressure on the QB. However, the Green Bay’s Offensive Line should
be stout enough to keep the Cowboys’ front seven at bay in crucial
situations.
it's hard to find a lot of things that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has
done wrong following his performance against Detroit when he was
24-of-38 passing for 328 yards and three touchdowns. Going into
Monday night he ranks sixth in the NFL in passer rating (117.8),
tied for third in touchdowns (four), tied for sixth in fewest sacks
taken (two) and has attempted more passes (60) without an
interception than all but one other starting quarterback. For the
season, he has completed 42-of-60 passes (70 percent) for 506 yards
and four touchdowns. At this rate, he'll throw for 4,048 yards and
32 touchdowns this season. Rodgers has a lot more targets to
distribute the ball to than Tony Romo. What has Rogers done so far
in Green Bay’s 2-0 SU and ATS start? He hasn’t screwed it up, which
is more than half the battle for an NFL quarterback.
Last week the Packers defense scored two defensive touchdowns when
Charles Woodson and Nick Collins returned interceptions for scores
at Detroit. The Packers had three interceptions total with five
sacks. Pick: Green Bay +3
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