Giants stuff...

[boozeman]

I also expect Manning to bounce back, he usually does.

The fact is that even with 5 INTs like that, they were still in that game.

We will need to play better than we did the last time in order to beat them. Not saying I think we will definitely lose, but there is a chance, especially if they can get their run game working again. Jennings is getting more healthy, not good if he's 100%.

 

[Cotton]

Cowboys prepare for Eli Manning
November, 20, 2014

By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Anthony Spencer had to make sure he was hearing it correctly: Eli Manning threw five interceptions last week in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

It was the second time Manning had thrown five interceptions, yet Spencer and several other Dallas Cowboys said the New York Giants quarterback remains a dangerous man.

“He had five interceptions?” said Spencer. “We’re not worried about what they do, we’re just worried about what we do and we have to affect him any way we can.”

In his career, Manning is 10-10 against his NFC East rival and has thrown more touchdowns (41) and interceptions (22) against the Cowboys than any other team.

Manning threw three touchdowns in the first meeting between the teams this season, a 31-21 Cowboys victory at AT&T Stadium.

He didn’t have receiver Victor Cruz in that game because he was nursing an injury and he won’t have him again this week since Cruz is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery.

He does have rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who cornerback Orlando Scandrick said is getting better each week.

With the Giants' season withering away less than two months from the close of the season, the Cowboys expect a proud Manning to rebound from his difficult game the previous week.

“Eli, he won two Super Bowls, the guy can play,” Scandrick said. “Last week was unfortunate, he had a tipped ball, missed a couple of throws, but Eli can play.”

Added Jason Garrett: "Well, he’s just a really good player and has been for a long time. When you play that position in this league, you’re going to have some games where it doesn’t go your way and he’s proven throughout his career that he always comes back.”

 

[Cotton]

Stats-eye view of Cowboys-Giants
November, 20, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- A stats-eye view of Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, thanks to the fine folks at ESPN Stats & Information:

Road warriors: The Cowboys are the only unbeaten team on the road this season (4-0), and Dallas has won its past two games at MetLife Stadium against the Giants. They haven’t won three straight road games against their rival since they took nine in a row from 1971 to 1979. The last time the Cowboys won their first five road games in a season was 2007 when they started 7-0 and win the division.

The Cowboys are outscoring their opponents by 10.0 points per game away from home, the best differential in the NFL.

Better on the road, Part 2: One reason for the Cowboys 4-0 record on the road has been the play of Tony Romo. He has a Total QBR of 87.1 in road games is by far the highest in the NFL.

In the first meeting against the Giants, Romo posted a Total QBR of 98, his second-highest QBR of the season and the highest he has ever posted against the Giants.

Stay with the formula: DeMarco Murray has rushed for 100 yards in all but one game this season, becoming the first player in NFL history with 100 rush yards in nine of his team’s first 10 games.

He needs 115 rush yards to pass Emmitt Smith for the most through 11 games in Cowboys history. Smith had 1,347 yards in the first 11 games of the 1995 season. Tony Dorsett posted 1,144 yards in the first 11 games of the 1981 season.

Murray leads the NFL with 1,233 yards in 10 games.

In sync: Romo is completing 71.4 percent of his throws to Dez Bryant after halftime, with four touchdown passes and just one interception.

In the Week 7 meeting against the Giants, Bryant had 151 receiving yards on nine catches, which is the fourth most in his career. He’s one of six players this season with 150 receiving yards in multiple games.

 

[Cotton]

Tony Romo feeling better, focused only on Giants
November, 19, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- The bye week served Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his two transverse fracture process fractures well.

Romo did not practice Wednesday as he continues to follow the same weekly script he has adopted since the second game of the regular season.

"It's improving," Romo said of his back. "I don't think you can pinpoint a day that says it's completely changed. It just continues to evolve and improve each day it goes by and hopefully it'll be a non-factor here shortly."

Romo will return to practice Thursday, just as he has done in the previous nine weeks in which he has played.

With two games in five days and three in 12, Romo said his focus is only on Sunday's foe, the New York Giants.

"Once that game is over I'll set up a different plan and talk to the trainers and coaches and go from there," Romo said. "But this week it's not about thinking about next week at all. You've got to get yourself ready to play in this one game and against the Giants. This is a very important game, a big game for us."

Romo has not practiced three days in a week since September. He did not work more than two straight days in training camp and did not play in two of the four preseason games.

But next week's practices will be walkthroughs with the quick turnaround.

Romo has followed a specific rehab plan since undergoing back surgery last December that includes strengthening his hamstrings, glutes and core. The fractures suffered Oct. 27 against the Washington Redskins kept him away from some of those exercises.

"I think this week's been a little bit different than two or three weeks ago," Romo said. "I think I'm still able to kind of get back to a semi-normal routine. A lot of that's just we've been out and we've had a little bit different schedule here recently. I think this week is about as normal a schedule as we've had for a week in a while."

But that all changes next week.

 

[Cotton]

 

[Cotton]

Dez Bryant will have full attire ready Sunday
November, 20, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- When Dez Bryant plays against the New York Giants on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver will make sure he looks the part.

“I have to make sure I have my right attire on and my mind is right,” Bryant said.

By attire Bryant means a shield on his facemask and the proper cleats. He did not have either in the first half of the first meeting against the Giants and struggled. He changed at halftime and exploded with seven catches for 136 yards in the third and fourth quarters.

That came after Bryant caught just two passes for 15 yards in the first half. He also stumbled on a route that led to a Tony Romo interception, failed to come down with a deep ball and had another miscommunication.

In the second half, five of Bryant's seven catches went for first downs.

The Giants won't have the cornerback who shadowed Bryant most of the night in Prince Amukamara, who is on injured reserve with a torn triceps. Zack Bowman has replaced Amukamara in the starting lineup.

Despite their five-game losing streak, Bryant expects nothing but the best from the Giants.

“We have to bring the fight because most likely they're going to bring it,” Bryant said.

Bryant also has to bring his visor and cleats.

 

[Cotton]

Scout’s Eye: Giants DEs Show Weakness Against The Ground Game
Thursday, November 20, 2014 11:03 AM CST

By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

IRVING, Texas – A look at the two matchups I think will play the biggest part in determining Sunday’s game against the Giants.

Cowboys OTs Tyron Smith and Doug Free vs. Giants DEs Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul

There is no question that Scott Linehan is going to try and run the ball against the Giants.

In going back and taking a look at the games since the last time these two teams met, where teams have had success is their ability to take the ball off the edges at these Giants defensive ends. Throughout their careers, Kiwanuka and Pierre-Paul have not been the most physical players when it comes to setting the edge. Their games are built more on getting up the field rushing the passer than anchoring down to defend the run -- which has been a problem.

I know the numbers say this is one of the worse rushing defenses in the league, but if there is a positive to this defense in defending the run, it comes more from the inside. On tape Johnathan Hankins, Robert Ayers and Jameel McClain are good football players.

Where I would have a concern is if Kiwanuka and Pierre-Paul do have some success on the edge and those cutbacks that we have seen from Murray all season might not be as clean and those holes are not there -- which happened against the Cardinals. I expect the Giants to work with the same plan in mind, clogging up those inside running lanes and playing McClain downhill with some run blitzes, much like the Cardinals, did to try and get a body on Murray before he can make it to the edge. That is their best shot in this game.

Cowboys CBs vs. Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.

When Rob Ryan was the defensive coordinator in Dallas, I believe you would have seen him match Orlando Scandrick up with Beckham Jr. the entire game, but that will not be the case this week under Rod Marinelli.

This current coaching staff has the philosophy of playing their corners on one side and matching personnel that way. Scandrick will see Beckham when he lines up on that offensive left side, as well as when he works out of the slot. Knowing this, I expect the Giants to try and keep Scandrick away from Beckham by putting him with Brandon Carr and Sterling Moore when they go to their “11” personnel package.

Scandrick has the speed and quickness to handle all the routes that Beckham can execute, especially the vertical ones that I observed him running against the 49ers. Carr and Moore do not have the same speed as Scandrick, so their technique in coverage will be much different in that they are physically going to have to beat Beckham up at the line and neutralize his ability to use his speed to get up the field.

The last situation that Carr and Moore want to be in is chasing Beckham all over the field with free access in his routes, because that puts them in a no-win situation. I just have this feeling that Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is going to test these Cowboys corners and feature Beckham to create some big plays.

 

[ravidubey]

Jason Pierre-Paul is very overrated, but like Eli he always saves his best for the Cowboys.

Zack Bowman has replaced Amukamara in the starting lineup.

I fully expect Bowman to have a career night.

Hopefully the Cowboys listened to Michael Irvin and throw in some bunch formations to help spring Bryant.

 

[Cotton]

Wow.

 

[Carp]

I fully expect Bowman to have a career night.

Hopefully the Cowboys listened to Michael Irvin and throw in some bunch formations to help spring Bryant.

Yeah...they shut him down last time too...only 9 catches for 151 yards.

 

[Cotton]

Jerry is going on and on again about getting the ball to Dunbar and Randle more on 105.3. Last time he did this we went on a 2 game losing streak. Just shut the hell up and let the coach talk about the gameplan and what should happen with it.

 

[Cotton]

Prediction: Cowboys get eighth win of season
November, 21, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

The Cowboys profess to be fresh thanks to their bye week, but that has not been the elixir many teams believed it would be for them so far this season. Through Week 11 teams coming off the bye have posted a 10-16 record. In the Jason Garrett era, the Cowboys are 1-2 after the bye. The one win? Last year against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.

DeMarco Murray ran for 128 yards in the Cowboys’ win vs. the Giants earlier this season and New York has the worst-ranked run defense in the NFL, giving up 145 yards a game. That certainly bodes well for a team coming off the bye looking to reassert its physical presence on the offensive line. The Cowboys believe they are better built for the stretch run than they have been in recent years.

They’ll kick off their final six-game push with a win and equal their win total in each of the last three seasons. They have not won more than eight games since 2009.

My prediction: Cowboys 27, Giants 19

 

[p1_]

Jerry is going on and on again about getting the ball to Dunbar and Randle more on 105.3. Last time he did this we went on a 2 game losing streak. Just shut the hell up and let the coach talk about the gameplan and what should happen with it.

When he starts that shit, just hit the mute button. That'll fix it.

 

[boozeman]

Looks like the Giants will be without Justin Pugh. Could be a big factor.

 

[boozeman]

Jerry is going on and on again about getting the ball to Dunbar and Randle more on 105.3. Last time he did this we went on a 2 game losing streak. Just shut the hell up and let the coach talk about the gameplan and what should happen with it.

Jerry Jones: Give Cowboys’ Joseph Randle 20 carries, he could average 100 yards per game

Jon Machota Email jmachota@dallasnews.com

Published: November 21, 2014 12:09 pm


There’s no reason to look outside of the organization for any more running backs. That was the message Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shared Friday morning.

After Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray, the NFL’s leading rusher, Jones sees valuable depth that includes Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and practice squad member Ryan Williams.

“We’ve got one that if he carried that ball 20 times a game, I think he would have outstanding numbers in the 100-yard up area. That is Joseph Randle,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. “We’re really proud of his progress, what he’s doing. When he’s gotten the ball, he’s been impressive. He’s been impressive away from the ball. Then, of course, we can’t seem to get for anybody’s satisfaction, mainly [Scott] Linehan or Jason [Garrett] or anybody involved, we can’t seem to get the ball in Dunbar’s hands enough. When you look at that, and then we’ve got a back on our practice squad, Williams that just absolutely is ready to go if called upon. So we’re in pretty good shape at running back.”

Randle has rushed 29 times this season for 201 yards and a touchdown.

One of the biggest knocks on the fifth-round pick last season was that he struggled as a pass protector. Has Randle improved in that area during his second season in the league?

“Absolutely,” Jones said. “Absolutely. Unequivocally. He’s ready to go. He’s really made a lot of improvement. … It’s unfortunate for everybody, not just for him, but for everybody that he had the incident that he had. That’s embarrassing and that’s not good. But on the other hand, one of the things that being a competitor, being in sports allows you to do is if you’re contrite and you want to do it, it allows you to basically rehab a bad mistake better than the average guy.

“A lot, most of us get out here and if you make those mistakes, it’s real hard to spend the time and have the visibility that it takes to correct that mistake in the eyes of your peers or in the eyes of the fans. Football players have an advantage if they want to take advantage of it and they can get back in the good graces.”

 

[Cotton]

Looks like the Giants will be without Justin Pugh. Could be a big factor.

Does DLaw get his first sack?

 

[Genghis Khan]

Wasn't it Pugh that the Eagles abused a few weeks ago?

 

[Carp]

We definitely need to run a ton...cold weather, Romo probably with a stiff back and they'll want to get after him. Just would like to see a thorough beat down where we just grind the clock in the 2nd half. Wanted the same thing vs Wash though too.

 

[Rev]

Does DLaw get his first sack?

Nope. CLaw will get another.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Man these reporters are idiots all the Garrett stuff was maddening, but Scandrick handled it well, he really sounds like a leader.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/video/2014/11/19/orlando-scandrick-recipe-winning

He has come a long way from the thin skinned guy.