Archer: Sun played a part in Cowboys' loss to Giants

Cotton

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Sun played a part in Cowboys' loss to Giants
10:09 PM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Could the sun have played a part Sunday in the Dallas Cowboys' 20-19 loss to the New York Giants?

“I don’t really want to get into that,” coach Jason Garrett said tersely after the game.

With a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, the setting sun was in the eyes of the Cowboys players in the fourth quarter. It affected at least three plays, including a deep throw to Dez Bryant and an underneath throw to Jason Witten on the last two drives when the Cowboys trailed by a point.

AT&T Stadium’s configuration is not the traditional north and south. With the glass windows in the end zone, the sun shined brightly as the Cowboys were working toward the east end zone.

“It was but you know what, still should make the plays,” Witten said. “There’s no question about that. The sun kind of got on us, but we’ve still got to make plays. I need to make them.”

Former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith raised the issue of the sun when his team played the first afternoon game at AT&T Stadium on Oct. 25, 2009. There have been other games in which the sun has been a factor but not to the extent it did against the Giants.

The Cowboys’ next day game at AT&T Stadium is Oct. 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals with a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff. Their next home game is Sept. 25 against the Chicago Bears with a 8:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

Would the Cowboys consider putting up curtains to block the sun? They have used them for concerts at the $1.2 billion stadium.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he thought the sun played a part in the throws to Bryant and Witten.

“That’s certainly, looking back in that sun, but to some degree they’ve got it too when they come in there,” Jones said. “Those were bright spots. Actually I thought the sun, while it may have impacted those two throws, I thought the sun was pretty good out there really relative to coming in from the east there.”
 

Texas Ace

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“That’s certainly, looking back in that sun, but to some degree they’ve got it too when they come in there,” Jones said. “Those were bright spots. Actually I thought the sun, while it may have impacted those two throws, I thought the sun was pretty good out there really relative to coming in from the east there.”
:lol

Is this moron incapable of speaking like a normal human being?
 

Cowboysrock55

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Why dont they just put some UV film on the windows?
Here is an idea, defer the kickoff and instead pick which side the other team will go in the fourth quarter. It's not like this is the first time Dallas has played in their own stadium. I mean shit, I'd understanding a visiting team having no idea. But certainly not us.
 

Smitty

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Here is an idea, defer the kickoff and instead pick which side the other team will go in the fourth quarter. It's not like this is the first time Dallas has played in their own stadium. I mean shit, I'd understanding a visiting team having no idea. But certainly not us.
Because then the sun is in the QB's eye, instead of Witten's eye.

It hurts someone either way.

Just get rid of it. It's dumb. It's not like it's a home team natural condition that the Cowboys can get used to, to have a leg up.
 

L.T. Fan

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The sun is a factor for only maybe two games a season and sometimes none at all. It depends on the scheduling. Dallas ordinarily plays at noon or at night. A 3:00 pm game doesn't happen that often in the stadium. Even so, by the time they may play a 3:00 game it may not happen in September or October and those would be the only months it would be a factor.
 

Cotton

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dallen

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It isn't like anyone could have foreseen this
 

boozeman

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Spoken like a true faggot company man.

Jones has curtains he uses for the Final Four, boxing matches and music concerts.

He should have stuck to just saying no comment and come off like he isn't a pathetic puppet.

Instead, he says this crap.
 

data

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Because then the sun is in the QB's eye, instead of Witten's eye.

It hurts someone either way.

Just get rid of it. It's dumb. It's not like it's a home team natural condition that the Cowboys can get used to, to have a leg up.
What? The sun glare is prominent in only some spots of the field. That's definitely an advantage for us as we should know when and where not to run certain routes.

Furthermore, the field is lower than street level and doesn't affect QBs as much as receivers. While QBs eyes are always field level, WRs are looking into the air for the pass.

Old Texas Stadium had that abnormal crown in the field and Aikman threw passes differently to the sideline than over the middle.
 

L.T. Fan

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What? The sun glare is prominent in only some spots of the field. That's definitely an advantage for us as we should know when and where not to run certain routes.

Furthermore, the field is lower than street level and doesn't affect QBs as much as receivers. While QBs eyes are always field level, WRs are looking into the air for the pass.

Old Texas Stadium had that abnormal crown in the field and Aikman threw passes differently to the sideline than over the middle.
It doesn't happen often enough to be factored in a game.
 

boozeman

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What? The sun glare is prominent in only some spots of the field. That's definitely an advantage for us as we should know when and where not to run certain routes.

Furthermore, the field is lower than street level and doesn't affect QBs as much as receivers. While QBs eyes are always field level, WRs are looking into the air for the pass.

Old Texas Stadium had that abnormal crown in the field and Aikman threw passes differently to the sideline than over the middle.
The ol' homefield advantage only applies when you have a coach smart enough to make it work.

For some strange reason, I have seen these kind of games before and yet I have never seen an opposing team complain.

Wonder why that is.
 

data

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It doesn't happen often enough to be factored in a game.

...and I don't believe that. We've known about the sun glare since the first season. I'm okay with the stadium design cuz I thought it was our advantage. After yesterday, I understand that it's something our staff doesn't capitalize on.

Aww shucks. Just can't catch a break. We've lost more home games due to stadium conditions than won them.
Lost it in the lights. Sun in my eyes.
 
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L.T. Fan

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...and I don't believe that. We've known about the sun glare since the first season. I'm okay with the stadium design cuz I thought it was our advantage. After yesterday, I understand that it's something our staff doesn't capitalize on.

Aww shucks. Just can't catch a break. We've lost more home games due to stadium conditions than won them.
Lost it in the lights. Sun in my eyes.
There is two games remaining this season that have 3:30 pm starts in ATT stadium this season. One in October which will possibly have some sun angle and one in November which will have little if any sun angle.
 

data

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There is two games remaining this season that have 3:30 pm starts in ATT stadium this season. One in October which will possibly have some sun angle and one in November which will have little if any sun angle.
You're right. Not frequent enough for us to factor in.

If this happens again in October, I won't blame our 'Boys.
 

1bigfan13

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There is two games remaining this season that have 3:30 pm starts in ATT stadium this season. One in October which will possibly have some sun angle and one in November which will have little if any sun angle.
It's not a big deal to me but if the sun is an issue in those 2 games that you sited, that's 3 of 8 home games.

I know you say it doesn't happen often enough to worry about but that's nearly 50% of your home games. That's a pretty significant amount, IMO. Especially when you consider that the playoffs/division title usually comes down to the final week.
 

jsmith6919

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Hey yall can bitch all you want but Jerry realized what was really important was not having to see the Walmart to the north
 

VA Cowboy

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Once is once too many. We already have trouble with crowd noise and now we're blinding ourselves...we have zero home field advantage. But Jerry's making money while having fun playing GM so that's all that counts.
 

Joe Fan

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What? The sun glare is prominent in only some spots of the field. That's definitely an advantage for us as we should know when and where not to run certain routes.

Furthermore, the field is lower than street level and doesn't affect QBs as much as receivers. While QBs eyes are always field level, WRs are looking into the air for the pass.

Old Texas Stadium had that abnormal crown in the field and Aikman threw passes differently to the sideline than over the middle.
The problem is that we're the dumb fuck team that has our coach calling plays to the side of the field that will impact the players the most at the worst possible times.

 

L.T. Fan

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It's not a big deal to me but if the sun is an issue in those 2 games that you sited, that's 3 of 8 home games.

I know you say it doesn't happen often enough to worry about but that's nearly 50% of your home games. That's a pretty significant amount, IMO. Especially when you consider that the playoffs/division title usually comes down to the final week.
The sun angle and sunset time in November really won't be a factor. The angle will be changed considerably so I wouldn't factor it in. It is only a factor if home games are scheduled at 3:30 in September and part of October.
 
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