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this site. Please e-mail me if your interested. My e-mail address is
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I'm asking anyone who is a fan of this site to become a co-writer for
it. I have a new job that will take away from the amount of time I can
put into this website. I'm probably only going to have time for a
couple of articles a week, which is hardly enough to keep visitors
coming back. All you would have to do is e-mail me the article and I
would be able to post it and give you credit for it.
Have your opinion heard! A different viewpoint would be great for
this site. Please e-mail me if your interested. My e-mail address is
admin@cowboys-fan.com
| Cowboy's Trivia Question of the Week! What college did the Cowboys' last offensive 1st Round pick attend? Last Week's Answer: Vince Lombardi |
BEST COWBOYS’ LINEUP EVER – PART I: OFFENSE
By: Larry Petton
I love favorites. Go to my Facebook and there they are – ESPN,
Everybody Loves Raymond and, of course, any Dallas Cowboy
game. Even the Tony Romo slick ball fumble game….which I
affectionately call the “IMMACULATE DECEPTION”.
Favorite players on my favorite team? Hmmm….now that’s gonna
take some thought and perhaps several Starbucks. Let’s break it
down and start with the Offense first.
The Cowboys have had some of the greatest offenses in the
history of the NFL. With the genius of Tom Landry, Dallas re-
invented the Shot Gun offense in the 70’s and went on to shock
the Rams with their Dirty Dozen rookies laughing all the way to the
Super Bowl. So, put on your seat belt, here we go. This is gonna
be a ton of fun!
BEST QB – I love Roger the Dodger and he was the most exciting
Cowboy ever. But Troy brought home three rings. Both are HOF
qbs, so you can’t go wrong either way. I have to go with the 3-0
Super Bowl record for Aikman.
BEST RB – Duh, do I have to spell it out? The leading rusher in
NFL history, our very own, Emmitt Smith. Tony Dorsett, Don
Perkins, Calvin Hill, Duane Thomas and Robert Newhouse are nice
memories, but no comparison.
BEST FB - I can read your mind. You are thinking “The Moose”,
right? Wrong. I take the real Cowboy, Walt Garrison. He could do
it all. Run, block, catch passes and rope steers in the off-season.
Moose was great, but he was not much of a runner.
BEST WRS – You gotta go with the newest Dallas Cowboy in the
NFL Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin. I can still see him stretching into
the end zone in the first Super Bowl bashing of the Bills.
Competitve. Yes, arrogant. Confident. Tough-minded. I loved
having him on the field in tight games. Speaking of clutch players,
I have to go with Drew Pearson (Mr. Clutch) and Bullet Bob Hayes,
world’s fastest human, in the slot. That’s a killer receiving corp.
BEST TE – Dallas does have a Hall of Fame tight end in Jackie
Smith, but he did most of his damage in the NFL as a Cardinal.
Plus, I am still mad at him for dropping a cinchy touchdown pass in
the Super Bowl that could have put us in position to beat the
hated Steelers. My choice is Jay Novacek. What a third-down
threat. No one could stay with his slick moves in the field and he
was the consummate team player. Boy, that 90’s Dallas team was
loaded! How did they ever lose?
BEST KICKER - My favorite here is Rafael Septien. Dallas has
always been a place where kickers were low-paid, second class
citizens, so we have not had the All-Pro very often, except for the
likes of little Raffy. In case you are interested, Mike Vander-junk
did not even get a vote.
BEST TACKLES – It doesn’t get any better than Rayfield Wright,
NFL Hall of Famer. He was making pancakes before they were
even cool! At the other side, place Larry Allen, the most
dominating blocker ever in blue and silver. Pancakes with extra
syrup!
BEST GUARDS – You can’t pass on John Niland and Nate
Newton. With those two guys pulling and blocking, bolstered by
Wright and Allen on the ends, Emmitt might have gained 3000
yards in a season!
BEST CENTER – John Fitzgerald was consistent and as hard-
working as any center ever. But my money is on Mark Stepnoski
from the 90’s team. Emmitt ran straight up the middle most of his
carries because of this work-horse.
There you have it. The all-time Dallas offense. Let’s summarize:
QB – Troy Aikman
RB – Emmitt Smith
FB – Walt Garrison
WR – Michael Irvin, Drew Pearson, Bob Hayes
TE – Jay Novacek
OT – Rayfield Wright, Larry Allen
OG – John Niland, Nate Newton
K – Rafael Septien
I will take that team and beat anyone, any time, anywhere.
Seriously.
COMING…..PART II: DEFENSE
Written by Larry Petton from Springdale, AR. Send your favorite
line-up suggestions or comments to me at lpetton@hotmail.com.
By: Larry Petton
I love favorites. Go to my Facebook and there they are – ESPN,
Everybody Loves Raymond and, of course, any Dallas Cowboy
game. Even the Tony Romo slick ball fumble game….which I
affectionately call the “IMMACULATE DECEPTION”.
Favorite players on my favorite team? Hmmm….now that’s gonna
take some thought and perhaps several Starbucks. Let’s break it
down and start with the Offense first.
The Cowboys have had some of the greatest offenses in the
history of the NFL. With the genius of Tom Landry, Dallas re-
invented the Shot Gun offense in the 70’s and went on to shock
the Rams with their Dirty Dozen rookies laughing all the way to the
Super Bowl. So, put on your seat belt, here we go. This is gonna
be a ton of fun!
BEST QB – I love Roger the Dodger and he was the most exciting
Cowboy ever. But Troy brought home three rings. Both are HOF
qbs, so you can’t go wrong either way. I have to go with the 3-0
Super Bowl record for Aikman.
BEST RB – Duh, do I have to spell it out? The leading rusher in
NFL history, our very own, Emmitt Smith. Tony Dorsett, Don
Perkins, Calvin Hill, Duane Thomas and Robert Newhouse are nice
memories, but no comparison.
BEST FB - I can read your mind. You are thinking “The Moose”,
right? Wrong. I take the real Cowboy, Walt Garrison. He could do
it all. Run, block, catch passes and rope steers in the off-season.
Moose was great, but he was not much of a runner.
BEST WRS – You gotta go with the newest Dallas Cowboy in the
NFL Hall of Fame, Michael Irvin. I can still see him stretching into
the end zone in the first Super Bowl bashing of the Bills.
Competitve. Yes, arrogant. Confident. Tough-minded. I loved
having him on the field in tight games. Speaking of clutch players,
I have to go with Drew Pearson (Mr. Clutch) and Bullet Bob Hayes,
world’s fastest human, in the slot. That’s a killer receiving corp.
BEST TE – Dallas does have a Hall of Fame tight end in Jackie
Smith, but he did most of his damage in the NFL as a Cardinal.
Plus, I am still mad at him for dropping a cinchy touchdown pass in
the Super Bowl that could have put us in position to beat the
hated Steelers. My choice is Jay Novacek. What a third-down
threat. No one could stay with his slick moves in the field and he
was the consummate team player. Boy, that 90’s Dallas team was
loaded! How did they ever lose?
BEST KICKER - My favorite here is Rafael Septien. Dallas has
always been a place where kickers were low-paid, second class
citizens, so we have not had the All-Pro very often, except for the
likes of little Raffy. In case you are interested, Mike Vander-junk
did not even get a vote.
BEST TACKLES – It doesn’t get any better than Rayfield Wright,
NFL Hall of Famer. He was making pancakes before they were
even cool! At the other side, place Larry Allen, the most
dominating blocker ever in blue and silver. Pancakes with extra
syrup!
BEST GUARDS – You can’t pass on John Niland and Nate
Newton. With those two guys pulling and blocking, bolstered by
Wright and Allen on the ends, Emmitt might have gained 3000
yards in a season!
BEST CENTER – John Fitzgerald was consistent and as hard-
working as any center ever. But my money is on Mark Stepnoski
from the 90’s team. Emmitt ran straight up the middle most of his
carries because of this work-horse.
There you have it. The all-time Dallas offense. Let’s summarize:
QB – Troy Aikman
RB – Emmitt Smith
FB – Walt Garrison
WR – Michael Irvin, Drew Pearson, Bob Hayes
TE – Jay Novacek
OT – Rayfield Wright, Larry Allen
OG – John Niland, Nate Newton
K – Rafael Septien
I will take that team and beat anyone, any time, anywhere.
Seriously.
COMING…..PART II: DEFENSE
Written by Larry Petton from Springdale, AR. Send your favorite
line-up suggestions or comments to me at lpetton@hotmail.com.
2007 Season and 2008 Off-season Predictions
By: Frank Buffington
As a follow up to Larry Petton’s excellent Sleepless in Seattle
articles, I am predicting the Cowboys season and next off-season
moves.
This is the year that the NFC separates the good and the bad, with
the Skins and Giants falling, the Cowboys rising, and the Eagles
staying a very good team. At this point, I see the Eagles and
Cowboys as a toss up for the division title, but I am predicting the
division goes to Dallas. While the Eagles defense should be
improved with the maturation of Brodrick Bunkley, the return of
Jevon Kearse, and the addition of Takeo Spikes, Donovan
McNabb is coming off a major injury and may struggle to provide
his typical production and the spark that Jeff Garcia provided. And
an injury to Brian Westbrook would be devastating.
The 2007 version of the Cowboys will show improvement. The
offense will show slight improvement. Tony Romo will be closer to
his first five games than the last seven, although he will still have
too many turnovers. TO will be healthier, have less drops and be
more consistent, although he will not reach the level of
explosiveness he had in his first season in Philadelphia. He will
also test Wade Phillips with antics on the field and in the locker
room. Despite Romo’s best attempts to kiss his butt and get him
the ball, he will wisely look to roommate Jason Witten in single
coverage in clutch situations when TO is doubled. Proving that he
will never be content for long and that he cannot think logically,
Owens spouts off about the team not using him enough. Terry
Glenn will have some nagging injuries, but Patrick Crayton and
Sam Hurd will fill in adequately when Glenn is out.
Perhaps most importantly, the offense line will be much better.
Flozell Adams will have a very good year auditioning for his last big
contract. Pat McQuistan will edge Kosier for LG, Andre Gurode will
be decent at C, Leonard Davis will have his best season to date at
RG, and Marc Colombo will be steady at RT, but will need some
help from the TE and backs against top ends. At RB, Julius Jones
will have a good season relying on his instincts and benefiting from
the improved run blocking from the line. Marion Barber will
continue to excel as a 3rd down back and closer, while also getting
a few early down carries per game and filling in for Jones a few
games due to injury. Alonzo Coleman will beat out Tyson
Thompson for the 3rd RB position, but will be inactive for most
games. Oliver Hoyte and Deon Anderson will split time at FB.
Jason Witten will have another good year, but Anthony Fasano will
continue to make fans wonder why the team used a second round
pick on him.
Defense, however, is where the big improvement will be seen. The
pass rush will be much improved. Demarcus Ware will have a
career year with 16 sacks. Anthony Spencer and Greg Ellis will
split time at the other OLB position and as down linemen on the
nickel. Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett will emerge as steady
ILBs while giving James and Ayodele breathers, especially against
passing teams, and Burnette will play alongside Roy Williams at LB
in the nickel package.
On defensive line, Jason Fergusan will decline slightly from last
season, and the Boys will use a rotation at NT with Jay Ratliff and
Ola Dagunduro. The DE play will be improved with Marcus Spears
being more motivated and better suited to the new scheme. Jason
Hatcher will provide good pressure and Chris Canty will still provide
good run defense. Ratliff will also contribute at DE.
Roy Williams will have his best season in a while playing closer to
the line of scrimmage and LB in the nickel. He will have several
sacks. Ken Hamlin will be adequate but unspectacular at FS.
Patrick Watkins will play alongside Hamlin in the nickel and will
show good range and center-field type ability, but will struggle to
change directions quickly due to his height and will allow a few big
plays, as will Hamlin due to his aggressiveness. Abram Elam will
be the backup at SS after Keith Davis is traded for a 7th round
pick prior to the season. At corner, Terrence Newman will have
another very good but not great year. Anthony Henry will provide
solid short area coverage but will get beat deep enough to cause
the FS to shade to his side to provide deep help, leaving Newman
on an island. The Cowboys will use Aaron Glenn and Jacques
Reeves as the extra corners while grooming Courtney Brown for
2008. Offsetting big plays allowed (but still fewer than last season)
will be more big plays made by the defense. Sacks will increase by
double digits and the defense will have more interceptions due to
the increased pressure.
The key players that the Cowboys need to stay healthy are: Tony
Romo, Demarcus Ware, Terrell Owens, Flozell Adams, Terrence
Newman, Jason Fergusan, and Terry Glenn.
The Cowboys will make it to the NFC Conference Finals but will
lose to the Chicago Bears in the cold of Chicago. Chicago will fall
to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Off season Moves
Flozell Adams and Julius Jones leave in free agency without much
effort by the Cowboys to retain them. The Cowboys do not make
any big free agent signings, instead using money to extend the
contract for Demarcus Ware and resigning Ken Hamlin after
signing Tony Romo and Terrence Newman during the season.
Terrell Owens demands more money after a good season and
threatens to hold out. I still don’t know why Jones structured his
contract to have the highest years early, practically inviting a
demand for more money for the last year. Jones compromises by
adding performance incentives that pay Owens more money if he
does well and an additional bonus if the team goes to the Super
Bowl in 2009.
Cleveland has another bad season, with Brady Quinn starting half
of the season and having typical rookie struggles along with a poor
supporting cast. Oakland, Houston, and Detroit show
improvement, leaving Dallas with the #1 pick in the draft. The
Cowboys consider moving down, but decide that the time to win is
now and take Darren McFadden. The Cowboys do not extend
Marc Colombo’s contract due to salary cap limitations and also
waiting to see how the training camp battle between him and
James Marten develops. The Cowboys will have a competition
between Doug Free and Pat McQuistan and possibly a draft pick
for the important left tackle position.
By: Frank Buffington
As a follow up to Larry Petton’s excellent Sleepless in Seattle
articles, I am predicting the Cowboys season and next off-season
moves.
This is the year that the NFC separates the good and the bad, with
the Skins and Giants falling, the Cowboys rising, and the Eagles
staying a very good team. At this point, I see the Eagles and
Cowboys as a toss up for the division title, but I am predicting the
division goes to Dallas. While the Eagles defense should be
improved with the maturation of Brodrick Bunkley, the return of
Jevon Kearse, and the addition of Takeo Spikes, Donovan
McNabb is coming off a major injury and may struggle to provide
his typical production and the spark that Jeff Garcia provided. And
an injury to Brian Westbrook would be devastating.
The 2007 version of the Cowboys will show improvement. The
offense will show slight improvement. Tony Romo will be closer to
his first five games than the last seven, although he will still have
too many turnovers. TO will be healthier, have less drops and be
more consistent, although he will not reach the level of
explosiveness he had in his first season in Philadelphia. He will
also test Wade Phillips with antics on the field and in the locker
room. Despite Romo’s best attempts to kiss his butt and get him
the ball, he will wisely look to roommate Jason Witten in single
coverage in clutch situations when TO is doubled. Proving that he
will never be content for long and that he cannot think logically,
Owens spouts off about the team not using him enough. Terry
Glenn will have some nagging injuries, but Patrick Crayton and
Sam Hurd will fill in adequately when Glenn is out.
Perhaps most importantly, the offense line will be much better.
Flozell Adams will have a very good year auditioning for his last big
contract. Pat McQuistan will edge Kosier for LG, Andre Gurode will
be decent at C, Leonard Davis will have his best season to date at
RG, and Marc Colombo will be steady at RT, but will need some
help from the TE and backs against top ends. At RB, Julius Jones
will have a good season relying on his instincts and benefiting from
the improved run blocking from the line. Marion Barber will
continue to excel as a 3rd down back and closer, while also getting
a few early down carries per game and filling in for Jones a few
games due to injury. Alonzo Coleman will beat out Tyson
Thompson for the 3rd RB position, but will be inactive for most
games. Oliver Hoyte and Deon Anderson will split time at FB.
Jason Witten will have another good year, but Anthony Fasano will
continue to make fans wonder why the team used a second round
pick on him.
Defense, however, is where the big improvement will be seen. The
pass rush will be much improved. Demarcus Ware will have a
career year with 16 sacks. Anthony Spencer and Greg Ellis will
split time at the other OLB position and as down linemen on the
nickel. Bobby Carpenter and Kevin Burnett will emerge as steady
ILBs while giving James and Ayodele breathers, especially against
passing teams, and Burnette will play alongside Roy Williams at LB
in the nickel package.
On defensive line, Jason Fergusan will decline slightly from last
season, and the Boys will use a rotation at NT with Jay Ratliff and
Ola Dagunduro. The DE play will be improved with Marcus Spears
being more motivated and better suited to the new scheme. Jason
Hatcher will provide good pressure and Chris Canty will still provide
good run defense. Ratliff will also contribute at DE.
Roy Williams will have his best season in a while playing closer to
the line of scrimmage and LB in the nickel. He will have several
sacks. Ken Hamlin will be adequate but unspectacular at FS.
Patrick Watkins will play alongside Hamlin in the nickel and will
show good range and center-field type ability, but will struggle to
change directions quickly due to his height and will allow a few big
plays, as will Hamlin due to his aggressiveness. Abram Elam will
be the backup at SS after Keith Davis is traded for a 7th round
pick prior to the season. At corner, Terrence Newman will have
another very good but not great year. Anthony Henry will provide
solid short area coverage but will get beat deep enough to cause
the FS to shade to his side to provide deep help, leaving Newman
on an island. The Cowboys will use Aaron Glenn and Jacques
Reeves as the extra corners while grooming Courtney Brown for
2008. Offsetting big plays allowed (but still fewer than last season)
will be more big plays made by the defense. Sacks will increase by
double digits and the defense will have more interceptions due to
the increased pressure.
The key players that the Cowboys need to stay healthy are: Tony
Romo, Demarcus Ware, Terrell Owens, Flozell Adams, Terrence
Newman, Jason Fergusan, and Terry Glenn.
The Cowboys will make it to the NFC Conference Finals but will
lose to the Chicago Bears in the cold of Chicago. Chicago will fall
to the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Off season Moves
Flozell Adams and Julius Jones leave in free agency without much
effort by the Cowboys to retain them. The Cowboys do not make
any big free agent signings, instead using money to extend the
contract for Demarcus Ware and resigning Ken Hamlin after
signing Tony Romo and Terrence Newman during the season.
Terrell Owens demands more money after a good season and
threatens to hold out. I still don’t know why Jones structured his
contract to have the highest years early, practically inviting a
demand for more money for the last year. Jones compromises by
adding performance incentives that pay Owens more money if he
does well and an additional bonus if the team goes to the Super
Bowl in 2009.
Cleveland has another bad season, with Brady Quinn starting half
of the season and having typical rookie struggles along with a poor
supporting cast. Oakland, Houston, and Detroit show
improvement, leaving Dallas with the #1 pick in the draft. The
Cowboys consider moving down, but decide that the time to win is
now and take Darren McFadden. The Cowboys do not extend
Marc Colombo’s contract due to salary cap limitations and also
waiting to see how the training camp battle between him and
James Marten develops. The Cowboys will have a competition
between Doug Free and Pat McQuistan and possibly a draft pick
for the important left tackle position.