Football,f1 motorsports,NBA,Premier League

Picture this:

Jason Garrett sits down with Jerry Jones in 2011, the interim tag recently removed from his title as head coach.  In a conversation reminiscent of this old Samsung commercial, he tells Jerry, "If we run the football consistently and effectively, we will win more games."

Pow.  Mind blown.

That's the secret to the Cowboys' success.  It's not some crazy new scheme, it's not a star receiver or quarterback, it's having an effective power run game.  Who knew that a tactic that's worked for over a hundred years at all levels of football would make an owner's championship aspirations seem reasonable?

The question fans would ask is why hasn't this worked in years past?

Actually, that's not the question.

The question is, why wasn't this the game plan in years past?

Maybe the offensive line wasn't solid enough until adding that third first round pick (Zack Martin) to the line.

Maybe Garrett, as a former quarterback, couldn't get out of his own way and call runs instead of passes.

Maybe the fear of a DeMarco Murray injury paralyzed the Cowboys, and now the team has faith in underwear salesman Joseph Randle and local product Lance Dunbar to step up should Murray get hurt.

Maybe the defense wasn't slowing teams down enough to keep the offense grounded.

The truth is a blend of all four.

The defense is far from perfect, but Rod Marinelli motivated twice-retired Rolando McClain into a defensive weapon, while near-bust Tyrone Crawford is doing a great Jason Hatcher impression (despite his lack of sacks).  Marinelli has even modified his scheme to fit the players he has by mixing in some man coverage for Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, who are better in man coverage than zone.

Meanwhile, Randle is no longer a rookie, and does a respectable Murray impression when he does get the ball.  The line is clearing huge holes, allowing Scott Linehan to continue calling runs and keep the defense off the field- a factor that should never be underestimated.  A rested defense can fly to the ball without worrying about later drives, which is making up for the lack of talent outside of McClain.

This may have been the plan right from the start of Garrett's tenure, as evidenced by the Cowboys actually drafting offensive linemen.  Tyron Smith was the first first round offensive lineman drafted by the Cowboys since Indiana Jones hit the silver screen, while Martin is the third in four years.

In short, the usual clichés apply: what's old is new again, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cowboys have built a tried and true formula for success, and it is working.

How bout dem Cowboys?

I'd like take a moment to thank my sister for giving me a little extra reason to enjoy the Week 4 win against the Aints, and to tell the rest of my NoLa based family that it will get better next year.

Picture this:

Jason Garrett sits down with Jerry Jones in 2011, the interim tag recently removed from his title as head coach.  In a conversation reminiscent of this old Samsung commercial, he tells Jerry, "If we run the football consistently and effectively, we will win more games."

Pow.  Mind blown.

That's the secret to the Cowboys' success.  It's not some crazy new scheme, it's not a star receiver or quarterback, it's having an effective power run game.  Who knew that a tactic that's worked for over a hundred years at all levels of football would make an owner's championship aspirations seem reasonable?

The question fans would ask is why hasn't this worked in years past?

Actually, that's not the question.

The question is, why wasn't this the game plan in years past?

Maybe the offensive line wasn't solid enough until adding that third first round pick (Zack Martin) to the line.

Maybe Garrett, as a former quarterback, couldn't get out of his own way and call runs instead of passes.

Maybe the fear of a DeMarco Murray injury paralyzed the Cowboys, and now the team has faith in underwear salesman Joseph Randle and local product Lance Dunbar to step up should Murray get hurt.

Maybe the defense wasn't slowing teams down enough to keep the offense grounded.

The truth is a blend of all four.

The defense is far from perfect, but Rod Marinelli motivated twice-retired Rolando McClain into a defensive weapon, while near-bust Tyrone Crawford is doing a great Jason Hatcher impression (despite his lack of sacks).  Marinelli has even modified his scheme to fit the players he has by mixing in some man coverage for Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, who are better in man coverage than zone.

Meanwhile, Randle is no longer a rookie, and does a respectable Murray impression when he does get the ball.  The line is clearing huge holes, allowing Scott Linehan to continue calling runs and keep the defense off the field- a factor that should never be underestimated.  A rested defense can fly to the ball without worrying about later drives, which is making up for the lack of talent outside of McClain.

This may have been the plan right from the start of Garrett's tenure, as evidenced by the Cowboys actually drafting offensive linemen.  Tyron Smith was the first first round offensive lineman drafted by the Cowboys since Indiana Jones hit the silver screen, while Martin is the third in four years.

In short, the usual clichés apply: what's old is new again, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cowboys have built a tried and true formula for success, and it is working.

How bout dem Cowboys?

I'd like take a moment to thank my sister for giving me a little extra reason to enjoy the Week 4 win against the Aints, and to tell the rest of my NoLa based family that it will get better next year.

Picture this:

Jason Garrett sits down with Jerry Jones in 2011, the interim tag recently removed from his title as head coach.  In a conversation reminiscent of this old Samsung commercial, he tells Jerry, "If we run the football consistently and effectively, we will win more games."

Pow.  Mind blown.

That's the secret to the Cowboys' success.  It's not some crazy new scheme, it's not a star receiver or quarterback, it's having an effective power run game.  Who knew that a tactic that's worked for over a hundred years at all levels of football would make an owner's championship aspirations seem reasonable?

The question fans would ask is why hasn't this worked in years past?

Actually, that's not the question.

The question is, why wasn't this the game plan in years past?

Maybe the offensive line wasn't solid enough until adding that third first round pick (Zack Martin) to the line.

Maybe Garrett, as a former quarterback, couldn't get out of his own way and call runs instead of passes.

Maybe the fear of a DeMarco Murray injury paralyzed the Cowboys, and now the team has faith in underwear salesman Joseph Randle and local product Lance Dunbar to step up should Murray get hurt.

Maybe the defense wasn't slowing teams down enough to keep the offense grounded.

The truth is a blend of all four.

The defense is far from perfect, but Rod Marinelli motivated twice-retired Rolando McClain into a defensive weapon, while near-bust Tyrone Crawford is doing a great Jason Hatcher impression (despite his lack of sacks).  Marinelli has even modified his scheme to fit the players he has by mixing in some man coverage for Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, who are better in man coverage than zone.

Meanwhile, Randle is no longer a rookie, and does a respectable Murray impression when he does get the ball.  The line is clearing huge holes, allowing Scott Linehan to continue calling runs and keep the defense off the field- a factor that should never be underestimated.  A rested defense can fly to the ball without worrying about later drives, which is making up for the lack of talent outside of McClain.

This may have been the plan right from the start of Garrett's tenure, as evidenced by the Cowboys actually drafting offensive linemen.  Tyron Smith was the first first round offensive lineman drafted by the Cowboys since Indiana Jones hit the silver screen, while Martin is the third in four years.

In short, the usual clichés apply: what's old is new again, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cowboys have built a tried and true formula for success, and it is working.

How bout dem Cowboys?

I'd like take a moment to thank my sister for giving me a little extra reason to enjoy the Week 4 win against the Aints, and to tell the rest of my NoLa based family that it will get better next year.

Picture this:

Jason Garrett sits down with Jerry Jones in 2011, the interim tag recently removed from his title as head coach.  In a conversation reminiscent of this old Samsung commercial, he tells Jerry, "If we run the football consistently and effectively, we will win more games."

Pow.  Mind blown.

That's the secret to the Cowboys' success.  It's not some crazy new scheme, it's not a star receiver or quarterback, it's having an effective power run game.  Who knew that a tactic that's worked for over a hundred years at all levels of football would make an owner's championship aspirations seem reasonable?

The question fans would ask is why hasn't this worked in years past?

Actually, that's not the question.

The question is, why wasn't this the game plan in years past?

Maybe the offensive line wasn't solid enough until adding that third first round pick (Zack Martin) to the line.

Maybe Garrett, as a former quarterback, couldn't get out of his own way and call runs instead of passes.

Maybe the fear of a DeMarco Murray injury paralyzed the Cowboys, and now the team has faith in underwear salesman Joseph Randle and local product Lance Dunbar to step up should Murray get hurt.

Maybe the defense wasn't slowing teams down enough to keep the offense grounded.

The truth is a blend of all four.

The defense is far from perfect, but Rod Marinelli motivated twice-retired Rolando McClain into a defensive weapon, while near-bust Tyrone Crawford is doing a great Jason Hatcher impression (despite his lack of sacks).  Marinelli has even modified his scheme to fit the players he has by mixing in some man coverage for Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, who are better in man coverage than zone.

Meanwhile, Randle is no longer a rookie, and does a respectable Murray impression when he does get the ball.  The line is clearing huge holes, allowing Scott Linehan to continue calling runs and keep the defense off the field- a factor that should never be underestimated.  A rested defense can fly to the ball without worrying about later drives, which is making up for the lack of talent outside of McClain.

This may have been the plan right from the start of Garrett's tenure, as evidenced by the Cowboys actually drafting offensive linemen.  Tyron Smith was the first first round offensive lineman drafted by the Cowboys since Indiana Jones hit the silver screen, while Martin is the third in four years.

In short, the usual clichés apply: what's old is new again, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cowboys have built a tried and true formula for success, and it is working.

How bout dem Cowboys?

I'd like take a moment to thank my sister for giving me a little extra reason to enjoy the Week 4 win against the Aints, and to tell the rest of my NoLa based family that it will get better next year.

Picture this:

Jason Garrett sits down with Jerry Jones in 2011, the interim tag recently removed from his title as head coach.  In a conversation reminiscent of this old Samsung commercial, he tells Jerry, "If we run the football consistently and effectively, we will win more games."

Pow.  Mind blown.

That's the secret to the Cowboys' success.  It's not some crazy new scheme, it's not a star receiver or quarterback, it's having an effective power run game.  Who knew that a tactic that's worked for over a hundred years at all levels of football would make an owner's championship aspirations seem reasonable?

The question fans would ask is why hasn't this worked in years past?

Actually, that's not the question.

The question is, why wasn't this the game plan in years past?

Maybe the offensive line wasn't solid enough until adding that third first round pick (Zack Martin) to the line.

Maybe Garrett, as a former quarterback, couldn't get out of his own way and call runs instead of passes.

Maybe the fear of a DeMarco Murray injury paralyzed the Cowboys, and now the team has faith in underwear salesman Joseph Randle and local product Lance Dunbar to step up should Murray get hurt.

Maybe the defense wasn't slowing teams down enough to keep the offense grounded.

The truth is a blend of all four.

The defense is far from perfect, but Rod Marinelli motivated twice-retired Rolando McClain into a defensive weapon, while near-bust Tyrone Crawford is doing a great Jason Hatcher impression (despite his lack of sacks).  Marinelli has even modified his scheme to fit the players he has by mixing in some man coverage for Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick, who are better in man coverage than zone.

Meanwhile, Randle is no longer a rookie, and does a respectable Murray impression when he does get the ball.  The line is clearing huge holes, allowing Scott Linehan to continue calling runs and keep the defense off the field- a factor that should never be underestimated.  A rested defense can fly to the ball without worrying about later drives, which is making up for the lack of talent outside of McClain.

This may have been the plan right from the start of Garrett's tenure, as evidenced by the Cowboys actually drafting offensive linemen.  Tyron Smith was the first first round offensive lineman drafted by the Cowboys since Indiana Jones hit the silver screen, while Martin is the third in four years.

In short, the usual clichés apply: what's old is new again, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Cowboys have built a tried and true formula for success, and it is working.

How bout dem Cowboys?

I'd like take a moment to thank my sister for giving me a little extra reason to enjoy the Week 4 win against the Aints, and to tell the rest of my NoLa based family that it will get better next year.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys renewed their long-standing rivalry with another exciting matchup which saw the Cowboys improve their record to 6-1 and the Giants moved to 3-4. Eli Manning, who entered the game 4-1 at the AT&T center since it opened in 2009, came off a rough game against the Philadelphia Eagles where he was sacked eight times and could not muster any type of offense. The Cowboys, who last week, surprisingly dominated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks, could take the outright lead in the NFC East with the Eagles on their bye week.

The game started off in an encouraging fashion for the Giants, who rendered Dez Bryant to only 2 catches and 10 yards in the first half.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Giants scored 14 unanswered to take a 14-7 lead just before halftime. Dallas then marched back down the field thanks to a 10 play, 80 yard drive that took over 5:30 minutes.

By the second half, Dez Bryant was dominating Prince Amukamara, who drew the assignment of covering the Pro Bowler, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured. Bryant finished with nine catches, 151 yards and narrowly missed a touchdown as he beat Amukamara on a beautiful 25 yard pass by Romo to Bryant, who made a difficult grab and dove into the endzone, only to have his knee down with the ball at the one yard line.

The Cowboys, who had vowed to limit DeMarco Murray’s touches, were using a running back by committee through the first two quarters. The second half saw the Cowboys reaping the benefits of that strategy as they opted for a more ball control offense. By the end of the game, Murray had his usual high workload, as he finished with 28 carries and had his seventh straight game with over 100 yards, a new NFL record.

The Giants had a hard time running the football but with a much better protection scheme this week, Eli Manning was sharper on his throws and had a solid game completing 21 of 33 throws for 248 yards and three scores.

In the end, it was the Cowboys ability to convert and defend on third downs that prevailed as the Cowboy were 9 of 14 on the money down, with the Giants only 5 of 13. The Cowboys kept themselves in third and medium to short because of their effectiveness on the ground. The Cowboys improved to 6-1, while the Giants fell to 3-4.

Here are the three deductions we can make after this game

1. The Cowboys are the best team in the NFC, bar none

Hate to say this and I am sure people are tired about the media slobbering all over Dallas, but there is no question that the Cowboys are the best team in the NFC. It all starts with their dominating offensive line that controls the tempo of the game. The Cowboys were second in time of possession entering the game at 34 minutes per contest and they nearly eclipsed that mark against the Giants with over 33 minutes.

What we’re seeing with Dallas dominating the trenches on offense is bordering on historical and this offensive line might go down as one of the best ever when it is all said and done. DeMarco Murray is reaping the benefits of the Cowboys finally relying on their thoroughbred running back. Opposing defenses are trying to stop the run with 8-man boxes, which will free up Dez Bryant and the emerging Terrance Williams for one-on-one matchups.

But where this team is excelling is on the defensive end. Every single media publication had Dallas as a bottom three defense. When I mean every single one, I absolutely mean every single one. And instead, Dallas has posted the 16th best DVOA entering Week 6, with a pass defense ranked 8th, according to Football Outsiders.

Sure, Dallas has some weaknesses. Their 30th ranked run defense, albeit stout against the Giants and Seahawks in the last two games, allowing 80 and 104 yards respectively, has been leaky for most of the season. And with only 7 sacks (27th in the league) and a 3.4 sack percentage, rushing the passer has been a struggle this season. But Rod Marinelli has schemed beautifully and gotten nice contributions from the likes of Barry Church, Rolando McClain and Justin Durant.

The Packers, Eagles and Cardinals could all lay claim to the best in the NFC after 7 weeks, but I have a hard time finding an aspect of those teams that is more dominant than the Dallas run game.

2. Odell Beckham Jr. will be a very good player

Boy, did the Victor Cruz injury suck. I love Cruz’s energy, leadership and overall perseverance to get to where he has. The Giants don’t win Super Bowl 46 without him. There’s no silver lining in an injury that devastating y to that good of a player and person, but it does give Beckham the opportunity to showcase his myriad of skills. Against the Giants, Beckham scored two touchdowns and he wasn’t just a go-route guy using his blazing speed. His first score looked like an option route where he cut inside and adjusted to the way he was defended and ran the other way to give Eli Manning and easy throwing lane. The second touchdown was a 5 yard hook route where he sat in a zone between two defenders. Troy Aikman mentioned that rookie receivers rarely have the awareness to sit in a zone, but rather they tend to run towards coverage. That was great awareness by Beckham Jr.

Beckham did a lot of his work in the slot, where many had thought Preston Wilson would slide to with Beckham split wide due to the injury to Cruz. The former LSU Tiger showed that he could be a terror in the slow and split out wide. Remember, he has 4.4 speed and was a big play guy in Baton Rouge.

On Sunday, I saw a player who showed refined route running and has very reliable hands too. Small sample size, sure, but he’s caught 12 of 15 targets and those numbers will only go up. Rookie receivers generally have more ebbs and flows than any other rookie position, but Beckham, may very well dispel that notion with the added looks he’s in line to get.

3. Giants running game missed Rashad Jennings

Andre Williams was a Doak Campbell award winner last season as the best running back in the league. When he was selected in the 4th round of the 2014 round, the Giants felt like they got a steal. Williams will be the running back of the future, as Jennings, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career is already 29 years old. But currently, he’s a plodding running back who is not able to find cut-back holes. Williams is averaging 3.2 yards per carry and was taken out of the game on more than a few occasions for Madden curse example extraordinaire,  Peyton freaking Hillis. Before injuring his knee, Jennings rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jennings also had 11 catches for 109 years. Against the Cowboys, the running game was largely ineffective, but the Giants kept going to it, despite continued success in the air.

Jennings is eyeing a Week 9 return, but until then Ben McAdoo and Tom Coughlin must find ways to get creative with their current plodding run game. Otherwise, they will need to figure out when to ditch the run when it is not working, something they failed to do against the Cowboys.

The 2014 NFL season nears its midway point and week by week we continue to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In a league where each week is a mystery, we have finally began to recognize who some of the true contenders appear to be.

As we enter week seven of the NFL season, we look back to the previous six weeks to look at some of the teams that have separated themselves from the pack. In this list we find some of the league’s biggest name teams and a couple of surprises.

The most impressive team so far this year has to be the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are off to a 5-1 start and are in first place in the AFC West. Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers could possibly be the leading candidate for league MVP.

The most surprising team so far this season has to be the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off an impressive victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has had tons of pressure taken off him this year thanks to the running game.

The Cowboys’ defense has had one of the best turnarounds in all of the NFL this season. The Cowboys are yet to play a divisional game, which is odd considering we have completed six weeks. Dallas finally plays their first game against an NFC East team this weekend when they face the New York Giants.

Finally, the biggest bounce back team this year has to be the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had one of the worst showings in Super Bowl history last year when they lost 43-8 to Seattle. Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning had a record setting year last year, but it was all for nothing in the end.

This year the Broncos are once again one of the top teams in the NFL and are second in the AFC West just behind the Chargers. Denver appears to be one of the favorites again this year in the AFC, but may have a better all around team this season.

So, I mention all of this for one reason and that is to imagine what could possibly be the dream Super Bowl matchup this season. It is an obvious answer if you think about it and it would send ratings through the roof if it was to happen.

That matchup I speak of is the Denver Broncos vs. the Dallas Cowboys. This game would have everything you could ask for in a Super Bowl. It would have the most popular team not only in the NFL, but all of sports going against one of the most popular quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning.

The Broncos were recently voted as America’s favorite team breaking a six year run of the Cowboys being voted America’s favorite team. A battle between Dallas and Denver would be must watch television for football, and not football fans, nationwide because of the appeal factors both of these franchises currently have.

The Broncos would be looking to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Seahawks last year, plus Manning would be looking to win his second Super Bowl title. A win would likely send Manning into retirement and win the Broncos their first Super Bowl since the days of John Elway.

The Cowboys would be looking to break a two decade stretch of not winning a Super Bowl, which dates back to the days of Troy Aikman. A Super Bowl appearance would be remarkable for the Cowboys because of the turnaround their defense had to do and more importantly the fact Tony Romo would actually be playing in a Super Bowl.

This is obviously a very long ways down the road as even being a possibility, but if you are looking for drama, a great storyline, intrigue and a great game to watch this matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos would be the game for you.

It would be an incredible sight to see and as a fan of the NFL watching from a neutral and nonbiased sports writer position, I would love to see this take place. I believe, unlike last year, this game would actually live up to the hype that would be placed upon it and a classic would unfold.

If you recall, these two teams met in the regular season last year and it was a classic. It was a shootout that went down to the last drive of the game.

Denver came out on top 51-48 in what was one of the best games of the entire 2013 NFL season. Romo threw for over 500 yards in the game, but had a costly last minute interception that sealed the deal in the end.

So, as we think about possible Super Bowl matchups this season the one that has to be at the top of the list is Dallas vs. Denver. The storylines are there and a classic could be in store once again just as it was last season. It is a long ways before we get to that point, but it is something very interesting to think and dream about as fans of the NFL.

The 2014 NFL season nears its midway point and week by week we continue to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In a league where each week is a mystery, we have finally began to recognize who some of the true contenders appear to be.

As we enter week seven of the NFL season, we look back to the previous six weeks to look at some of the teams that have separated themselves from the pack. In this list we find some of the league’s biggest name teams and a couple of surprises.

The most impressive team so far this year has to be the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are off to a 5-1 start and are in first place in the AFC West. Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers could possibly be the leading candidate for league MVP.

The most surprising team so far this season has to be the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off an impressive victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has had tons of pressure taken off him this year thanks to the running game.

The Cowboys’ defense has had one of the best turnarounds in all of the NFL this season. The Cowboys are yet to play a divisional game, which is odd considering we have completed six weeks. Dallas finally plays their first game against an NFC East team this weekend when they face the New York Giants.

Finally, the biggest bounce back team this year has to be the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had one of the worst showings in Super Bowl history last year when they lost 43-8 to Seattle. Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning had a record setting year last year, but it was all for nothing in the end.

This year the Broncos are once again one of the top teams in the NFL and are second in the AFC West just behind the Chargers. Denver appears to be one of the favorites again this year in the AFC, but may have a better all around team this season.

So, I mention all of this for one reason and that is to imagine what could possibly be the dream Super Bowl matchup this season. It is an obvious answer if you think about it and it would send ratings through the roof if it was to happen.

That matchup I speak of is the Denver Broncos vs. the Dallas Cowboys. This game would have everything you could ask for in a Super Bowl. It would have the most popular team not only in the NFL, but all of sports going against one of the most popular quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning.

The Broncos were recently voted as America’s favorite team breaking a six year run of the Cowboys being voted America’s favorite team. A battle between Dallas and Denver would be must watch television for football, and not football fans, nationwide because of the appeal factors both of these franchises currently have.

The Broncos would be looking to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Seahawks last year, plus Manning would be looking to win his second Super Bowl title. A win would likely send Manning into retirement and win the Broncos their first Super Bowl since the days of John Elway.

The Cowboys would be looking to break a two decade stretch of not winning a Super Bowl, which dates back to the days of Troy Aikman. A Super Bowl appearance would be remarkable for the Cowboys because of the turnaround their defense had to do and more importantly the fact Tony Romo would actually be playing in a Super Bowl.

This is obviously a very long ways down the road as even being a possibility, but if you are looking for drama, a great storyline, intrigue and a great game to watch this matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos would be the game for you.

It would be an incredible sight to see and as a fan of the NFL watching from a neutral and nonbiased sports writer position, I would love to see this take place. I believe, unlike last year, this game would actually live up to the hype that would be placed upon it and a classic would unfold.

If you recall, these two teams met in the regular season last year and it was a classic. It was a shootout that went down to the last drive of the game.

Denver came out on top 51-48 in what was one of the best games of the entire 2013 NFL season. Romo threw for over 500 yards in the game, but had a costly last minute interception that sealed the deal in the end.

So, as we think about possible Super Bowl matchups this season the one that has to be at the top of the list is Dallas vs. Denver. The storylines are there and a classic could be in store once again just as it was last season. It is a long ways before we get to that point, but it is something very interesting to think and dream about as fans of the NFL.

The 2014 NFL season nears its midway point and week by week we continue to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In a league where each week is a mystery, we have finally began to recognize who some of the true contenders appear to be.

As we enter week seven of the NFL season, we look back to the previous six weeks to look at some of the teams that have separated themselves from the pack. In this list we find some of the league’s biggest name teams and a couple of surprises.

The most impressive team so far this year has to be the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are off to a 5-1 start and are in first place in the AFC West. Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers could possibly be the leading candidate for league MVP.

The most surprising team so far this season has to be the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off an impressive victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has had tons of pressure taken off him this year thanks to the running game.

The Cowboys’ defense has had one of the best turnarounds in all of the NFL this season. The Cowboys are yet to play a divisional game, which is odd considering we have completed six weeks. Dallas finally plays their first game against an NFC East team this weekend when they face the New York Giants.

Finally, the biggest bounce back team this year has to be the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had one of the worst showings in Super Bowl history last year when they lost 43-8 to Seattle. Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning had a record setting year last year, but it was all for nothing in the end.

This year the Broncos are once again one of the top teams in the NFL and are second in the AFC West just behind the Chargers. Denver appears to be one of the favorites again this year in the AFC, but may have a better all around team this season.

So, I mention all of this for one reason and that is to imagine what could possibly be the dream Super Bowl matchup this season. It is an obvious answer if you think about it and it would send ratings through the roof if it was to happen.

That matchup I speak of is the Denver Broncos vs. the Dallas Cowboys. This game would have everything you could ask for in a Super Bowl. It would have the most popular team not only in the NFL, but all of sports going against one of the most popular quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning.

The Broncos were recently voted as America’s favorite team breaking a six year run of the Cowboys being voted America’s favorite team. A battle between Dallas and Denver would be must watch television for football, and not football fans, nationwide because of the appeal factors both of these franchises currently have.

The Broncos would be looking to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Seahawks last year, plus Manning would be looking to win his second Super Bowl title. A win would likely send Manning into retirement and win the Broncos their first Super Bowl since the days of John Elway.

The Cowboys would be looking to break a two decade stretch of not winning a Super Bowl, which dates back to the days of Troy Aikman. A Super Bowl appearance would be remarkable for the Cowboys because of the turnaround their defense had to do and more importantly the fact Tony Romo would actually be playing in a Super Bowl.

This is obviously a very long ways down the road as even being a possibility, but if you are looking for drama, a great storyline, intrigue and a great game to watch this matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos would be the game for you.

It would be an incredible sight to see and as a fan of the NFL watching from a neutral and nonbiased sports writer position, I would love to see this take place. I believe, unlike last year, this game would actually live up to the hype that would be placed upon it and a classic would unfold.

If you recall, these two teams met in the regular season last year and it was a classic. It was a shootout that went down to the last drive of the game.

Denver came out on top 51-48 in what was one of the best games of the entire 2013 NFL season. Romo threw for over 500 yards in the game, but had a costly last minute interception that sealed the deal in the end.

So, as we think about possible Super Bowl matchups this season the one that has to be at the top of the list is Dallas vs. Denver. The storylines are there and a classic could be in store once again just as it was last season. It is a long ways before we get to that point, but it is something very interesting to think and dream about as fans of the NFL.

The 2014 NFL season nears its midway point and week by week we continue to separate the contenders from the pretenders. In a league where each week is a mystery, we have finally began to recognize who some of the true contenders appear to be.

As we enter week seven of the NFL season, we look back to the previous six weeks to look at some of the teams that have separated themselves from the pack. In this list we find some of the league’s biggest name teams and a couple of surprises.

The most impressive team so far this year has to be the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are off to a 5-1 start and are in first place in the AFC West. Chargers’ quarterback Philip Rivers could possibly be the leading candidate for league MVP.

The most surprising team so far this season has to be the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are coming off an impressive victory against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Seattle. Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo has had tons of pressure taken off him this year thanks to the running game.

The Cowboys’ defense has had one of the best turnarounds in all of the NFL this season. The Cowboys are yet to play a divisional game, which is odd considering we have completed six weeks. Dallas finally plays their first game against an NFC East team this weekend when they face the New York Giants.

Finally, the biggest bounce back team this year has to be the Denver Broncos. The Broncos had one of the worst showings in Super Bowl history last year when they lost 43-8 to Seattle. Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning had a record setting year last year, but it was all for nothing in the end.

This year the Broncos are once again one of the top teams in the NFL and are second in the AFC West just behind the Chargers. Denver appears to be one of the favorites again this year in the AFC, but may have a better all around team this season.

So, I mention all of this for one reason and that is to imagine what could possibly be the dream Super Bowl matchup this season. It is an obvious answer if you think about it and it would send ratings through the roof if it was to happen.

That matchup I speak of is the Denver Broncos vs. the Dallas Cowboys. This game would have everything you could ask for in a Super Bowl. It would have the most popular team not only in the NFL, but all of sports going against one of the most popular quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning.

The Broncos were recently voted as America’s favorite team breaking a six year run of the Cowboys being voted America’s favorite team. A battle between Dallas and Denver would be must watch television for football, and not football fans, nationwide because of the appeal factors both of these franchises currently have.

The Broncos would be looking to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to the Seahawks last year, plus Manning would be looking to win his second Super Bowl title. A win would likely send Manning into retirement and win the Broncos their first Super Bowl since the days of John Elway.

The Cowboys would be looking to break a two decade stretch of not winning a Super Bowl, which dates back to the days of Troy Aikman. A Super Bowl appearance would be remarkable for the Cowboys because of the turnaround their defense had to do and more importantly the fact Tony Romo would actually be playing in a Super Bowl.

This is obviously a very long ways down the road as even being a possibility, but if you are looking for drama, a great storyline, intrigue and a great game to watch this matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos would be the game for you.

It would be an incredible sight to see and as a fan of the NFL watching from a neutral and nonbiased sports writer position, I would love to see this take place. I believe, unlike last year, this game would actually live up to the hype that would be placed upon it and a classic would unfold.

If you recall, these two teams met in the regular season last year and it was a classic. It was a shootout that went down to the last drive of the game.

Denver came out on top 51-48 in what was one of the best games of the entire 2013 NFL season. Romo threw for over 500 yards in the game, but had a costly last minute interception that sealed the deal in the end.

So, as we think about possible Super Bowl matchups this season the one that has to be at the top of the list is Dallas vs. Denver. The storylines are there and a classic could be in store once again just as it was last season. It is a long ways before we get to that point, but it is something very interesting to think and dream about as fans of the NFL.