By Brandon Simmons
Does the Cowboys Win Strike Fear in Their Rivals?
The Dallas Cowboys may have sent a message to their potential playoff rivals Sunday when they tore down the Washington Football Team 56-14. It was a massacre on a division rival that may have been the team’s best performance this season. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott led the offense to a 42-7 halftime lead and finished the game throwing 28/39 for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense joined in on the fun forcing 2 interceptions, including a pick 6 by defensive end Demarcus Lawrence.
Whoever is sitting in the NFC playoff picture right now, might want to be aware of what the cowboys are painting. This team has been explosive on offense all year, and now they are playing some strong defense. Cowboys have Trevon Diggs at cornerback and Micha Parsons at linebacker, which allows them to do a lot of things at different levels. Diggs’ 11 interceptions – which leads the league and is a team single-season record – has been crucial in generating takeaways. Parsons has been a key factor on this defense with his versatility to defend the middle of the field and rush the QB. When a team is clicking on both sides of the ball, on a consistent basis, they can provide some trouble for their competition. In recent years, Dallas has had some good teams to reach the postseason but the defense never has played as good as it is now. That’s going to be important when they face teams who can score just as much as them.
AB is Bruce Arians’ philosophy
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown is the personification of the motto of head coach Bruce Arians: No Risk It, No Biscuit. AB returned to the team after serving a 3 game suspension when it was discovered he was in possession of a fake vaccination card. If you’re just tuning in to the latest saga of Antonio Brown, you likely missed a ton of antics that he has done spanning 2019 to 2020, which didn’t seem to matter to the Bucs, who signed him last year en route to their Super Bowl title last season. Many clamored that Brown would be a distraction, but he has been relatively quiet up until the card incident. In fact, when AB’s suspension began, it was reported that he on the verge of being cut, but Arians said it was not something he felt was good for the team.
The thing that makes the “risk it” part so easy about keeping AB, is that he really puts up the “biscuits”. This year – even through all the injuries ad playing fewer games – Brown has still managed to put up more yards than the previous season. In his return game, he had 10 catches for 101 yards. It was something light for the guy who put up 5 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win against the Dallas Cowboys. Brown has always been an offensive x-factor, but his antics seem to outshine his talents. He’s not the first wide receiver that has been perceived this way. Terell Owens comes to mind when thinking of this topic. The only difference is that T.O.’s actions were strictly football-oriented while AB’s drama can be found in the locker room and outside of it. When it comes to drama of any kind, teams will tend to steer away from it unless there’s a 1,000 yard season and a championship that comes with it. Winning is a business, and to paraphrase AB’s old motto: He always kept business booming.
Jaguars Start Their Coaching Search
It is being reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars have begun their search for a new head coach. The league has a new rule this year in which teams that have coaching vacancies during the season can begin interviewing coaching assistants from other teams. Among this particular list includes such as former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. It really should come down between Moore and Leftwich. Both guys are coordinators and playcallers for some stout offensive teams. Leftwich might contain the edge because he is a former player for the Jaguars, who drafted him 7th overall in 2003; but Moore – who is also a former quarterback – really has this team steamrolling defenses right now. The knowledge these two potential candidates bring will be vital to the development of Jaguars rookie QB Trevor Lawrence.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys for their Texas-sized point totals they dropped on their opponents Sunday. The Texans easily handled the Chargers to the tune of 41-29 while the Cowboys demolished the Washington Football Team 56-14.
Shut out to the Washington Football Team’s Jon Allen and Daron Payne for fighting the wrong opponent. During their loss to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the camera caught both players arguing on the sideline. Payne then proceeds to get up and put his finger on Allen’s forehead. Allen stood up and swung at Payne. It’s unclear what was said but neither of those guys should hve wasted that aggression on each other. Payne is definitely in the wrong for starting it by putting his hands in another man’s face area.
It is now down to 2 games left in the season for the league which will also set off the top of the new year. Expect the fireworks to fly when the Arizona Cardinals visit the Dallas Cowboys. After Saturday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Cardinals fell out of first place in the NFC West and dropped to 5th in the playoff seeding. The Cowboys lead their division but are in the 4th seed, looking to get a win and keep up with the top-seeded Green Bay Packers, who they are a game behind for homefield advantage. Regardless of the playoff implications, this should be a fun matchup to keep an eye on. But until then…I’ll holla.
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