Da Boys Are Back!!

It's finals time again, and nothing would please me more than for the Federal Rules of Evidence to go up in a billow of smoke. But alas, as I study for my exams which are at this point all but inevitably coming [barring a miracle from God...I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME BIG DUDE], the only thing that makes me smile is one thought - the thought that is first in my head and first on my tounge when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I thank God for in my prayers before I go to bed. And that thought, ladies and gents, is this: DA BOYS ARE BACK BABY!!

That is all :-)

Hard To Believe It's True

Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
November 27, 2006 6:26 PM
Change Font Size A A A A


IRVING, Texas - Almost makes you wants to pinch yourself, doesn't it, just to make sure this all is not some sort of fantasy.

Because there sure seems to be Sugar Plum Fairies dancin' out here at The Ranch these days.

I mean, the Cowboys win three straight, and four of their last five.

The Giants lose three straight, and three of their last five.

The Eagles lose quarterback Donovan McNabb, and five of their last six games.

The Panthers lose to Washington, and three of their last five.

The Falcons lose four straight, and five of their last seven.

The Vikings managed to win one Sunday, interrupting their four-game losing streak.

The Saints managed to win one Sunday, now giving them just two wins in their past five games.

The Seahawks must play Green Bay Monday night, but knowing they go into the game having lost three of their past five.

And the Chicago Bears, winners of their first seven games, now stand 9-2, losing Sunday, their second in the past four games.

Good gosh almighty. Is this stuff for real?

The Cowboys, at 7-4, with a one-game lead over the New York Giants (6-5) in the NFC East and a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles (5-6)?

The Cowboys, going into Monday night's game with Seattle (6-4) playing Green Bay, tied now with only the New Orleans Saints (7-4) for the second-best record in the NFC, and obviously the Seahawks could join them by beating the Packers?

The Cowboys, just two games behind the suddenly struggling Bears for the top record in the NFC, and tied with the Saints, Chiefs and Broncos for the sixth-best record in the entire NFL?

And to think, after seven weeks of play the Cowboys stood a mediocre 3-3, having just lost two of the last three, including that Monday night, nationally-televised embarrassment to the New York Giants. To think everyone was pulling their hair out, figuring Bill Parcells was on his last leg in Dallas; Terrell Owens was far more trouble than he was worth; the defensive coordinator didn't know squat about pressure defense; the offensive line was indeed offensive; the safeties couldn't save Christmas; and the fate of the team was in the hands of a fourth-year quarterback with nary a start under this NFL chinstrap.

Amazing.

What has happened since the Cowboys stood 3-3?

Well, as for the rest of the NFC, check this out: The eight other teams that headed into the Week 12 games with at least 5-5 records have now combined to go 16-23 since the Cowboys were 3-3, and only two, Chicago (3-2) and San Francisco (3-2), have played above .500 these past five weeks, with Seattle (2-2) having a chance if it beats Green Bay Monday night.

So when you hear the Cowboys are the hottest team in the NFC, that would be correct. They have gone 4-1, and are within one block on that field goal at Washington of 5-0.

But if you remember, the indicators were there back then that the Cowboys going on such a hot streak was possible. They just had to change two things: Turnovers and sacks, and it certainly appears they did so when Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells made the decision to change quarterbacks, benching Drew Bledsoe in favor of the unproven and inexperienced Tony Romo.

So far, so good.

The Cowboys' quarterbacks had been sacked 18 times over the first six games. Now, just six in the past five games.

As important, if not more, the Cowboys had committed 14 turnovers in the first six games, including Romo's three, second-half interceptions against the Giants. But in the past five games, all starts by Romo, the young prodigy has only been intercepted twice and the Cowboys have lost only one fumble (his).

Don't ever underestimate this: The Cowboys' turnover differential after six games was minus-2, tying them for 21st in the NFL. Today, the Cowboys are tied for fifth with three other teams at plus-8. That means in these past five games, the Cowboys are a plus-10.

And it's not as if they suddenly have gone on a takeaway tear to forge this difference. They have 13 in the past five games. They had 12 in the first six. So not huge.

But here is the difference in all this: Nine of the 14 turnovers in the first six games led to points by the opponent; six touchdowns and three field goals, totaling 51 points, and let's not forget Romo was responsible for 17 of those points in the second half of the 36-22 loss to the Giants.

Yet here over the past five games, the Cowboys have only aided and abetted the opponent to just seven points on turnovers - off the interception at Carolina. That's it. Just seven points. So with one game to go, that's a difference of 44 points. So, huge.

How huge? Well, at the six-game mark, the Cowboys had outscored their opponents by 41 points, 169-128. In the past five games, the Cowboys have outscored their opponents by 70 points, 140-70, and right now have a 309-198 advantage, or 111 points. Only Chicago and San Diego have a larger differential.

There are more numbers to suggest this Cowboys' 7-4 record, which certainly could be at least 9-2 if not for all the point-costing turnovers the first half of the season, is not a mirage.

The Cowboys' 309 points is tops in the NFC and ranks second in the NFL, behind only San Diego's 353 points.

The Cowboys' 198 points against rank second in the NFC to only Chicago (137), and are tied for fifth in the NFL.

Only Chicago (34) and Baltimore (29) have more takeaways than the Cowboys' 25.

The Cowboys' red-zone, touchdown-scoring percentage of 62.8 leads the NFC and is fourth in the NFL.

The Cowboys' 49-percent third-down conversion rate tops the NFC, and is second only to Indy's other-worldly 56.7.

The Cowboys are the only team in the NFL with its offense and defense ranked in the top five, both ranked fourth going into the Monday night game, and just one of three teams to have its offense and defense ranked in the top 10, San Diego fourth and ninth, while New England is seventh and sixth.

The Cowboys also own the NFC's leading scorer among non-kickers, backup running back Marion Barber now with 66 points, which includes a conference-high nine rushing touchdowns. Third would be none other than wide receiver Terrell Owens with 50 points.

Then there is Romo, leading the NFL with a 110.8 quarterback rating. Now granted he has only 180 passing attempts, which is 199 fewer than Peyton Manning (100.2), 174 fewer than Carson Palmer (99.9) and a whopping 233 fewer than Drew Brees (97.8), and hey, no one would argue more at-bats don't make a difference.

But Romo also leads the NFC in three other categories: Completion percentage (69.4), percentage of touchdown passes (7.2) and, to me this one is what's big, average gain per attempt (9.2) - the latter two also leading the NFL.

Uncanny.

Oh, and there is one other thing, and shhhhh, don't tell Bill I said this, and for good measure maybe you ought to knock on some serious wood to cover me, but the Cowboys have to lead the NFL in this category 11 games into the season: Only three starts missed due to injury. That's all season now. The Giants had more than that just on Sunday.

All this for real?

Hmmm, them Wooden Soldiers ought to be parading by any day now