Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys / Photo: Newscom

How did the Cowboys do it? For starters, they had a balanced attack on offense, controlling the game clock (36:26 to 23:34) and keeping the high-powered, quick-strike New Orleans offense on the sidelines. They also ran the ball and stopped the run (145 yards to 65 yards), which is every team’s goal prior to every game. Plus, the Cowboys sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees four times (two by DeMarcus Ware and two by Anthony Spencer), hurried him countless other times and intercepted him once. It wasn’t that it was an entirely unique game plan offensively or defensively, but it was executed to near-perfection.

I thought Tony Romo played as good a game as I’ve seen him play. Up to this point, I considered Tony to be one of—if not the most—overrated quarterbacks in the NFL, especially in the clutch when games matter the most. In a game the Cowboys had to have—against an unbeaten team in a very hostile environment—he played outstanding (22-of-34 passing for 312 yards and a touchdown).

On a down note, the Cowboys will be shopping for a new kicker immediately. Had they lost this game, kicker Nick Folk would’ve had to find a different means of transportation than the team plane to get home. As it stands, he’s missed more field goal attempts than any other kicker in the NFL this season. His confidence appears completely shot, so I don’t expect to see him back with the team this coming week.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dallas Cowboys Answer December Doubters

DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys / Image: Zuma Press

DeMarcus spent some time in the hospital yesterday, but felt much better today:

“You know what’s weird, it feels better than it did yesterday. Yesterday, I couldn’t move it or anything; today it feels like I’m ready to play the game on Saturday to be honest. I cleared the little test they give you where you push and pull your neck to check all your strength—I didn’t have any last night, but today I had all my strength and everything back. “

The Cowboys (8-5), now a game behind the NFC East division leading Philadelphia Eagles, knows they desperately need DeMarcus in their starting lineup. Dallas plays the undefeated New Orleans Saints (13-0) on Saturday and they’ll need all hands on deck (especially defensively) if they’re going to have any chance against quarterback Drew Brees and the NFL’s best offense.

Source: DallasCowboys.com

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DeMarcus Ware Day-to-Day With Neck Injury

Joined by children from the Washington, DC area, the President and players come together for a friendly game of touch football, reminding fans about the importance of being active as part of NFL PLAY 60, the league’s youth health and fitness campaign. Filmed on the White House lawn earlier this month by NFL Films, the PSA also encourages viewers to get involved in their communities and remember the importance of service.

Drew Brees, a PLAY 60 spokesman, said:

“Thanksgiving is a time when families come together, and it is also a perfect time to focus on the importance of keeping kids healthy and active. I was honored to spend time with the President on an issue that is clearly important to him. I was also impressed by his wide receiver skills.”

Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations. Since the program was launched in 2007, the NFL has committed $200 million to youth health and fitness through programming, grants, and media time for PSAs.

President Obama launched United We Serve to challenge all Americans—young and old, from every background across the country—to create meaningful change in their communities by engaging in service that is sustained and focuses on impact. When volunteers commit to long-term service projects in their communities, they build expertise and strengthen the community’s capacity to meet its challenges. To learn more about United We Serve or find service projects in specific communities, the President is encouraging everyone to visit www.serve.gov.

In support of NFL PLAY 60, all Thanksgiving weekend games will raise awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic and showcase the NFL and its clubs’ commitment to help reverse this trend. Beginning on Thanksgiving Day and continuing throughout Weeks 12-14, teams will designate a home game as an ‘NFL PLAY 60’ game. On-field elements will include PLAY 60 field stencils, banners and goal post wraps. Teams also will invite ‘NFL PLAY 60 youth ambassadors’ to run on-field and stand alongside players for the National Anthem. These youngsters were selected by each team for their commitment to being healthy, through programs like NFL Punt, Pass & Kick, NFL FLAG Football and through participation in the NFL-American Heart Association PLAY 60 Challenge.

Fans can visit NFLRUSH.com/Play60 or Serve.gov to learn about volunteer opportunities and how they can get involved.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

NFL Players Join President Obama in PSA

Here is the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Starters are listed in bold.

OFFENSE

QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals; Drew Brees, Saints; Eli Manning, Giants
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Michael Turner, Falcons; Clinton Portis, Redskins
FB: Mike Sellers, Redskins
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Steve Smith, Panthers; Roddy White, Falcons,
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys; Chris Cooley, Redskins
T: Jordan Gross, Panthers; Walter Jones, Seahawks; Chris Samuels, Redskins
G: Chris Snee, Giants; Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Leonard Davis, Cowboys
C: Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Shaun O’Hara, Giants

DEFENSE

DE: Justin Tuck, Giants; Julius Peppers, Panthers; Jared Allen, Vikings
DT: Kevin Williams, Vikings; Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Pat Williams, Vikings
OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Lance Briggs, Bears; Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers
MLB: Patrick Willis, 49ers; Jon Beason, Panthers
CB: Charles Woodson, Packers; Antoine Winfield, Vikings; Asante Samuel, Eagles
S: Nick Collins, Packers; Adrian Wilson, Cardinals; Brian Dawkins, Eagles

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: John Carney, Giants
P: Jeff Feagles, Giants
KR: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers
ST: Sean Morey, Cardinals

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

2009 NFC Pro Bowl Roster

Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware tied an NFL sack record by recording a sack in his 10th straight game this afternoon. But it was the only good news the Cowboys had as they were not only beaten — they were lambasted by the revived St. Louis Rams 34-14. DeMarcus finished the day with three sacks and led the Cowboys with seven tackles. Interestingly, though he now shares the NFL record, DeMarcus remains one game shy of the franchise record. The Cowboys recognize Harvey Martin’s 11-game streak from 1976-77, a run that ended five years before the sack became an official statistic, as the number to beat.

This was a chaotic week for the Cowboys — Tony Romo’s injury, Adam “Pacman” Jones’ suspension, more injuries to rookie running back Felix Jones and punter Mat McBrier, trading with Detroit for receiver Roy Williams — and I guess I overestimated backup QB Brad Johnson’s veteran ability at 40-years-old. He had three interceptions today. But Brad was not the only reason the Cowboys lost today. It was a team effort. DeMarcus will certainly put this sack record on the backburner as the Cowboys try to regroup and figure out what is wrong with their team.

Source: NFL.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

DeMarcus Ware Ties NFL Sack Record

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Here’s the new Reebok NFL Equipment commercial that features 20 NFL players, the most to ever appear in a single TV ad. Look for Eli and Peyton Manning, Kevin Boss, Jerricho Cotchery, Greg Ellis, Matt Hasselbeck, Madison Hedgecock, Chad Johnson, Thomas Jones, Mathias Kiwanuka, Nick Mangold, Laurence Maroney, Jeff Saturday, Bo Scaife, Derrick Ward, DeMarcus Ware, Ty Warren, Benjamin Watson, Reggie Wayne, and Vince Young. The products? Each player is wearing his team’s NFL Equipment Speedwick Tee and Reebok HexRide Rally II kicks. Football is back. Nice.

Source: Reebok

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Reebok NFL Players ‘Join the Migration’

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

The Dallas Cowboys placed a league-high 12 players on the NFC All-Star team. Among the players selected to the NFC squad was Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, who died last month. Sean received the most votes at his position and was chosen as the starting free safety for the NFC team. A replacement will be announced at a later date. Eleven NFC players will participate in their first Pro Bowl, including Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson, who leads the NFC in rushing yards with 1,278.

Five of the Cowboys’ Pro Bowl players – running back Marion Barber, guard Leonard Davis, rookie kicker Nick Folk, safety Ken Hamlin and cornerback Terence Newman – are also first-time All-Stars. They join tackle Flozell Adams (fourth Pro Bowl), center Andre Gurode (second), wide receiver Terrell Owens (sixth), quarterback Tony Romo (second), linebacker DeMarcus Ware (second) and tight end Jason Witten (fourth) to equal the largest Dallas Pro Bowl contingent ever. Dallas also had 11 players named to the All-Star team in 1993 and 1994.

The starting quarterback for the NFC is nine-time All-Star Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. Brett, also the leading vote-getter among fans, ties Pro Football Hall of Famers John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Norm Van Brocklin for the second-most Pro Bowl selections by a quarterback behind Johnny Unitas with 10. Joining Brett at QB are Dallas’ Tony Romo and Seattle’s Matt Hasselbeck. Tony is the first Cowboys QB to be chosen for back-to-back Pro Bowls since Hall of Famer Troy Aikman (1992-97). Matt joins Dave Krieg as the only Seahawks quarterbacks to be named to three Pro Bowls.

Starting at running back for the NFC is AD, who seeks to become the first rookie to lead the NFC in rushing since Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (1989). He is joined by Dallas’ Marion Barber and two-time Philadelphia Eagles All-Star Brian Westbrook, who has an NFL-best 1,896 yards from scrimmage. I kind of scratched my head at Marion’s selection, but he is the first Cowboys RB to be chosen since the 2000 Pro Bowl (Emmitt Smith) and Brian is the sixth Eagles running back with multiple All-Star selections. Filling out the backfield is Minnesota fullback Tony Richardson, who makes his third Pro Bowl appearance (Kansas City, 2004-05) and first for the NFC.

Along with Dallas’ TO, now chosen as an All-Star with three teams (San Francisco, Philadelphia), the NFC’s other starting wide receiver is Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, who played in the 2006 Pro Bowl. Rounding out the position are a pair of Pro Bowl veterans in seven-time All-Star Torry Holt of the St. Louis Rams and three-time All-Star Donald Driver of Green Bay.

The starting tight end for the NFC is Jason Witten, making his fourth consecutive appearance in Hawaii. He is joined by Washington’s Chris Cooley, who deservedly will make his Pro Bowl debut.

Minnesota’s Steve Hutchinson will make his fifth consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl and start at guard along with the Cowboys’ Leonard Davis. Philadelphia’s Shawn Andrews was named an All-Star for the second year in a row and fills out the position.

Starting at center is Dallas’ Andre Gurode, joined by Minnesota’s Matt Birk, a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

The starting tackles are Seattle’s Walter Jones, an eight-time All-Star, and the Cowboys’ Flozell Adams. Washington’s Chris Samuels, making his fifth Pro Bowl appearance, is the NFC’s third tackle.

A pair of two-time All-Stars will start at defensive end for the NFC in Green Bay’s Aaron Kampman and Seattle’s Patrick Kerney. New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, making his second trip to Hawaii, also was chosen to represent the NFC.

Two Vikings will start on the interior defensive line in three-time All-Star Kevin Williams and two-time Pro Bowl selection Pat Williams. These two combine to make the Vikings the best in the league against the run. Chicago’s Tommie Harris was chosen for the third time in his career.

Seattle’s Lofa Tatupu makes his third Pro Bowl trip and will start at inside linebacker. He will be joined at the position by rookie Patrick Willis of the San Francisco 49ers, the No. 11 overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. The outside linebackers are Chicago’s Lance Briggs (third Pro Bowl), Seattle’s Julian Peterson (fourth) and Dallas’ DeMarcus Ware. Julian and DeMarcus were chosen as the starters.

All three cornerbacks on the NFC team are Pro Bowl newcomers. Green Bay’s Al Harris and Seattle’s Marcus Trufant will start with Dallas’ Terence Newman coming off the bench.

At free safety, the late Sean Taylor was selected as the starter. Dallas’ Ken Hamlin also was chosen at free safety and four-time All-Star Darren Sharper of the Minnesota Vikings will be the starting strong safety.

Two Bears are among the quartet of players who will handle special teams duties for the NFC. For the second consecutive year, Chicago’s Devin Hester will be the return specialist and Brandon Ayanbadejo will be the coverage specialist. Dallas’ rookie Nick Folk is the kicker and San Francisco punter Andy Lee was selected for the first time in his career.

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Dallas Cowboys Lead NFL With 12 All-Stars, 11 First-Time Selections For NFC