RugbyMuffin
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In a season and year where things have just been to darn stressful and frustrating, not only in the world of football, but life itself, I discovered an oasis. Childish ? Yes. Embarrassing ? hmm...yes. But, a very well written, well done show: Penguins of Madagascar.
I bring this up because, the engineer, on that show, known as Kowalski, is the brains of the operation. He is always asked to provide "options" for the rest of the team.
One episode when the Penguins were in a nasty situation, with no hope, when Kowalski was asked for options, his only response was:
"Close your eyes so you don't see it coming."
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It has been a busy year, and this will be my only installment of "Know thine Enemy".
I chose this game because for one I have the time, and two this is the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys: 5-9
Depht Chart:http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/depthchart?team=DAL
Team Stats:http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/statistics?team=DAL
Injuries: http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/injuries?team=DAL
Breakown:
Wow. Breakdowns are hard to write when your team, the Cardinals, are so poor. What it comes down to, I guess, is whether our team gives a damn. The Cowboys have won 4 out of their last 6 games, but they are not that good of a football team. The Cowboys have trouble running the ball, and their defense is 31st in the league for points against.
Hope ? You want hope? Ok, I will give it to you. As stated, the Cowboys have had problems running the ball, if that continues against the Cardinals we are in decent shape. Next is we have had a habit of ruining Jon Kitna when he is hot.
What this means is that if the Cardinals actually knew, as a collective team, what a huge game this is for a lot of fans, and they came out ready to play then we could win this game. IF Tim Hightower, and IF Chris Wells could give the Cardinals a solid, and complete performance, IF our recieving core could catch easy passes, IF our defense can generate a pass rush, IF our athletically talented secondary could care about what is going on, we could not only win but roll over this team.
Cowboys:
This is easy. Too easy. Heck, if I am the Cowboys offensive coordinator I call in my game plan, and get ready for Xmas. Jason Witten, Jason Witten, and some more Jason Witten. Odds are that Adrian Wilson, or Paris Lenon will cover Witten, so that means Witten will have about 5 touchdowns, and 250 yards..........I wish I was overdramatizing. The Cowboys cannot run the ball, but the Cardinals cannot defend the run, so that is a toss up. But, in reality all the Cowboys have to do, is get a 2-score lead because......
While the Cowboys secondary is banged up, there LB'ing core is getting healthy. I expect the Cowboys to put 8 in the box, and dare the Cardinals to throw the ball. Why not ? When the QB does get the ball on target it is dropped. Once the Cowboys get up by 2-scores, they will release the dogs, and DeMarcus Ware will destroy our OT's. Game over.
Cardinals:
I haven't broken down a game all year. The Cardinals should have the easiest plan you could have. Fundementals. Whiz is the second coming of Pendergast but on offense. At some point Whiz has to realize, or continue to look pretty stupid, he has to scale back the offense, no more silly screens, reverses, etc., etc. that are KILLING drives. Run Wells straight up the gut, use Hightower as a 3rd down, change of pace back. Get Fitzgerald the ball, and if Fitzgerald is taken away, then go to Breaston. The achilles, is that our offensive line has to show up and give a damn. No Faneca playing the "I'm a vet and don't need this crap.", No Lutui taking plays off, Nothing you can do about Sendlein, Levi Brown has to play to the whistle, and Jeremy Bridges has to play beyond his abilities.
On defense, it is all about leadership. Key players need to step up, and vets need to keep the rookies under control. And of course, per the theme of this post, they have to give a damn, and make a tackle.
The Cardinals can win against a bad team, if they just play better fundemental football than the Cowboys.
Final Thoughts:
Back when I was young, and a front runner. Rooted for Giants/Bills/Chargers, and finally said I wanted one NFL team. The Cardinals were it because of their pure, and well balanced hate for the Cowboys. There were other reasons as well, but that was the start of it.
I understand that these days this rivalry has waned. That some (and not that there is anything wrong with this in the least) don't even know what the big deal is with the Cowboys. But, not me. Not me in the least. This game is huge. This game is the season, IMO. 2008 was magical, and IF we won the SB, then winning the SB would have been the highlight, but in 2008 my highlight was not the playoffs, or SB, it was beating the Cowboys at home, and how we beat them.
So here we are 4-10. One win, and this season's misery goes away, or at least is reduced by about 90% if we were to win on Xmas. Screw the Cowboys (please use your mind to "strengthen" that statement). I hate them, I hate what they stand for, how they play the game, I hate their owner, I hate their fanbase, I hate the unwarranted attention, and praise they get, I hate the Irvin, and Aikman biased reporting. I just cannot stand them.
Unfortunately, this feeling will be, at least I confidently assume this, lost on our current club. With a chance of some kind of redemption for the season, with the next two games being against emotional rivals where records should be thrown out the window. I feel our current squad will go through the motions, eventhough they will have a long time off after these two weeks. One can hope that the team realizes that these games should be played for the fans. These wins go a long way for having the slightest bit of possitivity going into the offseason. Allowing fans to say "At least we beat the Cowboys, and at least we ruined the Niners season."
But going back to the beginning of this post, my options to my fellow fans is:
"Close your eyes so you don't see it coming."
To lose to the Cowboys, at home, while they are a bad team as well, on Xmas, is going to be too much to digest on a holiday. Maybe I will DVR it, and watch it late at night. But, that will risk Santa hearing me "scattering the doves" and passing over my house.
I guess our only hope is a Xmas miracle, and maybe some way this team realizes what this game means to all those fans that will be there, and win.
I bring this up because, the engineer, on that show, known as Kowalski, is the brains of the operation. He is always asked to provide "options" for the rest of the team.
One episode when the Penguins were in a nasty situation, with no hope, when Kowalski was asked for options, his only response was:
"Close your eyes so you don't see it coming."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It has been a busy year, and this will be my only installment of "Know thine Enemy".
I chose this game because for one I have the time, and two this is the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys: 5-9
Depht Chart:http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/depthchart?team=DAL
Team Stats:http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/statistics?team=DAL
Injuries: http://www.nfl.com/teams/dallascowboys/injuries?team=DAL
Breakown:
Wow. Breakdowns are hard to write when your team, the Cardinals, are so poor. What it comes down to, I guess, is whether our team gives a damn. The Cowboys have won 4 out of their last 6 games, but they are not that good of a football team. The Cowboys have trouble running the ball, and their defense is 31st in the league for points against.
Hope ? You want hope? Ok, I will give it to you. As stated, the Cowboys have had problems running the ball, if that continues against the Cardinals we are in decent shape. Next is we have had a habit of ruining Jon Kitna when he is hot.
What this means is that if the Cardinals actually knew, as a collective team, what a huge game this is for a lot of fans, and they came out ready to play then we could win this game. IF Tim Hightower, and IF Chris Wells could give the Cardinals a solid, and complete performance, IF our recieving core could catch easy passes, IF our defense can generate a pass rush, IF our athletically talented secondary could care about what is going on, we could not only win but roll over this team.
Cowboys:
This is easy. Too easy. Heck, if I am the Cowboys offensive coordinator I call in my game plan, and get ready for Xmas. Jason Witten, Jason Witten, and some more Jason Witten. Odds are that Adrian Wilson, or Paris Lenon will cover Witten, so that means Witten will have about 5 touchdowns, and 250 yards..........I wish I was overdramatizing. The Cowboys cannot run the ball, but the Cardinals cannot defend the run, so that is a toss up. But, in reality all the Cowboys have to do, is get a 2-score lead because......
While the Cowboys secondary is banged up, there LB'ing core is getting healthy. I expect the Cowboys to put 8 in the box, and dare the Cardinals to throw the ball. Why not ? When the QB does get the ball on target it is dropped. Once the Cowboys get up by 2-scores, they will release the dogs, and DeMarcus Ware will destroy our OT's. Game over.
Cardinals:
I haven't broken down a game all year. The Cardinals should have the easiest plan you could have. Fundementals. Whiz is the second coming of Pendergast but on offense. At some point Whiz has to realize, or continue to look pretty stupid, he has to scale back the offense, no more silly screens, reverses, etc., etc. that are KILLING drives. Run Wells straight up the gut, use Hightower as a 3rd down, change of pace back. Get Fitzgerald the ball, and if Fitzgerald is taken away, then go to Breaston. The achilles, is that our offensive line has to show up and give a damn. No Faneca playing the "I'm a vet and don't need this crap.", No Lutui taking plays off, Nothing you can do about Sendlein, Levi Brown has to play to the whistle, and Jeremy Bridges has to play beyond his abilities.
On defense, it is all about leadership. Key players need to step up, and vets need to keep the rookies under control. And of course, per the theme of this post, they have to give a damn, and make a tackle.
The Cardinals can win against a bad team, if they just play better fundemental football than the Cowboys.
Final Thoughts:
Back when I was young, and a front runner. Rooted for Giants/Bills/Chargers, and finally said I wanted one NFL team. The Cardinals were it because of their pure, and well balanced hate for the Cowboys. There were other reasons as well, but that was the start of it.
I understand that these days this rivalry has waned. That some (and not that there is anything wrong with this in the least) don't even know what the big deal is with the Cowboys. But, not me. Not me in the least. This game is huge. This game is the season, IMO. 2008 was magical, and IF we won the SB, then winning the SB would have been the highlight, but in 2008 my highlight was not the playoffs, or SB, it was beating the Cowboys at home, and how we beat them.
So here we are 4-10. One win, and this season's misery goes away, or at least is reduced by about 90% if we were to win on Xmas. Screw the Cowboys (please use your mind to "strengthen" that statement). I hate them, I hate what they stand for, how they play the game, I hate their owner, I hate their fanbase, I hate the unwarranted attention, and praise they get, I hate the Irvin, and Aikman biased reporting. I just cannot stand them.
Unfortunately, this feeling will be, at least I confidently assume this, lost on our current club. With a chance of some kind of redemption for the season, with the next two games being against emotional rivals where records should be thrown out the window. I feel our current squad will go through the motions, eventhough they will have a long time off after these two weeks. One can hope that the team realizes that these games should be played for the fans. These wins go a long way for having the slightest bit of possitivity going into the offseason. Allowing fans to say "At least we beat the Cowboys, and at least we ruined the Niners season."
But going back to the beginning of this post, my options to my fellow fans is:
"Close your eyes so you don't see it coming."
To lose to the Cowboys, at home, while they are a bad team as well, on Xmas, is going to be too much to digest on a holiday. Maybe I will DVR it, and watch it late at night. But, that will risk Santa hearing me "scattering the doves" and passing over my house.
I guess our only hope is a Xmas miracle, and maybe some way this team realizes what this game means to all those fans that will be there, and win.
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