Dallas Cowboys Update: Making The Wrong Choice

Dallas Cowboys Update: Making The Wrong Choice

The betting experts can be a fickle bunch, and NFL betting experts are particularly brutal in their assessments. But when you serve up a home run pitch like Cowboys running back Tashard Choice did after the Cowboys loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in week 14, then the NFL predictions are going to weight heavily against you.

The Eagles beat the Cowboys 30-27 in one of the closer NFL scores of the week. But when the game was over, backup running back Tashard Choice was captured on camera getting Michael Vick’s autograph. Choice had waited all season to finally get a chance to play. He had sat on the bench behind Felix Jones and Marion Barber all season long. In one of his chances to shine, Choice lavishes praise on the opposing quarterback by asking for his autograph.

Choice said the autograph was for his three-year-old nephew, and most of the Cowboys players support Choice. But it is the fans that the Dallas players should be worried about, and the fans are not happy. Dallas sports radio lit up the next day with calls to bench or release Choice. Dallas Cowboys fans are already sensitive about not making the playoffs this year. When one of their running backs does the celebrity worship thing with the opposing quarterback, it is not going to go over well in Dallas. Read more

Week 13: Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts

At the beginning of the season the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys were heralded as Super Bowl Contenders, but as the season winds down the teams are both looking pretty bad. The Cowboys playoff ship sailed away without the team on board long ago, the best the Boys can do is 8 – 8 – 0, and that is if they win every game left in the season. However the Cowboys are 2 – 1 – 0 under Jason Garrett and Tony Romo could come back before the seasons end.

The Colts have been decimated by injuries all season on both Offense and Defense. It has finally got to the point where Peyton Manning can’t cover up the teams weaknesses on offense anymore. At 6 – 5 – 0 Indianapolis is tied with Jacksonville atop the AFC South division, the Colts still have a realistic chance of making the playoffs if they can get things on track again.

Prediction Cowboys at Colts
Even though the game is in Indianapolis, the Cowboys will win by a narrow margin. Peyton Manning looked flustered last week and the Colts defense will be exploited if Peyton and the Colts offense can’t eat up the clock. Look for Cowboys RB Tashard Choice to have increased carries if Marion Barber can’t go on Sunday. You can find the Kickoff TIme, TV Time, TV Channel and TV Announcers below:

Week 13 Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts | TV Announcers – Channel – Kickoff Time

Cowboys – Colts Day / Date: Sunday – December 5 2010
Cowboys – Colts Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Cowboys – Colts Kickoff: 3:20 PM Central Time
Cowboys – Colts TV Time: 3:15 PM Central Time
Cowboys – Colts TV Channel: FOX
Cowboys – Colts TV Announcers: Joe Buck & Troy Aikman

As always you can find the rest of the NFL Week 13 Game Time and TV Channel information in the Midwest Sports Fans week 13 viewer guide (Click Below):
Week 13 TV Schedule & Announcer Assignments

Dallas Cowboys Update: Roy Williams is not the Dinner Culprit

Much has been made the past few days about the $55,000 offensive team dinner that Dez Bryant reportedly paid for unknowingly. The offensive team did go out to dinner, it did cost $55,000, and reportedly Dez Bryant did pay for it. But anyone that was betting on whether or not Roy Williams paid with Bryant’s credit card as payback for Bryant not carrying Williams’ pads in training camp would be wrong.

Williams vehemently denied pulling the $55,000 prank, and he sees the whole incident as the indication of a larger problem with the NFL betting media. Williams blasted the media for starting the rumor as an attempt to divide an already troubled Dallas locker room. According to Williams, everything is fine and the media has made much more out of this incident that it was.

The crowd that bets on NFL scores is starting to wonder where the two-headed running back monster is that was supposed to be one of the features of the Dallas offense. Running backs Felix Jones and Marion Barber were supposed to strike fear into opposing defenses, but instead Jones has touched the ball less than nine times a game. Even the third leg in this running back trio, Tashard Choice, has been sidelined with only eight carries all season long.

Speculation is running wild as to why the Cowboys are not utilizing their three very talented running backs. Barber proved last season that he could be a work horse every game, but Jones showed a tendency to get injured. It could be that the Cowboys are limiting Jones and Choice in anticipation of unveiling a new running attack in the playoffs. But in order to do that, the Cowboys have to get to the playoffs first.

Dallas tight end Jason Witten has had a rough season already. First he was sidelined with a concussion, and then he was injured in the week three win over the Houston Texans. But the bye week has been good to the all-pro tight end, and one of Witten’s NFL predictions is that he will be on the field in week five against the Tennessee Titans and ready to play.

With three sacks of Houston quarterback Matt Schaub, Cowboys defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware showed that he is back to mid-season form by grabbing the NFC defensive player of the week honors last week. Ware is not tied for third on the Cowboys all-time list of multi-sack games. He has 68.5 career sacks and is a force on the front line for the Cowboys this season.

Rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant should be making the sports pages for his play while being injured as opposed to any hazing gone wrong. Bryant fractured his ribs in week one against the Washington Redskins, but he has been playing ever since. The injury has required additional padding and injections for pain and inflammation prior to each game, but Bryant is working to find his role in the Dallas Cowboys offense.

Dallas Round-Up: Cowboys Panicking, Rangers Heading Towards Playoffs

Dallas Round-Up – Cowboys Panicking, Rangers Heading Towards Playoffs

Horse betting players are always skeptical of a slow-starting thoroughbred, but even they would be surprised by the Dallas Cowboys limping out of the gate to start the NFL season.  The Cowboys face a must-win this weekend in Houston, while the Texas Rangers are slowly getting ready to go to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys fell 27-20 at home to Chicago, committing three turnovers that all came at untimely junctures.  Dallas is riddled with problems, particularly with the offense.  Coordinator Jason Garrett is coming under fire for poor play-calling, and he can’t figure out a way to get the ground game going.  This is a shame as the Cowboys have Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones, yet Tony Romo leads the league with 98 pass attempts in two games.  The Cowboys have to find a balance or else teams are just going to start picking off the aerial attack.  Also, it’s only a matter of time before online football betting players see Dez Bryant starting over Roy Williams.  He’s been far more productive, and he ran back a punt for a score against the Bears, while Williams fumbled in the fourth quarter to rob the Cowboys of a chance to score.  This week, the Cowboys face unbeaten Houston, who are 2.5-point NFL betting favorites and are soaring with confidence.  The Cowboys have a bye next week, and if they lose, the firestorm will really pick up by those who make NFL picks.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have a magic number of four to clinch their spot in the playoffs heading into Thursday’s opener of a four-game set against Oakland on the road.  The Rangers dropped two of three in Seattle and Los Angeles last week, but their big mission is to avoid any more injuries.  Nelson Cruz had a pair of homers and four RBIs over the week to lead the Rangers, will host Seattle in a three-game set after the Oakland series.  But even NFL football betting players know how tough injuries can be, and the Rangers are waiting on the status of slugger Josh Hamilton, who has a couple of fractured ribs.  He hopes to be back for the final series of the season, a four-game set in Los Angeles which starts next Thursday, but that may be the Rangers and Hamilton being very optimistic.  Hamilton was a Triple Crown threat and one of the favorites to win the American League MVP award.  Without him, the Rangers definitely are missing their most explosive player, even though they still have a powerful lineup.  Without Hamilton in the lineup, the Rangers’ betting odds will take a fall.

Week 1 Review: Cowboys Look Awful

Ugly is the only word that can describe the first game of the season for the Dallas Cowboys. I have said it before and I will say it again, what was Jason Garrett thinking? His play calling is awful, he doesn’t appear to think before making important decisions and I hope that he is not still in the running to replace Wade when the time comes.

My biggest problem with Garrett is the inefficiency of the offense, if you listened to the so-called experts and judged an offense based on yardage the Boys have one of the best. Too bad games in the NFL are decided by the score and not total yards. Not only was the Cowboys offense inefficient they gave the Redskins a touchdown when Romo should have been taking a knee. That play shouldn’t have been run and nobody from the top all the way to the bottom stopped it. Romo should have taken a knee and Wade should have punched Garrett in the back of the head. There are a few other things that are still bothering me about last week as well. You can argue that any of the following plays cost us the game:

Read more

Marion Barber Trade Rumors: Tashard Choice Fantasy Impact

Jerod Morris over at Midwest Sports Fans just gave me a ring and said that there are reports on the radio the Marion Barber will be traded before the end of the week. The Rumor Mill has been churning about Marion Barber leaving the Cowboys for awhile now, which would no doubt increase the fantasy football value of Tashard Choice and Felix Jones. The reason the Cowboys would rather move Marion the Barbarian is simple as Todd Archer put in his article back in February.

He makes more money, doesn’t seem to be able to stay healthy, has lacked a burst the last two seasons. Choice is younger and cheaper and would be a good complement to Felix Jones. If you’re trading one of these guys, then you have to take a running back in the draft, IMO.
Todd Archer’s Mention: Marion Barber Trade

Old speculation on a possible Marion Barber trade is also on the NFL.com Blogs

Executives around the league think Cowboys RB Marion Barber could be available, but he’s believed to be the least attractive player in a backfield that includes Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.
NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora Mention: Marion Barber Trade

More Info as it comes out…

Cowboy Corner: Dallas Cowboys Offseason Report

Cowboys Offseason

Super Bowl Odds (for XLV): Cowboys +1215

NFC Odds (BetEd Reviews): Cowboys +685

Is Miles Austin A One-Hit Wonder?

While most people were expecting Roy Williams to step up and replace the contributions of Terrell Owens entering the 2009 season, it was a different Cowboys wide receiver that stepped up and became a star. Now that Miles Austin has one fantastic Pro Bowl season under his belt, the speculation has already begun as to whether he can do this again.

The good news is that Austin is saying a lot of the right things after going from being a little-known third receiver to the Pro Bowl. Austin has already talked about not resting on his laurels and working even harder this offseason. He won’t be a kept secret next year and he’ll be the focus of plenty of defensive attention.

One big help to Austin would be for Williams to finally play up to his potential. If he can play like the Pro Bowler that he once was, opposing defenses wouldn’t be able to double-team Austin regularly. Or if they did, Tony Romo and Williams could burn them.

Deon Anderson’s Status In Question

Fullback Deon Anderson didn’t exactly grab many headlines during the regular season for the Cowboys but since the team has hit the offseason, he has been a key story.

Anderson pulled a gun on a valet at a local Dallas restaurant and clearly there are some ramifications that come with those actions.

The team and the league are letting the matter play out legally before anyone makes a decision. Clearly, the result of that will likely result in Anderson receiving – or not receiving – team and/or league sanctions.

Anderson was a starter last year so he is an important team member.

Tashard Choice Trade Rumors

Internet betting fans have heard the trade rumors blowing early this offseason as the Cowboys have been linked in deals with the San Diego Chargers regarding Cowboys running back Tashard Choice and Chargers defensive back Antonio Cromartie.

So far, those rumors have proven to be just smoke but as we all know, where there is smoke there tends to be fire.

The Cowboys are in a position of desperation so they definitely don’t need to make a move but keep an eye for these rumors to heat up as the NFL Draft approaches.

The reality is that Choice, while he’s a good back, is third on the pecking order and the Cowboys could dangle him to improve their roster somewhere else.

The Rise of Felix Jones and Fall of Wade Phillips | Dallas Cowboys 2008

Well another Dallas Cowboys season is here and gone. To be honest I am not quite sure how to feel. I have to admit that I got caught up in the hype that started in August with Hard Knocks. I was not sure about a Super Bowl win, but was convinced that the Cowboys could at least get to the NFC Championship game. However, my hopes were dashed and now I am left dazed and confused.

As I look back on the Dallas Cowboys 2008 season, there are some positives to take away, but sadly, many more negatives. As an homage to the Cowboys season, I will start strong with the positives and taper off to the bitter negatives in the end.

The Positives

Last years draft class exceeded many expectations. Felix Jones, Martellus Bennett, and Tashard Choice were all extremely impressive in their rookie seasons. Felix Jones was and is the perfect complement to Marion Barber’s bruising running style. With a healthy Felix Jones in 2009, the Cowboys will have an extremely potent running game that can and will set the tone for the entire season.

The rise of Tashard Choice further enhances the running game. Now there is a proven back up who can take some of the load off of Marion Barber. This should prove extremely beneficial to the Dallas offense with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice getting enough carries to keep Marion Barber rested until the fourth quarter, when he has proven to be simply devastating to the opposition. Supported by our big offensive line, the Cowboys rushing attack should be one of the best in the NFL next season.

For more proof that Tashard Choice is the real deal, here is a video of Choice before a Georgia Tech game. If this does not inspire you, nothing will.

Martellus Bennett also showed his true colors this season. I will be the first to admit I was wrong about Martellus. Watching Hard Knocks, I thought Bennett would prove to be a major bust, however his on-field contributions more than made up for his attitude during training camp. Martellus Bennett should grow into his role as the back up tight end with ease.

The defense stepped up in the clutch towards the end of the season. While the two long runs given up against Baltimore were a step backwards, and the entire game against Philadelphia should only be mentioned in a hushed whisper, December was a pretty good month for the Dallas D. Demarcus Ware and the defensive line were playing like men possessed. The good news is most, if not all the defensive starters will be back for next season, meaning that, on top of a potent running game, the Cowboys defense will be one of the strongest in the NFL.

There is some upside looking ahead, but now comes the moment of truth…

The Negatives

From Pacman to TO, from passing to coaching, there are numerous problems with the 2008 Dallas Cowboys that simply cannot be ignored by Jerry Jones.

To start slowly, Jerry Jones trading for Roy Williams has proven to be a big mistake for this year. His numbers were basically non-existent. I have heard whispers that Roy Williams was injured and I will hold off on judgement for now, but he has got to step up next year, and quickly. Roy Williams is the future of the receiving corps, but who knows if that is good or bad yet.

Tony Romo is still not good in the clutch. He still has not won “the Big One.” not to say he won’t, but Romo is simply not performing to the level he IS capable of. He needs strong coaching to improve his decision making, and the line needs to improve it’s pass blocking, but Tony Romo has plenty to work on this off-season.

Adam “Pacman” Jones is another mistake. There is no denying his God-given athletic ability, however his decision making, both on the field and off the field, is extremely questionable. His punt returns were average at best. I can only remember one return that went longer than 20 yards. His coverage could be better as well. Combine this with his off the field behavior, Pacman is proving to be more harm than he is worth. Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton both proved to be better returners than Pacman, Pacman needs a strong coach to not only keep him in line with his behavioral issues, but to help him harness his athletic ability and use it to good effect.

Terrell Owens is another controversial figure, and not without good reason. Terrell Owens is a constant whiner and a diva to boot. I am stating the obvious here, but TO needs a wake up call before his ranting and crying prove to be even more of a distraction than they are now. I am not calling into question Terrell Owens’ ability, or his desire to win. He has proven himself to be a competitor of the highest order. What I am saying is that, like with Pacman, a strong leader in the Cowboys organization needs to step up to Terrell from time to time and simply tell him to “Shut up and play.”

Terrell Owens needs to do just that. He has made some great catches this year, but he has also dropped some really easy balls. He has taken plays off. There is a real lack of consistency. He is a competitor. He is not too old to play at a high level. Owens simply needs someone on his back a little bit. Somone to tell him when to pipe down and someone to keep him accountable on every play. Given Terrell Owens personality, this figure cannot be another player, Owens is too much of a diva. A strong coaching staff is needed to keep an ego such as Owens in check. He is a great player, and has plenty to offer this team, but Terrell Owens needs a strong authority figure to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Which brings us to the final negative of the Dallas Cowboys, the authority figures. I use that term lightly because, truth be told, there is no authority figure. There was no real locker room leader, the coaching staff was weak, and Jerry Jones is simply out of his mind.

There was no real leadership within the team. Zack Thomas and Jason Witten both led by example, but that was it. Zack Thomas, as a proven veteran, certainly led the defense in a lot of ways, however, he was new to the team, and did not understand the atmosphere or culture of the Dallas Cowboys enough to be a true locker room presence. Jason Witten is a man-imal who leads by example, but he has been far too quiet. It is time to cash in on his reputation and become an active leader for the Dallas Cowboys. Bradie James is another leader who could step up, but he has been quiet too, except for assaulting a fan a day after the loss to the Eagles.

The coaching staff should not have to encourage a locker room voice. Wade Phillips is simply not a good head coach. He is too nice. He coddles his players too much, and this sets the tone for the rest of the coaching staff. Wade Phillips is a great defensive mind in the game of football, and will make an excellent defensive coordinator, but a head coach needs to keep his team under control.

Wade needed to have a stronger voice this year. He needed to hold his players and coaches more accountable. From the Pacman hotel fight, to TO’s meeting with the wide recievers and Jason Garrett, to a fight between Flozell Adams and Deon Anderson on the plane flight back from Philadelphia, Wade Phillips did not assert his authority, but instead let his players walk all over him. This attitude carried to the field where the Cowboys played many games uninspired.

The Cowboys need a coach who is not too hard on them, like Parcells was, but also not such a pushover, like Wade Phillips. Phillips allowed his coaching staff to be too soft. If Wade wants to be easy going, that’s fine, but a soft head coach needs to be supported by strong, assertive assistants. The same is true for a tough head coach, who needs easier assistants. There has to be an even keel. The coaching staff of the Dallas Cowboys was simply too soft. There is no hard edge to keep the players in line.

Which brings us to our last negative of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones. Jerry is a great owner, but he should not be the GM for another day. Sadly his ego will not allow him to relinquish his control, but if it did, I would guarantee a Cowboys championship within the next 2 years. Jerry Jones is too much of a micro-manager. This was not helped at all by the lack of a backbone suffered by Wade Phillips. It is clear that the Cowboys perform best when Jerry Jones keeps his ego in check and allows a coach to make the decisions.

While it is true that the Dallas Cowboys 2008 season is over and whining and excuses will not help, there are some critical issues that need to be addressed quickly in order to build off of the positives of this year. Otherwise, the Cowboys will continually underperform and we will see more losses like the one to the Eagles.

Baltimore Ravens Win Over Dallas Cowboys in Last Game at Texas Stadium

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the final game ever at Texas Stadium despite a stand out performace from rookie running back Tashard Choice. With a number of former Cowboy greats on hand including Roger Staubach and Emmit Smith, the Dallas Cowboys were handed a bitter defeat to close out Texas Stadium for good.

The game started with the Baltimore Ravens kicking off. Dallas Cowboys running back Tashard Choice, who got the start over Marion Barber, had a couple of nice runs, but the drive was cut short with an Ed Reed interception on Tony Romo.

Demarcus Ware and the Dallas Cowboys defense quickly responded with his twentieth sack of the season on rookie Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who fumbled, which the Greg Ellis of the Cowboys recovered. Several plays later, Tashard Choice ran in for the touchdown, followed by a Nick Folk conversion to give the Dallas Cowboys a 7-0 lead.

On the next drive, Dallas Cowboys free safety Keith Davis gave up a major pass interference penalty to bring the Ravens to inside the 10-yard line. Luckily for the Cowboys, the Ravens were only able to come away with a field goal.

Led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Baltimore Ravens defense was able to hold the Cowboys scoreless for the remainder of the half, while the Ravens offense was able to score on two more field goals, one coming off a second Ed Reed pick on Tony Romo.

Tony Romo had an extremely forgettable first half, but Tashard Choice showed weaknesses in the powerful Ravens defense. The Dallas Cowboys defense, led by Demarcus Ware and Terrance Newman, both of whom had impressive first halves, were certainly holding the Baltimore Ravens offense, but the Cowboys needed a better offensive performance if the Cowboys were to send Texas Stadium off on a high note.

The second half did not start will for the Cowboys with the Ravens defense still holding the Cowboys offense scoreless. The Ravens increased their lead when Joe Flacco connected with Derrick Mason for a touchdown. The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver was injured early on in the game, but managed to tough through a painful shoulder injury to keep Baltimore in the first half, and build on their lead in the second.

The Dallas Cowboys began to build some momentum at the end of the third quarter with the impressive running of rookie running back Tashard Choice. Tony Romo also began to pick up his game connecting with Roy Williams several times to keep drives alive. The Cowboys were finally able to score again with a Nick Folk field goal early in the fourth.

After the Dallas field goal, Joe Flacco was able to lead the Ravens offense on a critical drive that ran a significant amount of time off the clock. Willis McGahee made several critical runs, but a Bradie James late hit on McGahee, along with several other penalties, brought the Ravens into field goal range, which the Ravens were quick to capitalize on and increase their lead by 3 to bring the game to 19-10 Ravens with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys offense took the field with six and a half minutes remaining and with all three timeouts. After several good runs from Tashard Choice, Jason Witten made an excellent and critical catch to bring the Cowboys to the Baltimore 21-yard line. Patrick Crayton followed this with another critical catch to keep the drive alive with the Cowboy at first and goal on the 7-yard line. After an incompletion, Tony Romo was able to connect with Terrell Owens for a touchdown. With the Nick Folk extra point, the Dallas Cowboys trailed the Baltimore Ravens by two with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter.

On the ensuing kick off, the Ravens fumbled but recovered and Joe Flacco took the field with a two point lead and 3:42 left in the game. Willis McGahee broke for a 77-yard touchdown that took the energy out of Texas Stadium.

The Cowboys, down by nine drove down to respond, a Patrick Crayton catch brought the Cowboys into Ravens teritory, but Tony Romo was sacked on the next play, which brought o the two-minute warning.

On the other side of the two-minute warning, Tony Romo completed to Terrell Owens, with Tashard Choice, who had an excellent game all day, converting the first down. Two plays later, Jason Witten was open in the end-zone and Tony Romo connected to bring the Cowboys back within two with three timeouts left.

Before the Cowboys kicked off, John Harbaugh, head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, called a time out to determine the Dallas strategy. Nick Folk kicked the ball deep, and Joe Flacco again took the field with a two point lead and no time outs. On the first play, Le’Ron McClain then went 82 yards for a touchdown.

Adam “Pacman” Jones, who came back from a possible career ending injury, took the kick off to the 50, where Flozell “I could not get the snap count right if you put a gun to my head” Adams was called for a false start, as per usual in these situations. Tony Romo was unable to lead the Dallas offense to another score, and the Baltimore Ravens remain the only team that the Dallas Cowboys have never defeated, albeit only in three tries.

While the Baltimore Ravens now have control over their playoff destiny, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to the Philadelphia Eagles for a must-win game next Sunday.

While Dallas does not control it’s own playoff destiny, there is one positive coming from the loss. Tashard Choice has certainly proven himself in the absence of Marion Barber and should grow to be an excellent running back in the years to come. That being said, every true Dallas Cowboys fan will be sincerely disgusted with the embarrassing loss that does not do justice to the Cowboy greats in attendance. If only Texas Stadium could be sent off in a more deserving way.

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