Oh, the pain. The agony. It was right there. A W was within our grasp. And then... Nobody likes a tease. We've all known them and, sure, they're fun for a little while, they get you all riled up with the anticipation of a score, of victory, of finally getting what you've been longing for... And then, burn. Crushed again.
Another Anemic Start
This week our opponent started with a 3 and out. So did we. But we capped ours off with a nice fumble. The first quarter continued down a pretty ugly path with Rex leading us 0-5 on 3rd down conversions well into the 2nd quarter. And where was Helu? The Shanny's really need to figure out the run system and stick with it.
Followed by the Unexpected
And then it happened. Not once, but twice! We scored in the first half of a game. Grossman ran. That alone is an accomplishment. It was only four yards, but those four yards were worth seven points. Rex then combined with my star of the day, Jabar Gaffney, for another seven and the lead going in to halftime. Gaffney had a great day, with over 100 yards and some crucial catches. He wins my Week 11 Gold Star. And I still want that sideline catch in overtime, ruled out, reviewed. Donte Stallworth had quite a triumphant return to FedEx this weekend, winning hearts with the game-tying touchdown catch with 14 seconds left in the game. Logan Paulsen and Gaffney proved the stars in overtime, bringing us within field goal range to seal the victory. But we all know the familiar scene that unfolded thereafter...
Cement Galoshes
I think that is what Gano must be wearing during the game. For the second week in a row, he let us down. This week, however, it was against Dallas and he did it twice. The second miss, for the win in overtime, might now have some calling for him to wear cement galoshes off the field, near water.
No One is Perfect
It is almost as though we have two different defenses playing on the field at the same time. Our secondary had a bad, bad day yesterday while the D-line and middle linebackers held the defense together. D. Hall took enough of a beating on radio and Twitter that I'll mostly give him a pass, just not on the deja vu blown coverage against Bryant that put Dallas in position for the winning field goal. For that he should hang his head a little lower this week. Atogwe also had a very disappointing game. He should've had at least two INTs yesterday, if not more. And he totally blew the coverage on the third Dallas TD. He has yet to prove his worth to this team and he is running out of time.
But Some of Them Tried
Wow - the rest of our D put on a show. Rookie Chris Neild plowed over one of the Dallas O-linemen and hit Romo hard. That always feels good. Kerrigan became the second rookie to lay a hit on Romo. And then he did it again. I can't say enough about Kerrigan. He just makes me smile. The hits on Romo kept coming (let's face it, can there ever be enough?), with Bowen and Fletcher combing for back-to-back sacks. Electric. And the break out performance by rookie Gomes has me feeling better about the future of our secondary. I look forward to watching him develop. All in all, the run D was on point, containing Jones and Murray for most of the game, and they had incredible 3rd down stops. They did fail on 4th and 1, which was painful, but... no one is perfect.
Saving Banks
For ten weeks now we have been asking - What happened to Banks? Is it the knee? Did he lose his mojo? On Sunday, there were no questions, only cheers. He consistently gave us good field position and showed the fight and fortitude that made us all swoon last year. Let's hope he keeps up this new look.
Once again, Fox gets special recognition - for one of the worst plays on words ever: Romo-vember. Really!? Before the game was even over. Wretch.
It was a positively crushing day, yet, oddly, I wasn't nearly as crushed as I had been the last few games. I wanted that win. I wanted it badly. It was our Super Bowl. Somehow, despite the loss, just putting up a good fight made the sting less harsh. There was plenty not to like - Armstrong's misses, Freddy D's dropsies, an INT, run call on 2nd and 25, Gano, Gano, Gano - but there was a lot more to like than we'd seen in a long time. And for that, at least, I am grateful. In week that is about giving thanks, I'll give thanks for not getting blown out, and hope that, come Sunday, I can give further thanks for a win in Seattle.
Another Anemic Start
This week our opponent started with a 3 and out. So did we. But we capped ours off with a nice fumble. The first quarter continued down a pretty ugly path with Rex leading us 0-5 on 3rd down conversions well into the 2nd quarter. And where was Helu? The Shanny's really need to figure out the run system and stick with it.
Followed by the Unexpected
And then it happened. Not once, but twice! We scored in the first half of a game. Grossman ran. That alone is an accomplishment. It was only four yards, but those four yards were worth seven points. Rex then combined with my star of the day, Jabar Gaffney, for another seven and the lead going in to halftime. Gaffney had a great day, with over 100 yards and some crucial catches. He wins my Week 11 Gold Star. And I still want that sideline catch in overtime, ruled out, reviewed. Donte Stallworth had quite a triumphant return to FedEx this weekend, winning hearts with the game-tying touchdown catch with 14 seconds left in the game. Logan Paulsen and Gaffney proved the stars in overtime, bringing us within field goal range to seal the victory. But we all know the familiar scene that unfolded thereafter...
Cement Galoshes
I think that is what Gano must be wearing during the game. For the second week in a row, he let us down. This week, however, it was against Dallas and he did it twice. The second miss, for the win in overtime, might now have some calling for him to wear cement galoshes off the field, near water.
No One is Perfect
It is almost as though we have two different defenses playing on the field at the same time. Our secondary had a bad, bad day yesterday while the D-line and middle linebackers held the defense together. D. Hall took enough of a beating on radio and Twitter that I'll mostly give him a pass, just not on the deja vu blown coverage against Bryant that put Dallas in position for the winning field goal. For that he should hang his head a little lower this week. Atogwe also had a very disappointing game. He should've had at least two INTs yesterday, if not more. And he totally blew the coverage on the third Dallas TD. He has yet to prove his worth to this team and he is running out of time.
But Some of Them Tried
Wow - the rest of our D put on a show. Rookie Chris Neild plowed over one of the Dallas O-linemen and hit Romo hard. That always feels good. Kerrigan became the second rookie to lay a hit on Romo. And then he did it again. I can't say enough about Kerrigan. He just makes me smile. The hits on Romo kept coming (let's face it, can there ever be enough?), with Bowen and Fletcher combing for back-to-back sacks. Electric. And the break out performance by rookie Gomes has me feeling better about the future of our secondary. I look forward to watching him develop. All in all, the run D was on point, containing Jones and Murray for most of the game, and they had incredible 3rd down stops. They did fail on 4th and 1, which was painful, but... no one is perfect.
Saving Banks
For ten weeks now we have been asking - What happened to Banks? Is it the knee? Did he lose his mojo? On Sunday, there were no questions, only cheers. He consistently gave us good field position and showed the fight and fortitude that made us all swoon last year. Let's hope he keeps up this new look.
Once again, Fox gets special recognition - for one of the worst plays on words ever: Romo-vember. Really!? Before the game was even over. Wretch.
It was a positively crushing day, yet, oddly, I wasn't nearly as crushed as I had been the last few games. I wanted that win. I wanted it badly. It was our Super Bowl. Somehow, despite the loss, just putting up a good fight made the sting less harsh. There was plenty not to like - Armstrong's misses, Freddy D's dropsies, an INT, run call on 2nd and 25, Gano, Gano, Gano - but there was a lot more to like than we'd seen in a long time. And for that, at least, I am grateful. In week that is about giving thanks, I'll give thanks for not getting blown out, and hope that, come Sunday, I can give further thanks for a win in Seattle.
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