Doomed from the coin toss?

A lot of thoughts went through my head as Lawrence Tynes lined up for the game-winning 37 yard field-goal last night.  I though about how the Cowboys had turned the ball over four times to the Giants zero, yet they still led with 4 seconds on the clock.  I thought about the sheer buffoonery, gluttony, and excess that is Cowboys Stadium.  I thought about that 1.5 million pound screen being suspended over the football field and how it should be the scariest thing ever considering the tragedy that occurred earlier in the summer at a  Cowboys facility.  But none of these was the dominant thought in my mind as certain defeat loomed over America’s team. With 4 seconds left and the Giants on the verge of ruining the opening of the greatest venue in sports history I realized why I felt uneasy the entire game.  I realized then, why I had a sneaky suspicion that fate was not on the Cowboys’ side.  The ‘Boys were doomed from the coin toss.  George W. Bush was given the esteemed honor of tossing the first coin in Cowboy’s Stadium regular season history.  Jerry Jones let George W. Bush christen what was supposed to be one of the greatest triumphs in Dallas history.  I’m not a superstitious man, but every thing George Bush touches turns into a grammatically incorrect mess.  But it is neither analytical or politically correct (no pun intended) to blame George Bush for a Cowboys loss.  That would be like blaming Bill Parcells North Korea’s development of nucular technology.  So let’s break this thing down into a few key components.

I am going to start out on a positive note as the Cowboys ran the ball beautifully.  Marion Barber and Felix Jones absolutely gashed the Giants defense and showed why they are prime picks in every fantasy draft.  Marion Barber rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown and also caught a couple of passes for 31 yards.  Felix Jones had 96 yards on 7 carries.  Over 200 yards rushing on the Giants should’ve led to a Cowboys win but unfortunately not all of the Cowboys’ stars were up to the task.  On that note I give you the top 3 reasons why the Cowboys lost to the Giants:

3. Pass rush

           Last season the Cowboys led the league in sacks.  So far this year they have zero.  Greg Ellis, who was exiled to the Raiders because the Cowboys felt they had better options, has 3 sacks by himself.  I really think his absence is hurting this defense, and I’m not sure there is a quick fix to this.  And no pass rush contributes to…

2. Terrible coverage

           I have to admit that I thought the secondary was going to be improved this year with the addition of Gerald Sensebaugh and the emergence of 2^nd year players Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.  Right now no one is on the same page, and a lot of the blame has to fall on Wade Phillips.  For a coach who is certainly on the hot seat and who also serves as the defensive coordinator, he hasn’t been able to work any magic at the start of the season.  This defense made the Buccaneers look like an offensive juggernaut and ultimately couldn’t make the crucial stop to put this game away.

1. Tony Romo

           Romo disappointed me in so many ways last night.  Not only did he make poor decisions after poor decision, but he actually looked like he was being affected by his poor play.  As a quarterback you are supposed to have a short memory in terms of your mistakes but it was obvious that Tony Romo was not ready for the magnitude of the situation.  He just doesn’t seem like the old, care free Romo who had fun on the football field.  He’s letting too many people get into his head and he just doesn’t seem to enjoy the game as much.  I’m hoping that Romo playing like he normally does in December in week two is a good omen, but there is a chance that he is being exposed as a quarterback who struggles with the short to intermediate throws.  I’d hate to put him in the same category as Jake Delhomme, but maybe that needs to be his motivation right now.