Honestly, I think I was ready to go to sleep about five minutes into the game. The NFL Channel’s presentation of football is just that bad. Bryant “Boring” Gumbel can’t seem to put together a sentence, whether it is mistaking the Cowboys for the Packers or completely butchering player names. But, that could be forgiven if he just had anything interesting to say.

And Chris Collinsworth isn’t much better. I’d call him the most unexciting color commentator if ESPN weren’t butchering Monday Night Football.

But it goes beyond just two boring people announcing the game. The entire presentation is extremely lack-luster. And, to think, this is the network that may very well be showing a 15-0 Patriots going for a perfect season.

In the battle between the NFL and the cable networks, I am definitely on the side of the NFL. The cable companies, who package up a bunch of unwanted stations with a few good ones so you have to pay more for the 2-3 channels you want, aren’t going to get much sympathy for me. But, you have to wonder how much stronger the NFL’s position would be if they put on a decent show.

They need to clean house and start over.

One other thing: Does Bryant Gumbel just dislike the Cowboys? I don’t disagree with those pass interference calls — or lack of calls — they looked like pass interference to me too. But then again, T.O. was interfered with too and didn’t get a flag — but Gumbel didn’t harp on that. Plain and simple, the refs weren’t calling borderline interference.

Bryant also went on and on about that incomplete pass being a catch. And, after Collinsworth mentioned that Greg Ellis and Bradie James deserved to go to the pro bowl, Bryant was quick to point out that Dallas already had a lot of people going.

Add all of that together and it really seems like some bias creeping into the presentation. Not that I mind some anti-Cowboy bias in a year where they’ve already got 13 wins. Give me 13 wins and people can say whatever they want.

As for the game, I have to admit that it did become boring all on its own in the second half. The Cowboys without T.O. simply aren’t the Cowboys that we’ve been used to seeing this year, but I think part of it was an urge to play conservative, get the win, and get out of there. The Cowboys didn’t need to pass, so they stuck to handing the ball to Barber and letting him seal the win.

Hopefully, we’ll see T.O. back by the first playoff game and — maybe — we’ll have Terry Glenn lining up opposite of him.

And, if the Bears can knock off the Packers — which looks like a distinct possibility in a snowy, windy game — that last game in Washington won’t matter one bit.