I spent Saturday morning trying to decide who I would root for during the wildcard games and kept coming up with no answers. Going into the last week of the season, I was set to root for the Redskins since they were a very average team that was going to squeak their way into the playoffs, but after seeing how Todd Collins had opened up their offense, I was ready to change my mind.

But if not the Redskins then who?

I couldn’t decide. And then it hit me. It doesn’t really matter who we face. If the Cowboys play like they did in the last three games, they are going to have a tough time beating any of the teams. If they play like the did during the first thirteen games, they will beat any of them.

And that’s what it comes down to: will the Cowboys show up to play? Our old coach used to say “you are what you are” and what the Cowboys have been is a team that has faded down the stretch. A coaching change could change that late season fade, but the Cowboys weren’t exactly lighting it up in December, so the question remains.

The Cowboys Need Romo Magic

If the Cowboys are going to do some damage in the playoffs, they are going to need the Tony Romo that was making plays and finding the open receiver. They are going to need that Jedi Knight that seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and the ability to will his team to success.

It’s funny because all season I’d been looking forward to seeing a Cowboys team hitting the playoffs with a healthy Terry Glenn to line up opposite of Terrell Owens to provide one of the scariest one-two punches in the NFL. Now that Glenn might be getting healthy enough to play a whole game, Owens has become a big question mark.

It will be up to Tony Romo to play with that magic and find the open receiver no matter if his name is Owens or Glenn or Witten or Crayton or Hurd. T.O. or no T.O., the Cowboys still have weapons on offense. But those weapons will need to play with intensity and rise up to the challenge.

The Cowboys Need Defense

The other key for the Cowboys will be on the opposite side of the ball. If Owens is unable to go for next week’s matchup or isn’t at 100%, the defense will need to rise to the challenge.

This is a defense capable of doing just that. It’s a defense that has three pro bowl players in the secondary and, while I think the pro bowl is as much a popularity contest as anything, you don’t make the pro bowl by being a bad player. They also have two of the best outside linebackers in the game.

Simply put, it is a defense that is capable of putting the team on their shoulders. But they’ll need to live up to their potential by making plays and, most importantly, not making mistakes. It’s no secret that the Cowboys have a weakness against the deep ball, and no matter if they play Tampa Bay or New York next week, they will be playing a team capable of getting it deep. The secondary will need to play smart while Ellis and Ware gets at the quarterback.

Tampa Bay or New York

That’s what it is down to, and that’s what will be decided on Sunday. But, no matter which of those two comes out with a win, Dallas will need to show up to play. If they do that, they will advance to the NFC championship. If they don’t, it might be a very long offseason.

I’ll tell you this: I read a lot of stupid stuff coming from websites with big names like ESPN, CBS Sportsline, Yahoo, etc. I try not to waste too much time wondering where they get these guys that seem a bit clueless about their subject, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

This is one of those times.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports has written up ten story lines for the NFC playoffs, and Dallas is spotlighted in two of them. And both of them show — well, let’s just call it a bit of ignorance about the Dallas Cowboys and leave it at that.

Filed under: Will Terrell Owens and Terence Newman be ready for the playoffs?

If the Seahawks beat the Redskins, either of Dallas’ second-round opponents — Tampa Bay or New York — could cause problems. Without Newman, the Cowboys won’t have a player who can match up with the speed of Joey Galloway or the size of Plaxico Burress.

My Question: Since when did 5′11 Terence Newman match the size of 6′5″ Plaxico Burress? Hey, it’s great that he’s giving Newman some well-deserved props, but let’s stick to the facts. I think its Newman’s coverage ability we’ll miss, not his perhaps-slightly-smaller-than-average stature.

Filed under: The curse of the succubus will doom Dallas. (We’re kidding. No, really, it will.)

By now, we all know that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo gets the yips playing in front of his love interests. His stats in front of Carrie Underwood/Jessica Simpson? An 0-2 record, five interceptions, a pair of embarrassing passer ratings (45.4 in front of Underwood and 22.2 in front of Simpson) and droves of irate Cowboys fans who would rather see Romo taking the “lone” in Lone Star State literally.

My Question: Since when was Carrie Underwood only at one game and Jessica Simpson only at one game? It’s pretty much well-known that Simpson witnessed Romo take down a few teams before everyone saw her at the Eagles game. Okay, well-known to everyone outside of Yahoo! Sports.

It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was downright ugly, but the Cowboys made it through the last week of the season without major injuries and are headed into the playoffs with home field advantage right up until the Super Bowl.

But, gosh, could we have gone out any uglier? I watched the backups for the Colts fight with the Titans and make Tennessee’s quest for the playoffs difficult, couldn’t the Cowboys show up just a little bit? They looked more interested in flagging down a hot dog vendor from the sidelines than playing in the game.

And, I might have to take back what I said about the Vikings being a better choice to be eliminated than the Redskins. While the Vikings do have the advantage of at least doing something great, that Todd Collins fellow looked pretty sharp.

Of course, against a Cowboys defense that looked like it wanted to take a nap, I think almost anyone would have looked sharp. And a Cowboys team with all its starters in a playoff game will definitely be a different group. But, Collins does seem to have that Redskins team playing at a level far above what we saw in the first matchup.

Well, it was ugly, but the playoffs are the playoffs, and the Cowboys take their time getting ready for their next game after earning themselves a first round bye.

This might be one of those very few NFL games where winning might not be in the best interest of the Cowboys. It all depends on who you’d rather face in the playoffs: the Redskins or the Vikings.

The Redskins would seem to be the team you’d want eliminated considering they defeated the Vikings 32-21 last week. They are also a divisional foe who always play the Cowboys tough.

But I think the Vikings are better equipped to do some damage in the playoffs. While they aren’t going to scare anyone passing the ball, and they rank dead last defending the pass, they are the best in the NFL at both running the ball and stopping the run. What this means is they can make the other team one dimensional by shutting down the run, and they can dominate the time of possession with the scariest two-back system since Craig James and Eric Dickerson were playing for the SMU Mustangs.

As for Washington, they are strictly average. They are average at running, average at passing, and a bit above average on defense. If they were still playing the secondary they had when they came into the year, I’d definitely prefer to face someone different, but without Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor, their secondary would not be able to match up with the Cowboys.

If we didn’t look at the team names, I’d rather face an average Washington team than a Vikings team that can dominate certain aspects of the game. The mere fact that one of those teams is the Washington Redskins certainly makes me want them eliminated from the playoffs, but the logical side of my brain is telling me I’d rather face them than the Vikings should either of those two teams be able to pull off a wildcard upset.

So, going into this game on Sunday, I think the Cowboys might be in better shape should they come up losers. Not so much so that I would give up a 14 win season — that’s a pretty good mark and something I hope these Cowboys can make — but, should a Cowboys team that is likely to rest some of its starters during the second half come up on the losing side of the game, a nice consolation prize is eliminating a better team from the playoffs.

That is the question. It comes up anytime a team has made the playoffs and an additional week will not effect their seeding, whether that be already locking in a first round bye, or already clinching a wildcard spot.

And, obviously, those players who have gotten a little banged up in the last couple of weeks will be rested. Owens would top that list, the self-proclaimed ‘fast healer’ being diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, an injury that can take anywhere from two to six weeks to recover completely from.

As for what to do with the ’star’ players, there are different philosophies. Personally, I’ve always been of the opinion that you rest your starters at your own peril. Sure, there is a chance at injury, but you can’t play the game scared of injury. An injury can happen on any play of any game.

And, I’m not saying that the star players need to play all four quarters, but I think there is something to said with too much inactivity. Football is about timing, and sitting around for three weeks without any real game time can effect that timing. A little bit of rust can build up, and the last thing the Cowboys need going into their first playoff game — a game that they may or may not have T.O. for — is to be trying to knock off some rust.

I would treat it like a preseason game. Let them go in, play for a bit, get some game time, hopefully put together a good drive or two, and then think about putting in some younger guys for game experience.

It might even be a good idea to leave Romo in for three quarters or more. If the Cowboys do need to win a playoff game without T.O, it might be good to get some more game time with Hurd and Austin and, hopefully, Terry Glenn.

But, at the end of the day, this is the type of dilemma you like to have for your team. I’d much prefer to go into the last week of the season debating whether or not to rest the starting quarterback than to be stuck figuring out the mathematical possibilities of making the playoffs.

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.

The NFL Pro Bowl selections were announced today, and, unsurprisingly, the Cowboys have a pretty big showing. Eleven Cowboys will be going to the Pro Bowl, the most since Aikman, Irvin and Smith were leading the Cowboys to the Super Bowl.

On offence, we have Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Marion Barber III, Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode. On defense, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin. And don’t forget special teams, with rookie kicker Nick Folk also making the squad.

But perhaps the biggest surprise is who is not going to the Pro Bowl. Greg Ellis leads the team in sacks with 11.5, a half-sack in front of DeMarcus Ware, and tied for 6th in the NFL. And he’s done that after missing three games due to injury and playing only part time in three more. Apparently, that wasn’t good enough to make it to Hawaii.

Sad, because Greg Ellis is having a career year.

But, it’s great to see some new Cowboys getting some recognition. Chief among the new Pro Bowlers is Terence Newman. An outstanding cornerback, Newman’s conservative play and private personality has kept him from making the Pro Bowl before now. It’s also good to see Marion Barber get some recognition despite being in a system where he isn’t the starter.

The most notable name not on the list: Roy Williams. And, as much as I love the guy, I agree with him not making it this year. He’s just been too tentative in coverage. He’s never been great at it, but it’s almost like watching a totally different player these days. I mean, as much as Roy would occasionally get burned in the past, he’d also come up with some great plays. This year, I’m seeing more of the getting burned, and less of the making plays.

I know people will point to the poor play of Romo when assigning blame for the Cowboys loss to the Eagles, but point some of those fingers over at offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Romo was obviously not playing like the Jedi we’ve become accustomed to seeing in the past few weeks. Maybe it was the thumb injury, maybe Jessica Simpson is a bad luck charm, maybe he was just having a bad day, but T-Ro was not playing well.

But the real question is why the Cowboys completely abandoned the running game when Romo was playing so poorly? You have a quarterback that’s not playing sharp, you have one of the most exciting running backs in the NFL in Marion Barber, and you decide to just line up and throw the ball on every play?

I think Jason Garrett got a little too confident that his team would somehow snap back and start chewing up yardage like they have all year long. On an ordinary day, I might not have blamed him, but with Romo’s thumb injury and his passes missing the mark all day long, you have to think that it was just wishful thinking.

But, really, the loss isn’t that big of a deal in the large scheme of things. Dallas is already going to the playoffs, and they already have a first round bye thanks to a Seattle loss, and they even have the edge on getting home field advantage with a tie-breaker over Green Bay.

The real scary part of this game was the numerous injuries. Hopefully, they are just little dings that will keep the players out of a practice or two because this is not the time of year that you want to start racking up serious injuries.

There’s a lot of talk about home field advantage going around Cowboy-friendly water coolers. In fact, there’s been talk about home field advantage going around since week five of the season when it was apparent these Dallas Cowboys might just be good enough to clinch it.

Home field advantage is nice, don’t get me wrong. But home field advantage is not the big one.

A first round bye is the big one. Home field advantage is just the icing on the cake.

A first round bye means two games to the Super Bowl instead of three. It also means your first playoff game will be at home. One less game trumps playing the NFC championship in Dallas — trumps it by a large margin. And, hey, it’s no certain thing that the team that wins home field advantage will even make it to the conference championship, so clinching that first round bye gives you a shot at playing at home the next week.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I won’t be satisfied with just a first round bye. I won’t be satisfied with anything less than 14 wins, and even then, I’ll be thinking we let a win get away from us in these last three weeks.

But this is the big one. First round bye. The week after, we’ll put the icing on the cake. And then we can talk about resting starters.

Okay, it occurred to me in the fourth quarter that I really should have knocked on wood after my last articles assumed the Cowboys would handily defeat the Lions this time around. And when Witten was busy fumbling the ball on the one, I was busy getting that foot out of my mouth.

I guess if Philly and Baltimore can drag it down to the last minutes of the game with New England, a Lions team that is better than either of those two teams can take it the final seconds with the Cowboys.

Personally, I’m fine with blowouts. I don’t think I have any fingernails left after that ending. Who do I go to see about that? Is Jerry Jones giving away free nails for those of us who are now running low on them?

I’ll tell you one thing. If this was role-playing game, the Cowboys would have just leveled in character. It says something that a defense that hadn’t been able to make a play all game was able to stop the Lions, and an offense that seemed just a little off was able to methodically drive down there and score like them winning the game was preordained.

As much as I’d prefer blowouts — if just to save my nerves — it’s games like this that really show that championship caliber. Not ever game is gong to be a blow out. Some are going to be close, and if you want to be one of the best, you have to find a way to win those.

Dallas has been finding a way to win them, and that’s why they can now officially say the NFC East is their division, and they are the new team to beat for years to come.