Read the arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan about which games they believe are the best of the upcoming weekend.
Welcome to December, that magical time in the NFL season that separates the good teams from the okay teams, and the okay teams from the bad teams. And, apparently the same time of year that separates the former Super Bowl champs from logic. One game, more than any other, features two teams with a great deal to prove. When the San Diego Chargers visit the Dallas Cowboys Sunday afternoon both teams are under pressure to perform and prove they belong among the elite teams building momentum into January and playoff time.
Here is a fun fact… that is not particularly fun for Tony Romo. Did you know that Tony Romo’s non-December/January record in the NFL is 31-8? Did you further know that his December/January record (including playoffs) as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys is 5-11?
Now the Cowboys are coming off a tough interdivision loss to the New York Giants last Sunday. For once, this team failure cannot be laid at the feet of Tony Romo. Romo led a furious comeback on the road completing 41 passes for 392 yards, three touchdowns – and no turnovers. While Romo’s arm and decision making appear to be locked in during the first part of December, the running game and defense are not stepping up. The Cowboys ran for a mere 45 yards last weekend and lost a fumble, forcing Romo to shoulder the majority of the team’s offensive production.
The Cowboys defense is also struggling, giving up several big plays to what was an out of sync Giants offense. Eli Manning threw one long touchdown pass – a 74 yard pass to Brandon Jacobs – and the special teams gave up a crucial 79 yard punt return for a touchdown to Domenik Hixon.
The problem with the 2009 Cowboys is that every aspect of the team does not show up for every game. One game Romo plays well, the next he doesn’t. One week the defense is a top tier defense, the next week it isn’t. And, there is no team in the NFL more opposite of the Cowboys than the Chargers. The Chargers are in sync weekly and making continuous improvement.
While the Chargers are a decent middle of the pack group on defense giving up 20 points a game, the offense has NO problem scoring more than 20. The Chargers have the third best defense in the NFL averaging nearly 29 points per game. One reason the Chargers perform so well on offense? The team does not cause self-inflicted wounds. The Chargers are the fourth least penalized team in the NFL, having been called for just 61 penalties. Also, those penalties are not killers, as they have been penalized the LEAST amount of yards in the NFL this season. This achievement is in stark contrast to Sunday’s opponent. The Cowboys are the fifth most penalized team in the league. Is this the game where the Cowboys turn the corner and stop making unforced errors? It must be, or the separation between the playoff-ready Chargers and the fledgling Cowboys will never be more stark.
Because the Chargers continue to get better, and the Cowboys continue to perplex, the Cowboys need to win this game to prove to the fans, the management – and each other in the locker room – that the team is able to compete in high pressure situations as the weather becomes colder.
Cowboys must prove they are an elite team worthy of a playoff appearance. They are constantly fighting the well-earned reputation of a good team out of the gates, but a terrible team at closing. For the franchise to return to post-season prominence it MUST establish itself as a strong team in December, and a strong team against other good teams. Make no mistake – this is a statement game for the Cowboys. It is a must win.
But, that must-win for the Cowboys could not come against a more difficult opponent than the San Diego Chargers. Man, are these Chargers good. As a result, this game promises to be outstanding. Expectations are through the roof for both teams, and it is a must win for both teams – making it the best game of THIS weekend.
