Week 3: Cowboys 27 Packers 16
Leaping Lambeau
The Dallas Cowboys hurdled yet another obstacle by overcoming a short week following an emotional win against a bitter division rival, and vanquishing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field for the first time in franchise history.
This feat is made even more impressive by the fact that Tony Romo had a poor game, and Terrell Owens was virtually invisible. A dominant rushing attack plus a relentless pass rush equaled success for the Cowboys, who are now almost universally considered the best team in the NFL and the odds-on Super Bowl favorite.
It’s way too early for such talk, but they certainly don’t seem to be suffering any ill effects from January’s crushing playoff loss to the Giants.
Week 2: Cowboys 41 Eagles 37
Felix Barbecues The Eagles
This one was truly an instant classic. It had everything, from seven lead changes to crazy fumbles and even a spot-on Leon Lett impersonation (by Eagles WR DeSean Jackson). There were lots of big plays, too. The 72-yard TD bomb from Tony Romo to Terrell Owens was great, but paled in comparison to the electricity generated by the Felix Jones kickoff return for a touchdown.
One thing is for sure, though. The Eagles are for real. In fact, they are clearly better than the Giants at this point. The NFC East is going to be a season-long cage match this year. Another thing is certain, at least in my opinion: Nick Folk is the best kicker the Cowboys have ever had. He is money.
No time for the Cowboys to rest on their laurels now, because they have to travel to Green Bay next week for a Sunday night showdown with the powerful Packers. The early season schedule has been as tough as it gets, but we should see it start paying dividends come January.
My City Was Gone
Galveston, Post-Ike
I was born in Galveston, as were both my parents. My father is buried there. It’s hard for me to put into words how I feel about the destruction left by Hurricane Ike, but I’m going to try, all the same.
Though I only lived there for the first six months of my life, I returned several times a year to visit my grandparents and various other relatives, so it’s really like a second hometown to me. And though I haven’t been back since my father died in early 2001, it still feels like a piece of me has been washed away forever.
Sure, Galveston will rebuild and become a vibrant Gulf coast city once more, but it won’t be the same in many ways. My paternal grandmother was a local artist and amateur historian, who could tell you just about anything regarding the people and landmarks of Galveston. She used to regale us with tales of the legendary Balinese Room, a one-time speakeasy turned high-profile nighclub on a pier over the Gulf of Mexico. Frequented by the Rat Pack and immortalized in song by ZZ Top, it had survived many previous storms, including the powerful Hurricane Carla in 1961.
As much as I miss my grandmother and my dad, I’m glad neither were alive to see the Balinese Room destroyed. The extent of the devastation to the entire island is difficult to fathom, but the loss of a landmark with such historical and sentimental value really drives home just how disastrous Hurricane Ike truly was.
I’ll miss the Galveston I once knew, just as much as I miss my grandmother and my dad.
Week 1: Cowboys 28 Browns 10
Marion The Barbarian
It was a solid, decisive road win against a dangerous opponent. It was an impressive display of depth. It went a long way toward setting the right tone for the season. It could have been even better, believe it or not.
Some may think I’m nitpicking, but I found a few things at least mildly concerning. There doesn’t seem to be any improvement over last year’s trend toward excessive (and excessively stupid) penalties. I don’t blame Pacman for the end zone tackle, because it would have been a TD if he hadn’t, but when is Flozell ever going to learn to wait for the ball to be snapped?
Also, i was very disappointed in the lack of anything resembling a significant pass rush by the Cowboys. Other than one notable play in which Ware chopped the ball out of Anderson’s hand, the Dallas defense really didn’t put a lot of heat on the Browns QB during the game.
There were a couple of cringe-inducing plays scattered throughout the game, but as was the case with Witten’s drop of what would have been a lengthy completion, they were simply rare miscues by otherwise dependable players.
All in all, I give the Cowboys an A- for the day. Other than an ill-advised red zone interception, Romo was almost perfect. The supposed shortage of WRs never came into play, and all three RBs performed brilliantly. Next week’s showdown with the suddenly resurgent Eagles should be epic. Getcha popcorn ready…
Listen to My Top 100
You can now listen to my Top 100 favorite songs by using the Box.net widget found in the left-hand sidebar. Enjoy!
Nailing The Triple Lindy 
