I have been listening today to Mike Francesca of 660 WFAN NY wax poetic about his extreme knowledge of the NFL. He has been at the 1-6:30 time slot for the 20 years. A few weeks ago after the Dallas Cowboys (without Tony Romo at Q were blasted by the New York Giants, Francesca came on early Monday after that game saying the Cowboys were done and not making the playoffs because their remaining schedule was too brutal. True, the Cowboys had games at Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, plus home games against San Francisco, Seattle, the Giants and Baltimore. Through the first three games of that remaining schedule the Boys are 3-0, and are knocking on the playoff door.

For extreme accuracy sake, I am a huge Cowboys fan and maybe some of this is looking through rose colored glasses, but with Romo back under center, the Cowboys are 3-0. Also, since Wade Phillips took over the defensive play calling before the Tampa Bay contest, the Boys are 4-1. And taking away the 35-14 pasting by the Giants, the Cowboys have allowed an average of 10 points per game. I don't include the Giants game because the ineptness of Brad Johnson allowed the Giants tremendous field position all game, and two of the Giants TD drives were 27 and 18 yards. With the way the Cowboys put pressure on Manning all day (2 sacks, a couple pressures, forcing a fumble and an INT for a TD), I feel if Romo was a healthy QB that day, the outcome MIGHT have been different.

At minimum, it would have been a watchable game.  

Francesa reiterated today that the Cowboys won't make the playoffs because the Falcons, who the Boys are tied with at 8-4, have a much easier schedule. That is true as Atlanta's remaining opponents are 25-23 (.521) whereas the Cowboys opponents are a mighty 32-15 (.681). They include at Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Baltimore and at Philadelphia, all teams with winning records and still in the playoff hunt. The Steelers and Giants (along with Tennessee) are probably two of the three best teams in the NFL.

But, Francesca is incorrect in linking the Cowboys to just the Falcons, because the Cowboys are not competing primarily against Atlanta, but really are competing against all the teams in the NFC South including the Tampa Bay Bucs and Carolina Panthers. Both the Bucs and Panthers are 9-3 and tied for first place in the NFC South and play each other next Monday night. The loser is 9-4 and the Cowboys hold the tie breaker against Tampa (via their 13-9 win in week 8). Also, Carolina has an almost equally tough schedule with Tampa, Denver at home and the last two games AT the Giants and AT New Orleans. Atlanta will win at least three of their last four games with their big games left HOME vs. Tampa in two weeks and AT the resurgent Minnestoa Vikings the week after that.

I trust the Cowboys winning three of four down the stretch more than Carolina or Tampa Bay winning, as they are playing better on offense with Romo under center and with Phillips handling the defense. I personally don't feel that Carolina or Tampa is that good (especially on offense) and both will not win but one of their last four games. Carolina's comeback victory yesterday over the Green Bay Packers was the result of the Packers blowing the game, not the Panthers actually looking good in a victory. Actually, the Panthers have looked terrible in their last five games, but four have been victories - and that is all that matters in sports. Just win, baby!

But, it will be the Panthers or Tampa who will be on the outside looking in come January, with Atlanta and Dallas both making the playoffs.