e-mail   murphy@murphymartin.com

Murphy Martin Commentary
December 14, 2006

 "Is the Fat Lady Singing?"

The stage was set, since Mr. Mo was inserted into the lineup, the team had won four of five games. The eyes of the football world were back on what was one time known as America's team. The nation awaited a showdown battle against the surprising Saints of New Orleans. NBC "claimed" the game for their Sunday Night Special. No competition would be on the air when Al Michaels and John Madden would approach this game as if it were a playoff game. And that they did!

Each team had won eight and lost four. The Who Dat Dandies from New Orleans were led by the young man who called plays for the Cowboys the last three years. Sean Payton had taken several other former Cowboy players and coaches with him when he accepted the head-coaching job in the Bayou city.

Sixty-five-thousand fans made it the loudest Texas Stadium in recent years at kickoff time. Tony Romo, Mr. Mo,and the Cowboys struck in a hurry when Julius Jones scampered 74-yards for a Cowboy's TD just minutes into the game. The crowd went wild!

But, by the second quarter strange things began to happen. Sean Payton, the former Cowboy's play-caller, began unleashing plays that ate up big chunks of yardage and the Saints were soon up 14-7 in the second quarter and the Cowboy's defense was looking bewildered by the Payton game-plan.

End-around, double-reverses, and a passing game where Drew Brees, the Austin, Texas native, seemed to have all day to throw. And that number 25 for the Saints, the one they chose with their first-round draft pick,Reggie Bush, got his share of yards running and receiving as the Saints soared to 536-yards total offense while holding the Cowboys to less than 350-yards including Julius Jones' 116 yards rushing.

Tony Romo momentum disappeared after the first quarter. He had little time to throw the ball. Witten dropped a TD pass, other efforts were off their mark and it appeared several receivers ran less than effective routes.

Bottom line, Payton threw an offense at the Cowboys that those close to the decision-making said Parcells would not allow the Cowboys to use last year even after Drew Bledsoe reportedly asked Parcells to "open" the game up more. It never happened----until Sunday night. Payton not only opened it up more, he added a big exclamation point by calling for an ONSIDE kick after building his lead to 35-17.

After the game Romo said: "We didn't see this coming." Dallas Defensive Tackle Jason Ferguson said: "We got embarrassed!" Coach Parcells called it ..."a pretty good whuppin'." Others were more graphic in describing the Saint's dominance!

The big question now is: How will Mr. Mo, Tony Romo, rebound from the beating he took from his former coach and also, like Romo, a former quarterback at Eastern Illinois.

Can Romo go into Atlanta on Saturday night and get the 'Boys back on the winning road? Can they maintain their lead in the Eastern Division?

New Orleans, which only won three of sixteen games last year, seems to have made a Play-Off-Bye in Dallas' future problematical, and a Falcon win in Atlanta could lead to sounds Dallas fans don't want to hear.

The Fat Lady May Not Be SINGING-- but we night hear her HUMMIMG if Atlanta wins!

Perish the thought!
 

Murphy Martin

Your thoughts and comments forwarded to my website will be appreciated.

e-mail   murphy@murphymartin.com

Previous commentaries: 
"Sixty Five Years Later"
"Make It Merry Christmas"
"Voices from History"
"Dreams - Reality?"
"Democrats Dominate"
"Honored and Humbled"
"Last Minute Sparring"
"Cheyenne Memories"
"How Much Will It Hold?"
"FOX Controls on Tenth Birthday"
"Clinton Points Finger Again"
"U.N. Nuclear Sparring"
"SRO for Latest Hall of Famer"
"Katie's Back, Legs and All!"
"Will T.O. Ride Bicycle Or Tricycle?"
"Couric News Carousel Approaching"
"George Was Not First"
"Cowboy's Control Canton"
"Despite Unfinished Business, Congress Takes a Vacation"
"Reality Television Rolls on Sunday"
"The President Speaks His Mind"
"The World Around Us"
"Birthday Time Again"
"Presidents -- Past and Present"
"Expensive Babies"
"Change of Pace"
"Yesterday Katie Said Goodbye to Today"
"Musical Chairs Continue at ABC-TV"
"No Quick Support for Bush Plan"
"Moussaoui Meeting with Virgins Delayed"
"What the Hell Happened?"
"His Name is Still Magic"
"The Tallest Pine is Gone"
"Keeping America Free"
"Remembering"
"Christians vs Muslims"
"Bush Bucks Bashing"
"Early Look at 2008"
"Contrasting Memories"
"Reporter's Rough Roads"
"Another Cowboys Loss"
"People, Places and Things"
"Super Bowl Wasn't So Super"
"State of the Union"
"Is God Dead in Europe?"
"Remembering Dr. King"
"This Week in Review"
"New Year, New Challenges"
"The Party's Over"
"Democracy in the Middle East"
"Unfinished Business"
"Merry Christmas Rules"
"Bush Unveils Plans"
"Today is Special"
"Border Security Now!!!"
"Stupidity Loses Financing"
"Crisis Christians"
"They Led the Way"
"Sadistic Saddam Hussein"
"Bourbon Street Bashing"
"Hurricane Aftermath"
"Standing Tall"
"Never a Dull Moment"
"Another Hero Laid to Rest"
"Blame Game"
"Senior Thoughts For the Young"
"Role Model Challenge"
August 18 - "Network News Anchors"
August 11 - "Now All Three Are Gone"
August 4 - "Trust in the Media"
July 28 - "Television Then and Now"
July 21 -  "The Mick"
July 14 - "Forty Years and Counting"