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02-02-2001, 10:05 AM
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#1 | ||
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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Texas Two Step 2015 - 2019
This challenge is played under a simple concept. All players must have attended college in the state of Texas or at one of the Service Academies (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard).
We’ve emerged as a playoff contender over the last five years and seem poised to continue. Our core players are starting to age though and we’re facing a race against retirement to get our first Super Bowl ring.
The details may be found in these posts. Texas Two Step 2002-2009 Texas Two Step 2010-2014 [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-03-2001).] |
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02-02-2001, 01:57 PM
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#2 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2015 Dallas Cowboys
Preseason Retirements Surprisingly none again. Staff Though we just resigned Ike Reavis last year, there is an impressive new talent available this year and we get him at a discount. Though he’s weak at QB we’re fairly secure with our talent there. Why this guy hasn’t appeared before his 61st birthday is beyond me. Lead Scout Wade Porras, 61 QB: Fair RB: Very Good WR: Excellent OL: Very Good K: Very Good DL: Very Good LB: Excellent DB: Excellent YT: Excellent Free Agency We have three URFA’s of note this season, WR Rex Aldrige, LB Brady Hoover, and DE David Strickland. All three have been a big part of our success the past few seasons. The Franchise tag is a tough call. Hoover has more talent but Aldrige has always over achieved and was an original Cowboy’s draftee. I end up making the homer pick with the idea that Hoover would be less expensive to sign as an URFA and I don’t want to lose Aldrige under any circumstances. Strickland is a tougher call. His skills are fading rapidly now but he still wants star money. We could squeeze him under the cap but it would prevent us from extending a few of our other veterans and might reduce the quality of our backups. In the end I decide that DE Jessie Carlson’s emergence and a need to think about the future spells the end of Strickland’s days in Dallas. I’m sorry to see this future Hall of Famer go, but go he must. We make just one offer this signing period. LB Brady Hoover ponders our proposal for 6 weeks along with a multitude of others but eventually signs for $18.6M/3Y. Draft There is a good bit of talent from Texas this year and we’ll be able to use all of our picks. Two DT’s stand out as possible Round 1 picks. They’re probably late 1st or early 2nd round by talent, but the position is thin. We have a dire need at right tackle and we’ll have to reach just to get a body in the hole. Otherwise we’ll try to add a few defensive linemen and a runningback or two. We have two extra picks in Round 2 and our swap with San Diego moved our Round 1 from #26 to #10. Round 1 sees 3 DT’s go before our pick and the two Texas boys are near the top of the chart. We feel compelled to grab one of them. 1(10). Broderick Boren, DT (15/55), Southern Methodist A good balanced talent who should start this year. Round 2 holds a variety of talent for us. A good DE heads the pack and we snap him up. We also get a TE and a WR to fill minor holes for us. These guys may stay around and contribute for a few years. 2(36). Grady Martinez, DE (26/61), Baylor Very solid against the run and pass. He’ll be equal to the aged and departed Strickland by next season. 2(44). Omar Waits, TE (22/48), Texas Christian Primarily a run blocker which is exactly what we want. 2(60). Quentin Edwards, WR (40/44), Texas A nice talent for the #3 or #4 WR slot. Round 3 is a reach but a big need pick. 3(94). Louie Rayburn, T (11/29), Texas A&M The only Texas tackle worth drafting. Round 4 brings joy and a dilemma. The second DT we considered in Round 1 has fallen this far. There is no doubt we pick him, but we may not need the first guy. Do we sign him or let him go FA to avoid his salary? 4(128). Chris 'Genghis' Khan, DT (12/48), Texas A&M May start if we don’t sign Boren. Definite all name team contender. Rounds 5 and 6 are hole fillers at RB. 5(162). Kendall Moniz, RB (31/36), Baylor Speed back. 6(196). Burt Kiser, RB (34/55), Texas A&M Balanced player who’s shown guts in the clutch. Round 7 is basically a throwaway pick in case we need cap room and have to cut Blaine Baldridge. 7(230). Wally Huntly, P (18/34), Texas A&M We decide to waive our Round 1 pick to make more money available. Otherwise the draft seems to be very successful. We got no superstars but did fill in some of the blanks on our depth chart. Training Camp Our focus remains the same and our results do to. No breakouts and no busts. We trade WR Mel Bennett and our Round 7(2016) to Minnesota for their Round 5(2016). G Christian Rife and our Round 7(2017) go to Buffalo for their Round 3(2016). Roster
Exhibition Games We muddle through the exhibition slate again at 2-2. The team looks fairly solid. On defense we’re minus Strickland but otherwise the same squad as last year. CB Bryan Laxdal will start at the #2 corner and Keith Shepherd will be the nickel back this year. Offense is again solid with a slight drop off at TE and the gaping hole at right tackle. We’ll look for 10 wins. We could go more if our running game returns or much less if Linkous has tired legs. This should be a fun year! [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-03-2001).] |
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02-03-2001, 07:05 PM
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#3 |
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H.S. Freshman Team
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Lawn Gisland, NY
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I must chime in and say that Jumbo "Jet" Atkins was the best FOF nickname I've ever seen. Jumbo Jet/Chet Atkins. Sorry to see him go.
This career makes very good reading. Hope you get to the Bowl this year!
__________________
"To all of those here who work in marketing or advertising: kill yourselves." -- Bill Hicks "Christianity's such an odd religion. The whole image is that eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions God's infinite love" -- Bill Hicks |
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02-03-2001, 10:18 PM
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#4 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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Quick question for readers out there.
Do you prefer the lonngggg version of the playoff games or the executive summary? Any other requests are welcome too. Thanks for the comments Vaj. WR Jumbo 'Jet' Atkins retired from football after sitting unclaimed in the free agent pool throughout 2014. Drafted out of the Naval Academy in Round 3(2011) with the 77th overall pick, he played three years with the Cowboys in the #3 WR slot starting 9 games. His career totals (113-1256-11) indicate that he could have continued, but he decided to give up football when no one was willing to satisfy his high demands during the 2014 season. He approached the Navy about regaining his commission and is currently a flight student at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. He is on schedule to earn his wings in the fall of 2016. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-04-2001).] |
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02-04-2001, 11:07 AM
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#5 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2015 Regular Season
Week 1 San Francisco (0-0) at Dallas (0-0) Cowboys win 21-10. RB Dave Linkous (22-95-1) leads the way with some good rushing and adds a receiving TD as well. QB Raymond Winters (17-27-151-1-1) does just what we ask of him, throw a few accurate passes to keep the defense honest. This game was 7-0 49er’s at the half before our offense got going. The defense played well with no real standouts. Week 2 Dallas (1-0) at Pittsburgh (1-0) Steelers win 21-18. We visit the two time defending champs and hold our own. Though we would have liked a win this game was great for our confidence. Linkous (22-74-0) was a marked man and Winters (15-30-149-2-1) looked rather in awe of Steeler QB Trent Gaines (24-35-255-3-2). LB Brady Hoover and S Sherman Taylor each had interceptions and DE Jessie Carlson played a furious game with 3 sacks. Carlson seems to be the emotional spark plug of this defense. Week 3 NY Giants (0-2) at Dallas (1-1) Cowboys win 10-7. We avoid a letdown and win a defensive battle. RB Jeff Grantham (24-121-0) played well for an injured Dave Linkous. Winters (14-26-198-1-1) and WR Sam Cherney (5-106-1) were in sync. LB Ethan Ruffin had 3 sacks in a very effective blitz scheme. Week 4 Dallas (2-1) at Arizona (0-3) Cowboys win 20-10. We get a good road win against a young and struggling Cardinals squad. Running back by committee is the order of the day with Linkous still out. Raymond Winters (15-27-220-2-1) play another solid but unremarkable game. Cherney (7-121-1) continues to show the explosive open field running he’s been lacking the last couple of years. Ethan Ruffin led the defense with 13 tackles and S Nolan Jude added an interception. Week 5 Philadelphia (2-2) at Dallas (3-1) Cowboys win 38-26. There are big fireworks at Texas Stadium and the Cowboys fans love it! Linkous (24-103-1) looks good in his return to action. Winters (22-33-274-4-0) gets OPOTW honors for his best effort of the season. Sam Cherney (6-102-0) continues to shine. CB Keith Shepherd had an interception on defense. Week 6 Dallas (4-1) at Cleveland (2-3) Cowboys win 23-20. A Duane Mattingly 40 yard FG with 0:02 remaining gives us a tough road win. The Browns shut down or running game and Raymond Winters (21-31-276-1-0) had to carry the load. Rex Aldrige (7-91-0) and Phil Ernst (8-81-0) were the top receivers as Sam Cherney left the game during the first series. Ethan Ruffin led the defense with 11 tackles. Week 7 Baltimore (3-3) at Dallas (5-1) Ravens win 23-21. The Ravens ran all over us but needed a FG with 0:12 remaining to take the victory. Dave Linkous (22-111-1) was good and CB Bryan Laxdal led the defense with 6 tackles and a 61 yard interception return TD. We did miss a FG with 1:19 remaining to give Baltimore their chance. Week 8 Washington (2-5) at Dallas (5-2) Dallas wins 38-16. Linkous (16-91-3) had a nose for the end zone and we walloped the Redskins at Home. Winters (13-25-238-2-1) played well finding WR Rex Aldrige (6-146-1) wide open for an 81 yard strike. Sam Cherney (3-49-1) was OK in limited action after two weeks in street clothes. SHarvey Dattilo and CB Bryan Laxdal each had interceptions. Week 9 Dallas (6-2) at Minnesota (4-4) Cowboys win 34-17. We double the Vikings in a game that saw eight turnovers. QB Damon Bernstein (11-20-100-2-0) played well for an injured Raymond Winters (10-14-137-2-0). Sam Cherney (8-109-1) was the top receiver but Phil Ernst (4-40-2) seemed to be the guy open in the short field. Nolan Jude had two interceptions with Byran Laxdal and Charles Merrick each adding one. Week 10 Bye We hold a one game edge on the Eagles in the NFC East race. The Steelers are the class of the league along with Miami at 8-1. Week 11 Dallas (7-2) at Tennessee (2-7) Cowboys win 21-13. Linkous (14-69-0) and Jeff Grantham (14-95-1) split time effectively today and Winters (11-19-139-2-0) continued his quiet but successful campaign. CB Everett McConkey had an interception and LB Quentin Camilleri led the defense with 9 tackles. Week 12 Dallas (8-2) at NY Giants (4-6) Giants win 41-19. The Giants put the wood to us in an embarrassing loss. Linkous (13-97-0) was OK but Winters (16-35-255-1-2) struggled to find his receivers. Brady Hoover and Bryan Laxdal each had 9 tackles with Laxdal and Nolan Jude notching an interception each. Three turnovers and some early Giant success forced us into a long ball game that we don’t play well. Week 13 Chicago (6-5) at Dallas (8-3) Bears win 16-13. We won every statistical category but scoreboard and have lost back to back games for the first time this season. Linkous (19-103-0) continues to play well despite reduced touches. Winters (15-36-183-1-0) again struggled with the vertical passing game. Brady Hoover had a monstrous game with 13 tackles and an interception. At 8-4 we’re tied with the Eagles in the NFC East race. Week 14 Tampa Bay (6-6) at Dallas (8-4) Cowboys win 20-16. We suffered 164 rushing yards at the hands of Bubba Jordan {chuckle} but managed to win anyway. The offense was flat but fortunately Jessie Carlson made three critical drive killing sacks and Harvey Dattilo stopped the Bucs last chance drive with an interception. We travel to Philly next week to face the Eagles in a game that could decide the NFC East race. Week 15 Dallas (9-4) at Philadelphia (9-4) Cowboys win 24-20. The Eagles looked like the better team in a rain soaked game, but two 4th quarter turnovers allowed us to sneak out with the win. Dave Linkous (15-40-1) scampered in from 16 yards out after a Nolan Jude interception with 11:24 left. Jeff Grantham (12-27-1) then capped a 55 yard drive with a 2 yard plunge to give us our first lead of the day with just 0:45 seconds remaining. We can lock up home field through the NFC championship game by winning our last two. The Steelers are definitely the team to beat this year and have home field assured with a 13-1 record so far. Week 16 Dallas (10-4) at Washington (3-11) Cowboys win 27-17. We were successful with the long ball and beat the Redskins to remain one up on the Eagles. Winters (24-41-323-2-2) aired it our to Ernst (6-96-1) and Cherney (7-85-0) and the defense held up in a game that was tied 17-17 at the start of the 4th quarter. It’s one game for the season next week. A win gives us a bye week and a chance to rest. A loss leaves us with a very tough road to hoe. Week 17 Arizona (3-12) at Dallas (11-4) Cowboys win 27-24. We played down to the Cardinals as our running game never got going. Winters (18-33-255-2-0) played well with Cherney (6-85-1) as his primary target. Quentin Camilleri led the defense with 9 tackles and Nolan Jude added an interception. We get a week off and will have the home field this year. The team is playing well despite not dominating any statistical categories. We seem to find a way to win when we need it. Hopefully that will continue. On to the playoffs. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-04-2001).] |
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02-04-2001, 12:04 PM
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#6 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2015 Post Season
Wild Card Round St. Louis (9-7) at Charlotte (10-6) Panthers win 38-13. San Diego (8-7-1) at Denver (9-7) Chargers win 34-21. Boston (8-8) at Montgomery (10-6) Maulers win 34-14. NY Giants (9-6-1) at Philadelphia (11-5) Eagles win 22-14. Divisional Playoffs Charlotte (11-6) at Green Bay (10-6) Packers win 9-6. Philadelphia (12-5) at Dallas (12-4) The Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter with a FG and a 77 yard run by Christian Hurd. In the 2nd quarter the Cowboys closed the gap with Raymond Winters (116-31-194-2-1) finding Rex Aldrige (6-63-1) for an 8 yard strike after S Sherman Taylor intercepted the a Donovan McNabb pass at the Eagles 32. At 0:58 left in the 2nd quarter Duane Mattingly drilled a 50 yard FG through the uprights to tie the game at 10-10. The Cowboys got another chance after Taylor’s second interception of the game, but this time Mattingly’s 41 yard attempt sailed wide left. The 3rd quarter saw little action until Phil Ernst broke the game open with an 80 yard punt return TD at 7:07. The Cowboys got the ball back with 3:30 left in the 3rd quarter and engineered a 7 play 69 yard drive that culminated with a 25 yard TD from Winters to Sam Cherney (3-65-1) and the 3rd quarter ended at 24-10 Dallas. The Cowboys Bryan Laxdal intercepted McNabb again on the first series of the 4th quarter, but Winters returned the ball to the Eagles with his only errant pass of the day. McNabb hit Horace Rhinehart on the Eagles next play to make the score 24-17 Dallas. After a stalled Cowboys drive, Christian Hurd broke loose again with a 59 yard TD run to knot the game at 24-24. After backing the Eagles up to their 1 yard line Ernst was driven out of bounds at the Eagles 22 on his second good punt return of the day. 5 plays later Mattingly punched through a 27 yard FG to give the Cowboys a 27-24 edge with 2:39 remaining. After a trade of punts the game was sealed when Bryan Laxdal grabbed his second interception of the day and dodged 24 yards into the end zone with 0:57 seconds remaining to give the Cowboys a 34-24 lead. Any last second hopes the Eagles had were dashed when they fumbled an attempted reverse on the kickoff and DE Grady Martinez fell on the ball. Raymond Winters knelt down and the game ended. Cowboys win 34-24. Montgomery (11-6) at Miami (13-3) Dolphins win 33-3. San Diego (9-7-1) at Pittsburgh (15-1) Steelers win 16-13. 2013 & 2014 NFL & Super Bowl MVP QB Trent Gaines left the game with a broken wrist in the 1st quarter. If the Steelers are to match their 2013 season at 18-1 they'll have to do it the hard way. Gaines is the odds on favorite for his third straight NFL MVP. Conference Championships Miami (14-3) at Pittsburgh (16-1) Steelers win 31-26. Green Bay (11-6) at Dallas (13-4) Former Cowboys Brady Clarkson leads the Packers into Dallas on a rainy afternoon to decide the NFC Super Bowl representative. Early in the 1st quarter a short punt give the Packers the ball at their 49. They get a 48 yard pass play on the first play and Clarkson takes it in from the 3 on the next snap. On our next series Winters (21-35-244-1-1) is sacked and coughs up the ball. Green Bay recovers it at our one. One play, one yard, Brady Clarkson 14, Dallas 0. Injury is added to insult as Dave Linkous (10-33-0) goes down and heads to the locker room. We drive the field late, but settle for a FG and the 1st stanza ends with the score Packers 14, Cowboys 3. The 2nd quarter starts with a good Cowboys drive capped by a Winters to TD pass to Rex Aldrige (11-144-1). We shut down the Pack for the rest of the quarter and add a Jeff Grantham (23-85-1) 19 yard TD run to lead 17-14 at the half. The 3rd quarter sees little action with the teams trading punts until Winters is picked off at 8:14 remaining. Charles Merrick gets it back two plays later and the Cowboys go 28 yards in six plays with Winters taking it in from 2 yards out. The Packers refuse to go away as their return man breaks 97 yards on the ensuing kickoff and its Dallas 24, Green Bay 21 with 4:18 left in the 3rd. We drive but come up empty and the quarter ends with the Pack holding the ball and heading our way. Green Bay does manage to get in FG range and convert early in the 4th quarter. At 24-24 it’s a 12 minute football game to decide who goes to the Super Bowl. We punt and the Pack gets the ball on our 47. The defense holds and the ball comes back on downs. From our 40 we move just enough to give Duane Mattingly a shot from 47 yards out. He converts and it’s Dallas 27, Green Bay 24 with 7:40 left. The Packers start from their 22 but manage only one first down and we get the ball back at our 36 with 5:02 remaining. We eat up some clock and give Mattingly another shot from 36 yards out with 1:52 left. Money. Dallas 30, Green Bay 24. The Packers misfire on their first two attempts but get 15 on third down. On 1st & 10 they go for the jugular and heave the ball down field. White jersey…Charles Merrick gets his second interception of the game with 1:15 left. The Packers have no timeouts left. The crowd goes wild as Winters takes a knee and the Cowboys head to the Super Bowl. Cowboys win 30-24. Super Bowl Dallas (14-4) at Pittsburgh (17-1) It’s 50 degrees and raining in Pittsburgh as the Cowboys make their first Super Bowl appearance in 20 years. This is football. None of that warm weather or dome crap. This will be a muddy, messy, blood and guts brawl. The Steelers have dominated the league for the three straight years, but they’re without Mr. Everything, QB Trent Gaines. Eric Farrow, a 4th year man out of Alabama, gets his second start ever in The Game. With a monster offensive line and good receivers they’ll still be a threat. Their defense is weak up front but the linebackers and secondary are solid and very deep. Pittsburgh takes the opening kickoff and the game is on. We trade punts following short drives and it’s obvious that the mud will be a factor. On Pittsburgh’s second possession a sack by DT Nicky Hernandez causes a fumble which DE Jesse Carlson recovers on the Steeler 41 yard line. We can’t move an inch and have to punt. We trade punts again and the 1st quarter ends with no score and Pittsburgh at our 46 facing 4th & 4. After the punt we get a shot of double bad news. Dave Linkous (18-35-1) coughs up the football at our 21 yard line and T Johnnie Davidson is injured and out of the game. This loss is huge as tackle is by far our weakest position. The Steelers can’t move the ball but do get a 31 yard FG. Steelers 3, Cowboys 0. We do nothing with our next series and punt. RB Jeff Grantham forces the Steeler return man to fumble, but another black jersey scoops it up and gets it out to their 39 yard line. After a three and out, Pittsburgh gets their second big break. WR Phil Ernst coughs up the ball on the punt return and the Steelers get it at our 8 yard line. We hold but get an illegal contact penalty on 3rd down that gives Pittsburgh four more tries from our 4 yard line. Farrow takes advantage with a 4 yard TD pass to WR Van Cooley on 2nd down Pittsburgh 10, Dallas 0. Two turnovers and we’ve dug a hole. We punt again after three plays. On 3rd & 8 Carlson breaks into the Steeler backfield and plants Farrow face first in the mud. The ball pops loose and there’s a huge scrum. Unfortunately the Pittsburgh tailback comes out of the pile with the ball. They punt and we start from our 31 yard line with 5:09 left in the half. QB Raymond Winter (13-28-124-1-0) hits Phil Ernst (2-25-0) for 18 on 1st down. After a bad pass on 1st & 10, he gets 8 yards on a slant to Sam Cherney (4-41-0) and we’re in Steeler territory. On 3rd & 2 rookie RB Burt Kiser (1-21-0) goes off tackle down to the Pittsburgh 22 yard line. A pass to Rex Aldrige (3-40-0) on the next play takes us to their 7. Winters hits TE Lionel Winston (2-12-1) yard line on the next play and we go to commercial during the two minute warning. TV fans all over the globe get a treat right after the commercial break as Winters can’t get the snap before the play clock expires and the Cowboys coach explodes in rage. John Madden spends 20 seconds diagramming just how the headset shattered as it was slammed to the ground. Winters makes amends on the next play hitting Winston on the exact same play for a 7 yard TD. The PAT is colorful as backup QB Damon Bernstein can’t get the ball placed on the PAT and Duane Mattingly’s kick sails squarely into the 327 pound tail section of Cowboys C Duane Gibson. Madden can’t figure who to credit with the block, but commends Mattingly for at least kicking it straight. Pittsburgh 10, Dallas 6. The Steelers don’t waste any time moving the ball down the field with a 32 yard pass to Riddick Murray and nice runs by Jesse Najera and Dwayne Nelson. From our 15 yard line with 0:07 left in the half their kicking game suffers too as a 32 yard attempt sails wide left. Winters takes a knee to end the half with the Cowboys down by 4 points. We take the second half kickoff and the mudding continues. Dallas punt. Pittsburgh punt. Dallas punt. The Steelers finally get things going with a 9 play 4:08 drive the results in a FG try from our 28 yard line. Wide left again. Dallas punt. Pittsburgh punt. On the return Phil Ernst loses the handle again but this time Dallas LB Winfred Sheldon picks up the ball and stumbles forward to the Pittsburgh 42. Dallas punt. Pittsburgh punt. The 3rd quarter ends with the Cowboys facing 2nd & 16 at our own 49 yard line. It’s a close game, sloppy conditions, two good teams, little scoring, lots of good defense, and Madden is loving it. Steelers 10, Cowboys 6. We fail to move the ball to start the 4th quarter but P Blaine Baldridge hits a high arcing kick that dies in the mud at the Pittsburgh 3 yard line. The Steelers manage to punch the ball all the way out to their 34 yard line with tough up the gut running before we stop them. We fail to move again and Baldridge plants the ball at their 10 yard line and pins them again. We hold the Steelers this time and on 3rd down Pittsburgh Eric Farrow hits his hand on the helmet of Jessie Carlson and heads to the locker room with a broken thumb. The Steelers signal calling duties fall now on 3rd string QB Willie Sutter, a fourth year man out of Northwestern. On the punt Phil Ernst gets free at our 45 and isn’t caught until the Pitttsburgh 18 yard line. We go backwards on three plays, but Duane Mattingly converts on a 38 yard attempt to bring us within 1 point with 7:16 remaining. Steelers 10, Cowboys 9. Pittsburgh goes nowhere and we get the ball back at their 45 yard line after a short punt. On 1st and 10 Linkous goes off right guard for 16. He runs twice more to set up 3rd & 4 from the Pittsburgh 23. Winters hits Kiser out of the backfield for 5 yards and a first down at the Steelers 18. Cherney gets a short catch to the 11 and it’s 2 & 3 with 2:26 remaining. Linkous, silent for most of the game, goes off left tackle for 9 yards before he’s tripped up and we go to the two minute warning. On 1st & goal Linkous is hit for a 2 yard loss by LB Jay Wallace as he rounds left end. An encroachment penalty makes it 2nd & goal from the 2 again. This time Linkous cuts inside and dives across the plane to give the Cowboys their first lead of the day with 1:25 remaining. Winters pass attempt for the two point conversion failed. Dallas 15, Pittsburgh 10. The Steelers get the ball out to their 32 yard line on the kickoff and Willie Sutter steps under center for his first ever playoff snap. He takes a five step drop and fires the ball downfield for WR Will Dolan. Dolan has half a step on CB Bryan Laxdal but the Cowboys corner times the jump perfectly and comes away with the ball at the Dallas 23. He weaves right and gets to the Cowboys 47 yard line before he’s run down. The Cowboys call three conservative runs and are forced to punt to the Steelers. Pittsburgh takes over at their 11 yard line with 30 seconds remaining. Sutter misfires on first down but finds Riddick Murray for 52 yards down the left sideline on 2nd & 10. CB’s Phil McConkey and Keith Shepherd haul him down. Pittsburgh calls their final time out. On 1st & 10 from the Dallas 37, Sutter takes a deep drop, but is hit by DT Nicky Hernandez before he can get the ball off. The Steelers hurry back to the line, but the clock expires. The Cowboys bench explodes onto the field. The Dallas Cowboys are the Super Bowl Champions! DE Jessie Carlson is the Super Bowl MVP after recording 3 sacks, causing one fumble, and recovering another. Cowboys win 15-10! Awards DE Jessie Carlson posted 11.5 sacks but was more notable for always seeming to be in on the big play. Should be pretty pleased with a performance that netted him Super Bowl MVP. G Jumbo Landers is selected All-Pro 1st Team with 40 KRB’s and only 1 sack allowed. T Johnnie Davidson is also picked for All-Pro 1st Team with 41 KRB’s and 4 sacks allowed. LB Ethan Ruffin makes All-Pro 1st Team with 91 tackles, 28 assists, and 8 sacks. CB Bryan Laxdal gets All-Pro 1st Team mention with 5 interceptions, 5 defensed passes, 60 tackles, 21 assists, 34 catches against, and a 35.0 PDQ. G Preston Peters is named All-Pro 2nd Team with 26 KRB’s and just 1 sack allowed. Highlights Wow! It might have been different if Steeler QB Trent Gaines was in the game, but baby this feels good. Gaines did go on to collect his third straight NFL MVP and All-Pro 1st Team QB honors along with OPOTY. We really didn’t dominate in any area of the game, but we were consistent in all of them. We’ll have the core group of players back next year so there may be hopes of a repeat. Texas talent can win ball games! QB Raymond Winters (253-455-3219-26-10) had a very solid year and didn’t make many mistakes. RB Dave Linkous (250-1113-8) posted his 7th 1000 yard season and stands atop the list of NFL career rushers with 13142 yards. RB Jeff Grantham (155-601-3) had a nice year off the bench. WR Sam Cherney (68-959-7) played solidly all year. WR Rex Aldrige (58-777-5) added to his career totals (1018-13217-72) but was passed for all time receiving yards by Chicago standout Max Crabb. WR Phil Ernst (63-824-8) was big in his contract year and will be on the list of RFA’s next year. C Duane Gibson continued to blosom with 31 KRB’s and 3 sacks allowed. LB Brady Hoover had 74 tackles and 29 assists and is closing on the NFL career tackles record. LB Quentin Camilleri had 69 tackles, 15 assists, and 2 sacks in his second season. S Sherman Taylor had 76 tackles and 31 assists. S Nolan Jude had 70 tackles and 29 assist in addition to leading the team with 6 interceptions and a 38.8 PDQ. We head to 2016 with a new swagger and some pretty nice jewelery. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-07-2001).] |
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02-07-2001, 11:41 AM
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#7 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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Oh yeah baby! Super Bowl Champions!
Just for grins I'm going to put a few up a few all name guys I've had on my team. QB Al 'Pitter' Patter, Houston {Round 5(167) in 2011} Definitely heard footsteps in limited relief duty over two seasons. RB Dave 'Missing' Linkous, Navy {Round 3(97) in 2004} Prophetic. Currently the NFL's all time leading rusher. RB Ellis 'Island' Easter, Navy {2nd year FA in 2002} Deported after two seasons. FB Brandon 'Milton' Bradley, Navy {2nd year FA in 2002} Couldn't play the game. Lasted one season. TE Paul 'Mower' Lawniczak, Texas {FA in 2002} Got cut after one year with the Cowboys. WR Jumbo 'Jet' Atkins, Navy {Round 3(77) in 2011} Flew off after three seasons (see above). DE Toby 'Dirk' Digler, Texas {Round 3(77) in 2008} Two seasons...a real @#$% in the locker room. DT Chris 'Genghis' Khan, Texas A&M {Round 4(128) in 2015} Soon to pillage opposing offenses. LB Vinny 'Dinty' Moore, Army {Round 5(134) in 2005} Canned after three seasons. LB Jack 'Led' Zeppelin, Texas A&M {Round 7(225) in 2013} Hopes deflated after camp and was cut. LB Quentin 'Squid' Camilleri, Army {Round 1(32) in 2014} Will be big fish in the pond soon. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-04-2001).] |
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02-07-2001, 01:29 PM
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#8 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2016 Dallas Cowboys
Preseason Retirements Zero! Staff If it ain’t broke… Free Agency We will have to work to sign some bodies this year. DT Duane Horn gets the Franchise tag despite suffering a drop I his ratings after last season’s broken arm. We’ll try to get WR Phil Ernst signed before camp and P Blaine Baldridge will at least get an offer. We $25 million in cap room available after trading backup QB Damon Bernstein, RB Kendall Moniz, and picks in Round 3 & 5 for Cincinnati’s Round 1(16) this year.
We start free agency with a $2M/1Y offer to Bladridge. He signs in Week 8. No one else interests us and we go quickly into the draft. Draft We have three Round 1 picks and hope to start laying the foundation for our future. There is talent at LB (2), DE, WR, and S (2) that merits attention. 1(16). Rusty Burnett, LB (52/68), Texas A&M Will quickly become the focus at LB. 1(22). Jonathan Buckley, DE (30/72), Texas Finds the QB often. 1(34). Lee Sellars, S (51/84), Texas A&M Not high on the overall board but my scout loves this guy. If he’s right Sellars may be the best player in the draft! 2(68). Dwayne Lichtenberg CB (33/57), Southern Methodist Pass coverage potential is very good. 3(102). Kim ‘Mole’ Lester G (34/79), Baylor Pass blocking specialist. 5(143). Matt Lafleur, K (41/60), Army Mattingly’s eventual replacement. 6(204). B. J. Ballard, T (8/35), Texas Tech Need for a big hole. Overall the draft looks very good. If they all come through camp OK we should be serious contenders with added depth. Before camp we trade G Irving Schwartz to Detroit for their Round 7(2017). We end up cutting K Duane Mattingly to make room to sign WR Phil Ernst. We fill up to 52 with rookies and head into camp. It looks like offensive tackle wil continue to remain a weak spot and we have no talent backing up QB Raymond Winters, a calculated risk to get three Round 1 picks. Training Camp We come through camp with flying colors and no surprises. S Lee Sellars is exactly as advertised and will be huge for us. Our secondry Roster
Exhibition Games We produce our typical 2-2 record through the exhibition slate and head into the regular season. This season may be a bit unusual. We’re still going to stay with our run happy offense, but all three of our backs are rated about the same. There is no doubt that Dave Linkous gets the starts, but second year man Burt Kiser needs to be kept happy too as Grantham is pissed and will leave after this year. FB Rick Grider will also get a fair number of carries this year. I might play a guard out of position a tackle, but at this point I’m uncertain. If we get good offensive performance we should be able to make a run of it. Philadelphia looks like they’ll be our main competition for the NFC crown as well as the division title. The odds makers surprisingly have them as slight favorites. We’ll set the bar high at 12 wins and hope for a return to the big game. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-09-2001).] |
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02-09-2001, 11:51 AM
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#9 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2016 Regular Season
Week 1 Montgomery (0-0) at Dallas (0-0) Cowboys win 16-13. We show nothing in the first half but bounce back to win it in overtime. K Matt LaFleur earned his stripes with three field goals including a 50 yarder to open our scoring. S Lee Sellers notched a late 4th quarter, drive killing interception in his first game. Week 2 Washington (1-0) at Dallas (1-0) Cowboys win 42-16. RB by committee works well with Linkous (16-85-0), Grantham (11-64-1), and Grider (10-29-1) all making significant contributions. Ray Winters (15-21-177-4-0) makes the most of his limited pass attempts hitting Cherney (6-72-1), Ernst (4-55-2), and Aldrige (1-9-1) for scores. LB Brady Hoover leads the defense with 8 tackles, 2 assists, and a sack. Week 3 NY Giants (1-1) at Dallas (2-0) Cowboys win 38-10. Old man Linkous (16-172-1) rips off a 73 yard TD and Winters (23-33-283-3-0) has another solid day. Phil Ernst (8-93-1) continues to emerge as a good target despite being on the team primarily for his return skills. CB Bryan Laxdal and S Nolan Jude both notched interceptions. Week 4 Dallas (3-0) at Denver (3-0) Broncos win 34-17. Our offense is anemic gaining only 161 yards (96 on one drive). The Broncos light up our superb secondary for 372 passing yards with emerging superstar WR Jeff Spikes (11-180-1) leading the way. Brady Hoover and Ethan Ruffin tallied 9 tackles each and S Sherman Taylor had an interception. Week 5 Philadelphia (2-2) at Dallas (3-1) Cowboys win 20-0. Raymond Winters (7-11-78-1-0) is hurt and we have to use Marty Cooley (3-9-73-0-0) and Bennie Hickson (6-9-33-0-0) to finish the game but we get it done thanks to a superb defensive effort. Linkous (17-68-0) and Grantham (14-125-1) run rampant. Charles Merrick and Keith Shepherd each grab an interception. Week 6 Dallas (4-1) at Arizona (4-1) Cowboys win 17-14. Linkous (15-93-0) runs well and Winters (12-18-155-2-0) plays solidly to lead us to a great road win. S Lee Sellers leads the defense with 11 tackles. We go into our bye week with the division lead, a very good defense, and an offense that seems to make the necessary plays despite not posting big numbers. I guess the W is all that matters. Week 7 Bye Week 8 Dallas (5-1) at Washington (3-4) Redskins win 22-17. We give Washington the ball inside our 10 yard line four times! Disgusting. I can’t talk about this game. Week 9 Oakland (4-3) at Dallas (5-2) Raiders win 16-6. After kicking the tying FG with 2:19 left, the Raiders intercept Winters (14-28-153-0-4) for the fourth time and return it 88 yards for the winning score. Turnovers spoiled an otherwise great defensive effort and another strong game from Dave Linkous (20-101-0). Week 10 Green Bay (3-5) at Dallas (5-3) Cowboys win 20-14. We jump out to a 20-0 lead and coast home with a win. Linkous (20-71-0) and rookie RB Burt Kiser (7-74-1) lead the way with Winters (19-28-244-2-1) going to Aldrige (7-141-0) and WR Quentin Edwards (4-34-2) for the rest. The defense is still playing great team ball. Week 11 Dallas (6-3) at Charlotte (5-4) Cowboys win 17-16. We get a FG with 0:29 remaining and survive a long attempt by the Panthers in a stirring road win. Winters (19-26-234-2-2) had rough moments but got the job done with Ernst (8-72-2) and Aldrige (6-72-0) as his primary targets. We’re tied with the surprising Arizona Cardinals for the division lead. Week 12 Dallas (7-3) at NY Giants (2-8) Cowboys win 20-17. The Giants mount a surprising passing attack and tie the game with 0:18 left, but we win it in overtime. Linkous (17-118-1) led the way on offense. Brady Hoover spearheaded the defense with 12 tackles. Week 13 Arizona (8-3) at Dallas (8-3) Cowboys win 25-21. We overcome four fumbles and get out with a win and the division lead. Winters (18-31-243-1-0) keyed the attack with Aldrige (10-140-0) and Ernst (4-75-1) providing good targets. Keith Shepherd provided an interception as the defense gave another solid team performance. Week 14 Dallas (9-3) at Philadelphia (5-7) Eagles win 27-20. We start inside the Eagles 40 three times but come away with only two FG’s in a disappointing loss. Rb Jeff Grantham goes into a tirade after being ejected from the game. You can’t swing at an opposing linebacker or talk down the leagues all-time leading rusher in front of TV cameras without repercussions. Grantham is demanding a trade but he gets cut instead. Convenient as we were looking for dollars to sign a body to fill in for our injury riddled DT’s for the next few weeks. We’re back to even with the Cardinals though we do hold the head to head tiebreaker. The Raleigh Vipers are the class of the league at 12-1 with the Steelers close behind at 11-2. Pittsburgh will be without superstar QB Trent Gaines for the rest of the season after he suffered a horrific knee injury that may end his career. Week 15 Dallas (9-4) at San Diego (4-9) Cowboys win 24-23. We trade interception return TD’s with the Bolts and come out slightly ahead. Interceptions by Keith Shepherd, Bryan Laxdal, and Sherman Taylor made the difference as our offense sputtered. Arizona won to keep pace. Week 16 St. Louis (9-5) at Dallas (10-4) Cowboys win 24-13. Winters (25-34-283-3-0) plays very well throwing to Cherney (8-112-3) for all of our TD’s. The win is costly as LB Rusty Burnett (broken fibula), CB Bryan Laxdal (broken wrist), and WR Rex Aldrige (bruised sternum) will be out for the rest of the season and most likely the playoffs too. Week 17 Dallas (11-4) at Detroit (10-5) Cowboys win 17-14. Both teams play poorly but a George Conarroe kickoff return TD to open the second half provides the margin as we win and secure the NFC East title and home field on a tiebreaker with Arizona. Nothing spectacular to report from the game. We head into the playoffs pretty badly banged up on defense. We are the favorites to return to the Super Bowl, but Raleigh at 15-1 and Pittsburgh at 14-2 are the logical picks to win it. We’ll give it our best and see what happens. |
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02-09-2001, 01:15 PM
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#10 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2016 Post Season
Wild Card Round St. Louius (9-7) at Arizona (12-4) Cardinals win 16-6. Cincinnati (11-5) at Cleveland (11-5) Browns win 34-16. NY Jets (10-6) at Denver (13-3) Broncos win 41-27. Tampa Bay (9-7) at Detroit (10-6) Buccaneers win 29-14. Divisional Playoffs Arizona (13-4) at Augusta (11-5) Thrashers win 30-20. Denver (14-3) at Pittsburgh (14-2) Steelers win 24-6. Cleveland (12-5) at Raleigh (15-1) Vipers win 20-10. Tampa Bay (10-7) at Dallas (12-4) The Bucs get two early FG’s but we get a TD pass from Winters (19-31-255-1-1) to Ernst (3-36-1) midway through the 2nd quarter to take the lead. Matt Lafleur hits a 37 yarder at the gun to make it Cowboys 10, Buccaneers 6 at the half. The game stays that way until Tampa QB Andy ‘Enrico’ Palazzo hits WR Norman Savickas on a 60 yard bomb with one minute left in the 3rd quarter. We answer with another LaFleur FG to tie and work the short field for the game winner with 8:21 left. Not pretty, but we’ll be in the NFC Championship. Cowboys win 16-13. Conference Championships Pittsburgh (15-2) at Raleigh (16-1) Vipers win 20-10. Augusta (12-5) at Dallas (13-4) Remember Marshall Green from our first ever playoff game against Augusta? His first snap in the NFL was an interception returned for a TD by us in a 2010 Wild Card game which we won 47-3. He’s back now as an eight year veteran with probably the best skills in the league after Trent Gaines injury. His return to Dallas is almost as rude as his first trip. We sack Green 8 times, intercept him once, and force him to fumble. Green is a great QB but he plays for a team that can’t offer him much support. Raymond Winters (19-31-227-2-1) is an average QB who gets great support from folks like Sam Cherney (8-116-0) and a fabulous offensive line. What’s that mean? The Cowboys are going back to the Super Bowl after a ho hum boring wire to wire win. Cowboys win 17-9. Super Bowl Dallas (14-4) at Raleigh (17-1) It’s Mud Bowl II with driving rain and a 55 degree temperature. Just what we like. The Cowboys punt three times, then fumble, then punt seven more times on their first eleven drives while managing only five first downs. The Vipers don’t fare much better with fifteen first downs, seven punts, and three FG’s for a 9-0 lead with five minutes left in the game. With the clock winding down the Vipers make their first mistake, a wobbly pass which rookie CB Dwayne Lichtenberg hauls in at midfield. Winters (18-29-205-2-0) goes to Cherney (7-116-0) for 17 on 1st & 10. On 1st & 10 from the Vipers 33 he finds Aldrige (4-32-0) for 15 yards. Aldrige is playing in his second Super Bowl and perhaps final game ever despite being listed as doubtful. 1st & 10 from the 18 brings another Winters to Cherney 17 yard strike. On 1st & goal from the one little used FB Dustin McDaniel hauls in a swing pass for the one yard TD. Raleigh 9, Dallas 7. The Vipers get the ball back at their 24 with 3:49 left. They manage one first down, but lose the football after a sack by DE Grady Martinez. DT Duane Horn recovers the ball at the Vipers 34. Burt Kiser gets 10 on first down. After a short run on 1st & 10 from the 24, Winters hits TE Lionel Winston (1-22-1) for the 22 yard score and the lead. Dallas 14, Raleigh 9. The Vipers turn the ball over on downs. We take over at their 19 with 1:18 left but can’t manage to move the ball. LaFleur misses a 30 yard FG with 0:17 left. The Vipers get two tries at the end zone but come up dry and the Cowboys have their second Super Bowl title in as many years. DE Jessie Carlson repeats as Super Bowl MVP after recording 2.5 sacks. Cowboys win 14-9. Awards DE Jesse Carlson managed 2.5 sacks in the big game after an injury plagued season held him to just 5.5 on the year. Nice pair of bookends for the big guy with his second Super Bowl MVP. C Duane Gibson is named All-Pro 1st Team after recording 39 KRB’s and allowing no sacks over 14 games. G Jumbo Landersalso makes All-Pro 1st Team with 37 KRB’s and 2 sacks allowed. This is his fourth straight All-Pro selection. Highlights We won the big one again on a muddy day against a 17-1 team. This time there wasn’t an asterisk as Raleigh had no key players injured prior to the game. We led the league in rushing at 152 YPG despite not having a true feature back. Dave Linkous’ skills are severely degraded and we hope he decides to retire this year. If not his contract will be very expensive for a marginal player next year. To give you an idea I’ll post his skills and stats. RB Dave Linkous (232-1112-5)
Among the others here are the season numbers. QB Raymond Winters (253-427-2891-24-16) played well again despite injuries to the WR corps. FB Rick Grider (94-367-1) also added 171 yards on 21 catches and hit 10 of 18 KRB opportunities. WR Rex Aldrige (60-778-4) led receivers in 14 games. WR Phl Ernst (52-629-8) was our only healthy receiver all year. WR Sam Cherney (44-543-5) played in only 11 games. T Johnnie Davidson made 34 KRB’s but allowed a surprising 10 sacks. G Preston Peters made 29 KRB’s and allowed 5 sacks. DT Chris ‘Genghis’ Khan led the team with 6 sacks and added 45 tackles. LB Brady Hoover led the team with 86 tackles and contributed 3 sacks. LB Rusty Burnett had 67 tackles before an injury caused him to miss the seasons final two games. CB Keith Shepherd, CB Charles Merrick, CB Bryan Laxdal, and S Sherman Taylor all posted 3 interceptions and had a PDQ above 30. S Lee Sellers had 75 tackles, one interception, and posted a 32.3 PDQ in his rookie campaign. The team should suffer some retirements this season as we expect a major shuffle amongst our core players over the next few years. Hopefully we’ll manage to keep this team a playoff contender though I doubt we’ll be able to match the success of the past two seasons. It will be fun to see the old guys retire and watch new faces emerge as stars here in Dallas. Reload! [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-09-2001).] |
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02-09-2001, 04:55 PM
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#11 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2017 Dallas Cowboys
Preseason Retirements We lose the dynamic duo! RB Dave Linkous (3238-14254-92) retires after 13 seasons as a Cowboy. The NFL all time leader in rushing is a sure bet for Canton in five years. Drafted in Round 4(2004) out of Navy. WR Rex Aldrige (1078-13995-76) retires after 15 seasons in a Cowboys uniform. He is a good bet for Canton as the NFL all time leader in receptions, 2nd in receiving yards, and 5th in receiving TD’s. Drafted in Round 3(2002) out of Navy. P Blaine Baldrige retires with a career 43.2 yard average and 649 punts inside the 20. The Ray Guy of the 21st century played 10 of his 17 years as a Cowboy (2003-2009, 2014-2016). Staff We resign coach Richard Benton with a major raise. He’s 62 and his skills are starting to erode, but this guy has won the last to Super Bowls despite being the underdog. Can’t argue with success. Expansion The league adds two teams. The Jonesboro (Arkansas) Hornets joing the NFC East while the Norfolk Fox Hounds will play in the NFC Central. We lose S Derek Ford to Norfolk in the expansion draft. Free Agency We have a few good players up for grabs this year. The Franchise tag is a tough choice between C Duane Gibson and CB Keith Shepherd. I decide to go with Gibson due to his youth and recent All-Pro selection. We’ll scramble to make room for the rest of our expired starters in what should prove to be an interesting off season.
We make offers to Peters ($13.8M/2Y) and Ruffin ($13.2M/2Y) and decide to wait on CB Keith Shepherd. Peters signs in Week 4. We add an offer to Keith Shepherd ($27.9M/3Y) in Week 4. Ruffin is still pending. Ruffin signs in Week 5 and Shepherd rejoins the team in Week 10 ending our signing period. Draft There are several talented players from our target area this year. Un fortunately with the last pick we’ll miss out on a QB, RB, and WR who could all prove very good. Our need areas are RB, WR, T, and LB. 1(36). Billy Burks, DT (21/60), Texas A talented pass rusher who should contribute soon. 2(72). Hunter Kreidler, T (14/39), Air Force A pass blocking specialist for a big need position. 3(108). Jeremy Fox, WR (27/28), Texas – El Paso Good well rounded player for the #3 WR spot. 4(144). Roosevelt Franz, WR (30/43), Baylor Another good WR with some return skills. 5(180). Kelly Wycheck, LB (16/34), Texas Tech BPA pick for the #6 LB spot. 6(216). Lawrence Watson, P (7/12), Navy Small talent, big need. 7(248). Blake McNulty, RB (11/14), Navy BPA at running back. A fair draft. Our team is surprisingly intact after last years Super Bowl. I had honestly expected to lose LB Brady Hoover, CB Charles Merrick, and T Johnnie Davidson on top of Linkous and Aldrige. We end up sending DT Nicky Hernandez to Seattle for their Round 7(2018). C Arnold King goes to Detroit for a swap of Round 7 picks in 2018. We get the roster up to 52 players and decide to wait on the last body. Training Camp Another training camp goes by without any surprises. We look to be a good team again this year. We’ll switch the emphasis a bit in the direction of the pass. Our defense should be the anchor of the team again with an extraordinary secondary and a solid group of linebackers. Roster
Exhibition Games We go 2-2 during the preseason and look OK doing it. The defense is definitely solid. We’re weak in the punting game, but otherwise we’re OK. It will again be RB by committee with Burt Kiser as the starter. FB Rick Grider will get a lot of carries. With that in mind I'll open up the offense a bit and rely more on QB Raymond Winters to get the ball downfield. His TD/INT ratio suggests he's up to it. We will be without G Preston Peters and LB Brady Hoover for the first few weeks of the season. As for goals, I’ll set my sights on an 11 win season with a retrun to the playoffs. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-12-2001).] |
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02-15-2001, 02:43 PM
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#12 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2017 Regular Season
Week 1 Philadelphia (0-0) at Dallas (0-0) Cowboys win 38-19. After trailing 20-10 at halftime, Raymond Winters (26-44-332-5-1) lights it up in the second half leading the Cowboys to a nice opening win. Sam Cherney (11-161-2) and Phil Ernst (9-83-2) both look very good. Surprisingly this score happened without the benefit of a turnover. Week 2 Dallas (1-0) at St. Louis (0-1) Cowboys win 38-10. This time we get the turnovers five of them. Winters (13-18-121-5-0) gets five more TD passes but great field position keeps us from amassing too many yards. Rough life. Ernst (5-47-3) hauls in three TD’s. LB Rusty Burnett and S Lee Sellers both grabbed interceptions. Backup DE Antoine Bailey was an unlikely hero with three sacks. Week 3 Dallas (2-0) at Jonesboro (1-1) Cowboys win 26-3. The running game reignited with FB Rick Grider (12-67-1), RB Burt Kiser (11-55-0), and RB Bernard Kenyon (8-83-1) all playing well. Sellers had two interceptions and CB Charles Merrick added another. G Preston Peters will be out for a while with a dislocated knee. Week 4 Bye Week 5 Dallas (3-0) at NY Giants (2-1) Cowboys win 31-28. Trailing 28-3 in the 4th quarter we roar back and win an overtime thriller. Raymond Winters (25-40-341-3-2) led the explosion with Ernst (7-162-0) and Cherney (9-87-1) as his primary targets. S Nolan Jude and CB Charles Merrick had interceptions. LB Ethan Ruffin had 10 tackles. Week 6 Dallas (4-0) at Washington (1-4) Cowboys win 17-9. Winters went down early but journeyman QB Mart Cooley (16-31-193-2-0) had a good day in relief. Cherney (10-131-2) was the only target. S Sherman Taylor and CB Keith Shepherd both had interceptions. Week 7 Dallas (5-0) at Philadelphia (5-1) Winters (22-32-355-3-1) returned and looked excellent. Cherney (7-100-1) and WR Quentin Edwards (7-165-1) were unstoppable. Taylor had two interceptions and was named OPOTW. S Lee Sellers returned his one pick for a 78 yard TD. We lose LB Ethan Ruffin (broken hand), C Duane Gibson (turf toe), DT Chris Khan (sprained knee), G Kim Lester (sprained knee), DT Roosevelt Barlup (dislocated elbow), and C Darryl Fisk (dislocated shoulder[/b] for the next few weeks. We’ll obviously be playing thin and starting injured folks as necessary. Week 8 Arizona (6-1) at Dallas (6-0) Cardinals win 21-14. Winters (16-43-200-1-2) is uncharacteristically inaccurate and we lose a close game in the 4th quarter. Cherney (7-87-1) and Ernst (5-88-0) play fairly well. LB Brady Hoover leads the team with 11 tackles and S Lee Sellers adds another interception. Though the loss is a disappointment we played well for as many injuries as we have. Week 9 Dallas (6-1) at Raleigh (3-4) Cowboys win 48-26. The Vipers led 16-14 at the half but crumbled down the stretch in a Super Bowl rematch. Winters (14-25-176-2-0) didn’t post big numbers but got the job done. Cherney (5-94-1) continued his good season and added a punt return TD while RB Burt Kiser (10-93-1) had a good game in an offense that has shifted dramatically away from the run. Lee Sellers had 8 tackles and an interception to lead the defense. Keith Shepherd added another interception. We remain tied for the division lead with a very good Arizona squad. Week 10 NY Giants (5-3) at Dallas (7-1) Cowboys win 24-19. Winters (22-38-269-3-0) leads us past the Giants at home. Cherney (6-90-1), Ernst (6-85-0), and TE Lionel Winston (5-44-2) beat the secondary all day. Keith Shepherd hauls in another interception as our secondary continues to destroy opposing QB’s. Week 11 Jonesboro (2-7) at Dallas (8-1) Cowboys win 6-0. Both offenses struggle but commit no turnovers in a strange low scoring affair. At 9-1 we’re tied with the Cardinals for the division lead. We do lose Brady Hoover (broken jaw) but otherwise we’re getting healthy with DT the only weak spot with Chris Khan and Roosevelt Barlup still out. Khan may be healthy enough to play again next week. Week 12 Buffalo (6-4) at Dallas (9-1) Bills win 21-16. We struggle at home and lose to the Bills. Winters (22-44-231-2-2) can’t convert on anything though Cherney (9-116-0) looks good. CB Bryan Laxdal gets an interception after a long drought. We hold even in the division as the Cardinals fall to the Giants 30-20. G Preston Peters (broken foot) suffered his second significant injury of the season. Week 13 Augusta (5-6) at Dallas (9-2) Thrashers win 33-22. Augusta hands us our second consecutive home loss despite the absence of stud QB Marshall Green. Winters (21-34-320-2-1) doesn’t look bad with Cherney (8-125-1) and Edwards (4-91-0) playing well. We just couldn’t get it going on offense with the exception of a few long drives. Charles Merrick had an interception. CB Bryan Laxdal (broken foot) joins Peters and Hoover on the list of crucial injured players. Week 14 Dallas (9-3) at Arizona (9-3) Cowboys win 27-0. Winters (22-37-278-3-1) hit Cherney (8-110-0) and Edwards (5-104-0) for big yards but it was FB Rick Grider who led the way with two short TD receptions. The defense played a great team game with Charles Merrick adding another interception. We’ll have to close strong to keep the bye week away from the Cardinals. Week 15 Dallas (10-3) at Washington (2-11) Cowboys win 24-17. The Redskins give us a scare but we hang on. Winters (17-25-192-1-2) is OK with Cherney (6-122-1) continuing his career season. LB Quinn Camilleri led the team with 7 tackles and 2.5 sacks. We hold a two game edge on the Cardinals as they continued their skid. CB Charles Merrick (stretched knee ligament), C Duane Gibson (sprained neck), and DE Jonathan Buckley (hyperextended knee) joined the growing injury list. Week 16 Dallas (11-3) at Detroit (8-6) Lions win 20-7. The Lions completely shut us down. S Lee Sellers 86 yard interception return TD was the only thing we did right all day. Ethan Ruffin had 12 tackles. The Cardinals won leaving us with a one game edge going into the final week of the season. Week 17 NY Jets (7-8) at Dallas (11-4) Cowboys win 31-7. We take advantage of four interceptions and secure our third straight division title. Winters (20-38-238-3-0) is solid and Cherney (9-105-1) gets over the century mark for receptions on the season. CB Dwayne Lichtenberg, LB Rusty Burnett, S Lee Sellars, and S Sherman Taylor all grab interceptions. We head into the post season hoping that injuries don’t prove our downfall. The bye week definitely helps, but we will face a few quality opponents before we get to the Super Bowl. We stand 7th in the NFC power rankings despite our top seed. Can the Cowboys threepeat? Stay tuned. [This message has been edited by Blackwind (edited 02-15-2001).] |
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02-15-2001, 03:30 PM
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#13 |
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n00b
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anthem, Arizona
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2017 Post Season
Wild Card Round Augusta (10-6) at Arizona (11-5) Cardinals win 17-14. Denver (10-6) at Buffalo (11-5) Broncos win 14-10. Detroit (10-6) at Charlotte (11-5) Lions win 26-21. Cincinnati (9-7) at San Diego (11-5) Bengals win 23-6. Divisional Playoffs Arizona (12-5) at Tampa Bay (11-5) Cardinals win 27-20. Cincinnati (10-7) at Miami (12-4) Dolphins win 24-21. Denver (11-6) at Cleveland (11-5) Browns win 28-14. Detroit (11-6) at Dallas (12-4) Cowboys win 45-14. How do you win big in the playoffs? Getting five interceptions and starting inside the opposition’s 30 yard line on five drives is one way. Winters (21-30-226-4-2) leads the short field clinic with Cherney (8-113-3) getting a lot of end zone celebration time. Charles Merrick seals the game with a 53 yard interception return TD. Sherman Taylor also had an interception, but Bryan Laxdal stole the show with three picks despite playing on a broken foot. We’ll face the Cardinals next for the right to return to the dance. Conference Championships Cleveland (12-5) at Miami (13-4) Dolphins win 34-9. Arizona (13-5) at Dallas (13-4) Cardinals win 20-19. We posted the big yardage but the Cardinals made their drives count and escaped with a trip to the Super Bowl. Burt Kiser (10-142-1) was our offense with a good rushing performance and an 80 yard TD reception from Raymond Winters (10-18-259-1-0). Mart Cooley (1-5-3-0-1) finished the 4th quarter at QB after Winters was hurt. Cherney (5-94-0) played well. Ethan Ruffin led the defense with 12 tackles but we didn’t manage any of the game breaking interceptions that have been our trademark all year. Super Bowl Arizona (14-5) at Miami (14-4) Cardinals win 16-7. Awards S Lee Sellers is named Defensive Player of the Year and All-Pro 1st Team for a season that included 77 tackles (team best), 24 assists, 1 sack, 8 interceptions (NFL best), and a 42.1 PDQ. WR Sam Cherney (107-1458-12) is named All-Pro 1st Team after a spectacular and consistent season. Quite a relief after the retirement of Rex Aldrige last season. Highlights Though I’m disappointed at the loss to Arizona, privately I’m glad that this challenge has not become too easy. I face a few more retirements and some serious financial hurdles in keeping this team a contender. The team played very well this year in our first passing oriented attack in a decade. Our secondary was the key generating a +17 turnover ratio with lots of interceptions. We’ll get thinner in that department in a hurry as our talented youngsters demand the big bucks and veterans like Charles Merrick, Keith Shepherd, and Nolan Jude leave the team. To tell the truth I’m itching for a 6-10 campaign and a rebuilding program. Weird. QB Raymond Winters (286-510-3591-33-12) put up an 89.9 rating and was definitely the key to our offensive success. WR Phil Ernst (66-890-9) played well in the #2 spot but will likely leave after this season for more money elsewhere. WR Quentin Edwards (50-756-8) overcame apparently modest talent to put up respectable numbers. May get a starting job next season. DE Jonathan Buckley had 10 sacks, 2 blocks, and 1 hurry to spearhead our pass rush. DE Jessie Carlson had 44 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 7 hurries to make our rush a two sided threat. We head into 2018 with high hopes and great curiosity as the Cowboys enter the second year of the transition to a new generation. |
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