The Cowboys’ disastrous season is being seized by the Giants that lead the Division 6-2 after Week 9, but there are some interesting Division games ahead that could change things up.
The New York Giants finished 2009 with an even record 8-8, where they continued with their tradition of ruining the party of teams with stadium-opening games, as they added their sixth road win in a row in this type of games versus the Dallas Cowboys. Quarteback Eli Manning’s 4,021 passing yards made him the third Cowboy -Kerry Collins 4,073 and Phil Simms 4,044- in history to achieve it. It was also Manning’s fifth 3,000+ yards and 20+ touchdown consecutive season.
Things are looking better in 2010 for the Giants that with a 6-2 they lead the NFC East, thanks to an impressive five win strike. Their next target is their division rival Dallas, a team in a precarious situation (1-7) that has just fired head coach Wade Phillips. With 2,075 passing yards and 17 touchdowns after Week 9, Quarterback Eli Manning is on his way to his sixth 3,000+ yards and 20+ touchdown consecutive season. In his second professional year wide receiver Hakeem Nicks is having an outstanding performance with 51 receptions and 9 touchdowns, surpassing the 47 receptions and 6 touchdowns from his rookie year.
In 2009 the Philadelphia Eagles clinched wild card and fell victims of the Dallas Cowboys 14-34, after an 11-5 in the regular season. Quarterback Donovan McNabb joined Pro Football Hall of Famers John Elway, Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young as the fourth player in NFL history to have more than 30,000 passing yards, 200 touchdowns passes, 3,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touch downs. And with eight 50+ yards touchdowns wide receiver De Sean Jackson tied the NFL record.
The Eagles march in second place in 2010 with a 5-3 record, in a season that began with a 27-20 loss to Green Bay. If they defeat the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, the team will have a tendency of losing one followed by two wins, to then begin the cycle again. 5 of their next 8 games will be against Division rivals. With McNabb’s departure to Washington, Kevin Kolb and veteran Michael Vick have been sharing roles, with 97 of 153 for 1035 yards and 6 touchdowns for Kolb, and 76 of 125 for 1017 yards and 7 touchdowns for Vick.
The Washington Redskins had a negative season in 2009, losing 12 of the 16 regular season games. 4 of those defeats came in the last 5 games of the years. They were the only team that placed two players in the top 10 in sacks, thanks to Andre Carter and rookie Brian Orakpo with 11 each. Also quarterback Jason Campbell had 1,000 completions that made him the fifth Redskin to do so. And among active players, linebacker London Fletcher became the fourth player with most consecutive games, 151.
The Redskins find themselves in the third seat of the NFC East in 2010, and after 4 wins and 4 losses they went to Bye on Week 9. They will return to action on Monday Night Football whey they receive division rivals Philadelphia (5-3), whom they defeated 17-12 in Week 4. In Donovan McNabb’s first season as a Redskin he was been encountering problems with head coach Mike Shanahan, who still doesn’t trust his quarterback.
The Dallas Cowboys clinched Division and made their 30th postseason appearance in a year where they also inaugurated a new stadium, setting an attendance record of 105,121 fans against the New York Giants. Their season ended in the Divisional Round versus Minnesota with a 3-34 defeat. Quarterback Tony Romo set some franchise records that season with 4,483 passing yards, 347 completions and 550 attempts for the most in a season. And wide receiver Miles Austin joined Michael Irvin and Terrell Owens club of 80+receptions, 1,300 receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns in a single season. Tight end Jason Witten also had a distinguished season with 90+ receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards.
It looks like the 31st postseason appearance won’t happen for the Cowboys this 2010, as they find themselves sunk in the bottom of the NFC East, with a .125 win percentage for a 1-7. Their season began with a two loss strike, then they won their first and only game of the season on Week 3 at Houston 27-13, and went to Bye Week. Coming in from the break it all collapsed, and the Cowboys haven’t known victory since then. Their outlook is a with a 5 loss strike that threatens them to turn into 6 this coming Sunday at New York, when they visit the division leaders Giants (6-2) on Week 10. And it can not be forgotten that their starter quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone on the home defeat on Week 7 against the Giants, a sensible casualty for Dallas as he will be out at least until December.