As the Giants continue the "rematch" tour, we'll take a quick look at the Cowboys for Sunday's game.
The Examiner.com has a great preview of the game, and an even better prediction.
Notes:
- The Cowboys have yet another controversy boiling over heading into Sunday's game against the Giants. Receivers Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton and Terrell Owens had a private meeting with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett complaining about Tony Romo targeting best friend and tight end Jason Witten in what they called a buddy system. Witten is the leading receiver with 64 passes. He caught 15 passes the past two games. Owens, Crayton and Williams have combined to catch 14 passes during the same span.
- Coach Wade Phillips said it was a discussion, not a gripe session. "No, it doesn't concern me because I don't think there's anything to ... Tony's the quarterback and he always takes the blame," Phil lips said. "I think it's just part of being a quarterback in this league because he's going to get a lot of the glory when he wins. And the players know he cares enough to take the blame for things. "That's an important step not every quarterback does that, so I don't think ... The other players certainly think they're open and have a chance to get the ball and want it. Part of what Terrell says is, 'I'm trying to win and if you can get me the ball I can help you win.' You know, there's nothing wrong with that either. That's not a bad thing."
- Cornerback Adam Jones got good news on his herniated disc. His second opinion confirmed that the injury was not career threatening but he is not expected back this season. But it does raise questions about Jones' future with the Cowboys after an up-and-down first year with the team and first season after missing the 2007 season for repeated violations of the NFL personal conduct policy.
- The Cowboys know their backs are against the wall, but they are looking to the Giants for inspiration. It was the Giants who struggled at times last year during their Super Bowl season and even had their coach on the hot seat. It was the Giants who used a valiant effort in a late-season loss to the Patriots as momentum for a playoff run.
- The Cowboys liked the way they played against the Steelers and believe they can build off of that loss."That's what we want to do," coach Wade Phillips said. "That would be great. I thought we played really well. We just didn't win the game. There were a lot of good things. There were certainly negative things with losing. I hope we gained something from it. It would be nice if it would be just what they (the Giants) gained from it last year. But you go to the next game. Now we are playing the best team in the league that won the Super Bowl last year. But we are playing them at home, so we are glad for that."
SERIES HISTORY: 93rd regular-season meeting. Dallas leads the series 54-36-2. Giants won the last two meetings, including 35-14 on Nov. 2.
Quote of the Week: WR Terrell Owens still has a sharp tongue for ESPN and its analysts. He laid into two former Cowboys who work at the ESPN empire, Keyshawn Johnson and Emmitt Smith.
"Those two need their own show - Dumb and Dumber," Owens said on Wednesday.