Cowboys Win: Game MVP Goes to....((Total Defense.))

[CowboyzAdam]

Who gets the MVP Vote???

[DCfan60]

I went with Romo.. yes I know Austin has 170 yds.. but Romo made all the throws.. some how didnt take that sack and got the ball to Crayton.. made some great runs to avoid turning the ball over..

[SmilesAustin]

Romo had a fantastic game, but I stick to my explanation from the nominations thread: The x-factor in the last two weeks of outstanding Romo play has been Miles Austin. Romo has finally found that guy that he desperately needs to be who he is. That guy who can get open 15-20 yards down the field instead of 3-5 yards down the field.

My MVP goes to Miles Austin, because for the last two weeks in a row he has been the savior of this offense, IMO.

[CowboyzAdam]

I gave it to Austin too Zac.

[thevalleyranchreport]

Austin gets the MVP, without him, our receiving core blows balls.

[CowboyzAdam]

Blows Balls Joe??? You never stop cracking me up.

[SmilesAustin]

I'm confused at the Patrick Crayton vote. Even NFL.com gave Crayton the game ball in their gameday page.

I gave Crayton his props already. He came in here and didn't make any mistakes yesterday and pulled through with a touchdown catch and a punt return for a touchdown. But to say he was the most valuable player yesterday is insane to me. Our pass rush was outstanding, Tony Romo was the magician that we always thought he was, Miles Austin torched them for 170 yards and 2 scores, our runningbacks provided excellent pass protection, Mike Jenkins just played lights out, etc etc.

I'd say Crayton is the most improved player on the field between the KC game and the Falcon game, but MVP? Ah I don't know about that.

[CowboyzAdam]

As much as I like Crayton...He IMO does not even come close to getting the MVP Vote.

[SmilesAustin]

Although, I guess I was talking about "MVP" and we're actually talking about the game ball. I guess in that sense, you can give a game ball to a guy who improved heavily from the week prior.

So... I understand it a little more now. I still don't agree, but I suppose if Romo had thrown 3 picks last week and then came out and threw 3 touchdowns last night, we'd probably all be voting for Romo right now.

[DCfan60]

Must have been for his TD putting the game out of reach?? Not sure I get that one either.

[ilykdrama]

Romo just because of his play escaping to get the TD to Crayton.

[Haynie]

Don't knock the Crayton vote, guys. We should all donate to charity sometimes.

[b_cadvantag]

My MVP goes to the only WR that doesnt blow balls :cool:

[CowboyzAdam]

Although, I guess I was talking about "MVP" and we're actually talking about the game ball. I guess in that sense, you can give a game ball to a guy who improved heavily from the week prior.

So... I understand it a little more now. I still don't agree, but I suppose if Romo had thrown 3 picks last week and then came out and threw 3 touchdowns last night, we'd probably all be voting for Romo right now.


You are right Zac. It was suppose to be the MVP and not game ball. I fixed it. I had a brain fart and when I made it I was sleepy. LOL

[Enlightened27]

I love watching the offense get over-glorified week in and week out. Atlanta only allowed 2 sacks all season until they allowed Dallas 5 Sunday. Is that a big enough feat to get MVP? NO. Ok, Dallas has 2 turnovers going into the game with Atlanta. They get 4 on Sunday. Is that enough to get recognition? NO.

Im not taking away from Austin, but without the defenses plays we dont win the game. Atlanta's offense isnt like playing the Chiefs, this was HUGE. Austin had a huge game, but lets not pretend like he won the game. Id give the game ball to Jenkins alone over Austin, but definitely to the defense as a whole WAY before Austin. This by far was the defense's best game and we are going to honor an offensive player, unreal.

[CowboyzAdam]

Some really good points Eric.

[Enlightened27]

Thanks Adam, I hope I didnt come off argumentative. I just dont understand the way this board votes sometimes. To each his own. I was just pointing out why I loved the defense on Sunday.

[CowboyzAdam]

Well I voted for Austin because I guess at the time I was so high on him and the excitement helped me feel comfortable voting for him. But taking in your points you made...and had I been really thinking fairly I guess I really should have given it to the Defense. They had the biggest turn around from one game to the next and basically butt raped the Falcons offense all day.

[SmilesAustin]

Your problem Eric is that you think everyone should think like you. I'm honestly annoyed by you coming in to every single game ball thread and criticizing everyone else's vote because you think your answer is right and everyone else's is wrong. You say that without the defense we wouldn't have won the game? Yeah... and without the offense we wouldn't have won the game either. You can't win the game without putting up points. You completely lack logic sometimes. The defense did great; basically allowing only 14 points (the last touchdown doesn't really count IMO) but the offense put up 37 dude. In NO way, shape, or form can you say that is over-glorified. Wow.

Vote for the defense. Say why you voted for the defense. Do it without basically saying that you think everyone else is stupid because they don't agree with you.

[CowboyzAdam]

I don't think Eric meant any harm Zac. I am not defending him...I just think he does not think sometimes the way things come across when he says them. I am still very comfortable with my Austin vote but I do think of said in a different tone Eric made a valid point. But really when voting for the MVP almost all the selections deserve it one way or the other. In the end I guess it is just a matter of your own opinion.

But Zac I do see where you are coming from regarding Eric. Maybe you & I need to take him out to a bar and smack him around a little and knock some sense in him! LMAO

[Enlightened27]

Take away Austin's 2 TDs. The score is Dallas 23 Atlanta 21. Now, take away the turnovers the defense forced, totally different ball game. This is my point. Austin helped to win the game, but he didnt win the game for Dallas. There is a big difference.

Zac, you are too sensitive when it comes to Austin, chill. He had a great game for us, but what you are overlooking is you could take out his TDs and we still win. Now, keep his TDs and give the Falcons back the turnovers the defense caused. I dont think you could make a case where we win the game in that case.

I dont think that everyone has to think like me. I just wish that sometimes logic is what you would vote with, not your bias.

[SmilesAustin]

Eric. Read me now on this: This has NOTHING to do with Austin. I have confronted you about this more than once. This has to do with you (even in the post you just made, no less!) insulting the way other people are voting. Bias has nothing to do with it. If Austin had zero catches, I would have voted for Tony Romo for having such an outstanding game... the first true "Romo" game we've seen in a long time. And if you came in saying the same things, I still would have called you out on it.

Truth be told, I don't know that it really makes sense to put the entire defensive squad in the voting at all. How can one player ever actually be more important (hence the title "mvp") than an entire squad of 11 players? I generally will never vote that way because I just personally don't think it's appropriate. DeMarcus Ware, Mike Jenkins, Gerald Sensabaugh, Marcus Spears, Jay Ratliff, Keith Brooking. If any of those guys had a better game than I think Romo or Austin had, I'd definitely vote for them and I have in the past.

My point is this: Stop coming in here and bashing other peoples' opinions because you think that you're the only one who has logic. It is extremely logical to vote for Romo and it's extremely logical to vote for Austin. ALL of them make sense... that's exactly why we have a vote. This isn't the "Who does Eric think the MVP should be?" thread.

[Enlightened27]

Zac, you make it too easy, lol.

Anyway, as I said, Mike Jenkins is the guy on defense that I would give the MVP to. Id have to change that now because I think it should be Ware. Ware was pressuring Ryan all game long causing him to make bad decisions and force throws he normally wouldnt. I also would give it to Romo before anyone on offense. He had a great game Sunday. Thats just how I see it.


How do you like that post? :D

[SmilesAustin]

I'm not trying to be hard on you Eric, but everyone's opinions deserve to be respected. You coming in here trying to say that we lack logic because we chose other guys like Romo or Austin, and that's just not true. Romo had a flawless performance by throwing 3 scores and zero turnovers and I think even like 30 rushing yards. Not to mention that amazing play to Crayton that, if that never happened, the half would have ended and the score would have been 10-7 instead of 17-7 going into the half. Austin had an amazing performance too.

You can't fault anyone for choosing either of them. Mike Jenkins is a good choice. Demarcus Ware is a good choice. The special teams unit (if you want to go that route) had a great game with a play that officially sealed the deal. I don't understand the Crayton votes, but to each his own.

I think Jenkins and Ware did outstanding. Ware had two sacks and a forced fumble. Just for me personally, I went with the guy that seems to make this offense click. Has nothing to do with bias. If it were Roy Williams, I'd have voted for Roy Williams. Hell if it were Crayton I would have voted for him. You can't call someone out on bias unless they're making things up to make a player seem better than he is... Austin led the league in receiving yards for the last two weeks. He's done a great job and anyone is completely justified for being high on him right now, especially when we're just talking about the single game performances.

[Enlightened27]

Well, Im not going to go around in circles with you. I will say this, without the turnovers the defense forced, the offense wouldnt have had the ball as many times as they did. The defense put the offense in position many times for scores. So again I think it was the defense, not the offense, that got us the win. The offense put up points, I saw that, but who was it keeping the other team to just 2 scores (I dont count the last one when most teams would be in prevent)? The unofficial score was 37-14, now, who should get credit in a blowout, the offense or defense? Without the defense it would have been a much closer game. As a unit this defense took the ball away 4 times, double what they did the rest of the year. Without those turnovers who knows what happens.

Austin did lead the league in yards, but there was something that was pointed out to me recently. Yards dont mean anything. Dallas is 22nd in the league in yards given up on defense. If you count points per game they are 11th. Its more important to score than it is to get yards. Austin also had 2 TDs against Atlanta, which was awesome. You take those away though and we still win. So the only player on offense that stood out would be Romo. He had 3 scores, which without them we dont win. So, IMO, its between Romo, Ware, Jenkins and Wade for having the D playing at the level they were last year (since you said the defense as a unit shouldnt get it). Out of that bunch I have to give it to Ware. Without him on D I dont see us doing what we did to their passing game.

Matt Ryan: 19/35 198 yards 2 TDs 2 INTs

Does that look like a typical week for Matt Ryan? No. You know why? Cause our defense shut him down and made him look like crap. That was because of Ware. Plain and simple.

[Haynie]

I don't think you can really make a case for "offense vs defense" in terms of which unit played the better game. 30 points by the offense (ignoring the seven points from the punt return) is a great day. Holding Atlanta to 21 (14 if you go by Eric's "unofficial" score) is a great day for the defense.

You really have to make this decision based on individual performances, regardless of what side of the ball they played on, and that's where I say it's crazy not to vote for Romo. Think about all of the junk we read (and some of us write) about this guy all year long. We want him do this, and do less of that, and play more like this guy, and show some maturity, and be a leader...

Well, THERE IT WAS! ALL OF IT! He went down the checklist of "What We Want From Romo" and nailed all of your points. He made the single best play of the entire game with that scrambling touchdown throw to Crayton. He had ZERO turnovers. Hell, minus one bad throw to Roy I can remember, he really had a perfect game.

[SmilesAustin]

I agree it's hard to make a case against Romo on this one. Like you said, other than one mis-throw (which to me looked like he expected Roy to cut in sharper than he did actually), Romo was flawless all game long.

It's also difficult to decide between the quarterback and the receiver sometimes. Statistically, the "red flag" for me that make me want to give it to the receiver is if one receiver had more than half of the quarterback's entire game yardage. To me, that says that if that receiver wasn't there, the QB's day would have been much different. And also since a quarterback usually hits 5-6 different receivers per game at least, if one receiver had half the yardage then that's a pretty dominating performance. But naturally sometimes you have to look beyond the statistics too.

Alas, I do concede that the single-most important and impressive play of the game was Romo's touchdown pass to Crayton. Like I said earlier, if Romo didn't break two tackles on that play, Atlanta goes into halftime with all the momentum and that game very well could have turned out very different.

[ilykdrama]

This was Romo's game. Specifically because of his "houdini" TD pass. That play was all Romo and I'm VERY convinced it was his best single play of his career so far, as far as athleticism and decision making is concerned.

[CowboyzAdam]

Wow...The Defense is making a strong come back in here. It is now in the lead. Eric I guess your points made about the "D" are doing some good....No?

Either that or more members are seeing it like you do.

[CowboyzAdam]

This was Romo's game. Specifically because of his "houdini" TD pass. That play was all Romo and I'm VERY convinced it was his best single play of his career so far, as far as athleticism and decision making is concerned.


I'm close to being there with you Drama...but my all time favorite still is the play Romo made against the Rams. You know the one I'm talking about unless you live under a rock. LOL

[DCfan60]

Could have been Romo's steller play that picked up the Defense and made them play so tough.. I mean ATL walked it right down the field on the first drive..

[SmilesAustin]

I'm close to being there with you Drama...but my all time favorite still is the play Romo made against the Rams. You know the one I'm talking about unless you live under a rock. LOL

Either that or Eric has about 3 or 4 accounts to vote from ;) j/k

I still think that "total defense" or "total offense" don't really belong in these polls anyway. Which player was the "most valuable player" to the offense or defense or special teams?

[DCfan60]

break them out into there own poll so we can debate which side of the ball we played best on.

[SmilesAustin]

Well it doesn't take very much analysis to say "the defense played good." Every time the defense or the offense had a dominating performance, there was a player or coach behind it who was the most important part. I think Mike Jenkins and DeMarcus Ware were those guys for this game. D-Ware with 2 sacks and a forced fumble, and M-Jenkins for all the big hits, the interception, and pretty much shutting out any receiver he was covering.

Alas, we've been doing it this way for a long time. No reason to stop now. I just think it's hard sometimes for any one individual player to compete against an 11-man squad. Of course the total defense was more important than Tony Romo or Miles Austin... without the defense the other team would score on every single play! LOL

[Enlightened27]

Zac, thats why I said it should be Ware. I changed my stance because you made a good point. Without Ware's play we may not have won. The entire offense of the Falcons was thrown off by him.

[SmilesAustin]

Yeah I know you came around on that one Eric and I appreciate it. I can't say definitively that I've never voted for the defense, but I definitely don't like to. If there were no defensive players in particular that stood out, then wouldn't that be a clear indication that Wade Phillips called a good defensive game? That's basically what you would be saying if you couldn't vote for a single player, but just thought the defense as a whole played great. Somebody was behind that defense putting his players in the right places and calling the right plays, etc.

As for your Ware vote... I can't disagree there. I still go with Austin, but concede that you don't ever get much better from the linebacker position than 2 sacks and a forced fumble. That's one hell of a game.