Tag Archives: Dallas Cowboys

When Pittsburgh Was The Center of The NFL’s Defensive Universe

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Over the last two weeks NFL pundits, including yours truly have been upset at the way the Steelers organization is playing games with TJ Watt. How can you play games with a future Hall of Famer like this? Sign him and go into the 2025 season with optimism and your defensive play maker ready to lead the charge! I joked about it on my Facebook page with a few former players when it hit me… wait a minute we’ve been here before.

Now all of us historians harken back to the great Steelers defense of the 1970’s and in particular focus on the ’74 draft where they selected 4 future Hall of Famers. Only Jack Lambert on the defense was drafted that year as FS Donnie Shell was an undrafted free agent. The Steel Curtain front four, Linebackers Ham and Russell had been assembled from 1963-74 when they broke through to win Super Bowl IX. Not one group that grew into menace from a single draft class.

Not only did this group achieve accolades but they shaped the next generation of NFL defensive excellence and the Steelers penchant for pinching pennies derailed that group also.

It was their 1987 draft class…. let’s set this up for you:

First round selection, HOF CB Rod Woodson went to 7 of his 11 Pro Bowls in the Steel City, won the 1993 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and made the All Time 75th team in ’94. Woodson came within a few votes from back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards & finished in the top 5 – 3 times in 4 years (1993-’96). He was one of the most physically gifted CB which allowed him to excel once he aged and moved to Safety.

Rod went to the Pro Bowl 4 times at his new position and was All Pro twice for the Baltimore Ravens & Oakland Raiders. He was one of the leaders on one of the greatest defenses in NFL history in 2000 as a mentor to Ray Lewis. A #2 defense that set the record for fewest points in a season (165) and won Super Bowl XXXV going away. Before these stays he started at CB for the ’97 49ers who ranked #3 defensively and made it to the NFC Championship Game. His 2002 Raiders played in Super Bowl XXXVII where at the age of 37, received his 11th Pro Bowl and his 8th All Pro selection after a career high 8 interceptions. In addition to Canton, Woodson was named to The NFL’s All Time 100th Anniversary Team in 2019.

The most intimidating Steeler of them all…. Greg Lloyd

Greg Lloyd came in the 6th round & crashed the pass pocket from his OLB position making 5 straight Pro Bowls (’91-’95). They deployed him in Nickle and Dime situations both off the ball and as an edge rusher. In those 5 seasons he had 37 sacks, 27 forced fumbles and 6 interceptions in what The Chancellor believes was a Hall of Fame career. We’ll cover his total numbers later but we have to introduce everyone. Lloyd matured into the menacing face of the Steelers defense and twice was in the top 3 in NFL Defensive Player of The Year voting. Yes… at the same time as Woodson…in ’94-95.

Not a bad start until you get into the frugal way the Steelers are with homegrown talent. This led to a holdout after 5 years for FS Thomas Everett who was a hard hitter in the secondary who didn’t receive the accolades nationally his teammates had but how valuable was he? The Steelers dealt him to Dallas during his holdout at the start of ’92. #27 was a 4th round selection out of Baylor. The same school that produced HOF Mike Singletary.

Now you’re thinking “wait, this isn’t greatest ever talent”… well…. going into the 1992 season the Cowboys Achilles’ heel was their secondary.  Their draft tells you that picking up SS Darren Woodson, CB Kevin Smith, and CB Clayton Holmes in the first few rounds. In 1991, Dallas had lost to 4 run and shoot teams including a 38-6 drubbing to Detroit in the divisional round of the playoffs. The biggest blowout loss of any NFC team in the 1990’s. They had some coverage issues but Everett solidified the secondary, put players in good spots and made several plays that defined the Super Bowl XXVII rout of my Buffalo Bills.  He helped turn the secondary into a team strength.

Not Charles Haley…it was Thomas Everett that pushed the Cowboys over the top back in the early 1990s.

In the 2nd quarter when Buffalo was threatening to take the lead, Dallas had a goal line stand where Buffalo went for it on 4th down from the 1. Who intercepted the ball in the end zone to totally deflate the Bills? Thomas Everett. After halftime down 28-10 and fired up to get back into the game in the 3rd quarter, who read a short route and jumped it returning an interception to Buffalo’s 10 to end the competitive phase of the game?  That same Thomas Everett!

They were 3-1 against top 10 passing offenses and rose from 17th in total defense to 1st. Their pass defense rose from 23rd to 5th in their ’92 Super Bowl winning season. Yet he made his only Pro Bowl in 1993 and made a huge play intercepting Steve Young in the 2nd quarter of the NFC Championship setting up the TD to go up 14-0 in a raucous Texas Stadium. Two years with the Cowboys and 2 Super Bowl titles before finishing his career in Tampa. So Everett did help shape NFL history with pivotal plays for The Team of the Decade in championship play. Still sleep on Everett? Watch this

Which brings us to ’87 5th round selection Hardy Nickerson… now where the underpaying Steelers for the 2nd straight year lost a defensive stalwart that wanted out. It was ’93 and free agency had come and where Pittsburgh brass didn’t value Nickerson, former Bengal Head Coach Sam Wyche who had faced him twice a year did signing him to play in Tampa. Yes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had just had their NFL record 10th straight season with double digit losses. Nickerson had played well like Everett and didn’t get the recognition nationally his counterparts Lloyd and Woodson had… so what did he do in Tampa?

Well… Nickerson became the centerpiece of Defensive Coordinator Floyd Peters’ 4-3 at Middle Linebacker and a terror was set loose. He became a sideline-to-sideline tracker and hit everything in sight. In ’93 he led the NFL in tackles with a leauge record 214 while making his 1st Pro Bowl and voted 1st team All Pro. It was only the 4th time a Tampa Bay defender was voted to the Pro Bowl in Hawai’i and the 2nd All Pro selection since the team’s inception in 1976.

His play was so dominant he broke the team season tackle record in a week 13 win over Chicago. There were still 3 games to go in 1993! So his 1st season ended with 214 tackles, recorded a sack, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and had an interception.

Or think of it like this… he recorded 96 more tackles than his Hall of Fame teammate Derrick Brooks (118) recorded in ’02 when he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Chew on that for a second…

The Chancellor believes this spring boarded Nickerson into what was a Pro Football Hall of Fame career and shared this in a past article Nickerson for Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nickerson went on to 4 All Pro selections and 5 Pro Bowls in 7 years and once finishing in the Top 10 in Defensive Player of The Year voting. His 4th and final All Pro & Pro Bowl selection came in ’99 when he led the NFL’s 3rd ranked defense to the NFC Championship Game. They were shutting down The Greatest Show on Turf beating them on the road 6-5 (really?) until 4:44 to go when Kurt Warner threw the winning touchdown. This was one of the greatest teams in history & Nickerson’s crew alomst kept them from Super Bowl XXXIV. In that game he had 6 tackles defensed a pass and had a timely interception.

With Kevin Greene after the Induction ceremony.

Why the center of the NFL’s Defensive Universe? The Steelers frugal ways are what kept us from seeing possibly the NFL’s best array of talent on one defense. Keep in mind by 1993 they became Blitzburgh when they signed free agent and Taylor Blitz Pro Football Hall of Fame article alumnus Kevin Greene to the fold. Greene led the NFL in sacks with 14 and went on to be the NFL’s All Time sack leader for a LB with 160. He made the Pro Bowl in 2 of his 3 years in The Blast Furnace and made 1 of his 3 career All Pros there.

Then again the Steelers went cheap and let Greene go to start a younger OLB in Jason Gildon. A damn good player but not the leader that Kevin was coming off that edge across from Lloyd.

For those of you keeping score at home –

Without adding 5 time Pro Bowl/4 time All Pro Strong Safety Carnell Lake & 3-time Pro Bowl and 2 time ILB Levon Kirkland these riches read off like a Madden All Star lineup that doesn’t appear real.

Woodson, Greene, Everett, Nickerson & Lloyd combined for 27 Pro Bowls, 17 All Pro Selections & 7 Top Ten votes for NFL Defensive Player of the Year in various seasons, 2 NFL sack champion totals and 2 enshrined in Canton. Yet the Steelers went cheap and robbed football fans of what would have been one of history’s finest defenses. These players matured into menaces and spread to every corner of the NFL as trained assassins. They were supposed to be the successor to Philadelphia’s Gang Green Defense and would have ruled the 1990s just as the 70’s Steelers dominated their era.

If we add Lake & Kirkland back in these defenders had 24 conference championship appearances 8 Super Bowl appearances winning 3 rings. Anchored by the 1987 Steeler draft class… just think about it:

  • Greene led the ’96 Panthers to the NFC Championship in their 2nd year leading the league in sacks again.
  • Nickerson was the 1st piece and building block for what would become Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl defense.
  • Everett was a defensive leader on The Team of The Decade winning 2 Super Bowls in Dallas.
  • Woodson’s HOF career saw him switch to Free Safety and play on The Chancellor’s 2nd best defense in NFL history. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens

 

TJ coming off in Kevin’s spot.

So Steeler fans hold your breath with the Steelers playing around with TJ Watt’s contract. They’ve been known to let Hall of Fame level talent go. Do you realize none of these great players finished their careers in Pittsburgh?? Uh oh TJ… and they traded hard hitting FS Minkah Fitzpatrick last week. Sigh… and now Steeler fans are losing it since he was a no-show at minicamp. Stay tuned!

 

Please lend your thoughts as well by writing in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the address below. Please be respectful and positively lend your voice:

Caught up to Lloyd in Canton.

Write & nominate Hardy Nickerson /Greg Lloyd / Carnell Lake
Send letters to:
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Attention Hall of Fame Selection Committee
2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton,
OH 44708

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Dedicated to the memories of Bill Nunn, Chuck Noll, Sam Wyche, Kevin Greene, & Floyd Peters

We have an update on TJ Watt on the 17th of August, a week after this article, he was signed to an extension. About time!

He is a PFHoFer, don’t play around with his contract. A dangerous game.

 

Legendary Days: Barry Switzer’s 4th & 1 Nearly Sinks Dallas’ Season and Dynasty

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In the long history of the NFC East one of the most hated rivals are the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. Their disdain has grown into a feud expressed by players and fans all year around and the advent of social media has taken it to absurd levels. Yet its fun to go back in time and wonder what social media would have been like had it existed at key moments in the rivalry.

One of which was an epic game that took place in 1995.

Dallas was in the 2nd season of the Barry Switzer era after Jerry Jones let go of Hall of Fame Coach Jimmy Johnson. In ’94 the Cowboys had just missed on their chance to threepeat when they lost the ’94 NFC Championship Game out in San Francisco. Switzer morphed into the goat not because he lost in that game, but more from incurring the 15 yard penalty that became the indelible mark ending Cowboys come back attempt.

Switzer had to answer questions about his shortcomings from 1994 during a contentious summer. Was he the right coach and could he win on the NFL level were what pundits were asking. Or in other words “Was a once retired Barry Switzer in over his head?”

For the 2nd straight season the team endured free agent defections that eroded the game’s most talented roster. FS James Washington, WR Alvin Harper were the most notable defections, yet once you lose offensive linemen Mark Stepnoski, Kevin Gogan, John Gesek, LB Ken Norton Jr & FS Thomas Everett before the team was changing. A 2nd straight awful draft signaled 1995 might be the last great year from the roster Jimmy Johnson originally constructed. They hadnt adequately filled all the holes and were a top heavy team that had played an additional half season more than the rest of the NFL over a 3 year period with the additional postseason games. They were running out of gas.

All was not lost as T Erik Williams returned from injuries stemming from an auto accident and they did draft future Hall of Fame lineman Larry Allen. When they plugged in a 300 plus pound C in veteran Ray Donaldson, Emmitt Smith would be behind a complete wall of 300 pounders. Troy Aikman still had a prime Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek to throw to but lost a dynamic physical athlete in 6’3 Alvin Harper signing with Tampa.

Diminutive former KR Kevin Williams would replace him but gone was a 1st rate athlete who could high point the football with the best the decade had to offer. This brought more to bear on the rushing attack and with a team who couldn’t back you off with the deep throw to Harper how would it affect their approach late in the season? Especially once the season wore on with an older team.

In Philadelphia, the Eagles were searching for an identity. The last few years had seen the Buddy Ryan/ Richie Kotite era players that were first rate performers leave the team. Reggie White, Seth Joyner, Clyde Simmons, Keith Jackson, Keith Byars were the heart of that ball club. Couple their departure with the inability to replace 1st round and Pro Bowl DT Jerome Brown who died a few years before and you couldnt recognize the team anymore.

Needing a complete reboot the Eagles hired C Ray Rhodes from the Super Bowl champion 49ers. Not only had he been the DC who throttled Dallas twice in ’94 but he had a defensive approach and pedigree to build tough minded defenses. Since the Eagles were retooling on the fly they brought in a series of grizzled old veterans not only to their roster, but fit Rhodes no nosense street tough gritty approach to football.

In comes G Guy McIntyre, LB Bill Romanowski, LB Kurt Gouveia, DE William Fuller, S Greg Jackson, and CB Barry Wilburn. Barry Wilburn?? The corner who led the league in interceptions in 1987 helping the Redskins win the Super Bowl 8 years before?? The guy who picked off John Elway twice in Super Bowl XXII?? Yes… that Barry Wilburn. All but Fuller had played for previous Super Bowl champions and brought professionalism to a team trying to find itself.

Although Charlie Garner had emerged as a runner, Eagles brass pulled a coup and lured RB Rickey Watters away from the 49ers in free agency. It was this move that crippled the world champions 49ers and kept them from returning to the Super Bowl the rest of the decade. Even more than Dallas signing Deion Sanders away. Watters (1,273 yds 11 TDs) was eager to prove he could be the #1 offensive weapon was stepping out of the shadow cast by Jerry Rice, Steve Young and John Taylor. But both proved vital to the turnarounds of their new teams in 1995.

The season began with the Cowboys hellbent on returning to the winner’s circle exploding out of the blocks with an 8-1 start. But an inexplicable 38-20 loss to the 5-4 49ers sent their season off kilter. The game where they could have delivered the killing blow to San Francisco sapped some of their confidence and the 49ers went on to win 6 straight.

Dallas was then upset by the Washington Redskins and were 10-3 when they had to travel to cold Philadelphia to take on a surprising 8-5 battle hardened Eagle team. Randall Cunningham had been replaced by journeyman Rodney Peete at QB and no way they should be able to beat Dallas. This hodge podge Eagles team? No way…

Well Barry Switzer pulled the gaffe of the season with his dual 4th and 1 attempts and NFL shows were unmerciful the following weeks. The chasm between Jimmy Johnson running the Cowboys was never greater than it was at this time.  From his meltdown after the Deion Sanders non pass interference call in the previous championship game to these calls, pundits and fans had their doubts when it came down to Switzer’s decision making  in a close game. When you think back to his winning in Oklahoma, he just had the best athletes. He never outsmarted his competition or came up with great game plans. It was just “The Wishbone” with more superior athletes than his lesser opponents in an era of unlimited scholarships.

Then Switzer was thrown a life line when the 49ers lost homefield advantage losing to the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 after winning 6 straight. Dallas was able to regain homefield with a win in the season finale against Arizona.

Dallas went on to win Super Bowl XXX in Phoenix and that game mirrored their season. They came out of the blocks taking a 13-0 lead and held on for dear life winning it 27-17 thanks to 2 horrible Neil O’Donnell interceptions. The Cowboys set a Super Bowl record for fewest 2nd half yards for a team that won the Super Bowl with just 61 yards. They were older and the wear and tear caught up to them late in games as it did late in the season. Hell it happened in the upset loss to the Eagles when Aikman & Emmitt Smith combined for just 55 yards of offense in the 2nd half! In the midst of that he went for 4th and 1 twice at his own 30?? Inexplicable…

This kept Jerry Jones from having to eat his words “any of 500 coaches could have won Super Bowls with the rosters the Cowboys had.” Well he almost hand selected the coach that couldn’t. Had they not won the Super Bowl it would have opened the door to Denver, San Francisco or Green Bay being able to make a claim as Team of the 90s. The Cowboys won 1 playoff game the remaining 4 years of the decade. They were out of the playoffs and an NFL afterthought by the time we make it to 1999. Would John Elway have retired before 1999 had the Broncos the shot at 3peating and possibly becoming “Team of the Decade” as the only 3 time champion of the ’90s?? Something to think about…

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Dak Prescott 2023 Preview- Next Year’s Champion

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Now that the dust has settled on the draft and free agent moves, there are a few things to address as we hurtle toward the 2023 NFL season. During my hiatus, a lot was brought to bear on the future of Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. Mainly how former Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore was scapegoated for all shortcomings his former quarterback had. To many observers Cowboy fans never want to admit the flameouts we have chronicled here at Taylor Blitz for years now.
All of a sudden, Head Coach McCarthy will take over play calling duties when he hasn’t performed that duty in 5 years. This was back when he was let go in Green Bay for running too predictable an offense. Remember?? But before we go there…
  • Last year the Cowboys were chastised for not replacing Amari Cooper after being dealt to Cleveland. Giving Dak a built in excuse.
  • Kellen Moore, who has a bright football mind and led the Cowboys to #1 offensive rankings, became the reason they didnt succeed in postseason.
  • In 2020, Dallas had the worst defense in football. It wasn’t Dak’s fault. The team couldnt stop anyone.
  • Before that it was Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan’s fault. Then Head Coach Jason Garrett’s fault.

Now after losing two offensive coordinators and a head coach, Cowboys brass and coverage would have you believe this is “Next Year’s Champion” and Dak Prescott will show us once and for all. Seriously? We chronicled this in 2021 and in subsequent articles on “The Beta Quarterback” where we outlined Prescott’s damaged ‘fight or flight’ mechanism that causes him to short circuit in crucial minutes of important ball games.

One is to dissect the decisions made by #4 that caused Moore’s dismissal. Prescott was outplayed by a 3rd round “Mr Irrelevant” quarterback in Brock Purdy in the NFC Divisional out in San Francisco. The loss in The Chancellor of Football’s estimation fell square on the fight or flight psychosis of a jittery quarterback that isn’t it.

This crucial mistake late in the 3rd quarter illustrates the “real” problem for the Dallas quarterback:
OK Cowboy fans… The Kellen Moore v Dak Prescott problem… If an offensive coordinator draws a play up and it wins and you misread your keys, its Dak’s fault. Take a look at this play in the 3rd qtr of their playoff loss
I placed the blue dot on MLB Fred Warner as the 49ers bluffed a blitz and running a Tampa 2. (1st pic) He has to cover the deep middle and has to cover the 3 side receiver most inside threat.
In the 2nd pic Warner turns and runs with the inside receiver on the 3 receiver side. Moore drew up and called this play anticipating this defense at this spot on the field. Warner still has the blue dot.
The 3rd pic is when Dak should be releasing the ball. Warner (blue dot) is in the hip of the inside receiver on the 3 receiver side. TY Hilton (green bar) is streaking WIDE THE F OPEN on the opposing 30 and the 2 safeties with blue dots cant get there from their 2 deep landmarks. Warner isnt even facing TY Hilton to help if he wanted to.
Dak could hit him with a line drive pass and Dallas would have had a 1st down inside the 15 possibly 10. If Dak throws it and leads him Dallas has a TD and a late 3rd quarter lead and complete momentum.
Kellen Moore had the play call, play design, spot on the field, anticpated defense and Dak misread the most BASIC pass defense in football “Cover 2”. He throws it to the receiver with Warner all over him and the play is broken up and you punt… never to threaten again.
Yet blame Moore who was 4 for 4 on this play and Dak threw it to the 3 receiver side when the Tampa 2 principle is to have the Middle Linebacker crowd the inside receiver threatening the deep middle. Stop it… Dak sympathizers have more excuses than defending an accidental pregnancy.
This is 7 years in!! Losing to a 3rd string rookie QB where if everyone was healthy he’d be watching in street clothes? Teams can only dress 2 QBs.
Film study? Practice? Did they talk about this play? Keys to the play’s success?
You know they did…
At what point will Dak Prescott be held accountable for these issues as the Cowboys come up short against elite teams?? Especially when it keeps happening in the playoffs at the end of games the Cowboys should have won. Yet here we are again where Cowboys brass and day to day coverage has this team anointed “Next Year’s Champion’s” and will be led by their supposedly great quarterback who struggles to get the job done in money situations.
Now McCarthy who was fired at the end of his tenure in Green Bay for predictable offense is going to get it done. Well?? OK… at Taylor Blitz it’s always follow the psyche of the player in the arena. Its the greatest predictor to future events. The jury is in on Dak Prescott with The Chancellor of Football but you’re free to believe what you want to believe. Only this time…come back in January and let me know I was right.
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Deion Sanders Makes It To Canton: Pro Football Hall of Fame

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*Reprint of original article on February 6, 2011*

Judging a book by its cover usually gets you in trouble.  There are so many players who have press clippings before they have done anything and I thought here was another one when I first heard of Deion Sanders.  He was still at Florida State and was “Neon”, “Prime Time”, etc…

Now being a Miami Hurricane fan I shouldn’t be turned off by the flash he displayed on and off the field yet I was.  I didn’t think the game was as important to him as being a winner.  That was my initial thought of Deion.  The comparisons to Bo Jackson for playing both baseball and football were not accurate. Bo was hit on every play being a runner compared to a cornerback who can go a whole game without being hit.  So went my opinion.

I remembered his first game in 1989, the first time he got on the field after being shuttled in from his baseball sojourn and took a punt back 68 yards for a TD against the Rams.  Now you have to give credit where credit was due, that was pretty big for one that hadn’t practiced or even got used to performing in those pads.  He would have flashes and I started to notice how great he played against great players.  He was the first one that “wanted” to line up against Jerry Rice in his prime.

In 1990 Rice scored 5TDs against Atlanta CB Charles Dimry in a game and Deion vowed that wouldn’t happen to him.  This started a series beginning in 1991 where Jerry Rice would battle tooth and nail with Sanders.  Deion shut Rice down in both games in 1991, which led to Atlanta wresting the NFC West division title from San Francisco that year.  You had to notice that Sanders was the spirit of that team and I started to become a fan. Yet this paled in comparison to the performance that turned me around completely.

No, I’m not talking of his ’94 season where he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year I’m talking about the best team transforming performance ever.  It was 1993 and Deion was still playing baseball and Jerry Glanville’s Atlanta Falcons were spiritless.  They had no fight and were 0-6 without him.  They were in the midst of being blown out on Monday Night Football by the Pittsburgh Steelers when the announcers turned their narration to things other than the game in front of them.  How could they turn their season around?  Would Glanville be on the chopping block?  What would happen with Deion Sanders coming back?  It was expressed his impact would be minimal being a cornerback to which I agreed.

Just like a little brother who perks up playing sports when he discovers his big brother and dad are watching, Atlanta completely changed their temperament with his arrival.  He came in and brought a moxie that had been missing.  He was smothering Lawrence Dawsey of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a huge fight broke out after a punt return where Deion was hit late. You saw the fight and the bench cleared to protect their best player and from that point on, the team that had been getting laughed at galvanized behind his brazen spirit.

A team that was being laughed out of their own stadium on a Monday night in October was playing the most spirited football this side of Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense led Houston Oilers and finished 6-4 over the final 10 games. One of those losses came to that Oiler team that finished with 11 straight wins.  Pundits and everyone noticed he was more than a shut down corner.  He had to be a great locker room teammate to pull that off.  That fight with Dawsey in a game that meant absolutely nothing showed that the game meant something to Sanders.  It was the year he garnered respect as a football player and galvanizing force as a teammate.

Later that year after his Pro Bowl selection, the media descended on Atlanta for Super Bowl XXVIII for Buffalo v. Dallas.  He enjoyed a celebrity that was borne of the respect he showed in turning around the Falcons that season. Folks wanted to know who he thought would win the game as much as be entertained by his personality.  He was the defacto master of ceremonies and everyone from Inside the NFL, ESPN, to NBC had specials with him talking football and showcasing great spots in Atlanta.

On the field before the game NBC asked a panel of current players about the Super Bowl.  There was speculation on would he return or not.  Deion elaborated “Here is the Super Bowl in Atlanta and I’m watching it. I want to play in one.”  You saw in his face that he meant it and felt it on live camera with the Super Bowl being minutes away.  He wanted to be recognized as a winner and not just the flashy corner / return man and he wouldn’t be back in Atlanta.  No season turned around the perception of Deion Sanders as a football player like 1993.

No season cemented his legacy like 1994.

The baseball strike relegated Deion to being slightly bored and needing something to do.  He had been a Cincinnati Red yet was being courted by New Orleans Saints and such as a free agent in football.  The Saints had the best free agent offer on the table for Sander’s services with a 4 year, $17 million contract.  He was going to be a Saint right? Wrong!  Remember that on field admission of wanting to be a champion before Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta? Well Carmen Policy convinced him to join the San Francisco 49ers for 1 year with a $1.1 million contract, the last $170,000 of which was Jerry Rice sacrificing his own money so they would sign him under the cap. What showed that the championship was more important than to sacrifice $15.8 million for a one year chance at the brass ring? That was a tremendous risk…..so what happened?

Deion joins the team in week 3 and displayed the cover corner prowess that allowed him to intercept 6 passes, returning 3 for touchdowns.  He set the records for return yards in an individual season; two 90 yard TD interception returns in a season…and ran away with NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award.  His complete smothering of Alvin Harper, then the NFL all time yardage per reception leader in the playoffs actually ruined Harper’s career.  Or at least the descent of Harper’s career can be traced to the 1994 NFC Championship Game and the first few series. Deion became a Super Bowl champion that year which cemented his legacy and he didn’t have to apologize for anything the rest of his career.

Sanders performance late in 3rd quarter of the 94 NFC Championship Game.

Deion Sanders, one of the all time great cornerbacks and now:  Pro Football Hall of Famer!!  Congrats on your selection!

Uh Oh NFC East… Daniel Jones May Have Passed Dak Prescott In the Division

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Uh oh NFC East… Dak HAS to win tonight to show he hasnt been passed by. Yes several Cowboy fans have been upset with my alternative media coverage of Dak but tonight is where he has to show he has grown… after 7 years.

Well??

Daniel Ara Kelegian, you sent me this and now Daniel Jones went out and had total command in the Giants 31-24 upset win over Minnesota. Jones has grown in leaps and bounds this year resulting in yesterday’s performance.

While The Chancellor of Football has drawn the ire of Cowboys fans, you have to show me where Dak has grown when it comes to taking on superior opponents & getting the best of elite quarterbacks head to head. Truth is he hasn’t and this is his 7th season as a starter. He had the chance to bury the 3-6 Packers in the midst of a 5 game losing streak. Could vanquish long time antagonist Aaron Rodgers and what happened?? A knock kneed 2 intercption performance and was shut out in the 2nd half of a 31-28 loss. After forging a 28-14 lead.

In contrast Daniel Jones, while being questioned about the legitimacy of being a franchise QB, has made the turn this year. Yes Head Coach Brian Daboll deserves a tremendous amount of credit, but Jones had to perform with the jaundiced eye of the New York press watching every move. In all honesty, Taylor Blitz Times didnt believe he was their franchise quarterback either. Yet his performance all year long, while not spectacular was consistent.

One of the measures we have here is how you perform against superior opponents? Well yesterday’s 31-24 wildcard win qualifies. Others will say “he had a dress rehearsal 3 weeks ago when they lost 27-24 to the same Viking team.” True but in the regular season loss he threw a pick and showed jitters in the 4th quarter when the game was tight. One drive they needed a 55 yard field goal in the 4th quarter just to stay close.

Yesterday’s performance he was in complete control from the outset. He answered the Vikings scoring first with a TD drive of his own. He didnt relinquish the lead once he had it at 14-7. He ran for 74 yards v. the 34 he ran for in the first game. He kept drives alive and the only reason the Vikings had a chance in the end was the huge drop of Darius Slayton which would have been the 1st down to put the game away.

Slayton was almost Patrick Crayton.

Yet Jones hit him in stride in between the 8 and 6. A complete drop. His 4th quarter runs helped the Giants keep the time of possession and demoralized the Vikings. He became the 3rd QB in NFL playoff history throwing for 300 yards while rushing for 75. Oh…and this was his 1st playoff appearance.

Thats growth especially when his team was 9-7-1 upsetting a 13-4 team on the road. Before this game Kirk Cousins and the Vikings were a perceived superior quarterback amd team. Not now… Jones is closing in on a franchise QB contract. He will definitely earn it if he knocks off the #1 seed Philadelphia Eagles.

Speaking of a franchise QB contract, Dak signed one under heavy scrutiny here and other mainstream media outlets. He hasnt performed in the big games and it keeps showing. But the respect he and all Cowboys fans seek for him have to be earned on the field. Quit telling me he is great when I outlined his performance and psychology played out multiple times in the last 5 years.

He is the man in the arena and he has to earn it starting tonight. The 12 win Cowboys are traveling to an 8-9 Tampa Bay team and should win. Will Dak do it?? Well one thing to remember… this is the playoffs where srange things happen. The 1st time a losing team made the playoffs?? The Seattle Seahawks at 7-9 knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints 41-36. Made famous by Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” run.

 

The Chancellor of Football’s prediction is this is Dak’s final season as the starting QB in Dallas. He has to decide with tonight’s Wildcard performance in Tampa. He is the “man in the arena” and to do it he has to beat the QB whose documentary was titles tht in Tom Brady.

Dak, your mission, should you choose to accept it…

Until tonight… you are looking up to Daniel Jones in the division. Thanks for reading and please share the article.

Is Mike McCarthy A Coach of The Year Candidate for 2022?

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Well Cowboys fans have to give Mike McCarthy credit. I really dont know where the animosity from fans came from when his name comes up. Was it the broad brush stroked over him when he was fired in Green Bay??

McCarthy deserves credit for Cowboys season.

Whatever the reason…Cowboys lose, he and Kellen Moore get  ALL the blame but when they win its because of Dak. Even during Cooper Rush’s 4-1 run. Make no mistake I like both Kellen and McCarthy but what’s fair is fair.  As the roving  crazy show of Jerry’s comments, arguments over is the defense championship caliber, Dak, Pollard or Zeke?

Quietly this man should be considered for coach of the year.

Its popular for some reason not to like him. People that follow the crowd just burn me up but the sporting press shouldnt act that way. If you’re going to name him for perceived coaching gaffes, its time to give him creit for keeping this ship on course. Especially when the season many pundits perceived lost when Dak was injured.

Keep in mind Dallas went 4-1 with Cooper Rush where the Eagles are 0-2 with Gardner Minschew and may lose homefield advantage. The Ravens are 1-2 and sliding in the playoff seedings without Lamar Jackson. This after an 0-5 finish without him to miss the playoffs last year.

 

At some point, McCarthy has to get credit. After all this is a Super Bowl winning coach.

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