Ultimate Stakes on Table Again for Giants and Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants have experienced this before. Playing each other in New York in the regular season finale with the winner claiming the NFC East Championship. Almost 18 years ago to the day, the two teams played arguably the most significant game in the longtime series between the two bitter division rivals.
On Jan. 2, 1994, the teams met in the old Meadowlands stadium in New York
in the 1993 regular season finale with the division title on the line. While the stature of that game was a bit bigger than what is on the line tonight in New York when the two teams meet to decide the division title in the regular season finale, tonight’s battle is easily the biggest game between the two teams since that fabled game in 1994. Back then, Dallas was the defending Super Bowl champions with “The Triplets” – Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith – all of who would later be enshrined in the pro football hall of fame. New York had Giants all time greats in Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor.
Those marquee players are replaced by names today like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, DeMarcus Ware, and Jay Ratliff for the Cowboys. New York offers Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora. All good players, some even great. Overall, a notch below the cast for each team a generation ago and not a sure fire hall of famer among them.
While the stakes are high tonight with a division title and along with it the NFC’s final playoff berth on the line, there was even more at stake 18 years ago, at least for Dallas. A win meant home field advantage, a week off, and the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Both teams also entered the 1994 game at 11-4 while tonight’s game features teams stuck in mediocrity with identical 8-7 records. Still, a huge game is a huge game.
Emmitt Smith, who suffered a separated right shoulder just before halftime
Emmitt Smith sustained a separated right shoulder on this play after being tackled by the Giants' Greg Jackson (47) just before halftime on Jan. 2, 1994.
in the 1994 game, played through it finishing with 168 yards on 32 carries. Smith also had 61 yards on 10 catches as the Cowboys won 16-13 in overtime following Eddie Murray’s 41-yard field goal. The game is memorable at least in Dallas lore as Smith cemented his legendary status as a warrior who could play with the burden of a significant injury and will his team to victory. To this day it is remembered as one of the top displays of courage and toughness in the history of sports.
Injury is also on the table again for the Cowboys in tonight’s game, this time entering it. Romo has a bruised right throwing hand which he suffered in last week’s 20-7 home loss to Philadelphia. While he has been dealing with swelling in the hand all week, he is scheduled to start Sunday night’s showdown. He will likely be wearing a protective wrap on his hand that leaves his fingers exposed to ensure a sure grip on the ball.
Playing hurt is nothing new to Romo who has displayed his own brand of toughness and courage this season. Next to Smith’s performance with his separated shoulder, Romo arguably comes up next in courageous performances while playing injured in Dallas annals.
Playing with a broken rib and a punctured lung suffered during the first half at San Francisco back in September this season, Romo returned to the game to lead the Cowboys to a 27-24 overtime win over the 49ers. Romo’s 77-yard connection to Jesse Holley in overtime set up a 19-yard field goal by rookie Dan Bailey to clinch it. Romo finished 20-for-33 for 345 yards and two touchdowns while compiling a 116.4 quarterback rating. One of the most clutch performances of his career, all while enduring severe pain that at times tested his ability to call out signals and after the game made it hard to talk during the postgame interview where he needed help to get up and off the podium.
Dallas tight end Jason Witten tries to escape Giants linebacker Michael Boley during the team's first meeting in Dallas back on Dec. 11 (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images).
Romo continued to play, starting each and every game this season as trainers nursed his way back to health. It would be about midseason before both the rib and lung were totally healed.
By then Dallas was on a roll, playing its’ best ball of the season. A 34-7 loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 30 was followed by a four-game winning streak that put the Cowboys at 7-4 and in first place in the division. During that same time, the Giants were fading. Following a big 24-20 win at New England, New York was 6-2 at midseason. Four straight losses followed, three coming to 2011 division champions in San Francisco, New Orleans, and Green Bay. That put them at 6-6 heading into the first Dallas game.
Trailing by 12 points with 5:41 to play, the Giants scored 15 straight points to post a come-from behind win which saved their season. It was secured when New York’s Jason Pierre-Paul blocked Bailey’s potential game-tying field goal after a successful attempt just seconds earlier was nullified by an icing timeout called by Giants coach Tom Coughlin in the 37-34 win.
Since logging its’ fourth straight win with a 20-19 overtime win over Miami on Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys have gone 1-3, the only win coming at Tampa Bay on Dec. 17. The loss to New York in the first meeting was significant for both teams as it tightened the race for the division title.
The outcome left both teams at 7-6 overall and 2-2 in the division. Each
Brandon Jacobs runs for a touchdown during the first half of the Giants' win in Dallas back in December (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman).
team had three games to play with both facing two division opponents. However at the time, the Giants had the division lead by virtue of its’ head to head win over Dallas. It looked as if things would still come down to the final regular season game when the two met in New York.
That is exactly what has happened. There is no tomorrow. The winner wins the division and goes to the playoffs. The loser goes home and has a long offseason.
The only question is how will this game stack up to that memorable game from 1994? If history is any indication, it should be a dogfight. All the marbles are on the table and it is for anyone’s taking.
Hi and thanks to yahoo that presented me this probability to obtain your internet site. The following is one of those blogposts that need to be bookmarked and distributed with other people and this is what i’m going to do at least on my facebook wall for sure. Thanks a lot again pal for making my evening. expect me to return. Ok bye.
This website is the best blog site.
I am extremely impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
I have to write essey (English lesson), your post is very helpful.
My firend send me link to your website. I must thank him. It’s a the best website in the net?
ated with specific ingredients to promote gentle food breakdown and support the d http://www.janadians.com/blog/view/id_14743/title_how-to-pick-up-cheap-ugg-boots/ ,igestive system. Filipendula ulmaria is a soothing digestive remedy which helps to defend the digestive tract and decrease excess stomach acid.Matric
I not really know exactly where you’re getting your info, but wonderful matter. My partner and i needs to spend an afternoon studying far more or perhaps comprehending far more. Appreciate your fantastic info I had been searching for this info for my own quest.
!Important! I really like your website, it’s very well built and the material is very good so I’d like to ask you a quick question: As a website owner, have you ever wanted to make money off of your website? Not just a few bucks a month, but hundreds or thousands of dollars every month. If you click my link you’ll learn about a money making online marketing course that offers to teach you how to make thousands of dollars per month running websites and campaigns just like this one. The video is free so just take a few minutes and watch it, I don’t think you’ll regret it. Consider this a friendly tip about one of the best internet marketing courses available. Enjoy!
hmhzkyvr
Extremely good page, We are checking back again more often looking for improvements.
Substantially, the post is in reality the sweetest on this noteworthy topic.
I’m having a little trouble viewing your blog. I’m running windows 7, firefox 3.6. Any ideas what might be wrong? The content doesn’t seem to be aligned correctly.
I’m really loving the theme/design of your weblog. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog readers have complained about my site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?
I’ll immediately seize your rss feed as I can’t find your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly let me realize in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.
Really nice design and superb subject material, practically nothing else we require :D.
Great job for point of view I am writing my topic using my tongue Ainsi nous repondrons que l’assistance informatique et le depannage informatique coorespond a un grand progres reel tous proprietaires de PC fixe ferus de micro-informatique pourront d’obtenir des reponses aux problemes techniques au sujet windows VISTA, aux softwares et a la box internet commpe pour l’internet et les imprimantes laser, leur webcam comme pour la clef usb et l’ensemble du materiel micro
pressure, and those are the http://www.livingstory.com/uggscheap/blog/273555/ , triggering factors for the panic and anxiety attacks. If you know for yourself that this is the reason why you are having these attacks, what you can do to prevent them fro
I really enjoy reading through on this site, it contains excellent articles . “Something unpredictable but in the end it’s right, I hope you have the time of your life.” by Greenday.
Hi! This is kind of off topic but I need some help from an established blog. Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty fast. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? With thanks
I think some of this data may have been stolen, it’s scattered across the web and other peoples websites, unless you’re the first maker?. Thanks
Ha! Perfect! I also composed to her… I will email you my personal response!:) great minds….
Great blog! But what in the world is going on with these off topic comments?? Anyways, bookmarked 😀
Real wonderful information can be found on web site. “Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.” by Benjamin Franklin.
It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I wish to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I desire to read even more things about it!
I’ve been browsing on-line more than 3 hours lately, but I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s beautiful value enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web can be much more helpful than ever before. “I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work and my God.” by Hellen Keller.
That is really attention-grabbing, You are a very skilled blogger. I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking extra of your great post. Also, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks
Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I in finding It truly useful and it helped me out a lot. I am hoping to provide something back and aid others such as you aided me.
We are a bunch of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your website offered us with helpful info to work on. You’ve done an impressive activity and our entire neighborhood might be thankful to you.
Fantastic goods from you, man. I’ve take into account your stuff previous to and
you’re simply too wonderful. I actually like what you’ve received
here, really like what you’re stating and the way wherein you say it.
You make it entertaining and you continue to care for to stay it smart.
I can not wait to learn far more from you.
This is actually a great site.
Here is my site … הצהרה רשמית (Gregorio)
My up to date website:
http://olga.forum.telrock.net