Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Turkeys – Stuffed!
By Tonni Shook
Two of my favorite things happen on Thanksgiving day – eating turkey and watching Dallas Cowboy football. It’s been that way since the beginning of my time and yesterday was no exception. As my friends and I gathered around the dinner table to eat our stuffing and turkey, the Dallas Cowboys took the field. Would they stuff or be stuffed?
Nov 22, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) on the bench after throwing an interception in the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins on Thanksgiving at Cowboys Stadium. The Redskins beat the Cowboys 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
The Washington Redskins and their rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin, III, faced Tony Romo, who was 5 – 0 on Thanksgiving day. Coming off of an overtime win against the Cleveland Browns last week, the Cowboys were poised to possibly tie the New York Giants in the playoff race. At 5 – 5, they had the opportunity to go on a six game winning streak and cruise into the promised land. Two days ago, I announced to my co-workers that the Redskins would win the game. This team has not shown enough consistency throughout the season to mark it down as a win. Call me a pessimist, but there’s something amiss in Cowboy country.
The Redskins offense and Griffin, affectionally known as RGIII across the nation, darted onto the field, but exited just as quickly. Nice start by the Dallas defense. The Romo-led offense of the Cowboys struck first with a field goal by kicker, Dan Bailey. The game continued on, the table was cleared, and the Redskins had taken control. The grumblings from the living room got louder as the Cowboys took a knee to end the half. 28 – 3 Redskins.
One Cowboy optimist bet me one dollar that the ‘boys would make a comeback. Easiest bet ever. This team doesn’t have IT, we must come to that realization. There are moments that stand out, Dez Bryant, flashy wide receiver, can catch a ball and fly down the field for a touchdown on one play, but then drop ten in a row. Miles Austin was on the sidelines in his sweat pants. Injuries are severely impacting the Cowboys this season, but is there really not enough depth at these key positions?
After halftime, the teams went back and forth for a bit, until the Cowboys decided to show up. Maybe their pre-game turkey meal had worn off by then, whatever the case, the cardiac Cowboys woke up. Romo successfully added points to the scoreboard and late in the game, it looked like I might lose that dollar. With just over three minutes remaining, the Redskins kicked a field goal to go up 38 – 28. Bailey would end up kicking one through the uprights to make it 38 – 31, but the onside kick with 23 seconds to go didn’t work as planned. The Cowboys and Romo would lose a heartbreaker, again.
With five games remaining, a shot at the playoffs is not going to be an easy task. Three home games and two away to finish out the season. The fans need to start accepting the fact, 2012 is not the year. The Cowboy organization must figure out what is the cancer within. Romo did everything possible to win the game last night, but something is not right in Jerry world. In every single game, when the camera pans the bench, players are milling around, with looks of dejection on their faces. The coaches never speak to each other, Jerry Jones is alone is his palace suite, and the fans are booing. This is not healthy, nor is it fun. What would happen if the fans staged a ban on the Cowboys until they get this mess cleaned up? Would Jerry Jones listen? Does he even care? I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving day stuffing, Mr. Jones. You’ve got a disgruntled fanbase on your hands and we are begging you to hear our complaints. I may have won a dollar, but I am not celebrating.