Bad Timing

The Cowboys were waiting this week to be someone's bitch. Terrell Owen's tirades, Tony Romo's pinkie, Roy Williams nagging injury after nagging injury were all coming to a head. Lucky for the St. Louis Rams they got to play the Boys in week#7. Brad Johnson looked every bit of his age, while Terrell Owens didn't look every bit of his age with more sideline tantrums than a spoiled five year old girl in pony tails, who's daddy won't buy her a lollipop at the grocery store. Roy Williams finally turned a nagging injury into a severe one, and he'll be lost for the season. Can it get any worse for the Boys? Have they hit rock bottom? A rational thinking person would have to assume there is no place to go but up for the Dallas Cowboys.

It would appear after the previous week, the Cowboys were slapped back into reality. Some thought they got a wake up call against the Cardinals. Not the Boys, no they brushed that off as a fluke, they were too good to be beaten by the Cards. There must have been a list of one hundred excuses as to why they lost. This week however is a whole different story. The loss to the Rams was an open handed bitch slap to the face of America's Team. The smugness is gone. The players' eyebrows are raised slightly when talking to the media. There is a small look of concern accompanied by those raised eyebrows that no words can hide. Head Coach Wade Phillips has an angrier tone in his voice during his interviews. But hidden in the angry voice is also a slight quivering in his vocal chords that can be heard. The kind of quiver usually exhibited by someone rattled, someone nervous. Owner Jerry Jones was stuttering and stumbling over his words after the game. He was clearly pissed. When Jones gets pissed people better listen, because their jobs are on the line no matter what words pass through those over stretched lips. It's obvious now, the Cowboys realize they need to bunker down and get serious.

Now the wounded dog syndrome will take effect. Whether the Buccs are better than the Cowboys or not, doesn't matter. What matters is the Cowboys are too good of a team and have too much talent on that roster to be held down 3 weeks in a row. They are backed into a corner, and will come out with a ferocity shown by a scared, wounded animal. The sense of urgency has clearly been put on display for all to see. They need this next game, and they need it bad.

I'm having a hard time expecting the Buccs to come away victorious this week, especially playing the game in the Cowboys' house. One thing for sure, given the scenario laid out, if the Buccs do come away with a convincing win there will be no mistaking they are for real. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to be placed just beneath the Giants as the #2 ranked team in the NFC in everyone's Power Rankings. This is a big test for the Buccs. They have the opportunity to prove to everyone they are a team to be reckoned with by driving a stake in the hearts of that wounded beast, the Dallas Cowboys. The timing though, the timing is bad. Some would think the Cowboys will win Sunday no matter who they played. It's the Buccs' job to prove those people wrong.
...ABuccsFan/JJC

EDIT: This post was made prior to Romo's declared inactivity. Now that Romo has stated publicly that he will not play, and Johnson will get the start, I feel a whole lot more optimistic about the possibility of winning. It's going to be a long day for Johnson if our front 4 can get pressure on him.