5 Questions With The Landry Hat

For this weekend’s

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game against the Cowboys, I thought it would be a good idea to get an outside look. What better than getting a Cowboy’s fan point of view?

Here is my interview with Fan-Sided’s lead Cowboys blogger, Dan from The Landry Hat.

ITI– The Cowboys are having great success this season. What is the biggest difference from last year to now?

"The biggest difference is who is coaching. Bill Parcells demeaned players. Although I was excited to have Parcells when Jerry announced it four years ago, his style got kind of old. Plus, he waited too long to bring in Tony Romo, sticking with the aging Drew Bledsoe. Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett has been amazing. The timid Wade Phillips deserves coach of the year honors. The biggest difference is definitely the coaching staff. Heck, the press can barely handle how quiet and respectful T.O. has been all year, and that’s indicative of who is in the driver’s seat. The team is gelling and everyone is getting along just fine. That didn’t happen with Parcells."

ITI– Dallas has already won the NFC East Division, and are headed into the playoffs. How far do you think they will go?

"I have no doubt in my mind that Dallas heads to the Super Bowl. The dominating win against Green Bay really showed me that this team is as good as the New England Cheatriots. The Cowboys know how to come back and win close games, another sign of a championship caliber team. It is likely we will face the Cheatriots in Arizona and I honestly believe the Cowboys can beat them. If you look at the offenses and defenses of both teams, they are nearly identical. A rematch would be great for the NFL, too. It’s possible the Patriots don’t get by the Colts, but I know the Cowboys will dominate teams in the playoffs. And my poll on thelandryhat.com has other fans backing me up. See you in Arizona!!!!!!!"

ITI– What player/players do you think the Cowboys are worried about(offense and/or defense) on the Eagles roster right now? What can they do to attack/neutralize them?

"Brian Westbrook is awesome. In the Cowboys’ 38-17 win against Philly earlier this year, the defense held Westbrook to 65 yards on 16 carries. He did run for a touchdown. But he had 14 catches for 90 yards, a bunch of dump off passes. I think the Cowboys will be locking in on Westbrook quite a bit. But there’s really not a way to neutralize a player who is so good at running and catching. I think the defense will concentrate on not letting Westbrook hurt the Cowboys with rushing. The little short dinky passes weren’t that effective last time, and he didn’t score on a pass. I doubt the defense is worried much about your passing game. McNabb threw two interceptions last time. If he plays, he may throw even more this time. There’s just noway your defense is going to slow down this offense, either. But, I’ve always respected your defensive backs and secondary. I’ve always wished the Cowboys tried to steal Dawkins. I think the Cowboys can attack the Eagles with their own game plan: short passes to Jason Witten and Marion Barber, to avoid those scary dbacks. You think the Eagles wanted to win that Patriots game? They’ll want this one even more. And a dominating Cowboys win should tell a lot of non-believers out there how good this Cowboys team is."

ITI– Terrell Owens is obviously a great player, but has a history of creating controversy. Has any of that happened since he has been in Dallas?

"Terrell Owens caused a lot of controversy last year. He’s caused NONE this year. As I stated in question 1, it’s all about the new coaching staff. Terrell seems like a different person this year, and I am sure it helps that the Cowboys are 12-1. But what is really surprising is Owens hardly made a peep about his well-below-average performance against the Lions. The team won, and that’s all that counts, he said. That’s not your typical Terrell Owens. Last year, he complained all the time about the coaches not getting him involved. It scared me every time he started barking about it because he’s so explosive. The Disaster in Philly was fresh on my mind and I didn’t want him destroying the young Cowboys team that has been rebuilt. He’s been a pleasant surprise this year, and a great teammate. I know Tony Romo loves him. If you watch him on the sidelines, he never gives up. He was a big lift in that miraculous Buffalo game, constantly pumping the offense. He’s a fighter. I know the Eagles still wish they had him deep inside. I know it. Right?"

ITI– Give me your take on Sunday’s game against the Eagles. Who will win? What will the score be? Who will step up big?

"My senses tell me to expect another game like the Detroit game. I have no doubt the Cowboys will win. I feel like saying the Cowboys will win 38-17 again, but I can’t. My instincts won’t let me. The Cowboys have historically slow starts this year, but we didn’t against the Eagles and Packers this year. We were up 21-7 at halftime. If the Cowboys can come out strong and score early, the Eagles won’t have a chance. But if you can play like Detroit did last week, it could be a fun game to watch. I think Tony Romo is going to step up once again, whether it be a late game-winning score, or just strong play throughout to lead the Cowboys to a blow-out win. I also expect the defense to rebound and get some sacks, possibly the most all year, which would have to be four or more. It sounds like I am predicting a blow out, but I won’t. Dallas 24 Philly 17."

Thanks to the Dan from The Landry Hat for this interview. Check his page out for more Eagles-Cowboys discussion.

I hate to rain on the parade here, but the Cowboys are not winning the Super Bowl. Even if Dallas makes the Super Bowl, they will get crushed by New England. Dan is just setting himself up for a major heartbreak.

There will be a problem with Owens too. The only question is when will it happen. T.O. is being good now, because Dallas is winning. If you look at his past, he always starts his crap when his team is losing. If When the Cowboys lose in the playoffs, T.O. will start chirping again. He just can’t help it.There are so many classic games between these two teams, and I wonder if this will be one. Hopefully it will be the “Body Bag Game II“.