Know your Enemy: Cowboys vs. Bengals Q&A with the Landry Hat
By Jason Marcum
Dec 2, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) gets ready to take the snap from center Ryan Cook (63) during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Eagles 38-33. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
I sat down with Steven Mullenax of fansided’s Dallas Cowboys affiliate, The Landry Hat, to do a Q&A about the Cowboys and Bengals’ critical matchup today.
1. The Cowboys are a strong veteran team that’s fell short of the playoffs over the past two seasons. Do the players and coaches feel as though their window for a Super Bowl run is closing like Jerry Jones believes?
SM: Somewhat. Obviously, for the older players like Tony Romo, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware, their windows are closing because they are on the back–end of their careers. And Jerry Jones is just getting old period. But players like Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Sean Lee and Bruce Carter have bright futures. If one window is closing, another one is opening for these young stars.
2. What will be the difference maker in the Cowboys breaking through this year and winning multiple playoff games and potentially getting to the Super bowl?SM: Offensive balance. If Dallas can begin successfully running the ball on a more consistent basis, the overall play from the rest of the team should improve.
3. On Sunday, what matchups will you be focused on the most? Where in the Bengals defense will the cowboys look to attack, and how do they plan on stopping the Bengals offense?
SM: I think the key match-up will be A.J. Green against Brandon Carr/Morris Claiborne. I’m not sureanyone who isn’t a part of the Cowboy team or coaching staff could answer the second part of this question.
4. Who is the one player Bengals fans need to learn about that the Cowboys have but is relatively unknown?
SM: This is a pretty hard question. There will be a ton of “unknowns” on the field due to various injuries. But if there was one player who could hurt the Bengals on Sunday, who hardly anyone knows about, it’s Cole Beasley. The 5’8 rookie wideout recorded seven receptions on 13 targets two weeks ago. He’s a small but shifty guy who plays alot like Danny Amendola.
5. One of the biggest quarterback debates today is whether or not Tony Romo is an elite QB. do you believe he is an elite QB?
SM: Yes, he is elite. He’s already broken a ton of Cowboy records. His talent has never been in question. It’s his leadership and mental game that garners all the negative attention. One deep playoff run should help dust off 99% of the haters.
6. How and where do you see the Bengals and the Cowboys finishing the 2012 season?
SM: I don’t follow the Bengals, so I wouldn’t even begin to try and evaluate their chances going forward. Dallas has a difficult schedule ahead with Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Washington on tap. I see the Redskins winning the NFC East. New York grabbing a Wild Card spot. And Dallas being left just outside of the playoffs, once again.
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