It has been roughly eleven months since the Cowboys lost the Giants in the 2007 playoffs, and it has been fifteen months since the Cowboys started their 13-3 run in 2007 with a 45-35 during the opening weekend.
The roles of the teams have changed significantly since the start of the 2007, and even since the teams faced each other in the playoffs. Here is a look:
Directions of the TeamsCowboys, Then: The Cowboys opened the 2007 season trying to erase the memories of their 21-20 loss to Seattle in the 2006 playoffs. Many pundits thought the Cowboys would have a chance to win the NFC East, but few believed that the Cowboys would earn the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs by compiling a 13-3 regular season record. All of this came crashing down on them in the playoffs when the Giants came away with a 21-17 win at Texas Stadium.
Giants, Then: The Giants entered the 2007 season without Tiki Barber, and there were many questions about how good Eli Manning had turned out and how long Tom Coughlin would last as head coach. The Giants lost to the Cowboys and Packers before turning things around and finishing with a 10-6 record. New York’s win over Dallas in the playoffs propelled the Giants on an improbable Super Bowl run.
Cowboys, Now: The Cowboys entered the 2008 season as the Big Dog, though the loss to New York last season still weighed on their minds. A bad mid-season slump left Dallas at 4-3 and in danger of making the playoffs. A solid November helped Dallas climb back into contention, but the team’s confidence cannot be good after losing to the Steelers last week. And reports this week have focused on how disgruntled Terrell Owens and other receivers have become.
Giants, Now: The Giants have been widely considered as the best team in the NFL by many for much of the 2008 season. They cruised to an 11-1 start, but off-the-field problems followed by a loss to the Eagles have a few wondering about whether the Giants can make another run.
Head CoachesWade Phillips, Then: Wade Phillips began his stint as the Cowboys head coach against the Giants. Although some questioned how responsible Phillips was for the Cowboys’ success in 2007, all was great throughout much of the regular season. However, the Cowboys had trouble down the stretch that year, and when Phillips went light on his team during the period approaching the playoffs, he took some heat. That heat became a fire when the Cowboys lost to the Giants.
Tom Coughlin, Then: Coughlin had had success in Jacksonville to a large extent, but he was never able to take the team over the hump. He appeared to be wearing out his welcome with the Giants, and many were calling for his head when the Giants struggled at times in 2007. Like the Giants, though, Coughlin’s reputation rebounded during the playoff run.
Wade Phillips, Then: Phillips has taken an unbelievable amount of heat in 2008 for the Cowboys problems. Some members of the media called for his dismissal when the Cowboys sank to 4-3, notwithstanding his overall record of 17-6 in two seasons. If Dallas misses the playoffs, there is a good chance Phillips will be out.
Tom Coughlin, Now: Coughlin’s reputation has not elevated to the level of a Bill Parcells, just yet, but he is much more highly regarded now. That is what a Super Bowl title will do for a coach.
Romo vs. ManningTony Romo, Then: Romo entered the 2007 season as the savior quarterback with slippery hands as a kick holder. Many wondered whether he could duplicate his efforts from 2006, but he silenced nearly all doubt with his regular season performance. New doubts arose when he failed to lead the Cowboys to a playoff win.
Eli Manning, Then: Manning was living in his brother’s shadow for the first several years of his career, and that was especially true in 2007 because Peyton had just won the Super Bowl in 2006. Manning’s four-interception game against the Vikings in week 12 of the 2007 had many in New York calling for his head, but he responded with one of the greatest turnarounds for a quarterback in league history. On February 3, 2008, he was the Super Bowl MVP.
Tony Romo, Now: Romo has taken quite a bit of heat from the press and fans in Dallas in 2008. Many emphasize that he has never won a playoff game, even though he has experienced only two losses. Dallas went nowhere when he broke his pinkie finger against the Cardinals, and he sparked the November turnaround. However, his poor performance against Pittsburgh has led to new doubts.
Eli Manning, Now: Many now ask whether Eli isn’t better than Peyton, at least at this stage in their careers. Although Manning has not been spectacular all season, he has been very good, and he is proving that he is a winner.
Star ReceiversTerrell Owens, Then: Some fans had soured on Owens by the start of the 2007 season, but he soon proved that he was the elite receiver that he advertised. He caught two touchdowns against the Giants in the season opener during a season when he caught 15 touchdown passes. However, he was injured late in the season, and he struggled against the Giants in the playoffs.
Plaxico Burress, Then: Plaxico Burress was starting to fit in as a true #1 receiver for the Giants at the start of the 2007 season. He caught three touchdown passes from Eli Manning in the Cowboys’ 45-35 win over New York in the season opener. Although Burress was shut down against the Cowboys in the playoffs, he caught the game-winning pass against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Terrell Owens, Now: Owens has not kept his mouth shut in 2008, and there are now indications that he is becoming disruptive in the locker room. Stay tuned.
Plaxico Burress, Now: Burress is in all sorts of trouble now. He accidentally shot himself in a New York nightclub and was then brought up on weapons charges. He has been placed on the non-football injury list, ending his season. He may be done as a Giant.
Receiving CorpsCowboys, Then: The Cowboys were still trying to figure out how to live without Terry Glenn when they started the 2007 season. Patrick Crayton filled in adequately during the season, though Glenn finally made a return at the end. Other receivers, including Sam Hurd, became more involved in the offense. However, when Owens was injured, the other receivers showed an inability to step up in his place, and the passing offense struggled in the playoffs. Crayton made two critical blunders in the playoff loss.
Giants, Then: The Giants continued to rely on Amani Toomer as their second receiver in 2007, and younger receivers Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith continued to emerge. One hero of Super Bowl XLII was David Tyree.
Cowboys, Now: The Cowboys were desperate for a good second receiver and decided to trade three draft picks to Detroit for Roy Williams. Williams has not been productive at all with the Cowboys, and the production of the other receivers, such as Crayton, has declined. Sam Hurd has been out all season, and though Miles Austin emerged as a threat, he has also been injured for a good part of the season.
Giants, Now: Although Moss has not shown much development, Smith now leads the team in receptions. Domenik Hixon has also emerged as a threat. Tyree has been injured for all of 2008 and probably will not return to the Giants.
Running Back TandemsCowboys, Then: The Cowboys used Julius Jones as a starter throughout 2008, but the real star was Marion Barber. In the playoffs, Barber started his first game of the season. He rushed for 129 yards on 27 carries.
Giants, Then: The Giants overcame the loss of Tiki Barber by using Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Reuben Droughns, and (towards the end of the year) Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs finished with more than 1,000 yards rushing.
Cowboys, Now: Julius Jones is gone. The Cowboys replaced him with rookie Felix Jones, who was injured against the Cardinals. The team’s backup now is Tashard Choice, who had to start against the Steelers due to an injury to Barber’s toe. Choice looked great and could provide a boost down the stretch.
Giants, Now: Droughns is out of the picture, but the three-headed monster in Jacbos, Ward, and Bradshaw is one of the Giants’ key strengths.
Tight EndsCowboys, Then: Jason Witten caught 96 passes in 2007 in the most productive season for a Cowboy tight end in team history. Backup Anthony Fasano was disappointing, though.
Giants, Then: The Giants relied heavily on Jeremy Shockey, who proved to be a disruption on the team. When he was injured late in the season, it appeared to be a blow to the team. However, Kevin Boss stepped in, and soon Shockey was out of the picture altogether in New York.
Cowboys, Now: The Cowboys traded Fasano and drafted Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M. Bennett is still raw, but he is proving to be a good target for Romo. Witten has struggled with injuries, but he still leads the team in receptions.
Giants, Now: The Giants shipped Shockey off to New Orleans, making Boss the starting tight end. Boss has caught five touchdown passes in 2008.
DefensesCowboys, Then: The Cowboys brought in Phillips to shore up the defense, but things did not look good when the Cowboys surrendered 35 to the Giants to open the season. The Cowboys had trouble for much of the year in 2007, but the offense tended to bail the defense out. In the playoffs, however, the offense struggled, and the defensive secondary struggled against Eli Manning. The result was not good.
Giants, Then: The Giants convinced Michael Strahan to return, and the combination of Strahan and Osi Umenyiora made the Giants’ defensive line one of the best in the league. Justin Tuck also emerged as a star that season.
Cowboys, Now: The Cowboys have struggled as much on defense with injuries as anything else in 2008. The team looked weak against the Rams in October, but for the past two months, the defense as a whole has improved. New additions to the defense in 2008 have included veterans Zach Thomas and Pacman Jones, along with rookie cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.
Giants, Now: The Giants lost Strahan to retirement and Umenyiora to injury. However, Tuck has continued to develop as a force. The defense that ranked #7 in 2007 now ranks #6.
Intangibles and DistractionsCowboys, Then: The 2007 season to a large extent did not feature the distractions and turmoil that the team had faced in Bill Parcells’ final season in 2006. That all changed when the team started struggling in December.
Giants, Then: Some predicted that the Giants would finish as low as 7-9 in 2007 as they rebuilt without Tiki Barber. It was not until the Giants played the Patriots tough in the season finale that it looked as if New York could make any type of run. The playoffs gave the Giants new life, and that new life resulted in the death of the season for the 2007 Cowboys.
Cowboys, Now: The Cowboys entered the 2008 season as one of the favorites to advance to Super Bowl XVIII, but the season has been filled with all sorts of distractions and all sorts of injuries. The Cowboys signed cornerback Pacman Jones in the offseason, and he proved to be the biggest distraction of them all when he was suspended for violating the league’s conduct policy. At a time when the team should be coming together, the Cowboys now appear to be fighting more than ever.
Giants, Now: The Giants are reeling from Burress’ situation, and they did not look good against the Eagles last week. Nevertheless, New York has been the more mature team all season, and it would come as a surprise of the Giants weren’t able to rebound towards the end of the season.
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