Understand the Game Lesson # 2

Hello Dallas Cowboy Fans.  Our Dallas Cowboys are preparing for a dynamic season.  There will be some shuffling of players but that is to be expected.   However, it will be very interesting to see what players and coaches will leave as a result of the last year’s season.  Recent Dallas Cowboys information includes:

·         The 2010 NFL preseason will kick off with the Dallas Cowboys facing the Cincinnati Bengals in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 8, the league announced Wednesday.

·         The trip to Canton, Ohio, means the Cowboys will play five preseason games this year, which will make it easier for them to fulfill their goal of splitting training camp between San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif.

·         It also means camp likely will start around July 24.

·          The Cowboys are contractually bound to train at the Alamodome through 2011, but owner Jerry Jones also wants the club to spend a portion of camp working out in Oxnard, Calif., where the team trained four times last decade.

Understanding football Lesson #2

The plays are directed by the quarterback, who is the on-field leader of the team. The quarterback usually runs the plays selected by the coaches, but if he sees something on the field that dictates a need for change, he can call an "audible" and change the play. The area around the quarterback is called the "pocket."

The ball is put into play by the center, which bends over and snaps the ball through his legs so the quarterback can catch it.

The center is at the center of the offensive line. There is a guard on either side of the center, and a tackle flanks each guard. Some plays will use a tight end on one end of the offensive line, and others will use two tight ends on opposite ends of the offensive line.

The offensive line's job is to block for and protect the quarterback so he can run the offense, and to open up holes for the running backs to run through. When a defender gets past the offensive line and tackles the quarterback, it is called a "sack."

The wide receivers flank the quarterback. Their job is to move down the field toward the end zone and make themselves open to receive a pass.

The running backs are positioned behind the quarterback. Some plays use one running back; others use two or three. Sometimes the quarterback will hand the ball off to a running back, or may pass it once the running back has moved downfield.

For each offensive team member, there is a corresponding defensive team member. In a man-coverage defense, defensive tackles and ends cover the offensive line, linebackers defend the pass and the run, cornerbacks cover the wide receivers, the strong safety covers the tight end and the free safety stops anyone who might get past him. In a zone-coverage defense, each defensive team member is assigned a zone and stops anyone who enters it.

The offensive team has four tries, or downs, to move the ball 10 yards for a first down. This process repeats until the offense scores or is forced to turn the ball over. Then the teams switch between offense and defense.

Understanding the Game Lesson #1

Hello Dallas Cowboy Fans.  Since the season is over there is not any playing game stat news to report.  However, it is very interesting to see what players and coaches will leave as a result of the last year’s season.  Recent Dallas Cowboys information includes:

·         Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware was scheduled to undergo surgery last Thursday to shave down a bone spur on his left foot.

·         According to Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, he said Miles Austin will be going nowhere in 2010. (Yahoo!!)

·         Yes, I realize it is early however, the Dallas Cowboys are predicted to be Super bowl contenders for the next season.  This was based on the Dallas Cowboys progress they’ve made during this past season and the excellent showmanship on the field.

I’ve had quite a few friends that have ask me to help them understand the game of football.  I will incorporate in my weekly blogs information that will enlighten your understanding of the game.  So, when you are watching the Dallas Cowboys you will be able to understand how awesome they are.  I will begin at the beginning of the game then go to the end.

Understand the Game:  Lesson #1

The game starts with a kickoff. There is a coin toss before the game and that decides who kicks and receives. The receiving team lines up at the opposite end of the field from the kicker and waits for the ball to be kicked.  When the ball is kicked the receiving team has three options:

 1. Catch the ball and run down the field toward the goal

 2. Give the signal that it is a fair catch and the play is stopped at that location

3. Give the signal for a touchback. (Touchback means the ball landed in the end zone and the ball is placed on the receiving teams’ 20-yard line.)

The team that has the ball and is trying to get a touchdown is referred to as the offense and their ultimate goal is to move the ball into the opposing team's end zone to score points. This is accomplished by making a series of plays to move the ball down the field.

Next blog will include the additional game playing information, positions played by the team and their roles and of course updates on our favorite team “The Dallas Cowboys”.

Super bowl #44 champions "The New Orleans Saints"

While it would have given me great pleasure to blog about the Dallas Cowboys winning the 44th Super bowl and being six time Super bowl winners it didn't happen this year. Yes, I was disappointed however, I am still excited about my NFL Dallas Cowboys because they are Americas Team, winners and a fantastic football team!

This year the Super bowl champions are the New Orleans Saints (Who Dat!)   I knew the New Orleans Saints had the ability to win Super Bowl 44. It didn't surprise me in the least when they pulled it off.  However, the only scenario I couldn't see was the fact that New Orleans won in a blowout!   This was a game that came down to New Orleans's players executing better and their coaches coaching with their heads in the game.

 I disagreed with the conservative, going nowhere run plays that Indy (Indianapolis Colts) called after stuffing New Orleans at the goal line. However, I do recall one particular series of plays that completely changed the completion of the game and eventually gave the win to the Saints. The score is 10-3 Indy, second quarter. The Saints went on an 11-play 59 yard drive that took 6:02 seconds which ended in a 46-yard field goal. Indy gets the ball Manning passes to Joe Addai for 9 yards. Second and 1: Joe Addai loses three yards on a run play. Third and 4: Manning hits Pierre Garcon in the hands, AND HE DROPS THE PASS.   Fourth down: Punt!!!! Time elapsed: 1:20.   On New Orleans's next possession they hold the ball for another 12 plays for 68 yards and 6:25 seconds. Indy held them on a goal-line stand. Indy gets the ball back, goes nowhere while holding the ball for 1:03. The Saints get it back, and go 26 yards in 5 plays and gets back the three points that they left on the table, when they went for it on fourth down and go into halftime trailing Indy 10-6. The Saints defense held strong and true and it paid off later. Even though New Orleans didn't get the lead until just over five minutes left in the game, that series of plays paid huge dividends. The onside kick was a thing of absolute perfection, by recovering the ball the Saints nullified the coin toss. They controlled the ball first in each half, monumental in a game of this magnitude. As for Manning's interception… it was icing on the cake!! Reggie Wayne didn't sell the run route to the Saints. Tracy Porter jumps the route and took it to the HOUSE for a pic 6.

The Saints are champions because they stayed the course and fought all adversity. Their fans used to wear bags on their heads, they were even sometimes referred to as the "AINT'S" because they were so bad! Nothing left to say but....WHO DAT, WHO DAT, WHO DAT GONNA BEAT THEM SAINTS!!!! Congratulations' to the WORLD CHAMPION NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!!

IRONIES OF THE GAME!! It took 44 years for the Saints to win. The 44th President predicted they would win. This was the 44th Super Bowl????????? HOW BOUT THAT!!!

2009 Successful Season is over!

NFL Dallas Cowboys successful season is over! Yes, I am disappointed, sad and downright sick about it because I really did believe that the NFL Dallas Cowboys could go further this year. During their season in December they came back and proved that they were winners!

Many including their fans had counted the NFL Dallas Cowboys out and they were seen as the underdogs. However, I don’t know if you remember week fifteen when they smoked the year’s undefeated team New Orleans Saints 24-17. Then, week sixteen they kicked Washington’s butt 17-0 and let me continue on…..with the butt cutting that the Philadelphia Eagles received 24-0. OK, what a great end to the regular season.

Because of these major wins “OMG” the NFL Dallas Cowboys are going to the play offs!!!! Yea, I know it has been quite a while since the playoffs. The NFL Dallas Cowboys hadn't won since Dec. 28, 1996, when they beat (guess who??) the Minnesota Vikings, 40-15, in the wild-card round at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys further proved what a great team they were this season when they won the playoff on Jan. 9th, 2010 at the brand new Dallas Cowboys Stadium beating the Philadelphia Eagles 34-14 in the first round of the playoffs.

Then, the seasoned ended on January 17th when let’s just say “they showed up” for the game with Minnesota Vikings and was beat down with a score of 34-3. Yes, this was very hard to swallow and I think I am still in shock…However, ride or die I am a NFL Dallas Cowboys fan until the end!!! That’s all for today and I will return in a few days to give you more details on the NFL Dallas Cowboys which will include stats, team news, coach news, game information and plenty of opinions that are mine…from this Dallas Cowgirls World!!