opener against the Giants with Jason Garrett calling all the plays in a game at any level in any capacity for the first time in his life. Rookie kicker Nick Folk having to kick two game-ending 53-yard field goals after the first-one didn't count because of that no-count timeout to beat the Bills on the road on a Monday night, 25-24, after Tony Romo had thrown five interceptions.
How about recovering to briefly lead the equally undefeated Patriots in the third quarter? Or how about Chris Canty's blocking that Minnesota field-goal attempt in the third quarter of a 14-14 game, allowing Jason Hatcher to scoop up the live ball for the touchdown giving the Cowboys a 21-14 lead in that 24-14 victory?
was the blowout in Philly, only a late Eagles touchdown reducing the damage to 38-17. Remember how you laughed over Romo's run, duck, jump and 15-yard throw for a touchdown to Tony Curtis the next week while winning at Giants Stadium? How about Terrell Owens' four touchdown grabs the following week against the Redskins?
The 10-point victory over the Packers on a Thursday night had everyone dancing in the streets, singing Romo's praises after tossing four more touchdown passes in the face of his boyhood idol Brett Favre. And do you remember the 16-yard Romo laser to Jason Witten with 18 seconds remaining to complete the 28-27 come-from-20-7-behind victory over Detroit?
Hey, you had fun. You have some good memories and entertaining days. You came to respect Terrell Owens. You came to worship DeMarcus Ware. You came to appreciate Greg Ellis and Terence Newman. You came out of your seats for Marion Barber. You finally believed in Tony Romo and Wade Phillips' ways. And I'm guessing you even learned to at least hum to Soulja Boy.
Why, if I remember correctly, some of you even came to praise Jerry Jones for his off-season moves and signings and drafting. I'll be.
Come on, let the bitterness go. You had fun. The season wasn't a waste. Look at it as continued growing pains, but growth becoming the operative word. The young Cowboys did get better. Ware is better, Canty is better, Jay Ratliff is better, Patrick Watkins is better, Kevin Burnett is better, Patrick Crayton is better, Jason Witten is better - if that's possible - Barber is better, Fasano and Curtis are better, and for darn sure, Romo is better.
You found out about Folk and Anthony Spencer and Deon Anderson and Ken Hamlin and Leonard Davis, and came to greatly anticipate the future unveiling of Isaiah Stanback.
A waste?
With that kind of thinking, then I'm guessing if you were a New England fan the Patriots' season was a waste. They went 18-0 but didn't win the Super Bowl. A waste? The Patriots were the best team in the NFL during the 2007 season, and had one of the greatest single seasons in NFL history by becoming the first to go 16-0 during a regular season. Heck, the first to go 18-0. They just didn't play the best on Super Bowl Sunday.
Much like the Cowboys, the best team in the NFC but they just didn't play the best on Jan. 13.
But then that's the beauty of football. This ain't no best-of-seven series.
Now you might say, well, the Patriots' story is different - at least they won three Super Bowls in four years earlier in the decade. Yeah, you think so? Want to pass that consolation logic by Randy Moss or Junior Seau or Laurence Maroney or Donte Stallworth or Wes Welker? Guys still trying to win their first Super Bowl?
That kind of reasoning (inhales air). Heard the same baloney from some fans of college teams which had recently won national championships but weren't up to par this year: Well, at least we won the such-and-such national title. Get that weak stuff out of here.
That the NFC's No. 1 seed didn't win the Super Bowl this season leaves the Cowboys in a crowded boat. Do you realize now only two No. 1 seeds in the past 11 seasons in either conference have won the Super Bowl? That's right, Denver in 1998 and New England in 2003. That's it. And that now a No. 5 seed (Giants) and a No. 6 seed (Steelers) have won Super Bowls in two of the past three years, and three No. 4 seeds have done so in these past 11 years? That also means two of the past three Super Bowl
