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After the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Tennessee Titans on November 5, a Dallas Morning News column proclaimed "Jason Garrett is over." The Fort Worth Star-Telegram assured everyone that Jerry Jones would not fire Garrett during the season. Everyone has assumed that this would happen at some point however.
Less than 14 days after the Cowboys' defeat, as it looked like their season was dead and Garrett was about to be borrowed, Dallas could be the new favorite of NFC East.
The NFL changes almost every week, but the Cowboys who come out of the grave in such a short time are always remarkable. First, they upset the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday night. They then took a win at the Atlanta Falcons while the rest of the NFC East collapsed.
The Washington Redskins lost quarterback Alex Smith for the season and lost to the Texans. The Eagles suffered the worst defeat in their history for a reigning Super Bowl champion.
And that takes us on this unexpected path: if the Cowboys beat Colt McCoy and the Redskins just one week in an interesting Thanksgiving match, they will be tied for first place with five games to play. Do not forget that even though the Eagles decide to show up this season and give a helping hand, the Cowboys still have a decisive advantage because of their face-to-face victory in Philadelphia.
Garrett was fired by everyone except Jones less than two weeks ago, and he could end up playing a home playoff game. It's amazing.
The Cowboys are getting more from Ezekiel Elliott, who has played two big games in a row. But he has been pretty good most of the season. Dak Prescott has had some big games lately, but has accumulated 478 passing yards in the last two games. It's not like he's made a major breakthrough. Amari Cooper has been OK and an upgrade, but is not a huge difference maker. The defense allowed 387.5 yards per game on this series of small wins.
It boils down to this: there is no magical story for the Cowboys' rebirth. They played a little better and won two big games on the road. It's mostly a typical NFL story. Everything changes. Constantly.
No matter how the Cowboys saved their season, they are here now. It's still an imperfect team, but they play in what must be considered the worst division of the NFL, from top to bottom. The Cowboys were 3 to 5 after the Titans' defeat, but no one had fled them. The Redskins are a strong team that has always been unlikely to win 10 or 11 games (and this is even more true with Smith finished for the year). The Eagles have the worst hangover of the Super Bowl that we have seen for a long time. The 3-7 giants are not a threat.
Relatively speaking, the Cowboys are doing well. The remaining games against Washington and Philadelphia are at home. If you have to pick someone to win the NFC East right now, it's probably the Cowboys. If that happens, you also assume that Garrett will keep his position. It would have seemed crazy after the Titan defeat, but it's the NFL. Everything you think you know today could change completely over the next two weeks.
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher and his team-mates celebrate their winning goal for the Falcons 22-19 win. (AP)
Here are the rest of the winners and losers of the 11th week of the NFL season:
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "WINNERS"data-reactid =" 38 ">WINNERS
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Saints of New Orleans: The Saints have scored 45, 51 and 48 points in their last three games. Since the beginning of October, no NFL team has been so successful. "Data-reactid =" 39 ">Saints of New Orleans: The Saints have scored 45, 51 and 48 points in their last three games. Since the beginning of October, no NFL team has been better.
You do not see the talented NFL teams blowing themselves up too often. What the saints did to the Eagles on Sunday was a statement. The Eagles are not a bad football team, just disappointing this season. They looked like a bad Sunday football team because the Saints overwhelmed them. The Saints accumulated 546 yards and held the Eagles at 196.
New Orleans did not need another weapon, but rookie receiver Tre'Quan Smith had his best game with 10 catches for 157 yards. Five different saints scored. Guys like Keith Kirkwood, Austin Carr and Dan Arnold – who are not fantastic teams, let's say – have made some great shots of Drew Brees, who can turn anyone into a star.
The Saints roll, and if the Rams lose to the Chiefs on Sunday night, they will be a good bet for the No. 1 seed of the NFC. It's hard to see anyone fighting them at Superdome or anywhere else.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Marty Mornhinweg: Many coaches fall into the trap of sticking to their system, regardless of their staff. The best coaches determine what their players are doing well and adapt their system to that. "Data-reactid =" 51 ">Marty Mornhinweg: Many coaches fall into the trap of sticking to their system, regardless of their staff. The best coaches determine what their players are doing well and adapt their system to that.
Give credit to Mornhinweg for what we saw on Sunday. The offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, which has been the subject of much criticism for over a year, has developed a game plan that has revealed the best of Lamar Jackson. Jackson is an excellent runner who develops as a smuggler. Then the Ravens ran the ball. It sounds simple, but how many coaches stick to it?
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Jackson had 27 hasty run attempts and 117 This is the largest number of quarterback attempts in the Super Bowl era. according to ESPN Stats and Info, far exceeding the record of 22 recorded by Tim Tebow. As a team, the Ravens ran 54 times for a total of 265 yards. Their first training was 11 races, no passes. Is it ideal in the modern NFL? Probably not. But that's what worked. The Ravens got a 24-21 win, which will bring them back to 5 to 5 in the AFC playoffs. "Data-reactid =" 53 "> Jackson made 27 rushing passes and 117 yards Super Bowl Era according to ESPN Stats and Info, far exceeding the record of 22 recorded by Tim Tebow. As a team, the Ravens ran 54 times for a total of 265 yards. Their first training was 11 races, no passes. Is it ideal in the modern NFL? Probably not. But that's what worked. The Ravens won a 24-21 win, allowing them to return to the AFC playoff game at 5-5.
The Ravens sometimes looked like a collegiate offense Sunday and it was a total departure from Joe Flacco's offense. Give Mornhinweg and the Ravens a credit for a simple concept: put your players in the best position to succeed.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Andrew Luck's Player of the Year campaign: The chance of winning the title of player of the year is probably a lock right now. What story he wrote. "Data-reactid =" 59 ">Andrew Luck's Player of the Year campaign: The chance of winning the title of player of the year is probably a lock right now. What story he writes.
Before the season, we did not know if luck would always be the same. He missed everything last season after a labrum operation at the shoulder. He is back and as good as ever. In a result that kept the Colts alive in the AFC South race, they hit the Tennessee Titans 38-10. The odds were 297 yards, three touchdowns and a pass mark of 143.8. Luck has scored at least three touchdowns in seven straight games, tied for the third longest run in the history of the NFL. He would have figured better if the Titans had not been so terrible. Luck was shot early in the fourth quarter with the game in hand.
The Colts are 5-5. They are still two games behind the Houston Texans in South AFC. But they are in the race for cards, and it is still possible for them to put pressure on the Texans to get the title of division. The story of the return of luck could be even better.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Jon Gruden and Derek Carr: It's hard to imagine the pressure that the coach and the quarterback of a failed NFL team are facing. When the cameras have surprised Gruden and Carr to shout at him several times on Sunday, this should not be too surprising (Gruden later said, according to NFL.com, "This is part of this business.) We will sometimes have some conflicts. We are also very supportive. ")" data-reactid = "66">Jon Gruden and Derek Carr: It's hard to imagine the pressure that the coach and the quarterback of a failed NFL team are facing. When the cameras have surprised Gruden and Carr to shout at him several times on Sunday, this should not be too surprising (Gruden later said, according to NFL.com, "This is part of this business.) We will sometimes have some conflicts. We are also very supportive. ")
They had to feel good when their day ended in smiles and hugs.
The Raiders have somehow won a victory in Arizona. After a 57-yard touchdown by David Johnson who had been pulled off the board due to a penalty penalty, the Raiders recovered the ball with 1:53 to make 20, or 21-20. The Oakland offensive did practically nothing. Tensions between Carr and Gruden were high. And then the Raiders walked for the victory. Marcell Ateman had a 32-yard win over a nice pass from Carr. Carr hit Seth Roberts for 20 yards in the third and 10th. This set up a winning goal on the pitch at the end of the allotted time.
The win could actually be a bit of a snap if the Cardinals draft before the Raiders next April. And it's not like the Raiders season is saved. But in the middle of a dreadful season, the return flight from Arizona after a win had to be good.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "losers"data-reactid =" 74 ">losers
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Chargers and yet another strange loss: The Chargers racked up 479 yards, kept the Broncos under 250 yards for the first 58 minutes and still lost. It's hard to do, but it's another strange loss for the Chargers. "Data-reactid =" 75 ">Chargers and yet another strange loss: The Chargers racked up 479 yards, kept the Broncos under 250 yards for the first 58 minutes and still lost. It's hard to do, but it's another strange loss for the Chargers.
The Chargers have found some ways to lose Sunday. They missed an extra point in the 23-22 loss to the Broncos, and it looks like their misfortune is in their DNA. Inside the two-minute warning and after the Broncos lost time, Philip Rivers threw an incomplete pass on a well-covered screen pass, an error that left 40 seconds for the Broncos. Denver won a field goal in the final game.
These are just the types of games lost by the chargers. They were on a good start and were following the pace of the Kansas City Chiefs in West Africa, but they did not seem to be able to upset the strange losses that had plagued them for years.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Doug Marrone and the conservative Jaguars: You may think that the Jaguars would have learned the lesson. "Data-reactid =" 82 ">Doug Marrone and the conservative Jaguars: You think the Jaguars would have learned their lesson.
Last season, the Jaguars had a lead in the AFC championship game, fell into a shell and lost a lead against the Patriots. The stake was not as important Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the result seemed familiar.
The Jaguars did nothing after taking a 16-0 lead to win the match. Marrone and her team went into a shell and just hoped the game would end. Blake Bortles dropped four times with a lead in the fourth quarter, and three of those passes ended in a third and long. Instead of trying to win the game at three and five after the Steelers reduced their deficit from 16-0 to 16-13, the Jaguars centered the ball in the middle of the field, practically choosing to get into the game They did, and the Steelers led for a winning touchdown with five seconds to play. The Jaguars had a unique chance to save something from a terrible season spent with them sitting on their hands.
It was symbolic of the Jaguar season. They may have been the biggest disappointment of the NFL. When they finally got the chance to finish something good this season, they ran up to the middle and paged.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Anyone who thought we had passed the carousel of the Buccaneers: The Buccaneers entered the offseason with Jameis Winston, then Ryan Fitzpatrick when Winston was suspended, Winston returned to work after Fitzpatrick fought the Bears. Fitzpatrick was beaten for Winston when he played badly against the Giants. "Data-reactid =" 90 ">Anyone who thought we had passed the carousel of the Buccaneers: The Buccaneers entered the offseason with Jameis Winston, then Ryan Fitzpatrick when Winston was suspended, Winston returned to work after Fitzpatrick fought the Bears. Fitzpatrick was beaten for Winston when he played badly against the Giants.
Do you have all this?
We are still waiting a week to know who will be the quarterback of the Buccaneers. It looks like it will be Winston again. He came in after Fitzpatrick was absolutely awful against the Giants. Fitzpatrick launched three interceptions. Winston had 199 yards and a pair of raised touchdowns. The Bucs could just as easily give Winston another chance, and maybe he could build his long-term future with the Bucs in the far right.
Or, you just have to make another shift change before the end of the season.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "The expensive two-point conversion of the Carolina Panthers is missing: Ron Rivera's decision to go with two was a failure, Cam Newton's execution was not good and the Panthers could regret it for the rest of the season. "Data-reactid =" 98 ">The expensive two-point conversion of the Carolina Panthers is missing: Ron Rivera's decision to have two goals was wrong, Cam Newton's execution was not good and the Panthers could miss him the rest of the season.
The Panthers started 6-2 but have now lost two games in a row. They are all out of the NFC's Southern run with the Saints going to 9-1, and they will be in a battle for a place for the wild card. The Panthers had a chance to win Sunday, but Rivera probably became aggressive at the wrong time.
Panthers are better than Lions. They were not minimized. The Panthers outshot the Lions from 387 to 309 and averaged 6.8 yards per game, or 4.8 for Detroit. However, when the Panthers scored late, they acted like the underdogs, trying to convert into two points and win instead of playing for extra time. The kicker Graham Gano did not have a good day and that could have influenced Rivera's decision.
"I think you're going for two on the road to win the match," said Rivera, according to the Charlotte Observer. "That's what I did at the end of the day. What will it say that the draw (to start overtime) will go in our favor (or) we will stop them? So why not go for two?
On the game, Newton had a lot of time but his receivers were well covered. When Jarius Wright abruptly opened, Newton was quick to launch a throw too high.
"I have to do this game," Newton said, according to the observer. "That is what matters. Jarius did a good job of improvising and I just have to do this game. "
Rivera's decision was not indefensible, although it seemed better to do better. Newton missed a shot, but it happens. This is the hard life of the NFL and the defeat suffered by the Panthers on Sunday could prove costly.
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "More from Yahoo Sports:
• Alex Smith, quarterback of the Redskins, suffers a leg injury
• The Browns deny having declared that they would like to interview Condoleezza Rice for a position as head coach
• Updated photo of a college football club: who could end up where?
• Report: Le'eon Bell seeks $ 17 million a year
"data-reactid =" 109 ">More from Yahoo Sports:
• Alex Smith, quarterback of the Redskins, suffers a leg injury
• The Browns deny having declared that they would like to interview Condoleezza Rice for a position as head coach
• Updated photo of a college football club: who could end up where?
• Report: Le'eon Bell seeks $ 17 million a year
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
Follow @YahooSchwab"data-reactid =" 111 ">Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
Follow @YahooSchwab
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