Restoring The Star: A Dallas Cowboys Franchise

[Cory Levy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scott

What playbooks are you using?

Offense - Oakland, Defense - Seattle

Oakland is a super fun playbook even if I'm not super knowledgeable about them in the game. Lots of good passing plays, running plays and plenty of fun gadget plays to top it off. Thanks for reading!

"DeMarcus Lawrence Rewrites History In Lucky Number 13"



"DE DeMarcus Lawrence Is Now First For Sacks In A Single Season After Notching 1.5 In The Season Finale"

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Dec 27, 2020	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New York Giants (8-7)	0	0	10	0	10
Dallas Cowboys (12-3)	7	14	7	3	31

The Holidays came early and bearing many gifts for the Dallas Cowboys in their season finale against the rival New York Giants. First and foremost, DeMarcus Lawrence now sits atop the single season sack record all by himself with a tremendously terrifying 23.5 sacks (even more impressive given that he missed two games late in the season). Secondly, the Cowboys ended the last week tilt with no more major injuries, a coup given the loss of CB Bryce Hall last week. 'America's Team' also tied a franchise record for wins in a season with 13, their fourth time doing so. The Cowboys' starters were impressive, doing more than enough for a second half performance of back ups to be completely meaningless as the Cowboys carry a ton of momentum into a Wild Card bye as they await their next opponent in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.

New York opened the game on Offense and QB Daniel Jones lead his team into Cowboys' territory early. The Giants failed to move much further and the Cowboys' Defense forced a Punt. The Cowboys' starting Offense showed they were still sharp in the final game of the regular season as QB Dak Prescott beamed a laser to RB Ezekiel Elliott for 26 yards to convert a crucial 3rd and 14 on their opening possession. 2 plays later, Prescott found WR Amari Cooper for a short 4 yard Touchdown Reception to give Dallas the first lead of the game, 7-0. The Cowboys and Giants, who were missing start RB Saquon Barkley due to injury, traded punts back and forth into Quarter Two. A thunderous Sack by a blitzing Leighton Vander Esch on Jones opened up the second quarter and handed the ball back to Vander Esch's Offensive counterparts.

The Cowboys started to feed a hungry Zeke Elliott on the next drive as he snacked down on 33 rushing yards on his way to a 10 yard rumble behind the force of C Travis Frederick and the returning G Connor Williams. The score was Elliott's 12th rushing Touchdown of the year and gave the Cowboys a 14-0 advantage. Jones and the Giants again were frustrated by the dominant Dallas defense and forced into rapid fire 3 and Out. Things seemed too easy for the Cowboys as they glided effortlessly down the field. Prescott had all day in the pocket to find rookie WR Jalen Reagor all by himself in the end zone for Prescott's second Passing Touchdown of the game and what would ultimately be his last of the regular season. Prescott looked sharp and turnover free in guiding Dallas to a strong 21-0 lead. The Giant's needed to show some signs of life before Half Time to get back into the game but they were snuffed out immediately as Jones was Intercepted by CB Amani Oruwariye, who started the game in place of the injured Hall, with a nice sideline grab. Dallas' starters were yanked at Half Time as Cowboys' brass were more than satisfied with what they had seen: utter dominance.

The second half saw backup QB Nick Fitzgerald and RB Tony Pollard lead the charge for the Cowboys. Fitzgerald played fine, making some nice throws to WRs Cedrick Wilson and Michael Gallup. Fitzgerald did have an ugly throw into coverage late in the Third Quarter that S Demetrious Cox was able to secure and turn into a Pick Six. Backup RB D'Onta Foreman scored his first Rushing Touchdown of the year on a 3 yard plunge. The Cowboys' backup Offensive Line shined exceptionally well, especially rookie OT Darrin Paulo, who looked like a beast at times. The backup Cowboys' Defense played well, holding the starting Giants' Offense to just 10 points in the second half. Rookie DE Joe Gaziano smacked Jones hard for his eighth Sack of the year, tying former Cowboy DeMarcus Ware's rookie record. The aforementioned record breaker for Lawrence came late in the Fourth Quarter. All together, a pretty uneventful second half gave way to a final score with Dallas coming out on top handily, 31-10.

The Dallas Cowboys will get two weeks of rest and preparation for the 2020 Playoffs. A new season begins now, one in which each game will be harder than any they've played so far in the regular season and the stakes are do or die. But the 2020 Dallas Cowboys are hungry, ferocious and fast under Head Coach Kris Richard . The Dak Prescott-Ezekiel Elliott-Amari Cooper Cowboys' have been to the Playoffs twice in recent history: 2016 and 2018. Neither year ended how the Cowboys wanted. The time to tell just how good the 2020 version of the Dallas Cowboys is finally here.

Team Stats Comparison
	NYG	DAL
Total Offense	233	411
Rushing Yards	35	170
Passing Yards	198	241
First Downs	13	21
Punt Return Yards	15	32
Kick Return Yards	68	83
Total Yards	316	526
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	3-11	6-11
4th Down Conversion	0-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	1	5
Penalties	0-0	3-33
Posession Time	21:22	30:38

New York Giants PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. Jones 25/33 238 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD W. Gallman Jr. 14 32 2.2 0 D. Pumphrey Jr. 1 3 3.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD S. Shepard 5 78 15.6 0 J. Doctson 5 60 12.0 0 G. Tate III 4 32 8.0 0 C. Kmet 1 28 28.0 0 W. Gallman Jr. 8 23 2.8 0 E. Engram 2 17 8.5 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD T. Diggs 10 0.0 0 0 J. Jenkins 10 0.0 0 0 A. Ogletree 9 0.0 0 0 J. Love 6 0.0 0 0 J. Peppers 6 0.0 0 0 T. Mitchell 5 0.0 0 0 D. Lawrence II 4 0.0 0 0 N. Kwiatkoski 4 0.0 0 0 N. Perry 4 1.0 0 0 D. Woodward 3 0.0 0 0 D. Tomlinson 3 0.0 0 0 M. Golden 3 0.0 0 0 W. Henry 3 0.0 0 0 D. Cox 2 1.0 0 0 2 Players With 2 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG A. Rosas 1/2 1/1 4 45 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 R. Allen 4 154 38.5 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D. Mims 3 68 22.6 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD D. Mims 2 15 7.5 0

Dallas Cowboys PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. Prescott 15/19 169 2 0 N. Fitzgerald 8/12 83 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD E. Elliott 15 86 5.7 1 T. Polalrd 12 66 5.5 0 D. Foreman 7 19 2.7 1 N. Fitzgerald 1 -1 -1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD B. Jarwin 5 65 13.0 0 A. Cooper 4 65 16.2 1 E. Elliott 4 44 11.0 0 M. Gallup 3 33 11.0 0 J. Reagor 2 17 8.5 1 C. Wilson 1 11 11.0 0 D. Schultz 2 7 3.5 0 J. Witten 1 6 6.0 0 T. Pollard 1 4 4.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD K. Grugier-Hill 10 1.0 0 0 J. Lewis 6 0.0 0 0 L. Gifford 5 0.0 0 0 J. Smith 5 0.0 0 0 D. Lawrence 4 1.5 0 0 C. Awuzie 4 0.0 0 0 L. Vander Esch 4 1.0 0 0 J. Gaziano 4 1.0 0 0 C. Westry 4 0.0 0 0 O. Melifonwu 4 0.0 0 0 A. Oruwariye 3 0.0 1 0 D. Wilson 2 0.0 0 0 J. Brooks 2 0.0 0 0 A. Woods 1 0.5 0 0 4 Players With 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C. Tracey 1/1 4/4 7 22 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Jones 3 139 46.3 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 3 83 27.6 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 2 32 16.0 0

"CB Amani Oruwariye Did Well Stepping Into A Starting CB Role"


"QB Dak Prescott Launches His Last Touchdown Of The Regular Season"


"QB Nick Fitzgerald Received His First Major Playing Time In AN NFL Regular Season Game"

Post Game Snippets:

"Just happy to get the starters some game time without losing anyone. Obviously the win is nice but we have bigger games to prepare for and that starts Tuesday morning. We'll be ready for whoever is coming, I can assure you that."
- HC Kris Richard on getting the Week 17 win

"It was great to get out there for the first time. Obviously you don't want to throw a Pick Six but that's something I can build on and be better at the next time I need to go out there."
- Backup QB Nick Fitzgerald on playing the second half

"Honor. No doubt. Nothing beats seein' my name up there with all-time greats. Only fittin' a Hot Boy is number 1 now."
- DE DeMarcus Lawrence on breaking the sack record


Injury Report:

CB - Bryce Hall - Dislocated Shoulder - 4 Weeks


Up Next:

2020 NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round

[Cory Levy]

"Around The League 2020: Welcome To Wild Card Weekend"

Wild Card Matchup Preview *|* Saturday 4:30PM EST, January 2, 2021
	@
Tennessee Titans (10-6)		New England Patriots (8-8)
Offensive Stats Comparison M. Mariotta - 3,974 Passing Yards T. Brady - 4,301 D. Lewis - 842 Rushing Yards J. White - 941 5,508 Total Offensive Yards 5,942 23.3 Points Per Game 26.2 288 First Downs 282 Defensive Stats Comparison R. Evans - 6.5 Sacks M. Bennett - 8.0 J. Brown - 3 Interceptions S. Gilmore - 4 3,800 Passing Yards Allowed 3,657 1,692 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,919 387 Points Allowed 371 33 Sacks 33 9 Interceptions 8 Game Notes For the first time in nearly two decades the New England Patriots technically didn't achieve a winning season. However, due to a weakened AFC, Tom Brady and Co. find themselves back in the Playoffs yet again. They will match up against the surprising Tennessee Titans in what should be a hard fought defensive slugfest. Will Tom Brady further extend his lead as the GOAT on his way to an unprecedented seventh Super Bowl victory or is it time for a changing of the guard in the American Football Conference?

Wild Card Matchup Preview *|* Saturday 8:30PM EST, January 2, 2021
	@
Carolina Panthers (10-6)		Green Bay Packers (9-7)
Offensive Stats Comparison C. Newton - 3,475 Passing Yards A. Rodgers - 4,220 C. McCaffrey - 1,184 Rushing Yards A. Jones - 929 5,561 Total Offensive Yards 5,592 26.0 Points Per Game 24.5 271 First Downs 290 Defensive Stats Comparison L. Kuechly - 7.0 Sacks D. Lowry - 7.0 L. Kuechly - 3 Interceptions J. Alexander - 3 3,589 Passing Yards Allowed 4,086 1,558 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,641 336 Points Allowed 399 41 Sacks 35 10 Interceptions 13 Game Notes The division winning Green Bay Packers welcome in the feisty Carolina Panthers to Lambeau Field in what will likely be a wild winter encounter between the two teams. Can Aaron Rodgers turn the clock back a few years and capture a second Lombardi to cement his own legacy or is it time for the electric Cam Newton to shine in the spotlight? More importantly, can the Packers' defense contain Christian McCaffrey well enough for Rodgers to even have a chance? The Panthers already proved they could do in a regular season victory over Green Bay, but the Playoffs are a new beast.

Wild Card Matchup Preview *|* Sunday 1:00PM EST, January 3, 2021
	@
Kansas City Chiefs (8-7-1)		Oakland Raiders (9-6-1)
Offensive Stats Comparison P. Mahomes - 4,157 Passing Yards D. Carr - 3,555 D. Williams - 999 Rushing Yards K. Hunt - 1,296 5,821 Total Offensive Yards 5,552 27.6 Points Per Game 25.9 263 First Downs 270 Defensive Stats Comparison A. Okafor - 8.5 Sacks K. Van Noy - 10.5 T. Mathieu - 5 Interceptions K. Joseph - 5 4,052 Passing Yards Allowed 4,200 1,677 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,058 444 Points Allowed 370 27 Sacks 39 13 Interceptions 13 Game Notes The Kansas City Chiefs just barely managed to slip into the Playoffs in an attempt to defend their title of Super Bowl Champions. Their Post Season journey will start against division winning Oakland Raiders. In the regular season the Chiefs and Raiders tied in their first encounter but Oakland captured the second in Kansas City. Will Derek Carr and the Raiders live up to their hype under Jon Gruden or will Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs steal one in the Black Hole?

Wild Card Matchup Preview *|* Sunday 4:30PM EST, January 2, 2021
	@
Chicago Bears (8-8)		Los Angeles Rams (11-4-1)
Offensive Stats Comparison M. Trubisky - 3,938 Passing Yards J. Goff - 3,362 T. Cohen - 867 Rushing Yards T. Gurley II - 1,515 5,516 Total Offensive Yards 5,500 23.7 Points Per Game 24.7 280 First Downs 250 Defensive Stats Comparison K. Mack - 12.5 Sacks A. Donald - 17 E. Jackson - 3 Interceptions D. Long - 4 3,714 Passing Yards Allowed 4,221 1,612 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,669 371 Points Allowed 368 38 Sacks 51 11 Interceptions 12 Game Notes The Chicago Bears can thank tie-breakers for sneaking into the Playoffs at 8-8 over the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. Their reward for making the Playoffs is a Hollywood date with Jared Goff, Todd Gurley II, Aaron Donald and the rest of the Los Angeles Rams. The Bears made it all the way to the Super Bowl last season but ultimately lost. Mitchell Trubisky will have his hands full against the tenacious pass rush of Donald. If either team wants to return to the Super Bowl after tough recent losses, they'll need to begin with a win in Wild Card Weekend.

[Cory Levy]

"Around The League 2020:
Brady Thrills In OT; Bears Dominate In Hollywood"


"Tom Brady Was Brilliant In The Patriots' Wild Card Game Against The Tennessee Titans,
Throwing 4 Touchdowns Including The Game Winner In Overtime"


"Tarik Cohen May Not Have Gotten The Yards, But 4 Rushing Touchdowns In A
Dominant Win Against The Los Angeles Rams Were Worth Their Weight In Gold"

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots
Jan 2, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Tennessee Titans (10-6)	7	14	0	7	0	28
New England Patriots (8-8)	0	7	7	14	6	34

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
Jan 2, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (10-6)	7	7	0	3	17
Green Bay Packers (9-7)	0	0	0	14	14

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
Jan 3, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Kansas City Chiefs (8-7-1)	0	10	0	15	25
Oakland Raiders (9-6-1)	7	0	7	14	28

Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams
Jan 3, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Chicago Bears (8-8)	14	7	0	14	35
Los Angeles Rams (11-4-1)	0	7	0	0	7

"Around The League 2020: Divisional Round Preview
AFC Rivalry Reignited & 'Boys Battle Bears
Third Time's The Charm & Gruden's Grinders Or A Brown's Breakout"

Divisional Round Matchup Preview **|** Saturday 1:00PM EST, January 9, 2021
	@
New England Patriots (9-8)		Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Offensive Stats Comparison T. Brady - 4,301 Passing Yards J. Brissett - 4,381 J. White - 941 Rushing Yards D. Swift - 602 5,942 Total Offensive Yards 6,026 26.2 Points Per Game 28.1 282 First Downs 300 Defensive Stats Comparison M. Bennett - 8.0 Sacks J. Houston - 8 S. Gilmore - 4 Interceptions P. Desir - 6 3,657 Passing Yards Allowed 3,519 1,919 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,504 371 Points Allowed 348 31 Sacks 32 8 Interceptions 11 Game Notes The intense rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots will be renewed Saturday afternoon in Lucas Oil Stadium with an AFC Championship appearance on the line. Tom Brady threw 4 Touchdowns in the Wild Card Round but he'll be facing one of the most talented Cornerbacks in the league in Pierre Desir, who snagged a nice 6 Interceptions in 2020. The Colts defeated the Patriots in Week 5 of the regular season but Brady in the Playoffs is a whole different challenge.

Divisional Round Matchup Preview **|** Saturday 4:30PM EST, January 9, 2021
	@
Chicago Bears (9-8)		Dallas Cowboys (13-3)
Offensive Stats Comparison M. Trubisky - 3,938 Passing Yards D. Prescott - 4,338 T. Cohen - 867 Rushing Yards E. Elliott - 1,801 5,516 Total Offensive Yards 6,556 23.7 Points Per Game 27.1 280 First Downs 328 Defensive Stats Comparison K. Mack - 12.5 Sacks D. Lawrence - 23.5 E. Jackson - 3 Interceptions J. Smith - 2 3,714 Passing Yards Allowed 3,494 1,612 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,322 371 Points Allowed 304 38 Sacks 51 11 Interceptions 9 Game Notes Most pundits would have guessed if either team from last year's Super Bowl would advance to this year's Divisional Round it would be the Kansas City Chiefs. However, they'll be watching from home as last year's Super Bowl runner-ups battle the Dallas Cowboys this week after the Bears dominated the LA Rams. The league's best regular season team (Dallas has both the #1 ranked Offense and Defense going into post season play) will have to contend with the explosive Tarik Cohen (4 Rushing Touchdowns in the Wild Card game) and the ever attacking Khalil Mack defensively. The Cowboys needed a last second Field Goal to beat the Bears just a few weeks ago.

Divisional Round Matchup Preview **|** Sunday 1:00PM EST, January 10, 2021
	@
Oakland Raiders (9-6-1)		Cleveland Browns (11-5)
Offensive Stats Comparison D. Carr - 3,555 Passing Yards B. Mayfield - 4,258 K. Hunt - 1,296 Rushing Yards N. Chubb - 1,057 5,552 Total Offensive Yards 6,082 25.9 Points Per Game 26.6 270 First Downs 307 Defensive Stats Comparison K. Van Noy - 10.5 Sacks M. Garrett - 20.0 K. Joseph - 5 Interceptions G. Williams - 2 4,200 Passing Yards Allowed 3,599 1,058 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,456 370 Points Allowed 338 39 Sacks 50 13 Interceptions 5 Game Notes Are the Cleveland Browns finally for real? Or is the hype train finally about to be derailed by Jon Gruden's own surging hype house from the Black Hole? Myles Garrett will be a force to be reckoned with for Derek Carr and Kareem Hunt in the silver and black. Similarly, Baker Mayfield will have to keep an eye on the ballhawking Safety Karl Joseph. This could possibly be the first Browns playoff victory since 1995. For reference, neither Mayfield or Garrett were born on when that last playoff win occurred.

Divisional Round Matchup Preview **|** Sunday 4:30PM EST, January 10, 2021
	@
Carolina Panthers (11-6)		Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
Offensive Stats Comparison C. Newton - 3,475 Passing Yards M. Ryan - 4,537 C. McCaffrey - 1,184 Rushing Yards D. Freeman - 1,226 5,561 Total Offensive Yards 6,293 26.0 Points Per Game 28.4 271 First Downs 311 Defensive Stats Comparison L. Kuechly - 7.0 Sacks T. McKinley - 5.5 L. Kuechly - 3 Interceptions D. Jones - 3 3,589 Passing Yards Allowed 3,610 1,558 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,664 336 Points Allowed 394 41 Sacks 27 10 Interceptions 13 Game Notes Division rivals meeting for the third time in the Playoffs is a rare sight but always an exciting one. The matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers will be doubly so as the teams split their regular season contests with a one for each. Both times the home team celebrated the victory so are Dan Quinn, Matt Ryan and the rest of the Falcons already destined to play in the 2020 NFC Championship game? Or will the electric Panthers, lead by Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey and long time all-pro Luke Kuechly buck the trend and upset the favored Falcons?

[johnstone1987]

Patriots 8-8??

[Cory Levy]

NFC Divisional Round Playoffs
Chicago Bears vs Dallas Cowboys
Saturday, January 9th, 2021
AT&T Stadium - Arlington, Texas



"Dallas And Chicago Met For The Second Time In A Month, This Time In The 2020 Playoffs"

The 8-8 Chicago Bears just barely squeaked into the Playoffs but absolutely dominated the impressive Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, 35-7. QB Mitchell Trubisky, RB Tarik Cohen, LB Khalil Mack and the rest of the Bears fell in the Super Bowl last season to the Kansas City Chiefs and looked ready to right that wrong a year later. The Dallas Cowboys finished 2020 with a league's best 13-3 record and both the number 1 Offensive and Defensive units in the entire NFL. Head Coach Kris Richard propelled the Cowboys to the Playoffs in his first season as the new leader of 'America's Team' while Matt Nagy lead the Bears back to the Playoffs for the second year in a row. Both teams entered the game relatively healthy save for rookie CB Bryce Hall, who is out for at least a few more weeks for the Cowboys. Would Dallas' new Triplets, QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott and WR Amari Cooper, take Jerry Jones' pride and joy to the NFC Conference Championship or would the Dallas Dream be destroyed by the Monsters of the Midway?

The Chicago Bears won the coin toss and elected to receive the Opening Kickoff after a dazzling fireworks display atop AT&T Stadium. Chicago had a modest attendance of Bear's faithful but AT&T Stadium was rocking and rolling with the fervor of Cowboys' Nation. Unfortunately for them, they were silenced on the opening play after the Kickoff. Mitchell Trubisky dropped back to pass and immediately zeroed in on WR Allen Robinson II, who dazed backup CB Amani Orwariye, starting in place of the injured Hall, with a stutter step. Trubisky dropped the ball perfectly into Robinson's arms as he raced down the sidelines for a massive 57 yard reception to open the game. Dallas recovered quickly enough, forcing an Incomplete Pass towards Robinson, a loss of 3 yards on Tarik Cohen's first attempt and holding Robinson to only a 5 yard gain on his second Reception on 3rd and 13. K Matt Prater trotted onto the field and nailed a 31 yard Field Goal to give the Bears the first points of the game with 11 minutes remaining in the opening frame, 0-3 Chicago.

"WR Allen Robinson II's 57 Yard Reception To Open The Game

The Cowboys would face a lot more challenges than just 3 points on their first Offensive possession of the game. A solid 31 yard Kick Return from rookie WR Jalen Reagor would give Dallas good starting position and 8 yards rushing for All-Pro Zeke Elliott on his first 2 carries would get Dallas rolling. However, it was just Zeke's second carry of the game that would be his last. The Ohio State alum was sandwiched between Bears' defenders and crunched to the ground in a brutal hit. Elliott let out an audible scream as he landed. Zeke struggled to one knee before he fell back to the ground, writhing in pain. Trainers had to help Zeke off the field in front of the stunned home crowd.

"RB Ezekiel Elliott Would Only Get 2 Rushing Attempts Before He Was Forced To Come Out Of The Game Due To A Bruised Sternum"

Back from a commercial break, Dallas still had a 3rd and 2 to contend with without one of their most vital offensive pieces. Dak Prescott answered the bell with an electric 10 yard QB Scramble that brought the crowd back into it. A loss of 3 yards on backup RB Tony Pollard's first carry of the game followed by a thunderous Sack on 2nd down by the relentless Khalil Mack put Dallas in a hole. Instead of playing smart football, Prescott tried to will his team with one play on 3rd and 21. He failed miserably as a lofting pass towards Amari Cooper was under-thrown and easily intercepted by CB Kyle Fuller in a mirror of the pass Prescott threw to Fuller's brother in Seattle.

"CB Kyle Fuller Intercepts A Duck For The First Turnover Of The Game

Starting just outside the Dallas 30, the Bears began attacking the Dallas' Defense with the rushing game as Cohen reeled off 17 rushing yards to get the Bears moving. A 2 yard Pass to TE Trey Burton set Chicago up nicely with a 3rd and 1. Rookie DT Lorenzo Neal shut down any thoughts of a successful conversion when he exploded up the field and dropped Trubisky to the ground before he could think; Neal had zero Sacks in the regular season. Prater returned to the field for another short attempt and converted, 0-6 Bears. The Cowboys accepted the challenge and played smart football as Pollard got his chance to shine on their next drive. Pollard ran for nearly 40 yards over a handful of carries as the Cowboys began marching down the field. Short completions to TEs Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz helped Dak get back in rhythm and he was ready and able to convert a crucial 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 38 on a 16 yard Completion to Cooper. A facemask penalty on Pollard set Dallas up deep in the Red Zone and Pollard himself cashed in with a 10 yard scamper behind G Connor Williams and FB Jamize Olawale and twisted through a Roquan Smith tackle to push the football over the goal line. Dallas had weathered a tough opening act and came out the other side up by 1, 7-6.

"RB Tony Pollard Finds The End Zone; The RB Got A Ton Of Carries And Made Good Use Of Them"

Quarter Two opened with the Bears already moving the ball on a 14 yard Pass to WR Anthony Miller in the waning seconds of Quarter One. The Dallas' Defense seemed to get a Takeaway of their own when LB Jaylon Smith forced Cohen to cough up the football but a Booth Review determined Cohen's knee was down a second before the ball was jarred loose. A holding penalty further dampened the Bears' drive and forced them into a 3rd and 10 near midfield. DEs Joe Gaziano and DeMarcus Lawrence met with Trubisky in the middle of one another to shoot down any chance of a conversion. A nice punt from Chicago followed by a loss of 3 yards during a Pollard rush had Dallas with their backs to the walls of their own Goal Line; 3rd and 9 at their own 14. Prescott rolled to his right and was able to throw a dart to WR Michael Gallup across his body for a 25 yard chunk. A near fumble of their own nearly downed Dallas and Prescott couldn't find anyone open on 3rd and long before he was forced to take a short 1 yard gain on a QB Scramble.

"QB Dak Prescott Finds WR Michael Gallup, Who Came Up Big In The Playoffs"

On the next Chicago Offensive play the Cowboys finally set the Turnover counter to equal when S Xavier Woods laid the wood on Robinson II with a hard hit, making WR bobble the ball freely. CB Jourdan Lewis pounced and the Cowboys had the football back. Pollard snapped off some yards, Cooper and Gallup combined for 20 receiving yards and Dak finished the drive off himself with a 3 yard plunge into the corner of the End Zone to put Dallas up 14-6 with less than 4 minutes remaining until Half Time. Right before the half, Trubisky got hot. QB1 for the Bears marched down the field with strikes to Robinson II, Miller, Cohen and WR Taylor Gabriel for over 60 yards, gaining more and more steam until the Bears were deep in Dallas' Red Zone. However, poor clock management and some seeming indecision over what their ultimate goal was lead to the clock running out on Trubisky and the Bears and they came away empty handed right before Half Time.

"S Xavier Wood's Huge Forced Fumble That Ultimately Put Dallas Up At Half Time"

The Cowboys had both the football and momentum to start the Second Half in AT&T Stadium after a rocking Half Time Show in Jerry World. Prescott came out calm and collected, completing passes of 12 yards, 10 yards, 7 yards and another 7 yarder to Reagor, Gallup, Schultz and backup RB D'Onta Foreman, respectively alongside steady contribution from Tony P. However, a blitzing Roquan Smith would stall the Dallas' drive on 3rd and 5 from Chicago's 29. Too far away to risk a missed Field Goal, Richard elected to punt the ball. P Chris Jones delivered with a rebounder that dropped the ball at Chicago's own 3 yard line. The crowd was rambunctious with the Bears now backed up against their own goal line. The Bears, however, caught Dallas off guard. Trubisky flipped the ball sideways to Taylor Gabriel, who promptly shook off Jourdan Lewis with a juke move and, with an assisted block from Robinson II, was free to zoom down the sidelines for a massive 97 yard catch and run that refueled the Bears' faithful in attendance. A successful 2 point conversion and just like that Chicago and tied the football game back up, 14-14, with less than 8 minutes to go in the third quarter.

"WR Taylor Gabriel Shakes Off Defenders Before He Races Down The Sidelines For A 97 Yard Touchdown"

Dallas came back out on Offense and smartly didn't want to turn the game into a shoot out. More steady pounding from Tony Pollard combined with some flashy gains to TE Jason Witten and Gallup put Dallas in good position in Bears territory. A holding penalty looked like another drive killer, but a 17 yard rip from Pollard after he put a spin cycle on Leonard Floyd set Dallas up with 1st and Goal from the Chicago 7 yard line. The Bear's tenacious defense answered the bell and disallowed Dallas from even sniffing the end zone. K Cole Tracey connected on his first Field Goal attempt from only 22 yards away, putting Dallas back in the lead, 17-14. A DeMarcus Lawrence Sack ended the Bears' next drive, a quick 3 and Out and Dallas had the football back with a chance to build on their lead. Quarter Three came to an end with Dak Prescott converting a huge 3rd and 10 with a 12 yard QB Scramble right up the middle of the Bears' defense.

"QB Dak Prescott Converts A 3rd And 10 With His Legs At The Close Of Q3

26 rushing yards on back to back attempts for Pollard and it seemed Chicago was out of answers for the Cowboys' Offense. Prescott found Cooper then Gallup on consecutive 8 yard Receptions and D'Onta Foreman smashed his way into the end zone from 9 yards out and the crowd erupted in celebration for a 10 point lead in the Fourth Quarter, 24-14. Trubisky showed why he is one of the better young QBs in the game today as he fired right back with a 24 yard strike to Robinson II to get the Bears back into the game on the very next play. Another 16 yards for Robinson later and the Bears were in business on the Dallas side of the ball. However, a holding penalty gave Trubisky the challenge of a 3rd and 20. Trubisky found TE Adam Shaheen over the middle to put a scare in the Cowboys but he was ultimately brought down before he could cross the marker. Matt Prater booted his third Field Goal of the day from 46, moving Chicago back within a single score, 24-17.

"RB D'Onta Foreman Smashes Into The End Zone To Put Dallas Up 10 Points In The Fourth Quarter

The Cowboys couldn't make any more headway on their next possession as Khalil Mack turned RT La'el Collins into a human turnstile on his way to a 3rd down Sack of Dak Prescott. Richard and the Cowboys looked slightly dazed on the ropes as the Bears returned on Offense, especially as Trubisky launched a bomb that was caught by Anthony Miller and taken into the Cowboy's side of the field. CB Chidobe Awuzie saved the day momentarily as he caught up to Miller and was able to strip the ball out of the Wide Receiver's grasp. Leighton Vander Esch was immediately there to pounce on the football. The Cowboys edged closer and closer into Bears' territory as the game clock ticked down further and further under five minutes to play. A damaging 7 yard loss on a Pollard rush put the Cowboys behind the sticks and on 3rd and long not even a 13 yard QB Scramble from Prescott could earn them a first down. Tracey trotted on for a 46 yard Field Goal that should have put the Bears away for good but the ball sailed just right of the uprights, giving Chicago life one last time. Trubisky and the Bears converted their first 4th down with a clutch 17 yard Reception for Trey Burton. Two passes for 26 yards total to Gabriel and a shorter 6 yard completion to Burton later and the Bears were knocking on the Cowboys' door, looking for a tying score. Two incomplete passes and a demoralizing Sack by Gaziano on 3rd down left the Chicago Bears with just a 4th down and 20 to convert and force Overtime. A miscommunication between Jourdan Lewis and Amani Oruwariye gave the Bears the sliver of light they needed and Trubisky beamed a super sonic laser blast to Anthony Miller as he streaked towards the end zone. Less than 20 seconds left in the game and the Bears had crawled back from 10 points down to tie the game and send this NFC Divisional Round game to overtime!

"QB Mitchell Trubisky Finds WR Anthony Miller For The Overtime Forcing Score"

The Cowboys' captains met the Bears' captains at midfield for a second coin toss. Chicago won and elected to receive the overtime kickoff. Unfortunately for them, the Dallas' defense responded by forcing a 3 and out after DT Christian Covington swam his way through the Bears' Offensive Line and dragged Trubisky to the ground on 3rd and 10. Dallas received the punt and all they needed was a successful Field Goal to advance. They looked poised for more than that as Pollard ripped off 14 yards with his first overtime attempt before Prescott found Cooper for 9 yards and Jarwin for 4, moving the Cowboys into Bears' territory. However, Dallas fell to a 4th and 3 on Chicago's 38. Not yet in Tracey's Field Goal range, Richard and OC Kellen Moore elected to go for it but the Cowboys' failed to convert. Any points would win the game now as Trubisky returned to the field for a second overtime possession. Unluckily for him, his second drive mirrored his first. An incomplete pass followed by just a 1 yard gain to Burton gave way to another 3rd down Sack, this time by the league leader in 2020, DeMarcus 'Tank' Lawrence. Lawrence bumped fists with Prescott and Zeke as he left the field, entrusting the Cowboys' Offense to live up to their side of the bargain.

"DE DeMarcus Lawrence's Huge Sack To Force A Second Bears' Punt In Overtime"

A good punt return by Jalen Reagor set up Dallas at their own 22 yard line with the game on the line. Prescott turned and handed off on 1st down to Pollard, who zipped right side for 12 yards. A Witten reception for 7 was followed by a 4 yard tough nosed run from Pollard for a second first down. Gallup chipped in for 17 yards on back to back receptions to take Dallas into Chicago territory. D'Onta Foreman plowed forward for 3 yards and another first down on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 35. Three more rushing attempts to move the Field Goal try closer and set it up just right for Cole Tracey later and the rookie Kicker from LSU was patiently waiting for the snap. Matt Nagy called a Timeout, attempting to freeze the Cowboys' Kicker. An excruciating minute and a half later backup C Adam Redmond snapped the ball. QB Nick Fitzgerald placed the ball perfectly. Cole Tracey swung, connected and 47 yards later the football hit the netting... directly through the goal posts! The Cowboys' bench mobbed the field, hoisting Tracey up on their shoulders as AT&T Stadium exploded in joy. The Dallas Cowboys had beaten the Chicago Bears in overtime, 27-24, to advance to the NFC Conference Championship game for the first time since January of 1996!

"K Cole Tracey Boots The Game Winning Field Goal In Overtime As Dallas Moves To The NFC Conference Championship Game"

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys
Jan 9, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Chicago Bears (9-8)	6	0	8	10	0	24
Dallas Cowboys (13-3)	7	7	3	7	3	27

Team Stats Comparison
	CHI	DAL
Total Offense	409	415
Rushing Yards	134	230
Passing Yards	275	185
First Downs	15	26
Punt Return Yards	3	31
Kick Return Yards	91	106
Total Yards	503	552
Turnovers	2	1
3rd Down Conversion	2-11	10-19
4th Down Conversion	2-2	1-2
2-Point Conversion	1-1	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3	4
Penalties	3-28	1-10
Posession Time	21:20	42:02

Chicago Bears PASSING C/A YDS TD INT M. Trubisky 26/36 322 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T. Gabriel 1 97 97.0 1 T. Cohen 14 37 2.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD A. Robinson II 7 137 19.5 0 A. Miller 5 85 17.0 1 T. Gabriel 4 51 12.7 0 T. Burton 4 25 6.5 0 A. Shaheen 1 15 15.0 0 T. Cohen 5 8 1.6 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD R. Smith 20 1.0 0 0 L. Floyd 14 0.5 0 0 E. Jackson 12 0.0 0 0 K. Mack 9 2.5 0 0 B. Skrine 7 0.0 0 0 D. Harris 7 0.0 0 0 K. Fuller 6 0.0 1 0 A. Hicks 5 0.0 0 0 J. Addae 5 0.0 0 0 J. Heath 4 0.0 0 0 K. Toliver II 3 0.0 0 0 P. Amukamara 3 0.0 0 0 3 Players With 2 0.0 0 0 5 Players With 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG M. Prater 3/3 1/1 10 46 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 P. O'Donnell 4 226 56.5 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD A. Miller 4 91 22.7 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD T. Cohen 1 3 3.0 0

Dallas Cowboys PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. Prescott 23/33 215 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD T. Pollard 37 158 4.2 1 D. Prescott 5 39 7.8 1 D. Foreman 7 25 3.5 1 E. Elliott 2 8 4.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD M. Gallup 9 106 11.7 0 A. Cooper 4 45 11.2 0 J. Reagor 2 20 10.0 0 J. Witten 2 19 9.5 0 B. Jarwin 3 10 3.3 0 D. Schultz 2 8 4.0 0 D. Foreman 1 7 7.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD L. Vander Esch 8 0.0 0 0 J. Smith 7 0.0 0 0 D. Lawrence 5 3.5 0 0 J. Gaziano 5 1.5 0 0 X. Woods 5 0.0 0 0 C. Awuzie 5 0.0 0 0 O. Melifonwu 5 0.0 0 0 D. Wilson 4 0.0 0 0 J. Lewis 4 0.0 0 0 A. Oruwariye 4 0.0 0 0 L. Gifford 3 0.0 0 0 L. Neal 2 1.0 0 0 C. Covington 1 1.0 0 0 5 Players With 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C. Tracey 2/3 3/3 9 47 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Jones 3 135 45.0 3 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 4 106 26.5 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 3 31 10.3 0

Post Game Snippets:

"Great, great win. This team's been working hard since the Offseason so this is [dang] nice to see them get this far. We'll enjoy it for tonight and maybe a little bit of tomorrow but we have one more game to win before we're in the Super Bowl. You can bet your [butt] we'll be ready for Caroline or Atlanta."
- HC Kris Richard on the Divisional Round victory

"You just have to treat it like any other kick. You do it as many times as a Kicker has and it's just routine. You block out all the circumstances and just kick it."
- K Cole Tracey on how he approaches a pressure kick

"Keep fighting. Absolutely. It's what we tell each other all game long and what we've been telling each other since the summer. You don't get to see inside the locker room but we're a family and we fight for each other. Every day, every game, every down. We fought today and we came out with a win."
- QB Dak Prescott on team unity


Injury Report:

CB - Bryce Hall - Dislocated Shoulder - 2 Weeks
RB - Ezekiel Elliott - Bruised Sternum - Day to Day


Up Next:

2020 NFL Playoffs - NFC Conference Championship Game
1/17 vs Carolina Panthers (12-6)
QB Cam Newton | MLB Luke Kuechley | HB Christian McCaffrey | DE Kawann Short

[Cory Levy]

"Around The League 2020 Divisional Round Results:
Newton Downs Falcons; Road Warrior Raiders Best Browns"



"Cam Newton Was Tremendous In Atlanta, Guiding His Panthers
With Three Touchdown Passes In Their One Point Victory"


"Kyle Van Noy And The Rest Of Jon Gruden's Raiders Upset The Hometown
Cleveland Browns On Their Way To The AFC Conference Championship"

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Jan 9, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New England Patriots (9-8)	14	14	7	0	35
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)	0	7	7	7	21

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys
Jan 9, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	OT	SCORE
Chicago Bears (9-8)	6	0	8	10	0	24
Dallas Cowboys (13-3)	7	7	3	7	3	27

Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Jan 10, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Oakland Raiders (10-6-1)	0	7	7	7	21
Cleveland Browns (11-5)	0	0	3	15	18

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Jan 10, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (11-6)	0	7	7	17	31
Atlanta Falcons (12-4)	3	17	3	7	30

"Around The League 2020: Conference Round Preview
Back To The Future In Oakland?
Newton Leads Proud Panthers Into Dominant Dallas Territory"

AFC Conference Championship Preview ***|***Sunday 3:00PM EST, January 17, 2021
	@
New England Patriots (10-8)		Oakland Raiders (11-6-1)
Offensive Stats Comparison T. Brady - 4,301 Passing Yards D. Carr - 3,555 J. White - 941 Rushing Yards K. Hunt - 1,296 5,942 Total Offensive Yards 5,552 26.2 Points Per Game 25.9 282 First Downs 270 Defensive Stats Comparison M. Bennett - 8.0 Sacks K. Van Noy - 10.5 S. Gilmore - 4 Interceptions K. Joseph - 5 3,657 Passing Yards Allowed 4,200 1,919 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,058 371 Points Allowed 370 31 Sacks 39 8 Interceptions 13 Game Notes It will forever be remembered as the 'Tuck Rule Game'; January 19th, 2002. The New England Patriots defeated the Oakland Raiders 16-13 in Overtime thanks to the controversial call. Two weeks later, Tom Brady, Bill Belicheck and the rest of the Patriots captured their first Super Bowl title and the rest, as they say, is history. Nearly two decades worth of unprecedented success, five more Super Bowl championships, a mountain of accolades too long to begin to list brings us to here: Brady is once more knocking on the door of a staggering seventh Lombardi Trophy. In his path stands the team the Patriots knocked off that fateful Saturday in 2002: the Oakland Raiders once again led by Jon Gruden. Derek Carr was only 10 years old when Tom Brady began his ascent to greatness in 2001 but this Sunday the six year veteran has hopes of ending the Brady legacy on a down note. The Raiders have a Week 15 victory over the Patriots to build upon. The Patriots, however, have 20 years of experience in winning at this stage of the game. The time has come to fully see whether Tom Brady's Patriots cement themselves as the single greatest dynasty in sporting history period or if the upstart 2020 Oakland Raiders begin to form a dynasty of their own.

NFC Conference Championship Preview ***|*** Sunday 6:30PM EST, January 17, 2021
	@
Carolina Panthers (12-6)		Dallas Cowboys (14-3)
Offensive Stats Comparison C. Newton - 3,475 Passing Yards D. Prescott - 4,338 C. McCaffrey - 1,184 Rushing Yards E. Elliott - 1,801 5,561 Total Offensive Yards 6,556 26.0 Points Per Game 27.1 271 First Downs 328 Defensive Stats Comparison L. Kuechly - 7.0 Sacks D. Lawrence - 23.5 L. Kuechly - 3 Interceptions J. Smith - 2 3,589 Passing Yards Allowed 3,494 1,558 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,322 336 Points Allowed 304 41 Sacks 51 10 Interceptions 9 Game Notes The time is now for either Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina Panthers or Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys as two of the league's most exciting Offenses combat two of the league's most dominant Defenses. The long time veteran Head Coach Ron Rivera squares off with first year leader Kris Richard. The Panthers have only been in the league for 25 years and are as hungry as ever for their first Super Bowl Championship. They've come close twice before but are determined to turn the dream into reality. The Dallas Cowboys, on the other hand, are one of the most storied franchises in NFL lore: five Super Bowl victories and a deep lineage of historically great players. However, the Cowboys haven't tasted Super Bowl success, ironically, since the year the Panthers came into existence. 25 years of high hopes and even high expectations have yielded nothing for Jerry Jones and 'America's Team'. Things appear differently this year with Dallas dominant on both sides of the football but the passionate Panthers can not be dismissed. The battle between the electric QBs of Prescott and Newton should be one for the ages but Christian McCaffrey and Ezekiel Elliott could easily steal the show on their own out of the backfield. Both teams needed sweet support from Lady Luck to get this far, combining for just a 4 point margin of victory in the Divisional Round. All signs point to another nail biting, high lighting, Prime Time extravaganza from AT&T Stadium come Sunday night!

[Cory Levy]

2020 NFC Conference Championship
Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, January 17th, 2021
AT&T Stadium - Arlington, Texas



"Dallas And Carolina Met In The 2020 NFC Conference Championship Game From AT&T Stadium"

The 10-6 Carolina Panthers traveled down to Texas to square off with the league leading 13-3 Dallas Cowboys in Sunday night's NFC Conference Championship game. Two explosive, electric Offenses encountered two fast, feisty Defenses in a hard hitting, smash mouth heavyweight bout that lived up to the billing. Ron Rivera's Panthers have been road warriors in these Playoffs, defeating both the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons in their own home stadiums while Kris Richard and 'America's Team' defended their home turf in their first Playoff encounter last week against the Chicago Bears. Would Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey return to the Panthers to the Super Bowl in their bid for their first world title or would Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott guide the Cowboys on a journey for the franchise's sixth Lombardi trophy?

The pomp and circumstance of a conference championship game gave way to an Opening Kickoff which resulted in the Panthers gaining the opening possession. Rivera must have been paying keen attention to Dallas' last match up with the Bears as Newton mirrored Mitchell Trubisky from last week when he opened the game with a 31 yard dart to WR D.J. Moore to start the game strong and move into Dallas' territory in one play. As expected the Cowboys faced a large dose of all-star Christian McCaffrey, who reeled off 7 yards on his first rushing attempt. He would lose a yard on his second attempt and put the Panthers in their first 3rd down of the game. A 5 yard swing Pass to backup RB Joshua Kelley moved the sticks and allowed McCaffrey to scramble for 5 more yards on first down. Another negative gain for CMC and a second 3rd down conversion on a Pass to TE Seth DeValve for 10 yards put Carolina in the Red Zone. A nice 10 yard dash from McCaffrey had the Panthers knocking on Dallas' door but an unfortunate 10 yard holding penalty wiped the gain away and CB Jourdan Lewis slapped a 3rd down Pass to the ground right on the Goal Line to bring out K Graham Gano for a successful 29 yard Field Goal to give Carolina the first lead of the game, 0-3.

"WR D.J. Moore Starts The Game Great With A 31 Yard Chunk Play On The First Play From Scrimmage"

Dak Prescott would lead the Cowboys' Offense onto the field for the first time with just under 7 minutes left in Quarter One after the ensuing Kickoff. Ezekiel Elliott benefited from the first Dallas hand-off for a 4 yard gain. The gain was erased immediately when Elliott was ripped to the ground on a 2nd down rushing attempt by DE Kawaan Short, a preview of how tough it would be for the 2020 NFL Rushing Champion to find room to run against the Panthers. Prescott saved the Cowboys from an early hole with his legs, converting a 3rd and 10 with a 12 yard QB scramble into open field to the delight of the raucous home crowd. An incomplete pass to Zeke followed by just a 3 yard rush on 2nd down would put Dallas in another 3rd down, which Prescott converted again, this time with his arm with a 12 yard Pass to WR Jalen Reagor. Dallas continued to dink and dunk down the field against the Panthers on their opening drive: a 9 yard Reception for Elliott, a 1 yard 3rd down conversion for backup RB Tony Pollard, a 1 yard Completion to TE Blake Jarwin, and a second pass to Reagor for 14 yards paved the way as Dallas fought their way into the Red Zone. Zeke ripped off 11 yards behind G Zack Martin to set Dallas up at the Carolina 14 with under a minute to go in the first quarter. Two defended passes and just a 6 yard Reception to Jarwin on 3rd and long equaled no Touchdown for Dallas as the last seconds ticked off of Quarter One. The Cowboys opened Quarter Two with a 25 yard Field Goal Attempt for K Cole Tracey, the hero from last week's victory. Tracey stayed true and tied the game at 3-3.

"K Cole Tracey Didn't Have As Much Pressure On His First Kick As He Did His Last Against Chicago In The Divisional Round"

The Panthers' second Offensive possession started gaining traction much like their initial one, back to back small 1 yard rushes by McCaffrey put Carolina in a tough 3rd and 8. Dallas helped Newton out with a 5 yard infraction to move the down to just 3rd and 3 but Newton would have been fine without it as he found WR Curtis Samuel for 9 yards to convert. 5 rushing yards got the Panthers half way to another first down but disaster struck for the Panthers on 3rd and 5 when Christian McCaffrey was popped by LB Jaylon Smith right at the marker, jarring the ball loose at midfield and giving the Dallas Defense the first turnover of the game. Prescott would take advantage immediately, finding Zeke Elliott on a Texas angle wide open in the middle of the field for a 25 yard catch and run deep into Carolina territory. A 9 yard Pass to WR Michael Gallup after a 3 yard loss for Zeke on 1st down put Dallas in a manageable 3rd and 4. This time it was Panthers' LB Luke Kuechly who crashed into Elliott with a thunderous force that propelled the football out of Zeke's grasp. Kuechly himself fell on the Fumble and the Panthers answered with a takeaway of their own.

"LB Luke Kuechly Smashes Into RB Ezekiel Elliott, Causing A Big Fumble At Just The Right Time"

The Panthers atoned for their previous fumble with a nice offensive series that began with an 8 yard "Rush" by Samuel in the form of a backwards pass from Newton. McCraffrey showed his speed with a 14 yard burst on 2nd down while Newton showed off his arm talent with a 7 yard completion to Moore before an explosive 17 yard Reception for DeValve in single coverage against Jaylon Smith. 17 rushing yards from McCaffrey and Kelley combined had the Panthers setting up shop on the Dallas 30 yard line with under 4 minutes remaining in the first half. The Cowboys stiffened, forcing a loss of yards on back to back plays for Run CMC and forcing the Panthers to settle for their second Field Goal of the game, a booming 49 yarder for Gano. The Panthers came off the field slightly disappointed but up again by 3 on the scoreboard, 3-6.

"K Graham Gano Nails A 49 Yard Field Goal For Carolina"

Dak Prescott and Co. had under 3 minutes remaining in the first half for their next possession and they got the ball rolling quickly with a 27 yard Reception for WR Amari Cooper, who would have sauntered into the End Zone had it not been for a shoestring tackle. A 2 yard Rush for Elliott brought us to the Two Minute Warning before the break. Prescott found Gallup for 4 and Jarwin for 5 to generate a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, facing 3rd and 1, Prescott exploited single coverage on Ezekiel Elliott by hefty Gerald McCoy of all players on a swing pass that Zeke was able to turn into a 19 yard gallop up the sideline to the Carolina 8. Prescott would go back to the same well as no one followed Elliott out into the flat from the backfield. An easy pitch and catch later and Ezekiel Elliott had caught a thunderous Touchdown Pass from Prescott to the roar of Cowboys' Nation. One half to go before Super Bowl 55 and Dallas was in the lead, 10-6.

"RB Ezekiel Elliott Catches The First Touchdown Of The 2020 NFC Conference Championship Game"

The Dallas Cowboys received the second half Kickoff and looked ready to extend their lead over the Carolina Panthers in the 2020 NFC Conference Championship game. OC Kellen Moore's Offense came out crisp, showcasing a nice mix of both rushing and passing. 3 rushing yards for Zeke, a Reagor Reception and a Michael Gallup 5 yard conversion on 3rd and short. An 8 yard rush by Zeke, an 8 yard Reception for Gallup, a 10 yard Completion to Elliott out of the backfield. Dallas cruised deep into Panthers' territory with a 8 yard surge from Tony Pollard but a huge Sack by LB Brian Burns brought the rhythmic drive to a screeching halt. Facing 3rd and 11, Prescott was forced out of the pocket and settled for an 8 yard rush. Cole Tracey trotted out onto the field for his second attempt of the game. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, his attempt boinked into the uprights and bounced away, no good. A near six minute drive came up empty for the Cowboys and the score remained at 10-6.

"LB Brian Burns With A Potentially Game Changing Sack On Dak Prescott

Cam Newton came onto the field for the first time in the second half with a golden opportunity to turn the game around in favor of the Panthers. Carolina would only muster 15 yards against the defensive unit of Dallas before P Michael Palardy was called upon. Pinned deep on their own side of the field, the Cowboys did a good job moving the football, evident on a 17 yard Catch by Gallup but Dallas failed to make it into Carolina territory. An expertly dropped Punt from P Chris Jones put the Panthers in the unenviable position of battling out of the shadow of their own Goal Line. They could not make much head way and were forced to Punt from their own 7 yard line as the last seconds of Quarter Three ticked away. The defenses were beginning to reign supreme in the NFC Championship match up between Carolina and Dallas. The score remained just as it was at Half Time, 10-6.

"LB Jaylon Smith Squares Up Against RB Christian McCaffrey In The Defensive Minded Third Quarter"

The Cowboys finally broke out of the Offensive doldrums in Quarter Four as they started with the football in excellent field position from the Panther's end zone Punt. An early 3rd and 3 resulted in a massive 22 yard Reception for the living legend himself, TE Jason Witten, that set Dallas up well at the Carolina 24. Two plays later, facing 3rd and 5, Dallas had one of their most spectacular plays of the entire season: Dak heaved the football towards WR Cedrick Wilson but two Panthers' defenders met in front of him just as the ball arrived. The trio collided in a mass of humanity, one limb popping the football into the air. The ball seemed to float effortlessly in the air for a second too long; just enough time for Ezekiel Elliott to appear underneath it and snatch the football out of the air and wrestle his way to the 1 yard line as the crowd erupted in celebration. The celebration was dampened as Dallas could not wrestle all the way into the end zone for what surely would have been a game ending Touchdown. Instead, the Cowboys settled for a short 18 yard Field Goal that extended the lead to 7 points, 13-6.

"Ezekiel Elliott About To Snatch The Miracle Reception"

The Panthers needed to step up to the plate down 7 in the fourth quarter and step up they did in a big way. Cam Newton swapped field position entirely himself when he broke contain on scrambled freely for a monstrous 34 yard rumble that pumped up the entire Carolina Panthers' squad. The very next play Newton showcased his versatility and squeezed the football into a tiny window to D.J. Moore for an impressive 27 yard Reception all the way down to the Dallas 7 yard line. Christian McCaffrey ate up 5 yards before Cam himself dived into the end zone from 2 yards out right in front of LB Leighton Vander Esch . The Panthers' sideline exploded in unison and just like that the Panthers were back in the game. Only 7 minutes remained before overtime and the score was all knotted up, 13-13.

"QB Cam Newton Single Handily Brought The Panthers Back Late In The Fourth With A Tremendous Drive"

The sudden Offensive surge gave way to another battle of defensive superiority late in Quarter Four of the 2020 NFC Conference Championship game. The Panthers held Dallas to a 3 and Out after an Incomplete Pass to Amari Cooper on 3rd down. The Panthers had slightly better results, offering up a 15 yard "Rush" by D.J. Moore on another backwards pass from Newton. A hellacious Sack by DT Christian Covington on 3rd and 6, however, doomed the Panthers' drive. The Cowboys received a Panthers' Punt with 3 minutes of regularly scheduled game time remaining but again the sledding was brutal. Dallas could only muster one first down before they were forced to Punt the football back to the Panthers. Fans began to lean on the edge of their mental seats as a second straight Overtime contest began to appear more and more likely with the passing seconds. Overtime seemed assured as a Christian McCaffrey 9 yard Rush kept the clock rolling under a minute but the next play became the game's defining moment. Seconds after the ball was snapped on 2nd and 1, Curtis Samuel swam past CB Amani Oruiwariye and into the promised land. Oruiwariye, playing for the injured Bryce Hall, tried his best but could not catch up and all Newton had to do was not overthrow his target. He did not; Samuel caught the Pass all by himself and was free for 48 yards before S Obi Melifonwu was able to push him out of bounds. A palpable sense of dread dropped over AT&T Stadium as the Carolina Panthers' sideline mobbed Samuel once he was out of bounds. The Cowboys tried their best to strip Christian McCaffrey on 3 straight rushing attempts to no avail as the clock slipped away on the Cowboys' season. This week it was Dallas who watched a game winning Field Goal as time expired, the snap was good, the hold: perfect and Graham Gano kicked the Carolina Panthers into Super Bowl 55 in front of a stunned home crowd for the Dallas Cowboys!

"WR Curtis Samuel Catches The Deciding Catch To Set Up The Game Winning Field Goal"

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
Jan 17, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (12-6)	3	3	0	10	16
Dallas Cowboys (14-3)	0	10	0	3	13

Team Stats Comparison
	CAR	DAL
Total Offense	317	346
Rushing Yards	163	82
Passing Yards	154	264
First Downs	13	17
Punt Return Yards	19	31
Kick Return Yards	115	21
Total Yards	451	398
Turnovers	1	1
3rd Down Conversion	4-11	10-17
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	3	3
Penalties	2-15	1-5
Posession Time	25:18	26:42

Carolina Panthers PASSING C/A YDS TD INT C. Newton 14/15 165 0 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD C. McCaffrey 25 93 3.7 0 C. Newton 3 40 13.3 1 D. Moore 2 12 6.0 0 J. Kelley 2 8 4.0 0 A. Armah Jr. 1 5 5.0 0 C.Samuel 2 5 2.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD D. Moore 3 65 21.6 0 C. Samuel 3 60 20.0 0 S. DeValve 3 26 8.6 0 C. McCaffrey 3 6 2.0 0 J. Kelley 1 5 5.0 0 I. Thomas 1 3 3.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD L. Kuechly 11 0.0 0 0 D. Jackson 8 0.0 0 0 T. Boston 6 0.0 0 0 R. Gaulden 6 0.0 0 0 B. Burns 5 1.0 0 0 J. Bradberry IV 5 0.0 0 0 T. Johnson 5 0.0 0 0 G. McCoy 4 0.0 0 0 J. Carter Jr. 4 0.0 0 0 D. Poe 4 0.0 0 0 N. Jamerson 3 0.0 0 0 M. Haynes 3 0.0 0 0 K. Short 2 0.0 0 0 E. Reid 2 0.0 0 0 5 Players With 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG G. Gano 3/3 1/1 10 49 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 M. Palardy 3 162 54.0 2 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Agnew 4 115 28.7 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD C. McCaffrey 2 19 9.5 0

Dallas Cowboys PASSING C/A YDS TD INT D. Prescott 28/34 273 1 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD E. Elliott 21 44 2.0 0 D. Prescott 3 24 8.0 0 T. Pollard 4 14 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD E. Elliott 7 96 13.7 1 M. Gallup 8 57 7.1 0 A. Cooper 3 39 13.0 0 J. Reagor 3 29 9.6 0 B. Jarwin 5 28 5.6 0 J. Witten 1 22 22.0 0 D. Schultz 1 2 2.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD J. Smith 13 0.0 0 0 L. Vander Esch 13 0.0 0 0 K. Grugier-Hill 12 0.0 0 0 C. Awuzie 7 0.0 0 0 J.Gaziano 5 0.0 0 0 O. Melifonwu 5 0.0 0 0 D. Lawrence 4 0.5 0 0 L. Gifford 3 0.0 0 0 A. Oruwariye 3 0.0 0 0 C. Covington 2 1.5 0 0 L. Neal 2 0.0 0 0 X. Woods 2 0.0 0 0 10 Players With 1 0.0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG C. Tracey 2/3 1/1 7 25 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 C. Jones 3 146 48.6 1 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 1 21 21.0 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD J. Reagor 2 31 15.5 0

Post Game Snippets:

"They're a great team, a tough team and they have a great Head Coach. There's no shame in losing to them, especially not with how hard we fought for 60 minutes. You obviously want the win but not every day is gonna be your day; today just wasn't our day. I truly believe our day is coming a lot sooner than people outside this room believe."
- HC Kris Richard on losing to the Panthers

"We'll be back. Absolutely. We're not going anywhere. We'll be back next year. There's nothing any of us want more right now than to go out and play the next game tomorrow. We will be back, we will continue to fight for each other and we'll be back with a fire that burns [dang] bright."
- QB Dak Prescott on how the team is feeling after the season ending loss

"Proud. Extremely proud. Proud of this team; these players and this coaching staff and how far they've come in just a year. I will be the first to remind you all how lowly many thought of this team coming into the year. Now look at us, we were a minute away from the Super Bowl. I expect us to be there next year, no doubt."
- Owner Jerry Jones on his feelings for the 2020 Dallas Cowboys


Injury Report:

CB - Bryce Hall - Dislocated Shoulder - Day to Day


Up Next:

2021 NFL Offseason

[Cory Levy]

"Around The League 2020 Conference Championship Results:
The Ageless Wonder Wins Again; Nothing New For Newton"



"Nearly 400 Yards Passing, 3 Touchdowns, No Turnovers;
Yeah, Tom Brady Still Has It "

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders
Jan 17, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
New England Patriots (10-8)	7	14	0	3	24
Oakland Raiders (11-6-1)	0	7	0	14	21

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
Jan 17, 2021	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Carolina Panthers (12-6)	3	3	0	10	16
Dallas Cowboys (14-3)	0	10	0	3	13

"Around The League 2020: Super Bowl 55 Preview
Super Bowl 38 Rematch
Brady's Last Hurrah?"

Super Bowl 55 Preview ******|****** January 31, 2021
	@
New England Patriots (11-8, 8-8 Regular Season)		Carolina Panthers (13-6, 10-6 Regular Season)
Offensive Stats Comparison T. Brady - 4,301 Passing Yards C. Newton - 3,475 J. White - 941 Rushing Yards C. McCaffrey - 1,184 5,942 Total Offensive Yards 5,561 26.2 Points Per Game 26.0 282 First Downs 271 Defensive Stats Comparison M. Bennett - 8.0 Sacks L. Kuechly - 7.0 S. Gilmore - 4 Interceptions L. Kuechly - 3 3,657 Passing Yards Allowed 3,589 1,919 Rushing Yards Allowed 1,558 371 Points Allowed 336 31 Sacks 41 8 Interceptions 10 Injury Report MLB S. Thompson Abdominal Tear TE G. Olsen Quad Tear Game Notes It is time for the most anticipated sporting contest of them all on the grandest stage of them all: the Super Bowl. Super Bowl 55 will pit the AFC's New England Patriots up against the NFC's Carolina Panthers in a match up chock full of storylines. None of them may be bigger than QB Tom Brady's possibly last hurrah as an NFL star. Brady, who hasn't openly commented on his future after the big game, has had a phenomenal year and will be attempting to rewrite history with an unprecedented seventh Super Bowl victory. Though the Patriots snuck into the Playoffs with an 8-8 regular season record, they have been money in the Playoffs, stealing victories from the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders. Brady has been an excellence of execution in the Playoffs and has one of the single greatest legacies in sports histories, but there's still a game to be played, a team game that is. The Carolina Panthers stand in the way of Brady and Co. and they are one of the most unified squads in the NFL today. QB Cam Newton and RB Christian McCaffrey headline their Offense as electrifying playmakers while LB Luke Kuechly is the de facto leader of a stingy, smash mouth defense. The Panthers have been road warriors throughout the 2020 Playoffs, ending the seasons of the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys in their own homes. Ron Rivera leads the squad into battle every week and is looking to cement himself as one of the best Head Coaches in modern history. The stage is set, the lights will be bright and the world will be watching the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers go head to head in Super Bowl 55. Will Tom Brady end his career holding the Lombardi Trophy high over his head or will the Carolina Panthers capture their first Super Bowl title in their existence? Can Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey exploit the Patriots' Defense? Can Luke Kuechly disrupt the mental domination performed by the mind of TB12? 60 minutes of football is all it will take to find out all these answers and write the final chapter in the 2020 NFL year. The biggest Sunday of the year is here, make sure to tune in and witness history in the making!