Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Cowboys Nation!
Yes that’s a real day.
About 24 hours from now we’ll watch our Dallas Cowboys, fresh off of a victory in Miami, take on the 10-0 Carolina Panthers. How exhilarating!
The Cowboys are no strangers to big-time games against undefeated teams. On November 19th, 2006 they hosted the 9-0 Indianapolis Colts in Tony Romo’s first start at home. Indy was unable to get to 10 wins as Dallas handed them the first loss of their World Championship season.
What’s the old saying, doing something twice makes it a tradition? Well on December 19th, 2009 the Cowboys took on the 13-0 New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. With a game in Washington following their date against a team with no losses (like they’ve got on Thanksgiving) the Cowboys had an emphatic win against the eventual World Champions. A tradition was born!
We’ve got our own tradition going on here at Inside The Star. Every week, on the eve of gameday, I cook you up a batch of 5 Bold Predictions.
I know that this week is funky with Thanksgiving and all, but I am a chameleon and can adapt to anything!
As it is Gameday/Thanksgiving Eve, please allow me to present this week’s rendition of my 5 Bold Predictions. Enjoy.
Jason Garrett’s 1994 Thanksgiving Victory Will Be Mentioned At Least 7 Times
Thanksgiving comes with a lot of traditions: football in the yard, nice clothes, taking pictures with all of my aunts’ phones, turkey, stuffing, Dallas Cowboys football, the list goes on and on.
Since Jason Garrett took the reins as the Dallas Cowboys Head Coach full-time in 2011 a new tradition has made its way into our lives. Death, taxes, and mentioning Jason Garrett’s 1994 victory over the Green Bay Packers are the three unavoidable things in life.
On Thanksgiving 1994 Coach Garrett was called into action and had to quarterback the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers. The Pack were one of the top teams in the NFL (what else has changed?) at the time and this was quite the tall task for young Jason.
The original Red Rifle rumbled his way through the game, though. He went 15/26 and threw for 311 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception… all in a winning effort.
You can bet your sweet potatoes that this will be mentioned at least seven times on Thanksgiving, but would we really want it any other way?
BOLD PREDICTION BONUS POINTS: I’m going to go a step farther here, for bonus points of course, and add one more tiny little detail. Not only will Garrett’s Thanksgiving heroics be drilled into your brain, but there will also be at least four mentions that he was the first to rock the new “Color Rush” jerseys. How do ya like me now?!
Lucky Whitehead Will Return A Kickoff For A Touchdown
The Cowboys have been pretty fortunate with how the NFC East has played out this season. They’ve caught some breaks, and they’re right in the middle of the race at Thanksgiving… a shocking thing for a 3-7 team.
As fortunate as they’ve been – they’re about to get Lucky.
The last time that Lucky Whitehead had the chance to bring one out of the endzone, three weeks ago against the Eagles, he took it 79 yards. On Thanksgiving Lucky is going to hit the full hundred.
The breaks have gone completely in the opposite direction that we would have liked over the last two months. I’m not saying that we should root for or depend on breaks… I’m saying that we’re going to make them go our way.
Everyone knows that winning all three phases (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) is essential in an NFL game. The Cowboys are going to get a big play from Lucky #13 as a special appetizer for the Thanksgiving Feast they’ll have after the game.
Lucky Whitehead scores his first touchdown on Thanksgiving Day against the undefeated Carolina Panthers.
Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?!
The Dallas Cowboys Defense Will Hold The Panthers Under 20 Points
The Carolina Panthers have scored at least 20 points in every single game this season, but I don’t call these bold predictions for nothing… I’m not here to punt.
Cam Newton and Co. have been on all kinds of offensive fire this season. Just last week Superman threw for five touchdowns. What on earth am I thinking here?!
I’m thinking that the Dallas Cowboys have held three out of their last four opponents to 14 points or less and that they’re allowing 22.8 points per game across the whole season.
I’ve also got this thing called a brain that’s telling me Tony Romo is here, draining the clock like some Steph Curry 3s, and that the Kraken is about to be released against his former team.
Greg Hardy will face the Carolina Panthers for the first time, and he won’t be alone. DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Jeremy Mincey, and Jack Crawford were all hanging out near Ryan Tannehill last week. Cam Newton is the new meeting spot.
This defense is going to stifle the Panthers in a way that they haven’t been all season. Toss in the fact that the Panthers are going off of one true day of practice this week and I’m even more on board.
I hope you enjoyed life at 20 and above, Carolina. The ride is over.
Jason Witten Will Channel His Color Rush Poster For His 1,000th Career Reception
I was talking to my Dad the other night about just how incredible Jason Witten is… and how we don’t fully appreciate it.
This dude is so freaking amazing that it’s actually become boring.
“Oh Witten caught 10 passes?” No big deal. “Jason hauled in two touchdowns?” Seen it before. Hey, but remember that time he ran without his helmet! That was awesome!
Jason Witten is INCREDIBLE. He is currently sitting on 994 career receptions. These are the players in front of him:
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That’s it. Aside from those ten gentleman there is nobody, in the history of professional football, that has caught more passes than Jason Witten. Wow.
Six receptions is usually a mediocre day at the office for Jason, but on Thanksgiving it’s going to be spectacular. Witten is going to re-create the pose he’s got going on in the “Color Rush” poster with his 1,000th career reception that’s reeled in for a touchdown! Huzzah!
Tony Romo Will Turn To Thanksgiving Day 2006 And Throw 5 Touchdowns
You already know how Romo took care of business against the undefeated Colts in 2006. What you might have forgotten was that one week later, on Thanksgiving, he torched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the tune of five touchdown passes (so basically what the Buccaneers did to the Eagles last week).
Romo was just entering our lives when he hit the cinco mark on Thanksgiving Day 2006. He’s just re-entering our lives these days as we’ve got one game with him under our belts in the last two months.
Wouldn’t it just be the coolest thing ever if he did it again? Against the 10-0 Panthers?
It’s happening! Romo’s tossing enough for the thumb against the vaunted defense of the Panthers.
Respect. The. Romo.
~ Follow RJ Ochoa on Fancred ~
What are your BOLD Predictions for the Thanksgiving Day Game against the Panthers? Comment below, Email me your thoughts at Roel.Ochoa.Jr@Gmail.com, or Tweet to me @rjochoa!
Hey RJ…. you got a problem with Jason Garrett, the best backup quarterback of the 90's Cowboys!?
And yes, this is my Thanksgiving shirt. And again yes, it does say "Garrett" on the back. LOL
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