Ask Cris
NFL analyst and former Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter is back to answer another batch of questions from readers. Among the topics he weighs in on this week is the Cowboys' standing in the NFC after Sunday's lop-sided loss to the Patriots.
If you would like Cris to respond to a question, send him an email and check next Wednesday's Q&A.
Here are Cris' questions and responses this week:
"I watched the Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots game and besides seeing the obvious (NE is better than Dallas), did you see anything that could make Dallas a real threat to win the Super Bowl if they got there? If Dallas and New England meet again, do you see the outcome being the same as this past Sunday?"
Jeremiah Willis
Dallas
The Cowboys are still one of the best teams in the NFC – that didn't change because of what happened Sunday. And if there was a rematch of those two teams in the Super Bowl, Dallas could beat New England. In a rematch, Patriots coach Bill Belichick and his defense will have to come up with more answers for the Dallas offense. Wide receiver Terry Glenn is on the verge of coming back and would clearly become an additional threat in an already explosive offense. Glenn would make Dallas' receiving corps pretty similar to what the Cowboys faced against New England on Sunday.
"Do you see the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson having another great game this week against Dallas? I know the Chicago Bears had some injuries but I didn't think they we're that depleted. Can Peterson do the same against the Dallas defense?"
John B.
Pittsburgh
Dallas has a legitimate reason to be concerned. We're talking about a really special talent in Peterson. As I sat and watched the Vikings' game against the Bears Sunday, I was shocked. I honestly thought "can this really be happening?" The thing that makes him so good is the deceptive size (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) and blazing speed. When you look at his speed and power, you're talking about the NFL's current version of Bo Jackson. Dallas has been good against the run (79.7 yards allowed per game), but I wouldn't be surprised to see Peterson have another big game this weekend.
"The Green Bay Packers win again with no run game. How long can this last?"
Shayne Stuart
Mount Prospect, Ill.
This anomaly can last a long time. For the course of the season, the Packers might be able to get away with not running the ball well because they have a good defense. Oh, and they still have that Brett Favre guy who can get hot and carry the offense.
"What's the problem with the Philadelphia Eagles this year? Are they really that bad, or has the opposition been really that good?"
Chris Kowalski
State College, Pa.
How about everything? Honestly, I can't help but wonder if the legal trouble with Andy Reid's two sons hasn't been a distraction. He took time off earlier in the year to address the problem, but I'm not sure he's been able to truly focus in on the Eagles and game planning. I've always thought that Reid was one of the league's better coaches, but I'm simply not seeing that this year. When you go back and look at that game against the New York Giants in which Winston Justice was left on an island to get abused by Osi Umenyiora, that was totally uncharacteristic of Reid. From an offensive standpoint, the Eagles have been known for making adjustments in games but that's just one instance this year in which it didn't happen.
Aside from the Reid situation, the lack of health has been a problem. Safety Brian Dawkins is a guy who gives 150 percent when healthy and constantly makes play. But with him out, the team is without yet another playmaker. With Dawkins out, Brian Westbrook's lingering health issues and Donovan McNabb not as versatile as before, this team no longer resembles a perennial title contender.
"Who do you think has the best "group" of receivers and how would you rank them?"
John B. Edgar Jr.
Location unknown
That's easy – New England. Among other things, they have depth. The Patriots have a tremendous slot guy in Wes Welker, who serves as the third or fourth option. Right now, he's beating out Kelley Washington, who's definitely talented enough to be the No. 3 guy. Then you have Donte' Stallworth, a very streaky shooter who is now getting into his groove. And don't forget tight end Ben Watson. These are the complementary receivers to Randy Moss. At this point, Moss is as good as what we saw during his rookie season of 1998. He's stronger, as fast, and has run the league's gamut. With Tom Brady as the quarterback and Moss playing at such a high level, you can grab a couple of high school kids from the Boston suburbs and the Patriots would still be high on the list.
As for the No. 2 unit, I have to go with the Indianapolis Colts. Aside from the St. Louis Rams' Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne have been the most prolific tandem in the league. Even though Harrison is out now, I expect him to return to a high level by season's end. I also expect steady production from Anthony Gonzalez, the team's first-round NFL draft pick. As is the case with New England, what separates Indy from so many other units is their tight end production. Dallas Clark should be a perennial Pro Bowler.
"What can be done with the Atlanta Falcons? Should Arthur Blank fire the team president Rich McKay? McKay's search for talent has not paid off! With DeAngelo Hall consistently getting beat in the secondary, can the team trade him for a high team draft choice for next year?"
Bill
Atlanta
I definitely don't think McKay should be fired. When you look at the ramifications of the Michael Vick situation, there normally would be a trickle-down effect. However, the big Vick contract and the franchise's support for him starts with Blank, who isn't going to fire himself. This is a very painful lesson for the first-time owner. So essentially, Blank's direct involvement here could save someone's job.
As for Hall, that's an interesting situation. If there's a market for him and they can get a significant pick in return, I can see them making a move. You have to understand: this franchise is probably a few years from being consistently competitive again, so getting rid of a veteran for draft picks is feasible.
"What is up with my Miami Dolphins? It can't all be the coach … or can it? Were the trades for Trent Green and Joey Porter mistakes? I really thought we could put some W's in the box this year, but so far all I see is that 0-8 is only a couple weeks away. How can they fix this?"
Jerry
Colorado Springs, Colo.
There's no fixing it … at least not immediately. What they're doing right now – allowing the young guys to play – is something they should have been done years ago. Instead, going back to Jimmy Johnson's tenure, they kept trying to win immediately. They consistently brought in veteran free agents and didn't try to work young guys into the system. Clearly, they haven't been able to replace Dan Marino at quarterback, but the fact that they don't have any players on the roster from the 2002 or 2003 drafts is indicative of bigger problems. If their No. 2 pick this year (John Beck) pans out, maybe they'll be on the road to cleaning things up.
