Gregg Easterbrook has some great comments on the helmet to helmet issues from this past weekend on his
TMQ (Tuesday Morning Quarterback) article. What I like is he still finds a way to bash the Cowboys. Priceless.
"Cowboys' Low Football IQ: You're trailing with less than three minutes remaining -- why are you punting? That's what Dallas did, if for no other reason than to shift the blame away from Wade Phillips, who would have been denounced if a fourth-down try failed, and onto his defensive players.
After Minnesota took the punt and the Boys used their timeouts, the Vikings faced third-and-6 with 2:22 remaining. Cornerback Mike Jenkins brushed a Vikings receiver, and the pass fell incomplete. Then Jenkins turned to the closest zebra and made the "not me I didn't do anything" gesture -- at which point the zebra threw yellow for pass interference. Jenkins basically pleaded with the official to throw the flag! Never make the "not me I didn't do anything" gesture. This only alerts officials that you think you committed a foul.
In Week 5, Dallas lost a close game to Tennessee partly owing to an idiotic touchdown celebration penalty. TMQ doesn't like the celebration rule, but it's the rule and "professional" football players should know the rules. Sunday, in a close loss to Minnesota, Dallas again was flagged for celebrating after a touchdown. Set aside that players for a 1-4 team should not be devoting their energy to dancing around and pointing at themselves. Set aside that the saying among sophisticated players has long been, "When you get into the end zone, act like you've been there before." Bill Russell once said he never celebrated blocking a shot -- he just shrugged, making his message, "I do this all the time." These things aside, why didn't Phillips lay down the law with his players about the celebration rule?
Earlier in the season, Dallas lost a close game to Washington owing to a particularly dumb sort of fumble. The following week, a Boys player lost exactly the same sort of fumble. TMQ asked why the Cowboys don't learn from their mistakes. Now they've again repeated a mistake. People are fallible: We all make mistakes. It's making the same mistake twice that's dumb.
The state of Texas views itself as the center of football culture, yet the Cowboys continue to demonstrate low football IQ. Stretching back to last season, Dallas is on a 1-5 streak and seeming to play dumber every week."