TEXANS FANS’ NIGHTMARE
Prescott will lead Jones’ Cowboys to NRG Stadium for Super Bowl LI
Read it and weep, Texans fans: Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are coming to Houston for Super Bowl LI.
And they won’t have to buy tickets to get into NRG Stadium.
The Cowboys (6-1) are the best team in the NFC and the favorite to represent their conference against the team that will win its fifth Super Bowl — the New England Patriots (7-1).
The first weekend in February is going to be a double whammy for Texans fans.
Not only will it draw out all those Cowboys fans in Houston who will spend the week being as obnoxious as only they can, but Jones is going to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the day before the game.
Dateline Houston — the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, and Jones immortalized in Canton one day apart.
So, there you have it. At the midway point of the season you know Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are going to defeat the Cowboys and win their fifth Super Bowl ring together, including their second at NRG Stadium.
Another Pats’ victory
Barring upsets, of course. If the Cowboys and Patriots continue on their current paths to the playoffs, Dallas and New England will finish with the best records and host two playoff games each before they pack their bags for the third Super Bowl in Houston.
Who’ll be more prone to an upset? Brady, who owns four rings and, at 39, is playing as well as he ever has? Or rookie Dak Prescott, the amazing fourth-round pick who’s making Tony Romo a footnote in Cowboys history? The rookie, of course. All of you NFL historians know the Cowboys have played in eight Super Bowls and own five rings, tying San Francisco for second-most behind Pittsburgh’s six.
You also know the Cowboys haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 1995 season when Barry Switzer was their coach and they won Super Bowl XXX. That’s not exactly a Chicago Cubs’ drought, but it drives Jones and Cowboys fans absolutely crazy.
Love them or hate them, this has been an incredible season for the Cowboys because of Prescott’s terrific performance. He continues to pass every test — winning at Lambeau Field, scoring the last 16 points and throwing the winning touchdown pass in overtime against Philadelphia.
Think back to that opening loss to the New York Giants. If receiver Terrance Williams had gone out of bounds instead of letting time run out, the Cow- boys might be the only unbeaten team in the NFL.
Dallas has five teams with winning records on its remaining schedule. The Cowboys should smoke Cleveland on Sunday before playing at Pittsburgh, where quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has returned from knee surgery.
Class of the NFC
The Cowboys have a twogame lead in the NFC East and a 2-1 division record. They have road games against the Giants and Philadelphia and a home game against Washington.
So, if not the Cowboys, then who?
Atlanta and Seattle appear to be the next-best teams in the NFC.
The Falcons (6-3) are the highest-scoring team in the league. They’ve scored at least 30 points in six games, but they’ve also lost twice at home to teams with losing records.
The Seahawks (4-2-1) can’t run the ball, and quarterback Russell Wilson is banged up. They have road games against New England and Green Bay.
Minnesota is fading with consecutive defeats.
Dallas, Atlanta or Seattle? Who do you like?
Brady to make his mark
The surest bet in the NFL this season is New England. The Patriots were 3-1 during Brady’s suspension and 4-0 since his return. Despite missing the four games, Brady should be voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player after they finish 15-1 or 14-2.
The Patriots have two games that could be difficult, Seattle at home and a trip to Denver, where they were eliminated in last season’s playoffs.
In the playoffs, New England at Gillette Stadium is money. Bank it. It doesn’t matter if the Patriots play Denver, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Oakland or some upstart that shocks in the playoffs, they’re not losing the AFC Championship Game at home.
Now you know: Brady, the MVP, vs. Prescott, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, on Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium.
Belichick and Brady will win one for the thumb and cement their legacy as the greatest coach and quarterback in NFL history.
Hey, it could be worse. It could be Jones hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the Texans’ stadium.