My Miles Austin Blog

A botched 19-yard-field-goal attempt on fourth down with only 79 seconds left caused the Dallas Cowboys to be one point short and one yard short of a first down as the Seattle Seahawks hung on to advance in the 2006 NFC playoffs, beating the Cowboys 21-20 at home in Seattle.

While there was blame enough to pass around for the loss in the wild-card game, the final mistake came when "rookie" quarterback Tony Romo lost control of the ball on Martin Gramatica's 19-yard-field-goal attempt.

Romo, the holder, caught the ball cleanly but bobbled the ball when placing it down for Gramatica's attempt. Romo tried to scamper into the end zone on the play but was stopped short by Jordan Babineaux's game-saving tackle at the 2-yard line, one yard short of a first down.

Untested quarterbacks who become starters historically screw up in big games, and Romo did not disappoint. He did not make any excuses for costing Dallas the victory and advancement in the playoff game, and Romo deserves credit for shouldering the blame.

He was the holder on kicks for the Cowboys last year before replacing Drew Bledsoe this year. He blossomed into a Pro Bowl pick by winning five of his first six starts and turning the Dallas season around at that point. Romo's fast start and big statistics fell apart quickly as the season progressed.

Many money players (including myself) bet Seattle to win behind Matt Hasselbeck's experience and Romo's inexperience in the playoffs.

True to form, Hasselbeck was 18-of-36 for 240 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, both of which resulted in Dallas field goals. Matt Hasselbeck was a Pro Bowl pick last year but was bothered by injuries and a weaker offensive line this year.

Romo was 17-of-29 for 189 yards and a touchdown and no turnovers, but all it took was the botched kick attempt to mar his effort.

Pushing aside all statistics, the ball clearly bounced right for Seattle and wrong for Dallas, but that is why we play the game. As a Seattle Seahawk fan, it almost goes without saying that I love first year starting quarterbacks playing for the opposing team.

Two other big plays helped Seattle advance in the playoffs.

The first big play happened when trailing 20-13 after failing on a fourth-and-goal play with 6:40 left in the game. The Seahawks started their comeback with two points on a safety when defensive back Kelly Jennings forced Dallas receiver Terry Glenn to fumble the ball into the end zone when the Cowboys took over deep in their own territory.

The ball shot out of Glenn's arms and took one bounce into the end zone as three Seattle defenders converged on the opportunity for the Seahawk defense to score in the Cowboy's end zone.

Linebacker Lofa Tatupu, an All Pro rookie last year, dove for the ball to keep it from going out of bounds and tipped it back into play then safety Michael Boulware recovered it for what appeared to be a touchdown.

A replay showed Tatupu was out of bounds when the ball was tipped inbounds, so the Seahawks were awarded a safety and the Cowboys lost possession of the ball.

The second big play came when Seattle received the ball on a free kick following the safety. The Seahawks took the winning lead on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Jerramy Stevens.

Stevens arguably had the best day of his 5-year career, catching five passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, his first touchdown being a 15-yarder to give Seattle a 13-10 lead in the third quarter. The Seahawks could not have won without Stevens because Seattle's go-to wide receiver Darrell Jackson (D-Jack) and D. J. Hackett both left the game with injuries.

Dallas was not to be denied as Romo drove the Cowboys right back down the field and into position for the win when a pass to Jason Witten was initially ruled a first down. A replay showed the Cowboys were short.

It looked as if Dallas Coach Bill Parcells was tempted to go for it on fourth-and-1 as he left his offense on the field until Seattle called for a timeout. Then Parcells sent in Gramatica for the ill-fated field goal attempt.

This playoff game was as exciting as any wild-card game ever played.

Miles Austin, an undrafted rookie, had a 93-yard kickoff return for Dallas that became the first kickoff return for a touchdown in the Cowboys playoff history. Austin's electrifying run put Dallas up 17-13 in the third quarter only 11 seconds after the Seahawks had gone ahead.

Defending on the play were such no-names as John Howell, Rich Gardner, Ben Joppru, Oliver Celestin, Marquis Weeks and Lance Laury.

Seattle lost starters Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams with season-ending injuries against Tampa Bay a week before the game. Starter Marcus Trufant, one of the best tacklers at cornerback in the NFL, suffered a high ankle strain earlier in the year.

Thrust into the spotlight to defend against Terrell Owens (arguably the best current receiver in the NFL) and Terry Glenn (arguably the fastest receiver in the NFL) was rookie Kelly Jennings (who caused the fumble that resulted in Seattle's safety), safety-turned-cornerback Jordan Babineaux (who covered Terrell Owens and made the game-saving tackle on Tony Romo) and nickel back Pete Hunter (who was out of football a week prior and was working as a loan officer in Dallas).

If you are not impressed by the performance of Jennings, Babineaux and Hunter, you are most certainly a Dallas homer.

The Seahawk defensive secondary that had been decimated going into the playoff game helped hold the Cowboys to a season-low 14 first downs, its second-lowest total yards at 284, its second-lowest net yards passing at 168 and only 23% conversions on third downs.

A lot of Seahawks played tough on defense and the defensive secondary, which figured to get a lesson in what not to do against Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn, held its own like the Seattle Seahawks NFC conference championship team of a year ago that went to the Super Bowl.

Is there unfinished business in Seattle? Yes, there is. Next stop is in Chicago against the Bears, the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Seahawks come in as a 9-point underdog.

The Bears humiliated Seattle 37-6 earlier in the season on their home turf, but as a betting man, I like Seattle to upset the Bears and continue on their run to another Super Bowl appearance.

The Seahawks earlier defeat by the Bears was played with a banged-up offensive line, Shaun Alexander was unable to play because he had a cracked bone in his left foot and Michael Boulware left the game with a concussion.

Let the Seahawks try again, this time healthier, stronger, hungrier and more focused on the prize that eluded them last year when Pittsburgh beat them 21-10 to win Super Bowl 40 (XL).

Every year, many rookies come into the league and, outside of RBs, very few make much of an impact. Maximum Fantasy Sports has put its collective heads together and has ranked the Top-5 fantasy football relevant rookies at the core skill positions and their projected draft round in standard 12-team fantasy football leagues.

Receivers have a chance to shine in their first year, but tend to be very inconsistent and require a year or two of patience. However, many of us play in deep Keeper leagues, so we need to think about the future as well as the present. Do NOT hang your current season on a rookie QB. Even the great Peyton Manning had an average season. The pro game is much more complex and much faster than any team these fellas played against, or played for, in college. It still amazes me that they get drafted in the NFL so high and get paid so much money before proving they can handle the transition. I think it is a HUGE stretch to imagine Sam Bradford even approaching the skill and success of Tom Brady, yet, the Rams decided that monetarily, he was worth more. Good luck justifying that to your accounting staff! Below is the consensus review from Maximum Fantasy Sports for the current draftable NFL rookies.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford (St. Louis): Bradford had a very forgettable 2009 thanks to getting pounded into the turf on two separate occasions and suffering shoulder injuries. Sadly, Oklahoma's OL may be better than St. Louis'. Bradford may be the only rookie QB from this class who has a guaranteed starting position, but the Rams will stack the playbook with running plays and you will be hard-pressed to find a reason to start Bradford for a few years. He is a last round pick at best.
Jimmy Clausen (Carolina): Clausen will be given the chance to win the starting position in Carolina. Should he do it, he has a leg up on Bradford in the name of Steve Smith. Clausen could do well in Carolina if he stays humble since they have a nice RB duo and he comes from a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. Monitor training camp and consider drafting Clausen in rounds 10-12 should he be playing well.
Colt McCoy (Cleveland): Though McCoy dropped a lot farther in the draft than I would have guessed, he ended up in a nice position. Cleveland has very young players at the skill positions that he can easily bond with. With only INT-prone Jake Delhomme in front of him, he could wrestle the job away this year and hold onto it for a very long time. I would consider grabbing him in the last round in Keeper leagues.
John Skelton (Arizona): I admit, I did not see Skelton play in college. My DirecTV College Game Plan did not pick up any Fordham games. Skelton finds himself in an enviable situation in Arizona. He is playing behind Matt Leinart and could be throwing to Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston. Leinart has not impressed in the opportunities he has had under center since being drafted. It is his job this year, but, if he flounders, I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals give Skelton a shot. Do not draft Skelton but this is definitely a situation to keep an eye on this year.
Tim Tebow (Denver): with Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn ahead of him, he has no chance of playing for a few years and I am not convinced he can do the job. Do not draft!

Running Backs

Ryan Mathews (San Diego): I love this kid as will the Chargers fans. He is big, strong and quick for his size. San Diego needed a power back to complement Darren Sproles and Mathews is that back. He is the first rookie that I would look at. I would consider him late in the 3rd round but shouldn't last long into the fourth round.
Ben Tate (Houston): Steve Slaton was a gold mine for his owners....in 2008. He fell off the map last year and raised many doubts in Houston about his long-term credentials. They grabbed Tate at the end of the second round and will give him the chance to be their franchise back. He has a chance to duplicate Slaton's 2008 numbers and should be considered draftable in late round four.
Jahvid Best (Detroit): If Kevin Smith can be productive in Detroit, Best certainly can. With Smith coming off of a knee injury, Best will get the starting nod. The only concern with Best is that he has already suffered multiple concussions and will be facing bigger, stronger, harder-hitting defenses in the NFL. Grab him in the 4th-5th round. C.J. Spiller (Buffalo): Spiller is electrifying on the field. He is not an every-down back, but will get 8-10 carries a game, catch some passes and return kicks. If your league awards players for TDs on returns, bump Spiller up a round. However, I would not look in his direction until rounds 7-8.
Toby Gerhart (Minnesota): Gerhart is a bruiser. I would love to have him on my team if I had an NFL franchise. From a fantasy standpoint, he is playing behind Adrian Peterson. That keeps him from being the workhorse that he is capable of unless AP gets hurt. He will still get 10 carries a game, but don't overpay for a part-time player. I would not reach in his direction until the 8th round.

Wide Receivers

Demaryius Thomas (Denver): Thomas could be in line for a huge year. Denver has no clear-cut #1 WR. Brandon Marshall is gone and Eddie Royal was a no-show last year. He did not receive much press in college since he played at Georgia Tech and they love their option offense there. However, this kid is good and will be productive. I would consider him late in the 6th round.
Dez Bryant (Dallas): Funny how the Cowboys ended up drafting Bryant after former Cowboy, Deion Sanders, helped end Bryant's college career prematurely. Since Bryant was a first round pick, it is obvious to Cowboys' management that trading for Roy Williams was a bad idea. Should Bryant stay out of trouble, he could do well in the Cowboys' offense with Miles Austin across the field. Look to grab him in rounds 9-10.
Arrelious Benn (Tampa): Benn's talent was wasted at Illinois thanks to poor play of QB Juice Williams. Sadly, he moves to a Tampa team that is eerily similar to the Illini; devoid of talent. I will admit that Bucs' QB Josh Freeman played pretty well under the circumstances that he was thrown into last year. Should these two players click, Benn could have a big season. He is a solid 9th round pick.
Golden Tate (Seattle): Tate was fabulous in college and should easily move into the pro game. He is a little short for the pro game, but will work nicely in the slot and will get good YAC. As long at Matt Hasselbeck stays healthy, Tate will put up good numbers. I would not reach for him before round 12 though.
Eric Decker (Denver): Denver had such little faith in their current receivers that they drafted two receivers this year in the first three rounds! Decker, like Thomas, is a big receiver with good hands. He ended his Gopher career with a foot injury, but that will not hamper him this year. I would grab Decker in the 12th round.

Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski (New England): The Pats lost their two starting tight ends from 2009 and filled that void nicely in this year's draft. Gronkowski is 6'6" and has great hands. He could revive memories of Ben Coates in New England. With the NFL having so many productive tight ends, you could probably steal him in the 11th round.
Ed Dickson (Baltimore): The Ravens opened up the passing game last year, showing great confidence in QB Joe Flacco. One area that has underperformed in Baltimore the past few years is the tight end position. Todd Heap has been too beat-up to effectively contribute so Dickson was brought in to help him into retirement. I could see taking a flier on Dickson in the 14th round.
Jimmy Graham (New Orleans): The Saints has concerns about Jeremy Shockey's health even before his May seizure. Graham is also 6'6" and has nice "ups", as displayed in his basketball career. Drew Brees likes getting his tight ends involved in the passing game so Graham has nice potential for catching a few passes per game and the occasional TD. I would think about grabbing him with my last pick.
Jermaine Gresham (Cincinnati): At 6'5", Gresham has the size to contribute in Cincinnati. However, I am skeptical about the Bengals offense and their ability to use Gresham effectively. The Bengals drafted Chase Coffman last year and failed to utilize him at all. Granted, I am no talent scout, but I saw Coffman played at Missouri and thought he would have fit nicely in Cincinnati. Take a wait-and-see approach with Gresham.
Anthony McCoy (Seattle): Pete Carroll extended an olive branch to USC-grad McCoy in the 6th round of this year's draft. John Carlson is the current pass-catching TE for Seattle, but Carroll is very loyal and may work McCoy into the offense as the season progresses. Do not draft but keep an eye on the Seahawks' box score.