National Football League

Can Garrett, Cowboys save face?

Published Dec. 8, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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Every week, the experts of FOX NFL Sunday reveal their observations and opinions as they prepare for football's top-rated pregame telecast — seen each Sunday at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.

We'll share some of the highlights from Curt, Terry, Howie, Jimmy and Michael grabbed from their weekly conference call with insider John Czarnecki.

Czar: “With four weeks to go who are your NFC wild-card teams?”

Jimmy Johnson: “I have Atlanta and Detroit. Detroit has the tiebreaker on Chicago right now and who knows about the Bears’ offense, too. Plus, because I stuck a fork in the Giants last Sunday, I’m not going to back off that now. How can I?”

Michael Strahan: “Of course, I disagree. I think the Giants have a great chance to win the NFC East right now. I’m not going down without a fight, Howie.”

Howie Long: “Where were you when the Giants were playing New Orleans? I know you don’t have to pick the Giants, but I also know how patriotic you are about your old team.”

MS: “You guys have backed me into a corner, too.”

HL: “How about Justin Tuck coming out and saying that the Giants lack mental toughness? He’s calling his teammates out. I guess that can be a good thing.”

Terry Bradshaw: “The fans down here in Dallas are still on Jason Garrett about his timeout decisions and how that Arizona game ended so badly. He hasn’t really explained himself thoroughly on all that. He’s come across like he didn’t know what he was doing and that’s not good for a head coach. He may have forgotten how many timeouts he had.”

JJ: “I got the full story, Terry, on my Fired Up this Sunday. Make sure you listen.”

Czar: “Does anybody see the Chargers coming back and winning the AFC West like they did a few years back?”

HL: “I don’t see that happening because of their schedule. They still have Baltimore and two difficult road games, at Detroit and at Oakland. That whole division could change after Sunday. The Raiders still have a chance although it’s going to be awfully tough for them in Green Bay this Sunday.”

TB: “I guess somebody has to say it. Tim Tebow and those Broncos should win the West. You turn on the TV and that’s all you hear all week, Tebow this and Tebow that. I still love Philip Rivers, but they have a rough road ahead of them like Howie said.”

Czar: “If you’re Colts owner Jimmy Irsay, what do you do on March 12 when you owe Peyton Manning $28 million?”

MS: “I’m curious what’s going to happen there myself. They could get that whole nostalgia thing going for Peyton because he has meant so much to that franchise. Maybe they give the guy the money, but that’s a lot of money.”

JJ: “If Manning was with the Patriots, it would be adios. The Patriots run their team like a business. I’m sure the Colts will try to get him to restructure his contract and make it more incentive-laden and all that. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

HL: “How would Archie (Manning) feel about that?”

TB: “Archie has already come out and said he doesn’t see Peyton and Andrew Luck being on the same team if the Colts end up with the No. 1 pick and a chance to draft the Stanford quarterback. Archie always has a lot of opinions about everything when it comes to his sons.”

Czar: “There’s a big Sunday night game, the Giants at Dallas. Who do you like?”

JJ: “That game is in Dallas and the Cowboys have to win that game. And if they do, they have control of the NFC East.”

MS: “But the Giants have beaten the Cowboys the last two times down there.”

JJ: “But if Dallas loses that game with all the controversy surrounding Jason Garrett; he’s never fully answered what happened in Arizona. I mean, the fans are up in arms over this thing. There is so much turmoil around this. If they lose to the Giants, it’s going to be ugly. Then again, we seem to say that just about every week about the Cowboys.”

TB: “The Giants haven’t lost in Jerry’s new stadium. And I remember that Eli Manning signed the locker room wall as a reminder for all the Dallas fans. This should be a great game based on how well the Giants played the unbeaten Packers last Sunday. They definitely looked better than how they had been playing.”

Czar: “How do you guys feel about Terry picking all the winners on Sunday and running away with the Lead Dog award?”

JJ: “I just want to know if we’re going to emphasize that Frank is in last place after going 0-4 last Sunday. I’m back in the middle of the pack after being in last place for so long.”

MS: “Terry has been a lucky dog this season. There are times on Sundays when his winning makes me physically ill.”

HL: “I think we all are finding it hard to believe how Terry is winning all these games. He’s picking so many upsets, too.”

TB: “Face it, fellas. I’ve really been doing my research this season.”

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