Divisional Playoffs, Giants vs Cowboys, 1st half

• T.O. is in, so is Terry Glenn. Jason Witten did an interview right before gametime. That would annoy me if I were a coach but it didn't seem to bother Witten, who scares me a little as a Giant fan. He had a monster season (96 receptions, 1,145 yards, 7 TDs) and really killed the Giants this year. He plays hard (like that run where he lost his helmet earlier in the season) and is just a big target for Romo pretty much all the time. Hopefully Glenn is rusty (like Marvin Harrison earlier today) and T.O. is hurt enough to slow him down. Then Strahan and the rest need to beat Romo like he owes them money.
  
• The time that Fox gives you for the start of the game has as much relation to reality as most of the news on Fox News Channel. Wait a minute, I see a pattern here...
• Joe Buck looking longingly at Troy Aikman... "Oh Troy, you're so manly..."
  
• I think one of the sideline photographers is taking a picture of Pam Oliver's booty.
• Giants have the ball first. Sean O'Hara is back on the field which is nice. The fill-in was fine last week but the Cowboys are a much better team than the Bucs.
• The guy to watch is Kevin Boss. OK, I'm wrong, it's Brandon Jacobs, who opens the game with two carries, the second for a first down.
• David Diehl is taking Shockey's place for "most tattooed Giant player."
• Why is Eli throwing to the middle of the field this early in the game? He threw it away but to no one, although it was awfully close to a Cowboy defender.
  
• Ooooo... DeMarcus Ware... Offsides! Third and less than a yard now.
  
• QB sneak, safe play. Looks like they made it, but barely.
• TOOMER! Another one for the old man! Stepping up in the postseason, some crappy tackling by the Cowboys and BAM. 7-0 in less than 3 minutes.
  
• Cowboys, 3 and out, bye bye.
• Toomer again, quick first down. What's that smell? Oh yeah, Tony Romo just crapped his pants.
• DeMarcus Ware stops Brandon Jacobs, which ain't that easy.
• Jacobs just pounded through some Cowboys, although he didn't quite get the first down. Most backs can't pound through like that though. He goes out, Bradshaw comes in and gets a nice few yards for a first down. Lot of people (OK, Mike Francesa) are saying that he could be a "really special player." Could be.
• Jacobs split out as a receiver, which gives Bradshaw room to get another 12 yards. Nice.
• WHY IS ELI THROWING BOMBS? This is what they didn't do last week and it worked great. Eli didn't hit Burress, who knows if it was overthrown or Burress just didn't get there. I wonder sometimes if the long throws are mostly for Eli's ego. I know, that would be stupid, but why else would they do it? Burress is hurt, and even when healthy he's not Randy Moss. Here's what happens: you waste a down. The big throw on 1st and 10 was meaningless, if they'd gotten even one yard on that play they'd have a first down.
  
• Feagles is a punting savant. It's such a great and sort of odd skill, precision punting, but he's got it.
• Aaaand there's T.O. Then Aaron Ross kills Patrick Crayton, which is what he should be doing. GO!
• Big run for Marion Barber. See Tom? This is why you don't do that long bomb on a first down when your running game is knocking Dallas on their heels.
  
• This is not what you want to see. Can't let them get into a rhythm. Crayton was open wider than Jessica Simpson for Tony Romo.
• This is where the coach is important. I don't know if Belichek or Parcells say inspirational things on the sidelines but I bet they do something other than pout. Actually, Tom is fairly subdued so far, which is better than the arm flapping.
• Barber, man. T.O. blocking. Come on, make a stop here.
• OK, let's calm down, this is what we thought would happen. We knew the Cowboys would score. We'll just need to score too.
  
• TD for TO, stupid challenge by Coughlin. Not a good move. We'll see if it matters.
  
• Now suddenly we're in the 2nd quarter and it's 7-7. Bad call on that long pass play. I'm telling you.
  
• Aikman: "T.O.'s got a little bit of the showman in him..." Really? I hadn't noticed.
  
• Oy. Terry Glenn. Come on. This is not the time of the game when the Giants fall apart! (That usually comes later.) PICK IT UP!
• Well thank goodness Matthew McConnohee and Kate Hudson are getting work.
• 2 minute warning and all is not well. 2nd and goal, score still tied. Now 3rd and goal. Spagnola furiously working his headset. Marion Barber... punches it in somewhat easily. Or maybe now. His knee kinda looks like it hit the ground before the ball crossed the plane. And four angels can dance on the head of a pin. Important minutiae, but minutiae still. TD stands. Loooong drive. 20 plays. Over 10 minutes I think. Not good.
• "It's hard to win games in the National Football League." Aikman, you TFAG.
• Whoah. Nice catch by Smith. Wobbly pass from Eli but it's caught and then he gets out of bounds. No he didn't, they called timeout. I'll take it. Smith again, this time he gets out. Good work. AND a penalty, which puts them deep in Dallas territory.
• THE BOSS! 19 yards, 1st and goal, WHOO-HOO!
• TOOMER! TOUCHDOWN! TIE GAME! WOW!