Football Watch
Cowboys fall flat, Texans dominate Colts
By Mark Fagan, Fri., Sept. 17, 2010
Has the decades-long honeymoon between the Dallas Cowboys and the national media finally ended? Wishful thinking on my part, most likely. Last week I described Dallas as "overrated" with a "flat" offense and a "banged-up offensive line" that should be of huge concern. Check. Check. Check. Cowboys fans should pray for the return of right tackle Marc Colombo and send screw-up Alex Barron packing (you know, the guy who held Brian Orakpo on the final play of the game negating Roy Williams' would-be game-winning touchdown). And that last play of the first half? Mistakes like that shouldn't happen past the Pop Warner level.
But how about those Houston Texans? They dominated the line on both sides of the ball against a team whose last non-preseason appearance was in the Super Bowl. This was one of the biggest wins in franchise history, bringing their all-time record to 2-15 against the Colts. Last week I stated that "undrafted running back Arian Foster is poised for a breakout year," and boy did he ever break out. Rushing for 231 yards and three touchdowns, a performance unparalleled in the Texans' short history, Foster was one the big stories nationally in week one. Look for Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson to have a big day against the Redskins on Sunday with Washington's D having to pay serious attention to Houston's now-robust running game.
Coming up in week three: Cowboys vs. Texans!
Area bars and the football teams/fans they cater to:
Aussie's catered to Browns fans last year but is focusing more on the Texans and Cowboys this season. 306 Barton Springs Rd., 480-0952.
B.D. Riley's Irish Pub is the place go if you're a fan of Tom Brady's tresses or his football team, the Patriots. 204 E. Sixth, 494-1335.
Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill (both locations) is a straight-up Steelers bar. 6901 N. I-35, 454-2247; 214 E. Sixth, 469-0001.
Billy's on Burnet is the "unofficial Packers bar of Austin." 2105 Hancock Dr., 407-9305.
Black Sheep Lodge has a good contingent of Saints, Redskins, Vikings, Texans, and Titans fans. 2108 S. Lamar, 707-2744.
Hog Island Italian Deli hosts Eagles watch parties. 1612 Lavaca, 482-9090.
Shoal Creek Saloon is the home of the Saints. 909 N. Lamar, 474-0805.
The Tavern sees a lot of Steelers and Ravens fans show up for NFL Sundays. 922 W. 12th, 320-8377.
Third Base Round Rock caters to Giants, Chargers, and Steelers fans. 3107 S. I-35, Round Rock, 512/388-2273.
Third Base South Park Meadows is the place to be for Saints, Vikings, and Steelers supporters. 9600 S. I-35, 381-2273.
Third Base Downtown has a good group for the Texans, Saints, and Vikings and generally a "pretty mixed" crowd. 1717 W. Sixth, 476-2273.
The Warehouse Saloon & Billiards sees a lot of Vikings fans, among others. I've also heard Dolphins and Bears fans have been known to congregate there. 509 E. Ben White, 443-8799.
Weirdos is a Chargers bar. 12408 MoPac N., 291-6703.
Hit me up at gameplans@austinchronicle with additional info.
