Last night, I chronicled the first half of play and lauded the performance of Drew Bledsoe who played like a man fighting for his job. Whether the reports of his imminenet demise are merely a media creation or there is some hint of truth, Bledsoe was mighty impressive before departing the contest.

Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones had to love what they saw after his departure. Tony Romo, the subject of all the speculation, was equally impressive against the Saints. Romo completed 6-of-8 passes for 138 yards and led the Cowboys to three scoring drives. He was most impressive on a beautiful 48-yard touchdown strike to receiver Miles Austin. Romo showed good pocket presence and an ability to wait for his play to develop. Like Bledsoe, he'l take his share of hits for standing in the pocket, but fantasy owners can breathe easier on investing in Owens, Glenn & Witten on draft day. A hit on Bledsoe won't necessarily send their stock plummeting.

On the flipside, we saw a glimpse of Madden '07 on the field and how to defend (or try to) Reggie Bush. The Cowboys sealed the backside when he made his cut to the sideline, seeking to thwart the inevitable cutback for a big gain. It worked to keep him from huge gains, but you can't help but marvel at the man's athleticism.

The Cowboys dominated this game even without the mercurial Owens on the field. Sean Payton has his work cut out for him this season, but he'll enjoy watching Reggie Bush develop.

I had a couple other random things run through my head while watching this game.

I saw an ad for the new movie "Crossover" about streetball either during the game or while flipping channels at halftime. I immediately hit the IMDB to check whether I had, in fact, seen Wayne Brady in the commercial. He is listed as a "sports agent" in the write-up. I wonder if any of his pay from the film will go back to the writers of Chappelle Show for reinventing him in the famous skit from Season 2. The crazed version of Brady, reacting to a previous comparison to Bryant Gumbel, has become the stuff of legend.

Speaking of Bryant Gumbel, his recent comments about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw crossed the line in my opinion. His overarching point is most certainly valid. The NFL has experienced a tremendous boom during Tagliabue's tenure, much of which has to be attributed to the longstanding labor peace. And yes, the lack of guaranteed contracts has been the subject of much debate through the years. However, the use of the leash analogy to confer advice went too far. A simple "labor peace is the key to your future, so keep the peace" would have sufficed. But, it did bring attention to the fact that Gumbel is under contract to the NFL Network, so I guess it did serve some purpose.

The Eagles are considering bringing in former fantasy hero Stephen Davis given the health questions facing each of their backs in camp. Davis ended the 2005 season on injured reserve after missing virtually the entire 2004 campaign after undergoing microfracture surgery. It's an intriguing proposition with all of the concerns in the backfield. Brian Westbrook has a lingering foot injury. Correll Buckhalter's own knee issues are well-chronicled. Ryan Moats has been limited this summer as well, and Andy Reid would like to keep Reno Mahe on special teams. If Davis were to be signed, he immediately gains fantasy value for his short yardage and TD vulture potential. This is one of the most intriguing stories to emerge from camp this week.

Finally, unless you've been under a rock, you're well aware that today marks the release of Madden '07. With his appearance on the cover and last year's appearance in the Super Bowl, Shaun Alexander is really hoping that karma is on his side. The Seattle schedule certainly won't hurt, but how superstitious are you?

We're only three weeks away from the good stuff. It's time to start determining the shortest delivery times for the local pizza and wings places.

Hey, preparation needs to be done beyond the X's and O's.