Dallas Cowboys
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NFL Team Column |
Things Are Looking Up
When last you heard from your friendly neighborhood slacker columnist, the Cowboys were coming off of a victory over the Chiefs, wherein Miles Austin made himself into an NFL-household name by breaking Bob Hayes’ record for receiving yards in a game by a Cowboy. I don’t mind telling you that I have been high on Austin for a long time, to the point of hoping that we could keep Austin instead of getting the Jets second round pick for him during the offseason. I frankly have loved this kid since his rookie year when he took the second half kickoff in the playoffs to the house against the Seattle Seahawks. Okay, I admit I faltered a little when he got injured and missed training camp. That’s beside the point.
In the ensuing week, commentators and fans alike wondered whether Austin would follow up that performance with another solid outing, or was he a one-hit wonder. One bye week later the question was answered by Austin’s 171 yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons, a 37-21 victory for the Cowboys
Austin didn’t’ get 100 yards the next week against the Seahawks, but he did get a touchdown, bringing his grand total to 6, tying him for the league lead. Just as a side note, I think it’s weird how all the commentator’s only mention Austin’s numbers in the 3 games he’s been a starter. They’re overlooking another 81 yards and a touchdown whenever they do this.
Austin wasn’t the only Dallas receiver to respond positively when needed. Patrick Crayton (whom I have loved ever since he caught the game winner from Testaverde against the Redskins in his rookie year) got benched after that Chiefs game and responded by not only catching a TD pass in the following game, but took 2 punts to the house in successive games. Crayton tends to respond well to negative reinforcement.
Romo, meanwhile, has been looking more comfortable in this “Romo Friendly” offense each and every week. I read a good article in the Dallas News online about the definition of Romo Friendly. You might want to check it out. I mentioned somewhere awhile back, as a reference to the movie Bagger Vance, that Romo needed to find his “authentic swing”. Meaning, find that thing you were born to do, and do it in the manner you were born to do it. It seems like he’s found his authentic swing all right. In the last 3 games, Romo has zero interceptions. That’s right, zero. Overall he has 12 TD's against 4 INT’s and has been sacked only 5 times during that 3 game span.
During this week the media tried to make something out of nothing with exploiting certain comments that Roy Williams made. Tony Romo responded by saying that his team is too strong to be divided by this kind of crap anymore. Not in those exact words, mind you. The point is Romo has arrived, both as a player and a team leader.
So things are definitely looking up for the Cowboys. They’re also looking up for the Eagles, or are they? In the wake of the Giants three game losing streak, the Eagles are now being crowned as one of the best teams in the conference. I’m here to tell you they are beatable. In the past three weeks, the Eagles have lost to the Raiders, looked sloppy while beating the awful Redskins, and put the beat down on a Giant’s defense that in its current state of injury couldn’t stop my grandkids (such as the latest edition, George William, born on the 5th of November) from scoring touchdowns. Speaking of Philly touchdowns, did you see that blatant hold committed against the Giants on the Leonard Weaver run? Wow, the officiating this year is more horrendous than ever. But I digress.
My point is this – the Eagles definitely have playmakers on their team, but let’s not pretend halfway into the season that they’re the Lombardi Packers. The Cowboys aren’t going to travel to Philadelphia just to prostrate themselves to the mighty Eagles (unlike last year). The Cowboys are healthy, they’re determined, they’re talented, and unlike last year, they’re a team in the truest sense of the word.
Cowboy Musings
Welcome to the debut of Cowboy Musings, a sort of hodge podge specifically designed for bye week, but also returnable whenever I deem fit. Hope you enjoy –
How Will We Replace TO’s Production? Did we see the debut of the next great passing combination in Cowboys lore this past Sunday, or was Miles Austin a flash in the pan? That question seems to be a topic on most Cowboy fans minds since Austin broke Bullet Bob Hayes’ record of receiving yards in a game by totally 250 against the Chiefs. I think a better question would be how is Austin going to perform under constant double coverage now? P.S. Last time TO had a 200 yard receiving day was 11 months ago.
Roy Williams On The Brink? After Tony Romo helped Roy get hammered by a Broncos linebacker 8 days ago, and seeing the sudden success of Miles Austin as a growing favorite of Romo among the Cowboy wideouts, I can’t help but wonder if Roy will have some sort of meltdown at any point during the season, especially if he continues to be largely ineffective.
Where Are The Penalty Flags? Between last week’s hit on Roy Williams (hitting a defenseless receiver if I ever saw it) and this week’s non call when Romo got hit helmet to helmet, it makes me wonder what the refs are looking at. Neither one of these games was at Dallas, so therefore the “HD Jumbotron As Distracter” can’t be an excuse.
OH That’s Right, They’re Only Getting Flags When Dallas Does It. Sure the Cowboys are once again committing more than their fair share of valid penalties, but some of these calls are so ticky tack as to be ridiculous. Speaking of which….
If This Team Ever Learns To Concentrate and stops committing stupid penalties at the worst times (is there ever any good time for a penalty?) they have the look of a team that can grow into the best team in the conference, and I kid you not. The offense is number one in the league in several key stats and the defense is coming along.
An Early Take On Draft Needs: Left Tackle, Center/Guard, Wide Receiver, Nose Tackle, Safety. Left Tackle must be high priority. I’m not really sure how much useful time Flozell Adams has left.
Winning Cures All Ills. Looking at the highlight of Miles Austin’s game winning touchdown catch on Sunday, there’s an angle that I especially like. It shows Austin from the front as he’s running toward the camera, and he has a huge grin on his face. “Football’s fun, sir.”
Winning Cures All Ills Part 2. Romo and Austin were having a race getting changed in the locker room after the game, trying to be the first to the post game presser podium. A team official was refereeing the contest. Miles finished first of course and Romo quipped “You don’t have to do anything with your hair do you?” Austin’s head is shaved. Point being, Romo appears to be having fun again. He’s been saying the right things all along and he gets better from week to week. Fans should remember that Fun Having Romo (aka Schoolyard Romo) is Pro Bowl Romo.
Romo’s Quiet Record Season. I know it slipped by most of us, but two of Romo’s games this year have been his two best passing days as a Cowboy. Yeah, I know “Look who they’ve played.” In retort I can only say – Shut Up.
Peak At The Right Time. The most successful teams peak in December. The Cowboys in recent years have been fast out of the gate and petering out in the end. This year looks very different.
And lastly some Tashard love – Strictly my opinion, but Tashard Choice is possibly the most valuable third string back of all time.
It’s been a bumpy ride so far for Cowboy fans, but hopefully the team will keep improving and finish strong. Here’s hoping your bye weekend passes quickly.
Problems ? What Problems ?
Yesterday the surprising Denver Broncos took their turn in league prominence by beating, as rumor has it, a “good team” in the Dallas Cowboys. Supposedly beating the Cowboys is now some sort of standard you can judge yourself by. Judging by what I saw in the second half – not sure what it was but it wasn’t very good football
– I would say that the media needs some sort of standards adjustment.
Don’t mistake me. I give proper respect to the Broncos #1 defense, which shut down the Cowboys attack in the second half, although it wasn’t exactly unaided. The deadly combination of “Timid Garrett” and “Classical Romo” were the real culprits that did the Cowboys in.
Timid Garrett grew afraid to run Marion Barber in the second half (read: continue your first half success) for reasons known LITERALLY only to him. Certainly the head coach didn’t know anything about it. To top that off, Cute Garrett decided to make a showing by constantly passing on first down even though it was obvious his quarterback was having a hard time finding receivers under 12 feet tall.
Combine this with Classical Romo, by which of course I mean the opposite of Schoolyard Romo (aka Pro Bowl Romo) who for some reason was overthrowing his receivers all day, in an apparent attempted murder spree. If I were Roy Williams I’d be paying Tony a visit right now. Additionally Classical Romo decided to pick on the league’s best defensive back who was guarding a #5 wideout TWICE in a row, despite the fact that on both plays Miles Austin was open in the end zone.
The end result of this equation was a 17-10 loss which was decidedly not as close as the score indicated. Props are due to the defense who held their ground as long as they could under the circumstances. There are only so many three and outs you can handle, especially a mile above sea level.
So what’s wrong with this team? Here's a list of problems that have been brought up by various fans and commentators:
Romo is the problem. He needs to go back to the Schoolyard Days.
Wade is the problem. He doesn't hold the team accountable.
Garrett is the problem. He has bought into his own "genius" and is getting too cute.
Jerry is the problem. All problems start at the top.
Wide receivers are the problem. They can't get separation.
I could go on, but I don't want to belabor the point. It’s hard to disagree with any of them.
All of these are indeed problems, and I've had plenty of experience in the navy solving problems. The first thing I learned about solving problems is that first you have to acknowledge that one exists. My favorite catch phrase used to be "there are no problems, only solutions waiting to happen". That was my attitude. It reflected the fact that problems are really opportunities to grow and improve.
So what bothers me the most is that Jerry Jones will not acknowledge there is a problem. He is the ultimate homer, the pinnacle in sunshine pumping. What he doesn't realize is that his refusal to see the problems only ensures that they will continue and even grow until they become even more unmanageable.
Yes, there are plenty of people and circumstances that brought about this ridiculous state of our beloved Cowboys. I suspect that there is not just one thing to blame (ie its all on Romo, all on Garrett, etc). It's not even all Jerry Jones' fault. But he does have to bear the responsibility for the problem spiraling out of control, in the fact that he refuses to even acknowledge that one exists. In the old days Jerry would get angry and start dropping F-Bombs in the locker room. These days F-Bomb Jerry has been replaced by Stepford Jerry. “Nothing’s wrong. Can I get you some sweet tea?”
If anyone that reads this by some small chance is in Jerry's circle, please relay this to him:
Mr. Jones, just admit there's a problem so that steps can be taken to fix it. You once termed yourself as the "current custodian" of the Cowboys. Well, there's a mess to be cleaned up, time to get to work.
From the Panthers to the Ponies
This past Monday the Cowboys snuck in their first regular season victory in Cowboys Stadium (not Dallas Cowboys Stadium as was referred to by certain commentators), by beating the Carolina Panthers 21-7.
The offense and defense both looked flat in the first half, with the exception of the stellar running game (212 yards on 32 carries for a whopping 6.6 ypc). The Cowboys went into the locker room trailing 7-0 but came out as though coach Wade Phillips had turned into Knute Rockne during the break.
Three straight three and outs for the Panthers gave the offense a lift, which scored 15 unanswered points to go with the defense’s touchdown courtesy of a Terrence Newman pick six to seal the game. The D further got on track by registering it’s first 3 sacks of the season (1 by Jay Ratliffe, 2 by rookie LB Victor Butler) and got three turnovers (1 fumble, 2 picks).
Overall, this game was encouraging due to the fact that it was the second straight game with 200-plus yards rushing, and the defense stuck around for the entire game to seal it for Dallas.
Next game is this Sunday at Mile High Stadium in Denver. The Broncos appear at first glance to be a very similar team to the Cowboys, with a run oriented offense, but Denver’s bubble is about to be burst. Their smallish front seven is not going to be any match for the Cowboys’ wide bodies on the offensive line, and when they decide to put 8 or more men in the box to try to stop the run (and they WILL, since there is no way their front seven is going to stop the Cowboys run game), they are going to get burned by the myriad of Cowboys passing weapons. If they don’t do this, then look for Dallas to chew up a lot of real estate and clock with the combination of Marion Barber and Tashard Choice running the ball.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys run defense is quickly turning into one of the leagues best after a poor showing at Tampa in the first game. The main question is whether Kyle Orton can beat the poor tackling Dallas defensive backfield.
I see this going all the Cowboys way, 31-13 or so.
A New Theory On Romo
Tony Romo, by nature, is a quarterback who loves to toss the ball around and make things happen. It’s what made put him where he is today, as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Fans remember that magical first season, when Romo took over from Drew Bledsoe 6 games into the 2006 season and started electrifying us with his ability to make something out of nothing. But with this year's new style of ball control, double tight end offense, he has to be more patient. It’s sort of like going from a Ferrari to a Toyota. Nothing’s wrong with driving a Toyota. They’re very efficient automobiles and they will take you anywhere you want to go, just not in the same style as a Ferrari.
If you will notice, in preseason Romo did not throw a deep ball the whole time. That’s right. Not one deep pass was let loose. A lot of us, including me, were just itching to see the deep ball be thrown, so much so that we even started discussions about when the first one will be, who will catch it, etc. But we got the super efficient, less glamorous ball control offense instead. We got the type of offense that typified the glory years of the 80’s NFC Super Bowl offenses. We got the type of offense that wins championships.
Not only that, but since becoming the starter, Romo has averaged 34 passing attempts per game. This year in two games he is averaging 28, which is 18 percent fewer – nearly 1 in 5 less. Tony Romo is used to throwing the ball and making things happen. He’s used to making schoolyard type, something out of nothing plays. Unfortunately, turnovers are inevitable in that style of play. This year’s offense calls for none of that. It calls for a lot of running, and a controlled, efficient passing attack.
So my theory is this - those passes he threw in the Tampa game stirred in Romo the memories of 2006 and 2007, where he was running around with the team on his shoulders making plays. And who can blame him? It's not easy going to a Toyota from a Ferrari. When that happens you're going to want to floor it sometimes even though it's a Toyota you're driving.
So my theory on the whole thing - why he went from his best day passing straight to his worst - is that the old urges came back out and he had to put the ball on some ill advised paths.
In effect, the Giants scenario was inevitable. If not against the Giants, it would have come against the Panthers or the Chiefs. But be assured, it would have come. It was bound to happen.
That's why you should view the Giants game as an anomaly, a necessary evil. That night had to come in order to reinforce in Romo that he must be patient with the football - this year's offensive strategy is going to require much more of it than he's had to use since becoming the starter. That's why he was using words like "dumb decisions" when describing his turnovers. People don't make dumb decisions when they're taking their time. They make them when they are in a hurry to make something happen.
For a little while last Sunday night, Romo stepped out of the “Romo-Friendly” offense and back into the old model, the Ferrari (the one that broke down on the side of the road eventually). Unlike last year’s model, this Toyota doesn't have a Ferrari engine. The parts that made it a Ferrari were the same parts that caused the breakdown – untimely turnovers by the Hollywood quarterback and a prima donna me-first star wide receiver. So in this case it’s better to have the Toyota, if you care about getting where you want to go.
Rest assured, Tony Romo has been duly reinforced in the wisdom of taking advantage of what the defense is giving away. He had his night at the street races, and it didn’t turn out so well. Monday night he leaves for a road trip. The long road to whatever destiny is in store for him. Hopefully that Toyota will get him there safely.
This Defense Is Broken
On a typical night, under typical conditions, especially early in the season, a 2 point loss doesn’t sound too bad. It sounds pretty competitive and the small score differential implies that the team has nothing to be ashamed of. You win some of those types of games, you lose some. Were you a casual observer and the only thing you knew about last night’s home opener against the Giants was the final score, you would probably assume the previous to be the case. If so, you would be wrong.
First, the particulars – the New York Football Giants walked into the national tv debut of Cowboys Stadium and spoiled the party, 33-31 on a last second field goal. During the process the Cowboys offense amassed 200 yards rushing but also committed 3 turnovers via Tony Romo spontaneously playing catch with the Giants defensive backs. The fourth turnover came courtesy of special teams, where apparently Felix Jones, as electrifying as he is, forgot all about holding on to the ball and simply dropped it. Perhaps he was distracted by himself on the humongous HDTV above.
The Cowboys trailed most of the game but kept it close at all times, finally taking the lead with a little over 2 minutes remaining on a Felix Jones touchdown run. Score: Dallas 31, New York 30. All you need is the defense to stop Eli and company, and the Cowboys are in first place by themselves. Instead, the Giants marched downfield and scored a field goal on the last snap of the game to win, 33-31.
Most everybody is taking the easy way out and blaming the offense. That’s not an unreasonable assumption, considering the 3 turnovers they committed. I thought about it too last night. Luckily for me, there was Romo bashing galore on various message boards (along with Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett of course) and therefore I didn’t have to do it myself, which gave me time to think about it.
At this point I will submit a few quick points to ponder about the Cowboys defense. For starters, they are ranked 30th in the NFL. Between actual yards and penalties, they’ve given up 900 yards in two games. Most damning, the Boys have zero sacks (the only team in the league with that distinction) and no turnovers. Mull that over a bit while you’re bashing the franchise quarterback.
The whole point of this column is this - what the Cowboys currently have is the complete inability to pressure the quarterback. Pressuring the quarterback tends to force turnovers and gets pressure off the defensive backs. Defensively, it’s a pretty darn good formula for success. And it’s currently something that appears out of reach in Dallas. This defense is Wade’s baby and I’m sure he’ll fix it. But until they start being successful at getting to the quarterback, consider this defense broken.
After a Slow Start Cowboys Beat Bucs 34-21
T – Who ????
When Tony Romo was busy throwing three touchdown passes for a career high 353 yards on Sunday, I found myself musing about the Team Obliterator. You know, the guy whose production the Cowboys were supposedly not going to be able to replace. In the midst of all that, my eldest boy said, “A better question would be ‘What’s TO going to do without the Cowboys ?’” Kind of makes me think there’s hope in America’s Youth.
When all was said and done, the Boys had beaten the Buccaneers 34-21 (including one garbage touchdown at the end for Tampa) to start off the season on the right foot.
And speaking of a foot, the now legendary (to Cowboys fans) David Beuhler (Bee-ler) had three touchbacks, to surpass in one game the amount of touchbacks the Cowboys had all year, which was namely zero. And people thought he was a wasted draft pick.
The only worrisome thing about the whole game was the run defense. The Boys allowed a ton of yardage on the ground, and with the Giants coming up next week, that needs to get fixed immediately. On to the highs and lows:
Highs:
Miles Austin’s move on the touchdown reception was a thing of beauty. The defensive backs shoes are probably still there on the turf at Tampa’s stadium.
Patrick Crayton went to speed school in the offseason, and showed it off on an 80 yard TD catch and run (T-Who ??). In the locker room after the game, Crayton jokingly asked Roy Williams when’s the last time he went 80 yards. Roy anwered “Last year.” When Crayton demanded to know where that happened Roy answered “In Madden.”
Gerald Sensabaugh: His blocked field goal attempt shows a big part of the reason why Joe DeCamilis brought him here in the offseason. The other being his coverage skills, which all in all were decent.
Special Teams overall, were excellent. They allowed no big returns, made a big play, and Nick Folk was perfect on field goal attempts, including a 51 yarder to open the scoring.
Penalties. The Cowboys only committed four all day, which is a complete change from past seasons. Hopefully the trend will continue.
Lows:
The run defense was porous. You cannot allow that many rushing yards against the New York Giants and expect to win.
Penalties. Although they only committed four, two of them were very costly. One of them served to negate an interception by Mike Jenkins (that penalty was bogus by the way), and the other negated a good Patrick Crayton run on a reverse.
All in all, it was a good effort as far as a season opener goes. Defenses always seem to start slow and get better as the season wears on. But the run defense needs to get better in a flash if the Cowboys expect to be able to take on the Giants. As usual, Brandon Jacobs has been running his mouth and putting his ignorance on full display, but in the end I think the Boys win by a score of 31-24.
Highlights and Lowlights From Cowboys-Titans
The football debut of the brand spankin’ new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington is in the books, and what a debut it was. The stadium and field look pristine. Especially eye catching are the titanic glass doors at each end of the stadium, and the literally bigger than life video board. To call it a “jumbotron” is a gross disservice.
Something this special deserves a brand new name – something even more fancy than simply “video board”. I shall term it “the gigantic video hulk of doom and bringer of apocalypse”. Bet me money that Jeff Fisher would agree that such a term is appropriate.
But enough of the trappings, or in chef terms “presentation”. Let’s get on to what really brought us to Cowboys Stadium this past Friday – Cowboys Football !
Mandatory Disclaimer – It’s still pre-season.
The first team offense continues to impress, and keep in mind they haven’t even shown half their hand yet. After the almost obligatory 3 and out to start the game, the offense put together an outstanding 9 minute drive, featuring a good mixture of pass and run. Kudos to Jason Garrett for his play calling. One gets the feeling he’s been doing an awful lot of studying and strategizing in the offseason.
The defense looked tough and pretty much stuffed the Titans offense. Perhaps Jeff Fisher was too busy to notice this while he was formulating his comments about the video board, since he failed to mention the fact that his team got their butts handed to them in his post game presser. (See above disclaimer).
What I really wanted to see though, were the backups. After all, some of these guys are going to make the team and I wanted to get a better grasp of how good or bad our backups are going to be. Last year taught us how important some of these guys will be. I will tell you the jury is still out but they look improved over the previous week loss to the Raiders.
Let’s get on to the highs on lows:
Highs:
Tony Romo – He’s looking like first-year Romo again, only more mature. As someone else wrote on a different website that I normally hang out on, he “looks like he has purpose”. To me that hits the nail right on the head. Now that The Player is gone, he has gone back to his spread the wealth philosophy, completing passes to 6 different receivers on his way to 192 passing yards in the first half.
Felix Jooooooooones – I spell it that way because it seems like every other time he touches the ball I’m shouting out his name that way. Might as well spell it the same. This kid must remain healthy and he must be a big part of the Cowboys plans. He’s the most electrifying player in the division.
Kevin Ogletree – Last week I wrote that at a minimum he’s as good or better at returning kicks than Stanback, which gives him a place on special teams over Stanback. This time around Ogletree showcased his receiver talents, which are obviously better than Stanback’s. He ended up with 3 catches for 37 yards and a great catch on a touchdown. My money says Ogletree makes the final 53 and Stanback doesn’t.
Kareem Lattimore – Another kid who got mentioned last week for his hard running. This week he continued that trend. I’ll repeat my comment from last week and say it’s too bad there’s not really any room on the roster for him. I’m hoping he’ll clear waivers and end up on our practice squad.
Lows:
The Turnstile – Cowboys fans know who I mean. Seriously, can we just sign some maintenance worker off the street to play backup center ? How bad is it when the ref says “False start – everyone but the center”. Can you at least concentrate long enough to get the snap count right ? I guess not, because it actually happened twice. I guess the second time the ref didn’t think it was funny. I didn’t either. Good news though. Apparently the Cowboys are signing backup guard/center Duke Preston from Green Bay. As they say, players are let go for a reason, but can he really be any worse than what we’ve got ?
Coverage Units – I know it’s preseason but please can we tackle someone on special teams ? I thought this was going to be a major improvement. We gave up a 51 yard kick return and a 21 yard punt return. Dallas also committed some penalties in the return game, one nullifying a good return by Miles Austin. It’s preseason. Just keep saying it.
Due to the fact that it’s preseason I tend to temper my excitement during wins and disappointment during losses, but it’s pretty hard to find fault with a 30-10 win, though not impossible. Next game will be a better indicator because it’s a regular season dress rehearsal game. The final preseason game will be absolutely meaningless and rookies and free agents will receive max playing time in that one.
Back to the Top
What If: Hurd’s Role In Romo’s Destiny
In doing some research on Tony Romo stats for a future column, I came upon a fact that I had forgotten. This forgotten piece of history enables us to play a little alternate reality, just for fun. So let’s set the stage.
In 2006, a floundering Drew Bledsoe had just been replaced at halftime against the Giants, by second stringer Tony Romo. Romo’s first pass was deflected and intercepted. Although he showed us enough flashes in that half of football to give a little hope, he also threw a pick six and Dallas fell to the Giants that night, 36-22.
The next game against the Panthers was Romo’s first NFL start. Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter Dallas had managed to close the gap to 14-13 and were set to kick it off. There were only a little over 9 minutes left to play in that game. Had the Panthers gotten any kind of decent return and driven to a score, the Cowboys would have been down by 8 points with, let’s say, no more than 5 minutes left on the clock (for sake of argumentation). One good defensive stand by the Panthers and a clock eating drive, and it’s game over, Romo loses his first start.
Would coach Bill Parcells have stuck to his guns when he asserted that the starters change had been made for good ? Would the Cowboys hopes have been deflated, causing them to go on a losing streak and end up with a high draft pick instead of a playoff berth ? If so, they almost certainly would have to spend it on a quarterback, who may or may not have taken a couple of years to develop. Possibly we would have filled in with yet another veteran bus driver. The whole complexion of the team would have been changed. Perhaps no DeMarcus Ware even. One can easily see how many divergent paths the Cowboys could have taken, based on that one special teams play.
But what happened instead was Sam Hurd. He raced down the field on the kick, causing and recovering a fumble. On the very next play, Julius Jones scored from the 14 to give the Cowboys the lead and the momentum. The Cowboys ended up winning and riding the momentum into a playoff berth. What happened there is a completely different “what if”, which may be for another time.
Lots of things have happened with the Cowboys and Tony Romo since that evening in 2006, some bad, some good. But at the moment most Cowboys fans and members of the organization will tell you they like our chances with the team makeup that we have. Nobody’s talking Super Bowl. Let’s say we’re guardedly optimistic. And it just may be partly due to the fact that Sam Hurd made the special teams play of his life that day.
Highlights and Lowlights From Cowboys-Raiders
The first preseason game is in the books, with the Cowboys reserves losing to the Raiders reserves 31-10 in Oakland. Ugly as the score was, at the very least it revealed some important facts about this Cowboy team.
The first team offense looked fairly crisp and efficient, despite having a Marion Barber touchdown nullified by a holding penalty. Protection was good, Tony Romo had all day before he found Jason Witten in the left front corner of the end zone for the touchdown.
The drive had a good mixture of running and passing plays, highlighted by a 14 yard Felix Jones run and a Romo to Williams hookup on the sideline. But it was pretty much all downhill from there. Here are the highs and lows:
Highs:
Sam Hurd – He got a leg up on Miles Austin in the competition to be the third wide receiver by making several good plays on one drive. He definitely came to play.
The Running Backs – All of them did rather well, including Keon Lattimore, who ran hard in his time in the second half. Unfortunately Lattimore will probably end up on another team due to roster limitations.
Kevin Ogletree – Definitely looks like he could be a better returner than Stanback. He moves a lot smoother and doesn’t hesitate as much. And if Stanback continues to be anonymous in the rest of the preseason games Ogletree might take his roster spot.
Gerald Sensabaugh – Had a hard hit to break up a pass. He also had a PI called against him but it was a ticky tack Cowboys-special penalty. My fellow fans know what I mean.
Doug Free – As a backup lineman, looked pretty decent, especially in the passing game.
Lows:
Miles Austin – His only moment in the spotlight last night involved a dropped pass. Way to step up, Miles.
Mike Mickens – The athletic young rookie looked completely lost out there. I will give him a pass here though based on his youth and the fact he missed the OTA’s and part of camp.
Courtney Brown – Seriously, does this guy really belong on an NFL roster ? Steal a quote from Remember the Titans, he got beat “like he stole something” all night.
Willie Reid – We are looking at him as a punt return specialist, but last night he broke the cardinal rule of punt returners – Never field a ball inside your own ten. Not only did he try to field a punt at the ten, but he muffed it, and a couple plays later the Raiders had another touchdown.
Cory Procter – Apparently he can’t play center any better than he plays guard. If he is on the roster come September, and Gurode suffers an injury, well there goes our season.
Overall the second team defense needs some tackling lessons, and the presence of Cory Procter and Courtney Brown on our roster really scares me. Can they seriously not find anybody better than these guys ? Really ?
Looking Back, Looking Forward
44-6
The taste of that kind of defeat doesn’t go away quickly. I know because I have tried. Even through arguing from my optimistic viewpoint over internet boards, pointing out this and that reason why that game is far removed from the present, I cannot deny that the specter of shame and loss remains lurking about in the room.
Every now and then a whiff of it comes around and prods the memory, like a precocious boy poking a dead animal with a stick. So let’s just clear the air.
I don’t know where you were on that day in December ’08, but odds are if you’re a Cowboy fan, you remember. Living in Virginia as I do, and as a cable subscriber, I was glued to the old laptop on NFL.com, and listening to an internet stream of the local radio affiliate. Even at halftime, with the score 27-3, I believed we could still come back and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But there was something I didn’t know. Nobody told me, or any other fan, that the team had failed to show up. What I was listening to via the wonders of the internet, was not the actual Dallas Cowboys, but some joke of a replacement team straight from the 1980’s. It was as though a snowball, having started at the top of the mountain, had just made impact with the creaky old house at the bottom.
Let’s examine how that snowball got there. First of all, there was the most devastating injury of the year, which happened to Kyle Kosier a few games into the season. Kosier’s replacement, Cory Proctor, was more suited to be a backup center than a starting guard in the NFL, and proceeded to prove the point. You know the rest of the story. Romo went down for four weeks, leaving Brad Checkdown Johnson to lead the team.
Then the running backs were hit. First Felix Jones, then Marion Barber, went down with injuries. Tashard Choice was a more than capable replacement, but couldn’t duplicate the football speed and scoring threat of Felix Jones. Then “the player who shall not be named” started some weird conspiracy theory involving Romo and his favorite target, Jason Witten. I will now formally apologize to Ed Werder, whom I accused in many a TO-related thread of making up the whole thing.
TO wasn’t the only cancer on the team. But the other cancers are gone too. In their place are talented athletes with a team mentality. In the fired special teams coach’s place is the fiery and talented Joe DeCamilis, lately out of Jacksonville. In defensive coordinator Brian Stewart’s place is now Wade Phillips. I still laugh when I hear commentators talk about Stewart, who took a job with the Eagles, “knows the Cowboys defense”. If he knew it that well, he would still be with Dallas.
The specter of that defeat is not going away anytime soon. In fact, it will hang around, peeking around corners until Nov 8, 2009, when the Cowboys next visit Lincoln Financial Field. As a columnist, I expect the results will be different. As a fan, I demand them to be. And why should I ?
Because this is not that team. These Dallas Cowboys, so far this offseason and into training camp, have the look of something completely different. This team is not ego driven or drama fueled. This team is young, hungry, and itching to make a name for themselves. They know they have to earn their way to the top, and they have the talent and ability to do it.
Next Up: Observations from the first preseason game…
Five Things (Not Named Tony Romo) To Watch For
Does anyone else hate this time of year? It seems like an eternity since the draft and yet we still have more than two weeks before training camp begins. So to help break the monotony, here for your discussion pleasure, I present to you five things to watch for through training camp and preseason.
1. Special Teams. In the old days, little Cowboy fans everywhere went to the bathroom during special teams play, because they were boring. In more recent times we had to find excuses to leave the room because special teams had become too painful (and here I just refer you back to the Arizona game which was a clinic in how not to play special teams). But this year special teams stands a good chance to be a very solid part of the Cowboys’ game. You have talented players returning healthy, new talented blood infused, and one heck of a good special teams coach in Joe DeCamillis. Is it time to kickoff yet?
2. Jones and Barber in The Same Backfield. The Cowboys are apparently planning to take advantage of opposing defenses by putting Felix Jones and Marion Barber on the field at the same time in certain situations. If that is true, the word advantage is an understatement. Who the heck needs a fullback anyway?
3. The Defensive Backfield. Raise your hand if you think DeMarcus Ware will be the key to the Cowboys defense this year? Well, you’re all wrong. I didn’t say biggest playmaker, or most talented, mind you. The key to this defense truly succeeding is none other than Gerald Sensabaugh. Last year the Cowboys defense was flat out handicapped by not having a strong safety that could adequately cover a receiver. The revolving door at the position was so bad it affected Ken Hamlin because he pretty much had to cover the entire middle of the field all by his lonesome. Not so this year. Sensabaugh, who by the way is also a very good special teams player, can cover and cover well. As the defense demonstrated last year, you can lead the league in sacks but if you’re not getting interceptions it’s going to hurt. This year the Cowboys defense will be a complete unit.
4. The Double Tight End Formation. If you told me to make a list of things I’m looking forward to in September, number one would be the double tight end formation in the Dallas offense. Keep in mind I have two children who have birthdays that month. Think about it. You have two very talented tight ends, lining up one of any variety of ways (one as an H-back, the other out wide; both on either side of the formation, both as wideouts on the same side of the field, etc.) and you can basically run any type of play you want. The defense will be forced to keep guessing because it’s a strong running formation, and with motion it’s also a strong passing formation. Let’s say it’s 2nd and 5. You’ve got Barber and TE Martellus Bennett in the backfield, Witten up on the line as a TE, and 2 WR’s. It looks like a running formation with Bennett as the lead blocker. Suddenly he goes in motion, leaving a tight end and a wide receiver on each side of the field. Now what, defense? Are you going to blitz the pass? Commit to stopping the run? Try to cover what are essentially now four wide receivers?? Yeah, I can’t wait. Is it September yet?
5. The 46 Defense. The Cowboys used this famous formation on a limited basis last year with good success. They will continue it’s limited use this season but you can believe that the success level will be higher. Why? The 46 (not 4-6) is all about creating pressure and forcing the quarterback into making a decision before he wants to. It’s also a great defense for stopping the run. The difference between last year and this, is the Cowboys secondary is better. As a result of the pressure being brought to the line of scrimmage, the cornerbacks are on an island. Anthony Henry, a smart veteran, had lost a step and is gone now, replaced by a younger, more athletic Mike Jenkins. Jenkins has coverage skill aplenty, and recovery speed (something Henry didn’t have) just in case he gets fooled. This defense, although not the main defensive set by any means (being as it is, vulnerable to the short passing game) will be responsible for creating plenty of turnovers, which is something Dallas sorely lacked in 2008.
So again I ask, is it September yet?
Cowboys Roster Series: The Defense
Somehow it seemed appropriate, for the roster series, to do a piece on the defense as a whole, instead of individual units. I say this because many analysts (by which I mean ex-players – most actual journalists try to learn about new players before they see them on tv) are misreading the changes that have been made this offseason. All they can see is that we have lost players, including three starters. A superficial analysis will tell you that’s bad. But let’s take a closer look.
When NFL Network analysts were answering the question “Is the Dallas defense going to be better or worse this year?” they seemed to agree that the Cowboys defense would be worse. What was their rationale? Warren Sapp was quick to point out the loss of Tank Johnson as a reason. I would put that in the category of “curious” when it comes to opinions, and I think I’m being generous in doing so. I would like to ask Mr. Sapp “How badly are you going to miss a player who had all of 22 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble ?” It was further pointed out the loss of perennial pro-bowler (sarcasm, in case you missed it) Chris Canty would, combined with other defensive “losses” such as safety Roy Williams, doom the Doomsday defense to mediocrity. To coin a phrase, that’s something that makes you go “hmm”.
Overall, the Cowboys defense got sufficiently better to be an early favorite to be a top five unit. Here’s why I think so: Tank Johnson was clearly not a good fit as a 3-4 nose tackle. He made his fame by being a 4-3 defensive tackle with the Bears, but as a Cowboy he was practically non-existent. Last year Cowboy fans used to joke about not knowing Tank was still on the team. After the Philadelphia debacle he showed his true colors by voicing his anticipation of leaving town.
Junior Siavii, on the other hand, is a player who is completely anonymous to most NFL fans, but is a NT that Wade Phillips is very high on. He reluctantly let him go last year at the end of training camp, but as soon as he became available again in the offseason, Wade brought him back. Phillips is no slacker when it comes to evaluating defensive talent. And it’s not like Siavii (or whoever wins the backup spot this offseason) is going to see a ton of reps in place of pro bowler Jay Ratliffe.
At defensive end, Igor Olshansky will replace the departed Chris Canty. They are similar players, the main difference being that Olshansky is better against the run. Olshansky also has been tutuored in the Phillips 3-4, when Wade was his defensive coordinator in San Diego.
Recently, I watched, painful as it was, the ending of the Baltimore Ravens game last year. Over and over. You know, the one where the defense allowed the Ravens to close out Texas Stadium history with not one, but two long runs for touchdowns to win the game. I watched those particular plays for what seemed an eternity, in slow motion. Most of us fans and commentators alike blame safety Ken Hamlin for his inability to make a play those two times. But I gotta tell you, there’s something I noticed. On both of those plays, it grows pretty obvious the more you look at it, LB Zach Thomas was targeted and steamrolled by key blocks. He was the guy that allowed the ball carrier to reach the secondary. Zach Thomas is not around anymore to get pancaked like that. We’ll see how Brookings does in his stead. Brookings has better size and should be an upgrade.
Another linebacker the Cowboys lost was Kevin Burnett, an athletic player who may just be starting to come into his own in this league. That one might hurt a little. But in his stead we drafted a whole slew of young athletic linebackers, including third rounder Jason Williams, probably one of the most athletic linebackers in the draft. Time will tell on this one. I’m not ready to call it an upgrade yet. Nor am I ready to call it a downgrade. Let’s call it a maybe/maybe not.
It’s a given in the NFL that Roy Williams the safety can’t cover. It’s like saying “kick early, go for it late”. A basic truth. That’s not to say he’s not going to have success this year for his new team, the Cincinnati Bengals. They run a style of defense that’s more suited to Roy’s talents. Instead we have a young, up and coming safety in Gerald Sensabaugh, who can actually cover and is a soild special teams player. It’s difficult to overstate what having a safety who can cover means to this defense’s success. That’s a definite upgrade. Continuing on with the secondary, the Boys raised some eyebrows by trading starting corner Anthony Henry to Detroit for Jon Kitna. Yes, Henry was a starter, but had lost a sufficient number of steps and “health points” and he was probably not going to start this year anyway. And as it turns out, the Boys have lots of fine young cornerbacks who really have good man/press coverage skills. This will allow Phillips to be more creative with blitz packages and bringing pressure on the quarterback from a variety of places. Look for the Cowboys to continue the trend of being among the league leaders in sacks in 2009. Again, more upgrades.
Besides the positive changes we’ve seen on defense, there’s always the fact that the best defensive player in the league, DeMarcus Ware, plays here. Then there’s one of the best nose tackles (Jay Ratliffe), a top flight corner (Terrence Newman), an emerging leader at SILB (Bradie James), a solid run stuffing DE (Marcus Spears), and two potentialy talented young cover corners (Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick) returning for another season.
So far, realizing that training camp hasn’t even started, this defense looks like it could have great potential (at least in the small amount of practice we have seen them in thus far). They look good enough to make you wonder if they are really that good or is the offense deciding to take the early summer off. I can’t wait to find out.
Roster Series Part 4 – Running Backs/Tight Ends
Today we’re closing out the offensive half of our roster series by corralling two of the strongest positions on the offense – running back and tight end.
At the beginning of last season the Boys thought they had a decent running game. After all, they had Marion Barber, he of the run over defenders and inspire his teammates with gritty play fame. Then they discovered they had a special little weapon in the form of Felix Jones, who in just his second game as a Cowboy took a kickoff to the house against the Eagles. At different points of the season both were injured, thus leading the Cowboys to yet another discovery - that Tashard Choice can really carry the rock, even against the best defenses in the league. So we went from having a solid running back to having a three headed attack that people have even thrown a nickname on – Smash, Dash, and Tash. The challenge for Jason Garrett this year is going to be how to properly use these talented backs.
As for tight ends, the Cowboys began the season with arguably the best tight end in football – Jason Witten. Witten had his typical season – 81 receptions, 952 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He did this depite having bruised ribs for part of the season (he mission zero games). Not only that, but they discovered that they have a freakish athlete in Martellus Bennett (Marty B to the fans). And despite the fact that the show “Hard Knocks” portrayed him as somewhat lazy, he certainly came along to show his athletic ability during the regular season.
So here’s the rundown:
RB Marion Barber – Last year the league instituted the so called Marion Barber rule, wherein an offensive player may not “stiff arm” or grab an opposing defenders face mask. Seems to be that this rule has always been in effect. “Then, I’m going to use the elbow,” Barber said, jokingly, before adding, “I didn’t even know. I’m going to have to read up on it. So you can’t stiff arm at all? What about the throat?” My point is that Barber’s mentality is to punish the defense more than the defense punishes Barber, which completely works for me.
RB Felix Jones – I like to gloat just as much as the next guy. So I don’t mind telling you that last year, when some of my fellow Cowboys fans were screaming for a blockbuster draft trade involving Darren McFadden, I looked at McFadden and his Arkansas teammate Jones, and said I would rather have Jones because he can do more for you. While McFadden is a talented workhorse back, Felix Jones has the versatility and the capability to score on any given play, and he certainly looked it last year before being sidelined with an injury.
RB Tashard Choice - After the glitzy pick of Felix Jones in the first round in the 2008 draft, Choice almost seemed like an afterthought. Cowboys fans are sure glad the thought occurred. Injuries would have forced the Cowboys to start some guy named Alonzo Coleman against some of the league’s best defenses. Instead we got Choice and total yardage gains of 166 yards (vs. Pittsburgh), 143 yards (vs. NY Giants), and 115 yards (vs. Baltimore). I’ll take that from a backup any day of the week.
TE Jason Witten – Best tight end in football. Next.
TE Martellus Bennett – If Bennett ever leaves the Cowboys, his type of talent is going to parlay itself into league stardom. He’s the reason you are going to see the Boys go to two tight end sets extremely often this season. You just can’t leave talent like that on the bench.
TE John Phillips – Phillips was a 6th round draft pick from the University of Virginia. He is a high effort, high motor kind of guy with very nice size (6' 5" 256 lbs). He will give you 110% on every play and he’s a good blocker, That’s a lot of football cliché’s, but really what else can you say about a guy who hasn’t played a down yet. He’ll probably make the team in place of veteran Rodney Hannah, who has yet to see the field. Phillips will be a gameday inactive/practice squad type until needed by an injury situation.
Roster Series Part 3: Quarterbacks
By now I’ve heard it all. Tony Romo chokes in big games. Tony Romo makes too many costly mistakes with his Favre-esque style of play. Tony Romo doesn’t care about winning in the NFL. And the most outrageous of all to me – Romo-friendly means scaling back the offense and making it simpler in order to hide his shortcomings as an NFL quarterback.
Wow, Really ?
Here’s my rundown on the 2009 Quarterback roster of the Dallas Cowboys:
Starter – Tony Romo. There are some people on the internet who truly did see potential in Tony Romo when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. I definitely remember the threads on the Ranch Report about it. I will freely admit I was not among those who saw his playmaking potential prior to his being inserted into a game in place of Drew Bledsoe in 2006. I did catch a small glimpse of it though during the preseason that year, when he audibled a play into a QB sneak to cap off the game winning drive against the Raiders. But once he really stepped onto the field, you could just tell. Even though his very first NFL regular season pass that day was an interception, you could tell. He just had that aura about him that says even though the bad plays still exist you know for a fact he is going to turn it around and soon. Witness the Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills, wherein he threw five interceptions yet still led the team to victory. With Romo you have to take the bad with the excellent and just work constantly on reducing the bad plays that result from his gunslinger / sandlot style.
As quarterback of America’s Team and beau of Jessica Simpson, Tony is always in the spotlight, and everything he says and does is constantly being dissected by the media and fans alike. So when he came to the podium after taking one heck of a beating against the Philadelphia Eagles last December, he made a comment to the effect that there are in fact things that are more important to football. I don’t have a problem with my quarterback having a healthy perspective on life, but others did not take it so kindly. It was misinterpreted to mean that Romo doesn’t care about winning. If that’s so then why does he play? Why does he engage in competititve activities in the offseason? I view it as simple anti-Cowboy rhetoric. Which brings us to the final question – what does Romo friendly mean? What does it look like?
To put it simply, it means life without such disruptive locker room cancers such as Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones. Romo is now free to guide the team to success without all the media driven negativity that a player like TO brings to a team. Good luck Buffalo. In just 3 seasons as a starter (only one as a 16 game starter) Romo already has thrown for over 10,000 yards with 81 TD’s and 46 INT’s. That’s a TD/INT ratio of almost 2:1, which should be considered pretty good by any standards. This season is going to be an interesting one for not only Tony Romo but the entire Cowboys team. Don’t be surprised if he shuts up his critics.
Backup – Jon Kitna. This is a huge upgrade over last year’s backup, which we very painfully learned you can never take for granted. Kitna brings in 3 things that are going to be valuable this year. First, should he be called upon to relieve Romo because of injury, Jon definitely has the arm to get the ball downfield. Last year the Cowboys were hurt by Brad Johnson’s inability to do anything else from the QB position but to check down to the third receiver. Brad Checkdown Johnson should be his official nickname. Second, Kitna knows and has played with new #1 receiver Roy Williams. They have a built in rapport with each other, so again, if need be, the offense should not miss Romo too terribly much where the passing game is concerned. Third, and like Brad Johnson, Kitna is a savvy vet who has been around for awhile though unlike Johnson, is willing to serve as a mentor or player-coach if you will, to Tony Romo.
In Waiting – Stephen McGee. First things first. I am a fan of the show “NCIS”, and so therefore McGee will henceforth be known to me by the nickname “Probie” as in probationary employee. McGee was drafted in the fourth round out of Texas A and M University. Although grossly miscast as an option quarterback he persevered instead of transferring, giving the team his all. Just the fact that he didn’t transfer, when he could have ended up elsewhere and as a higher draft pick says a lot to me. This kid knows what loyalty is all about, and knows it takes self-sacrifice to be a loyal person. Already in OTA’s Probie has demonstrated a strong arm and has impressed coaches.
All in all the Cowboys are pretty well set up for a few years at the quarterback position. Romo is locked down by contract for the rest of his career, Kitna still has a few good years left in the tank, and that means the talented Stephen McGee can be groomed slowly by the coaches and made into either the next starting quarterback for the Boys, or traded for a high draft pick.
Roster Series Part 2: Wide Receivers
Much has been said about the Dallas Cowboys receiving corps so far this offseason, most of it dealing with the departure of Terrell Owens, who shuffled off to Buffalo, but Owens is history and the show, as they say, must go on.
There are two major question marks for the Cowboys receivers going into the 2009 season. Can Miles Austin step up and be a consistent downfield threat this season ? Can Roy Williams step up and be a consistent #1 target and earn the trust of quarterback Tony Romo ? It’s looking like a boom or bust year for this unit in 2009.
Here’s a rundown of the current roster:
Roy Williams – Williams has all the physical tools that you could want in a top wide receiver, but he only had one pro bowl caliber year during his time in exile (ie playing for the Detroit Lions). But there are three major reasons why I think Roy will make Jerry Jones proud this coming season. First, you can consider last season a fluke. He played his first three games with Brad Johnson at quarterback, then only had a few more games to work with Romo before Terrell Owens started whining for the ball, and so Romo and Williams never got on the same page. While we’re at it, we can also factor in the plantar fasciitis injury that Roy suffered last year. Second, Williams and Romo have been working out together on pass patterns since early March. They are getting their timing down and learning what to expect of each other, which is vital. Thirdly, every commentator from here to Cairo has been questioning the abilities of Roy Williams, thus adding fuel to his inner fire. He has even taken to wearing his old college number 4 during OTA’s to signify that the Roy you see this year will not be the Roy you saw last year. Roy Williams is a man on a mission.
Patrick Crayton – He has two very valuable traits. First of all he is consistent. He’s not the fastest or flashiest wideout on the field but he knows how to run routes and has good hands. You know what you’re getting with him, which is a minimum of mistakes and some decent plays. Secondly, he owns his mistakes, which makes him a good team player. He uses his mistakes as fuel to do better the next time out. He talks too much to the press to suit many fans, but all in all he is a passionate player whose primary goal is to help the team. Crayton is also currently the team’s punt returner, a duty which he executes with typical unspectacular yet solid performance. I’ll take that over Pac Man with touchdown potential running from sideline to sideline. Favorite Crayton Moment (yes I have one): his 39 yard game winning touchdown catch against the Redskins in 2004.
Miles Austin – Austin has been the wideout in waiting for three years. Of those three years he has only been able to keep himself totally healthy for one. So durability seems to be the biggest question. Otherwise the coaches are quite confident that he can step in and fill the role of a downfield threat. He has good size and speed, and has been working on his craft for 3 years. He has a boatload of potential, indicated by the second round tender the Cowboys offered him, but that’s what it is at this point – potential. Favorite Austin Moment: the kick return for a touchdown against the Seahawks in the 2006 playoffs.
Sam Hurd – Hurd is another one of the Boys young receivers, being an undrafted free agent in 2006. A solid special teams performer, Hurd was out all last year with an ankle injury, which is too bad considering he had an excellent training camp and preseason last year. In fact, many thought he would pass Miles Austin on the depth chart based on his preseason performance. It’s going to be interesting to see what Hurd shows us this year.
Isaiah Stanback – Stanback is a converted QB who has been in development the last few seasons. He is very athletic, and has great speed but has trouble staying on the field due to injuries. In fact, as of the time of this writing it was reported that Stanback is having surgery for a partially torn MCL and will be out until training camp. It’s a minor injury, but given the amount of time he has already logged in the trainer’s room, his chances to make the team this year are getting ever slimmer. Jerry Jones seems to be leaning towards getting rid of his pet projects (TO, Pacman, etc.), and Stanback is one of them.
Manuel Johnson – Johnson was drafted in the 7th round this year. Many draft experts thought he would go higher than that, but a dislocated elbow suffered during his senior season at Oklahoma caused his stock to fall. At 5’11” he’s likely too small to be a #1 receiver in the Cowboys system but his quickness, hands, route running, and courage over the middle make him an excellent prospect in the slot. He’s tough as nails too (he missed only 2 games after the elbow injury), a trait which will endear him to the fans.
Kevin Ogletree – Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Virginia, which could end up being a steal for the Cowboys. An NFL advisory board had Ogletree pegged as a 3rd or 4th rounder. He ran a 4.46 at the combine, which puts him in the same speed range as Jeremy Maclin, Kenny Britt and Joaquin Iglesias, but as an undrafted player is a long shot to make the team, given the amount of receivers the Cowboys have. He has size, speed, hands, and the ability to go fight for the ball in traffic. His progress during the offseason will be interesting to follow.
The Cowboys have seven receivers competing for a likely 5 roster spots. Williams, Crayton, and Austin are givens so Hurd, Stanback, Johnson, and Ogletree will likely fight it out for the last two spots on the roster. Don’t be surprised if both rookies make the team, as they have a lot of upside. The Cowboys are looking at a whole lot of positive potential with nothing objectively proven except Crayton, who has certainly earned himself a spot on this team as a slot receiver at a minimum, if not the number 2. This is Roy Williams’ one year to make a statement. What that statement is will be up to him.
So there you have it. The 2009 Dallas Cowboys receiving corps – Boom or Bust.
Roster Series Part 1: Offensive Line
The draft picks have been made. The rookies had their (mini) mini-camp. The OTA’s are set to begin this week. So it must be time for a roster series. As I look up and down this roster there are question marks in only two areas. One of them is the offensive line. The other is – well, you’ll just have to come back here and read about it when it comes out.
Overall, they’re in decent shape if the starters stay healthy. Consider last year. For the games the Cowboys had the entire starting unit intact, they were 3-0. Then Kyle Kosier, starting left guard, was lost for the year. With his replacement, Cory Procter, in the lineup, the Boys went 3-4 before the Cowboys were able to get new acquisition Montrae Holland on the field. Holland assisted the Cowboys to two straight wins before getting injured. The rest of the season with Procter back in the lineup the team went 1-3 and failed to make the playoffs.
Here’s the rundown on the offensive line.
C – Andre Gurode. Gurode is a massive 318 pounds and is a solid blocker, both on running and passing plays. He was selected to the Pro Bowl two years in a row, 2006-2007. However, there is room for improvement here. Occasionally he will snap the ball over QB Tony Romo’s head or on the wrong snap count. But all in all he is a dependable player.
RG – Leonard “Bigg” Davis. Davis was a former first round pick that didn’t pan out for the Arizona Cardinals, due mostly to the fact that they tried to make him into something he’s not – a left tackle. He was largely considered a bust before Dallas acquired him through free agency prior to the 2007 season. To put it simply, Davis is a big, strong, mean guy – the type you definitely want leading the way for the likes of Felix Jones and company. There are no worries here unless Bigg gets injured.
LG – Kyle Kosier. Kosier is the only starter on this unit who wasn’t drafted in the first or second round. For being a seventh round pick he can certainly play, and his injury early in the season was a major factor in the Cowboys 9-7 record, though most commentators won’t even mention it. They’re too hung up on TO. But where are games won and lost ? That’s right, in the trenches.
RT – Marc Columbo. I can’t think of Columbo with thinking about the Carolina game a couple of years ago when he absolutely owned Julius Peppers. That was the first time in a while that I actually sat up and took notice of an offensive lineman, other than for a false start penalty. Columbo was acquired as a free agent who had an injury history. But the first thing I read about him was his “mean streak”. You just can’t have too many of those kind of linemen.
LT – Flozell Adams. Flozell is one big dude. You don’t earn the nickname “The Hotel” by being petite. The main negative for Flo is his false start penalties, which although he never has led the league in, are still aggravating to Dallas fans everywhere. Odds are, if you told some guy in Tibet that Flozell just got a false start penalty, his first reaction would be “AGAIN ???” But Adams is a really big dude with talent and strength, which is why he is the starting left tackle of the Dallas Cowboys. Last year he was dinged up most of the year. Add that up with playing next to Cory Procter and you get a down year all in all. Some are wondering if Flozell is getting too old at 34. It’s obvious that speed rushers are starting to get the best of him, and he has to have help at times. It’s a valid concern.
G/C - Cory Procter – He is the main reason the Cowboys line suffered so much last year. He may be a good center, I don’t know. But he definitely doesn’t belong on the field at the guard position. To me, the epitome of the season came last year in the second game against the Giants. When Tony Romo was sacked in the end zone for a safety, Procter stood there and did absolutely nothing while his guy made the play. Pathetic. It really says something to be benched in the last game of the season against the division rivals for a playoff spot, in favor of a backup tackle who hasn’t played guard since high school (Doug Free). Yet that’s exactly what happened to Cory Procter.
G - Montrae Holland – This guy is pretty much the Anti-Procter. He is big and can really play. Holland showed up overweight when he reported from the Broncos (he never belonged in their zone blocking scheme anyway) but after getting his weight down and sufficiently learning the playbook, Dallas was able to stick him in the lineup in place of Procter. He performed amazingly well in comparison. Then he went down with injury and with him went the Cowboys’ season. As solid a contributor as Kosier is, Holland will get the opportunity to challenge him for his starting job this year. That tells me the Cowboys were mighty impressed with what they saw last year out of the big man.
In summary, the Cowboys starting lineup is filled with good, talented football players. The only worry here is the depth behind them. We know that Procter doesn’t deserve a roster spot, but he will get one due to the lack of any other backup center. Doug Free and Pat McQuistan are big question marks (Free didn’t fare any better than Procter against the Eagles), and the new guy, Robert Brewster, is going to start out learning his pro trade at right tackle. So he won’t be kicking Procter off the roster. It’s conceivable though, if Holland beats out Kosier, the Cowboys may try Kosier out at backup center/guard so they can use Cory Procter’s roster spot on a guy who can actually play football.
Back to the Top
Lett This Be A Lesson
Leon Lett knows a thing or two about finishing plays. The ex-Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman, selected in the seventh round of the 1991 draft, was a solid player who had a very good career (11 years, 2 Pro Bowls, 3 Super Bowl rings), yet his legacy will always be for a play that he didn’t finish properly.
Leon Lett’s most famous play came against the Buffalo Bills on the big stage of Super Bowl XXVII in Pasadena, California. He took a fumble recovery late in the game and was racing for a touchdown, but started celebrating his good fortune before he had actually crossed the goal line. Along came Bills’ receiver Don Bebe, who knocked the ball out of his hands and turned his moment of fame into a moment of infamy.
These days Lett is concentrated on finishing things, namely, his college degree. Leon promised his mother he would graduate. He also wants to be an example to his daughter. So, at forty years old Leon Lett is getting his degree from the University of Nevada- Las Vegas (UNLV).
This is how Lett sums it up "I became the joke of the league because I didn't finish the play," he told UNLV players. "You must always cross the finish line”.
The present day Dallas Cowboys also know a little something about not finishing the play. Over the last three years, they are 4-8 in the month of December. The most notable of these December collapses came this past year, losing to the Baltimore Ravens by allowing two long touchdown runs in the fourth quarter, to the Steelers by a late interception returned for a touchdown, and finally to the Philadelphia Eagles by simply not showing up to play. Those kinds of swoons late in the year don’t bode well for success.
The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996. The excruciating routine of the December fade has dashed many a hope and caused some of even the most die-hard followers to doubt the team’s post-season chances.
But the Cowboys and their fans can take inspiration from Lett’s determination to close the deal. Leon has three Super Bowl rings to his credit and knows what it takes to be a winner. You have to go the distance. You have to “finish the play”.
Let that be their mantra for the 2009 season:
“Finish the Play”
Cowboys Improve Special Teams Through Draft
Every draft expert in town (no matter what town you happen to live in) says the 2009 Cowboys draft was a complete bust. Since I don’t happen to agree, I’ll go ahead and take the temporary mantle of expert and explain why.
First there’s the matter of having no first round pick. Your draft success is going to be limited any time you don’t have the ammo that a first round pick gives you. Even if you don’t see any value at pick 20, you can always trade it down in order to get better value. Let some other team overpay. But technically, the Cowboys already used their first pick on WR Roy E. Williams, former Detroit Lion wide receiver. One could argue that the experience Roy Williams brings would contribute more than a rookie wideout that would be available at 20 anyway.
But that’s an argument for another day.
In spite of what the TV football experts say, let’s not pretend the Dallas Cowboys don’t do their homework. So they had a few players targeted in the second round, which quickly went south for them among a flurry of trades. Not seeing the value left, they traded their pick down and rested on the first day. Not popular with fans and analysts, but in this case it was probably prudent, though unspectacular.
Now let’s take up that most famous of all draft topic: needs. Through the free agent signings of linebacker Keith Brookings and safety Gerald Sensabaugh, the Cowboys jockied themselves into a position to take more value-based than need-based picks, which they used to draft potential future starters and to help the team immediately in their worst department – special teams.
Dallas special teams were among the worst in the league last year. Their porous units were so famous for losing the field position game that special teams coach Bruce Read was let go after the season. To replace Read they brought in Joe DeCamillis, who was in charge of one of the better units in Jacksonville last year.
DeCamillis definitely had owner Jerry Jones’ ear in the war room this April. Almost every one of the Cowboys 12 draft picks can be expected to give an improvement to special teams coverage, and more important, improve the bottom of the Cowboy’s roster by allowing them to purge the roster of career backups whose only job is special teams coverage (pack your stuff Patrick Watkins).
The selection of University of Southern California (USC) kicker David Beuhler definitely raised eyebrows, since current kicker Nick Folk is one of the more reliable field goal kickers in the league. But Dallas was last in the league in touchbacks in 2008, and Jones let it be known the Cowboys already had decided to carry two kickers on their roster, one of them a kickoff specialist.
So all in all, while the Dallas Cowboys 2009 NFL Draft was not spectacular or exciting, to those who follow the Cowboys it represents an improvement in a vital area, and an overall improvement in the roster.
Cowboys Stockpile Mediocre Talent in the 2009 NFL Draft
The Cowboys strategy for the 2009 NFL Draft was simple, "let's stockpile as many players as we can and we might get lucky on a few." That strategy might work good in Las Vegas, but in the draft world, the higher picks have a much better chance of succeeding in the NFL. Time will tell, but this is starting to look like one of the worst drafts in Cowboy history. They didn't get a wide receiver in the lower rounds, which was one of their biggest needs. I see a bunch of back ups and special teams players.
Now the Cowboys will probably hit on a few of these prospects, Victor Butler, Mike Mickens, Stephen Hodge and John Phillips comes to mind, but if they would have packaged some of their picks and moved up, they could have possibly got some future pro bowlers. Draft Grade: D- Would have been an F, but with so many picks they will probably get lucky with a few. They started out bad, but made some decent picks in the 5th and 6th rounds.
Here is a breakdown on the Dallas Cowboys picks in the 2009 NFL Draft.
| Round | Overall | Player |
| 1 | 20 | No selection: Traded to Detroit in earlier deal for WR Roy Williams. |
| 2 | 51 | No selection: Traded to Buffalo in exchange for the Bills' third- and fourth-round picks. |
| 3a | 69 | LB Jason Williams, 6' 2" 237 lbs. Western Illinois |
| A very fast linebacker that is a better athlete than football player. He probably would have still been around in the 5th round. Good potential, but doesn't fit into a 34 defense. Not a pass rusher and not strong enough at the point of attack to play on the inside. Williams will probably be a career special teams player. They need an inside linebacker and Jasper Brinkley was there, he could have been drafted here and probably even started as a rookie. | ||
| 3b | 75 | OT Robert Brewster, 6' 4" 322 lbs. Ball State |
| The Cowboys passed on so many better offensive linemen to take Brewster it wasn't even funny. For example, they could have drafted Jamon Meredith, but instead went for Brewster. He has good size, but average feet and is not real athletic. He has potential though and does have NFL size, he was one of my pre-draft Sleeper picks, I like him, just not a good value in the 3rd round. | ||
| 4a | 101 | QB Stephen McGee, 6' 3" 220 lbs. Texas A&M |
| I actually like this pick when you take a look at it long term, but again, he probably would have still been there in the 5th round. Current backup John Kitna won't be a round more than a couple years and McGee has a chance to step in and serve as a backup. But again, I see a theme here, the Cowboys are trying to draft backups. | ||
| 4b | 110 | OLB Victor Butler, 6' 2" 247 lbs. Oregon State |
| This is an excellent pick. He was a good value and fits into the Cowboys 34 defense. He played defensive end in college, but will be a solid outside linebacker for the Cowboys. He can rush the passer, this past season he was an All Pac ten Pick and recorded 54 tackles and an amazing 21.5 tackles for loss (TFL) and 12 sacks. He was also the Sun Bowl MVP recording 11 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Butler was one of my Sleeper picks that I identified before the draft. | ||
| 4c | 120 | OLB Brandon Williams, 6' 3" 59 lbs. Texas Tech |
| A decent pick here, another kid that can come in and compete for an outside linebacker spot. He was an All Big 12 selection recording 15.5 TFLs and 12 sacks this year. He is only a junior, so he might need a year or two to develop in the NFL. Problem is he might not have 2-3 years, he isn't very fast, ran a poor 4.96 second forty at the combine. | ||
| 5a | 143 | CB DeAngelo Smith, 5' 10" 193 lbs. Cincinnati |
| The Cowboys got both Bearcat corners, but most people had Mickens rated higher than Smith. Smith is a solid corner though, not terrific speed, but very experienced (5th year senior) and good ball skills. In 2008 he led the team with 10 pass breakups and 53 tackles and two interceptions. He ran a 4.50 forty at the combine. | ||
| 5c | 172 | K David Buehler, 6' 2" 227 lbs. USC |
| Buehler is a great kicker with a powerful leg, but the Boys already have a decent kicker don't they? He was probably brought in for kick-off duties, Nick Folk has been horrible with his kick offs. The bad news: The Cowboys will have to carry two kickers on their roster in 2009. | ||
| 6a | 197 | SS Stephen Hodge, 6' 0" 230 lbs. TCU |
| I like Hodge a lot, he is a great player, the only problem is what position will he play? He is a tweener, too small for linebacker and too slow for safety. He does have a chance to be a situational player as a hybrid in the box safety, he is a tackling machine, last year he recorded 81 tackles and 10 TFL. He could be a special teams ace and he has decent speed, ran a 4.59 at the combine. | ||
| 6b | 208 | TE John Phillips, 6' 5" 253 lbs. Virginia |
| A very solid blocking tight end with nice size. Phillips was a good value in the 6th round and should be a keeper. I can see him on the field on short yardage or goal line plays. Not real fast (4.81) and won't stretch the field, but he has good hands. | ||
| 7a | 227 | CB Mike Mickens, 6' 0" 185 lbs. Cincinnati |
| This might be one of the steals of the draft. Mickens was rated as a second rounder for much of the season until he blew out his knee. Before his knee injury he was on a string of 46 consecutive starts. Mickens has great ball skills and is long, tall and fearless. He slips in the draft, not only because of his injury, but his straight line speed has been questioned. I would have expected Mickens to have been drafted much sooner. | ||
| 7b | 229 | WR Manuel Johnson, 5' 11" 187 lbs. Oklahoma |
| This was an excellent value for Johnson, he missed three full games with an elbow injury, but before the injury he was having an excellent season. Despite his injury Johnson still managed to catch 42 passes for 714 yards and 9 TDs. Not real big, probably a slot receiver, but he has 4.49 speed. He could be a sleeper pick and if he pans out might salvage this draft for the Cowboys. | ||
Cowboys Look Dazed and Confused on Day One of the 2009 NFL Draft
Who knows what really happened, but I think the Cowboys were dead set on taking either safety Patrick Chung or Louis Delmas, and when they were picked ahead of them, they panicked and traded the pick (51st) to the Bills. In return the Cowboys acquired the Bills third- and fourth-round picks, the 75th and 110th selections.
The Draft was unfolding very nicely, yes they lost their coveted safeties, but I would argue that a bigger need was at offensive guard and the top rated guard, Oregon State's Andy Levitre fell right into their laps. Levitre would have been a huge upgrade to journeyman Kyle Kosier, who even when healthy struggles at the position. The left guard position is probably the weakest position on the entire Cowboys roster.
Yes they choked on Saturday, but they could have a big day-two (Sunday) with 12 picks in rounds three through seven. Let's hope that Jerry Jones doesn't try to get too cute and keep trading down, or maybe he wants 18-7th round players, all with little hope of making the team.
In case you have been marooned on a tropical island or something, the Cowboys didn't have a first-round pick this year, they gifted their third- and sixth-round picks to Detroit for receiver Roy Williams.
The Cowboys have quite a few needs heading into the 2009 NFL Draft. This column will be updated after the draft and we can see if they filled any of their needs. They have quite a few picks in the later rounds this year, so the odds say they might get lucky on a couple of their 2009 NFL Draft picks.
Wide Receiver:
They let Terrell Owens leave and whether you agree with that move or not, it leaves the Cowboys dangerously thin at the position. The problem is when the Cowboys pick in the second round most of the top receivers will likely be long gone.
Offensive Line:
Flozell Adams had a horrible year in 2008 and probably should have been benched
and offensive guards Kyle Kosier and Corey Proctor aren't good enough to play football in the NFL.
Safety:
They released Roy Williams and even though that is addition through subtraction, it does make them thin at free safety. Signing Gerald Sensebaugh really helps, but after him it looks kind of cloudy right now. This looks like a target in the second round. William Moore (Missouri) and Louis Delmas (Western Michigan) are very likely targets.
Cornerback:
They have Terrance Newman and then a bunch of young unproven prospects like last years rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.
Inside Linebacker:
The released Zach Thomas, but he wasn't a good fit in the 34 defense anyway. They signed Keith Brookings from Atlanta, but he hasn't played in the 34 defense and he isn't a spring chicken. This will be Bobby Carpenters last chance to make it in the NFL.
Nose tackle:
Jay Ratliff is a beast, but he is not a pure nose tackle, at 6' 2" 300 pounds he would be better served as an end. They could really use a massive run plugger at nose tackle.
