Dallas Cowboys
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NFL Team Column |
Thanks For The Ride, Boys
Some people may wrongfully compare the Cowboys’ 34-3 loss at Minnesota to last years 44-6 loss at Philadelphia. To do so would be an injustice to what Dallas has accomplished this season. But before we get to that, we must go over the dreadful details.
Dallas went into the game on a roll. The offense and defense were firing on all cylinders, and the Vikings had pretty much stumbled their way through December. However, the Vikings had earned themselves a bye week, which as it turns out, is not over-rated at all.
Most pre-game talk centered on the battle in the trenches. How would the Cowboys offensive line hold off the “Williams Wall”? How would the Vikings deal with the Cowboys pressure? The Cowboys were struggling to protect Romo from the outset, as Marc Colombo decided to morph into a human turnstile. Cowboy fans everywhere were calling for backup Doug Free, who performed very well in Colombo’s absence. However, a second quarter injury to left tackle Flozell Adams put that talk to rest and sealed the Cowboys fate.
Romo ended up being harassed all day, being sacked 6 times, fumbling 3 times, and throwing an interception while under heavy duress. There was one promising drive in the second quarter but Marion Barber being dropped for a 7 yard loss put an end to it. The offense could never get on track and mustered only 3 points on the day.
Brett Favre, meanwhile, had a banner day, throwing for 4 touchdowns, three of them to Sidney Rice, and 234 yards with no interceptions on the day. Adrian Peterson was a non factor, rushing for only 63 yards, but who needs to run the ball when you’ve got Favre on your roster? Not the Vikings apparently.
Now back to our initial premise. This loss was different from last season’s loss. The 44-6 loss stemmed from a lack of team mentality and toughness. This one was from a key injury at a bad time, and the Cowboys simply getting whipped afterwards. One could not observe any “give-up” in this team. Listen to this quote from owner Jerry Jones, when asked if this loss is similar to the 44-6 loss in 2008:
“"Not at all," Jones said. “What we did this year was definitely a step forward. I’m excited about what we’ve done here. But it’s not the same as the feeling we had standing here last year. This doesn’t discourage me at all.”
It would also at this point be a disservice to not go over what the team has accomplished this year. By jettisoning Terrell Owens in the offseason, the team paved the way for the development of Miles Austin and Tony Romo, two key components in the teams success. This along with other personnel moves allowed the team mentality to develop, coming to fruition in December by beating the unbeaten Saints. This victory gave the team the confidence necessary to post a winning record in December and a playoff victory against the rival Philadelphia Eagles. This monkey off the back was a major accomplishment and if certain key moves are made in the offseason (to be detailed in a later article), you can bet these Cowboys will be riding high again come September.
So in closing, it was a good, almost great season, and I trust we will get more of the same next year. Thank you, Cowboys for coming together as a team and giving us all something to cheer about.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go study up on some offensive line players.
It’s Opposite Day
In a weekend full of opposites, the Dallas Cowboys had their fare share. Let’s go down the list, shall we? Post a winning record in December – check. Have Romo save his best play at quarterback for December and January – check. Morph the defense into today’s version of the 70’s era Doomsday – check. Beat a division rival three times in one year – check. Get the kicker to hit paydirt on a field goal from the 40-49 yard range – check. Hand Andy Reid his first ever first-round playoff loss – check. Gone are the December folds, the holding a lead until the defense blows it, the key turnovers by Romo, and the playoff monkey off of both Romo’s and coach Wade Phillips’ backs.
Saturday night was supposed to be a competitive affair. Most of the tv talking heads got their picks right but almost all of them said, “It’s not going to be like last time (when the Cowboys dominated the Eagles 24-0). This one will be a more competitive game.” I will admit I thought the same thing, but in the aftermath of the 34-14 butt whipping the Cowboys put on Philadelphia, I am now drinking that Cowboy Kool-Aid.
The story of the first quarter was the story of Philadelphia failing to move the ball absent the big play, and the Cowboys having a long drive ruined by a ticky tack pass interference call on tight end Jason Witten. But as the quarter expired Dallas was once again on a drive, this time leading to points in the second quarter.
The second quarter was the quarter where the game was basically decided. The Cowboys set a team record for most post season points in any quarter, by laying 27 points on the hapless Eagles defense by halftime. These points came on 2 Romo touchdown passes, a Tashard Choice run, and 2 field goals by kicker Sean Shuisam. By the time the gun sounded to end the half, it was pretty much game over.
In the third quarter dynamic running back Felix Jones made it all but official by romping for another Cowboys post season record 73 yard touchdown run. All total, Jones had 16 attempts for 148 yards and the touchdown, as the Cowboys offensive line once again showed how dominant they can be, and the first playoff win in 13 years and in the new stadium was officially in the books.
The thing that is striking though, is that the fans and the team seem to be on the same emotional page. Sure the playoff win was great and all, but outside of the normally happiness one feels when their team wins, the joy and hoopla of a playoff victory was mostly absent. The players seemed to sense that too. I didn’t see any players jumping all over the field or popping the champagne corks. Oh they were happy all right, but like most of my fellow Cowboy followers said, it’s not enough. I think they know they can go much deeper in this post season and the ones to follow. Happy? Yes. Satisfied? No.
Next week, the Cowboys travel to Minnesota to play the #2 seed Vikings at 1pm Eastern. Minnesota will be the best team Dallas has faced since defeating the unbeaten New Orleans Saints earlier in December. One of the keys will be to stop their outstanding running game featuring Adrian Peterson. Make Brett Favre beat you. He has never beaten the Cowboys in the playoffs in his long and storied career. Eventually Brett will throw a couple of key ill advised passes to the wrong team. On offense, they should just keep doing what they’re doing. And keep that Kook Aid on ice – the colder it gets the better it tastes.
NOTES:
- Roy Wiliams sighting: The underachieving receiver caught 5 passes for 59 yards, including some key first downs. Keep it up, Roy
- Rookie backup tight end John Phillips continues to show Martellus Bennett how to play the position in the NFL.
- Bobby Carpenter sighting: The oft maligned ex first round pick linebacker got 2 fumble recoveries in Saturday nights game. One Dallas media member theorized that it was because since he never makes tackles, he’s always available when a football bounces on the ground.
- Big reason for winning : Dallas earned 27 first downs to counter Philly’s 17. Also the Cowboys held the ball for almost 40 minutes. It’s hard to score when your offense isn’t on the field.
- Romo was in high spirits Saturday night. All in the span of a few hours, he slapped a ref on the butt after a touchdown (a la Favre), mimicked a referee making a first down motion, and clowned a little on Charles Barkley’s Saturday Night Live appearance. All that while throwing a 200 pound gorilla off your back. Very impressive Mr. Romo.
- The officiating crew worked REALLY REALLY HARD. By that I mean they doled out a playoff record 228 penalty yards to the Eagles and Cowboys. Way to hog the spotlight guys.
This Is A Championship Defense
Let’s talk about traditional wisdom. This is the phenomenon which states, through experience, those ingredients necessary for success in a particular field. The field in question in our case, of course, is the post-season of the National Football League.
Yesterday afternoon, by virtue of a 24-0 shutout victory over the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys earned their league high 21st divisional title and a home playoff game this Saturday against these same sixth seed Eagles.
Dallas started off hot with a 9 play, 80 yard drive, capped off with a touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Romo to tight end Jason Witten from the 10 yard line. After a three-and-out by the Eagles, featuring Anthony Spencer’s first of two sacks on the afternoon, the Cowboys drove from their 31 to the Eagles seven before a Romo pass was tipped and intercepted by the Eagles. They couldn’t do anything with it though, and following a punt, the Cowboys again drove 90 yards in 8 plays, capped off with a Romo to Patrick Crayton 14 yard touchdown pass. After that, the game was never in doubt and the excuse machine began firing up in Eagles Nation.
Much has been made, and deservedly so, of Tony Romo’s maturation as a big time NFL quarterback. He has drastically cut down on turnovers while breaking his own Cowboys record for passing yards in a season, leading his team to an impressive 3 game winning streak, which started in grand fashion when the Cowboys beat up on the Saints 3 weeks ago. The Dallas offense ranked #2 in the league for yardage gained.
But what needs to be recognized is the defense. Yesterday they did something no other Cowboys defense has done in team history – held the other team to zero points for two weeks in a row. The emergence of Anthony Spencer as a pass rushing force – he has always been a solid run defender – has added another dimension to the Cowboys defense. Combined with the increasingly solid play of the secondary, led by 2nd year pro Michael Jenkins, this defense is ultra confident just when they need to be.
This year they have faced the top five offenses in football, and held them to an average of 9 points below their season average in point production. No other defense has fared so well against top offenses. They are second in the league in fewest points allowed, giving up an average of 15.6 points per game to the New York Jets’ 14.8. In the last 14 games, Dallas has given up an average of only 14 points per game.
But let’s get back to conventional wisdom, which states that among other things, “defense wins championships”. This axiom may be just a little less true than previous years, but the fact remains that it’s hard to win football games if your offense isn’t scoring any points. The Cowboys defense is at it’s stingiest right now as they head into the playoffs.
Another well known axiom of pro football is “don’t give up the big play” It’s also a well known fact that the Eagles offense relies on the big play. A study of their drives reveals that they have trouble moving the ball when they’re not getting the big play. In big play terms they have been shut out twice this year – both times by the Dallas Cowboys. You heard it right. In two games, Dallas has allowed the Eagles big play offense exactly zero big plays.
Awhile back I wrote an article entitles “This Defense Is Broken”. Well it sure doesn’t look like it anymore. They have learned how to finish an opponent, and they will help this team go deep into the playoffs. Yep, this looks like a championship defense, all right.
Notes:
- Both Marion Barber and Felix Jones rushed for 91 yards against the Eagles
- Teams have played each other three times in one season 19 times in the NFL. Of those 19 times, the team that swept the previous two games also won the third.
- For teams that have played each other three times AND had the third game as a back to back situation, the team that won the previous two games also won the third, 3 out of 4 times. People who get paid for this should do more homework
- Cowboys fans, a group that does their homework, expected a lot of penalties from this particular officiating crew, and we got them. Many of them were ticky tack calls but they added up to 11 penalties for 80 yards, which is pretty much in line with how Ron Winter’s crew calls Cowboys games.
- The late hit on Tony Romo in the fourth quarter was a terrible non call.
Unsung Heros of the Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys throttled the Eagles 24-0 at Texas Stadium, but I wanted to highlight some of the unheralded stars that have recently been leading to the Cowboys success:
CB Mike Jenkins (5' 10" 198 lbs): He probably should have made the Pro Bowl with his stellar play this year. A first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, but he struggled adjusting to the pro game as a rookie. He was a major question mark heading into this season, but he has worked hard at improving his technique and his confidence is at an all time high. Secondary Coach Dave Campo deserves a lot of credit for his development and he is now the best cornerback on the team. This year he has recorded 49 tackles and five interceptions.
WR Miles Austin (6' 3" 214 lbs): Austin was an undrafted free agent in 2006 from tiny Monmouth. Owner Jerry Jones and former Coach Bill Parcells deserve a lot of credit for having patience with this guy. Prior to this season he has had trouble with injuries, but this year he has been nothing short of spectacular. With the demise of WR Roy Williams, who has seemingly lost his confidence, the emergence of Miles Austin probably saved the Cowboy's season. Austin made the Pro Bowl this year and caught 81 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 TDs.
ILB Keith Brookings (6' 2" 241 lbs): Let's give Coach Wade Phillips some credit for bringing in Brookings and DE Igor Olshansky. Coach Phillips knew them well and they have been huge additions to the team. Not just talent, but also character and leadership, especially Brookings who has emerged as the leader of their excellent defense. The Cowboy defense has struggled to find a leader for years and Brooking has been a rock on the inside. This year he is second on the team in tackles with 106 as well as 3 sacks.
DE Igor Olshansky (6' 6" 315 lbs): Igor has stepped right in to replace Chris Canty and the defense has actually improved. Olshansky played with Coach Phillips in San Diego so he knows the system well. The defensive end position in a 3-4 defense is required to stand up the tackle or guard and let the linebackers flow to the ball and Igor knows his role and does it very well.
RT Doug Free (6' 6" 315 lbs): Starting right tackle Marc Columbo injured his ankle in mid November and had to have surgery to repair ligament damage from a sever high ankle sprain. Tackle Doug Free, who was languishing on the bench, was called on to replace Columbo and after a few weeks it could be argued that Free is their best offensive lineman. I saw him make a play on 3 January 2010 against the Eagles that Columbo could never make, he pulled on the play from right to left and raced down field about 40 yards and made a key block on a cornerback to allow Felix Jones to score a 49 yard TD run. Columbo is due to come back next week and the Cowboys will have a tough decision to make, Free is playing well and Columbo will likely be rusty.
TE John Phillips (6' 5" 255 lbs): Drafted last year in the 6th round, Phillips was thought of as a developmental project for the future. Well the future is now, Phillips has probably supplanted Martellus Bennett as the teams number two tight end behind Jason Witten. Bennett missed three games with a concussion and Phillips stepped in and caught 5 passes for 54 yards including a key 23 yard first down catch to seal the win against New Orleans. Phillips doesn't have the athletic ability as Bennett, but he is stronger and plays with more effort and discipline and is the better blocker. He is now being used as an H-back/Full back and catches the ball very well.
Practice Is Over
No disrespect towards the Washington Redskins organization, but the Cowboys 17-0 domination of the Redskins on their home field means one thing – the pre-playoff practice game is over and now its time to really see the stuff of which the 2009 Dallas Cowboys are made.
Sure, the Cowboys were not assured of a playoff berth heading into the Sunday night game, but the New York Giants’ were handed a beat down (insert maniacal laughter here) by the Carolina Panthers in their final game at Giants Stadium earlier in the afternoon, 41-9. This meant that all the Cowboys had to do was win the Sunday night game and they would clinch at least a wild card berth for this year’s playoffs. Given the way the Cowboys and Redskins had both been playing lately, it was largely academic.
The Cowboys were coming off a huge win over the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints in the Superdome, and although their two previous games had been losses, they certainly had not played badly. Clearly to most observers Tony Romo is having the best month of his career and the team is getting hot at just the right time.
Conversely, the Redskins had just come off a drubbing at the hands of the New York Giants by a score of 45-12. In the midst of a dysfunctional organization and overall team and fan discontent, most of us figured the Skins had packed it in for the season.
To begin the practice session, the Redskins took the opening kickoff and a couple of plays later turned the ball over to Dallas via a Jason Campbell interception into the hands of CB Terrence Newman, who returned it 9 yards to the Washington 36.
Seven plays later we had a Roy Williams Sighting, as Romo threw his eighth touchdown pass of the month in the back right corner of the end zone. Cowboys were up 7-0.
The Redskins next drive was ended on third down when Jay Ratliff broke free to sack Campbell for a five yard loss. However, the Boys could not do anything with the ball and they were forced to punt as well.
The Skins started their following drive on their own 8, and drove themselves up to their 39 before their drive stalled and following the start of the second quarter were forced to punt by the Cowboys defense (this will be a recurring theme).
Two more exchanges of possession later (both via three-and-outs) the Cowboys took the ball and drove 88 yards in 4 plays, the key of which was a 69 yard pass from Romo to tight end Jason Witten to set up a Marion Barber 3 yard touchdown run.
Washington got the ball back and were again forced into a three and out. However, on Dallas’ following possession, Romo was intercepted after his pass bounced out of Roy Williams’ hands and up in the air. The Skins once again were held by the Dallas defense but when the Cowboys got the ball back they couldn’t do much with it. The halftime score was 14-0. The only other score of the game came on a Sean Shuisham 23 yard field goal to make the score 17-10, Dallas.
Like any other practice session, things are learned. For example, one thing we learned was that we need to work on the short yardage offense. Dallas ran 5 plays in short yardage situations, all of them power runs to Barber, and all of them failed. Was this Jason Garrett not wanted to reveal anything to the Philadelphia Eagles? Or was it something far more sinister? My money is on something far more sinister. The Cowboys are guaranteed to run into key short yardage situations in the following weeks and they had better get this figured out now. Because of these failures, the Cowboys left a ton of points on the board. Perhaps a QB sneak or a play action pass is in order occasionally? I don’t know. I’m not a professional coach and so I’m hesitant to criticize.
Another thing we learned is that for the most part we can continue to move the ball (at least in other than short yardage situations). Garrett mostly does a good job mixing it up and keeping the defense off balance. The Romo to Austin connection is still working. Will Austin make it to the Pro Bowl?
Yet another thing we learned is that the defense right now is playing championship caliber football. They held the Skins to 28 percent third down efficiency and a scant 2.4 yards per rushing play. In the previous two games we held top tier NFL offenses to grand totals of 10 and 17 points. This is the kind of defense that helps you get deep into the playoffs. We just need to figure out that short yardage thing.
Notes:
- Expect a huge fine for London Fletcher. His vicious blow to the head of Patrick Crayton inexplicably did not draw a penalty flag, but the league office will review it and Fletcher will be a little lighter in the wallet this week.
- Last night’s Bears victory over the Vikings made it impossible for a Dallas at Philly playoff matchup to happen. Depending on how things play out, Philly will either play AT Dallas or they won’t play each other at all in the Wild Card Round.
- Speaking of playoffs, a Dallas win, Green Bay win, and New York Giant win will put the Cowboys as the second seed with a first round bye.
- If the Cowboys should beat the Eagles this week and have to turn around and play them again, the odds are in their favor. Most of the time (75 percent) a team sweeps another in the regular season and then plays them right afterwards in the playoffs, the sweeping team comes out on top.
And finally, I will say it right here. The media darling Philadelphia Eagles are very over-rated. The Cowboys should take care of business this Sunday afternoon.
Defense Catches Up To Romo
Tony Romo has apparently saved his best games for December this year, and finally the defense decided to catch up. Romo threw for 312 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the Cowboys 24-17 upset win over the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night, helping to keep the Cowboys in the playoff mix.
DeMarcus Ware, who fought through a neck strain the previous week, contributed two huge plays for the defense, both sacks with forced fumbles attached to them, while Anthony Spencer, his counterpart linebacker on the other side, also had two sacks. Young standout cornerback Mike Jenkins added an interception to stop a Saints drive.
Dallas opened the game by forcing New Orleans’ high powered offense to a rare three and out. Following this, the offense had a nice little drive capped off by a 46 yard touchdown pass from Romo to receiver Miles Austin. Following another three and out, the Cowboys embarked upon another drive that was capped off by a Marion Barber touchdown run. The Saints did manage to get themselves a field goal before halftime, to trail at the break 17-3.
The second half started out much like the first offensively, with the Cowboys taking the first seven minutes of the third quarter to drive 74 yards down the field and score on another Marion Barber touchdown run.
In the final quarter, the Saints decided to make things a little interesting, scoring 14 unanswered points which narrowed the gap to 24-17. Cue the memories of both distant and not so distant history, wherein the Cowboys have grown this little tradition of letting teams back in ballgames late until they find a way to lose to them.
Just when Cowboy fans thought another December fold was in progress, the offense embarked on a 74 yard drive that took the clock down to 2:19 left in the game. On a 4th and 5, Coach Wade Phillips decided to bring in kicker Nick Folk to put the game essentially out of reach with a chip shot 24 yard field goal attempt, which Folk proceeded to miss. Cue the memories of the previous week Redskins loss to the Saints, wherein Sean Suisham missed a chip shot game winning field goal to send the game into overtime.
So there they were – 2:19 left on the clock, and one of the best quarterbacks in football has the ball to try to tie the game. Then something amazing happened. After allowing the Saints to march 29 yards down the field, Anthony Spencer hurried Drew Brees into an incompletion. After the replay assistant challenged the ruling on the field which was upheld, Brees lined up his team once more. Brees faded back to pass with 12 seconds left on the clock, and was hit by DeMarcus Ware, coming from Brees’ left, and caused him to fumble. Nose tackle Jay Ratliffe recovered the fumble to seal the Dallas victory.
It has been awhile since Dallas played this good a game in December, so lets enjoy this one until Sunday night, when the Boys travel to Washington DC to take on the Redskins. All in all, it was the biggest Cowboys win since Tony Romo took over the quarterbacking duties.
Notes – It has been 156 pass attempts and counting since Tony Romo threw an interception, the longest such streak of his career … the high powered Saints were only one for seven on third down conversion attempts … the Cowboys can clinch a playoff berth with a Giants loss tonight and a Cowboys win next week … Dallas is bringing in kickers to try out to temporarily replace struggling Nick Folk. The thought is to put Folk on injured reserve until he can fix whatever his problem is.
Dear Cowboys Players And Coaches…
The scariest moment of the year came this past Sunday in the midst of the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers. When OLB DeMarcus Ware injured his neck, it looked incredibly serious. He was on the ground for a prolonged period, and the trainers/doctors brought out at cart for him. Turns out it was a strain or a sprain, depending upon who you talk to.
The Cowboys went on to go from a relatively good position, having tied the game on a beautifully dialed up and executed pass to Miles Austin, to having the defense pretty much roll over and allow the San Diego Chargers to finally go up for good. The Cowboys scored a meaningless touchdown (should have went for the field goal to save time) with less than 30 seconds left and the final score ended up being 20-17. Those are the particulars of the game, which I am required to relate to you by my editor, but what I really wanted to write about is something different.
Let’s go back to OLB DeMarcus Ware. He’s been an absolute trooper this year. He’s been playing through not one, but two injuries for pretty much the entire year. One of them is a stress fracture in his foot, and the other is a wrist injury. Then came the scary moment on Sunday afternoon. While rushing the passer, Ware ran head first into the thigh of a Chargers lineman and went down to the ground. After what seemed like an eternity, he was carted off the field on a stretcher and transported to the hospital. Amazingly, they are talking about Ware returning to the starting lineup as early as eleven days from now for the game against the Washington Redskins (what will certainly be a must-win).
OLB DeMarcus Ware has been a special player since he was the 11th overall player taken in the 2005 draft. A defensive end from Troy, Ware was converted to outside linebacker. He has developed over the few short years in Dallas to be one of the leagues best linebackers. Last year he had a season high 20 sacks. This year he has been hurt by the loss of Greg Ellis on the other side and some nagging injuries, and as a result his production has fallen off from that pace.
My point is this – and from here on out I’m talking to the players and coaches - DeMarcus Ware knows what sacrifice is. He knows that you all to have a chance to win, he has to go all-out. He’s got to put nagging injuries to the side and sacrifice his body for you. He puts his fears for his future health aside and throws his body around the field at a million miles per hour. The thing is, when there’s only one player doing this on defense, it’s not going to be enough. (Michael Jenkins, you can pretty much ignore this part.)
The next three games are against the undefeated New Orleans Saints, followed by your division rival Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. It’s going to require DeMarcus Ware level effort on the defense, regardless of whether Ware is on the field or not. So listen up, players and coaches (Tony Romo and Miles Austin also excepted) – I think you all have sat there lackadaisically enough while DeMarcus Ware has been sacrificing himself for you. It’s time for you to return the favor. You say you want to exorcise the December demons and win in the post season. The way you’ve been doing it is not the way to get it done. It’s the way to fizzle out and die.
If you want to go into the post season, you have to sacrifice yourself like OLB DeMarcus Ware. That’s right. Leave it all on the field. When the final whistle sounds, and you go back to the locker room, and you have some energy left, that means your effort wasn’t good enough. You play to win the game, and how you win the game is with 100 percent effort. And please stop celebrating every little tackle or yardage gain you make. You look ridiculous. Win a playoff game, and then start celebrating. Until you get serious on the field you will not win any truly meaningful games.
And you coaches – if you’re not exhausted at some point during the week before the game, I would venture to say you haven’t prepared enough. Go watch some more film. Go fine tune your game plan. Go figure out how to punch it in the end zone from the one yard line.
Every man jack of you has got to get it together and put everything you’ve got into every game. Leave it all on the field.
Giants 31, Cowboys 24 – Romo’s Career Day Not Enough
The Dallas Cowboys let a golden opportunity slip by on Sunday afternoon when they lost to the New York Giants, 31-24, due in large part to two big plays they gave up at the most inopportune times.
All in all, they Cowboys did not play poorly. In fact, QB Tony Romo, the scapegoat of Decembers past, threw for the most yardage he ever has (392), with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. WR Roy Williams showed up again as well, catching two touchdown passes from Romo. Miles Austin gathered in the other. Romo, with a career day in passing yardage, was clearly the best player on the field on Sunday, so I think we can dispense with this Romo chokes in December nonsense.
The Cowboys did most of the things that conventional wisdom states you need to do in order to win – they dominated time of possession (38:50 to 21:10), limited penalties (5 for 30 yards), won the turnover battle (+1), got more first downs (27 to 15), and were better at third down efficiency (52% to 40%). But in all these numbers, the thing that is missing is the fact that 3 big plays changed the course of the game.
The first one, a Marion Barber fumble, came with less than two minutes left in the first half with the Cowboys leading 10-7. It led to a Giants touchdown on a Brandon Jacobs 1 yard run. Instead of the Cowboys taking a lead into halftime they were down 14-10.
The second came after Dallas had regained the lead 17-14. In a ludicrous moment, Brandon Jacobs, the 270 pound running back, took a screen pass and ran past the Cowboys defense for 74 yards and a touchdown. We won’t mention the horrible non-called holding penalty that occurred on that play. The point is Jacobs should have been tackled long before that hold happened.
The final back breaker came with the Giants up 24-17. It was a punt return by Domenik Hixon for a touchdown. That was the first punt return touchdown the Cowboys have given up in two years.
The Cowboys scored again on a 22 yard pass from Romo to Austin to pull within 7, but on the ensuing onsides kick, the Cowboys were flagged for illegal touch and that was the game.
Nick Folk also missed a field goal attempt, his fifth out of the last ten. Come December, when games are often won or lost by the slimmest of margins, this is concerning. The problem appears to be the holder. When Mat McBriar places the ball, often it’s not in the spot its supposed to be. Picture someone moving your golf ball on you in mid swing, and you get the picture. Special teams coach Joe DeCamilis has hinted that there’s going to be a new holder next game, and his name might possibly rhyme with Patrick Crayton.
Although the Cowboys could have put a dagger in the hearts of the Giants playoff hopes and kept ahead of the Eagles, the loss further tightens the NFC playoff race and places even more emphasis on the remaining games on the Cowboys tough schedule. But it’s still not the end of the world. The Cowboys are still in first place, and although the media loves to play up this December business, I see no reason why losing the first game in December should cause the Cowboys faithful to jump off any ledges. The offense is clicking. We just need to limit the big plays. And with the high octane San Diego Chargers coming to town, they better figure out a way to do it soon.
Romo Got His Groove Back
In the NFL, there are two ways to characterize games against lesser teams. One is the dreaded “trap game”. That’s when a team comes into the game and expects their opponents to roll over and die without so much as a contest. The other is a tune-up game. That’s basically a glorified practice session wherein the better team rolls the lesser team, on their way to bigger and better things.
Thanksgiving was a case of the latter. It was a case of the Cowboys coming into the game needing to get their offense on track. That’s exactly what they did, rolling up 494 total yards en route to a 24-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Miles Austin got back on track with Tony Romo, catching 7 passes for 145 yards and a score, while Romo logged another 300 yard passing game. The combination of a successful running game with single coverage on Austin allowed Romo to once again click with his receivers.
Fans and commentators shouldn’t downplay the importance of this victory. Certainly it was a contest against one of the weaker teams of the league, but that’s precisely the point. The Cowboys M.O. in recent years has been to play down to the level of competition. I was afraid the Cowboys would make this into the Darius Heyward-Bey Breakout Game, or at least make Bruce Gradkowski look like an all-pro.
The Cowboys needed their offense to play up to their playoff caliber defense. The defense is ranked 6th in points allowed, giving up only 16.5 points per game. The dreaded month of December is next, and the Boys needed to go in on a roll. The last thing they needed was another ugly win, raising questions and doubts everywhere.
As a result, the Cowboys are 8-3 and in first place, which is a good position to be headed into a very rough December – January schedule that begins in New York against the always-tough Giants. The Romo-led Cowboys are 2-0 in Giants Stadium. A victory there would pretty much put the Giants’ playoff hopes on life support, and give Dallas a momentum boost for the rest of the month.
The rest of the season consists of games with San Diego, New Orleans, Washington, and Philadelphia. With at least two of those games very winnable, the Cowboys could very well end the year at 11-5 at the very least, with 12-4 a distinct possibility.
The question everyone is wondering though is, can the Cowboys win in December? Coach Wade Phillips better hope so because his job will depend on it.
Style Points Don’t Exist In The NFL
By this point in the NFL season, we have heard our fair share of clichés. The battles are won in the trenches. Win the turnover battle. Establish the run. I won’t bother to mark down the rest of the incessant list, but one cliché that comes to mind is “An ugly win is better than a pretty loss”.
Such was the case for the Dallas Cowboys, as they eked out a not very pretty 7-6 victory over the archrival Washington Redskins on Sunday. Who would have thought that Jason Campbell would have outpassed Tony Romo by almost a hundred yards in Cowboys Stadium? He did just that, passing for 256 yards in his losing effort.
But back to the subject at hand, which is quality of wins. Never in the NFL have points been awarded for style. The goal is to be one of the 16 or so winning teams each Sunday. If you make that goal enough then you’ll get to the postseason. They give a team a whole win, not a half, for winning an ugly contest. So the Cowboys victory Sunday accomplished several things.
First, it kept them on top of the NFC East division and if the playoffs started today, they would be the third seed at 7-3.
Second, it chalked up another important tally in the win column heading into the dreaded month of December. The goal for virtually all NFL teams is to win as many games as possible before December and bad weather starts, when the wins come harder. Especially for these Cowboys whose record in recent Decembers is nothing to brag about, to say the least.
Third, it was an important win over a divisional opponent, and that pays you double the dividends (a victory over a divisional opponent is by default a victory over a conference opponent. So as ugly as the victory was, the bottom line is that it was a victory.
Fourth, it showed something in the 2009 Cowboys that perhaps the 2008 Cowboys did not have. What I’m referring to is the ability to attain a victory when things aren’t going so well. It’s easy to win if your quarterback is throwing for 300 yards or you’re getting 3 or 4 turnovers. What makes a good “team” is the ability of other units to take up the slack when one of them isn’t doing too well.
This is not to say the Cowboys do not have any problems. The offense has been looking pretty lost the last two weeks, due to what I think are two factors – the inconsistency of Jason Garrett and the utter failure of the Roy Williams project. After the Green Bay loss, Garrett was criticized for not running the ball enough (14 times for 61 yards). This week Garrett responded by calling 30 running plays. Curiously, not a whole lot of play-action passes were seen amidst all these runs. Isn’t that one of the main benefits of being able to run the ball well? As for Roy Williams, I’ll just wait around until the Cowboys do the right thing and put him on the bench. He has long since lost his confidence.
I don’t think all is lost with this offense. The drive to win the game in the 4th quarter looked very good, and maybe they can build on that for the next game on Thanksgiving against the Oakland Raiders, who happen to have a pretty decent pass defense, ranked 12th in the league.
Short Shots:
Bennett For Wideout Campaign?: Someone suggested that Martellus Bennett take over for Roy Williams. After all, he is kind of built like Roy only he can play football. Not a bad idea, I think.
Romo’s Sunday Struggles: Guess who has the #1 passing defense in the league? That’s right, the Washington Redskins.
Playing With Pain: Romo’s bad day can best be explained by the above stat put together with the fact he played the entire game hurt.
Roy’s Sky Falling?: LaRon Landry, Redskins cornerback, said that he thought Roy Wiliams played scared on Sunday. After view the video evidence, it’s hard to disagree.
Until next time, everybody please have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day and your time with your loved ones.
Packers 17, Cowboys 7
I really hate to write articles like this. I hate to even talk about things like this. And it’s not because the Cowboys dropped a golden opportunity to go a game ahead of the Eagles on Sunday. It’s just one loss, and one loss I can handle. I’m over it already.
The thing I hate about it is the way they lost. I’m not going to take anything away from the Packers defense.
They performed admirably, and helped Green Bay to take another breath and hang on a little longer with their playoff hopes. But as admirable as they played, a Packer game ball should go to the official’s locker room, with all of the Packers’ autographs on it. By the way, I hope Roger Goodell doesn’t read that last line. I’d hate to get a fine notice in the mail.
Illegal hands to the face (LATE thrown) of a receiver not even involved in a play that produced a defensive touchdown ? REALLY? How about the Romo fumble, where Felix Jones had recovered it and was down by contact? Since when is down by contact not reviewable? (note that the Cowboys players had all assumed it would be ruled correctly and hence didn’t go after the ball after Jones lost it). They seemed to have conveniently forgotten that trying to throw the challenge flag when you’re out of challenges happens to be a 15 yard PENALTY. And what was the Packers coach doing with a challenge flag anyway?
I thought they were supposed to collect them from the team when you run out of challenges. How about the official missing the Packers receiver stepping out of bounds, giving Green Bay an extra seven yards to try a 52 yard field goal. Think Mason Crosby makes a 59 yarder? Doubt it. There are more things that I can say, namely the numerous non called holding penalties on the Packers offensive line. But I’m done with it. I hate to talk about bad officiating, it makes me feel a little like I’m whining. It would have been nice if the offense would have taken the game out of the officials’ hands.
There were much worse things that happened in this game besides the officiating. RT Marc Colombo, starting right tackle, was lost for at least six weeks with a broken fibula. Mike Jenkins may or may not play against the Redskins with a bicep injury. You know a player has come a long way when you yell “OH NO, NOT JENKINS!!” when you hear he’s injured. The man is easily the Boys best defensive back right now.
And now for a few quick notes:
Eleven rushing attempts for the game – are you serious ????
OT Doug Free, apparently Columbo’s replacement, has been getting practice against DeMarcus Ware. I like that idea – a lot.
At 6-3, the Cowboys have two (supposedly) easy games before they enter the dreaded December stretch. Being 8-3 going into December would help the playoff chances tremendously. Ten wins might get you in the playoffs, so 2-3 is at least plausible. I like our chances to win at least two of the Giants, Washington, San Diego at home, and Philly at home.
Oh, and WR Roy Williams, supposed number one receiver, had 105 receiving yards to go with a key drop and a key fumble. Congratulations Roy.
Plenty of Credit To Go Around
For those of you who haven’t heard, the Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night to take sole possession of first place in the hotly contested NFC East. The game featured plenty of penalties and challenged plays, but what it really showed was the progress this team has made since the beginning of the season. So who gets the credit for the continued improvement of this team? Well, there’s plenty to go around.
Credit QB Tony Romo for his continued solid play (21/34, 307, 1TD, 1 INT) and especially for his patience. The Eagles blitzed like crazy Sunday night and Romo took the patient route, dumping off short passes and wide receiver screens. Romo has matured enough to know that it’s better to gain a few yards that go for it all and have something bad happen under heavy pressure. His pump fake on the Austin touchdown was absolutely beastly. He has become the clear leader of this team.
Credit WR Miles Austin for not getting frustrated. After three straight games of roaming free downfield, the Eagles decided that if they took away Witten and Austin they would have a good chance of winning the game, so they rolled a safety over to help on Austin. Philadelphia held Austin without a catch all night, until the killing blow came in the fourth quarter. On third and 14, Austin’s double move combined with the Romo pump fake created a huge opening for Romo to throw to Austin for the winning score.
Credit WR Roy Williams for looking like a number one receiver. Williams had 5 catches for 75 yards, and as a fellow poster on the Ranch Report said, if that’s the production that we get from Williams from each game from here on out, I’ll take it gladly.
Credit Jason Garrett for his outstanding play calling. His game planning, especially on the first touchdown drive, looked like it was tailor made to counter the fabled exotic Philly blitzes. He got good use out of rookie Kevin Ogletree on the wide receiver screen to set up first and goal, and the Boys used the “Razorback” formation successfully also.
Best of all, the Cowboys didn’t get pass happy when the need arose to run out the clock. Instead, they ran the same running play to Barber three straight times, daring the Eagles to stop them, before the game sealing first down by Witten. Gotta love that mentality.
Credit Jason Witten for his game sealing first down catch. That to me was one of the best moments of the season.
Credit RB Marion Barber and the offensive line. With the game on the line and four minutes to go, the Cowboys ran the same running play 3 straight times. You have to love that type of “try and stop us” mentality. Barber gained 23 yards on those runs before Witten’s game sealing catch.
Credit CB Mike Jenkins and S Gerald Sensabaugh. Both defensive backs garnered themselves an interception. Jenkins showed his continued improvement. He is a talented corner who loves to get in the receiver’s face. Jenkins has both ball skills and make-up speed, and he continues to improve each and every week. He held Philadelphia’s playmaker WR Desean Jackson to just 2 catches for 29 yards.
Sensabaugh continues to demonstrate why Dallas had such a great offseason, continuing to come up solid in both coverage and run support (he led the team with 6 tackles). Where would we be without him? Pat Watkins would probably be our starting safety opposite the “forgot how to tackle” Ken Hamlin. Scary.
Credit NT Jay Ratliff. At halftime, he told coach Wade Phillips that the Eagles success in the first half running the ball was his (Ratliffe’s) responsibility. When Wade tried to downplay it, Ratliffe got in his face and said “No! It’s my responsibility and I’m going to correct it!”. I think it’s time for a Ratliffe jersey in my house. You can’t go to the Leadership Orchard and pick some of it off of trees. They weren’t just empty words either. Ratliff went out and backed up his words on the field.
Overall, this team just keeps getting better. Romo was starting to sound like a broken record with this phrase but it looks like he was serious. How good are they going to be when December rolls around? Cowboys fans have reason to maintain their hopes. For once, it truly is a team.
Other Notes: K David Beuhler (the Chuck Norris of kickers) made a couple of special teams tackles Sunday night, and they weren’t the typical kicker lunging for the ball carrier tackles either … Rookie Victor Butler made one of the most valuable shoe string tackles of all time … RB Tashard Choice looks like he could start for a whole lot of NFL teams.
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.