Dallas Cowboys
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NFL Team Column |
What Do They Need To Take the Next Step?
First and foremost they need to upgrade their offensive line and secondary. For a team that almost made the playoffs they have a lot of needs.
Offensive Line: At tackle they have two decent starters, but no depth, the problem is Doug Free is not a left tackle. Two years ago he played excellent at right tackle so he and rookie standout Tyrone Smith will likely switch spots next year. If Smith makes that transition successfully they should be solid at tackle.
At guard they have real problems, Derrick Dockery and Montrae Holland are free agents and wont likely be resigned. Last years 4th round pick David Arkin showed promise, he has decent size (6' 5" 310 lbs), but he played college for small school Missouri State and is extremely raw. Its no guarantee he will even make the team next year. Bill Nagy just isn't strong enough to hold up in the NFL and Kyle Kosier is average at best and getting a little old. They probably need at least two quality guards to be able to compete next year.
Stanford Guard David DeCastro, Georgia Guard Cordy Glenn should be first round targets, and if Miami (Fl) Guard Brandon Washington, Wisconsin Guard Kevin Zeitler or Wisconsin Center Peter Konz are available in round two they could be a solid selection. In the 4th or 5th round, small school (California (PA) Guard Rishaw Johnson would be an excellent pick. I think Phil Costa might be OK at center, but Konz would be a huge upgrade.
I also think they should go after Saints free agent guard Carl Nicks, he would immediately improve the Dallas offensive line.
Cornerback is another huge need for the Cowboys. Terence Newman was absolutely horrible last year and was injured often. Newman likely has played his last game for the Cowboys. Orlando Skandrick was just resigned, he is OK, but not a starting caliber cornerback. The only starting caliber cornerback on the roster is Mike Jenkins, but he has suffered from numerous injuries and recently had shoulder surgery. Frank Walker and Alan Ball are free agents and probably won't be resigned.
If the Cowboys don't trade down in the 2012 NFL Draft and if they don't target DeCastro or Glenn, then corner might be a target in round one. Problem is, the only players worthy of being drafted where the Cowboys are drafting at (14) is CBs Morris Claiborne, LSU and Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama (JR). Claiborne will likely be a top five pick and Kirkpatrick will probably be picked in the top 10. They could also target Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina) in round two or Leonard Johnson in round three or they might get lucky and have Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska) or Janoris Jenkins fall into the second round.
The bottom line is they are going to need some free agent help at cornerback. They need to target one or even two of the following NFL Free Agents: Ladarius Webb (Ravens), Brandon Carr (Chiefs), Tracy Porter (Saints), Cortland Finnegan (Titans), Brent Grimes (Falcons) or Richard Marshall (Cardinals).
Linebacker is also a need, but not as much as offensive line and cornerback. Keith Brooking will likely be gone, but Sean Lee has already replaced him, Anthony Spencer will probably be resigned, but if not, Victor Butler has enough talent to replace him. They also have last years second round pick Bruce Carter, who has a ton of talent and they are going to need him to contribute next year. If they can't resign free agent Brady James they could use their first round pick on ILB Luke Kuechly (Boston College). I wouldn't have a problem with that, Luke is a future Pro Bowl linebacker. In three years at BC he recorded 432 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss and 7 interceptions.
Defensive end and nose tackle are also a need. DE Marcus Spears has been a bust and Jason Hatcher is average at best. Sean Lissemore has talent and size (6' 4" 306 lbs), but they need a better pass rush from the end position. There are some good pass rushing defensive ends in this draft, but I would like for them to get a huge nose tackle and move Jay Ratliff out to end. LSU defensive tackle (DT) Michael Brockers, Clemson DT Brandon Thompson or Memphis Nose Tackle Dontari Poe would be a nice upgrade on the defensive line. At end, if North Carolina DE Quinton Coples slips down to them in the first round they will be hard pressed to pass on him.
Romo Redeems
It was looking rather bleak on a particular Sunday afternoon, the 18th of September to be exact. Tony Romo was back in the locker room and Kitna had just thrown his second interception of the day and it looked as though San Francisco had the game wrapped up tight. Suddenly, after reporting that Romo would not be back in the game, the sideline camera showed Romo getting his helmet and trotting back onto the field to do what he does best and that is give his team a chance to win the ball game. Tony Romo then proceeded to lead one of the most impressive comebacks in recent memory, especially after finding out later on he not only had a cracked rib but a punctured lung. Romo passed for almost 200 yards in the fourth quarter and showed everyone that the first week of the season could very well have been a fluke or misfortune.
The above was most likely what everyone saw on Monday morning in your local newspapers and with good riddance. In my Cowboys watching life, I had never seen a moment for Tony Romo where I can honestly say that he gave everything he had in order to help his team win. Romo went on a hot streak that connected with Miles Austin to bring them within three and then setup the game tying field goal in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime by Dan Bailey. Then for his final act, he connected with Mr. Fourth and Long, Jesse Holley on a nice throw that setup Dallas for the game winning touchdown in overtime. For a man that was so heavily chastised after his week one performance against the Jets, Romo redeemed himself and showed once and for all that he has the talent to get the job done. Consistency has always been the question and Romo will have the chance to continue his good fortune when the 2-0 Redskins come into town on Monday night.
One aspect of the offense that has yet to get going is the running game. Felix Jones, who went out with a separated shoulder, has yet to show the true explosiveness he showed in the preseason. Many are wondering if this back can carry the load for 16 games, especially with his injury big showing up once again. The Cowboys are carrying four running backs and the recent injury to Jones shows why that was a good choice. Jones’ availability for Monday night looks to be a go but many wonder if he will be able to get on track against a stout Redskins defense.
The defense had another good game as they really shutdown the 49ers offense in the second half. Recording 6 sacks in the whole game (2 by Ware, 2 by Hatcher, 1 by Spencer, 1 by Ratliff) and 10 on the season, which leads the league, Rob Ryan has shown that he can do a lot with a defense when he has talent. The defense should get another lift Monday night when Terence Newman returns from injury, which will make the first time this season, including preseason that both starting Cornerbacks will be available for a game. Look for Newman to have a good game as all he has heard for the last few weeks were that Dallas should have gotten rid of him before the season.
Injuries seem to be piling up all around however it looks like all players should be available Monday night, including Dez Bryant after missing Sunday’s game with deep bruised quad with he exception of Miles Austin, who had a stellar game, receiving for close to 150 yards and three touchdowns, including his final touchdown to bring Dallas within four with his variation of ‘planking’. Austin re-injured his hamstring on the final offense play of the fourth quarter. There is chance he may be out until the bye week, week 5. Scandrick is still couple game away, however this did not deter Dallas from releasing Bryan McCann in favor of Laurent Robinson, who had signed with the team a week or so ago only to be released.
Dallas faces off against Washington this week with first place on the line i their home opener. This will be a great chance to not only turn the corner but also prove if Washington is for real or not. Tony Romo will have all eyes on him as he fights through his injury to tries to give Dallas an above .500 mark since two years ago. This will be a great chance for many of the young players, especially receivers to show their worth and skill and a great opportunity in general for Dallas to get an early lead within the division. However, only time will tell if Dallas has yet to jump that hurdle in the Jason Garrett era.
Heartbreaking Loss for Dallas
Heading into Week One of the NFL season, many thought this would be a rebuilding year for the Dallas Cowboys. Many felt that with a new defense coordinator an a new head coach, it would take some time to adjust and get to a comfortable position within the team. Those thoughts may have been somewhat justified or somewhat inaccurate depending on how you look at it.
The Dallas defense played one of their best games in a while. The game started off with Ware getting on of his two sacks on Sanchez as the Dallas defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage, limiting the Jets running game to under 50 yards. Anthony Spencer also contributed with a sack himself. Sean Lee was very impressive in his first starting role over Keith Brooking tallying 12 tackles and one interception, which almost went the distance for a touchdown. Dallas rotated their Middle Linebackers among three of them, Lee, Bradie James and Brooking, with Lee and James getting a majority of the playing time. This was a great sign for Dallas who has been waiting for Lee to emerge after picking him up in the second round out of Penn State a couple years ago.
Coming into the game, thin at Cornerback, Dallas had issues keeping healthy corners on the field. Terence Newman was held out with a groin injury and the starting jobs went to Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick went out in the first half with what is being diagnosed as a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss 3 - 4 weeks, which should put him back on the field after the bye week. He was then replaced by Alan Ball, whose transition to Cornerback has been a welcome sight as he has played well in that role.
Jenkins had two different injuries in the game and was replaced by Bryan McCann, who played well at times but did give up a big touchdown to Plaxico Burress cutting the lead down to 7 in the fourth quarter. In nickle and dime packages, Dallas brought in their backup safeties, McCray and Church. McCray had a forced fumbled on Sanchez which was recovered by Dallas. For the issues with injuries at Cornerback, Dallas fans should be encouraged with how well the Dallas defense played and with Newman hopefully coming back this week and Jenkins able to play, the Dallas defense should only improve.
The young Offensive Line for Dallas was another huge concern going into their matchup with the Jets. Having three of the five lineman, only have one game in between them, Phil Costa, they handles themselves pretty well. Smith out of USC did particularly well, especially working on a hobbled leg. Luckily, Tony Romo has the mobility to move around in the pocket which masks any issues that could be present for the lineman however they played extremely well considering the circumstances. Dez Bryant was off the charts in he first quarter racking up 3 receptions for 70+ yards and a Touchdown.
However, after suffering a bruised quad on a punt return and battling cramps, Bryant was limited the rest of the game. Miles Austin had a nice night, catching one touchdown pass on a nice tack away from Cromartie. Both players had a hold of the jump ball in the end zone but the ball is awarded to the offensive player in that situation which Austin would have ripped away regardless. Witten, as usual, had a very good game totaling over 100 yards, including a nice 64 yard catch which almost went in for six. The running game was less than impressive as they never could get going against a stout Jets defense.
QB Tony Romo had a great three quarters until he faltered in the fourth. Having close to 350 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception, some would say that it is the sharpest Romo has looked in his career. However, Romo’s inconsistency came back to haunt him again as he turned the ball over twice in critical situations. In tfourth quarter, Romo tried to run up the middle for a touchdown on a third down play and fumbled on the one, giving the ball back to the Jets. Had they settled for a field goal, Dallas would have taken a 10 point lead and the game would have been pretty close to over. Then, after the Jets recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown, Romo threw an interception to Revis which setup the game winning 50 yard field goal by former Cowboys kicker, Nick Folk.
Romo got much deserved criticism for the game however his team has rushed to his defense to say this was a team loss. Another way of looking at it was that Romo could not have been in position to lose the game had he not played so well to put them up by 14 points inthe first place. One thing is for sure, Romo has always had an ability to comeback big in games after he made huge mistakes and with the 49ers, Redskins and Lions on the schedule for the next three weeks and with the way the defense played against a good Jets offense, there is a strong chance Romo will have plenty of time to divert his critics attention away from his bad play and continue to make the turn into a QB that everyone feels he can be.
Week One Matchup: Cowboys Travel to New York on 9-11
With the season now upon us and the preseason in the past, we now look forward to Week 1 which will pit the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Jets. This will be a tough matchup for Dallas as the Jets defense is one of the best, if not the best in the league today. Rex Ryan, much like his brother Rob Ryan can throw different type of schemes at the offense and throw them off. Offensively, they have some talent but their offense is nowhere near as feared as the defense.
If Dallas is going to have a chance at winning this game, there are many factors in which they will have to use to their advantage. The main one is the offense. Anyone who knows anything about football will tell you that Dallas has one of the top offenses in the NFL. With Jason Witten, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, the Jets defense will have to stay on their feet in order to defend them. With Felix Jones also catching screens out of the backfield and using his speed and quickness, he will be another weapon that will have to be watched. Dropping last year’s gained weight looks to really have made a difference thus far. Tony Romo played less than half of the year last season before he was injured with a broken collarbone but even he has looked very sharp in camp and practice leading up to the week one matchup.
The biggest question mark Dallas will have going into the game will be their offensive line. With three of the five having limited to no game experience, Tyron Smith, Bill Nagy and Phil Costa, many Dallas fans are wondering what they are thinking. Signing Derrick Dockery and releasing both Andre Gurode and Montre Holland showed that Dallas is not going off past performances and living in the now. They are beginning the transition from old to young and jumping into the fire with what they have. Garrett is making it clear every day that no one is guaranteed a roster spot on the Dallas Cowboys and he is going to leave his imprint on this team.
Terence Newman will be going into the game questionable with the groin continuing to cause an aggravation. If he is unable to go, Dallas will be left with Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick as their two starting cornerbacks. After signing a five year extension, I would expect Scandrick to be at his best. That would then move Alan Ball, who previously failed last year at Safety to the nickel corner and Bryan McCann, who was last year’s special teams wonder to play in dime situations.
Regardless of the outcome, I think we can all agree that we are happy to have football back and ready to begin the Road to the Super Bowl!
Cowboys Concerns
Two weeks into the preseason and there are many teams that still have some questions. Some teams are still trying to find their identity while others are just trying to find some form of consistency. Dallas came into the preseason with many questions and are beginning to get some answers.
Offensive line is one position that Dallas was hoping to shore up after losing two of their five starter as cap casualties. When Colombo and Davis left, many knew that Dallas was going to have to fill a couple of very important voids in order to be competitive. Tyron Smith, 9th overall pick out of USC, was the easy choice to replace Colombo and has done a pretty good job. He has shown the athleticism you want to see in a tackle however lacks the quick feet needed to stop ends coming off the line. Many believe that he will grow into that as the more experience he gets, the better he will become.
Guard is a position that seems to be a little more questionable as currently, David Arkin and Montre Holland seem to be the ones battling it out however latest developments have come out that Andre Gurode, the Pro Bowl Center for Dallas will be cut, and Phil Costa will then take over at Center as he has impressed many within camp. Holland showed up to camp overweight and injured and Arkin has been less than stellar. The Sunday night game against San Diego showed that Arkin still has a very long way to go as he blew an assignment that caused McGee to fumble and Dallas to lose possession, halting a productive drive.
Ask any Cowboys fan their number one concern coming into the 2011 - 2012 season and Safety probably would have been at the top of that list. With Alan Ball having a horrible season at Safety and the uncertainty of what was going to happen at that position, Dallas resigned Gerald Sensabaugh and also signed Abe Elam, who played under Ryan in Cleveland. However, after two games within the preseason, many are questioning whether Elam will be the starting Safety come week one. Last year, Dallas drafted McCray and Church, two young guys that Dallas liked. McCray has began contributing on Special Teams while Church has began to open many eyes with his play.
After a touchdown saving toss from Rivers to McMichael, Church showed his skill and athleticism. While on the other side of the coin, he had a penalty against him, many would agree that this could be the turning point. While I believe that Elam will ultimately start this season, don’t be surprised to see Church in a starting capacity next season.
Lastly, Wide Receiver was the final major question mark heading into the season. After Roy Williams left, which was justifiable with the amount of salary owed and the production that was received, however that left open a spot on the field after Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Kevin Olgetree seems to be the first candidate as he has shown flashes of greatness since being drafted by Dallas out of Virginia. WR Dwayne Harris had a huge game against Denver in week one of the preseason however had little to no production in the second game.
WR Manual Jonhson was actually the opposite as he was quiet the first game but had a nice bounce back game against San Diego. Jesse Holley is an interesting name as he has somewhat grown into the receiver role while continuing to contribute positively on Special Teams. Jason Garrett has made it clear that someone needs to emerge in the position of third receiver or the team will have no choice but to look elsewhere. Who this could possibly be? The jury is still out on that.
There is always the slim possibility that Tashard Choice, with injury and the emergence of Tanner and Miller, could be traded and maybe net you back a decent third receiver. Whatever the end result is, look or Dallas to look to fill that void as soon as possible to do everything they can to try to shore up any questionable positions before the September 11 match-up with the Jets.
Can You Smell Football?
Can you smell it? No, no the gym socks under your bed. I am talking about FOOTBALL! Training Camps are in full swing for all 32 teams and we are a little over a week away from our first preseason games. With all the CBA crap out of the way, it is time to get into the meat and potatoes of what we all love and live for.
For those that have been living under a rock for the last 4 months, we had a bit of a situation in the NFL. There was this little thing called a lockout. For four months, NFL fans alike were held hostage as the NFL and NFLPA fought over the best for each side. While the NFL fans were on the sidelines awaiting every moment that the battle, we all had to wonder at one point or another, will there be football and if so, when? Will we be able to enjoy the game we have all come to love or would we be robbed of the one thing that makes Sunday’s worth it?
After months of arguing and bickering, the NFL and NFLPA came to a 10 year agreement which guarantees football for 10 years; no opt-out clause. Ten years of NFL football and staying glued to the sets every Sunday and Monday along with a couple Saturdays and Thursdays. This is what we love, this is what we breathe and for some, this is what we write.
Now we turn our attention to the team that whether you like them or hate them, is the team that everyone is always talking about. Your beloved Dallas Cowboys. Entering the NFL season, there were some definite holes that needed to be filled in order for this team to be considered a contender. There were some things that needed to be done in order to make this team relevant again in the eyes of NFL fans as well as die hard Dallas Cowboys fans. Within this writing, we are going to take a look at what is needed, who has been released, who should be signed as well as who has been signed.
Coming into the offseason, everyone knew that Safety was going to be a position of need. There was no doubt in that and no running from that fact. After watching Alan Ball get torched on a constant basis and made to look like a true corner converted Safety, it is obvious that this is one position that was needed from the get go. One name which constantly was floated around was Michael Huff. A Texas product, he made it very clear that he wanted to be in Dallas and you though that Dallas wanted him. After it pretty much came out that Rob Ryan was not a huge fan of him nor did he feel that he was the kind of player the Cowboys needed, he resigned with the Oakland Raiders and the pipe dream of getting a real, ball hawking Safety was down the tubes.
We now turn our eyes to Safety Abe Elam, who was a former Cowboy who was picked up by Dallas in 2006 as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State. After a one year stop with the Jets, he played for the Browns and most notably for Rob Ryan. Rob Ryan liked what he saw with him and Abe signed a one year deal, which seems to be kind of the norm this year with such a short offseason.
Many people ask why Dallas was not in the market for a big name. Franky, Dallas is in a very unique situation where they need talent however they have a very limited amount of money to do things. After releasing four contracts, which we will get to, they are going to have over $20 million in dead money in 2012. So jeopardizing your franchise in the future is not the best thing to do when you can get a serviceable player for the right amount of money. Abe Elam is not a big name, but he is a player that is true to the position and can play the position. For one, I believe that this can work out for both sides as I feel that Elam can be the stop gap between what they have had and the future of the position.
Another need coming into the offseason was on the Offensive Line. Many felt that the number one priority for Dallas was going to be Doug Free and Jerry Jones quickly took care of that by locking up Doug Free for the next 4 years, for $32 million. Jerry Jones quickly answered that with signing Kyle Kosier to a 3 year deal and first round draft pick Tyron Smith to a 4 year deal respectively. Continuity on the Offensive Line is priority number one if this team is going to do anything. Keeping Tony Romo on his feet is going to go a long way to determining where this team goes. Adding two bookends like Free and Smith for the next 4 years adds a lot of comfort to the mind of Tony Romo and should to many Cowboys fans. Montrae Holland will be stepping in to take the Right Guard spot from the recently released Leonard Davis and many would believe that he will hold his own.
However he Leonard davis) did come into camp at a whopping 340 pounds. For someone who is only 6’ 2", that would be considered a little overweight. However, many have liked what he has done in a reserved role and now that he has the chance to supplant himself as the started, I look for Holland to have a breakout year. Dallas could add a little depth here at the Guard spot. One name that you may hear thrown around is Brian Waters, who made it clear he would like to finish his career in the state of Texas. However, if he is not willing to do the league minimum, I find this a very long shot to happen.
Lastly, Defensive End was a spot many looked at as one that would need to be done. With Bowen, Hatcher and Spears all becoming free agents, many thought Dallas would have to sign atleast one to have an impact. Jerry did you one better and signed two, or so it seems. Spears was recently signed to a five year deal and Jason Hatcher resigned for a three year deal.
DE Stephen Bowen, which many liked has decided to head to the enemy as he got a very large deal from Washington. Whether that was worth the price for the amount of playing time he has shown remains to be seen. Many though Cullen Jenkins would be a great fit in Dallas especially once Washington bowed out, but as the Eagles did with Nnamdi, they swooped in and took the prize. Dallas did add another Rob Ryan product in former Cowboys Kenyon Coleman. This former 5th round pick out of UCLA played with Dallas from 2003 - 2006. Under Ryan, Coleman played well and Dallas is hoping the same can hold true with his second stint in Dallas. Coleman registered nearly 70 tackles and 2.5 sacks with Cleveland in 2010 and looks to continue to build off of that another year under Ryan.
When looking at who Dallas moved before the cap deadline, there may be one or two surprises. Of the main names that were cut from the Cowboys, the most notable names were Marion Barber, Marc Colombo, Leonard Davis and Roy Williams...part two. Many figured that Barber and Colombo would be cap causalities. Both had fallen off over the last couple of years. Colombo with injuries and Barber with what many saw coming due to his heavy running. Davis was somewhat of a surprise as the last six games of the season, he played very well.
WR Roy Williams underachieved the entire time in Dallas and became a somewhat easy choice with the emergence of Dez Bryant. Jerry Jones has gone on record to say that the trade for Roy Williams rivaled the horrid trade made for Joey Galloway when Dallas gave up two first round draft picks. Releasing these four players along with a couple more cuts along the way got the Cowboys where they needed to be in order to get under the salary cap limit of $120 million.
None the less, Dallas has moved on from their failed contracts and are hoping to promote within these positions. I look for Kevin Olgetree to have a huge year as a possible replacement at the third receiver. He could very well be the perfect fit to be in the slot receiver role. As stated above, Holland will most likely get first crack at Right Guard, first round draft pick Tyron Smith will see the Left Tackle starting spot and Cowboys fans should most likely get their wish of seeing a little more Tashard Choice in the backfield, if he can somehow get healthy in time to prove his worth on the field.
Looking at 2011
There is no doubt that heading into the offseason of 2011; there is a lot of disappointment. Not only at Valley Ranch but in America as a whole as the entire fan base of the Dallas Cowboys suffer one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. While just a few short months ago, people had Dallas becoming the first team in NFL history to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium, and trust me that is something Jerry Jones would have loved to have had! However it is never too early to begin looking into the future of America's Team through the next few months. Let's take a look at some of the possibilities the Cowboys could be facing this coming offseason, draft and beyond (assuming there will be a football season next year).
The first thing many look at is what does this team need most? I think two positions that scream out are offensive line and safety. Doug Free was easily the most consistent lineman Dallas had during the season. With him being a free agent, look for Mr. Jones to lock up his contract first and foremost. Then you take a look at the rest of the line. Gurode is almost a lock to comeback as he has played rather well at the center position. Kyle Kosier will be a free agent as well however, I look for Jerry to lock him up as well, if for nothing else as insurance for a free agent or top flight rookie. Then you look at the rest of the line, you have Leonard Davis who has a lot of money left on his deal and Marc Colombo, who still has the ability at the line but the biggest knock is if he can stay healthy? There is no doubt that Dallas will look to the line in the draft to try and do something they have not had much luck doing in draft and that is building a young, consistent offensive line (Hello Stephen Peterman!).
Looking at the safety position, I think many would agree that the Alan Ball project is most likely over. However, do you take a chance with one of your members of the 2010 draft class? Would you take a good look at Church or McCray to fill the void? Ball will also be a free agent this year as well. Then again, what about picking up a corner and moving Newman to safety? It has been proven time and time again that as cornerbacks begin to age, they have the ability to play safety and does it well. This could be the perfect time to test that theory. With Gerald Sensabaugh also no longer having a current deal in place, he could also be on the way elsewhere and now leaving two holes to fill in the backfield of the Dallas defense. Sensabaugh has played well though and I expect him to be back next season.
Another burning question is who will lead the Dallas defense in the 2011 season? As of this writing, Dallas is currently meeting with Rob Ryan who runs a phenomenal 3-4 defense and would show tons of different looks for the opposing offense. Jason Garrett has shown a lot of interest in bringing in Mike Nolan to run his defense and of course we cannot forget about Dom Capers who has pretty much become the master of the 3-4. However, Capers most likely would not be interested in another project of building another defense with his schemes and bringing in his own type of players. Assuming Ryan does not get the job, look for Dallas to interview Ray Horton who is currently the defensive backs coach for the Steelers and also played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 - 1992. At the end of the day, I could see Dallas going after a name. While Horton would be a good fit, he has never been a coordinator anywhere and it may not be wise for Jerry to decide to let him be the test run to see if he would be good or not. However, at any time a new candidate could come out of the blue but as things sit now, I look for Ryan or Nolan to get the job and begin building this team for next season.
Lastly is a position that has already been decided on and that is the head coaching position. Jason Garrett officially had the interim tag removed days after the season finale and in the process signed a 4 year deal to be the Dallas head coach for at least the foreseeable future. This is one decision that even the fans had to agree with Jerry on. Jason, a former Cowboys QB, brought a lot of things to this team that it looked to have been missing and that was discipline and pride. For the first time in a long time, since the Parcells era, players were held accountable for what they did and did not do. They were told to follow a certain code and face consequences if they weren't met. Also, Jerry did not want to see another coordinator leave his team only to win a Super Bowl, ala Sean Payton. While Jerry has been criticized over the years, I firmly believe this is one he got right. This is one that will work out for the best and if nothing else will instill a little bit that has been missing for a few seasons now.
Be sure to check out future posting(s) where we will look at free agency, the collective bargaining agreement as well as the draft.
Speculation Begins
As the dust settles on another season for the Dallas Cowboys, everyone is left once again to wonder what it might have been? What if Romo had not been injured and Dallas ended up pulling out the win against New York? What if Garrett had taken over sooner? What if the defense did pick up where they left off last season? What if Choice hadn't fumbled before the half? These are questions not only fans but players themselves are asking as the season ended once again far too soon compared to expectations.
In the final showdown with the Eagles this season and final game of the regular season for both teams, it was what you expected; A very sloppy game. Dallas, a team that had struggled all year but somehow has found their identity in the past few weeks played probably its worst two game stretch in the Garrett Era. Losing a heartbreaker in Arizona and squeaking out a win over a second string Eagles team. Mcgee got his first start with the injured Kitna and other than the touchdown in the end of the game to seal the win, did not play very well. He went 11/27 for 127 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked twice. Felix Jones continued his starting role as he led all rushers with 81 yards on 11 carries. Miles Austin led all receivers in yards with 62 yards on 2 receptions. Witten caught 4 passes for 46 yards and caught the lone touchdown for Dallas to win the game with one minute left in the game. Both Witten and Austin eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving this season.
The Dallas defense came up huge, most notably Ware as he not only recovered a fumble for a touchdown but also recorded 3 sacks and won the NFL Sack Title for the 2010 season, finishing with 15.5 sacks total on the year. The Dallas defense was able to pick off Kolb three times including one from Sensabaugh and two from Newman. Spencer was also able to come up with two sacks himself.
Philadelphia played as you would think a team would play who was resting all starters. Of the notable inactives was Vick, Jackson and Samuels. Kolb filled in for Vick going 18/36 for 162 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Hall for Philadelphia led all receivers with 84 yards on 6 receptions for one touchdown. Harrison had a great game as he ran for 99 yards on 21 carries. The defense was led by Gaither in tackles with 10 and Patterson and Te'o-Nesheim who each had a sack. This game was dominated by punts with a total of 15 on the day, 8 from Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler McBriar and 7 from Rocca for Philadelphia.
There is no doubt that within the next couple of days, more and more will surface as far as who the next head coach will be for the Dallas Cowboys. Much speculation has already occurred on who will take over the full time duties and I think everyone will be highly surprised if Garrett is not the head coach next season. On Tuesday, Dallas interviewed Ray Sherman, Wide Receivers coach and many believe this was a way to satisfy the Rooney Rule before naming Garrett coach. The question then comes in as to who else will join the staff? There has been talks of Tony Sporano may work with Garrett if he is fired from the Dolphins. Capers could come over from Green Bay as his contract is up, however with the defense he has built there, that is somewhat unlikely. Mangini could be another choice to come in as the defensive coordinator. Rumors will swirl and names will be dropped, but until the line is signed, nothing will be official and nothing more than speculation.
Please be sure to check back often as we will be breaking down the coaching decision as well as looking forward to the draft in April when the Dallas Cowboys will be picking 9th overall.
Garrett Era Takes a Hit
A rare sour moment in the Garrett era took place Saturday night in Arizona as Dallas dropped a heartbreaker to the Cardinals, 27 - 26. After getting off to a bad start, having two interceptions returned for touchdowns and getting down to an early deficit, Dallas was able to roar back behind Stephen McGee, after a Jon Kitna knee injury and was an extra point away from taking a three point lead with under 3 minutes left to go in the game. David Buehler missed a chip shot extra point, after hitting 53 and 42 yard field goals, which eventually led to what hurt the team in the end of the heartbreaking loss.
Kitna in the first half did not have the best stats as he threw two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Both of which were not his fault as they were dropped by the receivers. He finished 12 of 20 with 115 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He went down with a knee injury toward the end of the second quarter and did not return to the game. Stephen McGee took over and after numerous running plays, he finished with a decent game considering he had never taken a snap and finished 11 of 17 for 111 yards and one touchdown. Felix Jones was the leading rusher with 77 yards on 16 carries. Marion Barber returned to the lineup with a nice 58 yards on 8 carries and scored the lone rushing touchdown. He was flagged 15 yard for excessive celebration after his touchdown run for removing his helmet after the score. Miles Austin had a nice game as he caught 6 balls for 115 yards and one touchdown, including a 37 yard touchdown from McGee to take the lead with little time left on the clock. Jason Witten caught the other Cowboys touchdown as well.
The Dallas defense played well against the run, allowing less than 100 yards for all four runners. John Skelton finished the game 11 of 25 for 183 yards and one touchdown however he was able to put the Cardinals in the position to win the game as he marched the offense down the field on a 1:36 drive, leaving 5 seconds on the game clock. The Cowboys recorded only one sack in the game, as Ware continued his hot streak and got another sack upping his total to 12.5 on the year. Penalties were even for both teams as Dallas had 7 for 49 yards and the Cardinals had 6 for 43 yards.
Garrett is now 4-3 as head coach of Dallas and goes into his final game of the season. It is assuring that he will not finished his stint with a losing record, but a 4-4 record over the eight games may not be enough to win him the job. Jones has said himself that Garrett's lack of experience concerns him and alluded to the fact that no head coach has ever won a Super Bowl with two different teams. Some took that as he may go after a head coach that has won a Super Bowl to be another 'first' in Dallas while others took it as him not interested in trying to make it work. Either way, we could be a mere couple weeks away from finding out either way. As soon as the clock hits 0:00 in Philadelphia on Sunday, the Garrett Watch clock will start, however no one knows when exactly it may end.
The Tale of Two Halves
In one of the most meaningless games between the Redskins and Cowboys in recent memory, the Cowboys were able to pull out a 33 - 30 win against the Redskins. After jumping out to a 30 - 14 lead with what looked to be the game in hand, the Redskins led by Rex Grossman were able to tie the game and put the pressure on Dallas with little time to go in the fourth quarter. David Buehler was able to kick, what was the game winning field goal with little time in the fourth quarter to carry Dallas home with their 5th win of the season and 4th win under Head Coach Jason Garrett.
The weekend started out bizarre as Donovan McNabb was benched in favor of Rex Grossman. In the same interview, it was noted that McNabb would be benched the rest of the season in order to see Grossman and John Beck in more light to see how their future would be at the QB position. Dallas took advantage of this by coming out very strong, scoring the first 13 points of the game, coming from two Buehler field goals and one connection from Miles Austin to Jon Kitna. Torain was able to run from 19 yards out to bring the Redskins closer as the Cowboys then answered with two touchdowns, one to Witten and a 3 yard run by Choice. The Cowboys were able to jump all the way out to a 30 - 14 lead but with two touchdowns later for the Redskins, they were able to close in on the Cowboys in order to make it somewhat interesting.
Jon Kitna finished the game 25/37 for 305 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Felix Jones led all running backs with 70 yards on 12 carries and Choice added 53 yards on 15 carries. Witten had a huge game as he was able to catch 10 passes for 140 yards and 1 touchdown. Jones also added 47 yards on 2 carries to have a very strong statistical game. The Dallas defense was able to commit three turnovers, two on interceptions and one on a fumble recovery, forced by Ware and recovered by Ratliff. Both Sensabaugh and Newman were able to grab both interceptions, Newman's the more costly one as it was picked off with the last gasp of Washington falling short. Dallas was able to get a total of 5 sacks, Sensabaugh, Scandrick and Butler all with one and Ware with two extending his double digit sack streak for another season.
The Redskins had a very strong game at the QB position as Grossman was able to throw for 322 yards on 25 of 43 attempts and two interceptions. Torain led all running backs with 53 yards on 11 carries. Santana Moss caught two touchdowns for Washington with 8 receptions and 72 yards. Anthony Armstrong was able to add 5 receptions for 100 yards. The Washington defense came up with zero turnovers but was able to come up with two sacks on Jon Kitna, one from Holliday and one from Doughty.
All in all it was a game that turned out as expected. Two teams that will not sniff the playoffs this year with very sloppy play at times and flashes of brilliance others. It was a tale of two halves, the first half dominated by Dallas and the second half dominated by Washington. Both teams enter the final two weeks of the season at 5-9 and both vying for a top ten pick. Currently, Washington holds the tie breaker and would pick after Dallas due to conference record; Dallas 3-7 to Washington’s 4-7. This could change as Dallas' final two games are against NFC opponents, starting with Christmas day against the Arizona Cardinals.
Upset the Colts
Dallas once again showcased their ability to fight in a lost season as they once again came out, fought hard and got a hard earned victory against the Colts in Indianapolis. For the fourth week now under Jason Garrett, Dallas has fought hard, been in every game and either gave themselves a chance to win or came close enough to make it interesting. For the fourth week in a row, Jason Garrett has put his stamp on this team and served noticed that he should be the future coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Players look to be responding to the former Cowboys QB and have really seemed to have taken note of what he wants and what he expects, that has transferred to the field.
The offense had a very nice game. They did not have to put the entire game on Kitna's arm again as they have in the past, as he only threw for 167 yards and only had 26 pass attempts, completing 18 of them and one touchdown, which was a go ahead score to Jason Witten with under 4 minutes to play. The running game got off the ground as Tashard Choice took a good amount of carries, 19 to be exact and ran for 100 yards for the first time this season, including a 20 yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game. Felix Jones added with 83 yards on 22 carries. Altogether, the running game was able to net 217 yards, by far one of the best outputs if not the best output this entire year. They did it without former Minnesota Gopher Marion Barber as he missed the game due to injury. Miles Austin led all receivers with 47 yards however four receivers had 20+ yards total for the day as Kitna did a nice job distributing the ball. Dez Bryant however looks to be done for the year as he fractured his ankle, which was operated on this past Monday, during a kickoff return in the second half. Many wonder why he was in this position with his importance to the offense. No matter the reasoning for it, Dez Bryant has shown his potential this season and given Cowboys fans a lot to look forward to in the near future.
The Dallas defense played well, no matter how the total score looked. Sean Lee had a breakout game as he was able to pick Peyton Manning off twice, one for a touchdown return in the 3rd quarter and then another in overtime which set Dallas up for a field goal attempt which one the game, a 38 yarder from David Buehler. Altogether, Dallas was able to pick Manning off for a total of 4 times, the other two picks by Alan Ball and Orlando Scandrick, which the interception by Scandrick was returned for a touchdown as well. Dallas was able to hold the running game to under 50 yards total however the passing game was a struggle as Reggie Wayne alone had 200 yards receiving on 14 catches plus one touchdown. Manning ended up throwing the ball almost 50 times, 36/48 but was able to throw for 365 yards and two touchdowns to go along with his four total interceptions. However as the past has shown for Dallas, just because you have big numbers in the passing game does not always translate to a win, and this was another case of that. Jenkins led all defensive players with 8 tackles. No sacks were recorded on the day for the Dallas defense. The Colts were able to record two sacks, one by Mathis and one by Freeney.
One of the most crucial plays in the game was after the Colts was able to tie the game up, McCann returned the kickoff out from the goal line and fumbled. Luckily, Lonyae Miller, who was just signed from the practice squad that week to replace Barber, was able to recover the fumble and essentially save the game. Had he not been there, there was a very good chance it would have been an exact replay of the Saints game. Another potential win which was lost due to a fumble. Another impressive moment of the game was when Dallas was able to drive down to score the go ahead score in the fourth on a 18 plays, 81 yard drive which took up 10:18 of the game clock, easily the longest drive of the season and maybe even the most impressive. This is a totally different team than what has been seen in recent weeks. Players hold each other accountable and now just don't want to lose. Garrett is now 3-1 however Jerry Jones himself has pumped the brakes on anointing Garrett as the next head coach. He remembers that Garrett was a part of the debacle in the beginning of this season and that may still end up playing a factor in his decision at the end of the season.
Next up, Dallas will host Philly for an important divisional matchup. This is one of the two games they will play against Philly in the remaining four weeks of the season. While the Cowboys playoff hopes are any and everything less than faint, they have the chance to play spoiler to a divisional foe. The game will be in Dallas and you can bet that they will be ready to go when it is time to play. While this game looked pretty easy around Week 9 for Philly, this is a brand new team with a brand new philosophy and they are fighting until the end. Whether they are close to the playoffs or not, Dallas still has pride to play for and that is evident for the past four weeks. Time will tell if it hold true for the last quarter of the season.
Dallas Comes up Short on Thanksgiving
For another week in the Garrett Era, Dallas played better than the first 8 weeks of the season. Although Dallas came up short in a 30 - 27 loss to the Saints, one thing was very apparent from beginning to end in this game on Thanksgiving and that was this Dallas team likes Garrett, listens to Garrett and respects Garrett. Three things many questioned if it happened when Phillips was head coach.
The game started off pretty rough as the Saints got off to a 17 - 0 lead. Many thought the Cowboys were returning to previous form and would fold like a piece of paper. However that was not the case. Dallas was able to draw within 14 going into half. Then with less than a minute into the third quarter, Miles Austin ran a reverse and with great downfield blocking was able to run in for a 60 yard touchdown. After a Saints field goal, Dallas was able to pound the ball into the end zone in two possessions with Barber running in from 1 yard out and Choice running in from 1 yard out.
Dallas had a tight clinch on the game late and as Kitna connected with Roy Williams on a nice pass and catch, Roy Williams fumbled on the 11 yard line which would have iced the game and sent Dallas on its way with a three game winning streak. Instead, Brees connected with Lance Moore on a 12 yard touchdown with a little under 2 minutes on the clock and Dallas had one more chance to win the game. They dinked and dunked down the field and setup Buehler with a 59 yard field goal to send the game into overtime. While the kick had the distance, it did not have the accuracy, one thing Buehler has lacked all year and Dallas was left feeling what it could have been.
Kitna came away with another 300 yard passing game as he completed 30/42 passes. He did not have any touchdowns but did have one interception. Felix Jones was able to run for 44 yards on 13 carries as he continues to be the primary running back. Miles Austin led the way with the most rushing yards for the day as went for 60 yards on a touchdown. Jason Witten had another solid performance as he caught 10 balls for 99 yards.
WR Dez Bryant was held in check by the Saints defense as he had zero catches in the game. The defense looked decent as well as they really hampered down in the second half and limited the Saints to only 10 points which was better than the 17 it gave up on the first three Saints possessions of the game. Ware and Ratliff both were able to record sacks to up their sack totals to 9.5 and 2.5 respectively. Gerald Sensabagh recorded the only interception for the Dallas defense.
QB Drew Brees was able to out duel Kitna as he went 23/39 for 352 yards and one touchdown and one interception. Julius Jones, former Dallas Cowboys second round pick, was the leading rusher for the Saints as he ran for 45 yards on 10 carries. Colston led all Saints receivers with 105 yards on 6 catches. Lance Moore caught the lone Saints touchdown. Will Smith had a huge day for the Saints defense as he was able to record a sack, interception and a forced fumble and clearly was the biggest defensive threat on the field for the Saints.
Clearly one thing this game showed was the fact that Garrett has this team playing hard again, and while the playoffs are out of reach, this team is clearly responding to Garrett and buying into what he is selling. Many wonder that with even a loss, if Garrett may have won this job with this game. Under Phillips, this team would have lost 45 - 3 and had to endure another horrible blowout. Instead they brought themselves back into the game and played as hard as they could and set themselves up with a chance at the end of the game. For them, that was a win of sorts.
Next week, Dallas goes to Indy to play the Colts as they continue their struggles as well. While many will look at the Colts as the favorites in this game, it cannot be overlooked that this Dallas team is looking to finish strong and even with the playoffs clearly out of reach, this is a team that is not only playing for pride and respect but for a head coach that they believe in and in a coach that they clearly want in Dallas, for many years to come!
Lion Killers
Another week in the Garrett era and another win is the end result. For the second straight week, the Cowboys were able to put 30+ points on the board in a 35 - 19 rout of the Detroit Lions. The offense once again looked to be a well oiled machine as they were able to put up big numbers. They had a running game that become somewhat consistent compared to previous weeks and a passing game that wasn't stellar when you look at the stats sheet but was good enough, none the less to make a difference in the game.
QB Jon Kitna was able to out-duel Shaun Hill by going 18 for 24 for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. His continued consistency has been a huge difference in this team over the last two weeks. Kitna was also able to run for 40 yards on 4 carries, including a 29 yard scamper for the touchdown which basically sealed the game, all lead by great downfield blocking by Doug Free. Miles Austin and Dez Bryant both had quiet games when looking at yards as they both combined for 5 catches and 15 yards but had 3 touchdowns between the both of them, 1 by Dez on a 1 yard touchdown and 2 by Austin for both 3 and 4 yard touchdown respectively. Witten was able to lead all receivers with 48 total yards. RB Felix Jones led all running backs with 51 yards on 11 carries.
The Dallas defense once again played at a top level as they were able to get pressure on Hill. Hatcher and Bowen each had a sack and Ware and Ratliff converged for a sack as they were able to put the pressure on all day long. Newman was able to come away with a nice interception toward the end of the game that helped ice the results. When looking at the Lions on the offensive side of the ball, the running game was pretty much not there. There leading rusher was Morris who ran for 31 yards on 10 carries. They had no rushing touchdowns. Burleson played very well as he was able to get 97 yards on 7 receptions and a touchdown. Orlando Scandrick had a very good game as he was able to keep most of the receivers he faced in check.
DB Brian McCann once again had a huge game as he was able to score another touchdown for the second straight week in a row on a 97 yard punt return. It was a smart, heads up play by McCann as the ball was batted back into the field of play by a Lions player who was trying to down it near the one. McCann got the ball and scampered up the sideline for a 97 yard return. Further review showed McCann did step out of bounds but the play was not reviewed by Detroit and stood as another huge play by the rookie from SMU. This is the second week in a row, McCann was able to make a huge play which resulted in a momentum shifter. After McCann's touchdown, Dallas got the ball back after a fumble forced by rookie Sean Lee and recovered by Jason Hatcher and then led to the first of two Miles Austin touchdowns.
The killer for Detroit was the penalties as they racked up 76 yards on 10 penalties. None hurt them more than the horse collar tackle called on Suh who pulled Barber down by the hair. The refs thought it was inside the pads which would have resulted in a correct call however after a replay it showed it clearly was the hair that was pulled and no part of the pad. This showed to be a huge game changer as it went from 3rd and Goal from the Detroit 11 to 1st and Goal from the Detroit five. Miles Austin then caught his second pass for a touchdown in the game two plays later.
Dallas now has to turn around on a short week and play the New Orleans Saints; a team that was 13-0 last season before getting beaten by Dallas in New Orleans. The Saints now come back to town and really a tale of two teams. One is sitting at 7-3 and all but a lock to make the playoffs while the other is 3-7 and just now able to find themselves. There is no doubt though that this game will be a lot more intense than previously thought a couple weeks ago. Dallas is playing hard for Garrett and he has put his stamp on this team.
Dallas still believes there is a chance at the playoffs and with a win against New Orleans on Turkey Day, they can draw closer to that as well as give Jason Garrett an even better chance at possibly getting the job full time. Regardless of the outcome of this game, one thing is for sure, this is a totally different Dallas team than what started the season and this is a team that is playing as a team, which is a lot more than could be said earlier in the year. One thing is for sure, if Dallas can pull out a win on Thursday, how much do you think Jerry will be kicking himself for not making the move sooner?
Jason Garrett to the Rescue
The Garrett era started off with a sure fire bang as the Cowboys went to New York for their first game in the new Giants stadium and defeated the Giants by a final score of 33 - 20.
Not only did the Cowboys shutdown numerous phases of the Giants game but they also managed to shutdown the electricity within the new stadium. Did someone forget to pay the light bill or what? Either way, this is the Cowboys team that everyone has been waiting to see since August. This is the team that everyone has been waiting to take advantage of given opportunities and turn them into a plus for them. Sunday afternoon, they did just that.
QB Jon Kitna continued his domination through the air, throwing for over 300 yards for another week, winning his first game since 2007, as he was able to throw for 327 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was over 50% passing and has began to grow a real chemistry with WR Dez Bryant who caught 3 passes for 104 yards and 1 touchdown. RB Felix Jones got the start as Marion Barber started the game on the bench. While some think it may be due to the fact that he did not follow Garrett's dress code, Garrett said it was due to playing calling. Both Felix Jones, 85 yards receiving and 51 yards rushing as well as WR Miles Austin, 68 yards, caught touchdowns as well. The defense played very well recording 2 interceptions, one by Alan Ball which sealed the win and one by rookie Brian McCann, which was returned for 101 yards, longest interception return in Cowboys history.
The Cowboy defense had no sacks on the day but did a good job pressuring Manning and forcing him into mistakes. All in all, it was the kind of game that would make any Cowboys fan proud. I am not talking about the Cowboys fans that want to see this team lose so they can gain the #1 overall pick. I am talking about the ones that have been with this team all season and never jumped off the wagon. They played well in all phases of the game, won the turnover battle and won the game.
On the opposite side of the ball, you saw a Giants team that never really got into the groove of things. Manning was able to throw for 373 yards for 2 touchdowns but the 2 interceptions were killers and thrown at bad times. The first was thrown when the Giants were setup about the score and Brian McCann jumped the route and returned it for 6. The other was while the Giants were matching again and Ball was able to swoop in and take the ball away and seal the game. The Cowboys defense did a fabulous job on stopping the running game as they had a total of 107 yards on 28 carries, which averaged less than 4 yards a carry. Jacobs was held to a nonfactor as he only ran for 17 yards. Bradshaw did fairly well running for 73 yards on 20 carries. Neither scored touchdowns. Manningham lead all Giants receivers with 91 yards receiving on 10 catches and 1 touchdown.
Both Jenkins and Newman went out with injuries during this game, Newman later returned, and the Cowboys were left with Scandrick and McCann to man the receivers. Both guys played very well in situations and were able to take care of business when it mattered most. Jenkins went out of the game with a neck injury and will be evaluated on Monday. Newman continues to battle sore ribs and was able to return to the game which is a good sign for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.
Garrett had a strong first game as head coach. While it is exciting to see a team play with heart, everyone has to remember this was one game. This was one game of eight total games that Garrett has to prove he is head coach material. String together a couple more of these types of wins, especially against the Saints and Colts, the two teams who played in last year’s Super Bowl and then you may have some believers. He has made a strong push to change the culture in the locker room and hold guys accountable when things are done wrong. This week will be another test. The Detroit Lions will be coming into Dallas looking to snap a 25 game road loss streak, which was broken on Sunday and surpassed their streak from the 2001 - 2003 seasons. Dallas should win this game and win it handily but this will see how well they really can play under Garrett. Everyone thought they would come out with heart and play as hard as possible for their new leader. This week will serve as a true test as to whether or not this team will return to its old ways or if they truly have turned things around for the better and continuing to put the best foot forward.
Cowboys Picks Rounds 4 – 7
Akwasi Owusu Ansah, CB/S, Illinois (Pa.) – With the acquisition of Ansah, the Cowboys have allowed themselves to move Alan Ball to corner on a full time basis (once Ansah gets his legs under him or a veteran is acquired). With this pick Patrick Watkins, special teams ace, is also now expendable. Ansah is a special teams standout with the skills necessary to become a solid player at safety. He is adept at both kick and punt returns. Expect the Cowboys to make a play for A.J. Atogwe on June 1st, the day he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Sam Young, OT, Notre Dame – I imagine this pick is a bit of a head scratcher for the casual observer. The Cowboys lose Flozell Adams and they don’t pick a tackle until the 3rd day? The Cowboys already have their starter at left tackle, namely Doug Free. You don’t draft backups on the first day. That’s why they passed on the several tackles still available to grab the uber-talented Dez Bryant.
Jamar Wall, CB, Texas Tech – Wall is an athletically gifted corner that did well against the prolific passing offenses of the Big 12 South. You can never have too many good corners.
Cowboys Trade Up For Sean Lee
Previously, we had been asking ourselves the question – offensive line or safety? Apparently the answer is neither. Dallas moved up four spots in a trade with division rival Philadelphia, once again jumping the Baltimore Ravens, this time to take ILB Sean Lee out of Penn State. Frankly the pick threw me off, along with a host of other Dallas fans. I had not bothered to research much about linebackers for this draft, as I didn’t consider it a big need. But upon further review and hearing some comments about him, Sean Lee sounds like a beast.
Mel Kiper, draft guru, says that Lee is the most instinctive linebacker in the draft. Reggie Herring, Cowboys linebacker coach, called him “once in a lifetime”. Those are particularly strong words, but from all the reports I have read they don’t seem to be unwarranted.
Overall, Lee has great football intelligence, has a good burst in pass rushing situations, is adept at slipping past blockers to get to the ball carrier, and is an asset in pass defense. Furthermore, reports say that he is a natural born leader and highly competitive. Sounds like a three down linebacker to me.
So this brings up another question. What is the future of Bobby Carpenter? Time will tell.
Welcome to Dallas, Sean Lee !!!
Day 2: Offensive Line or Safety ?
Now that the glamour pick has been had, thanks to the shrewd draft strategies of Jerry Jones and company, what’s next? The second round and beyond are the rounds where it’s okay to reach, ie take a player at a position higher than his subjective worth, and as such they are the rounds where you can go all out to address needs. Two needs that have been hashed and re-hashed for the Cowboys are offensive line and free safety.
As for offensive line, this year’s starters are set. You are not getting anybody at this point who could come in and start right away. And besides that, the need for an immediate starter is non existent. The Cowboys have addressed the needs of tackle by placing Doug Free at left tackle. Returning is right tackle Marc Colombo, who is simply a beast over there. People get too caught up in the Minnesota game where he turned in a sub par performance and they completely forget that was his first game coming back from a fractured ankle. You try going back to your companies softball league a little early recovering from a broken ankle and tell me how that feels. Backing them up is Robert Brewster, whom we didn’t see last year due to pre-season injury. But the coaches are high on him and that’s good enough for me. The starters are also returning on the interior line. I think the backup center/guard is the issue, so if there are any 2010 offensive line needs, that’s where it’s at.
In case you haven’t heard by now, Ken Hamlin, famous liner-upper of defensive backfields, was released this offseason. In his place the Cowboys are looking to put Alan Ball, again a guy who did a good job in backup roles last year, and the coaches are high on. The other free safety is Mike Hamlin, from last year’s draft. While Ball is a steady and reliable player, what happens if he goes down with injury? Like the old shoe commercial says “Bad things, man. Bad things.”
But do these positions need to be filled in the draft? Fans have been talking all season long about Baltimore’s left tackle Jared Gaither and St. Louis’ safety Atogwe. Of note, Atogwe, one of the better safeties in the league, will be unrestricted come June 1st. Oh yeah, he’s also injured.
So to answer the question, I think it would be wise for the Cowboys to somehow acquire a third round pick (they swapped their third for New England’s fourth in last nights Dez Bryant trade) and pick up one of each – whoever is the better value at the time. What will Jerry Jones do? Probably something unexpected.
In sharp contrast to last year’s much derided backup/special teams draft, Jerry Jones moved up a few slots at a very small price and nabbed the best receiver in this draft and quite possibly the best in the last couple of years (Crabtree included), when he drafted Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant.
Bryant was at that point the unquestioned best player available, and had Dallas not traded up with New England, the Baltimore Ravens would most certainly have drafted him with the very next pick.
Here are some of the qualities that WR Dez Bryant brings to Dallas: he has excellent hands and can go up and fight for the ball. Dez is strong, big, fast, and can make good things happen after the catch. He has the speed to go deep, and he adjusts very well to the ball in the air. He’s also competitive and aggressive in close quarters – he’ll fight tooth and nail for the ball. About the only thing you can knock Bryant on is he is not a very good blocker. He is also an excellent punt returner. All things considered, Dallas got the hands-down best receiver in the draft at a bargain price.
So, what is Dez’ role on the team? The only thing we know for certain is that he is going to be returning punts. In the coming weeks, speculation will fly about the fate of Roy Williams. Dallas currently has Williams, Bryant, Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree, and 2 practice squad players in Manuel Johnson and Jesse Holley. That’s six plus two projects, so in one of my favorite sayings, “Something’s gotta give.” That something could “give” in the next two days or not until training camp. Jerry says Roy is staying, but then again, he also said he’s happy with the receiver corps and he’s not going to trade up to get one. One thing’s for sure, we didn’t just draft the best receiver to come along in a couple of years just to sit him on the bench. He will most assuredly get his reps this year.
Welcome to Dallas, Dez!
DEZ BRYANT IS A COWBOY
Just when us Bryant-Watchers were getting breathless, Dallas traded up from pick 27 to 24 and got themselves a top flight wide receiver in Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant.
More on WR Dez Bryant will come later.
Cowboys Pre Draft Special.
It’s now six days until draft day, and it’s time to do some looking around and seeing what Cowboy Nation has been up to.
First stop is the offensive line. In case you’ve been on a survival adventure for the last month, you know that Flozell Adams, long time left tackle, has been released. Some question the timing of the move, but the timing here allows Adams the courtesy of finding other employment and allows Doug Free to get into the mindset of being the team’s starting left tackle and all the reps going into training camp.
Plenty of fans and commentators, although aware of the good job Free did at right tackle last year, wonder if he can handle the job of starting left tackle. Free is a very quick and agile player, and therefore is actually more suited to the left tackle position than the right.
The Cowboys should be good at left tackle, but they should still look to pick up another in the draft. The depth along the entire line is a big concern, and it seems like the appropriate time to begin rebuilding the Cowboys offensive line for the future. Maurkice Pouncey, the center/guard from Florida, has been seen going to the Cowboys on several mocks recently (I don’t see him falling to us), as have been several other offensive linemen, including the likes of Anthony Davis, Bruce Campbell, and Charles Brown from USC. I would like to see the Cowboys take two offensive linemen – a tackle and a combination center/guard. Along the offensive line, Dallas is good on starters, but if an unfortunate injury occurs, it could spell disaster.
Another notable offseason loss has been that of free safety Ken Hamlin. Hamlin took a lot of grief from Cowboy Nation over his lackluster tackling ability and lack of big plays, but darn it, he sure could line up a defense ! Who’s going to replace that value ?? Sarcasm being what it is, I’m sure we could find someone adequate to perform the task of secondary alignments. In Hamlin’s place we have Alan Ball, a hybrid cornerback/safety who the coaches like, and did a decent job when he was on the field last year.
Although Ball is a solid and serviceable player, the feeling around the organization and fanbase is that the Cowboys need a playmaker at safety. Texas cornerback/safety Earl Thomas and Tennessee safety Eric Berry would be outstanding additions to our secondary, but both will likely be long gone by the time Dallas picks at #27 in the first round. If there is a trade up to be had, it would probably be to obtain the services of one of these players. Other than those two, there are several solid defensive back prospects in this draft.
For cornerbacks there is Joe Haden, Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty (my current pick as our #27 draftee), and several others that can be had somewhere in the first three rounds. For safety prospects, Taylor Mays (who reminds some people of Roy Williams), Nate Allen, Morgan Burnett, Chad Jones, and Major Wright, among others, are solid pro prospects.
Offensive line and defensive backfield are the two main needs of the Cowboys. The others are inside linebacker (Keith Brooking is not getting younger), fullback (it’s time we had a Moose type player. John Conner, anyone?), defensive end (Marcus Spears departure may be imminent), and probably at the bottom of the list, wide receiver, as long as the value is there. Ideally a team should go Best Player Available as much as they can. And if the best player available is a wide receiver, then by all means go get him.
One other topic of conversation of late has been the usage of the running back corps. It’s the general consensus of the known world outside of the Barber family, Felix Jones should start and get most of the carries, and that Marion Barber should be used where he is most effective – late in games to wear down the defense. It is generally assumed this is going to happen this season, and along with that, the inevitable trade rumors began making their rounds. But as with all rumors, it looks to be all false – then again, draft day isn’t until next Thursday, so to coin a phrase – “are we there yet?”
My Cowboys Mock, “A” Version:
1st Round - Devin McCourty, CB, USF
2nd Round - Vlad DuCasse, OT/G, UMass
3rd Round - J.D. Walton, C/G, Baylor
4th Round - Kevin Thomas, CB/S, Southern Cal
6th Round – John Connor, FB, Kentucky
7th Round – Joe Pawelek, ILB, Baylor
My Cowboys Mock, “B” Version:
1st Round – Maurkice Pouncey, C/G, Florida
2nd Round – Morgan Burnett, FS, Georgia Tech
3rd Round – John Jerry, T/G, Mississippi
4th Round – Jacoby Ford, WR/KR, Clemson
6th Round – John Connor, FB, Kentucky
7th Round – Joe Pawelek, ILB, Baylor
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.
