It’s All Perception
October 31, 2005
I’ve noticed an odd meme working its way through the national football media. On ESPN’s pre-game show yesterday, a package on the San Diego Chargers lamented their last minute letdowns. It showed the Chargers failure to score against Dallas, the loss of late leads to Pittsburgh and Denver and the awful loss to Philadelphia on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown in the final two minutes.
The comclusion was that “San Diego might be the best 3-4 team ever.” After the Chargers win, I’ve seen it amended to “they may be the best 4-4 team ever.” Peter King of Sports Illustrated today ranks them in his top five.
Five minutes after San Diego’s woes were aired, ESPN ran a piece on Dallas, detailing the Cowboys’ late failures against Washington, Seattle and Oakland. No “best 4-3 team” labels for them. No young-team-going-through-growing pains explanations. No. This was a disease that threatened to kill the ‘05 Cowboys.
Granted, the Chargers have faced a brutal schedule. They have not had any San Franciscos or Arizonas on their slate. And I’m not trying to downplay Dallas’ failures to close. It seems odd that two nearly identical situations can be shown almost back to back and assessed in such different ways.
The best explantion I can think of is that expectations are higher for Dallas, among its fans and the press.
Slow Trains Drive Dallas Past Arizona, 34-13
October 31, 2005
Marion Barber was the problem child of the ‘05 draft. The early fourth round pick was wound tight and had the type of learning curve all teachers understand and dread: he would make every mistake at least once before he got the lesson down.
It was clear Barber had talent. He had good hands. He was the best blocker in camp and splattered at least one blitzing linebacker or safety a day. But for every good run, he would drop a pass. For every good block, he would fumble. On a team loaded with running back talent, Barber fell to fourth on the depth chart. His sloppy play prompted whispers that he might be the bust of this year’s stellar crop.
Barber had company in his misery. Nobody drew more open criticism at Oxnard than third year tackle Torrin Tucker. When he was embarrassed in a long forgotten team scrimmage by a long-shot nose tackle named Thomas Johnson, the regular mediots claimed he was not long for the team. When this mediot watched him take a withering verbal lashing for Parcells, then observed him joking with the coach the next day, I wrote that he was probably too dumb to understand his predicament.
What did we know?
Both slow learners were prepared when injuries thrust them into play. Both had strong games Sunday, helping Dallas pull away from Arizona 34 to 13. Tucker squared off against sack maven Bert Berry and stalemated him for much of the afternoon. Barber put his well rounded game on full display, becoming the first Cowboys back to top 100 yards this season. Of equal importance was his blocking, which put Drew Bledsoe’s game back on track. Bledsoe regained his September form, throwing accurately and judiciously. For the first time since the Eagles blowout, he avoided the bad throw.
These three were joined by the rest of the offense, which had its best performance in three weeks. The offensive line went four quarters without a penalty. The receivers and backs held onto the ball.
The defense continued its high level of play. The front seven kept the anemic Cardinals rushing attack in check. This allowed it to harass and then finally subdue a game Josh McCown. Though Anquan Boldin beat Anthony Henry for one deep score, the defense prevented any more big passes.
The Cowboys now enter their bye week at 5-3, half a game out of first place. They leapfrogged the Redskins and Eagles, who both suffered brutal road defeats.
The Cowboys let McCown know he had little margin for error on the game’s opening drive. McCown converted two third and long passes for first downs, but was hit hard on both throws. A blitzing Roy Williams rattled McCown on his second successful pass. He was slow to get up and failed to convert on the Cardinals next set of downs. Neil Rackers hit a long field goal to give Arizona a 3-0 lead.
Dallas took only three plays from scrimmage to seize the lead. Cardinals DC Clancy Pendergast, a former Cowboys assistant, set up his defense in a funky 5-2-4 formation. He lined up five linemen across from the Cowboys linemen, hoping for force both tackles and center Al Johnson into constant one-on-one situations. He walked strong safety Adrian Wilson up to the line, giving his team a 5-3 look. He clearly intended to take the Cowboys running game away, blitz Bledsoe and force him to win the ball throwing down the field — if he got the time.
Cowboys OC Sean Payton’s calls made it appear that he had stolen Pendergast’s call sheet. On first down, Arizona looped its left end inside on a blitz. Dallas was running wide to that side, which made it easy for RT Rob Petitti to seal the end. When center Al Johnson pulled and got a block on MLB Karlos Dansby, Barber had a huge lane outside. He ran for 18 yards.
On second down, the Cardinals again stunted their ends inside. Dallas lined up two tight ends right. Dan Campbell released downfield. Jason Witten dropped back, faked a block, and then took a screen pass 34 yards to the Arizona 28. On the next play Arizona blitzed Wilson and Dansby inside from the Cowboys left. Dallas was running a stretch play right. When fullback Lousaka Polite cleaned up Dansby, Barber was free. He slashed to the five, where he was finally grabbed by a Cards defender. He spun free and dove into the end zone. The drive had covered 80 yards in only a minute and seven seconds.
The defense forced a three and out on Arizona’s subsequent possession. Greg Ellis drew an intentional grounding call, forcing Scott Player to punt out of his end zone. Dallas took to the air and raced into Arizona’s red zone. An eleven yard pass to Witten, a 20 yard pass to Terry Glenn and a twelve yard slant to Keyshawn Johnson on third and seven gave the Cowboys a first down on the Arizona eleven. Two Barber runs sandwiched around a flat pass to Polite gained nine yards. Parcells here took the points. Rookie Shaun Suisham made his first NFL field goal and Dallas had a 10-3 lead.
Arizona equalized with its only touchdown drive of the day. McCown mixed short passes and Marcel Shipp runs to stay out of third and long. He converted three consecutive third and short situations, staying one step ahead of constant pressure. The defense seemed to break McCown’s rhythm when Arizona crossed the Dallas 40. Chris Canty threw Shipp for a three yard loss on first down. LT Leonard Davis was flagged for motion on the next snap.
Facing second and 18 at the Dallas 44, McCown sent Boldin on a fly route down the left sideline and let fly. Boldin jammed his hand in Anthony Henry’s shoulder, creating an arms length of separation and knocking the Cowboys’ corner off balance. Boldin did it so effortlessly in the course of his stride that the refs never noticed. It’s the type of stealth shove that Jerry Rice perfected in his prime. Boldin pulled away from the stumbling Henry and snagged McCown’s throw for a score.
Arizona had momentum and stopped Dallas cold when a blitzing Wilson flew past Barber and sacked Bledsoe on first down. The Cowboys had to punt, but the defense forced Arizona into a three and out, smothering Larry Fitzgerald on a third and long pass.
Dallas took over at its own 25 and used Barber’s hands to grind past midfield. Facing third and one on its 34, Dallas kept two tight ends and Barber in to block as Bledsoe looked for Terry Glenn, who was running a deep post. Pressure forced Bledsoe to check down to Barber, who had released late over the middle. He gained four. Four plays later, on second and ten from the Arizona 48, Dallas ran one of its rare five receiver plays. The Cowboys had been keeping a tight end or back in around two thirds of the time to help tackles Tucker and Petitti. The Cards expected Dallas to do the same and dropped their linebackers deep to help cover Jason Witten and the Dallas receivers. When Barber released out of the backfield, there was no linebacker within five yards of him. He gained eleven yards to the 37.
On the next play, Bledsoe hit Glenn running a skinny post to the Arizona five. After a Barber run gained one, Bledsoe threw a stop fade to Keyshawn on the left sideline. He snagged the ball before CB David Macklin could find it, giving Dallas a 17-10 lead.
Another Arizona three and out gave Dallas the ball with 2:03 left. A thirteen yard pass moved Dallas to Arizona’s 46. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the 40. From there, Barber’s legs did the rest. He gained eleven off right tackle, then nine running behind RG Marco Rivera. A facemask penalty added ten yards to the play. On second and goal, Barber followed TE Jason Witten left on a draw. He cut sharply to his right, away from two blitzing Cardinals linebackers and dove in for his second score. Suisham’s PAT sent Dallas to the intermission with a 24-10 lead.
Arizona got an early second half break when Bledsoe and Al Johnson bungled an exchange. Bert Berry recovered at the Dallas 39. The defense squelched those hopes by throwing McCown for a one yard loss on third and one. Rackers field goal made the score 24-13, but the Cardinals were hoping for a touchdown.
The Cowboys played keep away for most of the third quarter, responding with a 13 play, 8:10 second drive that ended with Suisham’s second short field goal of the day. Dallas again had a fourteen point lead and Arizona had just over 15 minutes to respond.
The defense put the exclamation point on the win early in the fourth quarter. After the teams had exchanged punts, Anthony Henry intercepted a deep out intended for Fitzgerald and weaved 58 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Suishams’s PAT put Dallas ahead 34-13, closing the day’s scoring.
Notes:
– How do you protect two green tackles on pass plays? Dallas alternated between three, four and five man routes all day. On 24 attempts, Torrin Tucker got solo help on three plays. Petitti got solo help seven times. On six plays, Dallas gave both of them help. Dallas ran five man routes on eight passes, or 33% of its calls.
– A work on progress: Centers are usually the helpers of the line, sliding to assist guards on pass plays, or getting help themselves if nose tackles line up across from them. Arizona’s five man line meant Al Johnson had no help the entire game. He held his own. More impressive was his pulling on several long Marion Barber runs. Pulling centers are a rarity, and Johnson was effective.
His game still has warts, however. He again bungled a third quarter snap that was recovered by Arizona. Later, his man bull-rushed him backwards and swatted the ball from Bledsoe’s hands. Johnson took a step forward overall, but he still needs work at a position that calls for zero tolerance on snap mistakes.
– Check the status on DT Jay Ratliff’s injury. The radio announcers suggested he injured his knee. To my eyes he appeared to injure his ankle. In any event, a serious injury would diminish the d-line rotation.
– Competition is good. Barber’s play is sure to prod Julius Jones, which can only help the Cowboys’ running game.
– The light seems to have come on for good in Bradie James’ head. Today is the fourth strong game for the ILB since his dreadful performance in Oakland.
Cowboys - Cardinals 2nd Half Thread
October 30, 2005
Cowboys — Cardinals Open Thread
October 30, 2005
5-3 at the bye would be a good first half.
Cowboys-Cardinals Preview
October 29, 2005
Two former division rivals are reunited Sunday when Dallas plays Arizona. The game will be important for both teams, as Arizona tries to build off a win last Sunday at Tennessee. Dennis Green’s Cardinals are a paltry 2-4, underperforming for a team some picked to make the playoffs this year. (That includes me.) The Cowboys need to rebound from a devastating 13-10 loss to Seattle. A win would take them to the bye at 5-3, a highly respectable first half.
When Arizona Has the Ball
Dennis Green is a stubborn guy. He was a long time assistant under Bill Walsh at San Francisco but when he became head coach what offense did he adopt? Walsh’s? No, it was the one-back, two-tight end formations of rival Joe Gibbs. Green later became more daring and made his Vikings one of the first to use a one-back, three-receiver set as its base offensive formation.
He still using that package in Arizona. Green has added Larry Fitzgerald to the inherited duo of Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson. The mystery has been finding a quarterback. Arizona acquired former Rams and Giants QB Kurt Warner, but he was replaced by Josh McCown three games into the season. McCown has been an improvement over Warner, but he’s been highly erratic, throwing for 350 yards some weeks and for half that the next.
One reason is his offense’s lack of balance. Arizona’s running game has yet to produce a rushing touchdown. It’s backs are averaging around 70 yards per game. Teams know that Arizona needs to pass and have adjusted accordingly.
The bad news for Cardinals opponents is that few of them can match up to the size Arizona brings. Boldin is 6′1″, 220; Fitzgerald is 6′3″, 223 and Johnson is 6′3″, 213. The good news if you’re a Cowboys fan is that the Cardinals offensive line, with all of its high picks, is playing so-so ball yet again. This means that McCown gets sacked a lot — 16 times in the last five games. It also means that McCown gets pressured and makes a lot of mistakes. Arizona has committed 18 turnovers in its six games, a neat, clean three-per-game average. Last week’s win over the Titans was the first time Arizona did not commit at least two.
Dallas will be tested by the size, but can probably win most of the matchups. The key will be stopping Boldin and Fitzgerald. Both have rebounded from injuries last season to play like first day selections. Boldin especially has regained his rookie of the year form. The Cowboys have shown a tendency to play matchup in recent weeks, and I suspect that Anthony Henry will draw Boldin, since he plays outside in most Arizona formations and Terence Newman will take Fitzgerald, who does most of his work out of the slot.
With so much rushing in the game plan, the Cowboys will probably keep more linemen active for this game. That means more Jay Ratliff, who plays when Dallas faces pass happy teams like Philadelphia and Seattle. Dallas will probably use a lot more of the 4-2-5 package they threw at the Eagles three weeks ago, since the running game is less of a concern.
Don’t think, however that Dallas will abandon the 3-4. NT Jason Ferguson is healthy again and his play the last three weeks has been a major factor in the defense’s improvement. Ferguson is making plays on running and passing downs. He has lessened the reps for fellow NT/DT LaRoi Glover and made him more effective.
Dallas has more flexibility in the 3-4 now that LB Scott Fujita is part of the rotation. He can play, and blitz, from both outside positions, so he lets Demarcus Ware roam the line. Ware has rushed from both outside spots the past couple of weeks.
When Dallas Has the Ball
Six of one, a half dozen of the other. Dallas was strong in pass blocking the first five games, but mediocre running the ball. Last week the running game showed signs of life, but was undermined by a severe dropoff in the Cowboys’ protection. The suspected culprits were the young tackles, TorrinTucker and Rob Petitti. Against the Seahawks, however, Tucker looked solid. He got almost no extra help from backs and tight ends and handled his man. He made two critical fourth quarter mistakes, blowing an assignment on a 3rd and 2 running play and giving up a half sack on a third down and goal on the series where Jose Cortez missed a short field goal. However, his play stacks up against a typical Flozell Adams game. He was strong in the running game and kept the mental errors to a minimum.
The real meltdown came on the right side of the line. Rookie Rob Petitti was responsible for two and half sacks and was flagged for holding. Less noticeable but just as damaging were the miscues of RG Marco Rivera. He gave up a sack that ended a Cowboys second half drive and committed two penalties. A false start was overcome but a holding penalty negated a 22 yard screen pass to Marion Barber that would have moved Dallas deep in Seahawks territory in the second quarter. It sucked momentum from the offense when it was trying to build on a 7-0 lead.
The mental mistakes can and should be corrected. Rivera is a long time vet and a Pro Bowler. The sacks are what cause concern. Rivera had given up only two in his last three years at Green Bay. After a clean first five games he has now allowed two sacks in two weeks. Coincidence, or might his back or something else be bothering him? Rivera had a touchy hamstring in camp. Stay tuned.
In Petitti’s case, the offense will likely return to its plan from the first six games of giving him chip help from backs and tight ends. Last week he went mostly solo, getting help on only two plays in the first half and on five overall. I don’t think Dallas will go crazy and offer him the level of help he got in the Eagles game. Chike Okeafor is good, but he’s not Jevon Kearse. Still, Petitti will get more help.
On the other side of the line, I think Tucker will get help on a need basis. Bert Berry is very good, but so is Grant Wistrom, and Tucker played well against him. One other player the Cowboys must account for is SLB Carlos Dansby. He gets to blitz a lot in the Cards scheme and makes the most of it.
Dallas must protect Drew Bledsoe better because his effectiveness is directly related to it. Bledsoe also needs some work on his form because he is showing some of the tunnel vision that has plagued him before. Seattle intercepted him twice, but could have gotten at least three more passes that Bledsoe forced into double coverage. Peerless Price will likely get into the mix more. He caught one pass for 19 yards last week and ran an end around. However, Dallas did not rely on its three WR packages as much as it had when Patrick Crayton was healthy.
Overall, I espect the Dallas game plans to be similar to those we’ve seen all year. Try to establish a balance between run and pass, take your shots down the field when you’re outside your own 40. I think the run/pass mix will skew a little bit — but only a little bit — more towards the run. Dallas might also go more to screens. The offense has run one per game the past five games and each one has gone for big yards, though two were brought back by silly penalties against Larry Allen and Rivera. Arizona will likely bring the blitz, seeing Tucker and Petitti. This is one way to temper their aggressiveness. Another is to rely more on the draw that Julius Jones ran so well. When Dallas was in third and eight and nine last year Jones could be counted on to make the yardage most of the time. Dallas ran Barber draws twice last week. He made nine and eleven yards. Problem was, the downs were third and eleven and third and sixteen. If Dallas can avoid sacks early in series, this play can work again.
Prediction: The game will turn on two factors. First, on how well Dallas runs and secondly on how well it protects the ball. The Cardinals will give up sacks and the ball. They’ve done so in every game this year. They’re one dimensional and the Dallas defense is probably the best they’ve faced this year. The defense might even get its first points of the season. If the running backs, Bledsoe and Keyshawn hold on to the football, Dallas should win.
But who can predict turnovers?
Dallas 24, Arizona 16
It’s Not the Play Calling
October 27, 2005
“No, I don’t.”
That was Parcells’ quick dismissal of a logical question:
Do you think your offensive game plan was too conservative (in Seattle)?The correct answers would have been:
“Yes, I really screwed up.
“I should have turned loose Sean Payton with the game plan.
“We needed to be more aggressive on offense.
“It was foolish not to trust Drew Bledsoe and his receivers.
– Randy Galloway, Ft Worth Star-Telegram
“Cowboys Need to Learn Scoreboard Separation”
“Look, he’s a young player, fellas. I told you we were going to have a few problems, so when they happen don’t act like you’re surprised.”
– Bill Parcells on rookie RT Rob Petitti’s play
Which of these stubborn men is right?
The tapes do not lie. They say it’s Parcells.
A perception has taken hold, in the press and among much of the fandom, that the game plans have swung wildly from week to week. That Parcells wants to win every game 16-13. That he has, for some inexplicable reason, shackled OC Sean Payton. That if the coaching staff would only laminate the Eagles game plan and make it their permanent template, the Cowboys would be 6-1 or 7-0 and on the the shortcut back to glory.
What if I told you they had run the same general game plan the past three weeks? You might not believe it, but the tape doesn’t lie. And the game tapes say it’s so.
Eagles 1st Half
Passes: 27
Runs: 19
Pass attempts of 15+ yards: 6
Runs of 8+ yards: 3
Giants 1st Half
Passes: 22
Runs: 14
Pass attempts of 15+ yards: 5
Runs of 8+ yards: 3
Seahawks 1st Half
Passes: 19
Runs: 18
Pass attempts of 15+ yards: 5
Runs of 8+ yards: 6
The percentages of passes are greater than the percentages of runs in all three games. In the first two, Dallas went with a roughly 60/40 pass-to-run ratio. In the second game it was closer to 50/50. But the number of down-the-field pass attempts stayed constant in every game, meaning the Cowboys were just as aggressive in their philosophy against New York and Seattle. The increased ratio of runs may have been an adjustment to the fact that Dallas was running better that day than it had in the previous two games.
So why did Dallas have 27 points against Philly, but only seven against New York and Seattle?
“Because they were so predictable,” the critics will probably say. “Fox ran a graphic showing Dallas runs 65% of the time on first down.”
Don’t believe every statistic you read. Or at least try to contextualize them:
Philadelphia 1st half
1st down passes: 11
1st down runs: 10
New York 1st half
1st down passes: 9
1st down runs: 8
Seattle 1st half
1st down passes: 9
1st down runs: 9
That’s an ideal mix, one that shows good self-scouting. The Cowboys are roughly 50/50 in their first down runs and pass calls, making them anything but predictable in their tendencies.
I can point to another set of factors that are clearer indicators of why Dallas didn’t score early. Factors that deal with execution:
Eagles 1st half
Sacks allowed: 0
Turnovers: 0
Penalties: 2
Plays run: 46
Giants 1st half
Sacks allowed: 2
Turnovers 3
Penalties: 1
Plays run: 36
Seahawks 1st half
Sacks allowed: 2
Turnovers: 1
Penalties: 2
Plays run: 37
When you give up early sacks, you kill drives. When you give the ball away, you kill drives. There is a direct causal relationship between those miscues and plays run. And when you don’t have the ball, you can’t put it in the end zone. Sacks and turnovers have cost Dallas the equivalent of one long scoring drive in each of the last two first halves.
The tape doesn’t lie. The offensive philosophy has not changed. Unfortunately, the Cowboys’ efficiency has.
Musical Kickers
October 25, 2005
The Eagles acted quickly to sign the freshly cut Jose Cortez. Philadelphia released K Todd France to accomodate Cortez on its roster.
The Eagles claim that Cortez was valued for his kickoffs and that he would likely be retained after the team’s injured Pro Bowler David Akers returns from a hamstring injury. Akers could focus on field goals alone, speeding his healing process, or so the theory goes.
Dallas plays the Eagles three weeks from yesterday. Imagine your own scenarios.
Shoot the Messenger Guards. Dallas Falls to Seattle, 13-10
October 24, 2005
The mantra is thick on the threads here and I imagine it’s the same on Metroplex radio: “the play calling was too conservative.” “Parcells is playing not to lose.” “Sean Payton has play- calling dementia,” or some far less polite description.
I’m sticking to assessing the team’s execution. Why look for a complex explanation when a simpler one is at hand? And Sunday, there was a brutally simple explanation for the 13-10 loss. A brutally ugly explanation.
The offensive line sucked.
Seemingly not alarmed by its poor protection against the Giants, the line regressed even further. It was not only the frequency of the protection breakdowns that’s alarming, but the incredible timing; the sacks and penalties were evenly spaced, and placed for maximum damage. Submitted for your consideration:
Drive one: Dallas starts inside its ten, thanks to a Terence Newman interception, but moves smartly outside the 30. Al Johnson then bounces a center snap off his own thigh. Dallas recovers, but it’s the second time in two weeks that Johnson opens the game bungling a snap. They punt two plays later. It’s hard to get a hot start when you can’t even get the ball to your QB.
Drive three: One series after Dallas has driven for a 7-0 lead, the offense is zipping again, moving from it’s own 14 to the Seattle 47 in six plays. But Rob Petitti gives up a seven yard sack on second and nine, blowing up a promising drive and earning a loud sideline lecture from his coach.
Drive five: On a third and two from the Dallas’ 40, Sean Payton sends in this week’s special. The Cowboys line up in a diamond backfield, with Marion Barber as the I back and Jason Witten and Lousaka Polite in offset fullback positions behind the left and right guards. At the snap both Witten and Polite go left. Barber takes one step left, faking a toss, then runs right where Andre Gurode and the right side of the line are setting up a screen. He takes the pass 22 yards to the Seattle 38. The play is negated by a needless holding call against RG Marco Rivera, who hooked Seattle CB Jimmy Herndon with his right hand. Dallas has to punt.
The results got even worse in the second half:
Drive one — facing a third and five, Bledsoe is sacked. Dallas punts.
Drive two — facing a third and two, Bledsoe is sacked. Dallas punts.
Drive four — facing a third and goal from the four yard line, Dallas spreads the field with a three WR, one-back set, with Witten set right. At the snap, Witten cuts inside the Seattle safety, who falls down. The linebacker playing the short zone in front of Witten runs to his left to help cover the slot receiver, opening a huge lane between Bledsoe and Witten. Witten was all but doing jumping jacks in the middle of the end zone. Bledsoe could have shot putted the ball to him.
And if he had the protection he enjoyed the first month of the season, he would have. Today, he never saw Witten, because both his tackles were bullrushed into his lap. Seahawks ends Grant Wistom and Bryce Fisher met at the quarterback, sacking Bledsoe for the third time in the half and forcing a chip shot field goal that Jose Cortez promptly missed.
Bad play calling? I don’t think so. Your Pro Bowl TE is wide open. Conservative? Perhaps. But know that this was only the sixth pass play Dallas had called that half. And yet it was the line’s third sack allowed.
You can call me conservative too, but if my line is letting my QB get sacked 50% of the time I call pass, I’m not going to throw more, not when the defense is again playing well and the score is only 7-3. In addition, the situations don’t afford an excuse. Bledsoe was not holding the ball trying to complete third-and-18s, or third-and-20s. This is probably why Payton and Parcells ran the ball when Dallas faced third and short the remainder of the game.
The truly sad fact is that the crumbling protection is also eroding Bledsoe’s confidence. The one offensive constant of the first five games has suddenly and frighteningly regressed into FrankenDrew, the monster from Buffalo with the club feet and tunnel vision, who locks onto receivers and rushes throws. He forced three passes to Terry Glenn today when Glenn was double covered. Two were intercepted. He hurried a pass to Keyshawn Johnson in the second quarter when Johnson’s corner had fallen down. The incompletion was a sure touchdown, as Seattle was blitzing and had nobody in the deep middle.
The irony of the line’s passing meltdown is that it was having its best run blocking day of the year. Marion Barber had the best day of any Cowboys rusher in ‘05, gaining 95 yards on 22 carries. Tyson Thompson averaged a guady 5.7 yards on his six carries. The offense averaged 4.2 yards per run, its best of the year against a defense that stacked eight and often nine players to stop it.
If there is a postive to take from this forgettable afternoon it’s this: The line has protected Bledsoe well before. There is no reason to believe it cannot again, especially with the bye coming up after the Cardinals game. The line has not run blocked consistently and today it did. If that extra week can put both phases of the line’s play into balance, the second half and the season can be saved.
But the fix needs to come soon. The antacid supplies in Cowboys Nation can’t be sustained at this current pace.
Cowboys - Seahawks 2nd Half Thread
October 23, 2005
Stop the penalties, get the win.
Cowboys - Seahawks Open Thread
October 23, 2005
Three in a row.
Back On the Air
October 23, 2005
Whew!
I caught a nasty little bug mid-day Friday that has kept me in bed since then. Here’s a thumbnail preview, in case I’m not able to crank out the long version:
Watching the Seahawks last week was like watching a Packers team circa 1996. The plays were the same. Only the names have changed. The one major difference is that Holmgren never had a Shaun Alexander in Green Bay. He gets most of his yards running left, behind LT Walter Jones and LG Steve Hutchinson. Demarcus Ware better be ready. Holding his perimeter will be key to containing Alexander and winning the game.
You get the picture. The score didn’t indicate it, but Payton’s game plan and play calls were every bit as aggressive as they were against the Eagles. But when your guys play like The Three Stooges you look stupid too. I think the offense will keep playing high-pressure, down-the-field football, even with Flozell Adams out.
The offense has been on-again, off-again all year. This is the on week.
Dallas 27, Seattle 20
Stepping Into the Way-forward Machine
October 21, 2005
The DMN’s Matt Mosley provides an off-the-wall comment today, predicting that Mike Holmgren will be a prime target for Jerry Jones whenever the Bill Parcells’ era ends.
Since none of us know when Parcells will retire, this is, in Vincent Vega’s words, “a bold statement.” It is not a terrible statement, however. Holmgren is suffering from the Peter Principle in Seattle; he’s a good coach, but is a lousy personnel guy. (I know, he’s lost those duties, but he nearly wrecked the team running their drafts.) When you team Holmgren with a good personnel guy and a good defensive coordinator, he’s dangerous.
Here’s hoping that Parcells sticks around in the former capacity when he’s no longer coaching, or at least grooms current personnel head Jeff Ireland to handle the job.
Early Trade Deadline Kills Late Trade Magic
October 20, 2005
Timely trades are part of baseball lore. A contender with one serious need frequently manages to fill it with a veteran acquisition roughly two thirds of the way through the season, catches fire, and runs into the playoffs.
That’s because baseball’s trade deadline is July 31st, four months into baseball’s six-month marathon. Rules even allow for players to be obtained after that deadline in certain circumstances. Look at 2004. Houston used outfielder Carlos Beltran, a midseason acquisition, as the catalyst for its deep playoff run. It also obtained Dan Wheeler, the reliever who finished last night’s NLCS against the Cardinals, on August 27th, almost a full month after the official deadline. He’s been a mainstay of the Astros pen ever since. Chicago obtained Jose Contreras, its staff ace and starter for game one of the World Series, in a July 31st deal with the Yankees. He didn’t get the White Sox to the postseason last year, but nobody in Chicago is complaining today.
The NFL lacks these late-season-comeback narratives because its deadline is the Tuesday of week seven. In other words, two days ago. With the season barely a third old, it seems cruel to close off a team’s trade options, especially in a game that turns on injuries as much as football. What’s more, it is harder to integrate a new player into your system, since team philosophies differ so much in the NFL and the game is so much more complex.
The headlines today are full of intriguing trades that will likely take place — in the offseason. The Jets, desperate for a QB to replace Chad Pennington, are shopping DE John Abraham. The Chargers allegedly would consider trading Philip Rivers for him. Ditto the Redskins, who would send Patrick Ramsey north in a heartbeat to improve their d-line. And that trade would surely lead to the release or trading of Lavar Arrington.
There is no reason these trades should not happen now. Take the Cowboys’ current predicament. It has lost LT Flozell Adams at an early stage of the season. The team had only one day to pursue a trade to replace him. Let’s say, for argument’s sake that Dallas wins its next two games. It’s a definite contender, but one with a serious need. And that in that time, a team with a good tackle falls out of its race and decides to begin rebuilding. If this were baseball, the two teams could work something out. Since this is the NFL, the Cowboys have to hope that backup Torrin Tucker’s heart suddenly grows two sizes, Grinch-style.
The league and the players’ association have been quietly working on extending the collective bargaining agreeement. They should not sign off on the new one until the rules on trades are amended.
Flo’s Out. Is the Season Adrift?
October 18, 2005
One factor in the Cowboys 4-2 start has been the team’s good health. That edge frayed two weeks ago when ILB Dat Nguyen injured his neck. It was shattered Monday with the news that LT Flozell Adams is lost for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
Adam’s loss threatens to throw a struggling offensive line into disarray. The Cowboys, prior to the Giants game, had been solid in pass protection, but had struggled to establish a consistent running attack. The line’s biggest internal project had been implementing rookie RT Rob Petitti. Petitti had been okay in the running game, but was being given consistent help by running backs and tight ends on passing downs.
That strategy will need to be amended because the most likely option at left tackle is third year reserve Torrin Tucker. Tucker’s play was erratic on Sunday. He was effective on certain plays but had two key miscues when Dallas was inside the New York ten late in the game. His breakdowns forced two incompletions and forced Dallas to settle for a field goal when a touchdown would have put the game out of reach.
Tucker’s experience at LT offers a glimmer of hope. When Petitti was moved to right tackle after Jacob Rogers injury, Tucker was moved to the left side, where he beat out Kurt Vollers. Tucker got extensive playing time at LT the last three weeks of camp, so nothing about the position should be unfamiliar.
Perhaps the best scenario is that Petitti continues to improve his play, enough so that he can be trusted one-on-one, and the help he gets can slide to Tucker’s side.
The bye cannot come fast enough.
Ringside Seats to a Dogfight
October 17, 2005
The Cowboys have just finished their first tour of the division with a 2-1 record. All were home games. They get a break from their kin to play the AFC West and the rest of the conference.
What’s interesting is that none of the other three teams have played each other. The Eagles, Giants and Redskins have only played Dallas. Their matchups begin in two weeks. In the meantime, Dallas needs to take care of business outside the division. If the East is as evenly matched as it appears to be, the Cowboys can gain a cushion while their rivals tear each other up.
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