Working Overtime and Not Getting Paid
Posted: August 31, 2006 @ 11:10 pm
Turn that frown corners down.
Mike Vanderjagt missed two field goals in overtime as Dallas settled for a 10-10 tie with Minnesota in the preseason finale. The 33 and 32 yard misses both sailed wide right, a theme of Vanderjagt’s Oxnard troubles. The misses were a fitting end to a sloppy game. A short week, the normal preseason preparations and a better opponent combined for a rapid game with erratic execution. Had Dallas not committed two turnover in the Minnesota red zone during regulation, overtime would not have been necessary.
The Cowboys had a draw when the first teams were on the field, though Minnesota carried a 7-3 lead into halftime. The Vikings showed their ballyhooed line deserves its reputation. Minnesota stacked the line and came after Drew Bledsoe and the Cowboys runners. Dallas faced eight and sometimes nine man fronts on every play, with heavy blitzing mixed in.
Minnesota obviously expected Dallas to run a lot and wanted to stop runs on early downs. Dallas crossed them up on the first two possessions, gaining yardage on short passes to the tight ends. The backs and TE Anthony Fasano showed good blitz pickup, but sputtered when trying to convert third and shorts against the stingy Minnesota run defense.
Both offenses looked drowsy but the Vikings woke up first on a 98 yard drive early in the second quarter. The Cowboys defense was stout and first and second downs but was foiled repeatedly by Brad Johnson, who beat blitzes with dumpoffs to backs, shallow crosses and draws. After the Vikings had moved near midfield, Johnson stung the defense with two long passes outside. The first, a deep fade to second year speedster Troy Williamson beat Anthony Henry for 40 yards. On the next play Marcus Robinson got inside Terence Newman on a post and Johnson floated an easy TD to him. Both corners got an earful from Bill Parcells on the sideline, particularly Newman, who looked foggy on the play.
Dallas responed with its longest sustained drive to date. Two personal foul penalties helped the drive along but the drive was short circuited near midfield when Drew Bledsoe bobbled a snap from Andre Gurode on a third and one play. Bledsoe dove for the first down but took a shot to the head on the play. The blast knocked Bledsoe woozy because on first and goal from the six a few plays later, he went the wrong way on a handoff. Bledsoe stood in the pocket and tried to throw the ball away. Instead of firing the ball between the uprights he tried floating the ball into a dead space beyond the line of scrimmage. The low pass was tipped and picked off.
Bledsoe was removed after the series for precautionary reasons and spent the second half watching from the sideline while dressed in civilian clothes. Trainers say the injury was not serious but saw no need to keeping him in uniform.
Tony Romo played the rest of the way and racked up more than 300 yards passing. He drove the team for a 22 yard Vanderjagt hit just before the half. He had Dallas primed to take the lead with a deep third quarter drive but rushed a slant to Patrick Crayton inside the Vikings 16. The ball bounced off Crayton’s hands and was picked off in the end zone.
Romo made one more drive late in the game and finally got Dallas even. He converted a key 4th and 3 with a pass to Terence Copper to the Vikings three. On 4th and goal he scrambled right and found Tyson Thompson in the back of the end zone with 17 seconds left. Parcells ignored pleas to go for two and ordered a game tying kick. Romo moved Dallas deep into Vikings territory on Dallas’ opening drive of overtime. He was aided by some strong Tyson Thompson running. Vanderjagt’s first miss kept the restless crowd around to see his second miss with three seconds left in the overtime.
Notes:
- Pat McQuistan got some tight end help some of the time, but he held his own against Vikings DE Erasmus James.
- Rob Petitti pass blocked very well in the second half, as did RT Jason Fabini. Petitti did let a Vikings linemen get under him and blow up a first and goal play, but for the most part was solid. Fabini kept his feet much better than he has the past two games. If you were keeping five OTs, you keep them both. If you keep four tackles, age dictates you keep Petitti. But here’s a thought: if you cut Fabini or shop him, you wouldn’t get much. His contract is much bigger, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and had a serious injury wipe out half of his ‘05. On the other hand, with McQuistan coming on strong, Dallas now has three left tackles. What would a young LT, even one as inexperienced as Petitti, bring you on the market? You know there’s a demand for OTs, especially ones who can play on the left side.
- Dallas had rookie Bobby Carpenter and second year man Kevin Burnett starting in the 4-2-5 third down package.
- Bledsoe opening 9 of 10 before his scrambled-brain INT. His yards per attempt was low because Minnesota’s blitzing dictated quicker, shorter throws.
- Terrell Owens entered the game on Dallas’ third series to strong applause. He caught a quick out for six yards. The Cowboys called a post corner for him on his opening series, but heavy pressure prevented Bledsoe from finding him. As you might expect, his timing is off. Dallas called a stop fade for him from the Minnesota three at the end of the first half. Tony Romo threw to the proper spot, but Owens hesitated after running five yards upfield and did not come back to the ball. With more reps this is an easy touchdown.
- Jamaica Rector and Sam Hurd again had strong games, though Hurd let a long Romo TD bomb bounce off his outstretched hands late in overtime. Romo and Rector repeatedly hit go routes between the Vikings corners and rotating safeties.
- Patrick Crayton showed no ill effects from his ankle sprain.
- Skyler Green had another rough day at the office, fumbling away his one good punt return.
- Shaun Suisham was called on to kickoff after Vanderjagt’s PAT tied the game at ten and to start the overtime. His kicks went one and seven yards into the end zone. Vanderjagt’s lone kickoff landed just short of the ten. I’m guessing Suisham makes the team.
- Tyson Thompson had a strong opening return called back by penalty but returned the second Vikings kickoff to the Dallas 47.
- Tony Romo showed some gunslinger tonight in both good and bad ways. He spun away from two potential end zone sacks and completed a first down pass to Hurd in the overtime. On other plays, however, he rushed throws and sailed them high over open receivers. He’s an excitable boy and plays better when he’s settled down. He’s probably still jacked over his new contract extension. A $2 million signing bonus would crank me up.
- Rotations — at inside linebacker, Oliver Hoyte got all the reps with the second team defense. Ryan Fowler did not enter the game until the overtime. At nose tackle, Thomas Johnson played the third quarter and Montavious Stanley played the fourth.
- Four in five — the game crammed five quarters of action into three hours and five minutes of time.
Comments
108 Responses to “Working Overtime and Not Getting Paid”
Missed the game, but the stats are real interesting. Not sure what the league record is for teams that lose the turnover battle 4 to 0 and miss 2 Fieldgoals, but I imagine it is something like 3-417-1.
Dallas dominated time of possession, total yards and first downs. If they can win the turn over battle and make field goals they should win a lot of games.
1st Downs Min:16 Dallas: 32
Total Yards Min: 289 Dallas 521
Passing 203 418
Turnovers 0 4
Missed FG 0 2
Possession 31:52 43:08
I’m concerned about Vanderjagt and have been for a while, despite media attention elsewhere. Some speculation among my friends that his problems are the lingering effects of his missed FG versus Pittsburgh last year, or possibly the combination of recent injury, rust, or all of the above. The first possibility opens the door for a Steve Sax kind of deal, for those who remember how much fun it was to see a NY Yankee second baseman throw the ball into the stands every few innings.
It seemed to me that after the first miss in OT, Vandy was dismayed and disgusted with himself, but the smirk and the nodding head indicated that he did not associate himself with such poor performance, suggesting his underlying confidence was intact. He was chatting with T.O. after “The Player” came over to chat with Vanderjagt and offer some encouragement. (what a cancer THAT guy is, huh?)
After the second miss, however, he kept his helmet on and wore a look of disorientation and even fear, as if he’d just seen something very unexpected. I didn’t like that look one bit. If he doesn’t know why he’s missing, we’ve all got a big problem.
Now Dallas must cut a promising young player to keep the erratic Suisham. We would have likely done so anyway since Vanderjagt can’t kick off very well. Booting it to the twelve won’t do. Whoever we cut will be a good player; that’s how good this team is now.
I liked how Romo peformed under duress. He’s got fire in the belly. And Rector and Hurd–talk about some warriors. As Parcells would say, “These guys can play on my team.”
I didn’t see the game either - I’ll TIVO it tomorrow morning and watch it tomorrow night.
My first question to those of you who saw the game is to ask which of Dallas’ starters didn’t play, or played very little?
Did we seem to get a winner in the back-up nose tackle battle?
Any other observations on tonight’s game?
im still a little frustrated but tonight our offenses did look good. 500+ yds is alot and should equal a win.
theres something wrong with vandy, can we put him on the PUP for now and see what happens? i dont know the rule for the PUP.
first team o-line was tested, and didnt do well. i did read that the vikings blitzed alot, didnt get to watch the game yet so i dont know.
hurd and rector are set and ready to go.
green welcome to the practice squad, bad returns for now are acceptable but fumbles, another story.
Mike. Minnesota went all out. They stacked the front on every play. If a team tries to do that during a real game, it’s bombs away to Glenn and T.O.
mike,
PUP is not an option at this point; a team can only place a player on the PUP list before the start of training camp. Dallas only has two choices now: waive Vandy injured, like we did Billy Cundiff at this time last year, and take a chance on another team claiming him; or place him on IR for the season, if we want to retain his rights for next year.
One of the league rules is that if a player starts the season on IR they can’t come off all season. For players who start the season hurt, but will play in a few weeks, teams must keep them on the active roster until the first week. That means they have to be included in your 53 roster spots.
In the Cowboys case it that will likely mean cutting a player who will get put on someone elses roster.
Well, after this game, I’ll add this past 2 games stats to the stats that I had from the the RB controversy our team has.
Jones
LOT: 4-7
ROT: 9-36
LE: 8-27
RE: 6-16
Middle: 18-27
Total= 45-113
Barber:
LOT: 13-50
ROT: 7-33
LE: 5-27
RE: 5-16
Middle: 6-20
Total= 36-146
I keep finding interesting the amount of plays that Julius takes the ball inside and the amount that Barber goes outside.
On Regular season gamedays look for Julius to be more even in those categories instead of running to the middle time and time again on 1st down.
well, hell probably be fine get the kinks out in the next few days. just kinda scary and seems like a bad nightmare watching our kicker miss game winners. i guess thats why its preseason to work out the kinks.
anyways uhhhh go cowboys
cant ait to see this offense at full strentgh, flo back and TO and glenn going all out. gonna be nice.
About #13, he started Kicking on Sunday, what I heard is that he kicked 70 balls and nailed 60-something, but from that I haven’t heard anything else and I don’t know if he was making those FGs from a tee.
Nailing FGs has a lot to do with how comfortable you’re with what surrounds you, the holder, the grass, the wind and on… I don’t think that #13 has had enough time to get himself acclimated again, now, I can bet that Parcells and DeHaven will be all over his @ss to get his FGs and KickOffs where it’s acceptable.
But I do agree with some of you, I won’t call him by his name until he proves that he’s the “Most Accurate Kicker in NFL history” instead of “He-Who-Was”.
I want to see an effective running game. Julius finished the preseason with 43 carries for 97 yards. That’s an average of 2.25 yds per carry. I know he is a home run hitter, but how many at bats do u get to validate the occasional HR.
Barber: 36 carries for 146 yards = 4.05 yards per carry. MBIII might not hit the HRs, but he lowers his helmet and gains positive yardage on every carry.
Yeah, the ‘most-accurate-ever’ monikor is wearing thin. Time to be ‘accurate-enough-to-make-the-team.’
RParr,
Jones got all his carries against the first team Vikings D, which is very good. Barber got his yards against the second teamers. The second team Dallas line whipped the Vikings second teamers.
These comparisons don’t mean squat until the games count and both backs face first teamers.
and Chandus, what’s this talk of a RB controversy?
Do you stats show context? What units each back faced? What about down and distance?
Wait until the games count.
For the first time the Cowboys were tested in several area’s and there were things that did not look good.
The line was tested and lost many battles. There are reasons for this and my bet is that they’ll do better when doing full game planning anfd getting ready for a team’s specific blitzes. That being said the two tackles (kevin Williams & Pat Williams) won some battles. JAX has to great tackles as well.
The running game vs. the first team defense was awful and Dallas was not beating the blitz with deep balls.
The running game did improve but vs 2nd teamers.
Tyson Thom[son looked very good returning kicks and running with the ball.
I think Dallas should have scored on the pass from Romo to Owens but the familiarity, routes, and timing were off. It seems to me that Romo put it where TO should have gone. It should hve been a TD and was OWens fault IMO.
It also seems that it was GUrode’s early snap that got Bledsoe’s bell rung. Gurode must have been having problems with Pat Williams and begun his problems with mis snaps.
Does this open the door for Al Johnson?
Probably not but lets hope it doesnt happen too often.
LSU- Do you still think your boy should make the team? I know you’ll say I told you so if he makes it BUT I stand by my belief that Rector should be returning punts and Green should be cut.
TO does look like he needs some practice time to gt into the flow.
For the first time, our defense let a team drive. (98 yeard drive in fact) against the first team defence. Both Henry and Newman got beat during the drive. Very little pressure on the QB
Still, overall, the defnese played well..just not dominating, like we want this defense to be.
i myself was glad to see the defense give up that long drive and miss some tackles. i was beginning to think the defense might get a little cocky because of their previous performances. i guarantee they will be po’d come regular season. bp will ride their asses and will have fuel to stir them up something fierce, imo. also, better to get a game like that out of the way now. it won’t happen often but at least it was preseason.
How about naming Vanderjack vo like to but worse? Poor kicking tonight and lots of mental errors on both sides of the ball. Gives BP lots to harp on this week. The team will be ready to kill come Jacksonville.
Just my two cents….As I watched the game I noticed Minnisota was playing the run heavy as Raf mentioned.McQ needed to finish and maintain his blocks instead of like in college where you just road grade and push the player outta the way.Abe Elam definately shows some promise.He broke up several plays and was fourth on the team in tackles for the night(this includes starters).Jason Hatcher is the real deal,he sacks,tackles,disrupts.He was first on the team in that catagory.Carpenter so far has been somewhat of a disappointment to me(IMO),he just hasn’t flashed first round pick ability.Green has been a major disappointment.Rector might push Crayton for playing time for that number three WR spot.Canty is starting to show the ability to disrupt and change the game.Ellis is making plays at OLB and starting to look more comfortable.TT is starting to explode,his kickoff returns are fantastic and he’s ripping off big gains in the running game(albiet against second and third teamers but he’s a gamer),Rivera looks like his old pro-bowl self,great blocking so far.Ferguson is clogging up the middle nicely.Newman and Henry need to step it up a notch and get up to game speed(we know than can play),is Gurode retarded or what?He’s had this same problem of mental errors for three years,when is gonna stop?Snapping the ball on the wrong count almost got Bledsoe killed!After watching TO,Vandershank,and Crayton play it’s obvious these players are rusty.TO’s bad timing cost us a TD from Romo just before halftine.Crayton cost us another TD in the second half by tipping a ball in the air(good throw into his hands) from Romo and caused an INT.My players of the game were Rector(still leads team with receptions),Hatcher this guy just tackles and sacks! And Romo(30 of 45 for almost 350 yards!) although he did throw one up for grabs but could’ve been caught if the reciever would’ve fought for the ball.This sloppy loss she light a fire under a Cocky Cowboys team and have them hungrey for Jax(IMO)…..
Maybe Vanderjagt, like Kid Shalleen, just needs a shot of hard liquor before each kick, to steady his nerves.
I thought he could be put on PUP, and then be ineligible until game 7 of the regular season.(PUP could be MUP…mentally unable to perform).
Alittle extra……After 4(preseason) games Dallas has the number one defense.Our offense has scored 70 points which equates to 17.5 points a game avg.,and our defense has given up 27 points,an avg. of 6.75 a game.We have played last years Superbowl loser,a playoff team,and two crappy teams.We might have something here….
Chandus,
“Controversy”?? .. I wouldn’t say our RB situation is that. In my opinion, the split that has been displayed during the preseason is close to what we should expect in the regular season. Jones should get 15-25 carries per game, Barber around 15, and Thompson getting some late game opportunities and possible could serve as a “change of pace”. Barber will get more touches in the passing game, which could even out the number of plays throughout the season between Barber and Jones. …. With that said, 20 carries per game is an ideal number to get Jones into the return game. Many have said you don’t put your your “featured back” in harms way. Obviously Jones is “splitting” the load, but his abilities, especially his open field elusiveness, may be best utalized as a return player/running back. Jones flourished in the same roll at Notre Dame, as he wasn’t the Irish’s predominant returner, but they used him to give the team a boost against their tougher opponents. Dallas may only use Jones in a pinch, but having him there as an option may save a roster spot. … Heck, I believe Newman is more valuable than Jones, and he has given PR a shot.
Raf,
What happens if we decide cut Vandy? 1 million dollar signing bonues prorated over the three years as salary cap waste?
Honestly speaking Id rather keep Suisham and an extra WR or Tackle than Suisham and Vandy. It isobvious Suisham has to make the team to kick off.
Thanks.
The tough part with Vanderjagt is you gotta think he’s going to come around, but man o man. He’s no better than Suisham now, plus Suisham is BOOMING those kickoffs. What to do? Glad it’s not my decision they have to live with.
its the morning after, and im still uptight over this “most-accurate kicker” Does anyone legitimately think we will cut this headcase?
It seems to me that fans tend to count the good in preseason and discount the bad. My notes from the preseason:
1.) The Cowboys are still struggling to run the ball consistantly.
2.) They are still struggling kicking FGs.
3.) The defense is better, and has better depth. Against the run Dallas has been extremely good.
4.) The offense has demonstrated the ability to win time of possession, and to move the ball consistantly. (I still believe that the Cowboys will have to throw 1st and run second. Just the mentality, as seen yesterday, of teams in the NFL to blitz on every down.)
5. Punting and punt coverage could be a huge help to their very good D. As could Suisham’s (if he is kept) kickoffs.
6.) The Boys have more depth overall, but especially along the offensive line.
** That should say “some fans”.
Our running game hasn’t looked that great but I have a feeling we will soften teams up with a few first down passes. I did notice BP looked pretty upset in his post game press. I think it has something to do with not being able to make a field goal when your on the 15 yard line. If Vandy misses early in the season, BP might pull the plug.
Vandy’s signing bonus was $2.4 or $2.9 mil. We’d take a $1 mil hit right now and ~$2 mil next year. He’s on the team…dammit.
Suisham? Still up in the air. However, he sure made statement yesterday. I’d give it a 40% chance. Gotta figure Vandy can do better when healthy. Plus Suisham (or another of similar talent) will be available after week 2 or 3 if Vandy appears to have lost it. At least he could hang until Coleman gets put on the Suspended list.
And 66fan, PUP is available right now. There’s news all over of players getting put on right now. Cundiff was put on it the last day of camp last year. It IS an option, though it’s highly doubtful Vandy would be put on it.
Fighter
I don’t think Cundiff went to PUP last year, I remember him being available to other teams until we basically resigned him.
I couldn’t believe my eyes on the Guorode boneheaded play last night. How can an NFL player snap on the wrong count? Given that’s why Bledsoe got foggy, I can’t believe people aren’t going crazy over this. Very disappointing considering he had supposedly overcome his mental issues
It’s gonna be an ugly day there at the Ranch after the way BP’s acted in his press conference.(Three potential TD’s dropped or blown,two chip shot FG’s missed,etc…..)
Donny,
While I concede that Green didn’t look good last night, I will also say that you proclaim Rector should return punts. Based on what information? His college resume (because he has no preseason / pro resume returning punts so far)? Based on college resume Skyler’s much much better. I think the fumble is terrible. Again, I think you may be failing to understand my point. My point is not that Skyler is a great PR. My feeling is that he’s better than any other PR we have on the roster currently. Based on that, yes he still makes the team.
if vandy doesnt get his crap together, lets call up Peyton and Saints and get their back up, Connor Hughes, he is money, I watched all his hove Virginia games….he is only shaky after 50 yds….but still makes them.
I’m not a local - what’s the deal with Galloway over at dfw? Is he a clown? Either that, or he and most of you on here watched a different game.
He says the pass to owens in the endzone would have been caught by Glen or Keyshawn. Anyone on here (and take off your homer hats for a moment, if possible) believe that was a catchable pass (i’ve yet to see it - recording the afternoon NFL network telecast)?
He also says the line was terrible and manhandled by a good but not great Vikings D-line. Shouldn’t he have qualified it by saying we were facing 8 man fronts? Or does he have a point?
Preseason can be frustrating.
The sky is falling again. We are losers again.
We ran straight up into heavily populated, and very good defensive fronts last night. As Raf pointed out, a few quick slants, both Glenn and initials are very good at, wil move those fronts out in a real game.
The O-line stood up pretty well with some ‘lesser’ talent and a 7th round rookie. Bledsoe didn’t have a lot of time on some plays, but he had enough.
The defense had to play more than they have, made some mistakes that I don’t think they will make later on. This will give BP the ammo to chew on them for a while. Letting them know that they have to earn what they think they deserve.
My man Newman missed a couple more tackles that he should have had. Got beat for the TD. This should jack him up.
Owens now will get together with Bledsoe on some timing plays. Did you notice that he actually blocked on a couple of running plays!
I am not ready to give up on Vandy yet. I still remember the sting of last year. I assume that the injury has played havoc on his confidence level. He says he can turn it on, well if he doesn’t, that will really hurt his confidence level. I assume DeHaven gives him a couple of alignment tips for him to work on. Not to actually do anything but to take his mind off of wherever it is at.
Vanderjerk was better when he was drinking and running down his QB Manning.
Eric and Raf-
The RB controversy Chandus is speaking of is due to several fans here saying Barber should be the feature back due to his consistent numbers. The other day the debate got hot and Chandus ( who I think was neutral or might have favored Jones a little) Gave them the breakdown. He showed just how evenly matched they were, and that Barber didn’t always slam it up the middle. Jones didn’t always get hit in the backfield while swinging right, just to break off a big run two plays later. And that looks are deceiving.
I don’t think there is a RB issue and he probably was being a smart ass when he said that, but that was the topic the other day and where the numbers came from.
i agree that its really looking like suisham makes the team.
someone help me out here. if we call him the 3rd string QB he will count against the 53 man roster but he can dress for games and not count against the 45 man roster. is that correct and can we get away with that?
Some thoughts:
Skylar Green showed nothing in the preseason as a receiver and less than nothing as a returner (bad decisions and a fumble). He should have little problem clearing waivers to fit on the practice squad, if we want him.
We might keep 6 receivers if BP thinks he can get solid ST help from all concerned. Problem is, Rector and Crayton can only help as returners. Hurd is the best bet to clear waivers among the top 6, but he might be claimed. Copper seems to have the least upside as a WR, but is a ST performer. Tough call.
Don’t think we will be running up the middle much against Jax. Our guards are not very physical. They do pull and run screens better than last year’s group. Our RB’s are not very big or physical (MBIII tries).
We are going to have to show that 8 in the box is going to turn Witten, T.O. and Glenn loose. Jax will think otherwise when they watch the Minn. films.
Our defense will be tough. Minn. has a good oline, and it seemed (I only heard the radio broadcast) that we did a good job with the run and got some pressure on the QB intermittedly. We need to get some turnovers, though. Hopefully those will come when we get some sizeable leads and can rush and cover.
Romo seemed to move the 1st team better than Bledsoe under the pressure generated by a strong front seven. Should he start? No. Too much promise for this season to be put on the shoulders of someone who has never thrown a real NFL pass. But, if this were a rebuilding year, or if Bledsoe had only taken us so far for two or three years, I would say yes. Much has been said about how Bledsoe answered the bell and played very well in response to competition, and he has. But the truth is, Romo has been better this preseason.
If MBIII and JJ start the season the way they performed in preseason, Jones will soon find himself competing with TT for the change-of-pace back duties. His best carries seem to be draws and broken field runs. TT runs hard and may be the best toss-sweep runner on the team.
Gurode is still too much of a liability to start. He got our starting QB put out of the game last night. (BTW, who sailed the shotgun snap? They did not say on the radio. Since it was 1st half, I assume it was Gurode.)
I have no earthly idea what to do with Vanderslice. BP said it last night. He hasn’t seen this guy perform with his own eyes. He can look at the record book and the old game film, but he could do the same thing for Jan Stenerud and find some impressive stuff, and we ain’t gonna let HIM kick this year. I really think the impulsive thought to cut Vandy ran through his mind last night. Probably can’t, though. Probably shouldn’t. Yet.
Other than two inexplicable lapses on two straight plays, our deep pass defense seems good. Makes you infer that young Pat Watkins is playing solid.
I missed it, who started at FS and how much did each one play, or did Davis miss the game again?
Raf:
As a matter of fact, I forgot to press the sarcasm button on comment 08…
I don’t think that there’s a controversy, the fact that Julius is been running to the middle in nearly a half of his total carries and in many 1st downs talk about how vanilla the plan was, Jones wasn’t given a chance to be productive when he can be productive if he takes more of his carries outside.
BTW, have we seen 1 draw from Jones?
mikhu,
Watkins started at FS again. Davis played at the end but didn’t get in on much except special teams. Watkins played some special teams as well.
Newman & Henry got burnt, not making excuses but Henry was at least in the right position looked like he lost the ball or wasn’t sure where the sideline was.
Newman looked like he was expecting help and didn’t have it. I saw that RWilliams had gone to the middle to cover an open TE(?). Not sure what was supposed to have happened.
I noticed on the replay when Henry got burnt that Newman got lucky it wasn’t thrown his way. His receiver looked to have more separation than Henry’s man.
In watching the game last night, I noted again that the delay patterns are not being picked up by the D. Minn. obviously saw that weakness in the game films from prior games. If it were not for the dropped pass on the delay route that O’Sullivan threw, Minn. might have won.
Can’t quite absorb the two missed FGs by Vandy. Ok, miss on the first, but the second one at 1 yd closer? Not looking very good at this point.
As far as the remarks about many years of game film for the coach to evaluate, it comes down to this … what have you done for me now? TO will, or so it would seem, meld into the O with a few more reps and show his great talent. Vandy, on the otherhand, has been a great disappointment in the here and now. Maybe he’ll do better in regular season or maybe not. We’ll just have to see if, in fact, he produces as expected.
Overall, thought the ‘Boys were just “walkin’ through” the game last night. Possibly, they were focusing on getting it over with and on to preparing for the regular season without any serious injuries. We, as fans however, expected to see improvement over the previous game and came away with … huh???? Too many missed tackles by the 1st team D and even the 2nd team missed many that they shouldn’t have. Got to do better ‘Boys if you want to go to Miami for all the marbles.
JMO …
Re #29
Fighter15,
Can you name any players being placed on PUP right now? And provide links/references for documentation?
The standard definition in most articles/team sites is like this one from the Detroit Lions:
NFL rules allow teams to designate players as “Physically Unable to Perform.†Once they are designated as such, they are prohibited from practicing with the team. They can, however, rehabilitate and participate in team meetings. If a player begins training camp on the PUP list, they can be moved to the active roster at any time, even after one practice. A player is not allowed to be placed on the PUP list if they start training camp on the active roster.
Mickey Spagnola addressed the issue in his e-mail questions last week:
“Vanderjagt and T.O. are not eligible for the PUP list since their injuries weren’t pre-existing ones to the start of training camp. The only way you could clear a roster spot with injured players like them is to place them on season-ending IR to protect their rights for next year, or to release them injured [which is what we did to Billy Cundiff last August]. You have to be placed on PUP before camp even starts to be eligible for it after the final 53 man roster is set.â€Â
Rafael, can you please settle the continuing confusion surrounding this issue by providing a post/link to the official NFL rules regarding the PUP list? I’m sure it would be very much appreciated!
Jarhead - if you do that, Suisham can’t play for the first three quarters. If he does play in the first three, Bledsoe and Romo sit.
@Doomsday:
I watched a good bit of the game last night (I inexplicably fell asleep in the 4th quarter which pisses me off). The run defense was fairly good overall, a little spotty here and there but they didn’t allow any really long runs. It looked like we had some problems with dumpoff throws to Chester Taylor. We got some pressure on Brad Johnson but nothing spectacular, although we never rushed more than 4.
I take exception to Romo playing better than Bledsoe this preseason. He’s looked very good at times and his mobility is a really nice asset, but he’s made quite a few more mistakes than Bledsoe has. That’s also playing more against 2nd / 3rd teamers than Bledsoe. Drew is clearly #1 but we’re in better shape with our backup QB than we have been in a number of years.
Other thoughts:
I’d love to see us keep Hurd on the roster, but I think he’s a goner.
I would hope Elam got himself a roster spot last night. From what I saw, he’s pretty quick and a good tackler. There was a 3-play sequence in the third quarter where it looked like their offense was playing at half the speed he was.
Rector looks like he’s playing with a ton of confidence out there.
Our interior blockers didn’t have a great evening. On one play they let Pat Williams go completely unblocked into the backfield.
Bring on Jacksonville.
JAG, dont be so hard on the interior blockers. They simply must have lost sight of Pat Williams.
Sarcasm button way on.
Can Any one Tell me what The Super Bowl Team Did Last pre-seasOn??
and DId any one care or mention it when The sTeelers barely made the Playoffs? No One sad Boy, Did they Have A great Or bad preseason. Guys You Put to Much into pre Season.
These games Mean Lil to nothing but talent evaluation, conditioning, and Cohesiveness. My Goodness, College does not even have pre-season Games!!
Vandy will be fine, and oh yeah the other Kicker(from InDy), has a brace on his right foot(maybe a slight fracture)
so lets not jump to conclusions over PRE-SEASON….
Jag:
Hurd goner? That would be a real surprise if you’re right. Frankly, I doubt that he will be cut as he’s shown that he can play. If anyone goes from the WR corps, it will probably be Copper as Hurd and Rector have either been “showcased” for significant trade or given the reps to bring them further along. With the quality of their play, one would think the latter and not the former.
JMO…
Oops! Sorry bout not turning off the bold!
questions, totally off top, has anyone played madden gor xbox 360 or the ps2, i want to know which one to buy, i hear the ps2 version is better…sorry this is so off from conversation
Digger,
I’ll bite, how did you turn on the bold in the first place?
totally off topic..sorry
Galloway HATES the cowboys (just like Dale Hansen)… so no surprises hearing he bashed them today. He even picked Philadelphia to win the division. Can’t stand him
JAG:
I can’t believe you are the only one who took exception to my Romo comment! I came back to my computer expecting mad hate. Mabe nobody read my long post. As I said, I did not get to see the game last night, only radio, but I think Romo’s ability to keep plays alive and find the open man and hit him with a pass that allows him to make a play makes the offense look more smooth and dangerous. His interceptions were mostly related to receivers’ mistakes. The one impetuous “heave” interception was the product of inexperience and frustration, and is exactly the sort of play that should keep him from starting this year. Same with his fumbles.
Bledsoe, in his “answer” game against NO, missed two wide open receivers in the first half with innaccurate passes. His two touchdowns were sort of thrown up there with the hope that the receiver would make a great play, which they did. Also, when he tries to extend the play by running, I get the same sad feeling that I get whenever I see a racehorse trying to run on a broken leg.
Romo looks smoother and gets out of trouble with ease. The offense seems more dangerous with him at the controls, and that should be especially true when he learns to control his impetuosity.
Still, as I said, Bledsoe must start this year. Too much riding to take a risk, and that’s what starting Romo would be until he shows he can get it done in the regular season.
Fighter15,
PUP is NOT an option for ANY of our players.
Please list those players who are being placed on the PUP list. If there are any, they were already there at the start of training camp, because that is what it is for.
Cundiff was released-injured, not placed on PUP. When a player is placed on PUP, the team still retains his rights. When Cundiff was released, any team could have signed him, and the Cowboys were forbidden from signing him until 4 weeks after his injury settlement ran out.
LSUALUM99,
I don’t know whether Rector should be the one returning punts or not. My opinion now, though, is that anyone but Green should be returning punts, because Green does not deserve to be on our 53-man roster.
If he makes it, it is a travesty, depriving an actual player of a deserved slot.
It’s not just the fumble. I want a punt returner who can do more than run forward until he runs into someone. We need to admit that he was a mistake and move on. If he clears waivers, and they want to place him on the practice squad, fine. Maybe he’ll improve next year. Otherwise, forget about Skyler Green.
Based on what? Green has taken every punt return but one. Rector got that one. [He was in for one other return, but the punt went out of bounds.] So tell me how you know he is better than any other PR on our current roster, based on what you have seen this summer.
In my opinion, Green is gone, and the competition is down to Hurd or Copper. Rector has made the team.
Rector, Hurd and Romo showed lots of guts last night even though they couldn’t put things together for more than one Touchdown drive. I like the way these three left everything out on the field and showed the ability to get in Field Goal range late in the game (not that it helped Vanderjagt any). Romo’s playing style reminds me a lot of (wincing as I type this) Steve Young and Brett Favre (Two players I HATED in my childhood, but now respect somewhat). Romo runs around in the pocket and shows flashes of mobility. He also has shown the ability to make a play when the called play breaks down (i.e. the snap that went over his head which he picked up on the run and bombed to a diving Terrance Copper. I think it is safe to sat we have figured out what to do at QB once Bledsoe is done, and I am glad to see the front office agrees with me.
El Barraco-
I do think that another Cowboy receiver would have caught a TD on that play. TO could NOT have caught it where he was positioned BUT I think he should have moved farther down to the corner of the endzone. It was a fmiliarity and route issue. Romo put the ball where it should have been IMO.
LSU-
I get you. I understand that you are making your point on facts. I’m not looking at the stats which do not lie. I’m basing my opinion on what I see and my judgement of those obversations.
Green could be a good PR. I dont dispute that but I dont think he can help in any other area.
I think Rector and Crayton can do the job just as good. I dont want to keep a roster spot for a PR only unless he looks special.
Did you see Devin Hester’s return for Chicago?
He looks like a special returner. Green does not.
IMO
Question: If we are going to make teams that stack the line pay by throwing slants to our WRs, why didn’t we just do that last night?
Maybe we could have backed them up and gotten our running game going.
Galloway does not hate the Cowboys. Galloway hates Jerry Jones.
It all really started when Jimmy Johnson called his radio show to guarantee the win over the 49ers in the playoffs Jimmy’s first Super Bowl year (the famous “brass ones” call). Heck, he may have hated him for Tom Landry, for all I know. After that call, though, Randy became a Jimmy flack, and totally took his side when Jerry made his drunken “500 coaches” rant that Jimmy used as a pretext for leaving angry. Since then, Jimmy has been perfect, and Jerry has been a buffoon, according to Galloway.
Which brings us to now. Who do you think started the “Jerry is forcing TO on Parcells” mantra? The media agenda is not TO, and has never been. He is just the entrée, because of his controversial past. The real target is Jerry, whom a lot of media types still hate because of his stand against league socialism years ago. (Speaking of which, could somebody please explain why teams that actively market their merchandise and players should support those that gravy train the system, spending way under the cap and fielding inferior teams while their owners pocket the difference? I didn’t think so.)
ShaneJ:
Look at the XHTML below the “MAKE YOUR POINT” box. The “b” within will toggle the bold on and off.
Uh, let me check on the toggle off.
Green aint making it. I was a supporter. Now I am not. We keep 5 OTs. We keep 3 NGs. We keep 2 Ks.
watching the game and henry really didnt get burnt. he was in good position, it was just a perfectlyy thrown ball.
Mr. Bill —
My opinions are based on the facts. Fact - Skyler Green’s average per punt return is higher than both Newman and Crayton. Fact - Green fair catches the ball at a much lower percentage than Crayton or Newman. Fact - Rector has 1 total return in the preseason. Based on these facts, it not unreasonable to conclude that Green is the best returner we have currently on the roster. Until more facts present themselves I find it hard to conclude otherwise.
Will Skyler make the team? I’m not sure. And while I don’t have a problem with someone disagreeing that he’s worthy of the spot, I do have a problem with someone not using the facts to base their opinions on.
Donny and I have had this discussion quite a bit. I do not dispute that Donny disagrees that Skyler is a good value to the roster. I think he can be. The more I watch of Skyler the less value I see in him as the PR. But, I just don’t see anyone else on the roster performing better at PR than Skyler yet.
Donny — Yes, Devin Hester is a much better returner. He also was a 2nd round draft pick, which is too high if he doesn’t get some playing time as a CB or eventually WR. Pure returners go in the 4th (Dante Hall) or 5th rounds (Jeremy Bloom) traditionally.
Senator, I’ve watched Devin Hester. Skylar Green is no Devin Hester.
I have some introductions to make…
Indoor League, Skylar Green. Skylar Greeen, Indoor League. You two should talk.
Mike,
Im watching it too.
Henry did get beat, though not for 6. Williamson was on his way to taking henry to school a little though. henry will get beat deep this year. what we need is newman to be able to play safely on his side alone.
It shouldnt have matter though.
On that drive the boys D put the vikes in a 3rd and long and they seem to conceed they wouldnt get the first when johnson dumped it off. Newman was there, he just flat out whiffed on the tackle. He later gave up the TD. man, he didnt look like he was into it tonight.
The boys just couldnt get off the field on 3rd down during that drive.
the play where bledsoe bobbled the snap appeared to be on gurode. i think he snapped early b/c none of the Oline moved when he snapped. gurode seemed to regress in this game.
the vikes ran pretty well against our left (greg ellis) side but other than the TD drive, the D played strong.
i agree with rafael. the vikes flat out loaded the box. i think we can exploit that in the real world.
Chris Canty could be MONEY this year.
Romo through up too many prayers.
burnette and carpenter appeared to be confused on the nickle a little. that may have contributed to the vikes being able to stay on the field.
Green looked terrible.
too many penalties.
vikes against DC on MNF week 1 ought to be a good game.
For the guys watching the game .. Did you all see Abram Elam run over the potential blocker when the Vikes QB scrambled out of the pocket??
I think Elam makes the final cut. He was in the back field making plays on blitzes and making sure tackles in the opened field. Big time plays!!! .. He was hungry and the coaching staff will notice this.
Eric I agree on Elam,the big hit he put on the TE over the middle,almost intercepts the ball on another play,he was definately a bright spot…..the guy has talent and a knack for the ball,he’s a keeper…
testtest
Romo has had passes sail and has put some too high to be caught. he let the play clock run down once and has thrown too many prayers. he does have an arm though. im just not seeing any QB controversey. here’s hoping bledsoe is OK.
elam looks great and is allways around the ball.
lots of missed tackles on the non-starters (hoyte, carpenter, coleman).
looks like rector over hurd if it comes to that.
lots of second guessing on taking the game to OT.
dont want to get anyone hurt but it is a chance to see your backup QB work in overtime and to see how your kicker responds when he has the chance to win the game.
we all know how that worked out huh?
Don’t you think Hurd and Rector make the team? All they do is catch everything. Keep Copper too. Let’s keep six.
joey,
hurd doesnt catch everything. he’ll drop one in OT that could have been 6. he’s dropped others this pre-season too.
if he drops one in the regular season, will the QB throw to him again?
elam is on the final roster, hes been the leading tackler i think games and i think 3rd this game. he makes plays hes everywhere.
wide right….
good nickname for vandy according to a blogger on DMN.
Im stocking up on maalox now.
LSUALUM99,
Fact: Terrance Newman has ZERO punt return attempts and returns this preseason.
Fact: Patrick Crayton has ZERO punt return attempts and returns this preseason.
Fact: Jamaica Rector has two punt return attempts this preseason, and one actual punt return.
Fact: Skyler Green has every other punt return this preseason.
Logic leap: Therefore, Skyler Green is the best punt returner.
Your logic (especially with regard to Newman and Crayton) is akin to saying: A = 5; therefore, A is greater than B, C, and D. I notice that you didn’t say anything about Green’s average being better than Rector’s. Could that be because it is not?
Since neither Crayton nor Newman has attempted to field a punt this preseason, I would have to say that is pretty much a NON-fact.
Please stop comparing statistics from preseason to those from last season. It does not compute.
Are you saying that since Green fielded the overwhelming majority of punts that the Cowboys coaches must think he is the best on the team? Such a conclusion with a rookie in preseason would be hilarious. It only means that they wanted Green to make the team and gave him every opportunity. Face it. He flubbed his chance.
By the way, my ‘facts’ are based on watching every play in this preseason. I saw what Green did. I also saw what he didn’t do. With all of those punt returns, I never saw him outrun anyone. And, I only saw one half-way decent move, in the first game. That’s it. Nor can I recall any memorable times when he was able to break the first contact. With all those chances. On every other opportunity, Green just ran forward until he was hit. Then he went down. Somehow, I expected more. Maybe that’s just me.
Now, tell me that you saw something different.
But, don’t give me this nonsense about facts. I SAW the plays. I KNOW what happened on them. Stats are facts. But, stats must be ‘interpreted’ based on reality. You might as well say that Hurd and Rector should start over Owens and Glenn, because of the ‘fact’ that they caught more passes and gained more yards this preseason. No, that would be misinterpretation of facts, which is exactly what you are doing with Green.
What a surprise, since Green has hogged all the chances. You were PREVENTED from seeing anyone else.
Me, I would go with Rector to start. He doesn’t have any more speed, but he has quickness. He has good quick-twitch reflexes to avoid tackles. Something that Green has yet to exhibit. He has something else that Green doesn’t have — the ability to actually play receiver, which would get him on the 45-man active roster. If Rector can’t do the job credibly, I would go back to Crayton, who is actually pretty decent.
It is unfortunate that so much time and energy was wasted on Green that we don’t really know what others might be able to do.
we’ll know soon enough, but i dont see how they can keep green around with the other roster issues we have.
Green should be practice squad material. While I hope the comparisons to Hall come true, he is not ready yet.
If Green is claimed, which I doubt, then Dallas will have extra picks next year to make another similar selection.
Guys, trying out for a PR job is frustrating. I went to the Dolphins game last night and everyone was gasping and hoping Marcus Vick would get a shot to return one. He had a bunch sent his way but only 1 or 2 were returnable. Vikings kicker was doing a good job of not allowing returns last night. On another note, punt returners need ice water running through their veins. It has to be the scariest job in the whole league. Keeping your eye on the ball when you have a bullseye on your chest is more than most WR can handle and thats why you dont see the big name guys out there risking their careers.
Eric R.,
We wouldn’t get any compensation for anyone we cut now.
Compensation picks are for players who are signed by other teams after their contracts expire, not for players who are cut.
The NFL is not going to compensate teams for players they don’t want.
Mr. Bill —
Perhaps you’d like to revisit your facts. Newman and Crayton both have punt returns in the NFL. The facts remain that Skyler Green has a better average than either of them in THE NFL.
I am fine with your assessment of ‘I’ve seen Skyler Green in the games and…’ but the FACTS are that his statistics are superior to Newman’s or Crayton’s. You question my logic saying it’s akin to saying A=5 and A is therefore greater than B, C, or D. Here is what my logic REALLY says.
Skyler Green = 12 punt returns, 2 fair catches, 103 yards, 1 return of 20+ yards.
Crayton = 27 punt returns, 10 fair catches, 200 yards, 2 returns of 20+ yards
Terrance Newman = 12 punt returns, 6 fair catches, 68 yards, 1 return of 20+ yards.
Rector = 1 punt return, 0 fair catches, 10 yards, 0 returns of 20+.
Those are the facts. You cannot dispute them. I NEVER ONE TIME said that Crayton or Newman had PR this preseason. You’re questioning my logic, but yet you’ve misunderstood the point.
As for the Rector average being the best, yes that is true. However Green’s sample size is the same as Newman’s and roughly half the size of Crayton’s. I think that anyone would reasonably conclude that this is a better data set than 1 total return.
As to the me presuming that Rector would be better than TO because they caught more passes, that’s not at all what I’m stating based on the ‘facts’. I’m stating that given the body of work, it’s not unreasonable to conclude that Green is a better returner than Newman. His sample size is the same, his results are better. If Rector had the same number of catches as Owens has had in his career with better results, then you could make that conclusion, however it is not the case. Your analogy doesn’t hold water.
An analogy that might hold water is to compare Rector to say….Sam Hurd. You know what, that’s done all the time. It’s a logical (there’s that word again) comparision to make, based on sample size.
Miamicowboy,
You bring up a good point. If the opposing punter is good, and the coverage is good, your return man has little chance.
However, Green has had a few opportunities where the coverage was not perfect. To my mind, even though those returns pumped up his average, he did the minimum with those chances. That is what has bothered me.
LSUALUM99,
Oh, I understand your point exactly.
You are comparing preseason stats from this year to regular-season stats from previous years, and drawing conclusions based on that comparison.
What I am saying is that conclusions based on such a faulty comparison can only be faulty.
Do I really have to waste my time explaining to you why preseason has little relationship to the regular season?
Didn’t Vanderjagt supposedly make field goals in practice recently? what happened?
pikappee251,
They are both pretty much the same. It all depends which controller you like better and thats why i go with the ps2.
whoops, 66 of 71
Mr. Bill —
Do you have any evidence to support your claim that preseason ST stats have little to no bearing on regular season stats or did you make that up too?
I’d really like to see you explain the faulty logic, with some statistical analysis instead of your conjecture. That would be superb.
That would then of course, beg the question, if there is little to no correlation then exactly how can you draw conclusions about any PR during preseason, good or bad?
LSUALUM99
You concede that S Green will not make the team? I can’t see how given the number of factors involved.
LSU, Mr. Bill:
You’re both right and wrong.
First:
STs in Preseason is indeed significative, because most of the players that play in most of the coverage and returning units are the ones that are going to play in the Regular season. See guys like: Hurd, Copper, Davis, Boiman and on, who have played a lot for our team.
And second:
Because to go along with those players you could find players that don’t show much on STs and on another position. Green has shown little as a returner, but he hasn’t shown anything somewhere else and that’s probably going to make him prohibitive to keep.
So, yeah, Bill, you’re underestimating STs in Preseason, and LSU, you look at what Skyler has done so far while undervaluing what Rector, Crayton or Newman could have done with those opportunities.
Linus,
I do not concede that he is definitely not going to make the team. I do concede that he’s not been overly impressive as a PR. Where my opinion differs from most is that I do not feel he had to grade out to an ‘A’ in that capacity to make the team. I feel that if he graded out to a ‘C+’ he would make it. Now, the question is does he or has he graded out to better than the other options available? If the answer is yes (in the Coashing staff’s eyes) then he doesn’t make the team.
All of this is based on the notion that he’s the best option at the position. If he’s not the best option it’s a moot point. If he is the best option then you have to weigh how much better is he than the next best option, and is that difference enough to give him a spot.
I personally think that at this point, he’s the best option (ableit, not a great option). So, based on that, it’s not unlikely that he could make the team.
edit: ‘if the answer isn’t yes (in the Coaching staff’s eyes)’
Chandus,
I agree with what you said. Skyler’s lack of ability to play WR at this stage may be the deciding factor. And yes, it’s entirely possible that Crayton, Newman or Rector might have done more with the opportunities than Green. Since it’s not possible to know for certain, I defer to the data we do know, and those statistics bear out that he’s done more than they have in the past.
Skyler Green — the next Meggett — is fumbling his way onto the waiver wire and Dave Meggett — the last Meggett — has (alledgedly) raped his way onto the police blotter.
Not a good day for 5′7 180 lb Parcells Punt Returning Prototypes.
it’s not unlikely that he could make the team
Not + un + likely + could = WTF?
Way to go out on a limb there, pal. Nice waste of 32,000 words in the past month to back up the horse you have your money on.
Joey2sz#@%^,
Why hate on LSU? He’s just rooting for his guy. I dont thnk Green will make it, but I definitely dont HOPE anyone gets cut. Get positive, Bro. Saeson’s about to start.
Chandus,
‘most of the players’
Most of the players on special teams might be regulars, at the beginning of the game, and towards the end of preseason. However, even at the start of those later games there are players whom the teams are just trying out — just as they are with other positions of doubt. I also contend that in the early preseason teams are trying out players that they WANT to make the team. I don’t think you can argue that Hurd and Boiman had made the team before the last game.
When you get to the end of those early preseason games, you don’t see those regulars any more. I should point out here that Green took virtually every punt, early, middle, and late, in each and every game.
In the Seattle game, Watkins, Hoyte, and Saldi made first-half tackles on special teams. Saldi has already been cut. In the second half of that game, Butler had a tackle and an assist, Watkins had an assist, Carpenter had a tackle, and Kincade had a two tackles and an assist, all on special teams. [per Gamebook at NFL.com] Butler is gone, and I haven’t heard a soul who thinks that Kincade will make this team.
In that game, Skyler Green had 3 punt returns for 35 yards. In the first half, he had 1 return for 5 yards, and 1 fair catch. In the second half, he had 2 returns for 30 yards. His longest return was for 19 yards. It came with 3:27 to go in the 4th quarter. The tackle was made by someone named Lance Laury. Laury is a rookie free-agent linebacker, who, as of a couple of days ago, is still fighting for a roster spot with the Seahawks.
Against the Saints, Austin, Elam, and Jones made special-teams tackles in the first half. I believe I can say with some degree of certainty that Miles Austin is not going to make this team. In the second half, Hoyte had 2 tackles, and Austin had another one.
In that game, Green had 4 punt returns for 37 yards. In the first half, he had 2 returns for 7 yards. In the second, 2 returns for 30, with a long of 22 yards. That 22-yarder came with 7:67 to go in the game. He was pushed out of bounds by Keith Joseph. Joseph is a first-year player who was on the Saints practice squad last year. He is currently their 2nd-team fullback, behind Karney. We will see if he survives tomorrow.
I didn’t break down the last two games. Since Green didn’t do all that much in either of them, I didn’t feel the need. I will only note that he had 1 return for 0 yards against the 49ers, and 4 returns for 31 yards against the Vikings. In neither game did he do anything that would recommend him. Perhaps he didn’t do as well against those teams because they did play more regulars.
I contend that it is completely worthless to compare Green’s statistics, some of which have come with and against scrubs who will never play in a regular NFL game, to actual NFL statistics. I further contend that Green’s stats are OVERINFLATED precisely because he was playing against those scrubs late in the early games.
The only preseason stats I would consider as valid comparisons would be punting average (gross only), and field-goal percentage. The ball is the same, and the air mostly so.
LSUALUM99,
Good question. I actually watched him play. Every play. I know, it’s a novel way to do things. It is also subjective. So what? That is better than faulty conclusions based on irrelevant data.
I should point out that I was solidly in Green’s corner until these last two games. It wouldn’t be that difficult to go back and find several posts where I argued in his favor. Even after the Saints game I was saying there was still a decent chance he could show enough to make the team. I recall one where I argued for keeping him over Fabini. So, it’s not as though I have been against this guy from the draft. But, I have changed my mind, based on the evidence of my eyes.
wow. i think bloggers on this site have officially spent more time breaking down Green’s performance then the entire Cowboy organization!
Lets get this season started!!!
Keep six WRs and release Green. It seemed to me, that throughout preseason, Roy Williams didn’t have his name called very much. Do you think he was laying off a bit. I also didn’t see too much of Carpenter getting dirty.