Corner Watch, Post-Denver
Posted: August 19, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Corner is supposed to be a new strength on the team. How did they play, with Terence Newman out of the lineup:
Here are the six guys behind Newman in the pecking order:
Anthony Henry:
- Thrown at: 3
- Completions: 3
- Yards: 54
Eddie Royal blew up Henry’s line with a 32 yard catch where Henry got his hands on the ball but could not bat it away from the Bronco. Played soft on a Brandon Marshall comeback on the next play and surrendered a four yarder later.
Mike Jenkins
- Thrown at: 4
- Completions: 4
- Yards: 54
Welcome to the NFL rookie. Denver went after him on their opening drive. Brandon Marshall ran him off on a comeback; Jenkins was still running up the field when Marshall made his cut. Denver then crossed him up, running a stop and go to Royal that got Jenkins to bite. He slipped, letting Royal cruise for 35. Marshall ended Jenkins’ evening by executing Sprint Right Option, otherwise known to Dallas fans as “The Catch” play. Marshall ran what looked like a square in, then pivoted and took off for the deep right corner, where he caught Jay Cutler’s pass for a touchdown.
Evan Oglesby
- Thrown at: 6
- Completed: 3
- Yards: 37
A decent line, but it’s actually less than meets the eye. Twice he was beaten but saw his receivers drop the passes, at eight and 19 yards. Brandon Stokley beat him with ease when the Broncos starters were in. Oglesby’s good camp work may be eroding, because…
Adam Jones
- Thrown at: 4
- Completed: 3
- Yards: 6
How about that YPA of 1.5. Jones looked much more comfortable than he did in San Diego. His tackling was much better and he dropped an interception. He’ll likely start in the nickel on the right corner, with Newman playing the slot when teams go three wide. If Jones continues to play this way, Oglesby is back on the bench, and the fans will resume their chants to get Anthony Henry benched too.
Mike Lombardi said on last week’s show that Jones is not Deion Sanders. Who is these days? If Jones can play nickel corner like this, we’ll all be ecstatic. Jacques Reeves could never sub like this.
Orlando Scandrick
- Thrown at: 1
- Completed: 1
- Yards: 0
Scandrick’s lone throw was a memorable one. He blew up Broncos wideout Glenn Martinez on the goalline; Scandrick tracked his man into the end zone, saw Martinez cutting beneath him, released his original WR and rolled up to pop Martinez. The kid is making big hits on a regular basis. He also came within an eyelash of blocking a field goal and had a 32 yard kickoff return. Those are three good ways to keep yourself on the active roster on Sundays.
Alan Ball
- Thrown at: 4
- Completed: 1
- Yards: 20
Another less-than-meets-the-eye line. Ball took a penalty on one of the other plays, escaped a completion on another play because Marcus Smith tipped the ball and avoided being beaten for a TD on a fade when Patrick Ramsey’s pass floated wide and out of bounds. Ball looked lost on a couple of these plays and needs to make some positive plays to earn another year on the roster.
– Two weeks ago, Oglesby looked like he might force the coaches to keep six corners. He looked pretty good against San Diego but Adam Jones and Orlando Scandrick have probably jumped him in the pecking order. Oglesby still has a decent chance but he’ll need big games against Houston and Minnesota to turn momentum back in his favor. If the decision had to be made today, I think Dallas would keep five corners.
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News out of Cardinal’s camp has Boldin unhappy, but the price is most likely too steep for a luxury position…not to mention the fact that the former NFC East rival admits no intention of trading the star receiver.
On an unrelated note:
What I wonder when I watch these preseason games, is what percentage of the offense/defense we are seeing. I know they both run vanilla versions, but at what point do we see flickers of some more unique plays? Especially on D.
All that being said, there also wasn’t any pressure being applied so its really hard to judge from that game… or am I wrong?
AFB,
Dallas played a lot of man coverage in that game, probably more than they will during the season, so this is a good chance to rate the corners relative to one another. You can tell if a guy is sticking with his man and gave up the completion because of no rush or if a guy was just beaten cleanly.
True that, thats why I asked.
That definitly wasn’t a great peformance from Dallas’s secondary, but in the end I think that its probably great experience for Jenkins. Most corners don’t want to get beat the same way multiple times, so hopefully he’ll learn from that.
I’m not so concerned with Henry, that Royal catch was just really a great catch. I thought he was for sure going to rip it out.
Ultimately I think Jenkings getting to start against quality WR’s like Marshall will pay off in the long run, your thoughts Raf?
AFB,
I agree. They didn’t have safety help rotating over the top for Jenkins, something you would expect if this was a regular season game.
In many ways, this was played the way Bill Parcells played his first games. A lot of four man rushes. Very little stunting and blitzing the first 20 minutes of the game. Lots of straight up man coverage. Let’s see what the guys could do on their own.
On the postive note, didn’t it seem like after that punt return, it was like an entirely different pacman out there?
Coaching watch… the beleaguered Brian Stewart is still executing (learning to execute) the defensive game plan, and that is a problem if the Cowboys have Super Bowl aspirations. BStew failed as a secondary coach, yet was promoted to Defensive Coordinator, even if it is in title only. That has been Wade’s biggest mistake and will probably end up costing him his job. Tex experienced success by cultivating the best people in the business, not by promoting juvenile secretaries to CEO.
Tex… seriously.
Look on the bright side…if the corners dont pick up there play…Joey Thomas is available!
And while we all drink the kool-aid…Tex samples the draino….
I meant “their” play…not “there”.
When you keep in mind that the secondary was without its best corner, they didn’t do that bad. Add in the lack of Wade’s trademark blitzing, and I can’t say I’m very worried. Once he starts bringing the heat, the secondary’s job is going to get easier, and they will look better.
Adam looked a lot more like the guy we were hoping for against Denver. Active in the passing game, and that punt return was a thing of beauty.
And am I the only one who’s noticed that Roy actually looks like he’s trying? Actually tackling and bringing down runners right at the line of scrimmage…has Campo worked his magic so quickly? (stay tuned but fingers crossed…)
I disagree to some extent. Adam Jones said Royal had trouble getting off jams at the line. In our first two defensive series our corners only jammed once to great effect. I think our corners were playing with restrictions. Not put in a position to succeed.
Raf did you see the move you wrote about in pre season Ratlif was using. The one you said Reggie White used to use. I saw him use it early and it looked good, he threw his guy to the side like a rag doll. Great that you were so observant.
Hey Tex buddy,
You don’t irritate me anymore, but are you going to keep this thing going all season long? I mean honestly, I love steak but if I had it every day, sooner or later I’d want something else. The Brian Stewart act is getting older then Elton John is gay.
Pick someone new from the hat, hell make it me. It’s probably my fault that Dallas didn’t win the super bowl last year because I was wearing my Romo jersey instead of Ware…
TLCM,
I noticed that too. Hopefully Roy can keep it up. The greatest thing about Roy last game…. I didn’t hard notice Roy at all. Which is good enough for me.
Scandrick is the most pleasant surprise to me. He just seems solid. That is what we need in the backfield. We don’t need Deion, we need solid. Someone who is going to play tough and be where he’s supposed to be.
Also:
I look for AHenry to have a big year. He is being pushed. He is a the type of guy that benefits from competition. No real threat to his job for the last couple of years (other than injury). We saw what he did last year prior to the St. Louis game. I think that is a harbinger of what is to come.
Pass the cool aid, please…
Scandrick definitly brings the wood for a corner.
DanG thinks that self-absorbed Tex should cut the bottoms out of his pockets so as to give himself something to play with while contemplating THEAIRFORCEBAT2’s suggestion of identifying a new target for his ranting.
Hell, pick someone old from the hat, say the TUNA or entire Dolphin organization.
I guess I dont understand how the subject of vanilla offenses and/or defenses ever makes it into the analysis of a team’s preseason performance. And I am not just picking on the commenters here. I see it everywhere. What possible solace can there be in justifying a mediocre preseason performance by wondering if it can be chalked up to a vanilla offense or defense, if you do not have a complete understanding of the extent to which the other team was running a vanilla offense or defense? Wouldnt you have to know, hey, on this play where we gave up 35 yards, we were playing a full vanilla D, while the other side was only going 1/4 vanilla, or hey, on that play where our offense couldnt convert 3rd down, we ran a 2/3 vanilla play, while the defense they were up against was only 1/3 vanilla? How likely is it that one team outvanillas the other team to such an extent that it explains the outcome of the game?
El Berraco…..what?
You can’t understand the fact that the fact that there is no gameplanning whatsoever could have an outcome on the game? (Which is why preseason really doesn’t matter.)
I mean generally your going to see safety help roll over to help the corners more, Wade was running a man defense.
You REALLY don’t understand why that would come into discussion?
Wait a minute…Elton John is gay?
I think Tex should be able to say what he wants. He brings some necessary humor (even if we are laughing at him) and yes, even the occasional nugget of insight. That settles it - David’s a Tex Apologist! I like referring to myself in the 3rd person too.
Raf, I like the corner stats above. Looking forward to your continued insight and comments from the peanut (or just nut) gallery during the season.
Raf,
You think Ball or Oglesby could get Beck in return from Miami? If Wade really goes with just 5 corners, and we try to get one back on the practice squad, are they tradeable? I know you don’t really see many bottom of the roster trades, because you can just wait on the final cuts.
I’m really selfish about draft picks, and I don’t want to see one go to Beck if we can get him for a cut player or wait on him. I think he might be a good investment for post Johnson or to flip him in a couple of years.
I’m a little surprised at the five corner projection, though. With Henry’s injury history and the gamble on Jones, it’s risky to only take five. Maybe I’m naive, or just a homer, but I think Jones is going to make it. I don’t know who turned on the lightbulb, but I think it’s on.
David, who said anything about not saying what you want? I’m just wondering if this is going to be the same thing over, and over again or we can at least go to another subject. I don’t think is alot to ask.
That’s right, I dont understand. You say “no gameplanning whatsoever.” Well, doesnt that apply equally to both teams? You state “Wade was running a man defense,” suggesting a certain level of vanillaness. Well, my point at post #20 was, isnt it likely there was a certain amount of vanilla in Denver’s first team D that night, too - how come our first team offense didnt run up and down the field for two TDs? My overarching point was, “How likely is it that one team outvanillas the other team to such an extent that it explains the outcome of the game?” The basis of your position at post #21 seems to be that we completely outvanilla’d Denver in that game, and my point is that I am skeptical of that, absent some sort of comprehensive play-by-play accounting of the relative amount of vanilla being shown by each team. Because I dont think anyone (not even in this, the age of a blog for everything) has that sort of comprehensive accounting, my point is the vanilla excuse should very rarely come up. About the only time I think it could be valid is where you have an extremely veteran and playoff proven team facing, let’s say, a young team with, for example, a first year coach, and the first year coach is clearly trying to establish respect for himself in the locker room and so it might be easier in that situation to say, well yes that young team really went with no vanilla at all and maybe even gameplanned for the preseason game.
on a lighter note, all anyone can talk about in my neighborhood is that Usain Bolt guy. What all do you think the chances are of a Al Davis type (heck maybe even Jerry) bringing him in for a tryout? Of course, the history of track stars doing well as pro football players is spotty (worse that spotty?), and who knows if he can catch. But body type wise, he doesnt seem all that different from a Randy Moss. And he’s fast, too.
JC56
I agree I hate giving up draft choices.
Until Dallas knows AJ is going to be able to play Sept 7th I dont know that you can count his as one of the 5. Both AH and Tnew have been hurt the last couple of years I am not sure you count on them playing all 16 games.
El
One of the local radio shows were talking about that very thing. Dallas did it with the Bullet and did they not have some intrest in Carl Lewis at one time as well? Hey he already has the elite reciever attitude and knows how to show boat!
AFbat2
dont you know each time you comment on Tex he gets just what he wants? a rise from you and others here
I don’t that would ever happen because football speed is a lot different that track speed. I think once you put the pads on him a lot of that speed goes away. Also, the modern pro game is too complex to be successful with no prior football experience.
Why would Bolt want to play American football? He’ll make much more money running track in Europe and get beaten up a whole lot less. Those opportunities were not available in Hayes’ time–the amateur rules have about vanished since then for world-class athletes.
ElB… a lot of preseason isn’t about winning the game from a strategic or even tactical sense. A lot of it is just putting Oglesby (for example) on an island with a WR man on man to just see how he does. Does he read his assignment correctly? Is his technique sound? Can he track the ball in the air? Can he make a tackle or play on the ball? Will he draw a flag?
The pre season, for the coaches anyway, is a lot about the most basic parts of the game. It is practice and try outs, afterall. These games don’t count.
And sure, the coordinators want to call the appropriate calls based on the down and distance and the opposing packages on the field.
The pre season isn’t necessarily meant for safety help over the top… it’s intended to see how good a corner you are.
And, the Cowboys didn’t run up and down the field with first team offense vs first team defense because they aren’t playing cardboard cutouts. This is the NFL.
Joe Abruzzi? Is that right? It has 2 zz’s.
Anyway, with respect to your first two paragraphs, similar to what I responded to AFB2, your points would seem to apply equally to Denver. For example, you talk about the intention to see how good a corner someone is. Well, to the extent our corners were left alone on islands to see how good they were and their corners were too, it would seem like over the course of the game, their corners performed slightly better than ours. similarly, to the extent both their and our receivers were sent out on vanilla patterns to see how well they can will themselves to a catch, theirs performed slightly better than ours. so long as all things are equal vanilla wise, it really isnt that different from any other game.
As for your third paragraph, i dont get that at all. sure I may have exaggerated a little by using the phrase “up and down the field,” but my point was Denver’s first team offense marched up and down the field or whatever you want to call it to the tune of 14-0 against our first team defense, so if the answer was hey we were playing vanilla D, how come our O didnt do the same and make it 14 all.
Look, i dont want to be annoying more so than I naturally am, so I will try to drop this. I know that preseason records are not indicative of regular season records. I just DO NOT LIKE the vanilla excuse. no vanilla for me!
The Cowboys don’t have many weaknesses, outside of Brad Johnson and a male hostess masquerading as Defensive Coordinator. The difference between a Super Bowl and a playoff loss was Spagnuolo vs. Stewart. Fix the two weak links and Tex will be fine - until Romo runs off with a divorced mistress or Tila Tequilla the night before the NFC Championship game.
AFB2, I hear what you are saying about Tex, but there’s something about his repetitiveness on here that I find amusing. Also, the name “Tila Tequilla” may just be inherently funny. Every blog has their wackos, and Tex is less offensive than most, all things considered (granted others may reach different conclusions - my wife, for example, were she to read this blog would almost certainly find him more offensive than most).
What’s a male hostess?
IMO the Cowboys will be fine because of the all around talent that they have. pre-season is just that, PRE season. What I saw last year was the the Cowboys offense got off to slow starts most of the time so a 3 series play for the starters is just barely getting them warmed up. Romo seems to play better as the game goes on. Hopefully this year he (they) can put up more points in the first qtr and get off to faster starts.
The only thing that concerns me is what has concerned my the past few years and that is mental mistakes & penalties. The Cowboys can only beat themselves. If they can get that corrected and stay healthy, they have a great chance of taking it all the way.
ElBerraco:
You do know that in one of last season’s preseason games Dallas also played the Broncos and they were mad that Dallas actually seemed to have a gameplan and how they included some blitzes in the repertoire.
I wouldn’t be surprized if Denver indeed put more preparation time for this game…
“Ultimately I think Jenkings getting to start against quality WR’s like Marshall will pay off in the long run”
I like to walk on the beach during sunsets.
Unless Jenkins can beat out Tnew, Henry or Pacman, he won’t get enough PT to be any more than highly touted depth.
“Tex experienced success by cultivating the best ”
Reap what you havest, has Tex been smoking his crop?
“How likely is it that one team outvanillas the other team to such an extent that it explains the outcome of the game”
Preseason is a chance to determine and evaluate your top 53. Locking down the correct 53 is far more important then proving who has the best french vanilla.
LT is not taking a preseason snap, does that mean his knee isn’t fully recovered? Can the Bolts when the AFC west without him, should they have drafted a RB, how many games will Norv last?
A fair point, Chandus.
“But body type wise, he doesnt seem all that different from a Randy Moss. And he’s fast, too.”
On the upside, ESPN radio dude estimated a 4.20 forty our of the blocks with a peak speed of 2.99 over forty. The down side is I doubt Bolt can go over the top of a NFL safety and bring down the ball?
Titan, Chris Johnson, ran a 4.24 forty at the Combine, is a great return man, can catch out the backfield.
Jerry went with his guy, I hope Felix Jones makes us all forget about JuJones!
JuJones… JuJones who?
From watching Bolt, he’s not known as a fast starter. He just seems to have incredible top end speed. That’s another way of saying his 40 time may not be as hot as some would imagine. something in the 4.2’s may not be that far off. but what do i know about sprinting.
I was thinking MadDog but that’s just me …