Now We’re Gonna Remember “the Other Guy’s” Name
Posted: August 23, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
Remember that old Seinfeld joke about The Three Tenors, where the cast members could all recall Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo but couldn’t remember, “the other guy?”
Kyle Kosier has been “the other guy” on the Cowboys Five Redwoods line. People know Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode. They’re Pro Bowlers. We even mention Marc Colombo’s name, since tackles are visible on the edge and since he’s had a good camp.
People tend to ignore Kosier, except to rip him for being the guy who succeeded Larry Allen. When he was signed some folks posted links to YouTube clips of him getting beaten in his 49ers days, when he played out of position at tackle.
Come draft day, he’s always a whipping boy, whom some people are itching to bench. Last year there was a special section of bloggers here just dying to draft Texas’ Justin Blalock and drop him into Kosier’s spot, though Blalock was unproven.
In the meantime, Kosier has become the steady Eddie of the line, playing a solid, consistent left guard. He’s this decade’s John Gesek, the “other guy” from the ’90s,who toiled alongside bigger names like Erik Williams, Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei and Mark Stepnoski.
Last week, I mentioned that the Cowboys’ weakness is their interior offensive line depth. That fact could be rudely demonstrated next week against the Vikings because Kosier has suffered an apparent foot sprain and has an MRI scheduled for this afternoon to learn its severity.
Pray it’s not serious because the team needs him. The backups in the interior line, Joe Berger, Cory Procter and James Marten has been consistently underwhelming. Procter and Marten have looked just awful thus far and a source I spoke to this week, one who has seen game tape of the San Diego and Denver games, seconded that opinion. He also said Joe Berger had a poor performance against Denver.
I watched their games last night, brief as they were — the trio did not play until the last two series in the 4th quarter. I’m sorry to report that nothing has improved.
Berger and Procter are consistently being pushed backwards by bull rushes. This is a big no-no for an interior lineman. If you can’t anchor, how can your QB step up in the pocket and throw? Marten has had a lot of trouble handing quick interior rushers.
In short, I don’t trust any of these guys to sub in the absence of Kosier, Gurode or Davis. If Kosier’s injury is serious, I think the team might move RT Pat McQuistan to left guard. He worked at multiple positions in camp, but took most of his reps at RT and LG. He’s bigger and more athletic than any of the other three guys and played guard in college.
The Cowboys can’t afford any interior line leaks. The Vikings have two massive, athletic DTs in Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. They’re probably the best DT duo in football right now. If the Cowboys have to put Berger in at left guard I’m not confident he can keep the Williams boys off Tony Romo without center help. If Kosier isn’t around for the season opener, new Brown and former Lion Shaun Rogers will be lined up over Berger a lot.
It’s said you often don’t know what you have till it’s gone. If Kosier is gone for any appreciable amount of time, Cowboys fans may learn what he’s really worth — the hard way.
Update: Kosier is out up to six weeks. This is bad news, though the big brains at the DMN think Isaiah Stanback’s injury, which will cost him two weeks, is “the biggest blow.” I’ll refer you again to the title of my post.
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If you go over to the DMN blog, our man Vela is posting comments in the threads. Some guy takes him to task for poohpoohing Berger. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion - I said to myself, NNNNOOOOOO, dont hit Vela with the “did you watch Berger practice” line.
Elberraco, Yea I saw that, Here’s your sign!
Berger and Proctor are both just awful. I’m not to sure about Marteen.
Why is Kosier in the game in the fourth Q anyway? WAde has some explaining to do.
I was going to post a review of he game but this sucks the wind out of my sails.
I do remember someone (maybe Raf) saying McQuistin may challenge for the starting left guard this year. We have two weeks to prepare someone that’s the only good thing.
Norm,
McQ worked a lot at LG in camp. Houck has let the backup guys focus at one position in the preseason games — Free at LT, Berger at LG, Procter at C, Marten at RG and McQuistan at RT, but when I talked to him in camp he stressed that all his backups needed to play multiple positions. Free is the only backup I didn’t see rotate into multiple spots. He stayed at LT. Marten played every position but C, McQuistan I saw at both G positions and RT and Berger played at G and C. Same for Procter.
It won’t be a shock move for McQuistan to line up at left guard. It would be a shock to me if Berger starts against Minnesota. Their DTs are big and STRONG and Berger can’t anchor. He’s not as bad as Proctor, who’s embarrassing, but he’s not good either.
Thank you for clarifying, I’m starting to sweat the injuries.
Jason Taylor of the Redskins hurt.
Osi Ominuri carted off in giants game.
The Redskins are getting killed and the Giants cant score.
Yeah, and Tom Brady hasn’t played this year and Derek Anderson didn’t play in the Browns game. They looked just awful on both sides of the ball.
And this is without Camp Jimmy. How banged up would Dallas be then? At least none of the injuries have been year enders.
LOCAL SPORTS MEDIOT: I am not high on Dallas. I am high on the Redskins to win the NFC East.
LOCAL MEDIOT’S PARTNER: You’re high on something.
Elwood,
what’s your locale? Somewhere in the upper South?
The worst of the bunch on the injury front might be Shawne Merriman who has a pair of ligament tears in his knee that apparently are career-threatening. I guess that’s what happens sometimes though when you’re that “unnaturally” big and quick.
elwood,
HA!!
tell the local mediot that his skins gave up 30+ to carolina in 1st half action tonight, and got shut out until the 3rd 1/4.
Anyway care to tell me why kozier was in the game in the 4th 1/4 last night?????
i dont know either.
Sing it Joan Baez,
“Dont it always seem to go, that you dont know what you got till its gone…..”
I’m drunk.
Good night.
jarhead:
Joni Mitchell, but the idea was right.
Raul thinks that Tex will be spending more time on the Lions blogs now that the "greatest quarterback to never win a playoff game", Drew Henson, has signed with Detriot. Raul can hear the calls to the Detroit radio stations clammering for Kitna’s ouster so the Man-child Henson can take the Lions to the promised land.
Raul will miss Tex…
Its just way to much fun to go the skins blogs right now. Instead of “Burgandy and gold” it should be “bandwagon and yellow”.
Well the injury sucks, but Dallas has been quite fortunate last year with injuries and in all honesty I’d rather have them sooner in the year then later. Its sad to think that way but thats just how it is.
In other news, wife still pregnant, still in labor..
Drew Henson went undefeated as a starting quarterback for the five-time World Champion Dallas Cowboys… Antonio Romo owns the moniker, best quarterback never to win a playoff game, as dubbed by Tex.
Not only Brady…but Peyton hasn’t played either…
Chad and TJ also hurting for cinci
it’s time to see what McQ is made of.
I said a lot of stuff in the past that I didn’t think he was going to amount to much. I hope he proves me wrong.
Fortunately for us, Gurode can help with a double team. This is made possible because Bigg doesn’t need any help.
IMHO, the R guard is the most valuable interior line position due to offenses having the propensity to help on the left side. This leaves R guard on an “island”.
Bigg is such an asset to a team.
Knew that the child would be unable to NOT take the bait about henson.
There is no one we can pick up that would be better then Kosier. A trade is a possibility but I doubt it. Berger will get his chance and if he looks not so good I can see a crash program to get McQ ready at guard- he is big and nasty and played guard in college.
Tex has a problem with Antonio Romo, Ray Sherman, and Brian Stewart yet idolizes the blond haired blue eyed Drew Henson. Hummm….
I watched that Redskins game. My God, they were absolutely horrible. Was that their starting offensive line that played the first half?
Tex is an Eagle fan. It’s best to ignore him since all Eagle fans are morons