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The VRR: Injury Updates; Offensive Lineman Released

While many NFL teams are making cuts to get down to tomorrow’s 75-player limit, so far the Cowboys have just made one such move. Today, the team released offensive tackle Andre Douglas. This leaves the Dallas roster at 76. Whether the team releases an additional player or creates room by moving an injured player remains to be seen. Stay tuned.

With six of the twelve draft picks having become the injury bug’s target this preseason, the depth chart is getting a little thin behind the starters on defense. The secondary and linebacker positions have taken the biggest hits. Strong safety Mike Hamlin (broken wrist) and inside linebacker Jason Williams (high ankle sprain) are the latest two we can expect to see on the injured list. Both players are expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Hamlin, a fifth-round choice, broke his right wrist while covering a kickoff in the third quarter. Williams, a third-round pick, sprained his left ankle during 49ers running back Kory Sheets‘ touchdown run in the third. Hamlin is expected to miss six weeks. X-rays on Williams’ ankle were negative.

More VRR after the jump.

It was a scary moment at Cowboys Stadium when FS Alan Ball remained down on the field Saturday night. Fortunately, he popped up and left the game with what is being labeled a neck strain. If he is to miss some action, the team will surely be thin in the secondary. Hopefully, he can make it back soon.

The Cowboys were already short at inside linebacker going into Saturday’s game with rookie Stephen Hodge still recovering from an off-season knee scope. Fourth-year veteran Bobby Carpenter is the immediate backup to starters Bradie James and Keith Brooking. With Hodge and Williams out, journeyman linebacker Matt Stewart would be the only remaining healthy body at the position.

As for safety and cornerback, Ball was running with the second team at both positions, and with Hamlin out, his absence would vault rookie Mike Mickens to second-team cornerback and would also leave fellow rookie DeAngelo Smith as a second-team safety. Mickens has struggled since training camp, and Smith is new to the safety position.

Which ILB will lead the team in tackles? A little friendly competition between vets, Bradie James and Keith Brooking, may be brewing.

“Everybody who comes in tries to compete with me,” James said. “I’m sure it’s an unspoken competition. I think it’s just us being productive. If I was a coach, it’s not a bad problem to have: two guys being very active and being productive, always getting to the ball. That’s what he [Brooking] does.

“He’s more active than I thought. I’ve only seen him play a couple of times. At that position on the field, it’s the playmaking position, and he fits that mode.”

LBs coach Reggie Herring on Big D’s two middle men:

“They’re both good players and have their own way of doing things,” Cowboys linebackers coach Reggie Herring said. “They both possess good instincts and a nose for the ball. They’re both great competitors. Those are the similarities.

“But Keith has the ability to play fundamentally sound more plays, longer than any guy I’ve ever been around. He’s really efficient, high production, great instincts.

“I think the biggest thing that separates them is that he runs a little bit faster, and he has better capabilities to shed blocks and make blocks as opposed to Zach being more of a run-hit guy. He’s just bigger.”

Randy Galloway sees the Cowboys’ preseason as “full of positives”.

On the flip side of that, Jaime Aron calls the Cowboys “sloppy”.

Yahoo!Sports ranks the Cowboys at #9 (fantasy-wise) in their Juggernaut Index.

The NFL Network could always use just a tad more Cowboys’ bias, right? Well, now it has it. Michael Irvin will be the new Sunday morning regular on NFL Gameday.

Irvin has already voiced his opinion on whether there will be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia.

Vick still isn’t eligible to play in the regular season, but commissioner Roger Goodell has pledged to review his staus by Week 6. Said Irvin of the potential for a quarterback controversy if Vick returns by then, “I’m not sure you’re going to have to wait that long.”

Cowboys Special Teams: Stability = Special Play

The first two weeks of the Joe DeCamillis Experience brought mixed results.  The big returns so common in the Bruce DeHaven and Bruce Read Eras persisted.  So did the needless penalties. 

DeCamillis put on his political hat and cautioned against overly optimistic expectations, at least in early August. He was mixing and matching his units, working towards a core of dependable, dedicated players.

Saturday saw a lot of personnel carryover from the Tennessee game. Consequently, we saw some of the best overall special teams play from a Cowboys team in a long time.  It’s still preseason, but DeCamillis’ high-intensity lessons seem to be taking.

A New Folk Hero Kicker

Nick Folk has been the special teams MVP the last two years and an almost instant Folk hero, because of his ability to nail kicks in pressure situations. The Cowboys may have a new folk hero in rookie David Buehler.  Buehler has done precisely what he was drafted to do, offering a long leg and kamikaze coverage skills.  Here’s a recap of his first-half kicks Saturday:

1. One yard deep in the end zone, returned ot the San Francisco 15.
2. Two yards deep, returned to the Dallas 30, where Buehler made the tackle. Called back for holding and spotted on the San Francisco ten.
3. Three yards deep, touchback.

Three kickoffs, with an average starting position of the 15 yard line. Compare that to last year, where Dallas had an NFL worst kickoff landing average of the nine and an opponents’ average starting position just past their 29.

Recall that Dallas defensive red zone efficiency dropped off last year.  The team was good at preventing touchdowns inside its 20 but surrendered far more field goals than the year before. The lousy field position likely played a role.  Pushing opponents back 15 yards should cut this figure down.  At least that’s the plan.  Buehler appears more than able to do his part.

Many Happy Returns

Dallas had been a pedestrian punt return team the last four years.  Patrick Crayton is Mr. Dependable; he’ll catch the ball and run as far upfield as he can, but he’s not going to dazzle you.  Pacman Jones was supposed to change this, but he fizzled out last season. 

Saturday, Crayton and Terence Newman took their turns and both generated long returns.  Newman took a first half punt 43 yards, leading to a field goal.  Crayton caught a 2nd half liner on the dead run and returned it 26 yards.  A big reason may be…,

Don’t Throw the Core Out With the Discards

DeCamillis has settled on a core of players.  A couple are names many of us, me included have marked for death.  Pat Watkins continues on both kickoff and both punt units, greatly improving his chances of hanging on. The same if true of wideout Isaiah Stanback.  He hurt his cause by fumbling a pass, but had a strong game on special teams.  He and rookie Jason Williams were frequently the first two down on kickoff returns.  He plays in the middle of the punt coverage team, in one of the slots Keith Davis used to occupy.  Stanback had a solid 30 yard return and his downfield block on a ‘Niners gunner sprung Crayton on his big return.  Stanback is playing like a cat who knows he’s on his 9th life, and that adrenaline-infused hustle may keep him in a Cowboys uniform. 

Stanback, Watkins, John Phillips and Jason Williams are four guys Coach D has trusted the last two weeks.  Watch next week to see if these four have company on the special teams core.

I don’t expect a steady week -to-week improvement from the special teammers.  DeCamillis is pushing a lot of new faces, many of them rookies, into his teams, and their progress tends to be up and down, not linear.  Improvement is clear, from this time last year and even a month ago. 

It may come next week, or next month, but the Cowboys are being DeCamillisized.

Cowboys Special Teams: Stability = Special Play

The first two weeks of the Joe DeCamillis Experience brought mixed results.  The big returns so common in the Bruce DeHaven and Bruce Read Eras persisted.  So did the needless penalties. 

DeCamillis put on his political hat and cautioned against overly optimistic expectations, at least in early August. He was mixing and matching his units, working towards a core of dependable, dedicated players.

Saturday saw a lot of personnel carryover from the Tennessee game. Consequently, we saw some of the best overall special teams play from a Cowboys team in a long time.  It’s still preseason, but DeCamillis’ high-intensity lessons seem to be taking.

A New Folk Hero Kicker

Nick Folk has been the special teams MVP the last two years and an almost instant Folk hero, because of his ability to nail kicks in pressure situations. The Cowboys may have a new folk hero in rookie David Buehler.  Buehler has done precisely what he was drafted to do, offering a long leg and kamikaze coverage skills.  Here’s a recap of his first-half kicks Saturday:

1. One yard deep in the end zone, returned ot the San Francisco 15.
2. Two yards deep, returned to the Dallas 30, where Buehler made the tackle. Called back for holding and spotted on the San Francisco ten.
3. Three yards deep, touchback.

Three kickoffs, with an average starting position of the 15 yard line. Compare that to last year, where Dallas had an NFL worst kickoff landing average of the nine and an opponents’ average starting position just past their 29.

Recall that Dallas defensive red zone efficiency dropped off last year.  The team was good at preventing touchdowns inside its 20 but surrendered far more field goals than the year before. The lousy field position likely played a role.  Pushing opponents back 15 yards should cut this figure down.  At least that’s the plan.  Buehler appears more than able to do his part.

Many Happy Returns

Dallas had been a pedestrian punt return team the last four years.  Patrick Crayton is Mr. Dependable; he’ll catch the ball and run as far upfield as he can, but he’s not going to dazzle you.  Pacman Jones was supposed to change this, but he fizzled out last season. 

Saturday, Crayton and Terence Newman took their turns and both generated long returns.  Newman took a first half punt 43 yards, leading to a field goal.  Crayton caught a 2nd half liner on the dead run and returned it 26 yards.  A big reason may be…,

Don’t Throw the Core Out With the Discards

DeCamillis has settled on a core of players.  A couple are names many of us, me included have marked for death.  Pat Watkins continues on both kickoff and both punt units, greatly improving his chances of hanging on. The same if true of wideout Isaiah Stanback.  He hurt his cause by fumbling a pass, but had a strong game on special teams.  He and rookie Jason Williams were frequently the first two down on kickoff returns.  He plays in the middle of the punt coverage team, in one of the slots Keith Davis used to occupy.  Stanback had a solid 30 yard return and his downfield block on a ‘Niners gunner sprung Crayton on his big return.  Stanback is playing like a cat who knows he’s on his 9th life, and that adrenaline-infused hustle may keep him in a Cowboys uniform. 

Stanback, Watkins, John Phillips and Jason Williams are four guys Coach D has trusted the last two weeks.  Watch next week to see if these four have company on the special teams core.

I don’t expect a steady week -to-week improvement from the special teammers.  DeCamillis is pushing a lot of new faces, many of them rookies, into his teams, and their progress tends to be up and down, not linear.  Improvement is clear, from this time last year and even a month ago. 

It may come next week, or next month, but the Cowboys are being DeCamillisized.

Our Scrubs Are Worse Than Yours: The 49ers Out-Reserve the Cowboys 20-13

The Cowboys played another slowball game tonight, partly by design.  The offense missed starting WR Roy Williams and backup Sam Hurd.  The Cowboys nonetheless showed the ability to move the ball in methodical fashion, dividing 18 first half carries between Marion Barber (13 carries) and Felix Jones (five more) en route to a 10-3 halftime lead.  

Dallas could have had more points but took three points off the scoreboard with a penalty.  The first team offense dominated time of possession and nearly doubled the 49ers yardage output.  Some fine tuning remains, but the fundaments are promising.  The top line offered superb protection to Tony Romo, who often had several seconds to scan the field for targets.  The backup wideouts performed adequately.  Miles Austin made a couple of impressive catches. Kevin Ogletree, the oncoming rookie from Virginia, worked easily with the starters, running crisp routes and beating 49ers starter Nate Clements.

The 49ers reserves outplayed their Cowboys counterparts, as third stringer Nate Davis led a late, 91-yard TD drive to give San Francisco a 20-13 victory, the winning score coming with 33 seconds left.  Here are some snap notes from the contest.

Play of the Game

Every NFL team has a stock number of runs in its arsenal.  Dives, off tackles, counters, sweeps,etc.  They are run out of every offensive package.  Good teams are good at disgusing their base runs and therefore making the ordinary look novel.  When they can do this to a defense, the results can exceed expectations.

Tonight the Cowboys ran a 2nd quarter wrinkle on power right, a counter play that is a staple of their running game.  The Cowboys had run power run and left a few times early in the game, but in the 2nd quarter Jason Garrett sprang it on the ‘Niners D from a two tight end set.  

On 1st and 10 from the San Fran 30, Dallas deployed in a one-back, two TE set, with Martellus Bennett in the traditional TE spot outside RT Marc Colombo, with Jason Witten on a wing outside Bennett.  Before the snap, Witten flexed into the backfield and lined up as an offset-I fullback behind and between LT Flozell Adams and LG Kyle Kosier.  At the snap, both Kosier and Witten pulled right and led Marion Barber around right end.

This is a twist on the classic Green Bay Packers sweep from the ’60s.  In those days, guards Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer would pull to the strong side, where the linemen and tight end would block down on the linemen on that side.  One would hook the outside linebacker while the other would kick out the inside backer.  You can almost hear Vince Lombardi exclaiming, “you get a seal here and a seal here and you run the play in-the-alley!”

Dallas ran it the way Lombardi drew it up.  C Andre Gurode sealed off WILB Patrick Willis; RG Leonard Davis took out the nose tackle, and RT Colombo and TE Bennett double teamed the strong side DE.  Kosier slammed the crashing OLB inside.  Witten locked on to SILB Takeo Spikes and rode him towards the sideline. The textbook blocking slashed a huge seam in the ‘Niners front and Marion Barber romped fourteen yards upfield. 

Somewhere, the old Rock of Granite was smiling.  

Notes

– Dallas first team offense has been very effective at ball control the last two weeks. The Cowboys amassed 41 minutes of possession time against Tennessee and had over nineteen minutes in the first half tonight.  Is this a teaser for the season?  

I doubt it.  Jason Garrett likes to throw the ball down the field.  He’s kept much, in fact all of his deep game under wraps. That’s typical.  Three years ago, Bill Parcells didn’t install any of his blitz packages until the team had broken camp.  It’s still a vanilla world.  I’ll take Dallas’ ability to move consistently while playing simply as a positive.

– Kevin Ogletree take a bow.  He worked as the split end when Dallas went three wide and caught two quick passes for 36 yards.  He was well open on a third but Tony Romo overthrew him.

– Last year, when Dallas played the 49ers, the Receiver Who Cannot be Named lit up CB Nate Clements, who tried covering him without safety help.  Tonight, Patrick Crayton and Kevin Ogletree had 50 yards on him in just over 15 minutes of play and just missed a couple more.  Is Clements losing some of his mojo or is Ogletree a find on par with that 81 guy?  The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.  

– David Buehler showed the value of a long leg tonight.  When kicks are fielded two to three yards behind the goal-line, good coverage holds them inside the 2.  The “bad” coverage play saw the ball returned to the 30. This was the average starting spot last year.  

– What’s a top rusher worth?  Early in the 1st Demarcus Ware blitzed off the weakside.  The 49ers kept a back in to assist the left tackle with Ware.  Keith Brooking, who had the back in coverage, sprinted untouched on a delayed blitz and got a hard shot on the quarterback.  

– Good recognition.  The Niners ran a couple of plays from their “wildcat” package at the 1st Dallas defense and did nothing.  Marcus Spears crashed down the LOS on one play and dropped Frank Gore for no gain.  It was good to see that none of the trickery fooled the front seven.

– Dallas should be prepared for the screen pass.  The 49ers ran them about ten times tonight.  

Needs Work

– Felix Jones missed a block and let a blitzer get into Tony Romo’s face.  Romo tried loading up on a deep throw to an open Ogletree, who got behind Clements on a go route. Romo could not follow through and his duck was picked off by Dre Bly.

– The second and third team DL need work.  I don’t see anybody after the top six of Ratliff, Spears, Olshansky, Hatcher, Bowen and Siavii who stood out.  The 49ers backups pushed the third teamers around.

– We may have watched footbal natural selection at work tonight.  NIck Folk ended Dallas opening drive with a 49 yard field goal.  A holding penalty on Cory Proctor negated the score.  Dallas signed veteran Duke Preston to challenge Proctor this week.  This penalty doesn’t help Proctor’s cause.

– Isaiah Stanback may be suffering a similar fate.  He played hard on the coverage teams and made a decent return of a kickoff, but fumbled after catching an eight-yard out in the 4th.  How much sand remains in his hourglass?

– That goes triple for Courtney Brown, who kept a late 49ers drive alive when he committed an interference penalty directly in front of Wade Phillips, who make his displeasure unknown in a loud and emphatic fashion.

Injury Roster

– LB Jason Williams limped off the field early in the 4th quarter with an ankle injury.  X-ray results unknown.

– Backup S/CB Alan Ball was smacked in the head by a teammate after making a tackle on a kickoff.  His neck was examined by the team doctor and Ball walked off unassisted after lying on the turf for a couple of minutes.  He’s presently described as having a “neck strain.”  More as I hear it.  

– Rookie S Michael Hamlin had his wrist x-rayed.  Results are unknown.

Cowboys vs. 49ers: Gameday Open Thread II 8/29/09 (Preseason)

New open thread for the Cowboys vs. 49ers game.

Cowboys vs. 49ers: Gameday Open Thread 8/29/09 (Preseason)

Open Thread

Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers (Preseason)
Saturday, Aug. 29th, 2009
8:00 PM EST, TV: Local
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Weather Forecast
Whatever Jerry says it is.

Cowboys vs. 49ers: 5 Questions with Niners Nation

We asked a few questions of Fooch over at Niners Nation, SB Nation’s excellent 49ers blog.

Blogging The Boys: It’s been a while since the 49ers had a winning record. Is there confidence in San Fran this year that you guys will get on the winning side and compete for the playoffs?

Niners Nation: People are all over the place with this team.  At Niners Nation, I’ve got folks predicting 11 wins and I’ve got folks predicting 5 or 6 wins.  At this point I’m thinking 9 wins, but an 8-8 team would really not surprise me.  People see the team improving, but some folks are a little more impatient about it than others.  That of course is due to a combination of the long stretch of success in the 80s and 90, followed by the exact opposite for much of this decade.  Jed York, nephew to 49ers patron saint Eddie DeBartolo, has become the face of the franchise and I do think he’s inspired more confidence from people.

BTB: Give us the scoop on recently-named stating QB Shaun Hill. What’s the update on his injury and what kind of player is he?

NN: Shaun Hill is expected to start this Saturday.  The back injury sort of came out of nowhere but seems to be a relatively mild sprain.  Apparently Hill was surprised by the level of scrutiny it received.  The rest of us who know how the media and Internet operates were not.  The original plan was for the starters to get their heaviest dose of of playing time to date, potentially into the early part of the 3rd quarter.  I can honestly say I don’t know what that means now that Hill has had the tweak in his back.  

As far as Hill is as a quarterback, he’s definitely a more conservative QB who would seem to fit well in the Jimmy Raye power running offensive attack.  He has no qualms checking down to a tight end or running back if something is not there up top.  The positive to that is that hopefully we’ll see few interceptions.  The downside is you’re not exactly scaring defenses.  As a QB though, Hill commands the respect of the huddle, and not just because he has a winning record as a QB.  There’s just a chemistry there that seemed to be lacking with Alex Smith.  My impression is that Hill is a guy the rest of the team is prepared to go to war with and Alex Smith lacked that quality.  Of course, we’ll see what happens if Hill gets a full 16 games under his belt and defenses can make the necessary adjustments.

BTB: How are you liking Mike Singletary as the head coach? What kind of tone has he set in the offseason/preseason.

NN: The running joke is that he’s all about Physical with an F!  And yet that’s basically how it is.  He’s done a lot of work as a motivational speaker (although he does not live in a van down by the river) so he brings that personality to the team.  In fact, the 49ers marketing department has basically taken his various quotations and used them in advertising.

It’s 100% clear he is looking to build a team that will punch folks in the mouth and play a very physical brand of football.  One can look to the first day of practice when he introduced a drill called the Nutcracker.  It involved players going one-on-one trying to drive the other one back.  It led to injuries to Dave Baas and Patrick Willis among others (although Willis is back and will be playing Saturday).  So there is certainly the question of being too physical, but for now it’s just a matter of toughening guys up.

BTB: What are some of the main issues the 49ers still want to settle in the rest of the preseason?

NN: Well, as of lunch time Friday, the 49ers primary backup offensive tackle, Marvel Smith, announced his retirement.  Originally he was expected to be the starting right tackle but his injuries held him to one practice a day (sitting out the afternoon practices) and he just decided to call it quits.  That leaves the 49ers thin on the line so I’d expect backups Barry Sims and Alex Boone (the rookie who admitted that before entering rehab he would drink 30 beers a day, and also required a pair of tasers to take him down after a relapse in February).  Boone was battling for a roster spot and now seems very likely assured of one.

Other than that, the team is still trying to determine their starting right cornerback between veteran addition Dre Bly and third year corner Tarell Brown.  They’ve got some battles for backup spots and the 3rd-5th receivers, but otherwise the 49ers have a good idea of their starting lineup for the most part.

BTB: Tell us all we need to know about the Michael Crabtree deal.

NN: I still post about it, but I’m no longer bothering to get worked up about it.  It’s gotten to the point where things are getting ugly in the Crabtree camp as it’s rumored his agent Eugene Parker has said Crabtree is the hold-up.  Of course, if Parker made a bunch of promises to Crabtree and can’t deliver now, it might be understandable for Crabtree to be upset.  People are claiming Crabtree will sit out all year, but financially that makes no sense.  He’d have to be delusional to think that if he sat out the full season and re-entered the draft that a team would draft him that high again (see Williams, Mike).  Throw in the money issues and I’d bet a lot of money that he’d end up getting signifciantly less money than what the 49ers are reportedly offering now.  As to that, basically the 49ers have offered him slot money that reflects the 10th pick.  No more, no less.

The problem with all this is that if a guy philosophically believes he deserves the most money for wide receivers, but the system in place does not recognize this, who’s willing to lose face first?  As far as I’m concerned, at most the 49ers could pay him the same as the #9 pick (Crabtree went 10).  If they go any further they’re basically setting themselves up to be punked out by draft picks for the rest of time.  No way GM Scot McCloughan is willing to give himself that reputation at this point in his career.  And if Crabtree sits out the year and never wears a 49ers uniform, it would certainly annoy me, but I believe in the 49ers on this one.

The VRR: San Francisco (2-0) @ Dallas (1-1)

When the 49ers bring their undefeated preseason record into Cowboys Stadium tomorrow night, they will be looking to play a solid game against a quality NFC team. The game will be the third for each team, and both expect to give their starters a considerable amount of playing time that could stretch into the third quarter.

Last season when the two teams met, the Cowboys handed their old west coast rivals a 35-22 defeat. The 49ers finished the season 7-9, which was good enough for second place in their division behind the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. They have a young team led by head coach Mike Singletary, and a defense led by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis.

Willis will be playing in his first preseason game this year after injuring his ankle and Achilles tendon early in training camp. He is looking forward to Saturday’s matchup.

Patrick Willis said the chance for backups to compete against a talented team like the Cowboys would only be beneficial to everyone in the long run.

“I think it’s very big,” Willis said. “To go out there and have a good game against a good-caliber team like the Cowboys, it means a lot across the board from the ones to the twos. Coach [Mike Singletary] will say all the time, ‘We don’t have backups. We have guys who come in and when they’re in there, they’re starters at that point in time.’ So, it’s going to be really big across the board.”

More 49ers @ Cowboys after the jump.

49ers QB Shaun Hill, who has been resting a strained lower back and has recently been named the regular season starter, expects to play against the Cowboys.

San Francisco’s starters are expected to play the first half against the Cowboys, with some continuing on into the third quarter.

“This is a very important game for everybody on the team,” Hill said. “For the guys who are going to be starting it’s important to establish a tempo and do some good things. Every opportunity to play is important. My goal is, no matter how many series, to come away with touchdowns.”

Singletary isn’t sure how long Hill will play.

“He’ll start the game and we’ll go from there,” Singletary said.

If for some reason Hill can’t go, 13-year vet Damon Huard will start in his stead. 

Also, Barry Sims will start at right tackle for Marvel Smith.

We will not get to see WR Michael Crabtree. The team’s first-round pick is still holding out. In fact, it looks like a messy situation between the organization and the former Texas Tech Red Raider.

Former 49ers cornerback and KPIX game analyst Eric Davis said that wide receiver Michael Crabtree is willing to sit out the season.

[snip]

Davis said the player and team are about 7 million apart on the guaranteed money. Davis knows people in Crabtree’s camp, which might be his old teammate Deion Sanders, who’s close to Crabtree. Davis wasn’t sure if the continued holdout was motivated by Crabtree or his agent, Eugene Parker, but he did say this:

“Eugene Parker is not the football player. Eugene Parker works for Michael Crabtree, the key phrase here is ‘works for,’” Davis said. Also Davis believes Crabtree might go through with his holdout threats.

Expect the 49ers to try to bring some pressure on Tony Romo. Linebacker Manny Lawson sounds like they’ve got something to prove tomorrow.

“We all pride ourselves on getting sacks. We want to get sacks and we’re going to continue to try our hardest to get sacks,” Lawson said Thursday as the 49ers prepared for Saturday’s game at Dallas. “People may look at the first two games, but these are preseason games. We (starters) don’t play that much. We don’t really study film on our opponents. We just go up there and want to see what guys have.”

The Cowboys are fortunate that Roy Williams’ shoulder injury does not look too serious. Unfortunately for us, we won’t get to see him play against the Niners.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Friday did not offer a firm timetable for Williams’ recovery, but indicated there’s a good chance Williams could be ready for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener at Tampa Bay. Jones said Williams had good strength and movement in his shoulder Friday morning, but emphasized the team will not “push anything” regarding his return.

[snip]

In the meantime, the team’s medical and training staff will monitor Williams daily. Given Williams’ chance for a relatively swift return, Jones said he doesn’t envision the Cowboys signing another receiver for depth purposes. They could be short-handed at the position Saturday, however. Fourth-year veteran Sam Hurd has missed practice this week with a sore quad and seems questionable to play against the 49ers.

Here’s what Jones had to say in response to a question about whether Orlando Scandrick practices too hard.

“No, not at all,” Jerry Jones said during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan this morning. “When you’re out there and you’re not padded up, it’s a time that you’re sensitive about that and you try to avoid those collisions. But when you’re moving at 95 to 100 percent speed, then sometimes they’re not avoidable.”

With Williams out and Hurd questionable, many eyes will be watching Kevin Ogletree, who is fast-becoming the favorite to win the fifth WR spot.

Another thing in Ogletree’s favor is the presence of tight ends coach John Garrett, the brother of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. John coached Ogletree for two years at Virginia and promised him a fair shake; that was a big reason he signed with Dallas instead of the other 20-plus teams that offered him the chance to try earning a job.

“I trusted that he had my best interest in mind when he told me that I would have a good chance to play here,” Ogletree said.

Another receiver, Manny Johnson, has attracted some attention for himself at practice.

During team drills, Johnson used his left hand to grab a 50-yard pass from Jon Kitna. What’s more impressive, he made the catch despite tight coverage from Orlando Scandrick and Ken Hamlin down the left sideline.

New C/G, Duke Preston, will most likely sit this one out while he learns the offense.

“I’m going to pretty much not sleep and dive into the playbook this weekend and be ready to go Monday,” Preston said.

The VRR: San Francisco (2-0) @ Dallas (1-1)

When the 49ers bring their undefeated preseason record into Cowboys Stadium tomorrow night, they will be looking to play a solid game against a quality NFC team. The game will be the third for each team, and both expect to give their starters a considerable amount of playing time that could stretch into the third quarter.

Last season when the two teams met, the Cowboys handed their old west coast rivals a 35-22 defeat. The 49ers finished the season 7-9, which was good enough for second place in their division behind the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals. They have a young team led by head coach Mike Singletary, and a defense led by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis.

Willis will be playing in his first preseason game this year after injuring his ankle and Achilles tendon early in training camp. He is looking forward to Saturday’s matchup.

Patrick Willis said the chance for backups to compete against a talented team like the Cowboys would only be beneficial to everyone in the long run.

“I think it’s very big,” Willis said. “To go out there and have a good game against a good-caliber team like the Cowboys, it means a lot across the board from the ones to the twos. Coach [Mike Singletary] will say all the time, ‘We don’t have backups. We have guys who come in and when they’re in there, they’re starters at that point in time.’ So, it’s going to be really big across the board.”

More 49ers @ Cowboys after the jump.

49ers QB Shaun Hill, who has been resting a strained lower back and has recently been named the regular season starter, expects to play against the Cowboys.

San Francisco’s starters are expected to play the first half against the Cowboys, with some continuing on into the third quarter.

“This is a very important game for everybody on the team,” Hill said. “For the guys who are going to be starting it’s important to establish a tempo and do some good things. Every opportunity to play is important. My goal is, no matter how many series, to come away with touchdowns.”

Singletary isn’t sure how long Hill will play.

“He’ll start the game and we’ll go from there,” Singletary said.

If for some reason Hill can’t go, 13-year vet Damon Huard will start in his stead. 

Also, Barry Sims will start at right tackle for Marvel Smith.

We will not get to see WR Michael Crabtree. The team’s first-round pick is still holding out. In fact, it looks like a messy situation between the organization and the former Texas Tech Red Raider.

Former 49ers cornerback and KPIX game analyst Eric Davis said that wide receiver Michael Crabtree is willing to sit out the season.

[snip]

Davis said the player and team are about 7 million apart on the guaranteed money. Davis knows people in Crabtree’s camp, which might be his old teammate Deion Sanders, who’s close to Crabtree. Davis wasn’t sure if the continued holdout was motivated by Crabtree or his agent, Eugene Parker, but he did say this:

“Eugene Parker is not the football player. Eugene Parker works for Michael Crabtree, the key phrase here is ‘works for,’” Davis said. Also Davis believes Crabtree might go through with his holdout threats.

Expect the 49ers to try to bring some pressure on Tony Romo. Linebacker Manny Lawson sounds like they’ve got something to prove tomorrow.

“We all pride ourselves on getting sacks. We want to get sacks and we’re going to continue to try our hardest to get sacks,” Lawson said Thursday as the 49ers prepared for Saturday’s game at Dallas. “People may look at the first two games, but these are preseason games. We (starters) don’t play that much. We don’t really study film on our opponents. We just go up there and want to see what guys have.”

The Cowboys are fortunate that Roy Williams’ shoulder injury does not look too serious. Unfortunately for us, we won’t get to see him play against the Niners.

Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Friday did not offer a firm timetable for Williams’ recovery, but indicated there’s a good chance Williams could be ready for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener at Tampa Bay. Jones said Williams had good strength and movement in his shoulder Friday morning, but emphasized the team will not “push anything” regarding his return.

[snip]

In the meantime, the team’s medical and training staff will monitor Williams daily. Given Williams’ chance for a relatively swift return, Jones said he doesn’t envision the Cowboys signing another receiver for depth purposes. They could be short-handed at the position Saturday, however. Fourth-year veteran Sam Hurd has missed practice this week with a sore quad and seems questionable to play against the 49ers.

Here’s what Jones had to say in response to a question about whether Orlando Scandrick practices too hard.

“No, not at all,” Jerry Jones said during his appearance on 105.3 The Fan this morning. “When you’re out there and you’re not padded up, it’s a time that you’re sensitive about that and you try to avoid those collisions. But when you’re moving at 95 to 100 percent speed, then sometimes they’re not avoidable.”

With Williams out and Hurd questionable, many eyes will be watching Kevin Ogletree, who is fast-becoming the favorite to win the fifth WR spot.

Another thing in Ogletree’s favor is the presence of tight ends coach John Garrett, the brother of offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. John coached Ogletree for two years at Virginia and promised him a fair shake; that was a big reason he signed with Dallas instead of the other 20-plus teams that offered him the chance to try earning a job.

“I trusted that he had my best interest in mind when he told me that I would have a good chance to play here,” Ogletree said.

Another receiver, Manny Johnson, has attracted some attention for himself at practice.

During team drills, Johnson used his left hand to grab a 50-yard pass from Jon Kitna. What’s more impressive, he made the catch despite tight coverage from Orlando Scandrick and Ken Hamlin down the left sideline.

New C/G, Duke Preston, will most likely sit this one out while he learns the offense.

“I’m going to pretty much not sleep and dive into the playbook this weekend and be ready to go Monday,” Preston said.

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and…

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George

Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and someone a lot of people thought, including me, had a shot at the 53-man roster. Good to see him back and good news for the depleted OLB spot. From Eatman:

So the Cowboys have added some help with a familiar face, signing Tearrius George, who went to training camp with the team last year and spent 12 weeks on the practice squad, before New Orleans claimed him last December.

George finished the year with the Saints but was released and spent some time this summer with the Dolphins before being cut.

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and…

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George

Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and someone a lot of people thought, including me, had a shot at the 53-man roster. Good to see him back and good news for the depleted OLB spot. From Eatman:

So the Cowboys have added some help with a familiar face, signing Tearrius George, who went to training camp with the team last year and spent 12 weeks on the practice squad, before New Orleans claimed him last December.

George finished the year with the Saints but was released and spent some time this summer with the Dolphins before being cut.

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and…

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George

Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and someone a lot of people thought, including me, had a shot at the 53-man roster. Good to see him back and good news for the depleted OLB spot. From Eatman:

So the Cowboys have added some help with a familiar face, signing Tearrius George, who went to training camp with the team last year and spent 12 weeks on the practice squad, before New Orleans claimed him last December.

George finished the year with the Saints but was released and spent some time this summer with the Dolphins before being cut.

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and…

Cowboys Sign Tearrius George

Good move by Dallas, George was productive in last year’s camp and someone a lot of people thought, including me, had a shot at the 53-man roster. Good to see him back and good news for the depleted OLB spot. From Eatman:

So the Cowboys have added some help with a familiar face, signing Tearrius George, who went to training camp with the team last year and spent 12 weeks on the practice squad, before New Orleans claimed him last December.

George finished the year with the Saints but was released and spent some time this summer with the Dolphins before being cut.

NFL OK’s Jerry Jones’ Video Board; Implements New Rules

Jerry Jones has won the battle for this year in the controversy over the video board. Roger Goodell and the NFL announced the new rules for what happens when a punt strikes the board during a game.

1. If a ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.

2. If there is not an on-field ruling that the ball struck an object, the Replay Assistant is empowered to initiate a booth review, including if the event occurs prior to the two-minute warning. If, prior to the two-minute warning, no booth review is initiated by the Replay Assistant, a coach’s challenge is permitted under the customary procedures for such a challenge.

3. In the event the down is replayed: (a) The game clock will be reset to the time remaining when the snap occurred. (b) All penalties will be disregarded, except for personal fouls which will be administered prior to replaying the down.

Goodell also said the Cowboys (read Jerry Jones) have been very cooperative in this process.

“We will continue to address the particular circumstances in Dallas, giving full consideration to the competitive, safety and fan experience issues involved,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the news release.  “The Cowboys have been fully cooperative as we have addressed this subject, and we will continue to work closely with the club on a longer term resolution.”

This should be interesting. Punting strategies will now become a bid deal in Big D. We know McBriar says he’s already cool with it, but visiting teams will be spending time in warmups dealing with the Jerrytron.

NFL OK’s Jerry Jones’ Video Board; Implements New Rules

Jerry Jones has won the battle for this year in the controversy over the video board. Roger Goodell and the NFL announced the new rules for what happens when a punt strikes the board during a game.

1. If a ball in play strikes a video board, guide wire, sky cam, or any other object, the ball will be dead immediately, and the down will be replayed at the previous spot.

2. If there is not an on-field ruling that the ball struck an object, the Replay Assistant is empowered to initiate a booth review, including if the event occurs prior to the two-minute warning. If, prior to the two-minute warning, no booth review is initiated by the Replay Assistant, a coach’s challenge is permitted under the customary procedures for such a challenge.

3. In the event the down is replayed: (a) The game clock will be reset to the time remaining when the snap occurred. (b) All penalties will be disregarded, except for personal fouls which will be administered prior to replaying the down.

Goodell also said the Cowboys (read Jerry Jones) have been very cooperative in this process.

“We will continue to address the particular circumstances in Dallas, giving full consideration to the competitive, safety and fan experience issues involved,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the news release.  “The Cowboys have been fully cooperative as we have addressed this subject, and we will continue to work closely with the club on a longer term resolution.”

This should be interesting. Punting strategies will now become a bid deal in Big D. We know McBriar says he’s already cool with it, but visiting teams will be spending time in warmups dealing with the Jerrytron.

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