FISH on FOOTBALL: Cowboys Notes From The Sidelines, The Press Box And The Team Hotel
September 30, 2009
by Ralph Lauer - AP
All it took was Steve Smith (the Carolina one) to get T-New going again.
It’s a FISH on FOOTBALL Wednesday.
Dallas Cowboys notes from everywhere, the sidelines, the press box, even the team hotel …
TASTER’S CHOICE: Back when the Cowboys players took their tour of the new stadium, and Tashard Choice came armed with a video camera, I realized that this kid speaks a different language than the rest of us. His postgame interview on ESPN demonstrated to the rest of the world what we Cowboys followers already knew: He’s a character. There is some funny stuff about to be tapped-into if Choice stays in the spotlight. 
The next step for the suddenly-explosive pass-rusher Victor Butler (with two sacks in just five snaps): Is he a “special player,” or is he a “specialist”? Props to Terence Newman, who rose to the occasion on a big night with a series of big plays. Was he lucky that Steve Smith miscalculated on his route, leaving the ball to be thrown right to T-New’s hands for a game-clinching Pick Six? But maybe Smith ran the wrong route because Newman spent the night inside Smith’s head (not to mention almost inside his jersey). Newman took Smith apart, mentally and physically, and that part isn’t luck.
IS IT ‘DALLAS COWBOYS STADIUM’?: Was it just me, or did Mike Tirico constantly mis-identify the new building as “Dallas Cowboys Stadium”? I’d like for Roy Williams to have caught that potential TD catch. (Of course, at the risk of harping on the same issue for the second straight week, I’d have liked the goal-line sequence even more if Dallas hadn’t even bothered trying to throw consecutive lobs to Roy and to Marty B.) But Williams was a factor against Carolina, with more downfield blocking and a total of four catches - marking the first time in his 13 games as a Cowboy that he’s done that. I’m a pop-culture-reference kind of guy, so I’m jealous of Rafael for having worked “The Two Jakes” into a headline before I - and the rest of the world - thought of it. I despise calling somebody “injury-prone.” It has horrible connotations and it tends to stick to a guy unfairly. So we won’t call Felix Jones “injury-prone.”
WHERE’S BARBER? WHO CARES?: Let’s please not make a controversy out of Marion Barber’s absence from the sidelines, OK? We can assume he wanted to play. We can assume he was miffed at the decision to hold him back. And beyond that, I don’t care what he did on Monday night - and that includes the possibility that he opted to watch “How I Met Your Mother.” Who cares? “It certainly does feel good,” Jerry Jones said of getting a win in the new building. “The way it went early, it felt like maybe we ought to check this thing out for grim reapers living in the back someplace.” Grim reapers? Is that a nickname for those, um, lovebirds who, um, shared their affections on the floor of a Cowboys Stadium restroom? Nick Folk had made 16 consecutive field goals until the first quarter Monday, when radio analyst Babe Laufenberg mentioned on the air that Nick Folk had made 16 consecutive field goals - at which time the streak was broken. Curse you, Babe Laufenberg!!
HE HAS SPUNK. I HATE SPUNK: I’m going to resist the temptation to rip Romo for that cross-field pass in the hopes that coaches have done enough ripping of it to wipe the post-completion grin off Tony’s face. It was fun. I admit it. But high-risk/low-reward is a guaranteed formula for failure. And what Tony did there is pretty much borrowed from what Brett Favre does in that backyard Wranglers commercial. Which is reason enough to hate it. No Marion Barber and Felix Jones goes down and the Cowboys and Tashard Choice produce consecutive 200-yard-plus rushing games for the first time since 1979 when Tony Dorsett was in charge? Talk about “tasting greatness” Flozell Adams continues to have problems in a manner that draws the camera to him. But I urge you to watch him on 50-or-so other plays per game, when I say he is absolutely wearing out the SOB across from him. I’m aware of Rafael’s metrics, and I do not dare argue with them. (Have to ever tried to argue with Raf? You will lose!) Nevertheless: Can you run around Flo? Sometimes. But when he locks you up (which he frequently does), you find yourself getting up while seven yards downfield.
WADE KNEW IT: You knew it was coming. Well, OK, you didn’t know; you hoped. But Wade knew. After two games without a sack or a turnover, Mr. Fix-It’s 3-4 defense made plays. I am not in the camp that says, “Oh, it’s just Carolina.” The Panthers were a playoff team a year ago, I still remember Dallas followers wishing the Cowboys had signed Jake Delhomme, I think the Panthers’ running back tandem is scary, and this Steve Smith remains, for the moment, THE Steve Smith. And Wade’s defense made plays. Lots of them. Three sacks doesn’t exactly put the Cowboys on course to lead the league again, but it’s a start. One fumble recovery helps. Two interceptions - including, of course, T-New’s huge one, were game-changers. And these guys pitched a second-half shutout. One more game of play-making, this week against, Denver, and the Cowboys’ defense is suddenly middle-of-the-pack - and climbing. The Wildcat offense isn’t dead -but it’s being caught-up-with. Unlike last year, when it was all about surprise and seemed to gain 10 yards a crack, opponents now see it coming, and it’s been downshifted to being “just another formation.” It’s time for an offensive upshift, and as always, the teams willing to jump to the fore will jump to an advantage.
MOOSE AND GOOSE: Exactly what does Tony Siragusa do to add to a broadcast? Or, for that matter, to keep his job with FOX? It’s not that he’s “bad,” exactly; he might be adequate as the analyst in a two-man booth relegated to covering Panthers-vs.-Bucs games, or whatever. But how does the network justify positioning him as a third guy in FOX’s No. 2 team which in effect simply takes away from Daryl Johnston’s time? Maybe they just love to hear Menefee’s poetic line: “Let’s throw it back to Moose and Goose”? It makes sense for Mike Jenkins to be a starting cornerback. It’s just that we’ll all feel better about it if he continues to earn it. The Broncos are 3-0 and haven’t allowed a TD pass yet this season, yet some are calling their so-far schedule “soft.” Truth is, Dallas’ two wins have come against teams with a combined record of oh-fer, too. In a league of parity, sometimes your “crummy” opponent is only “crummy” because you just beat ‘em.
Cowboys Tape Review: This is Not Your Father’s Offensive Line
September 30, 2009
by Donna McWilliam - AP
The lead draw is back, baby! Tashard Choice demonstrates. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)
Back in the summer, I got an advance copy of K.C. Joyner’s run metrics for the Cowboys Annual 2009. (You can still order it by clicking the icon down the right column.) They showed an amazing disparity for last year’s team according to run type. Dallas, despite having a jumbo offensive line, was poor at straight-ahead, inside running plays between the tackles. Here’s the breakdown:
| Rush Type | Attempts | Yards | YPA |
| Draw | 71 | 441 | 6.2 |
| Counter | 88 | 439 | 5.0 |
| Toss/Sweep | 44 | 189 | 4.3 |
| Slant/stretch | 61 | 243 | 4.0 |
| Dive | 24 | 62 | 2.6 |
| Isolation | 33 | 80 | 2.4 |
| Off-tackle | 33 | 56 | 1.7 |
Notice how weak the ‘08 Cowboys were at the typical “muscle” plays, the type you see in short yardage and goal line. The type the ’90s Cowboys lines could execute after a five pints of whiskey and a group afternoon nap.
The character of the current line is very different. It performs better when it blocks on the move, which explains why Jason Garrett called so many runs from shotgun and spread packages. People complained about seeing the shotgun inside the five last year, but the numbers explain why.
Based on these stats, I suggested Felix Jones start, since he had team-best averages on the draws, tosses and counters and had the speed to make these plays explode. On the flip side, I suggested that improvement on power runs was going to be a big task for Hudson Houck and his linemen.
Dallas has just finished a two game stretch where it has amassed close to 500 yards rushing. Do we see more interior run muscle in the Cowboys ‘09 arsenal?
No.
I give you the metrics from the Carolina game:
| Rush type | Attempts | Yards | YPA |
| Draws | 14 | 80 | 5.7 |
| Counters | 5 | 55 | 11.0 |
| Toss/sweep | 3 | 28 | 9.3 |
| Traps | 2 | 12 | 7.0 |
| End arounds | 1 | 14 | 14.0 |
| Isolations | 2 | 3 | 1.5 |
Dallas still can’t run an off-tackle play effectively. So, Jason Garrett and Hudson Houck have decided not to bang their running back’s heads against front-seven walls. The team ran two token iso’s last week. It has put dives and stretch plays in mothballs.
The coaches have decided to go all out calling and improving the execution of the plays the line does well. This Cowboys line, for all it’s size, pulls well. It cross blocks well. All the linemen, even the big tackles, can get out on the perimeter and lead tosses and end arounds. And with a pocket bomb like Felix Jones at your disposal, and shifty backs like Tashard Choice in the mix, this team attacks perimeters.
There is one similarity between the current group and the Emmitt-and-Moose led bludgeon-ball team — the lead draw. It worked well for the Triplets Cowboys and it is this team’s best interior-running play. Garrett has added some tweaks to make it that much more effective. On Tashard Choice’s 3rd quarter TD run, Dallas lined up in an I, but Tony Romo faked a pass to his right, before turning and handing the ball to this back, who had an obscenely big running lane, by NFL standards, to prance through. The pump fake to Jason WItten’s side cleared out the linebackers, who assumed Dallas would throw first in close.
The blend might change a bit with Marion Barber returning to the lineup and Jones sitting with a sprained knee. I doubt it. This line is what it is. Get used to more shotgun inside the ten. To more shotgun draws on third and four.
As long as the calls continue to favor the line’s and the backs’ strengths, and as long as the rush average stays among the league’s best, that’s fine with me.
Will the Cornerback Rotation End for the Cowboys?
September 30, 2009
Mike Jenkins may have proved enough on Monday night to make Wade Phillips reconsider his plan to alternate starters at the right cornerback position.
“I thought Jenkins had a good game. That’s to be determined tomorrow really,” coach Wade Phillips said of evaluating the rotation system. ”We’re going to discuss it.”
Make the jump for more.
If Jenkins is to start again, this would be a move towards defensive consistency rather than a slight to Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick had a quiet game against the Panthers, but that may be a good thing. He really seems more comfortable in handling the slot duties.
A factor to be considered, Phillips said, is that Scandrick plays on the corner in regular packages and moves to the slot in the sub-packages used on passing downs. Jenkins plays corner full time. Phillips said it’s been more difficult than expected for Scandrick to make the switch in mid-stream.
A pass rush could certainly help everyone in the secondary. While DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are still hungry for their first sack, we got to see one of the backup OLBs take full advantage of his playing time.
Wade Phillips said Victor Butler played in five snaps against Carolina. Let’s see five snaps, two sacks and a forced fumble.
The other pass rusher Phillips was hoping to see play had some bad luck.
Curtis Johnson was active for the first time but he aggravated his hamstring and did not see a defensive snap.
The VRR: Dallas Cowboys Still Lead League in Rushing
September 29, 2009
by Donna McWilliam - AP
Tashard Choice helped the Cowboys achieve a second-consecutive 200-yard rushing performance.
Yes, Marion Barber missed last night’s game against the Panthers. And Felix Jones‘ injury has been confirmed as a sprained PCL. Still, the Dallas Cowboys again lead the league in rushing with an average of 193.7 yards a game. The next best rushing offense is New Orleans, which averages 170.7 yards per game.
This helps the Cowboys rank third in overall offense.
This offensive line and these running backs have done something the Cowboys have not done for 30 years.
After rushing for 251 yards last week, the Dallas Cowboys rushed for 212 yards Monday night to mark the first time the club had back-to-back 200-plus yard rushing games since 1979 (at Minnesota, Oct. 7 and vs. Los Angeles, Oct. 14). It marked the fifth time in club history Dallas has accomplished that feat.
More VRR after the jump.
ESPN Dallas‘, Tim MacMahon, interviews the guys in front of Big D’s “smashmouth” rushing attack: the offensive linemen.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys who are back there,” (Leonard) Davis said. “It’s almost like we don’t even really pay attention to who’s back there. We just know when the play is called that we’re going to be efficient running the ball. We didn’t change our game plan at all. We just kept doing what we do. We’ve got three guys that can share the load.”
“It can be any one of those three guys,” Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode said. “It doesn’t make a difference. They’re all great backs. We just want to do the best job we can to make sure they see what we see and can get to the next level. “We as a group take pride in it. We just try to make sure we stay on our blocks. We try to give our guys some daylight, and we have fun watching them run downfield.”
Tashard Choice came in to save the day for the Cowboys after Felix went down. Even though he produced 118 total yards from scrimmage, Choice feels he could have done better.
“I missed a lot of runs,” Choice said. “I played OK. I know I can do better. I’m going to go back to the drawing board. If I’ve got to roll next week again, man, I’m going to try to have a way better game.”
Choice cut outside instead of inside, saying he saw middle linebacker Jon Beason cutting inside. Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn was able to prevent the touchdown, and the Cowboys ended up settling for a field goal.
“I dipped in, because I thought he was coming downhill, so I wanted to get outside,” Choice said. “There are some plays I wish I had back, but it’s cool.”
After achieving victory without turning the ball over, some of the criticism on Tony Romo may quiet down this week.
“I am much tougher on myself than any of you guys ever will be,” Romo told the media. “I have goals I hope to achieve as an individual and collectively as a group. I get frustrated and disappointed when I don’t live up to what my standard is. That’s why I come back with a purpose to improve. My sole focus this week was to understand why I did certain things and not make those mistakes again. “Sometimes you have to go through the growing pains to get there.”
A little bit of Razorback action showed a little bit of success.
The Cowboys showed their Razorback formation in the second quarter with Tashard Choice taking the direct snap and handing off to Felix Jones, who helped make the formation popular at Arkansas with Darren McFadden. Jones’ 3-yard gain was negated by a holding penalty on tight end Martellus Bennett.
Choice ran the wildcat again in the third quarter. This time he faked a handoff to Jones and gained a first down on a 10-yard run to Carolina’s 25.
If Dallas does sit Felix next week at Denver, MBIII should be ready to go.
Marion Barber said he was good last week, and he didn’t play Monday night. Coach Wade Phillips said after the game that Barber’s quadriceps is close, which means he’ll probably be return to return this week. The Cowboys could pull ex-Jaguar Chauncey Washington up from the practice squad. They signed him last week.
The defense moved up from 30th to 26th in the league, as they now have allowed 382.7 yards per game. The passing defense now ranks 27th (268 ypg) overall, while the rushing defense is 17th (114.7 ypg) in the NFL. Holding Carolina to just seven points helped raise this unit to 17th overall, now allowing 20.3 points per game.
T-New joked about the play that broke the Panthers’ backs.
“The quarterback just threw it right to me,” Newman said. “It was a lucky play on my part. I think Igor (Olshansky) would’ve caught that and scored.”
Steve Smith gave Newman some props.
“He did a good job . . . Terence did a good job all day,” said Smith, who took full responsibility for the final touchdown for adjusting the route although Jake Delhomme had already thrown the slant. “Jake was expecting me to cross his face. I should’ve crossed. I guessed the route and I shouldn’t have. They had a very good game plan and they stuck to it. On that play, I was very impatient. (Newman) was playing Cover Two and he was taking the inside away.”
Before the missed 40-yard field goal last night, kicker Nick Folk had made 16 straight.
Folk was two field goals from tying Richie Cunningham (18 in 1997) for the third-longest streak in team history. Chris Boniol holds the team records for the longest field-goal streaks at 27 (1996) and 26 (1995-96).
Folk added to his club record of 104-consecutive PATs by knocking through his one try last night. His kicking buddy David Buehler added three more touchbacks in the game to give him seven on the season.
Todd Archer breaks down the Cowboys’ penalties (9 for 80 yards) against the Panthers.
In case you missed the game or just want to watch Dallas win again, here is the highlight vid link from NFLN.
The Cowboys’ 5th-round draft choice DeAngelo Smith was released by the Chicago Bears today.
[UPDATE: DMN reports that Felix Jones' injury is a sprained PCL. END UPDATE] Dallas Cowboys…
September 29, 2009
[UPDATE: DMN reports that Felix Jones' injury is a sprained PCL. END UPDATE]
Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones will miss Sunday’s game at Denver with a sprained left knee, according to two sources.
Jones injured his knee at the end of a 40-yard run in the third quarter of Monday night’s victory over Carolina. He had an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed the sprain. Doctors didn’t discuss the possibility of surgery.
A Couple Yards Short, But Still Miles Ahead: Cowboys 21, Panthers 7
September 29, 2009
by Tony Gutierrez - AP
Welcome to the NFL, Victor Butler. Many happy returns — please! (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Two Dallas drives stalled inside the Carolina ten yesterday. The Cowboys settled for two field goals, though they moved as close as the Carolina one, in each case.
In tight games, small failures of this sort can hurt. Last night, they were happy accidents, which forced the Dallas defense, a group I’ve dubbed the “55 minute men” in the past, for their inability to close out games, to maintain their focus for the entire 60 minutes.
They not only kept their heads, but lopped off Carolina’s. Terence Newman picked off Jake Delhomme one series after the second Dallas field goal pushed the lead to just 13-6, after Dallas strangely threw back to back fades after grinding to a second-and-goal situation at the Panthers one.
This was a crisis moment for the defense last year. It was notorious for playing hard for three series or so and then sagging immediately after an offensive score.
Last night, that tendency disappeared. The defense, which looked flat in a sluggish first half, found their missing shot of adrenaline in the locker room during intermission. On their first series, Jay Ratliff overpowered Carolina’s right guard and dropped Jake Delhomme for the team’s first sack. This produced a quick three and out, which the defense repeated three more times.
The Panthers did not gain their first first down of the half until roughly six minutes remained in the game. And Newman settled the matter two plays later when he jumped a slant for Steve Smith and returned the pick for a touchdown. Tashard Choice rammed home a two point draw to push the final score.
That would have been enough for encouragement, but Wade Phillips had one more present in his bag. Phillips is famously allergic to rookies but on Carolina’s final series he introduced 4th round pick Victor Butler as his situational rush end opposite Demarcus Ware. Butler had shown some promise during camp, running ahead of fellow rookie Brandon Williams, but he appeared destined for a year of special teams duties once the real games started.
Butler had a real burst off the corner, but his hand usage seemed remedial. Wade and end coach Reggie Herring have obviously given him some private tutoring, because Butler gave Carolina RT Jeff Otah some lessons of his own. Butler hobbled Carolina’s final drive when he blew past Otah on the outside, flattened out and dropped Delhomme with an eight yard sack just after the Panthers had crossed into Dallas territory.
A few plays later, Butler ended the drive by sacking Delhomme and stripping the ball from the QBs hand. The fumble was recovered by Jason Hatcher and the real celebrating began.
Bill Walsh often remarked that 4th-quarter pass rush is a key ingredient for winning. The Cowboys have missed any and all rush ingredients through two weeks. Butler has to replicate this effort again, but if he can, Wade should have the complete recipe for his big time defensive cake.
Maybe he’ll make eleven cupcakes instead? Call it a Phillips Dozen? Nah!
Notes:
– This is the Terence Newman everybody has waited for. He had a lot of help over the top from Ken Hamlin, but Newman dogged Steve Smith everywhere. The results? Four catches for 38 yards. The bracket coverage took Smith away as a deep option. Delhomme tried a Smith bomb just once. When Delhomme threw deep he looked for Muhsin Muhammad, who was eaten up by Mike Jenkins.
– The pass defense stepped up. Three sacks, and more pressure helped generate three turnovers. Anybody who saw the game knows work remains. Say it with me now — tackling! Newman and Jenkins missed a lot of tackles late, and I’ll venture that had Jenkins not whiffed on a four yard Muhammad curl, which became a fifteen yard run out of bounds in the final 75 seconds of Carolina’s lone scoring drive, the Cowboys pitch a shutout.
– Another strong game for the run defense. Deangelo Smith has a solid rush average, but Dallas stopped nearly all of Carolina’s early runs and put the game on Delhomme. Carolina’s runners finished with just 63 yards on the ground. The Cowboys front has neutralized the Giants and the Panthers running attacks in consecutive weeks. Tips of the hat to Igor Olshansky, who stoned every run his way and to Keith Brooking, who brings a lot more throw weight and energy to Dallas’ interior run defense.
– More big games from Victor Butler and you’ll never hear the name Greg Ellis in these parts again.
More on the Dallas offense line and the winning quarterback, much more, coming soon.
Cowboys Defense Comes Up Big in 21-7 Win Over Panthers
September 29, 2009
Maybe it wasn’t the most polished of victories, but it was a victory nonetheless. And what Dallas needed more than anything was to walk out of Cowboys Stadium on Monday night with a ‘W’, and they got it. The Cowboys much-maligned defense finally got untracked for the season with three sacks and three turnovers including a pick six. They stifled the Panthers running game and held Steve Smith in check. They still aren’t tackling that well in the secondary, but they showed some physical toughness along the line and in the second half they smothered the Panthers offense.
The Dallas offense was able to run the ball effectively all night and Felix Jones showed why he’s electric with the ball in his hands. Unfortunately, he injured his knee (severity unknown, although he did play one more play afterward), but Tashard Choice stepped in and kept the Cowboys rushing attack going. Dallas rushed for 212 yards on the night, making the second game in a row with over 200 rushing yards.
More after the jump…
Tony Romo didn’t have a big night, but he did have an efficient one, and he did exactly what we asked of him - no turnovers. Yes, he should be happy with his performance even though it wasn’t explosive. We want wins, and being efficient and keeping the ball will lead to wins.
This game belonged to the defense. Mike Jenkins had a quality INT and Terence Newman got a gift that he turned into six. Jay Ratliff broke the seal on Cowboys sacks for the year. Then the most unexpected thing happened, the Cowboys inserted rookie Victor Butler into the game late, and boom, two sacks and a forced fumble. Butler just may have earned himself some playing time. Also, give some love to Igor Olshansky who was playing the run very tough in the middle.
Nice job on punt returns by Patrick Crayton.
There were problems. Penalties at the worst times hurt us again, like a falste start on the goal line by rookie TE John Phillips. There was Jason Garrett’s inexcusable decision to call a fade not once, but twice, from the 1-yard line. The first one gets a pass, the second one was dumb football. The Panthers couldn’t stop the Cowboys run game all night, why would you think they could there.
The offensive line also showed vulnerability in pass protection. The Panthers, not usually a blitzing team, blitzed a lot and the Cowboys line struggled to pick it up. Romo was sacked twice and was under heavy pressure on plenty of plays. Credit goes to Romo though, he managed to avoid heavy traffic and still make plays while not turning over the football.
We all wanted a demolition. It would’ve been nice to run the Panthers out of the stadium. That didn’t happen. But the Cowboys came out and played the second half with the urgency they needed (and should’ve had from the start), eventually pulling away for a 21-7 win.
It may not have been fine art, but it was a fine win.
Cowboys vs. Panthers: Gameday Open Thread IV 9/28/09
September 28, 2009
New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Panthers game.
Cowboys vs. Panthers: Gameday Open Thread II 9/28/09
September 28, 2009
New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Panthers game.
Cowboys vs. Panthers: Gameday Open Thread III 9/28/09
September 28, 2009
New open thread for the Cowboys vs. Panthers game.
Cowboys vs. Panthers: Gameday Open Thread 9/28/09
September 28, 2009
Open Thread
Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers
Monday, Sept. 28th, 2009
8:30 PM EST, TV: ESPN
Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
This is an open thread for game chat.
The Two Jakes: Delhomme Headlines the Schizophrenia Bowl
September 28, 2009
by Nell Redmond - AP
Early blitzing could bring back this Jake Delhomme. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
The scriptwriter William Goldman summarized Hollywood with the dismissive remark, “nobody knows anything.”
I’m gonna borrow his phrase tonight. The Cowboys host the Panthers in The Simulacra’s second debut, and nobody knows anything regarding the outcome.
Which Delhomme will appear? The one who fed the Eagles a handful of turnovers in week one, prompting his WR Steve Smith to tell him (mockingly, Smith now claims) that, “I never liked you as a quarterback.” Or the one who threw for over 330 at Atlanta last week?
Dallas wonders which incarnation of Tony Romo will show? The big-play machine from Tampa Bay or the turnover dispenser from last week?
The biggest question in my book involves the pass defense. The run defense made a strong showing against the Giants but the secondary played like it couldn’t get its eyes and collective mind off the new cage dancers up in the Cowboys Stadium rafters.
The game lines up this afternoon as a Rorschach Test of your fandom. What you see is likely what what you want to see. If I show you an ink conception of the defense’s play weeks one and two, and you’re bullish, you’ll wave it off. If you’re ready to show Wade the thumb, the patterns represent the splattered remains of your hope.
Either way, plenty of examples and counter examples exist to feed your hope or your paranoia. Ponder this team’s two weeks line:
Team X
- Week one — Loss — 45 points allowed; 478 yards allowed; 4 TD passes allowed
- Week two — Loss — 35 points allowed; 368 yards allowed; 3 TD passes allowed
- Average – Loss – 40 points allowed; 423 yards allowed; 3.5 TD passes allowed
Team X was winless and had by far the worst defense in the NFL, much, much worse than even the ‘09 Cowboys. It was playing rookies and backups and seemed doomed. Then a funny thing happened. The defense found its heart, won a close divisional game and turned the season around.
Figured out Team X yet? It’s the ‘07 Giants. The Super Bowl champion ‘07 Giants. Their defensive stats were ugly, but I doubt they would swap their ugly stats and their rings for your team’s prettier numbers.
Does this mean the Cowboys will replicate this? Absolutely not. But it does mean they can. The NFL of the mid salary cap era has become the land of split personalities, where no team is what it seems. Ask the Titans. They had the best secondary in football last year and they’re now 0-3. How about the Champs? The Steelers?
They gave up 273 total yards to Chicago last weekend. The Bengals could only muster 275 yesterday. The Steelers again have pretty stat lines. But they also own a two-game losing streak, because Chicago’s last two drives of their game produced the game-winning 10 points. The Bengals last two drives yesterday were grinding touchdown drives which gave them a last seconds win.
Wade’s defensive history offers little to go on. In ‘07, the D gave up huge yards in weeks one and two. The numbers then got progressively better. Last year, the defensive stats were glowing after week one, but led to a three game patch of mediocrity, which culminated in that ugly loss to Washington.
All I can tell is that the offense has carried Dallas to a 7-1 September record the past two years and if Dallas is to post another strong start Jason Garrett’s guys will likely have to carry it early again.
Will the pass defense go the Tennessee route and fail to show? Maybe. Will it parallel the Giants, who shook off 251 yards rushing and almost 400 total yards against last week to hold Tampa Bay to 82 yesterday? I would like to think so. Will the D play whack a mole, and have the pass defense show while the rush defense regresses against the Panthers talented duo of Steward and Smith?
Nobody knows anything. Not the players, not the coaches and not any of us. That’s why they play the games and that’s why we watch.
Matchups of Note:
- Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins vs. Steve Smith. Smith is a much better short and intermediate receiver. He’s been the most devastating receiver in football in these zones. But he IS Carolina’s deep attack, so he’ll test the Dallas corners vertically. Newman has won their recent duels, but his performance last week was one of his worst ever.
- Jordan Gross vs. Demarcus Ware. Want that big extension, Mr. Ware? A good showing against the very good LT Gross will help your case.
- Anthony Spencer and Marcus Spears vs. Jeff Otah. Spencer has struggled rushing against tackles Otah is a road grader on run downs. Spears and Spencer will need to win their share of duels to keep the game on Delhomme’s shoulders.
- Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis vs. MLB Jon Beason and the Carolina DTs. Beason is a beast when he’s covered, but Carolina’s DT ranks have been thinned by injuries. Dallas won’t have Marion Barber but they’ll nonetheless test the middle of Carolina’s D, especially after gashing the Giants repeatedly last week.
- Wade Phillips vs. Jake Delhomme. The blitzes have been absent. The run defense showed the lane discipline it lacked in Tampa so Wade may finally turn his linebackers loose against Delhomme. The sackless Cowboys need early pressure to build their confidence and ruin Delhomme’s. Jake is streaky and putting him in a sour early mood, as Philadelphia did, would set a good tone for the game.
Parting Shot.
I want to see the roof closed tonight. What’s the point of building a stadium with a roof and air conditioning if you won’t use it on a hot, muggy September night? I know Jerry wanted his record last week, but I want a win. This team practiced all August in a dome and played its two home preseason games under a closed roof.
I’m not saying Dallas would have won last week with a closed dome, but if you have control of the weather you owe it to the players and fans to provide the best football conditions possible. Tonight’s Metroplex forecast is again hot and muggy. Keep it cool, Mr. Jones.
The VRR: Carolina (0-2) @ Dallas (1-1)
September 28, 2009
There is a growing consensus that Marion Barber’s quad injury will keep him out of tonight’s home game against the Panthers. Here’s what Nick Eatman says on the matter.
One Cowboys official in the hallway just now said he thought there was a 98 percent chance that Barber misses tonight’s game, for the simple reason that he’s not fully healthy and it’s the third game of the season.
Matt Mosely asks the relative question: how might the carries be divvied up between Tashard Choice and Felix Jones?
With Barber out, look for offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to try to get Jones and Choice involved in the passing game early. My best guess is that Jones will end up with about 15 to 18 carries and Choice will be somewhere in the 10 to 12 range. Choice did a really nice job filling in last December, so I could see him getting hot in this game and reeling off 75 yards and a touchdown.
More Panthers @ Cowboys after the jump.
Here’s what Coach Phillips said about the swelling in Barber’s quad.
“I want him to be healthy, completely healthy,” Phillip said. “I don’t know if that means 100 percent, but I don’t want him to be in a situation where, No. 1, he could be hurt worse and you lose him for a longer amount of time. That goes with the determination of the athletic trainers and the doctors and so forth as to where he is. Because he had some swelling. He had a legitimate injury that we just have to find out day-by-day what it’s going to do and how much better it gets. But, we didn’t think it was a long-term injury, that’s why we’re thinking he may be able to play, so that’s where we are.”
Just after two weeks of regular season action, Carolina’s injured list is quite substantial.
The Panthers have already lost two defensive tackles, and now they’ll be without the services of starting outside linebacker Na’il Diggs (ribs). Starting safety Chris Harris (knee), starting fullback Brad Hoover (back) and backup defensive end Everette Brown (ankle) are all doubtful. Starting offensive tackles Jordan Gross (knee) and Jeff Otah (shoulder), plus starting defensive tackle Nick Hayden (toe) were questionable earlier in the week, but enter the game as probable.
For the Cowboys, S Michael Hamlin (arm) and ILB Jason Williams (ankle) are out. QB Stephen McGee (knee) is probable, and RB Marion Barber (quad) is questionable. Barber’s status should change as gametime nears.
Somehow, some way, the Dallas defense needs to show up tonight.
“If you’re aggressive, like we are, things will turn out fine. We’re working at it,” Phillips said. “The most important thing is winning the game, whether you get 10 turnovers or none.”
Mike Jenkins gets his turn as the starting cornerback tonight instead of Orlando Scandrick, who had a poor performance and was repeatedly beaten by the Giants. The Cowboys plan to keep alternating the second-year cornerbacks as starters opposite Terence Newman.
“I remember 32 (Scandrick) because they’ve been playing him on ESPN pretty frequently,” Panthers receiver Steve Smith said, followed by a laugh. “By the scouting report we got, he probably won’t be in because he’s been playing continually on the rotation on ESPN.”
Tom Orsborn at SAEN says that the defensive pressure has been limited by three things: max protection, no pressure from the strongside, and a lack of depth at the OLB position.
Knowing how much pressure the Cowboys generated last season, opponents have opted to max protect, meaning they’re keeping backs and tight ends in to block.
“Teams we’ve played and teams we’ll play will try to protect the quarterback as much as they can,” Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Saturday. “If they do that, you need to cut down the percentage of passes they complete, and we haven’t done that.”
Another problem: With strongside linebacker Anthony Spencer unable to generate pressure, weakside backer DeMarcus Ware — the NFL’s sack leader last season with 20 — is getting double-teamed.
[snip]
“We’ve had a tough time at the end of the last two games, and some of it is having (Spencer and Ware) playing every play,” Phillips said. “We’re trying to alleviate that by working some other guys in so they’ll be fresher.”
To that end, Phillips is hopeful Victor Butler, Steve Octavien and Curtis Johnson can provide relief. Bottom line: Someone other than Ware has to generate pressure.
A key to beating the Panthers could be how the Cowboys utilize their tight ends.
Carolina has the third-ranked pass defense, but five of the seven touchdowns given up by the defense have come through the air. And the Panthers have been worked over by the tight ends in the first two weeks. Philadelphia’s Brent Celek caught six passes for 37 yards and a score. Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez had seven catches for 71 yards and a TD. Hello, Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett.
This may also be a game in which ST coach Joe DeCamillis’ units can help the team to victory.
The Panthers’ coverage teams are struggling. They allowed an 85-yard punt return for a score and 29.4 yards per kick return. Even if Felix Jones doesn’t return kicks, Miles Austin is almost as dangerous. Two of the top kickoff guys – Carolina’s Rhys Lloyd and Dallas’ David Buehler – will be on display.
Dallas has owned Carolina in the regular season.
The Cowboys have won seven straight regular season games over the Panthers since losing the first meeting in 1997. In the last matchup Dec. 22, 2007, Romo threw for 257 yards and a touchdown in a 23-13 victory.
The Cowboys fare pretty well on MNF. Of course, they have had plenty of opportunities to do so.
Their 70 appearances on Monday is more than all but the Miami Dolphins, who have 74, and the Cowboys have won the most of any team, with 41. The Cowboys have played at least one game on Monday Night Football in 36 of the past 39 seasons.
The upcoming contest against Carolina will mark the Cowboys’ 32nd home Monday-nighter over the years, the team compiling an 18-13 record in primetime weekday affairs at Texas Stadium. Like the Cowboys stadium opener last week, the Cowboys should be giving maximum efforts under the bright lights.
Here is NFL.com’s Game Center for Carolina @ Dallas.
Three interceptions last week? Big Deal! Jerry Jones still thinks Tony Romo can pull off a Super Bowl run.
“Some day he will have greatest day of all,” Jones said. Asked to clarify his comments, Jones didn’t back down. “I do, I do I (think he will win a Super Bowl for us),” Jones said. “I feel like that will happen. It is in no small part due to his skill level because of his ability to come back from adversity because of his hard work. That will be one of the big reasons we get it done.”
Only a team with no chance entertains the idea of a midseason coaching change. That still does not prevent people from asking Jerry Jones about who will lead this team in the future.
“I have an option, number one, and don’t discuss certainly at this time of the year our coaches’ contract, especially the head coach’s contract,” Jones said. “I’d like for him to win his first Super Bowl as a head coach as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and that might take more years than this year to do it.”
The first part of that answer means that Jones can extend the deal into 2010, if he so chooses. The rest of the answer implies that he’ll exercise that right.
As to the notion that Garrett might be the successor to Phillips, Jones smiled and said, “Well, he certainly is in the family portrait.” (So much for those offseason rumors that Jones was hoping Garrett would get a head-coaching job elsewhere.)
Barry Horn wrote an excellent bio on DE Igor Olshansky.
The Cowboys are still breaking records. This latest one is in one of the most famous records books of all.
On Monday, the Guinness Book of World Records will arrive at new Cowboys Stadium to certify its celebrated and controversial video board as the largest in the world.
Dave Campo: ‘We’re desperate to not be 1-2′
September 28, 2009
Dave Campo’s last 24 hours or so have been spent at the Cowboys‘ night-before-the-game hotel, the massive Gaylord Texan. It’s easy to get lost in this place - in terms of size, it’s the hotel version of Cowboys Stadium - but I somehow locate Campo, the Dallas secondary coach who is filling the time before Monday night’s kickoff against Carolina by watching football, grabbing a quick meal, watching more football, prepping for meetings …
And worrying.
“Our secondary needs to play with a greater sense of urgency,” Campo tells me as we stand in front of a faux Alamo inside the theme hotel. “I hear everybody talking about how Carolina is a ‘desperate team’ and all this, because they are 0-2. But we’re desperate. We’re desperate to not be 1-2. We’re desperate to be the good team we think we are. We’re desperate to not start 1-2. We’re desperate to get that first win at the new place.”
Campo has seen most everything in his 20 years as an NFL coach, from winning Super Bowls as a Jimmy Johnson lieutenant to being fired as Jerry Jones’ head coach and then re-hired to work with this era of Cowboys. And he’s excited to see something else new on Monday night.
“We need a win in that building,” says Campo of Cowboys Stadium. “We need to put all the hoopla behind us and just make the whole thing about football.”
Campo thinks some of that starts with improved play from the secondary, which in last week’s home-opening loss to the Giants especially struggled in man coverage against a group of receivers that, on paper, are not as gifted as the Panthers‘ Steve Smith.
“We’re anxious to go prove ourselves,” Campo says. “Our guys are up to the challenge. The hardest part is waiting to go do that. A Monday night game makes for a long wait at the hotel. You feel like you’re ready … we’re anxious to get out there and prove something.”
Dave Campo: ‘We’re desperate to not be 1-2′
September 28, 2009
Dave Campo’s last 24 hours or so have been spent at the Cowboys‘ night-before-the-game hotel, the massive Gaylord Texan. It’s easy to get lost in this place - in terms of size, it’s the hotel version of Cowboys Stadium - but I somehow locate Campo, the Dallas secondary coach who is filling the time before Monday night’s kickoff against Carolina by watching football, grabbing a quick meal, watching more football, prepping for meetings …
And worrying.
“Our secondary needs to play with a greater sense of urgency,” Campo tells me as we stand in front of a faux Alamo inside the theme hotel. “I hear everybody talking about how Carolina is a ‘desperate team’ and all this, because they are 0-2. But we’re desperate. We’re desperate to not be 1-2. We’re desperate to be the good team we think we are. We’re desperate to not start 1-2. We’re desperate to get that first win at the new place.”
Campo has seen most everything in his 20 years as an NFL coach, from winning Super Bowls as a Jimmy Johnson lieutenant to being fired as Jerry Jones’ head coach and then re-hired to work with this era of Cowboys. And he’s excited to see something else new on Monday night.
“We need a win in that building,” says Campo of Cowboys Stadium. “We need to put all the hoopla behind us and just make the whole thing about football.”
Campo thinks some of that starts with improved play from the secondary, which in last week’s home-opening loss to the Giants especially struggled in man coverage against a group of receivers that, on paper, are not as gifted as the Panthers‘ Steve Smith.
“We’re anxious to go prove ourselves,” Campo says. “Our guys are up to the challenge. The hardest part is waiting to go do that. A Monday night game makes for a long wait at the hotel. You feel like you’re ready … we’re anxious to get out there and prove something.”
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