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MNF Open Thread

Now this is a Monday night game definitely worth watching. The Patriots travel south to meet the undefeated Saints.

This is an open thread for game chat.

The VRR: An Almost-December Edition

Ken Hamlin didn’t participate in the practice today according to Wade Phillips at his press conference. They’ll check with Hamlin on Wednesday to see where he’s at. Also, Victor Butler sprained his knee in the game, it’s a light sprain, they’ll check his status on Wednesday.

A key to all the winning lately? Tony Romo.

Since that Giants‘ game, Romo has had four passes intercepted to go with 13 touchdown passes. He has had five games without an interception, and he is on pace to throw a career-low 10 interceptions. His previous low was 13 and that came in 11 games (10 starts) in 2006 and he had 14 last year in 13 starts.

One key to the rise of the defense, is the play of Mike Jenkins.

The turnaround coincided with Phillips naming Mike Jenkins the starter over Orlando Scandrick at right cornerback in Week 3. Jenkins’ three interceptions lead the team. His 12 pass breakups are second only to left corner Terence Newman’s 13.

“Mike Jenkins is hard to throw against,” Phillips said. “He jams them up well. Our pass defense has been good because we’ve been able to count on him.”

But, the Cowboys still have problems. Penalties, Nick Folk, the 3rd down offense and…

… For all the good the Cowboys defense has done, their inability to turn the ball over is glaring. The Cowboys have intercepted only seven passes on the year. They just don’t give the offense short fields to work with. They are excelling vs. the run and most importantly they don’t allow many points. They are in the midst of a nine-week stretch in which they haven’t given up more than 21 points. But they have only 13 turnovers on the year.

Oh, and by the way, in case you didn’t know, it will be December soon.

December

Giants, Chargers and Saints, oh my. Welcome to December, Dallas Cowboys, meet your first three opponents — desperate, hot and smoking hot.

December II

Can the Cowboys reverse the downward trend? Sure, if they have three main elements: an entrenched coach, a quarterback whose big plays dwarf his misses and a high-scoring offense.

December III

Romo is 15-2 in November after going 4-1 this season. But in December and January, he’s 5-10, including 0-2 in the playoffs. The Cowboys struggled late in the season long before Romo arrived. Since 1996, Dallas is 19-39 in December and January, including 0-5 in the playoffs.

December IV

At last, it’s here. Well technically, the month of December is still a couple of days away, but when the Cowboys suit up for their next game, the calendar will be turned to that final month of the year and we all know what that means around here. It means, the real season is finally upon us

Or you can just check in with Raf, who broke December down, here.

I wanted to get in on the December song lyric game.

December promise you gave unto me
December whispers of treachery
December clouds are now covering me
December songs no longer I sing

- December, Collective Soul

Tony Romo’s dissection of the Raiders’ D.

Wade’s Defense Will Guide the Cowboys’ December Ship

The legend lives on from the NFL on down,
of the good ship they call Dallas Cowboys,
The team it is said, can be given up for dead,
when the skies of December turn gloomy…

– not Gordon Lightfoot, not The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Cock your head and you can hear it.  The calendar turns to December tomorrow, and just as sure as the winter, the howling about the Cowboys’ December collapses has begun.  The subject has gained a mythic quality; it seems not so much as option as an inevitability:  a tough December schedule looms and the good team is doomed.  Doomed because its captain, Tony Romo, a sailor born by the sea, loses his compass when the weather turns cold and the pass rushes fierce. 

Or so the myth sellers say.  Is Romo truly a sunshine sailor?  Are the Cowboys at the mercy of his mercurial December play?  Grab your coats and your gloves and follow me on some football forensics, as we find out what really has caused the good ship Cowboys to wreck over and over again.

2005

The Cowboys crashes started before Tony Romo, and Wade Phillips, and most of the current players joined the squad.  Bill Parcells’ bunch gritted and grunted their way through injuries which claimed projected RT Jacob Rogers in Oxnard and LT Flozell Adams after six games.  When Dallas beat Detroit on November 20, it was 7-3.  On Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys took a 13-3 Denver team to overtime, but lost when Ron Dayne broke a long, controversial run, which set up a Jason Elam field goal.

This disappointment was the first of many, as Dallas went 2-4 from November 21st to the finale against the Rams.  The offensive line surrendered eleven sacks in two painful division losses to the Giants and Redskins.  The latter let Washington leapfrog the Cowboys into the playoffs.  That line, for those of you who have effectively disavowed it:

• LT — Torrin Tucker
• LG — Larry Allen
• C - Al Johnson
• RG — Marco Rivera
• RT - Rob Petitti

Doug Free, for all his uncertainty, would probably star with that bunch.  Allen’s tread was worn, Rivera broke down after fourteen games and Tucker and Petitti were playing their last months as Cowboys.  Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland never could draft o-linemen in Dallas and it hurt them badly here.

2006

Romosexuals were everywhere.  The world was Romolicious.  The Romom Empire was in the making.  Cowboys Nation was positively giddy over its new star, who replaced Drew Bledsoe after the veteran showed terminal shell-shock in a Giants loss at Texas Stadium. 

Romo avenged the defeat with a memorable last-minute bomb to Jason Witten in the Meadowlands, which set up Martin Grammatica’s last second winner.  Dallas was 8-4 and in control.  

But storm clouds were looming.  Dallas had spoiled an inspired Romo performance at the old RFK Stadium when the special teams bungled a short field goal attempt in the final seconds.  The Redskins Shaun Springs blocked it and when Kyle Kosier was flagged for a facemask penalty while tackling Springs, Washington got to attempt their own field goal with no time on the clock.  The Redskins made it and stole the win (something the 7-6 grousers should recall).

The secondary was also coming unglued.  Aaron Glenn started ‘06 as Dallas’ nickel back, but he lost his top end as the season progressed.  Anthony Henry had a balky knee that locked up on him at times, but the coaches kept him in the lineup over Jacques Reeves.  At safety, Pat Watkins started the season, but was driven to the bench after the Eagles beat him for two deep touchdown passes in their home win.  The ever uncertain Keith Davis replaced him.  Roy Williams was showing his freelancing tendencies, ones which would hurt the team badly in their playoff loss to Seattle. 

In short, the Cowboys secondary was Terence Newman and a couple cases of duct tape.  When Romo blasted Tampa Bay for 5 TDs on Thanksgiving Day, I wrote this warning, noting that the Bucs Joey Galloway had run wild through Dallas’ secondary.  The Giants didn’t exploit it the following week but former Cowboys OC Sean Payton did the following week.  Drew Brees riddled that secondary, throwing five TD passes in a 42-17 romp.  Mike Vick hit them for four more the week after that, and Jon Kitna put four more past them in the season finale.

The secondary gave up 14 touchdown passes that December; the defense gave up 33 points per game in that span.  Romo’s guys scored a respectable 24 per game, but they knew they had to get to at least 35 points to have a chance.  The offense topped that once, in Atlanta.  Not suprisingly, it was Dallas’ only win. 

The broken pass defense shaped Parcells’ thinking.  He game-planned to avoid a shootout in Seattle, even though the Seahawks secondary was even more injury-depleted than Dallas’.  When Romo dropped that late field goal snap, all the December frustration dropped onto his shoulders.   The defense, the most culpable part of the team, snuck quietly out of the locker room. 

2007

Dallas roared into December at 11-1, having beaten Green Bay in Texas Stadium, a game many pundits labeled an NFC title game dress rehearsal.  The following week, Romo faced down the Tampa-2 demon.  Buffalo had intercepted him five times in week five by doubling his receivers, daring Romo to consistently check down.  He lacked the patience then to take the short tosses and forced passes into coverage. 

In Detroit, HC Rod Marinelli threw the same game plan at Romo.  This time, he played Montana-ball:  27 of Romo’s 35 completions went to tight ends and backs.  He found Jason Witten fifteen times.  Their last completion gave Dallas a comeback 28-27 win. 

The following week, Romo threw up a stinker, as Dallas lost 10-6 to the Eagles.  Their seven game win steak was snapped and Fox’s repeated views of Jessica Simpson brought the Memo Paris/Yoko Romo meme into being.   Andre Gurode left the game with a knee injury and the doom-meisters crept into the open.  Romo had the offense back on track in Carolina the next week until T.O. rolled his ankle just as Dallas was about to score its second early touchdown.  The points slowed to a trickle from that point, though Dallas won 20-13.

Romo and many of the starters were pulled minutes into the Redskins season finale.  Washington had the chance of facing Dallas in the playoffs, even if the Cowboys beat them, so the coaches treated this as a preseason game.  Dallas finished December 2-2.  The starters were 2-1, but when the Cowboys lost to New York in the divisional round, the memory of Romo’s bye-week Cancun vacation and Jessica in the pink jersey were within easy reach for those wanting a quick, lazy excuse. 

Three secondary players whiffed on Amani Toomer’s short-catch, long-run TD and Jacques Reeves was Eli Manning’s dartboard as the Giants drove the field in 42 seconds for a critical TD just before half. The Bruce Read special teams also allowed a long punt return to set up New York’s last TD, but it didn’t matter.  Jessica had stolen Tony’s mojo and the Cowboys season. Romo had produced a decent December, but everything from global warming to the high price of gas was on the cute couple. 

2008

Romo opened December with his career stinker.  On a cold night in Pittsburgh, Romo frequently overlooked open receivers in the short and intermediate zones to try passes downfield.  When he looked short, Tashard Choice made huge catches and runs.  Romo did make one of his patented spin-and-scrambles, and found T.O. for an early 3rd quarter score.  Despite Romo’s many misreads, Dallas had the ball and a ten point lead with just over eleven minutes left. 

Then, the entire team unraveled.  The first downs stopped coming.  The pass defense loosened and the special teams gave up a long punt return to give the Steelers a very short field.  Pittsburgh stunned Dallas with 17 late points.  The defense rebounded to crush the Giants, sacking Eli Manning eight times in a 20-8 win, but this unit, which looked Doomsdayesque after the bye, completely lost it against Baltimore, giving up 77 and 82 yard runs on back-to-back plays in a 33-24 loss.   The team seemed to give up there.  They brought nothing to Philadelphia and were pasted 44-6.  The D held for one series, but did nothing after Donovan McNabb found Correll Buckhalter off a scramble that set up Philly’s first touchdown. 

Dallas went 1-3 down the stretch and though the D gave up 32 points per game in the three losses, Romo again wore the horns.  Romo, who ran an offense which had no speed and atrophied muscles in a December when it faced the NFL’s 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th ranked scoring defenses.  The line played the full season with Cory Proctor at left guard.  Flozell Adams didn’t miss a start despite a neck stinger which weakened one arm and an extreme finger infection which required antibiotic IV drips to treat it. 

Dallas’ skill position players dropped away one by one.  Felix Jones never returned after his game six hamstring injury.  Marion Barber never had great speed and was even slower after tearing ligaments in a pinkie toe.  Sam Hurd broke an ankle in Arizona and went on I.R.  Miles Austin went on the injured list three different times.

Roy Williams developed plantar fasciitis in a heel after the Thanksgiving Day win and lost his spring: he averaged 15.4 yards per catch in his November starts and 4.6 in his December games.  Terrell Owens saw his production ebb.  He racked up garbage yards in the second half of the Eagles blowout but averaged 44 yards in the other December games. 

The Dallas attack came down to Tashard Choice’s legs and Jason Witten’s guts.  The Senator suffered a broken rib in the Bengals week five win and rolled an ankle later in the season.  Still, he soldiered on, and provided Romo’s only consistent receiving target.  Jason Garrett put Romo in the shotgun to protect him but it provided little respite from the rush;  Romo was sacked 7 times in his first nine starts but thirteen times that December.

The offensive injuries meant the team was going as far as the defense could carry them and when the secondary again faltered, another season went down the drain.

What can we conclude from these shipwrecks of Decembers past?

1. The December drops predate Romo.  He was carrying a clipboard in ‘05 when the o-line sprung three leaks and Drew Bledsoe followed them to the bottom.
2. Romo is good for one big December stinker.  Christmas day ‘06 vs. the Eagles, the 12-6 dud versus the same Eagles in ‘07 and last year’s Steelers abomination fall to Romo.  If history offers any guide, one ‘09 dud remains.  (This year’s schedule has a surprisingly mild slate of scoring defenses: the 13th rated Eagles and Saints, the 15th rated Chargers and the 24th rated Giants.  If you want some prime suspects, look to the Eagles, who cuffed Romo in ‘06 and ‘07, and the 7th rated Redskins, who held Dallas to a touchdown two games ago.  Dallas has not topped 10 points in its three games against scoring defenses ranked in the top 10)
3. The biggest December villain has been the defense, primarily the secondary.  They flooded touchdown passes in ‘06 and long TD runs and passes in ‘08.  They gave up the big pass plays that kept New York in the game during the ‘07 playoff loss.  The offense line played a part in ‘05 and last year.  The special teams also bear some blame.  The punt coverage teams figured in the ‘07 playoff loss and the Steelers loss last year.

2009

What, if anything is different on November 30, 2009? 

Let’s begin with the special teams, which have improved under Joe DeCamillis.  They still can’t return kickoffs effectively, but every other unit is better.  The kick coverage groups spearhead this unit, so the fears of a new back-breaking return are slim.

On offense, the skill positions look healthy.  Witten has again rolled an ankle, but he’s probably the worst injured Cowboys this year.  The receivers are healthy.  Miles Austin has replaced T.O. with ‘07 Owen- level production.  Roy Williams still hasn’t found his sea legs, but he’s better than his ‘08 self. 

The backs are nicked up, but as healthy or healthier than last year.  The line has suffered one serious setback, losing Marc Colombo to a broken fibula.  Doug Free has been steady in his two starts. 

The pass protection remains a concern.  Romo has already been sacked 25 times this year.  He went down 20 times in 13 starts last year.  This year, at least, Romo has a better running game and far more targets to throw to when he scrambles.  Overall, this unit rates a wash.  It has averaged just half a point more than last year’s crippled squad.

Two September Games Can Mess Up Your Whole Profile

This means December and January, should it come, again depends on the defense.  And this bunch offers real reason for hope.  Ken Hamlin is out at the moment but should return soon, meaning all eleven of the opening day starters are healthy, as are the key nickel players Orlando Scandrick, Bobby Carpenter and Alan Ball.

Wade 3.0 has finally played up to his reputation.  Those of us who praised the defense in camp had embarrassed looks on our faces when they face-planted in September.  Tampa ran over them for 174 yards and Eli Manning, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham passed over them for 330 yards the next week.  The D ranked 30th after those games, with these horrifying numbers:

438 yards per game; 135 rush yards. per game; 303 pass yards per game

Those stats have polluted the defense’s stat lines all year.  Look at the team’s overall stat lines and rankings, and the averages from the last nine games:

Games	Yards/Gm.	Rank	Rush YPG	Rank	Pass YPG	Rank	Points PG	Rank
1-2	438		135		303		27.0
3-11*	303	8th	95	7th	208	12th	14.2	1st
Season	327	16th	103	7th	224	19th	16.5	2nd

*Rank shows where the team would rank in the overall standings with these numbers

Since week three, the defense has played at a top level.  The yardage numbers for that nine-game stretch are comparable to Wade’s ‘07 and ‘08 units.  The big jump has come in scoring: the ‘09 Cowboys have been a stingy bunch.  Their 16.5 average is almost a touchdown per game better than last year’s defense, which allowed 22.8 points per game. 

That 16.5 remains in peril.  Where last year’s December meant navigating four of the top five scoring defenses, this year’s schedule brings four of the NFL’s top scoring offenses:

• 1st. New Orleans
• 5th San Diego
• 7th Philadelphia
• 10th N.Y. Giants

The Cowboys have contained the three top-10 scoring offenses they’ve faced since the Giants loss.  They held Green Bay to 17, the Eagles to 16 and Atlanta to 21.  The Falcons are the only opponent to top 20 points since week two. 

When you see the “Perils of December” stories, and some are already around, know that the quarterback may get the attention, but it’s the defense which will either navigate the rocky waters at last, or wreck the Cowboys ship again.

Captain Romo, hand the wheel to Captain Ware.

Wade’s Defense Will Guide the Cowboys’ December Ship

The legend lives on from the NFL on down,
of the good ship they call Dallas Cowboys,
The team it is said, can be given up for dead,
when the skies of December turn gloomy…

– not Gordon Lightfoot, not The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Cock your head and you can hear it.  The calendar turns to December tomorrow, and just as sure as the winter, the howling about the Cowboys’ December collapses has begun.  The subject has gained a mythic quality; it seems not so much as option as an inevitability:  a tough December schedule looms and the good team is doomed.  Doomed because its captain, Tony Romo, a sailor born by the sea, loses his compass when the weather turns cold and the pass rushes fierce. 

Or so the myth sellers say.  Is Romo truly a sunshine sailor?  Are the Cowboys at the mercy of his mercurial December play?  Grab your coats and your gloves and follow me on some football forensics, as we find out what really has caused the good ship Cowboys to wreck over and over again.

2005

The Cowboys crashes started before Tony Romo, and Wade Phillips, and most of the current players joined the squad.  Bill Parcells’ bunch gritted and grunted their way through injuries which claimed projected RT Jacob Rogers in Oxnard and LT Flozell Adams after six games.  When Dallas beat Detroit on November 20, it was 7-3.  On Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys took a 13-3 Denver team to overtime, but lost when Ron Dayne broke a long, controversial run, which set up a Jason Elam field goal.

This disappointment was the first of many, as Dallas went 2-4 from November 21st to the finale against the Rams.  The offensive line surrendered eleven sacks in two painful division losses to the Giants and Redskins.  The latter let Washington leapfrog the Cowboys into the playoffs.  That line, for those of you who have effectively disavowed it:

• LT — Torrin Tucker
• LG — Larry Allen
• C - Al Johnson
• RG — Marco Rivera
• RT - Rob Petitti

Doug Free, for all his uncertainty, would probably star with that bunch.  Allen’s tread was worn, Rivera broke down after fourteen games and Tucker and Petitti were playing their last months as Cowboys.  Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland never could draft o-linemen in Dallas and it hurt them badly here.

2006

Romosexuals were everywhere.  The world was Romolicious.  The Romom Empire was in the making.  Cowboys Nation was positively giddy over its new star, who replaced Drew Bledsoe after the veteran showed terminal shell-shock in a Giants loss at Texas Stadium. 

Romo avenged the defeat with a memorable last-minute bomb to Jason Witten in the Meadowlands, which set up Martin Grammatica’s last second winner.  Dallas was 8-4 and in control.  

But storm clouds were looming.  Dallas had spoiled an inspired Romo performance at the old RFK Stadium when the special teams bungled a short field goal attempt in the final seconds.  The Redskins Shaun Springs blocked it and when Kyle Kosier was flagged for a facemask penalty while tackling Springs, Washington got to attempt their own field goal with no time on the clock.  The Redskins made it and stole the win (something the 7-6 grousers should recall).

The secondary was also coming unglued.  Aaron Glenn started ‘06 as Dallas’ nickel back, but he lost his top end as the season progressed.  Anthony Henry had a balky knee that locked up on him at times, but the coaches kept him in the lineup over Jacques Reeves.  At safety, Pat Watkins started the season, but was driven to the bench after the Eagles beat him for two deep touchdown passes in their home win.  The ever uncertain Keith Davis replaced him.  Roy Williams was showing his freelancing tendencies, ones which would hurt the team badly in their playoff loss to Seattle. 

In short, the Cowboys secondary was Terence Newman and a couple cases of duct tape.  When Romo blasted Tampa Bay for 5 TDs on Thanksgiving Day, I wrote this warning, noting that the Bucs Joey Galloway had run wild through Dallas’ secondary.  The Giants didn’t exploit it the following week but former Cowboys OC Sean Payton did the following week.  Drew Brees riddled that secondary, throwing five TD passes in a 42-17 romp.  Mike Vick hit them for four more the week after that, and Jon Kitna put four more past them in the season finale.

The secondary gave up 14 touchdown passes that December; the defense gave up 33 points per game in that span.  Romo’s guys scored a respectable 24 per game, but they knew they had to get to at least 35 points to have a chance.  The offense topped that once, in Atlanta.  Not suprisingly, it was Dallas’ only win. 

The broken pass defense shaped Parcells’ thinking.  He game-planned to avoid a shootout in Seattle, even though the Seahawks secondary was even more injury-depleted than Dallas’.  When Romo dropped that late field goal snap, all the December frustration dropped onto his shoulders.   The defense, the most culpable part of the team, snuck quietly out of the locker room. 

2007

Dallas roared into December at 11-1, having beaten Green Bay in Texas Stadium, a game many pundits labeled an NFC title game dress rehearsal.  The following week, Romo faced down the Tampa-2 demon.  Buffalo had intercepted him five times in week five by doubling his receivers, daring Romo to consistently check down.  He lacked the patience then to take the short tosses and forced passes into coverage. 

In Detroit, HC Rod Marinelli threw the same game plan at Romo.  This time, he played Montana-ball:  27 of Romo’s 35 completions went to tight ends and backs.  He found Jason Witten fifteen times.  Their last completion gave Dallas a comeback 28-27 win. 

The following week, Romo threw up a stinker, as Dallas lost 10-6 to the Eagles.  Their seven game win steak was snapped and Fox’s repeated views of Jessica Simpson brought the Memo Paris/Yoko Romo meme into being.   Andre Gurode left the game with a knee injury and the doom-meisters crept into the open.  Romo had the offense back on track in Carolina the next week until T.O. rolled his ankle just as Dallas was about to score its second early touchdown.  The points slowed to a trickle from that point, though Dallas won 20-13.

Romo and many of the starters were pulled minutes into the Redskins season finale.  Washington had the chance of facing Dallas in the playoffs, even if the Cowboys beat them, so the coaches treated this as a preseason game.  Dallas finished December 2-2.  The starters were 2-1, but when the Cowboys lost to New York in the divisional round, the memory of Romo’s bye-week Cancun vacation and Jessica in the pink jersey were within easy reach for those wanting a quick, lazy excuse. 

Three secondary players whiffed on Amani Toomer’s short-catch, long-run TD and Jacques Reeves was Eli Manning’s dartboard as the Giants drove the field in 42 seconds for a critical TD just before half. The Bruce Read special teams also allowed a long punt return to set up New York’s last TD, but it didn’t matter.  Jessica had stolen Tony’s mojo and the Cowboys season. Romo had produced a decent December, but everything from global warming to the high price of gas was on the cute couple. 

2008

Romo opened December with his career stinker.  On a cold night in Pittsburgh, Romo frequently overlooked open receivers in the short and intermediate zones to try passes downfield.  When he looked short, Tashard Choice made huge catches and runs.  Romo did make one of his patented spin-and-scrambles, and found T.O. for an early 3rd quarter score.  Despite Romo’s many misreads, Dallas had the ball and a ten point lead with just over eleven minutes left. 

Then, the entire team unraveled.  The first downs stopped coming.  The pass defense loosened and the special teams gave up a long punt return to give the Steelers a very short field.  Pittsburgh stunned Dallas with 17 late points.  The defense rebounded to crush the Giants, sacking Eli Manning eight times in a 20-8 win, but this unit, which looked Doomsdayesque after the bye, completely lost it against Baltimore, giving up 77 and 82 yard runs on back-to-back plays in a 33-24 loss.   The team seemed to give up there.  They brought nothing to Philadelphia and were pasted 44-6.  The D held for one series, but did nothing after Donovan McNabb found Correll Buckhalter off a scramble that set up Philly’s first touchdown. 

Dallas went 1-3 down the stretch and though the D gave up 32 points per game in the three losses, Romo again wore the horns.  Romo, who ran an offense which had no speed and atrophied muscles in a December when it faced the NFL’s 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th ranked scoring defenses.  The line played the full season with Cory Proctor at left guard.  Flozell Adams didn’t miss a start despite a neck stinger which weakened one arm and an extreme finger infection which required antibiotic IV drips to treat it. 

Dallas’ skill position players dropped away one by one.  Felix Jones never returned after his game six hamstring injury.  Marion Barber never had great speed and was even slower after tearing ligaments in a pinkie toe.  Sam Hurd broke an ankle in Arizona and went on I.R.  Miles Austin went on the injured list three different times.

Roy Williams developed plantar fasciitis in a heel after the Thanksgiving Day win and lost his spring: he averaged 15.4 yards per catch in his November starts and 4.6 in his December games.  Terrell Owens saw his production ebb.  He racked up garbage yards in the second half of the Eagles blowout but averaged 44 yards in the other December games. 

The Dallas attack came down to Tashard Choice’s legs and Jason Witten’s guts.  The Senator suffered a broken rib in the Bengals week five win and rolled an ankle later in the season.  Still, he soldiered on, and provided Romo’s only consistent receiving target.  Jason Garrett put Romo in the shotgun to protect him but it provided little respite from the rush;  Romo was sacked 7 times in his first nine starts but thirteen times that December.

The offensive injuries meant the team was going as far as the defense could carry them and when the secondary again faltered, another season went down the drain.

What can we conclude from these shipwrecks of Decembers past?

1. The December drops predate Romo.  He was carrying a clipboard in ‘05 when the o-line sprung three leaks and Drew Bledsoe followed them to the bottom.
2. Romo is good for one big December stinker.  Christmas day ‘06 vs. the Eagles, the 12-6 dud versus the same Eagles in ‘07 and last year’s Steelers abomination fall to Romo.  If history offers any guide, one ‘09 dud remains.  (This year’s schedule has a surprisingly mild slate of scoring defenses: the 13th rated Eagles and Saints, the 15th rated Chargers and the 24th rated Giants.  If you want some prime suspects, look to the Eagles, who cuffed Romo in ‘06 and ‘07, and the 7th rated Redskins, who held Dallas to a touchdown two games ago.  Dallas has not topped 10 points in its three games against scoring defenses ranked in the top 10)
3. The biggest December villain has been the defense, primarily the secondary.  They flooded touchdown passes in ‘06 and long TD runs and passes in ‘08.  They gave up the big pass plays that kept New York in the game during the ‘07 playoff loss.  The offense line played a part in ‘05 and last year.  The special teams also bear some blame.  The punt coverage teams figured in the ‘07 playoff loss and the Steelers loss last year.

2009

What, if anything is different on November 30, 2009? 

Let’s begin with the special teams, which have improved under Joe DeCamillis.  They still can’t return kickoffs effectively, but every other unit is better.  The kick coverage groups spearhead this unit, so the fears of a new back-breaking return are slim.

On offense, the skill positions look healthy.  Witten has again rolled an ankle, but he’s probably the worst injured Cowboys this year.  The receivers are healthy.  Miles Austin has replaced T.O. with ‘07 Owen- level production.  Roy Williams still hasn’t found his sea legs, but he’s better than his ‘08 self. 

The backs are nicked up, but as healthy or healthier than last year.  The line has suffered one serious setback, losing Marc Colombo to a broken fibula.  Doug Free has been steady in his two starts. 

The pass protection remains a concern.  Romo has already been sacked 25 times this year.  He went down 20 times in 13 starts last year.  This year, at least, Romo has a better running game and far more targets to throw to when he scrambles.  Overall, this unit rates a wash.  It has averaged just half a point more than last year’s crippled squad.

Two September Games Can Mess Up Your Whole Profile

This means December and January, should it come, again depends on the defense.  And this bunch offers real reason for hope.  Ken Hamlin is out at the moment but should return soon, meaning all eleven of the opening day starters are healthy, as are the key nickel players Orlando Scandrick, Bobby Carpenter and Alan Ball.

Wade 3.0 has finally played up to his reputation.  Those of us who praised the defense in camp had embarrassed looks on our faces when they face-planted in September.  Tampa ran over them for 174 yards and Eli Manning, Steve Smith and Mario Manningham passed over them for 330 yards the next week.  The D ranked 30th after those games, with these horrifying numbers:

438 yards per game; 135 rush yards. per game; 303 pass yards per game

Those stats have polluted the defense’s stat lines all year.  Look at the team’s overall stat lines and rankings, and the averages from the last nine games:

Games	Yards/Gm.	Rank	Rush YPG	Rank	Pass YPG	Rank	Points PG	Rank
1-2	438		135		303		27.0
3-11*	303	8th	95	7th	208	12th	14.2	1st
Season	327	16th	103	7th	224	19th	16.5	2nd

*Rank shows where the team would rank in the overall standings with these numbers

Since week three, the defense has played at a top level.  The yardage numbers for that nine-game stretch are comparable to Wade’s ‘07 and ‘08 units.  The big jump has come in scoring: the ‘09 Cowboys have been a stingy bunch.  Their 16.5 average is almost a touchdown per game better than last year’s defense, which allowed 22.8 points per game. 

That 16.5 remains in peril.  Where last year’s December meant navigating four of the top five scoring defenses, this year’s schedule brings four of the NFL’s top scoring offenses:

• 1st. New Orleans
• 5th San Diego
• 7th Philadelphia
• 10th N.Y. Giants

The Cowboys have contained the three top-10 scoring offenses they’ve faced since the Giants loss.  They held Green Bay to 17, the Eagles to 16 and Atlanta to 21.  The Falcons are the only opponent to top 20 points since week two. 

When you see the “Perils of December” stories, and some are already around, know that the quarterback may get the attention, but it’s the defense which will either navigate the rocky waters at last, or wreck the Cowboys ship again.

Captain Romo, hand the wheel to Captain Ware.

Sunday Games Open Thread

With a Week 12 win already safely in the bank, we can sit back and watch the rest of the NFL today.

Matchups that are of special interest to Cowboys fans include teams that are battling for NFC playoff position.

Philadelphia (6-4) host the Redskins.
The Falcons (5-5) play Tampa Bay.
Arizona (7-3) goes to Tennessee.
Chicago visits Minnesota (9-1).

Use this thread as for all the games to be played this Sunday, including the Sunday night game. Raf will have an article later this evening about the dreaded December swoon and the thruth behind it. After that, we’ll be back on a non-holiday schedule starting Monday.

Hope you had a good holiday weekend.

This is an open thread for game chat.

Sunday Games Open Thread

With a Week 12 win already safely in the bank, we can sit back and watch the rest of the NFL today.

Matchups that are of special interest to Cowboys fans include teams that are battling for NFC playoff position.

Philadelphia (6-4) host the Redskins.
The Falcons (5-5) play Tampa Bay.
Arizona (7-3) goes to Tennessee.
Chicago visits Minnesota (9-1).

Use this thread as for all the games to be played this Sunday, including the Sunday night game. Raf will have an article later this evening about the dreaded December swoon and the thruth behind it. After that, we’ll be back on a non-holiday schedule starting Monday.

Hope you had a good holiday weekend.

This is an open thread for game chat.

FISH on FOOTBALL: Top Ten Cowboys Takes, With Thanksgiving Pizza And Cigars!

Top Ten Takes from a Cowboys Turkey Day that features pizza, cigars and Bugs Bunny. (Yes, in my house we celebrate Thanksgiving in a decidedly unorthodox fashion!)

1. We’re all concerned about December. These Cowboys have tried to do that month in a Bill Parcells way and they’ve tried to do that month in a Wade Phillips way and … we should worry about December when it gets here.

Granted, that’s in, like, 72 hours or whatever, but …

First, the Cowboys should be congratulated on vaulting from a dubious 2-2 to an impressive 8-3. Part of that is Dallas’ November success, best exemplified, I think, by Tony Romo’s career record in this month.

Romo’s career record in November is 15-2.

Jimmy Johnson used to say that there is no reason to be nervous about a test if you know the answers. I don’t know if the Cowboys “know the answers” in December. But they clearly pass their November quizzes and that’s a start.

2. Some observers want the Cowboys to be able to grind it out. Other observers want the Cowboys to be able to be explosive.

Can’t this be like Deion Sanders’ pizza order? You know. … both?

The Cowboys were good for 10 plays of 20-yards-plus, an impressive showing from an arsenal of guys — Miles Austin, Tashard Choice, Jason Witten, Felix Jones - that you KNOW can do this. … but have been waiting to see your confidence justified.

I still say the foundation of it all is being able to run for 195 yards on 25 carries … and that the explosiveness is an extension of that.

But whichever comes first … I’m greedy. I want both.

3. I hear a lot of people - including players themselves - saying that you don’t have to like the guy next to you to succeed.

To which I respond by borrowing a line from Bugs Bunny: “It couldn’t hoit.”

Maybe it was just my heart having been softened by Thanksgiving, but I thought it was cool to watch Austin and Witten repeatedly approaching one another on the sideline to offer congratulations for their respective big days. Austin was happy for Witten. Witten was happy for Austin. The effervescent Austin would look up at the JumboJerry and wave at fans. … and then he’d go back over to Witten and pat him on the butt again.

It couldn’t hoit.

Then there was offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who sought out Marion Barber as the running back came off the field for a final time. Garrett and Barber are both very skilled at keeping the lid on their public emotion. But in one brief moment, the two of them exchanged an out-of-character chest bump.

How meaningful was it all? Does mutual respect and maybe even friendship equate to wins?

“A close-knit group,” Phillips says of his team. “Our guys are not selfish. They are very focused. … They are the kind of group you love to coach. It is not a big ego group, but it is a group that pulls together and pulls for each other offense, defense and special teams.”

Yup. And it couldn’t hoit.

4. “Close” finally became “cigar” for outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who recorded two sacks - his first two of the season - after three months of almosts.

Of course, a Sunday can’t go by without Spencer notching an “almost” of some sort. So let the record show that he came within a whisker of an interception, too.

5. We said in this space a few weeks ago that Roy Williams is a perfectly acceptable non-No.-1 receiver … and all that needs to happen for that to be fully realized if for Roy himself to realize it.

And now … it is so.

Williams is gifted, but erratic and not fully dependable … not unlike plenty of other No. 2 receivers in the NFL. So when he hangs onto a slant pass, or when he contributes a touchdown catch (he did both against the Raiders), it’s a nice bonus.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the No. 1 receiver gives you seven catches for 145 yards and a TD.  
Does Roy not want to go over the middle? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Can Roy not run away from defenders? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Will Roy not hold onto the ball in traffic after the catch? Fine. Miles Austin will do that.

Rafael says the targets went: 10 to Miles, three to Roy. Sounds about right to me.

Roy Williams played like a solid No. 2. Miles Austin pretty much carried this team’s luggage and was in charge of buying the donuts for the first month of the season  but is almost certain to be a 1,000-yard receiver in this breakout season.

That’s a No. 1 receiver. … who in this case is tied for the NFL lead with 15 catches of 20-yards-plus. … and it doesn’t matter what his name is or where he came from.

6. The roof was open. Lovely! I’ve heard 100 different lame justifications for why it hasn’t previously been open and they all sound as bogus as Jerry Jones’ explanation for why there weren’t American flags inside the stadium … until this week.

Sometimes, we overthink these things … and then we fib about our overthinking.

Cowboys Stadium has a retractable roof. Retract it.
The Cowboys are America’s Team playing in America. Display America’s flag.

OK?

7. I’m going to defer to Rafael on the research on this one … I’ll just throw out what I think I saw: Did the Cowboys play much of the game with such disregard for the Raiders’ passing game that Dallas used five linebackers and three defensive backs? I’ve seen that done in high school; what NFL offense is so crappy that it cannot exploit a three-DB defense?

8. Here’s hoping that previous to Thanksgiving the reason Jason “I Want To Be A Weapon” Witten has looked a step slow, hasn’t been able to get downfield, hasn’t been able to get open at all, really, is related to that bum foot. Here’s betting, though, that for the rest of his career, when the medical staff informs him that maybe he shouldn’t go, Witten will rub some dirt on it, play, and look fresher on a bum foot than he’s looked since camp.

A 37-yarder? A 44-yarder? His two longest gains of the year?

Seriously, if you had Witten on your fantasy team, did you even sweat for a moment whether or not he’d play?

9. Thanksgiving home games are obviously an advantage. An otherwise historically awful Detroit franchise flirts with .500 on Thanksgiving. And Dallas? With Romo at QB, the Cowboys have won four straight Turkey Days, beating their foes by a combined score of 130-29.

10. Did CBS’s Jim Nantz really say during the game that the Cowboys are experiencing a successful season while “under the radar”? Is that what the broadcasters from over in the AFC think? That the Cowboys are suddenly now underpublicized, under recognized and under-scrutinized?

The Colts, Saints, Vikings, Patriots and … the Cowboys. The five teams that are certainly under nobody’s radar … and given their records, rightfully so.

An 8-3 record won’t keep the December hounds away. Tony Romo has already begun to answer questions…

An 8-3 record won’t keep the December hounds away. Tony Romo has already begun to answer questions about the Cowboys‘ most infamous month.



Still, he insists he doesn’t feel any extra pressure now that the calendar will flip to December.

“It’s not different than the weight of a specific game,” Romo said. “I don’t know that it’s any bigger than this last game because it was November and this next one is in December. … I know it will be a fun little story; I’m sure there will be a few of them about it. But for us, we’ll just kind of keep the blinders on and keep going.”

Big Plays = Big Win: Cowboys 24, Raiders 7

A Thanksgiving Day game is usually the last place a struggling offense expects to regain its swagger.  The short week often produces sloppy games, with lots of drops, slips, bobbles and missed assignments. 

Jason Garrett’s bunch found their mojo somewhere between the tray of stuffing and the cranberry sauce dish yesterday, creating a new category in process.  Coaches refer to explosives as running plays of 12 yards or greater and passing plays of 16 yards or more.  Against the Raiders, the Cowboys went beyond explosives, unleashing six “thermonuclear” plays: runs or passes of 35 yards or greater.  The big bomb approach is Garrett’s style and will hopefully end the hubbub about his play-calling skills. 

Garrett threw a 54:46 pass-to-run mix at the Raiders, which has been his normal mix all year.  He runs a big-play attack, through the air and on the ground.  The problem the prior two weeks has been execution.  The same calls got receivers open but Tony Romo and his receivers were not synchronized.  Yesterday, they showed the best execution in a month and knocked  the Raiders off-balance from their first series on.

The early problem for Dallas was that the big play was their only option.  Tony Romo found Miles Austin for 46 yards on the Cowboys first attempt of the day.  Austin turned Nnamdi Asomugha inside out with a feight upfield and got inside separation.  Austin probably got a bonus 20 yards when Oakland’s free safety jumped Martellus’ Bennett’s shorter post route, leaving the deep middle unoccupied. The play took Dallas to the Oakland 30, but the Cowboys could not advance and a Romo sack forced a punt. 

Tashard Choice opened Dallas’ third drive in the Razorback set and ran a designed cutback up the middle.  Choice lined up as a shotgun QB and followed offset FB Deon Anderson towards the guard-center gap on the left side.  Choice cutback to his right, where Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis had created a seam in the right A gap.  Oakland’s middle linebacker lost Choice in traffic, meaning once Choice was past the linebacker’s level he was free.  Asomugha ran Tashard down at the Oakland eleven 66 yards later.  Here, an Anderson holding call put Dallas in a first-and-20 they could not overcome.  Nick Folk salvaged the field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Dallas next drive showcased Garrett’s most significant adjustment from the past few weeks.  Dallas had been using its receivers almost interchangeably, with Roy Williams playing the split end and working the middle of the field on deep posts, square ins and shallow crosses. 

Yesterday, Austin was given the inside responsibility and the lion’s share of the receiver attempts.  The adjustment seems sound.  Austin is the stronger player of the two and therefore breaks tackles better.  He can run routes with multiple cuts, whereas Williams appears to be a one-cut-and-go type of guy.  Austin also has much better acceleration.  Patterns over the middle of the field require stopping to freeze linebackers and safeties and then quick starts to dash away from them. 

Austin demonstrated those skills on two key receptions.  With the Cowboys in 3rd-and-11, he caught a short crossing route at eight yards and dragged a Raiders defender the final three yards, pushing the ball inches past the yard marker.  On the next play, he lined up wide left, ran a short curl route, and then pushed it hard back outside.  Romo hit Austin in stride and the WR ran away from a safety for 27 yards.

On the next play, Dallas lined up in its 22 package, with two TEs, two backs and Williams the line receiver.  Both Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten lined up right, outside of Doug Free, with Bennett as the TE and Witten outside him as the F-back.  Dallas called power right, its stock counter play, with LG Kyle Kosier and FB Anderson leading Felix Jones behind the overload. 

Bennett and Witten rolled the Raiders DE Greg Ellis inside.  When they got him moving, Witten released Ellis — whom Bennett drove to the turf — and picked off the Raiders weakside linebacker.  Anderson blocked  the strongside outside backer and when the pulling Kosier hit the middle linebacker, Felix had a wide crease off the RT gap.  He bolted upfield, broke an ankle tackle attempt by SS Michael Huff and skipped the last five yards of his 46 yard touchdown romp.  Felix looks healthy again, his blocking looks healthy again and the 10-0 lead looked tasty to a Cowboys Nation which had grown hungry for points.

Garrett blew up Oakland with another thermomuclear play on the next series.  Dallas deployed in a bunch package left, with Bennett spearheading a triadjust wide of LT Flozell Adams that had Austin flanking Bennett on the left and Witten to Bennett’s right.  Williams was split alone to the right and Marion Barber stood to Romo’s right in the shotgun.  At the snap the bunch scattered, pulling Oakland’s coverage to their side.  Williams ran a shallow cross, pulling the corner with him and creating acres of space up the right sideline.  Barber ran a swing route, caught Romo’s pass about eight yards upfield and raced untouched for another 34 before he was pushed out of bounds at the Raiders’ 30.

The drive again sputtered and Folk’s second attempt clanged off the right upright.  Even the misses had the look of improvement yesterday.  The execution improved, and while rough edges remain, the character of the offense is back. 

This is who the Cowboys are, folks.  They have a line that can create big running plays, but which leaks too frequently on passing downs and draws too many penalties to generate regular ten or twelve-play, ball-control drives.  They play fast break football, and they regained some of their flash.  Now, to maintain it…

How Will They Replace T.O.?

It’s been a while since we have  had that question ground into our collective consciousness.  The answer appears to be, quite well.  Yes, Roy Williams continues to struggle, but Garrett’s use of Miles Austin showed he has finally settled on a role for the newbie starter and views Austin as the fulcrum of the Cowboys passing machine. 

– Austin had ten balls thrown in his direction, compared to three for Williams.  Eight of those ten came in the first half.  Garrett wanted to establish Austin early and he succeeded.  Many of his tosses were short, at distances of 8 to 12 yards downfield. 

Mike Martz made a similar move in Detroit in late ‘07, when he gave up on centering his passing attack around Roy Williams.  He dialed the pass mix rich for Calvin Johnson and never looked back.  We probably saw Jason Garrett cross his receivers Rubicon yesterday.  Austin can play the Michael Irvin role.  Roy Williams can’t, and the offense can’t wait.  He’s playing Alvin Harper now, running most of his attempts upfield and in the red zone.  If he can accept this and chip in his 3-4 catches and red zone snags, he’ll do his part.

– Notice what Austin’s breakout did for Jason Witten.  As I noted earlier in the story, the Raiders appeared to game plan for the tight ends, as other teams have in recent weeks.  The Raiders safety was looking for Martellus Bennett on an intermediate post, not Miles Austin running a deeper post over the top. 

Once Austin put some big catches on the stat sheet, the safeties backed off, and note what Witten was able to do:  He made a 37 yarder running an “F-post” on Dallas’ first offensive play of the second half.  On the Cowboys final TD drive, Witten caught an intermediate pass, shook free from the linebacker and meandered his way for a 44 yard gain that put Dallas on the Raiders’ eight.  He may have had a sprained foot, but he also had the best therapeutic option a tight end can have — a legit wideout threat.  

(While we’re on the subject, it appears Witten played more F-back yesterday, with Martellus Bennett in the traditional tight end spot on the line.  This shifts more of the blocking duties to the kid and puts less stress on Witten’s crocked foot.)

How well can Miles Austin perform in the top slot?  Let’s compare Austin’s ‘09 production to Terrell Owen’s monster ‘07 after 11 games:

• Austin ‘09 — 7 starts, 42 catches, 824 yards, 19.6 YPC, 8 TDs.
• Owens ‘07 — 11 starts, 64 catches, 1093 yards, 17.1 YPC, 13 TDs.

The big difference lies in that first number; Austin has only seven starts through eleven games, versus a perfect eleven for T.O.  Austin spent the end of the preseason on the injured list and didn’t hit the lineup until Williams left the lineup with banged up ribs. He had just 5 catches for 81 yards the first month of this campaign.

It may turn out that D.J. Williams‘ kill-shot in Denver was the happiest Cowboys accident this decade.  Let’s return to peak T.O. and compare Austin’s and.Owens’ production per start:

• Austin ‘09 — 5.6 catches per game, 19.1 ypc, 106 yards per game, 1.0 TDs per game;
• Owens ‘07 — 5.8 catches per game, 17.1 ypc, 99 yards per game, 1.2 TDs per game.

Almost identical, no?  And remember, this was Owens’ career year in Cowboys white, the second best of his career.  We still have no idea if we’re seeing Austin’s peak, giving the tiny sample size of work.  It’s possible Austin may get even better.  Garrett’s game plan suggested that Austin is his guy.  If he continues to see 9-10 balls per contest, his numbers could explode even more.

Feed the Teeth, Jason!

Notes

The defense did its part, holding Bruce Gradkowski and the Raiders offense to just under their season average of 11 points per game.  Oakland did muster an impressive 88 yard drive in the 3rd quarter, but the Dallas rush kept them from finding their early rhythm and from sustaining it once, found.

– Oakland needed 36 minutes to cross mid-field. 

– stress fracture?  Who said anything about a stress fracture?  Demarcus Ware looked like his old self yesterday.  The acceleration and constant motion was there.  He only logged one sack, but he was on Gradkowski on many more passes.

– Finally!  After weeks of bad luck, Anthony Spencer bagged a quarterback.  Not once, but twice.   Had the shifty Gradkowski not dashed half a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before Spencer dropped him, number 93 would have a hat trick of sacks today. 

– The defense’s climb continues.  They now sport a 16.5 point- pe- game average, which has them knocking on #2 New England’s door.  If the Saints hang some points on the Pats Monday night the Cowboys will enter the home stretch in rarified air.  It’s too early to get smug, however.  The Giants, Chargers and Saints loom on the schedule’s horizon and they can all score. 

– Your wrinkle of the game.  On a 3rd down early in the game, Wade Phillips threw a Bears nickel look at Gradkowski.  Operating from the 3-3 look, Dallas kept Jay Ratliff slanted on the nose, Stephen Bowen in the left guard-tackle gap and Jason Hatcher in the same gap on the right side.  Bobby Carpenter lined up in the left OLB spot and Bradie James and Demarcus Ware floated behind the linemen.  Just before the snap, James dashed wide and lined up next to Carpenter.  Ware dashed wide to the other side and lined up outside of Hatcher. 

The look was a Chicago front, with an overload on the weakside and Ware charging from the right.  Carpenter occupied the left tackle, Bowen crashed the guard and James charged untouched between them.  His pressure forced an incompletion. 

The defense was a one-off, however.  As formation afficionados will note, there was no middle linebacker behind Ratliff to handle the back.  Darren McFadden stayed in to block Demarcus Ware, but had Dallas shown this look a second time, it’s likely he would have run a hot route, as Rock Cartwright did last week, and caught a quick pass over the middle in space.  Cartwright has some speed, but he doesn’t have McFadden’s top gear.  Wade took his gamble, won the down, and knew to walk away, as good poker players do.

– David Buehler’s toe problems appear to be behind him.  He boomed three kicks for touchbacks.

– Everybody is aware of this fact, no?  Broncos 26, Giants 6.  Dallas gets ten days off but so do the Giants.  The last time Dallas faced a desperate team on the road we got the Lambeau Letdown.  The game will be Dallas’ last in Giants Stadium.  Let’s hope for a memorable result.  A happy memory.

Big Plays = Big Win. Cowboys 24, Raiders 7

A Thanksgiving Day game is usually the last place a struggling offense expects to regain its swagger.  The short week often produces sloppy games, with lots of drops, slips, bobbles and missed assignments. 

Jason Garrett’s bunch found their mojo somewhere between the tray of stuffing and the cranberry sauce dish yesterday, creating a new category in process.  Coaches refer to explosives as running plays of 12 yards or greater and passing plays of 16 yards or more.  Against the Raiders, the Cowboys went beyond explosives, unleashing six “thermonuclear” plays: runs or passes of 35 yards or greater.  The big bomb approach is Garrett’s style and will hopefully end the hubbub about his play-calling skills. 

Garrett threw a 54:46 pass-to-run mix at the Raiders, which has been his normal mix all year.  He runs a big-play attack, through the air and on the ground.  The problem the prior two weeks has been execution.  The same calls got receivers open but Tony Romo and his receivers were not synchronized.  Yesterday, they showed the best execution in a month and knocked  the Raiders off-balance from their first series on.

The early problem for Dallas was that the big play was their only option.  Tony Romo found Miles Austin for 46 yards on the Cowboys first attempt of the day.  Austin turned Nnamdi Asomugha inside out with a feight upfield and got inside separation.  Austin probably got a bonus 20 yards when Oakland’s free safety jumped Martellus’ Bennett’s shorter post route, leaving the deep middle unoccupied. The play took Dallas to the Oakland 30, but the Cowboys could not advance and a Romo sack forced a punt. 

Tashard Choice opened Dallas’ third drive in the Razorback set and ran a designed cutback up the middle.  Choice lined up as a shotgun QB and followed offset FB Deon Anderson towards the guard-center gap on the left side.  Choice cutback to his right, where Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis had created a seam in the right A gap.  Oakland’s middle linebacker lost Choice in traffic, meaning once Choice was past the linebacker’s level he was free.  Asomugha ran Tashard down at the Oakland eleven 66 yards later.  Here, an Anderson holding call put Dallas in a first-and-20 they could not overcome.  Nick Folk salvaged the field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Dallas next drive showcased Garrett’s most significant adjustment from the past few weeks.  Dallas had been using its receivers almost interchangeably, with Roy Williams playing the split end and working the middle of the field on deep posts, square ins and shallow crosses. 

Yesterday, Austin was given the inside responsibility and the lion’s share of the receiver attempts.  The adjustment seems sound.  Austin is the stronger player of the two and therefore breaks tackles better.  He can run routes with multiple cuts, whereas Williams appears to be a one-cut-and-go type of guy.  Austin also has much better acceleration.  Patterns over the middle of the field require stopping to freeze linebackers and safeties and then quick starts to dash away from them. 

Austin demonstrated those skills on two key receptions.  With the Cowboys in 3rd-and-11, he caught a short crossing route at eight yards and dragged a Raiders defender the final three yards, pushing the ball inches past the yard marker.  On the next play, he lined up wide left, ran a short curl route, and then pushed it hard back outside.  Romo hit Austin in stride and the WR ran away from a safety for 27 yards.

On the next play, Dallas lined up in its 22 package, with two TEs, two backs and Williams the line receiver.  Both Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten lined up right, outside of Doug Free, with Bennett as the TE and Witten outside him as the F-back.  Dallas called power right, its stock counter play, with LG Kyle Kosier and FB Anderson leading Felix Jones behind the overload. 

Bennett and Witten rolled the Raiders DE Greg Ellis inside.  When they got him moving, Witten released Ellis — whom Bennett drove to the turf — and picked off the Raiders weakside linebacker.  Anderson blocked  the strongside outside backer and when the pulling Kosier hit the middle linebacker, Felix had a wide crease off the RT gap.  He bolted upfield, broke an ankle tackle attempt by SS Michael Huff and skipped the last five yards of his 46 yard touchdown romp.  Felix looks healthy again, his blocking looks healthy again and the 10-0 lead looked tasty to a Cowboys Nation which had grown hungry for points.

Garrett blew up Oakland with another thermomuclear play on the next series.  Dallas deployed in a bunch package left, with Bennett spearheading a triadjust wide of LT Flozell Adams that had Austin flanking Bennett on the left and Witten to Bennett’s right.  Williams was split alone to the right and Marion Barber stood to Romo’s right in the shotgun.  At the snap the bunch scattered, pulling Oakland’s coverage to their side.  Williams ran a shallow cross, pulling the corner with him and creating acres of space up the right sideline.  Barber ran a swing route, caught Romo’s pass about eight yards upfield and raced untouched for another 34 before he was pushed out of bounds at the Raiders’ 30.

The drive again sputtered and Folk’s second attempt clanged off the right upright.  Even the misses had the look of improvement yesterday.  The execution improved, and while rough edges remain, the character of the offense is back. 

This is who the Cowboys are, folks.  They have a line that can create big running plays, but which leaks too frequently on passing downs and draws too many penalties to generate regular ten or twelve-play, ball-control drives.  They play fast break football, and they regained some of their flash.  Now, to maintain it…

How Will They Replace T.O.?

It’s been a while since we have  had that question ground into our collective consciousness.  The answer appears to be, quite well.  Yes, Roy Williams continues to struggle, but Garrett’s use of Miles Austin showed he has finally settled on a role for the newbie starter and views Austin as the fulcrum of the Cowboys passing machine. 

– Austin had ten balls thrown in his direction, compared to three for Williams.  Eight of those ten came in the first half.  Garrett wanted to establish Austin early and he succeeded.  Many of his tosses were short, at distances of 8 to 12 yards downfield. 

Mike Martz made a similar move in Detroit in late ‘07, when he gave up on centering his passing attack around Roy Williams.  He dialed the pass mix rich for Calvin Johnson and never looked back.  We probably saw Jason Garrett cross his receivers Rubicon yesterday.  Austin can play the Michael Irvin role.  Roy Williams can’t, and the offense can’t wait.  He’s playing Alvin Harper now, running most of his attempts upfield and in the red zone.  If he can accept this and chip in his 3-4 catches and red zone snags, he’ll do his part.

– Notice what Austin’s breakout did for Jason Witten.  As I noted earlier in the story, the Raiders appeared to game plan for the tight ends, as other teams have in recent weeks.  The Raiders safety was looking for Martellus Bennett on an intermediate post, not Miles Austin running a deeper post over the top. 

Once Austin put some big catches on the stat sheet, the safeties backed off, and note what Witten was able to do:  He made a 37 yarder running an “F-post” on Dallas’ first offensive play of the second half.  On the Cowboys final TD drive, Witten caught an intermediate pass, shook free from the linebacker and meandered his way for a 44 yard gain that put Dallas on the Raiders’ eight.  He may have had a sprained foot, but he also had the best therapeutic option a tight end can have — a legit wideout threat.  

(While we’re on the subject, it appears Witten played more F-back yesterday, with Martellus Bennett in the traditional tight end spot on the line.  This shifts more of the blocking duties to the kid and puts less stress on Witten’s crocked foot.)

How well can Miles Austin perform in the top slot?  Let’s compare Austin’s ‘09 production to Terrell Owen’s monster ‘07 after 11 games:

• Austin ‘09 — 7 starts, 42 catches, 824 yards, 19.6 YPC, 8 TDs.
• Owens ‘07 — 11 starts, 64 catches, 1093 yards, 17.1 YPC, 13 TDs.

The big difference lies in that first number; Austin has only seven starts through eleven games, versus a perfect eleven for T.O.  Austin spent the end of the preseason on the injured list and didn’t hit the lineup until Williams left the lineup with banged up ribs. He had just 5 catches for 81 yards the first month of this campaign.

It may turn out that D.J. Williams‘ kill-shot in Denver was the happiest Cowboys accident this decade.  Let’s return to peak T.O. and compare Austin’s and.Owens’ production per start:

• Austin ‘09 — 5.6 catches per game, 19.1 ypc, 106 yards per game, 1.0 TDs per game;
• Owens ‘07 — 5.8 catches per game, 17.1 ypc, 99 yards per game, 1.2 TDs per game.

Almost identical, no?  And remember, this was Owens’ career year in Cowboys white, the second best of his career.  We still have no idea if we’re seeing Austin’s peak, giving the tiny sample size of work.  It’s possible Austin may get even better.  Garrett’s game plan suggested that Austin is his guy.  If he continues to see 9-10 balls per contest, his numbers could explode even more.

Feed the Teeth, Jason!

Notes

The defense did its part, holding Bruce Gradkowski and the Raiders offense to just under their season average of 11 points per game.  Oakland did muster an impressive 88 yard drive in the 3rd quarter, but the Dallas rush kept them from finding their early rhythm and from sustaining it once, found.

– Oakland needed 36 minutes to cross mid-field. 

– stress fracture?  Who said anything about a stress fracture?  Demarcus Ware looked like his old self yesterday.  The acceleration and constant motion was there.  He only logged one sack, but he was on Gradkowski on many more passes.

– Finally!  After weeks of bad luck, Anthony Spencer bagged a quarterback.  Not once, but twice.   Had the shifty Gradkowski not dashed half a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before Spencer dropped him, number 93 would have a hat trick of sacks today. 

– The defense’s climb continues.  They now sport a 16.5 point- pe- game average, which has them knocking on #2 New England’s door.  If the Saints hang some points on the Pats Monday night the Cowboys will enter the home stretch in rarified air.  It’s too early to get smug, however.  The Giants, Chargers and Saints loom on the schedule’s horizon and they can all score. 

– Your wrinkle of the game.  On a 3rd down early in the game, Wade Phillips threw a Bears nickel look at Gradkowski.  Operating from the 3-3 look, Dallas kept Jay Ratliff slanted on the nose, Stephen Bowen in the left guard-tackle gap and Jason Hatcher in the same gap on the right side.  Bobby Carpenter lined up in the left OLB spot and Bradie James and Demarcus Ware floated behind the linemen.  Just before the snap, James dashed wide and lined up next to Carpenter.  Ware dashed wide to the other side and lined up outside of Hatcher. 

The look was a Chicago front, with an overload on the weakside and Ware charging from the right.  Carpenter occupied the left tackle, Bowen crashed the guard and James charged untouched between them.  His pressure forced an incompletion. 

The defense was a one-off, however.  As formation afficionados will note, there was no middle linebacker behind Ratliff to handle the back.  Darren McFadden stayed in to block Demarcus Ware, but had Dallas shown this look a second time, it’s likely he would have run a hot route, as Rock Cartwright did last week, and caught a quick pass over the middle in space.  Cartwright has some speed, but he doesn’t have McFadden’s top gear.  Wade took his gamble, won the down, and knew to walk away, as good poker players do.

– David Buehler’s toe problems appear to be behind him.  He boomed three kicks for touchbacks.

– Everybody is aware of this fact, no?  Broncos 26, Giants 6.  Dallas gets ten days off but so do the Giants.  The last time Dallas faced a desperate team on the road we got the Lambeau Letdown.  The game will be Dallas’ last in Giants Stadium.  Let’s hope for a memorable result.  A happy memory.

A Very Happy Thanksgiving: Raiders @ Cowboys Highlights

Even during a down year, this is why Cowboys fans love TE Jason Witten. There was concern if he…

Even during a down year, this is why Cowboys fans love TE Jason Witten. There was concern if he could even play on Thursday, but Witten knew he was going to play, and didn’t want the coaches to forget that.

“He was adamant right from the start that he was playing,” said [Jason] Garrett. “He must have come by my office or circled around my office probably around 20 times during the last three days. ‘Coach, you know I’m playing.’ I kept telling him, ‘Look at the game plan. There are a lot of Witten plays in the game plan. Don’t worry, we know you’re playing.’ It’s just what he’s all about. That guy tries to be great every day, every play and with everything he does.”

The star TE told our own Mike Fisher he wants to be a weapon in the offense again. On T-Day, he went for a season-high 107 yards. He was in a walking boot after the game, but does anybody doubt Witten will play in the next game? During his career, he’s missed exactly one game, when he had his broken jaw wired shut in his rookie campaign.

Cowboys vs. Raiders: Dallas Offense Finds the Big Play in 24-7 Win

The Oakland Raiders weren’t supposed to be much competition for the Dallas Cowboys, as it turned out - they weren’t. The Cowboys cruised to an easy Turkey Day victory by the score of 24-7. By winning, Dallas assured themselves of remaining in first place in the NFC East for another week, setting up a big game next weekend against the New York Giants.

The ‘big play’ finally returned to the Cowboys offense after taking a two-game vacation. Miles Austin found himself matched up on the Raiders Chris Johnson for large parts of the game and made the Raiders pay. Austin racked up 145 yards on seven catches with 1 TD. Jason Witten finally had a big day with 107 yards; Roy Williams pitched in with a TD. But it was the big plays that set Dallas apart, Austin, Witten and Marion Barber all had catches of 40+ yards on the day.

The Cowboys also got big-time plays from the running game. Out of the razorback, Tashard Choice ripped off a 66-yard run. Felix Jones had a 46-yard romp that ended in a TD and Marion Barber had a 32-yard run.

With all the firepower being efficiently managed by Tony Romo, the Cowboys were never in serious jeopardy during the game. Romo was back to his old self - hitting receivers in stride so they could pick up valuable yards after the catch instead of spraying the ball high or off-target. When Romo has his timing and rhythm down like he did today, the Cowboys offense can be a juggernaut.

On the other side of the ball, the Dallas defense is becoming a dominant force. Dallas sacked Bruce Gradkowski three times and hit him or put him under pressure on numerous plays. Anthony Spencer continued his recent streak of excellent play with two sacks and stout run defense. Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware spent a fair amount of time in the Raiders backfield.

The Cowboys secondary is providing great coverage, allowing head coach/defensive coordinator to play a lot of man-to-man with press coverage. That makes it difficult for opposing QBs to get the ball out quickly to avoid the Cowboys pass rush. With Keith Brooking finally solidifying the middle, the Dallas defense is proving this year they are part of the solution, not the problem.

All in all, a solid win over an overmatched opponent. The Cowboys took care of their business, meaning they could enjoy their turkey in a victory celebration.

Here’s to 8-3, first place in the NFC East, and winning on Thanksgiving.

Cowboys vs. Raiders: Dallas Offense Finds the Big Play in 24-7 Win

The Oakland Raiders weren’t supposed to be much competition for the Dallas Cowboys, as it turned out - they weren’t. The Cowboys cruised to an easy Turkey Day victory by the score of 24-7. By winning, Dallas assured themselves of remaining in first place in the NFC East for another week, setting up a big game next weekend against the New York Giants.

The ‘big play’ finally returned to the Cowboys offense after taking a two-game vacation. Miles Austin found himself matched up on the Raiders Chris Johnson for large parts of the game and made the Raiders pay. Austin racked up 145 yards on seven catches with 1 TD. Jason Witten finally had a big day with 107 yards; Roy Williams pitched in with a TD. But it was the big plays that set Dallas apart, Austin, Witten and Marion Barber all had catches of 40+ yards on the day.

The Cowboys also got big-time plays from the running game. Out of the razorback, Tashard Choice ripped off a 66-yard run. Felix Jones had a 46-yard romp that ended in a TD and Marion Barber had a 32-yard run.

With all the firepower being efficiently managed by Tony Romo, the Cowboys were never in serious jeopardy during the game. Romo was back to his old self - hitting receivers in stride so they could pick up valuable yards after the catch instead of spraying the ball high or off-target. When Romo has his timing and rhythm down like he did today, the Cowboys offense can be a juggernaut.

On the other side of the ball, the Dallas defense is becoming a dominant force. Dallas sacked Bruce Gradkowski three times and hit him or put him under pressure on numerous plays. Anthony Spencer continued his recent streak of excellent play with two sacks and stout run defense. Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware spent a fair amount of time in the Raiders backfield.

The Cowboys secondary is providing great coverage, allowing head coach/defensive coordinator to play a lot of man-to-man with press coverage. That makes it difficult for opposing QBs to get the ball out quickly to avoid the Cowboys pass rush. With Keith Brooking finally solidifying the middle, the Dallas defense is proving this year they are part of the solution, not the problem.

All in all, a solid win over an overmatched opponent. The Cowboys took care of their business, meaning they could enjoy their turkey in a victory celebration.

Here’s to 8-3, first place in the NFC East, and winning on Thanksgiving.

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