Who Are This Year’s Packers?
June 20, 2008
The outlook was lukewarm for Green Bay this time last year — and that’s from their unshakably-sunny fans’ perspective. I remember boos when they picked Justin Harrell with their top selection. The so-called experts didn’t think much of their draft either. Mel Kiper gave it a C+, as did Scott Wright. The team was enduring another will-he-or-won’t-he-retire Brett Favre melodrama.
In the end the team that closed strong to reach 8-8 in ‘06 started strong in ‘07 and zipped to 13-3.
This happens every year. The year before the Saints went from homeless to a good half of play short of the Super Bowl.
I’ve talked a lot about the Fantastic Four, the teams that go from losers to the playoffs, but I want to zero in on the NFC team that will not only improve, but be a legitimate threat in January.
I nominate the Minnesota Vikings.
They had the best run defense I saw last year, with monster DTs Pat Williams and Kevin Williams gumming up everything inside. They have a lethal running game with Chester Taylor and the magnificent Adrian Peterson. They’re already well built on both offensive and defensive lines.
And they got better this offseason, trading for DE Jared Allen and signing WR Bernard Berrian. They only had one first day draft pick, after the Allen deal, but used it on SS Tyrell Johnson, who builds up their weakest defensive unit.
The Vikings have Tarvaris Jackson at QB, so they’ll attempt to play the 2000 Baltimore Ravens model or the Houston Oilers model circa 1977 and 78: ride a stout defense, a top tier running back and an opportunistic passing game to the Super Bowl. Jackson will have some passing options, in Berrian and TE Jim Kleinsasser, but his job description will nonetheless read “busdriver.”
Those Earl Campbell-led Oilers came up short, unable to get past a more balanced Steelers team, but the Ravens won it all. In the era of parity, especially in the NFC, anything is possible. I still prefer Dallas’ chances but I think the Vikings will be throwing their weight around come playoff time.
A Reminder: Check out our “beat down-o-meter” on the right and pinch Donny’s wallet. You’ll get an extra week of camp coverage out of it.
NFL Trends ‘08 - The Return of Lenny Moore?
June 18, 2008
Lenny Moore was the first double threat in the modern NFL era. He played halfback and flanker for the Johnny Unitas-led Baltimore Colts in the late ’50s and ’60s and was a blue-chipper at both positions. He made the Hall of Fame and a panel of former players and personnel men recently named him one of the ten best running backs of all time.
Recent news from NFL mini-camps suggests to me that we may see a resurgence in Lenny Moore-type running backs this year.
We have seen two major offensive trends in the recent NFL. One is towards spread offenses, which use base three and four receiver sets. The Patriots’ success last year with a base 3-WR, 1-RB package will no doubt be duplicated in this copycat league. The other sees more teams using running back platoons.
Reports from Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Dallas hint that the OCs there will combine both trends, producing an offense that features two running backs on the field at the same time, with one of the backs displaying Moore’s running and receiving skills.
Let’s begin in Tennessee, where the Titans’ OC Mike Heimerdinger was drawing up plays as fast as his hands could write them at the team’s first camp to get Chris Johnson on the field. His 4.2 speed was evident and the Titans will try to get him on the field in space in combination with Lendale White or Chris Brown. With Vince Young under center, the Titans are the closest thing the NFL has to an option-capable team.
In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are drooling about Rashard Mendenhall’s potential and are trying to get him on the field as much as possible. The linked story says he’s being tried as a kickoff returner but I would not be surprised if the Steelers tried some packages with Mendenhall and Willie Parker together.
Of course, we’ve seen reports from Dallas that have the Cowboys placing Marion Barber and rookie Felix Jones on the field together. Dallas tried this once in a while with Barber and Julius Jones but Felix has better hands and appears to have better open-field moxie than the older Jones.
One more tactic the two-RB package could revive is the no-huddle offense. The Bengals ran a slow version of a no-huddle, called the “sugar huddle” in the late ’80s when Boomer Esiason had Ickey Woods and double threat James Brooks in his backfield. That team would line up at the line of scrimmage and calls plays in a deliberate fashion, looking to take an offsides penalty when a defense tried to make a substitution.
Buffalo ran a more active and lethal version of a no-huddle in the early ’90s with its “K-gun,” a three-WR, one back set with Thurman Thomas in the backfield. Thomas could move all over the field and the Bills would exploit matchups while keeping a defense in its base or nickel packages.
The closest models to what we might see from Jason Garrett this year are the sometimes no-huddle packages the 49ers and Cowboys ran in the mid-90s. Dallas tried a power-version of this set, using FB Daryl Johnston as the flex back. He would move to the slot and sometimes line up wide. Johnston could do his damage — he made some enormous catches in a ‘96 win over the ‘49ers — but no one would ever confuse his moves with Moore’s or Jones’.
In San Francisco, the 49ers would sometimes open a game in their base set, with RB Ricky Watters and FB Tom Rathman in the backfield, and then go no-huddle, moving Watters into the slot or lining him up at flanker. Watters had played receiver while at Notre Dame and was a legitimate receiving threat. Because the defense could not substitute, it would either have to burn a time out or risk matching a LB or S on Watters in space.
Opposing safeties had to respect Jerry Rice and John Taylor’s skills, meaning Watters could run seam and post patterns from the slot and leave linebackers in his dust.
I imagine the Cowboys will use packages that more closely mimic what the 49ers did, with Jones playing Watters’ role. Since Marion Barber is a much better runner than Tom Rathman, and can pass block effectively, opposing linebackers face a conundrum: do they focus on Barber’s inside game and leave Jones in isolation or do they play the pass more and take their chances with Dallas’ run?
Whatever the case, we may have a new nickname for Felix Jones before the season is over — “Lenny.”
Michael Irvin — The Lionhearted Gazelle
August 4, 2007
Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows that this day it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that this day it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. So it doesn’t matter whether you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up you’d better be running.
– An inspirational passage Michael Irvin kept in his locker
I became aware of Michael Irvin as a concept before I ever saw him play. His idea was inspired by the diminutive Mike Renfro, the most unlikely Irvin prototype.
In the ‘85 season finale, the Cowboys played the 49ers. This was Tom Landry’s last playoff team and it was aged and flawed, and lost to the defending champs 31-16. Early in the game, Landry called for a pass over the middle to Renfro. Safety Dwight Hicks closed quickly on him and expected the 180 lb. Renfro to duck the tackle.
Instead, Renfro stunned him by lunging directly into Hicks’ facemask just as the 49er made contact, bowling over the safety and gaining a few extra yards. The crowd was stunned too, oohing at Renfro’s unexpected move.
In my living room, I experienced what the Russian critic Viktor Shklovsky might have described as true football art; the oohs from the stands and from my mouth proved that Renfro had made strange our understanding of receiver play.
I had grown up with the NFL in the ’70s and missed the era of unfettered contact between defenders and receivers. In the older days, corners could ride a wideout up and down the field. Linebackers would throw elbows at tight ends and receivers crossing their zones. Only the toughest offenders excelled in that world. Look at the receiving leaders from the ’60s and you’ll see a parade of linebacker-sized wideouts — nearly all were over six feet tall and weighed more than 200 pounds. This in a era when linemen went 235-250 lbs and linebackers weighed 210 to 225 lbs.
The game changed in 1978 when the NFL instituted the five yard chuck rule, limiting a defender to one shove or chuck of a receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage. It ushered in the small, speedy “smurf” receiver and created in my generation an unconscious understanding of active defenders and passive offensive players. Corners, safeties and strongside linebackers were the lions crowding the line, waiting to chase down and devour their prey. Receives and tight ends were the gazelles, who relied on cunning and speed to avoid the lions and scamper downfield towards their passes.
Renfro’s lunge defamiliarized that model and made me question, “where in the rules does it say the receiver has to accept punishment? He has as much right to attack as his opponent.” In that moment Renfro also reoriented my thinking about the five-yard chuck zone. Where I had seen it as a cage where defenders tried to trap their opponents, I now understood it as a contested space, where an offensive player could outfight his opposite number on his flight upfield. I wondered why more receivers didn’t adopt this mindset.
That next season I saw Michael Irvin play for the first time. Irvin did not just crib Renfro’s gonzo style, he redefined it. Irvin took a great deal of abuse from opponents and commentators over the years who claimed he pushed off and he did. (So too did Jerry Rice, who was far more subtle about it, but every bit as cold blooded.) If you watched Irvin closely you know that most of his aggression came within a second of the snap. Irvin loved to snap defenders’ hands off his shoulders with a sharp uppercut and blow past them upfield.
The man relished contact because he was usually bigger and stronger than his assigned corner and knew he would win more than his share of battles. Big corners like Carnell Lake and the young Corey Chavous gave him trouble, but they were few in number.
And once the ball was in the air, nobody was going to outwork and outfight Irvin for it. His methods were sometimes cruel; in the 1996 NFL Championship Game, Irvin twisted Doug Evans into a backpedal and trapped a deep fade on the back of Evans’ helmet before snatching the ball away from the disoriented Packer.
Irvin’s physical play blinded many people to his football speed. When you read his detractors you don’t have to go far before seeing the slur “possession receiver.” Irvin is portrayed as a bull, lumbering ten yards upfield, throwing a two-handed shove into his opponent’s chest and catching a Troy Aikman hook.
The rippers miss the completeness of his game. I can still see the wicked double move he threw at Oakland’s Terry McDaniel in a ‘95 win that screwed the Raider into the Coliseum turf and allowed Irvin to romp untouched for a score. It’s the type of pattern Raymond Berry would have endorsed.
To the claims that Irvin was slow, his statistics speak clearly. Here’s a comparison of the career numbers and peak seasons for the pantheon of ’90s wideouts:*
CAREER AVERAGE SEASON
| Player | Catches | Yards | YPR | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry Rice | 81 | 1198 | 14.8 | 10.3 |
| Sterling Sharpe | 85 | 1162 | 13.7 | 9.3 |
| Michael Irvin | 71 | 1136 | 15.9 | 6.0 |
| Cris Carter | 78 | 982 | 12.6 | 9.1 |
| Tim Brown | 68 | 933 | 13.7 | 9.3 |
| Art Monk | 66 | 898 | 13.5 | 4.7 |
| Andre Reed | 59 | 824 | 13.9 | 5.4 |
*(I eliminated seasons where a player missed serious time due to injury, a strike, etc. Only seasons where one played 10 or more games counted, putting each WR in the best possible light.)
PEAK SEASON
| Player | Catches | Yards | YPR | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice ‘95 | 122 | 1848 | 15.1 | 15 |
| Irvin ‘95 | 111 | 1603 | 14.4 | 10 |
| Sharpe ‘92 | 108 | 1461 | 13.5 | 13 |
| Brown ‘97 | 104 | 1404 | 13.5 | 11 |
| Carter ‘95 | 122 | 1371 | 11.2 | 17 |
| Monk ‘84 | 106 | 1372 | 12.9 | 7 |
| Reed ‘89 | 88 | 1312 | 14.9 | 9 |
Irvin is the only man in this group to average over 20 yards per reception in a season. He did that twice, both in seasons where he lacked a receiving sidekick. (Irvin had a quality #2 to protect him for only five of his twelve seasons.) Irvin may have come in last in a foot race of these men but nobody was better at getting the ball down field during a game, not even the splendid Rice.
In his time only Michael and the ill-fated Sterling Sharpe (who sadly had his career-ending neck injury before he could compile a Canton-quality resume) could consistently produce at a level approaching Rice’s. Irvin’s ‘95 still ranks as one of the top ten seasons by a modern receiver. Only seven men have surpassed it and four — Rice, Marvin Harrison, Torry Holt and Jimmy Smith look like sure Hall candidates.
Professional sports are stages for physical freaks. Rice, for example has extraordinarily large hands. Lance Armstrong has lung capacity found in only a tiny percentage of humans. When he finally succumbed, an autopsy showed the racehorse Secretariat had a heart almost 50% larger than normal, which helped explain his supernatural skills.
In Canton today the NFL and the Cowboys Nation will celebrate the strange and amazing creature known as the Playmaker, a gazelle who kicked as well as he ran and who made the lions flee. Irvin’s romps were football art and I’m grateful he made them in my time.
The Day that Was — 11/11/96
June 18, 2007
Originally posted on TheBoys.com, Nov 11, 1996:
BIG D BY THE BAY
Defense Vaults Dallas Past San Francisco, 20-17, and Into the Middle of the Playoff Race
Fate has not been kind to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.
Twice this year, the Cowboys had seen almost certain victories snatched from them in the most painful of ways.
There was Chris Boniol’s last second, down the middle boomer that clanked off the crossbar, giving the Colts a 25-24 win.
Then came last week’s 31-21 debacle against the Eagles, in which Troy Aikman threw an interception with Dallas just three yards away from a win.
Against the 49ers yesterday, it seemed that the football gods would rub the Cowboys’ noses in misery, while ending their reign atop the football world.
The 49ers raced to an early 10-0 lead by cribbing the offensive game plan used by Indy. Dallas had opened the game in a nickel package, with three safeties in the game. The 49ers had countered by running outside from a two tight end package, the same set used by the Colts in their successful opening drive against Dallas. The Niners two long opening drives were reminiscent of the agonizing starts against the Colts and Buffalo.
After climbing back into the game, Troy Aikman was intercepted at the five yard line by Marquez Pope with just over six minutes left in the game. Deion Sanders was mostly to blame for the pick, having cut a slant route short. Still, the play brought back painful memories from the Eagle’s loss and surely would have sparked heated debate about Aikman’s ability to lead a comeback.
Fortunately for Aikman and the Cowboys nation, the shock would last all of one play. Fred Strickland intercepted Elvis Grbac on the following play, giving Aikman a chance at redemption. He gained it three minutes later, when he floated a six yard touchdown pass to Eric Bjornson. The score tied the game at 17-17 and set the stage for Dallas 20-17 overtime win.
Redemption was one of the primary qualities in the Cowboys’ comeback win. The others was patience and trust. Dallas won because the offense and defense showed an unshakable belief in one another. Thought the defense staggered in the first quarter, allowing ten points on the Niners first two possessions, the offense did not panic. It figured that the defense would solidify and it did, permitting only seven points the rest of way.
This faith kept the offense from forcing plays against a 49er defense that smelled blood. It kept Aikman and friends from committing the early turnovers that had decided the last two 49ers games.
While the offense took its time getting going, the defense did not resort to finger pointing and excuses. It could easily have done so; the offense opened the game with three three-and-out series, and had a grand total of zero yards after the first quarter.
But patience is a virtue and the defense’s patience was rewarded. After spending twelve minutes on the field in the first quarter, the defense would have to play only fifteen more, as the offense won the time of possession battle 39:15 to 26:57. The defense had surrendered 139 yards in the first stanza, but gave up only 128 the rest of the way, as Dallas outgained the 49ers 316 to 267.
A front seven that looked anemic against the Eagles last week showed its mettle, sacking Niners quarterbacks three times and forcing Steve Young and Elvis Grbac into three turnovers. Broderick Thomas ignited the Dallas rush, coming at Young from both sides of the pocket. He dropped Young with a hard tackle that knocked the San Francisco signal caller woozy. Several plays later, Young would leave for good with his second concussion in three weeks.
Redemption and trust were also key to Dallas’ offensive success. Aikman can freeze a receiver out of his game plan after a mental mistake, but he looked to Deion again in overtime. Sanders justified Aikman’s faith, making a critical catch on a third and seven play that kept the game winning drive going.
Upstairs, Ernie Zampese maintained his belief in a running game that went nowhere for 20 minutes. His repeated calls for Emmitt Smith runs was rewarded as the offensive line eventually wore down the heralded Niner front. The clinching play came when Smith rocketed sixteen yards to the Niners’ twelve, setting up Chris Boniol for a short game winner.
The Cowboys found more rewards waiting for them in the locker room. Philadelphia, Washington and Green Bay had all lost, moving the Cowboys back into the thick of playoff contention. With Green Bay coming to Texas Stadium next week and Washington playing Philadelphia, the stage is set for Dallas to take another giant step back towards the top.
ONE SURPRISE MEETS ANOTHER
Pregame hype had centered on Dallas ability to contain Jerry Rice when he lined up in the slot. The Cowboys had said little about their intentions during the week. The made them clear when after the 49ers received the opening kickoff, opening the game in a 4-2-5 look with three safeties.
On camera, the Cowboys scheme did not appear any different from their normal package. They still lined up three linebackers deep behind their defensive line. The difference was that Darren Woodson was in one of the linebacker positions, replacing strong side backer Broderick Thomas. Roger Harper opened as the strong safety behind Woodson. It would be Woodson’s responsibility to cover Rice when he lined up inside, at least initially.
The 49ers had anticipated a nickel defense and countered with a two tight end, one back formation. This gave them decided mismatches on the perimeters, as Dallas was reluctant to move their linebackers up to the line to take on the bigger blockers.
The 49ers used this scheme to mount a fourteen play opening drive. Starting at its 21, San Francisco gained a quick first down when William Floyd ran a draw for ten yards to his 33 on the second play from scrimmage. He carried up the middle again for four yards two plays later, leaving his team in third and two. The 49ers converted here when Steve Young ran a bootleg for three yards.
After stopping Terry Kirby for no gain, the Cowboys were fooled by a screen pass, which Floyd carried to the Dallas 43. Floyd’s slip on the loose 3-Com-Park sod kept him from getting even more yardage.
The 49ers tried for a big score on the next play, as Rice ran a go pattern down the sideline. Deion Sanders had good coverage on the play, but let an interception get through his hands in the end zone. Floyd made the Cowboys pay for their mistake when he ran a sweep around right end for eleven yards, to the Dallas 32.
Rice moved the chains two plays later when he caught an out in front of Kevin Smith at the Cowboys’ seventeen. The 49ers resumed their running attack and two runs gained seven yards. They went to a four receiver set on third down, but failed to convert when Young’s pass for Rice fell incomplete. The Niners settled for Jeff Wilkins short field goal and a 3-0 lead.
The 49ers regained the ball after the Cowboys opening drive lost three yards in three plays. A procedure penalty against Erik Williams was the key mistake. John Jett’s punt was high, allowing the Cowboys’ coverage team to tackle Dexter Carter at his 31.
The 49ers had found easy yards on the right side of their line and they went back there on their second possession. Kirby was hit in the backfield by Lett on the first play of the drive, but he spun free and rambled for seven yards. Floyd followed two pulling guards right on second down and gained seven more yards.
Dallas got the 49ers in a third and seven situation but Young converted when he fired a low pass which Iheanyi Uwaezuoke scooped up in front of Kevin Smith at the Dallas 43. On the next play, Rice beat Smith on an out for the second time, giving the 49ers a first down at the Dallas 29.
The 49ers followed by lining up in a slot formation left, with split backs. The Cowboys came after Young with a six man blitz, but the 49ers were prepared, keeping both backs and the tight end Ted Popson in to block. The 49ers sent only two men on a pattern. Rice ran an intermediate crossing route out of the slot and Uwaezuoke ran a deep post behind him. Kevin Smith was matching Uwaezuoke stride for stride but he fell down at the five, allowing the Niners rookie to make an easy touchdown catch. Wilkins’ PAT made the score 10-0 and the Cowboys were fit to be routed.
Dallas had faced a similar situation in week five, falling behind Philadelphia 10-0 before rallying for an inspired win. Dallas did not appear to be ready for much of anything this time, after the offense again went three and out. Jett’s second punt was also high and deep, and Dexter Carter fielded it at his ten. He got great blocks on a right return and darted to the Dallas 38 before Jett and Herschel Walker brought him down.
The 49ers had used power to beat Dallas and now they tried finesse. San Francisco opened their third drive in a four receiver set. With the Cowboys secondary spread, Young tried to throw a screen to Floyd. Darren Woodson had jammed the play, forcing an incompletion. The 49ers stayed in a four wideout set and tried a trap draw to Floyd. Leon Lett and Tony Tolbert read the play and stopped Floyd for no gain on the last play of a forgettable first quarter.
THE SANDMAN PUTS STEVE YOUNG TO SLEEP
On the first play of the second quarter, Dallas set three down linemen with Broderick Thomas set wide opposite the 49ers tight end Popson. At the snap Thomas sprinted inside Niners’ left guard Ray Brown. He caught Young from behind and forced a fumble, which Leon Lett recovered at the Dallas 41.
The Cowboys opened their third drive with two Smith running plays and appeared to have a much needed first down. A holding penalty against Larry Allen wiped out the gains and put Dallas in second and long. Two short completions fell way short of a first down and Dallas punted for a third time. The coverage was better here and Carter was corralled at the Niners’ 21.
The 49ers tried running outside on first down and Brock Marion spilled Kirby for a one yard loss. On second down, Broderick Thomas leapt over Niners’ right tackle Frank Pollard and forced Young to throw the ball away. Thomas had his hands on Young as the ball was released so he followed through and slammed Young hard into the turf.
Thomas had long ago gained the nickname “The Sandman” and he lived up to it when he and Jim Schwantz combined to nail Young on third down. Young had scrambled forward in the pocket after finding no one open. Thomas grabbed him low and Schwantz finished him off with a jarring helmet to helmet blow. Tommy Thompson came on for the Niners first punt of the day. San Francisco still help a sizable lead, but the momentum was slowly moving in the Cowboys’ direction.
The Cowboys now began to win the game of field position. Kelvin Martin’s 22 yard punt return set the Cowboys up at their 40. On second and ten, Aikman beat a 49ers blitz with a quick out to Michael Irvin, who slipped a Tyrone Drakeford tackle and dived to the 49ers’ 44.
On the next play, Aikman ran a pump and go for Sanders. Deion got behind Marquez Pope but Aikman under threw the ball. This allowed Pope to recover and knock down the pass. Two plays later the Cowboys spread the field with four receivers and had Sanders run a crossing route. Drakeford managed to run with him and knock down this pass, forcing the fourth Cowboys punt. Jett dropped his high kick into the arms of Charlie Williams. Unfortunately, Williams back foot was in the end zone. The 49ers would start their next drive at their 20 instead of their one.
The Cowboys continued their pressure on Young and it again paid off. On first down, Tony Casillas shot into the backfield and grabbed the QB. Young spun away from him but was tackled hard at the line of scrimmage. Floyd then tried another sweep left and was stopped by a host of Cowboys after a one yard gain. Young went for the big strike on third and nine, but his bomb for Rice was well defensed by Kevin Smith.
Deion Sanders now dropped deep to field Thompson’s punt, but got no chance for a return, as he was tackled immediately at the Dallas 28.
THE OFFENSE WAKES UP
On the Niners’ sideline, Steve Young was having an ice bag applied to the back of his neck, and was ruled out of the game by team doctors. In the huddle, Aikman and his cohorts were finally shaking off the cobwebs after a zombie-like start.
On first down, Aikman hit Eric Bjornson, who was cutting across the middle of the field. The play gained ten yards. On the following play, Emmitt Smith ran behind trap blocking on the left side of the line for six yards. Smith ran left again and gave the Cowboys a second first down at the Dallas 48. Herschel Walker entered the game and ran a sideline route from the backfield. Ken Norton stayed with Walker and knocked the ball from his hands. The play was moot, as Nate Newton was flagged for holding, moving Dallas back to its 38.
Michael Irvin had received tight coverage to this point and now Ernie Zampese made an effort to get him free inside. The Cowboys set Daryl Johnston outside of Irvin and brought him across the middle. Pope ran with Irvin and tackled him after a three yard gain. Bjornson then ran a second route across the middle and Aikman hit him at midfield, leaving Dallas in another third and long.
The Cowboys converted this time, as Irvin ran a comeback route in front of Pope at the San Francisco 39. On the next play, Dallas ran power right. Smith followed Newton but found the middle of the line clogged. He bounced outside and outraced Tim McDonald to the Niners’ 25.
On the next play, Irvin set right and Johnston went in motion to his side, putting Irvin in the slot. The Niners switched Drakeford to Johnston, leaving Irvin to be covered by linebacker Gary Plummer. Irvin ran a crossing route to his left and left Plummer in his dust. He caught an Aikman dart in the middle of the field and raced to the 49ers’ eight yard line.
Two minutes remained in the half. Aikman dropped to throw on first down and found nobody open to his right. Chris Doleman had beaten Mark Tuinei with a wide rush and bore down on Aikman from his blind side. Aikman sensed him coming and sprinted down to the 49ers’ four. On the next play Smith tried the left side of the line and was stopped after a one yard gain.
The clock had dropped under a minute and Dallas was facing third and goal. The Cowboys lined Johnston up in the left slot, giving them a three receiver look. Smith went in motion right before the snap, leaving no backs in the backfield.
Plummer was the only Niners linebacker in the middle of the defense and he followed Smith outside. Aikman took a three step drop, set to run and promptly slipped on the soft sod. He regained his balance and leapt over Bryant Young at the goal line, giving Dallas a touchdown with only 32 seconds left before halftime. Chris Boniol’s PAT sent the teams to the locker room with the Niners in front 10-7.
WOODSON MAKES ELVIS SING THE BLUES
The Cowboys took the second half kickoff and zipped across midfield when Deion Sanders ran a slant pass to the Niners’ 43. The next three plays went nowhere and Dallas had to punt. Jett boomed another kick, which was fair caught at the San Francisco eight.
Elvis Grbac had closed the final seconds of the first half and now he took his first crack at the Dallas defense. He looked right and found Jerry Rice behind Darren Woodson. Rice was run out of bounds at the 25. A motion penalty two plays later put the Niners in a third and long situation. Tony Tolbert then broke into the backfield and pressured Grbac into an incompletion. Thompson’s third punt of the day was a wobbler which bounced out of bounds at the Dallas 36.
The Cowboys looked to cross into 49er territory when Smith ran outside for six yards on first down. But Bjornson ran a three yard route on third and four. His reception left Dallas short of a first down and prompted another Jett punt. Jett again did his job, booming a high kick that Herschel Walker downed at the San Francisco eleven.
The 49ers had not moved the ball in several possessions. On this series they tried a formation from the Green Bay Packers playbook, lining up tight ends Brent Jones and Ted Popson on the right side of their formation. Popson got a quick first down when he got behind the Dallas linebackers at the 32 yard line.
Two plays later, on second and ten, the Niners lined up both tight ends left, with Rice in the slot on the right side. Dallas blitzed six men and dropped Chad Hennings into the short middle. This put Hennings in coverage on Jerry Rice, who was running a crossing route just beyond the line of scrimmage.
Darren Woodson came from his spot on the left side of Niners’ line, then held at the line of scrimmage. He hid behind a Niners’ lineman and waited for Rice to enter his zone. When Grbac threw to Rice, Woodson cut in front of him and intercepted the pass at the 49ers 33 yard line.
Emmitt Smith gained six yards on first down, then gave five of them back when he jumped the snap count on second down. Dallas got a first down on the next play when Marquez Pope locked on to Irvin at the line of scrimmage and held him the entire play. Two plays later, Dallas spread the field with four receivers then ran a toss left to Smith, who turned the corner and gained nine yards. He then dove between Mark Tuinei and Nate Newton for two yards on third and one.
Sherman Williams replaced Smith for a play and ran around left end for four yards to the 49ers twelve. Aikman then looked to pass to Smith in the left flat. Finding Emmitt covered, Aikman scrambled back to the line of scrimmage. He was hit on the back of the helmet by Young and Plummer and got up slowly. He went to the sideline, where a lost contact lens was replaced. Wade Wilson replaced Aikman and ran a draw for Smith on third and six. The play gained four yards, leaving Dallas in fourth and two from the eight as the third quarter ended.
Chris Boniol chipped a short field goal between the uprights on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Dallas had finally drawn even at ten.
KIRBY OUTRUNS THE POSSE
Grbac had failed to get the ball to his receivers, so Niners’ coordinator Marc Trestman now called for him to target the running backs. On second and nine from the San Francisco 33, Grbac fired a short pass to Terry Kirby. Fred Strickland tackled Kirby but grabbed his facemask, leaving the Niners in second and one.
Grbac again threw a flare to Kirby, who shook free from Strickland on the right sideline and ran to the Dallas 44. The Niners went back to their early game plan, sending Floyd on a sweep left that gained nine yards. The 49ers tried a deep pass on second and one, and got Terrell Owens behind the Dallas secondary. Grbac overthrew him. Kirby followed Floyd right on third and one and gained three yards.
The Niners tried for another quick score, sending Rice down the right sideline against Kevin Smith. Smith provided solid coverage and Grbac’s pass sailed incomplete. The 49ers then lined up in a two tight end set on second down and ran a sweep right for Floyd that gained five yards.
On third and five the Cowboys blitzed its inside linebackers. Trestman had called for a sweep right and Kirby found a gaping hole off right tackle when Ted Popson sealed Darren Woodson to the inside. Kirby got solid blocks from his receivers downfield and raced 27 yards for a score. Wilkins’ PAT extended the 49ers lead to 17-10 with 11:38 left in the game.
The Cowboys hopes appeared to dim after they were forced to punt after three plays. Jett helped the Dallas cause by booming another long kick that was downed at the Niners’ 21. San Francisco moved seven yards in two plays, but gave it back with interest on third down.
Grbac tried to run a bootleg right, but Darrin Smith smothered Popson, his intended receiver. Tony Tolbert broke free from his blocker and forced Grbac towards the sideline. Grbac could have thrown the ball away but chose to step out of bounds back at his eighteen.
The field position would prove critical to Dallas. Thompson’s punt was long, but low. Kelvin Martin fielded it at his 31, got some blocks and raced down the right sideline to the 49ers’ 47 yard line.
Ernie Zampese expected the 49ers to blitz on first down. They did and Aikman beat them when he threw to his right, where Irvin was running a skinny post in front of Tyrone Drakeford. Aikman hit his receiver in stride at the 30 and Irvin cut across the field before Tim McDonald tackled him at the 49ers’ 19. On the next play, Emmitt Smith broke outside right before he was run out of bounds at the San Francisco ten. Smith was kicked in the leg on the play and left the field.
On second and one the Cowboys lined up in an I-set with Deion Sanders set wide left. He was supposed to run a slant inside at the five. When Sanders reached the six he stopped, seemingly unsure if he was to break outside or inside. Aikman’s pass sailed past the spot where Sanders was supposed to be and into the arms of Pope. The Niners corner returned the ball to the nine yard line. 6:27 remained in the game and the 49ers were a few first downs from putting the Cowboys away.
GRBAC RETURNS THE FAVOR
Dallas would have no time to feel sorry for itself. On the first play of the Niners’ drive, Grbac dropped to pass. He was pressured from his right side by Tolbert and forced a throw to Floyd crossing over the middle. The pass was thrown behind Floyd — right into the hands of Fred Strickland. The linebacker caught the ball and dropped at the 49ers fifteen.
A Smith run and an offside penalty on Pope gave Dallas a second and one situation at the Niners’ six. Daryl Johnston ran a trap dive to the four, but the play was wiped out by a holding call on Eric Bjornson. Aikman looked to Bjornson on the following play and the second year tight end made a diving catch at the eleven. On third and six, Aikman had trouble finding an open receiver. He was flushed forwards and left in the pocket. Aikman looked like he might run, but found Johnston breaking free in the left flat and threw to him at the San Francisco three.
3:33 remained in regulation time and Aikman took a time out. Smith got a carry off left tackle on first down and was smothered by several 49ers for a two yard loss. Aikman looked for Bjornson at the goal line on second down, but the tight end slipped while trying to make his break, forcing Aikman to throw the ball away.
On third and goal, the Cowboys lined up Kelvin Martin wide right, with Bjornson set right and Daryl Johnston on a wing behind him. At the snap of the ball, Martin ran to the goal line and cut inside. The 49ers were playing a combination package, with the cornerbacks covering man to man and everyone else in zone. Bjornson and Johnston ran in single file to the goal line. There they split, with Johnston cutting inside and Bjornson angling for the right corner.
With Martin clearing out the right side, linebacker Lee Woodall was the only player on that side of the 49ers coverage. Bjornson easily got behind him and caught Aikman’s floater. Boniol’s extra point was true and the game was again tied.
The 49ers opened their last possession of regulation with a bit of razzle-dazzle. On first and ten from the 20, Jerry Rice ran a reverse right. Tony Tolbert read the play and turned Rice inside, where he was dropped for a one yard loss. William Floyd beat Leon Lett on a zone blitz one play later for eleven yards, but that was the end of the drive. Two incompletions forced a punt, which was returned to the Dallas 29.
Dallas had 1:05 and two time outs. On their second play, they almost got the win. Deion Sanders ran a fly pattern down the right sideline and broke free when cornerback Steve Israel fell down. Aikman’s pass sailed just beyond his reach.
A slant pattern to Kelvin Martin gave Dallas a first down at the San Francisco 45, with 30 seconds left, but Chris Doleman’s sack of Aikman with nine seconds left ended any chance of a win in regulation.
AIKMAN IS OVERWHELMING IN OVERTIME
Dallas won the toss and elected to receive. Aikman then led the most impressive Dallas drive of the day, an eleven play, six and a half minute march that ended the game.
Starting from their 23, the Cowboys replaced the winded Sanders with Kelvin Martin. Martin ran a hook in front of Marquez Pope on first down, gaining eight yards. Smith ran outside left on the next play and gained the needed two yards.
The Cowboys were set back by a holding call which put them in first and 20 from their 23. The Cowboys went to a three receiver formation with Johnston in the left slot. He cut over the middle and took an Aikman dart to the 40, leaving the Cowboys in second and three. Smith ran wide left again and was stopped inches short of a first down. Aikman ran a quarterback sneak on third down and got the first down by inches.
Aikman returned to the air on first down and completed a pass to Irvin, who ran a hook in front of Drakeford. Irvin circled away from him and ran to the San Francisco 43. A five yard facemask penalty was tacked on, moving the ball to the 38.
Smith was dropped for a three yard loss by Lee Woodall on the next play. Bjornson got six of those yards back when he caught a pass between the Niners’ linebackers. The 49ers blitzed on third and seven, leaving Deion Sanders in single coverage on Steve Israel. Sanders ran a slant and gained exactly seven yards, giving Dallas a new set of downs.
The Cowboys now lined up in a two tight end formation and sent Smith left. He got crushing blocks from Nate Newton and from Mark Tuinei, who drove Ken Norton a good five yards downfield. Smith cut through the gaping hole and ran straight upfield. He slammed into Merton Hanks at the seventeen and dragged the 49ers safety to the twelve yard line. On the next play, Johnston ran a dive to the eleven.
The ball was located on the right hash mark, but Barry Switzer waved Chris Boniol onto the field. The angle was be a bit sharp but Switzer did not seem to care. His team had retained faith in itself all day, and now he would show some faith in his kicker.
Boniol made the flight to Dallas a merry one when he blasted the 27 yard kick between the uprights. As the kick sailed through, Switzer ran to Aikman and embraced him. These were two men who were not supposed to get along. But like everyone else on the team, they had swallowed their pride and kept the faith.
And now, with four teams above them losing on the same day, there was reason for the Cowboys to believe that somehow they could win it all again.
COWBOYS NOTES
– Much credit for the win should go to the Dallas offensive line. They kept the fearsome 49ers rush away from Troy Aikman all day. The Niners recorded two sacks, but neither affected the game. The first is a fluke; it came when Bryant Young tackled Aikman at the line of scrimmage at the San Francisco 12. This was the play on which Aikman lost a contact lens.
The second was recorded on the last play of regulation, when Chris Doleman sacked Aikman for an eight yard loss at the Dallas 47. Special credit must go to left guard Nate Newton, who held the 49ers’ All-Pro tackle Dana Stubblefield without a tackle.
– There was much debate in the press last week about the Cowboys starter at the split end position. Would it be Deion Sanders or Kevin Williams. For the moment, the Cowboys starter should be Kelvin Martin. Sanders is slow in and out of his cuts, which is why slower cornerbacks can stay with him. Williams is not yet ready, as his limited player time yesterday showed. Martin is an accomplished route runner and the Dallas offense picked up a notch when he replaced Sanders late in the game.
– Green Bay yielded 382 yards to Kansas City Sunday, meaning the Cowboys’ defense will again have the number one ranking heading into their matchup next Monday Night.
– If Broderick Thomas and Shante Carver continue to play at their current level, Charles Haley can take his time getting healthy. Carver unveiled an impressive spin move yesterday that made 49ers left tackle Steve Wallace look silly.
– San Francisco left guard Ray Brown was signed as a free agent specifically to handle Leon Lett. Brown had played well against Lett last year while a member of the Redskins, and 49ers brass hoped he could handle Lett again.
Brown proved to be a disappointment. Lett did not record a sack, but he recovered a fumble and put steady pressure on the quarterback. He blew past Brown several times to break down 49er running plays.
– Dave Campo promised better coverage and his secondary delivered. Niners starters Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens combined for five catches and 54 yards, with no touchdowns. Rice had only two receptions in the second half, as Deion Sanders shadowed him from sideline to sideline.
– How many concussions can a 34 year old take? Steve Young suffered his third concussion of the year Sunday and his second in three weeks. 49ers team doctors might limit his playing time in the coming weeks. Atlanta QB Chris Miller had to sit out this year after suffering six concussions last season. Miller is unsure if he will ever play again. Young will be a free agent after the ‘97 season. If the head blows continue, he may have to call it a career then.
– Round two to Dallas. Next weeks game with Green Bay will decide the unofficial “Big Three Title.” San Francisco is out of the running after going 0-2 against the Packers and Cowboys.
The Day that Was — 10/30/96
June 14, 2007
A stroll down memory lane, originally posted on TheBoys.com, Oct 30, 1996:
WIND FROM THE EAST
Don’t look now, but the NFC East is back. After three years in decline, the once toughest division in football has re-established itself.
Halfway through the season, the five teams in the East have the best combined record of any division in the NFL. What’s more, the strength of the East is being established the old fashioned way, on bruising running games.
Historically, the division has played rock ‘em, sock ‘em football. From Joe Gibbs’ Hogs to Bill Parcells’ ball control to Jimmy Johnson’s basic runs for Emmitt Smith, you did not advance out of the East unless you had a running game and a strong defense.
This is exactly what has brought the division up again. In Washington, Terry Allen has been the NFC player of the half season, racking up thirteen touchdowns and leading the Redskins to a 7-1 mark. The Washington defense is weak statistically, ranking just 27th overall. However, Ron Lynn’s bend-but-don’t-break unit ranks among the leaders in fewest points allowed.
When Ray Rhodes began rebuilding in Philadelphia, he installed the West Coast offense used by his old team, the 49ers. Rhodes gave his version a twist; knowing that pass happy teams die in the harsh December Philadelphia weather, Rhodes placed a strong emphasis on his running game. He showed his seriousness by prying Ricky Watters away from the 49ers. Watters has been a workhorse, and is one pace for a 1,700 yard season. Rhodes defensive expertise has never been in question. The Eagles rank seventh overall in yards allowed.
In comparison to Washington and Philly, the Cowboys have been slackers. Their running game has struggled, with injuries to the offensive line and Emmitt Smith. It did not help that Michael Irvin missed five games. The Cowboys still are not impressive statistically, ranking 23rd overall in rushing. Still, Emmitt Smith has been more effective the last month, posting 100 yard games against the Eagles and Cardinals.
A glance at the conference rushing leaders offers strong evidence for the East’s resurgence; Allen, Watters and Smith rank first, second and fifth respectively. Only Barry Sanders and Robert Smith break up this trio and Smith is lost to the Vikings for the season after injuring a knee.
By contrast, Green Bay and San Francisco have had trouble with their running games. The 49ers rank fifth in rushing among NFC teams. That statistic is highly misleading; the Niners do not have a rusher among the top fourteen in the conference.
San Francisco amassed great rushing totals in the first month of the season while it played the patsies of the NFC West (statistically the worst division in football.) They have had no ground game to speak of against Green Bay, Cincinnati and Houston. Niners’ quarterbacks have led the team in rushing over that span, despite the return of William Floyd from knee surgery.
The situation is serious in Green Bay as well. The Packers’ Edgar Bennett ranks eighth in NFC rushing with 490 yards. He was the main cog in a Green Bay rushing attack that controlled the clock in a 13-7 win over Tampa Bay.
Still, Packers fans were made edgy by the poor running in the 23-20 win over San Francisco. That night the 49ers shut down the Green Bay backs early, forcing Mike Holmgren to all but abandon the run. Brett Favre threw over 60 times and took a terrible beating. With Robert Brooks and Antonio Freeman now on the injured list, it will be interesting to see if Bennett can carry the load or if he will struggle as Emmitt Smith did without Michael Irvin.
No team in recent memory has won a Super Bowl without a strong running attack. Right now, the most dangerous and consistent running attacks among NFC contenders are in Washington, Philadelphia and Dallas. That’s why this year’s NFC Super Bowl representative is likely to again come from the NFC East.
WELCOME BACK MICHAEL
How much does a quality receiver mean to an offense? Consider the resurgence of the Cowboys since Michael Irvin’s return. The day after the Cardinals game, Troy Aikman ranked a pedestrian 19th in passing efficiency, with a 74.9 rating.
In the two games since, Aikman has boosted his rating to a robust 89.9 and now ranks third among NFL quarterbacks. Only Brett Favre and Vinny Testaverde are ranked higher. Aikman’s completion percentage has gone from 59% to over 64%. His touchdown to interceptions ratio stood at five apiece in the first six games. Aikman has thrown for five touchdowns in the last two games without being picked off.
More important that Aikman’s personal marks are the team numbers: the Cowboys averaged 17 points per game without Irvin. They are averaging 26 points per game with him.
Conversely, Favre’s numbers have taken a tumble. His rating was an otherworldly 116.4 after the Packers first six games. Since Brooks and Freeman were injured, his rating has slipped to 97.5. That still tops the league, but he no longer looks invincible. He has thrown only one touchdown pass in the last two games, after tossing 20 in the first month and a half.
HOW GOOD IS THE DALLAS DEFENSE, PART TWO?
Last year’s Cowboys team won the Super Bowl on fumes. Its defense was decimated by holdouts, suspensions and injuries. It just managed to hold off a charging Steelers team in the Super Bowl. This year, the Cowboys are back at the top of the NFL defensive standings, ranking first against the pass, and second overall.
Much has been written about the Dallas secondary, namely the blue chip tandem of Deion Sanders and Kevin Smith. Less attention has be lavished on the front seven, but it is their play which has been the most pleasant surprise. This was the part of the Cowboys defense that was supposed to slip after Russell Maryland, Dixon Edwards and Robert Jones left for big free agent money.
They were not that strong to begin with. Dallas ranked sixteenth against the run in 1995 and was run over by Terry Allen and Rodney Hampton, among others. Through eight games, the Dallas rushing defense ranks third. How have the Cowboys done it, with bargain-basement salaried players like Fred Strickland and Broderick Thomas in the lineup?
The Cowboys have improved in part by changing their base scheme. Through the first years of the Jimmy Johnson-Barry Switzer era, the Cowboys played the now familiar wide-end 4-3, shown below:
FS SS
o o
WLB MLB SLB
o o o
CB CB
o DE DT DT DE o
o o o o
__________________________________________________
o o o o o o o
o TE o
o o
The weakside end in the scheme played the outside shoulder of the weakside offensive tackle. The strongside end played over the opposition’s tight end. The three linebackers played inside the ends and several yards behind the line of scrimmage.
The philosophy was to get fast ends and linebackers. With the ends playing so far outside, running plays could be funneled inside, where the backers would swarm to the ball. When Dallas had a deep defensive tackle rotation and could keep linemen fresh, this system worked.
In recent years, however, teams began to exploit the middle of the Cowboys line. Norv Turner showed last year that big, mobile linemen could overwhelm the Dallas front. In both Redskin wins, the Cowboys appeared powerless to stop Allen on counter plays. With three starters departing, the Cowboys could not afford to stand pat.
They didn’t. This year, the Cowboys have played a variant of the undershifting slant 4-3 run so effectively by Minnesota in recent years.
31
o
28
o
59 55
o o
26
21 94 78 95 92 51 o
o o o o o o
___________________________________________________
o o o o o o o
SE o TE o
QB FL
o
FB
o
RB
This is the base defense used most of the time in ‘96. It has three defensive linemen undershifted, or set on the weak side of the formation. Instead of playing off the line, strongside linebacker Broderick Thomas (51), plays over the tight end. The strongside tackle, in this case Chad Hennings (95), lies up in the gap between the center and guard.
The benefits of this new scheme are many. Thomas is not a typical Cowboys linebacker in that he is not effective in space. He has trouble with his pass drops. But he is 250 lbs. and can handle tight ends, something the 230 lb. Dixon Edwards was not asked to do. By having Thomas over the tight end, Dallas has made it harder for teams to run to Dallas strong side. Putting Thomas on the line also gives Dallas more options rushing the passer. Thomas has played rush end at Minnesota and was a blitzing OLB at Tampa Bay. He gives opposing linemen one more rusher to account for on passing plays.
Having Hennings in the strongside guard/center gap makes better sense for him and MLB Fred Stickland (55). Hennings is a quick player but has always had problems holding his own against double teams. Washington and Philadelphia made a living running traps and counter plays at him, since they often buried Hennings at the point of attack. By making him responsible for one gap instead of two, he can use his speed to penetrate.
Putting Hennings in the gap also lets him tie up two players, meaning that Strickland is harder to block. Strickland is more instinctive than Robert Jones, so the extra instant needed by centers and guards to reach him gives him the time needed to make the play.
Undershifting the line forces the weakside guard to handle Leon Lett (78) one on one. This has been a no-win proposition for the league’s guards. If the formation is shifted to Lett’s side, he lines up in a gap, meaning that the offensive linemen get poor blocking angles on him. As a result, Lett has had the best start in his career.
A final feature of the scheme is that it stacks the speedy Darrin Smith (59) behind the defensive line. Offensive linemen are screened from him, so he is able to chase down plays to either side of the field. Smith thrives in space and is one of the team’s leading tacklers.
Early in the season, Dallas was hurt by short passes to the fullback. Thomas lacked the speed to stay with quick fullbacks like Chicago’s Raymont Harris and the Colts’ Zack Crockett. The Cowboys have countered this by giving Thomas more responsibility for the tight end and having Darren Woodson cover the back. This makes Thomas’ job easier since he can jam the tight end off the line and slow down his patterns.
This system is not foolproof. When teams go to two tight end formations, Thomas is again responsible for the H-back. Miami burned him on a wheel route when fullback Stanley Pritchett set as a second tight end and got behind Thomas.
Nonetheless, this scheme is a much better fit for the personnel the Cowboys have on the field. It allows the Cowboys linemen to attack more and disrupt plays before they get started. The defense’s much improved rankings show the wisdom of this adjustment.
Who Goes Up, Who Goes Down? NFC Edition
June 10, 2007
I want to revisit my worst to first profiles, because I saw my first football annual on the newsstand today and one common irritant of these books if their tendency to use last year’s playoff field as templates for this year’s playoffs. As I’ve pointed out, the NFL churns in a dramatic and consistent basis these days and at least one and perhaps two awful 2006 teams will be in this coming January’s playoff field.
Let’s look at draft day 2006. The New Orleans Saints had the second overall pick. The New York Jets picked fourth. Nobody outside their inner circle of fans predicted any earth shattering seasons for either. Both had new coaches. When I watched the Saints play the Cowboys in a preseason game, I was sure New Orleans was headed for another top-five pick.
Five months later, the Jets were playing New England in the wild card round and the Saints were one good half of football away from the Super Bowl.
Which brings me to this year’s draft top 10, with NFC teams in bold:
1. Oakland
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Tampa Bay
5. Arizona
6. Washington
7. Minnesota
8. Atlanta
9. Miami
10. Houston
At least one, and perhaps two of these teams are going to be sitting pretty at playoff time. Which one or ones?
One constant I see in all amazing turnarounds is superior QB play. That’s why I can see four of these teams pulling it off — the worst four.
Pardon me as I try to rationalize the irrational in each of their cases.
– Detroit: Mike Martz enters year two. He’s got a solid QB in Jon Kitna. He found his new Ricky Proehl in Mike Furrey. He found his king-sized Isaac Bruce in Roy Williams. Now, he may have his supersized Tory Holt in Calvin Johnson.
He doesn’t have the second Marshall Faulk and Detroit doesn’t have a great defense, but when did Martz ever have one backing up his Rams offenses?
– Tampa Bay: They’ve been on a roller coaster, winning 12, 7, 5, 11 and 4 games the past five seasons. Is it time for another up year? Their defense got old together in ‘05 and the offense fell apart after Chris Simms ruptured his spleen. Jeff Garcia has signed on and may help turn around the offense but can the defense be rebuilt in one offseason?
– Arizona: Weak line play has doomed this franchise for years. Enter new HC Ken Whisenhunt and line coach Russ Grimm. Expect an immediate improvement in their running game. Matt Leinart had a respectable rookie season. Levi Brown may add some grit to Arizona’s line, but to my eyes they need more than one quality lineman to turn things around. Still, they have quality receivers and some quality defenders and axing Dennis Green may be addition by subtraction.
– Washington: it’s all or nothing for the Redskins. Last year, they got nothing, after an ‘05 that saw them charge into the playoffs and give the conference champ Seahawks a tough game in Seattle.
Critics have been trying to bury Mark Brunell for years now, but he turned in a respectable ‘06. Gregg Williams can get more out of less and he has a rebuilt secondary, so Washington’s defense should be better.
It’s just a hunch, but I think Detroit makes the big jump, though I would hardly be surprised if any of the others improved their fortunes.
Tomorrow: which NFC teams make the big drop this year?
Cowboys QBs of the Past
January 13, 2007
A nice montage. Some notes:
- It’s amazing how many highlights in a row you see Meredith throw a TD to Bob Hayes. Still can’t figure out why the original #22 isn’t in the Hall of Fame.
- Roger had a gun.
- Aikman had a Howitzer — and made it look effortless.
Enjoy.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-603258182602680289-
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