• Home
• Privacy Policy
• BSR Gametime Chat
• “The Sports Doctors”
• About

Subscribe

• Blogging The Boys
• Games
  • Previews
  • Threads
  • Wrapup
• General
  • Fantasy
  • The Leon Awards
  • Trends
  • Trolling the Universe
• News
  • Draft
  • History
  • Interviews
  • Merger
  • Podcast
  • Training Camp
• NFL
  • Players
  • Teams

Don’t Curb Your Enthusiasm, Adapt It

I started in the Cowboys blogging business before the term blog exited.  My first campaign covering the team was in ‘95, when the won their last Super Bowl, so I have a nice stack of tapes with every game in that 19 game title drive.

And I look at them from time to time, to recall what a title team looks like.

When I do, I’m reminded that there are many ways to a championship.  I say that because the defense on that ‘95 team was just not very good.  Oh, it had talent, but it was very uneven and inconsistent.  Dallas had two superstars in its secondary — Deion Sanders and Darren Woodson.  It also had Larry Brown and James Washington, who were okay, but not very good.

The nickelback was often Bill Bates, whom 49ers OC Marc Trestman matched up with Jerry Rice in November.  The results were not pretty.

Dallas signed Scott Case, the Webster’s definition of band-aid, to add depth to safety. Case was known as a big hitter, but he hit mostly air that year because he was too slow to slam flesh-and-blood receivers.

The Cowboys linebackers were awful that year.  The Cowboys had signed former Oilers’ DC and LB coach Jim Eddy — the scapegoat of that epic ‘93 playoff fail versus Buffalo — to oversee them.

They jettisoned Eddy as soon as the season was over.

The Cowboys had a pass rush, but it lost a lot of juice when Charles Haley’s back gave out.  He didn’t play in the playoffs, made a brief cameo in the Super Bowl, and then was done as a Dallas dominator.  The Cowboys relied on Tony Tolbert’s creaky knees, which held up for a career year, and on manchild Leon Lett, who went nuts down the stretch;  he blew up the Eagles line in the divisional playoffs and picked off a Brett Favre screen pass in the NFC Championship Game.

Beyond that, the ‘95 Cowboys defense was big plays and a lot of crossed fingers.  It relied on its offense to carry it.  When Troy Aikman went out five minutes into game five, the Cowboys offense sputtered with Wade Wilson at the controls and they lost their 4-0 record to a 1-3 Redskins team that riddled their Deion-deficient secondary.

That defense never recovered from the whipping the 49ers put on them in week ten, when Trestman spread the offense, threw traffic at Sanders and got Rice to run amok on the opposite side of the field against Dallas’ linebackers and safeties.  The Cowboys won in Oakland the following week but held on in the 4th quarter when the ancient Vince Evans almost overcame a huge early Dallas lead.  Woodson’s late pick prevented a 24 point Raiders rally.

Barry Switzer was crucified for going twice on 4th and 1 from his own 29 in the game fourteen loss to the Eagles.  But he called this play twice because he didn’t trust his defense to stop the Eagles from driving for the game winner.  And he was right to doubt them.

Rodney Hampton and his Giants mates ripped the Cowboys for 244 rushing yards the following week and the Cowboys used a controversial holding penalty against New York as the springboard for a late, game-winning field goal.

The D got a reprieve in the Philly playoff rematch;  Darren Woodson knocked Rodney Peete out of the game early and Randall Cunningham, who had spent the entire week in Las Vegas to attend his child’s birth, was unprepared to step in.   The Lett pick and Larry Brown’s late interception slowed Favre down just enough to let the offense outscore Green Bay.  Dallas had no answer for TE Keith Jackson or Green Bay’s deep passing game, which roasted Brown to a crisp.

The Steelers controlled the clock and possession for the final 40 minutes of the Super Bowl.  An ability to stop the Steelers inside the red zone and Larry Brown’s sure hands on two gimme picks kept the Steelers from ever catching up to an early 13-0 Dallas lead.

That team won on offense.  The Triplets were in their prime.  Jay Novacek’s back was healthy.  The offensive line was dominating.

But don’t let a title cloud the fact that that team was one sided.  It outscored people.  The dominant overall performances from ‘92 and ‘93 were not in the cards.

This year’s Cowboys team reminds me a lot of that one.  It has a turbo-charged offense and a so-so defense.  There are some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball — Jay Ratliff, Demarcus Ware, Terence Newman and Ken Hamlin — and some youngsters who intrigue — Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins.  Bradie James and Zach Thomas appear when their linemen protect them, which is not often, but they’re there to keep opponents under control.  Dominance is not in their vocabulary.

It may seem heretical to compare this offense to that one, but this year’s model has a greater margin for error.  It has far more tools at its disposal.  The ‘95 line was far more consistent, but turn your attention to the skill positions.  Emmitt Smith took over 90% of the carries that year because Sherman Williams was his backup.

This year’s team has Felix Jones.  That’s no contest.

That offense had Michael Irvin, in the middle of his career year.

It also had Kevin Williams opposite him and Corey Fleming as the 3rd receiving option.

Kevin Williams might be the 5th best receiver on this team.   He can’t compete with Roy Williams or Patrick Crayton and I’d take Miles Austin’s future over Williams’ past.

Fleming?  Sam Hurd is better than him.  And by that I mean Sam Hurd today, rehabbing in a walking boot, is better than Corey Fleming.

The ‘95 Cowboys offense was a blunt instrument, relentless and steady.  This year’s team is more like an exotic sports car, flashy, but prone to breakdowns.  But it also has more horsepower under its hood.

Don’t misunderstand me.  I’m not saying this year’s team will get on a roll.  It may lay down in Washington ten days from now and fade quietly away.  If it does right the season, it will proceed as the ‘95 team did, scoring in bunches and counting on the defense to hold the bad guys at 20 points.

It will not win the way the ‘92 team did and it will not win the way the ‘07 Giants did.  They got their turnovers under control and rode the defense — Eli’s guys scored 20, 21, 23 and 17 points in their title run.  Nobody will ever compare that offense with the ’80s 49ers or the ’90s Cowboys.

I’m sure the team knows this.  Get ready for the return of down-the-field passing, to T.O. and Roy Williams.  Get ready for heavier doses of Felix.  Get ready for Tony Romo to do his Joe Namath impersonation.  Get ready for Jason Garrett to channel his inner Sid Gillman.  He’s calling deep and Romo will throw deep — a lot.

This is how it has to be. Expecting the Cowboys to win any other way will bend your mind out of shape.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.  Your nervous system will thank you.

Back to School

I expect half the team to return from the bye in good working order — the offensive half.  Tony Romo will make an enormous difference.  I’m sure lots of folks were having some nasty Ryan Leaf/Chad Hutchinson/Drew Henson/Anthony Wright flashbacks on Sunday.  QBs with ratings near 100, even those with wild streaks, change your football world view — tremendously.

It was lost in the debris of the Cardinals loss, but that game was Romo’s 32nd as a starter.  News flash — he’s good:

Splitting his numbers down the middle — and that’s fair because he’s been remarkably consistent — we get this average season line:

528 att.; 341 comp.;  64.6 comp. %; 8.3 YPA; 35 TDs; 19 Int.; 97.8 Rating

W-L:  23-9,  72%

Remember this — Romo has been throwing all along.  He has not been playing because he can’t take a snap, transition the ball to his hand and get a pass off quickly under a rush.  But he’s been able to throw all along.

Which means he’s been developing timing with Roy Williams.

– Felix Jones will be back.  He’s not practicing now, as a precaution, but he’s running with no pain.  We should see him in Washington.  He’s another guy whose value became immediately apparent when he left.  Defenses had no answer for him.  He was averaging at TD a game.

And Jason Garrett didn’t use him in the first Redskins game, so he’s still a mystery to them.

– Kyle Kosier should also be back.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Dallas’ best rushing game of the season came in his lone start versus Green Bay.  I don’t want to make him out as a miracle worker, but offensive lines function as a unit, and losing a starter often hurts you more than his individual value, because the entire unit is weaker.  He may only be 10% better of a player than Cory Proctor, but it’s hard to put an accurate estimate on how much his loss has hurt the line’s overall play. I’d put it as more than 10%.

I do think his return makes Flozell Adams and Andre Gurode better players.  And it makes the Cowboys a more balanced running team.  They have been very right-handed so far this year.

The Cowboys offense should be humming again after the bye.  Romo’s return alone makes them much better.  Adding Jones and Kosier, not to mention the unknown potential of a Romo-Williams connection and the points should return.

And every point will be vital, because I don’t know what can be done to fix the run defense.  That’s the task facing the staff, because they’re going to be the Chargers East if they don’t figure that one out.  A source I spoke to yesterday said the front seven defenders “are having a hard time getting off blocks.”

Getting them free will determine this season — and the future employment of a lot of defensive players and coaches.

Developing…

Felix Jones, Touchdown Machine

This isn’t written as a slam on the coaches.  I’m sure they’re still trying to figure out how and when to use Felix Jones, and nobody has reached a true comfort level yet.

That said, let’s look at the eye popping stats from his limited sample of games:

27 carries, 244 yards, 9.0 average, 3 touchdowns.

He’s averaging a touchdown every nine times he touches the ball.  In the games where he had six or more carries, he’s averaged 6.9 yards or more.  He has a carry of 20+ yards in each of those three games.  And that’s before we factor his 98 yard kickoff return into the equation.

Dial him up to full rich.  Make sure he gets at least ten carries per game.  He’s got a little Barry Sanders in him. He’s a guy who could explode on any play.

Felix Jones — He’s Crafty — Like a Cat

Felix Jones paid an immediate dividend last night, taking a David Akers kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown one play after the Eagles had drawn within 7-6.  His returns show that he’s a natural at setting up defenders and already understands how to use his wedge. This suggests he’ll have a long and successful kickoff return career ahead of him.

Two years ago, I watched former special teams coach Bruce DeHaven work with the Cowboys’ returners and watched him teach his guys to use cutbacks.  Returners were instructed to initially run directly up the field, even if it was not behind the wedge.  The intent is to pull coverage guys towards you and give your wedge blockers an angle.  After running a few yards upfield, the game is to then cut behind your blockers.

Jones followed this technique perfectly.  Dallas had a center return called.  Jones fielded Akers kick on his two, about three yards inside the yard numbers on the far sideline.

The Cowboys wedge formed at the fifteen, just outside the far hash mark.  The Cowboys use Tony Curtis, Joe Berger, Pat McQuistan and Deon Anderson as their center four.  They join hands and then move forward together under control until they encounter the line of Eagles.  The returner who doesn’t field the kick, Isaiah Stanback in this case, runs up and flanks Anderson, adding a fifth blocker to the wedge.

Jones was about five to seven yards wide and to the left of Curtis, the closest wedge member, when he fielded the ball.  Instead of angling to his right and running immediately to get behind his five bodyguards, Jones ran straight upfield, to about the ten.

At this point, the wedge met the center of the Eagles line, secondary man J.R. Reid and linebackers Akeem Jordan and Torrance Daniels.

By initially heading upfield, Jones challenged the coverage guys to leave their lanes and attack him.  Daniels stayed in his lane and was double teamed by Curtis and Berger.  Reid stayed in his lane and was double teamed by Anderson and Stanback on the right side of the wedge.

Jordan, the center defender of the Philly trio,  tried cutting outside of McQuistan to the offensive lineman’s left, in an attempt to hem Jones towards the sideline.  This was the break Jones was looking for.  As McQuistan was shoving Jordan towards the far sideline, Felix cut sharply to his right, into the lane that Jordan had vacated.  Jones darted through this alley into the second level of coverage, where only Akers stood between the him and a score.

Felix cut sharply back to the far sideline and easily outraced the pursuit down the sideline, perhaps thinking what Brad Sham said on the radio broadcast, “you’re not catching me, you thirty-something year old white kicker…”

The cutback is a seemingly simple task, but it requires expert coordination with your wedge. The best returners have that timing.  Mediocre ones never develop it.  Felix already has it.  That he made two more big returns last night only confirms this skill.  Imagine what he could do with a little more practice?

Full game report later this morning.

Cowboys-Browns Review: How Do You Shut Down a Star?

The Cowboys defense hit its stride mid game yesterday, going almost 29 minutes, 28:58 to be exact, without allowing a Derek Anderson completion. The defense had a little help from a Braylon Edwards drop on Adam Jones, but didn’t need any more assistance.

The impressive task was shutting down Kellen Winslow Jr. who made some big grabs in the middle of Dallas’ defense on the Browns long TD drive that ended the 1st quarter and bled into the 2nd. Dallas used a variety of coverages on him in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, never allowing him to get single coverage on a linebacker or strong safety Roy Williams.

Much of the time, the Cowboys sent SOLB Greg Ellis with Winslow wherever he went. And when I write follow Winslow everywhere, I mean precisely that. Several times Winslow lined up as a wide receiver and Ellis lined up directly opposite him. Cleveland always ran in these situations and used Winslow as a decoy to gain an open an edge to run towards. The only time Winslow lined up as a traditional tight end, Ellis jammed him and passed him to ILB Bradie James, who put a second wallop on Winslow for good measure.

When Winslow lined up in the slot the Cowboys made sure had had a corner sitting in coverage with him. Anthony Henry, Adan Jones and Orlando Scandrick all took turns blanketing him. The only time Winslow caught a pass the last 40 minutes of the game came on the one play where he drew single coverage from Roy Williams. Winslow beat him on a nine yard out.

Rookie Watch

– For his stellar play outside and in the slot, Orlando Scandrick gets the rookie game ball. Cleveland has a dangerous passing attack and took some shots at Scandrick, but he was better than solid. The future looks very bright for him.

– Felix Jones gets the the runner up game ball. His big play skills should be obvious by now and his blocking isn’t bad. It’s inconsistent, however. If he can get better at it, he’ll play a lot this year.

– Mike Jenkins was busy on special teams. He was a gunner on the punt coverage unit and an edge player on the kickoff coverage squad.

– Martellus Bennett got a few series in the tight end rotation but didn’t draw a pass.

– Tashard Choice is also on the coverage units and got the last handful of carries in the game. He made two first downs.

Notes:

– A veteran game ball to Leonard Davis, who showed awesome power against the big uglies of the Cleveland defensive line. On Marion Barber’s 22 yard 2nd quarter draw, Davis punched out on 325 lb. Corey Williams and bowed the Brown backwards. Barber ran through the ample lane Davis created. Leonard’s best work came on Felix Jones’ 11 yard TD run late in the 3rd. He put a double team block on Shaun Rogers that helped roll the biggest Brown two yards off the line of scrimmage. Big Bigg then scraped off and blocked ILB Andre Davis, clearning a huge path off right guard for Jones’ first NFL touchdown.

Jay Ratliff told me in camp that Davis is the toughest offensive lineman he’s ever faced. The Browns linemen would probably tell you the same thing today.

Roy is Special

– the kickoff coverage unit yesterday:

1. Justin Rogers
2. Bobby Carpenter
3. Kevin Burnett
4. Pat Watkins
5. Keith Davis
6. Tashard Choice
7. Mike Jenkins
8. Deon Anderson
9. Orlando Scandrick
10. Nick Folk and…
11. Roy Williams

Draftee Watch

It’s unfair to peg rookies before their initial seasons. However, I think we can make some assessments about their fitness to make team. Here, a simple up and down on their fitness to be Cowboys.

1A. Felix Jones — Had a down game after two up ones, making his first NFL fumble. He’s dangerous all the same and the way Dallas used him is not really the way they’ve been working with him in camp. Jones got reps as the backup tailback in the I-formation. He’ll get some plays this way when the games count, but he’ll also work a lot in 3rd down packages and in packages with Marion Barber.

He blocked well, which is the key sign. I won’t worry about his fumble unless he starts coughing up the ball on a regular basis.

1B. Mike Jenkins — a sure bet to make the team but somebody likely to get the Bobby Carpenter treatment, though no fault of his own. Dallas has three vets ahead of him, in Newman, Henry and Jones, and Orlando Scandrick’s fast start puts that rookie at 4th.

This means that with good health Jenkins will dress and play special teams or see weeks where he’s inactive, if the Cowboys choose other options to be the gunners on their coverage units. That’s no knock on Jenkins, but it does mean the more impulsive sector of Cowboys Nation will try to put a black hat on his head.

2. Martellus Bennett — I think everybody now sees the skills that moved Dallas to draft him. And hopefully those skills will disabuse the Kneejerk Chorus from again calling for his immediate trading, as they did during San Diego week, when Hard Knocks made him look like a clown.

He can block, he can catch, and he can run. He can be a special player. It’s up to him.

4. Tashard Choice — a number 29 was flying around on the coverage teams last night, giving people the impression Keith Davis had been regained. It was Choice, who has his role as Barber’s backup down. He runs, he blocks and he’s bringing his enthusiasm to special teams.

5. Orlando Scandrick — Has made plays every week and played very well in the Dallas nickel last night. Teams try to run him out of his zone with a receiver and run another player into the cleared out zone. He’s been very good at reading the combinations and breaking up the shorter throws. He did it playing on the right corner against Denver and broke up plays from the slot and the left corner last night.

He’s the defensive equivalent of Bennett, a physically gifted player who drifted down the draft charts because teams doubted his maturity. Right now he looks confident and aware. And don’t say we didn’t give you a heads-up here at BSR. Here’s what a source told us three months ago:

“He wasn’t covering Terry Glenn or T.O. out there but you can see his athletic ability. He’s got the backpedal, the change of direction… I talked to people around the league before the draft — and again, this wasn’t from the Cowboys — and there were some questions about his intelligence. But there were some people who told me they thought that if he was able to pick things up that he could be a better corner than [Mike] Jenkins in the long run… he went to Boise St. but this kid has Pac 10 talent. He could have easily played at a USC or a UCLA or an Arizona or Arizona St. You could see that on the practice field…”

– Guarded Optimism for the Top Rookies, BSR, May 18th, 2008.

6. Erik Walden — the only Cowboys rookie draftee who’s at risk of missing the final cut. His spot will depend on whether the Cowboys keep eight or nine linebackers. With Kevin Burnett and Anthony Spencer on the mend, Walden may get an early shot. He needs to add upper body strength and a lot will depend on his special teams play.

Last night, Walden didn’t enter the game until the 4th quarter. He looks okay in coverage and help his point against right ends on runs his way. His issue is his rush. He looks downright Dexter Coakley-esque on the edge; he’s not short by human standards (6′2″) but he looks like a runt against NFL OTs. Walden has great quickness and change of direction but needs to use his hands better. He was trying to bull rush tackles who outweigh him by 75 pounds last night and he’s not big enough (242 lbs.) to do that. He needs to get the linemens’ hands off his body and let his explosiveness work for him.

He should get a lot more playing time against Minnesota and will need to make some plays. His roster spot might depend on it.

Overall: Early impressions suggest a solid draft for Dallas. The team’s first five picks look like locks and the 6th-rounder has a fighting chance. What’s more, Jones, Bennett and Scandrick could all be immediate contributors, with Jenkins and Choice able to add value on special teams.

Torquing Down — Morning Report, August 6th

The Cowboys began the slowdown Wade Phillips mentioned earlier this week, in anticipation of their game with the Chargers. The morning workout was conducted in shorts and shirts, with no contact of any type.

The emphasis was again, on recognition, substitution, moving through game sequences at game speed and execution of situational packages. It’s very difficult to get a read on individual progress in this environment, since the 11-on-11s are conducted at half speed; the secondary players were not allowed to make attempts to pick off the ball.

Notes:

– Flozell Adams was given the morning off, giving Doug Free a lot more reps at left tackle. The linemen worked on technique — on mirroring their men along the line and keeping that man directly in front of them.

The Cowboys worked extensively on screen passes. They have made this a theme of the week, with both Marion Barber and Felix Jones getting their share of touches.

Blurbs of the day:

Listen to Jerry Jones discuss the team’s “loose focus” and their awareness of what’s at stake in 2008. You can also hear NFL Films Senior Producer Rob Gehring discuss the work that goes into a single episode of the show and what fans can expect from the first episode, which debuts tonight at 9 pm Central time.

Trickeration Tuesday: Cowboys Camp Report, August 5th

…otherwise known as the Felix Jones Show.

The Cowboys showed some of their more creative plays today, all designed to get Felix Jones and Marion Barber the ball in space.  The team tried them in their initial sessions, where the plays are shown to the team on note cards and run against nobody.

They were later implemented in the 11-on-11 drills to end the session, and worked effectively.  Mostly, they showcased the elusiveness, speed and receiving skills of the rookie running back from Arkansas.

Three plays were out of the ordinary in the initial drills.  On the first, Dallas went four wides, with Isaiah Stanback as the split end and Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd and Miles Austin on the opposite side.  On the snap, Stanback ran a slant towards the center of the field.  Tony Romo took a semi-roll right towards the trio of receivers, stopped and threw left, where Felix Jones had three linemen leading him in a screen down field.

On the next play, Dallas put Terrell Owens as the split end, with Jason Witten, Hurd and Crayton on the opposite side.  Before the snap, Owens came in motion right.  He continued into the backfield, as if to take a reverse right.  Romo faked to T.O. pivoted left and threw a throwback screen, this time to Marion Barber, who followed his escourt to an imaginary touchdown.

On the last play, Dallas had Stanback and Owens left, with T.O. in the slot.  Jason Witten was flexed off the left tackle, giving Dallas three receiving options upfield.  Felix Jones was alone in the backfield with Crayton on the right.

Owens again motioned towards the backfield and this time lined up as the tailback behind Jones.  At the snap, T.O. flared to the right, and Romo feignted a throw in his direction.

On the left side, Witten and Stanback both angled towards the post, clearing out the left side.  After Romo completed his fake right to T.O., he again turned left and threw back to Jones.

The offense tried these plays in their final drill, with the throwback to Barber off the T.O. I-formation look working for an effective gain on Romo’s next-to-last series.

On the final series of the day, Brad Johnson and Jason Garrett called three consecutive plays for Jones, and they hinted at the explosiveness the rookie can add.  On the first series play, Jones caught a throwback screen after the fake reverse to Owens and took the ball far upfield.

On the next play, he ran a draw left and slithered back towards the right for a healthy gain.

On Felix’ final play he again lined up as the lone back and ran a wheel route up the left sideline.  Felix got far behind his linebacker and caught what would have been a touchdown in a real game.

We likely won’t see these plays until the regular season, but we can see Jones’ raw skills on display Saturday against the Chargers.

Get your popcorn ready…

Cowboys Camp — August 2nd

The Cowboys are having their first run of consecutive two-a-days. Since both of yesterday’s workouts were in shorts and today’s early workout is also in shorts, they can handle the increase in time. I, on the other hand, am sitting out the morning session with a sore brain, but will be back in the lineup for the afternoon session.

Here are some notes and quotes from yesterday’s workout.

Getting off the Bubble

Yesterday, I profiled eleven guys I list as bubble boys, players who are fighting for the last half dozen or so spots on the roster. The key is making yourself impossible to cut. And yesterday, Evan Oglesby contined his push to make himself uncuttable. He tracked Mike Jefferson in the one-on-one drills and made an interception of a bobble pass.

Later, in the 11-on-11 two minute drills he picked off Tony Romo, cutting under Sam Hurd. Oglesby has had several big days the first week, and may push for time in the regular nickel if he’s not careful.

Flo is Ready to Go

The theme for week one is the sharpness of the offense. I’ve remarked throughout the week that Terrell Owens has been unstoppable. He and Romo are in sync. Same with Jason Witten. If the Cowboys were a college team and the Chargers game actually counted in the standing, the team, especially the offense, would be ready to handle it. The starting eleven is already set and the only question is whether Sam Hurd or Miles Austin will be the third receiver or whether they will rotate there.

Another veteran in mid-season form is Flozell Adams. Players can sometimes up their playing levels during their contract years and then drop back into a confort zone when they get their money. Not so with Adams, who is keeping everybody away from his quarterback. He’s made Demarcus Ware look ordinary when the two have squared off, and they do so a lot.

Jerry Jones told the press yesterday that Flozell’s brought him peace of mind. Jerry also expressed gratitude that Flozell stayed off the market, adding that losing Flozell would have moved Leonard Davis to left tackle and disrupted the offensive line’s continuity.

Can The Kids Keep Tony Upright?

Running backs coach Skip Peete told me he has confidence in rookie Felix Jones and Tashard Choice as blockers, saying they’re tough and tenacious. He mentioned that the coaches would have more drills isolating the backs and linebackers in the coming days but warned that such drills can be misleading.

Your Antacid Moment

Lest you get too giddy about the ‘08 Cowboys, here’s something to give you pause.

Jerry Jones mentioned yesterday that the team’s scouts had concluded their self-evaluations of the team’s strengths and weaknesses, based only on the accumulated Oxnard practices. If there’s a major question mark it remains the third receiver spot. Sam Hurd had a very productive opening to camp but yesterday he had trouble with all of the team’s top corners. Adam Jones, Anthony Henry and Evan Oglesby all smothered him in the one-on-ones. This merits further attention. Terrell Owens is money and Patrick Cratyon gets open, though he dropped two passes today. Hurd and Miles Austin are still question marks to my eyes.

Tuesday Teaser — Cowboys Camp, July 29th

One tasty morsel from yesterday’s notes that somehow missed the post:

In the last 11-on-11 drill the Cowboys offense ran a play from a one back set that had Felix Jones behind quarterback. Jones ran a circle route out of the backfield and crossed in front of linebacker Zach Thomas. Thomas tracked Jones and closed in when the QB checked down with his pass.

I should say that Thomas tried to close, because he never had a chance to make the tackle. Felix (there are always too many Jones on this team, so I’m going to call Felix and Adam by their first names) caught the pass and blew away from the veteran.

Folks, we’ve all mused about the exotic ways that Dallas can use Felix Jones. We’re all wondering if he’ll line up at receiver and if he’ll line up with Marion Barber in a two running back set.

What I saw was one of the most basic plays in the Cowboys playbook. The route is one backs were running a generation ago.

The Cowboys don’t have to do anything crazy with Felix Jones. They just need to get him the ball in space. He’ll do the rest. Wade Phillips compared Felix to Thurman Thomas, whom Wade coached in Buffalo. When I watched Felix make Zach Thomas look like he was wearing cement cleats, I thought of another back who wore Jones’ number 28 — Marshall Faulk. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I know that comparison is not fair. Faulk was a superstar. Jones hasn’t even played his first pro game. However, Felix Jones shows the same receiving skills that made Faulk so dangerous in his prime.

Look forward to that when Dallas visits San Diego a week from Saturday.

Cool, but Hot — Cowboys Camp Report, July 28th

The famed Oxnard weather finally appeared Monday morning with overcast skies, cool ocean breezes and temperatures in the 70s. The atmosphere was perfect for practicing football and the Cowboys took advantage, drilling fundamentals, special teams and working a lot more 9-on-9 running drills and 11-on-11 open drills.

Fundamentals are a constant at every Wade Phillips practice. Today, for instance, the quarterbacks, tight ends, fullbacks and running backs spent a lot of time working on proper spacing on running plays. The staff rolled out long blue and yellow strips, marking off the camps on the line of scrimmage and the backfield units worked on running their plays through their designed gaps.

Across field, Hudson Houck worked his guys on running the same running plays against different defensive fronts, so his blockers knew precisely who they should block, regardless of the scheme they face.

In individual drills the tackles continued to practice beating spin moves. Erik Williams showed his group how to slide laterally and not lunge, which would give his opposing lineman a free shot into the backfield.

The teams then worked up to a 9-on-9 running drills. There were good plays by both offense and defense but the offense got the better of most plays. Their run blocking looks better than this point last year.

The team then alternated kickoff coverage and return drills between two 11-on-11 anything goes sessons. Observations from those sessions are below.

Notes:

Terence Newman missed the practice with a leg injury. Dave Campo told me after practice that he’s not sure whether Newman injured an ankle or a groin. Nor was he sure of the severity, leaving all questions for the training staff. I’m sure we’ll all learn more at Wade Phillips’ afternoon presser.

Mike Jenkins got the majority of the reps with the first team and Campo said his play made a quantum leap from yesterday’s session, which was Jenkins’ first. When asked why Adam Jones didn’t get the reps, Campo said simply that Jones has yet to be re-instated and he does not want to give him first team play until he’s sure the former Pacman can play.

Erik Walden is running with the second unit at weakside outside linebacker, behind Demarcus Ware. He showed a burst in yesterday’s session but was stonewalled by Flozell Adams and Doug Free in the 11-on-11s today. That’s typical. New players will have a good practice and follow it up with a so-so performance.

Jenkins’s time with the first unit gave Alan Ball a lot of reps at corner on the second unit, opposite Adam Jones.

Brad Johnson continues to look for Mike Jefferson.

Johnson also threw a lot of deep balls in the 11-on-11s. Don’t get carried away thinking he’s found the fountain of youth. One was broken up and another was picked.

Zack Knows – The defense faced a shotgun formation while in its base. Zach Thomas yelled “watch for the draw” and then stepped up to stop Marion Barber when the offense in fact ran the draw. It’s hard to fool the old vet.

The defense sees Terrell Owens everywhere. On one play Owens and Sam Hurd lined up in a slot formation, with T.O. inside. When he released upfield both corners on that side hesitated, wondering whether he should take the receiver. A safety rotated over the top. While all three DBs were tracking Owens, Felix Jones ran untouched around end to their side of the field. Owens laughed at the trio when he loped back to the huddle.

Tank Johnson continues to show an inside burst. We know Jay Ratliff can be what Bradie James terms a “hybrid” nose tackle, in that he can rush as well as stopping the run. If Johnson can make a contribution, and it appears he can, the Cowboys rush gets that much stronger.

Dallas continues to sprinkle zone blitzes into liberal doses of man-to-man coverage.

The defense blitzed their Mike inside backers a lot today and Bradie James and Bobby Carpenter broke through cleanly numerous times. The result was several Tony Romo incompletions.

T.O. has been Mr. Sizzle for the passing game thus far. Jason Witten is Mr. Reliable. Romo could hit him on deep ins and outs whenever he needed a play. He’s another veteran who could start the season this Sunday.

Bobby Carpenter got a lot of love from his position coaches today. He had his assignments down and was cursing when he mistimed a leap and therefore missed a sure interception.

Dallas practiced a play where the tight end , linemen and fullback all block to the strong side while the tailback takes a pitchout naked around the weakside end. The play broke for a huge gain when it was run in the 11-on-11s.

The Cowboys are not scaling back their running play list. They have more traps and toss plays than ever.

Evan Oglesby had two breakups at right corner.

It’s Alumni Week. First, Dave Campo and Hudson Houck return. Then, Duane Thomas and Calvin Hill stop by. Erik Williams pops in on a coaching fellowship and today Michael Irvin and Nate Newton are about, Irvin hosting for ESPN Radio in Dallas.

Note: I will not be covering this afternoon’s session, which will focus on special teams. The next report will come mid-day tomorrow.

Camp Cowboys: Compare and Contrast, ‘07 vs. ‘08

It’s hard to get a definite read on anything after three days of camp. Hudson Houck laughed when I asked him on Saturday what, if anything he could tell me after one day in pads? “That I still have 22 practices to go,” was his reply.

Still, Cowboys fans hate deferred gratification. Especially after 12 years without a playoff victory. With that in mind, I went back one year to see where the team was at the same stage in their Phillips Over San Antonio ‘07 Tour. This year’s tour is already looking much better. Consider:

– At quarterback, Tony Romo was looking sharp but everybody was wondering if his dropped ball in Seattle would harm his development. Now, he’s trying to stay out of the tabloids. Call this one a wash.

– At running back, Dallas was staying with the status quo, starting Julius Jones and rotating Marion Barber into the lineup. This year, the unit looks faster and deeper. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice have not played pro games yet, but I can already say with confidence that Felix will be a better receiver than Julius and I’ll take Choice already over Tyson Thompson. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad.

– On the offensive line, the Cowboys were waiting for starters Flozell Adams and Marc Columbo to return from knee scopes. Jim Molinaro and Pat McQuistan were manning the tackle spots. This year, McQuistan is at right tackle and second year man Doug Free is at the left tackle spot. The starting lineup looks set. Score: plus one for the ‘08 squad, based on health and continuity.

– At wide receiver, Terry Glenn was about to drop off the roster with a knee injury, not to return until January. Isaiah Stanback was in a walking boot. This year, Glenn is gone again, perhaps for good. Stanback is playing, though he’s still far from polished. Sam Hurd looks better, but if he’s not displacing Patrick Crayton, he’s risen to his level. That’s a step down from ‘06, when T.O., Glenn and Crayton were the trio, but a minor step up from last year, when Hurd was an unknown. Score: a wash

– At tight end, Jason Witten was a sure thing and Anthony Fasano was the clear backup. Tony Curtis was a promising backup. This year, Curtis is the number two. Martellus Bennett has replaced Fasano, who’s now a Dolphin. He’s a big, talented player, but nobody knows how Bennett will play this year. Score: minus one, because of inexperience.

– On the defensive line, Jason Hatcher’s promising start was wiped out by a hamstring injury. Jason Ferguson was the starting nose tackle. Chris Canty and Marcus Spears were eager to wipe out underachiever labels. This year, Canty and Jay Ratliff are set at RE and NT, after stepping up their respective games last year. Tank Johnson replaces the departed Ferguson. He shows some explosion in drills, but I’ll wait until I see him in some real games before I rate him against Ferguson. Score: plus one for ‘08, because there is far less uncertainty this year.

– At linebacker in ‘07 it was Demarcus Ware and a lot of questions. Greg Ellis was rehabbing a torn Achilles and was grumpy about his contract. Anthony Spencer was an unknown rookie. Inside, Bradie James was claiming his poor ‘06 was due to playing overweight in Bill Parcells’ scheme. Kevin Burnett was an injury prone enigma and Bobby Carpenter had the eau de bust about him.

This year, many experts are touting the Cowboys’ LB corps as the league’s best. Ware and Ellis both had double digit sacks last year. Spencer looked good in a backup role. James bounced back with a steady season. Burnett found a home in the nickel, where he excelled in coverage. And the Cowboys added Zack Thomas to replace Ayodele, who’s also joined Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami. Score: plus one for the ‘08 guys.

– In the secondary, the Cowboys were hoping for better health and play at several positions. Anthony Henry was trying to come back from a knee injury that hobbled him in ‘06. Terence Newman was days away from a plantar fascia tear. Ken Hamlin was a low budget signing from Seattle but hardly a sure thing. He had a so-so ‘06 after missing ten games in ‘05 with a severe head injury. It was far from clear if he could regain his outstanding ‘04 form. One year ago, Roy Williams was the surest bet in the secondary.

Today, he’s the most maligned. Hamlin earned his first Pro Bowl berth in ‘07. Newman overcame his heel injury and earned his first trip to Honolulu. Henry was leading the league in picks when he suffered a high ankle sprain that cost him six starts.

In addition, the Cowboys have Adam Jones and first rounder Mike Jenkins replacing Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones. Score: plus two for the ‘08 team, based on better health, and much greater depth.

Overall, the ‘08 team looks much deeper and has far fewer question marks than Wade 1.0. The injury questions at offensive tackle, outside linebacker and cornerback are gone. You could pencil in the entire starting 22 for Dallas today, where you could not do so for several positions last year.

It’s far too early to hit the giddy button, but there’s clearly far less reason to even consider locating the panic button this time around. Let’s hope things stay this way.

T.O. Beats Everybody: Dallas Cowboys Camp Report: July 27th

Your line for the day: T.O. beats everybody.

Repeat after me: Terrell Owens beats everybody.

Owens put on a scintillating show for HBO and the crowd, schooling every defensive back who tried to cover him. Adam Jones was on the down end of the day’s signature play; in a one-on-one drill, Owens rotated into a matchup with Jones. Richard Bartel was under center but with the desired matchup up for the first time today, Tony Romo was waved into the spot. Jones locked on to Owens for five yards but T.O. exploded away when he added the second half to the out-an-up. He was five yards in the clear when he gathered in Romo’s deep pass.

It’s always a question when a receiver is running free whether the receiver is really that good or the secondary is suspect. I remember watching Terry Glenn do the same thing to Terence Newman and Anthony Henry back in ’05 and it was the set up to a big season.

The corners are good. They knock down bad passes and they take some good ones away too. Owens is simply playing at a different level at the moment.

Say it with me…

The day began with the setup for kickoff return and coverage units. On the far field Bruce Read set up his first and second units, which lined up as follows:

First unit:

• First line: Pat Watkins, Bobby Carpenter, Justin Rogers, Martellus Bennett, Kevin Burnett
• Wedge: Tony Curtis, Cory Proctor, Pat McQuistan, Anthony Spencer
• Returners: Miles Austin, Sam Hurd

Second Unit:

• First line: Tashard Choice, Darrell Robertson, Mark Bradford, Erik Walden, Dowayne Davis
• Wedge: Julius Crosslin, Stephen Bowen, Jason Hatcher, Ronnie Cruz
• Returners: Orlando Scandrick, Mike Jenkins

You probably wondering where Adam Jones, Felix Jones and Isaiah Stanback were?

Adam was on the short field, where a large group of returners was taking turns fielding punts, including Patrick Crayton, Terence Newman, Anthony Henry, Danny Amendola and Quincy Butler.

When the team broke into units the receivers worked on catching passes at their highest point on fade routes and making one-handed catches.

The quarterbacks and running backs started with the most basic of skills, perfecting the spacing on a handoff. Across the short field, Hudson Houck and his guys worked on combination blocking in the middle and on the edge of the line. Houck worked with the interior linemen and had coaching fellow Erik Williams working with the offensive tackles.

On the back field, Todd Grantham and his guys worked on proper footwork on stunts and on proper hand usage on rushes.

Across the defensive field Dave Campo ran the secondary through defending stack or “bunch” formations, stressing communication, switching and proper spacing when receivers criss-crossed.

The offense and defense then worked together, with the receivers going one-on-one against the corners and the offense going 9-on-9 against the defense. Following both produced a mild headache but here’s what I gleaned:

Adam Jones can blanket receivers. He nevertheless had a frustrating session as Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton and T.O. caught passes in front of and behind him.

That’s because Crayton and Hurd are running very precise routes. Hurd has been very impressive the last couple of days at getting separation. He told me yesterday he’s gunning for a starting spot and he’ll definitely get more playing time if he keeps playing this way.

Same as it ever was with Anthony Henry. Guys seem ready to blow past him and eat up his cushion with ease, but he stays with his man up the field and makes up ground when the ball is in the air. He recovered and stole the ball from Hurd on a deep route early in the drill. Guys can get away from him on deep ins, but receivers have always been able to do this.

Isaiah Stanback can beat jams and get up the field but the two deep throws I saw in his direction were thrown out of bounds. Give him an incomplete for the day.

Meanwhile, the offensive line got the better of the defense on most of the running plays. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice made impressive gains in the session going inside and outside. Marc Colombo has showed some good drive on plays to the right, while the interior trio of Kosier, Gurode and Davis created lots of lanes for the backs.

Jones’ speed is as good as advertised, but I think the fans will be pleasantly surprised by Choice’s explosiveness. He’s decisive and is quick through the hole.

On the defensive side, Anthony Spencer stopped everything to his side. He started to get reps more late in the season for his run stopping ability and he looks like he’s still improving.

In the next session the team went back to kickoff returns, with John Garrett and Bruce Read splitting the duties. Garrett worked with the up men, drilling them on getting the proper drops back towards the wedge and then turning, finding their targets, engaging and maintaining blocks to the whistle.

Read meanwhile worked with the wedge players. After a few minutes both halves of the unit worked together. Here, Stanback and both Jones took turns as returners: one return pair consisted of Miles Austin and Felix Jones and a second had Adam Jones and Sam Hurd. It appears that Read may have an abundance of return men this year. Austin was effective last year after replacing Tyson Thompson and Dallas now has three other returners who may be as good or better.

The team again split up with the tight ends and receivers going 7-on-7 on one half of the field while the offensive and defensive linemen staged their 1-on-1 on the other half.

I spent most of my time watching the linemen but caught these tasty crumbs:

First, Dallas unveiled its two tailback set, with Felix Jones and Marion Barber lining up in the backfield together. Felix motioned into the flanker spot and ran a go route. He got wide open and Tony Romo found him.

Next, Martellus Bennett drew his first cheers of the camp, catching a deep seam route.

The lineman drill showed the relative skills of veterans and the rookies, as the kids could beat other kids but had a lot more trouble dealing with the vets.

Rookie Erik Walden showed an impressive burst on an inside counter move that left Doug Free grasping for air. He found no such room on his next rotation when he went after Flozell Adams, who was his steady self, keeping everybody, including Demarcus Ware, away from his quarterback.

Jay Ratliff is getting a lot of reps at both end and nose tackle. He zipped past Leonard Davis on one play but had trouble with Colombo when he tried going wide. Colombo handled all comers his way.

Tank Johnson shows some explosiveness, in the drills and in the 1-on-1s. He got the better of Andre Gurode on one play but was stacked up by Kyle Kosier on another. Kosier was another mister steady.

It’s one step back and one step up for James Marten, who is trying to make it as a guard. He was pushed deep into the pocket on one rotation but fought back on his next chances.

The practice ended with a full 11-on-11 drill, that I’ll term a stalemate. The offense made some plays while the defense stopped others. Newman blanketed Crayton out of the slot and picked off a pass. Felix Jones took a stretch play for a long gain up the left side, showing impressive speed around the corner.

A likely immaterial drill note:

Backup QB Brad Johnson is doing his best to give UFA Mike Jefferson a chance to make the squad. Johnson threw almost all of his downfield passes Jefferson’s way. The rookie make a couple of sliding catches but also dropped a few. He’s still a long shot from where I’m sitting.

Source: The Questions Are On Offense

I talked to a source who broke down the issues facing the team less than a month before training camp. Although the offense ranked 2nd overall in points, averaging just more than four touchdowns per game, I was told the organization sees its biggest questions on the offensive side of the ball. Some key points:

BSR: What are the biggest concerns on each side of the ball?

– The defense looks solid. I think the secondary looks strong, the linebackers look strong and the line looks solid. In the secondary, Terence Newman is solid, Adam Jones is solid. I think Anthony Henry didn’t look like he was 100% in the mini-camps, but he should be fine.

I think one of the rookie corners will be in the mix, though I’m not sure if it will be the one [Mike Jenkins] or the five [Orlando Scandrick]. One will be in the lineup this year and the other will be inactive. We won’t really know until they put on the pads at Oxnard.

I’ll add that I think the secondary will be improved with Dave Campo running that unit. They appeared to be better fundamentally. Nothing against the last coach [Todd Bowles] but I think Campo is an exceptional teacher and the guys know he’s got their backs.

BSR: So you don’t see an overhaul positon wise? I’m of the belief that they’ll stick with Ken Hamlin at the free and limit Roy Williams’ reps, getting him off the field when they’re in nickel and dime sets.

– Absolutely. Teams find guys like that. I also think the team is playing Hamlin right. Make him do it more than one year. If he plays well again, then you think about something long term.

BSR: What about the offensive side of the ball? Where are the weak links there?

– There are a few questions there. I think the team wants to get a better sense of its offensive line depth. They have Pat McQuistan going into his third year and Doug Free entering his second year and they moved James Marten to guard. They’ll give their starters some time but you may see the young guys going two and three quarters in some games so the team can get a really good look at them against top competition.

I also have some questions about backup quarterback. Brad Johnson is a smart guy but when he’s in there the ball goes sideways a lot. I think he’s here for 2008 but I’m sure the team has an eye out for another prospect beyond this year. 95% of the teams in this league are cooked if they lose their starting QB but if Tony Romo missed any significant time I think the Cowboys are an 8-8 team without him.

Without question, the biggest issue is at wide receiver. The team isn’t panicking yet, but I do think they have some worries about the #2 position. The offense stopped scoring touchdowns when Terrell Owens got hurt last year. Patrick Crayton is okay but he’s more of a #3 than a #2.

The team was looking for a young receiver before who could become a number one and could not find a fit.

I think they might need a little luck to fill that this year. It gets harder to fill holes once camp begins.

BSR: I know the Tom Landry Cowboys often filled holes with trades for veteran receivers. Lance Alworth, Billy Parks, guys like that. Might Dallas look at a veteran who’s dependable, in the way Keenan McCardell was for the Chargers a few years ago? And does this explain the Joe Horn rumors?

– My understanding is that Horn’s agent was given permission to shop him. The Cowboys have not called Atlanta.

BSR: So this is likely his agent trying to drum up interest?

– Yes, but if you asked me would I take Terry Glenn with nicks or Joe Horn, I’d take Glenn.

BSR: If the team can’t fill this need via trade, does this mean they’ll turn more to a guy like Felix Jones as a receiver?

– I think Jason Garrett is a guy who wants to open things up and get the ball down the field. I think one of the bigger questions is: how fast can Felix Jones learn what’s going on? He has to be a blocker, a catcher and a runner.

He’s got the potential to be a matchup problem, because he’s an explosive player, and because Dallas has T.O. and Jason Witten and Marion Barber, who can play every down, and they’re legitimate weapons, so defense can’t just lock in on him. But they will if he’s not clear on his responsibilities. It’s going to be interesting to track him in the one-on-one drills in camp, to see how he does against linebackers. Will they rag doll him, or will be be able to stay square and hold his ground?

If he doesn’t picks things up fast enough he’s Reggie Bush, a guy you draw up special plays for. And he has to be better than that. If all he can do is run special plays just for him, defenses will clue in very quickly that he’s in the game to get the ball.

Memo to Felix: Better Shake, Same Ball Security

Early reports from Valley Ranch suggest that Felix Jones could upgrade the running back platoon, offering better hands, speed and shake than the departed Julius Jones.

Before we can put the new Jones on a pedestal, we should give the older Jones his credit for some impressive statistics:

• In the last two years of the Julius/Marion plantoon, the duo lost just one fumble.
• In their three years together, Jones and Barber lost only three fumbles.
• Neither fumbled last year. In fact, Marion Barber has never lost a fumble in his career.

Cowboys fans are a fickle bunch, Felix. We’ll love every slinky-like move you make — so long as you hang onto the football. If you don’t, you’ll hear yourself linked with names like Tyson Thompson and Curvin Richards.

And nobody wants that.

• Cowboys Tickets on eBay

• ESPN Scoreboard

• Burst Media

Copyright © 2008 Your Dallas Cowboys Blue and Silver Report · Log in