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Cowboys @ Browns Preview, Part III

When Dallas Throws the Ball

The Cowboys run many of the same sets the Browns do, because the OC pedigrees are similar. Follow the bouncing ball: Jason Garrett played for Norv Turner and Ernie Zampese last decade and uses many of their aggressive, timing plays. Browns OC Rob Chudzinski was San Diego’s TE coach when Cam Cameron ran the Chargers’ offense under Marty Schottenheimer. Cameron runs the same schemes Turner does. When Chudzinski and Cameron both left last season, Chargers GM A.J. Smith hired Turner back because he would keep the same offensive fundamentals, allowing for a smooth transition to the new regime.

The bottom line is that you’ll see many of the same personnel packages from each team. A look at Dallas’ passing breakdown shows patterns similar to those we saw from the Browns in Part I of the preview:

Targets	Att.	% of Romo’s Att.	YPA
Terrell Owens	139	26	9.7
Jason Witten	141	27	8.2
Patrick Crayton	80	15	9.5
Totals	360	68

Look at the Cowboys’ table and look at the Browns. The percentages to the first three targets are almost uncanny. Dallas also uses its #1 WR and TE as options 1 and 1A. The second receiver also gets 15% of the passes.

The wideouts will be playing an underrated set of Browns corners. Last season Cleveland lined up Eric Wright and Leigh Bodden and got very good play from both. Wright was superb out of the collegiate box, posting a 6.1 YPA. He was very good against red-level wideouts and is Cleveland’s top cover man.

The Browns lost Bodden in free agency and are confident that nickel and dime backs Daven Holly and Brandon McDonald can step up. Both had YPAs under 7 last year, which is red-level, but have struggled in the ‘08 pre-season games.

The key to Dallas’ success will be getting T.O. away from Wright. Garrett was excellent at this last year, motioning Owens into the slot and working him on shallow crosses and seams over the middle, where he was matched up on linebackers and safeties. Nearly half of Owen’s ‘07 attempts came against these coverages.

The Browns use a lot of zone so look for more of the same. Don’t be surprised if Patrick Crayton has a strong game. He had a strong 9.5 YPA in ‘07, which ranked 11th overall. Crayton’s downfall is red-level corners. He posted a lousy 2.6 against top tier corners, so look for the Cowboys to line him up away from Wright as much as possible. Crayton was 9.2 or better against mid and low-level corners, so he may put up some big numbers working the rest of the Cleveland secondary. He had a Bob Hayes-esque 19.4 YPA against non-rated CBs.

If Isaiah Stanback can stay on the field and flash some deep speed (getting his hands on a deep ball will suffice, to keep the Browns corners honest) Crayton could get the favorable matchups he’s destroyed in the past.

It will be interesting to see how many times Jason Witten plays the F-back, motioning into the backfield and how often he lines up on the line of scrimmage and can run deeper routes up field. Deon Anderson’s health should see Dallas playing more two back sets, putting Witten outside an OT or in the slots, usually on the same side as Owens. This puts the safety on that side in the difficult position of trying to choose which option to cover deep.

When Tony Romo drops back to pass, he’ll be protected by one of the best units in the game. The Browns get a lot of ink because their starting five only allowed 10 sacks last year but Dallas’ starters only gave up 11. Flozell Adams allowed a league best one sack at left tackle and Andre Gurode was stellar inside. Mark Colombo is a bit weaker on the right side, giving up 5 sacks last year, but was gritty against top rushers.

The Cowboys line is dinged, with LG Kyle Kosier out with an injured foot. After shuffling several interior linemen into the LG slot, backup C Cory Procter will get the start. There’s some concern that Procter could have trouble with massive NT Shawn Rogers, the Browns big offseason acquistion on defense.

Procter will likely get help from his center and his offensive coordinator. Last year, Jason Garrett ran a 56/44 pass/run blend. What’s more, he skewed his play calling heavily towards the pass early and the run late. This tactic was very effective at wearing out defensive lines early, as it’s taxing for 330-340 lb. DTs to run several sprints in heat, especially when they’re chasing an active QB like Tony Romo.

Garrett used this strategy to perfection in week two last year against the Dolphins, when he had Miami’s DTs worn out before the half. I expect him to try the same tactic Sunday. Rogers is very talented, but is also very overweight and wears out quickly. I think Dallas will make him rush a lot the first two to three series, and send him to the oxygen tank as quickly as possible.

Dallas will be facing a Browns front that could muster only 28 sacks last year. Kamerion Wimbley led the team with 5 sacks. Cleveland’s top four rushers combined for 17 sacks. Demarcus Ware, by comparison, had 14 all by himself. The Browns rush may be further weakened by OLB Antwaan Peek’s knee injury. Watch his status as game time approaches.

Cleveland’s weak rush may be the deciding factor in the game. The Browns were criticized last year for sitting in zones and playing it safe early on. Their rush came on down the stretch and they have the talent to be troublesome when they’re healthy, but right now they’re not at full strength. Peek appears hurt, as is safety Brodney Pool, who recently suffered a concussion. He has not been practicing and may not play.

Romeo Crennell was Bill Belichick’s DL coach and he’ll try some creative ways to get his guys to Romo. If they fail early, he may call on heavy blitzing, which is exactly what Dallas is hoping for. Cleveland has talent in its secondary, but its young and somewhat erratic. If the Cowboys can prevent leaks at left guard, Romo will get some chances for big plays.

Now We’re Gonna Remember “the Other Guy’s” Name

Remember that old Seinfeld joke about The Three Tenors, where the cast members could all recall Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo but couldn’t remember, “the other guy?”

Kyle Kosier has been “the other guy” on the Cowboys Five Redwoods line. People know Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode. They’re Pro Bowlers. We even mention Marc Colombo’s name, since tackles are visible on the edge and since he’s had a good camp.

People tend to ignore Kosier, except to rip him for being the guy who succeeded Larry Allen. When he was signed some folks posted links to YouTube clips of him getting beaten in his 49ers days, when he played out of position at tackle.

Come draft day, he’s always a whipping boy, whom some people are itching to bench. Last year there was a special section of bloggers here just dying to draft Texas’ Justin Blalock and drop him into Kosier’s spot, though Blalock was unproven.

In the meantime, Kosier has become the steady Eddie of the line, playing a solid, consistent left guard. He’s this decade’s John Gesek, the “other guy” from the ’90s,who toiled alongside bigger names like Erik Williams, Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei and Mark Stepnoski.

Last week, I mentioned that the Cowboys’ weakness is their interior offensive line depth. That fact could be rudely demonstrated next week against the Vikings because Kosier has suffered an apparent foot sprain and has an MRI scheduled for this afternoon to learn its severity.

Pray it’s not serious because the team needs him. The backups in the interior line, Joe Berger, Cory Procter and James Marten has been consistently underwhelming. Procter and Marten have looked just awful thus far and a source I spoke to this week, one who has seen game tape of the San Diego and Denver games, seconded that opinion. He also said Joe Berger had a poor performance against Denver.

I watched their games last night, brief as they were — the trio did not play until the last two series in the 4th quarter. I’m sorry to report that nothing has improved.

Berger and Procter are consistently being pushed backwards by bull rushes. This is a big no-no for an interior lineman. If you can’t anchor, how can your QB step up in the pocket and throw? Marten has had a lot of trouble handing quick interior rushers.

In short, I don’t trust any of these guys to sub in the absence of Kosier, Gurode or Davis. If Kosier’s injury is serious, I think the team might move RT Pat McQuistan to left guard. He worked at multiple positions in camp, but took most of his reps at RT and LG. He’s bigger and more athletic than any of the other three guys and played guard in college.

The Cowboys can’t afford any interior line leaks. The Vikings have two massive, athletic DTs in Pat Williams and Kevin Williams. They’re probably the best DT duo in football right now. If the Cowboys have to put Berger in at left guard I’m not confident he can keep the Williams boys off Tony Romo without center help. If Kosier isn’t around for the season opener, new Brown and former Lion Shaun Rogers will be lined up over Berger a lot.

It’s said you often don’t know what you have till it’s gone. If Kosier is gone for any appreciable amount of time, Cowboys fans may learn what he’s really worth — the hard way.

Update: Kosier is out up to six weeks. This is bad news, though the big brains at the DMN think Isaiah Stanback’s injury, which will cost him two weeks, is “the biggest blow.” I’ll refer you again to the title of my post.

It’s Only the Beginning

Training Camp has been encouraging. It’s been fun. It’s been informative.

But it’s only the beginning of the Cowboys’ journey.

On the opening day of camp, I asked Hudson Houck what he could tell about his linemen, with OTAs and mini-camps under his belt. He refused to handicap his group, saying, “all I know is that I have 22 more practices to go.”

On Wednesday, with 18 of those practices in the books, I asked him the same question. He again deferred, saying they still had pre-season games to play before the staff determined how many players the Cowboys would keep at each position and which ones.

Armchair GMs like me like to play the “pick-53″ game, where we try to determine the Cowboys final roster as soon as possible. Because the Cowboys are so deep and veteran-laden, this exercise is not so hard, give or take a half dozen or so players.

But we don’t really know and can’t know about the back roster today. The games count, in that respect.

Will Danny Amendola stick? He’s been promising, but if he looks pedestrian in the games, all the good workouts come to nothing. James Marten, Joe Berger, Keon Lattimore, Alonzo Coleman, Marcus Dixon, Erik Walden, Evan Oglesby, Alan Ball, Courtney Brown… All these guys have put themselves in position to grab a roster slot. Nothing more.

That doesn’t mean camp has been worthless. It tells us a lot about veterans. We know a Flozell Adams is ready because he has years and years of play to draw upon, in addition to his camp work. The kids, on the other hand, are a blank slate.

That’s why you need to adjust your pre-season viewing. Don’t look to the score. Look at the guys fighting for jobs. And treat their play as individual auditions. The kids I named will get a lot of playing time. But they will do so with and against a lot of second and third teamers who won’t have real chances to make a squad.

Find them as soon as they enter the game. Note how they perform, especially against first team opposition. Note how each of them does on special teams. Make a point of learning where they line up on special teams. I’ll have a piece on this tomorrow. And let those plays be your guides for establishing the Dallas back roster.

Because the last two weeks have only been the prelude. The real auditions begin tomorrow in San Diego.

Note: We’ve got a full plate for this afternoon’s episode of “The Sports Doctors.” Bryan Broaddus, a former NFL scout and a regular of “Galloway & Company” on ESPN 103.3 in Dallas. He’ll discuss the Brett Favre trade, what teams are looking for this time of the year, Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin and how hard it is to make a trade and how good the Dallas back roster really is. He’ll also take on as many questions you can serve up, either in this thread or via call.

Bryan will be with us from 5:05 to 5:20 CT. As always, our number is 888-806-1661. We’ll also continue our profile of team hot spots with a look at the special teams, with comments from ST coach Bruce Read. You can listen locally at 1240 AM or listen to our live stream here on site. We hope you can join us. And if you join us, we hope you participate.

Romo-commotion

He’s hiding in plain sight again.

Every day, the Cowboys defense sends blitzers at Tony Romo.  Sometimes, a single linebacker comes up the middle.  At other times, both inside backers will twist.  In other instances, the defense will overload a side and overwhelm the line from the left or the right.  Or bring a safety.  Or bring a cornerback.

And on every play, at least one guy will break free.

It simply does not matter.  Tony Romo has been feeling the pressure and finding the man that pressure leaves open:  the back releasing on a hot read;  the tight end who cuts his route short to take the quick pass;  the receiver adjusting into a slant, or stop, or fade or smoke route.

Romo finds them.  What’s more, Romo completes the pass to them.

As impressive as Terrell Owens has looked,  as dominant as Flozell Adams has been at left tackle, as deep as the secondary now looks, the biggest reason to believe in the 2008 Cowboys is the mental sharpness and consistency Tony Romo has displayed the last thirteen days.

The Dallas defenders are good, yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the times they’ve sacked him.  They force incompletions now and then and they’ve even picked him a handful of times.

Never, however, have they flustered him.  And that fact should leave Cowboys fans everywhere calm.

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.

Understudy Sunday: Cowboys Camp Report, August 3rd

The team rested veterans Zach Thomas, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten for today’s practice, giving youngsters Kevin Burnett, Sam Hurd and Martellus Bennett an opportunity to make plays into the 11-on-11 drills. They all responded, with Burnett showing saavy at his inside linebacker spot. Hurd and Bennett got open in the full scrimmages and caught every pass thrown their way save one.

For Hurd, it was a strong bounce back from Friday’s one-on-ones, where he had trouble beating hard press coverage.

Bennett showed that he could fulfill John Garrett’s claim that he would be ready for the regular season. He got open short and deep, getting great separation and displaying great acceleration upfield when the secures the ball. It seems he can be as good as he wants to be. Barring injury, the question is the length of his learning curve.

Pre-scrimmage

– Anything to get better: Bobby Carpenter spent time with the backup wide receivers catching passes from the ball machine.

– In the positional drills, Jay Ratliff was back with the nose tackles and Marcus Spears was working again with the defensive ends.

Early Scrimmage Notes:

Tony Romo was red hot when he worked the first team offense, going six-for-six in his initial sequence despite some heavy pressure on some plays. Don’t take this as a new development. Romo has made quick decisions all throughout camp and seems to be getting faster in his decision making. The defense can pressure him, but cannot get sacks.

The best play of the series came when Romo threw a stop fade up the left sideline to Sam Hurd, who shoved both heels just in bounds and made a slow-motion fall while snatching Romo’s pass. Adam Jones was helpless to stop it.

Brad Johnson took over and had a mixed set of plays. He faced more pressure, as his protection was not as solid as Romo’s, and he had a slant dropped by Miles Austin.

Tashard Choice stood out on one play where he stepped up to blunt a Justin Rogers’ blitz, giving Johnson time to get his pass away.

Romo returned and made the type of throw you expect from a multi-year vet. Romo floated left in the pocket, away from right –side pressure and spotted Miles Austin running a go route against Evan Oglesby up the left side. Romo threw the ball wide and short; Austin spotted the ball and stepped into the shallow corner of the end zone to make the touchdown catch. Austin and Romo showed great intuition on the improvised throw.

The team then broke for a kickoff coverage drill, with emphasis on the breaking up the wedge and herding the returner into a center-of-the-field scrum.

The team returned to 11-on-11s, practicing red zone plays. The offense started with the ball at the nine and moved the ball regularly, as Romo remained hot. He completed three of four in the drill, including one to Bennett that would have gone for a score were the action live.

Johnson worked with the second unit and was also successful, running a TD draw to Tashard Choice, finding Bennett on a short route towards the left sideline. On the next play, Johnson looked off the safeties and hit Patrick Crayton beneath the post for a score.

After another special-teams drill , the WRs, RBs, TEs and QBs went 7-on-7 against the linebackers and D-backs while the offensive and defensive lines went 1-on-1 in a pass rushing drill. Some motifs from that drill:

– Erik Walden keeps getting inside pressure by starting upfield and then exploding inside. He got Doug Free this time.

– Flozell Adams remains the rock, stopping Demarcus Ware the three times they faced off.

– Andre Gurode blunted very inside rusher he faced. He’s also ready to go.

– Leonard Davis is solid in his pass protecting, though he again was bent backwards by a stiff two-handed Jay Ratliff punchout.

– Marc Colombo grabbed a jersey on one play but also looked steady on his edge.

The team ended the day with an 11-on-11 drill that worked on plays in the mid-field area. Dallas ran several packages that lined up Martellus Bennett wide, though the ball usually went elsewhere. Bennett attracted a linebacker in coverage each time. He’s got the speed to beat linebackers.

Hurd again caught a couple of passes, both against Oglesby, who had a bad day at the office after several consecutive good ones.

The “oooooooh” play came when Dallas ran a flea-flicker, with Marion Barber taking a handoff and tossing back to Romo. Adam Jones bit on the fake and Patrick Crayton ran a deep out behind him for a huge gain.

Notes:

Your throat-tightening moment of the day came in the final drill when Gurode and Jay Ratliff got tangled up on a pass play. Both lay face down on the ground for a while, neither moving. Then, Ratliff got up and Gurode slowly got up. Ratliff walked without distress to the defensive group on the far sideline. Gurode flexed his knee a few times and then went on with the drill. He didn’t miss a single play.

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.

Getting a Push: Cowboys’ Camp, July 29th

On the first day of full pad contact the defense whipped the offensive line, charging into the backfield numerous times and catching backs before plays could get started.

Since then the offense line has been slowly edging into control. Today, with the offensive and defensive lines again squaring off in one-on-one pass rush drills, as they did on Sunday, we got another look at an offensive line that is gaining its collecting legs and cutting out those from the defense.

Hudson Houck worked his guys hard again on handling spin moves, switching on stunts and on sliding laterally to drive rushers past the edge.

When the offensive players went to blocking defensive players rather than offensive ones, the stalemates continued. Marc Columbo locked up Jay Ratliff, who was lined up at RE and later stopped Jason Hatcher. Leonard Davis handled Tank Johnson. Flozell Adams was a brick wall against Demarcus Ware.

Whatever Houck is putting in their water and in their training sessions is working. When the team played 11-on-11, the quarterbacks faces little pressure unless the defense blitzed heavily. I told you yesterday that the offensive line appears to be blocking better and today offered more evidence to support that claim.

Notes from the Scrimmage

Dallas worked on its three WR and nickel packages today.

Welcome to the NFL, rookie: Martellus Bennett flexed into the backfield and was hammered back into his running back by Demarcus Ware.

Hello Rookie II — Zach Thomas blew up Tashard Choice on another run, zipping into the backfield.

The defense didn’t get much pressure on the offense in that last session but Bobby Carpenter did break clean on an inside blitz.  However, Tony Romo was able to hit Sam Hurd in the area Carpenter vacated.  Romo’s reads and delivery are as quick as ever.

Keon Lattimore shows surprising elusiveness for a fullback. He pulled an olé move on Ware one play later, giving Ware a target and then hopping backwards before running around Ware to the outside. The juke was positively Emmitt-like. But can he block? And play special teams? His roster spot will depend on it.

Mike Jenkins got several reps against Terrell Owens and held his own. He had to do some clutching and grabbing and might have drawn a flag on one deep route but was not outrun or overpowered. He needs more work but he’s got promise.

Isaiah Stanback finally is getting some passes his way, catching a comeback from Brad Johnson. He also made a significant gain on a reverse.

Note: Marcus Spears is getting more reps inside in the Cowboys’ fronts and will continue to get more.

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.

Trading Black Hats for White Ones — Or Not?

Duane Thomas once commented that the Dallas Cowboys have never won anything without controversy. Thomas of course generated his fair share of it, but he has a point. Let’s look at some of the Cowboys’ championship seasons and consider the distractions that accompanied each one:

1971 — 1970 Rookie of the Year Thomas is traded during the preseason, has his trade to New England reversed after a bustup with Pats’ coach John Mazur, returns and then plays the season without speaking to his teammates. Meanwhile, Tom Landry employs a quarterback rotation system, which craters in week seven when he alternates Roger Staubach and Craig Morton on each offensive play in an embarrassing loss to a bad Chicago Bears team.

The offense settles down after Staubach is named the starter and the Cowboys run the table.

1993 — The Cowboys have little time to celebrate their third title before Emmitt Smith and Jerry Jones stage a contract showdown. Smith holds out and Dallas stumbes into the season with two losses. The team settles down and swaggers through the playoffs, though it has to overcome several key injuries, namely Mark Stepnoski’s ACL tear, Smith’s separated shoulder and Troy Aikman’s concussion, which wipes out his memory of the Super Bowl.

Simmering beneath the surface is the rift between Jones and Jimmy Johnson, which erupts almost immediately after they accept their second Lombardi trophy. Jimmy clumsily dodges a question in the locker room about his readiness to pursue a third consecutive title and days later mocks Jones on The Tonight Show. The J.J.s part shortly thereafter.

1995 — Dallas pursues it’s third title of the Jones era with the widely-despised Barry Switzer at the helm. Jones picks a fight with the league over sponsorship deals and is served with a lawsuit during a league meeting. The Cowboys are ripped for “buying a title” after they outbid San Francisco for Deion Sanders’ services. The cries for Switzer’s dismissal peak after his two 4th-and-1 gambles fail in Philadelphia. When Dallas beats the Steelers in the Super Bowl the sighs of relief are as loud as the cheers.

It seems the Cowboys require discord to fuel their title runs. Perhaps that’s why the Terry Glenn tiff feels like home; I’d be far more worried if everything were hunky dory.

I think many Cowboys fans feel the same way. One character trait I’ve noticed in the three plus years of running this site is that the Cowboys nation cannot exist without creating villains on their own team.

Look at the Parcells years. Drew Bledsoe was always the instant scapegoat, even when losses were not directly his fault. More recently, Julius Jones served as a whipping boy for the fans.

Even today, with the Cowboys coming off a 13-3 season, there are several black hats riding in the posse. I give you the Cowboys you love to hate, ‘08 edition:

• Roy Williams
• Terry Glenn
• Marcus Spears
• Bobby Carpenter

and give you these potential baddies:

• Wade Phillips
• Tony Romo
• Anthony Henry
• Adam Jones
• Tank Johnson

a former black hat gone straight:

• Flozell Adams

and these wild cards:

• Greg Ellis
• Terrell Owens

Too much controversy? Too many loose cannons? From my perspective, the blend looks great. The Cowboys thrive on crazy and Jerry has done his best the past two years to raise the instability quotient. Outsiders may deride his gambles on T.O. and the former Pacman Jones but team history suggests he’s right where he needs to be.

Mind the Gap(s) — An Interview with K.C. Joyner, Part One

Scientific Football series author and ESPNet analyst K.C. Joyner continues his attempt to bring thorough, tape-based analysis to the world of football annuals. He’s taken time out from finishing Scientific Football 2006 to answer your questions. Today, in the first of four Q-&-A sessions, K.C. uses the book’s new run-blocking metrics to analyze Flozell Adams, Marco Rivera, the overall offensive line play and the 2005 Cowboys nose tackles.

1. The Blue and Silver Report – Many Cowboys fans view the 2005 offensive line as a failure. Did it perform poorly across the board or was it a case of three guys bailing but two huge holes letting water in?

K.C. Joyner — It was a case of the tackles being awful and the inside blockers being very good. Torrin Tucker had a terrible blocking percentage and Rob Petitti’s was one of the worst in the NFL. All the inside blockers (guards and centers) had 80%+ success rates. A 90% success rate is excellent and anything in the 80s is good.

2. BSR — Can you assess Flozell Adams’ run blocking before his injury?

K.C. — He didn’t get enough blocks to be listed as a qualifier. Based on the limited number of blocks he did have last year, he would have been pretty good but not great. His success rate was 90%, which is a great number, but his yards-per-attempt was only 4.0. If he can block at a 90% rate next year he’ll be a big upgrade over Tucker and I would expect the 4.0 YPA to increase.

3. BSR — Marco Rivera got a lot of grief for his 2005, being a big-ticket signing. Where did he fall in your ratings?

K.C. — His 82.4% success rate tied him for 22nd among guards, so that was a plus. He was in the lower 3rd of the league in YPA though, so it looks like a case where Rivera was able to get a block but the holes he created may not have been that big.

4. BSR — LaRoi Glover has left. Can you compare his play as a run stuffer to Jason Ferguson’s?

K.C. — Ferguson did a much better job vs. the run than Glover. I rank DTs by three criteria. The first is yards per attempt given up on runs to their point of attack. Glover allowed 5.4 yards per run, which ranked 79th among DTs. Ferguson gave up 4.3 yards, which isn’t great (tied for 51st among DTs) but it’s a heckuva lot better than Glover.

The second criterion I use is success percentage. This basically states how often the DT beat the blocker(s) on the play. Glover was horrible at this last year, beating a mere 7% of his blocks. Ferguson did much better, beating 20% of his blocks.

The last criterion is a combination of the first two. I multiply the yards-per-run by the success percentage. Glover’s total in that metric was 5.0 yards, while Ferguson’s was 3.4. It’s not a case of Ferguson being a great player but he is a lot better [against the run] than Glover.

To order a copy of Scientific Football 2006, go to: www.thefootballscientist.com.

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