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Turning Into the ‘07 Patriots in the Blink of an Eye

Update:  Multiple sources now say the deal is a 1st, 3rd and 6th for Roy Williams.

The NFL is a copycat league.  Last year the New England Patriots looked at their good but not great defense, their good but not great offense, their all world QB and decided that with limited cap space and draft picks, they would go all in on the offensive side of the ball.

They put their receiving corps on steroids, adding Dante Stallworth, Randy Moss and Wes Welker and figured their offense could outpoint any opponent.  The plan worked until the Super Bowl.

This offseason, other teams tried emulating the Pats.  The Redskins drafted a bushel of young wideouts and tight ends to supplement Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El.  Dallas approached the Lions and Cards for Roy Williams and Anquan Boldin.  When those moves failed, the Cowboys went all in for defense, trading for Pacman Jones and drafting Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.

In one afternoon, the Cowboys went back to plan A.  Circumstances partly forced their hand.  Jones’ recessive knucklehead gene went dominant in a Dallas hotel bathroom last week when he got drunk and duked it out with a bodyguard.  The drinking violated Jones probation and earned him a four game suspension today.

Detroit’s slow start and the firing of Matt Millen made Williams available and the Cowboys snagged him for three picks.  Consider that Dallas added Felix Jones in the draft and its clear the Cowboys will be able to field their own version of the ‘07 Patriots in about a month.

Heal quickly, Messrs. Romo, Jones and Kosier.

In the meantime, how lucky must Brad Johnson feel?  He’s working with a depleted cast, with LG Kosier missing and Jones likely out a month with a slight hamstring tear.  Still, he’ll have Owens, Witten, Williams, Crayton and Austin as passing targets.  And Marion Barber had his finest receiving game this past week, with Jones injured and the Cards bracketing T.O. and Witten.

The short term still looks daunting, but the longer view just got a lot better.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Detroit News says, “it involves at least a number one pick.”

This makes the receiving corps very interesting and deep.  We now see T.O., Williams, Patrick Crayton in his #3 slot, where he should tear it up again, and Miles Austin gets to keep developing without pressure.

The kneejerk reactions amaze me.  Pat Kirwan said on NFL Radio a few minutes ago that the deal, “gives Dallas some leverage with Terrell Owens.”

Is Pat one of those scriptwriting manatees from South Park who lives in a giant tank and nudges idea balls into our collective conscious with his nose?

Earth to Pat.  The Cowboys gave T.O. a big contract extension a few months ago.  Do you really think they’re going to eat his deal now?  And isn’t the idea to improve your talent level?

And let’s stomp out the “T.O. and Roy can’t co-exist” meme before it gets started.  T.O. was eager to get Terry Glenn back last year and have a “three headed monster,” in his own words, along with Jason Witten.  He knows from his San Francisco days playing with Jerry Rice and J.J. Stokes that the more weapons, the fewer double teams. I’m guessing he’s happy.  His owner just made a big move to take the double teams away from him.

Roy Williams was pouting in Detroit and didn’t like playing Calvin Johnson’s sidekick, and here, he’s again a supporting guy.  He’s probably the third option behind Owens and Witten, who are 1 and 1A in Jason Garrett’s scheme.

The linked story says the Cowboys re-worked Williams deal, so let’s hope he gave his team the much discussed, but rarely seen hometown discount.

It’s Adjustment Time

Pro football is a game of adjustment and adaptation.  You create an edge for your team and opponents respond.  If you’re a winner, you acknowledge their changes and make your own.

We’re one quarter of the way through the season and it’s time for the Cowboys to adapt.  On offense, they had strategies that worked very effectively against the Browns and Eagles but not as well against the Packers and Redskins.

Let’s go back to the Green Bay game.  The Cowboys had one pick in the red zone when Tony Romo tried a pass to a very well covered Jason Witten. Later, just before halftime, the Cowboys were in second and goal when they lined up in a shotgun formation, with Marion Barber to Romo’s right.  Dallas faked a draw to Barber and attempted a pass to T.O. running a post. This play had worked twice for touchdowns last year, most notably against New England, when the play fake sent Rodney Harrison into a conniption fit.

One problem.  One big problem.  Green Bay knew it was coming, and had both of Romo’s receiving targets double covered.  The play went for a huge loss.

The Eagles, in the second half of their game, went double on T.O. putting a corner tight on him and a safety behind him.  Green Bay did this with Charles Woodson.  Washington did this with Shawn Springs.  It hasn’t completely slowed Owens down, but it has slowed his production down from his first outstanding six quarters of the year.

This isn’t a call to panic.  Michael Irvin faced this type of attention regularly the last few years of his career.  But it’s clear that the better defenses have caught up to some of Dallas’ tendencies.  And it’s time to see how Jason Garrett adjusts.

On defense, better strong safety play is needed.  It’s funny, two years ago Dallas had no free safety.  Then Ken Hamlin was signed and closed the deep middle.  Now, however, Pat Watkins is looking confused.  Courtney Brown is playing some at the strong but has yet to distinguish himself.

It’s almost enough to make you miss Roy Williams.  Almost.

We haven’t talked ‘09 draft, and we always talk draft here.  Mark it down — Day one next April will target two offensive linemen and a strong safety.

It’s Hard to be Humble

This has been a trend going back the the old site in the mid ’90s, but I don’t know if I’ve ever shared it with you.

Traffic goes way down on the days after a Cowboys loss.  Yesterday’s traffic was only two thirds of what we normally get on a Monday.  But most Mondays, our biggest days, people are looking for affirmation of how great their team is.

Yesterday?  Not so many people looking for confirmation that their team played poorly.

Don’t Chase Shiny Things

The Cowboys are 3-0.  Their offense is generating more rushing yards and passing yards per game than last year.  The team has just beaten two of the NFC favorites.

But they may be flawed, and a receiver in Detroit wouldn’t mind “helping” them.  With Matt Millen’s resignation not even a day old, DMN scribe Rick Gosselin has already put Roy Williams on record at his mincing, evasive best.  He’s happy to be a Lion, but his home is Texas, he says. He’s happy to stay in Detroit but he’s willing to move on.

“She’s my daughter!  She’s my sister!”  I’m a Lion!  I’m a Texan!

I’m a Lion AND a Texan!

Ugh.  All that’s missing is Jake Geddes slapping poor Roy silly.

Don’t get dragged into the nonsense.  Don’t chase the latest shiny object in the store.  Roy Williams should not be pursued.

Yes, I’m aware of the arguments.  I made them myself last December.  The Cowboys passing game slowed when T.O. got hurt.  But tally up these points:

1. Dallas pursued Williams this spring.  But they did so before the draft.
2. They also pursued him and the Arizona receivers before signing Terrell Owens to a contract extension.
3. I don’t think it was in Dallas’ long term plans to pay two huge receiver contracts.  They’re committed to Owens and judging from T.O.’s performance this summer and this September, he’s committed to them.
4. Dallas has some big extensions still to be paid, most notably Demarcus Ware’s.

Now, ponder these factoids from Detroit:

1. Former Lions OC Mike Martz questioned Williams’ work ethic on at least one occasion.
2. Williams went public last year after a Thanksgiving loss to the Packers with the complaint that he wasn’t getting involved enough in the offense.  That was the first game all year where the Lions aimed more passes at rookie Calvin Johnson than at Williams and Roy wasted no time running to the mics to complain. The Lions had just lost their third straight, after a 6-2 start, and Williams was whining about attempts.

Does this sound like a team player, or a guy who needs to be number one, at all costs?

Go back and read the linked story again.  He’s adamant that he’s still the anchor the Lions need:

“When I got drafted, the first thing I said was I want to be the one who turns this franchise around,” Williams said. “So far that hasn’t happened. But that’s still my goal, to turn this place around.”

That’s interesting Roy, because your team is 0-3.  If your goal is to “turn this place around” shouldn’t you be spending extra time in the film room, or with your QB, instead of issuing “que sera, sera,” interviews in the Dallas press?

Maybe this has something to do with Roy’s concerned nonchalance:

• Calvin Johnson, ‘08 — 17 receptions, 276 yards, 16.2 avg., 2 TDs.
• Roy Williams, ‘08 — 8 receptions, 113 yards, 14.1 avg. 1 TD.

Roy Williams isn’t the man in Detroit anymore.  Calvin Johnson has taken over.  The Lions ill fated comeback against Green Bay was driven by Johnson’s big plays, not by Williams’.  Roy says he just wants to go somewhere where he can win, but he’s also confident “he’ll get his money” and if history is any indication, he won’t hesitate to campaign for his balls.

Sorry folks, but this is what Terrell Owens was supposed to be, the petulant, self-absorbed prima donna.  Does the Cowboys offense need an another expensive set of hands so badly tha the front office and coaches will risk Owens’ happiness for a guy who clearly does not take being #2 very well?

Give me a hungry Miles Austin any day.  At least until he proves that his Green Bay performance was a fluke.

Let’s Call the Whole Thing F

Jason Witten got some ink recently for giving Martellus Bennett some tough love, telling the rookie he wouldn’t “hold his hand” on game prep. One look at the many hats Witten wears as the team’s F-back will tell you why.

On at least a couple of dozen plays Witten lined up as a traditional tight end, just outside left tackle Flozell Adams or right tackle Marc Colombo. He also lined up as a wing, in what Joe Gibbs used to call his H-back role. Think of those toss plays the Cowboys ran so effectively with Marion Barber. There Witten lined up next to fellow TE Tony Curtis. The two blocked down on the defense end and outside linebacker, allowing Colombo and Leonard Davis to pull wide and lead Barber to the perimeter.

Witten also lined up fifteen times as a slot receiver, or as a flexed tight end. This is new trend in the game, as bigger, faster TEs like Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates, Dallas Clark and Tony Gonzalez, who are capable of getting upfield, flourish. Witten can abuse safeties in space and did so on a key 3rd down completion from Tony Romo just one play after Romo’s chin was split open by Willie McGinnest.

Witten also wears the hard hat. He flexes into the backfield to be the lead blocker in off-set I formations. He motions down the line, as he did twice Sunday, to be a second fullback on “wham” traps, where he’s responsbile for taking out a defensive tackle or a linebacker, depending on the front. None of the other big-name flexi-ends take on this dirty job.

Witten also plays the role of the 3rd down back. On several plays Sunday he lined up next to Romo in the Dallas shotgun. He’s the biggest version of Preston Pearson you’ve ever seen and he caught an 11 yarder from Romo releasing from the backfield.

Witten is part of every Cowboys scheme, run or pass. Losing him would be devastating. (This is one big reason the Cowboys drafted Martellus Bennett. He’s young, raw and a bit wild, but he’s also got the strength and athleticism to handle all of Witten’s chores.) Right now, I’d rate Witten as one of the four indispensable players on the roster, along with Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Demarcus Ware.

Scientific Cowboys: Dallas Flies Delta Past the Browns

One of the bigger questions facing Dallas during Cleveland week was how to maintain its attacking style with only three healthy, dependable receivers on the roster. Sure, the Cowboys activated Mike Jefferson for the game but he was a backstop, there in case any of the Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Isaiah Stanback trio went down.

Last week, I predicted that Dallas would flex TE Jason Witten a lot more, to give him chances to get up the field. Of all the marquee tight ends in the game, none flexed — or lined up as a receiver — fewer times than Witten, whom Dallas used this way just 23% of the time. (Compare that to Kellen Winslow, who flexed 75% of the time in Cleveland’s scheme last year.)

The Cowboys flexed Witten a lot more in this game, 15 times of their 32 attempts, for a 47% average. The tactic benefitted the Cowboys in several ways. First, it put Witten out in space, where it is harder for linebackers to jam him inside and funnel him into traffic. Second, it diminished an already weak Browns rush.

A play from the early 2nd quarter shows Jason Garrett’s thinking. Dallas put in its 12 package, with one back and two tight ends. Teams normally put both tight ends on the line of scrimmage, outside each tackle, or put one in the traditional TE position on the left or right side and move the second around, lining him up in the backfield, on a wing outside the first TE, giving an overload to that side, or out in space, in the slot.

On this play Dallas flexed both Witten and Tony Curtis, lining each up in a slot, about seven to eight yards wide of Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo. Cleveland, lined up in its base 3-4, had to pull both outside LBs, Willie McGinnest and Kamerion Wimbley, out to cover the tight ends.

As a result, the Browns had only five men “in the box,” their three down linemen and two inside linebackers. The Browns don’t blitz very often and this formation meant that Wimbley and McGinnest, their two best rushers, were lined up far from the line. They could rush, but would never get to Tony Romo in time. The Browns either had to blitz an inside ‘backer or go with just their line. Cleveland rushed the three DLs and the Cowboys line handled them. The package dictated the rush options to the defense and made blitz recognition easy.

The Cowboys did most of their flexed-TE damage from a package I’ll call delta. It is a two-TE set in which one TE lines up in the standard position just outside a tackle and the second TE flexes on the opposite side. The two WRs flank the flexed TE, with each wideout a yard behind the tight end. The three form a triangle, with the TE creating the point.

The formation is a zone buster. It overloads one side of a zone, and can generate delicious mismatches. The first time Dallas used the formation it got Terrell Owens a clean release and no coverage on his 35 yard TD pass, a play I detailed yesterday.

Another play from the late 3rd quarter shows how the delta package again put Owens in a huge mismatch. Dallas lined up in Delta right, with Witten flexed to that side. This time, however, Tony Curtis flanked to Witten’s left and T.O. flanked to Witten’s right. Patrick Crayton lined up as the split end on the far left, with Marion Barber and Tony Romo in the backfield shotgun set.

Cleveland again played zone, with LOLB McGinnest in space opposite Witten and LCB Eric Wright lined up five yards off the ball on T.O.’s outside shoulder.

Before the snap, Curtis went in motion to the right. He lined up as a flanker, far outside T.O. This forced the Browns to slide their coverage with Curtis and switch responsibilities; Wright, responsible for the wide man on his side, now played Curtis; McGinnest switched from Witten to T.O.; Witten went from being covered by McGinnest to being in open space.

The Browns rushed four men, and played a four-across zone behind them, meaning the three non-rushing LBs and the SS took the short zones and the CBs and FS played three across in the deep zone.

On the right, Dallas got its two best targets ideal matchups. Witten got a free release off the line ran a square in at eight yards and held the inside linebacker’s attention.

Owens beat a McGinnest jam, and ran a seam route. Tony Romo waited for him to get clear of McGinnest, and made an easy toss to T.O. who was tackled by centerfield safety Mike Adams at the Browns six.

Look at the production from the variants of the delta package:

1. 35 yard TD pass to Owens;
2. 5 yard completion on a quick out to Crayton;
3. A 22 yard seam right to Witten that the TE dropped;
4. A 31 yard skinny post to T.O. that was negated by a questionable offensive pass interference call;
5. A 17 yard fade left to Crayton;
6. The 22 yard seam to Owens highlighted above;
7. A 3 yard screen to Tashard Choice run away from the delta grouping;
8. A 15 yard comeback to Isaiah Stanback, who lined up as the split end away from the delta group.

Total – 8 plays for 150 raw yards, a 18.7 yard average.

Completions — 6 plays for 97 yards, a 16.1 yard average.

The Browns simply lacked the rush and secondary depth to handle the delta look. The Cowboys got huge gains almost every time they ran this set. The only failures were unforced. A Witten drop cost the Cowboys at least 22 yards and the dubious interference call cost Dallas another huge chunk of real estate.

So long as the Cowboys line and backs can protect Tony Romo, it appears the Cowboys have more than enough firepower in their tight end and receiving ranks to play attacking football.

Taking A Punch and Throwing Four: Dallas Clobbers Cleveland 28-10

On Dallas second 2nd half drive, Tony Romo took a Willie McGinnest helmet to the chin. He lay dazed on the turf for a moment, gathered his wits and responded with a deep completion on 3rd and long to Jason Witten. The pass was a body blow to a Browns team that was blitzing like crazy, trying to get back into a game the Cowboys put under control in the first half. Romo threw more jabs before Felix Jones knocked out the Browns with an eleven yard uppercut, following Leonard Davis and Cory Procter on power right to power Dallas to a 28-7 lead.

The subject of HBO’s Hard Knocks applied some to Cleveland today. The Cowboys ‘08 season began in a style that recalled the ’90s teams. Remember the ‘91 Cowboys, who went into Cleveland and dominated the Browns? Or the ‘94 team, which opened in Pittsburgh, thumping the Steelers 26-9?

Today’s performance was just as dominant. This team manhandled the Browns offense, stuffing the Cleveland running game and breaking up Cleveland’s rhythm in the middle two quarters after the Browns completed a touchdown drive on their second possession.

Adam Jones and Orlando Scandrick played well in their first Cowboys games. The Browns went hard at Scandick early and after Jones late and didn’t trouble either of them. Anthony Henry also looked strong as the secondary shackled Braylon Edwards. The Browns big-name wide out dropped a Derek Anderson bomb on Cleveland’s first series and disappeared afterwards. He finished with two catches for just 14 yards.

Kellen Winslow got off to a hot start but Dallas then moved Anthony Henry over him and Winslow’s game slowed down. He finished with 47 receiving yards, the only Brown to get more than 20. Derek Anderson got good protection from his blue chip line but the Cowboys secondary did a stellar job in coverge; Anderson passed for just 114 yards on 24 attempts, a weak 4.75 yards per attempt.

The dominance was even greater in the other matchup, where the Cowboys offensive line kept the Browns rushers out of Tony Romo’s area code. Hudson Houck’s guys gave Cory Procter the help he needed. Shaun Rogers beat Procter a couple of times but he was not a factor, spending shorter series on the field as the game progressed and his fatigue level increased.

Tony Romo posted All Pro numbers — he completed 70% of his passes and averaged 10 yards per attempt. He was on his way to a perfect day but rushed a pass from the Browns five that was intercepted late in the 3rd quarter, when Dallas was ready to blast to a 35-7 lead.

* * * * * *

The sharpness the Cowboys offense showed this summer carried over to the real games. The Cowboys had four first half series and drove for touchdowns on three of them. They drove methodically, opening the season with a perfectly balanced, 10-play, 80 yard drive. After a three and out the Cowboys raced 69 yards in just four plays. Dallas ended the half with another 10-play drive that pushed Dallas to a 21-7 lead just 26 seconds before the half.

Romo showed an impressible ability to take what the defense offered. Cleveland mixed a lot of zone and zone blitzes early, giving extra attention to T.O. Romo turned to Jason Witten, who abused safeties in the middle of the field for 19, 22 and 8 yards, the final catch giving Dallas first and goal at the one.

The second Witten completion demonstrates how tight the passing game was. On 2nd and 2 from the Browns’ 33, the defense lined up in a standard 3-4 look to match up with the Cowboys, who were in a two TE set, with Witten left and Martellus Bennett right. Just prior to the snap free safety Mike Adams sprinted up to the line and lined up just outside Flozell Adams.

The Browns were attempting an overload of the Dallas left side, but it was picked up superbly. Andre Gurode stalemated Shaun Rogers. Cory Procter stopped Robaire Smith, who tried cutting into the LG-LT gap. Adams passed Smith on to Procter and stoned Adams.

Outside, Kamerion Wimbley tried jamming Witten before coming on a delayed blitz. The jam was crucial with the blitz because inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson had to get out into the flat and cover the tight end. He would have no chance unless Witten was knocked off balance at the line. Witten got a clean release outside Wimbley, raced several yards clear of Jackson and took Romo’s floater down to the Cleveland 12.

On the next series, Garrett showed that he hasn’t lost his matchup touch, getting Owens, his best receiving weapon, matched up against… nobody.

On the third play of the series Dallas faced 2nd and 12 on the Cleveland 35. Dallas lined up with a diamond package on its left flank — Jason Witten flexed wide and on the line of scrimmage, with Owens a yard behind the LOS and set to Witten’s left; Patrick Crayton was also a yard off the LOS and to Witten’s right. Martellus Bennett was lined up as the tight end right off Marc Colombo’s shoulder and Marion Barber was the line back directly behind Romo.

Cleveland was in a 3-4 look with SOLB Kamerion Wimbley lined up in space over Witten, with CB Brandon McDonald playing five yards off the ball off T.O.’s outside shoulder.

Just before the snap, Crayton went in motion left, lining up wide outside T.O. McDonald slid wide to cover him. The motion also pulled Wimbley farther towards the sideline, giving Witten a free release upfield. The Browns were in zone and Crayton’s pre-snap motion put three receiving targets in an area where the Browns had only McDonald and a deep safety playing center field. Witten ran a post, pulling the safety with him.

This meant that McDonald was alone on the right edge trying to cover both Crayton and T.O. Crayton ran 15 yards upfield and stopped. Owens ran up the left seam, unchallenged. Romo saw him and threw a perfect pass. McDonald got into the TV shot but he never had a chance to close from his wide position. It seems amazing that Owens got a free release and no direct coverage, but the Cowboys have created matchups like this for him ever since Garrett took over the play calling.

All was not perfect. The Cowboys took eleven penalties. Romo made two horrible passes in the Cleveland red zone. He got away with one, which was dropped, but the second forced throw was picked off. Romo won’t have the luxury of big leads every week and needs to cut these throws down. Felix Jones did a poor job of blocking on the pick but Romo could have taken a sack or thrown the ball away. Instead, he tossed it blindly.

Don’t be surprised if Montrae Holland is activated soon. Cory Procter did a good job of run blocking but the Browns began to beat him consistently on pass plays in the 2nd half. He blocked linebackers but could not stay with interior linemen who had any moves. Rogers whipped him several times with spin and swim moves. Eagles DC Jim Johnson will no doubt take note and target him next week. The pass blocking Procter showed today isn’t good enough for the long haul.

On the whole, the Cowboys were more than good enough. They took a game Cleveland’s best shots and gave back in abundance. They’ll have to stay sharp because a much better punching Eagles team comes to Texas Stadium next week.

* * * * * *

The Kids Are Alright

The rookies showed their value on the Cowboys final drive of the game. Cleveland took a field goal with 10:13 to close the gap to 28-13. They never saw the ball again. Dallas started at its own 20 and ended the game on the Cleveland 13, using 15 plays, 13 of them runs, to bleed the clock.

The Cowboys got one first down by relying on Felix Jones. The rookie carried twice and then threw a key block on a blitzing Browns safety, giving Romo the time to hit Crayton for seven yards and a first down. a

Two consecutive holding penalties put Dallas in 1st and 29. The team converted on a 15 yard out to Isaiah Stanback and a 22 yard slash by Felix Jones behind Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo. Jones run was the first of eight consecutive runs he and Tashard Choice made to end the drive and the game.

Stanback contributed, adding two catches for 24 yards to the tally. He showed some solid blocking on the perimeter.

Jones was the real sensation. The rookie took over in the second half after Barber left to have his ribs examined. He finished with nine carries for 62 yards, a tidy 6.9 yard average. He had a long run of 22 yards and just missed a longer TD run in the late third quarter, where Mike Adams made a desperate ankle tackle.

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.

Stanback Gets His Pearson Moment

“…nobody cares if you’re an undrafted free agent or a first rounder, if you’re on the roster you need to go out there and make plays.

When my turn came with the Dallas Cowboys my rookie year [1973] the two guys ahead of me — I was the third stringer at the flanker position — in consecutive weekends Otto Stowe and Mike Montgomery, the two guys ahead of me got hurt. And I’m the only one left. And I’m on the roster. Coach [Tom] Landry didn’t ask me, ‘can you do it?’ He expected me to do it ’cause I was on the roster.

If I step up up into that spot, I’m expected to step up and make plays, and my teammates expect to count on me. They didn’t care if I was an undrafted free agent from Tulsa weighing 165 to 170 pounds, they didn’t care. They said, ‘hey, he made this team and we need him now and we expect him to step up.’

And that’s the same situation with these guys [Sam Hurd, Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback]. They’re on the roster and that gives me confidence that the people looking at them everyday in practice and in meetings and in everything they do say, ‘hey, they’re good enough to be on this roster,’ then I say, “hey, they should be good enough to throw them the ball and get some production from them…”

– Drew Pearson, in an interview on The Sports Doctors, August 5th, 2008, on whether the backup WRs can support Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.

At camp, Isaiah Stanback was looking for every opportunity to get on the field, be it as a returner, on the edge of the wedge and as a receiver. He has put off surgery on his injured shoulder because he didn’t want to lose a second season to injury. I spoke with a source an hour ago who said Stanback practiced this afternoon and “looked fine.” He’s going to be the third receiver in Cleveland this Sunday.

In the last two weeks the two guys ahead of him in the Cowboys receiving totem, Miles Austin and Sam Hurd, have gone down with injuries. Nobody knows if he’s got anything resembling Drew Pearson’s game but Stanback has Pearson’s attitude, and that’s a start.

Three Factoids That May Shape the Cowboys-Browns Bottom Line

1. New DL coach Todd Grantham is already paying dividends, getting Marcus Spears to play far above his Kacey Rogers-era level and getting Tank Johnson into opposing backfields with regularity this preseason.

He may pay another dividend — as a spy. Grantham was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator last year and has as much insight into the Browns defensive capabilities and thinking as anybody in the Cowboys meeting room. I’m guessing he’s spent some time talking to the offensive coaches the last two weeks.

2. We’ve heard since OTAs that the Cowboys are working on nickel and especially dime packages that line up Anthony Henry inside, on opposing tight ends.

You won’t have to wait long to see them. As I pointed out in Thurday’s piece on Jason Witten, the Browns use TE Kellen Winslow Jr. as a wide receiver. He was “flexed” off the line, or lined up as a receiver on 75% of Cleveland’s plays last year, easily the most for any NFL tight end.

Dallas usually slides Terence Newman inside when it plays nickel, but the Browns signed speedster Donte Stallworth this offseason to pair with Braylon Edwards. In effect, they’re running a three-WR base set, with the 6′4″, 250 lb. Winslow as their slot option.

There’s no way Dallas is going to stay in their base and put Roy Williams in coverage against Winslow. The Cowboys may open in their nickel with Henry over the tight end and Newman and Adam Jones lining up over the wideouts.

3. How well would the Cowboys do against their offense? And vice versa? I’ve watched the Browns the last three weeks and notice their packages and offensive plays greatly mirror Dallas’. Cleveland OC Rob Chudzinski and Cowboys OC Jason Garrett are both aggressive play callers with gunslinger QBs who like to throw down the field.

Tony Romo had the third-highest percentage of bad decisions among starting QBs last year. Derek Anderson had the second-highest percentage. The difference is that Romo was more accurate and had a solidly higher YPA and a significantly higher SYPA (success % times YPA). Whichever defense is better able to throw their opposing QB out of his confort zone and press him into more bad decisions will have a huge edge.

4. Bonus crumb — A review of the Vikings video showed Alan Ball making several tackles as a gunner on the punt coverage teams. With Miles Austin and Sam Hurd hurt, Ball bought himself a longer stay with his special special-teams play.

Fun with SF ‘08 III, or Why Jason Witten Will Have a Career Year in ‘08

Update:  The Commissioner has re-instated Adam Jones.

I’ve written on many occasions the past few years about Dallas’ search for a fullback to replace Daryl Johnston. Some stats in the newest - and best — Scientific Football ‘08 illustrate how Deon Anderson’s shoulder injury hampered the Cowboys’ passing game, particularly the ways the team used Jason Witten, and how Anderson’s return can improve them.

We know that the Cowboys have been a two tight end heavy team the past few years. I doubt this is by design. The ’90s Cowboys relied mostly on what the team now calls its 21 package, with a fullback, a tailback, one tight end and two receivers.

The Bill Parcells Cowboys would have preferred this as well, but could not locate an adequate fullback in the draft. Lousaka Polite stuck around a while but never had the pop to excel as a lead blocker. The team had some success converting Oliver Hoyte from linebacker to fullback but he lacked the speed and receiving skills to play extensively.

The Cowboys appeared to have found their man when they drafted Anderson last year, but he went on IR after only four starts with a rotator cuff injury. Without him the team had to rely a lot more on their 12 packages, which have one back and two tight ends.

From this look the Cowboys use a traditional tight end, who lines up next to an offensive tackle, and an F-back, who flexes up and down the line, eventually lining up as a second tight end on the line; on a wing outside the first tight end; or in the backfield as a lead blocker.

Cowboys fans think of Jason Witten as the Cowboys tight end threat and of guys like Tony Curtis and the departed Anthony Fasano as the blocking tight ends, but in ‘07 those roles were reversed. Witten was the team’s primary blocking tight end. This is one big reason why Fasano now plays for the Dolphins. He struggled as the F-back and when the Cowboys needed tough inside blocking, they had to turn to their number one to get the job done.

That doesn’t seem to have affected Witten’s receiving stats. In ‘06, he ranked 5th among TEs with an 8.3 YPA. In ‘07, that number dipped ever so slightly, to 8.2. More consistently good play from Witten, right?

Yes and no. Take a look at the number of attempts Witten had in Sparano 2.0 in ‘06 and in Garrett 1.0 last year:

• 2006 — 90 attempts;
• 2007 — 141 attempts;

People frequently comment that Terrell Owens is the Cowboys number one and Witten is really the number two receiver. That’s close, but if you go by attempts, they’re really 1 and 1A in Garrett’s scheme. Owens had 139 attempts last year to Witten’s 141. That’s a 1:1 ratio. In ‘06 T.O. saw 152 balls while Witten had 90.

The loss of Terry Glenn last year greatly increased Witten’s load. Glenn had 112 attempts in ‘06. By comparison, Patrick Crayton had only 80 attempts as the #2 last year.

A closer look at the quality of Witten’s attempts shows how Anderson’s loss and Fasano’s flameout compromised Witten’s receiving capabilities. Let’s break down Witten’s attempts by distance:

Jason Witten	Attempts	% of Att.	YPA	Rank
Short, 1-10 yds.	97	69	6.2	8th
Medium, 11-19 yds.	32	23	7.3	6th
Deep, 20-29 yds.	10	7	10.4	5th
total	141	99	8.2	7th

Witten had an extraordinary number of short attemps. 69% of his catches were on routes of ten yards of less. That percentage was easily the highest among the bigger name tight ends. Only 49% of Antonio Gates routes were short; 59% of Tony Gonzalez’ attempts were short. Witten’s closest rival was Chris Cooley, who saw 65% of his attempts fall in the short category.

Yet, Witten was very effective in medium and deep routes. Of tight ends with more than 32 attempts (2 per game) Witten ranked first in medium YPA. Of TEs with more than 10 deep attempts, Witten far outranked his peers. His 19.5 deep YPA was more than six yards better than runner up Cooley’s 13.4 deep YPA.

Witten can make a case that he’s the best receiving tight end in the game. In ‘07, however, the Cowboys didn’t fully utilize him as a downfield receiver. Look at the number of times a TE “flexed” or lined up wide as a receiver last year:

Player	Attempts at WR	% of Att.
Heath Miller, Pitt.	14	23.3
Jason Witten, Dall.	33	23.4
Tony Gonzales, K.C.	59	41.0
Chris Cooley, Wash.	51	48.1
Antonio Gates, S.D.	68	62.4
Kellen Winslow, Cle.	105	74.5

Witten got far fewer chances in space than his peers. That’s no slam on Jason Garrett. Anderson’s injury made Witten the only dependable lead blocker the Cowboys had last year. With Anderson back and with Curtis and Martellus Bennett learning the F-back role, I expect to see Witten spending less time in the backfield and more time blasting up the field. I’m predicting a career year for him.

(If you want further evidence that Witten is the best overall tight end in football, this last chart should settle the argument. When you line up almost half of the time as a receiver, as Tony Gonzales and Chris Cooley do, you can’t be part of the discussion. When you line up as a receiver as much as Gates and Winslow do, you’re a tight end in name only.)

As good as Witten was last year, he has the teammates to let him be that much better in ‘08. That has to give the linebackers and safeties on Dallas’ schedule pause.

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…

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.

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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.

Dallas Is Not On the Schedule: Cowboys Camp Afternoon Report, August 1st

The ghost of Bum Phillips descended on Oxnard today, and Bum is still very much alive.

When he coached the Oilers in the ‘70s, Phillips the elder was often questioned by the Houston media for holding training camps which were very light on hitting.

“Houston is not on our schedule,” was always Bum’s reply.

Wade Phillips seems to be applying his daddy’s philosophy. Just one day after telling the media that the next few practices would be some of the most important of the summer, the Cowboys emerged in shorts for both morning and afternoon workouts.

That does not mean the mental intensity of the workouts diminished but it’s probably not what most fans and press members had in mind.

The afternoon session resembled a mini-camp, with the emphasis on technique and on learning assignments in each package. The session continued themes the team began to explore earlier in the week – red zone play; kickoff coverage and returns and the hurry-up offense were again practiced, in stripped down 1-on-1 WR-on-CB drills and in 11-on-11 sessions later. Here are some notes from the various sub-sessions.

1-on-1s:

• T.O. beats everybody – still. Repeat after me – T.O. beats everybody. He’s still unstoppable, but Adam Jones is slowly eating away at T.O.’s margin for error. Jones jockeyed for every matchup he could obtain with Owens, but Owens keeps on winning. Owens ran a stop-and-go route on the first matchup and got a step behind Jones. The corner once known as Pacman rushed to recover but could never make up the step. Owens caught a perfect Tony Romo pass in stride and made the score.In their last matchup, Jones blanked Owens but the receiver caught the pass on an out and up, route. Jones had a chance to bat the ball down but it got past his outstretched hand. Owens laughed at Jones, patted him on the shoulder and said, “I like that work, baby. I like that work.”
• Adam Jones beats everybody not named T.O. He blanked Sam Hurd on a couple of passes.
• Mike Jenkins looked like a rookie today. He didn’t give up any deep passes, but gave up deep ins, out routes and was kept off-balance all drill by various receives. These are the rookie growing pains.
• Sam Hurd had a tough drill. The corners seemed to dial him in. Jones gave him fits and Anthony Henry cut underneath him to make a pick.
• Anthony Henry can cover anything from the numbers out but any deep in route gets him.
• Evan Oglesby was flagged by a referee covering the drill. The officials are available to the corners to discuss the rules interpretations and the corners asked a lot of questions, learning what was permissible and what won’t be this year.
• Mike Jefferson earned Ray Sherman’s ire after Oglesby outfought him for a deep pass. “Stack him, Mike! Stack him!” Sherman yelled this three times at his rookie and gave him a withering stare.
• Isaiah Stanback shows the best deep speed besides T.O. He got behind Orlando Scandrick for one catch but bobbled another pass after beating his man.

11—on—11 notes:–

• Patrick Crayton ran a reverse at the beginning of the next to last drill and Jay Ratliff, playing at LE, was waiting for him.
• Marcus Spears blew up a Marion Barber draw one play later, getting into the backfield.
• Dallas ran several effective tight end screens the last couple of days. Today, Andre Gurode got to the perimeter to lead a Jason Witten screen.
• Bobby Carpenter was again around the ball on passes into his area. He’s making all the calls for the second unit.
• T.O. ended this phase of practice by catching a post on Mike Jenkins for a TD. Any questions?

Other Notes:

– Sports Celebrity watch: Michael Strahan was on the sidelines today, as was CNNSI’s Peter King.

– Dallas ended its practice with several two minute drills. Evan Oglesby had his defensive mates cheering when he picked off Tony Romo on the second play of the 1^st offense’s first series.

– Danny Amendola is making strides as a receiver, but he needs to add some special teams skills to his resume in order to win one of the last spots on the team.  He was working as a gunner on punt coverage teams today.

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.

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