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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.

T.O. Scares Everybody

In the early days of training camp, I mentioned that the workouts could be summarized with the phrase, “T.O. Beats Everybody.”  No player had a better, more productive camp than the man whose middle name is Eldorado.

The Caddy made Philadelphia’s ballyhooed corners look like refurbished Hyundais in the first half Monday night.  He not only beat Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, he humiliated them.  Owens didn’t catch a pass in the second half, but his early level of dominance changed Philly’s second half game plan, and aided Dallas’ comeback.

Jim Johnson’s initial strategy was to blitz Tony Romo with some frequency.  On Romo’s 14 first half attempts, the Eagles blitzed five or more men on 6 plays, or 43% of the time.  The Eagles rushed four men on the remaining 8 plays.

The Eagles initially tried playing Owens with a single corner, but neither Brown nor Sheppard could stay wtih him.  He ran Brown off on a 14 yard curl route, then left both Sheppard and safety Sean Considine more than five yards in his wake on a 72 yard bomb.

Johnson showed some brass putting FS Brian Dawkins one-on-one against Owens in the second quarter. T.O. looked insulted after he easily beat Dawkins on a 4 yard slant for a touchdown.

The play that probably changed Johnson’s thinking came on Dallas’ next series.  The Cowboys had run the ball on every one of its first seven 1st-down plays and the Eagles had stuffed Marion Barber, walking eight and sometimes nine men into the box.   Romo’s 4 yarder to T.O. had caught them off guard, and probably explains why Dawkins was left alone against Owens — the Eagles were expecting another run.

Now, facing 1st and ten on his 20, Jason Garrett called his second 1st-down pass, sending Owens on a stop and go at Brown.  T.O. was again more than five yards behind the corner when he caught the ball, which he took 55 yards to the Eagles’ 25.  The play was called back by a holding penalty, but it affected the remainder of the game.

Johnson had to give the corners covering Owens deep help.  When the second half started the Eagles began playing a lot of cover two, with a safety always rotating to Owens’ side.  This meant the Eagles now were playing with seven in the box, and Marion Barber began to find running room.  He had only 14 first half yards on six carries, and he topped that on his first 2nd-half carry, a bend play around right end for 18 yards.  He gained 49 second half yards on 12 carries, a far more respectable 4.1 average.

Cover two also compromised Philly’s rush.  Thirteen of the Eagles first fourteen second-half pass calls rushed four men, a meager 7% average. The Cowboys’ line handled these rushes with relative ease, giving Romo time to work his backs and tight ends in the middle of the field against Philly linebackers.  When the Eagles went to man coverage, they still tracked T.O. with two players.  Owens cleared out the right side of the Eagles defense on a third quarter play from the Philly 17, giving Barber the space to catch a touchdown against the overmatched MLB Stewart Bradley.

That’s Why They Pay Him the Big Money

Amazingly, Garrett had the perfect play for the one time in that 14-pass sequence where Johnson blitzed.  He called a screen to Barber on a 1st down play where Johnson rushed six men.  Barber followed three blockers along the far sideline for 25 yards.  Johnson again backed off; he would blitz just twice more in the game.

In a fitting end to his evening, Owens beat the new Eagle Asante Samuel, drawing an interference call in the end zone that set up Barber’s game winning run.  T.O. left the field knowing he had gotten the better of all three Philly corners.

Owens appears to have found a 6th gear at age 34, one that makes good cornerbacks look stupid.  He not only beats everybody, he flat-out scares everybody, top-tier coordinators included.

Note: Updated offensive stats will be posted later today.

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.

Fun With SF ‘08 Part V: More Aikman and Less Farve This Year, Mr. Romo. Please!

When we last saw the Dallas offensive regulars, they were pushing to the edge of dominance against a young and rising Texans defense. The Cowboys first offensive series scored a touchdown. The second just missed a TD when a Tony Romo pass flew a foot or so beyond a wide open Terrell Owens.

The third drive slashed to Houston’s two. There, six feet from an early knockout, Romo offered a jarring caveat to all the Cowboys fans dreaming of a Super Bowl run. He forced a first down pass to a well covered Tony Curtis and was picked off. Instead of trotting to the sidelines with a 17-3 lead, he watched a deflated defense surrender a long, game-tying drive.

This was the bad Tony returned, the gunslinger whose wild ways kept Bill Parcells from handing Romo the offense reins earlier in his career. It was a reminder that for all his accuracy and magic, there’s still a young Brett Favre inside of Romo just waiting for the worst moment at which to appear.

Let’s compare his ten-start ‘06 to his full-season ‘07:

Tony Romo	YPA	Rank	Near Int.	Bad Dec.	B.D. %	Rank
2006	8.4	1st	11	7	1.9	T-12th
2007	8.2	T-1st	28	22	4.0	39th

Romo’s YPAs show that he’s been one of the most effective passers in the game during his short career, mixing high accuracy with an aggressive, down-the-field style that produces big yards per attempt. He had the top spot alone in ‘06 and shared it with Tom Brady last year.

The downside to that aggressiveness is bouts of recklessness. Think Buffalo and the six interceptions, almost all of which occurred because Romo lacked the patience — at least for 52 minutes — to take what the Bills cover-two scheme conceded.

Look at Romo’s bad-decisions totals and his ranks. In his rookie season he tied for 12th in that category with Peyton Manning. That’s a great line. QBs like Manning sometimes have bad-decision averages in the top third or near mid-pack. It’s a by-product of attacking and not playing Brad Johnson-ball.

Look next at the ‘07 totals, where his percentage of bad decisions, passes where he forced passes into coverage and risked a pick, more than doubled. He ranked second-from-the-last in that category among starters, with only Derek Anderson and Jay Cutler faring worse.

His 28 near interceptions ranked next-to-last. Only his boyhood idol Brett Favre had more. To frame these stat lines another way, consider that in ‘06 Drew Bledsoe ranked second-to-last in bad decision percentage. Dallas found a rude amalgam in Romo 2.0 — the swagger and daring of Roger Staubach mixed with the consistent brain freezes of Drew Bledsoe.

That’s not to say Romo became or is in danger of becoming Drew Bledsoe. He’s better, even with the miscues. But one reason why Tom Brady has played in four Super Bowls this decade is that despite his high YPAs, he consistently makes the fewest bad decisions.

Romo talked this summer about improving his pocket presence and trying to be more patient with his reads. If he can return his stat line to the ‘06 standard and is Troy Aikman-like with his passes, Dallas truly is a Super Bowl contender. If we get more of the ‘07 edition, the bad Brett Favre replica, the one who threw that pick two weeks ago against the Texans, the more likely forecast is a Pro Bowl berth, a playoff berth and another painful playoff defeat.

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.

Fun With SF ‘08 II, or why T.O. is Happy With Jason Garrett as O.C.

At Oxnard, I asked Jason Garrett to describe the Cowboys’ offensive philosophy. “People get caught up in names,” I said. “They say this team runs a West Coast offense and that team runs a run-and-shoot. What offensive schools are in your playbook?”

He didn’t give it much thought. “People everywhere in the league run the same things,” he said. “It comes down to putting your people in the right situations…”

Terrell Owens, I think, would heartily agree. When Wade Phillips took over the team he remarked that the ‘06 Cowboys had used Owens almost exclusively at the X position (split end) and that his Cowboys would motion Owens a lot more and try to create more of those favorable matchups that Garrett mentioned.

Mission accomplished. K.C. Joyner’s metrics in his brand new Scientific Football 2008 demonstrate how effective Garrett was at the matchup game with Owens last year and why he’s considered such a hotshot assistant.

Owens, as I mentioned yesterday, had a top-tier overall YPA for 2007. Among receivers who were thrown the ball over 100 times, Owens ranked 2nd behind Reggie Wayne in this metric. And he wasn’t padding his numbers beating up on weaklings, at least not all the time. Owens ranked 4th in YPA when facing top-tier “red” cornerbacks.

A look at the types of matchups Owens faced shows Garrett’s skill. Joyner breaks WR attempts into five categories — attempts versus red, yellow and green corners; attempts versus unranked CBs (those who did not have enough plays to make his final CB rankings) and attempts versus non-CBs.

Owens had 139 attempts last year, meaning Dallas threw him over nine passes per game in his 15 games. Here they are broken down by class:

Terrell Owens	Attempts	% of Att.	YPA
vs. red CBs	18	13	9.4
vs. yellow CBs	47	34	7.3
vs. green CBs	18	13	10.4
vs. non-rated CBs	12	8	4.8
vs. non CBs	44	32	13.3
total	139	100	9.7

Note the solid numbers across the board, with the notable exception of those 12 attempts against Nate Jones-caliber CBs. It’s almost as if T.O. was bored playing against those guys.

The more important stat is the remarkably high percentage of attempts against non-cornerbacks. Teams knew every week that Owens was Dallas’ prime receiving weapon. And with Jason Witten motioning so much into the backfield (he ranked near the bottom among TEs last year in plays where he was “flexed” or used as a WR) you would think secondaries could key on Owens even more.

Yet Garrett was able to get Owens 74 attempts, 53% of his total, against green-level CBs, non-rated CBs or non CBs. And Owens tore up safeties and linebackers. His 13.3 YPA against them ranked only behind Randy Moss’ and Joey Galloway among full-time starters.

When you look at the tiered YPAs the OCs who can best exploit matchups jump out. I mentioned yesterday that Joey Galloway had a poor YPA against red CBs, yet he ranked 3rd overall in raw YPAs. That’s because Jon Gruden got him 54% of his attempts against green-CBs, non-rated CBs and non-CBs.

Want to know why the Patriots set so many offensive records last year? Look at John McDaniel’s success in creating favorable matchups for his guys. Wes Welker had 138 attempts last year and 90 of them, a solid 65% were against non-cornerbacks

Think about that. Teams knew Welker was the Patriots’ second option after Randy Moss and yet they could only get a cornerback of any quality on him one third of the time.

The best OCs can get their best weapons into favorable matchups regularly. Garrett’s success in creating such matchups for T.O. last year is one big reason why Owens was so eager to re-sign with the team. And it’s one more reason why I believe the offense will continue to be successful without a big-name #2 receiver.

I want to thank K.C. Joyner again for allowing me free rein with his stats. Scientific Football 2008 and his new book “Blindsided” can be ordered at: http://thefootballscientist.com

Fun With SF ‘08, Or Why Anquan Boldin Isn’t Worth A Huge Deal

A few months ago, when the Arizona Cardinals were in a contract impasse with WR Larry Fitzgerald, I got a call from a source who wanted to discuss trade packages Dallas might assemble for him. This source has worked in the business a long time and has a very good idea of player value.

We discussed a 1st round pick and a quality player off the Dallas roster as a starting point. When I mentioned that this might remind lots of Cowboys fans about the Joey Galloway deal and invite a backlash, the source was quick and firm with his retort: “Larry Fitzgerald isn’t Joey Galloway.”

The question recurs now that the Cowboys have seen their back WR roster thinned by injury, with Miles Austin and Isaiah Stanback on the mend and with Fitzgerald’s WR partner Anquan Boldin screaming for a new deal. The Dallas papers invite trade proposals on a regular basis, with one scribe suggesting Dallas offer a 1st rounder, Marcus Spears, and Miles Austin for Boldin and a 3rd.

Fair? Not according to the metrics in the brand spanking new copy of Scientific Football 2008. K.C. Joyner’s latest is easily his best, with more nuance than any of his previous books. (I highly recomment buying it at your bookstore on or his website, where you can get an instantaneous electronic download.)

One area of greater detail is wide receiver YPA stats. In the past, Joyner has compiled simple YPA numbers, looking at attempts and yards against opposing defenses. This year, he not only looks at a receiver’s production, but the quality of the corners he’s beating. Joyner takes his cornerback YPAs and breaks NFL CBs into three categories: Red corners have YPAs under 7; numbers like this put them in the top third of the league in any given year. Yellow corners are those with YPAs between 7-9. They are what you might call “league average” corners. Green corners are those with YPAs above 9. They’re the bottom third, the guys you need to fill out rosters and nickel or dime packages, but would replace if you could.

Joyner notes that Boldin and Fitzgerald have almost identical raw YPAs. In ‘07, they were identical, with both receivers posting very respectable 9.2s, which tied them for 17th, just behind Randy Moss and just ahead of Detroit’s Roy Williams.

Not all YPAs are created equal, however, as Joyner’s ratings-per-color-level show:

Player	vs. Red CBs	vs. Yellow CBs	vs. Green CBs
Larry Fitzgerald	9.1	8.5	13.6
Anquan Boldin	4.9	7.1	15.6

These metrics tells a very different story. Fitzgerald, as we can see, beats everybody, red, yellow and green. His 9.1 versus red corners ranked 5th in that category, right behind some guy named Terrell Owens. Boldin’s 4.9? Not so good; that number tied him for 47th.

While their production numbers are almost identical, let’s not kid ourselves. Fitzgerald is the number one in Arizona’s attack. Boldin is number two. Teams assign their best corners to Fitzgerald — and he beats them anyway. Boldin is very effective at beating 2nd and 3rd tier corners, exactly as a number two should, but when Arizona has faced teams with two top quality corners, or when teams have assigned their top guy to Boldin, he’s struggled.

What can we take from this?

1. For all the abuse he’s taken in the press, Arizona GM Rod Graves absolutely made the right decision. He paid Fitzgerald number one money and is paying Boldin top dollar for a number two, as he should.
2. My guy was on the money this Spring. Larry Fitzgerald isn’t Joey Galloway. He’s much better. (Galloway, if you’re wondering, finished 3rd overall in ‘07 raw YPAs, with a 10.9, but was a lousy 53rd versus red corners, with a 4.6 average. This tells me Tampa Bay faced some poor secondaries in ‘07.)
3. These numbers should temper the outrageous packages we hear from the gallery for Boldin and Detroit’s Roy Williams. The Cowboys have a legitimate number one in Owens. The thinking pre-draft was to obtain a young receiver who could complement him and eventually replace him. Both Boldin and Williams can certainly complement T.O. but neither shows the top end performance to take his place. Williams’ YPA versus red corners was a poor 4.3, which ranked 58th overall. It’s not that much better than Patrick Crayton’s number.
4. That doesn’t mean that Boldin and Williams don’t have value. But Jerry Jones’ unwillingness to pay a number one price for a number two shows that he has good data at his disposal. If Dallas felt a real need to pursue Boldin, I’d offer Arizona a number one, but no more. Given the fact that Boldin is unhappy with getting $4 million a year, which seems like a fair salary to me given his game, I doubt that he would pout any less if the Cowboys got him and refused to re-work his deal. For that reason, I don’t think he’s worth the potential headache.

If Dallas wants to make the proverbial big splash and get a complement who can be a number one if T.O. gets injured, they’re better off asking about Steve Smith, who beats red corners for an 8.4 YPA.

Me? I’ll wait for Miles Austin to complete his rehab. If he can beat yellow and green corners, and not cost the Cowboys high picks and big money, he’s the best value.

Stop Living in the Past

I see the Kneejerk Chorus on other sites calling for Larry Allen to be re-signed to fill in for the injured Kyle Kosier. I’ll bet some of them even feel Allen could replace Kosier.

This isn’t 1998 folks. It’s 2008. Allen was an all-timer in his time, but that time has passed. Joyner’s pass protection metrics show that Kosier surrendered 2.5 sacks in 2007. That puts him in a tie for 29th, or mid-pack at his position. Allen gave up 4.5, tying him for 53rd. And Justin Blalock, the darling of so many draftniks here? He ranked dead last among guards, giving up 9.5 sacks.

Given that he’s been in retirement the past few months, I doubt a rusty Larry Allen could step in and be any better than the backup options Dallas has available.

Draftee Watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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