2013 Dallas Cowboys Thread

So, now Big D is 1-0 and they got the Giants monkey off their back playing at home. No time to rest on their laurels it's time to worry about Kansas City. KC is acknowledged as one of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Their fans are, in the words of Howard Wolowitz "Cah-razy", as in very loud and very partisan. Should be a good game. If you remember it was Dallas' last trip to KC in 2009 when Miles Austin had his breakout game against the Chiefs catching 10 balls for a team record 250 yards and two TDs including a 60 yard catch and run for the game winning TD in overtime. This will be the first time since '09 that Dallas has made the trip back to KC.

 

Dwayne Harris won the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1 with his efforts against the Giants including 3 tackles on the punt coverage team and hounding Giants return man Reuben Randall all night. Harris averaged 9.5 yards per return on 2 punt returns and he contributed to the fumble recovery by DeVonte Holloman on a muffed punt in the second half. On offense he had two catches for twelve yards but on special teams Harris was---special. This was the second time Harris has won the honor capturing it in November of 2012 against the Eagles.

 

Anthony Spencer, Lance Dunbar and Danny McCray all returned to practice today making this the first time all year all 61 players on the Cowboys roster (53 man roster plus injury allowances) were in uniform and on the field although LB Ernie Sims was declared a non-participant. Spencer was limited since this is the first work he's had since the conditioning test on the first day of training camp when he injured his knee and had "minor" surgery on it. It's not known as yet if Spencer can play against the Chiefs but it was a good thing to have him back on the field according to Jason Garrett.

Dunbar was having an excellent training camp until he injured his foot in the Cincinnati preseason game. It will add an element of pure speed Dallas could really use with him back in the lineup.

McCray is generally a liability at his given position of safety but he is an excellent special teams player and will help the Cowboys in that regard the most.

 

Dez Bryant was in practice with no noticeable effect of the foot injury he suffered against the Giants. Also back were Tony Romo (ribs) and Morris Claiborne (seperated shoulder). Claiborne said the pain of the injury was as bad as the frustration he felt getting another injury. Claiborne has dealt with wrist and knee issues since being drafted last season would not leave the field against the Giants even though the trainers wanted him to. Claiborne finished the game and came out none the worse for it. He was limited in practice today and he wore a brace on the shoulder to keep it stable. He should be ready to play against the Chiefs.

 

OG Brian Waters was on the practice field and aside from language issues that will get better with practice he seems to be catching on pretty well. It may well be possible he replaced Mackenzy Bernadeau at right guad this week.

 

Speaking of the O-line did you see RT Doug Free knocked on his ass by a linebacker in the Giants game? He wasn't just knocked down he was knocked back off his feet and flat on his back. Don't you know he's hearing it from his teammates in the film room. I have never seen a linebacker do that to an offensive tackle before.

It looks like DE Anthony Spencer will be back taking limited snaps tomorrow in KC. He has missed all of training camp and he's only had a little bit of practice time this past week so he won't be in game shape as yet. The Cowboys are being cautious with him and he will be more and more part of the game plan in coming weeks. The starter will be Week 1 starter and preseason standout George Selvie.

 

Lance Dunbar is back too. He is not going to be limited, mainly because he is a role player with limited snaps anyway. He returned to practice last week and has been a full participant this past week and he's said he's excited and ready to go. The Cowboys are happy to have him back too. Dunbar was really emerging as a real threat in the passing game and he gives Dallas an infusion of speed they have lacked without him.

 

OG Brian Waters has been practicing for about a week and half since he was signed last week. He's had some good practices and according to Bryan Broaddus Cowboys beat writer he will be active and play this week. Broaddus doesn't believe Waters will start but rotate in for Mackenzy Bernadeau getting some snaps as he gets into game shape.

 

Morris Claiborne who suffered a separated shoulder against the Giants will play this week against KC. He will wear a shoulder harness to help stabilize the shoulder and he said he'll just figure out a way to tackle while protecting the shoulder.

 

It was announced this week that new Hall of Fame guard Larry Allen will receive his HOF ring in a ceremony at halftime of the Washington-Dallas game on Oct 13th.

The game against KC was not broadcast in Houston. Based on the final score, I am almost glad I didn't see it. I might be buying a new TV. Don't know if it is still the case, but one of the great things about living in the Triangle in the "old days" was I could watch both the Cowboys and Oilers. I rarely see Cowboys games now. It might be a good thing. I don't know if I could contol my blood pressure watching both of my favorite pro football teams on the same day.

 

Good news is the Eagles and 'Skins also lost. Maybe another favorite team of mine, the Broncos, can put another "L" on the Giants.

 

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Horrible offensive game today your not going to beat many teams in the NFL only putting up 16 points.

9/15/2013 - The Broncos defeated the Giants so all division teams lost today. The losses will have an impact in a possible wildcard race, but I think minimize the Cowboys' loss today. Agree that the Cowboys need more offense. They would have had a little pad in the division if they had scored a couple of more points at least.

Three things I take away from this game;

1. Why did Romo not go to Dez more when he had one-on-one coverage?

2. This was the same Cowboys we've seen in past years, carry a lead into the fourth or within striking distance and the defense can't make a stop. The Cowboys shut down the run all day until the last drive when KC ate up about 3-1/2 to 4 minutes and never allowed the offense back on the field.

3. Why isn't the hot read down the field a bit. I got tired of seeing 2 yard crossing routes (that Romo threw badly) and nothing up the field. I think Ray Woodard disguised himself as Bill Callahan and screwed the pooch for Dallas in KC (lol)

 

It's lucky everyone else in the division lost. Can the Cowboys beat the Rams next week at the "Death Star"? You'd think so but the real question is, can Dallas win back to back at some point in the season?

On Tuesday Dallas waived DL Landon Cohen and they also gave up on WR Danny Coale who they drafted last year but never saw the field in a regular season game because of injuries. To replace Cohen the Cowboys signed DL David Carter who was a sixth round draft pick in 2011 by Arizona coming out of UCLA. He's played in all 32 games for the Cardinals the past two years. Carter played well his first season but struggled last year as the backup nose tackle. At 6'3" and 300 lbs Carter is big enough but he lost out in a position battle with Ronald Talley from the University of Delaware who the Cardinals claimed was stronger at the point of attack than Carter at the nose. Carter did play well in 2011 and he has more game experience than Landon Cohen does. He fills a real need on the D-line, he's young and he won't have to deal with double and triple teams on the line playing D-tackle in the 4-3 like he did in the Cardinals 3-4 defense.

The Cowboys also signed WR Jamar Newsome to the practice squad to replace Coale. Newsome came into the NFL in 2011 as an undrafted free agent signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. From 2012 up until the final cutdown on August 27th Newsome was on the Chiefs practice squad. Newsome went to college at Central Florida. Newsome is 6'1" and 201 lbs meaning he has nice size to play the position.

 

The lack of running game is a big worry for the Cowboys coaching staff but for DeMarco Murray this weeks' opponenet, the St Louis Rams, holds only good memories. The last time the Cowboys played the Rams they were at home in Dallas in 2011 which was Murray's rookie season. That day Murray set the all time single game rushing record logging 253 yards on 25 carries (10.1 ypc) on the afternoon that featured a 91 yard TD run on his first carry and ended with a Cowboys record performance. The Cowboys have struggled to run the ball especially in Week 2 vs Kansas City when Murray and Lance Dunbar combined for 37 yards rushing on 13 carries. The Cowboys will likely see and lot more playing time for new guard Brian Waters who demonstrated a lot more power at the point of attack than Mackenzy Bernadeau who he spelled on a very limited basis in KC. Whether or not that helps a struggling run game remains to be seen.

 

How many times have you heard someone say they were not too happy with Bill Callahan's play calling? I've heard it about a half dozen times so far this week. I kind of agree, Callahan didn't impress with his job on Sunday. Then again, Dallas didn't execute very well either. There's usually plenty of blame to go around after the team loses.

So maybe Dallas did lose by 1 to the Chiefs with many believing Dallas blew a chance for win on the road. 4 days later KC goes into Philly and beats the so-called high flying Eagles offense and holds them to the same 16 points they held Dallas to. KC was clearly better that the Eagles last night despite LeSean McCoy's 158 yards rushing with a TD. It was the same formula as the Cowboys game. The lead was different, KC was up by a score of 23-9 went Philly scored on a 41 yard run by McCoy. The resulting kickoff was muffed by KC and the Chiefs began their biggest drive of the game on their own 5. Advantage Eagles, right? Not tonight it wasn't. With 11:29 left in the 4th qtr KC began driving nails in the Eagles coffin. After a clutch third down pass to Donny Avery on a 3rd and 10 play out to their own 20, Alex Smith drove KC down the field chewing up 7:57 of clock and resulting in a game clinching field goal. This KC team is pretty good so maybe Cowboys fans should lighten up a little bit because there is a team that may be 0-2 but they are better than than their record shows and that's the St Louis Rams.

 

Know that St Louis has not allowed a sack of Sam Bradford so far this year while they have recorded 6 sacks of their own. They have been stingy against the run only allowing 42 yards in two games. It could be because the Rams have allowed 661 passing yards so far in 2013 and allowed just over 50% in 3rd down conversions. Dallas is a 3.5 pt favorite and Colin Cowherd is saying he's going with the Rams. Dallas isn't getting any love this week. I know one thing, the offense better put up more than 16 points.

 

Dez Bryant missed or was limited in practice this week but he was back on the field today in full participation mode. Good news was that his back was sore because of a hit he took in KC and not a structural or spinal issue.

 

Despite playing in last week's game and doing rather well Anthony Spenser is being listed as questionable for the Rams game Sunday. He did not participate in practive either yesterday or today relegated to treadmill work both days.

 

DeMarcus Ware has been limited in practice this week but it's been just precautionary because he is listed as probable for the game.

 

Jerry Jones went on the Cowboys flagship station in Dallas, 105.3 The Fan, saying that G Brian Waters would definitely start against the Rams while out at Valley Ranch Waters was reported as working with the 2's and Mackenzy Bearadeau was working with the 1's.

 

Rookie S JJ Wilcox has worked with the first team defense this week replacing veteran Will Allen and it appears he will get his first NFL start Sunday.

The Cowboys won what initially looked like a tough game. After all these Rams are a new and improved team from the one Dallas played two years ago. They hadn't allowed a sack so far in the first two games and they only allow 42 yards rushing in the same two games---total. Sunday Dallas recorded 6 sacks including two for DeMarcus Ware making him the all time leader in sacks for the Cowboys passing Harvey Martin for sole possession of the record. He also moved into 17th place all time in NFL history since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

The Cowboys came out of the game relatively unscathed except for Miles Austin pulling his hamstring, which was said not to be anything big and and an issue with a hip pointer but he was able to return and catch a late TD pass from Tony Romo who tossed 3 TD's on the day.

 

Romo's stat line looked more old school that type of stats we're used to seeing from him. Romo was 17-24 for 210 yards, 3 TD's, and no picks. With the run game working on all cylinders the offensive balance was impressive. The defense pressured the Rams all day and one thing is clear, nobody is able to run on this defense, nobody. In Dallas' first three games they have only given up 199 total yards rushing. That's a 66.3 ypg average. If they had been able to corral Jamal Charles on the Chiefs last drive last week it would be way lower than that. Before that last drive Alex Smith was the game's leading rusher with 62 yards. The Cowboys need to tighten up their pass defense some or hope their pass rush that dominated the Rams yesterday continues to be a factor going forward.

 

JJ Wilcox made his first NFL start at safety yesterday in place of Will Allen. Allen was not hurt but Wilcox is bigger and faster than Allen and I suppose Dallas coaches figured that they drafted Wilcox and if he's going to be their future safety they better get him started sooner rather than later.

 

Morris Claiborne had his most complete game as pro yesterday. Those aren't my words, they're his. He said he wasn't bothered by his separated shoulder like he was in Kansas City last week and between his preparation and his lack of pain he was able to fly around to the ball and make plays without having to think about it first. That's a big step for a young player, to get to where he can let his instincts join with his skill to play the game. Looking for big things from Mo as the year goes on.

Tuesday is the player's day off but there are some news items and notes to look at.

 

> Jerry Jones said in his weekly radio interview that DE Anthony may need to have knee surgery again. He has missed all the preseason and all but a bit of the Chiefs game since having his knee scoped prior to training camp. This time it is slated to be microfracture surgery which is a risky surgery because it is only considered 75-80% successful and the rehab time is about one year with no guarantees that it will be successful in a sports environment and athletes often don't come back with the same speed they had before the surgery. I'm sure Spencer will explore rehab alternatives before jeopardizing his career. G Ronald Leary has a degenerative knee issue that caused a player with first round talent to not get drafted at all. At some point Leary will need microfracture surgery or possibly knee replacement. He deferred having the microfracture surgery prior to last year's draft primarily due to the risk and he was able to come back. The Cowboys took a flying on Leary because of his talent and they hope he can play well for 8-10 years before his knee gives out.

 

So, George Selvie who has really done a nice job in Spencer's absence will continue to start with the Cowboys likely to move free agent Caesar Rayford from his D-tackle spot to what is considered his natural spot DE to spell Selvie. The Cowboys could also choose to move Jason Vega, a man signed late in training camp who made a good push for the final 53 with his play against the Texans, off the practice squad play behind Selvie. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

 

The Cowboys have released DL Jerome Long and signed DT Drake Nevis off the Colts practice squad as the Cowboys churn the bottom of their roster. Nevis was a standout for the LSU Tigers while in college but he's had rough luck since he was drafted in 2011. He actually missed the 2011 and 2012 seasons because he had to go on IR for hand and back issues respectively. The Chargers signed him after he was released by Indy in the last cutdown prior to the beginning of the season but he was released shortly thereafter.

It's official, Dallas has placed DE Anthony Spencer on IR and he will undergo microfracture surgery very soon. I hope he will be available next training camp.

 

Prior to the official designation of Spencer to IR the Cowboys did sign a cornerback off the Lions practice squad. The Cowboys have only played so far with 4 cornerbacks on the roster despite Morris Claiborne having a separated shoulder. The player's name is Chris Greenwood from Div-III Albion (Michigan) College. He was the Detroit Lions 5th round pick in 2012 and he was also on of the 30 pre-draft visits in Dallas before last year's draft. So, he has been on Dallas' radar for a while. With the Cowboys facing San Diego and Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning and the Broncos coming to Dallas next week it was decided to shore up the depth at CB.

 

Interesting Stats:

> Dallas leads the NFC and is second in the NFL with 13 sacks. (Kansas City leads the NFL with 15)

> Dallas 13 sacks in 3 games equals the total sack count in 2012.

> Dallas has 6 turnovers in 3 games. They had 7 all of last season.

> Dallas is ranked 2nd in rush defense giving up 66 ypg. (Denver is No 1 giving up 43 ypg)

> Tony Romo in 115 attempt has only thrown 1 pick and that wasn't his fault. Rookie Terrence Williams ran a wrong route. So far in 2013 he has thrown 6 TDs against the one pick.

> Dallas will have played against 3 of the 4 teams in the AFC West by next week when Dallas will have faced the Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos. Oakland will be the Cowboys opponent on Thanksgiving.

The Cowboys look like they go to San Diego a little short manpower-wise. I looks like Miles Austin will miss because of hamstring that he pulled against the Rams. Dwayne Harris has also been limited because of a hip pointer he suffered last Sunday. According to reports Austin and Harris have been replaced in practice this week by rookie Terrence Williams and fan favorite Cole Beasley. Beasley will also handle punt returns. The Cowboys don't plan to call up anyone from the practice squad they will rely more on their "12" package which utilizes TE's Jason Witten, James Hanna and Gavin Escobar in two TE formations.

 

San Diego's Manti Te'o will make his NFL debut on Sunday after missing the first 3 games of the season with a foot injury.

 

DC.com is reporting that OC Bill Callahan is expecting G Brian Waters to make his first start as a Cowboys against the Chargers. Waters was signed the week after the first game of the season and the Cowboys have worked Waters into the lineup slowly over the past two games to allow him to become more familiar with the Cowboys offense and allow him to get into game shape. Apparently, now is the time for him to start. Mackenzy Bernadeau will likely be the swing guard and backup center saving a roster spot for another linebacker or receiver.

 

DeMarcus Ware has been limited in practice due to a neck stinger suffered against the Rams but it isn't considered a problem and he is listed as probable on the Cowboys injury report.

Did you guys see the game Sunday? I'm still pissed at the way San Diego bitch slapped the Cowboys. The end came after Sean Lee picked off Phillip Rivers on a tipped ball and ran it back for a TD and the Cowboys allowed the Chargers to march down and kick a field goal to cut their 21-10 lead down to 8 points at 21-13. The drive at the end of the half and the dominance of the Chargers in the 3rd quarter doomed Dallas to being beaten in a game they should have won.

Dallas defense had no answer for the dink and dunk offense that the Charger employed to negate the pass rush Dallas showed in the first half. You have to blame Monte Kiffin for not making adjustments to stop the Chargers from gashing Dallas with quick slants and Danny Woodhead in the flat. The Cowboys made Woodhead look like an All Pro. He's a nice player but he ain't Darren Sproles. Kiffin tried using zone coverage and man coverage but he stuck with the linebackers in the game. To me, if he takes out Bruce Carter, who looked terrible especially against Woodhead, and Sims and put in cornerbacks and or safety's to match up against the backs and receivers in much the same type of defense the Patriots used against the Falcons in their victory Sunday night it might have given the Cowboys pass rush a chance to get to Rivers.

The defense isn't the only culprit. DeMarco Murray continued being effective and his 14 carries for 70 yards (5.0 YPC) was effective but the Cowboys didn't ride Murray like they should have. Romo was efficient but he didn't go down the field much and even when he did his receivers failed to make a play. Any comeback was shot down after Terrence Williams fumbled at the Chargers one trying to stretch the ball for a TD he had no prayer of scoring. Even Jason Witten looked bad missing a pass down the seam. The main reason Dallas couldn't take advantage of a San Diego secondary that has been at the bottom of the league in passing defense because the O-line couldn't keep Romo clean in the pocket. It was ridiculous. I am really not liking Bill Callahan's play calling.

The bottom line is it's the same old mediocre Cowboys. They play a good game and come back with a crap game. They looked like doo-doo after beating the Giants when they played the Chiefs and the same thing has happened again. Dallas looked good against the Rams and stunk it up against the Chargers. As bad a Phillip Rivers tore up the Cowboys pass defense with his half-assed receivers what the heck is going to happen next week against the Broncos with Peyton Manning and his elite receiving corps to pick them apart? Bad things, man. Bad things. I can see the line on that game starting out with Denver -7.5 favorites. If Dallas plays like they did Sunday against the Broncos Manning and company will win by 3 TDs.

What is going to be said in break rooms and cafeterias and living rooms this week is the general consensus that Dallas is going to be embarrassed by the Broncos this week. That very well could be. After all the Broncos are on a real roll through the first 4 games of the season. They've got more weapons than NATO and a field general who is pretty much unsurpassed and he's as hot as a cheap pistol. But......There's always a but. The last time a Peyton Manning-led team came to Dallas Manning was with the Colts and they were riding a 9-0 record into the Lone Star State. Dallas upset the Colts that day 38-35 in a game that saw Dallas record 4 INTs including a TD each by Sean Lee and Orlando Scandrick. Dallas is going to have to have that kind of day Sunday. They're going to have to get more pressure on Manning than they did Phillip Rivers last Sunday for sure. The Cowboys D is going to have to force some turnovers and last but not least the offense will have to continue to run the ball effectively and Tony Romo will need to pass the ball down the field some. Dink and dunk won't beat these Broncos.

 

Note:

> Anthony Spenser underwent successful microfracture surgery on his knee yesterday. Of all the losses to injury up to this point Spenser's may be the most damaging. Spenser was going into the first year he could rush the opposing QB every down in their new 4-3 scheme. In the 3-4 he spent a lot of time in coverage as the strong side LB and he still put up pretty decent numbers as a pass rusher. Spencer's presence and the emergence of George Selvie would have given Dallas a nice rotation at DE but now there doesn't seem to be anyone to step in if Ware and/or Selvie go down.

> Speaking of George Selvie, he did not participate in Cowboys practice yesterday due to the Cowboys following the NFL protocall for concussions. The Cowboys are hoping Selvie will be able to return to practice this week in time to play against the Broncos.

> Miles Austin was out of practice yesterday as well still nursing his hamstring injury.

> Former NFL scout and DC.com writer Brian Broaddus is speculating that if Selvie is out this week Dallas may elect to call up DE Jason Vega from the practice squad. According to Broaddus, Ronald Leary and James Hanna made a name for themselves playing on the scout team last year and Vega is showing the same promise this year. They say he has a high motor and has been very good coming off the edge in practice.

The Cowboys will be without Miles Austin again this week.

George Selvie is listed as questionable but I'm thinking if he can play he will. He had limited participation in yesterday's practice.

Starting LB Justin Durant is doubtful. He did not practice this week. Ernie Sims will take his place.

 

A huge thing for Dallas to be aware of is how they deal with kick returner Trindon Holliday. The guy gets a little gap he's gone. He came up huge in Denver's win last week. If Dallas wins tomorrow the MVP could be punter Chris Jones.

 

Tony Romo is going to need Dez Bryant and Jason Witten to come up big to help keep the chains moving against the Broncos. It sure wouldn't hurt to have either Dwayne Harris and/or Gavin Escobar to step up too. The biggest factor will be Dallas committing to the run. If they can keep the score close then Denver is susceptible to the run and the only question is will Bill Callahan stick with it if it's working?

 

No predictions but this is a game Denver could lose if Dallas plays well.

I am so sick of the cliches surrounding Tony Romo and what he is in the 4th quarter. On SVP and Rusillo they has a stat that in his career Tony Romo has thrown 23 picks in the 4th quarter with 8 coming with Dallas leading or tied for the lead. So you have eight games out of around 115 games that was "blown" by Romo. Not all that bad. Especially when you consider Romo has: Fact: Romo has the highest fourth-quarter passer rating among active quarterbacks. And it’s not even close. His 102.1 rating is more than five points higher than the second man on the list, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Fact: Romo has 19 4th qtr comebacks/game winning drives. Including 5 in 2012. It would have been more had Dan Bailey made field goals against the Giants, the Cardinals and the Ravens over the last couple of years that would raised that total to 22. Please don't include the fumbled snap on the field goal attempt against Seattle in 2009. That wasn't a QB play. It was a part of a rash of fumbled snaps in the NFL late in the season linked to slick kicking balls. Romo's fumble was the highest profile because it involved the playoffs and because it's the Cowboys. Besides, if Martin Grammatica didn't have his head up his butt and just got in the way of Seattle's Jordan Babineaux who caught Romo by his shoestrings then Romo would have gone from goat to hero in the matter of about 8 seconds.

You want to rag on Romo about the pick yesterday you have to know that there were extenuating circumstances. One, he was being pressured in the pocket, two he had a defender in his face, three the intended receiver Gavin Escobar didn't run his route properly and four Denver LB Danny Trevathan made a career catch diving and completely horizontal when he made the play. Sometimes the other team just makes a play and as much as you hate it, Trevathan did.

What I'm saying is don't buy into the mistaken cliche that Romo ALWAYS chokes in the clutch. It just isn't true. And BTW would it have killed the defense to make a stop when Dallas was up 48-41? I'm just saying.

I agree that yesterday's interception was not the reason the Cowboys lost. However, I ddn't see any extraordinary circumstances with that play. I didn't see any pressure until just before his throw. He was hurried then, but I've seen a lot of plays with more pressure than yesterday's interception play. For most of the play, I thought he had good protection. The defender was blocked by two of the Cowboy linemen.

 

I had to refresh my memory. Here is a link to the play video. There are two views in the video. The second view, about half way in gives an idea of the protection and how the play transpired.

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000257594/Romo-throws-late-game-interception

 

I can't say Romo lost that game. He was not on the field when Denver scored 51 points. He had 506 passing yards. He has been very accurate this year. His team scored 48 points. That's usually enough to win an NFL game. Romo helped to keep the Cowboys in a position to win the game. There were two quarterbacks on the field who were having what would usually be classified as a career day for most other NFL quarterbacks. Maybe Romo shouldn't have tried to complete that pass. Maybe he should have just thrown it away. The only problem is that if every play we armchair, after-the-fact quarterbacks think should have been played differently, we would have to accept that a lot of spectacular plays that make the sport what it is would never occur.

 

I just think it was a great game saving pick by Trevathan.

 

Here's a link to a Sports Illustrated article. The writer saw the game as I did.

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/10/07/tony-romo-monday-morning-quarterback/?sct=hp_t2blog_a10

 

If I wasn't a fan of either team, it would have been a great game to watch. It was still a good game even though my team came out on the short end. It may be forgotten, but Manning also had a pick in the game.

 

Here are the game highlights. Plays like the ones on this highlight reel are why I love watching football.

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000257613/Week-5-Broncos-vs-Cowboys-highlights

I made the post about Romo at work and was going by the description of the play by Tim Hasselbeck on Mike and Mike. I couldn't look at it at work because our company computer security blocks all streaming. There is an excellent pitcher of Travathan's pick on the Cowboys web site on the home page and that was exactly as I described.

In a rather shocking move today the Cowboys have released veteran safety Will Allen. Allen was signed in the off season to lend veteran leadership to the young Cowboys DBs. He started out the season as the starter along side Barry Church but by Week 3 he was replaced by rookie JJ Watt. It could be that Dallas is shaking things up a bit because they have seen their defense give up 774 passing yards in the last six quarters. Never mind the QBs pulling the trigger were Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning. Even in the opener against the Giants Dallas allowed 450+ yards passing to Eli Manning. It is a real surprise to me that the Cowboys let Allen go but they see him in practice every day. He either isn't all that great any more or the Cowboys are making room to sign some defensive line help.

 

There is some mystery about why Ernie Simms has passed Bruce Carter on the depth chart. In his first season he was very good, even stepping in and playing the middle for Sean Lee after he was injured. The only reason I can surmise is Carter is having a tough time learning the Tampa 2 under Monte Kiffin. It doesn't help that the D-line is a M*A*S*H* unit with a bunch of no-names manning the front. They aren't doing bad but without Jason Hatcher and DeMarcus Ware in the lineup a good bit of the time due to nagging injuries the line isn't putting the pressure on opposing QBs line they were through the first three games when they were 2nd in the NFL with 13 sacks. A definite lack of pass rush isn't helping the linebackers or the DBs. Personally I'd rather they sit Hatcher and Ware for a game or two to allow them to get healthy and as close to 100% as possible. But, that isn't likely. Sheesh, isn't it time for Dallas to have some good luck injury-wise for a change?

 

In yesterday's locker room interviews Dez Bryant stepped up to say he and rest of the team are 100% behind Romo. Neither Bryant nor Romo pay much heed to the crap on the local radio and TV stations belaboring the cliche that Romo can't win in the clutch. Here's a couple of quotes from Bryant;

“The radio, whoever, they’re going to do what they’re going to do. As long as we know who Romo is in this locker room, he don’t care, and that’s the only thing that matters,” said Bryant. “He don’t care what nobody else say, as long as he know that we got his back, that’s the only thing that matters.”

 

“I feel damn good about the way we played yesterday. I just feel like if we can continue to keep doing that, we can stack some wins up. We was explosive, we didn’t back down like everybody expected us to.”

 

“In my eyes Romo is a fighter,” Bryant said. “I don’t think no quarterback in the NFL could take as much criticism as he takes, and he still goes out there like he hasn’t heard anything -- I know he heard it, but he don’t let it get to him –and he goes out there and he performs the best way he possibly can. And we’re going to forever back him for it.”

 

That's the only thing that matters---thanks Dez for being a good team player and vocally standing up for a team mate who is getting raked over the coals unfairly. I think Dez would really like to tell the local and national media who are attacking his team mate, "F**k all y'all.

I made the post about Romo at work and was going by the description of the play by Tim Hasselbeck on Mike and Mike. I couldn't look at it at work because our company computer security blocks all streaming. There is an excellent pitcher of Travathan's pick on the Cowboys web site on the home page and that was exactly as I described.

 

No dispute with Travathan's interception. It was a great catch. Also, I guess I'm not seeing something (probably likely) or I'm discounting something in the play. I counted 4 seconds on the CBS clock before Romo made his pass so it looked like the linemen did their part except at the last. There were two main threats by the Broncos. The threat from the front was taken care of by a double team. The threat from the left ended up causing some problem. While holding off the leftside rush, Romo's own lineman kicked Romo's left foot as Romo was throwing the ball. It looks to me like Romo may have helped that since it looks like he took one to two steps toward the left side just before the release. Romo threw into coverage with three defenders.

 

On the negative side, Demarco Murray was all by himself about 3 yards past the line of scrimmage (about 5 yards behind the primary target). Looked liked Murray thought the ball should have gone to him since his was raising his hands while trotting off the field. Looked like something I would do in disgust. It also looked like Murray might have had some running room.

 

Here are a couple of links that support Eagle Eye's post. I totally missed the foot trip by #77 until listening to Ron Jaworski's description. I was looking for contact with a Bronco.

 

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=9784960&s=espn

 

Here's a link to an "Upon Further Review" segment from cowboys.com. It is great because stop motion and analysis are used.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/multimedia/videos/Upon_Further_Review_Week_4/8accb8b5-2af4-41e1-a5cf-5dfdeb4df557

 

I heard something with Hasselbeck, but he was questioning why Romo threw the pass. Demarco Murray was mentioned in the discussion. Maybe Hasselbeck changed his viewpoint during the Mike and Mike program.

 

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/9788731/dallas-cowboys-back-tony-romo-tough-loss-denver-broncos

 

I'm not as critical as Hasselbeck is in the above discussion.

 

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EVEN WITH ALL THAT, I DON'T THINK ROMO COST THE 'BOYS THE GAME. It was a game that someone had to lose and could have gone either way. It was a great game to watch. Romo was about as good as I've ever seen him. Before that play, I was all set for Romo to drive the Cowboys down the field for the winning score. He had played like Superman most of the game. Again, it's hard to win a game in the NFL when you have 51 points scored on you. Romo was not playing defense during any of those 51 points.

Bottom line, is short and to the point. You can't win in the NFL giving up 51 points. Can someone please invite the defense to the next game!!

I don't know what's going to happen this week against the Redskins but I sure hope the offense plays like it did against the Broncos. Dallas is facing a team who barely beat the Raiders two weeks ago and have a had a bye week to heal up and prepare for the Cowboys. One thing is for sure Dallas needs to fix whatever it can to play better than they have the past two weeks. Normally, when an offense scores 48 points you figure to win the ball game. But as BSFwins noted you can't win many, if any, games giving up 51. Is RGIII healthy now? Who knows and it really doesn't matter if the defense can't make stops. Will Dallas have a Broncos hangover and stumble against the 'Skins? Will Dallas' D figure out how to make a stop on third down? To me, these are the primary questions that will be answered on Sunday Night Football this sunday.

 

Just an observation. If Miles Austin does get back on the field and stay on the field he may be looking for another team to play for in 2014. I like Miles but you can't have your number two receiver in the training room more than he's on the field. As Terrence Williams emerges and shows what he is cabable of he is making the oft injured Austin expendable. Since Austin's breakout season in 2009 and since he's gotten his big contract extension in 2010 he hasn't given the Cowboys their BIG money's worth because he can't stay on the field. Like I said, I like Miles. I like the way he catches with his hands instead of trapping the ball against his body. I like his ability to run after the catch and I like the way he protects the ball when he runs. But he just needs to stay on the field. Maybe if he takes a pay cut in 2014 Dallas can justify keeping him but only if he shows he can stay in the game.

The Cowboys look to have Miles Austin ready to go for the game on Sunday night. He's practiced the past two days and has looked good according to DC.com. Austin pulled a hamstring against the Rams and has missed the past two games.

 

Jason Hatcher has been limited this week because of a neck stinger he suffered during the Broncos game. It's not considered serious and he should be in the lineup sunday.

 

Lance Dunbar pulled a hammy against the Broncos and doesn't look like he'll play against the Redskins. The Cowboys are getting Joseph Randall ready to go this week.

 

So far the Cowboys have played nickel on defense without too much luck against Phillip Rivers and Peyton Manning. They also gave up 400+ yards to Eli Manning in the opener. With the release of Will Allen the Cowboys have an open roster spot. Despite that they have been giving practice squad DBs Jakar Hamilton and Jeff Heath more work in practice this week. It may be that Dallas will try a dime defensive package against the Redskins this week that will remove linebackers from the field and feature extra safeties and cornerbacks to better cover multi-receiver sets. All that will still depend on the pass rush from the front 4 and how well they stop Alfred Morris from running the ball.

The most important thing that needs to be answered is this, will Dallas suffer any hangover from the emotionally draining loss last sunday? Unfortunately, that won't really be answered until about 10 o'clock sunday night. We all hope they come back strong and actually play to the strengths of the offense that was discovered last sunday and improve on the quality of defense they have been playing the last two weeks. Dallas needs, at some point very soon, to step up and take control of their division. They have got to find a way to find some consistancy. The NFC East, once the best in football have become the new version of the NFC West that some dismal just a few years ago. The loss to the Broncos was heartbreaking on so many levels but it's past news now and it's time to move on. The Cowboys have 11 games left to show some level of dominance and they have the opportunity to really show something with the upcoming schedule filled with tough matchups. It all starts this week against an old nemesis at home on Sunday night. C'mon dammit! Let's go Cowboys!

 

Note: This game will see a reunion of former Baylor Bears teammates. RGIII and Terrence Williams will be on the field together for the first time since RGIII's Heisman Award winning season in 2011.

Dallas won a hard fought game last night. It was a gutty performance for a defense that had been torched the past two weeks and who, in the course of the game, lost DeMarcus Ware and Jason Hatcher. The Redskins won the time of possession battle 34:32 to 25:28 and total yards 433-213. In fact Washington won every statistical comparison except two--turnovers (Dallas won 2-1) and the score which Dallas won 31-16. Dallas needed a Cowboys record 222 yards of returns by Dwayne Harris who had an 86 yard punt return for a TD and a 90 yard kickoff return to set up another TD. Harris also had a nice tackle on kick coverage so don't be surprised if Harris isn't the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time this year.

Tony Romo threw a pass after the Harris kickoff runback to Terrence Williams that initially I thought was just a throwaway by Romo because he was being pressured but it turned out to be a perfectly thrown ball to Williams who made an equally beautiful catch for the score.

Last night's MVP was the defense. They bent but did not break except for one 45 yard TD run by Alfred Morris and long run by RGIII the defense held the Redskins run game in check. It was the effort by the backup D-linemen that harassed RGIII to the point he was all but ineffective in the passing game and the defense held the Redskins to a TD and 3 field goals despite giving up that 433 yards.

Dallas will face a Philly team 2nd in total offense and with the leading rusher in the NFL in LeSean McCoy. Not only will they do that but they will have to do it on the road. The saving grace here is Philly's defense is one of the worst in the league so it looks like it may be a shootout similar to the Broncos game. No time to gloat over this win. Enjoy it for a minute then we will turn our attention to next week.

 

Cowboys injuries

> DeMarcus Ware - Right quad strain, severity not known as yet. Waiting on MRI results

> DeMarco Murray - sprained MCL in his knee. Severity not know yet. Waiting on MRI results

> Jason Hatcher - possibly a left arm issue, details not yet known.