Dallas Cowboys: Keys to Victory Over the Philadelphia Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys (5-2) play the Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) this Sunday in a matchup of the leaders of the NFC East.

Here are five keys to victory for the Dallas Cowboys.

1. Contain Donovan McNabb.   The Eagles quarterback is most dangerous when he is extending plays with his legs.  Demarcus Ware and company must keep contain while still pressuring the All-Pro quarterback.
2. Bracket cover Desean Jackson.   The extremely fast Jackson has followed up a great rookie year with an even better sophomore year.  While Cowboys cornerback Terrence Newman should be in his hip pocket all night, I don’t believe Newman can keep up with the younger, faster Jackson without help on some plays.  It only takes one big play by Jackson to kill momentum and steal the game, so the Cowboys should force someone else to beat them.
3. Find mismatches with Eagles linebackers. Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett should utilize the two tight end sets with Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett to create mismatches with the Eagles linebackers.  Running backs Felix Jones and Tashard Choice out of the backfield would also be a matchup I would look for.
4. Establish the running game. This should be done in every game, but it is especially important against the Eagles because of their tremendous secondary. It not only controls the clock, keeping McNabb off the field, but also helps the Cowboys passing game. Playaction with Marion Barber III, Jones, and Choice can help wide receivers Miles Austin and Roy Williams get that extra separation for quarterback Tony Romo to get them the ball.
5. Use a protection scheme that focuses on quick drops and passes.   The Eagles are going to blitz, early and often.  Garrett must understand this, and have a plan in which his receivers break off their routes to help out Romo.  Barber, Jones, and Choice have all done a terrific job in blitz pickup this year, and they will need to continue that this weekend.

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NFLPA Speaking Out Against Limbaugh Is About Politics

Rush Limbaugh wants to purchase the St. Louis Rams.  The NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith has spoken out against it.  

The next few months will again show how much politics can affect sports, which we all wish were politics-free.

If you think Smith’s ties to President Barack Obama has nothing to do with it, then you are a Kool-Aid drinker.

Politics have probably always been a part of the NFL, as it is affects all of our lives, whether we like it or not. But blocking someone from purchasing a team because they don’t agree with their political beliefs is a slippery slope with no end.

And no, it isn’t about racism. Sorry again to those drunk on the Kool-Aid.

Racism is just the card that is thrown anytime someone doesn’t agree with an outspoken, conservative political figure. 

For instance, many people are saying that it is racist, because millions of Americans don’t agree with President Obama’s health care reform. I am pretty confident those same people were speaking up against health care reform when the President was a white, southerner named Bill Clinton.

Does anyone doubt that if Jesse Jackson wanted to purchase the Rams, and a white NFL representative spoke out against Jackson’s perceived racism over the years, it would be that representative who would be considered racist?  

And what happens if a player is found to be racist?  Should they not be allowed to play? And remember, it isn’t just white people who are racist.

But again, this isn’t about racism.  This is politics.

The government controls enough, they don’t need to run the NFL, too.

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Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo Is Playing without Confidence

For all the pundits screaming about how bad Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was this weekend, I have news for you.

Losing to the Denver Broncos (17-10) on Sunday wasn’t on Romo. 

If you have watched Romo since his first start, you can see a noticeable difference in his style of play from the past to what it has been the last three weeks. 

The difference is confidence.

And no, it isn’t the weak mind, Brad Lidge-esq lack of confidence.

It is the confidence he has in his teammates and coaches. 

It wouldn’t be hard to argue that the only receiver that Romo trusts on the entire team is his tight end, Jason Witten. 

Why?  Because Romo knows he is always going to run a precise route, and will always be “there.”

“There” is the place in which the receiver needs to be based on the thousands of times they have run the exact same play in practice.

Troy Aikman once said that he sometimes just threw the ball to his tight end Jay Novacek without even seeing him, because he knew Novacek would be there. 

That is the kind of confidence that Romo has in Witten and no one else.

Besides not trusting where his starting receivers—Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, and Miles Austin—are going to be, he has no confidence in them getting separation or catching the balls when Romo actually makes a good pass.

Romo has always been accurate; there is no way he lost that ability. It is all about confidence.

But Romo has been inaccurate the past three weeks, and a lot of that has to do with that extra second he loses with the lack of confidence in his receivers. 

You can see it in the throws made to Witten as compared to the others. 

The passes to Witten are crisp and with authority.  The throws to everyone else seem to be too fine. 

He is probably thinking, “Will he be there if throw it? Or should I just give it another second for a little more separation? Maybe I should just eat it and not cost the team.”

Not to mention, that extra second he may want to wait isn’t always there.

Romo was sacked five times by the Broncos, and he was constantly under pressure.

Specifically, left tackle Flozell Adams was consistently beat this weekend by Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. 

Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett smartly used Witten to help Adams with Dumervil, but that just took Romo’s favorite weapon out of the mix.

What Garrett really failed to do (besides abandoning the run in the second half), is set up routes that are short in case of a blitz.

It seemed Romo was always having to wait for the receivers to finish their routes and by then it was too late. I believe this is because they were all mid to deep routes, and without protection those are impossible to finish.

Garrett’s pass protection schemes have always been suspect, and Romo even spoke about it after the 2008 season.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick always has Wes Welker running across the middle, and Brady uses him as his outlet a lot. 

During the ’90s Dynasty, Aikman always seemed to find Emmitt Smith right over line of scrimmage.

Garrett should be able to devise something similar to help Romo out a bit.

Now, obviously, some of Romo’s lack of confidence is mental, having to always think “Don’t turn it over” after the debacle against the New York Giants. 

But he can get more confidence if players make plays. 

Did you notice who Romo went to for the final two plays into the end zone, even though perennial Pro Bowler Champ Bailey was covering him?

Sam Hurd, who isn’t a starter.

Hurd was the player who got open on that fourth down with about a minute to go in the fourth quarter, caught the ball and raced down to the Broncos 21-yard line.

I believe Romo found confidence in Hurd after that play, and he trusted Hurd enough to go to him twice with the game on the line. 

It may not have worked out, but it showed Romo could develop confidence in someone other than Witten.

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Dallas Cowboys: Walking a Tightrope Over Disaster

The Dallas Cowboys almost made the entire NFL, and its fans, forget about the Washington Redskins losing to the Detroit Lions.

Losing to the Carolina Panthers wouldn’t have been a “worse” loss, but the Cowboys are America’s Team.  It comes with the territory.

Instead, the Cowboys squeaked out a 21-7 win over the hapless Panthers. 

Things could have been much worse.

The same culprit I wrote about last year here, here, here and here, and most recently here, is the reason the Cowboys will continue to struggle.

Jason Garrett is the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL, in relation to the talent that he has to work with.  There is no one who misuses talent like “Red Headed Jesus.”

I’m not going to repeat what I said in those columns, just take the opposing team, change it to Carolina, and the result is the same.

Wait.  They had over 200 yards of rushing offense two weeks in a row?  They lead the NFL in rushing? So is Garrett finally coming through? 

Not so much.

The yardage is greater than in the past, but a lot of that is attributed to Felix Jones, the most exciting player in the NFL, outside of Adrian Peterson. 

The timing and sequence of rushing attempts, is the biggest problem in Dallas right now.

Would you believe, that despite a 7.5 yards-per-rush average in the first half, the Cowboys never ran the ball two times in a row?

And what about that debacle down at the goal line, with two fades from the one-yard line, despite all the success running the ball.  

The Cowboys probably left 14-21 points on the board last night, and it was all due to this complex that Garrett has about running the football.

Quite frankly, the Cowboys will not beat the good teams in the NFL with this kind of gameplan.  

In fact, the Cowboys would not have beaten the Redskins last night.  Their defense is good, and Jason Campbell doesn’t throw interceptions. 

The truth hurts.

Another question I have is, why hasn’t the Dallas media jumped all over this?  It is almost like CNN not covering ACORN or the Van Jones stories.  It doesn’t make any sense.

The media needs to ask the tough questions, even after a win, because there are a lot of fans who are completely frustrated with his incompetence.

There is a poll here that asked, “Is the Cowboys talent being misused on offense?”

Not surprisingly, a lot of fans were drinking the Kool-aid, and 60 percent voted that it wasn’t being misused. 

I’ve decided to put up the same poll, to see how many are now seeing the light.

If anyone knows Garrett, please send it to him. Thanks in advanced.

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Dallas Cowboys: Felix Jones Is Who We Thought Reggie Bush Would Be

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys had a decision to make. 

It was the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and they were looking for a playmaker at the running back position to replace Julius “2nd-and-11” Jones.

The choice was between University of Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall, and University of Arkansas’ Felix Jones.

At first you would think this wasn’t even a choice. Jerry would go with his alma mater.  

But it wasn’t entirely up to Jerry, as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett made it clear who he wanted.

“The one guy is an everydown back,” Garrett said, referring to Mendenhall while the No. 22 pick was approaching. “The other guy is a special complementary back. We’ve got to remember that we’ve got an everydown back here.”

I’m sure there wasn’t much arm twisting, and the Razorbacks “backup” was selected 22nd overall, one spot ahead of Mendenhall.

As it turns out, Felix might turn out to be a better pro prospect than his much more glorified Razorback teammate, Darren McFadden, the fourth overall selection.

In 2008, he carried the ball 30 times, and averaged a unheard of 8.9 yards per carry, and scored three touchdowns. 

He had three runs over 20 yards, and one over 40, with a long of 60.

In 2009, it hasn’t been much different, as Felix is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. 

On 13 attempts, he has two carries over 20, and one over 40, with a long of 56.   He also had the go-ahead touchdown against the Giants in the Sunday night game of week two.

But it hasn’t all been perfect. If he only got 30 carries in 2008, what happened?

Injuries. And Felix has been nicked up already in 2009 as well, during the Tampa Bay game in week one.

But one cannot say he is injury prone yet. That will bear out over time.

You can say that Felix Jones is the most electric player on the Cowboys, and possibly only second in “wow factor” to Adrian Peterson in the NFC.   

Felix is what everyone thought Reggie Bush would be—a tremendous running back who can make directional cuts without losing speed, with vision that allows him to set up his moves two and three blocks ahead, an uncanny ability to break multiple tackles, and the speed to break away from everyone on the field.

So why hasn’t Jason Garrett found more opportunities for the most exciting player on his team?

Maybe Garrett still doesn’t believe Felix is an every down back, and still wants to lean on Marion Barber III.  Maybe it’s his other tendency to be like the real Reggie Bush—always nicked up.

But if Barber is limited this Monday night against the Carolina Panthers due to his strained quad, expect to see a heavy dosage of Felix Jones.  

That’s when I believe a star will be born, and Felix will show the world that his name should be talked about with the best in the League.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dallas Cowboys: Media and Fans Should Take a Deep Breath

I realize it’s Week 15 in the NFL, with only two weeks before playoffs, but…

Wait, you mean it is only Week Two? 

With the incredible ratings (16.5) that the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants got on Sunday night, you would have thought that all of the media and fans actually watched the game.

However, it seems like almost everyone is focused on the box score.

Yes, Tony Romo cost Dallas the game with his three interceptions, which were all on him. He is the main reason that the Cowboys are now 1-1, instead of 2-0.

Congrats to all the Sherlock Holmes’ out there for figuring that one out.

Why isn’t anyone mentioning that Dallas, despite four turnovers, was barely beaten by a team that almost “everyone” agrees is one of the top three teams in the NFL?

If I were a Giants fan, I would be ecstatic about the win, but I wouldn’t want to play the Cowboys again.  

What really are the chances that Romo throws three interceptions in a game, again?

He has thrown three interceptions four times in 41 starts. I’m not going to get into detail about whether or not those interceptions were on him.

But I will say that his team had a chance to win all of those games, including that magical Monday night in Buffalo, when he drove them for the winning field goal—despite five interceptions.

And please, stop with the “Romo loses all the big games” craziness. If the regular season game that he just lost is a “big” game, then I guess the 4-1 regular season record against the Giants indicates that he has at least won four big games.

Is that not fair to say? I think it is. Basically because all games in the NFL are big. Not just the ones Romo loses.

The Cowboys absolutely dominated the game, but Eli Manning played exceptionally well and capitalized on Romo’s mistakes. That is the real story.

Ask yourself, “If the Cowboys win the game, are the Giants suddenly suspect and the Cowboys a team who can win despite adversity?”

Better yet, ask yourself this, “If the Giants and Cowboys played this weekend, and you had to bet something valuable on the game, who would you take?”  

I’m taking the Cowboys, because Romo isn’t going to repeat that performance.

He had a bad game. Relax. Take a deep breath. Step back from the ledge.

It’s a long season. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The Cowboys are going to be fine.

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Dallas Cowboys: Witten and Bennett Are Keys To Victory Over Giants

So much is made of the obvious matchups that many overlook in what could be the biggest difference in Sunday night’s brawl between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

The two guys that may have the biggest influence in the final score could be tight ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett—and not for the reasons you may think.

The Giants secondary is banged up and depleted (starting cornerback Aaron Ross is out), and the Cowboys will be looking to take advantage of that. 

Jason Garrett has introduced the two tight end formation this season, and it was obvious that Tampa Bay had problems with the mismatches this created.

There is no one on the Giants roster that can handle either one-on-one in pass coverage, so look for Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to attack the seams, as well as crossing routes away from the flow of the play, tossing it back across the field to his athletic tight ends.

That’s the obvious reason.  Now to the things that will affect the game but won’t show up in the box score beside Witten’s and Bennett’s name.

With Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, the Giants have the best defensive end duo in the NFL.  

The Cowboys offensive tackles, Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo, have no chance blocking them one-on-one, and that is where Witten and Bennett are crucial.

Out of the two tight end set, Witten and Bennett can chip the star defensive ends, which will afford Dallas a couple major things.

First, Dallas can run the ball right at Tuck and Osi, and wear them down. 

Having two guys beat up on you for 60 minutes makes for a long night. 

A tired Tuck and Osi turns those two and three-yard rushes into 20 to 30-yard bursts in the 4th quarter. 

The chip blocks by Witten and Bennett also gives Romo a moment or two longer to find his receivers.  This is huge, even for the most elusive quarterback in the NFL.

Finally, when Witten and Bennett do go out in their routes, expect more than one guy to be guarding them.  

This should open it up underneath and in the flats for Marion Barber III, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.  

 

 

 

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Bengals Fans: Roy Williams Is Not Going To Help You

Cincinnati Bengals fans, get used to this picture.

The Bengals have signed former Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams to a contract with undisclosed terms.

Williams had become a liability in Dallas after a stellar start to his career, in which he went to five pro bowls, although he probably deserved only three.

In the last few years he was routinely beaten in coverage, missed numerous tackles going for the big hit instead of wrapping up, and took poor angles on many occasions.   

The latter ended up making him infamous. As the result of taking poor angles, he was running ball carriers down, grabbing them around the collar, and jerking them down from behind. The NFL decided to make this a penalty in 2005, calling it a “horse collar” tackle—but it was also widely known as the “Roy Williams rule.”

I read an article stating that being reunited with Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer will be good, as Zimmer can “design a defense that emphasizes his strong points.”

The only defense that emphasizes Williams’ strong points is one in which he is taken out during all passing situations. 

When Williams broke his arm mid-season in 2008, the Cowboys passing defense stopped giving up long passing touchdowns. They had already limited his plays during passing situations, but teams always seemed to find him.  The injury seemed to eliminate the major secondary issues.  Let’s call it, addition by subtraction.

Zimmer may know Williams well, but the key to Williams’ early success was not youthful athleticism or Zimmer’s defensive game plan, it was ex-Cowboy safety Darren Woodson. 

Woodson was the brains of the Dallas secondary for many years. He told Williams where to line up, what to look for in certain situations, and put him in position to succeed as a young safety.

What Woodson didn’t do, is explain to Williams why he was telling him these things, which resulted in Williams never learning a thing. Once Woodson retired, Williams’ effectiveness went downhill (Woodson said this on ESPN, but I cannot find the quotes anywhere).

As Williams began giving up long touchdowns because of poor coverage, Cowboy fans became very discontent and started calling for his release. At the end of the 2008 season, the Cowboys organization finally realized what the fans had seen for the last few years, and Williams was cut, saving them $2 million against the cap.

Bengals fans are getting a fierce competitor, who when in position, and using proper technique, can lay the wood like none other. 

It’s just that they are going to see a lot more of him chasing people down from behind after getting beat, and in the end, it really isn’t worth it.

In the Wake of the Cowboys Tragedy, Are We Seeing Freedom of Speech—Or Hate?

On May 2, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys’ 80,000-square foot practice facility was ravaged by severe storms. Immediately there were “Breaking News” articles on all of the major sports websites, including ESPN.com. Most all had a headline similar to the following: “Cowboys’ Practice Facility Collapses from Storm.”

In response to that headline, I knew what most non-Cowboys fans (and maybe some Cowboys fans) who have watched the Cowboys’ recent late season debacles the last couple of years were going to say—”Don’t they wait until December to collapse?”

Sure enough, immediately after reading a few comments on the initial ESPN release, there they were. It was somewhat expected until the reports of injuries started to leak out.

When that happened, the violent thoughts and crude comments didn’t stop—they picked up. 

Some were hoping that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo died. There were even a few who were hoping Buffalo Bills receiver Terrell Owens was crushed. 

Here are some “lesser” comments I just pulled on the situation from the ESPN.com NFC East Blog.

Acroyo: Thats what Jerry gets for building a giant car tent in the Cowboys backyard

On Rich Behm:
blgrsshl: sucks for that dude but his is just proof that even God hates the Cowboys.

SteelT0wnR0ckerz: One has to wonder if karma has played a role in this tragedy, I mean it always seems like things like this happens to teams like Dallas, Cincinnati, Oakland……makes you think that maybe its not coincidence that bad things always seems to happen to the teams that have the worst arrest records in the league

darkLion42: Man, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if there REALLY is a god…and if he REALLY hates the Cowgirls.

Now the real problem I have with the above comments is that they were made after the injuries to Cowboys scouting assistant Rich Behm (paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed) and others were announced and reported on.

Are people really that insane? Do they have little to no compassion? Can someone hate a sports team so much that they actually wish ill will on the players and people that are a part of the organization?

What is wrong with some of America’s sports fans? What kind of person says things like that in the wake of a tragedy, just because they hate the team?

Also, to every fan who commented on this story, there is no reason to qualify your comments with “I REALLY hate the Cowboys, but…”. Do you deserve a gold star for hating the Cowboys but still feel bad for a father of three whose life changed in a blink of an eye?

There will be many people out there right now that are probably crying “free speech.”

I believe in freedom of speech when you can’t hide behind an anonymous username on the Internet. 

I believe in freedom of speech when people know your name, know what you look like, and know who you are in society.  

I believe in freedom of speech, not freedom from consequences.

If everyone had to put their true name, location, and picture on their profile before commenting, I would allow everything to be said. Because at some point that person will to go to work, shop at a grocery store, and be seen in public.

Fans need to realize they can still love their team and still be compassionate for another team’s tragedy. They should look to the players and coaches that they are a fan of for guidance. 

Read what Washington Redskins coach Jim Zorn said, or look at the image at the top of this article. The 21 on the helmet is for the late Sean Taylor, of those same “hated” Washington Redskins.

Washington Redskins: Will Snyder and Cerato Go After Michael Vick?

Former Atlanta Falcon Michael Vick will be released from federal prison on May 20, and will serve out the rest of his sentence under home confinement.

If he is reinstated into the NFL, how long will it take for Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerato to dial up the Atlanta Falcons’ front office?

It’s no secret that current starting quarterback Jason Campbell isn’t wanted in D.C.  

After publicly striking out in a deal that would have brought in Jay Cutler, missing out on a trade that would have put them in place to take USC star Mark Sanchez in 2009 NFL Draft, and signing Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel to a free agent contract, the Redskins have all but kicked Campbell to the curb.

That’s where Vick comes in.

Vick would actually be a good fit for the Redskins.  He is from Virginia and starred at Virginia Tech.  Although he lost thousands of fans with his off the field problems, it isn’t a reach to say there are still thousands in Virginia who would love to see Vick in Burgundy and Gold.  That means jersey sales, media attention, and other dollar signs for Snyder and company.

On the field, Vick is not as good of a passer as Campbell, but would still be an upgrade because of his unbelievable athletic ability.  That is, if he still has that ability.

After a 23-month prison sentence, how rusty will he be?  The word is he has stayed in shape and even quarterbacked for the prison’s football team.  It’s probably safe to say there weren’t any players like Demarcus Ware breathing down his neck in the pen, though.

So will Snyder go after Vick?  And at what cost?  If I were Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, I’d be giddy that I get to deal with the Redskins and their incompetent owner.  The Redskins still have the 2010 first round draft pick, and although they kept good on their word not to trade it during the 2009 draft, I can see it happening.

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