Who’s the Worst NFC East Coach, Wade Phillips or Jim Zorn?

For the last four seasons the NFC East had four competitive teams that would beat up on each other and run over softer competition outside the division. The Giants, Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins all made the playoffs at least once in that span and the Giants came away with the big prize.

This season however, the Redskins and Cowboys are in the basement of the East, and it has a lot more to do with than just their records. Penalties, turnovers and losing to inferior talent are common among these two teams, but the biggest reason is bad coaching.

Wade Phillips and Jim Zorn have drawn the criticism of fans, analysts and in some cases former players. Every day fans wake up hoping that these two guys are gone like a kid waking up on Christmas hoping for that one present he wanted more than any other, only to be disappointed that the two still have their jobs.

The question is which coach is worse. Both are considered “nice guys” and have the support of their teams, but what they don’t have is quality wins and in Zorn’s case just wins. So here it is; the case for which coach is worse.

 

The Case for Jim Zorn:

To be honest all the blame shouldn’t be put on Zorn. This team is loaded with over the hill players and huge contracts. GM Vinny Cerrato is the worst GM and would be tied for worst if Matt Millen was still the GM of the Lions, but this isn’t about him.

Jim Zorn’s ability as a head coach is so bad he wasn’t even hired as the head coach of the Redskins; he was hired by owner Dan Snyder as the Offensive Coordinator. When Snyder couldn’t get anyone else to take the job they promoted him. 

Yesterday the players asked Snyder to support Zorn and his staff, which Snyder has yet to do, mostly because Snyder doesn’t know how much patience he has left when it comes to Zorn. Quarterback Jason Campbell and Zorn don’t like each other, after Zorn spent the entire offseason trying to trade Campbell, which has made the offense a joke around the league.

If those reasons aren’t enough for you then just watch this . If you want evidence on the field think about this. After playing the Giants to open the season, the Redskins schedule consisted of the Rams, Lions, Bucs, Panthers and they play the Chiefs this week. Those aforementioned teams have a combined record of 2-17. The Redskins gave the Panthers and Lions their first wins of the season, the Lions their first win in a year and a half.

All of this brings the Redskins to a 2-3 record and a lot of people have the Chiefs beating the Redskins. Snyder isn’t one to let a coach play out a season, so if Zorn can’t motivate his team somehow, you can bet Zorn is going home.

 

The Case for Wade Phillips:

Bill Parcells left Wade Phillips a shiny Cadillac Escalade with 20′ rims and leather interior. Somehow Phillips has turned this into a Jeep Liberty with stock parts. The Cowboys may not be as bad as the Redskins, but they’re not far off.

Phillips got the support of owner Jerry Jones today.

“Two years ago the Giants were seemingly not in disarray, but they were in trouble,” Jones said. “It was also absolutely expected that something was going to happen with the coach, [Tom] Coughlin. … Well, that same year they won the Super Bowl. You’ve got to be mindful that this is a long, long journey. … A lot can happen from the beginning to the end.”

I’m telling you right now, the Cowboys are not winning the Super Bowl. They might get better, they may even make the playoffs, but they’re not winning the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys have more talent that the Redskins, which directly attributed to wins against the Chiefs, Panthers and Bucs, but Phillips’ player friendly style has the Cowboys as the most unfocused and undisciplined team in the NFL.

I’ve never seen a team that will move the ball forty yards down the field without trying then one holding call will freeze everything, and it will happen again and again in the same game.

Every week they turn the ball over on just mistakes. Receiver’s give up on routes, Flozell Adams tripping, holding and anything else he can think of on the fly. It’s all due to Phillips inability to get his players to focus, because he doesn’t push them. Instead of yelling he’s rather pat them on the back and say it’s ok.

Last week against the Chiefs ws a perfect example. They needed overtime to beat a team that doesn’t have a rushing TD, one of the leagues worst defenses and no wins. After the game Phillips said they battled to win a tough game and praises them for the victory.

As a result the Cowboys won’t beat anyone with more talent than them because they don’t play smart and they don’t play hard. Everyone in Dallas is waiting for Jones to drop the hammer and get Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher in here, but by the time Jones makes a move it may be too late.

 

Verdict: It’s pretty obvious that both of these guys shouldn’t be head coaches. At least Phillips was a good coordinator and he took the Bills to the playoffs, although my friend Brian still throws his beer at the TV every time he sees the Music City Miracle. 

Zorn was a good player and could probably be a great assistant, but anything more than that is beyond him.

However one guy has to win this two man race to be fired. So ill leave it to the readers; Who’s worse?

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Cowboys Injury Report:Oct. 13th

The Cowboys head into their bye week with no new injuries and should have two starters and a safety back for their game against the Atlanta Falcons in two weeks.

Running back Felix Jones will have another week to rest his sore PCL with the bye week and should be ready for their game against the Falcons on October 25th. However Jones won’t practice this week as Phillips has said he will hold out all players who were injured from practice this week.

Wide Receiver Roy Williams should also be ready for the game against the Falcons, he wanted to play last week but Phillips held him out as Williams didn’t practice all week. Williams most likely won’t practice this week either.

Safety Mike Hamlin will be back as well after sitting out the last five games with a broken forearm. Hamlin has said that he can practice this week but Phillips will hold him out also. Don’t expect Hamiln to start at safety when he comes back as he’ll play mostly on special teams, where he made a huge impact during the preseason. 

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh could be back by Oct. 25th from a broken thumb but it isn’t likely. Chances are he will be available for week eight against the Seattle Seahawks.

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Cowboys-Chiefs: Miles Austin Has Career Day, Salvages Ugly Win for Dallas

Miles Austin had a franchise-record 250 yards receiving, and his 60-yard touchdown gave the Cowboys an ugly win on an ugly day in Kansas City.

The Cowboys once again shot themselves in the foot and had to overcome their own mistakes.

Patrick Crayton muffed a punt that led to a Chiefs field goal. A bad exchange between Andre Gurode and Tony Romo was recovered by Chiefs safety Mike Brown, which led to a Chiefs TD. The Cowboys also racked up 13 penalties for 90 yards.

Despite the mistakes, the Cowboys offense moved the ball often as Romo and the running game came back from 10 down in the second half. Romo was 20-of-34 for 351 yards and two TDs. For the first time this season, Romo didn’t complete a single pass to a running back. The Cowboys’ offensive line also kept Romo upright as he was sacked only once.

Tashard Choice did the ground work with eight carries for 92 yards, including a 36-yard TD that cut the Chiefs’ lead to three points at the end of the third quarter. Marion Barber had 15 carries for 53 yards, but for the second week in a row he wasn’t a factor in the second half.

In the fourth quarter Nick Folk hit a 28-yard field goal that tied the game at 13, and after Jay Ratliff jumped over two linemen to block Ryan Succop’s field goal attempt, Romo hit Austin for a 59-yard catch and run for a TD.

The Cowboys’ defense couldn’t hold a lead with less than two minutes in the fourth for the third time this season, however, as Matt Cassel (23-of-41, 262 yards, and two TDs) drove the Chiefs down the field and on 4th-and-7 hit Dwayne Bowe in the middle of the end zone with a 16-yard strike to tie the score.

In overtime both teams received the ball once and punted. On the Cowboys’ second possession of overtime, Romo hit Austin on a buttonhook route, and Austin broke two tackles and ran 60 yards to put an end to the game.

The Cowboys’ defense sacked Cassel four times, including DeMarcus Ware getting his first two sacks of the season. Linebacker Keith Brooking and defensive end Igor Olshansky were also invited to the sack party.

The run defense held Larry Johnson to less than two yards a carry on his 21 carries, and backup Jamaal Charles had three carries for nine yards. Cassel had the Chiefs’ best day in the running game as he scrambled four times for 28 yards.

The Cowboys won, and that’s the main reason you play the game, but heading into a bye week, the Cowboys shouldn’t be happy with this win; they played sloppily and only came back because they were facing inferior talent.

The Giants put up 40 on the Raiders, and the Eagles put up 33 on the Buccaneers, but the Cowboys had to fight and scratch because of their own mistakes to win against the Chiefs.

The Bottom line is they’re still undisciplined and unfocused, and until that changes, consistency and winning won’t stick around in Dallas.

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Week Five: Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Cowboys go into Arrowhead stadium on Sunday to face the lowly Kansas City Chiefs as they try to go over .500 before their bye week.

The Chiefs have yet to win a game this season, but they do play hard. However, they rank 31st in total offense and the defense has its holes too.

Matt Cassel is the quarterback for the Chiefs, and after being traded from the Patriots, he’s learning that not having an offensive line can make life difficult.

Cassel has good numbers, completing 53-of-89 passes for 458 yards, but that’s just a five yard average per completion, proving even more that he isn’t given much time. If Cassel is able to get time in the pocket he has some good receivers to get the ball out to.

Dwayne Bowe has been in Head Coach Todd Haley’s doghouse since training camp, but you can’t argue with his production. He’s second on the team in receptions and yards with 10 catches for 107 yards and tied for first in touchdowns with two. Mark Bradley also has 10 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.

The running game hasn’t been as fortunate this season. The Chiefs don’t have a rushing touchdown this season, and Larry Johnson is averaging just 2.6 yards per carry. Backup Jamaal Charles is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, but has just 12 carries on the season.

Running the ball so poorly makes it hard to keep their offense on the field and directly impacts their defense.

Things don’t get much better on defense as the Chiefs are ranked 28th in the NFL in total defense, and they give up an average of 4.1 yards per rush on defense. They’ll have to buckle down if they want to stop the Cowboys’ third-ranked rushing offense.

Mike Brown and Mike Vrabel are veterans on a young defense and are in the top three on the team in tackles, but the Chiefs just aren’t very good against the run. Marion Barber and Tashard Choice are waiting for this game, so the Chiefs will bring eight guys on first down and hope it’s enough.

Cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Brandon Carr have two years experience each, and it’s shown as they’ve been beaten because of missed assignments and tackles. The Chiefs are giving up 250 pass yards per game, which means this is the game for Romo to get some swagger back and find his rhythm with his receivers.

However the Chiefs were very good on defense to start the game against the Giants last week, but they just got tired because their offense doesn’t make long drives down the field. So don’t be surprised if the Chiefs make some plays early in the game.

Although the Cowboys are the favorite, some analysts are calling for an upset; therefore the Cowboys have to take the Chiefs out of the game early so they don’t get any momentum.

It’s been two tough weeks for Tony Romo, so he needs to have a good game, and this is who he’d want to see. The run game will be there, so Romo needs to use that to open up the passing game. He’ll be without his top receiver Roy Williams, who is out with a rib injury.

Miles Austin will take Williams’ place, and he needs to produce. Austin has been non-existent since week where he had a 41-yard touchdown reception. Patrick Crayton will also have to have a big game for Romo to be successful.

The ground game is where the Cowboys will attack primarily. Marion Barber is 100 percent and Tashard Choice has been playing great since Felix Jones has been on the injured list. Expect these two to get a heavy load, especially because the Cowboys offensive line has a huge size advantage against the Chiefs front seven.

The Cowboys defense has done a better job of getting to the quarterback in the last two weeks, and with Matt Cassel and the Chiefs weak offensive line anything less than three sacks is underachieving.

DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer have no sacks between them, which has to change on Sunday.

Patrick Watkins will start in place of Gerald Sensabaugh, who is out with a broken thumb, but it’s Ken Hamlin who needs to stop up his game in the secondary. He’s left his teammates out to dry a few times this season and has also missed some tackles that have led to big runs for the opponents.

Terence Newman will try to bounce back from the Denver game by covering Dwayne Bowe on Sunday. Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins will also have to bring their A-game, as every touchdown the Chiefs have on offense has been a passing touchdown.

The Cowboys should beat the Chiefs, but I’m not expecting a blowout considering the Buccaneers and Panthers stayed with them until the fourth quarter of both games.

The Chiefs will have at least one big play and their defense will confuse Tony Romo early, but eventually the Chiefs defense will get tired of being on the field, and Barber and Choice will take advantage.

 

Cowboys 24-14.

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Cowboys Injury Update Oct. 6

The Cowboys left Denver with two banged-up starters and will face the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday without them.

Wide receiver Roy Williams took a huge hit from Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. Williams came back in and made one more catch, but everyone could tell he was in obvious pain.

Williams was diagnosed with three bruised ribs and damage to his rib cartilage on Monday and most likely won’t play this week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he should be ready after their bye week.

“Never in my life have I been hit like that, from Pop Warner through my six years in the league,” Williams said on Sunday after the game.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh broke his thumb in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. Sensabaugh was seen on the field in full pads with his helmet on but didn’t return to the game.

Sensabaugh broke the same thumb in college and had a plate put in it while he played at North Carolina. He had surgery on Monday and will be out about one month. Until then, Pat Watkins, who finished the game at safety, will start in Sensabaugh’s place.

Alan Ball could split some time as safety as well, and Mike Hamlin, who broke his forearm in the preseason, should be back by the end of the Cowboys’ bye week after their game against the Chiefs.

Center Andre Gurode hurt his knee during the game but didn’t miss any snaps, and head coach Wade Phillips didn’t address Gurode’s injury during his press conference, which means the injury wasn’t serious. He shouldn’t miss the game, although he may miss some practice time.

Running back Felix Jones, who missed the game against the Broncos, will most likely miss this week’s game against the Chiefs but should be back by the end of the bye week as he recovers from a bruised PCL in his right knee.

Marion Barber, who played against the Broncos, seems fully recovered from his thigh injury and will see an increase in carries against the Chiefs.

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Dallas Cowboys Fall Two Yards Short, Lose 17-10

The Cowboys made a nice last minute effort but fell short at the Broncos’ two yard line and lose their second game of the season, 17-10.

This game was a defensive battle, but Brandon Marshall’s 52-yard catch and run for a touchdown proved to be the difference in the game. The Cowboys played good defense on Marshall before that play as he had just three catches for 40 yards.

Kyle Orton was sacked three times but overcame the Cowboys’ pressure to go 20-29 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. He also hit seven Broncos’ receivers and did not throw an interception.

Broncos’ running backs Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno combined for 102 yards on 20 carries. The Broncos moved the ball with ease for most of the second half, but they got in their own way most of the game as they were penalized 10 times for 81 yards which stalled some of their drives.

The Cowboys once again let their mistakes tell the story.

A bad route by Miles Austin lead to an interception inside the Broncos’ five yard line. A holding penalty by Martellus Bennett wiped out a first down, leading to a punt. A facemask penalty by Anthony Spencer extended a Denver drive.

Tony Romo was very ineffective yesterday going 25-42 for 255 and one interception; he was also sacked five times. This marks the second straight game that Romo didn’t throw a touchdown. It also marks the second straight game where no Cowboys’ receiver had at least 70 yards receiving.

Sam Hurd had three catches for 62 yards, including a 53-yard catch and run on the Cowboys’ final drive that set them inside the Broncos’ 10-yard line for first and goal with less than a minute left.

Romo hit Patrick Crayton on first down which took the Cowboys’ to the two yard line, after Romo spiked the ball on second and goal the Cowboys tried to run two slants inside to Hurd who was matched up against Broncos’ CB Champ Bailey. Bailey played perfect defense on both passes, knocking the last pass down on fourth and goal to kill the Cowboys’ comeback hopes.

The Cowboys’ running game, which had been strong the last two weeks sputtered yesterday. Marion Barber and Tashard Choice shared 25 carries, but only gained 74 yards. Barber looked good in the first half and scored a touchdown, but Head Coach Wade Phillips gave Barber one carry in the second half instead going with Choice.

 

 

The Cowboys kept the Broncos from scoring most of the game and had a huge defensive stand in the fourth quarter as they stopped the Broncos on third and fourth-and-one to get the ball back on downs. 

However the Cowboys defense fell apart in the last two minutes for the second time this season giving up an eight yard pass to Marshall and a 14 yard run to Moreno before Marshall’s touchdown catch. If they want to be known as a good defense they need to make stops at key points in the game and they’re not doing that now.

 

 

The Cowboys have yet to find their identity and until they do they’re going to continue to be what they are now, a middle of the pack team who can beat up on lesser talent but won’t beat teams with the same level of talent because they play harder.

 

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Week 4: Dallas Cowboys Vs. Denver Broncos.

The Cowboys go on the road to Denver to face the 3-0 Broncos in a Sunday afternoon battle.

The Broncos have spent the last three weeks beating up on some of the worst teams in the NFL. Now, their first true test comes in the Cowboys. The Broncos have been stellar this season, averaging in the top 10 in both rushing and passing defense.

The leader of their 4-3 defense is DJ Williams, who leads the team with 22 tackles. Also excelling is Elvis Dumervil, who already has six sacks this season. The Broncos also sport veterans Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins in the secondary; Dawkins knows the Cowboys well after playing in the NFC East for over 10 seasons.

On offense, the Broncos use a balanced attack starting with quarterback Kyle Orton who has thrown for 663 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions this season and has been sacked just three times. That won’t stop Dallas from putting the pressure on Orton in hopes that he makes some bad throws and the Dallas secondary cashes in.

Receiver Brandon Marshall will have to have a big game, as the Dallas secondary eluded the mistakes it made against the Giants and got their first two interceptions on Monday against the Panthers. Also Brandon Stokley, who leads the team in receiving yards, has been limited in practice this week and his status is still unknown.

Correll Buckhalter is the starting running back and has 230 yards on 31 carries this season, but he faces a Dallas front seven that has shut down the running game of the Giants and Panthers in the last two weeks. So Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno will have to be patient and try to wear out the Dallas defense over the course of the game.

The Cowboys will go into Denver with their top ranked running game, and although Felix Jones will miss this game with a knee sprain, Marion Barber practiced today and will be active for the game, but Tashard Choice will get the bulk of the carries.

Tony Romo was very efficient last week, but he will have to do a little more for the Cowboys to come away with a victory this week. Romo and Roy Williams need to connect on a few passes in this game, and Miles Austin needs to show up after being quiet in the first three games. Austin is supposed to be the deep threat but only has one TD on the season.

The Cowboys’ defense will have its hands full trying to stop Buckhalter and Moreno, but the run defense has been fantastic after a slow start and they should be able to keep the Broncos’ run game in check. 

Expect DeMarcus Ware to get his first sack this weekend. Orton is not a very mobile QB and he’s been sacked three times this season. Also, look out for Victor Butler who had two sacks last week, he’ll get more playing time this week. The Cowboys are no stranger to blitzing, and they’ll continue to do so on Sunday.

Terence Newman will draw the assignment of covering receiver Brandon Marshall as he did a great job last week covering Steve Smith. This week will be harder for Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick, however, as the Broncos have a deep receiving group that includes Stokley and Eddie Royal. Jenkins and Scandrick will have to play their best to keep the Cowboys in the game. 

 

The Broncos are a good team and should keep this game close. But after playing three really bad teams, they’ll underestimate the Cowboys, and it will cost them dearly. The Cowboys will use the run game in the second half to close it out. 

Cowboys 28-14.

 

 

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Week Two Preview: New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys make their home debut Sunday night against the New York Giants and there will be fireworks, sparks, and a ton of excitement and that’s just before the game starts. 

The Giants defense manhandled the Redskins last week forcing two turnovers and sacking Jason Campbell three times. The Giants will continue to use their nine man rotation to generate pressure and force turnovers.

Linebacker Antonio Pierce leads a unit that includes Osi Umenyiora, who returned a fumble for a touchdown and Justin Tuck who was the leading sack man for the Giants last season with 12. Not playing is former Cowboy Chris Canty, who injured his calf on Wednesday and did not practice on Thursday.

The Giants will also be without starting corner Aaron Ross however, which means second year player Terrell Thomas will start in his place. The Giants secondary isn’t a great one so if their front seven doesn’t get pressure expect Tony Romo to have a game similar to last week when he torched the Buccaneers secondary for 353 yards and three TD’s.

Also not playing on Sunday is receiver Hakeem Nicks and backup running back Danny Ware. However Brandon Jacobs is playing and he loves to play in Dallas. Jacobs has ran for over 100 yards in the last two games against the Cowboys and shared his feelings about them earlier this week saying, “I hate the Cowboys with a bloody passion.”

Eli Manning was a very efficient 20-29 for 256 yards last week against the Redskins throwing one TD and one interception. However that TD was the only score on offense for the Giants as they went 0-3 in the red zone with Lawrence Tynes kicking three field goals.

The Giants are a running team and will rely on that to guide them to victory but if the Cowboys can step up to the challenge and force the Giants into passing situations they can send DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer at Manning and they’ll have a good chance of winning their first home game.

The Cowboys bring a potent offense home that torched the Bucs for 462 yards and while the Giants front seven may pose a huge challenge for the Cowboys, they’ve stepped up to the challenge recently. The Cowboys are 4-0 in regular season games that Romo has started against the Giants.

The Cowboys offensive line is one of the biggest in the league, and that combined with Romo’s maneuverability has helped them escape the Giants pass rush in recent years.

Sunday night won’t be any different. If the Cowboys can give Romo protection then he has an arsenal of receivers including tight ends Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett who have an advantage over the Giants linebackers.

The run game will have to be huge for the Cowboys to come away with a win. In their last game it was Tashard Choice who had the big night with 91 yards on nine carries and a TD. Marion Barber was limited to only eight carries by Wade Phillips because of his foot injury.

With Barber and Jones healthy for this game expect all three to see action and to keep the running game fresh throughout. If the Cowboys get a lead late in the game Barber will be in there to close the game out.

The Cowboys defense will have its hands full with Brandon Jacobs, who the Giants will make sure gets the bulk of the carries.

The Cowboys didn’t do a good job of shedding blocks last week and will have to fill the gaps because once Jacobs gets started, he’s hard to bring down and no one wants to see cornerback Mike Jenkins run from Jacobs again. 

While the Giants no longer have a No. 1 receiver, like the Cowboys they have a group of solid guys that can get open and make plays. Mario Manningham had a 30-yard TD last week against the Redskins. Steve Smith had 80 yards receiving and tight end Kevin Boss had 62 yards on three catches.

The Cowboys front seven is just as potent and as aggressive as the Giants, so it’s going to come down to what team can stay out of second and long as well as third and long situations and which team can establish their running game.

Both teams are going to improve on their efforts from last week and with 100,000 in attendance this game won’t disappoint.

The Cowboys have more weapons on both sides of the ball and their passing game will be the difference, especially if the Cowboys get the pressure everyone is waiting for.

Cowboys over Giants: 24-17.

 

 

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Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers: Preview

The Cowboys host their arch rivals in the 49ers this Saturday and while it’s not one of the gridiron battles of the early 90’s, there will be some fireworks.

The Cowboys starters will be in the game into the third quarter which is customary for the third preseason game, but might be called in early if they have as much success as they had last week with two touchdown drives of more than 70 yards.

Tony Romo won’t have receiver Roy Williams to work with in Saturday’s game after he collided with Orlando Scandrick in yesterday’s practice and injured his shoulder. This is a huge opportunity for Sam Hurd and Miles Austin who are still battling for the third receiver spot, a solid game could be the difference maker between the two.

Smash Dash and Tash will get an increase in their carries for the second straight week as Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett will use all three with the first team offense.

Expect Felix Jones to get some opportunities in the passing game as he had a huge play last week that led to a TD. Marion Barber has been held back a bit (14 carries in two games) but he will get his chance to be the barbarian that he is in this game. 

The defense will also get significant playing time and it’ll be interesting to see if they can pressure the quarterback, although it’s unknown if Shaun Hill will start for the Niners as he was injured in practice earlier this week.

The Cowboys have only one sack in their first two preseason games but they haven’t been blitzing like you would see in a game that counts. They should be more aggressive Saturday which could lead to turnovers for the Cowboys.

The biggest storyline for this game is Orlando Scandrick will start opposite Terence Newman on Saturday. Coach Wade Phillips wants to see Scandrick starting as the camp battle between Scandrick and Mike Jenkins comes to a conclusion. Jenkins will be in the slot for Saturday’s game and needs to show that his ankle isn’t affecting him.

Special teams have the most to prove this weekend.

Nick Folk is still not in mid-season form and is 0-2 on field goals during the preseason. The kick coverage unit is still giving up to many yards on returns and the return units are committing to many penalties.

Sam Hurd promised fans that the Special teams units will be running like a well oiled machine by the regular season, and the first step towards that starts on Saturday.

 

Dallas Cowboys Preseason Week 2 Preview

The Cowboys continue their preseason tomorrow as they host the Tennessee Titans at the new Cowboy Stadium.  After getting blown out last week to the Oakland Raiders 31-10, the Cowboys need to come out and have a good showing, especially the backups and long shots who gave up 28 of those 31 points to Oakland.

 

Offense

Tony Romo had two good drives last week going 4-6 for 36 yards and a touchdown. However, Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee didn’t fare as well.  Kitna needs to have a mistake free game.  Last week, he fumbled a snap, threw an interception and let a snap fly over his head.  This week, Kitna needs to show critics and fans alike that if Romo gets hurt the season isn’t over. 

Stephen McGee is young and inexperienced, but he’s the first rookie quarterback that I’ve seen hold on to the ball too long.  Most QBs new to the NFL are rushing things because the game is so much faster, but last week, it seemed McGee was taking too long to find open receivers and throw the ball.

At this point, his performance in the preseason can’t hurt him because he most likely won’t see any action in a regular season game. 

Expect more plays with the Cowboys in their two tight end set.  Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett showcased it last week, and it paid dividends as Martellus Bennett had two catches and Jason Witten scored the Cowboys only touchdown.  I also want to see how the Cowboys are going to run the ball out of that set. 

Sam Hurd had a great game last week catching five balls for 79 yards and Coach Wade Phillips said he would get work with the first team in tomorrow’s game.  It would be nice to see something from Roy Williams, who hurt his wrist in practice but only missed one day.  Miles Austin needs to get himself in the game; only one pass was thrown to him last week and he dropped it.

Smash, Dash, and Tash all had good games last week and I expect that to continue, but you won’t see many reps from Marion Barber and Felix Jones.  Last week they combined for five carries; the Cowboys want them ready for the season.  Tashard Choice should get a good number of carries in the second and third quarters.

 

Defense

Just like the offense, the starters for the defense did a solid job, only allowing a field goal, and linebacker Keith Brooking had a sack.  Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins are expected to play in this game, so it’ll be nice to see how they fare in game action, especially Jenkins because Orlando Scandrick didn’t allow a catch last week.  It’ll also be good to see them both on the field at the same time, and see who Titans QB Kerry Collins goes after and if they can make a play.

The backups have to come and make stops plain and simple.  Last week, the Cowboy reserves made everyone concerned that if a couple of starters get hurt, they couldn’t come in and contribute.  The secondary especially got burned, most notably defensive backs Courtney Brown, Mike Mickens, and DeAngelo Smith, who lost a 50-yard dash to Cowboys Kicker David Buehler in practice this week.

 

Special Teams

Speaking of Buehler, this guy is a freak.  He has more kicking power than Nick Folk, benched more reps at 225 than all three USC linebackers that were taken in this year’s draft, and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash.

All this makes me excited to see him on the punt coverage unit and see if he can make a big hit—he had two last week.  Nick Folk missed a chip shot field goal last week and will get his first shot to kick in the Cowboys new stadium. 

Like last week, the Cowboys don’t necessarily have to win this game but they do have to play a lot better than last week.  Another week of the backups getting torched is only going make Phillips’s hot seat hotter, and the season is still a few weeks away from starting.

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