-I wonder if Seattle Seahawk fans were as impressed as I was with their big time RB free agent signing after Sunday’s thumping at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. Seattle fans thought they had Shawn Alexander’s replacement when the club signed Julius Jones in the off season but I’m thinking they might be a little more reserved about him after seeing him run for only 45 yards on 13 carries. Oh, and one of those runs was for 24 yards so if you take that out of the mix, he had 21 yards on 12 carries. Impressive to say the least…
-Recently, Bengals WR Chad Johnson (who wears #85) legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. The Bengals promptly came out and said that they would recognize this and change all team documents, including the back of his jersey, which had previously read Chad Johnson to Chad Ocho Cinco. However, no one bothered to check with the NFL on this. Apparently, Reebok (which makes the jerseys for all the NFL teams) has made, and shipped out, a plethora of Chad JOHNSON jerseys and since the league has that financial commitment to Reebok, Ocho Cinco’s name will remain C. Johnson on the back of his jersey. The NFL issued the following statement: "He will wear the name Johnson on his jersey today and will be referred to as Chad Johnson on the official play-by-play sheet…certain issues remain [with the NFL] to be resolved before Ocho Cinco will be permitted to wear his new surname on his jersey. He has a financial obligation to Reebok, which produces the jerseys available to fans. That has to be resolved before the on-field jersey can be changed.” So, I guess we will all have to wait a little longer before Ocho Cinco really becomes Ocho Cinco.
-Looks like The Patriots’ season might have just gone up in flames as Tom Brady suffered a season ending injury in the 1st quarter of their game vs. the Chiefs on Sunday. Matt Cassel, his replacement came in in relief and guided the Patriots to a 17-10 victory but if Brady would have been in there, the Patriots probably would have won 38-10. Now we see what a QB who, before yesterday, started his last game in high school can do with one of the best teams in the NFL. Cassel backed up Carson Palmer then Matt Leinart at USC but never got the starting nod himself. Reports are that New England is going to bring in Chris Simms for a workout and might actually sign him. I’m sure a few Texas fans will roll their eyes at that and say “yeah, bring in Simms…he’s your savior.”
-Is the 2008 Tennessee defense the new ’85 Bears? I know that is a dumb question but Tennessee beat Jacksonville on Sunday 17-10 and did it was some pretty sick defense. Keep in mind that Jacksonville was considered a top 5 or top 6 team in the NFL. Last season, Jacksonville’s offense was ranked #7 and was ranked #2 in rushing offense. Here’s how they fared yesterday against Tennessee’s defense:
-189 total yards on offense
-33 rushing yards (Fred Taylor – 18 yards on 9 carries; Jones-Drew – 13 yards on 5 carries)
-3 turnovers
-7 allowed sacks
That is ferocious defense. I’m glad Dallas doesn’t plat Tennessee this year.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Dominant Performance
Well, the 2008 NFL season opened yesterday for the majority of teams. I really didn’t know what to expect from the Cowboys to tell you the truth. I knew what they were capable of but with all the Hark Knocks hype and opening on the road vs. a team that went 10-6 last year, I just wasn’t sure how Dallas would come out yesterday. But Dallas lived up to the hype and turned in a dominant performance beating the Cleveland Browns 28-10…and it could have been worse than that.
First the offense. The offense looked like a well oiled machine most of the day in racking up 487 yards and 30 1st downs. They came out firing and took the fight right to the Browns. Romo was 24-32 for 320 yards. The offensive line was much tougher than the Browns defensive line at the point of attack and most of the time Romo dropped back to pass, he had enough time to make a three course dinner before finding an open target. Jason Witten had 96 yards receiving, TO Owens had 87 yards (and 1 TD) and Crayton had 82 yards and had some real nice catches as well as runs after the catch.
The running game looked about as sharp as the passing game too. Marion Barber showed how tough he was in getting 101 total yards (80 yads rushing, 21 yards receiving). I’m excited to see how he handles the bulk of the rushing load this year. I told a friend of mine yesterday Barber reminds me of a smaller Earl Campbell. Barber isn’t as big or strong as Earl but runs a lot like him looking to dish out punishment to any defender who is coming to make the stop. Felix Jones came in and showed why Dallas took him in the 1st round of the draft this year. He has the acceleration where if he gets just a seam, he will be into the defensive backfield before you can blink. There was a couple of times a Cleveland defensive back had to make a touchdown saving shoestring tackle on Felix. In the limited time he played, he rushed for 62 yards and if one of his runs wasn’t called back for holding, he would have been in the mid 90’s. He is going to be exciting to watch this year, no doubt about it.
Now, the defense. I was pleased with the overall play of the defense. Even though Terrance Newman was inactive yesterday, Dallas’ defense managed to hold Cleveland’s high octane offense to only 205 yards and 11 first downs. The big thing Dallas didn’t do yesterday is give up the big play. They bent, but didn’t break. The one thing I would have liked to see more was the amount of pressure they got on Derek Anderson. I really thought the Cowboys would get to him more than they did. That is going to have to be something they improve on, especially playing McNabb this week, if the defense if going to be successful this year. Also, Pac Man Jones better shake the rust off a bit quicker than he has. He bit on several double moves by the Cleveland receivers and had to drag Braylon Edwards down in the end zone to keep him from scoring a touchdown. I know he hasn’t played in a year but he needs to get back to form quick.
Another issue Dallas needs to address is penalties. Dallas had 11 penalties for 82 yards yesterday. They could afford that yesterday against a bumbling Browns team but won’t be able to get away with that against Filthadelphia next Monday night and win. TO Owens really needs to cut the end zone celebrations, that draw flags, as well. I’m fine with the celebrations but he CAN do that without drawing a flag. And if he does that against Filthadelphia and gives DeSean Jackson another 15 yards of running room, that could be a touchdown for the Eagles, quite easily.
All in all, I was very pleased with the initial game yesterday. I bet that was a nice plane ride back to Dallas…but first thing on Wednesday morning, Dallas needs to put that game in their rear view mirror and press on toward Monday night because the Filthadelphia Foul looks very formidable (they routed St. Louis yesterday 38-3).
First the offense. The offense looked like a well oiled machine most of the day in racking up 487 yards and 30 1st downs. They came out firing and took the fight right to the Browns. Romo was 24-32 for 320 yards. The offensive line was much tougher than the Browns defensive line at the point of attack and most of the time Romo dropped back to pass, he had enough time to make a three course dinner before finding an open target. Jason Witten had 96 yards receiving, TO Owens had 87 yards (and 1 TD) and Crayton had 82 yards and had some real nice catches as well as runs after the catch.
The running game looked about as sharp as the passing game too. Marion Barber showed how tough he was in getting 101 total yards (80 yads rushing, 21 yards receiving). I’m excited to see how he handles the bulk of the rushing load this year. I told a friend of mine yesterday Barber reminds me of a smaller Earl Campbell. Barber isn’t as big or strong as Earl but runs a lot like him looking to dish out punishment to any defender who is coming to make the stop. Felix Jones came in and showed why Dallas took him in the 1st round of the draft this year. He has the acceleration where if he gets just a seam, he will be into the defensive backfield before you can blink. There was a couple of times a Cleveland defensive back had to make a touchdown saving shoestring tackle on Felix. In the limited time he played, he rushed for 62 yards and if one of his runs wasn’t called back for holding, he would have been in the mid 90’s. He is going to be exciting to watch this year, no doubt about it.
Now, the defense. I was pleased with the overall play of the defense. Even though Terrance Newman was inactive yesterday, Dallas’ defense managed to hold Cleveland’s high octane offense to only 205 yards and 11 first downs. The big thing Dallas didn’t do yesterday is give up the big play. They bent, but didn’t break. The one thing I would have liked to see more was the amount of pressure they got on Derek Anderson. I really thought the Cowboys would get to him more than they did. That is going to have to be something they improve on, especially playing McNabb this week, if the defense if going to be successful this year. Also, Pac Man Jones better shake the rust off a bit quicker than he has. He bit on several double moves by the Cleveland receivers and had to drag Braylon Edwards down in the end zone to keep him from scoring a touchdown. I know he hasn’t played in a year but he needs to get back to form quick.
Another issue Dallas needs to address is penalties. Dallas had 11 penalties for 82 yards yesterday. They could afford that yesterday against a bumbling Browns team but won’t be able to get away with that against Filthadelphia next Monday night and win. TO Owens really needs to cut the end zone celebrations, that draw flags, as well. I’m fine with the celebrations but he CAN do that without drawing a flag. And if he does that against Filthadelphia and gives DeSean Jackson another 15 yards of running room, that could be a touchdown for the Eagles, quite easily.
All in all, I was very pleased with the initial game yesterday. I bet that was a nice plane ride back to Dallas…but first thing on Wednesday morning, Dallas needs to put that game in their rear view mirror and press on toward Monday night because the Filthadelphia Foul looks very formidable (they routed St. Louis yesterday 38-3).
Friday, September 5, 2008
And the Quest to Tampa Begins…
The preseason is over. No more meaningless exhibition games. Time for the real thing. And the real thing started off last night with the Giants beating the Deadskins 16-7. To tell you the truth, I was pretty impressed with the Giants…at least for the first half. I’ve never been terribly impressed with Eli. Other than the playoffs and the Super Bowl last year, he’s always looked somewhat average, maybe a little above. However, there were times last night where Eli looked like Peyton as he completed 19 of 35 for 216 yards and an interception and capped a game-opening 84-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. His main target was Plaxico Buress (who signed a 5 year contract extension before the game) who had 10 catches for 133 yards. Add to that Brandon Jacobs who had 21 carries for 116 yards and the Giants offense looked pretty potent.
I expected more from the Deadskins though. Washington only got in New York territory three times in the game, the last time in the final seconds and possessed the ball for less than 25 minutes. I don’t think they will even make the playoffs this year. However, I don’t really think they are as bad, defensively, as they played last night and I don’t think NY is as good, offensively, as they played last night. Probably somewhere in the middle. One thing’s for sure though…Washington left a lot to be desired, which is just fine with me.
Now, on to the game that matters (or at least matters more to me)…
Dallas and Cleveland face each other in their respective opening games on Sunday. It is the featured 3:15 game on Fox and the Browns fans, from what I hear, are already whipped into a frenzy over this one probably because Dallas is the visiting team but also because Cleveland has received quite a bit of preseason hype and is picked to win their division. Looking at their offense from last year, it’s easy to see why expectations are lofty for the Browns.
In 2007, Cleveland’s offense ranked eighth in total yards (351.3) and points (402) behind quarterback Derek Anderson, who came out of nowhere, passing for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs. Cleveland wanted to make sure Anderson didn’t get away so they signed him to a contract extension in the off season (which pretty much guarantees Brady Quinn will be traded at some point). Supporting Anderson, the Browns have a variety of offensive weapons to utilize in WR Braylon Edwards, RB Jamal Lewis and TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. In 2007, Edwards caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns; Lewis ran for 1304 yards and had 9 touchdowns; and Winslow caught 82 passes for 1106 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cleveland also added another potent WR in the off season in Donte’ Stallworth who was in integral cog in the New England juggernaut offense last year.
Dallas also knows how to score though. The Cowboy’s offense in 2007, ranked third in the league with 365.7 total yards per game, and second with 455 points. Romo, was third in the league with 4,211 passing yards and second with 36 touchdowns. Dallas also has 3 star performers in Terrell Owens who had 81 catches for 1355 yards and 15 touchdowns, RB Marion Barber who had 975 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (in part time duty) and TE Jason Witten who had 96 catches for 1145 yards and 7 touchdowns. Patrick Crayton is a solid #2 receiver and the addition of Felix Jones will give more speed and options to Romo. And I really don’t think the addition of Pac-Man Jones can be discounted especially in the return game. I think he’s going to make a big difference there.
The Achilles heel for Cleveland though is their defense which ranked 30th in the league in 2007. So the Browns can score points but they also give them up almost as fast as they score them. However the Dallas defense, while not being top flite last year, was solid ranking 9th in the league holding opponents to an average of 307.6 yards. The defense bent but didn’t break which is how Dallas won 13 games in the regular season last year and entered the playoffs the #1 seed in the NFC.
Also, I’m not real impressed with the teams Cleveland had wins against last year:
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (5-11)
Miami (1-15)
St. Louis (3-13)
Seattle (10-6; in OT @ home)
Baltimore (5-11)
Houston (8-8)
NY Jets (4-12)
Buffalo (7-9)
San Francisco (5-11)
So, even though the Browns were a 10 win team last year, they had only 1 win against a team with a winning record and it took OT to get that win.
I think the first half of the game both offenses will be clicking and be productive. However the 2nd half is where Dallas’ defense tightens up and allows the offense to put more distance between them and Cleveland. Also, I think with the way Dallas’ season ended last year, Romo and company have been counting down the days until they can get back out on the field. In the end, I don’t think Cleveland’s defense will be able to keep up with Dallas’ offense whereas Dallas’ defense will, again, bend but not break and allow the Cowboys to start off the 2008 campaign with a “W”.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Cleveland 20.
I expected more from the Deadskins though. Washington only got in New York territory three times in the game, the last time in the final seconds and possessed the ball for less than 25 minutes. I don’t think they will even make the playoffs this year. However, I don’t really think they are as bad, defensively, as they played last night and I don’t think NY is as good, offensively, as they played last night. Probably somewhere in the middle. One thing’s for sure though…Washington left a lot to be desired, which is just fine with me.
Now, on to the game that matters (or at least matters more to me)…
Dallas and Cleveland face each other in their respective opening games on Sunday. It is the featured 3:15 game on Fox and the Browns fans, from what I hear, are already whipped into a frenzy over this one probably because Dallas is the visiting team but also because Cleveland has received quite a bit of preseason hype and is picked to win their division. Looking at their offense from last year, it’s easy to see why expectations are lofty for the Browns.
In 2007, Cleveland’s offense ranked eighth in total yards (351.3) and points (402) behind quarterback Derek Anderson, who came out of nowhere, passing for 3,787 yards and 29 TDs. Cleveland wanted to make sure Anderson didn’t get away so they signed him to a contract extension in the off season (which pretty much guarantees Brady Quinn will be traded at some point). Supporting Anderson, the Browns have a variety of offensive weapons to utilize in WR Braylon Edwards, RB Jamal Lewis and TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. In 2007, Edwards caught 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns; Lewis ran for 1304 yards and had 9 touchdowns; and Winslow caught 82 passes for 1106 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cleveland also added another potent WR in the off season in Donte’ Stallworth who was in integral cog in the New England juggernaut offense last year.
Dallas also knows how to score though. The Cowboy’s offense in 2007, ranked third in the league with 365.7 total yards per game, and second with 455 points. Romo, was third in the league with 4,211 passing yards and second with 36 touchdowns. Dallas also has 3 star performers in Terrell Owens who had 81 catches for 1355 yards and 15 touchdowns, RB Marion Barber who had 975 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns (in part time duty) and TE Jason Witten who had 96 catches for 1145 yards and 7 touchdowns. Patrick Crayton is a solid #2 receiver and the addition of Felix Jones will give more speed and options to Romo. And I really don’t think the addition of Pac-Man Jones can be discounted especially in the return game. I think he’s going to make a big difference there.
The Achilles heel for Cleveland though is their defense which ranked 30th in the league in 2007. So the Browns can score points but they also give them up almost as fast as they score them. However the Dallas defense, while not being top flite last year, was solid ranking 9th in the league holding opponents to an average of 307.6 yards. The defense bent but didn’t break which is how Dallas won 13 games in the regular season last year and entered the playoffs the #1 seed in the NFC.
Also, I’m not real impressed with the teams Cleveland had wins against last year:
Cincinnati (7-9)
Baltimore (5-11)
Miami (1-15)
St. Louis (3-13)
Seattle (10-6; in OT @ home)
Baltimore (5-11)
Houston (8-8)
NY Jets (4-12)
Buffalo (7-9)
San Francisco (5-11)
So, even though the Browns were a 10 win team last year, they had only 1 win against a team with a winning record and it took OT to get that win.
I think the first half of the game both offenses will be clicking and be productive. However the 2nd half is where Dallas’ defense tightens up and allows the offense to put more distance between them and Cleveland. Also, I think with the way Dallas’ season ended last year, Romo and company have been counting down the days until they can get back out on the field. In the end, I don’t think Cleveland’s defense will be able to keep up with Dallas’ offense whereas Dallas’ defense will, again, bend but not break and allow the Cowboys to start off the 2008 campaign with a “W”.
My prediction: Dallas 31, Cleveland 20.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Preseason College Football Rankings
Well, college football starts this weekend and I am already salivating just thinking about it. During the football season, I love getting up and watching Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on College Game Day and then watching the big game(s) of the day. The weather is usually starting to get a bit cooler and there is a certain crispness in the air...like Mother Nature herself is giddy with anticipation of the day's game(s). Even though I love where I live, I do miss the college town feel on game day...the smells, the sounds, the tailgating, the fans, the bands, the anticipation of the game and, of course, the game itself. There really is nothing like the atmosphere of major college football, period.
The past two years, Ohio State has lost in the BCS title game to a more superior SEC team (lost to Florida in 2007 and LSWho? in 2008). Maybe this is the year the Buckeyes can break that trend however the AP thinks the trend will continue as they predict an SEC team, Georgia, will reign supreme over the college football landscape and beat Ohio St. for the championship (Sports Illustrated also agrees with this).
As I've said before, one of the things I generally do is keep my Sports Illustrated issues which detail preseason rankings and for casted results for college football/basketball and pro football/basketball/baseball/hockey. It really is funny, sometimes, to go back and look to see where teams, which had preseason hype, ended up at the end of their respective season. Very few teams end the season where they started out (last season, 7 teams lost when they were ranked #2).
While Georgia is a quintessential SEC team that has loads of talent, speed and strength, I'm a bit hesitant to say they will roll through the SEC undefeated, win the SEC championship and then the BCS title game...that's a pretty tall order. I know LSU didn't escape undefeated last year when they won the national championship but I really do think in order for Georgia end the season #1, they will have to. Oh, and Georgia's road schedule is downright brutal with games at South Carolina, LSU and Auburn (plus the date with Florida). However, Georgia and Florida are the two SEC teams poised to play on January 8, 2009 so whoever wins the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have a leg up on the other to play in the national championship game.
One of my friends, Ryan Singleton (probably the only consistent reader of this, besides my wife), suggested a while back to post the preseason AP poll and then, after the season ends, place the final rankings next to the preseason for comparison. Here are the initial AP rankings for the 2008 season with #1 votes in ():
AP Top 25
1. Georgia (22)
2. Ohio State (21)
3. USC (12)
4. Oklahoma (4)
5. Florida (6)
6. Missouri
7. LSU
8. West Virginia
9. Clemson
10. Auburn
11. Texas
12. Texas Tech
13. Wisconsin
14. Kansas
15. Arizona State
16. Brigham Young
17. Virginia Tech
18. Tennessee
19. South Florida
20. Illinois
21. Oregon
22. Penn State
23. Wake Forest
24. Alabama
25. Pittsburgh
We'll see if Georgia can remain among the elite in college football and if they can do what few other teams have done...go wire to wire through the season ranked #1. I have some doubts weather they can as the SEC has proven year after year to be the ultimate gauntlet. I do predict that if Georgia falters, another SEC team will be there to pick up the ball and run all the way to the national championship game.
The past two years, Ohio State has lost in the BCS title game to a more superior SEC team (lost to Florida in 2007 and LSWho? in 2008). Maybe this is the year the Buckeyes can break that trend however the AP thinks the trend will continue as they predict an SEC team, Georgia, will reign supreme over the college football landscape and beat Ohio St. for the championship (Sports Illustrated also agrees with this).
As I've said before, one of the things I generally do is keep my Sports Illustrated issues which detail preseason rankings and for casted results for college football/basketball and pro football/basketball/baseball/hockey. It really is funny, sometimes, to go back and look to see where teams, which had preseason hype, ended up at the end of their respective season. Very few teams end the season where they started out (last season, 7 teams lost when they were ranked #2).
While Georgia is a quintessential SEC team that has loads of talent, speed and strength, I'm a bit hesitant to say they will roll through the SEC undefeated, win the SEC championship and then the BCS title game...that's a pretty tall order. I know LSU didn't escape undefeated last year when they won the national championship but I really do think in order for Georgia end the season #1, they will have to. Oh, and Georgia's road schedule is downright brutal with games at South Carolina, LSU and Auburn (plus the date with Florida). However, Georgia and Florida are the two SEC teams poised to play on January 8, 2009 so whoever wins the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have a leg up on the other to play in the national championship game.
One of my friends, Ryan Singleton (probably the only consistent reader of this, besides my wife), suggested a while back to post the preseason AP poll and then, after the season ends, place the final rankings next to the preseason for comparison. Here are the initial AP rankings for the 2008 season with #1 votes in ():
AP Top 25
1. Georgia (22)
2. Ohio State (21)
3. USC (12)
4. Oklahoma (4)
5. Florida (6)
6. Missouri
7. LSU
8. West Virginia
9. Clemson
10. Auburn
11. Texas
12. Texas Tech
13. Wisconsin
14. Kansas
15. Arizona State
16. Brigham Young
17. Virginia Tech
18. Tennessee
19. South Florida
20. Illinois
21. Oregon
22. Penn State
23. Wake Forest
24. Alabama
25. Pittsburgh
We'll see if Georgia can remain among the elite in college football and if they can do what few other teams have done...go wire to wire through the season ranked #1. I have some doubts weather they can as the SEC has proven year after year to be the ultimate gauntlet. I do predict that if Georgia falters, another SEC team will be there to pick up the ball and run all the way to the national championship game.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Govenor's Cup Is In It's Rightful Place...In Dallas
Well, Dallas retained the Governor's Cup tonight beating Houston 23-22. And even though the game got interesting late with Houston failing on a 2 point conversion that would have put them in front 24-23, the offensive starters for the Cowboys really put on a show in the 1st half. Romo and company played for the entire 1st half and other than a bad decision by Romo, which turned into an interception in the end zone, the offense looked like a well oiled machine. Romo completed 15 of 19 passes for 166 yards and a TD on the night, TO Owens had 4 receptions for 43 yards and Marion Barber rushed 13 times for 75 yards and a TD. I love watching Barber run. Every time he runs it looks like he's looking to dish punishment on some unsuspecting defensive back. It was good to see the starting offense get back to the form they displayed mid season last year.
The defense wasn't smothering tonight but they did what they had to do to win. Dallas was turnover prone (1 interception and 2 fumbles; the Texans had no turnovers) but the defense held Houston to 2 field goals after the Texans recovered the fumbles. The backups however have a lot of work to do as they seemed to let Shaub/Rosenfels move the ball pretty easily up and down the field. I thought Dallas was pretty deep, especially on defense, but that depth may be questionable at best right now.
The special teams, again, looked bad...especially on kickoff coverage. I don't know what they're going to do to get that fixed but they better address it in short order because the season opener is just around the corner. I think they should go get Joe Avazanno out of retirement and bring him back to coach the special teams again like he did in the mid 90's...Bruce Read doesn't look like he's doing much to fix the special teams miscues.
All in all, Dallas pounded Houston when their starters were in which is what I (and probably ever other Cowboys fan) wanted to see. They still have a little ways to go before the season starts but tonight was probably the last time we will see Romo/Owens before the season starts. Next Thursday, Dallas wraps up the preseason against Minnesota and I would imagine we will get to see a pretty heavy dose of Brad Johnson and Richard Bartel at QB as the final preseason NFL game is about the most useless game in all of professional sports. But maybe one of these "bubble" players will stand out and make enough of an impression to make the team. I'm rooting for Amendola and Keon Lattimore to make the team but we'll see what kind of needs the Cowboys have on cut down day.
The defense wasn't smothering tonight but they did what they had to do to win. Dallas was turnover prone (1 interception and 2 fumbles; the Texans had no turnovers) but the defense held Houston to 2 field goals after the Texans recovered the fumbles. The backups however have a lot of work to do as they seemed to let Shaub/Rosenfels move the ball pretty easily up and down the field. I thought Dallas was pretty deep, especially on defense, but that depth may be questionable at best right now.
The special teams, again, looked bad...especially on kickoff coverage. I don't know what they're going to do to get that fixed but they better address it in short order because the season opener is just around the corner. I think they should go get Joe Avazanno out of retirement and bring him back to coach the special teams again like he did in the mid 90's...Bruce Read doesn't look like he's doing much to fix the special teams miscues.
All in all, Dallas pounded Houston when their starters were in which is what I (and probably ever other Cowboys fan) wanted to see. They still have a little ways to go before the season starts but tonight was probably the last time we will see Romo/Owens before the season starts. Next Thursday, Dallas wraps up the preseason against Minnesota and I would imagine we will get to see a pretty heavy dose of Brad Johnson and Richard Bartel at QB as the final preseason NFL game is about the most useless game in all of professional sports. But maybe one of these "bubble" players will stand out and make enough of an impression to make the team. I'm rooting for Amendola and Keon Lattimore to make the team but we'll see what kind of needs the Cowboys have on cut down day.
Boom Goes The Dynamite!
I recently heard that this guy is now a part of the new team at a Waco channel, but not doing sports…just general news. Funny, I would have thought all he had to do was send the clip below to ESPN and they would have snapped him up in a heartbeat for one of their SportsCenter anchors…
Now that is a classic.
Now that is a classic.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Anquan Boldin Anyone?
So, it’s come down that the relationship between star WR Anquan Boldin and the Cardinals has deteriorated to the point that the player and the head coach (Ken Whisenhunt) are not even on speaking terms these days. Boldin wants his contract renewed and the Cardinals don’t seem too interested in that. Boldin has three years left on the four-year, $22.75 million extension he signed after the 2005 season that keeps him under contract through 2010. He's making an average of $4 million a year. By the way, can anyone guess who Anquan Boldin’s agent is? You guessed it…Drew “Next Question” Rosenhaus, who is TO Owens agent as well. At this point, Boldin has formally requested that he be traded to another team. Now, who just might be interested in one of the NFL’s top receivers? Who might have, not only the cash, but additional draft picks AND space available for this? I would offer up Los Vaqueros.
It was rumored that Jerry was trying to trade for Boldin around draft time this year but either the asking price was too high then and/or neither team’s interest in trading/acquiring the player was that high. Plus at that time, the Cowboys were still counting on having Terry Glenn on the roster but have since rethought that and released Glenn because of his gimpy knee. Add to that the fact that Miles Austin, who was making big strides in training camp, sprained his knee in Saturday’s game against the Broncos and the Cowboys WR depth is dangerously weak. If TO Owens were to go down with an injury, this team would go from a Super Bowl contender to just a pretty good team instantly. So, if there is an opportunity to add another WR, especially one that is a star like Boldin is, I would think Jerry would be all over that.
Boldin is worth trading for…for the right price, obviously. He reached 400 career receptions faster than any other player, doing it in 67 games. In five seasons, Boldin has 413 receptions for 5,458 yards and 29 touchdowns. If he were to become a Cowboy and play opposite TO Owens, Dallas would, arguably, have the top WR combo in the NFC, if not NFL. I’m salivating right now just thinking about that possibility. Think about this offense: Romo, TO Owens, Anquan Boldin, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Felix Jones…and throw in capable WR backups in Sam Hurd and Miles Austin (when he heals from his knee sprain). That is the makings for a juggernaut offense. And because of the little depth right now at the WR position, I’m sure Dallas is right in the middle of trade talks for Boldin. However, I would be naïve to think that they are the only one’s that are in the mix for him. Filthadelphia also needs a stud WR, for McNabb, so I’m sure they are involved in this too.
I’m not totally sure what the Cardinals are asking for though. Certainly they would want multiple draft picks (probably a 1st round, 3rd and/or 4th rd pick) and might even want a good, young player as well. Dallas has the picks to offer up…it’s just a matter of if Arizona wants a player and if they do, who? If they were to offer up the picks plus, say Tashard Choice, I would do that deal in a heartbeat as Dallas still has Alonzo Coleman to be the 3rd RB behind Felix Jones.
If the Cowboys don’t end up landing Boldin, then the NY Football Giants have a plethora of solid WRs, a few of which they will have to cut. After watching what Dominek Hixon did to the Browns on Monday night, I would pluck him up if the Giants cut him…or even Sinorice Moss. The Giants can’t keep them all. It’s going to be interesting to see how all this goes down though. The bottom line is that the Cowboys really do need to add another WR to their roster…hopefully, it will be Boldin.
It was rumored that Jerry was trying to trade for Boldin around draft time this year but either the asking price was too high then and/or neither team’s interest in trading/acquiring the player was that high. Plus at that time, the Cowboys were still counting on having Terry Glenn on the roster but have since rethought that and released Glenn because of his gimpy knee. Add to that the fact that Miles Austin, who was making big strides in training camp, sprained his knee in Saturday’s game against the Broncos and the Cowboys WR depth is dangerously weak. If TO Owens were to go down with an injury, this team would go from a Super Bowl contender to just a pretty good team instantly. So, if there is an opportunity to add another WR, especially one that is a star like Boldin is, I would think Jerry would be all over that.
Boldin is worth trading for…for the right price, obviously. He reached 400 career receptions faster than any other player, doing it in 67 games. In five seasons, Boldin has 413 receptions for 5,458 yards and 29 touchdowns. If he were to become a Cowboy and play opposite TO Owens, Dallas would, arguably, have the top WR combo in the NFC, if not NFL. I’m salivating right now just thinking about that possibility. Think about this offense: Romo, TO Owens, Anquan Boldin, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Felix Jones…and throw in capable WR backups in Sam Hurd and Miles Austin (when he heals from his knee sprain). That is the makings for a juggernaut offense. And because of the little depth right now at the WR position, I’m sure Dallas is right in the middle of trade talks for Boldin. However, I would be naïve to think that they are the only one’s that are in the mix for him. Filthadelphia also needs a stud WR, for McNabb, so I’m sure they are involved in this too.
I’m not totally sure what the Cardinals are asking for though. Certainly they would want multiple draft picks (probably a 1st round, 3rd and/or 4th rd pick) and might even want a good, young player as well. Dallas has the picks to offer up…it’s just a matter of if Arizona wants a player and if they do, who? If they were to offer up the picks plus, say Tashard Choice, I would do that deal in a heartbeat as Dallas still has Alonzo Coleman to be the 3rd RB behind Felix Jones.
If the Cowboys don’t end up landing Boldin, then the NY Football Giants have a plethora of solid WRs, a few of which they will have to cut. After watching what Dominek Hixon did to the Browns on Monday night, I would pluck him up if the Giants cut him…or even Sinorice Moss. The Giants can’t keep them all. It’s going to be interesting to see how all this goes down though. The bottom line is that the Cowboys really do need to add another WR to their roster…hopefully, it will be Boldin.
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