Well, to add insult to injury, we learned today Tony Romo will be out at least 4 weeks due to a broken finger he suffered yesterday in the loss to Arizona. Over the past 4 or 5 years, the Cowboys have been one of the most, if not THE most, fortunate teams in the league in regards to injuries. They simply haven’t had to deal with an injury like this to a player of Romo’s importance to the team. Maybe that has now caught up with Dallas. However, the Cowboys have no time to hang their collective heads about this as they go on the road again next weekend to play the Rams. Before yesterday, I think everyone would have marked a “W” in the column when Dallas plays St. Louis on Sunday. The Rams are, quite possibly, the worst team in the NFL. But they managed to beat Washington yesterday which, by all accounts, is one of the best teams in the NFL. So, the Cowboys and their respective fans better not take this upcoming game for granted…not at all, especially now that Romo is out of commission for the time being.
I don’t envy the coaching staff as they have a lot to clean up before their next game, no doubt about it. I really thought, last week vs. Cincinnati, Dallas would have played well after the stinko game they played vs. Washington. However, even though they won, they played a pretty sloppy game. So, again, I thought that surely after 2 weeks of playing sloppy, they would come out yesterday, take command of the game and exert their will on the Cardinals. And, once again, I was dead wrong. By my count, this is how shoddy Dallas played yesterday:
-12 penalties
-4 dropped passes
-4 fumbles (they are lucky it wasn’t about 6)
-3 sacks of Romo given up
-1 kick off that went out of bounds
-1 missed field goal
-1 blocked field goal for game winning touchdown
-Opening kick off returned for touch down
-Out of 64 snaps Dallas took, Romo was hit 19 times or basically 1 time for every 3 snaps
So now, Dallas has under achieved for the last 3 games in a row. In fact, you can say that they have under achieved in 8 of the last 11 games, going back to last year (Detroit, Philly, Carolina, Washington and New York last season; Washington, Cincinnati and Arizona this year). They did lose every one of those games (they were 3-5 in those 8 games) but the mere fact that they haven’t played well, consistently, since last year’s Green Bay game isn’t a good omen. Clearly, this team is unfocused, undisciplined and has absolutely no urgency.
Wade Phillips took offense last week when people were concerned about Dallas’ play even though they beat Cincinnati. Well Wade, should we be concerned now?!?!?! Are you going to come out and pout at the media if they mention the fact that this is a concerning trend developing? Or, are you going to take freaking control of the team, like a head coach would, and get the ship righted? What do I mean when I say “take control”? I mean go in there, TODAY, and make a statement that this lackluster play and foolishness will not be tolerated. Go cut Barbie Carpenter, today. Go fire your special teams coach, today. Go fine Leonard Davis for the bone headed taunting penalty he took, today. Go into the offensive line meeting and draw a freaking line telling them their bland play, specifically, is a big reason the team is in the situation that it is and that it won’t be tolerated going forward. Do something that shows the team you ARE concerned and that they should be too. If you do nothing, or sit back and tell everyone “Hey, we’re 4-2 and the games we lost were by 2 pts to Washington and in OT on the road” then it’s quite possible Dallas doesn’t make the playoffs at all this year…period. That is exactly the kind of lax attitude that has filtered down to the team. I’m not saying Wade should turn into Bill Parcells, Jr. but I am saying that that he needs to do something, anything, before he loses the whole team. Quit coddling these guys and lead them Wade! Make the players accountable for their mistakes; don’t say the mistakes are all your fault. The team is at a cross roads right now and the leadership, if there is any, needs to circle the wagons and get this thing back on the right path.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
TIVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, it's now 11:49 on Sunday night and I just finished watching the Cowboys game. And by "finished" I mean that I got all the way to the end, with :03 seconds left, and just as the ref was announcing that the Cardinals had a man offsides on the previous play, my TIVO cut off. That was it...I felt so freaking jipped! I just sat there looking at my tv. All I could say was, "you've got to be kidding."
The reason I had to watch it so late was that I was attending a wedding of a friend of the family. I kept telling people I didn't want to hear anything about the game but this man walked by our table and proceeded to tell my dad something about a 51 yard field goal which is the time I got my hands up to my ears. So, I remembered that and deduced that Dallas had made the kick of what would have been a 51 yards. However, I still didn't know the final score. So, I logged onto trusty ESPN.com and read all about it...a freaking blocked punt by Arizona returned for a touchdown, in overtime. That's how it ended. As my shoulders slumped, I closed my eyes and just thought, how could Dallas lose to the freaking Cardinals?!?!?!
Had I posted my pregame thoughts, I would have said that the only way Dallas will win is if they pressure Kurt Warner and put him on the ground. I thought if Dallas doesn't do that, then Warner will throw for 400+ yards and Dallas will be history. However, Dallas did put some good pressure on Warner, got some turnovers and still lost. What?!?!? Are you kidding me?!?!? No, it's the truth. And the two huge reasons for their loss today was special teams and pass defense (as I feared).
The Dallas special teams today sucked, sucked, sucked, sucked, sucked! Guess how I feel about them? First off they let backup RB JJ Arrington (can anyone say, forgotten about?) take the opening kick back for a touch down. Nick Folk missed a 37 yard field goal (but we'll disregard that since he made the 52 yarder to send it to OT). And then they allow a punt to get blocked, in OT, and returned for the winning touch down by Arizona. They also allowed more return yardage than they normally do on kick offs and punts. And where the hell is Adam Jones with his "Deion like" punt returns? I haven't seen it once in the regular season. He's probably more concerned with picking fights with his own security detail like he did this week. Special teams is what lost them the game but the pass defense didn't help.
There is this talk jock, on the sports talk radio station I listen to, that always has one question before every Cowboys game...can they cover? And I think after the last 3 weeks, the answer to that question is an emphatic NO! They couldn't cover Jerry Jones if they had to. It's a good thing Anquan Boldin didn't play becuase I think he would have torched Dallas more than Fitzgerald (5 rec. for 79 yards; 1 TD) and Breaston (8 rec. for 102 yards; 1 TD) did. Those two guys consistently got open and made the Cowboy's secondary look a high school defense. I may be overreacting and knee jerking a bit here but I don't think I'm that far off. And I'll say this...Dallas IS NOT going to the Super Bowl until they can get that fixed...period. Dave Campo better put on his coaching hat this week and figure out what the hell is wrong with that defensive secondary. I know Terrance Newman didn't play but Dallas, supposedly, has other capable players that should be able to hold the fort down, but their not. Anthony Henry has struggled this season, Adam "Pac Man" Jones is average (if not below) and Scandrick/Jenkins still look like rookies. I'd be lying if I said that the coverage, or lack thereof, isn't worrying me.
Well, it's now 12:26 am and I really need to hit the hay. Hopefully Dallas can get back on track vs. St. Louis next weekend but I don't even know if I can say that because the Rams beat the Deadskins today (what?). This is a great start to the week, let me tell ya.
The reason I had to watch it so late was that I was attending a wedding of a friend of the family. I kept telling people I didn't want to hear anything about the game but this man walked by our table and proceeded to tell my dad something about a 51 yard field goal which is the time I got my hands up to my ears. So, I remembered that and deduced that Dallas had made the kick of what would have been a 51 yards. However, I still didn't know the final score. So, I logged onto trusty ESPN.com and read all about it...a freaking blocked punt by Arizona returned for a touchdown, in overtime. That's how it ended. As my shoulders slumped, I closed my eyes and just thought, how could Dallas lose to the freaking Cardinals?!?!?!
Had I posted my pregame thoughts, I would have said that the only way Dallas will win is if they pressure Kurt Warner and put him on the ground. I thought if Dallas doesn't do that, then Warner will throw for 400+ yards and Dallas will be history. However, Dallas did put some good pressure on Warner, got some turnovers and still lost. What?!?!? Are you kidding me?!?!? No, it's the truth. And the two huge reasons for their loss today was special teams and pass defense (as I feared).
The Dallas special teams today sucked, sucked, sucked, sucked, sucked! Guess how I feel about them? First off they let backup RB JJ Arrington (can anyone say, forgotten about?) take the opening kick back for a touch down. Nick Folk missed a 37 yard field goal (but we'll disregard that since he made the 52 yarder to send it to OT). And then they allow a punt to get blocked, in OT, and returned for the winning touch down by Arizona. They also allowed more return yardage than they normally do on kick offs and punts. And where the hell is Adam Jones with his "Deion like" punt returns? I haven't seen it once in the regular season. He's probably more concerned with picking fights with his own security detail like he did this week. Special teams is what lost them the game but the pass defense didn't help.
There is this talk jock, on the sports talk radio station I listen to, that always has one question before every Cowboys game...can they cover? And I think after the last 3 weeks, the answer to that question is an emphatic NO! They couldn't cover Jerry Jones if they had to. It's a good thing Anquan Boldin didn't play becuase I think he would have torched Dallas more than Fitzgerald (5 rec. for 79 yards; 1 TD) and Breaston (8 rec. for 102 yards; 1 TD) did. Those two guys consistently got open and made the Cowboy's secondary look a high school defense. I may be overreacting and knee jerking a bit here but I don't think I'm that far off. And I'll say this...Dallas IS NOT going to the Super Bowl until they can get that fixed...period. Dave Campo better put on his coaching hat this week and figure out what the hell is wrong with that defensive secondary. I know Terrance Newman didn't play but Dallas, supposedly, has other capable players that should be able to hold the fort down, but their not. Anthony Henry has struggled this season, Adam "Pac Man" Jones is average (if not below) and Scandrick/Jenkins still look like rookies. I'd be lying if I said that the coverage, or lack thereof, isn't worrying me.
Well, it's now 12:26 am and I really need to hit the hay. Hopefully Dallas can get back on track vs. St. Louis next weekend but I don't even know if I can say that because the Rams beat the Deadskins today (what?). This is a great start to the week, let me tell ya.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Where’s All That Motivation I Heard About Mr. Crayton? And Where is the Defense?
TO Owens, again, was double covered much of the game vs. Cincinnati but managed to break away on a 57 yard touch down. I’ve heard people say that he should be able to break whatever coverage he has and get open…Jerry Rice faced double coverage much of his career and look what he did. That true…but Jerry Rice also had John Taylor on the opposite side catching passes too. Which brings me to my next point, where has Patrick Crayton gone to? Yes, he was in the wrong place at the right time Sunday to get the game winning touchdown but other than that, what has he done the past few games? The answer…not much. Here is Crayton’s production since catching 10 balls for 125 yards and a touchdown in the season opener vs. Cleveland: vs. Filthy – 2 catches, 23 yards, 0 TD; vs. Green Bay – 0 catches, 0 yards, 0 TDs; vs. Washington – 7 catches, 87 yards, 0 TD; vs. Cincinnati – 1 catch, 12 yards, 1 TD. So in 5 games this year, he’s had a great game, a solid game, 2 duds and a non factor.
All I heard during the off season was that Patrick Crayton was using that 3rd down pass he dropped, during the playoff game vs the Giants, as motivation and that he would make amends this season for his playoff performance. Well, he had a golden chance on Sunday when Romo threw him a long pass that hit him in the hands…but he dropped it, again. I’m not saying that Crayton has to catch every pass thrown to him…even Jerry Rice didn’t do that. But Rice certainly would have caught the pass Crayton dropped on Sunday. I know Crayton caught the winning touchdown last week but I really do think that was more luck than anything else. And the fact that teams are doubling Owens sends the message that they are willing to take their chances with one-on-one coverage with Crayton because they don’t think he will hurt them like Owens could. Crayton needs to find a way to get open and create more plays down field so teams will have to respect him. He did that against Cleveland, but then again they have a sieve-like pass defense. The offense, which ranks towards the top in the NFL, needs Crayton to be at least a factor in these games. If I were TO Owens, I wouldn’t be mad at the media, at Romo, at Jason Garret or anyone else besides Crayton because if Crayton would do his job, Owens wouldn’t be doubled as much and would have more opportunities to catch balls.
Another thing that is concerning me is the defense and more specifically the pass defense. They are just not playing like a defense with 9 #1 draft choices. They did get their first interception and recovered a fumble…I give them that and those were good plays. But outside of those, I don’t really remember too many great plays. I do, however, remember TJ Houshmandzadeh being WIDE open on both of his touchdowns. I also remember that Carson Palmer was 23 of 39 for 217 yards…with a bum elbow. So the idea of facing Kurt Warner, who is the #1 rated passer in the NFC, is making me quite nervous.
One thing that will rattle Kurt Warner and make him less of an effective passer is to get up in his face, put pressure on him and make him throw the ball before he wants to. If that happens, he starts getting antsy and makes poor decisions. Unfortunately, Dallas hasn’t been really good about getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this year. They just haven’t. The Cowboys only have one real effective pass rusher, DeMarcus Ware, and he gets double teamed, just like TO Owens does, on a regular basis. And even with those double teams, he’s gotten several sacks this year. But he can’t do it all himself. Jay Ratliff has also been effective but only in spots. The defensive front seven has got to be more productive and cause more chaos for the opposing offense than they have. If the minimal pressure Dallas has put on opposing QBs remains the same, the Cowboys defense will continue to look mediocre if not worse, especially against a pass happy offense like the Cardinals have.
All I heard during the off season was that Patrick Crayton was using that 3rd down pass he dropped, during the playoff game vs the Giants, as motivation and that he would make amends this season for his playoff performance. Well, he had a golden chance on Sunday when Romo threw him a long pass that hit him in the hands…but he dropped it, again. I’m not saying that Crayton has to catch every pass thrown to him…even Jerry Rice didn’t do that. But Rice certainly would have caught the pass Crayton dropped on Sunday. I know Crayton caught the winning touchdown last week but I really do think that was more luck than anything else. And the fact that teams are doubling Owens sends the message that they are willing to take their chances with one-on-one coverage with Crayton because they don’t think he will hurt them like Owens could. Crayton needs to find a way to get open and create more plays down field so teams will have to respect him. He did that against Cleveland, but then again they have a sieve-like pass defense. The offense, which ranks towards the top in the NFL, needs Crayton to be at least a factor in these games. If I were TO Owens, I wouldn’t be mad at the media, at Romo, at Jason Garret or anyone else besides Crayton because if Crayton would do his job, Owens wouldn’t be doubled as much and would have more opportunities to catch balls.
Another thing that is concerning me is the defense and more specifically the pass defense. They are just not playing like a defense with 9 #1 draft choices. They did get their first interception and recovered a fumble…I give them that and those were good plays. But outside of those, I don’t really remember too many great plays. I do, however, remember TJ Houshmandzadeh being WIDE open on both of his touchdowns. I also remember that Carson Palmer was 23 of 39 for 217 yards…with a bum elbow. So the idea of facing Kurt Warner, who is the #1 rated passer in the NFC, is making me quite nervous.
One thing that will rattle Kurt Warner and make him less of an effective passer is to get up in his face, put pressure on him and make him throw the ball before he wants to. If that happens, he starts getting antsy and makes poor decisions. Unfortunately, Dallas hasn’t been really good about getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this year. They just haven’t. The Cowboys only have one real effective pass rusher, DeMarcus Ware, and he gets double teamed, just like TO Owens does, on a regular basis. And even with those double teams, he’s gotten several sacks this year. But he can’t do it all himself. Jay Ratliff has also been effective but only in spots. The defensive front seven has got to be more productive and cause more chaos for the opposing offense than they have. If the minimal pressure Dallas has put on opposing QBs remains the same, the Cowboys defense will continue to look mediocre if not worse, especially against a pass happy offense like the Cardinals have.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
My Wonderful Wife
This is not sports related in any way but I just had to recognize my wonderful wife for doing such a great job of taking care of me this past weekend. From about 5:30 on Friday evening through Sunday night, I was out of commission due to strep throat. It has been about 20 years since the last time I had strep and I had forgotten how miserable it is. But Carole took care of me all weekend and also looked after Hunter as well. For those of you who don't know what it's like to be a single parent, it's tough. I also want to thank Carole's mom, Trina, and Carole's sister, Courtney, for coming over on Saturday morning to watch Hunter while Carole was at work and I was in bed. Anyway, it was a really busy weekend for Carole which was only exacerbated by having to take care of not only a sick husband but an 18 month old too.
Thanks babe! Your a trooper and I thank God everyday he brought you into my life. I love you!
Thanks babe! Your a trooper and I thank God everyday he brought you into my life. I love you!
What’s Up With Romo?
Tony Romo, who is on pace to duplicate the statistics he put up last year and is usually a Jedi on the field, has look rather pedestrian the last few weeks. He has flat out missed several wide open receivers, turned the ball over and made questionable decisions. He had solid performances against the Browns and the Eagles but had an uneven performance against Green Bay, Washington and Cincinnati. That’s going to happen to a QB over the course of his career, no question about it. That’s happened to every Hall of Fame QB. However, the thing I’m a bit unnerved at is Romo’s body language. There were several times on Sunday after a bad play, turnover or 3 and out where the camera caught Romo walking off the field with his head down or over on the bench looking like he just sank the Titanic himself. That’s not what I want to see from him. I want him to keep his head up, jog off the field (not walk) and exude the leadership that has been placed upon him. Things are not going to go well all the time and the team is going to follow their leader’s example.
I also remember though that Romo didn’t really look like his normal “happy-go-lucky” self when Dallas was cruising and up by 17 points. He looked like he wasn’t enjoying the game and that there was something else on his mind. Last year, it seemed he was smiling from ear to ear almost every game and not just when things were going well either. I remember last year, after he had thrown an interception or fumbled or something else had gone wrong, he seemed to have a “kid-like” goofy grin on his face and exuded this “we just screwed up but we’re gonna come out and score a touchdown on the next series” attitude. But the past few games, and especially on Sunday, he looked like he had just found out his dog had just died.
Maybe there is nothing to this. Maybe I’m totally reading into Romo and there’s nothing going on out of the ordinary. Maybe Romo is trying to level himself off and be more even keeled. I hope so. I mean, on Sunday, Romo was 14 of 23 for 176 yards and ended the day with a 106.2 rating, which is great. Those are solid stats which you can’t argue with. I’m a fan of Romo but one reason is that he has this fun-loving care free attitude which seems to have disappeared. In the end, I just want Dallas to win and if Romo can make that happen, smiling or not, then the rest is just details.
I also remember though that Romo didn’t really look like his normal “happy-go-lucky” self when Dallas was cruising and up by 17 points. He looked like he wasn’t enjoying the game and that there was something else on his mind. Last year, it seemed he was smiling from ear to ear almost every game and not just when things were going well either. I remember last year, after he had thrown an interception or fumbled or something else had gone wrong, he seemed to have a “kid-like” goofy grin on his face and exuded this “we just screwed up but we’re gonna come out and score a touchdown on the next series” attitude. But the past few games, and especially on Sunday, he looked like he had just found out his dog had just died.
Maybe there is nothing to this. Maybe I’m totally reading into Romo and there’s nothing going on out of the ordinary. Maybe Romo is trying to level himself off and be more even keeled. I hope so. I mean, on Sunday, Romo was 14 of 23 for 176 yards and ended the day with a 106.2 rating, which is great. Those are solid stats which you can’t argue with. I’m a fan of Romo but one reason is that he has this fun-loving care free attitude which seems to have disappeared. In the end, I just want Dallas to win and if Romo can make that happen, smiling or not, then the rest is just details.
Monday, October 6, 2008
An Ugly Win For Sure
Well, it was a “W” but it wasn’t pretty. The Cowboys, in my mind, needed to go out yesterday and prove that the divisional home game they experienced last week, in which they were manhandled, beat up, out coached and out played in just about every way, was a fluke. In my mind, I assumed Dallas would have been pissed off enough to come out yesterday and do the same thing to the Bengals that the Deadskins did to them last week. I would have though they would have taken this opportunity to pummel a winless team and show everyone that last week’s loss was just an off week. I knew the Bengals would score some points but figured would whip Cincinnati despite the margin of victory (kind of like they did to Green Bay). However, that’s not how the game went.
Even though Dallas won yesterday 31-22, I think the biggest positive that can be taken, other than the “W” is the fact that the running game got back on track. I know I’m probably going to sound like the proverbial “the sky is falling” Dallas fan but I’m really not. Dallas started off, at home, with a 17-0 lead against a winless team and it seemed as if they would dominate Cincinnati into oblivion. However, that 17-point lead shriveled to one, and then Dallas had to break up a 2-point conversion that could’ve tied it midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas got the breathing room they needed only when a fluke play happened and a pass went through the hands of the intended receiver, Miles Austin, and landed in the hands of nearby Patrick Crayton, who was in the end zone. So, the ball bounced Dallas’ way, literally, and they got the win.
The thing I am concerned about is the way Dallas has played the last two weeks. I’m concerned because their play the past two weeks is eerily reminiscent of how they have played in December the past few years. The month of December the past several years has not been kind to the Cowboys. It has been characterized by unfocused, shoddy, lackluster play, mistakes, turnovers and a lack of urgency…all of which we have seen the past two weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that Dallas should be 5-0 if they played to the level they are capable of. They played that way when they played Cleveland, Filthadelphia and Green Bay. But where has that play gone the last two weeks? Yesterday, the Giants absolutely dismantled Seattle to the tune of 44-6. That is they type of performance Dallas needs to put up against the Cincinnati’s, Arizona’s and St. Louis’s of the world. That is the type of performance a Super Bowl contender will bring against obvious inferior teams.
The bottom line is that the team didn’t play well but still got the win, which is good. And who knows...maybe Dallas ran into a team that, while not as bad as their record would indicate, was absolutely desperate to get a win while the Cowboys were just trying to pace themselves through their long season. However, if Dallas plays the way they did yesterday in Arizona next week, they WILL get beat...there’s not a doubt in my mind. In fact, I thought Dallas was going to get beat yesterday. I sent a text message to a friend of mine, who is a Bengals fan, late in the 3rd quarter saying I wasn’t holding out much hope for Dallas winning the game because it looked like Cincinnati wanted the game more. They need to put these last two weeks in their rearview mirror, forget about them and move forward. I know there is a lot of teams, and fans (Cincinnati being one) that would love to be in Dallas position, 4-1. But the bar has been raised for the Cowboys and simply winning doesn’t make up for poor performance.
***I have several observations of this team over the past few weeks but instead of making this one really long post noting them all, I’ve decided to break this up over the next few days with a new observation for each day.
Even though Dallas won yesterday 31-22, I think the biggest positive that can be taken, other than the “W” is the fact that the running game got back on track. I know I’m probably going to sound like the proverbial “the sky is falling” Dallas fan but I’m really not. Dallas started off, at home, with a 17-0 lead against a winless team and it seemed as if they would dominate Cincinnati into oblivion. However, that 17-point lead shriveled to one, and then Dallas had to break up a 2-point conversion that could’ve tied it midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas got the breathing room they needed only when a fluke play happened and a pass went through the hands of the intended receiver, Miles Austin, and landed in the hands of nearby Patrick Crayton, who was in the end zone. So, the ball bounced Dallas’ way, literally, and they got the win.
The thing I am concerned about is the way Dallas has played the last two weeks. I’m concerned because their play the past two weeks is eerily reminiscent of how they have played in December the past few years. The month of December the past several years has not been kind to the Cowboys. It has been characterized by unfocused, shoddy, lackluster play, mistakes, turnovers and a lack of urgency…all of which we have seen the past two weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that Dallas should be 5-0 if they played to the level they are capable of. They played that way when they played Cleveland, Filthadelphia and Green Bay. But where has that play gone the last two weeks? Yesterday, the Giants absolutely dismantled Seattle to the tune of 44-6. That is they type of performance Dallas needs to put up against the Cincinnati’s, Arizona’s and St. Louis’s of the world. That is the type of performance a Super Bowl contender will bring against obvious inferior teams.
The bottom line is that the team didn’t play well but still got the win, which is good. And who knows...maybe Dallas ran into a team that, while not as bad as their record would indicate, was absolutely desperate to get a win while the Cowboys were just trying to pace themselves through their long season. However, if Dallas plays the way they did yesterday in Arizona next week, they WILL get beat...there’s not a doubt in my mind. In fact, I thought Dallas was going to get beat yesterday. I sent a text message to a friend of mine, who is a Bengals fan, late in the 3rd quarter saying I wasn’t holding out much hope for Dallas winning the game because it looked like Cincinnati wanted the game more. They need to put these last two weeks in their rearview mirror, forget about them and move forward. I know there is a lot of teams, and fans (Cincinnati being one) that would love to be in Dallas position, 4-1. But the bar has been raised for the Cowboys and simply winning doesn’t make up for poor performance.
***I have several observations of this team over the past few weeks but instead of making this one really long post noting them all, I’ve decided to break this up over the next few days with a new observation for each day.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Caution to Cowboys...Do NOT Overlook the Bengals
Ok, I have strep throat so this might not be very long. I'm just tired of laying down so I had to get up and do something. The Bengals come calling tomorrow afternoon and even though they are 0-4, they are not to be overlooked...at all. Remember, 2 weeks ago they took the Giants to OT, in New York no less. So they are very capable of winning in Texas Stadium.
A big key in winning tomorrow is to get back to a balanced attack on offense. Last week, Dallas only had 11 rushing attempts the whole game, the fewest since 1990. However, it's impossible to imagine Pro Bowl tailback Marion Barber and first-round pick Felix Jones having such a limited role this Sunday against a struggling Cincinnati Bengals run defense. The Bengals defense are near the bottom of the league in rushing defense giving up 164 yards on the ground per game. You have to run the ball against a team that is giving up that kind of yardage on the ground. Seriously, if you don't do that against that type of team, you lose the game. We all know how potent the passing game can be with weapons like TO Owens, Witten, Crayton, and Miles Austin. Balance is the key though.
The defense is where I'm most concerned though. They have some potent WRs in Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and then newly activated Chris Henry, who just finished serving a 4 game suspension from the league for off the field problems. Honestly and objectively, I don't think Dallas secondary can stop Houshmandzadeh and Ocho Cinco and if Chris Henry gets into the mix, watch out. They can contain them, but they can't stop them. The secondary hasn't stopped anyone all year other than the Cleveland game. Greg Jennings went over 100 yards. DeSean Jackson had over 100 yards and Santana Moss had over 100 yards. They haven't stopped an offense yet, other than Cleveland. And Terrance Newman, who missed the season opener and did not start in game two because of the slightly torn groin suffered the first week of training camp, landed on the injury report, listed as questionable after being limited in the final full practice of the week. That means he is 50-50 to play and if he can't go, then Pacman Jones will start in his place at left corner.
So, even though Dallas is playing an 0-4 team, they need to remember that Cincinnati still have enough offensive firepower to hang with Dallas. I think the key for Cincinnati will be the success in their run game...which I don't think they will have. Last week, Clinton Portis gashed Dallas for 120 yards so I think the defense will be keying on stopping the run and forcing the Bengals to pass. And that will be the difference in the game. I think the Bengals will score some points but I believe Dallas' defense will make a few more stops than Cincinnati's defense and Dallas will get back in the "W" column while Cincinnati will continue the slide.
Prediction: Dallas 31, Cincinnati 21
A big key in winning tomorrow is to get back to a balanced attack on offense. Last week, Dallas only had 11 rushing attempts the whole game, the fewest since 1990. However, it's impossible to imagine Pro Bowl tailback Marion Barber and first-round pick Felix Jones having such a limited role this Sunday against a struggling Cincinnati Bengals run defense. The Bengals defense are near the bottom of the league in rushing defense giving up 164 yards on the ground per game. You have to run the ball against a team that is giving up that kind of yardage on the ground. Seriously, if you don't do that against that type of team, you lose the game. We all know how potent the passing game can be with weapons like TO Owens, Witten, Crayton, and Miles Austin. Balance is the key though.
The defense is where I'm most concerned though. They have some potent WRs in Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and then newly activated Chris Henry, who just finished serving a 4 game suspension from the league for off the field problems. Honestly and objectively, I don't think Dallas secondary can stop Houshmandzadeh and Ocho Cinco and if Chris Henry gets into the mix, watch out. They can contain them, but they can't stop them. The secondary hasn't stopped anyone all year other than the Cleveland game. Greg Jennings went over 100 yards. DeSean Jackson had over 100 yards and Santana Moss had over 100 yards. They haven't stopped an offense yet, other than Cleveland. And Terrance Newman, who missed the season opener and did not start in game two because of the slightly torn groin suffered the first week of training camp, landed on the injury report, listed as questionable after being limited in the final full practice of the week. That means he is 50-50 to play and if he can't go, then Pacman Jones will start in his place at left corner.
So, even though Dallas is playing an 0-4 team, they need to remember that Cincinnati still have enough offensive firepower to hang with Dallas. I think the key for Cincinnati will be the success in their run game...which I don't think they will have. Last week, Clinton Portis gashed Dallas for 120 yards so I think the defense will be keying on stopping the run and forcing the Bengals to pass. And that will be the difference in the game. I think the Bengals will score some points but I believe Dallas' defense will make a few more stops than Cincinnati's defense and Dallas will get back in the "W" column while Cincinnati will continue the slide.
Prediction: Dallas 31, Cincinnati 21
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