A Tale of Two Teams

Forgive the blatant clichéd to death Charles Dickens rip off, but honestly I don’t think there is a play on words that I’ve heard that better describes the Cowboys of the last 3 years. I touched on this briefly in my last contribution; thus far in 3 games, we have seen every aspect of the Cowboys wow us, be it the running game, the passing game, special teams, rush defense, pass defense, etc. But, we have not seen it all happen at the same time! The one scenario that I did not cover, though, was when the Cowboys do all show up at the same time, only not for the entire game. To be more specific, the Cowboys in the 1st half compared to the 2nd half were two different teams against the Panthers Monday night. It happened last year against the Bengal’s, only the Cowboys fired on all cylinders in the first half, but seem to become content with their lead in the 2nd. The point is, yes, I’m happy the Cowboys were able to pull their collective heads out of their butt and win (I even told those who would listen in my close proximity at the bar I was at that the Cowboys were going to come back), but as a fan who would like to see this team go to the Super Bowl, I was not impressed.

Granted, the Eagles were playing the Chiefs, but they won that game the way a good team wins – convincingly (and that with their back-up QB and rookie RB). The Giants against the Bucs: Is there any question who got dominated in that game?

And yet, the Cowboys in every game have made the game look closer than what it should be. I walked away from week 1 thinking watch out for those Bucs. Three games down and I’m not so sure. I walked away from week 2 thinking, well, at least, the Giants didn’t blow us out; there something there to build on and improve upon. And then coming into week 3 I heard a familiar statement that I hadn’t heard since 2008: “The Cowboy’s have a nasty habit of playing to the talent level of their opponent,” and it really hit me hard, because this was shortly after my last contribution. It all makes sense now. The question left is, who is at fault?

Honestly, I’m leaning towards Wade Phillips. There is another cliché that often is used in regards to the Cowboys: A team takes on the personality of their coach! Now let’s imagine Wade gets in a fight and let’s say he is actually winning. Which of the following sounds more like Wade’s approach in finishing off his opponent: He keep’s swinging until someone pulls him off or he knocks the guy down, but then being the nice guy that he is, reaches down to help him up, dusting off his pants and hoping that his adversary has had enough?

Now let’s look at a few teams that have had success over the last few years and apply that same question to their coach:

Steelers – Mike Tomlin – He keeps swinging

Patriots – Bill Belichick – He keeps swinging

Eagles – Andy Reid – He keeps swinging

Giants – Tom Coughlin – He may have to stop to take his heart medication, but by God, he’ll keep swinging.

This is not a criticism of the players coach. The players coach can have success; there have been plenty in the history of football. In fact, watching the chemistry that Mike Tomlin has with his players, I’d describe him as a players coach. This is about identity and it is a universal concept that extends beyond the borders of football.

As an adolescent growing up, if you wanted a reputation that you were not to be messed with, it wasn’t enough to throw the punch that ended the fight; there will always be another who will take a chance at the title. You had to end it and make who ever tested you regret it and it had be done in such a manner that sent a message to any other potential contenders, hospital stay being the ultimate statement.

In life, it is no longer good enough to do your job. There are too many people out there without a job who are over qualified to do your job and yet are willing to do it for the lack of anything better. No, you have to keep swinging until you make your self irreplaceable.

In your marriage, it is not nearly good enough to say you love your spouse; you have to show through action that you love them. The same principle applies to your children and family.

I hate this, because I want to like Wade and, furthermore, I want to believe that 2009 could still be the Cowboys year to go to the Super Bowl. But unless this team finds someone different within the organization to emulate, I have my doubts.

Tom Coughlin Awards The Game Ball to Tony Romo

…or at least he should have.

This was going to be a dissertation on how the bulk, if not all, of the blame should fall on Tony’s shoulders for that loss against the Giants. I started on it last Monday, and had a book written but soon realized I’d be beating a dead horse if I submitted as is. Briefly, my point was not only did his mistakes lead to points for the other team, he also hurt our time of possession ratio, meaning that are defense was exposed to prolonged play. When that happens, players will lose a step, particularly in the secondary where all three corners were torched on a regular basis throughout the game. In other words, going back in time and taking away those turnovers doesn’t only take points off the board, it keeps the defense off the field and likely other points off the board. Granted, it doesn’t excuse the poor play of our Corners, in particular, but it, at least, makes me wonder how their performance would change minus a few interceptions thrown by Romo.

But that has been harped on enough. Now it is time to look forward. Normally, I’d take the positive angle, but it look’s as though our own Bryan Martin has already covered the bright side of having North Carolina in town. If you haven’t read it, here’s a brief summary: Carolina, thus far this season, has underperformed on both sides of the ball and Dallas should be able to dominate. I’m pretty confident the Cowboys will win, as well, but there are a few things that bother me about this match up: 1. The Panthers are 0 – 2. Considering that only three teams since the early 90′s have made the play off’s after starting 0 – 3, the Panthers realize that this game may define the rest of their season. In other words, the Panthers will be fighting like it’s a win-and-in situation. 2. We have seen every aspect of the Cowboys game wow in the last 3 years, but we have yet to see it all at the same time. The offense fires on all cylinders and the defense falters. The pass game works great, but the running game is lacking. The secondary shut’s down the field, but the defensive line and linebackers allow the opponents running back to gash us for large gains. And visa versa. Again, when do we get to see all of the Cowboys show up in the same game at the same time?

Carolina does offer us a great opportunity to see just that, but considering how much this game means to them, I’m not as confident as I’d like to be. With Chris Harris (SS) likely out tonight, the Cowboys 12 formation (otherwise known as double dynamite with Witten and Bennett lining up as bookends to the offensive line) should have some success, but then again, it should of had success against the Giants and we all know how that story ended. Opposite Steve Smith is 36 year old Muhsin Muhammad, whose production barely grant’s him the solid descriptor, but not enough to force Wade to reconsider focusing on shutting down the run and bracketing Steve Smith out of the game with a corner up front (likely Newman) and a Safety deep (likely Sensabaugh). On paper, considering the above, the Cowboys win. But on paper, in my mind, the Cowboys beat most teams in the NFL. It will come down to execution and protecting the ball; like the wise Jimmy Johnson said earlier this week, “K.I.S.S. – Keep it simple, stupid!” I’ll subscribe to the same approach with this contribution.

Blueprint to Beating the Big Blue Black and Blue – Part 2

Back by popular demand (popular demand being defined as, at least, one person asking me to do this), I will now attempt to predict how the Cowboy’s can stop the otherwise vaunted run attack of the Giants and their potentially dangerous aerial game.

But the first thing we have to do as a collective fan base, is brain dump everything we thought we learned from this unit against Tampa Bay, for three reasons: 1. It was the first game. The players adrenaline is higher than normal, the pressure to prove ones value is higher, it’s the first game the starters play a full 4 quarters, and the coaches have very little film to game plan against the opposing team (I’m sure there are the factors, but those are the major ones). 2. I honestly believe the Bucs are better than what they are getting credit for. Admittedly, they could use a different QB. But Antonio Bryant, Michael Clayton, Kellen Winslow, Jerramy Stevens, Cadillac Williams and Derek Ward are not pedestrian weapons; they have all been considered dominant players at their perspective positions at some point in their careers, if not as early as last year (Bryant, Ward, Stevens). Furthermore, that OL played an outstanding game, in my opinion. 3. For the first time in a long time, despite the win, the defensive players are not satified with their performance and are committed to correcting what many have agreed are correctable issues.

Feel better? Okay, let’s move on.

First, our starters:

Defensive Line:

Jay Ratliff (6’4″ 303): This analysis is going to be long; we all know who Ratliff is. Next.

Marcus Spears (6’4″ 309): Like many players returning from last year’s squad, he committed to improving his game over the offseason. Be that due to personal pride or the fact that he is entering a contract year, I think we can expect him to be solid throughout the year; against the Giant’s, though, we will need more.

Igor Olshansky (6’6″ 315): For the time being, I have to give Igor an incomplete on his grade. The trouble is, in the 3-4, defensive lineman effectiveness is very hard to evaluate because their job vastly differ’s from a 4-3 lineman. But, if Demarcus isn’t getting his sacks, that’s should be a good indication that Igor is not doing his primary job: keep Ware in one on one blocking situations.

Jason Hatcher (6’6″ 305): Of all the back ups, Jason seem’s to have the most potential to eventualyl unseat a current incumbent. He get’s good penetration, and can push the pocket on even starting quality offensive lineman.

Junior Siavii (6’5″ 318): Thus far, he has been invisible. On the defensive line, that’s probably the most significant criticism you can offer.

Stephen Bowen (6’5″ 306): He comes in at a close second, behind Jason Hatcher as a back up. He has good size and a decent motor.

Linebackers:

Demarcus Ware (6’4″ 262): Listening to an interview following the Bucs game, he admitted he was never quite right after that first hit that sidelined him while they assessed the severity of what was later revealed to be a concussion. My understanding of league rules is that he should not have played from the point forward, but there is little trainers can do when a player like Ware makes his mind up that he is going to pass every test they throw at him to determine rather or not he is good to go. Beyond ability, let this serve as a reminder to his committment to this team and his awareness of how important it is he is standing on the field as a factor in the game or not.

Keith Brooking (6’2″ 241): This quote says everything: ”We’ve got to go in with a mentality that we’re not going to allow them to run the ball on us, period. No matter what happens, no matter what we call, no matter what they run, it’s on us to be where we’re suppose to be. And when we get there, get there with bad intentions!” To that, all I can say in reference to his position is, ‘Zach who?’. For those of you who contend that talk is cheap, he has the career stat sheet to back his talk up!

Bradie James (6’2″ 247): Following the ugly Bengals game last year, players seemed content to squeak out a win against a lesser opponent. Flash forward to this week and from the vast majority of the defense from the Head Coach down the mantra is the same, “We have to play better,” Bradie James admitted. ”We know that.” Nuff said.

Anthony Spencer (6’3″ 255): Throughout his career, thus far, he’s been inconsistent. He has all the physical tools and speed, but he tends to revert to his college day MO of trying to outrun the tackle/TE by going around the block to get to the QB/ball carrier. In the NFL, in the 3-4, it is imperative, regardless if it involves being taken out of the play by a blocker, that he own his gaps of responsibility. The 3-4 can be a very effective defense (as the Steelers and Baltimore’s chart topping defenses should suggest), but it requires unselfish players at every level, who obey their assignments. If he doesn’t take the blocker in his gap, the blocker will have the opportunity to pick up someone in the secondary and that typically mean’s a long run, if not TD, by the ball carrier. For an example of what to do, take a look at what Demarcus Ware has become excellent at. He takes on the block and while using one arm to disengage the blocker, he uses his other arm to bring down the carrier or corral him towards other manned gaps. It requires Demarcus trusting that his teammates will be where they are supposed to be, but again, that is absolutely crucial for the 3-4 to be effective.

Bobbie Carpenter (6’2″ 249): Bust. We’ve establish this much. But I do believe he is, at least, a servicable replacement for Kevin Burnett. And if you think about it, had we drafted Bobbie in the 3rd round, like Burnett, instead of the 1st, the criticism of Bobbie wouldn’t be nearly as bad; and that was Parcells fault. At any rate, the one thing the Cowboy’s are doing with Bobbie that I ardently oppose is him being a member of the goalline defense. His instincts, size, and frame do not matchup well to most NFL team’s goalline offense. And I really just cannot envision him getting in the air meeting a RB trying to dive over the pile.

Corners:

Terence Newman (5’11″ 195): When healthy, he’s clutch. If health had not been an issue in 2007 and 2008, I might even say he’s pretty close to being a shut down corner.

Orlando Scandrick (5’10″ 192): Thus far, I’d say he has proven he should be the 2nd starting corner over Mike Jenkins. A true student of the game, we can expect him to be well prepared for the Giants.

Mike Jenkins (5’10″ 198): He has the tools and the frame defenses like for their corner. It’s the mental side of his game that typically get’s in the way. Rather it is over-thinking or a lack of thinking, the jury is still out. But, I will say, I like him starting over Anthony Henry, Pacman Jones, and Alan Ball. And if I’m not mistaken, the guys at football outsiders actually think pretty highly of him, as well.

Alan Ball (6’1″ 188): He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was the best corner behind the above 3 in training camp and in preseason. But with his only competition being the likes of Courtney Brown, Mike Mickens, DeAngelo Smith and Julian Hawkins, that really isn’t saying much.

Safeties:

Gerald Sensabaugh (6’0″ 210): We’ve seen good and we’ve seen bad. He’s certainly a better coverage guy than Roy Williams, Keith Davis and Patrick Watkins, but he has not been as good as advertised against the run. Thus far, preseason included, team’s have not had opportunities deep, but he sure has been called for quite a few penalities; most notably the defensive holding call that nullified a Mike Jenkins interception against the Bucs this past Sunday. I have a theory: As much as Wade Phillips gushed about what Sensabaugh, in particular, add’s to his defensive scheme’s, I can’t help but wonder if he is over-thinking and committing these stupid penalties to live up to the hype. Honestly, I think that little bit of phsychology may have also been an issue for quite a few of the Cowboy’s players in 2008. Regardless of his excuse for mental error’s, it’s unacceptable and against the Giant’s the Cowboys will need every part of his focus.

Ken Hamlin (6’2″ 209): Much has been made about those two infamous missed tackles at the end of the game against Baltimore, closing the door forever on Texas Stadium. But for the most part, considering the injuries that created a turnstile at various positions in the Secondary, I honestly believe Ken Hamlin did the best he could with what he had. As the Quarterback of the defense, it is his job to ensure that all of those rookies and bottom of the roster feeders forced to play due to the suspension or injuries, are lined up correctly. Ultimately, it comes down to his ability to trust the other guys lining up back in the secondary, to do their job. He could not do that last year. In his trying to compensate for poor play by those other positions, his position suffered. But that’s just my opinion. Either way, Hamlin has been known to throw everything he has into hit’s and he will be primed to hurt people when the Giants are in town.

Special Teams:

Matt McBriar (6’1″ 220): Prior to his injury early last year, he was on pace to be a Pro Bowl selection. He has a boot that can put the ball 60 yards from scrimmage, but from what I understand, DeCammalis has wisely requested he adjust his kicks to not out-punt the coverage. Thus far, this adjustment has paid off.

Nick Folk (6’1″ 222): The dynamic of a defense changes when backed against it’s own endzone. The Cowboy’s may rely on Nick quite a bit to ensure we don’t leave points on the field.

David Buehler (6’2″ 228): He will likely end the season as the Touchback king of the league, which is huge, but that’s not the only place he will contribute. He also helps on punt coverage and for a guy who beat out all of the highly touted linebackers drafted from USC this year in the combine at the 40 and on the bench, he is not to be taken lightly as an open field tackler.

Of all the defensive player’s above, Special Teams will likely be where the Cowboy’s win this game. The Giants, barring turnovers, should have a long field to traverse each time they start a drive. This will be huge in the wanning moments of the game, particularly considering that of all the attributes their receivers can offer, burning our defense for a quick score likely won’t be one of them.

Now here’s the motley crew the Giant’s will be throwing at the Cowboys:

Offensive Line:

For any NFL team, anything done offensively begins in the trenches. Partly because I’m lazy, but mostly because it’s unnecessary, I’m going to skip the individual breakdown of the Offense Line. When you think of the Giant’s OL, most Cowboy fans can’t name one player from the offensive side of the ball with a hand on the ground, anyway. And for the Giant’s, that’s a good thing. Why you ask? Because that mean’s they are a cohesive unit that get’s recognized for their cumulative efforts and not just that one dominant presence; example: Joe Thomas of the Browns. But, if you consider the 5 sacks the Cowboy’s were able to compile the last time these two team’s met, you know they are not without their flaws. Granted, the Giant’s didn’t have Brandon Jacobs in that game, so that should change Wade’s approach a bit. But keep in mind, despite his TE like frame, Jacobs is actually notoriously horrible at pass blocking, which is why we won’t see him catching to many balls Sunday night (unless it’s on the chin, figuratively speaking; I’m sorry, I had to). In for sure passing situations, we will likely see Ahmad Bradshaw manning the RB position.

Running Backs:

Brandon Jacobs (6’4″ 264): To be honest, he doesn’t scare me. Personally, I believe if you took away his stellar offensive line and committee of RB’s around him, he would be considered an average RB, at best. With a full head of steam, he is extremely difficult to bring down. But if the Cowboys can slow his initial acceleration, by simply hitting him (notice I didn’t say they have to tackle him at this point) before or shortly after he crosses the line of scrimmage, his overall production will be marginal. I will admit, however, if the Giant’s are within 3 yard’s of the Goalline, because of his presence, and, of course, that offensive line, it’s an automatic 6 in my opinion. By the way, if you didn’t quite get the clowning I was delivering at BJ’s expense in paranthesis at the end of my assessment of the Offensive Line, in other word’s, I’m predicting he’s going to suck against the Cowboys.

Ahmad Bradshaw (5’9″ 198): I wouldn’t say he scare’s me, but he does draw more concern from me than BJ. First, he is the RB they will rely on the most in pass protecting, now that Derrick Ward is gone, meaning that he is the guy most likely to catch are defense with their pant’s down expecting the pass. Furthermore, he is in the mold of those RB’s from last Sunday the Cowboys played against, though I’ve forgotten their names adhering to my own advise. Last year, Ahmad only compiled 60 yard’s, but with those 12 attempt’s, he averaged 5 yards per carry. In 2008, he had 355 yard’s on 67 attempt’s for an average of 5.3 yard’s. And in 2007, he averaged 8.3 yards per carry, with 190 yards on 23 attempts. If anything, you can say he consistently put’s the Giants in 3rd and relatively short.

Danny Ware (6’0″ 234): Statistically speaking, we don’t know much. In 2008 he had 2 carries for 15 yard’s, averaging 7.5 per carry, but that could hardly be considered a trend. Judging from what I’ve read, he likely could be described as a cross between BJ and Bradshaw, not only in size, but in style, as well. Last year, he was the preseason team MVP amassing 180 yard’s on opposing team leftovers and bubble-riders. What that says about him and how he will fare against the Cowboys, if he even see’s the field, is beyond me.

Wide Receivers:

Steve Smith (5’11″ 195): With 6 passes for 80 yards against the Redskins, Smith was Eli’s favorite target. His longest reception of the day was 26 yard’s, so if the Giants do try to test our Safeties, it will likely be with him.

Domenik Dixon (6’2″ 182): Last year, he owned the slot, amassing 596 yards on 43 receptions. He is also dangerous after the catch. Scandrick will have his hand’s full, but with our selection of cover Safeties, Scandrick shouldnt’ have to many problems keeping Dixon in check.

Sinorice Moss (5’8″ 185): The younger brother of self-proclaimed Cowboy-killer Santana Moss, he never has lived up to the Giants expectations. He has shown flashes, but thus far has failed to be consistent, particularly at catching the ball.

Mario Manningham (5’11″ 183): He scored a 6 on the Wunderlich and was considered as too slow to play receiver in the NFL. Most team’s had scratched him off of their draft boards. But the Giant’s saw something in him and if the Washington game is any kind of indication, with one year under his belt, they are beginning to reap the rewards.

Ramses Barden (6’6″ 227): Though he likely will never be Plaxico Burress, his size affords him the ability to be that type of weapon in the readzone. His performance for a 3rd round pick was impressive in preseason, but he has yet to catch a ball in the regular season. If the Giants are within 10 yards of scoring, I would not be suprised if the Giant’s don’t, at least, put him on the field to give the defense something more to think about.

Hakeem Nicks (6’0″ 215): The Giant’s 1st round pick was touted as being the most NFL ready receiver available; Jeremy Maclin perhaps being the lone exception. Early in training camp and preseason, though, Ramses Barden was earning the vast majority of the buzz. The light’s seemed to come on late, but again, it was preseason. Against the Redskins, he collected two passes for 18 yards, 11 yards being his long. If anything, you can say he catches what is thrown at him; Darrius Heyward-Bey, the top receiver drafted, unfortunately, cannot make that claim.

Tight Ends:

Kevin Boss (6’6″ 253): Jeremy Shockey was the Giant’s T.O.. And Kevin Boss is the Giant’s Roy Williams. Kevin may not have the amount of talent Shockey possesses, but the Giants, with the baggage Shockey added brought to the team, are better off with out him. Parallel aside, Boss would still be the 3rd TE on the Cowboy’s depth chart.

Travis Beckum (6’3″ 239): Drafted in the 3rd round, behind Ramses, Travis topped quite a few list for TE’s available this year, making him a steal in the 3rd. However, he has not been targeted in the regular season, and only caught two passes for 37 yards throughout preseason. It may take a year or two to see him reach is potential.

Darcy Johnson (6’5″ 252): If he does see time, he is mostly considered a blocking tight end. In 3 years with the Giant’s he has only caught 4 passes for 46 yards.

Analysis:

Like the Cowboys, having jettisoned Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer in the offseason, the Giants have an offense that flourishes by spreading the ball around and keeping opposing defenses off balance by pounding the run, using a few different types of ball carriers. The Cowboys defense likely won’t dominate the Giants. That may be asking a little much. What I am counting on is that the Cowboys will win the field position battle through special Special Teams and the Cowboys offense will ultimately outscore the opposition. The key for the Cowboy’s defense is to keep the pressure on Eli, even if it doesn’t result in Sacks, and ensure that their running game cannot be relied on to extend drives and dominate the time of possession ratio throughout the game.

The Blueprint to Paint the Big Blue Black and Blue

“Whoever gets the mismatch gets the ball with us,” Bennett said. “I think it’s a great tool and a great weapon we showed.” Martellus Bennett dead panned.

Personally, I think this may have been the definition of tipping your hand, but then again, I think most defenses in this league expect the mismatches to get picked on. And then, to take that a step further, how will defenses applying that information use it against us? Honestly?

Here’s what opposing defenses, provided our weapons can stay healthy, are up against.

Wide Receivers

Roy Williams (6’3″ 215): I think we can, at least, all agree he is a clutch possession receiver. Though, I have to say, that Touchdown early in the second half looked alot like the Touchdown Larry Fitzgerald scored late in the Super Bowl last season. Romo throws a beautiful rope hitting Roy in stride, effortlessly pulling in a ball that would break my hands off.

Patrick Crayton (6’0″ 204): He has often been regarded as having the best hand’s on the team. But after that 80 + yard touchdown against the Bucs, I’d say his offseason work added quite a bit to his explosion and overall speed.

Miles Austin (6’3″ 214): Speed has never been a concern. It’s what earned him a look from the Cowboys in the first place. But last year, when he turned up field rather than keeping his orginal direction allowing the defense to thrwart his otherwise touchdown against Green Bay, we all saw why he was still a work in progress. But against the Bucs, he showed the speed and the moves to complement him, as he took a 40+ catch in for a Touchdown, making two players miss one shortly after the first, to take the lead shortly before the end of the 1st half.

Sam Hurd and Kevin Ogletree (6’2″ 208 & 6’0: 192): Unless one of the above see injury, it’s unlikely we see much of either this year. But as a quick reminder, Hurd was the receiver who arguably had the best training camp of all the receivers making acrobatic catch, one after another and Kevin Ogletree played the best in preseason, unseating a fairly rooted 3rd year receiver Isaiah Stanback who was much better in Special Teams than Kevin; that mean’s the coaches must have thought alot of Kevin to drop Isaiah, considering the 5th receiver spot typically goes to the Special Teams standout.

Tight Ends

Jason Witten (6’5″ 263): He won’t wow you with speed or explosion, but he find’s the soft spots in coverage and does not drop balls, as a general rule. He is also a fairly dominant lead blocker out of the backfield and from the standard TE lineup. Furthermore, he is Romo’s favorite target. That speaks volumes to Witten’s reliability.

Martellus Bennett (6’6″ 265): Big mouth. Big personality. But he is all business on the field. He, too, has displayed the ability to make some clutch catches, even when contested by a would-be defender. This teamed with his wide receiver like speed, makes him extremely dangerous after the catch.

John Phillips (6’5″ 255): Think Jason Witten in the early years. Of course, rather or not he can maintain intensity through severe adversity, such as a deabilitatant injury, remains to be seen, but in terms of his hands and his ability to block, he certainly seems to have the tools to be described as Witten-esqe.

Running Backs

Marion Barber (6, 0″ 222): Has proven on a fairly consistent basis that he is a reliable target out of the backfield. If we are being honest, we haven’t really seen the Barbarian like play, a moniker earned in the 2007 season, but he is still solid and can typically pick up 3 to 4 yard’s after the 1st contact with the opposition.

Felix Jones (6’0″ 218): The first thing you notice is his explosion. In space, he can turn a check down from Cowboy’s 5 yard line to a touchdown 95 yards down the field in about 10 seconds. After his initial explosion, you might notice that second gear he hit’s when turning the corner. If you don’t know what I’m talking about look for Romo on a pitch to Jones on 4th and 3 against the Bengals on youtube or google it. If you can, watch it in slow motion; when he turn’s the corner watch as it seem’s as though for a brief moment he is running in real time while everyone around him is still moving slow. Lastly, there is his vision. The ability to set up the next defender while making the 1st defender miss. It’s a rare ability that among Cowboy great’s, only Emmitt Smith had and, though I’m not sure on this, perhaps Tony Dorsett. But outside of those two, I don’t think any RB’s had vision that rivals that of Felix.

Tashard Choice (5’10″ 212): A combination of Felix and Marion, is the best way to describe him. And, yes, he too can be threat out of the back field in screen and check down situations.

Deon Anderson (5’10″ 245): His colleague’s describe him as a devastating lead blocker. Considering his compact size and, yet, considerable weight, I don’t doubt it. But I’ve also seen him be pretty reliable in catching situations, as well. So, he is something else an opposing defense has to think about.

Now, let’s think of the above as a big odd number that a team has to find a common denominator to divide the Cowboy’s by utilizing the combination of size and weight and the respective talents of their own defensive players. Quick note: some players, regardless of size, play big, so you can’t always just compare size and say it’s a mismatch. How do they match up to the various looks the Cowboys can create utilizing the above weapons? I feel a series coming on.

Let’s take a look at our next week opponents the Giants starting unit in the secondary.

Corners

Cory Webster (6’0″ 202): Clutch, but by no means what you would consider a lockdown corner. So Roy Williams and company, with precise route running, will have opportunities.

Terrell Thomas (6’0″ 199): A second round pick by the Giants from 2008, you could say he’s on Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick’s level, which means, once again, Roy Williams and company will have opportunities.

Aaron Ross (6’0″ 197): According to the injury report, Aaron has a hamstring injury and is definitively out for next week’s game. Though, it would not be the first time Coughlin had a player miracously recover from an injury to play afterall.

Bruce Johnson (5’11″ 182): Who? Oh, that undrafted rookie free agent. Not much can be said, other than he beat out the rookies DeAndre Wright and Stoney Woodson drafted in the 6th and 7th rounds respectively to make the 53 man roster.

Linebackers

Danny Clark (6’2″ 245): A 10 year veteran, he is solid, particularly against the run, but I can’t see him running with any of our TE’s down the seam.

Antonio Pierce (6’1″ 238): A 9 year veteran, same issue as Danny Clark.

Bryan Kehl (6’2″ 237): Logged the least amount of tackles in his first year with the Giants last year, despite starting all 16 games. If a Safety doesn’t move up to cover our TE’s, he will likely be the unlucky soul charged with the responsbility.

Safeties

Kenny Phillips (6’2″ 210): He’s my favorite Giant, in a weird “I still hate you because of the team you represent” kind of way. Not only is he good in coverage, but he can still lay the wood like the orginal prototypical SS. Think 1st and 2nd year Roy Williams, with the coverage ability of Gerald Sensabaugh.

Michael Johnson (6’2″ 207): I don’t know much about him, but looking at his stat’s, I’ll say he is, at least, solid. I would expect nothing less from a Coughlin staffed defense.

Four corners, with one definitely out for the game and the other an undrafted rookie, 3 safeties, and 4 linebackers. That is the price the Giants paid to win battles at the line of scrimmage. But for that ideaology to be effective, they have to win every battle at the line and, honestly, I don’t think they can do that against the Cowboys, particular when the Cowboys show the 12 formation (i.e. two receivers, two TE’s and one RB). Considering the aforementioned, we will likely see a much more effective version of the Bucs defensive gameplan. The Giants are going to force us to beat them deep, which also means the Cowboys offensive line is going to have to give Romo time; and that, admittedly, considering the talent and depth on the Giants defensive line, is going to be a tall order. I said it of the Bucs game, and I’m sticking to this philosophical belief, the Cowboys will also need to employ some screens to back off that blitz, but I would not be suprised if Jason Garrett didn’t come out of the gate wanting Romo to sling it deep to test that very thin secondary.

Now for the fun part. Consider the above described 12 formation. Webster and Thomas will likely pick up RW and Crayton. Brian Kehl will likely pick up either Bennett or Witten, dependent on their alignment. Who pick’s up the other TE, particularly if they get motioned out wide? The Safety. What does that leave? Either Crayton or William’s in a one on one situation. Are we getting the picture? All of our receivers last Sunday displayed the ability to beat single-coverage. It come’s down to protecting Romo long enough to take advantage of the obvious mismatches: The receiver in single coverage and/or the TE matched up with Kehl. Pretty simple, actually. I could do this all day, but I hope most of my reader’s can read the above and imagine the amount of different alignment’s the Cowboy’s can do that will create several different undesirable situations for the Giant’s defense.

The other side of the ball is a different question entirely. Given the Cowboy’s performance last week and considering the above, one could surmise that Sunday could turn into a shoot out. I seriously doubt it, though. It will be a close game, that will likely be decided by Special Teams and the turnover ratio.

Prediction: Cowboys 24 Giants 20

Keeping The Mediots Honest … I Have a Goose To Cook!!!

So I’m driving along listening to the Ticket and Goose Gosslin was the special (ed) guest. To be honest, I don’t listen to sports radio during the day enough to know whose show it was, but that’s really not important. So, the show host make’s the point that the Cowboy’s received quite a bit of negative press for their defensive performance, but when the Patriots and Chargers both squeak past what many thought to be vastly inferior opponent’s, all analyst seem to want to talk about is “that’s what good team can do; in the end, they now how to win!” To this Goose respond’s without missing a beat “Yeah, but they’ve won play off games in the last decade!”

Ooh, snap!!! Wait. What? I’m sorry, I’m not sure if that even make sense! That’s like George W. Bush bringing up 9/11 to garner support for invading Iraq.

What in the hell does not winning a play off game in the last decade have to do with an obvious media bias driven towards down playing anything and everything the Cowboy’s do. Now don’t get me wrong. Not here, but on a separate forum I did make the statement that you can’t take that performance to our interdivisional foes and expect the same results. I stand behind that. But by no means am I saying that these issues experienced from any of these teams are not correctable.

I didn’t watch either of last night’s games, so don’t ask me what woes they experienced, but I do know that the primary problem for the Cowboy’s against the running game was poor tackling from everyone on the defensive side of the ball and, specifically, a lack of blocker shedding and gap control on the linebackers part. I’ve read and heard each of the linebackers, for the exception of Spencer, take accountability for it, but in that same breath say it’s correctable and they are committed to correcting it before they face the Giants this week. I’ve read and heard everything I need to read and hear about that topic and feel confident we will see a different defense against the Giants. Mark it down!

Redskin Deadspin

If this is your second time looking at this, you may have noticed I had my number’s backwards. It was the Giants that led the Redskins by 10 going into the half, 17 to 7. So the Redskins are pretty much who we thought they were. But as I will expound on further down, this game really mean’s nothing, considering that they lost to the Giant’s in the opener last year and still beat our beloved Cowboy’s in week four last season. Therefore, there really isn’t much you can take from the stats compiled in this game; especially if you consider how mediocre our otherwise capable of being dominant, Cowboys defense played against the Bucs.

The running back that seem’s to have broken the Redskins back was actually Ahmad Bradshaw, averaging 5 yards per carry on 12 attempts yielding 60 yards. The perennial trash talker Brandon Jacobs was held to a measely 2.9 yards per carry with 16 touches totalling 46 yards. Real quick side bar – the Cowboys, regardless of this next weeks meeting’s outcome, should be able to shut Brandon Jacobs up, albeit temporarily. On the other side of the ball, Clinton Portis had the most yard’s for the day, but was well below average in terms of production with 3.9 yards per carry on 16 attempts, 34 of which was on their first play from scrimmage; in other word’s, after his first run, he averaged 1.8 per carry. The big question here is, is Clinton Portis that poor of a runner, or is the Giant’s run defense that stout. Considering Portis’ career average of 4.4 per carry, I’m leaning toward’s the latter. Of course, this could also be an indictment of the OL and/or coaching, but considering Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Barry Cofield, and Fred Robbins, with back-ups who could start for most team’s such Chris Canty and Mathias Kiwanuka, I suspect it’s mostly because the Giant’s are just that good against the run. But getting back to the team in question…the Redskins defense, looked stout throughout the majority of the game against the run, but came up short when stop’s were crucial. Of course, many fan’s are pointing towards the play calling of Jim Zorn, whose three back-to-back unimaginative running play’s following a goal line stand, gift wrapped a short field for the Giants, where the Giants eventually scored.

As I was digging for a description of the game, I happened upon the following, from an actual fan and since I have thing’s I’d rather be writing about and the following is about as unbiased as you can get considering it’s criticism from an actual fan, I’m going to steal it. So, with out further ado…

“The Washington Redskins offense in week 1 looked pretty much like the Washington Redskins offense of the last two months of last season. The offense looked confused, discombobulated, and completely lacking in confidence. The team came out flat, completely unprepared to play an NFL game. That’s very poor preparation. It would be shocking, but it happens so frequently that no Redskins fan could be shocked by it anymore.

Jim Zorn was determined to rush the ball, but the Giants would not permit it. After a 34-yard run on their first offensive play from scrimmage, Clinton Portis and the rest of the running backs did nothing, gaining 51 yards on 20 carries.

Jim Zorn can talk all he likes about his increased confidence in his quarterback and offensive line, but that’s clearly a lot of nonsense. After the defense made a terrific stand to stop the Giants on 4th and 1 at the 2 yard line, the Redskins ran three meek running plays and punted, giving the Giants the ball at the 43 yard line and leading directly to a New York touchdown. In other words, the goal line stand by the defense made no difference. Why did Zorn run 3 obvious running plays when he clearly needed to pass his way out of the shadow of his own end zone. The only reasonable explanation is that he didn’t trust his quarterback or he didn’t trust his offensive line to pass block for his quarterback or, most likely, he didn’t trust either his quarterback or his offensive line. No wonder the offense appears to lack confidence. It does lack confidence.

The fumble caused by Giants DE Osi Umenyiora can be blamed on Jason Campbell, not on Chris Samuels, who was blocking Umenyiora without help. Samuels moved Umenyiora deep, well past where Campbell should have been. However, Campbell held on to the ball far too long and then showed no awareness of the pass rush, carelessly holding the ball low and behind his body. He should have stepped up into the pocket, taking advantage of the great protection the line gave him on that play. Or he should have thrown the ball away. Either way, the strip and fumble were entirely Campbell’s fault.

Redskins clock management was poor — once again. Timeouts were called because the offense was confused, but that meant those timeouts were gone when they were needed late in the game. Zorn also elected to take a holding penalty against the Giants instead of a sack, meaning that the Giants went to 1st down and 20 instead of 2nd and 15. Taking the sack was the proper way to go since the Giants were just trying to run out the clock and kick a short field goal and moving them to 2nd down gave New York less time to kill the clock.

And what about those two timeouts taken early in the second half? The result of the play after the first timeout was taken was a rushing loss of 3 yards. The result of the play after the second timeout was taken was a sack of Jason Campbell. Clearly, calling a timeout and talking things over on the sidelines did not work. That reflects very badly on the coaching staff of the Washington Redskins.

The Redskins pass defense was shredded early by New York’s undistinguished receiving corps and whenever the Giants needed a big play in the passing game, they got it from Kevin Boss or Steve Smith or someone else. The few times pressure was actually put on Giants QB Eli Manning, the defense got a good result, a fumble, an interception or a poorly thrown incompletion. But the pressure was rare and Manning had a lot of time to throw most of the time.

The tackling by the Redskins defense was poor. On the Mario Manningham touchdown [the easiest TD pass Eli Manning will ever throw], Fred Smoot missed the initial tackle, then DE Andre Carter and CB DeAngelo Hall missed tackles. Hall barely even seemed to make an effort on the play. Manningham should have been stopped short of a first down, instead he went 30 yards for a touchdown.

How Fred Smoot continues to be employed as a cornerback is a complete mystery. I’ve written about Smoot’s poor tackling, 10-yard cushions and inability to cover even #3 wide receivers, but the defensive coaching staff likes something about him. What that something is, I honestly could not say.

I’m still waiting for Laron Landry to justify his lofty selection in the first round. He got another stupid personal foul penalty early in the game and late in the game he missed a tackle on TE Kevin Boss. Landry went for the big hit — perhaps hoping to make ESPN’s SportsCenter and end memories of being used as a speed bump by Brandon Jacobs in last season’s opener [a play re-run endlessly on highlight shows]. Unfortunately, Landry mis-aimed his hit and bounced harmlessly off Kevin Boss, allowing the tight end to gain about 7 extra yards. Simply tackling Boss would have been the smart thing to do.

Albert Haynesworth played well, stuffing the run when the Giants went after him. On the whole, the rush defense was good, stuffing the Giants on two separate 3rd and 1 plays and a 4th and 1 play. The Giants running backs rushed for 106 yards on 28 carries, under 3.8 yards per carry. That’s good defense against last year’s top rushing attack. The problem was a very poor pass rush [again] and execrable tackling by the secondary.

So who was most responsible for the Redskins’ loss to the Giants? Take our poll in the upper left hand corner of the screen! (http://dcprosportsreport.com/2009/09/quick-hitters-deja-vu-all-over-again-in-week-1.html).”

Curious about that poll? Here are the results out of the Redskins other 23 fans (lol): Coaching 60% with 15 votes, Jason Campbell 12% with 3 votes, Pass Defense 24% with 6 votes, Wide Receivers 0% (please don’t ask how many voted on this) and Other 4% with 1 vote. There were actually 25 votes, but I voted for coaching and I’m sure the contributor voted accordingly.

For anyone planning on walking away from this thinking that’s two more W’s we can add to our win/loss ratio prior to the actual games, please note that regardless of how the Redskins play other team’s, they always show up against the Cowboys. For as long as I have been trying to predict what to expect from these Deadskins, the only thing I’ve been right about is to not underestimate them.

Furthermore, Albert Haynesworth, regarless of the apology and accepted apology exchanged between he and Andre Gurode, will be looking to be vindicated. Why? The storyline that you don’t hear about, when the infamous face stomp is brought up, is why Albert was so frustrated he lost his temper. The truth is, he was getting man-handled, Gurode refusing to give up any ground, despite Haynesworth pile-pusher reputation. Any NT worth 100 million should draw double-coverage, especially from the Center. If he doesn’t against Gurode, the Redskins, as well the rest of the nation will know he is what we all think he is: Vastly overpaid.

And then of course there is the Cowboy killer Santana Moss. Newman shut him down in our last meeting, but the big question is will Newman remain healthy throughout the year? (cricket’s chirp)

All in all, the first game is somewhat of a waste of time to analyze, for several reason’s: First and foremost, there is no game tape from the previous game to study, for the exception of preseason, where most team keep it basic so they don’t tip their hand. Second, many player’s, particluarly the younger one’s, will get a mad case of the jitter’s, likely taking a half to really get into the flow of the game. Third, it’s the first game the starters play for 4 quarters. Not only are these players physically tested in terms of their conditioning, but their mind set changes when they know they have to maintain the same intensity for 1 hour. It might not seem like much, given the relatively small amount of time transpired during each play, but with the excitement of playing and the concentration that has to be applied for each position, it can be very taxing on the body, mind and spirit of a given player. Combine the above 3 and the result’s will vary for team’s. The Cowboy’s were fortunately able to reign in their collective focus and put together what most of us thought they could be as a team in the 2nd half against the Bucs. The Redskins fell flat in their opener on the road, but by week 11, the first time the Cowboys and Redskins meet, will know alot more about this team and what they are capable of.

A week of posturing…

Posturing. I really love that word. I hear it quite a bit during the football offseason, as I watch UFC and WEC to feed my love for all contact sports. In fighting, in short, it is used to describe the strategy fighters employ to set up their opponent for submissions, knock outs, or to defend against either. But you could also use posturing to describe various statements from the media, as well as, how teams prepare for upcoming games.

Take for instance the now infamous comments from Emmitt Smith stating that he can see the Cowboy’s winning 7 games, delivered in a manner that would suggest he was being generous with that prediction. The posturing element, of course, is that had Emmitt adhered to the status quo, you probably would not have heard about it and it would not have any way helped Emmitt’s now dying options as a sports analyst. This posturing, breathed new life in his visibility to the sports loving world; though, I doubt it helps his chances catching on again with any media outlets. Maybe Tashard Choice could allow him to be a guest on his Cowboy’s insider column with the Dallas Morning News.

In response to Emmitt’s comment’s, Wade reasserted that the Cowboy’s have leader’s and have had leaders. He further pointed out that in 97 the Cowboys went 6 – 10, questioning what happened to their leaders then? In this scenario, Wade was posturing to protect his team.

Or how about Jean-Jacques Taylor’s recent article entitled “Trust Busters: Dallas Cowboys haven’t rewarded fans’ faith.” In this he points to the Cowboys lack of a play off wins since the mid-90’s, trying to lend credibility to a trend that, in his mind, should continue to haunt the Cowboys, despite being a completely different team every year, including this one. As usual, JJT is posturing to look intelligent at season end with his finger lightly tapping the “I told you so” button likely located in full view somewhere on his computer keyboard.

Of course, my favorite use of the word “posturing” involves what Wade intends to do to stifle the big arm of Byron Leftwich with the slowing, but still effective trio of receiving weapons Antonio Bryant, Michael Clayton, and Kellen Winslow. Not to be overlooked is also another effective trio of RB’s, Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, and Earnest Graham. Footnote to Mike Jenkins: Ward may grant you an opportunity to redeem yourself. Don’t usher fate by this go around!

Coincidentally, we faced Kellen Winslow last year in the 1^st game when he was with the Brown’s. Acknowledging our deficiencies at Safety last year, Wade challenged Greg Ellis to jam Kellen at the line throughout the game to upset his timing with Derek Anderson and it worked to perfection, Ellis limiting Kellen to 5 receptions for 47 yards and 1 touchdown. That’s not bad for a linebacker who had played very little in coverage against what many consider to be an elite pass catching TE. With Ellis gone, though, how does Wade address him this year? Does he have Anthony Spencer, Greg Ellis’ successor, shadow him, allow Sensabaugh to prove his worth in coverage, or does he try a combination of both? Anthony might be able to match him in physicality, but he won’t be able to run with Kellen stride for stride down the field. Sensabaugh should be able to keep up with him, but I have to think Kellen win’s the battle when it comes to getting to the ball in the air. In my mind, it probably will be a combination of both. Spencer will frustrate Kellen at the line, but will peel off to either watch for the check down or to pursue the normally statuesque Leftwich while Sensabaugh will pick him up to ensure Kellen doesn’t have an opportunity to create in space.

On offense, the double-move wide receiver route is apparantly the big upgrade Greg Olson brings to the table. Trouble is, the more moves in a given route, the more time your QB needs. Add to that the fact that Leftwich has a slow release and a long wind, and Ware and company should have plenty of opportunities to but him on his back.

Much has been made about the lack of tape our defense will be armed with to attack the Bucs offense, considering the recent dismissal of their Offensive Coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski and promotion of quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. In short, the Cowboy’s don’t even have the benefit of tape from the preseason. In my mind, too much has been made of it. Considering that most coaches, including that of the Cowboy’s, like to keep things vanilla throughout the preseason, I’m not sure this will really make that much of a difference in the game. The key, as is always, is execution in all aspects. Execute identifying the play; run or pass? Execute flowing to the ball and prevention of play development. Execute the tackle. Execute the ball carrier. As the season wears on, then the film study becomes paramount, because the real meat and potatoes of success comes from knowing each opponent’s tendencies as a team and individually.

From what I’ve looked at, the Bucs are weak on the edges and a big part of their strategy will be to pin their ear backs and try to keep Romo on his back. Watch for the Cowboy’s to employ a variety of different screens (RB, TE, or WR) to keep the Bucs defense from putting pressure on Romo.

It’s all posturing, in the end. The big question is what are the Cowboys trying to do: Force the Bucs to submit, knock them out, or defend against both? Hopefully it’s not the latter.

Cornering my concerns for the Cowboy’s Final 53

First, my final 53 based off of my observations thus far.

OFFENSE

QB – Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee (though, it would be nice if we could tuck McGee away on the practice squad, to save room for additional personnel on defense)

HB – Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice

WR – Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree (I’d prefer Ogletree or Austin handle Kick Returns over Felix Jones)

TE – Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, John Phillips

FB – Deon Anderson

LT – Flozell Adams, Doug Free

LG – Kyle Kosier, Montrae Holland

C – Andre Gurode, Duke Preston (finally someone who can replace Proctor’s ability to be interchangeable at guard and center; Duke Preston was a starter at both position’s for Buffalo last season, and actually did very well, despite their pedestrian finish)

RG – Leonard Davis, Duke Preston

RT – Marc Columbo, Pat McQuistan

I feel pretty comfortable with the above offense. I’d say the offensive line could afford injuries at the center and guard position, but we our an injured OT away from our offensive line being a turnstile. Outside of that, we have decent depth. Considering that since Stephen McGee’s debut against the Raiders, we haven’t seen much of him, I would not be suprised if the Cowboy’s organization isn’t trying to make the league forget about him, so they can sneak him past waivers, but we will know more if that’s their strategy this coming Friday night against the Vikings. If we see more of Jon Kitna and Rudy Carpenter, that’s exactly what the Cowboy’s are trying to do.

DEFENSE

RE – Igor Olshansky, Stephen Bowen (if we could get McGee to accept a practice squad spot, I might consider keeping Marcus Dixon here)

DT – Jay Ratliff, Junior Siavii

LE – Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher

ROLB – Demarcus Ware, Steve Octavien, Victor Butler

MLB – Bradie James, Keith Brooking, Bobby Carpenter, Stephen Hodge

LOLB – Anthony Spencer, Jason Williams (I actually had hoped Jason William’s would be converted to this position from the beginning; with the season-ending injury to Brandon William’s, he may be the most ideal replacement)

CB – Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick, Mike Jenkins, Alan Ball, Mike Mickens (we will be watching the waiver wire very closely for this position; Mike Mickens is another who could use some time on the practice squad)

FS - Ken Hamlin, DeAngelo Smith (again, we will be watching the waiver wire for both Safety positions, as DeAngelo Smith and Michael Hamlin are not ready for pro football and could use some time on the practice squad)

SS – Gerald Sensabaugh, Pat Wakins, Michael Hamlin

I am more concerned about our defense, than our offense, particularly in the Seconary. First and foremost, corner is my most significant concern. Terence Newman has been an injury waiting to happen the last few seasons, and behind Scandrick and Jenkins, the options are dismal. Next on my list of concerns is Safety. Ken Hamlin has been solid, but behind him is a whole lot of inexperience. Sensabaugh, has been solid in coverage, but not as good as advertised against the run, taking poor angles and not wrapping up on potential tackles (not to mention the two major penalties levied against him in the last two games). Behind him, once again, the options are pretty weak. Linebacker is actually the least of my concerns. Bobbie Carpenter has done quite a bit to regain some of my confidence thus far. Granted, when he is headlining the second and third string defense his production is pretty weak, but I think if he is surrounded by good players, he in turn will play well, as would be the case should an injury demand he step up.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Nick Folk, David Buehler

P – Matt McBriar

LS – L.P. Ladouceur

I would have liked to have seen Buehler have more opportunities to kick field goals. I love the clutch performances Nick Folk has given us, but if David can be solid in this area, it would be nice to have an extra position to offer a corner, safety, linebacker, or even receiver if we would like to see a little more of Isaiah Stanback. The same goes for L.P. Ladouceur: Once again, he has been solid, but if Matt Stewart can perform the position, the additional linebacker/special teams contributor would be nice. On the other hand, unless the coaching staff is absolutely certain in regards to Buehler and Stewart taking over for Folk and Ladouceur, it certainly is not worth a gamble.

Robert Brewster – Torn pectorial muscle

Brandon Williams – Torn ACL

LEFTOVERS

Matt Stewart, Marcus Dixon, Jonas Seawright, Derreck Robinson, Keon Lattimore, Julius Crosslin, Asaph Schwapp, Rudy Carpenter, Manuel Johnson, Isaiah Stanback, Jesse Holley, Travis Bright, Ryan Gibbons, Cory Proctor, Greg Isdaner, Andre Douglas, Mike Jefferson, and Julian Hawkins.

The bolded players represent guys I would like to see make the practice squad. I would have bolded Stanback, but I don’t think he is eligible.

CONCERNS

For all the emphasis placed on playing perfect, you would think we would see improvement in the penalty area. 3 preseason games down and the Cowboys are the most penalized team in the NFL. But it’s not just the penalties that are bothering me, as much as, when they are happening. On the offense, their favorite time to a draw a penalty is to negate a 1st down or a score. The defense loves to commit penalties when the opposing offenses will have to punt or go for it on fourth down without the penalty that otherwise offers them a 1st down on a silver platter. The Cowboy’s organization has also been telling us that they have focused on creating more turnover’s via the secondary and thus far the Cowboy’s only have 1. In defense of the defense, the Titan’s and 49ers utilize ball control offenses, running the ball, working the flats and zone is predominantly how they move the ball limiting the number of opportunities to create turnovers via interception.

Positions of interest on the waiver wire in order of need.

Corner – Newman has been an injury waiting to happen the last two seasons. Behind Scandrick and Jenkins (and Jenkins is still not what I consider solid) the pickings are slim. Alan Ball, Courtney Brown and Mike Mickens are on the bubble, and were not for the lack of option’s, Ball would likely be the only one considered worthy of a roster spot.

Safety – I know many think linebacker should be 1st and foremost if not, at least, second. But as I said above, I am much more comfortable with our second stringers at linebacker than I am at Safety.

Offensive Tackle – The position of this concern is debatable. OT could even be considered a chief concern. But for all the penalties and mistakes, the QB’s have actually had a pretty clean pocket throughout the first 3 games; though, they haven’t exactly played defensive powerhouses either. We will know more about this offensive line once the regular season begins, playing our first two games against the Bucs and the Giants.

Linebacker – This probably wouldn’t make my list, though, I know Wade will be keeping his eye’s pealed for linebackers, because they are so crucial to the success of a 3-4. But ultimately, I’ve been moderately happy with the play from our 1st stringers down to our rookies.

ANALYSIS

Being the preseason, it’s difficult to really gauge how much my confidence has changed prior to the season beginning. I knew the offense would be a match-up nightmare and could be much more balanced than they have been since Jason Garrett took over. I even said this team was built to dink and dunk; but I would have liked to see Romo take some more chances down field (minus that duck he threw intended forOgletree), to open the intermediate game up more, as the 49ers did have a tendency to sit on routes expecting the short game. I don’t think using the go route to back a defense up, show’s too much of your offenses hand.

On defense, the Cowboy’s can be dominating. But I’ve noticed, the face of their intensity changes once a defender commits a series continuing penalty. It is as if they really want these younger players to feel the sting of their mistakes, by pretty much allowing the opposing offense to do what ever it want’s from that point forward. I really don’t believe that’s the strategy; I’m just saying, that is what it seems like.

All in all, I feel pretty confident this team is capable of having a 10 and 6 win/loss ratio by season end. But the bigger question is if that’s going to be enough in a very tough NFCE.

Cowboys Vs. 49ers – My Crystal Ball

In week 1, my crystal ball told me to expect an ugly showing against the Raiders and for the most part that assessment was fairly accurate. Transversely, in week 2, my crystal ball told me to look for marked improvement among the ranks; once again, my crystal ball was spot on. So here we are at week 3 and quite possibly the most important game of the preseason, being the dress rehearsal where the starters will likely play 3 quarters. What does the crystal ball say?

The big story line out of the 49ers camp is Michael Crabtree, who from the look of things will sit out the 2009 season and reenter the draft to be up for grabs and likely will not see the 1st round again, dependent on the talent pool at WR. In short, he feels he should have been drafted above Darrius Heywar-Bey, and therefore, should be paid more. The 49ers obviously disagree. As far as I’m concerned: Kudos to both sides of this argument for sticking to their guns.

But even if Michael Crabtree was a part of this team, I’d still have a hard time being concerned about them. They have good players, but it has been a long time since they have had all the right pieces at the same time. Like the Titans, they will test our run defense. But also like the Titans, they don’t have much of a passing attack to scare the Cowboys into backing off their otherwise vaunted rush defense, which should likely end quite a few 49er offensive drives with 3 and outs.

Defensively, the 49ers lack identity and cohesion, Patrick Willis being a lone bright spot and Manny Lawson being a guy with all the physical tools and the mental capacity of a small rock. Nevertheless, if the lights do ever come on for Manny, he could be a very dangerous linebacker. Outside of those two, the 49ers have a blend of has-beens such as Dre Bly and Takeo Spikes, never-have-beens, Walt Harris, Allen Rossum, Mark Roman and could-be’s such as Ricky Jean-Francois, Scott McKillop and Curtis Taylor.

Once again, the Cowboy’s should be dominant. But there is one caveat to that. How do the 49ers treat the Cowboy’s with out #1 WR Roy Williams, who was injured at practice last night (bad Scandrick, bad)? Personally, I don’t think Roy Williams is as crucial to the offense as he has been made out to be. There is still quite a bit of talent to distribute the ball to, and our best receivers, even with Roy Williams on the field, are still in my mind our two top TE’s Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett. And then, of course, there is the RB core, which should still be able to keep the 49ers defense honest. The Cowboys win 31 to the 49ers 6.