Cowboys-Seahawks Pre-Game Open Thread

I know it’s only preseason but I still hope the punter is not the games MVP again. And pleeeeease someone step up to the plate at RT.

When I watch the game tonight, I’ll be looking at the spots where I think the team has question marks.One, is the play of the free safety position and whether Davis is going to be able to handle that job, two, the play of Pettiti on the right side and how he holds his own against a first string defensive end. Third, the overall play of the first string offensive line in the running and passing game protection even though Rivera wont be playing. Fourth, I’ll looking at the play of all the rookies,Ware, Canty,Pettiti,Beriault,Johnson,Thompson,Ratiff,Fifth, the play of the backup Quarterbacks, Romo and Henson and the play of Crayton.I’m not going to get caught up in the schemes they play on defense and whether we should be blitzing, that we can accomplish in practice and not show our hand in a meaninglesss preseason game. THERE WILL BE SOME GAME PLANNING ON OFFENSE, BUT NOT MUCH. I think their is going to be some tough decisions coming up for the final roster spots. Just hope we get through the preseason without anymore or serious injuries.

RACK’EM AND SMACK’EM COWBOYS

Good points Derrick,I agree….I think after tonights game we should start to see alittle shaping of this team,as in who is gonna make the team and who isn’t……..

Hey If I had the headset on and was calling the plays.

Julius Jones sits out, no need we know what we got there. I wanna see the battle for the backup Barber, Thompson, and Thomas all get lots of touches with the first string Offense. I also want to see Polite out there and Thomas in short yardage. Besides Rivera ain’t out there yet, and we assume we get better along the line with him.

WR hey Terry and KJ we know beyond 30 let sit and watch. Let em rest. Lets see Crayton, Copper, Merrit, Morgan, Rector, and Crowder. We might have our next good WR in that group but we aint going to find out except in GAME situations.

Bledsoe probably needs some game work to get his timing with the first string, and mabye TG and KJ might need to be out there for a series or two, but we still need to settle the backup QB. I mean all we hear all offseason is how much work Henson and Romo are putting in. We know Bill does not want to stick em in the regular season if Bledsoe is healthy and we got a chance to win so………now is the time. Put em out there early and often and lets see what these kids got. While they may just be our backups for now we do need some evaluation going into next year and the draft. Some preseason games this year sure looks like the place to find out.

Defense……..no reason to get anybody hurt. Let the rookies and young ens get plenty of time. Ellis Glover and the even Nguyen can get a few series then lets see about Bradie James, Burnett, Ware, and whoever else BP can stick out there.

Special Teams……..well we lost a good kicker. And that is what he is, good consistent kicker. Nothing great, but hey the kid was consistent within 40 and I will take that over some other teams kickers. Here is where we need to see a Thompson take one to the house. We need a guy that shows us why we let Reshard Lee score a TD on KR for Buffalo…..and we just let him go………come on Bill tell us you got somebody special back there. Is it TNEW? Woody? Thompson? Crowder? Crayton? Aaron or Terry Glenn? Just show us you have given us that spark that can win us a few ball games. I am with you man just give me some proof to go with my faith.

Finally, I agree I want to see Pettiti and Ware. Especially. Canty will also interest me, but personally I was already excited about that kid. Glad the Cowboys took the risk. Some of the other young ens too…….Beirault, Keith Davis, Ratliff and I want to see Henry be the shutdown Corner he has been in Practice and in last season against TO and Plex. If that is the case, I am going to be very optimistic about our chances. We could well have the best secondary in football if Davis comes around and can make a few plays as well. Terrance Newman rebounds to be the player he is capable of being. I think if TNEW recovers and Henry is as tough as advertised…….Terrance is going to have some opportunity to make some really good plays and INTs as will Glenn.

Roy Williams. Well I told KC Roy would be Roy with the added help in the secondary. Come on Hunter? Could not even cut it two weeks in Jets camp and he was our Starter last year. Frazier, Reeves, Jones, Thornton some of those other young guys should also show improvement this year. Do not underestimate the teaching of Aaron Glenn on these guys and on T New and A Henry. He is a savy vet who has helped others. We finally got a guy back there that knows how to play the postition. If these guys are the NEW and IMPROVED version of the secondary……Roy Williams is going to be roaming in the Box and bringing Blitz packages that are going to remind us fans more of the 46 than the 3-4 and that will be fine with me. As long as Bill gets his wish and we are getting to the QB more…………FINE BY ME.

I was arguing with a friend of mine about Bledsoe. I said hey look. Terry Glenn and him produced some great season. He loves the TE look back at Ben Coates…….now you got a young Witten……add in Julius Jones…….and darn if this offense does not resemble that of the Patriots under Parcells. Mr Reliable KJ……..and this team can move the ball especially with the Run setting up the Play Action. The ball control plodding of a couple of good RBs and a good O Line……..hey Lineman love to RUN BLOCK. Get this team a 10 point lead early in a game and I think we can do something we never could last year without Julius. Put the game away!!! Run the clock out and put points on the board. Reminescent of that Ball Control team of the early nineties that scored a hech of a lot of rushing touchdowns. Emmit Smith was the best 4th Quarter Running back I have ever seen. The pounding we put on the defense all game finally adding up later in the game.

Sure looks like it.

I’ll be watching Pettiti, Ware, Henson-Romo, and the defensive backs.

There has been all this talk this last offseason about we were switching to the 3-4 as our base defense, but from what we who we picked up during free agency and the Draft, I have no doubt that this team is going to stay with the 4-3 as its base defense, not the 3-4. I think that during training camp Bill has slowly changed his mind about the 3-4. He mentioned this past week that he was concerned about the outside linbacker position and the little experience we have at that position with only Singleton and he spent all of his career in the 4-3. Bill said it aleast three times that Ware looks lost out there at times.This kid has some skills, dont get me wrong,but I think its alot to ask of Ware to come into the NFL and expect to grasp a position change to outside linebacker that he has never played before coming out of Troy state. I think Bill looks at the defensive line he has assembled, Ellis,Glover,Spears,Ferguson,Canty,Ware,Johnson,Ratliff,Carson as a position of major strength, something we haven’t had
here for aleast ten years, although young, we finally have the ability to rotate the players in and out to keep them fresh. By staying with the 4-3, Bill is able to have strength at linebacker and D-line, where in the 3-4 he has weakness and concern at outside linbacker. I think the former Giants that were in camp especially Jim Burt talked to Bill and convince him that Glover who is the best lineman we have, has to be on the field more, which the 4-3 enables.I dont think the 3-4 will be scrapped, but I think Bill has seen the light, when he looks at the personel we now have on the roster, he sees a front seven better suited Base to play the 4-3, not 3-4.

petitte is the biggest guy ill be watching, unfortunately i have a buisness meeting tonight and will miss the first half, but bet ill tivo that game. i hopefully will be back for the second half and see whats going on.

Anyone know who #44 is? How about #13 or #63? Just downloaded a copy of the roster on DC.com. Should make the game much more enjoyable.

Really looking forward to tonight. This is the only pseason game I will be able to watch.

See you guys here tonight!

Big Jim,

13 – Rector, Jamaica
44 – Love, Reggie
Dont know of 63, sure about that number, I think it would be an offensive linemen.closest number-61 Tarullo, Matt, 64 Van Hoy, Christopher

1. is Jamaica Rector,#44 is Reggie Love,and not sure on #63…..

I’m stuck in Atlanta waiting to fly to NY.

Please, pretty please, keep a good thread of meaningful observation (meaning no Ellis for OLB pleading, EricR).

And if anyone can get that Bittorrent thing going, by all means, let me know. I’ll gladly donate to that effort

derrick, i am TOTALLY with you on the 4-3 being our base. its only seems reasonable ya know. i mean we could learn secretly in practices so teams wont know much about our progress, and then unleash it against teams that are really good, to be able to ofuse them with our front 7.and then MAYBE nxt year we could consider going to 3-4 fulltime

Derrick,

The cowboys will play the 3/4 defense for at least 30 – 40 % of their defensive snaps and I will tell you why. Think that 30 – 40% of the 70 defensive snaps will be in the Nickle. 4/2/5. That leaves about 22 to 30 snaps on defense and put in short yardage situations and you are down to about 20 defensive snaps per game. If BP and Zimmer don’t feel that the 3/4 can be trusted for 20-25 snaps per game then the entire coaching staff of the cowboys has spent the last two weeks trying to fool the league. I really think we will see an overloaded 3/4 as a base defense. Why draft that way if that isn’t what you are trying to do? Ware at 250 isn’t a NFL DE. Spears is a tweener in the NFL DE/DT. Neither of these guys would be our first round drafts if we weren’t going to the 3/4. It will be okay guys. We will do well this season in a 3/4.

Isn’t #63 John Gesek? Sorry, Oldtimey flashback

AlanTdot,

Hey, I didn’t say they wouldn’t run the 3-4, but I think with the situation at the outside linebacker position and the inexperience there, I think Bill sees the depth and talent he has on the d-line, that he will decrease the 3-4 scheme from that 30-40% to maybe 20-30%.If you look at the D-line in the 4-3, Canty,Spears,Ratliff, can all play DT/DE, Ware would be a situational Pass rushing DE,Haley was only 260lbs. Glover and Ellis are clearly better suited for the 4-3. Ferguson can take the double team, making glover and Dat even more effective.

All I’m saying is ,if you look at this roster, right now, It is better suited skill and depth wise to play the 4-3 as our base and in the 4-3 the linebacker depth is even better. I think that Bills thinking changed because what he’s seen with what he has seen in practice and the skill on the d-line.Bigtime surprises, Canty,Johnson,Ratliff.

last #63 was Dinopoli

What I want to see is more consistency of the entire o-line. I would like to see them start opening holes in the middle rather than making out running backs have to race to the outside.

Derrick,

Haley also retired early with back problems. Haley was a veteran when Dallas got him, he played olb in San Fran’s 3/4. You cannot think that Ware at 250 – and probably a little less – could start at DE as a Rookie in a 4/3 defense. IN 2005!!! Tackles are MUCH bigger now than the 8-10 years ago when Haley played.

I want to see a solid O line as well RottnLivr.

Alantdot,

no, I never said that. I wouldn’t start Ware at DE in the 4-3. I’d put him in there on situational passing downs, second, third and long in the 4-3. Freeney and Suggs are really situational pass rushers, they are both speed guys and not really big players,size wise. Freeney isn’t really good against the run,he’s a pure speed rusher and it will be interesting to see what Suggs does this year as the Ravens switch back to the 4-3 defense, will he play DE or olb.

I also agree, I hope the O-line plays solid in rushing and pass protection.

Bledsoe needs more work than anybody,judging from the practice reports. As far as defense, keep it simple. Can’t put to much out there for opposing scouts to look at. With a fresh system you want to keep it a suprise .

As far as the whole 3-4 4-3 thing, practice has dictated that the defensive ends are far away ahead of the linebackers, so you gotta play to your strengths. And with the speed we’ve got on the ends , I say run the 4-3 and nickle. Look how productive it was two years ago when we made the playoff’s.

What im looking for tonight is an OL that can block somebody and give the QB"s time to look for recivers. and the RB"s a hole to run. i dont ever want to see what i saw against arizona again. also i want to see if we have any WR"s who can get open. and that incluedes glen and KJ. on defense i want to see a pass rush. i saw no pass rush against arizona. this is a big game tonight in a lot of ways besides winning and losing.

it is only preseason………i always thought of preseason as kinda 3rd gear never quite getting into 4th 5th or for you Vette and Viper drivers 6th.

Still there are a lot of things to look for improvement on.

Bledsoe does need some work to get some timing down with the first string. An Offensive line that blocks would be HUGE, and can give Bledsoe some time. That is going to be a crucial thing for us. Even if we can run the ball well……..you know that might have been the big difference last year……Quincy Carter did enough mobility in the pocket to make our Offensive line look better than it was. When we were left with Leadfoot Testaverdea well we all know the rest of that story.

Still I remain optimisitic regardless of preseason wins or losses. You know this team really needs on thing this year. GRIT………Grit to grind it out and win the close ones. GRIT when we drop a few games and are questioning our defense or our personnel. Grit to stick to it and work it and believe in it and make it work. Grit along the line of scrimmage…….and a few less penalties. But I think we are adding the kind of players that bring GRIT and toughness and if that is the case and this team can hang around til late in the year when the rookies aint rookies……..anymore………well then we might just have something come postseason. I do think we will improve week after week on both sides of the ball. So much youth is really refreshing. If this thing works…..we could be very very good for a long time to come…….and go into a draft with maybe just a couple of positions to fill another OLB with the 250+ size and speed Parcells covets………and ok maybe just maybe a QB. But hey even you Leinhart fans might have a shot at the QB if all we need is another OLB and QB and maybe a WR. Ole Jerry and Bill just might be able to find more than a bus driver for the ole QB position.

Hey, totally off the subject, but Cleveland just traded Andre Davis to New England. So it looks like Antonio Bryant is a lock to start there. … Also Cleveland making deals may be good for Dallas. Maybe if Johnson can’t make the team, possibly we can trade him to Cleveland for one of their FSs. Crennell needs big bodies up there, and we need depth at FS. Maybe a perfect fit.

i agree with don. Offensive line play is HUGE. They need to get it together. That will allow jones and bledsoe to shine. I also didn’t see any pressure being put on the opposing QB by the D-Line. With a 3 man front, those guys need to get into the backfield. Hopefully a WR will step up as a deep offensive threat. It is something the cowboys have sorely lacked for years.

GO COWBOYS.

sportsillustrated did a story on our beloved heres the link

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/peter_king/08/22/mmqb/index.html

I’ve started a new game open thread.

you could start one just on Ware alone Raf