Flo's Out. Is the Season Adrift?

From what I can remember, Flo’s replacement ( I assume it was Tucker ) whiffed on his first two assignments, letting a rusher go around him and then underneath him. I don’t believe he laid a hand on either rusher.

Unless Tucker improves greatly, Dallas’ pass protection will be at a severe disadvantage. Blitzes and stunts will come roaring around both ends. Time to dust off the delayed handoff, and pray Al Johnson has a better game.

Generally the pass protection has been good, but the Ginats got decent pressure. On Bledsow’s interception the NT simply bull rushed C Al Johnson so Bledsow couldn’t step up in the pocket. As far as run blocking, the offensive line has been average. Games always have been won “in the trenches.” If the Cowboys are going to be contenders this year they are going to have to step up their play on the Offensive line. Offinsive lineman seem to regularly get injured in the NFL so the Cowboys have to regroup and simply consider this a chance to realign.

Couldn’t the backup C play guard? The

I think the best case scenario is that we give up hope on Tucker all together without hesitation. He’s not going to correct his horrendous play over night and I don’t think he ever will. I hope we immediately sign a free agent to play left tackle. I konw Tucker or someone from within is the logical choice for this week because the learning curve, but I would like to see someone promptly brought in so they can start learning the system and get ready. Under the inclination that this new player has much more talent and experience at the position, he can hopefully maintain status quo.

From the reports on the cowboy’s official website, the team seems like a Hollywood studio casting for a new movie. So far they’re scheduled to audition as about 10 players for the new role. Does anyone know who these players are? I’d like to keep track on this.

From our thread yesterday, it seems like former Cleveland Browns LT, Rob Verba is the best candidate available. Does anyone know of any other available Left Tackles on the market. I don’t think this gig would be that difficult to get being that all they have to do is show more potential than Tucker. That’s like trying to win over a hot girl and your only competition is Chunk from the Goonies. Not a real competition.

I have no doubt that we will see TTucker on Sunday. Seattle does not have the big pass rushing linemen like Strahan and Kearse. They do have what’s his name from the Rams but….

Let’s give tucker a chance. Who thought that James would step up in Dat’s absence?

More Importantly, we need to RUN the ball all day Sunday to keep the pass rushers out of the backfield. If that means both TT and MBIII play then Great. If that means 35 carries for JJ? Great!!

Is there anyway we could trade A-Train,Henson for a second rate,but serviceable, tackle?

I don’t know why everyone is so down on Tucker,its not
like Adams was playing like Orlando Pace.I think Tucker
should be given a chance he played good on Sun. considering
its his first reg. season game time in almost a year.

The loss of Crayton as a punt returner worries me.

The game with Seattle will be a good test for the D.
Seattle has a very good O line and running back,no
great wideouts (like that p—sy Holt)but they all are
smart and run good routes so this will be a good test
for the Dallas D as unit.

I don’t know if Dat gets back into the starting spot
at linebacker since the D has been playing so well
without him.

becker, i agree. The tucker that played on sunday was almost bearable. Theres no reason to think that he can’t improve from that. Will he have breakdowns? Yes, he’s a backup. Is he as bad as everyone suggests? Of course not. That aside, we should definitely pick up a free agent(Verba would be nice) for insurance.

although it hurts to see crayton out being that he’s the third receiver and the starting punt returner, he’s a lot easier to replace than adams and his position isn’t as vital to the offense as the left tackle position.

dallas couldn’t ask for a better backup at wide receiver than peerless price. in fact, jerry jones said 3rd receiver is the most ideal spot for price to play. although price doesn’t have as great hands as crayton and he’s probably not as good at blocking line backers, price still has more than adequate hands and his speed is superior.

as far as replacing crayton at punt returner, we’re pretty deep in that area as well with aaron glenn, terrance newman who could be the best p.r. in the squad and possibly peerless price.

with offensive left tackle, left tackle is arguably the anchor position protecting bledsoe’s blind side and leading the running backs on the left side. this is why most people are a lot more concerned about losing adams versus crayton as great of a player crayton is. i hope the silver lining in this is we can get deeper in the offensive line in the long term due to free agent acquisition right now and/or through prioritizing o-line men in next year’s draft.

assuming our defense stays dominate, i think a dominate offensive ala the 90’s offensive line is the only thing we’re short of from winning our next super bowl.

“What’s his name”, from the Rams, is Grant Wistrom, I think.
Former Seahawk Chris Terry may be another possiblity.

thanks for the names lee. i did some checking on chris terry. spotty background, but potentially talented.

he’s a right tackle and was signed to a 4 year contract with seattle in ‘02, but was released this past march, i think due to cap room and a the fact that he had personal conduct and substance abuses isssues in the past. all this says not a parcells kind of guy and i know exactly what he’d say when looking at terry’s file. next.

Rafael..What do you mean season adrift? I dont think we deppend so much on Flo if you ask me…dont be surprised if Parcells puts Marcus Spears or one of the D line guys to play back up for the O line…..maybe even Campbell (too small but knowing Parcells, who knows).
I think this is a headache but we should be fine.

I think all you are understating the importance of left tackle. Sure, it’s just one position, but what if that adds 2-3 sacks a game on bledsoe. This will cause him to get happy feet and rush throws. Losing our blindside tacke is huge. With the potential we have this year (and the money), we need to go get a strong guy. Don’t mess around, just get it done!

Kind of stinks we let Quincy Morgan go. But, it was a numbers crunch and he was the odd man out. He was ahead of Price in terms of knowing what the Cowboys run, but let’s see what Peerless has to show us.

It’s a good thing the Cowboys signed Fujita and Price before the season, so we have some depth at WR and LB. Punt returner is not a problem — Marion Barber can do it, or Terrance Newman, although as well as he’s playing at corner (Pro-Bowl time?), I’m with Parcells on protecting him.

The big problem is the failure of the offensive line draft class from two years ago. Rogers is gone, and Peterman hasn’t shown much yet. Johnson is a starter, but sort of by default because we don’t have anyone better.

The defense was set up in this year’s draft for the next several years — we need to focus on the O-line in next year’s draft.

As for the rest of this season, Bledsoe’s just going to have to get rid of the ball quicker. Hanging on to it has given him some deep throws to Glenn, but without Flozell watching his back, all it will give us is Tony Romo starting in the playoffs.

Can we get Thompson the ball on some screen passes?

We’re fine at PR. There’s Barber, Thompson, Newman, Price, Glenn and even Terry Glenn if push comes to shove.
Our WR play has been stellar – even without considering Crayton. We all really like Crayton because we know his story, we root for the underdog, he’s young, has loads of potential and has the heart of the lion… the fact of the matter, though, is that Key and Glenn represent the real threats at WR, and Witten is 3rd behind them. It’s great that Crayton has such good hands and can one day be a #1 possession receiver, but right now his loss isn’t nearly as critical as Flozell Adams’ loss. Price might be better than Crayton… Torrin Tucker is NOT better than Flozell Adams.

Everyone was screaming Bledsoe can’t move, he’s a statue, he’ll be creamed… well, those folks are now more right than they were 4 days ago. Right now in Seattle they’re watching 2004 game tape of Tucker and they’re scheming to exploit him. The Cowboys’ offense will take a big hit due to Flo’s injury. Petitti/Tucker make for very weak bookends. Allen & Rivera have to really, really step it up.

I would luv to find out who the Boys are trying out at left tackle…If anyone knows..Post it up..

A couple of thoughts for this week’s game:

Push comes to shove the Cowboys can use Gurode as a OG if Allen is needed. Not ideal, but they have played those positions before.

Seattle lost their starting FS Ken Hamlin who’s in the ICU after suffering a skull fracture and other head injuries from a fight outside a Seattle nightclub. His replacement will be Marquand Manual, a fourth-year veteran who will be making his first career start. He has played pretty much exclusively on special teams, if I recall correctly.

If the offensive line can provide average pass blocking I think that Payton can take advantage of the inexperience in the defensive backfield.

Lee,

Thank you. I think Wistrom is overrated and I probably purged his name from my mind and refused to look it up. Nebraska D Linemen is like Penn State running Backs.

Okay a little too far perhaps, he has had a pretty decent career, but I don’t think anyone goes onto Seattle saying

“we have to stop Wistrom!’ or "Wistrom is going to make his plays, but we just don’t want him to beat us!”

Meh.

ManTab,

I’m sure it will be raining frogs the day Spears starts at LT.

I guess we’ll be forced to go to single WR sets in order to provide protection help to our OTs. :)

flo is a big loss, I agree one of the greatest factors to this point has been health, but don’t forget the defense has been coming together and actually keeping the boys in games. I saw on the dallas website they brought in two guys to work out marco colombo from chicago and another from the bills. They also mentioned someone from the seahwaks who was realeased because of some of the field issues but was the best available.

Paracells could always go two tight ends, two reicievers, one running back to offer max protection, but this will limit us into the amount of peple we can put into the field. I thinik they need to open it up for the run to work, I was dreading when I saw the offense not get into a rhythm to late in the game. But, don’t forget about time of possesion, they can move the ball but field goals won’t help us win.

Know the Seahawks and Cardinals are wins that we need as we head into the bye week. Was sad to see crayton go down, he has the best hands on the team, just look at all those 3rd down conversion catches he’s made and some were not easy to make. We will be all right, just thank God we are not the Houston Texans or 49ers…..

Hawaiian cowboys fan

yeah you ain’t going to see Marcus Spears or Dan Campbell at OT anytime soon.

Spears and Ware both had some time as TE in college not OT. Big difference in size, power, leverage, strength……..not going to happen. Putting Spears in as a FB or TE on goal line is one thing…….him taking snaps as the OT protecting Bledsoe……….well let’s just say even Torrin Tucker would be a better bet than Spears.

I think we can win and win big against Seattle. We are solid so far against the run, except Lamont Jordan of all teams and backs………we have two good corners so we can handle the pass………and Ware got pressure in preseason and will again this time around. Defense bringing it……….it could be shootout but I sure like our Defense this year a lot better than the last year………we should be able to stop these guys. I say stay in a 3-4 and make Hasselback beat us with WRs. If we can stop Alexander we can beat them handedly……….they rely on him more than any other team does on a rb…….including SD.

this just in………..Switzer called Parcells and told him with a weak tackle like that why not run the option. Parcells hung up on him, so he called Sean Payton……..Payton listened out of respect for his elders. Switzer said he thought Holloway was available for Sundays game if he needed a good option at QB. Option Left……..and then fool em all and option right. Holmgrem will never see it coming……..or so Switzer figures! Oh what the hech Barry figures Drew Bledsoe can run that option just as good as ole Holloway……..go for it Payton. Put in the wishbone………..Polite, Jones, and Thompson……..use em all! Seahawks will never see it coming………LOL!

Tucker sucks and I hate him

have some faith in the BOYZ boys. It will turn out better than we think. i can feel it. Pettie is coming on, tucker atleast has a good attitude, and combine that with a chance to start and we might have a nice surprise.

Taking a look

The Cowboys are bringing in several players for workouts today, including veteran offensive tackles Marc Colombo and Marcus Price. The team also plans to work out receiver Ahmad Merritt, who was cut in training camp.

As you guys may remember, Merrit had a pretty damn good camp and some thought was the best punt returner there.

I agree, lets wait and see, but the defense is going to get only better I believe….Is Scott Fujita still playing? or is he only on special teams? Don’t see him much…

Was wondering if the Tuna would allow terrance newman to return some, I just remember those days when he was a K-State..just a thought

Of everyone criticizing Tucker, which of you really know what you are talking about? Someone tell me how he grades out. I heard he is very strong, a good run blocker, not a bad pass blocker, but has made mental mistakes.

Sounds like his upside is good which perhaps explains why Parcells kept him over others. BTW, he graded good in the NY game and had one missed assignment. If you really know what you are talking about, great, but don’t ride the tide of others comments.

Who really knows the technical skinny on Tucker?

To all the people panicking that the sky is falling…..I’m sure you’re wrong. It’s the NFL, every GOOD team deals with injuries. Bad teams don’t. I think we’re a good team. Tucker, or someone will plug the hole. If they don’t we weren’t going anywhere anyway.

For those of you who think we should just go sign a FA who is currently unemployed, ask yourself why they are unemployed. Average or good LT’s aren’t unemployed……they’re making millions. I’m no Tucker fan but Flo wasn’t playing great either. I don’t get to see many of the games where I live but I sure hear about the drive stopping penalties he has committed. Let’s hope the coaches and players aren’t as panicked as a lot of people on here.

I think rha is exactly right. I posted yesterday……if Tucker is even close to as bad as some of you think, BP would have cut his a$$ a long time ago. He see things you don’t, and probably wouldn’t understand if you saw it.

Did anyone else hear new news about Crayton’s injury situation?

NYGH,

He kept Tucker because, according to BP, Tucker made very few mental errors in camp. Also keep in mind that Vollers was injured and cost more cap space as well.

Tucker will probably be OK, but I’ve never heard of a team losing their starting LT and then going on to have a successful season. If anyone remembers a case please post it.

IMO LT is the most important position in all of football. That’s what I take first if I’m starting a franchise. As Aikman has said, you give any QB in the league time to throw the football they will shred you.

NYHater is right on again, why would BP keep this guy (Tucker) 3 years if he is as bad many of you suggest?

Cash,

BP does not keep guys simply because they don’t make mistakes, especially 3 years. This guy must have some upside or BP would have dumped him long ago.

Tucker at guard was projected to go high in the second round by all the draft experts and then fell to FA status siging with the cowboys. I dont know what the issues were to cause him to fall that far..however he has made the team two years in a row so me must have talent…maybe its an effort / or mental thing or both but he has the skills.
LT/RT Jacob Rogers turning out to be an injury prone bust has come home to haunt.

rha,

BP kept him for the reasons I stated, because that’s was BP’s explanation in a press conference for why he kept him. That wasn’t an opinion it was a fact.

rha,

In fact if you know anything about BP is that he likes guys he can trust, which means guys that do not make mistakes. He likes sound technical football. Feel free to start listening to his press conferences at www.dallascowboys.com. He addresses this very issue in his last conference.

Cash,

I suspect there is more to it than BP explained in the press conference. No way he keeps a player without the physical skills necessary. Of course the mental is important and that may have been an important factor in his favor, but he does have the physical capacity or no way his is still a cowboy.

The guy is 6’7" and 300 + pounds. He’s been collecting an NFL paycheck for over a year, so ya he has the skills to play in the league, but so do alot of guys that are out of work.

You have to be able to excute the mental part of the game. And if you can do that nearly as well as a veteran with a higher cap number then the young player will usually get the job.

I assure you Parcells did not keep Tucker thinking he was the future starting LT for the Cowboys for the next 10 years.

Cash,

The guy is strong, run blocks well and has decent pass blocking skills. If he also has mental skills, great, he will do. I doubt the difference in Adams and Tucker is going to determine the fate of the Cowboys and I frankly doubt the difference is substantial to begin with. Again, if someone has the technical skinny on these guys great, I would like to see it.

rha,

Then you underestimate the value of a good LT. It’s the 2nd highest paid position in the league and the really good ones are the rarest to find in all of football. While Adams isn’t a Walter Jones or an Orlando Pace, he’s that 2nd tier. If you think there isn’t going to be much drop off between Tucker and Adams then you are either:

1. Not giving Adams the credit he desrves.

or

2. Giving Tucker much undo credit that he has yet to earn.

Last year as our starting right tackle he single handidly killed drives with pentalties. And LT has even less room for error. You make one mistake and it could cost you your QB for the season.

Tucker has the physical skills to play tackle in the
NFL, its the mental errors that have cost him……like
with showing up to camp overweight etc. But he’s getting
his chance so as BP said we’ll know on Wed.

At least our Offensive line will be “balanced” we’ll
keep teams guessing which inexperienced,out of
position tackle we will run behind………….

Cash,

I cannot quantify the difference in the two players; I don’t have the knowledge or film to do so. You are right, Tucker has not earned anything and certainly did not beat out Adams for the job. I disagree however that Tucker is dog meat, unless of course someone can show me the scouting report saying so.

rha:

“I doubt the difference in Adams and Tucker is going to determine the fate of the Cowboys and I frankly doubt the difference is substantial to begin with.”

You couldn’t be wronger than that… Take a look at this picture, if Tucker allows a DE to get to the QB in 1/4 of a second less than what Adams would, then long passes to Glenn will be hardly seen. LT’s are important, they really are, especially for right armed QB’s.

Parcells needs Tucker to play the best Football in his life, he will have better company by his side (LA, last year he had Gurode), but he needs to show what he’s capable of doing considering that he’s a physical freak.

LT is certainly critical…..I don’t think anyone disagrees with that. I was reacting to people ready to jump off a ledge and totally trashing Tucker. I remember BP has said he is one of the most physically gifted lineman on the team late last year and training camp this year. The issues have always been mental with him. Flo has committed more than his fair share of mental errors…..usually at the most inopportune times. I certainly won’t make the case Tucker is better than Flo but he’s had more time and “encouragement” from BP, maybe he’ll surprise us all. Let’s hope so, we all want the same thing.

I think tucker might do ok when you consider he will
face lighter quicker Right DEs.He may match better
with those guys then Flozell does.

Most teams in the Nfl give the Left tackle some help, look
how many teams have helped their LT against Ware.

Just an aside to break up the doom of losing Flo,

Did anyone happen to see Ellis take that fumble and try to run it to the Giants Endzone??

He did not look like someone who could play out of a two point stance and cover RB’s , TE’s , or FB’s. Sorry EricR.

Man that is what seven -8? – years playing DLine in the NFL will do to your 4.7 40 time…..

rha,

There is a reason that Tucker got beat out of his starting position by a rookie 6th round pick.

ATD,

I’d be suprised if Ellis can break a 5.0 40.

Ok, looks like they signed a tackle. Ethan Brooks. Here’s what cowboysplus.com says:

“…came to terms with 33-year-old veteran offensive tackle Ethan Brooks, who was with the Baltimore Ravens last season. Brooks appeared in 14 games – seven as a starter – in Baltimore. Brooks is a nine-year veteran who began his career in 1995 with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent out of Division III Williams College.
The 6-6, 330-pound Brooks has also played for the Rams and Cardinals.
Brooks was waived by the Jets on Aug. 28.”

I hear the Cowboys just signed Ethan Brooks for the offensive line. Anybody know anything about him. I found this out from dallasmorningnews.

Tucker still starts on Sunday. Brooks is just for depth/Insurance

the NFL season is always a battle of attrition. A bye week or no, we need to find players………like an Ethan Brooks or whoever……..plug em in and keep going.

We do need to keep our statue Bledsoe upright. Giants probably had as much pressure as any, although it seemed like the Raiders were in our backfield all day also………at any rate…….Tucker is a guy that BP had high hopes for and obviously he kept around for such an occassion………while we all might agree that Tucker and Rogers neither lived up to their billing and potential…….neither has Flozell Adams. He has that “potentially” best tackle tag clearly around his name. Maybe Tucker can come in and get the false starts and other mental mistakes under control……and we keep rolling……..maybe even improve. One thing is for sure this is his shot at it, and if he wants to be an NFLer there ain’t ever going to be a better opportunity.

A good running game can improve the offensive line. JJ did more with less last year than he has this…….maybe he is just the kind of back that needs 30 touches to get on track………so give him the rock Bill and let’s see what happens!

Drew Bledsoe does need to be upright and our Tackles and line are big huge for keeping him healthy the next 10++ games that we need to play. Tired of seeing the Patriots get all the credit for playing with injuries and all that………everybody has em……..plug in the other guy and ROLL! No excuses boys, lets go get the Seahawks! Come on Ware, you had a game of them in preseason…….time to sniff out that ball again!!!!

AlanTdot and Cash:
That’s kind of unfair, you know, Ellis was a 270 pound while playing in the 4-3, now with the 3-4 change he’s a 280 pounder, it seems that Parcells asked him to get some more weight adding more power to his frame at the expense of his speed. For both of you, ever tried to run with a diference of weight of 10 pounds? Seems to me that you would be slower with the extra pounds…

Chandus,

Don’t get me wrong, these days I couldn’t break a 5.0 40 if you pushed me off a tall building,

I was referring to the very long and never ending rant about the possibility of Ellis playing LB in certain situations.

Loved Ellis’ game on Sunday. But he can’t run with purpose for more than eight to twelve yards.

These guys sure do earn their paycheques…..

Que Onda Rafael, I have an old draft guide which listed Tucker as the fourth rated guard in the draft. And I heard that he was called for a free agent contract even before the 2002 was over. The Sporting News said he had tremendous strengh and an enormous wingspan making it diffucult for rushers to get around him. On the downside the guide said that he was a headcase and was thrown out of a game or two at Southern Miss for fighting. I think he is a serviceable tackle, but would be better at guard. What’s you take on the situation?

AlanTdot:

I was also in the Ellis at LB boat, you know, maybe not at OLB but I was at ILB, reducing some weight for a 6-6 and 260 pounds frame and there you have your standing NT.

Now I see what Parcells had been envisioning and I can see this D staying together until FA, or retirement, stands in the way.

Jon, you have good stuff to say but man i hate wading through all of those dots. Can you just use one period at a time instead of 20?

Chandus,

I’m not sure what’s unfair about describing what we all saw. He had a 10 yard start on everyone. It was a hell of a play. The guy has been in the league for going on 9 seasons now? He’s broken a leg and has battled back problems, I’m not sure why anyone would think he could A. still run a 4.7 or B. play LB in any scheme. I like him right where he’s at, on the defensive line spelling Canty by seasons end.

Ethan Brooks….anybody knows anything encouraging about that guy?…he’s the replacement for Flozell Adams…He wont be ready for one or two weeks, so get used to Tucker in there for a while…

Anybody knows about JJ for this weekend?

I live up here is Seahawk’s land (pity me) and so I’ve heard some things about Terry. He’s a good player. He just has bad character. If he can shape up and can fit in with Bill he could really help the O-line.

“which of you really know what you are talking about?”
Not me, rha.
Plus, I admit I already asked, somewhere on this board, if Marcus Spears could play Offensive Tackle.
I am calmed down to learn that Tucker’s draft status lowered only because he was a head case, with ‘tremendous strength’ and good wingspan.
But if Petitti played LT 4 years at Pitt, would he be safer at LT?

Lee,

I think the reason Bill wants to leave Petitti at RT is so that he doesn’t retard the development process. From the way he’s been talking about this team its always a, “wait till 2 years from now” type talk. Adams will be back by next season and I would hate to have to start the learning process all over again with Pettiti on the right side. That’s how I think he’s looking at it. But as Bill says, “…don’t guess because you’ll all be wrong.”

Don’t any of you remember, that Tucker spent most of training camp (after losing his job to big Rob, that is) at LT??? He’s going to play there, probably for the rest of the season. It doesn’t make sense to make a drastic change, like moving Larry or big Rob over there. In the shortrun, if we can overcome the chemistry issues that a move like that would create on the line, it might work, but in the longrun it would be a very bad idea. Flozell will be back next year, and then we will have our starting LT, so what will we do about RT if Petitti was moved? He’s been improving consistently, and has done alright while facing some of the NFL’s best DEs in Strahan and Kearse. I want him at RT for the entirity of this season, because I think there’s a pretty good chance of him being a longterm answer at RT for us. If he continues improving, he can become very good—just remember what he was able to accomplish at Pitt. I don’t want to throw off his development by moving him.
And moving LA? Who is going to play LG? It was clear from the preseason that Peterman is definitely not ready to start, and BP is not going to put Gurode there.

The best thing to do (even though LT is a fairly important position, being the blindside protection and all) is to only replace Flozell with Tucker or Brooks if he can do a better job later in the season. More shuffling will only destroy the ENTIRE OLine’s effectivness, and make it that much harder for them to work as a group.

David-CT…agree 100%….looking ahead, I think it is obvious to say we have to address the O-line in the offseason. We need to get some depth there as we have in the D front to get us a legitimate chance at the superbowl. If we resign Price and keep Crayton, KJ and T Glenn, we dont need to do much at WR, RB is fine, QB is fine as long as Bledsoe is healthy, TE is fine, D line is fine, Linebacker looks fine to me, We need safeties (besides Beriault) and O line men and we should be super bowl caliber team next year….

David-CT:
OK, I’ll leave Petitti happy at RT, and I didn’t know that Tucker had so much experience on the left in pre-season.

David, part of the problem is the offensive lines effectiveness. I’d say they have been good in pass defense for 4 games. SD, SF, Was, and the Eagles, not bad. But outside the Eagles game they have been horrible in run defense and absolutely terrible in pass defense agaisnt both the Raiders and Giants.

With injuries to Rivera along with uncertaintly at RT and C, I don’t think it’s too late to move the line around if you think it will give you a better shot to keep Bledsoe on his feet. With Bledsoe at QB, you can not be as worried about the future if you don’t keep him from taking shots to the back of the head. We need him for this year and the next two years so losing Adams means that we need to look at every option and move accordingly.

When Jacobs hurt himself, Pettiti was moved from LT to RT and then Tucker started working LT. If I remember correctly.

Len,

How is that for ya? Not sure maybe my englush teacher did not taught me well enuff. I am a product of the american public edumacation system after all. LOL!

Guys I apologize one too many beers I didn’t mean to use the word defense…………. REPOST!!!!!!!!!

David, part of the problem is the offensive lines effectiveness. Iâ€â"¢d say they have been good in pass protection for 4 games. SD, SF, Was, and the Eagles, not bad. But outside the Eagles game they have been horrible in run blocking and absolutely terrible in pass defense agaisnt both the Raiders and Giants.

With injuries to Rivera along with uncertaintly at RT and C, I donâ€â"¢t think itâ€â"¢s too late to move the line around if you think it will give you a better shot to keep Bledsoe on his feet. With Bledsoe at QB, you can not be as worried about the future if you donâ€â"¢t keep him from taking shots to the back of the head. We need him for this year and the next two years so losing Adams means that we need to look at every option and move accordingly.

Sorry again guys, I whish I could edit so I didn’t have to keep reposting……………….REPOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

David, part of the problem is the offensive lines effectiveness. Iâ€â"¢d say they have been good in pass protection for 4 games. SD, SF, Was, and the Eagles, not bad. But outside the Eagles game they have been horrible in run blocking and absolutely terrible in pass protection agaisnt both the Raiders and Giants.

With injuries to Rivera along with uncertaintly at RT and C, I donâ€â"¢t think itâ€â"¢s too late to move the line around if you think it will give you a better shot to keep Bledsoe on his feet. With Bledsoe at QB, you can not be as worried about the future if you donâ€â"¢t keep him from taking shots to the back of the head. We need him for this year and the next two years so losing Adams means that we need to look at every option and move accordingly.

I didn’t know Rivera was injured. Could you please post a link?

I was refering to training camp development. Rivera sat out most of camp. I’m starting to wonder if he is less than advertized, hyped up because of the proximity to Favre in his career, or if maybe the back injury he suffered in the offseason isn’t fully healed.

OK, I knew Rivera had the back surgery, but thought the right side was opening bigger holes than the famous left side. Didn’t Adams leave the NY game twice before leaving for the 3rd final time?
Also, wasn’t Adams struggling with a physical problem on the -1 yard carry by Julius Jones on the final offensive series in Oakland?
I’m just wondering if Adams was suffering through a sequence of developing injuries.

Rivera got blasted a couple of times playing against the Giants. When your team doesn’t have a back averaging more than 3.5 yds per carry, no side of the line is doing well in run blocking.

he ain’t playing any worse than our perennial pro bowler Larry “unable to perform during training camp or can you say overweight out of shape” Allen.

I thought Wahle was the better of the two and younger. Green Bay did have a run of good running backs no matter who the ball carrier was. Maybe the back is less than 100%………if so maybe he heals. O Line men can have a pretty long shelf life in the NFL. I am rooting for the guy for one. I wish it had been Wahle we got, and it sucked that as soon as we get him he has a back issue. But he has been a class act in getting back and said the right things……….maybe it is just an attitude thing. You know sometimes an O Line has to just have that nasty attitude and take charge and take over the line and maybe that guy ain’t out there. Rookie at RT, Young guy at C, Rivera, and do we look at Larry for leadership? Then Flo is out now. Back in the day Tui, Nate, Erik and Company could just get down right nasty. Hech even our little center Stepnoski was walking around with long hair looking like Conan the Barbarian.

At least Gurode has been decent in helping AJ. That has been a nice complement and rotation on the O Line is something I never really thought of much but it can make a difference when faciing a good NT. I could see Gurode working at Guard some also. I don’t think Petitti has played like a 6th rounder thus far. In fact a case could be made based on his stats that he has played more like the 1st and 2nd rounders of this years draft. I see this guy getting better and better and I say he buys into being a starter and comes back in great shape next year. He has already shown the discipline to lose weight in the offseason and that usually translates to discipline in other aspects of ones game.

Discipline = Success.

Somebody made comments that even Emmit would not be making yards. Emmit Smith always made yards. With and without a good o line. I like JJ, and I think he is a great back with a great first step…..but the first 8 or 9 years in the league……….EMMIT punished the opposing team even on his own…….and escaped many a first, second and 3rd tackler. What he did not have in speed he made up for in his vision, his strength his footwork and his awareness of the field………..Barry Sanders might have been a great artist with a wonderul canvas about to paint……..Emmit was a welder…….or a Iron Worker……..or a Rigger…….he was the blue collar guy and that is the way he got his yards……….I don’t remember too many first guys ever getting Emmit his first 8 years or so in the leauge. After that even it was few and far between. Let’s face it fellas there won’t ever be another Emmit………..he was something very very special………Just like Earl, Walter, Tony, Franco, Jim and others before him. Oh one other thing Emmit was………….never in street clothes!!!! Not very often anyway!

I can’t remember a time Emmit didn’t have a good line.

Ok you guys. I’ll bet anyone here $1,000 that Tucker causes at least 2 penalties in Sundays game againg Seattle.

Any takers?

Jerry Jones is pretty down in the dumps over the loss of Adams.

The biggest hurt in all of this, is tha we only kept 3 tackels on the roster in order to protect more of our defensive linemen. Surely NE or CLV had an offensive lineman in trade for one of our extra 3-4 d linemen. I guess not though.

Mike A,

1. Do you mean causes or commits?
2. What’s your point? You could issue the same bet about ANY of the other line members and I wouldn’t take the bet.

I know I know Rafael,

Sorry, I was being facecious. Tucker might have an upside but I’ve seen him cause so many penalties. Remember the preseason? He was terrible, everyone was calling for his release. I have hope, but a little dissapointed. The Oline needs time to gel and get in synch as we all know and I think we’ll miss Flo. I hope we don’t.

“Surely NE or CLV had an offensive lineman in trade for one of our extra 3-4 d linemen.”
I’m not sure about Cleveland, but thought New England was having enough problems of its own.
In the Chargers vs. Raiders game, San Diego’s offense lost several linemen in the second half, so they must have been competing for some of these free agents.
Jerry Jones didn’t sound so low to me. I thought I heard him say that Tucker had ‘great potential’.

MikeA,

Tucker’s problem has never been his physical skills. It’s between his ears. I’m recalling a drill at camp right now where Parcells reamed him out in front of everyone. The offense had a drill where they players were supposed to watch the yard markers to know where they were on the field, down and distance. Parcells had the boys running it change the markers, so there was no relationship between the play before and what they said. (Makes sense in a way, if it’s late in the game and penalties are marched off. BP wants everybody to have their heads in the game and be alert.)

Second play of the drill, after a long pass completion, he has the boys mark third and nine. Tucker comes to the line and assumes it’s first down, since the play before went for about 20. Every other lineman is in a two point stance since it’s third and nine. Tucker’s in a three point stance.

Parcells stops the drill and asks him what down it is. Silence. Asks him again. Asks Tony Romo. Tells Tucker, “of course it’s third and nine. Why are you the only one in a fucking run stance?”

EVERYBODY on the sidelines, and I mean EVERY spectator at camp shuts up. And that’s when Parcells goes at him harder. Keeps riding him for several plays afterwards, and since everybody now is mouse quiet, you hear it all.

Tucker either has a thick skin, is too stupid to care otherwise or both. But it speaks volumes that Parcells continually defends him and keeps him around.

I’m worried that his pass blocking skills are far from where they need to be, since he had trouble pass blocking at RT. But I do think he can run block pretty well.

He’s going to get a two week audition. I don’t think you should radically shuffle the lineup unless you have to in a regular week. If he fails, then the more radical changes some people are calling for will come during the bye. But Seattle and Arizona get the minimum changewise .

Torrin may be a square peg, but he’s our square peg. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

We’ll be fine as long as our Defense stays healthy, because they are for real! They’ve stuffed two strong offenses in Philly and NY, so I wouldn’t worry too much about Seattle’s top-rated offense. They’re minus 1 in turn-over ratio, are hurting at WR, and they just lost FS Ken Hamlin.

We’ll miss Flo, but I think Tucker will step up. Our defense has been playing a lot better and will keep the other team at bay, as long as the other team doesn’t go for it on 4th down often, because it’s a weak spot for the Cowboys. LOL! That’s how you beat the Cowboys; go for it on 4th down, because they’ll give it to you!

Seriously, I think the defense will carry this team. Dallas 24 Seattle 17

We need to learn how to run block. What the heck happened?
 
Last year we were ripping it up. This year we are struggling with the run.

It seems JJ is tenative and not seeing his holes and the Oline hasn’t been

executing. Let’s hope this gets better. If it does, we will go to the playoffs.

I listened again to the comments made yesterday by Jerry Jones, who said, “…we were just talking last week before the Giants game about the improvement made by Torrin Tucker, and we’re very pleased with his progress. He was in on 37 plays and, except for a bust on one play near the end of the final drive, he played very well”.

Tucker will be okay in fact I think we will benefit from the shakeup. I think everyone on the OL will be motivated and lift their game.

BTW, Bledsoe needs to play well under pressure, no excuses. Might as well get used to it now because if we are fortunate enough to get to he playoffs, he will get pressure and lots of it.

Time to show us what you got Bledsoe.

I agree with what some of you said about Tucker and letâ€â"¢s see what we can do. If you take a look at last weeks game, aside from three plays, Tucker held just fine…and thatâ€â"¢s coming straight off the bench to a position he really hasnâ€â"¢t practiced much since training camp. With a week of preparation with the 1st team, and LA to help mentor him (which both BP and JJ has been saying he has been doing since day one this year with the rookies, something he really hasnâ€â"¢t done before)…he may be just fine.

Look, after getting over those first few plays, you didnâ€â"¢t hear his name anymore for the rest of the game…THAT”S GOOD. That means no mental errors, or penalties (which was his down fall early on), so he actually played consistently. You all are right to say he is no FA, but FA has been rather inconsistent this year. Right know, TT does not have to be great…he just has to play smart and consistent. There is a reason that BP has stuck with this guy, and we may now find out why. I mean comâ€â"¢on…BP doesnâ€â"¢t stick with people who he doesnâ€â"¢t see talent in. He has said many times that he seeâ€â"¢s potential in TT. IN BP WE MUST TRUST. Hopefully, we may start to see what BP seeâ€â"¢s, he is going to get his chance now.

As far as a safety net being brought in, I think they are signing seventh year veteran Ethan Brooks from Baltimore who has 23 NFL starts.

Anyway, letâ€â"¢s give TT a chance and support him. Hell, a lot of people starting ragging on Bradie James and he is turning out to be pretty solid right now!

Hi Everybody!

You know, Tucker is a well-paid athlete, so it is easy to put a little distance between his reality and yours, but reading Rafael’s account of him getting reamed at training camp does make you feel sympathetic – he got caught on the wrong side of “The Rules of Theatre”, which are:

1. In any show, there is always a victim.
2. Don’t be the victim.
3. Don’t talk to the victim.

Words to live by, especially No. 3.

(and it sounds like Romo nearly violated rule number 3 that day).

If the problem really is “between his ears”, then the man should be coach-able.

4-2 is reason to be optimistic.

OT

From 2004 Offensive Line Revue

At 315 pounds Tucker was already a slightly undersized tackle (at least on this line), so when you start 13 games at a position youâ€â"¢d better be able to do it well. It wasnâ€â"¢t necessarily that Tucker was a bad tackle, but more that he was inexperienced (had only 1 start before the 2004 season) and that he was starting next to a guard that was jumpy and inconsistent. If you ask me, Tucker is a better guard than he is a tackle, and when you put two guys who arenâ€â"¢t very good right next to each other not much good is going to come out of it. Kurt Vollers impressed a lot more people in his 3 starts than did Tucker, and by re-signing Vollers this year heâ€â"¢ll have a very good chance to start at the position and succeed. However, last year, Tucker and Gurode combined to make things pretty hairy for Eddie George, Richie Anderson and Julius Jones when running to the right side.

Finding the silver lining in Flozellâ€â"¢s injury isnâ€â"¢t hard; the Cowboys are â€Å"dumping” one of the jumpiest tackles in the league. Adams has always had problems with false starts and holding penalties, and while it has been more of a combined effort this year, he surely hasnâ€â"¢t helped the cause. While Tucker is obviously not as physically strong as Adams, he does bring a more disciplined approach to the line. If youâ€â"¢ll take a look at my main knock on Tucker last year, it was experience and who he was surrounded by. Needless to say, the experience angle has been somewhat covered already. Last year Tucker was often on an island at the end of the line, left to ward off defenders with Andre Gurode lining up next to him, and Gurode is not guard material. Placing Tucker next to Larry Allen, probably the best guard in Cowboys history, will only improve his chances of success.

A dose of reality, finally.

I am hoping the Crayton injury turns out to be a bonus…of sorts. With Flozell out, we become even more susceptible to the blitz. With price’s speed(which Crayton did not have) along with Glenn’s speed, hopefully those safeties will be playing back back back. We could also max protect occasionally and send both price and glenn deep. The skins did it to us and got away with it. Heck, just to keep people honest i wonder if we can send price on a post pattern every play? lol

I agree with RHA.

Maybe I was expecting too much, but overall, I’ve been disappointed in Flo the last couple of years. He may be a pro bowl tackle, but I don’t rate him that high. We have trouble running behind him. He commits costly penalties. I mean, isn’t a 10 yard holding penalty as bad as a sack? And although he may have more talent than other linemen, a player’s talent level is just one factor of many that goes into a player’s success (or lack of it).

I think Flo should be further along than he is.

Tucker will be a better linemen this year because of his experience in the trenches last year. He started 13 games for us in what was really his rookie year. I’m hopeful that he can be a solid and dependable tackle for us. We’ll see on Sunday. And probably the next Sunday against Arizona.

Winning now is nice, but we have little chance at a Super Bowl.

Winning Super Bowls in the next three years is the real target. So I hope they get Copper some reps at WR while Crayton is out. And we might as well find out whether Tucker can be a legit backup now, so we know whether to replace him in the offseason.

Here is the ESPN scouting report on Ethan Brooks:

"He is a more productive run blocker than he is a pass protector. He comes off the ball low and quick and does a nice job of maintaining his block at the point of attack. He is a good zone blocker and positions himself well to execute his assignments. He has a quick first step, takes good angles and does a good job finishing plays. In pass protection, Brooks has good awareness, a quick set and does a nice job of recognizing stunts and picking up the blitz. He has poor lateral movement and really struggles to redirect. He is a waist bender who is susceptible to double moves and will struggle to keep up will speed edge rushers. If he is late out of his stance, he has no way of recovering. He lacks upper body strength to be able to consistently handle a power rush and is awkward redirecting to his inside. He does not possess enough lower body strength to blow heavier defensive ends off the ball in the run game and is not of any use if asked to pull due to his lateral limitations. "

Basically, as long as he gets off the ball quick, he is okay. Having Larry Allen beside him will help. Do many of you think FA would have gone to the pro bowl that year if he was playing besides anyone other than LA?

So, if TT can’t cut it (which I think he will do a decent job), then this guy might not be bad, as long as he maintains that quick first step.

Remnant,

Good point. We need to find out if Tucker can be a dependable backup.

But I’m not going to rule out anything for this season, not even a super bowl. If you’re just playing the percentages then you’re right on, but if you’re saying we have almost no realistic chance, then I disagree.

I know it’s a long shot, but when you have a defense that could peak at the end of the season as the most dominant defense in the league, and when you have a handful of playmakers on offense, then why rule it out. Yes, we have problems, but a truly dominant defense can make up for some of those problems (e.g., 4 turnovers against NYG).

Plus, the NFC is wide open. I don’t see a team in the NFC that is a lock to beat us. Given the NFC’s parity, and our chance to improve as we move through the season, I can see us getting there. Once you’re in the Super Bowl, don’t you think anything can happen?

Remember, this year’s winner may not be as good as last season’s Patriots, and I really doubt that this year’s winner will be as good as the 93-95 Cowboys.

Of course I’ve been a biased Cowboy fan since the day I was born. I could be wrong.

Airtyme,
How old is that report? Does it refer to his recent performance?

I sure like where we today as opposed to when Dave Campo was head coach. Talentwise too.

KCE,

Unfortunatly, It did not say.

MADCOWBOY,

I am right there with you bro! Remember when the Bucs won their superbowl. There was nothing special in their offense that year. The offense just got the ball a lot with their defense putting them in great position most of the time. But the offense was really subpar.

Now, can our defense be as good as the bucs defense that year…I say by regular seasons end…YES! The interesting thing is, our offense is much better now than the Bucs offense that year. Now, the injury to FA at LT is a concern, but I think we will be okay. I just have a gut feeling that TT will be able to hold his own. I said it before, he does not have to be great, just consistant without the mental errors, which he has vastly improved upon. He has deent size and good athletic ability…I think he will start off a little rocky on a few plays, then settle down and play sound football. Of course it will definately help when JJ returns.

Remember (if I remember correctly that is), Playing the left side is TT’s natural position. I think that is what he played in college, and just had trouble adjusting to the RT position.
By the way, anybody hear a status report on him playing this week yet?

J-MAN
With Price speed which Crayton does not have??? Crayton is not slow but we will see if Price is a clutch like Crayton. With Crayton gone its going to be more balls for Witten and KJ on third downs.

MadCowboy,

Yep, I agree that it is possible that we get there this year, but highly unlikely IMO. We have an anemic running game and an erratic passing attack, both of which may suffer with Flozell’s departure.

So unless our defense becomes truly great and our offense finds its running groove, I see no SB this year. That’s not a knock! I’m still a very happy season ticket holder as I watch my team knocking on the door of greatness. With luck, next year we’ll punch our SB ticket and begin another run for the best franchise in all of American sports.

Hi Everybody!

Now, Oiler Troll does not normally like to litter this site with talk of other franchise, especially that one in Houston, but here’s a little something hopefully to bring a little smirk to your faces not because you care whether or not the Texans suffer, but because it just is kind of funny, but…it is good to keep in mind that things could be worse. Oiler Troll still has friends in Houston who had this to share:

TERROR ALERT RAISED IN HOUSTON

Houston, TX – Wednesday, October 19, 2005 – Anthrax
Scare At Reliant Stadium

Houston Texans football practice was delayed nearly
two hours today after a player reported finding an
unknown white powdery substance on the practice field.

The Texans head coach immediately suspended practice
while police and federal investigators were called to investigate.

After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts
determined that the white substance unknown to the
players was the goal line.

Practice was resumed after special agents decided the
team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

BTW, totally out of subject, but this comes to mind, Ware has sacks in 4 consecutive games but at Seattle comes the test that can prove if he’s for real, he’ll face Walter Jones when he plays as a stand up LB and down lineman in the right side of the D. If he allows Jones to place his hands on him, he’ll be mauled.

LOL, OT…

Good point about Copper but what about Price. Unlike KJ and TG this kid could have a long future with the Dallas Cowboys if they resigned him. He is young and unlike Crayton or Copper but like Glenn has a 1200 yard 100 catch season playing with our starting QB. Why not see what this guy has and let him earn some of his money. My theory is Bill brought him in based on Terry Glenn’s medical history and it just happened to be Crayton not Glenn that goes down. I would like to see Copper mixed in on some sets………..and also we got a couple kids on the Practice Squad that might be needed before the season is out.

KJ moving over will benefit us. He is a better target in the middle of the field than on the sidelines. Price and Glenn can stretch the D, hopefully Peerless will show the same kind of hands Crayton did.

The loss of FLO is obviously a bigger deal, but not if Tucker will get his head on straight. Time for big Bill to earn his money too. He has dealt with players like Tucker in the past and turned them into servicable players and the occassional pro bowler. Let’s be honest all these guys are physically capable or they would not be there. The difference is in their attitude, mental aspect, work ethic, study, and discipline. Tucker has not shown up in those aspects but it does not mean he cannot.

How about the sack stat. We are getting to the QB slightly better than 1 in 10 pass attempts is a sack. You add in our Interceptions and we are having a good outing against the pass. If we tighten up our run Defense, and continue to improve with Ware and find a bookend for the other side………..this defense can be downright Nasty. Canty, Spears, Ratliff’s best years are yet to come, and Glover and Ellis sure look fresh in the 4th Quarter for the first time……….uh ever. I like that our sacks are coming from different guys and spreading em around. Like the 86 Giants we are getting them from our Down Lineman and from our Linebacker and even the Corner and Safety position.

Reasons for Optimism. Next year Bierault, Crayton, and Flo are back. Bierault could be a big contributor on special teams and another Roy Williams like hitting machine in Nickel or passing situations. Another Draft with Big Bill buying the groceries……….a Bookend for Ware. Possibly address the FS in either the draft or FA. Go get some speed and size at wideout but not necessarily a first rounder. Look for another Tackle that can mix in rotation with Petitti and Flo………would be nice if we had a guy that was another up and comer on the team too…..imagine if Petitti wasn’t having to start right away but was able to play Left or Right and come in for a spell if we had a pro bowl RT……or we find a guy that can develop behind Petitti and Flo……..maybe Tucker becomes that guy but if not we add one in the draft.

We finally got a cover corner. Anthony Henry is the real deal, he has the size and has shown his moxy againts Plexico, TO, and Moss and Porter already this year. TNew is looking good also. I think his injuries were holding him back more last year than we knew. The secondary is finally looking like it can handle the pass, and we still could upgrade the FS spot. Pile and Davis are servicable. I think maybe they both get better by years end.

We will have four very young running backs. Polite at FB, Jones, Barber, and Thompson at tailback. Assuming we don’t keep A Train, and Thompson learns to block. We should be fine at RB for a while. We got our QB for the Bill Parcells era. Unless Drew is injured or has some immediate onset of dementia or skills fall of ala Kurt Warner……..this is Parcells guy. He trust him, he also wants Drew to get a ring and go to the HOF. Drew can secure that spot with a Super Bowl or two with the Dallas Cowboys! Bill and Drew both know that! This is the last dance for the both of em. Other than the chest injury that put Brady on the field, Drew Bledsoe has been pretty healthy as a starting QB, and that is despite all the sacks.

I would love to see an upgrade at WR to start to develop to replace KJ. The guy won’t last forever. TG too, Crayton looks great so far……….time to find out about Copper and Price and then address in the draft next year accordingly. This team is good right now. The mix of vets and rookies and youth is working. The defense, including Glover and Ellis is coming together……..and Bill Parcells loves it when a plan comes together…….instead of fretting over how to get to the opposing QB…….he is seeing the sacks pile up and knows he is only a few years away from the best Defense in football. He also knows Defense wins Super Bowls……….and he loves the meal he is cooking up with his recent grocery shopping. He can smell it starting to marinate and almost ready to go on the grill! Get ready cuz the next 5 years are going to be very good for the Dallas Cowboys…………say goodbye to those Eagles ruling the NFC East and the NFC………say goodbye to 5 and 6 win seasons. We are going to the playoffs.

Airtyme,

TT was a guard in college.

Our defense will get the 2nd Doomsday title in the Seattle game. Henry and Newman will largely play man and we’ll play 8 in the box to stop the run. Heaven help the Seahawks when they try and pass. There will be an unprecedented number of sacks, I’d guess 6 or more.

The offense will be much sharper Sunday.

For the draft next year, I see lots of offensive linemen. Big Bill will be an opportunist when he sees a steal but an 3 offensive line picks will ensure a dynasty for this team.

Yep, we’re going to the playoffs. And we’re not just going. I think Bill can sense that. He’s pretty calm right now. Not a Bill who looks like he’s got a lot to worry about other than ensuring his team is ready for Sunday. He’s probably as happy with this bunch as he’s ever been.

Final score Dallas 24, Seatle 14

gmz,

while i think you are right he looks more relaxed. He also realizes we lost two game we should have. He would be much more relaxed at 6-0 and alone at the top of the NFC instead of having a half game lead over the rest of the pack. The black and blue division as Carl Banks called it is just that once again and BP knows that Washington loss could come back to haunt us yet.

I don’t think he has yet to see the best from JJ, or the O Line. I also don’t think that Ware has had a complete game yet. I think he would like to see continued good play from the rest of the LBs as well. He cannot be happy with how we played the run against Oak.

Like he would tell ya, we ain’t done nothing yet!

On the other hand he is smiling on the inside looking at a D conversion and a slam dunk of a draft that even has Ratliff and Petitti on the field……..and Canty, Spears and Ware showing some real rookie value. His FA pickup of Henry looks like it might have been a steal, and Ferg is on the field and contributing also. Drew Bledsoe is his best pickup and is making the media rethink writing off Drew, and Buffalo wishing they had that pick they traded for Losman back……sorry Bills no redos! Who is more impact on their team Julius Jones and Marcus Spears or J P Losman? You know Bledsoe is grinning about that one! I hope he keeps the house in Jersey vacant for another 5 years and sticks around to Coach these Cowboys to Three more Bowls and shut up the patriots are the team of the decade crap…..although they certainly are thus far.

JJ comes back late in the week. Finally rushes for over 100……..Seattle scores some points late in trash comeback but Ware and the boys have a field goal and score points off of turnovers.

Dallas 41 Seattle 31 but it aint ever as close as the score at the end. Hasselback is going to be picked, sacked, and fumble.

Parcell’s would be shi77ing bricks. He would be scared to death that this team would get a big head.

I think it’ll be something like a Cowboys 27- Seattle 10 struggle. Parcells is just too good at eating up the clock.

Jon, I hope you are right, but JJ isn’t going to rush for over 100 unless the offensive line play picks up, and that is a huge question mark at this point, although it seems that TT could be a better run blocker than Flo was.

Love your optimism though.

btw……us Virginians will be rooting for the Aggies come Saturday. So the Hokies can go face USC in the Rose Bowl and take the National Title away from Leinhart and Bush.

How is a QB can fumble out of bounds and stop the clock in the last two minutes of a game? If there ain’t a rule there ought to be. The Irish had em……..but could not close the deal. The Trojans are the Patriots of college football the ball always bounces their way as do the yellow flags and the zebras. Also all you Leinhart fans lookout Brady Quinn stood toe to toe with Matt Leinhart………and oh last time I checked he does not have a Reggie Bush in his backfield or the best WRs in the country or the best offensive line. I say Quinn over Leinhart.

Jon,
Texas plays TX Tech this weekend, not the Aggies.
Before the mighty VT Gobblers play in Pasadena (not!) they got some serious losing to do first. aka Miami

Hook-em-Horns

youre right i confused the two……well go tech! Va Tech has owned Miami and they got a better team than Miami this year, which is not always the case. Looking at their schedule the worse matchup will be UVA usually the rival with the lesser team wins and they just knocked off FSU for the 10th anniversary of the first time FSU lost in the ACC.

Hokies play Parcells kind of football and would give Carrol and company all they want! They played em better last year at Fedex field than anyone else did all year. Although I would have rather seen Auburn vs. USC at the end.

Given Texas history vs y’all Hokies, I just hope we don’t meet in the Rose Bowl.

Sorry, but the Wahoos will defeat the Hokies last game of the year, and ruin their bid for the National Championship.

jon
 Leinhart has been on top for the last two years, what has Quinn done??? This year is about Bush…

Next years draft will be just like this year except we sustitute OL for DE. We’ll take 3 in the first 4 rounds. Throw in a FS and stud LB or 2 and we’re close to a complete team.

It’s all about Vince Young fellas for those of you who like to say he can’t throw just look at the last three games. Here is the line from his most recent performance against Colorado.

He was 25/29 for 335 yards and 2 TD passes as well as no interceptions, to go along with 3 TDs and 59 yards rushing on the ground.

I ain’t seen much of Vince Young, although I watched the Ohio State game. He does win ball games and has the size to be an NFL QB.

Leinhart is a Senior, Quinn a Junior…….Leinhart has the best weapons in football and had the best coach, coordinators, and the best weapon in Reggie Bush. Name some players other than Julius Jones that Quinn has had. Quinn has thrown the most touchdown ever in a ballgame by a Notre Dame QB……..a legacy that includes unfortunately Joe Thiesman, but also a pretty good QB by the name of Joe Montana.

I ain’t saying Leinhart ain’t good. He is. I just ain’t sure being the best QB in college means your are in the pros. They have been mostly on another level agains the competition during his tenure……….and when he steps up to the pros……….well that ain’t going to be the case. Hech even being the best QB in the pros does not mean you win Super Bowls ask Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton or Jim Kelly. They are all HOF QBs without a Super Bowl.

Would I take a chance on him in the first pick of the draft? Maybe……..does Reggie Bush have a bigger impact his first five years in the pros? You bet! Leinhart will be allright but my guess is there are other kids in college right now that will do just as well if not better than Matt Leinhart………..and one of those suspects is Brady Quinn. He will probably stick around one more year to win a National title at Notre Dame. Charlie Wies is already proving to the NCAA FB ranks that…..uh yeah Pete Carrol was a loser in the NFL, just wait til you see what I can do!!! Give him two years to recruit and they go undefeated and win a national title in less than 4 years.

NFL is a different level, as Steve Spurrier and even Lou Holtz demonstrated. Going down to the bush leagues if you will, is a lot easier than coming up to the pro game.

Jon:

When Fran Tarkenton announced Monday Night Football, I remember him saying one night that some QB down 5 with about 4 minutes left ought to throw deep. His broadcast partner reminded him there was a lot of time left, and the team could march and score if they could focus and not panic. Fran said he didn’t care, he would call a 40 yard pattern and throw to that receiver despite the coverage.

Well, I remember Fran, and he was telling the truth. If his team was behind 5 with 4 minutes left, he would send his WR on a 40 yard pattern and throw it, despite the double coverage. The problem was, he would throw it 37 yards, the ball would get picked, and poor Fran’s team would lose the game.

Fran’s making the HOF proves they will vote anyone in but the right people some years. He has stats, but that is all. He was the biggest choker in the history of football, because he was one of the least disciplined players ever. He had an excuse with the Giants, who were the equivalents of the modern Texans (poor coaching and management, no pass protection), but he had no business losing so many Super Bowls with the defense the Vikings had. I put a lot of those losses on him and his errant decision making.

If you like Marino and Kelly, I won’t argue, but don’t lump that other choker in with them. The only thing he ever accomplished was winning me money betting against him in the Super Bowl.

On the Jim Rome show today, Rome reported that the San Diego Chargers just acquired A.J. Feeley from Miami. Rome went on to report that the Chargers had made up their mind to trade Rivers. According to Rome, the Chargers are looking to trade Rivers for a starting pass rusher.

Hmmm……

I was really hoping for something like this at the beginning of the season, but now, the answer must be no, I think.

Would anyone be willing to trade Ellis? Ratliff? Anyone?

DUDE wishbone formation is the shit! seriously, do y ou have any clue how complex you canget with that easy three back set!? i played it in high school, that would b4e the shit put a train in as a fullback cuz then we can have JJ, A train, and Tyson in the back feild all at once, tell me how freakin sweet that would be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’d trade Ratliff for Rivers in a heartbeat, Ellis too. We have enough depth along the line that that kind of deal would be a no brainer.

I would not however, give up Ware, Spears, or Canty.

I’m not sure Rivers would be interested in coming to Dallas, or that we should want him. He’s going to want to start next year somewhere, not warm the bench for 2-3 years behind Bledsoe. Also, I’ve heard he doesn’t have a great mental make-up and could be another Drew Henson without the baseball glove. Great stats and looks good in a uniform but if he doesn’t have the mentality another “miss”.

A better QB for the future would be Quinn. I’ve been very impressed with him. He makes the biggest plays when the game is on the line. I’m sure he won’t be available when we pick but he sure looks like he has the physical talent and the grit to be a good one. I’d take the WR from ND in a heartbeat (Samardzija I think)

A win this week against Seattle would be huge!NY hosts Denver and Philly gets San Diego,we might be able to gain some ground!

The best thing about this week’s schedule is that between NY and Phil, I think Phil is most apt to lose. San Diego is a very good team and must know a 4th loss this early in the season would be a huge set back. I also don’t see how Phil’s defense can control the SD offense. Denver is ripe to lose a game, I don’t think they’re as good as their record. I hope I’m half wrong and both NFC East teams lose while we kick Seattle’s butt.

On acquiring Rivers from San Diego —

Very rarely do circumstances permit a good team to acquire a 23 year old franchise QB. Usually you need to lose about 12-15 games in a single season before you have a chance. For this reason, should we at least consider it?

DB is playing great. No one disputes that. I think his talent gives us the chance to beat nearly anyone right now. But his window is only 2-3 years, and then what?

With Rivers, you “could possibly” be looking at a real, long-term dynasty. We could match our young, talented defense and running back with a young, talented QB.

Of course the downside is that Rivers would have to start next season. It could derail us for a year while he develops. In addition, he could be a bust, but surely our weapons and defense would give him more than a fighting chance.

Passing on Rivers shouldn’t be done lightly. The chance may not come around again..

Cowboy Bert……..uh Kelly ain’t a choker too? He has four Super Bowl losses and Dan Marino has one Super Bowl loss and never got back after his rookie season? I ain’t no fan of Fran…….but the guy got there. So to not lump him with at least Jim Kelly is not really fair to the guy. He was no Bradshaw or Staubach for sure. He did have an awesome defense but they were doormats for our Cowboys many times. Jim Kelly was a linebacker turned QB and I admire his grit and toughness but he had a pretty talented bunch to never get it done against a less talented Giants team. Of course we could call that coaching also.

Give up on Rivers……..San Diego is sitting pretty in case you have not noticed. Rivers has already been paid and can sit on the bench. To trade him they are going to want a Number One pick HIGH…….and another pick or two. Possibly two number ones. For a guy that has not taken a snap in the NFL cuz he cannot beat out the 6’ Drew Brees? Come on……..if he is all that let him beat out Drew Brees and take the reins. Dallas Cowboys has Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh……….both were young. The better player became the starter……….Rivers comments are also telling a tale…….he has all the physical skills and tore up the ACC but he did not show up on time for camp and he could not beat out Rivers in two years. Marty had already deemed him the starter for the first season……..and he has yet to take the field.

If Phillip Rivers is all that he would beat out Drew Brees and be the starter. The Jets, the Cardinals, and maybe the Vikings, and of course the Houston Texans are all in the Leinhart, Bush sweepstakes………I could see the Jets giving up John Abraham and next years pick for Phillip Rivers. We don’t have anything like John Abraham to offer and if we did would we want too. For an unproven kid that is going to have to learn an all new offense and has yet to take a snap. Ask Nolan and the 49ers about playing with a young QB.

Two or three years is a long time. Hech Romo or Henson could develop by then and for a hech of a lot less money than Rivers. We don’t have the cap space for the kind of money he is gonna want. He will be a holdout complaining for more the second he turns into a decent QB something that is well just a toin coss…………what is the guys name was Ryan Leaf and he was yet to play and teams are drooling over the prospects of getting him……….would you make that trade…….knowing what he turned out to be. Phillip Rivers is an unproven commodity that the Chargers want big bucks for and have zero reason to move. In case you don’t know it, that is what is called a Sellers Market………where the seller makes all the dough and the buyer gets screwed. That would be the Dallas Cowboys if they foolishly entered the Rivers bidding war. Rivers might be a good QB or he could be a bust…….but paying more than top dollar for him and putting all your eggs on one basket is a dangerous game in today’s NFL. The JETS are sunk because of Pennington’s contract, and he ain’t even playing!

Do not expect Jerry Jones or Bill Parcells to pursue Matt Leinhart or Phillip Rivers. Bill wants to win Super Bowls with Drew and retire. If he feels Romo or Henson are not capable of being on the NFL roster he will add a QB in the draft next year. Something I do not expect him to do.

Jon -
Good points. I agree with most of what you said, except for two of your assumptions. First, I’m not convinced San Diego has no reason to move Rivers. Second, I don’t think it’s as much of a seller’s market as you say it is. I’ll address each point in turn.

First, SD considers itself only a player away from winning a super bowl. It’s hard to argue against them because they won 12 games last year while playing a young pro bowl QB and the best RB in football. They’re in the hunt, and they know it. They will move Rivers in order to get that pass rusher that they feel they need to win a SB this year.

Second, I don’t think SD can demand a “very high number one pick” and some other picks when they only gave up a very high number one pick to get Rivers in the first place. How could his value have appreciated when he has not played? No, I think, if anything, his value has either stayed the same or dropped slightly. I say this based on some of your other arguments. Namely, he has not beaten out Brees.

You are right. He could be a bust. After all, Leaf was a bust. Walsh was a bust. Other high QB picks have been busts. But, we just don’t know because he has not played. Lots of high QB picks have paid off as franchise players, who have provided long-term stability at the most critical position on the field. This is why every year there is a draft sweepstakes to take the best college QB. The potential reward outweighs the risk.

Finally, I think, and I know this can be debated, that Rivers should not be ignored simply because he did not beat out a pro bowl quarterback during his rookie season. I have never heard of a rookie QB being able to beat out a pro bowl QB. Brees was a pro bowl QB, and he continues to play at the level today. How can that “failure” count against Rivers?

I think BP will probably opt against chasing Rivers, but I don’t know if this is best. I trust BP, but I do think given our number of young pass rushers, we could work a win-win deal with SD.

i don’t see SD interesting in Ellis. He is undersized although Playing quite well…….he is also 30+. SD plays a 3-4, I am quite sure Marty would be interested in Demarcus Ware, who he compared to Derek Thomas, but I doubt BP would, who he compared to LT.

I see the Jets moving Abraham to SD for Rivers and a pick or some picks or something. San Diego gave up Eli for 2 first round picks one of which was Phillip Rivers. Now they again are sitting on a QB that they could move or keep. Cap wise it does not hurt them. The just added Shawn Merriman at 12 pick which was part of the Eli pay. I don’t see them a single player away from the Super Bowl as you say, and as many teams can attest……if Rivers is the QB you think he is……..the Chargers never know when they might need him………ask the Bucs, Jets, or Rams about a decent backup QB. They can tell you about it.

Now if Bledsoe went down and out, not likely, I could see Dallas getting into some kind of QB race. For now I see em more interested in adding another OLB to bookend Ware, a FS with good coverage and tackling, and some Offensive line help and maybe a decent reciever depending on whether or not we keep Price, and the health of Glenn, KJ and return of Crayton to previous form. Copper was developing well last year and is contributing on special teams……..which puts you on the playing field………….for Parcells……ask Keith Davis.

If Bill was not our Coach, I could see Jerry Jones going after Leinhart or Rivers. Although he might wait until they shun football and fail at baseball and then sign them on the cheap like Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, and Drew Henson.

Bill Parcells did not send Romo or Henson to Europe. He did not even look at another QB in the draft. Kyle Orton anyone? Charlie Frye? Those guys were later round QBs that Bill could have had as opposed to a Marion Barber or Chris Canty……..or Burnett…….but he did not even look that way. He has a good idea of how much gas is left in Drew Bledsoe’s tank……..a lot more than the mediots or the Bills thought…….and given a defense, and some targets, and even a subpar rushing attack thus far…….Drew Bledsoe is the best QB in the NFC. He has not missed a start. In his worst game against the Giants we still managed to win one.

Wait til the Running Game gets on track. Teams are already committing to stopping Julius and doing a good job, but Drew is beating them. Let them back off and cover KJ, Glenn, Price and Witten and Julius Jones and the backups will run for over 200 yards against em. Teams are saying we are going to let Drew Bledsoe and the Dallas passing attack beat us. And guess what 4 times it has.

I don’t think signing some 1st round QB to a huge contract and having him not even be our starter is smart for the Dallas Cowboys cap wise or future wise. You are gambling a lot of money that is going to be needed to pay Demarcus Ware, Spears, Canty, Burnett, Williams, T New, Dat, and the next few additions Bill makes to our Defense. I see this Defense getting very good already, add another OLB and watch what we can do. Have an FS that can cover and make some plays and this defense will be pitching shut out! We did not give up an offensive touchdown to McNabb, Owens and Westbrook! That is the same Eagles outfit that scored how many on us in Dallas Last year?

Defense wins Super Bowls…….and Bill Parcells is going to go get himself another OLB to fill the other side and get the kind of sacks his 86 Giants produced. I recall LT, Carl Banks, and Leonard Marshal……….being the big difference makers and Phil Simms was truly a bus driver that kept that team on even keel and did not make a lot of mistakes. He even had some good yardage a few years, but I would not put him above Drew Bledsoe for ability or arm or accuracy……..

Bledsoe has a good 2-3 years left…….maybe 5-6 on the outside……..I doubt he would retire if we won a Super Bowl. I think he would come back to win another one. Deep down he thinks he is a better QB than Tom Brady and wants those three rings that he figures he lost to an injury………something somebody erroneously says never replaces a starting qb…..unless the other guy wins too……….now I ain’t saying Brady is a bad QB……he has the hardware to prove it……but Drew thinks he is a better QB and wants a Chance to prove it………my hope………Cowboys and Pats meet in a Super Bowl………the Sooner the better!!!! Big Bill vs Little Bill……….Bledsoe vs Brady……..Dat vs Bruschi………Dillon vs Julius……….it would have all the drama of an old episode of Dallas………don’t bet agains the Ewings!!!!

.Jon, I agree with your analysis. In the end, I like our team now as it is. We have a great chance to win today. I like where we’re headed. If the price were right, who knows, but I wouldn’t give them Canty, Spears or Ware.

Ideally, I hope SD holds Rivers until the off season. At that point, we can assess where we are as a team, and we don’t get derailed this season. That would be the ideal situation for us.

I love that scenario. Cowboys vs. Pats in the super bowl. Television ratings would go through the roof.

I’d rather see the Cowboys play the Broncos.

And all that talk above about trades. I think the Galloway trade and the trade with the Bills has convinced Jerry Jones that it’s better to have your draft picks than trade them for players. Parcells is fond of saying that if someone is willing to trade something, you probably don’t want it.

I think the Galloway deal killed Dallas’ future for a while. You can’t give up your first round draft choices (unless it’s for more of them). You should do everything to land yourself in the spot the Cowboys were in this season with two.

With the play of the #1 QB(bledsoe) in the NFC,and a very good backup(Romo-92.1 QB rating in preseason who threw 85 TDS in college and has led the Cowboys to several scores everytime he’s in there) and also Romo(who seven teams tried to sign away from the Cowboys until Dallas signed him to a million dollar contract) is a very good prospect.So let’s wait one more year and see.

It usually takes 3 years to develop you average player……..for argument sake I will say Bradie James is in year 3………it also takes 3 years for the best players to add the physical muscle and strength required to be in the NFL for a longer time and become comfortable inside the offensive and defensive schemes. Now a linebacker…….like say Demarcus Ware will always read the same offense…….but if his scheme changed or his coaches changed…….or he changed teams than you might have to add to his learning curve……..

so just imagine where this team will be when Ware, Canty, Spears, Beirault, Ratliff, Petitti, and Burnett all become 3 year professional athelets. Add in our FA Tyson Thompson, a 4th year guy named Julius Jones and a 3rd year guy named Marion Barber.

Now on the downside of things Glover, Ellis, Larry Allen, and Drew Bledsoe will all be fast approaching or past the 35 year old range…throw Marco Rivera in that mix as well and I doubt Aaron Glenn is still on the roster at that point…….but hey he could have a Darryl Green like period……….at any rate. You can see one hech of a nasty defense developing. A running game that could feature a couple of good running backs and possibly a very great one. Remember Parcells has always liked having a couple guys that could carry the rock. Anderson, Joe Morris, Rob Carpenter…….Curtis Martin and the list goes on and on.

I assume by that point Terry Glenn and KJ are gone. So we would have to add a couple of WRs…….but Crayton sure looks capable. Witten would still be young and Johnson, Gurode, Petitti, and Adams would all still be around. So you come up with a couple of decent offensive lineman in the next 3 years a couple of WRs………and yes Drew Henson or Romo either cut it or they are cut so a QB may have to be addressed for this train to keep on rolling…………..but Trent Dilfer, Jim McMahon, Phil Simms, Brad Johnson, and yes TOM BRADY are all quarterbacks that will tell you how much their Defense helped them to win a SUPER BOWL RING!!!! Even Joe Montana’s 49ers had one hech of a defense. I remember that shilacking they put on Dallas in the regular season before “the Catch” ended our playoff run. Add another OLB for Ware figure out if Dat and Burnett and James can fill the need in the middle……..a few roll players like Shanle, Fujita, Ratliff, Coleman………and this team could be very good for a very long time………even without a high priced “Franchise QB” that gets the chicks and the endorsements while Ware, Canty, Spears, Burnett, Roy Williams, and Bierault are putting a hurting on the opposing QB.

Some other things to think about. Colts have a good defense. But Manning, Edge, and Harrison are their offensive trio……..anyone of those guys goes out they are a much weaker team. Broncos still got Jake at QB and I don’t think he is an Elway…….and that Defense of there is still suspect. The pats are already hurting, the Chargers……uh we beat them already……….we could well be the Class of the NFC and with a little luck the AFC might not be as mighty as the mediots look.

Jon:

I was being nice giving you Marino and Kelly. As far as I’m concerned, the only statistics that really matter are final scores and final standings. The rest are for losers who want to focus on anything else but winning. Basing arguments on stats is a bad move, and basing HOF judgments on stats is for lazy mediots who don’t really want to take the time to understand the game before they vote.

Having said all of that, Marino and Kelly really are in a different category than Fran. Marino never won—he was raw in his rookie year when he went, and never had a D on his team after that. None of that is his fault, unless we want to blame him for accepting the contracts he was offered, which kept the Dolphins from signing better defensive players. Pin that on the owner.

Kelly never won either, but as I recall, Thomas’s fumbles and forgetting his helmet had something to do with some of that, and the Giants game was lost, not by Kelly, or even Norwood’s miss, but the vaunted Buffalo D that couldn’t get the Giants off the field, allowing them almost 40 minutes in TOP. Kelly played on teams losing the SB, but I don’t recall him being the consistent choker that prevented their winning.

Fran is a putz. He made stupid decisions, throwing passes under pressure that led to others’ points. He loved to underthrow unnecessary long passes when he didn’t have the arm to throw the necessary ones. His picks kept opponents in games, and his teams from winning big ones. Invariably, it wasn’t Chuck Foreman that blew the big games, or busted secondary coverage—it was Fran and his brain-death. He made the HOF due to his scrambling ability and all the yards he threw for (between INTs) in NY, not his ability to be clutch or even adequate. His teams in NY were losers, and he had to throw all of the time. In Minn, he didn’t, but he still threw stupid passes at the worst possible time for his team.

On my team, I would rather have Aikman, Starr, or Griese, who relied on their running games and completed however many passes they needed to make, whether 10 or 30 per game. I would rather have a winner than a loser who is a stat guy. Let the Redskins have all the Frans they want.

Raf,

New Post Please!!!!!!

I think next year’s draft needs to focus on offensive linemen primarily, and maybe a wide receiver and a safety who can cover. (We already have one who can hit and make plays.)

Which Cowboys this year have a realistic shot at making the Pro Bowl?

QB: Bledsoe is a lock, if he keeps it up.
RB: Julius won’t, unless he gets it in gear.
TE: Witten is good, but TE is loaded.
WR: Glenn is on track, but needs to keep making big plays.
OL: Anybody? I guess Larry Allen could make it.

DL: Glover looks good at this point, but that’s about it. Greg Ellis?
LB: Dat’s injury will cost him, and it could be too soon for Ware.
CB: Who in the NFC is playing better than Newman? Henry may have a case, too. Getting both corners in would be sweet.
S: Williams should be a shoo-in, as long as he doesn’t make getting burned on the deep ball a habit.

P: McBriar has been awfully good, but his gross average likely isn’t high enough.

Who in the NFC is better than Newman? Henry that’s who.

Henry’s been really good, with lots of pass deflections and a few interceptions, but there’s a reason the ball keeps coming his way — it’s because Newman’s guy is never open.

The reason the ball is going the way of the receiver that Henry is covering is because he covers the other teams #1 reciever. Usually if a QB sees their #1 reciever in single coverage they will put the ball in the air. Out side the one deep pass to Moss in the 1st quarter of the Oakland game Henry has stifled, Moss, Owens, and Plaxico Burress.

!!!Sorry that was my post.

The reason the ball is going the way of the receiver that Henry is covering is because he covers the other teams #1 reciever. Usually if a QB sees their #1 reciever in single coverage they will put the ball in the air. Out side the one deep pass to Moss in the 1st quarter of the Oakland game Henry has stifled, Moss, Owens, and Plaxico Burress.