Open-Mike Thursday

Wathch out the Cowboys are going to wear their Jerry Jones ugly BAD LUCK throwback uniforms and white helmets this Sunday against the lions. Jerry burn them!!! The Cowboys look like clowns wearing them. Jay

Mosley from DMN in an article has stated Parcells has gotten into Julious Jones head and its the reason Jones wasn;t speaking to the media “until he played”

I really don;t care about him speaking to the media but have been thinking since training camp he is a different runner that he was a year ago.

I am not talking about this last game cause I know he’s hurt and not 100% But mainly referring to his production in the first part of the season. Don’t get me wrong here, as it was decent. But none of the explosiveness that we saw last year. I blame alot on the line, but i didn’t think they were that great last year either, and we didn’t have Dan Campbell.

Last year he appeared to have more vision and would always look to pop it outside (similar to what Westbrook did to us Monday night) I have yet to remember 1 play where he improvised and made and outside move or cut back this year. Heck have you seen Shawn Alexanders big runs this year? most all of them come from an opening on a cut back. i really miss the vision and speed to the outside we saw alot of last year from Jones. I am not talking about all the draw plays. I am talking about the simple dives and traps were he made a move elsewhere if it was clogged up.

Maybe its our blocking scheme and its not set-up for cut-backs this year, but I feel the whole emphasis on “Not taking any negative plays” that Parcells preached in pre-season has hurt Juilious Jones. I think he is intent on doing whatever Parcells preachs to him and is still playing scared. He seems intent to run the play as intended this year no matter what linebacker is standing in his way.

I am beginning to think Mosely was right. Parcells may have gotten into Jones head. I just hope he is able to come out of it soon, and get back to what we saw last year. Cause I really like that Jones and want to see him do well.

Its up to BP to fix the mess – he MADE it. Talk about over coaching; why in the world did he do it?
JJ just ate people up last year- and why would any coach worth his salt change that?

Raf,

I am most interested in Bledsoe discussions since without him performing at a high level the other team facets are mute.

My opinion is that he is doing everything we could expect and more. It is really difficult to find fault when compared to other quarterbacks. Statistically he is on par with anyone with the exception of Payton Manning and Carston Palmer and is leading his team with key plays in virtually every game and winning under pressure.

The 2 bonehead plays, his interceptions in Seattle and Philadelphia were just that, interceptions. Every quarterback has plays at critical times they wish they could have back; it’s just that we here just don’t see those quarterback plays in the context of those games. Everyone should remember Hasselback, he looked horrible under pressure but finally produced just enough plays to win. Bledsoe Monday night had that kind of game.

BTW, every interception is key (unless the game is out of reach) whether it is late in the game or early. Early field position and late position produce points either way and points are what win games.

I think we tend to focus too much on these few incidents and not enough on the macro picture. Early in the year I was concerned with Bledsoe’s ability to produce under pressure, he proved Monday night he can.

BTW, without Bledsoe the discussion of JJ and MBIII is mute. Either of these guys can get the job done even if JJ has more potential. Without Bledsoe continuing to play well we are toast.

Pro Bowl, wonder where Anthony Henry is?

The NFL released its early figures from its Pro Bowl fan balloting, and Drew Bledsoe leads NFC passers with 325,526 votes. Guard Larry Allen tops all guards with 121,646 votes, and Roy Williams is first among strong safeties with 69,618 votes. Fan voting will continue through Dec. 13.

burmafrd: Yea I don’t understand it either. I think Parcells is a great coach, but people react differently and in this case its like JJ has made a point to cram in in the middle even if nothings there just to not take a negative play. It appears Marion Barber is not playing that way and looks to be more effective at times. I just expected a little more out of julious this year, and think Parcells may have missed on this one and stifled his running style.

rha: you are right Bledsoe is the more important of the 2 in my mind as well. I would like to see the running game step up however, and it will make Bledsoe even better. I don’t think we are in the same league as those teams that can run like KC, Seattle, Indy, who run the ball consitantly week after week. Except when they play the Boys)

RHA,

I think the more telling issue is the offensive line. Bledsoe has proven that he can do the job, and do it well. I have to admit, I was cautiously optimistic about signing Bledsoe this offseason, but mostly because everyone seemed to view him as little more than a younger version of Vinnie. But Bledsoe has shown me something this year (when he is protected). As long as the line gives him the time he needs, he’s great, but he does have his issues. He does still tend to hold the ball a little bit long. I’d also like to see him take off and get the two or three yards we need for a first down every now and then. He’s done it once or twice, but I think that would help a little. He doesn’t have to be that fast to do that. I’ve seen some huge holes for him to run through in games, and he could slide like McNabb to keep from getting pounded.

Rob2,

I agree the OL is an issue but it is what it is, can’t change anything now. Bledsoe simply has to play with more pressure.

I contend that the team that wins in the playoffs will have the quarterback that makes the key plays under pressure.

Bledsoe did it in Philly and Hassleback did it against us as did Brunell. All these games will be close and every team will blitz us crazy.

Under normal 4 man rush pressure our OL will perform OK, it’s the blitz that will either kill us or our opponent. In Philly, it killed them on both our touchdown drives.

Julius’s success, or lack of it, is the most important issue.

I don’t know why he isn’t the same JJ, but he is not. Last year, he was so explosive and fast. He could stop on a dime, freeze the tackler, and then cut left or right, leaving everyone flat footed. He was a threat on every play to take it to the house. But not this year.

I love BP as a coach, and I rarely doubt him, but we aren’t getting the best out of JJ. I do not believe that he has lost a step. And I don’t believe our line is worse this year than last. Ultimately, it has to be on the coach to get the most out of his players.

To win the big games, we’re going to need his big play threat.

rha,

I agree. Bledsoe has exceeded all expectations. Not only does he manage the offense, he also makes plays that win games. He produces under pressure.

That’s why, if we can get JJ on track, we’ll win big this year.

Hey Cowboy Fans,

We can talk all we want about Bledsoe & JJ & MB with the running game but as far as I am concerned the biggest fact is our offensive line !

We can have the best QB in the league with LT & James in the backfield but without pass protection & opening holes for the running game it means nothing. Now don`t get me wrong Drew is having a great year , but if we do not give him time to throw he becomes a non factor. To have a winning team many components must be in place but never make a mistake about it ,

THIS GAME IS WON & LOST ON THE LINE !!

If it sounds that simple , it is.

As far as our line goes:
LA: Solid
MR: Expected more but getting better
TT: I think will be fine
AJ: Not happy with him overall
RP: Playing like a good rookie

They must get better to make a playoff run. Can they gel over the next month? Bottom line is we need more consistent line play.

Jesse,
I agree. My issue with our offensive line is with Al Johnson. He does a half descent job of pass protection, but he cannot get a push on running plays. Most of the time he gets pushed backwards. I believe that’s one reason why we are not having very much success in the running game. Other teams know this and are applying pressure there because it will serve two purposes. It creates pressure up the middle, which Bledsoe hates and it reduces the cut back lanes by half on running plays.

I would like to see Gurode in at center. He gets a consistant push and that would help our running game ten-fold. We could live with one of our tackles not getting a push, but we cannot have the middle of our line getting pushed back.

Jesse,

I think the O Line will be ok and might even continue to improve. I too felt that thus far MR has been the FA with the least contribution….but I gave him some slack cuz of his back. Still I like what BP did with Gurode rotating him in with AJ…..I think ulitmately it is making both better. Center and QB need to be on the same page though……and I blame both. Still TT seems ok, and Petitti is much better than any 6th round RT that I can think of of late. He still makes a few rookie mistakes……..but compare him to say Robert Gallery…….and I would say we got a steal there in Petitti with a lot of upside still.

JJ, MB3 or TT all have the ability to be fine running backs if our O Line plays to its potential. To our credit for the most part we have done a good job protecting Drew Bledsoe but it has come at the expense of two TE sets and a RB in the backfield.

Also…..after JJ or MB block I don’t understand why they aren’t releasing in the flat and why Drew isn’t hitting them. Emmit made plenty of those 3rd and longs into first downs after blocking a DE or LB or S on a blitz and then released and burned the D for 12 yards and a first down. If Glenn is running a deep route…….KJ and Witten drawing coverage across the middle and the D is rushing or blitzing…….we need to use the RBs out of the backfield after the blitz pick up.

I also would like to see JJ get more passes overall……he had some real nice plays off of screens and passes last year…..getting him out beyond the box makes him even more dangeroous…….for that matter same is true of the other backs as well.

BP has also quietly added some castoffs in Colombo and Brooks…..one of these guys is sort of a Jacob Rogers type……lot of potential and not bad when healty but could not stay healthy. Bill is still working on getting not only 5 good lineman but 8,9 or even 10. If he has that and starts rotating those guys in a bit too like with AJ and Gurode we might just have something.

The problem with the two Bledsoe picks (Seattle and Philly on Monday) are that they were Level-5 interceptions— just tremendously awful decisions that you do not expect a QB to make; I’d put them in the category of classic Jake Plummer picks, such as that one he threw with his left hand last year. And the bigger problem is that Bledsoe has shown a tendency to do this in the past— ask any Patriots or Bills fan over the past decade, and they will tell you how many game-ending 4th quarter picks they have watched Drew throw, how many times he has tried to force something into coverage or taken drive-killing sacks instead of throwing the ball away. I worry about him come playoff time, particularly on the road. I don’t want to have to count on Drew to win games for us— I’d rather see him be a Ravens with Trent Dilfer type (with a better arm) than a Brett Favre gunslinger type on this team.

Tom,

I agree it is most important not to have any pass rush come up the middle.
This is the worst type of rush for Drew. He is a pure pocket passer. I thought Gurode was doing a better job, but BP plays mostly Johnson now. I have full confidence in the fact that he is playing the better center of the two.

Jon:

Yes, I feel we are getting the play of a 1st or 2nd rounder with the way RP is playing. I just wish we didn`t have to rely on the line play of a rookie in the playoffs. But there is still 7 games for him to improve.

Penealty wise they are really playing well. We just need more agressive play.To me this line is reacting rather than dictating to the defense. Hopefully they will get there by the end of the regular season.

People need to stop making excuses for JJ. Last year is gone. He had three great games last year and the rest of the games he has been in he has been ok at best. I’m not saying he can’t be great but he has more avg games than great games. The starting RB spot is up for grabs. The line has been up and down this year but the line is not as bad as people are saying. We are not at the top of the league with our line but we are not in the bottom either. Sacks are going to happen Bledsoe just need to not hurt us. He is going a better job then I thought he would do. Our D will keep us in most games but our offence needs to step up. In five games our offence has been sad. 13,13,16,10,14 points but we won two of those games because of our D. I don’t think we have a playoff offence yet.

Madcowboy,

I read this morning JJ was not 100% and said he did not feel he was ready to play an entire game. I think he will be fine and a huge contributor for the final push.

JesseNY, Jon, Tom,

Regarding the OL, this line will get better every week from now until the end. I bet it turns out to be pretty salty by the end of the year.

Tim,

Bledsoe made 2 bonehead interceptions, agreed, but every quarterback in the league including the Pro Bowl picks make similar plays over the course of the year and may or may not make some of the pressure throws. BTW, BP said the pick in Philly was really not as bad as it looked, apparently DB misread the coverage and did not expect Dawkins to be in the backfield with MBIII.

Hey check out this Eagles spoof produced by the Giants fans…
This is the funniest thing I have seen in a while…
http://www.bangcartoon.com/childsplay.htm
Parcells is not too far in Julius’s head, Defenses have keyed on Julius- one of the reasons our WR have been more explosive this year… Actually I am surprised that Dallas did not adjust to the eagles all or nothing 9-10 guy in the box run/pass blitz. If they had adjusted sooner, like a three step drop on the Bledsoe interception play, the game would have been tied at the half. Dalls was actually playing decent ball up to that point. It is very difficult to run with ten Defensive guys on the line… All due respect but S Alexander doesent run well when there are ten guys up there either…

AW- wake up and get real. The line has been mostly PUTRID in run blocking- by virtual acclamation from everyone INCLUDING BP. And where was your boy MB up till 3 weeks ago- who also put the ball
on the carpet at a critical time?
JJ has not run like he did last year- and the reason is probably multiple.
But your BS about last year having to be ignored is really stupid even for you. SINCE YOU talk about last year all the time.
FACT: JJ late last year was maybe top 5 most dangerous back in the NFL. NO back gained more yds through the last 7 games. THAT was not a mirage. IT WAS ABILITY. THE question is why is he not doing the same. I think the problems are in 3 areas:
One- he bulked up toomuch under the trainers orders. He may have lost some quickness and flexibility.
TWO- he let BP get inside his head about that BS about negative plays and going where the play is designed- THAT IS ON BP TO FIX.
THREE: the line has blocked WORSE this year for the run, while doing better on pass blocking.

Jon said;

Also…..after JJ or MB block I donâ€â"¢t understand why they arenâ€â"¢t releasing in the flat and why Drew isnâ€â"¢t hitting them. Emmit made plenty of those 3rd and longs into first downs after blocking a DE or LB or S on a blitz and then released and burned the D for 12 yards and a first down.

Jon, ESmith #22 was the best running even to stride across this planets surface. JJ and MBIII aint there yet and probably never will be.

aw,

I really think that JJ is struggling with things that aren’t in his control this year.

Getting the Damn Ball – good RB’s need to be fed the ball.

OLINE – no way he is getting the blocking he did last year.

Negative yards comments from BP – Parcells seems to have gotten his home run RB to act a little more like Eddie George last year. Straight into the pile.

Burmafrd
I have yet to say JJ sucks or he shouldn’t play. All I’m saying is he hasn’t done enough yet for me to be on his nuts like you are and others. MB has put the ball on the ground but has he lost one yet? To me we do not have a clear cut starter at RB. Yea I like what JJ did in three games last year. I don’t like how he is running this year period. I like how MB runs. I don’t like how he drops the ball. I need to see more from both before I say one should be the starter. JJ 3.5 per carry MB 4.0 per carry.

Alantdot
In the games JJ has started he has gotten enough carries.

AlanTdot and Burmafrd:

I don’t think that the lack of running game resides solely in the OLine, this past game shows that, the OLine didn’t made a single mistake in assignments, plain and simple they were overpowered. That has happened, and more than once this season, so what changed from last season to this? Last season we had George running, so teams weren’t expecting much from the running game and Testaverde was putting pretty good numbers through the air, then JJ got in the field and you can’t plan against something that you don’t know (just like Parcells said of the now improved running game of Philty). For this season teams have evidence that says that JJ is dangerous and Parcells is a running first coach so Defenses plan to stop him (which has shown, Defenses consistently place from 5 to 8 man fronts) and are willing to take their chances with Bledsoe throwing the ball.

hey all,
It was said by adam schefter on nfl network that T.O.‘s next stop would by Dallas. I don’t know about you all but, Parcells would only be able to control him for so long. Yea, he could get fed up with his B.S. and cut him but even then the damage is done. I hope Mr. Schefter is wrong.

AW,

Again ,MB did no better the other night than JJ.

There were not many places to run against the Eagles.

I will cut the O-Line some slack because they did have 8-9 in the box.

As far as I am concerned JJ will be fine as long as there are places to run.

He did admit that he is not 100, but what he must realize is this is the NFL. There are not many players that are 100 halfway through the season.
Everyone has aches & pains by the end of the year. You have to suck it up & give your all every week. Lets not forget JJ is still a rookie as far as I am concerned. Look at it from BP`s point of view. He has played in only 12 of 24 games. You cannot contribute to your team from the sideline. Don`t get me wrong I understand broken bones do not heal overnight, but like BP says it`s performance not potential that counts !

aw,
You have been down on JJ or several posting. You can’t ignore last year because JJ hasn’t played enough games to ignore any that he has played in so far. We have to understand that at this point JJ is still a young RB and will improve with time. I also agree with folks who say that the O-Line is more geared towards the pass protection. I have seen very few holes created for the RB this year.

As far as Bledsoe he is performing as expected or even better than expected. Bledsoe has had awful pocket awareness his whole career but if you give him time he can do great things.

I am very excited about this year and the young players on this team. GO COWBOYS!!!!

The botton line with Bledsoe: when the protection is there he’s awesonme! When it’s not, he tries to salvage the play and that’s when problems happen. But with that said, it was a great pickup for Dallas, because when he’s “on” he’s one of the top QB’s in the league. BTW, how many teams right now wished they had Bledsoe? I can tell you this, the Lions would be a lot better if Bledsoe was their QB instead of Harrington or Garcia.

Odd that safety Roy Williams has now been involved in two season ending injuries to eagles T.O (virtually season ending) and now McNabb (contemplating)

i can honestly say that yes we need more out of the run, the cowboys have hardly had any big run plays all year until last monday. i also think that we dont use the screen enough. bledsoe has done more than his job and more than what is expected. he is not going to be perfect. yes he has had some bonehead plays this year but he has more than made up for them. i am looking for the run to be more successful the 2nd half of the season. if that happens i can see us DEEP in the playoffs, establishing the run will create more big plays and manage the clock. a team that can run the ball and has solid defense wins games. if the run is well down this stretch for the cowboys i can honestly see us goin to the nfc championship. possibly even the superbowl, why you might ask??? its because clock control, defense, special teams and a good qb wins games. and also anything can happen in the nfc. im hoping for dallas to win at least 4 or 5 of the last 7 games. this would make them nfc champ contenders. it has went well so far and the team has progressed almost every week in one area or another so its only a matter of time for the run to progress.

Regarding the OL, anyone who doesn’t see they stink isn’t watching. You can make excuses about being geared to pass blocking but that’s BS. Even the “they have 8 or 9 in the box” argument doesn’t impress me. You still have 1 on 1 match ups and we never win those, we consistently get pushed into the backfield. We won’t have any reasonable playoff hopes until our line plays as a cohesive unit at a higher level.

Sorry for being negative today but….the 2 Bledsoe int’s in Seattle and Phila looked like something at my son’s Pop Warner game. Yes, all QB’s will throw picks but all picks aren’t created equal. I have no problem if a QB is trying to make a tough throw and something bad happens, that’s not what those 2 were.

NYGiant Hater,
If our OL was as bad as you make it sound Bledsoe would not beable to get the stats that he is getting. It just seems that we don’t get the run push we need to get a running game.

Mikelly, you said exactly what NYGHater is saying. Fine offensive line pass protection, abyssmal push up front on running plays.
And, that’s not totally accurate. Bledsoe is getting sacked a lot. Halfbacks, Polite, and TEs are having to stay back to block or chip on their way out to run routes. That additional help hurts Bledsoe, and in a way doesn’t allow the running game to really open up. If he’s only got 2 WRs running routes and a TE, RB, FB blocking or chipping… there’s not much chance for a big play, no big pass plays means no focus on pass coverage, which in turn would open up the run.

Alan,

I agree Emmit best ever.

But you shouldn’t have to be the best back ever to release after the block and offer your QB another option. Other backs like Tiki Barber……also not the best ever do it well…..

We have been lucky in Dallas to have had the likes of Tony Dorsett and Emmit Smith……durable backs that are both HOF Guys……and one the best ever. That may not happen again but I sure hope it doesn’t mean we cannot find a back that can both block and run.

NY Giant Hater…..McNabb is a probowl QB with the only person ever at QB to throw 30 tds and less than 10 picks last year…….but Roy Williams was the only guy open on Monday night! All qbs make mistakes…….just be glad we have the nfc leading passer as our QB!!!

Lets face it,

Emmit was 1 of the best ever !!!

But what we have here are 3 above average rookie backs who could all become starters in this league over the next few years!

What they all have in common is they are all running behind an inconsistant
offensive line. We can argue all day over who is better JJ or MB.

I am saying if the line play is good they will both be very effective.BP has very little time left this year to decide whether to stay with this line or work in Columbo or Brook or both. But if he is going to make any changes he must do it in the next couple of weeks. If we do go to the playoffs we will need a solid offensive line play if we want to advance in the post season. Whatever he winds up doing, one thing about BP is he will field the players that give us the best chance to win.

mikelly
I’m not down on JJ, I’m just not on this nuts. I have to see more than what he has done to say he is the clear cut starter. I don’t know if we have the starter on the team, I need to see more from all three.
This team is not the only team to see 8 or 9 in the box. Bledsoe doesn’t handle the blitz well and everybody know it. So what are teams going to do then?
Our offence is not that good they have only played well in four games this year. Yes the line need to play better because when we max protect our WRs are not good enough to get open all the time. Our D is good enough to play in the playoffs but the offence is not there yet.

there were times that Emmit ran through a hole that a Mack Truck would have fit through…….however it was after that that he became the best back ever cuz I don’t think anybody got him down on the first hit for the first 5 years of his career. It would be nice to have a back that can POUND IN there too……..don’t know if Polite is that guy or maybe Barber……but it would be nice to have a power back that can really smack it in!

Jon,

I wouldn’t compare McNabb’s int to RW with Bledsoes. I would be willing to be he never saw RW and someone else called the play, you can’t tell me Bledsoe had a receiver in mind when he heaved that thing the other night. The Seattle int. cost us the game and was horrendous judgement, wouldn’t have accomplished anything if it was completed.

AW- show me where MB deserves it more then JJ. You can’t can you?
OR EVEN AS MUCH.

Burmafrd
I don’t know who should start or if we have the starter on the team now. All I know is MB runs better inside. You see that and so does BP but he also said JJ is the starter. MB has the two longest runs the two best games and has 4.0 per carry compared to 3.5 per carry from JJ. I’m not saying MB should start what I am saying JJ hasn’t done enough for there not to be a debate on who should start. I need to see more from both. If I didn’t know who JJ was or MB and I just watch this years games, MB would be the starter. JJ can end all the talk himself, BP is going to give him every opportunity to show why he is the starter.

I seem to recall JJ running quite well in a few preseason games this year, and more than one writer saying he was amazing in training camp.

I think what happened once the regular season started is that the offensive line was getting their butts kicked. Then JJ sprained his ankle, and the OLine finally started to get its act together against Arizona, only to revert to form in Philadelphia.

JJ is just one missed tackle away from breaking a long one, and when it happens, no one will care who the starting back is. I expect Jones to start on Sunday, and don’t be surprised to see it happen this week.

Barber looked great up until the Iggles game and did break off a 26 yard run, but Parcells is not going to just hand him the job. When Jones is back to 100%, we’ll all be able to see if he can handle the load. He has been a bit tentative coming off the line, but I expect that to change once he’s back to full strength. He’s seen that Barber is not only a backup guy, but can be a viable alternative. He’ll get it in gear.

me agrees Rob2…….he also knows from his Brother that tailbacks can and do get replaced……I mean the Bears drafted Cedric…….and now look at the year Thomas is having…..despite an injury……

I agree with Parcells though, it ain’t like we got a QB controvesy.

And lets remember Dallas was always looking for a backup and another guy to carry the rock when we had Emmit…….we just never found a guy………the list is an anonymous one until the vet Chris Warren showed up……….all the better to have two or three young guys……..

It worked for the Browns with Mack and Byner…….it worked for Parcells with a bunch of backs over 5 years in NYG……..it worked for Broncos now………it did not work for Dallas with Tony and Hershcel…..but we were also getting bad at some key positions at that point……..so……

for the longevity of the back……if it were me I would welcome the chance to have two backs that can carry 15-30 times a game each……..obviosly both would not touch it 30……..but it sure beats Troy Hambrick and Eddie George back there………

how about that new nigerian nightmare in Green Bay…….230 and runs a 4.43 40………big strong and fast……tailbacks have become the easiest position to fill too bad we could not do it last year.

The offensive line could be better, but they’re not horrible and lets all remember that on monday the ugles were blitzing most of the time, making it tough to get through the middle. On MB3’s TD in the first q, bledsoe pitched it twice, scoring the second time. If teams are so desperate to get to Bledsoe, then we’ve got to make them pay for it with screens and outside running. I agree with most of that #21 has got to stop thinking and start running. It’s like watching Eddie George or something.

JJ will get a “Dose Pack” this Sunday, to use a Parcells term. The Lions don’t play very well on the road, and have not fared well at Texas Stadium. We will go back to the ball-control, time of possession game that Parcells likes to play. So, 20+ carries for JJ and about 10 or so, for MBIII and 2 or 3 for TT.

Cowboys – 28
Lions – 13