Not Ready for Prime Time

Rafael
That, my friend, is an A+ paper. Congragulations on a very well spoken and revealing article.

Rafael,

can you drop me an email? need to send you a link to a great great article on Dallas uniforms. think the readers would definitely profit from reading about those blue jerseys yesterday.

can’t find a link to your email on the site so doing it the hard way. thanks for a great site.

I am calmer than I expected. I found myself more surprised then mad yesterday. I have had a difficult time figuring out this team all year. I was surprised at how poorly they played yesterday but I believe I finally have a handle on the team. We are what we are and that, my frined, is average. Average in a very medicore league. We are better than last year but not there yet. We are playoff worthy. I look forward to the next couple of games in, hopefully, watching young guys continue to mature and learn how to gut it out when there is no reason to. I have hope for next year but we must improve our o-line, lb corps and find some sort of pass rush that has been missing since Haley left.

should have been “…more surprised THAN mad…”

and it should have been “…not playoff worthy…”

Sorry guys…I will no longer attempt to blog while holding a screaming infant. Till later…

Has Parcells cast too large a shadow over the team psychology? Raf, after reading your piece again,obviously the team did not seize the day.
Questions:————————————-
Lack of leadership: Is that a problem with Parcells choosing of players?
Parcells bemoaned that the same players keep making all the mistakes: Parcells has no choice but to leave those players in?
Did Dallas run out of smoke and mirrors? Was the Washington tsunami a disaster waiting to happen?
Finally -—————————-
It would not suprise me for Dallas to be double digit underdogs at Carolina. Can Parcells get the team ready for Carolina?

I’m really starting to wonder when we are going to see a serious contender again in Dallas. Right now may be the best Dallas team we see in years. Other than some solid young studs on the D and a couple of RBs with great potential, Dallas has too many holes to fill. Keyshawn and Glen are at the end of their careers, this only leaves Crayton. Drew B. is a solid QB but next year may be all for him and I do not believe the future is on the roster. Larry A. is at the end of his career and Flozel is getting close. Other than the possibility of having found a solid rt gaurd all othr positions on the o-line need to be adressed. The D line does not have the the ancor that can snuff the run for 60 mins an we still need safety help. And! our kicking game sucks (don’t no how else to put it).

At least when we were 1 and 15 in the early JJ era I knew we had a future. Whst is our future now?

Please someone dipute some of this so I can feel better.

linus:

I’m praying for the return of the max protection schemes, the type of day Daniels had on Sunday made me wonder the kind of day Rucker or Peppers could have, because they’re the same type of DE’s, slow footed DE that rely on technique and power, they only happen to be faster than Daniels…

And they have leaders, in Offense Campbell and Bledsoe are the leaders, the problem here lies in the OLine, there’s no leader, just big guys. On Defense they HAD leaders, they were named Nguyen and Singleton (yeah, Singleton I’ve only read good things out of him).

Rafael:

I was sure that someone had a nearly good half of the game, I only saw the first half and the first possession in the 3rd Qtr and I realized that was enough for me, that was James, he didn’t missed a thing.

Rafael, congrats on your game and team breakdown. Now we know that the KC/Dallas game was really a matchup of two average teams. The Skins are not great either but the Dallas players had no intention of making a game of it. All the Skins had to do was let their fans yell and Dallas threw themselves for one five yard loss after another. I didn’t lose any sleep over the loss as I did with the 14-13 loss to the Skins. I guess I just accepted the fate at 14-0 as I could tell the Dallas players had already given up. Gibbs went to a ball control offense early as he had no stomach for embarassing his old friend. Thanks Joe, as it would have been 70+-7 if you had wanted it so.

There is some strange parallel to Kansas City and Dallas————-
arguably, both teams had one of their best days playing each other
the next games were disasters
Kansas city had their worst day against the giants——Dallas had their worst day against Washington
If this were a logic class, one might argue that the common denominator is old coaches—-any validity to that linkage?

randyv:

As Rafael has pointed out before, Dallas is really talented. It just happens that we don’t live in an ideal world, in an ideal world Adams, Nguyen and Singleton would still be playing and I can bet that Daniels would’ve counted for just one sack and a couple of pressures, Nguyen would have appeared where Shanle didn’t and Singleton would have been all over Sellers in that 3 yard TD. Crude reality says that Adams and Singleton are back next year and Nguyen might retire.

Now, you can have better than Singleton at OLB, he’s good at stopping the run and at coverage, but is a liability pressuring QB’s. Dallas needs another OLB that can put pressure, they’re scheming against Ware, a good team can’t be as one sided.

Now Keith Davis and Roy Williams didn’t had a chance for most of the game, almost every time they were placed in deep cover 2’s to take the game out of Moss, while they allowed Cooley to tee off short and medium routes. Dallas needs a FS that’s capable of taking single coverage in deep routes. Allowing the other safety (Williams) to stay closer to the line.

Dallas has holes and they’re labeled: OLB, FS, MLB, FB, OG and OT. And OT gets solved as soon as Adams gets back.

Nice work Raf,

but does this team have a future? We are drafting far back, and there are soooooooo many holes.

There is no way around it, some of these guys on the roster – yes the oline as well are just going to have to dig deeper. We don’t have the Cap room nor do we have the draft picks for a full overhaul.

People need to get some professional pride.

I think we are a pretty average lot as well. but to be honest, I am not surprised at being 8-6 at this point. Also, to be honest, i don’t care if we make the playoffs. Unless you make it to the superbowl you are forgotten about anyway and i don’t think we are there yet. We are not the type of organization to be satisfied with the playoffs. We do have a future here but we need to have an offensive line and linebackers. Our goal is to develop a team for the super bowl.

I hate to put so much on Ware but he needs to step up. He has pretty much digressed since the bye week. Other teams have figured him out. He needs to be a stud and future leader of this D. I for one never thought I’d miss singleton this much.

alanTdot:
I read somewhere that the cap is going from $89 mil to $92-95 mil. We should have room to do some things. I would expect to see LaRoi and Glenn cut(maybe brought back with better cap numbers). I’m wary but i do feel T Owens shadow over our team.

Rafael:

Great analysis, as always!! ;)

I read in the Dallas Morning News that Torrin Tucker was nearly in tears in the locker room afterward, just rattling on about how he let his teammates down. I don’t see any reason to suit him up Saturday, if his confidence is so down that he is crying in the locker room he is going to get totally abused by the Carolina defense. Bring in Colombo.

I really hope we run the ball 60 times against Carolina. If we try to pass against that defensive line somebody is going to get hurt, probably Bledsoe.

Sterling,

Torrin Tucker was crying after the game?

Good!!

 I was crying DURING the game.

well guys i am still proud of my cowboys. we saw 1 thing yesterday “growing pains” the team is very young and there are many 2nd year and starters playing a lot of time. its good to get them that experience. the defense is fine we just need to get another db another linebacker and itll be ok, the o-line needs another addition or 2 and the offense should be fine, these young players are having a lot of pressure put on them especially when injuries arive. i still think barber should start over jj.

Chandus,

One of the OT is solved with Adams coming back, but would you feels comfortable having either of the other 2 start next year?

The part about people complaining about opening up the offense like the KC game is also a good one. I was guilty of that, thinking that the Redskins DB injuries could be exploited. I didn’t realize it until the Redskins game, but with the offense we have now we are never going to be able to open it up against any respectable defense in this league.

The only way this offense can pass the ball is with two tight ends and a running back in blocking because the OTs are so pathetic and Bledsoe is too immobile to call roll outs. That leaves two WRs and possibly a TE releasing after a chip block. We might as well run it on 1st and 2nd down every time. We don’t have the line to pass protect, and we have to have 7-8 players to do the job that 5 can on most other teams.

You’re right Rafael, they can’t handle it. This is the offense the Cowboys have, we’re stuck with it for two more games. Hopefully enough can be done in the offseason so next year isn’t like this.

i think pettiti will be ok. He’s just a rookie. I also think that of the five lineman, he probably did the best er, least horrible

The defense is the most disappointing part of the last 4 games. I didn’t expect much from the offense this year, so that didn’t disappoint me as much (except for Julius Jones). The defense was where the priorities were in the off season, and where most of the draft picks went. A lot of money was spent on Henry and Ferguson. Henry played great for half a season and then pretty much disappeared into thin air. If it weren’t for Aaron Glenn, the secondary would have been not much different than last year.

Last year teams were passing all over us, and the second half of this season they are running it straight down our throats. Dat and Singleton being out has been bad, but I can’t believe how soft this D has gotten in just 4 games. A team that can’t stop the run will not win a Super Bowl, and probably not make the playoffs. I just don’t understand how this defense can play like this the last few games…it’s like night and day.

why is the guy leading our team in sacks only making the field on passing downs? like we always know when they will pass?

Parcells caved in to rookies and press and fans calling for a wide open game plan? That is not the Parcells we all know and love……he of Vinny is my QB no matter what? He is as stubborn as they come…..did he cave in to teach em a lesson and lose a game? I don’t think so we just got beat at every position.

Newman and Witten both got their bell rung early and who knows how much of a factor either was after that.

Poorest performance yet by our front 7 on D and our front 5 on O…….bad bad bad. Not nearly ready for primetime. Pathetic.

Reminded me of the old number 11 Danny White out there getting killed at RFK by Manley, Mann, and Green and then the offense running wild with Riggins.

Well Flashbacks suck ladies and gentleman. This game was too big to lay an egg. We quit before the coin toss……..or so it looked to me.

Sterling
Henry has been hurt when he has been in there he is playing well expect his last game. Ferguson hasn’t earn his money at all. Henry is clearly the best free agent pick up. The D gave up one big play in the Denver game in OT but till that point only gave up 14 points so that was good. The D stopped NY cold. The KC game the D just got beat. Now yesterday the D didn’t step up but three turn overs turned into 21 points.

Alright fellows,
I say it again… The main problem in Bledsoe, A veteran QB with 14 years.. should not be rattled as throwing crappy passes because he is pressured. The statue, is just that a statue… please don’t give me O-line poor play.. it is a given, and I know that, beside any QB with time cam make good plays.. it is just that Bledsoe can’t with what he has. I would figure he would try something else, i.e. quick slant, shot gun, and for peat sake change the count.. it seemed as if defense know the rhythm and the count and was in the backfield all day.

I know BP has a soft spot for tucker… but he needs to let go.. Never seen a big heavy guy like tucker get thrown around like rag doll.. Frankly he is more fit as aback up to the back up. He is what he is.. No up side or potential to get better.
Someone please tell me what happen to our run defense.. We shut down everyone the first 7 games and then lost it!

Raf,
By the wa… Great read my friend

Hey Cowboy Fans,

I don`t buy the injury angle. The Giants had several players injured on the off line & defense & played great against KC even though Eli again had a horrible game. Once again showing the importance of a good defense & solid running game.My take is this team was not as good as their 8-4 record . Once again above average coaching got the most out of these players. Come playoff time when the game gets a little faster & intense seperation occurs between contenders & pretenders. Against the skins it was like men against boys ( excuse the pun).BP defineately has them on the right track & before this season started I would of signed up for 8-6 after 14 games.But they played well against good teams early in the year & we thought they were way ahead of schedule but as we see now they are not.This defense will only get better next year , but a major off line rvamp is obviously needed. Flo will be back but really at this point who do we have. LA is NOT the player he was , he is older & slower & I would not rely on him next year.Rivera has not lived up to his billing or paycheck.TT & RP are rookies but can we count on them next year to be better. Finally as far as center goes I am not happy with Johnson. He is undersized for a center in this league & very rarely gets a good push on any nose tackle. This last year was a great defensive draft. Next year we will need an even better draft on off lineman. Perhaps through free agency, draft & trade we can become proficient in this area but this is a very hard undertaking. Hopefully BP will stick around , he is our best chance at making this happen.

Toast, it’s easy to see why there’s no run defense.
In the 3-4, the linebackers need to make all the plays.
Nguyen and Singleton are out. Their replacements are rookies or career back ups.
Demarcus Ware is soft like a little pink baby. His game reminds me of Lamar from “Revenge of the Nerds.”
Henry is hurt. He was a good tackler, and his coverage skills allowed Roy Williams to play up vs the run.
Canty is hurt.
The defense isn’t totally outfitted with the correct personnel for the 3-4, also.

Raf,

you are the man for sure. Great, great perspective on that game, next week and this team.

This year makes you realize how hard it is to go all the way as the Aikman teams did. I hope we all appreciate how hard that was to do.

Even as cinch as Indy appeared, they are no more likely than 35% to win the SB. This is a hard league and the length of the season is killer.

alright guys, we had a bad game, a really bad game, it just came at a really bad time too, what if the oakland game had happened rthis weekend, we’d all be thinking we are dead.
HELLO, just one week ago our qb had no interceptions and 3 touchdowns, what happened, the o-line, killed as with missed blocks, penalties, and even when we got the block, getting bullrushed. Everything starts with those five, and cowboys fans especially can attest to that.
I believe we can get into the playoffs, we just have to have heart, and flozell adams

also, what has happened to our defense, our offense is mediocore, and they barely won the games our defense played solid, our defense practically has the entire season on their shoulders

Chandus

Thanks. I feel a little bit better but still so many holes to fill now and in the near future. We get Adams back which is huge but then LA retires:( Try to fill that hole.

altercall:

Yeah, I’d be okay with Petitti starting next year at RT, at times he looks like the player he is, a rookie, and at times he looks dominant, why else would you think that most of the long runs and biggest holes appear in the right side, that’s because Rivera and Petitti are doing their jobs, while not as much as everyone would want and right now bleeding silver and blue, they’re doing his job.

BTW, in the 1st game against NY he had a pretty good game against Strahan, I think that for the rematch Petitti tried to do the same things that worked for him before, while Strahan expected that to happen, experience is such a funny thing…

After this game I’ve fortified the feeling that Dallas needs to find Allen’s succesor before finding a better Center. In the last 3 games I’ve seen something that I don’t like from Allen, guys aren’t going at him directly because hardly he’s moved, they are going to his sides and he doesn’t have the step to avoid that anymore, Marcus Washington exploited that for a sack, before that was Browning (Kansas) and before Justin Tuck (NY) who got inside Tucker and Allen tried to place his hands on him late. And I’m not counting the amount of times Bledsoe has been hurried because of Allen.

That’s why I’ve still got an eye on Steve Hutchinson contractual matters with Seattle.

The more I think about this game and even the last 4 games, the more I am convinced that O-Line is obviously the biggest problem, but far from the only problem. I mean, even if we have good protection yesterday I am still not sure if we win that game. A case can be made that the turnovers were a result of the line not being able to protect Bledsoe enough, but we really couldn’t stop their running backs or Cooley or Moss. So at best with good O-Line play we get into a shoot-out with them and make them work a little harder with a longer field (that assumes our punts would have been better too). The outcome most likely would have still been a loss the way the defense played, but we might have only lost by 2 touchdowns rather than 4.

This 3-4 thing is not going to work with the linebackers we have right now. A few weeks ago it seemed like we might only need one more in the offseason to get on track. Now it is looking more like two and possibly three. We can use the injuries excuse, but the fact is that everyone knew back in training camp that the team was light on LB’s. Especially when switching to the 3-4 defense. Injuries play a major role, but every team has to fight through them and other players have to step up. Washington’s offense was not nearly as good as they were made to look yesterday.

Let me hit on some random thoughts to sooth my soul tonight.

You canâ€â"¢t say the commentators are biased for saying your team looks like crap when they look like crap.

The hit on Witten was clean and shouldnâ€â"¢t have drawn a flag.

2 interceptions can be blamed on Jones. If a guy is selling himself out by jumping at the line, as a blocker, you have to sweep his legs and make him land on his head or punch him in the gut (or nads). This will keep him grounded next time. Jones just went up to him and when he stopped advancing Jones just stopped as well like he wanted to play patty cake.

The ball hit Jones in the hands. OK, it was a little high but if the ball hits your hands you better catch it. The 3rd was a desperation pass.

Glenn had great coverage on Moss. It was just a great catch on his part for a long gain.

On one of Cooleyâ€â"¢s TD Ware got wiped out on his containment, which allowed Brunell to complete the TD pass on his roll out. Roy canâ€â"¢t cover the TE and keep the QB from running it in.

BP missed a great situation to get Romo a little time. I hope we donâ€â"¢t need him since he has never taken a snap in the NFL.

This game, and the series sweep, has ignited the feud again. The youngâ€â"¢ens, and the not so young that have always had an easy time with the Skins, will be stoked for the Redskins for many years.

This draft brought us steady-Eddies in the mould of Greg Ellis, Good guys with good talent. Chargers got a superior playmaker with baggage (agent/attitude). It seems we could use a Charles Haley attitude mixed in with our bunch. I wish someone would go pee on the o-lines cars in the parking lot (isnâ€â"¢t that what Haley did when frustrated in SF?)

I sure didnâ€â"¢t see LAâ€â"¢s false start on Barbers TD run. Did anyone else?

Terry Glenn sure didnâ€â"¢t look like he wanted to catch balls in traffic.

A few thoughts:

The year has been leading to this point.According to the mediots, the high point of the year was the loss to Denver. Given the +3 for home field, Dallas is -6 to a good team on a short week at a neutral site. Not so good.

The Giants exposed the offense. KC exposed the defense. None of the mediots seemed to notice that because Dallas won, but Gibbs is a smart man, and took advantage of what he learned. The Dallas players, on the other hand, ate the cheese, quit practicing, and got their asses handed to them.

The team is more talented than it has been, but has little or no depth outside the D line. Back during camp, we all knew (if we read what Rafael was writing) that the O line and LB corps had no depth. Three injuries, and we act surprised by how bad the replacements are playing? Cut me a break.

Ware was always a high-risk, high reward draft pick. Right now, the risks look bigger than the rewards. Everybody knew (or ought to have) that he might struggle his first year or two. When Parcells said he reminded him of “number 56,” the mediots assumed he meant Lawrence Taylor. Maybe, he meant Bradie James, who also looked lost as hell for over two years and couldn’t stop his own grandmother running right at him.

Fujita was the scapegoat of the KC defensive collapse the last few years, replaced by their 1st round pick this year. Depending on any part of that KC defense is not a great idea—they have not tackled well in years. That is not a good ingredient among 3-4 linebackers. Expecting more here was probably a pipe dream. Maybe a full camp will help, but let’s just say we all ought to have our doubts.

raf,
like you said blowouts happen, happens to most teams. saturday we find out what we really have. games like yesterday when things go bad they go bad. if we come out flat again get ready for the 06 draft. if they come out strong and learn from this a55 whoppin then ok maybe theres some heart here. im still glad we drafted ware though, merriman might be better now but ware seems like a good kid and he does have all the tools.
any news on rivera if so havent seen them?
tucker is garbage, did columbo get in at all or was he inactive?
petiti is deffinetely still a rookie, 1 if not 2 new tackles is needed immediately, see how flozell does after injury.
hopefully rivera is ok, i think an injury free offseason and a better rt would help out, immensely
i was pissed but by the 3rd quarter i knew it was gonna be one of those days, just to bad it was against the redskins, they whipped us a good one. pains me to say it

skins get their a$$ handed to them by giants and lose 36-0 and barely beat cardinals last week,… and all of a sudden they play like the best team in the world against a 2nd division college team..
The only good thing about the way I feel is the fact that BP and players feel worse (at least I hope they do)..
Anyone from Dallas area.. sure would like to know how the media and the fans out there treating the team.

mike:

Not only was it against the Redskins but what has my blood boiling all day is that we knew what was at stake in this game. The Redskins game is always a tough game, always a big game on the schedule even if it doesn’t have playoff implications. But after that ridiculous MNF game at home, and considering that the wildcard spot was potentially at stake in this game, I just cannot believe they came out and played this bad.

I was mad as hell after the Giants loss because we missed a golden opportunity and the O-Line was really exposed. This game was 100 times worse to me. Not only was the O-Line downright abyssmal, but then the defense was soft and getting pushed around, we had no running attack at all, and even the kicking game sucked.

I can’t feel complacent about this loss as I felt about the Denver, Seattle, and Oakland games. I would rather lose the heartbreakers like those were. Blowouts do happen, but usually not with so much on the line against our biggest rival.

Mike-Reports on Rivera-he got back to Dallas about noon and has steadily improved. Neck burner seems to be the generic diagnosis.

man, don’t you wish we had some of our close losses back, or mike vanderjadt. WE SHOULD BE 11-3, BUT OUR KICKERS FAILED US. don’t u all remember this, broncos, missed field goal thatq led to our loss. seahawks, missed chip shot, we have to throw the try to score before overtime and throw an interception.

dang it what i wouldn’t give to have those kicks back and be 10-4 at least

Raf:
Excellent analysis, as always.
And what we’ve learned is that the Cowboys should be gradually acclimated to watching films(or, even better, live theatre) with sexual themes, increasing gradually, and with calculated design, to totally hardcore porn.
Then, on road trips, the team should be immersed in that hardcore porn, supplemented with lots of girls…but it all has to end by an early bedtime of ~10 pm.
My theory is that the Cowboys aren’t sleeping well in those foreign hotel rooms, and the girls will make them sleepy.

Toast-The mediots here in Dallas are being rather fair in my estimation. They are pointing out the weakness on our team that has finally been exploited, that being our O-line.

I do find it interesting that several are calling out Keyshawn and BP for cussing out the kickers. Why do they pick on the little guys? Why not yell at Tucker, LA, Ware, Glover etc… they were every bit as responsible for the loss, maybe even more so.

Yelling at the minimum wage guys that only get a handful of plays during the game seems a little ridiculous when your big money folks are getting pushed all over the field for the whole game.

Thanks Sean,
Sure miss living in Dallas.
Can you believe that ediot Armstrong,

Dallas Mavericks guard Darrell Armstrong, a staunch Redskins fan growing up, ripped off an old Jimmy Johnson quote before Sunday’s home game with the Minnesota Timberwolves, shouting into a microphone, “How ’bout those Redskins!”

Wrong crowd, wrong team, and bad timing. Armstrong was fined $1,000 directly after the game by Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson. The money will go to the charity of the Cowboys’ choosing.

Sean, I don’t understand. What’s idiotic about being fair?

Keyshawn did yell at Torrin Tucker. Ware got benched – again. Those two are the most culpable in yesterday’s debacle.
Kickers, however, come in as specialists to do one thing only a very few times in a game. it’s absolutely crucial they execute and do not let pressure get to them. Punt the ball more than 30 yards or kick a fricking field goal, and no one is yelling at anybody. Parcells knows he can’t depend on Tucker or Ware, that all of a sudden Cundiff and McBriar stink surely angers him. You take success in the kicking game for granted, especially punts and chip shot field goals with no wind and a passable snap/hold.

How could you possibly know who was yelled at and who wasn’t?
What do you suppose Parcells or Zimmer or the secondary coach said to Newman about his fey, prissy attempt at tackling Cooley? I doubt they thanked him, and I bet parcells looked him in the eye and quietly cast doubts as to the quality or existence of Newman’s manhood.

You call the media idiots, yet you eagerly slurp all they have to feed you?

Rafael,

Great words. Not enough to cheer me up after that horrible showing yesterday. Articles today about Parcells (sportsline rumors) looking for a way out of Dallas, and about Merriman being Parcells choice only to be denied by JJ for Ware, are not helping much either.

This team really dissapointed me yesterday. I looked just as bad or even worse as last year or Campo’s days.

ALTHOUGH IT STILL HURTS,ITS TIME TO MOVE ON.ITS BEEN OVER 24HRS AND WE’RE HEADING INTO OUR BIGGEST GAME OF THE YEAR AND UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE WE WILL GO OUT AND BEAT THE PANTHERS,THE REDSKINS WILL LOSE TO THE GIANTS AND ALL THIS CRAP WILL BE FORGOTTEN.GOTTA KEEP THE FAITH…GO COWBOYS

joey2zs i bet they didn’t yell at terry glenn.for droping passes or for that matter stoping his route afraid of being hit.or marco rivera who sucked just as bad as tucker.

manster65 this quaterback and o line suck.we are going nowhere.i’d rather not make the playoffs then lose in the first round.bledsoe doesn’t have what it takes.he should be in those nfl competitions see who throws the ball the farthest.

I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING BUT I CANNOT GIVE UP HOPE.

Where did you read that Mantab?

WITH ALL THESE BS RUMORS ABOUT DRAFTING WARE OR THE OTHER GUY,I CAN SEE WHY BP HATES THE MEDIA,ANYTHING TO START SH-T.I REFUSE TO WATCH ESPN,SPORTS TALK SHOWS, THEM BIASED A—HOLES ON FOX.THEY NEVER SAY ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT THE COWBOYS.I ONLY GO ON THE DALLAS COWBOYS HOMEPAGE OR HERE TO GET MY COWBOY FIX.SOMETIMES I CANT EVEN LISTEN TO TROY.I JUST MUTE THE SOUND.

manster65 how can you have faith when this team has scored 48 points in the three most crucial games of the season.and at this point you are suppose to get better not worse.and out those 48 31 came against kc.big game players step up not crumble under pressure like bledsoe and the o line.maybe he should take them out to dinner more often.

manster 65 i’m from boston bledsoe was here for many years.i get more abuse than anybody people telling me that’s why we got rid of him.we need fresh blood brother not players that played for bp.bring romo how do you think brady came out bledsoe got injured.get him out of there he’s a back up at most.

manster65 he’s bernie kosar when he was here.a backup

DUDE,THEY ARE MY TEAM.NO ONE COULD TAKE A LOSS AS HARD AS I DO AND LIVING IN THE DC AREA I HAVE TO LISTEN TO ALL THAT.. REDSKINS CRAP ALL THE TIME.BUT NOTHING PISSES OFF THEIR FANS MORE THAN KNOWING THEY CANT GET UNDER MY SKIN!!I WENT OUT TODAY WITH MY COLORS TALKIN AS MUCH SH-T AS THEY GAVE ME.ANYWAY TO GET TO THE POINT,I KNOW WE HAVE PROBLEMS BUT WIN LOSE OR DRAW IM A COWBOY!!

it was the curse of the blue jerseys……yep ole Joe Gibbs always used to find a way to beat up on us in those blue jerseys……and Parcells is a superstitious sort….so much so that he had a retired pilot come out of retirment to fly the team to their second super bowl with the Giants……he might not have said it at the press conference……..but it was simply the blue jerseys!

JON,GREAT POINT!! I HATE THOSE DAMN JERSEYS

Funny thing is, they could very well go beat the Panthers.

THATS WHAT IM SAYING MO

manster 65 brother i hear you my friend was over to watch the game yesterday. he’s a cowboy too but i was ready to punch him in the mouth.all he complained about was bledsoe the whole damn game.i told him what the fuk the guys on our team shut up and watch the damn game.i threw him of the team i converted him to dallas so i can put him on waivers.

NITE ALL—WIFES CALLING,DAMN

Bledsoe… must go..
The best thing has contribute in the past was getting hurt and let another guy flourish. Need tha same thing here.. cause he is not going to play back up as long as BP is here.
While we are at it.. payton needs to gone as well.. he has never heard of adjustment to opponents game plan.

Toast-The basketball players are still watching the NFL. That tells ya who’s got the attention of the sports fans. I didn’t think it was too far off base for him to say that and from what I hear he wasn’t fined for what he said but rather for grabbing the mike. When you team lays an egg you gotta expect some grief. It was good natured razzing that we deserved.

Toast- What do want from Bledsoe. He had no time and I put 2 ints on Jones as I posted earlier. They need to train him to throw timing passes…drop and throw regardless. Thats what Brunell did on the long pass to Moss-dropped 5 steps and threw it up even though Glenn has the coverage. Moss made a great adjustment. Drew does hold the ball too long, always has so thats on the coaches. He is what he is and an offense could be put around him and be effective but nobody could get anthing done with the lack of protection he’s getting. In stead of Payton lets get a new line coach, 4th in 5 years I think.

And if your going to dump Payton for not adjusting you need to put Zimmer on the same bus. You think they would have started to cover Cooley at some point.

Sean,
I hear you… here is what I am talking about Bledsoe.. We know if he has time, he can be effective… well my friend if you or I have time we can be successful too. You figure a 14 year veteran QB knows his own weakness and would try to adjust to what defense is doing! a smart guy would do that. He has shown throughout his career he can not win big games. He is not the answer for us now or next year.
I wish PB had played Hansen last year when it was evident that we were out of contention, kind of like what Coughlin did with Ely manning. At least we would have known if he is going to cut it or not. I guess BP is more concerned with his wins and loss record than what is good for the team.

Sean,
Look what Williams, defensive coordinator for skins has done.. maybe it is time for zim to be gone as well. I know he has to play with who he has.. but darnet.. get them prepared better.

I don’t see why Bledsoe couldn’t at least audible or change up the count when he sees the defense is loaded up to come at him. Bledsoe puts himself in a lot of these situations by playing defensively and soft. He doesn’t take charge of the situation, he just drops back and then caves under the pressure. Every QB in the NFL has to deal with heavy pass rushes, yet not all of them fall apart so easily.

I guarantee that every DC in the NFL love game planning for Bledsoe because they know he gets rattled and out of synch so easily. Even if Flozell wasn’t injured and we had a good right tackle defenses would still be loading up to tee off on Bledsoe because they know he is not athletic and moves like a stiff.

Defensive coordinators have nightmares about facing QB’s like Peyton Manning and Michael Vick because they are unpredictable and almost always able to adapt to whatever a defense throws at them. Bledsoe is the exact opposite, no matter if he is playing for BP, Belichick, or Mularkey. He plays predictable, stiff, and afraid.

I don’t care how good our line is, if it was as good as we all wish it was for pass protection we would probably have such a good running game that we would hand off and grind it even more. The fact that the pass protection sucks doesn’t change the fact that Bledsoe is obviously not going to take this team to a Championship in the next year or two. I hope I am wrong, but yesterday I realized this guy isn’t the answer.

Sterling,
Well put my friend… couldn’t say it better myself. You are right on the mark. Every QB faces pressure in NFL… EVERY QB… Bledsoe is defensive coordinators dream…. As the DE, you can close your eyes and go to the spot where he always stands and you’ll get him.

Sterling:

What you said in the last paragraph is what Parcells wanted to do in the first place, run the ball, then run the ball, then throw a short pass, then run some more and throw the ball deep.

Bledsoe is capable of playing that type of game, the problem here relies on the RB’s proving to be incapable of accounting for more yards than 3 everytime they get the ball because their OLine is incapable of getting something going in a consistent basis, forcing Bledsoe to throw more than what Parcells would want with 5 to 8 guys on Defense in coverage. And still Bledsoe feels the heat with 3 guys on the DLine!

With good running game and pass protection Bledsoe can be successful, right now the problem lies in Bledsoe not having both.

What did Bledsoe had in NE? A good OLine and Antowain Smith. And he won the Conference Championship while Brady was nursing an injury, so he wasn’t bad enough to lose the game, he was gone the next year because the Pats knew what they had in Brady, Bledsoe didn’t wanted to be a backup, the Pats wasn’t going to pay Bledsoe the money he was making as a backup and Buffalo 1st Rounder offer.

And in Buffalo what did he had? An OLine that can be compared to the one we have right now, Travis Henry and McGahee for one healthy year.

He managed to be productive in all of his stops and winning more when he had a better supporting cast, he needs that to be really successful here.

BTW, he’s on pace to throw for 3500 yards and 25 TD’s and 16 Ints, hearing you guys makes me think that he’s much worst than what those numbers indicate.

I think it’s time to pull the plug on the Demarcus Ware experiment at OLB. The guy is a DE, and he may never make the transition to OLB. It’s a tough transition to make in the NFL.

Just my 2 cents, but after watching Merriman play yesterday, he’s gotten better as the season has progressed, while Ware has regressed. I wonder how Ware’s rookie year would have gone if he was a DE?

I’m beginning to wonder, and I know a few of you are too, if Merriman wasn’t the better choice as the 11th pick. Merriman may indeed be having the last laugh, if Ware doesn’t make the transition to OLB, and it sets his career development back a couple of years, if not longer. He looks lost, and Merriman looks like an All Pro. He wears #56, and he’s playing like LT.

BP picked Ware, thinking he could turn him into LT, when Merriman was there and was already an OLB. You have to wonder if it it’s such a good idea to expect a DE to become an OLB in his rookie year.

I understand that Merriman’s attitude may not have been that good, but sometimes you have to take chances on character if the guy is a stud. If BP doesn’t want to deal with headcases, then he may be too old for all this.

It appears that Canty may indeed be the best of this year’s draft class. He was the steal in this draft. The jury is still out on Ware and Spears.

This team looks like it’s falling apart at the seams. We have no linebackers left. After the oline, we need some new blood at linebacker as well. I never thought I’d ever say this, but thank God for Bradie James!

We may see some coaches heads rolling as well. It’s looking as if this offseason will be another busy one of patching many holes.

I don’t see us doing well against Carolina this Saturday. It’s a short week, coming off a terrible pounding at the hands of the hated skins, and the reward is a short week playing against an even better defense in a place we’ve never played well in. It doesn’t look too good. It would be a miracle if we beat Carolina.

Like I said, just my 2 cents. Time for bed. Good Night!

Chandus,
You are stating the obvious my friend. Any QB will do okay with good running game and pass protection.. it is just that Bledsoe can’t do without.. and he should have some knowledge and experiance (after 14 years) to make the adjustment and lead his team… which he is not!

Chandus:

With a good running game and pass protection even Chris Simms, Mark Brunell, and Kyle Orton can be successful.

It’s true that is ideally what BP wants, that is what every NFL coach wants. I doubt if Hasselback, Eli Manning, Trent Green would be as good as they are without a good running game and pass protection.

None of that matters though because we don’t have either one at this moment and Bledsoe cannot do anything but fall down under the pass rush and lose yards or turn the ball over. He isn’t the kind of QB who can adjust or figure out how to keep defenses guessing at all. He doesn’t even seem to read the defense and audible into a different play (i.e. – a run or a screen). Maybe BP won’t let him, but for a guy who has been playing as long as he has he should be able to display a bit more savvy and guile out there. Yesterday he looked about like Aaron Rodgers did tonight, afraid, confused, and back on his heels. I feel like I am watching the Danny White era all over again, but without Tony Dorsett.

Sterling, Toast:

I also doubt that P. Manning, Palmer, Brady and Drew Brees would be getting the numbers they have if they didn’t had the OLines and running games they have. You’re also preaching to the choir, that’s the meaning of a team sport, one player needs another player or players to be successful.

I’m not saying that Bledsoe is a Manning or a Brady or a Palmer or a Brees, don’t put words I’m not writing in my keyboard, I’m only saying that Bledsoe can be more than effective with a good supporting cast, just like Manning is, like Brady is, like Palmer is and Brees is.

onepaniolo:

Just because Merriman is playing well in SD doesn’t mean that he would be playing this well with us. The SD coordinators let him float around and do nothing but pursue the QB or RB and he doesn’t seem to have nearly the responsibilities that have been put on Ware. I think Ware’s biggest problem at the moment is that he hasn’t been turned loose yet to create mismatches against the O-line. All the injuries to Dat and Singleton have created a lot of flux in the linebacking corps and they clearly haven’t been able to gel as a unit and pick up their assignments and reads as well together as they did with the two vets in there.

I am still willing to give Ware the benefit of the doubt. He got used yesterday, but then again so did T-New and Fujita, and they can’t claim to be a rookie playing a new position. I’ll wait until next season or the one after before I call that pick a bust.

I’ve said all along that at least one out of Ware, Spears, and Canty will be a Pro Bowler. I stand by that.

Chandus:

I know what you are saying, I have been saying the same thing since training camp on this blog. Parcells system does not emphasize the kind of QB play that those other QB’s you mention play in (with possible exception of Tom Brady before this year).

BP is all about running the ball, salting the clock, two TE sets, ball control, field position and not turning the ball over. It is about not taking too many risks and making the defense and the running attack win the game. I get that, and I admire that. That is the style of football I like and when you have the personnel it works.

Unfortunately, due to injuries and ineffectiveness our running game has been rendered ineffective for most of this season. Maybe it’s all because of the O-Line, or maybe it’s because of Julius Jones not playing living up to the high hopes we had after last season. My guess is that DC’s have been loading up against the run because they figure if they stop us on the ground then we will have to make Bledsoe drop back and pass. I am pretty sure most teams this year have been a lot more worried about our running attack than they are about Bledsoe beating them.

It’s the nature of football. You always want to take away your opponent’s greatest strength and make its weakest link beat you. That’s the reason teams double cover certain receivers and put a spy linebacker on guys like Michael Vick. The problem is we don’t have any playmakers that scare other teams, so they key on our running backs and dare us to make Bledsoe drop back and beat them.

Chandus,
Please don’t use Bledsoe on the same sentence as Manning, and Brady. Those guys have enough sense to read the defense, make changes/adjustment on the line of scrimmage.. Nobody was putting words in your writing.. just stating the obvious.

Stinky day. Great writing.

I just realized that Julius Jones running now reminds me more of Troy Hambrick——and that Marion Barber reminds me of Julius Jones’ running in JJ’s first year—-how weird is that? Oh, and if you’re wondering, Troy Hambrick doesn’t remind me of anyone other than Troy Hambrick.

One thing that BP will do this off season is get another TE. He believes the TE needs to be a blocker and receiver and Witten is simply a big receiver and below average blocker. Options abound when the TE is a very good blocker and pass catcher. BP football does not happen without that.

I think he sees improvement in the passing and running attack with the big, blocking, pass catching TE. Look for them to move Witten.

Toast and other Bledsoe bashers,

Don’t believe Bledsoe does not have the sense to read a defense. His record proves that incorrect.

Observations such as this by anyone (AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) are child like and only proves you have no understanding of the game.

This is an OL problem first and last. We have seen Bledsoe perform with even reasonable time to throw. Oakland, NY, Washington and Philly all were in is face within a second of the snap. Hopefully you saw what Manning looked like against SD under immediate pressure?

Get a life you Bledsoe bashers, you are showing your ignorance.

Ware’s problem isn’t that he needs to play more DE—he’s already getting overpowered whenever he lines up opposite an OT.

What he needs is to play more OLB in the 4-3, where he can run in space and blitz uncovered. Either way, though, he needs to learn to shed blockers far quicker and make it more obvious when he’s getting held (which is often).

To me Ware is playing DE he needs to play more LB. He is always doing the same thing, they should move him around. When they picked him they said he was the fastest and strongest but they are not using him right. I remember in pre-season I said Bledsoe sucks and is not going to get it done, I wasn’t happy we signed him. Then everybody got on me about it. Now people are seeing it. Its funny, like I said before I don’t blame Bledsoe for his play. He is playing some of his best right now in years. I’m tried of hearing people say with a better line he would be good. The differences between avg to good or good to great qbs are not just the oline. Bledsoe is not a playmaker. He can be good with great players around him which we don’t have. Last year Bledsoe had a good running game good wide outs and a real good defense. When the season was on the line he lost period. The real problem is JJ and BP for not putting the right parts to go with Bledsoe, a running game, a playmaker and a good line. Bledsoe is not taking this team anywhere. Bledsoe doesn’t play well in big games. I know he took a team to the sb but how long was that????

rha,

you are a moron if you think BP is letting Witten go.

He is bright spot on the offense. While he may not be another tackle like Dan Campbell he creates serious mathup problems and still has huge upside as a recieving TE and a blocker. Ever see him shed taklers……BP loves that kid…..he would probably take him and Chris Canty and a few other young pups with him anywhere he went!

O Line is going to be overhauled this offseason. It will also be interesting to see if BP ships Henson or Romo overseas and adds another QB to the roster. Bledsoe is his guy and has gotten it done when he has a o line.

I think we have two problems with the OLB position. One we are playing 4-2-5 in passing situations…..something I don’t think the Giants did in their Super Bowl years. Two we have no experience left at any of the LB positions. We all wanted Brady James head on a platter after the first few weeks and he is the best of the bunch right now……and is much improved……but how often can he correct Ware or Burnett or Shanle or Fujita if he is only taking care of his own biz.

Does Zimmer even know where these guys are supposed to be and when? This is his first year with the 3-4. I think we are two years away……two more drafts…….a revamped offensive line and a few more linebackers. I thought Al Johnson was going to be ok but he is getting pushed so far back by the DTs that I think he is toast.

We need a C, at least one good G, and another great T…….and Flo to be healthy.

A lot to wish for but the young pups on this team will get better. I think we will see some awesome stuff out of Spears, Canty, Ware and Burnett is getting better each week…..

Kalen Thornton comes back along with Singleton……maybe Dat…..the LB corps will be dramatically different next year……..don’t be surprised to see JJ and BP add another in the draft and in FA……Bill wants sacks and he was getting em in the first half and stopping the run and now he aint. What changed? The LBs?

Jon,

He will make a move at TE, possibly leaving Witten but only if he bulks up and improves his blocking. His value will be weighed against the cost to keep him. Next year is a cinch because they have an option year, but after that BP will not pay a premium to keep him if he cannot help him by blocking first then releasing.

Don’t get personal moron.

rha…..

i put my money where my mouth is and bet you they sign Witten to a long term contract this offseason.

They will resign Campbell and possibly draft another TE since the others have not panned out.

Witten is pro bowl caliber…..hech if we had too we could and he does line up at WR……he ain’t going nowhere. Besides Sunday Witten and Newman had concussions……..you ever had one rha……it ain’t no fun blocking, catching or covering after one…..I can guarntee you that! Jason Witten is the least of our problems…..the fact that we have to rely on the TEs so much and the RBs is the failure at T, G and C……I don’t know if AJ is hurt or has just quit but he is playing awful….Rivera never lived up to promise…..he may be retired by the team……FLo got hurt…….Tucker is what he is and Petitti is a rookie…..even LA has played only average.

Armstrong: I’m The Best Kicker In Dallas
“On Monday, teammates were often yelling, ‘how about those Redskins?’ at Darrell Armstrong during and after practice. But Armstrong said he has no hard feelings for getting fined $1,000 by the club for his comment. ‘I know Bill Parcells is madder at his players than the fans are mad at me,’ Armstrong said. Armstrong also said he was willing to help the Cowboys. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with your punters and kickers around here,’ he said. ’I’m the best kicker in Dallas. If Bill Parcells is looking for a field-goal kicker, tell him to come on down the way.’ Armstrong was a kicker at Division II Fayetteville State.” — Dallas Morning News

Toast:

Give Bledsoe Manning’s OLine and running game and Bledsoe puts numbers Manning like. The only year in which Manning had an OLine like the one Dallas has he threw 28 Ints. But I’ll give you the facts that Manning is more accurate in short and intermedium routes and also that he knows, most of the times, how to adapt to what the Defense schemes to face him.

This discussion only speaks about one thing, you’re spoiled, Dallas had a great QB in the 90’s, a good QB in the 80’s a great one in the 70’s and a pretty good one in the early years of the franchise. The fact that we might be uncapable of finding another great hasn’t been elaborated by your brain, right? I mean, right now we have a good QB, but you want better. We draft a QB next year, in his rookie year he proves to be a bad decision, but you live up with that, the future could be bright. The next year he only proves to be good and then you want better. That’s the meaning of a spoiled fan.

Wanted to write: “The next years he only proves to be good….”.

Wanting to write as fast as how I think…

Some people on here post some ridiculous things, when talking about Bledsoe. You can’t reason with some people with what they write. When Bledsoe has had time or a good line he has never been great nor will he be. Why do people want to throw Manning’s name in when talking about Bledsoe? Some people need to wake up……….I know most qb wouldnt have the great number they have with this line but they would have better numbers than Bledsoe. Anybody here that thinks we wouldnt be better team with Manning as your qb with this line is out of their mind. If Bledsoe was with the Colts they wouldnt be 13-1.

rha,
Speaking of not getting personal… Ignorance is when you try to close your eyes to where Bledsoe has been and has done… He is a master of getting sacked no matter where he has been.. Like I said before, he has been let go few times before.. maybe that should tell you something.
The man is a statue.. and if he can find anyone in couple of second..he’ll stand there and gets sacked.. Noticed in the giant game where the guy was in the backfield getting the hand off from Bledsoe, which end up a touch down for the giants.. How about keeping the defense guessing as to the count! Lets keep it clean.. I don’t call you name and you do the same to others in this forum!

Chandus and rha:

If you want to blame the O-Line and compare Bledsoe to other QB’s, then perhaps we should look at some stats.

I went on Stats.com and got the career sack totals and total games played to compare Bledsoe to other active veteran QB’s that have been in the NFL for at least 7 years. This is to see if there is any point whatsoever to the notion or impression many have that he is sacked too often.

Here is what I found regarding these QB’s career Sacks Per Game Average:

Peyton Manning: 1.23 sacks per game
Jeff Garcia: 1.46 sacks per game
Brett Favre: 1.78 sacks per game
Trent Dilfer: 1.90 sacks per game
Vinny Testeverde: 1.93 sacks per game
Kerry Collins: 1.95 sacks per game
Trent Green: 2.14 sacks per game
Brian Griese: 2.21 sacks per game

Drew Bledsoe: 2.38 sacks per game
Kurt Warner: 2.41 sacks per game
Mark Brunell: 2.58 sacks per game

If you take out this year’s 39 sacks in 14 games his sacks per game average drops to 2.34 for his career.

The good news is that maybe our line isn’t as bad as the Bills line was the last 3 years. In 48 games for the Bills he was sacked 140 times for an average of 2.92 sacks per game. That was with an average of almost 31.8 passing attempts per game. This season he is averaging 31.2 attempts per game. This season he is averaging 2.79 sacks per game.

He is also on pace to have his best year since 2002 for TD’s and INT’s. That was his first year with the Bills.

aw,
You are right on the money, man..

Sterling,
Thanks for the stats.. Which proves our points… He didn’t become a sack master here in Dallas.. That is his nature!

Even with Flozell healthy last year, I think overall the O-Line was at least as bad last year as it is this year. Yet Testeverde only got sacked 34 times in 16 games for an average of 2.13 sacks per game. Flozell was healthy last year, but Vinny was 41 years old…almost 9 years older than Bledsoe.

Read an article about the Dallas Mavericks yesterday when I was checking for a glimmor of good news in the Dallas Sports world. Darrell Armstrong got on the PA to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holidays. This is all well and good but he concluded it with “How bout those Redskins”. After that game, how did this man make it out of the Arena with out massive security. I am a die hard Mavericks and Cowboys fan and it would have made me sick to my stomach had I been there to hear that. I was glad to see he was fined $1000 by Mark Cuban and Avery Johnson, but I would like to see him on the trading block. That is a total disrespect to Dallas Fans in general since I am willing to bet that most of the fans in there are Cowboys fans as well as Mavericks fans. Here is my call:

Trade Darrell Armstrong for another worthless piece of crap point guard who is just riding the pine, but also knows how to keep his mouth shut during sensitive times.

Sterling-Can you run your sack numbers by sacks per pass attempt? That would seem more relevant.

Toast-How was the Giant in the backfiled almost taking the handoff Bledsoe’s fault?

I’ll be first in line to say Bledsoe holds the ball too long but some of that blame lays at the feet of BP and SP for not putting in a timing offense. Go back and look at teh 42yrd pass to Moss on Sunday. Brunell dropped back 5 steps and threw the ball with no hesitation. Moss was covered but made a play. If Bledsoe fails to do that a few times then bench him and let Romo do it.

Lighten up, Francis. It’s funny that Darrell armstrong said that. Mark Cuban thought it was hilarious. You know these are just games you’re talking about? Darrell Armstrong is a fan of the Redskins – a different sport than basketball, i believe – as much as you are a fan of the Cowboys. He’s a puss if he doesn’t say anything.

Let me get this straight, Bledsoe is now the problem? Right. Ok. The Cowboys won vs the Chiefs in spite of him, right? Prior to the Giants game in the Meadowlands, Bledsoe was the #1 ranked QB in the NFC through 10 games.
This offensive line is actually better in your minds than random Bills/Pats offensive lines of the past as suits your assertions? Bledsoe had Moulds in Buffalo and no running game when he set his season yards record. He also got his brains beaten in. Did any of you watch the game on Sunday? Did you see Torrin Tucker play? He cried after the game.
You are in a blog version of “wilding.” An unfocused pecking party whre you hens need to find some perceived issue and attack it. Blogiots.

Bledsoe can make all throws, and do it well and consistently. He has trouble with linemen hanging on him. That’s what’s at issue, right? Solution: 1. Block sufficiently; 2. Call appropriate pass routes, and execute them correctly; 3. Run the ball effectively
If any of that breaks down, this Dallas Cowboys team cannot operate. If it breaks down, it’s Parcells’ and Jones’ fault more than Bledsoe’s. Their over-arching metastrategy is to have a QB who can make all throws, grind out a running attack, control the clock, stop the run completely on D, and limit deep passes on D. That the lack of depth/talent to back up injuries prohibits execution of the strategy, is the fault of the folks in charge. Parcell’s pre-season vision for this team has blown up.

The fact is, and it’s boring, is that Peterman and that lazy, fey, prissy RT who got cut in pre-season due to goldbricking are the reasons the offense is struggling, the defensive issues are due to Campo. Parcells’ strategy is right on. His personnel is getting there, but injuries and youth are killing us.

To blame Sunday on Bledsoe is absurd in the extreme. Manning, Favre, and Marino especially would’ve thrown 8 INTs each if they were taking snaps for the Cowboys. There was nothing to do but take sacks or throw the ball out of bounds. Aikman would’ve been one concussed sumbeech.
Gunslinging “playmakers” would’ve looked TERRIBLE in Sunday’s circumstances. You all believe that Manning can play without a LT, RT or running game? What has he won?

Sean,
What would you do to slow down the pressure/blitzing defense? If you are a 14 year veteran QB?
Manning/Brady and QB’s like him are master of taking advantage of eager defenses.. I would expect a fleet footed and experienced guy like Bledsoe to do the same… Now, I agree with you on time passes, but thatâ€â"¢s not what we are talking here about.
By the way that pass that moss cut (as much as it pains me to say it) was phenomenal.. Glen covered the guy as well as anyone on could cover him.. moss just made an exceptional reception.. Brunell himself said it afterward; " I just throw it up there".

JayDub…don’t compliment Mark Cuban too fast for fining him. In the video you can clearly see Cuban in the background laughing at Armstrong’s “joke”.

JayDub-Your too sensitive. When your team stinks it up you have to have thick enough skin to take a little razzing.

Toast-Nothing will work if we can’t slow down teh rush. When we sent Polite into a pattern on Sunday Bledsoe didn’t see him and didn’t see the guy that was coming free. If Bledsoe had seen Polite it would have been a long gain. Not sure who was at fault there but Polite sure looked like the hot receiver. Brady, Manning, Aikman or any other prototype QB would be beat to a pulp behind that line. Unless you can find a Vick, McNabb or Farve the heat is gonna keep coming.

And I’m the one that needs to wake up…

What did I say at the beginning of the season at Training Camp time? Bledsoe is as good a QB to throw for 3500 yards. Do I need to remember some of the guys in here the heat I got for that statement?

What would happen if Bledsoe has better play from his OLine and specifically his Tackles? He would count for more yards and less sacks. Match point. My game.

Reality is this we don’t have a better QB, we might not have a better QB in the recent future and we might never have a better QB after that. If you think that Parcells doesn’t realize that he could change a player to confront what the other team shows against his, look at Parcells statement on puttin’ Colombo in Tucker’s place, he said this: “but I’ve seen him (Colombo) in practice”. And he knows a thing or 2 that you don’t.

I am officially off the Bledsoe subject now..
Need to support the team for this Saturday’s game. I just hope Hansen and Romo are learning on the sideline.. Because we are one hit away to have a young QB and who knows a savior for years to come.

BTW, I also think that we would be better with Peyton Manning in the helm, I only said that with Peyton OLine Bledsoe would be putting Manning’s type of numbers and he would being sacked a bit more.

Sean,
Thick “Skin”, come on man use a different metaphor…
Just kidding.

Chandus-I was on board with you up to the “recent future” phrase where you completely lost me…Where on timeline is the recent future?
Bledsoe should be good enough with a decent line. With the line we have Montana couldn’t get it done.

Sorry Sean, english isn’t my first language, tried to meant near future.

Chandus-Just giving you a little grief. I’m glad this forum is in English, Its hard enough for me to make my thoughts clear in my only language.