2009 Cowboys: Reasons For Concern
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on May 14, 2009 12:36 AM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys General
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PrintI cannot say enough about the exemplary job the Cowboys organization has done this off season. The team has made a real effort to clean up the locker room and has taken steps towards changing the culture of the team. The Cowboys’ draft showed that the team is committed to improving its special teams play and overall depth. All signs point towards the Cowboys having a deeper, more focused unit in 2009.
While they have taken steps in the right direction, the Cowboys are still more of a work-in-progress than a finished product. This team still has holes, and will be asking a number of unproven players to step into significant roles. There are still a few reasons for Cowboy fans to temper their expectations for the upcoming season.
Here are a few reasons fans should be concerned about the 2009 Cowboys:
The Receiving Corps: In 2006, Roy Williams made the Pro Bowl after hauling in 82 receptions for 1,310 yards. That season is the only time that Williams has had more than 64 receptions, or more than 838 yards. That one aberrant year is also the only time that Williams’ health has allowed him to participate in more than 14 games. Now that Roy is the top wide receiver in Dallas, we are going to find out whether 2006 was an abnormality, or an example of what we can expect from Roy in the future.
As if Roy Williams is not a big enough question mark, Miles Austin and his 18 career receptions will likely be called upon to start on the opposite side. Austin definitely has the speed and physique of a top-notch NFL wideout, but has still only flashed. Patrick Crayton is Patrick Crayton. Isaiah Stanback is unproven and injury prone. The fact that the team did virtually nothing to bolster the position in the off season, and wide receiver becomes a major red flag for the Cowboys.
D-Line Depth: Chris Canty out, Igor Olshansky in. Okay, that will work. But what happened to that mammoth, space-eating nose tackle the Cowboys were going to get to give Jay Ratliff a break? There is not another nose tackle currently on the roster who can be trusted to give Ratliff a breather. The Cowboys have to be concerned at this point about coming down the stretch with a worn-down Ratliff. It would have also been nice if the team had drafted another end to compete for a spot in the rotation outside.
Growing Pains: The Dallas Cowboys drafted 12 rookies this season. The aim was to improve depth which is a good thing. But every rookie who makes this team will make his fair share of rookie mistakes. If 8 rookies make the squad, then that will be 8 players who will be learning on the fly to some extent. These rookies may eventually become much more reliable than the players they replace. In the meantime, brace yourself for the occasional bonehead play. It’s just part of the learning curve, and hopefully they can all get it out of their system by mid November.
The Division: The NFC East was arguably the best division in the NFL last season, and it does not appear to be getting any easier. Philadelphia finally went out and got Donovan McNabb some weapons. The Giants added some impact players (don’t forget Osi Umenyiora will be back) to an already magnificent defense. For the first time since probably Pee-Wee football, Washington quarterback Jason Campbell will work in the same offensive system for two consecutive seasons. As scary as it sounds, it looks like all four teams in the division have improved.
Tony Romo: Don't get me wrong. I am not by any stretch throwing in the towel on Tony Romo. You can't make a definitive judgement on any quarterback's career after only 39 starts. However, Tony Romo's big game failures are beginning to look less like coincidence, and more like a trend. Big games aside, Romo is going to have to take better care of the football all together. It really looks like this is the year that Tony Romo has to take the next step. Otherwise, we may see a significant spike in memberships to the Stephen McGee fan club heading into 2010.
All things considered, I think that the positives far outweigh the negatives with the Dallas Cowboys at this time. Still, with so many question marks, no one should be expecting the 'Boys to breeze through this season.
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+1
There are still a few reasons for Cowboy fans to temper their expectations for the upcoming season.
For the reasons you pointed out it makes the case stronger this will be a 9 win team at best and probably miss the playoffs. I agree the organization has made improvements to the locker room by ridding themselves of the distractions, but not enough from a personnel standpoint IMO. We had some glaring needs that we didn’t or couldn’t address and it may hurt us big time this season.
9-7 and missing the playoffs is my prediction. Eagles and Giants finish ahead of us.
Considering the Strength of Next Year's Draft
Maybe Dallas would benefit from keeping ten or so new guys and if they miss the playoffs, focus on filling holes in the draft and free agency.
I still see a 11-5 or 10-6 team...
We underachieved last year and with a more focused group we shouldn’t under-achieve anymore and also the Giants and Philly still have ?s, Maclin and McCoy are going to be a big part of Philly’s offense and they both could be busts. The Giants are also relying on a rookie receiver with Hixon and Smith (neither of those scare me) which will allow people to stack the box, Both defenses are going to be good but Eli didn’t look the same without Plax and will most likely revert to Eli the terrible and who knows how long Donovan can hold up.
And we still do have the best defensive player in Demarcus Ware, with better coverage by our Safeties and with improvement by Scandrick and Jenkins and K. Hamlin being back to is 07’ self we could have a very good secondary, match that up with a very good LB core and some solid Dline play our defense can keep them down, Can our Offense put up the points. IMO yes we can. We have the most talented trio of RBs and we still have a very good QB. Our Oline should be healthy again, and our STs shouldn’t lose us a game and the field position battle should decrease the points allowed. so I still believe we can get at least 10 with the possibility of 12 if we stick relatively clear of the injury bug and we get some production from some of our Rookies.
"We play to win the game" - Herm Edwards
by nicholas.rodriguez on May 14, 2009 1:18 AM CDT reply actions
i find it funny how predictions of what this team to do are made so early--
while i appreciate this post, there are just as many question marks facing this team as any other team. as it should, this article focuses on the cowboys unknown quantities, however it doesnt look at the other teams in the division, or the nfc as a whole.
every team in the league has question marks, that pile as high as ours. nicholas mentioned some for the giants and eagles, but who’s to say the redskins truly improved? with their history of signing free agents and draft busts, there is no knowing how that will play out. or the confidence de-boost they gave jason campbell. arizona? they lost todd haley, who knows what impact that will have, as well as the soap opera that is anquan boldin. minnesota still doesn’t have a QB, i’m not a believer in rosenfels.
etc etc etc— everyteam has questions, no team is a superbowl favorite- and to speculate before even seeing what kind of jump last years rookies will make and which teams rookies from this draft will be impact players- doesnt hold water imo. tell me that we have more doubts than the cardinals and eagles did last year and i’ll temper my expectations.
always optimistic, perennially. the cowboys will be great because my fandom is stronger than fans of other teams ;)
'he nails an open three from the corner....just like you and me, this one was made by penetration' - Truthaboutit - Round 1 Game 5 Recap
I think this the PERFECT time for an article like this...
We’ve got the draft and most FA stuff behind us. We can take the last couple of years as evidence of what is possible … and the value of depth. Breaking down our strengths and weaknesses seems a logical next step.
For me, the greatest concern is Ratliff. We need him to stay healthy and productive. If we even get “decent/solid” play from our front 3, this defense can be top-5. I think we improved our LB corps, we GREATLY improved our secondary, if only by subtraction (I was a fan of RW until the last year or so… when his liability could no longer be denied). I think Sensabaugh was a great pick-up, and I like the guys we drafted. I think our secondary could be one of the very best next year.
On the offensive side, it all comes down to the O-Line. If they can protect Romo, he will get the job done. If they can open even small holes for Felix and MB III, they will get the job done. This offense is a year away from one of the most productive years in Cowboys history – don’t forget that. And that was DESPITE several key TO drops along the way. I like our receiver corps, but it is the greatest question mark on this side of the ball. And those questions run from #1 RW to our free agents. Between Austin, RW, Stanbach and Crayton, we need a couple of these guys to have break-out years.
Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... #1 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?
Why single out TO for his few drops
and ignore the huge benefit he provided us with that year? You know Romo threw some interceptions and was sacked that year aswell right? Crayton dropped passes too, remember the Giants playoff game?
Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Congrats boys first time in team history over .500
by aussie_cowboy on May 14, 2009 3:29 AM CDT up reply actions
Is T.O. still worth defending?
BILLS LOVER!
I kid. But really…dude’s gone…can’t we bash him just a tad? It feels great.
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on May 14, 2009 4:58 AM CDT up reply actions
this is funny...
aussie, I bash TO only to take him down a notch. To point out that, while TO was our best receiver that year, we should also remember his mistakes – and consider the whole package. When I think about TO, I think of ’07 … and I am worried we will not be able to return to that level of production. But even in that great year, there were many opportunities to be even better.
My hope is that Austin takes the next step… Stanback finally proves his value… Crayton is his ’07 solid contributer… and RW is his ’06 self again. These guys are at least as athletic as Wes Welker. And while nobody thinks of Romo-to-RW in the same breath as Brady-to-Moss, they can still be a highly effective combination.
All this is moot if the O-Line can’t find a way to protect Romo MUCH BETTER than last year.
Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... #1 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?
agreed
Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Red and Black!! Congrats boys first time in team history over .500
by aussie_cowboy on May 14, 2009 7:06 AM CDT up reply actions
2 of TOs three years here
he was NOT a top 10 wr. IN 06, he consistently got shut down by no name cbs the second half of the year. In 08, he couldn’t beat a press. 1/5 of his yards last year came against a team that refused to press him.
I don’t see why Roy Williams won’t be better than the 2006 and 2008 versions of TO. He very well could be.
Good write up
Some healthy concerns. Still room for optimism.
At receiver we may be rolling the dice, but I think we have that luxury with other players to be factored into the passing game like Witten, MartyB, Felix, Barber, etc.
I always manage to overlook the NT concern…I suppose at this point we’re looking at a practice squad guy to come in and back Jay up? That’s frightening.
Epic Fail since 1985
Big mammoth in the middle?
You spoke the truth there. Our missing alt-man in the middle remains an odd, unanswered puzzle by the our beloved Cowboys. Not just this offseason, but every offseason since we went to 3-4. We have never fully addressed this need (maybe Ferguson is the exception). Ratliff is a quick, effective beast in there. But he needs a rotation. And a giant, immovable road block with a little get’up would help to spell him. Yet we’ve never seen fit to draft one. Why? Are there really no picks from the 4th round onwards that could have helped? Not one of our zillion picks? Why?
Jerry’s answer is a FA who’s been out of football for over 1 year (Saaivi – sp?) That’s kind of rough.
Worse, that person, Saaivi or someone else — who likely would make no other NFL squad — will take a valuable spot on the 53 man roster. And the person he bumps will be immediate picked up by another team.
(2nd point)
You wrote about Romo performing poorly in big games. I ask fans who make this type of assertion to clarify what is a big game? I recall several amazing games in the 13-3 season where Romo came-up huge. If you’re defining “big” as just December and the playoffs, then I’d say the entire team gets a ‘D’ – not just Romo.
What about Remi Ayodele(sp?)
wasn’t he on the practice squad last year? I know he backed Jay up prior to Tank Johnson coming in. I don’t recall him doing terribly. If he’s not on another team by now, he might be worth picking up, since it’s clear all we need is a back up, just to keep Ratliff fresh…
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on May 14, 2009 5:04 AM CDT up reply actions
Eagles suck, I agree on your Romo comment
I know I say it over and over, but it’s the O-Line who’s to blame for much of Romo’s troubles. How many QBs in this league excel behind a porous line?
Tar Heels = National Champs in Basketball ... #1 in Baseball ... Top 10 this year in Football?
Does the OL
also get credit for Romo’s success, or just the failures? When things are going great, it is all Tony, but when things fall apart, it is everybody except Tony? That dog won’t hunt.
Let’s stop making excuses for Tony Romo. He has shown flashes of dazzling play, but has fizzled when the season reaches crunch time. I am pulling for him to silence his critics and bust into the post-season this year. Until he does, he is a work in progress.
I am pulling for McGee to earn a spot as second-string QB. Romo’s performance this year will determine whether I root for McGee to move from the bench to the field.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
“Does the OL also get credit for Romo’s success”
No, they get credit for doing their job. Anything after that is up to Romo.
huh?
how does that make any sense?
So, to your point, Romo gets no credit for Romo’s success. He only gets credit for doing his job.
Listen, I’m all for your second paragraph in the above post. Beyond a nice stat sheet, Romo is still an unknown quantity. This next season is absolutely critical for him. I have plenty of reservation about his composure in crucial moments.
And, of course, the performance of every position affects every other position on the field, but the responsibility between the o-line and the qb is asymmetric. It is their job to give him time, and when they don’t, the measurability of his performance (or success) becomes opaque. This is a fact, not an excuse. Credit where credit is due, and it’s hard to argue that either the o-line or Romo are due any credit for doing their job in a successful manner this last season.
I got news for you
McGee won’t be ready to see the field during the regular season for quite some time. It took Romo over three seasons and McGee is much rawer than Romo was coming out of college.
In Romo we Trust
I've been sitting back and watching.....
but you went over-board again, Terry. You don’t know and neither does anyone else, about when/if McGee will be ready. You are correct that he is very raw. No one is saying other-wise however, McGee hasn’t even been in training camp so you can’t come up with this broad statement that he won’t be ready for quite some time. That’s just an over-statement to say the least. McGee is coming from a D-1 school unlike Romo coming from a Division II school. Am I saying that McGee is the real deal? Of course not but to simply write him off like you are implying is going way over-board.
I disagree
I think any coach or scout will tell you McGee is a very long way from becoming a NFL starting qb because although he possesses all the necessary physical skills and intelligence to become a very good NFL qb someday, he has basically ran an option offense at A&M and does not have the passing skills necessary to compete with a NFL qb at this time.
Romo might have been a D-IAA player, but he passed a lot at Eastern Illinois as opposed to McGee, the fact that A&M is D-I is irrelevant.
It will take at least 3-4 years before McGee can develop the skills necessary to play in this league, otherwise,as Parcells would say, you might ruin the player because he’s not ready.
In Romo we Trust
I didn't say that McGee was ready.....
I’m just saying that you can’t say that without even seeing him play in training camp or pre-season. Look at M. Bennett. He was very raw coming out of school but by the end of the season he had made great strides. My point is don’t go saying things about McGee or other players when they haven’t even stepped on the field. That outlandish.
there is a very big difference
between a TE and QB in terms of learning their respective positions, bad comparison.
An NFL QB is the most difficult position to learn is all of sports, nothing is even remotely close. A kid who ran the option in college is not going to learn everything he needs in a few years to be ready to play at this level. To think otherwise is what is outlandish.
In Romo we Trust
Did you copy and paste.....
because I keep seeing this same stuff said over and over again. I never said that TE and QB were the same position. I’m saying that both players came out of the same school under Dennis Franchione. Both were not developed correctly. Both were highly touted college recruits coming out of high school. They have that in common. Will you admit that at least? I never said that McGee is polished etc. All I’m trying to say is that you can’t say he’s nothing more than a scrub, back-up etc. until he at least puts on the pads and plays in a real game. The same can be said about Romo coming out of college. Very raw. McGee may be a total bust who knows. At least give the kid a chance before you keep saying the same old copy and paste info.
I'm not saying he's a scrub
I actually think he has the potential to be a good NFL qb someday, but that someday will not be for a while.
It will take more than a few seasons for that to oocur, it won’t happen by the 2010 season, thats for sure.
In Romo we Trust
How do you know?
He was drafted. Romo wasn’t. Why compare them?
I don't know anything...
But just from NFL probabilities, the fact that he played in a option based offense, and also because he was injured most of this senior year, I’d say that percentage of McGhee contributing as a QB this year is very slim.
Now three years from now.. who knows.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 14, 2009 10:40 PM CDT up reply actions
at least three years
This kid is as raw as raw gets….he was drafted because of his potential and tools, but he has a long ways to go.
In Romo we Trust
Airforce......
I’m agreeing with you. By no means am I saying that McGee is the next coming of Marino or some other great QB but for Terry to simply write him off just because of his love for Romo is just ridiculous and nauseating to say the least. All I’m saying, is give him time and let’s see what he’s got.
I'm not writing off McGee at all
and nothing I said indicated otherwise. It’s amazing how you can twist and distort my comments so much.
I simply said McGee won’t be ready by 2010 because he is far too raw, and it has nothing to do with Romo at all, I never even mentioned him.
The key word in your post is “time” and thats exactly what he needs.
In Romo we Trust
Yeah...
I don’t know why you guys argue about it.
There are a group of 4-5 people on this blog that KNOW the future.
And often they brag about it afterwards but never point out when there is a mistake made.
You know his opinion isn’t going to budge, so why waste your time?
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
Maybe some of us are from the future, like on LOST.
Or this is really the past.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Or maybe...
Some are on heavy narcotics. Haha.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 15, 2009 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Or too much coffee...lol
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions
where they were drafted is compeltely irrelevant
besides, Romo would have been drafted had his cell phone been working that day, thank God for us it wasn’t.
The fact is McGee is a lot more behind the learning curve than Romo coming out of college, draft status or college notwithstanding.
In Romo we Trust
Romo should have had his cell phone manual memorized dammit!
That way, his whole center of being could have focused all earthly energy around him into his football dreams.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I am going to speculate
about why I think the NT position was not a top priority. First of all Dallas plays a lot of nickel defense. Our nickel in the past has had four down linemen. These guys all need to be penetrators and not the large behemoths that you might find in a Parcells 3-4. Secondly, if you look at the draft as an indicator, Wade went out and got penetrators as potential outside pass rushers. This tells me we will probably play even less straight 3-4 and will probably play more 46 or maybe even some 2-5/chaos type of defenses which require more linebackers and less linemen. If you remember Wade’s defenses in San Diego, he prefers faster and smaller linebackers(Donnie Edwards types) and that’s just what he drafted and signed as FAs. Ratliff will be able to get some rest when needed. He just will be replaced via the schemes that are used as opposed to a substitute lineman. Now I am speculating about all of this but it seems logical based on the personnel Wade has chosen to bring in and his defensive history.
Good post jevans
thanks for a reasonable explanation about why this has been unaddressed. It stands to reason that if it were important, it would have already been addressed. That must be true, right? And its reasonable. I’d like to believe your speculation.
However, our team’s leaders do (at times) cast a shadow on reason. Case in point: during the pre-season, in ’08 Brad Johnson showed clearly that he was not fit to be in the NFL. I thought this was painfully obvious. Yet we stayed put. And instead of picking up a reasonable alternative, we got Brooks Bollinger. And it hurt.
by Eagles suck on May 14, 2009 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions
Why is it that people
can continue to point out that the Chargers used Donnie Edwards as a reason that we don’t need a heftier NT, but they fail to point out that he had a mountain of a man playing the middle in front of him?
by Mandmeisterx on May 14, 2009 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Your forgetting Wade had the best NT in the NFL
in Jamal Williams, all 6’3 350+ lbs of him to free up players like Donnie Edwards. Williams was a beast who tied up 2 OL every play. Huge difference between Willaims and Ratliff. Williams made that defense go don’t kid yourself.
Ratliff requires a double team - you line up 1 on 1 against Ratliff and he'll sack you
I don’t see you’re point, Jamal Williams and Jay Ratliff are both pro bowlers who disrupt the back field and require a double team.
by AustonianAggie on May 14, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Sorry...
Go check the tape, Ratliff was handled one on one many times last year without a double team. You can throw the pro bowl garbage out the window, because it’s a joke. Ratliff is no Jamal Williams and until we get a player like him the middle of the defense it will get pushed around like a rag doll by the better OL’s in the NFL.
Agree or disagree, but Ratliff is playing out of positon and would be a much better DE IMO. He will have to convert to DE at some point, because he is not getting any younger and will at a increased risk to injury being a undersized NT.
I'd rather get a big NT too...
but I don’t think Jay Ratliff going to the probowl was a joke.
He was a higly disruptive force in the backfield and had quite a few sacks for a DT.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 14, 2009 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Ratliff disrupted the pocket and made the probowl based on his play
want to point out someone’s failings look to Spears when he lined up at NT. Go check the tape
by AustonianAggie on May 14, 2009 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions
But it would be better if he had a capable backup
A big 2 down plugger, would sure keep him fresher late in games and more importantly late in the season.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 15, 2009 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Even Ratliff thinks YHO sucks
He wants nothing to do with going back to DE…that’s a direct quote.
He had more pressures and QB pressures than any 3 NTs combined.
You’re simply wrong.
Res firma mitescere nescit
And Shawn Merriam plays a huge roll in getting that Defense rolling
by AustonianAggie on May 14, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions
You need players to implement any scheme.
Like the saying goes…every play is designed to score a TD…all is left is the execution.
Romo is a loose cannon.
We need to reign him in and get rid of those costly turn-overs.
He may very well be a big game QB.
But the fact that he is careless with the ball robs him of that achievment.
Plain and simple.
Romo's carelessness can be controlled...if that makes sense.
Sure, he blows it when the play doesn’t go his way. I just think that if we had a few more turnovers on defense and more emphasis on the running game/high percentage (short) passing game, we could all live with his playmaking and playbreaking abilities.
At times, it certainly comes in handy to pull the harness off him (most evident right before the half). When the rest of the team steps it up but is still getting beat, we still look to Romo to bring us back. It’s been a long time since I remember the Cowboys having a QB that could get us in solid FG range when we need it. I don’t care if the pass is to his BFF or Todd Lowber the 3rd; the dude can put it there. We can bag on him all we want when the team lays turds like the last game, but simply reigning him in won’t account for 30+ points. His achievement is most valuable when he can win a game in practical terms (6 points or less or in OT).
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:33 AM CDT up reply actions
and...
the guy has been compared much to Favre, which isn’t all that bad. The reason he does so is because of his at-times unconventional play. The difference between Romo and Favre though, is that Romo is just 2 1/2 years into the starting position and Favre continued to excel with the same intangibles forever.
The best thing is is that Romo still has room to improve.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:38 AM CDT up reply actions
And/or
the team around him has time to improve enough to compensate for his screwups.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
time = "room"
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
Yeah, overall they're still a pretty young team...kind of all growing with each other's successes and failures.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think you can make the claim that Romo is to blame for all our problems...
I like the fact that Romo can get the ball to people.
When we have a history of QBs who can’t even tie their shoes (post Aikman) – I think that Romo is a huge relief. But let’s not consider his positive abilities and ignore everything else.
In order to increase our chances of winning games, Romo must reduce his mistakes – mainly the costly turnovers. Due to the fact that turnovers will often decide the final score.
I’m looking at the Romo piece of the puzzle and would like him to be more of a “known/predictable quantity” – predictable in the sense that the coordinator can stick to a strategy without having to worry about Romo fumbling a direct snap, or forcing balls he shouldn’t be forcing. It ultimately changes the game strategy when you don’t know what you are going to get from him. It’s a coordinator’s nightmare to have to manage a game like that.
Even in a scenario where your defense is struggling – it’s even more important that you have a QB that can sustain drives without giving the posession away.
The more a defense struggles, the more the offense has to do it’s part and not make key mistakes. Fumbling in those crucial times just compounds the issue.
Don't get me wrong, I think Romo is by far the best QB the Boys have had since Aikman. Vinny and Bledsoe were pretty good, but not long term solutions.
Romo has small hands for a QB, which may be cause for him to drop the ball so much. When he runs or is under pressure, he just needs to pat the ball with his left hand for added security.
Now that he has this reputation, he’s gonna see a load more arms swinging at him this year trying to strip him.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Remember, Parcells had Romo cover the ball with both hands when
he ran at the end of the 2006 season because he had a fumbling problem back then. Romo was doing much better then but last year he regressed back to his old form. Sometimes, I think that the QB coach just doesn’t stress/work on those things with him enough. Even throwing last year, Romo seemed to go back to his side arm motion like he previously had done. It just seemed to me, that Wade Wilson did not stress ball security and mechanics enough last year to Romo or Romo didn’t listen to Wilson.
He does need to work on that...
but the offensive line needs to also work on protecting him better.
He was getting hit far too often last year.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
Watching the first half of the AZ game was like watching a Niners' game.
Romo was getting pummeled. That game killed our season.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 6:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Both need to do better
Running the ball a lot more should help. Anytime you have your QB dropping back as much as the Cowboys did last season, it will usually lead to bad things happening.
But on Romo, he needs to learn to keep 2 hands on the ball when the pocket starts breaking down and he is looking downfield. Move around, or just try to pick up some yards running, but keep 2 hands on that ball. If Rivers can do it, Romo can do it.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 15, 2009 9:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 16, 2009 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions
the o-line need to play better...or we're done
it all starts at the line.
I also believe that Romo can minimize his bonehead throws if he is allowed to do his job with little pressure as possible.
Or else the “ugly” Romo will just go for broke.
Yeah, what happened to that?
Barber never used to fumble either when he was on 24/7 ball-carrying duty.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Not to make injuries the excuse
But IMO, that was taking his normal focus off protecting the ball better.
Whatever caused his regression, he’s a good enough football player to correct the problem without being told to by the coaches.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 15, 2009 9:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry to disagree with you.......
But I think that’s what a lot of the problem is. The coaches were not correcting the players. These guys need coaches to lead them and not players to lead themselves. Whenever players make mistakes they need to be held accountable for them and held to a higher standard. If you don’t have coaches working with them on protecting the ball etc. who will hold them accountable?
How do you know he wasn't being held accountable?
Thats just something that people assume, but in all honesty even if he’s being held accountable, what was the real threat?
Brad Johnson? I’d rather have Romo go out there with grease all over his hands and holding it than Johnson.
Also, and I’m not trying to make excuses for him, but sometimes bad habits are hard to break. The things that you’ll cheer about him, you’re also going to get pissed off with him. Romo suffers from trying to make a play out of everything. He just needs to know how to take calculated risks, AND if he’s going to take off and start running, tuck the damn ball in.
Look how long it took Kurt Warner to start cutting back on fumbles. I don’t think it’s because nobody talked to him about it, I just think its one of those things thats harder to break than most would think. AND he was held accountable, hell he’s been replaced quite a few times in his career.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 16, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions
You're correct I don't know that he wasn't held accountable....
what I was referring to was Stars statement that “he’s a good enough football player to correct the problem without being told to by the coaches.” All I was trying to say is that I disagree that players do need to be told by the coaches when they make a mistake. I have no idea whether they were corrected or not but they do need to be corrected/coached when they keep fumbling. I wasn’t just talking about Romo, I was including Barber too. Am I making any sense at all? My disagreement was more to the above statement.
Yep...
I think really what needs to happen is instead of the coaches holding accountability, how about the players hold each other accountable?
When you listen to Mike Tomlin talk about the team, he constantly talks about the players looking out for each other.
Will/Can that happen? Maybe. Perhaps all the rookies coming in will help out, people tend to try harder when jobs are on the line.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
I agree with you on that.......
The problem that I had with last year was it seemed that whenever Romo or whoever made a critical mistake, it seemed to be swept under the rug. I don’t mean to bash anybody but those things need to be addressed whether it’s from other players or coaches. The only way to address problems/mistakes is to meet them head on. Being a business owner, the one thing that drives me nuts is when someone makes a mistake and they try to either justify it or blame someone else. All I want to hear is, I made a mistake and I will fix it. If someone does that with me, then I respect them and we move forward. If they don’t they become history.
Well, my original point was
The injuries may have caused his focus to slip. And yes, I’m sure the coaches will work with him, but what I meant was even if they don’t, MB3 is responsible enough to correct it on his own. Trying to compliment his work ethic, and the way he plays the game.
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 18, 2009 12:53 AM CDT up reply actions
It's just the nature of being a sports fan.
I’ve been a sports fan for 40 years. I have a favorite football team (Go Cowboys!) favortie baseball team, and basketball team. That’s 120 seasons I’ve rooted for my team. Out of those 120 seasons my team has won the championship 9 times. They’ve also lost in the championship four times. That is way more than most fans can ever hope for.
Of 120 seasons I’ve watched, and had high hopes for, 111 of those ended in disappointment. Either a loss in the playoffs, or not even making the playoffs. 111! The simple truth is it comes with the territory of being a sports fan. It almost always ends in frustration.
All that being said, I like the Cowboys chances as much as anybody else in the NFL. I’ve seen plenty of teams improve by subtraction, which is really where the Cowboys are. All championships begin with a philosophy of how they are going to play the game. At least the Cowboys have one now. And it’s based in sound principles.
The Cowboys X-factor is not even on the Cowboys. It is that there is NO team in the NFC that stands out. And even with all their problems last year, they had the eventual Super Bowl champions beat on their own field with just a few minutes left in the game. I don’t think they’re that far away. Give me exceptional offensive line play, and I’ll pit the Cowboys against anybody in this league.
Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.
Joe ThEEsman
2009 Cowboys
are similar to the 1977 and 1992 Cowboys. Both teams had some very good young talent. The 1977 team had the dirty dozen entering their 3rd year. Landry had just drafted Tony Dorsett and moved Randy White to tackle. The defense had a huge league leading sack total during the season and did it again to the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
The 2009 Cowboys may improve on last years league leading sack numbers and make the same impact that the 1977 Cowboys made with Harvey Martin & Randy White. A few more interceptions to go with another sack here and there could result in a great year for the 2009 Cowboys. Especially if they are able to run the ball better and make the other teams have to pass in the 4th quarter.
The 2009 Cowboys have young developing talent in the offensive skill positions just like the 1992 Cowboys with the triplets. I have to admit that Roy Williams is not Michael Irvin and Tony Romo has a long way to go in protecting the ball to be Troy Aikman. But Romo does put up big numbers in the passing game and the 3-headed monster at running back could put up bigger numbers than Emmitt.
Hey it’s May and everybody can win in May but you have to admit that this team has a real shot now that the attitudes have been addressed.
They DO have talent
What we’re seeing now is not so much filling needs, but filling UP on young aggressive football players. The team has made great strides in character over the last 3 months. They tried to fill holes in the draft, but its clear now that if they couldn’t get exactly the right player, they drafted for football instincts and toughness. As bad as the ink has been on Wade Phillips, I think it is he who is putting his stamp on the team with this draft. He told Cisznowski what he wanted and Tom found the players. This philosophy about how to assemble a team has to be coming from somewhere, and although I’m no Jerry-basher, I don’t think he came up with this strategy on his own.
Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.
Joe ThEEsman
+1
This will definitely be a different type of year.
Trust in Wade, Jerry—the guy knows his D.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:40 AM CDT up reply actions
New philosophy
could be coming from Wade. We know that Jerry has always loved the flashy players. It is a refreshing change and I love the focus on “team and attitude” over flash.
Your wrong on Romo
The idea that Romo plays poorly in big games is a myth. For every big game Romo has played poorly in you can find a big game he has played great in.
I wouldnt exactly say it's a myth.
He has played well in some big games, but last season he was awful down the stretch. How many times did he turn the ball over in December? That is what has to stop. And it wasn’t always caused by pressure either. Romo threw some picks with no one near him. And the fumbles need to stop as well.
He made horrible decisions against Pittsburgh (3 picks)
He made horrible decisions against Baltimore (2 picks)
And I dont even want to get into the Philly game.
With all that said, I still think he can come through. But he has to win a playoff game this season. Has to.
Jerry Jones could go in his sock, slap you wit a stack of hundreds, then catch you again on the backswing wit 3 Super Bowl rings. So who the hell are you makin' fun of?
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on May 14, 2009 7:19 AM CDT up reply actions
+1
The points Glory makes are 100% valid. Romo has got to take the next step or his credibility goes down a giant notch. I love the kid but am sick of the december swoons. I know the whole team needs to pick it up but the QB is the money position.
its is a myth
You cite a few bad games, but what about the big games he was clutch in, like the Carolina games in 2006(his first start mind you), the clutch win against the GMen at the Meadowlands in 2006, the comeback against the Bills in 2007, the clutch 4th qtr drive against Lions to win that game, the Packers game in 2007 to settle home field advantage in the NFC.
Tony Romo is definitely not a reason for concern, he’s the reason to be optimistic about this upcoming season because without him under center, we would be very lucky to be 8-8, probably 6-10. With him we have a chance to win the SB.
BTW, the Cowboys have to win a playoff game, Romo can’t do it all by himself. I have yet to see a QB win a football game.
In Romo we Trust
Terry's Romo
is an amazing QB. Terry’s mythical Romo always wins games, but he never loses them. Romo owns every success; anyone but Romo owns every failure. That is your superhero action figure, not the Cowboys QB.
Romo has shown flashes of brilliance, but he needs to show he can close a season strong. It is a fact, not a myth, that he has yet to take his team to success in the post-season. Romo needs to step it up this year and not fizzle in December.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
wrong again
I’ve said many times Romo lost the Steelers game so to say that I’ve never said he loses games is completely not true.
I also never said he was soley responsible for any win either.
The team has fizzled in December and Romo happens to be part of that team. To single him out is wrong.
In Romo we Trust
its not wrong to single him out
cause his performance has declined in december more than most players.
But its wrong to put the majority of the blame on him when our oline was jsut as big a reason for our demise last year, as well as the fact that we played very physical defenses who could take advantage of our line. How many times was Romo peeling himself off the turf in december? You’re not going to win games when that happens to your qb for an entire month.
Foyesboys.....
I agree that you can’t single out Romo because they are a team like you said. However, as the leader of the team, you have to take over the responsibility of a team both in winning and losing. It’s kind of like me as a business owner. When someone on my team messes up, my clients don’t want to hear that “Charlie” messed up. They put the blame on my company. As the head of my company, it is my responsibility to get issues/problems fixed. No one wants to hear about Charlie, they just want the issue resolved. Make sense? I don’t think anyone wants to blame Romo for all the problems, but it is his responsibility as the leader to take on those issues from a leadership standpoint. Does any of this make sense?
no because Wade is the boss
and has to take responsibility for a team’s loss, not anyone player.
In Romo we Trust
So you really think that Switzer was responsible for our SB
win in 96? I disagree. That was because of Aikman and company.
I'm saying the HC takes repsonsibility
of his teams failures, not any one player. You’re comparing apples with oranges.
In Romo we Trust
I'm not blaming Romo...
so get off the defensive. I’m saying that if you truly want to be the leader you have to take all the responsibilities of being a leader just like in a business world. As long as Romo has people justifying for him like you, he will never get better.
the real leader of any team should be the HC
Romo is just the leader on the field, but that doesn’t mean he should have to be responsible for the 44 other players, unlike the HC.
In Romo we Trust
really?
if the QB fails, it’s the coach’s fault ,but if he’s successful it’s because he’s a great QB?
It’s one or the other but not both.
Romo is Quincy Carter when the heat is on. Romo has been wretched down the closing stretch each season. If he played great and the team was wretched, then we’d all agree with you, but, that’s not the case, and you admit it.
how about
giants week 15, ravens fourth quarter week 16? How about packers with the nfc one seed on the line in late november?
Frankly i think Romo played well in the giants game. I don’t think there was ANY difference between his play in teh playoffs against them and his play in the regular season, just that our receivers missed opportunites in the third quarter and then in teh fourth, their Dline just took over and dominated our oline.
Romo and Quincy Carter?
Sorry, dude—bad comparison. Quincy got me hyped maaaaaaaaybe twice while the heat was on. Romo has absolutely blinded defenses with his play since his first few starts.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Aikman
said later that Barry was as responsible for that SB as Jimmy was the two on his watch. IOW, it was the players all three times.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
This raises a good point
Romo’s best play seemed to occur in 2006 or at least that’s when he seemed to display an ability to win in clutch situations. I think he lost a lot of support with the new regime. They seemed to trust him too much. BP keep him on a tight leash and Romo benefited from that. Perhaps this is why his game has gone backwards instead of progressing. He looked like magic for those first 6 or 7 games in 2006.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
Give me a break
Romo did not experience many clutch situations in 2006. Also, keep in mind the division wasn’t as strong that year. The majority of those wins in 2006 came against the likes of arizona, tampa, etc. I take that back, the Giants game and redskins game he put us in position for the game winning field goal.
Since then, hes played well in the fourth in close games against:Giants (3 times), Redskins (one game in 2006 one game in 2007), Eagles 1st game last year, on top of Bills, Packers, Lions, Ravens…..His only legitimately bad performance in the fourth was last year against Pitt, which I think clouds people’s memory as to what Romo has really done for this team.
Romo beat the eventual
Champs that year (Colts). Had one helluva 4th quarter against the Panthers (very clutch) in his first full game. And what can you say about being on the Road at Washington and the Meadowlands and putting your team in position to win in the waning minutes. Wish he would have had a little of that magic at home in 2007 divisional playoffs when he got the ball several times in the last 7 minutes and couldn’t get it done. In that game he looked flustered. Under the BP regime, he looked calm and cool and he got the job done. Its just an observation.
By the way, I don’t think my comments were crazy enough to elicit a “give me a break” response.
But I do think he has done a lot for this team. I don’t think they would be close to being contenders without him. But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t take a step back under the new regime.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
sorry bout that
you’re right, forgot that that panthers game was close going into the fourth. Romo didn’t even do too much in the colts game though. I remember the pass to fasano to seal it and a bunch of barber runs. we had a defensive td that game too.
Regardles though, to say hes regressed is wrong. In 2006, there were at least 2 plays a game where defenders dropped balls that hit them in the chest. I remember 3 or 4 being in the red zone. Thats not happening as much nowadays and his INT % was the lowest of his career last year. We had tight games entering the fourth throughout 2007 and he came through time and time again.
examples:
week 1 up 12 on the giants entering the fourth, but they kept scoring and you got the feeling we’d need to keep scoring to win. we did
week 3 bears game tied at halftime, we destroyed them in the third and fourth quarters
week 5 buffalo…this ones kinda up for debate, the team should get more credit than romo but he did eventually come through
week 10 giants tied at halftime romo played well in second half
week 11 washington down 10-7 at half with nothing going for us and he hooked up with TO 3 times to help us get a win
week 13 GB can’t really say enough about how he played throughout that entire game. His one INT was the Owens bobble Fup.
Week 14 detroit this was a solid comeback.
So i guess a lot of these rallies started at halftime, but my point is, i don’t see how you can say romo regressed from 2006 to 2007 in terms of late game situations
you're right
I absolutely agree that Romo needs to become a bigger voice for this team. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean locker room leader type guy. But leadership is an issue and hopefully he will try and have a bigger presence on the field. The worst part of last season for me was watching Romo, Roy and TO look like they had no idea what was going on after one miscommunication after another. Thats not leadership from the qb position.
I second that, as a Cowboy QB he needs to be more vocal,
not to try to be politically correct and nice guy and appease everyone. There is something else that crossed my mind, it seems to me that leadership is lacking for the whole team. Terry said that HC is responsible as well earlier and WP does not convey too much leadership in my eyes either
I think
it will be easier for Romo to take the reins without TO around.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 4:40 PM CDT up reply actions
+1
I’ve seen Romo and others shout in the heat of the moment, but they’ll all be able to share their own bullhorn this year.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Objection, relevance
Just because he got away with it doesn’t mean Romo doesn’t need to smarten up and protect the ball.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions
so is your argument
That the D needs to improve so that Romo can continue to turn the ball over at an astonishing rate?
I think the stupid mistakes and lack of attention by your golden boy are more easily addressed, even though he has shown no progress in protecting the ball.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions
it's not an agrument
just stating that Roelisberger won a SB even though he committed as many TOs as Romo, nothing more.
In Romo we Trust
So
if they both turn the ball over about the same, how come Ben has won SBs and Tony hasn’t even gotten in the vicinity of a SB?
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
Simple: Consistency within the overall organization.
Pittsburgh’s owner has committed to his staff and team philosophy; Jerry (as awesome as he may be) is still young and learning the ropes.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Jerry is not young nor is he inexperienced
he just thinks he knows more about football and football players than he actually does
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
I meant young compared to Rooney.
Jerry’s hiring of Parcells and disappointed when he left is evidence that he knows he has to pick the right brains to learn to better the Dallas Cowboys.
I even think that in this most current draft he took the word of his coaches and scouts to fine tune this team. That’s both learning the ropes along with being a ripe old owl.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
So
what it comes down to is the rest of the team has to get good enough to compensate for our QB’s weaknesses.
That is what we are working toward.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
no, not at all
The point is that a great defense can cover up a lot of mistakes by offensive players, not only Romo.
What if MB3 or Jones fumbles and the defense holds, same difference.
In Romo we Trust
Exactly
what I am saying. The whole team needs to get to the point where they can compensate for individual weaknesses.
My hope is Romo will improve. Whether he does or not, the rest of the team will need to pick it up to cover for his shortcomings. Yes, it is the same with other players as well.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
Romo will improve
as his best football is still to come. Cowboys fans just need to be patient, he hasn’t even played 3 entire seasons yet.
In Romo we Trust
He may not
I thought his play in 2008 was no better than in 2006. He played some of his worst football at the end of last year.
As I have said before, if he were a stock, he would be a hold. I wouldn’t dump it, but I wouldn’t buy more either.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 15, 2009 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions
To be fair.
The entire offense dropped last year.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
I disagree
He had injuries and his OL performed worse, I actually feel he played better in 2008 given those circumstances that didn’t exist in 2006.
In Romo we Trust
Objection, overruled
You’re objection is noted, Romo does need to turn the ball over less.
However, the fact that Rothlisberger won in spite of his turnovers is quite relevant. Same for Favre, Eli, and Bradshaw.
Res firma mitescere nescit
How many turnovers did Favre have
the year they won the Superbowl?
I don’t think that refernce helps your argument.
Bradshaw was a different era.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Here's why its relevant:
If one QB can turn the ball over and still win the SB then its more likely than not that another similarly situated QB can turn the ball over and win the QB.
Not an argument, just a technical point.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
they are not similarly situated
So if Garrett is trying to help Romo cut down on turnovers, Romo can just ignore him and say “Rothlisberger won the Superbowl”.
Maybe Tony should ride around on a crotch rocket with no helmet as well.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think your making one
Romo needs to cut down on turnovers. I don’t see how the performance of any other quarterback changes that fact, and why anyone would even mention Rothlisberger.
If Romo pulls the same tired act this year, the team is back at 9-7, and you will still be blaming the o line and talking about Rothlisberger.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Do you think Dallas can win the SB
with Romo replicating last year’s performance?
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions
absolutely
If you look at Romo’s stats they are better than Roethlisberger’s. If Romo had his defense, there is no question the Cowboys could have won the SB.
In Romo we Trust
Okay Terry - let me simple it up for you
Does Romo have the Steeler’s Defence? Yes or No
Will he most likely play the season with the Cowboys Defence? Yes or No
Can we reasonably anticipate any change in which defence Romo plays with this season?
You are saying that Dallas can win with the simple, everyday modification of acquiring the Steelers’ defensive players and staff.
That is a great idea, and way simpler than having him protect the football like a veteran quarterback, which would require moving heaven and earth.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions
That isn't what you said at all
you make it up as you go along
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Did you really laugh out loud
Most grown men don’t.
You said that Dallas can absolutely win the SB this year if Romo continues to turn it over. After all, he only needs the Steelers defence. When I point that absurdity out to you, and walk you through some simple yes or no questions, you ignore those and pull out the old “defence wins championships” platitude.
Abd then resort to calling me funny. Well done.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 3:37 PM CDT up reply actions
Not at things on the internet
and I don’t post little abbreviations if I do. If the fact that I said you make your crap up as you go along made you giggle and post about it, good for you.
Once again Terry, you run and hide, and attack the poster.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 15, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions
LOL!
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
LOL
LMAO
LMFAO
ROTFL
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 15, 2009 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions
I just tacked my smart ass comment on
Regarding the charge that real men don’t use LOL.
Not a response to you Bigrigga :)
(Uh oh, I bet real men aren’t supposed to use the smiley face symbol either)
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on May 15, 2009 9:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Me 2.
I thought only my dog questioned why I laugh at the computer screen. It’s as amusing to me as watching a sitcom or something.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 16, 2009 10:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Saying
“You’re funny” and ignoring all reason is making it about the poster, not the content.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 15, 2009 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Lol
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
lol
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
No, not at all
Romo needs to step up big time in big games. Go back to the way he played in 2006 in weeks 8 through 13. Those were some pretty impressive wins against the Panthers, Colts and Giants. And Romo put them in position on the Road against the Redskins. That was impressive.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
really?
Colts, GMen games in 2006, Packers game in 2007 and GMen game in 2009 were all pretty big games IMO, and he stepped up in those games.
In Romo we Trust
No question
But he has to learn to be a consistent qb. I think he is great when he’s on his game. But when he’s off, wow, then you get the Pittsburgh game. Now maybe those bad games are few and far between. But last season is very different if they beat pitt on the road in freezing temps.
I really do think he needs to work on the little things and that the new regime has been lax about it. Watch the tape. There is stuff about his game that needs to be cleaned up. But look, there are a lot of successful people that need constant criticism to perform at their best. That’s what the coaches need to do for him. They do him no favors by allowing him to rest on his laurels. Case in point: there was some sloppy play in the first three games of last year (couple endzone interceptions, etc.). Good coaches take that opportunity to teach (BP was always harder on this team after a win); bad coaches, say all is good because we won (who does that sound like?)
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
Yep
But it’s also different if we don’t lose him for three games.
I would say there is a much better chance Dallas beats the Rams.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
couldn't agree more
No question Romo is far from a finished product, I’ve been preaching that a million times…gotta give him some time, his best is yest to come.
In Romo we Trust
He also
played spectacularly agaisnt the ravens in the fourth while getting hammered play after play.
played very well agaisnt the giants despite being utterly pounded into the turf play after play. Heck he plays well against the giants every time we see them yet we continue to disregard his performances against a physical defense.
He consistently is lights out awesome in prime time.
As for the turnovers, the guy never looked healthy to me. From the washington game on, he couldn’t throw simple slant patterns into decent coverage. Thats not the Romo we’ve seen throughout his career. Not all those INTs against Pitt were bad decisions, 2 were bad throws. There is a difference, imo. Which is why im optimistic.
Philly game was a complete disaster for everyone including Romo, TO and Williams, who couldn’t get open, and most of our defense including ware who got stonewalled in the most important game of the year.
He may have had a good 4th quarter against the Ravens
but the two picks were terrible decisions, and the second one changed the face of the game before half.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions
The pittsburgh game
Defense played well. TChoice ran well. All the Cowboys needed was a steady, mistake free hand at the QB position (I dare say a bus driver). Romo didn’t even come close to being adequate in that game.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
nobody is disputing Romo lost that game
but it’s the only one he did lose, in all other games he’s played poorly, the rest of the team had a big hand in losing as well.
In Romo we Trust
what??
how many games in a season does your QB get to lose? If the QB’s play is losing games for you, uh… you’ve got Jason Cambpell starting at QB.
if you paid attention last year
guys like peyton, mcnabb and eli did all they could to lose mutliple games. Donovan McNabb is the reason the Eagles couldn’t do jack s**t against the redskins week 16. Same with the Bengals. Same with the ravens, but he has something resembling an excuse there given they have an elite D. How many times have we been able to say that Romo flat out cost us a game? I can think of the steelers game last year and a couple philly games in romo’s career. McNabb pulled that many off in a 6 week period.
Few qbs in this league are perfect, especially with an injured brady and declining peyton manning. Ben is the closest thing to an elite playoff qb, but he is not in their league in the regular season. Warner when hes on is great, when hes off hes a liability (see jets game). Same with guys like Cutler.
Not saying I don’t want romo to improve, I do. Just that you need some perspective when looking at this.
PLEASE DON'T MAKE THIS A DEFEND TONY ROMO AT ALL COST THREAD!!!!!
This is a well written story and it is fair to throw out questions about Tony Romo. He didn’t say Romo sucks or that every important loss is his fault. He simply put his late season performance on the list of questions……and the team’s late season success isn’t even debatable. It has been disappointing. Any QB is going to be in the conversation when a team under performs late in the season consistently.
I knew when I read the post the Romo idolizers would come out of the woodwork and hijack the thing. Sheesh
by StillHateTheGiants on May 14, 2009 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Sorry....over reaction on my part. It isn't hijacked yet.
by StillHateTheGiants on May 14, 2009 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
The games
are on TV, dude. We can see what happens at the end of the season. Romo can’t close. Yet. I am hoping he gets it done this year.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
+1
Terry Glenn, Roy Williams and Crayton had more to do with our 2 playoff losses than Romo.
The Seattle game should’ve never come down to the wire. And neither should the Giants game. Romo played pretty damn well in that giants game i think, aside from one overthrown ball to TO. But unlike the regular season, when the giants receivers dropped balls and ours caught everything, the situation reversed, and we dropped the balls. Thats the entire difference in the game. Well, and jacque reeves being utterly incompetent.
+1
It is amazing to me how on a blog with such intelligent members and posters, that argument gets thrown out over and over again.
It’s like everyone pays lip service to it’s a team effort, but forget the giant goosegg laid in those games by people other than Romo.
'he nails an open three from the corner....just like you and me, this one was made by penetration' - Truthaboutit - Round 1 Game 5 Recap
I don't think everyone is saying he is solely to blame
Just that his personal performance needs to improve – and that is not the sole thing that needs to improve. Part of the reason why he gets so much grief is at times he looks like he has taken the next step, and then he regresses.
Ken Hamlin lays goose eggs, but that is what the Ken Hamlins of the world do. I also think Newman has had some costly struggles, but that point of view is not popular. The o line was bizarrely inconsistent in that they seemed to rotate no show performances amongst them.
I also thought Ware was a bit of a no show in Philly, but that game was such a cluster**** it is hard to draw any conclusions from it other than the fact that there isn’t enough beer in Milwaukee to kill the painin’.
by I_miss_Switzer on May 14, 2009 4:39 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
The Philly game was just… a debacle.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
Complete
debacle…same with the Rams game. HUGE WTFs!!!
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Yep
I think Romo can definitly improve, but this “he can’t close” stuff is just borderline silly.
He hasn’t played his best football in december, but to be fair neither has the rest of his team.
For some reason the offensive line looks worn down.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
certainly,
it could just be a coincidence that he’s miserable in December and in the playoffs. There isn’t a large enough sample set yet to show that it’s a pattern. But he’s one of many Cowboys that needs to re-focus and re-dedicate himself to improving and play consistently better throughout the season.
There are always those Quincy Carter visions you get every game when Romo flashes those qualities that pushed Bill Parcells out of the game and kept Romo sidelined for his first 3.5 years in the league.
I agree totally
I just think it’s crazy that everyone forgets about the other things that happened in the two playoff losses.
It’s like the Glenn safety, the Witten fumble, the special teams debacles, Roy williams being abused by tightends, and the Crayton drop just POOF never happened.
Some people(not you) act like in those two playoff games he just self destructed.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
by AirforceBat on May 14, 2009 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Again with Quincy Carter?
The team hasn’t done dookie in December since we were all young Jedis. The playoff game Quincy got into with Hambrick was because Dallas had the #4 overall defense. Romo was a young padawan then, but he would fare much better against the Panthers with that great team D that playoff year.
Sure, the Cowboys haven’t won in the postseason in 13 years, but Romo’s only been the starting QB for two of them. He helped in his first half-year as a starter and simply got beat by the Superbowl bound Giants in the other. Last year, it was obvious his broken pinkie affected his accuracy and the rest of the NFC contenders just flat-out came to play when the Cowboys didn’t.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 2:57 AM CDT up reply actions
Really? Damn. Go Dat and Coakley!
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
Available free agents
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-availablefreeagents051309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Is there anyone here worthy of a spot among the 53 assuming some of the draft picks…do not pan out??
Yes. Kevin Carter.
Kevin Carter is old, there is no question about that. But he put up decent numbers (28 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 PDs, 1 FF) as a 4-3 DE for Tampa last year who played about 60% of the defensive plays. IMO, he could be as effective as Spears and Canty/Olshansky as a 3-4 DE. He has the bulk at 6-5, 300 lbs to play in a 3-4 although I’m not sure he’s ever done it (dont think Miami played a 3-4 in ‘05 – ’06.) We have little to no depth on the D-Line and Carter could be had on a one year deal for close to veteran minimum. I believe he would be better options than what’s already here – Hatcher, Bowen, Siavii, Dixon – yawn!
We need some sort of security at this position. Should one of our starters go down, this position becomes a major liability. Carter could at least hold his own until we can find someone next year.
NT and OL depth scare me the most
Key injuries to Ratliff or just about any starting OL could derail the whole season. It would be great if someone/anyone stepped up to provide some depth there.
by StillHateTheGiants on May 14, 2009 8:17 AM CDT reply actions
The fact that you have to reach to find concerns is very encouraging.
I’ll take it in order:
WR – While no one seems to “get it”, GM Jerry has said repeatedly that FA is the best way (in his opinion) of filling the WR slot. He simply will not draft one high. I happen to agree with him. Look for Matt Jones or another FA to be added prior to training camp.
NT – Here I agree with you somewhat, but who are the backups in Pitts, SD, NE, etc? Can you name them? No…because they’re all scrubs. We have a Pro Bowl NT that led the league in QB pressures and sacks from the NT position. Having backup as a concern is quite OK with me. As for the DE’s, we happen to have several very good backups in Bowen, Hatcher, and Dixon. Hatcher may very well be the best DE on the roster. All-in-all, there simply aren’t many concerns, if any.
Growing Pains – PLEASE! Not one of the rooks are slated to start. That is the ultimate situation. Every team has rookies and they all struggle. A real non-issue.
The Division – The NFC East has been the best division in football with very few exceptions since the merger in 1970. So what. To be the best, you have to beat the best. It’s actually a positive that we play in the East, because if you make the playoffs, there isn’t a team that will scare you. Not only is this not a concern but it is a red herring.
Romo – I agree with you. He and the O-Line are the keys to the season. On the plus-side, this is his 3rd/4th year starting, which is normally the make-or-break time for QBs to go from good to great. Let’s hope he makes the leap. I think he can, but still believe that he’s one sandwich short of a picnic.
All-in-all, a bunch of reaches on the concerns. O-Line, Safety, Special Teams, and Coaching are all higher concerns to me.
Res firma mitescere nescit
I'm happy to disagree with your biggest concerns
Not that there aren’t legitimate questions about O-Line, Safety, Special Teams, and coaching. My take on all except O-Line is that I’m almost 100% positive that Dallas will be better in those in 09 than they were in 08. So regardless, they improve in my mind.
by StillHateTheGiants on May 14, 2009 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Me too...
I do “think” they’ll be better, but going into the draft, Safety, LB (both) depth, NT, OG, and maybe OT were the clear areas of concern.
At Safety, this draft was fantastic. Smith, Hamlin, and Sensabaugh are all upgrades to Thong, Brown, and Watkins.
At CB, the consensus of the draftniks is that Mickens was the steal of the draft in the 7th.
All the picks have great Special Teams ability, most were captains, and all the previews had “productive” as a positive trait. Combine that with Buehler filling the biggest weakness we had (KO coverage is most directly attributable to kickoff length moreso than gunners) and you’ve really done your best to shore up that area.
On O-Line, Brewster seems to be a very good value pick at OG, Holland was a great pickup mid-season, but OT really is weak. I’m of the opinion that Flo is past his prime and we really need to improve there, but for now, we will live and die by this group. I’m not sold yet, but at least this group has proven that they can play better.
Coaching…well, I simply don’t think we have one of the best groups in football. They are a weakness. Simply put, Jason Garrett is too much like his mentor Norv Turner in that he’s too prectable and depends on having better athletes rather than sound schemes. As for Wade, he’s simply not a good Head Coach. He’s a fine DC, and our defense should be better, but in the end, the HC must be a difference maker in schemes, preparation, and motivation…areas where his style seems to be deficient.
Res firma mitescere nescit
Make or break for Garrett
He’s got all the toys he asked for. It’s completely his show now. This is his free agent year to show that last season was an anomoly, otherwise he’s doomed to being a 2nd rate O Coordinator for the remainder of his career.
I have to add
The Division – The NFC East has been the best division in football with very few exceptions since the merger in 1970. So what. To be the best, you have to beat the best. It’s actually a positive that we play in the East, because if you make the playoffs, there isn’t a team that will scare you. Not only is this not a concern but it is a red herring.
Unless you are Philly.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
Dude, this is a Wade Phillips Coached football team...
No one needs to reach to find concerns.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
Roy keeps saying he has always been a number one receiver but as you pointed out...
That season is the only time that Williams has had more than 64 receptions, or more than 838 yards
Check this out
This season, like most seasons depends on staying healthy. IF, Jay Ratliff, Demarcus Ware, one or two OL, Tony Romo, Roy Williams or Jason Witten or a mix of these guys gets injured for any length of time it will hurt them badly. At least we have depth at running back.
Romo will not have as many turnovers this year. Why? He won’t be asked to throw as much. Handing the ball off = less fumbles by Romo and less INT’s. He’ll be able to manage the game better. It will also help calm him down some.
If this team can stay healthy and the WR’s can make some plays, this team has a really good fighting chance to win the East. They are crowning the Eagles already? Hmmm..
Didn’t they do that to us last year?
by torchindefenses on May 14, 2009 10:05 AM CDT reply actions
My only real concern is the health of the team
If we stay healthy, we’re going deep into the playoffs.
In Romo we Trust
My biggest concern is this WR corps doesn't scare opposing D Coordinators
There is literally no one that forces the opposition to ‘game plan’ against. Add to that if anybody goes down for an extended time makes it worse as we dip into thin reserves. That said, J Whit and a healthy F Jones will give opposing D’s plenty to worry about in the passing game.
As happens every year, you can’t address every need in the off year, you address those most critical and those you are best able to. Back-up NT is a great example. Last season’s rotation turned out OK, we’re just standing pat and addressing bigger needs – such as LB/DB.
Romo is at a crossroads, his notable failures have masked a remarkable rise to prominence in a pretty short stint as a starter. But the tag is there, and the only way to lose it is by winning big games , playoff games – S Young, J Elway and P Manning all faced these questions before they won championships.
Two years ago we finished with our best regular-season record ever-because we stayed relatively healthy and won a couple of games we should have lost – BUF and DET. Last year, injuries and a lack of quality depth set us back – plus a complacent attitude going into STL and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in PIT.
If nothing else, I hope this team takes the bitterness of getting its a$$ handed to them in PHL with everything on the line and plays with some attitude this year. I’m still pissed about it.
'It is not enough for me to win. My enemies must lose' - David Merrick
good post
I agree with almost everything. I don’t fully trust this receiving core. They have potential. Roy WIlliams really is a guy who can scare defensive coordinators. Likewise, Austin COULD provide that complementary threat. Crayton is a solid 3rd/ok 2nd too. But untill we see it on the field, we can’t say for sure that this team will be solid at the wr spot.
And I 100% agree with you record wise. I don’t think we played significantly worse last year aside from injuries, but as you said, we turned in one crap effort against the rams and had a spectacular loss against the steelers where we should’ve won. In 2007 we completely avoided injuries and probably won one or two more games than we should’ve against a much easier schedule. The Minnesota win was also a minor miracle – romo had a bum hip after trying to slide tackle the vikings blocker, and we weren’t gonna do anything that 4th quarter offensively.
I just wanted to say real quick
I really appreciate everyone at this site and what it has become. I look around at other sites and theres so much random nonsense on them. You would think with so much traffic at this site there would be more but its not even close. I doubt the main authors would even think of posting a main page article about the failure of a rival teams player in some offseason activity. I love BTB thanks guys!
What the French?! Toast!
Good analysis, Carl
I generally agree with all your points.
I’ll add one more that troubles me a touch: depth at CB. Newman’s obviously a top performer. We THINK Jenkins and Scandrick are ready to step up and be the #2 and #3. After that, we’re looking at guys like Ball and rookie mid/late round draft picks. Thats not a lot of experience or depth.
Absolutely Correct, Carl!
I was so optimistic going into last season with our roster. I honestly felt like Dallas had the most talent in the NFC last season and maybe in the entire NFL although San Diego, New England and Pittsburgh are tough competition.
Going into this season, I think we have seriously regressed to the point where we’re third in our own division. Based on pre-season expectations – since that’s all we have to go on, we have less talent on offense, less talent on defense, a suspect coaching staff, and tougher competition within the division. The only positives I see are better locker-room chemistry and improved special teams.
Offensively, we have lost our biggest playmaking threat. Yeah, he brought some baggage, but like it or not he was our best weapon and required defenses to scheme for him. Choice, Bennett and Felix were positives from last year, but not having TO will hurt the team. TO to Austin is not a falloff in talent, its a free fall. The offense has less talent than last season.
The defense hasnt seen as large a dropoff, but its there. I’ll call the DLine a wash from last season, but this doesnt take into account the GLARING hole at back-up NT that was there last season too. I liked the LBs better last year than this year. Zack Thomas to Brooking is a slight downgrade. Brooking is not the player he was 3-5 years ago, which is why Atlanta didnt re-sign one of their most popular players with the fans. The fans wanted him, and Brooking wanted to be there. He wasnt all that expensive, so why else would the team let him go unless he’s lost a step? Sensabaugh over Thong in the secondary should be an improvement, and the rookie CBs should be better this season, but Pacman was once an elite CB. He showed a lot of rust last year and wasnt as advertised, but on paper, our secondary looked better last year than this year.
Going into last season most people had a high opinion of Jason Garrett. Then he was exposed for being predictable as Baltimore, for one, said they knew what was coming almost every play. So we still have Garrett and that goofball slob Wade Phillips. We will continue to get outcoached.
Regarding competition, the Giants, Eagles, and Redskins all look better on paper than last season. The Giants didnt add a veteran receiver, but got some promissing rookies as part of a great draft. The return of Umenyiora will make their defense even better than last year. The Eagles also had a great draft including LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. Add to their team Jason Peters at Tackle, a year of seasoning for DeSean Jackson and they are scary on offense. The Redskins lacked a pass rush last year and now have Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo coming after QBs. What did Dallas do? They released their best offensive playmaker and had an entire draft focused on special teams. You simply cannot waste an entire draft on special teams. Not one of these guys project as an impact starter in the near future. Sure, there are some prospects, but that’s because we had 12 picks. I have tried to come around on this draft, but its just not going to happen for me. Hopefully we will have some guys break out once they’ve been developed as back-ups/special teamers/practice squaders, but I think its going to take a while. The real value in young guys is getting solid production before their initial rookie contract runs out. Let’s take McGee as an example. If he sits for 4 years and develops into a good starting QB in this league, that’s great. But by that time, his rookie contract is over and we will have to pay him like any other team would in signing a 4 year veteran QB who is just coming into his own. So, what have we really gained?
Ok, let’s talk about the positives. Sorry to be such a Debbie (or in this case, Dougie) Downer to this point. I don’t want to downplay the importance of a stronger locker room. It’s not always about the talent. Take the Giants of a few years ago, they lost guys like Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan and their regular season record kept getting better. Chemistry comes into play, and this team still does have a lot of talent. Increased special teams play will help in the field position game as well. Dallas will need that help if they plan on becoming more of a run-first option.
quick note on brooking
he was a heck of a lot better in wade’s 3-4 than in the 4-3 in atlanta the last few years. I don’t think thats the downgrade you make it out to be. Also, Bradie James at this point looks like a much better player than he did last year pre-season. Losing Burnett does downgrade us though.
Our secondary at this point looks better than everyone outside of washingtons. We had the most sacks in the league last year. We need spencer to take the next step. If he does, I think we have the best all around D in the division. But thats a big if.
I hate hearing about hte Eagles. Every year people talk about how they’re gonna take back the nfc and every year they hang around 500. What they gained offensively, they lost defensively in their secondary. They’ll be 10-6 at the very best with mcnabb at qb.
yeah but they did make the playoffs last year and the Cowboys did not
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
They made it at 9-6-1!
They needed us and the bucs to collapse down the stretch. They needed oakland to have a miracle comeback to even have something to play for week 17. Oakland!!The Eagles were a slightly above average team last year. As were we. They beat two other slightly above average teams – minnesota, and a reeling giants team without plax, in the playoffs.
I frankly think we got lucky in 07 to the tune of a couple wins we shouldn’t ahve gotten, and were badly unlucky last year with all the injuries. This is a 10 -11 win team. Not an 8 win team. Not a 13 win team.
It's crazy that a team with under 10 wins even made it.
The Cowboys must aim for at least 10, if not for 11 this year to make it.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 3:00 AM CDT up reply actions
We should recognize the 8-8 Chargers in the playoffs,
the 9-6-1 eagles… these are the best teams in the NFL? lets face, anyone could of won the SB last year, and Dallas let it get away from them
by AustonianAggie on May 15, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I guess it depends on how even the competition is next year.
Who knows? If the NFC West steps up its game like the North is looking to, then 9 wins may get us in—depending on the other Beasts Leasts in the East.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions
I think linebacker depth is also an area of concern
who says our rookies will make an immediate impact? If they don’t, we have very little depth.
I agree on the rest of your points. We do have some big time question marks. Only one i disagree with you on is the division.
The Giants improved their dline, but their solution to their wr problem that led to their offense averaging 13 ppg in 4 of the last 5 weeks of the season….was a bunch of rookies.
The Eagles added some potential offensive talent, but again…ROOKIES. I don’t see Peters as a serious upgrade over Tra Thomas, but he prevents them from having a bigtime hole there. Defensively, they have a problem. They’ve got noone in their secondary right now. And Sheldon Brown wants out. This is as big an issue as our wr situation, but noones even talking about it. Is a Jim Johnson attack defense gonna work when you have NOBODY to back up your blitz?
Washington scares me. With orakpo and haynesworth, they may’ve significantly upgraded their area of weakness. And Cambell finally has some continuity. I think they could surprise people, maybe even win this division.
giants will take the east i believe
cowboys should win around 10…eagles around 10 but as always will not still be ringless…I think the eagles draft is wayyyyyyyy overhyped honestly..maclin will be good nothing great and mcCoy is way overrated…They will struggle in the beack end because hey have no safeties free or strong…wash will be competitive as usual..The giants are going to be sick on defense and they still will have a dominate run game that combo wins…
if one of their wrs can step up
I agree the giants should be favorites. But untill then, I don’t see how a team that scored 13 points in 4 of their last 5 games should be considered a favorite for anything. They were worse offensively in december and january then we’ve ever been under romo. And its not like they even have the excuse of injuries that we’ve had.
Any team that can put the Giants down by 10
will demolish them. Elli will have to start throwing, and their running game goes out the window. With Plexiglass and Toomer gone who is Eli throwing to that scares anyone?
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
Don't know about the others, but Steve Smith is solid on 3rd downs.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 3:01 AM CDT up reply actions
And that is definitly true.
But I am ready to see what happens when Smith enters the true #2 role.
Amani Toomer was still the #2 guy all year long last year as well.
I think Steve Smith is very good, but the Giants are going to have a little bit of growing pains the first few games of the season. I think Hixon is pretty fast, but Dallas absolutely shut him down in that second game.
It’ll be interesting to see for sure. I think the Giants are a very intriguing team because as much as Dallas had turnover in it’s offense, I think it doesn’t even compare to the Giants.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
I think the big problem for NY is the man pulling the trigger.
Plaxico and Toomer bailed him out of a lot of bad passes. Who is going to do that now? Tyree’s catch in the SuperBowl seems to be a once in a lifetime thing, because I never even heard him mentioned last season. That is why their passing game is going to go to crap in a paper bag. We got rid of T.O. but we still have at least some semblance of a number 1 reciever in Williams, and an experienced core in Crayton. I like Austin as our third and if he and Isiahh can get over the injuries the recievers will not be the worry here that they will be in NY.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
As far as just pass catchers go...
I’ll take Jason Witten over anyone on the Giants roster right now.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
Lest we forget they lost their defensive guru to the Rams.
That may hurt them more than losing Flaxseed.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions
smiths a good receiver
I agree with that. But hes not a number one. Hes kinda like crayton – very reliable on third downs. the problem is outside him they have nothing proven.
Very true.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 15, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions
We have a few "holes".
The 3 CB’s are good, but after that?
LB’s – can Ware repeat without help from the other side? Time for Spencer to step up to the plate.
QB’s – I think we are okay. Romo is not a "choker"
OL – HELP! If we lose a starter, we are in trouble. The offense will go as far as the OL can take them.
Our "ground game" should be able to keep our Defense fresh and rested – IF the play selection is correct.
Special Teams – this is beginning to sound pretty good. We will learn more in the pre-season.
Right now – I am concerned about the offensive play selection. I wanna have total control of the clock.
Just my 2 cents.
I live and die with the Dallas Cowboys
How about coaching?
we have good DC, we have debatable ( I still like him better) OC, but no real HC.
Anyway you slice it, JJ is the acting HC. I know WP is different than BP in style , philosophy you name it. I didn’t like BP in particular, but I knew we had a witted strong HC in him.
and I haven’t even mentioned assistant coaches, they are the ones who do the dirty work. I dont like the notion of the family oriented atmosphere were everybody’s cousin or brother in law is employed as well. It leads to diffusing responsibility and mediocre results.
The family thing
Happens all over the NFL, Dallas isn’t really that different in that regard.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
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