Cowboys News & Notes

by Dave Halprin on Jun 16, 2011 9:00 PM CDT in Dallas Cowboys News

Keeping our fingers crossed for an end to this dastardly lockout soon. In the meantime, some Cowboys stories to chew on.

At NFL.com, Pat Kirwan ranks the tops pass rushers in the league. In Group A, the best of the best, we find, of course, DeMarcus Ware.

DeMarcus Ware, 3-4 OLB, Cowboys (>): Ware led the league in sacks in 2008 (20) and again last season (15.5). He now has 80 sacks in 96 games as a pro.

Todd Archer over at ESPN has an interesting nugget to add to this article, he notes that three of the other top four pass rushers in Group A, Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney, and James Harrison also had teammates that made the list. Ware doesn't, as Anthony Spencer continues to frustrate with his 'Almost Anthony' moniker.

Allen had Ray Edwards. Freeney had Robert Mathis and Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. How much does it help Allen, Freeney and Harrison to have such a threat on the opposite side?

If Rob Ryan can get Spencer going, what a difference that would make.

More...

The mothership comments on the consistent greatness of Jason Witten. I posted about his inclusion in the Top 100 NFL players (#36), and OCC noted his high-ranking as a pass-blocking tight end. He's also closing in on some Cowboys records.

Witten ranks fifth in receiving yards for the club with 6,967, and is likely to pass [Bob] Hayes (7,295) and possibly [Drew] Pearson (7,822) in 2011. [Michael] Irvin's team record is 11,904 yards, which Witten is on pace to pass in less than six seasons if his career average of 870 yards per campaign holds up. Even more attainable is Irvin's club record for receptions (750), which Witten could reach in the next two years.

Our old friend Dat Nguyen is helping new rookie Von Miller get ready for the NFL.

Denver Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller intends to be ready to go whenever the NFL labor dispute is resolved. The Butkus Award winner and first-round draft pick from Texas A&M is getting up to speed on the intricacies of the 4-3 defense from former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen. Nguyen coaches linebackers for the Aggies.

"He played in the 4-3 in the NFL, he knows what to expect, so I've been working with him," Miller told the Denver Post. "I want to have all of the terminology down, know my responsibilities. That's my expectation, to be ready to do what I'm supposed to do in the Broncos' defense."

In light of the Mavs winning the championship and having a victory parade, thoughts turned to the Cowboys 1993 victory parade, which turned into a disaster.

Tons of confetti rained down on Commerce Street and the first floats in the parade got through. But soon afterward the massive crowd, estimated later at 400,000 people, literally swallowed up the cars carrying the players.

Some bailed out and had to plow through adoring fans on foot. A car carrying one player was set on fire as police lost control.

Too few cops and not enough planning were a disastrous combination. And when the celebration ended roving gangs of young people started attacking people at random, from City Hall to the West End.

Among those attacked were TV news photographers, including one who suffered a serious head injury.

Some notes about Cowboys training camp in San Antonio, if it happens.

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Jason Witten has an uncanny ability to get open

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by AustonianAggie on Jun 17, 2011 12:21 AM CDT reply actions

I've never understood rioting after your team wins.

Makes no sense. No rioting after Bin Laden died, whole nation should have gone up in flames by that thinking…

Give me UR calls! Give me highstepping by CBs and PRs entering the endzone! Give me screaming on the sidelines and headbutting! Give me Fortitude, Solidarity and VIOLENCE! Bring me CHAMPIONSHIPS!
Bring me Ridolin LOL! - B'nSB

by BlueNSilverBlood on Jun 17, 2011 2:32 AM CDT reply actions

because they are punks and thugs

not fans.

by burmafrd1944 on Jun 17, 2011 6:49 AM CDT reply actions

If Rob Ryan can get Spencer going, what a difference that would make.

I can’t even imagine. Ware would destroy the sack record. I could see him putting up 30 easily. Compared to his counterparts Ware is a man among boys.

Tony Romo 2011's League's Most Valuable Player

by thebigham on Jun 17, 2011 7:56 AM CDT reply actions

THIS.

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by KD Drummond on Jun 17, 2011 8:35 AM CDT up reply actions

I still think Ware is serious competition with Chris Johnson and Peyton Manning for best player in the NFL.

Yes, top 3.

by mdlusk on Jun 17, 2011 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions

Chris Johnson?! You must mean AD

Chris Johnson isn’t at AD’s level yet and probably never will be. One year does not make a trend.

Tony Romo 2011's League's Most Valuable Player

by thebigham on Jun 17, 2011 8:43 AM CDT up reply actions

I think AD may be slowing down, like I also think Tom Brady is. Still top 10 for both.

And I do hesitate to promote a possible one-year wonder, but remember they say the same thing about Miles Austin. Both bring more to the field than their detractors realize.

by mdlusk on Jun 17, 2011 9:42 AM CDT up reply actions

what shows you hes slowing down?

He is on the same pace as ever. He consistently performs every year. CJ, Foster and guys like that will fizzle but AD is the one great back that you see last for 10+yrs.

Either way Go Cowboys

Tony Romo 2011's League's Most Valuable Player

by thebigham on Jun 17, 2011 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions

Well

For comparison (Peterson’s numbers):
2007 14 games, 5 over 100, 5.6 avg 1341 yards 12 tds rookie
2008 17 games, 10 over 100, 4.8 avg.1760 yards 10 tds best season
2009 17 games, 5 over 100, 4.4 avg 1383 yards 18 tds with Favre at his best
2010 15 games 5 over 100, 4.6 avg 1298 yards12 tds with Favre at his worst

(Johnson’s numbers):
2008 16 games, 4 over 100, 4.9 avg 1228 yards 9 tds rookie
2009 16 games, 12 over 100, 5.6 avg 2006 yards 14 tds best season
2010 16 games, 8 over 100, 4.3 avg 1364 yards 11 tds

I’d say both have been excellent, but Peterson doesn’t have the number of 100 yard games you would expect of a superstar RB. I was surprised actually. Your dogging of Johnson doesn’t hold water. And I think I may have misjudged Peterson’s value going forward, at least for a while.

I think that Peterson has been used a bit more sparingly but has been very good, and Peterson’s kept up his average and dropped his fumbles to only 1 last year. With Favre gone he will likely be leaned on more like 2008 when he had 363 carries.

Johnson is just about ALL the Titans have for an offense so he hasn’t been spared. And he is every bit as consistent as Peterson so far.

Just remember RB years are like dog years, so either one can burn out quickly but it is not for lack of ability.

None of this considers their receiving, just their rushing. BTW, their rushing attempts per season are almost equal, Peterson averages 299.5 carries, Johnson 308.3 carries. It is worth noting though that Peterson has never sniffed 2000 yards from scrimmage, while Johnson had 2509 yards from scrimmage in 2009.

by mdlusk on Jun 17, 2011 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

Bashing Chris Johnson will get you nowhere

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yeah, i want some views...

Chris Johnson (2008-2011) HighLights

Alterraun Verner Rookie Highlights

Yes, Chris Johnson has broken more tackles than Adrian Peterson in 2009 and in 2010

by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jul 14, 2011 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions

If you are a believer in Rob Ryan, there is reason to hope

From the mothership…

In fact, Ryan scoffed at the notion that Spencer had a “down” season and even offered a prediction about the outside linebacker’s upcoming season, stating that Spencer “is going to be tremendous in our system … I can tell you that for sure.”

"I am a true believer. Anthony Spencer will have 7 or more sacks in 2011 and Stephen Bowen can ball!" - Kegbearer
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." - Tom Landry

by Kegbearer on Jun 17, 2011 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions

I hope he is right,

and I hope he has time to install his system

He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"

by BigBad Joe on Jun 17, 2011 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm still trying to understand how both Spencer and Jenkins regressed so much last year, when they looked so promising the year before.

They certainly appeared to have the skill set to play well in this league. Was it Wade’s scheme, predictable?, was it psychological, horrible start to season?, was it overcompensation, Ball?, or was it something else. I don’t know, but the team responded to JG. Now will the D respond to RR. In my gut I believe this almost to a certainty. I want to see the old Cowboy defense that gets better as the season progresses and with RR guiding the D, I truly expect this to happen. Nothing makes me fell better than to see a D get progressively better and more confident as the seaon progresses, that’s when championships are won.

by pfloyd1 on Jun 17, 2011 11:25 AM CDT reply actions

Both are puzzling

Although Spencer, dare I say it has been the more ‘consistent’ of the two. I just think he’s a lunchpail guy, never going to wow you statistically, but nonetheless steady. Not everyone can be a superstar – something many Cowboy fans have great difficulty accepting.

Now it turns out Jenkins was something of an unwilling tackler in college – and some pro teams stayed away from him for just that reason. Just great – and yet another indictment on the Wade, Jerry ‘talent evaluation’ legacy. The puzzling part was his almost complete fall in coverage. It looks like he lost confidence early, then combined with the liability of Ball at FS and the collapse by the rest of the D, the early momentum was too much to overcome. He did have a couple of solid game in the latter half and made a play that essentially won the IND game.

We live life forwards and understand it backwards

by tdships on Jun 17, 2011 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

Ryan’s addition to this defense is the single most beneficial move the organization could make, in my opinion. I am very excited.

By the way, I would say: yes, yes, yes, and yes.

Was it Wade’s scheme, predictable?, was it psychological, horrible start to season?, was it overcompensation, Ball?, or was it something else.

I am not one to believe that all the talent level suddenly disappeared or that we were fooled in ‘08 and ’09. i think athletes are greatly effected by intangibles and phsychological influences and these things played a huge role in last season’s outcome…like quicksand. Bad safety play, led to trust issues in the secondary, which led to confidence issues for some, which led to less pressure due to simplified scheming, which led to greater lack of confidence…not to mention this was after the worst kind of offseason for a team with a “soft” coach – high expectations with low levels of work, internal competition, and player accountability. It was like the perfect ($h!t) storm

by Kegbearer on Jun 17, 2011 1:27 PM CDT up reply actions