September 8, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, MySanAntonio, NFC East, NFL, Rankings/List | Comments Off
Never in my lifetime have I ever associated the word “underrated” with the Dallas Cowboys. The team’s owner, Jerry Jones, epitomizes shrewd and excessiveness. Jones recently built a stadium worth more than many countries Gross Domestic Product with the cost going north of $1 billion dollars.
The Dallas Cowboys have five Super Bowl rings, many a number of hall of famers, one of the most recognizable brands in the world, can hold claim to having the guy who owns the record for most rushing yards in a career, and they are “America’s team.” If anything about the Cowboys screams underrated Jerry Jones is sure to bring attention to so that everyone and their families knows about it
But believe it or not, there are a few underrated players that play football for America’s team. These guys have flown under the radar for awhile but have been huge contributors to the Cowboys recent run of success. Yet with the underrated there also comes the overrated.
The Cowboys have had their fair share of overrated players throughout the years, hello Quincy Carter, and they have a few on the team now.
Welcome to the house of ratings where one may find their favorite Cowboys player.
Here is my list of the 5 most underrated and 5 most overrated Cowboys players, patent pending.
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August 30, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, MySanAntonio, NFL, Opinion | Comments Off
For the past few years, the Dallas Cowboys have fallen short of their ultimate goal: a Super Bowl win.
In 2007, many NFL fans thought the Cowboys were on their way to football supremacy as they won the NFC East and earned a first-round playoff bye. They were sharp on offense and tough on defense, which was just enough to push them over the edge as the best team in the NFC.
Then the New York Giants game happened.
For three quarters of the game, the Cowboys seemed to be in control. All of a sudden, the fourth quarter started and the ‘Boys fell apart. The offensive line was gassed and the vaunted Giants defensive line tore them apart.
Romo threw a costly interception to seal the victory for the Giants, but to have any chance of winning he had to heave the ball into the end zone. Under duress from the Giants pressure, he had also developed a bad case of happy feet by the end of the game.
For the first time, the Cowboys offensive line had let them down, but it wouldn’t be the last.
Fast forward to 2009.
For the last part of the year, the Cowboys were playing inspired football. They beat the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and seemed to have the ship headed in the right direction.
Dallas had won its first playoff game in over 10 years with a big win against the Philadelphia Eagles at home and seemed to match up well with the Minnesota Vikings headed into their divisional playoff game. Their offensive line seemed to be in a good place, the defense was still solid and strong, and the backfield consisted of a few running backs that could start for any of the additional 31 NFL teams.
That was, until they actually played.
The Vikings stomped a mud hole through the Cowboys and kept stomping until their hearts beat no more. Tony Romo was sacked six times and harassed even more. He had no time in the pocket, as Jared Allen and Ray Edwards made sure Romo only saw the top of the dome and the pretty green FieldTurf.
It was simply a massacre. The offensive line, again, was a huge let down.
For the past three years, the Cowboys have had a major weakness on offense. Despite the unnecessary and unwarranted criticisms tossed at Tony Romo, it hasn't been his play at quarterback or the sometimes inconsistent play at the wide receiver position; it has been the offensive line.
Last season, Tony Romo’s blindside protector, Flozell Adams, was called for what seemed like an infinite number of false starts and personal foul penalties. Adams lost a step last year and tried to compensate by anticipating the snap count to get a head start on speed rushers gunning for his quarterback.
Unfortunately for him, it cost him his job with the Cowboys, as he was released in the offseason.
The starting left tackle job now belongs to greenhorn Doug Free. So far, he’s performed well and will surely have a quicker step off the line than Adams did last season.
But the Cowboys are hurting on the line, aging, and not performing well. Starting left guard Kyle Kosier and starting right tackle Marc Colombo are nursing injured knees. In fact, Colombo missed seven games last season with a broken leg, so starting the year off with an injury may signal that he’s on the downside of his career.
Dallas looked even worse this past Saturday night against the Texans, as they never adapted to the Texans' defensive schemes and stunts run by their defensive line. It may have been a preseason game for both teams, but Dallas looked uninspired at best, seeming to roll over for the Texans.
The Cowboys second-team offensive line is suspect enough; if Kosier and Colombo miss the first game because of injury, then Dallas may be in for a long first half of the season.
The real test will come against the Redskins in the season opener, when the players will have greater focus than in the preseason. Jason Garrett will open the playbook up to reveal new wrinkles installed to combat blitz packages by a hungry Washington team.
Nevertheless, facing tough edge rushers in Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter for the Skins, Tony Romo may become eye level with the grass at FedEx Field more than he would like to.
Either way, let’s hope what we saw in the preseason from the ‘Boys is not a sign of things to come.
-JH
Join Jason every Monday night at 8pm ET for Monday Night Quarterback where he will talk Cowboys football and all things NFL on www.blogtalkradio.com/cowboyjay
You can follow him on twitter @THenProject
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
August 15, 2010 | Filed Under Best Slideshows - League, Dallas Cowboys, Felix Jones, Marion Barber III, MySanAntonio, NFL, Preview/Prediction, Tashard Choice | Comments Off
The NFL has become a pass-happy league over the last decade, which can be attributed to the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees.
Just as there are future hall of fame players at the quarterback position, there are those at the running back position. The constant beating and banging these guys take on a yearly basis is extreme, and now the majority of teams primarily use two backs instead of just one shouldering the entire load.
Would you rather have one great back, or two pretty good backs?
I'm sure it is all about what you prefer, and everyone will have different opinions. I have compiled my personal list of the teams with the five best running back tandems in the league for the upcoming season.
Just missing the cut for this list include the Jets, Saints, Redskins, and Falcons. It was hard to leave these teams off of this list, but I do believe that the five teams I selected are the right ones. Let me know who belongs in this list, and be sure to state which team you would take out.
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August 5, 2010 | Filed Under Alan Ball, Anthony Spencer, Dallas Cowboys, David Buehler, Doug Free, MySanAntonio, NFL, Preview/Prediction, Tony Romo | Comments Off
The Cowboys’ first game is finally here! I’ve listed 19 (yeah, 19, wanna fight about it?) things for you to watch this Sunday night when the Cowboys take on the Bengals.
1. How much will the starters play?
Coach Wade Phillips has said most of the starters will be out of the game quickly. Tony Romo & Co. will probably receive one series on offense, whether they score a touchdown or go three-and-out. The lone exceptions on offense could be left tackle Doug Free, who the coaches surely want to monitor closely, and fullback Deon Anderson due to the nature of his position.
On defense, free safety Alan Ball may stay in the ballgame a bit longer than the other starters, although he has at least racked up significant game film at his position (as opposed to Free, whose left tackle game tape is minimal).
2. Will the first-string offense score on their first drive?
I recently recapped theCowboys’ 2009 woes on initial drives . It will be interesting to see how the offense starts (particularly if they are aggressive) against a much improved Bengals defense.
3. How will new Bengal Terrell Owens be treated by his former Dallas teammates?
T.O. left Dallas on somewhat bitter terms, but don’t think for a second that he doesn’t still have a lot of friends in this locker room. Owens figures to be greeted warmly by most of the roster, particularly because it is just a preseason game. Let’s see how Owens and Romo interact if they cross paths after the game.
4. How will Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins perform against “Batman” (T.O.) and “Robin” (Chad Ochocinco)?
I guess Ochocinco isn’t a good enough nickname, so Chad needed a new moniker. In any event, this will be a good test (albeit a short one) for a cornerback duo I rated as the third-best in the NFL .
5. Who will step up in the tight race for the fourth cornerback job?
The battle for the fourth cornerback spot is one of my favorite of the preseason. It is particularly intriguing because, in my estimation, the versatility of safeties Ball and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah will allow Dallas to keep just four corners .
Each guy has advantages over the others. Cletis Gordon’s experience has him in the lead as of now. Bryan McCann is the most athletic of the group. Coach Phillips has even labeled him the best in coverage “when he is on,” but he is also quite frail and may not be physical enough in live action. Rookie Jamar Wall has struggled a bit, particularly in coverage, but the ‘Boys invested a sixth-round draft pick in him.
Right now, I’d give a slight advantage to Gordon with McCann’s upside putting him right in the mix. Wall will need to show he can make some plays to stick around.
6. How will Alan Ball tackle?
Ball missed 22.2 percent of tackles last season, forcing me to provide him with a“D” in run support . His athleticism and speed should allow him to make some plays in the passing game, but he really needs to show he can hold up against the run. He could get a few series worth of work on Sunday night to prove he can do so.
7. Will Anthony Spencer, who has a bruised Achilles tendon, receive any reps?
Spencer hurt his Achilles before Tuesday’s practice and is now questionable for Sunday night. I’d presume the Cowboys will hold him out for precautionary reasons, not risking putting the potential Pro Bowl player in for even a series.
8. If Spencer doesn’t start, who will replace him: Victor Butler or Brandon Williams?
Butler is currently listed as Spencer’s primary backup at strong side OLB on theinitial Cowboys depth chart , but Williams has been a beast so far in camp. It will be interesting to see if Williams’ superior run defense skills and tremendous training camp play are reasons enough for the Cowboys to place him on the strong side as the starter opposite DeMarcus Ware.
9. Will either Robert Brewster or Sam Young, both of whom have played well at offensive tackle during training camp, step up in their first game action?
Brewster tore his pectoral muscle before even getting started last season. Both he and Young have played pretty well so far in San Antonio. With Doug Free, Alex Barron, and Marc Colombo all locks to make the final roster, Brewster and Young could be fighting one another for a job.
10. Will left tackle Alex Barron limit his false starts and outperform starter Doug Free?
Barron should see a ton of reps this preseason in his effort to take over the starting left tackle job. I’ve already explained why false starts aren’t all that costly to an offense , but Barron will definitely need to limit them as to not infuriate the coaches. I personally think Barron has a tremendous opportunity to unseat Free, and it starts this weekend.
11. Will we see left guard Kyle Kosier play any center?
The Cowboys don’t really have a true backup center, making Andre Gurode one of the most vital components of the offense. Cory Procter moonlighted at center during his time in Dallas, but he is gone now. Kosier has gotten some reps at center in practice, but not yet in live game action. Watch carefully, particularly if the ‘Boys are in Shotgun.
12. Is Titus Ryan really the No. 1 kick and punt returner?
He’s listed that way on the official depth chart . Yes, Dez Bryant is out with an injury (as was AOA), but perhaps Ryan has a better shot of making the team than we anticipated. His special teams play, particularly on kick returns, will be anenormous factor in Dallas’ decision to retain or unleash either Patrick Crayton or Sam Hurd in favor of the speedster.
13. How will David Buehler perform on both field goals and kickoffs?
I’ve beaten this subject to death, but it really is crucial to the Cowboys’ success this season. Buehler’s primary competition right now is his own mind. I think he has the confidence to be a solid field goal kicker, but he won’t have much room for error. Either way, the Cowboys need to land a reliable kicker to garner the extra win a top-notch one can bring to a club .
14. How will offensive coordinator Jason Garrett use tight end/H-Back John Phillips?
Some analysts have proposed that Phillips’ versatility could allow the Cowboys to release fullback Deon Anderson, but Phillips does not yet possess the requisite blocking ability to make that move. The offense averaged nearly two yards more per carry with Anderson in the game as compared to Phillips in 2009.
Still, watch to see where Phillips lines up on Sunday night. Will he primarily be an in-line tight end, will the Cowboys again utilize him in the fullback slot, or will he move around the field like an H-Back?
15. Will the Cowboys run more to the weak side?
The Cowboys ran to the weak side of the formation less than one-in-five runs last season. They averaged a half-yard more per carry when running weak side , including a larger percentage of big plays and a small rate of negative runs. Let’s see how often offensive coordinator Jason Garrett dials up weak side runs on Sunday night, particularly with Felix Jones in the game.
16. How many plays will the Cowboys run out of “Double Tight Right Strong Right” ?
Last season, they averaged 7.25 plays out of the formation (and variations of it), 71.6 percent of which were strong side dives. When they motioned into the formation, they ran the strong side dive 85.7 percent of the time (42 of 49 plays). Let’s see how frequently the Cowboys dial up the formation Sunday night, and if they decide to switch up the playcalling from it.
17. How often (and when) will Dallas run playaction passes?
The Cowboys figure to be very “vanilla” in their playcalling, not running much other than their basic plays. They averaged less than six playaction passes per game last season, and only 19.8 percent of playaction passes came with less than 10 yards-to-go. If Garrett plans to run more playaction passes (particularly in short-yardage situations), you’d expect the offense to practice it in the preseason.
18. What will the Cowboys do in the red zone to improve?
I previously suggested three ways by which the offense could improve in the red zone . No matter their strategy, Dallas’ red zone performance will go a long way in determining their final win total this season.
For this game, be sure to track the run/pass ratio when the ‘Boys are inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (and 10-yard line).
19. Will the ‘Boys run more on 3rd down?
Jason Garrett is really a tremendous 3rd down playcaller . If there is one thing I’d like to see him do more, however, it is run the ball more 3rd down . The Cowboys ran only seven times last season on 3rd and 3-6, even though running in those situations is actually statistically as efficient as passing .
I will track Garrett’s run/pass ratio on 3rd down this weekend and report back to you on that early next week.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
August 2, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant, Jason Hatcher, MySanAntonio, NFL, Opinion, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Tony Romo | Comments Off
With the first two weeks of camp over, the Dallas Cowboys are now gearing up for their preseason opener against the Bengals this Sunday. Here are some story lines heading into this week.
Veterans get some rest
Most of the Cowboys starters enjoyed Sunday morning off after practicing for eight days straight.
Coach Wade Phillips said that he could tell his players were tired, "(Saturday) especially I think they were sore and tired and their arms were a little weary, but that's what you have to go through," Phillips said.
"You have to bounce back from that or fight through that; that's a part of the training it takes to build a football team. To get ready for a football season in any area—high school, college, pros—it takes a lot of hard work and part of that is wearing them down some where they have to get in better physical shape."
Quarterback Tony Romo was glad to have the morning off.
"I know my body and know when I've got to say, 'OK, throttle it back.' And that's what we did," Romo said. "(Saturday) was the first day I felt it and we throttled it back right away, and we still had a good practice. That's good."
Jon Kitna also got the morning off as Stephen McGee got most of the reps and all the starters were back at it during the afternoon session which was a light no pads practice that focused on the red zone.
Bryant Injury Opens Door
With Dez Bryant out for the rest of camp, more reps open up for the rest of the Cowboys receiving group.
Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd will most likely be the first guys to benefit from Bryant's injury.
Crayton has the most experience of the backups and was the Cowboys punt returner last season, something Bryant was expected to do this season.
Hurd didn't see much action last season but is talented nonetheless and has had great camps in recent years.
Asst. coach Jason Garrett had this to say on Crayton and Hurd.
"They have a role on this football team regardless," Garrett said. "We'll see what that role is as we go forward. Through the first 12 or so practices they are both playing very well. They are in to what we are doing, they understand what we are doing. They are playing well, they are making some plays for us, so it's fun to see that."
Manuel Johnson, Jesse Holley, and Titus Ryan won't see much of an increase in their practice time, but the Cowboys have an extra preseason game, so they'll definitely see more time in games than borderline players on every other team (except the Bengals who also have five games) in the league.
Injuries
Although the week was mostly focused on Bryant's ankle, the Cowboys did see some players return to action this week.
Jason Hatcher returned after missing four days with a hyper extended elbow he suffered last week while tackling Felix Jones.
Nose tackle Josh Brent, the Cowboys' supplemental seventh round pick, broke his hand, but he had a protective cast put on and returned Saturday.
Long snapper L.P. Ladouceur sat out Saturday morning's practice with what the team is calling an illness, but returned for the afternoon session and linebacker Steve Octavien returned on Saturday after missing one day with a bruised hip.
Linebacker Sean Lee has yet to return to practice, but Phillips has said that barring any drawbacks he'll return on Wednesday,
"We'll see what the doctors say," Lee said. "As soon as they let me go, I'll be going full go."
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July 29, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, Deon Anderson, John Phillips, MySanAntonio, NFL, Preview/Prediction | Comments Off
In the first six parts of my Training Camp Battles Series , I analyzed the future of the nickel linebacker , defensive end, free safety , left tackle ,wide receiver , and cornerback positions.
Today, I will take a look at the current battle between tight ends Martellus Bennett and John Phillips for the No. 2 job behind starter Jason Witten. Recently, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett seemed to indicate that the competition for the second tight end spot is quite open. He said there will be“healthy competition” at every position and when referring to Phillips, Garrett claimed:
Every opportunity he gets, he seems to make the catch, make the block, do the little thing that helps our football team. He did that really all throughout last year in a limited role, and he has a little bit more of a role with Martellus out here the first four or five practices. He’s doing it. It’s not always flashy, but he always seems to make the block or make the catch or do something that helps our offense.
With Bennett currently sidelined due to an ankle injury, Phillips has stepped up. On Monday, he had what Jason Witten labeled “his best practice ever,” followed by perhaps an even better performance on Tuesday.
Will the less flashy second-year man be able to overtake Bennett for the backup tight end spot? Let’s take a look at the scouting reports.
Scouting Reports
Bennett may still need to mature off of the field before he can flourish on it. He isn’t a bad kid by any means, but he sometimes does boneheaded things. He’s even led me to question if Dallas would be better off without him .
On the field, Bennett is actually a little underrated (at least in terms of blocking). Take a look at what I wrote about him in my 2009 Tight End Grades :
Blocking: B+
Despite the general consensus among fans that Bennett had a horrible 2009 season, he actually performed quite well as a blocker . It is ironic that such an athletic player has developed faster as a blocker than a pass-catcher, but perhaps the way in which Witten goes about his business is rubbing off on Bennett.
Like Witten, though, we’d like to see Bennett’s penalty count decrease . Yes, it is difficult for tight ends to often block larger defensive ends, but a few of Bennett’s penalties were offensive pass interference.
Receiving: C-
Bennett obviously regressed as a pass-catcher in 2009. He caught only 51.7% of balls thrown his way, and just 15/21 on-target passes (71.4%) . Bennett doesn’t have poor hands, so we think this was due more to a lack of concentration than anything else.
Bennett is dangerous after catching the ball (4.8 yards-after-catch-per-reception–wow, that is a lot of hyphens), so the key to his 2010 success will be mastering the mental aspect of the game so he can let his athleticism take over.
Also from my 2009 Tight End Grades :
Blocking: C-
Phillips’ pass-blocking sample size (only 26 snaps) is too small to draw meaningful conclusions, but not so for his run-blocking sample (126 snaps). In a study I performed on the effectiveness of fullback Deon Anderson, I compared Anderson’s stats to those of Phillips . What I discovered (listed below) was that Phillips was far inferior to Anderson as a blocker, at least out of the backfield .
The Cowboys averaged nearly two more yards-per-carry with Anderson in the game as compared to Phillips, and, surprisingly, .2 more yards-per-pass . Phillips’ rookie play was a pleasant surprise in 2009, but he has a long way to go before he can be considered a dominant blocker.
Receiving: B-
It is tough to grade Phillips as a receiver because of his limited sample size (only seven regular season catches). Rather than use purely statistics, this grade is based more on what I saw from Phillips on film. He displayed good route-running ability and solid hands (zero drops and a natural receiver) . He averaged an impressive 6.6 yards-after-catch and showed he is capable of being an adequate runner after receiving the football.
Pros/Cons of Starting. . .
- Martellus Bennett
Bennett is more athletic than Phillips and offers a higher upside. He has the potential to be an outstanding all-around tight end. The problem is that he suffers from frequent mental lapses and has yet to cash in on that potential.
Bennett’s skill set makes him more of an in-line tight end/slot player. He can be split out wide and, although he struggled there last season, possesses the ability to play as a sort of “big receiver.”
The addition of Dez Bryant means the Cowboys will likely use more three-receiver sets and spread formations, though, so Bennett’s snaps could be limited. After all, who would you prefer line up outside for the ‘Boys on 3rd and 7: Bryant or Bennett?
Like Bennett, Phillips can be moved around the field. He will not flourish out wide, however, and is even inferior to Bennett as an in-line tight end at this time. Phillips does have the ability to play as an H-Back (a tight end/fullback hybrid), however, which Bennett really does not. This could be of use to a Dallas offense that figures to be more spread out in 2010.
Some have been predicting the Cowboys might even retain no true fullback, using Phillips at the spot when needed. However, as I stated above, Phillips has a long way to go as a blocker, so expect Deon Anderson to hold onto his job–for now.
Advantage
The Bennett/Phillips battle is an interesting one due to the varying nature of their skill sets. Bennett is currently a much better blocker and has the ability to succeed out wide, but the addition of Dez Bryant could make the former trait less valuable (if the team is in less two-tight end sets) and the latter irrelevant altogether.
Right now, Phillips is making up ground on Bennett, but he is also competing just as much with fullback Deon Anderson for playing time. I believe Anderson is the superior blocker, but Phillips obviously offers more athleticism as a legitimate pass-catching threat.
Once Bennett returns from injury, it will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Jason Garrett splits up the tight ends reps. You can probably expect Bennett to regain his No. 2 gig. Don’t think for a second the coaching staff doesn’t value his blocking ability.
Bennett is on a much shorter leash this year than in the previous two, however, meaning an outstanding preseason from Phillips, particularly as a blocker, could win him the job.
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July 15, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, MySanAntonio, NFC East, NFL, Opinion, Preview/Prediction | Comments Off
The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most decorated franchises in the NFL. They have five Super Bowl Championships and are a consistent playoff team.
They have always been known for having great players, and their current roster is no different.
Even though they've failed to make a deep playoff run in recent history, many believe this could be the year.
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June 29, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, Igor Olshansky, Jason Hatcher, Marcus Spears, MySanAntonio, NFL, Preview/Prediction, Stephen Bowen | Comments Off
In the first part of my Training Camp Battles Series, I analyzed the nickel linebacker position. Today, I will take a look at defensive end.
Coach Wade Phillips loves to rotate his defensive linemen. The chart above displays the percentage of snaps each of the defensive ends played in 2009 (it adds up to 200 percent since there were always two ends on the field).
Notice that Igor Olshansky led the group at 62.8 percent of snaps, but that wasn’t even twice as much as the player with the least snaps (Jason Hatcher at 38.2 percent). Marcus Spears, the starter opposite Olshanksy, played just slightly more (51.6 percent of all snaps) than his backup Stephen Bowen (47.4 percent).
With Spears’ and Bowen’s snaps so evenly distributed, you could effectively call them starters 1A and 1B. Spears is the run defense guy (53.2 percent of his snaps came against the run), while Bowen is the Cowboys’ pass-rush specialist at end (79.6 percent of his snaps came against the pass).
In case you are wondering, 50.5 percent of Olshansky’s snaps came against the run, while just 32.2 percent of Hatcher’s came in the same situation.
A lot of questions have arisen of late regarding this snap distribution. Is it time to provide Bowen and Hatcher (Hatcher in particular) with more snaps? Spears, Bowen, and Hatcher are all restricted free agents. There is practically zero chance of the Cowboys retaining all three players, particularly with seventh-rounder Sean Lissemore waiting in the wings.
Spears is by far the most likely candidate to leave Dallas, and there still exists an outside chance he is traded before the start of the season. If not, however, you can still expect a tremendous battle for playing time at defensive end during training camp. Spears’ probable departure only adds to the likelihood of Bowen and Hatcher receiving more snaps.
In my view, it is time to transition Bowen and Hatcher into the lineup a bit more. In our 2009 Defensive End Grades, Spears, Bowen, and Hatcher all received nearly identical grades (all around 80 percent). If the Cowboys coaches also view the players as interchangeable (which appears to be the case), then it is time to slowly scale back Spears’ snaps. Let the players who will be here in 2011 play now.
Scouting Reports
Spears has never gotten the credit he deserves because fans had unrealistic expectations for him. As a run-stuffing 3-4 end, he was never going to put up big numbers. He is an intelligent, hard-working player who still has a role in Dallas. His lack of pure pass-rushing ability, though, will limit his 2010 snap count.
Bowen is the player most likely to pilfer some of Spears’ snaps. His sack and quarterback hit percentages led all defensive ends, so he will surely once again be the Cowboys’ nickel end. If he can show he is capable of holding up against the run, he could steal Spears’ starting gig.
Hatcher is a personal favorite of mine and a player I labeled as one likely to bust out in 2010. Despite playing significantly less than the other defensive ends, Hatcher racked up the most quarterback pressures. Pressures, in my opinion, represent a players’ future sack total better than any other statistic. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Hatcher (assuming he receives enough snaps) rack up six to eight sacks this season.
Pros/Cons of Starting. . .
Spears is still fairly stout against the run, so he is by no means a liability for Dallas during early downs. The problem is that everybody and their brother knows Spears won’t be in town in 2010. If Bowen's and/or Hatcher’s play is comparable, shouldn’t they get more reps?
Bowen has a legitimate shot at starting, but he recorded only 13 tackles all of last season and played less than 100 snaps against the run. Is he ready to hold up against the offense’s “big boys” during early down work? How will that affect his pass rushing?
Hatcher appears primed to break out as a pass rusher, but I have some doubts about his ability to consistently hold up against the run. His tackle rate of 1.81 percent last year was the worst on the team.
Advantage
Right now, I’d give Spears the slight advantage as the projected starter. As is the case with so many positions in football today, however, the label ’starter’ really doesn’t mean much. More crucial is snap distribution, and I think you will see that change in 2010.
Listed above is my 2010 defensive end snaps projection. The big “loser” is Spears, who would see his snap count decrease by about 10 percent.
I think you’ll see Spears begin the season as the starter, again playing on only running downs. Bowen may get substituted in a bit more to start, but I could see the initial 2010 rotation as similar to that of last season.
As the season progresses, you’ll likely see the playing time of both Bowen and Hatcher increase. This is dependent on play, but the Cowboys are likely eager for both players to see more action, particularly on some running downs during which Spears would normally be on the field.
All of this could change with a spectacular camp from either Bowen or Hatcher, of course, making this an awesome battle to monitor this summer.
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June 20, 2010 | Filed Under Bobby Carpenter, Dallas Cowboys, History, Jason Garrett, MySanAntonio, NFL, NFL History, Tony Dorsett, Wade Phillips | Comments Off
The most notable—and easily the most remarkable—father/son tandem in NFL history is the Manning Trio. Father Archie, though he labored on a losing team his entire career, was widely recognized as a highly-talented quarterback. His two boys, Peyton and Eli, have each led their respective teams to a Super Bowl championship…and Peyton is (or should be) in the argument whenever “greatest quarterback of all time” is kicked around the water cooler.
But what about the Dallas Cowboys? Which of your star-spangled heroes did the best job of following his father’s footsteps to NFL notoriety or leaving footsteps for his son to follow?
Truthfully, there aren’t that many to choose from. Athletic greatness does not often pass from one generation to the next. Precious few are the sons who can live up to the standards set by extraordinary dads. I have only thought of four father/son tandems to include here, and I give them to you in order from least to greatest…
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May 19, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, MySanAntonio, Opinion, Tony Romo | Comments Off
Thus far, we have dissected the ‘09 play of the Cowboys players at every position other than quarterback.
We saved the best for last.
Grading quarterback is much different than doing so for the other positions in that statistics, while plentiful for the position, are less indicative of a quarterback’s success than for other players . The primary responsibility of a quarterback is to lead his team to victory, no matter what it takes. Some quarterbacks put up huge numbers, but simply are not winners.
Tony Romo is not one of those quarterbacks. Yes, he has the ability to put up flashy stats, but he is also a tremendous leader. While that statement is far from a consensus opinion, particularly among ill-informed fans, we whole-heartedly believe it to be the case. If you doubt the commitment of Romo to the Dallas Cowboys, read here .
Nonetheless, we have compiled a wide range of statistics and analysis on Romo’s play in 2009 . Some of these numbers are taken from previous articles, and some are unique. These numbers (representing on-field play), though, will only make up half of our final grade for Romo. The other half will consist of leadership and intangibles.
Grades
On-field Play: A
There is really no doubting that Tony Romo is an immensely talented quarterback. In 2009, he threw for 4,483 yards and 26 touchdowns. More importantly, however, he threw only nine interceptions all season, including just six over the final 14 games . Romo also fumbled just six times–less than any other season of his career. This ability to protect the football was the primary reason for the success of the Cowboys last season.
Below are a few notes regarding Romo’s success in various situations last season.
Tony Romo Passer Rating Over the Field
Again, Romo is a very good leader. While not an extremely vocal player, he lets his play speak for itself. He is also perhaps the team’s hardest-working player. When that label goes to your team’s biggest superstar, you know the path is set for the rest of the players to follow.
Overall Grade: A (94.0)
Romo will never be able to fully escape criticism–that simply comes with the territory of playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. However, to those watching carefully, it is apparent that the Cowboys have secured one of the league’s top signal-callers.
Without Romo, where would the Cowboys be? Sometimes it is difficult to realize how special someone is until you lose them. Michael Irvin perhaps put it best when he said:
Can we get Drew Bledsoe back out here (for) just a week so you guys can really fall back in love with Tony? Let’s put Drew Bledsoe back out here, because sometimes when you have a pretty girl for awhile, you forget how pretty she is. But when you throw the ugly girl next to her, you say, ‘No, I’m really doing well.’ Maybe we need to bring Drew out so we know we’re really doing well.
Irvin is right. Let’s not let Romo’s consistency tarnish our love for what we brings to the table year in and year out. To further jog your memory on what it is like to have an “ugly girl” at quarterback, take a look at the list of Cowboys’ starting quarterbacks between Troy Aikman and Romo.
Quincy Carter
Anthony Wright
Ryan Leaf
Clint Stoerner
Chad Hutchinson
Vinny Testaverde
Drew Henson
Drew Bledsoe
Brad Johnson
Anyone else think Tony Romo is a little more “beautiful” right about now?
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