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Latest News
2007 SCHEDULE
PRE-SEASON
Thu Aug 9 INDIANAPOLIS
(FOX) 7:00 pm
Sat Aug 18 DENVER (BSM)
7:00 pm
Sat Aug 25 @ Houston
(BSM) 7:00 pm
Thu Aug 30 @ Minnesota
(BSM) 7:00 pm
REGULAR SEASON
1. Sun, Sept. 9 NY GIANTS
(NBC) 7:15 pm
2. Sun, Sept. 16 @ Miami
(FOX) 3:05 pm
3. Sun, Sept. 23 @
Chicago (NBC) 7:15 pm
4. Sun, Sept. 30 ST. LOUIS
(FOX) Noon
5. Mon, Oct. 8 @ Buffalo
(ESPN) 7:30 pm
6. Sun, Oct. 14 NEW
ENGLAND (CBS) 3:15 pm
7. Sun, Oct. 21
MINNESOTA (FOX) Noon
8. Sun, Oct. 28 BYE WEEK
9. Sun, Nov 4 @
Philadelphia (NBC) 7:15
pm
10. Sun, Nov. 11 @ NY
Giants (FOX) 3:15 pm
11. Sun, Nov. 18
WASHINGTON (FOX) Noon
12. Thu, Nov. 22 NY JETS
(CBS) 3:15 pm
13. Thu, Nov. 29 GREEN
BAY (NFL) 7:15 pm
14. Sun, Dec. 9 @ Detroit
(FOX) Noon
15. Sun, Dec. 16 PHILLY
(FOX) 3:15 pm
16. Sat, Dec. 22 @
Carolina (NFL) 7:15 pm
17. Sun, Dec. 30 @
Washington (FOX) Noon
PRE-SEASON
Thu Aug 9 INDIANAPOLIS
(FOX) 7:00 pm
Sat Aug 18 DENVER (BSM)
7:00 pm
Sat Aug 25 @ Houston
(BSM) 7:00 pm
Thu Aug 30 @ Minnesota
(BSM) 7:00 pm
REGULAR SEASON
1. Sun, Sept. 9 NY GIANTS
(NBC) 7:15 pm
2. Sun, Sept. 16 @ Miami
(FOX) 3:05 pm
3. Sun, Sept. 23 @
Chicago (NBC) 7:15 pm
4. Sun, Sept. 30 ST. LOUIS
(FOX) Noon
5. Mon, Oct. 8 @ Buffalo
(ESPN) 7:30 pm
6. Sun, Oct. 14 NEW
ENGLAND (CBS) 3:15 pm
7. Sun, Oct. 21
MINNESOTA (FOX) Noon
8. Sun, Oct. 28 BYE WEEK
9. Sun, Nov 4 @
Philadelphia (NBC) 7:15
pm
10. Sun, Nov. 11 @ NY
Giants (FOX) 3:15 pm
11. Sun, Nov. 18
WASHINGTON (FOX) Noon
12. Thu, Nov. 22 NY JETS
(CBS) 3:15 pm
13. Thu, Nov. 29 GREEN
BAY (NFL) 7:15 pm
14. Sun, Dec. 9 @ Detroit
(FOX) Noon
15. Sun, Dec. 16 PHILLY
(FOX) 3:15 pm
16. Sat, Dec. 22 @
Carolina (NFL) 7:15 pm
17. Sun, Dec. 30 @
Washington (FOX) Noon
| Cowboy's Trivia Question of the Week! Who is the oldest player on the Cowboys' roster? Last Week's Answer: Danny White |
Cowboys vs. Dolphins Games Notes
I'd have to say I'm pretty impressed after watching the Cowboys
hammer the Dolphins 37-20. We got big plays from the offense,
defense, and special teams.
How about the secondary? They gave up a lot of passing yards,
but who cares. They had four interceptions. We saw the
advantages of playing zone coverage today. The Dolphins couldn't
get behind our defense and zone allows the defenders to watch the
QB which leads to more picks as you saw today. You can pick
apart a zone with pinpoint accuracy (see Eli last week), but if you
miss high it is nearly a guaranteed INT because the safeties are
paying attention. Its weird seeing so much zone because we
hardly ever played it with Parcells. I didn't like it at first because will
give up a lot of underneath passes but you won't see too many
deep balls and you won't be screaming at the TV saying the
cornerback could have got the interception if he would have just
been looking. I had no idea we were going to play this much zone.
Phillips acted like it was out of necessity not having Newman, but
Reeves can play man coverage so I guess that is what Phillips
thinks will give us the chance to win. I'm not doubting it after today.
It makes sense considering we aren't a super athletic defense and
we have good hands in the secondary.
The offensive line was amazing today. Romo had all day to throw
which was good because the receivers were having problems
getting open. We ran pretty well again this week. Romo didn't
even get sacked.
Romo had a good game. He had a lot of incompletions, but he
wasn't erratic. The receivers had problems getting open. He did a
good job of not turning the ball over. He looks trimmer this year as
well. I can tell he looks faster when he takes off and runs. He
scrambled way more than he usually does which is good. He is
very athletic so why not take off instead of risking an interception.
His TD pass to Tony Curts was crazy improv. He also made Jason
Taylor and Jerry Porter look silly on several occassions. One time
Jerry Porter had a free shot at Romo and he just stopped in his
tracks when Romo faked a running move. This gave Romo enough
time to get rid of the ball. On another play he looked like Barry
Sanders putting three different juke moves on Taylor on the same
play to get by him.
Julius Jones and Marion Barber both had good games. Julius
Jones didn't have many holes, but he actually broke some tackles.
He also made three guys miss on a 24 yard screen pass. Marion
Barber was beastly as always. He hammered Zack Thomas on a
blitz. He ran over several defenders, and stiff armed another. His
40 yard TD run in the 4th quarter pretty much iced the game. Both
of these backs have looked amazing this year. Barber has the
gaudier numbers, but he has had a lot more holes this year which
could mean nothing or it could mean the offensive line is more
inspired when he is in there.
Bradie James was a beast against the run. He single handedly
blew up three run plays in the 1st quarter. He looks more athletic
and he still plays with the same physicality.
The run defense as a whole was pretty good. Jay Ratliff didn't look
great in that department, but he definitely held his own. We will be
fine it that department because the guys around him excel at
stopping the run. I only saw Remi Ayodele in for a few plays so I
can't evaluate him. Also, as porous as our pass defense is, it may
not be too bad if teams run the ball a little on us.
We struggled to mount a consistent pass rush. Ware got close a
couple of times, but he came too deep in the pocket and Green just
stepped up. We didn't blitz hardly at all in this game. I guess we
preferred to sit back in coverage and wait for a Trent Green pass
forced into coverage. Bradie James did come completely free on
an inside blitz in the 1st half. The sack led to a three and out.
I just now noticed how much better Marcus Spears's physique is this
year. His arms look bigger and more toned. He also has lost a lot
of his gut. He went from looking like Warren Sapp to looking like
La' Roi Glover. The problem is, he isn't half as good as either one
of them.
Roy Wiliams had a much better game. He didn't get burned in
coverage and he had several really nice tackles in run support and
on underneath passes. Ken Hamlin had a good game as well. He
had an interception and the only play he got beat on was a TD in
which Derek Hagan somehow came up with the ball between three
Cowboy defenders. Hamlin should have had his second pick.
The cornerbacks played pretty well. The huge cushions they are
giving are driving me crazy. Don't blame the players though
because that is what the coaches are wanting from them. It isn't a
bad strategy though because the opponent can move the ball, but
they usually have to settle for field goals. It's hard to evaluate the
corners because I'm not used to watching our guys let them
complete so many underneath passes. You want to say the guys
suck for giving up those completions, but that is what the defense is
giving the offense. Bottom line was, Henry had two interceptions
and Reeves had another solid game. We will be fine at cornerback
when Newman comes back. We have some work to do in the
secondary, but I could see us improving every week as the players
get more comfy in the scheme.
Special teams came up big against the Dolphins. The turning point
of the game was when Patrick Crayton had a 49 yard punt return
following a Dolphins penalty on the previous punt that was returned
for no gain. Crayton is still a bad punt returner. He is slow and he
dances too much. He had the biggest opening I've ever seen on a
punt return. He had a whole third of the field completely open. Nick
Folk had a good game. He hit two short field goals and then a 47
yarder.
A big thing I've noticed in these first two weeks is that a great
offense puts a lot of pressure on the defense. The problem against
the Giants was we kept scoring fast and giving it right back to New
York. That is great for trying to win the game, but it sets your
defense up to give up more points. Against the Dolphins, we put
our defense on the field two extra times late in the 4th quarter
because of two late TDs. The TDs were great because they made
the game a blowout, but the also led to another seven points that
wouldn't have been scored by Miami if we would have just had a
solid time eating drive. A perfect example of this was the 1st half.
He held the ball for nearly 20 minutes. The result was the Dolphins
only had four offensive possessions. It is pretty easy to put up
good defensive numbers when you only see the opposing offense
four times in a half.
Overall, you have to be happy. We won by 17 in our road opener
in our blue jerseys for gosh sakes. Our defense definitely needs
more work, but the bottom line is we are 2-0 and that is all that
really matters. I'm also glad we got off to the good start this season
because we play Chicago next week. If we win, we are probably the
best team in the NFC after three weeks. If we lose, we are still 2-1
heading into a home game against the 0-2 Rams.
I'd have to say I'm pretty impressed after watching the Cowboys
hammer the Dolphins 37-20. We got big plays from the offense,
defense, and special teams.
How about the secondary? They gave up a lot of passing yards,
but who cares. They had four interceptions. We saw the
advantages of playing zone coverage today. The Dolphins couldn't
get behind our defense and zone allows the defenders to watch the
QB which leads to more picks as you saw today. You can pick
apart a zone with pinpoint accuracy (see Eli last week), but if you
miss high it is nearly a guaranteed INT because the safeties are
paying attention. Its weird seeing so much zone because we
hardly ever played it with Parcells. I didn't like it at first because will
give up a lot of underneath passes but you won't see too many
deep balls and you won't be screaming at the TV saying the
cornerback could have got the interception if he would have just
been looking. I had no idea we were going to play this much zone.
Phillips acted like it was out of necessity not having Newman, but
Reeves can play man coverage so I guess that is what Phillips
thinks will give us the chance to win. I'm not doubting it after today.
It makes sense considering we aren't a super athletic defense and
we have good hands in the secondary.
The offensive line was amazing today. Romo had all day to throw
which was good because the receivers were having problems
getting open. We ran pretty well again this week. Romo didn't
even get sacked.
Romo had a good game. He had a lot of incompletions, but he
wasn't erratic. The receivers had problems getting open. He did a
good job of not turning the ball over. He looks trimmer this year as
well. I can tell he looks faster when he takes off and runs. He
scrambled way more than he usually does which is good. He is
very athletic so why not take off instead of risking an interception.
His TD pass to Tony Curts was crazy improv. He also made Jason
Taylor and Jerry Porter look silly on several occassions. One time
Jerry Porter had a free shot at Romo and he just stopped in his
tracks when Romo faked a running move. This gave Romo enough
time to get rid of the ball. On another play he looked like Barry
Sanders putting three different juke moves on Taylor on the same
play to get by him.
Julius Jones and Marion Barber both had good games. Julius
Jones didn't have many holes, but he actually broke some tackles.
He also made three guys miss on a 24 yard screen pass. Marion
Barber was beastly as always. He hammered Zack Thomas on a
blitz. He ran over several defenders, and stiff armed another. His
40 yard TD run in the 4th quarter pretty much iced the game. Both
of these backs have looked amazing this year. Barber has the
gaudier numbers, but he has had a lot more holes this year which
could mean nothing or it could mean the offensive line is more
inspired when he is in there.
Bradie James was a beast against the run. He single handedly
blew up three run plays in the 1st quarter. He looks more athletic
and he still plays with the same physicality.
The run defense as a whole was pretty good. Jay Ratliff didn't look
great in that department, but he definitely held his own. We will be
fine it that department because the guys around him excel at
stopping the run. I only saw Remi Ayodele in for a few plays so I
can't evaluate him. Also, as porous as our pass defense is, it may
not be too bad if teams run the ball a little on us.
We struggled to mount a consistent pass rush. Ware got close a
couple of times, but he came too deep in the pocket and Green just
stepped up. We didn't blitz hardly at all in this game. I guess we
preferred to sit back in coverage and wait for a Trent Green pass
forced into coverage. Bradie James did come completely free on
an inside blitz in the 1st half. The sack led to a three and out.
I just now noticed how much better Marcus Spears's physique is this
year. His arms look bigger and more toned. He also has lost a lot
of his gut. He went from looking like Warren Sapp to looking like
La' Roi Glover. The problem is, he isn't half as good as either one
of them.
Roy Wiliams had a much better game. He didn't get burned in
coverage and he had several really nice tackles in run support and
on underneath passes. Ken Hamlin had a good game as well. He
had an interception and the only play he got beat on was a TD in
which Derek Hagan somehow came up with the ball between three
Cowboy defenders. Hamlin should have had his second pick.
The cornerbacks played pretty well. The huge cushions they are
giving are driving me crazy. Don't blame the players though
because that is what the coaches are wanting from them. It isn't a
bad strategy though because the opponent can move the ball, but
they usually have to settle for field goals. It's hard to evaluate the
corners because I'm not used to watching our guys let them
complete so many underneath passes. You want to say the guys
suck for giving up those completions, but that is what the defense is
giving the offense. Bottom line was, Henry had two interceptions
and Reeves had another solid game. We will be fine at cornerback
when Newman comes back. We have some work to do in the
secondary, but I could see us improving every week as the players
get more comfy in the scheme.
Special teams came up big against the Dolphins. The turning point
of the game was when Patrick Crayton had a 49 yard punt return
following a Dolphins penalty on the previous punt that was returned
for no gain. Crayton is still a bad punt returner. He is slow and he
dances too much. He had the biggest opening I've ever seen on a
punt return. He had a whole third of the field completely open. Nick
Folk had a good game. He hit two short field goals and then a 47
yarder.
A big thing I've noticed in these first two weeks is that a great
offense puts a lot of pressure on the defense. The problem against
the Giants was we kept scoring fast and giving it right back to New
York. That is great for trying to win the game, but it sets your
defense up to give up more points. Against the Dolphins, we put
our defense on the field two extra times late in the 4th quarter
because of two late TDs. The TDs were great because they made
the game a blowout, but the also led to another seven points that
wouldn't have been scored by Miami if we would have just had a
solid time eating drive. A perfect example of this was the 1st half.
He held the ball for nearly 20 minutes. The result was the Dolphins
only had four offensive possessions. It is pretty easy to put up
good defensive numbers when you only see the opposing offense
four times in a half.
Overall, you have to be happy. We won by 17 in our road opener
in our blue jerseys for gosh sakes. Our defense definitely needs
more work, but the bottom line is we are 2-0 and that is all that
really matters. I'm also glad we got off to the good start this season
because we play Chicago next week. If we win, we are probably the
best team in the NFC after three weeks. If we lose, we are still 2-1
heading into a home game against the 0-2 Rams.
Happy To Be Rolling With A Tank
I couldn't be happier that the Cowboys decided to sign Tank
Johnson. It is a low risk that could pay huge dividends this season
and maybe beyond.
I know that taking on a player with off the field issues is never ideal.
You are always taking a chance. In this situation though it is worth
the risk. I wish Tank was a model citizen, but if he was he would be
a starting defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears. Where else can
we get a player of his caliber. He is so much better on the field than
any of the other backup nose tackle candidates like Ayodele it isn't
even funny. If you look at it from that perspective you are getting
one heck of player for not a lot.
Obviously though there is some baggage with the signing. The
most obvious being that he can't play for the first eight games of the
season. We should be able to make it until then with Ratliff and
Ayodele and then we will have a fresh body to put in there to split
time with Ratliff.
I know a lot of fans aren't happy with taking on a player with
character issues. The way I look at it, he should at least be on his
best behavior for the rest of this season. That is all we need from
him. The bottom line is this guy could be a really key part to a
possible Super Bowl run this season. You have to be able to stop
the run, and he pretty much guarantees us that we will be fine at
nose tackle for the rest of this season. Is it really a smart decision
not to sign a guy you really need just because he has some issues?
Doing that could cost you big time.
The other thing I like about this signing is that there is a possibility
of a long-term relationship with Tank. He strikes me as a guy that
was really immature. The guy seemed genuinely sorry for what he
has done. I'm not saying he won't get in trouble again, but it
wouldn't surprise me if he didn't. I wouldn't put this guy in the same
category as Pac Man Jones at all. The guy was a retard and got
caught with guns a couple of times (He didn't use the guns like Pac
Man and his posse). Then the incident that got him cut was just bad
judgement. He shouldn't have been out at 3:00 AM, but he didn't
break any laws. He wasn't legally drunk. Heck Keith Davis was shot
early in the morning and he is still with the team.
The way I look at it, it is an overall good personnel decision. Worst
case scenario, he helps us out this season by providing valuable
depth. Best case scenario is the guy gets his act together and you
have a 25 year-old defensive lineman with good starting potential
for years to come. This is a guy that could play any of the three
defensive line spots and judging by what I've seen from him, he is
probably a better football player than Spears or Canty. He has
never played in a 3-4 before, but he shouldn't have any trouble
playing in our defense. I really do think there is a chance that three
years from now he could be one of our starting defensive lineman.
I couldn't be happier that the Cowboys decided to sign Tank
Johnson. It is a low risk that could pay huge dividends this season
and maybe beyond.
I know that taking on a player with off the field issues is never ideal.
You are always taking a chance. In this situation though it is worth
the risk. I wish Tank was a model citizen, but if he was he would be
a starting defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears. Where else can
we get a player of his caliber. He is so much better on the field than
any of the other backup nose tackle candidates like Ayodele it isn't
even funny. If you look at it from that perspective you are getting
one heck of player for not a lot.
Obviously though there is some baggage with the signing. The
most obvious being that he can't play for the first eight games of the
season. We should be able to make it until then with Ratliff and
Ayodele and then we will have a fresh body to put in there to split
time with Ratliff.
I know a lot of fans aren't happy with taking on a player with
character issues. The way I look at it, he should at least be on his
best behavior for the rest of this season. That is all we need from
him. The bottom line is this guy could be a really key part to a
possible Super Bowl run this season. You have to be able to stop
the run, and he pretty much guarantees us that we will be fine at
nose tackle for the rest of this season. Is it really a smart decision
not to sign a guy you really need just because he has some issues?
Doing that could cost you big time.
The other thing I like about this signing is that there is a possibility
of a long-term relationship with Tank. He strikes me as a guy that
was really immature. The guy seemed genuinely sorry for what he
has done. I'm not saying he won't get in trouble again, but it
wouldn't surprise me if he didn't. I wouldn't put this guy in the same
category as Pac Man Jones at all. The guy was a retard and got
caught with guns a couple of times (He didn't use the guns like Pac
Man and his posse). Then the incident that got him cut was just bad
judgement. He shouldn't have been out at 3:00 AM, but he didn't
break any laws. He wasn't legally drunk. Heck Keith Davis was shot
early in the morning and he is still with the team.
The way I look at it, it is an overall good personnel decision. Worst
case scenario, he helps us out this season by providing valuable
depth. Best case scenario is the guy gets his act together and you
have a 25 year-old defensive lineman with good starting potential
for years to come. This is a guy that could play any of the three
defensive line spots and judging by what I've seen from him, he is
probably a better football player than Spears or Canty. He has
never played in a 3-4 before, but he shouldn't have any trouble
playing in our defense. I really do think there is a chance that three
years from now he could be one of our starting defensive lineman.