I really enjoyed the column by Mickey Spagnola today because of the important stats it had for the 12-6 Dallas Cowboys. It does make you wonder what team that was playing that Sunday in the 34-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
As Mickey points out, the Cowboys had the No.2 offense in the NFL and they closed the season with two shut outs. The very next game they played the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in a row, only to bury them into the ground like skeletons. The Cowboys defense hadn’t given up 20 points in 10 games. The team was hot. Hotter than these New York Jets.
But when that team stepped inside that dome, something happened.
Mickey goes on and on and on—it is downright painful—of how bad the Cowboys were last week. They made the Vikings break all sorts of record on them.
This isn’t about Wade Phillips as the head coach. When a team loses that bad, I think it has a lot more to do with the players.
Some of it was the play calling.
A lot of it was how pressured Tony Romo was all day. He was sacked six times.
Everything was stacked against the Cowboys that day and no one was able to step up and stop the rush. Those two missed field goals may not have meant a victory if they were good, but it did a lot to further lower the Cowboys’ confidence. I knew that not having a threat at the position was going to be damaging to the Cowboys playoff run. At least it didn’t cost the game.
The end of the season leaves everyone wondering what exactly does this team still need? The safeties don’t stink. The cornerbacks are an improving group, but maybe Terence Newman is a tad bit overrated? The linebackers are good and the defensive line is a force in the NFL.
The offense has a serious speedy threat in the backfield with Felix Jones, but maybe another who is losing some of his steam in Marion Barber. If you overplay Felix, there is the injury threat, and using Barber every day has not been the best move either. We have a little problem at wide receiver, and that has more to do with the money, than a weakness. Roy Williams is killing us, for sure. That was a poor scouting decision and the Cowboys really rushed into it. Miles Austin has now had one incredible year. Let’s see if he can pull one in again next season. Jason Witten is the best tight end in the game and Patrick Crayton is not an overpaid second wide receiver.
Then we have Tony Romo. I might be able to–know I can–write an entire chapter on Tony Romo.
But you decide if he is a franchise quarterback. He is already paid like one. Someone could also easily argue the offensive line is overrated, and an easy stat to boost your argument is this offensive line allowed the most sacks of Romo in his career. How is that getting better?
I think the biggest weakness on this team is the offensive line. It might be prime time to give that entire line a hard look.
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Write up all the pages you want on Romo the bottom line is this::::::
1] he is breaking every Cowboy record there is
2] he has progressively got better every year, he keeps learning
3] there is no ceiling with Romos talent it must be harnessed by the right OC
4] every Sunday I wake up feeling like we have a chance to win any game with Romo unlike all before him back to Aikman
5] If he can get a O line than can give him time he will win
I think a solidified O line and if each player and every coach prepare like each game is their last he will be successful. The team and Romo must take on that mentality that they can prepare and execute as a team on any given sunday. I know Romo has IT. Even if it takes 5-10 years he can do it. I was watching the Jets offense against the colts today and I thought romo eould thrive in that offense. They were running the ball tough they were rolling sanchez out he was throwing alot of quick slants and quick play action passes. I think that delayed handoff the Cowboys run is silly why go back wait a second then hand it off 5 yards deep they also do it in shotgun. why not let romo get back hand it off and let felix or marion hit the gap. I knew those little delay plays would not work in the viking game and it didnt. We should have run screens and quick slants and a tleast lined up and try to pound em strait up. Not play little games lining up Witten on Allen then run a delay. How about the seven yard loss pitch to Marion? why not just keep pounding em in the gut.
Alot of little adjustments will help Romo. Nothing big needs to happen. I just think if Jason G played a little more like the Titans OC we would be better Treat Felix Like Chris Johnson try to let him run wild every game with sprinkles of TC and MB3 on series Let Marion get goal line and close out 4th qrtrs. Then let romo make a play here and there. Dont let teams know if they stop Romo they stop the offense have em thinking we have to stop that run first. stick with the philosiphy of running on 1st and 2nd then let romo make a easy play for a first. I think alot of times this year JG wanted big when we only needed small. We need to become more methodical and less risky. I know its not always fun but there is a reason Romo is breaking records its because even up by twenty he is still throwing it. I would like to see Romo throwing 25-30 times a game and Felix getting 20 carries mb3 maybe 10 with some TC in there also. Throw Doug free in at RT and lets use the second biggest O line in the NFL for what they are good for leaning forward not going backward. Then scrap the delay hand off or at the most maybe three or four times a game. Maybe more Quick slants to miles or have him line up in the slot like wes welker and turn a six yard pass into twenty yards because he is matched up against their three. Little things will make us better. There are matchups to be had..
Let’s start with scrapping the Shotgut..
Sunday all 6 sacks came in the shotgun.
For the year all 9 ints. came in the shotgun
For the year in Shotgun..11 td’s..9 ints..
Get rid of the shotgun
One other thing to fix..
Keep Flozell healthy..Sunday in first three drives 136 yards..then..Flo goes down..108 yards the rest of the day..
I love how nobody said anything about the starting LT going down..this is this the biggest reason we lost..Flo isnt the best in the game but im pretty sure he wouldve been able to stop J.A one on one and we wouldve been able to protect romo better plain and simple..JG needs to understand MB3 isnt a east west runner he is nrth south runner he does NOT have kind of speed..Felix was gaining yards while MB3 was losing them..why worry about felixs number of touches..its the playoffs there is no tomorrow if you dont win the game..i blame this solely on JG..our defense played good up until the 4th quarter..kept the game close up until the 4th quarter..i just think that JG needs to go
Wow just checked out the Vikings site. I’m not talking about all Viking fans but they are soar losers. I was looking at all the comments including yours brad lol. Anyways not one person said anything good toward the Saints. Like the better team won or good luck in the superbowl. I mean all I hear is excuses instead. Blaming the refs for the lost and the saints had the refs payed for. Do you know how stupid that sounds. I feel sorry for the Viking fans that have to deal with those dummies.
Erik I agree with you about Flo things changed when he went out. But that was bad putting Witten on JA. I also think Doug Free should have been the RT in that game he is smaller and faster and had a better chance against Ray Edwards. I know it didnt matter after Flo went out. But Dougie should have been in that game at RT. If you remember Bill Parcells would bench MB3 when he would try to bounce it out, thats the thing Marion just kind of does what he wants, do we have a coach that will tell him to sit down when he tries to bounce out side and someone dives at his thigh and he goes down. Read my second post MB3 needs to be situational Felix is bigger than Chris Johnson why dont we use him like that and then let Romo go play action WHEN NEEDED and use Miles and Witten. I thought near the end of the year Saints Game eagles games JG was headed in the right direction.T E X A S no doubt those fans bitched out I tried to ignore them on that post last weak but around the 100th post I had to talk shit hahaha. I went lookin for em too.. None to be found.
I do believe the RB situation will be taken care of in the off-season. Barber will be dropped and carries will be split between Tashard Choice and Felix Jones. I haven’t even heard Tashard Choice’s name mentioned on here. He is a great back who doesn’t get the touches that he deserves. I am an Arkansas fan and watched Felix play COllege hell I even seen him play one high school game at Tulsa Washington. He has never had to be a 25-30 touches a game back, I just think that he has split carries his whole career that his body would be in shock if he got 30 touches in a game. I think Choice can provide that, someone needs to tell JG that running the football is our bread and butter. Let the passing game come in after the running game get’s going. Dallas has a chance to do great things next year, but it’s all riding on how Jerry Jones handles the off-season.