2013 Dallas Cowboys Thread

[eagle eye]

Dallas will be going into a critical stretch of the season without DeMarcus Ware who is going to miss 3-4 weeks with a bum quad. There was no issue with Jason Hatcher and a good thing because he's the only projected starter going into the season that's left standing. He's determined to assume the leadership role going forward while Ware is out. Good thing because here's the players he will be leading on the field. George Selvie we know and he's played pretty well to this point. He's a role player in a starting position but he's made the best of his opportunity. Nick Haden who's been thrust into a starting role due to injuries. Kyle Wilbur, a guy who was drafted last year as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 who is trying to make the transition to defensive end in the 4-3 the Cowboys now run. Backups include Drake Nevis, Caesar Rayford, David Carter and Edgar Jones. "Who?" is the question to that answer. Few people outside of their friends and family have ever heard of these guys.

Jay Ratliff is off PUP and he could really add something to the D-line if healthy but he hasn't even practiced since last year. In many ways he's been more pain in the ass than anything else including a blowup at team owner and GM Jerry Jones after a loss to the Redskins last season on Thanksgiving in the locker room after the game. It's not often you can go off on your boss without some animosity been present going forward. I think it's telling that Ratliff's first day off PUP he was not a Valley Ranch. There is obviously some disconnect here and maybe the field report by NBC's Michelle Tafoya that Ratliff may not even BE a Cowboy or play a down for Dallas the rest of the season may have had merit. It seems like Dallas can't avoid some form of controversy no matter how hard they try not to.

Also, Dallas will be leaning on Tony Romo to drive the bus like a Mazerati. At least for the forseeable future due to the apparent loss of DeMarco Murray with a sprained MCL. The Cowboys are reporting that Murray will be an end of the week decision but he's likely out at least this week. So, the run game falls on rookie Joseph Randall and 3rd year backup Phillip Tanner. Randall did most of the work after Murray went down against the Redskins but 11 carries for 17 yards isn't what you get real excited about. Philly's defense isn't great by any stretch but I'm sure they're glad not to face a bruiser like Murray. It's going to be an interesting time the next few weeks.

[eagle eye]

OMG! This is a huge news day for both Texas pro football teams. First, we find out that Case Keenum will make his first start of his career in Kansas City this week and now today the news out of Valley Ranch is that defensive tackle Jay Ratliff has been RELEASED! This is a guy the Cowboys hoped would anchor their D-line and actually enhance his carerr with the move to a 4-3 defensive scheme. Instead, Ratliff who missed most of last season due to a sports hernia and groin issues and who has missed all of this years' activities including training camp and the regular season to date rehabbing after surgery to repair the hernia. That's the Cowboys story.

 

Ratliff's agent, Mark Slough, issued a statement saying that Ratliff did not have a sports hernia injury. Never did. They contend that Ratliff tore tendons that attach to the inside of the his pelvis, an injury that is very painful and requires a year to recover from. Slough said that Ratliff's career is definitely not over and he fully expects to play again in 2014.

 

Ratliff issued a statement following his release thanking the Cowboys for the opportunity to play in the NFL and in Dallas when he was drafted in 2005 and he played well in the Cowboys 3-4 under Wade Phillips and Rob Ryan up until his injury occurred in the game against the Cleveland Browns last year. Ratiff also thanked his team mates and expressed his regret he could be on the field with them and his continued support and hope for their success. He also thanked the fans of the Cowboys saying they are the greatest fans in the world. Ratliff was a quality player who went to 4 straight pro bowls from 2008 thru 2011.

 

In a press conference today Jerry Jones would not comment on the details of Ratliff's injury because there may be legal considerations involved. When asked what he meant Jones said all player movement issues have potential legal implications and neither he or Jason Garrett in a later press conference would comment any further than Ratliff was a good player they wish him well going forward.

 

On Tuesday the Cowboys waived two players, DE David Carter and CB Chris Greenwood. The Cowboys also signed two players, DE Jarius Wynn who is a four year veteran who earned a Super Bowl ring in 2010 while with Green Bay and RB Davin Meggett was signed to the practice squad. Meggett was a standout RB at Maryland and has been on the practice squads of the Colts and Texans the past two years. Meggett will run with the scout team to begin with. With DeMarco Murray out a projected 2 games and Lance Dunbar out with a hamstring issue the Cowboys needed the depth at RB with only Joseph Randle and Phillip Tanner on the current depth chart. Meggett is the son for former NY Giants RB Dave Meggett.

 

Lastly, here is a scouting report from DC.com's Bryan Broaddus on former Georgia Bulldog and new Cowboys DE Jarius Wynn.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-BryanBroaddusBlog/Scouting-Report-A-Look-At-New-DE-Jarius-Wynns-Game-Tape/cd1641d1-3645-40a9-881d-732bed366f4b

[eagle eye]

Dallas played a really good game. Forget what the pundits say about the Cowboys playing down to the level of their competition, it's all hogwash. If you've been paying attention, NFC East games can go every which way and often do. Division games are different animals and the job the Cowboys defense did against the Redskins and Eagles was really good work. I'm not even putting the qualifier on this statement about the Cowboys many injuries. It was a heckuva game in all three phases and Dallas showed they are clearly better than the Eagles especially with Michael Vick out of the lineup. I thought that Nick Foles, being the better passer, would be better than he actually was. I believe a lot of his ineffectiveness was due to a Cowboys defense that is learning how to play the Tampa 2 under Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli. The epiphany was probably reached after Dallas gave up 51 points to Peyton Manning despite the offense putting up 48. The shame of not being able to hold the Broncos when their offense has such a stellar day caused the defense to rededicate themselves to being a better unit. It was also a case of Kiffin and his fellow coaches realizing that his cornerbacks are better at man coverage than zone and he allowing them to play to their strengths.

Tony Romo was efficient and had a very quiet 300+ yards passing day which included a nice pass on a slant to Terrence Williams for his only passing TD of the day. Dez Bryant had a big day despite being mauled by the Eagles DBs in a game where the DBs could have been flagged several times for pass interference. The refs finally call one on a short pass in the end zone where Dez was clearly interfered with. Phillip Tanner did the honors of carry the ball into the end zone for the Cowboys first score.

Nick Foles was shaken up in the 3rd quarter but by then the fans were more than ready for Foles to head to the showers and they embraced the rookie from USC Matt Barkley until he tossed 3 picks. I bet the Eagles fans would have cheered if Koy Detmer had come in for Barkley. It was all Dallas despite Tony Romo tossing two picks. The first was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half that Dez flat whiffed on and the other was in the second half because of a wrong route run by Phillip Tanner. Tanner admitted his mistake after the game.

 

Interesting Notes:

 

> Today was Dallas' first back to back win this season. Their challenge now will be to win 3 in a row in Detroit next week.

> Tony Romo set the record for most yardage after his first 100 starts, today being his 100th start. His 27,485 passing yards is the most in NFL history in a QB's first 100 starts. He passed No 4 Peyton Manning, No 3 Dan Marino and No 2 Kurt Warner for the mark he set today.

> Romo also tied his own team record of throwing at least one TD pass in 20 straight games today.

> Everyone expected a shootout (including me) similar to the Broncos game three weeks ago but it never materialized.

[BSFwins]

That is why, I laugh at Houston Texans fan's who say Tony Romo sucks. The Texans could be really good if they had Tony Romo. He isn't the problem with the Cowboys (JJ maybe??).

[eagle eye]

Dallas players got the day off as a reward for a good game against Philadelphia. They still had to come in and get in a lifting session in the weight room and a run in as well as meeting in their groups to review tape of yesterday's game but no team related activities were scheduled. Tuesday is the player's normal day off so it will be back to work Wednesday to prepare for Detroit next Sunday.

 

Work at the Ranch isn't cancelled though as Dallas signed DT Marvin Austin to shore up their depth on the D-line. Austin was a second round draft pick in 2011 like his North Carolina teammate Bruce Carter also drafted in 2011. The New York Giants drafted Austin but he missed all of the 2011 season with a torn pectoral muscle and he played in 8 games last year. Austin was cut in the final cut down this past preseason and he was signed by Miami but cut two weeks later.

When asked about the signing Jason Garrett said he didn't want to talk about the past. He preferred to talk about what they knew and that was Austin is this,

[eagle eye]

Dallas has a full 8-man practice squad again after signing former Baylor Bear and Terrence Williams teammate, not to mention Josh Gordon and Kendall Wright, Lanear Sampson. In 2012 Sampson was named All Big 12 Honorable Mention honors posting 52 catches for 642 yards and 6 TDs. Sampson finished his Baylor career ranked 5th all time in receptions at Baylor with 165. He also ended his time at Baylor with a 43 game reception streak. Maybe the most attractive thing about Sampson is his 4.35 40 yard time at the Baylor pro day this past spring.

 

Dallas actually had 3 spots to fill because when they left for Philly last week a little known rule stating that 3-year practice squad veterans could not be carried if the team doesn't have a full 53 man roster which Dallas did not, they only had 52. So, Dallas was forced to waive WR Jamar Newsome and G Ray Dominguez so they could resign them if they cleared waivers. They did clear waivers and both were resigned yesterday.

 

Here's a link to DC.com's Bryan Broaddus' column giving a scout's point of view regarding newly signed DT Marvin Austin.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-BryanBroaddusBlog/Scout%E2%80%99s-Eye-Full-Scouting-Report-On-DT-Marvin-Austin/ce982990-4476-4719-95b6-9500fc19c2c3

 

Sean Lee was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Eagles last Sunday. Lee recorded 11 combined tackles in the game and also nabbed one of the three interceptions Dallas posted on the day. Last Sunday was the 5th week in a row Lee led the team in tackles.

[eagle eye]

Imagine that. Newly released DT Jay Ratliff has been cleared to play by his surgeon, a Dr Meyers from Philadelphia , and Ratliff's agent Mark Slough has sent notices to NFL teams declaring Ratliff available without limitations. This news comes a week after the Cowboys released Ratliff because he was deemed as not able to play this season. Ratliff only played 6 games in 2012 due to injuries and he had surgery to repair a sports hernia in December of 2012. Ratliff injured himself during the conditioning test prior to the start of training camp and never practiced or played down for the Cowboys in 2013. Just prior to the start of the season Dallas put Ratliff on PUP to retain his rights but when the six weeks of PUP expired after the Redskins game Dallas gave Ratliff his outright release. That release was clouded in mystery as no real reason was given for it and Ratliff's agent said in a press release Ratliff did not have a sports hernia, never did, although the Cowboys reported his injury as such. The agent said that Ratliff had torn tendons that attach to the inside of his pelvis. This is a very painful injury and one that takes a full year to come back from. Ratliff's agent said last week Ratliff would not be able to play until next season. Now, Ratliff's doctor has cleared Ratliff to play which makes for a very interesting situation. Dallas renegotiated Ratliff's contract prior to the NFL scouting combine and had full expectations he would be available to anchor the D-line as Dallas switched to a 4-3 under new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. There has been friction between Ratliff and Jerry Jones since last season when Ratliff went off on Jones in the locker room after the Cowboys loss to Washington on Thanksgiving. In the press release after his release Ratliff's agent said there had been friction between Dallas' medical staff and Ratliff and Ratliff chose to rehab after his surgery on his own away from team trainers. At the time of his release Jones was asked about the Ratliff situation and he refused to comment on the release other than to indicate they appreciated Ratliff's tenure with the Cowboys. Jones said that he could not comment further due to legal implications which was a bit of a mystery at the time. Now, it seems like there really could be litigation on the horizon. If I was Jones I would be suing Ratliff to get some of the money he paid him this past winter since it appears the money was taken under false pretenses. It's going to be very interesting to see what happens next.

[eagle eye]

Dallas will be without S JJ Wilcox who injured his knee in practice yesterday. Wilcox is coming off his best game as pro during his rookie season. The likely replacement for Wilcox will be fellow rookie Jeff Heath out of Saginaw Valley State. Heath is 6'1" and 209 lbs. Heath will be going back home this week as he hails from a Detroit suburb of Lake Orion, Michigan. Wilcox isn't completely ruled out of the game this week but results from the MRI he did yesterday haven't been published but, even Wilcox admits he will likely miss this week's game. His status for the Minnesota game in two weeks is still up in the air.

[eagle eye]

Jerry Jones said yesterday that he's not as worried about Calvin Johnson as he about Reggie Bush. Not bad thinking here. Bush will touch the ball more than Megatron and he will have the opportunity to be more of a factor in the game as a result. When you think about Bush think LeSean McCoy. Both players are fast, elusive and good in the passing game. Bush may be a better receiver than runner which makes him a big threat to the Dallas D. If Dallas plays their lanes like they did against Philly and they can take Bush out of the game like they did McCoy it will be a big plus for Dallas' chances of winning.

Don't count on Matthew Stafford stinking up the place like Nick Foles did but part of Foles problem was a newly found pass rush by Dallas. If Dallas can pressure Stafford like they did Foles I really like Dallas' chances in Detroit.

The only thing I am really worried about is the Detroit front four. Dallas O-line needs to play their behinds off and keep Romo clean. They especially need to protect Romo from that psycho Ndomican Suh. Captain Cheat Shot will put late licks on Romo and I'm convinced if the Lions are losing and Suh gets frustrated he may actually try to hurt Romo. C'mon boys up front, protect your quarterback.

[Guest CoachPace]

Let's go cowboys finish the job against the lions.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

[eagle eye]

Is it hard to be a Cowboys fan or what? This team seems to be uniquely able to snatch defeat right out of the jaws of victory don't they? 62 seconds away from a really nice victory on the road. The first back to back road victories since--I'm not sure if anyone knows. Even the guy on TV was chalking up a W for Dallas just prior to the start of the Lions final drive. At the time I said to myself, "Not yet buddy, not yet." Spoken by a fan who knows what Dallas is capable of. Fateful sentiments.

What I didn't know at the time was that S Barry Church was not in the game due to a pulled hamstring. Same with Morris Claiborne. So, in the defensive back field you have Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick at CB and three rookies playing in their first NFL game. The fault I see here is Jason Garrett's lack of consideration for the defensive dilemma and trying to get a first down to really run out the clock. If I am that depleted in my secondary I don't want Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson on the field to exploit that weakness. I would've passed on second down off play-action and got another first down. With a fresh set of downs Dallas could've run out the clock, victory formation, game over. Dallas wins 24-21. All that said, if Tyron Smith doesn't get flagged for holding stopping the clock Detroit would have gotten the ball back with about 20 seconds or less. Unfortunately, hindsight is always 20-20. Fiddle-sticks. (That's me self censoring)

This one hurts. It hurts us as fans and I'm sure it hurts the Cowboys from Jerry Jones down to the security guards at Valley Ranch. All you can say is one big "DAMMIT" and move on. We should rebound and win against Minnesota but if Barry Church and Mo Claiborne are hurt long term we are in a world of trouble against the Saints two weeks from yesterday. It would sure be nice if Dallas had their bye week before the Saints game instead of after. I can't believe we lost yesterday. I don't like the Lions in general and I don't like their coach. Jim Schwartz is a guy I'd like to kick in the his nether ya-ya just for general purposes. Is there a guy who feels worse than Tyron Smith does? Maybe Jason Garrett. Either way, Dallas lost a game they had won and that is as demoralizing as it gets.

[LU4LIFE]

Thus was a tough one to swallow for sure

[eagle eye]

Can we just please stop the Dez bashing. Everyone who has been in front of a microphone the last two days is saying Dez needs to grow up. They have assumed that his demostrative behavior on the sideline was a selfish plea for the ball a la Terrell Owens but there is a video linked below that clearly shows that Dez's so-called "blowup" was far from that. In that instance Dez wasn't complaining he was, if anything, encouraging the coaches and Romo by saying, "...we're the best in the NFL!". The conversation evolved into a strategy session. Dez' post game comment that he was making positive comments, in this case, was completely true.

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap2000000271580/Dez-Bryant-sideline-sound

 

The audio/video I want to see and hear is the exchange after Detroit scored the winning TD between Dez, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware. Dez was beside himself on the sideline and whatever he said pissed off Jason Witten who seemed to be reminding Dez they had 12 seconds left to pull out a win and to stay focused. Then, DeMarcus Ware wedged Witten away and he took Dez by the front of his shirt and you saw a fire in Ware's eyes and a determination in his face that showed he is force to reckoned with. You see a glimpse of the mean streak Ware has. I'll tell you one thing, Dez may have been on TV when the Cowboys blew the game but he was among a legion of Cowboys fans ready to kick an Orc's ass out the frustration and disbelief at what happen at the end of the game. Dez deserves an apology for what media people have said about him. Unfortunately, he probably won't get even one.

[eagle eye]

The Cowboys the past two seasons have not had any luck at all injury-wise especially on the defensive side of the ball. Last year they lost pretty much all their linebackers and some on the D-line. This year it's been almost all D-line with some safety issues thrown in. Now, toss cornerback into the hat too. It looks like Morris Claiborne will miss at least two weeks with a pulled hamstring. That is on top of the issues he was already having that dates all the way back to Week 1. Claiborne's hammy hasn't been right all season. It's hindered him enough that he lost his starting job to Orlando Scandrick. The problems don't stop there.

Safety Barry Church also is nursing a pulled hamstring. The prognosis on him is not really known just yet but hamstrings don't completely heal, maybe ever (see Miles Austin). That big muscle on the back side of your thigh is son-of-a-gun to get over.

The defense isn't the only side of the ball hurting although the offense has escaped the number of injuries suffered by the defense. DeMarco Murray is currently missing his yearly quota of games and now G Brian Waters looks like he'll miss the rest of the season with a triceps injury suffered against the Lions. Mackenzy Berdadeau will step in and take his place. Bernadeau at least knows the offense and should be adequet going forward. Make no mistake Waters will be missed because he is a Pro Bowl caliber player who brings an element of nastiness to the O-line that had been missing. Hopefully his teammates have picked up on that attitude and will continue it going forward.

 

Dallas has made yet another move on the D-line. They released Jason Vega (who?) and signed Everett Brown the former 2009 2nd round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers coming out of Florida State. The fifth year player has started 3 games and played in 28 games in his two year stint in Carolina. After the 2010 season he went to San Diego and after that he went to Detroit when he was released at the end of training camp in 2012. He spent 2012 season out of football. He came back this year and was with Philadelphia until he was cut at the end of training camp. If I counted correctly Brown is the 16th D-lineman to be on the 53 man roster since the season began.

 

[eagle eye]

The week will not see the return of DeMarcus Ware. He has been limited in practice but he's not well enough to go against the Vikings this week. Honestly, I hope the Cowboys sit him until after the bye week after next week's game against the Saints. I really want to have Ware for the last six games and the playoffs. (I'm making a lot of assumptions here, aren't I?)

DeMarco Murray could and probably will be back this week which will give a big boost to the run game and he is the best of the RB's in pass protection which, considering the beating the Lions gave Tony Romo last week is a welcome addition to the offense. I heard a wild prediction that Murray will gain more yards that Adrian Peterson. But, when you stop and think about it, the Vikings don't have any weapons that scare you including Christian Ponder. I'm holding off on that one because Dallas just has too many injuries on defense to get cocky about anything.

Dallas really needs to win this game. The Vikings are 1-6 for a reason---they stink. They do have some talented players but they don't have a true No 1 WR. Cordorelle Patterson may be that one day but he's not even No 1 now. To me if Dallas would just embrace the notion they are a pass first team and forget that crap about being balanced they'd be a lot better off. That said, Dallas needs to win this game because I believe they will lose to New Orleans next week and they NEED to go into the bye week 5-5. I know it isn't sexy but we might actually get some players back and the rest of the team will get a long over due break. The last six games after the bye Dallas could realistically go 5-1 which would put them at 10-6 for the year and definitely in the playoffs. The Cowboys play the Eagles, Redskins and Giants as well as the Raiders, Bears and Packers. Dallas could be favored in every game except against Green Bay.

It all starts Sunday against the Vikings. A real must-win if there ever was one.

[eagle eye]

Holy crap on a cracker! The Chicago Bears sign former Cowboys disgruntled D-lineman Jay Ratliff! What's more Dallas plays the Bears in December so he will face off against the Cowboys. The only question is who wants to put a smackdown on who worse? Ratliff or the Cowboys after leaving the team with his agent saying he can't play until 2014. That will be something to look forward to and I hope Dallas kicks his natural ass.

 

G Brian Waters was put on IR today. The leadership the All Pro lineman brought to the Cowboys O-line was immeasurable. He brought experience, a particular work ethic and a nastiness that had been missing before he got to Valley Ranch. Hopefully he'll hang around as a player-coach in much the same vein as DeMarcus Ware has been to the D-line while he's been injured. I'm sure in the very near future Waters will have surgery to repair his torn triceps. But, before he goes this line still needs some sage advice from a guy who's been the best at his position in the NFL. Let's see if Frederick, Smith, Free, Bernadeau and Leary learned anything in the last few weeks. They'd better have or Dallas won't be going far.

 

With the move of Waters to IR Dallas called up DB Micah Pellerin from the practice squad. This is the 4th week in a row Dallas has had to call up a practice squad player. In the last three weeks Dallas has called up LB Cameron Lawrence, DL Jason Vega and S Jakar Hamilton. Dallas released Vega this past week when they signed Everett Brown. Lawrence and Hamilton are still on the roster. Pellerin is able to play either cornerback or safety but he's worked out in Dallas mostly as a cornerback. His position flexibility is very valuable and he was one of the real bright spots for Dallas in training camp.

[eagle eye]

A few weeks ago LB Bruce Carter looked clueless against Danny Woodhead of the San Diego Chargers and as a result he's had to split playing time with Ernie Sims ever since. It seems to have taken a while for Carter to catch on to the 4-3 defense Dallas converted to this season. Carter admitted as much in an interview on DallasCowboys.com yesterday. He said he was having to think about his assignements too much and not play instinctively earlier in the season with his low point coming against the Chargers. He looked so bad it cost him his starting job for a few games and he's continued his timeshare with Sims.

That may have come to a head this past Sunday. There were several plays I noticed that Sims missed his assignment, got faked out or just didn't make a play he was in place to make. In a word, he sucked. I guess that two words but you get my point. On the other side of the coin Carter played with speed and instinct and he did a really good job. So good, in fact, that Jason Garrett singled him out at his Monday press conference. It looks like Carter is finally getting comfortable in the new scheme and that's a good thing because athletically he's worlds better than Ernie Sims. Sims is a backup but it seems Garrett has been using Sims to motivate Carter and it seems to have worked. Sims is energetic but he's not as good as Carter and it really showed against the Vikings. Sometimes Sims is overly energetic and takes himself out of a play or as happened Sunday he came in to try to help Jason Hatcher on a tackle and he bashed into Hatcher causing the neck stinger that forced Hatcher out of the game. Something tells me you don't want a guy on the field who clocks his own teammates. It was an accident and Hatcher said as much but Hatcher is the anchor of the D-line and you don't want to lose him at crunch time like they did against the Vikes. The Cowboys will need Carter's athletic ability and his speed when they face the now-pissed-off-Saints who got beat down by the Jet this past Sunday. Let's hope Jason Garrett and Monte Kiffin think so too.

[eagle eye]

Interesting note about this past Sunday's game against Minnesota. The 90 yard drive that began with 2:44 left in the game and ended with 28 seconds left in the game engineered by Tony Romo was his 19th win when Dallas was either losing or tied in the 4th quarter (It would have been No 20 if the defense had held the lead against Detroit) and came back to win. In any case, according to Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com Romo holds the franchise record in this category. He has more than Dandy Don, Roger, Danny or Troy. I was surprised to learn this. For Romo to hold more come-from-behind wins than Captain Comeback (Roger Staubach) kind of freaked me out. So for one week anyway nobody can say Romo chokes when the game is on the line.

[eagle eye]

Dallas has signed another defensive lineman and could be the 17th D-lineman to play since the start of the season. Today they signed Everett Dawkins a rookie from Florida State. He was a 7th round draft choice in this year's draft by Minnesota and he's been on their practice squad. Dawkins is 6'2" and 300 lbs. He was considered a high motor player that was projected as a mid round draft pick but he ended up falling to the seventh round. Dawkins was signed because the Cowboys had to place Marvin Austin, who was signed just a couple of weeks ago, on the waived/injured list after hurting his back against the Vikings last Sunday.

 

Dallas also signed two more players to fill out their 8 man practice squad. Guard Phillipkeith Manley out of Toledo and DE Hall Davis out of Louisianna-Lafayette.

 

DeMarcus Ware was back as a full participant in practice today. Jerry Jones had said as much earlier in the week but until you see it it may not be true. If Ware is 100%, or close to it, he will offer welcome relief to the band of no-names on the D-line.

 

If Dallas can't run the ball effectively why not go to the original Bill Walsh west coast offense that featured short passes which served as the run game? They kind of already do that anyway, don't they? Just embrace the fact that they are a passing team and go with it.

[eagle eye]

What is a stinger and what does that mean? Well, for Jason Hatcher a stinger is pinched nerve in his neck which caused him the ability to control his arm. In fact when he left AT&T Stadium last Sunday he no control over his left arm. None, nada, zip. He's feeling better and the feeling is coming back into his arm. It's a darn site better now that it was on Sunday but he is questionable for this week's game in New Orleans. To have a healthy Hatcher to go with the returning DeMarcus Ware would be a big boost to the Cowboys defense. Let's hope Hatcher can recover enough to play.

 

Here's a link to today's practice update from DallasCowboys.com's David Helman.

 

http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-DavidHelman/Practice-Update-Dez-Practicing-Thurs-During-Early-Portion/da2898cb-a077-4c1f-ba40-dd862374d0a9

[eagle eye]

Dallas got steamrolled last night and they looked like crap doing it. Yes, the defense couldn't stop New Orleans offense and it was true even with Sean Lee in the lineup. Dallas couldn't stop the pass or the run. It was set up to be a shootout in the same vein as the Denver game but Dallas' offense has been on vacation since that Denver game. They ran a grand total of 43 plays on offense. Compare that with the 40 first downs, an NFL record for one game, the Saints recorded and you have the makings for what it was-- a blowout. The defense shoulders it's fair share of he blame and they had to be getting tired in the second half but the limp dishrag offense has to accept some culpability too. Not some, a lot. Where the heck was Jason Witten, Terrence Williams and Cole Beasley? No where to be found which is bad since Dez Bryant was being double teamed all night. Nobody could seem to beat single coverage at all. Dallas ran the ball nine times on a TD drive in the first half and then the Cowboys seemed to abandon the run altogether until the game got out of hand. Film study showed that the Saints were gouged by the Jets and Dallas was showing signs of doing the same. They just gave up on the run. I don't know about anyone else but I'm tired of the Bill Callahan experiment calling plays. He sucks. Anyone missing Miles Austin yet. I am. He could win some of those one-on-one battles.

Everyone said Dallas needs more balance in their attack. Well, last night Dallas had 24 passes and 16 runs. How'd that work out? The Saints were 3 yards shy of being the 5th team to pass for 400+ yards against the Cowboys and if they hadn't run so well there's no doubt they would have with ease. The run game scalded Dallas for 242 yards. Rob Ryan's defense didn't have to play well for the Saints to win but it did anyway. It was Rob Ryan's big "F" you to Jerry Jones for firing him at the end of last season. He ain't looking so bad compared to how poor Monte Kiffin's defense has played.

I just had to vent a little. It's a little aggrivating to see Dallas play THAT bad with so much at stake. Now, The Eagles are tied for first place and the Giants and Redskins probably think they are are right in the mix too.

I haven't even considered Jason Garrett's job in jeopardy until last night. It was a beat down by Green Bay that cost Wade Phillips his job and last night's game was every bit as bad. The only thing that was different between the two games is Dallas didn't have near the injury issues under Wade. It looked like the team had quit and dispite everything else, under Jason Garrett, this team doesn't quit. I'll give them credit for that. Even so, you almost have to feel Garrett may feel the fire getting hotter under him after last night. Frankly, he should. Now the Cowboys have a bye week to lick their wounds, get some people healthy and try to figure out how to come out and play better football. I don't know if they will get Jason Hatcher back with that neck stinger or if DeMarcus Ware will ever by healthy again. IMO he should have sat out last night's game and take this week and the bye week off to really heal up. As bad as he looked walking to the locker room, Sean Lee may be done for a while with a hamstring or quad injury of his own. Christ, Dallas could use a break from all these injuries. That's not me swearing, that's me praying for some mercy for the Cowboys players who can't seem to catch a break.

Sorry this post is so long. Like I said, I just had to vent and my co-workers are tired of my whining. You talk about a team who needs a time out, Dallas is that team. I hope it does them more good than it did for Houston.

[eagle eye]

This may be a bye week for the Cowboys players but it's business as usual for the player personnel guys and the coaches who are working out 16 players today. Most of those players are on defense as Dallas tries like heck to find some relief from the unbelievable slew of injuries that has decimated the Dallas defense so far in 2013. The offense has been hit too but not like the defense and now it looks like Dallas will be without starting middle linebacker Sean Lee 3-4 weeks as well as starting strong side LB Justin Durant both suffering hamstring injuries against the Saints Sunday night. Holy crap on a cracker, indeed!

 

Among the 16 players being worked out is safety Michael Huff who spent most of his career in Oakland and he became a free agent this past year and was signed by Baltimore but he was released after Week 7. The concern is what is wrong with Huff, who has been a good NFL player since coming out of UT in 2006 as the 7th pick in that draft. Why didn't Baltimore want a veteran 30 year old safety? Dallas is working out mostly defensive players including 5 other defensive backs including Jordan Pugh and Brandon Hughes who were former draft picks. They are working out 4 defensive linemen including Corey Irvin, who was a second round pick in 2009 by Carolina, and Torell Troup who was a 2nd round pick by Buffalo in the 2010 draft. Troup is recovering from a back injury and he hasn't played a down since 2011. Dallas is also working out 6 offensive linemen 4 of which were draft picks.

 

Jerry Jones said in a radio interview that no changes were forthcoming to any of coaching staff in general and to Monte Kiffin and Bill Callahan specifically. Jones understands the injury issues Dallas has had to deal with and how it's handcuffed coaches who are plugging in free agents off the street every week to field a team. The only change Jones said was coming was more man-to-man coverage in the secondary. Dallas has been getting torched playing the Tampa 2 zone coverage which hasn't been helped by injuries to starting DBs JJ Watt and Morris Claiborne. People have been blaming Callahan as the new play caller for Dallas' struggles on offense since the Denver Broncos game just as Kiffin has come under fire for a pourous defense that gives up more than it's fair share of yards but is somewhat balanced by forcing a lot of turnovers. In Sunday's game Dallas looked like kids playing adults on both sides of the ball as New Orleans crushed the Cowboys even though it seemed New Orleans was merciful in the restraint used by Sean Payton and the Saints. It damn sure could have been a lot worse.

[eagle eye]

Of the 16 players Dallas worked out earlier this week they only signed two players. One was Corvin Irvin the 6'2" 302 lbs defensive tackle in his fourth year out of Georgia and guard John Wetzel. Irvin was signed to the 53 man roster and Wetzel was signed to the practice squad. To make room for Irvin Dallas released DL Caesar Rayford. The Cowboys also released two practice squad players, DT Jason Vega and OL Phillipkeith Manley. Dallas does have one open practice squad spot to fill.

 

How bad was former Longhorn Michael Huff in that workout considering how bad Dallas' safety play has been since JJ Wilcox was injured? Dallas is getting killed in their secondary because of poor safety play. You'd think Dallas has some regret cutting Will Allen after Week 3 but Michael Huff was one the most sought after safeties in the 2006 draft but evidently his skill set is not even good enough to help a desperate team like Dallas. If they aren't desperate they should be after giving up 600+ yards in two out of the last 3 weeks they played.

 

One thing I heard this week was that Monte Kiffin was asked about how good Dallas' defense would be in 2013 before the season began. He said it will take 3 years to get the right people in place and for the players to fully realize how his defense is supposed to work. Their version of the 4-3 is supposed to be a bend-don't-break defense but it isn't supposed to be a swinging door for opposing offenses. That's the bad but when starters return to the lineup and the best players are manning the defense it will get better. Unfortunately, some of those starters won't be back until next season. The players are getting better at understanding the system, now they just have to do a better job of executing it. The one thing that has gotten better is the Cowboys ability to force turnovers and that has enabled Dallas to win or at least stay in games so far.

 

Cool item: In the Dallas area Walmarts, like those around the country, there were people waiting in line for the release of the new Sony Playstation 4. In one particular Dallas Walmart customers were treated to something special. Dez Bryant, a big playstation player was one of the people in line for the debut of the newest version of the game system. Feeling extremely generous or just happy to be on a bye week or whatever, Dez bought playstations for the other people who were in line with him! Here's an example of a couple of tweets from the lucky shoppers.

 

Damn, @DezBryant just bought whoever was in line at a Walmart in Dallas a PS4.

— Marquis Rodgers (@MRodgers2405) November 15, 2013

 

"Holy crap, @Dez Bryant is cool ... just bought a bunch of people PS4s, wish I was there lol," tweeted Ben Freeman.

 

You just have to know Jerry Jones is smiling ear to ear over this latest Dez news item. It's also a really nice thing for Dez to do considering PS4's run about $500 a pop. This is a win-win for everyone involved.

[eagle eye]

The latest news out of Valley Ranch---

 

> Miles Austin, JJ Wilcox and LB DeVonte Holloman have all been practicing and should be ready to go against the Giants this week. It is expected that DeMarcus Ware will play but he has not been practicing with the team, he has been working with trainers on the side. The same goes for Jason Hatcher who is getting the strength back in his arm after suffering a neck stinger in the New Orleans game. Starting linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant will not be available for either the Giants game or the Oakland game on Thanksgiving.

 

> Former head coach Jimmy Johnson and Charles Haley have made the first cut will join the other eligible players and coaches chosen as semi-finalists for next year's Hall of Fame induction class. Next year's HOF inductees will be announced the week of the Super Bowl.

 

> Jerry Jones said today in an interview at the Cowboys practice facility that Jason Garrett will definitely be the coach of the Cowboys in 2014. While he is excited about being in the playoff hunt he said that not making the playoffs won't affect Garrett's status. He said while he's disappointed they Cowboys don't have a better record at this point he sees the Cowboys in the playoff hunt and they have a potential to make an impact in the post season. It could be a couple more losses like the one against the Saints and Jones may change his tune.

 

> The Cowboys have added to their linebacker depth by signing former Cowboy Orie Lemon. Lemon signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent coming out of college in 2011. The former Oklahoma State player was with the Cowboys in '11 and '12 but was cut in the off season. He spent a short time with Kansas City and was signed by the Arizona Cardinals to their practice squad.

 

 

[eagle eye]

Dallas pulled out a win on the road vs their old nemesis Giants. It was great and it was awesome how Tony Romo led the Cowboys down the field for the win. This makes 12 games Dallas has won in the last three years when losing or tied with 5 minutes or less in the game which is the most in the NFL in that time. Can we please put all the Romo chokes with the game on the line to rest. Except for NFL Channel's Marshall Faulk, who is obviously a Cowboys HATER, everyone is finally giving Romo his props. (BTW Marshall Faulk is king of the douche bags!)

Now Dallas needs to string together a few wins beginning with Oakland on Thanksgiving.