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2010-2011 Regular Season: No Lyin' Down
Against The Lions
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- November 25,
2010
At 12:30 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
The
Detroit Lions are one of those teams that – no matter their quality
– tends to bring out the absolute worst in the Dallas Cowboys.
Fans could always confidently circle the Detroit game on the
schedule and be confident their Cowboys would overlook,
underestimate, and ultimately find a way to choke against the Lions.
The Cowboys would show up against the Lions – especially in the past
two decades – with superior coaching, superior players, and
well-designed game plan . . . and give it away.
The Cowboys – even in their 2007 regular season of 13-3 – had a
tendency to lower themselves to the level of the competition they
and their worst critics still expected them to beat.
Superiority complex? Boredom? Ignorance? Stupidity? Particularly
poor preparation? Call it what you will . . . or call it “all of the
above.”
While the 2010 expectations for each team were almost polar
opposites, the Lions arrived at Cowboys Stadium this past Sunday
afternoon in very much the same 2-7 condition as America’s Team.
These polar opposites attracted and shockingly began heading south
for the NFL winter meetings far sooner than anyone could have
predicted. The Lions were expected to enjoy reasonable improvement
from last year, and the Cowboys were expected to eclipse the sun.
The trail of stale cheese crumbs leading from Wisconsin was still
fresh on the melted minds of fans everywhere when the Cowboys jammed the
Giants into the turf of their own billion dollar play pen in the
Meadowlands.
While fans were left both stunned and guardedly optimistic from the
Cowboys’ competitive conquest, the equally lopsided Lions laid in
wait one week later at Cowboys Stadium . . . with a chilling chance
for a Cowboys choke job still lurking.
The Cowboys responded to the “prove it again” reaction of their fans
by doing just that – beating the Lions 35-19 in a game that was
closer through three quarters than the final score would indicate.
More Than Meets The Eye
The Lions started the game like ferocious kings of the jungle,
leading the game 12-7 at halftime – then getting spooked through a
combination of special teams silliness, timely turnovers, and
Cowboys creativity – and finally degenerating into Detroit’s cuddly
crippled kittens.
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No one on the grid iron or in the audience saw Jon Kitna’s 4th down
29 yard touchdown scramble coming. Not even Baltimore Ravens middle
linebacker Ray Lewis could have called Jason Garrett predictable on
that play.
Kitna was not the only one “running” the offense – with Felix,
Barber, and Choice combining to chip away at the Lions line with
over 130 rushing yards and a few big runs for garnish.
While the Cowboys offensive linemen were expected to have a tough
time with an aggressive defensive line, they were surprisingly
efficient in giving up only two sacks and saying “No, sir!” to Suh”
– with Kitna throwing for three touchdowns and less than 130 yards
on just 18-24 passes. Almost Aikman-esque . . . but I digress.
The Cowboys’ defensive secondary stopped Calvin “Megatron” Johnson
just short of 50 yards on four catches but not completely cold with
one touchdown. Nate “Old Man” Burleson benefitted from the lack of
attention with nearly 100 yards on seven catches, including one
touchdown of his own.
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While the Lions had five different players with at least four
catches – and at least two players with at least 75 yards receiving – the Cowboys defense was good enough to make stops when it
absolutely counted all game long.
Special Again
When the Cowboys were down 12-7 in the third quarter – and in
legitimate danger of letting the game get away from them – the game
changed on a risky punt return by rookie cornerback Bryan “Can Do”
McCann.
His pick (of the bouncing punt) and roll (down the sideline) –
against a Lions special teams unit that expected to down the ball
safely inside the Cowboys 20 yard line – sparked a Cowboys rally
leading to Detroit being outscoring 28-7 in the second half.
While Detroit may have outgained the opportunistic Cowboys, they
still lost the game. Recent games against the unlucky Lions would
have reversed these roles but – to everyone’s surprise and delight –
not this time.
Dez Bryant suddenly does not have to do all the work on special
teams, and he is only too happy to share the load with “The Man That
Can.”
Keeping ‘Em Honest
The Cowboys validated the immense expectations set loose upon their
equally immense talent – for the second game in a row and only the
third time in ten attempts in 2010 – and they have six more shots to
secure a little more validation before the season comes to a close.
Fans should not overvalue or depreciate what the Cowboys have
accomplished in winning two in a row against the Giants and the
Lions. Both of those teams had every right to believe they were
going to be facing the same team that laid down, face down, and
spread Eagle in Green Bay just three weeks ago.
Diehard Cowboys fans – from the understated loyalists to the myopic
masses – need to hold steady, remain firm, and give America’s Team
no quarter.
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- I am
an admitted fan of Dale Hanson from years of watching the Channel 8
sports report (pre-Jerry Jones love fest) on all things Dallas area
pro sports
– and
I am an even bigger fan of Skip Bayless after years of reading his
articles in the Dallas Times Herald / Dallas Morning News and
watching him now on ESPN.
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one element of their collective work that is undeniable and
absolutely valid
–
love 'em or hate 'em – is their desire to see pro sports teams and
their amazing players held accountable when actions go unexpectedly
and unacceptably south.
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one would blame the fans for taking the Dale and Skip approach for
the remainder of the season – in pretending they are from the "Show
Me" state.
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Garrett’s Gang may be moving forward rather than looking back – as
dwelling should only be a place to live rather than a thing to do –
but Red Ball’s revival owes Dallas fans every ounce of their
competitive being until there are no more games to play on the
Cowboys’ 2010 schedule.
Coaches and players often talk of “taking what the defense gives
you.”
Fans need to exercise their right to talk of “giving as much as you
get.”
There are six more games for both the Cowboys and their fans to give
as much as they get.
The hearts, minds, and jobs of coaches, players, and fans are all on
the line.
All hands on deck but no handouts. Go Cowboys . . . for yourselves
and your fans.
Bones And Horses
Tony Romo – as expected – received a status update on his fractured
collar bone. An x-ray revealed there is no way Romo is ready to
resume any risky recovery routines.
Romo is a real competitor, and he wants to be a core part of any
potential Cowboys comeback.
A few more agonizing weeks will reveal Romo’s true readiness, and
rushing his return could be ruinous.
The NFL may not have a policy on fractured collar bones, but the
league does have a still-controversial policy against horse collar
tackles. The “Roy Williams Rule” – as it is loosely referred – is
receiving a little more negative attention.
The Lions were called for two horse collar penalties – one incorrect
and one correct – with both involving running back Marion Barber in
the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game against Detroit.
The first penalty came early in the fourth when rookie defensive
tackle Ndamukong Suh pulled Barber down by his thick, long Predator
locks. The horse collar rule indicates that you can pull a player
down by his hair, but Sunday’s zebras were unable to zero in on
anything remotely resembling heavy handed hair harnessing.
Cowboys’ fans could naturally care less . . . until America’s Team
finds itself on the bad end of such a penalty.
The rule can and should be altered in the off-season once and for
all in a very simple way that – while not ideal – will make everyone
more accepting of its existence.
The rule should be altered to indicate any pulling back of the area
between a player’s shoulder pads – including grabbing long hair –
will result in a penalty. Period. Grabbing the shoulder pads or long
hair could result in a similar level of physical damage.
Whether the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu or the Cowboys’ Marion Barber,
the long hair in question sits directly on top of the area players
are prohibited from grabbing under the horse collar rule.
I would personally believe all players should have to wear their
hair short or not at all. “Short hair shares no stories,” and
everyone – from fans to referees – would be able to clearly see when
a horse collar penalty is valid or not.
Then, again, you never know how the NFL’s prima donnas, err,
professional football players might react to another adjustment to
their dress code.
That Jason Garrett and his dress code is such a troublemaker. See
what that big mean guy has started?
What an extreme commentary on the best way to dress . . . but I
digress.
The Rooney Rule
Speaking of rules, the Rooney Rule will begin to leave its mark on
the Dallas Cowboys upon the conclusion of their season.
While Jerry Jones was well within his rights to hire whomever he
preferred as interim head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, he remains
obligated to honor the Rooney Rule with at least one minority
interview for the full-time head coach position.
Jerry has indicated that he will request an exemption from the rule
due to what he described special circumstances. The NFL must be
willing to concur with Jerry’s version of the events that led to
Wade Phillips’ dismissal and Jason Garrett’s promotion before any
such exemption can be granted.
Everyone should expect the Cowboys to have to follow through with a
Rooney Rule-mandated “do-over” of their long-term head coaching
search . . . whether or not Garrett proves to be the right person
for the job. And if Garrett is the right person, he will simply be a
willing participant with an unfair-but-earned advantage.
If Jerry is forced into the additional interviews – outside of the
core set of candidates I outlined last week – and if he wishes
to avoid the bad press that would come with a single token
interview, he will probably consider a few of the usual “hot
prospects” and then some . . . of the career assistants, career
retreads, and even some who are both.
Ron Rivera – San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator.
Perry Fewell – New York Giants defensive coordinator.
Brian Schottenheimer – New York Jets offensive coordinator.
Todd Bowles – Miami Dolphins assistant head coach / defensive
secondary coach.
What do all of these coordinators have in common? They are a few of
the flavor of the month coaches - relatively young in age and
experience with from one to three years of legitimate success under
their belts. None of these coaches have
experience in leading or even managing outside of their own pro
football specializations.
All four may receive interviews – minority or not – but they may
never receive serious consideration from Jerry unless he sees
legitimate proof of their ability to function and succeed outside of
their core discipline, in the absence of their best players, no
matter the situation . . . which is the ultimate example of head
coaching material.
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The only "inexperienced" head coaching dark horse Jerry might be willing
to engage would be Jim Harbaugh
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former starting quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines, former
starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears, former starting
quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, and the current successful
college football head coach of the Stanford Cardinal.
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Harbaugh has played and coached through adversity, he comes from a
football family (just like Jason Garrett), he has stared down
brighter lights than most, and he has a Ditka-ized thick skin.
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- What
about Iowa's Kirk Ferentz? What about him? He is an excellent
college football head coach who's name has seemingly been dropped at
the announcement of any and every pro football head coaching opening
over at least the past four years . . . but the man actually needs
to be interested in all of the opportunities. He has repeatedly
stated he has no interest in the NFL, and his school has extended
his contract accordingly every time an alleged alternative to Iowa
has arisen.
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Career retreads
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who have had bad to good results as head coaches but good to great
results as assistants in the NFL
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have been Denny Green, Jim Fassel, Marty Mornhinweg, and Gregg
Williams.
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– as head coach of the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions – may have
simply gathered on a stone that is no longer rolling in the NFL.
Fassel
– as head coach of the UFL's Las Vegas Locomotives – may simply have
become a fossil in his repeated attempts to once again become more
than just the quarterback guru of another NFL squad.
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Mornhinweg
– currently the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive coordinator –
is a career assistant who had a miserable outcome as the
one-time head coach to the Detroit Lions. While it can be argued
that almost anyone
– outside of Bobby Ross – can have a horrible experience as head
coach of the Lions, Mornhinweg generally proved that he is a far
better offensive coordinator and quarterback coach than anything
else.
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Does Mornhinweg deserve another shot? Has Andy Reid given him
opportunities to reach beyond his offensive play-calling duties?
Does Mornhinweg have Michael Vick in his
back pocket this season – fair or unfair – artificially making him
look a lot better at his job than a Kevin Kolb might? People already
know how Mornhinweg has performed with Donavon McNabb (and far less
capable quarterbacking talent)
in his coaching holster. Beware the NFL club owner who misinterprets
how much of Mornhinweg's newfound brilliance is his own versus that
of one star player.
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New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is
in a similar situation to Mornhinweg – having delivered solid
defensive efforts in most of his stops before and since a morbid
result as head coach of the Buffalo Bills – and Williams has not had
the luxury of a Vick quality player on most of his defensive units.
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is all just armchair conjecture, of course, and there are numerous
other potential longer-shot candidates but
–
like any of the paid professional prognosticators out there – you
should attempt to discuss
such a delicate subject intelligently or not at all.
Giving Thanks
The Dallas Cowboys will have a horn of plenty on Thanksgiving Day, and they can fill it with
more good or more garbage.
The decision is up to the Dallas Cowboys . . . as it has always
been.
The Cowboys – from Jerry and Stephen to the coaches and the players
to the jocks and the socks – are responsible for their own results.
The Cowboys can give thanks for their fans not completely walking
out on them they way they walked out on their former head coach.
The Cowboys can give thanks for still having jobs after so many
miserable performances over their first eight games this year.
The Cowboys can give thanks for Jason Garrett being crazy enough to
take on a team who is just as capable of stabbing him in the back,
as well.
The Cowboys can give thanks for not going 3-8 by the end of
Thanksgiving Day . . . only if they perform like their very lives
depend on it.
The Cowboys faced their own mortality in New Orleans last year, and
they came up larger than life. They convincingly and miraculously
beat a Saints team that was supposed to steamroll them like any
other ho-hum team on their 13-0 record schedule.
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They exposed weaknesses in the Saints offensive line, locked down on
their running game, roughed up outstanding quarterback Drew Brees,
and schemed their receivers into a far more human performance than
they ever would have preferred.
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The Saints – last year – were missing extremely-skilled but
oft-injured Jeremy Shockey. He would represent quite a challenge to
the coverage-challenged Keith Brooking and Bradie James, but he may
not play this time, either. One less star receiver on a Saints team
loaded with them only helps a Cowboys team still dealing with a
myriad of challenges in pass coverage from the linebacker position.
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The Cowboys – last year – had an injured DeMarcus Ware who sucked it
up and led his teammates on a dominant defensive display.
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The Saints – this year – are nearly the identical team minus Scott
Fujita among others, and they will be showing up at Cowboys Stadium
with revenge on their minds and severe humiliation in their back
pocket. The Saints are focused on payback, and they plan on paying
in full.
The Cowboys are virtually the same team this year, as well – minus
their starting quarterback in Tony Romo – but they have experienced
legitimate success with Kitna at the helm . . . significantly better
than a deteriorated Brad Johnson would have provided.
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The Saints – this year – have a banged up Reggie Bush returning to
them just in time for the home stretch of their schedule. There will
be immense pressure on the Cowboys’ defense to cover well on swing
passes, underneath passes, and in the slot.
Is Orlando Scandrick up to the task, or will Orlando suddenly revert
back to Scatterbrain?
Will Bryan McCann be called on to do more than special teams and
spot defensive duty against a still-potent Saints offense? Will
Bryan McCann be able to deliver lightning in a bottle for his third
straight game?
Will Garrett and Kitna be able to adjust on the fly to what Greg
Williams will attempt to throw at them?
Will Tashard Choice be ready to step in if Felix cannot fully flip
his ailing hip?
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Paul Pasqualoni be prepared for what Payton plans to push onto his
peeps?
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DeMarcus's dudes be able to deliver another dynamic and dominating
defensive display against the 'Orleans Ogres?
Will the Cowboys be inspired by Garrett’s own amazing tale of Texas
Stadium Turkey Day success?
The Cowboys can be failures, spoilers, or something more with a
little late season magic.
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The Cowboys can fill their horn with plenty of good or garbage, but
what will they choose to do?
We shall see. We always do.
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