-
-
-
2010-2011 Regular Season: Seeing Red And
Feathers Twice Might Be Very Nice
-
- December 23,
2010
At 11:15 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
While NFC East division games
have rarely been anything but competitive – through rivalries built
on pure hatred – the Washington Redskins won their first game
against the Dallas Cowboys with a combination of scrappy spirit and
star-spangled silliness served up at the end of each half.
-
- If not for a Choice choke and a Barron blunder, the Cowboys probably
would have begun the 2010 season on better footing – if still
precarious footing at best.
-
- It is amazing what first-game success can do for a professional
football team’s mental perspective – helping overcome anxiety for
rookies and veterans – when beginning a season bursting with promise
and pressure.
Then, again, if that professional football team enters that first
game with the false belief that its opponent will roll over at the
mere sight of its would-be conqueror . . . well, Cowboys fans have
seen that movie, and they gave it an overwhelming thumbs down.
The Cowboys were faced with a second opportunity – this past Sunday
– to exact revenge against the Redskins for leaving them red-faced
after the first game of the season . . . and starting Dallas down a
path of no return.
Finish Or Be
Finished
The Cowboys were taking it to the Redskins defense – clicking with
Kitna, chugging with Choice, feeling it with Felix, aiming a bit
with Austin, hearing some from Hurd, and working it all over the
field with Witten.
-
-
-
- Witten had to put his
performance into overdrive with another less than ostentatious
display by Austin – though the Redskins seemed focused on taking
away everyone but Witten from the Cowboys' injury-plagued receiving
corps.
-
-
-
- The Cowboys appeared to make every effort to make T-Rex Grossman
look every bit the gross prehistoric short-armed rock thrower
everyone believed he had become.
The Cowboys were leading 13-0 before T-Rex had a chance to exhale.
-
- When T-Rex was not tormenting the Shanahan's with poor shenanigans,
the Cowboys were clobbering him through the air, on the ground, and
into the ground. T-Rex looked fossilized and finished.
McNabb? He appeared finished as well – with the Shanahan's, their
not-so-magic offensive shillelagh, and the Redskins organization.
His thoughts on how the game had unfolded to that point . . . must
have been R-rated.
McNabb may be cut in the off-season for his rut in the regular
season.
The Cowboys – with a little under 27 minutes remaining in the game
and a 27-7 lead – were role-playing as reverends reading the
Redskins their last rights.
The Redskins appeared finished . . . and that was all the incentive the
Cowboys needed to nearly fail to finish the job.
-
- The Redskins came roaring right back against the Cowboys – who were
suddenly sporting a sound asleep defense and an offense that went
from somewhat otherworldly to out to lunch.
-
- The Cowboys – whether subconsciously or in real-time – always seem
to underestimate the Redskins . . . no matter how bad their record
and no matter how much everyone is screaming “TRAP GAME!”
The Cowboys were able to hold on – courtesy of a David Buehler game
winning kick and a follow-up Terence Newman interception of T-Rex’s
last minute effort.
-
- The Cowboys are lucky they avoided self-humiliation for the second
time in the same season to the same team.
The Cowboys have a myriad of problems to solve in the off-season –
the biggest of which is learning how to finish a team off, close the
deal, and end the game.
Injuries,
Excuses, & Experience
Jason Garrett – or the next guy – will have to spend just as much
time this off-season rebuilding the mental foundation of the Dallas
Cowboys as he will rebuilding the physical foundation of a
physically beaten up team.
The Cowboys can replace every single player on their roster with
better, faster, and stronger physical specimens – but better,
faster, and stronger are only side effects of the given foundation
upon which those features are carefully mounted.
Injuries are generally unavoidable in professional sports, excuses
are only covers for the truth, and experience can be invaluable for
those bench players who are suddenly called upon to deliver
higher-quality results of starters.
Everyone has been wondering when and if the Cowboys will make any
effort to “empty the bench” with only two relatively meaningless
games remaining in their merciless 2010 schedule.
Relatively meaningless is, of course, relative.
Garrett can test his head coaching mettle only be coaching his
players to play to win.
Garrett has no choice if he wishes Jerry and others to see what he
can really do with the Cowboys roster as it exists today.
Tony Romo was – ultimately – never going to be able to heal fast
enough from his broken clavicle injury. Most fans and
prognosticators now understand that Romo’s injury could not be
surgically fixed any sooner than a natural healing process because
of physical location of the injury.
While Romo is officially on injured reserve with two games remaining
in the regular season, he has effectively been in that position for
the past two months. The team simply decided to finally admit it
publicly.
Contrary to popular belief, the phrase “I am a quick healer” only
applies to Brett Favre and a handful of other standouts in NFL
history. While fan frustration always looms in the absence of an
injured star player, that player should feel no shame towards
wanting and needing to heal properly . . . lest the injury become a
permanent and career-ending one.
The question continues, however, to beg: “When will the Cowboys
allow their bench players some valuable playing time – during
meaningless games – in exchange for giving injured starters (Bradie
James, Keith Brooking, Terence Newman, and others) a well-deserved
if not well-needed rest?"
-
- A bigger question begs:
"If Stephen McGee is – as has been rumored – in jeopardy of
potentially losing his roster spot in the off-season 'because the
Cowboys have seen little from him,' why would he not be given any
legitimate game day playing time to show more than a little?"
-
- The Cowboys are the last
team that can afford any more wasted draft picks. No NFL team – in
this day and age – can compete On Any Given Sunday without some
level of quarterback depth – short-term at minimum with the
perpetual goal of long-term.
-
- Tony Romo is on injured
reserve – with a major injury for the second time in three years –
and Jon Kitna is playing well at 38 years of age. If McGee is not
the long-term answer at either of the back-up quarterback positions,
then, Jerry and Jason should simply admit it and put an end to the
unhealthful and unhelpful speculation.
-
- An even bigger question also begs: “How do the Indianapolis Colts and
New England Patriots continue to get far more out of their bench
players and rookies than almost any other teams in the NFL?”
Those teams have a system – or a foundation – in place that allows
them to somewhat comfortably replace players with almost any level
of experience (rookie, intermediate, or veteran) and miss very few
steps.
Scott Pioli – former “every man” for the New England Patriots and
current head honcho for the Kansas City Chiefs – utilizes the same
system of mix and match, plug-in, and unplug . . . while completely
respecting the salary cap, as well.
Should Jerry be studying such an approach? Certainly. Is he?
Certainly – for the sake of curiosity at the very least.
Would such a system require the Cowboys to have fewer stars and more
utility players who have the desire and will to succeed in any role
on the grid iron? Yes.
Does Jerry and do Cowboys fans have the stomach to live with fewer
star players in favor of a far more sustainable top quality roster?
Yes and no.
Jerry knows it can work – but he has to be willing to alter the
legacy of the Dallas Cowboys that is littered with star players.
Fans know it can work – but they have to be willing to fall in love
with fewer star players than “normal.”
Injuries, excuses, and experience conspire to work against all NFL
teams.
The Cowboys can alter their system to better deal with all three
elements, and a coaching change (even one that removes the interim
tag) is the perfect start-fresh-excuse to install such a system for
the long-term benefit of the organization, the players, and the
fans.
The Cowboys can alter their system but will they?
Stop Asking
Cowboys fans had spent the better part of four years wondering who
was going to replace Wade Phillips. While he led Dallas to a
league-best 13-3 season in 2007, his failure to win their home
playoff game and go deep into the post season left everyone
unconvinced of his staying power.
-
- Everyone in the known universe continues to ask – each and every day
– “Is Jason Garrett going to be promoted from interim to future
full-time head coach of the Dallas Cowboys?" While he was a part of
the fade that was Wade, he has made legitimate progress with a team
of little lost lambs.
-
-
-
- He has two more
opportunities to improve his credentials as the primary long-term
head coaching candidate for the Dallas Cowboys. "Will he win the
remaining two games for a head coaching record of 6-2? Will that be
enough success for him to be rewarded with an alternative to interim
with Dallas? Will he be the next head coach of America's Team? Will
he lose the last two games of the season and lose his chance to lead
the Cowboys into 2011 and a fresh start?"
Stop asking.
Everyone will find out whenever Jerry Jones is good and ready to
announce his decision – or whenever he allows one of his trusted
sources to leak his decision.
Everyone will find out whether or not Jerry Jones will be pursuing
additional interviews for additional head coaching candidates – in
an effort to satisfy the NFL’s “Rooney Rule.”
Everyone will find out whether or not Jerry Jones will be pursuing
additional interviews for additional head coaching candidates – in
an effort to satisfy his own desire to make absolutely sure a better
candidate does not exist for the Dallas Cowboys.
Everyone – from ESPN’s Ed Werder to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King
– will find out who will be the future full-time head coach of the
Dallas Cowboys.
Prognosticators and fans cannot help themselves but speculate at the
water cooler and in their sleep.
There is no rush. There should be no rush. Rushing causes mistakes.
Stop asking.
Similar
Situations – Sort Of
The Cowboys head to arid Arizona to play the Cardinals on Saturday
evening.
Both teams have been parched for victories this year.
Both teams have had quarterback and offensive struggles this year –
with the Cardinals’ problems appearing far more permanent than the
Cowboys’. While the Cardinals have been clocked without Kurt, the
Cowboys have been flying high as a kite – lately – with Kitna in
command.
Both teams have had defensive problems against the pass, the run,
both, and neither – resulting in poor consistency for most of the
season.
One team dearly misses its former starting quarterback, and the
other team – after a couple initial hiccups – has gotten on just
fine while it’s starting quarterback sits somewhat comfortably on
injured reserve.
One team’s head coach is not in danger of losing his job while the
other team’s head coach is doing all he can do to keep and augment
the status of his own job.
All but a few of the players on each team have their jobs on the
line and they need to keep playing as hard and successfully as
possible until the final whistle of the final game is sounded.
Do the Cowboys owe the Cardinals for punishing Tony Romo’s pinky
finger in 2008? Not really. The Cardinals wish they simply had a
good, experienced starting quarterback to go with a poor pinky.
Do the Cowboys owe the Cardinals for blocking a Mat McBriar punt in
overtime to win the game in 2008? Not really, but the Cowboys can
always challenge themselves in special teams and actually block a
punt or two.
Will the Cowboys offense continue to score big points against an
abused Arizona defense that would love nothing better than to
magically duplicate what the Eagles accomplished and the Redskins
nearly accomplished in successive weeks?
Will the speedy experiment known as Teddy Williams see more action
than just special teams as he prepares for his game day roster
debut?
Will the Cowboys defense pay attention for 60 minutes – not
including TV timeouts – against a Cardinals offense that still
features a number of legitimate weapons like Larry Fitzgerald and
Steve Breaston?
Cardinals rookie John Skelton appears to be more than a skeleton of
a starting quarterback, and if not taken seriously, he might make
the Cowboys secondary truly look secondary.
Will the Cowboys defensive front run to daylight before the
Cardinals running backs do?
-
- Will the re-inclusion of
an allegedly healthy Marion Barber into the Cowboys backfield mean
less daylight for the Cat or the Choice?
Will the re-inclusion of an allegedly healthy Roy Williams into the
Cowboys roundup of receivers mean
reduced routes for rep-needy Sam Hurd?
-
- Will the Cowboys get ahead, stay ahead, and finish off an
equally-challenged
Cardinals squad?
We shall see. We always do.
|
