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2009-2010 Regular Season: Postgame -
Bucked From The Saddle
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- October 10, 2009 At 8:17 AM CST
- By
Eric M. Scharf
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- Regression Rather Than
Improvement
This game was depressing to watch.
If it was disturbing, that would indicate the Cowboys were not quite
aware of their circumstances, their surroundings, or how poorly they
were playing.
Long after the grueling press sessions and the measured one-on-one
interviews have ended – and everyone in the organization has
returned safely to the semi-private confines of Valley Ranch – an
assessment of the true positives and negatives are made clear for
everyone to hear.
The Cowboys were generally expected to win a game against a Denver
team that had a defense playing with more heart than talent and an
offense that scared no one in the NFL.
The Cowboys were supposed to build upon the results of the Carolina
game – bringing together a complete effort from offense, defense,
and special teams.
Tony Romo was supposed to take a few more chances than his recent
bus driver posturing would make you believe.
Tashard Choice was supposed to pick up any slack between an almost
ready for prime time Marion Barber and an MIA Felix Jones.
The Cowboys cadre of receivers was supposed to continue improvements
with route running, pass catching, and play making.
The offensive line was supposed to transfer some of that impressive
run-blocking into renewed pass protection and fewer tripping
penalties.
The offensive scheme was supposed to utilize more of the two tight
end sets – providing extra protection for Romo, extra blocking for
the running attack, and the ability to slide out for a swing pass or
down the seam against overmatched linebackers.
The defense was supposed to improve line play and tighter secondary
coverage with successful open-field tackling.
The Cowboys, in general, were supposed to attempt a number of things
– as part of the weekly improvement their fans expect but rarely
appear to receive. The phrase “it’s beginning to get old” is
downright ancient when it comes to this year’s collection of talent
– the core of which has been playing together for the past two to
three years.
After what seemed like a breeze of a first quarter, the Cowboys’
offense was stuck in some kind of inter-dimensional quicksand until
their final drive of the game. The Broncos, conversely, seemed quite
content within that same quicksand – displaying the same offense no
one else in the league appeared to fear, either.
The Broncos scored all of their points off of – or in part from –
Cowboys turnovers. Kyle Orton was doing quite well throwing neither
turnovers nor completions for much of the game. He was like a bus
driver with training wheels, as far as game managers are concerned.
Romo was – for the second game in a row – attempting to play bus
driver, too. I can certainly see how everyone in the organization
would believe that the same approach would work for the second game
in a row. After all, the Panthers were superior in every way to the
Denver “Cakewalk Schedule” Broncos – or were they?
Romo and the rest of the offense looked about as confused as
possible for three quarters of play against a defense that was
clearly following a plan of attack. This was the first game in some
time where none of Romo’s other teammates were blamed for any of his
gaffes.
What was so unpredictable about the Broncos defense that prevented
the Cowboys from making any adjustments for nearly three full
quarters – after dominating for almost the entire first one?
The Cowboys – with their current talent – were supposed to show at
least some improvement from the last game . . . rather than a whole
lot of regression, the likes of which I have not seen for years.
Painful Memories Surface
There were elements of this game that were eerily similar to a
miserable regular season game several years ago: the Cowboys 45-10
loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Cowboys and
Aikman were nursing a 3-0 lead in the first half, capped by a punt
return for a touchdown by Deion Sanders. The Cowboys defense was
doing an admirable job keeping Favre and the potent Packers offense
under wraps, and the Cowboys headed into halftime with a shaky 10-0
lead. You just knew “something wicked this way comes” at the start
of the third quarter. The Cowboys had no chance – whether through
their own mistakes or the Packers proper execution. The Cowboys were
under a spell like Snow White, they were punch drunk, and they
simply had no fight.
This game also reminded me of the entire 2000 season – Aikman’s
final season in the NFL, where he played his brains out within the
system and lost game after painful game . . . with a shell of a
team. Every game seemed to be playing out in slow motion.
No Fooling The Fans
Sports fans are as passionate about sports as the teams for whom
they cheer and celebrate – sometimes more than can be considered
healthy. Sports fans, like all other people, however, are born and
raised on the theory of Pavlov’s dog. If you experience an activity
enough times, you come to expect a certain outcome or result.
A large portion of today’s sports fans are far more in-tune with
what makes a particular sport tick than fans of decades ago. A
number of these fans can no longer be simply described as
overzealous big mouths with absolutely no clue. While many of these
fans may never know what it is like to run at such incredible
speeds, to run such incredible distances, to jump to such incredible
heights, to be involved in such incredible physical collisions, or
to perform under such incredible pressure in nationally televised
games . . . when these fans see an obvious dud, there is no fooling
them.
Quest For Fire
The Cowboys, for 2+ seasons, have had something systemically wrong
with them. The Cowboys – as an organization – have not displayed the
means to make do with the resources they have at their disposal.
They do not seem to have an ounce of what it takes to reach down
deep – deeper than pride alone – and emerge from the darkness with a
blinding light. They do not seem to have that true fear of failure
(referred to as “hunger” by others in professional sports) that
compels creative thought, unique approaches, and ingenious solutions
to truly vexing problems.
There are teams the Cowboys have faced over their history that were
decimated by injuries and poor execution. Some of these teams were
so in awe of the Cowboys mystique that they would literally just lay
down like doormats. Other teams would show heart, pride, and fear of
failure – putting up a valiant fight only to succumb to the
typically healthier and superior Cowboys. Still other teams would
simply state to anyone who was listening: “Not against our team. No
way. No how. We are not going to give them an inch. They will have
to drag our dead bodies off the grid iron before this day is done .
. . and there will be more of us left standing than them.”
The Cowboys have been on a “quest for fire” since the beginning of
the 2007 season.
How You Lose - Not How
Many Losses
I hope no one within the Cowboys players or the fans outside of it
have forgotten the 2007 playoff loss to the Giants or the 2008
season ending and humiliating loss to the Eagles. The playoff loss
was not important, nor was the season ending loss. The losses were
not the issue. They way the losses occurred were and remain the
issue.
T.O. – with his double digit touchdown total and untimely,
ego-bruising comments – is no longer here.
Terry Glen – with his former speed and excellent hands as well as
his current bum knee – is no longer here. Their talent was
unquestioned, but their absence is not the issue.
The Cowboys players do not have a voice of determination and
strength to which they can turn during times of great turmoil. Jerry
Jones can take away their paychecks one at a time or all at once by
cutting every player on the roster. This fact does not seem to
amount to a hill of beans to his players – not even in this economy.
Wade Phillips – no matter what he says publicly – has been reduced
to a soft-spoken, head-shaking defensive coordinator posing as a head coach.
Cowboys’ fans know he means well, has the very best of intentions, and
wants his team to win in the worst way, but continuing to respond to
concerns with “we just continue to work hard,” is wearing thinner
than gauze in front of an oncoming Mack truck. Fans want to know and
see that “we are working hard at a change in our approach in
practice and our scheme during games.” Otherwise, so far, everything
looks the same and sounds the same. “Same as it ever was, same as it
ever was” – David Byrnes of the Talking Heads.
Jason Garrett – who says very little publicly – remains a complete
mystery to everyone who has not coached or played pro football with
him. He is either an offensive genius who has been stuck with
players who do not know how to read a playbook . . . or he is a
struggling offensive specialist who does not know how to properly
educate and utilize his players – either when they are at full
strength or when they are missing a few pieces to the point-scoring
puzzle. The question continues to be asked, from sea to shining sea:
“Who came first – the troubled offensive coordinator or the players
who have trouble learning?"
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- Phillips and Garrett know the score
- even with everything Jerry Jones has been thus far willing to
absorb. They are aware enough to know that Jerry cares equally
about the team and his own source(s) of personal embarrassment.
If the season ends on an inconsistent or bad note, Jerry will kick
Phillips's passive approach and Garrett's misplaced brilliance to
the curb . . . and Cowboys nation will be asked to embrace another
round of "CQC: Catch A Qualified Coach."
No More Role-Playing
Any fan of any pro sports star ideally wants that star to be perfect
in every possible way. Fans of Romo are no different, but a fan –
just like a star – can want something too badly.
Romo was not born or wired to be a bus driver, try as he might. Romo
was not born or wired to be a complete touchdown machine without his
share of mistakes. Romo was, however, born to be something of a
Brett Favre / Fran Tarkenton hybrid – with the near insane gun
slinger mentality of Favre and the supreme escapability of
Tarkenton. It is pure coincidence, however, that both of the stars
he has directly / indirectly emulated are affiliated with the
Vikings.
I had been wondering – like all fans – to where the 2007 Romo had
disappeared, and for one play in the 4th quarter, he magically
reappeared for a brief moment, like a legendary unicorn. It was 4th
down, and somebody – anybody – needed to make an offensive play for
the Cowboys. No sooner was the ball snapped to Romo than his
offensive line was crumbling around him. He stepped up in the
pocket, he zigged, he zagged, and right before he was about to
consumed by Broncos defenders, he gently made a crisp short pass –
right on the money and right in stride – to Sam Hurd, who raced down
the field deep inside Denver territory. What occurred after that
play was simply more of the garbage fans have been fed this season.
People – within and external to the Cowboys organization – should
stop insisting that Romo remains a captive audience to the play of
his offensive line. His offensive line teammates – try as they might
– have only excelled at run-blocking this season. Romo owes no such
allegiance to those players who would indirectly conspire to get him
killed. While they continue to attempt improvements towards
protecting the most important player on their side of the football,
Romo should be free to emulate Fran Tarkenton as often as necessary.
And that is the key.
Romo’s mistakes come from a lack of opportunities within the current
offensive system he is asked to run. His escapability – if
encouraged – creates those missing opportunities, especially for a
few of his poor route running receivers. If – outside of Witten,
Crayton, and possibly Williams – Romo’s receivers cannot run crisp
routes or pay attention soon enough to truncate those routes, then,
Romo needs to be free to butcher his offensive line as often as
possible.
The offensive line need not worry about how badly they will look
because, if they are missing blocking assignments and tripping
opponents, Romo will be doing them a favor, not hanging them out to
dry. After all, someone should tell Flozell Adams that a trip to the
pro bowl is not meant to be taken literally.
Something Cooking In Kansas
City
There is going to be some great barbeque this Sunday in KC while the
Cowboys play the Chiefs. It is purely up the Cowboys whether or not
they are part of the food being served.
Every time my daughter gets reprimanded for doing something wrong
(fighting with her younger brother), I invoke the line from the
animated movie, Iron Giant: “You are who you choose to be.”
Romo is not Peyton Manning, nor does he need to be, but he should
feel free to revert to his 2007 tendencies . . . especially without
the services of Felix Jones and Roy "KC Ain't Cookin' My Ribs"
Williams. Romo, under these circumstances, should feel encouraged to
take the approach of “If it’s broke, go fix
it.”
The Cowboys defense can plan all they want for keeping the Chief’s
Larry Johnson under wraps, but without being able to wrap up at the
point of contact, they might as well have just remained in Denver.
The players know better. The players know they must fight the desire
to over-pursue.
They also know that they cannot simply tackle towards success,
either – not with Anthony Spencer wearing cooking oil on his gloves.
They need to catch what is thrown to them. The Cowboys need to be on
the eating end of the BBQ, not the cooking end.
They can beat the Chiefs, just as they could have and should have
beaten the Broncos. The Cowboys, hopefully, have found their true
identities in this week’s practice rather than saving that chore for
Sunday’s game. Eat or be eaten.
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- We shall see. We always do.
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