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2009-2010 Postseason: Postgame - Competition Clobbers Counterfeit Cowboys
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- January 23,
2010
At 12:30 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
Please be advised this is a
“magnificent-sized” season-ending article – with many points to
cover – until my next edition, which most likely will appear right
before or after the 2010 NFL draft.
Interpretation Is
Everything
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a
while, you could miss it.” –Matthew Broderick in “Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off.”
If Ferris Bueller had been a fan of NFL football, he might have
replaced “life” with “the NFL playoffs.”
Cowboys’ fans – hardcore and bandwagon alike – have either witnessed
the start of a bright and successful future for America’s Team or a
cruel sign of more playoff heartbreak to come.
Interpretation, of course, is rendered meaningless if you are unable
to keep your finger on the pulse of your team.
Fresh from the carnage that was the Cowboys’ 34-3 divisional playoff
round blowout loss to the Vikings – Jerry Jones, Wade Phillips, and
Jason Garrett can probably concur on one specific detail regarding
the pre-game mental state of their players: “Your confidence is not
necessarily their confidence. Your good feeling about the week of
practice leading up to the big game is not necessarily their good
feeling.”
If you take this theme a little further: “Your desire to call the
proper plays is not necessarily their desire to execute them
properly. Your ability or desire to guard against 12 men on the
field is not necessarily their ability or desire to count to 12.
Your mental toughness in a hostile environment is not necessarily
their ability not to choke.” And on and on and on.
You can scream at your TV or you can kick it in – when your team is
performing poorly or has just brutally lost a game. You can even
attend a game in person and convince yourself that your team can
hear you screaming at them . . . or that they even care about what
you are so kindly “sharing” with them.
At the end of the day – before, during, and after you have voiced
your displeasure over how poorly your team has performed – only the
folks on the field are empowered to determine the outcome of the
game.
Jerry can threaten to fire or follow through on firing personnel –
coaches and players – who humiliate his franchise in any way, shape,
or form. Wade Phillips can overrule a play call, bench a player, or
call a timeout before a bad decision is made. Jason Garrett can
retaliate against underperforming players – who think but have not
proven they deserve more offensive attention – by calling plays for
everyone else.
At the end of the day – before, during, and after Jerry threatens,
Wade benches, or Jason retaliates in an all-out effort to prevent a
poor performance by their team – only the folks on the field are
empowered to determine the outcome of the game.
On the other hand, if the wrong folks are allowed onto the field,
that leads right back to the coaches – who are supposed to know
their personnel front to back.
If 12 men are on the field – in going off topic a bit – is it the
coach’s responsibility to call time out and correct the personnel –
or is it the QB’s / middle linebacker’s job? Technically – if I am
correct – this thankless task falls under the supervision of the
“Quality Control Coach” that most teams now employ, but I digress .
. .
Interpretation is everything.
- Does "34-3" Deserve A "G"
Rating?
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- Wade Phillips, his coaches, and his
players - with the Cowboys' season now over - very much resemble the
director, film crew, and actors responsible for making a new big
budget feature film entitled "34-3."
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- While "34-3" was panned harshly by
members of the international sports media - and the Hollywood
Foreign Press - the question remaining on everyone's mind is:
does this film deserve a G(ag) rating?
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- Does "34-3" supplant Director
Phillips' last big budget flop, "44-6" - starring the Philadelphia
Eagles?
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- "Everyone in the world" believed the
Cowboys would either win or lose a close game to a talented Vikings
team that suffered from a Jekyll and Hyde syndrome to end the
regular season.
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- The 2009-2010 Dallas Cowboys were a
different team with greater confidence, greater desire, greater
intestinal fortitude, and a greater ability to win - and, yet, that
very team "flew south for the winter" just short of a full quarter
of play.
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- No one - neither fans nor
prognosticators - expected as lopsided a result as "34-3." The
Cowboys had everything going for them.
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- No, no. "34-3" was no "44-6,"
as the Cowboys ultimately accomplished far too much this season to
view it as anything more than a temporary box office bomb.
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- Does Keith Brooking deserve a golden
globe award for most dramatic nonsensical rant about running up the
score in an NFL playoff game? Absolutely. He wins, hands down.
Cowboys fans everywhere have really appreciated and enjoyed what
Keith Brooking brought - and hopefully will continue to bring - to
America's Team.
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- No one enjoys losing a playoff game,
but when you play as cold as the exterior of the Metrodome in
winter, you deserve to be scored on as often as possible until you
solve your inability to stop your opponent's offense in a win or go
home scenario. Brooking privately understands this, but he -
nonetheless - chose to put on a frustration-filled closing
performance.
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- The Vikings looked good, but their
good came courtesy of a major Cowboys gag gift - like a cat choking
on a hair ball rather than a hilarious joke.
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- Depending upon your perspective,
"34-3" may have - indeed - played out like a comedy of errors.
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- While "34-3" may have only lasted
two weeks in the playoff theaters, there is still plenty of critical
reception to be dished and detective work to be done.
Who Done It – The Vikings?
Common sense – and anyone who watched the nationally televised game
– will tell you the Vikings’ dominant performance ended the Cowboys’
season, but the truth goes a little deeper.
The Vikings won the game – fair and square – but they are only one
collective culprit in a series of villains responsible for
prematurely ending the Cowboys’ season.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Coaches?
Bad plays are called in every sport. It is somewhat rare that a play
call is so undeniably bad that players charged with executing that
play are completely incapable of correcting the call through sheer
force of will, an audible, and / or raw physical talent.
While it would always be nice to have Peyton Manning available to
customize plays at the line of scrimmage to more accurately deal
with oncoming defenders, having such a student of the game – on
offense or defense – is not always necessary to make basic,
fundamental changes before the football is snapped.
Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett took the same methodical
play-calling approach that had rewarded them so handsomely over the
last four games . . . that is, until their players allowed the
Vikings to build a 17-3 halftime lead.
The Cowboys attempted and failed to make it a 17-6 game at halftime
– which would have given them the smallest bit of good vibrations
and momentum heading into the locker room. The only good vibrations
they received – unfortunately – were simply more of the deafeningly
high decibel noises coming from the Metrodome crowd, and that was
nothing good at all.
The Cowboys’ coaches – from there on in – had to go one-dimensional
in order to get back into the game . . . and this season’s Cowboys
were not built to go one-dimensional and succeed.
The Cowboys’ apparent inability to make any adjustments at all –
between quarters and at halftime – will continue to eat at owner,
coach, player, and fan alike until it is determined why
most-but-not-all of the team reverted so suddenly to a pre-Saints
game effort and posture.
They had plenty of film to study, plenty of time to practice, and a
reasonable enough time to receive treatment for any game day-risking
injuries. Did the coaches not trust or believe in their players
enough to make on-the-fly play call adjustments? Were and are the
players so used to having decisions fed to them that they did not
think to demand immediate outside-the-box play call adjustments from
the coaches?
Coaches want players who can both give and take directions at a
moment’s notice and – while not all NFL players can fit that mold –
the alternative is unfathomable and something that can get coaches
fired.
Then, again, who was the rocket scientist who called for Jason
Witten to perform a one-on-one block of Jared Allen on the play
following Flozell Adams’ permanent exit from the game? Allen
easily collected a sack on that play, and Witten kept quiet, but he
had to have been shaking his head in Red Ball’s direction in disbelief.
Gurode and Romo were ultimately responsible for making last-second
protection adjustments - but why risk the chance that Gurode will
not make the adjustments? Why risk the chance that Romo will not
recognize a defensive shift? Why not call a timeout from the
sidelines - as coaches can now do - to prevent the potential
beheading of your normally heady QB?
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- Interpretation, indeed.
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- What about Joe DeCamillis? What
about him? All he did was endure a broken back in the off-season on
the way towards transforming the Dallas Cowboys' special teams unit
into something reliable and respected. Outside of the second game
against the New York Giants, DeCamillis had his troops ready and
willing all season long.
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- Few players - especially starters -
have any interest in special teams, unless they have a greater
appreciation for controlling their opponent's field position . . .
or unless they have just been dying to knock someone's block off all
week leading up to game time.
DeCamillis was a miracle worker this year and as rare a special
teams expert as Joe Avezzano or Bobby April. More than scheme -
which has very little room for variation when it comes to special
teams - the defining moment has to come down to style of
communication and one's ability to actually teach.
What does that say about the other 30+ special teams coordinators
(not counting DeCamillis or April) in the NFL? Either DeCamillis is
that good, or he was just a fresh face in his first year, or other
ST coaches are slackers.
DeCamillis is both good and fresh, and we shall see how fresh his
approach remains in year two of his stay with Dallas.
Interpretation is unnecessary with DeCamillis and special teams: he
led and - with limited exception but dedicated effort - his players
followed.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Quarterback?
Tony Romo had been playing almost impossibly perfect since the win
against New Orleans that sparked the Cowboys’ improbable run to
playoff destiny.
The Cowboys’ won the coin toss, and Romo methodically moved the
Cowboys’ offense down the field . . . until he held onto the ball a
little too long – having it stripped inside the Vikings’ 35 yard
line.
Romo’s defensive teammates forced the Vikings into a 3-and-out on
their first series, and Romo – again – drove the offense down the
field, stalling just close enough to the Vikings’ end zone for a
failed 48 yard field goal attempt.
Nearly everything went wrong for Romo beyond that point – throwing
one interception, fumbling three times, and losing two of them. He
went on to score not a single point.
While Romo could have made a few adjustments on his own that might
have made a difference – his offensive line, his receivers, and his
kicker did very little to rise above their assignments, make their
own adjustments, and meet him half way.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Offensive Line?
The offensive line spent much of the game beyond the first quarter
practicing for a new off-season Dallas-area musical entitled “Jail
Break.” While Romo certainly had the wheels to escape his Viking
tormentors on seven step drops – and while he certainly could have
thrown the ball away as an alternative to untimely turnovers – his
offensive linemen hung him out to dry. They toed the line of
mediocrity without question.
If Marc Colombo had decided to blatantly hold his opposing defender
on every play, such a decision would have been excusable,
understandable, and much better than playing the part of a sieve and
embarrassing himself the way he did. Romo has proven far more
capable of recovering from a 10 yard penalty than being crushed in
his own backfield.
Leonard Davis was not perfect, but he did the best he could with his
offensive line-mates being toppled like lifeless redwoods everywhere
he looked.
Flozell Adams – he of one good ear and an assortment of nagging
injuries – was already lost for the day by the end of the first
quarter with a calf sprain. I could not have been the only fan who
jinxed him last week – by suggesting the irony of his lack of errors
over the past few games . . . as penalties continued to pile up for
his own teammates.
Doug Free was called upon to flow for the suddenly fluffy and
fragile Flozell but – like his friends – he was far from figuring
out how to fend off ferocious Vikings’ defenders from forcing more
failure.
Kyle Kosier – on an individual basis – could not get cozy against
the competition, and he was powerless to push his offensive
line-mates – on a collective basis – to play any better. There was
no Kosier to call out as the culprit for a cruddy line this time.
Andre Gurode was the only player on the offensive line that had any
real excuse for a poor performance – with a bum knee that was not
going to allow him to win many battles against the sizeable Vikings’
defensive linemen.
And yet, I cannot help but replay the 1994 NFC Conference
Championship game – between the Cowboys and 49ers – in my head,
where it is still as vivid as HD in 1080p. Former Cowboys’ offensive
guard Larry Allen played in that game with a severely sprained ankle
– until he literally could play no more.
Larry was bigger, stronger, and tougher than the rest of the NFL for
so many years. No booboo or ouchy – outside of a one-time stubborn
training camp disagreement with Parcells – ever prevented him from
playing and playing well. Maybe Larry has a much younger brother who
is preparing to graduate from a high profile college where he just
happened to play on the offensive line . . . but I digress.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Running Backs?
The running game was unable to get any traction with extra personnel
forced to remain in the backfield to help pass block for Romo.
Barber was playing banged up, Jones was anything but cat quick
against a drooling Vikings defense, and Choice – once again – had
very little choice about the assignments made available to him.
On a day when missed blocks were supposed to be a front for slipping
into the flat for a Romo screen pass, the running backs were playing
Butch Cassidy to Romo’s Sundance Kid. While Jones had a few nice
plays, Barber struggled mightily. They ultimately had nowhere to run
after the first quarter and
too many defenders to block for the rest of the game.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Receivers?
The Cowboys’ receivers were supposed to have a field day against the
Vikings’ secondary – especially when using the spread offense.
A spread offense – unfortunately – normally calls for an empty
backfield on a day when the Cowboys suddenly could least afford it.
The Vikings were able to rely on constant pressure from their
defensive linemen to allow their secondary a much easier task in
pass coverage.
The pressure allowed the Vikings’ secondary to do to the Cowboys’
receivers very much what the Cowboys’ secondary did to the Eagles
receivers – allowing one player, in tight end Jason Witten, to
succeed with intermediate catches over the middle and down the seam
– but never allowing the big play.
The other Cowboys’ receivers, however, did their part in failing –
on almost every possession – to adjust their routes to come back
towards their beleaguered QB. Romo can make all the local
adjustments he wants – from rolling out left or right to pure
scrambling for yardage – but his adjustments will amount to nothing
if his receivers are not paying full attention to the play occurring
around their assignments.
The almost-nowhere-to-run pressure applied by the Vikings’ defensive
line forced Romo to turn to Jason “Security Blanket” Witten right on
queue – rather than attempt to stretch a play out and find another
target.
While Roy “When I Am Willing” Williams was right to be really
irritated by a lack of pass catching opportunities from his
embattled QB, he ultimately has no one to blame but himself. Roy was
open a few times where a catch would have certainly helped extend
and improve drives, but on the one pass thrown his way, Romo was
under pressure and forced to throw the football away.
Roy helped establish, however, the lack of trust he believes exists
between himself and Romo – which all reasonable fans have plainly
seen and which Romo continues to downplay as a good teammate.
The chips were down, and Romo was running for his life – and maybe
Romo should have thrown passes to anyone who managed to get open in
a “win or go home” scenario – but he simply did not have enough
blind faith in Roy to wing it his way.
While Roy was underutilized and privately considered untrustworthy
in the most desperate of competitive situations, Miles “To Inches”
Austin did not exactly establish himself as a pro bowl performer,
either. Austin had a brilliant breakout regular season and no one
can take that away from him but – once the tournament begins – you
must play with absolute desperation, busting through triple teams if
necessary to make the plays that extend the season for your
teammates.
Austin – against the Vikings – was no better than any of his
receiving teammates, but he should view it as just another learning
experience in what should be a very bright receiving future.
While Martellus Bennett finally showed up again – with only his now
“standard” three catches – rookie tight end John Phillips received
not a sniff from Romo.
Patrick Crayton – with only two catches – evidently was not going to
be allowed to slink around over the middle or down the seams. Either
the Vikings defensive line is that fast, or Crayton really is that
slow.
If the Cowboys did not have to max-protect Romo for most of the
game, fans should have and would have expected to see Jason Garrett
reach into his magic bag of tricks to allow Felix “The Cat” Jones to
line up wide or in the flank from a spread formation – just like
good ole’ Herschel Walker. I am unwilling to completely let go of my
Felix to the flank position demand.
If it was not for special teams, Ogletree would have been climbing a
tree – pining away for any offensive action that would prove to
never arrive.
No one even heard from Sam Hurd.
Romo was under fire all game long and – whether his receivers were
waging battle or warming the bench – no one outside of Witten was
able to (or allowed to) reach a higher gear and offer legitimate
help.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Kicker?
Shaun Suisham had a chance – albeit a small one – to both calm the
Cowboys’ kicking concerns and make a difference in the playoffs, one
successful field goal at a time.
While Suisham ultimately failed to swish enough field goals to
generate any fond memories leading into the off-season – to help
convert a short-term situation into a long-term job – the loss to
the Vikings was far from his fault. Nine points instead of three
points – from three field
goals he would have loved to make instead of one – might have helped stave off a
full-blown momentum switch, but it was certainly not going to be
enough to make the game interesting.
What of Bueller? Rookie kickoff sensation David Bueller? He just
continued to smash kick-offs right out of the end zone with
extremely rare exception.
Who Done It – The Punter?
“Have you gone crackers?”
“Surely you jest.”
Mat McBriar could have stayed home for this game, and no one in the
Cowboys’ organization would have given him any grief.
McBriar had one of the best seasons of his career – averaging a
little over 45 yards per punt and nailing punts inside the
opponents’ 20 yard line almost 40 times.
McBriar will have plenty of time this off-season to recover from his
recent minor knee surgery – and fans can probably think of no better
way for him to get back into kicking condition than to practice
kicking in the tail many of his teammates who occupy this “Who Done
It” list.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Defensive Line?
“Everyone in the world” insisted that DeMarcus Ware, Anthony
Spencer, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears, and other defensive line role
players were going to demolish the Vikings’ offensive line – with
the Bradie Bunch and Brooking’s Boys ready to clean up the scraps
and plug any holes.
“Everyone in the world” insisted that the Cowboys’ defensive line
was going to be able to replicate the defensive success enjoyed by
the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers when they beat the
Vikings in the regular season.
“Everyone in the world” should have remembered that things are
different in the playoffs – that teams are expected to and often do
play with a heightened sense of energy and urgency once the
tournament opens for Super Bowl business.
The concept of “paper champions” suggests that the Cowboys should
have had more success on defense against the Vikings than what
ultimately occurred. Reality and (paper) readouts do not always come
to the same conclusion.
While the Cowboys’ defensive line generated only three sacks of
Brett Favre – only half of what Romo endured on the other side – and
while they kept Adrian Peterson under wraps – the loss was not
entirely their fault, either.
The Cowboys’ defensive line would have loved nothing more than to
put more pressure on Favre – forcing him into quicker, less accurate
attempts on any of his big play passes and / or touchdown tosses.
The Vikings run a west coast offense that is – for all intents and
purposes – identical to that which Favre ran in Green Bay from the
Holmgren era. The passes will generally be of the short to
intermediate variety with plenty of YAC (Yards After Catch), as well
as the occasional deep pass against dazed defenders.
The Cowboys’ linemen and linebackers knew what was coming, they knew
where they had to be, and they knew who they had to stop – Visanthe
Shiancoe over the middle and down the seams, Chester Taylor in the
flat and underneath, and Adrian Peterson in the gaps. Jimmy
Kleinsasser is typically used as a blocker and – as the rare
opportunity necessitates – for any spot rushing or catching.
Favre did not exactly have all day to sit back in the pocket and
pick apart the Cowboys’ secondary, but he evidently had long enough
to take advantage of a Dallas secondary that was not doing enough to
stop the big play cold – which is how you succeed in the playoffs.
Who Done It – The Cowboys’
Defensive Secondary?
While the Cowboys’ defensive line generally accomplished their
imperfect goal of pressuring Favre – and slowing down his ground
game / short passing game – the rest of the heavy lifting was left
up to the Cowboys’ smooth and speedy secondary.
“Everyone in the world” insisted that Mike Jenkins, Terence Newman,
Orlando Scandrick, Ken Hamlin, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Alan Ball were
going to be able to handcuff any Vikings who were not smothered by
the Cowboys’ defensive line.
“Everyone in the world” insisted that the Cowboys’ secondary was
going to be able to replicate the defensive success enjoyed by the
Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers when they beat the Vikings
in the regular season.
“Everyone in the world” should have remembered that things are
different in the playoffs – that teams are expected to and often do
play with a heightened sense of energy and urgency once the
tournament opens for Super Bowl business.
The concept of “paper champions” suggests that the Cowboys’
secondary should have had more success – in aggressively jamming the
Vikings’ receivers off the line – than what ultimately occurred.
Reality and (paper) readouts do not always come to the same
conclusion, but – with the secondary – the results should have
matched the initial data.
Scandrick applied an excellent up-ending hit to one of the Vikings’
receivers but, sadly, it was not a game changer.
Gerald Sensabaugh could not help himself – falling for the hype and
tearing said data to shreds – shooting his mouth off about “the only
way we lose this game is if we beat ourselves.” He surely had no
idea how accurate his untimely comment would be.
If the Cowboys had been called for hands-to-the-face or pass
interference penalties on every defensive play, then, a 34-3 loss to
the Vikings would have been more understandable by fans and
prognosticators alike. “Everyone in the world” would have known the
Cowboys’ secondary made every attempt to stop the Vikings’
receivers.
“Everyone in the world” was wondering when the Cowboys were either
going to stop collecting so much penalty yardage or start paying for
it big time. Go figure that – in a game where, incredibly, the
Cowboys were called for only two penalties of the five yard variety
– the Cowboys would also choose to diminish their aggressiveness, as
well.
Who Done It – The Butler?
Many people contributed to the Cowboys’ demoralizing loss to the
Vikings, but their rookie linebacker (Victor) Butler did not do it.
Conflicting Numbers
While the Cowboys lost the war against the Vikings, they were close
enough on many of the battles within that war to indicate just how
mentally flat or ill-prepared America’s Team may have been.
The Head Scratching Stats:
The Cowboys and Vikings were equal on first downs – with the Vikings
receiving one by penalty.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by one passing first down.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by two rushing first downs.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by one successful attempt on
third down efficiency.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by one successful attempt on
fourth down efficiency.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by six plays on total number
of plays.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 68 seconds on time of
possession – more by Dallas.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 72 total yards.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 58 passing yards.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 17 rushing yards.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 8 rushing attempts.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 2 punt attempts – with
more by the Vikings.
The Head Shaking Stats:
The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 4.4 yards per pass.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 1 interception.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by 3 total turnovers – all by
the Cowboys.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by two successful red zone
scoring attempts.
- The Cowboys and Vikings were separated by two successful field goals
– 0-3 for Dallas.
Your team – even in an imperfect world – does not want to have any
negative separation in yardage gained on passes or rushes. The
single extra yard you sacrifice to your opponent may be the only one they
need to win the game.
Turnovers – whether in the regular season or playoffs – can ruin
your greatest goals and dreams. Yes, when one unit of your team –
offense, defense, or special teams – is floundering, the other units
can and are sometimes capable of picking up the slack.
Turnovers can become instant points or excellent field position for
the opposition.
And The True Guilty Party
Is . . .
While there were – again – many culprits, much of the core problem
leads back to the offense as a whole and the defensive secondary.
The Cowboys’ offensive line gave Romo little to no protection.
Romo – without protection – had little to no time to go through is
progressions.
Romo threw one pressured interception that did not cause his team to
lose but would have been better as an incomplete pass out of bounds.
A lack of good protection from your offensive line, however, is not
enough of an excuse to freeze in your tracks. Fans need only recall
vivid national television memories of Fran Tarkenton or John Elway
(herein referred to as “Tarkenway”). Their offensive lines were
despicable more often than not, but neither of those fabulous
quarterbacks would allow that problem to prevent them from finding
another way to succeed . . . or get incredibly close to succeeding
on several occasions.
Romo did not make any reasonable attempt, to the trained or
untrained eye – in a win or go home situation – to
further “customize” the offensive game plan on-the-fly towards his
immediate needs and skills, as would have Tarkenway.
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- Watching Romo stick with the program
was like watching the Oracle break the news to Neo in "The Matrix."
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- "Sorry, kid. You got the gift, but
it looks like you're waiting for something . . . your next life,
maybe."
The jailbreak Vikings defenders were many and often - but they were
not blazing fast. Romo knows how to run away from his pursuers but – rather than use one of his natural and impressive Tarkenway skills –
he chose to stand tall in the disintegrating pocket like Tom Brady .
. . and get clobbered.
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- Tom Brady, like most NFL
quarterbacks – to be clear – is only able to stand tall in the
pocket when his offensive line is giving him adequate protection.
Brady was beaten badly by Baltimore in his only playoff game of the
season. His line was a sieve (unlike during his incredible 2007 regular season). He
often and unnecessarily resembled a statue against the Ravens – with great respect
towards a rebuilt knee that did not prevent him from running out of
bounds or sliding after forward progress. He failed to get "something"
– any way he could – rather than the "nothing" he achieved.
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- You – as a professional QB, rookie or veteran – want to show your
coaches and teammates that you can play within the plan of attack,
but you also want and need to show them that you can think outside
the box if the box has been crushed.
A professional QB receives more admiration and respect for using
every tool in his tool belt than for succumbing to the fear that his
actions will be questioned – again – by the media, his organization,
and his fans.
The QB of the Dallas Cowboys simply has no choice (and has never had
a choice) but to pursue every reasonable option to win – long after
being coached up to “let the play develop before taking off” and
consulted by teammates to “hang in there until we can get open.”
Talk about a bunch of photos, err, plays getting over-exposed - and
waiting for the delivery boys to finish finding a place to park the
truck.
Romo does not want to be known as Donovan McNabb, he who is “really tough
to bring down” - according to most players in the league - but still manages to get sacked between four and six
times on any given Sunday. Romo needs to be aware of his surroundings,
be aware when they are collapsing, and be aware enough to throw the
ball away or cut and run when he knows – in his heart of hearts –
that the alternative is a silly sack or a forced interception.
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- The maddening fact is that Romo IS
already aware enough of his surroundings and, yet, something - an
incredible stubbornness, a sick desire to display his toughness, or
an unimaginative coach's decision - stopped him dead in his tracks
from attempting something, anything different to change his team's
chances.
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- Who would not have loved - or
loathed - to be a fly on the wall during the Cowboys' halftime
discussions? Fans may never learn what Romo and the offense would
have liked to attempt to turn the corner against the Vikings.
Speaking of corners, the defensive secondary is a different story
altogether. They can blame very little on a defensive line that –
for the most part – made a good attempt to get to Favre, force him
into uncomfortable situations, and stop the run.
Jenkins, Newman, Scandrick, Hamlin, Sensabaugh, and Ball have no one
to blame but themselves. While Romo’s turnovers – with field
position as a major consideration – may have put the defense in
uncomfortable situations of their own, there was no reason save
injury for the secondary to suddenly play differently than they had
over the previous four games.
The Cowboys can say and think whatever they want behind closed
doors, during interviews, or while they sleep at night – but they
chose to be less aggressive against a team that required a physical
beat down in order to be beaten.
The secondary should have been mauling the Vikings’ receivers on
every play – rather than on some of them. Why alter the approach
that allowed the Cowboys to stop a similar offensive powerhouse in
New Orleans? Why – indeed.
Fans – to be clear and fair – should give all the credit in the
world to the Cowboys’ secondary for limiting Visanthe Shiancoe and
Percy Harvin to one catch each. The Vikings, however, have no more
weapons, no greater capability, and no one faster on offense than
the Saints.
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here, as the Cowboys chose
to revert on almost all fronts back to their pre-Saints game
mentality. The Cowboys were not out-hustled, but they chose to
depart from their game plan, psyching themselves out in the process.
So, for the rest of the off-season “it” is broken, and “everyone in
the world” must wait until well past the pre-season to learn if the
Cowboys were able to fix it. After all, identifying the source of a
problem and the solution to that problem – in the case of the
Cowboys – is part A and part B of a painful and unexpected mystery.
-
- Razorback Was Razor Thin
-
- It is more than fair to say that -
after the first quarter - Romo had a bunch of turn-styles rather
than any real protection. And, yet, if "everyone in the world"
knew this - including Romo, the man in the middle - then, why "in
the world" did the Cowboys not immediately trot out the Razorback
formation to simply do away with pass protection period?
-
- Did that
topic ever come up in discussion between Romo and Garrett - in the
second quarter, at halftime . . . or ever? Was the idea hatched by
Romo - the man charged with making it all happen? Was it brought up
by Garrett? If Romo spoke up first, fans would have been proud that
he wanted to try anything to win - and disturbed that Garrett could
not or would not break out of his comfort zone. If Garrett brought
it up, fans - objectively - would have been shocked.
-
- The Cowboys certainly ran the
Razorback a time or two, but when did they do it? Too late in the
game to make a difference. They utilized it way too late - which is
more to my point of using every part of your being, every weapon at
your disposal as soon as possible . . . rather than waiting for your
bread and butter scheme to officially fall apart.
-
- Why not take a momentary step back
into traditional football 101, using the run to really set up the
pass - simply because nothing else is working quite right? Why not allow Romo to roll right or roll left - taking it
himself on the option, or pitching to Felix / Marion / Tashard on the edge,
or giving your linemen one more chance by bull-dozing defenders on a
misdirection play - or simply passing on the run? While Romo is not
the Wishbone-running Jamel Holliway, he has the horses to make the
Razorback work and work well.
-
- There was nothing to lose and everything to gain in a win or go home scenario.
Potential Solutions To
Ponder
While there is no reason to be sour grapes and avoid watching the
remaining NFL playoff games, there is no reason to delay
considerations for solving the mystery of the Cowboys’ mental
breakdown against Minnesota, either. Give some thought to the
following concepts.
Solution 1: Two For
Flinching
Training camp will begin – as always – sometime in late spring, but
as Jerry was willing to pay for a security team to follow Pacman
Jones around town, he should consider hiring a professional
wrestling team to follow Tony Romo wherever he goes.
What am I suggesting? Jerry can hire the Dallas-area and
fan-favorite Von Erich’s (what is left of them, with respect) to,
quite literally, punch Romo in either shoulder whenever he is not
paying attention to his surroundings. Consider it a variation on Two
For Flinching.
The goal is to teach him to be able to focus on what he is doing
without losing track of what is going on around him – like a great
running back in Emmitt Smith or a great race car driver in Jimmy
Johnson (just a coincidence with the name – relax).
Recall memories of the “Terry Tate – Office Linebacker” television
commercials (where you learn how to keep your head on a swivel) and
marry those memories to "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (where
you learn how to dodge bullets with but a simple martial arts
sidestep), and you will get a better idea of my concept.
By the time pre-season rolls around, you will be hearing from
everyone on the defense in training camp – and every defender in
every pre-season game – talking about how bloody impossible it has
been to get even one finger on Romo.
“Everyone in the world” will be talking about how Romo can move
around in the pocket like a circus clown and still make the big play
or almost any play for that matter. He will more resemble the Dallas
Cowboys QB of 2007 – in fact, he will be even better.
There is at least one old martial arts film where the master made
the pupil perform push-ups over raw eggs (in the shell). If the
pupil failed to perform the push-ups properly, he would fall and
crush the eggs, and the master would make the pupil eat the very
same dirty eggs for his meal. The pupil eventually caught on – being
able to handle any mental or physical challenge without destroying
his own meal – and he was rewarded with fresh eggs that were no
longer planted underneath his hands.
Although being punched in the shoulder can be a bit more traumatic
than eating soiled eggs, Romo can be “encouraged” to catch on, as
well. Just a loving thought from a fan who very much values all that
Romo can-and-will bring to his favorite team – despite his own
temporary shortcomings and those of his sometimes unreliable
offensive linemen.
Solution 2: Kick Free-Agent
Kickers To The Curb
The Cowboys – outside of Eddie Murray "way back when" – have had nothing but bad luck with journeymen
placekickers for the longest time.
While the Cowboys did draft Nick Folk, they got almost three good
years out of him. What did they get out of Peyton Manning’s former
“idiot kicker” for the big money they paid out? Exactly.
The Cowboys – ideally – can bring rookie kicker David Buehler far
enough along in training camp to consider handing over all kicking
duties to him (kick-offs and field goals). Remember: just because
Buehler is not as accurate as preferred, it is a momentary
deficiency, and accuracy can improve.
Somewhere, Nick Folk is praying I am correct, but I digress . . .
Nonetheless, the NFL draft is right around the corner and – as the
Cowboys have become relatively good at drafting kickers – why not
draft another one to compete with Buehler? The alternative is
another retread free agent looking for a chance to become more
accurate – or regain accuracy – on the Cowboys’ dime and time.
Kickers are not a dime a dozen, and there may not be a solid enough
choice to draft, but the days of picking up another team’s fungal
foot or sloppy seconds has got to come to an end. No thanks – no way
– never again – save it for the Raiders and Redskins.
Solution 3: Core Draft
Needs
Besides needing to draft another kicker, “everyone in the world”
knows that Flozell Adams received a hall pass in even being
considered for
the Pro Bowl. He played well – in all fairness – for about half the
season.
Flozell has been suffering from an increase in nagging injuries over
the past few years, along with being deaf in his right ear – from
which Romo so desperately wishes Flozell could receive his play call
adjustments.
Doug Free certainly has promise to be “something" - whether that is as a
part-time or a full-time starter remains a mystery.
The fact is that the Cowboys are thinnest at the offensive line.
They need a new starting left tackle. They can afford to draft at
least three more offensive linemen and tell those young men to push
their veteran counterparts as hard as possible.
After the Vikings game, it is clear that someone needs to push
around or scare the Cowboys’ starting offensive linemen. If the
pusher is not going to be the man who can cut their jobs, let it be
the young men who might outhustle them for their jobs.
Jerry may have a soft spot – to go along with swollen salary cap
space – for some of his starting offensive linemen, but he cannot be
pleased with a line that was simply reduced to being large, being
slow, being not very physical, and being devoid of attitude. Marc
Colombo – where art thy former nasty self?
The Cowboys could also draft another safety or two who may also
be able to play spot duty at corner and in the slot. Fans do not
want to fall for another Ken Hamlin payday scenario with Gerald
Sensabaugh. It is not worth it. Besides, Pat Watkins may also have just
the kind of lingering or reoccurring injuries that may make him a
training camp casualty – no matter how many solo special teams
tackles he made before his season was cut short.
Fans must also admit that it was good and healthy to see Mike
Jenkins push – and surpass – Terence Newman this year. It is not
enough to think you are a “shut down corner” – you must prove it and
reprove it in every game. The sheer mention of “shut down corner” –
in the absence of Deion Sanders in his prime – makes me ill, but I
digress . . .
And I will mention – for the third time in four weeks – that
surprising rookie tight end John Phillips could make slow-to-improve
Martellus Bennett look the part of off-season trade bait. "Everyone
in the world knows" Martellus has some excellent physical tools, and
that he spent a good deal of his time as a blocker at Texas A&M, but
there is only so much time a team can invest in waiting for greater
brain activity to translate from the practice field catches to the
grid iron clutch.
Solution 4: Sign Language
Is Not Just For The Hearing-Impaired
I am among the few who give no credence to the Metrodome noise level
bothering the Cowboys’ players – nor have I heard any players
mentioning the mighty “Metronome” as an excuse.
In the event that it was an unspoken problem, did anyone watch the
Chargers-Jets playoff game this past weekend? Did anyone notice how
Chargers QB Phillip Rivers used simple hand signals to get his
offensive teammates quickly up to the line for an easy snap and play
execution (on those plays where the Jets did not stop them, of
course)?
“Everyone in the world” knows how well the Cowboys performed in the
hurry-up offense this season, and “everyone in the world” remembers
those couple games where the hurry-up was simply not fast enough, as
well.
If Jason Garrett can reach down deep and find the flexibility to
install such simple hand gestures – that are associated with each
play – then, in theory, the concern over high decibel locales and
overaggressive defenders should be greatly minimized.
Yes, Red Ball would have to develop alternating hand signals for
each game, so that opposing teams would not catch on by simply
studying film – but that is the price for attempting to hurry up the
hurry up.
Coaching Contract Quandary
I suppose there is no longer much of a contract quandary with the
signing of Wade Phillips to a new two year extension – which is a
replacement for the one year option held by Jerry Jones.
It was very sound and strategic to sign Wade to a two year
extension.
“Everyone in the world” knows Jerry would love to see his team play
in the Super Bowl that will just happen to be hosted at Cowboys
Stadium next year.
Wade and his players would love to see it, as well, and Jerry does
not need anyone within the organization viewing Wade as a lame duck
coach. The first year of the extension has all of the urgency in the
world strapped to it. The second year effectively serves as the
holding cell for most if not all lame duck concerns that might have
swollen within the players . . . and distracted any of them from the
organization's core goals.
Wade can simply do his best – without end of year distractions – to
deliver on the organization’s desire to host, participate in, and
win the Super Bowl next year.
The University of Georgia just recently announced the hiring of
Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham as its defensive
coordinator.
The Cowboys were very lucky to find former Dolphins defensive
coordinator Paul Pasqualoni in need of a new position. Pasqualoni
was the former tight ends and linebackers coach for both Parcells
and Phillips, respectively – during their former and current stints
with the Cowboys.
Pasqualoni signed on immediately to become the Cowboys’ new
defensive line coach. You can bet this will not preclude former
pupil Jason Witten from tapping his old position coach for
occasional advice.
Jason Garrett’s contract may have approximately two years remaining,
but he clearly has more work to do if he wishes to remain with the
Cowboys – with respect to whether or not Jerry still considers Red
Ball to be the future Cowboys’ golden boy.
Red Ball has to find a way to either make his game day approach or his players more
creative and flexible - if only to be a little better prepared for
the what-ifs and unknowns that seem to torment the Cowboys a little
too often. Remember how Parcells used to prepare the team against
broken plays, trick plays, and other unexpected scenarios? All
coaches should want to prepare their players for such circumstances,
without question.
-
- It is easier said than done,
but “everyone in the world” clearly sees that he has little choice
if he wants to accomplish more than was recently realized. Red
Ball's offense should never have gone so unbelievably cold in
Minnesota - with respect to the typically frozen state and the
typically stout Vikings' defense.
Radio Silence
This season turned out much better than “everyone in the world”
believed it would become, but – as with all Cowboys seasons – it was
not enough, and it is never enough.
-
- Fans have more than a glimmer of
hope for complete seasons of constant competition - the monstrous
Minnesota mauling notwithstanding - rather than the counterfeit
collapses that have so commonly cursed the Cowboys.
America's Team has given their fans great reason to believe something
otherworldly could occur for them at Cowboys Stadium next year.
Maybe the Cowboys truly will "kick that S.O.B. in, too."
-
- We
shall see. We always do.
In the immortal words of Jim Rome, “I am headed off to the basement
for some (much-needed) rest and relaxation.”
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