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2010-2011 Regular Season: Sacked By The
Saints & Clocked By A Colt-Drawn Carriage?
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- December 4,
2010
At 1:15 AM CST
By Eric M. Scharf
The Thanksgiving thud that
was the Dallas Cowboys’ last minute loss to the New Orleans Saints
is faint but still fresh.
Cowboys’ fans had simply learned to be grateful for quality play –
even a win or two – but no one truly expected the Cowboys to play
the Saints to a near draw . . . or even be in position to win the
game outright.
And, yet, after a horrible first half, there the Cowboys were with
victory – and the hearts of their fans – in their grasp . . .
followed by a gasp at the frustrating fumble that finished off
wishes of a wonderful win.
Possession
Possession ended up being a huge part of the Cowboys’ loss to the
Saints.
The Cowboys possessed a huge deficit heading into the third quarter.
The Cowboys possessed a smaller deficit heading into the fourth
quarter.
The Cowboys possessed the lead deep into the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys’ possession receiver – Roy Williams – possessed the ball
on a long gainer that should have been the precursor to closing out
an unlikely win against the super powered Saints.
The Cowboys’ possession receiver did not think to provide full
protection for his possession on that long gainer – allowing a
Saints defender to pry his prize free and procure it for potential
points in the other direction.
I thought it was ironic the Cowboys’ high-priced possession receiver
could not prevent his most potent possession of the season from
popping loose.
It took mere moments after Roy’s fumble for the song “Tradition” –
from the feature film “Fiddler on the Roof” to start playing in my
head.
I could not understand why such a song had popped into my head until
it started to sound like “Possession” . . . underscoring the
Cowboys’ season-long struggle to maintain possession when it counted
most.
I then pictured Tevye pointing up to the film camera singing
“Possession! Possession!”
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- I then pictured Jerry
Jones dressed as Tevye pointing up to the film camera singing
“Possession! Possession!” I was under mental duress . . . but I
digress.
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- When times were good and
the Cowboys were regularly winning – in the regular season, the post
season, and the Super Bowl – fans never felt the need to worry that
their Dallas Cowboys had problems holding onto and protecting the
football (Curvin Richards notwithstanding).
When times are not so good and every win is precious, fans will be
screaming at their television sets – or from their Cowboys Stadium
seats – for their Cowboys to simply fall down after the reception or
interception rather than risk coughing it up on the run.
The Cowboys still need a lot of work in a number of areas, but the
easiest area to address has always been in turnovers . . . where
there are no exceptions to the rule that you must cover up the ball
when in the midst of opponents who may be coming from all
directions.
Roy certainly did not lose possession at the worst possible time on
purpose, and he also understands that his team cannot afford an
expensive possession receiver who loses one of his most valuable
possessions of the season.
The Cowboys are now just one more loss away from a guaranteed losing
season . . . rather than just one more win closer to a winning
season.
Buyer Beware
When Wade Phillips nursed the Cowboys along to a 1-7 record, some
fans wanted to see the team continue to tank in favor of draft
positioning while other fans wanted to see which of the players was
going to show some pride and fight for wins.
While an abundance of fans may be overjoyed to see Jason Garrett
inspire the same team that quit against the Green Bay Packers to
perform so much better for three straight weeks, this team still
contains some quiet cancers who cannot be allowed to blend back into
the population.
The coaches and players are performing for their very positions, and
let it never be said that a healthy fear of failure is a bad thing –
especially in professional sports.
Jerry, Jason, the coaching staff, and the scouting department know
full-well that they must be evaluating the current roster (from the
rookies and veterans to who plays and who stays on the bench for
days and days) and any potential additions towards the following
season.
While Jerry has made himself an easy target for questionable
personnel decisions for almost every position of employment within
the Dallas Cowboys organization . . . he is certainly not the only
“decider” in need of off-the-clock practice.
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- Jerry should particularly
be discouraged from making any decisions based upon the latest holiday
catalogue from Hammacher Schlemmer . . . as it could get him in real
trouble.
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- If the issue was as
simple as getting an eye exam and new corrective lenses, I would
invite the entire Cowboys organization to visit my father’s private
practice in Plano, Texas – being fitted with the best possible
prescriptions.
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- No more looking at coach
and player prospects with “one eye blind."
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- Maybe I am simply being
naive about professional sports players that quit on their
professional sports coaches.
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- Maybe I am simply being
naive about whether or not the Cowboys quit on Tom Landry in his
last year on the job – but fans know that his team had by and large
grown old and crusty at some of the core positions . . . and young
and ripe at others.
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- Maybe I am simply being
naive about whether or not the Cowboys quit on Barry Switzer in his
last year on the job – but fans know that his team had by and large
played well in spite of their general feelings for him (as the
caretaker to Jimmy Johnson's throne).
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- Maybe I am simply being
naive about whether or not the Cowboys quit on Chan Gailey in his
last year on the job – but fans know that Gailey by and large
schemed more productivity than expected out of an aging Cowboys
offense that endured the temporary loss of Troy Aikman and the
permanent loss of Michael Irvin.
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- Maybe I am simply being
naive about whether or not the Cowboys quit on Dave Campo in his
last year on the job – but fans know that by and large his team had
almost no chance to recover after just the first game of his
underwhelming career as head coach of America's Team. Pickle juice,
concussions, age and youth, a mixed bag of play calls, and poor
drafts all conspired to make any quitters look quite small over the
three year period in which Campo and the organization suffered.
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- No one on Earth is simply
being naive about whether or not the Cowboys quit on Wade Phillips
in his last year on the job – because that is exactly what many but
not all of his players did. The Cowboys lost Tony Romo on their way
to a 1-7 record, they had a coaching change to Jason Garrett, and
they have appeared a changed team – in attitude and effort – over
the first three games of Red Ball's head coaching career.
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- Garrett already existed
as Wade's head coaching counterpart. Garrett already called the
offensive shots. Garrett was as guilty of 1-7 failure as was Wade.
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- Fans really should be
pleased with Garrett's results and the inspired team he is leading,
but fans cannot realistically be expected to forgive and forget how
the team mailed it in during the first 7.5 games . . . when they had
a healthy Tony Romo.
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- Imperfect play calling is
a disease of all coaches – and personality flaws exist in all of us
– but players that quit on their coaches are worse than scabs who
cross the picket line during a strike.
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- Count me among the
growing number of fans who are interested in more dedicated players
and wins . . . rather than merely more wins. More (reasonable)
dedication traditionally translates into better, more long-term
results.
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- Buyer beware, Jerry –
buyer beware. Whoever leads your team – America's Team – into next
season deserves more mentally dedicated player personnel. Many of
your millionaires think "I got my mind on my money and my money on
my mind" – which is understandable – and there may need to be a way
to leverage that dollar driven desire into the ultimate
encouragement.
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- There may need to be the
ultimate incentive-laden contracts for everyone – from unproven
rookies to established veterans (from healthy to physically
deteriorating) . . . as unpopular and unrealistic as it may be.
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- Cincinnati Bengals owner
and general manager Mike Brown attempted and failed to deliver such
contracts a few years ago . . . targeted specifically at public
behavior on and off the field. Brown's goal was to encourage players
to stay off Cincinnati area police blotters, but the behavioral
contract language was deemed not in lockstep with the existing CBA
(Collective Bargaining Agreement) – if memory serves.
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- Jerry's goal – after a
record number of years off Dallas area police reports – should be to
encourage players to simply stay off low earnings reports . . . or
the waiver wire.
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- "Help me NFL CBA . . .
you may be my only hope."
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- Jerry could offer the
still-very-capable and still-well-connected Gil Brandt a hefty
consultant contract to course correct the Cowboys' scouting
department (READ "protect the scouting department from anyone who
only knows talent when it is presented to them on a star spangled
silver platter . . . but would not know quitters from cucumbers").
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- Brandt does not need nor
does he want that tremendous headache, and he has got to be
thoroughly enjoying the freedom he has as personnel guru to NFL.com
– and as a regular commentator on many things NFL for Sirius NFL
Radio Network.
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- Buyer beware, Jerry –
buyer beware.
What If Makes No
Diff
When times are good and everyone is performing up to snuff and
beyond, fans debate things like the best team in team history or the
best player of the year.
When times are not so good and everyone is having to bend over
backwards just to break even, fans debate things like should a
certain player return from injury to play the last few games of the
season . . . or how much better will the team be when that player
returns.
Even with the playoffs out of sight (barring an incredible collapse
by several other teams) people are still debating whether or not
Tony Romo should play at the end of the season – assuming he is
physically fit to return with a game or two remaining.
The importance of a veteran backup has never been more evident than
with the timely performances of Jon Kitna – as of the last three
games, of course.
Kitna is to the Cowboys as Don Strock was to the Miami Dolphins and
as Steve DeBerg was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Kansas City
Chiefs, and the Dolphins, as well.
What if makes no diff . . . and if Romo recovers from his injury
with enough time to get back into game day condition (in good
physical shape, in good understanding of any new playbook wrinkles,
and in renewed rapport with Jason Garrett), then, he will be
encouraged to see what he can do as the season comes to a close.
The same goes for any other players – with the lone exception
possibly being Marion Barber.
Fans – otherwise – should save their energy with the “what if”
scenarios and attempt to find encouragement from the coaches going
with what they got.
Bench production does not occur when starters are healthy and
playing well.
Bench production has been a sore spot for the Cowboys for a number
of years.
Bench production will not entirely replace a Tony Romo, but it
certainly helps when he or one of his other talented teammates are
unavailable.
Colt 45
The Indianapolis Colts have endured a rough couple of weeks, while
the Cowboys – over the same period – have performed better than most
fans and prognosticators could have imagined.
The Colts have been just a few plays away from a better bottom line,
and the Cowboys were just one big mistake away from the potential of
a winning season.
Peyton Manning is a perfectionist, and his teammates – whenever
possible – behave as an extension of his best performances.
The Colts – to a man – and as a unified 45 man roster have no interest in
going on an extended losing streak. They have big plans that include
a return to the playoffs and Super Sunday redemption.
The Colts have had to excel in the face of untimely injuries over
the past few years – plugging in bench players and relying on the
precision of a few veterans to raise the game of everyone else.
This season is no different while it seems to be presenting an even
greater injury-laden challenge to the Colts.
Peyton Manning will look to make an example out of the Cowboys
defense – should they choose to take him and his second string
support system lightly.
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- Peyton is at his best
when showing ultimate respect towards his opponent.
Peyton shows ultimate respect toward his opponent through his
relentless film study and collaboration with his coaches.
Peyton brings his best no matter who he is facing – from Patriots to
Panthers and anyone in-between.
Fans should forget about 2007 when the Cowboys beat the Colts with a
solid defensive effort and positive play by Romo. That was then,
this is now. The intensity will be that much stronger between a team
desperate for a playoff-driven win and a team desperate for a
pride-driven win.
Will the Cowboys show Peyton – and his banged up band – the same
respect he shows every team he plays? He always goes 100% no matter
who he plays. Will the Cowboys do the same?
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- Will Tashard be given the choice to taste more touches in the
balance of Barber’s absence?
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- Will Dez be even more
determined to deliver on the field than on the sidelines?
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- Will Roy Williams be
ready to wrap up each and every reception he reels in?
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- Will Terence Newman
knuckle down or knuckle under against the likes of wily Reggie
Wayne?
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- Will Mike Jenkins get
juked out of his jock strap by any number of Colts' receivers?
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- Will Orlando Scandrick
get scraped against the surface of Lucas Oil Stadium by Dallas
Clark's capable replacement?
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- Will Keith Brooking be
banished to the team bus by injury – setting Sean Lee loose at
linebacker for his first start?
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- Will the pass rush be
passive rather than punishing against Peyton – allowing the relatively immobile Manning to
cream the Cowboys' corners?
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- Will Free force Freeney
to forage for pressures and sacks on the perimeter?
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- Will Kitna continue to
capitalize with his catchers in the clutch against oncoming
cornerbacks?
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- The Cowboys got sacked in
the final seconds by the Saints, but will they be clocked by a
Colt-drawn carriage at Lucas Field?
The Cowboys have another chance to make another statement against
another top notch team. Will that statement be another near miss,
another reality check in a season filled with them, or their next
surprise victory?
We shall see. We always do.
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