A Touch of Hostility... Week 1

[Hostile]

As usual, I liked some of the things I saw, and hated some things I saw. Let's break down both.

I like the first team Offense. The ball was spread all around and Martellus Bennett caused mismatches even if the ball was not thrown to him. Eventually it is going to be thrown to him and there are going to be teams scrambling to figure out what to do. The 2 TE set with 1 Back looked very good to me. The chains moved.

The question of the off season...Who will provide big plays now that Terrell Owens is gone? Answer...Tony Romo.

Romo was off today early. I mean really off. He was trailing receivers and he should have put the one to Bennett up high. Once the formations caused some mismatches the WRs broke long plays. Good scheming by Garrett. I had heard this was impossible.

I want to tip my hat to the Buccaneers. They played a lot better than I thought they could. Their O-line did a great job. Our Defense helped them do a great job by not tackling worth a crap.

Did anyone see what Flozell Adams did to draw an unnecessary roughness penalty? No false starts was nice.

Felix Jones is a handful. In open space I don' think anyone in the NFL is more dangerous right now. Loved that we used Barber at the end to pound the ball and kill the clock. I hate Prevent Defense. That last Tampa TD never should have happened.

Safety looks different now, but there are still some issues. Coverage is not one of them. Health might be. Sensabaugh put one hell of a lick on Clayton. I am amazed he hung onto that ball. The reason I say we might is because it still seems like teams are going to attack the middle of the field on Dallas. That's where the big wrecks happen.

Did I see takeaways taken away? Stupid penalties will screw you everything without kissing you first. It could have been a better showing. Dropped picks and not near enough pass pressure.

Anthony Spencer sure looked good though. I think there are positive signs.

I hate, and I do mean hate that we lost the time of possession battle. Worse yet we lost it by over 7 minutes. I love the quick strikes, but I want to wear teams down too.

Overall I am happy with the win. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement. I'll take ugly wins in September if we're healthy and rolling in December and January.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

no mention of Buehler?

 

[CF74]

Anthony Spencer sure looked good though. I think there are positive signs.

I hate, and I do mean hate that we lost the time of possession battle. Worse yet we lost it by over 7 minutes. I love the quick strikes, but I want to wear teams down too.

Yep Spencer is finally 100% and playing well. As for time of possession and quick strikes that killed us last year. The D just seems to get worn down to early to often.

 

[Bluestang]

I agree I posted earlier that the run D was ugly first half but second half we forced them into the pass (not sure why we kept running zone D either). I think we kept the blitz simple for today (we mostly rushed 5 ppl but 4 most of the time) so we can really give it to NY next week.

Overall we beat the Bucs by scheming and causing mass confusion in the secondary by flexing out the TEs. QBs are going take the one-on-one with the S/WR all day long.

 

[Vertigo_17]

What the heck happened with the unnecessary roughness penalty for Flo? They never showed the replay...

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

I agree on ever point re the defense.

The defense looked a bit confused. Like they were better athletes but did not know how to put it all together. It looked tentative. there is some work to be done this week with the defense.

What struck me is the heavy and good use of Witten with selective strikes to Roy, Crayfish and Austin. Talk about lull and then strike.

For a first game, this Cowboys team gets a B-. And that is darn good for a first game.

 

[Grevus]

no mention of Buehler?

I can't remember the last time a saw a Cowboy kicker kick one out of the endzone.

 

[Bluefin]

I hate, and I do mean hate that we lost the time of possession battle. Worse yet we lost it by over 7 minutes. I love the quick strikes, but I want to wear teams down too.

Even with the Bucs playing up, I thought we tried a few too many deep shots.

I expect more ball control passing next week because the Giants know from experience we will go deep on them if they dare us.

But quick scores or time consuming ones, the defense has got to play better. Players were reportedly lining up wrong according to Keith Brooking, I know the tackling was awful and both starting corners were out of position at times.

 

[Grevus]

As usual, I liked some of the things I saw, and hated some things I saw. Let's break down both.

I like the first team Offense. The ball was spread all around and Martellus Bennett caused mismatches even if the ball was not thrown to him. Eventually it is going to be thrown to him and there are going to be teams scrambling to figure out what to do. The 2 TE set with 1 Back looked very good to me. The chains moved.

The question of the off season...Who will provide big plays now that Terrell Owens is gone? Answer...Tony Romo.

Romo was off today early. I mean really off. He was trailing receivers and he should have put the one to Bennett up high. Once the formations caused some mismatches the WRs broke long plays. Good scheming by Garrett. I had heard this was impossible.

I want to tip my hat to the Buccaneers. They played a lot better than I thought they could. Their O-line did a great job. Our Defense helped them do a great job by not tackling worth a crap.

Did anyone see what Flozell Adams did to draw an unnecessary roughness penalty? No false starts was nice.

Felix Jones is a handful. In open space I don' think anyone in the NFL is more dangerous right now. Loved that we used Barber at the end to pound the ball and kill the clock. I hate Prevent Defense. That last Tampa TD never should have happened.

Safety looks different now, but there are still some issues. Coverage is not one of them. Health might be. Sensabaugh put one hell of a lick on Clayton. I am amazed he hung onto that ball. The reason I say we might is because it still seems like teams are going to attack the middle of the field on Dallas. That's where the big wrecks happen.

Did I see takeaways taken away? Stupid penalties will screw you everything without kissing you first. It could have been a better showing. Dropped picks and not near enough pass pressure.

Anthony Spencer sure looked good though. I think there are positive signs.

I hate, and I do mean hate that we lost the time of possession battle. Worse yet we lost it by over 7 minutes. I love the quick strikes, but I want to wear teams down too.

Overall I am happy with the win. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement. I'll take ugly wins in September if we're healthy and rolling in December and January.

I agree. Overall I'm happy as well, but they got to address the run defense.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

As far as time of possession, I think the plan was to ground it out, but the Cowboys ended up taking what the defense gave them - some quick scores. The D may have been winded as a result. They sure looked like it anyway.

 

[casmith07]

The kick out of the endzone made my day, to be honest. We won the field position battle handily.

I think the offense suffered from some Week 1 jitters at first but overcame those. We've got a lot of weapons on offense to spread it around.

I think our defense played below average, but still came up with some good plays against the run down the stretch. I think the elements (heat and humidity) had more than a little to do with the way our defense played. I also think Ware had a pinched nerve, because there was one play he dipped under the Left Tackle and he didn't make the sack...he looked like he had jello feet. 100% healthy Ware dips under the LT and pounces on Leftwich like a lion on a gazelle in Africa.

Go Cowboys. Lets get one next week too!

 

[Hostile]

no mention of Buehler?

Last night I went to the University of Arizona game versus Northern Arizona. Allstate Auto Insurance assured themselves of never getting my business for as long as I live. They pledged money to a local charity for every PAT and FG this season.

They offer nothing to any charity for the rest of the points. I don't care if it is a great cause.

 

[bbgun]

I thought we were only go to use Newman as a returner at the 50 yardline or so? If I'm not mistaken, the one he sort of muffed was well into Dallas territory.

 

[jswalker1981]

I was at the game, and after the Clayton/Sensabaugh collision, a Bucs fan behind me was saying, "Come on cowboy, pick up your skirt and get off the field. Come on sweetheart, let's go." I turned back and told him to put some pads on and see if he could handle that shot. My girlfriend told him that that hit would have knocked him back to the third grade.

And ummm, Buehler looked great kicking the ball, even in pre-game warm-ups. Every kick was going 5+ yds into the endzone. Our run defense didn't look good at all, and we need to do a better job at getting pressure on the QB. I'm not panicing yet, but not getting a sack on a statue like Leftwich isn't good. I think Romo only had one or two poorly decided throws. This "Romo-friendly" offense looked great, because it lets Romo take what the defense gives him, instead of forcing passes where they shouldn't be.

I liked seeing the mix of Barber, Felix, and Choice. Seeing Choice in on the first drive was surprising, but great. Sensabaugh played really well, I don't know how he is doing after that hit, but his coverage was much better than what we have had previously (which is kinda sad, because I really liked Roy).

But anyways, it was a great game to be at (besides the freakin' heat). It was my girlfriend's first ever live game. And seeing the big plays was amazing.

 

[NeonDeion21]

The Good:
Ball was spread well, very Romo-friendly.
ST looked 100 times better. Folk looks good again after a rocky preseason
Liked the way we used all 3 backs, especially using Choice early.
Big plays are still part of our offense even without T.O.
Made some good half-time adjustments, created mis-matches which caused created some big plays.

The Bad:
Romo was off in the 1st half...big time.
Gave up WAY too many rushing yards.
No sacks. No Turnovers.
Secondary looked lost at times.

 

[cowboyjoe]

[
I like the first team Offense. The ball was spread all around and Martellus Bennett caused mismatches even if the ball was not thrown to him. Eventually it is going to be thrown to him and there are going to be teams scrambling to figure out what to do. The 2 TE set with 1 Back looked very good to me. The chains moved.]

The double TE set was good indeed, but the mental mistakes by Bennett have got to be addressed. To me looked like he wasnt in the game to start off and Romo was off the first quarter for sure.

[The question of the off season...Who will provide big plays now that Terrell Owens is gone? Answer...Tony Romo.] Agree what you said about Romo, he was off indeed. But dont let this game lull you to sleep or feel comfortable. I am sure that you realize Tampa Bay has a bad defense. The real test will be next sunday night against the Giants. I am sure you saw the big battle they had against the Commanders and how the giants defense rose to the occasion.


[Our Defense helped them do a great job by not tackling worth a crap.] totally agree the defense didnt show up to a large degree, kept tampa bay in the game.


[Safety looks different now, but there are still some issues. Coverage is not one of them. Health might be. Sensabaugh put one hell of a lick on Clayton. I am amazed he hung onto that ball. The reason I say we might is because it still seems like teams are going to attack the middle of the field on Dallas. That's where the big wrecks happen.] Yes, sensabaugh is the key this year so far on defense.

[Did I see takeaways taken away? Stupid penalties will screw you everything without kissing you first. It could have been a better showing. Dropped picks and not near enough pass pressure.] Let's see now, i brought up this subject last year about ref calling, poor as it was again. But someone said I was wrong about saying the refs were to blame. Wonder who that was?

[Anthony Spencer sure looked good though. I think there are positive signs.] This is where I disagree with you, spencer had some running backs to beat on one on one battles, and he didnt do that job. Remember last year, when bradie james was left one on one on running backs, and bardie dominated them on blitzes. Even the Moose said so on national TV. Spencer must step up or Dallas will be in trouble on pass rush!


[Overall I am happy with the win. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement. I'll take ugly wins in September if we're healthy and rolling in December and January.]

Yep, a win is a win, thats all that matters and you build confidence, but if Dallas plays like they did this sunday against the giants its going to be a long bad night.
Buehler had a big game too, that lost hidden yardage really showed up in this game. Only big thing that I see we are missing is a dynamite punt returner.

 

[Kangaroo]

I think the main reason we ran Zone D is because Wade likes to use it a lot and with it as wet as i was I bet he was afraid of someone falling and giving up a big play.

It is what Wade did with the Chargers so why is any one surprised he runs a lot of zone d

 

[jswalker1981]

I thought we were only go to use Newman as a returner at the 50 yardline or so? If I'm not mistaken, the one he sort of muffed was well into Dallas territory.

I saw on one punt return that both, Newman and Crayton, were back. Crayton was farther back, and Newman was about 10-15 yards in front of him. I don't know exactly why this was. Maybe if it was a short punt, Newman would field it? I would think it would be the other way around, if it was deep, Newman would take it, and if it was short, Crayton would take it. But really, the Bucs punter sucked. He was kicking it out of bounds with Crayton was back there. Were they afraid of Crayton's electric moves and speed?

 

[CrazyCowboy]

no mention of Buehler?

I agree......he was BIG!

 

[zrinkill]

[
I like the first team Offense. The ball was spread all around and Martellus Bennett caused mismatches even if the ball was not thrown to him. Eventually it is going to be thrown to him and there are going to be teams scrambling to figure out what to do. The 2 TE set with 1 Back looked very good to me. The chains moved.]

The double TE set was good indeed, but the mental mistakes by Bennett have got to be addressed. To me looked like he wasnt in the game to start off and Romo was off the first quarter for sure.

[The question of the off season...Who will provide big plays now that Terrell Owens is gone? Answer...Tony Romo.] Agree what you said about Romo, he was off indeed. But dont let this game lull you to sleep or feel comfortable. I am sure that you realize Tampa Bay has a bad defense. The real test will be next sunday night against the Giants. I am sure you saw the big battle they had against the Commanders and how the giants defense rose to the occasion.


[Our Defense helped them do a great job by not tackling worth a crap.] totally agree the defense didnt show up to a large degree, kept tampa bay in the game.


[Safety looks different now, but there are still some issues. Coverage is not one of them. Health might be. Sensabaugh put one hell of a lick on Clayton. I am amazed he hung onto that ball. The reason I say we might is because it still seems like teams are going to attack the middle of the field on Dallas. That's where the big wrecks happen.] Yes, sensabaugh is the key this year so far on defense.

[Did I see takeaways taken away? Stupid penalties will screw you everything without kissing you first. It could have been a better showing. Dropped picks and not near enough pass pressure.] Let's see now, i brought up this subject last year about ref calling, poor as it was again. But someone said I was wrong about saying the refs were to blame. Wonder who that was?

[Anthony Spencer sure looked good though. I think there are positive signs.] This is where I disagree with you, spencer had some running backs to beat on one on one battles, and he didnt do that job. Remember last year, when bradie james was left one on one on running backs, and bardie dominated them on blitzes. Even the Moose said so on national TV. Spencer must step up or Dallas will be in trouble on pass rush!


[Overall I am happy with the win. I still think there's a lot of room for improvement. I'll take ugly wins in September if we're healthy and rolling in December and January.]

Yep, a win is a win, thats all that matters and you build confidence, but if Dallas plays like they did this sunday against the giants its going to be a long bad night.
Buehler had a big game too, that lost hidden yardage really showed up in this game. Only big thing that I see we are missing is a dynamite punt returner.