Colombo in: Free OUT? I don't get it.....

[newlander]

I understand the age old NFL axiom that a starter doesn't lose his job to injury, but geez this is a tough one guys. If Romo gets blindsided..........................sure hope Houck and Phillips know what the ______ they are doing because this decision is questionable at best IMO. Granted, I'm a worrier by nature but......this isn't a sound decision at all: overcoaching personified.

 

[Doomsday101]

I understand the age old NFL axiom that a starter doesn't lose his job to injury, but geez this is a tough one guys. If Romo gets blindsided..........................sure hope Houck and Phillips know what the ______ they are doing because this decision is questionable at best IMO. Granted, I'm a worrier by nature but......this isn't a sound decision at all: overcoaching personified.

They would not put Colombo back in if they felt he was not ready. The positive side is if Colombo does have some problems early Dallas can insert Free in and we know he will be ready to go.

 

[newlander]

i hear you 'doomsday' but why not just leave free alone and let Colombo back him up? Are they concerned Colombo will be all butt hurt and raise a stink? Dude hasn't played in two months....WTH

 

[poost]

I'm questionin the decision myself, but I see it as just adding more depth to the o line. As stated before, I'm sure Wade and houck have evaluated the situation and would not put him in unless they believe he can go 100% with no significant dropoff from free.

 

[burmafrd]

This is an old school coach that will always go with the veteran first- that has been shown. The reason why coaches say you do not lose your position to injury unless the replacement clearly outplays you is that if you do not do that, you get players starting to hide or cover up injuries which is very bad.

 

[Doomsday101]

i hear you 'doomsday' but why not just leave free alone and let Colombo back him up? Are they concerned Colombo will be all butt hurt and raise a stink? Dude hasn't played in two months....WTH

I'm a bit leery as well. I do think there are things they feel Colombo is better out especially is short yardage situation. I love Free and think he has a big future ahead of him on this team but I also trust the staff to put in the players they feel can give us the best chance of winning. If worse comes to wrose they can always put Free into the game

 

[aikemirv]

It sounded like to me they wanted to get Columbo some time to get into game shape. What if someone went down and you had to have him and he was not in game shape in 2 or 3 weeks.

Columbo has done a great job at RT. I know Free has too, but I love Columbo's attitude on the field! He needs to be ready to play!

 

[CowboysFaninBaltimore]

Now I am getting nervous. This is making me nervous!

 

[blsabb88]

I have to admit I'm a bit superstitious so i'll be doing the exact same thing I did last game on saturday. I wouldn't change much. If you wanna bring him in for a series to see if he's got his legs underneath him that's fine but to start him straight up, I wouldn't.

 

[newlander]

Hey, doomsday is making me feel better: great point about short yardage man. It's been an issue and IN FAIRNESS, it's been an issue on Free's side. His run blocking has been pretty average at times, so.........yeah, I feel a little better about it. Just hope they keep someone like Phillips in to chip in the first qtr. until Marc gets his sea legs under him...that's all.

 

[Doomsday101]

Hey, doomsday is making me feel better: great point about short yardage man. It's been an issue and IN FAIRNESS, it's been an issue on Free's side. His run blocking has been pretty average at times, so.........yeah, I feel a little better about it. Just hope they keep someone like Phillips in to chip in the first qtr. until Marc gets his sea legs under him...that's all.

Great thing is Colombo is a vet player and has been practicing and getting in conditioning work as part of the rehab. I doubt the coaches would make this move unless they were certain he is ready to go.

 

[CATCH17]

Hey, doomsday is making me feel better: great point about short yardage man. It's been an issue and IN FAIRNESS, it's been an issue on Free's side. His run blocking has been pretty average at times, so.........yeah, I feel a little better about it. Just hope they keep someone like Phillips in to chip in the first qtr. until Marc gets his sea legs under him...that's all.

When you're running straight up the middle most of the time its not the offensive tackles fault for the penetration unless someone shoots into his inside gap.

Free hasn't been the problem.

 

[superpunk]

Hey, doomsday is making me feel better: great point about short yardage man. It's been an issue and IN FAIRNESS, it's been an issue on Free's side. His run blocking has been pretty average at times, so.........yeah, I feel a little better about it. Just hope they keep someone like Phillips in to chip in the first qtr. until Marc gets his sea legs under him...that's all.

From what I can remember, even though it's been an issue on Free's side, it seems to be more because of Bigg than Free.

But I support the decision to put Colombo back in if he's ready. People forget what a fantastic run blocker he can be, especially on our toss-sweeps off RT which have been non-existent since his injury.

 

[newlander]

..............I wish this game started in one hour.........seriously.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I would just keep Free in the starting lineup, why mess with anything now?

 

[Four]

this team is a family

family gets their job back when they are healthy enough to do it.

it would stomp on everything Wade has been trying to build if he didn't put colombo back in.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I've loved the way Free has played but I've got a feeling that Colombo, after having to sit all this time, is going to come out and tear the heads off some defenders. I think people will wind up pretty pleased with what we get out of him this weekend.

 

[67CowboysFan]

I've loved the way Free has played but I've got a feeling that Colombo, after having to sit all this time, is going to come out and tear the heads off some defenders. I think people will wind up pretty pleased with what we get out of him this weekend.

He might have to knock off a little rust at first but after that, look out. He will be a lot less wore down than the people he is facing.

 

[Eskimo]

Go back and watch the first half of the Philly game and take a look at where almost all of those yards came from - we were running right in between Davis and Free. Even though Free doesn't have the power of Colombo, he is so quick that instead of trying to drive block people he just outquicks them and walls them off.

His one bad play the whole game was he didn't get the block on Patterson on that 3-yard stuff of Felix early in the second half but that was really more just a good play by a very quick DT.

You guys have to look at how quick he got out there and some of those screens by austin. He is the only OL to ever get a block on anyone out there and he usually crushes someone when he arrives.

On one play in the second half, Felix is trying to run between Free and Davis. Free got his man turned around and drove him 10 yards down the field and Felix just stumbled onto Free and followed him down the field for 9 yards backwards until he fell down.

This guy is our best OL already - better than Kosier, IMO although Kosier is playing very well right now too.

Davis' game seems to have picked up too playing beside Free and he was very dominant against the Eagles, too.

When Colombo started we rushed for all of 76 yards at 3.3 ypc. With Free we rushed for 179 yards at 5.6 ypc with both Barber and Felix running for over 90 yards at over 5 ypc.

Don't put Free on the bench - it would be an enormous mistake, IMO.

 

[gmoney112]

You put a lineman back in during a PLAYOFF game when you haven't won one in how long? Against a team you dominated with the line you had already?

I like Colombo but that reasoning is JACKED. Come on, you killed the team last week. You don't switch out key players the next game when it's even more important. :bang2: