Dallas Cowboys rookie Anthony Hitchens plays well in first start at MLB (team-high 13 tackles)

[stilltheguru]

You said he had no tackles that were a relevant collision and no turnovers......btw, when did that determine how well a linebacker played? But either way, he made a tackle on 4th and inches that ended in a turnover lol. I honestly thought you were being sarcastic. He did exactly what you said you were looking for. NFL rookie, 4th round pick? Solid first start. No he doesn't belong in the ROH or anything like that but with rookies you're looking for SOMETHING. Potential. He was around the football a lot yesterday. You might want to lower the bar a bit.

I'm scarred by young cowboy players,sue me. Blame Bruce Carter, Mo Claiborne, etc. I'm not getting sucked in.

 

[Idgit]

What did he do that was considered physical? One play where he grabbed hips , while it was a big play , doesn't make me optimistic.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the bar we're trying to clear is not 'making you optimistic, stilltheguru.' Let's try to keep things in the realm of the possible.
I didn't like the pick, either. And I still don't love what I see in the games, but he's playing better than I expected him to, at least. One thing I really do like about the guy is the humble, team first, hard-working demeanor. It makes you want to root for him. I can see him becoming a functional LB in this league for long enough to qualify for his NFL pension if he gets stronger and keeps working hard at play recognition. That's more than I expecting coming into camp.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I'm scarred by young cowboy players,sue me. Blame Bruce Carter, Mo Claiborne, etc. I'm not getting sucked in.

Don't get sucked in. But you should be realistic about a young 4th round rookie in his 1st start. He's not going to be Ray Lewis in his 1st game.

 

[Gaede]

Made a couple really nice plays, at important times in the game. For that, he has exceeded my expectations

 

[DandyDon1722]

He was a lot more around the ball than Mo was.

 

[MissouriCowboy]

I was impressed with his play. Wilbur looks horrible.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

He played well for a rookie playing his first significant action. But the tackles he was making were 5 yards or more down the field. He struggles to get off blocks and gets mauled. He makes due as a one game replacement, but he is not a long term MLB. Kudos to the kid he made a couple of good plays.

 

[coach steele]

For a rookie, I think he played really well. He had 13 tackles and a pass deflection. The tackle on 4th and 1 was outstanding. I'll be interested to see how he progresses.

 

[Craig]

If im reading the article correctly, he was a waste of a 4th rounder.

 

[Doomsday101]

Comical is this notion that he only playef 'ok'. Unbelievably high standards on this board.

I would say Ok, he made mistake as well. Even Hitchens knows he did not play as well as he would have liked. Having said that he did some good things out there as well 2 big plays right off the top of my head would be the 4th in one when we needed it badly, he also had a diving knock away of a pass that he came close to picking off at the endzone. I think this game will serve him well to learn from mistakes and also confidence that he can play at this level. I would say he played great if I felt that was the best he could do, I think he can be a much better player.

 

[Nirvana]

There is a wide gap between his play and McClain's. But he did a decent job and made a key stop on 4th down. He needs to work on shedding blocks and being more of a presence on the field.

 

[TheDude]

Im just happy that "Safety" isnt the leading tackler. Props to him for keeping 13 of those down at the least.

 

[casmith07]

Impossible. Risen Star said he can't play and is the worst pick ever.

 

[Oh_Canada]

I hated the pick but he

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the bar we're trying to clear is not 'making you optimistic, stilltheguru.' Let's try to keep things in the realm of the possible.
I didn't like the pick, either. And I still don't love what I see in the games, but he's playing better than I expected him to, at least. One thing I really do like about the guy is the humble, team first, hard-working demeanor. It makes you want to root for him. I can see him becoming a functional LB in this league for long enough to qualify for his NFL pension if he gets stronger and keeps working hard at play recognition. That's more than I expecting coming into camp.

I'm with you, not a fan of the pick but he fits JG's philosophy and seems to be a good kid with a high football IQ. May never be Navarro Bowman but those traits can translate into a pretty capable NFL player.

 

[CyberB0b]

None of the tackles caused a relevant collision and no turnovers. I'm not encouraged

While I know you're gunshy having guys like Bradie James playing for us, let's give him some time to be Ray Lewis.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

That was a horrific defensive showing against a weak offense and he was the middle linebacker, so I'm resistant to handing out accolades just yet. It will be hard grading him until the quality of the entire front 7 is raised.

 

[tm1119]

He did what I thought he would do. Play reasonably well in the box and tackled the guys near him. It was his 1st game starting and he didn't hurt the team....good enough for me.

I still don't feel good about his ability to develop into an every down linebacker though....

 

[sureletsrace]

He played fantastic, considering he's a rookie 4th round linebacker.