Day after thoughts

[dbair1967]

I really cant think of a more disappointing loss than what we saw last night. Maybe the Niners loss in the NFC Championship game after the 94 season, perhaps the surprise loss to NYG last January. I was just blindsided by how poorly we played in this huge game. I wasnt shocked when we lost to Pittsburgh two weeks ago, but I am shocked we lost to the Ravens at home.

1) There's plenty of blame to go around. Ultimately though two guys deserve the majority of the blame, Hamlin and Romo. Hamlin had the worst game I've ever seen a safety have and continued his absolutely horrible play that started back in TC. Romo threw two more mind boggling, boneheaded picks that cost us dearly. Missed wide open guys, threw to the wrong guys. Got totally outplayed on our homefield by a rookie from Delaware. Was he rushed some, yeah he was. Was that a surprise? No. We rushed their guy too and sacked him 5 times in one half, did he throw a bunch of stupid picks? The plays where he screwed up the most were plays he had little to no pressure on him. The first pick it appeared Witten was wide open 15-20 yds downfield right in his line of sight. Not sure what the hell he was thinking on the 2nd. Missed Miles Austin badly on a gimmee TD, not sure what happened on that long one to Owens when he was open. Looked like he either wasnt expecting the ball or was thinking it would come more towards the inside.

2) Tashard Choice is a real keeper. Sure he did botch that option pitch and had a couple of problems in blitz protection, but otherwise he was outstanding. Somebody is probably going to call this offseason and offer something really good to get this kid, and hopefully Jones just hangs up.

3) I came away pretty impressed with Joe Flacco. I also came away thinking if we had swapped QB's before the game, we'd have won. They've got a good future with him at QB.

4) DeMarcus Ware, what can you say. Only had the one sack but it was huge and we got our first TD because of him. Had a potential game saving forced fumble ruined by that loser Hamlin. On most plays the Ravens had two tackles blocking him, on some plays they had 3 guys dedicated to him. He's the best defensive player in the league by far and should hands down be DPOY whether we go to the playoffs or not.

5) Hats off to Kevin Burnett too (hey Deion, its not BAR-nett), he had another really solid game and should definitely be given strong consideration for a contract extension. Should probably replace Zach Thomas permanently at ILB next yr.

6) Bruce Read cant be fired soon enough.

7) I am still amazed at all the bad hops we get on fumbles, and really amazed we cant get more interceptions with all the pressure we get on the QB.

8) Jason Witten is the ultimate warrior, what an effort last night. I bet he isnt more than 60-70%, and he's still getting open, making great catches and taking huge hits.

9) While we still have a decent shot at the playoffs, this is not a team that is going to have any success once (if) they get there. Too many mistakes, too many guys not giving 100%, too many guys unprepared, too many penalties and a turnover prone QB.

10) I think Anthony Henry, Zach Thomas and Cory Proctor have played their last games at Texas Stadium. Either Canty or Spears (hopefully not both) will be gone via free agency. Ken Hamlin should be gone but probably wont be. The one guy we could lose but I hope we dont is Miles Austin. He has a a ton of ability and I bet somebody will pay him really good money to come in and start. He's going to be a good player. Wont be surprised if Miami signs him as Parcells supposedly loved this guy. Some will probably call me out for this, but I'd rather lose Owens at this point than Austin. That obviously wont happen because of Jerry, but Austin could help us win for years whereas Owens probably has one decent yr left.

11) If Norv Turner gets fired in San Diego, Jones should think long and hard about bringing him here. Norv could do wonders for Romo, who has regressed this yr and IMO does a poor job preparing himself during the weeks for these games. Turner is also a master play caller and does a great job of setting up plays. Garrett is deservedly getting alot of criticism now but I dont believe its all his fault, but he needs another yr or two of grooming. Ironically it was Norv who said during the interview process last yr that Garrett wasnt ready to be a fulltime playcalling offensive coordinator. Guess he may have known something.

12) Bradie James didnt even make the THIRD alternate for the probowl. Unbelievable. Somehow Hamlin, who was God-awful all yr was a second alternate. We had nobody chosen as a first alternate.

13) Looking back, Jones has gotta be thinking he just threw a ton of money away this yr and got no ROI. Hamlin was horrendous, Barber was average at best. Adams had an average yr. All those guys got elite player money. Barber is arguably only the 3rd best RB on the team.

14) Awful way to send that great stadium off. The players should be ashamed of themselves, but many dont seem to be. Our QB had that "oh well, it happens" attitude again after the game. Seems others followed in line with that.

15) I think Atlanta and Tampa may very well both lose today, but I think we'll get blown out next week in Philly if Philly wins today and is playing for a playoff spot. If we cant win at home, set up the way we were last night we definitely arnt winning in Philly either.

Disappointing season, no other way to put it. Even with all the injuries there's not much excuse to be 9-6 and probably home for the playoffs with this kind of talent.

 

[windward]

I really cant think of a more disappointing loss than what we saw last night. Maybe the Niners loss in the NFC Championship game after the 94 season, perhaps the surprise loss to NYG last January. I was just blindsided by how poorly we played in this huge game. I wasnt shocked when we lost to Pittsburgh two weeks ago, but I am shocked we lost to the Ravens at home.

<snip>

15) I think Atlanta and Tampa may very well both lose today, but I think we'll get blown out next week in Philly if Philly wins today and is playing for a playoff spot. If we cant win at home, set up the way we were last night we definitely arnt winning in Philly either.

Disappointing season, no other way to put it. Even with all the injuries there's not much excuse to be 9-6 and probably home for the playoffs with this kind of talent.

This is flawed logic. Teams lose heartbreakers at home and then bounce back on the road pretty frequently. One result does not indicate another result MUST happen.

 

[Kilyin]

Norv Turner... yeah that's exactly what we need. I agree with a lot of your posts dbair but I don't know what your fascination is with Norvall.

 

[deepBLUE]

good post, but i'll add my new signature line...

garrett?...he's either incapable of adjustments, lacking in imagination, stupid, or sabataging wp....

 

[windward]

Norv Turner... yeah that's exactly what we need. I agree with a lot of your posts dbair but I don't know what your fascination is with Norvall.

Norv as OC may not be bad. Norv as HC, no thank you.

 

[WoodysGirl]

9) While we still have a decent shot at the playoffs, this is not a team that is going to have any success once (if) they get there. Too many mistakes, too many guys not giving 100%, too many guys unprepared, too many penalties and a turnover prone QB.

I'm beginning to think this as well.

10) I think Anthony Henry, Zach Thomas and Cory Proctor have played their last games at Texas Stadium. Either Canty or Spears (hopefully not both) will be gone via free agency. Ken Hamlin should be gone but probably wont be. The one guy we could lose but I hope we dont is Miles Austin. He has a a ton of ability and I bet somebody will pay him really good money to come in and start. He's going to be a good player. Wont be surprised if Miami signs him as Parcells supposedly loved this guy. Some will probably call me out for this, but I'd rather lose Owens at this point than Austin. That obviously wont happen because of Jerry, but Austin could help us win for years whereas Owens probably has one decent yr left.

Spears is not a FA, he has another year on his contract, as does Ware.

Canty may be extended, but I've been reading that he turned down an offer before the season and they've had on/off convos all season until a few weeks ago when they decided to shelve them til after the season.

I think Austin sticks and Hurd and Stanback battle it out for the final spot next year.

I think Zach's contract was setup to be a one year deal, but who knows. I like him, but I think Burnett has had a solid year this year. Henry may be the next Al Singleton. Play the final year of his contract, but will be done in Dallas afterwards

 

[kbman]

Good post, it's hard to argue with anything you said.

 

[odog422]

I really cant think of a more disappointing loss than what we saw last night. Maybe the Niners loss in the NFC Championship game after the 94 season, perhaps the surprise loss to NYG last January. I was just blindsided by how poorly we played in this huge game. I wasnt shocked when we lost to Pittsburgh two weeks ago, but I am shocked we lost to the Ravens at home.

Makes two of us.

There's plenty of blame to go around. Ultimately though two guys deserve the majority of the blame, Hamlin and Romo. Hamlin had the worst game I've ever seen a safety have and continued his absolutely horrible play that started back in TC. Romo threw two more mind boggling, boneheaded picks that cost us dearly. Missed wide open guys, threw to the wrong guys. Got totally outplayed on our homefield by a rookie from Delaware. Was he rushed some, yeah he was. Was that a surprise? No. We rushed their guy too and sacked him 5 times in one half, did he throw a bunch of stupid picks? The plays where he screwed up the most were plays he had little to no pressure on him. The first pick it appeared Witten was wide open 15-20 yds downfield right in his line of sight. Not sure what the hell he was thinking on the 2nd. Missed Miles Austin badly on a gimmee TD, not sure what happened on that long one to Owens when he was open. Looked like he either wasnt expecting the ball or was thinking it would come more towards the inside.

I've said it in many threads before - Parcells pointed out you had to coach Romo throughout the game and Garrett seems unwilling or uncapable of doing so. The biggest dropoff I've seen since his first start is his deviation from the progression of the throws. Homeruns are great, but sustaining drives that end in points, even field goals are better. The INTs reflect this change in his play.

Tashard Choice is a real keeper. Sure he did botch that option pitch and had a couple of problems in blitz protection, but otherwise he was outstanding. Somebody is probably going to call this offseason and offer something really good to get this kid, and hopefully Jones just hangs up.

Absolutely agree.

I came away pretty impressed with Joe Flacco. I also came away thinking if we had swapped QB's before the game, we'd have won. They've got a good future with him at QB.

He shows the poise and willingness to take what's given and stay within the offense like Romo did when he first started.

DeMarcus Ware, what can you say. Only had the one sack but it was huge and we got our first TD because of him. Had a potential game saving forced fumble ruined by that loser Hamlin. On most plays the Ravens had two tackles blocking him, on some plays they had 3 guys dedicated to him. He's the best defensive player in the league by far and should hands down be DPOY whether we go to the playoffs or not.

Absolutely. On Inside the NFL, Simms said he'd pick Harrision over Ware because he does everything. Has he paid attention? You cannot run to Ware's side, he dominates rushing the passer, and he plays coverage.

Hats off to Kevin Burnett too (hey Deion, its not BAR-nett), he had another really solid game and should definitely be given strong consideration for a contract extension. Should probably replace Zach Thomas permanently at ILB next yr.

Still have concerns about whether he can stay healthy, but yes, good game from him.

Bruce Read cant be fired soon enough.

Preaching to the choir...

While we still have a decent shot at the playoffs, this is not a team that is going to have any success once (if) they get there. Too many mistakes, too many guys not giving 100%, too many guys unprepared, too many penalties and a turnover prone QB.

Agreed.

Ken Hamlin should be gone but probably wont be. The one guy we could lose but I hope we dont is Miles Austin. He has a a ton of ability and I bet somebody will pay him really good money to come in and start. He's going to be a good player. Wont be surprised if Miami signs him as Parcells supposedly loved this guy. Some will probably call me out for this, but I'd rather lose Owens at this point than Austin. That obviously wont happen because of Jerry, but Austin could help us win for years whereas Owens probably has one decent yr left.

Bet you Hamlin makes thos tackles last year BC, aka Before Contract. And I'm with you with Austin over Owens. Young, Big, and Fast, and hands equal to, if not better than, Owens.

If Norv Turner gets fired in San Diego, Jones should think long and hard about bringing him here. Norv could do wonders for Romo, who has regressed this yr and IMO does a poor job preparing himself during the weeks for these games. Turner is also a master play caller and does a great job of setting up plays. Garrett is deservedly getting alot of criticism now but I dont believe its all his fault, but he needs another yr or two of grooming. Ironically it was Norv who said during the interview process last yr that Garrett wasnt ready to be a fulltime playcalling offensive coordinator. Guess he may have known something.

Don't think Norv gets fired. But agree that Garrett hasn't acquired the feel for playcalling yet. No method to the madness.

Looking back, Jones has gotta be thinking he just threw a ton of money away this yr and got no ROI. Hamlin was horrendous, Barber was average at best. Adams had an average yr. All those guys got elite player money. Barber is arguably only the 3rd best RB on the team.

That's what happens when you play GM as if youre playing fantasy football. For example, as much as I like Barber, to discount the fact he's NEVER been a lead back HS, college or in the pros, the way he runs, which is popular and physical but not conducive to long-term performance, to see how he was used here that made him so effective, i.e., in tandem with another back and late mostly in games when defenses are tired, are things that are discounted by a wannabe GM.

Awful way to send that great stadium off. The players should be ashamed of themselves, but many dont seem to be. Our QB had that "oh well, it happens" attitude again after the game. Seems others followed in line with that.

Serous disconnect between many of the players on this team and the legacy that is the Star. Look to the HC for this one.

I think Atlanta and Tampa may very well both lose today, but I think we'll get blown out next week in Philly if Philly wins today and is playing for a playoff spot. If we cant win at home, set up the way we were last night we definitely arnt winning in Philly either.

I wouldn't be surprised to see us blown out in Philly with Romo throwing 2-3 picks. Then again, Romo will probably come out and play great to stay consistent with his performances this year. Of course, it won't matter as we'll have probably been eliminated by then.

Disappointing season, no other way to put it. Even with all the injuries there's not much excuse to be 9-6 and probably home for the playoffs with this kind of talent.

Agreed. And great post.

 

[Boysboy]

Honestly-regardless of the coaching staff or player personnel, this team just can't win in Dec over the last decade.

I had a gut feeling we would lay an egg against the Ravens last night. Heck-blame TO, blame Romo, blame Garrett, blame Wade, blame Hamlin, etc, etc...we can bring back Lombardi from the grave along with his QB Bart Starr and this franchise will go nowhere in Dec.

With that being said-if Tampa and Atlanta can win out and keep Philly out of the playoffs, I'll have some satisfaction at year's end.

 

[TNCowboy]

I don't want Norv Turner anywhere near this team.

Letting Austin get away would be a huge mistake. Of course, Jerry Jones has made a truckload of huge mistakes the last decade.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Ken Hamlin won't be let go because of the contract handed out by Jerry Jones in the offseason.

 

[wileedog]

11) If Norv Turner gets fired in San Diego, Jones should think long and hard about bringing him here. Norv could do wonders for Romo, who has regressed this yr and IMO does a poor job preparing himself during the weeks for these games. Turner is also a master play caller and does a great job of setting up plays.

Wait, you want to replace the guy who had a super bowl level talented roster and missed the playoffs with the OTHER guy who was given a super bowl level talented roster and missed the playoffs?

I'm sure SD fans would pay the airfare.

Unless you are talking about replacing JG with him at OC, then I'm listening because I agree Romo needs some pushing.

 

[jimmy40]

15) If we cant win at home, set up the way we were last night we definitely arnt winning in Philly either.

I heard Baltimore fans say the same thing before last night.

 

[CalCBFan]

Outstanding post dbair1967. I don't know if I want Norv as HC, but somehow we have to find a Mike Ditka or Joe Avezzano assistant that can get this team fired up every game.

I listened to Irvin talk about when he first came to the Cowboys and saw the star, etc. and how he told himself you must never do anything to tarnish the legacy the former players had built. No one on this staff seems to feel that way and very few players seem to feel that way either.

Jerry seems to think you can buy a SB by gathering a lot of "stars" together, but you have to BUILD a team that wants to win and can identify w/ the history of what's gone before....

 

[Jon88]

Outstanding post dbair1967. I don't know if I want Norv as HC, but somehow we have to find a Mike Ditka or Joe Avezzano assistant that can get this team fired up every game.

I listened to Irvin talk about when he first came to the Cowboys and saw the star, etc. and how he told himself you must never do anything to tarnish the legacy the former players had built. No one on this staff seems to feel that way and very few players seem to feel that way either.

Jerry seems to think you can buy a SB by gathering a lot of "stars" together, but you have to BUILD a team that wants to win and can identify w/ the history of what's gone before....

I am so glad that he never did.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I am so glad that he never did.

LOL, no kidding.

 

[AdamJT13]

Somehow Hamlin ... was a second alternate. We had nobody chosen as a first alternate.

Where did you see this? I've been looking all over and haven't seen anything reported about our alternates.

 

[CalCBFan]

I am so glad that he never did.

I wasn't clear in my post. He said he should always play his best so as not to tarnish the legacy produced on the field.

And as for your reference to his off the field activities, you may not be old enough to remember Lance Rentzel exposing himself (on several occasions) to small children (the reason Minny let him go and sent him to us, where he did the same thing) or Raphael Septien molesting his daughter's teenage (and underage) friends until they sent him back to Mexico. At least Mike kept his vices in the arena of adults...

 

[AdamJT13]

Edit: Never mind. I found where our Pro Bowl alternates were reported.

 

[Eskimo]

Lots of good points dbair, and I'll just repeat a couple of them.

1. Barber is definitely not better than Choice - he is actually far worse. Too bad we are stuck with that albatross of a contract who only took 1 year to turn into Earl Campbell with his running style as a starter. I also begged for us not to give him that monstrousity of a contract.

2. Hamlin is average - he lucked out into some INTs on poorly thrown balls last year. I begged for us not to long-term him.

3. Henry and Proctor are terrible and I hope they are not brought back.

4. All the backup OL should be released because if none of them can beat out Proctor at guard they have no business being on our roster. I would release all of them as soon as the season is over.

5. Austin is already better than RW11 - I have no idea why JJ traded away so much for such a mediocre player and then made him one of the highest paid WRs in the league. I actually wish RW11 wasn't on the roster because then it would be Austin and Crayton out there when we go 3 wide. Many will make excuses for RW11 - he is hurt, he hasn't worked with Romo enough, he hasn't learned the playbook. Well the last two don't hold water anymore and as for the first one - this guy is always nicked up. Football is a violent game and probably every player on the team is nicked up to some degree right now - he cannot play while nicked up - he is useless to us and is just taking up a roster spot. I do see the talent and ability but not the production - by 5 years he should have accomplished alot more than he has. As for Austin I would give him a 1st rounder tender.

6. Canty - probably should be re-signed if we can get him for Ratliff money. If not, we will need to sign a DE to take his place or preferably an NT so we can then slide Ratliff over to DE which is his proper position in this defense.

7. We really need to draft LB and OL hard this year because there is precious little depth there behind the starters. If Zach and Burnett leave, we actually only have 4 decent LBs on the team (Ellis, Ware, BJames, Spencer). Signing Burnett and Zach should be a priority because of how bare the cupboard is.