DMN Blog: JJT: impressions from the second preseason game

[WoodysGirl]

Impressions from Cowboys 30, Titans 10
6:16 PM Sun, Aug 23, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Jean-Jacques Taylor/Columnist E-mail News tips
The Cowboys continue to show how they plan to attack on offense because tony Romo can throw the ball to whomever he wants instead of forcing it to the petulant receiver who's now in Buffalo.

Romo is checking it down to the running backs and taking occasional shots deep.
He's playing under control and forcing the ball, which he doesn't need to because the Cowboys have plenty of play makers.

Give them the ball and they will make his life easier and make the defense better.

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the Cowboys' second preseason game:


* Felix Jones is the most electric Cowboys' runner since Tony Dorsett.
The cut he made on the 42-yard catch-and-run at the end of the half was phenomenal. He must touch the ball in space 12-15 game.
No excuses. And it doesn't matter whether it's rushing or receiving.

I also liked the way he ran between the tackles. That's important. He can't hit the perimeter on every play. Sometimes, though you have to run between the tackles and make it happen like he did on a one-yard TD run at the end of the half.

* Marion Barber had a strong game, but twice he bounced runs outside instead of taking what was available.
The first run resulted in a one-yard loss; the second he came up a yard short on a third down carry.
Barber must be physical. All of the time.

* There are still too many penalties. You can't win making mistakes.

* Miles Austin has been OK, but hasn't showed he can be a legitimate speed threat.

* All Sam Hurd does is make pllays. He delivered a terrific block on a good run by Barber. He made a nice catch, reaching behind him.

* Jason Williams looks confused. The Cowboys aren't worried because he can run and hit. He's thinking too much.

* Nick Folk is 0-2 on field goals. It's too early to worry, right?

* Bobby Carpenter made a nice open-field tackle on Vince Young. What does that say about each player. Hmmmm.

* Jay Ratliff is going to the Pro Bowl again.

* Anthony Spencer looked like he did a solid job against the run. That's cool, but he was picked in the first round to be a dominant pass rusher.

* Bradie James will be a Pro Bowler this year.

* The scoreboard will be raised eventually whether Jerry wants to do it or not.

* The pass rush has been sub-par. Wade says its because the Cowboys aren't using their tricky packages.

* Every pass directed toward Mike Jenkins is an adventure, though he's knocking a lot of them down.

* If Julius Crosslin keeps playing this way, Deon Anderson will have a hard time making the team.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

its preseason....im pretty sure detroit went 4-0 last year and they probably wrote crap just like this.

 

[Bluefin]

Miles Austin has been OK, but hasn't showed he can be a legitimate speed threat.

That's the one thing the staff isn't concerned about with Miles Austin.

They know he can go deep and get open, it's a non-issue.

He beat Naughty Asomugha on a go in the Oakland game and the corner cheated by grabbing Austin's arm to disrupt the timing of the route. Sky Miles flat dropped a deep post that had scoring potential in the same game due to thinking about where he was going before securing the pass.

And Jon Kitna flat missed an open Austin down the sideline on Friday night in the home opener, another potential big gainer.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I like Julius Crosslin and if he were to stick around, we wouldn't have to break up the Tulius duo.

 

[LarryCanadian]

OMG! I might be JJT, hehe. Here is my post from about 2 hours ago. How much do these guys paid or are most of those articles on his blog/webpage?

Starts to scare me when I have the same thoughts. I get paid by the word obviously (sarcasm filter on) so I'm a bit more verbose:

Just wondered what everyone thought about Barber and Jones rotation for the season. Listening to the last Phillips PC he said the "rhythm" hadn't been determined yet and that he felt both guys could do a play and then rotate in and out. I liked hearing this, because I think going with 1 drive one guy, 1 drive the other, doesn't make the best use of the players. I realize they were only doing this because it was pre-season, but I would like Felix Jones to be sprinkled in there more often and be out there WITH Barber more often. Seeing Jones again make 43 yards look easy (man he doesn't even look like he's moving that fast until guys just whiff on the smoke puffing up behind him! - love it!), he just needs a lot of carries and to be on field even as decoy. Will drive defenses nuts even if he doesn't touch the ball!

The commentators did note (Aikman in particular) that Jones hasn't traditionally been used as a pass receiver and Aikman felt that if there was any part of the game that Felix could use work on that was it. Well, that dump off sure worked. Let him catch a lot of that short stuff like Barber did last year and do his speed surge. Just so misleadingly quick. I think the commentary had more to do with the thought of Felix lining up more like a WR or in slot etc. This guy has to get 15 touches minimum. Hope they don't go too conservative with Jones.

I thought Spencer stepped up in the game. Couple of nice pass rushes, and forced a quick throw by good pressure. Some nice tackles as well, and he was around the ball carrier a lot, in on group effort tackles and closing down his lanes.

Jenkins showed decent recover speed, but bit a bit. The long term ankle "bone spur" worries me and I wonder if cleaning it now is the better approach depending on how bad it is or could get. Guessing that has been analyzed viw MRI's.

Carpenter made a nice play in open field and continues to look effective at nickle backer. At the worst he doesn't look like a major drop off from Burnett in that role. Carpenter might not blast guys but he does bring his man down by good technique tackles. Ok, he isn't a human missile and his guy gets an extra yard, but they tend not to break his tackles at least. Did everyone notice the team congratulate Carpenter after he open-field tackled the QB on 3rd down. The whole team was pumped up for him and the important play of course. I though that was a good sign on a couple of levels. This team is rallying around all members of the team, not just the hot dogs as might have happened a bit last year. Also, shows players are in Carpenter's corner a bit and I think they are routing for him which shows he is doing something right too! That shows a bit of a different chemistry and attitude on the team, and I think might pay some dividends down the road despite all the "winning cures everything" and "finger pointing and strife only occur when losing" quotes we keep hearing.

We could really use a Punt Returner. Crayton is solid (usually doesn't drop any) and moves straight ahead, but I think that position/role has been a fiasco for years.

Ogletree looks pretty fast. He appears to have game speed. Did Stanback play much? Ogletree looks like a WR. Does anyone think this game was an indication that the coaches are starting to look past the experiment/grooming phase and want a more polished/experienced WR. We still need a bit of speed at WR, and despite all the claims, I don't think Stanback looks all that fast. He might be good YAC, but he isn't a sideline burner. Ogletree looks like he can get get down the field and run pretty decent routes. Intrigued there. Phillips said Ogletree "earned" the game time from as far back as OTA and mini-camp and now pre-season play, showing a consistent something.

I thought Free looked pretty good. Feeling much better about him. He seems to grow a bit each game. Holland looks the part of the guard, and is powerful but his balance is suspect. Took a penalty (didn't see it). Hope he can step up a bit.

Rogers looks good on special teams, but looked really lost to me in Oakland game as backup OLB. Didn't see much of him at OLB this game, but don't think he played as much as other one. Now with Williams out for year, Octavien probably gets a roster shot. He looked active, and pretty good - I knew nothing about the guy.

Romo did show that last weeks 2 hands on ball wasn't all talk. I saw him keep 2 hands on ball ALL GAME. That is gonna pay dividends.

Roy Williams, WR. This will likely be Roy Williams. 6 catches 58 yards type games. Move the chains. Anyone wanting him to consistently be a deep "big play" threat is going to be disappointed. He doesn't really stand a chance with the media, because he will constantly be compared to TO AND forever be known as the guy traded for "THREE draft picks - nobody mentions one of those was a 6th and a 7th came back as well) but I think this guy has stepped up with his handling the media and I respect the position he is in. I like that the coaching staff doesn't seem to be forcing RW into a role that isn't his bread and butter. Not to say he can't go down field for longer throws, but I think the short to midrange passing game will be a more Romo-friendly growth stage for this offense.

Check out the guns/pipes on the backup FB Crosslin. That guy has been eating his spinach. I think he was shocked catching passes but at least he corralled the ball and bulled forward. Blocking seems ok. He is practice squad at least. Bigger bi's than most of the oline!

M Bennett. That guy is probably second only to Felix in terms of getting you on edge of your seat when he has ball in his hands. He is a physical freak of nature in terms of talent. He just eats up yards, even when he is stumbling and has an uncanny sense of balance where he keeps moving forward when you think he is gonna fall over from much earlier contact.

Excited about the way the retooled offense plays. The penalties in key situations (4th and 1 this week, and the similar one last week) are still annoying and potentially costly trend (many seasons now), but 9 minute drives. Hello, that will just help the whole team!

I think Folk will get his groove back. The 49 yarder that hit the upright would have been good from 55/56 yards I think, so the strength is there, the accuracy is just taking a bit of time to return. Pretty significant surgery for a kicker, and it is purely repetition and confidence that will turn that around. Better to get the oopsies out during pre-season anyway.

LarryCanadian

 

[big dog cowboy]

* If Julius Crosslin keeps playing this way, Deon Anderson will have a hard time making the team.

He impressed me big time Thursday. Everytime he touched the ball he tried to make something happen. I just love guys who try to earn their place on our roster. Hopefully he will get some more touches this week.

 

[FCBarca]

Can't disagree with a lot of that...I watched the first half only...Haven't seen the 2nd half yet

The video board issue seems a bit silly on JJ's part...How can you have a scoreboard that can be hit with a ball?...Gotta be raised, just seems silly waiting for it to happen.

I have a propensity for focusing on the negative but the way the Cowboys D allowed the Titans to score and get the apparent lead going into the half was soooo reminiscent of the Cowboys...Fortunately, Felix came to the rescue (Albeit against the 2nd team D of the Titans)...That was one of the things that got me.

My negative impressions:

1. OL still commits penalties
2. Team still commits penalties
3. Special Teams looks no better than last year
4. Sam Hurd still resembles a #3 or #4 WR
5. Still no pass rush
6. Was there a throw longer than 10-15 yards?
7. Folk inconsistency...Should we be worried?
8. Still can't pinpoint a sure tackler on the Defense

My positive impression:

1. Felix is the biggest weapon on the Cowboys...More Felix
2. Romo made some good reads and throws (You hear him calling 'Kill, kill, kill' out there?)
3. Garrett had some nice playcalling there in the first half
4. The fullback Crosslin was a real surprise

Ringer, for the Titans, looks like a real steal


Looking forward to the 2nd half and what else is what

 

[Bob Sacamano]

That's the one thing the staff isn't concerned about with Miles Austin.

They know he can go deep and get open, it's a non-issue.

He beat Naughty Asomugha on a go in the Oakland game and the corner cheated by grabbing Austin's arm to disrupt the timing of the route. Sky Miles flat dropped a deep post that had scoring potential in the same game due to thinking about where he was going before securing the pass.

And Jon Kitna flat missed an open Austin down the sideline on Friday night in the home opener, another potential big gainer.

that's an awesome nickname

kudos

 

[speedkilz88]

I rewatched the game and I did notice once that Romo said kill, kill, kill and then he said Omaha.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I rewatched the game and I did notice once that Romo said kill, kill, kill and then he said Omaha.

So did Kitna.

 

[cobra]

I have a propensity for focusing on the negative

Understate things, much?

My negative impressions:

Sam Hurd still resembles a #3 or #4 WR

How the hell is that a negative impression? He is a 3rd or 4th WR. Why the heck are you calling him out as that being a negative? Do you expect a UDFA to look like a #1 WR?

Jesus....

Still no pass rush

Led the league in sacks last year. Have the best pressure DC in the league. And you are concerned with a pass rush? Durrr... what?

Still can't pinpoint a sure tackler on the Defense

Really? Not one? Ware is not a sure tackler? Silly me. I mistakenly thought he was the best defender in the league.


You've taken the most idiotic positions I've seen in a while.

 

[joseephuss]

I am not worried about Folk. I am concerned about the holds by McBriar. There was a bad snap on one PAT that McBriar got down, but it was not pretty and you could tell by the way the ball came off of Folk's foot. It also looked like the holds on both FG attempts by Folk this year were less than 100% perfect.

These things take time to develop and I think McBriar can do it. He just needs more reps and more game day reps. Brad Johnson proved to be a poor #2 QB, but he was a very solid holder on kicks. McBriar needs more work. And I am not removing any blame from Folk. He has work to do as well to develop chemistry with McBriar as the holder and also get his consistency back. I think it will get done.

As far as special teams the only worry is the coverage units. That is a worry.

 

[Doomsday101]

I am not worried about Folk. I am concerned about the holds by McBriar. There was a bad snap on one PAT that McBriar got down, but it was not pretty and you could tell by the way the ball came off of Folk's foot. It also looked like the holds on both FG attempts by Folk this year were less than 100% perfect.

These things take time to develop and I think McBriar can do it. He just needs more reps and more game day reps. Brad Johnson proved to be a poor #2 QB, but he was a very solid holder on kicks. McBriar needs more work. And I am not removing any blame from Folk. He has work to do as well to develop chemistry with McBriar as the holder and also get his consistency back. I think it will get done.

As far as special teams the only worry is the coverage units. That is a worry.

I agree. I have concerns for the coverage units. Coach DeCamillis needs to get this unit going in a hurry.

 

[Hoofbite]

* Bobby Carpenter made a nice open-field tackle on Vince Young. What does that say about each player. Hmmmm.

Whoever sucks least wins.

or

When 2 losers battle it out, only one can lose. Kind of like a reverse Highlander scenario.

 

[casmith07]

Romo is forcing the ball?

Was JJT watching Vince Young and thinking he was Romo? This guy is a hack.

 

[Danny White]

I've never been a JJT basher, but that was brutal to read with all of the typos.

Whatever happened to journalists taking pride in what they put out to the public?

It's not like he was blogging in real-time from the game... he had a few days to look it over and make sure he wasn't assaulting the English language.

 

[TheCount]

My negative impressions:

1. OL still commits penalties
2. Team still commits penalties
3. Special Teams looks no better than last year
4. Sam Hurd still resembles a #3 or #4 WR
5. Still no pass rush
6. Was there a throw longer than 10-15 yards?
7. Folk inconsistency...Should we be worried?
8. Still can't pinpoint a sure tackler on the Defense

Seriously? Hurd has been playing very well.

 

[FCBarca]

You remember that 2nd quarter pass that went into his hands and body and then popped right back out (No contact)?...It's plays like that

 

[CATCH17]

[/LIST] Seriously? Hurd has been playing very well.

Agreed.

The poster who said that may be right about Hurd being a #3 or 4 but in the pre-season Hurd has done nothing to show you he is just a #3 or 4.

 

[NeonNinja]

Can't disagree with a lot of that...I watched the first half only...Haven't seen the 2nd half yet

The video board issue seems a bit silly on JJ's part...How can you have a scoreboard that can be hit with a ball?...Gotta be raised, just seems silly waiting for it to happen.

I have a propensity for focusing on the negative but the way the Cowboys D allowed the Titans to score and get the apparent lead going into the half was soooo reminiscent of the Cowboys...Fortunately, Felix came to the rescue (Albeit against the 2nd team D of the Titans)...That was one of the things that got me.

My negative impressions:

1. OL still commits penalties
2. Team still commits penalties
3. Special Teams looks no better than last year
4. Sam Hurd still resembles a #3 or #4 WR
5. Still no pass rush
6. Was there a throw longer than 10-15 yards?
7. Folk inconsistency...Should we be worried?
8. Still can't pinpoint a sure tackler on the Defense

My positive impression:

1. Felix is the biggest weapon on the Cowboys...More Felix
2. Romo made some good reads and throws (You hear him calling 'Kill, kill, kill' out there?)
3. Garrett had some nice playcalling there in the first half
4. The fullback Crosslin was a real surprise

Ringer, for the Titans, looks like a real steal


Looking forward to the 2nd half and what else is what

Hurd has looked great so far, not sure what you're watching. You are worried about the pass rush that led the nfl in sacks and have Wade calling the plays? No sure tackler, what is Ware?