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Mosley's coaching shorts...
This new feature will include exciting and lame moments from practice:
• Is it a good sign that recently signed defensive end Jason Davis completely destroyed former third-round draft choice Stephen Peterman (right) in a 1-on-1 drill? I think not.
Later in team drills, Peterman shouted out an expletive to fire up his teammates. Former Giants defensive tackle Jim Burt, who is a guest coach during camp, deadpanned, "I guess he forgot those four other blocks he missed."
• Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano jumped all over guard Cory Procter when he whiffed during the 1-on-1 drill.
• Sparano shouted encouragement to rookie offensive tackle Pat McQuistan when he held off rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher during the drill. Hatcher then destroyed the 6-9 rookie offensive tackle from Georgia, Dennis Roland.
• When wide receiver Patrick Crayton (right) asked passing game coordinator Todd Haley something before a play, Parcells shouted, "Can you do anything without asking Haley? You can't [use the men's room] without asking Haley."
• Parcells unloaded on backup quarterback Tony Romo during the morning practice after he didn't release the ball soon enough. "Snap the [expletive] out of it," he shouted at Romo.
• Early in camp, the defense is much further down the road than the offense.
• Defensive end Chris Canty has the ability to disrupt an entire side of the offensive line. He was there to meet Julius Jones on a running play that he tried to bounce outside..
• Catch of the Day: Rookie tight end Anthony Fasano made a great catch in traffic on a pass from Drew Bledsoe. Parcells called him back over from the sideline to congratulate him on the play..
• Julius Jones made a tough catch in heavy traffic across the middle..
• Receiver J.R. Tolver drew Parcells' ire when he lined up offsides during team drills.
• Linebacker Rocky Boiman has been making a lot of plays so far in camp. He pursues well and always seems to be in the right spot..
• Colombo got the best of Roy Williams on a sweep around the right side.
• Rookie free safey Pat Watkins sacked Romo after coming on a blitz. This fifth-round pick could end up starting.
• Under-the-radar name of the day: Free-agent rookie WR Sam Hurd of Northern Illinois.
Posted by Matt Mosley http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 4:44 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (3)
Vanderjagt is back
Kicker Mike Vanderjagt returned to the evening practice here. Vanderjagt missed the morning session with the flu.
Bill Parcells said then he wasn't sure when Vanderjagt would return.
Maybe Vanderjagt's flu is the reason he's struggled in camp.
He does seem to be kicking a heavy ball.
Posted by Calvin Watkins http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 7:18 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Vanderjagt back on the field...
Kicker Mike Vanderjagt has made a miraculous recovery and is back on the field right now. The other two kickers produced a 1-for-8 effort this morning.
Vanderjagt has struggled early in camp, but the good news is that we've found the problem.
A "heavy hold" from Tony Romo. Come to think of it, let's just blame all those misses last year on Romo.
Now it's time to move forward.
Headed out to practice. We'll check in soon.
Posted by Matt Mosley http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 7:17 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (1)
11-on-11 stuff
My favorite part of practice is the 11-on-11 stuff, which occurred at the back end of the evening practice.
As the offense came on the field for the session, the defense stayed on the sideline.
Bill Parcells barked: "Come on defense, you think we're playing solitare?"
Now for the action:
DeMarcus Ware had a sack and Anthony Henry picked off a Drew Bledsoe pass on the first series.
Tony Romo fumbled the first snap when it was his time to run the offense. Defensive tackle Thomas Johnson had a sack on the third play.
Romo rolled to his right on another play and fired a ball into double coverage for an incompletion.
Marion Barber had a good run which prompted Parcells to send the defensive backs and receivers off the field.
Parcells wanted to see the offensive line against the defensive line for three consecutive plays. I think the goal is for the offensive line, which is struggling at times, to hold the defensive front at least once.
Tyson Thompson picked up the blitz well as Drew Henson completed a pass.
Henson failed to connect on a deep ball to Jamaica Rector.
Jeff Mroz is struggling. He's holding the ball too long in some cases and other times receivers are not open. Yet, he's scrambling out of harm's way.
Barber had some good moments in the last of the 11-on-11 drills including cutting across the grain on a nifty run.
Posted by Calvin Watkins http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:06 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Afternoon practice observations
** Drew Bledsoe's father, Mac, a former high school football coach, was in attendance Wednesday, chatting up Drew Henson's father. Mac Bledsoe is head of Drew's Parenting with Dignity program.
**Skyler Green changed his number from No. 6 to No. 10, which had been worn by Ahmad Merritt before he was cut. Merritt actually had No. 81 before Terrell Owens' signed, but the day before the Cowboys announced the agreement with Owens they changed his number.
**Hopefully one day we will see a free kick in a Cowboys game. That was the end-of-half situation they worked on Wednesday and Shaun Suisham missed both tries. Not a good day for the kickers, but Mike Vanderjagt was on the practice field Wednesday.
**Guard Stephen Peterman left practice briefly with what appeared to be a knee injury but he returned. He was limping afterward. He missed the 2004 season with a knee injury.
**Solid performance by Lenny Williams, the cornerback who spent the spring playing in NFL Europe. Williams broke up a Drew Henson pass intended for Jamaica Rector and earlier batted away a Tony Romo pass to Patrick Crayton.
**Just as he was ready to turn upfield after a catch Terrell Owens fumbled during team drills, but Parcells gave the offense credit for the win on the play anyway.
**Four plays after Owens' fumble Anthony Henry intercepted a Bledsoe pass and returned it for what would've been a touchdown. Henry is starting to come on in camp after a slow first day. The Cowboys corners are being especially aggressive from Henry on down.
**Rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher was a force, but it needs to be qualified: it came vs. the third- and fourth-team lines. He hasn't been as noticeable vs. the Nos. 1 and 2 lines.
**After the offense messed up a protection call Parcells had the line and running backs re-run the play four times before he was satisfied they knew what was going on.
**Andre Gurode might be putting the locks on the center spot. He had a pancake of Kevin Burnett during a nickel-run drill.
**Drew Henson has been better the last two days than he was the first two. His passes were crisp and accurate. Don't know if Parcells notices him or not.
Posted by Todd Archer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:07 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
The Cowlishaw Practice Report (pronounced ra-POR)
Quite an afternoon session here in Oxnard. Bill Parcells, unhappy with a second-team offensive line group that couldn't block four defenders with five blockers, made the unit run the protection four times in a row.
Stephen Peterman didn't make it all the way through and limped off after the third play. He returned to practice, although I can't say he came back looking like a young Larry Allen.
...Great one-handed sideline grab today of a Tony Romo pass...by Mike Vanderjagt. Haven't seen this guy kick any better than Jose Cortez but he's got hands!
That catch was followed by a wild overthrow from Drew Henson, who continues to labor in his third-string role.
...Found myself missing Aveion Cason today.
No explanation for that.
...Anthony Henry picked off Drew Bledsoe and took one to the house in an afternoon team drill. Believe those were the only points registered in just about any kind of drill. Either the Cowboys have the '85 Bears defense in camp, or this offense has miles to go. Starting to wonder if Parcells' decision to have about seven coaches involved in the offensive playbook was a good idea.
...Congrats to Kip Wells for that Rangers' 'W' this afternoon. Just thought it was worth a mention.
...LSU rookie receiver Skyler Green has scarfed up the number 10, now that Ahmad Merritt no longer has any use for it. Green's here to return kicks, but he shows more receiving skills than I would have expected. Don't think you will hear the coaches say that, though.
...Junior Glymph coming off the edge is a sight that tight end Tony Curtis doesn't want any part of.
...DeMarcus Ware politely answered questions about why he isn't meaner this afternoon after Mike Zimmer had mentioned this morning that Ware has no mean streak. Would have been nice to see Ware screaming at the media that he does, in fact, have one. But that would have been out of character. Doesn't mean he can't play, though.
...Lots of text messages received regarding Rhett Bomar's ouster at OU. Frankly, I am glad he's gone since I usually call him Brett Romar and have to rely on our desk to save me.
Posted by Tim Cowlishaw http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:09 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Hustling Tackle
While most eyes were focused on cornerback Anthony Henry, who intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown, caoch Bill Parcells was watching Marc Colombo.
Colombo chased Henry for about 40 yards all the way to the end zone, then jogged back to the huddle.
"Good hustle, Colombo," Parcells said. "Don't think I don't notice that."
Posted by Jean-Jacques Taylor http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:12 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
James Bond Moment
The Cowboys have created a secret entrance where coach Bill Parcells can walk onto the field without having to deal with autograph requests. But he doesn't use it most of the time because he can't find it - his words not mine.
I did offer to leave him a trail of breadcrumbs after practice tomorrow, so he can find it.
Posted by Jean-Jacques Taylor http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:13 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
This new feature will include exciting and lame moments from practice:
• Is it a good sign that recently signed defensive end Jason Davis completely destroyed former third-round draft choice Stephen Peterman (right) in a 1-on-1 drill? I think not.
Later in team drills, Peterman shouted out an expletive to fire up his teammates. Former Giants defensive tackle Jim Burt, who is a guest coach during camp, deadpanned, "I guess he forgot those four other blocks he missed."
• Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano jumped all over guard Cory Procter when he whiffed during the 1-on-1 drill.
• Sparano shouted encouragement to rookie offensive tackle Pat McQuistan when he held off rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher during the drill. Hatcher then destroyed the 6-9 rookie offensive tackle from Georgia, Dennis Roland.
• When wide receiver Patrick Crayton (right) asked passing game coordinator Todd Haley something before a play, Parcells shouted, "Can you do anything without asking Haley? You can't [use the men's room] without asking Haley."
• Parcells unloaded on backup quarterback Tony Romo during the morning practice after he didn't release the ball soon enough. "Snap the [expletive] out of it," he shouted at Romo.
• Early in camp, the defense is much further down the road than the offense.
• Defensive end Chris Canty has the ability to disrupt an entire side of the offensive line. He was there to meet Julius Jones on a running play that he tried to bounce outside..
• Catch of the Day: Rookie tight end Anthony Fasano made a great catch in traffic on a pass from Drew Bledsoe. Parcells called him back over from the sideline to congratulate him on the play..
• Julius Jones made a tough catch in heavy traffic across the middle..
• Receiver J.R. Tolver drew Parcells' ire when he lined up offsides during team drills.
• Linebacker Rocky Boiman has been making a lot of plays so far in camp. He pursues well and always seems to be in the right spot..
• Colombo got the best of Roy Williams on a sweep around the right side.
• Rookie free safey Pat Watkins sacked Romo after coming on a blitz. This fifth-round pick could end up starting.
• Under-the-radar name of the day: Free-agent rookie WR Sam Hurd of Northern Illinois.
Posted by Matt Mosley http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 4:44 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (3)
Vanderjagt is back
Kicker Mike Vanderjagt returned to the evening practice here. Vanderjagt missed the morning session with the flu.
Bill Parcells said then he wasn't sure when Vanderjagt would return.
Maybe Vanderjagt's flu is the reason he's struggled in camp.
He does seem to be kicking a heavy ball.
Posted by Calvin Watkins http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 7:18 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Vanderjagt back on the field...
Kicker Mike Vanderjagt has made a miraculous recovery and is back on the field right now. The other two kickers produced a 1-for-8 effort this morning.
Vanderjagt has struggled early in camp, but the good news is that we've found the problem.
A "heavy hold" from Tony Romo. Come to think of it, let's just blame all those misses last year on Romo.
Now it's time to move forward.
Headed out to practice. We'll check in soon.
Posted by Matt Mosley http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 7:17 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (1)
11-on-11 stuff
My favorite part of practice is the 11-on-11 stuff, which occurred at the back end of the evening practice.
As the offense came on the field for the session, the defense stayed on the sideline.
Bill Parcells barked: "Come on defense, you think we're playing solitare?"
Now for the action:
DeMarcus Ware had a sack and Anthony Henry picked off a Drew Bledsoe pass on the first series.
Tony Romo fumbled the first snap when it was his time to run the offense. Defensive tackle Thomas Johnson had a sack on the third play.
Romo rolled to his right on another play and fired a ball into double coverage for an incompletion.
Marion Barber had a good run which prompted Parcells to send the defensive backs and receivers off the field.
Parcells wanted to see the offensive line against the defensive line for three consecutive plays. I think the goal is for the offensive line, which is struggling at times, to hold the defensive front at least once.
Tyson Thompson picked up the blitz well as Drew Henson completed a pass.
Henson failed to connect on a deep ball to Jamaica Rector.
Jeff Mroz is struggling. He's holding the ball too long in some cases and other times receivers are not open. Yet, he's scrambling out of harm's way.
Barber had some good moments in the last of the 11-on-11 drills including cutting across the grain on a nifty run.
Posted by Calvin Watkins http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:06 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Afternoon practice observations
** Drew Bledsoe's father, Mac, a former high school football coach, was in attendance Wednesday, chatting up Drew Henson's father. Mac Bledsoe is head of Drew's Parenting with Dignity program.
**Skyler Green changed his number from No. 6 to No. 10, which had been worn by Ahmad Merritt before he was cut. Merritt actually had No. 81 before Terrell Owens' signed, but the day before the Cowboys announced the agreement with Owens they changed his number.
**Hopefully one day we will see a free kick in a Cowboys game. That was the end-of-half situation they worked on Wednesday and Shaun Suisham missed both tries. Not a good day for the kickers, but Mike Vanderjagt was on the practice field Wednesday.
**Guard Stephen Peterman left practice briefly with what appeared to be a knee injury but he returned. He was limping afterward. He missed the 2004 season with a knee injury.
**Solid performance by Lenny Williams, the cornerback who spent the spring playing in NFL Europe. Williams broke up a Drew Henson pass intended for Jamaica Rector and earlier batted away a Tony Romo pass to Patrick Crayton.
**Just as he was ready to turn upfield after a catch Terrell Owens fumbled during team drills, but Parcells gave the offense credit for the win on the play anyway.
**Four plays after Owens' fumble Anthony Henry intercepted a Bledsoe pass and returned it for what would've been a touchdown. Henry is starting to come on in camp after a slow first day. The Cowboys corners are being especially aggressive from Henry on down.
**Rookie defensive end Jason Hatcher was a force, but it needs to be qualified: it came vs. the third- and fourth-team lines. He hasn't been as noticeable vs. the Nos. 1 and 2 lines.
**After the offense messed up a protection call Parcells had the line and running backs re-run the play four times before he was satisfied they knew what was going on.
**Andre Gurode might be putting the locks on the center spot. He had a pancake of Kevin Burnett during a nickel-run drill.
**Drew Henson has been better the last two days than he was the first two. His passes were crisp and accurate. Don't know if Parcells notices him or not.
Posted by Todd Archer http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:07 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
The Cowlishaw Practice Report (pronounced ra-POR)
Quite an afternoon session here in Oxnard. Bill Parcells, unhappy with a second-team offensive line group that couldn't block four defenders with five blockers, made the unit run the protection four times in a row.
Stephen Peterman didn't make it all the way through and limped off after the third play. He returned to practice, although I can't say he came back looking like a young Larry Allen.
...Great one-handed sideline grab today of a Tony Romo pass...by Mike Vanderjagt. Haven't seen this guy kick any better than Jose Cortez but he's got hands!
That catch was followed by a wild overthrow from Drew Henson, who continues to labor in his third-string role.
...Found myself missing Aveion Cason today.
No explanation for that.
...Anthony Henry picked off Drew Bledsoe and took one to the house in an afternoon team drill. Believe those were the only points registered in just about any kind of drill. Either the Cowboys have the '85 Bears defense in camp, or this offense has miles to go. Starting to wonder if Parcells' decision to have about seven coaches involved in the offensive playbook was a good idea.
...Congrats to Kip Wells for that Rangers' 'W' this afternoon. Just thought it was worth a mention.
...LSU rookie receiver Skyler Green has scarfed up the number 10, now that Ahmad Merritt no longer has any use for it. Green's here to return kicks, but he shows more receiving skills than I would have expected. Don't think you will hear the coaches say that, though.
...Junior Glymph coming off the edge is a sight that tight end Tony Curtis doesn't want any part of.
...DeMarcus Ware politely answered questions about why he isn't meaner this afternoon after Mike Zimmer had mentioned this morning that Ware has no mean streak. Would have been nice to see Ware screaming at the media that he does, in fact, have one. But that would have been out of character. Doesn't mean he can't play, though.
...Lots of text messages received regarding Rhett Bomar's ouster at OU. Frankly, I am glad he's gone since I usually call him Brett Romar and have to rely on our desk to save me.
Posted by Tim Cowlishaw http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:09 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
Hustling Tackle
While most eyes were focused on cornerback Anthony Henry, who intercepted a pass and ran it back for a touchdown, caoch Bill Parcells was watching Marc Colombo.
Colombo chased Henry for about 40 yards all the way to the end zone, then jogged back to the huddle.
"Good hustle, Colombo," Parcells said. "Don't think I don't notice that."
Posted by Jean-Jacques Taylor http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:12 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
James Bond Moment
The Cowboys have created a secret entrance where coach Bill Parcells can walk onto the field without having to deal with autograph requests. But he doesn't use it most of the time because he can't find it - his words not mine.
I did offer to leave him a trail of breadcrumbs after practice tomorrow, so he can find it.
Posted by Jean-Jacques Taylor http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedcontent/dws/img/standing/icons/email.gif at 9:13 PM (E-mail this entry) | Comments (0)
