ESPN Broaddus: Scout's Eye: Cowboys-Vikings review

[WoodysGirl]

Oct 19
8:00
AM CT

By Bryan Broaddus


When you lose a game in the NFL, everything that you did during that week in preparation feels like it was all in vain. You question the way you broke down the opponent that week for your scouting report. You question if you did enough for the coaching staff and players.

Losses not only hurt the coaches and players, but they also hurt the guys on the road scouting players. You never want to feel like you didn’t do all you could to help your team win the game, but when you lose, you have to go back and study the tape and be honest with yourself and focus on the areas of the game that gave you problems. Sitting down and reviewing this game, there are three areas that I want to focus on.

* The Vikings have the ball, third-and-4 from the Dallas 10 in the first quarter. Wade Phillips sends in his nickel group to match the Vikings' five-wide receiver package. The Vikings line up in a bunch formation (three WRs) to the right side and Randy Moss wide left. Percy Harvin is lined up in the backfield to the right of Brett Favre, who is in the gun. The Cowboys have four players to the side of the bunch, so coverage-wise, Phillips is in good shape.

* Vikings have the ball on the Dallas 32 with score 14-14 in the third quarter. Williams is once again in the game, this time for Keith Brooking. Phillips has his defense in attack mode on this third-and-4 call. It's man coverage with deep free safety help. Ball is lined up 23 yards off the line of scrimmage. Williams is lined up inside of Anthony Spencer, who has his hand in the dirt and ready to rush from the outside. Williams’ job is to cover Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser one-on-one.

* Cowboys had the ball on their own 23-yard line with 8:10 left in the 4th quarter, with the score 21-21. Jason Garrett is in regular personnel. Miles Austin is in the slot to left with Roy Williams lined up to the outside. The Vikings were playing a single high safety with man coverage across the board.

Read more Broaddus observations: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4673383/scouts-eye-cowboys-vikings-review

 

[TheCount]

lol, am I the only one that finds the picture of Jason Williams for that story hilarious? His posture is so awkward, kind of like a Mummy.

But anyway, yeah, he is dummy like a lot of guys on this team. No pun instended.

 

[Marktui]

lol, am I the only one that finds the picture of Jason Williams for that story hilarious? His posture is so awkward, kind of like a Mummy.

But anyway, yeah, he is dummy like a lot of guys on this team. No pun instended.

JW is obviously a liability in coverage. If he is going to be on the field, take him out of coverage responsibilities and have him rush the qb up the gut in place of Brookings. He has the speed and athleticism to do that at least.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

A quick, and aggressive reaction to this article, would be to suggest cutting Jason Williams and resign Bobby Carpenter.

Maybe I'll rescind that notion after my head clears, but at the moment it seems Jason Williams shouldn't be on the field.

 

[CATCH17]

Without even reading im sure there is a Jason Williams looks lost comment or 2 in there.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

JW is obviously a liability in coverage. If he is going to be on the field, take him out of coverage responsibilities and have him rush the qb up the gut in place of Brookings. He has the speed and athleticism to do that at least.

But then other teams would soon know that if he's on the field that he's blitzing.

The guy has to get the hang of coverage responsibilities or he's useless.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Without even reading im sure there is a Jason Williams looks lost comment or 2 in there.

Broaddus has really gone off the rails this year. He's been as biased and stubborn as a regular poster protecting his mock draft pet cats.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Broaddus has really gone off the rails this year. He's been as biased and stubborn as a regular poster protecting his mock draft pet cats.

Read the article and you'll see that he (Broaddus) was both fair and reasonable.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Read the article and you'll see that he (Broaddus) was both fair and reasonable.

I'm talking in general. He's on 103.3 constantly now. He was much better when he just came on once or twice a week for his weekly segments.

For this bit, he should've reviewed the kickoff return TD. That was the difference in the game.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'm talking in general. He's on 103.3 constantly now. He was much better when he just came on once or twice a week for his weekly segments.

For this bit, he should've reviewed the kickoff return TD. That was the difference in the game.

Gotcha.

 

[Idgit]

Can I tell you how much I love hearing people ask for Carpenter back? I don't have a dog in the fight, and never did, but I love hearing first the uproar to cut him and now the uproar building to bring him back.

On a related note: how many still think Mike Zimmer is a bad defensive coordinator?

 

[proscout]

Broaddus has really gone off the rails this year. He's been as biased and stubborn as a regular poster protecting his mock draft pet cats.

Just to be clear or understand what you are trying to say...I am protecting Jason Williams here or pet cats? I feel that I have been fair in my reporting and not protecting anyone on the Cowboys. This team is 1 - 4...no one needs to be protected...I am here everyday at Valley Ranch so if these players do have a problem with what I am reporting they have a chance to visit with me about it...through training camp and seven weeks of the season, no one has taken that opportunity...but I will continue to show up just in case...

 

[DCBoysfan]

Very good analysis.

 

[baj1dallas]

A quick, and aggressive reaction to this article, would be to suggest cutting Jason Williams and resign Bobby Carpenter.

Maybe I'll rescind that notion after my head clears, but at the moment it seems Jason Williams shouldn't be on the field.

Carpenter may have been able to tackle Carmillo or whatever his name was, but probably not Kleinsasser. Not sure if he'd have covered him any better, but maybe he would have.

 

[Idgit]

Just to be clear or understand what you are trying to say...I am protecting Jason Williams here or pet cats? I feel that I have been fair in my reporting and not protecting anyone on the Cowboys. This team is 1 - 4...no one needs to be protected...I am here everyday at Valley Ranch so if these players do have a problem with what I am reporting they have a chance to visit with me about it...through training camp and seven weeks of the season, no one has taken that opportunity...but I will continue to show up just in case...

Shake the jar, make them fight!
You going to take that from Broaddus, CL?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I had a long post typed up, but I'll try to condense it. I can send that to you in a PM if you want it, Bryan, though you probably don't.

In a nutshell, I feel like you were a lot more objective with your opinions when you came on occasionally. Since you've been much more often, it seems like you've fallen into the 103.3 culture of the same old memes -- the coach is an idiot, the owner is an idiot, Roy Williams couldn't play, Patrick Crayton was great, etc.

Oh sure, some of that sounds great now that we're 1-4, but I'm talking about over the summer when we'd just won more games over the last three years than all but the Patriots (IIRC).

Now I'm not saying you've gone as far as Ian and Mosley, who have turned into Galloway lapdogs that parrot everything he says and constantly seek his approval, but there is some influence there, and I hate to see that. I love Galloway's show because I think he's funny, but let's face it, many of his opinions are incredibly biased based on whether or not he likes the person involved (such as Avery Johnson and Norv Turner being geniuses).

Just some constructive criticism from a guy who listened to your training camp show with Choppy almost every night and praised the job you guys were doing many times. Galloway is the undisputed Alpha Dog on that station and I hate to see him influence you like he does the other guys.

You may not agree with a bit of my opinion, but there it is.

 

[Idgit]

I had a long post typed up, but I'll try to condense it. I can send that to you in a PM if you want it, Bryan, though you probably don't.

In a nutshell, I feel like you were a lot more objective with your opinions when you came on occasionally. Since you've been much more often, it seems like you've fallen into the 103.3 culture of the same old memes -- the coach is an idiot, the owner is an idiot, Roy Williams couldn't play, Patrick Crayton was great, etc.

Oh sure, some of that sounds great now that we're 1-4, but I'm talking about over the summer when we'd just won more games over the last three years than all but the Patriots (IIRC).

Now I'm not saying you've gone as far as Ian and Mosley, who have turned into Galloway lapdogs that parrot everything he says and constantly seek his approval, but there is some influence there, and I hate to see that. I love Galloway's show because I think he's funny, but let's face it, many of his opinions are incredibly biased based on whether or not he likes the person involved (such as Avery Johnson and Norv Turner being geniuses).

Just some constructive criticism from a guy who listened to your training camp show with Choppy almost every night and praised the job you guys were doing many times.

This was so not the fireworks I was angling for. But, delicately done, CL, as always.

The only thing I have a problem with is you saying publicly that you enjoy Randy Galloway.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The only thing I have a problem with is you saying publicly that you enjoy Randy Galloway.

I know. :

I disagree with so many of his opinions, but the guy cracks me up.

And I still say he has extremely good sources. The little hints he gives about what's going on behind the scenes with the team is a big reason I listen.

 

[Hoofbite]

Never thought I would see a combination worse than Carpenter/Hamlin lining up on defense but Ball/Williams is definitely worse.

 

[proscout]

Shake the jar, make them fight!
You going to take that from Broaddus, CL?

No fight here...just want to understand what he was asking?...if he thinks I suck at my job I have no problem with that...but to say I protect players or coaches is flat wrong...ask Wade, Davis, Gurode, Jason Williams, Ball...