FuzzyLumpkins
The Boognish
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Thursday evening was romper room at AT&T Stadium. None of the starters played. Leary, Beasley, Morris, and Swaim also sat on the offense. Crawford, Mayowa, Gachkar, Durant, Hitchens, Wilson, and Collins sat on defense.
As expected there were a train of mistakes ranging from turnovers, missed blocks, drops, lack of physicality, poor endurance, missing fills, overrunning plays, all manner of penalties, etc. It was hard to watch and I found myself frequently shaking my head.
That being said there were some encouraging performances.
Showers was not one of them. He started off okay and converted a couple of first downs and completed a screen that was run in for a TD. He lacks moxie though. The backup line for this game was poor but he compounded that by making a myriad of mistakes. Chief was his poor accuracy. Lucky and co. were doing a fair job getting open but he repeatedly missed targets. Even the misses were inconsistent. I saw passes in the dirt, wide and saw them sail. Towards the end he started pressing and would force the ball into bracket coverage which led to the pick. Worst of all, he showed poor awareness of the rush which led to a fumble and near S. I expect his days as as Cowboy are done.
Green played remarkably well. He also saw a series at RT and looked very comfortable there. Best of all he played every snap and was consistent. Great push in the run game dominating DE and OLB and his hands and feet were more than enough to stifle weakside rush. Only downside I saw was he missed a cut when asked to reach on a play. He beat his man to the spot yet failed to get into his legs coming up short. He executed the same play to perfection later.
Looney also had a good game. His punch was more jarring than it had been and he was doing a good job coming off the snap and getting into defenders. Missed a block getting turned and losing his power but was consistent outside of that.
Witzmann seemed to wear down a bit in the second half and struggle with his footwork which has been an issue for him. Has a good frame and has the ability to engulf rushers. I don't hate the idea of developing him.
The rest of the OL ranged from mediocre to worse. Mack is just awful. Bad feet bad hands. It was ugly out there.
Lucky was getting open and catching the ball. He gets good separation on the in and crossing routes.
Mayle and Jones struggled to get anything going when Showers wasn't missing. It is hard to evaluate WR when QB play is that poor. I don't think either one would be difficult to get on the PS.
Traylor got rocked on an ill advised throw from Showers. He played one more play and left the game. His blocking is okay but not as good as I had heard various media types claim. He did make a tackle on KR. He would make the PS easily.
Escobar started off playing the 3rd down role he had been playing before but he played a bit of Y after Traylor left the game. His hands catching the ball are still soft. I would have liked to see him do a better job fighting for the ball on the pick but he was bracketed and I don't know that he was expecting it. Continues to use his length advantage blocking. Functional strength to extend standing his man up so he can drive. Annoyed Texan defenders trying to finish. Similar results in pass protection.
Gathers had a couple of plays. First was a catch slightly behind him that he caught cleanly. when they tried to tear him to the ground he did 1 handed cartwheel while holding the ball high and tight and kept trucking. Remarkable play. Next play he was inline and asked to reach block an OLB. He beat his man inside cleanly. Normally you see our guys try to cut or use their hands. I've seen Tyron stiff arm guys for example. Rico decided to box out which I am guessing is not the technique they want. Regardless it created a hole at the poa and got the first down.
Jackson was decisive in his cuts, fairly elusive to make defenders miss occasionally which he had to do a lot, had the power to break arm tackles plus finish runs, and showed nice hands and open field vision taking a screen into the end zone. Run blocking was not good particularly at the G spots and he got hit in the backfield early and often.
Smith had a couple nice runs. Had nice vision to see a cut back for a nice gain and showed good speed getting to the outside. Blocking remains spotty but did make a ST tackle.
Keith Smith got shook blocking on an inside run but outside of that did a good job trucking guys. Decleated a couple of DB and did a good job getting under and inside LB to drive them. He stands to improve and has more power than the FB we've had through here recently.
Russell struggled to disengage from blocks and contracted Nick Hayden disease trying to run down plays from behind downfield after losing the poa. I am not sure he makes the team much less if he lasts the return of DLaw in week 5.
Irvin was active squeezing the edge, tackling in backside pursuit and had several pressures including a hold when he redirected his rush back inside. Didn't seem as laterally quick as he was earlier in the PS but that should improve as the groin mends.
McAdoo was nigh unblockable at times. Got a sack on a redirect similar to Irvin's to go along with a couple TFL. Wore down at the end but was a very encouraging outing after improving in the previous game as well.
Thornton appears to struggle a bit with the techniques particularly when he was attacking a shoulder playing 3T. He ended up losing his balance and on the ground a couple of times. He seemed much more comfortable at the 1 when he could attack into the blocker. His effort is not in question and he got in on a couple of tackles. Curious to see how he progresses over the season. He only played 2 series.
Coe played the whole way and while he was not particularly active getting off blocks he did an okay job holding the poa. He also slid over and forced the fumble in the red zone. He wore down and started getting shoved around a bit at the end.
Okoye continues to be a breath of fresh air. He is fun to watch as he shoves his mitts at the end of very long arms into the chops of interior OL. He got an illegal hands to the face and needs to work on his placement but his desire and tenacity stand out. Between his hands and a quick first step he was a handful getting regular penetration resulting in QB pressure and TFL. He has become a pet cat of mine and I hope they can figure out a way to keep him. I'd rather keep him over 99 but with Tapper still on the mend I don't know if that would be feasible if they are indeed intent on keeping Dunbar. bleh
King had a remarkable game. He was repeatedly knifing into the backfield and beating blocks to make plays. Would like to see plays against passes in the air but he is definite PS material.
Akkune made near a dozen tackles in his own right just not the TFL splash play variety.
Hepburn struggled mightily. He couldn't get off blocks and always seemed to be on the chase. The late hit seemed to be a bit out of desperation/frustration. I'm sure it was a game he would like to forget.
Brown doesn't look like a 6th round rookie. The jets to get under the out route for a pick 6 were remarkable. He had Heath and Frey over him deep all game but he took advantage with that gamble. His tackling continues to be a plus and his coverage was consistently tight outside and from the slot. Makes you forget the days of Tyler Patmon and he provides real depth after the first 3 CB. The tackle on punt coverage was just gravy. Between Swaim, Hitchens, Nzeocha and this guy the day 3 drafting has picked up a bit the past couple of years.
Olatoye played the side opposite the FS and was tested early and often. He had a tough night allowing several completions including a long TD but displayed admirable mental toughness and kept fighting defending a few passes in his own right. Good physical tackling as well.
Swanson did not have success returning the ball but came in on the nickel to play outside and showed coverage skills. He has no apparent ball skill and doesn't have a knack for when to turn his head but he showed more skill than he had up this point in keeping tight to his man.
Heath picked up the fumble which was nice but struggled on his run fills and overall seemed tenative. He didn't play much coming out the same time Thornton did.
Frazier played the whole way and looked like a rookie. He was up and down but to his credit he didn't hesitate or half step. He would occasionally fill the wrong hole, bite on play action, and he overran the catch on the long TD but his tackling was excellent overall putting the safe in safety and he made another play on the ball vs a pass. He's nibbling into a bite out there.
Frey played FS and was not as active as he had been. Opposing QBs concentrated on the other side of the field and he did have good coverage downfield the one time I saw him manned up. He came up for a couple of tackles but more or less an inconsequential outing compared to the last game.
Fuzzy's 53:
Romo Dak TBD
Zeke Morris DJ
Smith
Witten Escobar Swaim
Dez TWill Beasley Lucky Butler
Tyron Free Green TBD
Fred Collins Martin Leary Looney
Crawford Mayowa Irvin Russell Tapper
Crawford McClain Thornton Collins Okoye
Lee Hitchens Wilber Gachkar Nzeocha Durant Wilson
Carr Claiborne Scandrick Brown Olatoye
Jones Church Heath Frazier
Frenchie Bailey Jones
PS: Jones King Witzmann Swanson McAdoo Frey
NFI/PUP/suspended: Hanna Smith Gregory DMC DLaw
As expected there were a train of mistakes ranging from turnovers, missed blocks, drops, lack of physicality, poor endurance, missing fills, overrunning plays, all manner of penalties, etc. It was hard to watch and I found myself frequently shaking my head.
That being said there were some encouraging performances.
Showers was not one of them. He started off okay and converted a couple of first downs and completed a screen that was run in for a TD. He lacks moxie though. The backup line for this game was poor but he compounded that by making a myriad of mistakes. Chief was his poor accuracy. Lucky and co. were doing a fair job getting open but he repeatedly missed targets. Even the misses were inconsistent. I saw passes in the dirt, wide and saw them sail. Towards the end he started pressing and would force the ball into bracket coverage which led to the pick. Worst of all, he showed poor awareness of the rush which led to a fumble and near S. I expect his days as as Cowboy are done.
Green played remarkably well. He also saw a series at RT and looked very comfortable there. Best of all he played every snap and was consistent. Great push in the run game dominating DE and OLB and his hands and feet were more than enough to stifle weakside rush. Only downside I saw was he missed a cut when asked to reach on a play. He beat his man to the spot yet failed to get into his legs coming up short. He executed the same play to perfection later.
Looney also had a good game. His punch was more jarring than it had been and he was doing a good job coming off the snap and getting into defenders. Missed a block getting turned and losing his power but was consistent outside of that.
Witzmann seemed to wear down a bit in the second half and struggle with his footwork which has been an issue for him. Has a good frame and has the ability to engulf rushers. I don't hate the idea of developing him.
The rest of the OL ranged from mediocre to worse. Mack is just awful. Bad feet bad hands. It was ugly out there.
Lucky was getting open and catching the ball. He gets good separation on the in and crossing routes.
Mayle and Jones struggled to get anything going when Showers wasn't missing. It is hard to evaluate WR when QB play is that poor. I don't think either one would be difficult to get on the PS.
Traylor got rocked on an ill advised throw from Showers. He played one more play and left the game. His blocking is okay but not as good as I had heard various media types claim. He did make a tackle on KR. He would make the PS easily.
Escobar started off playing the 3rd down role he had been playing before but he played a bit of Y after Traylor left the game. His hands catching the ball are still soft. I would have liked to see him do a better job fighting for the ball on the pick but he was bracketed and I don't know that he was expecting it. Continues to use his length advantage blocking. Functional strength to extend standing his man up so he can drive. Annoyed Texan defenders trying to finish. Similar results in pass protection.
Gathers had a couple of plays. First was a catch slightly behind him that he caught cleanly. when they tried to tear him to the ground he did 1 handed cartwheel while holding the ball high and tight and kept trucking. Remarkable play. Next play he was inline and asked to reach block an OLB. He beat his man inside cleanly. Normally you see our guys try to cut or use their hands. I've seen Tyron stiff arm guys for example. Rico decided to box out which I am guessing is not the technique they want. Regardless it created a hole at the poa and got the first down.
Jackson was decisive in his cuts, fairly elusive to make defenders miss occasionally which he had to do a lot, had the power to break arm tackles plus finish runs, and showed nice hands and open field vision taking a screen into the end zone. Run blocking was not good particularly at the G spots and he got hit in the backfield early and often.
Smith had a couple nice runs. Had nice vision to see a cut back for a nice gain and showed good speed getting to the outside. Blocking remains spotty but did make a ST tackle.
Keith Smith got shook blocking on an inside run but outside of that did a good job trucking guys. Decleated a couple of DB and did a good job getting under and inside LB to drive them. He stands to improve and has more power than the FB we've had through here recently.
Russell struggled to disengage from blocks and contracted Nick Hayden disease trying to run down plays from behind downfield after losing the poa. I am not sure he makes the team much less if he lasts the return of DLaw in week 5.
Irvin was active squeezing the edge, tackling in backside pursuit and had several pressures including a hold when he redirected his rush back inside. Didn't seem as laterally quick as he was earlier in the PS but that should improve as the groin mends.
McAdoo was nigh unblockable at times. Got a sack on a redirect similar to Irvin's to go along with a couple TFL. Wore down at the end but was a very encouraging outing after improving in the previous game as well.
Thornton appears to struggle a bit with the techniques particularly when he was attacking a shoulder playing 3T. He ended up losing his balance and on the ground a couple of times. He seemed much more comfortable at the 1 when he could attack into the blocker. His effort is not in question and he got in on a couple of tackles. Curious to see how he progresses over the season. He only played 2 series.
Coe played the whole way and while he was not particularly active getting off blocks he did an okay job holding the poa. He also slid over and forced the fumble in the red zone. He wore down and started getting shoved around a bit at the end.
Okoye continues to be a breath of fresh air. He is fun to watch as he shoves his mitts at the end of very long arms into the chops of interior OL. He got an illegal hands to the face and needs to work on his placement but his desire and tenacity stand out. Between his hands and a quick first step he was a handful getting regular penetration resulting in QB pressure and TFL. He has become a pet cat of mine and I hope they can figure out a way to keep him. I'd rather keep him over 99 but with Tapper still on the mend I don't know if that would be feasible if they are indeed intent on keeping Dunbar. bleh
King had a remarkable game. He was repeatedly knifing into the backfield and beating blocks to make plays. Would like to see plays against passes in the air but he is definite PS material.
Akkune made near a dozen tackles in his own right just not the TFL splash play variety.
Hepburn struggled mightily. He couldn't get off blocks and always seemed to be on the chase. The late hit seemed to be a bit out of desperation/frustration. I'm sure it was a game he would like to forget.
Brown doesn't look like a 6th round rookie. The jets to get under the out route for a pick 6 were remarkable. He had Heath and Frey over him deep all game but he took advantage with that gamble. His tackling continues to be a plus and his coverage was consistently tight outside and from the slot. Makes you forget the days of Tyler Patmon and he provides real depth after the first 3 CB. The tackle on punt coverage was just gravy. Between Swaim, Hitchens, Nzeocha and this guy the day 3 drafting has picked up a bit the past couple of years.
Olatoye played the side opposite the FS and was tested early and often. He had a tough night allowing several completions including a long TD but displayed admirable mental toughness and kept fighting defending a few passes in his own right. Good physical tackling as well.
Swanson did not have success returning the ball but came in on the nickel to play outside and showed coverage skills. He has no apparent ball skill and doesn't have a knack for when to turn his head but he showed more skill than he had up this point in keeping tight to his man.
Heath picked up the fumble which was nice but struggled on his run fills and overall seemed tenative. He didn't play much coming out the same time Thornton did.
Frazier played the whole way and looked like a rookie. He was up and down but to his credit he didn't hesitate or half step. He would occasionally fill the wrong hole, bite on play action, and he overran the catch on the long TD but his tackling was excellent overall putting the safe in safety and he made another play on the ball vs a pass. He's nibbling into a bite out there.
Frey played FS and was not as active as he had been. Opposing QBs concentrated on the other side of the field and he did have good coverage downfield the one time I saw him manned up. He came up for a couple of tackles but more or less an inconsequential outing compared to the last game.
Fuzzy's 53:
Romo Dak TBD
Zeke Morris DJ
Smith
Witten Escobar Swaim
Dez TWill Beasley Lucky Butler
Tyron Free Green TBD
Fred Collins Martin Leary Looney
Crawford Mayowa Irvin Russell Tapper
Crawford McClain Thornton Collins Okoye
Lee Hitchens Wilber Gachkar Nzeocha Durant Wilson
Carr Claiborne Scandrick Brown Olatoye
Jones Church Heath Frazier
Frenchie Bailey Jones
PS: Jones King Witzmann Swanson McAdoo Frey
NFI/PUP/suspended: Hanna Smith Gregory DMC DLaw
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