Interesting Comment From The Broadcast Last Night...

[CaptainAmerica]

...As I recall Madden said that Jason Garrett told him the best part of this offense was the offensive line. WOW! Who would believe that after all our troubles on the offensive line the last few years?

Obviously the signing of Leonard Davis was huge, (no pun inteneded), but, imo, it starts in the middle with Andre Gurode. You have be surprised and happy about Gurode's development from underachiever to anchor of the offensive line. I recently read a quote from an opposing scout and he was very complimentary of Gurode.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

Now if they could just get Flozell to quit making so many penalties.

 

[Padd]

I don't want to bash Parcells here but he nearly lost Gurode for us. When he arrived, Gurode was playing well at center. He moved him to guard and drafted Johnson early in the 2nd round and he never was the guy we expected.

Meanwhile, Gurode suffered being stuck at right guard. Granted, he played both guard and center in college but if Parcells wanted a center with size (johnson was always trying to get bigger) why not keep Gurode at center and draft a guard in the second round of that draft????

This always troubled me because Gurode was close to moving on before he signed that 1 year FA deal with us. Can you imagine how pissed this board would have been if he went to another team at a bargain rate and started playing center for that team like he is playing now? :bang2:

 

[03EBZ06]

The O-Line has improved but that improvement is aided by a mobile QB like Romo. If the QB is like Bledsoe, the O-Line wouldn't get compliments, as least not as much.

 

[Padd]

Very true, also. There were a few times where Romo made a great play and I was thinking about how quickly Bledsoe would have went down.

 

[AdamJT13]

I don't want to bash Parcells here but he nearly lost Gurode for us. When he arrived, Gurode was playing well at center. He moved him to guard

Gurode moved to guard in the middle of the 2002 season, the year before Parcells was hired.

 

[Padd]

Gurode moved to guard in the middle of the 2002 season, the year before Parcells was hired.

He went from guard to center, not center to guard. I can't be sure though. My memory isn't what it once was.

 

[AdamJT13]

He went from guard to center, not center to guard. I can't be sure though. My memory isn't what it once was.

Nope, Gurode started the season at center (our first rookie center to start the season since Stepnoski in 1989). He started six games there (and missed two games with a toe injury), then moved to guard before the game against Detroit (Week 9) and started there for the rest of the season.

 

[Stash]

The O-Line has improved but that improvement is aided by a mobile QB like Romo. If the QB is like Bledsoe, the O-Line wouldn't get compliments, as least not as much.

Just what I was thinking. Romo deserves credit for making the line look better than they were (not that they didn't play well).

Several times, he's been able to escape pressure and make a play.

If Bledsoe was playing behind the same line, he would have been sacked 6 times minimum.

 

[Padd]

Nope, Gurode started the season at center (our first rookie center to start the season since Stepnoski in 1989). He started six games there (and missed two games with a toe injury), then moved to guard before the game against Detroit (Week 9) and started there for the rest of the season.

I just read it in Gurode's bio.

 

[Clove]

When you go up against great d-lines, at some point their's going to be pressure, but for the most part, this OLine is dominating teams especially if they blitz.

 

[Hoov]

The O-Line has improved but that improvement is aided by a mobile QB like Romo. If the QB is like Bledsoe, the O-Line wouldn't get compliments, as least not as much.

While im happy with the line's play, Romo makes them look great - there were many missed sack opportunities for the bears because romo got away or made a throw under pressure, he was pressured quite a bit actually, it's just that even when he is under pressure he makes it look so smooth.

 

[dogunwo]

The O-Line has improved but that improvement is aided by a mobile QB like Romo. If the QB is like Bledsoe, the O-Line wouldn't get compliments, as least not as much.

 

[Da Hammer]

its obvious that our huge O-line just brutally wears down the opposing defense by the 2nd half. they have been awesome with how physical they have been! now if we can just fix Adams from commiting so many dumb penalties...

 

[ZeroClub]

The O-Line has improved but that improvement is aided by a mobile QB like Romo. If the QB is like Bledsoe, the O-Line wouldn't get compliments, as least not as much.

Bledsoe would have been sacked repeatedly last night. No doubt.

There are better pass blocking OLs out there, and yet those OLs lack the Cowboys ability to wear out opposing defenses.

Here's a thought. I'm not convinced its true, but I'll float it ....

The ability to wear out a defense is a talent. This Dallas OL is unusually large and physical. So far, it appears that the single best thing this OL does is wear down (and out) defenses. They seem to be even better at wearing down defenses than they are at pass or run blocking, per se (although they are good at that too).

Romo's escapability allows the Cowboys to succeed with this unusually big group, which will be beaten from time to time by smaller, more agile defensive players (until the OL's size asserts itself and wears out the opposition).

 

[sago1]

Our OL is playing pretty good but it needs to continue to improve and that will happen as they get a chance to play regularly together.

If Colombo has no problems with his knee & continues to play at a high level, Jerry Jones will probably give him a new contract after the 07 season. Don't forget Jerry signed Colombo to a 2 year deal in the spring to give us more time to evaluate his healthy/play. If, as we mostly assume, Flozel won't be brought back (unless he willing to sign at a low price tag) after this season, that means we'd have a new LT (probably Doug Free) and doubt we'd want a new RT too.

 

[cowboyz]

i think romo also demoralizes the rush. and they get really tired of being so close everytime. then you got leonard "cheap shot" davis who comes in every time, and just punishes someone.

it's not a cheap shot. but everytime davis has no one to block, he goes looking for someone, and just pancakes them, and they're totally not prepared. it's like he's playing a video game, where you can spear people after the plays over. it's hilarious.

 

[Cbz40]

Bledsoe would have been sacked repeatedly last night. No doubt.

There are better pass blocking OLs out there, and yet those OLs lack the Cowboys ability to wear out opposing defenses.

Here's a thought. I'm not convinced its true, but I'll float it ....

The ability to wear out a defense is a talent. This Dallas OL is unusually large and physical. So far, it appears that the single best thing this OL does is wear down (and out) defenses. They seem to be even better at wearing down defenses than they are at pass or run blocking, per se (although they are good at that too).

Romo's escapability allows the Cowboys to succeed with this unusually big group, which will be beaten from time to time by smaller, more agile defensive players (until the OL's size asserts itself and wears out the opposition).

Excellent observation. You have 300lbs plus pushing you around all night and you add in chasing Tony for four quarters......equals a tired rear end.

The OL of the 90's would do the same thing to a DL.....pound them to a pulp.