Players playing well

[StanleySpadowski]

After a quarter of the season, here's who I'm pleasantly surprised with.


Columbo - Right now he's Dallas' best lineman.

Gurode - Hasn't done anything dumb yet. I know that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, but very few doubted his physical skills. It was what was under the helmet that was holding him back.

Witten - Blocking like an actual TE this year. He really seems to be making up for his lack of action in the passing game by opening holes or shielding off defenders for long gains.

McBriar - One bad catch but he's booming punt after punt. A 40+ net average is rarer than rare.

Williams - People want to harp on one bad angle in Philly or even a TD allowed vs. Tennesee but he still has two picks and a fumble recovery after four games.

Hurd - Looked better on special teams than I thought he would.

 

[Portland Fanatic]

I'd like to see Burnett on the field more as he is playing well.

Julius is playing very well...

Glenn looks good, both Glenn's for that matter.

 

[canters]

Have to add JJ--running hard and staying healthy.

Tnew is the most underappreciated CB in the league.

Henry is solid too.

BJames also.

I am probably leaving some players off the list.

IF Colombo is our best lineman, what does that say about our Oline? He was on the way out of football 1.5 years ago, being released by the Bears.

Gurode has been solid.

If Kosier was as good against the pass as he is when we run, we would have something.

Someone please start a thread about players having bad years.

OK, I will start:

Flo

...........................

 

[AdamJT13]

IF Colombo is our best lineman, what does that say about our Oline? He was on the way out of football 1.5 years ago, being released by the Bears.

He was released becaue he was injured. He had a serious knee injury that took several years to overcome.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Have to add JJ--running hard and staying healthy.

Tnew is the most underappreciated CB in the league.

Henry is solid too.

BJames also.

I am probably leaving some players off the list.

IF Colombo is our best lineman, what does that say about our Oline? He was on the way out of football 1.5 years ago, being released by the Bears.

Gurode has been solid.

If Kosier was as good against the pass as he is when we run, we would have something.

Someone please start a thread about players having bad years.

OK, I will start:

Flo

...........................

James is doing nothing special and hasn't looked particularly good.

Henry is probably closer to being on your bad list than good. He's done nothing this year to stand out at all except playing too soft on some crucial plays.

 

[canters]

He was released becaue he was injured. He had a serious knee injury that took several years to overcome.

My point exactly...we are luckly to have him under these circumstances. The guys we drafted or signed to fat contracts are not our best players.

 

[Rick_Deckard]

After a quarter of the season, here's who I'm pleasantly surprised with.


Columbo - Right now he's Dallas' best lineman.

Gurode - Hasn't done anything dumb yet. I know that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, but very few doubted his physical skills. It was what was under the helmet that was holding him back.

Witten - Blocking like an actual TE this year. He really seems to be making up for his lack of action in the passing game by opening holes or shielding off defenders for long gains.

McBriar - One bad catch but he's booming punt after punt. A 40+ net average is rarer than rare.

Williams - People want to harp on one bad angle in Philly or even a TD allowed vs. Tennesee but he still has two picks and a fumble recovery after four games.

Hurd - Looked better on special teams than I thought he would.

Witten had an awful day blocking. He whiffed on the play where Howard came through to hit JJ for a 4 yard loss. He and Fasano were both terrible on the play with :57 left in the first half when Barber was stuffed for a loss and the Cowboys had to punt.

Roy bit on a play fake and the long completion to LJ Smith that set up the Philly score following Ware's TD was all on him.

I'm not a gloom and doomer. I like these players. But you can't say that they are playing well. Just because Roy was in the right place when Watkins forced the fumble does not mean that he played well.

These are the players that I think are playing well:
Gurode
Julius
MBIII
T Glenn
Ferguson
Ellis
Ware
James
T New
A Glenn
Hurd - on ST

Better than expected:
Watkins (I know it sounds stupid since he bit on play fakes and gave up TD's twice, but he is a rookie)
Columbo
Fasano

 

[AdamJT13]

Roy bit on a play fake and the long completion to LJ Smith

You must have missed it, but Parcells said Roy WAS NOT at fault on that play.

 

[Dale]

I've said this about Roy before, but I'll say it again.

He's already made two big plays for us this year that the offense/special teams merely failed to capitalize on. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have had this impression for a while -- that a lot of the potentially huge plays he makes get wasted by the other side of the ball (see that goal-line stand he made against New York last year).

Against Jacksonville, he intercepted a driving Jacksonville to seemingly preserve a first-half lead heading into halftime. Bledsoe turns the ball right back over.

Against Philly, he recovers a fumble to quiet a ferocious crowd just two plays into the game. I was listening on the radio at the time and couldn't believe the "magical" start. What a way to start! Two offensive penalties and a dropped punt later, we're down 7-0.

He made a similarly huge play against Washington with that interception, though, luckily, the offense didn't mess that one up.

He has his faults. But I think he's also done his fair share to contribute.

Oh, and as to those playing well...Newman tops the list.

 

[Rick_Deckard]

You must have missed it, but Parcells said Roy WAS NOT at fault on that play.

I did miss that. If he said it (and I trust you), then I am confused. I saw the play live and then I watched it several time when I got home. Roy bit on the play fake and Smith ran right by him. Maybe someone else was supposed to pick him up, but it didn't look like it to me. Aikman made the comment that he was Roy's man all the way.

Bill knows better than Troy (and much, much better than me), but I have to wonder if he said that before or after watching the film.

 

[AdamJT13]

I did miss that. If he said it (and I trust you), then I am confused. I saw the play live and then I watched it several time when I got home. Roy bit on the play fake and Smith ran right by him. Maybe someone else was supposed to pick him up, but it didn't look like it to me. Aikman made the comment that he was Roy's man all the way.

Bill knows better than Troy (and much, much better than me), but I have to wonder if he said that before or after watching the film.

Bill watches the film the night of the game. He said it Monday at his press conference -- the same time when he detailed all of our breakdowns and mental lapses on the offensive line, etc.

On that play (and many others), we used a four-man zone underneath, with man coverage by our corners and a free safety in the deep middle. Roy had the short left-middle zone. Roy didn't bite on a play fake, he let Smith run by him because he wasn't responsible for anyone going deep. He was responsible for the short zone.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Witten had an awful day blocking. He whiffed on the play where Howard came through to hit JJ for a 4 yard loss. He and Fasano were both terrible on the play with :57 left in the first half when Barber was stuffed for a loss and the Cowboys had to punt.

I realize that "quarter of the season" and "four (4) games" may be lost on you but picking out a few poor blocks by Witten in a single game doesn't mean that he's not upgraded his blocking substantially from a year ago.

 

[MapleLeaf]

...my hat into the Aaron Glenn arena. For the price we pay he's done a heck of a job.

Against the Eagles he almost got another pick. So far this year he's registered for three passed defenced and one pick.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Ill give some love to Fergy, Spears, Canty ect. The run D has been solid.

Ferguson especially. How many times has a team ran right up the middle and all that was there was a big pile of bodies and clutter and it goes as a no gain.


OT- Ive seen Hatcher subbing in a lot, but I cant recall how he did.
Anyone observant enough to let me know?

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Columbo - Right now he's Dallas' best lineman.

I wouldn't go that far. He's played very well in the last 2 games and has been solid overall. I think Gurode and Kosier are playing a bit better at this point. When he's on, Flozell is a better tackle, but his inconsistency is hurting the team. Obviously, Rivera is the worst of the starting O-Line.

Gurode - Hasn't done anything dumb yet. I know that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement, but very few doubted his physical skills. It was what was under the helmet that was holding him back.

Yeah, for some reason the center position works for him. He's been really good so far.

Witten - Blocking like an actual TE this year. He really seems to be making up for his lack of action in the passing game by opening holes or shielding off defenders for long gains.

Both TE's have blocked pretty well. Fasano needs to work on consistency though.


I'd also add the play of Ellis and Ware. Right now they are pace to have 20 sacks between the two of them. Jay Ratliff has been a force in the pass rush as well.


YAKUZA

 

[Yakuza Rich]

OT- Ive seen Hatcher subbing in a lot, but I cant recall how he did.
Anyone observant enough to let me know?

He's done pretty well, usually comes in on nickel packages. Started him off in the JAX game playing weakside nickel DE, but now he's a nickel DT. Sounds like keeping his weight up is a problem, and thus he's suceptible against the run, so they keep him in the nickel. If he can keep his weight up and improve his technique against the run, I think he has the most potential out of all of the 3-4 DE's on the team.



YAKUZA

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Bill watches the film the night of the game. He said it Monday at his press conference -- the same time when he detailed all of our breakdowns and mental lapses on the offensive line, etc.

On that play (and many others), we used a four-man zone underneath, with man coverage by our corners and a free safety in the deep middle. Roy had the short left-middle zone. Roy didn't bite on a play fake, he let Smith run by him because he wasn't responsible for anyone going deep. He was responsible for the short zone.

I was quite surprised to see Aikman get that wrong. When I saw the play live, it was pretty apparent to me that Roy's responsibility was the short zone and Watkins had deep coverage. Then I re-watched the play and it confirmed that I was right, they were playing 4 across short zone scheme, something that's pretty typical of a lot of NFL teams, especially Dallas and especially when they play against the Eagles for whom they use this defense to cut off slant patterns and screen passes that the Eagles love to run.

Essentially, a very basic defense that Aikman should've recognized with no problem, but for some reason he didn't.


YAKUZA

 

[MapleLeaf]

I was quite surprised to see Aikman get that wrong. When I saw the play live, it was pretty apparent to me that Roy's responsibility was the short zone and Watkins had deep coverage. Then I re-watched the play and it confirmed that I was right, they were playing 4 across short zone scheme, something that's pretty typical of a lot of NFL teams, especially Dallas and especially when they play against the Eagles for whom they use this defense to cut off slant patterns and screen passes that the Eagles love to run.

Essentially, a very basic defense that Aikman should've recognized with no problem, but for some reason he didn't.


YAKUZA

...that the Cowboys let their rookie free safety sit alone on the deep patterns. It shows alot of confidence. Hopefully he can rebound from this.

 

[VACowboy]

James is doing nothing special and hasn't looked particularly good.

I disagree completely. Bradie is playing exceptional football, especially against the pass.

My votes: Julius and Gurode on offense, Newman and Ellis on defense.

 

[Rick_Deckard]

I realize that "quarter of the season" and "four (4) games" may be lost on you but picking out a few poor blocks by Witten in a single game doesn't mean that he's not upgraded his blocking substantially from a year ago.

I like Witten a lot, but he is not playing as well this year as he did in previous years. He has dropped several passes and I think he had a poor day blocking on Sunday. Maybe my expectations of him are too high because he has been so good up until now, but I hoped for better so far. I'm still optimistic that he will have a good year, but I can't list him as one of the players having a good year.

I read during TC that he was working on trying to gain yards after the catch instead of concentrating only on catching the ball. I have to wonder if that has caused some of the drops.