NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is proud of George Selvie and Landon Cohen.
Proud of how the no-name defensive linemen came into training camp as injury replacements and hit the ground running. Proud of the way they refused to play down to their journeymen tags. Proud of the way they made the team with tenacious play in the preseason.
“We gave them an opportunity and they took advantage of it,” Garrett said Thursday in Irving. “Each of those guys said, ‘Hey, I’m worthy of making this football team,’ and that’s good for your team.”
But is it?
When the Cowboys fired Rob Ryan after last season and hired Monte Kiffin as their defensive coordinator, they didn’t envision two JAGs – Bill Parcells’ term for “just a guy” – seeing action Sunday against the New York Giants.
With Anthony Spencer yet to practice after undergoing surgery on his left knee July 25 and revealing Thursday he’s suffered a setback with swelling, Selvie likely will start at end opposite perennial Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware.
Cohen won’t start, but he’ll be first off the bench to spell tackle Nick Hayden. Hayden, who sat out last season after being cut by Cincinnati, is starting only because four-time Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff is sidelined until at least late October with groin and hamstring injuries.
More bad news came Thursday, when backup defensive end Ben Bass suffered a dislocated shoulder that could keep him out for at least two weeks. That leaves underachieving second-year pro Kyle Wilber to back up Ware.
Bottom line: This rag-tag outfit isn’t what the Cowboys had in mind when they dumped Ryan’s 3-4 defense in favor of Kiffin’s 4-3 Tampa Cover 2 scheme.
“It’s a good scheme, but schemes are only as good as your players,” said NBC’s Tony Dungy, who coached Tampa Bay from 1996-2001 while Kiffin was the Bucs’ coordinator.
“They’ve got some guys who fit into that (scheme), but I don’t know that they have the personnel in the front seven yet to do what they’re going to need to get done.”
In addition to Spencer and Ratliff, the Cowboys are also without backup end Tyrone Crawford (Achilles tendon). Although Dallas tried to boost its depth by trading for ends Edgar Jones (a special teams ace from the Chiefs) and Caesar Rayford (a 27-year-old rookie from the Colts), concerns abound.
“The weakness will be the line and getting those guys up to speed,” Dungy said in a conference call to promote Cowboys-Giants on Sunday Night Football. “That defense is based on four down linemen getting pressure and controlling the line of scrimmage.”
But Ware believes the fill-ins will do just fine against an offensive line with injury concerns of its own.
“I’m not worried at all,” he said. “I don’t want to see Spence out there. I want to see Spencer. I want the 100 percent Spencer.”
The Giants, meanwhile, have a deep defensive line again after padding it via the draft and free agency.
“It’s very critical to rotate enough people through so that you’re fresh,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “You might have a pitch count for some guys, but that’s very important. We’ve been doing that in one way, shape or form for quite a while.”
In time, the Cowboys might have a ferocious front. But for now, it’s being held together by Ware, veteran end-turned-tackle Jason Hatcher and spare parts.
“When I got to Tampa, we had Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks there and we got Simeon Rice and loaded up with talent,” Dungy said. “That’s what wins in the NFL. Scheme’s are good, but you have to have talent that fits the scheme and I think that’s still developing.”
Continue reading...
Proud of how the no-name defensive linemen came into training camp as injury replacements and hit the ground running. Proud of the way they refused to play down to their journeymen tags. Proud of the way they made the team with tenacious play in the preseason.
“We gave them an opportunity and they took advantage of it,” Garrett said Thursday in Irving. “Each of those guys said, ‘Hey, I’m worthy of making this football team,’ and that’s good for your team.”
But is it?
When the Cowboys fired Rob Ryan after last season and hired Monte Kiffin as their defensive coordinator, they didn’t envision two JAGs – Bill Parcells’ term for “just a guy” – seeing action Sunday against the New York Giants.
With Anthony Spencer yet to practice after undergoing surgery on his left knee July 25 and revealing Thursday he’s suffered a setback with swelling, Selvie likely will start at end opposite perennial Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware.
Cohen won’t start, but he’ll be first off the bench to spell tackle Nick Hayden. Hayden, who sat out last season after being cut by Cincinnati, is starting only because four-time Pro Bowler Jay Ratliff is sidelined until at least late October with groin and hamstring injuries.
More bad news came Thursday, when backup defensive end Ben Bass suffered a dislocated shoulder that could keep him out for at least two weeks. That leaves underachieving second-year pro Kyle Wilber to back up Ware.
Bottom line: This rag-tag outfit isn’t what the Cowboys had in mind when they dumped Ryan’s 3-4 defense in favor of Kiffin’s 4-3 Tampa Cover 2 scheme.
“It’s a good scheme, but schemes are only as good as your players,” said NBC’s Tony Dungy, who coached Tampa Bay from 1996-2001 while Kiffin was the Bucs’ coordinator.
“They’ve got some guys who fit into that (scheme), but I don’t know that they have the personnel in the front seven yet to do what they’re going to need to get done.”
In addition to Spencer and Ratliff, the Cowboys are also without backup end Tyrone Crawford (Achilles tendon). Although Dallas tried to boost its depth by trading for ends Edgar Jones (a special teams ace from the Chiefs) and Caesar Rayford (a 27-year-old rookie from the Colts), concerns abound.
“The weakness will be the line and getting those guys up to speed,” Dungy said in a conference call to promote Cowboys-Giants on Sunday Night Football. “That defense is based on four down linemen getting pressure and controlling the line of scrimmage.”
But Ware believes the fill-ins will do just fine against an offensive line with injury concerns of its own.
“I’m not worried at all,” he said. “I don’t want to see Spence out there. I want to see Spencer. I want the 100 percent Spencer.”
The Giants, meanwhile, have a deep defensive line again after padding it via the draft and free agency.
“It’s very critical to rotate enough people through so that you’re fresh,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “You might have a pitch count for some guys, but that’s very important. We’ve been doing that in one way, shape or form for quite a while.”
In time, the Cowboys might have a ferocious front. But for now, it’s being held together by Ware, veteran end-turned-tackle Jason Hatcher and spare parts.
“When I got to Tampa, we had Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks there and we got Simeon Rice and loaded up with talent,” Dungy said. “That’s what wins in the NFL. Scheme’s are good, but you have to have talent that fits the scheme and I think that’s still developing.”
Continue reading...