some good, some bad, some awful

[dueyhemlock]

Why does everyone keep saying our "special teams" stink, when it's really only one of the special teams?

When the pass or rush defense is bad, people tend to say, "dang our defense sucks". It's just the nature of a quick reply to an obvious problem.

Yes, we tend to generalize the problem instead of being more precise.

It's definitately our coverage teams with the punt coverage seeming to be getting better.

Don't like the fumbles during the returns but thats part of football.

With one of the 3 facets of the game (special teams, returns) being such an obvious problem, steps need to be made (use more starters or coaching change) to prevent this achilles heel from derailing our goals for the season.

 

[SMCowboy]

Well Jenkins looked horrible against Marshall and I don't think they set him up for failure either. A lot is expected from first round picks and Jenkins is lucky he not getting thrown in the fire early. If we need a CB that could start right now we wouldn't have drafted Jenkins.

Lining a rookie CB up against one of the better WR's in the NFL man to man with ZERO help from a safety, qualifies as putting players in position to fail. You have to be crazy to actually expect Jenkins as a rookie could lineup man to man against Marshall and not get beat and probably be beat BAD a few times.

But, what we were concerned about with Jenkins in that game was NOT if he would get beat, but lets see what type of job he does, lets see how he responds, lets use his mistakes (everyone knew that there would definitely be some) to teach him.

So which blitzes would make the game more/less vanilla. It just seems like some of the other teams are really letting those blitzes fly off in preseason something we we're criticized for last season.

There are a TON of different blitzes that teams use, starting with who they blitz (CB, Safety, LB) as well as where they come from and how they hide the blitzes. MOST of the blitzes you see in the preseason are straight up blitzes usually from just the LB's. They are also usually not your delayed blitzes or any of the blitzes that every team in the league has and uses. You don't see many of the zone blitzes, either.

The reason for playing very vanilla, is so that you don't show teams anything, that they don't already know, that you can use in a regular season game, when the surprise factor that you do have that, and the team not being prepared for it, could actually help you. But every team in the league has a basic LB blitz either up the middle or off the edge.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Lining a rookie CB up against one of the better WR's in the NFL man to man with ZERO help from a safety, qualifies as putting players in position to fail. You have to be crazy to actually expect Jenkins as a rookie could lineup man to man against Marshall and not get beat and probably be beat BAD a few times.

But, what we were concerned about with Jenkins in that game was NOT if he would get beat, but lets see what type of job he does, lets see how he responds, lets use his mistakes (everyone knew that there would definitely be some) to teach him.

I think your missing the point. They were trying to evaluate him to see how for along he was and he well he can do. Remember if Jones doesn't get reinstated and Newman not back for the 1st game its going to be Jenkins. So you saying its a position to fail I don't see it a such. They just want to see where he was at and how much he could be counted on.

I agree with you yea Jenkins is going to get beat by Marshal. However we want to see if he knows what he is doing and if he is going to be in the right spots he wasn't.

There are a TON of different blitzes that teams use, starting with who they blitz (CB, Safety, LB) as well as where they come from and how they hide the blitzes. MOST of the blitzes you see in the preseason from the cowboys are straight up blitzes usually from just the LB's. They are also usually not your delayed blitzes or any of the blitzes that every team in the league has and uses. You don't see many of the zone blitzes, either.

The reason for playing very vanilla, is so that you don't show teams anything, that they don't already know, that you can use in a regular season game, when the surprise factor that you do have that, and the team not being prepared for it, could actually help you. But every team in the league has a basic LB blitz either up the middle or off the edge.

I've seen teams blitzing safeties and CB's LB showing blitzes and then dropping back in coverage and everything else you would see during a regular season game.

I change some of what you said in bold. How many games do you think the cowboys will win from surprise factor 1 maybe 2. I think we are already a dominate force where the surprise factor is inconsequential.