erod
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 38,705
- Reaction score
- 60,327
Bouncing around in my brainpan....
1. This week is the PERFECT preseason matchup for us. The dress rehearsal game will feature a terrific Raiders offensive line and a good pass rush. We'll get to see our suspended defensive linemen in this game, so we'll have a better idea of what things might look like when they return. We'll get to see Cooper, Green, and Collins against a legit defensive front. We'll get to see a semi-gameplanned half against a likely playoff team, and get a better feel of what we can expect at the start of the season, minus those suspended linemen.
2. Jaylon look terrific straight ahead, and you can see his nose for the game. Tremendous attitude. However, this could be a rocky year for him, especially at the start, because he simply can't plant that left leg and cut to the right. He ran around backs as they went past him, instead of sticking that foot in the ground and driving his shoulder into them laterally. The good news is, that nerve is healing, so this should be a gradual improvement as the season wears on, not just from experience, but from the health of that nerve.
3. I'm getting this icky feeling about Zeke. I'm starting to worry that he is merely months away from a career flame-out of epic proportions. I've heard and read things that suggest that his issues are deeper than we know. I find myself thinking that a 4-6 game suspension is absolutely necessary, not just as an eye-opener for him, but as a warning to those on the roster that want to follow and hang with him. If I'm Dak Prescott, I start to separate myself from Zeke before he gets caught up in the wake of his next incident. Zeke has the look of a guy that will weigh close to 300 pounds when he's 35, and he needs to get his all-around life in order.
4. Jerry and Witten gave Cooper Rush quite the atta-boy after Saturday's game, which is a shot across Linehan's bow. The personnel department had to take notice, too. It's a pretty safe bet that Rush has made the 53, so now they have to decide if they want to carry three quarterbacks or not. Operating an NFL gameplan is not an easy thing to do, but as we saw last year, when you have a running game of this magnitude, you don't have to put as much on the QB as other teams do. There's wiggle room, and you can simplify the offense if needed and still move the chains. I don't believe in backup quarterbacks as a necessary worry because every team is pretty much toast if their starter goes down. So I'd much prefer the rookie who might be something someday, as opposed to the Orton/Weeden/Cassel/Moore/Bolinger parade of career journeymen types. Rush could cost a receiver a shot at a sixth spot, which really isn't needed unless a guy stands out covering kicks.
5. Watch James Hanna closely this week. He was a very productive player in a quiet way a couple of years ago, but his propensity for injury has been troubling. If he can still seal the edge as before, he's actually a good receiver if used. If that ability to block has regressed, then move on. Let Rico be a trinket for Linehan to mix in here and there, and let Witten and Swaim do the heavy lifting.
6. Lance Lenoir deserves a nice bonus check on his way out the door. That guy has bore the brunt of the kick return duties as a sacrificial lamb. I think every preseason going forward should feature a designated punching bag like him.
7. Should Brice Butler start ahead of Terrance Williams? There's a new crispness in Butler's routes, and he looks like a different guy than last year. I now Williams has his strengths and can run block as well as any receiver in the game, but Butler might buy Dez a little more room to work on the other side.
8. This season hinges on the health of Tyron's back, and the ability of Collins to handle right tackle. Either of those falter, things get much tougher. If both don't hold up, this season is over.
9. If #8 is all good, this offense will be filthy. Beasley is uncoverable, and Switzer is much the same but with more size and speed. Linehan is going to wear the middle of the field out with those two, and Dak prefers those throws. With this run game to boot, this offense could be the most dynamic and difficult to defend in the entire league. Outscore teams until the defense finds itself, whenever that may be.
10. I'm concerned the Cowboys will drop a couple of games early because these rookie defensive backs can't get on the field. The NFL and player's union has to look at these practice rules. Hamstring issues are all over the league right now because guys aren't ready for the gruel of camp and the season. The Cowboys staff can't get their hands on them because of these cupcake practice rules. These guys can't stay healthy with these practices? Imagine how they would have fared during Jimmy's time. LOL
11. The NFL has to take a hard look at the preseason and the latest decisions it's making. The Chargers and Rams are playing in front of nobody. Those moves will be regretted because Los Angeles doesn't give a rip about football, so the regular season won't do much to cure their attendance woes. Even the Steelers played in front of yellow seats. The NFL was better when it wasn't so oversaturated.
1. This week is the PERFECT preseason matchup for us. The dress rehearsal game will feature a terrific Raiders offensive line and a good pass rush. We'll get to see our suspended defensive linemen in this game, so we'll have a better idea of what things might look like when they return. We'll get to see Cooper, Green, and Collins against a legit defensive front. We'll get to see a semi-gameplanned half against a likely playoff team, and get a better feel of what we can expect at the start of the season, minus those suspended linemen.
2. Jaylon look terrific straight ahead, and you can see his nose for the game. Tremendous attitude. However, this could be a rocky year for him, especially at the start, because he simply can't plant that left leg and cut to the right. He ran around backs as they went past him, instead of sticking that foot in the ground and driving his shoulder into them laterally. The good news is, that nerve is healing, so this should be a gradual improvement as the season wears on, not just from experience, but from the health of that nerve.
3. I'm getting this icky feeling about Zeke. I'm starting to worry that he is merely months away from a career flame-out of epic proportions. I've heard and read things that suggest that his issues are deeper than we know. I find myself thinking that a 4-6 game suspension is absolutely necessary, not just as an eye-opener for him, but as a warning to those on the roster that want to follow and hang with him. If I'm Dak Prescott, I start to separate myself from Zeke before he gets caught up in the wake of his next incident. Zeke has the look of a guy that will weigh close to 300 pounds when he's 35, and he needs to get his all-around life in order.
4. Jerry and Witten gave Cooper Rush quite the atta-boy after Saturday's game, which is a shot across Linehan's bow. The personnel department had to take notice, too. It's a pretty safe bet that Rush has made the 53, so now they have to decide if they want to carry three quarterbacks or not. Operating an NFL gameplan is not an easy thing to do, but as we saw last year, when you have a running game of this magnitude, you don't have to put as much on the QB as other teams do. There's wiggle room, and you can simplify the offense if needed and still move the chains. I don't believe in backup quarterbacks as a necessary worry because every team is pretty much toast if their starter goes down. So I'd much prefer the rookie who might be something someday, as opposed to the Orton/Weeden/Cassel/Moore/Bolinger parade of career journeymen types. Rush could cost a receiver a shot at a sixth spot, which really isn't needed unless a guy stands out covering kicks.
5. Watch James Hanna closely this week. He was a very productive player in a quiet way a couple of years ago, but his propensity for injury has been troubling. If he can still seal the edge as before, he's actually a good receiver if used. If that ability to block has regressed, then move on. Let Rico be a trinket for Linehan to mix in here and there, and let Witten and Swaim do the heavy lifting.
6. Lance Lenoir deserves a nice bonus check on his way out the door. That guy has bore the brunt of the kick return duties as a sacrificial lamb. I think every preseason going forward should feature a designated punching bag like him.
7. Should Brice Butler start ahead of Terrance Williams? There's a new crispness in Butler's routes, and he looks like a different guy than last year. I now Williams has his strengths and can run block as well as any receiver in the game, but Butler might buy Dez a little more room to work on the other side.
8. This season hinges on the health of Tyron's back, and the ability of Collins to handle right tackle. Either of those falter, things get much tougher. If both don't hold up, this season is over.
9. If #8 is all good, this offense will be filthy. Beasley is uncoverable, and Switzer is much the same but with more size and speed. Linehan is going to wear the middle of the field out with those two, and Dak prefers those throws. With this run game to boot, this offense could be the most dynamic and difficult to defend in the entire league. Outscore teams until the defense finds itself, whenever that may be.
10. I'm concerned the Cowboys will drop a couple of games early because these rookie defensive backs can't get on the field. The NFL and player's union has to look at these practice rules. Hamstring issues are all over the league right now because guys aren't ready for the gruel of camp and the season. The Cowboys staff can't get their hands on them because of these cupcake practice rules. These guys can't stay healthy with these practices? Imagine how they would have fared during Jimmy's time. LOL
11. The NFL has to take a hard look at the preseason and the latest decisions it's making. The Chargers and Rams are playing in front of nobody. Those moves will be regretted because Los Angeles doesn't give a rip about football, so the regular season won't do much to cure their attendance woes. Even the Steelers played in front of yellow seats. The NFL was better when it wasn't so oversaturated.
