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It’s Adjustment Time
Pro football is a game of adjustment and adaptation. You create an edge for your team and opponents respond. If you’re a winner, you acknowledge their changes and make your own.
We’re one quarter of the way through the season and it’s time for the Cowboys to adapt. On offense, they had strategies that worked very effectively against the Browns and Eagles but not as well against the Packers and Commanders.
Let’s go back to the Green Bay game. The Cowboys had one pick in the red zone when Tony Romo tried a pass to a very well covered Jason Witten. Later, just before halftime, the Cowboys were in second and goal when they lined up in a shotgun formation, with Marion Barber to Romo’s right. Dallas faked a draw to Barber and attempted a pass to T.O. running a post. This play had worked twice for touchdowns last year, most notably against New England, when the play fake sent Rodney Harrison into a conniption fit.
One problem. One big problem. Green Bay knew it was coming, and had both of Romo’s receiving targets double covered. The play went for a huge loss.
The Eagles, in the second half of their game, went double on T.O. putting a corner tight on him and a safety behind him. Green Bay did this with Charles Woodson. Washington did this with Shawn Springs. It hasn’t completely slowed Owens down, but it has slowed his production down from his first outstanding six quarters of the year.
This isn’t a call to panic. Michael Irvin faced this type of attention regularly the last few years of his career. But it’s clear that the better defenses have caught up to some of Dallas’ tendencies. And it’s time to see how Jason Garrett adjusts.
On defense, better strong safety play is needed. It’s funny, two years ago Dallas had no free safety. Then Ken Hamlin was signed and closed the deep middle. Now, however, Pat Watkins is looking confused. Courtney Brown is playing some at the strong but has yet to distinguish himself.
It’s almost enough to make you miss Roy Williams. Almost.
We haven’t talked ‘09 draft, and we always talk draft here. Mark it down — Day one next April will target two offensive linemen and a strong safety.
Pro football is a game of adjustment and adaptation. You create an edge for your team and opponents respond. If you’re a winner, you acknowledge their changes and make your own.
We’re one quarter of the way through the season and it’s time for the Cowboys to adapt. On offense, they had strategies that worked very effectively against the Browns and Eagles but not as well against the Packers and Commanders.
Let’s go back to the Green Bay game. The Cowboys had one pick in the red zone when Tony Romo tried a pass to a very well covered Jason Witten. Later, just before halftime, the Cowboys were in second and goal when they lined up in a shotgun formation, with Marion Barber to Romo’s right. Dallas faked a draw to Barber and attempted a pass to T.O. running a post. This play had worked twice for touchdowns last year, most notably against New England, when the play fake sent Rodney Harrison into a conniption fit.
One problem. One big problem. Green Bay knew it was coming, and had both of Romo’s receiving targets double covered. The play went for a huge loss.
The Eagles, in the second half of their game, went double on T.O. putting a corner tight on him and a safety behind him. Green Bay did this with Charles Woodson. Washington did this with Shawn Springs. It hasn’t completely slowed Owens down, but it has slowed his production down from his first outstanding six quarters of the year.
This isn’t a call to panic. Michael Irvin faced this type of attention regularly the last few years of his career. But it’s clear that the better defenses have caught up to some of Dallas’ tendencies. And it’s time to see how Jason Garrett adjusts.
On defense, better strong safety play is needed. It’s funny, two years ago Dallas had no free safety. Then Ken Hamlin was signed and closed the deep middle. Now, however, Pat Watkins is looking confused. Courtney Brown is playing some at the strong but has yet to distinguish himself.
It’s almost enough to make you miss Roy Williams. Almost.
We haven’t talked ‘09 draft, and we always talk draft here. Mark it down — Day one next April will target two offensive linemen and a strong safety.