Week 14 Analysis: Dallas @ Detroit

December 10th, 2007 6:54 am
by Big Dog

With most pundits declaring that the Detroit Lions are pretty much done for the season it looked today like QB Jon Kitna and the rest of the Lions may have had the fire to pull off an amazing upset win against the second best team in the NFL right now, the Dallas Cowboys.

The Lions took the early lead and stayed there for much of the game. Kitna managed to put up good numbers (22 of 36 for 248 yards) with no interceptions. The telling statistic was that he also had no passing touchdowns. The Lions also managed to gain 152 rushing yards against a Cowboys defense that is very tough on the run. In the end though, there were two drives that defined the outcome of the game. Early in the 4th quarter, the Lions had the chance to stretch the lead to more than a TD, with a 35 yard field goal attempt. Detroit K Jason Hanson would normally find this well within his range but this time the kick sailed just wide, to the right of the uprights. This missed attempt is sure to be haunting the Lions staff, players and fans.

The second key drive began when Dallas gained possession at their own 17 yard line with 2 minutes 15 seconds left on the clock and no timeouts remaining. Dallas QB Tony Romo led the march down the field, connecting regularly with TE Jason Witten (as he had all game). Detroit’s great sin was that they constantly allowed Cowboys receivers to find the sideline and stop the clock. In the end Romo connected with Witten for a 16 yard TD pass. The point after was successful and that sealed the win. This is the Cowboys’ ninth win from behind this season.

In many ways, it’s that statistic that makes the Cowboys’ record even more impressive than the Patriots. The Patriots are easily dominating almost every team that they meet and have only really been put to the test twice this season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are having to work harder to get their wins, and the toughness that is bred by that sort of competition will serve them well when it comes to the playoffs.

Posted in Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Jon Kitna, Jason Witten, Jason Hanson, Dallas Cowboys, Tony Romo, Game, Analysis, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, NFL | No Comments »

Week 12 Analysis: New York Jets @ Dallas

November 22nd, 2007 10:29 pm
by Big Dog

First of all, make sure you catch up with Pro Set’s analysis of Green Bay @ Detroit here. It provides great insight into not only what happened in the game today, but also gives you a glimpse of what Green Bay will need to accomplish next week against Dallas.

Which brings us to what Dallas did today. Nobody could reasonably claim to be completely surprised by the dominance of the Cowboys this week, even after the New York Jets managed a surprise victory over Pittsburgh last week.

However, the keen observer won’t be fooled by the blowout indicated by the final score. The truth is that while Dallas QB Tony Romo had a great night and led the Cowboys to a comprehensive win, this game was more about defense than offense. Simply put, both of the Jets’ lines, defensive and offensive, were dominated.

In particular, the inability of the Jets’ O-Line to contain the pass rush meant that Jets’ QB Kellen Clemens spent most of the night trying to get passes away under immense pressure. Pressure led by the ever capable Dallas LB DeMarcus Ware, who broke through on several occasions and disrupted a lot of New York’s passing game. In addition, Dallas’ coverage was just better and was summed up nicely when CB Terence Newman returned an interception 50 yards for a TD late in the 2nd Quarter.

To make matters worse, it’s tough for any team that has to try and contain Romo, WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten. The Jets’ did their best with this task, trying to pay special attention to Owens and Witten in coverage, while applying pressure in the pass rush. They did actually manage to break through and sack Romo three times, but it just wasn’t enough.

It sounds simple, but it’s true, you just can’t win football games if you can’t control the line of scrimmage. The Jets couldn’t, and so they didn’t.

For those who are waiting with great anticipation for the clash between the Cowboys and Packers next week, there are some points to take out of this game. The first of these is that the Cowboys can be disrupted. Owens was much quieter today than usual and clearly the special attention paid to him had an effect. He still took several crucial catches, including a late TD pass, but his overall numbers were much lower.

Secondly, Romo can be disrupted with good pass rushing. The Jets managed to get to him several times and in the end forced the Cowboys to make use of RB Julius Jones and RB Marion Barber to great effect.

All of this gives Green Bay hope for their meeting next week. It won’t be easy by any stretch, but if they can contain Owens and Witten in coverage, their D-Line might be able to drive the pressure needed to get to Romo. If they are successful at that, they’ll then need to do a much better job of containing the Cowboys’ running backs than the Jets did. In the end, Green Bay need to keep their offense on the field as long as possible, the best way to keep Romo, Owens, Witten, Jones and Barber out of the game is simply to leave them on the sidelines.

Posted in Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Julius Jones, Terence Newman, DeMarcus Ware, Kellen Clemens, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, NFL on television, Analysis, Game, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, NFL | No Comments »

NFL Week 11 Analysis: Washington @ Dallas - Final

November 18th, 2007 9:23 pm
by Big Dog

The second half of this game was every bit exciting and eventful as expected. The early stages of the 3rd quarter were slow to start but things started to turn when Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips successfully challenged an INT by Washington Redskins LB Rocky McIntosh.

On the very next play, the Redskins were called for pass interference which turned it into a 51 yard play for the Cowboys. Dallas QB Tony Romo then completed a 31 yard TD pass to WR Terrell Owens.

That pattern continued for pretty much the rest of the game with Owens receiving all 4 of Romo’s touchdown passes, equalling a Cowboys team record for TD receptions in a game. Owens has also climbed to 3rd all time number of receptions. Romo is additionally on his way to setting a new team record for TD passes in a season.

All of this could lead the casual observer to assume that Dallas had a pretty easy/comfortable time of it, and that would be a mistake. The true story is that while Dallas did come away with the win, they didn’t particularly impress. At the end of the day, they did what everybody expected them to do, win at home. They really only got away with it because Owens managed to make Redskins CB Shawn Springs’ day a living hell.

It almost looked personal in a way. Springs wrestled Owens to the ground on his first reception of the day, and Owens took exception to being manhandled when he’d be forced back far enough that the play should have been called dead. To be fair to Springs, the whistle hadn’t blown and it was his job to keep going until it was blown. No flags on the play, but Owens was visibly emotional for the rest of the game and managed to make big breaks, confuse the Redskins coverage and give Romo enough room to make sure they both had a great day. Springs was meant to be covering TO most of the time, and TO worked hard to make sure he didn’t.

That said, the highlight performance of the game was definitely Washington QB Jason Campbell (33-54, 348yds, 2TD, INT). Campbell showed great patience, presence and poise in the pocket, waiting for plays to develop and executing under intense pressure, particularly from Dallas LB DeMarcus Ware. Campbell was especially good when the Redskins were working their hurry-up offense and seemed more comfortable with the rhythm of that part of the game.

All in all, it was an entertaining and tight game that bodes well for the future of the Redskins. The NFC is now shaping up to be quite a contest with the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys now both 9-1 for the season.

Posted in NFL on FOX, DeMarcus Ware, Denver Broncos, Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins, Shawn Springs, Rocky McIntosh, Wade Phillips, NFL Coaches, Green Bay Packers, NFL on television, Analysis, Game, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, Terrell Owens, Tony Romo, NFL | No Comments »

NFL Week 11 Analysis: Washington @ Dallas

November 18th, 2007 6:54 pm
by Big Dog

First half thoughts:

It’s been an interesting first half, with the improving fortunes of QB Jason Campbell helping to cement the Washington Redskins as early leaders. Washington scoring a TD on their first drive with Campbell completing 3 for 3, hitting TE Chris Cooley twice.

The Dallas Cowboys have struggled in the first half, especially with C Andre Gurode struggling to control his shotgun snaps. Once he has hit QB Tony Romo in the helmet (it deflected into the hands of RB Julius Jones, resulting in a loss of 2 and bringing up 4th down). Twice Gurode has snapped the ball clean over Romo’s head, both times Romo’s scrambled to recover the ball and got passes off. The first was an unfortunate INT caused by a deflection out of WR Terrell Owens’ hands. The second time, the ball again bounced well and sat up for Romo, who turned and fired a bullet to Owens for the first down.

Washington finished the half with a fast drive to find field goal range, burning all their timouts and spiking the ball with 4 seconds left on the clock, to set up a 45 yard FG. The half has finished with Washington leading 10-7, a scoreline that is somewhat flattering to the Cowboys.

That said, the second half is traditionally the Cowboys’ half, so we’ll see how they go.

Posted in NFL on FOX, Julius Jones, Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins, Andre Gurode, Chris Cooley, Dallas Cowboys, Terrell Owens, Analysis, Game, NFL on television, NFL Franchises/Teams, Tony Romo, NFL Players, NFL | No Comments »

If the Cowboys play smart, New England can’t win

October 13th, 2007 7:10 am
by Big Dog

Last Monday the Dallas Cowboys and QB Tony Romo gave their fans a scare as they nearly fell to the Buffalo Bills. In an amazing comeback that included rookie K Nick Folk entering Dallas folklore by kicking the winning goal twice, the Cowboys proved that they have the determination and drive to win no matter where they’re at in the game.

While pretty much every so called expert in football is predicting that the New England Patriots will win as a result of their superior offensive options and stronger defense, this demonstrates an ignorance of one of the most important lessons in all footballing codes.

I’m talking about the impact of Jonny Wilkinson on the sport of rugby union. Of all the codes of football around the world, rugby is the one that shares the most in common with American football. Jonny Wilkinson is a player who has made his name in world rugby as a specialist kicker, capable of making drop-kick field goals from well over halfway. Jonny has already led England to one World Cup victory and is on his way to a second. (Here’s a bonus clip of Jonny and soccer superstar David Beckham kicking a few balls of different shapes)

The lesson here (if Dallas want to learn it) is that field position and kicking can win big football games. With a kicker capable of making not one, but two 53 yard field goals under real pressure, Dallas can choose to win this game with the boot and there is little that the Patriots can do about that. I just hope that Wade Phillips has paid attention in class and learned this lesson.

Posted in NFL Coaches, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Wade Phillips, Nick Folk, Dallas Cowboys, Tony Romo, Game, Analysis, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Players, NFL | 2 Comments »

NFL Week 6 Featured Preview: New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys

October 12th, 2007 8:46 pm
by Pro Set

New England (5-0) @ Dallas (5-0) 4:15pm ET on CBS

Two big name undefeated NFL teams dominate this Week 6 schedule.

New England

RB Laurence Maroney is out. RB Sammy Morris has run the ball well, but against Cincinnati and Cleveland. This will be tougher. New England did not run the ball well in their last two big losses: both playoff games. Just because they have the most amazing pass offense for now does not mean it will always be so.

When the ball is in the air, it’s simply a question of whether Dallas can get pressure. If Dallas can’t get to QB Tom Brady, it’s over. Brady is completing passes everywhere. Expect WR Randy Moss to have a monster game. He loves Texas Stadium. Just remember Thanksgiving Day 1999 if in doubt.

Dallas

The Cowboys need to run the ball well in order to maintain possession. They face a smilar challenge to that faced by most opponents of New England: they need to keep the ball for long periods. DAL RB Julius Jones has been solid without being spectacular. I would like to see him attack the line of scrimmage more and carry tacklers forward. It is these yards on early downs that bring up manageable 3rd down situations.

In the air, we know that QB Tony Romo loves to get rid of the ball. He might be having second thoughts after the bizarre occurrences last Monday at Buffalo. Against the Patriots, if his first 2 reads are covered on short drops, he must be prepared to keep the ball. Romo must avoid turnovers, and therefore put all the pressure on the NE offense. It’s possible that Brady could have a bad day.

Conclusion

New England has more weapons than Dallas. If Dallas pulls off the upset, I think that WR Terrell Owens will have had a big day in yards after the catch.

Prediction: New England

Posted in New England Patriots, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, NFL Game Previews, Dallas Cowboys, Terrell Owens, Game, NFL Franchises/Teams, Tony Romo, NFL | No Comments »

The hot seat - it burns, burns, burns

October 3rd, 2007 6:35 am
by Big Dog

We said it last time, and now it’s more true than ever, Norv Turner has to be grimacing with his butt firmly planted on the hottest seat in the NFL right now. So far this season San Diego have failed to fire on offense, in spite of Turner’s reputation as an offensive specialist. The Chargers are now languishing at 4th in the AFC West and have already lost more games than they did last season. Following the high expectations set last season, if the Chargers don’t turn things around and soon, Norv’s seat is set to spontaneously combust.

While it might not look like it on the surface, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb must be feeling things heat up a little bit too. So far the Eagles have played four games using the same basic plan with little adjustment for each opposing team. Of those four games the Eagles have won only one, and while that game was won in spectacular fashion, it wasn’t a division game. In fact Philadelphia are now locked in a desperate struggle to salvage their season given the fact that Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, Wade Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys seem to be pretty content just racking up one win after the next.

Over in San Francisco somebody should tell Mike Nolan that Russell Crowe has already proven that Armani suits don’t win championships (his team made the playoffs and lost in the first round). There’s plenty to be said for looking good while you win, but you need to be winning before you can start worrying about looking good.

Cam Cameron also has to be starting to feel the heat in his first season for the Dolphins. Even though nobody had huge expectations for Miami, they’ve managed to disappoint anyway. Miami fans have to be hoping that Cam’s track record with successful QBs soon bears fruit with Trent Green.

What do you think? Hit us up in the comments and tell us whose seat is heating up and why.

Posted in San Francisco 49ers, Andy Reid, NFL Coaches, Trent Green, Cam Cameron, Wade Phillips, Mike Nolan, Norv Turner, Donovan McNabb, Dallas Cowboys, NFL Franchises/Teams, Miami Dolphins, Game, NFL Players, Tony Romo, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Terrell Owens, NFL | No Comments »

NFL Week 3 Instant Analysis Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

September 24th, 2007 5:34 am
by Pro Set

Dallas 34-10 Chicago

This game was not even close. Let’s look at how the Cowboys got the job done on both sides of the ball.

First, the Dallas O-Line did a great job in pass protection. Even though DAL gave up some holding penalties, the pocket that was created for QB Tony Romo was outstanding. The only way that Chicago could get pressure was by blitzing 2 linebackers straight up the middle. The stats show that MLB Brian Urlacher recorded 2 sacks, but many other times he and his mates were stoned by superior blocking. DT Tommie Harris did not look like a member of the opposing backfield, which is always the first step to victory.

Second, Tony Romo had a sensational night. I wrote in the preview that Romo was confident, and did he deliver or what. His effort was reminiscent of elite performances by top class passers against highly-rated defenses: such as this (BAL @ GB [2001]). Romo went 22-35 (329; 2 TD; INT) and those stats are a travesty. The INT was completely the fault of WR Patrick Crayton, who did not close his hands on a perfectly thrown ball in the first quarter. Romo was also denied a TD pass by Crayton, who dropped an even easier catch wide open on a stop route in the end zone in the 2nd quarter. With the ensuing FG blocked, DAL had nothing to show for a truly outstanding drive.

Third, the Cowboys were unbelievable on 3rd and long. My notes are covered with references to 3rd & 15 and worse. At one point in the first quarter DAL rushed for 7 yards on 1st & 10 only to have consecutive false start penalties and a rush for -2 yards bring up 3rd & 15 and the Romo pass was intercepted, as described above. WR Terrell Owens recovered from a couple of early drops to dominate the area between the hash marks and make great currency from crossing routes. Makes sure you catch the block laid by WR Sam Hurd on CHI S Adam Archuleta to spring Owens for a big gain on 3rd & 11 from the DAL 8 with 5:59 left in the 3rd quarter. Not to be too harsh, but Archuleta is a long-term liability wherever he plays. He can’t run, he can’t cover, and he lives off the one highlight play per season. He’s a poor player who is out of his depth against any decent passing team.

With Chicago struggling on offense, DAL knew that 24 points would give them a shot. And it was all about Romo. His passes were accurate. He got rid of the ball under pressure and kept his eyes up field. The consistent conversion of terrible down and distance scenarios was remarkable. This cannot happen every week, so DAL will have to cut down on penalties.

The Bears played just as I expected. They really tried to leverage the speed of WR Bernard Berrian. As DAL played off Berrian early, QB Rex Grossman, 15-32 (195; 0 TD; 3 INT) made good use of the hooks and curls to move the chains. As DAL then pressed Berrian, Grossman started working the slant. This brought up a major moment in the match. With the game tied at 3-3, and having just hit Berrian for a 1st down, CHI enjoyed 1st & 10 (at DAL 34) with 1:24 remaining in the first half. Berrian ran the slant and go, and DAL CB Anthony Henry took the bait. Grossman made the perfect throw, but Berrian dropped it cold.

Chicago got nothing from that drive and proceeded to offer little resistance in the second half. The defense got greedy, trying to strip the ball and make the big play instead of tackling. The Bears defense reminded me of Tampa Bay in the 2000 season. The defense knows that it is a dominant unit, but tries too hard sometimes to make up for the offensive ineptitude. This means that the fundamentally sound gap discipline and tackling form that makes a unit dominant is lost.

Despite an INT, a blocked FG return past midfield, and forcing endless 3rd & long situations, the Bears defence gave up and the frustration was palpable. It’s hard not to be sympathetic. Grossman made some awful throws, but the key one was when the Bears took over at their own 13 following a DAL FG that made it DAL 20-10 CHI. A slow, high throw to what looked like an out route was picked off by CB Anthony Henry and returned for the TD.

Overall, the Bears have real issues on offense. The players have clearly lost belief in Grossman at QB and that is critical. Defenders need to play with belief and emotion. At present that emotion is centered on joining the home crowd in jeering Grossman. As for DAL, they are smoking. I still have concerns about the DAL run defense but few opponents will have the luxury of pounding away at the DAL front seven if Romo puts 30+ points on the board.

Posted in Bernard Berrian, Tommie Harris, Week 3 Instant Analysis, Brian Urlacher, Adam Archuleta, Rex Grossman, Anthony Henry, Jason Witten, Analysis, Game, NFL Franchises/Teams, Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, NFL | No Comments »

NFL Week 3 Featured Preview: Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears

September 22nd, 2007 12:56 am
by Pro Set

Dallas (2-0) @ Chicago (1-1) 8:15pm ET on NBC

In a game with some hallmarks of the 2006 early season showdown when Seattle visited Chicago, the hottest team of the NFC, the Dallas Cowboys, comes to Soldier Field with a chance to improve to 3-0 and gain an important tiebreaker in the NFC.

Dallas has a balanced offense and a confident QB. All the confidence in the world, however, is useless unless the Cowboys can neutralize DT Tommie Harris. I wrote last week that G Leonard Davis needed to deliver, and the same holds true here. The whole DAL interior line must prevent the instantaneous penetration sought by the CHI defense. The quickness and anticipation that Harris brings is phenomenal. Obviously he plays the role that DT Warren Sapp played for Tampa Bay, where Lovie Smith used to coach. The disruption and closing speed that Harris displayed in Week 1 at San Diego reminded me of Sapp in his prime.

The Dallas running game will struggle if it is forced to try perimeter rushes. A genuine effort must be made to run at the heart of the CHI defense. DT Dusty Dvoracek is out for the season, although you would not know it from the official league depth chart) and DE Alex Brown will play on a bad ankle. DAL RB Julius Jones has played acceptably so far this season. I would like to see him attack the line of scrimmage more and carry tacklers forward. If he can’t get it done, the Cowboys must turn to RB Marion Barber. It is these yards on early downs that bring up 3rd & 5 or better and allow DAL to keep drives alive.

The DAL passing game will have to be sharp. Although ESPN breathlessly states that WR Terrell Owens is averaging 23 yards per reception, this ignores his recent tendency to drop passes. Look for DAL QB Tony Romo, who has been outstanding through 2 weeks, to focus on short drops. For DAL, quick hooks to TE Jason Witten and crossing routes and slants to Owens figure to be the best way to get safe production in the passing game. The strength of Romo is his ability to get rid of the ball. Against this turnover driven CHI defense, if his early reads are covered on short drops, he must be prepared to keep the ball. Romo has to avoid turnovers, and therefore put all the pressure on the CHI offense. Against CHI, to punt inside the 20 is to succeed.

When Chicago has the football, the Bears must protect it. Despite the fact that RB Cedric Benson rushed for over 100 yards last Sunday, CHI has not yet established a dominant ground game. This is their chance. DAL NT Jason Ferguson is out for the season and CHI will try to run the ball inside the tackles. Expect DAL to stack the box and use S Roy Williams as a virtual linebacker in order to force the Bears to throw the ball. Stuffing the run on first down will place huge pressure on QB Rex Grossman, who is under pressure from Bears fans.

Following the turnover-ridden defeat at San Diego, the Bears needed help from special teams to beat Kansas City. The Bears have produced only one 10+ play drive this season (15 plays; 79 yards; TD vs KC). In Week 1 against the Chargers, the Bears had one 8 play drive (27 yards), and a 6 play drive (35 yards).

With CHI unable to move the football with rhythm, expect the Bears to look for the big play early. DAL S Roy Williams struggles when the ball is in the air, allowing too many passes to get in behind him. WR Bernard Berrian is the big play threat, and look for Grossman to throw the deep sideline patterns where Berrian can take on CB Anthony Henry. CB Terence Newman is out again and the DAL secondary will be stretched. If the Cowboys try to prevent Berrian from getting deep, WR Muhsin Muhammed must keep the chains moving with safe hands.

If the Cowboys can contain CB Devin Hester on special teams, and avoid turnovers, the DAL defense can win this game for the Cowboys. The Bears will need Grossman to win over the home crowd and prevent the game from becoming a nationally televised meltdown. In an upset that could derail the Bears’ season, I like the Cowboys.

Prediction: DAL

Line: DAL

Posted in Anthony Henry, NFL Game Previews, Terence Newman, Jason Witten, Lovie Smith, Tommie Harris, Devin Hester, Muhsin Muhammed, Bernard Berrian, Julius Jones, Leonard Davis, NFL Players, NFL Franchises/Teams, Game, Tony Romo, Terrell Owens, NFL Coaches, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, NFL | No Comments »

Week 2 Instant Analysis

September 16th, 2007 10:00 pm
by Pro Set

Dallas 37-20 Miami

The final score was not indicative of the real struggle that occurred in this game. Miami opened the game with a solid rushing attack. Clearly the aim was to set up deep passing plays. QB Trent Green slightly under-threw WR Marty Booker on the left sideline fly route and CB Anthony Henry, using inside trail technique, was able to pick off the under-throw because he was allowing for safety help over the top. After this incident the Dolphins switched the emphasis in their passing game.

Dallas built a 10-3 lead with long, sustained drives that brought about evident tiredness in the Miami pursuit. It became clear that when either defense did not force a 3 & out or produce a takeaway, it would be hard to sustain consistent pass pressure and pursuit.

The MIA FG drive in the final two mins of the first half was a vindication for the changing focus of the MIA passing attack. Knowing that DAL would respect Chambers and Booker by defending over the top, the Dolphins ran plenty of intermediate curls and come backs that enabled them to move the ball. With S Roy Williams often nosing around the line, where he is best (more on that later), DAL seemed to have a consistent three deep shell on first down, with S Ken Hamlin playing centerfield, forcing the DAL corners to surrender large first down cushions, hence the deep curls. This is where CB Terence Newman was sorely missed.

DAL 10-6 MIA (halftime)

With MIA taking a 13-10 lead off the opening drive of the 3rd quarter, by again utilizing first down passing, DAL looked in trouble. This trouble increased when DAL was forced to punt, trailling 13-10 still. I thought that the most important series of the game was the one that followed the DAL punt. The Cowboys gave up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the punt coverage (player not immediately returning inbounds after being forced out). Having given up two straight scoring drives, the Cowboys held the Dolphins to a 3 & out.

Credit to the FOX commentators (Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston) for pre-emptively predicting peril for MIA when a penalty forced the Fish to re-punt the ball. From the moment that WR Patrick Crayton broke the first wave, the momentum swung.

DAL QB Tony Romo (14-29; 186yds; 2TD) took over the game completely. His pocket presence was outstanding. I said in the preview that Romo will get the ball off rather than take the sack, and on this drive we saw two consecutive examples. On 2nd & 8 from the MIA 14, Romo threw the ball off his back foot to Crayton, breaking towards the endzone on the reverse scramble drill, and drawing the pass interference penalty. Poor work from FOX here as Johnston failed to explain that, even though the penalized action was by MIA CB Travis Daniels in holding the jersey of Crayton, the fact that this occurrred after the pass was thrown caused the penalty to be assessed as pass interference. This is a significant benefit to the offense since PI gives a 1st down a the spot of the foul, whereas defensive holding is 5 yards from the previous spot and a 1st down. On the next play Romo was corralled and almost brought down by DT Vonnie Holliday on the play action fake, but threw the pass anyway just before his knees hit the ground. So always expect Romo to release the ball, but this will mean more fumbles and more deflected INT opportunities throughout the season. When it works, however, it looks talismanic.

With DAL having regained the lead (DAL 17-13 MIA) it was crucial for MIA to answer. With the DAL corners playing closer due the MIA intermediate passing attack as described above, the MIA offense sensibly looked for the quick separation patterns. The slant or skinny post is always the best, for it is hard for the CB, once the WR has inside position, to get between the receiver and the ball. So Trent Green attempted the skinny post to Chambers but he overthrew it and S Ken Hamlin, again coming over from deep centrefield, intercepted. DAL turned this takeaway into a FG that gave the Cowboys a touchdown lead.

With MIA on the ropes, Green needed to lead them on a solid drive. On the second play of the ensuing possession, a fumbled exchange from C to QB bled the belief from MIA. This was where the game was lost. MIA simply got too impatient and thought that they had cracked the DAL defence by their 1st down throwing.

DAL took the turnover in for for another FG, and again it was poor work by FOX that no-one mentioned that the ball went through off the upright. In the NFL, when the kickers usually kick from straight in front, it is very rare for a ball to strike the upright and go through. If you don’t believe me, ask Ryan Longwell, whose final seconds game winning FG attempt hit the upright and missed at DET today. The key to DAL getting in range on this drive was the use of WR Terrell Owens on a crossing route on 3rd & 7 that picked up 12 yards. In my opinion, Owens is best when he can get moving, take a relatively easy catch (he dropped several passes earlier in the game), and maximise the run after catch yardage.

The 10 point lead was never seriously threatened, and the Cowboys improved to 2-0, whilst the Dolphins remained winless.

DAL 37-20 MIA (final)

Overall, I though that Romo was superb, and although I fear that he will have multiple turnover games not infrequently, he showed today that when he’s on, it translates into wins. Don’t be seduced by the big rushing number of DAL, a lot of it was garbage time all or nothing plays (where the first line of defense is the only line). DAL would be well advised to note the ease with which MIA moved the ball and the fact that the edge pass rush was very quiet.

Miami showed flashes of offensive life, but cannot rely on the pass to the extent that became evident today. Also obvious is that 5 turnovers (4 INT) will not bring many wins, despite what Detroit fans might think. New C Samson Satele looks strong and does have long hair, but his poor snap caused the 3rd quarter lost fumble on the exchange, and that C-QB relationship (the most important in football, since it happens every play) must develop quickly. I did not think that Tim Ruddy would get a mention, but the Dolphins could have used him today. The bright spot for MIA is that Chambers and Booker remain a potent combination, although I am sure that Trent Green misses the central Kansas City target of TE Tony Gonzalez, since MIA TE David Martin is not a major threat. MIA can recover more easily than any other 0-2 team, since both losses were inter-conference.

Posted in Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Ken Hamlin, Marty Booker, Anthony Henry, Patrick Crayton, Travis Daniels, Ryan Longwell, David Martin, Tony Gonzalez, Tim Ruddy, Samson Satele, Week 2 Instant Analysis, NFL on FOX, Terrell Owens, Kansas City Chiefs, Tony Romo, NFL on television, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Vonnie Holliday, Chris Chambers, Terence Newman, Roy Williams (DAL), Trent Green, NFL | No Comments »

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