Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Odds and Ends

I find it to be really tiresome to keep hearing the second guessing of the late game play calling of Jason Garrett. Garrett was crucified for calling a pass play at the end of the Lions game with the Cowboys clinging to a 6 point lead. The call led to a Romo interception and, eventually, a loss. So this time he tries to go more conservative and put the game in the hands of his defense who had limited the Patriots to just 13 points prior to their last drive. And, since the Cowboys lost, he is called an idiot again. The reality is that if they had won either or both games with the exact same play calling sequence we wouldn't be hearing a peep about it. Maybe he should have been more aggressive with trying to keep the ball away from Brady but his conservative approach is understandable considering what when down against Detroit.

Jerry Jones really needs to learn how to filter his comments to the media. He went out a second guessed Garrett's conservative calls late in the Patriots game to several reporters. It doesn't matter how he phrased it or what he really meant. The media is going to take any sound bite they can get and run with it. Jerry has every right to question his head coach but he needs to do it face to face and leave the media out of it.

I was very surprised to see that Dwayne Harris was cut today to make room for another offensive lineman since Bill Nagy was lost for the season with a broken ankle. Hopefully he will clear waivers and make it to the practice squad. He seems to have a lot of potential long term and I would hate to see him go flourish somewhere else in a slot receiver role like Danny Amendola with the Rams. I'm curious to see how the punt return duties will shake out now that the primary punt returner is gone.

Felix Jones is out for 2-4 weeks with an ankle sprain. It certainly isn't a devastating injury but it does hurt the offense. Demarco Murray did a good job filling in on Sunday but he lacks the explosiveness that Felix Jones gives the offense. Felix's injury probably saved Tashard Choice from being traded prior to the trade deadline.

The Cowboys are extremely fortunate that no team is running away with the NFC East this year. Normally a 2-3 record would mean you were in a very deep hole but the Cowboys are still very much in the mix in the NFC East. I think the Eagles and the Cowboys will end up being the top 2 teams in the division by the end of the season.

You certainly can't call the Rams game a trap game this week. Sure, the Cowboys are expected to not only beat the Rams but to do it in convincing fashion especially now that it looks like Sam Bradford will miss the game. I just don't think you can have a trap game when you are 2-3. Trap games are reserved for teams that have been winning games and can afford to take an opponent lightly. That isn't the Cowboys.

I don't want to be negative about the Cowboys but it is time for them to start winning these close games down the stretch. It is great to be competitive in every game against even the top levels of competition. But that becomes meaningless if you can't start coming away with victories in those situations.

2 comments:

  1. There is a difference in being conservative with a 24 point lead and there is a different in being aggressive holding a 3 point lead knowing that if you give Brady 2 minutes, he will score and win the game.

    Not to mention the fact that we are going to try a shovel pass on 3rd and goal when we have 3 receivers (Austin, Bryant, Witten) who are more than capable to score, let alone Bryant who was covered with a single cornerback. Nevermind the fact that the Cowboys can't run if their life depended on it and while Garrett is being conservative toward the end, New England knew this a stacked the box with run stoppers, but yet, we run anyway and only run off less than one minute of game clock.

    Talk about stupid play calling. Jason Garrett is a hack of an OC. He has had 5 years to get things right and with the talent this team has had these past 5 years, he should be reveling in wins...but yet his record is not that good. Why? Because he can't game plan at all.

    Want to see a real coach do a good job? Look no further than Rob Ryan. Rob Ryan came in on a work stoppage season. Didn't even get to see his players until shortly before the preseason, has installed a pretty aggressive defense, and look at them. top defense in the league? Thats how you do it.

    Jason should've been fired with Wade.

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  2. "The reality is that if they had won either or both games with the exact same play calling sequence we wouldn't be hearing a peep about it."

    But the reality is that they lost both of the games. And should have won both of the games. It was the wrong play calling in both games, plain and simple, and that's what cost us the games. I'm doubting they can get the job done with Garrett. But I still place some of the blame on Romo. Just not seeing the improvement you would expect from someone of his caliber. Other quarterbacks have passed him by. I used to think he was an elite quarterback but as time passes, I don't think he is.

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