Get Ready for RGIII Twice a Year

It looks like the Washington Redskins have made a deal to move up to the #2 position in this year's NFL draft. And it appears to be a certainty that Andrew Luck will go #1 to the Colts and Robert Griffith III will be going to the Redskins.

Is this something we should be worried about? It is hard to tell but the guy is certainly a phenomenal athlete. He is going to be a tough guy to defend since he is such a fast runner.

The good news is that the Cowboys have been exposed to this type of quarterback for a couple of years now with Michael Vick starting for the Eagles. I'm not saying RGIII is the next Michael Vick but he certainly appears to have that potential.

If nothing else it will make the games against the Redskins entertaining. I don't know that the Cowboys currently have the defense to deal with guys like Vick and RGIII but at least Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett know heading into free agency what they need to focus on with their defense.

The thing I like the best about the Redskins moving up in the draft to get RGIII is how much they gave up to move up just 4 spots in the draft. It sounds like the Rams and Redskins swapped first round picks this year and the Rams get 2 future 1st round picks and additional picks. That is a steep price to pay to move up just a few spots in the draft. They may have landed RGIII but he better be a freakishly good player because they have handcuffed themselves in the draft for the next few years.

Cowboys Need a Better Start This Time Around

When the Cowboys and Eagles played earlier this season the game got out of hand very quickly. And that basically took the offense out of their game plan. The defense was scrambling to adjust to the onslaught of the Eagle offense. And by the time things settled down the game was long gone.

Their were obviously some tactical errors in Rob Ryan's game plan defensively. He left the middle of the field exposed and the Eagles attacked the middle with ease. LeSean McCoy ran wild all game long. And what is scary is that I'm not sure that the defense is any better now than they were in that game. But I am sure that the game plan will be different this time around. Ryan was aggressive early in the game with blitzes but the Eagles called the perfect plays every time to burn the blitz and that made Ryan go into a conservative shell defense which the Eagles then shredded to pieces. I expect a better mix from Ryan this time around.

The most important thing to help the Cowboys this time around will be a good start by the offense. Last time they got out of the gate slowly and Martellus Bennett tipped up a well thrown ball by Romo right to the defense for an interception. And by the time the game settled down the Cowboys were so far behind that running the ball was out of the question. The Cowboys will need long, methodical drives in this game to control the ball and the time of possession.

The defense isn't good enough to have to defend Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy over and over and over. The offense can limit the opportunities that any of those players get by keeping the ball away from them. That means that the Cowboys need to be able to run the ball and convert third downs.

I really hope that the Cowboys are being honest when they say that they are just being conservative with Felix Jones and his tight hamstring. Sammy Morris looked good last week but I wouldn't want the Cowboys to depend on him for 20+ carries. Felix Jones needs to be the primary ball carrier because he is more explosive and he is in far better football shape than Morris.

This game can go one of two ways. It is either going to seem like a playoff game if the Giants lose or it will almost be meaningless if the Giants win (unless Atlanta loses out but the have Tampa Bay in their final game). The Cowboys can clinch the NFC East with a Giants loss and a win on Saturday. It would be awfully nice for some of the banged up players to get some rest in the final game of the week with a playoff game clinched. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the Giants will find a way to beat the Jets and make the season finale essentially a playoff game.

I have no idea what to expect going into this game. I am sure that the Eagles aren't going to steamroll the Cowboys like they did the last time. But I don't see the Cowboys blowing out the Eagles either. I think the game will come down to the fourth quarter as usual. The good news there is the the Eagles have been a horrible 4th quarter team this year in close games. I'm not saying the Cowboys have been great in the 4th quarter but they have certainly been better than the Eagles.

It is hard to predict a score for this game without knowing what happens in the Giants-Jets game earlier on Saturday. But I am going to assume that the Cowboys will be playing everyone for the entire game. I think it will be tight but I think the Cowboys will find a way to get it done. I'm picking the Cowboys to win 27-25. Whether that win actually means anything will be the bigger story.

Looking for Meaning in a Meaningless Game

When the Eagles lost to the Vikings on Tuesday night the season finale between Dallas and Philadelphia essentially became a meaningless game. Philadelphia is locked into the #3 seed in the NFC no matter the outcome of their game with the Cowboys on Sunday. Think back to the season finale a year ago and you can see just how far the Cowboys have fallen in 12 months. So what is left to watch for on Sunday?

First and most importantly in my mind is how the Cowboys approach the game. I'm talking about attitude and focus. The focus should have already started now if Jason Garrett is doing his job. But you can always tell how a team has prepared throughout the week by how they perform on the field. If the Cowboys come out fired up and scratch and claw for four quarters like they have for the last seven games then you know that Jason Garrett found a way to motivate his team for a glorified pre-season game.

Although I still believe that Jerry Jones has already decided to keep Jason Garrett permanently Garrett needs to keep the team playing hard and focused to win over his critics. And there are still a lot of them. It would be hard to argue with a 5-3 finish down the stretch with a team with nothing to play for facing what was probably the most difficult schedule in the NFL.

Stephen McGee will get his shot to prove that the Cardinal game was no fluke. The Cowboys really need to know if McGee can be a long term answer at backup quarterback. I'm sure he will still be given a scaled back game plan but he still needs to play within himself and execute the plays he is given.

Jason Witten has a shot at 100 receptions on the year. I know the old saying is statistics are for losers. Well, the Cowboys are losers this year. So I am worried about statistics. 100 receptions for a tight end is a rare feat. With 10 catches on Sunday Witten will reach that mile stone. I would love to see him add that item to his ever-growing hall of fame resume.

You might be watching several players for the last time in a Cowboys uniform. I mean guys like Marion Barber, Leonard Davis, Roy Williams, Alan Ball, Gerald Sensabaugh, David Beuhler, and several others. I'm not saying that none of these players will be back next year. Many of them will be here in 2011. But you can be sure that at least a few of them won't be on the roster next season.

I would like to say I want to see improvement from the defense but is there really a reason for that at this point in the season? We all know there will be new players and probably a new 3-4 philosophy next season so it is hard to get excited for the defense. But you still have to hope for a solid performance by the defense because the Cowboys have no chance if Vick plays the whole game and the defense lays down.

I really hope DeSean Jackson doesn't sit out the game. I would love to see someone on the defense or the punt coverage team light him up. Jackson's antics have crossed the line on multiple occasions in his short career. Maybe someone can finally put him in his place.

There is a good chance the Eagles will be sitting a lot of their key players or at least limiting the playing time of their starters. I don't expect the Cowboys to follow suit. If the Eagles roll out a team of backups then a loss would be an embarrassment for the Cowboys. But I just can't see the Cowboys laying down now that Jason Garrett is in command.

When all is said and done I expect the Cowboys to win. Not because I believe they are the better team. I think they'll win because the Eagles are going to be shutting it down at some point in the game. The playing time for most of the Eagles key starters will be limited at best. And many of the Cowboys are playing for their spot on the team next season. I predict a 24-14 victory for the Cowboys.

Observations from the Sunday Night Game

- Michael Vick is very tough to defend. But I think the Cowboys did a decent job containing him. Unfortunately the secondary had three big break downs in coverage against DeSean Jackson and it cost them the game. But I loved the way the pass rushers were getting after Vick and delivering some punishment to him when they got there.

- Jon Kitna has performed excellent for a backup quarterback but the offense really needed Romo last night. I have been noticing for several weeks that Kitna has several holes in his game that are now starting to get exposed. He was allowing the Philadelphia defense to dictate the plays last night by checking down to the safety valve nearly every time they sent the blitz. You have to give your guys a shot down the field when they are one on one or the defense will feel safe to crowd the line and send extra rushers all game long. And as soon as Kitna is on the move you know it is pretty much a dead play if he throws on the run. Romo makes his biggest plays when he is on the move.

- I don't know why it keeps happening but Kitna must get 3 or 4 passes batted down every game. Either he isn't finding the windows to throw through like he should be or he is the unluckiest guy in the world.

- Kitna has to be one of the worst quarterbacks I have ever seen running the two minute offense. The poor clock management in the two minute drill has cost the Cowboys in the last two games. It seems as though part of the reason they are working so slow is due to the game plan of Jason Garrett. Maybe he doesn't trust Kitna to run the two minute offense like he does Romo.

- I don't want to sound like I am blaming the whole game on Kitna. I am not. He has been better than you could ever hope for your backup quarterback to play. But the people who are actually making the comments about Kitna being better than Romo need a reality check.

- I know I am biased, but Jason Witten is by far the best tight end in the NFL. Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates are great receivers but Witten is a leader, is a very good blocker and is also a great receiver. It has gone largely unnoticed, but Witten has really become a vocal leader on the sidelines this season.

- I like the way the team fights but close losses are no longer good enough. I know the Cowboys are playing without their best two offensive players but you have to win the game when you are close in the 4th quarter if you want to be a good team. The defense and the offense both broke down last night at a crucial point in the game. DeSean Jackson had the 91 yard touchdown and Kitna followed that up with an interception on a bad read on his part.

- David Buehler might actually be improving. He still ranks near the bottom of the league in field goal percentage, but the last two games have been very good. Maybe the game winner he hit in overtime against the Colts will be the spark he needed to gain confidence and consistency.

- The Cowboys still have major problems on the offensive line. The running game was awful last night which resulted in a lot of third and long situations. I don't know why the line has so much trouble opening up running lanes but the line clearly needs to be fixed in the offseason.

- DeSean Jackson is a complete idiot. The falling backwards into the endzone was completely classless but I really expect it from him at this point. What was more ridiculous was his behavior during the post game interview on NBC. And I thought Martellus Bennett was bad. DeSean Jackson redefines the word immature for me.

- The whole Tashard Choice getting Michael Vick's autograph is being completely overblown. I don't know why anyone would want to get the autograph of a guy like Vick. We're talking about a guy who flipped off his home crowd in Atlanta, got caught with marijuana at the airport, was involved in dogfighting and brutally killing dogs, and was such a class act after getting out of prison that he was in the middle of a shooting investigation because he can't stop hanging around the crowd that got him in trouble to begin with. And now we are all supposed to forgive and forget and move on? Sorry but I can't. I can't for the life of me understand how Tashard Choice would want his nephew to use Michael Vick as a role model. Get the kid Demarcus Ware's autograph. Get him Jason Witten's autograph. But a guy like Vick? I will never understand that one. But asking the guy for an autograph is fine if you really think that on the field after the game is the time and place to get it.

How the Cowboys Can Stop Vick

With the Eagles coming to town Sunday night the Cowboys will have their work cut out for them this week. Last year the Cowboys dominated the Eagles and were able to shut down the Eagle offensive attack with ease. But it will be much more difficult this year now that Vick has reverted to his pre-prison form. The task on Sunday night will be to contain Michael Vick.

So the big puzzle the Cowboys will have to solve is how to deal with the unique skill set that Vick brings to the quarterback position. They can't sit back in their zone coverage like they have been regularly over the last few weeks or Vick is going to beat them running or throwing the ball deep because he'll have time to wait for his speedy receivers to get behind the defense. They can't blitz every down or Vick will kill them with his legs if the blitzers don't come up with the sack. And blitzing typically leaves your secondary at a disadvantage if you can't get to the quarterback and disrupt his passes.

So what should the Cowboys do to stop Vick? I think defenses have started to show the Cowboys a winning game plan over the last few weeks. There are several things that have to be done on defense to slow down the Eagle attack.

1. Get pressure on the quarterback without sending extra defenders. I'm not just talking about Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer here either. It is important to get pressure on the quarterback from all angles with Vick so he doesn't have room to escape and run wild. So Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Igor Olshansky and Stephen Bowen all need to put pressure on Vick on a regular basis.

2. Force Vick to scramble to his right. When Vick rolls to his left he can still throw with great accuracy. But when he has to move to the right he is forced to throw across his body and his poor fundamentals get exposed. That means it is vitally important that Demarcus Ware does not lose contain on his rush.

3. Don't let Jeremy Maclin or DeSean Jackson get open deep. Vick has a tendency to wait for the big play to develop even when there are receivers open underneath. As long as the secondary can protect against the deep ball it will keep Vick waiting in the pocket and give the pass rush a better shot at a sack.

4. Don't let the Eagle running game become a factor. You can successfully stop Vick if the entire defense is able to focus on just Vick. But if the Eagles run the ball successfully the defensive line and outside linebackers suddenly have to worry about the run first so Vick will have more time to slice up the defense.

5. Allow Sean Lee to spy Vick in some situations. I don't think you can use a defender on every play to focus only on Vick. But in situations where you know Vick is likely to run it would be a wise move to devote a defender to spying Vick. When the Cowboys beat the Falcons in 2006 with Vick at quarterback Bobby Carpenter was able to contain Vick's running because he was able to just focus on Vick. I believe Sean Lee is faster and more athletic than Carpenter so he could be successful in the same role on the defense. Carpenter came up with one and a half sacks in the spy role and we all know that Lee is a far superior player to what Carpenter will ever be.

This is going to be a tough game for the Cowboys even if they can minimize the damage that Vick does in the game. Losing Dez Bryant changes a lot of things on the offensive side of the ball because defenses were committing extra defenders to Dez. The offense will need to run the ball consistently and score some points because the Eagles will score even if the defense plays well throughout the game.

I don't have the best feeling about this game based on the way the defense has been struggling this year. But the Cowboys are rolling now so I can't pick against them. I think the game will be a hard fought battle but I am picking the Cowboys to win 28-24.

Just Say No to Michael Vick

It was just announced about an hour ago that Michael Vick will be conditionally reinstated to the NFL. He is currently a free agent so he is free to sign with the highest bidder. Jerry Jones has stated on the record several times that the Cowboys will not be signing Michael Vick.

I bring up the issue because I know the "bring Vick to Dallas" comments are already piling up. I don't want that guy on my team now or ever. Look at the picture to the right and tell me he isn't such a bad guy. Those are Falcon fans he flipping off. I doubt he could handle the scrutiny he would face as a Dallas Cowboy. The Cowboys just spent an offseason eliminating distractions and he would be the ultimate distraction coming off of his suspension. Jerry Jones, please don't do something stupid!

Some Random Thoughts

Is Joe DeCamillis the right man to lead the special teams or what? How can you not follow a guy who is back on the field coaching less than two weeks after surgery to fuse vertebrae due to a broken neck? I am impressed to say the least. I have to believe the players are sold on Coach D and will follow him anywhere now.

Keith Davis is officially gone. I don't know if the Cowboys passed or he just moved on, but he is now with the Oakland Raiders. Once the Cowboys made it apparent through their draft picks that they were revamping the special teams it started to feel like this was going to happen. I'll miss Keith Davis and I think the Cowboys will have to hope to find someone to step up to be the leader on special teams. Maybe Joe DeCamillis is such a strong personality that the leadership of Keith Davis is no longer needed. Time will tell.

Another surgery for Isaiah Stanback? The Cowboys don't have any more time to wait for him to develop. This was supposed to be the year that he finally stepped up and showed us all that he could be an NFL receiver. He better make it back in time for training camp. Even if he does he is going to have to show something special to make the final roster. I guess he is just one of those guys who just can't stay healthy. Stanback's speed and exposiveness are apparent when he is actually healthy enough to get on the field but he just hasn't done enough to make the team keep waiting on him any longer.

I have said this many, many times already but here we go again. A few positive remarks about Kitna from some of the writers who went to the first OTA practice and now the Kitna lovers are back. If you really believe that he will replace Romo as the starter you are absolutely crazy. The only way Kitna ever starts is if Romo is injured. And Romo's job is safe if he is out for a few games regardless of Kitna's performance. I don't know why some people can't go look at some of the numbers that Romo has put up and realize that he is a very good quarterback. And Jerry Jones didn't give him $60+ million to watch Kitna run the offense.

Don't even get me started on Michael Vick. He will not play for the Cowboys. And I would never want him on my team no matter how many people speak up for him. Tony Dungy making the whole "he didn't have a father figure" excuse for him makes me sick. A lot of people grow up without a father and they don't run gambling rings, smoke weed and get caught while waiting for trial, and mutilate and kill animals with their bare hands. Something is not right with Michael Vick. To me he is just like Pacman...rotten to the core. Spare me the "bring Vick to Dallas" garbage. (And I even left out the airport "water bottle" incident, lying to the NFL commissioner's face and his owner's face about the dog fighting, flipping off his fans, and the Ron Mexico fiasco.)