Observations from the San Diego Game

Jason Hatcher got the start at defensive end. I wonder if that means anything. I don't think Bowen or Hatcher have done anything that would force the coaches to make a change in the starting lineup when Spears gets back.

Alan Ball made a good open field tackle on Darren Sproles on a screen pass. I would have been more impressed if the tackle didn't come after a 20 yard gain.

The first team defense didn't look great on the opening drive. The Chargers were able to run and pass all the way down the field. But Terence Newman made a great play to undercut and intercept an out route in the red zone. Hopefully the turnover is a sign of things to come from the defense this year.

The first series from the offense ended in an interception. Romo forced a bad pass with a free rusher in his face. Romo and Roy Williams missed another easy connection on the drive as well. Brewster and Holland both seemed to do a decent job on the opening drive.

Gerald Sensabaugh appeared to injure his left shoulder on the defense's second series. Barry Church stepped in for him. Keith Brooking did a good job (illegal contact?) covering Antonio Gates on a third down play. Barry Church made a nice goal line tackle on the drive. Philip Rivers finished the drive with a touchdown on a quarterback sneak and then ran his mouth as usual after the play.

The first team offense was very sloppy on their second drive. They look like a unit with a bunch of backup players trying to keep the offense afloat. Romo was heavily pressured on every pass.

Sean Lee got extended playing time because Keith Brooking banged up his shoulder and was taken out of the game as a precaution. Lee made two tackles in three plays on a three and out forced by the defense. Lee had a pretty good game for his first preseason appearance. He is going to be a starter for a long time if his knees hold up.

Doug Free made a great lead block on a toss left to Marion Barber. Unfortunately the drive ended on a dropped pass by Miles Austin. Once again, the first team offense just didn't look good.

Barry Church, filling in for the injured Sensabaugh, picked up a fumble and nearly scored. Tony Romo connected with Miles Austin a few plays later to end the offense's preseason touchdown drought.

Brewster earned a lot of respect tonight. He did a decent job with the starters at right tackle and then shifted to left tackle in the second half. He might be developing into a real NFL player right before our eyes. When I first saw Brewster play I thought he fit better at guard but he looked a lot more comfortable against San Diego.

Martellus Bennett reminded everyone why he had some much excitement surrounding him last year in the preseason. He made several nice plays including a great catch for a touchdown. And, more importantly, I didn't see any plays all night where he had to be told where to line up.

Owusu-Ansah had a 45 yard punt return called back for a block in the back, but his burst and vision was impressive on the return. He had a fumble on a kick return earlier in the game so ball security is an issue. But I'm excited about his potential.

What to Watch for Against the Chargers

It feels like a long time ago that the Cowboys played the Raiders. There hasn't been much news out of training camp recently outside of the injuries to Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier. Now that we are getting to the meat of the preseason schedule we have reached the point that the starters get a lot of playing time. This is what I will be watching for:

1. Can the offensive line hold up with two starters out? Like I have said before, in some ways it is a good thing to have some starters out for the preseason. The coaches are forced to get Montrae Holland and probably Robert Brewster some meaningful playing time with the first unit. I'm pretty confident that Holland can get the job done but Brewster is a big question mark.

2. Assuming Romo gets some protection, can the offense finally find a good rhythm and score a touchdown? It sounds like the offense really found their groove in practice this week but until they score points in a game there are going to be questions.

3. Is David Buehler going to keep it up? He has been solid so far in the preseason games, but he needs to keep improving heading into the season.

4. Is Stephen Bowen good enough to start when Spears finally gets healthy. Bowen has looked pretty good so far but he still needs to prove he can stuff the run like Spears can do.

5. Who is going to win the #4 cornerback job? There are a lot of young guys vying for the job. Whoever makes the most plays will win the battle but right now it is too close to call.

6. What can Akwasi Owusu-Ansah do at the NFL level? He missed the first two preseason games but he'll be playing on Saturday. I'm excited to see what he can do in the return game.

7. Does Martellus Bennett have his head screwed on straight? He has been lighting it up in practice but I still need to see him prove he knows the play book. I'd like to see him get lined up every play without help from Romo or anyone else on the field.

8. Will Kevin Ogletree snap out of his slump? He looked so good in his limited action last year I think everyone expected him to challenge for more playing time this season. So far his play has been flat and uninspired in the first two preseason games.

9. Will the linebackers impress again? Last week it looked like the Cowboys were stacked across the board at the four linebacker spots. Having too many good linebackers is a good problem to have. I hope they look good again this week.

Keeping A Positive Outlook

The training camp injuries just continue to mount. Kyle Kosier was the second starting offensive lineman to go down today. Preliminary reports are estimating he will be out 4-6 weeks with a sprained MCL which puts his availability for the season opener in question. MCL's are tricky, but I will actually be surprised if they don't get Kosier out there for the opener wearing a knee brace. Time will tell, but again, at least it wasn't a season ending injury.

It is easy to feel like the Cowboys are snake bitten this preseason, but I'm trying to look at the other side of the coin. Offensive line depth has been a major concern all offseason. Now the backups will get extended playing time in the remaining preseason games. It will help guys like Robert Brewster, Travis Bright, and Sam Young to get more live game action.

To prove my point about getting the young guys more time on the field all we have to do is look back to last season. When Marc Colombo went down with his injury it appeared the Cowboys were in deep trouble at right tackle. But Doug Free stepped in a played so well that the offense didn't miss a beat. And he was so impressive that it gave the Cowboys enough confidence in him that they cut Flozell Adams in the offseason and handed Free the starting left tackle job.

Coaches have a tendency to go with the guys they know. It is tough to break into the league when you aren't a big name college player. But now the young offensive linemen on the roster get a real shot to show what they can do against tougher competition. In the end it makes the backups that much better because they will have more experience and confidence.

Of course we do have to hope that one of the players filling in doesn't mess up so badly that they get someone hurt. But I'm sure guys like Romo and Felix Jones will have such limited playing time that we won't have to worry for too long on Saturday against San Diego. Next week and maybe even this week Alex Barron should be back to play right tackle so that should help the offense while Colombo recovers. And Montrae Holland has done a decent job in his limited playing time with the starters a couple of seasons ago.

Another Injury Scare

The Cowboys dodged a major bullet yesterday with the Marc Colombo injury. He is out 2-4 weeks and will have to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. But it could have been much worse. Colombo got his knee rolled up on during team drills in practice and had to be carted off the field. For a short time it appeared he might be out long term. I don't think there is anyone on the roster behind Colombo that we want to count on long term at right tackle.

And in the same practice there was a scare with Jason Witten. He also had his legs rolled into during team drills and stayed down for a few seconds. Luckily he was ok, but it just shows how quickly things can go wrong during the preseason.

I find myself watching the preseason games and just hoping no one gets hurt. When Romo decides to run the preseason I shout "Get Down!" or "Slide!" every time he runs. My worst fear is that he will be injured before the season even really gets started. I feel like a worrywart during the games but we all know what would happen to the season if Romo went down with a serious injury.

Sure, it is fun to watch when the offense is clicking and the defense is shutting down the opposition. But in the end we all know the final score doesn't mean anything in the preseason anyway. I'm just relieved when the starters get off the field without a major injury.

Practice injuries are going to happen but we have to hope that the severity of the injuries continues to be minor. Dez Bryant was hurt pretty badly but if he is back for the season opener then I think the Cowboys will feel pretty lucky about his injury.

For the most part the Cowboys have been pretty fortunate with injuries. There have been a lot of players injured but nearly all of them are short term injuries. If the worst injury that happens this preseason is John Phillips I'll consider the Cowboys lucky. But there are several weeks to go before we can breathe easy heading into the season with the starting players on both sides of the ball healthy. I'll continue to cross my fingers, knock on wood and perform any other superstitious ritual I can think of until the start of the regular season arrives.

Training Camp Thoughts - 8/14/10

I just saw that Martellus Bennett still isn't practicing in Oxnard today. I know it is better to be cautious with injuries in the preseason but this injury to Marty B. is really dragging on. Now that there are really only two legitimate tight ends on the roster it is going to be imperative that Martellus is on top of his game all year. He needs the practice reps so I hope he is back soon. But at the same time I also understand that aggravating the injury could be devastating since there is no depth left at tight end. It seems like the severity of Bennett's ankle injury was downplayed too much heading into camp.

Dez Bryant is out of his walking boot and has started rehabbing off to the side during practice. That is great news. My feelings towards his injury are a little different than Marty B.'s. The Cowboys have plenty of depth at wide receiver and Dez is just the icing on the cake for an already potent offense. I'd like to see the Cowboys bring him along slowly and safely so he doesn't risk re-injuring his ankle.

The starting defense has looked really good so far in the two preseason games. My worries for the defense are free safety and defensive tackle depth. I know Alan Ball has done a decent job so far but he hasn't been forced to do much yet. I want to see him hit someone and be forced to make a play down the field in the passing game before I'll feel comfortable. Junior Siavii is probably going to be the backup defensive tackle again but he sometimes gets manhandled against the run.

Roy Williams should be working against press coverage during camp. He couldn't get off the ball on Thursday and that scares me. He really has a hard time getting separation from his defender.

I feel pretty good about Doug Free at this point. Working against Demarcus Ware in practice has to help. There was some criticism of the offensive line after the Raider game on Thursday, but they did a decent job. The pass protection problems seemed to be more of a result of problems with the receivers and quarterback than the offensive line. But I still don't understand how they don't seem to dominate the line of scrimmage in the running game like you would expect a line so massive to do.

David Buehler still has a long way to go to prove himself but he looked a lot better on Thursday. I think he should be working on longer field goals during practice because that seems to be where he hasn't quite figured it out yet. The 42 yarder against the Raiders was perfect but I think the team needs to be able to depend on him from 45-50 yards as well. With his leg power there is no reason he shouldn't be able to make long field goals consistently. I like that they make him kick in live drills in practice but I think they need to increase the distances.

The offense still should be working on their red zone production. Tony Romo mentioned that they aren't really calling their red zone plays during the preseason games, but I'm not sure they shouldn't. It would be nice if the starting offense could get in the habit of scoring touchdowns heading into the regular season. More than the lack of execution in the red zone what worries me are the stupid penalties down there. That seems to be the biggest red zone battle the offense faces.

Observations from the Raider Game

The starting defense looks ready for the regular season. Terence Newman nearly intercepted a pass on the first play of the game. Bradie James and Keith Brooking were both flying around the field.

I really tried to focus on Alan Ball but he is usually lined up so far off the ball that he isn't on the screen during the play. I want to really see what he can do but I feel like I might need to be at the game in order to see what he is doing down the field.

The first team offense still needs work. Once again they drove right down the field only to fall apart in the red zone. They got Jason Witten, Miles Austin, Felix Jones, and Marion Barber all involved on the first drive but Romo was sacked two out of three plays after they reached the Raider 16 yard line. Roy Williams was really struggling with the tight bump and run coverage the Raiders gave him. The second drive by the starters ended in a punt with a slant to Austin being the only highlight. The starting offense definitely has not found their regular season form yet.

I loved the creativity of Jason Garrett to use an extra tackle on offense instead of throwing out a random street free agent tight end with the starting offense. Pat McQuistan was basically the #2 tight end with Marty B. still rehabbing his ankle.

David Buehler took advantage of the bad red zone offense by nailing a 42 yard field goal right down the middle. His first field goal looked better than any of his kicks last week. His second field goal was from 27 yards and was no problem. He made another from 28 yards right down the middle in the 4th quarter.

Bryan McCann made a great play on a deep ball at cornerback. He is going to make the team if he can keep it up for a few more weeks. McCann also returned a couple of punts. One of the returns went about 25 yards. The Cowboys might have found something in McCann.

Junior Siavii made a great play on a bull rush to get a sack. He'll probably be the backup defensive tackle again this season. There really isn't anyone else on the roster with a any shot of taking his spot.

Doug Free gave up a sack but it was more due to Kitna holding the ball too long than anything else. Free played pretty well overall again.

Matt McBriar kicked a ball nearly 80 yards in the air out of the end zone. That was probably the longest punt in the air I have ever seen in my life. He kicked it from the back of the end zone to the 30 on the other side of the field. And it was in Cowboys Stadium with the roof closed so it wasn't like he had help from the wind.

The second team defense was really soft up the middle against the run. They were matched up against the Raiders starting offense but they were getting blown off the ball up the middle. They did stiffen up once the Raiders put in their #2 defense. Jason Williams really looks like an improved player in his second season.

Jon Kitna really does not have good pocket presence. He takes a lot of unnecessary hits because he doesn't seem to feel the pass rush around him. It appears he could step up or sidestep on most plays to avoid the rush.

Tashard Choice looked very good with the second team offense. He is good enough to get on the field more than he does. The Cowboys are stacked at running back which is kind of sad for Tashard because he deserves more playing time than the Cowboys can give him. It is nice to know that he can step up if Felix Jones or Marion Barber go down.

It seems like Kevin Ogletree plays to the level of the guys around him. He had two passes knocked out of his hands that he probably should have come down with. I have a feeling he would have made the catches if it was a real game.

I'm starting to think that Stephen McGee doesn't have what it takes at the NFL level. I wish they would give him a little time with the second team offense so we could really judge his ability. McGee seems to have a hard time pulling the trigger when the patterns are down the field. I think his favorite pass is the check down to the running back.

Robert Brewster needs to be moved to guard. He looks like a guard and he doesn't appear to be quick enough to handle the duties of tackle. Maybe he is still rusty from his off year but I'll be surprised if he isn't move inside in the next year or two.

What to Watch for Against the Raiders

With such a quick turnaround between Sunday's game against the Bengals and Thursday's game against the Raiders the Cowboys are going to struggle to overcome some injury issues on the roster. Of course I am primarily talking about tight end and cornerback, but I'm sure a lot of players will be dealing with minor bumps and bruises heading into the game. Fortunately the majority of the starters didn't see much action against the Bengals so they should be fresh for the game on Thursday. Here is what I will be watching for:

1. Can the first team offense score touchdowns in the red zone? Sunday was concerning because we saw the exact same problem that plagued the offense last year. They moved right down the field only to stall in the red zone. Wade Phillips mentioned that they wanted to work on some passing down there but I think it is important to establish the physicality of the running game. The offense needs to have the attitude that they will cram the ball down the opponent's throat in short yardage situations. I'd like to see Jason Garrett establish the running game down there this week.

2. Was Doug Free's performance a sign of things to come? He looked great against the Bengals but he needs to play like that every week. I'll be watching him closely until he dominates a big name player in the regular season.

3. Was David Buehler nervous or is he going to be squeaking them through all the time? Against the Bengals it seemed that the longer the field goal the more he pulled the kick to the left. I hope he can straighten it out or the Cowboys will need to find a kicker fast.

4. Will Sean Lee get on the field? I want to see what he can do. Jason Williams looked a lot more comfortable and confident last week than he ever did last year. But Lee is the guy that most people are expecting to win the nickel linebacker battle.

5. Will Martellus Bennett play? The coaches seem to be indicating that Marty B. won't be ready just yet, but with the lack of depth at tight end he might be forced into limited action. With John Phillips out we are back to counting on Martellus to step up his game. I'd like to see him on the field if he is healthy.

6. Will Alan Ball show us something? He was somewhat invisible in the game on Sunday but that isn't necessarily bad for a safety. But I'd like to see him come up and make a hit against the run and make some plays on the ball in the passing game. Maybe with more game action we'll see him make more plays.

7. Will the second team offensive line perform better? They weren't great last week which has to make you nervous. Alex Barron is probably out so we should see more of Brewster again this week. The backups need to step up their game because odds are the offense will need one of them at some point in the regular season.

8. Can one of the rookie safeties make the team? I really like how Barry Church plays. He is always around the ball and he likes to hit. Danny McCray played great in the game on Sunday so hopefully he can continue that type of play. One of these guys could push one of the veterans off the team if they keep it up.

9. Is Stephen Bowen ready to start? He sure looked good against the Bengals. But we didn't see him as much against the run as we did against the pass. The key to becoming the starter is going to be playing the run as good as or better than Marcus Spears.

10. Can Brandon Williams play the run? He sure has a quick first step off the line against the pass. He could be a great backup option at outside linebacker if he can learn to play the run. The depth overall at outside linebacker looks much better this year with an experienced Victor Butler, Brandon Williams, and Curtis Johnson all battling for playing time.

11. Can the Cowboys avoid more major injuries? This is probably the most important question of all. John Phillips was lighting it up in camp and the first preseason game before he went down. We have to hope that the key players on the roster stay healthy for the rest of the preseason.