SB Nation - Nick Folk

Stood Up: The Cowboys O-Line Can't Finesse the Team into the Win Column

Rafael Vela — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:12:43 -0000

More photos » by Amy Gutierrez - AP

(AP Photo/Amy Gutierrez)

Okay Cowboys fans.

You got what you've been asking for. A heavy dose of running. The final tally was 26 rushes to 30 passes, but in the first three quarters, when the game was tied, the mix was 25 rushes to 18 passes, a '90s-like 58% run to 42% pass ratio.

This was what so many Cowboys pundits predicted in the preseason. a blend to keep all the backs happy. To take the pressure off Tony Romo, blah, blah, blah.

I told you back in September, this line isn't up to Emmit-ball:

Notice how weak the '08 Cowboys were at the typical "muscle" plays, the type you see in short yardage and goal line. The type the '90s Cowboys lines could execute after a five pints of whiskey and a group afternoon nap.

The character of the current line is very different. It performs better when it blocks on the move, which explains why Jason Garrett called so many runs from shotgun and spread packages. People complained about seeing the shotgun inside the five last year, but the numbers explain why.

-- Cowboys Tape Review: This is Not Your Father's Offensive Line, BTB, Sept. 30, 2009

The Cowboys romped up and down the field yesterday, between the tens. They ran effectively against the weak Chargers front using the same plays they've favored all year: the power counter, the lead draw and the toss. I counted one Felix Jones isolation early in that star-crossed 2nd quarter drive, which stopped inside the Chargers one. The rest of the time, the line played in character.

As you saw, lead draws don't work against a goal-line defense. Counter plays can be run down from the backside. The Chargers did this to Marion Barber on Dallas' first drive, holding the Cowboys to a field goal.

When it counted, when the Cowboys were at 2nd, 3rd and 4th and goal at the Chargers one, the Cowboys line could not run the power play, the dive, the isolation, which distinguished those great '90s lines. Here are the rushing TDs versus passing TD numbers for the '90s teams, the six playoff teams under Johnson and Switzer and the two Chan Gailey teams, which featured several holdovers from those early lines:

Year	Rush TDs	Pass TDs
'91	15	16
'92	20	23
'93	20	18
'94	26	18
'95	29	18
'96	14	12
'98	21	17
'99	16	20

Dallas ran for 161 touchdowns and passed for 142 touchdowns in its eight playoff years. Now, look at the skews in the Parcells' and Phillips' winning years:

Year	Rush TDs	Pass TDs
'03	11	17
'05	13	23
'06	21	26
'07	14	36
'08	12	29
'09	10	22

Granted, today's game skews much more to the pass and the passing TD. The Cowboys' numbers nevertheless skew too heavily towards the TD pass. When the Cowboys enter the red zone, it has fallen on Tony Romo to get them six points. In Romo's three years as a starter, only 29% of Dallas' touchdowns have come on the ground. All five of Dallas' touchdowns this month have come through the air.

The ballyhooed "three headed monster" (I hate that term) has only nine rushing touchdowns this year. Yesterday, you saw why. Their line is not a power line, and as it's comprised, it never will be. Flozell Adams is 34. Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis are all 31. There is no magic reservoir of untapped run blocking mojo a new coach or the current coaches can tap. These guys are what they are.

And what they are right now is just good enough to break your heart.

Yes, the defense lost some snap in the fourth quarter, but the 20 points they allowed was San Diego's season low. What they never got, and what they should have had in the fourth quarter, was a lead to protect. But the o-line and Nick Folk combined to deny the Cowboys that key, late-second quarter score which would have raised confidence and of course, tightened the scoreboard.

Let's be clear: you can scream all you want for more Tashard, more overall runs, more this, more that, but as long as we're dealing with the current offensive line, the offense will only go as far as Tony Romo's arm will take it.

The backs will have to hope that Robert Brewster can join them on the field next year and that Tom Ciskowski can draft a couple more road graders to join him. The '00s have been a lost decade for the Cowboys offensive line. It's time for fresher and better straight-ahead-blocking blood.

Notes:

-- Romo this December: 60 of 85, 71% completions, 5 touchdown passes, 0 picks, and a 112 passer rating. He has just three picks in his last nine games. The Cowboys are losing this month, but he's the least of the team's worries right now.

-- I think it's time for Nick Folk to visit the asthma field. His miss violated one of the fundamentals of kicking 101. Watch your DVR: Folk lifted his head immediately after striking the ball, while still on his follow through.

-- The Chargers pass offense played at a faster speed than any opponent I've seen this year. How many times did a Cowboys rusher get within an arm's length of Philip Rivers, only to see him release the ball -- and release it accurately -- before he could be sacked?

-- The special teams continue to run hot and cold. Felix Jones' opening return went past the 40 but the Cowboys struggled on every other return. They also had to watch the Chargers' punt coverage group down two punts inside the Dallas three.

-- Count your blessings, Cowboys fans. I'm sure Demarcus Ware is counting his. The Lions G Mike Utley was paralyzed from the chest down in 1991 on a play similar to the one that ended Ware's afternoon. He, like Ware, flashed a thumbs up sign as he was leaving the field. It's great to hear Demarcus has already been released from the hospital.

The VRR: Cowboys Must Charge Ahead

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:37:27 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Cowboys will need their playmakers to step up when they face the red hot Chargers on Sunday.

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Even though the Cowboys dominated the Giants in many facets of last week's game, they failed to match their rivals in the number of big plays made. Although they lost, they are still atop the division and must strive to remain there.

It's Wednesday, so let's start transitioning towards some Chargers' talk!

First, how hot are the Chargers? Seven games-in-a-row hot!

The red-hot Chargers make their first visit to Dallas since 2001 this Sunday and haven't lost since a 34-23 verdict to division-rival Denver back in Week 6.

San Diego has scored 30 points or more in each of its last four victories under head coach Norv Turner, who helped the Cowboys win two Super Bowls during his three-year run as offensive coordinator from 1991-93.

Chargers QB Philip Rivers is having an MVP-type year. Yikes!

Lost in the excitement over the play of undefeated quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees has been Rivers' sensational campaign. He has followed up 2008's phenomenal output with more eye-popping numbers (3,311 yards, 21 touchdowns).

He will now take aim on the Cowboys' 20th-ranked pass defense.

Rivers is up for the FedEx Air Player of the Week award for his 18-for-25 for 373 yards and two touchdowns performance against Cleveland.

More VRR after the jump.

The Cowboys can ill-afford to have special teams breakdowns this week.

The Chargers take special teams seriously. Kicker Nate Kaeding has been to the Pro Bowl, as has San Diego's own special teams ace Kassim Osgood. If Oakland's Shane Lechler didn't kick in the same division, Chargers punter Mike Scifres would have been to a Pro Bowl by now as well. They supply the routine plays that have allowed the Chargers to finish in the NFL's top 10 in special teams each of the last three seasons.

But (Darren) Sproles supplies the big plays, scoring four touchdowns on kick returns the last three seasons. He ran a punt (45 yards) and kickoff (89) back against Indianapolis in 2007, a kickoff back 103 yards against Denver in 2008 and another punt back 77 yards this season against Denver.

The 'Boys and Bolts have alot in common, especially in the staffing and personnel departments.

There are several connections between the two squads. The most notable is Dallas coach Wade Phillips, who was the Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2004-06 and was the architect of the Chargers' current 3-4 defense. Chargers coach Norv Turner made a name for himself as the offensive coordinator in Dallas from 1991-93, a span when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls.

On the players side, DE Igor Olshansky was drafted by the Chargers and left as an free agent in the offseason. Dallas CB Cletis Gordon was cut by the Chargers early this season. Chargers ILB Kevin Burnett played for the Cowboys from 2005-08 before coming to the Chargers in the offseason.

No new injuries have popped up yet for the 'Boys. We will keep an eye out today to see if FS Ken Hamlin returns to practice.

If you have yet to read John (obviousman)'s FanPost, it's to the right. He' has been kind enough to come over from Bolts From the Blue to answer your Chargers questions. Thanks, John!

Keith Brooking had quite the exchange with CBS 11's Steve Dennis regarding the perception surrounding Wade Phillips and the Cowboys' December record.

"He owns up to it every day in front of us," Brooking said. "Because you might not perceive it as that means nothing, means nothing to me, means nothing to the football team. I’m there every day. I’m there at every meeting, I’m there at every day during practice. You’re in the locker room for 35 minutes a day maybe, you’re on the practice field while we stretch. You’re not there every day. You don’t see what goes on at every meeting and every practice, the sacrifices that we make, the accountability that Wade Phillips holds us to every day."

"I’ll go to fight for that man until I hang my cleats up and I’m done playing football, because I have the utmost respect for him. Everything I’ve seen from my teammates and everything I’ve heard, they feel the same way, bottom line."

One game at a time, but here's a quick refresher of what Dallas may need to do to return to the postseason.

The Cowboys (8-4) need to go 3-1 over the final four to guarantee a playoff spot with an 11-5 record. They could get in at 10-6 but it's no guarantee.

They would lose a wild-card tie breaker with the Packers (8-4) and the Giants (7-4). Remember the loss to the Packers and the Giants swept the season series.

Here's an overview of the playoff picture, so far.

As we all have seen this year, Miles Austin is a beast after the catch. So is San Diego TE Antonio Gates.

According to STATS Inc., Austin ranks third among wide receivers/tight ends with 397 YAC, trailing only Wes Welker (557) and Antonio Gates (442). That's 43 percent of his 928 total receiving yards.

Ray Sherman gives all the YAC credit to his receiver.

"When he catches it, you tell him, 'Get up the field and be explosive' because he has a God-given talent," receivers coach Ray Sherman said.

"You don't coach that. "The thing that I teach is understanding coverages, understanding what people are trying to do to you, understanding how to run a particular play versus coverage. But after you catch it, protect the ball and get going. That's all him."

The league fined Flozell Adams $50,000 for pushing Justin Tuck in the back.

Hat to ImpactNate for the FanShot.

Tony Franklin, a former NFL kicker, says that Nick Folk's 42-yarder was makeable despite Mat McBriar's supposed bad hold.

"If the ball is tilted slightly backward or forward, it shouldn't make that much of a difference," Tony Franklin said Tuesday. "The only time I had kicks that looked like that is when I happened to catch the ball when it was still spinning. ... (The hold) shouldn't have affected it at all, but, hey, different strokes for different folks."

The ball, with its laces facing away from him, appeared stationary when Folk struck it. After the miss, the Giants drove for a 23-yard field goal for a 24-17 lead with 7:23 left.

Here are the ratings for the Cowboys @ Giants game - huge, as usual.

The broadcast drew an 18.9 overnight rating and 35 share. That's the highest since a 19.1/35 for a matchup between the two teams in 2006.

Wear your protective visors; don't want to get poked in the eyes! The JerryTron will go 3D this week at Cowboys Stadium.

Sunday, December 13 at the Dallas Cowboys-San Diego Chargers game, HDlogix, a company that has created a synthesized 3D technology, will convert HDTV video of the sports action into 3D. At half-time and during the game, attendees at Cowboys Stadium will see real time 3D video created from HDlogix’s new ImageIQ 3D technology.

Could this mean that spectators will be dodging blood and sweat if Jerry Jones lands the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight?

Promoters are in Dallas today to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as the momentum continues to grow for a March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will tour new Dallas Cowboys stadium and listen to a proposal from Jones to host the fight, a person close to the promotion said.

$140 million has been spent since the opening of Cowboys Stadium.

For all you Dallas locals, ESPN Dallas is hosting its Jingle Ball 2009 event tonight. Many past and present Cowboys will be making appearances, some will be signing autographs.

Come out and join us at Cape Buffalo in Addison on Wednesday, December 9th for this celeb-packed event benefiting the Dallas All Sports Association and the Ron Springs and Everson Walls Gift For Life Foundation!

Vote for some Cowboys to make the 2010 Pro Bowl here. Let's get Sam Hurd in there!

Remember, that every Friday at 3 PM EST (2 CST), Blogging The Boys appears on ESPN Radio 1250 in San Antonio with Paul Alexander for a segment of Cowboys talk.

Folk or McBriar? A Kicking Controversy for the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:34:16 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

What the Folk, mate?

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After Nick Folk missed his 42-yarder yesterday, he looked down at his holder, Mat McBriar. I think we all saw how perplexed their two faces were. At first glance, McBriar's hold didn't look to be all that bad. Apparently, it was. He said so, himself, to Coach Phillips.

Today in Coach Phillips' press conference, the first questions asked to him after his general opening statement regarded the placekicking problem.

"Was it a terribly bad hold?"

"That's what Mat said. He said he didn't get it down right," responded Phillips. He also said the laces were turned the wrong way and that Folk "hit" them.

When asked who worries him more, Phillips was not clear on whether to blame the kicker or the holder. What he said concerns him more is the confidence of the two players together in that situation. If it is indeed a confidence issue, it could be addressed by changing holders. But, as Phillips said, McBriar was the best of them when the team worked out holders during training camp.

Make the jump for more.

The other players worked out were WRs Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton, and K David Buehler. Phillips also mentioned QB Jon Kitna, but said that he had no experience holding before, and honestly he did not sound as if Kitna could even be a holding option.

A reporter also asked whether Phillips considered giving Buehler a try at placekicker. He shot that idea down rather quickly, saying that he is not yet ready to kick in game situations.

"Why?"

"Consistency...being able to make them."

That settles that.

If anyone can fix what ails the special teams, it's coach Joe DeCamillis. This week, he will have his hands full.

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis said the Cowboys needed to look at "the whole operation" and acknowledged a change at holder was a possibility.

"We've got limited options obviously, but we’ve worked with several guys," DeCamillis said. "We’ll just have to see as the week goes on."

DeCamillis said if the Cowboys change holders, he plans to keep that information a secret until the first time Folk attempts a kick Sunday.

"We are not going to tell you who the change will be going in," DeCamillis said. "Maybe it’s Patrick Crayton, we might want Patrick Crayton to run a fake the first play. That’s a competitive situation." DeCamillis stressed that he isn't losing faith in Folk.

In other special teams-related news, here's what Giants' PR Domenik Hixon said about how their return team beat the Cowboys' coverage unit.

"I'd been watching film of [the Cowboys' punt coverage unit] and their gunners had been doing a great job. We decided we needed to start one way and then try to head it back the other direction. If you try to go lateral for too long, you'll be in trouble, but I was able to get vertical pretty quickly against them. Seeing all those blue shirts was pretty exciting."

Big Plays = Big Win: Cowboys 24, Raiders 7

Rafael Vela — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:18:56 -0000

More photos » by Jose Yau - AP

The Raiders couldn't touch Miles Austin yesterday. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald,Jose Yau)

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A Thanksgiving Day game is usually the last place a struggling offense expects to regain its swagger. The short week often produces sloppy games, with lots of drops, slips, bobbles and missed assignments.

Jason Garrett's bunch found their mojo somewhere between the tray of stuffing and the cranberry sauce dish yesterday, creating a new category in process. Coaches refer to explosives as running plays of 12 yards or greater and passing plays of 16 yards or more. Against the Raiders, the Cowboys went beyond explosives, unleashing six "thermonuclear" plays: runs or passes of 35 yards or greater. The big bomb approach is Garrett's style and will hopefully end the hubbub about his play-calling skills.

Garrett threw a 54:46 pass-to-run mix at the Raiders, which has been his normal mix all year. He runs a big-play attack, through the air and on the ground. The problem the prior two weeks has been execution. The same calls got receivers open but Tony Romo and his receivers were not synchronized. Yesterday, they showed the best execution in a month and knocked the Raiders off-balance from their first series on.

The early problem for Dallas was that the big play was their only option. Tony Romo found Miles Austin for 46 yards on the Cowboys first attempt of the day. Austin turned Nnamdi Asomugha inside out with a feight upfield and got inside separation. Austin probably got a bonus 20 yards when Oakland's free safety jumped Martellus' Bennett's shorter post route, leaving the deep middle unoccupied. The play took Dallas to the Oakland 30, but the Cowboys could not advance and a Romo sack forced a punt.

Tashard Choice opened Dallas' third drive in the Razorback set and ran a designed cutback up the middle. Choice lined up as a shotgun QB and followed offset FB Deon Anderson towards the guard-center gap on the left side. Choice cutback to his right, where Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis had created a seam in the right A gap. Oakland's middle linebacker lost Choice in traffic, meaning once Choice was past the linebacker's level he was free. Asomugha ran Tashard down at the Oakland eleven 66 yards later. Here, an Anderson holding call put Dallas in a first-and-20 they could not overcome. Nick Folk salvaged the field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Dallas next drive showcased Garrett's most significant adjustment from the past few weeks. Dallas had been using its receivers almost interchangeably, with Roy Williams playing the split end and working the middle of the field on deep posts, square ins and shallow crosses.

Yesterday, Austin was given the inside responsibility and the lion's share of the receiver attempts. The adjustment seems sound. Austin is the stronger player of the two and therefore breaks tackles better. He can run routes with multiple cuts, whereas Williams appears to be a one-cut-and-go type of guy. Austin also has much better acceleration. Patterns over the middle of the field require stopping to freeze linebackers and safeties and then quick starts to dash away from them.

Austin demonstrated those skills on two key receptions. With the Cowboys in 3rd-and-11, he caught a short crossing route at eight yards and dragged a Raiders defender the final three yards, pushing the ball inches past the yard marker. On the next play, he lined up wide left, ran a short curl route, and then pushed it hard back outside. Romo hit Austin in stride and the WR ran away from a safety for 27 yards.

On the next play, Dallas lined up in its 22 package, with two TEs, two backs and Williams the line receiver. Both Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten lined up right, outside of Doug Free, with Bennett as the TE and Witten outside him as the F-back. Dallas called power right, its stock counter play, with LG Kyle Kosier and FB Anderson leading Felix Jones behind the overload.

Bennett and Witten rolled the Raiders DE Greg Ellis inside. When they got him moving, Witten released Ellis -- whom Bennett drove to the turf -- and picked off the Raiders weakside linebacker. Anderson blocked the strongside outside backer and when the pulling Kosier hit the middle linebacker, Felix had a wide crease off the RT gap. He bolted upfield, broke an ankle tackle attempt by SS Michael Huff and skipped the last five yards of his 46 yard touchdown romp. Felix looks healthy again, his blocking looks healthy again and the 10-0 lead looked tasty to a Cowboys Nation which had grown hungry for points.

Garrett blew up Oakland with another thermomuclear play on the next series. Dallas deployed in a bunch package left, with Bennett spearheading a triadjust wide of LT Flozell Adams that had Austin flanking Bennett on the left and Witten to Bennett's right. Williams was split alone to the right and Marion Barber stood to Romo's right in the shotgun. At the snap the bunch scattered, pulling Oakland's coverage to their side. Williams ran a shallow cross, pulling the corner with him and creating acres of space up the right sideline. Barber ran a swing route, caught Romo's pass about eight yards upfield and raced untouched for another 34 before he was pushed out of bounds at the Raiders' 30.

The drive again sputtered and Folk's second attempt clanged off the right upright. Even the misses had the look of improvement yesterday. The execution improved, and while rough edges remain, the character of the offense is back.

This is who the Cowboys are, folks. They have a line that can create big running plays, but which leaks too frequently on passing downs and draws too many penalties to generate regular ten or twelve-play, ball-control drives. They play fast break football, and they regained some of their flash. Now, to maintain it...

How Will They Replace T.O.?

It's been a while since we have had that question ground into our collective consciousness. The answer appears to be, quite well. Yes, Roy Williams continues to struggle, but Garrett's use of Miles Austin showed he has finally settled on a role for the newbie starter and views Austin as the fulcrum of the Cowboys passing machine.

-- Austin had ten balls thrown in his direction, compared to three for Williams. Eight of those ten came in the first half. Garrett wanted to establish Austin early and he succeeded. Many of his tosses were short, at distances of 8 to 12 yards downfield.

Mike Martz made a similar move in Detroit in late '07, when he gave up on centering his passing attack around Roy Williams. He dialed the pass mix rich for Calvin Johnson and never looked back. We probably saw Jason Garrett cross his receivers Rubicon yesterday. Austin can play the Michael Irvin role. Roy Williams can't, and the offense can't wait. He's playing Alvin Harper now, running most of his attempts upfield and in the red zone. If he can accept this and chip in his 3-4 catches and red zone snags, he'll do his part.

-- Notice what Austin's breakout did for Jason Witten. As I noted earlier in the story, the Raiders appeared to game plan for the tight ends, as other teams have in recent weeks. The Raiders safety was looking for Martellus Bennett on an intermediate post, not Miles Austin running a deeper post over the top.

Once Austin put some big catches on the stat sheet, the safeties backed off, and note what Witten was able to do: He made a 37 yarder running an "F-post" on Dallas' first offensive play of the second half. On the Cowboys final TD drive, Witten caught an intermediate pass, shook free from the linebacker and meandered his way for a 44 yard gain that put Dallas on the Raiders' eight. He may have had a sprained foot, but he also had the best therapeutic option a tight end can have -- a legit wideout threat.

(While we're on the subject, it appears Witten played more F-back yesterday, with Martellus Bennett in the traditional tight end spot on the line. This shifts more of the blocking duties to the kid and puts less stress on Witten's crocked foot.)

How well can Miles Austin perform in the top slot? Let's compare Austin's '09 production to Terrell Owen's monster '07 after 11 games:

Austin '09 -- 7 starts, 42 catches, 824 yards, 19.6 YPC, 8 TDs.
Owens '07 -- 11 starts, 64 catches, 1093 yards, 17.1 YPC, 13 TDs.

The big difference lies in that first number; Austin has only seven starts through eleven games, versus a perfect eleven for T.O. Austin spent the end of the preseason on the injured list and didn't hit the lineup until Williams left the lineup with banged up ribs. He had just 5 catches for 81 yards the first month of this campaign.

It may turn out that D.J. Williams' kill-shot in Denver was the happiest Cowboys accident this decade. Let's return to peak T.O. and compare Austin's and.Owens' production per start:

Austin '09 -- 5.6 catches per game, 19.1 ypc, 106 yards per game, 1.0 TDs per game;
Owens '07 -- 5.8 catches per game, 17.1 ypc, 99 yards per game, 1.2 TDs per game.

Almost identical, no? And remember, this was Owens' career year in Cowboys white, the second best of his career. We still have no idea if we're seeing Austin's peak, giving the tiny sample size of work. It's possible Austin may get even better. Garrett's game plan suggested that Austin is his guy. If he continues to see 9-10 balls per contest, his numbers could explode even more.

Feed the Teeth, Jason!

Notes

The defense did its part, holding Bruce Gradkowski and the Raiders offense to just under their season average of 11 points per game. Oakland did muster an impressive 88 yard drive in the 3rd quarter, but the Dallas rush kept them from finding their early rhythm and from sustaining it once, found.

-- Oakland needed 36 minutes to cross mid-field.

-- stress fracture? Who said anything about a stress fracture? Demarcus Ware looked like his old self yesterday. The acceleration and constant motion was there. He only logged one sack, but he was on Gradkowski on many more passes.

-- Finally! After weeks of bad luck, Anthony Spencer bagged a quarterback. Not once, but twice. Had the shifty Gradkowski not dashed half a yard beyond the line of scrimmage before Spencer dropped him, number 93 would have a hat trick of sacks today.

-- The defense's climb continues. They now sport a 16.5 point- pe- game average, which has them knocking on #2 New England's door. If the Saints hang some points on the Pats Monday night the Cowboys will enter the home stretch in rarified air. It's too early to get smug, however. The Giants, Chargers and Saints loom on the schedule's horizon and they can all score.

-- Your wrinkle of the game. On a 3rd down early in the game, Wade Phillips threw a Bears nickel look at Gradkowski. Operating from the 3-3 look, Dallas kept Jay Ratliff slanted on the nose, Stephen Bowen in the left guard-tackle gap and Jason Hatcher in the same gap on the right side. Bobby Carpenter lined up in the left OLB spot and Bradie James and Demarcus Ware floated behind the linemen. Just before the snap, James dashed wide and lined up next to Carpenter. Ware dashed wide to the other side and lined up outside of Hatcher.

The look was a Chicago front, with an overload on the weakside and Ware charging from the right. Carpenter occupied the left tackle, Bowen crashed the guard and James charged untouched between them. His pressure forced an incompletion.

The defense was a one-off, however. As formation afficionados will note, there was no middle linebacker behind Ratliff to handle the back. Darren McFadden stayed in to block Demarcus Ware, but had Dallas shown this look a second time, it's likely he would have run a hot route, as Rock Cartwright did last week, and caught a quick pass over the middle in space. Cartwright has some speed, but he doesn't have McFadden's top gear. Wade took his gamble, won the down, and knew to walk away, as good poker players do.

-- David Buehler's toe problems appear to be behind him. He boomed three kicks for touchbacks.

-- Everybody is aware of this fact, no? Broncos 26, Giants 6. Dallas gets ten days off but so do the Giants. The last time Dallas faced a desperate team on the road we got the Lambeau Letdown. The game will be Dallas' last in Giants Stadium. Let's hope for a memorable result. A happy memory.

The VRR: Cowboys Must Get Back in Saddle after Pulling off Squeaker over 'Skins

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:48:58 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Tony Romo has to take his bumps and bruises from Redskins to Raiders in just a few days.

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The 7-6 victory over the rival Redskins did little to boost fans' confidence in the Cowboys' struggling offense. Running the ball 33 times - including six straight called in the first quarter - may have made the playcalling seem more "balanced", yet it produced no points.

However intriguing it is to see Felix Jones break the double-digit carry barrier for the first time in his career, or to see Marion Barber come up a yard shy from hitting the century mark, the scoreboard is still dependent on Tony Romo to pull that big, fat "0" down.

Heck, even Nick Folk failed (again) to get the team on the scoreboard prior to the end of the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the defense again refused to let that other side of the scoreboard be lit up.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys will be a bit more banged up heading into the shortened Thanksgiving week. Nothing major, but there are some bumps and bruises that must be played through as the team hosts the Raiders on Thursday. Making it through this week unscathed can be a real asset, as the team will get a few extra days to rest up before the Week 13 road game against the Giants.

More VRR after the jump.

Here's the latest on who's hurting:

QB Tony Romo - back (11/22) The quarterback injured his back in the first quarter when he was kneed in the backside while making a tackle. Romo never missed a snap against Washington, but he was limited in practice on Monday. Romo received a pain-relieving shot after the game Sunday, but told reporters he expects to play. Wade Phillips told the media Monday the quarterback was feeling better, but hinted that backup Jon Kitna might have to take some precautionary reps in practice.

TE Jason Witten - foot (11/22) Despite playing the entire game Sunday, Witten didn't practice Monday because of a foot injury. The All-Pro tight end caught two passes on the Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

LB Keith Brooking - ankle (11/22) The veteran linebacker was limited in Monday's light practice with an ankle injury he suffered near the end of Sunday's win over the Redskins. Brooking said on Monday he expects to play this week.

CB Mike Jenkins - elbow/head (11/22) Jenkins got "banged up" in the Redskins game, according to head coach Wade Phillips. The cornerback was already battling the elbow injury from the Packers game but suffered the head injury late in the game when making a tackle. He did not practice with the team on Monday in the light workout.

Despite the blow to the back, Romo impressed in the end and sounds good-to-go for Thursday's game.

"That's Romo being Romo," Redskins linebacker London Fletcher said. "We had guys wrapped around him, and he still escaped. He's a tough sack."

And a tough guy. Romo bruised his back in the first quarter tackling cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he picked up a Marion Barber fumble in the red zone.

"I must have asked Tony 10 times, ‘Are you OK?'" Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You could tell he was hurting, but he kept grinding."

Romo said he never considered leaving the game.

"I've always felt you can play as long as it's not something like a broken bone," Romo said. "With the adrenaline of the game, you can always do it. It only hurts right before the snap and right after."

The Redskins' injuries were much more severe. RB Ladell Betts and OL Chad Rinehart will be placed on IR and miss the rest of the season.

Along with Coach Phillips' aggressive blitzes, Keith Brooking credits DeMarcus Ware for his career-high four sacks.

Brooking has taken advantage of all the attention opponents pay the NFL’s reigning sacks leader in pass protection. He said his sacks often come on "hug blitzes," when he’s in man coverage against a running back and rushes when the back stays into block. When the back goes to chip Ware, that often leaves a lane for Brooking.

"The majority of my sacks, just to be dead honest with you, come from I'm just running scot-free and a lot of times the backs are sliding toward No. 94," Brooking said. "As I said yesterday, I'd do the same thing if I was in the backfield trying to block that guy. I'm just taking advantage."

Anthony Spencer was almost credited with a sack, but getting the game-winning INT proved much more rewarding.

It was Spencer's first career interception. The theft made up for a review taking away what he thought was his first sack of the season.

Late in the first half, Spencer chased Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell out of bounds for an apparent 5-yard loss. But a replay showed Campbell had released the ball just before stepping out.

"I gave the ref a little mouth about it," Spencer said. "But I'd much rather have the interception. It's a relief for the simple fact I've been around so many opportunities to make plays. It's good to see it come to fruition."

Bradie James on winning ugly:

"We have been sexy," linebacker Bradie James said. "We have been trying to be glamorous. And teams have come in and beat us. They have us ugly. What’s wrong with ugly? We won. That’s all that matters. Now we’ve got Oakland. We are concentrating on winning and getting ready for the stretch drive in December."

Coach Phillips squashed the media's attempt to get more info on the Campo-Newman argument.

If you haven't read it by now, LaRon Landry called Roy Williams "scared". Landry didn't get all Xs-andOs about it, but did imply that Williams' play was "scared".

"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry continued, by way of explaining how he knew Williams was scared. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."

A good area of focus on both offense and defense will be third-down conversions.

With the short week, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips might not have an opportunity to address the team's struggles with their third-down offense and defense.

"We just haven't played well enough on third downs, and we need to take a look at it."

Nick Folk knows he's in a "funk", and will stay patient.

"A little funk," Folk said Monday. "I got to work my way out of it right now."

Folk said he's not too concerned because he's hitting the ball well. On the 46-yarder he missed on Sunday, Folk said he hit it well, but it just stayed right. The last kick he missed, a 38-yarder in Green Bay the previous week, Folk said he just missed it.

"I feel good, I hit the ball really well, it stayed a little to the right," Folk said. "I dont know I got to go look at it. it felt good coming off my foot had a good week of practice."

Patrick Crayton has worn many hats in his football career. Did you know he can kick? Well, sort of.

Patrick Crayton was once the emergency kicker on his college team.

"Make that the emergency-emergency kicker," he said, smiling. "If it had ever come down to me, we probably would have gone for two."

Even then, at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Crayton had a strong leg. Once, on a bet, Crayton surprised himself.

"I made a 50-yarder," he said, again smiling. "You never know when it comes to kicking."

After waiving KR/PR Allen Rossum, the Cowboys re-signed CB Cletis Gordon to the active roster.

The Buccaneers sure like the Cowboys' practice squad players. They've already plucked rookie CB Mike Mickens off there, now they've signed QB Rudy Carpenter as well.

Matt Mosely is shopping Shanahan. If the Cowboys were to part ways with Wade Phillips after this season, he thinks Mike Shanahan could be a good fit.

I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.

Week Eleven: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:45:09 -0000

It's Saturday, so it's time to talk some fantasy football! Not only is this a huge week for the Cowboys as they host the rival Redskins, but it is also an enormously important week for fantasy football.

Bye weeks are over, many of us may be smelling fantasy playoffs, and next week is the trade deadline for many leagues.

Make the jump for the Week 11 Fantasy Focus.

QB Tony Romo - Romo owners found some relief last week when the Dallas quarterback refused to let the team be shut out. His garbage-time TD pass to Roy Williams helped to ease the pain of having the Packers' defense completely dictate the day. It was just one of those games for the Cowboys' offense. If a receiver was open, Romo just barely missed him. If he was on target, the ball would be dropped or a Packers' defender would make a better play on it. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, stuck with his QB and his aggressive style of play-calling. That should show you that the Cowboys have a ton of faith in their signal caller.

This week, Romo and company are up against the NFL's number one pass defense in the Redskins. The argument can be made that the 162.7 YPG they are giving up in that department is a result of playing a weak schedule. Against the Broncos last week, some huge plays were given up to Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall. Romo and his WRs will look to exploit the same weaknesses, although it is unclear whether CB Carlos Rodgers will be benched in favor of Fred Smoot.

After being dominated by the Packers' blitzers, look for the Cowboys' offense to regroup and get back to basics. Romo and Garrett should then be able to find gaps and create mismatches in the overrated Redskins' secondary.

RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - 5 carries for 26 yards for Barber last week. Nobody is happy with those numbers. When he did have the ball, he looked strong running it. He should have at least double the amount of carries this week. The Cowboys can still pull him out for pass-protection because of his thumb, but the fracture only looks to bother him there.

Felix Jones looks a mere shadow of his explosive-self since injuring his knee in Week 3. It's a bit of a mystery each week on how much the team will use him. He did see a good amount of action against the Packers, but the game was such that the RBs totalled only 11 carries with Felix getting 3 of those. It would be best to take a wait-and-see approach with him.

Tashard Choice is being integrated more into the offense through the "Razorback" formation, as well as his 3rd-down duties. His fantasy success depends so greatly on Barber and Jones that it's tough to predict how much of an impact he will have. Until the Cowboys get their running game back on track, sit him if you have a better option.

WRs Miles Austin - Austin owners now have a tough decision. He's been exposed to the league, so defenses focus on taking him out of the Dallas gameplan. It worked in Philly, until he busted out for a 49-yard TD catch and run. He was held in check last week, catching 4 for just 20. The targets are there and will continue to be since Romo is so comfortable with him. And, if you look at what Marshall did against the 'Skins last week, Austin should be able to have a big game.

Roy Williams - When defenses take away Austin, that leaves Romo to go to Williams. Although RW did have some boo-boos last week, he had a solid fantasy game, catching 5 for 105 with a score. Couple that with the 5 for 75 he caught the prior week, and he's beginning to look like a decent WR again. If he could get rid of the dropsies, he could have some huge games for owners. By doing so, he would also receive more targets from Romo.

This week, he will be going up against DeAngelo Hall. The Cowboys have picked on him in the past with success; expect them to continue to do so.

TEs Jason Witten - It feels like every week I write, "Witten is still looking for the end zone, and this should be the game he finds it." He almost had a TD late last week, but the pass was behind him. 5 catches for 47 yards is nothing to get excited about for Witten owners. Considering Romo rarely had time to pass, Witten still snagged roughly 20% of his passing yards.

You know he's gonna get his targets, and you know he's not going to get you zero points. Stick with him unless you have a better option. He's gotta come up big soon, right?

Cowboys D/ST - Steady as they go...this unit continues to improve week-to-week. By sacking Aaron Rodgers four times last week and holding him to under 200 yards passing, the Dallas defense jumped from ranking 20th in the league to 16th. It is in the top-10 in points allowed (18.8 PPG) and rushing yards allowed (103.1 YPG).

This week, Big D's defense will face an improved Redskins' ground game that now features RB Ladell Betts. The matchup should bode well for Dallas as SOLB Anthony Spencer is coming off one of his best games and the defensive line has continued to limit running opportunities. The secondary is a bit banged-up and will be missing starting FS Ken Hamlin. Converted CB, Alan Ball, will take his place and is considered to be a good cover safety. With the pass rush always a threat, the DBs should be able to take advantage by luring QB Jason Campbell into throwing a pick or two.

K Nick Folk - Holder Mat McBriar took the blame for Folk's miss last week. He's just 14 for 18 on the year, which is uncharacteristic of him.

After ten weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are racing to the finish line. In the BTB league, The Speed of Dark has taken the lead with a 7-3 record (some major parity in that league). Here's how both leagues are shaping up:

The Mighty is Back to Winning (9-1)

kill everbody

Where the Cowboys are Headed (7-3)

Maui Paniolo Boyz

The Speed of Dark

StarBoys

Paper Cranes

Heated Competitors (6-4)

WheresWare?

BigRigga31's Team

Static

Dillababies

Dallas Destroyers

The .500s (5-5)

Quincyyyyy

Official Spoiler

BTBfantasyCHAMPS

Flashlights

Doomsday Redux

Second Chance

Felix Jones At Every Position

Reykjavik Roughnecks

A Must Win this Week? (4-6)

Apes

The Doomsday Defense Reborn

NameBrandj

Triple Crown Members (3-7)

No Doubter

Brady's a b!tch

Deuces Are Wild (2-8)

high505

My Team Sucks

One is the Loneliest Number (1-5)

Damage,Inc.

If you've got a fantasy dilemma, post it here for the BTB community to discuss. As always, feel free to jump in with other Cowboys/football related discourse even if you don't play FF.

Remember, for all your fantasy football needs, SBNation's fantasy webpage is chock full of live updates to help you set up your team from week-to-week.

For your convenience, here's the link: sbnation.com/fantasy.

Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Cowboys 17-7

Brandon — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:33 -0000

by Jim Prisching - AP

View full size photo »

From Blogging the Boys:

The Cowboys offense was terrible, the defense hung tough for as long as they could, but eventually buckled late in the game. This was all on the offense, though.

So that's a Cowboys fan's perspective. Looking back at the play-by-play, it took the Cowboys the first 3 quarters to figure it out on offense. They were shut out for most of the game because they weren't able to run the ball or protect QB Tony Romo. Also, while the Packers had more penalties and penalty yards, the Cowboys penalties seemed to hurt them more. They weren't able to get any rhythm on offense because of their running game, pass protection, and the penalties. Then, in their final 2 drives, they managed to protect Romo (except for that big hit DE Johnny Jolly put on him) and they abandoned the run. It could have led to 2 TDs, except CB Charles Woodson jumped the route on the goal line for his big INT.

While it's not unusual to see a great defensive performance from the Packers, it was unusual to see the pass rush work so well in this game. The concern is that it was only a temporary surge of sacks and QB hits. While Romo kept taking hits, he wasn't sacked on his final 26 pass attempts. Also, the Packers allowed another red zone TD pass, their 6th one allowed in the past 3 games.

The offensive line struggled again, allowing 4 sacks and 4 QB hits. Overall the offense struggled with an inconsistent running game, sacks, and penalties. They did manage to put it together for one long TD drive, but even then the Cowboys' penalties helped move it along. Dallas' defense has gotten better as the season has gone on, but it was not a great offensive performance. The exception being that they had zero turnovers (1 turnover was negated by a penalty).

The special teams weren't great, but nobody on the Cowboys will be named NFC special teams player of the week either. The kick and punt coverage looked a lot better this week, so hopefully this is the start of a good trend.

The Packers don't play another team with a winning record until December 20th (the Steelers in Pittsburgh). It's never easy in the NFL, but hopefully they can keep winning over the next four weeks. They play 3 of their final 4 games on the road, so this is the time to build a lead in the Wild Card standings.

Cowboys vs Packers coverage; Cowboys vs Packers recap; Cowboys vs Packers boxscore; Blogging The Boys

Play-by-play from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

(14:15) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 85-G.Jennings to GB 30 for 11 yards (32-O.Scandrick, 26-K.Hamlin).

The 3rd play of the game was already a 3rd and 16 situation. I counted 12 plays ran where the distance was 10+ yards, out of 68 plays during the game. The penalties and negative yards just killed the flow of the offense throughout the game.

(12:25) 24-M.Barber left end pushed ob at GB 26 for 13 yards (36-N.Collins).

(11:43) 24-M.Barber up the middle to GB 19 for 7 yards (59-B.Jones).

The Packers' run defense has been outstanding most of the season, but the Cowboys had some success running the ball. So I was surprised to see they ended up averaging 4.4 yards/carry, but only called 14 running plays vs. 39 pass attempts. But their last two offensive drives went for 15 and 11 plays, all passes, and by that point they were down 17-0. They didn't have a lot of opportunities to run the ball.

(10:36) 6-N.Folk 38 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-1-M.McBriar.

A gift from K Nick Folk. I always expect kickers to make them against the Packers.

(6:06) 2-M.Crosby 52 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Unfortunately K Mason Crosby matched with a missed FG of his own, after a good drive fizzled out at the Dallas 34 yard line.

(3:18) PENALTY on GB-70-T.Lang, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at GB 19 - No Play.

The only penalty on RT T.J. Lang, who did a good job matched up against LB DeMarcus Ware for much of the game. It seemed like LT Chad Clifton had more problems with Ware than Lang did.

(1:16) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 15 for -8 yards (32-O.Scandrick). FUMBLES (32-O.Scandrick), RECOVERED by DAL-32-O.Scandrick at GB 15. PENALTY on DAL-21-M.Jenkins, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at GB 23 - No Play.

The Packers committed 12 penalties for 100 yards, but the Cowboys hurt themselves more with penalties. If this fumble hadn't been overturned at the Packer 15 yard line, it obviously could have turned the game around.

Second Quarter:

(15:00) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 41 for -10 yards (56-N.Barnett).

I don't remember LB Nick Barnett ever blitzing this much in a game before. It kept working, so I guess Dom Capers just kept calling it.

(11:48) 12-A.Rodgers right end ran ob at GB 41 for 2 yards (94-D.Ware). PENALTY on GB-41-S.Havner, Personal Foul, 15 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty on GB-86-D.Lee, Offensive Holding, declined.

What a dumb play by TE Spencer Havner. I don't remember any obviously dumb late hits in the Buccaneers game, but they have had at least one in 3 of their 4 previous games. I don't notice other teams making those mental mistakes.

(9:04) 28-F.Jones right end to DAL 31 for no gain (90-B.Raji, 50-A.Hawk).

After gaining some good rushing yards on their first drive, the Cowboys only gain 11 yards on 6 carries for the rest of the 1st half. The Cowboys are averaging 5.1 yards/carry this season, so their struggles running the ball had to disrupt their offense.

(4:03) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 11-R.Williams to GB 30 for 42 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), RECOVERED by GB-52-C.Matthews at GB 31. 52-C.Matthews to GB 31 for no gain (19-M.Austin).

The first big play by Woodson. He strips the ball from WR Roy Williams after a long gain. Watch it here.

(2:10) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at GB 30 for -5 yards (72-S.Bowen). FUMBLES (72-S.Bowen), recovered by GB-86-D.Lee at GB 36. 86-D.Lee to GB 36 for no gain (26-K.Hamlin).

Unfortunately no offense came from the turnover. Two sacks, and a fumble, in three plays. Rodgers got really lucky that 2 fumbles were recovered, and a 3rd one, the only one he lost, was overturned on a penalty.

(1:50) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 14 for -3 yards (52-C.Matthews).

LB Clay Matthews ran right around LT Flozell Adams. The speed of Matthews, Barnett, Woodson, and Collins on the blitz really caused their big, slow offensive line problems. It led to a 3-and-out, with one more chance to score.

(:02) 2-M.Crosby 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Crosby nailed it. That kick would have been good from 60 yards at least.

Third Quarter:

(13:29) 1-M.McBriar punts 47 yards to GB 26, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 38-T.Williams to DAL 46 for 28 yards (1-M.McBriar). FUMBLES (1-M.McBriar), RECOVERED by DAL-91-L.Ladouceur at DAL 44. 91-L.Ladouceur to DAL 44 for no gain (94-J.Wynn). Green Bay challenged the fumble ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 1-M.McBriar punts 47 yards to GB 26, Center-91-L.Ladouceur. 38-T.Williams to DAL 46 for 28 yards (1-M.McBriar). PENALTY on GB-29-D.Martin, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at GB 33.

After a great defensive series (run stuff, sack, incomplete pass), there was this play. It was the correct call, but what a botched play by CB Tramon Williams. While trying to avoid the punter!

(9:14) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers sacked at DAL 46 for -4 yards (54-B.Carpenter). Penalty on GB-86-D.Lee, Offensive Holding, declined.

This drive started out with 6 rushing attempts (1 by Rodgers on a scramble). It helped keep the offense out long yardage situations, but they couldn't pass the ball when they needed to.

(8:56) Direct snap (Shotgun) 23-T.Choice left tackle to DAL 31 for 11 yards (79-R.Pickett). PENALTY on GB-31-A.Harris, Face Mask (15 Yards), 15 yards, enforced at DAL 31.

I'll be interested to see if CB Al Harris is fined for this phantom face mask penalty. The league office seems to fine every personal foul.

(7:59) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 23-T.Choice to GB 35 for 22 yards (36-N.Collins). PENALTY on DAL-82-J.Witten, Offensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 43 - No Play.

That was a big pass, completed into Packer territory. And TE Jason Witten is called for the pick far away from the play. Another critical Cowboy penalty.

(4:08) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short right to 85-G.Jennings to GB 48 for 14 yards (41-T.Newman).

(2:10) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 86-D.Lee to DAL 38 for 17 yards (25-P.Watkins).

This is their big 15 play, 80 yard TD drive. After getting stuck in 3rd and long all game, they convert on 3-11 and 3-13 to keep the drive alive.

(:13) 25-R.Grant left end to DAL 23 for -2 yards (94-D.Ware). PENALTY on DAL-32-O.Scandrick, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at DAL 21 - No Play.

Scandrick killed them on this drive with 2 penalties that resulted in 1st downs.

Fourth Quarter:

(15:00) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 89-J.Jones.

He had WR James Jones opened down the sideline, but it was just overthrown.

(13:17) 12-A.Rodgers left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on DAL-94-D.Ware, Defensive Offside, declined.

Rodgers has been productive running the ball this season. He ran for a 1st down earlier in the game, and then this TD.

(11:52) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 25 for -7 yards (21-C.Woodson). FUMBLES (21-C.Woodson), touched at DAL 20, RECOVERED by GB-52-C.Matthews at DAL 7. 52-C.Matthews pushed ob at DAL 3 for 4 yards (82-J.Witten).

Why can't they review whether one team has recovered their own fumble? Whatever the reason, it sure worked out for the Packers because RB Felix Jones probably recovered it. Watch it here.

(10:53) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short left to 41-S.Havner for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Spencer Havner: reliable go-to receiver. Who knew? Watch it here.

(8:14) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete deep middle to 80-M.Bennett.

Bullet: dodged. It looked like he was wide open and had a clear lane to the end zone, but Romo overthrew him.

(6:03) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short right intended for 82-J.Witten INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at GB 1. 21-C.Woodson to GB 4 for 3 yards (82-J.Witten).

Just a back breaker. A 16 play, 76 yard drive ends when Woodson does a great job and jumps the route. They were finally able to keep the pressure off Romo and move the ball down the field, but it was a battle for every completion. This drive ate up almost 5 minutes and gave Dallas no time to mount a comeback.

(3:31) 7-J.Kapinos punts 41 yards to DAL 46, Center-61-B.Goode. 84-P.Crayton to GB 47 for 7 yards (41-S.Havner). PENALTY on DAL-98-C.Johnson, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at DAL 47. Penalty on DAL-85-K.Ogletree, Illegal Block Above the Waist, declined.

Too bad the Packers weren't able to run out the clock after the INT. But I point this play out because it was the second special teams penalty by Dallas DE Curtis Johnson in the 4th quarter.

(:42) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short right to 11-R.Williams for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The 2nd drive in a row where the Cowboys are able to protect Romo and move down the field. It's a good thing they weren't able to figure this out until only 11 minutes remained in the game. And this was the 2nd good game in a row for WR Roy Williams. How come the Cowboys hadn't been able to use his height against shorter CBs until recently?

BTB Game Balls: Falcons @ Cowboys

Aaron Novinger — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:03:57 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Patrick Crayton got his BTB game ball.

Browse more photos »

It's time to hand out game balls for the Cowboys' home victory against the Falcons! We've got one for a player from each unit: offense, defense, special teams. We've even got one for the coaching staff.

Offense

Tony Romo - What Romo did on Sunday was both methodical and amazing. Leading into the game, all the hype centered around the comparisons of Matt Ryan to Peyton Manning. But it was Romo who was the supreme master and commander of his offense. He threw with absolute confidence and was simply on target. That 59-yarder to Miles Austin was a thing of beauty. A deep crossing route is not the easiest of throws, but he and Austin made it look easy.

When the Cowboys pass protect as well as they did against Atlanta, Romo can pick a team apart with deadly accuracy. And when the protection broke down, he made plays with his legs, such as the TD-pass to Patrick Crayton just before halftime. He even scrambled for 31 yards on the day. Amazing improvisational skills, to say the least.

Even more amazing were his passing numbers for the game: 21 of 29 for 311 yards and 3 TDs to earn a whopping 141.6 QB rating.

Honorable Mention: Miles Austin, Flozell Adams

Make the jump to see who else gets a game ball.

Defense

Mike Jenkins - Who can make a tackle off the corner? Jenkins can. He proved it from the get-go by bringing down the big, squatty Michael Turner on the Falcons' opening drive. And then later on that same drive, he began his abuse of WR Michael Jenkins by pushing Roddy White into him.

His interception in the middle of the second quarter showed both his physical strength and athleticism. After shoving the other Jenkins to the ground, he jumped in front of White to pull down the Ryan throw. Boy, he's got good hands for a corner, and he really brings it in run support. The argument can be made that he is the best CB on this team.

Honorable Mention: Gerald Sensabaugh, DeMarcus Ware

Special Teams

Patrick Crayton - After Allen Rossum got knocked out of the game, coach Joe DeCamillis sent both Crayton and Terence Newman out to return punts - with Crayton the deep guy. Crayton took a vicious hit on his first return, but gained some positive yardage. On his game-sealing 73-yard TD return, Newman had a great block that popped Crayton loose. They make a great tandem together, and Crayton shows a nice burst of straightaway speed.

After the Chiefs' game, the chips were down for Crayton. He responded like a veteran on Sunday in both the passing game and on special teams. Well done.

Honorable Mention: Pat Watkins, Nick Folk

Coaching

Jason Garrett - With the Cowboys down 3-7 in the second quarter, Garrett did what every offensive coordinator should do when your team has momentum: go for the throat. DeMarcus Ware's strip of Matt Ryan had the Falcons reeling a bit, and then Garrett called the Romo to Austin 59-yarder. On that play, just like in the rest of the game, the Dallas backs handled the blitz pickup with fervor.

Garrett had his entire unit ready to pick apart the young Atlanta defense. And until late in the game, he did most of it through the air because they were taking away the running game. Instead of stubbornly sticking to his RBs, he went with his hot QB/WR combo and it paid off.

Honorable Mention: Wade Phillips, Joe DeCamillis

Who gets your game balls?

The VRR: Dallas Cowboys Turn in a Productive Bye-Week of Practice

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:05:59 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

One tiny move or shift in weight distribution could be all the Cowboys' pass rushers need to get to the quarterback more often.

Browse more photos »

Apparently, the Cowboys have had an impressive practice week.

Coach Wade Phillips said Thursday's practice, the last of the bye week, was very brisk. The team didn't practice in pads, but Phillips said the players acted like they were getting ready for a playoff game. He said it was one of their best practices.

"I thought the players were really into it," Phillips said.

For the last two days, the Cowboys worked on the game plan for the Atlanta Falcons, who they play Oct. 25.

Paying attention to detail has been the focus this week for the defense.

Phillips didn't want to bore fans with details of the long Tuesday workout, but they sounded like offseason chatter. How much weight is that pass rusher putting on his front foot? Is he taking the right path to the quarterback?

"Those kind of details that make you get to the quarterback half a step quicker," Phillips said. "It makes a difference."

More VRR after the jump.

(cont.)

The tiniest details matter to a defense puzzled by an inability to stop teams late in games. The Cowboys are among the statistical leaders on defense and have been downright dominant at times in all five games. But they let the Giants drive to a winning field goal on the final drive, gave up a huge play late for the decisive score against Denver and let the woeful Chiefs go the length of the field for a tying score.

At the same time, Dallas stopped Kansas City twice in overtime, including a possession that started at midfield and went nowhere before the Cowboys answered with the winning touchdown.

Felix Jones hopes for a strong return in preparation for the Atlanta game.

"You have to be careful with the intensity level," Jones said before practice.

Jones has missed two games since the knee injury on Sept. 28 vs. Carolina and is working toward running at some point this week. He wants to practice fully next Wednesday, but understands its a delicate process. The Cowboys have a bye this Sunday.

"It can be frustrating, but you've got to take it as it comes and roll with the punches," Jones said, "And try to come back and make a difference and come back stronger. That's how I deal with it and stay on the field next time."

The "ginormous" game Miles Austin produced against the Chiefs is in the past. The humble WR is now ready to move on to continue to improve as a player.

"It felt good at the time," Austin told reporters in Irving. "It felt good the day after. I might have let it linger for two days. I'm not going to lie to you. But I put things past me easily. I don't get overwhelmed easily. I'm really over it. I'm ready to practice this week. And I'm ready to play again."

[snip]

"I always need to get better, every day, always, regardless," Austin said. "But I always knew I could play.

So did Bill Parcells. Impressed by Austin's size and speed, Parcells put the Monmouth (N.J.) alum on the Cowboys' roster in 2006 as an undrafted free agent. Injuries played a role in Austin having only 18 catches for 354 yards and three TDs through his first three seasons. Still, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones liked Austin's potential as a playmaker enough to release Terrell Owens after last season.

Randy Galloway ponders whether Dallas will take a more aggressive approach on Draft Day 2010, in regards to the wide receiver position. In the past, the team has shied away from such names as Randy Moss to avoid taking on the personal issues associated with the player.

Even without the "issues," the Cowboys have remained adamant in refusing to hone in on receivers on draft day. Some of that involves money, but sometimes, it’s bad luck or bad info.

Steve Smith in Carolina, they loved. But he was passed over because of physical concerns. Wrong, of course. Nine years later, Smith had one season of major injury problems — 2004.

The one somewhat recent miss the Cowboys probably regret the most was Greg Jennings, great player, great citizen. Green Bay, picking one spot ahead of them in the 2006 second round, grabbed Jennings. The Cowboys ended up with tight end Anthony Fasano, who is a marginal player, but in Miami. Many other missed names are playing elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys hope they didn’t screw up on Roy Williams, and hope that Miles Austin becomes a Drew Pearson non-drafted miracle.

Jerry Jones says no to switching up the coaching staff this season.

"Under no circumstances would I make a change," Jones said on his radio show Thursday. "We've got a chance to get a lot of things done and we've got a lot of football left to play and we've got some good people that not only can play it, but coach it."

Hat tip to mdlusk for the FanShot.

Eastern Illinois to honor Tony Romo this weekend.

Tony Romo is going back to Charleston, Ill. as he will be included in EIU’s Hall of Fame Class of 2009. Romo is scheduled to attend the ceremony at halftime of Eastern Illinois’ Homecoming game against Tennessee Tech at O’Brien Field.

We know about Romo and Jason Witten's friendship. Could Tiger Woods be the third b.f.f.?

On Monday night, Tiger joined Dallas quarterback Tony Romo and right end Jason Witten to watch the U2 concert from a suite at Cowboys Stadium. Lead singer Bono even shouted out the trio during the show.

DeMarcus Ware has his own new friendship/mentor in former Cowboys' great Charles Haley.

A few feet outside the locker room, close to a water fountain, Ware and Haley talked pass rushing. They simulated moves, inside and outside. They talked about hand placement and using power at times, instead of speed all of the time, to get to the quarterback.

"We talked about some of the things I should be doing that I wasn't doing," Ware said. "You look at the tape and it was true. Sometimes, I needed to be a little more aggressive."

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement could work in the Cowboys' favor in retaining the rights to DeMarcus Ware.

Per the guidelines of the current CBA, which expires at the end of the 2010 season, a significant change takes place if the agreement enters its final season: Players who would be unrestricted free agents entering the final year of a CBA must have at least six accrued seasons. If they have less than six, they can only qualify for restricted free agency – a far more stifling designation. (An accrued season is when a player gets paid for a minimum of six games while being on the active, inactive or injured reserve portions of the roster.)

That means players like Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware and San Diego wideout Vincent Jackson won’t be able to sign elsewhere unless another team is willing to give up some form of compensation for them. Dallas could tender Ware a one-year deal that would require a team to surrender a first- and third-round NFL draft pick if it wanted to sign him.

Scout.com did a Q&A with kicker Nick Folk. I found this little tidbit of information interesting.

Thompson: I know you were also a punter in college. Are you unofficially or officially the backup punter for the Cowboys?

Folk: Officially, I am the backup punter. I am on the depth chart. In camp, they gave me one punt during the team period just so I could get a feel for it--and that was it. That’s all I’ve really done in a while. I don’t practice it too much. If I need to, I can fill in for a game. I just have to make sure I stay true to my form and I think I would be a decent punter for half of the game if that’s what’s needed--but I’m hoping we don’t need that.

Official Dallas Cowboys "this", official Dallas Cowboys "that". Mmmm, guacamole. Because of the new stadium, Cowboys' sponsored products are all the rage.

Finally, I'm sure many of you have heard about or seen the Burger King commercial on FOX that pokes fun at our Cowboys, and comes stupidly close to slandering Jessica Simpson. Well, our own Mike Fisher authored his criticism of the commercial on his website, dallasbasketball.com, and even drew up his own Cowboys' caricatures to rival those so simplistically portrayed by BK's artist(s). Check 'em out.

The VRR: Cowboys Can Build on Winning Record During Bye Week

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:00:47 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Winning is always going to make a guy want to jump for joy. But for Marion Barber and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys, they've got to use the bye week to get healthy, regroup, and field a better team on October 25th.

Browse more photos »

By no means, was yesterday's win at Arrowhead Stadium perfect. If you would have told me on Saturday that Miles Austin would catch 10 balls for 250 yards and two touchdowns, I would have had visions of 40-burgers bouncing in my head. Instead, the Cowboys were forced into overtime by the winless, rebuilding Kansas City Chiefs.

October 25th and the Falcons will be here before we know it, which means the Cowboys can't be whistling dixie too long. Instead, maybe the old Johnny Mercer tune would be more appropriate: "You've got to accentuate the positive...Eliminate the negative."

A win is a win is a win. But, the Cowboys have plenty to improve upon.

The win came after a myriad of Cowboys errors, including 13 penalties for 90 yards, a missed field goal attempt, a dropped punt by Patrick Crayton, numerous dropped passes and several poor throws from Romo.

Whether Miles Austin's big day propels him to starter status or not, Wade Phillips says his role in the offense will be increased.

"He did the things we thought he could," Phillips said. "You're not going to make 250 yards every time, but he's going to have a chance to make big plays again."

If Austin is a starter, it would likely be at Patrick Crayton's spot even though Austin replaced Roy Williams Sunday. With a $45 million contract, it would be difficult to sit Williams for sure.

More VRR after the jump.

Tim MacMahon says that maybe Austin "ought to stay in the starting lineup".

He made key plays on every Cowboys scoring drive. He had catches of 18 and 37 yards on the drive that got rid of the goose egg on the scoreboard before halftime. His most acrobatic catch probably came on a throw behind him in the middle of the field, a 9-yard gain on third down that extended Dallas' first touchdown drive.

He made another leaping grab, this one on the sideline for a 34-yard gain, to set up a field goal early in the fourth quarter. And the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Austin twice turned short passes into long touchdowns (59 and 60 yards) by breaking tackles and bolting through the secondary with the game on the line.

"He proved that we can count on him in the clutch," said quarterback Tony Romo, who threw for 351 yards despite the fact No. 1 receiver Roy Williams stayed in Dallas to nurse his injured ribs. "We can count on him when it counts."

Overall, it looked to me as if Tony Romo's accuracy returned. Though, QB#9 seems more enamored with the team's resiliency.

"The guys just really, they battled so hard this week and went through a lot of junk with a lot of different things," Romo said. "To come out here and to get down the way we did, it would have been very easy to have said 'OK, hang it up,’ or just tone it down or whatever. And we didn’t do that. That speaks a lot about a football team and about this team. I think there’s a lot of resiliency out here and there’s a lot of competitive individuals and games like these. ... There are going to be a few of them this year, but if we can continue to do this, I like our chances the rest of the way."

Jason Witten was screamin' and yellin' yesterday. You go, team captain!

Beginning with the very first drive Jason Witten showed how fired up he was for the game. He exchanged heated words with Chiefs coach Todd Haley following an early penalty, and later barked at Romo when the Cowboys had to burn a timeout. Even Mat McBriar got some of it, Witten letting him know the ball needed to be snapped sooner when the Cowboys had to call a timeout as the play clock ran down before their field goal try.

The consistent play of Tashard Choice will also give the coaching staff something to think about during the bye week.

The Chiefs were also burned for two long runs by another similarly unheralded player, Dallas running back Tashard Choice. He scored on a 36-yard run and also ran for 24 yards, setting up the winning touchdown.

"We were going for the ball, trying to strip the ball out of his hands," Chiefs safety Jarrad Page said. "When you do that, you don’t completely focus on the tackle and getting the guy down. That’s when things like that happen."

Sure, the defense has given up scores late in the team's two losses, but the unit came up huge in overtime.

"I think it was a must-win, especially going into the bye week," said linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who recorded his first two sacks of the season. "It’s a feeling of relief because you see the identity of your team and I’m talking about the defense today. Some of the past games, we’ve lost in the end and it’s been on us. Now, we got the offense back the ball and they scored."

Patrick Crayton and Nick Folk may not be happy with their special teams performances, but NT Jay Ratliff helped that unit out big time with his fourth-quarter field goal block.

Despite his 6-4, 303-pound frame, Ratliff hurdled Chiefs deep snapper Thomas Sam Gafford to get in position for the block.

"I never tried it before," Ratliff said, deflecting credit to his teammates and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. "It was just watching film and listening to what coach Joe D said and then executing the plan."

If you want to watch the victory again and again, here are NFL GameDay's video highlights.

And...SBNation's history department celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Herschel Walker trade.