SB Nation - Martellus Bennett

Cowboys @ Saints Injury Update

Aaron Novinger — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:04:05 -0000

DeMarcus Ware's status for tomorrow night's game against the Saints is still uncertain. He looks like a game-time decision. Both he and FS Ken Hamlin are listed as questionable.

Jerry Jones on Ware:

"The good news is that, aside from his soreness, he certainly does physically have the ability to play," Jones said. "We'll just determine that as to how he’s feeling at game time."

Wade Phillips had hoped that Ware's status would be determine before the Cowboys left for New Orleans. That didn't happen. Ware is listed as questionable for Saturday night's game against the Saints.

Make the jump for the rest of the injury report.

DC.com on Hamlin:

Hamlin had limited participation all week in his return from a high ankle sprain. Though questionable, head coach Wade Phillips has seemed confident Hamlin would play for the first time since Nov. 15. Alan Ball has been starting in his place.

Strong safety and the Cowboys' leader in special teams tackles, Pat Watkins, is out with his sprained knee. He is not expected to be back during the regular season.

FB Deon Anderson, probable, did not go at today's walkthrough practice due to illness, but he is expected to play.

TE Martellus Bennett (concussion) has returned to practicing a full basis, but is not eligible to play until next week. He will be out against the Saints.

CB Terence Newman (knee) and SS Gerald Sensabaugh (thumb) are also still listed on the injury report, but are fine and will continue to start.

As for the Saints' injuries:

DT Sedrick Ellis (knee) looks like a game-time decision for now; he has missed two days of practice this week.

CB Jabari Greer (groin) will be out.

K Garrett Hartley (hip), OT Jon Stinchcomb (knee), TE Jeremy Shockey (toe), and DE Bobby McCrary (back) all returned to practice yesterday and are expected to assume their normal roles.

Here are the rest of their injured:

Receiver Lance Moore (ankle, hamstring) and tailback Mike Bell (knee) practiced fully.

Ten other players were limited -- tailback Pierre Thomas (hip), guard Jahri Evans (foot), guard Carl Nicks (back), offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod (thumb), center Jonathan Goodwin (ankle), cornerback Tracy Porter (knee), safety Usama Young (hip), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (knee), linebacker Scott Fujita (knee) and linebacker Marvin Mitchell (hamstring).

The VRR: Cowboys Hope to Tell the Saints it Ain't Happening

Aaron Novinger — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:21:53 -0000

More photos » by Sean Gardner - AP

Could it be a scary night for the Cowboys in the Louisiana Superdome? Not if they play like a playoff team.

Browse more photos »

Dome, dome, dome, dome...

When the Cowboys travel to the Superdome to face those undefeated Saints, who have the number one offense in the league with the number one QB in the conference, they must go in thinking two words: "UP" and "SET".

The home loss against San Diego last week was a heartbreaker, but Dallas now has this one last chance to play up to the level of one of the league's top teams - the elite team in the NFC, in fact. A win can do wonders, but it won't be easy. The dome teams are doing quite well this season.

This year, three indoor teams have either secured homefield advantage for at least one game or are on the verge of doing so. The Colts, Saints and Vikings should soon consume both two No. 1 seeds and the NFC's No. 2, respectively.

Times may have changed but it remains to be seen if these teams aren't haunted by their indoors postseason history. The Colts are 4-3 in home playoff games, the Saints are 2-3 in the Superdome in the postseason, and the Vikings are just over .500 (5-4) in the Metrodome come playoff time.

This season, the three teams are a combined 37-2 overall and own a perfect 20-0 inside their domes.

More VRR after the jump.

Sure, they face an undeated team. But the Cowboys are also trying to prevent a three-game losing streak. Just win, baby!

Snapping out of this skid will be tough. Dallas is headed to New Orleans for a Saturday night game against the undefeated Saints and a Superdome crowd that's sure to be, uh, boisterous. The Cowboys could lose that game and still get in the playoffs. But a third straight defeat would clinch a 13th straight December without a winning record and would leave them ripe for a knockout.

"We're not down, we're not out,'' receiver Roy Williams said Tuesday. "We're still going to play. Got a tough week this week and a bunch of naysayers around the country, but in this room, we know what we can do.''

A victory could be the springboard they need. A 3-0 finish is the only way the Cowboys are guaranteed to salvage the division title.

Like the great competitor he is, DeMarcus Ware wants to play despite soreness in his neck.

"Just taking it day-by-day and go from there," Ware said before practice on Tuesday morning. "Neck is a little sore right now so you have to be cautious with that. But at the end of the day, treating it and trying to get ready for this week."

[snip]

Ware said the injury scared him, but will do whatever the doctors say before getting back on the field. "It's really important," he said about listening to the doctors.

"Since not only are you talking about the team standpoint of being able to go out there and make plays and try to win a game this week. But also you got to think about the player's health. He can go out there and he might get paralyzed, hurt himself even more. Which one is more important: longevity or right now."

If DWare can't go, it will be interesting to see how well rookie Victor Butler handles his first starting gig in the pros.

"With D-Ware, you lose a leader," said the 22-year-old linebacker. "Not only a verbal leader, but he leads by example. With a guy like that out, you just have to step up everywhere. Special teams have to step up, individual guys have to step up to make the team better — myself, Steve Octavien. Guys have to step up and elevate your level of play."

While Martellus Bennett (concussion) will miss another game, Ken Hamlin has returned to practice and should get the start in New Orlearns.

Phillips said he believes Hamlin, who calls the defensive signals, will help the Cowboys make adjustments against the Saints' complicated offense. However, Phillips acknowledged that it could be difficult for a safety missing a month to return against the NFL's top-ranked offense.

"I don't think he'll make any mental mistakes back there," Phillips said. "Physically, how quickly he'll react to things and get back in the swing of it, I don't know for sure. I think he will, but he may be a little rusty."

The Saints' RB/PR/WR, Reggie Bush, could give the Cowboys headaches if they're not ready for his unique skill set.

The Saints may be targeting the nickel linebacker or the nickel cornerback. So Bobby Carpenter and Orlando Scandrick must be ready to chase the former Heisman Trophy winner in pass coverage. On first downs, when the Cowboys are in their conventional 3-4 defense, the Saints may decide it's a safety's turn to cover Bush. So Ken Hamlin or Alan Ball may wear the bull's-eye.

If the Cowboys go light Saturday night and lean on their nickel and dime packages out of respect for the NFL's third-ranked passing attack, the Saints may opt to hand the ball to Bush. Few are better in the open spaces a spread formation creates. Bush rushed for 83 yards on six carries against the Rams.

Against the high-scoring Saints, the Dallas offense needs to make plays to stay competitive. Other than Miles Austin, Felix Jones is a player who can score from any point on the field. But that doesn't mean the Cowboys will use him more than Marion Barber.

The Barber of September is better than the others but not the Barber who is in the midst of another three-month slide. A year ago, Barber ran for 311 yards with 4.4 yards per carry in the first four games and 574 yards with 3.4 yards per carry for the remainder of the season.

He is on the same path this season and has been at the center of costly plays in each of the last two games: a lost fumble late in the first half of the loss at the Giants and failing to score on three tries from the 1-yard line in Sunday's loss to San Diego.

Jones is going in the other direction, averaging five yards over his last 36 carries. He has the big-play capability that the pedestrian Barber lacks. The Cowboys have been reluctant to use Jones for more than about 10 carries per game out of concern he will break down.

Nah, there won't be much difference in the backfield. Look for the Cowboys to try to control the ball some with Barber. Yes, they need points, but they also need to keep Brees and the offense off the field.

Phillips was asked if he's considered reshuffling his running back rotation in an attempt to spark the team. Starter Marion Barber failed to get in the end zone against the Chargers despite three carries from the 1-yard line in the second quarter.

"Marion ran the ball really hard and really well except we didn't get him in on the goal line," said Phillips, who essentially blamed that failure on the offensive line. "Those plays down there dropped his average (to 3.4 yards per carry) or he would've had a big average... I don't know that that's really the answer."

Nick Folk's recent failures have David Buehler thinking about his long-term career goals.

"Eventually, to have longevity in this league, I need to be able to kick field goals," Buehler said. "I'm not going to be a kickoff specialist my whole career. So I need to fine-tune that and be able to be a reliable field-goal kicker."

Buehler said he's been kicking a few field goals in practice, but not many and not as seriously as he needs to now.

"Most of all, it's mental," he said. "I mean, going out there and getting back into that rhythm and doing the consistent motion every single time. ... I'm going to be there if need be. Who knows when they'll need me, if they'll need me at all."

DC.com posted an interview with K David Buehler here.

The Tony Romo of old VS the Tony Romo of today.

In four December contests last season, Romo threw five touchdowns and was intercepted six times. Through two games this month, he's thrown five touchdowns without a single interception.

Since his poor outing in Week 2 against the Giants, Romo has thrown 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions while averaging close to 280 passing yards per contest. Friends, that is flat-out elite quarterbacking.

Alex Marvez lists Miles Austin as his third biggest bargain player in the NFL.

Miami and the New York Jets should be kicking themselves. Neither franchise signed Austin to a tender offer as a restricted free agent when he could have potentially been lured away from a Cowboys team with cap challenges. He drew interest from the Jets before they backed off, while a Dolphins front office that comes largely from Dallas should have known Austin was set to blossom in his fourth NFL season. He has already posted career-highs in catches (52), receiving yardage (928) and touchdowns (9) while becoming QB Tony Romo's favorite wide receiver.

Austin is playing under a one-year, $1.545 million contract that would have required any suitor to surrender a second-round draft pick if the Cowboys didn't match a tender offer signed elsewhere. Austin will never come as cheaply again to other NFL teams or, for that matter, the Cowboys.

This is the last week to vote for the Pro Bowl. While DeMarcus Ware looks like a shoe-in, these other Cowboys could use a few more votes.

Sam Hurd is second among special teamers, while Miles Austin and Deon Anderson are third at wide receiver and fullback. Tight end Jason Witten, tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode, inside linebacker Keith Brooking, kicker Nick Folk and punter Mat McBriar are fourth at their positions. Safeties Ken Hamlin (free) and Gerald Sensabaugh (strong) are fifth.

No sign of nose tackle Jay Ratliff in the defensive tackle race, which is somewhat surprising.

Here's the link to the official Pro Bowl Ballot.

Updating the Pacquiao/Mayweather venue fight.

No definite venue has been agreed upon although reports are that, among those bidding, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is the frontrunner. Texas' Dallas Cowboys has made a strong $25 million dollar bid to steal it away, but MGM is said to be putting together a deal that will reach over $30 million.

The VRR: DeMarcus Ware is the Dallas Pass Rush

Aaron Novinger — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:03:56 -0000

More photos » by Michael Thomas - AP

To win the third-down battles on defense, the Cowboys could use more pass rushers to help out the secondary.

Browse more photos »

DeMarcus Ware's injury in yesterday's game scared many of us, but it's now not seen as something too serious. In fact, Coach Phillips said in his press conference today that Ware is considered day-to-day. That's great news!

Having been released from the hospital with what is considered a sprain at the base of the neck, Ware is feeling much better and could be back soon.

"There is a possibility - again he came back a lot better today," Phillips said. "He was let out of the hospital early last night. He came back a lot better today so we will just have to see."

Though it is a shortened week because Dallas travels to New Orleans for a Saturday night game, Ware has yet to be ruled out. That's even better news for the Cowboys. Going up against the number one rated passer in the league in Drew Brees, they will need all the pass rushing help they can get.

Hat tip to OCC for the FanShot.

So what happens if Ware is not able to go on Saturday? The team could very well look to rookie Victor Butler to start.

The 6-2, 246-pound Butler has three sacks in limited playing time, all of which have come late in games. Phillips said the rookie, who played defensive end at Oregon State, is still learning the Cowboys' scheme and adjusting to playing outside linebacker.

"He's not a real big guy," Phillips said, "so that's part of it, too."

With or without Ware, I think we can all agree that the Dallas pass rush is rather inconsistent. Until recently, Jay Ratliff and Keith Brooking had been getting a rush up the middle. Perhaps Stephen Bowen can play a more prominent role against the pass-happy Saints.

If Ware is out, who is going to demand double teams? It's time for Anthony Spencer to step his game up one more level. DWare may make the game, but he'll be banged up. I saw Spencer maul the Chargers' tackles at times, yesterday. Although both the Saints' tackles are listed at 6-5, 315 lbs., Spencer brings a strong power rush.

Like Coach Phillips said, Butler is not too big a guy; and neither is the other option: Steve Octavien. He's more of a LB in the mold of Al Singleton instead of a DE/LB tweener like Ware and Spencer.

Whoever it is must be able to cover, too. Both RBs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas each have caught more than 30 receptions.

Speaking of covering - what's up with the third-and-longs? The secondary could definitely use some help on passing downs. Can't blame it all on the lack of a pass rush, but something's got to not give.

For the season, Cowboys' opponents have converted four times in seven chances on third-and-12, an abnormally high rate. In the last five games, Cowboys' opponents are 11-for-34 on third-and-eight or longer, also higher than the league average.

In other injury news, SS Pat Watkins sprained a PCL in yesterday's game. He is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. That's a big blow to the special teams coverage units.

TE Martellus Bennett will return to practice, but is not expected to play until the Redskins game.

FS Ken Hamlin will also return to practice this week. His status will probably depend on whether he participates fully or on a limited basis.

Phillips put the blame on the offensive line, not Marion Barber, for coming up short on the goalline.

"He hit it up in there good, but there was somebody there that we felt we could have come off and blocked. They played it a little bit different from what we had seen, but it wasn't that much different. We felt like we should have scored.''

Here's what Jason Garrett had to say about the series.

"Those were three different plays,'' Garrett said. "We had knocked them off the ball fairly consistently on that drive. Logic tells you we should be able to do it again."

"They did a good job making the stand.''

Week 16's Cowboys @ Redskins matchup will remain on Sunday Night Football.

The NFL and NBC have decided that Week 16 game between the Cowboys and the Redskins will remain in prime time.

Coach Joe DeCamillis is Cool with Romo Holding

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:34:28 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Anything else I can do to help, Coach?

Browse more photos »

Yes, Tony Romo's old-but-new job as holder is the talk of the town. Special team's coach, Joe DeCamillis, is impressed not only that Romo volunteered for the position, but also at how "smooth" a holder the quarterback actually is.

DeCamillis, who didn't have a lot of options outside of McBriar, was impressed that Romo was willing to offer his services.

"To me, that just shows what a competitor he is and how much he wants to help our team win," said DeCamillis. "He had a bad experience, and he really wants to help us out and help us win games. That's a real pro."

More after the jump.

Todd Archer reports that Romo and Coach Joe D talked about his potentially taking over holding duties on the plane ride home from the Giants' game.

DeCamillis said he studied all of Romo's holds in the 2006 season before they worked on it Wednesday.

"He's very natural with his hands and he's an upright target, so [snapper L.P. Ladouceur] can look back and there's a big target to hit," DeCamillis said.

"He's very smooth and to be honest with you it doesn't shock me one bit but it really was his idea. It wasn't my idea. We talked about it but this shows me what a competitor he is and how much he wants to help the team win because he had a bad experience and he really wants to help us out. That's a real pro to me. That's a huge boost, in my opinion, of him not that he needed one but he got one from me."

Hat tip to Fernie67 for the link.

In injury news today, FS Ken Hamlin (ankle), and TE Martellus Bennett (concussion) were held out of practice again. Both are still looking doubtful for Sunday's game.

The good news is that FB Deon Anderson did return, though he was wearing a sleeve on his knee. His return will be important for the Cowboys' heavy packages if Bennett does not go.

One other injury note: Terence Newman's knee checked out.

CB Terence Newman underwent an MRI for an undisclosed knee injury he sustained in the 31-24 loss to the Giants. The test came back negative as no structural damage was found. Newman practiced Wednesday and should be ready to play on Sunday against the Chargers.

In Coach Phillips' presser today, he was adament that rookie TE John Phillips will be ready for an increased role. The mood surrounding Bennett's concussion lightened when Coach was asked about if he had seen a specialist yet.

"Oh, he's already done that," Phillips said. "Of course, we kid him obviously...the old joke, you know. X-rayed his head and they didn't find anything."

Judging by the laughter in the room and the smile on Phillips' face, Bennett's absence this week seems precautionary and in line with the league's trend of protecting concussed players from returning too soon.

Speaking of Coach Phillips, not all Cowboys' fans love him, but the players do - even those who play for the Chargers.

Phillips, the San Diego defensive coordinator before taking the Cowboys job in 2007, is getting nothing but love and respect from his former players.

"I love Wade. Love and respect," said Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who echoed sentiments of a number of his teammates to the media earlier this week.

Cowboys Injury Update...and is Romo the New Holder?

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:03:07 -0000

Wednesday's practice showcased quite the surprise on special teams. Don't look now, but Tony Romo could be the Cowboys' new holder come Sunday.

Hat tip to what_the_crap for the FanPost.

From Nick Eatman:

Although head coach Wade Phillips joked that it would be a "game-time decision" to have Romo take over the duties, he all but pegged the quarterback for his new role.

"We let him hold today quite a bit to see how he did," Phillips said. "And (special teams coach Joe DeCamillis) was very impressed. We felt like he would be. Tony is a pretty good holder."

Make the jump for Wednesday's injury update.

The Dallas injury list has grown with the addition of TE Martellus Bennett's concussion suffered in the Giants' game, and both FB Deon Anderson and CB Terence Newman have soreness in their knees.

FS Ken Hamlin also did not practice today because of his high ankle sprain, which makes it doubtful he will return in time to take on the Chargers.

From the ESPNDallas blog:

As for the injuries, Phillips didn't think safety Ken Hamlin (ankle) would return for Sunday's game against the Chargers. Fullback Deon Anderson (knee) could practice tomorrow.

As for backup tight end Martellus Bennett (concussion), things are little uncertain, though Phillips was hopeful the second-year man from Texas A&M might practice.

But, Bennett was having some physical problems. He hurt a shin in the Giants game, and then suffered a concussion somehow.

"He came in and said he was kinda foggy and his eyes hurting," Phillips said.

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)

Browse more photos »

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.

Patrick Kerney Subtly Swings into Irrelevance

John Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:40:20 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Above we can see where the blitz broke down.

Browse more photos »

That drive was another pin in the Seahawks hopes. Seattle barely budged the ball before Jon Ryan and Seattle's coverage unit combined to undo the Seahawks field position advantage. The resulting drive would sap what was left of Seattle's comeback chances.

Marion Barber scurried for six and Tony Romo converted the first on a pass to Martellus Bennett. Seattle, for its part, put a lick on Bennett: Aaron Curry standing him up and Jordan Babineaux delivering the blow.

Then, for a brief shining moment, Darryl Tapp nearly undid a half's worth of damage and put Seattle back in the lead. It was another moment where Seattle missed by inches. Tapp rushed around left end and forced back Flozell Adams enough to block out Romo's preferred throwing lane. Tapp jumped as Romo motioned and Romo tucked before taking another attempt. The ball sailed behind intended receiver Roy Williams, but where a good break nets a pick six, Josh Wilson skidded and the pass proved too errant. Ironically, an accurate pass results in a pick six.

Then the wheels came off. Seattle was attacking and Romo forced consecutive offside penalties to convert the first. Penalties would decide this drive.

Lawrence Jackson moved into right defensive tackle alongside Tapp, and stopped the next two plays near single-handedly. He tackled Barber after two and read and reacted to a draw and curled in to stop Barber for a loss of one. Jackson has looked every bit the end I wanted him to be: aware, active, athletic and everywhere.

From the official NFL rule book:

Actions that constitute defensive pass interference include but are not limited to:

. . .

(e) Cutting off the path of a receiver by making contact with him without playing the ball.

This play pissed off a lot of Seahawks, but the ruling was justifiable if not maybe right. Marcus Trufant was attempting to curl underneath Miles Austin's deep route. Jordan Babineaux was to play over top, though he clearly wasn't deep enough and would have been beat on a clean throw attempt. Trufant curled into Austin's route. The contact looked incidental, with Trufant clearly not attempting to cut off the path of Austin, but he did cut off the path of Austin and Dallas got the call. So it goes.

In the same play, but of less interest, Nick Reed dropped into cover and was literally stride-for-stride with Patrick Crayton. That a player - and damn Crayton is slow.

Seattle cued up a Marshall seven-man blitz and forced an incomplete.

Seattle sent Josh Wilson on its next blitz and Deon Grant hit Crayton to force an incomplete.

Third and 9: Miles Austin for 16. This was a failure of pass rush. The blitz design was..not so good. One could see it working, but there was one major flaw inherent in its design. Perhaps this graphic can illuminate what I mean. For sake of clarity, I'll only show the key players.

You'll have to excuse me if that's too subtle, for I am a humble caveman confused and frightened by your modern world. It's a perfectly cromulent blitz design and swinging Patrick Kerney across the line should give him a strong matchup against the left guard, but Kerney is far too slow to get into the action before Romo finds an open receiver. This will rile some feathers, but do not be surprised if Seattle drafts a defensive end in the first round of next year's draft.

Cory Redding and David Hawthorne combined to delay the inevitable. Redding created the pressure and Hawthorne hit the ball out of Jason Witten's hands. A play later Roy Williams palmed the ball into the end zone and the Seahawks fell behind by two scores to end the half.

Seattle got the ball back and ran a simple run to kill the clock. The fun was over. The third quarter awaited.

David Hawthorne: Pretty Boy-seeking Missile

John Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:14:04 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Jordan Babineaux showed great spacing by consistently hitting his man before the first down marker. Felix Jones was able to spin through for the first.

Browse more photos »

Today I finish up with last weekend's game notes. I rewatched the second quarter last night and I had an absolute blast. Here are my notes and highlights.

We left off with Seattle pulling close on one of those Greg Knapp third-down deep passes that drive folks crazy. A block in the back penalty would pin Dallas at their eight to start the next drive. Things looked up. Seattle needed its defense to hold field position and get Matt Hasselbeck the ball back.

Miles Austin responded with a beautiful catch on the right sideline. He was double covered and reached out nearly out of bounds to grab the ball. It's worth noting that Austin looked every bit the real deal, exploding out of the blocks and running tight routes.

That got Dallas out of jail. On the next play, Dallas pulled out its left side and directed fullback Deon Anderson at right end Darryl Tapp. Tapp has to win this, but doesn't and that allows Felix Jones a clean release through the hole -- Flozell Adams and Kyle Kosier blocking into the second level. Adams destroyed Aaron Curry and Jones was picked his way towards the third level. Jordan Babineaux hit him before the marker but Jones twisted for the first. It could have been worse. It should have been worse.

Brandon Mebane pressured up the middle and Leroy Hill was in position and aware of the pass on a high floater that overshot Martellus Bennett.

Dallas again targeted the Seahawks right side and doubled to stampede through Colin Cole. Deon Grant was controlling the right end and made contact with Jones at the line, but Jones spun right through Grant's tackle and reminded me again why I've stumped so vehemently for him to be positioned at free safety. Ken Lucas made a saving tackle that forced third down after a gain of nine.

Marion Barber converted the first. He was the up back.

Seattle overloads the right and Curry comes free around right end forcing Tony Romo up into the pocket. Seattle struggled with getting edge rush but failing to establish interior pressure, but this time Red Bryant plows through the right guard and forces and incomplete pass. Babineaux can be seen covering Jason Witten streaking up the right hash mark. However Seattle did it, the Seahawks shut down Witten.

Well, mostly. Patrick Kerney was taken down and that tripped Bryant and eliminated much of Seattle's rush. Cory Redding got a parting shot, but the pass was accurate and Witten received for 18.

David Hawthorne is an excellent blitzer, a stand out blitzer from the mike position. Seattle dropped its right end and overloaded the offensive right, but it wasn't a team effort that felled Romo. The goal was to free Hawthorne. Curry and Redding attempted to engage and force the Cowboy interior offensive line left. That plan was for Hawthorne to rush unabated between right guard and right tackle. Instead, Marc Colombo was squatting in Hawthorne's rush lane and Heater had to power through the giant right tackle to sack Romo. He did. That is a big league sack and Heater a major addition to Seattle's pass rush.

Romo scrambled for ten to put Dallas back into a manageable third down. Nick Reed was pwned.

The drive concluded when Lawrence Jackson pressured Romo and forced an incomplete attempt to Patrick Crayton. The resulting missed field goal put Seattle in business at their 38. Grand opening. Grand closing.

What is Wrong with Seattle's Secondary?

John Morgan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:56:22 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Jim Mora cut his teeth coaching Seattle's secondary. Since his arrival, Seattle's secondary has been an awful mess.

Browse more photos »

David Hawthorne shot the gap and tackled Felix Jones for a loss of three. It was the kind of quick turnaround Seattle needed to escape a potentially damning fumble. Then everything crumbled in front of Seattle's high priced secondary.

Roy Williams ran a ten yard curl and ran off Marcus Trufant. Tru was caught in his backpedal and Williams was wide open for the reception. Trufant managed to wrestle him down before the first, but Dallas was left with an easily convertible first and back in field goal range.

The Cowboys motioned Miles Austin into the backfield, using Marion Barber as the up back. They ran a toss sweep off of right end. Seattle's linebackers fought off and broke through Austin's lead blockers, but Austin exploited a crack to effort past the line. He was upright and exposed and stumbling through the marker when Jordan Babineaux sunk his helmet into his arms and popped the ball from his grasp. Seattle failed to recover. The play was called back on a Martellus Bennett hold.

Dallas was third and eleven and either about to pass or about to run and settle for the field goal. We know how this ends.

Seattle's persistent third down futility reminded me of something Brian Burke wrote in an email exchange.

My theory is that this may be why run defense appears so unimportant. Say teams are not operating at the game equilibrium, and passing is, on balance, a more lucrative strategy than running. In other words, there really is a considerable passing premium where the payoff for a pass is generally higher than a run, all things considered.

Having a good run defense would therefore be somewhat self-defeating. Take the 2007 Vikings defense that gave up only 3.1 yards per run (good) but 7.0 yards per pass (bad). Facing such a solid run defense, a good offensive coordinator is forced to pass more...which would be a far more effective thing to do in the first place, especially against a relatively weak pass defense. A team like the 2007 Vikings would essentially be forcing their opponent to unwittingly play a more efficient and effective strategy, all the while exploiting their own weakness.

Seattle's ability to force third and long by stifling the run game was undermining the overall defense. It's maddening. It's infuriating watching Patrick Crayton run past the marker and quick-curl without a man within three yards of him. Deon Grant was assigned over coverage and dropped deep. Josh Wilson was assigned under coverage and played the passing lane. Romo effortlessly split the two and found Crayton for 16 and the first.

The Cowboys reset with Austin in the backfield and Barber again the up back. This time Austin was a decoy. Leroy Hill chased him into the right flat, but Barber had the ball. Babineaux, David Hawthorne and Aaron Curry controlled the interior gaps and Babs shot up and tackled Barber after two.

Seattle blitzed five, dropping right defensive end Darryl Tapp into cover, and Curry closed on Jason Witten before he could receive. Witten twirled and juggled and dropped the ball.

It was again third and long. Seattle rushed seven, Trufant covered Austin, Austin initiated contact and Trufant was flagged for pass interference. A play later, Barber ran off right tackle for the touchdown. In seven plays, Seattle had forced two third and longs, it had forced a fumble it couldn't recover and a hold that negated the play, but it couldn't defend the pass. Why can't Seattle defend the pass?

Cowboys Tuesday Tape Review -- The Boxers Are Starting to Punch a Bit

Rafael Vela — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:31:28 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

The Seahawks made the ankle tackles Sunday, but Felix Jones has been this close to several explosive runs lately. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Browse more photos »

Notes from the Seattle Win:

They Study This Stuff

Last month the Broncos hit the Cowboys with the best running play I've seen all year. Denver ran a weakside trap where they double-teamed the weakside DE with a guard and tackle and brought their H-back, who started the play on an overload next to the tight end, across the backfield to kick out Demarcus Ware. When blocked properly, it created a wide diagonal lane between the DE and OLB for Knowshon Moreno. It gained between eight and fourteen yards the four times Josh McDaniels called it.

The play worked in part because Ware was going upfield at the quarterback. The underneath drag by the tight end is a common pattern and Ware probably figured it Kyle Orton was setting him up for a bootleg.

The NFL is a copycat league. Sunday, Seattle tried it. This time, Ware closed down on the line and stuffed Julius Jones for no gain. That said, I would be very surprised if Jason Garrett, a copycat himself, doesn't try calling this play against the Packers, the next 3-4 team on Dallas' schedule. Dallas has the ideal tight end depth to make it work and big play backs.

The Felix Package Is Starting to Deliver

Slowly, but surely, Garrett is unwrapping that big box of Felix Jones toys the team asked the press to keep under wraps back at training camp. Against Atlanta, he used the power I pitch to Jones, where Marion Barber lined up as a fullback in a seeming pro-set, with Tashard Choice as the halfback. Jones started in the slot, then motioned to the I-back position and took a Tony Romo pitch. Later, Garrett called a rocket pitch to Jones in a 3rd and 2. This time, Barber was the fullback in a traditional I with Jones as the I-back. Romo faked a dive to Barber and pitched to Jones, who outraced the defense end to the sideline.

The inside action was designed to draw the DE and OLB inside and make the pitch a simple matter of speed for Jones, who gets no pulling linemen to lead interference.

Sunday, we saw one of the Jones pass plays unwrapped. At the Seattle 38, Dallas deployed in a two tight end, one back set, with Patrick Crayton lined up as the split end left and Miles Austin right, flanking Martellus Bennett and Jason Witten, who were parked outside RT Marc Colombo. Jones was the lone back behind Tony Romo.

Before the snap, Witten flexed to the flanker position wide right, with Austin moving to the right slot between him and Bennett. The shifting caused confusion in Seattle's secondary. Corner Marcus Truffant took Witten and the strong safety came up to cover Austin. The Seahawk linebackers all pointed to their left, towards, Austin and Witten, thinking they were going to run a combination pattern. At the snap, they the LBs all slid to the strong side.

Romo dropped to pass and Bennett stayed in to block, giving the impression that Dallas was going to run a three man deep pattern combo with maximum protection. Witten and Austin both ran hard up field, as did Crayton against Ken Lucas on Dallas' left side.

The primary, however, was always Jones, who released late and cut to the left sideline. He caught Romo's short pass in stride with only a linebacker in pursuit. Felix was yards clear and ran 20 yards upfield before Lucas peeled off of Crayton to challenge him. Jones ran over Lucas and his late stiff arm caused the corners helmet to hit the turf, knocking Lucas from the game.

The play was simple to execute and deadly in effect; clear out a side, put Felix in isolation against a linebacker in a flat and let his speed do the rest. I wonder what present Jason and Felix will unwrap this week?

Safety in a Zone

Last Thanksgiving Seattle rookie tight end John Carlson burned strong safety Keith Davis. The line: six catches for 105 yards. Sunday, Carlson, an emerging star, had modest production: three catches 36 yards. The difference was strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh, who shows us on a weekly basis what a coverage safety means to a secondary. Sensabaugh can find a ball and close on like a receiver. Were he not encumbered by a heavy wrap on his broken thumb, he would have several picks. He's tracked three passes into his hands in the last two games but dropped them all.

He'll face another big challenge this week in Eagles TE Brent Celek, who likes to get upfield. Dallas has bracketed Tony Gonzalez and Carlson the last two weeks, leaving the corners in man. With DeSean Jackson on the menu this week, Sensabaugh will have to cover a lot more alone. He seems to be up to the coverage part of the equation. The catching part?

Throwing Haymakers

The Cowboys offensive line has been a counterpunching group thus far this year, with lead draws and counters as their staple runs. Against the Seahawks they lined up and barreled straight ahead a lot more than normal, with third TE John Phillips as the lead blocker most of the time. Phillips is creating a niche or himself as a blocking F-back, freeing Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett to run patterns upfield.

Dallas ran several isolations in the fourth quarter, with Marion Barber and Felix Jones breaking a few for ten yard gains. Most of these calls were for Jones, who was a missed ankle tackle way from an explosive run on two of these plays. Watch this development going forward.