SB Nation User Blog: Rafael Vela

DeCamillis Serves Up Cowboys Blue Plate Special Teams

Rafael Vela — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

I LOVE blocking field goals! Yeeeeaaaaah! (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Yesterday I awarded mid-season game balls to the assistants. Today, I'm singling out Joe DeCamillis as the coordinator of the mid-season. No slights are intended to Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett, who have their units on the upswing, but the degree of improvement on the special teams units has been too extreme to overlook.

Sadly, DeCamillis had a low standard to outperform. Bruce Read's 08 groups were bottom third or bottom quarter in almost all categories. They lost the Cardinals game, surrendering a kickoff return touchdown on the game's first play and a blocked punt touchdown on the final snap. They allowed crippling, game-changing returns at critical times. A botched 3rd quarter punt woke up a slumbering Steelers team and started their 4th quarter comeback.

Read's guys always appeared to play defensively, worried about blowing a lane assignment or taking a penalty. Joe D's guys have regained the swagger last seen in Joe Avezzano's heyday.

Let's begin the appraisal with a review of last year's red zone performance. The Cowboys defense gave up touchdowns less frequently than it did in the 13-3 '07 season. It nevertheless gave up a lot of points, allowing a league worst 26 red zone field goals. The team's awful kickoff and punt coverage groups left opponents numerous short fields. They didn't get seven points that often, but it didn't take much to claim three points.

The Cowboys missed Mat McBriar, whose foot was broken on that blocked punt in Arizona. Sam Paulescu's gross punting average was 41.8 yards and the average return was 6.6 yards per punt. This year, McBriar's net is 41.8, meaning the Cowboys opponents are starting almost seven yards farther away from the end zone than they were last year.

That number doesn't describe McBriar's full value. He has 20 punts downed inside the 20 this season, ranking 3rd overall. What's more, he has just one touchback, meaning his directional kicks are finding either the sideline or the arms of his gunners. No team has been more effective at pinning opponents inside their red zone than the Cowboys.

Dallas has seen a similar improvement with kickoff coverage. The team did not have a single touchback last year,the only team without at least one. New kickoff maven David Buehler has seventeen already. The opponents average starting spot is the 24. Last year, it was just a hair inside the 30.

Joe's guys are DeCamillisizing the enemy on both punts and kickoffs, giving them 75 to 80 yard field to traverse. Those long fields have made a significant difference. The '08 team was much better in yardage rankings compared to this year's team (299 ypg for the '08 D through eight games, versus 337 ypg this year) yet this year's defense is much better in scoring (23.0 ppg. in '08 compared to 19.0 this year). This year's number, as I noted last week, has been inflated by seven Dallas turnovers inside its own 30 (average starting spot, the Cowboys' 18) which have been converted into 41 points, an average of 5.1 points per contest.

Field position matters. This year's team has given up six red zone field goals, on pace for a 50% reduction from '08.

And we have yet to examine the return games. Dallas has doubled its punt return average, jumping from a pedestrian 8.0 yards per return to just over 16.0 yards a return. Patrick Crayton ranks second to Cleveland's Josh Cribbs in punt return average for players with ten or more returns. The Cowboys rank second as a team.

The Cowboys have also generated big plays defending kicks. Gerald Sensabaugh blocked a field goal in Tampa and Jay Ratliff may have turned the season when he blocked a Chiefs field goal late in the 4th quarter, when the score was tied at thirteen. He set the stage for the Miles Austin Show, Episode One.

Dallas does have room for improvement. The Cowboys have not found a kickoff return setup which works, despite rotating wedge formations, wedge players, and kickoff returners. Felix Jones, Miles Austin and Kevin Ogletree have all had their shots, but it appears to me that the blocking is the area in need of repair. Fans were quick to question Jones' health after his poor returns in the Eagles game but a review of tape shows he had nowhere to go. The Eagles have very good coverage units and they had Felix surrounded on nearly all his attempts.

But who wants to nit-pick? After years of average to abysmal special teams, its exciting to see units which have the power to turn games as much as the offense or the defense.

That first decisive win could come Sunday, against a Packers team which has struggled covering kickoffs and punts all year. It may be their turn to be DeCamillisized.

The Cowboys Win the Second Quarter

Rafael Vela — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:46:02 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Kevin Ogletree is the latest find from The Playmaker Maker, Ray Sherman. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Browse more photos »

We're at halftime of the '09 season and the Cowboys enter the intermission on the high, winning their fourth straight game, rising to 6-2 overall.

The jump was no fluke, as these tables demonstrate:

Offense

Games 1-4	Games 5-8
24 points per game	30 ppg.
401 yards per game	408 yards per game
164 rush ypg.	115 rush ypg.
237 passing ypg.	294 passing ypg.
6 turnovers	5 turnovers

Defense

Games 1-4	Games 5-8
19.5 ppg.	18.5 ppg.
371 ypg.	302 ypg.
115 rush ypg.	91 rush ypg.
256 pass ypg.	211 pass ypg.
6 sacks	15 sacks
4 turnovers	7 turnovers

Steady improvement across the board. The offense was producing yards in bunches and has continued, though the mix has shifted from the run to the pass. You can see the Miles Austin effect in the passing yards per game, which have jumped almost 60 yards per contest since Austin became a starter.

The defense has been much tougher to run against and to pass against, though the turnarounds on that side of the ball came much earlier. No team has run effectively against the Dallas front since the season opener in Tampa. The low point for the pass defense came the following week when Eli Manning ripped them apart. The secondary has steadily improved since then.

The weakness has been inability to close out games, though they made the necessary stops against the Eagles Sunday night. The Chiefs drove for a late, tying touchdown, and the Falcons and Seahawks each put garbage-time TDs on the board. If this unit wants to improve in the third quarter, the 60 minute men we just saw will have to replace the 55 minute men on a more consistent basis.

What a Difference Some Health Makes

One year ago, the Cowboys were coming off another tough, 4-point win and were at a very respectable 5-3. That's the only real similarity between the '08 bunch and this one.

On last year's offense, Kyle Kosier, Felix Jones and Sam Hurd were already gone for the year. Tony Romo was rehabbing his broken pinkie for the second of four weeks. Flozell Adams was playing with one good arm and one good hand. Miles Austin was rehabbing a bum knee for the second time since Oxnard; new Cowboy Roy Williams was learning the playbook and how to fit in with that Terrell Owens fellow. His QB was Brad Johnson.

On defense, safety Roy Williams had just been placed on I.R. Adam Jones was suspended. Terence Newman was rehabbing from hernia surgery and Anthony Henry was on his 19th nervous groin strain. Zach Thomas was playing one inside linebacker spot and looking like a human pinball at 227 lbs.

The injuries this year have been far less severe and of much shorter duration. Marion Barber and Felix Jones have missed games but are back in the lineup. Roy Williams rib injury proved the happy accident that forced Austin into the starting lineup. On defense, Gerald Sensabaugh missed some time with a broken thumb, but has played remarkably well since returning with that thumb in a splint.

There's only one games worth of difference between last year's Cowboys and this year's bunch, but it seems like so much more.

Mid-Season Game Balls

I'm going to crib Aaron's idea and note the coaches who have distinguished themselves thus far this year:

Todd Grantham -- It's not Jay Ratliff and a bunch of guys anymore. Igor Olshansky and Marcus Spears are pushing their men backwards and resetting the line of scrimmage on wide runs. Stephen Bowen has stepped up his pass rush, as has Jason Hatcher. Junior Siavii was a big question mark but he's giving Dallas the active dozen or so snaps they need to rest Ratliff.

Reggie Herring -- Anthony Spencer is still looking for sacks but he's extremely active against the run, covers well, and is doing a fair Carl Banks impersonation in his second year as a starter. Herring has gotten Victor Butler to perform. He has three sacks in very limited time and could match Greg Ellis' '08 sack totals with a modest uptick in production.

Dave Campo -- His guys looked great in the Alamodome, then all stumbled against the Bucs and Giants in weeks one and two. Nobody is ripping him now. Mike Jenkins was the first to snap out of the post-Giants funk and has three interceptions at right corner. He looks like an emerging star. Terence Newman has a newfound desire to hit people and is no longer giving up the deep throws we saw the first month. Orlando Scandrick found his game last weekend and had another good game this week. The Seahawks and Eagles each completed a seam on him but Scandrick had skin-tight coverage on both plays. This is the guy we saw last year.

First Half Assistant Coach of the Year

Ray Sherman -- The Cowboys keep giving this guy low picks and undrafted free agents and Sherman never complains. He just develops his kids and they're making him look great right now. Austin has made plays for a full month now and his bomb against a tough Eagles secondary suggests he's won't disappear. Kevin Ogletree showed an Austin-esque ability to rack up YACs against Philly. Look at his two flanker screens from yesterday and you see a guy who attacks corners and safeties like a halfback. He's got some power and can slither and spin. Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd pick their spots, but at least one of them makes a big play each week.

Sherman has three UFAs, a 7th rounder and a 1st rounder in his arsenal. They're all producing. A nod of recognition and gratitude goes Ray Sherman's way. If Michael Irvin was The Playmaker, Sherman could be called The Playmaker Maker.

Special Mention to the Front Office

The Cowboys didn't spend much in the offseason, but their investments have paid huge dividends. Bart Scott and Ray Lewis were the big ticket ILB free agents. Dallas was linked to Lewis for a while, but what Cowboys fan wouldn't want Keith Brooking right now? The Ravens wish they had his contract, instead of Lewis' long-term monstrosity.

The Cowboys passed over big-name, greybeard safeties Brian Dawkins and Darren Sharper and brought in Gerald Sensabaugh. Dawkins and Sharper have given their new teams huge boosts,but it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their level of play for 16 games. Sensabaugh has filled the need at strong safety, combining solid coverage with aggressive run support.

Dallas' biggest move involved scaring the Jets off Miles Austin. New York had an offer sheet prepared but didn't follow through after the Cowboys made it clear that they would match any offer. Think the Jets would prefer Austin today, or Braylon Edwards?

The team paid small money and has seen big results from Austin, Brooking and Sensabaugh. Their plan to eliminate the malcontents and the stupid has done nothing but good thus far. A tip of the cap to Tom Ciskowski, Stephen Jones and that Jerry Jones guy.

Now, get back to work!

Understudy Sunday: the Cowboys Outslug the Eagles 20-16

Rafael Vela — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:23:59 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

I only need one catch to break your Eagles hearts -- this one! (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Browse more photos »

And the reserves shall lead them.

The Eagles tried to take Dallas' big play makers out of the game last night and succeeded, for the most part. Jason WItten didn't make any big carries. Miles Austin was near invisible for 55 minutes. The running game produced in spurts.

While the Cowboys big names fought their big name Eagles counterparts to stalemates, the understudies, the situational guys, the rotation rookies, shouldered the load. An understudy honor role:

-- Kevin Ogletree had a Deion Sanders-like offensive package. He had maybe three plays on his card, and he made them count. He ran a reverse for a sizable gain on Dallas' first scoring drive and converted two third and longs on flanker screens where he slithered and spun past Eagles defenders.

-- Tashard Choice had his own special package, running the Cowboys' wildcat to great effect. He followed an unbalanced scrum for an easy three yard touchdown to open the game's scoring.

-- Stephen Bowen blew up an Eagles' trap run at him on a critical 3rd-and-3 late in the first half. Bowen kept his contain, knocked the pulling guard backwards, then stuffed LeSean McCoy for no gain. The stop, the first of many by the Cowboys in 2nd, 3rd and 4th-and-short situations, forced the Eagles to accept a field goal, keeping Dallas in the lead at 7-6.

-- Former lead Patrick Crayton made the most of his snaps, running a 64 yard seam route just after the Eagles field goal, pushing the Cowboys halftime lead to 10-6.

-- Rookie Victor Butler continues to make more big plays per down than perhaps any player on the roster. He hasn't seen many plays from scrimmage but he makes them count. He settled the Panthers game with two sacks of Jake Delhomme on that game's final drive. Last night, he kept the Eagles from answering Dallas' late TD and tying the game at 20 a piece.

With the Eagles facing a 3rd and 10 at the Dallas 38, Andy Reid called a two man route, with Jeremy Maclin running a post from the right flanker spot and DeSean Jackson running a crossing route from the split end spot against Mike Jenkins. Dallas was playing man, with free safety Ken Hamlin rotation over to help Terence Newman and Maclin. Strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh was in the short middle as a spy on Donovan McNabb.

McNabb floated away from the Dallas rush and had two apparent options. He could tuck the ball and run for the first down and perhaps a score. Sensabaugh had an angle but he was not going stop McNabb before he gained the necessary ten yards to keep the drive alive.

McNabb appeared to be rolling wide to wait for Jackson, who was breaking free from Jenkins and might have scored had he received the ball.

It was moot, because Butler made a diving tackle of McNabb before the QB could pass or scramble. Andy Reid took a third David Akers field goal with just under five minutes left and Philadelphia never saw the football again.

-- Roy Williams (yeah, he's an understudy too, judging from the abuse he's taken lately) showed he could provide the thunder to Miles Austin's lightning bolts. Williams worked over all the Eagles corners, catching a 20 yard slant in front of Asante Samuel, an 11 year stop fade over Sheldon Brown and a neat 22 yard smoke route past Ellis Hobbs that helped Dallas tie the game at 13-13 early in the 4th. The timing is coming and if we can expect 70-80 yards of dirty work in the short zones and in the middle of the field, Roy Willie will more than do his part.

-- Anthony Spencer continues to do the things that help the Cowboys win, even if he's not putting much ink on the stat sheet. His second quarter inside charge knocked Winston Justice off of Jay Ratliff, allowing the NT to loop wide and sack Donovan McNabb. He had two key stops on the Cowboys' mid-field stand, when the Eagles failed to convert a 2nd and 1 with the score tied early in the 4th.

These big plays by the lesser known Cowboys kept the game tied so the big names, the Romos, the Austins, the Wares and Barbers, could close it out late. Everybody did their part tonight and these wins, the hard, 60 minute grinds over quality opponents, are far more satisfying than the blowouts like last week's.

Notes:

-- Can Tony Romo claim this as a big game? It seems he couldn't claim the Falcons win as a big one last week.

-- Mike Jenkins wears number 21, but his play reminds me of Mel Renfro. He's quick to recover and feels the ball belongs to him once it leaves the quarerback's hand. His bait and pick of McNabb late in the third ignited the Cowboys comeback.

-- Miles Austin's 49 yard game winner may have looked familiar, because it is. Austin ran a slant and go up the left sideline against Sheldon Brown with Dallas facing a 3rd and 13. Brown jumped at Tony Romo's pump fake and Austin got behind Brown. The pump froze Quintin Mikel, who was underneath and the Eagles free safety, who was slow to rotate over. Austin cut back to the center of the field and outraced Brown for the game winning score.

Jason Garrett called this exact same play for Terrell Owens in the first quarter of last year's 41-37 win over the Eagles and T.O. burned Brown and Sean Considine for a long score.

-- The Cowboys used an unbalance line as a changeup against Atlanta two weeks ago and made it the basis of their wildcat set tonight. The Cowboys would flip RT Mark Colombo to the left side, outside Flozell Adams. Leonard Davis was the only lineman to the right of center Andre Gurode, though he was flanked by a tight end. Davis pulled at the snap, and Tashard Choice would follow him and the other four Cowboys linemen to his left. He scored easily behind this stampede from the Eagles' three.

The Anatomy of a Stand

Eagles, 1st and 10 at their own 46. McNabb throws a comeback left to DeSean Jackson, who is tackled by Mike Jenkins at the Dallas 45.

2nd and 1.: The Eagles run a stretch play right for McCoy. Marcus Spears drives Winston Justice backwards and Demarcus Ware stands up Brent Celek at the point of attack, causing McCoy to dither, waiting for a hole. This allows Anthony Spencer to crash down from the backside and drop McCoy for no gain.

3nd and 1: The Eagles line up in an I with two tight ends flanking Jason Peters left. At the snap, Bobby Carpenter crashes the gap inside Peters and spins the OT laterally. Igor Olshansky mashes one of the tight ends backwards. McCoy tries to bull between his TE escourts but is stopped by Spencer, Gerald Sensabaugh and Bradie James a foot short of the yard marker.

4th and a foot: The Eagles attempt a McNabb sneak right. Jay Ratliff wedges between the center and right guard. Spears submarines under Justice and drives him backwards. Keith Brooking flies over the pile and hammers his fists down on McNabb's back. McNabb claims he slid over Justice's back past the first down marker but the officials rule him down where he was when Brooking pins him to his own lineman. The measurement leaves the Eagles a foot short.

Dallas cashed out the momentum. Austin scored four plays later and the Cowboys were gone.

Andy Reid compounded the failure by challenging the call. He was overruled, costing the Eagles their final time out with 10:49 left in the game. He could not stop the clock on Dallas' final drive when Marion Barber was running over and over again.

Enjoy this one, folks. It's a quality win.

Pickin' & Grinnin' Week Nine

Rafael Vela — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:50:58 -0000

More photos » by Bruce Bisping - AP

Fans line up early to see the picks. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Bruce Bisping)

Browse more photos »

We're back, bolder and badder than ever!

Game	Aaron	Dave	Rafael
Cards @ Bears	Bears	Bears	Cardinals
Ravens @ Bengals	Bengals	Ravens	Ravens
Packers @ Bucs	Packers	Packers	Packers
Texans @ Colts	Colts	Colts	Texans
Chiefs @ Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars	Jaguars
Dolphins @ Patriots	Patriots	Patriots	Patriots
Redskins @ Falcons	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Panthers @ Saints	Saints	Saints	Saints
Lions@ Seahawks	Seahawks	Seahawks	Seahawks
Chargers @ Giants	Giants	Giants	Giants
Titans @ 49ers	49ers	49ers	Titans
Cowboys @ Eagles	Cowboys	Cowboys	Eagles
Steelers @ Broncos	Steelers	Broncos	Steelers
Last week	9-4	9-4	10-3
Year to date	77-43	80-40	78-42

The Cavalry Has Rescued Dallas AND Philly Lately. Who Gets Saved This Week?

Rafael Vela — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:30:25 -0000

More photos » by Manuel Balce Ceneta - AP

Will Witherspoon has spurred a major Eagles' turnaround the last two games. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Browse more photos »

The Cowboys and the Eagles

Two bitter rivals, on parallel season tracks. Both opened with impressive wins. Dallas ripped Tampa Bay's suspect secondary. Philadelphia forced seven Panthers turnovers in a walkover.

Both suffered turnoveritis and lost in week two, Dallas in the waning seconds against the Giants and the Eagles in a home shootout with the Saints, who dropped 48 heavy points on their heads. Both suffered painful second losses, with Dallas ending two yards short of overtime in Denver and the Eagles facing the music after an eye-popping and irritating 13-9 loss to the woeful Raiders.

It was the week five games that turned each teams' season around. Dallas found its resolve -- and Miles Austin -- in its sloppy overtime win at Kansas City. The Cowboys got no style points and were abused in the press for "almost losing" to the then winless Chiefs, but the Cowboys level of play has risen dramatically since they escaped Arrowhead Stadium with the W.

Everybody Cowboys fan knows the rest. Tony Romo has regained his zip, the turnovers and penalties have gone way, way down, the pass rush has emerged and the good times have returned, as Dallas has risen from 3-2 to 5-2.

The story is similar in the Eagles' camp. They've patched their mistakes and have also risen from 3-2 to 5-2. Their repair work suggests there is little to distinguish these two teams heading into Sunday Night.

The Eagles faced major injury issues leaving camp. They lost the Andrews brothers, Stacy and Shawn. The team also saw left guard Todd Herremens hobbled by injury. The team has made do on the fly, getting impressive play from RG Max Jean-Gilles, who looked good in '08 before an ankle injury ended his season early, and from Winston Justice, who has been a steady Eddie at right tackle. This is not the same Justice who flailed in his debut at left tackle two years ago, though I do expect Dallas to match Demarcus Ware against him more than usual. (More on this in a moment.)

On defense, the Eagles had to scramble to replace middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, who went on IR after tearing a knee ligament in preseason. The Eagles base 4-3 relies on big MLBs who can mash with centers. Jeremiah Trotter was the prototype at 260 lbs. Bradley weighs 255 and was steadily improving each season.

Philly auditioned several linebackers off its active roster, and brought Trotter out of retirement after Omar Gaither was also lost to injury. Trotter's head and heart may be as willing as ever, but his legs have gone. The Raiders targeted him with lots of tight end crosses in their upset.

That game also brought out the bad Andy Reid. Reid will sometimes fall in love with the pass and forget his running game. The signing of Stacy Andrews in free agency and the trade for LT Jason Peters, a dominant run blocker, were supposed to inaugurate a new era, where the Eagles would hammer the ball behind their massive line, the NFL's largest (Jay Ratliff called it one of the two toughest he's faced) and give Donovan McNabb more support.

That plan was forgotten in Oakland, where Reid again went pass happy early and never came back. He called only 14 runs on his 60 offensive downs, a 24:76 percent run-to-pass ratio.

Pressure focuses the mind. As Romo, Wade Phillips and the Cowboys knuckled down in games six and seven, so did Reid and his Eagles. He's called almost perfectly balanced games the last two weeks, with the run:pass ratio shifting to 51:49. Consequently, his runners have gained over 300 yards on the ground in Philly's two wins.

On defense, the Eagles quickly admitted to themselves that their MLB was not on the roster and worked a deadline trade for former Panthers and Rams standout Will Witherspoon. He has been an instant tonic to their front seven, scoring a touchdown off an interception early in his debut against the Redskins.

The Eagles have regained form with two impressive divisional wins. They've found their play calling balance on offense and their run stopping balance on defense. They're every bit as steady as Dallas. They were ripped for years for saddling Donovan McNabb with pedestrian receivers. Now, they have two speedsters in rookie Jeremy Maclin and big-play man extraordinaire DeSean Jackson, who hasn't found a secondary yet he could not get behind.

McNabb has overcome a fractured rib to post an impressive 9-1 touchdown to interception ratio. They're not beating themselves on offense anymore.

They're taking games away on defense, with a league-best, plus-12 turnover ratio. They got seven opening week and have continued to pilfer footballs. They have a 12-2 turnover edge the last month.

Both teams are in a groove. One may knock the other off-balance, or, we may in due for a classic game.

Key Matchups

Flozell Adams vs.Trent Cole

When Dallas went 13-3 two years ago, Adams shut Cole down. He's the man Cowboys fans love to hate, because of his copious false starts. But when he's on, he can shut down any top rusher. And Flo has been on recently. He stumped John Abraham two weeks ago and has not committed a penalty since K.C.

He's always a liability on the road, because he's deaf in his right ear. This will be his first road game since Arrowhead. I'll gladly take a five yard flag or two if he blocks Cole the way he did Abraham.

Demarcus Ware vs. Jason Peters and Winston Justice.

The Cowboys flop their linebackers a lot, putting Anthony Spencer over the tight end and Ware on the weak side as much as possible. Against Atlanta, they gave the struggling Spencer more rush reps at right end, where he played in college, and it seemed to help him; He looked far more comfortable coming off the QBs weak side and carried that strong performance (he shared a sack and recovered a Matt Ryan fumble) to Seattle, where he showed more power and certainty from his usual left end spot.

The Cowboys will flop Ware and Spencer again, I imagine, looking for Ware's best match-up. Jason Peters has struggled in pass protection, allowing 14 sacks in '07 and '08. He was dinged in the Washington game but returned last week. If Ware gets him early, Dallas may keep Ware on Peters all day. Look however, for the Cowboys to get Ware some early reps against Justice.

Jason Witten vs. Will Witherspoon

The Eagles love to blitz their corners and safeties, meaning WItten will get a lot of man coverage. Look for Dallas to run Witten on deep outs and crosses early, to see how the newbie Witherspoon covers in space.

DeSean Jackson vs. Terence Newman and Ken Hamlin

Jackson is the Eagles' igniter, with six plays of over 50 yards this year. He torched Pacman Jones on a bomb in the week two match-up last year. He got Newman on an early seam route in the season ender which set up the Eagles' second score.

Keeping Jackson in front of the secondary would go a long way towards winning the game, but it's far easier said than done. Dallas will surely give Newman, who has been the targeted Dallas corner lately, help over the top with FS Hamlin. They don't need a big early Jackson pass to help the Eagles off to another quick start.

Miles Austin vs. Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel

The Eagles may roll coverage to Austin's side, but that's not their style. They have two big-money corners and they let them play. Brown has been hot and cold in recent years but he's red hot so far this year. Dallas will likely run Austin at Samuel, who plays the ball-hawk in their scheme. He'll give up some big plays going after picks, and he's good at getting them.

Jason Garrett burned both Eagles corners last year with stop and go moves, taking advantage of their aggressiveness. He may use Austin in this same way Sunday night.

The Dallas special teams vs. DeSean Jackson

He's a deadly return man, but the Cowboys coverage teams have been on all year. The winner of this match-up could tip the game.

Tony Romo vs. Eagles' DC Sean McDermott

Romo in the first games against the Eagles, '07 and '08 -- 79 points, two wins.
Romo in second games vs. Philly '06 through '08 (Drew Bledsoe played the first '06 game): 19 points, three losses.

Romo and his OC Jason Garrett have ripped the Eagles in their first meetings the last two seasons. The Eagles have stopped them cold in the rematches. Will the '07 and '08 templates hold, or will we see a wildly different result?

Dallas Defenders Decry 'Dirty Points'

Rafael Vela — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:59:14 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Offensive miscues like this one have made the defense look bad. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Browse more photos »

73 yards = 41 points

The Cowboys don't have a stellar defense, yardage wise. Demarcus and the Gang rank 22nd overall, and are still trying to overcome the yards they hemorrhaged in the Bucs and Giants games.

They are much better in points allowed, ranking 10th with 19.4 per game, and would be much better if the offense and special teams practiced better ball custody. Consider the short fields the defense has had to defend:

Versus New York

Romo interception returned for a touchdown;
Felix Jones fumbles a kickoff at his own 27. Dallas gives up 18 yards and a field goal.
Jason Witten backheels a pass into Kenny Phillips' hands. New York drives 28 yards for a touchdown
Total -- 46 yards allowed, 17 points

Versus Denver

The Broncos drive eight yards after a Romo fumble for a touchdown.
Total -- 8 yards, 7 points

Versus Kansas City

Patrick Crayton fumbles on his own 22. The Chiefs are driven back six yards and kick a field goal.
Tony Romo fumbles away a center snap. K.C. drives sixteen yards for a touchdown.
Total -- 10 yards, 10 points

Versus Seattle

Romo fumbles a pass attempt on his nine. Seattle drives for a touchdown.
Total -- 9 yards, 7 points.

The defense must hate those last three games. They surrender just 27 yards on four red zone series,an average of 6.75 yards per possession, and 24 points go up on the board.

I understand I'm examining this in a vacuum. It would be very interesting to see how all the NFL defenses would rank if you discounted "dirty points" or awarded the to their offenses. (Maybe deducting them from the offense's point totals might be a more just way of accounting for them?)

Those 41 points are the difference between 19.4 points per game and 13.6 points per game. For arguments sake, that latter number would rank 2nd in the league, between the Colts' 13.0 ppg., and the Broncos' 13.7.

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

Rafael Vela — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:40:52 -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.

Holding Serve -- Steady Wins the Cowboys Another Week

Rafael Vela — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:01:04 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

You cannot excape Bobby Carpenter. You can only hope to survive him! (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Browse more photos »

Some of the older hands here might recall the paradox of women's tennis in the '70s and '80s. It exploded in popularity, despite having little tactical variance of flair. Chris Evert's approach defined the game -- stay on the baseline, hit it down the middle and wait for the other player to make mistakes.

The Cowboys played some Chris Evert football today and it couldn't be sexier. It wasn't Dallas' sharpest game, despite the blowout score. The Seahawks moved the ball. They were fairly effective running the ball. Their defense did not allow the Cowboys' runners to find a rhythm. A greedy Tony Romo pass attempt gifted Seattle a late score.

Still, the Cowboys kept the ball in the middle. They held the point at home, on a week where few of their rivals could do the same. The Cardinals found their old inconsistency, falling at home to the Panthers. The Packers dropped a painful rematch to the Vikings. The Giants gave up another 40 down in Philly. The 49ers again found a way to play just well enough to lose.

As a result, the Cowboys find themselves tied for first in the East, and if the Saints can hold their serve against the Falcons in the Superdome tomorrow night, only two conference teams, those Saints and the Vikings, will boast better records than the Cowboys on Tuesday morning.

We can go through the stats, but a quicker way of assessing Dallas' spot on the NFC totem is figuring out which teams are improving right now and which are frantically bailing water.

In Dallas, all the arrows point up. The defense hasn't had a shut down game this season, but its rush and coverage continue to improve. When Terence Newman records the game's biggest hit and Bobby Carpenter joins Demarcus Ware as a sack leader, you know Wade's guys are headed in the right direction.

Jason Garrett's bunch is also driving steadily upwards. Another pick free game by Tony Romo. The protection was again steady against a blitz-happy opponent. All the backs look as good stoning blitzers as they do carrying the ball. Miles Austin continues to produce. Martellus Bennett is starting to see more balls. Doug Free got extensive work today at left tackle, and intrigued with his play.

The largest leap comes on special teams. David Buehler has perfected the directional kickoff. Returners either kneel down or take their chances against a coverage group that won't let them past the 20. In many cases the returners are lucky to reach the fifteen. The punt coverage units are just as strong. Twice, I saw Mat McBriar boom a high kick which put four men within five yards of the returner upon reception. The average Seahawks punt return today was 3.3 yards. Meanwhile, Patrick Crayton refuses to take off the Devin Hester costume he donned last week. He returned another punt for a score and just missed a third. He finished the game with a cool 29.0 yard average.

This matters because the Packers, Dallas' opponent two weeks from today, lost today because of lousy special teams. Percy Harvin had 175 yards of returns and gave Minnesota two very short fields, which they turned into 14 points. His 48 yard return one play after the Packers had scored 17 straight to pull within four at 24-20 killed Green Bay's momentum late in the third quarter. Bruce Read's '08 units probably cost Dallas a playoff spot when they handed the Cardinals 14 points in a mid-season loss. Joe DeCamillis' bunch hasn't won a game yet, but they look ready to swipe one, if their opponents let them. Lambeau Field looks like a prime target.

In the division, New York's run defense has collapsed, even though the Giants spend a small fortune signing Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard to beef up their line. The Eagles, who forgot how to run the ball in their loss to Oakland, averaged 8.3 yards a carry yesterday. Andy Reid called one of his few 50:50 pass to run games, in part because his fullback Leonard Weaver averaged over nine yards a pop.

Which gets us to the next opponent. Like the Cowboys, the Eagles have tightened things up since the Raiders embarrassed them. All three of their units dominated the Giants yesterday.

Don't expect any cautious, baseline play next week. No returns down the center. These are the two big-play teams, on offense, defense and special teams. Miles Austin? Desean Jackson? Jeremy Maclin? Felix Jones? These guys always go for aces.

Pickin' & Grinnin' Week Eight

Rafael Vela — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:46:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt Dunham - AP

Woo-hoo! We have better job security than most of our team's players! (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Browse more photos »

We're back, with more picks and your weekly cheerleader(s):

Games	Aaron	Dave	Rafael
Browns @ Bears	Bears	Bears	Bears
Broncos @ Ravens	Ravens	Ravens	Broncos
Texans @ Bills	Texans	Texans	Texans
Dolphins @ Jets	Dolphins	Jets	Dolphins
Giants @ Eagles	Giants	Eagles	Eagles
Seahawks @ Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys
49ers @ Colts	Colts	Colts	Colts
Rams @ Lions	Lions	Lions	Rams
Jaguars @ Titans	Titans	Titans	Titans
Raiders @ Chargers	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Panthers @ Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals
Vikings @ Packers	Packers	Packers	Packers
Falcons @ Saints	Saints	Saints	Saints
Last week	10-3	11-2	10-3
Year to date	57-36	60-33	60-33

Austin Helps Romo Regain His Powers

Rafael Vela — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:10:07 -0000

More photos » by LM Otero - AP

Oh, behave, you naughty cornerbacks! (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Browse more photos »

In his Monday column, my buddy Bob Sturm posed a question all Dallas fans have pondered the last year or so:

I think we can all agree [Romo] also once had a groove. In his first 25 or so games in the NFL, he was somewhere between amazing and unbelievable. Then, something happened where he hit adversity and we began to see the weaknesses in his game. And for the last 20 or so starts, he just has not been the same guy who seemed like he played the game with everything happening around him in slow motion. Was something wrong with him?

-- The Morning After: Cowboys 37, Falcons 21

I think I can answer that one. Something was wrong with Tony Romo-- he lost his mojo. He didn't have a number one receiving target.

In those first 25 games, where Romo was playing shagadelic football, he had at least one elite-performing wideout, whom he could trust. I dug out my trusty Scientific Football annuals and looked at the YPAs for receivers who had at least 100 attempts per season. These are regulars, the guys who saw at least half a dozen balls per game thrown their way.

2006

Lee Evans, Buffalo, 10.6
Terry Glenn, Dallas, 10.3
Chad Johnson, Cincinnati, 10.0
Marques Colston, New Orleans 9.8
Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis, 9.8

(That T.O. guy finished 22nd overall, at 8.0.)

2007

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis, 10.6
Terrell Owens, Dallas, 9.7
Roddy White, Atlanta, 9,6
Jerricho Cotchery, N.Y. Jets, 9.6
Randy Moss, New England, 9.3

(Patrick Crayton had a strong 9.5 YPA but didn't have enough attempts to qualify. He also had a dismal 2.8 YPA against elite, red-level CBs, comparied to T.O.'s 9.4. Before I move to my main argument, consider what a healthy Glenn could have meant to the '07 team? Not enough has been written about what the team lost when his knee broke down in training camp that year.)

Now, let's consider what happened in those next 20 games, which coincide with opening day '08 through the Broncos game this year. Romo broke his pinkie, obviously, and lost three games. Even more important, he lost his number one. Roy Williams was imported from Detroit to take the role, but his heel injury took his game away. I've made the point in several other columns, but it bears repeating -- Williams had a 15.4 yards per reception average his first month with the team and shockingly bad 4.6 YPC after he developed plantar fasciitis.

And that T.O. fellow? He lost it, sometime in the fourth quarter of the week two Eagles game. He destroyed Philly's secondary that night but topped 80 yards in just three of his last fourteen games. His YPA dropped to 7.5, which put him in the bottom third of receivers who saw lots of passes.

Romo lost the elite receiving complement to Jason Witten, and his purple mojo flowed away. For the last two weeks, however, Miles Austin has played like Lance Alworth, a pantheon-level number 19. Austin's 16 catches and 421 yards look impressive. In YPA terms, they're just as good.

2009 to date

Austin - 35 attempts, 21,completions, 502 yards, 14.3 YPA
Wiliams - 30 attempts, 12 completions, 230 yards, 7.7 YPA

14.3 is off-the-charts good. Let me be the first to say, however, that it's premature to anoint Miles Austin. The league hasn't had a chance to start game planning to stop him. And he hasn't started a game in the division, where Corey Webster, Carlos Rogers and the Eagles pair of Asante Samuels and Sheldon Brown, all red-level corners in '08, await him. That said, even if Austin drops off a bit, he still could rank among the league leaders in YPA with consistent play.

I also think it's equally premature to put Roy Williams in the Joey Galloway, Cowboys-bust category. A 7.7 YPA isn't great, but it's better than T.O.'s 08 number and there's no reason to expect William's performance to slide any more. A modest improvement would give the '09 pair similar productivity to Glenn's and Owen's '06 numbers.

It's easy to whack at the draft value points lost on the Williams deal with Detroit, and consider what Dallas could have obtained besides. But if you're going to parse that trade, you have to include the value retained by the trade the Cowboys didn't make.

The Jets seriously considered signing Austin, a New Jersey guy, to an offer sheet which would have given the Cowboys New York's 2nd round pick in compensation. The Jets never made Austin an offer, in part because Dallas made it clear that they would do what was necessary to keep him.

Contemplate the damage that deal would have wreaked. The Jets picked 53rd overall, two spots behind Dallas' 2nd round selection. Recall that Dallas traded out of that spot, because all of their primary 2nd round targets were gone. If Dallas couldn't find value for one pick, what would they have done with two? And who could Dallas have pulled out of a subsequent round to match Austin's current production?

You can't judge trades strictly on draft points. You have to evaluate value to the position and to the team. Right now, I think that the value Dallas preserved by keeping Miles Austin outweighs any value the team lost obtaining Roy Williams. And that doesn't consider the value he's has added to his quarterback's game. A guy named Austin has helped restore Tony Romo's powers, and not a moment too soon.

Yeah, baby!