SB Nation User Blog: dunkman

The case for a coaching change

dunkman — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:24:29 -0000

Most of you know that I am among the first to defend Phillips and the coaching in general, but I think I'm officially off that wagon, unless you guys can talk me back on.

Surprisingly my issue is not the loss, which I fully expected, but rather the QB call. Brad is washed up. He is no longer an NFL QB, which pains me to say. So here's my beef:

- How can you not know your backup sucks harder than a Hoover on shag?

- How can you watch Johnson play the Rams and Tampa Bay game and not turn the ball over to Bollinger?

- If you thought you were going to give BJ the hook if he struggled, how do you not get Brooks ready to play?

The ridiculously cautious, conservative approach he took was exactly the opposite of what was called for to (1) give his team a lift going into the bye week (or is that "bye-bye week"?) and (2) your only chance to beat one of the better teams in football. Instead he played it just like he does with 3rd and long - four man rush and DBs playing off.

I finally get it, Wade Phillips lacks the heart to be a HC and his team has taken his lead. Don't ask me who takes over. I don't really care at this point.

Poll

You are now King Jerry. Do you:

Fire Wade now and made Redball the acting HC?

27 votes

Fire Wade after the season and make Redball your new HC?

8 votes

Go after Cowher and let them both go?

44 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed

Still Reflecting on Tony Romo

dunkman — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:42:52 -0000

Maybe this shoulda gone into Fanshots, but I never really got that whole thing.

Saw this article from ESPN. I know that are others on this blog who moonlight as NFL QB scouts and can afford to ignore stats in favor of the much vaunted eyeball test, so I thought I'd go ahead quote some folks who didn't blog here so much.

"I talked to Tony about what I did to play with the thumb,'' Favre said. "Everyone is different and the two injuries are different, so only Tony knows. I will say this: Not only do I think he's tough, but I think he's also one of the top five playes in the entire league.''

But he's no hall of famer, at least not until after his retirement, so I looked elsewhere.

Over the last several weeks, there's always the debate - who do you take, Brady or Manning?" Aikman said. "Somewhere in there is Tony Romo... why is anyone reluctant to put Romo up there with those guys?"
"He's playing at as good a level as anyone in the league. Granted, you have to do it over a period of time. I get that part. But he's a terrific player."

Nah, he only QB and won three Superbowls, plus maybe he's an uberhomer.

You can include Roger Staubach among the Romo believers. “Tony is a talented kid and very competitive,” Staubach said. “I like everything I see about him. ...

Nope, Roger never was Landry's favorite and his stats were probably the result of good players around him. Next please.

Simms argues that Tony Romo is a very special QB who continually makes plays. Versus the Eagles, Simms counts no less than 8 fantastic plays he made. He does it on his own, says Simms. He adds that Romo is a terrific thrower of the football, with an underrated (strong) arm.

A former Giants QB and SB winner. That oughta innoculate one from homer accusations. Or not.

So finally I turned to Mike and Mike (Golic and Greenberg, ESPN). Maybe I'll update after downloading the podcast, but Golic's litany of Romo's accomplishments as a starter were more than impressive. He was a top QB (better than 10) in every QB category - winning percentage (I want to say best in the NFL over than period), yards, TDs, TDs over 20 yards, plays over 20 yards, completion percentage. Pretty much all of it. Tune it in if you get a chance. I'm on kitchen pass so no tanscription from me.

So I ask myself, "Self, why do even self-avowed Cowboys fans copmplain about Tony Romo? He wins games, he puts up impressive numbers, the very best to play his position love his game, he's a good guy." So here's my answer to the unanswerable. Let me know where you stand:

1. His technique and play is unorthodox. People still can't understand how he gets it done

2. People read and listen too much to sport media, whose job it is to make money not provide truth.

3. The possibility that some day his turnovers are going to wreck the season is enough to ignore all the rest.

4. Some people really do believe that they can ignore stats, results and the assessment of experts in favor of some mystical "gut feeling"

It's time we admitted it... the O-line is killing us

dunkman — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:13:59 -0000

There were enough mistakes to go around today. Special teams weren't all that special. The defense took winning situations and snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. J-W dropped first down passes. Stewart forgetting to blitz on the Cards 2nd and 15 from the 10 yard line is now the biggest choke joke. And the dude who blockes for punts is dead to me. But in the end... the O-line was exposed for the third straight week.

Flo is making me regret the wasted O-line drafts for the past three years and his re-signing this year. His new nickname in my house is now and siempre "El Matador". Every week the coaching staff has seemed to fix the gaffs fromt he week prior, but Houck has his work cut out for him. And if they don't fix it, say good bye to the Cowboys for another season.

I'm not hearing apologies to TO yet...

dunkman — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:15:52 -0000

I'm sure most of you heard by now why Owens was emotional on the sidelines last Sunday.

"I was playing with a heavy heart," T.O. said. "Everything that happened on Sunday, I had talked [about with] my pastor Anthony Gardner out of Philadelphia the night before the game. When I got emotional, it was an anointed emotion, is what he explained to me. When it happened, I knew it was going to happen. He told me the night before it was going to happen, so when I went to the sideline, the emotions hit me."

But what I haven't heard is any regret for all the ridicule he received.

If nothing else, it should remind everyone that what we know about players and situations is incomplete and unfair conclusions often follow.

Dale Hansen, you listening?

The Romo Bandwagon - Join Me

dunkman — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:11:34 -0000

I have hard nothing today - from Cowboys fans, media and haters alike - that Tony Romo is inconsistent, mistake prone and erratic. I decided to look at the numbers because it just appeared to me that the criticism is getting out of porpoertion to the supposed problem. This is what I see from the conductor's seat of the bandwagon...

Romo is:

3rd in the NFL in passing yards (the offense runs off him)

5th in passer rating (so much for "not all that")

Tied with Peyton Manning in interceptions (and only one more than the other rating leaders)

10th in passing percentage (so much for erractic and inaccurate)

Tied for second in TDs (and that's with Felix and MBIII carrying a load)

So what exactly is Tony Romo doing that has people falling off the wagon like free gin at an AA meeting?? All I can imagine is that (1) we have set the bar for him so high that with every passing game (pun intended) we expect perfection. And Tony is not that guy - not Steve Young, not Troy Aikman. He's more like Favre or McMahon. He'll take chances and by definition some won't pan out. But there's not another QB I want on my favorite team. And (2) He didn't come from USC or THE Ohio State University.

If you like you some Eli, there's a link for the Big Blue View. Have at it.

Two things!

dunkman — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:44:20 -0000

No one has talked about two things outside this sphere. At least not much.

(1) I could be wrong, but didn't Jason Garrett out-fox the old defensive genius Jim Johnson? He not only had a great game plan for the opening, but seemed to have anticipated what JJ was going to do after the half and had his adjustments ready. Remarkable.

(2) 247 yards. That is an INCREDIBLE number even for a kick returner, and especially for a rookie in his first national audience game. Heard almost nil about El Gato and his remarkable game.

Poll

Which unnoticed performance did it for you?

Jason Garrett beating Jim Johnson at chess?

27 votes

El Gato racing unnoticed into Cowboys history?

24 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

Mike Shanahan ruminates on Romo

dunkman — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:29:48 -0000

I didn't see much notice taken of Shanahan's comments on Tony Romo. I found it fascinating. I respect his opinion as much as any coach out there today, so it carries a lot of weight with me. Instead of the usual "He's a nice player", you get insights like this:

Romo is reading coverages unbelievably. I admire how quickly he reads coverages and gets the ball to the right spot. He is going to have a heck of a year. You could see it out here today and yesterday.

Although he continues to improve his game, that has always struck about his play - the ability to go through his reads quickly and accurately. Bledsoe had a rifle for an arm, but especially later in his career just didn't seem to be able to do that. And of course we all know about Tony's unique physical abilities:

I see a difference just watching (Romo) play last year. He plays with a lot of confidence, he knows where the ball is going and if something breaks down he has the ability to make a play on his own. He can throw the ball at all different angles and he is a heck of a weapon

Heads Up Grizz!

dunkman — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:11:27 -0000

I know this isn't strictly speaking a football post, but it deals with our Czar of Cowboys, our Diva of Dallas.

I really don't mean to alarm you this early in the morning, but... reports from around Atlanta indicate that bubbas from all over the state are converging on your home city. Apparently they are alarmed by reports that Russia has invaded Georgia. I heard they were thinking about cancelling the Falcon's preseason games just to be safe.

Keep your head down. Or, ummm... up. You know. Be safe.

Can everyone do me a favor?

dunkman — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:51:37 -0000

Please, please, please don't respond to the troll known as half pint or whatever. The guys is 12 years old, lives in grandmother's basement and has never actually watched a football game.

I know I have violated the Fanpost code of honor or whatever and expect the Fanpost Gestapo to descend on me at any moment, but could we just maybe try this?

Thanks.

Oh, and ummm.... what do you guys think about Roy Williams?

Poll

I hereby Pledge

To ignore trolls like Half Pint

54 votes

To engage in meaningless debates with ignorant, prepubescent trolls like Half Pint

12 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

An NFL Exec's take on Romo

dunkman — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:10:53 -0000

I'm sure a lot of you read this assessment of Tony Romo. By now most of us are pretty happy with the newly franchised QB for America's team. Still, I found a few interesting items. What struck me was how certain he is about what the Cowboys found, which runs counter to so many less informed "analysts" we hear carp about players inability to be perfect...

First, who is Michael Lombardi? Yeah, not Vince's son. But he describes his resume.

I have been an NFL executive for over 20 years,working for Bill Walsh, Marty Schottenheimer, Ernie Accorsi, Bill Belichick, Jon Gruden, Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Mike Shanahan.

And what about Tony?

I think Romo is one of the top quarterbacks in the league and feel he will continue to improve.

And how close did Tony come to residinig in the great Black Hole of the NFL?

When I was with the Raiders, Jim Harbaugh our quarterback coach loved Romo coming out of college. He wanted to pick him in the fourth or fifth round.

He goes on to detail Tony's stats and accomplishments in high school and college and finishes sincerely with this

Read that bio, add in the fact that he is a scratch golfer, competitive and you have to ask, what more did he have to do to get drafted? I admire the Cowboys scouting staff for signing him and still pissed off I did not know enough. How many scouts have since changed their reports on Romo?