SB Nation User Blog: rhbgsherb

Sometimes losing is a good thing

rhbgsherb — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:23:14 -0000

I hated that game yesterday. I've hated this team for about 2 months now. But, I think losing yesterday was necessary. Going to the playoffs would have made it seem like this team was turning things around. This team has problems that need to be addressed, and a loss like that makes it clear to everyone (I'm looking at you Jerry).

Here's my thoughts:

Wade - I'm not a big fan, but the guy is a good defensive coach (the last two weeks not withstanding). During his introductory press conference he said he'd call the defensive plays; that it had never worked out when he didn't. So what the hell was Brian Stewart doing calling the plays earlier this year?!? Wade - call the damn plays all year long. I also wouldn't be opposed to a change here. This team is too loose. Someone needs to get in Romo's face (hey, Favre needed it too). Someone needs to get in T.O's face. I think coach needs to be a stronger personality than these two.
Garrett - We were all huge fans last year. Obviously his second year (and possibly the last portion of his first year) hasn't gone well. But, he's a smart guy. I think he can fix it. Let's not give up on him just yet.
O-line - I'm torn on this one. When Kosier was healthy, this line was dominant. But without him, they stunk. Does that mean Hudson Houck can't coach or that our backup lineman are that damn bad? I think it's the latter. I think we need a good draft here. I don't think signing free agents to be backups is the way to go.
Nose Tackle - Tank is going to be gone. So that just leaves us with Ratliff. At what point does this team finally address this issue? I'll take a good free agent here and a draft pick. It's time to move Ratliff to end, because...
Trades - I see either Spears or Canty (I can't seem to remember if he signed an extension or not) getting traded, possibly to Miami. Same can be said for Crayton (it's time for Miles Austin to be the 3rd WR). Jerry gave up a bunch of draft picks for RW the WR, so he'll get some of them back through trades of decent guys that have outlived their usefullness. I could also see trading RW the Safety, but...
Safeties - Again, when does this team finally address this issue? Draft somebody! Sign somebody!
Special teams - it's time for Bruce Read to go. Our special teams stink. And tell Folk to work on kicking it out of the end zone next year.
Pacman - sorry, he's got to go. He freelances too much. The defensive backs look confused when he's on the field because he's never where he's supposed to be. I like Scandrick and Jenkins. Let them play.

That's my plan. What's yours?

Random Thoughts

rhbgsherb — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:51:01 -0000

I live and die with the Cowboys. I'm fully aware of my unhealthy obsession with this team. My mood for the entire week pretty much mirrors the outcome of the previous game. I was incredibly depressed last week and it only got worse when TO and Witten started fighting. But after a thorough beat down of the Giants, I'm feeling better. Better, not great. Since I feel pretty even keel, I feel the need to put some thoughts on ~~paper~~ screen.

This defense is playing better than any defense in the league right now. I think they outplayed Pittsburgh's D last week and were better than the Giants last night. Next up, the Ravens D.
It's a travesty if Ware doesn't win D POY in my opinion, especially if he breaks the sacks record.
Unlike many in the blogosphere, I enjoy the MMQB by Peter King. Today he said the following: "I think if you combined Dallas Clark the receiver and Anthony Fasano the blocker, you'd have a Mackey-Winslow type, a player in the argument for the best tight end ever." Peter - that man's name is Jason Witten. The man's a great blocker and a superb receiver. No one plays the position better than he does. Although if he doesn't stop getting dumb penalties I'm going to break my TV.
Everyone has been saying that we could be this year's New York Giants. I'm not saying we'll win the Super Bowl, but let's look at some intesting notes:
- Late season "good" loss against #1 unit that showed they could hang with anyone (NYG - Week 17 vs. Patriots #1 offense; DC - Week 14 vs. Steelers #1 defense).
- Sack clinic on division rival (NYG - 12 sacks Week 4 vs. Eagles; DC - 8 sacks Week 14 vs. Giants).
- Coach on the hot seat mid-season who makes a change that improves the team greatly (Coughlin listens to the team more; Wade takes over defensive play calling).
- I'm sure there's more, but I don't have the patience to do the research...
Did anyone else get upset whenever Barber came into the game? I think he should stay as the backup for now until his foot gets better. Tashard Choice is a stud.
I think I like injured Romo better than healthy Romo. Injured Romo tries to do less and protects the ball better.
Whenever Romo has time to pump fake more than once, you know a big play is coming.
Am I seeing things, or is Miles Austin the only guy you've ever seen that catches kick-offs with his hands instead of his body?
Part of me actually hopes we haven't got the playoffs wrapped up before we play the Eagles. I don't want Wade resting people. We need to keep this train moving. Plus, I live in South Jersey (prime Eagles country) so I'd love to see us going into Philly beat them down to finish the season.
I hate to say it, but I think T.O. will go off again if we lose another game.
Is it just me, or is Romo the worst QB in the league at throwing the quick end-zone fade? That pass to RW wasn't even close last night.
Is T.O. wearing the visor so that it's harder tell him apart from RW?
Strange as it sounds, I never really felt the Cowboys were in trouble last night. Our defense just wasn't going to let anything happen.
However, a team that runs a good no-huddle offense could give us problems.

Ok, I'm done rambling. Yesterday was a great win. Baltimore is a good team that should provide a good test.

Breakdown of Cowboys/Browns Game

rhbgsherb — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:59:51 -0000

ProFootballTalk.com has Ted Sundquist (former GM at Denver) breaking down games this year. His first writeup is on the Cowboys Week 1 game.

It's a pretty interesting read. I always like seeing the perspective of someone that's objective (not that we of this blog aren't objective...ok, maybe we're a tad biased). I tend to think that Cleveland is going to go backward this year, but you never know how the first game of the season is going to go.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/05/ted-sunquists-week-one-scouting-reports-cowboys-at-browns/

Glenn's time limited?

rhbgsherb — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:06:01 -0000

I haven't seen this discussed so I thought I'd bring it up.

Over at ProFootballTalk.com, Mike Florio has a quick blurb and an interesting take on the news that Terry Glenn will be sitting out OTA's this week.

We continue to suspect that the Cowboys are plotting a post-June 1 trade for a receiver, which would allow them to part ways with Glenn without exposing the team to responsibility for all or part of his 2008 base salary if he gets injured during offseason workouts.

I really hope this isn't the case. Who would we be able to get now? The only name that comes to mind is Chad Johnson, and I do not like that idea.

What do you think?

Pacman Issue

rhbgsherb — Fri, 23 May 2008 23:20:20 -0000

A few weeks ago I posted my displeasure for the trends that we've been seeing and my loss of pride in our team. I mentioned my distaste for Pacman Jones and everything he represents. However, I'd like to lend some personal experience to refute just how bad this gambling debt issue is.

Some background...I work at a casino and, while I'm no expert, I see some things related to oustanding markers (let's leave it at that). Given that information, let me give my take on the situation.

First, $20,000 in oustanding markers is NOTHING to a place like Caesar's Palace. When they have meetings to discuss outstanding markers, I doubt they even discuss anything less than $50,000. I'll bet there are 100 athletes and celebrities with larger debts in Vegas (well, 99 after Barkely pays his balance). I'll even bet there are 10-15 NFL players with larger outstanding markers.

Second, this balance was from September 2007. Unless Pacman's lawyer/agent was a complete jerk to the collections guys at Caesars, they wouldn't take legal action on a marker that's been oustanding for less than a year. Everyone around can see that Pacman's going to be reinstated to the league sometime this summer and will begin collecting checks during the season. That's when Caesars would be putting the full-court-press on Pacman for the money knowing he could be suspended again at any time. If he hadn't paid it up after a month or two of regular checks, then I can see legal action, but not before.

My guess? The DA sees he's not going to be able to put Pacman in jail for the club shooting. He's pissed (and rightly so). So, he's using Barkley's situation as an excuse to stick it to Pacman. This whole thing is nothing more than a bad P.R. situation.

If Roger Goodell was looking for an excuse not to reinstate Pacman, this could be it. Most people will see this as being a big issue and he won't take any heat for it.. But really, if this was anyone other than Pacman Jones, it would never have come up.

Ok, that's my take. Now, Deke, Terry and Zak...play nice.

Proud of my team?

rhbgsherb — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:56:41 -0000

I don’t make too many posts on this site. Between my job and my 2 week old son, my time for writing is limited. However, that doesn’t stop me from checking in every day and reading everyone’s opinions. I’ve tried to write a few more detailed items in the past, usually when my emotions over my favorite team are especially strong (i.e. after the playoff losses each of the past two years). This will be the first I’ve actually finished…

Let me start by saying I’m a HUGE fan of the Cowboys. Tony Dorsett was my idol growing up. I remember the 99½ yard run like it was yesterday. I blamed Danny White for every playoff loss in the ‘80’s. I struggled through the 1-15 year and thought (think) the early ‘90’s teams were the best ever. Throughout it all, through the good times and the bad, I’ve stayed loyal.

I believe in second chances. I started as an entry-level shlub at my company and moved up to Director, making every mistake imaginable along the way. I always feel it’s not the mistakes you make once, it’s the learning experience you get from them that’s important. But if you continue to make the mistakes, then we have a problem.

This brings us to our beloved team. Through the thick and thin, I’ve supported Jerry Jones. There are too many teams that worry more about profit than about winning (I’m in Finance so I’m being totally hypocritical here), and Jerry has always valued winning more than anything (and understanding that winning brings in the profits). When he made his mistakes in the late ‘90’s, I chalked it up as a learning experience. When he hired Bill Parcells, I thought “Wow, he finally gets it.”

The first couple of years were good. He listened to Parcells and the talent level improved and the bad seeds left. Then things started to change. First it was T.O. I couldn’t stand him when he was with the 49ers, and I outright hated him with the Eagles (I live in Eagles country, so it was unbearable). He’s made the best of his situation with Dallas, but there’s always a worry.

Then, there was Tank Johnson. I really don’t think Tank is a bad guy. I think he’s learned his lesson. But again, the character issue comes into play.

Now we have Pacman Jones. I don’t care what anyone says, this guy is an ass. He doesn’t get it, and he never will. I don’t care if he does make our team better. I don’t like it today and I’m not going to like it tomorrow.

I wish I could feel that we’re done with this, but we’re not. There are constant rumors about Chad Johnson. I think the guy is funny on his touchdown celebrations, but there is no evidence to show he’s a good teammate (actually, all evidence points to the contrary). I would love to get Anquan Boldin or Roy Williams, but please, no Chad Johnson.

Today, I read this rumor at ProFootballTalk.com. Do you think anyone reads that and doesn’t immediately think Dallas (5 out of the first 10 commenters listed Dallas)? It’s the first thing I think of when I see articles like this.

I personally can’t take this anymore. When does it stop? I love to see my team win as much as the next guy. My wife hates in when Dallas loses because I’m in a bad mood for 4 days. But, in the past few weeks, my interest has waned. For a while, I thought it was just burnout from the season. But when I saw that article today, I realized it’s not burnout. I’m not proud of my team any more. I cringe when I see an article about Dallas, but it’s invariably about some turd that’s linked to the Cowboys in some way.

I’m making an open plea to Jerry Jones. Stop the madness. Winning at any cost is what’s gotten baseball in the mess it’s in. It’s what’s caused ProFootballTalk.com to have a Days Without an Arrest meter that rarely makes it to double digits. There are great talents throughout the league that are also great guys. Everyone wants to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Stop picking the jackasses! While I’m at it, stop looking for the “Wow” factor. “Wow” leads to big names and big egos. “Wow” leads to the New York Yankees having the biggest payroll and no championships. “Wow” is what Dan Snyder does. “Wow” is for guys without a plan. The Dallas Cowboys don’t need a “Wow”. They are the “Wow”. Please Jerry, let me be proud of my team again.

Like I said earlier, it's important to learn from your mistakes. I don't think Jerry has. I feel like this is Jerry "Pre-Parcells" Jones. Taking flyers on guys in the draft. Trading around incessantly on draft day. I'm scared the talent on this team is going to drop because we have too many unreliable guys with bad character and too many guys that only Jerry saw as having great upside.

My rant is now done.

Thank god we don't need a Tight End

rhbgsherb — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:01:38 -0000

We have some good Tight Ends on this team, so we're in no position to sign any free agents. Thank god, because I think talented Jerramy Stevens is free.

According to this Seattle Times article his freedom should be taken away.

This is an excellent article, and one of the most disturbing things I've read in quite a while. It can also be found on ProFootballTalk.com and The Big Lead.

TO's attitude

rhbgsherb — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 23:57:17 -0000

I'm watching the pre-game show for tonight's Cowboys/Panthers game. The NFLN guys are discussing TO's attitude this year and how he's been such a better teammate. It reminds me of an article I read this week on another site.

Earlier this week ProFootballTalk.com had a quick note about the Holt/Linehan blowup on Monday night.

The most important part is this:

When the Rams played the Seahawks earlier this year, Holt and receiver Isaac Bruce approach Linehan with ideas for beating the defensive backs, based on the manner in which they were being defended. Said Linehan: "You play, I’ll coach."

Why coaches have this attitude I will never understand. I believe the fact that Jason Garrett and Ray Sherman don't have the Linehan attitude is the biggest reason T.O. is a happy camper this year. Guys just want to be included...

Which reminds me...Please Jerry, give JG and giant raise and keep him around!

New Team TD Record proves Dallas is famous for the wrong position

rhbgsherb — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:17:14 -0000

I think by now it's not just Terry that has a man-crush on Tony Romo...the rest of us do too (and I include myself there). Tonight Romo threw 4 TD's, giving him 33 on the season and a new Cowboys team record.

The Dallas Cowboys have always been famous for their star QB, whether it be Meredith, Staubach, Aikman, and now Romo. But the fact that Romo is the first QB to throw for 30 TD's in a season proves something I've felt for a long time...Dallas is famous for the wrong position.

I'm 34 years old and have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for my entire life. I've lived and died with this team through 1-15 and 3 Super Bowls. But, until Romo, by favorite player on the Cowboys was never the QB (possibly because I grew up in the ultra frustrating Danny White years). My favorite player was always the Running Back.

My first favorite player (and still my all-time favorite)was Tony Dorsett. I loved to watch him run. My favorite memory growing up was the 99.5 yard run against the Vikings. Once Tony left, it was Hershell Walker (I loved him even more after the greatest trade in NFL history) and then Emmitt Smith (please Emmitt, quit announcing and fade into history!). If you think back, we've had just as many great RB's as we've had QB's.

I think part of the reason everyone rips on Julius Jones so much any more is that, at the end of his rookie year, he looked like he was ready to be the next in line. I was just excited for him at the end of his rookie year as I was for Romo at the end of last year.

Imagine if we get the next big time RB to play with Romo (I don't think that JJ or MBIII, no matter how exciting they can be, will ever really make it to that level).