Post by ccboy on Nov 5, 2008 5:48:19 GMT -7
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Josh Ellis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
November 3, 2008 6:27 PM Change Font Size A A A A
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'I thought Spencer played outstanding in this game.' - Wade Phillips
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OTHER RECENT NEWS
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IRVING, Texas - It's too bad the Cowboys didn't have 11 Anthony Spencers playing defense against the Giants Sunday, if you believe Wade Phillips.
On the day the second-year linebacker returned from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the two previous games, Spencer was the Cowboys best defensive player, according to the head coach. But considering the Giants rolled up 35 points against him and the rest of the Cowboys defenders, it can't be considered a career week, exactly.
Knee and hamstring problems have kept Spencer out of four games this year, but Phillips said last Friday he was expected to play. Veteran outside linebacker Greg Ellis even found himself on the bench more than usual, with Spencer's snaps on the uptick.
"I thought Spencer played outstanding in this game," Phillips said. "He was our best defender defensively. He played like he looked this summer and the little bit he played this year. I thought he played about as good as anybody we had up front, probably better."
Phillips went on to say the Cowboys would like to utilize both he and Ellis along with DeMarcus Ware on some pass rush situations.
"That's more for pass situations, but I just think it helps us having him in the ballgame," Phillips said. "He made a lot of plays and at an outside backer, he's hard to block. He was actually harder to block than DeMarcus was this game as far as the run game was concerned. I was really pleased with the way he played. I can't say that about everybody on defense, but I thought he played well."
Officially, Spencer was listed as having three tackles, though that number will likely come up after the coaches review the game film. Ellis was given three tackles as well, and Ware had five tackles, with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery, while fighting through double teams most of the game.
When asked whether the Cowboys would use their bye week to make meaningful changes to their team dynamic, Phillips again mentioned Spencer.
"You can make any kind of changes," Phillips said. "I think, you know, you see how players play. I think last year we saw that Spencer played so well early and we weren't playing him much and we started playing him more last year. Things like that."
Young Secondary Takes a Step Back
After the Cowboys win against Tampa Bay, everyone wanted to brag about how well the Cowboys young defensive backs were tackling, especially rookies Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.
While the pass coverage was mostly strong, with the Cowboys holding Eli Manning to just 147 yards on 27 attempts, the running game was the main problem for the young secondary against the Giants. Either their play in the Buccaneers game was a one-game mirage, those guys were more worried about coverage responsibilities, or they were scared of the 6-4, 264-pound load that is Brandon Jacobs.
"Overall, our young guys, the guys that did real well last week didn't play well this week," Wade Phillips said. "That hurt us, too. It seemed like they all made crucial mistakes at the wrong time. Whereas the week before, they played a lot better. Its experience for them; it's a bad experience, but it can work out for them.
"We are playing better against the pass, but the (plays) they did make, we made some mistakes."
As usual there is good with the bad. Rookie first-rounder Mike Jenkins returned his first NFL interception for a touchdown in the second quarter, which was good. Then in the fourth quarter, he let Derrick Ward run right by him for a 17-yard touchdown without so much as asking him to slow down, which was bad.
While the play did look like a give-up, Phillips said his guys tried hard throughout the night. The entire defense had problems tackling Jacobs, especially in the second half. All told, the Giants tallied an even 200 rushing yards, 117 by Jacobs.
"Well, we tried to tackle Jacobs too high," the coach said. "We started out the game, the whole first half they had barely over three yards a carry. Whether it's mentally or trying to do more than we can do, it seemed like it happened in the St. Louis game and this similar thing happened here. We tried to make plays instead of playing your position. They tried to do more than what they need to do. It's more along those lines than this guy not being good tacklers. The inside 'backers had 16 tackles - it's one guy or two guys that didn't tackle well enough and we're going to work on that."
Protect Yourself
Assuming Tony Romo can return in two weeks when the Cowboys travel to Washington, his playmaking ability and sense of when to evade pressure in the pocket could give the offense a real boost.
The offensive line play has come under fire in the last few weeks, but it's hard to imagine things not improving some when Romo comes back. After all, the line was heavily ridiculed two years ago when Drew Bledsoe seemed to be a sitting duck in the pocket, but when Romo was made the starting quarterback, they quickly became one of the league's better units.
The same thing seems to be happening this season. Romo had been sacked only seven times in six games before fracturing the pinkie finger on his throwing hand against Arizona. In the three games without Romo, Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger have been sacked a combined 10 times.
Coincidentally or not, the offense was rolling along at a nearly 30-points-per-game pace with Romo, and without him the unit has failed to manufacture more than 13 points for itself.
Wade Phillips said getting starting left guard Kyle Kosier (foot) back after the bye will help some, and there's the possibility it helps left tackle Flozell Adams elevate his play. Phillips did say Adams had been banged up this season more than he was last year, which could be affecting his play. Adams has had two stingers to his neck and left shoulder this year.
Short Shots
Phillips said the Cowboys were missing safety Roy Williams against the run. Receiver Roy Williams, on the other hand, has done all he can mentally to integrate himself into the offense, according to the head coach. Barring a meeting there in the playoffs, the Cowboys have played their last game in Giants Stadium. A new park for the Jets and Giants is being built across the parking lot . . . The Cowboys have won after their bye week the last three years. Since the NFL instituted the open date in 1990, the Cowboys are 14-5 after a week off in the regular season.