Post by ccboy on Oct 13, 2008 7:57:14 GMT -7
Taken from Vela's Blog....
It's easy to Laugh, the Cowboys Make Me Cry¡
¡°¡Don¡¯t say I never warned you,
when your train gets lost.¡±
¨C Bob Dylan, ¡°It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to lean in Arizona¡¯s direction¡
Arizona, with some help from Romo - 31
Dallas, with some help from Romo - 27¡å
¨C BSR, d**n the Torpedoes and Pass the Gatorade, October 10
The actual final:
Arizona, with some help from the special teams ¡ª 30
Dallas, with no help from the offensive line ¡ª 24
Maybe these guys just can¡¯t be reached. Two years ago, when the Cowboys again faded in December, after Tony Romo threw them a midseason lifeline, I heard that much of the team had tuned Bill Parcells out. The players were certainly happy to have a new coach in the building the following year, and they rode that enthusiasm and freedom to a 13-3 record.
I¡¯m wondering if that season was the limit for this group. I¡¯m not saying that as a sop to Wade Phillips (though does anybody think Norv Turner, given his problems in both seasons with San Diego, could have squeezed more out of this bunch?) I¡¯m writing this because I¡¯m wondering if any coach can turn the key on this group? The old school, hard-as-nails approach didn¡¯t work. The lighter, I¡¯m gonna-treat-you-like-a-man approach also seems to be nearing its sell by date as well.
Wade Phillips told the press before the Bengals game that he had an angry bunch at practice, upset with their performance against the Redskins. Their anger seemed to evaporate 20 minutes into the game, once the lead became 17-0.
Today, the fire showed sporadically, but this group seemed to have no feel for the moment. The special teams broke on the opening play and the final play. The offense saw its Pro Bowlers, guys named Adams, Gurode and Witten, look lackadaisical.
When Dallas had the chance to seize the game, in the last minute of the first half, the miscues piled up to a sickening level. A great play call that got Miles Austin open in the end zone was botched because Romo was nailed ¡ª again ¡ª as he stepped into his throw, and was unable to make the completion.
Nick Folk then threw the turnover away completely, clanking a short kick off the left upright.
In the second half, the defense took its turn. I¡¯m fully aware that the Cardinals are good and that they can make plays. I don¡¯t expect the Cowboys to hold them down for 60 minutes. I do think that a winning defense would have known that one key stop, a hold on 3rd-and-17, when the offense had just settled and driven Dallas to its first lead of the day, could have put the game away.
Even when the Cards tied the game, a stop on the next series could have swayed the momentum back in Dallas¡¯ direction.
I¡¯m left shaking my head because most jump balls, most dives to a first down pylon, nearly every situation that turned on sheer will was won by the Cardinals.
And so I¡¯m wondering how systemic, how extensively the malaise has spread. It will make the knee jerkers among us feel better to scream for Bruce Read¡¯s head, but the problem goes much deeper than him. Wade put half a dozen coaches on special teams this summer. Their failures end with Read, but they start with Wade and touch every assistant in between them.
Let¡¯s not forget that the special teams cost Bruce DeHaven his job ¡ª and likely Parcells his ¡ª two years ago. Remember the blocked field goal and facemask in Washington that handed the Redskins a gift win? The 100 yard kickoff return by Washington in the Texas Stadium game? Eddie Drummond¡¯s three long punt returns in that embarrassing loss to the Lions? The consistent wide lefts from Mike Vanderjagt¡¯s sore leg?
Different position coach. Different head coach. Same core group of players. Same abysmal results.
We¡¯re going to learn if this group has the quan, and can rebound, or if they¡¯re taking Jerry¡¯s money, playing off their talent and pedigrees just well enough to break everybody¡¯s hearts. The Cowboys, as an organization have been here before. Landry¡¯s first title team was awful for half a season and needed some embarrassing losses to find their way.
Several recent winners have had to endure some football purgatory on their way to pigskin heaven. The ¡®94 Niners lost 40-8 in game five to the Eagles. They were called the ¡°Forty Eighters¡± by their fans and a Bay Area poll that week suggested George Seifert be fired immediately and replaced by the recently unemployed Jimmy Johnson. They lost just once more the rest of the way.
The ¡®05 Steelers dropped three straight midseason games to hit 7-5 before they ran off eight straight to win it all. The ¡®06 Colts lost four of six in November and December and saw their run defense gashed for an average of 197 yards in that span. They caught fire in January and finally got their title.
Last year¡¯s Giants meandered to a win-lose-win-lose 4-4 record the second half of the season. They scored only 22 points more than they gave up all year, yet found their focus and their spot on the Super Bowl podium.
Recent history tells us to ignore the front runners. We have to go back to the ¡®04 Patriots to find a top two conference seed that won out. The Cowboys, we can hope, can find their success on the low road, because they¡¯ve proven beyond all doubt they can¡¯t function as favorites.
30 Minute Men
The Cowboys defense played with fury in the first half, keeping the Cards offense scoreless for 30 minutes while the offensive line struggled.
Then, they were given a lead when the Cowboys scored on a 6:49 touchdown drive to open the second half. The Cowboys had their first lead. They had momentum. So what does the defense allow?
11 play, 60 yard TD drive;
8 play, 89 yard TD drive;
9 play, 43 yard FG drive;
Arizona was 5-6 on 3rd downs.
The offensive line was a mess. The tackles were being whipped. The running game was suspect. Yet, they had stabilized to give Dallas a lead. They made big plays at the end of each half to score.
But the defense broke, badly, making just one stop, when Arizona was simply trying to run out the clock.
Then, the special teams stepped up, or down as it were.
They gave up a 93 yard kickoff return to open the game.
Then, they allowed a punt block after Dallas¡¯ initial series in overtime, which was recovered for a touchdown.
I¡¯m not an advocate of changing coaches during a season, like, ever.
But the special teams gave up 13 today, and that¡¯s the difference.
As Willie Mays famously said, when he took his first cuts in Candlestick Park and saw the wind for left field knock down home run after home run into long outs:
¡°Changes have got to be made.¡±
It's easy to Laugh, the Cowboys Make Me Cry¡
¡°¡Don¡¯t say I never warned you,
when your train gets lost.¡±
¨C Bob Dylan, ¡°It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to lean in Arizona¡¯s direction¡
Arizona, with some help from Romo - 31
Dallas, with some help from Romo - 27¡å
¨C BSR, d**n the Torpedoes and Pass the Gatorade, October 10
The actual final:
Arizona, with some help from the special teams ¡ª 30
Dallas, with no help from the offensive line ¡ª 24
Maybe these guys just can¡¯t be reached. Two years ago, when the Cowboys again faded in December, after Tony Romo threw them a midseason lifeline, I heard that much of the team had tuned Bill Parcells out. The players were certainly happy to have a new coach in the building the following year, and they rode that enthusiasm and freedom to a 13-3 record.
I¡¯m wondering if that season was the limit for this group. I¡¯m not saying that as a sop to Wade Phillips (though does anybody think Norv Turner, given his problems in both seasons with San Diego, could have squeezed more out of this bunch?) I¡¯m writing this because I¡¯m wondering if any coach can turn the key on this group? The old school, hard-as-nails approach didn¡¯t work. The lighter, I¡¯m gonna-treat-you-like-a-man approach also seems to be nearing its sell by date as well.
Wade Phillips told the press before the Bengals game that he had an angry bunch at practice, upset with their performance against the Redskins. Their anger seemed to evaporate 20 minutes into the game, once the lead became 17-0.
Today, the fire showed sporadically, but this group seemed to have no feel for the moment. The special teams broke on the opening play and the final play. The offense saw its Pro Bowlers, guys named Adams, Gurode and Witten, look lackadaisical.
When Dallas had the chance to seize the game, in the last minute of the first half, the miscues piled up to a sickening level. A great play call that got Miles Austin open in the end zone was botched because Romo was nailed ¡ª again ¡ª as he stepped into his throw, and was unable to make the completion.
Nick Folk then threw the turnover away completely, clanking a short kick off the left upright.
In the second half, the defense took its turn. I¡¯m fully aware that the Cardinals are good and that they can make plays. I don¡¯t expect the Cowboys to hold them down for 60 minutes. I do think that a winning defense would have known that one key stop, a hold on 3rd-and-17, when the offense had just settled and driven Dallas to its first lead of the day, could have put the game away.
Even when the Cards tied the game, a stop on the next series could have swayed the momentum back in Dallas¡¯ direction.
I¡¯m left shaking my head because most jump balls, most dives to a first down pylon, nearly every situation that turned on sheer will was won by the Cardinals.
And so I¡¯m wondering how systemic, how extensively the malaise has spread. It will make the knee jerkers among us feel better to scream for Bruce Read¡¯s head, but the problem goes much deeper than him. Wade put half a dozen coaches on special teams this summer. Their failures end with Read, but they start with Wade and touch every assistant in between them.
Let¡¯s not forget that the special teams cost Bruce DeHaven his job ¡ª and likely Parcells his ¡ª two years ago. Remember the blocked field goal and facemask in Washington that handed the Redskins a gift win? The 100 yard kickoff return by Washington in the Texas Stadium game? Eddie Drummond¡¯s three long punt returns in that embarrassing loss to the Lions? The consistent wide lefts from Mike Vanderjagt¡¯s sore leg?
Different position coach. Different head coach. Same core group of players. Same abysmal results.
We¡¯re going to learn if this group has the quan, and can rebound, or if they¡¯re taking Jerry¡¯s money, playing off their talent and pedigrees just well enough to break everybody¡¯s hearts. The Cowboys, as an organization have been here before. Landry¡¯s first title team was awful for half a season and needed some embarrassing losses to find their way.
Several recent winners have had to endure some football purgatory on their way to pigskin heaven. The ¡®94 Niners lost 40-8 in game five to the Eagles. They were called the ¡°Forty Eighters¡± by their fans and a Bay Area poll that week suggested George Seifert be fired immediately and replaced by the recently unemployed Jimmy Johnson. They lost just once more the rest of the way.
The ¡®05 Steelers dropped three straight midseason games to hit 7-5 before they ran off eight straight to win it all. The ¡®06 Colts lost four of six in November and December and saw their run defense gashed for an average of 197 yards in that span. They caught fire in January and finally got their title.
Last year¡¯s Giants meandered to a win-lose-win-lose 4-4 record the second half of the season. They scored only 22 points more than they gave up all year, yet found their focus and their spot on the Super Bowl podium.
Recent history tells us to ignore the front runners. We have to go back to the ¡®04 Patriots to find a top two conference seed that won out. The Cowboys, we can hope, can find their success on the low road, because they¡¯ve proven beyond all doubt they can¡¯t function as favorites.
30 Minute Men
The Cowboys defense played with fury in the first half, keeping the Cards offense scoreless for 30 minutes while the offensive line struggled.
Then, they were given a lead when the Cowboys scored on a 6:49 touchdown drive to open the second half. The Cowboys had their first lead. They had momentum. So what does the defense allow?
11 play, 60 yard TD drive;
8 play, 89 yard TD drive;
9 play, 43 yard FG drive;
Arizona was 5-6 on 3rd downs.
The offensive line was a mess. The tackles were being whipped. The running game was suspect. Yet, they had stabilized to give Dallas a lead. They made big plays at the end of each half to score.
But the defense broke, badly, making just one stop, when Arizona was simply trying to run out the clock.
Then, the special teams stepped up, or down as it were.
They gave up a 93 yard kickoff return to open the game.
Then, they allowed a punt block after Dallas¡¯ initial series in overtime, which was recovered for a touchdown.
I¡¯m not an advocate of changing coaches during a season, like, ever.
But the special teams gave up 13 today, and that¡¯s the difference.
As Willie Mays famously said, when he took his first cuts in Candlestick Park and saw the wind for left field knock down home run after home run into long outs:
¡°Changes have got to be made.¡±