dbair1967

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Similar story to last week, after seeing our starters pretty much dominate on both sides of the ball while ours and theirs were in the game, once the full slate of backups came in (especially the deep down the roster guys) they played extremely poor and blew the game.

Starting with the good:

1) Dak had a couple of misfires but also made some nice throws and good decisions, and the TD throw to Williams was the type of play that will have to drive other defenses mad. Our starting O as a whole has had 4 drives and have scored two TD's and a FG in those 4. And that's been without Zeke & Beasley for any of those drives.

2) Another strong outing for Rod Smith, he's definitely one of the better #2 RB's in the league and seems to do everything pretty well. Runs with power and has some nimble feet for a guy his size, and he catches the ball well. He's really turned himself into a quality NFL player. Darius Jackson played well after he came in again, especially after they finally benched that fucking loser Chaz Green) If Scarborough is gone for a lengthy time or the whole yr, Jackson has probably made the team now IMO.

3) A lot of talk all offseason about the WR position with no Dez here, but even without Beasley (who hasn't played in preseason yet) and no Tavon Austin last night, the WR's are doing a good job. No dominant, take-over-a-game types here, but collectively a good group. Michael Gallup looks like a really promising player though and could eventually develop into a quality #1 WR. Honestly I'm not all that worried about this position.

4) Starting defense was dominant again. For the first time in a long time, our defensive team speed at all 3 levels is really impressive. It looks like we have a really good, deep group of DE's. We have depth at LB and our starting CB's are both looking really good. Jeff Heath also looks improved and right now is clearly the best safety on the team.

5) Taco Charlton played well last week and last night might have been the best defensive player on the field for us. He was all over and was constantly beating his guy/guys on pass rush plays. Had a sack on a play he was held badly on, and also had a strip fumble on a completion downfield. It seems he is playing almost exclusively at LDE (so behind Lawrence) but so far in two preseason games he has outplayed Tyrone Crawford (who hasn't been bad either) IMO.

6) Highlight reel interception by Chido and he smothered pretty much whomever he was lined up on. Byron Jones has also impressed. Our starting CB's are both big, fast, athletic and have arm length. Kris Richard has done a great job with these guys so far.

7) Dan Bailey nailed his FG and PAT attempts and both looked like the Bailey we were used to seeing, which is definitely good news after what we saw at the end of last yr. Announcers also noted during the game he rushed back (something many of us suspected at the time) and was never ready to play. He should have been shut down the remainder of last season.

8) Randy Gregory back on the field. He looks fast and athletic, but he does need to dust off the technique rust.

The not so good & bad:

1) They have to be really concerned about the backup OL at this point. Chaz Green was absolutely dreadful and continues to get worse (which is amazing that's even possible). Just like last week he almost single handedly handcuffed the offense once he entered the game. He gave up two sacks and had at least one other bad holding call. He got blown up on several run plays. Once Green came out, and the OL play improved (just like last week) Cam Fleming played well last week, but he struggled some last night. He's probably ok if he has to play RT, but LT could potentially be a struggle if he had to do it for several games or most of a season. Kadeem Edwards got time with the starters after Martin was hurt, but he didn't impress IMO. Joe Looney seems like our best backup OL by far. They may have to go out and get at least one, if not two backup OL after final cutdowns.

2) It was discussed by our announcing team during the game quite a bit, but like backup OL, the backup QB spot has to be concerning for them. Cooper Rush is extremely limited in what he can do because of his lack of arm strength, and Mike White is clearly a project. The #2 QB might not be on this roster today and because Dak has the type of game he has (a lot of mobility, tries to extend plays, scrambles and designed QB runs on read/option) the chance he can get hurt at some point is something they really need to guard against. One name I'd be closely watching if I were them is Teddy Bridgewater from the Jets. I didn't see him play this weekend but I did watch some of the game they played last week in Atl, and he was pretty impressive. Some of the talk has been with Darnold likely winning the starting job and McCown probably locked in as the backup, Bridgewater could be traded or even released. He throws the ball well and even with the devastating knee injury showed some decent mobility last week. He's won games in the NFL as a starter. To me, he'd be an ideal backup here.

3) As mentioned above, the end of the roster guys were really bad last night, especially on defense. The tackling was a joke, they blew coverages left and right and ultimately lost the game for us.

4) Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Thomas were both really bad again last night. Stupid penalties that extended drives, some really poor coverage (esp Lewis) and really bad tackling (Lewis again mainly) Brown covers better than Lewis does at this point IMO, but his propensity for penalties is definitely worrisome. None of the CB's behind them look like NFL ready players. Like some other positions, beyond the starters the backup position looks like a problem. I wonder if Brown and Lewis really struggle again next week if they might go look for veteran CB depth.

5) Like backup OL and maybe backup QB, I think they have to be worried about TE too. There's not much wrong with the group we have as receivers (none are elite guys, but they can get open and catch the ball) but none of them blocks worth a damn.

6) Injuries galore last ight. Hopefully we dodged a major bullet with Zach Martin (MRI today, but he was on the field in street clothes without a brace or crutches in the 2nd half) and they say they think he just has a hyper-extension. Hopefully he'll be ready for week one vs Carolina. We also lost Xavier Woods to a hamstring, and after another bad missed tackle they have to be worried about him as the fulltime starting FS anyway. He can cover and has some ball skills, but he is not very big and he whiffed badly on the TE in the open field last night. With him being injured and some questions as to whether he is a starting caliber FS, I wonder if this ramps up talks for Earl Thomas again. Rookie RB Bo Scarborough suffered a hip injury and didn't return, and there were rumblings it might be serious. He was supposed to get most of the carries at RB after he came in, but got little work due to the injury. Felt sorry for him while he was in there though, the OL was so bad he never had a chance on any of the run plays he had. Backup DT Datone Jones may have suffered a season ending knee injury and backup scrub S Jameil Showers also appeared to blow out his knee.

7) Like l said last week, I don't care about the score or that they lost the game. But for the 2nd straight week we saw the classic Jason Garret inspired type performance in the 2nd half. We won the turnover battle (+2, we were +3 last week) and still lost the game. After no penalties in the 1st half we had six in the 2nd half. The tackling by the backup players was extremely poor again. The blocking by the backup OL was extremely poor again.

Overall I think we have to be pleased with what we've seen from the starters, but there are some depth concerns in some positions and I'm still not sure the starting FS, starting TE and true #2 QB are on the roster today. DT could be another position they look around for help for.
 

DDdave

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We will see more in dress rehearsal next week. I am hoping all available starters will play the first half.
 

dbair1967

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We will see more in dress rehearsal next week. I am hoping all available starters will play the first half.

Martin may not be available to play and Fred might not suit up either.

If both of them are out it wont be much of a "dress rehearsal" for the starting offense. I cant imagine the coaches letting Prescott and Elliott play much in a preseason game if those two are both out. They both might start, but rather than play the entire half or into the 2nd half, they might only see a series or two.
 

Doomsday

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The starters have hardly played "like crap"
Haven't seen anyone say that yet.

What I said is we're going to see more crap. And we will.

Special Teams does appear improved over the last several years though, they're hustling. The D looks pretty good too against what it's seen thus far.

But that doesn't mean we ain't still crap. It's preseason after all.
 

dbair1967

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Haven't seen anyone say that yet.

What I said is we're going to see more crap. And we will.

Special Teams does appear improved over the last several years though, they're hustling. The D looks pretty good too against what it's seen thus far.

But that doesn't mean we ain't still crap. It's preseason after all.

Then you should have said "the scrubs will play like crap"

Dude was talking about the starters playing more and you said "yeah more crap"
 

bbgun

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Too many nondescript white guys at TE, and Connor Williams is too short/light in the loafers to succeed. That is all.
 

theoneandonly

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That was one of the knocks on him when he actually played, no counter move.

And another thing, IIRC this the same A hole that told Haley to stuff it when he offered to teach him some counter moves. Haley might know crazy but he also knows pass rush.
 

theoneandonly

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It was discussed by our announcing team during the game quite a bit, but like backup OL, the backup QB spot has to be concerning for them.
Correct on the former and on the latter, I am luke warm on the starter so lets say they have to go 12 games with one of the current backup QBs, welp, we'd be talking draft in October. Of course that means the red plague gets another year so I hope they stay as healthy as possible.
 

Maveric

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Too many nondescript white guys at TE, and Connor Williams is too short/light in the loafers to succeed. That is all.

Imo Jarwin's looked the best of the bunch, but he needs to develop before he can consistently produce. Swaim's never going to be bankable as a full time pass catcher, Schultz looks a ways off, and when/if Gaithers ever gets it together I just can't fathom...
 

Doomsday

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and when/if Gaithers ever gets it together I just can't fathom...
They'll wait "until the light comes on" through 4 years of non production, then he will go to the Patriots, perform, and win a SB ring. Sound familiar?

He doesn't want to play here, so he is just dragging ass and collecting his checks.
 

theoneandonly

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· It was such a great effort by Taco Charlton to get around Cedric Ogbuehi for his sack. There was a time where Charlton wouldn’t have been strong enough to leverage a tackle on the way to the quarterback. But in this case, Charlton’s under move was so powerful that he also drew a holding call on the play. Ogbuehi had no choice but to try and stop him by tackling him. You can see huge improvements in strength levels from Taco Charlton’s first season to this one.

· I liked the third down slant call to Michael Gallup and the throw by Dak Prescott to put it right on him. Prescott could have made a short throw to Allen Hurns, who also ran a slant out of the slot, but he went with the rookie instead. Gallup did a nice job of starting his route to the outside, then breaking it in to receive the ball.


· Jeff Heath is becoming a valuable player when he’s asked to play down in the box. His read and reaction of Tyler Boyd’s jet sweep was impressive. It’s not often that Sean Lee is beaten to the point of attack, but that’s exactly what Heath was able to do. He also made a nice wrap up tackle to get Boyd on the ground quickly.

· I’m starting to see Scott Linehan using these running backs more in the pass game to take advantage of their skill sets. I thought he came up with a creative design to get the ball to Rod Smith in the flat. It wasn’t your normal screen with blockers in front. Instead, Prescott faked the jet sweep to draw the defenders to one side of the field, than slipped Smith out the other side. By doing this, the offensive line created a wall to trap the defenders inside. Prescott held the ball as long as he could, then flipped it to the outside where Smith broke a tackle in space for a sizeable gain.

· You can tell that Kris Richard has rubbed off on Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones by the way they fill against the run off the edges. What I have noticed is that, when the ball gets to the outside, both Awuzie and Jones have stepped up in order to funnel it back to the inside, where Sean Lee, Jaylon Smith and Jeff Heath are waiting to make tackles. Cornerbacks that can deny inside routes and step up in the running game are critical to an outstanding defense.

· Keep an eye on Tyree Robinson with all these injuries to the safety position. I have been waiting for him to show up in a game, and on Saturday night he did just that. I have always liked his size and length coming out of Oregon, but he just hasn’t put it all together. There have been practices where he has flashed but then disappeared for two or three days. I wasn’t really sure you could trust him, but his textbook tackle of Gio Bernard in the hole showed his willingness to be a physical player and finisher. Robinson is going to get plenty of opportunities and if things break right for him, he could be a part of this roster.

· If you have been following along with our camp coverage, you have heard us talk about the strength concerns with Connor Williams. What you have also heard us mention is his athletic ability and awareness. Early in the game, Geno Atkins and Carl Lawson ran a stunt to his side. Tyron Smith locked up on Lawson and drove him to the inside. Williams bumped off Smith, sensing that he was in control. Williams smartly went behind Smith and picked up Atkins well before he had a chance to reach Prescott in the pocket. Rookies don’t generally make those types of adjustments.

· It’s a shame that Mekale McKay didn’t extend his hands in order to grab that deep ball from Mike White. I have seen McKay use his length in order to win those balls in the air during camp. This time, in his adjustment, he went for the cradle to his body instead of the extension. It might have been the best deep ball that White has thrown all camp. To not come away with the reception was tough on him, given the struggles he has had.

· One of the ways that cornerbacks protect themselves on the edge when taking on blockers is to get to the ground quickly and take their legs out. This is exactly what Dre Kirkpatrick did to Zack Martin. Kirkpatrick’s right shoulder ended up in Martin’s knee, forcing the injury. Initially from my broadcast position I thought that Kirkpatrick might have caught Martin in the ankle but that wasn’t the case at all.

· Chaz Green will get blamed for giving up a sack to Jordan Willis, but part of that blame should also fall on the shoulders of Mike White. The play design was for Lance Lenoir to run a “go” route. Lenoir was able to clear the corner and safety, but instead of letting the ball fly, White double pumped it -- which allowed Willis the opportunity to capture him in the pocket. There was a good chance the play would have scored with the separation that Lenoir was able to create.

· Rico Gathers saved Mike White from a turnover with his catch over the top of Chris Worley. White moved to his right in the pocket but didn’t get enough on the ball. Worley was in ideal shape to make the interception, but Gathers managed to get his hands in between Worley’s and took it right off his facemask. For Gathers, he continues to make those rare plays in the limited playing time that he receives.

· This Cowboys defense continues to create turnovers in the preseason. Through two games they have five takeaways. As good as the Chidobe Awuzie interception was, the hustle play by Taco Charlton to retrace his steps on his rush and chase the ball some 10 yards down the field in order to get a hit on Tyler Boyd was impressive. Boyd never saw Charlton coming, because he was dealing with Joe Thomas. Charlton hammered the ball out with his right hand. Kavon Frazier had the first shot at the ball, but it too was knocked loose. With the ball bouncing around, Byron Jones managed to scoop it up just as he’s done many times before in those drills that Kris Richard has them run in practice.

Scout’s Eye: Praise For Defensive Playmakers
 

Maveric

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They'll wait "until the light comes on" through 4 years of non production, then he will go to the Patriots, perform, and win a SB ring. Sound familiar?

Very. And if that's where his level of passion is at they need to kick him to the curb asap. Heard Bennett on Fox Radio last week; you could tell he had no interest in talking football. Every time Gottlieb asked him a football question he brushed it off, had no desire for it (if he every did).
 

icup

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good job dbair






who for the cowboys has floated around the roster toilet bowl longer that that POS chaz green ??
 
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