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Cowlishaw: If running game struggles, so will Tony Romo's passing game
06:00 PM CDT on Saturday, September 11, 2010
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News | wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
Tim Cowlishaw
Archive | Blog | Bio | E-mail
Sure, Miles Austin is a wealthy young man now with $18 million in guaranteed money. What Cowboys fans really want to know is this:
Can he play left guard?
No one knew Kyle Kosier was so valuable until he missed time in the preseason. Fans didn't realize tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo were anything more than figures to boo for false starts until one was let go and the other injured.
The Cowboys open the season Sunday night against Washington with Alex Barron, Doug Free and Montrae Holland in the lineup. In other words, they have offensive line issues that could easily impact the entire offense.
And yet, for the most part, that's no reason to think this team still can't serve as more than gracious hosts for Super Bowl XLV come February.
Look around the NFC.
The Super Bowl champion Saints put a whopping 14 points on the Superdome scoreboard Thursday night. And still that was enough to open defense of their title on the winning side because the Vikings answered with a big nine.
Check the rest of the Cowboys' competition for NFC supremacy. They're facing Donovan McNabb because the Eagles gave up on him. It will undoubtedly take time for McNabb to turn the Redskins into a fearsome offensive machine, if that happens at all this season.
And whether or not Philadelphia is correct in its evaluation of McNabb as a declining player, Kevin Kolb probably won't begin the season in Super Bowl form.
As for the only NFC team to win a playoff game each of the last two years – something you generally can't say about the Cardinals' franchise – Arizona won't be the same high-flying bunch until Derek Anderson makes fans forget Kurt Warner.
Let's just say that offensive problems abound in the pro game, particularly in the NFC.
Just having company won't lead the Cowboys out of their misery.
This was a team determined to show nothing in the preseason. Mission accomplished.
But you still have to wonder why, even if a team isn't game planning or anticipating opposing blitz packages, it can't run the ball with some efficiency. Neither Felix Jones nor Marion Barber had what could be considered a decent quarter of rushing. They combined to gain 45 yards on 21 carries.
The good news for them is that they ran wild on Washington in two games late last season. Barber was highly efficient, gaining 162 on 37 carries, while Jones added 107 on 20.
They will need whatever level of confidence that experience gives them because this is a new line and a new opponent. Coordinator Jim Haslett is converting the Redskins to the 3-4 defense.
We have no clue what role Albert Haynesworth will play in that defense because the Redskins don't even know themselves. Still, despite the Cowboys' rushing production, this is a defense that caused people problems late last season – Dallas scored all of 24 points in those two games.
If the Cowboys can't run with consistency, then we may see quarterback Tony Romo start 2010 the same way he finished last season.
Under siege.
The Vikings sacked him six times when the Cowboys were held to a field goal in their 34-3 playoff loss. It won't really matter whether this is a new Roy Williams or just how big and elusive Dez Bryant appears in his first professional game if the Cowboys can't block for Romo.
Showering Austin with Jerry Jones' millions won't pay off until Romo has time to set his feet and find him.
An offense that finished last season on a very low note has the chance to strike a new chord in 2010. Don't be surprised if they still sound slightly out of tune Sunday night.
• • •
06:00 PM CDT on Saturday, September 11, 2010
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News
Column by TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News | wtcowlishaw@dallasnews.com
Tim Cowlishaw
Archive | Blog | Bio | E-mail
Sure, Miles Austin is a wealthy young man now with $18 million in guaranteed money. What Cowboys fans really want to know is this:
Can he play left guard?
No one knew Kyle Kosier was so valuable until he missed time in the preseason. Fans didn't realize tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo were anything more than figures to boo for false starts until one was let go and the other injured.
The Cowboys open the season Sunday night against Washington with Alex Barron, Doug Free and Montrae Holland in the lineup. In other words, they have offensive line issues that could easily impact the entire offense.
And yet, for the most part, that's no reason to think this team still can't serve as more than gracious hosts for Super Bowl XLV come February.
Look around the NFC.
The Super Bowl champion Saints put a whopping 14 points on the Superdome scoreboard Thursday night. And still that was enough to open defense of their title on the winning side because the Vikings answered with a big nine.
Check the rest of the Cowboys' competition for NFC supremacy. They're facing Donovan McNabb because the Eagles gave up on him. It will undoubtedly take time for McNabb to turn the Redskins into a fearsome offensive machine, if that happens at all this season.
And whether or not Philadelphia is correct in its evaluation of McNabb as a declining player, Kevin Kolb probably won't begin the season in Super Bowl form.
As for the only NFC team to win a playoff game each of the last two years – something you generally can't say about the Cardinals' franchise – Arizona won't be the same high-flying bunch until Derek Anderson makes fans forget Kurt Warner.
Let's just say that offensive problems abound in the pro game, particularly in the NFC.
Just having company won't lead the Cowboys out of their misery.
This was a team determined to show nothing in the preseason. Mission accomplished.
But you still have to wonder why, even if a team isn't game planning or anticipating opposing blitz packages, it can't run the ball with some efficiency. Neither Felix Jones nor Marion Barber had what could be considered a decent quarter of rushing. They combined to gain 45 yards on 21 carries.
The good news for them is that they ran wild on Washington in two games late last season. Barber was highly efficient, gaining 162 on 37 carries, while Jones added 107 on 20.
They will need whatever level of confidence that experience gives them because this is a new line and a new opponent. Coordinator Jim Haslett is converting the Redskins to the 3-4 defense.
We have no clue what role Albert Haynesworth will play in that defense because the Redskins don't even know themselves. Still, despite the Cowboys' rushing production, this is a defense that caused people problems late last season – Dallas scored all of 24 points in those two games.
If the Cowboys can't run with consistency, then we may see quarterback Tony Romo start 2010 the same way he finished last season.
Under siege.
The Vikings sacked him six times when the Cowboys were held to a field goal in their 34-3 playoff loss. It won't really matter whether this is a new Roy Williams or just how big and elusive Dez Bryant appears in his first professional game if the Cowboys can't block for Romo.
Showering Austin with Jerry Jones' millions won't pay off until Romo has time to set his feet and find him.
An offense that finished last season on a very low note has the chance to strike a new chord in 2010. Don't be surprised if they still sound slightly out of tune Sunday night.
• • •
