By Charean Williams
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
For the third time in his career, Scott Linehan has started three quarterbacks in a season.
Injuries to Matthew Stafford in 2009 and 2010 forced Linehan’s Detroit Lions to go with three starters each of those seasons.
This season, the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator has dealt with Tony Romo twice fracturing his collarbone. Thus, Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel have started for the Cowboys, and Kellen Moore could get a turn before the season ends.
Linehan has never started four quarterbacks in a season.
“I’ve done four in a preseason game,” he said.
The Cowboys stand 4-9 and only mathematically remain in the chase for the NFC East title heading into Saturday night’s game against the New York Jets.
The last time the Cowboys started a season 4-10 also marked the last time they started four quarterbacks in a season. In 2001, Dallas had Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Ryan Leaf and Clint Stoerner at quarterback and finished 5-11.
But those Cowboys lacked the expectations that these Cowboys opened the season with: Dallas began 2015 with 14-1 Vegas odds to win Super Bowl 50.
“They were high,” tight end Jason Witten said of the team’s expectations. “I think everybody in the organization set them high. Coach [Jason]Garrett did a great job of [telling us] this: You don’t just pick up where you left off. You have to recreate that. So it wasn’t just because we were 12-4 last year. It’s what we felt like we could do, and the way we started.”
Since Week 1, what could go wrong has for the Cowboys. It’s been one thing after another, and thus the Cowboys sit on the verge of elimination from the postseason race.
“A lot of things happened this year,” safety Barry Church said. “We had a lot of injuries to key players this year, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We were in pretty much, I think, seven of the games we lost. They were by a touchdown, so we were in there. We’ve just got to make the plays that winning teams do to win.”
When the Cowboys played the Packers last week, they started only 12 players who also started the postseason game in Green Bay 11 months ago.
“You’ve got to play the hand you get dealt,” Linehan said. “It’s a big learning experience for all of us. Some players get put in positions that maybe are tougher than others, but we’ve got to become resilient from it and learn how to adjust to it, and we’re still doing that.
“The thing I’m most proud of is guys have never stopped competing and putting themselves in position. We have been in every one of these games. I think some teams I’ve seen haven’t been able to do that in past. I give a lot of credit to these guys to keep fighting through some adverse situations.”
Orlando Scandrick’s injury: The team’s best defensive player in 2014 tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during training camp. Cowboys cornerbacks have not intercepted a pass since Week 14 of last season when Scandrick picked off Jay Cutler in a 41-28 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Dez Bryant’s injury: Bryant fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the season opener. He underwent surgery a day later and missed five games. Bryant, who made All-Pro for the first time last season, has only 27 catches for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks 13th in the league with five drops, three coming last week.
Romo’s injuries: The starting quarterback fractured his left collarbone in the Week 2 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He missed seven games, and the Cowboys lost all seven as Weeden started three games and Cassel four. Romo returned for a victory over the Miami Dolphins and then re-fractured the collarbone in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Carolina Panthers. He remains on the 53-player roster, but is unlikely to play again until 2016. Romo has not played all 16 games in a season since 2012.
Backup quarterback blues: Jerry Jones takes the blame for the Cowboys’ unpreparedness at the quarterback position behind Romo. They stuck with Weeden despite his struggles in the one game he started for Romo in 2014. The Cowboys traded for Cassel and a 2017 seventh-round pick on Sept. 22, giving up a 2017 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills. Weeden went 0-3, was replaced by Cassel and then waived when Romo returned last month. Cassel has gone 1-5 in his six starts. The Cowboys are only 7-17 without Romo since he became the starter in 2006.
Joseph Randle’s meltdown: The Cowboys put their faith in Randle when DeMarco Murray left, believing he could succeed in a running-by-committee approach. They were wrong. Randle started the first six games before losing his job to Darren McFadden. Randle left the team facility and exhibited erratic behavior, which led to the team releasing him Nov. 3. He finished with 76 carries for 315 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. McFadden has three 100-yard games in the seven games since the Cowboys released Randle.
Lance Dunbar’s injury: With Murray gone, the Cowboys expected Dunbar to have a breakout year as their third-down back and kickoff returner. He played a big role in the offense the first four games, with six kickoff returns, a punt return, five carries and 21 receptions. Dunbar had 432 total yards before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee. After beginning the season with Dunbar and Randle as two-thirds of their running back by committee, the Cowboys have gone through four other running backs. McFadden is the last man standing among the tailbacks who started the season with the team.
Greg Hardy’s presence: The Cowboys signed the defensive end in the off-season despite the red flags, believing he was the final piece in their Super Bowl puzzle. Instead, he has made more headlines than sacks (5.5) in his eight games back since serving a four-game suspension. Hardy got in a verbal spat with a teammate in the off-season, sent an ill-advised social media post making light of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, made questionable comments about Tom Brady’s wife and had a sideline tantrum that included slapping a clipboard out of special teams coach Rich Bisaccia’s hands.
Underachievers: Tyrone Crawford signed a five-year, $45 million deal in September. The Cowboys expected Crawford to have a breakout season at the three-technique, one of the most important positions in the Tampa 2 defense. Instead, he has 35 tackles, four sacks and 21 quarterback pressures and might be more suited for the nose. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain, who served a four-game suspension to start the season, hasn’t played as well as he did last season, and receiver Terrance Williams failed to step up in Bryant’s five-game absence.
Read more here: Dallas Cowboys have had everything go wrong this season | The Star-Telegram
cjwilliams@star-telegram.com
For the third time in his career, Scott Linehan has started three quarterbacks in a season.
Injuries to Matthew Stafford in 2009 and 2010 forced Linehan’s Detroit Lions to go with three starters each of those seasons.
This season, the Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator has dealt with Tony Romo twice fracturing his collarbone. Thus, Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel have started for the Cowboys, and Kellen Moore could get a turn before the season ends.
Linehan has never started four quarterbacks in a season.
“I’ve done four in a preseason game,” he said.
The Cowboys stand 4-9 and only mathematically remain in the chase for the NFC East title heading into Saturday night’s game against the New York Jets.
The last time the Cowboys started a season 4-10 also marked the last time they started four quarterbacks in a season. In 2001, Dallas had Quincy Carter, Anthony Wright, Ryan Leaf and Clint Stoerner at quarterback and finished 5-11.
But those Cowboys lacked the expectations that these Cowboys opened the season with: Dallas began 2015 with 14-1 Vegas odds to win Super Bowl 50.
“They were high,” tight end Jason Witten said of the team’s expectations. “I think everybody in the organization set them high. Coach [Jason]Garrett did a great job of [telling us] this: You don’t just pick up where you left off. You have to recreate that. So it wasn’t just because we were 12-4 last year. It’s what we felt like we could do, and the way we started.”
Since Week 1, what could go wrong has for the Cowboys. It’s been one thing after another, and thus the Cowboys sit on the verge of elimination from the postseason race.
“A lot of things happened this year,” safety Barry Church said. “We had a lot of injuries to key players this year, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We were in pretty much, I think, seven of the games we lost. They were by a touchdown, so we were in there. We’ve just got to make the plays that winning teams do to win.”
When the Cowboys played the Packers last week, they started only 12 players who also started the postseason game in Green Bay 11 months ago.
“You’ve got to play the hand you get dealt,” Linehan said. “It’s a big learning experience for all of us. Some players get put in positions that maybe are tougher than others, but we’ve got to become resilient from it and learn how to adjust to it, and we’re still doing that.
“The thing I’m most proud of is guys have never stopped competing and putting themselves in position. We have been in every one of these games. I think some teams I’ve seen haven’t been able to do that in past. I give a lot of credit to these guys to keep fighting through some adverse situations.”
Orlando Scandrick’s injury: The team’s best defensive player in 2014 tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his right knee during training camp. Cowboys cornerbacks have not intercepted a pass since Week 14 of last season when Scandrick picked off Jay Cutler in a 41-28 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Dez Bryant’s injury: Bryant fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the season opener. He underwent surgery a day later and missed five games. Bryant, who made All-Pro for the first time last season, has only 27 catches for 351 yards and two touchdowns. He ranks 13th in the league with five drops, three coming last week.
Romo’s injuries: The starting quarterback fractured his left collarbone in the Week 2 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. He missed seven games, and the Cowboys lost all seven as Weeden started three games and Cassel four. Romo returned for a victory over the Miami Dolphins and then re-fractured the collarbone in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Carolina Panthers. He remains on the 53-player roster, but is unlikely to play again until 2016. Romo has not played all 16 games in a season since 2012.
Backup quarterback blues: Jerry Jones takes the blame for the Cowboys’ unpreparedness at the quarterback position behind Romo. They stuck with Weeden despite his struggles in the one game he started for Romo in 2014. The Cowboys traded for Cassel and a 2017 seventh-round pick on Sept. 22, giving up a 2017 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills. Weeden went 0-3, was replaced by Cassel and then waived when Romo returned last month. Cassel has gone 1-5 in his six starts. The Cowboys are only 7-17 without Romo since he became the starter in 2006.
Joseph Randle’s meltdown: The Cowboys put their faith in Randle when DeMarco Murray left, believing he could succeed in a running-by-committee approach. They were wrong. Randle started the first six games before losing his job to Darren McFadden. Randle left the team facility and exhibited erratic behavior, which led to the team releasing him Nov. 3. He finished with 76 carries for 315 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. McFadden has three 100-yard games in the seven games since the Cowboys released Randle.
Lance Dunbar’s injury: With Murray gone, the Cowboys expected Dunbar to have a breakout year as their third-down back and kickoff returner. He played a big role in the offense the first four games, with six kickoff returns, a punt return, five carries and 21 receptions. Dunbar had 432 total yards before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee. After beginning the season with Dunbar and Randle as two-thirds of their running back by committee, the Cowboys have gone through four other running backs. McFadden is the last man standing among the tailbacks who started the season with the team.
Greg Hardy’s presence: The Cowboys signed the defensive end in the off-season despite the red flags, believing he was the final piece in their Super Bowl puzzle. Instead, he has made more headlines than sacks (5.5) in his eight games back since serving a four-game suspension. Hardy got in a verbal spat with a teammate in the off-season, sent an ill-advised social media post making light of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, made questionable comments about Tom Brady’s wife and had a sideline tantrum that included slapping a clipboard out of special teams coach Rich Bisaccia’s hands.
Underachievers: Tyrone Crawford signed a five-year, $45 million deal in September. The Cowboys expected Crawford to have a breakout season at the three-technique, one of the most important positions in the Tampa 2 defense. Instead, he has 35 tackles, four sacks and 21 quarterback pressures and might be more suited for the nose. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain, who served a four-game suspension to start the season, hasn’t played as well as he did last season, and receiver Terrance Williams failed to step up in Bryant’s five-game absence.
Read more here: Dallas Cowboys have had everything go wrong this season | The Star-Telegram