C
Cr122
Guest
Not much to see during Cowboys' abbreviated opening act
By GIL LEBRETON - McClatchy Newspapers
CANTON, Ohio -- On the night after the speeches, the parties and the Hall of Fame inductions, preseason football intervened.
The regular season is still five weeks away, the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals reminded us Sunday night.
On this night, Cowboys starters were reduced to cameo appearances. The offensive game plans seemed to be borrowed from the Canton Bulldogs.
And on a weekend meant to honor NFL heroes, the main heroes Sunday for the Cowboys had names such as Stephen McGee, John Phillips, Brandon Sharpe and David Buehler.
As participants in this year's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the Cowboys and Bengals were allowed to begin their training camps one week early. The alleged advantages, let me suggest, were subtle.
The Cowboys' first units, offense and defense, called it a night after playing only one series. Both coaches cleared their benches. New Bengals receiver Terrell Owens proved, by his halftime quote, that he still doesn't get it.
And Tony Romo and the Cowboys' No. 1 offense appeared semi-sharp - up to a specific point, that point being the Cincinnati 5-yard line.
The Cowboys' defensive subs, showing surprising depth and quickness, filled in the blanks en route to a 16-7 victory.
If you were looking for something to go to Vegas with, some early sign of the prowess of the Cowboys, you're going to have to wait at least until Thursday.
Romo quarterbacked only 14 plays, smartly moving the starters 63 yards before things tuckered out and they had to resort to the first of Buehler's three field goals.
The starting defense didn't even play half as much - six plays, during which the Bengals piled up 14 yards.
"We were able to get our feet wet," linebacker Keith Brooking said.
Feet wet? Somebody must have spilled the Gatorade.
There wasn't much here to dampen any first-teamers' cleats, including Owens, who has a new team to poison this season.
He caught two passes for 18 total yards in his brief appearance. And when asked for comments at halftime on the passes of his starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, Owens answered, "They are on point. I'd call them 'receiver friendly.' "
Owens did make one low-vanity observation: "It felt just like practice."
Right. And it looked like it, too.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has a right to whine, if he chooses, about his team's failing to get into the end zone after first-and-goal from the Bengals' 2. Red-zone offense was supposed to be an emphasis of the training camp in San Antonio.
But Phillips has no reason to complain about the way his defense performed. The Cowboys shuffled rookies and free-agent defensive players in and out all night, and still the Bengals struggled to move the first-down chains.
Cincinnati's lone touchdown was set up in the game's final two minutes by a 63-yard punt return by Texas ex Jordan Shipley.
"It's a process, a very long process," Brooking said. "We're in the beginning stages of it. But I think we took a step in the right direction tonight. We just have to continue to improve."
Traditionally, the two teams chosen to participate in this annual Hall of Fame exhibition are allowed to convene their training camps one week early.
The dilemma persists, however. What's worse for a team (and its fans) than four NFL preseason games? Five preseason games, as was proven Sunday night.
If my arithmetic is correct, playing one extra exhibition game increases a team's chances of injury by 25 percent.
Before the first half concluded, the Cowboys announced that four players had sustained various injuries, including the pass-catching star of the first half, tight end Phillips.
Romo, meanwhile, spent part of his second half with his ballcap on, chatting with owner Jerry Jones and Cowboys great Bob Lilly.
That's how tense things were.
"It was nice to see that we were able to move the ball," Romo said.
He is correct. After all, old friend (and ex-Cowboys defensive coordinator) Mike Zimmer directs the Cincinnati defense.
The Cowboys outgained the Bengals, 297 yards to 179. But, alas, no touchdowns, even though McGee was 12 of 22 and mostly showed promising poise.
On Hall of Fame weekend, though, as Owens said, the game looked far too much like practice.
Nothing super was spotted here Sunday night. The extra week of practice, as it turned out, was nothing more than an extra week.
By GIL LEBRETON - McClatchy Newspapers
CANTON, Ohio -- On the night after the speeches, the parties and the Hall of Fame inductions, preseason football intervened.
The regular season is still five weeks away, the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals reminded us Sunday night.
On this night, Cowboys starters were reduced to cameo appearances. The offensive game plans seemed to be borrowed from the Canton Bulldogs.
And on a weekend meant to honor NFL heroes, the main heroes Sunday for the Cowboys had names such as Stephen McGee, John Phillips, Brandon Sharpe and David Buehler.
As participants in this year's annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the Cowboys and Bengals were allowed to begin their training camps one week early. The alleged advantages, let me suggest, were subtle.
The Cowboys' first units, offense and defense, called it a night after playing only one series. Both coaches cleared their benches. New Bengals receiver Terrell Owens proved, by his halftime quote, that he still doesn't get it.
And Tony Romo and the Cowboys' No. 1 offense appeared semi-sharp - up to a specific point, that point being the Cincinnati 5-yard line.
The Cowboys' defensive subs, showing surprising depth and quickness, filled in the blanks en route to a 16-7 victory.
If you were looking for something to go to Vegas with, some early sign of the prowess of the Cowboys, you're going to have to wait at least until Thursday.
Romo quarterbacked only 14 plays, smartly moving the starters 63 yards before things tuckered out and they had to resort to the first of Buehler's three field goals.
The starting defense didn't even play half as much - six plays, during which the Bengals piled up 14 yards.
"We were able to get our feet wet," linebacker Keith Brooking said.
Feet wet? Somebody must have spilled the Gatorade.
There wasn't much here to dampen any first-teamers' cleats, including Owens, who has a new team to poison this season.
He caught two passes for 18 total yards in his brief appearance. And when asked for comments at halftime on the passes of his starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, Owens answered, "They are on point. I'd call them 'receiver friendly.' "
Owens did make one low-vanity observation: "It felt just like practice."
Right. And it looked like it, too.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips has a right to whine, if he chooses, about his team's failing to get into the end zone after first-and-goal from the Bengals' 2. Red-zone offense was supposed to be an emphasis of the training camp in San Antonio.
But Phillips has no reason to complain about the way his defense performed. The Cowboys shuffled rookies and free-agent defensive players in and out all night, and still the Bengals struggled to move the first-down chains.
Cincinnati's lone touchdown was set up in the game's final two minutes by a 63-yard punt return by Texas ex Jordan Shipley.
"It's a process, a very long process," Brooking said. "We're in the beginning stages of it. But I think we took a step in the right direction tonight. We just have to continue to improve."
Traditionally, the two teams chosen to participate in this annual Hall of Fame exhibition are allowed to convene their training camps one week early.
The dilemma persists, however. What's worse for a team (and its fans) than four NFL preseason games? Five preseason games, as was proven Sunday night.
If my arithmetic is correct, playing one extra exhibition game increases a team's chances of injury by 25 percent.
Before the first half concluded, the Cowboys announced that four players had sustained various injuries, including the pass-catching star of the first half, tight end Phillips.
Romo, meanwhile, spent part of his second half with his ballcap on, chatting with owner Jerry Jones and Cowboys great Bob Lilly.
That's how tense things were.
"It was nice to see that we were able to move the ball," Romo said.
He is correct. After all, old friend (and ex-Cowboys defensive coordinator) Mike Zimmer directs the Cincinnati defense.
The Cowboys outgained the Bengals, 297 yards to 179. But, alas, no touchdowns, even though McGee was 12 of 22 and mostly showed promising poise.
On Hall of Fame weekend, though, as Owens said, the game looked far too much like practice.
Nothing super was spotted here Sunday night. The extra week of practice, as it turned out, was nothing more than an extra week.