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01:56 AM CDT on Thursday, August 12, 2010
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
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IRVING – If the spectacle of preseason football bores you, if watching athletes compete for the right to back up the player who backs up the right guard or inside linebacker doesn't do it for you, maybe this will.
Think of tonight's game between the Cowboys and Oakland Raiders as another chance for the Cowboys to gather information for their emergency-response plan if an injury forces quarterback Tony Romo to miss time during the regular season.
Unlike British Petroleum, the Cowboys need to know that everyone in their plan has a pulse.
Romo was on the field for one series in the team's Hall of Fame victory over Cincinnati . Coach Wade Phillips said the quarterback will get a bit more time in tonight's game, which kicks off at 8 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium, but not much.
This game is for Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee. It's a chance for Kitna to scrape off the rust that has collected during his time as Romo's understudy. It's a time for McGee to show he's making progress as the quarterback the club wants to develop.
"I had a lot of fun the other night," said Kitna, who completed four of seven passes for 56 yards against the Bengals. "It's been awhile since I've had fun.
"Last year, it was such a new system. It was like learning a foreign language and then going over to that country and trying to use it. No matter how much you know, it's difficult."
Habla usted playbook?
Romo took every snap for the Cowboys last season. Kitna hasn't played in a regular-season game since October 2008, when he was with Detroit.
The Cowboys must address that inactivity by giving the veteran extra work in these preseason games. He took only 11 snaps against Cincinnati. Look for Kitna to get 20 to 25 snaps in this one.
Phillips knows Kitna can play. More important, his teammates know he can play. The Cowboys coach praises Kitna's strong arm and how he's progressed in learning the team's system.
"I really think that we've got a gem there," Phillips said. "He helped our defense last year, because playing against him is tough. He knows where to go with the football.
"I'm glad he didn't have to play [last season], because you want Tony to be well, but this guy's a good quarterback. I think he could start and play well for a lot of teams.
"As a matter of fact, I don't have any doubt about that."
The assessment of McGee isn't as positive or definitive. The former Texas A&M star suffered a sprained MCL while throwing a touchdown pass against Tennessee last preseason. His next chance to play came four days ago against Cincinnati.
"I thought he did a nice job," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "I thought he handled some different situations well.
"It wasn't always clean, but I thought he used his feet well. I thought he got the ball out of his hand and made some good, quick decisions. He threw it to the right guy, threw it accurately and played decisively. I thought his command was good."
McGee played more than any quarterback on the Cowboys roster and completed 12 of 22 passes for 116 yards. He showed poise and presence throughout the game.
Emmitt Smith's induction into the Hall of Fame means the Cowboys will play five games this preseason, not four. That is big for McGee.
"This extra preseason game benefits him as much as anybody else on the football team, because he gets 40 more snaps than he otherwise would not have gotten," Garrett said.
McGee's response: That's awesome.
"I've got to make the plays when they're there," McGee said. "When plays break down and mistakes happen, which they're going to happen, don't let other people's mistakes become my mistakes. Be smart with the football, and if there is a play there to be had, make it. If not, then that next decision has got to be a smart one.
"This is our time to play as quarterbacks. It's the one position on the field where not everyone gets to play. I've got to take advantage of every rep I get and make it count."
What Kitna and McGee do these next four games will be filed in the team's emergency-response plan.
Column by DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News | dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – If the spectacle of preseason football bores you, if watching athletes compete for the right to back up the player who backs up the right guard or inside linebacker doesn't do it for you, maybe this will.
Think of tonight's game between the Cowboys and Oakland Raiders as another chance for the Cowboys to gather information for their emergency-response plan if an injury forces quarterback Tony Romo to miss time during the regular season.
Unlike British Petroleum, the Cowboys need to know that everyone in their plan has a pulse.
Romo was on the field for one series in the team's Hall of Fame victory over Cincinnati . Coach Wade Phillips said the quarterback will get a bit more time in tonight's game, which kicks off at 8 p.m. at Cowboys Stadium, but not much.
This game is for Jon Kitna and Stephen McGee. It's a chance for Kitna to scrape off the rust that has collected during his time as Romo's understudy. It's a time for McGee to show he's making progress as the quarterback the club wants to develop.
"I had a lot of fun the other night," said Kitna, who completed four of seven passes for 56 yards against the Bengals. "It's been awhile since I've had fun.
"Last year, it was such a new system. It was like learning a foreign language and then going over to that country and trying to use it. No matter how much you know, it's difficult."
Habla usted playbook?
Romo took every snap for the Cowboys last season. Kitna hasn't played in a regular-season game since October 2008, when he was with Detroit.
The Cowboys must address that inactivity by giving the veteran extra work in these preseason games. He took only 11 snaps against Cincinnati. Look for Kitna to get 20 to 25 snaps in this one.
Phillips knows Kitna can play. More important, his teammates know he can play. The Cowboys coach praises Kitna's strong arm and how he's progressed in learning the team's system.
"I really think that we've got a gem there," Phillips said. "He helped our defense last year, because playing against him is tough. He knows where to go with the football.
"I'm glad he didn't have to play [last season], because you want Tony to be well, but this guy's a good quarterback. I think he could start and play well for a lot of teams.
"As a matter of fact, I don't have any doubt about that."
The assessment of McGee isn't as positive or definitive. The former Texas A&M star suffered a sprained MCL while throwing a touchdown pass against Tennessee last preseason. His next chance to play came four days ago against Cincinnati.
"I thought he did a nice job," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "I thought he handled some different situations well.
"It wasn't always clean, but I thought he used his feet well. I thought he got the ball out of his hand and made some good, quick decisions. He threw it to the right guy, threw it accurately and played decisively. I thought his command was good."
McGee played more than any quarterback on the Cowboys roster and completed 12 of 22 passes for 116 yards. He showed poise and presence throughout the game.
Emmitt Smith's induction into the Hall of Fame means the Cowboys will play five games this preseason, not four. That is big for McGee.
"This extra preseason game benefits him as much as anybody else on the football team, because he gets 40 more snaps than he otherwise would not have gotten," Garrett said.
McGee's response: That's awesome.
"I've got to make the plays when they're there," McGee said. "When plays break down and mistakes happen, which they're going to happen, don't let other people's mistakes become my mistakes. Be smart with the football, and if there is a play there to be had, make it. If not, then that next decision has got to be a smart one.
"This is our time to play as quarterbacks. It's the one position on the field where not everyone gets to play. I've got to take advantage of every rep I get and make it count."
What Kitna and McGee do these next four games will be filed in the team's emergency-response plan.