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Five Wonders: Stay away from short week
December, 23, 2014
Dec 2310:00AM ET
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- This Dallas Cowboys' season has been a wonder. Even some of the diehards were not counting on a playoff appearance this season, and for some it took a while to get on board with their success.
Even though we no longer have to wonder if the Cowboys will make the playoffs, we still have Five Wonders.
Away we go:
In all likelihood the Cowboys will finish as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and host a playoff game on wild-card weekend. I wonder if they can do something to avoid the Saturday night game. Short weeks have not been a good thing for the Cowboys, especially Tony Romo. Romo has not practiced on a Wednesday in a full week since the second game of the season. He missed the Arizona game in part because it was a short prep week after losing to Washington. He did not perform well on Thanksgiving. I wonder if Jerry Jones will use his power and influence to make sure the Cowboys play next Sunday so his quarterback has a full week to prepare. It's just one day, but one day has made a big difference with Romo.
•I know this is about things we're wondering about, but I don't wonder if Jason Garrett sits his regulars Sunday against the Redskins. That's just not his style. The Cowboys can still gain a bye even if they lose if the Seahawks and Cardinals lose. But that's a huge if. Plus, this team is not so talented that it can simply turn on and off their ability to care. The margin for error is thin. They have to play all out to win, especially defensively. It's a fine line Garrett will have to walk with injured players, like DeMarco Murray, Romo, Jason Witten and Rolando McClain but momentum is a funny thing. The Cowboys had the best record in the conference in 2007, took their starters out in the third quarter of the regular-season finale, enjoyed the bye week on wild-card weekend and then lost to the New York Giants in the divisional round. They lost their mojo. This team has mojo going right now. Maybe you don't believe in it, but something is going on right now.
•I wonder if there is a more impressive stat for Romo than being 23rd in pass attempts in the NFL and tied for fifth in touchdown passes. That's the definition of efficient. From 2011-13, Romo attempted 522, 648 and 535 passes in those seasons. Romo is on pace for 428 pass attempts this season. He has had only four games in which he has thrown more than 30 passes this season. He had only four games last season in 15 starts in which he didn't throw at least 30 passes.
•I wonder if the Cowboys have found a core defensive player in safety J.J. Wilcox. Since Thanksgiving he has been a different player. He has two interceptions in his last two games and is playing with more poise and discipline. Is it a matter of the game slowing down for him? Is it experience? Tyrone Crawford has developed into a core player. Anthony Hitchens might be that kind of player but his future is tied to what the Cowboys do with their free-agent linebackers Bruce Carter and/or Justin Durant, as well as McClain. They need more core players on defense, but at least they were able to find some answers this year on a couple of players.
•I wonder if defenses are getting a handle on the Cowboys' running game. Not to go all alarming here on everybody but they have had one game in the last month in which they have averaged more than 4 yards per carry. That came against the Chicago Bears when they averaged 5.5 yards per carry. They averaged 3.2 yards against Indianapolis, 2.7 yards and 3.7 yards in two games against Philadelphia. Have defenses figured out the attack? Is that why the passing game is clicking? The main thing, however, is the Cowboys are remaining persistent with the run even if they are not chewing up the yards the way they did earlier in the season. But you do wonder if they need to go back to what worked so well earlier.
December, 23, 2014
Dec 2310:00AM ET
By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com
IRVING, Texas -- This Dallas Cowboys' season has been a wonder. Even some of the diehards were not counting on a playoff appearance this season, and for some it took a while to get on board with their success.
Even though we no longer have to wonder if the Cowboys will make the playoffs, we still have Five Wonders.
Away we go:
In all likelihood the Cowboys will finish as the No. 3 seed in the NFC and host a playoff game on wild-card weekend. I wonder if they can do something to avoid the Saturday night game. Short weeks have not been a good thing for the Cowboys, especially Tony Romo. Romo has not practiced on a Wednesday in a full week since the second game of the season. He missed the Arizona game in part because it was a short prep week after losing to Washington. He did not perform well on Thanksgiving. I wonder if Jerry Jones will use his power and influence to make sure the Cowboys play next Sunday so his quarterback has a full week to prepare. It's just one day, but one day has made a big difference with Romo.
•I know this is about things we're wondering about, but I don't wonder if Jason Garrett sits his regulars Sunday against the Redskins. That's just not his style. The Cowboys can still gain a bye even if they lose if the Seahawks and Cardinals lose. But that's a huge if. Plus, this team is not so talented that it can simply turn on and off their ability to care. The margin for error is thin. They have to play all out to win, especially defensively. It's a fine line Garrett will have to walk with injured players, like DeMarco Murray, Romo, Jason Witten and Rolando McClain but momentum is a funny thing. The Cowboys had the best record in the conference in 2007, took their starters out in the third quarter of the regular-season finale, enjoyed the bye week on wild-card weekend and then lost to the New York Giants in the divisional round. They lost their mojo. This team has mojo going right now. Maybe you don't believe in it, but something is going on right now.
•I wonder if there is a more impressive stat for Romo than being 23rd in pass attempts in the NFL and tied for fifth in touchdown passes. That's the definition of efficient. From 2011-13, Romo attempted 522, 648 and 535 passes in those seasons. Romo is on pace for 428 pass attempts this season. He has had only four games in which he has thrown more than 30 passes this season. He had only four games last season in 15 starts in which he didn't throw at least 30 passes.
•I wonder if the Cowboys have found a core defensive player in safety J.J. Wilcox. Since Thanksgiving he has been a different player. He has two interceptions in his last two games and is playing with more poise and discipline. Is it a matter of the game slowing down for him? Is it experience? Tyrone Crawford has developed into a core player. Anthony Hitchens might be that kind of player but his future is tied to what the Cowboys do with their free-agent linebackers Bruce Carter and/or Justin Durant, as well as McClain. They need more core players on defense, but at least they were able to find some answers this year on a couple of players.
•I wonder if defenses are getting a handle on the Cowboys' running game. Not to go all alarming here on everybody but they have had one game in the last month in which they have averaged more than 4 yards per carry. That came against the Chicago Bears when they averaged 5.5 yards per carry. They averaged 3.2 yards against Indianapolis, 2.7 yards and 3.7 yards in two games against Philadelphia. Have defenses figured out the attack? Is that why the passing game is clicking? The main thing, however, is the Cowboys are remaining persistent with the run even if they are not chewing up the yards the way they did earlier in the season. But you do wonder if they need to go back to what worked so well earlier.