dbair1967
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Game two was probably worse than game one. Honestly it seemed like the score should have been 55-0 or something.
This is now 3 times they have lined up against another team (incl the joint practices with the Rams) and they have been thoroughly dominated in every phase in all 3. The start of the Schottenheimer era is extremely discouraging because win or lose and whether starters played or not, I thought we'd see signs of more competent and fundamentally sound football play, and instead the opposite has happened. They look worse.
1) The Joe Milton experiment should officially be over. There is literally no way he can be the backup QB here and now after these two preseason games I actually believe he doesn't even warrant a roster spot. He belongs on the PS and after how lousy he has looked there is almost no way they have to be concerned with anyone claiming him to their active roster. He was every bit as bad as last week (honestly worse) and maybe threw two or three good passes the whole night. One of his best passes (in either game) was unfortunately dropped by Cropper, but dude is just not ready to play QB in this league. The safety the Ravens got on our 1st drive was also on Milton. Unfortunately, after the game Schottenheimer was playing the loyal company employee and trying to dispel the obvious. Will Grier came in after Milton was finally pulled, threw one really nice pass and then like Milton was terrible the remainder of the game (that was his only completion). Neither one of these guys is a legit NFL QB.
2) OL had two starters play (Booker and Beebe) and the results were no better that last week, although the team had the football so little that it might be hard to truly pass judgement. Booker did look pretty good for his first showing and had a couple eye opener type blocking plays. Overall, the line generated almost no push in the run game (51 yards and barely 2.5 yds per carry) and gave up 4 sacks and numerous QB pressures in the pass game.
3) Defensive line got absolutely destroyed in the run game and generated next to no pass rush whatsoever for the 2nd straight game (save backup James Houston, who might be playing his way onto the active roster). Mazi Smith needed to show improvement and did not, he was dreadful as were the other DT's not named Perrion Winfrey (who like Houston, might well be a final 53 guy now). Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku got alot of PT in first half and unfortunately did nothing to stand out. Sam Williams got his first PT and did nothing of note either. In two games, the run defense has shown no ability to even be average and they have a grand total of one sack in two games, and that was a play where the opposing QB simply fell down. The two rookie DT's (Toia and Akingsbesote) look like practice squad guys at best, which is really concerning because there have been murmurs that Toia was getting consideration for being 1st team. He does not look remotely NFL ready and has possibly one of the worst football bodies I've ever seen. Dude looks like a cardiac arrest waiting to happen.
4) Hard to really grade the WR's when the QB play is so bad. But Flournoy still looks like a real keeper to me. He had a couple catches and appeared to be open at will. Mingo was probably in line to make the team but then injured his knee late (was reported they believe its a PCL injury and if it's torn he may miss most if not all the season) This probably means Jalen Tolbert's job is safe and that's unfortunate because he was a guy who may have had decent trade value. Jalen Brooks is probably safe as well. After Schottenheimer said last week Traeshon Holden was moving up the depth chart, he hardly played until the end of the game and was only targeted one time.
5) When the play is as bad as we saw its hard to come up with guys who played pretty good or stood out, but on offense I thought Booker looked pretty good. Flournoy as noted above was solid again. On defense, Jack Sanborn only got a couple series but he looked good. Damone Clark was all over the place and had a couple really nice plays including two TFLs. Rookie LB Shemar James is definitely looking pretty good and looks like a really solid draft pick, his speed and how well he hits for someone his size is impressive. Reminds me a little of the Jimmy Johnson type LB's in Darrin Smith and Dixon Edwards. Andrew Booth led the team in tackles and had the only TD of the game for us with a nice pick 6, but he also continued to get beat easily and gave WAY too much ground on most plays. Cooper Rush has a poor arm so I don't know why any CB's would lay 8-10 yds off Receivers and make it easy to complete underneath pass after underneath pass. Kemon Hall is definitely interesting. Really tackles well for his size and he is usually right on his receivers, even if they make the catch. UDFA Zion Childress had another solid showing and probably has clinched not only a roster spot but likely a role in the nickel/dime defense. As usual, Brandon Aubrey was perfect and reportedly in pregame hit routinely from 57-65 yards with ease.
6) The following players have not played a single snap in preseason: Prescott, Jevonte Williams, Jaydon Blue (injury), Lamb, Pickens, Turpin Ferguson, Spann-Ford (injured) Guyton (injured), Steele (not sure why, he has been poor in camp) Tyler Smith, Odiggy, Solomon Thomas, Kenneth Murray (was expected to play last night but I never saw him on the field), Overshown (injured) Bland, Wilson, Hooker, Diggs, Revel and Carson (all 3 injured) and obviously Parsons (ridiculous holdout caused by dipshit owner/GM and Spawn) That's a lot of our best talent but without getting any PT, who knows how they will look week one.
7) It was pretty obvious after last week but last night 100% confirmed it- they need real help at DT, CB and #2 QB. They may need a legit starting RB (wasn't overly impressed with Sanders last night and who knows what we have in Williams) too. They can't be looking for Walmart or Home Deport street free agent types either. These need to be legit moves. CB won't be as bad once Diggs, Revel and Carson get back and show they are healthy, but for now they are relying on a castoff they acquired for a late rd pick and some UDFA type player to man that spot.
I'm just sort of stunned at how inept they look on the field. I didn't expect 92 Cowboys by any sense of the imagination, but I thought they'd "look" better at football, and they don't. Schottenheimer continued to say all week and again last night that they want to be as vanilla as possible on both sides of the ball, but at some point don't you legitimately have to practice whatever it is you ARE going to do? Fundamentally they are not good. They cannot tackle and are easily pushed around on both fronts. Backups or no backups this shouldnt be THAT bad. Needless to say, next Friday is going to be very interesting and the play has been so bad that they may have to do a lot more next week than they originally intended.
This is now 3 times they have lined up against another team (incl the joint practices with the Rams) and they have been thoroughly dominated in every phase in all 3. The start of the Schottenheimer era is extremely discouraging because win or lose and whether starters played or not, I thought we'd see signs of more competent and fundamentally sound football play, and instead the opposite has happened. They look worse.
1) The Joe Milton experiment should officially be over. There is literally no way he can be the backup QB here and now after these two preseason games I actually believe he doesn't even warrant a roster spot. He belongs on the PS and after how lousy he has looked there is almost no way they have to be concerned with anyone claiming him to their active roster. He was every bit as bad as last week (honestly worse) and maybe threw two or three good passes the whole night. One of his best passes (in either game) was unfortunately dropped by Cropper, but dude is just not ready to play QB in this league. The safety the Ravens got on our 1st drive was also on Milton. Unfortunately, after the game Schottenheimer was playing the loyal company employee and trying to dispel the obvious. Will Grier came in after Milton was finally pulled, threw one really nice pass and then like Milton was terrible the remainder of the game (that was his only completion). Neither one of these guys is a legit NFL QB.
2) OL had two starters play (Booker and Beebe) and the results were no better that last week, although the team had the football so little that it might be hard to truly pass judgement. Booker did look pretty good for his first showing and had a couple eye opener type blocking plays. Overall, the line generated almost no push in the run game (51 yards and barely 2.5 yds per carry) and gave up 4 sacks and numerous QB pressures in the pass game.
3) Defensive line got absolutely destroyed in the run game and generated next to no pass rush whatsoever for the 2nd straight game (save backup James Houston, who might be playing his way onto the active roster). Mazi Smith needed to show improvement and did not, he was dreadful as were the other DT's not named Perrion Winfrey (who like Houston, might well be a final 53 guy now). Rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku got alot of PT in first half and unfortunately did nothing to stand out. Sam Williams got his first PT and did nothing of note either. In two games, the run defense has shown no ability to even be average and they have a grand total of one sack in two games, and that was a play where the opposing QB simply fell down. The two rookie DT's (Toia and Akingsbesote) look like practice squad guys at best, which is really concerning because there have been murmurs that Toia was getting consideration for being 1st team. He does not look remotely NFL ready and has possibly one of the worst football bodies I've ever seen. Dude looks like a cardiac arrest waiting to happen.
4) Hard to really grade the WR's when the QB play is so bad. But Flournoy still looks like a real keeper to me. He had a couple catches and appeared to be open at will. Mingo was probably in line to make the team but then injured his knee late (was reported they believe its a PCL injury and if it's torn he may miss most if not all the season) This probably means Jalen Tolbert's job is safe and that's unfortunate because he was a guy who may have had decent trade value. Jalen Brooks is probably safe as well. After Schottenheimer said last week Traeshon Holden was moving up the depth chart, he hardly played until the end of the game and was only targeted one time.
5) When the play is as bad as we saw its hard to come up with guys who played pretty good or stood out, but on offense I thought Booker looked pretty good. Flournoy as noted above was solid again. On defense, Jack Sanborn only got a couple series but he looked good. Damone Clark was all over the place and had a couple really nice plays including two TFLs. Rookie LB Shemar James is definitely looking pretty good and looks like a really solid draft pick, his speed and how well he hits for someone his size is impressive. Reminds me a little of the Jimmy Johnson type LB's in Darrin Smith and Dixon Edwards. Andrew Booth led the team in tackles and had the only TD of the game for us with a nice pick 6, but he also continued to get beat easily and gave WAY too much ground on most plays. Cooper Rush has a poor arm so I don't know why any CB's would lay 8-10 yds off Receivers and make it easy to complete underneath pass after underneath pass. Kemon Hall is definitely interesting. Really tackles well for his size and he is usually right on his receivers, even if they make the catch. UDFA Zion Childress had another solid showing and probably has clinched not only a roster spot but likely a role in the nickel/dime defense. As usual, Brandon Aubrey was perfect and reportedly in pregame hit routinely from 57-65 yards with ease.
6) The following players have not played a single snap in preseason: Prescott, Jevonte Williams, Jaydon Blue (injury), Lamb, Pickens, Turpin Ferguson, Spann-Ford (injured) Guyton (injured), Steele (not sure why, he has been poor in camp) Tyler Smith, Odiggy, Solomon Thomas, Kenneth Murray (was expected to play last night but I never saw him on the field), Overshown (injured) Bland, Wilson, Hooker, Diggs, Revel and Carson (all 3 injured) and obviously Parsons (ridiculous holdout caused by dipshit owner/GM and Spawn) That's a lot of our best talent but without getting any PT, who knows how they will look week one.
7) It was pretty obvious after last week but last night 100% confirmed it- they need real help at DT, CB and #2 QB. They may need a legit starting RB (wasn't overly impressed with Sanders last night and who knows what we have in Williams) too. They can't be looking for Walmart or Home Deport street free agent types either. These need to be legit moves. CB won't be as bad once Diggs, Revel and Carson get back and show they are healthy, but for now they are relying on a castoff they acquired for a late rd pick and some UDFA type player to man that spot.
I'm just sort of stunned at how inept they look on the field. I didn't expect 92 Cowboys by any sense of the imagination, but I thought they'd "look" better at football, and they don't. Schottenheimer continued to say all week and again last night that they want to be as vanilla as possible on both sides of the ball, but at some point don't you legitimately have to practice whatever it is you ARE going to do? Fundamentally they are not good. They cannot tackle and are easily pushed around on both fronts. Backups or no backups this shouldnt be THAT bad. Needless to say, next Friday is going to be very interesting and the play has been so bad that they may have to do a lot more next week than they originally intended.
