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Gosselin: Despite loss, I was shocked Cowboys' defense rose to occasion against Eagles
SportsDayDFW.com
Published: 01 January 2014 01:08 PM
Updated: 01 January 2014 01:08 PM
Catch SportsDay On Air twice per week on Fox Sports Southwest, when Dallas Morning News experts discuss hot sports topics from the Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, high schools and colleges (check our TV listings for air times). Here is a highlight from Monday's episode featuring Rick Gosselin and Evan Grant:
On if you were surprised the Dallas Cowboys were in the position to win their Sunday-night game against the Philadelphia Eagles late in the game?
Gosselin: “I was shocked at how the defense played. I didn’t think this defense could stop anybody. I think that defense rose up. I thought it’d be close. I think I picked a 6-point score in the paper. I thought it would be closer than most people would have guessed, but I never saw this defense playing like that.”
On what hurt the Cowboys the most in their 24-22 loss to the Eagles:
Grant: “I think they couldn’t afford to make turnovers and part of that goes to Kyle Orton because both of the balls that were intercepted were poorly thrown balls … But the DeMarco Murray fumble is very costly as well. You cannot, when you are playing with so many missing pieces, you cannot afford to make mistakes and the Cowboys made three on offense.”
Question: Say what you want to demean the coach, but his players played their butts off last nite, i think any coach with the talent on defense would be looking at the same results, and as far as maybe the comment that ware made, if he took a pay cut and austin is gone, how does or will it affect the cap next year, thanks..
Gosselin: That's the one big positive I can say about Jason Garrett -- his team has never quit on him. They stay in games. They just lack the talent to close them out.
Question: Would Witten have been a better target on 2pt try? Throw to Dez a timing throw; harder for Orton with less practice
Gosselin: The replay on TV showed Witten should have been the target. He was open. But the play was sent in for Dez and Orton executed the play. Dez is going to get the call on any key goal line play because of his size gives him mismatch against any cornerback. Everyone in the building knew that pass was going to Dez. Maybe if Orton had thrown more than 5 passes this season leading into that game, he might have been have built up the experience with his receiving corps to look elsewhere. But he did what he was told -- get the ball to Dez.
Question: Dallas will never be any good until they get rid of Romo. Orton proved he can still be a starter in this league. Get rid of Garret and your GM, then rebuild and maybe in 3-5 years you can make the playoffs again.
Gosselin: Romo isn't going anywhere any time soon. He has greater job security than Stephen Jones. He begins his six-year, $108 million contract in 2014 -- bad back and all. Removing him from the roster, whether by trade or waiver, would be a devastating cap hit. This team is already $30 million over the cap for next season. DeMarcus Ware is another aging player with a huge cap number. He'll be here for the long term as well.
Question: How does a Rookie NFL Coach put together a System in one year to beat an "established" team like the Cowboys. Will Jerry Jones ever get it?
Gosselin: Chip Kelly was a seasoned head coach in football before he took over the Eagles. Jason Garrett had never been the head coach at any level when he became the head coach of the Cowboys. Garrett has spent the last four years learning how to coach. Kelly served his apprenticeship in the college ranks. He was ready to be a head coach when the Eagles hired him. Garrett was not.
Question: So given the mediocrity of this team will there be any coaching changes?
Gosselin: There has to be changes. The fans are pretty upset right now. There were four crowds at Cowboys Stadium over 90,000 this season, including the last two home games. The Cowboys lost them both. For the prices the Cowboys are asking these fans to pay -- the PSL, ticket, parking and concessions -- they don't want to see a "show," as Jerry Jones termed it. They want to see a winning football team. The fans are going to demand changes and Jerry is going to offer some up. He just won't go high enough in assessing blame. Some assistant coaches and many players will be gone.
Question: It's no consolation, but the Cowboys played a better finale this year than in years past. Was that because they played at home, played a worse division champ or the wrong assessment on my part?
Gosselin: Home field and a bad division allowed the Cowboys to compete in this finale with a backup quarterback.
Question: Great game; excruciating loss. First three draft picks: DL, DL, safety. Sound right?
Gosselin: I'd mix in anoter offensive linemen. I think they need to come away with at least three DL and two OL in this draft. Until the two lines get fixed, this team won't get fixed. The NFC East has long been a division that rewarded the teams that won the line of scrimmage. This is a cold weather division where size and might count, especially later in the year. But, yes, a safety would also be on my wish list as well as another tight end (just kidding)...
Question: Billy is right Orton did a great job. Why not run the ball more and run for the 2pt conversion??
Gosselin: This offensive staff doesn't believe in the run nor does it trust the run -- even when the back is averaging 7.4 yards per carry. You don't become a great running game on the 17th week of the season. There's a build up effect that comes with a commitment to the run from the opening week on. When the Eagles put the game away, going up 24-16 midway through the fourth quarter, they scored on a 60-yard, 11-play drive that featured nine runs by LeSean McCoy. The Eagles believe in the run and trust the run. The Cowboys don't. Thus, third-and-2 becomes a passing down for the Cowboys.
Question: I think "we" missed Dunbar big time last night. Agree? Happy New Year!
Gosselin: Agreed. He can bring a Darren Sproles element to this offense. This unit lacks speed. Bryant, Witten and Murray aren't burners. Dunbar has the speed they all lack. That translates into big-play capability. The Cowboys need to figure out a way to make him an impact player in 2014.
SportsDayDFW.com
Published: 01 January 2014 01:08 PM
Updated: 01 January 2014 01:08 PM
Catch SportsDay On Air twice per week on Fox Sports Southwest, when Dallas Morning News experts discuss hot sports topics from the Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, high schools and colleges (check our TV listings for air times). Here is a highlight from Monday's episode featuring Rick Gosselin and Evan Grant:
On if you were surprised the Dallas Cowboys were in the position to win their Sunday-night game against the Philadelphia Eagles late in the game?
Gosselin: “I was shocked at how the defense played. I didn’t think this defense could stop anybody. I think that defense rose up. I thought it’d be close. I think I picked a 6-point score in the paper. I thought it would be closer than most people would have guessed, but I never saw this defense playing like that.”
On what hurt the Cowboys the most in their 24-22 loss to the Eagles:
Grant: “I think they couldn’t afford to make turnovers and part of that goes to Kyle Orton because both of the balls that were intercepted were poorly thrown balls … But the DeMarco Murray fumble is very costly as well. You cannot, when you are playing with so many missing pieces, you cannot afford to make mistakes and the Cowboys made three on offense.”
Question: Say what you want to demean the coach, but his players played their butts off last nite, i think any coach with the talent on defense would be looking at the same results, and as far as maybe the comment that ware made, if he took a pay cut and austin is gone, how does or will it affect the cap next year, thanks..
Gosselin: That's the one big positive I can say about Jason Garrett -- his team has never quit on him. They stay in games. They just lack the talent to close them out.
Question: Would Witten have been a better target on 2pt try? Throw to Dez a timing throw; harder for Orton with less practice
Gosselin: The replay on TV showed Witten should have been the target. He was open. But the play was sent in for Dez and Orton executed the play. Dez is going to get the call on any key goal line play because of his size gives him mismatch against any cornerback. Everyone in the building knew that pass was going to Dez. Maybe if Orton had thrown more than 5 passes this season leading into that game, he might have been have built up the experience with his receiving corps to look elsewhere. But he did what he was told -- get the ball to Dez.
Question: Dallas will never be any good until they get rid of Romo. Orton proved he can still be a starter in this league. Get rid of Garret and your GM, then rebuild and maybe in 3-5 years you can make the playoffs again.
Gosselin: Romo isn't going anywhere any time soon. He has greater job security than Stephen Jones. He begins his six-year, $108 million contract in 2014 -- bad back and all. Removing him from the roster, whether by trade or waiver, would be a devastating cap hit. This team is already $30 million over the cap for next season. DeMarcus Ware is another aging player with a huge cap number. He'll be here for the long term as well.
Question: How does a Rookie NFL Coach put together a System in one year to beat an "established" team like the Cowboys. Will Jerry Jones ever get it?
Gosselin: Chip Kelly was a seasoned head coach in football before he took over the Eagles. Jason Garrett had never been the head coach at any level when he became the head coach of the Cowboys. Garrett has spent the last four years learning how to coach. Kelly served his apprenticeship in the college ranks. He was ready to be a head coach when the Eagles hired him. Garrett was not.
Question: So given the mediocrity of this team will there be any coaching changes?
Gosselin: There has to be changes. The fans are pretty upset right now. There were four crowds at Cowboys Stadium over 90,000 this season, including the last two home games. The Cowboys lost them both. For the prices the Cowboys are asking these fans to pay -- the PSL, ticket, parking and concessions -- they don't want to see a "show," as Jerry Jones termed it. They want to see a winning football team. The fans are going to demand changes and Jerry is going to offer some up. He just won't go high enough in assessing blame. Some assistant coaches and many players will be gone.
Question: It's no consolation, but the Cowboys played a better finale this year than in years past. Was that because they played at home, played a worse division champ or the wrong assessment on my part?
Gosselin: Home field and a bad division allowed the Cowboys to compete in this finale with a backup quarterback.
Question: Great game; excruciating loss. First three draft picks: DL, DL, safety. Sound right?
Gosselin: I'd mix in anoter offensive linemen. I think they need to come away with at least three DL and two OL in this draft. Until the two lines get fixed, this team won't get fixed. The NFC East has long been a division that rewarded the teams that won the line of scrimmage. This is a cold weather division where size and might count, especially later in the year. But, yes, a safety would also be on my wish list as well as another tight end (just kidding)...
Question: Billy is right Orton did a great job. Why not run the ball more and run for the 2pt conversion??
Gosselin: This offensive staff doesn't believe in the run nor does it trust the run -- even when the back is averaging 7.4 yards per carry. You don't become a great running game on the 17th week of the season. There's a build up effect that comes with a commitment to the run from the opening week on. When the Eagles put the game away, going up 24-16 midway through the fourth quarter, they scored on a 60-yard, 11-play drive that featured nine runs by LeSean McCoy. The Eagles believe in the run and trust the run. The Cowboys don't. Thus, third-and-2 becomes a passing down for the Cowboys.
Question: I think "we" missed Dunbar big time last night. Agree? Happy New Year!
Gosselin: Agreed. He can bring a Darren Sproles element to this offense. This unit lacks speed. Bryant, Witten and Murray aren't burners. Dunbar has the speed they all lack. That translates into big-play capability. The Cowboys need to figure out a way to make him an impact player in 2014.
