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Good & Plenty
By Mickey Spagnola
IRVING, Texas - Time out. TIME OUT! And we need a full one in order to lend some offseason perspective on these Dallas Cowboys. Thirty seconds won't do.
Why, the Cowboys are just six OTA practice sessions into the offseason, with four more coming up next week and then the mandatory three-day minicamp the following week. Us media types have been allowed to witness all of two of those OTA sessions. That's it, two. And depending on the particular day, there have been as many as a dozen players not participating for whatever reason, from injury, to rehabbing from surgery, to precautionary measures, to schoolcommitments, to bad advice from an agent.
But already – already – and it's only the first day of June, there seems to be a rising cacophony of criticism and worries surrounding this team. You would think the Cowboys were a 4-12 team last season, a bunch of non-competitors who didn't do a darn thing to get better in the offseason. You would think there is nothing right with this team, from the head coach to the quarterback to the defensive coordinator to the pass rush to the offensive line.
Man, I don't know how in the world this team ever won eight games last year or was playing the final game of the NFL season for the right to advance into the playoffs. Not sure how they came within two gigantic plays against the New York Giants, one in each meeting, of very possibly beating the eventual Super Bowl champs both times.
Like all we hear is the Dallas Cowboys lost five, fourth-quarter leads. Well, that they did, but the truth of the matter is, the Cowboys held leads going into the fourth quarter eight times. They won four of those games. Of the four they lost, three of those leads were no more than seven points, not exactly insurmountable margins.
Now you rarely hear this one: The Cowboys won four games when trailing going into the fourth quarter. Yep, eight times the Cowboys trailed going into the final frame and they ended up splitting those, too, losing four and winning four – three times wiping out at least six-point deficits.
Thus the makings of an 8-8 season.
Disappointing? You bet.
But ask yourself: Have the Cowboys grown worse this offseason? Worse personnel than they had last year?
Now look, I realize the Cowboys aren't perfect, and rightfully so there should be concerns over the third wide receiver, the interior of the offensive line, the free safety position and the pass rush.
But let's take a moment to think about a few things.
Providing Mike Jenkins returns in sound mind and body, the Cowboys are infinitely better at cornerback, that is, unless you forget they were playing the season opener last year against the Jets with Alan Ball at one corner and Bryan McCann at the other for most of the game. I'm just sayin'.
They will be better at inside linebacker, if for no other reason than remembering what Sean Lee did last year was as a first-time starter, and you've got to figure he'll continue to improve his third year in the league. And if Bruce Carter comes around as projected, they could be greatly better, or if nothing else, at least younger with the addition, too, of four-year veteran Dan Connor.
Remember, they played with a 20-year-old starter at right tackle last year. Now at the ripe, old age of 21, Tyron Smith, legally eligible to buy his favorite beer now, starts at left tackle and Doug Free will be starting fulltime for just a third season, this time back at right tackle.
No matter what happens, they have to be better at left guard, right? Whoever vs. starting a seventh-round draft choice Day 1 or an out of shape Montrae Holland or finally the unemployed Derrick Dockery has to be. Right guard, well, we'll see, but remember the veteran Kyle Kosier basically played the entire season last year on a bad wheel.
And as for center, was Phil Costa perfect? Nope, but then most undrafted guys playing in just their second season and starting for the first time fulltime usually aren't. Any chance he gets better?
Want to continue? What about twice as many starts out of DeMarco Murray instead of just seven? What about Murray and Felix Jones playing more than the four games together they did last season once Murray got into the starting lineup?
And Dez? Yeah, I know everyone wants more from him, but just remember, you got 63 catches for 928 yards and NINE touchdowns from a guy who basically played two years of college ball, missed most of training camp his rookie season, some last year and really is in his first full and much-needed offseason with the team right now. Heck, Michael Irvin never had more than 10 touchdown receptions in a season during his Hall of Fame career, and didn't catch more than 63 passes in a season until his fourth. Give this kid some rope. His time is now.
The defense as a whole? Not great last year, but significantly better than 2010. You guys remember 2010, don't you? The 1-7 start that got Wade Phillips fired? That defense giving up a franchise-record 436 points, most in 51 seasons, for proper perspective? Well, the Cowboys did give up 89 fewer points last year (347), going from 27.25 a game to 21.7. Any chance that group improves in their second season under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? Maybe cut down on the six times the Cowboys needed to score more than 25 points to win a game, or the four times it would have required more than 31 points to win a game?
I'll be the first to tell you the pass-rush must become more consistent. But having said that, the Cowboys did finish tied for seventh last year with 42 sacks, eight behind league-leaders Minnesota and Philadelphia and six behind the Super Bowl champs and Baltimore. So it's not as if they were totally out of touch with the best. And they still have DeMarcus Ware, his 19.5 sacks second to Jared Allen's 22, and maybe the league's most consistent pass rusher there is, last year becoming the only active NFL player with at least 10 sacks in six consecutive seasons.
Let's see, the Cowboys have improved at fullback, Lawrence Vickers taking over for a combination of many, including Tony Fiammetta, who wasn't all that bad when healthy, it's just that he wasn't healthy enough.
As good as Jon Kitna was, the Cowboys got younger and better at backup quarterback by signing Kyle Orton to a three-year deal. He doesn't turn 30 until November, and just recently Pro Football Weekly rated the six-year veteran with 69 starts the best backup quarterback in the league, ahead of Jason Campbell, Jake Locker, Chad Henne and Shaun Hill.
Also, don't fall asleep on such young guys as Barry Church, competing for the starting free safety spot with free-agent signee Brodney Pool, or first-year receiver Andre Holmes, competing for the third receiver spot. Did I mention Dallas didn't do all that bad last year with a rookie kicker, 24-year-old Dan Bailey?
Let's also not forget the Cowboys were operating with a first-year head coach, too. Not just a first-year NFL head coach, but Jason Garrett was a head coach for an entire season for the first time in his entire life. Guarantee you he'll get better.
And ... oh yeah, the quarterback, that Tony Romo guy. Maybe he won't have to play nearly half the season with a broken rib and punctured lung. Or maybe the running game can get him more than the five rushing touchdowns the Cowboys totaled last year, a 52-year franchise low, and to think even one of those was his.
That means of the 39 touchdowns the Cowboys scored last year, Romo accounted for 32, Kitna and Stephen McGee one each and the departed Terence Newman the other. In other words, if Romo didn't have a hand in a touchdown, chances were the Cowboys weren't scoring. And they still managed 23 points a game, thanks mostly to Romo posting his third, and only the Cowboys' third, 4,000-yard passing season – 4,184 yards, just 28 short of his second-most passing yards in a season, that pass Miles Austin couldn't find against the Giants, for example.
Not only that, Romo had his best touchdown-to-interception differential of his career, 31 to 10, so consequently his career-best passer rating of 102.5, fourth best in the NFL last year behind only the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
So can we just can the when is Tony Romo going to finally step up and play better junk when last year he was more efficient than he's ever been, arguably his career best season. Did I say perfect? Nope, he wasn't, but then when you throw 522 times, you never are. Sometimes teams must win those games anyway.
And wait, one last thing: Did I mention that despite hobbled receivers, problems with the interior of the offensive line, supposedly no running game, a banged up quarterback, ranking 15th with their 25 takeaways (third fewest in the last seven years), a first-year head coach, and no consistent fullback, somehow, someway the Cowboys gained 6,008 total yards? Uh, that's second most in team history to the 6,390 gained in 2009, and only the second time in their 52 seasons they have gained 6,000 yards in a season.
So doom and gloom? Really?
Window closing? Seriously?
Man, raise the blinds. Let the sunshine and cool breeze in.
And to think, it's only June 1.
By Mickey Spagnola
IRVING, Texas - Time out. TIME OUT! And we need a full one in order to lend some offseason perspective on these Dallas Cowboys. Thirty seconds won't do.
Why, the Cowboys are just six OTA practice sessions into the offseason, with four more coming up next week and then the mandatory three-day minicamp the following week. Us media types have been allowed to witness all of two of those OTA sessions. That's it, two. And depending on the particular day, there have been as many as a dozen players not participating for whatever reason, from injury, to rehabbing from surgery, to precautionary measures, to schoolcommitments, to bad advice from an agent.
But already – already – and it's only the first day of June, there seems to be a rising cacophony of criticism and worries surrounding this team. You would think the Cowboys were a 4-12 team last season, a bunch of non-competitors who didn't do a darn thing to get better in the offseason. You would think there is nothing right with this team, from the head coach to the quarterback to the defensive coordinator to the pass rush to the offensive line.
Man, I don't know how in the world this team ever won eight games last year or was playing the final game of the NFL season for the right to advance into the playoffs. Not sure how they came within two gigantic plays against the New York Giants, one in each meeting, of very possibly beating the eventual Super Bowl champs both times.
Like all we hear is the Dallas Cowboys lost five, fourth-quarter leads. Well, that they did, but the truth of the matter is, the Cowboys held leads going into the fourth quarter eight times. They won four of those games. Of the four they lost, three of those leads were no more than seven points, not exactly insurmountable margins.
Now you rarely hear this one: The Cowboys won four games when trailing going into the fourth quarter. Yep, eight times the Cowboys trailed going into the final frame and they ended up splitting those, too, losing four and winning four – three times wiping out at least six-point deficits.
Thus the makings of an 8-8 season.
Disappointing? You bet.
But ask yourself: Have the Cowboys grown worse this offseason? Worse personnel than they had last year?
Now look, I realize the Cowboys aren't perfect, and rightfully so there should be concerns over the third wide receiver, the interior of the offensive line, the free safety position and the pass rush.
But let's take a moment to think about a few things.
Providing Mike Jenkins returns in sound mind and body, the Cowboys are infinitely better at cornerback, that is, unless you forget they were playing the season opener last year against the Jets with Alan Ball at one corner and Bryan McCann at the other for most of the game. I'm just sayin'.
They will be better at inside linebacker, if for no other reason than remembering what Sean Lee did last year was as a first-time starter, and you've got to figure he'll continue to improve his third year in the league. And if Bruce Carter comes around as projected, they could be greatly better, or if nothing else, at least younger with the addition, too, of four-year veteran Dan Connor.
Remember, they played with a 20-year-old starter at right tackle last year. Now at the ripe, old age of 21, Tyron Smith, legally eligible to buy his favorite beer now, starts at left tackle and Doug Free will be starting fulltime for just a third season, this time back at right tackle.
No matter what happens, they have to be better at left guard, right? Whoever vs. starting a seventh-round draft choice Day 1 or an out of shape Montrae Holland or finally the unemployed Derrick Dockery has to be. Right guard, well, we'll see, but remember the veteran Kyle Kosier basically played the entire season last year on a bad wheel.
And as for center, was Phil Costa perfect? Nope, but then most undrafted guys playing in just their second season and starting for the first time fulltime usually aren't. Any chance he gets better?
Want to continue? What about twice as many starts out of DeMarco Murray instead of just seven? What about Murray and Felix Jones playing more than the four games together they did last season once Murray got into the starting lineup?
And Dez? Yeah, I know everyone wants more from him, but just remember, you got 63 catches for 928 yards and NINE touchdowns from a guy who basically played two years of college ball, missed most of training camp his rookie season, some last year and really is in his first full and much-needed offseason with the team right now. Heck, Michael Irvin never had more than 10 touchdown receptions in a season during his Hall of Fame career, and didn't catch more than 63 passes in a season until his fourth. Give this kid some rope. His time is now.
The defense as a whole? Not great last year, but significantly better than 2010. You guys remember 2010, don't you? The 1-7 start that got Wade Phillips fired? That defense giving up a franchise-record 436 points, most in 51 seasons, for proper perspective? Well, the Cowboys did give up 89 fewer points last year (347), going from 27.25 a game to 21.7. Any chance that group improves in their second season under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? Maybe cut down on the six times the Cowboys needed to score more than 25 points to win a game, or the four times it would have required more than 31 points to win a game?
I'll be the first to tell you the pass-rush must become more consistent. But having said that, the Cowboys did finish tied for seventh last year with 42 sacks, eight behind league-leaders Minnesota and Philadelphia and six behind the Super Bowl champs and Baltimore. So it's not as if they were totally out of touch with the best. And they still have DeMarcus Ware, his 19.5 sacks second to Jared Allen's 22, and maybe the league's most consistent pass rusher there is, last year becoming the only active NFL player with at least 10 sacks in six consecutive seasons.
Let's see, the Cowboys have improved at fullback, Lawrence Vickers taking over for a combination of many, including Tony Fiammetta, who wasn't all that bad when healthy, it's just that he wasn't healthy enough.
As good as Jon Kitna was, the Cowboys got younger and better at backup quarterback by signing Kyle Orton to a three-year deal. He doesn't turn 30 until November, and just recently Pro Football Weekly rated the six-year veteran with 69 starts the best backup quarterback in the league, ahead of Jason Campbell, Jake Locker, Chad Henne and Shaun Hill.
Also, don't fall asleep on such young guys as Barry Church, competing for the starting free safety spot with free-agent signee Brodney Pool, or first-year receiver Andre Holmes, competing for the third receiver spot. Did I mention Dallas didn't do all that bad last year with a rookie kicker, 24-year-old Dan Bailey?
Let's also not forget the Cowboys were operating with a first-year head coach, too. Not just a first-year NFL head coach, but Jason Garrett was a head coach for an entire season for the first time in his entire life. Guarantee you he'll get better.
And ... oh yeah, the quarterback, that Tony Romo guy. Maybe he won't have to play nearly half the season with a broken rib and punctured lung. Or maybe the running game can get him more than the five rushing touchdowns the Cowboys totaled last year, a 52-year franchise low, and to think even one of those was his.
That means of the 39 touchdowns the Cowboys scored last year, Romo accounted for 32, Kitna and Stephen McGee one each and the departed Terence Newman the other. In other words, if Romo didn't have a hand in a touchdown, chances were the Cowboys weren't scoring. And they still managed 23 points a game, thanks mostly to Romo posting his third, and only the Cowboys' third, 4,000-yard passing season – 4,184 yards, just 28 short of his second-most passing yards in a season, that pass Miles Austin couldn't find against the Giants, for example.
Not only that, Romo had his best touchdown-to-interception differential of his career, 31 to 10, so consequently his career-best passer rating of 102.5, fourth best in the NFL last year behind only the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
So can we just can the when is Tony Romo going to finally step up and play better junk when last year he was more efficient than he's ever been, arguably his career best season. Did I say perfect? Nope, he wasn't, but then when you throw 522 times, you never are. Sometimes teams must win those games anyway.
And wait, one last thing: Did I mention that despite hobbled receivers, problems with the interior of the offensive line, supposedly no running game, a banged up quarterback, ranking 15th with their 25 takeaways (third fewest in the last seven years), a first-year head coach, and no consistent fullback, somehow, someway the Cowboys gained 6,008 total yards? Uh, that's second most in team history to the 6,390 gained in 2009, and only the second time in their 52 seasons they have gained 6,000 yards in a season.
So doom and gloom? Really?
Window closing? Seriously?
Man, raise the blinds. Let the sunshine and cool breeze in.
And to think, it's only June 1.
