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Bob Sturm: I can’t believe it; Cowboys look a lot like ’90s dynasty team
By Bob Sturm
sturm1310@aol.com
7:14 pm on October 19, 2014 | Permalink
Bob Sturm’s thoughts after the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants on Sunday.
What stood out to you in this game?
The Cowboys were in an NFC street fight and came out at the right end of things. They are physically ready to deal with any challenge in the trenches. It’s a great departure from what we’ve seen for many years. But it’s not a departure from what we’ve seen the past few weeks. This team can’t be bullied. The past two weeks teams have tried to stop them, but the Cowboys kept marching along.
On DeMarco Murray’s performance:
The fact that he is trusting his line is a big part of his effectiveness. But you have to have an appreciation for how his total game has grown this year. It starts with his decisiveness. He sees where he wants to go by the time Tony Romo hands it to him with no hesitation. In pass protection, he’s almost been perfect. He’s looking to punish any defensive back who tries to tackle him. You’re seeing easily the best year of his career. Now we’re seeing historical measurement with some of the players he’s been shown with — staggering and mind boggling the names he’s being mixed with.
Is it legitimate to compare Murray to Emmitt Smith?
Those ’90s Cowboys comparisons always make me nervous. Clearly that was a dynasty which had to accomplish an awful lot before we got carried away with historical record. The style which the Cowboys offense operates now, it’s uncanny how it resembles the style of that (’90s) offense. It’s a run-first offense that is physical, not trying to trick you, but trying to maul you. It has a quarterback who is operating when called on with precision and a dominant wide receiver that will not allow you take a ball away from him. If you don’t squint and see a little bit of triplets, perhaps you’re doing better than I can. It’s uncanny. The style they resemble are those Dallas Cowboys. I can’t believe I just said that.
Are you worried about his workload?
Absolutely, I think the fact that he’s on pace for more carries than any running back in the history of the sport has to give one pause. Murray hasn’t played a full season without injury in the NFL. At the same time, I don’t know the alternative. He’s red hot, the team is red hot and he is showing no real signs of diminishing performance at this point. So while the risk is certainly there. this team is just doing what any team would do: Continue to call the plays that are working.
On if Murray’s backups would do as well:
I don’t think Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar would be replicating this performance. The offensive line is tremendous, but it would be a mistake to undersell Murray in all of this.
On Dez Bryants performance:
I think the greatest part about Dez and Murray, and maybe this entire team right now, is this unbridled confidence that nobody is going to defend them on any given snap. This is a team the past decade that has never owned a lot of confidence or swagger when it comes to showdown games or giant situations in games. In a weird way, they’ve almost taken on Dez’s personality by refusing to be defeated in any one-on-one battle. A lot of his teammates will talk about his infectious personality. He never took a down off when I watched him at training camp. Honestly, at the time I was watching those camp battles, I never considered the fact that it may be infecting the entire team. But now, it all seems to come back to his example being followed. The competitiveness and confidence, you also see it with the defensive backs who challenge every pass. Everyone is making them beat them, rather than risk aversion tactics in the past. They’re playing confrontational football.
On the Cowboys’ defense:
It started once again with limiting the ability for the opponent to move the chains. The Giants — like several of their previous opponents — had a difficult time sustaining drives. They were under 40 percent on third downs. If you can do that and keep the running game from gaining a foothold, then your defenders can be more aggressive. Then you win time of possession yet again by a healthy margin. There’s not a lot of sacks, but only spending 59 plays out there follow their recipe for success.
On forcing turnovers:
The highlights will show three different times the Cowboys ripped the ball out of the Giants’ hands and they should have been given the ball all three times. The Cowboys were robbed by a premature whistle (Terrell McClain forcing a fumble). I don’t know how the ball wasn’t given to the Cowboys, even when the whistle blew, McClain had the ball in his arms.
What was most impressive about the win?
The most impressive part of this particular win is that the Giants did answer the physical battle well for most of the game. I think this is one of those games that tests your will. It was not easy. The Giants do have ideas on how to limit your power. Jason Pierre-Paul did quite a number on Tyron Smith. The game required a little more intestinal fortitude than we thought going in. They are willing to get into a three-hour street fight and emerge with a victory.
On tight end Gavin Escobar’s two receiving touchdowns:
Yet another weapon being unleashed. It shows us yet again that (offensive play-caller) Scott Linehan has fresh ideas that were badly needed here. For Escobar to have the ability he showed on his second touchdown under wraps for the past season and a half was remarkable. I am not sure many of us knew he was going to do that in a Cowboys uniform. Certainly, the secondary of the Giants feels the same. Quite a catch, really both of them were.
On the Cowboys’ atmosphere at AT&T Stadium:
I certainly feel like the Cowboys fan base is regaining a little swagger of its own. Perhaps those tickets that were being sold to the enemy fans in September are being held more in October. The atmosphere was far more Cowboys friendly.
By Bob Sturm
sturm1310@aol.com
7:14 pm on October 19, 2014 | Permalink
Bob Sturm’s thoughts after the Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Giants on Sunday.
What stood out to you in this game?
The Cowboys were in an NFC street fight and came out at the right end of things. They are physically ready to deal with any challenge in the trenches. It’s a great departure from what we’ve seen for many years. But it’s not a departure from what we’ve seen the past few weeks. This team can’t be bullied. The past two weeks teams have tried to stop them, but the Cowboys kept marching along.
On DeMarco Murray’s performance:
The fact that he is trusting his line is a big part of his effectiveness. But you have to have an appreciation for how his total game has grown this year. It starts with his decisiveness. He sees where he wants to go by the time Tony Romo hands it to him with no hesitation. In pass protection, he’s almost been perfect. He’s looking to punish any defensive back who tries to tackle him. You’re seeing easily the best year of his career. Now we’re seeing historical measurement with some of the players he’s been shown with — staggering and mind boggling the names he’s being mixed with.
Is it legitimate to compare Murray to Emmitt Smith?
Those ’90s Cowboys comparisons always make me nervous. Clearly that was a dynasty which had to accomplish an awful lot before we got carried away with historical record. The style which the Cowboys offense operates now, it’s uncanny how it resembles the style of that (’90s) offense. It’s a run-first offense that is physical, not trying to trick you, but trying to maul you. It has a quarterback who is operating when called on with precision and a dominant wide receiver that will not allow you take a ball away from him. If you don’t squint and see a little bit of triplets, perhaps you’re doing better than I can. It’s uncanny. The style they resemble are those Dallas Cowboys. I can’t believe I just said that.
Are you worried about his workload?
Absolutely, I think the fact that he’s on pace for more carries than any running back in the history of the sport has to give one pause. Murray hasn’t played a full season without injury in the NFL. At the same time, I don’t know the alternative. He’s red hot, the team is red hot and he is showing no real signs of diminishing performance at this point. So while the risk is certainly there. this team is just doing what any team would do: Continue to call the plays that are working.
On if Murray’s backups would do as well:
I don’t think Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar would be replicating this performance. The offensive line is tremendous, but it would be a mistake to undersell Murray in all of this.
On Dez Bryants performance:
I think the greatest part about Dez and Murray, and maybe this entire team right now, is this unbridled confidence that nobody is going to defend them on any given snap. This is a team the past decade that has never owned a lot of confidence or swagger when it comes to showdown games or giant situations in games. In a weird way, they’ve almost taken on Dez’s personality by refusing to be defeated in any one-on-one battle. A lot of his teammates will talk about his infectious personality. He never took a down off when I watched him at training camp. Honestly, at the time I was watching those camp battles, I never considered the fact that it may be infecting the entire team. But now, it all seems to come back to his example being followed. The competitiveness and confidence, you also see it with the defensive backs who challenge every pass. Everyone is making them beat them, rather than risk aversion tactics in the past. They’re playing confrontational football.
On the Cowboys’ defense:
It started once again with limiting the ability for the opponent to move the chains. The Giants — like several of their previous opponents — had a difficult time sustaining drives. They were under 40 percent on third downs. If you can do that and keep the running game from gaining a foothold, then your defenders can be more aggressive. Then you win time of possession yet again by a healthy margin. There’s not a lot of sacks, but only spending 59 plays out there follow their recipe for success.
On forcing turnovers:
The highlights will show three different times the Cowboys ripped the ball out of the Giants’ hands and they should have been given the ball all three times. The Cowboys were robbed by a premature whistle (Terrell McClain forcing a fumble). I don’t know how the ball wasn’t given to the Cowboys, even when the whistle blew, McClain had the ball in his arms.
What was most impressive about the win?
The most impressive part of this particular win is that the Giants did answer the physical battle well for most of the game. I think this is one of those games that tests your will. It was not easy. The Giants do have ideas on how to limit your power. Jason Pierre-Paul did quite a number on Tyron Smith. The game required a little more intestinal fortitude than we thought going in. They are willing to get into a three-hour street fight and emerge with a victory.
On tight end Gavin Escobar’s two receiving touchdowns:
Yet another weapon being unleashed. It shows us yet again that (offensive play-caller) Scott Linehan has fresh ideas that were badly needed here. For Escobar to have the ability he showed on his second touchdown under wraps for the past season and a half was remarkable. I am not sure many of us knew he was going to do that in a Cowboys uniform. Certainly, the secondary of the Giants feels the same. Quite a catch, really both of them were.
On the Cowboys’ atmosphere at AT&T Stadium:
I certainly feel like the Cowboys fan base is regaining a little swagger of its own. Perhaps those tickets that were being sold to the enemy fans in September are being held more in October. The atmosphere was far more Cowboys friendly.
