HowBoutThemCowboys!
Rookie
Courteusy of dallascowboys.com writer Mickey Spagonala
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Like: Vinny - Now you see why Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells wanted Vinny in here as the backup, no less. The guy might be 40, but he sure can throw the ball. Still has the hummer. Still has the touch. Still sees the field incredibly well, and going 17 of 24 for 240 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a QB rating of 99.3, sure answers some questions I've had in mind over the first two weeks of preseason. "I told you he can throw the ball," Parcells said.
Dislike: Right Corner - Now I will give Pete Hunter a little slack. He had the flu the past two days, and spent time in the hospital with an IV in his arm trying to combat a severe case of dehydration. And aside from the interference penalty, he wasn't all that bad. But when the Cowboys tried moving Hunter into the slot on the nickel defense, and placed Jemeel Powell on the corner, well, they might as well have used a bullhorn to encourage the Tennessee quarterbacks to throw left. Don't even know if Steve McNair even saw Terence Newman on the field. Heck, he never even looked that way. Powell quickly is earning the reputation of covering well, but never making a play on the ball. Not good. "Yeah, I'm concerned," Parcells said, an understatement. "We're drawing straws for that position right now, and it ain't going to be (Terence) Newman."
Like: Keyshawn - 8 catches for 81 yards, and that's what I'm talking about. That is what we needed to see. A little retro Keyshawn Johnson, giving some indication he can be that guy Parcells remembers so well. A go-to guy. That's what he was here Monday night, a chain mover - slants, curls, little outs. You name it. He ran it, and best of all, got open.
Dislike: The Slot - Oh, did I lump that in with the right cornerback position? Parcells has been experimenting there. He's tried a bunch of guys in there, presumably looking for a backup to Donald Mitchell. None have played all that well. Mitchell will be in the slot, and they had better hope he stays healthy. At this point, they can't afford not to have him on the field.
Like: Offensive Line - Did you see the time Testaverde had in the pocket? Time of day. Rarely was he rushed, and the one time he was flushed, he deftly stepped to his right and got the ball down field. This time around, Tyson Walter played center with the first group and Torrin Tucker played right tackle. And you probably even saw Larry Allen bury a guy or three.
Dislike: Penalties - Again. Oh, Parcells was hot. Eleven of those for 108 yards. "Not good enough, and it concerns me," Parcells said. Too many silly ones on offense. And far too many illegal contact and interference penalties on defense.
Like: Julius Jones - Now you see what I've been talking about. The guy has a little scoot to him, doesn't he? You saw him make at least two people miss on that screen pass he took for 15 yards. And he had two other catches for 16 yards. Plus, he again showed that little burst into the line, one time pushing his way for three yards when there was absolutely nothing there. He's your guy, Eddie George is the changeup guy, and Richie Anderson will be Mr. Versatility, forming a pretty good group back there.
Dislike: Run Defense - Better Monday night, much better, but still springs too many leaks. Sure liked the idea of Greg Ellis playing on the left side, where he appears to be much more comfortable. And that's how they played it Monday night, with Marcellus Wiley going right. Only one problem. On Chris Brown's 18-yard touchdown run, the Cowboys initially stuffed him going right, but when he bounced out and spun left, Wiley had over-pursued down the line of scrimmage, and wasn't at home to clean up on Brown. Now the total was acceptable, the Titans gaining 80 on 24 carries, but those sporadic lapses when these games count will just kill ya.
Like: Tight Ends - OK, it was only preseason. I know. But when is the last time you've seen the Cowboys tight ends this involved in a game? Well, let me also answer with by asking, when is the last time the coaching staff had enough confidence in a quarterback to throw the ball in the middle of the field? Hmmmm. The tight ends totaled eight receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. Now seven of those were Jason Witten's, but the touchdown was Dan Campbell's, a 17-yarder from Testaverde.
Dislike: Safety - Dr. Drew Dossett needs to move in with Darren Woodson and get him right. Now. The Cowboys can't afford Woodson to miss that season opener. I mean, with the problems at right corner and leaking at safety, oh my, don't you know Randy Moss is drooling already. There are only so many holes you can camouflage, and as many times as I've been told Tony Dixon is doing fine, he just never seems to make a play. Just as he didn't on that 62-yard jump ball McNair tossed up against a Cowboys blitz. So combining that with right corner, Parcells now is worried, and when asked if he needed to go get defensive back help, he quipped, "Where am I going to get those guys? This ain't Chicklets."
Likes: Hey, I liked what I saw of Chad Eaton at nose tackle, especially since he really only had like three days of practice. He had three tackles, and did a nice job of clogging the middle. And Carson played more like Parcells expected in his second preseason game . . . The kicker and punter probably secured their jobs. Mat McBriar not only punted effectively, he held well on place kicks. And speaking of kicks, Billy Cundiff was perfect on his two attempts (40 and 19 yards) and did a decent job on kick offs . . . La'Roi Glover, but then what else would you expect?
Dislikes: Did I mention penalties? OK, sorry for being repetitive, but that's 29 for 256 in three preseason games. Please . . . First drives have turned into defensive disasters. Three games, three scores. And not just scores, but long drives. Got to start faster than that . . . Nothing dramatic from the defense, just two take-aways now in three games. "I'm still worried about our defense, and our ability to create on defense," Parcells said.
So there you go. Some good, some bad. Typical preseason game. Good signs on offense. Troubling signs on defense. Kind of opposite of the way we been figuring it.
That I know I know.
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Like: Vinny - Now you see why Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells wanted Vinny in here as the backup, no less. The guy might be 40, but he sure can throw the ball. Still has the hummer. Still has the touch. Still sees the field incredibly well, and going 17 of 24 for 240 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a QB rating of 99.3, sure answers some questions I've had in mind over the first two weeks of preseason. "I told you he can throw the ball," Parcells said.
Dislike: Right Corner - Now I will give Pete Hunter a little slack. He had the flu the past two days, and spent time in the hospital with an IV in his arm trying to combat a severe case of dehydration. And aside from the interference penalty, he wasn't all that bad. But when the Cowboys tried moving Hunter into the slot on the nickel defense, and placed Jemeel Powell on the corner, well, they might as well have used a bullhorn to encourage the Tennessee quarterbacks to throw left. Don't even know if Steve McNair even saw Terence Newman on the field. Heck, he never even looked that way. Powell quickly is earning the reputation of covering well, but never making a play on the ball. Not good. "Yeah, I'm concerned," Parcells said, an understatement. "We're drawing straws for that position right now, and it ain't going to be (Terence) Newman."
Like: Keyshawn - 8 catches for 81 yards, and that's what I'm talking about. That is what we needed to see. A little retro Keyshawn Johnson, giving some indication he can be that guy Parcells remembers so well. A go-to guy. That's what he was here Monday night, a chain mover - slants, curls, little outs. You name it. He ran it, and best of all, got open.
Dislike: The Slot - Oh, did I lump that in with the right cornerback position? Parcells has been experimenting there. He's tried a bunch of guys in there, presumably looking for a backup to Donald Mitchell. None have played all that well. Mitchell will be in the slot, and they had better hope he stays healthy. At this point, they can't afford not to have him on the field.
Like: Offensive Line - Did you see the time Testaverde had in the pocket? Time of day. Rarely was he rushed, and the one time he was flushed, he deftly stepped to his right and got the ball down field. This time around, Tyson Walter played center with the first group and Torrin Tucker played right tackle. And you probably even saw Larry Allen bury a guy or three.
Dislike: Penalties - Again. Oh, Parcells was hot. Eleven of those for 108 yards. "Not good enough, and it concerns me," Parcells said. Too many silly ones on offense. And far too many illegal contact and interference penalties on defense.
Like: Julius Jones - Now you see what I've been talking about. The guy has a little scoot to him, doesn't he? You saw him make at least two people miss on that screen pass he took for 15 yards. And he had two other catches for 16 yards. Plus, he again showed that little burst into the line, one time pushing his way for three yards when there was absolutely nothing there. He's your guy, Eddie George is the changeup guy, and Richie Anderson will be Mr. Versatility, forming a pretty good group back there.
Dislike: Run Defense - Better Monday night, much better, but still springs too many leaks. Sure liked the idea of Greg Ellis playing on the left side, where he appears to be much more comfortable. And that's how they played it Monday night, with Marcellus Wiley going right. Only one problem. On Chris Brown's 18-yard touchdown run, the Cowboys initially stuffed him going right, but when he bounced out and spun left, Wiley had over-pursued down the line of scrimmage, and wasn't at home to clean up on Brown. Now the total was acceptable, the Titans gaining 80 on 24 carries, but those sporadic lapses when these games count will just kill ya.
Like: Tight Ends - OK, it was only preseason. I know. But when is the last time you've seen the Cowboys tight ends this involved in a game? Well, let me also answer with by asking, when is the last time the coaching staff had enough confidence in a quarterback to throw the ball in the middle of the field? Hmmmm. The tight ends totaled eight receptions for 126 yards and one touchdown. Now seven of those were Jason Witten's, but the touchdown was Dan Campbell's, a 17-yarder from Testaverde.
Dislike: Safety - Dr. Drew Dossett needs to move in with Darren Woodson and get him right. Now. The Cowboys can't afford Woodson to miss that season opener. I mean, with the problems at right corner and leaking at safety, oh my, don't you know Randy Moss is drooling already. There are only so many holes you can camouflage, and as many times as I've been told Tony Dixon is doing fine, he just never seems to make a play. Just as he didn't on that 62-yard jump ball McNair tossed up against a Cowboys blitz. So combining that with right corner, Parcells now is worried, and when asked if he needed to go get defensive back help, he quipped, "Where am I going to get those guys? This ain't Chicklets."
Likes: Hey, I liked what I saw of Chad Eaton at nose tackle, especially since he really only had like three days of practice. He had three tackles, and did a nice job of clogging the middle. And Carson played more like Parcells expected in his second preseason game . . . The kicker and punter probably secured their jobs. Mat McBriar not only punted effectively, he held well on place kicks. And speaking of kicks, Billy Cundiff was perfect on his two attempts (40 and 19 yards) and did a decent job on kick offs . . . La'Roi Glover, but then what else would you expect?
Dislikes: Did I mention penalties? OK, sorry for being repetitive, but that's 29 for 256 in three preseason games. Please . . . First drives have turned into defensive disasters. Three games, three scores. And not just scores, but long drives. Got to start faster than that . . . Nothing dramatic from the defense, just two take-aways now in three games. "I'm still worried about our defense, and our ability to create on defense," Parcells said.
So there you go. Some good, some bad. Typical preseason game. Good signs on offense. Troubling signs on defense. Kind of opposite of the way we been figuring it.
That I know I know.
