I was working the Cowboys' locker room yesterday afternoon, so I didn't have a chance to visit with Redskins safety LaRon Landry. I thought he had one of the best games of his career, and that's why Matt Terl of Redskins Blog fame found himself at Landry's locker.
Landry said he was upset about losing, but he did take some pride in seeing the fear in Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams' eyes. Here's what Landry told Terl about Williams:
"Scared," Landry said flatly. "Yeah. I know [Williams] was. Y'all can quote it, too. Y'all can tell him right now, tell him I'm sayin' it. I can say it right now: yeah, he was scared, I think. I told him he was scared."
So what did Williams say when Landry told he was scared?
"Nothing," Landry said.
And here's how Landry said he could tell Williams was scared.
"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry told Terl. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."
I'll try to visit with Williams and see what he thinks of Landry's comments. But there's not a lot he can say. He went out against an average secondary and had zero catches. Yes, Tony Romo was off on Sunday, but Williams has to make plays for his quarterback.
Landry said he was upset about losing, but he did take some pride in seeing the fear in Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams' eyes. Here's what Landry told Terl about Williams:
"Scared," Landry said flatly. "Yeah. I know [Williams] was. Y'all can quote it, too. Y'all can tell him right now, tell him I'm sayin' it. I can say it right now: yeah, he was scared, I think. I told him he was scared."
So what did Williams say when Landry told he was scared?
"Nothing," Landry said.
And here's how Landry said he could tell Williams was scared.
"Certain pass concepts they had," Landry told Terl. "Certain routes he ran, you could tell he didn't want any part of it."
I'll try to visit with Williams and see what he thinks of Landry's comments. But there's not a lot he can say. He went out against an average secondary and had zero catches. Yes, Tony Romo was off on Sunday, but Williams has to make plays for his quarterback.
If you watched the Cowboys-Redskins game Sunday, you saw Pro Bowl cornerback Terence Newman give secondary coach Dave Campo a shove on the sideline during the first half. I've seen several replays of the incident and it looks like things escalated pretty quickly. I've covered the NFL for nine years and I've never seen a player get physical with an assistant coach on the sideline. But coach Wade Phillips acted as if it was business as usual when asked about the incident Monday.
"I don't need to go into detail of who said what, what happened to who, all those things, he said she said," Phillips said. "There wasn't anything big that happened that made a difference. We worked out what we had to work out on the sideline, and that's what we normally do. And that's what happens with a lot of teams a lot of times."
Newman has always been a class act, but there's absolutely no excuse in the world for shoving an assistant coach. Do you think Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would stand for something like that? Not in a million years. But Phillips wants to remain friends with his players, so he hates the thought of calling them out in public. Perhaps he disciplined Newman in private, but I have my doubts about that.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com hammered Phillips pretty hard on his blog earlier this afternoon.
"I don't need to go into detail of who said what, what happened to who, all those things, he said she said," Phillips said. "There wasn't anything big that happened that made a difference. We worked out what we had to work out on the sideline, and that's what we normally do. And that's what happens with a lot of teams a lot of times."
Newman has always been a class act, but there's absolutely no excuse in the world for shoving an assistant coach. Do you think Steelers coach Mike Tomlin would stand for something like that? Not in a million years. But Phillips wants to remain friends with his players, so he hates the thought of calling them out in public. Perhaps he disciplined Newman in private, but I have my doubts about that.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com hammered Phillips pretty hard on his blog earlier this afternoon.
I've gone back and looked at some of the big plays from the Giants' 34-31 overtime win over the Falcons. And I always enjoy the way Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger reviews a game.
It's pretty obvious that Giants tight end Kevin Boss is becoming a force in the NFC East. I can't imagine a division in the league that has a group of more talented tight ends. Jason Witten, Brent Celek and Boss are all vying for Pro Bowl appearances, and Chris Cooley was having a nice season before an injury took him out of contention. Quarterback Eli Manning needs a receiver on the field who he trusts implicitly and I think Boss and Steve Smith can both fit that role.
And let's give some credit to Mario Manningham for making some huge plays against the Falcons. The 29-yard catch in overtime put the Giants in field goal position, but he made plays throughout the game.
Former Falcons linebacker Michael Boley had perhaps his best game of the season. From the plays I watched, you can tell that he's not having to think about things as much as he was earlier in the season. But defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has to do something to prevent his unit from surrendering late leads. This defense used to have a killer instinct that allowed them to lockdown quarterbacks at the end of games. Matt Ryan exposed them in the fourth quarter with two touchdown drives to force overtime.
And here's one thing Garafolo said about the Giants' kickoff coverage that made a lot of sense to me:
What were your biggest concerns after the game? Things you were happy about?
It's pretty obvious that Giants tight end Kevin Boss is becoming a force in the NFC East. I can't imagine a division in the league that has a group of more talented tight ends. Jason Witten, Brent Celek and Boss are all vying for Pro Bowl appearances, and Chris Cooley was having a nice season before an injury took him out of contention. Quarterback Eli Manning needs a receiver on the field who he trusts implicitly and I think Boss and Steve Smith can both fit that role.
And let's give some credit to Mario Manningham for making some huge plays against the Falcons. The 29-yard catch in overtime put the Giants in field goal position, but he made plays throughout the game.
Former Falcons linebacker Michael Boley had perhaps his best game of the season. From the plays I watched, you can tell that he's not having to think about things as much as he was earlier in the season. But defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has to do something to prevent his unit from surrendering late leads. This defense used to have a killer instinct that allowed them to lockdown quarterbacks at the end of games. Matt Ryan exposed them in the fourth quarter with two touchdown drives to force overtime.
And here's one thing Garafolo said about the Giants' kickoff coverage that made a lot of sense to me:
I'm really tired of seeing the Giants act like every team has Devin Hester deep. What's with the squib and angle kicks every game? Kick it deep. Did Atlanta KR Eric Weems really scare you enough to squib it after your first TD? RB Aaron Stecker picks it up at the 17, runs 18 yards and suddenly the Falcons have the ball at the 35. Nine plays later, they're in the end zone. Same thing to start the second half. Hester, Ted Ginn or Dante Hall in his prime? Okay. But Weems? Come on, boot it downfield already and let LB Jonathan Goff, DE Dave Tollefson or LB Bryan Kehl whack somebody.
The general sense I got from reading the postgame accounts is that Manning pretty much refused to let the Giants lose another game. They need him to be the best player on the field every week -- especially if the defense keeps breaking down late in games.What were your biggest concerns after the game? Things you were happy about?
It looked like a storybook ending to Allen Rossum's prolific career as a return specialist, but a hamstring injury derailed Rossum's time with his hometown team and he's now been released. The Cowboys have replaced Rossum, a Dallas Skyline High alum, on the roster with cornerback Cletis Gordon, who had a cup of coffee with the team earlier this season.
During his first and only kickoff return with the Cowboys, the 34-year-old Rossum injured his hamstring and never made it back to the field. Cowboys running back Felix Jones handled the kick-return duties Sunday against the Redskins, although one local report had suggested that Jones would no longer return kicks.
Jones averaged 22 yards on three returns against the Skins on Sunday. His longest was 32.
During his first and only kickoff return with the Cowboys, the 34-year-old Rossum injured his hamstring and never made it back to the field. Cowboys running back Felix Jones handled the kick-return duties Sunday against the Redskins, although one local report had suggested that Jones would no longer return kicks.
Jones averaged 22 yards on three returns against the Skins on Sunday. His longest was 32.
Who will win the Shanahan sweepstakes?
November, 23, 2009
Nov 23
1:56
PM ET
The Bills have a head start in the pursuit of former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan by virtue of firing coach Dick Jauron in the middle of the season, but surely Shanahan will wait for other suitors. For example, the Cowboys and Redskins could both be in the mix. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Shanahan already have a close relationship, so it might be a good fit.
Obviously the Redskins are going to cut ties with Jim Zorn at the end of the season and I'm sure Dan Snyder's willing to outbid just about anyone in the league for Shanahan. That's also Skins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato's best hope of keeping his job. He and Shanahan worked together in San Francisco and reportedly have a solid rapport.
But the real reason I bring up Shanahan's name is because one of his former Broncos players, Shannon Sharpe, made this statement on CBS yesterday:
"Having played for [Shanahan] for seven years, if there is not a total commitment from the organization to win Super Bowls -- it is not about winning division titles or beating a particular team in that division -- if it is not about winning Super Bowls from players' standpoints and the coaches around them standpoint, you are wasting your time with Mike Shanahan because that is the only thing that matters to him -- winning championships."
That quote was brought to you via Barry Horn's Sports Media Blog. That description doesn't really make me think of the Bills organization. But does that sound like the Redskins and Cowboys to you guys? I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.
I think Dan Snyder truly wants to win a Super Bowl, but he just doesn't know how to go about getting one. And quite honestly, I'm not certain turning the entire football operation over to Shanahan is the best way to go. Shanahan's shown that he's one of the best in the league when it comes to assembling and running an offense. But it's not like his track record in drafting defensive players was stellar.
If I were Snyder, I'd take a look at some of the most talented personnel executives around the league. Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta should be on anyone's short list and Cowboys personnel guru Tom Ciskowski is one of the most underrated talent evaluators in the league, mainly because Jones prefers it that way. There's also a guy named Brian Gaine who's the assistant director of player personnel for the Dolphins. He's played a huge role in putting the Dolphins back on the map in a short period of time and he would carry the Bill Parcells stamp of approval.
I realize Redskins fans only want to hear about the big names right now, but you're not going to turn this mess around with a single hire. Snyder needs to have a Plan B in case the Shanahan thing doesn't work out. Snyder and Cerrato had to settle on Zorn because they ran out of candidates. They can't let that happen again.
Obviously the Redskins are going to cut ties with Jim Zorn at the end of the season and I'm sure Dan Snyder's willing to outbid just about anyone in the league for Shanahan. That's also Skins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato's best hope of keeping his job. He and Shanahan worked together in San Francisco and reportedly have a solid rapport.
But the real reason I bring up Shanahan's name is because one of his former Broncos players, Shannon Sharpe, made this statement on CBS yesterday:
"Having played for [Shanahan] for seven years, if there is not a total commitment from the organization to win Super Bowls -- it is not about winning division titles or beating a particular team in that division -- if it is not about winning Super Bowls from players' standpoints and the coaches around them standpoint, you are wasting your time with Mike Shanahan because that is the only thing that matters to him -- winning championships."
That quote was brought to you via Barry Horn's Sports Media Blog. That description doesn't really make me think of the Bills organization. But does that sound like the Redskins and Cowboys to you guys? I think Jones would do just about anything to win another Super Bowl but you have to question his decision to stick with Wade Phillips after a disastrous ending to the '08 season. The fact that it was partly a financial decision makes you wonder if Jones would be willing to outbid his little buddy Snyder.
I think Dan Snyder truly wants to win a Super Bowl, but he just doesn't know how to go about getting one. And quite honestly, I'm not certain turning the entire football operation over to Shanahan is the best way to go. Shanahan's shown that he's one of the best in the league when it comes to assembling and running an offense. But it's not like his track record in drafting defensive players was stellar.
If I were Snyder, I'd take a look at some of the most talented personnel executives around the league. Ravens director of college scouting Eric DeCosta should be on anyone's short list and Cowboys personnel guru Tom Ciskowski is one of the most underrated talent evaluators in the league, mainly because Jones prefers it that way. There's also a guy named Brian Gaine who's the assistant director of player personnel for the Dolphins. He's played a huge role in putting the Dolphins back on the map in a short period of time and he would carry the Bill Parcells stamp of approval.
I realize Redskins fans only want to hear about the big names right now, but you're not going to turn this mess around with a single hire. Snyder needs to have a Plan B in case the Shanahan thing doesn't work out. Snyder and Cerrato had to settle on Zorn because they ran out of candidates. They can't let that happen again.
Redskins running back Ladell Betts will miss the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his left knee, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. An MRI exam revealed that Betts tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial cruciate ligament.
The Redskins also lost starting right guard Chad Rinehart to a broken right leg in Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Veteran running back Rock Cartwright will replace Betts in the starting lineup and he'll be backed up by Quinton Ganther. The Redskins will likely sign another running back this week in order to create a little depth.
Clinton Portis is still recovering from a concussion and he won't play Sunday in Philadelphia. Cartwright doesn't bring as much power as Betts, but he's a better option in the passing game -- as evidenced by his 73 yards receiving in Sunday's loss.
Quarterback Jason Campbell is used to losing weapons, so this latest setback won't faze him. As crazy as this sounds, I think he may have played his best game of the season Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Cowboys.
He did a really nice job of managing the game and he beat the blitz with quick and decisive throws. I don't think he got much help from Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn once the Skins moved inside Cowboys territory. And Shaun Suisham picked a bad time to miss two field goals. He connected on his first 13 attempts of the season, but the miss from 39 yards at the end of the first half was a killer.
The Redskins also lost starting right guard Chad Rinehart to a broken right leg in Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Veteran running back Rock Cartwright will replace Betts in the starting lineup and he'll be backed up by Quinton Ganther. The Redskins will likely sign another running back this week in order to create a little depth.
Clinton Portis is still recovering from a concussion and he won't play Sunday in Philadelphia. Cartwright doesn't bring as much power as Betts, but he's a better option in the passing game -- as evidenced by his 73 yards receiving in Sunday's loss.
Quarterback Jason Campbell is used to losing weapons, so this latest setback won't faze him. As crazy as this sounds, I think he may have played his best game of the season Sunday in a 7-6 loss to the Cowboys.
He did a really nice job of managing the game and he beat the blitz with quick and decisive throws. I don't think he got much help from Sherm Lewis and Jim Zorn once the Skins moved inside Cowboys territory. And Shaun Suisham picked a bad time to miss two field goals. He connected on his first 13 attempts of the season, but the miss from 39 yards at the end of the first half was a killer.
It was a good day for Beast teams other than the Redskins, and they actually did some nice things against the Cowboys. Let's take a quick look at what folks are saying in the aftermath of Sunday's games:
Cowboys
Cowboys
- Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the Cowboys' offense better figure out something in a hurry.
- Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News and ESPN's "Around the Horn" tries to figure out what's happened to the Cowboys' offense.
- Here's a columnist/blogger who always seems to have it figured out.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tries to get to the heart of the offense's woes.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com says the Cowboys shouldn't apologize for winning.
- French journalist Jean Jacques Taylor says we saw good Tony and bad Tony in the Cowboys' win Sunday.
- The Dallas Morning News' numbers guy Gerry Fraley comes up with some gems.
- Todd Archer said the Cowboys defense was "nearly perfect" against the Skins. But let's admit that our old pal Shaun Suisham contributed to the success.
- What was that Terence Newman-Dave Campo squabble all about?
- Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News has a good story on Rock Cartwright, who gave the Cowboys some problems Sunday.
- Jen Floyd Engel of the Star-Telegram says the defense is the heart and soul of this team.
- Phil Sheridan says the Eagles somehow overcame all their mistakes to beat a bad Bears team.
- Bob Ford of the Inquirer thinks Andy Reid coached like this was a must-win.
- Rich Hofmann from the Daily News has an excellent column on Sheldon Brown.
- Paul Domowitch of Daily News fame said the Eagles did a much better job in the red zone.
- Les Bowen says that Donovan McNabb was true to his word in a big win.
- Ian O'Connor of The Record spent some one-on-one time with Tom Coughlin for this ode to Eli Manning.
- Newsday columnist Bob Glauber praised Manning's work, but also found time to criticize the defense.
- Treat yourself to a Vinny DiTrani game story this morning.
- Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger says the seasons rests on Manning's shoulders.
- GM Jerry Reese tells Steve Serby that Manning carried the Giants on his back.
- Tim Smith of the Daily News also pays tribute to Manning.
- Jason Reid of the Washington Post is reporting that Ladell Betts will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
- Ryan O'Halloran of the Times says it was a painful day for Jim Zorn and the Skins.
- Thomas Boswell says that Jim Zorn is acting more like an NFL coach than ever.
- Mike Wise of the Post praises the work of Rock Cartwright.
- Dan Daly from the Times says this season has been an "exercise in exasperation" for the Redskins.
Merril Hoge discusses how the NFL should handle players with concussions.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was brilliant on first down throws and play-action passes in his team's 24-20 win over the Bears Sunday night. According to ESPN Stats & Information, McNabb was 9-of-10 for 115 yards and two touchdowns off play-action. He had a passer rating of 154.2.
On nonplay-action, he was 14-of-22 for 129 yards and one interception. Of course, it also helped that his offensive line played really well. The Eagles threw on first down 12 times against the Bears. McNabb was 11-of-12 for 133 yards and a touchdown. That's good enough for 11.1 yards for completion on first down.
On nonplay-action, he was 14-of-22 for 129 yards and one interception. Of course, it also helped that his offensive line played really well. The Eagles threw on first down 12 times against the Bears. McNabb was 11-of-12 for 133 yards and a touchdown. That's good enough for 11.1 yards for completion on first down.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy fumbled early in the fourth quarter, but he got a chance to atone for it by running for the game-winning touchdown. McCoy fell victim to one of Charles Tillman's three forced fumbles on the evening after a 17-yard run. But the Eagles blocked Robbie Gould's 48-yard field goal attempt and immediately drove for the winning score.
The game ended with Sean Jones intercepting a Jay Cutler pass. Tracy White caused the interception by reading Cutler's eyes and tipping a ball intended for Bears tight end Greg Olsen. It was a huge win for the Eagles (6-4) because it keeps them tied for second place in the NFC East with the Giants, one game behind the Cowboys.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was 23-of-32 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. DeSean Jackson had eight catches for 107 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown in the second half. Jackson ran a simple post pattern and used his speed to race past a Bears safety.
With Asante Samuel having to leave the game with a stinger, the Eagles were seriously compromised at cornerback. But the Bears couldn't capitalize. In the fourth quarter, Bears receiver Johnny Knox got behind Sheldon Brown on a fly pattern but Cutler overthrew him.
The Eagles featured a balanced attack on offense with 30 running plays and 32 passes. Given a full week of first-string reps, McCoy had 20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. He ran through tackles and he also showed good vision. Jackson and rookie Jeremy Maclin both got it rolling in the second half. Last week, the Eagles' offense waited too late to get going. On Sunday night, the offense showed up just in time. There aren't many players who can stay with Jackson and Maclin, so the Eagles need to find ways to get them involved earlier.
The Eagles need to learn from this game. Jackson and McCoy need to secure the ball -- especially against defensive backs such as Tillman, who's known for stripping the ball. I thought the defense did a good job of staying in Cutler's face. Trent Cole had a sack and he also did a nice job of pursuing plays from behind.
I had sort of forgotten about Jeremiah Trotter, but he did a really nice job against the run, ending up with four tackles. He looked a lot more comfortable in this game. Now the Eagles will host the Redskins before playing the Falcons and Giants.
There's a chance the Eagles and Giants could be 8-4 when they see each other in three weeks. The NFC East lead could be on the line. But first, the Eagles have to take care of business against the Redskins. The Cowboys were outplayed by Washington on Sunday but escaped with a 7-6 win.
I thought safety Quintin Mikell and Brown both had courageous performances. Mikell was in one-on-one coverage more than usual because of all the injuries in the secondary and it was obvious that Brown wasn't himself because of a hamstring injury. Fortunately for the Eagles, Cutler missed wide-open receivers on at least three occasions.
The game ended with Sean Jones intercepting a Jay Cutler pass. Tracy White caused the interception by reading Cutler's eyes and tipping a ball intended for Bears tight end Greg Olsen. It was a huge win for the Eagles (6-4) because it keeps them tied for second place in the NFC East with the Giants, one game behind the Cowboys.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was 23-of-32 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. DeSean Jackson had eight catches for 107 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown in the second half. Jackson ran a simple post pattern and used his speed to race past a Bears safety.
With Asante Samuel having to leave the game with a stinger, the Eagles were seriously compromised at cornerback. But the Bears couldn't capitalize. In the fourth quarter, Bears receiver Johnny Knox got behind Sheldon Brown on a fly pattern but Cutler overthrew him.
The Eagles featured a balanced attack on offense with 30 running plays and 32 passes. Given a full week of first-string reps, McCoy had 20 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown. He ran through tackles and he also showed good vision. Jackson and rookie Jeremy Maclin both got it rolling in the second half. Last week, the Eagles' offense waited too late to get going. On Sunday night, the offense showed up just in time. There aren't many players who can stay with Jackson and Maclin, so the Eagles need to find ways to get them involved earlier.
The Eagles need to learn from this game. Jackson and McCoy need to secure the ball -- especially against defensive backs such as Tillman, who's known for stripping the ball. I thought the defense did a good job of staying in Cutler's face. Trent Cole had a sack and he also did a nice job of pursuing plays from behind.
I had sort of forgotten about Jeremiah Trotter, but he did a really nice job against the run, ending up with four tackles. He looked a lot more comfortable in this game. Now the Eagles will host the Redskins before playing the Falcons and Giants.
There's a chance the Eagles and Giants could be 8-4 when they see each other in three weeks. The NFC East lead could be on the line. But first, the Eagles have to take care of business against the Redskins. The Cowboys were outplayed by Washington on Sunday but escaped with a 7-6 win.
I thought safety Quintin Mikell and Brown both had courageous performances. Mikell was in one-on-one coverage more than usual because of all the injuries in the secondary and it was obvious that Brown wasn't himself because of a hamstring injury. Fortunately for the Eagles, Cutler missed wide-open receivers on at least three occasions.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Matt Mosley
Mosley, an award-winning writer for The Dallas Morning News for seven years, joined ESPN.com in January 2007. Mosley, a Baylor graduate, writes columns, features and blogs for ESPN.com.