NFC East: Sam Hurd
Meanwhile, ESPN's Ed Werder has delivered a strong piece on Williams this week. He thinks Jerry Jones' refusal to admit his mistake with Williams and Wade Phillips' belief that the wide receiver should receiver an "E" for effort could undermine the Cowboys in the playoffs. And Werder brings up another strong point. Here, I'll let him say it:
"Not only has Williams' ineptitude provided Austin the opportunity to become the Cowboys' most feared offensive player, but Jones is already confronting the reality that Austin is seeking $10 million a season to sign a long-term contract extension, according to league sources," writes Werder. "Unless the Cowboys remove Williams and his guaranteed money from the roster, they are going to be taking an indefensible position on negotiations with Austin.
"Austin is the player Roy Williams was supposed to be. Meanwhile, Williams is trying to avoid becoming the next Sam Hurd, a wide receiver whose career is devoted to covering kickoffs."
Hey, let's not drag poor Sam into this. He's an undrafted player who's doing a superb job on special teams. I don't think Williams can fill that role, either. But strong work by Mr. Werder, as always.
Cowboys: NT Jay Ratliff, OLB DeMarcus Ware, ILB Keith Brooking, CB Mike Jenkins, Special teams Sam Hurd, QB Tony Romo, WR Miles Austin, P Mat McBriar, LG Kyle Kosier (Don't laugh. I'm told by scouts that he's been the Cowboys' most consistent offensive lineman).
Eagles: CB Sheldon Brown, CB Asante Samuel, DE Trent Cole, WR DeSean Jackson, TE Brent Celek
Giants: QB Eli Manning, RG Chris Snee, Special teams Domenik Hixon
Redskins: LB London Fletcher, LB Brian Orakpo, DE Andre Carter, DT Albert Haynesworth
Pretty remarkable that the Giants don't have anyone in the running for a spot on defense, but I can't think of anyone who deserves to be on there. I started to list Barry Cofield, Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck because they've all played well at times.
Let me know if I'm missing anyone. I like the way Mike Patterson and Brod Bunkley have played for the Eagles, but I'm not sure they are Pro Bowl worthy.
Update: My apologies for not listing Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, Giants wide receiver Steve Smith and Eagles kicker David Akers. All of those players deserve Pro Bowl consideration.
Beast lagging in Pro Bowl fan voting
Now let's update you on players from the NFC East who are at least in the top five at their respective positions:
Quarterbacks: 5. Donovan McNabb, Eagles: He's trailing Kurt Warner by about 60,000 votes. And Drew Brees and Brett Favre are in a tight race for the top spot.
Wide receivers: 2. DeSean Jackson, Eagles; 3. Miles Austin, Cowboys: Jackson has 377,807 votes but he's not going to catch Larry Fitzgerald. But it does look like he'll start for the NFC in the Pro Bowl unless Austin can make up about 39,000 votes on him. Of course, let's remember that the fan voting is only one-third of the process.
Tight ends: 4. Jason Witten, Cowboys: He has 243,220 votes and he'll get a strong push from the coaches and players. Right now he trails Tony Gonzalez, Jeremy Shockey and Vernon Davis. Shockey's had a nice season but he doesn't deserve to go in front of Witten. Eagles fans need to go online immediately and help out Celek. His numbers are off the charts this season.
Centers: 3. Shaun O'Hara, Giants; 4. Andre Gurode, Cowboys: With 204,300 votes, O'Hara is well behind Jonathan Goodwin from the Saints. John Sullivan of the Vikings is in first place.
Offensive tackles: 4. Flozell Adams, Cowboys: The players and coaches will give him a decent push but I don't think he'll make it this season. The Vikings' two tackles, Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt are in the lead.
Guards: 5. Chris Snee, Giants: Even in a down season for the Giants, Snee has played pretty well. He should at least be two or three.
Fullbacks: 2. Leonard Weaver, Eagles; 3. Deon Anderson, Cowboys; 5. Madison Hedgecock, Giants. Weaver has brought another dimension to the Eagles' offense with his running ability. Anderson's a pretty good point of attack guy. Looks like Weaver has a lot of catching up to do on Naufahu Tahi of the Vikings.
Strong safety: 5. Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys: Pretty impressive in first half of season. Has played through a hand injury.
Cornerback: 1. Asante Samuel, Eagles: Close race between Samuel and the Packers' Charles Woodson. I expect Woodson to edge out Samuel once the coaches and players vote. But these will be your two starters. I thought Mike Jenkins or Sheldon Brown could've cracked the top five.
Defensive end: 3. Osi Umenyiora, Giants; 4. Justin Tuck, Giants: I like both of those players, but this is when you know it's about popularity. It's ridiculous that Trent Cole's not among the top five. And Andre Carter of the Redskins should be in there, too.
Defensive tackles: 3. Albert Haynesworth, Redskins: He's been pretty effective when he's actually in uniform. Absolutely ridiculous that Jay Ratliff's not on this list. The coaches and players will take care of him.
Free safeties: 5. Ken Hamlin, Cowboys: This is based on past accomplishments because Hamlin hasn't been a factor this season.
Inside linebackers: 4. Keith Brooking, Cowboys; 5. London Fletcher, Redskins: This is bound to upset Redskins fans. The guy's had another great season but the Susan Lucci of NFL linebackers could remain on the outside looking in. Even Lucci broke through at some point. Brooking's had an excellent season and deserves to be in the mix.
Kick returners: 2. DeSean Jackson, Eagles; 5. Allen Rossum, Cowboys: He's trailing Percy Harvin. I think Jackson is by far the best punt returner but the Pro Bowl voting doesn't draw a distinction between the two return jobs. Rossum had one return and pulled up lame on that one before eventually being released.
Outside linebackers: 1. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys: Leads all outside linebackers with nearly 341,000 votes. I wouldn't mind seeing Brian Orakpo of the Redskins in the top five. Lance Briggs and Clay Matthews were Nos. 4 and 5.
Kickers: 2. David Akers, Eagles; 4. Nick Folk, Cowboys: Akers totally deserves it. Folk's fortunate to still be employed at this point in the season. Akers will have a lot of ground to make up on the Vikings' Ryan Longwell.
Punters: 2. Jeff Feagles, Giants; 4. Mat McBriar, Cowboys: McBriar's quietly having a huge season. Hopefully the coaches and players will recognize that.
Special teamers: 2. Sam Hurd, Cowboys; 5. Chase Blackburn, Giants: Hurd's overtaken Pat Watkins as the Cowboys' top special teams player this season. Blackburn's a solid special teams guy but I think Bryan Kehl has actually been better than him.
It looked like the Cowboys had Hixon cornered but Orlando Scandrick and Pat Watkins let him get away. The Giants' Derek Hagan blocked Sam Hurd to allow Hixon to scamper the final 10 yards. Cowboys on the move -- but time's now a factor with 4:15 left in the game.
Cowboys have a new starter at WR -- sort of
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| Wesley Hitt/Getty Images | |
| The Cowboys have elevated receiver Miles Austin to the starting lineup, but the team's handling of the situation could have been better. |
IRVING, Texas -- Dan Snyder was one of the best things that ever happened to Jerry Jones. If not for Snyder's bumbling treatment of Washington Redskins "head coach" Jim Zorn, folks might be focused on the Dallas Cowboys' apparent communication failure at wide receiver.
I think we all assumed Miles Austin would crack the starting lineup when he had 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-20 overtime win over the Kansas City Chiefs two Sundays ago, but the Cowboys have been guarding it like a state secret. Asked about the prospect of Austin replacing Patrick Crayton in the starting lineup Wednesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacted with an impressive barrage of "uh's" before escaping with a "There's no need to!"
First of all, do we think Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith is losing any sleep on whether Crayton's out of the Cowboys' starting lineup next Sunday? Of course not. This is just another instance of Wade Phillips' ham-handed ways of communicating with both his players and the media.
Crayton, a seventh-round pick in 2004 who has been a very serviceable player, became a prominent member of Terrell Owens' camp from '06 to '08, so he knows a thing or two about questioning the coaching staff. He pretty much knew he was going to lose his starting job based on his poor performance against the Chiefs and Austin's record-breaking day. But he felt like he at least deserved a heads-up from either Phillips or offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
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| Tim Heitman/US Presswire | |
| Wade Phillips claims the Cowboys talked to Patrick Crayton about his demotion. |
"I would have loved it," Crayton said. "It would have been real standup. That's not what happened.''
Phillips was then asked repeatedly by reporters during his daily news conference Wednesday why no one thought to tell Crayton of his demotion before he had to find out during practice. He stumbled around for a bit before offering a firm, "We discussed it with him. I have no doubt about that."
Some of my colleagues in the Dallas media quickly pointed out that this type of miscommunication would never happen in the Bill Parcells regime, but that sounds like revisionist history to me. I recall former starting defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban finding out that he was inactive for a road game when he showed up at his locker and realized his uniform was missing. Ekuban had the nerve to complain about Parcells' manners, which didn't exactly help his career in Dallas.
Whether or not you think Crayton deserved better, it's obvious the Cowboys continue to fumble even the smallest of situations. Phillips eventually got around to explaining that Crayton still could be in the starting lineup Sunday if Roy E. Williams (ribs) isn't ready to go. And if he'd said that first, he could have avoided a hissing contest with Crayton.
With Phillips as the head coach, there's a leadership vacuum at Valley Ranch -- but I've written that column at least 11 times since the inception of the Beast and I need to let the last one breathe a little longer. On Wednesday, Jones used a misdirection play to throw reporters temporarily off the receiver trail. He decided to drop in a little nugget that another team had contacted him about trading a premium draft pick for a "key player" on the Cowboys' roster.
Thanks to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, we now believe that player's name is Martellus Bennett. I'm trying to find out exactly what the compensation would've been, but a second-round pick sounds about right for the talented Cowboys tight end. Jones wanted the story out there because it suggests that other personnel departments covet his players.
Bennett might be the most impressive four-catch tight end in the league. The entertaining player told me Wednesday that a fifth catch might transform his career. But it's not a funny topic to Cowboys fans. Their team has been awful in the red zone, where tight ends such as Jason Witten and the 6-foot-6 Bennett might come in handy. So far this season, Bennett's had one red zone throw in his direction.
But I get it. Why would you throw to those guys when you have Sam Hurd in one-on-one coverage with Champ Bailey?
OK, don't answer that.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
I spent a good portion of the morning looking at video that seemed to indicate that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo thought he had another down left after he threw an incomplete pass in the end zone with 1 second left on the clock in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Broncos. The video was captured by photographer Larry Rodriguez who shoots for the Fox affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Here's what ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon said about the play earlier today. After reviewing the footage several times, it looks like Romo must've forgotten about clocking the ball on second-and-goal from the Broncos' 2-yard line. He appeared to be trying to get his teammates to line up and then he was shown holding up three fingers to the officials as if to tell them the previous play had actually been third down.
In watching the video, you can see the moment when Romo appears to realize the mistake he's made and shouts something in frustration as he trudges off the field. On Monday, coach Wade Phillips told reporters that they'd have to ask Romo about what happened. He said everyone on the sideline knew the final pass to Hurd occurred on fourth down.
Romo isn't scheduled to talk to reporters until Wednesday or Thursday. Here's the major issue: If Romo possibly thought he had an extra down, did he unload the ball sooner than he otherwise would have? I have a hard time believing that because it seemed like everyone in the stadium pretty much thought there was only time for one more play -- no matter what down it was.
I should point out that Clarence E. Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram was first to report this story.
What was Romo thinking on final two throws?
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
DENVER -- In the aftermath of the Cowboys' 17-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, everyone wanted to know why in the world Tony Romo was throwing to Sam Hurd on the final two plays from the 2-yard line. Hurd was covered by All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey on both plays.
You can bet that Roy Williams would have been an option on a fade route, but he was on the sideline with bruised ribs. Tight end Jason Witten is Romo's favorite target, but the Cowboys kept him in to block along with running back Tashard Choice.
Romo told a couple of us after the game that he saw Hurd cross Bailey's face and knew that he was open. He's not sure how Bailey deflected the pass without interfering, but Hurd said he didn't think it was interference.
After watching both plays several times, it looks like Miles Austin flashed open in the back of the end zone. Of course, Romo was simply trying to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible.
The play that really hurt was when the clock didn't stop when Romo hit Hurd for a 5-yard pass at the 8-yard line. Hurd was pushed out of bounds, but by NFL rule, the clock kept ticking. The Cowboys were forced to take their final timeout, which took away the threat of a running play.
OK my plane is taking off from Denver. We'll catch up later.
Cowboys lower expectations with Mile High loss
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| Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE | |
| Quarterback Tony Romo and the Dallas offense had no answer for the Broncos defense Sunday night. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
DENVER -- If you looked at the schedule in April and chalked up Sunday as a win for the Cowboys, at least you have company. But this team took a 17-10 loss to the Broncos in stride, perhaps because no one in charge expected anything more.
Maybe it's time we forget about the immense potential that the '07 team displayed and realize that the current Cowboys were fortunate to even stay on the field with the 4-0 Broncos. That's right, Josh McDaniels has put his team in the playoff conversation the old-fashioned way: by alienating and then trading his bonus-baby quarterback for a bus-driver with a prominent neckbeard.
"There's a reason they're 4-0," Jones kept repeating as he sucked on an orange. "The Broncos are better than what anybody would have thought."
Jones didn't seem one bit surprised the Cowboys would surrender a fourth-quarter lead and lose to a team from the AFC West. Judging by his reaction, the Cowboys would've uncorked champagne at Invesco Field had they been able to escape with a win. As it stands, the Cowboys are a 2-2 team in search of an identity.
In their previous two games, the Cowboys appeared to have one of the most dominant running games in the league. And on Sunday, they fed off the energy of Marion Barber, who was returning from a left quad injury. He delivered blows to Broncos defenders in the first half and then did forward rolls in celebration. Barber had 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown in the first half, helping the Cowboys take a 10-7 lead and wearing down the Broncos' front seven.
Then in one half, the Cowboys' offense pretended it was December (it was brisk) and pretty much fell all over itself. After touching the ball 12 times in the first half, Barber only had one carry the rest of the way. Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett indicated that Barber's injury was a concern, but the head coach and owner acted as if that was news to them.
The Cowboys only ran the ball seven times in the second half, with limited success. Through 14 quarters, Garrett had been remarkably balanced with his play calling, then for no apparent reason he abandoned the running game. It wasn't as if the Broncos were putting eight players in the box to stop the run. They brought their fair share of blitzes, but they also stayed back in coverage for most of the game in an effort to take away the deep ball.
The Broncos sacked Romo five times, but at least three of those were coverage sacks. He was 14-of-18 for 134 yards in the first half because he was simply dumping off the ball to his running backs. He made a good throw to Roy Williams on the sideline to set up the Cowboys' only touchdown, but that was the longest throw he made.
For no apparent reason, Garrett basically put the game in Romo's hands in the second half. And despite a brilliant throw to Sam Hurd for a 53-yard gain on fourth-and-3 with 1:16 left, it should've never come to that. The Cowboys had the ball at the Broncos' 17-yard line early in the second half when Romo threw a pass to the sideline that was picked off by Champ Bailey. Several people in the locker room told me that Miles Austin turned the wrong direction on the route and that it wasn't Romo's fault, but it was still a huge play.
Romo was 11-of-24 in the second half and he kept hanging his receivers out to dry. Just ask Roy Williams, who took what he called the hardest hit of his life from Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams. He returned to make a clutch catch on the Cowboys' final drive, but he was on the sideline when Romo fired two passes into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Williams would've been a nice option on a fade route. Instead, Romo threw two passes to Hurd, who was blanketed by Bailey.
The Cowboys are obviously more explosive with Felix Jones (left knee) in the lineup, but I'm not convinced Garrett would've had him in the game. We somehow deluded ourselves into thinking that the Cowboys have a lot of weapons on offense. They appear to have three talented running backs and an excellent pair of tight ends. But there's no one at wide receiver who poses a consistent threat. Nothing against Hurd, but is he really the best option on consecutive plays from the 2-yard line?
The Cowboys' defense performed admirably for most of the afternoon, but it cratered at the worst possible moment. And if you're pinning your playoff hopes on the defense holding the opponent to seven points each week, you're dreaming. After putting 31 points on the board against the Giants, the Cowboys' offense has managed a combined 24 points against the Panthers and Broncos. It was a pitiful game plan in the second half -- and the execution wasn't any better.
"We had limited opportunities [in the second half]," Garrett told me after the game. "But you have to take advantage of those opportunities."
It did look like Garrett was ready to commit to the running game early in the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty on Martellus Bennett wiped out a 17-yard run by Choice. The Cowboys would've had the ball first-and-10 at the Broncos' 44. Instead, they were forced to punt and the Broncos tied the score on their next possession.
As he loaded up on Vitamin C, Jones kept repeating the Broncos' record as if that should explain everything. I guess we should've known that the Broncos' wins over the Bengals, Browns and Raiders had placed them among the NFL's elite. Jones even attempted to attribute the loss to the Cowboys' change in philosophy.
"That's part of the plan," he said. "There's more running and less depending on the pass."
And how's that working out for you, Jerry?
Giants ruin Cowboys' housewarming party
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| Tim Heitman/US Presswire | |
| Eli Manning led the Giants on the winning drive as New York took control of the NFC East. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- As kicker Lawrence Tynes drilled a 37-yard field goal with no time remaining, the only sound in the packed press box was Giants co-owner John Mara slapping the back of his seat repeatedly. A crowd of 105,121 -- the largest in NFL history -- fell silent as Giants players and coaches raced onto the field to celebrate a 33-31 win.
Now the Giants begin the puff-pastry portion of their schedule with sole possession of first place in the NFC East. Before kickoff, they watched former president and Dallas resident George W. Bush and his wife Laura conduct the coin toss. Moments earlier, the Cowboys had unveiled their blue and white star at midfield following a video that compared their new stadium to lesser-known venues, such as The Great Wall of China and the Parthenon.
It was a perfect night for Cowboys fans -- right up until Giants quarterback Eli Manning trotted onto the field with 3:34 left in the game. Manning has made a habit of fourth-quarter comebacks, and the Cowboys left him entirely too much time when they took a 31-30 lead on Felix Jones' 7-yard touchdown run.
After a holding penalty put the Giants in a first-and-20 hole at their 15-yard line, Manning went to work. He said he tried to calm down his teammates by "not saying anything.'' On second-and-18, he scrambled to find a Derek Hagan for a 12-yard gain. With first-round pick Hakeem Nicks not suited up because of an injury and Domenik Hixon out of the game in the first half with a knee sprain, the Giants had to turn to Hagan. When the special-teams ace saw Manning in trouble, he came racing back toward him to make a play.
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"Hagan earned a spot on this roster," Manning said after the game. "He did a really nice job on the scramble drill."
Manning then started firing passes to wide receivers Steve Smith and Mario Manningham, who combined for 284 yards and two touchdowns. At this rate, all the questions about the Giants' ability to replace Plaxico Burress' production will disappear by the end of this month. Smith and Manningham toyed with Cowboys cornerbacks Orlando Scandrick and Terence Newman. The deep balls that had been so hard to come by the last couple years were there for the taking against an overwhelmed Cowboys secondary.
The Giants had a third-and-4 at the Cowboys' 41-yard line with 39 seconds left when Manning delivered a ball toward Manningham that was tipped at the line of scrimmage by nose tackle Jay Ratliff. Manningham adjusted nicely and his 8-yard grab put the Giants in good shape.
"They came out with an all-out blitz," Manning said. "We had a slant backside to Mario. He got open, he won. He did a great job of staying with it and concentrating on getting the catch. It was a big play for us."
Manning was 25-of-38 for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He was frustrated by the Giants' lack of production in the red zone, but he never got greedy. Meanwhile, Tony Romo was having one of the worst performances of his career. The only reason the Cowboys had a chance to win the game was because they gashed the Giants in the running game for 251 yards. Marion Barber and Felix Jones were brilliant in locating seams in the Giants' defense -- and it certainly helped that Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck was on the sideline with a shoulder injury following a Flozell Adams tripping penalty.
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| Ronald Martinez/Getty Images | |
| The Cowboys had success rushing the ball but the Giants intercepted Tony Romo three times. |
Romo had three interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown by undrafted rookie cornerback Bruce Johnson. But late in the third quarter, Romo and the Cowboys had a chance to put the Giants away. With a first-and-10 from the Giants' 46-yard line, Romo inexplicably threw a deep ball to Sam Hurd, who was bracketed by two defenders. Safety Kenny Phillips made the easiest interception of his career, which happened to be his second of the evening -- and the Giants were given new life.
Romo spent most of training camp promising that he would protect the ball this season, but he made too many careless throws Sunday night and ended up issuing an apology after the game.
"I'm really, really disappointed in myself right now," Romo said. "You work so hard on something and you try to do certain things to change them. It's disappointing and frustrating. I'm really not OK with it right now and I'll try to rectify tomorrow and tonight to get better and improve."
At least he didn't turn to his "life goes on" speech from last year's Philly game. But that was the only positive sign from Romo. On a night he simply needed to make the smart plays, he came up woefully short.
Jacobs sounds off on Jerry Jones: Last week, running back Brandon Jacobs told me that the Cowboys should have scheduled the Lions instead of the Giants for the stadium opener. And Sunday, he tried to explain to me where his hatred for the Cowboys comes from.
"I hate the Cowboys straight up," Jacobs told me. "It's beginning to be a personal thing. And it's been like that since I was a kid. I've been wishing bad things on them for a long time. I was a hateful little kid. Everyone loves them, so I had to hate them."
Asked what he thought about the new stadium, Jacobs said: "It's a beautiful place. It was nice of Jerry to invite us down here. But he better be careful what he asks for next time. Last year, [Jones] said he wanted to play us on Broadway, and then he got his ass beat. They got whooped 35-14 on Broadway."
Giants capitalize on Romo's awful decision
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- With a 24-20 lead and the ball near midfield, the Cowboys were in perfect position to take over this game. Then Tony Romo threw an ill-advised deep ball to Sam Hurd. I have no clue what Romo saw on the play. Hurd was bracketed by a safety and a cornerback. Kenny Phillips had time to signal a fair catch before picking off the floater.
Eli Manning quickly hit Mario Manningham on a deep ball. Steve Smith and Manningham are making Orlando Scandrick look more like a fifth-round pick with every play. The 22-yard pass to Smith was the 100th touchdown of Manning's career.
Dave Tollefson has replaced Justin Tuck at left defensive end. There is no reason in the world the Cowboys shouldn't have run right at him on that last possession. The Cowboys have owned the Giants in the running game.
Cowboys' WR Hurd predicts perfect season
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
IRVING -- It's not exactly Joe Namath predicting the Jets would win the Super Bowl, but Cowboys wide receiver Sam Hurd stepped out on a limb during Wednesday's open locker room session at Valley Ranch. Hurd is putting the '72 Dolphins on notice:
"I think we can go undefeated," Hurd said. "We almost did it during the 13-3 season. It's the same coach, same team, just a couple of different players. I think we have improved and I think we're coming together as a unit, offense, defense and special teams. So I think we can get it done."
To provide a little context, I'm told Hurd was laughing when he delivered that quote.
Emmitt Smith predicts seven wins for Cowboys
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Former Cowboys great Emmitt Smith has been making the media rounds the last few days and he's not too optimistic about his former team. He was actually fairly positive on a a Sirius NFL Radio interview with Rich Gannon and Adam Schein, but then he changed directions while appearing on ESPN Radio with Colin Cowherd.
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| US Presswire | |
| Former Cowboy great Emmitt Smith called out Wade Phillips and Roy Williams in a recent interview. |
"Realistically, I think that the Cowboys can win seven games," Smith said.
Really? Seven games? With a relatively easy schedule out of the gates, the Cowboys would have to completely collapse to end up with seven wins. Even the most cynical pundits (like this one) have the Cowboys winning at least nine games. So what does the former "Dancing With the Stars" winner think about the Cowboys' current locker room chemistry sans Terrell Owens?
"I mean, when I start hearing things are going to change, I keep asking myself as a player, how much are they going to change?" Smith said. "Are you going to be a hard-nosed coach now since things are going to change? Are you going to be more focused than you were last year? Those kind of things, I'm like, 'C'mon.' This is not a game where you can just turn it on and turn it off."
Sounds like that criticism was lobbed in the direction of coach Wade Phillips. And Smith wasn't finished. Before he hung up the phone, he took a few parting shots at wide receiver Roy Williams.
"The question is, can Roy step up and be what they need him to be?" Smith asked. "I don't know. I don't know if it's possible. I do not see him as a No. 1. I never have saw him as a No. 1. Never have. When I say No. 1, I mean your No. 1 go-to guy. He's not your No. 1 go-to guy."
Thanks to my guy Andrew Fitzpatrick over at Sirius, I also have a transcript of what Smith said about Tony Romo's leadership skills:
"Demand excellence. Demand excellence," Smith said of Romo. "That’s what you’re asking. You’re asking him to demand excellence. I used to send Tony Romo texts throughout the season just to encourage him, just to wish him luck and just to tell him to get on his offensive line. I hated watching this young man get sacked as much as he did, especially when it came down to big games. I know how important it is to have your quarterback standing upright. Matter of fact, I know how important it is not to allow someone hit on him period because I want him to think that this pocket is completely safe, no one is going to get to me and I got all the time in the world to make whatever decisions I need to make.
"That did not happen for Tony Romo. The sad part for me is just what you’re talking about, Rich (Gannon). I never saw him go snatch somebody up and say, 'Hey, we can’t win like this. We can’t have guys jumping off-sides. I can’t have somebody coming at me unabated. Who is making the mistakes up front? Why aren’t you picking this guy up? This is not going down this way. If you can’t get your job done get off the football field.’ And that’s the thing that I believe you touched on, Rich, that is missing at that position which boils back down to one word -- leadership."
This is the same thing Smith was saying last season. He wants Romo to holler at the offensive linemen more. Big deal. Would that make Cowboys fans feel better to see Romo screaming at his linemen? What do you think? And here's something else I thought you'd find interesting. Although Smith told Cowherd he thinks the Cowboys will win only seven games, he told the guys at Sirius that Dallas could challenge the division favorites:
"I think they can be good enough to challenge the Giants and the Eagles," Smith said. "When you think about what the Cowboys have offensively -- you have to start there -- they may not have the guy that can stretch the field for them, even though they have Miles Austin who is pretty fast and Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd can move the chains for them along with Jason Witten. But I think the stars that you should see this year, and if (offensive coordinator) Jason Garrett is looking for that balance and looking to protect the football a little bit is to lean more on Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. I think those three running backs make the Cowboys offense potent, very potent."
Well, at least Smith's being consistent.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Make no mistake, Friday night was all about new Cowboys Stadium. But the Cowboys did manage to dominate the Titans in a 30-10 victory. Here are some things that caught my eye:
- Quarterback Tony Romo was superb Friday, going 18-of-24 for 192 yards. And when he felt pressure, he made sure to secure the football with both hands. That's something that coaches have been harping on for years and it's a good sign that he's apparently listening. His best throw of the evening was a 19-yard pass to Jason Witten that set up the Cowboys' first touchdown. Romo bought himself some extra time and then dropped in a beautiful pass to Witten.
- Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff is on the verge of being a perennial Pro Bowl player. He's simply too quick for most centers and guards. He shot the gap between center and right guard to stop running back Chris Johnson at the line of scrimmage on the Titans' first series.
- Special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis was supposed to improve the coverage units in a dramatic way. But Titans running back Javon Ringer took a kick back 51 yards on his first opportunity. Gerald Sensabaugh didn't help things when he was flagged 15 yards for a late hit.
- The Cowboys held the ball for 22 minutes, 13 seconds in the first half. They dominated the Titans at the line of scrimmage. The Titans finally put a drive together late in the second quarter that was capped by Justin Gage's 17-yard touchdown catch.
- Rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins appeared to point a finger at safety Ken Hamlin on Gage's touchdown. Jenkins lined up on Gage but then tried to pass him off to Hamlin, who was late coming over. I still think it looked like Jenkins' fault.
- Former University of Houston basketball player turned tight end Rodney Hannah made an excellent catch on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Stephen McGee. Hannah's probably a practice squad candidate at best, but he has excellent size at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and his hands have really improved. If I were the Eagles, I'd be waiting to sign Hannah if he's released.
- Sam Hurd didn't come up with a catch he should have had on a back-shoulder throw, but he came back and made the catch of the night on a ball that was thrown behind him. Hurd reached back and hauled in the pass with one hand. He told me after the game that he still talks to his mentor Terrell Owens at least twice a week. "He taught me how to have patience," Hurd said of T.O. "Whether that was running routes or getting off press coverage." Hurd then emptied his locker to show me what books he's been reading. By the way, Hurd might be the best blocking receiver on the team.
- Cowboys reserve linebacker Bobby Carpenter made an excellent open-field tackle on Vince Young in the third quarter. I thought Young would beat him to the outside, but Carpenter grabbed his legs and made a really good tackle.
- Loved listening to crew chief Walt Anderson during Friday's game. At one point he made the following announcement into his mike: "False start on everyone but the center." And later he apologized to the crowd when he blew his whistle into a live mic.
- Running back Felix Jones is one of the most exciting players in the NFC East. What he did to Titans safety Tuff Harris on a 42-yard reception in the first half was embarrassing. Jones is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.
- I saw a guy named Derreck Robinson force a poor throw late in the game. The defensive end out of Iowa probably won't make the team, but he was one of the few players to pressure the quarterback. Wade Phillips appears to be keeping it pretty basic at this point.
- Kudos to the entire offensive line -- except for the false start on Marc Colombo and the holding call on Flozell Adams. Jason Garrett showed a lot of confidence in the line when he chose to run the ball in the end zone with five seconds left in the first half.
- Looks like this offense could be pretty explosive. Pretty much everyone got involved -- even the guy from "4th and Long," Jesse Holley.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
ALBANY, N.Y. -- I've still got a lot more to say about the Giants, but let's take a look around the rest of the division this morning. And just so you know, I'll be catching a flight to Baltimore this afternoon to attend the Redskins-Ravens preseason game. Now let's see what the other three teams have been up to:
Cowboys
- Cowboys rookie quarterback Stephen McGee is hoping to make a good impression in his first preseason game tonight, according to Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News.
- David Moore of the DMN says it's time for Anthony Spencer to step out of the shadows.
- Jen Floyd-Engel says the Cowboys are in trouble if anyone gets hurt on the offensive line.
- Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports that Sam Hurd is having a big-time camp.
- Tim Cowlishaw is ready to see the Cowboys' running game tonight.
- The new Cowboys Stadium is about 95 percent sold out, according to spokesman Brett Daniels.
Eagles
- Adam DiMichele is thrilled to be the third-string quarterback for the Eagles, according to Reuben Frank of the Burlington County Times. But as Reuben points out, DiMichele shouldn't settle in.
- DiMichele's getting a shot because the NFL wouldn't approve Matt Nagy's contract.
- Could Stewart Bradley be back in time for the playoffs? Les Bowen has more on this story.
- Chris Clemons may have a larger role on defense this season. The defensive end's had a solid camp.
Redskins
- Rick Maese of the Post has a nice story on LaRon and Dawan Landry. The brothers will square off in tonight's preseason game in Baltimore.
- Dan Steinberg talks about an interesting interview that Albert Haynesworth had with Newsday's Bob Glauber.
- Chris Samuels is 13 pounds lighter this season.
- Jason Reid of the Post says the Skins will try out at least four different players on punt returns tonight.
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Ask and ye shall receive an NFC East mailbag. This one's been a long time coming and I appreciate your patience -- as always. I've made my annual pilgrimage to this delightful community (Bethlehem, Pa.) about an hour or so north of Philly and I'm prepared to talk all things Eagles for two consecutive days. But in the interest of a wider audience, I'm fielding mailbag questions on all four teams this morning. OK, let's start emptying the bag:
Bernard F. from Grand Prairie is concerned about the Eagles' depth at TE: Hey Matt, I am a huge Eagles fan living in Dallas. I think the Eagles may need to sign a tight end who will be released when the teams begin to cut players. Maybe a veteran tight end who can run down the seam.
Mosley: Bernard, the Eagles acted quickly in signing a free-agent rookie named Rob Myers, but you can bet that they will be watching the waiver wire pretty closely as we go along. No word on whether Jeff Thomason would leave his construction job again to help out the Eagles. But before you get too worked about Cornelius Ingram's season-ending knee injury, I don't believe the Eagles expected him to be a major contributor during his rookie season. For now, Myers is simply a training camp body who can eat up some reps. If the right player becomes available, Andy Reid will make a move. There's a former University of Houston player in Cowboys camp named Rodney Hannah who's probably not going to make the team. The Eagles know about him and they're impressed with his athleticism and 6-6 frame. That's just a thought.
Bill Moseley from Dallas is concerned about a certain former Cowboys receiver being mentioned too much: Matt, why does the media keep making T.O. the story when he's not. Stephen A. did it in 2004 when my Eagles made the Super Bowl while T.O. was hurt and you're doing it now. There are far more compelling stories to write than "Phillips takes jab at Owens."
Mosley: It's tough when your own family members start turning on you! Bill, I believe the Cowboys' release of T.O. was one of the biggest stories of the offseason and now it's interesting to see how the Cowboys compensate for his monster numbers. I don't think we've spent a ton of time on T.O. this offseason -- as evidenced by us pretty much ignoring his television projects. But when the mild-mannered Wade Phillips takes a little jab at T.O., I certainly think it's worth a blog entry. And judging by the response on the Beast, many of the readers agreed with me. But I understand your point. We'll try not to overdo with T.O. But if he says something about the Cowboys -- and you know he'll continue to do that -- we probably need to account for it. Thanks! Tell the other cousins I said hey.
Russ K. from Boston thinks the Beast has been a little Cowboys heavy recently -- and he's not alone: First of all, can you lay off the Cowboys a bit? It seems like every other link and article is about the Cowboys. Is it because the Cowboys get that much more media coverage? I find that hard to believe. Second, as a Giants fan I feel bittersweet about the Eli signing. I'm glad they signed him but I don't see how he got top quarterback money. He's barely a top five quarterback in my opinion. Did the Giants overpaying Eli ruin their chances to re-sign other players like Justin Tuck?
Mosley: I hear you loud and clear, Russ. When I'm in Cowboys camp, you're going to read a ton about the Cowboys. Beginning on Monday, you'll ready two solid days of Eagles coverage followed by my visits to the Giants' and Redskins' camps. We'll try to balance things out a little more for you guys, and I appreciate all the feedback -- even if it's negative. Regarding Manning's contract, I think that's the going rate for a top five or six quarterback in the league -- especially one who owns a Super Bowl ring. Nothing about those numbers surprised me that much. In fact, I thought the guaranteed portion might come in a little higher. Manning basically earned this money during a four-game stretch at the end of the '07 season. And he didn't do anything last year -- at least in my mind -- to lower his value.
Jason from Bryn Mawr, Pa., exceeded our word limit (150), but we'll give him some latitude since he made some interesting points: Matt, while the following statements may be true: "the Cowboys may have one of the most overrated offensive lines in the league", "the scary part is the Cowboys' lack of depth along the line", and "they've done a poor job drafting and developing offensive linemen over the years", the exact same quotes can be used in your pending camp review of the Philadelphia Eagles, yet I believe you ranked the Eagles as the best O-line in the Beast. It's unfathomable that many seem to be ready to return the Andrews Brothers to elite status when both missed all of last season. One (Stacy) was never elite to begin with and the other (Shawn) either has zero desire to play or has a back that won't allow him to play any longer. I am willing to grant Peters some benefit of the doubt, but am I willing to put all faith in a guy that openly admitted to less effort because he was upset at his contract status?! The Eagles' O-line also lacks the tremendous leadership and continuity provided by Runyan and Thomas. If the criteria works for one team, it should consistently apply to all.
Mosley: I admit the Eagles are having some issues on the offensive line right now, and that could certainly knock them down to the second or third best line in the division. But Stacy Andrews didn't miss all of last season. He started 15 games for the Bengals. Shawn Andrews missed most of the season, and you're correct to be very worried about his status. But the Eagles have done a better job of drafting and developing young linemen than the Cowboys. It's not even close. They took Shawn Andrews in the first round in '04 and he's been a three-time Pro Bowler. The Eagles signed Jamaal Jackson to a free-agent rookie contract in '03 and he's been the starter since '06. And starting guard Todd Herremans was a pretty good find in the fourth round of the '05 draft. Winston Justice was obviously a complete bust, but the Cowboys certainly have the lead in that category. They drafted Andre Gurode in '02 -- and that's pretty much it. Peters and Andrews are younger and much more athletic than Thomas and Runyan. But yes, the lack of cont
inuity is a fair point.
Chris from Clinton, Utah, has an Eagles question: Mr. Mosley, seeing that Stewart Bradley is now injured, do you think that the Eagles will pick up Derrick Brooks to play the right outside backer position and move Omar Gaither to the middle linebacker position like he was two years ago?
Mosley: Chris, Jim Johnson and the Eagles always favored younger, faster linebackers. That's why veterans such as Jeremiah Trotter were sent packing despite their leadership qualities. Brooks is an outstanding guy in the locker room, but the Eagles are more concerned about what guys can do on the field. The word on Brooks is that he's lost a step. That's not a good fit for Sean McDermott's defense. I'd be surprised to see a veteran like Brooks show up on the scene.
Nick from Sandy Hook, Conn., wants to talk about the Eagles' secondary: Hey Matt, before starting I'd like to note that Elizabeth Merrill's Jim Johnson piece was great and helped flesh out a man who'd spent most of his life avoiding fame and being known by his work. I'm wondering about that loss and the other tribulations (so many to choose from) and what you think they could do to the Eagles. The loss of Dawkins just excised the defense's emotional center. The loss of Stew Bradley sidelines one of the rising stars, the Maclin holdout makes him even less likely to contribute this year, and all that on top of Johnson. Do you think they're still a Super Bowl team, and does Reid have the leadership to turn those setbacks into determination?
Mosley: Nick, Elizabeth's an outstanding writer and I'm glad you mentioned the Johnson story. He obviously had a tremendous impact on the league. It's hard to project what sort of impact the loss of Johnson will have on the team, but I think he did such a great job teaching his young players that they'll be able to rally behind his replacement, Sean McDermott. I'm not going to overreact to Maclin missing a little more than a week of practices. I think he'll be up to speed by the end of the preseason. He's a highly intelligent guy, and he's a huge talent. And Reid pulled the right strings late in the '08 season, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I think the fact that Omar Gaither has been a starter for the Eagles really helps the situation. I'd be more worried if they were forced to lean completely on an inexperienced guy like Joe Mays.
Nirav from a county I didn't recognize wants to talk Redskins: I am a big fan of the Beast and read your blog daily. Thanks for the great work. My question is when the G-men won the Super Bowl two years ago, their defense seemed to get turnovers and create a short field for Eli and Co. With the additions of Haynesworth and Orakpo (who is looking great in camp by the way) and re-signing Hall, plus Landry and Horton at the safties and old reliable London, do you think the Skins have a chance to have a defense that can create turnovers, and thus, a short field for Jason Campbell and the Skins' offense?
Mosley: Well, that's why Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo are in Washington. And yes, I think the Redskins can go from a solid defense to a dangerous defense. Everyone at Redskins Park will tell me this week about last season's top-five overall ranking on defense. But that's an empty ranking. Quarterbacks didn't fear the Skins because they didn't have any true threats coming off the edge. And the lack of pressure made it tough on the secondary. With Orakpo and Haynesworth collapsing the pocket, Hall, Horton, Landry and Rogers can take more chances. So yes, I think an improved defense could help make this a -- wait for it -- Campbell-friendly offense.
Josh M. from Eldorado, Texas, wonders why Miles Austin appears to be ahead of Sam Hurd at Cowboys camp: Why is Miles Austin ahead of Sam Hurd. The only thing I could think of is his speed. I was at training camp this past weekend and Hurd has some of the best hands on the team. I would rather have a guy in the game that could catch everything instead of out run everbody.
Mosley: Both of those guys have had excellent camps, Josh. And you're right about Austin's speed. He's really the only deep threat the Cowboys have, and he's also become a much better route runner. One more thing: Tony Romo absolutely loves him. I agree that Hurd has taken his game to the next level, but I think Austin's still ahead of him because of his big-strike ability. The Cowboys need a wide receiver on the field that teams fear -- or at least respect. The threat of Austin's speed can open things up in the running game.
Rob from Lake Worth, Fla., says I was right about something. Sir, step right up: Hey Matt, I was really hoping you would be wrong about Mike Williams. But Jason Reid is reporting that he is getting beat in drills by almost every defensive lineman he goes up against. Add to that his groin injury and things don't look too promising. Oh well. Keep up the good work.
Mosley: I think Williams' return is a cool story, but he's been out of the league way too long to be sharp at this point. And he carried around 450 pounds or so while he was out of the game. Even after shedding all the weight, your body's still going to suffer the effects of having been that large. Williams has shown a lot of determination, but anyone who thought he could challenge for significant playing time was being rather naive. I still think the Skins' offensive line is a huge concern.
Russell from Fort Worth wants to know about Jimmy Johnson's credentials for the Ring of Honor: How do you feel about Jimmy Johnson not being in the Cowboys' Ring of Honor? I mean...he is responsible for half of the Cowboys' Super Bowl titles. Some might say he is responsible for two or three of them. I say 2.5. Hasn't he earned the right to be enshrined among the greatest Cowboys? Also, why do you think Jerry Jones has decided not to induct anyone new this year? Wouldn't it be a great way to open the new stadium?
Mosley: One of the things that most of the Ring of Honor members have in common is longevity. Jimmy Johnson had an amazing run, but Jones' ego eventually got in the way. Johnson is the second greatest coach in Cowboys history behind Tom Landry, but there are others I'd like to see go in before him. And I agree with you that Jones should've put someone in this season. Before Jones puts Darren Woodson or Larry Allen in, I really wish he'd go back and take care of Drew Pearson. It's something the late Tex Schramm should've done a long time ago. And now Jones needs to right the wrong. Unfortunately, Pearson's penchant for being critical (honest) about the Cowboys hasn't helped. But again, he should go in before any of the younger guys.
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.
