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Thoughts on the Texans' draft from two people involved in evaluating personnel for NFL teams:

Guy No. 1:

“I know they want [Baylor receiver] Kendall Wright. He’s a slot guy who can work underneath and take pressure off Andre Johnson. Wright’s a playmaker. If he’s gone, there isn’t another receiver who will step right in. Rueben Randle and Alshon Jeffery are like Johnson, big and physical. Wright is different."

“They have to consider offensive line. I couldn’t believe they let Eric Winston go. He’s a good player. Who can you get at 26 that can come right in and play at right tackle? They could go out and make a pick like they did with Duane Brown, a second-round guy in the first. Jonathan Martin maybe? Or trade back."

“To me, the biggest question to be answered by this draft in that division is replacing the leadership and production lost with the trade of DeMeco Ryans and the release of Winston. Those are two main leaders and they did nothing in free agency. That’s hard to replace in a draft."

“Outside linebacker would be a luxury pick. Courtney Upshaw would be nice for them. Shea McClellin is another of what they have -- a versatile, solid football player. Inside, they could like Dont'a Hightower. I don’t think Darryl Sharpton or Bradie James can replace Ryans."

Guy No. 2:

“Coming up with a tackle in the late first is pretty tough. Cordy Glenn really doesn’t fit their profile, though he could be a right tackle. Mike Adams if you get past the combine test. Martin could be in that range."

“You can never have enough rushers. McClellin is a lot like Brooks Reed. Upshaw would be good there."

“Unless you take Janoris Jenkins, you can’t get a good corner at 26. You’d have to hold your nose, but he’s better than Kareem Jackson.”

Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com has a column up, and it's about the Dallas Cowboys' defense. Specifically, it's about first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who Tim says is struggling to coach something out of the same cast of characters that helped get the previous coach and defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, fired a little more than a year ago.

Tim's hypothesis is that maybe it's not the fault of the coach or the scheme in Dallas, but that maybe we've all been overrating the players the Cowboys have on the defensive side of the ball:

The truth is that this defense has three cornerstone players -- outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, nose tackle Jay Ratliff and inside linebacker Sean Lee -- and a whole bunch of question marks. Throw a dart at the defensive depth chart and you're pretty much guaranteed to hit a draft need.

Cornerback Mike Jenkins has first-round talent and deserves credit for fighting through injuries all season, but he's on-again, off-again. Outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, another former first-round pick, has flashes of brilliance that are lost in long stretches of mediocrity.

Cornerback Terence Newman is way past his prime and looks like he's on his last legs after a few weeks of actually playing well enough to earn his massive contract earlier this season. Inside linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking are tough, old warriors whose glory days are long gone.

The rest of the defense is filled with JAGs, to borrow a term from Bill Parcells. The just-a-guy list includes safety Gerald Sensabaugh and [Orlando] Scandrick, even though they've been given five-year, $20-plus-million contract extensions this season.

It's an interesting point, for sure. Two years ago, when the Cowboys turned it on this time of year and won a division title, Spencer and Jenkins played like stars. They have not done so since, and as a result there are very few players on the Cowboys' defense who are. It's one thing when you have five or six guys playing like stars. It's quite another when you have only two or three.

The theory behind hiring Ryan was that the Cowboys underachieved on defense last season and needed a fresh voice to coax the talent out of all the talented players they already had in place. And while he's been able to get something out of Spencer and Jenkins (and, earlier in the season, Newman) that wasn't there a year ago, Tim's right that none of those guys is playing at a star-caliber level. Can they the rest of the way? Sure. We've seen it before for brief stretches with some of these same guys. But once this is all over, it seems the Cowboys are going to have to make some more serious and sober assessments of just what exactly they do have on defense.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Seattle Seahawks provided the perfect opponent to solve the Dallas Cowboys' woes. Well, sort of. Dallas played a nice, but not great game Sunday afternoon on the day they inducted Drew Pearson, Larry Allen and Charles Haley into the Ring of Honor. The Cowboys should have played better, but they have next week to solve their issues. For the record: Dallas 23, Seattle 13.

Here's a recap:

What it means: Not really sure. The Cowboys beat up a Seattle team ranking next to last in total offense and rushing offense. Its defense ranked 13th overall but 18th against the pass. Seattle rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time in two weeks and the Seahawks completed numerous big plays in the passing game. But the Cowboys won, and that's all that matters in the NFL sometimes.

DeMarco Murray needs to start: Nothing personal against Felix Jones, but did you see the rookie from Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon? He rushed 22 times for 139 yards. He's now rushed for more than 100 yards in two of the last three games. Jones has rushed for more than 100 yards just twice in the regular season during his career. It might be time to move on from Jones and give things to Murray.

Defense plays OK: The Cowboys' defense pressured Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson numerous times and picked up three interceptions. Terence Newman, Jason Hatcher and Gerald Sensabaugh were the men who did in Jackson. DeMarcus Ware didn't register a sack for the first time in three weeks. It seemed the Cowboys missed inside linebacker Sean Lee, who was out with a dislocated left wrist. Bradie James and Keith Brooking didn't do enough to slow the running game. It's clear the Cowboys need to clean up some things before taking on Buffalo next week. Anthony Spencer picked up his first sack since Week 3 versus Washington, and now has three on the season.

Miles Austin is out: Wide receiver Miles Austin injured his right hamstring in the first half and didn't return. It's the second time this season that Austin has battled hamstring injuries. He finished the game with two catches for 53 yards. But it was OK because Laurent Robinson, once again, is looking like a man who knows what he's doing on the field. Robinson had five catches for 32 yards with one touchdown. Dez Bryant also had a nice game, though he had zero catches in the second half, with four receptions for 76 yards. Defenses are jamming Bryant at the line of scrimmage and he continues to struggle to get off the line.

Red zone problems: The Cowboys went 1-for-3 in the red zone Sunday. For the season, the Cowboys have 26 possessions inside the red zone with just 10 touchdowns and 12 field goals on the season. This has been a problem area for the Cowboys in 2011 and moving forward, things have to get fixed.

What's next: The Cowboys host Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. It's Chan Gailey's chance to beat the man who fired him, Jerry Jones. Jones said firing Gailey was one of his biggest mistakes.

Distressing news for Dallas Cowboys fans in the form of this report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, whose source tells him that "some doctors" believe Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee should have season-ending surgery on his dislocated wrist while "others believe he can cast the injury and play through it."

Lee has not made any decision yet. He and the Cowboys will continue consulting with doctors until they make a determination of what's best for the linebacker's future. The team hasn't officially ruled him out for Sunday's game.

It certainly sounds as though the Cowboys can't count on Lee this week, and it's possible he could miss many more weeks to come. If Lee does miss the remainder of the season, I believe that would be a serious enough loss to force a recalibration of every positive forecast for the Cowboys the rest of the way. The schedule favors them, and they played well enough in their first six games to make you think they could make a run. But Lee's performance in the middle of the defense was a critical element in its early success, and they looked lost without him against the Eagles.

Keith Brooking and Bradie James are the starting inside linebackers if Lee can't go, and it's possible they could find ways to start working rookie Bruce Carter into the mix. But Lee has been one of the best and most productive linebackers in the league this year, and his ball-hawking ways have allowed other elements of the Dallas defense to flourish around him. If he's out, they'll have to make a number of very serious adjustments to compensate for it, and they certainly weren't able to do so Sunday night.

It could be a matter of hours, or at worst days, before we know the terms of the NFL's new labor rules. That means hours, or at worst days, before we know the 2011 salary-cap number. But the most interesting cap-related information coming out today indicates that teams like the Cowboys and Giants -- the two NFC East teams projected to be over the $120 million cap number that's been reported -- could be getting some unforeseen help.

Multiple reports have surfaced today that the new deal will protect veteran players from being "cap casualties" the way they have been in past years -- that there will be some procedure in place that allows for a "soft" cap, at least in the early years of the deal, and allows teams to keep veterans who might otherwise have to be cut to help the team get under the cap.

We don't know yet what form this new rule would take, but if it turns out to be the case, I predict it will be quickly labeled the "Jerry Jones Rule" and will strike at the heart of the issue of who are the "winners" and "losers" from this long labor dispute.

I believe that, once this is over, the co-winners will be the big-spending NFL owners (which is to say most of them) and the players. The provision that requires teams to spend a certain percentage of the cap number (94 percent, is what we've heard) is a big win for the players, who have been frustrated in years' past about teams not spending up to the cap. But it's also a win for the big-spending owners, who have been frustrated in years' past that some of their cheaper brethren haven't put as much revenue-sharing money into player payrolls as the bigger spenders believe they should.

All of the NFC East teams and owners stand to benefit from these kinds of new rules in the new deal. The "losers" will be smaller-market owners such as those in Cincinnati and Buffalo, who almost certainly will wish the revenue-sharing adjustments in the new deal would address their concerns about the way the system is structured. But in the end, this dispute was never about owners versus players as much as it was about the big-spending owners versus the lighter-spending owners. Each side on that dispute was dissatisfied with the revenue-sharing model as it had been constructed. All appearances indicate that the new deal will address the concerns of the former group much more effectively than it will the latter. And Jones, who was a key figure in all of this, will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Roster-wise, what this would mean is that the Cowboys might not have to cut people like Bradie James or Terence Newman or Marion Barber just to get under the cap. It could mean that the Giants can re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw without having to worry about what Brandon Jacobs is making. Again, we wait to find out what the actual rules will be. But if they allow teams to go beyond the cap to retain high-priced veterans, that's only going to help big-market teams like the ones in the NFC East.

The try-hard guy, long revered by NFL fans for overcoming physical limitations with all-out effort, has not been universally loved.

Established veterans with a feel for how to practice during long, demanding regular seasons can become resentful when the try-hard guy's misplaced fury produces unwanted collisions.

So, for the sake of clarity, the try-hard guy is excused from this conversation about pass-rushers so relentless, they wear down opponents over the course of a game.

We're talking about players with enough talent to command significant playing time, many as high draft choices or big-ticket free agents. We're talking about the San Francisco 49ers' Justin Smith, one of two NFC West players to receive votes in ESPN.com's Power Rankings for defensive players. Patrick Willis was the other.

"Justin Smith is a relentless player who wears down opponents by coming after them each and every play," BigBrad184 wrote in response to this item Wednesday morning. "I don't have any stats to back this up, but it seems like he often gets many of his sacks in the fourth quarter because of the fatigue he causes to offensive lineman."

Interesting thought.

"Maybe breaking out Smith's sacks by quarter over the past few years is a project for Sando," BigBrad184 concluded.

Done deal. John Fisher of ESPN Stats & Information responded to my request for the statistical evidence BigBrad184 was seeking. Smith does rank among the NFL leaders for fourth-quarter sacks in recent seasons, but two other NFC West players, including one of Smith's teammates, rank higher on the list.

More on the results in a bit. First, a look at the methodology.

Fisher provided a file with quarter-by-quarter sack totals for every player since 2001. I filtered the information to consider:

• The last three seasons. There was no sense comparing totals for eight-year veterans against players entering the league more recently. At the same time, three seasons was long enough to pile up adequate numbers.
• Players with at least 10 sacks. This reduced qualifying players from 668 to 99, a more manageable number featuring more "name" players.
• Late-game production. I then divided the remaining 99 players' fourth-quarter and overtime sack totals by their total sacks, producing percentages that might tell us which players tend to wear down opponents.

The 49ers' Smith collected 8.5 of his 21.5 sacks in fourth quarters or overtimes since 2008. That worked out to 39.5 percent, which ranked 22nd among the 99 qualifying players.

Philadelphia's Darren Howard, who did not play in 2010, led the way with 75.8 percent of his sacks (11.5 of 16.5) after the third quarter. He was on the Eagles' roster for two of the three seasons in question and never played even half the defensive snaps in either year. But he was highly effective as a situational player, at least when measured by sack totals. Only Jared Allen (15) and Joey Porter (14) had more total sacks after the first three quarters.

There was no way to tell whether players with higher late-game sack percentages had more or better late-game opportunities for reasons unrelated to being relentless. Players operating within superior schemes or alongside better teammates certainly benefited. Overall, players collected more sacks in second and fourth quarters, no surprise given that teams attempted 6,130 additional passes during those quarters over the past three seasons, a likely reflection of two-minute situations.

The San Francisco 49ers' Parys Haralson (52.9 percent) and the St. Louis Rams' Chris Long (48.6 percent) ranked highest in fourth-quarter sack percentage among current NFC West players with at least 10 sacks over the past three seasons. Haralson was seventh in the league. Long was ninth. Former 49er Tully Banta-Cain was 10th (48.4 percent), while Arizona's Joey Porter (44.4 percent), St. Louis' Fred Robbins (44.4 percent), ex-Seahawk Lawrence Jackson (44.0 percent) and current Seahawk Chris Clemons (41.0 percent) ranked among the top 20.

Were these guys merely slow starters? Were they strong finishers? Did they wear down opponents over the course of games? The numbers do not answer those questions definitively, but they provide a starting point for discussion.

I was also interested in seeing which players collected a disproportionate number of sacks earlier in games. They were, at best, tone setters. At worst, they failed to finish or failed to adequately wear down opponents. The previous disclaimers applied to them as well.

As the chart below shows, three of the 10 qualifying players with the lowest percentages of late-game sacks have NFC West roots.

Arizona's Calais Campbell has 5.5 of his 13 sacks in first quarters, but only one in fourth quarters or overtimes. The 49ers' Manny Lawson collected 11 of his 12 sacks in the first three quarters. Darryl Tapp, traded from Seattle to Philadelphia in the deal for Clemons, has 4.5 sacks in each of the first two quarters, but only two in second halves (one after the third quarter).

A few other observations with an eye toward the NFC West:

• Porter (six) and Campbell (5.5) rank among the top seven in most first-quarter sacks. The 49ers' Smith is right behind with five.
• Arizona's Darnell Dockett has nine of his 16 sacks in second quarters. Eight players have more second-quarter sacks over the past three seasons, but all are edge-rusher types. Dockett plays end in a 3-4 scheme.
• Pittsburgh's James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are a third-quarter nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Harrison leads the NFL with 15.5 sacks in third quarters. Woodley is second with 12. Former Cardinal Calvin Pace ranks in the top 10 with 7.5.
• Porter and Allen are tied for the most fourth-quarter sacks in the NFL over the past three seasons. Each has 14 (Allen also had one in overtime). DeMarcus Ware and Robert Mathis are next with 13.5, followed by Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers with 12.5.

Back to the original question: Is the 49ers' Smith a relentless player who wears down opponents, producing fourth-quarter payoffs?

He might be, but he produces well enough across all quarters to transcend the try-hard label and probably even the relentless label as well. He's a beast.

Latest edition of the NFL Power Rankings is up, as I and my seven new colleagues rated the best defensive players in the league. You'll see if you click that link that DeMarcus Ware is the only NFC East player on the list, ranking No. 2 behind unanimous No. 1 Troy Polamalu. No other player from the division received even one top-10 vote from the panel.

But we don't care if they play better defense in other divisions than they do in our little overpopulated corner of the NFL world, do we? We do our own poll here, and you guys have been weighing in over the past few days with your picks for the top defensive players in the NFC East. I have been dutifully compiling your opinions and your votes, and here is your list:

1. DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys

2. Justin Tuck, Giants

3. Trent Cole, Eagles

4. Asante Samuel, Eagles

5. Brian Orakpo, Redskins

6. London Fletcher, Redskins

7. Osi Umenyiora, Giants

8. LaRon Landry, Redskins

9. Jay Ratliff, Cowboys

10. Antrel Rolle, Giants

Not a bad list, I don't think, though it does make you wonder why the Redskins didn't have a better year.

Anyway, a couple of notes on the (very informal) voting:

• A couple of people said they wanted to vote for Quintin Mikell but didn't because they felt like he's a sure thing to be gone from the Eagles and is therefore not technically "in the division." I believe Mikell would have fared better (say, 7th or 8th?) if he'd been under contract.
• There were 11 players who got votes but didn't crack the top 10. In order, they were Barry Cofield, Albert Haynesworth, Mikell, Corey Webster, DeAngelo Hall, Bradie James, Terrell Thomas, Kenny Phillips, O.J. Atogwe, Aaron Ross and Nate Allen.
• It is amazing that Haynesworth barely gets mentioned. His behavior over the past year really has destroyed public opinion of him. I still think he's a guy who gets back on this list pretty quickly if he gets somewhere (like Philly) where he's happy and motivated. But there's no denying that, in the wake of his 2010 season, he doesn't belong on it now.
• The Tuck/Cole vote for the No. 2 spot was very close, as was the Orakpo/Fletcher/Umenyiora race for that No. 5 spot. Fletcher is one of those guys people really want to like. They like how hard he plays, how he leads, how he carries himself, etc. Might be the most overall admired player on this list, on and off the field, based on the comments I received.

Debate away, folks, and enjoy. I'll be seeking your help later on my list for next week's Power Rankings, which will be non-quarterback offensive players. And this will be players who are good at offense, not players who offend you the most. A key distinction, I know, though the latter list might be more fun.

ARLINGTON -- On a sleepy Sunday afternoon at Cowboys Stadium, the Redskins-Cowboys game came down to the end and David Buehler, who earlier missed a 35-yard field goal, made a 39-yarder to give the Cowboys a 33-30 win against the Redskins. Terence Newman's interception at the final gun sealed the victory for the Cowboys. For a defense that struggled most of the game, it seemed fitting that it ended with a Rex Grossman underthrown pass directed to Chris Cooley that was picked off.

What it means: Not much, considering these two teams are not going anywhere this season. Well, we guess it gives the Cowboys revenge over the Redskins, whom they lost to in the regular-season opener. It's also the Cowboys' second home win of the year. It ties them with boxer Manny Pacquiao with the most wins in 2010 in Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao won two fights here.

The defensive collapse: The Cowboys held a 27-7 lead in the third quarter, but were outscored 23-3, allowing Washington to tie. Yes, the defense had two inside linebackers playing hurt in Bradie James (knee) and Keith Brooking (foot), but the other playmakers didn't make enough plays on the ball during the burst by the Redskins. On one of the last drives of the game, sacks by Orlando Scandrick on a corner blitz, and Victor Butler, who rushed inside and got free because of DeMarcus Ware's rush from the edge, gave the Cowboys the ball back for the final three minutes of the game.

Injuries to two key defensive players: The Cowboys lost starting strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh and backup inside linebacker Sean Lee to concussions in the first half. Neither player returned. Barry Church replaced Sensabaugh, and a variety of players took over for Lee.

Witten reaches milestone: Jason Witten finished with 10 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown Sunday. Coming into the game, Witten needed five catches to reach 600 in his career. Now with 605 he has become one of four tight ends, joining Tony Gonzalez, Shannon Sharpe and Ozzie Newsome, with more than 600 catches in their career.

What's next: The Cowboys will end the season with a two-game trip starting Christmas night at Arizona. The last time Dallas finished the final two regular-season games on the road was 2007 and they split them, a win at Carolina and a loss at Washington.

Dallas Cowboys starting defensive end Igor Olshansky took to the radio earlier this week and basically called out offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. And of all the critics Garrett's heard from this season, I'm pretty sure he thought he was safe from Olshansky.

"Don't give the ball away," Olshansky said during linebacker Bradie James' weekly show Monday on ESPN 103.3 FM per Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "I mean, there's a lot of things that can go wrong when you pass the ball. You can get sacked, the ball can get tipped, you can get an interception. If you run the ball, you can get tackled and get a forced fumble. See, there's a lot more things [that can go wrong on pass plays]. ... You've got to run the ball."

Garrett hasn't taken his cues from the Cowboys' Russian defensive end in the past, but the man has a point. If your wide receivers aren't going to catch balls that hit them in the hands, maybe it's time to mix in a running play or two.

"You've got to be stubborn about it," said Olshansky. "You've got to be stubborn about who you are. If you're a running team, run the ball in OTAs, minicamp, training camp and all that."

And since head coach Wade Phillips refuses to make any lineup changes, perhaps it's time that someone such as Olshansky takes charge of this team. Something tells me, though, the coaches might ask Bradie James to pick a different guest next week.

» NFC Decisive Moments: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Lots to choose from this week, but I'm going with a decisive moment that turned Sunday's game around for the Chicago Bears and allowed offensive coordinator Mike Martz to plant seeds of doubt in coach Wade Phillips' mind. Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, the Bears were finally on the move. On the first three series, quarterback Jay Cutler had been battered behind an offensive line that had already lost left tackle Chris Williams to injury.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips dialed up a blitz with "zero" coverage that did not feature his usual free safety help in the middle of the field. Martz, who had already told Cutler to stop worrying about seven-step drops that took too long to develop, called for an empty backfield with four wide receivers and a tight end. Safety Alan Ball lined up across from tight end Greg Olsen, who would soon end up with a 39-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 10-7 lead.

Cowboys inside linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking bunched together and showed blitz up the middle. James would later tell ESPN 103.3 that he called a "check" that not everyone heard. Brooking held up on the blitz at the last second, but it was too late because Olsen came free across the middle. Since Ball was the player chasing Olsen, some of us assumed it was his fault. But Phillips said that Olsen wasn't Ball's responsibility. In his weekly Scout's Eye report for ESPNDallas.com, former Cowboys and Eagles scout Bryan Broaddus points out that James is normally quite vocal with his calls. Why wouldn't he have been more demonstrative in that situation?

It was a decisive moment in Sunday's game because it caused Phillips to back off some of the aggressive blitzes that allowed him to bother Cutler early in the game. The Cowboys did a nice job against the Bears on third downs (1-of-11), but they simply gave up too many big plays on the other downs. Martz made a really nice adjustment and the Cowboys didn't respond.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A week after Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett fought over who should take the blame for a bone-headed play call, they made it easier for all of us Sunday. Both coaches flopped in the Cowboys' 27-20 loss to the Chicago Bears, but it was Phillips' vaunted defense that took the biggest fall.

This defense hadn't allowed a touchdown in three consecutive regular-season games, but Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz seems to have the Cowboys' number. He was the architect of a game plan that baffled the Cowboys late in the 2006 season and nudged Bill Parcells toward another retirement. Lions quarterback Jon Kitna, now the Cowboys' backup, would famously say that linebacker Bradie James appeared completely lost in that game.

Early in Sunday's game, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was running for his life as outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer raced past offensive tackles. To make matters worse, the Bears lost starting left tackle Chris Williams in the first quarter. After the third consecutive three-and-out series, Cutler shouted, "Can't we block anybody?" as he arrived on the sideline.

Cowboys first-round pick Dez Bryant returned the ensuing punt 62 yards for a touchdown and there were no signs of what was about to happen. Martz changed the game plan on the fly and told Cutler to stop worrying about seven-step drops and just get the ball out immediately. When Phillips sent inside linebackers James and Keith Brooking on a blitz up the middle, Cutler hit tight end Greg Olsen in stride for a 39-yard touchdown. Everyone with the Cowboys agreed it was a blown coverage, although Phillips did offer safety Alan Ball an alibi.

When a reporter timidly suggested the Cowboys might have shown blitz too early on the play, Phillips deadpanned, "Really?"

The Bears don't make their assistant coaches available after games, but Cutler (and several Cowboys defenders) gave Martz his props. The Bears don't have a true No. 1 receiver, but Cutler thinks that can be a positive.

"I think it's almost even a bigger advantage to have what we have and have a lot of weapons," the Bears' quarterback said. "It keeps teams off balance. They don't know where we are going or what we are doing in some of these formations or where we are headed, so it is working out to our advantage, and we have a guy like Mike Martz who knows how to take advantage of all that."

Phillips couldn't get over the fact the Bears were 1-of-11 on third downs but still managed to make some huge plays against his defense. The one conversion came on third-and-15 with the Bears trailing 14-10. Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox raced past Pro Bowl cornerback Mike Jenkins and Cutler delivered a gorgeous ball for a 59-yard completion. Jenkins jumped up looking for a teammate to blame, but Phillips indicated to me after the game that the Cowboys were in man-to-man coverage.

Cowboys history buffs/apologists will point to the 1993 team beginning the season with two losses before winning the Super Bowl. But a young player named Emmitt Smith ended his holdout in Week 3 of that season, and he's not walking through that door.

In the postgame locker room, Cowboys defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni gathered Marcus Spears, Igor Olshansky, Jay Ratliff and Stephen Bowen for a brief session. All of them still looked shell-shocked by what had happened and could offer little explanation for why the Bears were able to expose them with so many big plays. Across the room, cornerback Terence Newman offered the strongest comments of the afternoon, indicating there had been failures in practice leading up to Sunday's game.

"I think that things kind of got let go in practice. It’s things that … it’s not our coaches. They don’t really know some of the things that were going on," said Newman. "But as players, we have to crack down and make sure that some of the stuff that has been going on, doesn’t go on. We have to make it a game situation in practice. That’s just what it is. We go hard in practice, but maybe our intensity needs to go up a little bit. We got to do that as players and not worry about the coaches."

It was Newman's missed tackle in the fourth quarter that allowed Devin Hester to race down the sideline for 38 yards and set up the Bears' game-sealing touchdown. Newman said the defensive backs talked on Saturday night about establishing an identity, but the search will continue as the Cowboys prepare for a trip to Houston to play an explosive Texans team.

With two strong AFC South opponents looming, the Cowboys are staring at an 0-4 start. It's too early to declare the season over, but get back to me next Sunday afternoon.

If this was truly a dress rehearsal for the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday evening, Redskins fans have to be licking their chops for Sept. 12. The Cowboys' first-team offense was once again whipped by an AFC defense. And the defense wasn't much better. The Colts don't get worried about pitiful preseason performances because of their winning pedigree. I'm afraid Cowboys fans won't take the same laidback approach. Now let's assess the damage:

• About the best thing you can say about the first half is that fourth-round pick Akwasi Owusu-Ansah opened the game with a 41-yard return. He showed a nice burst and Joe DeCamillis's unit did a good job creating a lane along the right side of the field.
• It looked like the Cowboys' offensive line hadn't seen a stunt all preseason. On the first sack of Tony Romo, Texans defensive end Mario Williams came racing up the middle and Andre Gurode appeared to be shocked by his arrival.
• Both Bradie James and Mike Jenkins did a nice job diagnosing plays early in the game, but Jenkins has to do a better job wrapping up. That's what Darren Woodson was really worried about with this group. Would they be able to tackle? Jenkins looked bad early in the game. Then Alan Ball started missing tackles.
• The Cowboys are praying Dez Bryant will someday be like Andre Johnson. Matt Schaub has the luxury of being able to deliver the ball even when Johnson is closely covered. Johnson caught one ball on the first drive with Terence Newman all over him and then dragged him another 5 yards.
• Jason Witten had no chance against defensive end Antonio Smith. Witten was overwhelmed by Smith when the Cowboys tried to run the ball to the left side. The Cowboys' running game has been bad throughout the preseason. I did like the draw play to Felix Jones on the second drive of the game. Right tackle Alex Barron did a really nice job sealing his man on that play. On the next play, Miles Austin had a bad drop in the left flat.
• Gurode may have jump-started Amobi Okoye's dormant career in the first quarter. The Texans' former first-round pick raced around Gurode to sack Tony Romo. It looked like Gurode was in decent position and then he just watched Okoye run past him. Romo doesn't have any time to survey the field.
• Missed the memo on former Tennessee Volunteer Arian Foster being such a wonderful running back. In the first quarter, DeMarcus Ware got pancaked by a tight end when Foster took off on an 18-yard run. Cowboys free safety Alan Ball whiffed on Foster in the open field. On the same drive, the Cowboys were completely fooled in coverage when Matt Schaub rolled right and then threw back across the field to Jacoby Jones. It looked like Ball was the player who was fooled on the touchdown.
• Hey, at least Roy Williams came to play Saturday night. He made a nice catch off his shoetops late in the first quarter and then he overpowered Kareem Jackson on a 29-yard catch. Later in the drive, Williams drew a holding penalty on cornerback Glover Quin. The Cowboys then botched a toss to Felix Jones, who raced back and failed to recover the fumble. CBS' Gus Johnson was in midseason form on that call.
• The Cowboys have to do a better job of knowing down and distance on defense. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick was giving Jacoby Jones way too much cushion on a third-and-6 play. There was no mystery where Jones was going with that route. On the next route, the Cowboys did the same thing on third-and-7. You think it might be a good idea to cover Andre Johnson on a crossing route? Johnson was the best player on the field Saturday.
• Did anyone else see defensive end Igor Olshansky getting blown off the ball in the first half? That's supposed to be the strength of Olshansky's game, but he was on his heels every time I watched.
• Scandrick simply has no chance against Andre Johnson. The Texans receiver is too physical for Scandrick. Former Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has promised Santana Moss that he'll be able to do a lot of the same things as Johnson in the Skins' offense.
• It's impressive to watch Tashard Choice on one of those slip screens. And it's remarkable to see Leonard Davis racing downfield in front of Choice. Doug Free told me recently that Davis might be the fastest player on the offensive line.
• Wade Phillips finally lost his temper after a Foster run early in the second half. Looked like he was especially upset with Jason Williams and safety Michael Hamlin on the play. Both players took poor angles to Foster and ended up chasing him from behind.
• With 11:47 left in the third quarter, Phil Simms says the Cowboys don't appear to be motivated for this game. You think? What a weak little attempt at a tackle by safety Pat Watkins on Jeremiah Johnson's long run.
• On Foster's touchdown run early in the second half, Cowboys linebacker Victor Butler was driven into the end zone and never came close to making a play. Dallas had no interest in playing this game. How much should that concern Cowboys fans?
• The Texans were double-teaming Jay Ratliff and Bradie James was overpursuing against the run. Foster just burned them all night. Simms makes a statement with 5 minutes left in the third quarter that the Cowboys are playing a lot of reserves. I looked up and saw DeMarcus Ware, Ratliff, Anthony Spencer and James all in the game. Second consecutive disgraceful performance for the Cowboys. We'll see if they can flip the switch against the Redskins.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It's too bad we can't get those 60 minutes of our lives back. The Cowboys' first-team offense once again failed in the red zone, and the backups didn't do any better in a 17-9 loss to the Raiders. With the Cowboys having played Sunday, it was obvious they didn't belong on the field Thursday night.

The defense certainly had its moments, but the story of the game (from my vantage point) is that Tony Romo was sacked three times and the running game was non-existent. Other than that, it was a wonderful night of football. The Cowboys have nine days before playing a preseason game in San Diego. Maybe we'll get a better feel for where this team is at that point. But in the interest of producing a blog entry before most of you arrive at work, here are a few observations from Thursday's contest:

• The Cowboys were 0-for-4 in red zone efficiency, including a quick trip inside the 20 before Romo was sacked for a 9-yard loss. Dallas gave up six sacks in the game, three on Romo. The most disturbing to me was seeing Raiders defensive end Matt Shaughnessy beat Doug Free on a speed rush and then drag down Romo with one arm. Free was with Shaughnessy the whole time on the play, but he never delivered a solid punch. Shaughnessy's a nice second-year player out of Wisconsin, but he's not Trent Cole, Justin Tuck and Brian Orakpo. Free needs to clean things up before he meets any of those players. At least two of the three sacks on Romo were coverage sacks. He needs to do a better job of unloading the ball in those situations.
• Linebackers Bradie James and Keith Brooking were both excellent in coverage in the first quarter. James was throwing his body all over the place and Brooking was superb in not letting anyone get separation from him. Brooking still moves really well. I hope Sean Lee is watching Brooking's every move right now. The rookie needs to get past this quadriceps injury and return to the practice field. Otherwise, he's not going to have a chance to earn time in sub packages. Bobby Carpenter was replacing Brooking in the nickel last season, but right now I wouldn't replace him with anyone.
• Raiders safety Tyvon Branch was a mismatch for Jason Witten. The Pro Bowl tight end got plenty of separation and Romo hit him in stride for a big play on the first drive.
• Miles Austin made a beautiful adjustment to a ball thrown slightly behind him in the first quarter for a 24-yard catch. Austin brought a lot of energy to the field Thursday and ran some excellent routes. On the twisting grab, he beat cornerback Chris Johnson. The Raiders are vulnerable on that side of the field.
• Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston had one of the sacks on Romo. He was able to sneak in the backside and crunch the quarterback. Romo didn't feel the pressure coming on the play. He just seemed content to stay in the pocket, and that wasn't helping matters. Of course, everyone in the stadium gasped when he took off running up the middle of the field on one play.
• It was a good night for kicker David Buehler. He nailed a 42-yard field goal and then connected on two short ones. He also recorded three touchbacks. The 42-yarder was a good sign because that's a distance that plagued the team during a miserable stretch in '09. Buehler has all the confidence in the world. If he'll trust his leg, the distance will be there.
• Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick might be the best tackler of all the defensive backs. He does a really nice job of wrapping up and you don't see guys bounce off him. Scandrick decked wide receiver Louis Murphy early in the game. Then he absorbed a blow from James. The Cowboys were flying to the ball early.
• The running game was awful, but I did see Marion Barber put a nice little move on cornerback Stanford Routt in the first quarter. He froze Routt with a little stutter-step. Barber stumbled after that and only gained 2 yards.
• Romo and Austin have tremendous chemistry on the slant. On a third-down play, Austin got Johnson on his hip and then made a nice grab across the middle. Even when cornerbacks see it coming, they have an awful time getting inside position.
• All the goodwill that Kevin Ogletree earned in the offseason is being wasted early in the preseason. He's not making contested catches and it just seems like there's a lack of concentration. I still think he'll make the roster as the fifth receiver, but he hasn't seized some of these extra repetitions that were created by Dez Bryant's absence.
• Linebacker Victor Butler picked up a personal foul on a punt return. The officials will not have any tolerance this season for those blindside hits on defenseless players. There's just too much of a risk for head and neck injuries. Butler must have better awareness on that play.
• In the first quarter, cornerback Terence Newman closed quickly to break up a Jason Campbell throw in the flat. Newman was in position to make the interception, but he opted for knocking down the ball with one arm. It was a very instinctive play and it caught Campbell by surprise.
• Free-agent rookie Bryan McCann out of SMU had one really nice punt return (28 yards) late in the second quarter when he allowed Ogletree to set him up with a good block. McCann's also getting a lot of opportunities with the second-team defense. He was late on a Campbell throw to Murphy, but you can tell that he's not far away from making those plays. I get the sense that Wade Phillips is really pulling for McCann.
• I was eager to see how former third-round draft pick Robert Brewster performed at left tackle against the Raiders. And once again, he turned in a dud. Not even the optimistic Phillips will be able to praise Brewster after Thursday's showing. His feet are stuck in neutral and there's absolutely no anchor. When you watch him, he's getting pushed directly toward the quarterback. He's most susceptible to an outside speed rush right now, and that's not a good sign. Brewster will keep getting chances, but I thought that was a poor showing. Brewster was also penalized for grabbing a defensive end as he raced past.
• Butler does an excellent job getting pressure on the quarterback. He's so much more consistent this season in causing problems for the offensive line. And the other linebacker who caught my eye Thursday was Leon Williams. He's just a really tough player who brings some attitude to the field. Inside linebacker Jason Williams is still a work in progress, but he did race through and make a nice play against running back Michael Bush.
• Safety Mike Hamlin suffered a neck strain and a concussion in the third quarter, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon. Some folks in the organization thought Hamlin might challenge Alan Ball for the starting role, but that hasn't happened so far in camp. The good news for the Cowboys is that Hamlin was the only player injured. That's a lot different situation than what took place against the Bengals.
• Roy Williams and Romo weren't on the same page in the first quarter. On one play, Romo rolled right and wanted Williams to come back to him. Williams sort of posted up the cornerback along the sideline and hoped for the best. There wasn't any rhythm to his routes against the Raiders. By the way, Bryant gave Williams and the rest of the receivers some new shoes.
• In one of the Cowboys' four trips inside the red zone, Jon Kitna rolled right and threw to Deon Anderson in the flat. It was a poorly conceived play on fourth-and-1. Linebacker Thomas Howard applied the pressure to Kitna.
• I thought safety Danny McCray did a really nice job hustling over to break up a deep ball to Johnnie Lee Higgins. McCray's been a camp phenom, and I'm eager to see if he can keep it up in Oxnard, Calif., next week. The Beast will be on the ground in Oxnard beginning Sunday evening.
• The Cowboys were 3-for-16 on third down. The lack of a running game put the Cowboys in third-and-long situations far too often. Losing in the preseason isn't a big issue, but this red zone issue is something that goes back to last season. The Cowboys need a touchdown from the first-team offense against the Chargers next Saturday.
• Guard Pat McQuistan simply doesn't play with any power. Every time I watch him, he's getting thrown toward the quarterback. It's about time to move on without him. The Cowboys have invested a lot of time in him, but I don't think he'll ever be a starter. And he doesn't seem like a reliable backup. On the other hand, I like the backup center, Phil Costa. The guy will stand his ground and he seems to have a little attitude. Give me that guy over McQuistan any day. I also liked the way rookie Sam Young played.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As promised, I'm about to deliver my annual combine mailbag, which will feature news and nuggets related to every team in the division. I've spent four days talking to draft prospects, coaches, agents and scouts. Now it's time for you guys to pick my brain. This shouldn't take long.

Casey from West Liberty, W.Va., is concerned about the Cowboys' WR situation: Please tell me that Dallas is considering other options at wide receiver aside from Roy Williams at this point. You've got to think that if you can get Anquan Boldin for a second rounder at this point you pull the trigger, don't you?

Mosley: So we're back around to Boldin trade scenarios? I'd missed those days so much. I think the Cowboys would be better off adding a wide receiver via the draft. It looks like second-year player Kevin Ogletree could develop into a No. 2 or 3 receiver if he's given enough attention. That's why I don't think the Cowboys need to select someone such as Golden Tate at No. 27 overall. Let's remember that Miles Austin and Ogletree were both undrafted. And Patrick Crayton has had a very nice career after being selected in the seventh round. There's no pressure to send a second-round pick to the Cardinals for Boldin. He wants to be a No. 1 receiver. That's not going to happen in Dallas, where Austin's quickly become the main man. And you also have the highest paid No. 2 receiver in the game in Williams.

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Mike from Richmond, Va., has a question about the Skins' RBs situation: So I hear Thomas Jones is going to be released. Do you think this is someone the Redskins would be interested in? Everyone is saying how much Shanny likes LT. I would think Jones would still have more in the tank. Thoughts?

Mosley: Everyone who's saying that Mike Shanahan loves LaDainian Tomlinson is exactly right, Mike. I think the coach has immense respect for Tomlinson after being battered by the running back in the AFC West. As AFC West blogger Bill Williamson told me this past week, Shanahan always covets players who have stuck it to him in the past. That said, I think you're correct to say that Jones has more left in the tank. He's arrived at that magic age where his skills begin to decline, but he could still be effective as a complementary back. Would he be happy splitting carries with Clinton Portis in Washington? Well, he may not have a choice. Honestly, I think Chester Taylor might be a better fit than Jones in Washington.

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Joseph from Bloomer, Wis., wants to talk about the Eagles' plans for free agency: Matt, what do you think the chances are that the Eagles make a big splash in free agency this offseason? Do they make a serious run for Julius Peppers? What about Darren Sproles? (I know there's more serious needs than RB, but he might fit in nicely.) Is there someone else on their radar that we're not hearing about? Do they go after someone big or do they stick with their usual M.O. and try to build through the draft? And how do you see the potential uncapped year affecting how the Eagles go about business? It seems like the majority of teams are going to do the opposite of what most initially expected and limit their spending as opposed to going all "NY Yankees" on the league. Thanks for the excellent offseason coverage!

Mosley: New general manager Howie Roseman opted not to speak with the media during the combine, so I can only go on what I'm hearing from other folks from the organization. I'd be surprised if the Eagles threw a bunch of money at Peppers. They know what it's like to sink a ton of money into an elite pass-rusher and basically come up empty. (See Jevon Kearse). There's a concern from people who've been around Peppers that he doesn't truly love the game. Something tells me that Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, the true power brokers, aren't looking to get into business with a guy like Peppers. I think it's more likely the Eagles will look for a pass-rusher in the draft. But I'd try to find a starting safety via a trade or free agency. It's a lot to ask of a rookie to step in and start at safety. Just ask Macho Harris about that. Even if you select someone like Taylor Mays or Nate Allen, it's not like you feel great at the position immediately. As long as you don't have to spend wildly, I'd go after someone like Darren Sharper from the Saints. He's getting older, but he's still a highly productive player. I've read the stuff about how Tracy Porter was the key to that secondary, but you'd be crazy to think the Saints would've made it to the Super Bowl without Sharper.

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IRVING, Texas -- Wade Phillips is hesitant to call this Cowboys defense the best he's ever coached, but it's hard to argue otherwise. Heading into Sunday's divisional-round playoff game against the Vikings, the Cowboys have become virtually impossible to score against.

The only meaningful touchdown the Eagles scored in two consecutive games was on a Michael Vick pass on which Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins fell down while attempting to cover Jeremy Maclin. Quarterback Tony Romo and the offense have also put up solid numbers, but this team's identity comes from a front seven that suffocates its opponents.

You would think the prospect of facing All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson would cause some anxious moments, but there was no hint of reverence when Cowboys defenders discussed his work Monday. The Cowboys haven't allowed a 100-yard game by an opposing running back this season, and they're not planning for that to change Sunday in Minneapolis.

"Part of what we try to do is stop whoever they have in there," Phillips said Monday. "Everybody has to have both eyes on this running back at all times. [Peterson] has already done everything you can do [in this league] and he's still doing more. You have to gang tackle a guy like that."

Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Spencer, who has become a pass-rushing force down the stretch, said it was important to trust everyone around you when facing Peterson. He said that if a single player tries to do too much, Peterson will make him pay.

The Cowboys ranked fourth in the league against the rush, holding teams to 90.5 yards per game. And they held the Eagles to 56 yards rushing in Sunday's 34-14 win. There's something that happened to this entire Cowboys team when they walked into the Superdome in December and beat the Saints, 24-17. They shut down Drew Brees and the Saints' passing game for the first three quarters and the win has given everyone in the locker room a tremendous sense of confidence.

Former first-round pick Bobby Carpenter has embraced his role as a nickel linebacker and he had two fumble recoveries in Sunday's win over the Eagles. Obviously, All-Pro linebacker DeMarcus Ware is a nightmare for offensive coordinators, but I think the addition of inside linebacker Keith Brooking might have put this defense over the top.

Phillips had coached Brooking in Atlanta and he knew that he was a tremendous leader. But he didn't know for sure that Brooking would have such an immediate impact. He's become the emotional leader for the Cowboys and he's the guy who breaks the team huddle before games. Carpenter told me last week that watching Brooking in the offseason and during practices has helped shape the way he now approaches the game.

"I knew he was going to take the bull by the horns here," said Phillips of Brooking. "In the offseason program, he tries to win every sprint. He tries to be first at every single thing that he does."

Brooking is a tackling machine and even at age 33, he's still capable of covering running backs in space. He and Bradie James work really well together and they do a great job at disguising blitzes. It was James who broke through and sacked Donovan McNabb on the Eagles' first possession Sunday.

The Cowboys only allowed 250 points this season, which is the second-lowest total in the league. You can bet that Phillips has a healthy respect for Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, but right now he's willing to bet on his defense. And judging by the past two months, that's a pretty safe bet.