draft choice Archives - Where Is The Outrage?

Cowboys lay an egg in week 8

So, everyone had jumped on the Cowboy bandwagon. They had been ranked near the bottom of the league in week 1. In week 7, everyone was drinking the Kool-Aid. SI had Dallas ranked 1 and NFL.com had the Cowboys ranked 2. Not in the division or in the conference, but in the league. I said that the Cowboys still had some huge problems. I didn’t understand how the defense was working. McClain was playing out of his mind. The corner backs and safeties were playing way above their pay grade. Then came the lowly Washington Dudes (I’m refusing to use that R-word. I know it is insulting. We need to move beyond it) who didn’t believe the craziness.

To describe the Washington team as having issues would be an understatement. Quite frankly, they have been awful with a capital “A.” They were still awful when they played the Cowboys. They made just about every mistake that you can make. Critical, thoughtless drive-killing penalties. A 3rd string QB who should be coaching some high school team threw a knucklehead interception into double or triple coverage. It wasn’t just a poor decision. It was a terrible moonball throw which any high school corner back could have gotten under.

The Cowboys lost this game for 3 reasons. First, DeMarco Murray put the ball on the ground for the 5th time this year. We had driven deep into Washington territory. We were going to get at least 3 points. He was fighting for a couple of extra yards and 15 or 20 (seemed like the whole team) of the Washington Dudes were holding him up and stripped the ball. There is no excuse. You can’t fumble. Emmitt Smith was great for a number of reasons, one of the primary reasons being that he didn’t fumble the ball. Secondly, the Cowboys defense was awful. They gave up over 400 yards of total offense to a Washington team without Robert Griffin III. That’s just crazy. DeShawn Jackson torched the Cowboys with not one or two, but three big plays. I have to mention Jordan Reid was just about unstopped on short yardage plays. Everyone knew Colt McCoy was going to throw to Reid, but we didn’t stop it. Finally, our much heralded offensive line couldn’t figure out how to block an all out blitz. So, Washington used it time and time again. There was nothing fancy. It was everyone…. At the line of scrimmage… everyone was coming or everyone was dropping into coverage. DeMarco Murray missed blitz pick-ups at least twice. Dez Bryant needed to win this one on one match up with a 4th round draft pick rookie, Breeland, who played like a first round draft choice. Bryant had to win that battle but he didn’t.

Many people are getting all caught up in the argument on whether or not to put Tony Romo back in the game or not. I don’t think that it matters. The problem wasn’t Tony. The problem was Dez, the offensive line and our defense.

Look for the Cardinals, who have much better corner backs, to blitz early and often. Until the Cowboys have proven that they can handle the blitz, look for the NFL to blitz on just about every passing down.

By ecthompsonmd|2019-01-14T19:30:07-04:00October 29th, 2014|NFL|Comments Off

Don’t let the Philadelphia Eagle game fool you, the Dallas Cowboys still have plenty of issues

The Dallas Cowboys traveled to Philadelphia yesterday. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys are licking their wounds. Neither team was playing well. Both teams had huge problems on their offensive lines. Both Tony Romo and Michael Vick have been turning the ball over so frequently you have to wonder if there are bonus incentives in the contract to do just that. In my mind, the question wasn’t who was going to win this game. The question was who wasn’t going to lose.

Going into this game, I was highly critical of the Dallas Cowboys special teams. They’ve been especially awful. On Sunday, they turned in a mixed performance. DeWayne Harris ran back a punt. The special teams made a positive play, a welcome surprise. Brad Sham, long-time voice of the Cowboys, said that the Cowboys were first in the league at covering punts. Okay. That’s probably exactly right. Sham is rarely wrong, but we continually have kick returners fumbling the ball. On Sunday, it was no exception. Right after the defense gave up a cheap touchdown to Jeremy Macklin, Dunbar fumbled the subsequent kickoff. The Cowboys were lucky and were able to recover it. We simply can’t have that. Our punter shanked not one, but two punts. That’s not winning football.

Our number one draft choice, Morris Claiborne, was singed last week by Roddy White and Julio Jones. One would figure that he would try to make up for last week’s performance by playing a solid game this week. You would be wrong. Claiborne committed six penalties! Offsides and defensive holding were his specialties. Offsides? Seriously? I don’t get it. (more…)

By ecthompsonmd|2013-11-03T18:17:00-04:00November 12th, 2012|NFL|Comments Off

Why the Dallas Cowboys are really, really awful

I love the Dallas Cowboys. My father took me to see my first Cowboys game back in 1966. So, it is my father’s fault that I love the Cowboys. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the Cowboys played football. They were awful toward the end of the 1980s. They dominated the early 1990s with what might be the greatest football team of all time. What Jerry Jones has done with the Dallas Cowboys since the ’90s is somewhat of a headscratcher. I’m pointing my finger at Jerry Jones because he is the owner. He has the last say on everything having to do with the Dallas Cowboys. No one seems to be accountable.

After today’s disaster, someone needs to stand up and say who stays and who should go because someone should be fired after this performance. Let’s start with Joe DeCamillis, the special teams coach. Missed field goals. Fumbled kick offs and a blocked punt. Let’s don’t forget Dez Bryant fumbling another punt today. Joe should be fired. The special teams have lost at least two games this year.

It is time for someone in the Dallas Cowboy camp to get serious and understand that you need to be precise in order to win in the NFL.

Felix Jones was a first round draft choice five years ago. One would figure if you draft a back in the first round, that back would be a sensation. He has had 12 touchdowns in five years. Emmitt Smith, another first round back, had more than 12 touchdowns in less than a half a season. He has also had 12 fumbles, not counting the huge fumble today. Finally, Felix Jones has been hurt a lot. With stone hands, fumble fingers and all the chillin’ on the bench, I don’t know why the Cowboys still have Jones. He has failed as a first round draft choice. I’m sorry. He hasn’t gotten the job down.

Dez Bryant has to be accountable for being a BEAST and a MORON. 17 touchdowns and seven fumbles in only his third year. Look, I don’t have time to watch his brooding and temper tantrums. It isn’t worth it. Laurent Robinson was here. He was catching balls. He ran the right routes. I don’t know how many interceptions Romo has thrown because Bryant hasn’t done what he was supposed to do. I need a wide receiver to catch the ball and get where he is supposed to be on time. That’s all. Bryant isn’t getting it done. Trade him, fire him or get him to do his job…without fumbling.

The Cowboys have many more problems than I have outlined here. They don’t play together. The defense is finally beginning to play well. The offense is awful. The special teams are worse. I hate to say it, but this season looks like it is already over. I just wonder where the Cowboys would be if they cut Tony Romo and got Peyton Manning in the off season.

By ecthompsonmd|2013-11-03T18:16:43-04:00October 28th, 2012|NFL|Comments Off