We Got Answers!
By Matt Cordon (kh). Filed in Questions Waiting for Answers |
We’d say we got some answers this week. We predicted a win but weren’t sure if we were voting our hearts or our minds. We were most certainly voting our hearts… but damn if the Cowboys didn’t win anyway. Here’s the answers we weren’t sure we would get:
(1) Will the Cowboys’ corners have better luck this week against smaller receivers? Hard to forget Santana Moss’ performance in the fourth quarter last year, but hopefully the Cowboys’ corners have improved this year. Brandon Lloyd has never impresssed us, though Antwaan Randle El can be a bit scary, and the Redskins have good depth at receiver.
Answer: Moss played, didn’t he? Randle El returned punts, so we know he played. He otherwise 
caught two passes for eight yards. Lloyd had one catch for six yards…
Ah, yes, Moss did play. He caught four passes, though three of those came long after the game was decided. Terrance Newman had one of his best games in Dallas.
(2) Does the injury to Portis help the Cowboys’ chances? The Cowboys had trouble with Fred Taylor’s shifty moves last week, more so than with the Jacksonville line being dominant. We are not too fearful of Ladell Betts or T.J. Duckett, but that may be a bad sign.
Answer: None of the Redskins’ backs gave the Cowboys reason to worry. Betts had 40 yards but was never really a threat.
(3) Can Flozell Adams handle Phillip Daniels? In other words, can Flozell Adams get out of his stance in order to have any chance to handle Phillip Daniels? It’s only the left tackle position and all. You know, the one who is supposed to protect the quarterback’s back.
Answer: Adams faced Andre Carter more often than Daniels, but Adams was 200% better than he was against Jacksonville. NBC focused some attention on his lack of agility, but Bledsoe didn’t get hit from his blindside very often.
(4) Can the Cowboys get any pressure on Brunell? Brunell is still more mobile than Byron Leftwich, and the Cowboys had an awful time getting to Leftwich last week. Moss and Lloyd are bound to find more openings if the Cowboys continue to blitz (and blitz as ineffectively as they did last week).
Answer: We stand corrected. Brunell is not a very mobile quarterback anymore (we think we know the Dallas Cowboys, not the stinkin’ Redskins). Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware were a sight to see coming from the ends. Ware was all over the field. Can we call this a wow?
Why not? Wow.
(5) Mickey Spagnola’s comment led to our fifth question:
Since the Redskins like to blitz so much, wonder if the Cowboys will do as they did in the opener against Jacksonville on several third-down passing situations and go empty. With five eligible receivers spread across the line of scrimmage, you should have a better chance of seeing just where the blitz is coming from. That is, if you get the pass off in time.
Answer: Dallas went to max protect a few times, but even when the Cowboys didn’t, Washington’s line did not cause problems. If the Redskins blitzed, it was hardly noticeable. Spagnola made another comment today that is worth noting:
In two games against pressure defenses, Bledsoe has been sacked a total of three times. I’m guessing we would have lost the over-under on that one if set prior to the start of the season. And to think the Cowboys had to work hard giving up that one sack to Washington, since they were in max protect and only sent two guys into the pattern, meaning they had eight blocking. Only six teams have given up fewer than three sacks, and one of those, Jacksonville (one), plays its second game Monday night.
(6) Our prediction. Dallas 20, Washington 17.
Result: Dallas 27, Washington 10. We like that a little bit better.
Technorati Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, NFL, Football
