Questions Waiting for Answers: Week 6
By Matt Cordon (kh). Filed in Questions Waiting for Answers |
We were kind of fretting having to draft this, given all of the questions that surround the Cowboys right now. But we maintain that everything will be much better next week once Dallas settles down.
That would certainly be nice, anyway.
(1) Which offensive line do we see this week? In two wins, the offensive line has been quite effective. Andre Gurode looked as if he were beginning to become a very good center. The acquisition of Kyle Kosier made the loss of Larry Allen more bearable, and Flozell Adams appeared to be returning to form. The collective performance of the lineman against Philadelphia made all of these positives vanish. This has continued to be a good source for discussion at the Dallas Cowboys Fan Zone.
(2) How does Drew Bledsoe respond after his pounding by the Eagles? Bledsoe came back from the week one loss to Jacksonville very nicely in the game against the Redskins. However, Washington chose not to blitz. If Houston does, many people will hold their breath wondering what Bledsoe will do.
(3) Does Dallas play with a sense of urgency? A poster on Cowboys Central named mymaveric wrote a good piece raising this very question. The Houston game looks like a gimme, which makes it a very dangerous game. And the fact that the Giants come into town on the following week make it even more dangerous because it will be easy to look past the Texans.
(4) Does the defense cut down the big plays against it? This defense seems to have brief lapses that can hurt the team severely. One would have to think that some of this has to do with the safeties. Roy Williams has never been the best cover safety, and Pat Watkins is a raw rookie. The corners are very good, but we don’t think any of them are great in the sense that they can always be left alone. The Texans have some very good receivers in Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds, so that has to cause some concern.
(5) Do David Carr’s statistics mean anything? How many of you realized that Carr has the leading passer rating in the NFL? He does (108.9 rating), but we had no clue. Of course, Damon Huard of Kansas City is second, so that should tell you at least something.
(6) Does the defensive line get to Carr? Carr has taken 15 sacks this season, which puts him on pace to take 60. That is only eight fewer than he took last season. The Cowboys pressured Donovan McNabb last week effectively, and the line should have a better game against Houston.
(7) Prediction: Dallas 30, Houston 13. Dallas responded well the last time it had a tough road loss, and we think the Cowboys will do the same this week. Look for Owens to get the ball at least three times in the first quarter, and expect Bledsoe to run several plays designed to get the ball out of his hands more quickly.
This, of course, may be a prediction based more on faith than on brains. Fortunately, we never bragged too much about our brains.
Technorati Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Drew Bledsoe, David Carr, Terrell Owens
Friday, October 20th 2006 at 2:01 am
I’m sorry, kickholder, but I got to disagree with you about the validity of mymaveric’s piece. Just another example of overblown necksquawking to me. The guy is making some major assumptions about things he could have no possible way of knowing because he is not part of the team. And he just assumes TO was being a negative pouting selfish jerk on the sidelines? Why, because Joe Buck assumed that? I’m surprised and disappointed that Aikman didn’t at least put it out there to hold up, we don’t really know what TO is about on the sideline at that moment, that his demeanor could appear to be something other than what it actually is. Why? Because he should know as well as anyone that TO on the sidelines sure resembles another WR around these parts, another WR well known for pacing the sidelines with spittle flying from his lips and getting in the face of teammates, a man who became the heart and soul of championship Dallas teams because of those very rampages, a man who is a very good friend of TO’s and is as responsible as any for the marriage of TO and the Cowboys. I am so sick of hearing about how TO is not a team player. Do you think for a second that Irvin would have advised Jerry to bring TO aboard if he thought at all that TO was more about himself than the team? Do you think that Irvin would ever reccommend Randy Moss come to Dallas? He’d rather give up green bud and hookers.
Furthermore, Bledsoe is the leader of this team. You know when I will be onboard with benching Bledsoe and starting Romo? As soon as the Cowboys players want Romo to start instead. Until then, fans just need to shut the heck up about it and quit their crying; its pathetic. Hey, here’s a novel idea. Instead of whining over Bledsoe’s every mistake, why not support our QB instead and hope he stays healthy and plays at the highest level he is capable of, because when he hits that level he hurts defenses. If you don’t believe that, then you are a fool. TO is also a team leader, and I suspect Rivera is the leader of the O-line. So there’s your offensive leaders. Has it occurred to anyone that you can play with a sense of urgency and still get beat? Or do some fans really believe the Cowboys really are God’s favorite team, and they only lose when God punishes them for not showing enough urgency?
Famous clip of TO rampaging maniacally on sideline after big touchdown, “Who can make a play? I CAN!!”
Famous clip of Michael Irvin rampaging maniacally on sideline after big touchdown, “What do I do? MAKE PLAYS!!”
Friday, October 20th 2006 at 10:12 am
Thanks Melonball. Your comments are always welcome (even when you don’t agree with me).
Great points, as usual. My concern regarding the Cowboys as they entered into last week’s game was that they would come out flat, which is exactly what happened during the first half. I would not mind seeing just a little bit of swagger from the Cowboys, hopefully demonstrating some confidence. We saw a little bit of that in the second half.
I think you are probably right about Owens. Most of us who played sports at all have experienced hot-heads, and their antics are not always a detriment to the team. Your comparison with Irvin is exactly correct.
I am now more than tired of talking about Parcells and Owens, though. Time to focus on winning the next four.
Friday, October 20th 2006 at 8:43 pm
But as you say, swagger comes with confidence, and the Boys haven’t exactly done anything yet to give them lasting confidence. This Giants game will be huge in the psyche department.