Questions Waiting for Answers: Cowboys vs. Giants
By Matt Cordon (kh). Filed in Questions Waiting for Answers |
Feels an awful lot [pardon the grammar] like this is a make-or-break game. A loss puts Dallas at 3-3 with two division defeats. Try envisioning another week like last week, only we then get to look forward to three straight road games followed with Indianapolis. My daughter calls that yucky.
A win, and it’s a different ballgame. It means that the Cowboys could (though hopefully won’t) lose one of the three road games they have coming up without it completely killing any hope for the season.
So plenty of general questions for this game.
1. Does Julius Jones continue running like an elite back? He has certainly looked like one. He is getting off the edge more effectively, has shown patience while waiting for his blocks, and has run through arm tackles. The result has been three straight 100-yard games.
2. What on Earth does Dallas do about Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, let alone the blitz? If I had the ability to sticky a question here, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. The Cowboys’ line really did not do such a great job against Houston. The Giants had seven sacks against Atlanta. And I think it is fair to say that Michael Vick is a bit more elusive than Drew Bledsoe (or Tony Romo, for that matter). Illogic dictates that the Cowboys somehow handle the rush.
3. Do we see more pressure than we did last week? David Carr seemed to have plenty of time last week. Big Shot Blurbs seems to agree:
As solid as the Cowboys’ defense has been, they can still get more pressure from studs like Ware, Greg Ellis, Marcus Spears and Chris Canty. Aside from preventing the big play - which was a significant improvement last Sunday against Houston - the defense could also crank up the pass rush a bit. Now they didn’t get much of a chance against David Carr, who seemed to treat the football like a hot potato. But I think against a still-growing quarterback like Eli, it’s important to get him a little rattled.
4. Can the Cowboys contain Tiki Barber? It seems that the Giants are built on Barber’s running and the play of their defensive line. Barber leads the league with 533 rushing yards (and, quite frankly, I hope he retires so that he can write children’s books; and that’s not because my kids are going to read his books!…). The Cowboys are the top defense against the run, giving up only 335 yards in five games (67.0 per game).
5. How often does the ESPN broadcast crew mention Tony Romo? Enough is enough, folks. At the earliest, play Romo after Thanksgiving. If things go better, play him next year. Not now.
6. How can we inform Bill Parcells that Skyler Green is a fumble waiting to happen? Very strange decision for Green to play last week, or at all for that matter. I’d rather see Aaron Glenn back there, making five yard returns, than to see a raw rookie.
7. Prediction: Cowboys 20, Giants 17. Of course, I’ve picked the Cowboys every game. What else do you expect from a fan site? Anyway, I’m not going to tempt fate just yet. Here’s my guess.
The Giants take a 7-0 lead in the first. Bledsoe is sacked on the Cowboys’ second drive, and fans are already booing their heads off. Dallas comes back to cut the lead to 7-3. The Giants answer in kind in the second quarter. Dallas hits another field goal at the end of the first half, with the Giants still leading, 10-6. Dallas takes a 13-10 lead early in the second quarter, then extends it to 20-10 on the next drive. The Giants cut the score to 20-17 about a third of the way through the fourth quarter. The Cowboys then milk the clock and come away with the 20-17 win.
BONUS
I don’t get much email on this site, so I’m happy to respond to a few questions submitted by Chris Tynes:
I have several burning questions. The first is about who will take over
this team when Parcells leaves next year. one would have to assume this is
his last year because I don’t see the Cowboys going any further than the first
round. Will we bring in a younger Bob Stoops type or a more a popular face? Or maybe stay in house with Zimmer? # 2 question. Will Bledsoe make it through the year or be replaced by Romo? # 3. Will we go after a db like Phillip Buchannon just cut. I liked Rector why would we cut him? thanks!
Here are my own thoughts:
(1) I don’t know this, but I would be very surprised if Jerry Jones selected Zimmer. Jones took a chance promoting Dave Campo, and look what happened. Others have pointed to Charlie Weis of Notre Dame, but he just signed a long-term contract. Stoops’ stock has probably gone down, given that Oklahoma has not been the dominant team it was a couple of years ago, and I am not convinced that he would be a great professional coach. Butch Davis would not surprise me, but that would not be a popular decision.
(2) I think Romo plays the last four games or so. This schedule is very rough on the Cowboys, and unless we get some consistency, 9-7 is a distinct possibility. Once Romo starts playing, though, we can call the Parcells’ era over, because he is then effectively preparing this team for another coach. I don’t think he will be back.
[No, I don't know the guy, and so I have no idea if that's true. But maybe it sounded like I might know?...]
(3) I don’t see a reason to go after Buchannon. Dallas has three very good corners now, and the backups are very good on special teams. As for Rector, I assume that Parcells saw something from Green, so he signed him from the practice squad and basically replaced him with Rector, who was signed to the practice squad today.
Technorati Tags: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants
Wednesday, October 18th 2006 at 9:45 pm
I think we’ll see a lot more of Jason Witten this week. Quick throws to him could help against the blitz.
Wednesday, October 18th 2006 at 10:21 pm
This is the game we need to win. It’s a lot bigger IMO than the Philly game. It’s at home and we need to at least hold serve. If the Giants win this one we will be in a hole…
Wednesday, October 18th 2006 at 11:32 pm
Thanks, jc. I thought Dallas needed to throw more hitch and slant patterns, but I don’t know what the defenses are doing to the Cowboy receivers.
Incidentally, there is a post asking whether Julius Jones is an elite back: http://blog.dallascowboys.com/forums/thread/75356.aspx
Friday, October 20th 2006 at 8:35 pm
Why are so many people so convivced this is Parcells’ last year? Give me a real reason, other than just trying to look like you’re a member of Psychic Friends Network. Unless it becomes a health issue, imo Parcells stays until he wins a Super Bowl at least.
Mike Zimmer seems to me to be the logical replacement for Parcells. Bill loves the guy, and Jerry paid him a big contract to retain him. Parcells assistants have a great track record of success, and if Sean Payton continues what he’s building with the Saints, then I think he locks it up for Zimmer. Dave Campo had to coach with one hand tied behind his back from the beginning. Personally, I think he did a great job just to get those teams to 5-11. His big failing was in “talent acquisition”.
Saturday, October 21st 2006 at 12:16 am
I have no desire to see anyone but Parcells coach the Cowboys. I obviously have no reason to know what he is going to do, but it seems to me that he is acting much in the same way he did with the Jets in 1999.