The Rant

Spencer Signs $9 Million Deal

Cowboys first round pick, Anthony Spencer, signed a 5-year, $9 million contract today.  The deal includes $6 million worth of gauranteed money.

He is expected to play outside linebacker opposite Demarcus Ware.  With starting strongside linebacker Greg Ellis missing practice with a sore Achilles, Spencer should work with the first team.  Although he is not currently in San Antonio, Cowboys officials are optimistic that he will be at practice this afternoon.

OT James Marten has still not agreed on a deal and remains the sole holdout.

Quick Hits - 1st Practice

Day 1, Afternoon Practice

• The team worked in shorts and shells (no pads) for the first practice, so there was absolutely no contact.  They are expected to practice in pads tomorrow morning.
• Pat McQuistan replaced Flozell Adams at left tackle.  Adams worked with the trainers as expected while recoving from offseason knee surgery.
• Rookie free agent Jim Molinaro replaced Marc Columbo at right tackle.
• Martin Gramatica and 6th round draft choice, Nick Folk, traded opportunities to kickoff.  Folk clearly had the stronger leg kicking within the 2 yardline 3 of 4 kicks.  Gramatica kicked no farther than the 4 yardline with 2 kicks at the 10 and 13 yardlines.
• I would assume that we shouldn't read too much into this, but Tyson Thompson, Jamaica Rector, and .... Terrell Owens??? ... fielded kicks.  The obvious surprise is that Owens was back there.  A little less obvious was that last year's starting kickoff returner Miles Austin was not.  Remember, he was the guy that returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the last game the Cowboys played (playoffs in Seattle).
• Greg Ellis missed portions of the 7-on-7 drills while standing on the sideline with shoe in hand.  During his press conference, Wade Phillips explained that they expected Ellis to experience pain.  Phillips doesn't think he's reinjured the Achilles and is optimistic that he will practice tomorrow morning.
• Free agent cornerback Joey Thomas made a couple of nice plays at cornerback.  On one play, he showed his speed while running alongside Terry Glenn on a fly route keeping good position to force the incompletion.  Let's keep an eye on this young guy.
• Terrell Owens ended the 7-on-7 drill with a long touchdown pass from Romo as he speed burst past the falling Anthony Henry.

Opening Press Conference Highlights

The opening press conference commenced the 2007 Cowboys Training Camp.  The title:  The Built Ford Tough Cowboys Training Camp.

 Ford set up a display of vehicles outside camp and their tent housed the opening press conference.  The coolest part was that, for the first time since I've been with the Cowboys, fans could actually attend the press conference.  Every other day throughout camp, we will also host the Lunch Break show from the Ford tent complete with a player that fans can ask questions.

As far as the highlights of the press conference:

• Deon Anderson (FB), Doug Free (OT), and Alan Ball (CB) have all agreed on contracts
• Both starting offensive tackles, Marc Columbo and Flozell Adams, will be MIA when camp opens as they recover from offseason knee surgeries.  Columbo may miss a week or two, while Adams is day-to-day.
• Greg Ellis has been cleared to practice.  Jerry Jones says that he will meet with Ellis within the coming days to discuss matters not necessarily related to his contract.
• When asked if he has something to prove, Wade Phillips responded, "Sure, I think I can prove I'm one of the best head coaches in the league."  You gotta love to hear that if you're a fan of this team!
• When asked if he prefers to sign Romo to a contract extension now or after the season, Jerry Jones responded, "Both!"  Basically, he explained that the right contract terms now could be acceptable just as the right contract terms after the season could work.  Ultimately, my take is Romo can take less guaranteed money now on a long term deal before the season or really cash in after the season if he has a good season.  Jerry mentioned that he really pays guys who win Super Bowls....Romo could stand to break the bank if he has that kind of season.
• Jerry Jones mentioned that he expected the team to be better this season than last.  When asked to define "better", he explained that he would consider a better end to the regular season better...I think we all would!

The video from the full press conference will be available within the next 15 minutes.

Parcells Retires

Hey guys, we just got the word here at Valley Ranch.  Bill Parcells has decided to retire from coaching.  Here is Parcells' statement:

How Good Are The Saints?

The New Orleans Saints lost their home, the Superdome,  right along with thousands of citizens displaced by Hurricane Katrina just before the 2005 season began.  That season, one of their eight “home” games was even played in New Jersey at the Meadowlands.  No one should have been surprised by their 3-13 finish.

It’s amazing what a little home cooking can do.  The 2006 Saints enter their Week 13 match-up with the Cowboys perched atop the NFC South with an 8-4 record and a two-game winning streak.

But, how good are these N’awlins boys.

It’s a sexy story, but the fact is the Saints may not be as good as advertised.

They have yet to defeat a team that currently owns a winning record.  Three of their wins come at the expense of teams with .500 winning percentages (Falcons twice and the Eagles – 2 of the 3 were in New Orleans).  The other 5 games they have won were against teams that boast a combined record of 19-41 (32% wins).  They definitely haven’t beaten the cream of the crop.

In all fairness, they only played two teams with winning records, and all they can do is play their schedule.  However in both games, at home nonetheless, the Ravens and Bengals convincingly handled them 22-35 and 16-31, respectively.

The Saints offense currently has the most yards of any offensve in the NFL.  Quarterback Drew Brees leads the NFL in passing yards.  Until his injury, receiver Marques Colston led the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns.  Veterans Duece McAllister and Joe Horn still contribute a great deal to the offense.  First round draft choice Reggie Bush is coming off a 4-touchdown performance last week against San Francisco.  Even their 3^rd and 4^th receivers, Devery Henderson and former Cowboy Terrence Copper, have made plays when called upon to do so.

They certainly have talent, but I question how good they will be against a much better defense than they’ve beaten.  The 7th ranked Cowboys defense is much better than the next best defense they've beaten which was Philly currently ranked 17th.

Not only that, but the Cowboys offense has shown that they can score with the best in the league.  If the Cowboys can hide their most prevalent weakness of the 2006 season, giving up huge chunks of yards in the passing game, it will be difficult for the Saints to win.

Contrariwise, some may suggest that the Cowboys have only beaten one team with a winning record (Indy) of the two they’ve play (loss to Jacksonville 24-17), so the Cowboys may not be much better in the grand scheme of things.  However, close analysis of this Cowboys team must be divided at the line between pre- and post-Romo.

Since Bledsoe was benched, the Cowboys have lost one game in a freakishly close contest in Washington and beaten teams like Indy and the Giants (in New York).  Additionally, the winning percentage of the teams beaten by the Boys is 43% clearly a tougher schedule.

In an NFC conference where mediocrity seems to be the norm, this weekend’s match-up will provide a rare glimpse at a couple of a select few teams that have separated themselves from the conference standard.  With talented teams like Carolina, New York, Atlanta and Philly all fighting for playoff spots at 6-6, the loser of this game could quickly find themselves sinking into the quicksand that is the NFC.

Don't Believe The Giant Hype

The local media would have us believe that the Cowboys will face a wounded Giants team this Sunday.  Some say that this is a team spiraling downward increasing in velocity with each swirl as their season goes down the drain.

Just look at them.  Their coach is criticizing their young quarterback, who has been anything but Phillip Rivers (dig).  That quarterback can’t seem to get the ball to his loud-mouth, yet pretty talented tight end who, by the way, is criticizing the coach’s decisions.  The recently-announced retiree running back has some choice words about coaching decisions as well…for the second time.  The injured, Pro Bowl defensive end criticizes the pouting wide receiver and then blames it on the media.

And you guys thought that Owens, Vanderjagt, and Parcells were full of drama.

Then the media points to the new and improved Dallas Cowboys.  The antithesis of the train wreck in New York.  The sports world is in love with the Cowboys again sparked by the experienced-rookie quarterback Tony Romo.  This kid is “cooler than a fan”.  Four of five as a starter including a huge win over the then-undefeated Colts.  He has breathed new life into this team.

The defense, led by Demarcus Ware, Bradie James and Roy Williams, have been hot even in the absence of their veteran leader Greg Ellis.  The young leaders have made plays and other guys feed off that to make plays of their own.  The product:  a big, relentlessly physical defensive squad.  Give ‘em a lead as Romo has, and they truly are a different unit.

The coach is exuding a confidence that you can just feel.  Relaxed and often engagingly amusing in his daily sparring sessions with the media.  No more bitter old man; he’s found the Fountain of Youth…again, sparked by the experienced-rook.

Even the swirling wind that surrounds Terrell Owens has subsided, for now, to a soft whisper with only slight gusts each time he drops a pass.  But a touchdown quickly calms the air and all is quiet again.

Mike Vanderjagt, the Cowboys biggest problem, is no longer a problem.  Who knows what Gramatica will do?  What we do know is Vandy wasn’t gettin’ it done, so let’s see if a clean slate may restore some faith in the kicking game.

The arrow is pointing up for the Cowboys and down for the Giants.

But what if we’ve been duped by the media?  What if we’re looking at a half full glass in Dallas and comparing it to a half empty glass in New York?

Could the Giants’ three game skid be akin to the inconsistencies of this Cowboys team through the first 8 games?  In this most recent road bump, the Giants got stomped by the division leading Bears, took a beating in Jacksonville, and let a young Titans team steal  their last game in Tennessee.

Is that much different from portions of the Cowboys season?

The Cowboys lost to that same Jacksonville squad.  The Cowboys allowed Washington to steal the game in DC.  And just like the Giants got blasted by the Bears, the Cowboys got blasted by the Giants.  Which glass is truly half full?

Before this 3-game losing streak that the media so readily references, the Giants were on a 5-game winning streak and had won 6 of their first 8 games (including their win in Dallas against the Cowboys).

This is not to say that the Cowboys will meet certain disaster this Sunday in the Meadowlands.  The point is that New York is still very talented and capable.  Although key injuries to both their Pro Bowl defensive ends (Strahan & Umenyora), their best offensive tackle (Pettigout), their best wide receiver (Toomer is far more reliable than Burress – on the field and off), one of their playmaking linebackers (Arrington), and their best cornerback (Madison) have made them less explosive, they are still very dangerous.

So, don’t buy the hype.  The Giants are a good football team and the Cowboys will need to play a very good game to beat them on the road.

Justice For The Cocky Kicker

Admit it.  You giggled just a bit when you heard that former Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt was given the boot.  Not because it is necessarily a good thing for the team.  Let’s be real…we could find ourselves stuck with a kicker who can’t even make extra points consistently (see 2005).

The fact is, Vanderjagt was a victim of his own success.  He was arrogant, abrasive and unapologetic.  Many accepted and some even applauded the cocky kicker while he was the most accurate in NFL history.  Although his career average was only slightly affected by his inaccuracies this season, his season average was near the bottom of the league.

Moral to the story:  arrogance combined with productive results is perceived as confidence.  Arrogance with no tangible proof of production is simply empty vanity.

Ultimately most want to see vane people fail.

As far as football is concerned, Bill Parcells says that it was a decision that was based upon two things:

1. Weeks of evaluation by Cowboys coaches, scouts and executives indicated that Vanderjagt’s kicking was not improving.
2. The lack of confidence in the kicker was beginning to affect the way the coaches called the game.

The fact that this kicker had the terrific track record that he was quick to mention bought him several weeks to get his act together.  Parcells admitted that he really saw no evidence of consistency going back to training camp.  However, I find it hard to believe that Mike’s attitude had absolutely nothing to do with the decision to nip this thing in the bud at this point of the year when teams need to be clicking on all cylinders.

To put it all in context, how many seasons did the Cowboys keep Emmitt Smith, Larry Allen, Kevin Smith, and other Cowboys players after their skills had clearly diminished to varying degrees.  The difference…it’s harder to say goodbye to good guys.

How many of those Cowboys coaches, scouts or executives were willing to go to bat for the cocky kicker?  Obviously, not enough.

Revamped DallasCowboys.com

First, I'd like to thank you all for making DallasCowboys.com the top online destination for Cowboys fans.  Your dedication and input have allowed us to grow the site while ensuring that it meets the needs and desires of our fan base.

As you may have noticed, we published a revamped home page this morning.  Some of the new features include a scrolling news ticker with NFL news from all 31 of the other team websites.  We also feature content from each week's opponent in the Gameday area located in the bottom right portion of the home page.

We hope these changes make your experience on DallasCowboys.com easier and provides a more comprehensive array of news that affects the Cowboys.

Please feel free to provide feedback anytime to help us continue to bring you the very best online experience.  Thanks again for your support.

derek

Giant Rants: Plenty Of Blame To Go Around

• Yet again, the prevailing themes persisted in the Giant’s loss: failure to protect the ball on offense and giving up big plays on defense.  Four interceptions and one big play (TD to Burress) sank the Cowboys.  Sure the offensive line play was suspect, the defense couldn’t consistently stop the run, and there was very little pressure applied to young Eli.  Despite those factors, the Cowboys turned the ball over two times while in the red zone.  That’s, at least, 6 points.  Take away the big play, and you have a much different game.

• Before everyone makes a big deal about Julius Jones’ 30-yard rushing performance, consider the fact that he only carried the ball 13 times.  He averaged almost 22 carries per game before Monday night.  Although he only averaged 2.3 yards per carry against the Giants (down from his previous 4.6 yards per carry for the season), he only got 60% of the carries he had in the previous games.  I say he’s earned a mulligan for the Giants game and we’ll see what he does against the Panthers this Sunday night (note: Jones rushed for 194 yards and 2 TD’s last year in Carolina).

• Why is it that every other team seems to find these cracks where blitzes penetrate the Cowboys offensive line while the Cowboys can send the house and still leave a clean pocket for the opposing quarterback?

• Is Terrell Owens really the best wide receiver in the NFL?  I know he has exceptional skill and power, but his hands don’t seem to be as good as advertised.  Not only has he dropped a noticeable number of balls this season, he rarely makes clean catches where the ball isn’t bobbled (see the TD vs. Giants).  Without good hands, can a receiver be great?

• No one but Parcells knows if the Cowboys will stick with Romo at QB, but I do know that his opportunity for success has a lot to do with the defense.  Defenses that give up a gaggle of points force their offenses, particularly the QB, to continuously make plays.  What we saw Monday night was Tony Romo trying to make things happen to keep up with the Giants offense as opposed to managing the game.  As I’ve mentioned several times on The Rant, Tom Brady, Jake Delhomme and Ben Roethlisberger won big in the playoffs as young QBs.  The key similarity between them was that their defenses were very strong and allowed the offense to manage the game, protect the ball, and take a few shots to win.  That, I presume, Romo can do.

• Before Monday night’s game, I rhetorically asked, “What gives?  Cowboys top ranked rushing defense or the NFL leading rusher this season, Tiki Barber?”  I think we all can agree the Cowboys D gave and gave and gave some more.  It’s not surprising when you consider that the Cowboys had not played a good rushing attack all season.  What was surprising is that the Cowboys couldn’t make stops when they critically needed them.  On two occasions, the Cowboys had the Giants in 2^nd or 3^rd and long (10 and 16 yards-to-go, respectively).  Tiki still managed to pick up first downs.  That has not been a characteristic of this defense.

• Did anyone else notice that Witten showed up about the same time as Romo?  He ended the game with 4 receptions for 72 yards all coming in the second half.  There has been speculation for quite some time that the Cowboys aren’t finding ways to get their Pro Bowl tight end more involved.  Maybe the benched quarterback had something to do with that…

The Definition Of A Mobile QB

I’m so tired of hearing the debate of pocket passer vs. mobile quarterback.  Don’t get me wrong, it is a valid discussion.  I just think everyone is missing the point.

Mobility for a quarterback has classically been defined by Mike Vick.  Make plays with your feet...throwing is a secondary option.  Simply force teams to respect your speed and elusiveness, and everything else will fall into place.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, pocket passers have been represented by a stone statue of Drew Bledsoe…put him in a spot and that’s where he will be until the whistle blows the play dead.  If he's still standing, that means your protection worked and most likely you're dancing on the star in the end zone.  If he is lying on the ground broken...well, your protection needs some work as soon as you finish chasing the opposing teams' cornerback to save the touchdown.

Parcells made a point of mentioning the fact that David Carr, a mobile quarterback in his opinion, holds the NFL record for most sacks taken by a QB in a season.  Randall Cunningham, one of the original QB’s with wheels, held the record prior to Carr.  So, as he contends, mobility is overrated when discussing ways to avoid sacks.

Others in the local media have hammered the less than brilliant point that the Giants blitzed Vick relentlessly last week recording 7 sacks in the process.  Their point:  if the G-Men could do that to the king of mobile quarterbacks, what do you think they will do to the likes of Drew Bledsoe anchored five steps behind his inconsistent offensive line?

Mobility, in my opinion, is important to avoiding sacks.  But here is the point that most miss: mobility has little to do with running downfield (like Vick) and much more to do with pocket presence.

One must assume for the sake of this debate that the offensive line is, at least, average or the whole debate is irrelevant (more to the other point Bill was attempting to make with his Carr/Cunningham reference).

Great quarterbacks understand blitz and protection schemes prior to the snap, adjust inside or move outside the pocket after the snap, and buy themselves time to deliver the ball to the open receiver downfield.  They don't have to be particularly fast or athletic; they do have to know how and when to take the proper step forward, back or to the side while keeping their sights on the receivers.

Patriots QB Tom Brady is neither a speed demon like Vick nor an immovable object like Bledsoe.  What makes Brady special, though, is that he probably has the greatest pocket presence of any QB in the NFL.  He never loses his cool while under duress.  He simply moves away from the rush and delivers the throw.

Donovan McNabb became a legitimate NFL quarterback when he stopped relying on the tuck-n-run and began to move-n-throw.  How many times have Cowboys fans seen him make his best plays by moving away from the rush to buy a few more seconds then throwing downfield for a big gain…remember the 14 second play at Texas Stadium in 2004 or the 87-yard TD to Hank Baskett this year in Philly?

The best quarterbacks have the whole package.  They don’t beat you with just their legs or their arms but a combination of the two.  Mobility in today’s NFL is about pocket presence.  Those who have it can force teams to abandon the blitz and those who don’t will succumb to it….end of argument.

Weak Left Makes For A Bad Offensive Line

You’re only as good as your weakest link.

While pledging my fraternity in college (Omega Psi Phi), my Dean of Pledges repeated this phrase daily.  No matter how much work we put in, how much information we learned, how well we marched, or how well we took care of the big brothers, we would ultimately be judged by the weakest person among us.

It is the most frustrating feeling to give your very best, yet have that deemed insufficient because of someone else.  Yet, that is the case with the Cowboys offensive line.

Monday, veteran guard Marco Rivera stepped up to the mic and accepted responsibility for Sunday’s poor offensive line performance in Philadelphia.  In all fairness, they contributed to a productive and often impressive running game that yielded the second straight 100-yard game for Julius Jones.  However they did have a rough day protecting Drew Bledsoe giving up 7 sacks to the aggressive, blitzing Eagles defense.  They had not given up that many in their other 3 games combined.

The most interesting note that Rivera failed to mention (not that he would or should) is that it wasn’t the entire offensive line that got brutalized.

Center Andre Gurode held it down in the middle, and Parcells made it clear that the problems were not a result of line adjustment calls typically made by the center.  Marc Columbo and Rivera didn’t give up a single sack between them.  The right and middle of the line played a solid game maybe even better than solid.

So, who is left…literally?

You have to go no farther than the first 4 Cowboys offensive drives to find the culprits.

·         2^nd Drive:  On the first play, left tackle Flozell Adams fails to read and adjust to the Eagles’ blitz.  It’s also realistic to believe that he just didn’t have the lateral quickness to get to the defensive tackle causing him to completely whiff on Darwin Walker who hits Bledsoe’s arm forcing a fumble and giving Philly possession at the Cowboys 14-yardline.  Defense holds to a field-goal.

·         3^rd Drive:  Near the end of an impressive drive, the Cowboys are trying to punch the ball into the end zone on 2^nd and 1.  Why not run right over your Pro-Bowl caliber left tackle?  Although there appeared to be a mix-up between Bledsoe and Jones on the exchange, Darren Howard tossed Adams like a used napkin before tackling Jones for a 1 yard loss.  Fortunately, the Cowboys converted on 3^rd down on a run by Barber off left tackle.  It’s only fair to point out that Flo obviously did something right on that TD run to his side.

·         4^th Drive:  2^nd play of the drive, Philly defensive end Howard stunts to the middle of the line and left guard Kyle Kossier fails to recognize and pick him up.  Howard hits Bledsoe’s arm causing the pass meant for Owens on the deep left to fall short and end up in the hands of Eagle safety Brian Dawkins.  Loss of possession.

By the end of the game, Adams and Kossier gave up 2 and 1 additional sacks, respectively.  This was Adams’ second bad outing through 4 games.  Ironically, his worst performances coincide with Bledsoe’s poor performances (@ Jacksonville and @ Philadelphia).  Coincident?  Well, Bledsoe had his share of mental lapses so I won’t throw all of this on Adams’ massive shoulders, but he and Kossier should certainly carry their share of this burden.

Nothing can be gained by dwelling on the past, so let’s move on.  Is this a problem that Cowboys fans can expect to be a recurring theme this season?

After what happened in Philly, the Cowboys should expect to see lots of blitzes until they can consistently prove that teams will pay for sending those extra defenders.  The Texans will have had two weeks to prepare due to their bye last week and obviously saw how Kossier and Adams were beaten by the Eagles.  In their last game, the Texans blitzed linebackers more than 50% of their defensive downs in their win against the Dolphins.  They managed to register 5 of the 8 sacks they have this season in that single game.

Side Note:  top draft choice, Mario Williams (selected over Reggie Bush), was able to register his first sack as he landed on Culpepper who was already falling before being hit – great pick Texans…

Not to suggest that the Texans should scare anyone.  They are about as scary as a baby with a rubber toy.  Even if they hit you, it probably wouldn’t hurt (gotta throw a few shots at the Houston faithful).  But, the Cowboys will have to contend with their blitzing linebackers and future teams will take note.

One would think that this was an aberration for Kossier.  Parcells spoke last week about his toughness and penchant for avoiding mental mistakes.  So, let’s chalk his game up to inexperience with the Eagles and uncharacteristic lapses in judgment.

Here is the troublesome part, Flozell is returning from a knee injury that prematurely ended his 2005 season.  Often times, history has shown that many players require two years before they regain full strength and total confidence in a repaired knee.  Could it be that Adams, although healed, may not be totally ready to compete at his normal level?  If so, this could be a long season for Bledsoe and the Cowboys.

Let’s just hope that Flozell gets better each week and Kossier’s performance was nothing more than a bad day at the office.  In Philly, they were the weak links.  If these two can pull their weight, this could be a very good offensive line and a potent offense.

Not All Bledsoe's Fault; But Is His Problem

As the middle child from a family of three, I seemed to find myself in the middle of trouble quite often.  My penchant for being clumsy and sometimes careless seemed to bring trouble my way on a daily basis.

In an effort to lessen the punishment for whatever was that day's indiscretion, I was quick to utter, "...but Mom, it wasn't my fault!"  In most instances, my mother would promptly reply, "it might not be your fault, but it is your problem."

It wasn't until I was a teenager that I fully realized what she meant.  There will be times in life when one finds trouble and may not be the only or biggest culprit involved.  However one's contribution to the situation makes it their problem to bear. 

Drew Bledsoe should take heed.

After reviewing every play of Sunday's game in Philadelphia…..rewinding…..slow-motion forwarding….rewinding again…intently searching for the trouble that beset the Cowboys, I realized that many things went wrong that were beyond Bledsoe's control.  Yet, in most instances, he contributed in some way to the result making it his problem.

Take, for example, the play that sealed the Cowboys fate.  Post game player accounts suggest that Witten may have run the wrong route.  After reviewing that play multiple times, it is hard to believe that Bledsoe did not see Witten curl inside (instead of outside) bumping into one of the two defenders that bracketed him.

Even if Witten runs the correct route, how prudent would it be to throw into double coverage in that situation?

Glenn appeared to be open in the middle of the field, and if not, throw the ball away and live to fight the next play.  Presumably, the Cowboys would have had two more downs and approximately :25 seconds.  Parcells confirmed this assessment in his Monday press conference.

Bledsoe was not the only person to blame for the interception, but the result certainly is his problem to bear.

Are not these the decisions that supposedly make Bledsoe a better option as a starting quarterback than inexperienced Tony Romo?

For the record, there were a whole bevy of problems offensively for the Cowboys Sunday that Bledsoe could not control:

• Flozell Adams absolutely looked slow and indecisive on several plays where he failed to block down and Darwin Walker ran unabated to attack Bledsoe.
• Kyle Kossier had a couple of lapses where he didn't adjust to block stunts by the Philly ends and tackles, again, allowing the defensive end to run unabated to the QB.
• Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Marion Barber, and Julius Jones all had dropped passes.  Although I don't think this had a great impact on the outcome, catching those balls couldn't have hurt.

But as much as those things contributed to the defeat, Bledsoe has to accept his contributions:

• On, at least, two plays Bledsoe held the ball too long.  One such occasion was in the final two minutes when the Cowboys could ill-afford to take a sack.  He has to get rid of the ball before being sacked especially when he had what seemed like three days in the pocket.
• In what should have been Lito Sheppard's first interception during the first Cowboys offensive drive of the second quarter, Marco Rivera blocked Mike Patterson upfield as he should.  However, Bledsoe's inability to step into a clean pocket allowed Patterson to hit Bledsoe's arm and cause the ball to flutter out to Sheppard who dropped an easy pick.
• The play that would have tied the game with a little over 7 minutes left in the 4^th quarter was a badly under-thrown pass to an open, streaking Terrell Owens.  To make it more frustrating, it was one of the few times during the game when Bledsoe was able to be patient and make the throw because there was relatively little pressure.

If we are to believe that the experienced quarterback affords this team the best chance to win, then the experienced quarterback has to consistently avoid amateur mistakes.  So far this season, Bledsoe has not.

Bill says that now is not the time to consider a change, but he also admits that his primary concern is protecting the ball.  Currently, Bledsoe is tied for 2^nd among NFL Quarterbacks with the most interceptions (7).  Eventually, something has to give.

Mom's words have never been truer.  Although fault lies with several players for the loss in Philadelphia, Bledsoe's contributions have made this his problem to bear.  Furthermore, an inability to protect the ball may eventually be the problem that ends his tenure in Dallas.

Bledsoe vs. Romo

No Vanderjagt In Jacksonville

It now seems apparent that Parcells was serious about playing one kicker in the season opener in Jacksonville.  Mike Vanderjagt was not on the team charter Saturday afternoon leaving little doubt that Shaun Suisham will handle kickoff and field goal duties.

This really should be no surprise.  Vanderjagt has been injured most of the preseason and highly inconsistent when playing.  After missing two field goals in the final preseason game (32 and 22 yards), Parcells said that he was very concerned about the kicking game.

Ironically, Suisham has been very consistent on kickoffs and performed fairly well kicking field goals throughout training camp and in preseason games.

Parcells has given no indication as to when he expects Vanderjagt to be ready to go.  If Suisham shows the same consistency as the preseason, it may be less of an issue.

Cowboys And Jags Seeking Validation

During the offseason, especially June - July (no football or basketball), I find myself watching a lot of stuff on the tube.  This past offseason, I really got sucked into a series of documentaries on prison life in America...fascinating stuff.

One particular inmate described his experience of entering the penal system and rising to the top of the prison gang hierarchy as a literal fight for respect.  He explained that he sought the biggest, toughest guy in the cell block and made an example of him - right in front of the general population so that everyone could witness and take note of who he was.

I found all sorts of parallels between that seedy world and the world in which you and I live.  If you wanna be The Man, you gotta beat The Man!

I was reminded of this edict as I read an article written on Jaguars.com entitled Opportunity Knocks.  The author claims that the Jaguars earned a 12-4 record in 2005 but gained little respect in the process.  Quite frankly, when the national spotlight was on them, they folded.

But, what does this have to do with the Cowboys you might ask?

The Jaguars, at least according to the article, are looking for the biggest, toughest team on the block, and they want to make an example.  Their validation, for week one, at least, must come at the expense of a high-profile and talented Dallas team.

Not so fast...aren't the Cowboys seeking a little validation of their own?

Although there are some in the national media who think the Cowboys are destined for greatness in 2006, there are just as many pundits who think they will self-destruct.

They have only been in the playoffs once in the last 6 seasons.  This is Parcells' fourth season in Dallas and most would agree that he has, at best, had moderate success (two winning seasons and one playoff appearance in three years).

This defense had games in 2005 when they were brilliant for 3.5 quarters only to give up a lead and ultimately the victory in the final minutes.  To a player, the Cowboys defense believes it is among the elite in the NFL, but they have to prove it.

Sounds like a classic need for validation to me...so what gives?  Two big, tough teams square off in week one looking to move up the NFL hierarchy with aspirations of reaching the top.  I can think of no better way to kickoff the 2006 season.  Let the games begin!