Cowboys-Oakland Observations

Ehsan Azad

Cowboys Preseason Observations

                Last night I was very excited to get ready for the first game for the Dallas Cowboys.  I mean I knew it was preseason, but as a lifelong fan, who doesn’t get excited for some football.  I quickly realized how boring it would be, and saw some ugly ugly football played by both teams. Luckily, Dan Bailey did his job right and the Cowboys won 3-0. Now, preseason is about the individual, not the team, so we will look today at the observations of certain individuals trying to make this team.

First of all let’s give Dez Bryant a round of applause for a leaping catch in the first series. Dez is showing he is fully healthy and poised for the breakout season we have been waiting for since he was drafted. The only thing derailing him is a possible suspension by the NFL for the alleged beating of his mother.  With Miles Austin hurt, and Dez only playing the first series, it was a perfect time for the young receivers to compete for that 3^rd receiver spot.   But, other than some impressive play by Andre Holmes, I was rather disappointed by the receiving corps. I see talent there, but not coming all around. A lot of dropped balls and missed routes plagued them all not. Today Receivers Coach Jimmy Robinson even declared that no one has stepped up to claim that 3^rd spot. If they don’t get it together by Saturday’s game versus the Chargers, I sense the front office will look at the free agent list for a reliable veteran.

         Next up on the Cowboys blame game is the horrendous offensive line. I think it was a crime to have Tony Romo to play behind one of the most suspect lines in the NFL.  Ok, maybe half their starters are out, but still this is pretty bad. David Arkin did alright at center in place of Phil Costa, but he let one huge sack.   I honestly still think that both Mackenzy Bernadeau and Nate Livings will be adequate starters and help solidify the line. But, their backups are atrocious and if any injury occurs on the lone, it’s going to be a long season for Cowboys fans. Center is the real problem area. Phil Costa is your opening day starter and that worries me. He has never been able to be a consistent snapper and has even had Jason Garrett halt practice just to work on those snaps. His two backups, Kevin Kowalski and Bill Nagy aren’t any better and are going to be out with injuries for awhile. David Arkin is alright, but he lacks the strength to take on some elite defensive tackles. I will remind you the NFC east is full of deadly pass rushers and strong defensive tackles.  But, have no worries, the tackles will be fine. While Doug Free can play better, he is still a solid right tackle. And, Tyron Smith is going to be an All Pro one day. Demarcus Ware claimed that he is the first tackle he couldn’t get away from. That is a high compliment from one of the elite pass rushers.  So, until it’s all healthy, right now the O line is still a work in progress.

The Defense pitched a shutout so I guess I will say it’s a success. But, some of the credit goes to the Oakland receivers who dropped a lot of open passes.  I know, their top three corners really didn’t play, but still they needed to step up in that area. The pass rush was pretty decent and I will say Victor Butler can play. He is one of the most consistent pass rushers, beating out Anthony Spencer.  Demarcus Ware was his usually dominant self and Sean Lee is turning into one of the leaders on this squad.  Bruce Carter looked good the few times saw him. I liked the 3 inside linebacker scheme that had Dan Conner join Carter and Lee. It shows that the Cowboys really want to make Carter reach his potential. If all goes to plan, the Cowboys could boast the best playmaking inside linebacker tandem in the league.  Another small shout out to Ben Bass. This guy is just big and he can play. Didn’t know who he was, but he made me watch out for him in the next game.  The overall defense has one glaring spot that needs to be fixed. The run defense was horrible. Darren McFadden was plowing through the cowboys and Rob Ryan needs to have his front seven playing better than that.  Run defense was one of their strengths last year and they need to build on that.

This was a bad game for the Cowboys’ offense that is expected to score a lot. 3 points isn’t going to cut it.  The Offensive line needs to get better to help Romo and help open holes for their explosive running back tandem.  The defense did their job and got lucky off some bad execution by their opponents.  The run defense has to be addressed in the next few practices.  Most of all, they need to get healthy. The team can’t afford not to have any more players miss valuable playing time. September 5^th is coming very quickly.