Heart of the Defense

Ehsan Azad

Heart of the Defense

                The Dallas Cowboys are trying desperately to outplay their mediocre status they have in the 2012 NFL season. It will be harder without their playmaking linebacker Sean Lee.

                Sean Lee was lost for the season when he sustained a severe form of turf toe in the victory last Sunday against the Panthers. Now, the world seems to be lost as the Cowboys face the defending champions tomorrow at Jerry’s World. The pundits from National to the local media have all said that with Sean Lee it would have been a struggle. Without him, the season is lost and that cowboys fans should get ready for the draft in April.

                Kind of an overreaction don’t you think?

Sure, it hurts to lose one of the best players on your team. Sean Lee was not only an athletic linebacker that made countless game changing plays, but he was also a savvy player who had incredible football IQ and instincts that you can’t coach. He was born to play football. But, look at what you have behind him. Bruce Carter is no slouch. The North Carolina product is a great linebacker that has all the athletic skills that Sean Lee has and maybe more. He can make plays all over the field and could be due for a breakout game against the Giants. 

                Some worry that he lacks instincts and that the defense will suffer without Lee’s leadership, and I think yes it will a little. But, you still have a player than can make plays in the middle of the field and with the talent surrounding Carter; I see this defense playing up to its potential.  I’m not saying Bruce Carter is a hall of famer, but let’s wait until Sunday night to judge if the Cowboys’ season is lost because of the injury to Lee.

  

Antlers Sawed Off

Ehsan Azad

Antlers Sawed Off

                You know that feeling when you go out with a really hot girl for the first time? It’s really fun and exciting at first. You love showing off the girl to your friends and brag about her all the time. She’s hot, fun, smart and your family loves her. Then her flaws kick in and you seem ready to break up with her, but she still has something about her that makes you stay. Then you wake up one morning and that pretty face is gone and the fun girl you knew is just flat out psychotic.  That is what Rangers fans have been going through the last two years with their team

Earlier this week, the two time defending American League champion had three chances to close out the streaking Oakland A’s. They had the division lead since April 9^th, so they definitely were going to close out it out.  In reality, they were swept by Oakland and lost the division on the last day of the season. If it weren't for the new rule in baseball where two wild cards were allowed in the postseason, the rangers might not make the playoffs. Thankfully they have a sudden death playoff game today with the Baltimore Orioles to get in. But, ask yourself this, do they deserve to be in it at all?

                After one of the most explosive starts in franchise history, the Rangers were a roller coaster all season. Never really playing to their full potential and allowing the division lead to shrink and expand multiple times. It was just a really off year for most of the players. Josh Hamilton after leading the April and May as one of the hottest players has slumped for the majority of the season and brought up effort concerns towards the end. Outside of Yu Darvish and Matt Harrison, the pitching has been sub par and sometimes laughable. The clutch gene that helped the Rangers go to two straight World Series appearances has disappeared. And add on one of the biggest collapses in Baseball, by losing the division on the last day helps make the point on why they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

                Bud Selig helped the Rangers out this year by adding a second wild card team to the format. They have a chance to erase this bad regular season by just beating Baltimore tonight at home. They do that, that claw and antler swag well return and they could be a threat to anyone in the Postseason. If they lose, begin sawing off the antlers for next year.

The Shield is Broken

Ehsan Azad

                                                                                The shield is broken

                I was going to discuss the Cowboys’ ugly win to the Tampa Bay Bucs, but an uglier scene occurred last night that needed immediate attention.  What happened last night will be discussed for years and will be known as the play by many historians of the NFL.

                We all know that the replacement refs have been causing controversy ever since they were put in by the league as a stopgap while the Owners and the real refs tried to come to an agreement on labor negotiations.  In 3 weeks of NFL games, there seems to be multiple mistakes mounting on the replacements causing uproar from Coaches, players and fans alike.  Still, it all seemed minor enough to let it slide due to the officials being new. That was until last night’s debacle.  By now, everyone has seen the play that caused a firestorm last night on the internet. Last second Hail Mary pass from Russell Wilson to the end zone targeting Golden Tate and Defensive Back Jennings clearly intercepts the ball and has both hands on the ball as he is dragged to the ground.  Seattle Receiver Golden Tate puts his hand on the ball while on the ground. Both officials run up and one says touchback the other touchdown. After a replay by the upstairs official, it is confirmed as a touchdown.  Are you freaking kidding me?  I understand that the offensive pass interference missed call on Golden Tate isn’t reviewable in instant replay, but that was clearly an interception. According to NFL rules, if both receiver and defender both catch the ball, then the offense wins the ball. But, clearly Golden Tate didn’t have any clear possession of the ball at all until the end when he put his hand in there. Jennings had the ball the entire time going down. This is clearly a pick and the NFL screwed this up.

                The NFL is one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States right now. It generates 9 billion dollars a year in revenue and the owners are getting rich of it. It is the best time to be a part of the NFL. But, the league is ruining the game that makes it so profitable.  From the concussions, the over use of power by the commissioner and the incompetence to ignore how bad these replacement officials are make you think how corrupt the Shield has become. Roger Goddell speaks about protecting the shield and upholding the game. Well, he needs to fine himself for ruining the NFL.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for my radio show with Mo Mohmand. We will discuss this and more topics. Look for the link on Facebook soon.

Oops?

Ehsan Azad

A disappointment in Seattle

                Last week, the Dallas Cowboys overcame their demons and won the impossible opener vs. the defending world champs. This week, the Cowboys disappointed once again against the underdog Seahawks.  What a difference a week makes.

                In my mind, this game would have been an easy win for the cowboys. They are superiorly more talented, have a better mind set, and they are coming of a huge win. Then I was reminded that on Any Given Sunday, any team can win. The first play of the game foretold how the Cowboys were going to play that afternoon. Sloppy. Felix Jones fumbling the opening kickoff was not how Jason Garrett envisioned his team starting out. Still, the Defense held the young Seahawks to a field goal.  Then all hell broke loose.  After the Cowboys’ offense went 3 and out, the ensuing punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown.  Number 52, Free agent pick up Dan Connor didn’t hold his block long enough and allowed Seattle to take a 10-0 lead. This just exploded the already fired up home crowd.  Fox cut to a shot of Garret in his shades and scowling. That expression didn’t change the whole afternoon.

                Of course the whole team is to blame for the mess of a game, a few players and coaches deserve the extra scrutiny. First on my hit list is Felix Jones. For a player to have this much impact on the game and not play much is pretty bad. But it was his fumbled return that set the Seahawks up with the extra momentum early in the game. He hasn’t been great all offseason, looking like he lost his burst that made him a viable threat in 2008. Yesterday’s game continued to show the reasons why this man should not be wearing the star on his helmet. He just plan out stunk, and deserves a lot of blame.

                The second on my hit list is Rob Ryan.  The defensive guru who claimed to have the tools necessary for his game plan to work failed all of us. Rookie QB Russell Wilson looked like Tom Brady yesterday making clutch throws all over the field. He experienced no pressure at all, unlike last week when Eli was pressured all game long, what happened to the blitzes?  Demarcus Ware had ZERO sacks against a weak Seahawks offensive line. This would have been a game where Ware would have had a feast on Wilson. I may not be a true football expert, but I’m waiting to hear why they didn’t blitz just a little more against a rookie qb. If he was worried about the Cowboys getting burned, well it happened.  Russell Wilson went 15 for 20 and 151 yards with a Touchdown. He also didn’t throw any picks and ended up with a QB rating of 112.7. Pretty good for a rookie, pretty bad for a Cowboys improved secondary.  If the Cowboys want to make it to the postseason, this needs to change.

                Third on my list, and number one on my rage level is the Cowboys offense. What a pathetic display of the most talented group in the league. When you have Tony Romo throwing to Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, and Jason Witten and you are supported by Demarco Murray on the ground, then you shouldn’t get shutout in the second half. But, it happened and drops were they reason why. Romo could have played better, but too many times did we see Cowboys receivers kill drives with multiple drops.  I’m not surprised with Dez, but Jason Witten? An All-Pro Tight End, the personification of toughness, the most mentally tough player on the roster drops 3 crucial balls? This was inexcusable and sickening. The Cowboys had so many opportunities to score and get down the field, but stupid plays made up the day for the squad. One crucial drop by Witten was on 3^rd down and Romo evades pressure and throws a bomb down field to Witten who bobbles the catch. If he had caught it, Witten would have been in the end zone. That was the story for the Cowboys offense yesterday. Give credit to a talented and underrated Seahawks defense, but the Cowboys could have scored a lot more than 7 points.

                Special teams deserve a special honor on my list. How a unit allows a fumble on a return, and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown? I don’t know either, but Joe DeCamillis needs to fix this unit in a hurry, or start looking for another job.

                To conclude my disgust this week, The Cowboys keep showing the nation that they are going to keep making those mistakes that prevents them from being elite. Again this is just one game. They could run the gauntlet and go on to win the Super Bowl. Or they could go winless and be a disaster. No one knows what will happen. This game could be easily forgotten if they get their act together. Or it could be the one game that prevents them from making the playoffs.

                                                                                                Side Notes

Hope you are enjoying my blogs, IF you have any requests or any questions let me know by commenting on my Facebook.  Also, I will be starting a weekly Internet show with my cousin Mo Mohmand that covers all topics in DFW Sports and any other trending topics. Keep checking on my facebook for info on the show. Thanks for yall’s support!

Cowboys-Giants Observations

Ehsan Azad

Cowboys Observations

                I would start off with a long and elaborated statement on how Tony Romo continues to prove that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but if you saw the game last Wednesday, then point proven. There are a still ton of observations from the game that will make cowboys fans happy and concerned at the same time.

                First off, let’s look at the defensive side of the ball. Mostly responsible for many of the failures last year and with Jerry Jones spending money in the offseason to upgrade it, this game was a good litmus test.  I will say I am very impressed with the defense as a whole. It is fast, it is gritty, and it has a mental toughness to it I haven’t seen in years. This defense is playing lights out and hungry and ready to prove it is a top ten unit. Lead by perennial pro bowler Demarcus Ware, the Cowboys pass rush is relentless and forced 3 sacks on Eli Manning with Ware having 2 of them. I like the pressure it’s getting on the offensive line, and guys on the d line played pretty will even with their star Jay Ratliff out with an injury.

                The biggest surprise I saw on the defense was the speed it has now. The new additions of Claiborne, Carr, Lee, and Carter bring a quicker attack on the ball. The Giants couldn’t get any of their players out in the open for the big play. This will be a key asset when you face guys like Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Desean Jackson in your division. They also can stop the run game very effectively.  Also, speed also helps them gain many more opportunities to make big plays. You are always a better defense when you can actually catch the guy you’re defending.

                On the Offensive side, I will say I am very impressed with the receiving corps. All 4 of the cowboys’ top options at least caught 2 passes in the game, with Kevin Ogeltree having the biggest game in his career snatching two touchdowns. What also helped them was a balanced running attack spearheaded by bruising Running back Demarco Murray. This boy can play. What a steal he was in the draft in the third round. The former sooner running back has a beast mentality when running and wants to have that contact all the time. The key play he had was a potential go ahead run to the end zone. The run started out bad, but with a few juke moves and stiff arms, Murray ran up for over 30 yards before finally being pulled down. If Murray can keep healthy and getting those yards, the Cowboys passing game will open up and cause havoc for opposing defenses.

                The bad part of the game was all on the Offensive Line. Save for Tyron Smith’s touchdown saving horse collar penalty, the Line was terrible. Romo never was safe in the pocket, often relying on moving around and using spin moves to stay alive. They seemed nervous and jumpy the entire night. Now facing one of the best pass rushes in the league can be daunting mind you, but still they need to get their chemistry going. Luckily, they have awhile before their next game to get it right.

                All in all, this was an impressive win for the Cowboys. Going into New York and facing the Defending champions can be hard, but the Cowboys proved they are far capable of pulling out hard wins. Now, if they can keep up this new attitude that is the big question for this team. Cowboy’s nation is waiting.

Gametime: Cowboys-Giants Preview

Ehsan Azad

Cowboys-Giants Preview

                It’s finally here! The NFL kicks off the season with a bang as the Defending Super Bowl Champion New York Football Giants hosts America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, in a divisional showdown.  It should be an exciting yet nervous night for all Cowboys fans.  Let’s preview the game that seems t have the hype of a championship game.

Cowboys Offense vs. Giants Defense:

Ok, this could be the matchup that really could decide the game. The Dallas Cowboys boast one of the talented offenses in the league.  It features two dynamic receivers in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.  Jason Witten is an ALL-PRO and one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Demarco Murray is an up and coming star running back ready to shoulder the load of carries. And Tony Romo is in my opinion an elite quarterback capable of making all the right plays for his team to succeed. But, there are some glaring holes that could help the Giants out in this game. The Giants defense relies heavily on its elite pass rush. Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, and Chris Canty are some of the best pass rushers and can cause havoc for any offensive line. It was that pass rush that the Giants rode to an unlikely Super Bowl run last year.  That means trouble for a Cowboys O-line that is unproven and hasn’t had time to gel much in training camp. Left tackle Tyrone Smith could handle his own, but the rest of the line is such a question mark. Good news for Cowboys fans is that if Romo has time in the pocket, he could exploit a Giants secondary that is hurting right now with Cornerback Prince Amukamara. The Cowboys could lean on the running game to help take the pressure of Romo. The tandem of Murray and Felix Jones could slow down the pass rush and help open a lot of play action plays for the offense. Murray is a talented runner, he should be able to slice up the Giants run defense and get to the second level. This is where I think the key for Dallas is. If Jason Garrett can balance the offense, the Cowboys can score in bunches. If they pass too much, Romo will be under pressure from the Giants all night.

Cowboys Defense vs. Giants Offense:

This was the matchup that caused the most damage from last year for the Cowboys. Last year, the Cowboys defense was shredding in the passing game and no team exploited it better than the Giants. They have one of the premier Quarterbacks in the league in Eli Manning, two explosive running backs with Ahmad Bradshaw and rookie David Wilson, and playmaking receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.  To counter the Giants, the Cowboys invested 50 million in bringing cornerback Brandon Carr and moving up in the draft to get LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. That should bring some stability to one of the league’s worst defenses against the pass. Defensive Coordinator now has players who can cover long enough for him to call more blitzes. Demarcus Ware is the best pass rusher in the game, but he is going to need help. I believe Anthony Spencer will get better this year and help moving attention away from Ware. To stop the Giants, they need to get their pass rush going. Eli Manning has too many weapons to use if he has time in the pocket. The Giants have a suspect offensive line as well and that could help Dallas too sack the qb. This Defense has to step up and do a better job than last year.

Special Teams:

Both teams seem to be equal on the special teams front. Both have reliable kickers and punters. Return teams might favor Dallas as they have some great return guys in Felix Jones and Dez Bryant. The Giants really don’t have any big time returners. I’ll give it to Dallas, but just an inch.

Analysis:

I think this game is going to be a defensive slugfest. By looking at both sides, I can tell both offenses will struggle as they both have weak O-line play and are facing some elite pass rushers. The key is going to be the running game, especially since it will rain a lot during the game.  The team that rushes the ball well, I think wins in the end.

Prediction:

This is tough, but I see the Cowboys loosing this game. The Giants are just better right now. I don’t have any confidence in the offensive line protecting Romo. Hopefully I am wrong on this, but I have the Giants winning 24-17.

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.