Pre Game Notes: Pains in Cleveland

Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis is going to be a last minute decision whether he plays or not. As of right now, his hamstring is hurting him and could keep him out of the game.

I think Lewis is a key cog in this new machine cooking in Cleveland. If he doesn’t play, you can guartantee the Cowboys secondary will get a healthy work out. 

With that said, it is appearing more and more that Terence Newman may not start, or even play, tomorrow. Adam Jones will start at corner and let’s hope he is not as rusty as he looked in preseason. 

I think Marion Barber is going to get the most work out tomorrow, with a healthy dose of Felix Jones.

Week 1 Recap: NYG 16, WAS 7

After watching this game for the first 10 or 11 minutes it appeared to be on its way to a full fledged laugher. The Giants were producing long, time consuming drives down the entire field, the defense was embarrassing Jim Zorn’s new offense. And after it was 16-0, it looked as though this game might end 59-0.

But all of a sudden the air came out of the Giants and they turned into what we saw the first two weeks from them a year ago. The offense was sloppy, but the defense was there. Eli Manning went from confident and composed to hurried and rusty. I guess you can blame it on only being Week 1 of the season and the players being a little sluggish since it was the first true 60 minutes of football they had played since the Super Bowl, but even so, a second half performance like that will get them destroyed by the elite teams of the league.

There are a lot of positives to take out of the game offensively, even if the G-Men looked off in the red zone. Plaxico Burress at 100% with a new $35 million deal looks pretty dangerous and could be one of the top three receivers in the league this season.  Brandon Jacobs appears ready to emerge as a top RB in the league and Eli Manning looks more like a team leader and leader on the field especially at the line.

The defense and pass rush is still superb and is what will carry this team. The offense is no joke with the names that Giants put on the field, but the defense is what will get this team to the playoffs the same way it did in 2007.

Next week the Giants get their shot at St. Louis in what should get the Giants off to a 2-0 start on the season.

Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns: Measuring The Matchups

The NFL season begins this week and one of the more highly anticipated matchups is the battle in Cleveland where the Browns host the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are favored by 4 points. Here is a breakdown of the matchups Sunday:

Quarterback

Derek Anderson vs Tony Romo

Although Anderson proved he has talent, Romo can make plays out of botched ones and he has more command over the offense. Romo has the upper hand just because of his play-making ability. And it is hard to forget that Buffalo Bills game last season when he threw all of those interceptions, only to lead the Cowboys back to the win. Overcoming adversity is something he does well in the regular season.

Wide receivers

Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton vs Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth

It is tough to find a receiver whom you can pick over Terrell Owens. Owens should have a strong game against one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year. Crayton could also find himself getting a lot of catches if Owens is double covered. Braylon Edwards may have a good game depending on how the secondary plays for the Cowboys this season. What has been the Achilles heel for years, the secondary may be turning the corner. Donte Stallworth is a proven clutch guy and he’s hurt the Cowboys before. This matchup is closer than what some folks may think. The slight upper hand goes to Dallas.

Tight End

Kellen Winslow vs Jason Witten

Hands down, Jason Witten is the best NFL tight end right now. Winslow has a bum knee, and it won’t be 100 percent at game time, giving more of the upper hand to Witten. If anyone is going to blow this game wide open, it will be Witten. He is expected to play in the slot this game, too, which makes him an even bigger threat.

Offensive Line

The Dallas Cowboys return three Pro Bowl offensive lineman. It will be tough for Cleveland’s defense to penetrate and get to Romo. 

I think the key to this game will be how the defense plays on both teams. Cleveland’s defense last year was one of the league’s worst. Have they found a way to improve? Can Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware get to Anderson? If they can, will he be able to avoid the pressure and throw deep to Braylon Edwards? 

This game doesn’t have to be close, but it likely will. Both teams will come out of the gates a little scratchy, and it will really come down to whoever finishes the second half strong, wins. 

The Dallas defense is better than Cleveland, and that could mean a real rough day for Anderson. But, the Cowboys middle and secondary still has questions marks, and they will really have to watch out for Jamal Lewis, a powerful runner who can break the game wide open for the Browns. 

Neither of our passing games our in tip-totch shape with both dealing with injuries. This game could come down to a Marion Barber vs Jamal Lewis, a powerful matchup of strong runners with great potential. This will be a great game for Barber to show his stuff against a back who is just as good with similar running qualities. 

Dallas should win. They are 4 point favorites. But playing in the DawgPound is never fun. It should be a fun game to watch.

Dallas Cowboys vs Cleveland Browns: Measuring The Matchups

The NFL season begins this week and one of the more highly anticipated matchups is the battle in Cleveland where the Browns host the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys are favored by 4 points. Here is a breakdown of the matchups Sunday:

Quarterback

Derek Anderson vs Tony Romo

Although Anderson proved he has talent, Romo can make plays out of botched ones and he has more command over the offense. Romo has the upper hand just because of his play-making ability. And it is hard to forget that Buffalo Bills game last season when he threw all of those interceptions, only to lead the Cowboys back to the win. Overcoming adversity is something he does well in the regular season.

Wide receivers

Terrell Owens and Patrick Crayton vs Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth

It is tough to find a receiver whom you can pick over Terrell Owens. Owens should have a strong game against one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year. Crayton could also find himself getting a lot of catches if Owens is double covered. Braylon Edwards may have a good game depending on how the secondary plays for the Cowboys this season. What has been the Achilles heel for years, the secondary may be turning the corner. Donte Stallworth is a proven clutch guy and he’s hurt the Cowboys before. This matchup is closer than what some folks may think. The slight upper hand goes to Dallas.

Tight End

Kellen Winslow vs Jason Witten

Hands down, Jason Witten is the best NFL tight end right now. Winslow has a bum knee, and it won’t be 100 percent at game time, giving more of the upper hand to Witten. If anyone is going to blow this game wide open, it will be Witten. He is expected to play in the slot this game, too, which makes him an even bigger threat.

Offensive Line

The Dallas Cowboys return three Pro Bowl offensive lineman. It will be tough for Cleveland’s defense to penetrate and get to Romo. 

I think the key to this game will be how the defense plays on both teams. Cleveland’s defense last year was one of the league’s worst. Have they found a way to improve? Can Greg Ellis and DeMarcus Ware get to Anderson? If they can, will he be able to avoid the pressure and throw deep to Braylon Edwards? 

This game doesn’t have to be close, but it likely will. Both teams will come out of the gates a little scratchy, and it will really come down to whoever finishes the second half strong, wins. 

The Dallas defense is better than Cleveland, and that could mean a real rough day for Anderson. But, the Cowboys middle and secondary still has questions marks, and they will really have to watch out for Jamal Lewis, a powerful runner who can break the game wide open for the Browns. 

Neither of our passing games our in tip-totch shape with both dealing with injuries. This game could come down to a Marion Barber vs Jamal Lewis, a powerful matchup of strong runners with great potential. This will be a great game for Barber to show his stuff against a back who is just as good with similar running qualities. 

Dallas should win. They are 4 point favorites. But playing in the DawgPound is never fun. It should be a fun game to watch.

Fixing the Little Things

You probably don’t want to believe it yet, but it you go back and look at the tape again (for those who haven’t burned it), the Skins were beaten by the little things last night.  The good thing about this is that a good chunk of them are fixable, coachable errors. Let’s review. On 3rd and short on the first series of the opening drive, Marcus Washington made a great tackle of Brandon Jacobs one foot beyond the first down marker.  Up to that point, the defense looked ok, even if Jason Taylor was a little off on stopping the run (never his strong suit anyway). One foot the other way and that drive stops in three and out and the Giants maybe never build the momentum that sustained them. On the first play on offense, Heyer lost his man (I think it was Tuck), but he was picked up either by Randy Thomas or an RB (I could not see the number on the film).  Campbell rolled right into Tuck. Let’s remember that a) Heyer didn’t whiff again even if Tuck did get the better of him and b) Campbell needs to step up in the pocket against a team like this rather than rolling out. The pressure, combined with Heyer understandably false starting forced Zorn into a shell he never decided to leave.  Two straight (rather successful) draw plays later and we’re punting. Similarly, on the next drive, we began with a wonderful screen play to Cooley that was called back because Samuels was down the field early.  But part of that was because Cooley was held.  I’d like to think this play would have been huge and perfectly timed otherwise.  I don’t think Samuels can be blamed because he has to go by timing and feel.  If he turns his ahead around to find Cooley, he’s in trouble. It is at this point when the offense wasn’t doing anything that the tackling got bad.  A slightly disheartened D that had just given up big plays all over the field was less than prepared for the pounding Jacobs was ready to deal out.  It showed a weakness in the defense that coaching and scheming can and will shore up. Rocky McIntosh is our least experienced LB and he has a tendency to overplay everything.  Rather than filling his gaps, he rushes them and tries to make big plays.  Jason Taylor is in front of him and is less capable of playing the run than our other linemen.  This combo is scary.  Taylor can get pushed out, McIntosh fills the hole made by Taylor’s exit aggressively, and a good RB makes him pay by either going outside (forcing tiny Fred Smoot to make a tackle) or waiting for McIntosh to over pursue. This happened repeatedly.  Worse yet, the TD Manning had was an embarrassing symptom of the same thing.  In an effort to make a huge play, he whiffed on the least athletic player on the field.  Linebackers dream of the kind of free shot on a QB that he had there.  Manning should have been lying on a stretcher after that play.  Instead, the overagressive youngster looked bad. We need to adjust.  First, by coaching some technique into him (something that seemed to happen as the game went on) and by moving Taylor around more so offenses can’t pick their targets so easily. We can do that. Next was the two false starts by Antwaan Randle El.  I’d like to say that this was the simply someone anxious to make a big play.  But come on, false starts on the WR position should never happen.  They can see the ball.  If this was anxiousness, we need to fix it.  Now. But I think it may be coming from a sense of needing to avoid the jam which is, of course, the best way to stop the West Coast offense. If this is what is happening, we ned more motion (something I don’t remember seeing at all), more formation shifts (again something rarely seen), and more adjustments at the line. It is possible that the Manning brothers gyrations have me spoiled about how easy it is to see an audible, but I felt like the Skins audibled very little for a team that was having so much trouble with the defense. Another issue is the hands of the defense.  I know Guy disagreed with me, but this team dropped some sure INTs.  I’ll admit the one that Smoot dropped in the endzone came in hot and he wasn’t facing Eli when it was thrown.  But Landry let one go right through his finger tips and Rogers really blew one in the second quarter.  Blache needs to get these guys in more hands drills.  We have to get more takeaways. The hands were less of an issue for the offense, but Moss dropped a ball late in the 4th quarter which would have lead to a first down in the red zone.  At the very least that would have meant we could have kicked the field goal and made it a one score ball game.  It could have meant we got the TD, too.  He was trying to make a play, and I understand that, but he has to make those catches first. Finally, there is the play calling and the route running.  I don’t know whether to blame Campbell, Zorn, or the receivers, but on 5 occasions we punted on 4th and less than 2.  The receivers were constantly running hitches inside the first down markers.  Obviously, some of that has to do with what the defense is giving you.  If it is 3rd and 7, the LBs are going to drop 6 yards to keep you in front of them.  At the same time, we have to run routes that are getting us past the markers.  Even if they aren’t open. I wish I had the tape for you but the best example was the 4th down play at the end of the game. As Campbell scrambles to buy more time, NBC switched to a camera angle that showed the field from behind him.  He had three receivers, all of whom had run hitches or comebacks.  They were facing Campbell and floating to soft spots in the zone.  Only one of them was beyond the first down marker. Campbell threw to ARE who turned up field with a great move and fell a yard short.  Even if we assume on the left side there was a route stretching the field, how can we bunch three receivers up on roughly the same route at roughly the same depth and have only one of them be useful on 4th down? I’m all for YAC, but on 4th down, counting on it seems like suicide. Is this failure by the receivers to be aware of the marker?  Is this designed in the play?  Is Campbell failing to recognize who in the pattern he should throw to?  I’m not sure.  I DO know that on 4th down with two minutes left, you throw to the deep receiver and force it in (he was single covered).  What’s the big deal if it is an INT or an incomplete pass?  Either way you turn the ball over. I’m sure some of Zorn’s conservative streak had to do with the defense and also with it being his frist game.  But what bothered me about it is that JZ was a swashbuckler when he played.  I want that same mentality in the play calling. Anyway, these are all adjustments that can be made. And if we can make them soon, there’s still plenty of games to win.  Remember, the Giants started last year 0-2 and gave up a bazillion points.  One game does not a season make.  Hail Skins! -DW

Laron Landry is a Pussssssssayyyyy!

I found great satisfaction watching this, especially after Laron Landry’s dirty play on Terry Glenn last year when he tried to cripple him with a sliding low tackle. Yeah, I still think it was on purpose. Anyway, Laron Landry is a PUSSSSAY!

Terence Newman is Not 100 Percent Healthy

Terence Newman may not start Sunday opening the door for Adam Jones and even possibly Orlando Scandrick to get major playing time. I would pay good money to see Scandrick get in the game and dominate. It would be a great sign for the Cowboys, and it makes Anthony Henry more expendible, if Scandrick can play. 

Adam Jones, who in preseason looked a tad bit cold in coverage, won’t stay that way. However, him starting in week 1 could mean a big night for Derek Anderson et al. We’ll see.

Washington Redskins Looked AWFUL

It’s way too early, but did anyone else find enjoyment is watching how awful the Washigton Redskins looked? I sure did. 

And it is sure quiet in those parts of the land. 

Chirp Chirp. I can hear the crickets here. 

Fans clamoring that playcalling and new coach sucks.

Where was Chris Cooley?

Awww, they lost, and he’s angry. WAAAA WAAA.

A few things:

• I told you Jason Campbell sucks
• I told you Colt Brennan will be the starter in six weeks
• Jason Taylor? Who?
• Your coach won’t last one year in Washington if he goes 3-13

Redskins Season Begins, Not with a Bang but a Whimper

It could have been worse.  Those five words are a small balm against the pain of being the only team in the entire NFL currently with a losing record, but it’s true. 

After the Redskins failed to muster a catch in a first quarter that simply would not end, I was convinced that the Giants defense were still in Superbowl form and that the title for this article would end up being “Osi Who???”  Fortunately they came back to earth and we picked ourselves up — at least a little — and avoided a blowout.

We had no business being in that game.  Our offense was pathetic and looked every bit like the work in progress that it so clearly is.  Our third down conversion was abominable.  Some props have to go to a Giants defense which, while perhaps not as superhuman as it might first have seemed, was still very very good at pressuring the quarterback.  And yet, we were still in the game despite only having eleven first downs. 

Though it might seem bleak right now, there is hope.  There is room for some optimism.   The fact of the matter is, the offense *is* a work in progress, and we saw the team pick itself up and continue to struggle despite what seemed like overwhelming odds.  This game could easily have been another Carolina or Jacksonville, but it wasn’t.  Unlike the preseason we got our wits back, made some adjustments, and fought back. 

Did I mention adjustments?  The defense in particular managed to get a hold of an out of control situation, despite the absence of Shawn Springs and the loss of Fred Smoot halfway through the game.  And Clinton Portis had some brilliant plays.  Special teams were good to great, providing us with our only real scoring opportunity.  Maybe…just maybe…if we can find anything resembling a passing offense, we might just have something here. 

Taylor Will Play

Good last minute news! Double nickel is going to play tonight. JZ was on NFL Network’s pre-game and said Taylor was going to go. This is espeically good news against the potent Giants screen.  Taylor uses his height and athleticism to disrupt opponents screens better than anyone else in the league. Look for Taylor to still play in a rotation with Demetric Evans and a little bit of Erasmus James. 

Obviously, we’ll see him most on 3rd down, but Taylor is a warrior and will probably play some on all downs. Even if he’s 75% this is a big emotional boost for the team, and I’m excited to see Cinco Cinco on the field. Hail Skins!

-DW

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