JJT: Cole Beasley remains Cowboys' primary punt returner

Cole Beasley remains Cowboys' primary punt returner

Jean-Jacques Taylor, ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Cole Beasley remains the Dallas Cowboys' punt returner even after his muffed punt late in the fourth quarter Sunday eliminated any chance of a miracle comeback.

On fourth-and-3 from the New York Giants' 32 with 1:36 left, punter Brad Wing lifted a high punt to the Dallas 16. Beasley, who backpedaled 10 yards to field it, had the ball bounce off his hands and right to a Giants defender.

Beasley has done little returning punts this season, averaging 4.1 yards on eight returns with a long of 12. But until Sunday at least he had caught the ball.

Coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys are trying to give rookie Lucky Whitehead some opportunities to return punts.

Those opportunities will usually come when the offense is backed up inside the 20 and the odds increase that the punter will launch a more favorable kick to return in his haste not to have the punt blocked.

In normal situations, Beasley will still return kicks.

“Both of them are ready,” Garrett said. “Beasley was going to return some punts Sunday and Lucky was going to return some punts, but it just didn’t work out that way."

Garrett can handle Hardy, but he's afraid of pissing off Beasley's old lady.

JC, give Whitehead a shot already because it's clear that Beasley is crap back there and that muff on Sunday should have sealed the deal. I mean, how is the kid going to gain any experience or confidence if you don't put some trust in him and throw him into the fire? Beasley choked when the heat is on and you can't have someone like that giving up yards, field position and now a possession.

I can't see any rationale for keeping Beasley back there. He adds nothing and now actually has fumbled punts as much as Whitehead has.

That being said I'm no fan of Whitehead either. We need a Sproles.

If Dez wasn't coming off an injury I'd be using him there full time.

mschmidt64 said:

I can't see any rationale for keeping Beasley back there. He adds nothing and now actually has fumbled punts as much as Whitehead has.

That being said I'm no fan of Whitehead either. We need a Sproles.

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Whitehead demonstrated more than Beasley ever has.

Us "Real Cowboys Fans" know, Cole.

These fuckers don't learn from anything, it will take them three more losses from Beasley fumbles before they change anything. Idiots..

mschmidt64 said:

I can't see any rationale for keeping Beasley back there. He adds nothing and now actually has fumbled punts as much as Whitehead has.

That being said I'm no fan of Whitehead either. We need a Sproles.

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To me you either use Whitehead or you go and get a return specialist. I think Whitehead could be a good returner but his ball security just catching the ball freaked me out in preseason, so if he isn't reliable doing that, then find someone else. We waste a roster spot on a guy who can only play special teams but we refuse to do it at the most important position on special teams. The actual returner.

Beasley wasn't being used as a returner. He was just fielding the ball for the most part. He rarely tried to return a punt. I guess the idea was to utilize him as a receiver of the punt rather than try to return it.

L.T. Fan said:

Beasley wasn't being used as a returner. He was just fielding the ball for the most part. He rarely tried to return a punt. I guess the idea was to utilize him as a receiver of the punt rather than try to return it.

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that's a pretty bad idea.

chevycowboys said:

These fuckers don't learn from anything, it will take them three more losses from Beasley fumbles before they change anything. Idiots..

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Exactly.

Year after year after year, we always prove to be one of the dumbest coaching staffs in the league.

They never learn anything from their mistakes.

Clay_Allison said:

that's a pretty bad idea.

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Right.

And Sunday he proved he can't even be counted on as a secure catcher of the ball, so why the hell is the guy still being given the job?

It's stupid.

Clay_Allison said:

that's a pretty bad idea.

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Wasn't condoning it, just explaining it.

I thought it might help Beasley develop some open field running skills, but it's just brought our return team down instead.

This guy is useless without Romo (or maybe Dez) on the field.

ravidubey said:

I thought it might help Beasley develop some open field running skills, but it's just brought our return team down instead.

This guy is useless without Romo (or maybe Dez) on the field.

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Any receiver is useless with an ineffective QB.

L.T. Fan said:

Any receiver is useless with an ineffective QB.

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Not necessarily, i.e. Josh Gordon with Hoyer/Weeden at QB in Cleveland

jsmith6919 said:

Not necessarily, i.e. Josh Gordon with Hoyer/Weeden at QB in Cleveland

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Did Weedin and Gordon have a high percentage completion number. I don't really know. If they did then Weedin was effective with him.

L.T. Fan said:

Did Weedin and Gordon have a high percentage completion number. I don't really know. If they did then Weedin was effective with him.

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Not sure of actual completion percentage with Weeden(if I get a chance will look it up here in a few) but Gordon did lead league in yards by a wr that year. Just saying a good wr can make even a bad qb look better than he is.

Look at Hopkins in Houston this year too. Bad QBs, monster year.