Carp
DCC 4Life
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- Apr 7, 2013
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IRVING, Texas – With a quarter of the season over, the Dallas Cowboys are 3-1. I wonder how many people thought that was possible. Not me.
But these wonders will be a little bit more involved. If it’s Tuesday, it’s time for Five Wonders.
Away we go:
•We have spent a lot of time mostly wondering about how taking Wednesday’s off has allowed Tony Romo to move around better. In the two weeks since Romo has adopted this practice schedule, he has been sacked just once and has runs of 16 and 21 yards. But I wonder if the time in the weight room has allowed him to be more accurate. Against the St. Louis Rams Romo completed 78.3 percent of his passes (18 of 23) and against the New Orleans Saints he completed 75.8% of his passes (22 of 29). It’s the first time Romo has had consecutive games in which he has completed at least 70% of his passes since the first four games of last season.
•“I think all those things fit together,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The best quarterbacks, the most accurate quarterbacks have great feet. You go back through history they get themselves in position to throw the ball well. The objective for a quarterback is to somehow create a mound for yourself back there. Typically in a game if you throw it 30 times, it’s clean about two out of 30. So you have to move in the pocket to get yourself right. Ultimately that effects your accuracy. Guys who don’t move well typically don’t get themselves in great position to throw it, and then their accuracy suffers. So I think it all fits together.”
•I wonder what the Cowboys will do with Morris Claiborne's roster spot. He will have surgery in the next few days to repair a torn patella tendon and be placed on injured reserve. The Cowboys could use it to add Jakar Hamilton back to the 53-man roster now that his roster spot is up They could use it on a corner and call up Micah Pellerin from the practice squad. It would seem to make the most sense to use it on a cornerback. They have only four corners on the 53-man roster in Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Sterling Moore and Tyler Patmon. While the Cowboys went with just three corners on their active roster a few years ago, it’s just not wise to tempt fate that much at such a crucial position. One guy I don’t see the Cowboys going after: Champ Bailey. The reaction to a few folks at Valley Ranch drew a collective, ‘meh.’
•Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Houston Texans will feature two of the best players from the 2011 draft in Tyron Smith and J.J. Watt. I wonder where these guys would go in a re-draft. The Cowboys took Smith with the ninth pick of the first round. The Texans took Watt at No. 11. Cam Newton (Carolina), Von Miller (Denver), Marcell Dareus (Buffalo), A.J. Green (Cincinnati), Patrick Peterson (Arizona), Julio Jones (Atlanta), Aldon Smith (San Francisco) and Jake Locker (Tennessee) went before Smith. Jackonsville took Blaine Gabbert at No. 10 before Watt. There has to be some buyer’s remorse from Buffalo. Miller and Smith have had off-field issues. Locker clearly was the wrong pick. But the folks in Cincinnati, Arizona and Atlanta can’t be upset with their selections. If we’re re-grading the draft, then Smith and Watt would clearly be rated higher.
•Last year the Cowboys had to work with 20 defensive linemen because of injuries and ineffectiveness. But the linebacker position was greatly affected by injury as well. Sean Lee missed time. So did Justin Durant. Bruce Carter missed a game. Ernie Sims was dinged up a little bit. I wonder what it is about the linebacker position. Durant didn’t make it through the season opener because of a groin injury and missed two games. Rolando McClain hurt his groin in the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans and missed a game. Carter had to leave Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints with a quadriceps injury and his availability for this Sunday’s game is in doubt. This doesn’t even count DeVonte Holloman, whose career ended in training camp because of a neck injury. The Cowboys have had to cross-train guys like Anthony Hitchens and Cameron Lawrence just to be covered. Managing a position because of injuries is never easy. Here’s a mini-wonder: Korey Toomer has been active for two of the first four games but hasn’t played a snap. I wonder why the coaches are hesitant to play him.
•I wonder if Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones will raise the fact that the Cowboys have had two defensive touchdowns taken away through the first four games because of incorrect officiating to his fellow Competition Committee members. McClain had a potential touchdown taken away against the Titans when an interception was initially ruled to have hit the ground. He was never touched and went to the end zone. The Cowboys correctly used replay to get the ball but lost a touchdown. Last week against the Saints, Moore lost a touchdown when Saints runner Khiry Robinson was incorrectly ruled down. Those plays didn’t end up really hurting the Cowboys, but that’s not the point. The officials need to be sure of what they see and stop guessing at what they see. If there is a doubt, don’t blow the whistle.
But these wonders will be a little bit more involved. If it’s Tuesday, it’s time for Five Wonders.
Away we go:
•We have spent a lot of time mostly wondering about how taking Wednesday’s off has allowed Tony Romo to move around better. In the two weeks since Romo has adopted this practice schedule, he has been sacked just once and has runs of 16 and 21 yards. But I wonder if the time in the weight room has allowed him to be more accurate. Against the St. Louis Rams Romo completed 78.3 percent of his passes (18 of 23) and against the New Orleans Saints he completed 75.8% of his passes (22 of 29). It’s the first time Romo has had consecutive games in which he has completed at least 70% of his passes since the first four games of last season.
•“I think all those things fit together,” coach Jason Garrett said. “The best quarterbacks, the most accurate quarterbacks have great feet. You go back through history they get themselves in position to throw the ball well. The objective for a quarterback is to somehow create a mound for yourself back there. Typically in a game if you throw it 30 times, it’s clean about two out of 30. So you have to move in the pocket to get yourself right. Ultimately that effects your accuracy. Guys who don’t move well typically don’t get themselves in great position to throw it, and then their accuracy suffers. So I think it all fits together.”
•I wonder what the Cowboys will do with Morris Claiborne's roster spot. He will have surgery in the next few days to repair a torn patella tendon and be placed on injured reserve. The Cowboys could use it to add Jakar Hamilton back to the 53-man roster now that his roster spot is up They could use it on a corner and call up Micah Pellerin from the practice squad. It would seem to make the most sense to use it on a cornerback. They have only four corners on the 53-man roster in Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Sterling Moore and Tyler Patmon. While the Cowboys went with just three corners on their active roster a few years ago, it’s just not wise to tempt fate that much at such a crucial position. One guy I don’t see the Cowboys going after: Champ Bailey. The reaction to a few folks at Valley Ranch drew a collective, ‘meh.’
•Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Houston Texans will feature two of the best players from the 2011 draft in Tyron Smith and J.J. Watt. I wonder where these guys would go in a re-draft. The Cowboys took Smith with the ninth pick of the first round. The Texans took Watt at No. 11. Cam Newton (Carolina), Von Miller (Denver), Marcell Dareus (Buffalo), A.J. Green (Cincinnati), Patrick Peterson (Arizona), Julio Jones (Atlanta), Aldon Smith (San Francisco) and Jake Locker (Tennessee) went before Smith. Jackonsville took Blaine Gabbert at No. 10 before Watt. There has to be some buyer’s remorse from Buffalo. Miller and Smith have had off-field issues. Locker clearly was the wrong pick. But the folks in Cincinnati, Arizona and Atlanta can’t be upset with their selections. If we’re re-grading the draft, then Smith and Watt would clearly be rated higher.
•Last year the Cowboys had to work with 20 defensive linemen because of injuries and ineffectiveness. But the linebacker position was greatly affected by injury as well. Sean Lee missed time. So did Justin Durant. Bruce Carter missed a game. Ernie Sims was dinged up a little bit. I wonder what it is about the linebacker position. Durant didn’t make it through the season opener because of a groin injury and missed two games. Rolando McClain hurt his groin in the second game of the season against the Tennessee Titans and missed a game. Carter had to leave Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints with a quadriceps injury and his availability for this Sunday’s game is in doubt. This doesn’t even count DeVonte Holloman, whose career ended in training camp because of a neck injury. The Cowboys have had to cross-train guys like Anthony Hitchens and Cameron Lawrence just to be covered. Managing a position because of injuries is never easy. Here’s a mini-wonder: Korey Toomer has been active for two of the first four games but hasn’t played a snap. I wonder why the coaches are hesitant to play him.
•I wonder if Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones will raise the fact that the Cowboys have had two defensive touchdowns taken away through the first four games because of incorrect officiating to his fellow Competition Committee members. McClain had a potential touchdown taken away against the Titans when an interception was initially ruled to have hit the ground. He was never touched and went to the end zone. The Cowboys correctly used replay to get the ball but lost a touchdown. Last week against the Saints, Moore lost a touchdown when Saints runner Khiry Robinson was incorrectly ruled down. Those plays didn’t end up really hurting the Cowboys, but that’s not the point. The officials need to be sure of what they see and stop guessing at what they see. If there is a doubt, don’t blow the whistle.
