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Fraley: As season opener nears, Cowboys must 'flip the switch' in a hurry
12:01 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 7, 2010
COLUMN By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News | gfraley@dallasnews.com
Gerry Fraley
Archive | Bio | E-mail
IRVING – As the Cowboys' defense moved through Monday morning's walk-through portion of practice, the spirit gripped inside linebacker Keith Brooking.
He dislikes the suggestion that a team can "flip a switch" to focus on the regular season. That said, Brooking recognized this started the first true game week of the season. Something needed to be said.
"This is what we've been preparing for," Brooking told the defense. "This is what it's all about. Let's roll."
The response?
"You could see the look in everyone's eyes," Brooking said. "It's not that we flipped a switch on, but it's time to go now. This is what we've all been working for. It's very exciting."
After a dull but taxing preseason that included five games and cross-country travel, the Cowboys start the real thing with Sunday's opener at Washington. Their challenge this week is to regain the edge that is lost during the drudgery of training camp.
The Cowboys must "flip the switch" to the "on" position in a hurry.
"It's more mental now," center Andre Gurode said. "When the live bullets start flying, it's for real. Everything picks up. Everything is faster. Everything intensifies."
Coach Wade Phillips and his staff started the process by introducing a game plan for the Redskins. That was the same as putting out red meat for a pack of ravenous wolves.
Part of a dwindling group that includes Indianapolis and Philadelphia, the Cowboys use exhibitions to evaluate individual talent and do not waste time setting a game plan. Playing the same basic defense and using a few simple offensive plays becomes tedious to established players.
Bringing out a game plan sent a charge of electricity through the locker room.
"I was excited," strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "We had a whole training camp doing the same stuff over and over. It's good to get into some real football stuff now."
Phillips has had his team ready for the start. Under Phillips, the Cowboys are 3-0 on opening day and 9-2 in September. The Cowboys last won four consecutive openers in 1983-86, with Tom Landry as coach.
For Phillips and his staff, the process starts with the opening day of training camp. The players do not join in until they make it through camp. Phillips accepts that and does not push too hard too soon.
"They're getting ready," Phillips said. "No matter what you do in preseason, there's another level. The intensity is picking up. You can tell it."
The focus this week rests on the offense in general and the ground game in particular.
The first offense, with Tony Romo at quarterback, scored only 13 points in 12 full possessions during exhibition play. Romo was handicapped by a lifeless running game.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones, the top two backs, combined for 44 yards and no scores on 21 carries. They had 37 carries for 146 yards and three touchdowns in exhibition play a year ago. The line opened few holes.
"Everybody feels the need to be a little bit better in what they're doing," Gurode said.
The Cowboys open with two games – at Washington and the home opener with Chicago – against clubs that had losing records last season. The Cowboys have only three more dates against clubs that had losing records last year. It is "switch-flipping" time for this team.
• • •
12:01 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 7, 2010
COLUMN By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
Column by GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News | gfraley@dallasnews.com
Gerry Fraley
Archive | Bio | E-mail
IRVING – As the Cowboys' defense moved through Monday morning's walk-through portion of practice, the spirit gripped inside linebacker Keith Brooking.
He dislikes the suggestion that a team can "flip a switch" to focus on the regular season. That said, Brooking recognized this started the first true game week of the season. Something needed to be said.
"This is what we've been preparing for," Brooking told the defense. "This is what it's all about. Let's roll."
The response?
"You could see the look in everyone's eyes," Brooking said. "It's not that we flipped a switch on, but it's time to go now. This is what we've all been working for. It's very exciting."
After a dull but taxing preseason that included five games and cross-country travel, the Cowboys start the real thing with Sunday's opener at Washington. Their challenge this week is to regain the edge that is lost during the drudgery of training camp.
The Cowboys must "flip the switch" to the "on" position in a hurry.
"It's more mental now," center Andre Gurode said. "When the live bullets start flying, it's for real. Everything picks up. Everything is faster. Everything intensifies."
Coach Wade Phillips and his staff started the process by introducing a game plan for the Redskins. That was the same as putting out red meat for a pack of ravenous wolves.
Part of a dwindling group that includes Indianapolis and Philadelphia, the Cowboys use exhibitions to evaluate individual talent and do not waste time setting a game plan. Playing the same basic defense and using a few simple offensive plays becomes tedious to established players.
Bringing out a game plan sent a charge of electricity through the locker room.
"I was excited," strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. "We had a whole training camp doing the same stuff over and over. It's good to get into some real football stuff now."
Phillips has had his team ready for the start. Under Phillips, the Cowboys are 3-0 on opening day and 9-2 in September. The Cowboys last won four consecutive openers in 1983-86, with Tom Landry as coach.
For Phillips and his staff, the process starts with the opening day of training camp. The players do not join in until they make it through camp. Phillips accepts that and does not push too hard too soon.
"They're getting ready," Phillips said. "No matter what you do in preseason, there's another level. The intensity is picking up. You can tell it."
The focus this week rests on the offense in general and the ground game in particular.
The first offense, with Tony Romo at quarterback, scored only 13 points in 12 full possessions during exhibition play. Romo was handicapped by a lifeless running game.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones, the top two backs, combined for 44 yards and no scores on 21 carries. They had 37 carries for 146 yards and three touchdowns in exhibition play a year ago. The line opened few holes.
"Everybody feels the need to be a little bit better in what they're doing," Gurode said.
The Cowboys open with two games – at Washington and the home opener with Chicago – against clubs that had losing records last season. The Cowboys have only three more dates against clubs that had losing records last year. It is "switch-flipping" time for this team.
• • •
