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Can Doug Free handle Mario Williams? Will Romo light up Texans secondary?
By Tom Orsborn on Sep 25, 10 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share
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HOUSTON - Left tackle Doug Free has been the Cowboys best offensive lineman through two games.
The Cowboys released longtime starter Flozell Adams in the spring to hand the job of protecting Tony Romo's backside to Free.
"Before the season (people) were saying, 'Gosh, what are we going to do? We don't have a left tackle and he (Free) might not (be able to handle it),' " Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "He's played well. He's a good player."
Free eased fears with the way he handled the Redskins' Andre Carter in the opener and the Bears' Julius Peppers last week.
Now comes perhaps his biggest challenge: the Texans' Mario Williams.
"I think he has to use good technique," Romo said of Free. "He has to be ready for the bull rush. Doug knows that going in. I feel strong about Doug having a good game this week."
If Free can slow down Williams, Romo should have time to take his shots at the Texans' shaky pass defense. Houston ranks last in the NFL in pass defense, yielding a whopping 411.0 yards per game.
"They have played two real good quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb) that can throw the football," Phillips said. "They have a young group (in the secondary), but they have good pass rushers and they won both games. They also beat a team (Washington) that beat us at their place."
Phillips played it coy when asked if the offense would sport a pass-heavy gameplan.
"We'll see," he said. "That's why we play. We have a game plan. We'll see what happens."
Romo expects the Texans to mix things up defensively.
"They play a good scheme," Romo said. "Defensively, they do a lot of stuff. We got to be really prepared for a bare front this week. We are actually going to put some time in where we move people down on the line and try and create mismatches. So we'll work in that a bunch. As far as what they do, they're a team that is not unlike a Tampa Two system; but they don't play it all that much. They're a man-to-man team and zone dog. They do a little bit of everything. You really have to be ready."
By Tom Orsborn on Sep 25, 10 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share
HOUSTON - Left tackle Doug Free has been the Cowboys best offensive lineman through two games.
The Cowboys released longtime starter Flozell Adams in the spring to hand the job of protecting Tony Romo's backside to Free.
"Before the season (people) were saying, 'Gosh, what are we going to do? We don't have a left tackle and he (Free) might not (be able to handle it),' " Dallas coach Wade Phillips said. "He's played well. He's a good player."
Free eased fears with the way he handled the Redskins' Andre Carter in the opener and the Bears' Julius Peppers last week.
Now comes perhaps his biggest challenge: the Texans' Mario Williams.
"I think he has to use good technique," Romo said of Free. "He has to be ready for the bull rush. Doug knows that going in. I feel strong about Doug having a good game this week."
If Free can slow down Williams, Romo should have time to take his shots at the Texans' shaky pass defense. Houston ranks last in the NFL in pass defense, yielding a whopping 411.0 yards per game.
"They have played two real good quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Donovan McNabb) that can throw the football," Phillips said. "They have a young group (in the secondary), but they have good pass rushers and they won both games. They also beat a team (Washington) that beat us at their place."
Phillips played it coy when asked if the offense would sport a pass-heavy gameplan.
"We'll see," he said. "That's why we play. We have a game plan. We'll see what happens."
Romo expects the Texans to mix things up defensively.
"They play a good scheme," Romo said. "Defensively, they do a lot of stuff. We got to be really prepared for a bare front this week. We are actually going to put some time in where we move people down on the line and try and create mismatches. So we'll work in that a bunch. As far as what they do, they're a team that is not unlike a Tampa Two system; but they don't play it all that much. They're a man-to-man team and zone dog. They do a little bit of everything. You really have to be ready."
