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Fraley: Cowboys' young safeties improving, but still not elite
12:06 AM CST on Thursday, December 9, 2010
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
IRVING – The play of Cowboys' safeties Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh cannot be placed into one tidy category.
Is it better than what the Cowboys received from the positions last season?
Yes, with an emphasis on the last four games. Ball and Sensabaugh have fanned the recent takeaway frenzy by combining for three interceptions and eight passes defended in the 3-1 run with interim coach Jason Garrett.
For the season, the safeties have a total of four interceptions and 11 passes defended. The forgettable Ken Hamlin, Sensabaugh and Ball on a part-time basis combined for one interception and 12 passes defended last season.
"We had a proven veteran [Sensabaugh] and an up-and-coming player [Ball] trying to figure out how to do it on the run," safeties coach Brett Maxie said Wednesday. "After a while, they start communicating with each other, and things start to jell.
"Now, they're seeing it through the same eyes. That's how this has evolved. That takes time."
Is the play of Ball and Sensabaugh enough to move the Cowboys into the NFL's upper third of safety tag-teams?
No, not by the measuring stick of big plays made by the safeties.
Add the total from five categories: interceptions, passes-defended, fumbles forced, fumbles recovered and sacks. The Cowboys rank 14th with 17 ½, an improvement of 3 ½ over last year's final total.
The leader appears at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night. Philadelphia's Quintin Mikell and rookie Nate Allen lead with a sum of 30. Cincinnati, with former Cowboy Roy Williams at strong safety, and San Francisco share the bottom with sums of nine.
Put it together, and a snapshot emerges of a Cowboys safeties tandem on the rise.
"We're playing," said Sensabaugh, held out of practice because of a thigh bruise. "We had some success last year playing together. This year, we've done all right. Had a few mistakes, but we've done all right."
When safeties assert themselves, defenses get takeaways. Philadelphia ranks second in the league for takeaways with 28.
The Cowboys' surge in takeaways coincided with the improved play from the safeties. The Cowboys have 11 takeaways worth 42 points in the last four games. In the previous eight games, the Cowboys had 10 takeaways worth 37 points.
"On defense, they're flying around, making plays, getting their hands on balls," Eagles coach Andy Reid said during a conference call.
Ball and Sensabaugh teamed for four games last season when Hamlin was injured. That was not enough time together to spare them from going through a learning experience this season. There were some blown assignments and missed plays.
As the safeties have become more comfortable through time together in games and practice, the mistakes have dwindled. The safeties are making far more plays now than they did in the 1-7 start.
"I think that [familiarity] has a lot to do with it," Ball said. "People think we played bad, but I don't think we ever did. The work we put in is starting to show up."
Consider the first takeaway from the win at Indianapolis on Sunday.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning launched a deep pass for Reggie Wayne . With cornerback Mike Jenkins in tight coverage, Ball made a classic over-the-top free-safety move. Swooping in like a ball-hawking center fielder, Ball got an interception at the Cowboys' 16.
It ranked among Ball's top plays of the season, if not his single best moment.
"Gerald's played great all year, and that's really helped me," Ball said. "I feel more confident all the time."
What does this surge by the safeties do for the Cowboys' planning?
Do they stay with this pair, keeping Sensabaugh from leaving as a free agent? Or do the Cowboys return with a new safeties combination for the fourth consecutive season? The picture at safety still lacks clarity.
Big-play combinations
The leading safeties combinations by combined interceptions, passes-defended, fumbles forced, fumbles recovered and sacks:
Team Safeties No.
1. Philadelphia Nate Allen Quintin Mikell 30
2. New Orleans Roman Harper Malcolm Jenkins 28
T3. Arizona Kerry Rhodes Adrian Wilson 26
T3. Cleveland Abraham Elam T.J. Ward 26
5. Tennessee Michael Griffin Chris Hope 23.5
6. Pittsburgh Ryan Clark Troy Polamalu 22
T7. Oakland Tyvon Branch Michael Huff 21
T7. St. Louis O.J. Atogwe Craig Dahl 21
T9. Kansas City Eric Berry Jon McGraw 20
T9. Seattle Lawyer Milloy Earl Thomas 20
• • •
12:06 AM CST on Thursday, December 9, 2010
By GERRY FRALEY / The Dallas Morning News
gfraley@dallasnews.com
IRVING – The play of Cowboys' safeties Alan Ball and Gerald Sensabaugh cannot be placed into one tidy category.
Is it better than what the Cowboys received from the positions last season?
Yes, with an emphasis on the last four games. Ball and Sensabaugh have fanned the recent takeaway frenzy by combining for three interceptions and eight passes defended in the 3-1 run with interim coach Jason Garrett.
For the season, the safeties have a total of four interceptions and 11 passes defended. The forgettable Ken Hamlin, Sensabaugh and Ball on a part-time basis combined for one interception and 12 passes defended last season.
"We had a proven veteran [Sensabaugh] and an up-and-coming player [Ball] trying to figure out how to do it on the run," safeties coach Brett Maxie said Wednesday. "After a while, they start communicating with each other, and things start to jell.
"Now, they're seeing it through the same eyes. That's how this has evolved. That takes time."
Is the play of Ball and Sensabaugh enough to move the Cowboys into the NFL's upper third of safety tag-teams?
No, not by the measuring stick of big plays made by the safeties.
Add the total from five categories: interceptions, passes-defended, fumbles forced, fumbles recovered and sacks. The Cowboys rank 14th with 17 ½, an improvement of 3 ½ over last year's final total.
The leader appears at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night. Philadelphia's Quintin Mikell and rookie Nate Allen lead with a sum of 30. Cincinnati, with former Cowboy Roy Williams at strong safety, and San Francisco share the bottom with sums of nine.
Put it together, and a snapshot emerges of a Cowboys safeties tandem on the rise.
"We're playing," said Sensabaugh, held out of practice because of a thigh bruise. "We had some success last year playing together. This year, we've done all right. Had a few mistakes, but we've done all right."
When safeties assert themselves, defenses get takeaways. Philadelphia ranks second in the league for takeaways with 28.
The Cowboys' surge in takeaways coincided with the improved play from the safeties. The Cowboys have 11 takeaways worth 42 points in the last four games. In the previous eight games, the Cowboys had 10 takeaways worth 37 points.
"On defense, they're flying around, making plays, getting their hands on balls," Eagles coach Andy Reid said during a conference call.
Ball and Sensabaugh teamed for four games last season when Hamlin was injured. That was not enough time together to spare them from going through a learning experience this season. There were some blown assignments and missed plays.
As the safeties have become more comfortable through time together in games and practice, the mistakes have dwindled. The safeties are making far more plays now than they did in the 1-7 start.
"I think that [familiarity] has a lot to do with it," Ball said. "People think we played bad, but I don't think we ever did. The work we put in is starting to show up."
Consider the first takeaway from the win at Indianapolis on Sunday.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning launched a deep pass for Reggie Wayne . With cornerback Mike Jenkins in tight coverage, Ball made a classic over-the-top free-safety move. Swooping in like a ball-hawking center fielder, Ball got an interception at the Cowboys' 16.
It ranked among Ball's top plays of the season, if not his single best moment.
"Gerald's played great all year, and that's really helped me," Ball said. "I feel more confident all the time."
What does this surge by the safeties do for the Cowboys' planning?
Do they stay with this pair, keeping Sensabaugh from leaving as a free agent? Or do the Cowboys return with a new safeties combination for the fourth consecutive season? The picture at safety still lacks clarity.
Big-play combinations
The leading safeties combinations by combined interceptions, passes-defended, fumbles forced, fumbles recovered and sacks:
Team Safeties No.
1. Philadelphia Nate Allen Quintin Mikell 30
2. New Orleans Roman Harper Malcolm Jenkins 28
T3. Arizona Kerry Rhodes Adrian Wilson 26
T3. Cleveland Abraham Elam T.J. Ward 26
5. Tennessee Michael Griffin Chris Hope 23.5
6. Pittsburgh Ryan Clark Troy Polamalu 22
T7. Oakland Tyvon Branch Michael Huff 21
T7. St. Louis O.J. Atogwe Craig Dahl 21
T9. Kansas City Eric Berry Jon McGraw 20
T9. Seattle Lawyer Milloy Earl Thomas 20
• • •
