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Updated: October 14, 2010, 6:16 PM
Same Problems
Eatman: Didn't We Leave Minnesota With These Issues?
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Email | Follow nickeatman on Twitter
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The Vikings dominated the Cowboys offensive line and torched the secondary for big plays.
IRVING, Texas - So many great things came out of the 2009 season.
Of course, getting that first playoff win in 13 years stands out the most. It was the first playoff win for Wade Phillips and Tony Romo.
The Cowboys showed they could win big games in December and with their backs against the wall.
They found a superstar in Miles Austin, who had one of the more memorable performances in club history.
Yet, when the season ended, and how the season ended, still took precedent over anything else that occurred last year.
As great as the Cowboys had played leading up to the NFC divisional round in Minnesota, they were pummeled and embarrassed by the Vikings, leaving a bitter taste in everyone's mouth that had to carry over into the offseason.
When that happens, it really just takes over the entire summer. Just like it did in 2008, when every move that was made was to try and improve off that 44-6 loss to the Eagles.
And although the 2009 season was much better, it still came down to the 34-3 defeat last January in the Metrodome.
Just look at the two issues that were addressed this offseason - offensive line and safety. Both were problem areas in the playoff loss.
So the Cowboys tried to get younger and better at left tackle with the Doug Free for Flozell Adams swap. And they cut Ken Hamlin to give Alan Ball the chance to improve the safety spot.
Here we are four games into the schedule, with the Cowboys staring at what could be one of the most important regular-season games in recent history, and have those two areas been improved at all?
On Thursday here at Valley Ranch, Jerry Jones addressed the media, covering several topics, but a lot of his message centered on last year's playoff loss. He said several times that this year's team is better equipped to go up to Minnesota and beat the Vikings.
Now, maybe some of that has to do with the fact the Vikings are also 1-3, and won't be coming off a bye week in the playoffs as one of the NFL's best teams.
Still, from Jerry's standpoint, the confidence is there.
He sees Doug Free playing better than Adams did. He sees a healthier Marc Colombo, who is in better playing shape than he was last January.
Now, as Jerry is saying all of this, what he didn't see was his Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode leaving the field because of a right knee injury that apparently was bad enough to keep him from practicing.
If Gurode isn't out there Sunday in Minnesota, making the calls and hand signals to offset the raucous crowd, not to mention facing the Williams Wall, then I'm sure the confidence meter on the O-Line changes just a tad.
Kyle Kosier has started just as many NFL games at center as Phil Costa. Either way, that could be a long day.
But I would expect Gurode to be ready to play, although he did get an MRI on Thursday evening.
Still, it's debatable if the offensive line, as a unit, is that much better than last year.
I would agree that Free is playing on a higher, more consistent level right now than we saw from Adams, but as a group, it doesn't look much better.
You can't evaluate this group without taking everything into consideration. Yes, they're playing, blocking, pulling, making the calls ... better. But what about penalties? It's always been an issue with the line, but it seems to be even worse here lately.
If you're like me, you watched the Titans game, and all the sacks, penalties and mistakes from the line, and then immediately took into consideration this week's opponent in Minnesota. Yeah, it's a scary thought.
So to say this team is in better shape on the offensive line as it heads back to Minnesota is questionable at best.
The same goes for safety.
Remember last year, Gerald Sensabaugh kind of fell asleep in the middle of a long bomb to Sidney Rice ... umm, the first one that is. Even though Sensabaugh had a really good season, that was the last play we all remembered from him.
The Cowboys cut Ken Hamlin and it was Ball's turn.
But here we are four games in, and I don't think you can say the safety play is better. If so, how?
Not only does
Same Problems
Eatman: Didn't We Leave Minnesota With These Issues?
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Email | Follow nickeatman on Twitter
EmailPrintFacebookShareThis
The Vikings dominated the Cowboys offensive line and torched the secondary for big plays.
IRVING, Texas - So many great things came out of the 2009 season.
Of course, getting that first playoff win in 13 years stands out the most. It was the first playoff win for Wade Phillips and Tony Romo.
The Cowboys showed they could win big games in December and with their backs against the wall.
They found a superstar in Miles Austin, who had one of the more memorable performances in club history.
Yet, when the season ended, and how the season ended, still took precedent over anything else that occurred last year.
As great as the Cowboys had played leading up to the NFC divisional round in Minnesota, they were pummeled and embarrassed by the Vikings, leaving a bitter taste in everyone's mouth that had to carry over into the offseason.
When that happens, it really just takes over the entire summer. Just like it did in 2008, when every move that was made was to try and improve off that 44-6 loss to the Eagles.
And although the 2009 season was much better, it still came down to the 34-3 defeat last January in the Metrodome.
Just look at the two issues that were addressed this offseason - offensive line and safety. Both were problem areas in the playoff loss.
So the Cowboys tried to get younger and better at left tackle with the Doug Free for Flozell Adams swap. And they cut Ken Hamlin to give Alan Ball the chance to improve the safety spot.
Here we are four games into the schedule, with the Cowboys staring at what could be one of the most important regular-season games in recent history, and have those two areas been improved at all?
On Thursday here at Valley Ranch, Jerry Jones addressed the media, covering several topics, but a lot of his message centered on last year's playoff loss. He said several times that this year's team is better equipped to go up to Minnesota and beat the Vikings.
Now, maybe some of that has to do with the fact the Vikings are also 1-3, and won't be coming off a bye week in the playoffs as one of the NFL's best teams.
Still, from Jerry's standpoint, the confidence is there.
He sees Doug Free playing better than Adams did. He sees a healthier Marc Colombo, who is in better playing shape than he was last January.
Now, as Jerry is saying all of this, what he didn't see was his Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode leaving the field because of a right knee injury that apparently was bad enough to keep him from practicing.
If Gurode isn't out there Sunday in Minnesota, making the calls and hand signals to offset the raucous crowd, not to mention facing the Williams Wall, then I'm sure the confidence meter on the O-Line changes just a tad.
Kyle Kosier has started just as many NFL games at center as Phil Costa. Either way, that could be a long day.
But I would expect Gurode to be ready to play, although he did get an MRI on Thursday evening.
Still, it's debatable if the offensive line, as a unit, is that much better than last year.
I would agree that Free is playing on a higher, more consistent level right now than we saw from Adams, but as a group, it doesn't look much better.
You can't evaluate this group without taking everything into consideration. Yes, they're playing, blocking, pulling, making the calls ... better. But what about penalties? It's always been an issue with the line, but it seems to be even worse here lately.
If you're like me, you watched the Titans game, and all the sacks, penalties and mistakes from the line, and then immediately took into consideration this week's opponent in Minnesota. Yeah, it's a scary thought.
So to say this team is in better shape on the offensive line as it heads back to Minnesota is questionable at best.
The same goes for safety.
Remember last year, Gerald Sensabaugh kind of fell asleep in the middle of a long bomb to Sidney Rice ... umm, the first one that is. Even though Sensabaugh had a really good season, that was the last play we all remembered from him.
The Cowboys cut Ken Hamlin and it was Ball's turn.
But here we are four games in, and I don't think you can say the safety play is better. If so, how?
Not only does
