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Bob Sturm has hosted his half of the Bob and Dan show (12p-3p) on the Sportsradio 1310, The Ticket in Dallas, since 1999. A native of Wisconsin, Bob has blogged on the Cowboys, Stars, and Mavericks for 6 years - or since blogging was invented. Follow him on Twitter @SportsSturm
Very few fan bases in the NFL have the audacity to be outraged on the night that their team played on the road as a huge underdog and nearly pulled off the upset. To play on the road against a team that many experts expect to be in the Super Bowl and have them on the ropes for most of the afternoon is usually cause for some level of encouragement this early in the season.
After all, interconference games in mid-October in the NFL have very little permanent effect. They are a chance to measure yourself in a hostile stadium and find out how your franchise can deal with the best in the business on their terms.
Of course, in Dallas, that isn't how things work.
Here, the sniff of a victory comes with the demand for one. If this team came close to showing the NFL that it can handle any situation, then it better leave with the "W" or it will only serve the populace with more evidence that the QB or coach or both are not worthy of the uniform. Those of us who cover the team year after year know that the only thing that satisfies the angry loyalists is victory.
There is no middle ground. Either the Cowboys win or they are all bums.
And that is where we will have to agree to disagree. There are 31 potential opponents for the Cowboys in any season, and NFL experts would likely agree that the most difficult of all scenarios is to play at New England. Anyone who felt when the 2011 schedule was released that the Cowboys would win this contest was being extremely optimistic.
Yet, the Cowboys showed that they have the ability to play with New England and have a chance to win in the end. Once the dust settles, I would think followers will understand that the Cowboys are still positioned to accomplish many of their goals in 2011.
On the other hand, working that hard on a Sunday afternoon and leaving with only the encouragement that better days are ahead is seldom enough to satisfy the masses. The Cowboys, for the fifth time in 2011, were in a great position to win the game and for the third time saw a fourth-quarter lead turned into defeat.
That is tough to stomach for anyone who pulls for the Cowboys.
And at the heart of the disappointment is yet another offensive head-scratcher. All roads again lead back to everyone's favorite past-time: battering Tony Romo and Jason Garrett at the water cooler.
Following another spectacular defensive play from Sean Lee in a 13-13 game with 9:00 to play, the Cowboys drove the ball down the field and appeared to be poised to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. But, as the trend has recently revealed, many of the Cowboys' deficiencies (offensive line, offensive line, offensive line) surface in the red zone. Not only do we know that, but the Cowboys know it, too -- which is why they don't even try half of what they would like to try and their opponents know it.
They don't respect the threat of the Cowboys running the ball. They know Jason Garrett is not crazy enough to waste a down.
So, the obvious conclusion for many would be: "If the offense cannot run the ball because of the OL, then why not pass the ball?" And that is where we can only speculate, because we know what happens when they run the ball (20 carries for just 52 yards from running formations).
On first and goal from the 10 with 6:25 to play, the Cowboys called a tight-end screen to Martellus Bennett to make the Patriots pay for over-pursuit and for giving too much attention to Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. The play pushed the Cowboys to the 5-yard line. It also lost Bill Nagy, the Cowboys' left guard who had been thrown around all day like a rag doll by Vince Wilfork and friends, to a broken leg. That meant Kevin Kowalksi -- he of 19 NFL plays -- would take over in that position to Romo's immediate left that had been a disaster all afternoon. Romo knew this and Garrett knew this.
On second and goal, Dez Bryant was in man coverage on the left flank and it seemed to scream to everyone that the fade that Bryant generally wins would be the right call. But a seond DB looked like he was going to offer help on the fade pattern, and Romo dumped the ball off to Tashard Choice underneath.
The right decision – and he'll see it in the film room – would have been for Romo to throw the fade since the double coverage didn't materialize. Instead, the throw fell incomplete at the feet of Choice.
Now, on third and goal from the 5, the Cowboys shifted to the mentality of not taking points off the board. Was it conservative? Of course, it was – certainly with an enemy stadium pulsating, a rookie seeing his first real action in a crucial spot in front of one of the more elite defensive tackles in football, and a QB who is noticeably cognizant of his ribs, his recent history, and the importance of not screwing this up.
Jason Garrett called the notorious shovel pass to Choice, hoping to catch the Patriots in more over-pursuit. As crazy as it sounds, it almost worked as every Patriot in front of the play was accounted for. But, the backside leaked as Brandon Spikes destroyed the play from behind and the Cowboys settled for their go-ahead field goal.
A golden opportunity at seven points conceded for the relative certainty of a three-point road lead with 5 minutes to play.
From there, the defense forced another three-and-out with 3:36 to go, putting the Cowboys a four-minute drill from icing this game.
The object of the four-minute drill, practiced league-wide, is to nurse home a lead. If you can run 8-10 plays, the game is over even if the opponent has timeouts. No points are needed, so obviously you really want to be careful even with your opponent playing the percentages and selling out to stop the run since that is what everyone does.
Those who sit home and play Madden will tell you it is a perfect time to break out the passing attack, but about 32 of 32 NFL coaches would have done what Garrett did: run, run, run.
Of course, 32 teams are not running the ball as poorly as the Cowboys. In fact, almost nobody is running as poorly as the Cowboys in situations where you have to run the ball.
And this is the problem. As much as everyone wants to talk play-calling and QB play, the issues in the red zone and the four-minute drill come back to the fact that this team cannot run the ball and has no faith in its offensive line right now.
Could you imagine the amount of grief Garrett would take if he called three passes and the Cowboys possession there lasted 15 seconds and allowed the Patriots to save their timeouts? But he was going to be picked apart no matter what he called if the Cowboys didn't move the chains two more times.
Instead, they faced a 3rd and 18, ran a draw play, punted, and put the ball in the hands of Tom Brady with plenty of time to march down the field and win the game.
Until these issues get fixed, Romo and Garrett will continue to get hammered for their alleged incompetence. But I would imagine most NFL coaches and scouts, who can see these issues clearly and that are not affected with sports-talk narratives and rooting allegiances, would admit that the Cowboys are in a real pickle right now. They cannot run a large part of their offense because their personnel dictates their decision-making. And by losing Nagy for the rest of the year, the lack of depth on the interior of the OL only worsens with no solution in sight. Surely, Andre Gurode and maybe Brian Waters are getting a chuckle from the developments.
Yes, the play-calling needs to improve at times. Yes, the QB play is a real issue at times. But, I cannot believe most people ignore the fact that the personnel on this offensive line is inadequate. They turned over quite a bit of the 2010 OL that so underperformed. But in watching Wilfork, Kyle Love, and Albert Haynesworth devour the interior of the Cowboys offense, it became very evident that "different" doesn't always mean "better". It might mean cheaper, though.
Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo had to go. Gurode likely did not. Waters wanted to play here after Kansas City cut him loose. Instead, the Cowboys elected to set sail with undrafted center Phil Costa, and seventh-round rookie Bill Nagy. Yes, they were different, but they were not better. They could develop into something better, but while they learn to play in the NFL, the Cowboys must tailor their offense around them.
The moves smacked of financial considerations rather than jobs won. And for that, the Cowboys lose a game that was sitting there ready to be won.
Five games in, and the youth movement on the offensive line is appearing to be a real Achilles' heel. Tyron Smith looks to be a stud-in-waiting, and if he was the only rookie on the OL, like New England with right tackle Nate Solder, then Romo and his skill players would have a chance.
Instead, the personnel/financial department of the team took a real chance at a youth movement. And the results are bad and getting worse.
Even so, one more positive play would have meant victory in Foxsboro. And that is what is so frustrating to those around the squad. The offensive line logic in the offseason seems to have put a real leash on how good this team could be this year.
The NFL is tough enough. Nobody wins in New England. So, you certainly don't need to be inflicting wounds on yourself – and this appears to have been lost in August.
ARCHIVE | EMAIL
Bob Sturm has hosted his half of the Bob and Dan show (12p-3p) on the Sportsradio 1310, The Ticket in Dallas, since 1999. A native of Wisconsin, Bob has blogged on the Cowboys, Stars, and Mavericks for 6 years - or since blogging was invented. Follow him on Twitter @SportsSturm
Very few fan bases in the NFL have the audacity to be outraged on the night that their team played on the road as a huge underdog and nearly pulled off the upset. To play on the road against a team that many experts expect to be in the Super Bowl and have them on the ropes for most of the afternoon is usually cause for some level of encouragement this early in the season.
After all, interconference games in mid-October in the NFL have very little permanent effect. They are a chance to measure yourself in a hostile stadium and find out how your franchise can deal with the best in the business on their terms.
Of course, in Dallas, that isn't how things work.
Here, the sniff of a victory comes with the demand for one. If this team came close to showing the NFL that it can handle any situation, then it better leave with the "W" or it will only serve the populace with more evidence that the QB or coach or both are not worthy of the uniform. Those of us who cover the team year after year know that the only thing that satisfies the angry loyalists is victory.
There is no middle ground. Either the Cowboys win or they are all bums.
And that is where we will have to agree to disagree. There are 31 potential opponents for the Cowboys in any season, and NFL experts would likely agree that the most difficult of all scenarios is to play at New England. Anyone who felt when the 2011 schedule was released that the Cowboys would win this contest was being extremely optimistic.
Yet, the Cowboys showed that they have the ability to play with New England and have a chance to win in the end. Once the dust settles, I would think followers will understand that the Cowboys are still positioned to accomplish many of their goals in 2011.
On the other hand, working that hard on a Sunday afternoon and leaving with only the encouragement that better days are ahead is seldom enough to satisfy the masses. The Cowboys, for the fifth time in 2011, were in a great position to win the game and for the third time saw a fourth-quarter lead turned into defeat.
That is tough to stomach for anyone who pulls for the Cowboys.
And at the heart of the disappointment is yet another offensive head-scratcher. All roads again lead back to everyone's favorite past-time: battering Tony Romo and Jason Garrett at the water cooler.
Following another spectacular defensive play from Sean Lee in a 13-13 game with 9:00 to play, the Cowboys drove the ball down the field and appeared to be poised to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. But, as the trend has recently revealed, many of the Cowboys' deficiencies (offensive line, offensive line, offensive line) surface in the red zone. Not only do we know that, but the Cowboys know it, too -- which is why they don't even try half of what they would like to try and their opponents know it.
They don't respect the threat of the Cowboys running the ball. They know Jason Garrett is not crazy enough to waste a down.
So, the obvious conclusion for many would be: "If the offense cannot run the ball because of the OL, then why not pass the ball?" And that is where we can only speculate, because we know what happens when they run the ball (20 carries for just 52 yards from running formations).
On first and goal from the 10 with 6:25 to play, the Cowboys called a tight-end screen to Martellus Bennett to make the Patriots pay for over-pursuit and for giving too much attention to Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. The play pushed the Cowboys to the 5-yard line. It also lost Bill Nagy, the Cowboys' left guard who had been thrown around all day like a rag doll by Vince Wilfork and friends, to a broken leg. That meant Kevin Kowalksi -- he of 19 NFL plays -- would take over in that position to Romo's immediate left that had been a disaster all afternoon. Romo knew this and Garrett knew this.
On second and goal, Dez Bryant was in man coverage on the left flank and it seemed to scream to everyone that the fade that Bryant generally wins would be the right call. But a seond DB looked like he was going to offer help on the fade pattern, and Romo dumped the ball off to Tashard Choice underneath.
The right decision – and he'll see it in the film room – would have been for Romo to throw the fade since the double coverage didn't materialize. Instead, the throw fell incomplete at the feet of Choice.
Now, on third and goal from the 5, the Cowboys shifted to the mentality of not taking points off the board. Was it conservative? Of course, it was – certainly with an enemy stadium pulsating, a rookie seeing his first real action in a crucial spot in front of one of the more elite defensive tackles in football, and a QB who is noticeably cognizant of his ribs, his recent history, and the importance of not screwing this up.
Jason Garrett called the notorious shovel pass to Choice, hoping to catch the Patriots in more over-pursuit. As crazy as it sounds, it almost worked as every Patriot in front of the play was accounted for. But, the backside leaked as Brandon Spikes destroyed the play from behind and the Cowboys settled for their go-ahead field goal.
A golden opportunity at seven points conceded for the relative certainty of a three-point road lead with 5 minutes to play.
From there, the defense forced another three-and-out with 3:36 to go, putting the Cowboys a four-minute drill from icing this game.
The object of the four-minute drill, practiced league-wide, is to nurse home a lead. If you can run 8-10 plays, the game is over even if the opponent has timeouts. No points are needed, so obviously you really want to be careful even with your opponent playing the percentages and selling out to stop the run since that is what everyone does.
Those who sit home and play Madden will tell you it is a perfect time to break out the passing attack, but about 32 of 32 NFL coaches would have done what Garrett did: run, run, run.
Of course, 32 teams are not running the ball as poorly as the Cowboys. In fact, almost nobody is running as poorly as the Cowboys in situations where you have to run the ball.
And this is the problem. As much as everyone wants to talk play-calling and QB play, the issues in the red zone and the four-minute drill come back to the fact that this team cannot run the ball and has no faith in its offensive line right now.
Could you imagine the amount of grief Garrett would take if he called three passes and the Cowboys possession there lasted 15 seconds and allowed the Patriots to save their timeouts? But he was going to be picked apart no matter what he called if the Cowboys didn't move the chains two more times.
Instead, they faced a 3rd and 18, ran a draw play, punted, and put the ball in the hands of Tom Brady with plenty of time to march down the field and win the game.
Until these issues get fixed, Romo and Garrett will continue to get hammered for their alleged incompetence. But I would imagine most NFL coaches and scouts, who can see these issues clearly and that are not affected with sports-talk narratives and rooting allegiances, would admit that the Cowboys are in a real pickle right now. They cannot run a large part of their offense because their personnel dictates their decision-making. And by losing Nagy for the rest of the year, the lack of depth on the interior of the OL only worsens with no solution in sight. Surely, Andre Gurode and maybe Brian Waters are getting a chuckle from the developments.
Yes, the play-calling needs to improve at times. Yes, the QB play is a real issue at times. But, I cannot believe most people ignore the fact that the personnel on this offensive line is inadequate. They turned over quite a bit of the 2010 OL that so underperformed. But in watching Wilfork, Kyle Love, and Albert Haynesworth devour the interior of the Cowboys offense, it became very evident that "different" doesn't always mean "better". It might mean cheaper, though.
Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo had to go. Gurode likely did not. Waters wanted to play here after Kansas City cut him loose. Instead, the Cowboys elected to set sail with undrafted center Phil Costa, and seventh-round rookie Bill Nagy. Yes, they were different, but they were not better. They could develop into something better, but while they learn to play in the NFL, the Cowboys must tailor their offense around them.
The moves smacked of financial considerations rather than jobs won. And for that, the Cowboys lose a game that was sitting there ready to be won.
Five games in, and the youth movement on the offensive line is appearing to be a real Achilles' heel. Tyron Smith looks to be a stud-in-waiting, and if he was the only rookie on the OL, like New England with right tackle Nate Solder, then Romo and his skill players would have a chance.
Instead, the personnel/financial department of the team took a real chance at a youth movement. And the results are bad and getting worse.
Even so, one more positive play would have meant victory in Foxsboro. And that is what is so frustrating to those around the squad. The offensive line logic in the offseason seems to have put a real leash on how good this team could be this year.
The NFL is tough enough. Nobody wins in New England. So, you certainly don't need to be inflicting wounds on yourself – and this appears to have been lost in August.
