Horton: What to watch on MNF
By Gary Horton
Scouts Inc.
Archive
After watching a lot of film on both the Cowboys and Saints, talking to coaches and scouts, and following preseason practices, here are some key things to watch in their Monday night game.
Dallas Cowboys
• The Cowboys will run a lot of two-tight end sets in 2006. We already know that veteran Jason Witten can play, but rookie Anthony Fasano is having an excellent camp and will be that second TE. The system in Dallas is similar to the one he played in at Notre Dame so the learning curve is not that hard. He is not a deep threat and won't stretch the field like Witten, but he has excellent hands and will be a quality target in the underneath passing game, as he will usually will be covered by a LB.
• Speaking of the two-tight end sets, this scheme should benefit both the pass blocking and run blocking for the Cowboys. They were horrible on the edge last year, especially in pass protection, and the tackles were awful. Although Flozell Adams is back from injuries at left tackle and newly acquired Jason Fabini should start at right tackle (although right now Mark Colombo is ahead of him), those two-tight end sets will give QB Drew Bledsoe maximum protection. Unfortunately, it will also bring eight defenders in the box -- which could make it tougher to run the football.
• The Cowboys have their eyes on the waiver wire, looking for a backup wide receiver. With Terrell Owens missing time with a hamstring injury and Terry Glenn not being the most physical receiver in the NFL, the Cowboys have reason to be concerned about their depth at the position.
• A big development for the Dallas defense is the preseason play of Greg Ellis, who has made the smooth transition from DE in the 4-3 to LOLB in the 3-4 scheme. As a defensive end a year ago in the 3-4, Ellis was not suited to be a run stopper and became an unhappy part-time starter. Although he wasn't wild at this stage of his career about moving to OLB, he is now at a position that allows him to do what he does best -- rush the quarterback. With youngster DeMarcus Ware starting at the other OLB spot, it will be difficult for offenses to double team Ellis and he could have a big sack year.
• With the Cowboys playing their two-tight end sets much of the time, it will force defenses to stay in their base package, requiring them to cover Witten with a linebacker or safety. That is a tough match up, maybe even tougher for defenses than a third wide receiver.
• For all of the questions about the time missed by Owens with his sore hamstring, the guys who have coached him in the past rave about his practice habits and how hard he works. Asking him to practice at less than his best doesn't really suit his mentality.
• One of the advantages of the two-tight end sets is the time it allows Bledsoe to throw the ball. Bledsoe still throws a nice deep ball and is excellent on the deep out, but a year ago he didn't have the time to get rid of the ball. Bledsoe also has a bad habit of holding on to the ball too long, which leads to a lot of problems. His coaches are working with him to get the ball out quicker and having two tight ends available for short and outlet passes should result in less sacks than a year ago.
• A big training camp battle going unnoticed is at center. Both Andre Gurode and Al Johnson are trying to be the guy who solidifies the interior offensive line. Johnson was the starter a year ago and his best assets are his instincts, intelligence and ability to make pre-snap adjustments. He rarely makes mistakes. However, he is not very physical and if you put a big nose tackle over him he can be dominated at the point of attack. Gurode is a big, tough guy who can handle power players and is a better run blocker. You get the feeling the coaching staff would like Gurode to win this individual battle.
• The right tackle spot is a real concern for the Cowboys so far in the preseason. Veteran free agent Jason Fabini was expected to start or at least be a solid backup at ROT and LOT, but he has had a very unsteady preseason and his spot on this roster might be in some doubt. Last year's starter, Rob Petitti, has been better so far in the preseason than he was in 2005, but he is still a liability in pass protection against an athletic edge rusher. Right now the starter appears to be Colombo. He hasn't played consistently in two years because of knee problems. He is tough and really works to finish, but he is not a long-term solution. This is a position to watch.
• A lot of people are wondering why Tony Romo played the entire game last week versus Seattle, basically making his backup QB battle with Drew Henson a non-story. Romo has more mobility than Bledsoe and can make quality throws on the move. Bill Parcells knows he has a potentially good offense, but the offensive line is very much a work in progress. If they struggle to protect Bledsoe and he starts taking too many sacks, Parcells wants to know if he can trust Romo as a starter -- expect him to continue to get a heavy workload throughout the preseason. Romo might be closer to the field when the regular season starts than a lot of people think.
• ILB Bradie James, a pleasant surprise a year ago, is having a solid camp and turning into a vocal leader on this defense. He is poised to have a huge year, not only as a tackler but also as a guy who can get his teammates in the right position before the snap.
• Dallas lost three games in 2005 because of the kicking game. The Cowboys will not blow out opponents. As a result, the acquisition of PK Mike Vanderjagt (the most accurate kicker in NFL history) is a big deal. He can be the difference between an 8-8 or 10-6 record.
• Dallas likes its two corners -- Terence Newman and Anthony Henry -- because both can play tight man-to-man schemes without deep help. Their play will allow SS Roy Williams to play more in the box in run support and also blitz, which is his strength. The Cowboys put a lot of pressure on their corners with some Cover 1 and even Cover 0 schemes, which means they are getting minimal or no safety help over the top.
• RB Julius Jones will play in mostly one-back sets, which plays to his strengths. Jones likes to improvise, picking his hole and hitting the seam with good quickness, but when he has to follow a fullback into the hole he is not natural. The coaching staff wants him to get a good pre- snap look at the defense and create on his own. This is a guy who has missed 11 games in the last two years -- not good enough for Bill Parcells.
• When Owens finally does get in the lineup he might not get enough touches to stay happy. Not only will Dallas run the ball (521 times a year ago), but both Witten and Fasano will get a lot of opportunities in the short to intermediate passing game. They might take catches away from Owens on crossing routes over the middle, which he loves to turn into long runs. Glenn will be the vertical target in this passing game, which could further cut down on Owens' big plays. We could see a very frustrated Owens in 2006.
Scouts Inc.
Archive
After watching a lot of film on both the Cowboys and Saints, talking to coaches and scouts, and following preseason practices, here are some key things to watch in their Monday night game.
Dallas Cowboys
• The Cowboys will run a lot of two-tight end sets in 2006. We already know that veteran Jason Witten can play, but rookie Anthony Fasano is having an excellent camp and will be that second TE. The system in Dallas is similar to the one he played in at Notre Dame so the learning curve is not that hard. He is not a deep threat and won't stretch the field like Witten, but he has excellent hands and will be a quality target in the underneath passing game, as he will usually will be covered by a LB.
• Speaking of the two-tight end sets, this scheme should benefit both the pass blocking and run blocking for the Cowboys. They were horrible on the edge last year, especially in pass protection, and the tackles were awful. Although Flozell Adams is back from injuries at left tackle and newly acquired Jason Fabini should start at right tackle (although right now Mark Colombo is ahead of him), those two-tight end sets will give QB Drew Bledsoe maximum protection. Unfortunately, it will also bring eight defenders in the box -- which could make it tougher to run the football.
• The Cowboys have their eyes on the waiver wire, looking for a backup wide receiver. With Terrell Owens missing time with a hamstring injury and Terry Glenn not being the most physical receiver in the NFL, the Cowboys have reason to be concerned about their depth at the position.
• A big development for the Dallas defense is the preseason play of Greg Ellis, who has made the smooth transition from DE in the 4-3 to LOLB in the 3-4 scheme. As a defensive end a year ago in the 3-4, Ellis was not suited to be a run stopper and became an unhappy part-time starter. Although he wasn't wild at this stage of his career about moving to OLB, he is now at a position that allows him to do what he does best -- rush the quarterback. With youngster DeMarcus Ware starting at the other OLB spot, it will be difficult for offenses to double team Ellis and he could have a big sack year.
• With the Cowboys playing their two-tight end sets much of the time, it will force defenses to stay in their base package, requiring them to cover Witten with a linebacker or safety. That is a tough match up, maybe even tougher for defenses than a third wide receiver.
• For all of the questions about the time missed by Owens with his sore hamstring, the guys who have coached him in the past rave about his practice habits and how hard he works. Asking him to practice at less than his best doesn't really suit his mentality.
• One of the advantages of the two-tight end sets is the time it allows Bledsoe to throw the ball. Bledsoe still throws a nice deep ball and is excellent on the deep out, but a year ago he didn't have the time to get rid of the ball. Bledsoe also has a bad habit of holding on to the ball too long, which leads to a lot of problems. His coaches are working with him to get the ball out quicker and having two tight ends available for short and outlet passes should result in less sacks than a year ago.
• A big training camp battle going unnoticed is at center. Both Andre Gurode and Al Johnson are trying to be the guy who solidifies the interior offensive line. Johnson was the starter a year ago and his best assets are his instincts, intelligence and ability to make pre-snap adjustments. He rarely makes mistakes. However, he is not very physical and if you put a big nose tackle over him he can be dominated at the point of attack. Gurode is a big, tough guy who can handle power players and is a better run blocker. You get the feeling the coaching staff would like Gurode to win this individual battle.
• The right tackle spot is a real concern for the Cowboys so far in the preseason. Veteran free agent Jason Fabini was expected to start or at least be a solid backup at ROT and LOT, but he has had a very unsteady preseason and his spot on this roster might be in some doubt. Last year's starter, Rob Petitti, has been better so far in the preseason than he was in 2005, but he is still a liability in pass protection against an athletic edge rusher. Right now the starter appears to be Colombo. He hasn't played consistently in two years because of knee problems. He is tough and really works to finish, but he is not a long-term solution. This is a position to watch.
• A lot of people are wondering why Tony Romo played the entire game last week versus Seattle, basically making his backup QB battle with Drew Henson a non-story. Romo has more mobility than Bledsoe and can make quality throws on the move. Bill Parcells knows he has a potentially good offense, but the offensive line is very much a work in progress. If they struggle to protect Bledsoe and he starts taking too many sacks, Parcells wants to know if he can trust Romo as a starter -- expect him to continue to get a heavy workload throughout the preseason. Romo might be closer to the field when the regular season starts than a lot of people think.
• ILB Bradie James, a pleasant surprise a year ago, is having a solid camp and turning into a vocal leader on this defense. He is poised to have a huge year, not only as a tackler but also as a guy who can get his teammates in the right position before the snap.
• Dallas lost three games in 2005 because of the kicking game. The Cowboys will not blow out opponents. As a result, the acquisition of PK Mike Vanderjagt (the most accurate kicker in NFL history) is a big deal. He can be the difference between an 8-8 or 10-6 record.
• Dallas likes its two corners -- Terence Newman and Anthony Henry -- because both can play tight man-to-man schemes without deep help. Their play will allow SS Roy Williams to play more in the box in run support and also blitz, which is his strength. The Cowboys put a lot of pressure on their corners with some Cover 1 and even Cover 0 schemes, which means they are getting minimal or no safety help over the top.
• RB Julius Jones will play in mostly one-back sets, which plays to his strengths. Jones likes to improvise, picking his hole and hitting the seam with good quickness, but when he has to follow a fullback into the hole he is not natural. The coaching staff wants him to get a good pre- snap look at the defense and create on his own. This is a guy who has missed 11 games in the last two years -- not good enough for Bill Parcells.
• When Owens finally does get in the lineup he might not get enough touches to stay happy. Not only will Dallas run the ball (521 times a year ago), but both Witten and Fasano will get a lot of opportunities in the short to intermediate passing game. They might take catches away from Owens on crossing routes over the middle, which he loves to turn into long runs. Glenn will be the vertical target in this passing game, which could further cut down on Owens' big plays. We could see a very frustrated Owens in 2006.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:11 PM
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