Refs always whistling while Cowboys work
By RICK HERRIN
Star-Telegram staff writer
IRVING -- The Cowboys have a bad habit that's no longer hidden.
The yellow flags finally got in the Cowboys' way last week in their first loss, against undefeated New England. It wasn't the game to have their on-and-off penalty problem reappear.
"We just have to be more disciplined, and we'll do that," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said.
"We have to make sure we don't cost ourselves a down or a game like that."
The Cowboys are the second-most penalized team in the league with 49 and are on pace for one of their most flag-filled seasons.
The most costly call among last week's 12 penalties was a holding call on the first play in the fourth quarter against left guard Kyle Kosier when the Cowboys were driving to try to tie the score. On fourth-and-1, Marion Barber's 8-yard first-down run into New England territory was negated when Kosier tackled Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.
With three consecutive games against NFC East rivals coming up, the Cowboys enter Sunday's game against Minnesota looking for the first phase of a penalty cleanup.
Who's the most to blame?
The offensive line and receiver Terrell Owens. The line has committed 17 penalties, led by left tackle Flozell Adams' eight.
Owens also has eight, including two delay-of-game calls for tossing the ball after a catch. Adams and Owens have almost half of the offense's 33 penalties.
"In order for us to be where we need to be, we have to eliminate the penalties," Owens said. "Just like the fourth-and-1 situation. ... Sometimes, we're shooting ourselves in the foot."
Four offensive players have at least three penalties apiece. But the defense has been relatively void of back-breaking calls. They have only two pass interference penalties, despite injuries to starting cornerbacks Terence Newman and Anthony Henry.
How bad is it?
Dallas has lost 395 yards overall and had more than 10 penalties in three of its six games. The Cowboys appeared to have the penalty problem solved in consecutive games against St. Louis and Buffalo with seven combined.
At the current pace of 8.17 penalties a game, Dallas would finish the season with 130. That would rank as the fourth-most penalized season in franchise history.
Wade Phillips has never had a team with that many penalties in a season during his previous five years as a coach. Bill Parcells always said he doesn't coach penalties, but Phillips doesn't agree with that line of thinking. He says that mistakes are on him and that it's part of the preparation of a team.
"Penalties are mistakes, and not all of them are going to be called right, I know that," Phillips said. "When you have 12, there is bound to be a lot of them that were, so we need to cut down on those."
How do they fix it?
Better focus, discipline and more emphasis.
Among the starting offensive linemen, only right tackle Marc Colombo has dodged a holding call. The Cowboys have officials at every practice and don't let players get away with holding.
After Dallas had 11 penalties against Miami, Cowboys offensive line coach Tony Sparano used a clever idea: putting socks on the hands of the linemen to keep them from holding.
"It's just focus," said right guard Leonard Davis, who has three penalties this season. "Most of the time, if you get caught for holding, you are out of position. That's all part of focusing and executing in what you do. The illegal procedures, that's just concentration right there."
Most-penalized Cowboys
Pos./Player No. Most frequent offense
LT Flozell Adams 8 False start/holding (4)
WR Terrell Owens 8 Delay of game/false start (2)
SS Roy Williams 3 Facemask (2)
RG Leonard Davis 3 Holding (2)
LG Kyle Kosier 3 Holding (3)
Flags are flyingWith 49 penalties in six games, the Cowboys are on pace to commit 130 this season, which would be the fourth-highest total in team history. Dallas' five worst season totals:
Pen. Year Coach Record
141 1988 Tom Landry 3-13
136 1999 Chan Gailey 8-8
131* 1987 Tom Landry 7-8
128 1998 Chan Gailey 10-6
116 1997 Barry Switzer 6-10 *15 games
Star-Telegram staff writer
IRVING -- The Cowboys have a bad habit that's no longer hidden.
The yellow flags finally got in the Cowboys' way last week in their first loss, against undefeated New England. It wasn't the game to have their on-and-off penalty problem reappear.
"We just have to be more disciplined, and we'll do that," Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said.
"We have to make sure we don't cost ourselves a down or a game like that."
The Cowboys are the second-most penalized team in the league with 49 and are on pace for one of their most flag-filled seasons.
The most costly call among last week's 12 penalties was a holding call on the first play in the fourth quarter against left guard Kyle Kosier when the Cowboys were driving to try to tie the score. On fourth-and-1, Marion Barber's 8-yard first-down run into New England territory was negated when Kosier tackled Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.
With three consecutive games against NFC East rivals coming up, the Cowboys enter Sunday's game against Minnesota looking for the first phase of a penalty cleanup.
Who's the most to blame?
The offensive line and receiver Terrell Owens. The line has committed 17 penalties, led by left tackle Flozell Adams' eight.
Owens also has eight, including two delay-of-game calls for tossing the ball after a catch. Adams and Owens have almost half of the offense's 33 penalties.
"In order for us to be where we need to be, we have to eliminate the penalties," Owens said. "Just like the fourth-and-1 situation. ... Sometimes, we're shooting ourselves in the foot."
Four offensive players have at least three penalties apiece. But the defense has been relatively void of back-breaking calls. They have only two pass interference penalties, despite injuries to starting cornerbacks Terence Newman and Anthony Henry.
How bad is it?
Dallas has lost 395 yards overall and had more than 10 penalties in three of its six games. The Cowboys appeared to have the penalty problem solved in consecutive games against St. Louis and Buffalo with seven combined.
At the current pace of 8.17 penalties a game, Dallas would finish the season with 130. That would rank as the fourth-most penalized season in franchise history.
Wade Phillips has never had a team with that many penalties in a season during his previous five years as a coach. Bill Parcells always said he doesn't coach penalties, but Phillips doesn't agree with that line of thinking. He says that mistakes are on him and that it's part of the preparation of a team.
"Penalties are mistakes, and not all of them are going to be called right, I know that," Phillips said. "When you have 12, there is bound to be a lot of them that were, so we need to cut down on those."
How do they fix it?
Better focus, discipline and more emphasis.
Among the starting offensive linemen, only right tackle Marc Colombo has dodged a holding call. The Cowboys have officials at every practice and don't let players get away with holding.
After Dallas had 11 penalties against Miami, Cowboys offensive line coach Tony Sparano used a clever idea: putting socks on the hands of the linemen to keep them from holding.
"It's just focus," said right guard Leonard Davis, who has three penalties this season. "Most of the time, if you get caught for holding, you are out of position. That's all part of focusing and executing in what you do. The illegal procedures, that's just concentration right there."
Most-penalized Cowboys
Pos./Player No. Most frequent offense
LT Flozell Adams 8 False start/holding (4)
WR Terrell Owens 8 Delay of game/false start (2)
SS Roy Williams 3 Facemask (2)
RG Leonard Davis 3 Holding (2)
LG Kyle Kosier 3 Holding (3)
Flags are flyingWith 49 penalties in six games, the Cowboys are on pace to commit 130 this season, which would be the fourth-highest total in team history. Dallas' five worst season totals:
Pen. Year Coach Record
141 1988 Tom Landry 3-13
136 1999 Chan Gailey 8-8
131* 1987 Tom Landry 7-8
128 1998 Chan Gailey 10-6
116 1997 Barry Switzer 6-10 *15 games
posted by The Gryphon at 6:20 PM
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