Cowboys Knee Jerk Reactions VS Giants

By:  Bobby Shores

This here is my "knee jerk" reactions/observations on the Cowboys game against the Giants, I am doing this after ONLY watching the game one time & live. I have not reviewed the film, read any other opinions on it, or listened to any podcasts; I did listen to the radio that talked about it briefly on my way to work, but literally got nothing out of it for this article.

"More Ogletree Please" Kevin Ogletree – [Editor's Note:  I started the "More Ogletree Please" three years ago when Kevin Ogletree was the darling of Cowboys training camp and made an impact early in the season catching wide receiver screens and 5-8 yard outs.] 

Kevin Ogletree

This will be the story of the week, undrafted free agent out of Virginia who looked like a promising talent the first year of his career before laziness and rumors "entitlement" dogged him the last two years. Nearly everybody (myself included) had written him off, it seemed like even the Cowboys had as they didn't find him worth retaining at the end of last year with a $1.26 million restricted free agent tender, opting instead to let him test the market before bringing him back for the minimum of $460,000. 

After a strong showing in the preseason and training camp Ogletree answered the call last night to the tune of 8 catches for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns. The most impressive part of Ogletree’s night was not the touchdowns, it was the clutch catches, being where Tony Romo expected him to be. You could tell that Ogletree will be one of Romo’s favorite targets this year by the way Romo continually looked his way in clutch situations. Ogletree, rather than Romo safety valves Jason Witten and Miles Austin and emerging star Dez Bryant, was the primary target on 3rd and shorts; running hard slants to get the first downs over and over again. He ran crisp and precise routes punctuated by near perfect throws from his quarterback.

Now I may be going out on a limb here, but the third wide receiver position has been in flux for a number of years, and we thought we had it answered until the Jaguars blew away Laurent Robinson with a 5-year $32 million contract in free agency, so I am suggesting that we go ahead and lock-up Kevin Ogletree for a few years. I am not calling for some huge contract, just enough to make him happy while keeping the Cowboys cap flexible for years to come. I am thinking something along the lines of 4-years and $12-14 million (that's $3-3.5 million annual average). While many will say that the "sense of entitlement" will come back once he has some money in his pocket, well I think otherwise, I honestly believe that after trying summer he had that he has matured and this is a whole new Kevin Ogletree.

Running Game – While it started off very slow, mostly due to the ineffectiveness of the offensive line (more on that later), DeMarco Murray and Lawrence Vickers got in their groove and started getting big chunks of yards. Murray’s 20 carries for 129 yards provided a solid balance to the Cowboys offense, making life on the Giants defense very difficult. Look for the running game to get going earlier in the game as the season progresses, particularly if the offensive line can come together.

While Murray did average a solid 7+ yards per carry, to me, he seemed to not have the burst that I saw last year which worries me a little. Also, on the long 48 (I think) yard run he wore out too quick, that should have been a touchdown and leads me to believe that he may not be in the shape he should, or maybe he is nursing some minor injury. Regardless something does not seem right and his 20 yards rushing in the first half is not going to cut it all year, but he obviously finished strong and was more than effective enough.

Play Calling – This was one of my favorite parts of this game, particularly Jason Garrett's offensive play calling. You can argue with the early 4th & 1 fullback dive with Vickers, but I wanted to see that play, unfortunately Jeremy Parnell (playing Tight End basically on that play) missed his block while the rest of the left side of the line did not get lower than the Giants defenders.

Besides that one questionable call (again that I agreed with) the rest of the game was called great. Unlike years past, Garrett didn't get the lead and go super conservative by calling run, run, run, punt. He kept his foot on the accelerator with a solid mix of run/pass and even gave Romo the options of going deep (like that long pass play to Dez). This tells me that Garrett finally realized that he doesn't need to dramatically alter his play calling style just because he has the lead, continue to use what got you the lead in the first place!

Felix Jones – I don't know where to start here, as an Arkansas Razorback alum, two kids attending there right now, and every member of my family owning a Felix Jones jersey.....It pains me to even bring this up....I think it may be time to cut Felix loose, he has looked overweight and generally uninterested, hopefully he is still just trying to get back in shape after his shoulder surgery this offseason. 

On kickoff returns he seemed to run (not sprint) in a straight line with no shakes or wiggles and still struggled to get back to the 20. He didn't even get a chance in the game as he had 0 carries, but he did get 2 passes thrown his way but both of them were uncatchable. It may be time to promote Lance Dunbar to the active roster as he will provide that "spark" in the backfield with Darren Sproles like skills, plus he would be a contributor on all special teams and run kickoffs back harder. I am not ready to make these moves yet, but Felix doesn't have much time, even in my book.....Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to revive a once promising career.....

Jason Garrett & Rob Ryan

Defense, Defense, Defense – WOW! WOW! WOW! This topic deserves an entire article, so I will keep this short. All 4 linebackers were the star of this unit, they set the tone with both DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer providing plenty of pressure on Eli Manning with Spencer looking good dropping back in coverage. Sean Lee and Bruce Carter were unbelievable in the middle, we already know that Lee is one of the most instictive middle 'backers in the NFL and he continued that last night racking up tackles and impact plays. Carter is the biggest surprise here, while he is not as instinctive as Lee, he was always right there with him a half-step behind cleaning up the tackles. Hist athleticism sets him apart, he looks like he can make a wrong read or take a misstep and still go sideline-to-sideline. I can't wait to see him continue to develop!

The defensive line and secondary were also impressive. The D-Line had great hustle and were flying to the ball and Jason Hatcher looks like he is answering the calls of all the people saying this was his "breakout year", and don't forget that Jay Ratliff wasn't even suited up for this game! The secondary was helped out by Victor Cruz's myriad drops and Morris Claiborne showed some promise but you can tell he is raw (particularly in his backpedal and turns, but he will learn that). The Cowboys big free agent CB Brandon Carr made some plays, but it looked like he may have tried to jump some routes or something because guys got behind/around him some and I need to go watch that on film some more...

Rob Ryan - This is the defensive I have been dreaming of for years! Ask my wife, I was wanting Rob Ryan as the Cowboys defensive coordinator when he was still coaching in Cleveland!! The play calling was excellent, he had guys coming from all over the field, and the fact that they stopped the Giants on the 1-yard line 3 times in a row!!! WOW WOW WOW!!!!

Offensive Line – Not much to say here, the play speaks for itself....I think I counted about 8-10 penalties on the offensive line as they were being pushed backwards most of the time. Nobody on the line played very well in any aspect of the game. But let's be honest, these guys have not played or practiced very much together during camp or the preseason, and center Ryan Cook played all but 3 offensive snaps after starting center Phil Costa went out with a back problems.

On the good side, Romo only got sacked twice, and they didn't come from the most dangerous Giants pass rushers, they came from up the middle, Romo had more to do with the only being sacked twice than the offensive line. This offensive line can only get better from here, and I think it will, it's time to see what offensive line coach Bill Callahan can do from here on out, this falls squarely on his shoulders.

One last thing, Tyron Smith struggled mightily playing on the left side of the line for the first time in his college or NFL career, but give him some time and he will get it. Those of you that thought that he was already a "Top 10" tackle in this league and would play on the left side like he did the right (Casey Ryan Mallow, maybe next time you will listen to me), I told you so! If you listened to me then you knew there would be some growing pains here, and without his insane athletic ability and reach, he would've gotten Romo hurt.


Obviously I could and should go on about the amazing game that Romo had, the breakout game for Dez Braynt, the second half for Miles Austin, the safety's, etc. But these are what stood out to me most, I have and will touch on the rest here and on Twitter.

Well there you have it, my week 1 knee jerk reactions, stay tuned as I give you more information as I break down the film. You can get all my immediate thoughts by following me on Twitter. 

Wanna get the jump on fantasy football? Check out Fantasy Corner guaranteed to win or your money back!

Use the money you win using our fantasy football advice and buy SleeperTees!

Follow ReclinerQB on Twitter:  @ReclinerQB

Don't Forget to Follow ReclinerQB.com's other contributors on Twitter: @amazingmattyp, @SonnyPrier, @CoreyDoiron, @mwyche2, @TCM_Revolver, @ChurchOfYoda

Myth of the Cowboys 3rd Wide Receiver

By:  Bobby Shores
[Editor's Notes:  Not a well put together piece, information is good, but this article jumps around and has about as much continuity as the Cowboys offensive line, but that's what I get when doing this while watching film and being in a time crunch]

I am so tired of hearing about who is going to be the Dallas Cowboys 3rd wide receiver(WR) this year. All I hear when listening to the Talkin' Cowboys Podcast and The Lunch Break Podcasts are:
     "How is "x" player looking for the 3rd receiver spot?"
     "Who is the 3rd receiver going to be?"
     "Who is going to step-up and replace Laurent Robinson as our 3rd receiver?", etc.

There are a hundred variations of these questions and they dominant the airwaves. In fact, if someone knew nothing about football or the Dallas Cowboys and started learning about them by listening to the current coverage, they would most likely come to the conclusion that the 3rd WR is the most important position on a football team, and definitely the most important player on the Cowboys (if they accidentally turned on ESPN they would think Tim Tebow is the greatest player to ever live as a "news" network gave him an impromptu birthday party). Right now it seems that the Cowboys entire season hinges on who fills the 3rd WR role....

So how did this infatuation with the 3rd WR begin? Well, it began way back in 2011 when the Cowboys picked up Laurent Robinson to provide a veteran presence as the young receivers weren't ready for significant snaps and as insurance for the unproven and oft-injured starting receivers of Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. From the "3rd receiver" spot Robinson went on to have a career year with 54 catches for 858 yards and most importantly 11 touchdowns. Not only did he become a major part of the offense but he was the most consistent threat and Tony Romo's favorite red zone target.

For obvious reasons the Cowboys wanted (and tried) to resign Robinson during free agency, but when the Jacksonville Jaguars inexplicably paid him like a #1 wideout there was no way Dallas would be able to commit that much money to the position, and thus the noise started for the Cowboys to replace the 3rd wide receiver.

Debunking the Myth

Next I would like to say that while Robinson was originally the 3rd WR on the depth chart, he was basically the 1st WR in reality. Yes, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin are technically the starters, but since Austin missed most of the season with another hamstring injury and Bryant was banged up every game and basically didn't show up after halftime, Robinson became the default #1 receiver. Really you could say that him and Bryant were 1a and 1b, with the stats bearing that out as his and Bryant's stats (63-928-9) were nearly identical [Editor's Note: Miles Austin came in at 43-579-7 for the season technically making him the 3rd WR by stats.].

Since we now know that in reality Robinson was not the 3rd WR last year, lets look at the total output of all the Cowboys weapons to see where everybody ranks. Tight End Jason Witten led the team in receptions and yards (79-942) and added 5 touchdowns himself. When taken as a whole it now looks like Robinson, Bryant and Witten were essentially 1a, 1b, and 1c when it comes to aerial targets. Then if you add in DeMarco Murray's 897 rushing yards, it now looks like he was 1d.

So yes Laurent Robinson was "technically" the 3rd WR last year and due to injuries, ineffectiveness (Bryant 2nd half disappearing acts), and the rapport that he and Romo developed he became a bigger part of the offense then most 3rd WR's do, or do they? Let's go back a few years and see what the "3rd WR" typically does in this offense....

In 2010 the 3rd WR had 530 yards, 2009 he had 596 yards, 2008 he only had 278 yards, 2007 314 yards, 2006 516 yards. Basically the 3rd WR has 400-500 yards receiving and a few touchdowns, really not much production.

Another reason why the 3rd WR is less important this year is that I believe the Cowboys have a very potent backfield if Murray and Jones can remain healthy and the offensive line can play well.

In the Cowboys offense, this year, years past, and for the foreseeable future the 3rd WR is usually going to be the 5th option AT BEST and realistically the 6th or 7th. In the passing game, Romo (or whoever plays QB) is going to typically look for Bryant, Austin, Witten, Murray, and Tight End #2 before going to the 3rd WR; and in a lot of cases they will look for the other back (Felix Jones) before the 3rd WR. Yes, I know that this is all dependent on personnel, formation, defensive looks, progressions, etc. but regardless the 3rd WR is going to be one of the last looks.

With all this said, I have an article coming out soon about the state of the Cowboys wide receivers, so stay tuned!

Wanna get the jump on fantasy football? Check out Fantasy Corner guaranteed to win or your money back!

Use the money you win using our fantasy football advice and buy SleeperTees!

Follow ReclinerQB on Twitter:  @ReclinerQB

Don't Forget to Follow ReclinerQB.com's other contributors on Twitter: @amazingmattyp, @SonnyPrier, @CoreyDoiron, @mwyche2, @TCM_Revolver, @ChurchOfYoda

Who are These New Look Cowboys (Offense)?

By:  Bobby Shores

The 2011 Dallas Cowboys are a team full of unexpected new contributors, you have high profile draft picks, low profile draft picks, guys that were found on the free agent scrap heap, and one guy that was found on a reality TV show.  And this is just talking about the offensive side of the ball, these contributors are a reason why the wildly inconsistent Cowboys seem to be becoming consistent at the right time to make a late season run into the playoffs.

DeMarco Murray/Montrae Holland/Tony Fiammetta/Running Game - These three guys are the main driving force behind the recent success of the Cowboys and their offense. While most people are giving nearly all the credit to the emergence of rookie running back DeMarco Murray and the highest 3-game rushing total in Cowboys History, if you look closer Murray's rise to success coincides with Holland and Fiammetta becoming fixtures in the starting lineup. 

The recent success of Tony Romo is also directly related to the emergence of the running game as teams now have to account for ground attack instead of playing the pass nearly 100% of  the time. I think we can all agree that Romo is at his best when he does not have to carry the entire offense on his shoulders, when that happens he tries to do too much and that is when he make mistakes.

Montrae Holland - Holland was acquired by the Cowboys in a 2008 trade with the Denver Broncos and has struggled to keep his weight in check, causing him to bounce from reliable multi-position backup, to starter, to backup, to released, to finally being brought back after his back healed up and he lost weight (both are directly related). Before Holland was brought back the Cowboys were working with a very young and small offensive line (3 rookies, yes I know that Center Phil Costa is not a rookie but he might as well be) that I predicted would be a problem early this season, but Holland arrived and instantly made Doug Free and Phil Costa better. 

Not only is he winning the battles in his "area" (Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett also seems to have changed the blocking scheme from 1-on-1 power blocking to more zone blocking) he is also getting out in space and getting in defenders way at the second level. His play has been so impressive that on his first game back Jerry Jones declared that Holland should get the game ball and not DeMarco Murray (who had just rushed for a franchise record 253 yards), and I tend to agree.

DeMarco Murray - the 3rd round draft pick out of Oklahoma, has been the driving force behind the resurgence of the running game. While you have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line and Tony Fiammetta, Murray has started running hard and not going down on first contact ensuring that he gets every yard possible out of every run. In my opinion, much of his success in the last few games has come with a fundamental change in his game, early in the season I saw him receive the hand-off and duck his head through first contact, but now he is keeping his head up allowing him to make that first guy miss when he steps in the hole allowing him to get to the second level.

Tony Fiammetta - Another guy that the Cowboys found on the scrap heap after he was picked from the Panthers, his playing time is also directly related to the emergence of the running game. Fiammetta is better on the edges than than taking linebackers head on in the gaps, and is a throwback fullback of sorts because he seems to be very athletic instead of bulky, with that you would expect him to be a threat out of the backfield, but he is happy clearing the holes for the threats.

Laurent Robinson - Falcons, Rams, Chargers, Cowboys(twice) all before age 26....doesn't sound like the resume of the best wide receiver on the 6th best passing team in the NFL does it? Well Laurent Robinson is currently the wide receiver playing the best for the Cowboys right now, in fact his play has made Miles Austin somewhat....expendable. In fact, I cannot believe that some wannabe sports writer/scout ever once considered that this passing attack needed Randy Moss....what an idiot!! 

Robinson was a journeyman free agent who was always considered talented, but injury prone. He has become a fixture in the Cowboys offense this season accumulating a solid 27 catches for 441 yards and 4 touchdowns. But Robinson's biggest impact has not been his stats, it has been the smaller things he is doing right, like knowing the plays, where to line up and what route to run while doing it at full speed and not loafing (I am talking to you Dez Bryant and Kevin Ogletree). His route running is also precise and crisp; running the routes the same way every time which gives quarterback Tony Romo the comfort of knowing that he can throw to a spot and his receiver will be there. 

It looks like Robinson has become the wide receiver version of Jason Witten for Romo, and in just 7 games this season has become a more reliable and dependable option than Miles Austin, if it weren't for the contract (Economics of the NFL) Robinson would continue to be the #2, even when Austin returns. 

Tyron Smith - Coming out of USC as the 9th overall pick in the draft, Smith was fairly inexperienced after only starting for 1 year, and not even the best tackle on his team (see Matt Kalil). I was very hard on him and did not expect him to make as great an impact as he has. But through a little more than half of the 2011 season Smith has been the best tackle, if not the best lineman on the Cowboys team. 

While he needs some work on leveraging his man off the snap when run blocking, which will come when he puts on some more weight and adds strength, he has been more than adequate in that area. His best attribute is his pass blocking, his first kick at the snap of the ball and his quick feet allow him to be in the right position to direct even the best pass rushers where he wants them to go. His one pass protection fault is when a rusher uses the same move over and over (speed rush to the outside) he starts sitting in his stance expecting it, and then the rusher can use a spin move to the inside or a bull rush and catch him off balance and out of position leading to a negative play. 

With a full season under his belt, including a full off-season in an NFL Weight Room and training camp, I fully expect him to make the transition to left tackle sooner than later, which will move Doug Free back to right tackle, forming arguably the best tackle tandem in the NFL. These problems will work themselves out as Smith gets experience, but until then, the Cowboys and their fans have to be very happy with their 1st round selection.

With these unexpected stars emerging on the Cowboys offense, we can expect big things for the rest of the season, and even further. Check back next week for the "New Look Defense".

Follow ReclinerQB on Twitter:  @ReclinerQB

Don't Forget to Follow ReclinerQB's other contributors on Twitter:  @zatchj62, @mwyche2, @theffaddict, @heartsfootball, @amazingmattyp

Check out the Fantasy Corner for all your Fantasy Football Needs