| This site created and maintained by Jeremy Dunklin. cowboy-fan.com is in no way affiliated with the NFL or the Dallas Cowboys. All material on this site is copyrighted 2007 cowboys-fan.com |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Latest News
2007 SCHEDULE
PRE-SEASON
Thu Aug 9 INDIANAPOLIS
(FOX) 7:00 pm
Sat Aug 18 DENVER (BSM)
7:00 pm
Sat Aug 25 @ Houston
(BSM) 7:00 pm
Thu Aug 30 @ Minnesota
(BSM) 7:00 pm
REGULAR SEASON
1. Sun, Sept. 9 NY GIANTS
(NBC) 7:15 pm
2. Sun, Sept. 16 @ Miami
(FOX) 3:05 pm
3. Sun, Sept. 23 @
Chicago (NBC) 7:15 pm
4. Sun, Sept. 30 ST. LOUIS
(FOX) Noon
5. Mon, Oct. 8 @ Buffalo
(ESPN) 7:30 pm
6. Sun, Oct. 14 NEW
ENGLAND (CBS) 3:15 pm
7. Sun, Oct. 21
MINNESOTA (FOX) Noon
8. Sun, Oct. 28 BYE WEEK
9. Sun, Nov 4 @
Philadelphia (NBC) 7:15
pm
10. Sun, Nov. 11 @ NY
Giants (FOX) 3:15 pm
11. Sun, Nov. 18
WASHINGTON (FOX) Noon
12. Thu, Nov. 22 NY JETS
(CBS) 3:15 pm
13. Thu, Nov. 29 GREEN
BAY (NFL) 7:15 pm
14. Sun, Dec. 9 @ Detroit
(FOX) Noon
15. Sun, Dec. 16 PHILLY
(FOX) 3:15 pm
16. Sat, Dec. 22 @
Carolina (NFL) 7:15 pm
17. Sun, Dec. 30 @
Washington (FOX) Noon
PRE-SEASON
Thu Aug 9 INDIANAPOLIS
(FOX) 7:00 pm
Sat Aug 18 DENVER (BSM)
7:00 pm
Sat Aug 25 @ Houston
(BSM) 7:00 pm
Thu Aug 30 @ Minnesota
(BSM) 7:00 pm
REGULAR SEASON
1. Sun, Sept. 9 NY GIANTS
(NBC) 7:15 pm
2. Sun, Sept. 16 @ Miami
(FOX) 3:05 pm
3. Sun, Sept. 23 @
Chicago (NBC) 7:15 pm
4. Sun, Sept. 30 ST. LOUIS
(FOX) Noon
5. Mon, Oct. 8 @ Buffalo
(ESPN) 7:30 pm
6. Sun, Oct. 14 NEW
ENGLAND (CBS) 3:15 pm
7. Sun, Oct. 21
MINNESOTA (FOX) Noon
8. Sun, Oct. 28 BYE WEEK
9. Sun, Nov 4 @
Philadelphia (NBC) 7:15
pm
10. Sun, Nov. 11 @ NY
Giants (FOX) 3:15 pm
11. Sun, Nov. 18
WASHINGTON (FOX) Noon
12. Thu, Nov. 22 NY JETS
(CBS) 3:15 pm
13. Thu, Nov. 29 GREEN
BAY (NFL) 7:15 pm
14. Sun, Dec. 9 @ Detroit
(FOX) Noon
15. Sun, Dec. 16 PHILLY
(FOX) 3:15 pm
16. Sat, Dec. 22 @
Carolina (NFL) 7:15 pm
17. Sun, Dec. 30 @
Washington (FOX) Noon
| Cowboy's Trivia Question of the Week! Who is the oldest player on the Cowboys' roster? Last Week's Answer: Danny White |
Cowboys vs. Dolphins Preview
This game is key for both teams as they attempt to find their
identities. The Cowboys need to prove their offense is for real and
that their defense is capable of playing at a higher level. The
Dolphins need to show they are capable of playing better on
offense and defense.
Dolphins Pass Offense vs. Dallas Pass Defense
Edge: MIA
Any team playing Dallas has the advantage in the passing game
judging by how the Cowboys have played over their last seven
games extending back to last season. That being said, Miami
doesn't have the weapons on offense that the Giants have. Trent
Green isn't the quarterback he was and the Dolphins' receiving
corp is below average. I expect Green to have a productive day,
but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dallas is able to keep him under
control. The key will be the pass rush. We can keep their passing
game held down if we can get after Trent Green. Their offensive
line isn't anything special and our secondary should be able to
cover long enough to get some serious pressure.
Dolphins Run Offense vs. Cowboys Run Defense
Edge: DAL
This would be a no brainer if Jason Ferguson was still around. Jay
Ratliff will do a fine job though. I don't see the Dolphins being
particularly productive. Ronnie Brown is solid, but he hasn't really
lived up to his #2 overall draft status. The Dolphins offensive line is
average at best. The Dolphins struggled running the ball last week
and I don't see it changing against Dallas.
Cowboys Pass Offense vs. Dolphins Pass Defense
Edge: DAL
I expect Tony Romo to have another huge game against another
depleted pass defense. He probably can't duplicate his
performance from last week, but 300 yards and 3 TDs isn't out of
the question. The only thing that can stop our offense in its tracks
is Miami's pass rush. Jason Taylor was the Defensive Player of the
Year last season. The Dolphins as a team do a solid job getting
after the passer. If we can neutralize Taylor we shouldn't have any
problems because the rest of their rushers are just average. If
Marc Colombo can take on Matt Roth one-on-one then we can give
Flozell plenty of help with Taylor. Colombo should be up for the
task. Roth only had 3.5 sacks last season. The only thing that
could give us problems is that the Dolphins switch between a 4-3
and 3-4 on a play to play basis. That shouldn't be too big of a deal
though since the offense practices against a 3-4. The line should
be up for the challenge because they were amazing against the
Giants who have a respectable pass rush.
Cowboys Run Offense vs. Dolphins Run Defense
Edge: DAL
The Dolphins did a really good job against the run last season. On
paper they look like they would once again be stout against the
run. The problem is they gave up over 200 yards rushing last week
against Washington. Washington has a good line, but so do we.
We ran on the Giants pretty well and we always struggle to run on
them. The bottom line is we have the best line we've had in years.
Leonard Davis was a beast last Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if
the Dolphins play us pretty tough against the run. Don't expect 200
yards, but a performance similar to that against the Giants is likely.
Special Teams
Edge: Even
It is too early in the season to know much about how good special
teams units are. Dallas's coverage units were solid. Tyson
Thompson returned several kick-offs past the 35 last week. I'd give
the kicking and punting advantage to Dallas, but you can't be sure
because Nick Folk isn't proven. Watch out for Ted Ginn Jr. as a
return man in this game.
Overall
The Dolphins are a solid team. Dallas is the superior team but they
still have to go out and execute. The Dolphins will make it fairly
close, but Tony Romo and company will be too much. Cowboys 31,
Dolphins 23.
This game is key for both teams as they attempt to find their
identities. The Cowboys need to prove their offense is for real and
that their defense is capable of playing at a higher level. The
Dolphins need to show they are capable of playing better on
offense and defense.
Dolphins Pass Offense vs. Dallas Pass Defense
Edge: MIA
Any team playing Dallas has the advantage in the passing game
judging by how the Cowboys have played over their last seven
games extending back to last season. That being said, Miami
doesn't have the weapons on offense that the Giants have. Trent
Green isn't the quarterback he was and the Dolphins' receiving
corp is below average. I expect Green to have a productive day,
but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dallas is able to keep him under
control. The key will be the pass rush. We can keep their passing
game held down if we can get after Trent Green. Their offensive
line isn't anything special and our secondary should be able to
cover long enough to get some serious pressure.
Dolphins Run Offense vs. Cowboys Run Defense
Edge: DAL
This would be a no brainer if Jason Ferguson was still around. Jay
Ratliff will do a fine job though. I don't see the Dolphins being
particularly productive. Ronnie Brown is solid, but he hasn't really
lived up to his #2 overall draft status. The Dolphins offensive line is
average at best. The Dolphins struggled running the ball last week
and I don't see it changing against Dallas.
Cowboys Pass Offense vs. Dolphins Pass Defense
Edge: DAL
I expect Tony Romo to have another huge game against another
depleted pass defense. He probably can't duplicate his
performance from last week, but 300 yards and 3 TDs isn't out of
the question. The only thing that can stop our offense in its tracks
is Miami's pass rush. Jason Taylor was the Defensive Player of the
Year last season. The Dolphins as a team do a solid job getting
after the passer. If we can neutralize Taylor we shouldn't have any
problems because the rest of their rushers are just average. If
Marc Colombo can take on Matt Roth one-on-one then we can give
Flozell plenty of help with Taylor. Colombo should be up for the
task. Roth only had 3.5 sacks last season. The only thing that
could give us problems is that the Dolphins switch between a 4-3
and 3-4 on a play to play basis. That shouldn't be too big of a deal
though since the offense practices against a 3-4. The line should
be up for the challenge because they were amazing against the
Giants who have a respectable pass rush.
Cowboys Run Offense vs. Dolphins Run Defense
Edge: DAL
The Dolphins did a really good job against the run last season. On
paper they look like they would once again be stout against the
run. The problem is they gave up over 200 yards rushing last week
against Washington. Washington has a good line, but so do we.
We ran on the Giants pretty well and we always struggle to run on
them. The bottom line is we have the best line we've had in years.
Leonard Davis was a beast last Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if
the Dolphins play us pretty tough against the run. Don't expect 200
yards, but a performance similar to that against the Giants is likely.
Special Teams
Edge: Even
It is too early in the season to know much about how good special
teams units are. Dallas's coverage units were solid. Tyson
Thompson returned several kick-offs past the 35 last week. I'd give
the kicking and punting advantage to Dallas, but you can't be sure
because Nick Folk isn't proven. Watch out for Ted Ginn Jr. as a
return man in this game.
Overall
The Dolphins are a solid team. Dallas is the superior team but they
still have to go out and execute. The Dolphins will make it fairly
close, but Tony Romo and company will be too much. Cowboys 31,
Dolphins 23.
Cowboys vs. Dolphins Games Notes
I'd have to say I'm pretty impressed after watching the Cowboys
hammer the Dolphins 37-20. We got big plays from the offense,
defense, and special teams.
How about the secondary? They gave up a lot of passing yards,
but who cares. They had four interceptions. We saw the
advantages of playing zone coverage today. The Dolphins couldn't
get behind our defense and zone allows the defenders to watch the
QB which leads to more picks as you saw today. You can pick
apart a zone with pinpoint accuracy (see Eli last week), but if you
miss high it is nearly a guaranteed INT because the safeties are
paying attention. Its weird seeing so much zone because we
hardly ever played it with Parcells. I didn't like it at first because will
give up a lot of underneath passes but you won't see too many
deep balls and you won't be screaming at the TV saying the
cornerback could have got the interception if he would have just
been looking. I had no idea we were going to play this much zone.
Phillips acted like it was out of necessity not having Newman, but
Reeves can play man coverage so I guess that is what Phillips
thinks will give us the chance to win. I'm not doubting it after today.
It makes sense considering we aren't a super athletic defense and
we have good hands in the secondary.
The offensive line was amazing today. Romo had all day to throw
which was good because the receivers were having problems
getting open. We ran pretty well again this week. Romo didn't
even get sacked.
Romo had a good game. He had a lot of incompletions, but he
wasn't erratic. The receivers had problems getting open. He did a
good job of not turning the ball over. He looks trimmer this year as
well. I can tell he looks faster when he takes off and runs. He
scrambled way more than he usually does which is good. He is
very athletic so why not take off instead of risking an interception.
His TD pass to Tony Curts was crazy improv. He also made Jason
Taylor and Jerry Porter look silly on several occassions. One time
Jerry Porter had a free shot at Romo and he just stopped in his
tracks when Romo faked a running move. This gave Romo enough
time to get rid of the ball. On another play he looked like Barry
Sanders putting three different juke moves on Taylor on the same
play to get by him.
Julius Jones and Marion Barber both had good games. Julius
Jones didn't have many holes, but he actually broke some tackles.
He also made three guys miss on a 24 yard screen pass. Marion
Barber was beastly as always. He hammered Zack Thomas on a
blitz. He ran over several defenders, and stiff armed another. His
40 yard TD run in the 4th quarter pretty much iced the game. Both
of these backs have looked amazing this year. Barber has the
gaudier numbers, but he has had a lot more holes this year which
could mean nothing or it could mean the offensive line is more
inspired when he is in there.
Bradie James was a beast against the run. He single handedly
blew up three run plays in the 1st quarter. He looks more athletic
and he still plays with the same physicality.
The run defense as a whole was pretty good. Jay Ratliff didn't look
great in that department, but he definitely held his own. We will be
fine it that department because the guys around him excel at
stopping the run. I only saw Remi Ayodele in for a few plays so I
can't evaluate him. Also, as porous as our pass defense is, it may
not be too bad if teams run the ball a little on us.
We struggled to mount a consistent pass rush. Ware got close a
couple of times, but he came too deep in the pocket and Green just
stepped up. We didn't blitz hardly at all in this game. I guess we
preferred to sit back in coverage and wait for a Trent Green pass
forced into coverage. Bradie James did come completely free on
an inside blitz in the 1st half. The sack led to a three and out.
I just now noticed how much better Marcus Spears's physique is this
year. His arms look bigger and more toned. He also has lost a lot
of his gut. He went from looking like Warren Sapp to looking like
La' Roi Glover. The problem is, he isn't half as good as either one
of them.
Roy Wiliams had a much better game. He didn't get burned in
coverage and he had several really nice tackles in run support and
on underneath passes. Ken Hamlin had a good game as well. He
had an interception and the only play he got beat on was a TD in
which Derek Hagan somehow came up with the ball between three
Cowboy defenders. Hamlin should have had his second pick.
The cornerbacks played pretty well. The huge cushions they are
giving are driving me crazy. Don't blame the players though
because that is what the coaches are wanting from them. It isn't a
bad strategy though because the opponent can move the ball, but
they usually have to settle for field goals. It's hard to evaluate the
corners because I'm not used to watching our guys let them
complete so many underneath passes. You want to say the guys
suck for giving up those completions, but that is what the defense is
giving the offense. Bottom line was, Henry had two interceptions
and Reeves had another solid game. We will be fine at cornerback
when Newman comes back. We have some work to do in the
secondary, but I could see us improving every week as the players
get more comfy in the scheme.
Special teams came up big against the Dolphins. The turning point
of the game was when Patrick Crayton had a 49 yard punt return
following a Dolphins penalty on the previous punt that was returned
for no gain. Crayton is still a bad punt returner. He is slow and he
dances too much. He had the biggest opening I've ever seen on a
punt return. He had a whole third of the field completely open. Nick
Folk had a good game. He hit two short field goals and then a 47
yarder.
A big thing I've noticed in these first two weeks is that a great
offense puts a lot of pressure on the defense. The problem against
the Giants was we kept scoring fast and giving it right back to New
York. That is great for trying to win the game, but it sets your
defense up to give up more points. Against the Dolphins, we put
our defense on the field two extra times late in the 4th quarter
because of two late TDs. The TDs were great because they made
the game a blowout, but the also led to another seven points that
wouldn't have been scored by Miami if we would have just had a
solid time eating drive. A perfect example of this was the 1st half.
He held the ball for nearly 20 minutes. The result was the Dolphins
only had four offensive possessions. It is pretty easy to put up
good defensive numbers when you only see the opposing offense
four times in a half.
Overall, you have to be happy. We won by 17 in our road opener
in our blue jerseys for gosh sakes. Our defense definitely needs
more work, but the bottom line is we are 2-0 and that is all that
really matters. I'm also glad we got off to the good start this season
because we play Chicago next week. If we win, we are probably the
best team in the NFC after three weeks. If we lose, we are still 2-1
heading into a home game against the 0-2 Rams.
I'd have to say I'm pretty impressed after watching the Cowboys
hammer the Dolphins 37-20. We got big plays from the offense,
defense, and special teams.
How about the secondary? They gave up a lot of passing yards,
but who cares. They had four interceptions. We saw the
advantages of playing zone coverage today. The Dolphins couldn't
get behind our defense and zone allows the defenders to watch the
QB which leads to more picks as you saw today. You can pick
apart a zone with pinpoint accuracy (see Eli last week), but if you
miss high it is nearly a guaranteed INT because the safeties are
paying attention. Its weird seeing so much zone because we
hardly ever played it with Parcells. I didn't like it at first because will
give up a lot of underneath passes but you won't see too many
deep balls and you won't be screaming at the TV saying the
cornerback could have got the interception if he would have just
been looking. I had no idea we were going to play this much zone.
Phillips acted like it was out of necessity not having Newman, but
Reeves can play man coverage so I guess that is what Phillips
thinks will give us the chance to win. I'm not doubting it after today.
It makes sense considering we aren't a super athletic defense and
we have good hands in the secondary.
The offensive line was amazing today. Romo had all day to throw
which was good because the receivers were having problems
getting open. We ran pretty well again this week. Romo didn't
even get sacked.
Romo had a good game. He had a lot of incompletions, but he
wasn't erratic. The receivers had problems getting open. He did a
good job of not turning the ball over. He looks trimmer this year as
well. I can tell he looks faster when he takes off and runs. He
scrambled way more than he usually does which is good. He is
very athletic so why not take off instead of risking an interception.
His TD pass to Tony Curts was crazy improv. He also made Jason
Taylor and Jerry Porter look silly on several occassions. One time
Jerry Porter had a free shot at Romo and he just stopped in his
tracks when Romo faked a running move. This gave Romo enough
time to get rid of the ball. On another play he looked like Barry
Sanders putting three different juke moves on Taylor on the same
play to get by him.
Julius Jones and Marion Barber both had good games. Julius
Jones didn't have many holes, but he actually broke some tackles.
He also made three guys miss on a 24 yard screen pass. Marion
Barber was beastly as always. He hammered Zack Thomas on a
blitz. He ran over several defenders, and stiff armed another. His
40 yard TD run in the 4th quarter pretty much iced the game. Both
of these backs have looked amazing this year. Barber has the
gaudier numbers, but he has had a lot more holes this year which
could mean nothing or it could mean the offensive line is more
inspired when he is in there.
Bradie James was a beast against the run. He single handedly
blew up three run plays in the 1st quarter. He looks more athletic
and he still plays with the same physicality.
The run defense as a whole was pretty good. Jay Ratliff didn't look
great in that department, but he definitely held his own. We will be
fine it that department because the guys around him excel at
stopping the run. I only saw Remi Ayodele in for a few plays so I
can't evaluate him. Also, as porous as our pass defense is, it may
not be too bad if teams run the ball a little on us.
We struggled to mount a consistent pass rush. Ware got close a
couple of times, but he came too deep in the pocket and Green just
stepped up. We didn't blitz hardly at all in this game. I guess we
preferred to sit back in coverage and wait for a Trent Green pass
forced into coverage. Bradie James did come completely free on
an inside blitz in the 1st half. The sack led to a three and out.
I just now noticed how much better Marcus Spears's physique is this
year. His arms look bigger and more toned. He also has lost a lot
of his gut. He went from looking like Warren Sapp to looking like
La' Roi Glover. The problem is, he isn't half as good as either one
of them.
Roy Wiliams had a much better game. He didn't get burned in
coverage and he had several really nice tackles in run support and
on underneath passes. Ken Hamlin had a good game as well. He
had an interception and the only play he got beat on was a TD in
which Derek Hagan somehow came up with the ball between three
Cowboy defenders. Hamlin should have had his second pick.
The cornerbacks played pretty well. The huge cushions they are
giving are driving me crazy. Don't blame the players though
because that is what the coaches are wanting from them. It isn't a
bad strategy though because the opponent can move the ball, but
they usually have to settle for field goals. It's hard to evaluate the
corners because I'm not used to watching our guys let them
complete so many underneath passes. You want to say the guys
suck for giving up those completions, but that is what the defense is
giving the offense. Bottom line was, Henry had two interceptions
and Reeves had another solid game. We will be fine at cornerback
when Newman comes back. We have some work to do in the
secondary, but I could see us improving every week as the players
get more comfy in the scheme.
Special teams came up big against the Dolphins. The turning point
of the game was when Patrick Crayton had a 49 yard punt return
following a Dolphins penalty on the previous punt that was returned
for no gain. Crayton is still a bad punt returner. He is slow and he
dances too much. He had the biggest opening I've ever seen on a
punt return. He had a whole third of the field completely open. Nick
Folk had a good game. He hit two short field goals and then a 47
yarder.
A big thing I've noticed in these first two weeks is that a great
offense puts a lot of pressure on the defense. The problem against
the Giants was we kept scoring fast and giving it right back to New
York. That is great for trying to win the game, but it sets your
defense up to give up more points. Against the Dolphins, we put
our defense on the field two extra times late in the 4th quarter
because of two late TDs. The TDs were great because they made
the game a blowout, but the also led to another seven points that
wouldn't have been scored by Miami if we would have just had a
solid time eating drive. A perfect example of this was the 1st half.
He held the ball for nearly 20 minutes. The result was the Dolphins
only had four offensive possessions. It is pretty easy to put up
good defensive numbers when you only see the opposing offense
four times in a half.
Overall, you have to be happy. We won by 17 in our road opener
in our blue jerseys for gosh sakes. Our defense definitely needs
more work, but the bottom line is we are 2-0 and that is all that
really matters. I'm also glad we got off to the good start this season
because we play Chicago next week. If we win, we are probably the
best team in the NFC after three weeks. If we lose, we are still 2-1
heading into a home game against the 0-2 Rams.