Offensive Woes Continue

The two most significant developments that have greatly effected our offensive line were the Jacob Rogers RT fiasco, an official 2nd round bust; and the season ending MCL injury to LT Flozell Adams. We seemed to be doing ok with Rob at RT, since we were able to help him out with a TE, but when Flo went down, this spelled impending doom. We now faced the daunting task of starting two very mediocre tackles and a "we'll see what happens" attitude. The results are in.... and the Cowboys are in trouble, and our playoffs hopes are quickly slipping away.

Either way you cut it, our offensive shortcomings start with the offensive line. Injury, inconsistent play, and penalties have plagued us all year, and now come the last two games of the year - MUST WINS @ Carolina and at home against the Rams.

Current starters
LT - Torrin Tucker: Continues to get beat on a consistent basis, an inadequate reserve, we're in trouble here the rest of the year.

LG - Larry Allen: LA has been doing pretty good for the most part and continues to be the only bright spot on the offensive line.

C - Al Johnson: Has played horrible all year long, can't handle the bigger/faster DT, look for the Cowboys to make a move here in 2006

RG - Marco Rivera: Hasn't played upto par this year, pretty disappointing in the eyes of many fans. The Pro-Bowl is NOT there. We spent alot of money on Rivera, and I would not be surprised if we made a move here in 2006 as well.

RT - Rob Petitti: For a rookie starting all 16 games, Petitti has done fair, but at times has looked straightup horrible. Petitti is a short term, I fully expect a move here in 2006.

We drafted Stephen Peterman in the 3rd round 2yrs ago, and I think its time to get a look at him. The 2006 offseason should be another active one whether it be in free agency or through the NFL draft. I expect offense to be the main focus.

If the line repeats its performance against the Panthers you can stick a fork in us. We'll be done and out.

7-5, & Not Looking Good...

Let's be realistic, we're not ready for a Super Bowl run THIS year; however, we will be set and even more dominating on defense in 2006. Parcells made a promise to fix the defense, and he did so - Great job! Not only did we change our primary scheme to the 3-4, but we've been successful in doing so. In addition, we have several rookies playing critical roles and making plays. I'm very impressed.

Now comes the offense...Will Parcells make another promise to repair the offense? I think he will do this during the 2006 offseason. Hopefully we'll bring in a free agent or two on offense, and draft offense.

This may all sound like I've given up on the Cowboys and looking ahead, but this is NOT the case by any means. We're still in the hunt, but we have to dig ourselves out of the grave we've made.

At 7-5, let's make a prediction on the rest of the games and our final record. We can come back and look at this new entry in a few weeks and see how I faired.

We have:
Chiefs (LOSS)
@Redskins (WIN)
@Carolina (LOSS)
Rams (WIN)
============
Final Record 9-7 miss the playoffs

As I write this article, I'm thinking how nice it would be to crush the Chiefs, and I hope we do; however, the Chiefs are peaking right now, and we seem to be in shambles on offense, reminds me of the offenses we ran in 2003. Please Get rid of Sean Payton (Ernie Zampese Incarnate).

Go Cowboys!

Drew Bledso-what?

I'll be the first to admit I was totally wrong in my initial assessment of Drew Bledsoe. When I heard the news that Buffalo was going to release Bledsoe, I was hoping we would NOT sign him and go with Drew Henson. In fact, I was saying to myself "Drew Bled-NO," I didn't want him here. Afterall, he had been replaced in New England by Tom Brady, and knocked around in Buffalo, and replaced by JP Losman. Who wanted the 33 yr. old declining QB? Not me, and at least half or more felt the same way."Let's go with Drew Henson"

In retrospect, signing Drew Bledsoe was the best move for the Cowboys this offseason. Not to mention, looks like we got the better end of the deal from Buffalo. We made that draft trade w/Buffalo in 2004 which gave us (2) first rounders (Ware, Spears) in 2005, and in the end we got Drew Bledsoe from them as well.

Well, here we are 9 games under our belts sitting atop the NFC East at 6-3, with a sweep of the Eagles. So, we're 6-3, so what? You have to honestly believe that there's no way Romo or Henson make those game winning drives with all their inexperience in all our close games.

So what has Bledsoe done for us? He's brought his game experience to the table, he's reunited with Coach Parcells, and Terry Glenn. Bledsoe is enjoying a renaissance and QB eltie with the Cowboys. Not only has Bledsoe returned to winning form, but he's also been able to "drive the bus" quite well. Bledsoe is on pace to pass for 4,000 yards, a Cowboys record. He has 14 TDS and 7 INTS with a 96.8 passer rating. As of right now, only Bulger and Bledsoe have 90+ passer ratings in the NFC. You could also say he's mounted quite a few winning drives for us this year - a real clutch player. Now, he has had a few bad passes and critical INTS, but he's winning for us and that's a comfort we have not had in Dallas for many years. We finally have a QB in Dallas.

Career wise, Bledsoe has some of the best numbers in NFL history,"He is only 33 but stands eighth on the career list with 42,023 passing yards. He has passed Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas this year. After two more seasons Bledsoe is on pace to be the fourth member of the 50,000-yard club, which includes Dan Marino, John Elway and Brett Favre." (O'Hara)

Running On Empty...
By H. Cox

The NFL season is now approaching the 11th week of the regular season. Most teams have by now completed 10 games with one week off for their bye week. 4 games were played in the preseason which most of the rookies and new starters played in everyone. That is the equivalent of 14 games played already for most of them. When they played in college that would have been a season for them and then off until next season. Not so with their new level of work. They will be expected to play 6 more games just to complete the regular season. Most teams still in the hunt for a playoff position will be looking for these first year starters and rookies to continue to contribute for their team’s success. The Dallas Cowboys are no different and have a few players in this category that are playing major portions on both offense and defense.

Let’s have a look:

ROOKIES:

Rob Pettiti – Starting RT for the offense. He pushes and shoves every play blocking for either the run or pass, either way it is tiring battling against those big guys trying to get bye you.

Marion Barber – Not actually playing fulltime but contributing a large portion to the running game. Big in the RB rotation that Coach Parcells has inserted into the offense.

Marcus Spears – Has just began starting within the last couple of weeks but still played a lot of reps in the DL rotation. Just the reverse case of Pettit battling inside against bigger OL trying to get to the ball.

DeMarcus Ware – Starting OLB and a major pass rusher from the outside. He also must run into coverage and play the run as well. Plenty of running here for such a young player.

FIRST YEAR STARTERS: (I include these guys because now they are playing more downs instead of just a few special team’s plays)

Losaka Polite – Leading blocker for the running game and a receiver in the passing game. Picking up blockers and running routes is tiring game in and game out.

Torrin Tucker – Only really played 3 games so shouldn’t be as big a factor as the other players but he still is inside battling in pass/run blocking. He isn’t used to playing every down every week so it could come to be a factor closer to the end of the season.

Bradie James – An ILB that also covers the pass routes over the middle as well as plays the run every down. Occasionally has to contend with pulling OL as well.

Keith Davis – Starting FS, and also playing special teams now. He must cover and help with receivers as well as occasionally blitz and also the run.

There are a bunch of players that are in major roles on both sides of the ball. Their conditioning and ability to “suck it up” is going to play big into the Cowboys chances of making the playoffs. One other player that is in the DL rotation, Chris Canty, is also a rookie that is playing major time. He allows the rotation to be stronger but also isn’t used to playing this many games. Veterans know how to get through these long season games and hopefully the younger players have hopped on the train to learn quickly. Parcells even said in his press conference today that Ware has been getting tired and needs another rookie, OLB Kevin Burnett, to step up production to spell him from time to time.
Parcells brought in a bunch of great young players that are coming into their own. Now he must figure out how to keep them productive until the end of the season and hopefully into the postseason. Something to seriously watch as the team approaches the end of the regular season and plays some very tough teams.

When the Price is right....
By H. Cox

Here we go, the event everyone has been waiting for since the Cowboys signed Peerless Price. Parcells stated in an interview this week that he wasn’t sure if Price would replace Crayton or not. Come on Bill, blow smoke up someone else’s hind end and give us fans a break. Price will be on the field Sunday when Dallas plays Seattle. The big question is how will he fit into the system.

Price signed with the Cowboys because he knew Bledsoe and has played with him before. That had to add to his decision to take less money and a one-year deal in an attempt to redeem his career after not looking so great with Atlanta. He couldn’t have seen a second year player upstaging him and not even being active for most of the early season games. I give him credit for keeping it too himself in the era of ego busting media crybabies that the NFL is full of. All I have seen reported is that he wasn’t happy and just wanted to play. He even stated that he understood with signing on so late in preseason that he didn’t have time to prove himself to become one of the top 3 receivers on the team. He has waited patiently and now he will get his chance.

The question again is, “Just how will he fit into the present system?”

Crayton played behind Glenn and Johnson to compliment them very well. He mopped up underneath and across the middle when defenses covered those two and Witten. Crayton played the part excellently and made the offense that much better. Now in steps Price and everyone immediately puts him on a pedestal, already giving him the benefit of the doubt he will just jump in and produce big numbers. Hold up on that thought and don’t start quoting his stats from few seasons ago when he played with Bledsoe in Buffalo. Yes they connected very well and racked up some good numbers. Then Price was opposite Eric Moulds and an intricate part of the offense. Now he will come in and have to fill his way around into the offense employed in Dallas. He is speed downfield where Crayton was physical size for the middle. That doesn’t seem like a perfect match everyone is painting to me. There has been talk about moving Price outside and putting Keyshawn into the slot. To which Keyshawn has stated he would like that so he can get some real chances to catch the ball and not always be on the sidelines. I don’t see any ME-shawn attitude there.
Now simmer down and back off the gun rack look. I am not saying Price cannot play nor implying he won’t help the team. I am just saying you are going to have to wait for a couple of games for two things to happen. One – the coaching staff is going to have to work plays in for him to become useful within the system that is being run by Dallas. Two – Price is going to have to play within the system to make the best out of what he is given. Those two things happen and the offense will continue to click right along, albeit a little different look than what Dallas started the season with. So be patient and don’t start calling for “heads to roll” if Price doesn’t show up with 8 receptions, 100+ yards and a couple TDs in Seattle. Parcells isn’t stupid and he is going to give Price the chance to help the offense, but it takes time to get into the rhythm for game situations.

Dallas Cowboys Game Review for Week 5

Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
Final Score: 33-10
Overall Record: 3-2
Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Drew Bledsoe 24 of 35 for 289yrds 3TD 0INT
Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Patrick Crayton 2 catches for 30yrds

Overall Recap: We’ve been saying it since week 2 – the Cowboys needed to come out firing ablaze, and that’s just what the Cowboys did. The Cowboys lit up 17 unanswered points against the highly touted Eagles defense. Overall the game was near perfect in all aspects, with the exceptions of a few offensive line holding calls. The Cowboys came out and punched the Eagles in the mouth.

QB play: Drew Bledsoe had another Pro Bowl outing. Bledsoe was very accurate and his passes to Terry Glenn were extremely damaging to the Eagles defense. The Bledsoe to Glenn connection is on track to break the yardage the two compiled in their season’s best when they were both in New England.

RB play: Julius Jones was on track to having his breakout game, instead he had to leave the game with an ankle injury. His backups held there own. Tyson Thompson is the local favorite and ran with authority for 75yrds.

WR play: Terry Glenn is the man in the WR corps. Glenn is our deep threat and continues to torch DBs every game. Glenn had 7 catches for 118yrds and 2TDs. Keyshawn had 6 catches for 47yrds

TE play: Witten continues his Pro Bowl season with 7 more catches for 80yrds.

K play: Jose Cortez made 3XPTs and 3FGs for 100%

DST play: The Defense improved and sacked McNabb 4 times, and held the Eagles to just 10pts.

Dallas Cowboys Game Preview for Week 6

Record: 3-2
Opponent and Opponent's Record: NY Giants 3-1
Projected Score: Cowboys 30 Giants 26
Prediction Record: 3-2
Projected Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Drew Bledsoe 265yrds 3TDS 1INT
Projected Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Keyshawn Johnson 4 catches for 70yrds 0TDS

Overall Preview: In another divisional showdown, the Cowboys host the NY Giants and their rejuvenated offense, led by Eli Manning. The Cowboys will not wait for the Giants to strike, instead the Cowboys will come out shooting and move the ball against the Giants defense. The Giants have had some key injuries in their secondary and the Cowboys passing game will exploit it. On defense, the Cowboys will get in Eli’s face and rattle him around. We could see more of the nickel defense in this game as well. Plaxico Burress is their deep threat and Shockey is their physical TE. The Cowboys will have their hands full with Barber and Jacobs. Like last week the Cowboys must be sharp and limit costly penalties, sack Eli, cause turnovers, and gain momentum.

QB preview: Bledsoe should have another Pro Bowl day against the decimated secondary of the Giants. The Giants pass defense is a horrible #31 in the league. Bledsoe has already faced some top tier defenses and he will be ready to dominate against the Giants.

RB preview: Julius Jones is questionable for this game, even if he dresses he won’t get the load. We’ll probably see a heavy dose of the speedy Tyson Thompson and A-Train. Thompson is quite effective, but he cannot put the ball on the turf. If the Giants defense doesn’t respect Thompson he WILL burn them for bigtime yardage.

WR preview: The Giants are ranked #31 in pass defense, so this could be a total feasting for our talented WRs, Glenn is going to punish them hard, Key and Crayton will have equal opportunities to hurt them.

TE preview: Witten is physical and looks for contact after the catch, I feel sorry for the Giants secondary, it could be a very long day. Witten should have a 6+ catch game.

PK preview: The Cowboys DO NOT want the game to come down to a game winning field goal, so the Cowboys will try to convert all their redzone attempts into TDs. Cortez is not reliable

DST preview: Ranked #16 Overall, the Cowboys defense will be looking to get turnovers on defense. The Cowboys are #4 in sacks, we’ll see similar defensive packages for the Giants. Eli likes to roll out and don’t be surprised if he gets lit up by Demarcus Ware. Cowboys DST should be a good start for your fantasy league.

Parcells' Mixture
By Howard Cox

The Dallas Cowboys have a great mix of old and new talent on the roster this season. They were hyped up by local media and around the country as a possible playoff contender. Early on they seemed to have made that observation seem like a solid pick when they outlasted San Diego to win their season opener on the road. Then the old doubt crept in when Washington proved to win a game you have to play 60 minutes. That has been the early 2005 version of the Dallas Cowboys leaving many fans and reporters alike scratching their heads and asking, “What kind of team are the Cowboys?”. All of that might have ended with their recent domination of the Philadelphia Eagles. Let’s take a look at the mixture Coach Parcells has assembled for this season to maybe answer some questions.

First he talked Jerry Jones into hitting the free agent market hard and often. This brought in oldies Drew Bledsoe, Jason Ferguson and Marco Rivera. All having at least 9 years experience in the NFL. They also brought in Anthony Henry, with only 5 years experience, being the “baby” of the bunch. Aaron Glenn followed (9 years experience) adding years to the already aging group. Building a team is supposed to bring in young talent for the future but none in this group, with the exception of Henry, could fit that description. Many so called experts started writing off the team when Bledsoe was named the starting Quarter Back immediately after being signed. All he has done is rack up 1351 yards (4th in the NFL) and a 61% completion rating. He has also recorded 102.0 QB Rating (3rd in the NFL and 1st in the NFC). Showing something else noone expected, he has been able to scramble when he had to, giving more time for routes to open up and even scoring a TD. Guess the experts are not as correct as they thought. Ferguson has given the defense a boost on the line, although he is backing up Glover due to a preseason injury. Having solid depth at the NT position just keeps everyone fresh and improves the overall defense. Rivera was also injured during preseason but has come back to provide solid blocking and also help for a rookie starter at RT. Other than the last 4 minutes of the Washington game Glenn has provided much needed coverage in the secondary. Coupled with the addition of Henry they allow Roy Williams to move closer to the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc on opposing running backs. All very good additions to the team.

Then the team took on the future situation by racking up a solid draft and also some very good undrafted free agents. DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears, both taken in the 1st round are shoring up a front seven that didn’t get much pressure on the QB for some time. Ware already has 3 sacks and leads the team in the category. Spears is still making up for lost time due to injury in preseason yet coming on strong with each week. Also on the DL 4th round pick Chris Canty and undrafted FA Jay Ratliff are making noise as their playing time increases because the coaching staff trusts them more and more to not make “rookie” mistakes. With Julius Jones at RB you would figure the team wouldn’t look in that direction but Parcells pulled a local homegrown talent from out of his magic hat in Tyson Thompson. He has missed assignments on blocking but continues to show ability running the ball that allows him to be the primary backup to Jones. With Jones being injured against Philadelphia all Thompson did was play the entire 2nd half and run for 75 yards on 20 carries. He is also in the tops of the league averaging over 20 yards per kick return, one going for 40 yards to set up the first scoring drive against the Eagles.

Mix all that together with talent that was already on the roster and Parcells’ soup is getting better with age. Larry Allen and Flozell Adams make up a solid left side of the OL, second year starter Al Johnson at C and rookie starter Pettiti make up what has become a pretty solid front five for the Dallas offense. The WR were supposedly too old as well. Terry Glenn is presently ranked 4th overall with 518 yards and averaging a league second best 22.5 yds/rec. Both him and Keyshawn Johnson have 3 TD receptions and give one of the best down field – possession receiving tandems in the league. Patrick Crayton, another 2nd year player, has shown sparks and is the team’s #3 receiver. The only major portion of the team not untracked yet is Sophomore RB Julius Jones. He is running pretty good but still has not broken the 100 yd barrier in a game yet.
Parcells and company still have some grooming to do with young players learning as they go and veterans playing new schemes. With the domination last week against the favored to win the NFC Philadelphia Eagles the team showed what they are capable of. Look for that to continue as the season progresses and more wins come their way.

Dallas Cowboys Game Review for Week 4

Opponent: Oakland Raiders
Final Score: 13-19
Overall Record: 2-2
Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Drew Bledsoe 11 of 26 for 212yrds 1TD 1INT
Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Keyshawn Johnson 1 catch for 16yrds

Overall Recap: In another slow start, the Cowboys failed to get any sort of tempo going, another sloppy game on defense and on offense. The play calling is becoming closely scrutinized in each game and rightfully so. The Cowboys have been able to move the ball with authority through the air, but seem to wait until the second half to unleash it. This simply will not get it done, and this latest comeback attempt was a result of what happens with poor team play and horrible play calling. The Cowboys got beat by a good team plain and simple.

QB play: Drew Bledsoe had a mediocre, he threw a critical INT, but made up for it with several drives in the 2^nd half, along with a TD pass to Patrick Crayton. This was Bledsoe’s worse game to date.

RB play: Julius Jones is having a “Troy Hambrick” kind of year with a average of around 3.5yrds per carry, whether it’s the offensive line or the dreaded “sophomore slump” Julius has not had an explosive game yet, and people are talking; but, its more about the Oline and the plays being called. Julius was stuffed and limited in yardage against the Raiders D.

WR play: Once again the WRs didn’t get big plays until the 2^nd half, Glenn had a deep pass, and Crayton powered himself to a 63yrd TD. Keyshawn needed another big game, and the Raider D, shut him down. Overall performance was average at best

TE play: Witten racked up more receptions in this game; he had 5 catches for 49yrds.

K play: Jose Cortez made 1XPT and 2FGs for 100%

DST play: The Defense remains at #21 Overall, and gives up 22pts per game, not very good, but the D is causing turnovers, INTS, and sacks. A good sufficient starter for fantasy football.

Dallas Cowboys Game Preview for Week 5

Record: 2-2
Opponent and Opponent's Record: Philadelphia Eagles 3-1
Projected Score: Cowboys 24 Eagles 21
Prediction Record: 2-2
Projected Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Julius Jones 25 carries 135yrds 2TDS
Projected Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Keyshawn Johnson 3 catches for 60yrds 0TDS

Overall Preview: This game against the Eagles is critical. The gameplan needs to be good, and the Cowboys need to come out firing – lead the tempo and create momentum for the offense and defense. Last week we worried about Randy Moss and the Cowboys slowed him down, but got tore up by Lamont Jordon, this week will be the same, but more dangerous with the likes of Brian Westbrook and T.O.

QB preview: If Bledsoe keeps doing what he’s been doing he will do fine, the pocket protection will be improved, last week the line broke down. Parcells will have the line better prepared. Bledsoe could have a 300yrd game if they get the ball moving in the air early.

RB preview: Julius has an opportunity to have a breakout game against the Eagles, the Eagles run defense is average, and is letting up105yrds rushing per game, prime setting for Julius Jones. If the Cowboys fall behind early as in previous games expect another average game from Julius.

WR preview: The Eagles are ranked #10 in pass defense, so the challenge will be on our offensive coordinator and the receiving corps. Keyshawn matches up well against the Eagles DBs, but if he’s shutdown, Glenn and Crayton will need to step it up and get open. Glenn’s speed could be a key in this game.

TE preview: Witten had a record 11receptions against the Eagles last year, and tore up the Eagles secondary. Witten knows were to run and how to get open against this secondary. Witten is posed to have another good performance at home.

PK preview: The Cowboys DO NOT want the game to come down to a game winning field goal, so the Cowboys will try to convert all their redzone attempts into TDs. Cortez is not reliable

DST preview: Ranked #21 Overall, the Cowboys defense will be looking to get turnovers on defense. The Cowboys are #5 in sacks, and look for Demarcus Ware to have a good game, he wants to make up for his mental mistakes from last week. This is the type of game where the Cowboys will win in a close match or the Eagles will torch the defense. It’s going to be a hit or miss week for the defense in your fantasy team.

Payton's Play Calling Must End NOW

So, the Cowboys lose today, in a game that was certainly winnable. Cowboys drop a heart breaker 13-19, at the "Blackhole" hopefully the Blackhole sucked out the rest of our coordinators crap play calling with it.

I'm going to say that we are lucky to be at 2-2. We have had way too many close games, we've had no tempo, started ALL our games slow and flat. Four nailbitter games is not the way to win games. So what's the issue, we're only at .500? Well, that may true, but we're lucky to be .500 with the play calling that is being made.

Player perservance has gotten us through it all. We have the hunger, and we have the personnel to win games; however, should we continue with the predictable bullxxxx play calling, then we're in for a very long year. Let's attack, let's get that killer instinct mentality on offense.

Dallas Cowboys Game Review for Week 3

Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
Final Score: 34-31
Overall Record: 2-1
Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Drew Bledsoe 24 for 38 363yards 2TDs 2INTS
Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Patrick Crayton 4 catches for 39yards 0TDS

Overall Recap: Niner’s OLB Julian Peterson guaranteed a win over the Cowboys; unfortunately he did not consider the heart and class of a Parcells’ ran team. At the end of the game the Cowboys got the “W” and Peterson & Co. stay losers. The Cowboys started out the game slow and totally out of sync. This is becoming a regular thing for the Cowboys. In the last three games the Cowboys have started out slow. The Cowboys started out the game down 21-6 and the offense and defense was looking totally deflated. The Cowboys were able to avoid disaster before the half by stopping the 49ers and ending the half down 24-12. The second half started out even, but the Cowboys made the comeback run in the 4^th quarter by scoring 15 points. Bledsoe clutched out another game.

QB play: Drew Bledsoe had 2TDS and 2INTS, and led the Cowboys to the game winning drive. Bledsoe made the hard passes and was able to move the ball when the time came to do so. Bledsoe again, showed his experience and composure in the pocket. Drew Bledsoe gets my MVP award for week 3.

RB play: Julius Jones carried the load again 26 times for 85yrds and 2TDS. The Niners supposedly did not have a great run defense, but they did a great job slowing down Julius Jones. Like the rest of the offense, Julius has started out the games slow, but eventually made some key runs for us down the stretch.

WR play: If I had another gameball to handout it would be to Keyshawn Johnson. Keyshawn had another awesome performance against the Niners. Key 5 catches for 74yrds 1TD and a 2pt conversion. Key has become a favorite target for Bledsoe recently and you can expect the same the rest of the year. Terry Glenn was the other WR that had some great game breaking catches when we needed them Glenn made critical 1^st downs and racked up 137yrds on 5 catches. Patrick Crayton was held to 4 catches for 39yrds.

TE play: We all knew Witten would need to be more involved in the offense sooner or later, and against the Niners, Witten had 6 catches for 85yrds and 1TD. Witten was slowed down in the 2^nd half of the game, but his play had to be respected, thus opening it up for the other WRs.

K play: Jose Cortez missed an extra point, and is not a fan favorite, no one has confidence in him making the clutch kicks.

DST play: The Defense had some major breakdowns with tackling and issues in the secondary. The Defense gave up 31 points. The defense is currently ranked 21overall

Dallas Cowboys Week 4 Preview

Record: 2-1
Opponent and Opponent's Record: Oakland Raiders 0-3
Projected Score: Cowboys 27 Raiders 24
Prediction Record: (did you win your prediction or lose?) 3-1
Projected Fantasy Stud w/ stats: Drew Bledsoe 220yrds 3TDS 1INTS
Projected Fantasy Dud w/ stats: Patrick Crayton 3 catches 50 yrs 0TDS

Overall Preview: The Cowboys just finished another thriller, and will actually remain in the Bay Area since their next opponent is the Oakland Raiders. Although the Raiders are 0-3, by no means does this mean the Cowboys are guaranteed a win. In fact, it’s possible the Cowboys could lose. The Cowboys have shown they can step toe-to-toe in a shoot out. Only difference in this game is that the Raiders have the “Cowboys Killer” in Randy Moss. Randy Moss has just about beaten the Cowboys on his own over the years, and you can bet this game will be no different. Both these teams matchup well, similar offenses, and the defensive players are similar as well. The key as usual will be penalties and turnovers.

QB preview: Bledsoe will have to be spot-on accurate against the Raiders secondary, they are fast and quick to the ball. Bledsoe will need to deliver the ball where only the receiver can catch the ball. We should see more involvement from the TE again, and from the slot receiver.

RB preview: Julius is still looking for a breakout game, and he may have to wait one more week. The Raiders run defense is pretty stout, and has pretty much shut down RBs like Dillon and Westbrook. Julius will have to earn every yard possible.

WR preview: Speedy receivers Glenn and Price will not be a big factor, because the Raiders have very fast CBs to cancel out the speed factor, that will leave experience and technique, and that means Keyshawn. Look for Keyshawn to work the field and catch the ball on slants, out patterns. Keyshawn knows how to manipulate the field, and knows how to beat the Raiders secondary. Crayton is a similar type WR, he can find the open field, but he is still a little raw in his technique. Crayton could be the x-factor against the Raiders.

TE preview: Witten was a force that demanded respect in coverage, and the Cowboys will need Witten again against the Raiders. This is going to be a chess game all day, and the Cowboys definitely have the upper hand in the TE matchups. If Witten can demand some coverage from a LB or safety, then this will give the Cowboys some opportunities down the field and in the running attack.

PK preview: The Cowboys DO NOT want the game to come down to a game winning field goal, so the Cowboys will try to convert all their redzone attempts into TDs. Cortez is not reliable

DST preview: Whether you like the 3-4 defense or not, the defense has come through down the stretch. They have yet to dominate or manhandle anyone yet, in fact, you can say offenses have located the Cowboys weakness, and this resides in the secondary. Henry and Newman are stars at CB, but sometimes it’s required that they get some help from the safeties. Roy Williams is not stellar in deep coverage; he’s your roaming type and box safety. This brings us to Keith Davis, our special teams ace. 3 weeks into the season is enough for fans to have true concerns over Davis’ play. Fans love him, but his inexperience at FS is showing and offenses are exploiting it every chance they get. Either Davis improves his reads, or you will see another safety back there, Willie Pile or possibly Jacques Reeves – the speedy CB/Safety.