Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Mistakes Cost Cowboys Again In 0-2 Start (dallascowboys.com)
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Updated: September 19, 2010, 6:48 PM
Double Jeopardy
Mistakes Cost Cowboys Again In 0-2 Start
Rob Phillips
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Follow robphillips3 on Twitter
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The Cowboys defense gave up big plays, including a 39-yard TD to TE Greg Olson in the 1st quarter.
ARLINGTON, Texas - The ultimate destination is Feb. 6, 2011, right at home in their $1.3 billion new Cowboys Stadium.
Two weeks into the regular season, Super Bowl XLV is the furthest thing from their minds.
The Dallas Cowboys are 0-2 for the first time since 2001, a winless start few expected from the defending NFC East champions. And like the Sept. 12 opener at Washington, they had their chances in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Chicago Bears.
"What it came down to is they made the plays and we didn't," head coach Wade Phillips said.
Two games. Two losses. Same story. Mistakes have put the Cowboys in a mid-September predicament.
In a 13-7 loss to Washington, they exceeded the Redskins in total yardage (380 to 250), first downs (24 to 17) and time of possession (34:03 to 25:57). Sunday before 85,168 at Cowboys Stadium, they exceeded the Bears in total yardage (410 to 308), first downs (23 to 14) and time of possession (33:40 to 26:20.
Yet against Washington, a fumble before the half led to a Redskins touchdown, and a missed field goal and a holding penalty on the final play of the game cost the Cowboys 10 points.
Sunday, the Cowboys committed three more turnovers, including two Tony Romo interceptions that led to six Bears points. David Buehler's failed pooch kickoff in the first quarter gave Chicago possession at its own 42-yard line, setting up a Bears touchdown drive. And Buehler also missed a 44-yard field goal - his second of the season - that would've tied the game at 20-20 but instead led to another TD drive that gave the Bears a nearly insurmountable 10-point lead with 5:16 remaining. Roy Williams' fumble on the ensuing possession wiped another 1:16 off the clock.
The results are two consecutive losses to supposedly inferior opponents. Next is a road trip against a Houston Texans team that looked crisp in a preseason win over Dallas three weeks ago and walloped the defending AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
"I've never been in this position," said Romo, who finished 34-of-51 (the second-highest pass attempt total of his career) for 374 yards and one TD. "I think it's a difficult thing because you have such high expectations for each year.
"There's still a lot of season left and there's still time but it's getting to a point where we need to play our best football. We need to minimize mistakes, and those are the things that separate winning from losing."
The long-term goals are still there, but they're inconsequential right now. The only focus is fixing their current inconsistencies and getting one win, then building from there.
The offense has only two touchdowns in two games, including a one-yard catch Sunday by rookie fullback Chris Gronkowski. With starters Kyle Kosier and Marc Colombo back from knee injuries, Romo was not sacked but the offense averaged 1.8 rushing yards on only 20 total attempts. Rookie receiver Dez Bryant's electric 62-yard punt return for a TD - his first career score - provided a boost.
The defense, which held Washington to only six points a week earlier, got early pressure on Chicago's Jay Cutler (21-of-29, 227 yards, three TDs) but couldn't bait the turnover-prone quarterback into a turnover. The Redskins' longest play from scrimmage last week was 24 yards; on Sunday, Cutler completed passes of 39, 59 and 38 yards on three separate scoring drives.
The Cowboys also had six penalties for 50 yards, bringing their two-game total to 18 for 141 yards.
"We just have to play better football," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "We can't give up big plays on defense. We can't turn the ball over on offense. We just can't allow those things to happen to us.
"We are too good for that. We've got to make people beat us. We can't give up things like that."
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has seen good and bad result from an 0-2 start. In 1993, the Cowboys wound up 12-4 with their second consecutive Lombardi Trophy. Of course, Emmitt Smith's return from a two-week contract holdout helped. Most recently in 2001, the Cowboys started 0-4 and finished 5-11.
No predictions can be drawn from any previous season, but Jones clearly doesn't see a team playing to its potential.
"Our (home) opener for our fans, we wanted to come out here and shine and we got our tail kicked," Jones said. "... We did have opportunity and we had opportunities in the passing game, and we again left ourselves long on third down a lot. We just didn't score enough points.
"But the bottom line is this: if we don't realize that every team we play ... certainly they can look at our roster and talk about our talent all they want to and we can talk about it all we want to, but you let a team be within striking distance near the end of the ball game and you'll lose a big majority of the time."
Twice, so far.
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garry swann wrote:
Dinner time...Take care guys catch you tomorrow...been good tonight.
54..^5's and hugs to everyone there...wonder where our brother lifer is...c-ya tomorrow...TOUCHDOWN DALLAS!!!
9/21/2010 2:59 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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doomsday66 wrote:
You have to have the smash mouth in order to open up things like screens and tosses outside to Felix.
If every time you go up the middle it's a draw...well you've seen the results of that.
I think we're misusing all of our backs at this point and it's definitely not all the O line that's causing that.
9/21/2010 2:58 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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fan54 wrote:
I was trying to pinpoint a problem, gswann...the losses, coupled with grumblings from a select few players, makes me wonder if the foundation of the Team is sound...just a thought..just musing.
Owner/Coaches are constant...player's talent levels are constant(relatively)...the intangibles are mental toughness...concentration levels and attitude..head stuff. Has to be. The staff doesn't seem to be able to put their finger on any one major problem...just a general lack of execution...that indicates inadequate mental preparedness...just my opinion.
9/21/2010 2:57 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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doomsday66 wrote:
ali
One of our biggest problems on offense is that AS SOON as anything starts working Garret goes away from it. Running or passing...w/e works he runs from it like a fat kid chasing an ice cream truck.
9/21/2010 2:57 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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doomsday66 wrote:
fan54
Don't give up yet. Sometimes teams (even pro's) need to get whipped on and embarassed a little bit before they realize they're not the next superstar.
I think this latest loss will serve us much like the humiliating loss in Philly to end our playoff hopes 2 years ago.
I say they show up ready to play and win or lose they put it all on the field for the Texans game.
9/21/2010 2:55 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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muhammad ali wrote:
Not just smash mouth runs w/ Barber & Choice but we need screens and runs to the outside to Felix to use his Reggie Bush-like skills.
9/21/2010 2:55 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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garry swann wrote:
Or that post was just alot of crap...and we are just struggling to find some form...GO COWBOYS!!!
9/21/2010 2:53 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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doomsday66 wrote:
One of the main problems with the run game is that our O line is old and I get that.
THE main problem with our run game is the types of plays Garret calls to run the ball. There is no straight forward smash mouth run plays in our playbook, either that or they just dont' use them.
Garret keeps trying to use the lead draw which for many reasons won't work with our personnel O line and RBs included.
He tries to pull tackles and guards that are too slow to their assignments. Fancy little pitches etc.
Go to a smash mouth straigh forward between the tackles run game and we would do much better. Not only would we be able to gain a few yards in the middle...you would open up the outside for an occassional sweep or screen play.
Garret is just clueless and is too stupid or stubborn to change his playbook / play calling to fit the players we have. Stepnoski and Larry Allen aren't playing next week so use the plays that help the players we do have be successful.
9/21/2010 2:52 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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garry swann wrote:
Mean't to say...The TEAM dosn't look connected on and off the field...
9/21/2010 2:52 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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garry swann wrote:
When i think about it...i still don't think the pressure of being the first team to win a SB at home...is a big factor in the way we are playing(including pre-season)our talent is to good for that...we are much better than what we are showing...i can accept defeat but our football is poor...something has got into this team way before week one...it may be mental(54 you are right they look scared)but i can't think there is also something else...things just don't seem right...the doesn't look connected on or off the field..
9/21/2010 2:50 AM CDT on dallascowboys.com
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