2013 NFL Quarterback Win Total Post

For no other reason than I want to post this every Opening Day, here are the records, playoff records, and Super Bowl titles for the 32 QBs who are their team's respective "QB1".

I know, I know - unfair stats and there is nothing more unreasonable than hanging wins and losses on a Quarterback, but this is the world in which we live and the blog I want to make available to those who find it interesting or a reference guide for bar-room discussions.

NFC EAST

Team	Starter QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
NYG	E Manning	135	78-57	8-3	2
PHI	Vick	103	56-44-1	2-3	0
DAL	Romo	93	55-38	1-3	0
WAS	Griffin	15	9-6	0-1	0

NFC NORTH

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
MIN	Ponder	26	12-14	0-0	0
CHI	Cutler	93	51-42	1-1	0
GB	Rodgers	78	52-26	6-3	1
DET	Stafford	45	17-28	0-1	0

NFC SOUTH

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
NO	Brees	169	99-70	5-4	1
ATL	Ryan	78	56-22	1-4	0
TB	Freeman	56	24-32	0-0	0
CAR	Newton	32	13-19	0-0	0

NFC WEST

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
SF	Kaepernick	7	5-2	2-1	0
SEA	Wilson	16	11-5	1-1	0
STL	Bradford	42	15-26-1	0-0	0
ARI	Palmer	121	54-67	0-2	0

And now, to the AFC:

AFC EAST

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
NE	Brady	175	136-39	17-7	3
BUF	Manuel	0	0-0	0-0	0
NYJ	Sanchez	62	33-29	4-2	0
MIA	Tannehill	16	7-9	0-0	0

AFC NORTH

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
PIT	Roethlisberger	126	87-39	10-4	2
BAL	Flacco	80	54-26	9-4	1
CLE	Weeden	15	5-10	0-0	0
CIN	Dalton	32	19-13	0-2	0

AFC SOUTH

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
IND	Luck	16	11-5	0-1	0
TEN	Locker	11	4-7	0-0	0
JAC	Gabbert	24	5-19	0-0	0
HOU	Schaub	82	44-38	1-1	0

AFC WEST

Team	Starting QB	Starts	Record	Playoff Rec	Rings
SD	Rivers	112	70-42	3-4	0
OAK	Flynn	2	1-1	0-0	0
DEN	P Manning	224	154-70	9-11	1
KC	A Smith	75	38-36-1	1-1	0

Enjoy without prejudice.  

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Cowboys Mailbag - 7/26/13

Every Friday/Saturday of Cowboys' season will be a mailbag of sorts that will allow us to address anything that is on your mind and anything that is on mine that didn't make the cut for the daily blogs portion of our week.  Email me anytime you wish at sturm1310@me.com or find me on Twitter at @sportssturm and I will try to get you in the mix.

 Let's begin with our Training Camp Week #1 edition:

Convince me why should any dedicated Cowboy fan have hope for a winning season this year. - @tommyracer27

Sure.  That actually isn't that difficult for me.  And I will do so by presenting a number to you.

That number is 5.7.


What does the number 5.7 represent?  Well, that is the average number since the playoffs expanded in 1991 of the number of new teams that qualify for the playoffs every year.  If only 12 teams make the playoffs each year and 5.7 (or pretty much half) are going to be teams that were NOT there last year, as history tells us, then who is going out of these 12 teams?

NFC: San Francisco, Atlanta, Green Bay, Seattle, Washington, Minnesota
AFC: Baltimore, New England, Denver, Houston, Cincinnati, Indianapolis

By the way, although we do believe this to be a truth that will stand the test of time, obviously if 5.7 is the average, there are years where we go to the high end and the low end of this.  In 2003, we actually had 8 new teams enter the playoffs in a year that seemed completely upside down and random.  Then, in 1995 and last year, only 4 new teams made the tournament - just 1 new team in the AFC - making some believe that this thing is determined before the season even begins.

Here is the chart for your examination of the year-by-year progression:

Year	# New	New Teams making Playoffs
1992	6	Min, SF, Phi, Mia, Pit, KC
1993	5	Det, GB, NYG, Oak, Den
1994	5	Chi, Mia, Clev, NE, SD
1995	4	Phi, Atl, Ind, Buf
1996	5	Min, Car, Jac, Den, NE
1997	5	NYG, Det, TB, KC, Mia
1998	5	Arz, Dal, Atl, NYJ, Buf
1999	7	Det, TB, StL, Was, Sea, Ten, Ind
2000	6	Phi, NYG, NO, Den, Bal, Oak
2001	6	SF, GB, Chi, Pit, NE, NYJ
2002	5	NYG, Atl, Ten, Cle, Ind
2003	8	Stl, Car, Dal, Sea, NE, KC, Bal, Den
2004	5	Min, Atl, SD, Pit, NYJ
2005	7	Was, Car, TB, NYG, Chi, Cin, Jac
2006	7	Phi. Dal, NO, SD, Bal, NYJ, KC
2007	6	Was, TB, GB, Pit, Ten, Jac
2008	7	Phi, Atl, Car, Min, Arz, Mia, Bal
2009	6	Dal, GB, NO, Cin, NE, NYJ
2010	5	Sea, Atl, Chi, Pitt, KC
2011	6	NYG, SF, Det, Cin, Hou, Den
2012	4	Was, Sea, Min, Indy

So, who are the new teams?  In the NFC, you can see how Chicago will make a case, New Orleans will be fighting to get back in, but then the familiar foes who meet on opening night - the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys seem the closest to getting in.  

You can see that I somewhat sidestepped your question from reasons the Cowboys, specifically, should fancy their chances at the postseason.  You know I have major concerns with their depth and their ability to handle this much strategic upheaval in year #1 of Bill Callahan calling plays and Monte Kiffin's return to a rapidly changing NFL.  But, the NFC is not in a spot where a Top 6 finish should seem unattainable.  

Is that your greatest case for getting in the playoffs?  The fact that every year the NFC seems to put 3 new teams in the tournament?  

Why not.  It is July, after-all.  

Question#1: What will rookie WR Terrance William's impact be this year?
Question#2: Give us your analysis of our depth on the O-line? 
Question#3: If you didn't have a press pass, how much would you pay to see a Cowboys pre-season game? 

Thanks, P1CoppellJeff

Now, this guy knows how to submit for a mailbag!  Ok, here we go, Jeff.

1) - I think his impact can be substantial.  Now, please understand that I am not a fantasy football player nor do I really care about one's fantasy football impact - it just isn't my thing.  So, if you are asking if he is a fantasy sleeper, I don't really know.  But, if you are asking if he is going to get every opportunity to get on the field and to use his very "ready for prime time" skill set, then I think so.  Clearly, with the introduction of more "12 personnel", that does not allow for 3 WRs on the field at the same time.  But, there are a few variables in play here, not the least of which is our cynicism on whether Jason Garrett and Tony Romo are going to turn their back on "11 personnel" which is something they did almost the entire season last year.  We may find that given the issues in the offensive line, that 11 is still their most dangerous personnel group and that, of course, requires 3 wide outs.  Honestly, with how well they ran it last year without a legitimate option as a #3 WR, it makes you wonder what a season of Miles Austin in the slot could be like.  But, tactically, base offense out of "12" should be more efficient.  And that also has Terrance Williams impact as he is a guy who will be the understudy for Austin and Bryant, 2 guys who are not exactly injury-free over the course of their runs here in Dallas.  I think he can be terrific and a real impact guy from Week 1 of his rookie year.

2) - depth on the offensive line is impossible to rate and debate until the bodies arrive, so I am not attempting to fully sidestep this question, but without Nate Livings, MacKenzy Bernadeau, and Ron Leary in the mix at guard, you are likely without guards #1, #2, and #3 on the chart.  Suffice to say, they should be better, but I assume it will not be substantially better because when most of us thought they needed 2-3 new starters, the Cowboys decided on only 1.  Keep in mind, the Cowboys credibility on this issue is low because they have always thought the OL would "fix itself" or "be alright" the last few years and were proven absurdly optimistic and foolish.

3) - Personally, I would not pay much at all for a Cowboys preseason ticket.  But, I have a son who is the age where he is really into football, but perhaps not ready to sit and watch a 3 hour game.  If you have young children who are just getting into Cowboys fandom, you might want to take them to a preseason game.  I found tickets on Stubhub for almost nothing.  I am serious.  Less than $10 for the 3rd preseason game in 2011, and took my 6 year old boy.  He got to see the stadium, NFL Football (sort of), and when he had enough in the 3rd Quarter, we left and I wasn't disappointed to miss the 4th Quarter of a preseason game.  It was a nearly perfect experience.  Had I paid $200 for his ticket and it was a critical regular season game, I would not have been receptive to him wanting to leave in the 3rd Quarter.  So, if you have little kiddos, preseason is a great run through until you are convinced they are ready for the big games.

A couple of camp reports have said that the Cowboys are moving to more zone blocking on offense. At face value, it seems like a good idea to simplify blocking assignments and create directional holes for running backs, but this begs two questions for me. 

1) what are the advantages and disadvantages of zone blocking as opposed to man to man. 

2) why didn't they do this last year when the line was struggling with run blocking? was the line actually struggling with run blocking last year? 

-P1 Willis

Well, Willis, this is where sometimes the reporting of the team actually does more harm than good on helping the fan base better understand what they are looking at.  That might be, on the surface, partly because the media is never asked to show any knowledge of schemes or understanding of offenses and defenses when they get their jobs.  Who would test them?

So, you have stories and information passed along that misleads the public.  Not intentionally, but if anyone is unclear on whether the zone blocking scheme is new this year, then it seems highly likely they are not sure what they are looking at.  The Cowboys ran a huge amount of zone blocking last year.  In fact, without keeping the totals completely, I imagine the number of runs they had which were out of zone schemes and principles outnumbered the runs that were out of man schemes for most of the year.

That being said, allow me to answer the questions the best I can.

1) advantages and disadvantages of zone blocking?  Well, it depends on your line working in concert and as opposed to having a clear assignment on who it is you are supposed to be digging out, it stresses an area that you are to cover - very much like zone defense in basketball.  If it is a zone stretch to the left, for instance, the entire line takes one set step and then advances to the left in unison.  They are looking to do one of two things.  Force the man in that spot also to the left with them, which could open up that cut back lane that everyone discusses in zone principles for a RB (plant your foot the second you see a window and go!) or seal the player and thus set an edge to the outside.

The advantages are that this allows smaller, but quicker linemen to be used.  And even though you would never prefer smaller lineman in a vacuum, that clearly is the bin that has a greater supply.  There are very few Joe Thomas/Tyron Smith types.  But, Phil Costa and David Arkin?  There are many, many of those smaller types.  In fact, the more we go, the more tight ends are being beefed up to line.  This is a result of looking for quick feet from OL prospects for zone blocking where your OL is going to be on the move quite a bit.

Disadvantages?  This is a touchy topic because there are very few disadvantages if you run it well.  The Denver Broncos and Alex Gibbs ran it to perfection and changed the way we thought of traditional running schemes (pulling guards and smash-mouth football) and when you run something like he did, it is tough to look at disadvantages.  It is said that these teams aren't overly physical and can be bullied, but again, those Broncos won almost every game for 2 straight seasons, so what does that really mean?

2) as I said, they ran it more than man-blocking I believe.  And yes, they struggled with it quite a bit.  Here is a blog I did after the Bears game on all of their negative running plays and another from the Tampa Bay game and you can see that several of them are zone running plays.  Basically, as a fan, if you see all of the linemen going in the same direction, that probably is "zone".  If you see players vary their blocking direction at the snap, then it is likely a traditional "man" blocking scheme.  It is way more complex than that, but it seems like that is a good place for the average fan to start.

Now, if you want to know more about the entire scheme, here is 3 hours of Alex Gibbs breaking down the scheme in great detail.  It is awesome, but you better really, really care:



That stuff is all over the internet for those who wish to better understand schemes and principles of football.  I am certainly not recommending it for everyone, but if your profession is to follow the NFL for a living and tell your readers/listeners what is happening, you might want to get familiar with things like this, lest you give out error filled information.

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The Morning After - Wildcard Weekend 2012

Every Monday of the playoffs, we will spend a few moments on the events of the weekend - sometimes from a Dallas Cowboys perspective - as we size up what the teams in the post-season are telling us about how to get there and to find success in January and ultimately, the first weekend of February.

This weekend, from a prediction standpoint, was actually a wildcard weekend that went exactly as I expected.  I had the Texans, Packers, Ravens, and Seahawks advancing, but surely, some of the details were difficult to anticipate and it all sets up a fantastic divisional round that offers some heavyweight battles that should make next weekend memorable.

In particular, the final game of yesterday was clearly the best game of the four.  Washington hosted Seattle in a tight matchup that offered talking points on both sides.

For Seattle, it seemed to demonstrate that although conventional wisdom indicates that they are a team that relies on their home stadium for their success (a premise that although ridiculous is difficult to completely eliminate based on performance) is a nasty, physically-tough team that is ready for a street fight anywhere.

How Seattle managed to sneak under the radar of the NFL these last few years is partly because they do not seem to care what anyone else thinks when it comes to personnel.  And, if you follow the NFL for a while, you see that the teams that color within the lines get preferential treatment, while those that do their own work and ignore what the outside says are on their own.

And when I say that, I am talking about the way they have acquired players since Pete Carroll was brought in 36 months ago (and since Carroll named his own GM, John Schneider - a Ted Thompson disciple from Green Bay.  If you love the draft, it is rather easy to name the team that has produced the most dismay on draft day from the draft-experts in the studios for the networks.  Seattle has constantly been the team that has not used Kiper, McShay, Mayock, or anyone else to cross-check their draft pick homework.

In 2010, you may recall all of the discussion about Seattle taking Earl Thomas over Taylor Mays, including Mays himself blaming his college coach at USC for sabotaging his draft stock.  Instead, Carroll took Thomas from Texas and pretty much knocked that pick out of the park and has an elite safety now who plays center field as well as pretty much anyone.  Meanwhile, Mays, has had a hard time making it onto the field as a pro.

That 2010 draft brought Seattle Thomas - Free Safety, Russell Okung - Starting LT, Kam Chancellor (with pick #133!) - Strong Safety, Golden Tate - slot receiver, and Anthony McCoy - 2nd tight end.

Then, the next year, the 2011 draft did more of the same.  They were laughed at for taking James Carpenter from Alabama in the 1st Round - because the experts did not have a 1st round grade on him. Carpenter is still a project and has spent most of his 2 years hurt as he blew out his ACL in 2011 and remains a question.  But, the 2011 draft also gave them John Moffitt, their starting Right Guard for most of the season, KJ Wright - Startling OLB, Kris Durham, and Richard Sherman (Pick 154!) who might be one of the fiercest cornerbacks in the game right now.

So, that is 8 starters from yesterday in just the 2010 and 2011 draft.

But, then comes 2012.  Could they do it again?

In the 1st Round they took a pass rusher in Bruce Irvin who nobody thought was worth the gamble that high due to many off-field and on-field question marks.  The ridicule after this pick also cited the Carpenter pick and the discussion on TV was that Seattle is reckless in their draft room.  But, they trusted their homework and took Irvin who has returned their faith with a bunch of sacks - more than any other rookie.  Then, in the 2nd round, they took Bobby Wagner from Utah State to patrol the middle.  In the 3rd Round, it was an undersized QB in Russell Wilson from Wisconsin who surely wouldn't start for them all season, right?  Wrong again, know-it-alls.

There are other players from the 2012 draft that are helping, too, as rookies, but maybe my favorite story is their 7th round pick, a guy named JR Sweezy.  He played DT at NC State one year ago, and the Seahawks drafted him in the 7th round because they wanted to convert him to a guard.

And you know who started at RG for them yesterday?  That's right - their 7th round Defensive Tackle. Meanwhile, their starting RT was off the Green Bay practice squad in 2010, and their starting LG was the other McQuistan brother who is on his 4th team since 2006.

So, they have a physically punishing football team and most of their players have been acquired since 2010 when Carroll and Schneider were brought on board.

They have built their entire secondary - you know, the one people are calling the best in football - since then, along with the entire OL that Marshawn Lynch runs behind save for the center, Max Unger who is a hold-over from the 2009 draft.

They have sprinkled in players who other teams did not value that highly, with a few free agent purchases, and low-and-behold, they appear to have a young, promising team for 2012 and beyond.

And the best part?  It doesn't seem that they cared what anyone thought about their picks.  They did their own work, did not compare notes, did not care about favorable reviews, and believed in their system.

It might not be enough to win the Super Bowl this year, but it is interesting to see a door-mat figure out how to figure it out.

Meanwhile, the Redskins seem to have taken a decidedly different route to the same game yesterday.  They appear to have put all of their eggs in the basket of getting a potentially generational talent to their franchise and that is why the moment in the game where Robert Griffin's knee buckled caused most football fans to gasp in horror.

Seldom has a team had so much invested in one player who had also delivered so much already that the investment seemed proper.  But, as Cowboys fans know, Griffin has been limp-jogging for most of the last month and despite looking as if he planned on willing his team all of the way to a trophy, reality caught up yesterday at a rather innocuous moment in the contest.

Griffin's knee buckled and all you could consider were the times where a franchise had a prodigy-level talent who was dealing with a health issue that might jeopardize everything and they either pulled the plug completely - like the same city's baseball team did with Stephen Strasburg just this year - or took extreme caution at every turn - like the Dallas Mavericks' coach Don Nelson insisted on back in 2003 when Dirk Nowitzki's knee was the concern.

But, this one was tricky.  There were doctor's reports and a player's wishes to sort through.  There was the cliche' about this being "the once-in-a-lifetime chance" with a divisional title and a home playoff game to consider.  There was the painted dirt that the Redskins call a playing surface this late in the year.  And there was a roster that only boasted another rookie QB.

Mike Shanahan had built his entire scheme around this singular talent, so he trusted his eyes and the words of his QB and went for it.  And it failed.  And now, people want answers for how he could be so reckless with his player at just the wrong time.

Shanahan said he trusted his gut and his QB's wishes.  They were only in that spot because RG3 got them there, so you can understand the position.  It is easy to sit here and say that this is too reckless in this situation, but at the core of all of this is that this sport is based on the warrior mentality this time of year to play through injuries and drag your body out there for your team.

It didn't work this time, and who knows now what this does to Griffin's long term potential, but you can now see how complex this issue is.  The medical people said he passed the tests, but then hedge their bets by saying they were still unsure or nervous about the outcome.  That hardly seems definitive except in that they were clearly covering their own rear ends.

I hope that one of the most exciting players to arrive in the NFL recovers well and that we get to see his career as it was promised, but, I don't feel 2nd-guessing the Redskins decision making process on this particular situation is anything more than outcome-based logic.  Because he got hurt, it looks like a bad decision.  But, since time travel is not available to any of us, one has a hard time fairly saying that the Redskins should have ignored their QB's wishes.  It was only because of his courage last week that they were hosting this game to begin with.

Great stuff in Washington in a game that eliminates the entire NFC East from the playoffs.  And now, we try to come to grips with there being just 7 games left in the season.

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Cowboys Mailbag - 9/1

Last night, the cuts came down for the Dallas Cowboys and they have their Final 53. I think it should be pointed out, yet again, that there is no such thing as a "Final 53" and no sooner will this story be posted than a new transaction will occur, and we will have a new, new Final 53. Regardless, allow me to offer a good resource for what the roster looks like on a daily basis right here with the OurLads Depth Charts, and tell you to keep checking back.

My projections - as in most years - proved to miss the mark on quite a few players. Danny Coale and Adrian Hamilton were released to my surprise, and Matt Johnson was not placed on IR, but rather put on the active roster for now. Veterans like Derrick Dockery and Marcus Spears were kept, as was Stephen McGee. All 3 of those seemed like rather simple cuts to my eyes, but I understand it is tough for a coaching staff to let guys go after years with the organization for an unproven entity that may not give you anything in 2012 like Ronald Leary or Rob Callaway.

Meanwhile, special teams spines Shaun Chapas and Orie Lemon both were released, too. Not only that, but Jamize Olawale did not replace either one. What this means (especially after the cuts of Jesse Holley in the spring and Akwasi Owusu Anasah this week) is that the Cowboys are really going thin on special teams guys.

The group that looks like they will be primary kick and cover teams will include some of the following: Phillip Tanner, Andre Holmes, Kevin Ogletree, Dwayne Harris, James Hanna, John Phillips, Danny McCray, Mana Silva, Bruce Carter, and Alex Albright. Understand that this entire group will not all be active, so they will have to pick and choose each week. What that means is low experience, low continuity, and the high possibility of a disaster on special teams in September if the Cowboys are not very careful.

Don't want to act like the sky is falling, but many of the choices on cut down day seemed to err on the side of not worrying about special teams. Let's hope that doesn't cost a game with Jerrell Jernigan, Leon Washington, or Devin Hester.

PICKING THE PLAYOFFS

For the 1991 season, the NFL expanded it's playoff format to 12 teams. 3 division winners and 3 wildcards has morphed into 4 division winners and 2 wildcards, but it is still 6 in each conference. Below is a chart that should help anyone pick their playoff field.

Each year, the NFL basically finds 6 new teams for the playoffs of the 12. Most fans and media, when picking their playoff field generally pick largely the same group of teams from the year prior. Well, history below tells us this is just not the proper way to pick the playoffs.

Last year, 6 new teams made the 2011 playoffs: 3 in the NFC with the Giants, 49ers and Lions. And then the bottom 3 seeds in the AFC with the Bengals, the Texans, and the Broncos. For reference, the other 6 teams in the playoffs last year were the Packers, Falcons, and Saints in the NFC, with the Steelers, Ravens, and Patriots in the AFC.

By the way, you can almost always put a 10 loss team in the next year's playoffs. Worst to first is completely in play in the NFL. So, when making your picks, find 6 new teams. Just figure out the right 6 to expell from last year's playoff field.

Year	# New	New Teams making Playoffs
1992	6	Min, SF, Phi, Mia, Pit, KC
1993	5	Det, GB, NYG, Oak, Den
1994	5	Chi, Mia, Clev, NE, SD
1995	4	Phi, Atl, Ind, Buf
1996	5	Min, Car, Jac, Den, NE
1997	5	NYG, Det, TB, KC, Mia
1998	5	Arz, Dal, Atl, NYJ, Buf
1999	7	Det, TB, StL, Was, Sea, Ten, Ind
2000	6	Phi, NYG, NO, Den, Bal, Oak
2001	6	SF, GB, Chi, Pit, NE, NYJ
2002	5	NYG, Atl, Ten, Cle, Ind
2003	8	Stl, Car, Dal, Sea, NE, KC, Bal, Den
2004	5	Min, Atl, SD, Pit, NYJ
2005	7	Was, Car, TB, NYG, Chi, Cin, Jac
2006	7	Phi. Dal, NO, SD, Bal, NYJ, KC
2007	6	Was, TB, GB, Pit, Ten, Jac
2008	7	Phi, Atl, Car, Min, Arz, Mia, Bal
2009	6	Dal, GB, NO, Cin, NE, NYJ
2010	5	Sea, Atl, Chi, Pitt, KC
2011	6	NYG, SF, Det, Cin, Hou, Den

Table Tutorial

It always shocks me how much the teams turn over in the playoffs. But history tells us it WILL happen.

EMAILS

Hi Bob

I know you’re having a hard time understanding some of the final cuts (Leary, Coale) but I’m going to look at the bright side and say some of these cuts are indicative of Red Jesus having more and more control over personnel, which to me is a good thing. In the past the Cowboys would have held on to Coale simply because he was a draft pick and Leary simply because he got the signing bonus. Maybe Red J didn’t see what he needed to see in terms of the kind of player he wants on this team going forward. Maybe we’re finally seeing a philosophy in terms of character and motor. Maybe not, but I’m willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt until we see how the team plays in the regular season.

Hopelessly Optimistic,

Dan Ratcliff

Dan, your optimism is wonderful to see. Is Garrett more in charge of the final cuts than a head coach has been since Bill Parcells? It is kind of difficult to tell. We may speculate that he has more to do with the type of guy makes the team, but we also remember on draft day that the Cowboys were picking guys that Jason Garrett liked for the same reasons. If Danny Coale was his "type of player" then, I would ask why he is not now?

I understand that the Cowboys have more at WR than we thought, but the idea of the 5th round pick not making the squad for 2 drafts in a row is most disconcerting. Josh Thomas was their 5th rounder in 2011, a corner from Cedar Hill who attended Buffalo, and he was in the final cuts last August. Now, Coale, a standout for 4 years at Virginia Tech also doesn't break camp with the club, and we are left to believe that it was because of a broken toe in June.

It just doesn't seem to make sense to me that you spend all of this time scouting and pouring over information from his college career, learn about his mental make-up and personality, invest money and a pick in his future, and then throw it all away because of a broken toe that limited him in June, July, and August. He is now back to full health and will be playing as a rookie in the NFL. Just not with the Cowboys. That bothered me quite a bit.

Ronald Leary was the other one that jumped off the page. Again, the Cowboys jumped through a lot of hoops to acquire him, including spending a ton of money to get him to Dallas. He certainly has a complicated story and health concerns, and $200k is not the end of the world for the Cowboys, but if there is one thing scouts tell you is that offensive lineman need the most patience in the very impatient world of football.

Leary was very poor in the preseason games. I don't have an explanation for this, because size and power did not seem to be issues at Memphis, but perhaps the added quickness of the NFL defenders just caused him to lose his confidence. Regardless, he was very poor, but I never dreamed they would cut him loose after one camp. I thought he would have a year to learn and then have to make the team on merit in 2013. I clearly was wrong.

Meanwhile, a guy who has not made the team on merit in 2012 or 2013 in my opinion, David Arkin - the 4th round pick from 2011, remains with the squad (at least for now). But the trade for Ryan Cook puts him in peril, too.

============

This next email is from the "11 plays from 2011" series that finished this week here on the blog. #11 was a look at the Victor Cruz Touchdown from the final game of last year.

Sturm,

Could you touch on what you think Eli & Cruz do if Newman gets to his spot before the snap and lines up with outside leverage? If Newman lines up on Cruz's left shoulder, Cruz thinks safety blitz and adjusts to a slant, then Sensabaugh is in the perfect spot for a PBU or INT.

Seems like Ryan had the right scheme, but Newman got set late and crossed up in his backpedal which gave Cruz the 2 steps of separation that he needed.

Wess

Thanks, Wess. Great question.

I assume Eli would continue to the outside to his 1 on 1 with Nicks vs Jenkins on the sideline. However, Ryan might have caught Eli not seeing the blitzing safety. But, anytime you blitz, you are taking a calculated chance. And that is why I think Ryan took a wrong turn here (which is admittedly easy to say after Cruz runs for a Touchdown).

But, why is it a bad choice?

1) - He has the wrong personnel on the field. The Giants kept the Cowboys out of nickel and then forced Newman to have to matchup with Cruz in the slot. The Cowboys could have switched to nickel and had Newman outside on Beckum, with Scandrick on Cruz. Would that have changed the play? I think so. However, because it is 3rd and 1, then do the Giants run for an easy 1st Down because they have 12 personnel on the field and you are in nickel? Most likely. This is the chess game in any scenario.

2) - He is in Cover 0 in a 0-0 game very despite the fact that Cover 0 is the riskiest blitz a defensive mind can call for. Far be it for me to second guess as I have no experience coordinating a defense, but this is going "All In" on a play like this. If you miss one tackle on Cover 0, the ball is in the endzone. Sometimes, we need just a little bit of restraint on our risk load. If the Cowboys had an issue with Rob Ryan's 1st season, it is the fact that, like most Ryans, he is more than happy to roll the bones. Gambling is great if you always win or are playing Madden, but in the NFL, it can destroy a lot of things that your team has worked hard for. I prefer that you play safe and keep 1 or 2 safeties deep most of the time.

3) - Sensabaugh is a rather slow player and to ask him to run anyone down is folly.

I know it is a harsh review of a play that they certainly got wrong, but make Eli Manning drive the ball down the field. He certainly can do it, but that Week 17 and the game at Philadelphia were both disasters. And part of the reason they were is that the Cowboys started blitzing too much and both of their rivals made them pay dearly for not being judicious in their gambling.

That is enough for this morning. It is time to focus on Wednesday Night.

Have a good Labor Day Weekend.

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