Passing Charts Preseason Game 2

Game 2 is in the book and the Cowboys are 1-1 in the preseason as they lost 28-20.  Some things to note about the game.  Cowboys threw seventeen shotgun passes in the fourth alone and out of those seventeen, fifteen were in a row.  You can make a point that this is preseason so you want to avoid getting your quarterback hurt.  Then again you can argue that this is preseason and you don't want your less than confident o-line getting your quarterback hurt.  Chargers had three sacks for 37 yards, that's over a ten yard loss per sack.  That doesn't happen with blind sided sacks those those happen from QBs running for their lives. As the Boys try to work out the kinks with the front five at least their passing game is showing signs of assurance.  Here are the charts.

Game
C/ATT: 31/48
YDS: 285
TD: 1
INT: 2

Romo

C/ATT: 9/13
YDS: 75
TD: 0
INT: 0

Orton

C/ATT: 7/10
YDS: 83
TD: 0
INT: 1

McGee

C/ATT: 9/16
YDS: 86
TD: 0
INT: 1

Carpenter

C/ATT: 6/9
YDS: 78
TD: 1
INT: 0

As always feedback is welcomed, let me know what your feelings are on the charts.  Look, concept, things you like/dislike.  If you need any help in understanding them try checking out the FAQs.  For what its worth follow me on Twitter.

Read More

The Morning After: A New Hope

After a sloppy 4th Quarter in which the Cowboys surrendered 21 points thanks to some generosity from the reserves in the turnover department, Dallas lost the 2nd preseason game to the San Diego Chargers, 28-20. But, over the course of the evening in beautiful San Diego, things started to round into shape as it pertains to the battles on the roster and ultimately on the field for the team. Dallas is not ready for the season to begin, and the 9 starters who were held out for various injuries must return quickly, but you are starting to see signs of how they would like the team to look when live ammunition is used in 16 days time.

One of the themes of the offense in the offseason is the dependence on the veterans who are holdover to the Bill Parcells era to continue to carry the bulk of the mail. It is certainly great that players who are now at or near their 30th birthday are still contributing in such large doses, but with Jason Witten and Miles Austin missing so much of training camp on the offense, it was refreshing to see the camps that are being put together from 2 players who were both born in 1988.

The older of the two, DeMarco Murray, looked as if he cannot wait to start the season from his limited use against the Chargers. Murray, who we discussed at great length a few weeks back, has a burst to his game that is unlike anything at his position in years. He also has versatility that allows the Cowboys, if they so desire, to essentially build an entire game plan around finding creative ways to use him and terrorize defenses. Now, the only question has been his ability to heal that left leg that was broken when Dave Tollefson rolled up on him when the Giants visited back in December. Then, the question would shift to: Will he be able to shoulder the workload of being a 20-touch a game guy in the NFL with his style of give and receive punishment over the long term.

He only received 5 touches on Saturday, which makes plenty of sense because you don't want to wear him down in August. But, in those 5 plays, he did what we saw in 2011 and even on the training camp field in Oxnard. He gets the ball and hits the line at 100 mph. He has know uncertainty of his intentions and gets there in a blur. He is confident in his body and even more confident in what he believes is about to happen. In short, he has all the appearances of a big time back. And to compare him to Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Marion Barber, or Julius Jones is just not even close. This is Tony Romo's first chance to play with a quality, all-purpose weapon behind him in the backfield, and it has to make everyone in the game-planning meetings excited just to imagine what that could mean to the offense to have a guy who makes people miss.

Then, the younger of the tandem, Dez Bryant, has had what many consider the best training camp of any veteran. He has looked "into it" on just about every occasion on the camp field. He has shown flashes of brilliance in both of the preseason games (if you consider a jaw-dropping pass in the back of the end zone that was nullified by penalty), although his work is also being properly limited. Going into his 3rd season, it is important that he shows durability and the ability to get on the field and affect every game in every quarter.

He has been called out by the staff for his conditioning issues that seem to be something that required explanation. They weren't calling him fat or out of shape. They were calling him out of shape for what his job required. Run hard, every play, every route. And if you cannot do that 60 times during a typical NFL war in which guys are going to try to hit you, then you are not ready to be all you can be. He has famously been issued #88 because of 2 men in particular, Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin. Two legends in the jersey and the franchise, and both of them, especially Pearson, had a knack for making the biggest plays in the last moments of the 4th Quarter. And to do that, you have to be able to run your hardest when everyone else is tired.

So, in response to that, I think we are seeing him go harder at practice and at camp. Running hard every play on Tuesday and Wednesday will lead to stronger legs on Sundays. And if there is one thing that has occurred to many observers of the first 3 weeks of training camp, it would be that this offense has been very good with Witten and Austin as major cogs. But, what if they were joined by a premier running back and a game-breaking wide receiver for 16 weeks?

What if, the best players on the offense who are helping Romo are both in their early 20s? And what if, when you consider Tyron Smith (age 21) as still one of the youngest players in the NFL, this is the group to consider as your present and future? Well, then you are certainly not nearly as concerned about this "window closing" narrative that the national talkers are babbling on about.

As I watched the "1s" take on the "1s" of San Diego, that was what was most interesting to me. The Cowboys offense without Witten on the field made me - and more importantly, Tony Romo - consider the idea that it might be time to ask the young bucks to carry the mail much more than they have been asked to this point. And, since they both look committed to that opportunity by being in fantastic shape physically, this could provide very impressive results.

Some other observations from Saturday Night in San Diego:

* The offensive line was still victim of plenty of drive-stalling moments early on against the Chargers starters. There were penalties and busts that get a QB hit hard if he is not bailing them out with great awareness. David Arkin was somewhat better, but he is still going to be a liability at center if they have to play him in the regular season at that spot. His two worst moments were at the 7:13 mark of the 1Q when he was beat and forced to hold Chargers reserve nose tackle Cam Thomas and the 2:45 mark of the 1Q when he was forklifted into the backfield and the 2nd time onto his back by Thomas. He just cannot block big lineman 1-on-1. Strength and anchor will never be his forte and when you get into the regular season, defenses will find ways to isolate you and expose you if you cannot block without help - even as a center. That is one reason why Jim Johnson designed the "Double A Gap blitzes" in Philadelphia. Make the center prove he can block in a pinch. Phil Costa has similar issues, but reports are of added strength and like so many others, now we just need to see him on the field.

* Meanwhile, great reports on right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau. Bernadeau played in limited action in Carolina last season, but in the one game in which he played, a week 14 affair against Atlanta, I thought he showed he could be a steady and solid offensive guard in the NFL. It gave me concern that Carolina decided to go another direction after developing him, but I would not pretend to know what went into their decision making process. But, in watching Bernadeau on Saturday night, I was quite pleased. He is a very strong man and able to stay in front of his assignment. He also handles stunts well and gets to the 2nd level to dig out a linebacker on running plays after being a part of a combo block at the line. He looks pretty secure at RG and now we await the return of Nate Livings at LG. If he can equal Bernadeau and just become a solid guy who does his job and you don't have to worry about him each play, the OL can be back in business and the center will look better just because those around him are better, too. This is good news, but time is running out for the dream of seeing Livings-Costa-Bernadeau actually take a snap together in the preseason before they have to go wrestle with arguably the best defensive front in football on opening night in New York.

* Those who continued to help their cause to make the team include: Jamize Olawale, Dwayne Harris, Cole Beasley, Kevin Ogletree, James Hanna, and Daniel Loper on offense and Mario Butler, Adrian Hamilton, and Robert Callaway on defense. Each of these guys edged a bit further up in their positional battles by showing some nice things on the evening. The wide receiver battles are truly interesting and all of these players aside from the big guys - Loper and Callaway - can continue to distinguish themselves by being special teams contributors. You absolutely must factor in that most important factor when trying to figure out who will make this team from man #37 to man #53 on the final roster. The first 3 dozen players you keep do not have to be special teams candidates, but you better believe that anyone under 280 lbs, who is deep on the depth chart, better be able to cover kicks. It is the only way to survive in the NFL for a young reserve. And that is why Olawale, who has almost no instincts as a ball carrier, has a great chance to knock Phillip Tanner off the roster. He just looks like a guy who could play on all 4 teams.

* Those who did not help their cause on Saturday include: Pat McQuistan, who continues to disappoint in his 2nd stint with the Cowboys, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (although he has proven he can cover kicks already), Andre Holmes (who took a step back but is still very much in the mix), Clifton Geathers, and just about all others down the depth chart who were hoping to pop into the action. Bruce Carter, who will easily make the team, did not calm fears about his lack of play-making at MLB, but Barry Church did show more signs that he is ready to start at safety.

* Speaking of the secondary, Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne both were present and ready for action. Carr had 2 interceptions that were both on plays where he was in the trailing position, but demonstrated recovery skills and play-making. The expectation level has certainly been laid out for both players as the price was substantial, but there is no question the Cowboys are better equipped to play defense against premier receivers. Claiborne is going to sustain plenty of bumps and rookie lessons along the way, but both will bring a swagger back there that has been missing for quite a while. Hypothetically, the ability for the corners to handle their own business should free up safeties to play more of a "ball hawk" role, but we will need to see how that materializes.

* Victor Butler continues to show great pass rush skills. It is worth noting, however, that he plays DeMarcus Ware's weak-side role in the defense. What that means is that he doesn't appear to be a candidate for the strong-side where Anthony Spencer often is lined up. When the Cowboys play their 3-4, it often looks like a 4-3 under at the snap. There are a number of scheme issues to having Ware and Butler both rushing from each side on normal downs and basically, bringing 5 men. Butler is very promising, and has tremendous ability to make plays when he was on the field. But, I am not sure they will ever figure out how to get Butler and Ware on the field at the same time except on 3rd and long. Even though the two outside linebacker spots seem similar, they require different skill sets and abilities. Stay tuned for more on the topic.

Tomorrow, I want to take a long look at Cole Beasley and answer many questions about what he can and cannot do when we consider him for the roster. He is certainly making himself a tough guy to cut.

Read More

Passing Charts Preseason Game 1 vs Oakland 8/13/12

One "game" down three to go until the numbers start to matter, but it doesn't hurt to get an idea on what to look forward to.  The norm will always be three different charts to look at (full, first half, 2nd half) but being that its preseason and three different QB's were in play and each has such a small part in the game I broke it down a little differently.  You have your typical full game, then each QB has his own chart.  So here we go.

Full Game
C/ATT- 15/27
YDS- 148
AVG- 5.5
TD- 0
INT- 1

Romo
C/ATT- 3/6
YDS- 30
AVG- 5
TD- 0
INT- 0



Orton
C/ATT- 7/12
YDS- 87
AVG- 7.3
TD- 0
INT- 1

McGee
C/ATT- 5/9
YDS- 48
AVG- 5.3
TD- 0
INT- 1




As always feedback is welcomed, let me know what your feelings are on the charts.  Look, concept, things you like/dislike.  If you need any help in understanding them try checking out the FAQs.

Read More

Getting to 53

With 20 days left to opening day, it is time to start getting a realistic view on the cut-downs to the final 2012 Cowboys roster.

I began tracking this several years ago, but I thought I would share it with you; It is a chart of how the Cowboys Final 53 looks for the last 5 years based on the final cuts. It is not perfect, because there is never a "final" roster. You will hear it this year that after they get down to 53, they still aren't done. There are moves they want to make based on other cuts from other teams and then someone who made the Cowboys 53 will not have actually made it. Truly, a proper front office never has a finished roster.

But, this will give you an idea of what the guys in the War-Room are thinking when they have 90 bodies in training camp. These are the numbers they have to get to for the final cut-down by position. You will also note that when you add one in one place (a 3rd QB, a kick-off specialist) then you are short somewhere else. And somewhere else always seems to be someone on special teams.

On Tuesday, August 28th, each team must reduce their number to 80 men, then by Sunday, September 2, they must get down to 53. That final number is now 17 days away, so let's look at what the Cowboys have done since 2007, and then from that we will try to select our 1st draft of the 53.

Position	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
QB	2	2	3	3	3
RB	5	4	4	5	4
TE	3	3	3	2	4
WR	6	5	5	5	5
OL	10	11	10	10	10
DL	6	6	6	7	7
LB	7	8	9	9	7
DB	11	11	9	9	9
ST	3	3	4	3	4
Total	53	53	53	53	53

Table Tutorial

2007: 26 Offense/24 Defense/3 Specialist
2008: 25 Offense/25 Defense/3 Specialist
2009: 25 Offense/24 Defense/4 Specialist
2010: 25 Offense/25 Defense/3 Specialist
2011: 26 Offense/23 Defense/4 Specialist

Sources: Archer 2008 , Archer 2007 , MacMahon 2009, Archer 2010, and Watkins 2011.

OK, with this information available and with our eye-ball tests at both camp and the first game in Oakland, let's get the Cowboys down to 53. I will be the first to admit that I expect to do this 2 more times, with adjustments to this list each time. Keep in mind that this has nothing to do with the additional 8 man practice squad, since those players are all subject to being snagged by the 31 other franchises. If you truly believe you have a gem, then you must put him on the 53.

Let's run through the roster quickly by position. As we get closer, we will do more elaboration. But for today, I think these are the 53 who would make it as of today.

Quarterbacks (2): Tony Romo, Kyle Orton - I just don't see carrying a 3rd at this point. I think Stephen McGee was a worthwhile prospect, but in his 4th camp he is hanging by a thread.

Running Backs (4): DeMarco Murray, Felix Jones, Phillip Tanner, Lawrence Vickers - There is a chance a 5th can make it, but it will be strictly on special teams. That is why the next 2 games will be absolutely vital to track who is covering kicks and punts.

Wide Receivers (6): Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Andre Holmes, Dwayne Harris, Danny Coale, Kevin Ogletree - Before I am sent all of the Cole Beasley/Danny Coale emails, just know that this has more to do with potential and upside than what we have seen in 2 weeks. But, Beasley can still impact this race and Coale must get on the field and start proving his worth. As for Harris and Ogletree, this is another spot where special teams could decide things and one of those 2 might be the guy to go if the Cowboys wish to keep Cole and Coale. Ogletree has simply never been much of a special teams contributor. There is a lot of work to do in this category.

Tight Ends (3): Jason Witten, John Phillips, James Hanna - Clearly, the injury to Witten could really affect things here, but for now, let's go with this. They really are crossing their fingers on this one.

Offensive Line (10): Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Phil Costa, Ronald Leary, Jermey Parnell, Pat McQuistan, David Arkin, Derrick Dockery - Please don't think that I believe these 10 are all worthy of making the squad, but several near the end of the list make the squad because there is nobody better behind them. Kevin Kowalski could push Arkin or Dockery off the list, but he would need to appear on the field first. Also, when you find 10, you have to make sure at least 4 are tackles. That is not easy, either.

Defensive Line (7): Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Kenyon Coleman, Sean Lissemore, Tyrone Crawford, Josh Brent, Marcus Spears - I think Spears could lose a battle to a prospect, but that prospect will need to emerge even more over the next 2 weeks. I am no longer holding my breath on Clifton Geathers, but Ben Bass and Robert Calloway are worth watching in the next few weeks.

Line Backers (9): DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Dan Conner, Victor Butler, Kyle Wilbur, Alex Albright, Adrian Hamilton - I assume that they wil have to figure out a way to find a spot for Adrian Hamilton and maybe Caleb McSurdy (edit: McSurdy is out for a while with what appears to be a significant achilles injury on Wednesday) or Orie Lemon, but this is the first draft, so I wanted to build a realistic view with how it looks right now. For Hamilton or Lemon, they will require being a pillar on all 4 special teams.

Defensive Backs (9): Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick, Morris Claiborne, Mike Jenkins, Barry Church, Gerald Sensabaugh, Danny McCray, Matt Johnson, CJ Wilson - Again, Johnson needs to get healthy and win that job, but I like him to win it. I think Wilson gets the final spot with Church no longer available for all of the special teams jobs with him starting now.

Specialists (3): Dan Bailey, LP Ladouceur, Chris Jones

Last 5 to make the cut for me: Spears, Hamilton, Wilson, Coale, Ogletree

Players 54-60: Kowalski, Beasley, McSurdy (IR), Williams, Butler, Dunbar, Olawale

We will do this again in a week. Let's see how things change in that time.

Read More

Center of Attention

Last night's 3-0 victory over the Oakland Raiders to open the 2012 preseason was certainly better than losing 3-0 to the Raiders. However, beyond that, let's just say that there are very few things that can be learned that we should take too much stock in for the parts of the roster that significantly decide your season.

From a standpoint of this starter's performance versus that one, there is merely anecdotal evidence from 1 snap to another. Dez Bryant's back shoulder fade looks like something Tony Romo and Dez can go to just about anytime they see man coverage and it should work like a charm. As Aaron Rodgers has demonstrated, it is unstoppable if the offense can get the timing down. There is literally nothing a corner can do against that. Also, DeMarcus Ware looked ready to rush the passer and it should be noticed that the Raiders ran a screen right to his side again with great success. That is becoming habitual.

Gerald Sensabaugh made a splash play interception, showing great lateral range it seemed to get over the top of the receiver - until you noticed it was more a poor throw from Carson Palmer to attempt with Sensabaugh cheating outside the near hash at the snap of the ball. Sensabaugh's range is limited - unless you allow him to start the play halfway over your receiver and throw it anyway. I will credit him for making a play, but wonder if a QB in regular season form will disregard a cheating safety like that.

Barry Church offered a few flashes, including closing down a dump off play underneath with very impressive conviction. Meanwhile, other players that you wanted to jump off the screen in the 1st half were merely on the screen; Bruce Carter, in particular, still looks like he is thinking more rather than attacking when he is on the field. He needs to have a more firm grasp of his assignment if this is going to yield the results everyone is hoping for with him.

Potential reserves that showed up well were led by Andre Holmes who flashed a moment or two that puts him front and center for the 3rd WR job. Remember, with Holmes, he has the versatility to play outside and move Miles Austin to the slot if the Cowboys wish to go that route. Danny Coale, Dwayne Harris, and Cole Beasely do not offer that option. If they were to earn the 3rd spot, they seem to be strictly slot options and not as ideal. That is why it might be Holmes' job to lose. You are not necessarily looking for the best slot receiver. You are looking for the best option to fit with Austin and Bryant.

Then, for your 4th and 5th options at WR, you are looking for players who can contribute on special teams. Especially receiver #5. And we are not merely talking about punt return or kickoff return. We are talking about guys like Sam Hurd and Jesse Holley used to be - guys who can play on all 4 special teams as foot soldiers who can cover kicks and block. Both of those guys would almost never get on the field via the offense. Their value to the team was that on game day, they would be on both kickoff teams and both punt teams and help things go smoothly there. That is why Kevin Ogletree is a candidate for the 3rd WR, but not necessarily as good a candidate for the #4 or #5 spot. Conversely, if Holmes wins #3, then a guy like Dwayne Harris is likely a lock for #4 or #5.

Remember: As you are filling out your roster, you always have to consider a guy as either a starter or a special teams soldier. If a player doesn't fall into either category (aside from QBs), then you are going to run into math problems on game day. Special teams liabilities do not make teams unless they are players who play a multitude of snaps for the offense or defense.

Kyle Wilbur demonstrated a nice burst around the edge from linebacker, but then left the game with a broken thumb. Ronald Leary looked extremely green and not quite ready to bring his technique to the top of the depth charts at guard. Adrian Hamilton is a guy we need to see plenty more of if that is what he can do in the 4th Quarter as a pass rusher. And, Stephen McGee looks like he is hanging on to the roster by a thread.

Now, on to the meat of this post. Let's talk center:

First of all, I am really enjoying the thoughts and reviews of so many in the media on Twitter or websites that indicate that David Arkin did a nice job last night. I believe this is generally because he did not have any sloppy snaps and limited moments where he stopped the game because of a penalty. I also believe our bar around here for what constitutes a good job from the center position must be very low.

He did not play very well. He was overpowered at the point of attack on several occasions.

* Cowboys 1st Snap, 12:42 1st Quarter: Arkin is pushed back into the backfield by Tommy Kelly, causing DeMarco Murray to change his path on a simple zone running play to the right.

* Cowboys 2nd Snap, 12:05 1st Quarter: Arkin is jolted again in pass protection by Kelly. Play is a success because Romo delivered the ball quickly to Bryant.

* Cowboys 2nd Snap of 2nd possession, 2:17 1st Quarter: Arkin is supposed to hold up Kelly for a 1-count before releasing to block for the screen. Instead, he barely touches Kelly and Kelly sacks Romo for a 12-yard loss. These are the types of plays that can potentially ruin a season.

* Cowboys 6th Snap of 4th possession, 4:15 2nd Quarter: Arkin is unaware of a tackle-end stunt on Raiders line on a Cowboys inside zone run. Carl Ihenacho stunts to the inside and Arkin spots him too late and must hold him. Despite the hold, the play is still blown up on rather simple inside movement.

All of this is not to suggest that didn't battle hard last night. He certainly played more than anyone on the roster. It is simply to sound the alarm on this entire "Phil Costa, Kevin Kowalski, Bill Nagy, and David Arkin center project" that has gone on long enough.

There is simply not a center who is NFL starting quality in the group from what watching these 4 players battle over the course of 2 seasons of football. The Cowboys are clearly marginalizing the job of center in an "anybody can do this" sort of way, and it is not working out. There is a reason that the Cowboys' playbook has been a disaster in most road games recently, and it is because they are outclassed on the interior of their line. They think they have addressed the 2 guard spots, but early returns are spotty. The center position, though, is either very poor or a complete disaster. Still. After having an entire offseason to hope and dream that it would be better because of big work in the weight room.

It would still be prudent to let Costa prove that he is either the same guy who was struggling so much last year or a player who is developing. But, based on what I have seen at training camp, I am going to ask him to prove it with live ammunition. In the meantime, the Cowboys need to be taking this issue far more seriously than they did in the 2011 training camp when they fooled themselves into believing that Costa would be fine. But, none of the 4 in the group look like promising prospects from what they have shown in their action in games of both the preseason and regular season variety.

Incidentally, there seems to be a lot of poor information floating around about this position. There is way more than snapping the ball that goes into the position. So much information to go through for a center in pre snap that it seems that with each passing day, the odds of being able to bring a new guy in and expect him to know mentally what he is doing are growing longer and longer. He must know the offense and his opposition as well as anyone but the quarterback.

I have heard that he is always part of a double team, but even casually watching last night you can see that the center is asked to make plenty of solo blocks especially in the running game. On zone plays, he has a guy that he must move and must have the strength to do so, or the play fails. On man plays, he is often a part of a combination block, and then must go get a linebacker once the combo block is secured. In pass protection, if there are no blitzes, he often has help. But, as we have seen in the Costa era, teams quickly sniff out the weak link and send stunts and blitzes to both A gaps when they need a result. And don't think for a minute that this doesn't affect your QBs mentality and faith in his line to hold up. If he has happy feet, you know why. And Tommy Kelly refreshed that memory last night.

Snapping the ball is key and Costa certainly did not handle that well last year, nor did Andre Gurode the year before. But, now, we are seeing the opposite with Arkin. Good snaps and poor awareness. People will say he is not a center, so cut him some slack. Sure, but if he is guard, shouldn't he have a little more anchor that would allow him to push back a bit?

The Cowboys are using 2 undrafted kids, a 7th rounder, and a 4th round guard to fill this center hole by committee. At this point, it looks like they are getting back very little on their modest investment. Will the center position be aided by stronger guards? Yes. But since we have not seen the new guards together yet on the field, we are starting to employ hope as a strategy. And that never works.

The question must be asked: How many of these 4 would make another roster? How many would start? If the answer to both questions is either 0 or close to 0, then we have a giant problem.

And last night did not ease the worry about the center of the offense. Surely, the front office is focusing on this closely. Right?

Read More

Splash Plays - Part 4

This is the final blog entry for 2011 Splash Plays as we view every single defensive snap of last year to evaluate who was making plays and who was just taking up space for the Cowboys' defense. There is no question that what we saw in December was far less a dominating defense and far more a part of the problem when it came to asking the question of "why did the Cowboys miss the playoffs?"

Before reveal the new data, let's catch those up who are just now being introduced to this new blog feature that we plan to maintain throughout the 2012 season in this space.

Part 1 - Splash Plays 2011 - Games 1-4
Part 2- Splash Plays 2011 - Games 5-8
Part 3 - Splash Plays 2011 - Games 9-12

What is a Splash Play?

In a short answer, a splash play is a term used in some franchises to describe a defensive big play. For our purposes, it is an interception, a sack, a tackle for loss, a strip of a fumble, a recovery of a fumble, a stuffed run, a defended pass, a batted ball at the line of scrimmage, or a hit that disrupts a play or a player. Essentially, a play that matters from the defense.

Here is the longer answer as we have used in the first few entries:

What is a splash play? Well, for purposes of this blog I believe a splash play will include the following: A sack, a pressure that forces a bad throw, and big hit on the QB, and a batted ball that may lead to an interception opportunity.

Again, you can see how this leads to subjectivity, but a subjective breakdown is better than no breakdown at all, I have decided. In addition, a splash play will include tackles for loss, a big hit for a short gain, or a stop which is an open field tackle where a player is pulled down on 3rd down short of the marker because of an exceptional effort from a defender.

An interception is clearly a splash play, but so is a defended pass that required a great effort. A major hit in the secondary could be a splash play, but I believe that the outcome of the play will determine that. Sorry, defensive backs, but standing over a guy who just caught a 15 yard pass because you think you hit him hard will not generally pass the test on this blog. So, stop doing it.

I am trying to be careful about handing out too many splash plays per game. I am trying to be picky, but too extreme in either direction. When I log a splash play, I will put time of the game on the chart so that if you want to review the same game and challenge my ruling, you are welcome to do so. Also, if multiple players deserve recognition on a single play, we will try to see that as well. Basically, we are trying to assign a value to making plays on the defense. We don't want to just see sacks and interceptions. We want to see broader definitions of splash plays to assign credit to those who help the Cowboys get off the field in important situations.

These rankings will not deduct for negative plays at this point. There are simply too many occasions where we are guessing, and for now, I want to avoid that for this particular idea. A splash play is a play that makes a major difference in the game. And by keeping it all season long, we will see which defenders are play makers and which are simply warm bodies. We already have our thoughts on both categories, but let's see if we can dig a bit deeper and actually have numbers to back up our claims.

The Cowboys played 1,053 defensive snaps in 2011. And we have now looked at each and everyone in detail. And, in our logs, we have given chapter and verse of each of them. This way, we invite your reviews if you would like to throw the challenge flag on my system and either ask for one to be added or one to be given to another player. One reader last week actually got a splash play to be re-issued to Victor Butler that had been erroneously given to DeMarcus Ware.

Now, please find the list for every single splash play that we have recorded for Games 13-16:









So, for this segment of games, we found 55 splash plays from the defense which is the lowest production for the season. The final total for the entire season arrived at 242 splash plays, which averaged out to a per game total of 15.125 per game.

It is interesting to note how many plays Anthony Spencer was in on. Over the course of the segment, he led the Cowboys with 9 splash plays. Further, over the course of the year - as you can see below - Spencer trailed only DeMarcus Ware on the entire defense.

When hearing his name discussed amongst Cowboys fans and media, I always hear his name positioned as a huge disappointment. I have always been willing to concede that his sack numbers and overall pass rush skills need to be better, but when you add in all of the other splash plays available - and he seems to blow up more run plays than anyone on the team - Spencer doesn't take a back seat to many.

His full body of work make him very useful. It can be said that the position of outside linebacker is going to always yield more of these plays than other positions in a 3-4 defense and I believe that is true, but still, to reduce Spencer to an anchor who merely holds you back is just not a fair assessment of his play.

Now, let's examine the full season totals:

Player	Wks 1-4	Wks 5-8	Wks 9-12	Wks 13-16	Totals
1. Ware	10	13	8	8	39
2. Spencer	8	4	8	9	29
3. Lee	10	5	5	5	25
4. Ratliff	2	6	10	6	24
5. Scandrick	0	5	8	3	16
6. Hatcher	3	2	3	5	13
7. Coleman	5	1	4	2	12
8. Newman	1	3	5	2	11
9. Butler	2	3	2	3	10
10. Elam	1	5	0	3	9
T11. Lissemore	2	2	2	2	8
T11. Spears	0	2	2	4	8
13. Ball	4	0	2	1	7
14. Sensabaugh	1	2	3	0	6
T15. Jenkins	3	1	0	1	5
T15. Brooking	1	0	3	1	5
17. Walker	1	0	3	0	4
T18. Church	0	0	3	0	3
T18. McCray	1	0	2	0	3
20. James	0	1	0	1	2
T21. Brent	1	0	0	0	1
T21. McCann	1	0	0	0	1
T21. Carter	0	1	0	0	1
T24. Albright	0	0	0	0	0
T24. Geathers	0	0	0	0	0

HTML Tables

And now, let's make this post extra long by finding a splash per snap ratio for each Cowboys defender in 2011.

Since every defender can only make plays if they are on the field, let's see how many plays it takes each man to make a play:

Player	Splashes	Snaps	Snaps Per Splash
1. Ware	39	913	23.4
2. Spencer	29	963	33.2
3. Lee	25	868	34.7
4. Ratliff	24	750	31.2
5. Scandrick	16	680	42.5
6. Hatcher	13	428	32.9
7. Coleman	12	425	35.4
8. Newman	11	828	75.2
9. Butler	10	233	23.3
10. Elam	9	1050	116.6
T11. Lissemore	8	282	35.2
T11. Spears	8	400	50
13. Ball	7	499	71.3
14. Sensabaugh	6	1004	167.3
T15. Jenkins	5	607	121.4
T15. Brooking	5	408	81.6
17. Walker	4	332	83
T18. Church	3	172	57.3
T18. McCray	3	32	10.6
20. James	2	415	207.5
T21. Brent	1	137	137
T21. McCann	1	35	35
T21. Carter	1	41	41
T24. Albright	0	45	0
T24. Geathers	0	31	0

HTML Tables

Snap Count numbers courtesy of ProFootballFocus.com

Pretty interesting numbers here.

I would love to track a whole season of Ed Reed or Troy Polamalu to see how many big plays a safety can make, because it sure looks like the Cowboys have a few safeties who never impact the game. Of course, that is what we thought before we ever did this project, too.

Bradie James was amazingly quiet at a high impact position and Jay Ratliff rallied as the season went along. As for the young guys, Victor Bulter needs to see the field more and Danny McCray took the most of his chances, too. Jason Hatcher needs to keep developing because it seems he might be a sleeping giant in all of this.

So, what did this project show us? Ware is who we thought he was. Lee and Ratliff are terrific, but so is Spencer. But, then the drop off is substantial. For the Cowboys to be great, they need those 4 impact defenders to be joined by 3 or 4 more. Can Hatcher, Carr, Claiborne, and Lissemore or Church or Crawford join those ranks who make 20 plays of substance every season?

That is the test.

I welcome your feedback in the comments below or through email: sturm1310@me.com

Read More

Thoughts As We Get to Games

Finally, as of Monday, we will have exhibition games to discuss and breakdown. At which time, we will try to remember that these games are highly anticipated and then roughly 30 minutes into the game, most fans try to remember why they looked forward to the game in the first place. Of all of the amazing accomplishments of the NFL, surely, high on the list must be their ability to get people to pay to attend preseason games.

Nevertheless, I am happy to apply more meaning to the results and events of a preseason game over a practice or a 7 on 7 drill that we have seen in Oxnard. There are plenty of media people who disagree with that, reading meaning into every stretch and into every catch. Their reports are available all over online as well, but for me, I count practices as a place where coaches decide they need to see more of a player - not a place where players win jobs. They win the chance to audition, but the auditions, in my opinion, come in the form of competition outside of the organization via preseason and regular season game action.

Which bring us to updates and discussions on all of the big questions when we arrived. Let's start tackling them now that we are 2 weeks into camp and about to see things in Oakland and San Diego that will move these narratives forward:

1) - Who is playing safety for this team?

With all of the discussions about how bad the secondary was last season (and it was), it is interesting to point out that Terence Newman has been kind enough to end up as the full target for any and all blame for this issue. His exit and the subsequent entrance of Brandon Carr and Mo Claiborne are the kind of quick fix logic applied this time of year. I believe, once we dive a bit deeper into the substance of reality when live ammunition is used, that we will notice once again that the safety position continues to feel the effects of neglect since the days or Darren Woodson and young Roy Williams.

Last year, the Cowboys had a safety who took bad angles to plays allowing crucial plays, went months between big moments, did not play physical enough, and looked to be a weakness on the defense. So, the Cowboys decided to give Gerald Sensabaugh a 6 year/$25 million dollar extension with $8 guaranteed. Meanwhile, the other safety, the one who made more big plays and did not seem to have nearly as many busts, Abe Elam was sent away in exchange for a retread in Brodney Pool who never had a chance to make the team because his skills had so diminished. If I was to keep either safety last year, it was Elam, but the fact is that I understand why the front office was quite attracted to Alabama's Mark Barron to fix that position once and for all.

Regardless, because of Pool's crash and burn, the job has been given to a prospect that many inside the organization have been saying was ready for a while now: Barry Church. Church is another "box safety" who is going to have to demonstrate the ability to go sideline to sideline in space to break up plays, because we know that this is what the safety position calls for in 2012. The real issue here is that I think the Cowboys have 2 safeties up high in their depth chart who are not ideal coverage safeties as it pertains to playing the Cover 1 or Cover 2 style. A safety must be able to read and react by getting to the scene of the completion in perfect timing. A step slow, and Eli Manning is carving you up again. So, to say that they are rolling with Sensabaugh again is an issue, and now to bring in Church is just an unknown.

Beyond those two, I am still eager to see the rookie Matt Johnson, but his health has not exactly helped his case (see also, Claiborne, Coale, Bernadeau). But, from what I saw at Eastern Washington, I would like to submit my optimism that he will help improve this position in time, although his health is going to delay that a bit, it appears.

Overall, since it is not being discussed near as much as some other spots, allow me to sound the alarms of concern about safety.

2) - Is the offensive line better? Or just different?

Again, I do not wish to sound like a broken record, but there is no more important spot on the field (other than QB) when a team is trying to figure out why things aren't going right than offensive line. As I try to remember the last time the Cowboys had an offensive line that didn't betray them during the course of a 16 week meat grinder, I look back to 2007. There, Leonard Davis joined the ranks and settled down a group that was finding its stride. But, since then, each year, the OL has betrayed the team. This, of course, has gone largely unnoticed by the national media on their way to another Tony Romo slice and dice session, but nevertheless, it remains the singular issue for this offense to become as dynamic as the best in the league.

Protect the QB and for crying out loud, open up a hole on a 3rd and 1 for once. If this team had a legitimate running game, who knows how good the passing attack would be. But, Romo has achieved his level of excellence without ever having a running game that could be counted upon.

In 2010, the line was horrendous and was switched out for a new line in 2011. That group collapsed in December (not to mention various other times like in Foxboro) and was switched out again. Now, with 4 positions of the 5 likely to have new starters - and with the one holdover, Phil Costa, widely thought of as an underperformed staying put - the eye is on this group to improve.

But, is it better or just different? Nate Livings should not be confused for Carl Nicks. Everyone wanted Nicks and would have cost a ton to bring in. Tampa Bay now has the former Saints stud. But, Livings was allowed to walk and signed without too much competition. He will nail down left guard. Mackenzy Bernadeau left Carolina even though they needed a guard to replace their own free agent departure. You would think if he is a player coming into his own, the Panthers would know. But, they did not resist and now he is likely the right guard here. Free and Smith have flopped sides and that should be better. On paper, it should be better than 2011, and much of that is put into the capable hands of Bill Callahan.

The depth is an issue again as David Arkin, Bill Nagy, Derrick Dockery and the gang all compete to be the reserves or possible options if Costa cannot hold up.

And speaking of Costa, he should be better because he will have larger guards surrounding him, but now that Kyle Kosier is gone, he will likely be asked to take over making the verbal line calls at the line of scrimmage. This added responsibility helps identify blitzes and to make sure everyone is on the same page and knows who their man is to pick up. Kosier has handled it since the days of Andre Gurode and now it will be placed in Costa's hands, I believe. Nobody is questioning his ability to know what he is seeing but that is one more thing for a center to have on his plate when he is trying to snap the ball accurately and pick his head up before Vince Wilfork blocks him into next week.

Needless to say, all eyes are on Costa and his new guards.

There are many more questions that we will not cover in depth here, but know they are being looked at carefully and we will write about it more next week: 3rd Wide Receiver - which is covered everywhere by everyone. Replacements Dan Conner and Bruce Carter in the middle. And one source of optimism, the feeling that depth on the defensive line is as good as it has been in quite a while with Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, and Tyrone Crawford all surrounding Jay Ratliff with some quality and youth.

Beyond that, this is a good team. Claiborne is going to have some real growing pains, but so does every rookie corner every year. Get your starters out of the game early and stay healthy and get through August. Because, as we know, opening night is now just 26 days away.

Read More