Some Blue Thoughts on Black Monday

We interrupt the longer-form pieces for some snap analysis.  The NFL's Black Monday has gone from an early trot to a full sprint.  Andy Reid and Romeo Crennel have been dismissed, as expected, but Lovie Smith, Pat Shurmur and Chan Gailey have now joined them.  And if the Twitterverse is to be believed, Ron Rivera may not be long for Carolina.

But we live in Cowboysville, and the obvious "solutions" circle.  Replace Romo. Replace Garrett.  Re-shape Garrett.  Bring back Norv.

Okay....

1.  Tony Romo played poorly last night.  Jim Haslett got consistent pressure between the tackles and that forced some bad throws.  Romo's choices were mostly sound, but his fundamentals broke down.  He cut his stride short on his long pick towards Miles Austin, trying to "arm up" as it were.  He was simply fooled on the final pick.   For a guy who hurt Pittsburgh's 3-4 so impressively in Cowboys Stadium it was surprising to see him flummoxed by a less talented version of the same scheme.  And yet, Washington was probably the trickiest defense he handled all year.

We can let him hit the street, and then what?  There's no youngster in the cupboard.  Getting one on board should precede any notion of cutting ties with number 9, in my opinion.  Look at Arizona.  Ken Whisenhunt took them to a Super Bowl with Kurt Warner.  Then, Warner retired, and Arizona quickly fell to the bottom of their division.  Better still, look in the division.  Washington won their first division since 1999 last night.  Brad Johnson was their QB that year.  Then GM Charlie Casserley paid a handsome price to sign Johnson from Minnesota, before letting Johnson go to Tampa Bay in 2001, where he won a Super Bowl. 

Why did Washington linger 13 years in the NFC East wilderness?  Start by looking at the Redskins starting QBs between Johnson and Robert Griffin:

Tony Banks, Shane Matthews, Patrick Ramsey, Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman.

There's a saying in the military: hope is not a plan.  Letting Romo go without having a capable youngster in house means running on hope.  I'm old enough to remember Gary Hogeboom, Steve Pelleur and Kevin Sweeney.  I recall the Tony Banks, Quincy Carter, Ryan Leaf, Vinny Testaverde stretch too vividly.  I'll pass.

2.  Bring in Norv? 

Would appointing Norv Turner as offensive coordinator really solve everything?  I'm skeptical about this idea.  Yes, both Turner and Jason Garrett use the same system, but Norv had the same duties Jason does in Dallas.  He was the head man, and he held the play sheet.  And he did this:

'09, 13-3 record, 28.4 ppg.  4th in scoring offense
'10,  9-7 record, 27.6 ppg., 2nd in scoring offense
'11, 8-8 record, 25.4 ppg., 5th in scoring offense
'12, 7-9 record, 21.9 ppg., 20th in scoring offense

A slow slide  in '10 and '11, from the blow-up 2009, and a major drop-off this year.  If you watched the Chargers in 2012, you know Philip Rivers was nowhere near the quarterback he was in '09, when Wade Phillips could barely contain the Chargers' attack.  Rivers was one of the most error-free quarterbacks in football, but his interception totals for '11 and '12 spiked 60% over his '09 and '10 numbers.

What happened to Norv and to Rivers?  Pretty much the same thing that we've seen with Garrett and Romo in Dallas.  In 2009, Norv had LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles and Mike Tolbert in his backfield.  He had Vincent Jackson as his primary receiver.  He had Marcus McNeill as his left tackle and Chris Deilman as his left guard.  Over the past three seasons, they've all left, and the Chargers have not replaced them with comparable talent.

The NFL is a talent league.  When you've got it, you're going to look smart.  When you don't, you look dumb.

Bringing Norv to Dallas, and leaving the interior offensive line intact, and failing to add a changeup back and fullback won't change much.  And if Dallas hires Norv, I wonder if they'll see him as the panacea and leave the offensive player shortcomings untouched for another year?  That would be worse than standing pat with Garrett, in my opinion. 

Adding Turner might quiet the rippers, but Turner can't do it any more than Garrett can without talent, and Dallas still lacks the talent.

Which brings us to:

Six slabs of beef.  Looking for this year's personnel targets?  Start with six line spots, three on offense and three on defense.  We all know about the guards and center.  The Cowboys D-line looks even more worse. The team has had two dependable defensive linemen the past two years, Jason Hatcher and Jay Ratliff.  Early on, it appeared that Josh Brent was becoming the sumo nose tackle to anchor the front.

Brent's career may be over.  Ratliff and Hatcher are both over 30.  The Cowboys struck it rich in '05, adding Marcus Spears in the 1st, Chris Canty in the 4th and Ratliff in the 7th.  Hatcher came in the 3rd round of the next year's draft.  Dallas has not added a significant D-lineman since.

Every D-line spot and the three O-line spots cry out for improvement.

We've got plenty of time to muse over that.    

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Cowboys Season Ends

As a Team

No excuses. The Redskins outplayed the Cowboys tonight in Maryland for the NFC East Championship. We were over-matched. Our defense had been gutted, our OLine had not produced in a consistent fashion all year, our Special Teams were inconsistent, our QB had his worst game in a long time and we killed ourselves with penalties.

We competed. We were in the game til almost, the last series. If "being competitive" is high on your list, then this was a hell of a season. If you gauge your seasons by Super Bowl victories, then this season was a waste. There are also those that are in between.

Season Ending Observations, Knee Jerk Reactions: 

• It is a team game. It is won and lost as a team. That being said, having heavy negative stats in a losing effort is not a good thing. Romo is on the hot seat.
• DeMarcus Ware is not done yet.
• Spencer has arrived. Franchise if cap room available. Keep him hungry.
• We will be MUCH better when healthy.
• ROG Bernadeau was a mistake, but better than what we have behind him.
• Our key players are still in their prime.
• CB Carr is a key defensive player.
• Ending your season with a loss in the last game of the regular season is a double dose of bad. You lost, and you did not make the post-season. Even glacier water will taste bad.
• Murray is for real, the OLine is not.
• Our in-season scouting department is much better than our draft efforts. Why?
• Where is our "draft players that can stay healthy" position? Center, Wide Receiver  Running Back, Defensive Tackle, Defensive End, Inside Linebacker, Outside Linebacker, Corner Back, Safety? Pick one. Hell, pick two.
• Claiborne had an incredible Rookie year. He is a rookie at CB. Yea, he rocks.
• Lissemore should get better, IF he can stay healthy. (insert any young players name)
• DE Spears needs to be replaced by someone better, not just replaced.
• WR/KR Harris is worth working with. He is just scratching the surface.
• Very interested in what S Johnson can bring to the team, if he can get healthy. Argh!
• Parnell will be the starting RT next year, this offseason, tomorrow.
• Yes we need to draft a "QB of the future" if we can get one in the 3rd - 5th round. One each year until we find the next one. Romo is not getting any younger.
• Look past the injuries, this teams biggest weakness is the Offensive Line. There is no second or third place entry. Ok, you got me at Safety.
• It will take some time to process this season.

We say goodbye to the 2012 season. It is a season that has brought us fantastic performances, the wonderful taste of hope. and the promise of a better future. If one looks at this season as a building block, you are encouraged. If one looks at this season as a single entity, it leaves a taste that one detest to discuss. Ultimately it is about winning. Yet when I look back at what this team accomplished, when faced with so many challenges, I feel there is a promise being fulfilled. As the emotion of the season-ending loss fills my mind, I have to hold on to the honest realization that we over-achieved. We did better than any imagined, given the talent pool at hand. We need a better team. We are not there yet, however, I do believe we are on the way.

Look for continuous updates as we delve deeply into the coming off season, and the talent pool waiting to advance the Cowboys to the next level.

PSS - Our Keys to Victory Poll picked "winning the turnover battle" as the number one key to victory. Nice job CowboysNation!

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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Cowboys vs Redskins Keys to Victory - Week 17

The "Win or Go Home" Edition!

We are opening up the gates for the Regular Season Finale! More choices with stronger statements are on the menu today. Balanced attack or wide open, no huddle? Pressure or QB hits? 

Everyone has an idea on why their team will win. Since everyone has an opinion we might as well keep a record of them! You can make more than one choice. You know where the comment section is! What is going to be the key to winning? Do you know? Will it be one thing or more than one? Let's see if CowboysNation has the sight and can predict the Keys to Victory! The Poll closes at kick off. So get your votes in early. See ya after the win! You can follow both of us on Twitter during the game!

Twitter: Steven Van Over - Rafael Vela

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Filling Out the Route Tree Helps Dez Bryant Blossom , Part One

This is part one of a two-part series on Dez Bryant's incredible 2012 turnaround. 

The cornerback Troy Vincent tells a story about maturity.  Vincent had been the 7th overall pick in the 1992 draft, picked by Don Shula's Miami Dolphins.  When Vincent attended his initial training camp, he was cocky and wild, which one day prompted an angry lecture from his coach.  Shula told Vincent that he was talented, and said that he could lean on that athleticism and have three or four pretty good years in the NFL,  or he could actually learn the game and have 10-12 superb ones. Vincent took Shula's words to heart.  He polished his game and had a distinguished 15 year career, most of it with the Eagles.  Vincent played in five straight Pro Bowls while in Eagles' green.

It's taken two and a half seasons, but Dallas Cowboys wild child Dez Bryant appears to have learned Vincent's lesson.  His physical talents have always been obvious but Bryant's lack of discipline and spotty work ethic have held him back.  Add his off-the-field money issues, and Bryant looked like a flameout in the making, especially after a drop-filled, gaffe filled first half of the season.  Sure, he could still out-muscle almost any cornerback for a football, but his game was far from complete.

A look at the standard receiver route tree mapped out Dez's problems.  In most systems, routes are numbered from 1 through 9, with the even numbered routes being in-breaking ones, and the odds going to the sideline.  There are small tweaks in names and numbers from team to team, but the route "tree" often breaks downs as follows:

In routes

0-  a shallow crossing route where the split end or flanker runs diagonally at at depth of 4-6 yards
2 -  slant route with a break point at 5 yards
4.  - the deep in-route, with break points usually at 16 or 20 yards
6 - a hook, where the WR cuts in and back to the football at 12 yards
8 - the post route, where the WR cuts towards the goal post at a depth of 12-14 yards
9 - the go route, WR accelerates and tries getting behind his defender.

Out routes
1 - the hitch, the WR  runs to a depth of 6 yards, pivots and ofters a stationary target for the QB.
3 - the out, or the fade, depending on the coverage; the WR takes six steps and makes his cut at 12 yards.
5 - the deep comeback.  The WR sells a 9 route, then cuts sharply outside at 18 yards and creates a comeback angle towards the sideline.
7 - the deep out or corner.  WR sells a 9 and either takes a hard 90 degree cut towards the sideline or angles 45 degrees towards the end zone, depending on the coverage.
9 -- the go

If you map Bryant's productivity in the first half of the season, you see much of his production coming on the most basic numbers in the route tree.  the 1, the 3 and the 9.  Bryant could run the hitch, he could run the fade, especially inside the ten yard line, and he could consistently out-jump and out-fight corners for Tony Romo bombs.  Aside from that, he was not dependable on the even half of the tree.

Take the 4 route, the deep-in. This was Michael Irvin's signature route.  He was fearless taking on corner and safety combos at the hash marks.  Troy Aikman could depend on his X to beat defenders to his deep-spot throws.

Conversely, Tony Romo could not depend on Bryant to reach his spots on these routes.  Here are two big bungles on even routes during September and October.

1.  Week 2 vs. Seattle

The Cowboys have fallen behind 10-0 after a Seahawks field goal and a blocked punt for a touchdown.  On their second drive, Romo moves the Cowboys methodically down field.  On 1st and 10 just outside the Seahawks 20, Jason Garrett calls a special. He runs a fake reverse for Kevin Ogletree and runs Bryant on an in route at a depth of 12 yards.  The play fake pulls the strong safety forward and creates a throwing lane for Romo:

Bryant is open, but appears distracted by the closing free safety and linebacker.  The pass bounces off his facemask for an incompletion.

Bryant was workiing almost exclusively from the numbers out.  He had games, like the Bears contest and the Ravens game, where he worked some inside, but the drops and inconsistency made him a frustrating option for his quarterback.  Against the Giants, Romo and Garrett went to Dez on an early 4 route and were burned:

The Cowboys are operating from their 12 set, with both tight ends on the right flank, outside of Doug Free.  Both receivers are set tighter than normal, suggesting this will be a run down.  At the snap, John Phillips comes across the formation, left to right, while the linemen block to the Giants left.  This is supposed to give the look of a trap counter, where Phillips blocks out on end Osi Umenyiora to give running back Phillip Tanner a backside cut.  Romo is then to throw off that run-play-action fake.

Tanner makes the play's first gaffe by not executing his run fake. Instead of starting to his right and following Phillips back to his left, he immediately goes to the the edge to block Umenyiora.  This tips that the play will be a pass. Nonetheless, Dallas has caught the Giants with just a single safety high, as you can see in still three.  Tony Romo has a huge window in which to throw, between corner Corey Webster and safety Stevie Brown:

The Cowboys passing offense emphasizes timing and accuracy.  Romo throws to predetermined spots.  Here he's putting the ball between the hash marks at the Giants 40.  It's Bryant's job to get to that spot.  Receivers are taught from day one to "be where you're supposed to be.  Do not fool your quarterback."  

Dez was late arriving at his spot, in part because he took the long way 'round.  Webster was playing outside of Bryant and worked to jam Bryant off the line, re-routing him too far inside.  Bryant made the proper adjustment after the jam, pushing up-field and widening out, to give Romo an inside target.  However, Bryant is supposed to plant hard at 16 yards and cut sharply inside.  If necessary, he's supposed to come back to his QB for the ball.  Here, he drifted too far wide, was late on his cut and rounded his in-move.  The lack of precision let Brown get underneath Bryant, and the Giant intercepted Romo's pass:

Bryant had fooled his quarterback, and Dez got an impromptu sideline lecture from Romo on where he was supposed to be.

Dallas didn't go back to Bryant on any more similar routes.  Miles Austin and Jason Witten worked the middle the remainder of the game.  Look at Dez's line and you'll see:

Attempts -- 11
Completions -- 5
Yards -- 110

That's a pretty good line, but it's all within the limited route tree of 1st-half Dez Bryant.  These are the routes he ran to catch them:

two 1, or hitch routes for 9 yards,
two 9 routes for 85 yards
One 5 route for 16 yards.

That's the production of an athlete playing wide receiver.  It's not the line of a complete, all-over-the-field wideout.  Add his fumble on a punt return and his un-lucky "fingertip" out of bounds call at the gun (also off a 9 route) and you had the snapshot of Dez Bryant's early Cowboys career.  Like the young Troy Vincent, Dez was leaning on his talent far too much.  His personal route tree was limited, and teams knew it.  They could park at safety in his half of the field and limit his down-field production.

The following week Bryant, playing with a bruised backside from that ill-fated end zone grab, hit rock bottom, catching just one pass for 15 yards in a 19-13 loss to the Falcons.  The Cowboys offense was sputtering and the receivers' poor play was a major reason.  Miles Austin was his brittle self, and had his own bouts of drop-itis.  Kevin Ogletree had disappeared after a strong September. At this point Dwayne Harris was nothing more than a concept as 3rd receiver.

Nobody embodied the unit's shortcomings like Dez Bryant.  The offense relies on getting lots of passes to its X, and Tony Romo was stubbornly feeding Bryant passes week after week.  The end product was not coming, because Bryant was playing half a game.  He could produce on the odd-routes, but calls over the middle were an act of faith.  Something had to change.

Next:  Dez evens up the route tree, and blossoms.

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Scouting Report Cowboys vs Redskins Part II - Week 17

Win or Go Home

This Sunday at 7:20 PM CDT on NBC, we do battle with the Redskins at Fed Ex Field. AccuWeather.com predicts partly sunny skies with a High: 41°F | Low: 25°F. 

As we look at this weekends win or go home matchup, we look at the various player positions of the 'Skins and analyse how they impact the Cowboys respectively. Part I is the Offense with Part II on the Defense and Special Teams.

Part II - Defense / Special Teams

Front Seven – Defensive linemen Jarvis Jenkins (6'4" 315 lbs), Barry Cofield (6'4" 318 lbs) and ex-Cowboy Stephen Bowen (6'5" 310 lbs) get the reps in the middle, with Kedric Golston (6'4" 318 lbs) and Chris Baker (6'2" 333 lbs) picking up rotation snaps. The group has talent, yet finds itself ranked near the bottom of the league (28th in the league per Pro Football Focus) in run defense. Cofield, however, has 14 QB hits on the season, showing consistent ability to pressure the middle of the pocket.

ILB London Fletcher (5'10" 242 lbs) and Perry Riley (6'0" 238 lbs) team up with OLB Rob Jackson (6'4" 266 lbs) and emerging sack artist, Ryan Kerrigan (6'4" 260 lbs 9 sacks) to flesh out the starting front seven. Fletcher is the leader and sets the tone for this group. Be it a rare interception, defensed pass, big hit or fumble recovery Fletcher excels at the elusive to define, clutch play. Under the master, Kerrigan is becoming a student of the art, as he has a team high 39 stops, defined as the number of solo defensive tackles which constitute an offensive failure (including sacks). 

You can tote the rock against this crew, but you have to have consistent backside blocking as they have the speed to be effective in pursuit. Disciplined execution of assignments, combined with enough hustle to get to the 2nd level, will determine the effectiveness of the running game versus the Redskins. The Redskins have no one that can match up with Hannah, look for JG to take advantage of this with formations featuring two TE sets.

Defensive Backfield - DB Josh Wilson (5'9" 188 lbs) and DeAngelo Hall (5'10" 193 lbs) man the edges with Madieu Williams (6'1" 209 lbs) and Reed Doughty (6'1" 206 lbs) over the top. DeJon Gomes and Jerome Murphy handle nickle and rotation duties. DeAngelo will make the occasional big play, he then off sets any good he may accomplish with a bone head play or reaction that cost his team. At this point of his career his mouth is much better than his game (ranked last on the team in coverage by Pro Football Focus), and he should be targeted early and often.

As a group the Redskins rank near the middle of the pack in pass pressure, yet they are near the bottom in coverage. Witten, Dez and Austin should be able to give Romo targets he can find behind the improved pockets the Cowboys OLine play has provided of late. 

Special Teams –  In spite of the incredible season Kai Forbath is having with a NFL record 17 for 17 on the year, the Redskins are ranked near the bottom of the league in Special Teams (25th). Brandon Banks was supposed to be the return specialist that would lead the league in huge plays, that hasn't happened. Conversely LB Lorenzo Alexander shows great hustle, leading the team with 17 Special Teams tackles, while also leading the team in missed Special Teams tackles, whiffing five times. Brandon Banks has shown nothing special and though dangerous, will fumble and can be contained. Alexander is not alone in missing tackles. Dallas return ace Harris should be able to get consistent yardage, and have an excellent chance of creating a big play.

Injuries - (as of Wednesday) OT Tyler Polumbus DNP (head), LB London Fletcher DNP (ankle), WR Dezmon Briscoe DNP (not injury releated). Dallas wants RT Polumbus to play, but even if he is able, the Redskins are doing better with Maurice Hurt filling the RT slot. Losing Fletcher would be huge, but considering we are talking about a warrior, and the magnitude of the game, expect him to play.

Overview - Football is a team sport like no other. Execution of a classic "time of possession" game plan should allow the Cowboys a solid chance at defeating the 'Skins this Sunday. Combine accurate passing with effective running, resulting in long scoring drives in order to keep the ball out of RG IIIs hands and minimize the effectiveness of the Redskins running attack.  Win the field position battle with dominate Special Teams performance and produce at least one big Special Teams play that leads to an easy score. Do not turn the ball over and manage to get a key defensive stops, especially in the critical fourth quarter. This is the game plan we were unable to effect against New Orleans last week, as our running game was not effective. This changed the entire approach to the game and left our defense on the field far to long. There is the chance Garrett opts for an aggressive shoot out approach, but he has not done that in the past. Simply put, I believe he will go in with a scripted approach, finding out what we can do on the ground, and going from there. Hopefully the series or two it takes to find this out will not result in the Cowboys being down 14 points, as it did versus the Saints.

The nuance of accomplishing our goals will be witnessed in the individual battles that Ryan and Garrett create with their game plans and game time calls. Each and every player will have to be focused and disciplined for the entire 60 minutes. There will be no one player that will win, or lose, this game for the Cowboys. Dallas got here as a team, overcoming a brutal run of injuries and putting together victories when they had to. This was not the accomplishment of any one player. It was the result of what this team has produced. These players will not quit, they will not give up the fight, they will not turn on each other and therefore will rise and fall as a team. A considered underdog, I believe the Cowboys have a solid opportunity to over achieve, to surprise the pundits and excite the fan base, as it has not been for a long time. It will not be easy. It can be done! What say you, CowboysNation?

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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Scouting Report Cowboys vs Redskins Part I - Week 17

Win or Go Home

This Sunday at 7:20 PM CDT on NBC, we do battle with the Redskins at Fed Ex Field. AccuWeather.com predicts partly sunny skies with a High: 41°F | Low: 25°F. According to MCubed.net, Dallas leads the series 58-35-0, having a 32-14-0 home record and a 26-21-0 advantage in Redskin territory. The Cowboys are not intimidated at the prospect of playing in Maryland, having won 3 of the last 4 games we played there. Now is the time to pad the away record. 

The Cowboys now matchup quite well versus the NY Giants roster. We drafted and signed players with them squarely in our sights. We do not matchup as well versus the Washington Redskins. Shanahan has a vision for this team and procured talent accordingly. The leap in the teams production was a best case scenario with two rookie QB's. Ahead of schedule or not, the Redskins are here to stay in the yearly battle for NFC East Champion. The old axiom "You are only as good as your competition" is a primary reason why the NFC East produces such quality teams. You get out of this division you have been tempered, you have faced some of the leagues best and survived. As we look at this weekends win or go home matchup, we look at the various player positions of the 'Skins and analyse how they impact the Cowboys respectively. Part I is the Offense with Part II on the Defense and Special Teams.

Part I - Offense

QB - Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins lead a dangerous, big play offense that has a dynamic running game paired with a play action/option component, that takes advantage of athletic QB's that have the arm to go over the top, paired with receivers that have the speed and savvy to make the attack work. RG III wore a knee brace in last weeks win versus the Eagles, conversely, Washington used fewer run options, as they went with much the same game plan they used when Cousins was starting. Kyle Shanahan opted for quick passes via slants and throws to the flats, combined with end-around runs and bubble screens to take advantage of the aggressive Philly front. 

Griffin is better at the deep ball than the touch pass, which is evident as you observe his ball placement on deep crossing patterns. More often than not he puts the ball where the receiver is able to accept the pass in controlled rhythm with an up-field lean. He is also adept at dropping the ball over the shoulder of a speedy receiver in full stride with excellent arc, that allows the player to quickly locate the ball and run under it. Pressure has resulted in quick throws that are not as "on target", but he knows his hot route receivers, and will quickly dump the ball when a player gets loose in the backfield and attempts to track him for a sack. 

RG III has excellent pocket awareness and Kyle Shanahan is adept at keeping the pocket moving with his play calling, taking advantage of the athletic ability of both of his rookie QB's. The Redskin game plans reveals the patient approach of the OC and QB relationship. Look for Washington to attack the soft middle of the Dallas defense with quick counters, stretch runs and passes to the RB's and TE's, all leading to play action attacks with deep routes once a favorable matchup can be identified and exploited. 

RG III is a rookie QB, and pressure is the time honored tool such a player has to demonstrate they can handle. With RG III you have to contain as well as pressure, as Griffin will keep his eyes down the field and strike, as he uses his feet to give his receivers the deadly "extra time" that exposes talent and scheme deficiencies on any defense.

Nickle Back Brandon Hughes (27) unblocked on blitz from right side of the line

Receiving – Joshua Morgan (5 yrs, 6'1" 220 lbs, 510 yds, 2 TDs), Pierre Garcon (5 yrs, 6'0" 212 lbs, 587 yds, 4 TDs), Santana Moss (12 yrs, 5"10" 189 lbs, 551 yds, 8 TDs) out of the slot, Logan Paulsen (3 yrs, 6'5" 261 lbs) at TE  and RB Alfred Morris (Rookie, 5'10" 218 lbs, 65 passing yds, 0 receiving TDs) out of the backfield comprise the Redskins receiving corps. Paulsen is primarily a blocker, but does have 24 catches and 1 TD for the year. Morgan and Garcon both do a good job of blocking for the run game as well, with Santana Moss the big play threat, using his savvy and craft to get wide open at times. They all share the rock as you can tell by the yardage totals with the top 3 all in the 500 + yard range. Griffin is not afraid to put the ball up when he gets Moss with one on one coverage and the two have developed a rare first year chemistry. Dallas needs to focus on Moss and make Griffin look to Garcon and Morgan in the passing game. Strangely enough, this is the least talented RB/TE combo the Cowboys will have faced in regards to their passing game skills, helping minimize Dallas matchup issues at ILB and Safety. 


Running Game – Rookie RB Alfred Morris (302 att for 1,413 yds, 4.7 avg) is what you get when you put greased lightning, some shake and bake, emerging ability to catch the rock and the attitude for power running in a bottle 5'10" tall and mix it all together. Add 218 lbs of ballast and you have a perfect RB for the Shanahan attack. As John Elway eventually learned, and Dan Marino never did, the running game will get you a ring on your finger. You don't have to have a dominant running game, but you have to have enough of one that you force the opposing defense to play both the run and the pass, giving you a full playbook the other side has to prepare for. 

Morris allows the Redskins to work the counter and stretch running game with positive yards probable on most downs, and big gains possible at any time. Morris enjoys running, and does so with abandon, using excellent vision combined with power to get to the second level, then his burst, to tote the rock up field with alacrity. His pass blocking is not a weak point, as he rates higher than  FB Darrel Young in this regard (Pro Football Focus). With his hands and route running still developing, ball security is his only visible Achilles heel, having four fumbles on the year, losing three of them.  Holding your lanes and gang tackling is the prescription for reducing his impact.

Morris showing vision as he splits defenders for TD w/excellent blocking by oLine

OL – LT Trent Williams (3 yrs, 6'5" 328 lbs), LG Kory Lichtensteiger (4 yrs, 6'2" 284 lbs), C Will Montgomery (7 yrs, 6'3" 304 lbs), RG Chris Chester (7 yrs, 6'3" 309 lbs) and RT Tyler Polumbus (4 yrs, 6'8" 305 lbs) man the trenches for the offense. LG Kory Lichtensteiger is not a plus factor in the running game, however, RT Polumbus is the key to attacking RG III. Grading out at -21 overall (Pro Football Focus) he has given up 7 sacks on the year and is equally poor as a run blocker. The recent suspension of RT Jordan Black for failing a PED test has put the spotlight on the position and the Redskins responded, playing 2nd year swing tackle Maurice Hurt (2 yrs, 6'3" 327 lbs) more snaps at RT last week than Polumbus, indicating more of the same this week.

Shanahan does an excellent job of calling a game that is tailored to what his players can do well, versus what they don't, enabling him to ask for superior production from the group as a whole. His blocking scheme is famous for a reason, and he has finally found a group of linemen in Washington deep enough to produce for 60 minutes on the field. It will take effort on every play, and an inspired scheme to shut down this offense. Dallas Special Teams and the Offense must have superior efforts in order to allow the Cowboys defense favorable down and distance situations. Ryan has seen RG III and the Shanahan blocking scheme, and now needs to be able to deliver a game plan masterpiece, in order for the Cowboys to bring home a victory.

Part II will be posted tomorrow

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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Cowboys vs Saints Post Game Quick Takes

Cowboys 31 Saints 34 - OT Loss - 'nuff said

The first play of the game saw Hatcher being held at the end of an excellent pressure on Brees, with no call from the officiating crew. It didn't get any easier after that.

If Only .....

Despite everything, Dallas had it's chances. A fumble by DeMarco Murray inside the Dallas 5 yard line was huge (and probably the difference). So were missed opportunities for turn overs by Mike Jenkins, Claiborne and Frampton.

Third downs were critical in this game. The Cowboys defense could not get the Saints and Brees off the field on 3rd down (57% conversion). Conversely the Dallas offense had problems staying on the field for it's third down possessions (20% conversion). Self immolation dominated many a Cowboys effort, to illustrate, Murray and Austin combined for 3 straight drops during one failed drive.

Time of possession was dominated by New Orleans 41:59 - 22:28. This was huge in the overtime period as the Dallas D looked a step slow and out of breath. Romo and his receivers were out of sync for almost the entire game, sans the last 1/2 of the 4th quarter. Drops by the WR'ers, Romo being just a bit off target and the running game not getting much of a push, led to failed drives and numerous three and out possessions, leaving the defense exposed.

Time of possession and field position issues put the D with it's backs against the wall all day long. Add the coup de gras of more injures (LB's Simms and Albright along w/Ware to name the more notables) which left the middle of the defense prostrate before a skilled Drew Brees. Able to use the running game to great effect, the Dallas defense was rarely able to place itself in advantageous down/distance situations. Even on long distance downs, screen passes to the shifty Sproles exposed the interior Dallas defenders poor tackling and tracking abilities. As well as our replacement players have performed, there is a reason many of them were on the waiver wires or scout teams. They have flaws to their games. You can effectively hide a player, even a couple for a time. To hide a portion of your defensive positions for entire games was too much to ask with the offense not effectively assisting the defensive efforts.

There is much to do in the training room, much to do on the practice field and heavy pressure on the "smoke and mirror" department, for no matter how bravely the defense played, there are holes that other teams are well aware of and will incessantly attack. To bring it to a boil, for a team that consistently plays in close games, you can't have this many injuries to one area of your team without that area eventually costing you.

Ending on a positive note ....

The team played til the last down with everything they had. Never giving up, rallying behind Romo and the performance of Dez Bryant to tie the game. Austin somewhat redeemed himself on a 4th down play in the red zone for six at the end of regulation. This followed a TD by Harris, who also had a critical return for 39 yards to setup one of the two ending scoring drives. Critical stops were "somehow" made by the defense when we had to have them. A "never say die" attitude by the entire team was again on display. Regardless of the obvious issues this team has in the personnel department, no matter the odds against a playoff perch, this team has shown it will fight, not just show up, til the whistle blows, and most of the time, play to just a wee bit after. Dallas is still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Now it's all about the Redskins. I'm for some payback! What about you, CowboysNation?

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Keys to Victory Cowboys vs Saints - Week 16

Everyone has an idea on why their team will win. Since everyone has an opinion we might as well keep a record of them! You can make more than one choice. You know where the comment section is! What is going to be the key to winning? Do you know? Will it be one thing or more than one? Let's see if CowboysNation has the sight and can predict the Keys to Victory! The Poll closes at kick off. So get your votes in early. See ya after the win! You can follow both of us on Twitter during the game!

Twitter: Steven Van Over - Rafael Vela

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Cowboys Nation's Draft Board, December 22, 2012

North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper

Look ma, no apocalypse!

Here's  CN's top 24.  Some organizations put their top prospects in a totem, from 1-through their targer number.  We're going to do it a little differently.

The Cowboys Nation board will rank players in tiers.  We're not wedded to a hard number like 25, 30 or 32.  That's partly because a lot of teams rank prospects this way.   That's also the way my draft people break a board down. They set a standard and rank players who meet the standard. That means in a strong year this list might have 30 or 32, and in a down year be closer to 20.  This initial list has 24 prospects in the top three tiers..

The top tier will list players with elite talent at their respective positions.  These are possible blue-chippers, guys who could be All Pros or Pro Bowlers.  In the next tier, we'll find guys who could be good players and maybe Pro Bowlers.  In tier 3, we'll have solid players, who could go in the first round, but who may not have the upside the top tier guys possess.

The question then become how to rank players within a tier?  One of the creators explained his thinking,

"do you give a guy a higher grade because he plays a more valued position in the NFL?  Might you give say, Chance Warmack a higher grade because he's a better guard than Luke Joeckel is an offensive tackle?  Or, do you put Joeckel higher because teams prioritize tackles over guards?  If they're very close, I put the priority position guy higher."

Here then, the list.  Understand that the tiers themselves are considered more important than the rankings within them.  The players in tier one are all similar in talent level and are considered better prospects than those in the next tier down.

Tier 1
1.  Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
2.  Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
3. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
4. Demontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
5. Star Lotulelei, NT/DT, Utah
6.  Dee Miller, CB, Alabama

Tier 2
7.  Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama
8.  Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
9.  Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU
10. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M
11. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
12.  Keenan Allen, WR, California

Tier 3
13.  Matt Barkley, QB, USC
14.  Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
15.  Sam Montgomery, DE LSU
16. Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri
17.  Johnathan Banks, CB, Mississippi
18.  John Jenkins, DT/NT, Georgia
20.  Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina
21.  Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
22.  Alex Okafor, DE, Texas
23. Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor
24. Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas

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A Draft Board in Your Christmas Stocking

Coming this evening, the first Cowboys Nation draft board, ranking the top prospects by tiers.

Also, I'll have some good breakdowns of the top guard prospects, Alabama center Barrett Jones, and the players rocketing up early draft boards.

Check in early this evening for more.

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One Last Look at the Tape -- Posting Up the Steelers

The basic:

Dallas has a nickel run it uses frequently called post.  It's an off-tackle run to the strong side, with Jason Witten and the backside guard leading the running back towards the edge.

Here it's being run on Dallas' game-winning field goal drive against the Bengals.  Jason Garrett called it four times on that series alone and a few more times earlier in the contest:

The Cowboys are in twins right, a 3-receiver, unbalanced set with Dwayne Harris and Miles Austin flanking tight end Jason Witten.  The spread formation has the Bengals playing pass with man coverage against the receivers, two safeties deep and six defenders in the box.

You can see the primary action at the point of attack in this still  Witten has the Bengals left end.  The right tackle and guard are blocking down on the defensive tackle on that side while the center is blocking the backside tackle, allowing left guard Nate Livings (71) to pull right.  He's looking for Bengals middle linebacker Ray Maualuga.   The collide in still three, producing a jolt that knocks Livings' mouthpiece a few feet in the air.  Look for that small cresent a couple of feet above Witten's helmet:

Murray reacts off the two lead blocks.  Here, he cut inside and took on weak-side backer Vontaze Burfict. The next time it was run, Murray broke outside of Witten's tackle and raced for a critical first down that set up Dan Bailey's winning kick.

This may be Dallas' primary nickel run, and the team used it in the opening series against the Steelers.  Its frequency set the Steelers up for a play-action fake from this look.  In the second quarter, one play after a James Hanna reception gave the Cowboys a first down at the Steelers' 24, Jason Garrett put the Cowboys in double right, a three receiver set with Bryant and Austin on the left and Witten and Harris on the right.  The Cowboys are again in the gun, with DeMarco Murray flanking Tony Romo on the weakside.

The Steelers are playing their version of the nickel, in which they've removed a defensive lineman and inserted an extra safety.  It's a 2-4-5 look, one the Cowboys use a lot.  In this case, Steelers DC Dick LeBeau has Troy Polamalu playing the nickel back; he's over Austin in the left slot.   Strong safety Ryan Clark has responsibility for Witten, but Clark is eleven yards off the line of scrimmage.

Tony Romo sees six men in the box, and appears to call post.  At the snap, Livings pulls from left guard and RT Doug Free charges out low and hard to double-team DT Ziggy Hood.  Tony Romo sticks the ball in Murray's belly and rides it several feet left to right:

 

The Cowboys front has convincingly sold another post run.   The inside linebackers Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmins and the SS Clark charge the Cowboys' right edge, to cut Murray off.  Clark in particular misses that Jason Witten is charging past him.  When Romo pulls the ball away from Murray, his tight end is clear of the Steelers' shallow pass defense:

What's more, the run fake has baited Pittsburgh's free safety Robert Golden.  As you can see from this end zone still, he's also charging to defend the run, putting himself in poor position to cover Witten. 

Romo has a wide throwing lane for his scoring pass:

Timing, as the saying goes, is everything.  Jason Garrett built a run tendency, then broke that tendency, winning an important call against one of the best DCs in the business.

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Historical Perspective - KMart and Dwayne Harris

WR/PR Kelvin Martin 

A common device for sports analyst and fans alike is comparison of a current player with other players in history, measured by a few short years or decades.

One generally starts the comparison process based on a players "position, style or team". Any running back that joins the Cowboys will invariably be compared to Tony Dorsett or Emmitt Smith. Fullbacks are stacked against Moose Johnson. Walt Garrison and Robert Newhouse. Tight Ends must endure side by side discussions about Mike Ditka, Billy Truax, Billy Joe DuPree, Jay Novacek and now, Jason Witten.

As no player is exactly alike, these exercises are geared more towards what is similar than what is not. This past weekend I was inspired to watch some historical specials about the Cowboys as I searched for a refresher course in regards to a player I had enjoyed in the late 80's and early 90's. Watching Dwayne Harris breaking out this 2012 season, I was struck as to the similarities I remembered to former WR and return man, Kelvin Martin.

Kelvin was one of the keys to Jimmy Johnson's vision for the Dallas Cowboys, specifically in regards to excelling in all three phases of the game, offense, defense and special teams. In the turn-around 1991 season, Special Teams coach Joe Avezzano unleashed the second best Special Teams unit in the league on the NFC East. I still remember the critical punt return against Philadelphia, when Kelvin Martin returned the rock 85 yards, not stopping until he crossed the final stripe for six. Out of Boston College, Kelvin went on to lead the team in punt returns for five seasons and receiving for one. Once Alvin Harper burst on the scene he became the dependable third WR'er in the vaunted Cowboys aerial attack. Again and again KMart would produce big plays as a WR and PR'er, creating huge momentum shifts as the (then) underdog Cowboys would surge from behind to victory against favored opponents.

WR/PR Dwayne Harris

Dwayne Harris, out of East Carolina University, is in the process of bringing the same energy, production and momentum shifts as his predecessor. Of a similar stature and movement, both players display vision and toughness with the ball in their hands, using incredible quickness to employ shifty moves that allow them to escape the grasp of the nearest defenders, then show top end speed as they burst through the most narrow of creases for critical first downs or game changing returns.

With the need to keep Dez Bryant fresh and healthy as a WR, a dependable returner with potential explosiveness has been high on the list for the last few years. Being able to pair this talent with 3rd WR abilities is a huge plus for the team as a whole and the offense and special teams respectively. 2012 has seen Harris already deliver several momentum changing special teams plays, including one beautiful 78 yard game changing punt return for a touchdown and a growing handful of critical first down catches, helping solidify his new role as the Cowboys third WR'er. As we face the challenge of winning out the season in order to make the playoffs, one can't help but wonder how much of an impact Dwayne Harris will be responsible for.

Does CowboysNation have any other comparisons of players past with our burgeoning new stars? Enter them in the comments below.

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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The Cowboys Nation Draft Board 1st Edition: Defense

German native Werner tops the DL list

We follow up Saturday's initial offensive board with the top defensive prospects.  This list has a decided SEC flavor, with ten of the top fifteen prospects coming from that conference.

Defensive linemen

1. Bjoern Werner, DE  Florida State
2. Star Lotulelei, DT/NT, Utah
3. Demontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
4. Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State
5. Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU

Linebackers

1. Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
2. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
3. Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU
4. C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
5. Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU

Defensive Backs

1. Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
2. Eric Reid, S, LSU
3. Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
4. Johnathan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
5. Matt Elam, S, Florida

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Cowboys 27, Steelers 24: Quick Time Coaching Earns a Big-Time Win

The Dallas Cowboys turned in perhaps their tidiest performance of the 2012 season yesterday, rallying to score the game's final ten points and defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 in overtime.  The victory, the team's fifth in six games, moved Dallas into a three-way tie for the division lead.

The game was a testament to the coaching staff which again has shown strong, across-unit development in the season's second half.  This, in spite of a continuing series of injuries, which yesterday hit inside linebacker Ernie Sims.

Consider:

-- Defensive line coach Brian Baker worked a defensive tackle rotation with newbies Brian Schaefering and Rob Calloway.  They combined with Marcus Spears, Tyrone Crawford and Sean Lissemore to slow the Steelers running attack.  Lissemore stepped forward with two huge rushes, one a sack, the other a pressure, to foil Pittsburgh's final drive in regulation.

-- Linebackers coach Matt Eberflus continues to mold workable inside linebackers in real time.  He started the game with a backup trio of Dan Connor, Alex Albright and Brady Poppinga in a 4-3 look.  When Ernie Sims left the game with concussion-like symptoms early in the first quarter, Dallas soldiered on with Connor and Albright at the inside spots.  Neither embarrassed himself.

-- At the back, Jerome Henderson and sidekick Joe Baker earn praise for two very different types of pre-game and in-game preparation.  First, they got cornerback Brandon Carr's mind back on the field.  Carr saw teammates from his Chiefs and Cowboys teams buried in the past two weeks, and had two lackluster games against the Eagles and Bengals. Carr spent most of this contest on Steelers burner Mike Wallace, and contained him brilliantly.  Carr negated several early deep attempts at Wallace and held him to two short receptions.  (Wallace two long receptions came against the safeties and Mike Jenkins.)  Carr then intercepted Ben Roethlisberger's fade to Wallace three plays into overtime.  He returned the pick to the Steelers one, where Dan Bailey ended the game with a short field goal.

At halftme, Henderson and Rob Ryan made a smart tactical switch, moving third corner Sterling Moore onto  Steelers tight end Heath Miller.  Miller had picked on strong safety Danny McCray and the Cowboys linebackers, amassing 85 yards and a touchdown on six first-half receptions.  Moore, the recent addition from New England, covered Miller much of the second half and shut him out.  The Steeler caught just one seven yarder after intermission, on the play before Carr's game changing pick.

-- The offensive coaches were no less impressive.  Bill Callahan got his maligned bunch to play their best game of the season.  The linemen took two clusters of penalties in the first and second half, but contained Pittsburgh's rush.  Tony Romo was sacked just once, and had a solid pocket for much of the game.

-- Tight ends coach John Garrett got backup tight end James Hanna ready for a heavy role in the Cowboys two tight end packages.  Hanna got most of the reps usually reserved for John Phillips and used his speed and power to make two big plays down the field.  (More on this shortly.)

-- At wide receiver, Jimmy Robinson has Dwayne Harris playing on a new and higher performance plane.  Harris has cemented himself as the team's third receiver and was a play-maker flanking Miles Austin in the nickel sets.  Twice Harris receiver flanker screens and each time he evaded tacklers for long gains.  The first, a 18-yard scamper up the near sideline, helped the Cowboys overcome a 2nd-and-23 situation during the team's 3rd quarter touchdown drive.  Harris repeated the feat in the 4th quarter, running 17 yards up the Steelers left flank to set up DeMarco Murray's game-tying touchdown.

At at time when the Cowboys stars are battered or missing, understudies are stepping forward in numbers to keep the team's playoff hopes realistic.

     *     *    *     *

Every effort was needed in a game which saw the lead change several times.  The Cowboys controlled the opening quarter, reading Steelers' OC Todd Haley's sets and jumping his intended target.  Dallas appeared to have forced a turnover on three consecutive plays of Pittsburgh's opening series, but came up empty-handed.  On the first, Roethlisberger completed a pass over the middle to Emmanuel Sanders, who was hit high and low by both Cowboys safeties.  The impact spun Sanders and jarred the ball from his grasp.  Albright recovered, but the officials overturned the turnover after a video replay.   On the next play, Carr tipped a slant attempt for Wallace into Anthony Spencer's hands, but the linebacker dropped the ball.  On the following play, Victor Butler swatted another pass into the air, but it was just out of Mike Jenkins' reach.

Dallas took the punt and began working the edges of Pittsburgh coverages.  Tony Romo completed four passes outside the numbers against Pittsburgh corners and linebackers and DeMarco Murray created a first down with an eleven-yard backside cut on a stretch play that started left.  Romo's first attempt to the injured Dez Bryant, a 3rd-and-5 pass, fell incomplete.  Bailey converted to put Dallas ahead 3-0.

Dallas drove from its own 20 inside the Steelers five on its next drive.  Romo and Austin began picking on backup left corner Josh Victorian; two completions, a 19 yarder and a 12 yarder, moved Dallas to the Steelers' 35.  Murray then raced 28 yards up the near sideline, bouncing outside of initial contact and racing free of the scrum of bodies at the line of scrimmage.  Two player later, however, Murray fumbled the ball trying to spin free from his initial hit.

The defense forced a three and out, setting up Dallas at its own 42.  Here, Hanna was unveiled.  The Cowboys use a lot of two tight end sets, but Phillips is usually the H-back.  Opponents keep their base defenses on the field against the 12 package, because it can be used as a power running package.  Garrett split Hanna into the left slot opposite Jason Witten and inside Dez Bryant.  This gave the Cowboys a three receiver look.  It also forced the Steelers, who wanted to play man-under coverage with two safeties deep, to put James Harrison over Hanna.  This match-up works in Dallas' favor two ways.  First, it takes Harrison out into space and eliminates him as a rush option for DC Dick LeBeau.  It also puts the lumbering Harrison, who is far better going foward, against Dallas' fastest tight end.  Hanna beat Harrison easily on a post route, and took Tony Romo's throw to the Steelers' 17-yard line.

Here, Garrett threw a wrinkle at LeBeau.  In the past two weeks, Dallas has frequently run "post" from its nickel shot-gun package.  This is an off-tackle run to Witten's side where Witten and the pulling guard from the off-side lead the running back outside the tackle.  Dallas ran this play half a dozen times against the Bengals last week.  They ran it on their opening drive against the Steelers.

From the 17, Garrett called a run-action fake from post, and sent Witten up the right seam.  Having seen post on tape and in the game, the Steelers bit on Nate Livings' pull and on Romo's superb ball fake to Murray.  Both inside linebackers and the strong safety charged the line, leaving Witten free outside the right hash.  Romo pulled the fake from Murray's belly and lobbed the ball to Witten, putting Dallas ahead 10-0.

Here, the Steelers rallied, on Roethlisberger's trickery and on Miller's legs.  The quarterback used his tight end as a primary and pump-faked the Cowboys rushers into madness.  The duo were the prime movers on a field goal drive and then finished a touchdown drive just before the half.  On their next series, two Miller completions and an 18-yard dart to Antonio Brown put the Steelers on Dallas' 30 at the 47 second mark.  Here, Roethlisberger dropped, pump faked several times, moved to his right, and then slid back to his left, avoiding rushers and pulling the Cowboys short zone side-to-side like a band of taffy. Roethlisberger's  dancing bought him nine seconds to scan the field.  He found Miller alone on the right sideline, where Miller had drifted away from Anthony Spencer. The tight end caught the ball around the 15 and ran in to tie the score.

The teams traded punts to open the 3rd quarter before Dallas again took the lead.  From his 20, Romo secured one first down with a quick throw into the right flat for fullback Lawrence Vickers, who ran over a Steelers corner and gained 15 yards.  A short Harris pass gained another first down before Romo was sacked by linebacker Lawrence Timmons.  The negative play put Dallas in a 2nd-and-23 hole.  Here, Harris caught his first flanker screen, and wound his way across mid-field.  Garrett spread the field with four wide outs on 3rd-and-5 and Romo converted with an out pass to Cole Beasley.  Dallas stayed in a passing set and threw a second receiver screen, this one to Miles Austin, who gained 13 yards to Pittsburgh's 24.  On the following play, Romo looked to Dez Bryant, who ran a deep fade in the near right corner of the end zone.  Bryant's touchdown put Dallas ahead -- but only for a moment.

The team inexplicably had Dan Bailey squib his kickoff, and it was returned to the Steelers' 40  Two plays later, Pittsburgh moved Wallace into the slot and matched him against Danny McCray.  Wallace blew past the much slower safety and caught Roethlisberger's bomb at the Dallas 2.  Jonathan Dwyer scored, and the teams were again tied.

The Steelers took their first lead after a Cowboys punt.  Three explosive plays, a 22 yard Isaac Redmond run, a 20 yard Wallace reception and a 21 yard Jerricho Cothery snag put the Steelers on the Cowboys 15. Antonio Brown converted a 3rd-and-2 against Mike Jenkins and dove over for a score.

The Cowboys appeared in crisis after their next possession fizzed.  Over ten minutes were left but Pittsburgh was in position to expand their lead to double digits.  Victor Butler put Dallas back on serve by stripping the ball from punt returner Antonio Brown.  John Phillips recovered at the Steelers' 44.  From here, Dallas tied the contest in seven plays.  A hitch to Bryant gained 13 yards.  A nine-yard out to Witten two plays later gave the Cowboys fresh downs.  Garrett then called another flanker screen for Harris, who bulled his way to the Steelers' three.

Two failed fade passes to Bryant raised the tension in Cowboys Stadium but DeMarco Murray closed the drive with a touchdown run behind left tackle Tyron Smith.  Dallas opened in the shot-gun, so the Steelers countered with a deeper zone look.  Their linebackers dropped at the snap, giving Murray a run at the line of scrimmage.  Smith rolled his man inside, giving his back a wide cut-back lane.  Bailey's conversion tied the score at 24.

6:55 remained the the Steelers looked ready to take their possession and regain the lead.  Roethlisberger completed two intermediate passes, one to Wallace for 11 yards and another to Will Johnson for 21 yards.  Pittsburgh was on the edge of Shaun Suisham's range but DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer pushed the Steelers beyond it with a timely sack on 3rd-and-4.  Ware crashed the left edge and grabbed the slippery Roethlisberger by the ankles, letting Spencer loop in from the opposite side to drop the QB.  Mike Tomlin passed up a 57 yard attempt and called for a punt.

Romo threw one completion on his series, leaving Dallas in 4th and 1 on its 17 yard line at the two minute warming.  Romo tried convincing Garrett to go for the yard, but the coach trusted his defense.  Dallas got a break when Antonio Brown misread Brian Moorman's punt and let the kick hit the turf. The ball rolled to the nearly 20 more yards to the Pittsburgh 20.

Roethlisberger had 1:47 to work with and got a break from Ware, who drew a roughing the passer penalty on a play where the QB had completed an 11 yard pass.  The 26 yard net put the Steelers on their own 46.  Here, Ryan went against tendency.  He had used a controlled rush all game, bringing four and occasionally three men to protect his safeties from the speedy Steelers receivers.  Now, he called for a five man blitz across the line, with Eric Frampton teasing a safety blitz from the left flat.  The Steelers left a back in to aid the line, and had six blockers against the six potential Cowboys rushers -- had they read the rush correctly.

Pittsburgh's interior mixed up their blocks.  Right guard David DeCastro turned inside and helped center Maurkice Pouncey double-team Jason Hatcher.  DeCastro's gaffe turned Sean Lissemore free and he barreled in to sack Roethlisberger.  On 3rd down, Ryan called a right side twist between Lissemore and Anthony Spencer.  Spencer crashed inside, drawing two men, while Lissemore looped wide behind him.   Lissmore turned the right edge and pushed a drifting Roethlisberger back inside, where Spencer wrapped him up.  The back-to-back sacks put the Steelers in 3rd-and-26.  They completed a short crosser to Brown, who helped the Cowboys by stepping out of bounds.  This let Dallas keep its two time outs.

They looked to be useful when Harris caught a punt along the near sideline, shook free from one pursuer and raced behind a wall towards the far sideline.  Harris raced 39 yards to the Steelers' 49.  47 seconds remained and Dallas was one first down away from giving Bailey a game-winning attempt.

The Cowboys failed to convert.  Romo had Austin open on a post route from the slot, but the quarterback's bullet led the receiver too much.  Two more incompletions forced another Moorman punt and Roethlisberger took a knee on 1st down to bring overtime.

Pittsburgh won the toss and took possession.  Roethlisberger completed one pass to Miller before throwing towards Wallace on the Pittsburgh sideline.  Carr dove in front of Wallace, snagged the pass, regained his feet and ran away from the receiver.  Carr picked up blocking and tried to end the game himself, but was downed just inside the Steelers one yard line.  Romo lined up in the victory formation and conceded a yard, to put the ball squarely between the hash marks.  Victory would come on the following play.

Notes:

-- A big tip of the hat to the Cowboys pro personnel department.  The coaches deserve their praise for prepping the new guys in short time, but it's the brass who snuck Moore off the Patriots practice squad and who pulled Ernie Sims off the street.  They've played like they had full training camps with the team.

-- A big thumbs down to the many Cowboys fans who sell their ducats to fans from other teams.  The Twitter feeds were clogged yesterday by sportswriters and regulars amazed at the number of Steelers fans in the joint.  Of course, this was also true when the Bears visited Cowboys Stadium, and it's long been true when the Eagles and Giants hit town. We hear a lot about "defending the star" but that responsibility belongs in part to the fans, not just to the team.

-- How far can they go?  I wrote off the backup about three games ago.  They're not playing like backups anymore, and that's kept the team on the upswing.  Dallas has momentum and belief, at a time when a lot of other teams lack both.  (Look at the number of shutouts league-wide yesterday.)  The Cowboys control their fate, and it doesn't seem to matter right now who's manning the battle stations.

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Peeling Back the First Layer - Cowboys Week 15 Victory

More is revealed after reviewing the game tape of Sunday's exhilarating  come from behind 27 - 24 Victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Any game has raw emotion, but overtime victories are often felt more than seen. As each critical play reveals itself, you come off the couch with a jump reminiscent of your teenage years, pumping your fist as your chest explodes in a yell of pure joy.

This experience should be relished to be certain, however, just like peeling an onion, the best parts are deeper than what you find on the surface. Breaking down the game film allows us to appreciate the full body of work such a victory is comprised of. Here are a few observations to ponder and enjoy, until we get deeper into the meat of the game later today with Raf's post.

Sean Lissemore is coming of age. An off season favorite due to his per-play production from the previous year, it was expected he would step his game up, possibly in a starting role. Hard to believe , but injuries derailed that game plan before it ever got started. Ok, not so hard to believe for Cowboys Nation. Sean spent more time in the trainers room than on the field, working on his dealing with his frustration level rather his bull rush. This all changed last week, as he was slated to start at LDE versus the Bengals. This assignment was changed at the last moment due to the Jerry Brown tragedy. Instead, Lissemore was moved to NT, where due to his versatility he can play. He showed his rust, finishing with one assisted tackle. He flashed a few times, as he also had 2 QB pressures. The lack of direct preparation had to affect the situation, as it did for the entire defensive front.

 Lissemore again drew the start at NT against the Steelers, and even with the short week of preparation (due to ceremonies for Jerry Brown), Sean turned up the intensity, finishing with 3 combined tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB Hit, 2 QB pressures and 1 critical sack at the end of the game, just as the Cowboys needed it most. A full and diverse stat line that should improve along with his playing time.

The Saints, next weeks opponents, will no doubt notice that if you blow an assignment versus Sean, he will not hesitate to put a hurt on your QB. He also was instrumental in anchoring the Cowboys run defense, often eating up two defenders as he slid down the line, allowing the LB's to flow to the play in classic 3-4 fashion. He showed quickness off the line, able to engage his man and push him into the backfield, redirecting the running back to other players.

Let's not forget the glowing promise inspired by Lissemore's 2011 per-play campaign. As the injuries mount, we have been looking for someone to "step up". Sean took a big leap, with both feet firmly planted in the starting defensive front. Keep your eye on him this coming week, as he will be counted on to be a key cog in defending against the Saint's running attack. One good game does not make a career. Yet it can be a stepping stone to realizing ones potential.

What examples does Cowboys Nation have of deeper layers of the Cowboys roster? Post them in the comments below.

On Twitter: Steven Van Over

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