Dallas Cowboys Blogger

Archive for August, 2007

The Vikings played their starters for the first series of Thursday’s game while the Cowboys rested all but six of theirs.  The highlight of the evening for the Cowboys happened early in the first quarter when WR Jerheme Urban returned a Viking punt 95 yards for a TD giving Dallas an early 7-0 lead, but it went downhill for the Cowboys and Urban from there.   He fumbled a short pass from Matt Moore deep in their own territory on their next offensive possession which led to Minnesota tying the game with a TD of their own.  It was also only the first of 5 turnovers the Cowboys would have, most in the first half and most leading to Minnesota points. 

QB Matt Moore had a good night, although he fumbled the ball twice, once on a snap and the second time during a sack.  But he should still be high on the list to make it as the third-string QB, if Dallas does keep three QB’s.  He also was 14 of 19 for 94-yards and a touchdown, the best numbers of the evening for any QB.  Richard Bartel also got some playing time in the fourth quarter, and although he showed a strong arm, he fumbled once and had one pick late in the game. 

Although not a great performance by the Cowboys as a whole, Coach Phillips did get to witness some players step up and try to make it over the bubble.  TE Tony Curtis had a good night with 5 catches for 44 yards and a TD, and WR’s Jehreme Urban and Miles Austin had some nice receptions to make it interesting as to who will be the number six receiver on the team.  OL Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo and Flozell Adams all got some extra playing time with Davis being named offensive player of the game. 

As for the defense, it didn’t appear that any of the prospective back-up CB’s stood out in an attempt to fill in for the injured Terence Newman.  Aaron Glenn did make a good play early in the game when he jumped an out pattern and knocked the ball away from the receiver, but other than that, nothing of particular merit.  Phillips only stated that he felt they performed better than in the previous game against the Texans.   LB/DE Anthony Spencer had another busy game, playing well into the third quarter and his counterpart Marcus Spears made a few appearances late in the game as well.  

K Nick Folk had limited opportunities to impress anyone, with only 2 extra-points and a couple of kickoffs, none of which resulted in touchbacks. 

 ”It was a game that we really needed to evaluate our personnel, especially some of our backup positions, because they may have to start for us or at least during the season have to fill in,” Coach Phillips said about the performance.  “And some guys did a good job.” 

Brad Johnson’s return to Minnesota was somewhat satisfactory as he got the start and completed 5 of 7 for 44 yards.  There were many purple No. 14 jerseys spotted in the stands in honor of the nine years Johnson had spent in Minnesota.  He was relieved of duty early in the second quarter by Moore. 

Another area of interest was on kick returns, where several players were given chances.  As mentioned, Urban’s return was by far the best of them as Isaiah Stanback, Miles Austin, Tyson Thompson, Quincy Butler and Nate Jones also got to return some kicks.

Now the Cowboys have until Saturday when they return to practice to decide on their 53-man roster, and after last night, I wouldn’t be too surprised by any cuts they should make.

Dallas Coach Wade Phillips only played six starters tonight against the Vikings it what ended in a 23-14 loss. The day (and oftentimes night) job took me away from watching the game, but I did catch some highlights.

The Cowboys failed to score in the second half with the second, third and fourth stringers. No big deal there. WR Jerheme Urban scored on a 95 yard punt return. He also fumbled a catch in Dallas territory, setting up the Vikings for a game-tying touchdown.

In fact, Dallas had five turnovers, and one interception. The Vikings turned those turnovers into 17 points, winning the game.

Back-up QB Matt Moore had decent pass completion numbers, with one touchdown, but he fumbled twice.

Phillips played the second-fourth stringers as a final stage of paring down the roster. Cuts will be made shortly.

There isn't a whole lot of action on the other Cowboys blogs today regarding the game. It's tough to be excited about watching non-starters play.

But sooner than later, it will be the evening of Sept. 9 when we play the Giants. By then, I will be overwhelmed with excitement.

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dallas Cowboys starting cornerback Terence Newman still hopes to play in the season opener even though his painful right heel is "not getting better yet." Newman said today that he has a small tear in his plantar ...

Original story at KFDM-TV News . Related stories include: Cowboys defenders Terence Newman (torn plantar fascia) and Kevin Burnett (ankle surgery) will be game-time decisions on Sunday night - Gryphon on the Dallas Cowboys , FWST Blog: Newman's status - Gryphon on the Dallas Cowboys and ... Gryphon on the Dallas Cowboys , Gryphon on the Dallas Cowboys , Cowboys Corner

View all 6 related stories plus related videos, photos and more at Boxxet.

Michael Vick spoke from the heart today after pleading guilty to dogfighting charges. He will redeem himself, he said. "I have to." Vick will be sentenced in December.

After watching the video, can you see the trouble in Vick's life? Did you feel his remorse? Or is he just completely scared that his life is taking an amazing detour to prison. It's likely he will spend at least a year behind bars. I certainly realized what painful life is ahead of him.

"Dogfighting is a terrible thing and I do reject it. Through this situation I found Jesus and I asked him for forgiveness."

But what's most fascinating about his speech is that he found God. Yes, through this horrible event in his life, Vick now finds Jesus. Who in their right mind doesn't believe that his attorney told him to say that. Vick found no God. I find it troubling how so many convicts use this statement. We've heard it so many damn times.

I wonder how Vick will return to the NFL. I wonder how he plans to rebuild his troubled life.

DCFanatic has an interesting post up here about how Dallas can solidify its cornerback ranks. It's a scary proposition, but also one that makes some sense if you think about it too much as I did.

Marcus Spears was the 20th pick in the NFL draft, our second pick of that first round that also got us Demarcus Ware. Let's just say Spears has underachieved for a first round pick. He's in his third season and he hasn't flourished into the great defensive force we thought he could be. He's had one tackle this preseason.

DCFanatic says:

He will never be a good DE in a 3-4 defense. He may be a serviceable defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. This is the conclusion I have come to after watching him for about two years now on the NFL level.

DCFanatic goes on to say that Spears is our top trade bait to get another cornerback. possibly so. But it's also scary to even consider trading away one of our first rounders. I will be the first to say we could use a top cornerback, but we didn't even make an ounce of an effort to get one in the off-season. Or the draft. Instead, we grab Isaiah Stanback? Uhh, yeah, I know.
Thoughts?
Secondly, Rotoworld is reporting Bradie James should see a lot of playing time this season. He hits hard. He has improved.

This does slow the career of Bobby Carpenter who some expected to be starting by now. In fact, I thought James was the top trade bait to allow Carpenter to play. I guess not.

On a side note, Gramatica's days are just about over. He has a sore hamstring and this basically wraps it up for the rookie, Folk, who kicked a 52 yarder this pre season. Congrats to Folk. We need a clutch kicker.

I decided to offer viewers something new and what better than hot, sexy babes.

Enjoy your Sunday:

Hottie Dallas Cheerleader Bonnie-Jill Laflin posed for PETA recently. She is as yummy as a nice steak,

I don’t know who this is, but she sure is HOT:

And finally:

Written by 3 hours ago
Houston Texans' Jacoby Jones (12) dives into the end zone after returning a punt 91 yards for a touchdown during the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys... Expand »

Original story at ESPN . Related stories include: Houston Texans' Jacoby Jones (12) runs past Dallas Cowboys' Jacques Reeves (35) and Keith Davis (29) as he returns a punt 91 yards for touchdown during the first quarter of a preseason NFL football... - ESPN , Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber III dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter of a pre-season football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007, in... ... - ESPN , Pre-Season Game: Colts vs. Cowboys - Sitting Pugs: Sports Movies

View all 4 related stories plus related videos, photos and more at Boxxet.

Dallas cornerback Terence Newman will miss the rest of the preseason because of a heel injury that is worse than the Cowboys thought it was. Newman is expected back in time for the Cowboy's season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 9. Veteran Aaron Glenn will start in Newman's place while he is out.

Forget the difference a year makes in the NFL: Consider instead the difference the mainstream media makes. Last year at this time, the large outlets were obsessed - obsessed the way a kid who mixes red ants and black ants is obsessed - with Terrell Owens' potential success with Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys. Everyone took a stand on T.O.'s outlandish behavior (mostly in opposition to the outlandish dude), while the ESPNs of the world baited the camera-loving WR into one outlandish deed after another.

T-Shirt for Dallas Cowboys Fans who are looking to buy Dallas Cowboys Game Tickets for the 2007 NFL Season - complete 2007 Schedule on back

We’ve reached that point in the season where the news dries up to some extent. Why? Because the media is barred from practices except for the opening session where all you can really report is who is dressed-out and who isn’t. No more play-by-play of the practices from me – in truth that ended a couple of weeks ago – or from the DMN blog’s Tim McMahon. We’re down to Wade Phillips press conferences and little snippets of information picked up by the writer’s at Valley Ranch. Once the regular season starts up, the storylines heat up as the weather cools down – if that ever happens – it’s still plenty hot in Atlanta.

DC.com delves into the big and tall department at Valley Ranch.

Get your injury updates here, at the DMN.

The DFW S-T ponders the question: Are TNT too old to carry us to the Super Bowl?

Nick Eatman keeps you up-to-date on the important stuff, like why does Brad Johnson wear sweatpants in 100 degree heat and why was Eric Ogbogu at Valley Ranch.

Dallas Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn won't play in the preseason, but could be ready for the regular season.

Glenn hurt his right knee on the fifth day of training camp and had arthroscopic surgery Aug. 1 to remove loose cartilage from the knee.

Coach Wade Phillips said Tuesday that Glenn "probably will practice the day after we play Minnesota." Dallas plays the Vikings in its last preseason game Aug. 30, which is 10 days before the Sept. 9 season opener against the New York Giants.

"Everything has been going according to plan, so Terry should be all right," Phillips said. "He knows what to do and he knows how to do it. And as long as he's ready physically, I ...

Is there a “code” for preseason games as expressed by Denver S John Lynch after Saturday’s game against the Cowboys?  If there is, it’s news to Coach Phillips and the rest of the Dallas team.  After Saturday’s loss, John Lynch reportedly said, “They came out and game-planned us, blitzing every play,” in an article in The Denver Post. “They came after us. It’s no excuse for the way we played. But I think they might have broken the code of ethics for the preseason.”

Phillips was non-chalant upon hearing about the comments.  “I don’t know any defensive player that doesn’t want to be aggresive,” he stated.  Considering the Cowboys are tweaking and making some changes to their 3-4 defense of a year ago, it should have been expected that they would blitz and be more aggressive than before. 

“If you’re putting a new system in, you got to see how things work on live film instead of at practice against your own guys,” said NT Jason Ferguson,who is adapting to a new system, the one gap, instead of the two-gap he played under Bill Parcells.  Ferguson also had the first sack of the season against Denver which ended the Broncos first offensive possession.

Regardless of the existence of some code concerning preseason games, the main thing is that the defense has held the first-team offenses of two very good teams to nothing but field goals.  That’s great news so far for Cowboys fans and that makes preseason worthwhile, practicing a new defensive scheme to prepare for the regular season.

 

The Cowboys are still dealing with a couple of injuries, one of which will keep wide out Terry Glenn on the sidelines until possibly the opener on September 9th. Glenn underwent knee surgery back on August 1st, and despite thinking that he would be playing in one preseason game, coach Wade Phillips will be sitting Glenn till hopefully he is ready to go opening day. “It’s not a real concern,” Phillips said about the teams number two wide out.

Another starter trying to make it back is outside linebacker Greg Ellis, who continues to try and make it back after he tore his Achillies tendon back in November. He has to date already missed two mini-camps and all of the organized team activities in the off-season. Ellis tried to practice the first day of training camp, but pain forced him to stop 30 minutes in and he has not taken the field since. He has been working out with Cowboys associate athletic trainer Brett Brown. While Glenn appears to be on the verge of making it back, Ellis’ season remains in doubt.

ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHT

Author: nmsoldja
Keywords: FOOTBALL PRODIGY NFL DALLAS COWBOYS MIAMI HURRICANES TEXAS LONGHORNS CLIMBATIZE SEMI PRO
Added: August 22, 2007

This Boxxet RSS feed for Dallas Cowboys highlights top news and blogs. Below is collection of other stories of interest that haven't yet hit top story status. You can go to the Boxxet for Dallas Cowboys for complete news and blog coverage plus videos, photos, podcasts and more.

  •   NFL Preseason A Necessary Evil -- from NFL - Dallas Cowboys
  •   Cowboys Offensive Line Built on Power, Strength -- from DallasCowboys.com
  •   It's not about the money -- by Rick from Cowboys Corner
  •   Random thoughts -- from Icerocket Blogs
  •   Giants focused on rushing the passer -- by The Gryphon from Gryphon on the Dallas Cowboys
  •   Chiefs' Johnson gets 6-year extension -- by Associated Press from The Dallas Morning News
  •   Broncos' cries are compliment to Cowboys -- from Cowboys
  •   Ford, Dallas Cowboys honor Texas' elite football heroes -- from Wilson County News
  •   Dallas Cowboys Regular Season Schedule and Results 2007 -- by Sporting Chronicle from Sporting Chronicle Blog
  •   August 21-- Lemar Marshall Released -- from Covering The Redskins

See complete coverage at Dallas Cowboys Boxxet.

:( I'm kinda pissed about trotter.

Author: PowerRangers12345
Keywords: philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Dallas Cowboys New York Giants
Added: August 21, 2007

Just some talking about the NFC East, and a new BNG intro.

Author: 47kaos
Keywords: NFC East NFL New York Giants Washington Redskins Smack Talk Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys 47kaos
Added: August 21, 2007