From: mas@aero.org (Marcus A.Shaw)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Dallas/Skins Wrapup + *icednotes*
Date: 10 Sep 1992 20:23:24 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aerospace.aero.org

Helllllooooooo Dallas Fans and Haters!

Wow, what a game... I am surprised that there have
not been more posts on the game as a whole, but for
those of you who care, here are my Notes and Quotes 

THE BEST:

* Emmitt Smith looked very good, and continued his
trend of not taking the big hit.  I still don't see  
a 2000 yard season, but I'd settle for 1800 and 
change.  His 5.6 yard average, 5.6 on almost every
play, was due to his ability and the huge holes     
opened by an offensive line not yet at its peak....

* Darryl Johnston looked almost as good as Smith,
he had his prototypical game with several good plays
running and receiving.  He had no less than 6 GREAT
blocks on 'skins that had a shot at Emmitt, and in
general he opened the holes that got ES the yards.

  He did have 2 instances where his missed block
caused Emmitt to get fewer yards than he could have
(including the first quarter play where the MLB for
Washington stacked Emmitt up, no one else around.  DJ
missed an attempt to throw his body into the MLB..).
 
* Irvin has the attention and respect of DB's around
Washington now, and although I hated to see him drop
several passes, he did have great success getting 
open.  He looks really good considering....

* Harper was phenomenal.  Just to get his hands on 
the ball that he dropped in the end zone was terrific,
and he almost made the catch.  Then there was the
sideline play he made!!!  Catch of the year.... in 
week #1!!!  Forget Ace Wright.  Forget J.Smith's
development.  If Irvin and Harper stay healthy, they 
won't see the light of day.  Kmart will still catch
on third down.....

* The OL was terrific!

* Haley was hot 75% of the time, and aided Tolbert and
Jeffcoat on several occasions.  I cannot believe how
good he looked, but I will reserve judgement until
after the Giants game.  However, my personal
player of the game on D was J Jones, finally putting a
game together like I know he can play.  He is finally
back at DT and when he gets playing time, he is BY FAR
the best inside pass rusher on the Cowboys, and a darn
good DL to boot.

  A tip of the hat also to Lett and Noonan, the depth 
of the defensive line is incredible.  Noonan is raising
his trade value (if they even trade him after 4 weeks
like I first predicted), and he will be worth a #2 or
MORE if they do trade him....

* Larry Brown played up to his pre-billing.  His name
should be beginning to be circulated for the Pro Bowl,
although I don't believe he will make it.  He made the
stop immediately on the quick hooks, and didn't have
his name called (like Holt) on the long passes by
Rypien.  I like his style and his progress, he looks 
even better than last year!

* Saxon had a great game.  Average, hang time, good 
coverage, good bounces.... (how many GREAT bounces
did Goodburn get anyway...)?

* Kelvin Martin... need I say more?  Well maybe I will.
He was one of the top punt returners at BC his senior
year (3rd in the nation).  When he made the Cowboys, I
was happy to see him on return duty and knew it would 
take him a year or two to settle into the return scheme.
Then, the Boys put Sheppard back there and Martin didn't
return kicks again until last year.  Now he's is back into
the swing of things and should be a good one for
quite a while....sweetness

THE WORST:

* Tolbert was fairly invisible in his first serious
action, and will have to pick up the pace to keep his
playing time.

* Lin Elliot looked very shaky to be the playoff kicker
the Cowboys need, although his kickoffs were deep.  He
mis-hit an Xpt. try that almost missed and hit the   
upright on a chip shot.  On tape, it looked to be a very
poor kick as well.

* Aikman was very bad (for Aikman), and we all knew
that those int's were coming from the 80% ducks he
was throwing.  He had the wobblers making it to the
target, but most of the time he was off to the point
where the receiver had to help him out.  It just takes
too long for the ball to get there when it doesn't spiral
and INT's like the last one will happen.  I heard the 
ball was slippery.... and he didn't do that during the 
preseason so I assume he just had an off game.  If that
result was an off game...... just think sportsfans...
The types of passes he threw well tends to support the
slippery ball theory.

* Myles and Edwards didn't play a significant amount,
and neither did Hennings.  Considering the state of the
DL, the fact that Hennings didn't play doesn't bode well.

* The secondary was not very sharp most of the time, and
needs improvement.  Long balls were open, and the was some
dissension caused by my favorite player Ike Holt.  Horton
had a good game, as good a game as I have seen from him
ever...

OTHER NOTES:

* Norton had a game to build on.  He led the team in
tackles, and was in position to make the big play

* Aikman threw 75% of his passes to 15-25 yards, his 
best pass.  He has poor touch sometimes on the short
ones, and usually has trouble long.  He threw very
few true "bombs".

* Aikman has worked on his cadence, and that will help.

* Penalties were still fairly low, a JJ trademark,
however they did have more than necessary on the special
teams.  Dallas repeatedly started with worse field pos
ition than necessary due to kicking penalties..

* The Redskins had a surprising number of cheap 
shots, roughhouse play, and sloppy play.  I didn't 
know who those guys were at times, they looked so 
confused and frustrated.

* The crowd noise was phenomenal, where did these 
guys get their lungs ALL OF A SUDDEN????

* Washington dropped his level of play, he had been the
best defensive player on the team for the last 2 preseason
games.  He is still something special.

* Aikman still needs to learn to step up
into the pocket made by his blockers, and not to
follow his receivers so much...

* The Cowboys still can't run a screen pass, something
that Smith should excel at.

* The Redskins should have dropped out of their no
huddle even earlier than they did, it was ill advised
considering the early tone set by the Dallas D and the
crowd noise.

* The Cowboys didn't show their no-huddle, and I don't
expect to see it real soon.  Maybe by game 5.....

that's it for now, Next week is the Giants.  I hate
to predict a big win, buy I don't see how that Giants
team can hang with the Cowboys that I saw Monday night,
that is if the rough edges are smoothed out like I 
expect them to be.....

take care

*ice*