From: mas@aero.org (Marcus A.Shaw)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Painful, yet positive, *icednotes*
Date: 7 Oct 1992 15:55:23 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aerospace.aero.org

Okay, Okay, so I was taking a two day sabatical....
I needed time to lick my wounds and decide what 
tact I would take on a game that should have been
closer than it was and yet wasn't....  Anything
I say about the game is due to get flamed, but since
I have posted in the good times, I better post during 
the worst as well....

So, without further ado, we have this week's installment
of *icednotes* (*sigh*)

THE GOOD:

* Dallas's offensive line held the Eagles as well as 
a line needs to get the job done.  Given better execution
by Aikman & Co., the line work was superb, and most of
the sacks came after Aikman had time to set.  It is a
far different line than that that collapsed every play 
vs. the Eagles last year.

* Emmitt's running game was going to improve in the second
half, he ran hard and well in the first half, even if you
discount the bonus yardage he got from running out the clock
at the end of the half.  I am not talking about statistics, 
I am talking about what he did with what he was given and 
what I expected from the Eagles DL in the second half.

* Dallas ran one swing pass and it was quite successful.  I
think they should have run more and slowed the pass rush down
a little.  It still comes a ways away from actually running
a successful screen pass (Cowboys are 0-6 this year or something
like that), but that play would have given the linebackers more
to think about than blitzing or playing zone.

* The defense dominated at times and played more than well
enough to win.  If the Eagles had not been given field
position (which of course they were) the points would have
been lower and the yardage about the same.  I like that 
fact that Randall appeared to REALLY struggle against a
moderate Dallas pass rush, on several plays not knowing
whether to run or pass (and Dallas not knowing either...
*sigh*).  There were several tight (to say the least) plays
in the end zone but other than that Randall had very little
success against a Cowboy secondary that some have heralded
as being among the worst in the league.  The Cowboys corners
are playing tough man-to-man if only the safety play would
improve to meet up with them.

* Martin and Williams get game balls from me for offense, even
though the Big E was beaten several times.  He did very well
against Reggie White, and got beaten mostly by LB.  And tell
me, on that one sack, what was poor Emmitt doing blocking
Reggie???

* On defense, Tolbert is the only defensive lineman that I can
credit in this game.  He is a much better player than Haley at
this point and Haley does not deserve all of his accolades. 
Better yet, Haley should not even be playing every down, his
production has dropped significantly since he became an every
down player.  Put Tony Hill in there instead, or move Jeffcoat 
back to starting DE....

* As for defensive game balls, Tolbert and R. Jones get high marks
for solid games.  Honorable mentions go to Holt and Brown for 
holding Williams and Barnett (two very talented receivers) down
for as long as they did and as well as they did.

THE BAD:

* Novacek was horrible and deserves to have his salary lowered.
I hate to see the great go bad, but he has the worst cast of
"relaxation disease" that I have ever seen.  He was obviously
"the man" in this offensive game plan and failed to produce.

* The penalties were terrible, but will be reduced if the game
stays closer.  The Cowboys showed their youth and reverted to 
a sloppily played game without the concentration and style that
the Eagles played theirs.  This part of the game will still come,
it is one of the few things that can be guaranteed in NFL football.

* Aikman looked very bad at times and did not listen to the only
major directive given by his boss, he didn't protect the ball and
he held it too long as usual.  His offensive line did a great 
job holding back the Eagles, but when push comes to shove he
needs to get rid of the ball sooner.  He must have checked off
to 3 receivers on EVERY play, and that is not right.

* Alvin Harper, although making a great catch in the game, should
have had a bigger role.  I salute the guys who played him man all
game, but a receiver that big and fast should be able to beat man
coverage more often than once (and he wasn't that open that time).
With all the attention focused on Irvin, Novacek, and Smith, 
Harper was obviously the guy that needed to catch several balls.
Instead, my favorite receiver on the Cowboys, the guy who should
be starting in place of Harper, Kelvin Martin, caught 3 balls 
including 2 clutch catches for a 1st down and the TD.  With more
playing time, Martin would make the defense pay worse than 
Harper is doing currently.

* The team collapsed somewhere around the end of the third 
quarter.  They will learn from this and will improve because
of a collapse like that.  This collapse was different than the
breakdown in the Giants game, but each has taught a valueable
lesson.

* Finally, without calling him a goat, I believe that the
blowout can be blamed on one play, a play that if it had gone
differently MIGHT have altered the final score if not the whole
outcome of the game.  Although there is no way that I can back it up
it is my firm opinion that if Horton had intercepted the Cunningham
pass in the endzone early in the game that the tide would have
turned a little differently.  That pick, or not-pick, is this
weeks "key play" by my standard.....

THE REST AND NOTES

* Lin Elliot, while not having a bad game, needs a confidence 
builder in a bad way.  Hopefully he will kick 3 vs. Seattle.

* The Cowboys released NYGiants spy Bobby Abrahms today.  It is
not known who will take his roster spot, but if there isn't a 
trade in the works (yes, the trading deadline approacheth),
it could be Jimmy Smith.  I expect Ace to go on IR this week and
for Smith to come off though, so the roster spot is still a 
mystery to me.  Abrahms had played a bit on special teams but
didn't do much to impress me or the coaches.

* Tony Hill played in the game and so did Thomas Everett.  That 
means that Hennings and Wright were the inactive players and that
Hennings still has not seen the light of day or the green of the
turf.  He must be getting splinters from riding that pine so long.

* Martin caught his first TD from scrimmage in 3 years.  He had
2 60 catch seasons without having a TD but now is in a position
to regain his #2 spot in the receiving corps (IMHO).

* The Seattle line is 16, and I don't know what to make of that
game.....

Anyway, I have fulfilled my obligations and done my duty.  Let's
see and hear those responses from pro and con netters around the
globe.

Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro