From: mas@aero.org (Marcus A.Shaw)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Dallas *notes* + *iced* commentary (long)
Date: 16 Dec 1992 23:04:51 GMT
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: aerospace.aero.org

Well, the Dallas Cowboys have left me wanting more yet again.  I don't under-
stand how a team can play the game the Cowboys did, but I hand it to the 
Redskins that they made the plays.  I personally wouldn't bet on the Skins
in any subsequent games, I think the offense and the defense of the Skins
need lotsa work.  The Redskins should have moved the ball much better than
they did and scored more, only "rubber arm" Rypien destroyed those chances in 
this game.

THE GOOD

* The Cowboys loosened the reigns on the offense, going for just the medium
  to long ranged passes that I called for in my last post.  However, it is
  likely that the passing fiasco's that lost the game (Irvin fumbles on 
  a mid range pass, Aikman throws a terrible INT when Dallas had already
  gotten 2 TD's off the same play, Aikman fumbles in the endzone on a 
  risky play) will cut the number of risky (read FUN! and productive) plays
  that we will see vs. ATL and Chicago will be low.  *sigh*

* E Smith looked good all day, however, he never hit the big one...

* The offensive line looked solid as usual, except for on the final drive.
  The sack in the endzone was not their fault... Aikman should know he can't
  check off down there.

* The Cowboys passed the ball to several different receivers at different
  positions!!!  This is in sharp contrast to their habit of throwing only
  to Irvin in one game, then throwing to Novacek in another, and finally,
  lately, going only to Smith.   In this game, Irvin, Harper, Novacek, 
  Smith, and Martin all got significant looks commensurate with their 
  stature on the team.  Best of all, they got rid of the dreaded "screen/
  flat pass to Emmitt for 2 yards and a heartattack" (tm).

* They played a very, very good first half, good enough to beat the 49'ers.  
  The second half, the defense kept the inept offense in the game!

* Penalties were down again, and need to stay there.

* The Redskins were held to low total yardage (<250).  IN keeping with the
  Cowboys league leading average...  I still want to see the Cowboys D
  vs. a top ranked offense before I pass judgement on their super bowl chances.
  Their D is strong enough to stop the Eagles, Redskins, Vikes, and Saints. 
  The Packers I don't know about and I have serious doubts about the 49ers.

* The Cowboys continued their excellent trend of getting points just before
  the end of the first half.  Now, if they could just get the same sort of
  action at the end of the game.

* In the past two weeks, the Cowboys have shown a real propensity to being
  vulnerable to gadget plays.  This will get corrected and will therefore
  (hopefully) not sting them in the playoffs.  Getting beat by a fleaflicker
  in the playoffs would have killed me!

* Alvin Harper and Jay Novacek!  Lin Elliot's Kickoffs!  Tolbert's first
  half (first quarter actually).  Leon Lett!

THE BAD

* The second half was terrible!

* Turnovers!

* Martin is very skittish as a punt returner, and is unsure of how to 
  handle punts away from him.  This causes him to hesitate on chasing
  those punts, and "he who hesitates is lost...".  The good news is that
  he will not fumble often...

* Irvin lacks concentration.  He is thinking about the big play too much.

* Aikman's lack of awareness of field position and state of the game.  He
  is a rock in the pocket, but is too brave for the good of the team at times.

* Ike Holt's talking and talking and talking and talking.... play the game Ike!

* Smith's lack of ball control in the endzone, even if he was trying to 
  make a forward pass.  He should know better.

* The lack of spark in the O in the second half, except for the one long 
  ill fated drive to INT.

MISC

* Dixon Edwards played a LOT, and I don't know why.  Vinson Smith was not
  injured and Godfrey Myles was supposed to be the hot puppy in training
  camp.  I had almost written Edwards off, now I don't know what to think.
  Both are reaching an important point in their careers.

* Smith not getting 100 yards because of the Aikman int is justice... (99)
  an incomplete pass get Smith another rush.  A TD gets him running out the
  clock......

* the redskin's stadium is a pit....

* The Redskin's do not concern me in the playoffs, unless Rypien wakes up
  they just won their last meaningful game.

A Bonus commentary....
 
ALVIN HARPER:
As far as Alvin Harper is concerned, I think that he is at the 
crossroads of his career, and a lot of what happens depends on Irvin, 
Novacek, Aikman, and Jimmy Johnson.  He has very good skills and has
a knack for getting his hands on the ball.  He does not, however, have
the eye of the coaches nor the confidence of Aikman, and therefore is
the 3rd or 4th choice when receivers are sought and plays are decided.
The last few games have been very good for Harper, he has been a major
part of the offense even to the expense of Irvin.  He still has some
problems, however, with the physical style of playin the NFL and does
not like to get bumped before or after a catch.  A physical corner can
handle him very well.

I think that he is at least a very competent backup.  He is big, fast, runs
good deep routes, and jumps like a cricket.  He could be as good as Irvin
one day because I think that he has the tools, but I don't think he will be.
The presence of Irvin and Harper's current role on the team must make hard
work seem very unproductive.  He is a fine starter at the current level,
and with Jimmy Smith behind him (if you don't like the very competent
plateau that Martin is at) he could be pushed to even greater heights.  If
not, Smith will start very soon to get a second big play receiver on the
other side (that is the knock JJ has on Martin, his lack of size and speed, 
the funny thing about that is that the Dallas offense is not a big play
offense....).  Dallas is more than set at WR barring an unforseen loss.

STATE OF THE TEAM:
I think that Dallas is as good as NO.  If their offense can play at a level
of "looseness" seen in the SF offense, they can be as good as SF.  Their
defense is far better.  They don't have an "immaturity" factor against them
except for the lack of actual NFL playing experience that youth brings.
Players like Williams, Maryland, Brown, KSmith, Harper, Woodson, RJones,
Elliot, and the LB's Myles and Edwards need time to reach their peak.  They
are all darn good at the level they are at now.

Dallas cannot beat SF with a performance like that at Washington.  However,
in JJ's defense, the better the team they play, the more risks that he takes.
I think that he thought that the game was won at one point and that his team
would take over.  Critical mistakes were made and Dallas lost.  Dallas is
better than any AFC team except maybe Buffalo and Miami on good days (Pitts
has problems on offense), but better than them in general...

This loss makes things 
very interesting as to how it affects the young cowboys.  I think that this
loss may be the catalyst that may get them through a tough time in the NFC
playoffs (or maybe even the championship game).  Every loss this year has
taught Dallas something (Philly (how to prepare for a team better than you),
NYGiants (although not a loss, how to hold a lead vs. an inferior team that
gets fired up), Rams (how good mediocre teams can play on any given Sunday))
Now hopefully the Redskins game will teach them to concentrate and the
importance of playing the end of the game. 


later

*ice*