Unfortunately, Bledsoe Still Has Something Left in the Tank

la73hof,

I have no doubt that the Cowboys defense will be good for quite some time. DeMarcus Ware, Terrance Newman (who should have a bounceback year), Roy Williams, and Marcus Spears are some good young players. I question the move to the 3-4 considering how much money is invested in and how talented Glover and Ellis are, but I still think the defense should play well.

However, I reiterate the sentiments that many (including myself) have expressed throughout this past offseason - Bledsoe will not look good behind the line that the Cowboys have. Flozell Adams is good but Larry Allen is aging, Marco Rivera is not 100%, and the center and right tackle positions are totally unsteady. Moreover, the Cowboys have VERY little depth on the O-line. If Allen, Adams, or Rivera go down, the Cowboys offense will be awful. Finally, Julius Jones and Jason Witten are two very good players, but they won't be able to compensate for Drew Bledsoe's immobility and problems in the trenches if in fact there are injured O-linemen.

Ramsey..

Allen isnt getting any younger but he still is our most dominant lineman..he doesnt have the rare lateral agility that made him a pro bowler @ LT back in '98 but @ LG he still is perhaps the best in the game.

Adams is a gifted LT but has mental lapses and problems with speed rushers. Ware has been the best thing that could have happened. He struggled mightily with Ware's speed early in camp but has shut him down very well since the 1st 2 weeks of camp

Our C position is still a toss up on who's gonna start. Gurode, a failure a RG the last few years, has been moved to center and the move has paid huge dividends. He definitely the guy we would want in the run game He's been very good when facing big guys, but struggles with quick guys. The other C, AL Johnson, is the antithesis..he stuggles against the big boys but is more of a technician and can handle quickness...He definitely is ahread in the mental part of the job

We're hoping Rivera can stay healthy for the season..because without him there is a serious downgrade..and rookie Rob Petitti isnt as effective

Petitti did a great job and continues to get better every game--he played very nicely last night. He had a great block last night on Julius Jones TD run

The guy is playing through a ruptured blood vessel in his foot and picked up a contusion in the same leg last nite..he went to the sideline, got a tape job and went right back in..he's got great heart and is a gamer

The depth is largely unproven or average...but that can be said about most eams in the NFL in this day of free agency and the salary cap era.

If the OL and TE Campbell stay healthy, Bledsoe will be effective

If not, all bets are off

Jones productivity will suffer with OL problems, as did Portis last year...but Witten proved last year, with all our OL problems and inconsistency @ QB that he gonna put up numbers regardless of any of the above listed

How would the Skins look if Jansen and/or Samuels gets hurt?

As is the case with any team, health is the key

I like our chances IF HEALTHY for the fight for 2nd in the NFC East and a chance at the wildcard

Bledsoe is more like a high school prom queen. She'll dazzle you with her looks, tease you to insanity, and maybe even give you hope with a kiss on the cheek. But in the end, you'll go home with nothing more than your black book full of other names to call.

I live in Texas too......so while Ware may be a monster....Jones looked good, (the RB not the owner ;) ) although the Cowboys dominated this game, don't give the Cowboys a playoff berth yet...Things to consider in this game.....
1. The Texans O line is very weak
2. The Texans killed themselves with turnovers 2 INTS and a fumble, and were penalized 11 times for 95 yds. One INT was from the Cowboys 22 so the Cowboys easily scored.
3. The Texans starting RB Davis left the game in the 2nd qtr with injury
4. Texans WR Andre Johnson dropped 2 passes that should've been caught
5. Cowboys kicker 71% over his six year career....this will haunt the Cowboys all season......unless they get a replacement.
6. The Cowboys O line is still suspect, some are pointing at Rivera who they say may not live up to expectations, especially after back surgery. And there is an injury to Rogers. I Noticed that on none play Bledsoe ran for his life on the RIGHT side of the line..........
7. Some say Parcells is playing with fire giving the ball so much to his RB Jones in the preseason--risking injury and possible overload.
8. Reasons to be optimistic...our D is better than the Texans .....And we have a great 0 line.........we played pretty well against a good Steeler defense.

:dallas:

I live in Houston and I watched the first half of the Cowboys-Texans game. Bledsoe looked good...

Enough about satellite tv. I'm watching that game right now and Bledsoe doesn't look 'good'. Dude what are you talking about? OK it's 5:11 left in the 2nd quarter and I am impressed with FS Keith Davis as well as guys we know who will be good: Newman, Williams, Ware. Some 'Skins fans get a kick out of fearing that another opponent is seemingly better than ours before the game is played. Ho hum. 2:10 left in the 2nd and Bledsoe is starting to look sharp. He's getting rid of the ball quickly. Possibly, they're missing Riviera on the OL already. They have three weeks to get it fixed before they bring Testerverde out of retirement. :oink:

Bledsoe is more like a high school prom queen. She'll dazzle you with her looks, tease you to insanity, and maybe even give you hope with a kiss on the cheek. But in the end, you'll go home with nothing more than your black book full of other names to call.


LOL. Well put.

And I agree with Ramseyfan (as I guess laHOF73 acknowledges)--the roids are one injury away from disaster on that O-line. And given Bledsoe's lack of mobility and penchant for mistakes against the blitz, it's going to be tough against pressure Ds. But they'll be great on screens and TE stuff for that reason I suppose. Still, a rattled Bledsoe is trouble. Further, a back is really only as good as his o-line. So Jones may have trouble as well. It will be fun to watch. :dallas:

I live in Texas too......so while Ware may be a monster....Jones looked good, (the RB not the owner ;) ) although the Cowboys dominated this game, don't give the Cowboys a playoff berth yet...Things to consider in this game.....
1. The Texans O line is very weak
2. The Texans killed themselves with turnovers 2 INTS and a fumble, and were penalized 11 times for 95 yds. One INT was from the Cowboys 22 so the Cowboys easily scored.
3. The Texans starting RB Davis left the game in the 2nd qtr with injury
4. Texans WR Andre Johnson dropped 2 passes that should've been caught
5. Cowboys kicker 71% over his six year career....this will haunt the Cowboys all season......unless they get a replacement.
6. The Cowboys O line is still suspect, some are pointing at Rivera who they say may not live up to expectations, especially after back surgery. And there is an injury to Rogers. I Noticed that on none play Bledsoe ran for his life on the RIGHT side of the line..........
7. Some say Parcells is playing with fire giving the ball so much to his RB Jones in the preseason--risking injury and possible overload.
8. Reasons to be optimistic...our D is better than the Texans .....And we have a great 0 line.........we played pretty well against a good Steeler defense.

:dallas:

Jacob Rogers was cut last week

Overloading Julus Jones?..He's has 2o something carries in 3 games

Andre Johnson was dropping passes because of the abuse Roy Wiilliams and Keith Davis were dishing out--he was certainly hearing footsteps after the initial shot Davis delivered

Davis left the game after getting clobbered

Our defense will get better throughout the year as our young guys come of age...Ware, Burnett... Canty

The Texans had some success running the ball up the middle--right where Jason Ferguson will be playing

--Fergy and Spears havent even seen the field yet

The Texans trurned the ball over twice due to great coverage by Newman on a much larger Johnson in the corner of the endzone and a nasty shot delivered by Williams which a hustling Nguyen picked off

Cortez hasnt done much in his career but has been good so far

The 30 yarder he missed was due to a miserable play call and having to rush the team onto the field.

There will be some good names that come available here in the next week or so

Parcells wont let any facet of ST's hinder this team--I feel bad for the ST guys this week after a lousy showing yesterday

The Rivera back injury isnt a concern--the missed reps and conditioning are. His back held up just fine throughout camp--its been a groin problem the last few weeks

Our reason to be optimistic? our defense will only get better throughout the year. One cant even compare this years unit to last years

And thanks to a gaffe by Chargers management and an injury, we wont be seeing Gates and perhaps Merriman opening day

Our defense will be in the top 12 this year--and next year will be scary

I truly feel sorry for the smurfs part II you guys have @ WR

cortez was an ex 49er ex skin (spurrier) i think... he really sucks.

Bledsoe is the perfect example of the million dollar arm and the 10 cent brain, the problem is this, Parcells knows how to spoon feed an offense to some of the dummest of QB's, [Hostetler, Lucas, Testarverde, Bledsoe] QB's who really weren't much other than when they played for Parcells, Bledsoe wont be great but he will be adequet for the boy's.