Am I Watching Two Different Teams? ESPN's Take 2 of WAS@DAL

[AJWatson3]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/take2?gameId=250919006

they give a position by position breakdown of whose got the best...

ESPN says the Cowboys have a better OL and better DB's... WTF?

they also said that both teams had "future Hall of Fame coaches"... to think someone gets paid to do this stuff...

"QB Patrick Ramsey missed his target on a few occasions, but the Redskins' offensive woes cannot be put squarely on his shoulders. In fact, as the game progressed against the Bears last week, Ramsey seemed to settle in and become more accurate.

Don't expect an upgrade in play at the position with Mark Brunell being inserted. For starters, Brunell proved last season that he no longer has the physical tools of a solid starting quarterback in the NFL. Even more importantly, the Redskins offensive line is atrocious when it comes to picking up stunts and blitzes in pass protection. Ramsey was sacked three times and was under pressure throwing on almost every one of his pass attempts in that game. It won't be any different for Brunell this week.

Look for the Cowboys to take an aggressive approach with the blitz. La'Roi Glover will give OC Casey Rabach trouble up the middle and RDE Greg Ellis also has the quickness to consistently penetrate. Once the Redskins are forced to give double-team attention to one or both of those defensive linemen, the floodgates will open. Rookie Demarcus Ware should make an impact as a perimeter pass rusher from the ROLB position, and also look for SS Roy Williams and ILB Dat Nguyen to get involved on the blitz.

The Cowboys' new 3-4 scheme proved up to the task in its Week 1 victory against the Chargers in San Diego. After going back and studying the film, it is clear that this unit is going to be much more physical and stout up front versus the run. The unit is using four defensive linemen in what typically is a three-man front.

Glover and Jason Ferguson are keeping each other fresh at the NT position, and DEs Kenyon Coleman and Greg Ellis are playing with good discipline. Nguyen and fellow ILB Bradie James are getting the protection they need in order to roam freely to the football, and Williams continues to be a big contributor in run support.

When Tomlinson did have success, it was on designed inside runs that he bounced outside. RB Clinton Portis has the speed to do the same and, after watching the film, coach Joe Gibbs will probably instruct his running back to be on the lookout. By pinching so much to the inside and getting their outside linebackers upfield quickly, the Cowboys will occasionally leave gaping holes for backs to bounce outside or hit off the cutback pivot.

The other area of the Cowboys' defense that looks vulnerable is the safety position in deep coverage. As good as Roy Williams is versus the run, and as much of a presence as he is underneath in coverage, Williams does not have great man-to-man or deep-middle coverage ability. His safety-mate, Keith Davis, is inexperienced and it showed on a couple of occasions last week. When the Redskins do throw, look for them to use WRs Santana Moss and David Patten on deep-post and post-corner routes that test Williams and Davis in coverage.

The center-quarterback exchange between OC Al Johnson and QB Drew Bledsoe was a problem in the first quarter of last week's game and it resulted in a turnover that led to a Chargers' touchdown. The Cowboys are the better team in this matchup and they have a big advantage playing at home on Monday Night Football, but they can't afford to give the Redskins any easy scores.

The Redskins are a little bit more banged up than the Cowboys entering this game. WR Taylor Jacobs missed almost the entire preseason with a toe injury and is listed as questionable for the upcoming game. He continues to increase his practice load, but he has been out so long and is so far from game-shape that coach Gibbs likely will inactivate him. It does not come as a surprise but it is worrisome for the Redskins. Jacobs is the fourth and final wide receiver on their roster.

An even bigger loss is that of DT Brandon Noble, who will miss at least four weeks with a knee injury. Noble was not starting but was the team's No. 3 defensive tackle, which means the depth of this unit is severely affected.

Coach Bill Parcells and the Cowboys are usually patient with their running game, but this week they should be extra committed to the ground attack. For starters, Noble's injury really thins out the Redskins' interior defensive line and makes them vulnerable to a clock-guzzling offensive attack that keeps starters Cornelius Griffin and Joe Salave'a on the field too long.

Secondly, if the Cowboys can wear down the Redskins' defensive front seven over time and force DSs Pierson Prioleau and Sean Taylor to become more involved in run support than usual, it will lead to some big plays in the vertical passing off of the play-action.

Prioleau and Taylor both have tendencies to get caught peeking in the backfield and will take false steps that take them out of position. With Patrick Crayton emerging as a vertical threat along with Terry Glenn, Bledsoe has the weapons to strike deep versus man-to-man coverage.

There's a lot to like about Crayton's NFL future. The second-year pro has adequate size, good speed and big, soft hands. He showed the ability to pluck on the run last week and shows good burst after the catch. The youngster also is a physical runner after the catch and showed the ability to carry defensive backs on his first touchdown reception last week. If Crayton continues his ascent, the once-maligned Cowboys' wide receiving corps could become a deep and respectable unit.

Special Teams

Redskins' PK John Hall has a strained quadricep and likely will not play in Monday night's game. That means rookie Nick Novak will take over against the Cowboys. Novak has good mechanics and accuracy within 40 yards, but when he kicks for distance he starts to press too much and it affects his accuracy. With Novak's first NFL appearance coming on the road, on Monday Night Football, this aspect of the Redskins' special teams has to be considered potentially weakness.

Ironically, when the Cowboys lost their field goal kicker, Billy Cundiff, to injury, they brought in Novak to compete with Jose Cortez for the starting job. Cortez beat out Novak and subsequently has taken over the kicking duties.

Cortez does not have much more leg strength than Novak, but he has similar accuracy and much more NFL kicking experience. Cortez did not attempt a field goal in the Cowboys' opener but connected on all four PAT's. He showed a good leg on kickoffs last wee,k but his coverage teams must improve in that area.

Another special teams advantage the Cowboys should have is in the punting game, as Mat McBriar is far more experienced and skilled than Redskins' rookie PT Andy Groom. McBriar has a huge leg and is on the verge of breaking out as one of the top punters in the league. His consistency, directional skills and accuracy continue to improve.

Groom, on the other hand, has just adequate leg strength and will be making only his second NFL appearance. In his first outing, Groom showed good hang-time and the ability to kick within his coverage, but his gross average was just 37.7 yards and he only sailed one of three attempts into the end zone for a touchback.

The one area that Washington will need to make up the difference is in the return game, where PR Santana Moss and KOR Ladell Betts are considerably more experienced and explosive than Dallas PR Patrick Crayton and KOR Tyson Thompson. Moss did not have a return last week and Betts only had one kickoff return, which he took for 25 yards.

Matchups

• Dallas QB Drew Bledsoe vs. Washington FS Sean Taylor • Dallas RB Julius Jones vs. Washington WLB Warrick Holdman and MLB Lemar Marshall • Dallas WR Terry Glenn vs. Washington LDC Walt Harris • Washington LOT Chris Samuels vs. Dallas ROLB Demarcus Ware • Washington WR Santana Moss vs. Dallas LDC Terence Newman

Scouts' Edge

There are a lot of similarities between these two teams -- veteran quarterbacks, future Hall of Fame coaches, playmaking running backs and stout defensive fronts. However, the Cowboys have the better overall team because their coach is more in tune with today's game. In addition, Bledsoe's skills have not diminshed as much as Brunell's and Dallas' offensive line is a more dominant group.

Playing at home on Monday Night Football gives the Cowboys an even bigger advantage in this particular case. Expect a physical, low-scoring affair between these intense rivals. The Redskins will keep it close for a few quarters on the strength of their defense, but turnovers and overall offensive ineptitude will eventually prove fatal.

Prediction: Cowboys 23, Redskins 16"

[NoCalMike]

The turnoverexcuse for us losing would make more sense if Ramsey was the starter.

[jrockster21]

they give a position by position breakdown of whose got the best...

ESPN says the Cowboys have a better OL and better DB's... WTF?

Maybe I missed it, but they said the Cowboys safeties were their biggest weakness, and only said Prioleau and Taylor peek behind the line of scrimmage. I'm tired, but I didn't see anything about CBs.

Oline -- the Skins oline is "atrocious" at picking up stunts. Yeah, its such a shame that they can't hold up the pocket for the 30 seconds Pat holds on to the friggin' ball. Give me a break.

And still no respect for the depth of this defense...Noble hurts, but there is quality depth at the position, Boschetti and Killings. Wynn can play DT in a pinch as well.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; everyone over at ESPN has a hard-on for Bill Parcells. I guess its because he was an analyst over there or something, and maybe Joe Gibbs spurned them, I don't know. But they looooooove them some Bill Parcells.

[airborneskins]

:jerk:

This is why games are played on the field.

[TLusby]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/features/take2?gameId=250919006

.....the Cowboys have the better overall team because their coach is more in tune with today's game.

Is that so...what a lame article. By the way, Coach Joe Gibbs is already a HOF coach. Who pays these people?

[Art]

It's a strange article that seems devoid of obvious evidence the writer saw the game he's addressing. We gave up a total of three sacks. One when Ramsey decided to build a fire in the defensive backfield. Another when Brunell tripped on Betts. The third the hit by Briggs. The announcers were commenting on how much time we had to throw.

You need to understand the only way these guys can justify their thoughts on the team are to make areas obviously better worse through statements. We know better. So do they.

[ntotoro]

With all these people out there talking about Dallas' "stifling" Defense, am I the only one who noticed they gave up 24 points to Dan Diego last week... ?

[24Bunky]

With all these people out there talking about Dallas' "stifling" Defense, am I the only one who noticed they gave up 24 points to Dan Diego last week... ?

Indeed...and an offense that scored 28 points & is only ranked 22nd?

Our offense scored only 9 points & is ranked 15th.

[rhyno]

He continues to increase his practice load, but he has been out so long and is so far from game-shape that coach Gibbs likely will inactivate him.

I am not sure inactivate is actually a word. :doh:

[RedskinsFn]

Same ole same ole. The skins could win and they still be talking out thier arses! :jerk:

[THEHEREAFTER]

This is the most sensitive board ever known to man. If the skins are better... they'll show it on Mon. night... nothing else matters!

[FightForOldDC21]

when we own the cowgirls then they'll shut up

[AJWatson3]

This is the most sensitive board ever known to man. If the skins are better... they'll show it on Mon. night... nothing else matters!

fella,

it's not a matter of sensitivity... these people get paid to write this garbage. they should at least watch the games and appear to know what they are reporting.

if they said washington had a better QB than indy i'd be posting the same damn thing about their clueless writers.

and while the game is played on the field there is no doubt that the Skins have a better secondary and a better OL. watch and see.

[dawgjk9]

i cant beleive they actaully said dallas o-line was better. we ran for like 160yards or something crazy and had all day to throw. ramsey just held onto the bal lforever. whatever, people will see on monday night. as long as our redzone offense can put it in the endzone, we'll come away with this one

[BogeyMan]

The so-called experts just don't get the reason why Gibbs benched Ramsey:

It's up to the QB to recognize defenses and call audibles to adjust the protection packages. Watch Payton Manning - you never see a corner or lineback come free and get a free shot on Manning without him getting rid of the ball first. Ramsey seems to struggle with recognition and leaves himself vulnerable to blitzes. The Briggs sack/fumble was almost identical to the play where Ramsey threw the awful interception against Pittsburgh.

Gibbs will live with the occasional inaccurate throw and even interception, but I don't think he was willing to tolerate Patrick's inability to recognize defenses.

I like Ramsey and think he's a very bright QB. He has consistenly shown that he has courage and is really pretty accurate. It's just going to be a matter of time before the light bulb comes on for recognizing defenses in game situations. I suspect Ramsey will get another shot at starting before the season is over.

[Art]

This is the most sensitive board ever known to man. If the skins are better... they'll show it on Mon. night... nothing else matters!

Not at all sensitive, HA.

We just expect observations to have some credibility. It's one thing to be incorrect on an opinion. It's another to create something fictional and say you saw it when you didn't.

[cowboylifer]

i dont agree with this article either. i dont think the skins will score 16 points. and the boys will constantly rotate defensive players and wear down the skins. the offensive line of dallas holds 3 probowlers in allen,adams,and rivera. and comparing brunell with bledsoe is blasphemy. the skins like to look at last years record not noting the fact that the boys have a new team with players playing in their correct positions now, and a ton of depth. which we havent had in about 10 years. we are so stocked at wide receiver now that we cant find a way to get peerless price in the game. but he may play anyway. the skins fans on the other hand continue to not know their opponent,and predict playoff wins, 5-0 starts, and easy wins over the bears. this game will be your wake up call. but im sure youll blame it on officiating,and bad luck, and biases. boys 24-skins 10

[Phat Hog]

Hmmmm, mostly negative on the Redskins, and almost all positive for the Cowboys. Well, I guess it's over then.

So I wonder what the coaches will implement during the bye week since we are 1-1 now. :doh:

[freakofthesouth]

i dont agree with this article either. i dont think the skins will score 16 points. and the boys will constantly rotate defensive players and wear down the skins. the offensive line of dallas holds 3 probowlers in allen,adams,and rivera. and comparing brunell with bledsoe is blasphemy. the skins like to look at last years record not noting the fact that the boys have a new team with players playing in their correct positions now, and a ton of depth. which we havent had in about 10 years. we are so stocked at wide receiver now that we cant find a way to get peerless price in the game. but he may play anyway. the skins fans on the other hand continue to not know their opponent,and predict playoff wins, 5-0 starts, and easy wins over the bears. this game will be your wake up call. but im sure youll blame it on officiating,and bad luck, and biases. boys 24-skins 10

Look here you hypocrite. You're so busy pointing the finger about how good your new team is, you've neglected the reality that the Skins made a few upgrades, too.

Last week, the final score was not indicative of our performance. W/ 3 turnovers, some bad penalties and a completely illigal hit on our thought-to-be starting QB, we still won the game. In fact, we are tied for first place, w/ you guys. Your team was one throw away from losing to the Gates-less Chargers who had one of the worst secondaries in the league last season. Plus, Marty is streaky, and who knows where his team will be standing this season. It just amazes me how much emphasis fans put on week one.

I'm glad that small-minded Cowboys fans such as yourself already have this game as a W. That makes me happy when people overlook Joe Gibbs.

[SamSneed36]

so NOW would everyone agree a skins win would be an upset?

I know we can win, I think w will, but no one in media gives us a chance