Glaken
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Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this week's matchup between the Redskins and Cowboys. Now they're back with a second look.
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
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
