INSIDE SLANT
The Cowboys have already started an overhaul of the coaching staff in their attempt to place blame for the woeful 2011 season and make changes for next year.
Longtime secondary coach Dave Campo is gone, as is veteran offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who retired Jan. 10 after 29 years in the league.
The two will be replaced by Jerome Henderson and Bill Callahan, respectively.
Henderson is coming to Dallas from Cleveland, where he worked under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan in 2009 and 2010. The Cowboys wanted to hire him last year when they hired Ryan but couldn’t get him away from his contract.
Callahan is coming from the Jets and is likely here because the Cowboys couldn’t get former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano to take the gig without also being offensive coordinator and having full play-calling duties.
The move with Campo was not unexpected considering the performance of the secondary of late, and the offensive line was a target of criticism as well prior to Houck’s retirement announcement.
But as the Cowboys continue their evaluation process they will likely find that team’s woes were more because of a failure in personnel than coaching.
That point is most clear on defense, where Ryan was brought in to improve a unit that gave up more points and more passing touchdowns in 2010 under Wade Phillips than any in team history.
The Cowboys improved in points allowed overall but the pass defense was again an abomination when you consider it gave up the second-most passing yards in team history and came nowhere close to slowing down the truly elite passing quarterbacks. Michael Vick of the Eagles, Tom Brady of the Pats, Eli Manning of the Giants and Matt Stafford of the Lions combined for 13 touchdown0s and four interceptions against the Cowboys.
The Cowboys blamed their problems on communications issues due to not being able to learn Ryan’s scheme because of the lockout and no offseason, which every team in the league had to deal with.
By contrast, Phillips went down to Houston and turned around a defense that finished 31st in the league in 2010. The Texans defense was second in 2011 as it got after the quarterback and made plays on the ball.
Clearly the problem on defense in Dallas in 2010 wasn’t just about Wade Phillips, who has proven to be a very capable coordinator—just like the problem in 2011 wasn’t solely on Ryan or the defrocked Campo.
The Cowboys must improve their personnel. They must find more playmakers who will get their hands on the ball in the secondary and get after the quarterback.
The Cowboys were dismal in both areas the past two seasons under Phillips and Ryan.
That’s why a change in personnel is a must and the Cowboys have the opportunity to do that in offseason.
Linebackers Anthony Spencer, Bradie James and Keith Brooking, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abe Elam and cornerbacks Frank Walker and Alan Ball are all free agents.
The majority of them will not be brought back in 2012.
NOTES, QUOTES
The NFL Network reported Monday that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was not arrested and will not have charges filed against him following an incident Sunday night at a Miami nightclub.
Bryant settled two lawsuits earlier this month in which he was accused of not paying for jewelry he had ordered. In December, a New York-based finance company sued him for allegedly failing to repay the entirety of a $100,000 loan.
Bryant, the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick in 2010, had 63 receptions for 928 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
• LB DeMarcus Ware was the lone member of the Cowboys to be named All-Pro in 2011 in what was another indictment of the team’s season and subpar personnel.
• CB Mike Jenkins underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder that had plagued him much of the season. He should be back in time for the start of the offseason program.
• LB Sean Lee has earned a $510,000 roster bonus because of playtime incentives. He will get the money as long as he takes part of the offseason program and training camp. He led the Cowboys with 132 tackles this season.
• OG Derrick Dockery earned $150,000 in incentives in 2011 because he was on the game day roster nine times.
Quote To Note: “I had a great run. I’ve spent 13 years with the Cowboys and all of them were wonderful. The owner has been generous to me.”—Former offensive line coach Hudson Houck, on his decision to retire.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Unit-by-unit Analysis
Quarterback: Starter—Tony Romo. Backups—Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee.
You can’t blame the Cowboys failures this season on Romo, who easily played the best football of his career with 31 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 102.5 quarterback rating. Remember he did this despite battling a fractured rib, punctured lung and a bruised throwing hand. Romo’s sterling play is the reason owner Jerry Jones called this season terribly disappointing. He has yet to prove he is a winner as that will come during sustained success in the playoffs but he is a competitor and a fighter. Look for Kitna to retire after finishing the season on injured reserve with a bad back. McGee has yet to show enough that he can be the primary backup for next year or the future.
Running Backs: Starter—RB DeMarco Murray, FB Tony Fiammetta. Backups—RB Felix Jones, RB Sammy Morris.
The emergence of rookie Murray, who had 897 yards in 13 games, has given the Cowboys a legitimate featured back for the first time since Emmitt Smith retired. Murray rushed for a franchise-high 253 yards vs. St. Louis on Oct. 23 and over a four-game span, rushed for 601 yards, the most in franchise history. He just needs to stay healthy as he began the season slowed by a hamstring injury and ended it on injured reserve with a fractured ankle. Jones hoped to show he was an every down featured back but he was again slowed by injuries, missing four games with a hamstring, allowing Murray to take his job. Jones will be a change of pace back to Murray next season. Fiammetta was a great addition at fullback and has paved the way for Murray’s emergence.
Wide Recivers: Starters—Miles Austin, Dez Bryant. Backups—Laurent Robinson, Kevin Ogletree, Jesse Holley, Dwayne Harris.
Bryant, Robinson and Austin, who caught 63, 54 and 43 passes, respectively, in 2011, gave the Cowboys solid corps of receivers. It was only the second time in franchise history that three wide receivers caught at least 40 passes in a season. The only other time was in 1983 when Tony Hill, Drew Pearson and Butch Johnson did it with 49, 47 and 41 catches. The group was solid but it wasn’t full of game breakers as the receivers were expected to be, especially Bryant and Austin. Neither of the receivers topped 1,000 yards. Bryant caught nine touchdown passes but never topped 100 yards in a game. Austin missed several games with various hamstring injuries. Robinson didn’t join the team until week three and was arguably the most trusted pass catcher at season’s end. He led the Cowboys in touchdowns with 10.
Tight Ends: Starter—Jason Witten. Backups—Martellus Bennett, John Phillips.
Witten was solid as usual when you look at his numbers. He caught 79 passes for 942 yards and five touchdowns. It was his eighth straight year with at least 60 catches and fourth straight year with at least 900 receiving yards. Witten was solid, but he wasn’t special. He saw his seven-year streak of making the Pro Bowl snapped. He can still catch the ball as well as anyone. But Witten must be a bigger force in the red zone and play stronger. He often gets tackled too easily. Bennett was mediocre at best in arguably his final season with the Cowboys. He had 17 catches for 144 yards and no touchdowns. He is a good run-blocker but still dropped too many passes. Phillips is a capable No. 3 but nothing special.
Offensive Linemen: Starters— LT Doug Free, LG Montrae Holland, C Phil Costa, RG Kyle Kosier, RT Tyron Smith. Backups—G Kevin Kowalski, G Derrick Dockery, G Bill Nagy, T Jermey Parnell.
The Cowboys opened the season with three first-year starters, including two rookies up front in Costa, Nagy and Smith. They knew there would be growing pains and they certainly experienced them. The Cowboys gave up 39 sacks this season, the most since 2005. The Cowboys ended up bringing back the veteran Holland to solidify things at guard in place of Nagy. But the struggles continued all season. Costa was too small to hold up at center and three different players played guard because of injury—Nagy, Holland and Dockery. The biggest disappointment was Free, who signed a $32 million contract in the offseason but failed to live up to expectations. He led the team in penalties and sacks allowed.
Defensive Linemen: Starters—LDE Kenyon Coleman, NT Jay Ratliff, RDE Jason Hatcher. Backups—DE Marcus Spears, DE Clifton Geathers, NT Josh Brent, NT Sean Lissemore.
Ratliff made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year but his numbers again declined. He had two sacks in 2011 and 3.5 in 2010 after notching six and 7.5 in 2009 and 2008, respectively. He is undersized and is seemingly wearing down from all the double teams in the middle. He could be moved to end next year where the Cowboys have no play-makers. Hatcher, Coleman and Spears are solid against the run but they make few plays and have trouble getting to the quarterback, despite Hatcher’s career-high 4.5 sacks. The Cowboys saw promising play from backup NTs Lissemore and Brent, who will potentially man the position next season.
Linebackers: Starters—SOLB Anthony Spencer, ILB Sean Lee, ILB Bradie James, WOLB DeMarcus Ware. Backups—OLB Alex Albright, OLB Victor Butler, ILB Keith Brooking, ILB Bruce Carter
Ware ranked second in the NFL with 19.5 sacks. He was sensational as usual, earning his sixth straight trip to the Pro Bowl. He is a given for the Cowboys. The problem is they don’t have a pass rusher to pair with him. Spencer was a disappointment with six sacks. He is solid against the run, but the Cowboys drafted him in the first round to get to the quarterback and he has yet to do that. Lee had a breakout season and proved to be the team’s most productive defender, leading the Cowboys in tackles, tackles for losses and interceptions. He did this despite playing with a dislocated wrist for the second half of the season. Brooking and James saw their play and prediction decline in what will likely be their last season with the Cowboys. James finished 10th on the team in tackles after being the team leader in that category for a club-record six straight seasons. Carter missed the first six games because of a college knee injury and never made an impact in the regular defense.
Defensive Backs: Starters—LCB Mike Jenkins, RCB Terence Newman, SS Abe Elam, FS Gerald Sensabaugh. Backups—CB Alan Ball, CB Frank Walker, CB Orlando Scandrick, S Danny McCray, S Barry Church.
The Cowboys gave up too many big plays and too many passing yards, 3,904, the second-most in franchise history. Newman is a target for most of the criticism because of a big contract, injury history and declining play. Opposing teams seemingly targeted him for big plays by season’s end. Jenkins was in and out of the lineup with injuries, although he played the best of all the cornerbacks. Scandrick was solid at times but didn’t live up to the big money contract extension. The same can be said for Sensabaugh and Ball. Both had their moments of being solid but neither proved to be a playmaker. Elam could be gone after one year. Upgrades and playmakers at cornerback and safety are a must.
Special Teams: K Dan Bailey, P Mat McBriar, LS LP Ladouceur, KOR Dwayne Harris, PR Dez Bryant
Bailey was a hit as a rookie undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State. He made 32 of 37 field goals and had a streak of 26 makes in row. He was certainly one of the team’s biggest surprises in 2011. McBriar had a down season as he was hobbled by drop foot for the second half of the year. He is a free agent and won’t know his future until he overcomes the nerve damage in his plant foot. Ladouceur was consistent as usual.
Bryant didn’t have any of his rookie magic on punt returns because of injury and poor decisions. The Cowboys used a number of kickoff returners to no avail. Harris got the most chances and was average at best.
Super Bowl storylines to watch
HBO Sports: Namath – Super Bowl Strategy
HBO Sports: Namath – The Bachelor Pad
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