tr1
September-12th-2007, 04:55 AM
By RANDY GALLOWAY
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.star-telegram.com/226/story/230038.html
IRVING -- Despite facing adverse injury conditions, this was not an opportunity to be wasted by the Cowboys.
At home. Against the so-so Giants, a divisional foe that also had multiple health issues.
This was strictly a case of win right now, or Monday-morning excuses would be deemed unacceptable.
Consider it, of course, mission accomplished in the season opener Sunday night.
No regret, but plenty of scoreboard sweat and plenty of points did the trick, as the Cowboys managed to put their disabled-list worries on temporary hold with a 45-35 victory.
But where coach Wade Phillips goes from here, defensively, will depend on how long Tony Romo can keep firing touchdown passes and piling up yardage.
Jason Garrett, the rookie offensive guru, passed his first NFL test with straight A's. Whatever Garrett dialed up, Romo and his receivers made it work, while running back Marion Barber also chipped in nicely. And remember, the offense was missing a big piece in receiver Terry Glenn.
Then there's Phillips, the self-proclaimed Mr. Fix-It when it comes to defense.
We've seen Sunday night before, Wade. It seemed to happen almost every December under Big Bill. At least, however, Phillips had a postgame sense of humor (winners usually do.) He opened his media conference with "How bout my offense, huh?"
But really now, it'd be a bit harsh to flunk Phillips for this first game. His grade is an incomplete, because that's also the physical condition of his defense.
What Romo's outstanding evening did was allow Wade to buy time for a defense that is playing on borrowed time, more so now than ever after this opener.
Likely lost for the season was valuable nose tackle Jason Ferguson with a torn biceps muscle. Ferguson was injured in the first half. This is another huge blow for Phillips.
Also, the status of top cornerback Terence Newman took another strange turn as he was a pregame scratch due to the foot injury, this after expectations late last week that he would play. Newman said 90 minutes before kickoff the no-go decision was 50-50 between him and management, but he sounded like he was told not to risk it.
The Cowboys were already reeling after a weekend report that had Glenn saying he had reinjured his knee because he came back to practice too early. And while Phillips and owner Jerry Jones were repeatedly quoted as saying this latest injury was not related to the previous injury, Glenn denied that.
The Glenn backlash might have been that Newman suddenly found himself not in uniform Sunday night. The Cowboys were taking no chances.
With linebacker Greg Ellis already an uncertainty, maybe for the entire season, the defensive forecast remains stormy.
One of the most interesting questions of this season will center on Phillips being able to live up to his claim that "instant results" will happen with him in charge of the defense.
In his understatement of the evening, Wade said, "We won't win many games giving up 35 points, but we will get better."
Maybe it will get better, but only if the health situation improves.
Jacques Reeves, the very green replacement for Newman, hung in there all night, although Phillips' repeated postgame gushing over the youngster was a bit of a stretch.
Reeves came up with an interception in the second quarter, but it was after receiver Amani Toomer fell down on his route. At least Reeves held on to the pick and didn't fumble after teammate Chris Canty accidentally flattened him while trying to block on the return. That play set up a touchdown.
There were, however, also some troubling moments for Reeves, particularly in attempting to cover New York's Plaxico Burress (eight catches, 144 yards, three touchdowns), but that matchup was also not easy for the other corner, Anthony Henry, who was burned for 60 yards and a TD on the third play of the game.
Talk about ugly, but also sweet: The Cowboys' defense allowed 312 yards passing and four TDs by Eli Manning, and another 124 yards on the ground, and still walked off the field a winner. Giants starting running back Brandon Jacobs was injured and gone in the first half, and Manning didn't play the last series of the game, with New York down by 10, because he was injured.
But Sunday night was about one thing only:
Win this one, and worry about the defense later.
But until some better health shows up, it's an ongoing and big-time worry, even with the record at 1-0.
...
Defensive slumber The Phillips 3-4? Is that how many points the Cowboys will give up per game? The Giants rang up 438 yards of offense and scored 16 fourth-quarter points to make things uncomfortable.
...
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.star-telegram.com/226/story/230038.html
IRVING -- Despite facing adverse injury conditions, this was not an opportunity to be wasted by the Cowboys.
At home. Against the so-so Giants, a divisional foe that also had multiple health issues.
This was strictly a case of win right now, or Monday-morning excuses would be deemed unacceptable.
Consider it, of course, mission accomplished in the season opener Sunday night.
No regret, but plenty of scoreboard sweat and plenty of points did the trick, as the Cowboys managed to put their disabled-list worries on temporary hold with a 45-35 victory.
But where coach Wade Phillips goes from here, defensively, will depend on how long Tony Romo can keep firing touchdown passes and piling up yardage.
Jason Garrett, the rookie offensive guru, passed his first NFL test with straight A's. Whatever Garrett dialed up, Romo and his receivers made it work, while running back Marion Barber also chipped in nicely. And remember, the offense was missing a big piece in receiver Terry Glenn.
Then there's Phillips, the self-proclaimed Mr. Fix-It when it comes to defense.
We've seen Sunday night before, Wade. It seemed to happen almost every December under Big Bill. At least, however, Phillips had a postgame sense of humor (winners usually do.) He opened his media conference with "How bout my offense, huh?"
But really now, it'd be a bit harsh to flunk Phillips for this first game. His grade is an incomplete, because that's also the physical condition of his defense.
What Romo's outstanding evening did was allow Wade to buy time for a defense that is playing on borrowed time, more so now than ever after this opener.
Likely lost for the season was valuable nose tackle Jason Ferguson with a torn biceps muscle. Ferguson was injured in the first half. This is another huge blow for Phillips.
Also, the status of top cornerback Terence Newman took another strange turn as he was a pregame scratch due to the foot injury, this after expectations late last week that he would play. Newman said 90 minutes before kickoff the no-go decision was 50-50 between him and management, but he sounded like he was told not to risk it.
The Cowboys were already reeling after a weekend report that had Glenn saying he had reinjured his knee because he came back to practice too early. And while Phillips and owner Jerry Jones were repeatedly quoted as saying this latest injury was not related to the previous injury, Glenn denied that.
The Glenn backlash might have been that Newman suddenly found himself not in uniform Sunday night. The Cowboys were taking no chances.
With linebacker Greg Ellis already an uncertainty, maybe for the entire season, the defensive forecast remains stormy.
One of the most interesting questions of this season will center on Phillips being able to live up to his claim that "instant results" will happen with him in charge of the defense.
In his understatement of the evening, Wade said, "We won't win many games giving up 35 points, but we will get better."
Maybe it will get better, but only if the health situation improves.
Jacques Reeves, the very green replacement for Newman, hung in there all night, although Phillips' repeated postgame gushing over the youngster was a bit of a stretch.
Reeves came up with an interception in the second quarter, but it was after receiver Amani Toomer fell down on his route. At least Reeves held on to the pick and didn't fumble after teammate Chris Canty accidentally flattened him while trying to block on the return. That play set up a touchdown.
There were, however, also some troubling moments for Reeves, particularly in attempting to cover New York's Plaxico Burress (eight catches, 144 yards, three touchdowns), but that matchup was also not easy for the other corner, Anthony Henry, who was burned for 60 yards and a TD on the third play of the game.
Talk about ugly, but also sweet: The Cowboys' defense allowed 312 yards passing and four TDs by Eli Manning, and another 124 yards on the ground, and still walked off the field a winner. Giants starting running back Brandon Jacobs was injured and gone in the first half, and Manning didn't play the last series of the game, with New York down by 10, because he was injured.
But Sunday night was about one thing only:
Win this one, and worry about the defense later.
But until some better health shows up, it's an ongoing and big-time worry, even with the record at 1-0.
...
Defensive slumber The Phillips 3-4? Is that how many points the Cowboys will give up per game? The Giants rang up 438 yards of offense and scored 16 fourth-quarter points to make things uncomfortable.
...