Bleacher Report - Articles by William Wilkerson

Magnifying Glass Honed In On Dallas' Phillips and Garrett

William Wilkerson — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:04:58 -0400

ARLINGTON, TEXAS—It’s hovered over the Dallas Cowboys through their good times and, more recently, their not-so glistening moments. If one thought the magnifying glass over “America’s Team” was indestructible then, it’s definitely not going anywhere now that it weighs 600 tons.

Hope you’ve got your popcorn ready, Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett. The world’s largest HDTV that will be hanging over your every move inside the new Cowboys Stadium might be easy on the eyes. But its truths will be unforgiving.

Whether this will cause more harm than good can only be determined come the regular season by the product that is put on the field. Considering this screen won’t change channels, these two need to be more effective than armchair quarterbacks or risk being tossed to the side. They’ve somehow got to revert to their ways of 2007, when the team posted a 13-3 record and captured home field advantage before, uh, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

Plenty of the static that clogged up the bigger picture is no longer present in the Cowboys’ locker room. Terrell Owens, Adam “Pacman” Jones, and Tank Johnson have all been ousted. And former defensive coordinator Brian Stewart was let out of his contract to make room for Phillips, Dallas’ head coach in the final year of his contract, to man defensive responsibilities.

Simplistic Ways Have Got to Go for Garrett's Offense

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed didn’t hold back his feelings after his team closed Texas Stadium with a 33-24 victory last season. Reed questioned why Garrett’s name was linked to so many coaching vacancies after the “real simple game plan that they attacked us with.” Ray Lewis echoed similar sentiments. Owens and Tony Romo also criticized the offense.

It’s hard to reject their opinions. Sure, Romo missed three games with a fractured pinkie. Marion Barber struggled to regain form after a late toe injury. Jason Witten had issues with his shoulder, knee, and ankle. Guard Kyle Kosier missed all but three games. Felix Jones missed the final 10 games with hamstring and toe injuries and Roy Williams had an ailing foot. This didn’t make life any easier for Garrett. But excuses are like, well, you know—everyone has them.

Garrett was supposed to be the heir apparent to Phillips as Dallas’ next head coach. Who could blame Dallas owner Jerry Jones for thinking that after he directed a unit that finished second in the league in scoring and third in total offense in 2007? The Ravens offered him their head coaching position at season's end, but he turned it down to take a $3 million per year contract to stay in Dallas. Somewhere, Reed is wiping the sweat off his brow.

After a season that saw Dallas drop in virtually all areas offensively, Garrett better find his mojo or he’ll likely see his name removed from the short list of head coaching candidates. As much grief as Owens caused the franchise, he still produced 25 touchdowns during Garrett’s tenure. That has to be replaced somehow.

Put Up or Shut Up for Phillips

A lot of the talk this offseason has been focused on the offensive side of the ball, and with good reason. But in no way, shape, or form should Dallas’ defense skate through without taking some of the blame. The Cowboys’ defense ranked eighth overall last season, but their 22.8 points per game were 13th in the league.

It was October of last season, after Dallas had dropped games to Arizona and St. Louis, that Phillips took over play-calling duties from Stewart, who was eventually fired. While the defense did see improvement, it was their performances in the final two weeks that left lingering questions in everyone’s mind as to Phillips capabilities.

Youth through the draft and experience in free agency were added to Dallas’ roster to supply Phillips with as much ammunition as possible to help his 3-4 defense succeed. If he can’t fit these new pieces with those already in place, remember one thing: Stewart’s no longer around to be the scapegoat.

Pressure on Roy Williams Could Fill 10-Gallon Cowboy Hat

William Wilkerson — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:50:08 -0400

The past 21 years have all ended with one common theme for the Dallas Cowboys. And, no, playoff appearances wouldn’t be the correct answer. Rather, every year since 1988 a wide receiver has led the team in receiving yards.

Herschel Walker was the last non-receiver to do so when he had 715 yards receiving in 1977. Terrell Owens led the team in 2008, but his services are no longer available in Dallas.

If that trend is going to continue this year and not reside in the hands of someone like tight end Jason Witten, the odds on favorite would have to be Roy Williams, the de facto No.1 receiver now that Owens is in Buffalo.

Williams struggled mightily in finding his role with the team after owner Jerry Jones gave up first, third and sixth round draft picks in last month’s draft to acquire him from Detroit. He’ll be asked to do a lot more than catch 19 passes for 198 yards and score one touchdown if the Cowboys are going to contend in the NFC East, nonetheless be in the running for the playoffs.

The former Detroit Lion expressed his displeasure with his role in the offense last season, and with good reason. He should get plenty of opportunities to rival the 69 catches for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns Owens wracked up last season. If he succeeds Dallas should benefit in all areas of the field.

Here are questions I would ask Williams if given the opportunity:

How much pressure, if any, are you feeling to be the go-to guy? Has it changed the way you have approached your offseason preparation just because the pressure with this franchise is so much different than in Detroit?

Are you heading into this season with a chip on your shoulder? Your season totals with Dallas last season—10 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown—have been game totals for you in the past.

You’ve been the headline receiver for every team you’ve played for all for the exception of last year’s stint with Dallas, where Terrell Owens was the focal point. Was that a tough thing to handle? How eager are you to resume your place as your team’s No. 1 receiver?

How would you describe your relationship with Tony Romo? How much has it grown this offseason and what have you done to assure that you two will be on the same page come Week One?

Can John Kitna’s presence help expedite your bond with Romo, considering he knows you so well from your time in Detroit?

What was Tatum Bell’s reaction to your Halloween costume last year? You know, the one where you dressed as a bellhop with Rudi Johnson’s underwear, mimicking Bell, who was accused of stealing Johnson’s luggage when Johnson was brought to Detroit to replace him.
Do you have an idea as to what you would dress up as this year? Could it have something to do with Romo’s professional golfing attempts or a large bucket of popcorn?

If you had a few words of encouragement for fellow Texas Longhorn Vince Young, what would they be?

You’ve always stayed very loyal the University of Texas, flashing the “Hook’em Horns” sign after your one touchdown last season in Dallas. Why is that so important to you? How much talking goes on in the locker room between you and the rest of the Big 12 alums?

Looking back, how would you rate your role in the movie Friday Night Lights? If you could pick a role for one movie in history what would it be and why?

What’s the first thing you are going to do when you step inside the new stadium?

If you could be Jerry Jones for one day what would be your first order of business?

Keeping Up with This Jones Easier Said Than Done

William Wilkerson — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:35:21 -0400

The memories of what Felix Jones was able to accomplish in his rookie season as a Cowboy are plentiful despite missing the final 10 games with a toe injury in 2008.

He scored a touchdown on his first carry at Cleveland in Week One. He set a team record with 247 return yards against Philadelphia in Week Two, which included a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He added a 60-yard touchdown run a week later at Green Bay to become the first rookie in six years to score a touchdown in his first three games.

He showed so much promise in so little time that he clearly emerged from any cloud college teammate and current Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden held over him at Arkansas.

But a pulled hamstring on a 14-yard run at Arizona on October 12 kept him off the field for five games. Just when he was set to return a piece of turf gave way on a cut attempt, which forced him to the injured reserve on Nov. 26. Surgery soon followed.

Street clothes became his every-Sunday attire from there forward. His 8.9 yards per carry and 27.1 yards per kick return would have to live as “what ifs” until the 2009 campaign; one that should be full of No. 28.

With one big play threat gone in Terrell Owens and another hoping to emerge in Roy Williams, Jones should fancy himself smack in the middle of any and all things offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has planned while other pieces round into form. The Cowboys haven’t had a player with his abilities at his position in a long time. He’s already showed his versatility.

Just having him on the field opens up so much. The Cowboys have never dabbled with the “Wildcat” formation, but they should now. Remember, Jones was in the same backfield with McFadden at Arkansas when the formation gained national acclaim.

There’s no secret that Marion Barber is the featured back of the backfield. But an every-down back he is not. Dallas relies so much on his toughness for the fourth quarter that it needs someone to shoulder some of the load for him to stay fresh. Jones is that guy.

SECONDARY THOUGHTS
With the other Roy Williams now in Cincinnati, Dallas head coach Wade Phillips no longer has to worry about catering to a player that simply wasn’t fit for his 3-4 scheme. That should pay dividends across the landscape of a revamped and improved secondary.

Ideally, the Cowboys would like keep their secondary in man coverage to allow DeMarcus Ware and company more bodies to rush the opposition. Dallas knows what it has in Terence Newman, who is as good a cover corner as anyone when he stays healthy.

And it proved to have enough confidence in second year corners Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins by trading Anthony Henry to Detroit for John Kitna. The arrival of free agent safety Gerald Sensabaugh (70 tackles and four interceptions last season at Jacksonville) is an improvement coverage-wise.

With the white elephant known as Adam “Pacman” Jones no longer in the room, expect a mix of veterans like Newman and Ken Hamlin to gel well with the youngsters in a much more relaxed environment (well, as relaxed as one can be for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1996).

Phillips should also feel more at ease with former defensive coordinator Brian Stewart out of his contract. It’s his defense know. What comes of it is anyone’s guess.

SPECIAL TEAM WOES HAVE GOT TO GO

One would be remise not to mention Dallas’ attempts at righting the special teams ship after its countless blunders in 2008. Who could forget the block of a Mat McBriar punt that not only gave Arizona an overtime victory but also ended McBriar’s season with a broken ankle? No one? Figured so.

Joe DeCamillis, son-in-law of former NFL coach Dan Reeves, is the man in charge of turning things around. He held the same special teams coaching post at Jacksonville for two seasons and was offered a contract extension to stay with the Jaguars, but turned it down to replace Bruce Read.

Unfortunately for DeCamillis, he’s warranted some unwanted attention due to an accident at the Cowboys’ practice facility a few weeks ago that broke one of his vertebrae. The verdict is still out on whether he’ll make improvements in the kicking game.

DeCamillis isn’t backing down from his duties despite his injury. The former All-American wrestler at Wyoming has already participated in Cowboys practices wearing a neck brace and is manning a bullhorn to get his messages across. Dallas drafted an assortment of players to play special teams in last month’s draft to help his transition.

DeCamillis, 43, has never played a down of college or professional football, but he’s got 16 years of NFL special teams coaching experience that suggests he knows what he’s doing.

The Jaguars ranked third in kickoff coverage in 2008 and 18th in both kickoff returns and net punt average. The Cowboys ranked sixth, 21st, and 22nd in those categories respectively.

Surely, there aren’t many out there that would say Jacksonville had more talent than Dallas last season right? Special teams often comes down to which team has more heart. The Cowboys should be full of it this season if they have any respect for their new coach.

Offseason Moves Have Dallas Cowboys Better Suited For 3-4 Scheme

William Wilkerson — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:12:11 -0400

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Statistics will never win games. But they can go a long way in determining why a team didn’t emerge victorious. Such was the case for the Dallas Cowboys in 2008 where sacks were aplenty, and everything else, well, wasn’t.

Dallas led the NFL with 59 quarterback takedowns in 2008, thanks largely to the 20 totaled by DeMarcus Ware that were tops in the league. But interceptions—ranked 30th in NFL with eight—and game-changing turnovers were few and far between.

The Cowboys’ defense ranked eighth overall last season, but their 22.8 points per game were 13th in the league. Of the teams that ranked in the bottom 17 in points allowed per game, only one made the playoffs. That one team wasn’t Dallas.

Head coach Wade Phillips, who will also act as the full-time defensive coordinator for the first time in Dallas, has added plenty of pieces throughout the offseason to cater towards his 3-4 alignment.

Much of the success his defense could have will depend on the emergence of a youthful but talented secondary, which will likely see more man coverage to allow the defensive front to apply more pressure on quarterbacks.

Second-year secondary players Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins should solidify their positions as the top two choices at the No. 2 cornerback spot with Anthony Henry no longer on the team.

The safety position should also see improvement now that Roy Williams and his unreliable coverage abilities are in Cincinnati. The addition of Gerald Sensabaugh through free agency is an upgrade coverage-wise.

Spencer Expendable?

Anthony Spencer…it’s appears that your time has come.

Last season, the Cowboys were set on making the 25-year-old the starter at the outside linebacker position ahead of Greg Ellis. But Spencer couldn’t stay on the field long enough due to injuries. So Ellis’ job it became.

With Ellis’s 10-year tenure in Dallas now over, Spencer should finally take command of the position assuming that he can stay healthy. If not, the Cowboys can always turn toward the cupboard, where they stockpiled on players that could help them pass rush in last month’s draft. Dallas has 15 linebackers on their roster.

Despite missing four games in 2008, Spencer’s 34 tackles were only two shy of Ellis’ total through all 16 games. There’s little question about how productive he can be. It’s the matter of staying on the field that will be his biggest issue.

Kitna a Solid No. 2 QB

The addition of John Kitna as the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Romo shouldn’t go unnoticed. Sure, Cowboys fans hope the only time he sees playing time is in late-game blowout situations. But he might be needed elsewhere and would be an immediate upgrade over the aging Brad Johnson should that happen.

The 12-year veteran from Central Washington showed glimpses of top-tier quarterbacking at times with Detroit, but repeatedly fell back to relative obscurity because of the talent, or lack there of, that surrounded him.

He was traded to Dallas for Henry on February 28, which might turn out to be a date to remember considering the Cowboys also signed linebacker Keith Brooking to a three-year contract on the same day.

Brooking collected 102 tackles last year in Atlanta and should shine right away as the starting right inside linebacker in Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense.

Life will get much easier for him if Igor Olshansky, a free agent brought in from San Diego, can maneuver his way around and through offensive fronts from the right defensive end position, clearing lanes for those behind him to plug.

Williams Key To Ending Cowboys' Playoff Drought

William Wilkerson — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:00:24 -0400

By William Wilkerson

CBSSports.com NFL Correspondent

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Many of the dusty trails so often found throughout Odessa, Texas are a result from the dry weather accumulated throughout the year. That wasn’t the case at the turn of the century though, thanks to a certain fleet-footed Dallas Cowboy.

Roy Williams once kicked up so much dust around Odessa that he single-handedly led Permian High School to a fourth-place finish at the 2000 Texas 5A state track meet, placing in three events.

Dallas is currently experiencing a prolonged dry-spell of its own, having not won a playoff game since 1996. Williams, now the focal point out wide with Terrell Owens in Buffalo, would love nothing more than to end that drought this year. The maturation process has to produce results right away though. There’s no time to waste around these parts.

In order for the Cowboys to forget about last season’s collapse in the final week of the regular season at Philadelphia, where they lost 44-6 and missed the playoffs because of it. Williams has to be more productive than Owens was over the last two seasons. His lighthearted characteristics should fair well in the locker room, mending a place that was often up in arms over Owens’ antics. But his play between the lines is where he needs to make the most noise.

Owens failed to record at least 40 yards receiving in eight games last season, a far cry from the 1,355 yards he racked up in 2007. While Owens managed 69 catches for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008, Williams struggled to find his place in the offense and had just 19 receptions for 198 yards in 10 games. That has to change. He knows it. He’s expressed his desire to be more involved in the offense and he’ll get his chance to prove himself this season.

Reports out of Valley Ranch have been productive to say the least between Tony Romo and the man nicknamed “The Legend” in high school. How that will transfer over to Sunday is anyone’s guess. He has to be able to convert third downs to extend drives, and beat the double coverage that will hound his every move. If he’s able to do so, receivers like Miles Austin, Patrick Crayton, and Sam Hurd should flourish around him. His play should also open up more avenues for a polished run game that includes Marion Barber, a healthy Felix Jones, and the emerging Tashard Choice battering their way forward through an aging offensive line.

NO MORE LOCKER ROOM DRAMA

Gone are the days that Dallas can blame its troubles on locker room hoopla and a lack of team moral. At least that’s how it would appear. Owens, Adam “Pacman” Jones and Tank Johnson have all been jettisoned from the roster. With that baggage gone, the Cowboys should find it much easier to transition through everyday happenings.

One would be hard-pressed to find someone happier than offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who shouldn’t feel obligated to get the ball to a certain (cough) receiver that’s no longer on the roster. Owens never failed to complain about not being thrown to enough. He also pointed out that teams were catching up to Garrett’s schemes and that he was unable to adjust. Garrett may have shed some weight off his left shoulder with Owens’ absence, but his right shoulder just got piled onto due to another year of inefficiency on the offensive end.

Remember, this was a team that was supposed to build off a 13-3 2007 campaign and challenge for a Super Bowl. Instead they went 9-7 and dropped from 13th in total offense to 18th. The supposed “head coach in waiting” has some serious work to do.

EAST AGAIN A BEAST

And then there’s that whole matter of surviving the gauntlet known as the NFC East. From top to bottom, the New York Giants appear to be very stout and shouldn’t have much trouble replacing Plaxico Burress’ presence. The Eagles drafted heavily on the offensive side of the ball and the additions of Jeremy Maclin, Jason Peters and LeSean McCoy will take pressure off of Brian Westbrook. Washington’s defensive front should be much improved with the addition of Albert Haynesworth and first round draft pick Brian Orakpo. Plus, Jason Campbell will play with a huge chip on his shoulder after publicly being tossed around as trade bait during the Jay Cutler fiasco.

Dallas’ offense should thrive now that Owens is no longer a presence on the field or off it. A large part of that will hinge on Williams’ productivity. The Cowboys’ defense looks like it will take the field without Greg Ellis, whose 10-year tenure in Dallas appears all but over. But an emerging core of young secondary pieces mixed in with the always-dangerous DeMarcus Ware, who led the league with 20 sacks in 2008, should have the Cowboys at 10-6 by year’s end.