 | | Salisbury on the Cowboys |  |
The Cowboys must feel a bit demoralized about their 0-2 start. They got hammered in a divisional game against the Eagles at Texas Stadium, then lost a heartbreaker to another divisional team on the road at Arizona.
I feel for first-year head coach Dave Campo, who is still a great football coach despite the bad start. But the confidence is lacking and the cupboard is nearly bare in Dallas, where things couldn't get much lower.
The Cowboys still have great warriors in Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman, but the talent is no longer there as it once was. Losing speedy receiver Joey Galloway in the first game didn't help matters. On a positive note, Randall Cunningham has come in and done a nice job in place of Aikman, who will sit out a second straight game Monday while he recovers from a concussion.
Smith continues to play hard. Dallas' offensive line could be a strength, but this group needs to play together. The Cowboys have some veterans in the right places. With their attitudes, the veterans could keep the team going. Although you might have to look long and hard to find many bright spots for the Cowboys, the positive feelings could return if they could win at Washington on Monday night. They could get it back in a hurry. This game will show what kind of character and what kind of team the Cowboys will have for the rest of the season.
Five keys for the Cowboys:
1. Protect Cunningham. The Redskins have been doing a good job of pressuring the quarterback with Bruce Smith and company. Washington has eight sacks in two games. The Cowboys can't win without either Aikman or Cunningham in the lineup. If they have to rely on third-string quarterback Clint Stoerner, they are in trouble. The Cowboys have to place an absolute premium on giving Cunningham time to make plays.
2. Hit a home run. The Cowboys no longer have Galloway and his speed on the outside. They were still able to make a few big plays against the Cardinals, one on a scoring pass to James McKnight. The Cowboys need an explosive play from a receiver to break the Redskins' back at home. That's not easy to do, but a home run by a receiver would prevent the Cowboys from having to drive the length of the field on every possession to generate points. They need to strike quickly and give their offense a chance to get off the field.
3. Avoid big plays. In the first two weeks, the Redskins have been grinding it out on the ground and have been unable to get huge plays in the passing game. Tight end Stephen Alexander has caught the only Redskins' touchdown pass so far. The Cowboys must find a way to keep the Redskins' receivers from making big scoring plays because the 80,000-plus Redskins fans will go crazy.
4. Lean on Emmitt. Especially on first down, the Cowboys need to get four yards or more out of Smith so they are not in long-yardage situations all the time. Otherwise, Cunningham will get pounded. If Smith is running well, that's when the play-action fake comes into play, and Dallas can get its receivers in good matchups to make plays.
5. Earn some respect. Not since the Cowboys were 1-15 have people disrespected them this much. After two disappointing defeats, the Cowboys need to pound people around and prove they aren't dead. They need to set a different tone for the rest of the season. |
 | | Jaworski on the Redskins |  |
The Redskins played a disappointing game last week at Detroit, particularly on defense. Washington's defensive line played a solid game, and Bruce Smith looked like a rookie, flying around the field and making plays. But the linebackers have the same problems they did last season. They don't take on blocks and aren't physical at the point of attack.
Consequently, that is hurting the Redskins' ability to defend the run. Rookie LaVar Arrington, who might start Monday night, is getting more playing time because of his talent and physical style of play. But in this game, the Cowboys will pound the ball and make the Redskins defend the run.
What really stuck out in the game against Detroit was Deion Sanders' poor play. But even before he started giving up completions, I noticed the Redskins were calling defensive plays to give Deion help, which is a clear-cut indicator that they aren't comfortable with him being out there one-on-one on an island with his coverage ability. He clearly has lost the explosive hip turn that he used to have. Honestly, I think Darrell Green should be starting in that position.
Offensively, it's ludicrous this early in the season to say that Jeff George should replace Brad Johnson at quarterback. Johnson is a professional quarterback who is very consistent. Of his four interceptions last week, two were not his fault. Nevertheless, Johnson is still not playing as well as he needs to play.
Five keys for the Redskins:
1. Run the ball. The 'Skins have to pound the football with Stephen Davis and force the Cowboys safeties to get nosey. They ran the ball well in Week 1, but they didn't do a good enough job last week. The constant of the Washington offense is the power running game. If the Redskins struggle running the ball, the trickle-down effect would be horrible because they don't have the type of receivers who can beat coverage. The running game will help the receivers get the matchups to beat coverage.
2. Get the ball downfield. Without Michael Westbrook, who is out for the season, the Redskins might have to settle for a more possession style of passing game. His absence hurts the vertical aspect of the passing attack. Albert Connell is the speediest remaining receiver, but no one in the group is either great or explosive. Norv Turner might have to get away from what he likes to do and get down the field by design. He will try to create matchups against the Dallas secondary and get struggling cornerbacks Phillippi Sparks and Kareem Larrimore in single coverage against his receivers.
3. Stop the run. There is no doubt in my mind that Dallas will try to establish a physical style of football with the power running of Smith behind the Cowboys' veteran offensive line. The Redskins' front four are playing well, but the linebackers need to get more physical and take on blockers instead of running around -- or Smith might have a big day on the ground.
4. Keep defense on the sidelines. The Redskins defense is struggling and playing a lot of snaps. The Washington offense needs to control the ball with its power running game and give the defense some rest. If the defense is on the field too long, it could get mauled.
5. Find more Shade. Because the linebackers aren't making enough plays, a good way to augment the run support is to bring safety Sam Shade closer to the line of scrimmage. That might make the Redskins a little vulnerable on the outside, but I think it's a good risk against Dallas' receivers.
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