If you watched the Cowboys fall to the Redskins on Sunday Night, you undoubtedly saw just how much poor line play factored into the whole debacle. Alex Barron’s holding penalty not withstanding, there were also several other ill-timed penalties. In fact, the Cowboys were even done in by the mere specter of bad line play, executing nothing but short passes all night long because Jason Garrett’s confidence in the blocking was so shaky.
So what does Jerry Jones, the master architect of this whole affair, think of the current state of the Cowboys o-line? Put on your rose-colored glasses!
I like our depth in the offensive line because we've certainly, in [Marc] Colombo and [Kyle] Kosier that we've got coming back. [Montrae] Holland made a good accounting of himself and gives us a very acceptable play in there at guard when we don't have Kosier. We've got some alternatives for moving some people around, if we need to. So we've got some flexibility there and then we've got some young players there that you're going to pay a price if you go with but we have young players that could step in, too. So, fundamentally, when I compare our offensive line with offensive lines around the league, I'm pretty comfortable.
Well, I’m not. Just because Kosier and Colombo are due to come back at some point doesn’t mean they can’t turn right back around and head to the injury list for a second time. Just look at Eagles center Jamaal Jackson, who came back from a torn knee just to tear his bicep last week and miss the rest of the season. I promise you that you haven’t seen the last of injuries along the line.
Jones has to BS you about the line play because he’s the guy who put it together, so it reflects poorly on him if it fails. But it’s clear that the Cowboys’ coaches aren’t comfortable at all with the line as presently constituted. There was a chance to trade for Marcus McNeill this preseason (the false rumor was McNeill for Marion Barber), and Dallas failed to do anything about it. If Tony Romo spends all season running for his life, that’s on the Double J. Jones says the short passing game that Dallas deployed in the game wasn’t a result of a lack of confidence in the line. He’s lying.
One last thing. Here’s what Jones said about Dez Bryant:
Dez Bryant, when you think about it, that's remarkable to come in there as a rookie and you saw the curtain kind of easing up for him as the game went along and saw him getting used to the speed of the game. But, I think that it's also really a good thing that Romo is going to him as much.
I don’t. The Cowboys wasted two early downs in that game getting the ball out to Bryant on quick hitches. It was a clearly strained effort to get Bryant touches when spreading the ball around would have been more productive. I have no doubt Jones has made getting his prize draft choice the ball an imperative. But it hurt Dallas on Sunday night. And thus far, this Cowboys season has served as a damning indictment of this owner’s decision making.
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