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NFC East Preview Capsules: Super Bowl at home for Cowboys, or year is wasted
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have a simple mandate this season: Play at home in February.
The Super Bowl is coming to Cowboys Stadium and landlord Jerry Jones is counting on his team being there.
Sure, the Cowboys haven’t made the Super Bowl in 15 years, the longest dry spell in franchise history. And no team has played in the Super Bowl in its home stadium.
But those kinds of challenges fuel Jones — especially since he has a team capable of pulling it off.
With Tony Romo and Miles Austin leading the offense, and DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff powering the defense, Dallas goes into this season as a legitimate contender.
The Cowboys were within two wins of the Super Bowl last season. The impressive part is how they did it.
On the verge of another disastrous December that likely would’ve cost coach Wade Phillips his job, Dallas went to New Orleans on a raucous Saturday night and handed the Saints their first loss after a 13-0 start. Then the defense posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time in franchise history, making the Cowboys 11-5 and division champs.
They opened the playoffs at home, in their fancy new stadium, and stomped the rival Eagles for their first postseason win since 1996. A week later in Minnesota, the offensive line collapsed and the season went with it. The disappointment was easy for fans to overcome because they sensed that for the first time since the days of Troy Aikman handing off to Emmitt Smith and throwing slants to Michael Irvin, Dallas might be a contender for several years.
The buzzword is "continuity." The Cowboys return 20 of 22 starters, with both newcomers having been groomed to take over. Romo, Austin, Ware, Ratliff and others are still in the prime of their careers, most secured with long-term contracts. The coaching staff returns pretty much intact, too; instead of a pink slip, Phillips got an extension.
A lot still has to fall into place to reach the Super Bowl. But, "they’re certainly capable of it," said Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback turned top analyst for Fox.
"They’re probably as talented and as deep as anybody in the league right now," he said.
They’re also downplaying their status.
Unlike recent Cowboys teams that embraced high expectations, these guys are cautiously optimistic. They know they should be good, but the core players — the guys who set the tone — have been through enough flameouts to take a wait-and-see approach.
"You can’t just look at the bigger picture down the road," tight end Jason Witten said. "Obviously there’s never been a home team to play in the Super Bowl, and we understand that. But that’s a long time away and a lot has to happen in between."
Walking off the practice field last week, a fan screamed to Phillips, "Are we going to the Super Bowl?"
"Yeah, sure," he answered with all the enthusiasm of someone who’d been asked whether his wisdom teeth had been removed.
Why so grim, coach? Why not use the chance to be the home-team Super Bowl as a rallying point?
"Well, if we were rallying for the Super Bowl, maybe," Phillips said. "But your goals are to win. That will take you where you want to be. It can be a factor later on, certainly. I don’t think right now is the time to rally around that."
There are other things to rally around.
For the offense, it’s maximizing drives. Dallas gained the most yards in franchise history last season, yet scored less than the previous year, when it missed the playoffs. The offense dazzled between the 20s but bogged down the closer it got to the end zone.
Critics say offensive coordinator Jason Garrett should’ve done a better job using running backs Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Others note that Witten had only two touchdown catches. How about more lobs to 6-foot-6 Martellus Bennett or 6-foot-3 Roy Williams? Point is, there are plenty of options, including first-round pick Dez Bryant.
A possible cause for concern is the offensive line.
Doug Free replaced Flozell Adams at left tackle, but the big news is right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier hurting their knees last week. Colombo is expected back by the opener; Kosier could miss three games.
The defense came on strong last season once outside linebacker Anthony Spencer started getting to the quarterback. After no sacks through 10 games, he had eight over the final eight games, counting the playoffs. His emergence means offenses have to worry about more than just Ware on one side and Ratliff up the middle.
Alan Ball is the new starter at free safety, replacing Ken Hamlin in a secondary featuring a pair of Pro Bowl cornerbacks, Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman.
So what’s the defense’s rallying point? Takeaways. Dallas had 21 last season, among the lowest in the NFL.
"We’re always working on getting our offense back the ball," Ware said. "But we’ve also got to score some more. Coach Wade told us there’s a 76 percent chance of winning if the defense scores one time. That’s good odds to me."
The rallying point on special teams is field goals.
Dallas endured Nick Folk’s wayward kicks most of last season, then Shaun Suisham’s. Now they’re hoping kickoff specialist David Buehler can handle double duty.
Buehler worked all offseason with Chris Boniol, a Super Bowl-winning kicker with Dallas in the ‘90s, and is 6 of 7 this preseason. He’ll probably have the job in September, but expect Jones to keep handy the phone numbers of unemployed veterans.
After all, there’s a Super Bowl to be won. At home.
Giants seemingly at crossroads after '09 collapse
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — This is one of those years when it's hard to speculate about the New York Giants.
After collapsing horribly in the second half of last season and missing the playoffs for the first time in four years, are they a franchise about to spiral into mediocrity just three years after winning the Super Bowl? Or was 2009 just a fluke? A strange year that started with five straight wins, got disrupted by injuries and ended with an 8-8 record.
Even the players are unsure what to expect.
"This year is definitely a crossroads," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "Either last year was an aberration or that's the type of team we are, a .500, non-playoff team. That's the point where we are at right now. We made some changes and now we have the opportunity to show it was an aberration. But nothing is guaranteed."
One thing that is certain is this is a more humble team heading into 2010.
There has been little talk about the Super Bowl or even the playoffs. Redemption and change have been a far more common themes.
"Last year was something, hopefully, we learned from," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "It was something that we can build off because I've said it, we got spoiled. We thought we were just going to walk in here again and make the playoffs, and it didn't happen. Hopefully, that was an eye-opening experience. We know what it takes to get back to the promised land, but now we've just got to go do it."
There have been a lot of changes since last season, both on the field and on the coaching staff.
Former Buffalo Bills interim coach Perry Fewell has taken over as defensive coordinator and injected energy into a unit that gave up 427 points last season, including 85 in the last two games.
Defensive line coach Mike Waufle also was fired after a year a highly talented line failed to put much ensure on opposing quarterbacks and didn't do much in stopping the run.
Safeties Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant were signed as free agents in the offseason and linebacker Keith Bulluck, who is coming off ACL surgery, was signed late. He gives the Giants a veteran middle linebacker who can replace Antonio Pierce, who was released after last season.
Tuck and safety Kenny Phillips are back after offseason surgery and former Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora has something to prove after a dreadful '09 season. The draft also added five defensive players led by end Jason Pierre-Paul and tackle Linval Joseph, the first and second-round choices.
Eli Manning and the offense were outstanding last season and they return intact.
Manning, who has started 87 straight games, threw for career-highs of 4,021 yards and 27 touchdowns last season. Receiver Steve Smith caught a franchise-record 107 passes and the offensive line returns three Pro Bowlers — center Shaun O'Hara, guard Chris Snee and tackle David Diehl.
If there is a question mark on offense, it's the running game. Ahmad Bradshaw seemingly has taken over from Brandon Jacobs as the No. 1 back in a system in which both should play.
However, New York went from the league's top rushing attack in 2008 to a middle of the pack team. Part of the problem was that Jacobs and Bradshaw played all last season with injuries and the offensive line was not at good as it was in past years.
The line should be better this year with all five starters healthy, and with second-year pro Will Beatty and the recently signed Shawn Andrews, a two-time Pro Bowler, ready to fill in when needed.
The receiving corps also should be better with second-year pro Hakeem Nicks and third-year pro Mario Manningham ready to contribute more.
Manning downplayed the idea that the Giants were at the crossroads.
"Hopefully, I know where we are going," he said. "I think we have good players. Every year is an important. I don't think one year is more important than the next. I think we have great talent on this team and I am looking forward to a fun season."
While special teams don't get a lot of notice, the Giants have to be concerned about their punting game with the retirement of 44-year-old Jeff Feagles. Rookie Matt Dodge has been given the job of replacing the 22-year veteran. The seventh-round draft pick has a powerful leg, but he has been inconsistent much of training camp.
New York also has to replace return specialist Domenik Hixon, who suffered a major knee injury in minicamp.
Cornerback Aaron Ross was handling the punt returns for the first two games of preseason but he suffered a foot injury against Pittsburgh this past weekend. Second-year running back Andre Brown needs work on the kickoff returns.
The Giants will open their season on Sept. 12 in the New Meadowlands Stadium, the $1.6 billion facility co-owned by the Jets and Giants. Their opponent will be the Carolina Panthers, the team that embarrassed them 41-9 in their final game at Giants Stadium last year.
It was one of two performances that infuriated co-owner John Mara down the stretch.
"How can you watch the final two games of last season and not be angry? We were never competitive and were embarrassed. Our fans were angry, I was angry, our organization as a whole was angry," Mara said.
"But that was last season and it has to be left behind," he added. "I feel much better about this team and this season. We are looking forward, not back."
The question is which Giants team will show up for 2010?
-- Tom Canavan
Redskins: Shanahan - not Snyder - calls the shots
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — A few months after becoming coach of the Washington Redskins, Mike Shanahan gave a speech before the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.
After he finished, he took questions from the audience.
"I'm not sure how to phrase this properly, but I'll try," one woman began. "We know how passionate Dan Snyder is about his team and all the efforts he's put forth over the years. How would you see yourself balancing yourself as a coach to him as the owner, and allow your team to work separately with you — without interference?"
The room echoed with nervous laughter, then the applause began. It grew louder. Some in the audience cheered.
Shanahan, ever the smooth communicator, made a quick joke and handled the question diplomatically, saying of Snyder: "He's let me do my job completely."
"I can't tell you what's happened in the past," the coach added. "But I can tell you now, that we're going in the right direction."
Another round of sustained applause.
What a different vibe there is in the nation's capital. Less than 12 months after the so-called Burgundy Revolution, when fans were urging boycotts, wearing bags on their heads and calling for the overthrow of Snyder and anyone associated with him, the franchise has reversed course. In a way, the rebels got their wish: The owner essentially fired himself, giving contractual control of player matters to a coach who won two Super Bowl titles with the Denver Broncos. Front office albatross Vinny Cerrato was sent packing in favor of new general manager Bruce Allen, likable but overwhelmed coach Jim Zorn was dismissed, and all is right again in the minds of the faithful.
And, for that matter, in the minds of the players. It's no fun when the rest of the league is laughing at you, and that's what happened a year ago.
"It's a whole change of atmosphere here," center Casey Rabach said. "It's not just a change of coach. With Bruce Allen coming in, Vinny out, Mr. Snyder being more hands-off and letting these guys do it, I think that's the biggest change."
Should the arrangement stay in place, it could bode well for the long-term prospects of a franchise that has won only two playoff games in 11 seasons of Snyder's ownership, but what does it mean for this year? Can a team that went 4-12 in 2009 compete for the playoffs in the tough NFC East?
First of all, it's significant to note that the Redskins have made substantial upgrades at four vital positions: coach, general manager, quarterback and left tackle. In addition to Shanahan and Allen, Washington landed six-time Pro Bowl signal-caller Donovan McNabb in a trade with division rival Philadelphia, then chose blind-side protector Trent Williams from Oklahoma with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
Those additions alone should be worth several wins — assuming McNabb hasn't totally lost his touch — but it will take more to make the Redskins contenders. There are question marks on the right side of the offensive line and at receiver, where 38-year-old Joey Galloway's push for a starting job speaks volumes about the lagging development of the franchise's young wideouts.
The offense's strength is the tight end tag-team of Chris Cooley and Fred Davis, who will often share the field in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's line-up-anybody-at-any-position game plan. Clinton Portis may or may not have anything left as he returns from a scary concussion, but Shanahan lighted a fire under him by signing veteran running backs Larry Johnson and Willie Parker.
The defense also has undergone a radical overhaul, with coordinator Jim Haslett installing a 3-4 scheme that promises to pressure the quarterback and produce more takeaways. Its success could hinge on the team's biggest malcontent, Albert Haynesworth, who skipped offseason workouts because he didn't want to play in the 3-4 but now has come to embrace it. All is not sweetness and light between Haynesworth and Shanahan after a showdown over a fitness test at training camp, but, as the coach said on the day Haynesworth finally passed the test: "He probably doesn't like me very much right now, but I'm not here to be liked. I'm here to get him to play."
Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter each had 11 sacks in a 4-3 defense a year ago, but now they are outside linebackers in a 3-4 and will have their coverage skills tested. The secondary looks stronger now that LaRon Landry is back to his natural strong safety position, and third-year player Kareem Moore has been a pleasant surprise at free safety at camp.
But success has to do as much with attitude as with Xs and Os. Naturally, every team with a new coach is always going to praise the new leader's style, but the Redskins have done a 180 that perhaps could make a few heads spin. At the chamber of commerce luncheon, the video screen proclaimed "The Future is Here," a take-off of the old "Future Is Now" slogan from the 1970s. Mike Shanahan doesn't plan on wasting any time.
So, while there's no guarantee the Redskins will climb out of last place this season, there's no confusion over who's in charge: It's the coach on the field, not the marketing millionaire in the corner office.
"Everything. Attitude. More discipline. Focus. All that's changed," defensive end Phillip Daniels said. "And that's just by having a guy as your head coach that you really believe in, that's been there, that's done it, that really gets the most out of all his guys. Guys really want to play for him."
-- Joseph White
Rebuilding or not, Eagles should be exciting
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles have all the ingredients of a rebuilding team.
Overhauled roster? Check. Unproven quarterback? Check. Young nucleus? Check.
Coach Andy Reid disagrees.
"I don't look at it that way," Reid said. "I don't look at it as a rebuilding year. I've never approached it that way. That doesn't enter my mind. We have some young guys. Hey, you're young, learn from the other guys, let's get in and let's play; play your heart out. Do what you did in college and if you're going to make a mistake, we're going 150 miles an hour and normally good things happen."
The Eagles dominated the NFC East for much of the past decade. They reached the playoffs eight times, won five division titles, went to five conference championship games and lost a Super Bowl by a field goal.
But most of the players who helped them achieve that success are gone now. Donovan McNabb, the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, was traded to Washington. Longtime starting cornerback Sheldon Brown was dealt to Cleveland. Running back Brian Westbrook and offensive lineman Shawn Andrews were released. Many others also were let go.
None of the projected starters on offense or defense are 30, and the team's average age is under 25.
"I think it's a great challenge for the coaches and for the players," Reid said. "There are some big-name players that have been proven players on this football team that aren't here. It's important that the young guys step up and they go. That, to me, is exciting."
The biggest change is Kevin Kolb replacing McNabb, who spent 11 seasons in Philadelphia. Kolb has started just two games in three years, but teammates and coaches don't expect a drop-off. Kolb has strong leadership skills, is well-liked and his talents are suited for Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense.
"We always have the same expectations to be one of the best in the league, to get further than we did last year and to compete for a Super Bowl and I think that Kevin is going to put us in that position and I really believe this team has the talent to win it," wide receiver Jason Avant said.
Last year, the Eagles finished 11-5 and fell one win short of securing a division title and a first-round playoff bye. Instead, they were eliminated by Dallas in a wild-card game after losing to the Cowboys in the regular-season finale.
The consecutive losses to Dallas exposed Philadelphia's deficiencies, particularly on defense. So, they made massive changes.
Scoring points might not be a problem for this team, even with McNabb and Westbrook gone. They have several talented players at the skill positions.
Kolb threw for 300 yards in the two games he filled in for McNabb — the only player in NFL history to do that in his first two career starts. Wideout DeSean Jackson, a Pro Bowl pick last year, is one of the most dangerous players in the league. Jeremy Maclin had an excellent rookie year. Tight end Brent Celek is coming off a breakout season, and second-year running back LeSean McCoy has plenty of potential.
"We are young and inexperienced. However, I do think we have excellent talent on this football team," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "We have great teachers here coaching positions. So, that part is important and then that mindset that a player has to have. There's no substitute for the hard work and preparation, there's just none. They have to put that part in and then they have to get the work in on the field, in the classroom and on the field. And then, a little bit of it is just a little bit of fortune. They have to stay healthy."
On defense, the Eagles have room for improvement. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has a year under his belt after replacing Jim Johnson, who passed away right before training camp last summer.
McDermott is counting on a pair of rookies to fill big holes. The Eagles need first-round pick Brandon Graham to bolster the pass rush upfront, and second-round pick Nate Allen to solidify the free safety position."We went back and really tried to simplify things, knowing we would have quite an influx of young and new faces," McDermott said. "I want these guys to get up to speed as quickly as possible, so they can play, and play fast and contribute. Now with that said, I'm taking some of it on myself, some adjustments I've taken out, coverage checks, some of the details of the defense, so that our players can just go out there and just play, and execute, and run, and hit and play emotional football."
-- Rob Maaddi
