2012 NFL Season Thread

[Rockstar Matt]

My first takes from the first-stringers in the Cowboys-Raiders game.

Cowboys:

Romo looks good, our WR's look good. Dez made a nice athletic catch. Our o-line needs some work. On two consecutive possessions, Romo was running for his life, and we couldn't run the ball. Partially, due to lack of offensive push, and the Raiders d-line playing well. Our secondary looks good, we even intercepted a pass. Ware looks amazing as usual. The rest of the defense, besides the secondary, looked okay.

Raiders:

McFadden looks good, really good. The Raiders o-line was able to give Palmer some decent time, until DeMarcus Ware decided it was enough. Raiders d-line was good, including getting a sack and a qb pressure on Romo.

[dfwabel]

If the crime that Ochocinco allegedly committed wasn't so cowardly and controversial, I would consider him an option for the Cowboys. But just WAY to much baggage for a team that doesn't need any more of it. But considering their top 2 receivers are two of the most injury prone players in the league, the Cowboys need a 3rd WR.

There is little need to sign anybody with the rosters still at 90 players. There will be some players released on August 27 when rosters go from 90 to 75 and even more on August 31 when the 53-man roster has to be made.

My first takes from the first-stringers in the Cowboys-Raiders game.

Cowboys:

Romo looks good, our WR's look good. Dez made a nice athletic catch. Our o-line needs some work. On two consecutive possessions, Romo was running for his life, and we couldn't run the ball. Partially, due to lack of offensive push, and the Raiders d-line playing well. Our secondary looks good, we even intercepted a pass. Ware looks amazing as usual. The rest of the defense, besides the secondary, looked okay.

Raiders:

McFadden looks good, really good. The Raiders o-line was able to give Palmer some decent time, until DeMarcus Ware decided it was enough. Raiders d-line was good, including getting a sack and a qb pressure on Romo.

Please tap the brakes on what you see during the first preseason game. Don't even start the engine. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries and 13 were scratched tonight.

DAL ran 11 plays for under 30 yards with Romo. The 24 yard pass to Dez was their only first down.

Tonight, the OL is without Costa and Nagy, who started last year. Center David Arkin cannot block anybody. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries.

[Rockstar Matt]

Please tap the brakes on what you see during the first preseason game. Don't even start the engine. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries and 13 were scratched tonight.

DAL ran 11 plays for under 30 yards with Romo. The 24 yard pass to Dez was their only first down.

Tonight, the OL is without Costa and Nagy, who started last year. Center David Arkin cannot block anybody. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries.

The first game will still show what players need to improve on, or if what they're doing is working. The Cowboys o-line still needs work. Romo running for his life during the first pre-season game is a sign that those guys need to improve as a unit. These Cowboys will not go far if they can't give Romo any time to throw the ball. Also, they couldn't give Murray or Jones any running lanes.

While yes, this is just a pre-season game, and the first one at that, it still shows what the Cowboys (and any other team) needs to improve on before the season starts. That's the point. The Cowboys have time to fix some of their issues. The pre-season is also the coaches way of evaluating young talent.

[dfwabel]

Please tap the brakes on what you see during the first preseason game. Don't even start the engine. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries and 13 were scratched tonight.

DAL ran 11 plays for under 30 yards with Romo. The 24 yard pass to Dez was their only first down.

Tonight, the OL is without Costa and Nagy, who started last year. Center David Arkin cannot block anybody. Of the 90 man roster, 17 guys did not even practice on Friday due to injuries.

The first game will still show what players need to improve on, or if what they're doing is working. The Cowboys o-line still needs work. Romo running for his life during the first pre-season game is a sign that those guys need to improve as a unit. These Cowboys will not go far if they can't give Romo any time to throw the ball. Also, they couldn't give Murray or Jones any running lanes.

While yes, this is just a pre-season game, and the first one at that, it still shows what the Cowboys (and any other team) needs to improve on before the season starts. That's the point. The Cowboys have time to fix some of their issues. The pre-season is also the coaches way of evaluating young talent.

Again, two OL from last year were not active, plus Free and Smith changed tackle positions. Smith was playing LT for the first time since HS.

Jason Garrett is consistent in saying "this is a process" or "stacking good days after good days", in every press conference.

[Rockstar Matt]

Again, two OL from last year were not active, plus Free and Smith changed tackle positions. Smith was playing LT for the first time since HS.

Jason Garrett is consistent in saying "this is a process" or "stacking good days after good days", in every press conference.

Yep, I understand that. It's way too early to declare anyone a champion or whether this season will be a lost season. But, it's not too early to evaluate what the Cowboys have and what they can do to become a better football team.

Smith looked great today. Free, wasn't so hot. He let Houston have a free run at Romo. But the Cowboys will take this game, learn from it, and hopefully become a better football team. I'm just happy football is back. I watch pre-season games because I can't get enough of the NFL and the Cowboys.

[thespleenenator]

That might have been the worst football game I've ever seen. it wasn't the lack of offense, both teams just looked terrible.

[Rockstar Matt]

That might have been the worst football game I've ever seen. it wasn't the lack of offense, both teams just looked terrible.

I will agree with you on that. I can't believe I watched the whole game.

[dfwabel]

Again, two OL from last year were not active, plus Free and Smith changed tackle positions. Smith was playing LT for the first time since HS.

Jason Garrett is consistent in saying "this is a process" or "stacking good days after good days", in every press conference.

Yep, I understand that. It's way too early to declare anyone a champion or whether this season will be a lost season. But, it's not too early to evaluate what the Cowboys have and what they can do to become a better football team.

Smith looked great today. Free, wasn't so hot. He let Houston have a free run at Romo. But the Cowboys will take this game, learn from it, and hopefully become a better football team. I'm just happy football is back. I watch pre-season games because I can't get enough of the NFL and the Cowboys.

Yet OAK won't learn anything?

You are a LAL and Cowboys homer. We get it. You also don't give us honest analysis. You have the disease, but it left you in the Cowboys last Super Bowl run.

FYI, I hope that you remember that DeMarco Murray may just become the post-2004 Julius Jones.

From that article:

Jones missed most of the early part of the season with a broken shoulder but returned for the final seven games and took off. He finished with 803 yards on 192 carries. He had three straight games with at least 30 carries against Baltimore, Chicago and Seattle, displaying durability and toughness. He finished the year strong with 149 yards on 29 carries at the Giants

In 2011, the Cowboys finished 8-8 but many believe the Cowboys have their next great running back in DeMarco Murray

Before a fractured ankle ended his season in the first half against the New York Giants, Murray had a seven-game run that was similar to Jones?. From Oct. 23 vs. St. Louis through Dec. 4 at Arizona, Murray ran 134 times for 799 yards.

He set the franchise mark for rushing yards in a game with 253 against the Rams. He had two other games with more than 130 yards. He displayed toughness and durability in wins at Washington and against Miami.

[Rockstar Matt]

Yet OAK won't learn anything?

You are a LAL and Cowboys homer. We get it. You also don't give us honest analysis. You have the disease, but it left you in the Cowboys last Super Bowl run.

FYI, I hope that you remember that DeMarco Murray may just become the post-2004 Julius Jones.

Just because I talked about the Cowboys doesn't mean the Raiders won't learn anything. They will. I like their new Head Coach. I'm hopeful the Raiders will return to prominence under his leadership, along with their new GM. The Raiders showed signs of improvement from last year and also things they still need to work on, namely their WR's catching passes thrown to them and Palmer not throwing a deep bomb into double coverage.

What you taking about? I'm not sitting there declaring the Cowboys the champions yet. Here's an honest analysis: The Cowboys have a lot of work to do just to make the playoffs. They play in one of the toughest divisions in football and they've been the Giants and Eagles b the past couple of seasons. Their o-line is atrocious, last year proved as much. We really only have one good player on the offensive line and that's Tyron Smith. If the Cowboys can't win the majority of the battles in the LOS, they will not make the playoffs.

I consider the battle of the line of scrimmage the most important in football. One of the reasons why Eli (and why the Giants are the defending Super Bowl Champions) was so good during that post-season run last year was because the Giants would consistently win the battle of the LOS. They did even on the defensive side of the ball too. Tell me I'm wrong.

My homerism comes through when I say that I believe the Cowboys have a chance. I'm sorry that I'm not a "realist" or "pessimistic" like most of you on these boards are. I'm always optimistic about my favorite teams. I'll always believe they'll have a chance of having a very successful season.

[DarkJourney]

ESPN Sports Center wishing Tim Tebow a happy 25th birthday takes the cake. Literally!

They had a cake for Tim Tebow with a big 25 candle on it.

[Sport]

ESPN Sports Center wishing Tim Tebow a happy 25th birthday takes the cake. Literally!

They had a cake for Tim Tebow with a big 25 candle on it.

This is why I haven't watched their network for anything other than live games in over a year. I'm better for it too. What a joke they've become.

[tBBP]

ESPN Sports Center wishing Tim Tebow a happy 25th birthday takes the cake. Literally!

They had a cake for Tim Tebow with a big 25 candle on it.

# that awkward moment when u realize u gettin old

[BlueSky]

That might have been the worst football game I've ever seen. it wasn't the lack of offense, both teams just looked terrible.

You must not have watched Saints-Patrzzzzzz...sorry, dozed off just remembering it.

Edit: Sorry, hadn't seen the 3-0 Cowboys-Raiders score when I posted that. I stand corrected.

ESPN Sports Center wishing Tim Tebow a happy 25th birthday takes the cake. Literally!

They had a cake for Tim Tebow with a big 25 candle on it.

# that awkward moment when u realize u gettin old

I'm with ya, brother.

[Kramerica Industries]

I can't think of which Arizona QB is worse - Kolb, or Skelton.

I thought the Kolb trade was highway robbery by the Eagles the second they spawned him off on the Cardinals, and got a 2nd rounder and a quality CB in return. He never impressed me with the Eagles, and he certainly wasn't impressive last year.

But John Skelton was basically a non-glorified, righty Tim Tebow last year. QB rating of 69, only completed 55% of his passes, and a negative TD/INT ratio. The Cardinals won four games in OT last season, an NFL record. Skelton's record is completely unsustainable going into 2012.

Could be a long year in Arizona. Classic case of "two QB's = no QB's".

[ninersdd]

Dallas' receiving depth will for surely be tested if Witten were to miss a significant with his spleen injury. Phillips will definitely have big shoes to fill.

[dfwabel]

Dallas' receiving depth will for surely be tested if Witten were to miss a significant with his spleen injury. Phillips will definitely have big shoes to fill.

Phillips has a bad ankle during this camp and has not recovered from his 2010 ACL tear. They drafted James Hannah but he could not block in the Big XII.

[pmoehrin]

Dallas' receiving depth will for surely be tested if Witten were to miss a significant with his spleen injury.

Same injury that effectively ended Chris Simms' career. Hopefully it won't be the same story for Witten.

[pmoehrin]

Interesting stance taken by the NFL regarding their fan policy.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8278886/nfl-require-ejected-fans-take-online-fan-conduct-course

Personally I like it.

[Cujo]

Interesting stance taken by the NFL regarding their fan policy.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8278886/nfl-require-ejected-fans-take-online-fan-conduct-course

Raiders fans are already putting this rule to the test...

Man shot outside Raiders-Cardinals game

BTW, our very own Bucfan was at this game.

[dfwabel]

Interesting stance taken by the NFL regarding their fan policy.

http://espn.go.com/n...-conduct-course

Raiders fans are already putting this rule to the test...

Man shot outside Raiders-Cardinals game

BTW, our very own Bucfan was at this game.

Just in from from the "NJTank school of journalism". Huh?

Jumping to immediate conclusions. Not that it was/was not gang related or random, it had to be NFL fandom related. You have madfe conclusions before AZ law enforcement.