SCOUTING REPORT: DALLAS VS. NEW YORK

SCOUTING REPORT: DALLAS VS. NEW YORK

By: Rafael Vela

News & Information for the Greatest Fans On Earth!

Dallas Tries to Avoid the "Setup"

With back to back wins against San Francisco and Green Bay, the Cowboys go to New York on a short week. A divisional showdown with Washington looms next Thursday. This is just the kind of game that could find the Cowboys flat or distracted.
It is the kind of game that Barry Switzer has called a "setup."
It's the kind of game that can derail a team that has won six of it's last seven games.
The Cowboys have pulled into the thick of the playoff race, but they are not yet where they want to be. Dallas owns hard won tiebreaker advantages over the Packers, 49ers and Eagles. Yet Dallas trails Green Bay, San Francisco and the Redskins by a game each.
A win over the Giants will be critical. The 49ers and the Redskins plays each other this weekend. A win would let Dallas leapfrog the loser. With two games against Washington, the Cowboys could at least gain a shot at a playoff bye, if not homefield advantage.
Dallas gained a crucial break when the Giants lost to the Cardinals last week. Published reports this week have New York coach Dan Reeves leaving at the end of the year. With a moribund offense, Reeves now has his lameduck status working against him. It seems less likely that the Giants could muster the intensity for an upset.
That is the kind of thinking the Cowboys must avoid. Dallas has frequently had tough second games against New York. That was the case last year. After a 35-0 blowout on opening day, the Cowboys needed a last second field goal from Chris Boniol to earn a 21-20 win in the rematch.
Dallas has also had trouble dealing with the hard winds and wet conditions that envelop Giants stadium late in the season. The wet is troublesome for Troy Aikman. Aikman's peculiar grip causes him to lose accuracy if the ball is not dry.
These uncertainties make this game as important as the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game. If Dallas slips up Sunday, it is almost fated to a wild-card spot in the offseason, if in fact it makes the playoffs.
When the Giants Have the Ball

The Giants attack is brutal and simple. They like to line up in a pro-set with fullback Charles Way split to the strong side. The Giants will then hammer the ball behind Way and tight end Howard Cross. Both Cross and Way are big and effective blockers. Way, in his second year out of Virginia, is emerging as a top notch fullback.
New York rotates its big running backs. The primary intrument is 230 pound halfback Rodney Hampton. When he needs a rest, the team spells him with the 228 pound Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley has been used much more of late and may get the lion's share of carries in this game. Hampton has not played up to his past standards this year and Reeves has admitted that his big back has lost a step.
The Giants are a patient team. They will run on first and on second down. The Cowboys cannot get overzealous and start thinking pass if they stop New York on first down for a short gain. In last year's game, the Giants made huge gains running draws to Hampton on second and long.
The Giants objective is to get four or more yards on first down. If they can get the Cowboys defense in a second and short situation, then Dan Reeves will use all the options at his disposal. He likes to run bootlegs with QB Dave Brown and pass to Way on the weakside.
Reeves also uses play action to draw the linebackers in, then has Brown throw a dart to Howard Cross in the short zones. The Cowboys will try to crowd the ball in order to slow Hampton and Wheatley down. They must beware of screens to Hampton, which are also part of Dan Reeves' regular mix.
This power running and short passing game is the essence of New York's offense. Brown will take his shots down the field to wide receivers but only after the short game has been established. Reeves likes to draw the defense up, then go long.
Dallas Defense
Key: 30-George Teague, 28-Darren Woodson, 59-Darrin Smith, 55-Fred Strickland, 56-Randall Godfrey, 21-Deion Sanders, 96-Shante Carver, 78-Leon Lett, 95-Chad Hennings, 92-Tony Tolbert, 26-Kevin Smith.
30 o 28 o 59 55 o o 21 26 o 94 78 95 92 56 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 80 78 73 59 65 74 87 o o 81 17 o o 27 30

New York Offense
Key: 80-Chris Calloway, 78-Greg Bishop, 73-Rob Zatechka, 59-Brian Williams, 65-Ron Stone, 74-Scott Gragg, 87-Howard Cross, 81-Thomas Lewis, 17-Dave Brown, 30-Charles Way, 27-Rodney Hampton
When Dallas played the Giants in October, they overshifted to the strong side, and put a linebacker over the tight end, in anticipation of New York's strong side runs. It worked perfectly, as the Cowboys held the Giants to 55 yards rushing and 93 total.
A key to the game will be the play of weakside linebacker Darrin Smith and strongside backer Randall Godfrey. Smith will have to guard against Brown's rollouts. He cannot overpursue or he will leave the weak flank of the Dallas zone exposed.
On the other side, the rookie Godfrey's patience will be tested. Godfrey will have to stalemate Cross and turn all Giants' running plays inside. He must also be ready to cover Way on play action passes. Godfrey is more athletic than Broderick Thomas, the man he replaced. But Godfrey is also inexperienced. He is just the kind of player the Giants could exploit.
Another key will be the play of tackles Chad Hennings and Leon Lett. They must hold their ground and keep Hampton and Wheatley from making large gains on first and second down. Hennings in particular was overrun last year, when Hampton gained 187 yards on the Dallas front.
When New York passes, the Dallas front four must maintain its passing lanes. Dave Brown is a 225 lb. quarterback who likes to run. In last year's game, Brown broke outside the Cowboys containment and ran for 47 yards and a touchdown. With this game also figuring to be close, the Cowboys cannot allow Brown to convert third down plays with his feet.
Brown may have to do so because the Cowboys cornerbacks are capable of taking his large but relatively slow receivers out of the game. Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders were most reponsible for holding Brown to only ten completions in the first game. The Giants gained only 38 yards through the air that day. New York is not a team that can spread the field with three receiver sets. This is again the case because rookie wideout Amani Toomer was lost for the season with a leg injury. The Giants may again have to live and die with their base sets.
When Dallas Has the Ball

The Cowboys have talked about the need to pickup their offensive production. Sunday would be a good day to start. It might also be a difficult time to start. Tight end Eric Bjornson has two injured ankles and will likely miss this game.
In his stead the Cowboys will alternate Derek Ware and Tyji Armstrong. The Cowboys should do some self scouting to ensure that they are not tipping their hand; Ware is considered the better receiver of the two, Armstrong the better blocker. If the Cowboys do not mix upplays, the Giants may be able to recognize what is coming.
Dallas made news Thursday by signing free agent tight end Johnny Mitchell. Mitchell is a great athlete, but it's doubtful that hecan learn many plays; Thursday is the Cowboys day to install their offense for Sunday games. Mitchell may get a crash course and get a handful of plays for the Giants, but it is unlikely that he would do much.
The big difference between week two and this week is Michael Irvin. Dallas' lone big receiver was serving the second game of his five game suspension then. He is healthy and productive now.
Irvin will likely draw Phillippi Sparks, the Giants top cover man. Sparks was awesome in his man-to-man coverage last season, intercepting a late throw that almost gave the Giants a win. Sparks has slipped in performance this year, which gives Irvin hope for a better game.
The main focus of the passing game will be Jason Sehorn, the Giants other cornerback. The second year pro is gutty and physical, but slow. Deion Sanders burned him for a touchdown in week two. With a healthy Kevin Williams back in the lineup, look for Sehorn to stay busy.
New York Defense
Key: 29-Tito Wooten, 37-Jesse Campbell, 98-Jesse Armstead, 90-Corey Widmer, 57-Corey Miller, 31-Jason Sehorn, 92-Michael Strahan, 97-Robert Harris, 75-Keith Hamilton, 77-Chad Bratzke, 22-Phillippi Sparks
29 o 37 o 98 90 31 o o 22 o 92 97 75 77 57 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 85 71 61 53 73 79 89 o o 8 88 o 48 o 22

Dallas Offense
Key: 85-Kevin Williams, 71-Mark Tuinei, 61-Nate Newton, 53-Ray Donaldson, 73-Larry Allen, 79-Erik Williams, 89-Derek Ware, 88-Michael Irvin, 8-Troy Aikman, 48-Daryl Johnson, 22-Emmitt Smith
Against the Giants last year, the Cowboys had great success running the old Green Bay power sweep, with Nate Newton and Larry Allen leading Emmitt Smith around the corner. New York overcommitted to stopping runs between the tackles and left itself exposed to outside runs. Dallas should resume this strategy.
The Cowboys should also throw more to Smith. Because Smith lines up seven yards behind the quarterback on most plays, the patterns he can run are limited. Look for Dallas to use more split back sets, in an attempt to set Smith closer to the line of scrimmage and get him up the field. The Cowboys did this in week two and Smith caught a touchdown pass, something he has rarely done until this year.
Dallas needs Smith and Johnston working the shallow areas of New York's passing defense. With Bjornson out the Cowboys lack someone who can effectively work between linebackers. Derek Ware may try, but Aikman showed no faith in him in the first game against Chicago. Only once did Ware catch a pass, and that was in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach.
Prediction

Check the weather reports. A cold but dry day is what the Cowboys should hope for. A windy, wet day, and the game could get ugly.
The outcome will probably ride on the Dallas defense. It had it's finest performance of the year when it shut out the Giants this year. There is no reason to believe that it cannot do so again. The Giants are second from the last in the NFL in scoring. Their quarterbacks have struggled. And with Amani Toomer gone until next year, they are fated to be one dimensional.
Dallas has shut down one dimensional teams this year. It has also done a good job of avoiding letdowns since the Monday night win over the Eagles. The Cowboys did struggle against the Falcons, but they have never done well against the run and shoot. The Cowboys have done well against the Giants offense.
New York's players and their coach have nothing to play for now but pride. Dallas should hope that pride is still smarting from last weeks playoff elimination.

DALLAS 20, NEW YORK 10

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News & Information for the Greatest Fans On Earth!
Dallas Tries to Avoid the "Setup" With back to back wins against San Francisco and Green Bay, the Cowboys go to New York on a short week. A divisional showdown with Washington looms next Thursday. This is just the kind of game that could find the Cowboys flat or distracted. It is the kind of game that Barry Switzer has called a "setup." It's the kind of game that can derail a team that has won six of it's last seven games. The Cowboys have pulled into the thick of the playoff race, but they are not yet where they want to be. Dallas owns hard won tiebreaker advantages over the Packers, 49ers and Eagles. Yet Dallas trails Green Bay, San Francisco and the Redskins by a game each. A win over the Giants will be critical. The 49ers and the Redskins plays each other this weekend. A win would let Dallas leapfrog the loser. With two games against Washington, the Cowboys could at least gain a shot at a playoff bye, if not homefield advantage. Dallas gained a crucial break when the Giants lost to the Cardinals last week. Published reports this week have New York coach Dan Reeves leaving at the end of the year. With a moribund offense, Reeves now has his lameduck status working against him. It seems less likely that the Giants could muster the intensity for an upset. That is the kind of thinking the Cowboys must avoid. Dallas has frequently had tough second games against New York. That was the case last year. After a 35-0 blowout on opening day, the Cowboys needed a last second field goal from Chris Boniol to earn a 21-20 win in the rematch. Dallas has also had trouble dealing with the hard winds and wet conditions that envelop Giants stadium late in the season. The wet is troublesome for Troy Aikman. Aikman's peculiar grip causes him to lose accuracy if the ball is not dry. These uncertainties make this game as important as the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game. If Dallas slips up Sunday, it is almost fated to a wild-card spot in the offseason, if in fact it makes the playoffs. When the Giants Have the Ball The Giants attack is brutal and simple. They like to line up in a pro-set with fullback Charles Way split to the strong side. The Giants will then hammer the ball behind Way and tight end Howard Cross. Both Cross and Way are big and effective blockers. Way, in his second year out of Virginia, is emerging as a top notch fullback. New York rotates its big running backs. The primary intrument is 230 pound halfback Rodney Hampton. When he needs a rest, the team spells him with the 228 pound Tyrone Wheatley. Wheatley has been used much more of late and may get the lion's share of carries in this game. Hampton has not played up to his past standards this year and Reeves has admitted that his big back has lost a step. The Giants are a patient team. They will run on first and on second down. The Cowboys cannot get overzealous and start thinking pass if they stop New York on first down for a short gain. In last year's game, the Giants made huge gains running draws to Hampton on second and long. The Giants objective is to get four or more yards on first down. If they can get the Cowboys defense in a second and short situation, then Dan Reeves will use all the options at his disposal. He likes to run bootlegs with QB Dave Brown and pass to Way on the weakside. Reeves also uses play action to draw the linebackers in, then has Brown throw a dart to Howard Cross in the short zones. The Cowboys will try to crowd the ball in order to slow Hampton and Wheatley down. They must beware of screens to Hampton, which are also part of Dan Reeves' regular mix. This power running and short passing game is the essence of New York's offense. Brown will take his shots down the field to wide receivers but only after the short game has been established. Reeves likes to draw the defense up, then go long. Dallas Defense Key: 30-George Teague, 28-Darren Woodson, 59-Darrin Smith, 55-Fred Strickland, 56-Randall Godfrey, 21-Deion Sanders, 96-Shante Carver, 78-Leon Lett, 95-Chad Hennings, 92-Tony Tolbert, 26-Kevin Smith. 30 o 28 o 59 55 o o 21 26 o 94 78 95 92 56 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 80 78 73 59 65 74 87 o o 81 17 o o 27 30 New York Offense Key: 80-Chris Calloway, 78-Greg Bishop, 73-Rob Zatechka, 59-Brian Williams, 65-Ron Stone, 74-Scott Gragg, 87-Howard Cross, 81-Thomas Lewis, 17-Dave Brown, 30-Charles Way, 27-Rodney Hampton When Dallas played the Giants in October, they overshifted to the strong side, and put a linebacker over the tight end, in anticipation of New York's strong side runs. It worked perfectly, as the Cowboys held the Giants to 55 yards rushing and 93 total. A key to the game will be the play of weakside linebacker Darrin Smith and strongside backer Randall Godfrey. Smith will have to guard against Brown's rollouts. He cannot overpursue or he will leave the weak flank of the Dallas zone exposed. On the other side, the rookie Godfrey's patience will be tested. Godfrey will have to stalemate Cross and turn all Giants' running plays inside. He must also be ready to cover Way on play action passes. Godfrey is more athletic than Broderick Thomas, the man he replaced. But Godfrey is also inexperienced. He is just the kind of player the Giants could exploit. Another key will be the play of tackles Chad Hennings and Leon Lett. They must hold their ground and keep Hampton and Wheatley from making large gains on first and second down. Hennings in particular was overrun last year, when Hampton gained 187 yards on the Dallas front. When New York passes, the Dallas front four must maintain its passing lanes. Dave Brown is a 225 lb. quarterback who likes to run. In last year's game, Brown broke outside the Cowboys containment and ran for 47 yards and a touchdown. With this game also figuring to be close, the Cowboys cannot allow Brown to convert third down plays with his feet. Brown may have to do so because the Cowboys cornerbacks are capable of taking his large but relatively slow receivers out of the game. Kevin Smith and Deion Sanders were most reponsible for holding Brown to only ten completions in the first game. The Giants gained only 38 yards through the air that day. New York is not a team that can spread the field with three receiver sets. This is again the case because rookie wideout Amani Toomer was lost for the season with a leg injury. The Giants may again have to live and die with their base sets. When Dallas Has the Ball The Cowboys have talked about the need to pickup their offensive production. Sunday would be a good day to start. It might also be a difficult time to start. Tight end Eric Bjornson has two injured ankles and will likely miss this game. In his stead the Cowboys will alternate Derek Ware and Tyji Armstrong. The Cowboys should do some self scouting to ensure that they are not tipping their hand; Ware is considered the better receiver of the two, Armstrong the better blocker. If the Cowboys do not mix upplays, the Giants may be able to recognize what is coming. Dallas made news Thursday by signing free agent tight end Johnny Mitchell. Mitchell is a great athlete, but it's doubtful that hecan learn many plays; Thursday is the Cowboys day to install their offense for Sunday games. Mitchell may get a crash course and get a handful of plays for the Giants, but it is unlikely that he would do much. The big difference between week two and this week is Michael Irvin. Dallas' lone big receiver was serving the second game of his five game suspension then. He is healthy and productive now. Irvin will likely draw Phillippi Sparks, the Giants top cover man. Sparks was awesome in his man-to-man coverage last season, intercepting a late throw that almost gave the Giants a win. Sparks has slipped in performance this year, which gives Irvin hope for a better game. The main focus of the passing game will be Jason Sehorn, the Giants other cornerback. The second year pro is gutty and physical, but slow. Deion Sanders burned him for a touchdown in week two. With a healthy Kevin Williams back in the lineup, look for Sehorn to stay busy. New York Defense Key: 29-Tito Wooten, 37-Jesse Campbell, 98-Jesse Armstead, 90-Corey Widmer, 57-Corey Miller, 31-Jason Sehorn, 92-Michael Strahan, 97-Robert Harris, 75-Keith Hamilton, 77-Chad Bratzke, 22-Phillippi Sparks 29 o 37 o 98 90 31 o o 22 o 92 97 75 77 57 o o o o o o __________________________________________________________________ o o o o o o o 85 71 61 53 73 79 89 o o 8 88 o 48 o 22 Dallas Offense Key: 85-Kevin Williams, 71-Mark Tuinei, 61-Nate Newton, 53-Ray Donaldson, 73-Larry Allen, 79-Erik Williams, 89-Derek Ware, 88-Michael Irvin, 8-Troy Aikman, 48-Daryl Johnson, 22-Emmitt Smith Against the Giants last year, the Cowboys had great success running the old Green Bay power sweep, with Nate Newton and Larry Allen leading Emmitt Smith around the corner. New York overcommitted to stopping runs between the tackles and left itself exposed to outside runs. Dallas should resume this strategy. The Cowboys should also throw more to Smith. Because Smith lines up seven yards behind the quarterback on most plays, the patterns he can run are limited. Look for Dallas to use more split back sets, in an attempt to set Smith closer to the line of scrimmage and get him up the field. The Cowboys did this in week two and Smith caught a touchdown pass, something he has rarely done until this year. Dallas needs Smith and Johnston working the shallow areas of New York's passing defense. With Bjornson out the Cowboys lack someone who can effectively work between linebackers. Derek Ware may try, but Aikman showed no faith in him in the first game against Chicago. Only once did Ware catch a pass, and that was in the fourth quarter, when the game was out of reach. Prediction Check the weather reports. A cold but dry day is what the Cowboys should hope for. A windy, wet day, and the game could get ugly. The outcome will probably ride on the Dallas defense. It had it's finest performance of the year when it shut out the Giants this year. There is no reason to believe that it cannot do so again. The Giants are second from the last in the NFL in scoring. Their quarterbacks have struggled. And with Amani Toomer gone until next year, they are fated to be one dimensional. Dallas has shut down one dimensional teams this year. It has also done a good job of avoiding letdowns since the Monday night win over the Eagles. The Cowboys did struggle against the Falcons, but they have never done well against the run and shoot. The Cowboys have done well against the Giants offense. New York's players and their coach have nothing to play for now but pride. Dallas should hope that pride is still smarting from last weeks playoff elimination. DALLAS 20, NEW YORK 10
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