ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Cowboys vs. Bengals Friday, November 5, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Cowboys and Bengals. Now they're back with a
second look.
Cincinnati's front-four has struggled working against bigger and more
physical offensive lines. That doesn't bide well for the Bengals with LOT
Flozell Adams and LOG Larry Allen coming to town. Adams and Allen, who
weigh 343 and 325-pounds respectively, should have little trouble
controlling the point of attack. They will be going up against RDE Justin
Smith (270 pounds) and RDT Langston Moore (298 pounds). The Cowboys'
running game has been lackluster this season, but RB Eddie George could
have a big day. George is a downhill runner that needs to square his
shoulders to the hole to be effective and he should be able to do that if
Adams and Allen can overwhelm Smith and Moore.
Bengals ROT Willie Anderson is listed as questionable, which is bad news
for an offensive line that allowed four sacks last week. If Anderson, who
has started 71 consecutive games, can't play, second-year pro Scott
Kooistra would get the starting nod. The problem is Kooistra lacks ideal
lateral quickness, speed and athleticism. He should have some trouble
holding up in pass protection working against LDE Greg Ellis who has
registered six sacks this season. As a result, expect the Bengals TE's
Matt Schobel, Reggie Kelly and Tony Stewart to be heavily involved in pass
protection. All three have the size to matchup with Ellis on the outside
and their presence will help mask Kooistra's weaknesses as a pass blocker.
Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer has done a great job of finding RB Kenny
Watson on check-down routes. Watson, who leads all NFL running backs with
11 third-down receptions, has above average hands and a relatively good
feel for the passing game. His ability to provide Palmer with a reliable
safety valve when he gets into trouble will be critical going up against a
very aggressive Dallas defense. When the Cowboys send extra rushers at
Palmer, Watson can slip out of the backfield and exploit the space vacated
by the blitzing linebacker or safety. This is particularly important with
Schobel, Kelly and Stewart playing limited roles as receivers.
Bengals RB Chris Perry, who has touched the ball just five times this
season, is expected to get more playing time this week. The first-round
pick has missed time because of an abdominal strain but the Bengals hope
that he can help improve a running game that is averaging just 3.9 yards
per carry now that he is healthy. Perry is at his best running inside and
he may have some success exploiting a Dallas front-seven that relies on
speed instead of size.
While Perry's presence will give Cincinnati's running game a boost, he
must do a good job of protecting the football to have a positive impact.
Perry had problems fumbling while at the University of Michigan and ball
security might become an issue. As a result, Perry must keep both hands on
the football when attacking downfield and avoid putting the ball to his
left or right side until he breaks through the initial wave of defenders.
Assuming Bengals WR Peter Warrick is available, the Cowboys may have
trouble matching up with Cincinnati's three-receiver sets. DC Tyrone
Williams is listed as questionable, which leaves Jacques Reeves as the
starter on the right side and Nate Jones to handle the Nickel duties. The
Dallas pass defense is allowing an average of 217.6 yards per game and it
has surrendered 15 touchdowns. With the inexperienced Reeves and Jones
playing substantial roles those numbers could get worse. The Bengals will
want to spread the field to exploit this vulnerability and they'll need
Warrick to be ready if they want to take full advantage.
With his team at 3-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs, expect Dallas
head coach Bill Parcells to get back to basics this week. As a result, the
Cowboys' pass-happy offense will be replaced by a ball-control attack led
by George. The Bengals' run defense ranks dead last in the league (155.4
ypg) and they simply lack the size to go toe-to-toe with Dallas'
front-five.
With WR Terry Glenn out for the season, the onus will fall on Keyshawn
Johnson and TE Jason Witten to pick up the slack in Dallas' passing game.
The Bengals will likely roll their coverage to Johnson's side on obvious
passing downs. Witten has to find space in the middle of field and provide
QB Vinny Testaverde with a means to keep the chains moving. Witten has
done a good job of using his size to shield defenders from the ball and he
leads the team in receptions. However, he will be going up against one of
the bigger safeties in the league in Rogers Beckett. While Witten could
have some trouble getting open underneath, Beckett can be fooled on
play-action which could give Dallas a chance for some big plays downfield.
Special Teams
Bengals PK Shayne Graham has connected on 14 of his 16 field goal attempts
including a perfect two-for-two mark on attempts from beyond 50-yards.
While Graham struggled with consistency earlier in his career, he seems to
have improved in that area thanks to a more deliberate approach.
In past seasons, the placement of his plant foot would vary. This year he
looks much more confident addressing the ball and it shows up in the stat
sheet. His improvement and ability to hit on longer attempts is critical
for an offense that has scored just nine touchdowns through seven games.
Prediction: Cowboys 23, Bengals 20
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Cowboys and Bengals. Now they're back with a
second look.
Cincinnati's front-four has struggled working against bigger and more
physical offensive lines. That doesn't bide well for the Bengals with LOT
Flozell Adams and LOG Larry Allen coming to town. Adams and Allen, who
weigh 343 and 325-pounds respectively, should have little trouble
controlling the point of attack. They will be going up against RDE Justin
Smith (270 pounds) and RDT Langston Moore (298 pounds). The Cowboys'
running game has been lackluster this season, but RB Eddie George could
have a big day. George is a downhill runner that needs to square his
shoulders to the hole to be effective and he should be able to do that if
Adams and Allen can overwhelm Smith and Moore.
Bengals ROT Willie Anderson is listed as questionable, which is bad news
for an offensive line that allowed four sacks last week. If Anderson, who
has started 71 consecutive games, can't play, second-year pro Scott
Kooistra would get the starting nod. The problem is Kooistra lacks ideal
lateral quickness, speed and athleticism. He should have some trouble
holding up in pass protection working against LDE Greg Ellis who has
registered six sacks this season. As a result, expect the Bengals TE's
Matt Schobel, Reggie Kelly and Tony Stewart to be heavily involved in pass
protection. All three have the size to matchup with Ellis on the outside
and their presence will help mask Kooistra's weaknesses as a pass blocker.
Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer has done a great job of finding RB Kenny
Watson on check-down routes. Watson, who leads all NFL running backs with
11 third-down receptions, has above average hands and a relatively good
feel for the passing game. His ability to provide Palmer with a reliable
safety valve when he gets into trouble will be critical going up against a
very aggressive Dallas defense. When the Cowboys send extra rushers at
Palmer, Watson can slip out of the backfield and exploit the space vacated
by the blitzing linebacker or safety. This is particularly important with
Schobel, Kelly and Stewart playing limited roles as receivers.
Bengals RB Chris Perry, who has touched the ball just five times this
season, is expected to get more playing time this week. The first-round
pick has missed time because of an abdominal strain but the Bengals hope
that he can help improve a running game that is averaging just 3.9 yards
per carry now that he is healthy. Perry is at his best running inside and
he may have some success exploiting a Dallas front-seven that relies on
speed instead of size.
While Perry's presence will give Cincinnati's running game a boost, he
must do a good job of protecting the football to have a positive impact.
Perry had problems fumbling while at the University of Michigan and ball
security might become an issue. As a result, Perry must keep both hands on
the football when attacking downfield and avoid putting the ball to his
left or right side until he breaks through the initial wave of defenders.
Assuming Bengals WR Peter Warrick is available, the Cowboys may have
trouble matching up with Cincinnati's three-receiver sets. DC Tyrone
Williams is listed as questionable, which leaves Jacques Reeves as the
starter on the right side and Nate Jones to handle the Nickel duties. The
Dallas pass defense is allowing an average of 217.6 yards per game and it
has surrendered 15 touchdowns. With the inexperienced Reeves and Jones
playing substantial roles those numbers could get worse. The Bengals will
want to spread the field to exploit this vulnerability and they'll need
Warrick to be ready if they want to take full advantage.
With his team at 3-4 and in danger of missing the playoffs, expect Dallas
head coach Bill Parcells to get back to basics this week. As a result, the
Cowboys' pass-happy offense will be replaced by a ball-control attack led
by George. The Bengals' run defense ranks dead last in the league (155.4
ypg) and they simply lack the size to go toe-to-toe with Dallas'
front-five.
With WR Terry Glenn out for the season, the onus will fall on Keyshawn
Johnson and TE Jason Witten to pick up the slack in Dallas' passing game.
The Bengals will likely roll their coverage to Johnson's side on obvious
passing downs. Witten has to find space in the middle of field and provide
QB Vinny Testaverde with a means to keep the chains moving. Witten has
done a good job of using his size to shield defenders from the ball and he
leads the team in receptions. However, he will be going up against one of
the bigger safeties in the league in Rogers Beckett. While Witten could
have some trouble getting open underneath, Beckett can be fooled on
play-action which could give Dallas a chance for some big plays downfield.
Special Teams
Bengals PK Shayne Graham has connected on 14 of his 16 field goal attempts
including a perfect two-for-two mark on attempts from beyond 50-yards.
While Graham struggled with consistency earlier in his career, he seems to
have improved in that area thanks to a more deliberate approach.
In past seasons, the placement of his plant foot would vary. This year he
looks much more confident addressing the ball and it shows up in the stat
sheet. His improvement and ability to hit on longer attempts is critical
for an offense that has scored just nine touchdowns through seven games.
Prediction: Cowboys 23, Bengals 20
