Freakish talent makes three Dallas Cowboys stand out
JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News |
SAN ANTONIO – Certain NFL players are so gifted athletically we can only describe them as freaks.
The Cowboys have three: DeMarcus Ware, Felix Jones and Martellus Bennett.
You won't get any arguments from their teammates or coaches. No one in the front office will dispute it either, especially since Jerry Jones thinks their athleticism will translate into more wins.
See, it's one thing for any athlete to impress me or you. That happens all of the time since just about every NFL player is superior to 99 percent of the population.
Of all the kids playing high school and college football only 1,440 are good enough to suit up each Sunday.
While the Cowboys have had nine Hall of Fame players, only a few athletic freaks have played in Dallas – and most of them played for Tom Landry.
There have been few freaks in the Jerry Jones era.
Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman were among the greatest players in franchise history, but they didn't dazzle you with their athleticism. Not the way Bob Hayes did. Or Randy White. Or Deion Sanders.
Ware, Jones and Bennett regularly perform feats that leave their teammates speechless.
One of those moments occurred in Thursday's practice.
The Cowboys called a misdirection play in which Romo fakes a handoff up the middle and then flips the ball to Felix Jones, who's zooming around left end.
"DeMarcus was chasing him, and he couldn't quite catch him – and we know he can run," scouting director Tom Ciskowski said. "If we can run that play against DeMarcus, we can run it against anyone."
Ware couldn't quite catch Jones as he turned up the sideline, in part, because Jones' speed caused Ware to take a bad angle. Jones, nicknamed McNasty by Marion Barber, frequently causes players to do that because they underestimate his speed.
"Felix was talking to him, saying, 'Come get me. Come get me,' " Phillips said with a laugh.
Jones, who averaged 8.9 yards on 30 carries, scored on runs of 33 and 60 yards last season. He also returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
Now, you know why getting Jones the ball in position to make big plays is at the top of Jason Garrett's priority list.
"Felix has told me he has five gears," Andre Gurode said. "He says I still haven't seen them all yet."
Green Bay safety Charles Woodson would probably disagree after Jones' 60-yard touchdown run.
"Felix put his foot in the ground to suck Woodson in and then he cut back outside while going full speed," Crayton said. "Normal people can't do that. Normal people slow down and gather themselves when they make a cut, but a step later he was running full speed again."
Ware, who's as fast as most running backs, wears custom-fitted shirts with a 19-inch neck and a 39-inch sleave. In his massive hands, a softball resembles a golf ball.
"I eat because of these arms," Ware said laughing.
Remember a couple of years ago against Atlanta when he jumped up at the line of scrimmage to intercept Mike Vick's pass, stiff-armed the quarterback and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown?
Then there was the cross-over pass-rush move against Washington tackle Chris Samuels, resulting in a sack.
"It was like an Allen Iverson crossover," said Bradie James. "He was so quick. It was a move like Reggie Bush would make."
Ware didn't even remember the move. See, athletic freaks make moves instinctively. It's why they're special. It's what makes them worth the overpriced tickets.
"DeMarcus can stop and start like Franco Harris," Phillips said. "Once he gets the tackle to stop moving his feet, DeMarcus blows past them before they get going again. Not many players can do that."
Sometimes, a player's freaky athleticism reveals itself subtly.
Take the 6-6, 265-pound Bennett, who can sink his hips to get in and out of a cut like a slot receiver. Did I mention he can contort his body to grab passes at his shoe laces or behind him with the same ease as a pass that hits him in the numbers.
Bennett's talent is why formations with two tight ends will take up a chunk of the playbook.
Just the other day, Bennett made a diving grab along the sideline with his body parallel to the ground. Earlier in the same practice, he reached behind him and easily corralled a pass.
He's going to create the same types of mismatches Jason Witten does because he's too fast for linebackers and too big for safeties.
He displayed some of his athleticism last season against Washington with the leaping 25-yard touchdown grab over a defender in the 14-10 win, and with the 20-yard catch and run on a screen pass against the Eagles in Week 2.
"When he almost took that screen pass to the house, I was like, 'Wow,' " Crayton said. "He showed his athleticism and power.
"He said the only reason he didn't score is that he didn't see the guy who tackled him. If he had, Martellus said he would've made a move on him."
That is what was so frustrating last season and the 07 playoffs. Physical talent is not the issue. Its coaching and the mental aspect of the game that Dallas has struggled with. Talent-wise they can win games, this was proven in 07, but overcoming adversity, making good in game adjustments and a lack of discipline has held them back.
hammer on nail mikey....couldn't agree more.
Last edited by SpuronyourFace; 08-11-2009 at 11:26 AM.
They won't be able to do anything without a strong and smart coaching staff and they need to replace the QB with someone that can actually lead a team. They have all-world talent but no heart and no leaders.
Garrett needs to pull his head out of his ass and put these guys in position to succeed. The offense was way to predictable last year.
Even Ray Lewis said it was the most predictable offense he'd ever seen or something like that.
Leadership obviously can't be taught but it can be cultivated by the right coaching staff. I think Romo is a capable QB, not the most natural leader, but more than capable. I think the coaching staff leaves a lot to be desired. No excuses this season. Either they produce or they'll be a massive overhaul in the staff.
Marty B is gonna be a BEAST!!
Been to camp several times...including today..Bennett's fantastic right now..he's really looking like he understands what's going on out there..and with the knowledge and the athletic ability he has, he's going to be a monster. Felix is ridiculously fast...and DeMarcus is just plain ridiculous. Choice is looking strong too..Romo had a good day, and Roy Williams had a great day...here's hoping they'll keep this up.
Hopefully Felix Jones doesn't unrealistically break tackles like Barber does in the new Madden game. is ridiculous when you can't take down Barber with an all out blitz. Also like how Deverey Henderson turns into Randy Moss if you use certain playbooks with the Saints.
I love my boy Barber in the game..You got the mod I guess? IronMexican got it too..do you recommend it?
+1
I was hoping for Wade to be fired for this very reason. Just seems to soft.
Took my 8 year old nephew to Cowboys camp on Tuesday. Bought a seat from Texas Stadium for him and even though I didn't have the seats where the players usually sign, Bradie James, Mark Columbo, Jessie Holley, Gerald Sensabaugh, and Tashard Choice all signed it. Couldn't buy the look on his face. It was great. Those guys were so nice.
I went to camp on Tuesday as well. Where did you sit?
Section 111..right where they come out..45 yard line, about 3 rows up from the fenced in section on the field.
Awesome. I sat behind the endzone, pretty nice seats. I took a lot of pictures.
I did too..I'll have to post them or something. Got a good shot of Jerry Jones..lol..he was talking on the field right below me...And got a few good shots of some of the guys coming out of the tunnel. Roy had a pretty decent practice, I thought.
After Crayton made a nice catch in the endzone.
Wow...you did get some good shots.
Even with all our our talent we're not going to win with Wade as the coach.
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