Williams, 24, was a 1st round draft pick for the L.A. Cowboys in the 2008 PFL Draft. The 6'4" wideout has shown ability as a steady possession receiver due to his intimidating size and leaping ability, but has questionable hands which has resulted in a total of 13 drops over the course of 2 seasons. In his rookie campaign, Williams finished with 38 receptions for 640 yards (16.84 per catch) with 6 touchdown receptions, 9 drops, and 131 yards after the catch. This season, Williams has 5 catches for 71 yards (14.20 yards per catch) with 1 touchdown reception, 4 drops, and 10 yards after the catch. He joins a Scorpions receiving corps that could use some added bulk and size to complement their speed.
Edwards, 26, measures in at 6'3" and also shows good leaping ability. He is also plagued by questionable hands, which has resulted in 27 drops over the course of three seasons. Edwards, however, has the speed to potentially develop as a deep threat in the right scheme. In 2007, as a member of the Bethel Township Rastafarians, Edwards finished with 31 catches for 495 yards (15.97 yards per catch) with 3 touchdown catches, 12 drops, and 51 yards after the catch. After being dealt to the Scorpions, Edwards finished his 2008 campaign with the Scorpions with 30 catches for 455 yards (15.17 yards per catch) with 1 touchdown catch, 11 drops, and 39 yards after the catch. So far this season, Edwards has struggled in a demoted role with only 1 catch for 11 yards with no touchdown catches, 4 drops, and 1 yard after the catch. He is expected to takeover the #1 wide receiver slot for the departed Williams.
The Cowboys started off with the ball first and returned the ball to their own 37-yard line. After a catch by FB Brandon Miree, MightySpartans' DE Julius Peppers recorded two sacks to put the Cowboys out of field goal range and force a punt, which was downed at the MightySpartans' own five-yard line. The MightySpartans put together a drive to get into field goal range thanks to a 50-yard reception from QB Tom Brady to TE Tony Gonzalez, who beat Cowboys' rookie 2nd round (36th overall) draft pick OLB Antrel Brown. The MightySpartans would put three points on the board with a K Jay Feely 22-yard field goal to make the score 3-0 MightySpartans with 1:12 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys fought back with a catch from rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt and the team would settle for a 42-yard Shaun Suisham field goal to even the score 3-3 with 5:36 remaining in the first half. The MightySpartans returned the kickoff to their own 21-yard line - the returner being Philip Buchanon, a cornerback for the Cowboys last season who was traded to the Bethel Township Rastafarians on draft day and subsequently dealt to the MightySpartans. The MightySpartans attempted a screen pass to HB Kevin Jones, but it was read perfectly and destroyed by rookie 3rd round (58th overall) draft pick OLB Jake Willey. Sophmore DE Derrick Harvey then recorded a sack and injured QB Tom Brady on an attempted screen pass, with Harvey getting a full head of steam on the hit as the blocker pulled to the left. Brady would later return, but this drive would end in a MightySpartans punt that would be returned by Cowboys' return specialist Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 39-yard line. WR Vincent Jackson had a pass broken up by a defender, MightySpartans' CB Fred Smoot dropped a potential interception, and WR Laurent Robinson dropped a pass, forcing a punt for a touchback, giving the MightySpartans' the ball at their own 20-yard line. The MightySpartans' drive was hurt when LT William Thomas was called for a 15-yard clipping penalty and sophmore DE Derrick Harvey recorded his second sack of the game, which would force a punt which would be returned by return specialist Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 30-yard line. QB Rex Grossman found rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt open for a catch late, but a pass to HB Wali Lundy was short of the first down, forcing another punt which would go for a touchback. The MightySpartans attempted to put one last drive together, but a sack by DT Corey Simon would end those hopes and the game went into halftime with a 3-3 tie.
The MightySpartans started off the second half with a return to their own 17-yard line. Sophmore DE Derrick Harvey recorded his third sack of the day and the Cowboys came up with a huge stop on third-and-one when sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff stormed through and hit HB Kevin Jones. The MightySpartans would punt and it would be downed at the Cowboys' eight-yard line. On the Cowboys first drive of the second half, MightySpartans' CB Charles Tillman was injured, and then a Grossman pass was intercepted by MLB Dan Morgan, who returned the ball to the Cowboys' 26-yard line. The MightySpartans would score three on a 37-yard Jay Feely field goal, making the score 6-3 MightySpartans with 2:27 remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys' next possession also ended on a sour note as Grossman threw his second interception of the game into the hands of safety Gibril Wilson - WR Laurent Robinson was able to strip the ball out of Wilson's hands, but MightySpartans' MLB Dan Morgan picked up the football. The MightySpartans were unable to score and punted, which would be returned by Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 14-yardline. The Cowboys would finally put something together after WR Laurent Robinson caught a pass and got the ball to the MightySpartans' 30-yard line. WR Vincent Jackson then would catch the ball at the MightySpartans' 14-yard line, then again at the MightySpartans' two-yard line. HB Julius Jones was then able to push the ball in from the one to make the score 10-6 with 4:50 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, the Cowboys' special teams unit would come up big as CB Travis Fisher would hit returner Philip Buchanon hard and jar the ball loose for a fumble, with the ball being recovered by OLB Stanford Keglar deep in MightySpartans' territory. HB Wali Lundy would catch a pass for a first down to get to the MightySpartans' three-yard line, but the MightySpartans' defense would hold and keep the Cowboys to only three points on a K Shaun Suisham 20-yard field goal, making the score 13-6 with 2:47 remaining in the game. On the MightySpartans' next possession, DE Carnell Hanks knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage and then sophmore DE Derrick Harvey recorded his fourth sack of the day. QB Tom Brady then dropped back and threw a pass into the hands of Cowboys' 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, who returned the interception 26 yards for a touchdown to make the score 20-6 with 2:17 remaining in the game. The MightySpartans were able to retaliate with a quick strike drive which was concluded by a QB Tom Brady touchdown run with 1:09 remaining in the game to make the score 20-13, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by Cowboys' FB Brandon Miree, ending the game at 20-13 for a Cowboys' win.
Player of the game was Cowboys' sophmore DE Derrick Harvey, who finished the game with 4 tackles and 4 sacks. Harvey outsacked the MightySpartans single-handedly and propelled himself to #2 in the league in sacks through week 6 with nine.
QB Rex Grossman had a subpar game, finishing 11-23 (47%) for 131 yards with 2 interceptions and a QB rating of only 29.4. Entering the game with the league's best quarterback rating, his performance caused him to fall to #3 in the league, behind New York's Byron Leftwich and Maui's Philip Rivers.
Defensively, the Cowboys recorded 3 tackles for loss, five sacks, 1 interception, 1 defensive touchdown, and 6 passes defensed. The tackles for loss were recorded by rookie 3rd round (58th overall) OLB Jake Willey, rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor, and sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff. The sacks were recorded by sophmore DE Derrick Harvey with four and DT Corey Simon. The interception and touchdown were recorded by rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick Torry Mickens. The passes defensed were recorded by SS Roman Harper with two, rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor, sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff, and MLB Chaun Thompson. Rookie 3rd round (58th overall) OLB Jake Willey finished with a team leading 5 tackels. The special teams unit added a forced fumble by Travis Fisher and a fumble recovery by OLB Stanford Keglar.
The Cowboys (6-0) face one of two other undefeated teams in week seven - the New York Thunderbears. The last playoff game in head coach Joshua Biddle's coaching career was a loss in the AFC championship game against the Thunderbears as coach of the Hammerheads four seasons ago. The Hammerheads had the lead through three quarters of play, but the game slipped away late.
The Cowboys started with the ball after the Spartans won the toss and elected to kick, with return specialist Jeremy Bloom returning the ball to the Cowboys’ own 26-yard line. The chains moved early and often as QB Grossman connected with rookie 2nd round (30th) overall draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt, WR Laurent Robinson, and finally WR Vincent Jackson for a 17-yard touchdown reception that gave the Cowboys an early 7-0 advantage with 5:05 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys’ defense stepped up early as well after the Spartans’ returned the kickoff to their own 27-yard line. QB Carson Palmer got off to a rocky start as rookie 5th round (97th overall) draft pick DE Curtis Barry hurried and hit QB Palmer as he threw, resulting in the ball being intercepted by rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor, who returned the ball 47 yards to the Spartans’ 23-yard line. The Cowboys got to the Spartans’ six-yard line but the drive stalled, with K Shaun Suisham putting three points on the board by making good on a 26-yard field goal attempt, making the score 10-0 with 1:34 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys’ defense forced a punt on the Spartans’ next possession, and on the Cowboys’ next drive, the Spartans’ defense was able to step up and make a big play. QB Rex Grossman threw an errant pass and was intercepted by Spartans’ CB Marcus McCauley, who returned the interception 24 yards to the Cowboys’ 31-yard line. A 4th and inches situation on the Cowboys’ 21-yard line was attempted to be converted by HB Felix Jones and he did more than just get the yard, breaking a run 21 yards to the endzone to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 10-7 with 5:38 remaining in the first half. Return specialist Jeremy Bloom returned the ensuing kickoff to the Cowboys’ own 41-yard line and QB Rex Grossman completed passes to both TE Randy McMichael and WR Mark Clayton to give the Cowboys good field position. Once again, however, the Spartans’ defense bent but didn’t break by forcing only a field goal attempt, which K Shaun Suisham converted in the form of a 33-yard field goal to make the score 13-7 with 3:45 remaining in the first half. The Spartans couldn’t ride the momentum on their next possession, however, as they were forced to punt on a three-and-out, which was returned by Bloom to the Cowboys’ own 39-yard line. The Cowboys put together another solid drive that came to a conclusion when rookie 5th round (98th overall) HB Derrick Spence ran 11 yards to the endzone to make the score 20-7 with 54 seconds remaining in the first half. The Spartans attempted a late drive with long passes, but the drive was stymied when Cowboys’ rookie 2nd round (26th overall) DE Carnell Hanks recorded a sack. The Spartans would punt, the Cowboys would run a few plays, and then the Cowboys allowed the clock to run out to go into halftime with a 20-7 lead.
The Spartans started off with the ball in the second half and it started off with a punt, which would fall dead at the Cowboys’ own 10-yard line. The Cowboys had another near catastrophe on offense in two forms on the biggest nightmare of a drive the team has experienced this season. QB Rex Grossman attempted to run a screen pass to HB Spence, but intense pressure caused a hurried throw and the ball bounced off an unprepared Spence – it was a backward pass so it was ruled a fumble, but luckily for Los Angeles, Spence had the awareness to fall on the football before the Spartans had a shot of picking it up. The Cowboys would keep possession but would be backed up at about their own 3-yard line. QB Grossman then dropped back for a pass in the endzone and Spartans’ DE Will Smith nearly got a hand on him to drop him for a safety, but Grossman alertly found a crease in the middle of the offensive line and took off for what would amount to a gain of 9 yards. The Cowboys would have to punt which would be returned by WR/KR/PR Yamon Figurs 19 yards to the Spartans’ own 36-yard line, giving them good field position. The drive was a success for the Spartans as they ended up scoring on a 7-yard Felix Jones touchdown run, which would put the Spartans behind by a mere touchdown with an extra point able to give them the lead, the score 20-14 with 3:11 remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys fought back on their next possession after return specialist Jeremy Bloom returned the ball to the Cowboys’ own 31-yard line. Rookie 2nd round (30th overall) TE Reggie Hewitt struck again with a superb catch over the middle of the field to move the chains to the Spartans’ 23-yard line, and K Shaun Suisham again kicked a field goal – this time of 38 yards – to extend the Cowboys’ lead to 23-14 with 1:06 remaining in the third quarter. The Spartans would return the ball to their own 16-yard line and the Spartans would move the chains with relative ease. WR Calvin Johnson made a beautiful catch to move the ball to the Cowboys’ nine-yard line and rookie WR Kareem Russell grabbed the ball in the endzone but did not get both feet down in bounds to rule it as an incomplete pass. A challenge of the call by Spartans’ head coach juega_vivo would result in the call being upheld, forcing a fourth down, one in which Spartans’ K Josh Brown made good on a 24-yard field goal attempt to again cut the lead to only six points with the score now 23-17 with 5:53 remaining in the game. With the game on the line in this battle, QB Rex Grossman connected on his biggest play of the season as he found WR Laurent Robinson on a play downfield – one in which Robinson beat the coverage on his way to a 59-yard touchdown reception with 4:36 remaining in the game, making the score 30-17. The Spartans weren’t ready to throw in the towel as QB Palmer played ferocious football after WR/KR/PR Yamon Figurs returned the ball to the Spartans’ own 39-yard line. QB Palmer put together a great drive, finding a receiver open for a huge catch and a 5-yard face masking flag was thrown on CB Terrence McGee. The Spartans reached the goal-line and FB Greg Jones pounded the ball in from the one to make the score 30-24 with 3:13 left in the game. The Cowboys weren’t able to put the game away on this critical drive, giving the Spartans one last chance to take the game away as the punt was ruled out of bounds at the Cowboys’ 33-yard line. The Spartans eloquently got into Cowboys’ territory and moved closer to the redzone. On a play down the middle of the field, QB Palmer attempted to throw a deep pass over the left/middle of the field to the endzone, but CB Terrence McGee saved the day, not only intercepting the pass but also returning it 89 yards for the touchdown to give the Cowboys a 37-24 lead with 1:17 remaining in the game. The Spartans would return the ball to their 20-yard line and begin to try to throw together a desperation drive. Rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks put a damper in this attempt with another sack – his second of the day and 7th of the season – and then the game was officially clinched when rookie 1st round (2nd overall) CB Torry Mickens intercepted a Palmer pass, ending the game at 37-24.
Player of the game was CB Terrence McGee for his game-saving interception return for a touchdown. He finished the game with a team leading 6 tackles, the interception, 89 return yards, defensive touchdown, and a pass defensed.
Offensively, the Cowboys relied on a solid, but not spectacular day by the PFL’s leading passer in terms of quarterback rating, QB Rex Grossman, who finished the day 16-28 (57%) for 261 yards with 2 touchdown passes, 1 interception, and a quarterback rating of 97.4. His quarterback rating on the season stands at 118.63. Grossman improves to 11-1 as a starter, winning each of his last 11 games as the Cowboys extend their winning streak to 11 as well. His top receivers for the day were WR Laurent Robinson - who finished with 4 catches for 97 yards with a touchdown catch and 53 yards after the catch – and rookie 2nd round (30th overall) TE Reggie Hewitt, who finished with 4 catches for 68 yards. Rookie HB Derrick Spence had a lackluster game with only 41 rushing yards on 11 carries (3.7 yards per carry), but did add a rushing touchdown of his own, bringing his season total to six. Despite falling in the draft due to his fumbling problems, a conservative approach to protecting the ball has been instilled in him and he hasn’t fumbled yet in his first 73 PFL carries. It remains to be seen if Spence can continue to carry the load successfully.
Defensively, the Cowboys’ defensive unit recorded 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and 7 passes defensed. The tackles for loss were recorded by rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens with two and rookie 7th round (146th overall) draft pick DE Lamar Vales. Both sacks were recorded by rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks. The interceptions were recorded by CB Terrence McGee (who returned his for a touchdown), rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, and rookie 1st round (12th overall) CB Bobby Connor. CB Connor’s interceptions marked his fifth of the season, good for first in the PFL. Passes defensed were recorded by CB Terrence McGee, rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, FS Renaldo Hill, rookie 3rd round (58th overall) draft pick OLB Jake Willey, rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor, sophomore MLB Jonathan Goff, and MLB Chaun Thompson.
The Cowboys improve to 5-0 and greatly increased their chance to win the AFC North by sweeping Miramar, with the Spartans falling to a dismal 1-4. The Spartans, however, are certainly not out – just down for the count. “I fully expect them to compete hard the rest of the season and I’m sure they’ll be in it until the end” said head coach Josh Biddle at the post-game press conference, “defeating him once in a season is tough, let alone twice. He is certainly much better than his record currently shows, just look to last year and see what that team did for proof.” The Cowboys will return home to Los Angeles for their week six and week seven games versus two stellar teams - the Big Blue Mighty Spartans and the New York Thunderbears.
The Knights started with the ball and were able to strike early after a great pass from QB Tom Adams to WR Ernest Wheelwright, moving the chains to the Cowboys' 44-yard line. The Knights put three points on the board with a 54-yard K Art Carmody field goal, making it 3-0 Knights with 5:09 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys got off to a good start when return specialist Jeremy Bloom returned the kickoff into Knights' territory to their 44-yard line. The Cowboys settled for a 41-yard field goal by K Shaun Suisham, making it 3-3 with 3:15 remaining in the first quarter. The Knights' second drive was halted after rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks recorded a sack, forcing a Knights' punt which would be returned to the Cowboys' own 48-yard line by return specialist Jeremy Bloom. The Cowboys took advantage of a big rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence run to get into the red zone, then QB Rex Grossman found rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt in the endzone, but a high pass could not be held onto by Hewitt. On third down, QB Grossman hooked up with WR Mark Clayton for a 17-yard touchdown reception to make the score 10-3 Los Angeles with 1:21 remaining in the first quarter. The Knights' next drive would be destroyed as sophmore DE Derrick Harvey and rookie 3rd round (58th overall) draft pick OLB Jake Willey recorded sacks - the sack by Willey was the first of his career. The punt by the Knights would be returned by the Cowboys to their own 38-yard line. The Cowboys would play conservative football and add another three points, making it 13-3 Cowboys with 4:32 remaining in the first half after a K Shaun Suisham 36-yard field goal. The Knights would fight back on the ground as they ran all over the Cowboys' defense and into the redzone. A run by HB Chris Johnson to the right sideline would be fumbled on a hit by rookie 1st round (12th overall) CB Bobby Connor - but the ball would bounce out of bounds, still Knights' ball. A five-yard facemask penalty on DT Corey Simon on a goalline stand would help the Knights get a first-down situation on the 3-yard line. The Cowboys' defense would hold the Knights out of the endzone on the first two downs, but HB Lester Ulrich would run to the left side for a 4-yard touchdown run, making the score 13-10 with 1:54 remaining in the first half. The Cowboys would fight back quickly as they continue to have a very tough two-minute drill, driving down with huge receptions by rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt and WR Laurent Robinson. The Cowboys would reach the endzone as QB Rex Grossman found rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt open in the endzone for a 6-yard touchdown reception with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, making it 20-10. A desperation drive by the Knights as they resorted to the deep pass would fail on first down, and a sack by 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks would end the drive and allow the Cowboys to go into halftime with a 20-10 lead.
The Cowboys would start with the ball in the second half and QB Rex Grossman found TE Reggie Hewitt open again for a catch. A drive into Knights' territory would be concluded when Grossman hooked up with sophmore WR Jaison Williams for a 3-yard touchdown reception, making the score 27-10 with 5:56 remaining in the third quarter. The Knights would fail to make anything happen on their next drive as sophmore DE Derrick Harvey recorded his second sack of the game. The punt would be returned by specialist Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 45-yard line. QB Rex Grossman would get to work again as he found WR Vincent Jackson for a huge catch where he was pushed out of bounds just short of the endzone, a 33-yard reception to the one-yard line. QB Grossman then found TE Reggie Hewitt wide open for an easy touchdown catch, making the score 34-10 with 2:12 remaining in the third quarter. The Knights would make a big play on a fake spike throw on fourth down - a 48-yard reception from QB Tom Adams to WR Greg Jennings. The Knights would settle for three points on a K Art Carmody 43-yard field goal, cutting the Cowboys' lead to 34-13 with 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys would give some playing time to rookie 6th round (132nd overall) draft pick QB Ernie Thomas, rookie 5th round (106th overall) draft pick SS Joe Newberry, rookie 6th round (130th overall) FS Donald Green, and rookie 7th round (154th overall) draft pick FB Ed Browning. The Cowboys would punt on their first drive under QB Thomas, which would be fair caught by HB/KR Chris Johnson at the Knights' own 10-yard line. The Cowboys would damage the Knights' next drive again, as sophmore DE Derrick Harvey sacked Adams again for his third sack of the game, forcing another punt which would be returned by the Cowboys to midfield. After a time-consuming drive in which OT Travelle Wharton was called for a 15-yard clipping penalty seemed to be ending on a Cowboys' punt, the Knights were called for roughing the punter as a Knights' defender clobbered Cowboys' punter Ryan Plackemeier. Some pushing and shoving would occur, but cooler heads would prevail - with the Cowboys getting the ball back with a fresh set of downs after the penalty. Rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence would then scamper 45 yards for a touchdown after the penalty to make the score 41-13 with 2:52 remaining in the game. The Cowboys would stifle the Knights offense on their next drive with rookie 5th round (97th overall) DE Curtis Barry recording his second career sack and the Knights turning the ball over on downs. After the Cowboys punted one last time, the Knights would turn the ball over one more time and the Cowboys would down the ball to end the game at 41-13.
Player of the game for the Cowboys was either QB Rex Grossman, sophmore DE Derrick Harvey, or rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks. QB Grossman finished the game 15-20 (75%) for 247 yards with 4 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, and a rating of 155.6. DE Harvey finished with 4 tackles (1 for loss) with 3 sacks and rookie DE Hanks finished with a team-leading 6 tackles (3 for loss) and 2 sacks. The offensive line also deserved credit as they did not surrender a sack.
The Cowboys' defensive unit stepped up and played extraordinary football, recording 8 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 14 passes defensed. The tackles for loss were recorded by rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks with 3, SS Roman Harper with 2, sophmore DE Derrick Harvey, rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, and rookie 2nd round (36th overall) draft pick OLB Antrel Brown. The sacks were recorded by sophmore DE Derrick Harvey with 3, rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks with 2, rookie 3rd round (58th overall) draft pick OLB Jake Willey, and rookie 5th round (97th overall) draft pick DE Curtis Barry. The forced fumble was recorded by rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor. The passes defensed were recorded by rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor with 3, rookie 2nd round (36th overall) draft pick OLB Antrel Brown with 3, sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff with 3, CB Terrence McGee with 2, MLB Chaun Thompson, rookie 4th round (74th overall) FS John Long, and SS Roman Harper.
The Cowboys face division rival Miramar in week five as they attempt to sweep the Spartans - the defending AFC North division champion and PFL Bowl runner up from last season. A sweep would give the Cowboys a significant boost in their race for the division crown, but the Spartans are the only team that has handed Cowboys' starting QB Rex Grossman (10-1) a loss.
Olson, 34, is expected to provide mentorship to the youth on the offensive line. He started for the Kansas City Paladins in 2007 and finished with 54 pancakes and 11 sacks allowed. He lost his starting job in 2008 and finished the season with 2 pancakes and 1 sack allowed. He is expected to backup OG Tony Russell.
The Cowboys started the game with the ball and made noise early, the drive sparked by a WR Laurent Robinson reception and capped by rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run only one minute and 34 seconds into the game, making the score 7-0. The Spartans started their first drive on their own 25-yard line and on their first offensive play of the game, QB Carson Palmer dropped back and was hit by rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks, who knocked the ball out of Palmer's hand, and the ball was recovered by Cowboys' DT Corey Redding. The call was challenged by Spartans' coach juega_vivo, but the fumble stood as called, giving the Cowboys great field position. The Cowboys added three points off of the turnover when K Shaun Suisham connected on a 32-yard field goal to make the score 10-0 with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter. On the Spartans' next possession, the Cowboys had an injury to rookie 4th round (74th overall) draft pick FS John Long, who would return later on the drive. The Spartans put together a solid drive and put up their first touchdown on the day when HB Felix Jones ran five yards to the endzone, making the score 10-7 with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys retaliated in solid fashion after the kickoff was returned by return specialist Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 35-yard line. A catch by TE Reggie Hewitt helped move the chains and the Cowboys put together another drive to the redzone, and then into a goal-line situation. The Cowboys found WR Vincent Jackson open on bump-and-run coverage and QB Rex Grossman hit him in stride, but a hit from a Spartans' defender jarred the ball loose for a drop. QB Grossman made up for the lost play, however, when he read a blitz perfectly and hit rookie 2nd round (30th overall) TE Reggie Hewitt in the endzone for a 6-yard touchdown reception to extend the Cowboys' lead to 17-7 with 6:29 remaining in the first half. The Spartans started their third possession at their own 19-yard line and it was halted early as DE Derrick Harvey recorded his first sack of the season and rookie 5th round (97th overall) draft pick DE Curtis Barry recorded his first career sack, forcing a punt to return specialist Jeremy Bloom, who was hit for a loss of two yards, starting the Cowboys' fourth possession at their own nine-yard line. The Cowboys put together another solid drive and moved down field to the Spartans 35-yard line and K Shaun Suisham came up big with a 53-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining in the first half, making the score 20-7. The Spartans were not going to be denied, however, even with another DE Derrick Harvey sack. QB Palmer made many tough passes and marched the Spartans into Cowboys' territory. The Cowboys' defense bent but didn't break, forcing the Spartans to settle for a K Josh Brown 30-yard field goal to make the score 20-10 going into the half.
The Spartans started with the ball in the second half and it did not start off well as Cowboys' rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks forced a HB Felix Jones fumble - his second forced fumble of the day - but Spartans' OT Luke Petitgout fell on the football - the Spartans maintained possession. A key loss for the Cowboys' would occur in the middle of the drive as rookie 1st round (2nd overall) CB Torry Mickens was injured and missed the remainder of the third quarter and a small portion of the fourth quarter. The Spartans put together a drive that would be concluded on a K Josh Brown 33-yard field goal to cut the Cowboys lead to 20-13, a one possession game with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys' first possession of the second half would end in their first punt of the day, which nearly went out of bounds at the one but bounced just inside the endzone for a touchback, giving the Spartans the ball at their own 20-yard line. Again, the Spartans moved the ball successfully through the air with TE Joe Klopfenstein making a big catch up to the Cowboys' 29-yard line. The Spartans continued into the redzone and then a goalline situation, and HB Felix Jones scored on a 9-yard touchdown reception from QB Carson Palmer, tying the game at 20 with 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys would get a huge kick return by return specialist Jeremy Bloom into Spartans' territory at their 45-yard line. With the game on the line, QB Rex Grossman nearly through an interception in the middle of the field in a goal-line situation, but rookie linebacker Curtis Zimmerman couldn't hold on to the ball. The Cowboys settled on a K Shaun Suisham 22-yard field goal to make the score 23-20 with 5:53 remaining in the game. The Spartans would go to the passing game to attempt the comeback and rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick Bobby Connor got picked on by QB Carson Palmer as he was caught playing the run and beat by rookie WR Kareem Russell for a 46-yard gain, but Connor showed his athleticism by not getting beat for a touchdown as he displayed great recovery speed and made a huge tackle to keep the Cowboys' defense in the game. CB Torry Mickens returned to the game after this play, and later on the drive, Mickens would come up absolutely huge as he hit HB Felix Jones, jarring the ball loose and sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff fell on the football - Cowboys ball! Spartans' head coach juega_vivo threw the challenge flag for the second time in the game and the call by the refs - play stands! The Cowboys get a huge break with Mickens returning just in the nick of time and making the biggest play of his young career. But the game certainly wasn't over yet as the Cowboys had the ball with about four minutes to play and only a three point lead with the score still 23-20. The Cowboys ran to chew a bit of the clock, but QB Rex Grossman would find Spartans' CB Carlos Rogers playing the run and went deep to sophmore WR Jaison Williams, who beat Rogers and made a catch for a 31-yard gain, with a flag thrown as the tackle was made. The call - a 15-yard personal foul for face-masking on CB Rogers, moving the Cowboys' offensive unit into the Spartans' redzone to their 15-yard line. The Cowboys moved the ball into a goal-line situation with a QB Grossman pass to rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt, who was brought down at the two-yard line, but QB Grossman was hit and injured on the play, bringing in rookie 6th round (132nd overall) draft pick QB Ernie Thomas into the game. Thomas handed the ball off to rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence who ran the ball two yards for the touchdown to give the Cowboys a 30-20 lead with 2:37 remaining in the game. The Spartans would turn the ball over on their next possession with 1:58 remaining in the game. The Cowboys ate a good portion of the clock and punted the ball back to the Spartans, pinning them at their own nine-yard line with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game. QB Palmer attempted to go deep to WR Yamon Figurs as time expired, but team captain CB Terrence McGee intercepted the ball to seal the victory with a 30-20 upset of the defending AFC North champions.
Player of the game was rookie 2nd round (26th overall) DE Carnell Hanks, who finished the game with 4 tackles (2 for loss), 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles. Honorable mention goes to CB Torry Mickens - who forced a late fumble to allow the Cowboys to put the game away and was part of a defense that allowed 10 first half points when he was in the game. QB Rex Grossman and TE Reggie Hewitt also get honorable mentions for their major contributions on the offensive side of the ball. QB Grossman finished 13-19 (68%) for 209 yards with 1 touchdown pass, no interceptions, and a rating of 122.4. His quarterback rating on the season thus far is 106.54, good for a top five ranking. Rookie 2nd round (30th overall) TE Reggie Hewitt finished with 7 catches for 105 yards with a touchdown reception and 14 yards after the catch - currently ranked in the top 5 in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions. He has run crisp routes and hasn't dropped a pass yet - something that can be attributed to clean catches due to the seperation he gets on his routes. Rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence recorded 34 yards on 13 carries (2.6 yards per carry), but added two touchdown runs, bringing his total to four which is good for a top five ranking.
The Cowboys' defensive unit recorded 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 8 passes defensed. The tackles for loss were recorded by rookie 2nd round (26th overall) DE Carnell Hanks with two, rookie 3rd round (50th overall) DE Jameel Miller, DT Corey Redding, rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, and SS Roman Harper. Sacks were recorded by sophmore DE Derrick Harvey with two and rookie 2nd round (26th overall) DE Carnell Hanks. Forced fumbles were recorded by DE Carnell Hanks with two and CB Torry Mickens. Fumble recoveries were recorded by DT Corey Redding and MLB Jonathan Goff. The interception was recorded by CB Terrence McGee. Passes defensed were recorded by CB Torry Mickens with two, MLB Chaun Thompson with two, rookie 2nd round (36th overall) draft pick OLB Antrel Brown, CB Travis Fisher, FS Renaldo Hill, and rookie 4th round (74th overall) FS John Long.
The Cowboys will attempt to win their tenth consecutive game in week four as they visit the Sin City Knights in Las Vegas. The Cowboys won last season's meeting 32-10 in an odd game full of turnovers. It's extremely unlikely the Cowboys will see the Knights squad that showed up that day.
The 49ers started off with the ball at their own 22-yard line and were forced to punt, which was returned by Cowboys' KR/PR Jeremy Bloom to their own 31-yard line. The Cowboys would also be forced to punt and it would be stopped dead by CB Bobby Connor at the 49ers' own 6-yard line. The 49ers would put together a great drive and end it with a 53-yard field goal by K Sebastian Janikowski to make it 3-0 49ers with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter. The Cowboys returned the ball to their own 25-yard line on the kickoff and early in the drive, 49ers' SS Aaron Rouse went down with injury - he'd later return to the game. The Cowboys put together a small drive and exploited a mismatch with a linebacker covering speedy WR Laurent Robinson, whom QB Rex Grossman found wide open by three or four steps about six yards from the endzone, but Robinson let the ball slip right through his hands and killed the drive, resulting in a punt for a touchback, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 20-yard line. The 49ers struck again - this time in big play fashion - as 49ers' QB Jay Cutler found WR Chad Johnson open downfield and he took it to the house for a 52-yard touchdown reception with 6:17 remaining in the first half to extend the 49ers' lead to 10-0. The Cowboys were able to put a drive together in response to the deficit and a conservative effort in 49ers' territory resulted in the Cowboys' first points of the day, three points from the leg of K Shaun Suisham - a 48-yard field goal, cutting the 49ers lead to 10-3 with 4:50 remaining in the first half. The 49ers went three and out on their next drive, punting to KR/PR Jeremy Bloom of the Cowboys who returned the ball to the Cowboys' own 40-yard line. The Cowboys watched the receivers struggle more after the Robinson fiasco with TE Randy McMichael dropping a catch, immediately followed by a WR Jaison Williams drop. WR Laurent Robinson, after being chewed out by coach Joshua Biddle and offensive coordinator Joey Fuller, contributed in a positive manner this time by catching a 56-yard pass from QB Rex Grossman to the 49ers' 3-yard line. The Cowboys' efforts to get into the endzone with a favorable 1st and goal at the three was stifled when an errant QB Rex Grossman pass was intercepted in the endzone by FS Brandon Meriweather, resulting in a touchback and a 49ers' possession starting at their 20-yard line. The 49ers pieced together another fine drive and with six seconds remaining in the first half, QB Jay Cutler ran a QB sneak from the Cowboys' 1-yard line for a touchdown, giving the 49ers a 17-3 lead. A desperation return by the Cowboys on the ensuing kickoff was fumbled by KR/PR Jeremy Bloom with the Cowboys everting near disaster by recovering the fumble, avoiding a fumble touchdown return by the 49ers' special teams, but ending the first half with a 17-3 deficit.
Cowboys' head coach Josh Biddle made it clear that the status quo would not be tolerated after a rough first half on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys made some personnel changes, putting rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt in the game as the starting TE in place of TE Randy McMichael, FS Renaldo Hill - the starter for most of last season at FS - in with rookie 4th round (74th overall) draft pick FS John Long heading to the bench, and promoting 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor to one of the starting cornerback slots in place of CB Terrence McGee, who was burnt by WR Chad Johnson in the first half. McGee stayed in the game as the nickleback.
The Cowboys' first second half possession started off in an incredible way. After moving the ball to the 49ers' 35-yard line, QB Rex Grossman attempted to go deep to WR Vincent Jackson in double coverage and he got his hands on the ball but watched it bounce off his hands, off of a 49ers' defender's hands, and into the waiting hands of rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt, who cutback and took it five yards for a touchdown to cut the 49ers lead to 17-10 with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. The play could possibly go down as one of the most absurd, astonishing plays in PFL history - and one of the luckiest too. This was a major momentum change as the Cowboys finally got a bit of luck after a rough, unlucky first half. On the 49ers' first drive of the second half, QB Jay Cutler was intercepted by CB Bobby Connor on a pass intended for WR Chad Johnson, giving the Cowboys a shot to tie the game. The Cowboys put together a drive and got into 49ers' territory, but a third down drive was stopped when SS Aaron Rouse burst in untouched for a sack on QB Grossman. K Shaun Suisham came out to kick a 45-yard field goal with the wind in his face, and a flashback to last season must have occurred as the field goal was right on but about a few inches short as it hit the middle/bottom crossbar and fell in the endzone - no good. The 49ers had good field position as a result of the miss, but rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks beat his man and sacked QB Cutler - his first career sack - resulting in a fourth down situation. The 49ers head coach was called to the locker room for an undisclosed reason and the aggressive assistant coach called a punt fake, but the fake was destroyed as a Cowboys' defender got in for a sack and gave the Cowboys great field position after a turnover on downs. The head coach returned to the game and the Cowboys were able to capitalize on the mishap with a successful K Shaun Suisham 52-yard field goal with 54 second remaining in the third quarter to cut the 49ers lead to 17-13. The 49ers nearly broke a long kick return as WR/KR Chad Johnson returned the kickoff all the way to their own 40-yard line, setting up a 49ers' drive that would add three points with a K Sebastian Janikowski 33-yard field goal with 5:49 remaining in the game to make it 20-13 49ers. The Cowboys were able to get on the board quickly with solid running and a pass from QB Rex Grossman to rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt, who reached the endzone on a 17-yard touchdown reception, to tie the game at 20 with 4:29 remaining in the game. The 49ers got the ball back and rookie 2nd round (26th overall) draft pick DE Carnell Hanks struck again, recording his second sack of the day and halting a 49ers drive and forcing a punt, which would be returned by KR/PR Jeremy Bloom to the Cowboys' own 46-yard line. The Cowboys and rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt struck again as a SS Aaron Rouse botched coverage left Hewitt all alone for an open reception and path to the endzone - a 48-yard touchdown reception that would give Los Angeles their first lead of the game, 27-20, with 3:20 remaining in the game. The 49ers attempted to respond swiftly and through the air, but QB Jay Cutler threw another interception into the hands of 1st round (12th overall) CB Bobby Connor. The Cowboys put together a game-sealing drive when HB Julius Jones got into the endzone for a one-yard touchdown run with 2:20 remaining in the game to extend the Cowboys' lead to 34-20. A last ditch effort by the 49ers to foster a comeback ended again in a CB Bobby Connor interception.
Player of the game honors were awarded to both rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt and rookie 1st round (12th overall) CB Bobby Connor, whose efforts on both sides of the ball helped the Cowboys outscore the 49ers by a sound 31-3 margin, including a 21-point fourth quarter. Hewitt finished the day with a breakout game - 4 catches for 129 yards (32.2 yards per catch) with 3 touchdown receptions and 32 yards after the catch. CB Bobby Connor recorded three second half interceptions after being promoted to a starting role against talented WR Chad Johnson; Connor finished with 2 tackles, 3 interceptions, 48 interception return yards, and 1 pass defensed. Rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens silently played a stellar game, finishing the game with 3 tackles, 1 pass defensed, and holding 49ers WR Randy Moss to only 1 catch for 7 yards.
QB Rex Grossman finished the game 10-22 (45%) for 253 yards with 3 touchdown passes, 1 interception, and a rating of 108.5. The running game was solid with rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence rushing for 94 yards on 14 carries (6.7 yards per carry) and HB Julius Jones rushing for 48 yards on 9 carries (5.3 yards per carry).
After the game, the Cowboys announced the release of OG LeRoy Larsen and the signing of veteran OG Ruben Brown.
The Cowboys, now at 2-0, stand atop the AFC North and will battle division rival Miramar Spartans (1-1) with a chance to build on their lead.
Ainge finished his Cowboys' career 133-260 (51.2%) for 2,091 yards with 17 touchdown passes, 23 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 63.16. He is regarded as an accurate, precision passer, but lacks the arm strength to fit in the Cowboys' system. After trade rumors were reported out of Los Angeles with no suitors, the only choice the front office felt they had was to release him.
Head coach Joshua Biddle said in a statement, "We felt it was time to move on from Erik. We didn't feel that his style of play was conducive to success in the PFL in our offensive scheme. We know his youth and potential won't keep him as a free agent for long and we wish him luck no matter where his destination should be".
In Ainge's place, the Cowboys signed a project quarterback of their own, 24-year old Ricky Santos. Santos showcases a strong arm and great mobility, but he'll need to greatly improve his accuracy if he is to excel in the PFL. The backup quarterback position likely is going to rookie 6th round (132nd overall) draft pick QB Ernie Thomas - the southpaw out of the University of Wisconsin - due to his two-month head start in learning the playbook.
In regard to the signing, head coach Josh Biddle said in a statement, "We added another young, strong-armed quarterback and we feel we can put the ball in his hands or Ernie [Thomas] 's hands and win".
The game started with a kickoff to the Freemasons and the Cowboys defense started off with a bang. Rookie third round (50th overall) draft pick DE Jameel Miller applied generous pressure on QB Tony Romo as Romo went deep to WR Reggie Wayne and had it intercepted by CB Terrence McGee. The Cowboys offense got to work with a catch by rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt, a big run by rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence, and a catch by WR Vincent Jackson to get the Cowboys to the Freemason's one-yard line. The Cowboys offense stalled after a sack by Freemasons' OLB Joey Porter, and the Cowboys were forced to settle on a K Shaun Suisham 24-yard field goal to make the score 3-0 with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter. On the Freemasons next possession, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila - who had been demoted - recorded a sack that ruined their drive and forced a punt, which would be returned by KR/PR Jeremy Bloom to the Freemasons' 37-yard line. The Cowboys would score their first touchdown of the day when HB Derrick Spence rumbled 20 yards for a touchdown, making the score 10-0 with 2:06 remaining in the first quarter. On the Freemasons' next drive, a second and third down run was stopped by rookie 6th round (122nd overall) draft pick DT Larry Lyons, forcing a punt that was returned to the Cowboys own 34-yard line by KR/PR Jeremy Bloom. The Cowboys put another drive together, but a pass to the endzone by Cowboys' QB Rex Grossman was intercepted in the endzone by OLB Channing Crowder. After starting at their own 20-yard line, another QB Tony Romo pass was interecepted, this time by rookie 4th round (74th overall) draft pick FS John Long. The Cowboys would capitalize on this mistake with a K Shaun Suisham 19-yard field goal to make the score 13-0 with 4:33 remaining in the second quarter. The Freemasons started their next drive at their own 24-yard line and removed QB Tony Romo in favor of young QB Andre Woodson. Woodson wouldn't fare too much better as he threw an interception into the hands of MLB Chaun Thompson. The Cowboys, offensively, watched an on-target pass from Grossman to sophmore WR Jaison Williams get dropped in the endzone; however, WR Mark Clayton gain seperation and hold on to the ball in the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown reception to make the score 20-0 with 3:23 remaining in the first half. The Freemasons returned the ball to their own 20-yard line on their next possession and QB Woodson went back to work, but this time he found another linebacker as MLB Jonathan Goff intercepted a pass over the middle and gave the Cowboys' good field position. Another pass from Grossman to WR Jaison Williams was dropped in the endzone, but the Cowboys made up for this by way of a Grossman pass to WR Laurent Robinson for a 3-yard touchdown reception, extending the Cowboys lead to 27-0 with 1:51 remaining in the first half. The Freemasons started their next possession at their 26-yard line, and unfortunately, QB Andre Woodson was hit and knocked out for the remainder of the first half. QB Tony Romo re-entered the game and immediately threw another interception into the hands of 1st round (12th overall) draft choice CB Bobby Connor, who played as the team's nickleback. The Cowboys put together another quick drive which was concluded when HB Derrick Spence ran for his second touchdown of the day - a 38-yard run that put the Cowboys up 34-0 with 12 seconds remaining in the first half. After a nice return started the Freemasons final first half drive at the 33, desperation from Romo forced him to throw deep and he was intercepted yet again, this time by rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick Torry Mickens, to end the first half with six Los Angeles defensive interceptions and a strong 34-0 halftime lead.
The Cowboys allowed Grossman to rest for the remainder of the game, with rookie 6th round (132nd overall) draft pick QB Ernie Thomas entering. The Cowboys drove on their first drive and put up three more points when K Shaun Suisham made good on a 32-yard attempt, making the score 37-0 Cowboys. The Freemasons would respond with a drive of their own and would get three on the board when K David Akers connected on a 49-yard attempt that just made it through the uprights with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter. The Cowboys would punt on their next drive, as would the Freemasons on their next drive after CB Torry Mickens sacked QB Woodson on a corner blitz. After a Cowboys punt for a touchback, the Freemasons next drive would end in a punt after DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila recorded his second sack of the contest. The Cowboys would punt once more, and on the Freemasons last drive, WR Reggie Wayne made a huge 46-yard reception to get into Cowboys' territory, but the defense would hold with a four-down situation and forced a turnover on downs, final score being 37-3 Los Angeles.
Player of the game was rookie 5th round (98th overall) draft pick HB Derrick Spence, who put up astonishing numbers in his PFL debut. Spence finished with 20 carries for 198 yards (9.8 yards per carry) with two touchdown runs, four broken tackles, 55 yards after first contact, and four runs of 20+ yards. HB Julius Jones amassed 74 yards on 12 carries (6.1 yards per carry), with the Cowboys' rushing offense totalling 295 yards collectively. QB Rex Grossman finished the game with mediocre numbers, going 7-16 (43%) for 87 yards with two touchdown passes, one interception, and a rating of 74.7. Backup quarterback, rookie 6th round (132nd overall) draft pick Ernie Thomas, threw only two passes, finishing 1-2 for 15 yards with a rating of 75. Rookie 2nd round (30th overall) draft pick TE Reggie Hewitt finished as the leading receiver with 3 catches for 53 yards.
Defensively, the Cowboys defensive unit recorded 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 6 interceptions, and 8 passes defensed. The tackles for loss were recorded by CB Terrence McGee, rookie 2nd round (36th overall) OLB Antrel Brown, and rookie 3rd round (58th overall) OLB Jake Willey. The sacks were recorded by DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila with two, and rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens. Interceptions were recorded by CB's Terrence McGee, 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, and 1st round (12th overall) draft pick Bobby Connor; rookie 4th round (74th overall) FS John Long; and MLB's Jonathan Goff and Chaun Thomas. The passes defensed were recorded by rookie 4th round (74th overall) draft pick John Long with two, sophmore MLB Jonathan Goff with two, CB Terrence McGee, rookie 1st round (2nd overall) draft pick CB Torry Mickens, rookie 1st round (12th overall) draft pick CB Bobby Connor, and rookie 2nd round (36th overall) draft pick OLB Antrel Brown. Both of the Freemasons quarterbacks had painful days: QB Andre Woodson finishing 6-15 (40%) for 90 yards with two interceptions and a rating of 20.8; QB Tony Romo finished 1-8 (12%) for 12 yards with four interceptions and a rating of 0.
At the post game press conference, head coach/GM Joshua Biddle said, "Absolutely awesome performance out there by the defense. Bleeker did a great job coaching these guys up in camp and the preseason. They really, really came to play today, especially the rookies. Great pressure, coverage, they totally clicked". Biddle added, "the offense played great the latter part of the first half, but they were contained to field goals early and you won't get away with three points against the schedule we play over the next several weeks".
The Cowboys do battle with their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in week two PFL action for a battle between 1-0 teams for the division lead.
The nerves, the uncertainty, all would increase throughout the first hour of the draft as he watched team after team pass on him. Hanks, projected as a 1st round pick, landed on the Cowboys after a draft day mixup where he ended up falling to the second pick of the second round. The Clinton Ditch Dr. Peppers originally made Hanks their first round draft choice, but the draft order had not been set at that juncture, forcing a re-pick of four selections in the draft. When the Dr.Peppers picked again, Hanks was still on the board, but they elected to go with CB Rod Wiley instead. Hanks was puzzled at the decision, but didn't make a big deal out of it like some players might. "I don't tie my abilities and self-worth to draft status. I thought I played well enough in college, at the senior bowl, at the combine to warrant a first round pick. Apparently 24 teams didn't see it that way" said Hanks on draft day upon meeting with reporters after his selection, "I think it was meant to happen this way since it has made me stronger, and now I have the opportunity to play in a city like Los Angeles with the Cowboys. I can't wait to get started and I promise I'll work as hard as I can to help us win, L.A.".
Hanks has refused to get into a verbal sparring match with the Clinton Ditch Dr.Peppers organization, even upon questions that would prompt such a response. "All I'll say is this, they apparently felt they needed a corner. Rod is a good player. Rod got selected." said Hanks, "am I disappointed it wasn't me? Not anymore. I'm happy to be in L.A.".
The majority felt that Hanks would work out of nickle and dime sets as a pure pass rusher in his first season, but his speed, agility, acceleration, and strength all stood out during training camp and preseason as a force to be reckoned with. "I think he's a very special player" said head coach/GM Joshua Biddle, "he was easily a first rounder in my book. I was shocked he fell, but happy since it gave us the opportunity to land him". Hanks quickly earned the reputation for being a hard worker, spending tireless hours in the weight room and watching film on his play, trying to identify and rectify perceived weaknesses in his game. "I want to be the best player I can be" Hanks said, "I owe it to myself and the team".
All of the hard work paid off Wednesday morning as it was announced that he had defeated incumbent DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila for the starting job, an unlikely scenario given Gbaja-Biamila's success this past season. "I'm excited" Hanks said, "things have really come full circle since college and draft day. I'm appreciative for this chance".
So are the Cowboys.
Sixth round (132nd overall) draft pick QB Ernie Thomas, the southpaw out of Wisconsin, played the entire second half and went 5-8 (62%) for 78 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception, finishing with a quarterback rating of 94.8. Fifth round (98th overall) pick HB Derrick Spence carried the ball 9 times for 69 yards (7.6 yards per carry) but fumbled once, a known tendency that caused him to sink in the draft. Seventh round (154th overall) pick FB Ed Browning entered the game in the third quarter and the first carry with him blocking was a 35-yard gain by HB Wali Lundy, helping him in his battle with FB Brandon Miree to start..
After the game, head coach/GM Joshua Biddle said "it was a great game and it was alot of fun seeing these draftees battle it out on the field. They played a heckuva game and it was very competitive for a game where the outcome didn't matter. It really didn't matter if we won or lost, but I'm sure the younger guys on the team felt fulfilled and felt that they contributed to something good by pulling it out in the end".
1(2) Torry Mickens CB Montana
1(12) Bobby Connor CB Tulsa
2(26) Carnell Hanks DE Florida
2(30) Reggie Hewitt TE Mid Tenn St.
2(36) Antrel Brown LB Florida St.
3(50) Jameel Miller DE Florida
3(58) Jake Willey LB Boston Coll.
4(74) John Long S Michigan St.
5(97) Curtis Barry DE Northern Iowa
5(98) Derrick Spence HB BYU
5(106) Joe Newberry S Florida St.
5(116) Toby Russell OT Colorado
6(122) Larry Lyons DT LSU
6(130) Donald Green S Virginia Tech
6(132) Ernie Thomas QB Wisconsin
7(146) Lamar Vales DE Utah
7(154) Ed Browning FB Colorado
Robertson finished this season with 3 tackles (1 for loss) with 1 fumble recovery and 1 interception. He found playing time in nickle packages until the middle of the season, where he was supplanted and benched. He only had 6 tackles (1 for loss) in 2007. He will have a fresh start in Death Valley where he may see playing time. Buchanon finished the season with 30 tackles (1 for loss) with 1 interception and 8 passes defensed. He started at CB opposite starting CB Terrence McGee for a portion of the season before being benched for CB Travis Fisher. The team benefitted by his benching, and by seasons end, he was the 4th corner on the depth chart playing only in dime and quarter packages as well as some special teams work. He is expected to be involved in the return game with the Rastafarians.
"The hope is that these hirings keep us on the right track and propel us to our first winning season here in Los Angeles" head coach Josh Biddle said at their introductory press conference, "This is step two in the process of building a winner with step one being the transactions conducted last season and step three being a soild draft. We have the pieces in place to be successful so the rest is up to the guys on the field, the coaching staff, and the execution this coming season".
The offense, already in good shape, shouldn't need too much work, though Fuller will need to work diligently with QB Erik Ainge to see if he has a future with the franchise after a rough rookie campaign in which he struggled to learn two different systems following an in-season coaching change.
The defense struggled throughout the season, giving up lots of points, but the team did win regardless and the defensive unit really improved after Biddle's hiring, especially in regard to takeaways. Bleeker will be instrumental in revamping a unit that could use a boost.
The special teams unit was solid in the return game and Bostic will help to keep the return game solid and the kick coverage units doing their job.