Where’s Witten?

Posted on 22. Oct, 2009 by Jesse in Articles

At the beginning of the 2009 season many NFL experts would have agreed that Cowboys TE Jason Witten was one of the best players in the league at his position. Witten doesn’t have blazing speed, but he plays in a great system, has fantastic hands, and was supposedly the apple of Tony Romo’s eye. Witten was even supposed to see an uptick in production this year as Romo’s long-time top option, Terrell Owens, had relocated from America’s team to “North America’s Team.”

Well, through six weeks of NFL action, Witten has failed to meet expectations in a major way. Dude has scored just one TD, and that seems inexplicable.

So far this year Witten is averaging a paltry 51 yards per game. When you compare that to the 65.5 yards per game J-dub averaged in 2007-08, you see an immediate dropoff. We typically think that Witten is the kind of TE that can go off for big yardage, but that trend has been reversing of late. Witten has just one 100-yard performance in his last 19 games. Surprising? Yes. But why?

Witten is averaging a career-low 9.3 yards per catch this season, which is more than two yards less than his career average, so obviously the Cowboys aren’t focusing on getting him downfield. Unfortunately, the club isn’t targeting Witten in the red zone lately either as evidenced by his lack of TD-producing prowess. I’m worried this trend may not change any time soon either, as defenses continue to crowd the line and double-cover Witten. This often forces Tony Romo into bad throws, which only exacerbates the problem.

I know Jason is a talented guy, and I have to believe that he’s going to come around at some point in the future. Still, Miles Austin might be the most important part of this equation. If Austin can again cause defenses to put more focus downfield, Witten could again find open holes underneath. Until that happens though, don’t be surprised if Jason Witten continues to be harder to find than Waldo.

That’s what it’s all about

Posted on 10. Oct, 2009 by Jesse in Blog

Last weekend I was fortunate to attend a very good football game between the Broncos and the Cowboys at Invesco Field at Mile High. The stadium was awesome, and our upper-level seats still gave us a great view of the action as we sat near the 30-yard line. I took this picture of the Broncos two Lombardi’s before the contest began, and they now serve as one of my memories from a truly fantastic day.

After all, winning a Super Bowl is what it’s all about, right?

Not on this day. Glories past may still matter, but the experience of the moment seemed more glorious than anything else last Sunday. My good buddy and I yelled loudly for the home team, drank a few cold ones, and stuffed ourselves on nachos. Maybe that’s why “the present” is referred to as “the present.” This day was certainly a great one for me and an old friend I hadn’t seen in five years.

I wonder if Tony Romo feels the same about the outcome? Probably not. Players play to win games, but for fans like me, it’s all about the experience.

Mr. September

Posted on 19. Sep, 2009 by Jesse in Articles

Every year Tony Romo starts out looking really enticing for fantasy owners and Cowboys fans alike. He’s the picture perfect playboy, and QB of America’s team. He loves the limelight, and dates starlets as the envy of adolescent men everywhere. Then, just as predictably, he falters down the stretch.

We all know Reggie Jackson is Mr. October, but October baseball actually means something. Romo’s problem as Mr. September is that nobody remembers September at all when the Super Bowl kicks off in February. Some around the Cowboys organization swear that things will be different this year. They believe that the team will be more Romo-centric without Terrell Owens in the mix, and that as a result Romo will finally succeed. We’ll see.

Nevertheless, we can’t deny that Romo is awesome in September. He has tossed 22 TD’s in nine career games in the NFL’s opening month, and has an impressive 8-1 record in those game. But still, like any good QB, his season will be deemed a success or a failure based solely upon the outcome of the Cowboys final game.

So for the time being, the skeletons will remain in the closet. It’s September now, and Tony knows how to smile when the cameras are on him early. This weekend’s primetime showdown with the Giants should be no different. Remember, Mr. September torched the G-Men for 345 yards and 4 scores just two years ago in the home opener, which was also broadcast on Sunday night.

I only wonder if this pic was taken of Tony while he and Witten were vacationing two years ago with Jessica in Mexico. If you’ll remember, that was also before a pretty big game against the Giants, and things didn’t go so well.

Of course not, that was January.

NFL Newslinks 8/3/09

Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Jesse in NFL Newslinks

• It’s August now, and that means we’re off to the races. Training camps have already begun, and GoHuddleUp has you covered. Our Newslinks will keep you abreast of the latest developments, so come back often.
• With Derrick Mason’s return, any speculation about Broncos WR Brandon Marshall heading to Baltimore now come to a crashing halt. Marshall continues to miss time in Denver.
• Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen denies the team has any interest whatsoever in Michael Vick. Apparently Bowlen has no plans on meeting with Ron Mexico.
• Reggie Bush missed practice on Monday afternoonwith swelling in his surgically repaired knee. Still, it’s sounding like Bush has looked explosive when actually on the field.
• The Eagles had a stellar offseason, but they got some very disappointing news on Monday when they found out that they had lost starting MLB Stewart Bradley for the season. Bradley suffered a torn ACL.
• ESPN analyst Adam Schefter believes that Falcons WR Roddy White could end up holding out “a little while. At least.” White is asking for more money, and is refusing to report to camp.
• Braylon Edwards continues to sit out with a mysterious injury. Rumors indicate that Edwards injured himself while playing hoops. That won’t endear him to coaches anytime soon, but at least he isn’t dropping passes.
• Larry Johnson appears to have had a major attitude overhaul this offseason. He’s happy to be with the Chiefs, is working hard, and is fitting in nicely.                                                                  
• Could a happier LJ produce better in 2009?
• Tony Romo knows he has critics, but he’s not letting that bother him. Instead, he’s working on the finer pointsin his game.
• Devin Thomas is looking to redeem himself for a lackluster rookie season last year in Washington. He’s on the right track. Thomas is currently starting at WR opposite Santana Moss.
• As we reported via Twitter earlier tonight, Marshawn Lynch will be suspended for the first three games of the season. He’ll be replaced by Fred Jackson, and Dominic Rhodes will also see time.
• Plaxico Burress is screwed.
• Eagles rookie WR Jeremy Maclin just got paid.
• Kellen Winslow feels the Tampa offense is quite complex, and is having a bit of a hard time adjusting. But his testicles aren’t swollen to the size of coconuts, so he’s all good.

Has Romo gone insane?

Posted on 17. Jul, 2009 by Jesse in Articles

Romo, you're the man...

Say what you want about Cowboys QB Tony Romo and his late-season struggles. There’s one arena where cat has had nothing but success since bursting on the scene a few years back: Romo has been pure gold with the ladies. Carrie Underwood, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Simpson have all been linked to #8 over the past 2 1/2years. Still, despite “playa” status, Romo is insane. Word out on the street is that he’s dumped Simpson. Dumped JESSICA SIMPSON? Man, I can’t figure Tony out at all. Hasn’t he seen Dukes of Hazzard? Oh wait, he’s seen a helluva lot more… damn. We should start a pool for who his next one will be. I’ll put my money on Kim Kardashian. Can anyone say upgrade?