The Cowboys Report

Trouble in Big D? Offensive line takes some hits

Roger Rivero
Aug 24, 2018, 6:55 am
Dak Prescott should see lots of action this week. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

With the start of the NFL season only a few weeks away, are the Cowboys already in trouble?  At this point in time they are down two great offensive linemen. Last week Pro Bowl Right Guard Zach Martin left the game vs. Cincinnati with a left knee injury and early Thursday morning it was announced that Pro Bowl Center Travis Frederick is out indefinitely with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.   This is a rare auto immune disorder that attacks the body’s nerves and causes muscle weakness and has to timetable. Along with the departures of Jason Witten and Dez Bryant, this only adds to the question of “What is the Cowboys offense going to look like this year?”

Logically Jason Garrett and his staff would look to lean heavily on their young stud running back Ezekiel Elliott.  This will probably mean Elliott getting over 400 touches this season which relies on having a healthy O-Line. Luckily, starting QB Dak Prescott and the first team offense have looked good the first two preseason games.  Prescott has gone 13-of-18 for 125 yards, two touchdowns and NO interceptions. On the four drives he has had, they have scored three times. The most notable was a 30 yard TD pass to rookie wide receiver Michael Gallup.

Even with the Cowboys starting 0-2, things might not be so bad if Prescott can bounce back to his 2016 form where he threw for over 3,000 yards, 23 TDs, and only 4 INTs.  This would be a tremendous benefit to both Elliott and the O-Line by keeping the defense honest and not stacking the line of scrimmage.

3 Players to Watch

  1. Joe Looney, Cowboys starting Center due Frederick’s illness.  Looney is a 2012 4th round pick out of Wake Forest.  He is 6’3 and weighs over 300 lbs. but has only started three games in the last two years.  It will be good to see how he fits in with the first team offense.

  2. Tyree Robinson (Undrafted Free agent), who is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster but has a great opportunity because the Cowboys also have multiple injuries to their secondary (starting safety Xavier Woods and backup Jameill Showers).  He is a 6’3 slender defensive back who put up decent college stats at the University of Oregon. He has the ability be be a great asset in the defensive backfield as well as contribute to special teams.

  3. Michael Gallup, rookie wide receiver from Colorado State who was drafted in the third round this year. (I will definitely have my eye on this one for fantasy purposes.)  At 6’1 he has favorable size and speed, which he has shown already. The coaches definitely see something there because he has been in on 85% of the first team snaps in the first two preseason games.  Not to mention the Cowboys have a few question marks at the position with Cole Beasley and Tavon Austin not being on the field much with lower body injuries.  

Coming up

On Sunday night, the Cowboys will take on the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX (AKA:  Jerry’s World). This should be a good one not only because it is the third preseason game which is said to be the one that most resembles a real game but the Cowboys haven’t won a game yet and I am sure they are going to push hard to get one in the win column.  Not only are we going to get to see a lot of reps out of Prescott and Elliott, but the Cardinals first team is loaded with a bunch of talent too.  Newly signed free agent QB Sam Bradford will be on the field with All-Pro running back David Johnson and potential future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

For you gamblers out there, you might want to put a small wager on the Cowboys at +1.5.  I know I am going to.




 

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Houston scored in droves

Astros drub Twins in finale to take series win

Houston's offense showered Minnesota with hits in Sunday's finale. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

After splitting the first two games, with Houston's offense uncharacteristically ineffective in the loss on Saturday, they tried to turn things around with a win to take the series on Sunday. The Astros would bounce right back at the plate, getting hits and runs all through the afternoon to rout the Twins.

Final Score: Astros 14, Twins 3

Astros' Record: 37-28, second in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Framber Valdez (3-0)

Losing Pitcher: Michael Pineda (3-4)

Valdez keeps rolling

Framber Valdez continued to impress in 2021 after starting his season on the IL, posting another quality start with a win against the Twins. After four scoreless frames, he allowed a solo homer to start the bottom of the fifth, just the third hit of the game for Minnesota to that point. He went on to retire the next three batters to get through the inning.

He faltered a bit in the bottom of the sixth, allowing a leadoff double followed by a single, with a run coming across on an error on that play. He once again rebounded to finish that frame, then put up a 1-2-3 seventh to finish his day off, notching another quality start and a win. His final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 97 P.

Houston keeps their foot on the gas

While Valdez's outing was a highlight of its own, Houston's offense was the story of the day. They put their foot down on the pedal all day and did not let up, starting in the top of the first when Jose Altuve turned the first pitch of the game around for a single, later scoring on a sac fly by Alex Bregman to put the Astros in front 1-0.

After two scoreless innings, they got right back on the scoreboard in the fourth with a two-run homer by Kyle Tucker, then kept pouring it on with two runs in the fifth on a sac fly by Yuli Gurriel and an error, making it 5-0 at the time. The runs kept coming in the top of the sixth, with a two-RBI double by Michael Brantley, who would score later on a two-run bomb by Yordan Alvarez. Then, in the top of the seventh, Brantley struck again to push it to double-digits with a two-RBI single to make it 11-2 and give Brantley 4 RBI on the afternoon.

With Houston swapping out starters with the hefty lead, even their pinch-hitters were getting involved, with Chas McCormick leading the top of the eighth off with a solo shot to make it a ten-run game. They then loaded the bases with no outs, setting up a sac fly for Myles Straw to make it 13-2.

Astros take the series

In the bottom of the eighth, Ralph Garza Jr. came in as the first reliever out of the bullpen for Houston. He recorded two quick outs but then met Nelson Cruz, who lasered a solo homer to put it back at a ten-run game before finishing the frame. Houston put their twentieth hit on the board in the top of the ninth, their highest total this season, en route to another scoring inning with a sac fly by Robel Garcia to make it 14-3. Garza came in for his second inning of work to wrap things up in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Astros a successful end to this series and road trip.

Up Next: Houston will travel home before an off day on Monday to rest before 20 days of consecutive games. They'll kick off a six-game homestand on Tuesday, welcoming in the Rangers for two starting at 7:10 PM Central. Lance McCullers Jr. (3-1, 2.96 ERA) will make his return from the IL for the Astros, though Jake Odorizzi will "piggy-back" him, and Kyle Gibson (4-0, 2.13 ERA) will take the mound for Texas.

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