BRETT SKELLENGERFONTANELLE, LA
Watching the destruction that David Irving caused on Sunday night from the defensive end position, is there any chance that the staff thinks of moving him to DE and kicking Tyrone Crawford back to tackle where he started?
Rob: Irving has moved around playing both tackle and end in certain situations this season. I think the coaches like the idea of having Crawford on the left side as a powerful edge setter at nearly 300 pounds. All the linemen are going to play in this rotation. But yes, when you see Irving pressure the quarterback from the edge like that you wonder if perhaps he could get a few extra snaps in the rotation over there.
David:We got similar questions after the Green Bay game, where Irving starred from the defensive tackle spot, and we said we didn't think much would change. Seeing him shine as an edge rusher, though, I have to think he deserves an increase in snaps. I'm not sure you want him playing every snap, because Rod Marinelli says consistency is one of his big issues. But his length clearly causes problems out there.
BOB PICKENSSCOTTSDALE, AZ
Why in the world does Jason Garrett take the ball when he wins the coin toss? Look what happened at the start of the third quarter. What a dumb move. Play defense. Get the ball coming out of the second half. He is the only coach that does that.
Rob: My explanation would be this: Garrett has an offense that he rightfully believes can set a physical tone in the running game and get an early lead. That's been the identity of this team. The Cowboys have scored points on their opening drive in seven games and scored a touchdown in five games. That's not a perfect percentage, but this is a team that scores the fourth-most points per game in the league (26.1). If you can score first, that gives your defense something to work with early on.
David:How's this for a stat. The Cowboys have gotten the ball to start 12 of 14 games this season. On the opening drive of the second half, when the opponent starts with the ball, they've surrendered just 20 points. Only four of 12 teams have succeeded in capitalizing on that possession after halftime. I think that's a worthy risk, given the opportunity to start fast and give your team an early lead.
[embeddedad0]
