ROB CAGLEYSHREVEPORT, LA
So, I'm sure you'll get many of these questions today...why not blitz more often!? It seemed to work great against Cousins, and I'm not saying to ALWAYS do that, but it surely caught the Redskins off guard.
David: I think part of the reason it caught the Redskins off guard is because it's not something Rod Marinelli likes to do. He deviated a good bit from his tendency to just rush four, and it worked out. You'd like to think, given the encouraging results, that the defense incorporates more blitzes down the stretch. But this isn't suddenly going to become a blitz-happy scheme. That's just not the way Marinelli does things – for better or for worse.
Nick: Yeah I will agree on two things you said. Yes, I think you blitz more and yes I think it won't work often. Part of this team's philosophy is not giving up the big play. Blitzing can lead to that. It can also lead to making some big plays. The problem with this defense is that it has to blitz to generate pressure and that's a big disappointment. We thought the combinations of Hardy, Lawrence, Mincey, Crawford and Gregory would lead to constant pressure. Not the case and so they had to mix it up. But be careful, blitzing Cousins and blitzing Aaron Rodgers seem to be different animals.
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STEVE WISKERCHENWISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI
If this team can find a way to be contending for a playoff spot, Jerry Jones said he's holding out for a Romo return. Is it realistic to think Romo could return to compete if the team finds themselves in contention in Week 16 or 17?*
David: Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, because there's still a few games between now and the end of the season. I can say with certainty that the Cowboys won't have Romo when they travel to Green Bay this weekend, so it's hard to look past that. Having said that, it was pretty encouraging to see him throw on Monday night during pregame warmups. Week 17 will be roughly five weeks after he suffered the injury, so it doesn't seem completely implausible. But the Cowboys will have to win several more games without him to make it even worth thinking about.
Nick: I do think Romo could and will play if this thing stays alive a few more weeks. And I don't think it would be the playoffs for him to come back. If they're alive for the Buffalo game on Dec. 27, I could see him playing in it. Romo actually threw some passes to the receivers in warm-ups on Monday night. He's not in the sling and so I would like to think there's a chance he could play in 3-4 weeks.
