Welcome back to this week’s edition of Martin’s 5!
I had to dig a little deeper this week to bring out some of those lingering thoughts that are stuck in my head.
I think I’m still riding on that high from the Dallas Cowboys victory over the Chicago Bears last Sunday night. How exciting was a game to watch?
This week the Cowboys take on another NFC opponent when they head to San Francisco to play the 49ers at Levi Stadium Sunday afternoon.
This match up could possibly be the definition of a trap game for the Dallas Cowboys, especially when you consider the fact that the 49ers new head coach is Chip Kelly, who should be well-versed in what the Cowboys do.
But, let’s not get off track here. Below are five things I am wondering about when the Dallas Cowboys hit the road to take on the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon.
One: I recently wrote an article about whether or not Terrance Williams is the most hated Dallas Cowboys player, which is based mostly on his early-season struggles. That article really made me start to wonder if Brice Butler will start to see more opportunities in the passing game? The hot topic of the off-season was if Brice Butler could beat Terrance Williams for that #2 WR position, but I guess we all forgot about Cole Beasley. Nevertheless, Williams has had a rocky start to the 2016 season and that could mean that Butler starts seeing more playing time.
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Two: With the success that Dak Prescott has been having the first three games of the 2016 season, I wonder if Tony Romo is learning anything from the way Prescott has been playing? Romo is well known for tinkering with different parts of his game each off-season to try to improve as a quarterback. So, would it be to far of a reach to suggest that watching Prescott from the sideline has made him think about how he can emulate #4’s success so far? Romo will take over as the starter once he’s back to 100%, and I think he would be smart to study why Prescott has been so good in his absence.
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Three: Linebacker Sean Lee and Navarro Bowman played alongside each other during their time at Penn State. This Sunday the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers face off against one another, so I’ve been wondering who will have the better game of the two? It still amazes me that Penn State had both of these players on defense at the same time and that they are both still playing at a really high level in the NFL. Whichever player has the better game might be the determining factor of whose team comes away with a victory. Let’s just hope it’s #50.
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Four: Let’s stick with the teammate theme here for just a second, because I wonder who will be the better running back Sunday between the two former Ohio State Buckeyes? As a freshman at Ohio State, Ezekiel Elliott played second fiddle to Carlos Hyde, so you can almost bet that both players want to win the bragging rights to who the best Buckeye RB really is. Elliott might just have a little added incentive after being Hyde’s back up in college, but whoever has the better outing Sunday might be the deciding factor of which team wins the game.
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Five: I wonder if Chip Kelly will have something up his sleeve for the Dallas Cowboys Sunday? The former Philadelphia Eagles head coach should know the Cowboys personnel really well and know how to exploit their weaknesses. Knowing your opponent is extremely helpful. It helps with the game plan and the 49ers looked at their best in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams when they had the time to prepare for that particular opponent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 49ers do some things that are designed to catch the Cowboys off guard. We just have to hope that the Dallas Cowboys are disciplined and ready for the unexpected.
Is there anything you are wondering this week?
Let me hear what you think in the comment section below.
It’s always good to pontificate. While I think you can learn from anyone, it’s difficult to imagine that Tony Romo can watch and emulate Dak Prescott. Tony is not as fleet of foot and doesn’t have the escapability of Dak. Honestly that has been one of the keys to his success. I do not consider him a running QB but he has great pocket presence and field vision and has played very smart. He takes what’s given. I do not like comparisons but he does play and throw on the run similar to Russel Wilson. That has not been Tony’s style of play and you can’t incorporate that at 36. If he runs we all grimace and clench. No when he gets back in the pocket with his old job I don’t expect to see any change and tgats ok because there was nothing wrong with the old Tony!
Thanks for sharing Randy. It’s always good to get some feedback from the readers. I think if there is anything that Romo can learn from Prescott it’s to play a little smarter and take what’s given to him. Prescott hasn’t thrown an INT because he is simply taking what the defense gives him. Romo on the other hand will take chances because he’s more of a gunslinger. But I agree with you, they both have different styles of play and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.