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| BUF at NE | CHI at GB | DAL at TB | DEN at CIN | DET at NO | JAX at IND | KC at BAL | MIA at ATL |
| MIN at CLE | NYJ at HOU | PHI at CAR | SD at OAK | SF at ARI | STL at SEA | TEN at PIT | WAS at NYG |
Week 1 Game Recap: Dallas Cowboys 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
Dallas Cowboys
| QB Tony Romo, Pass: 16 - 27 - 353 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 |
It wasn't an impressive performance for Romo as much as it was a terrible day for the Tampa safeties, particularly Sabby Piscitelli. Busted coverages by Piscitelli led to the long catch and run TDs by Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton, which basically amounted to half of Romo's production on the day. Romo was calm in the pocket, and his pinpoint accuracy on both of those throws did contribute to the big plays, in fairness to him. Romo also showed great timing and anticipation of Roy Williams routes. He could have had an even bigger day if he had made a better throw on a short fade to Martellus Bennett, but Romo threw a line drive. Most of Romo's incompletions were due to drops or good breakups of accurate passes more than errant throws. He was impressive as a blocker, springing a good gain on an end around by Patrick Crayton that was overturned by penalty. Tampa did get more pressure in the second half, but for the most part, the Dallas offensive line gave him time to calmly survey the field and make good throws.
| RB Marion Barber, Rush: 14 - 79 - 1 |
Barber got a paltry amount of work in the first three quarters - about 10 carries - because the Cowboys kept scoring on long plays, instead of putting together long drives. Still, Barber looked as quick, fast, strong, and determined as ever on his carries. He resumed his "finisher" role from 06/07, destroying a worn out defense in the fourth quarter and capping his drive with a touchdown. It seems like Barber should get about 50% of the RB work in a close game, with Felix Jones and Tashard Choice splitting the rest of the work. He is still a very good RB2, with RB1 potential if Jones gets hurt again this year.
| RB Felix Jones, Rush: 6 - 22 - 0 |
Felix had one electrifying touch that saw him get to the open field and elude a would-be tackler with ridiculous ease, but on the rest of his carries, he actually looked slow out of the gate and a bit tentative. The Cowboys didn't make a special effort to get him the ball in space or as a receiver out of the backfield. It was a disappointing first game, but his outlook will be better in games where the Cowboys actually put together some long drives.
| RB Tashard Choice, Rush: 2 - 10 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) |
Choice got a few touches on third down, and a wildcat carry, but he was mainly an afterthought in the Cowboys game plan. He did show terrific vision and cutting on his first down conversion, but as expected, it will take an injury for him to get significant touches this year. He still looks like the best #3 RB in the league, even better than a few of the #1s.
| WR Patrick Crayton, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 4 - 135 - 1 (6 targets) |
Crayton showed slightly better than expected speed on his catch and runs, but those were results of bad coverage and accurate throws by Romo more than great routes or athleticism by Crayton. He is reprising his route as a dependable underneath target, but he won't have these kinds of big plays against teams with competent safeties.
| WR Roy Williams, Rec: 3 - 86 - 1 (7 targets) |
Williams should feel vindicated in a game that was an answer to his critics. He didn't take it over by any means, but he showed good releases off the line to get into good routes, and Williams had precise timing with Tony Romo on his short and intermediate routes. Williams long catch and run TD was more due to poor angles by the Tampa defenders than blazing speed by Williams. He's still not the big play threat we thought he would be earlier in his career, but he seems to be on the same page as Romo, and that should assure his value as a starter in start 3 WR leagues.
| WR Miles Austin, Rec: 1 - 42 - 1 (2 targets) |
Austin shrugged off a poor tackle attempt by Elbert Mack and made Jermaine Phillips completely whiff with a nice open field move on his catch and run TD near the end of the first half. Austin also got behind the defense on a deep target that Tony Romo overthrew. He looks like the designated deep target in this offense, but his production will be hit and miss unless Patrick Crayton gets hurt.
| TE Jason Witten, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (7 targets) |
It's just like Witten to have a very good statistical game even though he was quiet. He got some production after the catch on a target where he was left alone crossing near the line of scrimmage, and as usual, most of his targets came 10 yards or more downfield. If these are his numbers in a game when Romo throws only 13 passes, his owners should be salivating about his potential in a close game.
| TE Martellus Bennett, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) |
Bennett only got one catch, but he was lined up split out wide a lot, and he did get a third and goal target that would have been a TD if Tony Romo had thrown a better ball because he is a ridiculous mismatch in the red zone for any DB. Like the rest of the offense, his statistical outlook should improve when the Cowboys have to put together longer drives to score.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| QB Byron Leftwich, Pass: 25 - 41 - 276 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 3 - 0 |
You can't pin this loss on Leftwich. He was in synch with his receiver early, displaying terrific downfield accuracy and the typical fireball velocity we've come to expect from Leftwich. He even moved around ok in the pocket and actually scrambled to the sideline on one play! Leftwich did have trouble with accuracy on short touch passes to RBs out of the backfield, and his INT came on a deep target that was underthrown because he was hit low as he released the ball. Josh Freeman will likely take over at some point this year, but if Leftwich plays like he did on Sunday, it won't be because the coaches feel the need to yank him.
| RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 12 - 62 - 1, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) |
Ward didn't see the field until partway through the Bucs second drive, but he looked great once he got in. He ran with a great initial burst, broke tackles, dragged tacklers, and ran downhill all day. Ward was also a good outlet out of the backfield. He benefited from good blocking up front by the Bucs young, strong offensive line. Ward also got the first two goal line carries after Cadillac's big run, before yielding to Caddy on third down, so his day could have been even bigger. Ward's productivity in a loss has to be heartening to people who took him in the 4th/5th round only to hear about a three-headed RB after their draft.
| RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 13 - 97 - 1 |
Welcome back Cadillac! Williams looked as good as he ever has in his career. He ran with an outstanding initial burst, always falling forward and getting yards after contact, and running very hard between the tackles. Caddy ran with efficiency and determination, breaking tackles and bowling over defenders for extra yards at the end of his runs. He also flashed a second gear on his long run. You also have to love the Bucs playcalling of three runs when they got in a goal to go situation early in the game if you're a Caddy owner. He is worth the top waiver wire pickup this week because he is looking so good behind a strong drive-blocking line on a team that loves to run.
| RB Clifton Smith, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) |
Smith got work in the two-minute drill, and looked shifty and elusive on his touches, but he is just a role playing back in this offense, getting little to no work in the base sets.
| RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 |
Graham never really got the "1" in the 2-2-1 split the Bucs had said they were going with at RB. He got one carry, and he did throw a lead back that Derrick Ward followed to score his TD, but it looks like Graham will go back to a support role until one of the backs ahead of him go down with an injury.
| RB B.J. Askew, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Askew got one target and split time with Earnest Graham as a fullback.
| WR Michael Clayton, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 5 - 93 - 0 (8 targets) |
Clayton kept with the "welcome back" theme in the Bucs offense. A good part of his production came on a sprawling deep catch late in the first half, and he also got catches by taking a big hit over the middle and finding a soft spot in the zone. Clayton could have had an even bigger day if it wasn't for a drop and bad throw by Leftwich on targets that saw Clayton open downfield. As usual Clayton was also important as a run blocker, getting the key block to free up Caddy's big run. He also got an end around that had a throw option that he took, but nothing was open downfield.
| WR Sammie Stroughter, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (5 targets) |
Stroughter is exactly the dependable short and intermediate target we expected him to be. He got a red zone target where he was down just short of the goal line. He should have marginal PPR value if Bryant misses significant time.
| WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (5 targets) |
Bryant looked healthy on his catch and run, and got behind the defense a few times, but Byron Leftwich couldn't hit him. Bryant apparently hurt his surgically repaired knee in the fourth quarter, so stay tuned for injury updates this week.
| WR Brian Clark, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (1 targets) |
Clark got in the game after Antonio Bryant went down and got a few garbage time targets, but flashing nothing that encouraging during his short time on the field.
| WR Maurice Stovall, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (3 targets) |
Stovall seemed overwhelmed by the first Leftwich fastball he got, but he settled down and got a few targets later and converted one into a catch. Still, he is no threat to the receivers above him on the depth chart.
| TE Kellen Winslow, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0, Rec: 5 - 30 - 1 (9 targets) |
Winslow's game wasn't nearly as good as his numbers suggest. He dropped a fourth-down target that would have been an easy conversion, and his TD came in garbage time. Winslow did get some targets way downfield for a TE, and he is definitely prominent in the pecking order for targets, but Winslow's yardage came mostly on one downfield catch, otherwise, he was just a safety valve on his receptions.
| TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 4 - 41 - 0 (5 targets) |
The Bucs said they were going to use both TEs in the passing game, and they did, as they got Stevens involved early, and then late in garbage time. He didn't look spectacular, but Stevens could easily catch 5-6 balls a game if Winslow goes down, so keep him in mind as an emergency TE play if you end up needing one.