5 Questions with a Cowboys Blogger

BTB - The Cowboys offensive line had been a pleasant surprise. Through three games this year Drew Bledsoe has only been sacked three times. They did add Jason Fabini from the Jets to the team, but he's not even starting and has yet to play. Marc Colombo, a first round pick of the Bears a few years ago, is the starting RT and is doing a good job and is getting better week-by-week. He was out of football for a couple of years due to a devastating knee injury, but has re-gained his strength in the knee and is holding his own. We have Flozell Adams back at LT, who missed half of last year with an ACL injury, so that has also helped. We replaced an aging Larry Allen with a younger Kyle Kosier who has turned into one of our best offensive linemen. And Andre Gurode finally won the starting center job and has had a fantastic season and has been our best lineman through the first three game. We are hoping he will play this week after the despicable stomp to the face he received from Albert Haynesworth.

This is a far cry from the offensive line we trotted out last year, and I think Philly fans will be surprised. They've protected Bledsoe well and our running game is also prospering, with Julius Jones averaging 4.8 yards a carry.

JB - There were reports of some Cowboy season ticket holders cancelling their seats to protest the TO signing. Given everything that he had done to the Cowboys in the past and the general fact that pretty much everyone hates him, how have the fans there received "the player" so far?

BTB - It's been a mixed bag. I was one of the guys who didn't want him to play for Dallas and was vocal in that belief. But now that he's on the team, I've accepted it and I try to see the good he brings to the team. Teaming him up with Terry Glenn has given Dallas one of the best WR combinations in the NFL. He draws a lot of double-teams giving Terry Glenn a lot of room to do damage and also helps Jason WItten get open (although Witten has had a slight case of the butter-fingers this year). His presence also keeps defenses from stacking the box, giving our running game more room to work with. So when I look at it in a narrow perspective, concentrating on what he brings to the team on the field, I can see that he's done a lot of good in juicing up our offense. The Cowboys are moving the ball and scoring points better than they have in a long time.

As for the general reaction of Cowboys fans to Owens, it's all over the map. Even on my blog I have guys that hate him, guys that love him, and guys that tolerate him. But as long as Dallas keeps winning, I think overall the fans will tolerate his presence, if not outright cheer for him. So far we haven't seen the Owens you guys saw in Philly, and we're hopeful we don't anytime soon.

JB - If you could add one Eagles' player to the Cowboys' roster, who would it be?

BTB - Great question, I'm going to steal it for future "5 Questions" segments. I have two answers, because one would be an experiment. The first would be Jevon Kearse. Since we play a 3-4 defense though, I would have to move him to OLB. We did that exact thing with our former defensive end in our old 4-3 defense, Greg Ellis. So far, he's adjusted well to standing up and having coverage responsibilities as opposed to having a hand on the ground and only rushing the passer. So it would be interesting to do the same with Kearse and pair him up with our other OLB DeMarcus Ware. Those two could wreak havoc on opposing QB's. But it would be an experiment, and one Kearse might not like.

Otherwise, give me McNabb. You have a question later about Drew Bledsoe, so I'll talk more about him later. But suffice it to say Bledsoe is getting a little long in the tooth and I would take McNabb as our franchise QB. Then again, with Terrell already on the team, I guess that wouldn't work out too well. Can I have Westbrook instead?

JB - There are rumors that this could be Bill Parcells' last year. So far, he has had mixed results as the Cowboys coach. In hindsight, was he the right hire and would you like to see him back?

BTB - The answer is yes to any question about Parcells and the Cowboys. He was the right hire because he has taken a roster that was average at best when he got here, and that's being kind, and totally revamped it. The Dallas defense is now stocked with young talent that are playing great ball. He switched us to the 3-4 defense - which is my preferred choice anyway - and we could be a top 5 defense for a long time. He's also instilled a philosophy and a work ethic that was missing, which I think will payoff big in the coming years. I would love to see him back next year, and every year after that, so long as he wants to coach. The Cowboys were floundering before he got here, now they are on an upward curve and should be contenders for the foreseeable future.

JB - Do you believe Drew Bledsoe is a QB that can lead Dallas to a superbowl?

BTB - The key word is "lead". If you mean can he put the team on his back and take them there, I would say no. But can he manage a team that has a very good defense and an excellent compliment of skill players on offense, and take them to a Super Bowl. Drew Bledsoe is an easy QB to scout and predict. He's physically big, reads defenses pretty well, shows leadership and has a big arm. All good things. He's also a statue in the pocket, will hold the ball too long and make bad decisions under pressure. All bad things. There's no grey area with Bledsoe, it's very black-and-white. If his offensive line gives him a clean pocket to work from, he can dissect a defense (witness last year's first game against the Eagles) and put up big numbers that lead to wins. If the line can't protect him, he can't scramble to save the play and he will force passes into coverage and turn the ball over. In short, Bledsoe can lead us to a Super Bowl if the line gives him adequate protection.

Bonus question

JB - What string of expletives did Parcells use upon hearing that Jerry Jones had signed TO?

BTB I believe Parcells lifted Lawrence Taylor's line from the movie The Waterboy: "Which brings me to my second point, kids. Don't do crack."