Mick's Mail

Monday, October 12, 2009

James Shreckengost, Hayward, CA: I have been a Cowboy fan my whole life and until now never felt frustrated enough to try and get my question answered so please answer it. I do not get why Tashard Choice does not get more carries! I have read on some blogs on this site that when they are healthy he does not have the power of Marion Barber or the speed of Felix Jones. Come on, they said Emmitt was too small, not fast enough . . . blah, blah, blah. Does anyone notice Tashard when he does play has great vision like Emmitt Smith? Tashard does not get thrown for a loss as much as Barber does and runs between the tackles. 

Mickey: Well I’m with you on this one. Give Tashard more carries. It’s OK if they want to start Barber so they can classify him as a starter, but I think after Felix gets his, Tashard should get at least as many carries as Barber until, mmmm, maybe the end if the Cowboys have a lead and they want to turn the ball over to Barber, the closer. This kid needs touches.

 

Bud Bourland, Midland, Texas: I have been a fan of the Dallas Cowboys since they were born into the league. What the hello is wrong with the Boys these days? They play worse than the very first team way back. 

Mickey: Boy, there is a lot of frustration growing, isn’t there? Don’t blame you, and as I’ve said, that’s what stems from inconsistent play. The Cowboys continue to tease you with this win one, lose one rut they seem to be in, volleying back and forth each week so far over five games. In fact, you have to go back to a three-game winning streak last year in Games 10-12 to find the last time this club has won back-to-back games – meaning they haven’t won consecutively in nine straight games now. But Bud, as bad as things might seem, this isn’t quite like 0-11-1, is it?

 

Matthew Reed: Franklin Park, NJ: With the heavy pressure that's on Tony Romo's shoulders for this week's game against KC, and with Roy Williams most likely not playing, who in your opinion do you see most likely to make a huge impact on Dallas receiving yards? The wide receivers have to step up and make plays, especially since all eyes are looking at Romo at this point. 

Mickey: Oh how I wished I would have seen this email before Sunday’s game in Kansas City, because I most certainly would have said “Miles Austin,” and please, I do smile when I write that. But even though I’m getting to this email a tad late, Matthew did make a good point, and you saw how important it was for a receiver to step up to help out Romo. Austin did. And I think the key thing for Austin here was that he was more than just a situational player, meaning he was able to get in enough plays to learn and then makeup for his early mistakes. Now that the cat is out of the bag, and certainly defenses will be focusing a little more on him, will Austin develop a measure of consistency or might he become one of those one-hit wonders? We shall see.

 

William Houchins, Beaver, W.VA.: Any chances the team does a deal at the trade deadline? We never really know what Jerry has up his sleeve.

Mickey: No, you certainly don’t. But I’m not sure what you’d have to trade, even if you found something worth trading for by the Oct. 20 deadline. Oh, I suppose if someone had a need, you might be able to get something for either Duke Preston or Montrae Holland (remember him?), like maybe a later-round draft choice, but what would be the chance of the team needing one of those guys having exactly what you’re looking for? And as the Cowboys were reminded of last season in the Roy Williams trade, sometimes these mid-season trades don’t pay immediate dividends. Can’t imagine there is anyone out there available that you would part with a top three-round draft choice, and likely nothing more than a sixth or seventh since you see what the Cowboys got for just that fifth last year (Holland).