Latest dallas cowboys twitter mailbag part 1 11

Todd ArcherOct 31, 2014, 10:00 AM ET

IRVING, Texas -- Part 1 of the Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag is ready. In it we discuss:

To play Tony Romo or not?
Do you still believe?
Letting the trade deadline pass
The return game
When will Rod Marinelli blitz?

Away we go:

@toddarcher Are the Cowboys better served with healthy Weeden over an ailing Romo given their powerful running game? #cowboysmail
— Joshua Jackson (@JoshuaR_Jackson) October 30, 2014

@toddarcher: If Tony Romo is cleared by the doctors and can show he can move around well enough and make the throws, then he should play. If there is some question about the latter even with the doctors' OK, then I think I'd sit him. What happens if Romo gets hurt if he plays because he can't move around well enough? That's the issue. Obviously the offense would change. Brandon Weeden is not Romo. He doesn't have his experience. He can't create like he does. Even if Romo plays, the Cowboys will plan to run the ball because that's what they have done all year. If Weeden plays, he will be helped by the running game. But Arizona has one of the better run defenses going, so the quarterback will have to make plays. I think the Cowboys were encouraged by what they saw in Weeden on Monday night, so they have more confidence in him now that he has played two series than if he hadn't played at all this season.

@toddarcher Let's be honest. Did Monday show you the Cowboys are pretenders instead of contenders? Or do you still have faith? #cowboysmail
— Reece Waddell (@ReeceTapout15) October 30, 2014

@toddarcher: To quote the great Jean-Jacques Taylor, it's not my job to have faith. I had this team at 8-8 to start the season. Clearly I was wrong with that guess and I think they'll make the playoffs now. If you're asking, I'll say they go 10-6. But I wasn't ready to say the Cowboys were a Super Bowl contender when they are 6-1. I saw warts, especially on defense. They can't get to the quarterback. They try hard. They work hard. They just aren't good enough to do it on a consistent basis. I'm not saying they can't win the NFC. I think they can. I just wouldn't bet on it. I do think the conference is wide open. If Romo misses a lot of time, obviously things change. I don't think one loss to the Washington Redskins makes them a pretender. The Cowboys struggle with the Redskins defense. They haven't figured out the riddle even in wins. If they lose Sunday and don't play well, I'm not saying the season is over by any stretch, but the concern level would rise. If they lose a close game against the Arizona Cardinals, then I would think they would have the rebound. Have I mentioned Romo has to be healthy enough for them to make a run?

@toddarcher Do you think Cowboys made a mistake not bringing in Linebacker help at the trade deadline? #cowboysmail
— Tony Underwood (@TonyUnderwood87) October 30, 2014

@toddarcher: No. Tell me who they should go get that would have made an appreciable difference and then tell me what they should have given up. It's easy to say, "Make a trade," but there are a lot of things to factor in. Does the player fit the scheme? Does he come at the right price against the cap? Does he come at the right price in giving up a pick? They are already flipping picks with the Baltimore Ravens thanks to the Rolando McClain trade. They might have to give up a pick to the Tennessee Titans for the Lavar Edwards trade. For as well as this team is playing this year, I do think there needs to be a big-picture view on the future. They aren't in position to give draft picks away. This is a team that still needs to build the roster up through the draft. The last time they made a big trade at the deadline was for Roy Williams, the receiver, with the Detroit Lions. Do you think they wish they had those picks back after that trade soured? I'm OK with them standing pat. Tim Dobbins is a veteran and he can help if needed.

@toddarcher Todd, what's going on with Dwayne Harris in the return game? Why the lack of production in his specialty area? #cowboysmail
— Steve St. John (@StevieJ626) October 29, 2014

@toddarcher: Some of it is opportunity. Teams are making it hard for him to return punts. Percentage-wise he has the same amount of fair catches this season as he had all of last season, but teams are doing a good job of hemming in the return or giving him little room. The blocking has not been as good and his decision-making has not been as good. The kick return game has some of the same issues. The Cowboys need to get more from special teams in general and Dwayne Harris in particular. They need to flip the field in the offense's favor more. The offense is doing fine driving the ball and converting on third downs, but having drives start in plus territory makes things a lot easier. There is a fine line Harris has to balance between patience and taking too much risk. I'd rather see him more patient than take a risk, but at some point he has to find the crease and the blocking has to open up bigger creases.

@toddarcher When does Marinelli start to blitz? Scandrick is an excellent blitzer off the edge. #CowboysMail
— Jr. G (@suave1433) October 29, 2014

@toddarcher: Rod Marinelli has said he has probably blitzed more this year than he has in the past when he was running the Chicago Bears defense. He knows the front four needs help to get to the quarterback, but he will not blitz the way we saw Jim Haslett bring pressure Monday for the Redskins. It's not Marinelli's philosophy. He does not want to expose the defense to the big play and if the blitzes don't get home, then the possibility of allowing a big play increases. He would rather see a team take 10-12 plays to travel 80 yards. He wants an offense to have to execute its way down the field rather than be given the chance for easy, quick-hitting drives. The Cowboys blitz. Maybe not as much as you want, but I don't think you'll see them morph into something Marinelli has not really done in his career.

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Dallas Cowboys' Twitter mailbag, Part 1