FWST: Garrett explains the fourth-and-1 to Vickers, why it didn't work

[WoodysGirl]

-- Carlos Mendez

“We liked the call,” Garrett said at his Thursday press conference at Valley Ranch. “That’s exactly what we wanted to call, given the situation. We prepare as coaches, given those situations, for what we like. That was a fourth-and-inches call for us, and that’s the call that we liked based on what we thought they were going to play in that situation. They did a good job of hitting the gaps. We didn’t secure the gaps as well as we needed to. But we’ll go into every game and we’ll really prepare those situations knowing what we want to do.

“In short-yardage and goal-line situations, you’re really talk about inches. It’s inside a yard, just over a yard, we have the appropriate call. We called what we wanted. It just didn’t work out.”

Read more here: http://startelegramsports.typepad.com/cowboys/#storylink=cpy

[Teague31]

What exactly on our history the past 5 years tells red this will work? It never does. As soon as they marked otree short on third down I knew we were done

[FLcowboy]

I still think a Romo bootleg would have worked

[stasheroo]

I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.

[jobberone]

I still think a Romo bootleg would have worked

I'm not running that first game of the season. I'd have called a pitchout to Murray on a fake dive to the FB. The other call to make there is send two deep.

[slick325]

If Tom Brady can rush to the line and sneak it.......Romo can too. Would love a sneak on 4th and inches.

[gimmesix]

I'm not running that first game of the season. I'd have called a pitchout to Murray on a fake dive to the FB. The other call to make there is send two deep.

I like that play, the one where we pitch it back the opposite way of the fake. Romo executes it well, and I'm not sure I've seen it stopped for no gain.

[Aven8]

Real bad call IMO. The smart play was QB sneak.

It was inches, and reality a bad spot that we never challenged.

[gimmesix]

If Tom Brady can rush to the line and sneak it.......Romo can too. Would love a sneak on 4th and inches.

Dallas apparently feels differently about that. Either Garrett doesn't like QB sneaks or Romo hasn't shown himself to be very good at it.

[jblaze2004]

If Tom Brady can rush to the line and sneak it.......Romo can too. Would love a sneak on 4th and inches.

when have we ever rushed to the line:lmao2:

[SilverStarCowboy]

I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.

Real bad call IMO. The smart play was QB sneak.

It was inches, and reality a bad spot that we never challenged.



EXACTLY, hello!

[Biggems]

i have no problem with calling a running play.....just use vickers for what he is, a bulldozer of a blocker. you put murray and his vicious running style behind the bulldozer and we more than likely get the necessary yardage to convert the first down.

btw, stop complaining about the spot....whether it was good or bad, irrelevant. to be honest, it was very close, and i feel the refs gave us a reasonable spot. next time ogletree needs to extend for the extra yardage, the way witten did later in the game.

[speedkilz88]

Parnell whiffed on the DB, if he does what he's suppose to do Vickers gets the head of steam to probably get it.

[baj1dallas]

What exactly on our history the past 5 years tells red this will work? It never does. As soon as they marked otree short on third down I knew we were done

They probably ran it successfully a lot over the preseason/camps.

[jterrell]

Parnell whiffed on the DB, if he does what he's suppose to do Vickers gets the head of steam to probably get it.

yup, if we had martyb he makes that block easily. he has hands of stone but could really block.

we may need to fill the blocking te void later this year.

[jnday]

Depending on the biggest weakness on this team to execute this play wasn't the smart call. There was simply no push.

[dwmyers]

Fake a lead drive to Murray, toss to TE.

Yes, old play, which the Landry Boys did fairly often.

Better yet, package play with the run and/or pass as options. Let Romo take it where his eyes tell him.

D-

[Zordon]

I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.
this. jason is a little slow with the trigger on challenges.

[Paniolo22]

I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.

Absolutely. Terrible spot with zero forward progress included.

[burmafrd]

even a sneak under that situation is chancy; with a unfamiliar center. But still almost certainly a better option then what he called with the current state of our O line

[Eric_Boyer]

the call was idiotic.

on the goal line, fine. run it.

But at that spot, make the defense defend the entire field. putting all the big bodies in is playing to our weakness and their strength.

[ologan]

If the defense continues it's improvement, It will take a little of the edge off the decision to try something similar in future situations. Do I think the play call was bad? Sure, but mainly because it didn't work.
BTW, speaking of the "D", wonder where they will be ranked after all of this weekends games are played? I think the leader last year in defense was around 270 yds avg per game. Definitely ought to be in the top 5 coming out of the starting gate. Where we end up?? Who knows, but good to be high to start.

[proline]

They probably ran it successfully a lot over the preseason/camps.

And probably never ran it with the line assembled the way it was.

[Cowboy_Shawn]

It was a bad call by Garrett. Plain and simple.

He didn't play to the strength of his personnel. Vickers' strength is that he's a powerful lead blocker. His job should have been clearing a running lane for Murray.

Another thing I hated about the play is that we used the jumbo package. Why not spread the Giants out in that situation? Keep the receivers in the game and have them line up outside to at least present the threat of a pass.

A formation like that would have taken 3 or 4 defenders out of the box.

I think the handoff to Vickers under those circumstances would have played out better.

[Doomsday101]

I had no problem with going for it, using the bunched formation I was not overly thrilled with.

[Trendnet]

I had no problem with going for it, using the bunched formation I was not overly thrilled with.

The only problem with the call, is that it didn't work.

If any of the above suggestions for the play call didn't work, the same posters would be saying that play was a bad call and suggesting something like the play that was actually called.

Compartmentalized Thinking.

[Doomsday101]

The only problem with the call, is that it didn't work.

If any of the above suggestions for the play call didn't work, the same posters would be saying that play was a bad call and suggesting something like the play that was actually called.

Compartmentalized Thinking.

I don't think it was a bad call I'm not a big fan of the bunch formation. I would not mind it in a QB sneak type situation but frankly do not like the idea of Romo running the sneak. I guess if I had my rather, this would be the time to have a RB behind center to run the sneak or hand off.

Clearly there were other option like spreading the defense out and running a quick hitter but I'm not trying to claim they should have ran a different play and accept the fact they went for it, heck I was hoping the would as well.

[03EBZ06]

It was a good call but lacked execution.

[Tobal]

My pause on running anywhere into the line was due to the new center being just put into the game. The tiny hesitation due to unfamiliaraity of the new center would make blocking those gaps hard.

[dmq]

Didn't mind the play, but it should have been Murray running it with the option to cut it outside if he sees something.

[fifaguy]

Obvious running play. Both lines stacked. Dumb call.

QB boot or quick out pass to a RB, FB, or TE would have worked I think.

[Sportsbabe]

I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.

Point #2: Ditto. It was a first down. Red J's (we can't key: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost any more????) bad 4th down play was unnecessary anyway. Who do they have working the replay booth upstairs? They have 3 things to fix for the next game: their short yardage play calling; their replay review guy and Felix Jones.

[SilverStarCowboy]

Point #2: Ditto. It was a first down. Red J's (we can't key: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost any more????) bad 4th down play was unnecessary anyway. Who do they have working the replay booth upstairs? They have 3 things to fix for the next game: their short yardage play calling; their replay review guy and Felix Jones.


That is the question for sure, WHO IS RUNNING THE REPLAY BOOTH FOR THE DALLAS COWBOYS!!

[CyberB0b]

Didn't matter what we called. The line simply got beat.

[Joe Rod]

It was a bad call by Garrett. Plain and simple.

He didn't play to the strength of his personnel. Vickers' strength is that he's a powerful lead blocker. His job should have been clearing a running lane for Murray.

I agree with this. Garrett is obviously a smart guy and his explanation no doubt made a world of sense to him, but every now and then he just out-thinks himself. If they are going to try and push through those few feet, then let Vickers plow the hole and put the ball in the hands of the Murray. In power football, "Strength/Strength" is much better than "pretty good/cute".

[rynochop]

Dallas apparently feels differently about that. Either Garrett doesn't like QB sneaks or Romo hasn't shown himself to be very good at it.

How would we know?? They never run a sneak. Did something terrible happen to Garrett on a sneak during his playing days or something?

[aikemirv]

when have we ever rushed to the line:lmao2:

Romo - preseason - 2005 or 06 - TD!

[speedkilz88]

How would we know?? They never run a sneak. Did something terrible happen to Garrett on a sneak during his playing days or something?
Romo has never been good at it and he can take some unnecessary hits from that play.

[jazzcat22]

I still think a Romo bootleg would have worked



I thought an outside pitch to Murray. Fake it to Vickers, pitch to Murray....but my first real thought was a reverse to Dez.

[InmanRoshi]

Parnell whiffed on the DB, if he does what he's suppose to do Vickers gets the head of steam to probably get it.

Yep. The first down was there except for that. Your 300 lbs. offensive tackle should be able to move the 200 lbs free safety in a power running play. Antrelle Rolle isn't exactly Ronnie Lott. If your team can't execute a concept as simple as that, any playcall is going to fail.

[ravidubey]

I had no problem with going for it, using the bunched formation I was not overly thrilled with.

I agree.

Also the extra left tackle missed his block on Rolle completely and allowed Rolle to penetrate deep enough that he ankle-tackled Vickers as he leapt.

That was piss poor execution and underscores the lack of talent and depth on the OL.

[Doomsday101]

I agree.

Also the extra left tackle missed his block on Rolle completely and allowed Rolle to penetrate deep enough that he ankle-tackled Vickers as he leapt.

That was piss poor execution and underscores the lack of talent and depth on the OL.

Problem is you have more defenders at the line than blockers it is not hard for the DB to come down the line and make the play. That is why I would rather see the quick snap with a QB sneak when talking inches. The time it takes to get the snap move out from center and turn to hand the ball is enough time for the DB to get in

[jubal]

:hammer:I thought the Ogletree spot should have been challenged.

[jday]

Personally, in that situation of inches, I don't like the added time of a QB to RB/FB exchange; gives the defense too much time to get penetration, especially against our OL. That should have been a Romo keeper where he takes the snap and dives forward. K.I.S.S.

[ChldsPlay]

The bunch formation is terrible, and has been for years, but Garrett in this case does the opposite of that old adage and instead tries to do what hasn't worked until they don't stop it.

[Fla Cowpoke]

Um, we had three new guys in the interior of the line, so it's not the same old same old. And different backs.

[ghst187]

If Tom Brady can rush to the line and sneak it.......Romo can too. Would love a sneak on 4th and inches.

this!!!

[CyberB0b]

I thought an outside pitch to Murray. Fake it to Vickers, pitch to Murray....but my first real thought was a reverse to Dez.

If they did pitch or fake dive then pitch, or reverse, the results would have been the same. The line simply got beat. Regardless of what happened, you guys would have been calling for the opposite.