YR's My Meaningless Thoughts On The Offense...

[IrishAnto]

Originally Posted by Oh_Canada

I'm glad someone looked at the film and pointed out what many observers and people on this board have said repeatedley. The oline isn't horrible, they are getting no help from the genius OC which is making their jobs infintely harder.
Once Costa is back, and Dockery is back to the bench where he belongs it will continue to improve, problem is the OC doesn't appear to be fixable.

I also want to see more Hanna. We saw Beasley/Harris show they can play in this league, why not incorporate more sets and looks for a TE who can cause major mismatch opportunities with his speed? Broaddus mentioned on twitter that he and Orton were killing on the scout team. Something tells me of course we'll probably never see him until his FA year and than we'll let him walk to the Redskins where he'll have a career year with another divisonal rival.

Boy you sure are putting a lot of faith in Costa making the whole line a lot better and while he might be better that what’s on the field at the moment it doesn’t make him good enough.

Quite frankly I’ve more faith in Killer Kowalski being a better player but neither have been able to stay healthy and there isn’t enough body of work from either to say they’re the answer at centre.

[burmafrd]

Originally Posted by IrishAnto

Boy you sure are putting a lot of faith in Costa making the whole line a lot better and while he might be better that what’s on the field at the moment it doesn’t make him good enough.

Quite frankly I’ve more faith in Killer Kowalski being a better player but neither have been able to stay healthy and there isn’t enough body of work from either to say they’re the answer at centre.

Canada has been a sunshine pumper on the O line all year long. You don't really expect him to admit he was wrong.

When you are 32nd out of 32 teams in rushing your O line is clearly not good at all.

Horrible- maybe not. But some here are proud of the fact that the O line is not horrible.

Talk about low standards

[nake]

Originally Posted by burmafrd

Canada has been a sunshine pumper on the O line all year long. You don't really expect him to admit he was wrong.

When you are 32nd out of 32 teams in rushing your O line is clearly not good at all.

Horrible- maybe not. But some here are proud of the fact that the O line is not horrible.

Talk about low standards

I think a reasonable person would say last out of 32 is horrible. It is as bad as it can get.

[Yakuza Rich]

I think our O-Line has generally pass protected decent. I just have a hard time counting on Costa because he was terrible last season. He did look exceptional against the Ravens, playing the center position exactly like you would want somebody to play it. But, it was really just 1 game against a Ravens team that was struggling badly against the run.

And, he's been injured this entire year. This is his chance to shine and he's been injured for roughly 90% of the season.

Given that and our organization's struggles with finding quality O-Linemen, it's difficult for me to be too optimistic about Costa. And I personally don't understand the Benardeau love either.






YR

[Wolfpack]

In the Washington game, the offense ran 84% of its plays from the Shotgun formation with the 3WR, 1 TE, 1 RB personal.

They ran 12 plays under center.

[Oh_Canada]

Originally Posted by burmafrd

Canada has been a sunshine pumper on the O line all year long. You don't really expect him to admit he was wrong.

When you are 32nd out of 32 teams in rushing your O line is clearly not good at all.

Horrible- maybe not. But some here are proud of the fact that the O line is not horrible.

Talk about low standards

Well-I don't feel like the oline has been given a chance to gel as a complete unit is all.

They basically have three new starters when you factor in a switch of positions for the bookends. One stiff we can all agree on is setting Doug "Free", but I would be comfortable bringing back the rest of them with added depth.

Livings has played well. Smith has been a little disappointing, but he's still one of the youngest left tackles in football. Bernardeau has shown at the very least he can be versatile and hasn't played next to a consistent center all year. Yes, I am still optimistic on Costa, so shoot me. The Cowboys have a history of giving up on young players early and Costa has shown he is improving. Who would you replace him with? Khalid Holmes who was beaten like a rented mule against Notre Dame? I guess Barrett Jones possibly, but personally I would rather spend the first pick needed to draft him to help the dline/pass rush which is ancient than spend a first rd pick whose ideal NFL position is up in the air.

If Costa can make it back with four games to go, than everyone will be able to make a better judgement on the oline. If he sucks, than I will happily switch off my sunshine pumper....until than I am still in his corner and remain hopeful the oline is better than average.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by Oh_Canada

Well-I don't feel like the oline has been given a chance to gel as a complete unit is all.

They basically have three new starters when you factor in a switch of positions for the bookends. One stiff we can all agree on is setting Doug "Free", but I would be comfortable bringing back the rest of them with added depth.

[View Full Quote]Livings has played well. Smith has been a little disappointing, but he's still one of the youngest left tackles in football. Bernardeau has shown at the very least he can be versatile and hasn't played next to a consistent center all year. Yes, I am still optimistic on Costa, so shoot me. The Cowboys have a history of giving up on young players early and Costa has shown he is improving. Who would you replace him with? Khalid Holmes who was beaten like a rented mule against Notre Dame? I guess Barrett Jones possibly, but personally I would rather spend the first pick needed to draft him to help the dline/pass rush which is ancient than spend a first rd pick whose ideal NFL position is up in the air.

If Costa can make it back with four games to go, than everyone will be able to make a better judgement on the oline. If he sucks, than I will happily switch off my sunshine pumper....until than I am still in his corner and remain hopeful the oline is better than average.

BTW, that Bama front 5 everyone wants to draft in its entirety? It got its butt kicked by TAMU. Barrett Jones was just bad.

Sheldon Richardson of Missou also handled his man easily in that matchup.

Saban proved quite adroit tho and simply called plays away from Richardson.
Tons of screens and short outside stuff to simply avoid Richardson for the most part. Basically they game-planned the guy getting 2 yards up field every play.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

In the Washington game, the offense ran 84% of its plays from the Shotgun formation with the 3WR, 1 TE, 1 RB personal.

They ran 12 plays under center.

The Washington game proved if you don't cover WRs it doesn't mater about the OL.

The entire thought process behind building a strong OL is assuming games are going to be played 10 yards at a time. If you are going to a full on spread and shot gun the OL means a lot less.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Originally Posted by Yakuza Rich

I think our O-Line has generally pass protected decent. I just have a hard time counting on Costa because he was terrible last season. He did look exceptional against the Ravens, playing the center position exactly like you would want somebody to play it. But, it was really just 1 game against a Ravens team that was struggling badly against the run.

And, he's been injured this entire year. This is his chance to shine and he's been injured for roughly 90% of the season.

Given that and our organization's struggles with finding quality O-Linemen, it's difficult for me to be too optimistic about Costa. And I personally don't understand the Benardeau love either.






YR

Costa was up and down last year with more ups than downs as the year progressed. And who on Earth loves Bernadeau? You familiar with the term strawman.

[Oh_Canada]

Originally Posted by jterrell

BTW, that Bama front 5 everyone wants to draft in its entirety? It got its butt kicked by TAMU. Barrett Jones was just bad.

Sheldon Richardson of Missou also handled his man easily in that matchup.

Saban proved quite adroit tho and simply called plays away from Richardson.
Tons of screens and short outside stuff to simply avoid Richardson for the most part. Basically they game-planned the guy getting 2 yards up field every play.

I agree, that's why I find it amusing when people think drafting five kids is somehow going to improve the line. It just isn't that easy. Prefer to see some contuinity first before we go replacing four or five guys just so that we all feel better come next training camp.
I still think the only one needing the boot is Free and would be fine with a young guard or vet to challenge MB whose best position might be center anyhow.

[InmanRoshi]

I've long believed exactly what YR described in his original post. Garrett has tried to shoehorn Tony Romo into Troy Aikman's offense. Isn't it amazing how every announcer team that calls the game states that the number one thing they hear from opponents in their meetings is that they want to keep Romo contained in the pocket? Yet Garrett never calls any sort of playaction bootlegs or rollouts to get Romo out of the pocket? And the statistical splits don't differentiate designed plays and when Romo is basically running for his life and heaving the ball in desperate situations.

[percyhoward]

Originally Posted by Bluestang

Percyhoward - There is your information that validates your point in post #107.

The player, whoever that is, that is lining up in the traditonal "Z" spot of the formation has had very, very poor production.

Note: Dallas will flip the X and Z, so the Z receiver is always on side where Witten is lined up.

2012: Romo - 20+ yds - 17 att, 3 cmp, 95 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

2011: Romo - 20+ yds - 27 att, 15 cmp, 493 yds, 9 TD

That would be Austin and Bryant in your 12 and 21 sets and KO in your posse sets.

I don't think that validates my point, because my point is that, regardless of formation or play calling, when you take out the performance of the #3 WR both years, the pass offense has done almost exactly what it did last year. There is a difference of 2.1 rating points between 2011 and 2012, when you leave out the passes intended for the #3 WR.

2011
Robinson 132.2
everyone else 93.9

2012
Ogletree/Beasley/Harris 62.9
everyone else 91.8

Wherever Robinson lined up, whatever route he ran, whether improvised or by design, the passer rating on those passes was 132.2 last year. The guys who have taken his place (Mostly Ogletree, but also Harris, and Beasley--as the replacement for Austin, which Robinson was at times last year), wherever they've lined up and whatever routes they've run, have a 62.9 rating on those passes.

I'm enjoying the thread, especially the x's and o's, but I look at those numbers and the thing that sticks out is obviously the change at the #3 WR position.