The Problem on Offense is our Playcalling and Predictability

[nalam]

Originally Posted by ConstantReboot

We all know that and its obvious. But what is the coach doing about it?

Being less predictable can help a mediocre oline alot. Use play action or draws. We hardly use play action and when we did against Tampa, it ended up as a big play.

Romo is a mobile QB. I don't know why were having him play as though he is a pocket passer.

JGs problem is he is calling 90's plays and expect the same execution without the 90's line. Notoriously he lacks ingame adjustment and so the opposing D's say he is predictable.

Having said that no OC can account for Witten's drops , Dez's drops in seattle, Doug free's poor poor play etc.

[ScipioCowboy]

Originally Posted by Omegasupreme

So you are saying that even if an opposing team knows exactly where the ball is going, 5 All Pro O linemen will cause success? I have a difficulty making that logical, or even reasonable.

There's a reason for that. Your question is predicated on an assumption that you have yet to prove.

[KB1122]

The problem with our offense is we can't block.

[ConstantReboot]

Originally Posted by KJJ

Romo gets pressured regardless what down he passes on this OL can't pass protect. The Cowboys are getting whipped up front. As for the running game Murray has nowhere to go he has to bounce plays outside and use his cutback ability to try and make positive yardage. That's what's caused him to have so many negative plays.

Did you see the Green Bay/ Seahawks game?

Green Bay lost the game. They were getting whipped up front also in the 1st half. However, they adjusted in the 2nd half and got the Hawks defense guessing. This is one way of controlling and neutralizing the passrush.

They controlled it by mixing the run with the pass on 1st down and they also used quite a bit of quick slants, play action, and roll outs. Green Bay didn't leave Rogers in the pocket to be a sitting target. They devised plays that confused the defense.

Even the announcers mentioned that "the ability to run on 1st down is neutralizing the passrush." With the Cowboys, they just continue on without ever changing the plays around.

Like I mentioned before, removing the predictability of our plays on offense will lower the penalties, confusion and the pressure on Romo. It will make this team much harder to defend because they won't know whether to run or play the pass. Garrett has done a terrible job of disguising our plays.

[Idgit]

The problem is not the play calling, or what some fans consider the predictability. It's the execution and getting into low-percentage situations. Also, we've played some good defenses.

[ConstantReboot]

Originally Posted by FuzzyLumpkins

When I say playcalling is overrated, I mean playcalling from lay fans like you and I.

Can you intelligently discuss blocking schemes, techniques, route combinations, formations, coverage schemes, personnel limitations, packages, defensive fronts, etc.

I know I cannot.

I know it sounds good to say: run play action but I cannot help but think that a good playcalling decision needs to have all of what I just mentioned and more in the the decision.

I am an empirical reductionist so I guess generalizations like 'the playcalling is the problem' are not going to do much for me. I hear a lot of fans claiming that but when I read Sturm, Vela, Broaddus, CouchScout, Laughenburg, etc they do not say that and quite frankly they know better than us.

[View Full Quote]Sorry but i just do not believe that calling play action is suddenly going to make Cook not get blown up by the NT most running plays, Free suddenly have feet that are not in mud, Witten be able to anchor or catch passes that hit him in the hands etc.

You can call play action but who is to say that they can execute that either. Blaming Garrett and something as nebulous as 'playcalling' just doesn't do much for me. I think trying Parnell at RT and signing Holland to play RG would do much more than a couple more play action passes.

The best example I would think of was the Green bay vs. Seahawks game.

Did you notice how much pressure he had in the 1st half? He was getting killed.

In the 2nd half look how their offense was managed. It was less predictable - they started running the ball and started using quick slants, roll outs and play action.

The Packers is a perfect example on how to run an office and how to adjust to pressure. As far as I know we didn't even giv up 8 sacks in one half.

By the coaches adjusting in the 2nd half, the Packers was able to dominate the Seahawks. The Cowboys didn't adjust. Thus the reason why we lost.

[Thatkidbob]

I disagree with the OP's premise.

I also disagree with those that say the line is the primary problem with the offense.

The main thing I'm seeing is that the offense is out of sync. Romo is seeing the field differently from the receivers. The receivers aren't making the most of their opportunities (ie: Drops). And the penalties... All the penalties.

Yes, the line could give romo more timye. Yes, romo is getting hit all the time.

That said, the penalties & drops are killing drives, and the miscues on offense where Romo expects receivers to go one way and they actually go another way, those are what are killing drives.

In spite of our woes on the offensive line, we still have tons of opportunities to move the chains & score touchdowns. This team just isn't executing, and THAT is the problem.

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by ConstantReboot

The best example I would think of was the Green bay vs. Seahawks game.

Did you notice how much pressure he had in the 1st half? He was getting killed.

In the 2nd half look how their offense was managed. It was less predictable - they started running the ball and started using quick slants, roll outs and play action.

The Packers is a perfect example on how to run an office and how to adjust to pressure. As far as I know we didn't even giv up 8 sacks in one half.

By the coaches adjusting in the 2nd half, the Packers was able to dominate the Seahawks. The Cowboys didn't adjust. Thus the reason why we lost.

If we'd fielded that Packers offense, JG and JJ would be getting excoriated.

And it's hilarious that you don't know for sure that we didn't give up 8 sacks in one half.

[ConstantReboot]

Originally Posted by Thatkidbob

I disagree with the OP's premise.

I also disagree with those that say the line is the primary problem with the offense.

The main thing I'm seeing is that the offense is out of sync. Romo is seeing the field differently from the receivers. The receivers aren't making the most of their opportunities (ie: Drops). And the penalties... All the f'ing penalties.

Yes, the line could give romo more time. Yes, romo is getting hit all the time.

That said, the penalties & drops are killing drives, and the miscues on offense where Romo expects receivers to go one way and they actually go another way, those are what are killing drives.

In spite of our woes on the offensive line, we still have tons of opportunities to move the chains & score touchdowns. This team just isn't executing, and THAT is the problem.

I rewatched the game and most of our inconsistencies and pre snap penalties was because Romo was doing an audible and changing the plays before the snap.

This to me IMO is because the defense knows what were going to run thus Romo having to change the play to counter the defense. Know if our offense wasn't so predictable and we carried on with a play that Romo was comfortable with, there would be no audible or switch and we can run the play smoothly.

[slomoxn]

What happened to the gameplan of the first game when they were worried bout Romo getting sacked. Slants, three step drops, quick outs and such. They spread the defense out and were able run also. Did they all if a sudden forget that this team has a weak oline? But looking at GB tonight it seems to be a problem for not just us.

[Idgit]

Originally Posted by slomoxn

What happened to the gameplan of the first game when they were worried bout Romo getting sacked. Slants, three step drops, quick outs and such. They spread the defense out and were able run also. Did they all if a sudden forget that this team has a weak oline? But looking at GB tonight it seems to be a problem for not just us.

That SEA press is insanely good. We needed to be able to exploit the TE matchups to loosen them up and bide time for big plays up top, and we couldn't do it. Turns out, neither could Green Bay. That's a pretty good defense.

[Rynie]

Originally Posted by Idgit

The problem is not the play calling, or what some fans consider the predictability. It's the execution and getting into low-percentage situations. Also, we've played some good defenses.

No, it's predictable. Second down. Next game. Guess what's going to happen. I bet you get it right.

[KJJ]

Originally Posted by ConstantReboot

Did you see the Green Bay/ Seahawks game?

Green Bay lost the game. They were getting whipped up front also in the 1st half. However, they adjusted in the 2nd half and got the Hawks defense guessing. This is one way of controlling and neutralizing the passrush.

They controlled it by mixing the run with the pass on 1st down and they also used quite a bit of quick slants, play action, and roll outs. Green Bay didn't leave Rogers in the pocket to be a sitting target. They devised plays that confused the defense.

Even the announcers mentioned that "the ability to run on 1st down is neutralizing the passrush." With the Cowboys, they just continue on without ever changing the plays around.

[View Full Quote]Like I mentioned before, removing the predictability of our plays on offense will lower the penalties, confusion and the pressure on Romo. It will make this team much harder to defend because they won't know whether to run or play the pass. Garrett has done a terrible job of disguising our plays.

Green Bay was getting whipped in the first half but they adjusted in the second half because they have excellent coaching and players that don't quit. They're a much better football team than the Cowboys. Great teams are able to adjust and step up in situations like that while mediocre teams like the Cowboys fold under the pressure. That was a more jacked up Seattle team than the Cowboys faced. That team was breathing fire lucky the Cowboys didn't play them tonight.

[ConstantReboot]

Originally Posted by KJJ

Green Bay was getting whipped in the first half but they adjusted in the second half because they have excellent coaching and players that don't quit. They're a much better football team than the Cowboys. Great teams are able to adjust and step up in situations like that while mediocre teams like the Cowboys fold under the pressure. That was a more jacked up Seattle team than the Cowboys faced. That team was breathing fire lucky the Cowboys didn't play them tonight.

Exactly my point. They adjusted. They didn't stick to the same gameplan. Thus the reason why Im upset at Garrett.

Our Oline is not the best. But its not the worst and I believe that Green Bay's oline, from that performance tonight, is just as bad.

However, the coaches adjusted so that the defense couldn't zero in on Rogers. They had him roll outside and use play action. They also ran the ball and threw the defense off guard. Basically, the defense didn't know what Green Bay was going to do thus it neutralized their passrush.

We still have problems on Oline and I know that. But to keep Romo sin the pocket and have plays that takes 5 seconds to develop is just plain stupid. There are things that Garrett can do but he doesn't.

[dexternjack]

Got to agree with some, GB was getting hammered and made adjustments at half-time. They went to play-action, slants, option, whatever and it was working for the most part. I noticed that if Rodgers didn't hit a receiver within 2.5 secs, he rolled out to buy more time.

Romo does this as well, but he waits longer than that for the most part. We can question it until we are blue in the face, but Garrett would have not done what GB did at half-time. We would have kept doing the same basic 5 plays over and over, hoping for a break. GB still didn't look that great, but it was a 360 compared to the first half. Seattle has a really good defense, not great but solid.