The Short Passing Game

[Crown Royal]

EDIT: I should have called this thread "The short passing game."

I don't have time to study film so I can only go off my hunch. A big feature of the Cowboys attack this year was the deep pass (obviously), with some slants, a little bit of tunnel screen and the occasional dump off.

I feel like there are three concepts that are not a big piece of the playbook - looking to be challenged -

The drag route and hi-lo concept, and the comeback route and the seam attacks.

It's no secret that the NFL corrected this season to cover 2 shells. Lots of deep zone with either man under, cover 2, or even cover 4/cover 6 concepts (really decreasing traditional cover 3). THe way to combat these is to chip way underneath and stay patient until the defense adjusts.

• The Chiefs and Buccaneers LOVE the underneath passing game. Drag routes and hi-lo that forces the zone to make a decision are bread and butter. I feel like the nearest the COwboys tried with this was quick hits to Cedric Wilson and Schulz, but so often those routes are run and turn around in the soft zone. Which is fine, but not sustainable.
• Seam hits - how many times did Garappollo, Mahomes, Burrow, Stafford and others hit their TE RIGHT at the snap while running down field on the steam. No option route, not turn around and catch - catch it in stride and let them make a guy miss/run in the defense.
• You want to play soft zone? Fine - we'll influence your flat defense with a TE or RB, and hit CeeDee on the quick comeback since you're playing soft zone.

BONUS - the planned dump off - sometimes it's better to make the dump off/flat player your first read, rather than your last. Catch the LB/Safety out of position and chew yards that way.

In short - i feel like our offense RESENTED the short passing game. They would try to throw it out of necessity, but just assumed that if they did that, the defense would HAVE to respond. Rather than use it as a weapon and be totally find with the defense being stressed to stop the yardage.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this makes no sense. But it's how I feel even a week after the loss. We never figured out the short passing game. It kind of felt like the old Raiders teams of the mid 2000s when Al was still running the show. Vertical passing game or BUST.

 

[Coogiguy03]

EDIT: I should have called this thread "The short passing game."

I don't have time to study film so I can only go off my hunch. A big feature of the Cowboys attack this year was the deep pass (obviously), with some slants, a little bit of tunnel screen and the occasional dump off.

I feel like there are three concepts that are not a big piece of the playbook - looking to be challenged -

The drag route and hi-lo concept, and the comeback route and the seam attacks.

It's no secret that the NFL corrected this season to cover 2 shells. Lots of deep zone with either man under, cover 2, or even cover 4/cover 6 concepts (really decreasing traditional cover 3). THe way to combat these is to chip way underneath and stay patient until the defense adjusts.

• The Chiefs and Buccaneers LOVE the underneath passing game. Drag routes and hi-lo that forces the zone to make a decision are bread and butter. I feel like the nearest the COwboys tried with this was quick hits to Cedric Wilson and Schulz, but so often those routes are run and turn around in the soft zone. Which is fine, but not sustainable.
• Seam hits - how many times did Garappollo, Mahomes, Burrow, Stafford and others hit their TE RIGHT at the snap while running down field on the steam. No option route, not turn around and catch - catch it in stride and let them make a guy miss/run in the defense.
• You want to play soft zone? Fine - we'll influence your flat defense with a TE or RB, and hit CeeDee on the quick comeback since you're playing soft zone.

BONUS - the planned dump off - sometimes it's better to make the dump off/flat player your first read, rather than your last. Catch the LB/Safety out of position and chew yards that way.

In short - i feel like our offense RESENTED the short passing game. They would try to throw it out of necessity, but just assumed that if they did that, the defense would HAVE to respond. Rather than use it as a weapon and be totally find with the defense being stressed to stop the yardage.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this makes no sense. But it's how I feel even a week after the loss. We never figured out the short passing game. It kind of felt like the old Raiders teams of the mid 2000s when Al was still running the show. Vertical passing game or BUST.

Paying big money to throw the ball SAFELY to a slow ZEKE and to Shultz for 4 yards

 

[Haimerej]

Hard to run quick passes when you don't throw from under center.

 

[Crown Royal]

Paying big money to throw the ball SAFELY to a slow ZEKE and to Shultz for 4 yards

I agree, but those options I all listed out are really safe. That's what drives me up the wall. The Offensive staff KNOWs Dak and his demeanor. They know he is risk averse and does NOT want to throw INTs. It's his strength but in this offense has also hamstrung him. Soo..you know...play to that strength. Give him those quick ready easy, safe throws against zone defense.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I agree, but those options I all listed out are really safe. That's what drives me up the wall. The Offensive staff KNOWs Dak and his demeanor. They know he is risk averse and does NOT want to throw INTs. It's his strength but in this offense has also hamstrung him. Soo..you know...play to that strength. Give him those quick ready easy, safe throws against zone defense.

Wouldn't that be beautiful

 

[conner01]

The easiest way to get open in the NFL is crossing routes
We have guys with good YAC ability
We should be running way more crossing routes

 

[buddieluver]

They attacked the seam more when Jarwin was healthy.

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

The easiest way to get open in the NFL is crossing routes
We have guys with good YAC ability
We should be running way more crossing routes

That only works when you have a QB who can place the ball at a spot where the receivers can catch and get their YAC's. Dak's idea of ball placement is usually throwing it behind receivers, ahead or receivers or too low.

 

[panchucko]

They attacked the seam more when Jarwin was healthy.

I don’t see the big advantage with Jarwin, I see it on this site Jarwin Jarwin, he hasn’t done squat in his career

 

[glimmerman]

The seam is open.. needs to be used and we have done it before.. He has to look..

 

[MajesticRey]

Draft analysis of Dak was that he excelled at short yardage packages like you described.

This shotgun/send receivers deep every play strategy that we’ve been running is clearly not playing to our team’s strengths. We’ve become predictable, and don’t even have the OL to impose our will.

 

[Aven8]

Hard to run quick passes when you don't throw from under center.

Tom throws as quick as anyone because he takes steps back out of shotgun and gets deep in the pocket. No time to even get back there.

 

[conner01]

That only works when you have a QB who can place the ball at a spot where the receivers can catch and get their YAC's. Dak's idea of ball placement is usually throwing it behind receivers, ahead or receivers or too low.

Yet he was near the top in completion pct in the NFL

 

[Zman5]

Hard to run quick passes when you don't throw from under center.

Did you ever watch Rodger or Brady play?
Many QBs throw quick passes from shotgun.

 

[shabazz]

I liked the “ Attacking the Cream” title better

 

[817Gill]

EDIT: I should have called this thread "The short passing game."

I don't have time to study film so I can only go off my hunch. A big feature of the Cowboys attack this year was the deep pass (obviously), with some slants, a little bit of tunnel screen and the occasional dump off.

I feel like there are three concepts that are not a big piece of the playbook - looking to be challenged -

The drag route and hi-lo concept, and the comeback route and the seam attacks.

It's no secret that the NFL corrected this season to cover 2 shells. Lots of deep zone with either man under, cover 2, or even cover 4/cover 6 concepts (really decreasing traditional cover 3). THe way to combat these is to chip way underneath and stay patient until the defense adjusts.

• The Chiefs and Buccaneers LOVE the underneath passing game. Drag routes and hi-lo that forces the zone to make a decision are bread and butter. I feel like the nearest the COwboys tried with this was quick hits to Cedric Wilson and Schulz, but so often those routes are run and turn around in the soft zone. Which is fine, but not sustainable.
• Seam hits - how many times did Garappollo, Mahomes, Burrow, Stafford and others hit their TE RIGHT at the snap while running down field on the steam. No option route, not turn around and catch - catch it in stride and let them make a guy miss/run in the defense.
• You want to play soft zone? Fine - we'll influence your flat defense with a TE or RB, and hit CeeDee on the quick comeback since you're playing soft zone.

BONUS - the planned dump off - sometimes it's better to make the dump off/flat player your first read, rather than your last. Catch the LB/Safety out of position and chew yards that way.

In short - i feel like our offense RESENTED the short passing game. They would try to throw it out of necessity, but just assumed that if they did that, the defense would HAVE to respond. Rather than use it as a weapon and be totally find with the defense being stressed to stop the yardage.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this makes no sense. But it's how I feel even a week after the loss. We never figured out the short passing game. It kind of felt like the old Raiders teams of the mid 2000s when Al was still running the show. Vertical passing game or BUST.

Great eye, with all the cover 2 teams were playing our fixes were run the ball and use the short passing game. Unfortunately, Moore hasn’t developed either one.

I see many of the same long developing pass concepts and stop routes as the previous era. This has got to change and those ideas you’ve mentioned would help tremendously.

 

[817Gill]

I liked the “ Attacking the Cream” title better

Lmao is that really what it was?

 

[shabazz]

Lmao is that really what it was?

it was either that or “Romancing the bone”

 

[JBS]

You know who loves the short passing game?

sean payton

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Tom throws as quick as anyone because he takes steps back out of shotgun and gets deep in the pocket. No time to even get back there.

This, being in shot gun should make it easier for short passes, you pretty much already back and should be ready to get rid of the ball.