5 Key Plays - Ode to Norm vs. Ravens

rxdoc

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Ode to Norm … Another game another loss. Before he retired, I always enjoyed listening to Norm Hitzges and his post-game analysis of his 5 key plays after either a Cowboy win or loss. These are 5 plays that many fans don’t necessarily remember but had an impact on the game. After a disappointing loss last night here are 5 plays that I have identified:

  1. It is the 1st QTR and the 1st drive for the Cowboys. After stopping the Ravens and forcing them to a 3 and out the Cowboys all of a sudden discover a run game and proceed down the field in orderly fashion. After throwing an incomplete pass, it is now 3rd and Goal from the Ravens 1 yard line. Dak in Shotgun and is SACKED. The Cowboys are forced to kick a FG to make it 3-0.
As others have astutely alluded to …. Why are the Cowboys passing on 2 straight plays? You have the Ravens reeling in the beginning with the run game. Those 4 points left on the field are going to come back to haunt this team. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb playcalling here.

  1. It is still the 1st QTR and after the Cowboys stop the Ravens on Downs, they get the ball in excellent shape. They proceed down the field ending with a TD. Aubrey extra point makes it 10-0 Cowboys. Here is where the 2nd Key play occurs. On the ensuing kick-off, Aubrey kicks the ball out of bounds. FLAG. The Ravens now get the ball on the 40 and with seemingly new life proceed to go down the field an score a TD bring the score to 10- 7 Cowboys.
Let’s examine this. How important is this ….. If the Aubrey keep the ball in bounds, and the Cowboys coverage team does it job you potentially have the Ravens on their 20-30 yard line, maybe back further. By having Aubrey kicking the ball out of bounds you are GIVING the Ravens extra yards. Compound that fact with leaving 4 points on the field from the Cowboys 1st drive, then the Ravens could have been looking at 14-0 starting much further back in their own territory. That is a completely different story than having a 10-0 lead with the Ravens starting on their 40.

  1. It is now the 2nd QTR and the Cowboys are down 14-10. The Cowboys are on their own 44-yard line and it is 4th and 1. The Cowboys elect to go for it. Williams runs slightly off right tackle and is stopped for no-gain and loses the ball. Turnover on downs. Ravens kick a FG on the ensuing short field and go-up 17-10. Jim Nantz makes the comment that had Williams tried to go wide outside, there was room for Williams to possibly pick up the 1st and keep the drive alive. I know above I stated on the goal line they needed to run, but here on your own 44, why chance a Raven defense stop giving them excellent field position, which ultimately happened. Punting here would have been the right thing to do. Regardless, you are giving a chance for the Ravens to get at least 3 points which they did.

  2. It is now the 3rd QTR and the 2nd drive for the Cowboys in the 2nd half. After receiving the ball the Cowboys drive down the field only to fumble the ball away …The Cowboys defense holds and on the Cowboys 2nd drive they again proceed to march down the field. It is 3rd and 9 from the BAL 44 and DAK completes a 20 yard pass to Pickens to the Raven 24. Awesome …just what the doctor ordered ….BUT WAIT …… There is FLAG. Offensive Holding on Terrence Steele. (SMH) So instead of a 1st down on the 24 it is now 3rd and 19. Dak completes a 13 yard pass to try to get some of the yardage back but not enough as it is 4th and 6th from the Raven 41. Why is this important you ask … on the ensuing FG try, Aubrey’s kick is BLOCKED. That penalty was an absolute killer and momentum changer. As the Ravens take 4 plays and score a TD to go up 24-13. That is a potential 14 point swing. Instead of being down 24-13 the Cowboys could have potentially been up 20-17 or down only 17-16. Regardless … that penalty was HUGE with a capital “H”.
  3. It now the 4th QTR. The Cowboys just gave up the go-ahead TD and are now down 31-28. Under 2 minutes the Cowboys move the ball effectively downfield. 0:20 seconds to go and it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 2. The dreaded FLAG rears its ugly head. False Start on Schoonmaker. Now it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 7. What could have been a run/pass play now dictates it more or less needs to be a pass. Dak scrambles up the middle for 2 yards to the BAL 5. The 3rd down pass to Pickens wasn’t even close. Aubrey ties it up with the FG. How frustrating is it that again the Cowboys cannot punch it in this time due to a penalty. That False Start pretty much dictated what the Cowboys could run especially with the limited time left on the clock.
  4. Bonus: It is now the following kick off and instead of some type squibb kick forcing the Ravens a return and thus taking time off the clock, Aubrey kicks ball out of endzone for a touchback giving the Ravens the ball on their 35. More importantly NO TIME came off the clock and the Ravens still have 7 seconds. 27 yards later and with 1 second on the clock the defense gives up a huge pass play and well …that’s the ballgame as we see Loop’s kick go through the uprights.

In my humble opinion this was a winnable game and the Cowboys failed in ALL facets of the game.

The offense needs to punch in for TD when on the 2-yard line, not once but twice. That was the ball game right there. Cowboys score TD’s there, the Cowboys win this game.

The defense still gave up 192 rushing yards and despite holding Henry to under 100 yards. Yes they stopped Henry down near goal line, but could not get critical stops when needed. Letting Jackson complete a 27-yard pass with 7 seconds is inexcusable.

Special teams – Aubrey had 2 kicks go out of bounds, 1 blocked FG attempt, and in my opinion a Touchback which was critical in setting up Jackson’s pass considering no time came off the clock.

Coaching matters. Enough said.

Sigh ……..
 
Maybe because the Ravens stacked the line and were going to use a blitz that both stopped the run and gave them the numbers advantage on a passing down.
 
rxdoc said:
Ode to Norm … Another game another loss. Before he retired, I always enjoyed listening to Norm Hitzges and his post-game analysis of his 5 key plays after either a Cowboy win or loss. These are 5 plays that many fans don’t necessarily remember but had an impact on the game. After a disappointing loss last night here are 5 plays that I have identified:

  1. It is the 1st QTR and the 1st drive for the Cowboys. After stopping the Ravens and forcing them to a 3 and out the Cowboys all of a sudden discover a run game and proceed down the field in orderly fashion. After throwing an incomplete pass, it is now 3rd and Goal from the Ravens 1 yard line. Dak in Shotgun and is SACKED. The Cowboys are forced to kick a FG to make it 3-0.
As others have astutely alluded to …. Why are the Cowboys passing on 2 straight plays? You have the Ravens reeling in the beginning with the run game. Those 4 points left on the field are going to come back to haunt this team. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb playcalling here.

  1. It is still the 1st QTR and after the Cowboys stop the Ravens on Downs, they get the ball in excellent shape. They proceed down the field ending with a TD. Aubrey extra point makes it 10-0 Cowboys. Here is where the 2nd Key play occurs. On the ensuing kick-off, Aubrey kicks the ball out of bounds. FLAG. The Ravens now get the ball on the 40 and with seemingly new life proceed to go down the field an score a TD bring the score to 10- 7 Cowboys.
Let’s examine this. How important is this ….. If the Aubrey keep the ball in bounds, and the Cowboys coverage team does it job you potentially have the Ravens on their 20-30 yard line, maybe back further. By having Aubrey kicking the ball out of bounds you are GIVING the Ravens extra yards. Compound that fact with leaving 4 points on the field from the Cowboys 1st drive, then the Ravens could have been looking at 14-0 starting much further back in their own territory. That is a completely different story than having a 10-0 lead with the Ravens starting on their 40.

  1. It is now the 2nd QTR and the Cowboys are down 14-10. The Cowboys are on their own 44-yard line and it is 4th and 1. The Cowboys elect to go for it. Williams runs slightly off right tackle and is stopped for no-gain and loses the ball. Turnover on downs. Ravens kick a FG on the ensuing short field and go-up 17-10. Jim Nantz makes the comment that had Williams tried to go wide outside, there was room for Williams to possibly pick up the 1st and keep the drive alive. I know above I stated on the goal line they needed to run, but here on your own 44, why chance a Raven defense stop giving them excellent field position, which ultimately happened. Punting here would have been the right thing to do. Regardless, you are giving a chance for the Ravens to get at least 3 points which they did.

  2. It is now the 3rd QTR and the 2nd drive for the Cowboys in the 2nd half. After receiving the ball the Cowboys drive down the field only to fumble the ball away …The Cowboys defense holds and on the Cowboys 2nd drive they again proceed to march down the field. It is 3rd and 9 from the BAL 44 and DAK completes a 20 yard pass to Pickens to the Raven 24. Awesome …just what the doctor ordered ….BUT WAIT …… There is FLAG. Offensive Holding on Terrence Steele. (SMH) So instead of a 1st down on the 24 it is now 3rd and 19. Dak completes a 13 yard pass to try to get some of the yardage back but not enough as it is 4th and 6th from the Raven 41. Why is this important you ask … on the ensuing FG try, Aubrey’s kick is BLOCKED. That penalty was an absolute killer and momentum changer. As the Ravens take 4 plays and score a TD to go up 24-13. That is a potential 14 point swing. Instead of being down 24-13 the Cowboys could have potentially been up 20-17 or down only 17-16. Regardless … that penalty was HUGE with a capital “H”.
  3. It now the 4th QTR. The Cowboys just gave up the go-ahead TD and are now down 31-28. Under 2 minutes the Cowboys move the ball effectively downfield. 0:20 seconds to go and it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 2. The dreaded FLAG rears its ugly head. False Start on Schoonmaker. Now it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 7. What could have been a run/pass play now dictates it more or less needs to be a pass. Dak scrambles up the middle for 2 yards to the BAL 5. The 3rd down pass to Pickens wasn’t even close. Aubrey ties it up with the FG. How frustrating is it that again the Cowboys cannot punch it in this time due to a penalty. That False Start pretty much dictated what the Cowboys could run especially with the limited time left on the clock.
  4. Bonus: It is now the following kick off and instead of some type squibb kick forcing the Ravens a return and thus taking time off the clock, Aubrey kicks ball out of endzone for a touchback giving the Ravens the ball on their 35. More importantly NO TIME came off the clock and the Ravens still have 7 seconds. 27 yards later and with 1 second on the clock the defense gives up a huge pass play and well …that’s the ballgame as we see Loop’s kick go through the uprights.

In my humble opinion this was a winnable game and the Cowboys failed in ALL facets of the game.

The offense needs to punch in for TD when on the 2-yard line, not once but twice. That was the ball game right there. Cowboys score TD’s there, the Cowboys win this game.

The defense still gave up 192 rushing yards and despite holding Henry to under 100 yards. Yes they stopped Henry down near goal line, but could not get critical stops when needed. Letting Jackson complete a 27-yard pass with 7 seconds is inexcusable.

Special teams – Aubrey had 2 kicks go out of bounds, 1 blocked FG attempt, and in my opinion a Touchback which was critical in setting up Jackson’s pass considering no time came off the clock.

Coaching matters. Enough said.

Sigh ……..
Click to expand...
Cool posts. Keep them coming. I enjoy these and I think it’s always interesting to discuss because in many nfl games like the one last night. A handful of plays one way or another is truly the difference between winning and losing.
 
LouBrown said:
Appreciate the effort here, even if it is a little bit hard to follow.

I think the penalty call on Steele and the ensuing block (even the decision to kick there) are not appreciated enough. That was a 30-yard penalty and at least a 10-point swing.
Click to expand...
yeah ... sorry about that ... it looked nice n clean on my word document and when I copy and paste it got jumbled .... I missed the the 10 minute edit window. :(
 
rxdoc said:
Ode to Norm … Another game another loss. Before he retired, I always enjoyed listening to Norm Hitzges and his post-game analysis of his 5 key plays after either a Cowboy win or loss. These are 5 plays that many fans don’t necessarily remember but had an impact on the game. After a disappointing loss last night here are 5 plays that I have identified:

  1. It is the 1st QTR and the 1st drive for the Cowboys. After stopping the Ravens and forcing them to a 3 and out the Cowboys all of a sudden discover a run game and proceed down the field in orderly fashion. After throwing an incomplete pass, it is now 3rd and Goal from the Ravens 1 yard line. Dak in Shotgun and is SACKED. The Cowboys are forced to kick a FG to make it 3-0.
As others have astutely alluded to …. Why are the Cowboys passing on 2 straight plays? You have the Ravens reeling in the beginning with the run game. Those 4 points left on the field are going to come back to haunt this team. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb playcalling here.

  1. It is still the 1st QTR and after the Cowboys stop the Ravens on Downs, they get the ball in excellent shape. They proceed down the field ending with a TD. Aubrey extra point makes it 10-0 Cowboys. Here is where the 2nd Key play occurs. On the ensuing kick-off, Aubrey kicks the ball out of bounds. FLAG. The Ravens now get the ball on the 40 and with seemingly new life proceed to go down the field an score a TD bring the score to 10- 7 Cowboys.
Let’s examine this. How important is this ….. If the Aubrey keep the ball in bounds, and the Cowboys coverage team does it job you potentially have the Ravens on their 20-30 yard line, maybe back further. By having Aubrey kicking the ball out of bounds you are GIVING the Ravens extra yards. Compound that fact with leaving 4 points on the field from the Cowboys 1st drive, then the Ravens could have been looking at 14-0 starting much further back in their own territory. That is a completely different story than having a 10-0 lead with the Ravens starting on their 40.

  1. It is now the 2nd QTR and the Cowboys are down 14-10. The Cowboys are on their own 44-yard line and it is 4th and 1. The Cowboys elect to go for it. Williams runs slightly off right tackle and is stopped for no-gain and loses the ball. Turnover on downs. Ravens kick a FG on the ensuing short field and go-up 17-10. Jim Nantz makes the comment that had Williams tried to go wide outside, there was room for Williams to possibly pick up the 1st and keep the drive alive. I know above I stated on the goal line they needed to run, but here on your own 44, why chance a Raven defense stop giving them excellent field position, which ultimately happened. Punting here would have been the right thing to do. Regardless, you are giving a chance for the Ravens to get at least 3 points which they did.

  2. It is now the 3rd QTR and the 2nd drive for the Cowboys in the 2nd half. After receiving the ball the Cowboys drive down the field only to fumble the ball away …The Cowboys defense holds and on the Cowboys 2nd drive they again proceed to march down the field. It is 3rd and 9 from the BAL 44 and DAK completes a 20 yard pass to Pickens to the Raven 24. Awesome …just what the doctor ordered ….BUT WAIT …… There is FLAG. Offensive Holding on Terrence Steele. (SMH) So instead of a 1st down on the 24 it is now 3rd and 19. Dak completes a 13 yard pass to try to get some of the yardage back but not enough as it is 4th and 6th from the Raven 41. Why is this important you ask … on the ensuing FG try, Aubrey’s kick is BLOCKED. That penalty was an absolute killer and momentum changer. As the Ravens take 4 plays and score a TD to go up 24-13. That is a potential 14 point swing. Instead of being down 24-13 the Cowboys could have potentially been up 20-17 or down only 17-16. Regardless … that penalty was HUGE with a capital “H”.
  3. It now the 4th QTR. The Cowboys just gave up the go-ahead TD and are now down 31-28. Under 2 minutes the Cowboys move the ball effectively downfield. 0:20 seconds to go and it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 2. The dreaded FLAG rears its ugly head. False Start on Schoonmaker. Now it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 7. What could have been a run/pass play now dictates it more or less needs to be a pass. Dak scrambles up the middle for 2 yards to the BAL 5. The 3rd down pass to Pickens wasn’t even close. Aubrey ties it up with the FG. How frustrating is it that again the Cowboys cannot punch it in this time due to a penalty. That False Start pretty much dictated what the Cowboys could run especially with the limited time left on the clock.
  4. Bonus: It is now the following kick off and instead of some type squibb kick forcing the Ravens a return and thus taking time off the clock, Aubrey kicks ball out of endzone for a touchback giving the Ravens the ball on their 35. More importantly NO TIME came off the clock and the Ravens still have 7 seconds. 27 yards later and with 1 second on the clock the defense gives up a huge pass play and well …that’s the ballgame as we see Loop’s kick go through the uprights.

In my humble opinion this was a winnable game and the Cowboys failed in ALL facets of the game.

The offense needs to punch in for TD when on the 2-yard line, not once but twice. That was the ball game right there. Cowboys score TD’s there, the Cowboys win this game.

The defense still gave up 192 rushing yards and despite holding Henry to under 100 yards. Yes they stopped Henry down near goal line, but could not get critical stops when needed. Letting Jackson complete a 27-yard pass with 7 seconds is inexcusable.

Special teams – Aubrey had 2 kicks go out of bounds, 1 blocked FG attempt, and in my opinion a Touchback which was critical in setting up Jackson’s pass considering no time came off the clock.

Coaching matters. Enough said.

Sigh ……..
Click to expand...
According to your logic, we are supposed to only alternate passing and running plays? Calling a passing or running play consecutively is not OK? It’s “dumb” to do that?

Because the entire league is apparently dumb every single game, every single weekend.
 
rxdoc said:
Ode to Norm … Another game another loss. Before he retired, I always enjoyed listening to Norm Hitzges and his post-game analysis of his 5 key plays after either a Cowboy win or loss. These are 5 plays that many fans don’t necessarily remember but had an impact on the game. After a disappointing loss last night here are 5 plays that I have identified:

  1. It is the 1st QTR and the 1st drive for the Cowboys. After stopping the Ravens and forcing them to a 3 and out the Cowboys all of a sudden discover a run game and proceed down the field in orderly fashion. After throwing an incomplete pass, it is now 3rd and Goal from the Ravens 1 yard line. Dak in Shotgun and is SACKED. The Cowboys are forced to kick a FG to make it 3-0.
As others have astutely alluded to …. Why are the Cowboys passing on 2 straight plays? You have the Ravens reeling in the beginning with the run game. Those 4 points left on the field are going to come back to haunt this team. Dumb, Dumb, Dumb playcalling here.

  1. It is still the 1st QTR and after the Cowboys stop the Ravens on Downs, they get the ball in excellent shape. They proceed down the field ending with a TD. Aubrey extra point makes it 10-0 Cowboys. Here is where the 2nd Key play occurs. On the ensuing kick-off, Aubrey kicks the ball out of bounds. FLAG. The Ravens now get the ball on the 40 and with seemingly new life proceed to go down the field an score a TD bring the score to 10- 7 Cowboys.
Let’s examine this. How important is this ….. If the Aubrey keep the ball in bounds, and the Cowboys coverage team does it job you potentially have the Ravens on their 20-30 yard line, maybe back further. By having Aubrey kicking the ball out of bounds you are GIVING the Ravens extra yards. Compound that fact with leaving 4 points on the field from the Cowboys 1st drive, then the Ravens could have been looking at 14-0 starting much further back in their own territory. That is a completely different story than having a 10-0 lead with the Ravens starting on their 40.

  1. It is now the 2nd QTR and the Cowboys are down 14-10. The Cowboys are on their own 44-yard line and it is 4th and 1. The Cowboys elect to go for it. Williams runs slightly off right tackle and is stopped for no-gain and loses the ball. Turnover on downs. Ravens kick a FG on the ensuing short field and go-up 17-10. Jim Nantz makes the comment that had Williams tried to go wide outside, there was room for Williams to possibly pick up the 1st and keep the drive alive. I know above I stated on the goal line they needed to run, but here on your own 44, why chance a Raven defense stop giving them excellent field position, which ultimately happened. Punting here would have been the right thing to do. Regardless, you are giving a chance for the Ravens to get at least 3 points which they did.

  2. It is now the 3rd QTR and the 2nd drive for the Cowboys in the 2nd half. After receiving the ball the Cowboys drive down the field only to fumble the ball away …The Cowboys defense holds and on the Cowboys 2nd drive they again proceed to march down the field. It is 3rd and 9 from the BAL 44 and DAK completes a 20 yard pass to Pickens to the Raven 24. Awesome …just what the doctor ordered ….BUT WAIT …… There is FLAG. Offensive Holding on Terrence Steele. (SMH) So instead of a 1st down on the 24 it is now 3rd and 19. Dak completes a 13 yard pass to try to get some of the yardage back but not enough as it is 4th and 6th from the Raven 41. Why is this important you ask … on the ensuing FG try, Aubrey’s kick is BLOCKED. That penalty was an absolute killer and momentum changer. As the Ravens take 4 plays and score a TD to go up 24-13. That is a potential 14 point swing. Instead of being down 24-13 the Cowboys could have potentially been up 20-17 or down only 17-16. Regardless … that penalty was HUGE with a capital “H”.
  3. It now the 4th QTR. The Cowboys just gave up the go-ahead TD and are now down 31-28. Under 2 minutes the Cowboys move the ball effectively downfield. 0:20 seconds to go and it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 2. The dreaded FLAG rears its ugly head. False Start on Schoonmaker. Now it is 2nd and Goal from the BAL 7. What could have been a run/pass play now dictates it more or less needs to be a pass. Dak scrambles up the middle for 2 yards to the BAL 5. The 3rd down pass to Pickens wasn’t even close. Aubrey ties it up with the FG. How frustrating is it that again the Cowboys cannot punch it in this time due to a penalty. That False Start pretty much dictated what the Cowboys could run especially with the limited time left on the clock.
  4. Bonus: It is now the following kick off and instead of some type squibb kick forcing the Ravens a return and thus taking time off the clock, Aubrey kicks ball out of endzone for a touchback giving the Ravens the ball on their 35. More importantly NO TIME came off the clock and the Ravens still have 7 seconds. 27 yards later and with 1 second on the clock the defense gives up a huge pass play and well …that’s the ballgame as we see Loop’s kick go through the uprights.

In my humble opinion this was a winnable game and the Cowboys failed in ALL facets of the game.

The offense needs to punch in for TD when on the 2-yard line, not once but twice. That was the ball game right there. Cowboys score TD’s there, the Cowboys win this game.

The defense still gave up 192 rushing yards and despite holding Henry to under 100 yards. Yes they stopped Henry down near goal line, but could not get critical stops when needed. Letting Jackson complete a 27-yard pass with 7 seconds is inexcusable.

Special teams – Aubrey had 2 kicks go out of bounds, 1 blocked FG attempt, and in my opinion a Touchback which was critical in setting up Jackson’s pass considering no time came off the clock.

Coaching matters. Enough said.

Sigh ……..
Click to expand...
This is my long response The long run the event that nobody's going to want to read and I'm about to clean it up and show you how it looks when it's actually coherent..

Look I'm not going to go through all your stuff I skimmed through it but I've been reading this now for 48 hours and I'm sorry if you don't understand and I realize you wrote that in your thing I'm just talking about for everyone Stop blaming the offense stop blaming Schottenheimer if you were a head coach in a play caller and you knew the rest of your team's weaknesses are you coach differently as well You would want a second chance given the fact that the Cowboys had some momentum is that taking into overtime and try to win it versus losing on putting that ball up for risk or running the clock out if it was incomplete too late and you didn't get the benefit of a 1 second call we already saw this with Michigan and Western Michigan and now we saw it again by the way I don't think there was one 2nd left the guy wasn't already tackled to the ground when it was one second somehow that one second was there forever and long enough for us to turn around and see the quarterback Give me the time out now that clock was 000 we all know it but that's just neither here nor there because our defense couldn't cover for seven seconds..

Look I'm sorry but it took me a while to figure out what I'd want to say about all this but I think that you forget that in this game there were several penalties and turnovers that made it hard to call plays, Let's add in that our wonderful overly paid kicker who thus loved to make long kicks who this year so far he missed a kick that everyone also blamed other people because it got moved back into a longer field goal instead of an extra point he has been a problem kicking off and maybe we need to find another person to kick the ball off or another special teams coach yes coaching matters but let's go back to all of the mistakes made in this game a holding penalty that brought back a big play to George Pickens a possible fumble which I like to call everybody thinks that that was a bad call to do the little shuffle pass to the tight end they do it in Kansas City all the time I find that creative It's not creative to have your typical fumbler keep fumbling the ball at tight end that is not on the play call II find it odd that you all blame the wrong people That is being creative in aggressive but remember all the calls especially the one again by another tight end who moves when they are in an area where they probably would have ran the ball and it got moved back..

So I just want to remind you folks that if you don't like the aggressive or non aggressive play calling and the overthinking by our head coach slash play calling you better figure out that it's not his fault his players disappoint him because we wouldn't even been in that position have we not had all these weird calls that called some big plays back or put us in position they had to change his philosophy in game..


and yet our offense still put up 31 points had only seven seconds left and once again we're going to blame the offense for not scoring more points and not leaving less time on the clock..

I've heard this for at least 10 years maybe going back 20 years It is the oddest thing that blame an offense for scoring tying the game and with the defense has been horrible the special teams has been horrible And then say you left too much time on the clock 7 seconds I mean this wasn't even Aaron Rodgers and the the minute that was left on the clock in two games both in playoff games and they say you left too much time on the clock that's the silliest thing I've ever heard when the offense goes down and scores leaves very little time but you're saying oh they left too much time this time at 7 seconds.

I think the fan base has some serious issues with understanding the game of football and how all these negative plays made the offense look a little less aggressive than you'd like it but the 31 point somehow is not enough for you that moving the ball with limited possessions is not enough for you I mean we continue to find ways to throw the offense under the bus including the coaching staff when it's all on the other side 2/3 of this game were lost because of penalties defense and special teams and yet you go to the offense the one thing that the Cowboys can count on is not good enough for the fans and I'm going to vent right now..

And by the way I I've read all the responses from the game I get what you're saying at the end of that game you'd like to try to win the game but what if that ball was thrown there and what if the corner was baiting George Pickens maybe that's an interception or a pick 6 But what I saw on that play though is George pushed off a little late Prescott already read that he was covered and he was instructed that if he was covered and it wasn't there immediately to throw it away so they had time to kick the field goal and y'all are mad at that They were trying not to blow the game at the same time not winning the game I don't prefer them to go into overtime and have another chance as well then ending the game on a pick 6 on a weird play could have got bobbled We've seen all kinds of crazy stuff throughout the NFL happening playing it safe in that moment when they had no timeouts they were being smart they actually were talking on the sideline and saying look if it's not there when you hit your back foot throw it away We don't need to take any unnecessary risks because we got back in this game after being down in the first half And our defense and special teams once again finding ways to lose this game in the offense keeps being brought up as if it's been a problem no it's not been a problem if I was coaching too I'd be coaching a little bit differently when I know we have a defense that can hardly make any stops and I know they did in this game made a few stops that's not good enough they gave up 34 points that's the problem They couldn't cover for 7 seconds I mean you're asking me off and say hey you only should have left one second on the clock sorry you suck you should have went for the touchdown even if you would have screwed up and it would have not had a chance at a field goal or the ball could have got turned over and that's what you all come up with..

And by the way let's go back to the play you think that George Pickens is wide open and I'm not talking about you in general this is just to everyone reading He was not open he was instructed if you hit your back foot we have no timeouts look at the play if it's not open if it's not low risk throw it away because we don't want to lose the chance at a field goal that's what they did everyone's only showing George Pickens being open like Prescott Solomon decided to ignore him no he got open by the way with a small push off And I'm also wondering had Prescott thrown the ball to George Pickens on play instead of throwing it away Would they have to own the flag anyway..
 
I am now trying to bring my best bullet Bob response by the help of the Internet isn't that fun..

This is my game evaluation and I'm trying to be nice I showed the full rant and I turned the rant into something that could be coherent and legible..


Head Coaching Strategy & Risk Management
  • Contextual Decision-Making: Play-calling must be evaluated through the lens of overall team weaknesses. Knowing the defense and special teams were struggling forced a more risk-averse operational approach.
  • Calculated End-of-Game Execution: With no timeouts remaining, the sideline instruction was clear: if the primary option wasn't immediately open upon hitting the back foot, throw the ball away to secure the game-tying field goal.
  • Mitigating Catastrophic Error: Pushing for a high-risk throw into coverage carried an unacceptable risk of an interception, pick-six, or a game-ending turnover. Protecting the opportunity to force overtime was the correct tactical decision.
  • Assessment of the Pickens Play: Replay shows George Pickens created late separation via a subtle push-off that likely would have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty had the ball been targeted. Dak Prescott correctly read the coverage and executed the throwaway as designed.
Offensive Performance vs. Fan Base Narrative
  • Sufficient Production: The offense scored 31 points despite limited possessions, penalty setbacks, and changing game scripts. Expecting the offense to carry the entire burden while scoring over 30 points is an unrealistic standard.
  • Flawless Late-Game Clock Management: Criticizing the offense for leaving 7 seconds on the clock after leading a game-tying drive is flawed logic. The primary objective of a late-game drive is to tie or take the lead; defending a final 7-second sequence rests entirely on the defense.
  • Individual Execution vs. Scheme: Creative play designs—such as the tight end shuffle pass—are standard NFL concepts. Execution errors, individual fumbles, and pre-snap penalties fall on player execution rather than the play caller's scheme.
Defensive & Special Teams Breakdown
  • Defensive Inability to Hold: Allowing 34 points and failing to prevent a scoring drive with only 7 seconds remaining represents the core systemic failure of the game.
  • Special Teams & Kickoff Deficits: Costly pre-snap penalties and field-position setbacks directly altered offensive play-calling. Inconsistent kickoff depth and special teams execution warrant an immediate operational review and potential personnel adjustments.
Conclusion
  • Approximately two-thirds of the game's failures stem directly from defense, special teams, and self-inflicted execution penalties. Misplacing primary fault on the head coach and offensive unit ignores the broader structural issues that ultimately decided the outcome.
 
Shotgun Dave said:
According to your logic, we are supposed to only alternate passing and running plays? Calling a passing or running play consecutively is not OK? It’s “dumb” to do that?

Because the entire league is apparently dumb every single game, every single weekend.
Click to expand...
You might want to actually read what I wrote before trying to “correct” it.

I didn’t say calling two passes in a row is universally dumb. I said calling two passes at the 1‑yard line, after the run game was working, after the defense was reeling, in a goal‑to‑go situation was dumb. That’s called situational football. Context matters.

Your reply ignores the down, distance, momentum, game flow, and everything else I laid out. You stripped all the context away so you could argue with a point I never made.

If you’re going to respond, respond to the analysis I actually wrote ... not the version you invented.
 
blueblood70 said:
I am now trying to bring my best bullet Bob response by the help of the Internet isn't that fun..

This is my game evaluation and I'm trying to be nice I showed the full rant and I turned the rant into something that could be coherent and legible..


Head Coaching Strategy & Risk Management
  • Contextual Decision-Making: Play-calling must be evaluated through the lens of overall team weaknesses. Knowing the defense and special teams were struggling forced a more risk-averse operational approach.
  • Calculated End-of-Game Execution: With no timeouts remaining, the sideline instruction was clear: if the primary option wasn't immediately open upon hitting the back foot, throw the ball away to secure the game-tying field goal.
  • Mitigating Catastrophic Error: Pushing for a high-risk throw into coverage carried an unacceptable risk of an interception, pick-six, or a game-ending turnover. Protecting the opportunity to force overtime was the correct tactical decision.
  • Assessment of the Pickens Play: Replay shows George Pickens created late separation via a subtle push-off that likely would have drawn an offensive pass interference penalty had the ball been targeted. Dak Prescott correctly read the coverage and executed the throwaway as designed.
Offensive Performance vs. Fan Base Narrative
  • Sufficient Production: The offense scored 31 points despite limited possessions, penalty setbacks, and changing game scripts. Expecting the offense to carry the entire burden while scoring over 30 points is an unrealistic standard.
  • Flawless Late-Game Clock Management: Criticizing the offense for leaving 7 seconds on the clock after leading a game-tying drive is flawed logic. The primary objective of a late-game drive is to tie or take the lead; defending a final 7-second sequence rests entirely on the defense.
  • Individual Execution vs. Scheme: Creative play designs—such as the tight end shuffle pass—are standard NFL concepts. Execution errors, individual fumbles, and pre-snap penalties fall on player execution rather than the play caller's scheme.
Defensive & Special Teams Breakdown
  • Defensive Inability to Hold: Allowing 34 points and failing to prevent a scoring drive with only 7 seconds remaining represents the core systemic failure of the game.
  • Special Teams & Kickoff Deficits: Costly pre-snap penalties and field-position setbacks directly altered offensive play-calling. Inconsistent kickoff depth and special teams execution warrant an immediate operational review and potential personnel adjustments.
Conclusion
  • Approximately two-thirds of the game's failures stem directly from defense, special teams, and self-inflicted execution penalties. Misplacing primary fault on the head coach and offensive unit ignores the broader structural issues that ultimately decided the outcome.
Click to expand...
I’m going to be blunt: if you want to debate football, you need to write coherently enough for people to understand what you’re arguing.

Your first post was pure adulterated chaos ... a wall of run‑on sentences, contradictions, and half‑formed thoughts. I ignored it entirely and completely because there was no way I was going to waste my time deciphering that post. You even admitted you had to “turn the rant into something coherent and legible,” which tells me you knew how unreadable it was the moment you hit “Post.”

And while your second post is cleaner, it’s nothing more than hubris dressed up in bullet points. It still doesn’t respond to the key plays I laid out or the situational context that defined the game. I’m pointing out specific moments that changed the outcome ... not offering a generic summary of the Cowboys’ issues.

Finally, you replied with “I skimmed your post,” which is just another way of saying you didn’t actually read it. If you’re not responding to what I wrote, and your first attempt wasn’t even coherent, then there’s really nothing meaningful to debate.

Honestly, you could have saved yourself a lot of typing by just posting your conclusion because that’s the only part that even remotely touches what I wrote. I wasn’t “misplacing primary fault” on anyone. I pointed out specific plays where the Cowboys left points on the field, and yes, that matters.

They kicked field goals instead of scoring touchdowns twice. That’s 8 points left on the board. Add those 8 points and the Cowboys win the game.

That’s the entire purpose of identifying key plays ... moments that directly affected the outcome. You can write a thousand words about defense, special teams, coaching philosophy, or “structural issues,” but none of that changes the math. Points left on the board change games. Period.

That’s all from me. If you want to talk about the actual plays that swung the game, great... but I’m not engaging in anything outside the actual game‑changing moments. And if the discussion isn’t about those, I’m not spending more time on it.
 
@blueblood70

And just for further clarification because I ran out of time editing my original post… At no point was I blaming the offense for leaving 7 seconds on the clock. That’s a narrative you created, not anything I actually wrote. But then again, you admitted you only skimmed my post. To refresh your memory this is what I actually wrote: "instead of some type squibb kick forcing the Ravens a return and thus taking time off the clock, Aubrey kicks ball out of endzone for a touchback giving the Ravens the ball on their 35. More importantly NO TIME came off the clock and the Ravens still have 7 seconds." Which explains why your response had nothing to do with what I actually wrote. Skimming isn’t reading.
 
rxdoc said:
You might want to actually read what I wrote before trying to “correct” it.

I didn’t say calling two passes in a row is universally dumb. I said calling two passes at the 1‑yard line, after the run game was working, after the defense was reeling, in a goal‑to‑go situation was dumb. That’s called situational football. Context matters.

Your reply ignores the down, distance, momentum, game flow, and everything else I laid out. You stripped all the context away so you could argue with a point I never made.

If you’re going to respond, respond to the analysis I actually wrote ... not the version you invented.
Click to expand...
Never mind. I’m sure you’re right, no matter the topic.
 
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