Kellen Moore and the pass first strategy

[mattjames2010]

This needs to end. We are 1-4 when Dak throws more than 40 times in a game. Only one of these games were true blowouts, and that was against the Packers.

I don't give a crap how many yards Dak has in these games, the more Dak throws the more we lose. Kellen Moore seems to be the opposite of Linehan, Linehan would tend to get overly conservative, while Moore tends to get more aggressive once momentum shifts to the opposing team.

I cut Moore some slack because this is his first year as OC and I DO see some things from him I like, but he has to get a little more creative - and it starts with getting this team back to being more balanced or even being a run heavy team. The Bills run defense was being exposed early on yesterday, and Zeke was having his first decent game in weeks. This should have been a game we heavily used both Zeke and Pollard and instead put the game in the hands of Dak when he has shown he an't lead us to victory throwing a lot.

This was probably Moore's worst game as in OC, and if we want to make playoffs by winning and not just lucking out, this team needs to get the ground game going.

 

[Runwildboys]

Agreed. I was severely disappointed to see Dak throwing the ball after running it into the red zone. Yes, Witten got a TD........one. I don't know if it's Kellen's doing, or if Garrett is dictating the same "change what's working to fool the defense" philosophy he's been using for years, but you'd think someone would've learned by now to at least try to build on the success of whichever aspect of the game got you there.

 

[beware_d-ware]

There's pretty simple explanations for why we went pass heavy in each of those games.

GB - fell behind massively
NYJ - fell behind massively (some how, some way)
MIN - succeeded in stopping Zeke
DET - succeeded in stopping Zeke
BUF - fell behind massively

 

[rnr_honeybadger]

There's pretty simple explanations for why we went pass heavy in each of those games.

GB - fell behind massively
NYJ - fell behind massively (some how, some way)
MIN - succeeded in stopping Zeke
DET - succeeded in stopping Zeke
BUF - fell behind massively

yesterday we didn’t fall behind early. In fact we stopped running the ball while we still had the lead.

 

[Shotgun Dave]

yesterday we didn’t fall behind early. In fact we stopped running the ball while we still had the lead.

This is true. And i thought Zeke was running like he had read all week about having so few yards after contact. He was hitting it hard and keeping excellent balance.

Which made using him so little after the first drive very strange indeed.

 

[Cmac]

Kellen Moore......got more immunity than a diplomat.

 

[mattjames2010]

There's pretty simple explanations for why we went pass heavy in each of those games.

GB - fell behind massively
NYJ - fell behind massively (some how, some way)
MIN - succeeded in stopping Zeke
DET - succeeded in stopping Zeke
BUF - fell behind massively

"Massively behind" against the Jets? When and how much time was left? We abandoned the run pretty early on. And I didn't mention just using Zeke, I mentioned Pollard.

 

[beware_d-ware]

"Massively behind" against the Jets? When and how much time was left? We abandoned the run pretty early on. And I didn't mention just using Zeke, I mentioned Pollard.

21-6 at halftime.

We never abandoned the run in that game either - we rushed 31 times with our backs (28 Zeke/3 Pollard). But we still had to dial up 40 pass attempts because the run game was only averaging 3.8 YPC. So really that game was both "massively behind" and "Zeke shut down" (or at least limited).

 

[MysteryIceGuro]

You know what else needs to end? The country club mentality all of our players inhabited. Look at Amari. He didn’t act this way at all in Oakland. Then all of a sudden when he gets to Dallas, he acts like an egotistical maniac like everyone else on this squad of players. Something happened in that locker room. Blame Dak if you want, but he wasn’t always like this. It was someone else that caused this cancerous way of thinking. An outside influence possibly...

Dak’s mental state is getting In the way of his play. He has no physical problems blocking his way. It’s his ego. And the players around him ego’s as well.

 

[plasticman]

It mimicks Jason Garrett when he was offensive coordinator the RB could be averaging six yards a carry..... Pass, pass, pass....

 

[Captain-Crash]

how many run plays have dak changed to pass it what I wonder? how many kill, kill, kill do you hear every game.

 

[Chrispierce]

I remember we’d get in this same thing with Romo,too much passing,didn’t help then,doesn’t help now. Usually gets you close then you make a big mistake.

 

[Haimerej]

Isn't the pass first strategy the analytically correct one?

 

[JoeKing]

KM is done! But only because Garrett is done. If Jerry lets Garrett walk and hires a new HC, he better let that new HC hire his own coaching staff, including the OC.

 

[JoeKing]

Isn't the pass first strategy the analytically correct one?

Maybe for some teams that don't have an RB the caliber of Zeke, but not for the Cowboys.

 

[ak47kaehu]

Seems like they are trying for the chunk plays (low percentage deep sideline route) to often and at inopportune times. It seems like often the team is moving the ball running and short passing successfully and then at the most inopportune time (usually at the opponents 40-25 yd line) they take a deep shot downfield (sometimes 2 plays in a row) essentially killing the drive or putting the offense in 3rd and long situations. It drives me crazy trying to figure out the reasoning for this foolish type of play calling.

 

[Zman5]

It's JG's influence. That's what he used to do when he was the OC and the big reason Jerry took that duty away.

We need to get Zeke going to help the defense more so than Dak. Our defense is predicated on high effort, bend don't break scheme. This is fine if you have great depth but we don't.
Our starters get tired out and can't play like that effectively for 60 minutes. Zeke's running allows us to win the TOP which give the defense chance to rest. I think one of the reasons we can't get a stop late in close games is because our defense is tired out due to how we play defense.

 

[mattjames2010]

21-6 at halftime.

We never abandoned the run in that game either - we rushed 31 times with our backs (28 Zeke/3 Pollard). But we still had to dial up 40 pass attempts because the run game was only averaging 3.8 YPC. So really that game was both "massively behind" and "Zeke shut down" (or at least limited).

That's not "massively behind" - two TDs and a 2 point conversion and that's a tied game.

 

[percyhoward]

This needs to end. We are 1-4 when Dak throws more than 40 times in a game.

Your mistake was that you looked at the whole game instead of just the first half.

First Half Play Selection
1 NYG 26 pass 13 rush
2 Was 17 pass 13 rush
3 Mia 20 pass 15 rush
4 NO 15 pass 12 rush
5 GB 17 pass 15 rush
6 NYJ 19 pass 13 rush
7 Phi 21 pass 18 rush
8 NYG 20 pass 15 rush
9 Min 23 pass 13 rush
10 Det 26 pass 14 rush
11 NE 15 pass 18 rush
12 Buf 25 pass 15 rush

In the first half of the wins, we passed 60% of the time.

In the first half of the losses, we passed 57% of the time.

Any play you look at after the first half is influenced by the score margin. In the second half of the wins, we passed 44% of the time. In the second half of the losses, we passed 72% of the time.

 

[pancakeman]

You know what else needs to end? The country club mentality all of our players inhabited. Look at Amari. He didn’t act this way at all in Oakland. Then all of a sudden when he gets to Dallas, he acts like an egotistical maniac like everyone else on this squad of players. Something happened in that locker room. Blame Dak if you want, but he wasn’t always like this. It was someone else that caused this cancerous way of thinking. An outside influence possibly...

Dak’s mental state is getting In the way of his play. He has no physical problems blocking his way. It’s his ego. And the players around him ego’s as well.