1st Quarter vs. 2nd Quarter.... What's the primary cause for the Jekyll/Hide offense?

[TruBlueCowboy]

I didn't get to watch the Arizona game, but I did see the Seahawks and Texans games and I noticed an obvious trend. The offense didn't pick up at all until the 2nd quarter, and it seemed that one of the primary culprits was the offensive line. This didn't look like the days of Emmitt when the more he ran, the more of a rhythym he picked up. Julius looked like he had nowhere to go in the 1st. Bledsoe looked like he was pressured more in the 1st.

So what is the culprit? Just a raw team that is learning to play together? Is it a few of the replacements who Parcells is messing aroudn with as potential starters? Isn't Gurode jumping in during the 2nd?

Here are the 1st qtr vs. 2nd qtr stats, so far, with the starters in the game:

Texans Game

1st Quarter
throws: 5
completions: 2
yards: 18
QB sacked: 1
runs: 5
yards: 12
pass/rush TDs: 0

2nd Quarter
throws: 10
completions: 9
yards: 95
QB sacked: 0
runs: 6
yards: 42
pass/rush TDs: 1

Seahawks Game
(rushing doesn't include QB scrambling)

1st Quarter
throws: 4
completions: 2
yards: 20
QB sacked: 1
runs: 7
yards: 14
pass/rush TDs: 0

2nd Quarter
throws: 7
completions: 5
yards: 36
sacked: 0
runs: 5
yards: 44
pass/rush TDs: 1

 

[morasp]

I watched it to see if it was Gurode vs. Johnson but couldn't really tell. It looked like simetimes Johnson got popped backwards and usually Gurode was pushing his manforward but there was nothing obvious like sacks or hurries that I could tell.

 

[Doomsday101]

Big differance was Dallas did not game plan Houston and it took Dallas a while to figure out the Houston Blitz package they were running, once Dallas had that figured out the rest of the evening became fairly easy for Dallas. This was Houston dress rehearsal so they came in with a plan Dallas didn't

 

[jksmith269]

Big differance was Dallas did not game plan Houston and it took Dallas a while to figure out the Houston Blitz package they were running, once Dallas had that figured out the rest of the evening became fairly easy for Dallas. This was Houston dress rehearsal so they came in with a plan Dallas didn't

I agree with you but at the same time I wouldn't discount the Heat and it prob took the players close to a quarter to get their second wind. I think Micky even mentioned this before the game started.

And I think BP and Capers prob agreed to work on certian things during the first quarter. They threw a lot pos so we could work on our pass D which has been sucking, and we ran a basic O pos so they could work on their Blitz packages.

And don't say teams do this because just last week BP talked about him and other coaches doing this very thing. Knowing areas that need work and agreeing before hand to do certain things to work those areas.

 

[Doomsday101]

I agree with you but at the same time I wouldn't discount the Heat and it prob took the players close to a quarter to get their second wind. I think Micky even mentioned this before the game started.

And I think BP and Capers prob agreed to work on certian things during the first quarter. They threw a lot pos so we could work on our pass D which has been sucking, and we ran a basic O pos so they could work on their Blitz packages.

And don't say teams do this because just last week BP talked about him and other coaches doing this very thing. Knowing areas that need work and agreeing before hand to do certain things to work those areas.

Houston used the game as dress rehearsal Dallas didn't. I don't know if Bill and Caper talked about what each team would run but I do know Houston came into the game with a plan and Dallas working on a short week accorind to Bill did not work on anything for the Houston game just ran the basics.

 

[sago1]

Listening to the Texas game online both announcers commented on OL improvement when Gurode entered the game and also stated Noll playing well. Earlier while Johnson was at C they mentioned the passrusher who sacked Drew came by Johnson who failed to stop him. Of course Parcells has mentioned on several occasions he concerned about opposition teams coming straight up the middle against Drew.

 

[Sitting Bull]

Great post. The stats back up what I've seen on the field:
our passing game needs to be setup by our running game

In the past two games, a couple of slashing first down runs by JJ have seemed to loosen up the defense and give our O some momentum. A common challenge.

I'm not sure if it is the O-line needing a few series to get comfortable or JJ needing some carries to warm-up. It's probably both. Also, based on the early offensive execution, I personally cannot fathom Bledsoe breaking off a game-opening TD bomb like McNabb did to TO this weekend. Maybe we're holding back, but I'd like to see us open the next game with some agressive plays downfield. e

 

[percyhoward]

Listening to the Texas game online both announcers commented on OL improvement when Gurode entered the game and also stated Noll playing well. Earlier while Johnson was at C they mentioned the passrusher who sacked Drew came by Johnson who failed to stop him. Of course Parcells has mentioned on several occasions he concerned about opposition teams coming straight up the middle against Drew.

That's what I was thinking too, that the imrovement was more because of personnel. And probably due more to Gurode than Noll, because Noll was in the game to start the second half (with Johnson), and again we couldn't move the ball at all.

 

[baj1dallas]

Actually I watched the o-line pretty closely Saturday night.

Believe it or not the pressure on the first two drives was not coming from the right side of the line, or the middle, but from the left. I didn't see all of the details because I was watching center and RT closely but it looked like a combination of blitzing and speed rushers caused the left side some early problems. As soon as they fixed the problem though, the offense moved very, very efficiently.

I don't know what to expect for the last preseason game, but when regular season starts and Rivera is starting at right guard, the line should look pretty solid.

 

[Next_years_Champs]

Listening to the Texas game online both announcers commented on OL improvement when Gurode entered the game and also stated Noll playing well. Earlier while Johnson was at C they mentioned the passrusher who sacked Drew came by Johnson who failed to stop him.

You should watch the game yourself because everything you just said was wrong except for what Parcells had said.

The sack on Bledsoe was Flossel's responsibility he let his man get by him to the inside, It was also a blitz but the breakdown was between the left tackle and the left guard.

I watched the game again on Sunday morning and I will say that Gurode played his best game so far in the preseason since he didn't have any obvious blown assignments, but he still fails to be able to get out on sweeps or downfield on draws and throw effective blocks. Gurode just hasn't shown any ability to make contact with the defensive players in space, he always whiffs.

Up until saturdays game Al Johnson had clearly outplayed Gurode both at the line of scrimmage (since he wasn't blowing assignments) but also he is head and shoulders ahead of Gurode making blocks in space. As a matter of fact he is not only better in space he is also better at picking up second blocks something I have yet to see Gurode do.

Personally I just want to see the Cowboys win and I will pull for whoever Parcells starts but the fact is while Al Johnson may lack a small amount of strength compared to Gurode he is much better making blocks downfield.

 

[smashmouth]

You should watch the game yourself because everything you just said was wrong except for what Parcells had said.

The sack on Bledsoe was Flossel's responsibility he let his man get by him to the inside, It was also a blitz but the breakdown was between the left tackle and the left guard.

I watched the game again on Sunday morning and I will say that Gurode played his best game so far in the preseason since he didn't have any obvious blown assignments, but he still fails to be able to get out on sweeps or downfield on draws and throw effective blocks. Gurode just hasn't shown any ability to make contact with the defensive players in space, he always whiffs.

Up until saturdays game Al Johnson had clearly outplayed Gurode both at the line of scrimmage (since he wasn't blowing assignments) but also he is head and shoulders ahead of Gurode making blocks in space. As a matter of fact he is not only better in space he is also better at picking up second blocks something I have yet to see Gurode do.

Personally I just want to see the Cowboys win and I will pull for whoever Parcells starts but the fact is while Al Johnson may lack a small amount of strength compared to Gurode he is much better making blocks downfield.

I dis-agree.
When Al is in there, he gets man-handled by bigger NT's and we can't have that. Especially on run defense, and I do agree with you on the pulling.

Also, Gurode seems better at keeping that middle clean on blitzs.

 

[Asklesko]

In the second quarter, I noticed that the change was more in the way Houston played. They quit making the crisp, clean tackles on Julius and were getting no penetration on Bledsoe, even though they were rushing with everything they had. Their blitzes were stifled as soon as they started. Maybe the Texans lost their concentration at the same time as the offensive line really stepped it up.