3 things that would not hurt my feelings if they happened...

[Cover 2]

In the end, Red Jesus is staying where he is and with an improved O-line we'd be even better. Cowboys set a franchise record in yards and were the #2 total offense in the league. In the end with Garrett we had one hell of an offense. Just think what it would be with an improved O-line and either a legitimate WR opposite Austin or Roy Williams finally stepping up. IMO coaching isn't the biggest problem on our team. Jason Garrett called a good game as long as Tony Romo had protection, but fell back to predictable form once the O-line started to fall apart. My only gripe with him would be that I think he panics when things start to fall apart due to a pass rush that is just strolling by our revolving O-line. We have the talent on offense and the playcaller to make us successful, we just need an improvement on O-line and a true threat opposite Austin.

Roy Williams better step up next season and perform, b/c he's not gonna keep his starting job if he can't produce. Both Jerry and Wade have stated that they will not compromise the team b/c of contract numbers and production will determine playing time, this coming season. So if RW can't perform look for him to get benched in favor of better performing WRs. Hopefully this will be motivation for RW to finally catch the balls that hit him in the hands.

In my eyes we were the #14 offense.

On the flip side we had the #2 defense IMO.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

I don't know Bleu, I wasn't a big JG supporter. I do feel he has grown as an OC and made some pretty good strides. He seemed to mature with a bunch of the players and that has worked very well.

That is on staff position I would hate to see change, I don't think it would help Romo right now.

Now get another good WR opposite Miles and JG has more room to grow.

 

[CowboyMike]

I stopped reading right there. Had it been the first point I might know what the other 2 are. Ridiculous.

Amen.

 

[BIGDen]

You're all probably right about JG and I am most likely still probably just a little parched over that game. I'll admit that.

Bleu, I've gotta give you credit. I used to think of you as this guy that would just argue and argue to make your point (TO), rarely acknowledging the other side (but it was always clear that you knew football well). Now you say things like "I'll admit that...." and "We'll agree to disagree..." I respect you for that (not that what "BIGDen" in Jersey thinks matters all that much to you ) .

I understand how you feel about Garrett. I definitely think he could have called some better plays against that Vikings defense but, when an o-line is manhandled, QBs and offensive coordinators have a funny way of instantly turning to crap.

He made mistakes this year with some red zone and short yardage calls (some pretty big mistakes), but he did more good than bad overall and seems to be learning a bit.

I think this offense will be better next year. Romo really seemed to be in command of what was going on with his players and the opposing defenses for the most part this year. Looked like the light really went on for him. This will only make Garrett and everyone else look smarter next year. I remember Steve Young talking about not REALLY getting it as a QB until being in the league many years. You just recognize things more quickly and can exploit mistakes that the defenses make more often. Garrett is smart and Romo is in his prime. I'm more positive than negative about the OC situation.

This team no longer has to answer questions about whether they can win big games or playoff games, just whether or not they can win it all. That's a good thing because that's the only question you want your team thinking about answering.

 

[Hoofbite]

Would a better offensive line have prevented two goal line slants?

How about two goal line fades?

Would a better offensive line suddenly make the RB rotation make sense?

Does it instantly find a way to utilize Martellus' size?

Does it somehow change his thinking in sending Deon Anderson in for a 4 & 1 play in Pittsburgh?

Does it somehow get Felix a single carry in the Washington game last season.

Improving the OLine will help this offense but its not gonna make up for the problems on offense that stand on the sideline. Garrett did improve down the stretch but its gonna take a lot more than a couple games to shake the critics.

 

[Cover 2]

Would a better offensive line have prevented two goal line slants?

How about two goal line fades?

Would a better offensive line suddenly make the RB rotation make sense?

Does it instantly find a way to utilize Martellus' size?

Does it somehow change his thinking in sending Deon Anderson in for a 4 & 1 play in Pittsburgh?

Does it somehow get Felix a single carry in the Washington game last season.

Improving the OLine will help this offense but its not gonna make up for the problems on offense that stand on the sideline. Garrett did improve down the stretch but its gonna take a lot more than a couple games to shake the critics.

I agree Garrett's a problem, but an improved o-line would make him look better than he did last year.

 

[Hoofbite]

I agree Garrett's a problem, but an improved o-line would make him look better than he did last year.

An improved OL would make any OC look better.

However, what if the improvements at OL don't work out? We're looking at another year of middle of the road scoring?

Nobody hires any coach and throws out the excuse that the guy happens to need a plethora of talent to win.

Top QB
Top TE
Top WR
Potentially very good #2 WR
Very good #3 WR
Awesome stable of RBs

Seriously, you look around the league and there are not many teams that have as much talent on offense as Dallas.

But thats not enough? He needs to have an OL on par with the skill players?

Where does it end?

The guy has a hard enough time getting the most of the group he has now. Looking at the complete botching of the RB rotation is proof enough.

 

[Cover 2]

An improved OL would make any OC look better.

However, what if the improvements at OL don't work out? We're looking at another year of middle of the road scoring?

Nobody hires any coach and throws out the excuse that the guy happens to need a plethora of talent to win.

Top QB
Top TE
Top WR
Potentially very good #2 WR
Very good #3 WR
Awesome stable of RBs

Seriously, you look around the league and there are not many teams that have as much talent on offense as Dallas.

But thats not enough? He needs to have an OL on par with the skill players?

Where does it end?

The guy has a hard enough time getting the most of the group he has now. Looking at the complete botching of the RB rotation is proof enough.

I agree. There was no excuse for us to be the #14 scoring offense. Garrett has to shoulder a large amount of blame for that. Upgrading the o-line will help though. Then again it would help any coordinator.

 

[Spectre]

1. Some team sees unrealized potential in Red and takes him off of our hands to make him their next HC.

Possibility: We get a real OC in place and position the offense to take it to the next level.


2. Jerry realizes he made a huge mistake and flat out cuts RW11.

Possibility: Kevin Ogletree slides even further up the depth chart and we pickup another future possibility in the mid rounds of the draft.


3. Barbie Carpenter continues to perform at the same level.

Possibility: One of our young, fast, talented LBs takes his job in TC.

have to say I agree with all 3.

 

[dbair1967]

An improved OL would make any OC look better.

what tams have good offense's that have poor OL play?

However, what if the improvements at OL don't work out? We're looking at another year of middle of the road scoring?

Every team in the league would be in the same boat.

Top QB
Top TE
Top WR
Potentially very good #2 WR
Very good #3 WR
Awesome stable of RBs

Especially in the case of the QB, his play has greatly improved. Somebody's coaching is helping him.

Seriously, you look around the league and there are not many teams that have as much talent on offense as Dallas.

I also look around the league and see only one team that moved the ball better than we did, and nobody had fewer 3 and outs.

But thats not enough? He needs to have an OL on par with the skill players?

Again, what team can you show me that has a great offense but is greatly lacking in an important area?

Where does it end?

The guy has a hard enough time getting the most of the group he has now. Looking at the complete botching of the RB rotation is proof enough

Botching of the RB position? Huh? We just ran for our highest yardage total since 2001, how was that botching? How many yards do you honestly expect those guys to run for on a team with Tony Romo at QB, Jason Witten at TE and Miles Austin at WR? (Plus the other stuff we have)

 

[Brooksey]

You're all probably right about JG and I am most likely still probably just a little parched over that game. I'll admit that.

JG is okay but he is not "Great", not right now. He called a questionable game in Minnesota based on the pressure their front 4 was getting. Looked like the games he called against NYG and SD.

We were #2 in yardage this year (damn good) and #14/15 in scoring(big problem). That's not very impressive being that we were #1 in the NFC in scoring in 2007 with the same O-Line and #2 overall behind the NE Patriots. If were going to love JG, can we please back it with substance?

With that said, if he's staying I hope the guy figures it out. I do think he has the potential to do that but fans are not out of line to be weary of him right now. We have a lot of weapons to fall that far in scoring in two years.

 

[dbair1967]

We were #2 in yardage this year (damn good) and #14/15 in scoring(big problem). That's not very impressive being that we were #1 in the NFC in scoring in 2007 with the same O-Line and #2 overall behind the NE Patriots. If were going to love JG, can we please back it with substance?

.

And guess who the offensive coordinator was that season? Guess who called all the plays and totally redesigned the passing attack, resulting in the great season scoring wise and record setting year for our QB.

 

[Hoofbite]

what tams have good offense's that have poor OL play?

You tell me. That wasn't what I was saying. My point was that any coach would benefit from improved OL play. No matter how good their current OL is, if you improve their OL play they will benefit.

I also look around the league and see only one team that moved the ball better than we did, and nobody had fewer 3 and outs.

Why don't you ever look at points?

Botching of the RB position? Huh? We just ran for our highest yardage total since 2001, how was that botching? How many yards do you honestly expect those guys to run for on a team with Tony Romo at QB, Jason Witten at TE and Miles Austin at WR? (Plus the other stuff we have)

I said botching of the "RB rotation".

 

[Cover 2]

And guess who the offensive coordinator was that season? Guess who called all the plays and totally redesigned the passing attack, resulting in the great season scoring wise and record setting year for our QB.

Tony Sparano had a lot of control over that offense. To pretend it was all Jason Garrett is to be disingenuous.

 

[CF74]

If the offensive line improves, it will be eerily coincidental on how much better a coordinator Garrett becomes.

Waiting until someone tries to refute this solid piece of logic.

The O-line has been up and down all season and Romo has always made it look better than it really is. To me the problem has always been putting to much on Romo. We have three stellar backs but usually only one of them has the hot hand yet we try to force the ball to the other backs, specifically Barber. That inevitably seems to do us in along with continually trying to run passing plays that take to long to develop. It's the same ole reason why this offense has failed us for the past three years.

But it's not all Garrett, some of it is Jerry insisting certain players get utilized, and some of it is Wade. More and more people are starting to see that the offense is losing the big games for us and naturally they point at the guy calling the plays. It's a group failure/effort in this dept.

 

[Brooksey]

And guess who the offensive coordinator was that season? Guess who called all the plays and totally redesigned the passing attack, resulting in the great season scoring wise and record setting year for our QB.

Geez, let me guess JG? That's exactly my point. We dropped very far this year in scoring. The yardage and stats are fine but scoring is way down. Are you saying that is not a reflection of JG and it's all the O-Line??

 

[Mansta54]

yeah, lets just ignore that and give him a free pass because he is good in all the other categories that don't count...ok...

Well you darn sure don't get rid of the guy just because he was avg in scoring and top 5 in most all other offensive categories.. That's rather silly, don't you think? Unbelievable!!

 

[Eskimo]

The O-line has been up and down all season and Romo has always made it look better than it really is. To me the problem has always been putting to much on Romo. We have three stellar backs but usually only one of them has the hot hand yet we try to force the ball to the other backs, specifically Barber. That inevitably seems to do us in along with continually trying to run passing plays that take to long to develop. It's the same ole reason why this offense has failed us for the past three years.

But it's not all Garrett, some of it is Jerry insisting certain players get utilized, and some of it is Wade. More and more people are starting to see that the offense is losing the big games for us and naturally they point at the guy calling the plays. It's a group failure/effort in this dept.

This was much more the case in seasons past. This year he did a good job of shortening the routes. Yet despite this, the sacks given up increased. I don't think Romo caused there to be all that many sacks. A few were coverage sacks but most of them were the Dallas OL failing horribly and basically whiffing on someone or misreading a blitz.

At one point I was wondering if it was due to Houck and coaching. In the end, I concluded it was due to a lack of talent along the OL and the lack of fear among DC's about the consequences of a blitz. We started getting better at beating blitzes with the screens, tosses and slants - but in the Vikings game they didn't need to blitz to get a jailbreak type pass rush and that gave Romo no chance.

I would say there are three things I'd like to see next year after the draft/FA:

1. Doug Free at LT
2. Draft new starter at RT
3. Hopefully Brewster beats out Kosier at Guard
4. Felix is the starter at RB
5. Open competition at WR between RW and KO and possibly a draft pick for #2 WR
6. Increased use of the 2 TE, 2 WR offense
7. Less OL penalties and mistakes in the red zone
8. Better OL blocking in the short yardage
9. Choice should be the RB in short yardage and goal line situations
10. Lots more screens plays given how much we are blitzed
11. A recognition that the way the league is going we need a much more athletic OL so they can get out and make blocks in space instead of just bulldozing the guy in front of them (not that they could actually do it anyway).

 

[bbgun]

2. Jerry realizes he made a huge mistake and flat out cuts RW11.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but isn't RW + Ogletree better than just Ogletree? If we're stuck, then why not try to get some value out of him? That said, there has to be an open competition for the job. $ and draft picks can't be the overriding factor anymore. Time to get the best man on the field regardless. If it turns out to be Roy, then more power to him.

 

[Cover 2]

Well you darn sure don't get rid of the guy just because he was avg in scoring and top 5 in most all other offensive categories.. That's rather silly, don't you think? Unbelievable!!

Scoring and TO's are the two most importants stats IMO, with scoring being the most important.