3rd and 2 on the 1st Drive of the Game

[robbieruff]

That Steelers SB game...do you remember us on the opening drive running Dorsett down the throats of the Steelers getting deep into Steelers territory and Landry tried to get cute and called a WR reverse and we lost big yardage and the drive stalled?

Vividly. And it was a turnover. Not a stall. Dorset should have been MVP of that game but Landry outsmarted himself, starting with that drive. Steelers had no solution on defense for Tony's speed.

 

[TwoDeep3]

That Steelers SB game...do you remember us on the opening drive running Dorsett down the throats of the Steelers getting deep into Steelers territory and Landry tried to get cute and called a WR reverse and we lost big yardage and the drive stalled?

Yes. That game is still a heart breaker.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Different situation and different point in the game. Romo was a veteran. It was a great throw and a great catch no matter what New York says. Dak is a rookie. He's good at playing it safe. We didn't play it safe. We went away from our strengths.

I guess we can all see it differently. But both were huge risks. Romo took a tremendous risk with that, and is one reason I have lost a little trust in him. He wants to throw every down and will option out of the running game and do that deep pass stuff. Just like in the Eagles game this season on his first play.

He takes risks, and some are not needed.

 

[bark]

Also not using Zeke in the redzone at the end of the half was criminal. Not only did it result in a fg, Rodgers was left with more than a minute and a couple of timeouts.

This was the sequence that made me scratch my head.
We were down 21-10 less than 2 minutes left till half and pass,

throwing 3 straight incompletions.

Granted, Witten did get tackled on one play. A clear holding that wasn't called.

We should have pounded them there if not getting 6 at least draining the clock.

They got the ball to start the second half.
Game could have been 35-13 before we touched the ball again

 

[conner01]

Did any of you who thought this was a bad idea also think the pass from Romo to Dez that ended up not being a catch, so says the league, in the Green Bay game in 2014 also think that pass was a bad idea on 4th and 1 late in the 4th quarter?

I bartended when the Cowboys lost to the Steelers the first time in the Super Bowl. Funny how all the people that sat around my bar revisited that game every day for six months. And every time they did Dallas won.

Results frame opinions. Had Dez caught that ball, there would be people suggesting it was a brilliant call.

Exactly
Every call is a good call when it works, and a bad call when it doesn't

 

[Future]

A good throw and it's a TD...but, in general, I agree that that's probably not the playcall there.

 

[Future]

It was a td with a perfect throw from what I remember, so I get it. GB's secondary was bad in the first place and it was so depleted so going after them makes sense, Dak just didn't execute perfectly.

I don't think it needed a perfect throw, but Dak tried the wrong kind of throw. If he puts some arc on it to the outside, the safety wouldn't have gotten there and it would have been a touchdown.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Can someone explain to me why were are going 20 yards down field to Dez? That didn't make any sense. That was the difference in getting 7 to begin the game and settling for 3. We were moving the ball perfectly with our usual offense. Then we decide to do that. That's more of a play for 2nd and 2, not 3rd and 2. On that down, we should either be running Zeke, maybe some zone read action with Dak/Zeke or a quick chain mover to one of the WRs. Something safe.

In a game where points mattered and we had to score into the 30's to win, it made no sense. We kicked too many FG's instead of finishing drives for TD's.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

It was an expensive on-the-job training experience for our rookie who played well but not great,,,, and still, he scored 31 points, it was the weak defense that lost the game. We always knew that defense would be the limiting factor in the team's success.

 

[Established1971]

Did any of you who thought this was a bad idea also think the pass from Romo to Dez that ended up not being a catch, so says the league, in the Green Bay game in 2014 also think that pass was a bad idea on 4th and 1 late in the 4th quarter?

I bartended when the Cowboys lost to the Steelers the first time in the Super Bowl. Funny how all the people that sat around my bar revisited that game every day for six months. And every time they did Dallas won.

Results frame opinions. Had Dez caught that ball, there would be people suggesting it was a brilliant call.

Interesting bartender, but I was saying it to myself AS the ball was in the air

 

[pancakeman]

We repeatedly passed on 3rd and short in this game. Hell, we even went shotgun/empty backfield on a lot of those plays.

Totally contradicts the whole smash mouth identity when you do crap like that.

Yeah, the empty backfield stuff bothers me more than the fact that a pass might be thrown. At least keep the threat of Zeke in play as much as possible.

 

[ghosttown cowboy]

I think anytime we are on the plus side of the field and it's 3rd and 2 or less for a first down that it should be 4 down territory, and it should be mandatory that we run Zeke...every new set of downs we get is at least 2 minutes that the other teams offense has to sit and watch...

 

[Venger]

Did any of you who thought this was a bad idea also think the pass from Romo to Dez that ended up not being a catch, so says the league, in the Green Bay game in 2014 also think that pass was a bad idea on 4th and 1 late in the 4th quarter?

Yes, and I said so at the time. And that was FOURTH down. I think on 3rd and 2 you run, with this line and this team, even if it's not out of a rush formation - three wides is fine with motion to make GB think of possible pass defense. Frankly, I think the non-Dez-catch was a worse call because to me, I want a fresh set of downs on a far higher percentage play before I take my shot like that. On third down, you gotta start thinking about your next first down. On the drive in question, our first against GB, If we came up a little short running on third, I'd likely have gone on 4th and 1 too, because teams that score touchdowns beat teams that kick field goals.

 

[Aven8]

I knew we were in for a long day with that pass. That was an awful play call. I also knew not going for it on 4th and 2 was going to haunt us.

 

[UncleOscar]

Vividly. And it was a turnover. Not a stall. Dorset should have been MVP of that game but Landry outsmarted himself, starting with that drive. Steelers had no solution on defense for Tony's speed.

I stand gladly corrected and thank you!!

The point of my thread was coaches trying to get cute and getting away from something that is working. On Sunday's 3rd and 2, that should have been a run, and any pass options should have been short passes and or using Dak in bootleg. Further, at no point in the game on 3rd and very short should we ever have been in empty backfield, especially with our line and Zeke. We told the defense we would not run and we're going to pass. Does Linehan know play action freezes the LB's and that Zeke is great on pass blocking?

 

[TINGS21]

Dallas should run more on 3rd and 2 in general

At least have the rushing leader in the backfield to pose a threat of the run. The empty set on short yardage downs is frustrating to say the least. I'll take EE on the field over Butler any day.

 

[knightrider94]

Serious, but potentially stupid question: why was Darren McFadden even added back to the active roster?

They didn't even pretend to use him.

 

[Stash]

Yeah, the empty backfield stuff bothers me more than the fact that a pass might be thrown. At least keep the threat of Zeke in play as much as possible.

Exactly! And putting him out there as a receiver and never throwing him the ball anyway is a huge favor to opposing defenses too.

I'm still happy for a great year, but I feel I'm playing the blame game, Scott Linehan is directly in my crosshairs. I saw zero read option stuff - which has given Dom Capers defense's fits - a lack of commitment to a running game that worked all day, and far too many empty backfield 'hey guys! we're passing now!' sets that were both unnecessary and self-defeating.

 

[Everson24]

Can someone explain to me why were are going 20 yards down field to Dez? That didn't make any sense. That was the difference in getting 7 to begin the game and settling for 3. We were moving the ball perfectly with our usual offense. Then we decide to do that. That's more of a play for 2nd and 2, not 3rd and 2. On that down, we should either be running Zeke, maybe some zone read action with Dak/Zeke or a quick chain mover to one of the WRs. Something safe.

Move the chains, control tempo and get time off the clock to limit Rodgers' possessions. I felt this play was critical. I had a bad feeling come over me when we had to settle for 3. That's a win for GB because now we will be playing catch up all game. And they get the ball to start the 2nd half. This went exactly how they wanted.

I felt all game we just didn't look to have the same identity of what got us here. Linehan tried to get too cute.

I felt that play was crucial as well. It let the Packers off the hook and with our D, kicking FGs is just one step closer to losing. We had many other plays that would have netted us the first there but this call was questionable at best

 

[Stash]

I think anytime we are on the plus side of the field and it's 3rd and 2 or less for a first down that it should be 4 down territory, and it should be mandatory that we run Zeke...every new set of downs we get is at least 2 minutes that the other teams offense has to sit and watch...

And, despite having the league's best line and leading rusher, 3rd and 2 is virtually a guaranteed passing play from these guys.