TheDude
McLovin
- Messages
- 12,203
- Reaction score
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I really wish I had an efficient way to make some animated gifs like @itsaboat and others. The All-22 is a great feature and worth it if you have no real life - it is cheap "entertainment." When you compare teams and or games like NO this year vs last year, you really can see some root cause issues and sometimes get confirmation when someone like @Sturm1310 pulls stuff out .
That said, here are some thoughts and happy to point to other interesting plays (or post if someone can give me heads up on a tool that I dont have to spend 20 minutes loading one clip (I apparently have some life)
Offense
Oline
The line is not playing anywhere NEAR expectations. The biggest issues across the board is that they look weak and leverage seems consistently bad. There are many times (like the Michael play) where 1 or 2 players are driven back 2 yards before the handoff occurs. In this game, Leary looked exceptionally weak and slow for him, maybe he is still nursing injuries. Free seems to give you one good play and then 3 bad ones.
Teams are also learning tendencies of the Cowboys stretch and zone plays. The cut blocks are very anticipated and the result is you have tackles hitting the ground and the defender left upright hurdling over. Communication and calls seem to be 50/50 propositions as well (but that is pretty subjective statement)
Overall, this line looks average, it doesn't look like last year, and this has been in all 4 games not just since Romo is out. Pass Blocking has been decent - but that isnt playing to our gameplan. Grade - D+
QB
Weeden actually played ok enough to win. I still do not think he gives you more than someone like Showers (who is mobile). After watching Weeden and going back to some Cleveland games, he just doesnt seem to incorporate any pump fakes, look offs, etc. He locks on read #1 or #2, by then he seems to get nervous and lose composure. If the route is open he will stand in and take a hit, if not his bail is always backwards, there is no step up. A couple of sacks were plays Romo hits TDs on. I cant really fault Weeden for that, but whith his other issues - partial progressions, lack of touch, not incredibly accurate - I think having some mobility is really more valuable than a vet who has proven not to cut it. There were still many throws left on the field (video and the 3rd down incomplete to WItten where Williams had great seperation from Breaux on the same side
Grade - C
TEs
I really do not like the 2TE set on the line. It is crowding the area and giving more people room to shoot gaps and. Hanna missed a couple of blocks that could have sprung for big gains, but overall TEs are open and doing a passable job
Grade - B
RBs
After watching this year and last years game,. I have a new respect for "dirty yards". There are many runs that were stuffed for 1, 0, -1 where the RB immediately bailed for the cutback. Teams have studied this and the cutbacks arent there as ther were last year. However, watching a few of Demarcos runs last, he would run into the crease between a Smith and Free and sping through a crevice that really didnt look like it was there. The Dline got a hand on him, but his momentum was too much to impede him. Randle and McFadden dont see that crease developing or dont trust it. Every run seems to have a cutback way too early. Aside form that, many runs have no chance due to a blown assignment from the line.
Grade - C
WRs
This was impossible to judge last week as no balls go to the edge. WRs were open. They were open again this week and the ball was moved pretty effectively. Williams has had a couple of drops and Street is worthless, but Butler, Beasley and Williams have been good enough to win.
Grade - B
This is getting long in the tooth, so maybe i'll save the defense for another thread. Suffice it to say, with your #1WR gone, Pro-Bowl QB gone, the TEAM has to play efficient and execute. The coaches also have to adjust and understand what the strengths are and have situational awareness and instill all remote scenarios as teaching tools (like Parcells). The defense also has to capitalize on turnovers and tackle. 1-3 plays can typically make the difference in NFL games and these plays can be obvious or hidden. You cant win with a multiple false starts, too many men penalties, stepping out of bounds, calling timeout on first and goal at the with :40 seconds in the half resulting in 3 points for the other team. Getting stupid defense holding calls that dont impede a receiver, but just negates a Turnover (Carr). Dropping gift INTs (Claiborne, Patmon). Continuing to run the same plays and show tendencies. THere is a great play the Saints had on a sweep where the slot receiver came down and pushed lawrence from setting the edge - yet to see a similar variation from Dallas.
Chip Kelly said that they are 2 missed kicks away form being 3-1. THey are also a Brandon Marshall lateral to his shadow from being 0-4. Dallas could also be anywhere from 1-3 to 4-0. But there are way too many opportunities left out there and way too many dumb mistakes. The most concerning though is the oline getting manhandled 70% of the time
Here are two plays indicative of how drives end in FGs versus 7 points. The TE seam route is always open (Hanna this time). The next play is Randle for -4. Leary and Tyron Whiff. Free misses his block and ends up riding him into randles cut back - way to frequent look
That said, here are some thoughts and happy to point to other interesting plays (or post if someone can give me heads up on a tool that I dont have to spend 20 minutes loading one clip (I apparently have some life)
Offense
Oline
The line is not playing anywhere NEAR expectations. The biggest issues across the board is that they look weak and leverage seems consistently bad. There are many times (like the Michael play) where 1 or 2 players are driven back 2 yards before the handoff occurs. In this game, Leary looked exceptionally weak and slow for him, maybe he is still nursing injuries. Free seems to give you one good play and then 3 bad ones.
Teams are also learning tendencies of the Cowboys stretch and zone plays. The cut blocks are very anticipated and the result is you have tackles hitting the ground and the defender left upright hurdling over. Communication and calls seem to be 50/50 propositions as well (but that is pretty subjective statement)
Overall, this line looks average, it doesn't look like last year, and this has been in all 4 games not just since Romo is out. Pass Blocking has been decent - but that isnt playing to our gameplan. Grade - D+
QB
Weeden actually played ok enough to win. I still do not think he gives you more than someone like Showers (who is mobile). After watching Weeden and going back to some Cleveland games, he just doesnt seem to incorporate any pump fakes, look offs, etc. He locks on read #1 or #2, by then he seems to get nervous and lose composure. If the route is open he will stand in and take a hit, if not his bail is always backwards, there is no step up. A couple of sacks were plays Romo hits TDs on. I cant really fault Weeden for that, but whith his other issues - partial progressions, lack of touch, not incredibly accurate - I think having some mobility is really more valuable than a vet who has proven not to cut it. There were still many throws left on the field (video and the 3rd down incomplete to WItten where Williams had great seperation from Breaux on the same side
Grade - C
TEs
I really do not like the 2TE set on the line. It is crowding the area and giving more people room to shoot gaps and. Hanna missed a couple of blocks that could have sprung for big gains, but overall TEs are open and doing a passable job
Grade - B
RBs
After watching this year and last years game,. I have a new respect for "dirty yards". There are many runs that were stuffed for 1, 0, -1 where the RB immediately bailed for the cutback. Teams have studied this and the cutbacks arent there as ther were last year. However, watching a few of Demarcos runs last, he would run into the crease between a Smith and Free and sping through a crevice that really didnt look like it was there. The Dline got a hand on him, but his momentum was too much to impede him. Randle and McFadden dont see that crease developing or dont trust it. Every run seems to have a cutback way too early. Aside form that, many runs have no chance due to a blown assignment from the line.
Grade - C
WRs
This was impossible to judge last week as no balls go to the edge. WRs were open. They were open again this week and the ball was moved pretty effectively. Williams has had a couple of drops and Street is worthless, but Butler, Beasley and Williams have been good enough to win.
Grade - B
This is getting long in the tooth, so maybe i'll save the defense for another thread. Suffice it to say, with your #1WR gone, Pro-Bowl QB gone, the TEAM has to play efficient and execute. The coaches also have to adjust and understand what the strengths are and have situational awareness and instill all remote scenarios as teaching tools (like Parcells). The defense also has to capitalize on turnovers and tackle. 1-3 plays can typically make the difference in NFL games and these plays can be obvious or hidden. You cant win with a multiple false starts, too many men penalties, stepping out of bounds, calling timeout on first and goal at the with :40 seconds in the half resulting in 3 points for the other team. Getting stupid defense holding calls that dont impede a receiver, but just negates a Turnover (Carr). Dropping gift INTs (Claiborne, Patmon). Continuing to run the same plays and show tendencies. THere is a great play the Saints had on a sweep where the slot receiver came down and pushed lawrence from setting the edge - yet to see a similar variation from Dallas.
Chip Kelly said that they are 2 missed kicks away form being 3-1. THey are also a Brandon Marshall lateral to his shadow from being 0-4. Dallas could also be anywhere from 1-3 to 4-0. But there are way too many opportunities left out there and way too many dumb mistakes. The most concerning though is the oline getting manhandled 70% of the time
Here are two plays indicative of how drives end in FGs versus 7 points. The TE seam route is always open (Hanna this time). The next play is Randle for -4. Leary and Tyron Whiff. Free misses his block and ends up riding him into randles cut back - way to frequent look
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