TheDude
McLovin
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Below are some of the things I noticed on the Cowboys posssions. I find the ALL-22 incredible. The last time I posted a review it was all of Murrays runs against KC. To me, it was 90% the blocking as Murray only looked to "possibly miss 2 reads" as even then there were blocking breakdowns on film that aren't evident in still photos. So film countered some popular assertions.
Summary
In this review, what I came away with (and which has been an issue for this offense for a while) is that it IS TOO CONSERVATIVE. What I continuously see is a lack of any WR double moves,no pump fakes, few safety look offs. Romo almost always taking the easiest throw, a “so sad its funny” issue that the few deep routes that are called, is when the oline breaks down.[
To me it looks like some of this could be a “sync thing”. It seems Romo is progressing too fast in his reads, the offensive line is having trouble with some 3-4 schemes. WRs (although I cant include Dez here since he was on other side in this game) are not "running open" in the few occasions Romo does scramble. Also, Twill is getting open on some of his routes, but hard to say what read progression he is.
The bad part, to me, is that the offense is looking to get be “diverse” and not target Dez too much. Romo does not throw to Dez when he is doubled but will to Witten. Dez is also relegated to 90% outside the numbers – when he ran a route in the middle of the field – he scored. The routes though are 80% stop routes or curls for the WRs. The defenses are beginning to make the field smaller and that doesn’t help the run or the pass game.
The other infuriating part of this offense to me is seen in the next to last drive. Down 10 with 6:29 to go the Dallas offense goes on a 4 minute drive for no points. Juxtapose that to the Atlanta/NE game. Down 17with 6 minutes to go – Ryan goes yards deep to J Jones and continues to take a shot every 3rd or so play w/ Jones , White or Douglas. They score 10 points in 3 minutes and go out on downs at end of the game when it looked they would tie the game. Sure a loss is a loss, but targeting their #1 WR deep gave them a chance and left them time and they put up more than 14 points on Offense. The hurry-up still takes 15-20 seconds and the team jogs. Denver moves faster on “normal” drives.
Anyway, at the end of the analysis, I came away with 50% scheme, 25% execution and 25% Romo/scheme by not being aggressive. I didn’t see as many Witten 2 yard routes this time, but he still is relied on too much when the game calls for a “big play”
Drive overviews
1st Series - After a 10 yard run by Murray,there are 2 unsuccessful rollouts to the right.
The first,pressure came from Witten having to block a DL or LB then release. Hanna blocked th backside where there was no one - seems like he should have taken oneof wittens guys. Dez runs a shallow cross and TWill runs a fly - would have been open if no pressure. Witten and Dez are within yards of each other. Play/ blocking design looked wierd. Sack
Second rollout, Leary pulls and lets Blitzing LB into his vacated spot, Fred rocoves, but his mn ten gets pressure to Romo, Leay who has pulled stands there as another Charger bears on Romo. Hurried thow high to Dez out of bounds.
2nd Series - 5 yard hard run for Murray then a harder 3 yard run as Hanna gets driven bck 5yards into Murray (recurrng theme for Hanna). 3step drop slant to Dez incomplete. maybe PI - maybe good Def.
3rd series - Quick Short 7 yrd incomplete pass to TWIll. No receiver more than 10 yards down field. No rush. Next, no rush yard dig to witten - no receiver routes past 12 yards. Finally 8 yard sack. Romo fell. Harris was open for 1st down Witten runs a 2 yard route. Dez bracketd on 7 yd out. TWill open on 7 yd out
4th Series - Murray for 6,Beasley for 5 (no receiver running past 10 yard outs or in). Next, 10 yards to TWill no receiver past 10 yards. Next 10 yards to TWill, Dez was open on a deep corner rute for 20 (logest route had seen since first play). Haris for 13 - longest route. Next Murray runs for 2 bt 15 yrd facemask. 13 yards to TWill then Fade to Dez for TD. NIce drive - no flags - small ball dwn the field
5th Series - Murray for no gain - Hanna gts beat again. ,Next Murray checkdown for 4 yards. Leary completely whiffs on block - Witten, Dez, Twill and Beaey were open. 3rd down incomplete t Witten - blanketed by weddle. Dez looked open as did TWill
6th Series - Murray for 2 yards, Murray for 14 yards, Dunbar swep for 7yards. Dez 15yard postTD. That is football.
7th Series - Murray run for 3 yards. Beasley False Start. Murray checkdown for 9. Beasey for 5 - This is a play the Cowboys rarely tke advantage. SD had 12 men on the field. The flag flies but w settle for a 5 yrd checkdwn. This play had Dez,witten and TWill going deep. Dez is late off the line because of the flag but still gets open. No pressure on Romo - but 5 yard checkdown. This play shows small ball is primary key rather than killer instinct. Murray for 4, PF on SD. Murray for -1 - Hanna gets pushed back again, but Chargers had the def. Next, Twill WIDE OPEN down the seam. Fred gets pushed back to Romo. Romo checks down to WItten incoplete. Romo sems very reluctant to move off his spot. This was a side step - big play in years past. Next, to me horrble play design n 3rd ad 11. TWill and Harris run the same route almost on top of each other deep down field drawng safety. Dez runs the opposite out route and Witen 5 yard out. No pressure, Romo throws to Dez who cant mae the sideline leaning catch. THe mdddle of the field - wide open. Murray has a LB one on one but stays to block the non-rushing LB and if he runs dow field or Dez ha the post its a huge play. Punt - one drive in Q3. Cwboys stll lead
8th series - Murray for 9. Next, Murray check down for 6 - but TWILL Wide open dwn the seam or at least 2 yards (Single Safety 25yrds deep) Dez Behind thezone on crssing route. No pressure - checkdown for first down. Murray for 6. 10 yards to Dez as all run comeback routes. Dez screen for 6. Beasley for 6 - Holding on Leary. Twill had beten man deep left - could ave been def holdng. Back to Beasely for 6 - shallow routes for WRs - Witten doubled down seam. Next 3rd and 10 Witten drop - great throw.
9th series - down 10 6:49 to go - 1st PLay - all <1 yard stop routes TWill for 9. 2nd PLay - ditto. 3rd play -holding - Dez on opposite side, but Beasley dos nothing to help ROmo/. Short pass to Witten - Harris open long. PI on Witten. Next is a coveage sack, but Dez was wide open for 15 on an out route. 8 to Witten. 10 to Witten. Pass to Murray for 2. Incompte to Witten down the seam - doubled. Roo runs for 15. INcomplete to Witten TWill fumble. >4 minute drive down 10. NO urgency.
Summary
In this review, what I came away with (and which has been an issue for this offense for a while) is that it IS TOO CONSERVATIVE. What I continuously see is a lack of any WR double moves,no pump fakes, few safety look offs. Romo almost always taking the easiest throw, a “so sad its funny” issue that the few deep routes that are called, is when the oline breaks down.[
To me it looks like some of this could be a “sync thing”. It seems Romo is progressing too fast in his reads, the offensive line is having trouble with some 3-4 schemes. WRs (although I cant include Dez here since he was on other side in this game) are not "running open" in the few occasions Romo does scramble. Also, Twill is getting open on some of his routes, but hard to say what read progression he is.
The bad part, to me, is that the offense is looking to get be “diverse” and not target Dez too much. Romo does not throw to Dez when he is doubled but will to Witten. Dez is also relegated to 90% outside the numbers – when he ran a route in the middle of the field – he scored. The routes though are 80% stop routes or curls for the WRs. The defenses are beginning to make the field smaller and that doesn’t help the run or the pass game.
The other infuriating part of this offense to me is seen in the next to last drive. Down 10 with 6:29 to go the Dallas offense goes on a 4 minute drive for no points. Juxtapose that to the Atlanta/NE game. Down 17with 6 minutes to go – Ryan goes yards deep to J Jones and continues to take a shot every 3rd or so play w/ Jones , White or Douglas. They score 10 points in 3 minutes and go out on downs at end of the game when it looked they would tie the game. Sure a loss is a loss, but targeting their #1 WR deep gave them a chance and left them time and they put up more than 14 points on Offense. The hurry-up still takes 15-20 seconds and the team jogs. Denver moves faster on “normal” drives.
Anyway, at the end of the analysis, I came away with 50% scheme, 25% execution and 25% Romo/scheme by not being aggressive. I didn’t see as many Witten 2 yard routes this time, but he still is relied on too much when the game calls for a “big play”
Drive overviews
1st Series - After a 10 yard run by Murray,there are 2 unsuccessful rollouts to the right.
The first,pressure came from Witten having to block a DL or LB then release. Hanna blocked th backside where there was no one - seems like he should have taken oneof wittens guys. Dez runs a shallow cross and TWill runs a fly - would have been open if no pressure. Witten and Dez are within yards of each other. Play/ blocking design looked wierd. Sack
Second rollout, Leary pulls and lets Blitzing LB into his vacated spot, Fred rocoves, but his mn ten gets pressure to Romo, Leay who has pulled stands there as another Charger bears on Romo. Hurried thow high to Dez out of bounds.
2nd Series - 5 yard hard run for Murray then a harder 3 yard run as Hanna gets driven bck 5yards into Murray (recurrng theme for Hanna). 3step drop slant to Dez incomplete. maybe PI - maybe good Def.
3rd series - Quick Short 7 yrd incomplete pass to TWIll. No receiver more than 10 yards down field. No rush. Next, no rush yard dig to witten - no receiver routes past 12 yards. Finally 8 yard sack. Romo fell. Harris was open for 1st down Witten runs a 2 yard route. Dez bracketd on 7 yd out. TWill open on 7 yd out
4th Series - Murray for 6,Beasley for 5 (no receiver running past 10 yard outs or in). Next, 10 yards to TWill no receiver past 10 yards. Next 10 yards to TWill, Dez was open on a deep corner rute for 20 (logest route had seen since first play). Haris for 13 - longest route. Next Murray runs for 2 bt 15 yrd facemask. 13 yards to TWill then Fade to Dez for TD. NIce drive - no flags - small ball dwn the field
5th Series - Murray for no gain - Hanna gts beat again. ,Next Murray checkdown for 4 yards. Leary completely whiffs on block - Witten, Dez, Twill and Beaey were open. 3rd down incomplete t Witten - blanketed by weddle. Dez looked open as did TWill
6th Series - Murray for 2 yards, Murray for 14 yards, Dunbar swep for 7yards. Dez 15yard postTD. That is football.
7th Series - Murray run for 3 yards. Beasley False Start. Murray checkdown for 9. Beasey for 5 - This is a play the Cowboys rarely tke advantage. SD had 12 men on the field. The flag flies but w settle for a 5 yrd checkdwn. This play had Dez,witten and TWill going deep. Dez is late off the line because of the flag but still gets open. No pressure on Romo - but 5 yard checkdown. This play shows small ball is primary key rather than killer instinct. Murray for 4, PF on SD. Murray for -1 - Hanna gets pushed back again, but Chargers had the def. Next, Twill WIDE OPEN down the seam. Fred gets pushed back to Romo. Romo checks down to WItten incoplete. Romo sems very reluctant to move off his spot. This was a side step - big play in years past. Next, to me horrble play design n 3rd ad 11. TWill and Harris run the same route almost on top of each other deep down field drawng safety. Dez runs the opposite out route and Witen 5 yard out. No pressure, Romo throws to Dez who cant mae the sideline leaning catch. THe mdddle of the field - wide open. Murray has a LB one on one but stays to block the non-rushing LB and if he runs dow field or Dez ha the post its a huge play. Punt - one drive in Q3. Cwboys stll lead
8th series - Murray for 9. Next, Murray check down for 6 - but TWILL Wide open dwn the seam or at least 2 yards (Single Safety 25yrds deep) Dez Behind thezone on crssing route. No pressure - checkdown for first down. Murray for 6. 10 yards to Dez as all run comeback routes. Dez screen for 6. Beasley for 6 - Holding on Leary. Twill had beten man deep left - could ave been def holdng. Back to Beasely for 6 - shallow routes for WRs - Witten doubled down seam. Next 3rd and 10 Witten drop - great throw.
9th series - down 10 6:49 to go - 1st PLay - all <1 yard stop routes TWill for 9. 2nd PLay - ditto. 3rd play -holding - Dez on opposite side, but Beasley dos nothing to help ROmo/. Short pass to Witten - Harris open long. PI on Witten. Next is a coveage sack, but Dez was wide open for 15 on an out route. 8 to Witten. 10 to Witten. Pass to Murray for 2. Incompte to Witten down the seam - doubled. Roo runs for 15. INcomplete to Witten TWill fumble. >4 minute drive down 10. NO urgency.
