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Todd Archer: Beginning of the ends for Cowboys
Off-season personnel moves have offense ready for different look
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (left) is one of the reasons coach Bill Parcells feels confident running the two-tight end set.
OXNARD, Calif. – It's called the Detroit package, and Jason Witten and Sean Ryan aren't 100 percent sure why.
"We called it 'Tiger' in college," said Ryan, a Boston College grad. "We call it 'Detroit' here. It has something to do with the Motor City, I guess."
Ding, ding. We have a winner.
The first time Bill Parcells saw the two tight end formation the Cowboys figure to use on an expanded basis this season came in the mid-1970s when Rick Forzano was head coach of the Lions.
"Charlie Sanders was one of them," Parcells said. "David Hill, he was the other. He was a big sucker that David Hill."
Fritz Shurmur was the Lions' defensive line coach before becoming a coordinator for Super Bowl teams in Green Bay. In 1980, Parcells was Shurmur's linebackers coach in New England, and that's where he learned the two tight end set.
"We've used it ever since," Parcells said. "And all the guys who've ever coached for me call it that now. Charlie Weis, Al Groh. That's just what we call it."
The Cowboys figure to call it a lot this year, which is why they drafted Anthony Fasano, who played for Weis at Notre Dame, in the second round, and added Ryan Hannam in free agency. It's also why fullback Lousaka Polite has to learn a new position to remain on the field.
In Witten, the Cowboys have one of the best tight ends in football. In Fasano, Hannam, Polite, Ryan and Tony Curtis, they have options.
"It's just using versatile players," Parcells said.
In the running game, the two tight end set can offer some deception and power. In the passing game, it can create mismatches and force defenses to make decisions they wouldn't want to make.
Witten said when an offense lines up with a tight end and a fullback that it's obvious to tell where the strength of the formation is. Part of the deception with a double tight end set is that it's hard to tell where the strength might be.
"You can go by the field, or they might designate a guy. But they don't really know," he said.
Playing against defensive ends such as Osi Umenyiora and Mchael Strahan in New York and Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse four times a year, the Cowboys know they have to block the perimeter. Having size (the tight ends weigh between 255 and 265) can at least neutralize the defense.
"If you're not making yards on the perimeter, then they can squeeze everything from outside in and you're not going to make any yards," Parcells said.
It would look like the package would limit the passing game, but Parcells begs to differ. He sees Witten and Fasano being a mismatch for safeties and linebackers. Plus quarterback Drew Bledsoe has always found the tight end to his liking, starting with Ben Coates in New England.
"Nowadays in pro football, defending the Antonio Gateses and Jason Wittens of this world is a more difficult job than defending the third wide receiver on most teams," Parcells said. "If you put your third wide receiver in there, you know who covers him on our team? Terence Newman, so lots of luck."
Off-season personnel moves have offense ready for different look
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (left) is one of the reasons coach Bill Parcells feels confident running the two-tight end set.
OXNARD, Calif. – It's called the Detroit package, and Jason Witten and Sean Ryan aren't 100 percent sure why.
"We called it 'Tiger' in college," said Ryan, a Boston College grad. "We call it 'Detroit' here. It has something to do with the Motor City, I guess."
Ding, ding. We have a winner.
The first time Bill Parcells saw the two tight end formation the Cowboys figure to use on an expanded basis this season came in the mid-1970s when Rick Forzano was head coach of the Lions.
"Charlie Sanders was one of them," Parcells said. "David Hill, he was the other. He was a big sucker that David Hill."
Fritz Shurmur was the Lions' defensive line coach before becoming a coordinator for Super Bowl teams in Green Bay. In 1980, Parcells was Shurmur's linebackers coach in New England, and that's where he learned the two tight end set.
"We've used it ever since," Parcells said. "And all the guys who've ever coached for me call it that now. Charlie Weis, Al Groh. That's just what we call it."
The Cowboys figure to call it a lot this year, which is why they drafted Anthony Fasano, who played for Weis at Notre Dame, in the second round, and added Ryan Hannam in free agency. It's also why fullback Lousaka Polite has to learn a new position to remain on the field.
In Witten, the Cowboys have one of the best tight ends in football. In Fasano, Hannam, Polite, Ryan and Tony Curtis, they have options.
"It's just using versatile players," Parcells said.
In the running game, the two tight end set can offer some deception and power. In the passing game, it can create mismatches and force defenses to make decisions they wouldn't want to make.
Witten said when an offense lines up with a tight end and a fullback that it's obvious to tell where the strength of the formation is. Part of the deception with a double tight end set is that it's hard to tell where the strength might be.
"You can go by the field, or they might designate a guy. But they don't really know," he said.
Playing against defensive ends such as Osi Umenyiora and Mchael Strahan in New York and Philadelphia's Jevon Kearse four times a year, the Cowboys know they have to block the perimeter. Having size (the tight ends weigh between 255 and 265) can at least neutralize the defense.
"If you're not making yards on the perimeter, then they can squeeze everything from outside in and you're not going to make any yards," Parcells said.
It would look like the package would limit the passing game, but Parcells begs to differ. He sees Witten and Fasano being a mismatch for safeties and linebackers. Plus quarterback Drew Bledsoe has always found the tight end to his liking, starting with Ben Coates in New England.
"Nowadays in pro football, defending the Antonio Gateses and Jason Wittens of this world is a more difficult job than defending the third wide receiver on most teams," Parcells said. "If you put your third wide receiver in there, you know who covers him on our team? Terence Newman, so lots of luck."
