Bob's Blog - Wednesday Thoughts on Garrett

[Gaede]

When the Cowboys go to the shotgun, it tells teams what they're about to do. That is, because we pass out of the formation so frequently, opposing defensive coordinators are more willing to gamble on a big blitz. It's risk/reward. To other DCs...the risks of getting caught with a good run or quick pass are not significant enough to keep them from throwing all their men at us. That is because Garrett overuses the formation--becoming predictable--and does not give the opposing team any reason to hold back.

It's not the formation that invites the blitz, it's how and when the cowboys use it that does.

 

[dbair1967]

When the Cowboys go to the shotgun, it tells teams what they're about to do. That is, because we pass out of the formation so frequently, opposing defensive coordinators are more willing to gamble on a big blitz.

It's not the formation that invites the blitz, it's how and when the cowboys use it that does.

Virtually every team in the NFL uses the shotgun on passing downs. If anything, Dallas tends to RUN more plays from the shotgun than other teams.

 

[Gaede]

Virtually every team in the NFL uses the shotgun on passing downs. If anything, Dallas tends to RUN more plays from the shotgun than other teams.

Sure other teams use it alot, but do they use it 70% of the time?

 

[craig71]

When the Cowboys go to the shotgun, it tells teams what they're about to do. That is, because we pass out of the formation so frequently, opposing defensive coordinators are more willing to gamble on a big blitz. It's risk/reward. To other DCs...the risks of getting caught with a good run or quick pass are not significant enough to keep them from throwing all their men at us. That is because Garrett overuses the formation--becoming predictable--and does not give the opposing team any reason to hold back.

It's not the formation that invites the blitz, it's how and when the cowboys use it that does.

They went shotgun for 15 consecutive plays during one drive,that drive moved the ball from the Dallas 23 to the Green Bay 1.If not for a bad pass from Romo to Witten the drive should end with 6 points.They also were pretty much no-huddle during that drive also,so that tells me they were trying to conserve time.I believe the drive started with 10:49 on the clock and ended with the pick at the 6 minute mark.

Craig

 

[Idgit]

They went shotgun for 15 consecutive plays during one drive,that drive moved the ball from the Dallas 23 to the Green Bay 1.If not for a bad pass from Romo to Witten the drive should end with 6 points.They also were pretty much no-huddle during that drive also,so that tells me they were trying to conserve time.I believe the drive started with 10:49 on the clock and ended with the pick at the 6 minute mark.

Craig

That's actually a really good point: the shotgun people are complaining about was used notably during the only scoring drive.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Virtually every team in the NFL uses the shotgun on passing downs. If anything, Dallas tends to RUN more plays from the shotgun than other teams.

 

[Gaede]

They went shotgun for 15 consecutive plays during one drive,that drive moved the ball from the Dallas 23 to the Green Bay 1.If not for a bad pass from Romo to Witten the drive should end with 6 points.They also were pretty much no-huddle during that drive also,so that tells me they were trying to conserve time.I believe the drive started with 10:49 on the clock and ended with the pick at the 6 minute mark.

Craig

That is a good point.

On the other hand, one of the biggest plays also took place out of the shotgun. 2 and 6 from our own 30 yard line, 11 mins to go, score is 10-0.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d814380c6/Woodson-sack-fumble

 

[craig71]

That is a good point.

On the other hand, one of the biggest plays also took place out of the shotgun. 2 and 6 from our own 30 yard line, 11 mins to go, score is 10-0.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d814380c6/Woodson-sack-fumble

Like I stated earlier,I believe the shotgun was implemented in this game to help Romo identify where the pressure was coming from.On that play you mention they didn't pick it up and it bit them in the butt.Even if that play had Romo under center you still have to identify and then pick up the blitzer.Another thing to consider is that blitzing defensive backs have plagued this team all season long for whatever reason.I believe 2 of Green Bay's sacks were from Db's,the Denver game was a similar situation and even back to the Tampa Game where Rhonde Barber sacked Romo off the edge.Point is defensive backs have plagued this team off the edge or delayed through the "B" gap for the entire season.

Craig

 

[Idgit]

That is a good point.

On the other hand, one of the biggest plays also took place out of the shotgun. 2 and 6 from our own 30 yard line, 11 mins to go, score is 10-0.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/09000d5d814380c6/Woodson-sack-fumble

This is the single best illustration of poor execution as opposed to bad play calling from that entire game.

 

[LeonDixson]

This is the single best illustration of poor execution as opposed to bad play calling from that entire game.

Exactly. Flozell chooses to help Kosier double team the DE and Woodson comes through untouched. If Flozell blocks Woodson that fumble would not have occurred and the play might have gone for big yardage. If you note, Felix was peeling off into the right flat as a safety valve, but Woodson got there so fast because of Flozell, that Romo didn't even know he was in trouble.

That is lack of execution by our over rated OL. Not a bad formation call.

 

[T-RO]

Bob Sturm may get his football knowledge from Madden style video games. He seems to admit as much which to me sounds pretty ridiculous.

I assure you that Jason Garrett is studying real film-- hundreds of hours every month--and has little or no time for fictional football fantasy.

I'll trust Garrett's sensibilities 100 times over bob's.

 

[casmith07]

Awesome exchange with Norm in that mp3.

Bob is dead on right here! Maybe it doesn't matter -- you could argue that the Pats are in shotgun all day long and they make it work. But 13 plays (isn't that what he said) *all game* from under center? Ugh. I just hate that.

Like Bob said, it isn't just throwing too much, it's always being in a pass formation that stinks. Get under center, hand the ball off, and then play action off that. Romo will get hit less and we'll probably have just as many big plays as the defense actually creeps up to stop the run. Right now, they don't even worry about the run.

The thing about New England is even when in shotgun, they've got 4 wide and they usually end up dumping the ball off so quickly it's basically a draw play.

 

[Jimz31]

How many more times do we have to hear opposng teams say that we are predictable and they knew what we were going to do....

Even our own players complained about it last year.

Yet so many here want to hold onto the hope that JG is the next big thing in the NFL.

Not only that, I'm getting sick of hearing about how we have some weapons in the backfield....I'm gettng to the point of saying "trade them", we aren't using them enough or correctly anyways.

 

[T-RO]

How many more times do we have to hear opposng teams say that we are predictable and they knew what we were going to do....

That is myth 105 around here.

A few Cowboy receivers (ie malcontents) made this big fodder for the anti-Garrett contingent during the TOxic era from last season.

And what did these receivers use as grounds for their accusation? They heard it from Eagles defensive players who were trying to play head games (which clearly they succeeded in doing).

Beyond T.O. and perhaps a few defensive players doing some psychological ploys this has absolutely zero merit.

It's all rooted in the T.O.-destroy-his-coaches-and-quarterback-soil.

 

[Hoofbite]

Dbair, I think you're right in that that's what he was thinking. But what about countering the blitz with a quick-hitting running play? If the RB gets past that first line, he has a lot of room to run with a LB or two blitzing and already in our backfield.

For that matter, why ever go under center? There has to be a good reason for it.

Seriously, it's kind of an interesting philosophical discussion.

Capers said they blitzed so much because Dallas went predictable. So it became just a big cyclic cluster **** by the 2nd half. Dallas was getting blitzed because they were predictable and Garrett went predictable because he was getting blitzed.

 

[CF74]

...this is the ugly pattern that has plagued this team for the last two or three years, particularly down the stretch...13 plays under center speaks for itself and we've witnessed Garrett do this before...he loves S11 and the numbers prove it...he wants to throw the friggin ball even when he probably should'nt...

...Norm goes on about the home-run but this same feast or famine philosophy has hurt this team for three consecutive seasons now...they don't do blitz pickup well for whatever reason and it's getting awfully late in the season to have this type of thing hamstringing the offense...this has the air of Garrett not putting is offense in the best position to succeed...he can call a shoot-out, no question but it's the elite defenses coordinated by competent coordinators that gives him fits...

...whatever, and whoever is to blame we've been here before with this offense and right now they are no better than they were in the first-half of the Kansas City game...the only thing that saved them from a serious beat down was Green Bay's protection issues...ironically what ails the Cowboys is the same thing that ails Philadelphia and its big-play offense...they can win a shoot-out but in close quarters hand-to-hand combat they fold...and Reid/Mornhinweg have that same tendency to go off the reservation and resort to the passing game...

...this feast or famine philosophy is going to land this team right where it's been the last three years...

Pattern, exactly what I said in another thread except you said it better. People are starting to see this pattern and are getting tired...

 

[dbair1967]

How many more times do we have to hear opposng teams say that we are predictable and they knew what we were going to do....

.

If its true and its so preditable and easy to figure out, how come we're 6-3 and really close to being 8-1, or even 9-0 and have alot of offensive numbers at the top of the league?

And for people like yourself, every play doesnt have to be something new and exotic for an offense to be good. The 91-95 Cowboys had the simplest, easiest offense in the league to figure out and nobody could stop it either. Everybody knew what plays were coming, and they couldnt do anything with it.

 

[dbair1967]

Capers said they blitzed so much because Dallas went predictable. So it became just a big cyclic cluster **** by the 2nd half. Dallas was getting blitzed because they were predictable and Garrett went predictable because he was getting blitzed.

They blitzed so much because it worked, almost from the onset. It had nothing to do with being "predictable"

If we had made enough plays against it, they would have stopped.

 

[kramskoi]

Exactly. Flozell chooses to help Kosier double team the DE and Woodson comes through untouched. If Flozell blocks Woodson that fumble would not have occurred and the play might have gone for big yardage. If you note, Felix was peeling off into the right flat as a safety valve, but Woodson got there so fast because of Flozell, that Romo didn't even know he was in trouble.

That is lack of execution by our over rated OL. Not a bad formation call.

the cornerback blitz is often times difficult to recognize...Romo also has to see this...Crayton was waiting for the ball on that play...looks like he was the hot route...if he saw it, i guess Romo assumed that Adams would catch Woodson...looks like he was looking for Williams all the way...did'nt happen and i would rather he not trust Adams and throw the hot route than what actually happened...this team has been notoriously bad at blitz pick-up for years now and i don't know that they'll ever be much better at it...one thing for sure, teams will be sending more blindside blitzes in the future and Romo will need to be more cognizant of it because trusting Adams to do it seems futile...

 

[kramskoi]

If its true and its so preditable and easy to figure out, how come we're 6-3 and really close to being 8-1, or even 9-0 and have alot of offensive numbers at the top of the league?

And for people like yourself, every play doesnt have to be something new and exotic for an offense to be good. The 91-95 Cowboys had the simplest, easiest offense in the league to figure out and nobody could stop it either. Everybody knew what plays were coming, and they couldnt do anything with it.

...and what have these high offensive numbers/rankings bought this team when push came to shove the last three years?...the offensive numbers are declining by the week, especially the running game...we are seeing the same trajectory as years past...this offense is now in the same place it was during the first half of the Kansas City game...this team is no closer to being 9-0 than the Saints are to being 6-3...if Victor Butler does'nt shoestring tackle McNabb one can wonder how that game would've ultimately ended up...if Austin is double-teamed then Williams is going to have to be the man from here on out...right now he's not cutting it...as he goes so will the Cowboys go...the only time this offense has looked efficient is when it has faced teams who don't have a winning record...i mean we're talking :38 seconds short of being shut out...i don't care how good the Packers defense is supposed to be...only Detroit was shut out by this team...every other team scored at least 15 points...the rookie Freeman beat those guys, albeit with special teams help...nobody escapes blame from this loss and that includes Jason Garrett...

...more offensive outings like last weekend and 6-3 will slowly morph into 9-6 and playing Philadelphia again at the end of the year for a playoff spot...we all know how that turned out last year...