BTB: Don’t overlook how good the Cowboys have been under Scott Linehan

[Stash]

2016 version was fine.

2017...not as much.

And what's your own opinion on why?

 

[Stash]

2016 had talent, 2017 had injuries and no adjustments for a young QB that everyone had film on

What "talent" didn't they have in 2017? What "talent" was missing when they got destroyed in Denver?

I see a QB who got worse the more he worked with this staff. And an offense that got worse the more the coaches opened it up.

When they were forced to go with a rookie in 2016, they scaled things back and they worked great. As everyone got more "comfortable", things only got worse.

 

[Ranching]

What "talent" didn't they have in 2017? What "talent" was missing when they got destroyed in Denver?

I see a QB who got worse the more he worked with this staff. And an offense that got worse the more the coaches opened it up.

When they were forced to go with a rookie in 2016, they scaled things back and they worked great. As everyone got more "comfortable", things only got worse.

The talent they were missing was proper game planning and in game adjustments. Why run an offense if your QB can't execute it? Who's fault is that and if it's Daks why leave him in. Who's call is that? The COACHES!
And this us coming from a coach who knows who is at fault. Leave an ineffective player on the field that is being exposed. It' the coaches fault.

 

[Stash]

The talent they were missing was proper game planning and in game adjustments. Why run an offense if your QB can't execute it? Who's fault is that and if it's Daks why leave him in. Who's call is that? The COACHES!

I consider that "coaching" and the players the "talent".

 

[DallasDomination]

I cant stand linehan at all he has proven that his game plans are too simple. He has the boot leg, the stretch left or right, the qb option in the red zone, the long developing play action leading to a sack, the play where zeke goes out wide which leads to nothing.. am I missing anything?

 

[Staubacher]

Why doesn't Linehan remove these "decisions" you're referring to?

I guess he should, but it's standard to have options. If our QB is so bad at it that's the problem

 

[Cmac]

I'm overlooking........last week in the red zone affirmed that.

 

[Stash]

I guess he should, but it's standard to have options. If our QB is so bad at it that's the problem

He's in his second year in the NFL. I think many people forget that fact based on how well he played as a rookie.

These run-pass options are great and have their place, but there are also times when they need to be off the table as well, to save both Prescott and Linehan from outsmarting themselves.

But the fact that nobody learned anything and made the exact same mistakes in week 16 as they did in week one is inexcusable. And a fireable offense. And the owner who mentioned playcalling specifically has to be considering it.

 

[willia451]

I was never drinking the Kool-Aid on 2017.

After what happened against GB in the playoffs last season and Tony Romo no longer on the team coaching Dak up, 2017 was always going to be a very serious challenge.

And I don't think I was the only one. A lot of people out here were predicting 8-8, 9-7, 7-9, or 10-6 at best. Then there were the injuries and suspensions etc. So things went about as expected. More or less.

But what happened against the Seahawks last week was simply inexcusable. To host an elimination game against a mediocre opponent and play like THAT? The incompetence was stunning. And even worse. Alarming.

So the question at hand now is not who needs to go. It is why keep anyone? The owner and his family included.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Why doesn't Linehan remove these "decisions" you're referring to?

Yep. I don't want to hear about blaming the QB here. That's passing the buck. The Coaches should have taken that option away from Dak down there. You run it it. What in the world do the coaches do? I guess let a 2nd year QB be the coach of the offense. I guess Tony really was the coach of the offense after all.

 

[Stash]

I was never drinking the Kool-Aid on 2017.

After what happened against GB in the playoffs last season and Tony Romo no longer on the team coaching Dak up, 2017 was always going to be a very serious challenge.

And I don't think I was the only one. A lot of people out here were predicting 8-8, 9-7, 7-9, or 10-6 at best. Then there were the injuries and suspensions etc. So things went about as expected. More or less.

But what happened against the Seahawks last week was simply inexcusable. To host an elimination game against a mediocre opponent and play like THAT? The incompetence was stunning. And even worse. Alarming.

So the question at hand now is not who needs to go. It is why keep anyone? The owner and his family included.

 

[Stash]

Yep. I don't want to hear about blaming the QB here. That's passing the buck. The Coaches should have taken that option away from Dak down there. You run it it. What in the world do the coaches do? I guess let a 2nd year QB be the coach of the offense. I guess Tony really was the coach of the offense after all.

The more "comfortable" these coaches got, and the more they "opened up" their playbook, the worse everything got.

When everything was trimmed down and simplified for the rookie, the results were better. And, for me, the asinine run-pass option mistakes that obviously none of them learned from, are a microcosm of that dysfunction.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

I don't think red zone scoring percent means what you think it does...

Well ok. How many td's do we have in the redzone to keep us in the top 6 then? I am shocked we are in the top 6. Those tds are obviously because of rushing tds, not passing. I guess my revised piont has to be we don't get passing td's.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Ok I see Dak has 21 passing td's.

 

[Brooksey]

The problem was they let Dak make decisions at the line and he stinks at it.

Linehan is ok. Garrett and the QB are the issues.

Problem is some circumstances require "run only" plays with no pass option IMO. Romo was accused of this too. QB's like to put it in their hands instead of the RB inside the 5 way too much.

 

[Dre11]

Sure, because of all the field goal points. My point in red zone scoring is we don't get many td's and settle for fg's. lol at that.

I am lol at that because you're wrong again...lol

 

[superonyx]

Has a head coach fired so many coordinators before getting fired himself?

Ever?

Garrett hasn’t ever fired or hired any coordinators. Papa bear Jerry does all of that.
Yes this organization has the worst org structure. Let’s call it what it is. Jerry has changed the HC role into Head Puppet. JG has no power and can only be the yes man Jerry needs him to be.

 

[Dre11]

2016 was overrated by a very easy schedule. I said early on that the 2017 schedule was MUCH more difficult. And given the lack of attempts to actually improve the team in the offseason, combined with hot swapping on the offensive line, and the suspension of Elliott? It was very predictable what would happen this year.

Again was scoring 30 a game before Zeke suspended

 

[Dre11]

Why doesn't Linehan remove these "decisions" you're referring to?

This is stupid, Dak was making those same decisions in 2016 as in 2017 when they were scoring 30 a game before Zeke suspension. So he must have been making good decisions. You find the one time it didn't work to complain. Nobody care about the times it did work. Also they were 6th in red zone scoring. Zeke was making good decisions

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

Here's the average Scott Linehan redzone drive.

Run Zeke 6 yards
Run Zeke 5 yards
Run Zeke 9 yards
Pass to Witten 5 yards
Run Zeke 4 yards
Run Zeke 9 yards
Run Zeke 7 yards
Run Zeke 4 yards
First down inside 20
Pass incomplete
Pass to Beasley 8 yards
Pass incomplete
Bailey 37 yard FG

You forgot...1st and Goal at the 2-yard line:
Pass
Pass
Pass
FG