The way I see it we have a few issues.
1. Talent recognition: Not sure how they evaluate players, but I've had a few disagreements with who they keep or don't keep and activate/play. It almost seems like a popularity contest at times. For example, Dwayne Harris, I was puzzled why he was not utilized on offense more? He always added a spark when he was used, but players like Street were higher on the depth chart than him? They went with the same 2 safeties that were horrible last year back again this year and let's not even get started on Weeded and the other lousy QB from pre-season (not Showers, who at least showed something).
2. Offensive scheme: I know this has been discussed to death, but we utilize an old version "Air Coryell" system. The Air Coryell offense relies on four key things to be successful.
- A tall receiver who can stretch the field and win in jump ball situations. (Michael Irvin/Dez).
- Power running game with fullback help as lead blocker and extra pass blocker. (Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston, Clutz and Dmac? No).
- Strong offensive line to allow time for mid-range to deep passing options to open up. (Early 90’s Dallas, greatest O-line ever. our current line, close).
- Pass catching tight end who finds space in the middle opened by the WRs stretching the field. (Jay Novacek, yes. Witten, yes).
The Coryell system places heavy emphasis on mid to deep range passing. What good is a mid-deep passing oriented offense when you get down in the red zone, if you can’t run the ball for those tough yards inside the 10? An offense based on throwing deep gives you limited, predictable options when you get the ball inside that short field.Turner believes in attacking with wide receivers between the 20-yard lines and relying on tight ends and running backs in the red zone. To achieve this, he utilizes vertically stretched route combinations that demand a quarterback make full-field reads. A route that would travel, say, 12 yards in a typical offense might travel 14 or 15 in Turner’s. Everything is just a tad more aggressive. To offset the subtle extra pressure this can place on a passer, Not just any QB can run this system, Turner also emphasizes balance, featuring a between-the-tackles ground game.
Jason has been using this system, since it is the only one he knows and to be even more honest, he not a master of it like Norv is. If you look at the 4 key things that are needed, the only time we actually had those was last year with our revamped line, Murray and Romo and Dez playing the majority of the season. It's not a forgiving system. Jason has also seemed to strip it down a bunch and hasn't been good about adding new wrinkles, but that's what you get when you take a young, fresh QB coach and make him you offensive coordinator, not a lot of experience there.
Linehan's timing-based passing offense is similar to the scheme Garrett implemented with the Cowboys when he arrived in 2007. It's the same scheme Troy Aikman ran in the glory days of the 1990s.
Linehan didn't need to alter the playbook much, though he has changed some of the language to make it simpler.
More importantly, Romo figured the variety of screens and play-action passes Linehan used, along with his innate ability to consistently get the ball to his best players, would give the Cowboys offense a boost.
3. Offensive play calling: Here's where most of us are just shaking our heads and guessing. Prior to coming to the Cowboys, Under Linehan, the Lions ranked ninth in the NFL with 111 screens attempted those past two seasons. Their average of 7.05 yards per attempt was tied for fourth in the league. Now let's talk about play-action. Romo does such a nice job carrying out the ball fakes on play-action passes that it's almost impossible for the linebackers not to be fooled and take a couple of steps toward the line of scrimmage.
He had a 109.1 passer rating on play-action passes in 2013 and a 111.2 rating in 2012.
For some reason, whether Garrett (or then) offensive coordinator Bill Callahan was doing the play calling, the Cowboys rarely took advantage of this aspect of Romo's skill set. They still don't. Just so you know, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford threw 141 play-action passes 2013. That's the same amount Romo has amassed in two seasons (2012 and 2013). My guess it's JG sticking his nose into the play calling. There has been a big hub bub over the last couple of years it's almost a CIA/NSA conspiracy as to who is calling the plays and is JG influencing or overriding his OC's. The evidence lies in the fact the OC's that come here all of the sudden have their tendencies change to more of what JG has a history with.
4. Predictability: Who here knows what plays our offense is going to run pre-snap? Need I say more? Mr. Strum points it out week after week. Heck, this could be the easiest thing to fix and create the most impact. The biggest thing of all is our formations give away our play calls. Seriously Jason, play action pass from behind the center. Power sweep from the shotgun. Heck, the clinic was watching Rodgers the other night. Mix up the run/pass from different formations. This isn't the 90's Cowboys or 60's Packers were we are going to beat you, even though the defense knows what you are going to run. Most generals know creativity and diversion are a good thing. We are like the revolutionary war, where we are the British lined up in a field and the other teams are shooting at us from the woods with Kentucky long guns and we can't figure out why they aren't coming out and fighting with us straight up.
So, in the long run I think Garrett needs to go, because even with multiple OC's, he just overrides them and does his own thing, which isn't good. The only way I would consider keeping him (like I have a say in the matter) would be if someone came in here as a new OC with a different scheme, so JG couldn't muck it up and make sure JG has absolutely no say in the game day play calling or game management, but then what would he be around for anyhow?
