CFZ Coaching vs Skill Positions vs QB

[jwitten82]

This JG's offense we've been running various versions of since 2007 has always done well in the regular season. It just gets chocked out in the playoffs vs top tier playoff teams. This was the case in 2007, 2009, 2021 and this year. In 2014 we did little better because we had a great run game and were committed to it.

They failed those years because we had Romo and now Prescott, two proven chokers. Of course we do better when we take the ball out of their hands

 

[Verdict]

The problem cannot be all 3 of:
1. Dak
2. Coaches/Scheme
3. Other Offensive Players

2022:
12-5
3rd in points scored

2021:
12-5
1st in points scored

If 2 of the 3 above are terrible, then the other 1 must be over-achieving to over-come the bad elements.
If 1 of the 3 above are terrible, then the other 2 must be over-achieving to over-come the bad element.

• QB
  • If Dallas/SF swapped QBs, SF stills wins the game.
  • Their offensive scheme makes it incredibly simple for the QB.
  • Receivers actually get open.

• Which offensive skill positions are better for Dallas?
  
  • RB:
  • McCaffrey : Pollard
  • Mitchell : Zeke (2022 6.2 ypc vs 3.8 ypc)
  • 
    
  • TE:
  • Kittle : Schultz
  • 
    
  • WR:
  • Deebo : CeeDee
  • Aiyuk : Noah Brown (Brown had more yards/game than Gallup)
  • Jennings: Gallup
  • 
    
  • Debatable at #1 WR
  • CeeDee had far more receiving yards/game than Deebo.
  • Deebo had almost 2x the YAC/game of CeeDee.
  • 
    
  • Dallas better 3rd WR.
  • 
    
  • SF better in all other comparions at the WR/TE/RB positions.

• Offensive Coordinator & Run Blocking Scheme
  • SF maybe the best in the NFL in both categories.

I usually see things pretty much the same way as you do. I just can’t endorse your comments on Dak in this thread. They sound plausible in theory, but I just can’t buy into the part about Dak.

Dak played poorly. If Dak had played for the 49ers and turned the ball over twice I would expect the Cowboys to win that game. Dak cost us that game. I don’t think we have to look any deeper than that.

Dak was like a deer in the headlights against the 49ers. His past history he has done the same thing against the better teams more times than not. If he is facing a stout defensive front he often just wilts.

Dak SHOULD have had more picks than he did. He was a liability in that game that the rest of the team could not overcome.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The first pick gave them prime FG position. That's 3.

The second pick cost us 3 because we were in FG range around the 20. Possibly cost us 7.

Because it was the end of the half, if we don't turn the ball over it's likely San Fran never gets the ball. Instead, the pick gave them the opportunity to put 3 more up on the board. That pick was likely a 6 point swing, maybe a 10 point swing.

So no, those picks cost us more than just 6 points. At the very least it cost us 9.

More than likely the Niners D wasnt giving up a TD. So no, realistically it was 6 points. Someone could argue that our kicker might miss the FG. So we could argue 3 points.


Either way the score was tied at 9-9 in the 3rd quarter. This game came down to the 2nd half and without Pollard it was over. And the D caved for 10 points in the 4th.

 

[charron]

I still say if Turpin cuts back sooner on that one kick off return, he's still running. It looked like he first thought he could get outside to his right but then realized he couldn't and it was too late to cut back to the left.

man I was hoping he'd at least get to their redzone, 30 maybe even 20 yard line. But overall he was ok, no major mishaps.

 

[Zman5]

They failed those years because we had and now Prescott, two proven choker. Of we do better when we take the ball out of their hands

What?????

 

[tm1119]

It’s not an excuse for the Dak INT’s Vs the Niners, they were inexcusable…BUT in general I do feel like the Cowboys have to have the simplest route trees in the NFL. The 3rd and 10 play with the game on the line in the 4th was yet another 4 vertical route. 0 design to it, how many times have we seen that throughout the season in big situations? Seems like vertical, curl or bubble screen are the only 3 routes in our playbook. It would be nice to see players schemed to get open rather than relying on having to beat the defender

 

[jwitten82]

What?????

Fixed it lol

 

[Zman5]

They failed those years because we had Romo and now Prescott, two proven chokers. Of course we do better when we take the ball out of their hands

I don't know why the Cowboys don't realize this and keeps trying to be a pass happy offense. Jimmy Johnson has been saying it for a while that we can win a SB with Romo/Dak if you give them a solid run game. We tried in 2014, and 2016. We need to go back to that again. Especially with the defense we have now.

 

[Cowboyny]

The problem cannot be all 3 of:
1. Dak
2. Coaches/Scheme
3. Other Offensive Players

2022:
12-5
3rd in points scored

2021:
12-5
1st in points scored

If 2 of the 3 above are terrible, then the other 1 must be over-achieving to over-come the bad elements.
If 1 of the 3 above are terrible, then the other 2 must be over-achieving to over-come the bad element.

• QB
  • If Dallas/SF swapped QBs, SF stills wins the game.
  • Their offensive scheme makes it incredibly simple for the QB.
  • Receivers actually get open.

• Which offensive skill positions are better for Dallas?
  
  • RB:
  • McCaffrey : Pollard
  • Mitchell : Zeke (2022 6.2 ypc vs 3.8 ypc)
  • 
    
  • TE:
  • Kittle : Schultz
  • 
    
  • WR:
  • Deebo : CeeDee
  • Aiyuk : Noah Brown (Brown had more yards/game than Gallup)
  • Jennings: Gallup
  • 
    
  • Debatable at #1 WR
  • CeeDee had far more receiving yards/game than Deebo.
  • Deebo had almost 2x the YAC/game of CeeDee.
  • 
    
  • Dallas better 3rd WR.
  • 
    
  • SF better in all other comparions at the WR/TE/RB positions.

• Offensive Coordinator & Run Blocking Scheme
  • SF maybe the best in the NFL in both categories.

Think it's a combination of all three. Dak needs to play better, but cannot play hero ball, where he gets himself in trouble. Certainly need to run the football better and our receivers need to become more aggressive going for the football. Need a true #2 receiver, as Gallup appears to be no more than a #3 at this juncture. Coaching/scheme does matter, many insiders have stated the Cowboys run one of the most basic systems in the entire league. Need to replace Moore, add some more explosiveness to the WR room.

 

[xwalker]

Think it's a combination of all three. Dak needs to play better, but cannot play hero ball, where he gets himself in trouble. Certainly need to run the football better and our receivers need to become more aggressive going for the football. Need a true #2 receiver, as Gallup appears to be no more than a #3 at this juncture. Coaching/scheme does matter, many insiders have stated the Cowboys run one of the most basic systems in the entire league. Need to replace Moore, add some more explosiveness to the WR room.

Management can only realistically change 2 of the 3 for 2023 and from a practical perspective finding better offensive coaches that don't already have a job would be difficult this late in the process. Many teams hire OCs as their HC because they can't get that person to run their offense otherwise.

I think they have to add an elite veteran WR in order to resolve the route running issues in 2023.

 

[Verdict]

Management can only realistically change 2 of the 3 for 2023 and from a practical perspective finding better offensive coaches that don't already have a job would be difficult this late in the process. Many teams hire OCs as their HC because they can't get that person to run their offense otherwise.

I think they have to add an elite veteran WR in order to resolve the route running issues in 2023.

There is no doubt that the more receivers running “open” on a given play, the better. So I’m not against adding talent at receiver.

On the other hand Dak often misses open receivers. I guess if every receiver we have is running “open” that the one that Dak locks on to would be open. Maybe that’s why in some games Dak looks pretty good, and against the better teams he looks like a deer in the headlights.

I think Dak has enough physical skills to succeed. I think he has spotty accuracy issues (more to to poor side) and Dak’s processing ability/ability to read the field sucks. If he can’t do it after this many years in the league it would seem unlikely that he will ever “get it” mentally.

 

[dogberry]

Do Hilton and Turpin qualify as veteran route runners?

 

[Cowboyny]

Management can only realistically change 2 of the 3 for 2023 and from a practical perspective finding better offensive coaches that don't already have a job would be difficult this late in the process. Many teams hire OCs as their HC because they can't get that person to run their offense otherwise.

I think they have to add an elite veteran WR in order to resolve the route running issues in 2023.

Adding another high-end receiver is a priority need this offseason, adding more depth wouldn't hurt as we got nothing from our backups. Strong route runner who is aggressive going for the football. This is where I expect their fa dollars to go outside of the in house fa's. Would love a DT, but have to see it, to believe it.

 

[nightrain]

Aside from points scored, turnovers are the one statistic in isolation that have the biggest impact on the outcome of a game. The Cowboys two interceptions went for a net -9 points if you assume the drive with the red zone pick would have resulted in a FG (range -6 to -13).

There it is big as can be. Problem - QB