Coming to grips on how Dez is used

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I read thread after thread with people griping about the productivity of Dez Bryant. What we are seeing today has been building for some time. And the biggest culprits of what we are seeing today...is Jason Garrett and his offense. It is no secret that I am not of fan of Jason Garrett. I have felt all along that the Romo era and Jason Garrett should have ended together. I am on record saying I would not want Jason Garrett to spend 1 day tutoring, nurturing, developing our QB for the future. The book on Garrett has been out for some time AND it is not very difficult to figure out. He does not have enough flexibility, creativity or diversity to win 3 games in the postseason against quality opponents. The problem is the Romo era ended abruptly and we were in no position to move on from Garrett.

What does this have to do with Dez? First of all...is Dez Bryant perfect? No. Is he a speed demon? No. Is he an exceptional route runner? No. What he was....which is why he was deployed the way he has been for years...was a player that Garrett used to allow the other playmakers on the team a chance to go one on one against the oppositions weaker defenders. And Jason was content to leave Dez in one spot....so they could have a good idea where bracket coverage was going to be the majority of the time. Instead of Dallas getting a bona fide #2 borderline #1 WR...they have been content to fill that spot with warm bodies. And this is not to take anything away from Terrance Williams. But when Dez was younger and more explosive....and had the attention of the entire defense....a bona fide #2 WR would have put up Pro Bowl numbers. Thus making everyone's life on this team a lot better.

Dez has played such a physical style...because he was deployed to be the Shaquile O'Neal of WRs. Just throw it into him 2 feet from the basket and let him dunk everything. Dez has played such a physical style where every catch was with defenders within 6 inches of him...that the wear and tear has robbed him of his explosiveness. We never deployed him to catch the ball in different areas of the field with space to turn and run and wreak havoc in the open field on a consistent basis. Jason was content to let Dez just out physical everyone. And he has taken a lot of big shots over the years IMMEDIATLEY after catching the ball..because so many of his catches have been in traffic

So that brings us to where we are today. And this has NOT been by accident. Dallas is a big, lumbering, plodding slow team on offense. They have MANY opportunities to add guys that can stretch the field...and they have NOT done it. So that leads me to believe this has been by design. Witten will get all the 6 to 8 yard catches on his way to the HOF. Dez can get his 8 to 12 yard catches while engaged in a boxing match the over that 12 yard span....and of course Dallas will run the ball. So we just have to hope that 12 play drives in 4 - 8 yard increments is a formula that will work against quality opponents IF we are lucky enough to make it in the tournament.

WE NEED SPEED. And we need an organization that is not afraid to take these sacred cows off the field for a few snaps...so this team can be infused with some explosiveness.

 

[Sydla]

I've always believed that they just don't use Bryant particularly well or are as creative as you see Atlanta might use Jones, etc.

I think part of that is they became complacent with Romo around. Romo and Bryant had a great connection and Romo was basically a coach on the field.

Prescott doesn't have that same experience Romo did. Will Dez and Prescott get there? Maybe.

 

[links18]

I take it OP is not a huge B. Butler fan?

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I take it OP is not a huge B. Butler fan?

He is OK. I have always seen him as someone 'happy' to be in the NFL...someone who enjoyed the celebrity associated with being a NFL player...as opposed to someone who wanted to be the best player they could be. No big deal. There are PLENTY of players like that in all sports. Felix Jones was one. But you never TRUST or give a lot of money or give contract extensions to guys like that...they are warm bodies...not someone you go to at a critical juncture in a big game.

 

[noshame]

Lord enough of the Romo isms Romo just chucked the ball up in the air and Dez made an adjustment out leaped the defender
making some of the most acrobatic catches I've ever seen a wide receiver make.
However he landed in the worst possible way and with his age he can no longer do that.

Time to use Dez as a push off and cut lateral routes he'll be wide open and he can plow through people like he did last night he'll be happy we'll be happy and we can put speed on the outside.

 

[Vanilla2]

Pains me to say it but

Julio>Dez

I don’t think Dez will ever be the receiver Julio can be.

Not too big a knock on Dez but they aren’t the same type of player.

And you would think by now Dez would be behind all the hand fighting downfield.

 

[MRV52]

I hate the Dallas media they are a bunch of wimps on the questions they ask Coaches. These are the types of questions they should be asking why is Dez not use correctly in this offense. Why such a Vanilla offence with the weapons we have. Get my point.

 

[TheDuke]

bbailey423 who do you want as head coach and offensive coordinator? I've asked this question to several members who don't want Garrett as coach and haven't received one answer.
I'm dying to hear what the solution is.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

When was the last time you didn't see a big WR never run a daggoneit slant pattern?

I see Julio and OBJ run at least 2 a game. Teams routinely bail on the seams as Witten has aged too. I'm fine with straight up playing opponents instead of running rubs or exotic packages but at least use the whole route tree instead of fly and hitch patterns.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

I still think he's explosive and reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

 

[thisiscowboyscountry]

I agree it would be great to have a versatile WR that can play inside and out while stretching the field. Perhaps that's something that the Cowboys look at next year? With other team needs the last couple drafts it just wasn't good timing to consider another WR. Nor was it something that was needed with some excellent weapons already in place. Dez is truly a possession receiver that doesn't run great routes, doesn't have great speed, but man can he jump and make some remarkable contested catches. Aside from Calvin Johnson there aren't many receivers that are in Dez's catergory in the red zone.

For now I think there is a lot the Cowboys can do to get Dez running in the open field. He may not beat many with speed, but not many CBS will be able to tackle him in the open field with his strength. Move Dez around more, run crossing patterns in the middle of the field, and run legal screen picks to free him up.

 

[Idgit]

Pains me to say it but

Julio>Dez

I don’t think Dez will ever be the receiver Julio can be.

Not too big a knock on Dez but they aren’t the same type of player.

And you would think by now Dez would be behind all the hand fighting downfield.

Julio is better than Dez is, for sure. Julio can beat elite CBs. He can split double teams. Dez is a matchup problem and a red zone threat, but until he can consistently win against the top CBs, he's not in Julio's class.

 

[jblaze2004]

so i guess I am not the only one. I thought I was tripping at first. Outside wr's run either fly, out, hitch and maybe a comeback. Rarely do our outside guys especially dez run a in breaking route like slant, drag, square in, post.

Why u ask? in garretts scheme (lets be clear linehan is running garrett scheme), Witten and the slot WR will occupy the middle of the field. Witten main routes are hitches and 4-5 yard outs. Witten runs a seam and scores because nobody on defense is looking for witten to run that route. Dez runs a drag and scores because nobody on defense expect that route.

Beas gets the outs, slants, drags and Ins.

I can read our offense from my couch, Imagine what a defensive coordinator getting paid big bucks can do.

Can the offense work? Yes but we make it a lot easier to defend. We work harder instead of smarter.

I mean why no running back routes to Zeke? He can catch. He runs basic running back routes. See the way Andy Reid use hunt? Zeke could and should be used like that. I wish we just used our weapons and attack and stead of being conservative on offense. Just taking what the defense gives us.

We allow teams to dictate what we do on offense.

 

[Tommy]

I can only imagine the numbers our 4th round rookie QB could have put up last season if we had a coach who knew what he was doing!

I bet Zeke could have run for over 1,600 yards!

I wouldn’t be surprised Dez’s touchdowns to games played could be among the best in history by now!

Oh wait!?!?

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

I can only imagine the numbers our 4th round rookie QB could have put up last season if we had a coach who knew what he was doing!

I bet Zeke could have run for over 1,600 yards!

I wouldn’t be surprised Dez’s touchdowns to games played could be among the best in history by now!

Oh wait!?!?

And were one and done in the playoffs. You can get away with a basic offense IF....IF....you have a dominant defense. But the playoffs are the elite teams in the league...and we will never win 3 games in the postseason and capture the trophy with a average defense and a vanilla offense. It simply will NOT happen!

 

[jrumann59]

I will say this in the Denver game Dez ran quite a few Slants, not many were competed for many reasons.

 

[Melonfeud]

bbailey423 who do you want as head coach and offensive coordinator? I've asked this question to several members who don't want Garrett as coach and haven't received one answer.
I'm dying to hear what the solution is.

I certainly can not answer for 423,,, but a Michael Holmgren is on the list,,,, then there's Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy but if you want new fresh blood, Cutting Edge?,,, it's that NUMBER 9 GUY

 

[Clove]

The problem is bigger than Garrett. It's Jerry Jones. There are plenty of high quality innovative coaches out there that could put this talent into the Super Bowl, but Jerry can't get along with them, so he hires a 90s clone to do it. Nothing will change a 75 year olds mind, so we're stuck another decade or so.

 

[JBell]

I still think he's explosive and reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Me too. In the preseason game vs. Indy he looked like 2014 Dez.

 

[waving monkey]

I've always believed that they just don't use Bryant particularly well or are as creative as you see Atlanta might use Jones, etc.

I think part of that is they became complacent with Romo around. Romo and Bryant had a great connection and Romo was basically a coach on the field.

Prescott doesn't have that same experience Romo did. Will Dez and Prescott get there? Maybe.

fair