Cowboys abandon "Air Coryell", officially WCO?

[Matts4313]

Just some food for thought. Two weeks in, it does not look like Jason Garretts offense at all. This looks much more like the Reid-Eagles or the McCarthy-Packers. It looks like we have replaced the running game with the short passing game. Here are some numbers to digest:

We attempted 42 passes yesterday. Of those 4 were deep and 38 were short/intermediate. Of those 38, 21 of them were short throws to TE's and RB's.

Link: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201309150kan.htm

In the Giants game we attempted 49 passes. Of those 5 were deep; 44 of them were short/intermediate. Of those 44, 21 were dump offs to TE's and RBs.

Link: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201309080dal.htm

There were 42 passes the last two games that were considered short and to a RB or TE. That is our version of the running game. It has the same effect of bringing the safeties up so you can throw deep as well as creating 1 on 1 match ups. Were we have failed though is we have not had much YAC on those plays.


So do you buy the idea that we are no longer an "Air Coryell" offense? Do you think the transition to WCO is a good or bad thing?

Just as an interesting factoid, according to Wiki, these teams run the WCO:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Coast_offense

Packers
Texans
Commanders
Bengals
9ers
Dolphins
Rams
Bears
Chiefs
Jets
Colts

 

[CATCH17]

It looks just like Garrett's system to me.

A lot of the exact same philosiphies.

Teams are just defending us conservatively and forcing us to drive the football without mistakes. Basically taking away the big play.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't think you can point to the running game as an indicator of WCO here. We never ran the ball before so unless we were always a WCO team, I don't think I can get behind that reasoning.

 

[Matts4313]

It looks just like Garrett's system to me.

A lot of the exact same philosiphies.

Teams are just defending us conservatively and forcing us to drive the football without mistakes. Basically taking away the big play.

Look harder? I dont know how you can say that... I just looked at the first two games of last year: Romo threw deep 5 on 29 passes in the first game and 9 of 40 the second game. Thats hovering around throwing deep once ever 5 attempts. This year its closer to 1 out of every 10 attempts.....


This doesnt look like Garretts offense at all.

 

[EPL0c0]

it looks like a system that has no dependable or sustainable running attack that has no choice but to rely on its QB to shoulder the load.

 

[unionjack8]

it looks nothing like a wco to me.

The bread and butter of those offenses are crossing patterns and slants and we run those just about as poorly as any team in the league.

 

[Tabascocat]

I think it is a mixture of different schemes and not necessarily on purpose. There could be confusion in planning and BC might be trying to do his own thing but Garrett is looking over his shoulder implementing his own thoughts. The result is a confused looking offense. Add in a confused Romo who doesn't know who he really needs to listen too and that result is a hesitant QB. Maybe Romo is thinking too much at the line with thoughts in the back of his mind....do I do what Callahan says or go with Garrets view? That results in anarchy!

This is all conjecture on my part here while trying to get a grasp of this offense.

 

[links18]

it looks like a system that has no dependable or sustainable running attack that has no choice but to rely on its QB to shoulder the load.

So just like past years then.

 

[Hook'em#11]

I would like for Dallas to get a bruising FB and and a RB with vision.. That would open this whole offense up.

But, don't see that happening..

 

[links18]

I would like for Dallas to get a bruising FB and and a RB with vision.. That would open this whole offense up.

But, don't see that happening..

We signed a FA FB last season only to dump him after one year. Change in philosophy we were told.

 

[Hook'em#11]

We signed a FA FB last season only to dump him after one year. Change in philosophy we were told.

Understood. He didn't work out. New philosophy, I don't like. I also didn't like trying to make a LB into a FB. They tried that too. I guess FB's are a dying breed in the NFL.

 

[khiladi]

So what your saying is that short passes constitute the difference between a Coryell offense and a WCO? Maybe we are just throwing short more in the same offense?

 

[links18]

So what your saying is that short passes constitute the difference between a Coryell offense and a WCO? Maybe we are just throwing short more in the same offense?

Because defenses are taking away the deep pass or are the offensive geniuses trying to reign Romo in?

 

[Matts4313]

So what your saying is that short passes constitute the difference between a Coryell offense and a WCO? Maybe we are just throwing short more in the same offense?

No, the difference is in the play design. I just re-watched the first half. There was 1 designed deep play called. There were several plays were Romo had plenty of time, but no WR ran a route further than 15 yards. On top of that, there were another 6-7 plays that were designed short passes.


There were virtually *no* traditional 7 step drop look for the guy 25+ yards down the field plays. The WR routes are mostly designed for dump offs.

 

[Hoov]

it looks nothing like a wco to me.

The bread and butter of those offenses are crossing patterns and slants and we run those just about as poorly as any team in the league.

Yes, the crossing patterns are very common and big gains off of screen plays were always part of the eagles and packers games.

 

[khiladi]

Again, that doesn't answer the point, even if we assume you were correct (note sure if you have the All 22) regarding short plays. How does a short passing game make our offense a WCO? It could simply mean, we attempted to target the short-game more...

For example, traditional WCO relies on moving the pocket more. A simple look at Walsh's teams, or GB for example, one comes away with bootlegs. Additionally, they have their WRs in plenty of motion.

 

[Hoov]

To the original poster...it does look different to me. In the previous year there were more downfield throws. Its early but this year it looks like game plan that will be more conservative. Less hits/pressures/sacks and probably less INT for Romo...but also less big plays and quick strikes.

But its only been 2 games, The giants are known for getting to romo and pressuring him so it could have been dialed back for game 1 - then playing on the road at hostile KC with a good Def front 7 and romo with rib injury could have been a factor in conservative game 2.

 

[Hoov]

Again, that doesn't answer the point, even if we assume you were correct (note sure if you have the All 22) regarding short plays. How does a short passing game make our offense a WCO? It could simply mean, we attempted to target the short-game more...

For example, traditional WCO relies on moving the pocket more. A simple look at Walsh's teams, or GB for example, one comes away with bootlegs. Additionally, they have their WRs in plenty of motion.

And as someone else posted - hitting the wr is stride is part of the gameplan, The YAC is a big factor in WCO philosophy.

 

[Matts4313]

Again, that doesn't answer the point, even if we assume you were correct (note sure if you have the All 22) regarding short plays. How does a short passing game make our offense a WCO? It could simply mean, we attempted to target the short-game more...

Its not all-22, so take it with a grain of salt. Camera angles prevent me from knowing exactly what is ran.. unless it was the numerous quick plays (Screens, quick slants, etc).

As for your second point - I am not sure what you are saying. Short/Quick passes is exactly what the WCO offense is. Through two games, the primary routes and play designs have all been WCO style.... And Bill Calahan is a WCO offensive coordinator...

The keey components of a WCO:

Spread the defense horizontally
Quick passes to control the tempo
Short passes with a focus on accuracy
Spread ball between multiple people
Lack of traditional 5/7 step drops


Any of this seem familiar?

 

[khiladi]

Yes, Callahan is a WCO Coordinator, but the playbook he is using is Garrett's. He has not changed the playbook. The Coryell playbook also has short routes. The West Coast also does not necessarily mean shorter passes, it means shorter passes to open up the field. We hardly exploit the LB matchups which is key to any decent WCO that spreads the ball a lot. Additinally, as Hoov pointed out, YAC is a huge feature of the WCO. We hardly attack offenses with out WRs with the intent on having them run YAC. It's almost exclusively possession type of plays.

Additionally, the concept of 'balance' in the running game is non-existent in a WCO. Your back is also used as a primary weapon in passing, not simply a check-down.

I agree, we are throwing more short, which could be for many reasons, including the rib.