Cowboys Adjusting at halftime...

[landryscorner]

I wasn't here last year, I only saw a few games and highlights but i had a question for you guys....I didn't see the Cowboys adjust much to what the Jags were doing on offense on Sunday, is that just Mike Zimmer wanting to stick with his...like for example those huge cushions we were giving the receivers....I thought they talked in the pre season about jamming the receivers and man to man because we have the talent..what gives???

I can't tell you the last time I saw us make adjustments at halftime.

 

[Cowboy4ever]

I wasn't here last year, I only saw a few games and highlights but i had a question for you guys....I didn't see the Cowboys adjust much to what the Jags were doing on offense on Sunday, is that just Mike Zimmer wanting to stick with his...like for example those huge cushions we were giving the receivers....I thought they talked in the pre season about jamming the receivers and man to man because we have the talent..what gives???

They hadn't done much in the first half to adjust to. They didn't run well and were help by turnovers. What exactly did you want to adjust at halftime?

 

[landryscorner]

howbout adding more pressure to the quarterback to stop leftwich's quick dump off's, by bringing in ware, or a safety...or how about jamming the receivers they dont have to wait till halftime to adjust either you can adjust as you go, i mean how many gains does it take for the cowboys defense to realize they are being shredded

 

[braw]

They hadn't done much in the first half to adjust to. They didn't run well and were help by turnovers. What exactly did you want to adjust at halftime?

Every good team makes adjustments at halftime. BP mentioned last yr the chargers came out in 2 TE sets and they had not seen that before.

Not one sweep was attempted in the second half.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I wasn't here last year, I only saw a few games and highlights but i had a question for you guys....I didn't see the Cowboys adjust much to what the Jags were doing on offense on Sunday, is that just Mike Zimmer wanting to stick with his...like for example those huge cushions we were giving the receivers....I thought they talked in the pre season about jamming the receivers and man to man because we have the talent..what gives???

I can't tell you the last time I saw us make adjustments at halftime.

I'm not into charting the second half just yet, but they really didn't do much in the first half. I'm almost done with the first half and I have them rushing Leftwich with 5 defenders only once.

Part of the problem is that in the first when Dallas would show 5 defenders in the box, Leftwich would immediately throw a WR screen. That being said they weren't getting any yardage on those WR screens.

We also primarily went with 7 players in the box if not only 6players in the box. And when Jacksonville went to a 3 WR set, we weren't afraid to stick with our 3-4 base personnel and have either Ware or Ellis matchup on the slot WR and just give him a bump.

But in reality, it worked well in the first half as Leftwich had thrown 1 INT and was sacked once in the first half. The Jags only had 132 total yards in the first half with an anemic 3.8 yards per play and they only had 23 rushing yards on 11 carries. Essentially, they were helped by Bledsoe's INT before the half.

However, when the Jags came out rolling in the 3rd quarter, we didn't appear to make any adjustments (I haven't charted the second half yet, so I'm not positive about this).

So it appears that the gameplan on defense worked well in the first half, so there wasn't much need to come up with an adjustment when the second half started. But come the 4th quarter, something needed to be done.


YAKUZA

 

[boysfanindc]

300 yards of total offense, does not seem like a shredding to me.

 

[braw]

I'm not into charting the second half just yet, but they really didn't do much in the first half. I'm almost done with the first half and I have them rushing Leftwich with 5 defenders only once.

Part of the problem is that in the first when Dallas would show 5 defenders in the box, Leftwich would immediately throw a WR screen. That being said they weren't getting any yardage on those WR screens.

We also primarily went with 7 players in the box if not only 6players in the box. And when Jacksonville went to a 3 WR set, we weren't afraid to stick with our 3-4 base personnel and have either Ware or Ellis matchup on the slot WR and just give him a bump.

But in reality, it worked well in the first half as Leftwich had thrown 1 INT and was sacked once in the first half. The Jags only had 132 total yards in the first half with an anemic 3.8 yards per play and they only had 23 rushing yards on 11 carries. Essentially, they were helped by Bledsoe's INT before the half.

However, when the Jags came out rolling in the 3rd quarter, we didn't appear to make any adjustments (I haven't charted the second half yet, so I'm not positive about this).

So it appears that the gameplan on defense worked well in the first half, so there wasn't much need to come up with an adjustment when the second half started. But come the 4th quarter, something needed to be done.


YAKUZA

You're absolutely right. But why does the D fade in the 4th?

My Guess would be that once a team(Jags) starts gettin going our D plays not to lose(preventish) and does not attack force(intensity) with the other teams intensity(kind of like a cat against a wall).

In the 4th it becomes a reactive D and does not attack. It lets the other team dictate to it instead of our D imposing its will on the other team.

Some times its the fundamentals that are lacking in crucial moments ie tackling( they tend to try and strip the ball allowing the RB or WR to gain more yards). I wish they would stick, wrap, and make the tackle and let the fumbles come naturally from the tackle.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

You're absolutely right. But why does the D fade in the 4th?

My Guess would be that once a team(Jags) starts gettin going our D plays not to lose(preventish) and does not attack force(intensity) with the other teams intensity(kind of like a cat against a wall).

In the 4th it becomes a reactive D and does not attack. It lets the other team dictate to it instead of our D imposing its will on the other team.

Some times its the fundamentals that are lacking in crucial moments ie tackling( they tend to try and strip the ball allowing the RB or WR to gain more yards). I wish they would stick, wrap, and make the tackle and let the fumbles come naturally from the tackle.

Part of it was due to the Jaguars winning the time of possession battle rather handily. That can be credited to Bledsoe's poor play. We did open things up and do some different formations on offense that we've never really done before, but Bledsoe kept missing open receivers and making bad reads. We did run the ball on 5 consecutive 2nd down plays and the Jags were expecting us to run on second down....but with Bledsoe playing so poorly at that point it's a double edge sword. Do you want to just try and get first downs or continue to rely on your QB that's playing poorly?

Thus, the offense wasn't moving the ball very well and Jacksonville was beating us on time of possession.

On top of that, we just simply refused to blitz Leftwich and we weren't getting much pressure when we rushed 4 defenders.

The wearing down of the defense and inability to sack the QB in the 4th quarter are probably Zimmer's two biggest flaws. That being said, this defense did wear down....but not nearly as bad as the '02 through '04 defenses usually did come the 4th quarter.


YAKUZA

 

[dmq]

I don't question us running, but where we were running. I mean we just kept running into a wall right up the middle. If anything, put in the bigger Barber to run up the middle. He might at least get 2 or 3 yrds. Julius isn't gonna get anything. Then we ran Barber on a sweep on like a 3rd and 14? Yeah, run your slowwer running back on a sweep. That play didn't have a prayer. I thought we looked good on the sweeps, but we kept running up the middle. I thought it was a poor job on the offensive play calling.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't question us running, but where we were running. I mean we just kept running into a wall right up the middle. If anything, put in the bigger Barber to run up the middle. He might at least get 2 or 3 yrds. Julius isn't gonna get anything. Then we ran Barber on a sweep on like a 3rd and 14? Yeah, run your slowwer running back on a sweep. That play didn't have a prayer. I thought we looked good on the sweeps, but we kept running up the middle. I thought it was a poor job on the offensive play calling.

3rd and 14 was not a sweep, Barber bounced the play to the outside off a draw.

 

[dmq]

3rd and 14 was not a sweep, Barber bounced the play to the outside off a draw.

My mistake. I was going blurry from my blood pressure boiling.... I still think you need the faster running back on that play.

 

[Doomsday101]

My mistake. I was going blurry from my blood pressure boiling.... I still think you need the faster running back on that play.

True but then Barber is the 3rd down back and if your trying to sell the pass then Barber needed to be in. That was a 3rd and 14 after the Witten foul and I think Bill was hoping to sneak a draw on them knowing that if it did not work we would still be in very good FG range which we were. Too bad the kick hit the uprights.

 

[Vertigo_17]

300 yards of total offense, does not seem like a shredding to me.

it is when most all of this comes in 2 qtrs.

 

[boysfanindc]

it is when most all of this comes in 2 qtrs.

The thread is labeled adjustments after half time.

 

[DipChit]

I think by in large the whole "Halftime Adjustment" concept is over blown.

For one thing, you see teams making "adjustments" on the sideline between drives for each unit.

For another thing since staffs have coaches, if not the actual coordinators, up in the booth they can see the whole field and how each play unfolds out of various pre-snap formations.

For another thing, no matter what you might decide to "adjust" to doing, you cant do that on every play anyway because then that would make it too easy to counter "adjust".

Finally, too many games in this league come down to the final few minutes which must mean that in general in any given game either both staffs are making the right "adjustments" to counter each others blows, or both are making the wrong ones, keeping them from doing what they're trying to do.

Cause if one was making them far better than the other they'd have taken control of the game.

The only real "adjustments" that matter are prolly those that are the most obvious ones that dont take a halftime break to make. O-Tackle gettin beat like a rented mule? Give him help. Not getting any pressure on the QB? Send some extra guys. Giving up too many rushing yards? Put extra guy(s) in the box. One WR having a field day? Double him more.. etc etc.

If none of those things work, you're just not as good as the other team that day.

 

[Vertigo_17]

The thread is labeled adjustments after half time.

OK - the Jags offense had 176 yards in the second half vs 121 in the first half. Not necessarily a shredding, but it does seem like the Jags made the better adjustment after halftime.

 

[Doomsday101]

OK - the Jags offense had 176 yards in the second half vs 121 in the first half. Not necessarily a shredding, but it does seem like the Jags made the better adjustment after halftime.

Lack of execution, 9 penalties for 93 yards and 3 turnovers is what needed adjustment. Coaches can prepare their team all week, they can make adjustments through out the game but in the end it falls on the players to do their job and not make mistakes. Our players need to limit their mistakes

 

[DipChit]

I imagine the best adjustment that could've been made in that particular game was someone yelling to Drew.. "Hey Drew dont throw any(more) INT's and make better reads!!" same with some dumb penalties by other guys. "Stop doing that!!!"

Those are the type of things that create scenarios that X's and O's are hard to overcome..especially on the road. Crowd participation, momentum, short field, etc etc.

Unless we're suggesting we should get so proficient with adjustments that those things should be a non-factor. Just make them go 3 and out all the time regardless.

 

[braw]

Lack of execution, 9 penalties for 93 yards and 3 turnovers is what needed adjustment. Coaches can prepare their team all week, they can make adjustments through out the game but in the end it falls on the players to do their job and not make mistakes. Our players need to limit their mistakes

Then what you are saying is that in order to win we have to play a perfect game. The best teams win inspite of their mistakes because just look at Bettis wearing a SB ring after a big mistake.

Great teams over come mistakes because they adjust well. Patriots are a good example of that. They create mismatches at cruciel situations hence they win alot. To win a game with a late safety has to be one for the books.

 

[dmq]

Maybe on paper it doesn't look like a shredding, but it sure looked like one on the field. Lets not sugar coat this. We got no pressure on the qb and he threw at will against our DBs(who were supposed to be the strength of our team). And for those who hate TO, guess what? If it weren't for him our team would really look like an 8-8 team to me right now.