Cowboys Offense - Different Formations.

[bobbie brewskie]

Our Dallas Cowboys lack an experienced FB (hoping for sowell to help, even then we arent complete) but we have 3 strong WR in TO, Glenn, Crayton (Keyshawn could be 4th but unlikely or a draft pick . . .) and a strong TE in Witten. At the moment and there is a bit of controversy about the ball to all of our players, dont forget Jones and Barber are gonna want it a bit to. To take the load off of a young and still progressing Lousaka Polite (FB - #39) and to get all of our WR/TE on the field a simple solution would be to mix in a little bit of a spread offense (2 WR/2TE, 3 WR/1TE, 4WR sets). Have Witten and Hannam take a few extra snaps giving Polite a lighter load and putting more experience on the field.

I know, I know, running this spread offense may sound like a college style of playbook . . .
RB: . . . but we have all seen how good Julius Jones is on the draw and how hard both him and MBIII hit the hole for quick dives out of the spread. as for off tackle, thats what young guys are for, both of em are quick and pretty speedy, and this could even incorporate TT.
WR: this causes all of our WR to get on the field including our progressing Crayton. This would really open up the middle as they would have to cover Crayton with a LB or Nickel Back and if they dont cover our Recievers either crayton is wide open or TO & Glenn are both in single coverage.
TE: Witten will get a bit more rest during the 4 reciever sets in order to step in and block for Polite, not to mention he may get even more rest as hannam can take most of the blocking responsibility.
QB: The spread requires the defense to cover all the recievers and the blitz will be easily spotted and picked up by our O-line. Spread gives our slow QB more time to throw and gives him more options.
O-line: already in QB - blitz pickups will be much easier. downside is no fullback to pick up (hannam/Witten will be there in the 3WR/1TE and 2WR/2TE sets)
FB: Lets just say Polite will see the field a bit less than last season (especially if we acquire Sowell) - which means we have more experience on the field.

Conclusion: IMO The Spread Offense should be incorporated in the cowboys playbook more in order to keep the inexperienced Polite off the field and to spread the ball around to all of our different weapons. And what are other teams going to do when they have to cover TO, Glenn, Crayton, Witten/4th WR, and still have to look out for Jones and Barber out of the backfield?

dime:
owens - #1CB/SS
Glenn - #2CB
Crayton - #3CB
Witten/4th - #4CB
Jones/Barber LB
Glenn, Crayton, Witten and Jones in Single coverage (the best they can do vs this).

nickel:
owens - #1CB/SS
Glenn - #2CB
Crayton - #3CB
Wittehn/4th #1LB
Jones/Barber #2LB
Witten/4th and Jones/Barber covered by Linebackers.

4-3 Base:
Owens - #1CB/SS
Glenn - #2CB
Crayton - #1LB
Witten/4th - #2LB
Jones/Barber - #3LB
3 gys covered by linebackers - downside they may blitz.

Basically the only way to keep everybody covered with a FS deep is with a Dime (spread out) or by taking the double coverage off of TO which leaves 2 roaming safeties but 1 on 1 coverage on both TO and Glenn.

Just a lil write up of a Formation that i think could destroy a defense while keeping a inexperienced Polite off the field more.

Your input please!

 

[Zaxor]

you line up in spread and I send everybody at Bledsoe...Bledsoe's back foot would never hit the 3rd step

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Maybe when BP reads this thread, you will see your idea in the play book.

 

[jterrell]

Dallas will run more 3 WR sets because TOs stats have been unbelievable in that set according to media members who say that was part of why Dallas was so attracted to him.

TO can catch the ball on quick slants and hot routes better than any WR in football. Few teams will want to blitz Dallas.

Witten, Crayton and TO are all very legit quick pass targets.

This team will feature less blocking sets than last year's thats for sure. TO buys you that for a mere 10 mil, lol.

 

[jterrell]

you line up in spread and I send everybody at Bledsoe...Bledsoe's back foot would never hit the 3rd step

and i suspect you'd lose by 30 points.

BP prepares as well as any coach for the blitz and Dallas won't now be deficient at getting open in 3 steps as they were when Crayton got injured.

Flo and Fabini are not Tucker and Petitti bro.

 

[Zaxor]

and i suspect you'd lose by 30 points.

BP prepares as well as any coach for the blitz and Dallas won't now be deficient at getting open in 3 steps as they were when Crayton got injured.

Flo and Fabini are not Tucker and Petitti bro.

Bledsoe doesn't throw many short passes over a season (especially as the season wears on) and when he does decide to throw short they aren't all that accurate...but we will see...maybe he has needed a TO...but Key was a pretty big target and we still didn't see it...but count me thrilled if it works

 

[Jarv]

Bledsoe doesn't throw many short passes over a season (especially as the season wears on) and when he does decide to throw short they aren't all that accurate...but we will see...maybe he has needed a TO...but Key was a pretty big target and we still didn't see it...but count me thrilled if it works

Kelly Holcomb would be deadly in that offense....

Zaxor, can you send me some claymores, I'm expecting an attack from BledsoeMVP...

 

[Zaxor]

Kelly Holcomb would be deadly in that offense....

Zaxor, can you send me some claymores, I'm expecting an attack from BledsoeMVP...

:laugh2: sorry no claymores but you can have what I got in stock...no charge

:bomb::bomb::bomb::anvil::anvil::anvil::moonbart::moonbart::moonbart::chopchop::chopchop:

 

[superpunk]

Bledsoe doesn't throw many short passes over a season (especially as the season wears on) and when he does decide to throw short they aren't all that accurate...but we will see...maybe he has needed a TO...but Key was a pretty big target and we still didn't see it...but count me thrilled if it works

Bledsoe attempted 160 passes from 1-10 yards this year. He completed 65% of them. Other notable QBs....

Tom Brady - 158 passes, 67%
Carson Palmer - 158 passes, 67%
Mark Brunell - 160 passes - 61%
Trent Green - 160 passes - 65%

Peyton Manning and Matt Hasselbeck are both over 70%, but that's the exception. So, while Bledsoe's not the best, he's certainly not a slouch from 1-10 yards by any means. And he really doesn't throw any more or less short passes than anyone else.

 

[lspain1]

and i suspect you'd lose by 30 points.

BP prepares as well as any coach for the blitz and Dallas won't now be deficient at getting open in 3 steps as they were when Crayton got injured.

Flo and Fabini are not Tucker and Petitti bro.

You have struck the fastener on its top! The OL will be the key to this season (as it was last year). We stay healthy, our passing attack is going to be excellent. I am still concerned about run blocking because I don't know how athletic this group can be. LA is not what he was and we struggled last year even before Flo went down.

 

[Zaxor]

Bledsoe attempted 160 passes from 1-10 yards this year. He completed 65% of them. Other notable QBs....

Tom Brady - 158 passes, 67%
Carson Palmer - 158 passes, 67%
Mark Brunell - 160 passes - 61%
Trent Green - 160 passes - 65%

Peyton Manning and Matt Hasselbeck are both over 70%, but that's the exception. So, while Bledsoe's not the best, he's certainly not a slouch from 1-10 yards by any means. And he really doesn't throw any more or less short passes than anyone else.

Great find and it is very suprising

do you have a breakdown on where they went WR/RB/TE and if the majority were in the first half of the season or not... cause I do not recall many at all that were throw towards a WR on a slant or quick out and I believe with a 3 WR set you will have to throw them to the wideouts...

I do also recall many a failed screen pass to the RB or dump offs...

 

[chinch]

we were burning the blitz over and over before FLO went out. Our OL will be a big improvement with more depth/experience.

TO is gonna make our offense explosive.

 

[superpunk]

I looked at the wrong stat line earlier. That was for something entirely different, so NVM, lol.

Revised -
Drew Bledsoe, passes thrown from 1-10 yards
232 attempts - 69.4%
Passes thrown beind LOS (screens, etc)
73 attempts - 64.4%

Tom Brady
256 attempts - 72.7%
75 attempts = 72.0%

Carson Palmer
251 attempts - 69.7%
91 attempts - 82.4%

Mark Brunell
207 attempts - 64.3%
83 attempts - 80.7% (lots of Wr screens here)

Trent Green
216 attempts - 69.0%
93 attempts - 59.1%

Matt Hasselbeck
250 attempts - 76%
45 attempts - 57.8%

So, Bledsoe's not too bad on the screens. I was surprised too, because I remember just sitting there and thinking, "One of these days, JJ's gonna get decapitated on one of these badly thrown screens..." But Bledsoe seems to run it OK. We haven't really been able to execute a screen since....ever, but Bledsoe's completing a high pct. at least.

 

[Zaxor]

I looked at the wrong stat line earlier. That was for something entirely different, so NVM, lol.

Revised -
Drew Bledsoe, passes thrown from 1-10 yards
232 attempts - 69.4%
Passes thrown beind LOS (screens, etc)
73 attempts - 64.4%

Tom Brady
256 attempts - 72.7%
75 attempts = 72.0%

Carson Palmer
251 attempts - 69.7%
91 attempts - 82.4%

Mark Brunell
207 attempts - 64.3%
83 attempts - 80.7% (lots of Wr screens here)

Trent Green
216 attempts - 69.0%
93 attempts - 59.1%

Matt Hasselbeck
250 attempts - 76%
45 attempts - 57.8%

So, Bledsoe's not too bad on the screens. I was surprised too, because I remember just sitting there and thinking, "One of these days, JJ's gonna get decapitated on one of these badly thrown screens..." But Bledsoe seems to run it OK. We haven't really been able to execute a screen since....ever, but Bledsoe's completing a high pct. at least.

Thanks...but boy do they seem high

 

[jterrell]

Thanks...but boy do they seem high

Bledsoe hit a ton of those short outs to Glenn and hit KJ on a lot of short slants.

One short out he missed (to slow-footed Dan Campbell) went the other way for a game turning INT

We were better in the first half because Flo bought you enough time to set up in a 3 step drop.

Witten was the reason screens weren't abysmal. We starting using him on them and MBIII.

 

[Cowchips]

You have struck the fastener on its top! The OL will be the key to this season (as it was last year). We stay healthy, our passing attack is going to be excellent. I am still concerned about run blocking because I don't know how athletic this group can be. LA is not what he was and we struggled last year even before Flo went down.

I believe the struggle last year was JJ's sophomore slump..look for that to improve big time with TO drawing double coverage.

 

[Clove]

I would have T.O. Running slants or cuts all the way accross the field to get rid of that double team, unless teams are planning on playing zone. No way a CB can move with him all the way accross the field, and it's too disruptive for a safety to follow that type of pattern.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Two years of Parcells here and people still are failing to see we already primarily run 2TE and 3WR sets.

Now the spread offense? Dear god some people watch too much minor league (college) football.

We are signing people accordingly to what our offense is. Surprise surprise.

I also see alot of people basically writing Polite off. The man won the spot outright last season, is an adequate blocker, can catch the ball out of the backfield, runs hard making himself hard to bring down AND plays special teams well. Its time people took a step back and realize this isnt Turner or Zampese's offense and Polite is exactly what we need from our FB..

 

[bobbie brewskie]

I would have T.O. Running slants or cuts all the way accross the field to get rid of that double team, unless teams are planning on playing zone. No way a CB can move with him all the way accross the field, and it's too disruptive for a safety to follow that type of pattern.

A Zone vs. a spread that has TO, Glenn (even Crayton or Witten) lined up on the same side? haha i dont think the safety will be to happy trying to cover a top reciever combo (+1 more) in the NFL and having to choose which 1 to cover when they split his zone.

Two years of Parcells here and people still are failing to see we already primarily run 2TE and 3WR sets.

Now the spread offense? Dear god some people watch too much minor league (college) football.

We are signing people accordingly to what our offense is. Surprise surprise.

I also see alot of people basically writing Polite off. The man won the spot outright last season, is an adequate blocker, can catch the ball out of the backfield, runs hard making himself hard to bring down AND plays special teams well. Its time people took a step back and realize this isnt Turner or Zampese's offense and Polite is exactly what we need from our FB..

Like i said, "you may think it is a college style offense." But really the colts incorporated this a lot with the Edge, Harrison, Stokely, Wayne, Pollard.

you line up in spread and I send everybody at Bledsoe...Bledsoe's back foot would never hit the 3rd step

if they show blitz all bledsoe has to do is drop into shotgun and then get a 1 step drop and quickslant to any of our 3-4WR and its a TD. its not like they can get by our upgraded line to Bledsoe (6 YDs behind LOS) before Crayton runs a 2 yard slant from the slot, and witten runs an arrow. dont forget we got a RB blocking, so we still got a back for blitz pick-up or even a swing release pattern. Defensive coordinators are going to be working really hard to pressure bledsoe while still covering all of our recievers. and by covering i mean having 2 guys on TO or bringing a fast enough blitz that TO and TG dont get open in 1 on 1 coverage.

 

[Future]

dime:
owens - #1CB/SS
Glenn - #2CB
Crayton - #3CB
Witten/4th - #4CB
Jones/Barber LB
Glenn, Crayton, Witten and Jones in Single coverage (the best they can do vs this).

nickel:
owens - #1CB/SS
Glenn - #2CB
Crayton - #3CB
Wittehn/4th #1LB
Jones/Barber #2LB
Witten/4th and Jones/Barber covered by Linebackers.

makes sense, but the problem you have is that you are assuming teams will be runnning only man defense...If a zone defense knows its responsibilities anybody can be covered and blitz schemes are much more advanced