sago1
Active Member
- Messages
- 7,791
- Reaction score
- 0
Our OL played fairly well in 07 and was a big factor in our many wins. But their high number of penalties in several games were major factors in several losses, particularly against NE & in the Giant playoff loss. We all know about Flozel, but Colombo made even more penalties. With Sparano leaving for Miami after the 07 season, maybe returning Hudson Houck (one of the NFL's top OL coaches) can get the OL to cut back on their penalties along with improving both in pass blocking/run blocking. BTW: As good as TO & Witten were in 07, both of them also make too many penalties which combined with the OL numbers was a killer. Anyway, took below article off Raphael Vela's blog -- sorry can't remember new name.
Bill Parcells brought a reputation for well-disciplined, intelligent football teams to Dallas. It was maddening therefore to see his last two teams struggle with penalties. His ‘05 team, which just missed the playoffs, was one of the best offenses for penalties, ranking 25th worst in total penalties and 30th in offensive yards forfeited, with just 739.
The defense was another story, ranking last (or 1st in this case) in penalties taken, with a league high 142.
The trends were reversed in ‘06. The defense was much better, cutting its number of flags from 142 to 93. Those gains were relinquished by the offense, which went from having the third fewest penalty yards in ‘05 to having the 8th most in ‘06. I’m sure people recall the meltdown in Washington, where the Cowboys racked up 153 yards in penalties in a 22-19 loss.
Wade Phillips‘ first team improved on both sides of the ball, cutting overall penalty yards by 234 from ‘06. That said, the offense continued to take too many needless penalties. Look at Dallas’ biggest defeats and you’ll see games where discipline broke down.
In the Patriots loss Dallas committed 12 penalties worth 100 yards. The Cowboys prevailed in the second Giants game at the Meadownlands, but committed 10 penalties, some of which prevented an early blowout. Fans may remember a taunting penalty on Kevin Burnett that gave the Giants a field goal before the half. That fore-shadowned a Jacques Reeves 15-yard facemask penalty that helped the Giants score before the half in the playoff loss. The Cowboys were flagged another ten more times in that game.
One of the biggest challenges for new offensive line coach Hudson Houck will be to improve his linemen’s discipline. The Cowboys line under Tony Sparano was one of the most penalized in the NFL from ‘04 through ‘07.
Cutting the miscues will help the Cowboys take the next step.
Bill Parcells brought a reputation for well-disciplined, intelligent football teams to Dallas. It was maddening therefore to see his last two teams struggle with penalties. His ‘05 team, which just missed the playoffs, was one of the best offenses for penalties, ranking 25th worst in total penalties and 30th in offensive yards forfeited, with just 739.
The defense was another story, ranking last (or 1st in this case) in penalties taken, with a league high 142.
The trends were reversed in ‘06. The defense was much better, cutting its number of flags from 142 to 93. Those gains were relinquished by the offense, which went from having the third fewest penalty yards in ‘05 to having the 8th most in ‘06. I’m sure people recall the meltdown in Washington, where the Cowboys racked up 153 yards in penalties in a 22-19 loss.
Wade Phillips‘ first team improved on both sides of the ball, cutting overall penalty yards by 234 from ‘06. That said, the offense continued to take too many needless penalties. Look at Dallas’ biggest defeats and you’ll see games where discipline broke down.
In the Patriots loss Dallas committed 12 penalties worth 100 yards. The Cowboys prevailed in the second Giants game at the Meadownlands, but committed 10 penalties, some of which prevented an early blowout. Fans may remember a taunting penalty on Kevin Burnett that gave the Giants a field goal before the half. That fore-shadowned a Jacques Reeves 15-yard facemask penalty that helped the Giants score before the half in the playoff loss. The Cowboys were flagged another ten more times in that game.
One of the biggest challenges for new offensive line coach Hudson Houck will be to improve his linemen’s discipline. The Cowboys line under Tony Sparano was one of the most penalized in the NFL from ‘04 through ‘07.
Cutting the miscues will help the Cowboys take the next step.
