Video: Cowboys vs. Saints Chris Simms Unbuttoned

[jwooten15]

I would like, just once, to hear our staff threw a curveball and changes some things up before the game that the other team wasn’t ready for.

Our staff did throw a curveball lol: They reverted back to the antiquated, run-through-a-brick-wall-at-all-cost, predictable offense they'd been in the past thinking that'd trick the Saints. Gotta love it, right???

 

[DallasEast]

Simms' breakdown goes along with what I saw, primarily a) the Saints defensive front four contained Dallas' run game and b) the Saints secondary remained in zone mostly. The passing attack barely attempted anything intermediate or deep and Simms quantified the reason well.

It would be a logical assumption the Cowboys practiced exclusively to recognize Saints' man coverage. Hopefully, that will not re-occur as the season progresses since it appears the offense must 'see' what the offense preps for or it is becomes stuck in neutral.

Now, there is little reason to think the coaching staff did not recognize the Saints squatting in an atypical defensive coverage for all four quarters. The offense has practiced for zone coverage in the past. The question becomes either "Were Garrett and Moore confident enough not to get out of the offense's prepped gameplan, expected the defense to keep the Saints' offense bottled up, and thought they could win a close game even though the offense's opportunities to score would be extremely limited due to the Saints' zone coverage"?

OR

"Were Garrett and Moore not confident enough to ditch the gameplan designed to beat man coverage and did not believe the offense would execute well IF the adjustments were made for zone coverage?"

If it were the former, it is a sure sign that linear thinking remains a Cowboys coaching trait. There should always be enough prep time devoted to preparing for what an opposing defense does NOT normally show in-game. If it is the latter, it does reflect coaching's lack of confidence in its personnel in executing what has not been primarily taught in practice in the week leading up to the game.

The latter is a troubling thought since it will give defensive coordinators a clear blueprint for neutering Dallas' offense. They can confidently switch to zone mainly if their defensive secondary strength is man coverage, knowing they can easily switch back to their base coverage scheme if Dallas' offense beats zone. They can prep heavy in pre-snap disguise if their secondary's strength is zone coverage. The next few games should give some indication how or if Garrett, Moore and the offense can adjust for this new defensive curveball.

 

[visionary]

I agree the Saints defense was good. But at some point this team needs to make adjustments. Why didnt Dak go over to the sidelines and say Im not seeing anyone open and the windows are tight and they arent playing man to man. They are playing a tight zone. If Dak wants to get paid like an top 5 QB he cant get shut down like this. This game plan is now circulating around the league on how to shut down Dallas offense. The Saints previous 3 games they gave up 27 points a game. Goff and Watson passed for 270 yds and Wilson threw for 400 yds. Dak gets confused for 220 yds. Dont forget that before that last throw to Cobb he probably had under 200 yds. Dak cant make those tight throws into small windows. He will get exposed against good defenses.

Dak is who he is, an above average NFL who needs to be surrounded by top 10 NFL talent at all key positions to have a realistic chance at success

He is great when the going is good but cannot be a difference maker when Zeke and Cooper get shut down

He is not in the same QB zip code as Wilson or Rodgers or Brady or Mahomes

Paying him 30 + million will be a big mistake

 

[CATCH17]

I agree the Saints defense was good. But at some point this team needs to make adjustments. Why didnt Dak go over to the sidelines and say Im not seeing anyone open and the windows are tight and they arent playing man to man. They are playing a tight zone. If Dak wants to get paid like an top 5 QB he cant get shut down like this. This game plan is now circulating around the league on how to shut down Dallas offense. The Saints previous 3 games they gave up 27 points a game. Goff and Watson passed for 270 yds and Wilson threw for 400 yds. Dak gets confused for 220 yds. Dont forget that before that last throw to Cobb he probably had under 200 yds. Dak cant make those tight throws into small windows. He will get exposed against good defenses.

If they have a terrible secondary and a strong front 7 then we can't just give that secondary a pass because they show us a look defensively that is begging us to run. Especially when you're averaging 2 yards a carry against it.

The Saints laid out the simplest bait for the Cowboys and they took it.

 

[visionary]

Simms' breakdown goes along with what I saw, primarily a) the Saints defensive front four contained Dallas' run game and b) the Saints secondary remained in zone mostly. The passing attack barely attempted anything intermediate or deep and Simms quantified the reason well.

It would be a logical assumption the Cowboys practiced exclusively to recognize Saints' man coverage. Hopefully, that will not re-occur as the season progresses since it appears the offense must 'see' what the offense preps for or it is becomes stuck in neutral.

Now, there is little reason to think the coaching staff did not recognize the Saints squatting in an atypical defensive coverage for all four quarters. The offense has practiced for zone coverage in the past. The question becomes either "Were Garrett and Moore confident enough not to get out of the offense's prepped gameplan, expected the defense to keep the Saints' offense bottled up, and thought they could win a close game even though the offense's opportunities to score would be extremely limited due to the Saints' zone coverage"?

OR

"Were Garrett and Moore not confident enough to ditch the gameplan designed to beat man coverage and did not believe the offense would execute well IF the adjustments were made for zone coverage?"

If it were the former, it is a sure sign that linear thinking remains a Cowboys coaching trait. There should always be enough prep time devoted to preparing for what an opposing defense does NOT normally show in-game. If it is the latter, it does reflect coaching's lack of confidence in its personnel in executing what has not been primarily taught in practice in the week leading up to the game.

The latter is a troubling thought since it will give defensive coordinators a clear blueprint for neutering Dallas' offense. They can confidently switch to zone mainly if their defensive secondary strength is man coverage, knowing they can easily switch back to their base coverage scheme if Dallas' offense beats zone. They can prep heavy in pre-snap disguise if their secondary's strength is zone coverage. The next few games should give some indication how or if Garrett, Moore and the offense can adjust for this new defensive curveball.

Agree
This loss IMO falls on:

1. Offensive coaches
2. Dak
3. OL
4. Turnovers

 

[silvrNblue]

So, what is being said is Clapper AND Moore got out coached... meh, who knew.

 

[superonyx]

I agree the Saints defense was good. But at some point this team needs to make adjustments. Why didnt Dak go over to the sidelines and say Im not seeing anyone open and the windows are tight and they arent playing man to man. They are playing a tight zone. If Dak wants to get paid like an top 5 QB he cant get shut down like this. This game plan is now circulating around the league on how to shut down Dallas offense. The Saints previous 3 games they gave up 27 points a game. Goff and Watson passed for 270 yds and Wilson threw for 400 yds. Dak gets confused for 220 yds. Dont forget that before that last throw to Cobb he probably had under 200 yds. Dak cant make those tight throws into small windows. He will get exposed against good defenses.

Why are you assuming he didn’t?
This is a multi billion dollars professional sports franchise. Your bias and agenda is so thick that you make assumptions and blame the QB while ignoring the OC, HC, QBs coach, WRs coach, OL coach ect.

you agenda people just can’t stop playing mental checkers can you.

The OL just got their arses kicked all day. It wasn’t just Zeke it wasn’t just Dak.

Show me an offense that hasn’t had a bad game.
How many points did the Rams score in the SB.
Explain how Brady had a QBR of 10 against the Bills.

 

[Hennessy_King]

When the most expensive line in football gets abused it's going to be a long day on offense.

 

[lostar2009]

According to CZ they was stacking the box to stop Zeke and was daring Dak to throw and he couldn't beat them... Now we find out they actually wanted Zeke to beat them and not Dak haaaa haaa haaaa lol We didn't adjust to what they was doing... we thought they was going to run man coverage instead the ran cover 2... Now that we all know this I bet people are still going to blame Dak for this loss just watch lol I love it

This game was a combination of both. Saints front 4 bully our OL. Run game didn't work because of that. With that in mind cut your playbook in half to a third. Two costly fumbles which may have yielded some points but who knows. Drop passes didn't help this team at all. More than likely Moore had to dumb out the playbook due to noise. This team could've still won and that game and probably could've drop a 30 burger on the Saints. It's hard to go up there and beat the Saints when they ready to play. Also add in the fact we beat the Saints twice in a row so far.

 

[speedkilz88]

Makes sense. Saints had two safeties back so play action wouldn’t be very effective.

I would like, just once, to hear our staff threw a curveball and changes some things up before the game that the other team wasn’t ready for.

Instead of the other way around. Which is a theme at this point.

Play action was still working. They just didn't do much of it or much passing period.

 

[DallasEast]

This game was a combination of both. Saints front 4 bully our OL. Run game didn't work because of that. With that in mind cut your playbook in half to a third. Two costly fumbles which may have yielded some points but who knows. Drop passes didn't help this team at all. More than likely Moore had to dumb out the playbook due to noise. This team could've still won and that game and probably could've drop a 30 burger on the Saints. It's hard to go up there and beat the Saints when they ready to play. Also add in the fact we beat the Saints twice in a row so far.

Agree with most but not entirely with the bold. I could be wrong but I believe Simms is right about what the Saints subtracted from Dallas offensively. I think the offense had an adequate gameplan going in but the New Orleans countered with zone and Dallas played the majority of the game trying to beat zone within the scope of the established gameplan.

 

[Wolfpack]

Simms is becoming one of my new favorite analysis.

You would expect some coaching adjustments to beat zone and deal with the LB bluffs. Not these coaches though, they took naps and had nachos at halftime. Out coached again.

 

[erod]

Coaches call what their quarterbacks and players can actually do.

 

[pansophy]

I agree the Saints defense was good. But at some point this team needs to make adjustments. Why didnt Dak go over to the sidelines and say Im not seeing anyone open and the windows are tight and they arent playing man to man. They are playing a tight zone. If Dak wants to get paid like an top 5 QB he cant get shut down like this. This game plan is now circulating around the league on how to shut down Dallas offense. The Saints previous 3 games they gave up 27 points a game. Goff and Watson passed for 270 yds and Wilson threw for 400 yds. Dak gets confused for 220 yds. Dont forget that before that last throw to Cobb he probably had under 200 yds. Dak cant make those tight throws into small windows. He will get exposed against good defenses.

The thing that was interesting is that I saw a lot less motion this week than weeks prior, which is supposed to help reveal man versus zone. Were they so sure they were going to get man that they didn't bother with that?

 

[erod]

The thing that was interesting is that I saw a lot less motion this week than weeks prior, which is supposed to help reveal man versus zone. Were they so sure they were going to get man that they didn't bother with that?

Because you can barely hear in that big tin can of a stadium. You can't call signals. It's harder to do in those circumstances.

Many teams simplify things like that when they go into places like that.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

Thats not Daks thing. He does and calls whatever hes told to for the most part.

1000%....Sean Payton even commented on this last year. Something like wishing he had a QB who ran plays exactly as called.

 

[charron]

1000%....Sean Payton even commented on this last year. Something like wishing he had a QB who ran plays exactly as called.

Amari did too. he had to convince Dak to make the right adjustment despite Linehan....but it was a 1 time deal.

 

[lostar2009]

Agree with most but not entirely with the bold. I could be wrong but I believe Simms is right about what the Saints subtracted from Dallas offensively. I think the offense had an adequate gameplan going in but the New Orleans countered with zone and Dallas played the majority of the game trying to beat zone within the scope of the established gameplan.

I've seen many pointed out we shifted less due to crowd noise.

 

[DallasEast]

I've seen many pointed out we shifted less due to crowd noise.

I somewhat agree but only because I think the precaution was part of the plan going into the game and not as an in-game adjustment whenever noise because unbearable. At least, that was my overall impression watching the offense during each pre-snap from where we were seated in the stands.

 

[CATCH17]

Coaches call what their quarterbacks and players can actually do.

Garrett never has.

Garrett has a system and forces people into that. Not what they can do best.