DMN Blog: A big play that went unnoticed

[Alexander]

A big play that went unnoticed
12:34 PM Tue, Dec 08, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Todd Archer/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips

The Cowboys could have been in position to not have to worry about a long Domenik Hixon punt return Sunday. Huh?

After Lawrence Tynes' field goal gave the Giants a 24-17 lead with 7:27 to go, the Cowboys thought they were in prime position to answer. Felix Jones had a 42-yard kickoff return to the Cowboys 48. But the penalty bug bit the Cowboys when Victor Butler was penalized for a hold at the 28.

Instead of first down at midfield, it was first down at the 28. Then third-and-17 after an intentional grounding call on Tony Romo that was debated by the officials for a spell. Then it was Hixon taking a Mat McBriar punt back 79 yards.

To special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the holding penalty was a bigger play than the punt return.

"The punt doesn't happen if we don't hold the guy on the kickoff return," DeCamillis said. "So if that play doesn't happen, we've got a good chance of getting out of that play and backing them up rather than being where we were at."

==

I like DeCamillis. I loathe this type of mindset.

Instead of concentrating on what really went wrong (sloppy tackling), he is playing a "what if" game. Disappointing.

We could do that all day long.

If Martellus Bennett doesn't drop that pass.

If Tony Romo hit Roy Williams on the deep pass.

If we didn't blitz Spencer on the screen to Jacobs.

If this, if that.

 

[Zman5]

I don't want to blame the refs for the loss but Butler did less holding on that return then the Giant player who held Sensabaugh on Jacobs long run.

 

[speedkilz88]

I agree, Butler was pancaking the guy and had his hands inside his chest like he is suppose to, when the guy was falling backwards Butler still had some jersey and let go.

 

[Idgit]

A big play that went unnoticed
12:34 PM Tue, Dec 08, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Todd Archer/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips

The Cowboys could have been in position to not have to worry about a long Domenik Hixon punt return Sunday. Huh?

After Lawrence Tynes' field goal gave the Giants a 24-17 lead with 7:27 to go, the Cowboys thought they were in prime position to answer. Felix Jones had a 42-yard kickoff return to the Cowboys 48. But the penalty bug bit the Cowboys when Victor Butler was penalized for a hold at the 28.

Instead of first down at midfield, it was first down at the 28. Then third-and-17 after an intentional grounding call on Tony Romo that was debated by the officials for a spell. Then it was Hixon taking a Mat McBriar punt back 79 yards.

To special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the holding penalty was a bigger play than the punt return.

"The punt doesn't happen if we don't hold the guy on the kickoff return," DeCamillis said. "So if that play doesn't happen, we've got a good chance of getting out of that play and backing them up rather than being where we were at."

==

I like DeCamillis. I loathe this type of mindset.

Instead of concentrating on what really went wrong (sloppy tackling), he is playing a "what if" game. Disappointing.

We could do that all day long.

If Martellus Bennett doesn't drop that pass.

If Tony Romo hit Roy Williams on the deep pass.

If we didn't blitz Spencer on the screen to Jacobs.

If this, if that.

He's not doing that at all. He's being more aggressive: if our team executed when we had the ball and had the choice to put up points, we wouldn't be in the position to miss tackles on coverage. That's the right mindset.

I have little doubt he ignores the four missed tackles on the punt return. He's just saying his unit should have kept the team out of that situation in the first place.

 

[cowboyjoe]

A big play that went unnoticed
12:34 PM Tue, Dec 08, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Todd Archer/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips


The Cowboys could have been in position to not have to worry about a long Domenik Hixon punt return Sunday. Huh?

After Lawrence Tynes' field goal gave the Giants a 24-17 lead with 7:27 to go, the Cowboys thought they were in prime position to answer. Felix Jones had a 42-yard kickoff return to the Cowboys 48. But the penalty bug bit the Cowboys when Victor Butler was penalized for a hold at the 28.

Instead of first down at midfield, it was first down at the 28. Then third-and-17 after an intentional grounding call on Tony Romo that was debated by the officials for a spell. Then it was Hixon taking a Mat McBriar punt back 79 yards.

To special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the holding penalty was a bigger play than the punt return.

"The punt doesn't happen if we don't hold the guy on the kickoff return," DeCamillis said. "So if that play doesn't happen, we've got a good chance of getting out of that play and backing them up rather than being where we were at."

 

[Juke99]

That play went unnoticed by whom?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Couple of questions.

I know Butler got called for the hold on that play, but I swear I saw Sam Hurd holding someone on that very same play. Now I don't know if he was also holding and just did not get called or what.

Unrelated to the play.

This question or point may have been brought up before and I probably missed it.

There was a play where Romo hands off to Choice and choice runs wide right (think it was right). He kind of slowed down and then started to run like he was going to try and hit the corner but he was tackled before the LOS. Was it just me or does anyone think he was going to try a HB pass. It kind of looked like he was pausing and going to throw a pass down the field but changed his mind. Then again...maybe that was just me.

 

[superpunk]

Camillis isn't playing a "what if" game. He's focusing on the impact of that play in the scheme of the game. No doubt he'll drill that into his units this week - "When you commit penalties on special teams, this is what happens."

 

[Primetime42]

I don't want to blame the refs for the loss but Butler did less holding on that return then the Giant player who held Sensabaugh on Jacobs long run.

I was irate when I saw the replay.

I don't care if refs are ticky-tack, but I would like some consistency.

 

[morasp]

The Giants were practically tackling our blitzers the whole game and not one flag.

 

[percyhoward]

I like DeCamillis. I loathe this type of mindset.

Instead of concentrating on what really went wrong (sloppy tackling), he is playing a "what if" game. Disappointing.

I think he's focusing on the correctable mental error (the holding).

 

[CF74]

Couple of questions.

I know Butler got called for the hold on that play, but I swear I saw Sam Hurd holding someone on that very same play. Now I don't know if he was also holding and just did not get called or what.

Unrelated to the play.

This question or point may have been brought up before and I probably missed it.

There was a play where Romo hands off to Choice and choice runs wide right (think it was right). He kind of slowed down and then started to run like he was going to try and hit the corner but he was tackled before the LOS. Was it just me or does anyone think he was going to try a HB pass. It kind of looked like he was pausing and going to throw a pass down the field but changed his mind. Then again...maybe that was just me.

The same thought flashed across my mind as well but I just blew it off. We might see Choice air one out in the razorback soon enough...ray:

 

[AdamJT13]

I think he's focusing on the correctable mental error (the holding).

Hopefully he's focusing on both. Just because he's quoted about one thing doesn't mean that's the only thing he's focusing on -- or even that it's the only thing that he talked about. He might have talked more about tackling, and Archer just didn't mention it in this blog post.

 

[Future]

I don't want to blame the refs for the loss but Butler did less holding on that return then the Giant player who held Sensabaugh on Jacobs long run.

Absolutely. I saw it and yelled "You better not call that" :laugh2: sure enough there was yellow almost immediately

 

[CM Duck]

Spencer was not blitzing on the long Jacobs pass play

 

[speedkilz88]

Spencer was not blitzing on the long Jacobs pass play

Jacobs also wasn't his responsibility on the play.

 

[EPL0c0]

The sloppy tacking is on either Orlando Scandrick, Pat Watkins or L.P. LaDouceur.

If you watch the play, Scandrick was taken out by a stiff-arm to the waste, he was the first man there and overran it. He also caused a pile up that took out 3 or 4 Cowboys out of the play.

Watkins reached out but Hixon had made a move and Watkins was out of position. LaDouceur basically followed Watkins step for step and was WAY out of position.

Part of it was a good little move by Hixon. As Watkins is getting there, Hixon squares up and it looks like he's gonna come back to his right but instead take a step forward and by that point both Watkins and LaDouceur had run by him and he's got a lane.

Also, not really sure where Sam Hurd was going on that play. He's about 6-7 yards upfield and cuts to his right (parrallel to Hixon) and runs into NYG #53 and falls down. This little pile trips up Bobbie Carpenter and gets him out of position on Hixon's cutback to his right.

Bad tackling and just a sort of symphony of oopsies. Hopefully it won't happen again.

 

[Doomsday]

I don't want to blame the refs for the loss but Butler did less holding on that return then the Giant player who held Sensabaugh on Jacobs long run.

That is my point in a nut shell those 2 plays changed the entire momentum and out come of the game.

People can call it crying if they want to but how does every ref miss such a blatant hold 20 yards down field right in front of the ball carrier?

As far as I am concerned it was at least an 11 point swing and maybe more if we score with the field position Felix got for us.

Poor calls and inconsistent calls at key times effect the out come of games every single week. It is hard enough to win in the league without having the refs miss obvious calls. Id love to see how many holding calls have been called on our offense vs how calls the defense gets. I see guys like Ware and Ratty getting held every week with no call, then every time we run for 20 plus yards they call something ticky tack vs Bennett or Cricket. Gets old!

 

[Kevinicus]

Jacobs also wasn't his responsibility on the play.

And it also wasn't a screen (despite everyone and their mother calling it that).