DMN: Blog: Running game should get Cowboys into playoffs

[Alexander]

Yeah we got a few wins out of it to bad people figured it out which was obvious to anyone but red Jesus.
I'm sorry if i don't see any reason to have faith in his ability to change the entire offense but this is the same guy that couldn't even change the game plan from one week to the next
and who's idea of running game is 1 shotgun draw over and over again

Team playbooks and philosophies are often finalized and implemented in camp. Coach Parcells stated this several times. It is why we had to proceed with Romo as we did in the year he took over. Part of camp is to get the right personnel in place for how you want that system to be carried out through the year.

It is not often a team can switch gears midseason or even game to game. Teams are built and constructed to do certain things optimally and that's why injuries do impact things. I am relatively certain if Jones and Barber had stayed healthy, we would have run the ball much more than we did. In fact, there was evidence that's exactly how Garrett was setting it up early in the year. It just didn't work out. Felix Jones being a part of the offense was why they felt secure with Brad Johnson.

Not even the best offensive coordinators the game has ever seen have the level of flexibility that some people seem to be demanding out of Garrett. The plan to begin with was to feature Romo, Owens and the passing game. You can argue if that was a smart plan, but to expect a contingency that is just as effective as the primary plan is unrealistic. There are too many moving parts. Few teams are built to run and pass with equal effectiveness. And if they are, they have outstanding offensive lines to help make that happen.

 

[Hostile]

If your running game is averaging 3.5 yards a pop, play action isn't going to be respected.

I think we need to add screen passing to make the entire run and play action package more effective. I also think Felix could be brutal to defend on screens.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I think Felix will be a beast on screens and little routes out over the middle of the field, where linebackers are going to be asked to cover him but won't be able to.

Felix is going to bring a lot to the passing game, IMO, this season.

 

[Future]

I'll believe that we will establish a running game, when Jason and Tony prove to me that they aren't as pass-happy as they were last year.

Hopefully T.O. being gone will help that.

 

[Future]

Peter King is right on...just grabbed this from the a diff. thread.

9. Dallas
Maybe this is the year the Cowboys start putting the round peg in round hole. They have 25-, 24- and 22-year-old running backs -- Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones, respectively -- who last year rushed the ball 360 times for 1,623 yards (4.5-yard average) and 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile, their quarterbacks dropped back to pass 578 times. When your backs are that good, they shouldn't be handed the ball on 37 percent of the offense snaps. I'm counting on Jason Garrett to make the run game much more of a presence this year. If he does, it's not a very distant limb to walk out on and say the Cowboys should win their first playoff game since 1996. But I've got to see it to believe it.

hard to argue

 

[NextGenBoys]

Team playbooks and philosophies are often finalized and implemented in camp. Coach Parcells stated this several times. It is why we had to proceed with Romo as we did in the year he took over. Part of camp is to get the right personnel in place for how you want that system to be carried out through the year.

It is not often a team can switch gears midseason or even game to game. Teams are built and constructed to do certain things optimally and that's why injuries do impact things. I am relatively certain if Jones and Barber had stayed healthy, we would have run the ball much more than we did. In fact, there was evidence that's exactly how Garrett was setting it up early in the year. It just didn't work out. Felix Jones being a part of the offense was why they felt secure with Brad Johnson.

Not even the best offensive coordinators the game has ever seen have the level of flexibility that some people seem to be demanding out of Garrett. The plan to begin with was to feature Romo, Owens and the passing game. You can argue if that was a smart plan, but to expect a contingency that is just as effective as the primary plan is unrealistic. There are too many moving parts. Few teams are built to run and pass with equal effectiveness. And if they are, they have outstanding offensive lines to help make that happen.

Post of the day.

All the Garrett bashers who thinks he is complete garbage seriously need to digest this stuff.

He didnt have a great year, but alot of his shortcomings are over-exaggerated.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

We were never the same running after Felix went down. He was our game breaker.

Barber/Jones/Choice could be our version of Earth Wind and Fire

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

That three headed monster won't do jack if the line isn't blowing people off the ball...

 

[CF74]

The good thing is that both coaches now know all three backs are effective and won't hesitate to use either one of them. Hesitation was just one thing that killed us last year...

 

[chinch]

Talk about double talk and sitting on the fence.

actually he was right on. IF dallas does the OBVIOUS (big if) and if they execute they should do better than ever with Wade. Too many ifs to bet the farm.

 

[Aliencowboy]

Running game should get Cowboys into playoffs

10:21 AM Mon, May 11, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon


That's the opinion of Sports Illustrated's Peter King, who ranked the 32 teams in this morning's edition of Monday Morning Quarterback.

He has the Cowboys ninth -- third in the NFC East, but good enough to get a wild card berth.

Maybe this is the year the Cowboys start putting the round peg in round hole. They have 25-, 24- and 22-year-old running backs -- Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones, respectively -- who last year rushed the ball 360 times for 1,623 yards (4.5-yard average) and 12 touchdowns. Meanwhile, their quarterbacks dropped back to pass 578 times. When your backs are that good, they shouldn't be handed the ball on 37 percent of the offense snaps. I'm counting on Jason Garrett to make the run game much more of a presence this year. If he does, it's not a very distant limb to walk out on and say the Cowboys should win their first playoff game since 1996. But I've got to see it to believe it.

Wade Phillips has made it clear that he's counting on the running game to be a bigger factor for the Cowboys this season, too.

How can Garrett best utiltize the three backs? We've had that discussion (here and here) already this off-season, but feel free to go at it again.

Hard to count on a running game with Kosier at LG. The OL will look the same and when they needed to run they couldn't. That's why they tried to pass to set up the run.

You could have 6 pro backs that are 23, but if the line's not driving anyone off the ball you're not going anywhere.

 

[Rampage]

I think we need to add screen passing to make the entire run and play action package more effective. I also think Felix could be brutal to defend on screens.

I think Felix will be a beast on screens and little routes out over the middle of the field, where linebackers are going to be asked to cover him but won't be able to.

Felix is going to bring a lot to the passing game, IMO, this season.

we're gonna see the true freak of an athlete/runningback that is Felix Jones next season. :starspin

 

[Disturbed]

We were never the same running after Felix went down. He was our game breaker.

Barber/Jones/Choice could be our version of Earth Wind and Fire

Earth Wind and Fire.....great!!! Everyone should be repeating this so it catches on for the upcoming season.

The only issue with a good running attack this season is the OL which seems old, penalty prone, and tired at times. Our OL is way over rated and probably won't be fixed until Wade is fired and Shanahan brought in as coach.

 

[Vinnie2u]

Garrett should take a page out of two playbooks.. Philly= Westbrook and Giants = Tiki Barber.. Get Felix out in Space.. Then run Barber and Choice between the tackles..

 

[hendog]

Hard to count on a running game with Kosier at LG. The OL will look the same and when they needed to run they couldn't. That's why they tried to pass to set up the run.

You could have 6 pro backs that are 23, but if the line's not driving anyone off the ball you're not going anywhere.

Exactly the opposite. Once KK went down our Oline never recovered.

 

[Future]

Post of the day.

All the Garrett bashers who thinks he is complete garbage seriously need to digest this stuff.

He didnt have a great year, but alot of his shortcomings are over-exaggerated.

Ok, what about the Commanders game where Felix had what, 2 touches or something? Garrett should get a bunch of the blame.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Yeah he screwed up in the first Commanders game, which he admited during the week after that, by not getting the ball in Felix's hands at all. I believe in the Skins game he didn't have a single touch.

He learned from that mistake, however, the next week and got the ball to Felix early, resulting in a 30+ yard TD run to the outside.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Yeah he screwed up in the first Commanders game, which he admited during the week after that, by not getting the ball in Felix's hands at all. I believe in the Skins game he didn't have a single touch.

He learned from that mistake, however, the next week and got the ball to Felix early, resulting in a 30+ yard TD run to the outside.

The Commanders game really made me start to question Red.

Owens had 20+ balls thrown his way that game and Felix didn't get a single touch.

 

[Future]

I do remember that Tony audibled out of a handful or runs or so, but if you are the OC it's your job to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers. Hopefully he learned from it, but it's not the first time he has just abandoned the run, and I don't think it will be the last.

 

[jobberone]

Team playbooks and philosophies are often finalized and implemented in camp. Coach Parcells stated this several times. It is why we had to proceed with Romo as we did in the year he took over. Part of camp is to get the right personnel in place for how you want that system to be carried out through the year.

It is not often a team can switch gears midseason or even game to game. Teams are built and constructed to do certain things optimally and that's why injuries do impact things. I am relatively certain if Jones and Barber had stayed healthy, we would have run the ball much more than we did. In fact, there was evidence that's exactly how Garrett was setting it up early in the year. It just didn't work out. Felix Jones being a part of the offense was why they felt secure with Brad Johnson.

Not even the best offensive coordinators the game has ever seen have the level of flexibility that some people seem to be demanding out of Garrett. The plan to begin with was to feature Romo, Owens and the passing game. You can argue if that was a smart plan, but to expect a contingency that is just as effective as the primary plan is unrealistic. There are too many moving parts. Few teams are built to run and pass with equal effectiveness. And if they are, they have outstanding offensive lines to help make that happen.

Agree with the first part but OCs have to be flexible. Garrett should be able to adapt to each game before and during the game. I agree we can't expect him to do anything and everything. No WCO here.

He is responsible for the offense esp with a defensive HC. He's the asst HC. He has to produce. I'll give him a pass due to injuries and being inexperienced.