DMN: Decoding Linehan – Missing Opportunities Through The Air

[jobberone]

Decoding Linehan – Missing Opportunities Through The Air
http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/286352bc9856fe9417829a62da61e5b9?s=52&d=http%3A%2F%2Fres.***BANNED-URL***%2Fresources%2Fimages%2FSD-logo-50.jpg%3Fs%3D52&r=G
By Bob Sturm
sturm1310@me.com
9:53 am on November 4, 2014

When analyzing the offensive performance of the Cowboys in Week 9 against Arizona, we are struck with how the QB position is still the basis for all offensive success. Regardless of how many offensive linemen are taken in the 1st round of the draft and regardless of the quality of the skill position players, we can look all around the league and see perennial doormats who are attacked relentlessly by every defense on their schedule because they do not have a QB who demands the full fear and respect of the defenses they face.

This is a very real issue faced by teams who do not own a top-level QB year after year. In fact, the Cowboys dealt with this between Troy Aikman and Tony Romo for years. You simply don’t know your advantages as an offense until you must work through a few games without having any fear in your opponent’s hearts.

It is difficult to operate as an offense to run smoothly and efficiently when the defense sets up in an aggressive posture to “dare” the QB to beat him, and then he demonstrates that he is unable to do so.

These are the realities of starting a backup QB. Today, it is Brandon Weeden, but last year it was Kyle Orton, and before that we have seen Brad Johnson, Jon Kitna, and even Stephen McGee have all taken a turn at the helm. It all comes back to the fact that starting QBs are highly compensated because there is a far smaller supply of competent QBs than there is a demand. And when they get hurt, you will have a significant drop off in performance because your backup is going to make a small fraction of what you pay Romo – and for very good reason.

In a league of 32 teams where each team needs at least 2, you can see that there are at minimum 64 job openings for Quarterbacks in the NFL. Now, name how many that you think there are that would make a top defense like Arizona feel the slightest twinge of fear and respect? 10? 12? Surely, no more than 15. Weeden is not on that list.

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...n-missing-opportunities-through-the-air.html/

 

[jobberone]

Some kool videos to see here as well. You'll need to see them thru the link.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm available. I only require $12M/year.

 

[Carolina Cowboy]

Man that is just plain awful. Confirms what we all already knew. That passing chart is an indictment of a truly, truly terrible QB. I have no idea why anyone would look at that and not immediately jettison the Ginger clown with confidence issues.

 

[Idgit]

This is one of those articles that's going to upset me, isn't it?

 

[Idgit]

Ok, yeah. That was definitely one of those articles that upset me.

 

[Staubacher]

Man that is just plain awful. Confirms what we all already knew. That passing chart is an indictment of a truly, truly terrible QB. I have no idea why anyone would look at that and not immediately jettison the Ginger clown with confidence issues.

We really should be scouring the junkyards for another backup QB. Yes it's slim pickings but they cannot be worse than Weeden. Heck I'd call Matt Hassleback if he is still registering a pulse.

 

[xwalker]

"When you have that level of play from your QB, you quickly deduce 2 things. 1) There is no level of play calling that can compensate for that performance."

 

[Carolina Cowboy]

We really should be scouring the junkyards for another backup QB. Yes it's slim pickings but they cannot be worse than Weeden. Heck I'd call Matt Hassleback if he is still registering a pulse.

Sighted last night backing up Andrew Luck.

 

[Hoov]

Ok, yeah. That was definitely one of those articles that upset me.

I dont know how good the chances of Romo playing out the rest of the year are. That was pretty sad - Beasely wide open on both those plays AND he was the easiest throw to make - short and over the middle.

 

[dboyz]

Weeden did not read the coverage, plays very well. He was also terribly inaccurate. On the two plays in question an accurate pass to the person he threw to probably would have been a completion. The throw to Dez if on target would have been a completion. The throw to Witten was way behind. It looks to me that if this ball is thrown where it is supposed to it is a completion, although this one is closer.

 

[Staubacher]

Sighted last night backing up Andrew Luck.

Ahhh I didn't realize he was still on a roster. Thanks

 

[Idgit]

I dont know how good the chances of Romo playing out the rest of the year are. That was pretty sad - Beasely wide open on both those plays AND he was the easiest throw to make - short and over the middle.

Murray, too, was coming open on that first play. And Weeden didn't even turn his head on either. No pressure to speak of, easy conversions right there on the check downs. And both throws he did make were contested, one of them likely to get Dez popped. Grrrrrr.

 

[Staubacher]

I dont know how good the chances of Romo playing out the rest of the year are. That was pretty sad - Beasely wide open on both those plays AND he was the easiest throw to make - short and over the middle.

Beas would have probably scored on that second one if hit in stride crossing the middle. There was no one between that sideline he was running toward and the end zone.

 

[Staubacher]

Murray, too, was coming open on that first play. And Weeden didn't even turn his head on either. No pressure to speak of, easy conversions right there on the check downs. And both throws he did make were contested, one of them likely to get Dez popped. Grrrrrr.

He basically locked in on the least open man and made a lousy throw to boot.

There isn't a word to describe how bad Weeden was. Weediculous?

 

[Crown Royal]

I cannot fathom how ANY qb can lock in that hard onto one player. There are HS qbs that would have spread the ball around more than that.

 

[Idgit]

He basically locked in on the least open man and made a lousy throw to boot.

There isn't a word to describe how bad Weeden was. Weediculous?

You'd think his spread offense experience would actually be a benefit to him with the weapons we've got available. He's got the size to see the field, and the arm to make the throws. The Dez matchup was probably our worst matchup of the week, given Peterson on the other side following him around. I can't imagine the game plan was to have the backup QB come in and make his hay there. Run the ball, throw the underneath stuff to beat the line stacking. Roll out Weeden on the underneath throws to Escobar and Beasley and Dunbar and Witten....that seems like it should have been the plan given the good protection we got and the good outside coverage AZ had on Dez and TD. And it looked like the plays were there to be made.

I have to admit, I'm pretty confused by what we saw from BW. Even the sorts of mistakes are the opposite of the things I thought could bite us. It looks like he just completely spit the bit to me.

 

[Staubacher]

You'd think his spread offense experience would actually be a benefit to him with the weapons we've got available. He's got the size to see the field, and the arm to make the throws. The Dez matchup was probably our worst matchup of the week, given Peterson on the other side following him around. I can't imagine the game plan was to have the backup QB come in and make his hay there. Run the ball, throw the underneath stuff to beat the line stacking. Roll out Weeden on the underneath throws to Escobar and Beasley and Dunbar and Witten....that seems like it should have been the plan given the good protection we got and the good outside coverage AZ had on Dez and TD. And it looked like the plays were there to be made.

I have to admit, I'm pretty confused by what we saw from BW. Even the sorts of mistakes are the opposite of the things I thought could bite us. It looks like he just completely spit the bit to me.

Yeah I think you're right. He melted under the bright lights. Stinking in Cleveland is one thing, everything is supposed to stink in that God-forsaken sports Hades. But he wilted under the spotlight Sunday.

 

[Crown Royal]

You'd think his spread offense experience would actually be a benefit to him with the weapons we've got available. He's got the size to see the field, and the arm to make the throws. The Dez matchup was probably our worst matchup of the week, given Peterson on the other side following him around. I can't imagine the game plan was to have the backup QB come in and make his hay there. Run the ball, throw the underneath stuff to beat the line stacking. Roll out Weeden on the underneath throws to Escobar and Beasley and Dunbar and Witten....that seems like it should have been the plan given the good protection we got and the good outside coverage AZ had on Dez and TD. And it looked like the plays were there to be made.

I have to admit, I'm pretty confused by what we saw from BW. Even the sorts of mistakes are the opposite of the things I thought could bite us. It looks like he just completely spit the bit to me.

I have no idea what to think. How does any QB not even consider going the otherway. I don't think he looked at Williams until late in the game. It was either Dez or Witten. That's it.

 

[Hoov]

We need this win against jacksonville. Have to take advantage of beating a much inferior team - If romo doesnt go any chance for vaughan ? Sounding desperate but after reading that article...