Do our recievers scare anyone?

[foofighters]

The WRs were open plenty of times, but Weeden would not throw past 10 yards or to the sidelines. Williams had one drop and one ball batted down by the defender. The drop was on a shallow slant. Williams is better on slants that are a little deeper. Weeden threw an Elway/Farve type fastball with Williams only a few yards from the line. Running full speed across the field with a ball throw at max velocity makes for a very difficult catch. Also, everybody knows that Williams is better when the ball is leading him not right at or behind him.

Not only were Williams and Butler open at times but Beasley and Witten were open past 10 yards at times but Weeden would not throw it and would instead dump it off to Dunbar at 3 yards.

I don't know if he can catch, but the WR Butler had a chance to run past the coverage because of the way their DBs were playing. A good QB would have had a chance to make some big plays deep.

On the 1 really deep throw that Weeden made early to Williams who was double covered, Escobar was wide open at about 20 yards downfield.

There were a couple of times that Butler ran a curl at the sideline about 12 yards deep and the closest defender was 10 yards away. Any WR can make that catch but only if the QB throws the ball to them. Again, Weeden just dumped it off short in the middle of the field.

great info, thanks.

 

[Idgit]

Our WR position group as a whole, I think is top-heavy, but solid. Dez is an allpro. Williams is a fine number 2, and Beasley's a great weapon in the slot. Street hasn't stepped up at all, and Butler is new to the team, but he's ok as a WR5 option. Overall, when you're biggest shortfall in the group is your WR4, you're probably not doing too bad. Lucky Whitehead is a returner, and not even really that, so I barely count him.

The problem, I think, is that we're specialized. We've got one guy that can do everything who demands double coverage, and he's out. We've got two guys who are slot players who can't really play deep. That's half the group, and it means that with Dez out, you have to play with your WR2 and WRs4-5 on the outside. They shade underneath coverage to Williams, and you're kind of sunk.

With Dez back, though, you have to double him, leaving Williams open for the slants or the out patterns that he's good at with no underneath coverage. You then have Beasley and Dunbar underneath and one of them is covered by a LB or you get to run at the dime coverage. It's pretty effective. But it's like a big offensive souffle. Impressive when everything is right, but poke one hole in it (albeit a hugely important hole like Dez), and it sort of collapses.

Throw in an inability to run block for a full game and just enough penalties to require a circus play from your QB to dig you out of 3rd-and-20s and you get a big steaming plate of gluten-free 'meh.'

 

[Idgit]

great info, thanks.

On those plays, the 'open' WRs weren't primary reads. Terrence said after the game that the coaches had been harping all week on Weeden making his first two reads and then checking down to Dunbar where they liked the matchup underneath, and that's what he did. So it was by design.

I didn't see what xwalker did with WRs running free downfield very much unless it was when ATL was playing soft coverage on 3rd and 10 or more, in which case they were all guarding the sticks and watching the QB for the throw where they had a significant numbers advantage. I did see Butler running with a cushion a few times, but he obviously wasn't a primary on those plays. The team wanted to get the ball out fast to an open guy if the play was there, and that's what they did. Again, it was a reasonable plan given where we are with the offensive personnel. What's more, we're going to continue to see the exact same thing. Now, maybe NO won't play the CBs deep and some of those downfield passes will be earlier reads this week, but it's still going to be read, read, checkdown with the backup stone-golem running the offense.

 

[Swanny]

No NFL CB's will be scared of Williams and or Beasley. Not saying they wont beat a CB on a few plays but there is no reason to think any NFL CB would be scared to play these two guys

 

[Idgit]

No NFL CB's will be scared of Williams and or Beasley. Not saying they wont beat a CB on a few plays but there is no reason to think any NFL CB would be scared to play these two guys

Well, teams were doubling Beasley on third downs last year, anyway. He's really good at what he does; what he does is just really limited.

We've got to take a couple shots deep to Butler or Street or maybe even Escobar this week. If we could just stay at or ahead of the chains, we'll have opportunities to. It's tough to take a shot on 2nd and 14, knowing it probably will kill your drive. I don't even mind making a few long attempts on 3rd and forever where a pick is effectively a short punt, but that's awfully low-percentage stuff if you're playing a team like ATL last week that had 7 in deep coverage in those situations.

 

[Myboys]

The WRs were open plenty of times, but Weeden would not throw past 10 yards or to the sidelines. Williams had one drop and one ball batted down by the defender. The drop was on a shallow slant. Williams is better on slants that are a little deeper. Weeden threw an Elway/Farve type fastball with Williams only a few yards from the line. Running full speed across the field with a ball throw at max velocity makes for a very difficult catch. Also, everybody knows that Williams is better when the ball is leading him not right at or behind him.

Not only were Williams and Butler open at times but Beasley and Witten were open past 10 yards at times but Weeden would not throw it and would instead dump it off to Dunbar at 3 yards.

I don't know if he can catch, but the WR Butler had a chance to run past the coverage because of the way their DBs were playing. A good QB would have had a chance to make some big plays deep.

On the 1 really deep throw that Weeden made early to Williams who was double covered, Escobar was wide open at about 20 yards downfield.

There were a couple of times that Butler ran a curl at the sideline about 12 yards deep and the closest defender was 10 yards away. Any WR can make that catch but only if the QB throws the ball to them. Again, Weeden just dumped it off short in the middle of the field.

You would thing that at some point in the second half of Atl game the coaches would have told Weeden to just throw the ball deep a few times. He has the arm so just air it out so maybe one of the WR could try to make catch. Even if one is intercepted way down the field it would at least force the DBs to back off the LOS.

 

[Vintage]

Bryant is a top flight #1.
Williams is a mediocre at best #2.
Beasley is a solid #3.

Butler, Street, Whitehead are not NFL receivers other than by technicality since they are on the roster. They aren't NFL talent.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

They scare me.

 

[xwalker]

You would thing that at some point in the second half of Atl game the coaches would have told Weeden to just throw the ball deep a few times. He has the arm so just air it out so maybe one of the WR could try to make catch. Even if one is intercepted way down the field it would at least force the DBs to back off the LOS.

Agree. The 1 play at the beginning of the game where he overthrew Williams was helpful in the 1st half to keep them backed off the run; however, in the 2nd half they knew he was not going to throw over 10 yards and that makes it very easy for the defense.

 

[perrykemp]

Our WR position group as a whole, I think is top-heavy, but solid. Dez is an allpro. Williams is a fine number 2, and Beasley's a great weapon in the slot. Street hasn't stepped up at all, and Butler is new to the team, but he's ok as a WR5 option. Overall, when you're biggest shortfall in the group is your WR4, you're probably not doing too bad. Lucky Whitehead is a returner, and not even really that, so I barely count him.

The problem, I think, is that we're specialized. We've got one guy that can do everything who demands double coverage, and he's out. We've got two guys who are slot players who can't really play deep. That's half the group, and it means that with Dez out, you have to play with your WR2 and WRs4-5 on the outside. They shade underneath coverage to Williams, and you're kind of sunk.

With Dez back, though, you have to double him, leaving Williams open for the slants or the out patterns that he's good at with no underneath coverage. You then have Beasley and Dunbar underneath and one of them is covered by a LB or you get to run at the dime coverage. It's pretty effective. But it's like a big offensive souffle. Impressive when everything is right, but poke one hole in it (albeit a hugely important hole like Dez), and it sort of collapses.

Throw in an inability to run block for a full game and just enough penalties to require a circus play from your QB to dig you out of 3rd-and-20s and you get a big steaming plate of gluten-free 'meh.'

Love the analogy. Well written post.

 

[JoeBoBBY]

Williams and Bease arent much without Romo and Dez. They are role players. good role players, but just role players.

Street, Lucky, Dunbar..... are instantly replaceable.

Not sure what Brice is just yet.....

 

[slick325]

We'll be drafting another one next year. Right now we only have two receivers - Baby Hands and Baby Body.

That made me laugh!

 

[YosemiteSam]

Pregnant women and small children only.

 

[cowboyblue22]

what I cant figure out is escobar was a second round pick why did the pick him if they are not going to play him use him as a mismatch on the outside and no I don think our wide receivers scare any one other than dez and he is hurt

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Yes. They would dominate pop warner teams.

 

[MagicMan]

The Cowboys have been developing/accumulating help on the DL and LB, and OL the last several years at the expense of the skill positions. NO QB, RB or WR worth a top pick has been chosen. All you can get now are scraps from other teams plates. This will need to be dealt with on the next couple of drafts.

BTW, many in this forum felt QB was a wasted pick because we had the Great Romo here for the next 10 years----(sarcasm here); RB not needed since our OL will open holes for any one with two arms, two legs and half a brain; and WR was all Dez, no need for a high pick either.

Oh, and the only people that are scared by our wide receivers are fantasy football nuts.

 

[KJJ]

Our receivers scare me but not in a positive way.

 

[Aven8]

I want my money back -- I was convinced here on CZ all off-season that the Cowboys had one of the deepest WR corps in the NFL.

Who the hell ever said that??? What a joke!

 

[KJJ]

They seem to scare Weeden.

Any receiver 20 yards downfield scares him.

 

[Aven8]

We have Beasley which is a short range move the chains guys, Dez, and Williams who is more of #3 a Davante Adams type if you will. He can have a great game 1 week, and then not be seen again for 4!

We screwed up in the offseason. Still trying to wonder why we need a FB and 4 TE's however!