Does our offense need an identity?

[Chocolate Lab]

Was listening to the pregame shows on Sunday, and Babe was talking about this.

He was saying that Romo was asked earlier in the week about the identity of this offense, and Tony replied that it would change each week depending on what the defense was trying to do to them. Babe supported that answer and claimed that the hardest offense to stop was one that wasn't predictable.

But is it? Obviously, you don't want to be totally one-dimensional, but every good team I can think of had that identity: The Steelers a few years ago played smash-mouth football and ran the ball most of the time. The Rams when they won it all spread the ball all over the field and got Faulk the ball in space. The Giants now run the ball and play-action off that. The Patriots use a lot of shotgun and let Brady throw the ball wherever he wants... Etc.

Is it even possible to be equally good at everything? I don't think it is. Seems to me like the "identity" question is legit.

 

[Doomsday101]

Offense just needs to do a better job of executing

 

[Hook'em#11]

They need to figure out the Identity of the opposing teams endzone.

 

[ddh33]

Along those lines, an answer I have been hearing lately that I'm not crazy about says, "We'll take whatever the defense gives us."

I think I know what the team means by that, but there is another part of me that says to take whatever you want, even if the defense isn' giving it to you.

Like I said, I think I know what they mean. I think they are trying not to force things and be smart, but those opposing defenses get paid too. They are going to give Dallas as little as possible, and that is exactly what this team is taking - very little.

 

[theebs]

Having any identity on this team would help.

I believe in what you said yesterday CL. Find a few things you do well and do it.

We saw the Commanders in 05 in the middle of a miserable up and down season, decide they were just going to lineup in heavy sets and pound the hell out of the ball and play strong run defense. It took them all the way to the second round of the playoffs.

We saw the giants do it in 07, they just decided we can rush the passer and did it relentlessly and they did the same on the other side of the ball.

I wish we just dedicate our selfs to being a pound it first team and stay with it.

Maybe we will who knows, but any identity better than the stay with them late and wait for them to lose it is better.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Was listening to the pregame shows on Sunday, and Babe was talking about this.

He was saying that Romo was asked earlier in the week about the identity of this offense, and Tony replied that it would change each week depending on what the defense was trying to do to them. Babe supported that answer and claimed that the hardest offense to stop was one that wasn't predictable.

But is it? Obviously, you don't want to be totally one-dimensional, but every good team I can think of had that identity: The Steelers a few years ago played smash-mouth football and ran the ball most of the time. The Rams when they won it all spread the ball all over the field and got Faulk the ball in space. The Giants now run the ball and play-action off that. The Patriots use a lot of shotgun and let Brady throw the ball wherever he wants... Etc.

Is it even possible to be equally good at everything? I don't think it is. Seems to me like the "identity" question is legit.

That's a terrible response. You should know this are we run or pass the first week Romo appeared to have his swagger and not need TO any more. The last 3 weeks he's struggled however the rushing attack stepped up 2 of the last 3 weeks so it looked as though were a run team. Denver shut the concept down though or we didn't run the ball enough. No identity doesn't make you hard to defend. Being able to exploit match ups and execute makes you hard to defend. Look at Peyton they have been a pass orientated offense for God knows how long but guess what he's had 4 straight 300 yard games this season and has had a quiet yet spectacular season. He hasn't the hypeo f a 6 TD game off Brees. But you're getting solid consistent QB play from him. That's because he executes and executes well the dude is a machine.

 

[xWraithx]

They need to figure out the Identity of the opposing teams endzone.

:laugh2:

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

An identity?

What our offense needs is a coordinator who knows how to game plan, call the right plays, and outsmart opponents rather than get outsmarted every game.

And it also needs a head coach who will hold that offensive coordinator accountable for coordinationg and mangaing the game poorly rahter than apolgiging and covering for him in his press conferences.

Maybe if the Cowboys had that kind of leadership on offense they would in turn have an identity fester out of it.

Instead, all the cowboys have now is an "we'll take whatever the defense gives us" mentality. That's how the coordinator has done things three years now. In year one he was succesfull because he was new and opponents hadn't figured that out about hin yet.

But last year, and this year, in year 3, opponents have learned and figured out how to use this mentality against hin to "bait" him into focusing on his offense's weaknesses rather than its strengths. And unfortunately he has not learned or figured out how to counter that.

 

[DandyDon1722]

I know what you're asking Lab in particular on offense, but in general, our team identity is this: They're soft. Hang with them til then end and they'll find a way to lose.

 

[craig71]

Was listening to the pregame shows on Sunday, and Babe was talking about this.

He was saying that Romo was asked earlier in the week about the identity of this offense, and Tony replied that it would change each week depending on what the defense was trying to do to them. Babe supported that answer and claimed that the hardest offense to stop was one that wasn't predictable.

But is it? Obviously, you don't want to be totally one-dimensional, but every good team I can think of had that identity: The Steelers a few years ago played smash-mouth football and ran the ball most of the time. The Rams when they won it all spread the ball all over the field and got Faulk the ball in space. The Giants now run the ball and play-action off that. The Patriots use a lot of shotgun and let Brady throw the ball wherever he wants... Etc.

Is it even possible to be equally good at everything? I don't think it is. Seems to me like the "identity" question is legit.

I had similar discussion in another thread with a poster about this team hopefully discovering their identity by the bye week.It does seem that this offense doesn't know what they are,either a running team or a wide open passing attack.The same can be said of the defense,are they a bend but don't break defense or are they an agressive fly to the ball defense.I think part of the problem is the players not executing on a consistant basis and part of the problem is bad schemes by the coaching staff.I think that if the coaching staff and players can get on the same page they have a shot to turn this thing around,but the longer they stay in flux this team will remain in a funk.One thing I do like is the emegence of Brooking on the defensive side of the ball,he seems to push everybody around him.Hopefully Brooking/James/Rat,et al will keep getting better as the season progresses.On the offensive side of the ball there is nobody that shows any passion,I think they need an Irvin type personality to take over a game.Maybe someone steps up and takes the lead,but they better hurry up.

Craig

 

[Future]

Run the frickin football!!!!!

 

[superpunk]

Everytime I think they've got one they put on those glasses with the nose and mustache attached and suddenly we can't find them.

 

[theebs]

Everytime I think they've got one they put on those glasses with the nose and mustache attached and suddenly we can't find them.

wade likes costume parties.

 

[Chief]

I say we name our offense, "Billy."

 

[wileedog]

I say we name our offense, "Billy."

"Timmy" makes more sense.

 

[khiladi]

Garrett is the same old story. He gets figured out quickly, one can confuse him, he is poor at game-time adjustments. He hasn't even developed a short passing game to counter-act the blitz. He just keeps an extra man in for blocking.No difference between this year and last. Wait till the end of the season, when everybody had the tapes on what he is trying to do.

 

[tunahelper]

Our offense has an identity: Tony turnover and the merry band of it was my fault cowboys.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

This offense has an identitiy........stupid.

OUr offense is what a bend but don't break defense dreams about. They know we can't march down the field without committing a stupid mistake.....penalty, sack, missed block, execution, lining up wrong, etc.

That is what is killing our drives more than anything else, even Romo and Garrett. In the past we could overcome some of these stupid mistakes, but know we compound them.

If every player executed every play like they should this offense woudl be unstoppable. But I'm convinced tha some players don't know all the plays in the game plan. Romo has to spend too much time lining folks up before every play.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I would suspect that the confusion we have been seeing is similar to the Defense. Too many wrinkles for the offense to absorb week to week. Miles Austin has been here for a long time, but two of his routes were off against Denver, one of which caused an interception. Romo doesn't look to be in sync with his receivers on any of the timing routes. Many of the long gaines we've had this season has been from Romo's ad-libbing.


Look at how much better the Defense has been playing since Wade dialed things back. I see the same issues with the offense. Maybe they should dial things back, play to their strengths and work on getting in sync instead of trying to out-smart the defenses they are playing.

 

[ZeroClub]

In the short term -- I don't think this team does any particular thing well enough to merit specializing on it.

I'd like to see them become a strong running team, but, honestly, I don't think their OL is good enough to pull it off. For all of their bluster and bulk, this OL tends to tire themselves out at least as much as they tire defenses. They usually fade late in games.

In the longer term, I suspect that Garrett's Chaos Theory offense makes it more difficult to build a coherent unit. How do you find the players who best fit your scheme if you are doing your best at avoiding being predictable? What kind of players fit a Chameleon offense?

---

I'll tell you exactly what Garrett's offense reminds me of.

Think back to those interviews that Tom Landry gave shortly after he was let go. When asked what went wrong with the team during his final years, Landry said his most basic mistake was attempting to "mix philosophies" (his and Paul Hackett's).

It appears to me that Garrett is recreating the same mistake.