ESPNDallas: Garrett doesn't want to be one-dimensional

[Alexander]

Garrett doesn't want to be one-dimensional
November, 18, 2009 Nov 18
1:26PM ETComment Email Share
By Tim MacMahon

IRVING, Texas – Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett offered no apologies and only a vague explanation for the run-pass imbalance in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Garrett, however, said that the goal is always to be a balanced offensive team.

“That’s something that I think we’ve done a good job of this year,” said Garrett. “You always want to attack the defense with as many things as you can. It starts with the run and pass. It starts with running it inside, running it outside, throwing it long, throwing it short and using different personnel groups and different players. That’s what we’re always trying to do. Sometimes game situations throw that out of whack.”

The Cowboys’ running backs combined for only 11 carries Sunday. That’s their lowest total since they had eight in a loss to the Washington Commanders last season.

Running backs coach Skip Peete said the Cowboys had a lot of run-pass checks in last season’s loss to Washington. The vast majority of those plays ended up being passes because the Commanders were showing eight-man fronts. That wasn’t the case against the Packers, according to Peete, who deferred to Garrett when asked why the play-calling was so pass-happy.

Garrett said it was because of “game circumstance,” mentioning that the Cowboys trailed by three scores with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

But the Cowboys abandoned the run after the first quarter, when Marion Barber had four carries for 27 yards. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters after the game that Green Bay, which sacked Tony Romo five times, could blitz aggressively because the Cowboys were so one-dimensional.

“You don’t want to be one-dimensional in anything you do,” said Garrett, whose offense has run pass plays 62.7 percent of the time this season, including sacks and Romo scrambles. “You don’t want to just be an inside running team. You don’t just want to be an outside running team. You don’t just want to be a dropback team. You want to be able to move the quarterback, you want to be able to run the ball, play-action, drop back.

“The more you can do, the harder it is on the defense. At the same time, you need to have an identity. Identity is important, too. You don’t want to be all things to all people, but you want to be good at a lot of different things.”

What’s the identity of the Cowboys’ offense?

“Hopefully, we’re a team that plays with great tempo and urgency and we’re physical,” Garrett said. “We can make little plays and big plays and there’s an aggressiveness and attacking style to our team, both in the run game and the pass game.”

The Cowboys have the weapons to make that work, when Garrett gives the running game a chance to get going.

 

[Apollo Creed]

You say all the right things Ginger, now do it.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

“You don’t want to be one-dimensional in anything you do,” said Garrett, whose offense has run pass plays 62.7 percent of the time this season, including sacks and Romo scrambles. “You don’t want to just be an inside running team. You don’t just want to be an outside running team. You don’t just want to be a dropback team. You want to be able to move the quarterback, you want to be able to run the ball, play-action, drop back.

Notice he didn't mention not wanting to be just a shotgun team.

Seriously, he said you have to have an identity, but then when asked what ours was, he was very vague.

I dunno. I think he is overcomplicating things.

Come on RJ, you can do it. Let's get back on track this week.

 

[Vegas_Cowboy]

Just shut up and run the ball, Jason.

 

[Alexander]

Seriously, he said you have to have an identity, but then when asked what ours was, he was very vague.

I believe that was intentional. He had to be vague. If he stuck to his guns and said our identity is a quick strike aggressive passing game, he'd be skewered after what happened Sunday.

Peete's reaction and deferral to Garrett told me what I needed to know.

I dunno. I think he is overcomplicating things.

He spends far too much time being clever and intellectual.

Football is a very simple game. The great teams have simplicity written over what they do. The old Packers, the 1970s Steelers, our last dynasty, all were amazingly simple and opponents knew what they were getting. Our approach appears to be all over the map. It works when we can jump on top of another team and make them chase their tails.

Garrett likes to preach "execution" but the more complicated something is, the harder it is to execute flawlessly. Simple things, done over and over are far easier to perfect and are more effective cumulatively than the clever singular playcalls that would work in theory but have a high margin for error.

 

[TheSport78]

Garrett's biggest problem is that if he doesn't get a good amount of yardage on first down, whether it's from the run or the pass, he almost ALWAYS passes on 2nd down. He needs to learn that if he gets 2 or 3 yards running the ball on 1st down, run the ball again on 2nd down! It's all about putting the team in position on manageable 3rd downs so Romo doesn't get KILLED.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I believe that was intentional. He had to be vague. If he stuck to his guns and said our identity is a quick strike aggressive passing game, he'd be skewered after what happened Sunday.

Peete's reaction and deferral to Garrett told me what I needed to know.

Pretty much.

Actually, I think he really does believe we can be equally good at everything, including power running. But instead of saying that, he just talked about being aggressive and physical. Well duh, every team wants to be that.

He spends far too much time being clever and intellectual.

Football is a very simple game. The great teams have simplicity written over what they do. The old Packers, the 1970s Steelers, our last dynasty, all were amazingly simple and opponents knew what they were getting. Our approach appears to be all over the map. It works when we can jump on top of another team and make them chase their tails.

Garrett likes to preach "execution" but the more complicated something is, the harder it is to execute flawlessly. Simple things, done over and over are far easier to perfect and are more effective cumulatively than the clever singular playcalls that would work in theory but have a high margin for error.

Amen, amen, and amen again.

The thing is, I think every young coach goes through this. Eventually they learn this... I think again of Parcells forcing Sean Payton to tear out every page of the playbook except the 15-20 plays we ran best.

I just hope it isn't the next job where Garrett figures this out.

 

[Doomsday101]

I believe that was intentional. He had to be vague. If he stuck to his guns and said our identity is a quick strike aggressive passing game, he'd be skewered after what happened Sunday.

Peete's reaction and deferral to Garrett told me what I needed to know.



He spends far too much time being clever and intellectual.

Football is a very simple game. The great teams have simplicity written over what they do. The old Packers, the 1970s Steelers, our last dynasty, all were amazingly simple and opponents knew what they were getting. Our approach appears to be all over the map. It works when we can jump on top of another team and make them chase their tails.

Garrett likes to preach "execution" but the more complicated something is, the harder it is to execute flawlessly. Simple things, done over and over are far easier to perfect and are more effective cumulatively than the clever singular playcalls that would work in theory but have a high margin for error.

I would agree if there was not so many blown plays that should be expected to be made by the players that would have kept drives alive. Seeing plays coming back because of some stupid penalty or drops and fumble that killed drives. I'm not going to say Garrett is without fault but there were some basic fundamental mistakes made by some highly paid professionals that to tell the truth I would expect a high school kid to make.

 

[LucaBrasi]

Translation: I'd like to throw every down so I can get a HC job. You don't get one of those running every down.


I've defended this guy, and still think he is a good OC, but he needs to rely on our run game particulaly this week against a team giving up 124 yards per game on the ground.

 

[Alexander]

I would agree if there was not so many blown plays that should be expected to be made by the players that would have kept drives alive.

Mistakes happen when players are uncomfortable, out of position or uncertain of what they are supposed to do. Complexity only encourages that situation to occur.

I'm not going to say Garrett is without fault but there were some basic fundamental mistakes made by some highly paid professionals that to tell the truth I would expect a high school kid to make.

Since when in Garrett's tenure have we been a team that avoids the "basic fundamental mistakes"? He should be prepared for that instead of assuming that eventually this state of perfect execution will take place.

In a way, he was spoiled by the environment he was raised in. It was easier for him to see perfect execution when he was a player when there were perhaps four to five legitimate Hall of Fame type talents doing it in front on his eyes.

 

[Doomsday101]

Mistakes happen when players are uncomfortable, out of position or uncertain of what they are supposed to do. Complexity only encourages that situation to occur.



Since when in Garrett's tenure have we been a team that avoids the "basic fundamental mistakes"? He should be prepared for that instead of assuming that eventually this state of perfect execution will take place.

In a way, he was spoiled by the environment he was raised in. It was easier for him to see perfect execution when he was a player when there were perhaps four to five legitimate Hall of Fame type talents doing it in front on his eyes.

Sorry these guys made some mistakes on some pretty simple plays that were there for the taking these drive would have continued these were not confusing or complicated plays or situations. As for preparing the team, cutting down on mistakes your right that falls to the coaches as if did with the HC we had before who could not stop this team from brain dead mistakes.

BP is tops in my book but we lead the league in penalties under him as well.

In this past game watching 20 yard plays come back? Watching long plays being fumbled away? or drops that end drives? Sorry I can't lay that squarely on Garrett the players also have a big responsibility to finish off the plays that were there for the taking and they did not do that. These were plays these guys have made before and ones they should be expected to make

 

[craig71]

Sorry these guys made some mistakes on some pretty simple plays that were there for the taking these drive would have continued these were not confusing or complicated plays or situations. As for preparing the team, cutting down on mistakes your right that falls to the coaches as if did with the HC we had before who could not stop this team from brain dead mistakes.

BP is tops in my book but we lead the league in penalties under him as well.

In this past game watching 20 yard plays come back? Watching long plays being fumbled away? or drops that end drives? Sorry I can't lay that squarely on Garrett the players also have a big responsibility to finish off the plays that were there for the taking and they did not do that. These were plays these guys have made before and ones they should be expected to make

You mean these plays:

Romo overthrew Austin

Romo overthrew Bennett

Romo bad pass behind Witten

Folk missed field goal from 38 yards

Williams fumble

Williams drop

Witten penalty negated Choice 1st down

Craig

 

[Doomsday101]

You mean these plays:

Romo overthrew Austin

Romo overthrew Bennett

Romo bad pass behind Witten

Folk missed field goal from 38 yards

Williams fumble

Williams drop

Witten penalty negated Choice 1st down

Craig

Yes, these are drive killers. You not going to get a chance to keep drives alive to force defense to back off when you are shooting yourself in the foot like that. Defense is not going to back down until you start putting up points on them if all you are going to do is make mistakes they will keep coming.

 

[Rampage]

You mean these plays:

Romo overthrew Austin

Romo overthrew Bennett

Romo bad pass behind Witten

Folk missed field goal from 38 yards

Williams fumble

Williams drop

Witten penalty negated Choice 1st down

Craig

not 1 of those plays was a running play. shocking!

 

[Doomsday101]

not 1 of those plays was a running play. shocking!

Yet they were all plays that should have been made and had they been made we are able to continue drives.

 

[craig71]

Yes, these are drive killers. You not going to get a chance to keep drives alive to force defense to back off when you are shooting yourself in the foot like that. Defense is not going to back down until you start putting up points on them if all you are going to do is make mistakes they will keep coming.

That's just what they are,if a couple of those plays are made it alters the game and how the game is called.

Craig

 

[Rampage]

Yet they were all plays that should have been made and had they been made we are able to continue drives.

woulda,coulda,shoulda Dooms

 

[craig71]

not 1 of those plays was a running play. shocking!

You are right for a change,how about that.......


On the other hand if they make a couple of those plays it changes how the game is called.

Craig

 

[Alexander]

Yet they were all plays that should have been made and had they been made we are able to continue drives.

You can pick that apart with any game. It always comes down to making plays. But when you have multiple drives that are three and out, nine times out of ten, you probably passed too much and exposed your defense to being on the field too much, which Phillips himself confirmed.

But answer this, which type of play is easier to execute and get positive yards with? Run or pass?

Take as much time as you need.

 

[Crad|e]

I personally think the game-plan should be based upon our opponent and whether were at home or on the road. Try to grind the clock out and pick up first downs on the road, take the crowd out of the game. We did the opposite and it back-fired big time.