Game Planning vs. Execution

[CowboyMike]

We've been hearing this constantly the last couple of weeks. "The Cowboys didn't game plan, but they should have executed these simple plays."

Well, doesn't game planning help you execute? Is that not the purpose of gamemplanning?

Would running a play on 3rd and 13 you'd normally run on 2nd and 3 prevent you from executing the play? I think so. What about a team coming out with four wide receivers while you're still in your base defense?

They are directly related to each other. Executing simple plays would be fine if the other team was doing the same thing, but that has not been the case. For some reason Oakland, San Diego, and Houston all seemed to game plan against us, while we did not. Knowing a team's tendencies and planning for that allows for a greater chance of execution of the play, when you don't do that, your chance for execution goes down.

Do I think we should have game planned? I don't think so. We play Houston in week 3, so that gives us an advantage against them. If we had played them in week 10, perhaps we should have because they'd have tape on us anyway. One thing is for sure, they game planned against us, and now we have tape of them against us. We'll be studying what they did while they'll have no idea what's coming at them. I hope it pays off.

 

[Galian Beast]

Not to keep going into analogies, but imagine you're playing poker with someone, and they know your first 10 hands, because you showed them your hand 10 times...

you're either not going to win those hands, or you aren't going to win big.

You don't play your hand in preseason.

Sure you can still play your best poker, and try to execute, but game planning still matters...

 

[CowboyMike]

Not to keep going into analogies, but imagine you're playing poker with someone, and they know your first 10 hands, because you showed them your hand 10 times...

you're either not going to win those hands, or you aren't going to win big.

You don't play your hand in preseason.

Sure you can still play your best poker, and try to execute, but game planning still matters...

Exactly what I'm trying to say! Thank you.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

We've been hearing this constantly the last couple of weeks. "The Cowboys didn't game plan, but they should have executed these simple plays."

Well, doesn't game planning help you execute? Is that not the purpose of gamemplanning?

Would running a play on 3rd and 13 you'd normally run on 2nd and 3 prevent you from executing the play? I think so. What about a team coming out with four wide receivers while you're still in your base defense?

They are directly related to each other. Executing simple plays would be fine if the other team was doing the same thing, but that has not been the case. For some reason Oakland, San Diego, and Houston all seemed to game plan against us, while we did not. Knowing a team's tendencies and planning for that allows for a greater chance of execution of the play, when you don't do that, your chance for execution goes down.

Do I think we should have game planned? I don't think so. We play Houston in week 3, so that gives us an advantage against them. If we had played them in week 10, perhaps we should have because they'd have tape on us anyway. One thing is for sure, they game planned against us, and now we have tape of them against us. We'll be studying what they did while they'll have no idea what's coming at them. I hope it pays off.

Unless Houston got rid of their coaches from last year to this year then what they do in the pre-season is meaningless. It really drives me crazy to hear this non sense. When you watch film of a team you look at what they did previous year. You don't look at what they do in pre season unless they hired a new staff if they hired a new staff it would make sense for them to be vanilla in the pre-season.

Whether or not we call exotic plays or not we should be able to execute of the simple vanilla plays and we haven't proven capable of that.

 

[JustDezIt]

my only problem is, when its one on one, block the guy.

 

[CowboyMike]

Unless Houston got rid of their coaches from last year to this year then what they do in the pre-season is meaningless. It really drives me crazy to hear this non sense. When you watch film of a team you look at what they did previous year. You don't look at what they do in pre season unless they hired a new staff if they hired a new staff it would make sense for them to be vanilla in the pre-season.

Whether or not we call exotic plays or not we should be able to execute of the simple vanilla plays and we haven't proven capable of that.

You're completely missing my point. Why do we not only call vanilla plays in the regular season if they are supposed to be executed all the time? Because they have a lesser chance of working against a team that has game planned against you. That is what we are experiencing in preseason.

It is harder to execute vanilla plays this year because the other team is planning for it, and you're not.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

I agree to a point; however, there are some basic points of execution -- such as quarterback/center exchange and blocking -- that are the same regardless of the complexity of game plan. Thus far, the Cowboys have struggled with these very basic points, hence the burgeoning concern.

The Cowboys themselves have conceded various execution problems.

 

[LowTech]

http://www.nfl.com/preseason/story/...n-record-doesnt-reflect-regularseason-success


Preseason record doesn't reflect regular-season success

Aug. 28, 2007

The third weekend of the preseason is hyped as the week we all get a great glimpse of what teams will really look like when the regular season rolls around. The starters are supposed to play at least a half of the game and possibly the first series of the third quarter. Do yourself a big favor, though: Don't read too much into the final score.

Last year was a perfect case in point. Not one division winner had a winning record in the preseason.

Since 2003, nine teams wrapped up the August schedule 4-0 and only four of them produced winning record in the fall.


view article at link

 

[casmith07]

my only problem is, when its one on one, block the guy.

It was. Until they sent blitzes and stunts.

 

[The Emperor]

[youtube]qUPaigOxAi8[/youtube]

This says it all.

 

[Dhragon]

I agree to a point; however, there are some basic points of execution -- such as quarterback/center exchange and blocking -- that are the same regardless of the complexity of game plan. Thus far, the Cowboys have struggled with these very basic points, hence the burgeoning concern.

The Cowboys themselves have conceded various execution problems.

I disagree on this somewhat. The O-line blocking, if not prepared (gameplanned) on what to expect from the defense with blitzes and different stunts, will be often confused. It's not as simple as blocking one on one. WHO you are assigned to block changes, especially on blitzes, which the Texans did alot of.

Not knowing who you are supposed to block will lead to many missed blocks.

This is why I for one would like at least a little ganeplanning, at least among the O-line so Romo doesn't get killed.

 

[Doomsday101]

No doubt Houston looked ready and prepared for the game. They put in a game plan for Dallas and it showed. As for the Cowboys the game was a clear cut disappointment not one player or coach was happy about the way they played. This has nothing to do with the outcome of the game but how sloppy the Cowboys played. I expect more and I think the team expects more even if you are playing simple base offense and defense.

 

[theebs]

houston looked like they had a gameplan on both sides.

But I dont think san diego did and sitting in the stands it didnt seem like oakland did at all.

 

[jimmy40]

amazing how people think that Houston is going to run the exact same plays against the Cowboys normal defense as they did against a defense they knew wasn't going to blitz, stunt and whatever.

 

[Doomsday101]

amazing how people think that Houston is going to run the exact same plays against the Cowboys normal defense as they did against a defense they knew wasn't going to blitz, stunt and whatever.

Maybe not but there was no doubt Kubiak came into this contest with a game plan will the next time be different? I'm sure it will but I also know Dallas will come in with one as well.

 

[Blast From The Past]

We've been hearing this constantly the last couple of weeks. "The Cowboys didn't game plan, but they should have executed these simple plays."

Well, doesn't game planning help you execute? Is that not the purpose of gamemplanning?

Would running a play on 3rd and 13 you'd normally run on 2nd and 3 prevent you from executing the play? I think so. What about a team coming out with four wide receivers while you're still in your base defense?

They are directly related to each other. Executing simple plays would be fine if the other team was doing the same thing, but that has not been the case. For some reason Oakland, San Diego, and Houston all seemed to game plan against us, while we did not. Knowing a team's tendencies and planning for that allows for a greater chance of execution of the play, when you don't do that, your chance for execution goes down.

Do I think we should have game planned? I don't think so. We play Houston in week 3, so that gives us an advantage against them. If we had played them in week 10, perhaps we should have because they'd have tape on us anyway. One thing is for sure, they game planned against us, and now we have tape of them against us. We'll be studying what they did while they'll have no idea what's coming at them. I hope it pays off.

Finally a voice of reason and truth!

 

[Stautner]

We've been hearing this constantly the last couple of weeks. "The Cowboys didn't game plan, but they should have executed these simple plays."

Well, doesn't game planning help you execute? Is that not the purpose of gamemplanning?

Would running a play on 3rd and 13 you'd normally run on 2nd and 3 prevent you from executing the play? I think so. What about a team coming out with four wide receivers while you're still in your base defense?

They are directly related to each other. Executing simple plays would be fine if the other team was doing the same thing, but that has not been the case. For some reason Oakland, San Diego, and Houston all seemed to game plan against us, while we did not. Knowing a team's tendencies and planning for that allows for a greater chance of execution of the play, when you don't do that, your chance for execution goes down.

Do I think we should have game planned? I don't think so. We play Houston in week 3, so that gives us an advantage against them. If we had played them in week 10, perhaps we should have because they'd have tape on us anyway. One thing is for sure, they game planned against us, and now we have tape of them against us. We'll be studying what they did while they'll have no idea what's coming at them. I hope it pays off.

Running the right play and executing the play are two different things. You can have the perfect play call, but if you don't execute the play properly it doesn't work. On the other hand you can have a poor play call, but if the play is executed properly it still has a chance to work.

Game planning is not the key in whether the play is executed the way it is intended, it's just a matter of whether the team has planned ahead in an effort to find the ideal plays to run against certain teams in certain situations.

The fact is, we should be able to convert a 3rd and 1 regardless of game planning, or pass block on a straight drop back regardless of game planning.

 

[Doomsday101]

Running the right play and executing the play are two different things. You can have the perfect play call, but if you don't execute the play properly it doesn't work. On the other hand you can have a poor play call, but if the play is executed properly it still has a chance to work.

Game planning is not the key in whether the play is executed the way it is intended, it's just a matter of whether the team has planned ahead in an effort to find the ideal plays to run against certain teams in certain situations.

The fact is, we should be able to convert a 3rd and 1 regardless of game planning, or pass block on a straight drop back regardless of game planning.

I agree. Our guys went out and played poorly they know it just as well. It does not mean the season is done but it does tell the guys they need to focus on what they are doing and get their heads in the game.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Exactly, Mike. Say they show a certain defense that we know will stop a certain play. Say they have a run blitz on... Normally Tony would audible out of that into another play with a better chance of success. In preseason when we don't want to show anything, we might just stay in that play. Then when they have more people than we can block, it looks terrible and people say our starters suck, etc.

Now we did need to block and tackle better than we did the other day, and we shouldn't be missing calls like Felix did. No doubt about that. But a lot of this stuff would look different with just one or two big plays, plays that could come from a mismatch we see on film and actually take advantage of in a real game.

 

[Stautner]

Exactly, Mike. Say they show a certain defense that we know will stop a certain play. Say they have a run blitz on... Normally Tony would audible out of that into another play with a better chance of success. In preseason when we don't want to show anything, we might just stay in that play. Then when they have more people than we can block, it looks terrible and people say our starters suck, etc.

Now we did need to block and tackle better than we did the other day, and we shouldn't be missing calls like Felix did. No doubt about that. But a lot of this stuff would look different with just one or two big plays, plays that could come from a mismatch we see on film and actually take advantage of in a real game.

One or two big plys? Hell, it would look different with a few 4-5 yard runs mixed in, but we can't even do that.