Game thoughts

wick

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1. I question the effectiveness of our self-scouting, assuming we actually do any. Just a cursory review of our offense would reveal an alarming tendency to snap the ball as the play clock expires. This happens so frequently that teams are able to time the pass rush, a huge advantage for the defense. Inexplicably, we never change this up. Well, almost never. Occasionally Gurode will snap the ball before anyone is ready, but that's not the sort of change-up that actually helps.

2. Romo loses all awareness when he moves outside the pocket. In these situations, he is going to throw the ball, and damn the torpedos. It doesn't matter if the best ball hawk in the NFL is sitting on a route, that ball is coming out. We're never going to string together wins against good teams with this type of quarterback play.

3. The addition of Roy Williams did nothing to address our biggest weakness on offense, which is the lack of a receiver with short-area quickness. All of our "speed" guys (Owens, Williams, Austin) are speed accumulators who need a long runway to reach full speed. These guys make for great threats down the field, but they are easy to cover at shorter distances, before they've had a chance to reach full speed. This sets up the recipe for beating Dallas' offense:

a. Jam the receivers to prevent a clean takeoff.

b. Pressure Romo to force a quick throw.

We don't have receivers who can get open quickly, so coverage is almost always tight.

4. Apparently we have a quota on the number of screens we can run in a season. If I were the offensive coordinator, I'd run them as long as the defense wants to continue blitzing. They've been very effective for us this year, but we refuse to call them for some reason. I don't think a single screen was called tonight, but the opponent should have dictated half a dozen of them.

5. Not much I can add to the discussion about Ken Hamlin, but that was probably the worst half of football I've ever seen from a safety. The missed fumble was a monumental play, and then the two atrocious tackle attempts on the runs were absolute back-breakers. Why did we pay money to a career mediocrity who had one good season?
 
Nice read. What we are missing on offense is a small speed receiver (RE: Terry Glenn), who can make plays with his speed after a short pass. We don't have that now. You just knew after we ran successful screens against the Giants, we wouldn't run a single one tonight. We overpaid for Hamlin because after 13-3 Jerry went buck wild like a kid in a candy store, failing to realize that we were really 11-6 (Giants playoff loss and should have lost Buffalo and Detroit games).
 
wick;2511845 said:
1. I question the effectiveness of our self-scouting, assuming we actually do any. Just a cursory review of our offense would review an alarming tendency to snap the ball as the play clock expires. This happens so frequently that teams are able to time the pass rush, a huge advantage for the defense. Inexplicably, we never change this up. Well, almost never. Occasionally Gurode will snap the ball before anyone is ready, but that's not the sort of change-up that actually helps.

2. Romo loses all awareness when he moves outside the pocket. In these situations, he is going to throw the ball, and damn the torpedos. It doesn't matter if the best ball hawk in the NFL is sitting on a route, that ball is coming out. We're never going to string together wins against good teams with this type of quarterback play.

3. The addition of Roy Williams did nothing to address our biggest weakness on offense, which is the lack of a receiver with short-area quickness. All of our "speed" guys (Owens, Williams, Austin) are speed accumulators who need a long runway to reach full speed. These guys make for great threats down the field, but they are easy to cover at shorter distances, before they've had a chance to reach full speed. This sets up the recipe for beating Dallas' offense:

a. Jam the receivers to prevent a clean takeoff.

b. Pressure Romo to force a quick throw.

We don't have receivers who can get open quickly, so coverage is almost always tight.

4. Apparently we have a quota on the number of screens we can run in a season. If I were the offensive coordinator, I'd run them as long as the defense wants to continue blitzing. They've been very effective for us this year, but we refuse to call them for some reason. I don't think a single screen was called tonight, but the opponent should have dictated half a dozen of them.

5. Not much I can add to the discussion about Ken Hamlin, but that was probably the worst half of football I've ever seen from a safety. The missed fumble was a monumental play, and then the two atrocious tackle attempts on the runs were absolute back-breakers. Why did we pay money to a career mediocrity who had one good season?
Every once in a while, I agree with everything a person has to say, this is one of those times.
 
Hasn't it been explained to you that RW11 is a great route runner, with great hands who is going to be our #1 WR when TO retires? (BTW, that was sarcasm).
 
BTW, I think Miles Austin can make reasonably sharp cuts and should be used alot more in the intermediate and short passing game. I don't think this is due to his lack of ability as much as it is due to Garrett's playcalling.
 
I agree with everything but one. T.O. made his career on YAC from quick routes so we have that, we just don't use it.
 
gmsquid;2512158 said:
I agree with everything but one. T.O. made his career on YAC from quick routes so we have that, we just don't use it.

Exactly... Plus, all you have to do is put TO in motion and rn the quick slant... The motion allows him to generate some speed...
 
Eskimo;2512153 said:
BTW, I think Miles Austin can make reasonably sharp cuts and should be used alot more in the intermediate and short passing game. I don't think this is due to his lack of ability as much as it is due to Garrett's playcalling.

Miles Austin is stiffer than a Marine on leave. Sure he can run by guys once he gets 25 yards downfield, but we need guys who can get open right now.
 
wick;2512333 said:
Miles Austin is stiffer than a Marine on leave. Sure he can run by guys once he gets 25 yards downfield, but we need guys who can get open right now.

your use of phrases are awesome
 
wick;2512333 said:
Miles Austin is stiffer than a Marine on leave. Sure he can run by guys once he gets 25 yards downfield, but we need guys who can get open right now.

No, Austin is better than RW11 and will beat him out as the starter next year.
 
wick



is easily one of the most intelligent posters on here.
 
Many great points, wick. None more so than the whole play-clock issue.

Last year the problem largely was that the snaps weren't getting to Romo. It took a full season, but that has almost been eliminated. Now we just struggle to get the play off period. I'm not sure if that counts as progression.

Whether it's Garrett getting the plays in late, Romo taking too long at the line or Gurode falling asleep behind the wheel until he finally hears Romo barking long enough -- it's a fundamental, elementary-school type problem that simply has to be corrected. As in six weeks ago.

It's just plain silly and symbolic of this team's weekly issues.

Oh, and to close out this point, perhaps that's why we have so many false start penalties. The linemen get confused when the ball isn't being snapped with zero showing on the play clock. Just a thought.
 
T.O. gets to top speed in a hurry...he gets up on the corner as fast as anyone who has ever played the game. He's just not quick out of his breaks because he doesn't control his speed well. He either has to jog his route or his sheer momentum will make it impossible for him to make cuts.

Roy's got excellent speed himself but he doesn't trust it on the football field. He constantly looks back, expecting people to catch him from behind...slowing himself down.

Crayton, on the other hand, just seems to be a "try hard" guy.

Austin can fly (when healthy)...he's making more plays than Crayton.
 
Eskimo;2512139 said:
Hasn't it been explained to you that RW11 is a great route runner, with great hands who is going to be our #1 WR when TO retires? (BTW, that was sarcasm).

God help us if RW will be our featured receiver when T.O. is gone.
 
There are many people to blame for this loss, but Hamlin played like a rookie from a Division III school. He Sucked and that's being kind.
 
Rafael Vela,

If you are out there, how in the world did my defense give up 159 yards on 2 carries after holding them to 106 yards the entire game.? They were averaging about 139 per game, I think.
 

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