Garrett Addresses Clock Management On Final Scoring Drive vs. Packers

[TheHerd]

Maybe they would have done so on the next play, or maybe that's just something they thought would sound good after the fact, but I'm simply not believing that they let him score on the 3rd down run. The safety who took Dak down as he crossed the goal line sure didn't look like someone who was letting us get in the ez.

Oh I agree on that 3rd down play. I think not giving Zeke a dive shocked the packers D. They hadn't planned for that. We just got "un"lucky I guess.

 

[Zman5]

I think blame goes to both Dak and our inept head coach.

1. Needs to know game situations and the right call to make; optioning out to a pass was not the right decision; and

2. Garret HAS TO KNOW situational football and let Linehan/Dak know has to strictly be a run play.

Based on Sturm's assessment (Dak made the right read), he did exactly what he was coached to do. I can't fault a young player for doing what he was coached to do.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I guess I hesitate to blame Prescott here because as a young QB, if he gets a run/pass option call from the sideline, he has to think that the coaches are perfectly fine throwing a pass in that situation if the coverage dictates that they do that. So he's going to do what he's been coached to do in that situation......... read the coverage and if it dictates heaving up a jump ball to Bryant, that's what he's going to do.

I could see a guy like Brady or Brees, a seasoned vet with more experience and more cache to simply overrule a call from the sideline but I am not sure I can get on Prescott a ton for this.

I think Dak is partly responsible but I can chalk it up to experience and growing pains every QB has to go through; I guarantee you this will always be in the back of his mind in similar game situations moving forward.

The head coach has to know game situations because it's a primary aspect of his job duties. Instead, we have this empty suit staring helplessly as the game unfolds in front of him; reactionary; no thought to anticipation or controlling the aspects of the game that he can impact.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

We're having a field day because Rodgers did what we all knew Rodgers was gonna do. At least if they stuff us 4 times from the one you have the defensible argument that we put the outcome of the game in the hands of the "best" OL in the league and stud RB. I'd MUCH rather have lost in that way.

And it's not hindsight since I said those exact words after Dak scored. Anyone who didn't know we were going to lose at that point needs to call me about some land I have to lease just this side of the GW Bridge. You can make a fortune on the tolls.

What best OL in the NFL are you talking about? The one that's been getting manhandled for a month?

 

[TheHerd]

What best OL in the NFL are you talking about? The one that's been getting manhandled for a month?

That's the one, which is why I put it on quotes. They finally seemed to be getting something right that last drive though.

 

[Sydla]

What best OL in the NFL are you talking about? The one that's been getting manhandled for a month?

First, downing the ball at the one intentionally would have been a ballsy but ultimately bad move IMO.

But playing along with that....... which situation do you have more confidence in?

The Cowboys offense being able to get into the end zone from the 1ish yard line with under a minute to go and 2 time outs..........

Or

The Cowboys defense stopping Aaron Rodgers with a minute and change left and a time out..............

 

[mrmojo]

Some Eagle idiot once said "You play to win the game" ....if you know your defense has a history of not stopping said QB you would think you would reconsider your play calling down at the goal line on 2nd and 1 to give you a better chance to win the game.

I'm not a JG fan, but I really believe JG wanted to show the world he could get his defense to make one more stop, which in itself wins him points with his defense. We will see if this pays dividends down the road.

 

[TheHerd]

First, downing the ball at the one intentionally would have been a ballsy but ultimately bad move IMO.

But playing along with that....... which situation do you have more confidence in?

The Cowboys offense being able to get into the end zone from the 1ish yard line with under a minute to go and 2 time outs..........

Or

The Cowboys defense stopping Aaron Rodgers with a minute and change left and a time out..............

Trick question?

 

[Everson24]

You are trying to score. What if we ran on 2nd down and Zeke scores? We have even less time on the clock. Go out there and score. I don't care how you do it. Defense needs to make stops.

Our offense has more control of when it scores than our defense has control of stopping Aaron Rodgers. I'm not sure why people can't understand that you can play the percentages. You don't always have to coach the way Vince Lombardi did it back in the day.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Our offense has more control of when it scores than our defense has control of stopping Aaron Rodgers. I'm not sure why people can't understand that you can play the percentages. You don't always have to coach the way Vince Lombardi did it back in the day.

Vince Lombardi had a good offense and a good defense. If we had the old Doomsday defense I wouldn't have worried about scoring too early.

 

[Everson24]

Vince Lombardi had a good offense and a good defense. If we had the old Doomsday defense I wouldn't have worried about scoring too early.

Back in the day, it was much more likely that a defense would stop any offense that needed to pass to get into FG range or needed a TD. The game has changed so much that it is quite easy to gain the 35-40 yards needed to get into FG range. just look at the Giants-Eagles game where one pass led to a 61-yard field goal. Don't ever give a team a chance to beat you with one last possession. I guarantee you the Packers were glad to see Dak score when he did. They would have been sick had he taken a knee at the one.

 

[Kevinicus]

Did he address how snapping the ball with 14 on the play clock bled as much time as possible?

Remind me, how much time was left when GB got their TD?

I'm guessing no?

This to me is more inexcusable than the play call. At least with the play call you can try to make the argument that you have to try and score when you can. There is no argument for snapping the ball that early.

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Back in the day, it was much more likely that a defense would stop any offense that needed to pass to get into FG range or needed a TD. The game has changed so much that it is quite easy to gain the 35-40 yards needed to get into FG range. just look at the Giants-Eagles game where one pass led to a 61-yard field goal. Don't ever give a team a chance to beat you with one last possession. I guarantee you the Packers were glad to see Dak score when he did. They would have been sick had he taken a knee at the one.

I would have loved to see the looks on their faces had we taken the clock down to just a few seconds. Instead we got the opposite.

 

[Parcells4Life]

I'm guessing no?

This to me is more inexcusable than the play call. At least with the play call you can try to make the argument that you have to try and score when you can. There is no argument for snapping the ball that early.

Yes when you’re driving down the field if you always snap it with a few seconds to go the defense knows when to show what it’s actually doing.

You have to vary your snap to get defense to commit as early as possible.

That’s football 101.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

First, downing the ball at the one intentionally would have been a ballsy but ultimately bad move IMO.

But playing along with that....... which situation do you have more confidence in?

The Cowboys offense being able to get into the end zone from the 1ish yard line with under a minute to go and 2 time outs..........

Or

The Cowboys defense stopping Aaron Rodgers with a minute and change left and a time out..............

You have to score first. The OL and running game didn't give us any confidence that we'd score. Dak put the offense on his back the entire game.

 

[DandyDon52]

All that l can add is it always seems to me that Garrett has no feel for a football game and that idiotic pass is yet another good example. A good coach has a feel for the game he is in...the instincts are not there with Garrett.

Well I think that is on Linehan he is in control of the offense during the game and the play calls I don't think Garret has any say about that during the game

I never see him talking to Linehan or Marinelli so the coaches or the DC and OC control plays during the game.
as far as philosophy or pregame thinking then Garrett would have a say in what to do in a situation like that but I doubt they discussed it

 

[Sydla]

You have to score first. The OL and running game didn't give us any confidence that we'd score. Dak put the offense on his back the entire game.

That entire drive was largely on the back of the OL.

So are you saying you had more confidence in the D stopping Rodgers or the O scoring?

 

[Sydla]

I also like how this most obvious statement of "we have to score there" has morphed into an excuse for what was a horrible 2nd down play call.

No duh we have to score. We also didn't need to throw a low percentage pass as well.

 

[DandyDon52]

You have to score first. The OL and running game didn't give us any confidence that we'd score. Dak put the offense on his back the entire game.

That's one opinion but really you need to risk not getting the score and take the time off the clock .
odds are you will score if you down the ball at the one and take some time off make them use their time out and then try and score because if you don't the odds are greater that you will lose with Rogers as the quarterback
I think any defense in the league Rogers can take it down and score on them enough time.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

That's one opinion but really you need to risk not getting the score and take the time off the clock .
odds are you will score if you down the ball at the one and take some time off make them use their time out and then try and score because if you don't the odds are greater that you will lose with Rogers as the quarterback
I think any defense in the league Rogers can take it down and score on them enough time.

This is a two sided argument. Let's say Dak went down at the one to force the Packers to use their last timeout. Then on the next play they try to run Zeke and the officials call a holding penalty. Now it's 2nd and goal at the 11, and the Cowboys have to pass. There's all kinds of things that can go wrong.

I think Dak did the right thing. The defense failed. He didn't.