Garrett Really Took Advantage of the Bye Week

[percyhoward]

When the players had their days off at the beginning of the bye, it's obvious Garrett used the time to do some evaluation of the running game, maybe look at his own play-calling tendencies, and re-think some personnel packages, and then implement the new plays and formations in the extra practice days. Garrett changed his vertical mindset and started thinking horizontally for this game. It was long overdue. He also kept Tony Curtis off the field, which was a very good thing. Bennett and Anderson saw a lot more playing time, which should have been the case from the time Anderson came back off the injury.

Toss right with Colombo pulling: We could have run it 20 times, and I don't see how they could have stopped it. (I don't see why we got away from it in the 3rd quarter either.) As important as Kozier's return was, our best play was running away from his side. Still, there was some real thought (and imagination--see the wishbone with Witten and Bennett) put into the running game this time, for the first time all season, really.

It makes me wonder what it was that kept us from doing all this earlier. Maybe we just needed the bye week to get it done. Same thing last year in the Philly game. It was after a bye week, we put in those shotgun draws and trap plays, and it was also our best running game of the year. But it wasn't just the new plays. On that last drive, we killed them with runs up the middle from the I-formation, with Cricket continuously STONING the same LB's that were destroying Curtis in the first game. Going up the middle kept the clock running, and was a changeup from what we'd been doing all game long.

They knew it was coming and could not stop it.

We could have scored 30 points easily, if we'd committed to the run (especially running behind Davis and Colombo) even more than we did. But at least we know (or I know) that Garrett isn't asleep at the wheel, and is willing to make changes. Given time.

 

[superonyx]

I am totally on a different page than you are on. I think the play calling was awful. We scored 14 points! How can you see the game and say Garrett finally gets it?

The biggest problem out offense has is not adapting to what the defense is doing. And every team we have been playing has been doing the same thing and we still have not made the right adjustments to beat it.
Teams have figured out that they can press us and play with their defense up at the line and blitz us up the middle. So how do you think a team should beat this style? If a defense is playing you tight and stacking the line while pressing your receivers you need to force them to back off and respect the deep pass. So what does boy wonder keep calling? How about 5 yards slants right into the defense. How about 0 yard quick passes to the receivers when they are being pressed. This isnt getting it. Getting it would be to make them pay for pressing us. I didnt see much of that. The only play i saw that was effective was the sweep. Other than that we made some dumb playcalls that cost us points. Remember the int that the defense caused when they hit TO as the ball was getting there? That is a product of the defense not respecting your long or medium range passing game and pressing you with layers of defense.

 

[AbeBeta]

Toss right with Colombo pulling:

umm, he pretty much had to run that because Romo was having a hard time with the direct handoff.

 

[theogt]

umm, he pretty much had to run that because Romo was having a hard time with the direct handoff.

Was he? There was that bobbled handoff early, but I'm pretty sure that was on Barber. Tony got it directly in his hands.

 

[kmd24]

Remember the int that the defense caused when they hit TO as the ball was getting there? That is a product of the defense not respecting your long or medium range passing game and pressing you with layers of defense.

Or it might be a product of being close to the goal line. The interception occurred at the Skins' 16 yard line.

 

[percyhoward]

umm, he pretty much had to run that because Romo was having a hard time with the direct handoff.

Romo executed 17 handoffs in the game.

 

[DallasDomination]

I thought the playcalling was good and the execution was Average. Everything that We wanted to see dallas do more they tried and really if it wasnt for a bad pass by Romo, a Good play by their defense on the other INT we would of probably scored each of thsoe drives. Not to mention the last drive would of added more points.


T.O in motion really opened other things up..I liked the playcalling.

 

[utrunner07]

Yeah Garrett figured some things out but its kind of pathetic that it has taken so long. He needs to get his stuff together and start learning how to adjust in a game not over a week or bye week.

 

[AbeBeta]

Was he? There was that bobbled handoff early, but I'm pretty sure that was on Barber. Tony got it directly in his hands.

but after that they went to the toss a ton -coincidence?

of course, all I could think about was how awesome Felix would be on those plays.

I expect you kept thinking the same, but about Choice.

 

[theogt]

but after that they went to the toss a ton -coincidence?

of course, all I could think about was how awesome Felix would be on those plays.

I expect you kept thinking the same, but about Choice.

I kept thinking it was pretty effective with Barber.

 

[AbeBeta]

Romo executed 17 handoffs in the game.

So that's what 8 tosses? 10?

A ton more than normal, likely b/c of his hand.

 

[Section446]

I liked it but I want to see consistancy.

 

[percyhoward]

I am totally on a different page than you are on. I think the play calling was awful. We scored 14 points! How can you see the game and say Garrett finally gets it?

We had THREE separate drives inside their 30 that resulted in zero points. The first drive ended on a bad throw by Romo, the second on a blitz that wasn't picked up (Romo barely got that one off), causing a throw slightly behind TO, then a perfectly timed hit, the third ended on kneeldowns. Let's say only one of those drives ends in a TD, the other two in FG's--that's 27 points against a very good defense--with your QB at waaaay less than 100%, and no Felix.

Don't get breathless about us not going deep. We got away with having a limited--basically, horizontal--passing attack. We did it partially by running into the teeth of 8-man fronts, at times, and it was about time we made Davis and Colombo earn their salary in the run game.

I don't know what would make you think Romo can throw a pass beyond 20 yards with any kind of accuracy. The hitches were necessary to spread out their D, horizontally instead of vertically. It worked. Be happy.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Maybe the hand had something to do with the pitchouts, but if you're running right, the QB would usually be handing off with his left hand.

Either way, I liked it. It's an old Parcells idea to run right at the little corners and wear them out in the run game.

 

[Rampage]

Garrett is garbage. he's running Barber into the ground by not using our other backs. we got all these receivers and tightends and we still only score 14 points. Romo and Garrett need to get to work.

 

[percyhoward]

If you're running right, the QB would usually be handing off with his left hand.

Good point. 6 of the 8 toss plays were to the right, so we were either trying to take advantage of Colombo's blocking or trying to protect Romo's left hand.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Garrett is garbage. he's running Barber into the ground by not using our other backs. we got all these receivers and tightends and we still only score 14 points. Romo and Garrett need to get to work.

Agreed.

 

[goliadmike]

I am totally on a different page than you are on. I think the play calling was awful. We scored 14 points! How can you see the game and say Garrett finally gets it?

I think the play calling was good not great but good.

Teams have figured out that they can press us and play with their defense up at the line and blitz us up the middle. So how do you think a team should beat this style? If a defense is playing you tight and stacking the line while pressing your receivers you need to force them to back off and respect the deep pass. So what does boy wonder keep calling? How about 5 yards slants right into the defense. How about 0 yard quick passes to the receivers when they are being pressed. This isnt getting it. Getting it would be to make them pay for pressing us. I didnt see much of that.

You are right about going deep with double moves unless the safeties are playing over the top. I think Garrett was trying to do that the only problem with going deep is it takes more time and our O-line play was regressing from the first couple of games and Romo was getting pressured, sacked, and forced into making bad decisions. Now after Romo was hurt, with Johnson at the helm a deep pass for us was ten yards down the field. No play calling genius could have gotten us out of that mess we were in for the Romo less games. What I beleive Jason did on Sunday night was to protect Romo as much as possible instead of opening up the offense. I don't think they completely trusted Romo chunking the ball all over the field.

The only play i saw that was effective was the sweep.

Yes it was our most effective play. I read where Leonard Davis said the Skins D-line was stacking in the middle I beleive his comment was "the way they were lined up we could have whiffed our blocks and still made yardage." So with knowing that I bet Garrett decided to keep doing that until it forced the skins to widen their alignment and that's when we stared sprinkling the inside runs into the play calling.

Other than that we made some dumb playcalls that cost us points. Remember the int that the defense caused when they hit TO as the ball was getting there? That is a product of the defense not respecting your long or medium range passing game and pressing you with layers of defense.

I don't think the slants were dumb play calls. Yes they resulted in turnovers, but the interceptions were more a product of bad throws. Romo said himself that there were times he had some trouble gripping the ball, which brings me back to your point about going deep. If Romo was having trouble throwing consistently on those slants do you really want him heaving the ball down the field? I don't and and another thing to consider usually on those longer routes Romo pulls the ball down and shifts or leaves the pocket on those plays he might have had problems repositioning the ball in time to get the pass off accurately.

I love the deep ball, I love those big plays, and I want to see more of them, but sometimes those are just not possible. I think once his hand heals he gets into a rythm with Williams we'll see more deep balls to back the coverage off a bit, just not right now.

As far as those little dump off passes to the WR in the flat those are usually calls at the line. Romo and Owens probably saw the DB playing off the line a bit, and called the aubible for the pass in the flat, but by the time teh ball was snapped the DB crept back to the line of scrimmage. That's kind of what happened to Romo in the first game with the Skins when he threw that pick to Horton. Horton was lined up in the box with the linebackers and then when the ball was snapped he dropped back, read Romo's eyes, and then made a play on the ball.

 

[goliadmike]

Good point. 6 of the 8 toss plays were to the right, so we were either trying to take advantage of Colombo's blocking or trying to protect Romo's left hand.

Or that's what the defensive alignment was giving us.

 

[AbeBeta]

Good point. 6 of the 8 toss plays were to the right, so we were either trying to take advantage of Colombo's blocking or trying to protect Romo's left hand.

much more likely for a right handed QB to pitch right - otherwise he is pitching across his body

number of pitches, not the direction is the issue.