How Do We Get Better in the Redzone?

[scottsp]

As often is the case, improve at the point of attack. And the importance in this area cannot be overstated when talking about the red zone. The day this club stops turning 2nd and 1 into 3rd and 3, we might have a fighting chance.

 

[CoCo]

Until this team has an O-line that can hold its own we'll always be compromised in the redzone. When you can't win matchups on the line you have to resort to disception, surprise & trickery. But if you can't win matchups on the line teams know that and always keep one eye open for the deception/surprise.

I'll blame the playcaller as soon as I see us winning those matchups on the line but still struggling to score.

Dez & Escobar (if effective) alone will not produce redzone consistency. It starts with teams having to defend the run.

 

[Slamman]

I bring it up, though, because I think a lot of the red zone rushing problem is overstated.

If that were the case, JG is probably the worst HC/OC ever. What I'm saying is that dallas only has 13 rushing TDs over the past 2 seasons. If the OL really can block effectively on the goal line but JG simply elects not to do so, he should be fired immediately. If the red zone rushing problem is overstated, the JG problem is understated.

 

[Califan007]

Sorry, guys. I asked the wrong question. I was looking for red zone/short yardage rushing.

I recall AdamJT13 saying we were in the top 10 in that category last year, and finding it hard to believe. But I can't find a reliable measure that isolates rushing plays.

EDIT: Took a bit of digging, but this is the post I was referring to.

And this was another post I came across on the topic.

Adam's amazing, but I'd rather look at the source statistics if they were available. I bring it up, though, because I think a lot of the red zone rushing problem is overstated.

Going by Pro Football Reference (again lol), his stats aren't lining up with that site's stats.

For example, Adam says this:

We ran the ball 18 times on 15 different possessions inside the opponent's 10-yard line. We scored touchdowns on 10 of those possessions. We scored touchdowns on 10 of those possessions. Another was Romo's kneel-down after Carr's interception against Pittsburgh, putting the ball in the middle of the field for Bailey's winning field goal.

That leaves four possessions all season when we ran the ball inside the opponent's 10 and failed to score a touchdown.

According to PFR, though, the Cowboys ran the ball 21 times inside the 10 yard line, not 18...and scored 6 TDs, not 10. So either he also counted passing plays among the TDs scored wihtin the 10 yard line, or he got the number of rushing TDs scored mixed up with the number of passing TDs scored--which was 10.

Second, Adam should have taken the number of rush TDs inside the 10 yard line and subtracted it from the number of rushing attempts inside the 10 yard line...not subtract it from the number of possessions inside the 10 yard line.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

Score from outside the 20...

 

[cowboyschmps3]

Lol, here it goes, sign Tebow and use him hahahahaha

 

[DMAC]

We sucked at it last year. It's one of Garrett's biggest flaws. How do we get better inside the 20 this year?

Sign Tebow?

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

Lol, here it goes, sign Tebow and use him hahahahaha

Oh yea! We saw how well that worked for Rex and the Jets. :bang2:

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

 

[NextGenBoys]

All this TE talk and 12 personnel talk is hogwash.

Escobar might help a little bit, but you get better inside the 20's by executing and blocking the man in front of you so you can run the ball. The passing game gets partially marginalized due to the field shrinking, so you really need to be able to run the ball.

Block better and create some lanes and the red zone offense will improve. Guaranteed.

 

[Risen Star]

The answer is the same as it has been for years, improve the offensive line. The offensive line keeps us from running in situations that are obvious times to run. The offensive line is what gives up the sacks. We have to hope that Fredrick and either a motivate Free or an improving Parnell help out the line. Maybe if we get really lucky Leary will be able to take a guard slot.

I'm surprised it took that long for such an obvious answer.

Play calling has nothing to do with it. That's scenery to distract from the real problem. Both Garrett and Callahan are good enough play callers. They just need talent.

 

[Risen Star]

All this TE talk and 12 personnel talk is hogwash.

Escobar might help a little bit, but you get better inside the 20's by executing and blocking the man in front of you so you can run the ball. The passing game gets partially marginalized due to the field shrinking, so you really need to be able to run the ball.

Block better and create some lanes and the red zone offense will improve. Guaranteed.

Agreed.

As the field shrinks, the line of scrimmage becomes even more important. Teams don't have to respect anything deep. They can get nosey. Your strength or weakness up front will show even more.

We're a poor red zone team for the same reason we're a poor short yardage team. No talent along the OL. At 4 positions last year. Probably at 3 this year.

 

[Kilyin]

more shotgun 5 wide obviously

 

[Risen Star]

more shotgun 5 wide obviously

You have to do something when you can't line up and put a hat on a hat and move anybody. No sense in banging your head into a wall over and over again.

Give Garrett even an average OL and watch and see how much smarter of a play caller he is.

 

[Risen Star]

This is a guy who went to the top of the NFL as a player with those 90's Cowboys teams. He's well aware of the importance of a run game. He's not stupid. He just can't do it with these players.

 

[Picksix]

Garrett has had this problem for years with his offense. I don't expect anything to change. His reply is usually the fault is with the execution. In other words, it is the players fault, not his.

And he's right. The plays themselves are fine. The execution isn't. Pretty simple. When the field shrinks and the defense has a shorter area to defend, you have to be able to block, run the ball, get open and catch the ball. Not having to keep the TE in to help block wouldn't hurt. If you can't do that, the play itself doesn't matter. It could be the best play call in the history of the game. Won't matter.

 

[NextGenBoys]

And he's right. The plays themselves are fine. The execution isn't. Pretty simple. When the field shrinks and the defense has a shorter area to defend, you have to be able to block, run the ball, get open and catch the ball. Not having to keep the TE in to help block wouldn't hurt. If you can't do that, the play itself doesn't matter. It could be the best play call in the history of the game. Won't matter.

Agreed. Too many on this board lump play calling into categories of "It worked so it was a good call" or "It didn't so it was a bad call" Poor logic.

Play calling matters, but execution is the name of the game. With the personnel we had, I think getting cute and using deception was the best recipe for success in the red zone, because we could not man up and get the job done.

 

[NextGenBoys]

You have to do something when you can't line up and put a hat on a hat and move anybody. No sense in banging your head into a wall over and over again.

Give Garrett even an average OL and watch and see how much smarter of a play caller he is.

Exactly. people get up in arms about Garrett when he gives up on the run, but getting stopped for no gain on 1st down is the same as an incomplete on 1st down. I understand the philosophy of keeping the defense honest, but if running the ball isn't working, it isn't working. Period.

 

[KJJ]

A running game would certainly help but it's tough running the ball in the redzone for a lot teams especially once you get inside the 10 yardline. For the Cowboys it comes down to not shooting themselves in the foot with stupid penalties that bog down drives that result in having to settle for FG's. Garrett has had a tendency to get conservative once the Cowboys get into the redzone fearing mistakes. Whoever is in charge of calling plays this season needs to be more aggressive in the redzone.

The team seems to get tight once they get into scoring position which has led to a number of pre snap penalties. Having success in the redzone is going to come down to protecting Romo and getting receivers open. Most TD's in the redzone are scored by throwing the ball hopefully Escobar helps in this area. If he's going to live up to his draft status he needs to put some TD's on the board. With Dez and Witten he's not going to make a big impact with the number of catches he has so he has to provide an element that will improve the team in the redzone.