Twitter: I'm still having trouble with this 4th & 1 call

[Kevinicus]

Sorry I never thought Linehan was a genius. Never. Witten and Dez wasn't making the plays. It was Dak with an RPO play to Zeke that helped us score. Unfortunately, Linehan and Garrett probably removed that from the playbook entirely.

What do people here think the P in RPO stands for? Prescott?

Run Prescott Option?

 

[ConstantReboot]

When we were winning by prolifically running the ball, if anything Linehan showed he was sub par, still going pass happy at very strange times and calling very strange plays at times.

Linehan frankly doesn't know what he's doing. I seen enough of these formations to know that he hasn't got a clue on what to do.

 

[ConstantReboot]

What difference does it make if it's right or left...lol

So that you have more blockers. Look at the picture. There are less blockers and more defenders to the left. And we ran it to the left. Does that make sense?

 

[Roadtrip635]

Right guard, Right tackle, TE1, TE2... All on the right.. and you run a dive left on 4th & 1...So cute.. Shoot me now...

Bootleg?
RPO left or right?
Read option left?
RB at least takes one step right to sell it then left?
Anything?
Bueller????? Bueller????

It was supposed to be a misdirection with the defense thinking it was going right, it failed miserably. Our weakness right now is the interior of the OL with 3 backups playing, it's not a big surprise it didn't work, they're not as good or capable. I would have rather they go spread to at least get defenders out of the box and help create some lanes or at worst get big 'ol Antwuan Woods in at FB and let him lead block to move the pile.

Linehan is just clueless.

 

[Bleu Star]

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess the problem is with the outcome more than with the call, and we’re just going to second guess this thing into the ground because it’s so easy.

Just get north/south man on a 4th & 1 from the 2 yard line. If you're going to bring in two TEs and overload one side, why get cute? East/West seems so silly there.

 

[northerncowboynation]

Pretty hard to determine who was supposed to block Hunt there...looked to me like Looney tried to get out to the 2nd level too quick and wiffed on his 1st assignment. Hunt was lined up to Looney’s left, don’t see how you give your RG a blocking assignment 2 gaps away. But either way you kinda just have to give credit to Hunt on that play, it was a nice stutter step move and he has some serious quickness for a guy that size

Yes agreed. May be the scheme calls for Looney to totally let go of the guy (Hunt) on his left shoulder, which is nutz because the run was going left, if so it's a bad scheme. Maybe Williams was supposed to slide to his left and give some help there but he was engaged with his man. We could call that play a bad call by Linnehan or call it a poorly executed play by the O-line. For me, that failure is just bad execution and it's why we aren't scoring in goal to go situations. I think Looney has been a good fill in at C and we like the guy because he's an under dog. He isn't Freddy.

Yep, Hunt blew that play up right from the snap. Good play by him, he hit Zeke early AND if it had been a designed pass play, guess who he would have been chasing, Dak. For me that says about everything with our red zone woes in 2018. Poor execution. Doesn't matter what the play called is if it's not executed well

 

[northerncowboynation]

Right guard, Right tackle, TE1, TE2... All on the right.. and you run a dive left on 4th & 1...So cute.. Shoot me now...

Bootleg?
RPO left or right?
Read option left?
RB at least takes one step right to sell it then left?
Anything?
Bueller????? Bueller????

Thanx for posting that Bleu. You can listen to Baldinger's call which is totally biased, or turn off his annoying voice and watch the play develop and make your own judgement. IMO, badly executed by the interior of the line. Looney particularly. Hunt came inside right off the left shoulder and all Looney had to do was push him where his momentum was going, to the right. Gaping hole in the middle. Zeke hits that every time

 

[northerncowboynation]

look no further than that clip to understand our red zone, particularly in goal to go woes

 

[Bleu Star]

Thanx for posting that Bleu. You can listen to Baldinger's call which is totally biased, or turn off his voice and watch the play develop and make your own judgement. IMO, badly executed by the interior of the line. Looney particularly. Hunt came inside right off the left shoulder and all Looney had to do was push him where his momentum was going, to the right. Gaping hole in the middle. Zeke hits that every time

I'm just not a fan of stretching your RB out on 4th & 1. We can speculate until the sun goes down on whether or not it was designed for him to cut back but the bottom line is there's still trouble with two blockers on the left side of the line and 3 defenders waiting. The chance of that play getting blown up is very good.

 

[Bleu Star]

look no further than that clip to understand our red zone, particularly in goal to go woes

Yep. No doubt. We have developed a clear pattern of moving the ball well until we get to the red zone. Then we become a totally different team (head coach down to where the rubber hits the road).

 

[cds99]

Nobody blocked the DT. He blew the play up. Zeke had no chance to get the horsepower revved up.

Actually that would be torque, lol

Torque gets you going.

 

[northerncowboynation]

Yep. No doubt. We have developed a clear pattern of moving the ball well until we get to the red zone. Then we become a totally different team (head coach down to where the rubber hits the road).

I remember a few years ago, the 8-8 years, when we struggled in the red zone. It cleared up when we started to fix the O-line first with Tyron then Frederick and added Murray. That's why I don't put much stock in missing Dez and Witten. They were both here during those years and we still struggled until we drafted for the O-line. Now that O-line is an egg shell of what it was.

Yes it goes to coaching somewhat because some seem to make do with average but there aren't many coaches who can sustain that. Bellichik has won a number of SB's with average except for the GOAT and Gronk. He and his coaches around him seemed to be able to coach average skill up to above average. Look at the Pats this year with some of the coaches leaving though. So yes, coaching is a factor, that and the age of the GOAT and the wounds of the Gronk. Richard has done a nice job with our D BUT give him 60% backups on the line or in the secondary and we would probably call for his head.

IMO if the 2018 O-line was the 2014, 2015, 2016 line we would have fewer problems in the red zone. Of course that's impossible to prove just as saying a new OC or HC would change our red zone woes. Hey, if we end up 8-8 we could see some changes in both. 9-7? Your guess is as good as mine

 

[northerncowboynation]

Damned injury bug. Next year it will hit the defense. We'll score 27 and give up 30. War of attrition

 

[Swanny]

Right guard, Right tackle, TE1, TE2... All on the right.. and you run a dive left on 4th & 1...So cute.. Shoot me now...

Bootleg?
RPO left or right?
Read option left?
RB at least takes one step right to sell it then left?
Anything?
Bueller????? Bueller????

I feel like the defense with that alignment gave Dak the 1 yard he needed to get the first down. Pull a Brady and just fall forward for the 1st down.

 

[CB61]

Right guard, Right tackle, TE1, TE2... All on the right.. and you run a dive left on 4th & 1...So cute.. Shoot me now...

Bootleg?
RPO left or right?
Read option left?
RB at least takes one step right to sell it then left?
Anything?
Bueller????? Bueller????

The 1 million dollar question

 

[DogFace]

This is where Linehan drives me crazy. They run these plays trying to trick the Colts when all they had to do is run a quick dive right up the gut for 1 yard and a 1st down. Instead he always gets too cute. And when its cute, its stupid cute not smart cute. He gets Zeke running sideways instead of straight ahead when he needs 1 yard!

The is play took too long to develop, relied too much on the backup offensive linemen to pick up blockers that the blocks down to the left. It fooled no one and lost yards (looking at the play again I am not sure Zeke fumbled or if his knee was down but its irrelevant.)

If they wanted to go outside to the left, then why not pitch it out there and see if Zeke can beat the LB to the corner. Again, they needed 1 yard from the 3 is was not a 4th and goal situation.

I still like the pitchout they run to get Zeke going outside with a full head of steam.

“Stupid cute”

That really does sum up this offense for years in key situations.

 

[silvrNblue]

Anyone watch the pack/bears... yeah that's a REAL HC there in Chicago. Dude isn't afraid to take big chances, and let's his D keep them in a game. WTH happened to our defense in Indy? mack was running all over us, and Luck? Give me a break they won't sniff a playoff game he isn't back and he isn't all that. but clapper and that fart smelling OC of his allowed them to game us and blow us out. Hell at this point I don't see THIS bunch making the playoffs after what took place Sunday. If the HC and coaches can't get them geared up and a game plan laid out to take advantage of half A**ed colts team, we don't deserve a playoff. Which under THIS bunch of half wit coaches, that's all it would be 1 game.

 

[Hook'em#11]

I still think that Lenihan does this stuff on purpose to sabotage the Cowboys.. lol.. Or, he is that blind.

Roll out Dak on a PA and he either runs it in, or "attempts" to pass it .. I would rather he try to run it .

 

[silvrNblue]

Linehan is done boys.

well.... we can ALL pray his no calling butt is...nice Christmas present for sure.

 

[kskboys]

It wasn’t a terrible play call but the execution was terrible.

That’s why I have a problem with people calling Garrett out in this game. If Cooper catches the ball put in his hands that’s a touchdown. If Olewale catches the pass it’s a touchdown. If Looney makes this block on 4th and 1 it’s a touchdown.

The offense moved the ball but there was too many drops and way too many penalties.

The game day coaching was fine. The game plan was fine. The execution was horrid.

I’m willing to write this off as an anomaly. Trap game. Let’s see what happens this week.

So, the D was set up to stop exactly this play and crowded and penetrated. How exactly was it not a bad playcall?