Is it conservative or just bad play calling?

[joseephuss]

I think it is just bad play calling. We have to accept that Parcells is a conservative minded coach. He cares more about good execution than exotic play calling. I have no problem with that. That is a formula that has worked forever in the NFL.

I just think the play calling is bad, inconsistent and predictable. You can be conservative without being predictable. You can also be inconsistent while trying to be conservative.

Establish the run, but use multiple formations, sets and plays to do it.

I saw better use of the play action game plan when Quincy Carter was the QB. I think we can all agree that the offensive personnel is better now than in 2003, yet it seems like the play calling seems more limited.

I am not talking about just airing it out. I just don't think the play calling resembles what was used in 2003 or 2004. It looks to my amature eyes like the playbook was cut in half or something. Bledsoe and the rest of the players should be more than capable of handling more than what they are being asked to currently do. Okay, maybe not the offensive line.

 

[Future]

conservative = bad....

 

[Portland Fanatic]

conservative = bad....

If we are up by 3 scores in the 4th...then conservative = good.

If we are not...conserviative = losing.

 

[VACowboy]

I wanna see Price on the field.

 

[Raneiron#31]

I think its a good mixture of both, conservative and just plain bad. For example look at the Oakland game, their two defense tackles dam near weigh in at a ton and Parcells thought he could force the run up the middle. Conservative playcalling that was bad, real bad. Another example Oaklands passing defense had been scorched for over 300 passing yards a game and Bledsoe ended up only passing the ball like 25 times. Once again conservative playcalling gone bad. It just seemed to me that the coaches didnt even think that this was gonna be an important enough game to even make a gameplan. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Kilyin]

For example look at the Oakland game, their two defense tackles dam near weigh in at a ton and Parcells thought he could force the run up the middle

You know a ton is 2000 lbs right? Point taken and for the most part I agree.

 

[BayArea Cowboy]

If we are too afraid to make mistakes (conservative), we are too afraid to win or we kinda wanna win, but we really aren't sure. Hanging on for 58 minutes and praying to pull it out in the end is not why I'm a Cowboys fan. My heart can't take much more of this. I thought this was the NFL? not the predictable, pathetic NBA where every game is decided with minutes to play. Regardless, it's early in the season and we have been on the road, so I remain patient.

 

[DipChit]

Well thats a good question. I mean obviously, mathematically speaking, if you could run for 3.4 yards on every single play you'd march right down the field and into the endzone on each possesion without ever having to throw a pass. Your YPC would be bad and you'd be as conservative as all get out.. but you'd be deemed unstoppable.

I think this year he thought the running game would work better out of the chute compared to say 03 so he's been tryin to use the run to setup the pass. In 03 he probably felt the opposite.

But at this point he's either going to have to change that philosophy somewhat, get more consistent play out of his o-line or start playing against teams that are less stout against the run.

Or all of the above.

 

[joseephuss]

With Dallas up by 6 points and 3:42 to go against the Commanders, the Cowboys passed the ball a few times. They had an incomlete pass on the first play. They were able to convert a first down by running the ball and a face mask penalty. They then passed the ball again and it was incomplete.

If they just stay conservative and don't pass the ball, they probably burn the clock all the way to the 2 minute warning instead of giving it back to Washington with 2:52 on the clock. Maybe they even get another first down, but maybe not.

I think if Washington has 2 minutes or less on the clock, it probably changes how Dallas lines up their defense on that series. They probably play further back and give up underneath routes forcing Washington to move the length of the field. All that brought about by inconsistent and bad play calling in my opinion. I know I was saying just to run the ball at the time. Of course I was by myself, yet still heard the words shut up come out in my apartment.

 

[Doomsday101]

With Dallas up by 6 points and 3:42 to go against the Commanders, the Cowboys passed the ball a few times. They had an incomlete pass on the first play. They were able to convert a first down by running the ball and a face mask penalty. They then passed the ball again and it was incomplete.

If they just stay conservative and don't pass the ball, they probably burn the clock all the way to the 2 minute warning instead of giving it back to Washington with 2:52 on the clock. Maybe they even get another first down, but maybe not.

I think if Washington has 2 minutes or less on the clock, it probably changes how Dallas lines up their defense on that series. They probably play further back and give up underneath routes forcing Washington to move the length of the field. All that brought about by inconsistent and bad play calling in my opinion. I know I was saying just to run the ball at the time. Of course I was by myself, yet still heard the words shut up come out in my apartment.

Notice all the maybe's your using. That is what I find funny about when people question play calling because they act as if you called this play instead it would have worked when the fact is you don't know that. In the skins game had we ran the ball 3 times and got stopped and the skins scored then people would have b!tched about why didn't we try to throw it. When we lose every expert comes out of the woodworks claiming they know what we should have done. Same thing about the D I doubt Zimmer told Williams to be late in helping with the deep cover on Moss I also doubt Zimmer told Williams to let the ball bounce on his face mask and not int the ball. Coaches can do so much players have to make the play and the fact is plays have been there for the guys to make and in some of these occations the players have failed to make the play

 

[DipChit]

Yeah, on the issue of actual playcalling I've always been more or less of the belief that if it works it was a good call, and if it doesnt, it wasnt.

I mean heck I think we've all at one time or another watched a play develop and been like .. No no nooooo why are you passing you dumb son of a.... Touchdown!!!! yes yes yes!!!

Besides isnt most every play, run or pass, designed to go the distance (or at the very least be a big gainer) if every single player on the unit does their job to perfection?

 

[joseephuss]

Notice all the maybe's your using. That is what I find funny about when people question play calling because they act as if you called this play instead it would have worked when the fact is you don't know that. In the skins game had we ran the ball 3 times and got stopped and the skins scored then people would have b!tched about why didn't we try to throw it. When we lose every expert comes out of the woodworks claiming they know what we should have done. Same thing about the D I doubt Zimmer told Williams to be late in helping with the deep cover on Moss I also doubt Zimmer told Williams to let the ball bounce on his face mask and not int the ball. Coaches can do so much players have to make the play and the fact is plays have been there for the guys to make and in some of these occations the players have failed to make the play

The part that isn't a maybe is that running the ball runs time off the clock. They run it three times, the clock ticks down closer to the 2 minute warning.

 

[TheHustler]

inconsistent and predictable.

Inconsistent AND predictable is pretty tough.....

I do agree that we are way too predictable, but that has been pretty consistent....

 

[kartr]

Was it play-calling that caused Bledsoe to lock on to Terry Glenn and make a panic-throw instead of looking for one of his bigger receivers who was actually open. Was it play-calling that made Bledsoe throw the ball too low for Glenn. Was it play-calling on the last play of the 'Skins game that made Bledsoe throw short to a covered Glenn instead of a wide open Witten who'd gotten behind the defense. Let's be honest here, nobody complained about the play-calling in the games we won. You praised Bledsoe as being a 'god', then when he loses games, and that's 2 now, it's the defense's fault instead of the fact that we only scored 13 points in each of our defeats or it's the rookies or Parcells is too old or Payton is too conservative. But didn't Payton call the bombs to Crayton and Glenn. The real problem is execution and that's execution by the quarterback, and the fact is, Bledsoe is a hot-and-cold qb, ie. inconsistent. We should expect inconsistency by 1st,second and even third year qb's, not 12 year veterans with a 'pedigree'. Let's face it, as long as Bledsoe is here, this is what we'll have to expect because this is the way he's always been. That's why he wound up here instead of leading Buffalo back to the playoffs again, OOPS, I forgot, he never got them there.

 

[DandyDon]

I think the playcalling is condusive to the type of team we have at the present time (young players, learning the system, etc.) which means that Parcells don't want to risk the type of plays (that people on this board are calling for), for fear of putting the young defense in a bad situation. The more these guys learn the system and get better, the play calling will change. But remember, the 'boys are young and this is NOT Madden football.

 

[joseephuss]

Was it play-calling that caused Bledsoe to lock on to Terry Glenn and make a panic-throw instead of looking for one of his bigger receivers who was actually open. Was it play-calling that made Bledsoe throw the ball too low for Glenn. Was it play-calling on the last play of the 'Skins game that made Bledsoe throw short to a covered Glenn instead of a wide open Witten who'd gotten behind the defense. Let's be honest here, nobody complained about the play-calling in the games we won. You praised Bledsoe as being a 'god', then when he loses games, and that's 2 now, it's the defense's fault instead of the fact that we only scored 13 points in each of our defeats or it's the rookies or Parcells is too old or Payton is too conservative. But didn't Payton call the bombs to Crayton and Glenn. The real problem is execution and that's execution by the quarterback, and the fact is, Bledsoe is a hot-and-cold qb, ie. inconsistent. We should expect inconsistency by 1st,second and even third year qb's, not 12 year veterans with a 'pedigree'. Let's face it, as long as Bledsoe is here, this is what we'll have to expect because this is the way he's always been. That's why he wound up here instead of leading Buffalo back to the playoffs again, OOPS, I forgot, he never got them there.

It wasn't a bomb to Crayton. Bledsoe already said that Glenn made an adjustment on the bomb in the 49er game.

I haven't been pleased at all with the play calling in the last three games. One of those was a win.

The players do have to execute. No one doubts that. The coaches have to put them in the best position to execute. I don't think offensively they have done that on a consistent basis.

 

[cowboyeric8]

Was it play-calling that caused Bledsoe to lock on to Terry Glenn and make a panic-throw instead of looking for one of his bigger receivers who was actually open. Was it play-calling that made Bledsoe throw the ball too low for Glenn. Was it play-calling on the last play of the 'Skins game that made Bledsoe throw short to a covered Glenn instead of a wide open Witten who'd gotten behind the defense. Let's be honest here, nobody complained about the play-calling in the games we won. You praised Bledsoe as being a 'god', then when he loses games, and that's 2 now, it's the defense's fault instead of the fact that we only scored 13 points in each of our defeats or it's the rookies or Parcells is too old or Payton is too conservative. But didn't Payton call the bombs to Crayton and Glenn. The real problem is execution and that's execution by the quarterback, and the fact is, Bledsoe is a hot-and-cold qb, ie. inconsistent. We should expect inconsistency by 1st,second and even third year qb's, not 12 year veterans with a 'pedigree'. Let's face it, as long as Bledsoe is here, this is what we'll have to expect because this is the way he's always been. That's why he wound up here instead of leading Buffalo back to the playoffs again, OOPS, I forgot, he never got them there.

Seriously man, Carter is gone!!!!!!

Get over it.

Drew Bledsoe is the reason we are 2-2 not 0-4

And try throwing in the first half instead of at the end when we need big plays, and they know we what we are going to do.

 

[joseephuss]

Inconsistent AND predictable is pretty tough.....

I do agree that we are way too predictable, but that has been pretty consistent....

I know it is a tough combination to achieve, but I think Dallas has done it.

Inconsitent with respect that they get away from plays that are working. They lose focus on getting the ball to Witten. They had more plays designed for Witten last year. They may look at him a few plays, then fail to focus on him for a huge stretch of the game. They utilize the draw so frequently now a days when it was a succesful play for Julius last season. Worked well against the 49ers in the first half, but was barely used in the second.

Predictable in that you can see which plays are going to be run by down and distance and by formation.

Play calling doesn't need a complete overhaul, but some tweaking could make drives more consistent.

 

[Portland Fanatic]

Play calling doesn't need a complete overhaul, but some tweaking could make drives more consistent.

I think Payton should take the playbook...cut into strips..play by play, them throw them up in the air....mix them up really good, then glue them back together. We'd have far more success!

 

[joseephuss]

I think Payton should take the playbook...cut into strips..play by play, them throw them up in the air....mix them up really good, then glue them back together. We'd have far more success!

Sounds good.

Maybe they should just throw out Keyshawn throwing the ball. The defense doesn't seemed to be fooled by it. At least this one wasn't an interception like last season.