JJT: Cowboys offense no juggernaut

[TrailBlazer]

"Guys, there was this one time, one this one drive, when the Cowboys could have scored, but then they didn't, because they had a 3-and-out. And then, this other time....."

Please. Look at points/offensive series and then try to make the case that we kicked too many field goals. Every team in the league, every season, has offensive drives that don't convert in games they lost. And in all of them, the extra points would have been helpful if they'd scored. This team lost with an historically bad pass defense. End of story. Any article to the contrary ought to make JJT ashamed to drag his hairy knuckles along the ground in the hallowed halls of ESPN.

JJT is not saying the defense wasn't the main problem. That much is obvious. His point is that the offense is not devoid of any blame and that's what you don't understand. The stats suggest this offense was top 5 when it certainly was not. Too inconsistent. They never came close to duplicating the performance we seen against Denver. 21 takeaways on opponents side of the field lead to only 7 TD's. Thats a problem.
If you want to be naive and believe that the defense was our only problem in 2013 then go ahead.

 

[jobberone]

Inconsistent. Borderline top ten offense overall. When it matters most, mediocre offense that settles for field goals.

Dallas defense had 21 takeaways on the opponents side of the field. Of those 21 opportunities provided by th defense, we only mustered 7 touchdowns. 33%. That cost us games

You would be correct. Sc% and RZ% up along with the other points made in the thread. Also if the defense had made more stops then the offense would have had more opportunities. The offense needs to be more consistent and avg longer drives esp when opportunity arises.

 

[JD_KaPow]

He supported his argument by referencing several instances in which the offense could've put the game away and failed to do so and it costed us games. Too much inconsistency and too many quick 3 n outs when we need a good time consuming drive.

Anecdote is not data. I can find drives like this for any team in the league.

21 takeaways on opponents side of the field lead to only 7 TD's. 33%.

That would be pretty bad, if he hadn't completely made it up. In fairness, he didn't say that we had 21 takeaways on the opponent's side of the field. He said the defense gave the offense the ball on that side of the field 21 times. Either way, the numbers don't add up.

The Cowboys started 23 drives on the opponent's side of the field. They break down as follows:
Thanks to the defense (14):
5 interceptions.
6 fumbles.
3 turnovers on downs.

Thanks to special teams (7):
2 muffed punts.
1 blocked FG.
2 long kick returns.
2 long punt returns.

Thanks to the game situation (2):
2 failed onside kicks.

On 6 of these drives, the Cowboys did not try to score a TD. Four kneeldowns, one drive that started with 2 minutes left in the game and a 15-point lead, and the infamous run-out-the-clock-oops-Tyron-Smith-holding-penalty drive against Detroit. That leaves 17. On those 17 drives, they scored 8 TDs (47%). That's 8 TDs, not 7.

So, is that good or bad? Looking at all drives league-wide that started in opponent's territory and didn't finish with kneeldowns, we find that 39.2% of those drives ended with TDs. The Cowboys were at 42% (8 out of 19), 12th-best in the league. Not great, but not "ridiculous", as JJT claims. In fact, they did better than these numbers suggest. The Cowboys never turned it over on one of these drives; league-wide, teams turned it over 7.5% of the time.

So our offense was actually pretty good when they got the ball on the opponent's side of the field and tried to score. And if they were closer to league average in these situations, well, that means they were a lot better than league average when they had to drive a long way for a TD. JJT, as is so often the case, is completely wrong.

 

[Idgit]

JJT is not saying the defense wasn't the main problem. That much is obvious. His point is that the offense is not devoid of any blame and that's what you don't understand. The stats suggest this offense was top 5 when it certainly was not. Too inconsistent. They never came close to duplicating the performance we seen against Denver. 21 takeaways on opponents side of the field lead to only 7 TD's. Thats a problem.
If you want to be naive and believe that the defense was our only problem in 2013 then go ahead.

It's not that I don't understand it, it's that it's just that what you're saying is so obvious that it goes without saying. No offense is 'devoid of blame.' But you're also doing a poor job of paraphrasing JJT. What he's really saying is that the numbers are wrong in suggesting the offense was above average. And then he goes on like the middling-intellect he's shown himself to be, drawing the wrong conclusions from the data he's basing his own argument on.

I'll go ahead and be 'naive' believing that the overwhelmingly obvious problem with the team in 2013 was the defense, thanks. Mostly because it's so screamingly obvious.

 

[big dog cowboy]

One of these days I'll have to stop reading JJT. He is such an idiot I feel dumber every stinking time I waste any effort on his ramblings.

 

[Idgit]

One of these days I'll have to stop reading JJT. He is such an idiot I feel dumber every stinking time I waste any effort on his ramblings.

He's a rambler, for sure. What drives me nuts is that he's also got such strong opinions that are so poorly considered and supported. It's one thing to be wrong a lot, another entirely to be wrong a lot and to suggest that it's the organization that needs to get a clue.

 

[waving monkey]

"Guys, there was this one time, one this one drive, when the Cowboys could have scored, but then they didn't, because they had a 3-and-out. And then, this other time....."

Please. Look at points/offensive series and then try to make the case that we kicked too many field goals. Every team in the league, every season, has offensive drives that don't convert in games they lost. And in all of them, the extra points would have been helpful if they'd scored. This team lost with an historically bad pass defense. End of story. Any article to the contrary ought to make JJT ashamed to drag his hairy knuckles along the ground in the hallowed halls of ESPN.

yikes

 

[Eddie]

He also forgot to mention we gifted games to Denver and KC

I know. 5 gifted games. That's what Jerry Jones is thinking ... we have a 13-3 team.

 

[AdamJT13]

The offense wasn't that good either and that's the point here. 5th in scoring but doesn't accurately reflect the offensive performance in 2013.

Why not? We were fourth in points per possession. Is that not accurate because we scored a lot of those points on short fields? Nope, that can't be your reasoning, considering that you believe that we didn't take advantage of short fields like we should have. Was it because we scored a lot of points in garbage time? Nope, that can't be it, either. The only garbage touchdowns we scored came in one game against the Bears. So exactly what is misleading about how much our offense scored?

 

[Clove]

I've been saying all year that the offense wasn't that good. But all people like to do, is to forget to pay attention to the game, and look at the box score and the stat sheet. That's not the way to win a debate. Try actually paying attention and stop drinking during the game. I was joking about the last part, but seriously, this offense needs help. We know the defense sucks and needs an over haul, but this offense has no excuse.

 

[rwalters31]

IRVING, Texas -- Sometimes, the numbers lie. Sometimes, the numbers allow an owner such as Jerry Jones to lie to himself.

Sometimes, the numbers make an average offense appear to be good. The 2013 Dallas Cowboys were a perfect example of that.

If the Cowboys' offense had been good, the team would've made the playoffs this season, despite a historically bad defense.

That's the truth.

After all, we're talking about a team that finished 8-8, even though it gifted games to Detroit and Green Bay, and was positioned to beat Philadelphia.

Obviously, this is all a bunch of woulda, coulda, shoulda, but it's important to note -- because the worst thing an organization can do is lie to itself. Unfortunately, Jerry excels at that.

It was hard to miss the inability of the Cowboys' offense to take proper advantage of turnovers created by the defense, particularly in key losses to Detroit and Philadelphia.

He's the ultimate optimist -- a man who has a warehouse full of rose-colored spectacles for any occasion.

So you know Jerry is going to look at having left tackle Tyron Smith, receiver Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten and running back DeMarco Murray in the Pro Bowl from a team that averaged 27.4 points -- fifth in the NFL -- and think everything is OK.

Much of it was a mirage.

Jerry will only see that Tony Romo passed for 3,828 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, Bryant had 1,233 yards receiving with 13 touchdowns, Murray had 1,124 yards rushing and an offensive line that ProFootballFocus.com considered one of the best in the NFL.

The owner is going to see all those numbers and believe it's all good.

But the game is about more than numbers. Look beyond the gaudy stats and you'll see that the Cowboys' offense often struggled when it mattered most.

Understand, the only positive thing the Cowboys did on defense this season was create turnovers, which often positioned the offense to score points. Too many times, though, the offense didn't take advantage of those opportunities.

http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=10341606

juggernaut - "a force that is relentlessly destructive, crushing, and insensitive"
This description is not what the Cowboys were this year. They could gain yardage between the 20s but when it came to scoring in the REDZONE and third down efficiency against good defenses they were not good. The OL was good enough to operate in the yardage but not good enough to score on the 5 yard line. The reason was at the guard position except when Waters was in the lineup. If you want "Juggernaut" then you need to start on the OL and run the ball for that sure 5 yard gain on third down and on the 5 yard line for 7 points. Now you are talking!

 

[NextGenBoys]

JJT completely misses the point.

Even with an average defense, the offense would have been good enough to win 2 or 3 more games.

They didn't have to be a juggnaut.

He was spot on. You're missing the point.

 

[Proximo]

I don't think I've seen many people claiming our offense was an unstoppable juggernaut this past year, however they were one of the better offenses in the league. It's obvious that we would've made the playoffs had our defense been more stingey. I love the fact that our D produced more turnovers this year, but damn there were just way too many games where we gave up TD drive after TD drive.

The offense obviously works. We were effective in the red zone, and scored lots of points overall. What they need is more balance and to be more effective on 3rd down. The offense does not need an overhaul. It needs tweeked.

Think of it like this: if in 2014 our offense produces results practically identical to this past season, and our defense is above average, lets say top 12 in yards/points allowed, and we maintain the takeaways, do we make the playoffs?

 

[Teren_Kanan]

I liked the article.

I was really down on the offense this year, we definitely could have won a few more games if we were better at game management.

The defense is a FAR bigger problem in the grand scheme of things. Our offense would have been fine had we had even an average defense. Both sides of the ball had flaws, with the defense certainly being the larger flaw. My problem is the defense needs a LOT of work. We gotta draft well, fix our schemes, and hopefully get and stay healthy. Where as the problems with the offense all fall on Garret/Callahan. Their game and time management are just awful. At least two of our losses this season were on them. Sure an average defense could have covered for their poor management, but it doesn't mean it wasn't poor management.

 

[big dog cowboy]

This description is not what the Cowboys were this year. They could gain yardage between the 20s but when it came to scoring in the REDZONE and third down efficiency against good defenses they were not good.

Overall we were 3rd in the league. For what that is worth.

 

[Dhragon]

I don't think I've seen many people claiming our offense was an unstoppable juggernaut this past year, however they were one of the better offenses in the league. It's obvious that we would've made the playoffs had our defense been more stingey. I love the fact that our D produced more turnovers this year, but damn there were just way too many games where we gave up TD drive after TD drive.

The offense obviously works. We were effective in the red zone, and scored lots of points overall. What they need is more balance and to be more effective on 3rd down. The offense does not need an overhaul. It needs tweeked.

Think of it like this: if in 2014 our offense produces results practically identical to this past season, and our defense is above average, lets say top 12 in y thenards/points allowed, and we maintain the takeaways, do we make the playoffs?

-
No, because we'll just find some other way to go 8-8 then. Maybe a historically bad special teams or something. We've been snake bit too long for me to believe otherwise.

 

[jobberone]

The offense was put into too many situations when they had to score and some where they had to sustain drives. They just couldn't do that always which is understandable. I took some of the negative points to mean we were pretty good but not at the point where Denver, NE or the Saints were. I agree with that which is not a huge knock on the offense IMO. Seattle is not an offensive juggernaut. As many points as we scored we gave up more. That's not a winning formula. So it's a given the defense is the significant problem with this team at least last year. The offense and defense failed the year before. The offense didn't fail this year but there's enough room for improvement to discuss. Just not enough to make people think you believe the offense was a significant problem. They were good enough to make the playoffs with that offense and with a very good defense could have made it to the SB with it.

 

[jobberone]

I don't think I've seen many people claiming our offense was an unstoppable juggernaut this past year, however they were one of the better offenses in the league. It's obvious that we would've made the playoffs had our defense been more stingey. I love the fact that our D produced more turnovers this year, but damn there were just way too many games where we gave up TD drive after TD drive.

The offense obviously works. We were effective in the red zone, and scored lots of points overall. What they need is more balance and to be more effective on 3rd down. The offense does not need an overhaul. It needs tweeked.

Think of it like this: if in 2014 our offense produces results practically identical to this past season, and our defense is above average, lets say top 12 in yards/points allowed, and we maintain the takeaways, do we make the playoffs?

Missed this before I posted mine above. You said it better.

And to another poster the SC% and RZ% was pretty darn good this year. Not at the very top but significantly improved from last year. As @Proximo said the offense needs a little tweaking. It needs to be in less 3rd and longs, a bit more consistent with drives, and a tad better in the RZ. A few less TOs would be good.

 

[Proximo]

Missed this before I posted mine above. You said it better.

And to another poster the SC% and RZ% was pretty darn good this year. Not at the very top but significantly improved from last year. As @Proximo said the offense needs a little tweaking. It needs to be in less 3rd and longs, a bit more consistent with drives, and a tad better in the RZ. A few less TOs would be good.

Thanks.

I just can't jive with the idea that "if our offense was better we'd have made the playoffs". Yes, it's true to a degree, but you could say that about almost every team that missed the playoffs. Our offense was playoff caliber this past year, they just didn't have a competent defense to compliment them.

Our offense shouldn't need to be a juggernaut in order for us to be successful as a team. And believe me, I'm one of the fans that liked the Kiffin/Marinelli hire and the switch to the 4-3. I just hope they can fix the defense before September.

 

[Kevinicus]

juggernaut - "a force that is relentlessly destructive, crushing, and insensitive"
This description is not what the Cowboys were this year. They could gain yardage between the 20s but when it came to scoring in the REDZONE and third down efficiency against good defenses they were not good. The OL was good enough to operate in the yardage but not good enough to score on the 5 yard line. The reason was at the guard position except when Waters was in the lineup. If you want "Juggernaut" then you need to start on the OL and run the ball for that sure 5 yard gain on third down and on the 5 yard line for 7 points. Now you are talking!

What the hell are you talking about? This is about the 2013 offense, not 2012. The only thing in your ramblings that relates to 2013 is the name Waters. In 2013 Redzone scoring was damn good, but yardage was lacking.