Lets talk about the first interception

[couchscout]

That sounds great and all. But if Dez was suppose to break the route off after 10-12 why was the ball thrown 15+ yards down field? Even if it was a deep dig route, the qb should not throw the ball with a db trailing and a safety over the top. That route is dead right then and there.

Just look at that replay hairc put up, at the top of his route, when Dez took off to the post, if he had run directly straight across the field, that ball would have hit him right in the hands at or just above eye level. That is the design of the play. This is what I do for a living, I watch all these games many many times over and this play is specifically designed to do exactly what I'm saying. I've seen it over and over and over and over. Dez runs a dig instead of a post and it's a 15+ yard completion and the offense is still in business. Don't worry though, Romo would have had many more plays to mess up so you could tell us all how right you are.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Yup.

Romo didn't look the safety off either. All you need is one step, Brown didn't make one. Dez squaring off the route may have prevented the INT, but it's real iffy. Romo has to look off Brown, see if Brown makes a step towards Austin, then fire to Dez if he does.





YR

And look at the arc on the pass. It was begging to be picked.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Watch Brown and Romo at Romo's release point. Brown *not once* takes a step towards Miles. Why? Romo never looked him off. And at the release point, Brown is breaking towards the throw.

I have to blame Romo more than Dez. Dez squaring the route off would have made it more difficult, but it was a bad decision because Brown had a beat on the throw the entire way.






YR

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Just look at that replay hairc put up, at the top of his route, when Dez took off to the post, if he had run directly straight across the field, that ball would have hit him right in the hands at or just above eye level. That is the design of the play. This is what I do for a living, I watch all these games many many times over and this play is specifically designed to do exactly what I'm saying. I've seen it over and over and over and over. Dez runs a dig instead of a post and it's a 15+ yard completion and the offense is still in business. Don't worry though, Romo would have had many more plays to mess up so you could tell us all how right you are.

Seems to me that when Dezgets about 10 yds down field that if the QB sees what we see then he throws the ball down the seam and Dez runs by the safety for a big catch rather than having to adjust to an arcing pass right to the safety. Is there some onus on the QB to improvise on the play and read the defense as well? Or is it just on the WR?

 

[TonyS]

My point was that the decision to throw the ball at the start of the play was bad because there was triple coverage. In addition, regardless of what Dez did, the safety jumped it and the pick was going to happen. What Dez did was inconsequential.

Cajun, Dez arrived a little beyond the spot where the ball was caught a split second after the DB caught it. In reviewing CoachScout's post, I agree. I think Dez was planning on going straight down the field and only adjusted to the middle when he saw the ball in the air. He was "running his own route" rather than the designed route. Your question is good about who's onus it is to make the change, Romo's or Dez's.

 

[Chinfu]

Look at the gaping hole in the zone. Dez is running a post instead of a square in. He cuts right in front of the safety for an easy catch if he runs his route.

Look at Couchscout post for further commentary.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

And look at the arc on the pass. It was begging to be picked.

Had to arc it over the LB.

What you need is for Brown to make 1 step the other way. If he does, then that throw is a completion.

However, given Miles' route, I doubt that Brown goes that way even if Romo tries to look him off.

To me, this is Romo's biggest weakness.





YR

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Cajun, Dez arrived a little beyond the spot where the ball was caught a split second after the DB caught it. The video on the board clearly shows him running more of a J route than an L. He runs a sharper route and its either a reception or a broken up pass by the safety. Romo's only mistake was trusting Dez to run the proper route.

I just disagree. I see where the release was from Romo in relation to Dez and the safety and know it should never have been thrown. All of that aside, the throw itself was awful as it was so arcing it was prime to be picked.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Had to arc it over the LB.

What you need is for Brown to make 1 step the other way. If he does, then that throw is a completion.

However, given Miles' route, I doubt that Brown goes that way even if Romo tries to look him off.

To me, this is Romo's biggest weakness.





YR

And that is what I was saying to start with. It never should have been thrown.

EDIT...After rewatching, the LB was past the point of the throw so he didn't have to arc the pass that much.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Cajun, Dez arrived a little beyond the spot where the ball was caught a split second after the DB caught it. The video on the board clearly shows him running more of a J route than an L. He runs a sharper route and its either a reception or a broken up pass by the safety. Romo's only mistake was trusting Dez to run the proper route.

Romo never looked off Brown. Again, stop the video at Romo's release point, Brown is breaking on the ball and has never taken a step the other way.




YR

 

[TonyS]

I just disagree. I see where the release was from Romo in relation to Dez and the safety and know it should never have been thrown. All of that aside, the throw itself was awful as it was so arcing it was prime to be picked.

Well, I guess we can both agree that this play was one of many mistakes made by multiple players in a game we should've won.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

Well, I guess we can both agree that this play was one of many mistakes made by multiple players in a game we should've won.

No argument there.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

And that is what I was saying to start with. It never should have been thrown.

I agree. But Dez is an easy target here, so people blame him.

I think it's part of the problem with the offense...the design. Witten played great and all, but we don't have a quick Y receiver to take a 8 yard pass and run it 10-15 yards after the catch. We run a route where the safety and D-Coordinator have a pretty good call for it and Miles' route is not going to fake the safety.




YR

 

[JustDezIt]

Well, I guess we can both agree that this play was one of many mistakes made by multiple players in a game we should've won.

Very true. I just wanted to see if others saw it the way I did, thus starting the thread and taking my mind off the end result.

 

[Ender]

Just look at that replay hairc put up, at the top of his route, when Dez took off to the post, if he had run directly straight across the field, that ball would have hit him right in the hands at or just above eye level. That is the design of the play. This is what I do for a living, I watch all these games many many times over and this play is specifically designed to do exactly what I'm saying. I've seen it over and over and over and over. Dez runs a dig instead of a post and it's a 15+ yard completion and the offense is still in business. Don't worry though, Romo would have had many more plays to mess up so you could tell us all how right you are.

I'm not trying to be right or wrong. First you said he should have ran the route 10 - 12 yards, now your saying its a 15 yard dig route. They were on the 45 yard line, the ball was picked off at the 35. I'm no genius, I'm no scout or coach, but I can count a little bit. Even if it was a 15 yard dig, the ball traveled 20 yards. So if it was a dig Romo would have probably over thrown Dez. Either way, Romo shouldn't have thrown the pass.

 

[couchscout]

Seems to me that when Dezgets about 10 yds down field that if the QB sees what we see then he throws the ball down the seam and Dez runs by the safety for a big catch rather than having to adjust to an arcing pass right to the safety. Is there some onus on the QB to improvise on the play and read the defense as well? Or is it just on the WR?

Absolutely no onus on the QB to change the play, mid-play. None. As long as they are still operating within the framework of the play (ie. QB still in the pocket.) The QB can and does change the play before the ball is snapped, but once that happens, everyone is to run the play the way it was called. Dez didn't. That play is designed for him to run a dig. End of story.

Here, I'll explain the actual design of the play. Most of what people call "playaction" is not actually that. If you see the QB tuck the ball with one hand, and use his hand to fake a handoff, that is not technically playaction, at least not in the traditional sense, and it rarely has any effect on LBs. Now, what Romo did, was stick the ball out, or "show" it in football vernacular. Doing this is much more effective at manipulating LBs, but it's more dangerous, as the ball is not very secure. The play is designed for the QB to "show" the ball, forcing the LBs to come up (they did) and for the WR to beat this guy inside off the line (he did) and then run a dig route catching the ball in front of the safety but behind the LBs in the gaping hole created by "showing" the ball (he didn't).

I truly wish I could say otherwise, I don't think you realize how bad I want Dez to be what he could be. He simply is not, and shows absolutely no signs of trending toward it either. Now, not all hope is lost, he could possibly turn it all around, I'll never totally give up on him or any other player. To me it's just an extremely small chance.

Cajun, you know I like you, we've agreed about many things, and we've disagreed before too. On this, you're wrong man. Dez ran the wrong route (note that I'm not saying he rounded off his route like other people here, I'm saying he ran the wrong route) and it caused an INT. Romo still didn't play a great game, and Garrett still didn't coach a great game, so you can still harp on those two with impunity from me , but Dez definitely messed up here.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I agree. But Dez is an easy target here, so people blame him.

I think it's part of the problem with the offense...the design. Witten played great and all, but we don't have a quick Y receiver to take a 8 yard pass and run it 10-15 yards after the catch. We run a route where the safety and D-Coordinator have a pretty good call for it and Miles' route is not going to fake the safety.




YR

I really think they need to use Harris more than OTree. I think he is faster and we need more speed.

 

[Clove]

Who cares if he ran the wrong route in that situation? Should not have been thrown with the Safety just sitting there on top. It's not like the safety is just going to allow Dez to cross right in front of him and sit there like a statue.

The play action was horrible, he had all day to throw the ball, and that's where he went. You can dress it up as much as you want, and by the way, Dez is dumb, but your QB is supposed to be smarter than him.

 

[Tabascocat]

Bottom line from my point of view, Romo, coaches and receivers are all at fualt. But the main blame goes on Garrett for allowing receivers to keep makings errors. If they cant run a correct route, play someone who can. I dont care if they are less talented but stupid never prevails.

 

[couchscout]

I'm not trying to be right or wrong. First you said he should have ran the route 10 - 12 yards, now your saying its a 15 yard dig route. They were on the 45 yard line, the ball was picked off at the 35. I'm no genius, I'm no scout or coach, but I can count a little bit. Even if it was a 15 yard dig, the ball traveled 20 yards. So if it was a dig Romo would have probably over thrown Dez. Either way, Romo shouldn't have thrown the pass.

Meh, I said 15 yard the second time because that's the only depth we run dig routes in my offense. My bad. I don't care about the depth here though, wherever the top of Dez's route was, he should have made a 90 degree cut, not a 150 degree one.

Also, you realize that if Dez had been standing there at 15 yards directly int he path of the ball, it would have hit him at eye level? Right? How far the ball traveled when the person who was supposed to be there to stop it, wasn't there, is completely and totally irrelevant.