Twitter: Machota: Romo changed play on 3rd and goal play; Dez didn't know

[mugsybows]

the reason why i think a lot of people think tony changed the play is because at the line it looked like he was doing a lot of directing especially to T. Wills side. Then couple that with Dez on the sidelines at the end of the play in Tony's face pretty much acting like dude what happened? make it seem like the play was changed at the last second. Either way just a terrible call no matter who called it.

 

[Deep_South]

And why would you throw a screen to Williams? He's not overly big, he's not overly quick. He's a long stride guy that will probably do most of his damage on go routes. I just didn't understand any of that. I don't know what Tony saw there but whatever it was, I didn't see it.

It is what it is.

That is probably the worst play call I've seen in quite a while. Not only was Dez in single coverage, but he could have run a crossing route in front of the single coverage because there was no safety on that side of the field. That play came immediately after a false-start penalty, and Romo appeared to call the play at the line, but I have no way of knowing if it was an audible or if the play was called in to him after the penalty. It appears that after the penalty, Dez wasn't told what the play was going to be.

 

[Hoov]

The original play call had to have been the screen and Romo refused to audible out of it.

The idea that Romo would have audibled out of going to Dez and to go to that screen instead seems too preposterous to believe. It would be a firing offense.

Hopefully someone will ask Callahan or Romo about this.

 

[ufcrules1]

This one 100% falls on Romo. There is no way out of it. If the OC called for the screen.. then Romo should have audibled out of it and thrown to Dez, if the OC called the pass to Dez, then Romo shouldn't have audibled out of it. Brain farts in the red zone happen a lot with this team for some reason.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Sturm thinks it was because we played safe and for 3 points.

http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/n...feel-they-shouldv?blockID=940431&feedID=10194

The safest play on the field, from there is a draw or the Fade to the back of the EZ with Dez on a smaller CB man up. I don't think Sturm has it right here. If you miss on the fade, you still have the FG and to be honest, a screen in that area of the field is not all that safe a play. Too many guys in too small of an area. One DE that smells out the play or one LB and it's an INT and maybe 6 the other way. I can't say I agree with that take.

 

[Direwolf63]

I'm speculating but maybe it wasn't clear what the audible was. Was it a quick slant? A fade pass? A back shoulder throw? Maybe Romo didn't audible over because he wasn't sure what Dez was going to run.

It's a sheer guess on my part. But it's the only thing I can think of as to why Romo doesn't go to Dez in that situation.

On the play before, Flowers is playing bump and run, a perfect opportunity for a fade. Then we get penalty and moved 5 yards back. After that Flowers plays back, not bump and run. Maybe this added to the confusion for Romo. Who knows?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The original play call had to have been the screen and Romo refused to audible out of it.

The idea that Romo would have audibled out of going to Dez and to go to that screen instead seems too preposterous to believe. It would be a firing offense.

Exactly. It's not even like KC changed their defense at the last second -- that play was dead from the start.

Plus I would throw out TW on screens anyway because he's not a strong runner -- in college he pretty much went down on first contact. But that's secondary to this discussion.

I wonder if Bob could be right that the team was overly worried about a turnover there and was trying to play it safe. But that doesn't make much sense the way Dez was beasting all day.

BTW, I'm sure you guys heard that apparently the call was going to be a slant to Dez but Romo said the standup end was there ready to defend that. Seems like the thing to do there was the supposed new hand signal system where Romo signals a fade to Dez.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I'm speculating but maybe it wasn't clear what the audible was. Was it a quick slant? A fade pass? A back shoulder throw? Maybe Romo didn't audible over because he wasn't sure what Dez was going to run.

It's a sheer guess on my part. But it's the only thing I can think of as to why Romo doesn't go to Dez in that situation.

Well, I suppose that is possible but lets say that's the case. Why then would you call a screen, of all plays, to Williams there?

 

[WV Cowboy]

God this team is so stupid.. Quit tryin to outsmart everyone else and throw the ball to the playmaker.

I learned a long time ago coaching youth sports, .. don't get too cute, .. get the ball to your star players and just get out of the way.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

Whether Tony called that play or not it was a major fail & one of the plays you can point to as a reason we lost.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I learned a long time ago coaching youth sports, .. don't get too cute, .. get the ball to your star players and just get out of the way.

Key words YOU LEARNED!

Our guys seem incapable of that.

 

[The Natural]

The original play call had to have been the screen and Romo refused to audible out of it.

The idea that Romo would have audibled out of going to Dez and to go to that screen instead seems too preposterous to believe. It would be a firing offense.

The original play if I'm not mistaken had Williams (or another WR) lined up to the same side as Dez. When Romo audibled, Williams went to the other side of the field leaving Dez on an island. I find it hard to believe that the original play was going to be a screen to Williams lined up on the same side as Dez, basically using Dez as a decoy/blocker. Common sense says Romo audibled to the screen, and Dez (as the in-game commentator even said) never got the play, either way it wasn't going his way.

 

[Direwolf63]

Well, I suppose that is possible but lets say that's the case. Why then would you call a screen, of all plays, to Williams there?

I presume Romo has 2 options: run the play call (the screen) or audible (go to Dez). If you don't know what Dez is going to do you risk a turnover, maybe a pick 6. It's happened before.

So you go with your original play call and hope you get lucky. They didn't.

 

[EPL0c0]

Hopefully someone will ask Callahan or Romo about this.

Ultimately, at that distance and goal... the lack of a meaningful run game limits their options and makes the offense predictable and somewhat easy to counter unless a play is executed to absolute perfection...which is a standard that can't be relied upon with these guys

 

[links18]

There is a very simple reason for that play call (if not a very good one). Everyone is scared of committing a point denying turnover at that stage of the game and with that down and distance. Someone has made the decision that Romo needs to be controlled in those situtations. End result: a give-up play and three points.

 

[Direwolf63]

The original play if I'm not mistaken had Williams (or another WR) lined up to the same side as Dez. When Romo audibled, Williams went to the other side of the field leaving Dez on an island. I find it hard to believe that the original play was going to be a screen to Williams lined up on the same side as Dez, basically using Dez as a decoy/blocker. Common sense says Romo audibled to the screen, and Dez (as the in-game commentator even said) never got the play, either way it wasn't going his way.

I don't know, but this doesn't really make sense either. The reason you motion Williams over to the other side is to create the 1-on-1 for Dez in the first place. To motion Williams over to run the screen seems ridiculous to me. You motion Williams to create your mismatch, not to run a play where you have 7 or 8 guys all stacked up. The play had to chance.

You have to go to the mismatch on the other side that you created with the motion.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I presume Romo has 2 options: run the play call (the screen) or audible (go to Dez). If you don't know what Dez is going to do you risk a turnover, maybe a pick 6. It's happened before.

So you go with your original play call and hope you get lucky. They didn't.

No. You don't run that play there. That has no chance of working. I mean, you could audible to a run play and it would have a better chance of working. If you can't go to 1 on 1 matchup in the Red Zone with your best offensive player, then what does that say about your offense? At worst, even if Dez didn't pick up the Audible, assuming that's what it was and I have to say, it didn't look that way to me, then at worst you have a FG kick from the 9. Even if you take a sack, it's still a chip shot for our kicker. No, I just don't get any reason why you would run that play.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

There is a very simple reason for that play call (if not a very good one). Everyone is scared of committing a point denying turnover at that stage of the game and with that down and distance. Someone has made the decision that Romo needs to be controlled in those situtations. End result: a give-up play and three points.

Then why not call a draw or a straight dive to line up the kick? If what you are really going for is securing 3, why put the ball up at all? That screen was a risky play on it's own because there is all kinds of traffic on the goal line, plus, you are putting the ball in the hands of a Rookie who has already shown he will cough it up.

I don't see it.

 

[unionjack8]

did anybody see Dez pouting and mad at the sidelines after that? he knew he could get it done on single coverage but Romo never even looked at him.

he had every right to rip him a new one

 

[Direwolf63]

Another possibility: The Cowboys had pretty good success running the WR screen against Andy Reid with Ogletree a couple of years back in the same situation. Ogletree waltzed into the EZ on that play against teh Eagles. Maybe they just tried it again.