News: Matt Bowen Film Study: Demarco Murray's Run Production

[WoodysGirl]

7. DeMarco Murray’s Production

The Cowboys offense is tough to prep for because of the balance they have in the call sheet, along with the multiple ways they can attack opposing defenses in the run game.

With one-back schemes, the Cowboys can create running lanes for Murray using zone technique or pulling blockers at the point of attack to fit up on second-level defenders in both Ace/12 and Posse/11 personnel.

This is the one-back Counter OF the Cowboys executed on Sunday night in the win over the Saints.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind


As you can see, the Cowboys pull both the guard and Jason Witten (aligned off the ball) to account for the two inside ‘backers. That allows Murray to square his pads and get through the second level to the secondary.

Given that the Texans have struggled to limit the run game in both their base and sub-package personnel, I would look for the Cowboys to carry a similar game plan with Murray this Sunday. That means more one-back schemes behind an offensive line that is moving people up front.


Read the rest: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2217425-matt-bowens-week-5-nfl-film-study

 

[xwalker]

That's a nice gif, but It's against my principles to click on a BleacherReport link.

Leary really blows up that LB.

 

[Seven]

That's a nice gif, but It's against my principles to click on a BleacherReport link.

Leary really blows up that LB.

Yes he did..............nice.

 

[WoodysGirl]

That's a nice gif, but It's against my principles to click on a BleacherReport link.

Leary really blows up that LB.

No worries. The part that I posted is the only Cowboys bit. The rest were other tidbits he made about other teams/players.

I feel you about Bleacher Report. I'm selective in what I share from them. Since he's a former player, I'll give him some run occasionally.

 

[Crown Royal]

That safety play is horrific. lol

 

[Gaede]

Love Leary on that play

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Give Free some props too...guy tried to beat him with speed then hesitated and Free took him 5 yards out of the play

 

[kapolani]

The safety didn't want anything to do with Murray there.

 

[xwalker]

No worries. The part that I posted is the only Cowboys bit. The rest were other tidbits he made about other teams/players.

I feel you about Bleacher Report. I'm selective in what I share from them. Since he's a former player, I'll give him some run occasionally.

It's often very tempting because of the headlines on some of their articles, but I've managed to resist so far. I try to use the same approach with some message board posters when they've shown th

Give Free some props too...guy tried to beat him with speed then hesitated and Free took him 5 yards out of the play

No, that defenders 1st responsibility on a running play is to be in place if it's an outside run. The defender took himself to that spot and Free walled him off (wall-off block). Callahan and the offensive coaches are using the blocking scheme to get Free into these type of blocks where he does not have try to move a defender with raw power. It works, but Free didn't really move the defender more than a couple of inches.

 

[Eanwen]

Watching this live I couldn't tell if it was a counter or power 0. I don't know if it was designed this way or not but notice how Murray doesn't immediately follow Leary. Great play, especially out of shotgun.

 

[ConstantReboot]

One thing that I noticed about this play is that when Murray stopped then juked left than ran right, it froze the entire D for a split second. I think that Murray fools the defense with that hesitation juke and then explodes towards the other direction.

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

It's often very tempting because of the headlines on some of their articles, but I've managed to resist so far. I try to use the same approach with some message board posters when they've shown th


No, that defenders 1st responsibility on a running play is to be in place if it's an outside run. The defender took himself to that spot and Free walled him off (wall-off block). Callahan and the offensive coaches are using the blocking scheme to get Free into these type of blocks where he does not have try to move a defender with raw power. It works, but Free didn't really move the defender more than a couple of inches.

Nope

 

[BAT]

It's often very tempting because of the headlines on some of their articles, but I've managed to resist so far. I try to use the same approach with some message board posters when they've shown th


No, that defenders 1st responsibility on a running play is to be in place if it's an outside run. The defender took himself to that spot and Free walled him off (wall-off block). Callahan and the offensive coaches are using the blocking scheme to get Free into these type of blocks where he does not have try to move a defender with raw power. It works, but Free didn't really move the defender more than a couple of inches.

I know you prefer Parnell but do you really dislike Free? Free may not have wowed anyone but he did his job on that play. In any event, Parnell will get his chance (like he gets every pre-season I guess) to win the starting RT spot because Cowboys may not have the dollars to pay Free after paying Murray, Dez and whatever decisions they make on D (Melton, Carter, Spears, another FA).

 

[xwalker]

I know you prefer Parnell but do you really dislike Free? Free may not have wowed anyone but he did his job on that play. In any event, Parnell will get his chance (like he gets every pre-season I guess) to win the starting RT spot because Cowboys may not have the dollars to pay Free after paying Murray, Dez and whatever decisions they make on D (Melton, Carter, Spears, another FA).

No, something looks a little better with Free this year. He is more aggressive on running plays. If a DL gets himself out of position, Free will pop him which is good to see; however, in straight up blocking where the defender is square, Free is the only 1 of the 5 that can't get movement and has difficulty maintaining the block in that situation.

The bottom line is that Free is good enough within this scheme, but if people want to know the reason for his improvement it's because they scheme to keep him out of situations that he can't handle.

On the play where the announcer highlighted Free making a good block, the defender was slanting to the offensive left and the run was to the right. This made it easy for Free to just give the defender a push in the direction that his momentum was already taking him.

Both Free and Parnell are free agents after the season. Somebody in the Cowboys organization appears to really like Weems because they kept him as an inactive developmental player for all of 2013 and then started 2014 with him on the 53 until they decided that he needed shoulder surgery and put him on IR.

If they were going to give Parnell a chance next year, they should find a way to get him some snaps this season at RT. They did bring him in as TE at the end of the Saints game, but they probably should have let him play RT in the final series of that game. Some other teams do find snaps for backup OLinemen on occasion, but the Cowboys have only done it the 1 time in 2012 when they rotated Parnell with Free.

As much as a like Parnell's potential, I will say that he has generally been terrible (mental mistakes) as a blocking TE. Even when he played OT in the preseason, his worst snap is usually his first snap of the game.

The funny thing is that play by Tyron against the Saints where he shoved the defender into the backfield several yards with one hand was widely praised as a great play; however, when I highlighted Parnell making the same exact play in the preseason, I got a response that the defender just took himself out of the play with his momentum. Unfortunately, I don't have access to that game anymore or I would try to make a Gif of it.

 

[Sydla]

That gif shows how good the OL is. Frederick and Martin just nail their guys and they get no push, Leary comes around and flattens the LB, Witten gets his guy, etc.

Not to take anything away from Smith who is awesome, but if Leary keeps progressing and Martin and Frederick are as good as their hype, this interior OL is going to destroy DLs for years to come.