Maybe that vaunted offensive line isn't so good after all

[Dave_in-NC]

So what? Maybe he had a bad game. The offensive line played good enough for us to win.

Most of the team had a bad game. Why is that so hard to get? Special teams is the only part of the team that played well.

 

[Szczepanik]

Do you really expect no growing pains from a team with an average age of like 22-23? Doug is old he doesn't count. *No offense Doug*

We have a line of amazing rookies, there will be growing pains guys, step back from the ledge.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Teams have figured out there's blood in the water and all they have to do is sell out to stop the run, blitz Romo on obvious passing downs, and force us to pass more which Romo can't do anymore..

Based on?

 

[Blackspider214]

As good as they are run blocking, they are suspect in the pass blocking department. Especially the last month. They have been letting defenses get to Romo with ease and that started in the Skins game.

 

[CF74]

Based on?

Passses falling out of the air 15 yds short....

 

[Yakuza Rich]

The O-Line didn't play bad at all against the Eagles. Romo was off with his throws. The defense was a sieve and the offense needed to be more explosive and Romo couldn't read the blitzes right and was still missing his throws. Made it easy to tighten the screws against Murray. I think the idea is to overload players to Romo's right...then throw a bunch of joker blitzes. It appeared the gameplan was to run the ball and throw some screens...keep it simple for Romo and it was working pretty well. But, Romo's accuracy was off and it cost us on plays.




YR

 

[Rogerthat12]

I think Chip found a weakness and exposed it. Hope we fix it before we play them again.

He simply watched the Commander Game Tape!

 

[Beast_from_East]

As Jerry Jones said, the offensive line got whooped by Philly.

 

[cowboyblue22]

I don't think any of the players on this team are nearly as good as us fans think they are

 

[big dog cowboy]

I don't think any of the players on this team are nearly as good as us fans think they are

8-4 always means players are over rated in my book also.

 

[ctrous25]

. . They didn't get back to Monday morning from New Jersey. I knew before the giants game Thursday was gonna be a tough one and yeah I know Philly played Sunday also but at 1pm @ home, slept in their own beds and woke up Monday in them. We were flat as a team the entire game. Props to the eagles on the win

 

[Fredd]

I have a proposal to fix the OLine, but only @Fredd would find it amusing.

Put Parnell at LT and move Tyron to RT.

I do not believe that Tony would find that amusing when he is getting whacked in that expensive and damaged back....I like process improvement as much as the next guy....this would bring the start to the next phase of the cowboys (the "bad" years with tony getting knocked out suddenly, followed by the years of top 5 picks until they find a QB and groom him)....

 

[xwalker]

I do not believe that Tony would find that amusing when he is getting whacked in that expensive and damaged back....I like process improvement as much as the next guy....this would bring the start to the next phase of the cowboys (the "bad" years with tony getting knocked out suddenly, followed by the years of top 5 picks until they find a QB and groom him)....

Nope. They would truly have the best OL in football. Not just this season, but of all time.

 

[Red Dragon]

For all the people who claim Dallas has the best O-line in football: What would you tell other NFL fans who claim the same of their own team?

Would you tell them they're deluded?

They'd tell you you're deluded.

 

[mahoneybill]

Do you really expect no growing pains from a team with an average age of like 22-23? Doug is old he doesn't count. *No offense Doug*

We have a line of amazing rookies, there will be growing pains guys, step back from the ledge.

Even our 90's O Line, with more vets took time to jell. For us old-timers we can remember Kevin Gogan getting tossed like a rag doll by Reggie White, and Troy being sacked 11 times by an Eagles D.

A few years later, with Stepnoski, and Eric Williams , then Larry Allen , we turned the tables and became more reliable.

Even then, as quoted this weekend by Jimmy Johnson, we won many games by 7 points or less.... Big blowouts like Pats/GB haven't been part of our recent history.

 

[Fredd]

Nope. They would truly have the best OL in football. Not just this season, but of all time.

so parnell,. I mean xwalker...a little too much egg nog so early in the day?

 

[xwalker]

so parnell,. I mean xwalker...a little too much egg nog so early in the day?

Nope no, alcohol..yet.

No, I'm joking about Parnell to LT; although, he was good there in 2 games in 2012.

Next season, Parnell at RT, Martin in his 2nd year, Fred in his 3rd year. Leary in his 3rd year starting. Parnell needs a few more starts to get to his peak, but by mid-season next year he would be far superior to Free, IMO. The running game would be terrific with that lineup.

 

[Bluefin]

Parnell needs a few more starts to get to his peak, but by mid-season next year he would be far superior to Free, IMO. The running game would be terrific with that lineup.

I'd love to see how much more physical the offensive line might become with Jermey Parnell at RT.

If he had an entire off-season, training camp and pre-season to prepare as the starter, it could be really good.

I've no idea what the plan is at RT next year.

Maybe keeping Doug Free is the priority, maybe it's Parnell, maybe it ends up being someone else.

 

[Pokes12]

Every sports fan has a tendency to overrate his own team's talent and underrate the talent of other teams. Many times we've heard some fan proclaim, "The Cowboys have the best O-line in the league!" when, frankly, calling the Dallas offensive line "Top-10" would be more like it. The same fans sometimes also call Dez Bryant the best receiver in the league - again, he's in the Top 10.


On Thanksgiving, we saw the reality. The Cowboys' line surrendered 4 sacks, Murray gained only about 70 yards, and Dallas managed just ten points at home against Philadelphia.


Perhaps the unpleasant truth is that this offense cannot just impose its will on anyone it wants. It cannot just operate by giving Murray 30-35 carries a game and bulldozing every defense into submission. The Cowboys certainly ought to keep trying that tactic as long as they can, but it's not foolproof or invincible. December will tell.


Dallas has four games remaining to once again try its hand at the steamrolling offense that worked so well for it in Weeks 2-7. If it fails to work, then it's either Romo having to air it out 30-40 times a game - which sure didn't work out well in 2011, 2012 and 2013 - or season over.

So negative

 

[ScipioCowboy]

It's somewhat of a joke. I'm always campaigning to replace Free with Parnell. I spend multiple hours per week reviewing game footage and my favorite thing to review is the OLine. I'm convinced that Parnell would be a great player if he gets enough real-game experience. The Cowboys OL could be even better than it has been with a power run blocking RT instead of a finesse RT.

Free has no additional upside but Parnell does have upside with more experience. Parnell's issues were very few considering that he now has started 4 games compared to about 80 for Free. Coaches generally tend or error on the side of the more experienced player and the Cowboys are not known for benching the player with a bigger contract.

Parnell never played OL before coming to the Cowboys. He was basketball player in college and played 1 year on defense once his basketball eligibility was over. He came to the Cowboys at 270 pounds and had been a TE on the Saints practice squad. He has built himself into a hulking monster that is far stronger than Doug Free and that can physically intimidate defensive players. He's a far better power run blocker than Free. In the first Giants game with Parnell at RT they ran right 18 times. In the 2nd Giants game with Free at RT they ran right 6 times. Parnell didn't allow any sacks in the 3 games he started. People somehow blamed him for the Cowboys having problems in the Skins and AZ game, but again, he didn't allow any sacks.

I think it's more obvious after this game against the Eagles that the Cowboys offensive scheme has some issues with teams that blitz often. People wanted to blame that problem in the Skins game on the fact the Parnell was replacing Free. They wanted to blame both Parnell and Bern when they replaced Free and Leary in the AZ game. In reality, the Cowboys are not scheming properly to get rid of the ball quickly to beat teams that blitz often.

The scheme has been here seven years. I don't see it changing.