Mostly all Cowboy fans know where we need to improve

[McKDaddy]

When comparing it to the rest of the league I think it’s still elite.

This may be the worst it’s ever been for NFL Olines.

Easily top 7 Oline and probably top 5.

We completely disagree on this. I have a hard time seeing them any better than middle of the pack and honestly more like bottom third. I watch other teams (even with a lot of health issues, missing starters, etc) that function and at least give their team a balanced attack. Our line is doing nothing in the run game. Man on man across the board, they aren't getting much movement. Pass plays, sure they would benefit from the QB being more decisive. But still, they rarely form a nice pocket. Generally, there is a defender getting up field on someone which does create pressure even if it isn't immediate.

 

[Coogiguy03]

The line doesn’t consistently move defenders and create holes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the running game. They don’t pass protect long enough for Dak Prescott to feel comfortable going through his reads and throwing deep. They commit way too many penalties — an embarrassing 52 as a unit — and if they can’t play any better than they did Sunday against Arizona then the Cowboys’ offensive woes will continue.

Prescott led the Cowboys in rushing, which should never ever happen. Elliott and Pollard combined for 25 yards on 12 carries. Embarrassing

THE TWO BEST FRIENDS HAVE TO GO #4 AND #21

 

[CATCH17]

We completely disagree on this. I have a hard time seeing them any better than middle of the pack and honestly more like bottom third. I watch other teams (even with a lot of health issues, missing starters, etc) that function and at least give their team a balanced attack. Our line is doing nothing in the run game. Man on man across the board, they aren't getting much movement. Pass plays, sure they would benefit from the QB being more decisive. But still, they rarely form a nice pocket. Generally, there is a defender getting up field on someone which does create pressure even if it isn't immediate.

My guess is you watch Dallas and that’s about it.

We have one of the better Olines in the league. Not because it’s great but because everyone else’s is terrible.

Mobile QBs help a lot of these teams.

 

[blueblood70]

The line doesn’t consistently move defenders and create holes for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in the running game. They don’t pass protect long enough for Dak Prescott to feel comfortable going through his reads and throwing deep. They commit way too many penalties — an embarrassing 52 as a unit — and if they can’t play any better than they did Sunday against Arizona then the Cowboys’ offensive woes will continue.

Prescott led the Cowboys in rushing, which should never ever happen. Elliott and Pollard combined for 25 yards on 12 carries. Embarrassing

the trenches are always the key..both sides of the ball at some point had the trenches fail and we lose game because of it.

but yes indivuals mistakes from MANY players have torpedoed this team one game or another. its team game but only takes 1-2 players missing assignments or making mistakes to tilt close game ie 3 games lost by total of 8 Points combined, we all saw those mistakes that cost us 2 3point games and a 2point loss to the SB winner.

its that close sometimes and well if its not fixed in the playoffs, it will be short playoffs.

 

[blueblood70]

THE TWO BEST FRIENDS HAVE TO GO #4 AND #21

or Better yet, you have to go..yes i like that better.

Please take off the star and move on..

 

[blueblood70]

Offensive consistency is number 1 opportunity.
Reducing penalties is number 2

#2 is creating #1, that's a fact. a couple of big run plays and some pass plays called back over penalties.

 

[McKDaddy]

My guess is you watch Dallas and that’s about it.

We have one of the better Olines in the league. Not because it’s great but because everyone else’s is terrible.

Mobile QBs help a lot of these teams.

Nope. Generally, I watch probably 3-5 full games and portions of at least a couple more each week. I have the Ticket and I make a point to watch enough variety to give me a feel for the league as a whole.

We struggle with a team and the next week an Oline with no marquee players handles them easily. That's a pretty definitive measuring stick.

 

[CATCH17]

Nope. Generally, I watch probably 3-5 full games and portions of at least a couple more each week. I have the Ticket and I make a point to watch enough variety to give me a feel for the league as a whole.

We struggle with a team and the next week an Oline with no marquee players handles them easily. That's a pretty definitive measuring stick.

Pass blocking I don’t see this big struggle you speak of. It just doesn’t exist really.

Run blocking is a different story and a lot of that is trying to run between the tackles with a hobbled RB.

 

[JoeKing]

I disagree with the OP. Most Cowboy fans have an opinion of what needs to improve but they are actually clueless about where the biggest improvements need to be made.

 

[Aven8]

The Oline lost its mojo when Collins came back and replaced Steele. Than we started switching up the line a couple of times due to penalties and Tyron’s injury. Mike spoke about continuity all year and it’s obviously the factor.

Having said that, run the damn ball and if you’re going to dink and dunk run some shallow crossing routes West Coast style or something to get the balls in the playmakers hands. Quit running everything so far downfield.

 

[McKDaddy]

Pass blocking I don’t see this big struggle you speak of. It just doesn’t exist really.

Run blocking is a different story and a lot of that is trying to run between the tackles with a hobbled RB.

That's cool. We see this issue a little differently. Pass pro might be because I ding the Oline for allowing pressure. Even though the QB may still have time to get it out, having to move & avoid defenders swiping at his arm while still trying to keep eyes downfield & deliver the ball is a significant issue. Successful pass pro for me is giving the QB a chance to deliver the ball before he is pressured. They allow immediate \ semi immediate pressure too often in my opinion. Not to say that QB can't do a better job of handling that, but I still don't grade it as good OL play.

 

[RonnieT24]

Here's the thing about the Cowboys' problems and fans. Seems like every fan sees the player or unit they don't like as "THE" problem. In reality.. it's all of them.. Dak is sometimes off on his passes.. but is still in the top 10 in completion percentage so he's not NEARLY as off as the people who dislike him like to put out there. Zeke is hurt.. nuff said. They should have sat him down for 2-3 weeks to heal up.. they didn't. Whose fault is that? That's right coaches.. Pollard breaks off a big play every 25-30 carries.. The other times he's not doing much more than Zeke.. and when it comes to blocking he's doing less. He also managed to get hurt and miss a game despite playing half the snaps Zeke does.. The Cowboys receivers are first or second in the league in drops.. Again, nuff said.. Are they getting open? Sometimes.. but on a lot of occasions they aren't.. and in recent weeks because teams have been ignoring the run and dropping 7 and 8 into coverage.. none of them are getting open with any regularity.

Which brings us to the line.. They are giving up pressure to 3 and 4 man rushes.. That is inexcusable. I see all the stuff about PFF saying they're a good run blocking line and have started watching plays unfold with an eye on that.. And as one would guess, on most run plays.. they are good.. all except for one of them.. It's not always the same one.. but on almost every running play one guy gets beat clean and his man blows up the play. Now sometimes Zeke or Pollard will beat that one guy but most times that guy is a 280 pound man with super human strength.. You're not just going to punk that guy very often. You fight for 1-2 yards and be happy. Thing is.. if you run it and 4 of the 5 guys blocks his man that's an 80% win rate on the line. Is that good? I honestly don't know.. but that means that 5th guy lost and his man is in our backfield. So to ME it's bad. I don't care what PFF says..

Two other things I notice about the run blocking.. I'm sure everyone has noticed how rarely we power or drive block. Everything is zone blocking which makes our guys stand up and get punched in the mouth even on running plays. I'm sorry but that is just horrible.. So in addition to getting punched in the mouth on the 45 pass plays they gotta take it on the chin in the run game too? Oh HALE NAW!! That's on the damn coaches.. The other thing about zone blocking is that because it does not assign a hat on a hat, defenses know they can wait for the line to take its slide step and send a guy off the back side edges to get to our slow developing shotgun delay runs before the back even gets the ball. Sometimes we assign a tight end to that backside guy.. and that's usually not a fair fight. None of our tight ends is going to block a Chandler Jones with any regularity. Again coaching..

The other thing I don't like about zone blocking is that it doesn't really assign a point of attack.. Instead the back is supposed to "press the hole" (keep creeping towards the line of scrimmage as long as possible) and wait for an opening then cut to that opening. But what are the backs supposed to do when the opening doesn't come? Bounce it outside right? We all know one legged Zeke aint bouncin nothin outside.. Pollard obviously can but he gets dropped for a loss about as often as he makes a big play when he does it. It's the NFL.. you're not outrunning people to the edges regularly.. you need your receivers and tight ends to block.. Our don't.. so we're in a pickle..

So that's a long winded way of stating that the Cowboys offense has a lot of problems... Some of them are fixable.. The run blocking schemes we can fix.. We can exploit the defense dropping 8 guys into coverage by our QB simply taking off for 8-10 yards every time they do it. If Dak runs decisively and stresses the defense they will have to keep the backers up closer to the line after the snap which will create passing lanes over the middle in front of the 2 deep shell. We can fix the number of times we gets stuffed in the run game by simply calling more off tackle and outside runs and use more drive blocking .. also run less out of shotgun so the backs get to hit the hole with a head of steam. Running up the middle behind a center who is outmatched is just stoopid. Running slow developing plays that don't account for back side defenders is just AS stoopid. Never making much of an effort to establish the run is stoopid.. Much like Dak running ANY running keeps the backers closer to the line and provides passing lanes. If you don't run then you're letting the defense dictate a bunch of dumpoff passes will define your offense. That's an epic fail IMHO.

 

[fivetwos]

the trenches are always the key..both sides of the ball at some point had the trenches fail and we lose game because of it.

but yes indivuals mistakes from MANY players have torpedoed this team one game or another. its team game but only takes 1-2 players missing assignments or making mistakes to tilt close game ie 3 games lost by total of 8 Points combined, we all saw those mistakes that cost us 2 3point games and a 2point loss to the SB winner.

its that close sometimes and well if its not fixed in the playoffs, it will be short playoffs.

Ya know, this team is good enough to get it done.

It's not perfect but neither is any team.....and it's always one or two plays that would have made all the damn difference.

Translation: even if some of it is self inflicted, we aren't getting very many breaks.

Good teams need those also to win it all.

 

[blueblood70]

Ya know, this team is good enough to get it done.

It's not perfect but neither is any team.....and it's always one or two plays that would have made all the damn difference.

Translation: even if some of it is self inflicted, we aren't getting very many breaks.

Good teams need those also to win it all.

lets pray my friend, we need playoff win to calm fans down.

 

[CATCH17]

That's cool. We see this issue a little differently. Pass pro might be because I ding the Oline for allowing pressure. Even though the QB may still have time to get it out, having to move & avoid defenders swiping at his arm while still trying to keep eyes downfield & deliver the ball is a significant issue. Successful pass pro for me is giving the QB a chance to deliver the ball before he is pressured. They allow immediate \ semi immediate pressure too often in my opinion. Not to say that QB can't do a better job of handling that, but I still don't grade it as good OL play.

It’s the NFL. If you needed perfection for your QB to operate then you shouldn’t have paid him 40 million.

If asking him to slide a step over and make a throw is too much to ask then maybe you should’ve gone a different route.

 

[Coogiguy03]

or Better yet, you have to go..yes i like that better.

Please take off the star and move on..

Only if you take off your wig

 

[RonnieT24]

That's cool. We see this issue a little differently. Pass pro might be because I ding the Oline for allowing pressure. Even though the QB may still have time to get it out, having to move & avoid defenders swiping at his arm while still trying to keep eyes downfield & deliver the ball is a significant issue. Successful pass pro for me is giving the QB a chance to deliver the ball before he is pressured. They allow immediate \ semi immediate pressure too often in my opinion. Not to say that QB can't do a better job of handling that, but I still don't grade it as good OL play.

Too many fans see Dak shake off defenders and still make the throw and act as if that was "good protection." The other thing is that we have too many plays which call for the receivers to run to a spot and stop against 7 and 8 man drops. Yes, the QB is going to have a lot of time in those instances.. but there isn't going to be anybody open except the dumpoff. And that's by design.. because that's exactly what the defense wants..

Someone asked where they can find the numbers on QB pressures earlier.. I found this site..


https://www.fantasypros.com/nfl/advanced-stats-qb.php

This site says Dak has been knocked down 47 times this season.. 10th most in the league.. It has him 15th in hurries with 44. He is #1 in times blitzed with 182.. His 81 "poor passes" sits him at 14th.. Brady is #1 with 128.. Mahomes (106) is #3.. Stafford (102) is #4, Rodgers (90) is #7. How is it that all these guys who everyone would say are better passers than Prescott have thrown more "poor" passes... Cowboys receivers have been credited with 29 drops.. 5th most in the league.. Somebody is being generous because I could swear they had that many in the four game stretch between Denver, ATL, KC and Vegas. In any case.. Do what you will with the data.. But anybody claiming Dak "has ample time" to throw the ball and is just a bad passer will need to explain these numbers.. Because they say different.. a lot different..

 

[fivetwos]

lets pray my friend, we need playoff win to calm fans down.

Yeah but I'm also one of them lol.

I do believe they will win a home playoff, and have a decent shot at breaking the road streak (which would be nice to get rid of).....but I don't think they can win two road playoffs after the first.

Now.....my own measure of success this season was getting past Garrett level, which is getting into an NFC title game. So if that happens I can't and won't be upset.

That means at least the road streak and not winning divisional round streaks are behind us.

 

[Cmac]

It’s not spot on. It’s just wrong. Our pass protection is more than fine.

OK......as for pass protection.......did you see Budda Baker against TPollard? How about run blocking........scheme ain't working. Splash play here and there has everyone marveling about TPollard. Just sayin'. Let's do the easy......blame Zeke.

 

[CCBoy]

probably, quarterback, a good quarterback can hide bad offensive play. a scrub makes bad offensive look worse.

First and foremost, the Cowboys’ offense needs to play a complete game. Since the Broncos matchup, Dallas is the 28th ranked offense in the second half of games but the ninth-ranked offense in the first half. We saw the inverse of this against the Cardinals, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that the offense can’t sustain a full game’s worth of productivity.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...matchup-final-regular-season-game-2021-season