Norm Hitzges on the Offense

[jazzcat22]

This morning on Norm's show, he was talkking about the Offense, and how special it could be this year.

First he commented on yards. Said no one looks at the scoreboard and says, wow our team is up by 19 yards.
Gave Denver as an example.
but also said Denver lead the league in scoring by an average of 10 points more per game than the closest team. Said then there were a group of teams just over the 27 point average. NE, Philly, Dallas, and a few others.

Can't compare an offense from year to year, but one would reason, Denver, NE, Philly, will they average that much again, yes they will. So should the Cowboys.

You have Romo, the 8th to 14th best QB [his opinion], same for Murray, 8 to 14.
Now Murray of all the RB's with 8 or more carries in a game, averaged the best at 5.2 YPC. That's a great number.

You have Dez, top 12 WR if not higher, Williams will be better, Escobar will be better, and then there is Witten.

You have an OL with 3 1st round picks in last 4 years, then for once some depth now in Bernadeau. How many other teams can say this, maybe the 49ers?

So eveything should be better, possibly a top 5 offense without a doubt. And within that, it helps the defense.

Probably missing something, but sounds great to me.

 

[elcowboi]

It does have the chance to be special. It would help the defense greatly if the offense can establish a dominant running game.

 

[Wheeltax]

I'd love to see someone name 11 WRs better than Dez Bryant. Or for that matter 13 QBs better than Romo.

I know that's not the point of what he was talking about but I found those to be weird numbers.

 

[CowboyGil]

I'd love to see someone name 11 WRs better than Dez Bryant. Or for that matter 13 QBs better than Romo.

I know that's not the point of what he was talking about but I found those to be weird numbers.

Agreed. And I love your Dez quote!

 

[NJ22]

It does have the chance to be special. It would help the defense greatly if the offense can establish a dominant running game.

Amen! The stat that jumps out is Murrays ypc is the best in the league for starting rb's yet people keep letting the play calling off the hook when they say we had to pass because we couldn't run. BS! Hopefully the D will improve but there is not guaranteed, so the # one stat besides the final score you should want to dominate in it time of possession, and that is all about running the ball.
Whooa, I just re-read Norm's words..Dez top 12 wr maybe higher??? LOL! Try top 5 at least!

 

[Dwight]

The offense will be scary as long as Romo is healthy.

If Jason G. can improve his game management skills this team could sneak into the playoffs.

 

[jazzcat22]

I'd love to see someone name 11 WRs better than Dez Bryant. Or for that matter 13 QBs better than Romo.

I know that's not the point of what he was talking about but I found those to be weird numbers.

I thought they were too. I think they were being on the conservative side with the numbers, especially Dez.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Well of course our offense should be great. Look at all the talent on that side of the ball. Look at all the high draft picks we've spent on it the last few years.

 

[rpntex]

Amen! The stat that jumps out is Murrays ypc is the best in the league for starting rb's yet people keep letting the play calling off the hook when they say we had to pass because we couldn't run. BS! Hopefully the D will improve but there is not guaranteed, so the # one stat besides the final score you should want to dominate in it time of possession, and that is all about running the ball.
Whooa, I just re-read Norm's words..Dez top 12 wr maybe higher??? LOL! Try top 5 at least!

It's not that we couldn't run the ball, but that we couldn't run when we needed to. Detroit game is a great example. Needing to run the clock out, we end up with two losses and a holding penalty. Even though Dallas kicked a FG to extend a 3-point lead to 6, that holding penalty stopped the clock and allowed the Lions an extra 40 seconds they wouldn't have were it not for the penalty. Or the Minnesota game. Murray averaged nearly 8 YPB (7.75). However, he got 27 yards on one run. The rest of his carries on the day averaged 0.67 YPC.

My point is that stats can sometimes skew things. Dallas did run the ball better---and more often---late in the season. The first 10 games of the season, with Callahan calling the plays, Murray averaged 11.1 carries per game, with a very nice YPC average of 4.93. After the bye, after Garrett supposedly took over the play calling duty, Murray averaged 16.6 carries per game (+5.5), for a whopping 6.35 YPC.

The timing coincides with the offensive line "gelling", so I have no reason to doubt that the trend (running the ball more, and running it better) will continue with an OL that's even more improved through the addition of Zac Martin.

As for Dez, I don't know that he's top 5 just yet, but if not, he's within a step of being so. Presently, I'd place Calvin Johnson, AJ Green, Damaryus Thomas, Larry Fitzgerald, and Julio Jones ahead of him, but nobody else.

 

[jazzcat22]

As for Dez, I don't know that he's top 5 just yet, but if not, he's within a step of being so. Presently, I'd place Calvin Johnson, AJ Green, Damaryus Thomas, Larry Fitzgerald, and Julio Jones ahead of him, but nobody else.

Can't argue with that at all.

 

[NJ22]

It's not that we couldn't run the ball, but that we couldn't run when we needed to. Detroit game is a great example. Needing to run the clock out, we end up with two losses and a holding penalty. Even though Dallas kicked a FG to extend a 3-point lead to 6, that holding penalty stopped the clock and allowed the Lions an extra 40 seconds they wouldn't have were it not for the penalty. Or the Minnesota game. Murray averaged nearly 8 YPB (7.75). However, he got 27 yards on one run. The rest of his carries on the day averaged 0.67 YPC.

My point is that stats can sometimes skew things. Dallas did run the ball better---and more often---late in the season. The first 10 games of the season, with Callahan calling the plays, Murray averaged 11.1 carries per game, with a very nice YPC average of 4.93. After the bye, after Garrett supposedly took over the play calling duty, Murray averaged 16.6 carries per game (+5.5), for a whopping 6.35 YPC.

The timing coincides with the offensive line "gelling", so I have no reason to doubt that the trend (running the ball more, and running it better) will continue with an OL that's even more improved through the addition of Zac Martin.

As for Dez, I don't know that he's top 5 just yet, but if not, he's within a step of being so. Presently, I'd place Calvin Johnson, AJ Green, Damaryus Thomas, Larry Fitzgerald, and Julio Jones ahead of him, but nobody else.

The Green Bay game was late in the season when the running game was at it's best yet we decided to stop using it for some ridiculous reason and give a game away. I will put Calvin and Larry and Gordon if he is allowed to play ahead of him for now, but no one else IMO

 

[Aggie87]

Or for that matter 13 QBs better than Romo.

I don't dislike Romo at all, but I bet none of these teams would trade these starters straight up for Romo:

NE - Tom Brady
GB - Aaron Rodgers
Ind - Andrew Luck
Den - Peyton Manning
Sea - Russell Wilson
SF - Colin Kapernick
NO - Drew Brees
Car - Cam Newton
Pit - Ben Roethlisberger
Was - RGIII
Bal - Joe Flacco
Atl - Matt Ryan
Det - Matthew Stafford
SD - Philip Rivers

You may quibble with one or two of them, but I still don't think their teams would rather have Romo than their QB.

 

[rpntex]

The Green Bay game was late in the season when the running game was at it's best yet we decided to stop using it for some ridiculous reason and give a game away. I will put Calvin and Larry and Gordon if he is allowed to play ahead of him for now, but no one else IMO

I agree with you specifically regarding the Green Bay game, but one game does not negate the trend in general. Dallas ran the ball better and more often after the bye.

 

[jazzcat22]

I don't dislike Romo at all, but I bet none of these teams would trade these starters straight up for Romo:

NE - Tom Brady
GB - Aaron Rodgers
Ind - Andrew Luck
Den - Peyton Manning
Sea - Russell Wilson
SF - Colin Kapernick
NO - Drew Brees
Car - Cam Newton
Pit - Ben Roethlisberger
Was - RGIII
Bal - Joe Flacco
Atl - Matt Ryan
Det - Matthew Stafford
SD - Philip Rivers

You may quibble with one or two of them, but I still don't think their teams would rather have Romo than their QB.

It's not a matter if they would trade straight up. And just because a teams success, doesn't mean they are a better QB either.
On the flip side, how many QB's would Dallas trade romo for straight up. Do you think they would want Roethlisberger at this point over Romo?

Wilson may have won a SB win a GREAT defense, and he plays smart, but is he really better than Romo, can he carry a team like Romo shown he can do?

 

[rpntex]

It's not a matter if they would trade straight up. And just because a teams success, doesn't mean they are a better QB either.
On the flip side, how many QB's would Dallas trade romo for straight up. Do you think they would want Roethlisberger at this point over Romo?

Take it a step further...

is there a QB on that list that would have made one bit of difference on this team last year?

 

[Proximo]

It's not a matter if they would trade straight up. And just because a teams success, doesn't mean they are a better QB either.
On the flip side, how many QB's would Dallas trade romo for straight up. Do you think they would want Roethlisberger at this point over Romo?

Wilson may have won a SB win a GREAT defense, and he plays smart, but is he really better than Romo, can he carry a team like Romo shown he can do?

Exactly. There's only a few on that list that I would even consider trading Romo for straight up, if given the chance. Too many people on here allow a team's success (or lack thereof) to impact their opinion of a QB's individual performance and abilities.

 

[noshame]

It's not a matter if they would trade straight up. And just because a teams success, doesn't mean they are a better QB either.
On the flip side, how many QB's would Dallas trade romo for straight up. Do you think they would want Roethlisberger at this point over Romo?

Wilson may have won a SB win a GREAT defense, and he plays smart, but is he really better than Romo, can he carry a team like Romo shown he can do?

Feel free to break into your mom's meds or something.

 

[noshame]

Take it a step further...

is there a QB on that list that would have made one bit of difference on this team last year?

Wow, the hits just keep coming.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I get what Hitzges is doing because power ranking are big in sports writing but the game is about matchups of offense vs defense.

Can Smith block the Eagles line? Can Dez beat the Commanders corners? Those are the battles that will decide the game.

 

[jazzcat22]

Feel free to break into your mom's meds or something.

My mom passed away 13 years ago....