Offensive Play Calling Horrendous

[robbieruff]

Dak targeted Dez 14 times last night. 14. Twice as many as anybody else. 4 catches. That's less than a 30% completion percentage.

I think that, and the fact that Dak was wildly inaccurate for 3+ quarters, are the main reasons we looked so out of sync.

I understand trying to get Dez involved. But that shouldn't come at the expense of Lucky's jet sweep runs, Zeke pounding the rock, or Witten and Bease opportunities. I remember at least two forced throws to Dez where Witten was wide open in 8-10 yard routes.

You notice that we finally got rolling a little bit once Dak started looking more for Beasley.

Dez being on the field shouldn't change the offensive philosophy that has worked so well for us. Dez should be a PART of the game plan. We need to stop force feeding it to him.

Ironically I think the big early throw to Dez took us out of our game. Early fools gold that we panned for again and again. I'm all for making teams pay for over playing this or that but that should not take away from what our strengths are. We let eagles dictate until the 4th and OT and that was on Linehan. Good post.

 

[Clarkson]

There were many instances when Beas was open. Dak was looking for Dez deeper

Philly killed us with the quick slants and screen passes and we couldn't get one to save our life

Their front 4 is a lot better than ours. Really disrupted Dak and made him have a poor game (for much of it), throwing- and vision-wise.

 

[BulletBob]

I will admit the Eagles D was throwing the blitz at us, but where are the plays a good coordinator would normally use to remedy this? Short passes, screens, halfback flairs...anything. I don't know why we never throw anything to EE out of the backfield. He's a beast no matter where he gets it. We didn't throw any quick slants but maybe they're not Zak's strong point? With a big fast receiver like Dez the slant should be there a couple three times a game...

I'm not sure we were watching the same game. I, for one, was delighted to see the little flair pass to Zeke out of the backfield several times last night. Where has that play been hiding all year? More please!

I agree on the lack of screens. I'd like to see more to Zeke, and how about a bubble screen to Lucky every once in a while?

I'd also like to see a few more draws to Zeke. That used to be our bread and butter.

However, the big picture is that we're sitting at 6-1 atop the NFC East. Hard to criticize too much. The bottom line is that the game plans are working, however much we like to nitpick!

 

[Clarkson]

Only thing I'll complain about, play-call wise, is the lack of running inside the 10. We drafted a guy 4th overall, have studs across the offensive line...why are we throwing on 1st and 2nd down inside the red zone?! Especially inside the 10 - run the ball more.

 

[Zekeats]

I like the playcalling I don't like the personnel on the field I have zero idea why Rod Smith get any playing time on offense I am not even sure why he's activated let alone on the team

 

[Aven8]

I like the playcalling I don't like the personnel on the field I have zero idea why Rod Smith get any playing time on offense I am not even sure why he's activated let alone on the team

To keep his brothers nerve happy!!

 

[lqmac1]

I know others have probably hit on this already, but what happened last night? Did Linehan get concussed? I mean, with one of the best run teams in the league how many shotgun formations can you call? No protection and no chance of play-action, especially in the red zone where our tendency is to run. I know some may say Linehan decided to flip the script and outsmart the Eagles defense, but we basically went away from all our strengths. We also stopped spreading the ball and targeted 88 way too much (I don't know whether that was Prescott or Linehan). The only thing I did like was not running on every first down, but since most of our plays operated out of the shotgun the defense knew we weren't running anyway.

Scott has been lights out all year up until last night. I'm with you on this topic. I don't know what the hell he was thinking.

Can we please eliminate that empty backfield set that we love to do with a rookie quarterback? We're practically telling the d line to pin their ears back and the Db's to play coverage. I hate that formation

 

[thunderpimp91]

I think the bigger picture here is the Philly front 7 really took it to our Oline. the one on one battles up front that we have gotten used to winning 90% of the time became more 50/50. It reminded me of the Giants game where we had no answer for Hankins in the middle, and looked very average running the football. Combine that with a QB that was under throwing his receivers all night, and it didn't make me want Linehans job one bit.

 

[jobberone]

I know others have probably hit on this already, but what happened last night? Did Linehan get concussed? I mean, with one of the best run teams in the league how many shotgun formations can you call? No protection and no chance of play-action, especially in the red zone where our tendency is to run. I know some may say Linehan decided to flip the script and outsmart the Eagles defense, but we basically went away from all our strengths. We also stopped spreading the ball and targeted 88 way too much (I don't know whether that was Prescott or Linehan). The only thing I did like was not running on every first down, but since most of our plays operated out of the shotgun the defense knew we weren't running anyway.

The Eagles have a very good defense and we have a rookie QB. It's much more likely they called plays based on what the defense was doing rather than being confused.

 

[CATCH17]

Play calling was bad..but there were opportunities, many, that were there to be had w the play calls that were run in which the qb failed to execute

Dak is not going to win games flinging the ball around at this stage of his career so I'm more upset that the playcalling was asking him to do that regardless if there were plays to be made.

 

[Doomsday]

Once again piss poor clock management at the end of the half as well. 1st and goal at the 5 yard line with 1:29 left in the half YOU RUN THE BALL.

There is no reason to give Philly another possession before the half, especially when they get the all after half time. Run the ball on first down to kill the clock, especially when the heart of your team is the offensive line.

Every game I watch, whether it is in college or the pros the last few seasons, clock management is an after thought these days.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

Play calling horrific for the most part. Running or the threat of the run is our biggest asset and Scott got too cute too often. Dak had a bad night for the most part but the playcalling didn't help at atll especially against a lethal pass rush like this. More screens...draws.. play action is necessary. We also had a game like this vs the skins at home in 2014 where they blitzed Romo into submission and we never seemed to adjust. I'm confident they'll review this and adjust.

 

[ringmaster]

Scott has been lights out all year up until last night. I'm with you on this topic. I don't know what the hell he was thinking.

Can we please eliminate that empty backfield set that we love to do with a rookie quarterback? We're practically telling the d line to pin their ears back and the Db's to play coverage. I hate that formation

The empty backfield formation is a staple in the Linehan offense no matter who his QB is keep hating because they will keep running it.

 

[DC Cowboy]

I know others have probably hit on this already, but what happened last night? Did Linehan get concussed? I mean, with one of the best run teams in the league how many shotgun formations can you call? No protection and no chance of play-action, especially in the red zone where our tendency is to run. I know some may say Linehan decided to flip the script and outsmart the Eagles defense, but we basically went away from all our strengths. We also stopped spreading the ball and targeted 88 way too much (I don't know whether that was Prescott or Linehan). The only thing I did like was not running on every first down, but since most of our plays operated out of the shotgun the defense knew we weren't running anyway.

when you see your rookie QB struggling, take some pressure off him. Run Zeke, call some of those plays he and Beasley have been successful on, and what about a design run or two just to keep them guessing. Dak was off, he worse game so far but I don't think the play calling help him at all. Even Garrett said at halftime "we have to get back to running the ball, that's who we are". And when they started blitzing why not try a screen pass?

 

[romothesavior]

I think some of you are missing the point.

Dak was really struggling, and Linehan wanted to get him comfortable. Dak is much more comfortable in the shotgun, which is the only formation he played in college.

Zeke ran out of the shotgun plenty, so perhaps that was the play they should have gone to more.

I'm okay with the shotgun, but empty set is idiotic when you've got a great runner like Zeke who is also great at blocking and at catching balls out of the backfield. Why give that up, especially in the redzone?

 

[manster4ever]

Once again piss poor clock management at the end of the half as well. 1st and goal at the 5 yard line with 1:29 left in the half YOU RUN THE BALL.

There is no reason to give Philly another possession before the half, especially when they get the all after half time. Run the ball on first down to kill the clock, especially when the heart of your team is the offensive line.

Every game I watch, whether it is in college or the pros the last few seasons, clock management is an after thought.

Yep...that's when I got pissed. It's football 101. Scott is in love with Dak and I get that but he put TOO much on him last night. Yeah, the Eagles were taking away the run but he was missing some EASY blitz busters we've run in the past. He got back to some of them in the 2nd half (with Beasley) but the best one is simply swinging it out to Zeke in the flat and letting him ROLL over people. That will back off their ****** blitz in a hurry, especially when he busts one. Linehan got outschemed by Schwartz for 3 quarters I thought.

 

[DC Cowboy]

Most plays had Dak holding the ball a long long time while the plays developed. Whether that was Dak struggling with reads, the Eagles secondary playing lights out, or slow developing routes I have no idea. Our last 4-5 games our bread and butter was dink and dunk, and we got away from that last night.

I like our version of the hurry up with the dink and dunk passes. We got away from that last night.

 

[erod]

I'm okay with the shotgun, but empty set is idiotic when you've got a great runner like Zeke who is also great at blocking and at catching balls out of the backfield. Why give that up, especially in the redzone?

Dak LOVES the empty set. That's his most comfortable formation. He ran it virtually every play in college.

However, I agree with you. He needs to learn otherwise asap.

 

[Bullflop]

Seems to me that those shotgun formations afforded Dak some needed distance between a wicked pass rush and himself. Critics of that ploy might surely say what they feel like but doing so could have been the difference between winning and losing. It's also something that Dak is comfortable with and confident in doing. Lord knows, under the kind of pressure that Dak was under, he surely responded well in the end.

 

[ringmaster]

Play calling horrific for the most part. Running or the threat of the run is our biggest asset and Scott got too cute too often. Dak had a bad night for the most part but the playcalling didn't help at atll especially against a lethal pass rush like this. More screens...draws.. play action is necessary. We also had a game like this vs the skins at home in 2014 where they blitzed Romo into submission and we never seemed to adjust. I'm confident they'll review this and adjust.

They adjusted very well to that blitz crap Jim Haslett did that night causing injury to Romo, and the second game against them in 2014 Romo lit them up and I expect them to adjust to what Schwartz likes to do come second game in Philly but I thought they adjusted very well late in last night's game to get the win as for the play calling that int in the red zone was killer in the first half that gave the Eagles much needed momentum going into the half that is a pass Dak should've not have thrown the running game got them there in the first place and imo left points on the field.