PFT: Phillips: Cowboys relied too much on Romo's arm

[Avaj]

Phillips: Cowboys relied too much on Romo's arm
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/11/16/phillips-cowboys-relied-too-much-on-romos-arm/

Phillips: Cowboys relied too much on Romo's arm

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 16, 2009 4:25 PM ET
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo dropped back to pass 44 times in Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers. He handed off 11 times.

Looking back on the game, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips says he doesn't want to see such an imbalance between passing and running again.

"We still want to play balanced," Phillips said, per Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "If we can run the ball, we want to be able to control the ball more. It'd help the defense, if nothing else."

It'd also make life more difficult for the opposing defense, as Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers made clear in his post-game comments. Asked why the defense was able to shut the Cowboys out until a garbage time touchdown, Capers said the Cowboys' lack of balance made life easy for his unit.

"We were able to pressure more [Sunday] because the game became one-dimensional," said Capers. "You can just go out and blitz, but if people are going to run the ball for big yardage on you you're foolish. We had some run pressures, they worked decently and it opened up more of our pass pressures."

It's not clear why the Cowboys allowed the game to become so one-dimensional: Usually teams don't abandon the run unless they fall way behind, but the Cowboys abandoned the run even though they were tied 0-0 for half of the game and were only down 3-0 at the start of the fourth quarter. Whatever the reasons for the Cowboys' pass-happy play calling, Phillips says it can't happen again.

 

[casmith07]

Well...that settles that, I suppose. Lets run the ball some more!

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

At least it's being noticed I guess. Even though I'm not real sure how much say Wade has in the playcalling.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Such is life with Phillips as a HC.

 

[RCowboyFan]

At least it's being noticed I guess. Even though I'm not real sure how much say Wade has in the playcalling.

As HC he will decide the ratio. But since he is DC too, it will be hard for him to concentrate on Offense a whole lot during the game. Only thing he can do on OFfense is, to call necessary timeouts etc.

Garrett did get too pass happy, but at the same time, OL didn't run block well either, after the first drive. Or that Packers adjusted well to what cowboys were doing.

But its a familiar fade with this OL or offense, fading Run Offense at the end of year, which also leads to collapse at the end of year. Lets hope that doesn't happen, but with Columbo out, not sure how this team can run well.

Flozell just dogged it against Packers.

 

[utrunner07]

At least it's being noticed I guess. Even though I'm not real sure how much say Wade has in the playcalling.

Its been noticed before, several times, and then it was fixed for a few games and then come three or four games later our scholarly Princeton grad, who right now can't seem to learn the basics to perhaps save his job, forgets and goes back to his flawed ways. We'll come out running for a few games, but either @ NY or @ NO probably Garrett will panic in the first quarter when something does not go exactly right with the run and will abandon it, leading to big problems and a probably loss. Just be ready for it. Id rather get it out of the way @ NO than have it pop up again in the playoffs.

 

[big dog cowboy]

It's not clear why the Cowboys allowed the game to become so one-dimensional: Usually teams don't abandon the run unless they fall way behind, but the Cowboys abandoned the run even though they were tied 0-0 for half of the game and were only down 3-0 at the start of the fourth quarter. Whatever the reasons for the Cowboys' pass-happy play calling, Phillips says it can't happen again.

Isn't that what he said last time?

 

[Rampage]

:laugh2: he called your boy wonder out, Jerry.

 

[Hoofbite]

Phillips pretty much pleading with Garrett to run the ball. Must suck to be a head coach and have no say over what happens on one side of the ball. Guess its not as bad as the situation with Zorn.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Isn't that what he said last time?

It makes no difference what he says.

 

[DCBoysfan]

I was wondering why we didnt run more myself.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

It's JG's weakness.

I have no doubt they have a game plan going into it to run more, to have a balanced attack.

But the old QB in him starts getting pass happy at any sign of trouble, any slowness in the run game...it is a crutch if you will IMO for JG.

I think he also thinks one big pass play will turn things around, get the O fired up or something.

Whatever it is, it has happened multiple times over the last couple of years. Again, I think he falls into a trap or gets scared (for the lack of a better term) and just falls back on his tendencies to get pass happy.

Even when the run is not working, they still need to be disciplined to keep attempting to run the ball some. Now this is not talking about time running down and we are down by multiple scores. But that was just an example of the GB game where we still had time, we were not down by much and still the run is pretty much abandoned. Again even if it is not working, you still need to keep the D guessing.

I think many have said it before, I think the current Dolphins coach provided and I think this is what they wanted Reeves to provide....a guy in the ear of JG to reign him in when he started getting too pass happy and insist on the running game some more.

Now...he is not Andy Reid pass happy, but I wonder if he would become similar to that if he became HC.

 

[MapleLeaf]

...if someone was brought in from the outside they may find the command structure of this staff somewhat unusual.

There has bound to be some oddities in a staff where the OC is hired before the HC.

The pertinant question to ask is this: " If Wade Wilson was not happy with Jason Garrett's performance could he fire him?"

If the answer to the above question is, "No!" Then why not?

The more common and possibly more traditional approach is for the OC to be accountable to the HC because he is responsible for what happens on the field.

If Wade can be fired for the team's on field performance then one should expect that Wade should be able to fire Garrett.

Do we believe that it is possible for Wade to use this option?

I'm not writing this to express some displeasure with Garrett, but rather to highlight the unusual situation that Jerry Jones has set up in this staff from the start.

He's basically set up this staff so he is in control of the make up in the areas he wants to meddle in. Just my opinion.

 

[DallasDomination]

garrett is a idiot...Atleast WAde is calling him out on this. maybe He should of done something about the playcalling during the game. Thanks Wade

 

[Chocolate Lab]

It's JG's weakness.

I have no doubt they have a game plan going into it to run more, to have a balanced attack.

But the old QB in him starts getting pass happy at any sign of trouble, any slowness in the run game...it is a crutch if you will IMO for JG.

I think he also thinks one big pass play will turn things around, get the O fired up or something.

Whatever it is, it has happened multiple times over the last couple of years. Again, I think he falls into a trap or gets scared (for the lack of a better term) and just falls back on his tendencies to get pass happy.

Even when the run is not working, they still need to be disciplined to keep attempting to run the ball some. Now this is not talking about time running down and we are down by multiple scores. But that was just an example of the GB game where we still had time, we were not down by much and still the run is pretty much abandoned. Again even if it is not working, you still need to keep the D guessing.

I think many have said it before, I think the current Dolphins coach provided and I think this is what they wanted Reeves to provide....a guy in the ear of JG to reign him in when he started getting too pass happy and insist on the running game some more.

Now...he is not Andy Reid pass happy, but I wonder if he would become similar to that if he became HC.

Good post, BP.

I wonder how many great to very good NFL head coaches were QBs. Seems off the top of my head like more have been defensive players or even offensive linemen. QB may be too intellectual a position, for lack of a better term, to appreciate the need to physically beat on another team. Those aren't really Xs and Os out there on the field, after all.

 

[reddyuta]

Phillips pretty much pleading with Garrett to run the ball. Must suck to be a head coach and have no say over what happens on one side of the ball. Guess its not as bad as the situation with Zorn.

.this is just sad.i think we are arrogant as a passing team who think we can keep our passing even against good teams which are gambling blitzing and who have very good secondary.This was the game to get our short passing game going along with pounding the ball and we did neither.

 

[GOLDENCHILD1688]

good to see wade call garrett out somewhat

but how about saying something during the game rather then after the fact

its clear wade has no say or no power as a head coach.

him and jason work as a seperate entity and its almost as if hes afraid to say something to him when he sees something he doesnt like

 

[RCowboyFan]

The counterpoint to this is, being pass happy didn't prevent Patroits from winning 3 SBs and getting 4 of them. Last one they lost because they couldn't run and let Giants tee off on Brady.

But another counterpoint is, Garrett/cowboys ran heavily against Giants in playoffs but still lost, because of breakdowns in ST and defense at key moments. I would like Garrett to do some power run too, but sometimes you have to go with what the defense is giving. But running just 11 times is just not acceptable though.

 

[Rampage]

The counterpoint to this is, being pass happy didn't prevent Patroits from winning 3 SBs and getting 4 of them. Last one they lost because they couldn't run and let Giants tee off on Brady.

But another counterpoint is, Garrett/cowboys ran heavily against Giants in playoffs but still lost, because of breakdowns in ST and defense at key moments. I would like Garrett to do some power run too, but sometimes you have to go with what the defense is giving. But running just 11 times is just not acceptable though.

the Patriots had Tom Brady and a very good defense during those 3 superbowls. they were also pretty balanced when you include the short passing game. they ran a lot when they got Core Dillon too.

against the giants Garett abandoned the run in the 2nd half and scrwed us offensively. he got impatient with the running game just like he did yesterday.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It's JG's weakness.

I have no doubt they have a game plan going into it to run more, to have a balanced attack.

But the old QB in him starts getting pass happy at any sign of trouble, any slowness in the run game...it is a crutch if you will IMO for JG.

I think he also thinks one big pass play will turn things around, get the O fired up or something.

Whatever it is, it has happened multiple times over the last couple of years. Again, I think he falls into a trap or gets scared (for the lack of a better term) and just falls back on his tendencies to get pass happy.

Even when the run is not working, they still need to be disciplined to keep attempting to run the ball some. Now this is not talking about time running down and we are down by multiple scores. But that was just an example of the GB game where we still had time, we were not down by much and still the run is pretty much abandoned. Again even if it is not working, you still need to keep the D guessing.

I think many have said it before, I think the current Dolphins coach provided and I think this is what they wanted Reeves to provide....a guy in the ear of JG to reign him in when he started getting too pass happy and insist on the running game some more.

Now...he is not Andy Reid pass happy, but I wonder if he would become similar to that if he became HC.

Well said.

And true.

JG is human and he falls to his weakness as a coordinator when the Cowboy offense doesn't click early enough in a game.

The HC should have "reset" JG at some point.