Physical Football

[jterrell]

WR's, RB's and TE's have nothing to do with the physical football I'm talking about. That's having an offensive line that dominates the opposition. A line that can run block different schemes as well as pass block. A line that when you need 2 yrds for a first down can get it for you. A physical line that by the 4th qtr, the other team is demoralized.

As for the defense, we need to have the same philosophy as the Seahawks. You want to see how defense is supposed to be played, watch them.

I do get what your saying, I just don't think you are saying very much in that case.

Our OL was very good by all accounts this year. Dallas ranked 11th in power running this year, Seattle 32nd.
The DAL OL stuffed rank for getting hit in the backfield was the 2nd best in football.

Dallas did run the ball well and ran it tough. If the Dallas rushing game had a weakness it was that it didn't have many distance runs.
We were missing the home run out of a rushing attack.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

(play calling is a different beast. what callahan calls into romo not really covered by these metrics)
((also a caveat it is a complete cop out to discuss seattle or SF running and blame dallas because the QB can't scramble for 20 yards when the play they called in doesn't work))


As to Seattle defense, the SECONDARY is what sets the physical tone for that defense.
Sherman and Chancellor. And the secondary can be really physical because they have the best finesse FS in football in Earl Thomas with speed over the top to cover guys.
They also have one of the fastest LB corps in football. --something usually criticized as being finesse though really isn't.

The true irony is using Seattle is such a poor, horrid example of trench play or physical play really.
Minus Wilson they run fairly terribly and Lynch gets much of his yardage after contact in the back field or at the LOS.
The Seahawks on defense finished tied for 8th in sacks which is very solid but not great. In the playoffs they've had all of 3 sacks.
But they were first in interceptions by 5 with 28 for a ridiculous ~20% improvement over the next closest team.

 

[DFWJC]

Umm.....Dallas ran the ball better on average than all of those teams mentioned. They ranked seventh in ypc. And Football focus rated the oline fourth best in the NFL.

It wasn't the oline's fault the braintrust of the team failed to let them finish games.

YPC is not the best indication of how good a running team you are. it is part of the equation though.
And Dallas did improve a lot this year.

But that ypc stuff was the line that the pro-Felix people used to use. It's easier to get a higher ypc when you don't have the reps (especially grind it out, short yardage reps) as an idividual or as a team.

 

[Corso]

I do get what your saying, I just don't think you are saying very much in that case.

Our OL was very good by all accounts this year. Dallas ranked 11th in power running this year, Seattle 32nd.
The DAL OL stuffed rank for getting hit in the backfield was the 2nd best in football.

Dallas did run the ball well and ran it tough. If the Dallas rushing game had a weakness it was that it didn't have many distance runs.
We were missing the home run out of a rushing attack.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/ol

(play calling is a different beast. what callahan calls into romo not really covered by these metrics)
((also a caveat it is a complete cop out to discuss seattle or SF running and blame dallas because the QB can't scramble for 20 yards when the play they called in doesn't work))


As to Seattle defense, the SECONDARY is what sets the physical tone for that defense.
Sherman and Chancellor. And the secondary can be really physical because they have the best finesse FS in football in Earl Thomas with speed over the top to cover guys.
They also have one of the fastest LB corps in football. --something usually criticized as being finesse though really isn't.

The true irony is using Seattle is such a poor, horrid example of trench play or physical play really.
Minus Wilson they run fairly terribly and Lynch gets much of his yardage after contact in the back field or at the LOS.
The Seahawks on defense finished tied for 8th in sacks which is very solid but not great. In the playoffs they've had all of 3 sacks.
But they were first in interceptions by 5 with 28 for a ridiculous ~20% improvement over the next closest team.

Always the brilliant poster with the goods.
MUCH RESPECT.

I always get happy when I see a post from you.
Don't take that the wrong way, although there's nothing wrong with it...

 

[Oh_Canada]

YPC is not the best indication of how good a running team you are. it is part of the equation though.
And Dallas did improve a lot this year.

But that ypc stuff was the line that the pro-Felix people used to use. It's easier to get a higher ypc when you don't have the reps (especially grind it out, short yardage reps) as an idividual or as a team.

Ok, so if YPC don't tell the story what exactly does?
How does the oline prove they are capable of finishing games if they aren't given the opportunity? They were gashing the Packers on the ground, but inexplicably stopped running in the fourth quarter. Is it there fault they stopped running? I don't know how anyone can say the Cowboys couldn't run the ball when they're lead back was making over 5yds every time he touched the ball.

 

[Tass]

After watching Dallas all year these playoff teams look like they are playing a completely different sport.

I absolutely felt the same way! I was watching the game and thinking "Wow...why don't our guys play like that?"

Then I was big time bummed-out.

 

[DFWJC]

Ok, so if YPC don't tell the story what exactly does?
How does the oline prove they are capable of finishing games if they aren't given the opportunity? They were gashing the Packers on the ground, but inexplicably stopped running in the fourth quarter. Is it there fault they stopped running? I don't know how anyone can say the Cowboys couldn't run the ball when they're lead back was making over 5yds every time he touched the ball.

Oh, no doubt they were idiots calling off the dogs when they had the Packers on their heels. That was almost surreal.
And I usually cut Romo a break if he throws an occassional pick when the whole world knows he has to throw it (including the entire opposing team) but he blew it on that one pick by checking out of the run. Bad move.

I was just saying ypc has to be taken into context. Its fairly easy to have a high ypc if your reps are low. That's one reason why felix was able have a good ypc most of the time before the very end. He was situational. A Lynch-type back (or Emmitt, for that matter) on the other hand get so many reps that include all sitations, that 5 ypc over the course of the season is very tough to get.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Oh, no doubt they were idiots calling off the dogs when they had the Packers on their heels. That was almost surreal.
And I usually cut Romo a break if he throws an occassional pick when the whole world knows he has to throw it (including the entire opposing team) but he blew it on that one pick by checking out of the run. Bad move.

I was just saying ypc has to be taken into context. Its fairly easy to have a high ypc if your reps are low. That's one reason why felix was able have a good ypc most of the time before the very end. He was situational. A Lynch-type back (or Emmitt, for that matter) on the other hand get so many reps that include all sitations, that 5 ypc over the course of the season is very tough to get.

Difference here is the Murray was far from situational, he was the lead back and carried the rock probably 90% of carries when he started.