Random Thoughts

[The30YardSlant]

1: DeMarco Murray appears to be for real. Averaging about 9 YPC over the last three and today put up 140 against a good run defense. He's well on his way to a thousand yeard season, needing just about 450 yards over the last 8 games.

2: Our run defense has gone from great to bad to purtrid in a matter of two weeks. What the hell happened? The Seahawks hadnt had a hundred yard rusher all year prior to today. Considering the quality of the players involved, today may have been worse than last week.

3: Our offensive line is getting better. By year's end they may actually be an above average group. Gotta stop with the false start and holding calls, though.

4: I'd rather play with ten men on defense than have Keith Brooking out there. I'm not joking. Twice today he not only made poor plays but cut off other defenders from making the tackle. Worthless doesnt do him justice.

5: I have a man crush on our kicker, God help me.

6: Romo looks like he is settling in. Had his best game of the year today IMO and made some great throws.

7: However far we go this season, Jason Garrett's playcalling will be far and away the biggest reason why we don't go further. His redzone playcalling took what should have been a first half blowout and turned it into a competative game.

8: Alan Ball and Kevin Ogletree need to be cut tomorrow. Both are wasted roster spots. We have four corners better than Ball (and could easily sign several who are better off the street) and Ogletree only makes an appearence when it's time for a momentum killing drop or special teams gaff.

9: Terence. Freaking. Newman. Screw all the haters, this is one of the few guys I've always stuck by and he is proving (AGAIN) why he is the single most over-criticized player on this team and maybe in all of football. When healthy, he just flat out makes plays.

10: Tony Fiametta is playing great right now, it seems every big Murray run starts with a big block from this guy.

11: Dez Bryant needs to figure out real quick what kind of receiver he wants to be, because for all his talent his act is starting to get old.

 

[cml750]

1: DeMarco Murray appears to be for real. Averaging about 9 YPC over the last three and today put up 140 against a good run defense. He's well on his way to a thousand yeard season, needing just about 450 yards over the last 8 games.

2: Our run defense has gone from great to bad to purtrid in a matter of two weeks. What the hell happened? The Seahawks hadnt had a hundred yard rusher all year prior to today. Considering the quality of the players involved, today may have been worse than last week.

3: Our offensive line is getting better. By year's end they may actually be an above average group. Gotta stop with the false start and holding calls, though.

4: I'd rather play with ten men on defense than have Keith Brooking out there. I'm not joking. Twice today he not only made poor plays but cut off other defenders from making the tackle. Worthless doesnt do him justice.

5: I have a man crush on our kicker, God help me.

6: Romo looks like he is settling in. Had his best game of the year today IMO and made some great throws.

7: However far we go this season, Jason Garrett's playcalling will be far and away the biggest reason why we don't go further. His redzone playcalling took what should have been a first half blowout and turned it into a competative game.

8: Alan Ball and Kevin Ogletree need to be cut tomorrow. Both are wasted roster spots. We have four corners better than Ball (and could easily sign several who are better off the street) and Ogletree only makes an appearence when it's time for a momentum killing drop or special teams gaff.

9: Terence. Freaking. Newman. Screw all the haters, this is one of the few guys I've always stuck by and he is proving (AGAIN) why he is the single most over-criticized player on this team and maybe in all of football. When healthy, he just flat out makes plays.

10: Tony Fiametta is playing great right now, it seems every big Murray run starts with a big block from this guy.

11: Dez Bryant needs to figure out real quick what kind of receiver he wants to be, because for all his talent his act is starting to get old.

I agree on almost all points. Very good analysis other than being a little harsh on Ball.

 

[SDogo]

I dont agree about the OL, a majority of our issues early in the game and 90% of our problems in the redzone is because of our inability of the OL to get any kind of movement.

 

[BourbonBalz]

As always, I'm thrilled with the win. But let's face it, this is a game we HAD to win and should win, considering we were playing a bad team at home with an injured/average QB. Here's what I think were the good and bad about the game.

Bad:
1) Our red zone play-calling in the first half couldn't have been much worse. Absolutely no excuse for it IMO. First and goal at the 1/2 yard line and we throw on 1st and 3rd down? To me, that just exudes ignorance.
2) We do not get a consistent pass rush. Sometimes it's good, but it often disappears, especially when we really need it.
3) Rush defense. It's been bad the last two games, but I think missing Lee has a LOT to do with it. Hope it gets fixed.
4) STUPID penalties. When will we ever get this fixed?????
6) I'm worried about Miles Austin. Like Felix, he just can't stay on the field. Will this haunt both of them throughout their careers? All we can do is hope not. We seem to have several players that can't stay on the field due to injuries. I do NOT include Lee in this assessment. His wrist injury was just bad luck. Austin's injuries are constant, as are Felix's.
7) Our kick/punt returners are brain dead. Nuff said.
5) Our inability to put the game away against a bad team at home. Really, all of the above are the reasons for this.

Good:
1) Demarco Murray. Nothing really needs to be said. His play speaks for itself.
2) Romo was sharp most of the game. He had a couple of passes dropped. Really can't blame the sputtering offense on him at all today.
3) The oline played fairly well. They did get beaten badly (from a man to man standpoint) a few times, especially Costa, but overall, it wasn't a bad performance.
4) Spencer made some big plays.
5) L. Robinson was a BIG pickup. He provides that extra spark we need from our 3rd receiver. I like him a lot.

 

[JakeCamp12]

We truly need a much better center that can get push on every play. Costa is just not the answer....

 

[The30YardSlant]

I dont agree about the OL, a majority of our issues early in the game and 90% of our problems in the redzone is because of our inability of the OL to get any kind of movement.

Our playcalling is our issue in the redzone.

 

[BourbonBalz]

Our playcalling is our issue in the redzone.

Yes it is. At least it's the primary issue. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

 

[The30YardSlant]

Yes it is. At least it's the primary issue. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

The worst part is that defenses are playing pass down there because they know we won't run it right up the gut. If we actually tried it, it would work.

 

[burmafrd]

we are at a serious disadvantage in the Red Zone BECAUSE our O Line is incapable of getting movement on short yardage plays. No one worries about us trying to get one or two yards on the ground; no one at all.

 

[BourbonBalz]

we are at a serious disadvantage in the Red Zone BECAUSE our O Line is incapable of getting movement on short yardage plays. No one worries about us trying to get one or two yards on the ground; no one at all.

First and goal at the 1/2 yard line????? Run the ****ing ball!!!!! What do we do? Throw it on 1st and 3rd down. If we can't put the ball into the end zone on three/four tries from the 1/2 yard line, we don't belong in the NFL.

 

[The30YardSlant]

we are at a serious disadvantage in the Red Zone BECAUSE our O Line is incapable of getting movement on short yardage plays. No one worries about us trying to get one or two yards on the ground; no one at all.

Again, if no one worries about it then it should be relatively easy

 

[Smashin222]

First and goal at the 1/2 yard line????? Run the ****ing ball!!!!! What do we do? Throw it on 1st and 3rd down. If we can't put the ball into the end zone on three/four tries from the 1/2 yard line, we don't belong in the NFL.

I have news for you. Our Rush O-line doesn't belong in the nfl.
I want to run more too, I think its silly we didn't run 3 times too, but lets not act like its crazy not to have confidence in our O-line to get push when the defense knows whats coming. It seems that every time we've tried this year we get stuffed.

There's a correlation between having a weak interior line and having no confidence in the short-yard rushing game.

Is he wrong -- I don't see em practice, but I'd like to see us run 3 times
Is he crazy -- absolutely not

 

[Sitting Bull]

Red didn't fumble a TD at the one yard-line. Today or against the Jets. Our line doesn't get consistent push on short yardage plays. Garrett's play calls are sometimes questionable but it takes a team to suck in the red zone.

 

[SDogo]

Yes it is. At least it's the primary issue. You'd have to be blind not to see it.

Our play calling is in partial decided by our lack of ability to run the ball.

 

[SDogo]

we are at a serious disadvantage in the Red Zone BECAUSE our O Line is incapable of getting movement on short yardage plays. No one worries about us trying to get one or two yards on the ground; no one at all.

exactly....

 

[03EBZ06]

Good:
1) Demarco Murray. Nothing really needs to be said. His play speaks for itself.
2) Romo was sharp most of the game. He had a couple of passes dropped. Really can't blame the sputtering offense on him at all today.
3) The oline played fairly well. They did get beaten badly (from a man to man standpoint) a few times, especially Costa, but overall, it wasn't a bad performance.
4) Spencer made some big plays.
5) L. Robinson was a BIG pickup. He provides that extra spark we need from our 3rd receiver. I like him a lot.

6) Bailey has been very solid, glad I don't have to wince with every FG attempt like last year.
7) It was good to see Carter making some contributions

 

[BourbonBalz]

Our play calling is in partial decided by our lack of ability to run the ball.

Just as a reminder, we have run the ball well the last several weeks.

 

[cbow44]

If running inside the 2 is so easy how come we didnt make when we tried it.

 

[Picksix]

Our playcalling is our issue in the redzone.

They run up the gut, it gets stuffed.
They run wide, it gets blown up.
They pass, it's incomplete.
They get cute, it doesn't work.

I know it's easy to just blame the play calling, because it puts all the focus on Garrett (which you seem to like). But it's a combination of a lot of things. The OL doesn't block well at all inside the 5. Dez can't get off the jam. MB just floats around. And yes, the play calling - or maybe more appropriate, the play design, is questionable. But when nothing seems to work, it's not just the play calling.

 

[Picksix]

Just as a reminder, we have run the ball well the last several weeks.

But not near the goal line, when everything is bunched up. The play before the pass to LR for the last score, did you see Costa get completely blown up on Muyrray's run? That's been happening with the OL all year.