Red Zone Performance

[JD_KaPow]

Dallas performance in the red zone over the last six games:

Appearances: 16
TD: 13
FG: 3

Note that I'm only counting drives where we took at least one offensive snap in the red zone (a couple of times, we reached the red zone with a 3rd-down play and kicked the FG on 4th down), and I'm not counting times when we were in the red zone but weren't trying to score a TD (e.g. the game-winning FG in the Miami game).

 

[Hostile]

 

[jazzcat22]

They need to be better.....

 

[DragonCowboy]

I think the playcalling has gotten better in the RZ...combined with Romo's playmaking ability and the OL giving him some more time.

I gotta give Garrett some props there though. That was a problem, but it seems to be getting better.

 

[Hostile]

I think the playcalling has gotten better in the RZ...combined with Romo's playmaking ability and the OL giving him some more time.

I gotta give Garrett some props there though. That was a problem, but it seems to be getting better.

Impossible. Our team does not get better because they are too stupid. Also, our struggles were not execution.

It's true, I read it here.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

I may just be remembering it wrong, but it seems like Romo is improvising down there a lot these days. That seems to be the difference.

 

[CowboyStar88]

Impossible. Our team does not get better because they are too stupid. Also, our struggles were not execution.

It's true, I read it here.

I believe that we are seeing Garrett being more confident in the offense and Romo playing lights out.

 

[theogt]

It's been a marked improvement. It was something that's haunted us for a couple seasons now. And if you look at a lot of the TDs, they're from Romo breaking the pocket and making a TD on the run. In other words, they're not DESIGNED plays, but rather Romo making things happen on his own. It would be nice if we could get TDs based on a designed play, without having to rely on Romo so much.

 

[Eskimo]

They need to be better.....

It is hard to get better than 13 for 16. The other team has paid professionals that are trying to stop us from scoring.

I do agree that we were very bad early in the year.

I think it has helped that the running game is more of a threat. Now that Romo has his mobility back he has been able to buy some time to find his receivers in the end zone. Romo and Robinson in particular have been clicking down there. I think it is very hard for any defense to guard all 4 of our large receivers down there (Witten, Robinson, Miles and Dez all go from 6-2 to 6-5).

 

[Eskimo]

It's been a marked improvement. It was something that's haunted us for a couple seasons now. And if you look at a lot of the TDs, they're from Romo breaking the pocket and making a TD on the run. In other words, they're not DESIGNED plays, but rather Romo making things happen on his own. It would be nice if we could get TDs based on a designed play, without having to rely on Romo so much.

Part of it is that this is Romo's game. I don't think Romo is an elite pocket passer in the traditional sense like Brady. I think he gets particularly hurt inside the 10 yard line because of his lack of height. The other thing is that Romo doesn't appear to be great at some of the classic end zone throws like the fade, slant or quick playaction to the TE in the back of the end zone. We just don't see to get scores that way.

I think part of the improvement is due to the running game even though we haven't been running it in. The increased respect of the running game has been noticeable as it seems like we have been using some play-action to better effect recently.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

It's been a marked improvement. It was something that's haunted us for a couple seasons now. And if you look at a lot of the TDs, they're from Romo breaking the pocket and making a TD on the run. In other words, they're not DESIGNED plays, but rather Romo making things happen on his own. It would be nice if we could get TDs based on a designed play, without having to rely on Romo so much.

Impossible. I've read it right here that we're headed in the right direction and that's all due to the coaching change last year. That one drive against Miami where Romo improvised multiple plays and threw up passes as he was being brought down was all moving in the right direction and by design, part of the process.

Romo's doing nothing, it's all because of RHJ.

 

[Eskimo]

Impossible. I've read it right here that we're headed in the right direction and that's all due to the coaching change last year. That one drive against Miami where Romo improvised multiple plays and threw up passes as he was being brought down was all moving in the right direction and by design, part of the process.

Romo's doing nothing, it's all because of RHJ.

You're normally one of my favourite posters but you've gone off the ledge lately.

Romo is a great player but he is not a conventional player. You have to accept the good (those improv TDs) with the bad (will regularly miss open WRs when throwing in the pocket that most other top QBs wouldn't and will commit the odd TO on those improv plays). It is a part of his game that we have to accept. Starting in 2009 he made a concerted effort to try and manage those risks a bit better and I think he has been stellar since then. He is truly a great talent and we are very lucky to have him. However, we need to build a team that better suits his strengths which means a more mobile OL and I think we are halfway through that transition now. You have to remember when Garrett came here he inherited this lumbering OL full of unathletic maulers - Flo, Colombo, Gurode and Bigg. That OL was built for Bledsoe but did not suit Romo.

 

[Future]

It's been a marked improvement. It was something that's haunted us for a couple seasons now. And if you look at a lot of the TDs, they're from Romo breaking the pocket and making a TD on the run. In other words, they're not DESIGNED plays, but rather Romo making things happen on his own. It would be nice if we could get TDs based on a designed play, without having to rely on Romo so much.

It's a fine line...I think JG and Romo both deserve credit. I think Romo deserves a little bit more, but JG is doing a good job of getting away from those plays that are high risk and have no room for error.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

You're normally one of my favourite posters but you've gone off the ledge lately.

Romo is a great player but he is not a conventional player. You have to accept the good (those improv TDs) with the bad (will regularly miss open WRs when throwing in the pocket that most other top QBs wouldn't and will commit the odd TO on those improv plays). It is a part of his game that we have to accept. Starting in 2009 he made a concerted effort to try and manage those risks a bit better and I think he has been stellar since then. He is truly a great talent and we are very lucky to have him. However, we need to build a team that better suits his strengths which means a more mobile OL and I think we are halfway through that transition now. You have to remember when Garrett came here he inherited this lumbering OL full of unathletic maulers - Flo, Colombo, Gurode and Bigg. That OL was built for Bledsoe but did not suit Romo.

My response was not to denigrate Romo. He's one of the best there is. I'm fully in his corner and have been throughout his maturation process.

Garrett, on the other hand, is quite possibly over his head. For those trumpeting we're headed in the right direction thanks to coaching, I counter that Romo's great play is the reason we're headed in the right direction. He bails out RHJ to a great degree and that one drive against Miami was 100% him, and not the great genius on the sidelines saving up time outs for a rainy day.

Romo's ability to make something out of nothing is one of the biggest reasons we've got a winning record despite one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, not because of stellar coaching from Garrett.

 

[Future]

My response was not to denigrate Romo. He's one of the best there is. I'm fully in his corner and have been throughout his maturation process.

Garrett, on the other hand, is quite possibly over his head. For those trumpeting we're headed in the right direction thanks to coaching, I counter that Romo's great play is the reason we're headed in the right direction. He bails out RHJ to a great degree and that one drive against Miami was 100% him, and not the great genius on the sidelines saving up time outs for a rainy day.

Romo's ability to make something out of nothing is one of the biggest reasons we've got a winning record despite one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, not because of stellar coaching from Garrett.

This is all true.

BUT, I think JG's flaws as a coach are more as an OC than as an HC. He's doing a good job in the latter department, and Romo bails him out offensively.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

This is all true.

BUT, I think JG's flaws as a coach are more as an OC than as an HC. He's doing a good job in the latter department, and Romo bails him out offensively.

This I agree with. We've seen his flaws as an OC manifest themselves again and again, but he's also had two games where he crapped the bed as a HC. If you remove the burden of OC from him he might excel as a HC, the quintessential addition by subtraction.

I hate it when people ascribe military terminology to a game, but I find it apt that the general you want putting together a campaign strategy isn't necessarily the same person you want carrying out the orders on the battlefield level and vice-versa.

 

[sago1]

Romo has to improvise so much because our OL isn't very good. Believe Smith & Free should switch jobs but we really need to substantially improve interior OL. While off season conditioning program should help, we really need pick up at least a starting quality G & C. Given our problems on defense, we could spend most of our draft on that side of the ball if the Cowboys can sign 2 good starting FA OL players i.e. like we did with Kosier who has played solid to good for us for some years. Do realize his age & injuries have lessen his play but his vet experience has been a big help to Smith; perhaps that's what is missing from Doug Free's play this year & whoever plays LG next to him isn't the caliber of Kosier.

 

[FLcowboy]

I think the playcalling has gotten better in the RZ...combined with Romo's playmaking ability and the OL giving him some more time.

I gotta give Garrett some props there though. That was a problem, but it seems to be getting better.

There was a lot of Romo playmaking against Tampa.

 

[FLcowboy]

You're normally one of my favourite posters but you've gone off the ledge lately.

Romo is a great player but he is not a conventional player. You have to accept the good (those improv TDs) with the bad (will regularly miss open WRs when throwing in the pocket that most other top QBs wouldn't and will commit the odd TO on those improv plays). It is a part of his game that we have to accept. Starting in 2009 he made a concerted effort to try and manage those risks a bit better and I think he has been stellar since then. He is truly a great talent and we are very lucky to have him. However, we need to build a team that better suits his strengths which means a more mobile OL and I think we are halfway through that transition now. You have to remember when Garrett came here he inherited this lumbering OL full of unathletic maulers - Flo, Colombo, Gurode and Bigg. That OL was built for Bledsoe but did not suit Romo.

Romo has not been blessed with a receiving core comparable to the other elite teams. He has not been blessed with a conventional line built to the team's strengths. I don't see Romo scrambling or improvising when he has time to throw, or blocking to protect.

 

[FLcowboy]

My response was not to denigrate Romo. He's one of the best there is. I'm fully in his corner and have been throughout his maturation process.

Garrett, on the other hand, is quite possibly over his head. For those trumpeting we're headed in the right direction thanks to coaching, I counter that Romo's great play is the reason we're headed in the right direction. He bails out RHJ to a great degree and that one drive against Miami was 100% him, and not the great genius on the sidelines saving up time outs for a rainy day.

Romo's ability to make something out of nothing is one of the biggest reasons we've got a winning record despite one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, not because of stellar coaching from Garrett.

:starspin