Scott Linehan needs to go

[romothesavior]

He really needs to go.

Not kidding, not exaggerating.

This is largely on him and he sucks.

 

[Doomsday]

I will say I am so sick of seeing an empty backfield on 2nd and 2 and first and 10.

We are playing A. Rodgers and have 2nd and 2 four times. Every single time they went empty.

I also thought they should of ran it on 3rd and 2 on the first possession to put themselves in a position to go for it on 4th down. Best offensive line in the NFL with the leading rusher and we continually make stupid decisions.

I don't see how part of the game plan is not to chew clock and keep the hottest QB in the NFL off the damn field. Which leads me to them pulling Zeke in the red zone before the half on 1st and 10. The Packers were loading up the box to stop Zeke on that drive, which opened Dez up, so they take out the dual threat and bale the defense out. Not to mention it runs no clock and they end up giving the Packers another possession before the half, knowing they also get the ball to start the 2nd half. It is just moronic to me.

Him and JG continually out think themselves at times and the attention to details and clock management are annoying as hell to me.

 

[maxdallasfan]

They put up 31 points. Can't blame the coach.

 

[romothesavior]

I will say I am so sick of seeing an empty backfield on 2nd and 2 and first and 10.

We are playing A. Rodgers and have 2nd and 2 four times. Every single time they went empty.

I also thought they should of ran it on 3rd and 2 on the first possession to put themselves in a position to go for it on 4th down. Best offensive line in the NFL with the leading rusher and we continually make stupid decisions.

I don't see how part of the game plan is not to chew clock and keep the hottest QB in the NFL off the damn field. Which leads me to them pulling Zeke in the red zone before the half on 1st and 10. The Packers were loading up the box to stop Zeke on that drive, which opened Dez up, so they take out the dual threat and bale the defense out. Not to mention it runs no clock and they end up giving the Packers another possession before the half, knowing they also get the ball to start the 2nd half. It is just moronic to me.

Him and JG continually out think themselves at times and the attention to details and clock management are annoying as hell to me.

The empty sets are completely inexplicable. At least keep the threat of Zeke alive. If you want to pass, go with a play action or something.

They got cute and it bit them hard.

 

[Stash]

They put up 31 points. Can't blame the coach.

Sure you can. The talent put up 31 points, not the awful playcalling.

Linehan was a detriment to the Cowboys against the Packers, not an asset. Despite having the best offensive line in the league and the NFL's leading rusher, 3rd and 2 is virtually a guaranteed pass play, a majority of the time an announced, empty backfield, pass play.

Inexcusable.

If I could, I'd fire Linehan today and hire Norv Turner to be this team's offensive coordinator. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

 

[Stash]

Here's some great detail on Linehan's failings. And now it should be clear to everyone why he never got a sniff as a possible head coaching candidate. He can't even handle his current job:



Decoding Linehan
There is an old story in the hockey world about the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. When they were just starting out as a group of kids together, they had to climb their way to the top of the league. Sitting up at the top was the old dynasty, the New York Islanders who were winning their 4th straight Stanley Cup at the expense of Wayne Gretzky and the kids from Edmonton in the 1983 Finals.

The young Oilers were disappointed that they hadn't quite figured it out in their loss to the old Islanders, but knew they were close. That idea cemented in their heads when they walked by the winning dressing room of their opponents and didn't see a celebration, but rather 20 exhausted guys barely with the energy to congratulate each other. The Oilers lost, but knew from that moment - where they hardly felt winded - that it was just a matter of time.

Now, this isn't to say that the Packers are a dynasty or that Aaron Rodgers is old. But, it did pop in my mind when I saw the demeanor of the two Cowboys rookies that this team is now built around, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, after the game Sunday Night. They looked bummed, but unfazed. If the Cowboys were allowed to play again today, they are fresh, ready, and eager. In other words, those two young lads know their time is coming for playoff success. It is just a matter of time.

Those two, Prescott and Elliott, are the prism through which we should view the 2016 Dallas Cowboys season. There were many other players doing many other things, but in the end, if this doesn't feel like the sunrise of a new era of Cowboys football to you, I think you are missing it. We can question the way we got to this point and the allocation of resources in certain areas at the expense of others, but given that you cannot un-spill milk, this is the course they are on and it appears to be very good.

Now, let's get to the more pressing issue of how they are not playing anymore football in 2016. As we told you last week, the offense had a much easier matchup than the defense, but with that came much more responsibility to put out a flawless performance. Let's look at the initial numbers that often indicate success.

OFFENSIVE DATA BOX


31 points, 429 yards, 55% 3rd Downs, and 1 Giveaway. Those are all numbers you would take on Saturday Night to feel like you were definitely going to win. 25 1st downs? 6.7 yards per play? Only 9 possessions in the whole game? These all look great.

I said all week that the game was going to be a race to 35 points. I said 30 points might not be enough. I also said that settling for Field Goals might get you beat. This is not an exercise in self-congratulations, but rather a reminder that numbers are impressive in a shoot-out and the game was just a hair away. But, I want to basically make this point: 429 yards and 31 points is not an A+ if you know you need to maximize every opportunity.

If settling for a Field Goal one time too many or giving Green Bay a 10th possession instead of 9 is the margin that gets you beat, then yes, even the offense has to ask difficult questions of itself.

Those numbers above are great. They will lead to victory in about 80-90% of situations. Unfortunately, that last 10-20% is the margin in the NFL Playoffs.

=====

So, what is the most legitimate critique of Sunday's effort? For me, it is that the Cowboys had an unstoppable force against a defense that has no ideas of how to slow it down and Dallas elected to not destroy their opponent with it.

We talked about this in the Linehan preview last week:

Since 2013, the Cowboys have played the Packers 4 times. In each game, they ran all day and had no issues whatsoever. They ran and ran and ran. They have run the ball with this massive offensive line against the Packers and Dom Capers 99 times in 4 games and have rolled up an absurd 641 yards.
That comes out to 6.48 yards per carry. Oh, and the Cowboys are 1-3 in those 4 games.

Well, make it 123 times for 779 yards in 5 matchups. 6.33 yards per carry! And a 1-4 record against Green Bay.

So, let's go back to the question/critique of the entire Cowboys offensive operation: Even with your 31 points and 429 yards, why isn't the answer to nearly every play-calling situation (within reason) to run Ezekiel Elliott behind this offensive line you have built?

The Cowboys are a running team. They claim that and identify that and lead all rushing categories. And yet, when it is 3rd and 2, they pass. Even when there is no reason to not give the ball to Elliott twice. I can understand the premise if the opposition is stopping you. The Giants have a chance. Surely, there are others. But, Green Bay? You can barely find one play in 5 meetings where Green Bay is stopping the Cowboys running game. And yet, the Cowboys are passing in run situations with the season on the line.

I really don't understand.

Here are some very disturbing examples on an offensive day where so much went right. Your QB played very well. Your pass protection was decent. Your receivers caught the ball. You just didn't feed Zeke to the maximum levels that were available.

3rd play of the game. Cowboys run wide on Green Bay. They know Elliott can beat this team to the corner at will. He stumbles and only gets 7 yards. I contend this is a sliver from being a 60 yard touchdown run.

Another. Some impressive runs with a fullback in this game. Look at this. Green Bay insists on playing nickel because they aren't trying to stop your run. They have conceded that before the snap. Their entire philosophy is based on poaching big plays and making you string 12-plays together without a mistake. Meanwhile, you bust it out to midfield for 22 yards.

Then a middle zone, where Zeke knows he can bounce it outside anytime he wants and go get near the sticks. It was repeated over and over in the 2 meetings with Green Bay. Doug Free might have got away with a hold there, by the way.

This one is devastating. Cowboys chop 3 bodies to the ground and if Martin can get around Free, this might be a huge run. As it stands, Zeke picks up another first down. The Packers are now exhausted in the 4th Quarter and the runs are getting easier.

Inside zone, they can't stop you. They seriously are giving up a huge gap every time the Cowboys run.

So, as you go through the tape and can barely find a bad run all day, you must return to the question, what are you going to do on 3rd and 2? 2nd and 1? 3rd and 3?

Pass all 3 times.

This is the one that gets me - and I hope you know I am seldom "play-calling 2nd guesser". But, 1st possession, 3rd and 2. They cannot stop you on the ground. Why would you not pound Zeke twice to show intent on what you are all about? Instead, your rookie QB is throwing at double coverage. You settle for a field goal and you are already playing into Green Bay's game plan.

Dangerous throw. It did knock Morgan Burnett out of the game, but one of a few risky throws from Prescott when the down/distance indicated there was no reason to throw your 3rd best pitch.

Here is the Micah Hyde interception. The killer here is it is 2nd and 1 and Zeke just got you 9. Any pass is showing mercy. This is a Dak decision - RPO - and Dez does no favors here by missing his guy. But, this is something Romo struggled with over the years (in fact, the 2013 Green Bay game was lost by a similar Romo decision). It is 2nd and 1. You have a hammer. And the Packers watch film, too.

Points off the board when there was really no reason to believe Green Bay was going to handle another few runs. Run it right through the back of the end zone.

And, finally, the last drive. Maybe the most important decision of the game. It is 3rd and 3. You have told us what you are all about all season. You have one call to either win the game or settle for a tie and putting the ball back in Aaron Rodgers' hands.

You decide to go empty and call the slant to Dez. The pass is there, but the pass protection breaks down. Green Bay gets to your QB with 4 rushers and one affects the throw and another bats it down.

If it works, you might win. If it doesn't, guys like me (in our mom's basement, no doubt) will wonder why Zeke isn't there for at least a play-fake and protection help. Or, go crazy, and give it to him twice, move the chains, and go win the game.

In other words, if you are going to lose to the Packers, at least make them prove they can stop your running game ONCE. If they do, you lost on your best pitch.

Instead, despite 31 points and 429 yards, I felt like the Cowboys offense allowed the Packers defense to survive a game that they had no real power to survive. People will say that being down 21-3 took this off the table. I will submit I just showed you several situations where that didn't apply AND that this thinking helped put you down 21-3 in the first place.

Rant over.

=====

DAK PRESCOTT THROW CHART


Much like the 1994 NFC Championship Game, which was a gutting loss in which many call Troy Aikman's best game, I thought Dak Prescott was excellent. Like Aikman that day, it doesn't mean he was perfect and it doesn't mean he wouldn't love a few decisions and throws back.

But, it does mean that you can learn a lot about a QB with everything on the line and the adversity is hitting you in the mouth. Will you cave in or play your best until the very end. I love Prescott's effort and am delighted about everything he displayed in 2016 - without qualification. From his first preseason game until his last playoff snap, he proved he has a real future.

Blitzer coming right at you and you stand tall and deliver a ball to the right spot for a big touchdown. This is what made Romo his money. And now Prescott is doing it as a rookie.

Important 3rd down here and nothing is open. So, your dual threat guy can beat them in many ways. Here is another. He made a number of big plays in that 2nd half and almost brought them all the way back.

PERSONNEL GROUPINGS


Look at all of the production and especially in 21 and 22 personnel and almost no runs out of shotgun to Elliott. I believe 2 of those 3 shotgun runs are Prescott scrambles. I think they got away from the team they were built to be - and they still scored 31 and 429 yards of offense.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS


This was an amazing season from an elite offense. And yet, the final chapter suggests they still aren't positive who they are. That will all get better with experience and they can grow into their squad, but I think the final narrative of "Rodgers beat us" is part true and part too simple for me.

I would love to see how this game looks if the offensive philosophy was "we will stop running our best options when and only when Green Bay shows they can stop it." Obviously, we will never know.

I remember how Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys took down that same Green Bay squad in the 1995 NFC Championship Game. Smith had 35 carries and 37 touches. Now, they were never down 21-3, but if you enter the game determined to answer every question with this OL and this RB, you never fall behind 21-3 in the first place.

I thought Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan had a remarkable year designing this offense. But, I also think they lost the plot a bit out of fear of Green Bay's QB. And that affected their own offensive play-calling in an adverse way.

Maybe the young pups will make sure they never let that happen again.

 

[Thomas82]

Here's some great detail on Linehan's failings. And now it should be clear to everyone why he never got a sniff as a possible head coaching candidate. He can't even handle his current job:



Decoding Linehan
There is an old story in the hockey world about the Edmonton Oilers dynasty. When they were just starting out as a group of kids together, they had to climb their way to the top of the league. Sitting up at the top was the old dynasty, the New York Islanders who were winning their 4th straight Stanley Cup at the expense of Wayne Gretzky and the kids from Edmonton in the 1983 Finals.

The young Oilers were disappointed that they hadn't quite figured it out in their loss to the old Islanders, but knew they were close. That idea cemented in their heads when they walked by the winning dressing room of their opponents and didn't see a celebration, but rather 20 exhausted guys barely with the energy to congratulate each other. The Oilers lost, but knew from that moment - where they hardly felt winded - that it was just a matter of time.

Now, this isn't to say that the Packers are a dynasty or that Aaron Rodgers is old. But, it did pop in my mind when I saw the demeanor of the two Cowboys rookies that this team is now built around, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, after the game Sunday Night. They looked bummed, but unfazed. If the Cowboys were allowed to play again today, they are fresh, ready, and eager. In other words, those two young lads know their time is coming for playoff success. It is just a matter of time.

Those two, Prescott and Elliott, are the prism through which we should view the 2016 Dallas Cowboys season. There were many other players doing many other things, but in the end, if this doesn't feel like the sunrise of a new era of Cowboys football to you, I think you are missing it. We can question the way we got to this point and the allocation of resources in certain areas at the expense of others, but given that you cannot un-spill milk, this is the course they are on and it appears to be very good.

Now, let's get to the more pressing issue of how they are not playing anymore football in 2016. As we told you last week, the offense had a much easier matchup than the defense, but with that came much more responsibility to put out a flawless performance. Let's look at the initial numbers that often indicate success.

OFFENSIVE DATA BOX


31 points, 429 yards, 55% 3rd Downs, and 1 Giveaway. Those are all numbers you would take on Saturday Night to feel like you were definitely going to win. 25 1st downs? 6.7 yards per play? Only 9 possessions in the whole game? These all look great.

I said all week that the game was going to be a race to 35 points. I said 30 points might not be enough. I also said that settling for Field Goals might get you beat. This is not an exercise in self-congratulations, but rather a reminder that numbers are impressive in a shoot-out and the game was just a hair away. But, I want to basically make this point: 429 yards and 31 points is not an A+ if you know you need to maximize every opportunity.

If settling for a Field Goal one time too many or giving Green Bay a 10th possession instead of 9 is the margin that gets you beat, then yes, even the offense has to ask difficult questions of itself.

Those numbers above are great. They will lead to victory in about 80-90% of situations. Unfortunately, that last 10-20% is the margin in the NFL Playoffs.

=====

So, what is the most legitimate critique of Sunday's effort? For me, it is that the Cowboys had an unstoppable force against a defense that has no ideas of how to slow it down and Dallas elected to not destroy their opponent with it.

We talked about this in the Linehan preview last week:

Since 2013, the Cowboys have played the Packers 4 times. In each game, they ran all day and had no issues whatsoever. They ran and ran and ran. They have run the ball with this massive offensive line against the Packers and Dom Capers 99 times in 4 games and have rolled up an absurd 641 yards.
That comes out to 6.48 yards per carry. Oh, and the Cowboys are 1-3 in those 4 games.

Well, make it 123 times for 779 yards in 5 matchups. 6.33 yards per carry! And a 1-4 record against Green Bay.

So, let's go back to the question/critique of the entire Cowboys offensive operation: Even with your 31 points and 429 yards, why isn't the answer to nearly every play-calling situation (within reason) to run Ezekiel Elliott behind this offensive line you have built?

The Cowboys are a running team. They claim that and identify that and lead all rushing categories. And yet, when it is 3rd and 2, they pass. Even when there is no reason to not give the ball to Elliott twice. I can understand the premise if the opposition is stopping you. The Giants have a chance. Surely, there are others. But, Green Bay? You can barely find one play in 5 meetings where Green Bay is stopping the Cowboys running game. And yet, the Cowboys are passing in run situations with the season on the line.

I really don't understand.

Here are some very disturbing examples on an offensive day where so much went right. Your QB played very well. Your pass protection was decent. Your receivers caught the ball. You just didn't feed Zeke to the maximum levels that were available.

3rd play of the game. Cowboys run wide on Green Bay. They know Elliott can beat this team to the corner at will. He stumbles and only gets 7 yards. I contend this is a sliver from being a 60 yard touchdown run.

Another. Some impressive runs with a fullback in this game. Look at this. Green Bay insists on playing nickel because they aren't trying to stop your run. They have conceded that before the snap. Their entire philosophy is based on poaching big plays and making you string 12-plays together without a mistake. Meanwhile, you bust it out to midfield for 22 yards.

Then a middle zone, where Zeke knows he can bounce it outside anytime he wants and go get near the sticks. It was repeated over and over in the 2 meetings with Green Bay. Doug Free might have got away with a hold there, by the way.

This one is devastating. Cowboys chop 3 bodies to the ground and if Martin can get around Free, this might be a huge run. As it stands, Zeke picks up another first down. The Packers are now exhausted in the 4th Quarter and the runs are getting easier.

Inside zone, they can't stop you. They seriously are giving up a huge gap every time the Cowboys run.

So, as you go through the tape and can barely find a bad run all day, you must return to the question, what are you going to do on 3rd and 2? 2nd and 1? 3rd and 3?

Pass all 3 times.

This is the one that gets me - and I hope you know I am seldom "play-calling 2nd guesser". But, 1st possession, 3rd and 2. They cannot stop you on the ground. Why would you not pound Zeke twice to show intent on what you are all about? Instead, your rookie QB is throwing at double coverage. You settle for a field goal and you are already playing into Green Bay's game plan.

Dangerous throw. It did knock Morgan Burnett out of the game, but one of a few risky throws from Prescott when the down/distance indicated there was no reason to throw your 3rd best pitch.

Here is the Micah Hyde interception. The killer here is it is 2nd and 1 and Zeke just got you 9. Any pass is showing mercy. This is a Dak decision - RPO - and Dez does no favors here by missing his guy. But, this is something Romo struggled with over the years (in fact, the 2013 Green Bay game was lost by a similar Romo decision). It is 2nd and 1. You have a hammer. And the Packers watch film, too.

Points off the board when there was really no reason to believe Green Bay was going to handle another few runs. Run it right through the back of the end zone.

And, finally, the last drive. Maybe the most important decision of the game. It is 3rd and 3. You have told us what you are all about all season. You have one call to either win the game or settle for a tie and putting the ball back in Aaron Rodgers' hands.

You decide to go empty and call the slant to Dez. The pass is there, but the pass protection breaks down. Green Bay gets to your QB with 4 rushers and one affects the throw and another bats it down.

If it works, you might win. If it doesn't, guys like me (in our mom's basement, no doubt) will wonder why Zeke isn't there for at least a play-fake and protection help. Or, go crazy, and give it to him twice, move the chains, and go win the game.

In other words, if you are going to lose to the Packers, at least make them prove they can stop your running game ONCE. If they do, you lost on your best pitch.

Instead, despite 31 points and 429 yards, I felt like the Cowboys offense allowed the Packers defense to survive a game that they had no real power to survive. People will say that being down 21-3 took this off the table. I will submit I just showed you several situations where that didn't apply AND that this thinking helped put you down 21-3 in the first place.

Rant over.

=====

DAK PRESCOTT THROW CHART


Much like the 1994 NFC Championship Game, which was a gutting loss in which many call Troy Aikman's best game, I thought Dak Prescott was excellent. Like Aikman that day, it doesn't mean he was perfect and it doesn't mean he wouldn't love a few decisions and throws back.

But, it does mean that you can learn a lot about a QB with everything on the line and the adversity is hitting you in the mouth. Will you cave in or play your best until the very end. I love Prescott's effort and am delighted about everything he displayed in 2016 - without qualification. From his first preseason game until his last playoff snap, he proved he has a real future.

Blitzer coming right at you and you stand tall and deliver a ball to the right spot for a big touchdown. This is what made Romo his money. And now Prescott is doing it as a rookie.

Important 3rd down here and nothing is open. So, your dual threat guy can beat them in many ways. Here is another. He made a number of big plays in that 2nd half and almost brought them all the way back.

PERSONNEL GROUPINGS


Look at all of the production and especially in 21 and 22 personnel and almost no runs out of shotgun to Elliott. I believe 2 of those 3 shotgun runs are Prescott scrambles. I think they got away from the team they were built to be - and they still scored 31 and 429 yards of offense.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS


This was an amazing season from an elite offense. And yet, the final chapter suggests they still aren't positive who they are. That will all get better with experience and they can grow into their squad, but I think the final narrative of "Rodgers beat us" is part true and part too simple for me.

I would love to see how this game looks if the offensive philosophy was "we will stop running our best options when and only when Green Bay shows they can stop it." Obviously, we will never know.

I remember how Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys took down that same Green Bay squad in the 1995 NFC Championship Game. Smith had 35 carries and 37 touches. Now, they were never down 21-3, but if you enter the game determined to answer every question with this OL and this RB, you never fall behind 21-3 in the first place.

I thought Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan had a remarkable year designing this offense. But, I also think they lost the plot a bit out of fear of Green Bay's QB. And that affected their own offensive play-calling in an adverse way.

Maybe the young pups will make sure they never let that happen again.

Excellent read!!

 

[lukin2006]

I will never understand why Zeke is ever off the field in any circumstance (exception, injury or long run), one of the reasons I was so excited we drafted him is because many of the scouting reports indicated he's an excellent receiving option, supposedly in college he was a very good route runner who could line up as WR, I believe Atlanta lines up one of their backs as a WR at times. SL and JG have no imagination offensively...

 

[Stash]

I will never understand why Zeke is ever off the field in any circumstance (exception, injury or long run), one of the reasons I was so excited we drafted him is because many of the scouting reports indicated he's an excellent receiving option, supposedly in college he was a very good route runner who could line up as WR, I believe Atlanta lines up one of their backs as a WR at times. SL and JG have no imagination offensively...

That was another huge criticism I had. They motioned him out of the backfield to line him up at receiver more than once. And never threw him the ball.

What threatens a defense more?

Elliott in the backfield with the threat of a dominant running game?

Or Elliott lined up out wide when the team has never thrown him the ball?

Who's outsmarting who here?

I hope Jerry Jones watches this game several times before deciding whether or not Linehan does come back.

 

[lukin2006]

That was another huge criticism I had. They motioned him out of the backfield to line him up at receiver more than once. And never threw him the ball.

What threatens a defense more?

Elliott in the backfield with the threat of a dominant running game?

Or Elliott lined up out wide when the team has never thrown him the ball?

Who's outsmarting who here?

I hope Jerry Jones watches this game several times before deciding whether or not Linehan does come back.

Agreed...I'd like to see him used much more as receiving threat.

 

[haleyrules]

After a 13-3 season, Linehan is probably save for another year.

 

[Stash]

After a 13-3 season, Linehan is probably save for another year.

Probably, but I'd hope that everyone in the organization take a good, hard look at the offensive playcalling decisions that were made in the game against the Packers. More than anything else, I think that is what led to defeat. And whatever steps that need to be taken to ensure that it never happens again need to be taken.

A golden opportunity was missed and who knows when that will come along again?

 

[lothos05]

Here's some great detail on Linehan's failings. And now it should be clear to everyone why he never got a sniff as a possible head coaching candidate. He can't even handle his current job:

Here is the Micah Hyde interception. The killer here is it is 2nd and 1 and Zeke just got you 9. Any pass is showing mercy. This is a Dak decision - RPO - and Dez does no favors here by missing his guy. But, this is something Romo struggled with over the years (in fact, the 2013 Green Bay game was lost by a similar Romo decision). It is 2nd and 1. You have a hammer. And the Packers watch film, too.

I agree that Linehan was certainly a detriment to the offense on Sunday but this part of the article makes me think the offensive system needs to be tweaked, too. If two QBs are making similar mistakes (one before Linehan came aboard), then there's something very, very wrong with us.

It's hard to believe that the coaching staff would allow an inferior defense to dictate the play there (or at anytime).

 

[Stash]

I agree that Linehan was certainly a detriment to the offense on Sunday but this part of the article makes me think the offensive system needs to be tweaked, too. If two QBs are making similar mistakes (one before Linehan came aboard), then there's something very, very wrong with us.

I agree. It's part of a bigger issue. It got to be a curse with Romo because he ended up checking out of too man you run plays, almost allowing the defenses to dictate. And it looked like the run game was better off before Dak started using it more too.

It's hard to believe that the coaching staff would allow an inferior defense to dictate the play there (or at anytime).

It's tough for me to definitively say. If that was the pass play they gave Dak in his run/pass option? All on them. An awful call. But if Dak called that, that one's on him.

 

[Rockdoc]

I will never understand why Zeke is ever off the field in any circumstance (exception, injury or long run), one of the reasons I was so excited we drafted him is because many of the scouting reports indicated he's an excellent receiving option, supposedly in college he was a very good route runner who could line up as WR, I believe Atlanta lines up one of their backs as a WR at times. SL and JG have no imagination offensively...

they use Dunbar and split him wide in the empty backfield formation. why? i dont know they dont use him.

 

[Rockdoc]

whats the percentage of run plays on third and 2ish on the plus side of the 50 yard line?
i imagine it is way to low.
empty backfield on 2 and 2ish is a disaster if we dont complete the pass. because then we have third and 2 and we didnt run the ball two downs we could have.

 

[lukin2006]

they use Dunbar and split him wide in the empty backfield formation. why? i dont know they dont use him.

That's what I don't understand ... why Dunbar? It should be Zeke...

 

[haleyrules]

That's what I don't understand ... why Dunbar? It should be Zeke...

lol. Because using Elliott would make too much sense and that is not allowed in Garretts world.

 

[haleyrules]

whats the percentage of run plays on third and 2ish on the plus side of the 50 yard line?
i imagine it is way to low.
empty backfield on 2 and 2ish is a disaster if we dont complete the pass. because then we have third and 2 and we didnt run the ball two downs we could have.

Yep. Makes no sense especially with the NFL 's best RB standing on the sidelines WATCHING. Get rid of Garrett. He is the HC and is both predictable and Gutless. That will never change.

 

[lukin2006]

lol. Because using Elliott would make too much sense and that is not allowed in Garretts world.

True...Hope JG watching the Atlanta offence, probably not, he thinks he knows it all...