Scout’s Eye: McCoy’s Ability To Make Plays Will Dictate This Game

[waving monkey]

By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

@BryanBroaddus


IRVING, Texas – My two keys to Monday’s game center around Colt McCoy, who is expected to make the start for Washington.

I think the Cowboys are going to center their gameplan on McCoy, and making him be the guy that beats them. Whether he is up to that task will determine a lot about how this game plays out.

Cowboys Win If:

I believe the key to a Cowboys victory is extremely simple – put pressure on this Commanders offense to have to keep up on the score board.

The Cowboys average a touchdown down more per game than the Commanders, and if you look at the history of Colt McCoy as a starter in this league, his teams traditionally do not score many points. McCoy is the type of quarterback that is very steady but not spectacular and really relies on the weapons around him to make the big plays.

It is rare that the game is clearly on his shoulders where he is required to make throws down after down in order for the offense to have success. By playing this way, he is not going to have those big games, number-wise, to carry an offense.

On the other side of the field, Tony Romo can carry an offense and this is where he can put McCoy and his teammates in a bind by continuing to execute in the red zone and their goal-to-go opportunities. This Cowboys offense puts so much pressure on a defense to have to play well in the red zone because of all the weapons that Scott Linehan can put on the field in any situation.

The Cowboys will win this game by putting Colt McCoy in situations where it is now on his shoulders and he is going to be forced to make plays in order to keep up on the scoreboard and that will be rough on him.

By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

@BryanBroaddus

 

[Doomsay]

Uhmm what? Trying to make something out of nothing.

Cowboys win if: The Commanders charter is cleared for landing at DFW.

 

[black label]

Colt McCoy

 

[DanTanna]

Just make Colt throw the ball forward more than 3 yards and we win.

 

[dwreck27]

Unless we plan on resting starters early in the game... We roll and drop at least 14plus blow out

 

[TwoDeep3]

Scout’s Eye: McCoy’s Ability To Make Plays Will Dictate This Game

By Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

The Cowboys will win this game by putting Colt McCoy in situations where it is now on his shoulders and he is going to be forced to make plays in order to keep up on the scoreboard and that will be rough on him.

Thanks Bryan.

Gotcha. Get a big lead and force McCoy to play from behind. Make them one-dimensional by forcing them to pass to catch up. (I assume you really mean ``catch up`` rather than ``keep up``, since merely matching the Cowboys score for score can be done by either running or passing. It`s only if the Commanders are playing from behind that they`ll be forced to put it on McCoy`s shoulders and abandon the run, since then they`re also racing against time.)

Seems a strategy you would want to employ against any QB, not just McCoy.

Of course, maybe you just mean, force them into 3rd and long situations, where the run isn`t really a live option and they`ll have to rely on McCoy to convert.

Again, can`t see why you wouldn`t want to force every QB into 3rd and long.

Perhaps you`re just saying the Cowboys will stack the box with 8 and 9 men in order to gang up on the run and dare McCoy to beat them with his arm. That would actually be saying something. So why don`t you just say it.

 

[jobberone]

I'm concerned about the Commanders' blitz. I would bet a small amount that they will come out blitzing and won't stop until forced to. That's really the only way to stay in this game. They have a worse defense and won't be able to stay in a scoring game unless they get stops and maybe turnovers. They have an offense but no running game to go with the pass esp with a new QB. They have to gamble to win or just get unforced turnovers and field position to win a close one.

 

[Red Dragon]

Any Longhorns fans recall McCoy's days as starting QB?

He won't do much against the Dallas defense.

 

[gmoney112]

I'm concerned about the Commanders' blitz. I would bet a small amount that they will come out blitzing and won't stop until forced to. That's really the only way to stay in this game. They have a worse defense and won't be able to stay in a scoring game unless they get stops and maybe turnovers. They have an offense but no running game to go with the pass esp with a new QB. They have to gamble to win or just get unforced turnovers and field position to win a close one.

That's what I was going to be paying attention to the most, probably. Haslett loves to blitz us, and it's been effective because our OL has, for the most part, been terrible.

I expect him to throw in some creative blitzes, and I bet we're working on our protection schemes a lot this week. It is a double edged sword though, especially with our run game now.

I just don't think they have enough talent on defense right now to make the blitzes effective. I fully expect him to come out the gate blitzing, and for us to take advantage of it. Our OL just makes our opponents gameplanning miserable, it's great.

I also expect a lot of motion, and screen check downs to determine the coverage and where the blitz is coming from. Dunbar could have a big (relatively) game this week.

 

[waving monkey]

this went well

 

[JoeKing]

I see that a few of us think this will be an easy win. I don't think so... McCoy isn't a terrible QB if he is given time to go through his progressions. Our pass rush needs to step up because D-Jack and Pierre Garcon are a dangerous pair of receivers.

 

[speedkilz88]

That isn't the whole article. The Commanders win if is the rest.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Even Skin fans think Colt starting is a joke

 

[JoeKing]

That's because they don't know what they have in him yet. Colt is a good QB when given time to operate.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

That isn't the whole article. The Commanders win if is the rest.

Right. I think the rest is also the second key to Monday`s game.

 

[Idgit]

I'm concerned about the Commanders' blitz. I would bet a small amount that they will come out blitzing and won't stop until forced to. That's really the only way to stay in this game. They have a worse defense and won't be able to stay in a scoring game unless they get stops and maybe turnovers. They have an offense but no running game to go with the pass esp with a new QB. They have to gamble to win or just get unforced turnovers and field position to win a close one.

Yep. That and the Kerrigan-Parnell matchup. We're going to have to beat it. I think we can, though, and then run it out. They're not setup to play from behind if we can get a couple big plays and get up early.

 

[big dog cowboy]

They're not setup to play from behind if we can get a couple big plays and get up early.

Close them out early and do not let them hang around. They will only fight for so long if they are getting killed again on the road.

 

[RS12]

McCoy’s Ability To Make Plays Will Dictate This Game

I am thinking the Cowboys abilty to move the chains will dictate the game.

 

[lqmac1]

I'm concerned about the Commanders' blitz. I would bet a small amount that they will come out blitzing and won't stop until forced to. That's really the only way to stay in this game. They have a worse defense and won't be able to stay in a scoring game unless they get stops and maybe turnovers. They have an offense but no running game to go with the pass esp with a new QB. They have to gamble to win or just get unforced turnovers and field position to win a close one.

If they do, holy Dunbar! He might have 10 catches for 120 yards off of screams