Self Scouting

[Verdict]

Here is a self scouting exercise. Teams generally take away your strength and try to make you beat them doing things you don't do well. Having said that if you were an opponent, how would you attack this team offensively and defensively?

1. Offensively, you would think that defenses would do their best to stop the run. Load the box up and sell out to stop the run to put us in bad down and distance on 2nd down. They will be willing to take their chances especially early in the year.

The counter. Show the run on first down but pass it on first down. A high percentage pass on first down could be a big field position flipper. They probably should be looking to pass about 50 percent of the time on first down. It's also the easiest down to complete a pass.

2. Defensively? This is more difficult to figure out because of the new personnel. I think teams will test the middle (DTs) in the running game, which will also test the new linebackers (especially their gap responsibilities) and to a lesser degree the safeties.

They could also go 10 personnel. We seem to be a bit light at satey depth and experience other than Heath. We have enough talent to compete there, but a busted coverage could yield a TD. I think we will see a lot of that early.

 

[glimmerman]

If I am opposing defense then I change nothing from last year. Load the box and make Dak beat you. What ever personnel we come out with they still make him pass the ball.

If I am opposing offense I run up the middle don’t test the edges our LB are way to fast. And test our safeties and corners early. Take deep shots.

Counter.

It simple. Dak has to make the throws and our WR have to catch the ball. Hoping we aren’t so predictable this year on our plays. We run the ball down there throats and play action. Beat them down and by the 4th quarter we can go back to ball control and run it all day.

Our Defense has to get consistent pressure and our CB are going to be playing up. A more aggressive style will hopefully get them off the field. And don’t call the prevent Defense ever again. Lol

 

[pitt33]

If I am opposing defense then I change nothing from last year. Load the box and make Dak beat you. What ever personnel we come out with they still make him pass the ball.

Couldn’t agree more right here. And keep Dak in the pocket where he isn’t nearly as effective.

Ultimately Zeke is going to take a lot of hits this season...and I mean a @$#%load of hits.

 

[Reality]

If I am opposing defense then I change nothing from last year. Load the box and make Dak beat you. What ever personnel we come out with they still make him pass the ball.

This has been the blueprint for defenses against the Cowboys the last two years.

The Cowboys have to prove they can complete 15-20 yard (in the air, not short then run) passes consistently or there is no reason for the defense to play back.

However, this is not all about Dak as it depends heavily on the receivers getting open as well as Dak's accuracy.

 

[Whyjerry]

Here is a self scouting exercise. Teams generally take away your strength and try to make you beat them doing things you don't do well. Having said that if you were an opponent, how would you attack this team offensively and defensively?

1. Offensively, you would think that defenses would do their best to stop the run. Load the box up and sell out to stop the run to put us in bad down and distance on 2nd down. They will be willing to take their chances especially early in the year.

The counter. Show the run on first down but pass it on first down. A high percentage pass on first down could be a big field position flipper. They probably should be looking to pass about 50 percent of the time on first down. It's also the easiest down to complete a pass.

2. Defensively? This is more difficult to figure out because of the new personnel. I think teams will test the middle (DTs) in the running game, which will also test the new linebackers (especially their gap responsibilities) and to a lesser degree the safeties.

They could also go 10 personnel. We seem to be a bit light at satey depth and experience other than Heath. We have enough talent to compete there, but a busted coverage could yield a TD. I think we will see a lot of that early.

Offensively they are hamstrung every year. Teams will load the box and come after them. The answer is simple screens, draws, quick slants, and skinny posts over the middle. More passing on first down including taking a chance or two deep. They also need to play quicker. Don’t let the defense get set. Very obvious but all have been abscent from the scheme. Instead we bootleg, throw sideline 50/50 balls and run between the tackles.

 

[pitt33]

Offensively they are hamstrung every year. Teams will load the box and come after them. The answer is simple screens, draws, quick slants, and skinny posts over the middle. More passing on first down including taking a chance or two deep. They also need to play quicker. Don’t let the defense get set. Very obvious but all have been abscent from the scheme. Instead we bootleg, throw sideline 50/50 balls and run between the tackles.

Passing on first down!?

I almost spit my coffee out. That’s funny.

 

[glimmerman]

Couldn’t agree more right here.

Zeke is going to take a lot of hits this season.

Until we make them pay it’s gonna get worse. Good thing about it that our O-Line gives him a hole and it’s on.

 

[pitt33]

Until we make them pay it’s gonna get worse. Good thing about it that our O-Line gives him a hole and it’s on.

Yes.

And I do see Zeke popping some long runs this season with the stacked boxes he’ll face.

Much like the guy as my avatar used to do.

Just sayin...

 

[Bobhaze]

Here is a self scouting exercise. Teams generally take away your strength and try to make you beat them doing things you don't do well. Having said that if you were an opponent, how would you attack this team offensively and defensively?

1. Offensively, you would think that defenses would do their best to stop the run. Load the box up and sell out to stop the run to put us in bad down and distance on 2nd down. They will be willing to take their chances especially early in the year.

The counter. Show the run on first down but pass it on first down. A high percentage pass on first down could be a big field position flipper. They probably should be looking to pass about 50 percent of the time on first down. It's also the easiest down to complete a pass.

2. Defensively? This is more difficult to figure out because of the new personnel. I think teams will test the middle (DTs) in the running game, which will also test the new linebackers (especially their gap responsibilities) and to a lesser degree the safeties.

They could also go 10 personnel. We seem to be a bit light at satey depth and experience other than Heath. We have enough talent to compete there, but a busted coverage could yield a TD. I think we will see a lot of that early.

Good topic!

We should all already know how defenses will attack us because in the latter part of the season it was killing our offense and we seemed unable to adjust.

The scheme that worked was (as others have already mentioned) to load up against the run and to take away the short passing game- last year being Beasley and Witten. The Dez fans seemed to have forgotten that he was single covered the majority of the last half of the season because opponents had little fear of his being able to get open.

In order to “break this curse” our passing game must click early this year. Especially play action medium routes, which Dak needs to improve. We also need to allow Dak to move more in and out of the pocket. His accuracy improves when he is moving.

Defensively we must be better at stopping the run. If teams can run on us, they will grind this defense, which has talent but not at DT and certainly not enough depth. My biggest concern going into this season is the lack of depth and talent at DT. It’s clear we cannot count on David Irving- he may or may not be able to return to form even if he’s not suspended for 10 games. We need to pick up some additional help there.

If the passing game can be a legitimate threat our offense will click. But that remains to be seen. I’m hopeful but we won’t know until the live bullets fly in September.

 

[glimmerman]

This has been the blueprint for defenses against the Cowboys the last two years.

The Cowboys have to prove they can complete 15-20 yard (in the air, not short then run) passes consistently or there is no reason for the defense to play back.

However, this is not all about Dak as it depends heavily on the receivers getting open as well as Dak's accuracy.

It was so simple for opposing defenses last year. And our staff refused to do much about it.

1 - The did bracket coverage on Beez and took him completely out of the game. That was a portion of our passing game.

2 - Even the opposing corners in the league said they were no longer afraid of Dez and we ran the same passing plays and they were correct. Now I know Dez wasn’t the Dez he was in previous years but I know Dak was trying to force the ball unsuccesfully to him. Not sure it was a staff thing or player.

3 - Our other WR were not getting open and when they did Dak could have been more accurate or he didn’t see them because his progressions were past them.

4 - Dak was under more pressure than his rookie year. That falcons game was just sad. Again the staff offered no real answer. It had Dak with happy feet the rest of the season. Romo would have never survived.

5 - Everyone was all over Witten about his 3 or 5 yard catches and he isn’t the same player he used to be but I think a lot of time he was Daks last choice and he was coming back to the ball to stay open.

Our only thing we had was a running game but you can’t beat every team every week with that. And we lost Elliot for 6 games but not sure if the season would have been much better with him there.

This year we have to have a passing game, change things up and get back to letting Dak throw to the open WR. Get some pass plays longer than 10 yards down field. Teams will continue stacking the box and taking shorter passes out or minimizing the yac. Get unpredictable and pound that rock. But until we beat them consistantly in the pass it’s load the box time.

 

[glimmerman]

Yes.

And I do see Zeke popping some long runs this season with the stacked boxes he’ll face.

Much like the guy as my avatar used to do.

Just sayin...

Yes sir. Unfortunately that’s not gonna do any thing but keep them in the box and we can’t beat teams with the run all game every game. Well maybe. Lol.

Play action would be nice if Dak had the time. When they send 7 or 8 and we only have 5 blocking it don’t give much time. Solid pass plays of 12 yards or more on a consistent basis will back defenses off after a few quarters. And make teams change the way they play us after we are successful for 5 or 6 games.

 

[Fletch]

This has been the blueprint for defenses against the Cowboys the last two years.

The Cowboys have to prove they can complete 15-20 yard (in the air, not short then run) passes consistently or there is no reason for the defense to play back.

However, this is not all about Dak as it depends heavily on the receivers getting open as well as Dak's accuracy.

And catching without fumbling. Damn. Hope Dez doesn’t read our board.

 

[Flamma]

I'd put one extra guy in the box than Dallas has blockers. Force Dak to either make the pass or Zeke to get past that. When the Cowboys go empty backfield, rush 6, bump at the line. I saw the Giants kill us with that.

It's a numbers game for the most part regardless of talent. Outnumber your opponent in the area of question. For running the ball I always liked either the I form or single setback double TE play action. I like the latter because it gives you more options on the pass. Either formation forces the defense to commit a ton in the box when you have a runner like Zeke. That doesn't leave a lot of defenders back in coverage. Play action holds them just long enough for WRs to run intermediate outs or slants against fewer defenders. But we don't have the talent of the early 90s Cowboys and I don't know if this group can pull it off.

 

[glimmerman]

Good topic!

We should all already know how defenses will attack us because in the latter part of the season it was killing our offense and we seemed unable to adjust.

The scheme that worked was (as others have already mentioned) to load up against the run and to take away the short passing game- last year being Beasley and Witten. The Dez fans seemed to have forgotten that he was single covered the majority of the last half of the season because opponents had little fear of his being able to get open.

In order to “break this curse” our passing game must click early this year. Especially play action medium routes, which Dak needs to improve. We also need to allow Dak to move more in and out of the pocket. His accuracy improves when he is moving.

Defensively we must be better at stopping the run. If teams can run on us, they will grind this defense, which has talent but not at DT and certainly not enough depth. My biggest concern going into this season is the lack of depth and talent at DT. It’s clear we cannot count on David Irving- he may or may not be able to return to form even if he’s not suspended for 10 games. We need to pick up some additional help there.

If the passing game can be a legitimate threat our offense will click. But that remains to be seen. I’m hopeful but we won’t know until the live bullets fly in September.

If you were the opposing defense on opening day would you do anything but load the box? I don’t care what formation we came out with.

First play Offensively for us, what do you think it will be? Hand off up the gut for 2 or 3 yards. Or does JG totally fool them for a attempted short pass. Lol. Or maybe we air it out and show we mean business.

If it’s me I pound the ball first down. Then go with a 10 yard out or in. Get aggressive with the pass. Grind the run.

I think our run Defense will be fine early on, it’s later in the game when I fear our lighter DT get pushed around.

 

[glimmerman]

I'd put one extra guy in the box than Dallas has blockers. Force Dak to either make the pass or Zeke to get past that. When the Cowboys go empty backfield, rush 6, bump at the line. I saw the Giants kill us with that.

It's a numbers game for the most part regardless of talent. Outnumber your opponent in the area of question. For running the ball I always liked either the I form or single setback double TE play action. I like the latter because it gives you more options on the pass. Either formation forces the defense to commit a ton in the box when you have a runner like Zeke. That doesn't leave a lot of defenders back in coverage. Play action holds them just long enough for WRs to run intermediate outs or slants against fewer defenders. But we don't have the talent of the early 90s Cowboys and I don't know if this group can pull it off.

Sometimes they were selling out and sending 2 more than we could block. They had absolutely no fear of Dez or our passing game or Dak to make the play. We should have been taking more deep shots but Dak doesn’t like chancing the turnover with throwing it down field and letting the WR make the play. If he wasn’t open then he would hold the ball. Dak will need to use his feet this year and maybe take off with the ball more than he wants to. Outside the pocket or even designed roll outs so if no one is there he can get 3 or 4 and step out. Make defenses spy or mirror him instead of coming after him. That will take 1 defender out of the play.

 

[Verdict]

Couldn’t agree more right here. And keep Dak in the pocket where he isn’t nearly as effective.

Ultimately Zeke is going to take a lot of hits this season...and I mean a @$#%load of hits.

Yes. That's right. We really need a backup RB that can carry the ball and the team. I don't know if we have that guy on the roster but we need better than Morris gave us last year.

 

[Flamma]

Sometimes they were selling out and sending 2 more than we could block. They had absolutely no fear of Dez or our passing game or Dak to make the play. We should have been taking more deep shots but Dak doesn’t like chancing the turnover with throwing it down field and letting the WR make the play. If he wasn’t open then he would hold the ball. Dak will need to use his feet this year and maybe take off with the ball more than he wants to. Outside the pocket or even designed roll outs so if no one is there he can get 3 or 4 and step out. Make defenses spy or mirror him instead of coming after him. That will take 1 defender out of the play.

Well, Dez and Witten weren't close to the same players they were with Romo and in their prime. Even in 2016 they weren't. So who's left? TWill, Brice Butler, and Beasley? I find it mind boggling we went 13-3 in 2016. That's why I went on a rant on the old Cowboys forum because we did nothing to improve in the offseason. Can any QB overcome that? And that's without taking into account losing Zeke for 6 weeks and our left Tackle.

 

[Verdict]

I believe Hurns is a significant upgrade over Dez. I also believe Austin and Yiompsons speed will help out significantly this year.