Setting Up Your Knockout Punch

[superpunk]

It was first and 10 at the Washington 12, following a penalty. Romo had just finished completing 6 straight passes to 5 different receivers, it looked like Dallas could do whatever they wanted to Washington - but here we were in the red zone. It's what we've all wanted to see, can we handle this area this year, how would Garrett utilize our weapons - can we get Touchdowns, rather than field goals?

Given the way our passing game was working, common sense would tell you that right here would be a great time for the freeze draw. Collinsworth did a great job later in the night of showing us how Romo's action after the snap did a great job freezing Washington's inside linebackers. We had been passing all over them, their mindset had to be changing towards pass first. A freeze draw to Barber or Felix either from the shotgun or under center would have, IMO, been the perfect call.

What did we opt to do?

Garrett had a trump card in his pocket, and couldn't wait any longer to play it. Marion Barber attempted his first NFL pass, doing the right thing in throwing the ball away rather than forcing it to a double covered receiver. Ultimately we took a penalty on a OPI, backed up, and Buehler missed a FG, resulting in no points for our offense which looked unstoppable....until we got in the red zone.

I applaud the creativity, but that is absolutely the wrong time to make that call. We hadn't been pounding the ball on them that drive. They weren't looking run first after we had passed it six straight downs for six straight completions. At that point we hadn't even been running that toss sweep to Barber, which would have set the play up nicely. No, at that point in the game we had thrown 11 passes, and run the ball 2 times. And then Garrett decided that he should have his RB throw his first NFL pass against a defense that HAD to be thinking pass first.

I am really a fan of Garrett as a coach - but situations like this make me pull my hair out. He's like a boxer who doesn't know when to use his best punch, or how to set it up. He's just out there, swinging away.

 

[CATCH17]

It's real easy to say how bad of a call it was because it didn't work.


Honestly I think that was the 1st trick play Garrett has ever ran here in Dallas.

 

[Bleu Star]

It's real easy to say how bad of a call it was because it didn't work.


Honestly I think that was the 1st trick play Garrett has ever ran here in Dallas.

Choice's fumble was his first fumble ever here in Dallas too but we know how well he has been roasted on this board over the past few days.

 

[superpunk]

It's real easy to say how bad of a call it was because it didn't work.


Honestly I think that was the 1st trick play Garrett has ever ran here in Dallas.

It's easy to say it was a bad call because it was the complete wrong time for it.

If we had run the ball six straight times to the 10, maybe sprinkling in one of those toss sweeps we started running later just to give the LBs that look, then yes - this trick play is a GREAT call, whether it works or not.

But you have to set it up. You can't set it up by forcing a defense to think PASS, and then use your HB to throw a pass.

 

[Doomsay]

It's real easy to say how bad of a call it was because it didn't work.


Honestly I think that was the 1st trick play Garrett has ever ran here in Dallas.

IMO, given that Barber had never thrown a pass at any level, it's easy to say that it was a stupid call given our general offensive ineptitude over the past few months.

 

[cowboyjoe]

It was first and 10 at the Washington 12, following a penalty. Romo had just finished completing 6 straight passes to 5 different receivers, it looked like Dallas could do whatever they wanted to Washington - but here we were in the red zone. It's what we've all wanted to see, can we handle this area this year, how would Garrett utilize our weapons - can we get Touchdowns, rather than field goals?

Given the way our passing game was working, common sense would tell you that right here would be a great time for the freeze draw. Collinsworth did a great job later in the night of showing us how Romo's action after the snap did a great job freezing Washington's inside linebackers. We had been passing all over them, their mindset had to be changing towards pass first. A freeze draw to Barber or Felix either from the shotgun or under center would have, IMO, been the perfect call.

What did we opt to do?

Garrett had a trump card in his pocket, and couldn't wait any longer to play it. Marion Barber attempted his first NFL pass, doing the right thing in throwing the ball away rather than forcing it to a double covered receiver. Ultimately we took a penalty on a OPI, backed up, and Buehler missed a FG, resulting in no points for our offense which looked unstoppable....until we got in the red zone.

I applaud the creativity, but that is absolutely the wrong time to make that call. We hadn't been pounding the ball on them that drive. They weren't looking run first after we had passed it six straight downs for six straight completions. At that point we hadn't even been running that toss sweep to Barber, which would have set the play up nicely. No, at that point in the game we had thrown 11 passes, and run the ball 2 times. And then Garrett decided that he should have his RB throw his first NFL pass against a defense that HAD to be thinking pass first.

I am really a fan of Garrett as a coach - but situations like this make me pull my hair out. He's like a boxer who doesn't know when to use his best punch, or how to set it up. He's just out there, swinging away.

garrett is getting there, but in critical situations like that, just like the 4 second goof up and last play of the game, giving no help to Barron,

(from what i understand barber was suppose to chip orakpo on last play but he didnt, so evidently barber wasnt coached enough, and choice wasnt coached enough to do what they were told)
in detail

garrett needs an experienced offensive consultant up in press box and in practices to help tutor jason and john garrett in critical situations

example, wade has 31 years in coaching, how much does jason garrett really have, 3 years

we need an experienced offensive guru as offensive consultant
doesnt have to be dan reeves, could be jon gruden, or tony dungy or marionci, cant spell his name ex 49ers head coach,

 

[StarHead69]

Agree with you on the "swinging away" comment.

As I mentioned in another thread, JG seems to call plays based solely on down-and-distance with very little consideration for the flow of the game or our position on the field.

I am FAR too lazy to research tendencies, but I will throw this question up for the resident stat-hounds:

How do our Cowboys compare to other teams in the percentage of shotgun and/ or spread formation plays inside the red-zone?

 

[superpunk]

example, wade has 31 years in coaching, how much does jason garrett really have, 3 years

Yup, he is still a coaching baby.

 

[Section446]

IMO, given that Barber had never thrown a pass at any level, it's easy to say that it was a stupid call given our general offensive ineptitude over the past few months.

Hey, pre-season means absolutely nothing, remember? There is absolutely nothing that can happen in pre-season that will give any kind of indication about what will happen in the regular season. Just because the OL couldn't block anybody in the pre-season when the defenses weren't even scheming, doesn't mean they won't be able to block when the defenses start scheming.... wait.... nevermind.

 

[Jarv]

It was first and 10 at the Washington 12, following a penalty. Romo had just finished completing 6 straight passes to 5 different receivers, it looked like Dallas could do whatever they wanted to Washington - but here we were in the red zone. It's what we've all wanted to see, can we handle this area this year, how would Garrett utilize our weapons - can we get Touchdowns, rather than field goals?

Given the way our passing game was working, common sense would tell you that right here would be a great time for the freeze draw. Collinsworth did a great job later in the night of showing us how Romo's action after the snap did a great job freezing Washington's inside linebackers. We had been passing all over them, their mindset had to be changing towards pass first. A freeze draw to Barber or Felix either from the shotgun or under center would have, IMO, been the perfect call.

What did we opt to do?

Garrett had a trump card in his pocket, and couldn't wait any longer to play it. Marion Barber attempted his first NFL pass, doing the right thing in throwing the ball away rather than forcing it to a double covered receiver. Ultimately we took a penalty on a OPI, backed up, and Buehler missed a FG, resulting in no points for our offense which looked unstoppable....until we got in the red zone.

I applaud the creativity, but that is absolutely the wrong time to make that call. We hadn't been pounding the ball on them that drive. They weren't looking run first after we had passed it six straight downs for six straight completions. At that point we hadn't even been running that toss sweep to Barber, which would have set the play up nicely. No, at that point in the game we had thrown 11 passes, and run the ball 2 times. And then Garrett decided that he should have his RB throw his first NFL pass against a defense that HAD to be thinking pass first.

I am really a fan of Garrett as a coach - but situations like this make me pull my hair out. He's like a boxer who doesn't know when to use his best punch, or how to set it up. He's just out there, swinging away.

Good post SP, except why are you a fan of his coaching when he pulls this crap ?

 

[superpunk]

Good post SP, except why are you a fan of his coaching when he pulls this crap ?

I think if he can work through these things, his future's so bright he's gotta wear shades.

We have a really good offense, and I think he deserves credit for that. He just has brain farts, maybe he out-thinks himself.

 

[superpunk]

As I mentioned in another thread, JG seems to call plays based solely on down-and-distance with very little consideration for the flow of the game or our position on the field.

That's what it seems like. On his sheet it probably had that play for that situation. Hey, 1st and 10from the 12 - it's a running down, right?

But not when you've just thrown six straight passes.

 

[InDakWeTrust]

My dream redzone appearance with a 1st and goal.
1st down, Shotgun draw to Felix.
2nd down, That playaction stretch slant that we had so much success to Roy last year.
3rd down. Ace 2 TE/2 WR, have the TE's run digs and Austin a Fade or the back shoulder pass and have Dez run a fade or something.

 

[Section446]

I think if he can work through these things, his future's so bright he's gotta wear shades.

We have a really good offense, and I think he deserves credit for that. He just has brain farts, maybe he out-thinks himself.

We have better weapons than any team in the NFL, but we've got to do something about the OL in the off-season. We need to find a way to replace at least 3 of our 5 OL in the next couple of years. For a team that's pretty inept when it comes to drafting OL that's going to be the biggest challenge of Jerry's life.

 

[CATCH17]

IMO, given that Barber had never thrown a pass at any level, it's easy to say that it was a stupid call given our general offensive ineptitude over the past few months.

Why? Barber made the right decision when he threw it away.

So now you're saying you know he wouldn't have hit a wide open Witten?

Man you guys are some Nostradamus's.

 

[Gaede]

Yeah, that was kind of a funny play to call.

I wonder if they've really put a lot of time on practicing that one or if Garrett just pulled the play randomly out of the back of the playbook and threw the players offguard. Certainly didn't look too smooth out there on the field. Kinda like when they first ran the wildcat last year. Didn't look good at first and then gradually did okay.

On the other hand, that three RB backfield was a cool play and actually worked

 

[CATCH17]

Yeah, that was kind of a funny play to call.

I wonder if they've really put a lot of time on practicing that one or if Garrett just pulled the play randomly out of the back of the playbook and threw the players offguard. Certainly didn't look too smooth out there on the field. Kinda like when they first ran the wildcat last year. Didn't look good at first and then gradually did okay.

On the other hand, that three RB backfield was a cool play and actually worked

Obviously they did because I doubt Barber has the savy of a seasoned NFL QB to immediately get rid of the ball like that.

 

[superpunk]

On the other hand, that three RB backfield was a cool play and actually worked

Yeah can you imagine if Choice had actually pitched it and then blocked the one remaining defender?

 

[Gaede]

Obviously they did because I doubt Barber has the savy of a seasoned NFL QB to immediately get rid of the ball like that.

I don't know, I think that's kind of a common sense type thing to do. Doesn't take a lot of savvy to know not to throw into double (or was it triple) coverage...Barber's a smart player not some ******* rookie, afterall.

 

[Hostile]

I often wonder how posters here would do as play callers. I've never seen so many geniuses assembled in one place in my life.