So--potential game analysis...what do YOU think

[Kittymama]

Ok, given that the signing is a done deal, no use in beating that dead horse.

What I'm curious about is what you potential game analysts think this signing does. Not in an argumentative way, but who it benefits & who it puts more pressure on.

For instance--does this benefit Glenn & Jones & maybe even Witten? I'm thinking it may actually help them, since teams will be double-teaming Owens, which gives Glenn a better chance to burn a team or Jones to run. Or, Bledsoe dumps off to Witten for short dunks. Is it possible that we might see some 3-receiver sets drawn up--TO, Glenn, & Crayton?

However, does this put more or less pressure on the guys like Petitti & Flozell? Since Bledsoe is relatively immobile, do teams try to rush him more? Or, do they not risk it knowing that it's a virtual TD if he gets the ball off to either TO or Glenn? Do we need more shoring up of the O-line?

And given that Parcells is relatively conservative with his offensive play-calling, I'm wondering if he isn't on the phone this offseason with some of his retired former coaches (or maybe even Weis?) drawing up some new plays.

Anyway, I'd love to read any thoughts.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I think this is going to have a huge benefit on not only JJ, Glenn and the entire offensive unti but on the Defense as well. I think when you can play defense, knowing you have a playmaker on the otherside of the ball, it will let you be a bit more agressive and not play so timid. I think you may see a renewed effort to get pressure on the QB. Now of course we have the Zimmer factor but I am hoping that BP will take the reigns a bit more on Defense and let them go after the QB.

I think the D will be better for having TO on the other side of the ball.

 

[bigdrulez3141]

we just signed Fabini so it wouldnt help Petiti that much but yea I think TO will help everyone around him. Less blitzes, less double coverage on glenn, etc.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I think teams still try to blitz the first few weeks and then from there, they'll try to make adjustments or stick with that gameplan according to the success or lack thereof the Cowboys have on offense early on.

Bledsoe's QB rating with Flozell last season was 100. Without Flozell it was a 72. For the most part, they were able to keep Bledsoe upright when Flozell was in the game and then just help Petitti. When Flozell went down, they couldn't pick up the blitz or even DE's for that matter. Bledsoe started to get hit and sacked very early in games and that's when he started looking too much at the oncoming pressure instead of looking downfield and "feeling the pressure." With Bledsoe's propensity to wait for the deep play to open up, it appeared that the problem was Drew held onto the ball too long. What really happened was that the early hits and sacks rattle him and since he's a bit slow getting out into the pocket and doesn't side step or avoid the first pass rusher well, that's why he was a bit easy of a target.

Looking at this season and Bledsoe's prior years with NE and Buffalo, it's apparent that he's the type of QB that is good enough to make up for a lack of quality WR's and a quality running game. However, he must have good pass protection to be effective. If the pass protection is average or below average, his effectiveness greatly diminishes. If he can get some good pass protection and you provide him with good WR's and a good running game, it's like they used to say about Jim Rice playing at Fenway, "it's like giving superman brass knuckles."

I think this move can potentially work out brilliantly for Dallas and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Cowboys fan. T.O's greatest strength is his ability to take a short route, especially a hot route, and take it deep. He's good with deep patterns as well, but I largely believe that his ability to take short routes deep makes him such a threat for opposing teams.

While losing Flozell greatly hurt the team last year, I think the injury Crayton suffered killed the team as well since he was very effective in punishing teams when they blitzed Dallas last year.

Now with T.O. in the mix, you have T.O. who can kill teams with the blitz, Crayton and Witten who can hurt teams when they blitz, and you're probably leaving Terry Glenn one-on-one which almost always killed teams last season when Bledsoe got time to throw the ball.

I think if the offense stays relatively healthy and plays up to their relative capabilities, I think you'll see teams blitz early and get punished severely for doing so. Since Bledsoe typically excels when he's given good protection, opposing defenses will have to make the choice as to whether or not to blitz or lay back. This could/should open up the running game as well.

What you might see is something akin to 2003 where teams blitzed early on and got severely punished for it because they were pretty good at blocking the blitz and Quincy did throw a great deep ball. Teams then played way back in the cover 2 and forced Quincy to beat them with the intermediate to short stuff and forced the running game to beat them as well.

The big difference is Bledsoe is far better than Quincy, I think even Tyson Thompson is better than Hambrick, and they actually have two guys good at possession routes in Crayton and T.O (they didn't have any in 2003) and Jason Witten is a perennial pro bowler compared to being a green rookie.


Rich..........

 

[CalCBFan]

Here's my question: Will TO get "bored" = "unhappy" if we run the ball a lot? BP likes to run, run, run IMHO which doesn't bode well for any WR that wants to be the "star".

Nothing is going to improve if our OL doesn't improve; that is a fact. Given that it does, we need some WRs that can GET SEPARATION from the DBs if Bledsoe has to "scramble". This may well be the most important aspect of his game that TO brings to our table. The 49ers mad a (wonderful) living off of this for 20 years. First w/ Rice and then w/ TO. I hope he can do it for us...

 

[wileedog]

Here's my question: Will TO get "bored" = "unhappy" if we run the ball a lot? BP likes to run, run, run IMHO which doesn't bode well for any WR that wants to be the "star"..

Our run pass ratio was an even 50/50 last year.

I suspect it will lean more towards the pass with TO on the field. Bill might like to run but he's not going to ignore his best weapon. He's proven that before in NE that he will adjust his style to his personnel.

 

[STSINAZ]

here is how it will go, whatever side owens is on the safety will have to account for so he is out of the play...witten will never be covered by a safety, something different from this year...he will always have a linebacker on him...glenn will never get doubled and if he does julius will have lanes upon lanes to run through...if they bring up the safety to account for julius, run to to's side,,,or glenn will be open one on one...and no one can cover him one on one....as long as we block it is going to be a show every dang week! and the defense will benefit by being rested...they will be so pumped to get on the field, they are going to reak havoc! if LA stays we are going to be ok on the line because kosier will be the backup...you are only as good as your backups...