Sturm: Decoding Linehan - 3rd and 1

[percyhoward]

The line is playing nowhere near where they were last year. It's another reason why I want to see more Turbin, he can move the pile where Mc Fadden can't.

McFadden is one short-yardage conversion away from being better than Murray was last year. That's quite a testament to the OL, considering the QB for most of his runs didn't present much of a passing threat, and was far less likely to create good situations for him by checking out of (or into) a run based on the look the defense was giving pre-snap.

Short Yardage and Goal Line Conversions
(3rd or 4th down, 1-2 yards to go; or any down from 1- or 2-yard line)
McFadden 2015
14 of 19 74%

Murray 2014
25 of 32 78%

 

[percyhoward]

The 3 and 1 dilemma is surprising too. Didn't realize we were that bad...

Media people love a headline. The article's headline in the Dallas Morning News (that Sturm wisely toned down when he posted here) actually reads...
Sturm: Where's DeMarco when you need him? Cowboys' offense is NFL's worst on 3rd and 1

This all started when ESPN announced on MNF that Dallas was the league's worst team on 3rd and 1. Some people heard that and thought, "That's a headline!" so they grabbed it and ran with it. It's all ridiculously misleading, because there's nothing that 3rd and 1 tells you that 3rd and 2, or 4th and 1 doesn't. But the phrase "NFL's worst" is sensational. And if you only look at 3rd and 1, and ignore short yardage's other downs and distances, then you're saying something that is technically true.

It would be equally valid (that is to say, not valid at all) if I made the following headline, based on a different selection of short-yardage downs and distances from this season:
percyhoward: Who Needs DeMarco? Cowboys' offense is among NFL's best on 3rd and 2, 4th and 1

NO 15 of 17 (89%)
Phi 15 of 17 (89%)
Oak 15 of 20 (75%)
Dal 12 of 16 (75%)
SF 9 of 13 (69%)
Cle 13 of 19 (68%)
Ind 15 of 22 (68%)
Cin 17 of 25 (68%)
Min 10 of 15 (67%)
Car 13 of 20 (65%)
Chi 12 of 19 (63%)
Det 12 of 19 (63%)
Buf 10 of 16 (63%)
Ari 8 of 13 (62%)
Sea 12 of 20 (60%)
KC 6 of 10 (60%)
Hou 11 of 19 (58%)
Atl 12 of 21 (57%)
SD 11 of 20 (55%)
Was 11 of 20 (55%)
NE 9 of 18 (50%)
NYJ 9 of 18 (50%)
GB 6 of 12 (50%)
TB 10 of 21 (48%)
NYG 9 of 19 (47%)
Bal 12 of 26 (46%)
Pit 9 of 20 (45%)
Den 8 of 19 (42%)
Jac 4 of 10 (40%)
Mia 3 of 9 (33%)
StL 3 of 10 (30%)
Ten 2 of 13 (15%)

 

[Nova]

goal line is stupidly easy.

Dez on the wide side of the field with no other receivers out there-- either they double him or they don't and the QB knows it before the snap and can dictate the play. Jump ball Dez or A dive run behind a pretty good OL.

Of course, you'll also want to have another two receivers on the other side (one could be a TE, who cares) to keep the defense from just completely stacking the goal line.

But that's it. Divide and conquer.

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

Ugh.

I hate our offense.

 

[khiladi]

Apparently, this is some new revelation though this very critique of Garrett has been going back for years on this forum.

That's how much of a mess this organization is as well as the media, for not pointing out basic facts. Instead we get a lot of BS about Garrett and his RKGs and his discipline or Hardy and his tweets..

Maybe Jerry should have listened to TO before it got that bad and we could have at least played in a couple of NFC championship games when Romo was healthy..