Sturm: Decoding Linehan - Bad to Worse

[Sturm1310]

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...nehan-offenses-desperate-situation-gets-worse

Sturm's Decoding Linehan: Why are Cowboys coaching like they are the favorite?

Written by Bob Sturm
The Dallas Morning News

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) is introduced a sell-out crowd at AT&T Stadium for the season opening game against the New York Giants in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, September 13, 2015. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)

Perhaps the most vital moment of Sunday's one-sided affair was after the Cowboys forced New England to punt with 1:18 left in the half. Somehow, they had played the Patriots to a 3-3 tie for 26 minutes before succumbing to a Tom Brady QB sneak which put the Champs up 10-3.

Still, just get to halftime within 1 score and perhaps something can happen in the 2nd half. The defense was doing the very unlikely job of holding down the Patriots and even frustrating their attack. It was very impressive work. They had held Tom Brady and company to 10 points and 4 punts.

After having the punt fair caught by Cole Beasley at the 13-yard line and with 1:12 left to play in the half, the Cowboys had a chance to kill the half with one first down. Offense is very difficult these days, but they simply had to avoid a 3-and-out and they would go to the half within a touchdown.

Instead, Beasley dropped a 1st down pass. Ron Leary was taken to school on 2nd down and Jabaal Sheard sacked Brandon Weeden. 3rd Down and 18 was the give up draw play, and with only 13 seconds off the clock, the Patriots would get yet another chance. They would score on a field goal before the half, then take the 2nd half kickoff and put in a touchdown.

Just like that, the game went from 10-3 and manageable to 20-3 and impossible without the offense touching the ball.


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[Frosty]

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...nehan-offenses-desperate-situation-gets-worse

Couldn't agree more with Bob Strum's comments, so frustrating watching Garrett stubbornly do the same thing week after week while the results get worse and worse...Status Quo is not working.


"I also want to make this point - the coaching staff must do better as well. There is absolutely no reasonable argument that tells you that Jason Garrett should be kicking a field goal from the 5-yard line in the 2nd half of a game where his offense hasn't put anything together all day. He had to go for the score to try to light that same spark I am talking about with a QB change. Sure it is desperate and maybe won't work, but what do you have to lose?

In other words, why are Garrett and Linehan still coaching this thing like they are the favorite? They aren't. And sometimes underdogs need to roll the dice and take a chance. Sometimes you need to be bold and riskier, because close to the vest is not working. Again, they will be underdogs moving forward, but for Pete's sake, cross up tendencies and try to ambush your opponent. You need to steal a TD or two to win these games and instead they are running on almost every 1st down until they are down double-digits and they are kicking a Field Goal on 4th and 2.

If "Fortune favors the bold", it is time the coaches stop "Laying up at the Masters." I am not suggesting it is one trick play after another, but the only thing more conservative than the QB play in the last 3 weeks might be the play-calling behind it. I am sure crossing up tendencies is a risky proposition if you are trying to cut down on the 3-and-outs, but these 3 games have taught us that the talent on hand cannot win a fair fight.

They are going to need help. The defense needs to help them. The special teams needs to help them. The infirmary needs to help them. And yes, the coaches need to help get through this as well."

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...nehan-offenses-desperate-situation-gets-worse

 

[Richmond Cowboy]

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...nehan-offenses-desperate-situation-gets-worse

Here it looks like there's at least 3 open receivers. The two outside guys and Beasley coming across the middle.

 

[xwalker]

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...nehan-offenses-desperate-situation-gets-worse

Excellent work.

Also, you and Dan nailed it with your Phil Simms segment yesterday. I eventually had to just turn the sound off on the game because Simms is that bad.

 

[punchnjudy]

Only ray of light that may come from Romo's injury is the coaching staff realizing some of its own shortcomings. Seems pretty obvious that Tony covered up a lot of flaws throughout the whole organization. Not that I expect them to create a really solid attack until Romo and Dez come back, but if they can learn how to make their attack more diverse then this offense could really strike fear into people when #9 is firing the bullets.

 

[Wolfpack]

Excellent as usual.

Interesting that the receivers were getting separation.

Also, why are they extra predictable this year with 95% under center runs and the matching 95% shotgun passing? That's crazy.

 

[DCBoysfan]

Great read, thanks.

 

[Alexander]

And yes, the coaches need to help get through this as well."

This is a point so very lost in all of the anger about Weeden this, Weeden that, it's the defense this week, the running game the next.

The staff is just continuing with business as usual with the impacted personnel, thinking stubbornly, that they just need to "win matchups".

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Well, that is a massive shock (not!). Weeden is not hitting receivers and defenses don't even feel that they need to blitz because they know he can't beat them throwing the ball.

Dallas could have saved themselves and all of us fans the trouble by just watching him play with the Browns.

 

[Idgit]

Always good stuff. When you get a drop and a blown up protection, I'm not sure the series at the end of the first half is a coaching problem. We could have run it three times there and taken the 3-and-out that way. I don't recall off-hand how many times the Pats could have stopped the clock.

That still of Street open and heading to the sidelines with Weeden looking at him in position to throw is pretty frustrating.

The Terrence Williams still...I'll take his word for it that that's an easy NFL throw, but that's one where I'm shocked if Weeden's able to put the ball on the spot. Easy or not, he doesn't make a lot of throws like that.

The TD to Terrence was just a horrible throw on Weeden's part, and probably the point where he benched himself. You can't have a struggling offense like we've got and then go in the film room and show plays like that with a 90 game starter sitting right next to you and not expect the coaches to make a change.

 

[Super_Kazuya]

You can't have a struggling offense like we've got and then go in the film room and show plays like that with a 90 game starter sitting right next to you and not expect the coaches to make a change.

Unless it was a double feature and they showed Cassel's Patriots game tape from last year right afterwards.

Of course, the real twist ending from movie night is that despite Garrett's tough talk about evaluating QBs, Weeden is playing it pretty much exactly the way Jason wants him to and the chips are not falling the way he thought they would. And Garrett and co. have no answers.

 

[Kevinicus]

Here it looks like there's at least 3 open receivers. The two outside guys and Beasley coming across the middle.

That's what I see as well. And possibly Witten in the middle as well based on the direction the defenders appear to be moving.

 

[Wolfpack]

Always good stuff. When you get a drop and a blown up protection, I'm not sure the series at the end of the first half is a coaching problem. We could have run it three times there and taken the 3-and-out that way. I don't recall off-hand how many times the Pats could have stopped the clock.

They had one time out remaining I think. Three runs would have chewed up that time out plus another 60 seconds leaving Brady with about 30 seconds (after the punt) and no times outs. Total coaching mistake, yet again. He did the same the other week going into halftime.

 

[Idgit]

Unless it was a double feature and they showed Cassel's Patriots game tape from last year right afterwards.

Of course, the real twist ending from movie night is that despite Garrett's tough talk about evaluating QBs, Weeden is playing it pretty much exactly the way Jason wants him to and the chips are not falling the way he thought they would. And Garrett and co. have no answers.

If we're being honest, they have no answers because there are no answers.

I do think Weeden's done pretty much what the coaches have asked of him. Though Sunday's game wasn't his best example of that. Had he made the touch to Williams at the end of the game, and one or two better throws throughout, I'm not sure these coaches would bench him.

The answers, though nobody wants to accept it, are to keep playing better defense now that we've got our pass rush back, hope to break the curse that's keeping us from getting any of these turnovers that are there to be had, and to just keep trying to play the efficient passing game and get the running game going on offense. We don't have the offensive personnel to change things up right now, and taking more or different risks isn't going to help.

Putting in Cassel is probably pig-lipstick right now, but it's time for the pig-lipstick.

I know fans want to see a Hail Mary, but the reality is, those don't work all that often. You're better off doing the things you can do, better, and then hoping to stick around long enough that your personnel get back in the lineup.

 

[foofighters]

Only ray of light that may come from Romo's injury is the coaching staff realizing some of its own shortcomings. Seems pretty obvious that Tony covered up a lot of flaws throughout the whole organization. Not that I expect them to create a really solid attack until Romo and Dez come back, but if they can learn how to make their attack more diverse then this offense could really strike fear into people when #9 is firing the bullets.

Tony has been doing that forever. Remember the 13 probowlers back in 07? Half those guys amounted to nothing.

 

[Idgit]

They had one time out remaining I think. Three runs would have chewed up that time out plus another 60 seconds leaving Brady with about 30 seconds (after the punt) and no times outs. Total coaching mistake, yet again. He did the same the other week going into halftime.

Is it a coaching mistake? If you think you can convert on the series, but likely only if you pass the ball, don't you try for the conversion there? Giving Brady even 30 seconds and a short field at the end on purpose of a half isn't smart.

Then you get a drop.

Then you get your interior OL beaten, despite the fact that it's supposed to be the strength of your team.

That's an offensive team just getting out-executed. And with Beasley and Leary we're talking some of our solid players here.

It's a perfect example of the kind of thing that gets called a coaching error in hindsight but which is really not executing well. Had we run it three times and gotten stonewalled, the coaches would be facing the same exact criticism for opposite reasons, and we both know it.

 

[CyberB0b]

I have to disagree with Sturm on this one. This isn't NFL open. This is a pick 6. That defender is trailing and Weeden is on the run, and likely won't get enough on the ball to zip it in there.

 

[Idgit]

I have to disagree with Sturm on this one. This isn't NFL open. This is a pick 6. That defender is trailing and Weeden is on the run, and likely won't get enough on the ball to zip it in there.

That's what the CB is thinking, but there's a lot of room between Street and the sideline there. Weeden's got the arm to get that ball there.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I have to disagree with Sturm on this one. This isn't NFL open. This is a pick 6. That defender is trailing and Weeden is on the run, and likely won't get enough on the ball to zip it in there.

I think his point was, the window, small as it was, was there and sometimes that is all you get. Perhaps the ball should have been in the air when #15 came out of his break and not at the end of his route. Who knows except the coaches.

 

[CyberB0b]

I think his point was, the window, small as it was, was there and sometimes that is all you get. Perhaps the ball should have been in the air when #15 came out of his break and not at the end of his route. Who knows except the coaches.

That's a fair point. Weeden is way too late getting rid of the ball. He can't anticipate guys getting open and he can't see the routes develop in front of him. At the point of the freeze frame, he won't be able to get it in there accurately with enough zip.