Sturm: Decoding Linehan - Bad to Worse

[texbumthelife]

I don't mind. It's just a nice philosophical chat. And we don't all have to agree.

Garrett's actually too conservative on offense for my liking, too. give me 1-2 trick plays per game. I think they add flavor and a bit of uncertainty to things.

He's shown he's not above being aggressive, but he's only going to do it when he's got a good team and the advantage. Otherwise, he likes to limit the variables to the point that, I agree, it's boring. But I know why he's doing it. The way they're working Michael in, for example, is completely boring. They have him slotted for short yardage back, and they want to give him a series or two, conditions permitting, in the second half. And for two weeks now, the conditions have not permitted. He's a firey player, though. who knows if giving him a carry or two might not bring some swagger to the offensive team sometime in that third quarter? The cost of giving him a couple of carries is not high, given how much we were struggling. It's frustrating to watch sometimes.

I will be completely honest, I think his swagger is one of the contributing factors in him not playing.

 

[cowboys2233]

Your defense just got shredded by the Patriots and your offense finally shows life. If your level of trust in your offense is, "this is going to be a demoralizing loss of possession" than you've already failed as a coach. The game had already shifted away from the close to the vest defensive play of the first quarter. The risk/reward of 7 vs 3 or no points there, against the Patriots with a team desperately looking for a spark, says you have to go for it.

Then again, some of you are also still saying we should stick with status quo and not change anything. You'd rather rely on excuses like, "the injuries have completely crippled us" instead of having a coach go in there and admit what they're doing isn't working and change it up.

"Changing it up" does not mean acting totally stupid and attempting things that are very unlikely to be successful. That's not changing it up, that's called "panic" and "desperation." The team was within two scores -- they weren't desperately looking for a spark at that point, they were looking for remotely competent QB play. They did not find it.

 

[texbumthelife]

"Changing it up" does not mean acting totally stupid and attempting things that are very unlikely to be successful. That's not changing it up, that's called "panic" and "desperation." The team was within two scores -- they weren't desperately looking for a spark at that point, they were looking for remotely competent QB play. They did not find it.

Totally stupid? Unlikely to be successful? Panic and desperation? It was 4th and 2 from deep in their own territory in a game where they'd mustered two first downs at that point, I believe. If anything, the stupid play was somehow believing your offense would miraculously come to life and drive that deep again. If they weren't looking for a spark at that point, than this coaching unit has no idea what they're doing. They were within two scores, after watching Brady pick them apart on two straight drives. They were within two scores after amassing no more than a handful of first downs themselves. Furthermore, if you really trust your defense to hold, the only reason you're ok taking a FG, then you've got a great chance to get the ball back with tremendous field position even if you fail to convert.

I bold this, because if this isn't why you kicked a FG, than you kicked a FG because you wanted to get points so as to not make your loss look as bad.

It was a gutless call and was a microcosm of how this team has played and been coached this season.

 

[nalam]

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


We were not getting 10 points , I really don't know what Strum is talking about? Weedon couldn't get a TD from 6 yard line , with 4 tries in garbage time ...

 

[TheDude]

No, 20-6 puts you within two scores. Going for it at the 5 would have resulted in a demoralizing loss of possession, while still down by three scores. You might not like the call but it was the right one.

So we could have lost 20-3, 27-3, 30-3.



Like it or not that is why Tomlin won the game last night. Sieze the opportunity because they are few with backup QBs

 

[dallasdave]

This is College Open. Street has 3 steps. if the ball leads him to the sideline, it is impossible to pick
It is only a pick if that is a dig route. The whole play was a rollout and a sideline out by street

 

[Tenkamenin]

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

I said this in another thread, Williams on several occasions had his man beat by a step but Weeden chose to go elsewhere with the ball.

 

[Beast_from_East]

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

kicking a FG at the 5 yard line was such a give up move....................Garrett has no balls at all, coaches like a scared little girl.

 

[xwalker]

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 is wide open in the NFL with a decent QB. Weed has to throw the ball sooner and lead the WR. If he leads him too much, fine, at least he gave himself of chance. By the time Weed actually threw the ball he gave himself no chance of a completion.

If he was rolling left it would be different, but a right handed QB rolling left has to be able to make that throw.

 

[xwalker]

I said this in another thread, Williams on several occasions had his man beat by a step but Weeden chose to go elsewhere with the ball.

The DB covering Williams on that final play in the endzone is still looking for his jock. Beasley could have made that throw (My reference to a High School QB).

 

[xwalker]

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

Weed decided he was going to throw to Williams before the ball was snapped. He threw to a double-covered Williams on this same route in one of the past games while Escobar was literally wide open about 20 yards down field.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

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

perhaps having watched weeden miss opportunity after opportunity during the game, they had no faith in him at the end. and randle wasn't cutting it neither. so what good would a 4th down do? moral victories? I think the coaching staff gave up on Weeden...obvious now that he has been replaced during the bye week.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

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".

they were winning matchups, but weeden wasn't delivering. he is key and he sucks.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

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.

this is throw Romo makes all the time. you throw it in front of the WR, where the DB has to go through the WR to get it or the WR makes a catch. this is wide open in the NFL for a 20 yard throw.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Weed decided he was going to throw to _____________ before the ball was snapped.

Pretty good description of every play of Weeden's professional career honestly.

He just doesn't have the professional level ability to read defenses. Seems to be a trait of QBs that skip a few years in college to play baseball.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

There is no coach in the NFL that has benefited more from a player than Garrett with Romo. In many ways, he made Garrett and he would have been fired otherwise. The sleepwalking "8-8" persona of the Cowboys has made a sneaky return it seems. The nexus of Garrett-Linehan-Weeden looks like a deer in headlights, particularly last Sunday.

Another thing I agree with is the completely quizzical use of Gavin Escobar. His third year and he has only really been used in the red-zone. What the hell is up with this guy? A few years ago, the talk all over town was about how Dallas would soon implement a 2 TE base offense that rivaled the one in New England. We are still waiting...

could it be escobar sucks? can't get open? doesn't block well for a 2nd TE?

almost every coach benefits from having good players on his team. both starters and good depth. where would McCarthy be without Rodgers? take brady out and what happens to billicheck? will they see the same success? take Eli out of lineup and what happens to NY?

 

[Richmond Cowboy]

Weed decided he was going to throw to Williams before the ball was snapped. He threw to a double-covered Williams on this same route in one of the past games while Escobar was literally wide open about 20 yards down field.

I don't have access to the all-22 but on the last offensive possession that ended with the errant pass to TWill I'm convinced that on 1st or 2nd down Witten was wide open in the EZ but weeden went for the Escobar fade.

 

[CyberB0b]

Here's pretty much the same play.

this is throw Romo makes all the time. you throw it in front of the WR, where the DB has to go through the WR to get it or the WR makes a catch. this is wide open in the NFL for a 20 yard throw.

Slightly different route by Dez, but same designed roll out. Weeden isn't Tony Romo, either. That's why he was so cheap. That's why he isn't a starter in the NFL. I can't really fault him for being more conservative and getting rid of the ball, in his own territory, than throwing a ball on the run that could potentially be a pick 6 if he isn't accurate.

 

[basel90]

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.


content added by moderator

Great stuff. Valid points . The defense held very well in first half . The offense has suddenly become the problem , and the coaching exposed .

 

[big dog cowboy]

I don't have access to the all-22 but on the last offensive possession that ended with the errant pass to TWill I'm convinced that on 1st or 2nd down Witten was wide open in the EZ but weeden went for the Escobar fade.

JWit wasn't open, he was WIDE open. A simple toss and it's a TD. Just like Weeden missed TWill wide open in the end zone.