Sturm: Xs and Os - 3 Things from Atlanta

[Sturm1310]

http://beta.sportsdaydfw.com/dallas...-os-chances-field-coverage-breakdowns-atlanta

 

[big dog cowboy]

I saw some wide open WR's in those clips.

 

[Sydla]

Yeah, stuff like this makes me question the chatter coming out of Valley Ranch that they just took what the D gave them.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Weeden sucks!

 

[superonyx]

Yeah, stuff like this makes me question the chatter coming out of Valley Ranch that they just took what the D gave them.

I guess they feel the defense only gave them about 50 yards the entire second half.
Looks like the Falcons have found a way to go from the worst defense in the league to the best defense all time in one offseason.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Just wait for our in denial Weeden apologists to also attempt to discredit Sturm for seeing what everyone else see's!

Anyone can look at the game tape and see the obvious, outside receivers open, seams open but the ball is usually checked down or thrown away.

 

[DogFace]

That's a perfect look at just how bad Weeden is. I've been on his team. Hoping. This is very disheartening. He has zero field vision and can't even make the simple throw to Beasley after seeing the safety go to Witten.

The thought he could improve or make better decisions isn't promising. This is why a team gives up on a first round pick.

####.

I'll be pulling for him Sunday like I always do. But damn. He's got to do better than that.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Drives you nuts!

 

[conner01]

There is no doubt that plays down the field was there
Either Weeden was scared to take them or just panicked and dumped them off
Weeden has a great arm do its not like he doesn't have the ability to take those passes
And being as they had him throw downfield the week before I can't imagine the staff is afraid of him throwing down field
I don't want him taking chances and throwing into any coverage but there were plays that I could have hit myself

 

[VACowboy]

Yeah, stuff like this makes me question the chatter coming out of Valley Ranch that they just took what the D gave them.

Do you usually take what Jerry and Jason say as gospel? I sure as heck don't. They aren't going to say anything that can be used by another team or turned by the media into a soundbite. Despite some fans evidently wanting to hear it, they aren't going to tell us what their strategy really was, denigrate their team or throw players under the bus. And I don't blame them one bit.

 

[btcutter]

Weeden sucks!

Tell us something we don't know.

He can't read a defense and locks on 1 receiver. That's a college QB. Yuck!

 

[VACowboy]

Sturm and Vela are my favorite Cowboys writers.

My two big takeaways from this article are 1) Weeden doesn't like throwing the ball downfield and isn't particularly good at it, and 2) We really need better safeties (quoth Captain Obvious).

 

[Kevinicus]

On that 2nd and 26 play, you can even see Witten turn around and put his arms out wondering, "what the heck?"

 

[CATCH17]

Drives you nuts!

Escobar or a receiver should be lined up where Witten is.

With single high like that you could've just ran 2 receivers up the seem every play.


On that particular play it would've been tough to get the ball to Witten so I don't mind the checkdown.

 

[DCBoysfan]

There were chances to make plays offense, Weeden didn't even look at Witten on the first clip, and on the second chance he had to make the seam throw to Witten, he should have anticipated that if they sit on Witten the second time (Because I'm sure the Atl. coaches saw the same thing Dallas coaches saw as afar him being open) then needs to look at Beasly running the seam on the other side.

 

[Idgit]

Sturm and Vela are my favorite Cowboys writers.

My two big takeaways from this article are 1) Weeden doesn't like throwing the ball downfield and isn't particularly good at it, and 2) We really need better safeties (quoth Captain Obvious).

He doesn't have much touch over the middle, for sure. This play is the same one we're discussing in the other thread, with pretty much the same result. The play in the following series where Weeden can't get the ball over the underneath coverage and is instead high out and outside for an incompletion in the middle is exactly what you're concerned with here. I had misremembered when that overthrow happened. They probably did think that was something they could get back to and so they ran it again, but the result is pretty much what I'd have expected on the earlier play had they not taken the checkdown. And can you really blame them for not getting aggressive with Weeden back there on 2nd and 26?

I do think Weeden's got the arm strength to go downfield. It's just going to be on out routes or at the sideline (hopefully) and not where he's trying to loft a ball over underneath coverage when we haven't seen him be necessarily strong with the quick reads or with any sort of touch whatsoever on his passes.

 

[RunDMC]

I saw some wide open WR's in those clips.

He's a backup quarterback. What do you expect him to hit every reciever that's open? If he was able to do that Weeden would be a starter. He's not.

 

[revospeed]

Being an Oklahoma State alum, I want to see Weeden succeed and I've given him the benefit of the doubt on pretty much everything he's done, but he played scared last week after the INT. I would rather see Cassel with his experience in there, despite every single one of my friends that are Cowboys fans (both OSU and Dallas) saying that it wasn't Weeden's fault. It was. our offense was hampered by his aversion to trying to make a play.

 

[Doomsay]

Weeden is essentially uncomfortable with single coverage.

 

[VACowboy]

He doesn't have much touch over the middle, for sure. This play is the same one we're discussing in the other thread, with pretty much the same result. The play in the following series where Weeden can't get the ball over the underneath coverage and is instead high out and outside for an incompletion in the middle is exactly what you're concerned with here. I had misremembered when that overthrow happened. They probably did think that was something they could get back to and so they ran it again, but the result is pretty much what I'd have expected on the earlier play had they not taken the checkdown. And can you really blame them for not getting aggressive with Weeden back there on 2nd and 26?

I do think Weeden's got the arm strength to go downfield. It's just going to be on out routes or at the sideline (hopefully) and not where he's trying to loft a ball over underneath coverage when we haven't seen him be necessarily strong with the quick reads or with any sort of touch whatsoever on his passes.

Agree about Weeden's lack of touch. I think the first throw would've been much easier for him to hit simply because there was no one over the top. The second safety was a lot later coming over than he was in the second play. We should be running lots of deep slants and crosses, in my opinion, since they rely more on accurate zip than touch. TWill is a better receiver when he only has to worry about defenders to one side, too.