Sturm: Xs and Os - Lael Collins and Bad Stuff, too

[tyke1doe]

Ya'll are funny. QB's go through progressions. they already have an idea of where they are going with the ball before it is even snapped. Hell as a WR, they have a decent idea of they are getting the ball based on the defensive alignment. Also, WR routes are designed to compliment each other and pull coverages to certain areas. There are specific windows that QB are throwing to most of the time. For example, for that play to be a TD Cassell would have had to be looking in Beasley's direction as soon as he cleared the linebacker. Otherwise that throw is incomplete at best. Very tight window especially for a WR that is not your primary read. If Cassell's progression wasn't for Beasley when he hit that small window there it is a missed chance. People act like a QB can see the field like we do from the overhead shot. I would love to see the overhead shot with a helmet cam on the QB. Plus Beasley is like 4 feet tall and hard to see down field.

Forgive us for expecting our quarterbacks to be above college level. In college, you stare down receivers. At the NFL level, you are supposed to be able to process the field.
And most of the more competent quarterbacks know that if a team is devoting more defenders to take away your top threat, that means other receivers should be open.

Do you know how many catches Beasley had Sunday?
ZERO!!!

You mean to tell me that at no point in Sunday's game Cassel didn't realized that Beasley would be one-on-one and try to target him ONCE???

I can understand missing a guy or an errant throw. But not at least trying to get the ball to the man who is 1.) on the field and 2.) isn't being guarded very closely?

If Cassel can't get the ball to Beasley once and doesn't know the strategy of the defense enough to take advantage of it, why is he even behind center?*


*That's more of a coaching decision.

 

[tyke1doe]

Because there is a progression tree and teams practice those plays in practice.

For a QB to go to Beasley as the first read, then he would have to communicate that to Beasley and audible. Beasley isn't going to know magically that Cassell is going to throw the ball to him so he should turn around right away. If he's the fourth progression, he's the fourth progression when he reaches a certain spot within the play design.

The point is, it speaks to play-design.

My point about Romo is that he wasn't throwing to WRs all day downfield outside of Dez. Do you think that Beasley or T Will just started to get open vertically? Why have people always been complaining about our receivers outside Dez or TO throughout Garrett's history of they have supposedly been running around freely all day?

We are still running Garrett's playbook..

Fair enough. I really don't want to continue arguing this. It's always been my understanding that even if you're in the passing progression, you should be ready to catch the ball. And if you understand the game plan is to double Dez, you have to make the adjustment. Maybe that is on Garrett. Maybe Garrett is telling Cassel to go with his first read. But that sounds like a strategy for defeat.

Wait. We're 0-5 over the last five games. Never mind. I think I answered my own question.

 

[texbumthelife]

Not to take anything away from Sturm, as that is a good breakdown, but on a few of the pass plays he sighted, the "open" receiver wasn't open until the ball was thrown. On that corner route in the endzone, before Cassell throws the ball, Sherman is baiting him the whole way. That's going to be a pick or a tipped pass. We have seen Sherman with that exact positioning and make the play too many times to ignore it. On the hail mary, the safety is baiting Cassell until the ball is thrown. That one has more chance of being successful, but also a good chance at being a pick.

Cassell was definitely protecting the ball this week, that was very clear, but it's also clear he missed some reads. I noticed it in game and Sturm hits on it too, we spent too much time trying to force a ball to Dez. I hope they get back to spreading the ball around, because that's where Dez's most important impact will come--helping other get good looks.

 

[khiladi]

Fair enough. I really don't want to continue arguing this. It's always been my understanding that even if you're in the passing progression, you should be ready to catch the ball. And if you understand the game plan is to double Dez, you have to make the adjustment. Maybe that is on Garrett. Maybe Garrett is telling Cassel to go with his first read. But that sounds like a strategy for defeat.

Wait. We're 0-5 over the last five games. Never mind. I think I answered my own question.

A lot of times Sherman was covering Dez on his own. He's just a great corner, contrary to the opinion of many on this board. He was not even allocated to one side of the field as he normally is, but he followed Dez around on both sides.

A lot of our pre-snap flexibility for Romo came after Jerry effectively removed Garrett from the equation. Remember, when he signed the contract Jerry said he would be more like Peyton, involved in actually drawing up the game plan. This is why Jerry gushed about the Linehan relationship with Romo in particular the off-season Linehan came.

Callahan faced obstacles from Garrett in particular, because Callahan's offensive system was West Coast. There were dimensions that he brought which were pretty good. The Dez drag route was huge for us in particular. Against Denver, a lot of our yardage was on that route. Garrett kept resisting change.

So the reality is when we lose Romo as we did, the impacts show even more. We are essentially back to the Garrett playbook, minus Romo and the flexibility he now has within the playbook. Expecting a back up QB to do magic like Romo is just inrealistic in this playbook. Romo has hid deficiencies in this offense for years.

Coaches have to adjust with more creativity. I'm all for putting in Moore if he can move the pocket with his legs and create on his own instinctively. That's the only way I see us winning a necessary game while Romo is out unless the defense just plays lights out.

 

[Chuck 54]

I'm no expert, having never coached beyond HS, but...

I would still have gone back to Weeden and spent more time coaching him up. Part of the problem is that the QB needs to be very knowledgeable of the offense. The better one knows the offense, the faster one can process what he sees developing at the snap and predict where to look to throw. The NFL is too complicated and too fast to drop back and survey the field and find the open receiver. Even open receivers are often open for only a couple of seconds at best...see them too late and they aren't open, or wait to see them open before throwing and by the time the pass gets there, they aren't open.

And despite what we all hear about going through progressions, the order of those progressions can be different almost every time you run the play in a game. The QB has to know the offense and his receivers well enough; then he has to recognize the defense clearly and process that information in a split second before the snap or during his dropback. What he sees happening in coverage on defense based on motion or as guys position themselves right before the snap or after, he must process that information, along with the play and what everyone's doing, and know exactly where he should look first...who is most likely to take advantage of that play.

Fans love to hate Garrett's offense, but Romo having been in that offense so long is part of the reason he is so good at reading the defense, getting us in the right play, and as the ball is snapped knowing that while Dez might have been the primary intended target, Beasley is going to be wide open after a few steps, so he looks and throws there. Even Romo isn't just standing back there looking over the field like backyard football and hoping to see a guy break open. He has to predict who will break open and when based on what he sees.

Cassel may be the better QB, but there's no way a guy can truly know the offense and the receivers anywhere near well enough to make those quick decisions...he's going by what he sees, which is too late and too haphazard. Against Atlanta and New Orleans, Weeden checked down way to much, but at least he knew the offense and checked down to the right guys who were making sizable yardage at times. His checkdowns weren't just "I see nothing so let me drop it off to the RB behind the LOS...at least I don't think so. That NE defense is very formidable, and Belechic is much smarter than anyone on our coaching staff; I think that game was the wrong one to pull the panic switch after seeing the offense moving and scoring lots of points in the other two games.

Cassel did well in some cases against a porous NY offense, but just turned the ball over too much. Now, as he prepares for another less than stellar defense, let's hope he can pull it all together, along with our #1 weapon---Dez.

 

[jjktkk]

Is there any doubt? Garrett coaches like he's scared spitless of taking chances. ANY risk is not in his game plan. Wasn't he a QB coach at one point? And the QB's are playing like absolute garbage under a vanilla offense he's the architect for? He's an empty suit.

If you followed the NFL for long, you would know that most offensive game plans, involve using a backup QB are conservative and '\vanilla'. What were you expecting exactly, a base, 3 wr look, with lots of vertical routes?

 

[khiladi]

I'm no expert, having never coached beyond HS, but...

I would still have gone back to Weeden and spent more time coaching him up. Part of the problem is that the QB needs to be very knowledgeable of the offense. The better one knows the offense, the faster one can process what he sees developing at the snap and predict where to look to throw. The NFL is too complicated and too fast to drop back and survey the field and find the open receiver. Even open receivers are often open for only a couple of seconds at best...see them too late and they aren't open, or wait to see them open before throwing and by the time the pass gets there, they aren't open.

And despite what we all hear about going through progressions, the order of those progressions can be different almost every time you run the play in a game. The QB has to know the offense and his receivers well enough; then he has to recognize the defense clearly and process that information in a split second before the snap or during his dropback. What he sees happening in coverage on defense based on motion or as guys position themselves right before the snap or after, he must process that information, along with the play and what everyone's doing, and know exactly where he should look first...who is most likely to take advantage of that play.

Fans love to hate Garrett's offense, but Romo having been in that offense so long is part of the reason he is so good at reading the defense, getting us in the right play, and as the ball is snapped knowing that while Dez might have been the primary intended target, Beasley is going to be wide open after a few steps, so he looks and throws there. Even Romo isn't just standing back there looking over the field like backyard football and hoping to see a guy break open. He has to predict who will break open and when based on what he sees.

Cassel may be the better QB, but there's no way a guy can truly know the offense and the receivers anywhere near well enough to make those quick decisions...he's going by what he sees, which is too late and too haphazard. Against Atlanta and New Orleans, Weeden checked down way to much, but at least he knew the offense and checked down to the right guys who were making sizable yardage at times. His checkdowns weren't just "I see nothing so let me drop it off to the RB behind the LOS...at least I don't think so. That NE defense is very formidable, and Belechic is much smarter than anyone on our coaching staff; I think that game was the wrong one to pull the panic switch after seeing the offense moving and scoring lots of points in the other two games.

Cassel did well in some cases against a porous NY offense, but just turned the ball over too much. Now, as he prepares for another less than stellar defense, let's hope he can pull it all together, along with our #1 weapon---Dez.

The difference is, Jerry had to get a new play-caller in with Romo to improve on 'Garrett's offense'. There was over six years of continuity before Callahan and Linehan came.

That being said, back-up QBs can win in this offense and Weeden has been here over a year plus within the system. We needed a game or two from him. He had training camp as well and Romo wasn't playing but resting.

There is a point you start blaming the offensive system, especially considering that culture has been here for 8 years plus.

 

[Chuck 54]

The difference is, Jerry had to get a new play-caller in with Romo to improve on 'Garrett's offense'. There was over six years of continuity before Callahan and Linehan came.

That being said, back-up QBs can win in this offense and Weeden has been here over a year plus within the system. We needed a game or two from him. He had training camp as well and Romo wasn't playing but resting.

There is a point you start blaming the offensive system, especially considering that culture has been here for 8 years plus.

But how do you blame a system that apparently produces plays where guys are breaking open, based on this article and videos? It appears the QB just doesn't understand it well enough or can't read a defense well enough in order to make a split second decision about who is most likely to break open when.

 

[tyke1doe]

I'm no expert, having never coached beyond HS, but...

I would still have gone back to Weeden and spent more time coaching him up. Part of the problem is that the QB needs to be very knowledgeable of the offense. The better one knows the offense, the faster one can process what he sees developing at the snap and predict where to look to throw. The NFL is too complicated and too fast to drop back and survey the field and find the open receiver. Even open receivers are often open for only a couple of seconds at best...see them too late and they aren't open, or wait to see them open before throwing and by the time the pass gets there, they aren't open.

And despite what we all hear about going through progressions, the order of those progressions can be different almost every time you run the play in a game. The QB has to know the offense and his receivers well enough; then he has to recognize the defense clearly and process that information in a split second before the snap or during his dropback. What he sees happening in coverage on defense based on motion or as guys position themselves right before the snap or after, he must process that information, along with the play and what everyone's doing, and know exactly where he should look first...who is most likely to take advantage of that play.

Fans love to hate Garrett's offense, but Romo having been in that offense so long is part of the reason he is so good at reading the defense, getting us in the right play, and as the ball is snapped knowing that while Dez might have been the primary intended target, Beasley is going to be wide open after a few steps, so he looks and throws there. Even Romo isn't just standing back there looking over the field like backyard football and hoping to see a guy break open. He has to predict who will break open and when based on what he sees.

Cassel may be the better QB, but there's no way a guy can truly know the offense and the receivers anywhere near well enough to make those quick decisions...he's going by what he sees, which is too late and too haphazard. Against Atlanta and New Orleans, Weeden checked down way to much, but at least he knew the offense and checked down to the right guys who were making sizable yardage at times. His checkdowns weren't just "I see nothing so let me drop it off to the RB behind the LOS...at least I don't think so. That NE defense is very formidable, and Belechic is much smarter than anyone on our coaching staff; I think that game was the wrong one to pull the panic switch after seeing the offense moving and scoring lots of points in the other two games.

Cassel did well in some cases against a porous NY offense, but just turned the ball over too much. Now, as he prepares for another less than stellar defense, let's hope he can pull it all together, along with our #1 weapon---Dez.

Good post.

 

[tyke1doe]

But how do you blame a system that apparently produces plays where guys are breaking open, based on this article and videos? It appears the QB just doesn't understand it well enough or can't read a defense well enough in order to make a split second decision about who is most likely to break open when.

This is my point. Maybe I'm simplifying it too much, but here's what I'm thinking:

1. You know Seattle is going to double Dez or put a safety over top of him.
2. You know that leaves other receivers one-on-one.
3. You aren't completing passes to Dez.
4. You don't throw ANYTHING to Beasley, or, if you did, he didn't catch one pass.
5. The game is close yet you continue to force plays to Dez.
6. Is there no one in the Cowboys skybox showing Cassel overhead formations and telling him that Beasley or TWill might be open on such-and-such a play?
7. Knowing this, you STILL don't get them the ball?

Sorry, but I just don't understand this. Then again, I don't play quarterback in the NFL nor do I coach.

 

[xwalker]

Any play that has Doug Free pulling across the formation and trying to lead a back through the hole up into the 2nd level......needs to be scraped. I've seen paint dry faster....

Free has quick feet. That's his only positive attribute.

 

[Floatyworm]

THREE guys wide open. THREE. That's eleven points left on the field at words.

WHY CASSEL? WHY?

Nobody is asking these bums to be great, but is it too much to ask that they hit the wide open reciever?

Why??? you ask.....Here is your answer

He doesn't know the playbook. In every one of those instances he should know where he is going to throw the ball before the ball is even snapped. He should look off the FS and boom.....TD. Cassell is a bigger idiot than I thought. I know this much.... Kellen Moore would have known those plays.

 

[Floatyworm]

Free has quick feet. That's his only positive attribute.

I seriously wish you would quit giving Jerry advice.....It's that bad.

 

[Idgit]

I'm no expert, having never coached beyond HS, but...

I would still have gone back to Weeden and spent more time coaching him up. Part of the problem is that the QB needs to be very knowledgeable of the offense. The better one knows the offense, the faster one can process what he sees developing at the snap and predict where to look to throw. The NFL is too complicated and too fast to drop back and survey the field and find the open receiver. Even open receivers are often open for only a couple of seconds at best...see them too late and they aren't open, or wait to see them open before throwing and by the time the pass gets there, they aren't open.

And despite what we all hear about going through progressions, the order of those progressions can be different almost every time you run the play in a game. The QB has to know the offense and his receivers well enough; then he has to recognize the defense clearly and process that information in a split second before the snap or during his dropback. What he sees happening in coverage on defense based on motion or as guys position themselves right before the snap or after, he must process that information, along with the play and what everyone's doing, and know exactly where he should look first...who is most likely to take advantage of that play.

Fans love to hate Garrett's offense, but Romo having been in that offense so long is part of the reason he is so good at reading the defense, getting us in the right play, and as the ball is snapped knowing that while Dez might have been the primary intended target, Beasley is going to be wide open after a few steps, so he looks and throws there. Even Romo isn't just standing back there looking over the field like backyard football and hoping to see a guy break open. He has to predict who will break open and when based on what he sees.

Cassel may be the better QB, but there's no way a guy can truly know the offense and the receivers anywhere near well enough to make those quick decisions...he's going by what he sees, which is too late and too haphazard. Against Atlanta and New Orleans, Weeden checked down way to much, but at least he knew the offense and checked down to the right guys who were making sizable yardage at times. His checkdowns weren't just "I see nothing so let me drop it off to the RB behind the LOS...at least I don't think so. That NE defense is very formidable, and Belechic is much smarter than anyone on our coaching staff; I think that game was the wrong one to pull the panic switch after seeing the offense moving and scoring lots of points in the other two games.

Cassel did well in some cases against a porous NY offense, but just turned the ball over too much. Now, as he prepares for another less than stellar defense, let's hope he can pull it all together, along with our #1 weapon---Dez.

This is a really good post. Though I don't believe the PHI defense is necessarily comparable to the Giants, at least they have some issues at CB, which is what you're probably referencing.

I think Weeden got short-shrift, too. And the team's overall with Hardy, Gregory, McClain, and now, Dez back (though minus Dunbar) is a lot better than it was a few weeks ago. Belichick was going to make either of our backup QBs look stupid, but I do think if we were going to make a change at QB at all, doing it at the bye was the right time to do so.

We'll see what we get this week. PHI is another very winnable game, even coming off the bye as they are. And it's Demarco's return to Dallas. Our chance to take out some aggression on the team that knocked out Romo and put our season in jeopardy. They're chance to bury us maybe once and for all. Should be a good game with so much on the line.

 

[Chuck 54]

This is my point. Maybe I'm simplifying it too much, but here's what I'm thinking:

1. You know Seattle is going to double Dez or put a safety over top of him.
2. You know that leaves other receivers one-on-one.
3. You aren't completing passes to Dez.
4. You don't throw ANYTHING to Beasley, or, if you did, he didn't catch one pass.
5. The game is close yet you continue to force plays to Dez.
6. Is there no one in the Cowboys skybox showing Cassel overhead formations and telling him that Beasley or TWill might be open on such-and-such a play?
7. Knowing this, you STILL don't get them the ball?

Sorry, but I just don't understand this. Then again, I don't play quarterback in the NFL nor do I coach.

I understand what you're saying perfectly, and I think we agree. I'm just saying that if the guys are open, it's not the system or the coaching that is the problem...it's the guy pulling the trigger from the QB position. The play gets guys open in different places based on the defense being run that play....the coaches can't shout to the QB who to throw it to or who should be open or throw it for him. If the conclusion was that no one is getting open, then i'd blame the system and coaches, but the article seems to contradict that.....We need a QB who can see it and throw it.

 

[xwalker]

I seriously wish you would quit giving Jerry advice.....It's that bad.

Too bad he didn't listen to you and trade up for Paul Dawson. Dawson does have an amazing 8 snaps on defense this season.

 

[Wolfpack]

1st Image: Look at the routes being called. Its a long developing route that has two sets of receivers bunched near each other. If he makes the throw to Beasly, both the FS and the CB near by are going to right on it, they are looking back in zone. Now if Beasly is running a 12 yard out, its a first down and easy throw.
2nd Image: Again, strange route combos…the left side receivers run their routes right behind each other…***? The right side was a good pattern.
3rd Image: That was a good route combo.

 

[tyke1doe]

I understand what you're saying perfectly, and I think we agree. I'm just saying that if the guys are open, it's not the system or the coaching that is the problem...it's the guy pulling the trigger from the QB position. The play gets guys open in different places based on the defense being run that play....the coaches can't shout to the QB who to throw it to or who should be open or throw it for him. If the conclusion was that no one is getting open, then i'd blame the system and coaches, but the article seems to contradict that.....We need a QB who can see it and throw it.

I agree.

 

[dallasfan4lizife]

If you followed the NFL for long, you would know that most offensive game plans, involve using a backup QB are conservative and '\vanilla'. What were you expecting exactly, a base, 3 wr look, with lots of vertical routes?

Mhmm, that's why Pittsburgh won 2 games with backup QB's by taking risks. Do your homework

 

[xwalker]

I don't think Weeden automatically makes that throw. In fact, I wouldn't want him to attempt it.

But, in terms of likelihood of making that throw...Weeden has a far better chance than noodle arm Cassel.







YR

I'm not really clear on Cassel's accuracy. I know that Weed has a strong arm but Weed has a strong arm than Romo.

We've definitely seen some inaccurate throws by Cassel but I know some of those where with a pass rusher in his face.

On a throw with time and clean pocket I really don't know how accurate Cassel can throw the ball.