News: Sturm's analysis chilling...Decoding Callahan: Week 2 - Kansas City Chiefs

[kramskoi]

The analysis of past Sunday's game only highlights the peculiar proclivities of the Garrett offense, both rushing the ball and aggressive play-calling in road games. In other words, NOTHING we have not witnessed before with this team. Personally, between Bradshaws' observation and Sturm's analysis, I have to wonder if the fundamental flaw of the Garrett-Romo tandem can ever be overcome with any degree of talent! I have often thought that the next time the Cowboys win a world title one of these guys will not be part of the Cowboys organization. Perhaps both of them!

Sturm keeps things rhetorical but reading between the lines one can't help but get a sense that leadership on the offensive side of the ball is neutered, non-existent, even nonsensical. His theories on running the ball are DEAD on, especially where it concerns the Cowboys schizophrenic passing attack. If Sturm sees it then surely opposing defensive coordinators see it as well and the film is out. The Cowboys can expect similar tactics going forward. It is bad enough for an opposing defense to render your offense one-dimensional. It is another when you habitually accomplish the feat via your on "offensive" neuroses. No pun intended. And judging by Sturm's continued indictment of Garrett's conservatism, it is pretty evident that we won't hear "we...will...win the ballgame" anytime soon in Dallas. That my friends is a pretty damning indictment in itself. Pejoratively, I would proffer a more pugnacious assessment of the Garrett philosophy, or lack thereof but it would be a pure waste of time.

I don't see how Garrett gets them over the finish line, not when the same issues continue to go unaddressed or examined. Will any degree of talent make a head coach not acquiesce to offensive capitulation in a road contest? Will the perverse propensity for the shotgun ever be replaced by a more balanced approach? These questions have hovered over the Garrett offense since 2007 and many we still don't have clear answers to. Talent comes and goes yet still the fundamental flaw remains.

http://www.sturminator.blogspot.com/2013/09/decoding-callahan-week-2-kansas-city.html

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Sturm: "They don't run to grind the opponent in to a fine powder. They run because it allows them to pass with greater ease."

This is a point I've tried to pound home. Running is not unimportant. Running is important insomuch as it helps you pass.

 

[Staubacher]

Sturm: "They don't run to grind the opponent in to a fine powder. They run because it allows them to pass with greater ease."

This is a point I've tried to pound home. Running is not unimportant. Running is important insomuch as it helps you pass.

Yes. Very few teams can run to grind a team and we certainly cannot.

I thought we ran ok vs the Giants. I think KC was an aberration based on what Callahan/Romo thought it would take to win. Frankly it would have worked minus the turnovers/drop late in the game.

 

[Rockport]

Yes. Very few teams can run to grind a team and we certainly cannot.

I thought we ran ok vs the Giants. I think KC was an aberration based on what Callahan/Romo thought it would take to win. Frankly it would have worked minus the turnovers/drop late in the game.

We could possibly run the ball more effectively if we tried.

 

[Staubacher]

We could possibly run the ball more effectively if we tried.

I think we def will this Sunday

 

[Wolfpack]

77% shotgun formation and throwing mostly 1-5 yard routes...makes no sense.

 

[Rockport]

I think we def will this Sunday

With all the attention on the lack of committment to the running game then no doubt we will. It's the subsequent weeks that will tell the real truth on that committment.

 

[Derinyar]

Though isn't there a very good line of thought that right now you mostly run to salt the game away late, because this is a passing league and the rules favor it.

77% shotgun formation and throwing mostly 1-5 yard routes...makes no sense.

If you're scared to death of your offensive lines ability to stop the pass rush it does. The QB is back in a read position and throws inside 3 seconds.

 

[perrykemp]

Amazing fact from the Sturm article: "the last time the Cowboys won a football game with fewer than 20 carries was December 9, 2007 at Detroit".

 

[Staubacher]

With all the attention on the lack of committment to the running game then no doubt we will. It's the subsequent weeks that will tell the real truth on that committment.

Well it needs to work also. If we're getting two yards a carry and still in 3rd and 8s then no.

 

[Rockport]

Well it needs to work also. If we're getting two yards a carry and still in 3rd and 8s then no.

That's where you're wrong. If you don't have a committment to run the ball the defense is not going to respect it and will play pass defense by rushing 5 and have 6 in coverage. Whether you gain 2 yards or not, you must continue to try and run the ball. It's not black and white which is where the OC comes into play. He's got to have a feel for the balance. But there MUST BE balance or we'll see games like the first 2 weeks.

 

[bark]

0-18 when we have less than 20 rushes says it all.

 

[rkell87]

I think our rushing totals get skewed down because we don't trust our line/rb to get 3 yards when we need 3, 2, or 1 yard on third down. We basically only have 2 downs to rush because we feel like we waste our 3rd down opportunity if we run.

 

[erod]

What bothers me most is how we line up in shotgun on 1st-and-goal inside the five-yard line time after time after time.

Even if you throw, don't you at least want to intimate that you might run? Romo's not exactly a threat to take off these days.

 

[JakeCamp12]

One of the theories I used to laugh at was that we had to have 2 running backs so that one of them didn't get worn down and have such a short career. I don't know if that was a Parcell's thing or a Jerry thing, but it was said about all the running backs we have had since Troy Hambrick. My personal opinion is that you pound the rock to setup play action passing. Find a running back that is capable of pounding the rock and let him do that until he can't any longer. Romo has a much better chance of winning games when he doesn't have to consistently carry the team, week in and week out. I have no idea why we can not just let Demarco get consistent carries quarter to quarter is beyond me. If you don't want him to carry between the tackles down after down, then throw some screen passes to him.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I am not ready for one of those games where they run run run run even if it is not working and even if the pass is open all day.

I say this because without fail the last few years there have been games where we did not run enough and the press and fandom hounded the team and coach about it only to see the next game be a game where they are hell bent on running the ball to prove a point or to over react.

 

[Deep_South]

0-18 since 2007 with less than 20 carries. I wonder how many losses have to accumulate before this statistic catches the eye of a few people at Valley Ranch...

Here is a good quote from the the article at Bob's Blog:

"Here is how it happens: The lack of run brings more blitzing. The blitzing causes you to unload the ball fast. Unloading the ball fast means nobody's route can develop and all passes are within 5 yards of the line. All the passes being short makes the defense all crowd the line. Crowding the line closes the windows for the passes. And suddenly, either you fit the ball into a very tight spot or you are punting again. And, with a bout of inaccuracy from their QB in the 4th Quarter Sunday that might have had to do with his ribs or just the pressure, the Cowboys were doomed."

 

[reddyuta]

no offense but we dont even need Strum to point out the obvious,basically nothing has changed and i dont think we will see any drastic changes to use all our offensive talent.

 

[Staubacher]

That's where you're wrong. If you don't have a committment to run the ball the defense is not going to respect it and will play pass defense by rushing 5 and have 6 in coverage. Whether you gain 2 yards or not, you must continue to try and run the ball. It's not black and white which is where the OC comes into play. He's got to have a feel for the balance. But there MUST BE balance or we'll see games like the first 2 weeks.

You cannot continue to run the ball if you don't get first downs period. You go 3 and out every time and then fall behind where it just is stupid to run for the sake of running. 2 yards a pop doesn't do anything sorry.

I agree w you about balance but the run has to work for it to be effective

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

0-18 since 2007 with less than 20 carries. I wonder how many losses have to accumulate before this statistic catches the eye of a few people at Valley Ranch...

Here is a good quote from the the article at Bob's Blog:

"Here is how it happens: The lack of run brings more blitzing. The blitzing causes you to unload the ball fast. Unloading the ball fast means nobody's route can develop and all passes are within 5 yards of the line. All the passes being short makes the defense all crowd the line. Crowding the line closes the windows for the passes. And suddenly, either you fit the ball into a very tight spot or you are punting again. And, with a bout of inaccuracy from their QB in the 4th Quarter Sunday that might have had to do with his ribs or just the pressure, the Cowboys were doomed."

This is all true.

However it is also true that if Dez makes that long catch...things could have been different.

That is one of those shoulda coulda woulda things that we will never know. We do know, as the article says, that giving up on the run (whether it is working or not) has proven to cost us games and it is not just under Callahan.