The Benefits of Film Study

[NextGenBoys]

I think it started with film study. Recognizing the Eagles' secondary tendencies, and then exploiting them in that game, on that play. I'm not sure if it was an adjustment on the fly between Miles & Tony, or if the play was run as called in the huddle, but either way I think it's a safe bet that it all started in the film room.

Ok, no argument there.

*Edit* I love your sig, "Love it or leave it"

The quarterback here at Iowa, Ricky Stanzi says that all the time, and it has caught on around campus. "USA number one, if you don't love it, leave it." We'll be at parties and stuff and he will just randomly bust out with a "love it or leave it" haha

 

[Jongb35]

Bob Sturm in his "Decoding Garrett" articles completely disagrees with you.

http://app.quickblogcast.com/files/1/3/2/0/2/128698-120231/Best_of_Jason_Garrett.mp3

Note how at one point in there he remarks that he didn't think Garrett ran 2 consecutive plays all year with the same personnel on the field.

There are different levels of predictability and Garrett clearly mentions them in that audio.

In terms of simply personnel, the Cowboys ran a play with the same personnel as the last play over 200 times last season. Now, that isn't really a big issue to me, but the idea that they didn't have the same personnel on the field AT ALL on consecutive plays is just wrong. It was more like one-in-five.

They also ran the same play multiple times throughout the season. Again, I don't think this is an issue. Randomness does not preclude "mixing it up." In fact, it is just the opposite, so I have no qualms with Garrett calling the same play back-to-back.

 

[theogt]

The idea that surprise and randomness isn't extremely important in football is just ignorant.

Football, for the most part, is about beating someone to a spot -- beating a tackle to spot in the passrush, beating a corner on a route, beating a receiver, running back, whatever. Execution helps you with that.

But execution, while necessary, only gets you so far. You can run the most perfect route every single play. You can run it exactly as designed, a "textbook" route if you will. But if corner knows where you're going, you don't have a chance. A perfect pass and a perfect route (meaning perfect execution) are wasted if the opposition knows how to "beat you to the spot."

It's precisely why film study is so important. If a team knows what you're doing, you're dead. There is no such thing as "they knew what we were doing and we still beat them." It's a lie. It doesn't happen.

 

[NextGenBoys]

In terms of simply personnel, the Cowboys ran a play with the same personnel as the last play over 200 times last season. Now, that isn't really a big issue to me, but the idea that they didn't have the same personnel on the field AT ALL on consecutive plays is just wrong. It was more like one-in-five.

They also ran the same play multiple times throughout the season. Again, I don't think this is an issue. Randomness does not preclude "mixing it up." In fact, it is just the opposite, so I have no qualms with Garrett calling the same play back-to-back.

Is there anyway you could upload your film to a torrent or something for us to download after the game? Or maybe talk to StarGazer and he can put it up on Cowboys Media. I don't know how to get access to it, but I'd love to review it after games.

 

[NextGenBoys]

The idea that surprise and randomness isn't extremely important in football is just ignorant.

Football, for the most part, is about beating someone to a spot -- beating a tackle to spot in the passrush, beating a corner on a route, beating a receiver, running back, whatever. Execution helps you with that.

But execution, while necessary, only gets you so far. You can run the most perfect route every single play. You can run it exactly as designed, a "textbook" route if you will. But if corner knows where you're going, you don't have a chance. A perfect pass and a perfect route (meaning perfect execution) are wasted if the opposition knows how to "beat you to the spot."

It's precisely why film study is so important. If a team knows what you're doing, you're dead. There is no such thing as "they knew what we were doing and we still beat them." It's a lie. It doesn't happen.

No argument with that, but if you're simply better than the other team, execution is nearly all that matters. If you have the talent to execute, then it doesn't matter. You think teams don't gameplan to stop Randy Moss? They do, and he still destroys the league. The only player that can stop him is Revis -- because of his talent and execution.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

The tough part about re-watching and charting games on the televised cast is:

1) you can’t quite see what the secondary is doing.
2) You can’t quite see the alignments of the D-Line, which help dictate the play, particularly running plays and pass protection.
3) You can’t quite see if the RB made the right decision on a run
4) You can’t quite see if the WR or TE made the right move or not on the option routes

Sometimes the O-Line gets blamed for bad run blocking when the tailback actually went the wrong way. So if you get an explosive tailback that when he gets the block and makes the right decision, he can rack up yards. But he often makes the wrong decision and gets stuffed, so the fans just blame the O-Linemen. That’s one of the issues with Julius Jones.

Or if you can see the defensive alignment, they’ll sometimes try to isolate a one-on-one. Like in 2008 when teams would usually have their RDE lineup well out wide so Flozell would have to take him and then take their best pass rushing Defensive Tackle and get him one-on-one with Corey Procter. Very smart move.





YR

 

[theogt]

No argument with that, but if you're simply better than the other team, execution is nearly all that matters. If you have the talent to execute, then it doesn't matter. You think teams don't gameplan to stop Randy Moss? They do, and he still destroys the league. The only player that can stop him is Revis -- because of his talent and execution.

If you tell a high school team exactly what a pro team is going to do on the very next play, the high school team will win.

 

[NextGenBoys]

If you tell a high school team exactly what a pro team is going to do on the very next play, the high school team will win.

You are delusional if you believe that. Absolutely delusional.

Not a chance in hell that the high school team can physically compete with an NFL team. No chance.

 

[theogt]

You are delusional if you believe that. Absolutely delusional.

Not a chance in hell that the high school team can physically compete with an NFL team. No chance.

It's absolutely true. They'll beat them every time. Tell them what routes they're running. If the team has half a brain among them, they can stop it every time.

But this is why you have option routes and things that add unpredictability into the play. Without those things, you're dead.

 

[Hostile]

:laugh2::laugh1:

 

[CowboyDan]

:laugh2::laugh1:

I second that. Unbelievable!! :laugh2:

 

[CowboyDan]

Ok, no argument there.

*Edit* I love your sig, "Love it or leave it"

The quarterback here at Iowa, Ricky Stanzi says that all the time, and it has caught on around campus. "USA number one, if you don't love it, leave it." We'll be at parties and stuff and he will just randomly bust out with a "love it or leave it" haha

ugh............I'm a Penn Stater, so I loathe Iowa lately. :

 

[NextGenBoys]

It's absolutely true. They'll beat them every time. Tell them what routes they're running. If the team has half a brain among them, they can stop it every time.

But this is why you have option routes and things that add unpredictability into the play. Without those things, you're dead.

Yeah they might be able to be in the right position, but there's no way they will be able to make the play -- execution.

Not to mention there is zero chance of high schoolers being able to block fully grown men in the trenches. That is physically impossible.

 

[NextGenBoys]

ugh............I'm a Penn Stater, so I loathe Iowa lately. :

Yesssss.

I love being hated in sports. That just means you're doing something. I can't wait for the game this year, the Big Ten is hands down the 2nd best conference in the nation behind the SEC.

I'll take Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State, and Wisconsin over any other teams besides maybe Florida, Bama, LSU, and Georgia.

Let's hear it Big 12 fans hahahahaha

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

This isnt exactly true. If you have better players and execute right, you can be the most predictable team in the league and win consistently. A certain 3 time champion team from the early to mid 90's proved that. No team was more predictable or simplisitc, and almost nobody could stop them. They didnt have lots of formations or plays, they didnt use lots of motion. They lined up and beat the pants off the other team because 1) talent and 2) execution

I hear this argument a lot. The only thing about that is, that was the pre free agency era and that team was so much more talented than any other at that time and probably since the 60’s Packers. Almost every player was much more talented than the player they were going up against on the other side. That much disparity in talent as not been seen since and because of free agency will never happen again.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I hear this argument a lot. The only thing about that is, that was the pre free agency era and that team was so much more talented than any other at that time and probably since the 60’s Packers. Almost every player was much more talented than the player they were going up against on the other side. That much disparity in talent as not been seen since and because of free agency will never happen again.

I agree. I get so tired of this "they knew exactly what we were going to do but couldn't stop it" argument. For one, those teams were insanely talented... In fact, the 92 and 93 teams were quite possibly the best football teams of all time. We aren't even close to that talented, and neither is anyone else.

And for another, I don't believe they knew what we were doing anyway. Sure, if we had a 14 point lead, maybe they knew we were running Emmitt. But most of the game, they didn't -- that's why Troy and Mike are Hall of Famers. And Norv's offenses always look simple, because they don't use a lot of trickery and motion, but they're always very balanced and always keep the defense off balance -- which is the exact opposite of predictable.

The bottom line is that even if you do have the more talented team, it's only common sense to try to gain every advantage possible over the opposition.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

It's absolutely true. They'll beat them every time. Tell them what routes they're running. If the team has half a brain among them, they can stop it every time.

But this is why you have option routes and things that add unpredictability into the play. Without those things, you're dead.

This is sarcasm. I'm certain of it!

 

[joseephuss]

After the Atlanta game Romo talked about his TD pass to Miles. He said it happened just how they practiced it. The Falcons defense reacted to the Cowboys offensive formation exactly how they expected based on their film studies and the result was a big TD pass play.

 

[TNCowboy]

Wow. It's good to know that the Cowboys are the only team doing this sort of thing with film.

Hopefully, this information won't get in the hands of Peyton Manning and the like.

 

[joseephuss]

Wow. It's good to know that the Cowboys are the only team doing this sort of thing with film.

Hopefully, this information won't get in the hands of Peyton Manning and the like.

Surprisingly, not everyone in the NFL is studying film as much as they could or should. There are players and coaches out there that don't put in that extra time and it shows on game days.