The best thing to see: ball-control style from 2003 is back

[jesusphreak]

Watching last night's game, the main thing I noticed was this: our ball-control offense is back.

This is classic Bill Parcells football. This is the type of football that wins playoff games. Last night the Cowboys held the ball for something like 38 minutes. Romo continually drove the offense down the field and kept drives alive with his feet and with solid completions.

This is huge and exactly how the team succeeded in 2003, even though we had a lot less talent. It means our offense stays on the field, the opposing defense slowly tires down and by the fourth quarter is no match for a fresh back like Marion Barber.

It also means that our defense, which is built to bend but not break, gets to stay off the field. When they do get on the field, the opposing offense is exasperated because they haven't had many chances with the ball all night, and we are able to sit back and simply avoid the big play. We force offenses to drive all the way down the field on us, which is difficult. There was only ONE Carolina drive in the second-half last night which got inside our territory.

Some of you don't like the vanilla defense we often play, but if you can control the ball on offense and you limit the big plays on defense, it becomes very difficult to beat you. To me this one of the most exciting things about last night, to see the return of a style of football which not only will win games in November, but also will win games in January because it is effective, isn't built on forcing things to happen (like you see from teams like the Colts year after year - sometimes you can't pass all over the field like they did yesterday), and also demoralizes other teams.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Exactly. That's what happens when you can get those eight-yard passes to the TEs instead of heaving everything deep, and scramble for a three yard gain instead standing there for a 12-yard sack.

 

[ravidubey]

The Cowboys of the 90's did exactly the same thing. I'd much rather have several 20-30 yard plays than one or two 50 yarders. Nothing keeps a defense on its heels like a TE who can break big gains down the middle of the field.

Most defenses are prepared for everything else but that and it keeps the defense guessing.

 

[the kid 05]

The Cowboys of the 90's did exactly the same thing. I'd much rather have several 20-30 yard plays than one or two 50 yarders. Nothing keeps a defense on its heels like a TE who can break big gains down the middle of the field.

Most defenses are prepared for everything else but that and it keeps the defense guessing.

how about several 20-30 yard passes that go for 50-60 yards

 

[Crown Royal]

I like this thread. I believe in Parcells' stuff regarding ball control and field position.

The difference this year in this style of offense is the following:

2003:
Galloway
Glenn
Hambrick
Anderson
Campbell
Adams
Allen
Lehr
Gurode
Young
Carter

2006:
TO
Glenn
Jones/Barber
Fasano/Hoyte
Witten
Adams
Kosier
Gurode
Rivera
Columbo


I'll take the second list, thankyou.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

To be honest, last nights offense looked much more like a timing offense. Certainly, ball control elements were present but the way the offense looked last night, it reminded me of Len Dawson and Hank Straham a little bit. Straham was a huge fan of getting the ball out in good time. Not WC but something in the middle. Nice to see actually.

 

[Tuna Helper]

Watching last night's game, the main thing I noticed was this: our ball-control offense is back.

This is classic Bill Parcells football. This is the type of football that wins playoff games. Last night the Cowboys held the ball for something like 38 minutes. Romo continually drove the offense down the field and kept drives alive with his feet and with solid completions.

This is huge and exactly how the team succeeded in 2003, even though we had a lot less talent. It means our offense stays on the field, the opposing defense slowly tires down and by the fourth quarter is no match for a fresh back like Marion Barber.

It also means that our defense, which is built to bend but not break, gets to stay off the field. When they do get on the field, the opposing offense is exasperated because they haven't had many chances with the ball all night, and we are able to sit back and simply avoid the big play. We force offenses to drive all the way down the field on us, which is difficult. There was only ONE Carolina drive in the second-half last night which got inside our territory.

Some of you don't like the vanilla defense we often play, but if you can control the ball on offense and you limit the big plays on defense, it becomes very difficult to beat you. To me this one of the most exciting things about last night, to see the return of a style of football which not only will win games in November, but also will win games in January because it is effective, isn't built on forcing things to happen (like you see from teams like the Colts year after year - sometimes you can't pass all over the field like they did yesterday), and also demoralizes other teams.

It could be the fact that we have better players executing this year vs. 2003, but if you think the offense you saw last night resembles the 2003 offense, then you need to have your eyesight checked.

2 tight ends?

 

[Wezsh0T]

What I find interesting is that the offense during the preseason was a ball control offense, kinda like we saw last night. When the season started, the preseason team we saw quickly turned to chaos ala game vs. the Jags. Now we are again seeing shades of what we expected from this team after watching preseason.

I guess it was DB's time. He just never looked right to me after he took that shot to the head during the Jacksonville game. Anyone remember that?

 

[dmq]

I was amazed when they posted the time of possession in the 3rd or beginning of the 4th. I had no idea we were controlling the clock so much.

 

[jesusphreak]

It could be the fact that we have better players executing this year vs. 2003, but if you think the offense you saw last night resembles the 2003 offense, then you need to have your eyesight checked.

2 tight ends?

I'm just talking about the general style - lots of short but sure passes, passes to the tight-ends, grinding it out with the running game.

Oh, and it seems that Parcells trusts Tony a lot more than he ever did Quincy, but how can blame him?

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Watching last night's game, the main thing I noticed was this: our ball-control offense is back.

This is classic Bill Parcells football. This is the type of football that wins playoff games. Last night the Cowboys held the ball for something like 38 minutes. Romo continually drove the offense down the field and kept drives alive with his feet and with solid completions.

This is huge and exactly how the team succeeded in 2003, even though we had a lot less talent. It means our offense stays on the field, the opposing defense slowly tires down and by the fourth quarter is no match for a fresh back like Marion Barber.

It also means that our defense, which is built to bend but not break, gets to stay off the field. When they do get on the field, the opposing offense is exasperated because they haven't had many chances with the ball all night, and we are able to sit back and simply avoid the big play. We force offenses to drive all the way down the field on us, which is difficult. There was only ONE Carolina drive in the second-half last night which got inside our territory.

Some of you don't like the vanilla defense we often play, but if you can control the ball on offense and you limit the big plays on defense, it becomes very difficult to beat you. To me this one of the most exciting things about last night, to see the return of a style of football which not only will win games in November, but also will win games in January because it is effective, isn't built on forcing things to happen (like you see from teams like the Colts year after year - sometimes you can't pass all over the field like they did yesterday), and also demoralizes other teams.

Ball Control and a QB that makes good decisions and uses his weapons to move the chains is a great combination. I love it.

Ball Control and playing not to lose is another story.... I am not fond of that story... LOL

 

[Tuna Helper]

I'm just talking about the general style - lots of short but sure passes, passes to the tight-ends, grinding it out with the running game.

Oh, and it seems that Parcells trusts Tony a lot more than he ever did Quincy, but how can blame him?

This is my point exactly. Parcells had a short leash on Quincy, and rumor was that Carter was only reading half the field. If nothing was there, then he was instructed to throw it away.

What I saw last night was a QB that was reading the entire field, and throwing both short and long passes. The 20+ yard throws to TO and Glenn were a thing of beauty...balls thrown on a rope.

I don't see the same offense as 2003 due to the fact that Parcells doesn't seem to have a leash on Romo.

 

[Aikbach]

I like this thread. I believe in Parcells' stuff regarding ball control and field position.

The difference this year in this style of offense is the following:

2003:
Galloway
Glenn
Hambrick
Anderson
Campbell
Adams
Allen
Lehr
Gurode
Young
Carter

2006:
TO
Glenn
Jones/Barber
Fasano/Hoyte
Witten
Adams
Kosier
Gurode
Rivera
Columbo


I'll take the second list, thankyou.

You forgot Romo

 

[AdamJT13]

I was amazed when they posted the time of possession in the 3rd or beginning of the 4th. I had no idea we were controlling the clock so much.

Take away our two quick touchdown drives (4 seconds and 17 seconds), and our offense averaged 3:47.5 per possession. That's 1:07.5 more than the NFL average.

Not including the short possession before halftime, our defense held Carolina's offense to 1:55.6 per possession -- 0:44.4 less than the NFL average.

When you have both sides of the ball winning the possession battle by that much, that's how you dominate the clock 38:16 to 21:44.

 

[jesusphreak]

This is my point exactly. Parcells had a short leash on Quincy, and rumor was that Carter was only reading half the field. If nothing was there, then he was instructed to throw it away.

What I saw last night was a QB that was reading the entire field, and throwing both short and long passes. The 20+ yard throws to TO and Glenn were a thing of beauty...balls thrown on a rope.

I don't see the same offense as 2003 due to the fact that Parcells doesn't seem to have a leash on Romo.

Yeah, those deep throws sure were beautiful. They were accurate and had great velocity on them.

 

[NMfan]

Take away our two quick touchdown drives (4 seconds and 17 seconds), and our offense averaged 3:47.5 per possession. That's 1:07.5 more than the NFL average.

Not including the short possession before halftime, our defense held Carolina's offense to 1:55.6 per possession -- 0:44.4 less than the NFL average.

When you have both sides of the ball winning the possession battle by that much, that's how you dominate the clock 38:16 to 21:44.

And the score. Thanks for the stats you give us all the time.