The Problem with the Cowboys' Passing Game

[BigCowboysHomer]

NFL Films Senior Producer Greg Cosell and Ross Tucker discussed the Cowboys' offense on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast #913. Main points:

• The Cowboys run a lot of individual isolation routes and expect receivers to win 1 on 1 matchups. Cosell said "if your receiver corps is not a great receiver corps that's a tough deal."
• "You don't see a lot of integrated route concepts. You don't see much stack or bunch or levels attacking zone coverage with different levels that you see throughout [the rest of] the NFL. You don't see a lot of those things. Their pass game is somewhat limited."
  
• "They are very good in the screen game, really good."
• "They're not going to get many explosive plays in their pass game."
• When your receivers are not outstanding "then you have to help the receivers with what you do schematically. You have to help them with your concepts so you can create some problems for a defense if they are going to play man coverage, or if a team is in zone you have to do some things that find the voids, create levels, high-low concepts, you know the kind of things we see consistently in [the rest of] the league."

You can listen to the Ross Tucker Football Podcast #913 at http://www.rosstucker.com/podcasts/ross-tucker-football-podcast/ The Cowboys segment begins at 4:37 although the whole thing is worth a listen.

 

[Batman1980]

It starts with Dak Prescott and Scott Linehan and it ends with the worst WR/TE corp in the NFL.

 

[Blackthorn]

The problems with the passing game is the lack of 2 pro-bowl receivers in Witten and Dez. Everyone has their opinion on Dez and Witten and after re-watching the last two season on the NFL Pass I have noticed two major difference in the scheme that the Cowboys face.

Stephen stated that Dez did not beat 1-1 coverage. This is not exactly true. In the games I watched teams had the LB and safety shading to Dez's side of the field. There were 3 guys basically on Dez. Everyone knows that Witten ran one route and the QBs (Dak. Romo, others) would throw on the opposite side of the defender. Beasley benefited from Dez and Witten. Now he is not a threat.

I see rub routes and integrated routes on the film.

This season every team is stacking the box an extreme amount of snaps and until the receivers can demonstrate they have the ability to win routes opposing teams will strictly focus on Zeke.

I thought the interceptions this season were for the most part on the receiver. Who can Dak trust at this point? Everyone can blame who they want and Garrett and Linehan seam to be the lightning rod. For me, I am placing the blame on the receivers, rbs, and TE. Anyone of those players can step-up at anytime. I also lay blame on some of the coaching decisions. Garrett is to blame for not trying the 4th and 1 in OT. Trying to justifying not trying to win the game in OT is absurd.

I really believe that passionate players like Dez and Witten are difficult to find. Who has the passion on this wr/te corp?

 

[Sydla]

The problems with the passing game is the lack of 2 pro-bowl receivers in Witten and Dez. Everyone has their opinion on Dez and Witten and after re-watching the last two season on the NFL Pass I have noticed two major difference in the scheme that the Cowboys face.

Stephen stated that Dez did not beat 1-1 coverage. This is not exactly true. In the games I watched teams had the LB and safety shading to Dez's side of the field. There were 3 guys basically on Dez. Everyone knows that Witten ran one route and the QBs (Dak. Romo, others) would throw on the opposite side of the defender.

But they had Dez and Witten last year and we weren't a great passing team either.

This is a multi-layer problem now.

- We have a coaching staff, that as Cosell and Tucker point out, runs a very primitive and mundane passing offense.

- We have a group of pass catchers that simply can't work in the system the coaches want - where a premium is on the WR to beat coverages based on pure talent and not schemes.

- And finally we have a QB that simply is struggling with the basics - poor fundamentals/mechanics, making the proper reads and calls, etc. He also has the yips or whatever you want to call is where he simply struggles to pull the trigger on deeper throws when the WR is open.

People don't want to hear this but if our offense were an old car, repairing the thing it isn't just fix this or fix that type of problem. It's a take your old car, drive it over a cliff and run to the closest new car dealership type of problem.

 

[jsb357]

Whatever you do don't Google it to find the answer as you'll break the interwebs.

 

[LocimusPrime]

• Dak
• Coaches
• Front office
• Wide receivers
• Oline

Plays can still be made in this archaic or simplistic schemes. It's not the most innovative or creative one but if we executed better in 3-4 more plays in each game, our record would be different.

With this scheme, the qb has to be on point. Like Aikman said, you gotta be accurate. If you are not accurate, then a lot more needs to happen for the team to succeed.

 

[nate dizzle]

Beasley and Thompson are getting open by an average separation rate of 2.4 yards. Other guys at that rate or below include, Julio, AJ Green, Keenan Allen, TY Hilton, DeAndre Hopkins, and Mike Evans.

Swaim is at like 4.2.

Our guys are winning at the WR position. Our QB is losing at his. End of story.

 

[texbumthelife]

Some of us have been saying this for YEARS. Garrett still coaches this team like there is no salary cap and we can just line up and bludgeon people. Even the most physically talent offenses are out there scheming guys open. In Dallas it's all about "go win one on one."

 

[nate dizzle]

Some of us have been saying this for YEARS. Garrett still coaches this team like there is no salary cap and we can just line up and bludgeon people. Even the most physically talent offenses are out there scheming guys open. In Dallas it's all about "go win one on one."

See my post above you. They are winning. The QB is not executing his end of the deal.

 

[texbumthelife]

See my post above you. They are winning. The QB is not executing his end of the deal.

The point is, the game has advanced to the point that players shouldn't have to always win one on one matchups. I agree, Dak needs to be a lot better, but this offense couldn't even maintain year in and year out Romo back there. The scheme desperately needs to be updated.

 

[Ranching]

• Dak
• Coaches
• Front office
• Wide receivers
• Oline

Plays can still be made in this archaic or simplistic schemes. It's not the most innovative or creative one but if we executed better in 3-4 more plays in each game, our record would be different.

With this scheme, the qb has to be on point. Like Aikman said, you gotta be accurate. If you are not accurate, then a lot more needs to happen for the team to succeed.

You said it at the end. The scheme is the problem, I move coaches to number 1 and Dak to number 2 on your list.

 

[Clove]

There was once a time I went against the entire board over Romo. I said he's never gonna even sniff an NFC title and this was after his 4th season starting. What I didn't know was that all of his problems were not his problems and were also the problems of any QB that came in to Garrett's offense.

If you ever wan to solve the problem, you have to get to the root of the problem. We are wanting a new QB, but we forget, we had one of the prolific passers on the Dallas Cowboys ever in Romo, and still could not reach an NFC Championship game, so what do think this new QB will do? Miraculously will his sorry team to the NFC Championship game? Hell no...

We need Garrett gone, then we hire a new HC, and allow him to decide who he wants at QB and other positions.