The running game DID work.

[AMERICAS_FAN]

i understand balance, but i'm more "take what the D is giving" and if that means a lot of passing, then pass the holy hell out of it...

Balance is one thing; good coordination is another. And that means knowing your strengths and coordinating the offense around it. Dallas rarely does this.

I don't like this "take what the defense is giving" approach because it makes you soft. I'd rather we "play aggressively and dictate the game". But even if you go agrressive and dictate the game you have to be smart about it. You can't just decide to pass all day because that's what you prefer (Are you listening Jason Garrett?).

The only desirable approach is to find your strengt on offense, which for this team is running the ball, and setting the gameplan around it. So I'd much rahter the offense play to its strengths and try to use the run to set up the pass and in turn, set up the defense into playing coverages/formations that puts them in disadvantages in the end. This is what they did against Washington and it worked.

Yes, the offense sputtered much of they day against the Commanders, but they stuck to the run-first gameplan and eventuially it all came together. They had the Commanders like deer caught in headlights by the end of that game where they got blindsided by the passing game. It also helped that all that pounsunbg from the ground game wore them down.

But the Washington win is just one game; now it's ime to make this a consistent appraoch to the offense. Unfortunately, my fear is that Garrett will now revert back to his fruitless, pass-happy tendencies, and once again play into the oppsing defensive-coordinator's hands.

 

[Stautner]

Balance is one thing; good coordination is another. And that means knowing your strengths and coordinating the offense around it. Dallas rarely does this.

I don't like this "take what the defense is giving" approach because it makes you soft. I'd rather we "play aggressively and dictate the game". But even if you go agrressive and dictate the game you have to be smart about it. You can't just decide to pass all day because that's what you prefer (Are you listening Jason Garrett?).

The only desirable approach is to find your strengt on offense, which for this team is running the ball, and setting the gameplan around it. So I'd much rahter the offense play to its strengths and try to use the run to set up the pass and in turn, set up the defense into playing coverages/formations that puts them in disadvantages in the end. This is what they did against Washington and it worked.

Yes, the offense sputtered much of they day against the Commanders, but they stuck to the run-first gameplan and eventuially it all came together. They had the Commanders like deer caught in headlights by the end of that game. But it's just one game; now it's ime to make this a consistent appraoch to the offense. Unfortunately, my fear is that Garrett will now revert back to his fruitless, pass-happy tendencies.

The idea has to be to take what the defense gives you, and then when you start hurting the defense and they start focusing in on that you hit them with the unexpected. In other words, as we had success running the ball and as stopping the run became more set in the mind of the defense, we should have run play action on a down where they would have expected the run and gone downfield or maybe just a 25 yard play over the middle - something to take advantage of the mindset the running causing the defense to have.

 

[chinch]

bingo

Balance is one thing; good coordination is another. And that means knowing your strengths and coordinating the offense around it. Dallas rarely does this.

I don't like this "take what the defense is giving" approach because it makes you soft. I'd rather we "play aggressively and dictate the game". But even if you go agrressive and dictate the game you have to be smart about it. You can't just decide to pass all day because that's what you prefer (Are you listening Jason Garrett?).

The only desirable approach is to find your strengt on offense, which for this team is running the ball, and setting the gameplan around it. So I'd much rahter the offense play to its strengths and try to use the run to set up the pass and in turn, set up the defense into playing coverages/formations that puts them in disadvantages in the end. This is what they did against Washington and it worked.

Yes, the offense sputtered much of they day against the Commanders, but they stuck to the run-first gameplan and eventuially it all came together. They had the Commanders like deer caught in headlights by the end of that game where they got blindsided by the passing game. It also helped that all that pounsunbg from the ground game wore them down.

But the Washington win is just one game; now it's ime to make this a consistent appraoch to the offense. Unfortunately, my fear is that Garrett will now revert back to his fruitless, pass-happy tendencies, and once again play into the oppsing defensive-coordinator's hands.

 

[iceberg]

Balance is one thing; good coordination is another. And that means knowing your strengths and coordinating the offense around it. Dallas rarely does this.

I don't like this "take what the defense is giving" approach because it makes you soft. I'd rather we "play aggressively and dictate the game". But even if you go agrressive and dictate the game you have to be smart about it. You can't just decide to pass all day because that's what you prefer (Are you listening Jason Garrett?).

The only desirable approach is to find your strengt on offense, which for this team is running the ball, and setting the gameplan around it. So I'd much rahter the offense play to its strengths and try to use the run to set up the pass and in turn, set up the defense into playing coverages/formations that puts them in disadvantages in the end. This is what they did against Washington and it worked.

Yes, the offense sputtered much of they day against the Commanders, but they stuck to the run-first gameplan and eventuially it all came together. They had the Commanders like deer caught in headlights by the end of that game where they got blindsided by the passing game. It also helped that all that pounsunbg from the ground game wore them down.

But the Washington win is just one game; now it's ime to make this a consistent appraoch to the offense. Unfortunately, my fear is that Garrett will now revert back to his fruitless, pass-happy tendencies, and once again play into the oppsing defensive-coordinator's hands.

so at 7-3, he's that ... um ... not sure what word i'm looking for but people seem to think that garrett is killing this team and while that may be - something really cracks me up about many cowboys fans.

at 2-2 we were a 9-7, 8-8 team with no shot at the playoffs. i thought it was premature and stupid to already go there when we had 12 more games to go through.

then, we're 6-2 and on a 4 game winning stream. garrett is getting apology threads and even wade was getting some love.

we see green bay, the skins and oakland and suddently this 8-8 team is headed to NINE AND TWO BAYBEE!!!!

far too many fans get caught up in the moment as if each moments was THE defining moment and can't see beyond that.

except that what we did 4 games in a row should beat the next 3 easily.

if any win is *easy* for an 8-8 team.

most fans just don't have a long term mentality when it comes to the game. what we last saw is all their is and it gets old.

 

[blindzebra]

We missed a FG against GB and Washington.

We fumbled away possible points in both games.

Penalties killed a drive in both.

Costly drops killed drives in both.

The difference was this week when the passing game got us 7 late we didn't need to overcome a 14 point swing because of terrible officiating.

It isn't play calling, it's execution.

 

[iceberg]

We missed a FG against GB and Washington.

We fumbled away possible points in both games.

Penalties killed a drive in both.

Costly drops killed drives in both.

The difference was this week when the passing game got us 7 late we didn't need to overcome a 14 point swing because of terrible officiating.

It isn't play calling, it's execution.

and that was a much better way to say it. : )

we've got plays working on all sides but when called back cause flo was holding or someone was false starting, can't do much can you?

 

[BLEU3ASY]

If Barber doesn't fumble and Dallas scores all would be quiet....

 

[adbutcher]

We missed a FG against GB and Washington.

We fumbled away possible points in both games.

Penalties killed a drive in both.

Costly drops killed drives in both.

The difference was this week when the passing game got us 7 late we didn't need to overcome a 14 point swing because of terrible officiating.

It isn't play calling, it's execution.

Where in the hell have you been?

 

[Stautner]

If Barber doesn't fumble and Dallas scores all would be quiet....

And if Suisham hits those 2 FG's we lose and all would not be quiet.

Those are all just circumstances in the game, just as there will be circumstances in every game where things could have gone better. Football isn't about everything being perfect or things not counting unless they are perfect, it's about dealing with whatever circumstances there are to deal with.

As for the fumble, that happen early 1st quarter. What happened to the next 2 1/2 quarters?

 

[alohawg]

Where was the razorback yesterday? Was it ever utilized, I didn't see it but I missed a couple minutes here and there.

 

[TheCount]

You'd have to be pretty dense to think the running game was a failure. If Romo had been capable of being accurate earlier on and Barber hadn't fumbled, we'd have done very well.

On the scoring drive Romo did stuff he hadn't done the whole game, he fit some throws into very tight spaces and the receivers made great catches in traffic.

 

[Brooksey]

The running game was working until Barber fumbled. Once again the run was not a factor in the second half. JG panicked down 3-0 and went right to shotgun. The second half of the game looked like the GB game.

 

[Stautner]

The running game was working until Barber fumbled. Once again the run was not a factor in the second half. JG panicked down 3-0 and went right to shotgun. The second half of the game looked like the GB game.

That's not accurate. Other than the scoring drive in the 4th quarter we either emphasized the running game or at least had an equal run/pass split the rest of the game. Only one drive did we go pass heavy.

 

[Brooksey]

That's not accurate. Other than the scoring drive in the 4th quarter we either emphasized the running game or at least had an equal run/pass split the rest of the game. Only one drive did we go pass heavy.

You are fooling yourself... it is completely accurate. In the second half there were a couple of draw plays from shotgun and maybe a delay handoff from the I formation. That is not a running game. The running game in the second half was not a factor.

 

[Stautner]

You are fooling yourself... it is completely accurate. In the second half there were a couple of draw plays from shotgun and maybe a delay handoff from the I formation. That is not a running game. The running game in the second half was not a factor.

Here's what you aren't considering - we weren't talking about the run being a factor, we were talking about whether we used it.

You also aren't considering that outside of that one drive the passing game wasn't a factor either.

The fact is you are claiming something about entire 2nd half based solely on what happened in one drive in the 2nd half, and THAT's not accurate.

 

[DFWJC]

The run game was looking pretty good but a winning run game requires a team to be able to put together long-sustained drives...which in turn requires not fumbling the ball or having penalties. Otherwise, a run first attack just milks the clock and allowsa low scoring team to stay in the game to potentially steal a win.
Agree though, Washinton has a lights-out pass defense and an effective run game would make sense to lossen them up.

 

[blindzebra]

The running game was working until Barber fumbled. Once again the run was not a factor in the second half. JG panicked down 3-0 and went right to shotgun. The second half of the game looked like the GB game.

It was 22-12 run/pass at half.

Romo was 7 of 8 on the TD drive. 3 hand offs after the INT.

We finished 33/27.

So taking out the TD drive and clock killing runs we had:

7 passes, 8 rushes in the second half before the all pass drive.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

It's unfortunate that Barber had his first fumble of the year on that drive. A TD there completely changes the complexion of that game.

We were absolutely slamming the ball down their throats at will.

I posted the same thought yesterday... I completely agree, MBIII's fumble got Dallas out of sync.

 

[CF74]

106 yards in the 1st half despite using our slowest back on most of the runs.
We controlled the clock.
Kept the defense fresh for the second half.
Limited Romo-ceptions.

The only time our drives stalled out was when either Romo threw a bad pass or a wr dropped one. I can only recall one drive that stalled from a run on 3rd down, it was 3rd and 2 and Choice got stuffed up the middle. Other than Barber's fumble the run was very successful.

The run game kept us in the game, the passing game kept us from putting up more points....