The Screen Pass

[sk0aL]

I'm beginning to strongly believe that Red's playbook doesn't contain a single designed screen pass. I'm serious. Every time we throw it to Barber it's the result of a checkdown or one of Romo's acrobatic hookshots that he attempts as he's being tackled by 600 pounds of linemen.

The biggest failure during the Brad Johnson stretch was our utter inability to run the football. I include passes out of the backfield. MB3 has been running for his LIFE out there and still manages to get respectable yardage. We stubbornly relied on the vertical passing game with a QB who was shamefully incapable. If you have a cannon that can only shoot 25 yards, you do not attempt 30-35 yard passes. He was arguably worse than Vinny Testaverde, and that's saying something. I know missing Kosier means a lot, but you don't go from potentially the best OL in the league to utterly inept in a span of 3 weeks.

Which brings me back to the screen pass. Philthy has implemented Brian Westbrook brilliantly for years utilizing him out of the backfield. I know Philly runs a west coast offense and I'm not saying we should implement that, but Marion earns the Barbarian title when you get the ball to him in space. He's just like Brandon Jacobs in the fact that he's easy to bring down before he gets going, but once he gets a head of steam he's deadly.

 

[Rampage]

forget Barber, I wanna see Felix get a freaking screen pass.

 

[sk0aL]

forget Barber, I wanna see Felix get a freaking screen pass.

I agree completely.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

I'd rather they throw it to Jones on a screen pass. He's got way more speed to be effective in that situation.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

Big red knows screens if he needs too.

 

[Eskimo]

I just don't think that's a major part of his offensive philosophy. It was never a big part of Turner's offense when he was here either. Part of it may be the insistence of a power running game (which we lack anyways) leads to us drafting linemen who are not very good at making blocks in space.

Of our current group, I think Kosier is the only one who is really good at this.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I think we need to take his playbook and throw it out the window.

 

[Joe Realist]

forget Barber, I wanna see Felix get a freaking screen pass.

Well, we agree on something. Felix is tailor made for the screen IMO.

 

[jimmy40]

I just don't think that's a major part of his offensive philosophy. It was never a big part of Turner's offense when he was here either. Part of it may be the insistence of a power running game (which we lack anyways) leads to us drafting linemen who are not very good at making blocks in space.

Of our current group, I think Kosier is the only one who is really good at this.

Explained extremely well.

 

[khiladi]

I just don't think that's a major part of his offensive philosophy. It was never a big part of Turner's offense when he was here either. Part of it may be the insistence of a power running game (which we lack anyways) leads to us drafting linemen who are not very good at making blocks in space.

Of our current group, I think Kosier is the only one who is really good at this.

Norv ran a lot of quick slants for Emmitt Smith down the middle of the field. Garrett should have run screens when Flozell was getting decimated to make the defense second guess. He runs a couple screens to the WR, such as TO.

 

[88 enough said]

add slants and crossing routes to that wretched playbook. I think what everyone forgets is- That last year when he was BOY GENIUS he had this passing game coordinator to help him named "Tony Sparano". Have you noticed that he's not near as good a coordinator now that Tony is gone. Thats just a little food for thought. The genius lost a little luster off that Red Head without that guy that has Miami winning this year.

 

[thekavorka]

yep. also, we seem to only run slants in the red zone when the field is shortened. at most other times, it's "everyone go deep" except Witten and Barber

 

[CF74]

I think we need to take his playbook and throw it out the window.

 

[Eskimo]

I do agree with some of the other posters that not enough short routes are in the offense. The only short passes are to Witten (esp. on 3rd down) and to Barber as a check down. We do need to work on becoming much more proficient at the short passing game for the times that we are playing pressure defenses. If your offense is predicated on OL holding their blocks for 5 seconds, you aren't going to be able to sustain drives.

 

[jobberone]

They aren't running it because we don't execute it well. To me that's an excuse to work on it in practice. But I guess Red has other plays to slow the rush down and take advantage of it. I hope.

And he has become to predictable. People are jumping our routes big time. Time to mix it up more Red on the Head.

 

[LowTech]

add slants and crossing routes to that wretched playbook. I think what everyone forgets is- That last year when he was BOY GENIUS he had this passing game coordinator to help him named "Tony Sparano". Have you noticed that he's not near as good a coordinator now that Tony is gone. Thats just a little food for thought. The genius lost a little luster off that Red Head without that guy that has Miami winning this year.

good point

 

[Hypnotoad]

add slants and crossing routes to that wretched playbook. I think what everyone forgets is- That last year when he was BOY GENIUS he had this passing game coordinator to help him named "Tony Sparano". Have you noticed that he's not near as good a coordinator now that Tony is gone. Thats just a little food for thought. The genius lost a little luster off that Red Head without that guy that has Miami winning this year.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't he the offensive line coach? Now all of a sudden he is supposed to be the one incharge of passing coordination now that Red isn't doing so well? Sounds off to me. Like trying to find an explanation for something unexplainable.

 

[Shaun]

The slant Owens ran last week was intercepted.

 

[Apollo Creed]

The slant Owens ran last week was intercepted.

He got good position, its not a hard throw to make. Good throws beat decent coverage, ask Troy Aikman. Brad just threw that ball in the only place that the corner could get it, not vice versa.

 

[Shaun]

He got good position, its not a hard throw to make. Good throws beat decent coverage, ask Troy Aikman. Brad just threw that ball in the only place that the corner could get it, not vice versa.

With Romo in the game, it's fine. With these other guys, they probably avoid the slant because of exactly what happened.