Time of Possession and running plays

[LowTech]

Saints had the ball 20:44 in first half.

Cowboys had the ball 9:16 first half.


We ran 16 rushing plays (9 in the first half) and 33 passing plays (11 in the first half).

We ran 3 rushes in the 1st qtr. We were ahead 7-0 at end of 1st.
We ran 4 rushes in the 2nd qtr. We were behind 21-7 at half.
There were 2 scrambles by Romo in the first half.

All of these are unacceptable. Why did we not try to control the game on offense? Did we always pass because we never had the ball or did we never have the ball because we never played ball control. Its like the chicken and the egg scenario.

 

[burmafrd]

Yep. Should have pounded the run in the 2nd qtr and used short passes to our RB's to bring the defense up then we could hit them long. Instead we went pass happy.

 

[Doomsday]

You have to make first downs to pound the ball. Dallas had 2 three and outs in the first half, both came when they ran on 1st and 2nd down for almost no yards and were unable to convert 3rd and 8. The difference was the defense let them chew the clock so our offense could not got going and they put pressure on Romo which made Dallas' 3rd down offense struggle.

 

[burmafrd]

2 times out of how many - 8 or 10? we should have run counters and stretches; short passes; that would have been a good ball control and would have rested the D. Now I do not think we would have won the game, but it would have been more competitive.

 

[Doomsday]

2 times out of how many - 8 or 10? we should have run counters and stretches; short passes; that would have been a good ball control and would have rested the D. Now I do not think we would have won the game, but it would have been more competitive.

One TD, 2 three and outs, an interception and a missed field goal account for pretty much all of Dallas possessions in the first half. The defense couldnt get off the field.

 

[ZeroClub]

When a game is lost so completely, there are lots of problems, not just one or two.

One of those many problems was that the Cowboys offense never established much of anything.