CFZ We have completed 36% of the season. Patterns are developing

[Bobhaze]

We are reminded every week that the NFL is extremely unpredictable. Most fans look at the schedule when it is released and immediately declare the wins and losses the Cowboys will have for the upcoming season. As if nothing has changed in the off-season. Every week the NFL reminds us that this is a very fluid and unpredictable league.

After last night’s gritty win vs the chargers, the Cowboys have completed approximately 36% of the season. Think about that. 64% of the season lies in front of us. And although we are still trying to figure out what this team is and can be, we can see some patterns developing. The key word is developing because every team develops as the season progresses.

Here are some patterns I see with Cowboys (and other rivals) so far- good and not so good.

• The Cowboys best side of the ball is their defense. And it is not a great defense…yet. Still developing some young players.
• The offense is struggling to find its rhythm. But remember, this is a NEW offense and it appears to me the players are still trying to figure it out. But it’s time to step up.
• The Cowboys running game so far has been anemic. Is it the OL? The RBs? Both?
• The Cowboys have found a reliably outstanding kicker in Brandon Aubrey.
• The Cowboys have a penalty problem. (No the refs are not “out to get us”) The lack of discipline is a real problem.
• Opposing offenses have found ways to negate Micah Parsons at times. Can Dan Quinn find ways to respond?
• The eagles are 5-1 but they have problems too. Jalen Hurts has thrown 7 interceptions (3 more than Dak) and they have some mounting injuries.
• The Cowboys are still trying to figure themselves out. This is a different team than last year.

We have completed 36% of the season. This team (and all NFL teams) are evolving and developing. Don’t look at the rest of the schedule and pick wins and losses. None of us know what is going to happen. And that makes it very entertaining!

There are lots of other patterns. What are some you see?

 

[MWH1967]

We are reminded every week that the NFL is extremely unpredictable. Most fans look at the schedule when it is released and immediately declare the wins and losses the Cowboys will have for the upcoming season. As if nothing has changed in the off-season. Every week the NFL reminds us that this is a very fluid and unpredictable league.

After last night’s gritty win vs the chargers, the Cowboys have completed approximately 36% of the season. Think about that. 64% of the season lies in front of us. And although we are still trying to figure out what this team is and can be, we can see some patterns developing. The key word is developing because every team develops as the season progresses.

Here are some patterns I see with Cowboys (and other rivals) so far- good and not so good.

• The Cowboys best side of the ball is their defense. And it is not a great defense…yet. Still developing some young players.
• The offense is struggling to find its rhythm. But remember, this is a NEW offense and it appears to me the players are still trying to figure it out. But it’s time to step up.
• The Cowboys running game so far has been anemic. Is it the OL? The RBs? Both?
• The Cowboys have found a reliably outstanding kicker in Brandon Aubrey.
• The Cowboys have a penalty problem. (No the refs are not “out to get us”) The lack of discipline is a real problem.
• Opposing offenses have found ways to negate Micah Parsons at times. Can Dan Quinn find ways to respond?
• The eagles are 5-1 but they have problems too. Jalen Hurts has thrown 7 interceptions (2 more than Dak) and they have some mounting injuries.
• The Cowboys are still trying to figure themselves out. This is a different team than last year.

We have completed 36% of the season. This team (and all NFL teams) are evolving and developing. Don’t look at the rest of the schedule and pick wins and losses. None of us know what is going to happen. And that makes it very entertaining!

There are lots of other patterns. What are some you see?

How many positions does Edoga play again? Could be an issue.

 

[BulletBob]

Inconsistency

 

[Bobhaze]

Inconsistency

A habit of teams struggling to find its identity.

 

[Sydla]

^^^ What he said ^^^

Inconsistency. It was great getting a W anyway we could last night after the 49ers debacle but there are some things that just aren't clicking. Dak was clearly better but he's still leaving plays out there. He needed to make better throws on that pass to Gallup at the goal line and then Pollard late but other times he made some nice throws.

McCarthy's play calling still is ehh and I still am unclear what was going on at the end of the half. Dak compounded the problem by dumping it off for like 3 yards. That's a waste.

 

[Reality]

Very good post!

What I see is an offense that was put together based on Kellen Moore's offense, which is designed to attack.

While the idea of being a "run first, lean on the defense" team sounds good, I think the mistake the Cowboys made was in trying to become that without realizing the team configuration is not designed for it at the moment.

You saw last night when the Cowboys started attacking, the Chargers defense started hesitating more like most teams usually do against offenses.

It is not always about being successful when you attack but making the defense have to account for it.

The 49ers have a great defense, but we made their job easier by trying to play it safe which allowed the defense to attack all game. Of course once the score got out of hand, the Cowboys then started attacking more but the 49ers knew it was coming because they no longer had a choice.

McCarthy's offense may work great once the Cowboys get the right players, but he may need to revert to some of Kellen Moore's attack offense, especially early in the game, to keep the defenses from stacking the line and the flat.

 

[Bobhaze]

^^^ What he said ^^^

Inconsistency. It was great getting a W anyway we could last night after the 49ers debacle but there are some things that just aren't clicking. Dak was clearly better but he's still leaving plays out there. He needed to make better throws on that pass to Gallup at the goal line and then Pollard late but other times he made some nice throws.

McCarthy's play calling still is ehh and I still am unclear what was going on at the end of the half. Dak compounded the problem by dumping it off for like 3 yards. That's a waste.

I think Big Mac is still trying to figure out what this offense can do. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a Cowboys offense struggle so hard to get any kind of rhythm. Hate to say it, but Mac’s “new” offense looks a little light on creativity.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't like to jump to conclusions until 38%.

 

[jazzcat22]

Not happy with the run game at all. It is worse than anemic.

This was only the 3rd game the starting OL was in tact. They are still learning this new offense, not only as individual players. But also as an unit and the entire offense.
That could be a big reason why.

Also in their other 3 wins, they did not need to air it out, go as long downfield. With the leads they had, and the defense playing well. They could junk dink and dunk.
That is also part of the reason the offense seems to struggle.

Last night they aired it out more, and we seen the results. Still can be better. But best get that run game going. Longer pass plays was needed, and will be needed. Maybe MM now sees this, and works on it over the next 2 weeks.

But they need to work on discipline as well, and cut down the penalties. Especially the pre-snap and holding penalties.

 

[blueblood70]

We are reminded every week that the NFL is extremely unpredictable. Most fans look at the schedule when it is released and immediately declare the wins and losses the Cowboys will have for the upcoming season. As if nothing has changed in the off-season. Every week the NFL reminds us that this is a very fluid and unpredictable league.

After last night’s gritty win vs the chargers, the Cowboys have completed approximately 36% of the season. Think about that. 64% of the season lies in front of us. And although we are still trying to figure out what this team is and can be, we can see some patterns developing. The key word is developing because every team develops as the season progresses.

Here are some patterns I see with Cowboys (and other rivals) so far- good and not so good.

• The Cowboys best side of the ball is their defense. And it is not a great defense…yet. Still developing some young players.
• The offense is struggling to find its rhythm. But remember, this is a NEW offense and it appears to me the players are still trying to figure it out. But it’s time to step up.
• The Cowboys running game so far has been anemic. Is it the OL? The RBs? Both?
• The Cowboys have found a reliably outstanding kicker in Brandon Aubrey.
• The Cowboys have a penalty problem. (No the refs are not “out to get us”) The lack of discipline is a real problem.
• Opposing offenses have found ways to negate Micah Parsons at times. Can Dan Quinn find ways to respond?
• The eagles are 5-1 but they have problems too. Jalen Hurts has thrown 7 interceptions (3 more than Dak) and they have some mounting injuries.
• The Cowboys are still trying to figure themselves out. This is a different team than last year.

We have completed 36% of the season. This team (and all NFL teams) are evolving and developing. Don’t look at the rest of the schedule and pick wins and losses. None of us know what is going to happen. And that makes it very entertaining!

There are lots of other patterns. What are some you see?

the easy answer it is the offensive line... they gave up five sacks what could have been 10 sacks had Dak not runed into old dak and got mobile our quarterback ran for his life... prescott literally saved the offense as he was the leading rusher in passer for both teams..

the offensive line is not opening up holes for the run game and they're not blocking well in the pass game..

exactly they need to stop treating the running backs as if we have a demarco Murray or a young ezekiel Elliott as lead backs and trying hard to be a run first run heavy identity team the reality is we are not in that as the offense line it's been playing pretty bad all year, you trying to play conservative football ...run .run pass is putting us in 3rd and long and then cant block for 2 seconds!! , really it hasn't been good all year trying to be conservative take the reins off this offense and start throwing the damn football against teams that you can..IMHO CEEdee could add a 200 yard game easily... i'm ready to change from mike McCarthy's conservative play calling run run pass nonsense and see we need to change our identity. we need to use the pass game to open up the run game!!! .

the crazy thing is prescott was sacked 5 times could have easily been 10 had he not moved well, was the most mobile game he's been in years... another quick hitter Prescott was the leading passer and rusher for both teams!! prescott haters can suck on that he literally won that game... if you add in all the penalties in the time of possession lost the STs gaff.., Prescott had the game winning drive and he played well all game...

 

[Bobhaze]

Very good post!

What I see is an offense that was put together based on Kellen Moore's offense, which is designed to attack.

While the idea of being a "run first, lean on the defense" team sounds good, I think the mistake the Cowboys made was in trying to become that without realizing the team configuration is not designed for it at the moment.

You saw last night when the Cowboys started attacking, the Chargers defense started hesitating more like most teams usually do against offenses.

It is not always about being successful when you attack but making the defense have to account for it.

The 49ers have a great defense, but we made their job easier by trying to play it safe which allowed the defense to attack all game. Of course once the score got out of hand, the Cowboys then started attacking more but the 49ers knew it was coming because they no longer had a choice.

McCarthy's offense may work great once the Cowboys get the right players, but he may need to revert to some of Kellen Moore's attack offense, especially early in the game, to keep the defenses from stacking the line and the flat.

Great point about attacking more. I don’t know if the running game is struggling because of the inconsistency of the OL working together or the lack of depth and talent at the RB position.

I 100% agree that this team is not built to do what Big Mac said he wanted to do - be a run first team. They just aren’t constructed that way.

 

[Redsfan_83]

terrific list, and to be honest is there a team in the NFL that doesn't have similar issues? The AFC was thought to be head and shoulders ahead of the NFC....is there a team you feel all goofy about inside as being the one to beat? I still think a healthy 9ers team is the one to beat, with those Lions next...

 

[Bobhaze]

I don't like to jump to conclusions until 38%.

I’ll be expecting your full report sometime during the second qtr against the rams at the exact moment we cross the magic 38% threshold.

 

[jterrell]

Offense:
McCarthy installed a run based WCO and yet we lack the go to RB. TP is definitely a quality back but has no one to spell him. Dowdle runs hard but still looks lost half the time.
I wish they'd trade for a RB like James Connor. We need a complete, tough back that can wear down a defense.
The OL isn't very good. OC getting beaten up and we aren't settled. Run game was thrashed and we ate 4 sacks.
We can't rely on Dak to save us every week. 1 mistake by him and we lose that game.

Defense:
We miss Diggs as anyone would.
Young LBs (Clark/Bell) look good. We are so fast with them on the field.
Have to play smarter. I accept the shots on a QB as its worth 15 yards to take those shots IMO. But lining up onsides is middle school stuff.

ST:
Kicker is aces.
Punt returner hates guys around him and refs aren't protecting his space. Might be time to send in a new punt returner.

Good time for Bye week. Get healthier and get ready for the colder weather games where Big Mike should have an advantage.

 

[Aven8]

The Oline seems to be a major problem. I actually think they played better when the backups had to play a couple of games ago.

Tyler Smith seemed lost last night.

Also, Michael Gallup looks awful. Hopefully during this off week they can incorporate Tolbert in.

 

[Blackspider214]

The main culprit people love to point to is Dak. And yes, he has his issues that are known.

But this OL is dreadful. If it wasn't for Dak's legs last night, he might have been sacked 10 times. Our longest play of the game was a broken play that Dak extended to throw to Pollard. Dak's legs actually surprised me last night, as he is usually dead to rights when the pressure gets to him. This OL can't get any push up front. It's a main reason why we are poor in the redzone. It's harder to pass down there, so you really need to be able to run the ball better. We can't. I don't care about PFF ratings at all. This OL isn't good.

Also, Pollard just isn't a good every down back. Especially not getting the tough yards. Classic case of the backup looking better behind the starter but then when he takes the full time role, below average.

This team is still very undisciplined and low IQ. We were lucky we were playing the one time who might beat us in both those categories last night because we were begging for a loss.

 

[Rayman70]

The offensive line IS the issue with the entire offense. PERIOD. PRINT IT....hear this, it isn't Mike McCarthy's play calling. He realizes the shoddy play, thus flags, mistakes with the line, so he is calling the game according to that, trying to minimize the errors, until we get it corrected. I think he was masterful last night getting sure points. Now, if we can clean that stuff up, guess what, we will be able to open up the playbook more and our running game will be better. Right now this line is banged up and still regaining their sea legs and chemistry. This bye came at a great time and we managed to get a win in the process. Gritty wins matter and it teaches the young guys that u don't always need to win pretty and score 1000 points. MM did the right thing. BTW, if MG catches a perfect pass from Dak, we win by more.If JT don't make a dumb play along with the refs blowing a flag, we might win by 2 scores. This was a sloppy game and we can clean up some things. But the play calling wasn't the issue, execution at times, was.

 

[Creeper]

The offensive line problems are a real mystery to me. I thought they would at least be better in the run game but they get no movement at all and that is very different from last year. Is it the new OL coach? Where are the double team blocks they used to effectively to create lanes for Pollard last year?

Parsons was lined up off ball a lot more last night than usual. I think once the Cowboys get more comfortable with Clark and Bell they may move Parsons back to the LOS. But Parsons came through when they needed him.

One concern you did not mention, the lack of speed in the secondary. Gilmore looks ordinary. Lewis and Bland both are a step behind the faster receivers. If the Cowboys did not pressure Herbert into inaccuracy, he would have hit Allen for 250 yards last night. Granted, Keenan Allen is a great receiver, but the Cowboys could not cover him at all most of the night.

btw, Bland dropped two potential INTs last night, one could have been a pick 6. That is unusual for him.

 

[Rayman70]

The Oline seems to be a major problem. I actually think they played better when the backups had to play a couple of games ago.

Tyler Smith seemed lost last night.

Also, Michael Gallup looks awful. Hopefully during this off week they can incorporate Tolbert in.

it is. We fix that area, the run game and the entire offense will hum.

 

[Rayman70]

The offensive line problems are a real mystery to me. I thought they would at least be better in the run game but they get no movement at all and that is very different from last year. Is it the new OL coach? Where are the double team blocks they used to effectively to create lanes for Pollard last year?

Parsons was lined up off ball a lot more last night than usual. I think once the Cowboys get more comfortable with Clark and Bell they may move Parsons back to the LOS. But Parsons came through when they needed him.

One concern you did not mention, the lack of speed in the secondary. Gilmore looks ordinary. Lewis and Bland both are a step behind the faster receivers. If the Cowboys did not pressure Herbert into inaccuracy, he would have hit Allen for 250 yards last night. Granted, Keenan Allen is a great receiver, but the Cowboys could not cover him at all most of the night.

btw, Bland dropped two potential INTs last night, one could have been a pick 6. That is unusual for him.

they are banged up still. I think as we go along they will be better. I thing I see, Tyler Biadazz is a beast this year. Dude might be the best lineman we have currently. He has been nails. I think its a matter of time before we right the ship there.