We should open up with the spread, we shouldn't be predictable and get off to a bad start

[coult44]

Not abandon, but why not reverse roles and pass to set up the run? Especially since teams know we run on it on first down at an alarming rate?

Teams knew we would run it at an alarming rate, yet we were 12-4 and hardly anyone could stop our offense!!!!

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't think you come out and abandon the thing that made you successful.

Not sure why everyone is so convinced that detroit a run d is so good when it got gashed against actual good offenses.

Agree now is not the time to change what we do. Keep the same formations use the run and if anything play action on 1st down a bit more but by and large Dallas should not change what has gotten them to this point

 

[mahoneybill]

Haven't been posting lately[been on the cowboys subreddit lately]

FTR I predicted us to go 6-10, the crow couldn't taste better.

I never got the Mantra of trying to go Mono-e-Mono. I believe in trying to get every advantage we have.


I think sometimes we shouldn't run to open up the pass, but pass to open the run[both are possible and can help]


I'm not saying don't run a lot but also mix in and do what the patriots did. Quick slants and pick routes and some screens to frustrate the defensive line.
That line is extremely undisciplined, if they get blanketed by our o-line they will mentally check out of the game.


The patriots did this to great success and their o-line isn't half as good as ours. I'm not saying have Romo throw it 40 times a game but IMo this would be the best way to beat the lions than to try and run up the middle against a very tough defense, and plus with the way their d-line plays, i'm not sure i'd want Murray anywhere around Mister Discount Double Step.




Final Note: For the love of God, move Dez Bryant around and don't just have him on the outside, put him in the slot. We hardly give him any routes where he has a free run. Run a few Pick Routes with him and T.Will or Beasley

"Mister Discount Double Step" Good one

 

[mahoneybill]

I agree, I feel we should hit them over the head with a broom and pass to set up the run. They are probably planning on us running, and game planning ways to get us in 3rd and long.

Why not a screen, or flare out to murray out of a spread set? Or the good old Witten route, or Beasley out route? Keep them on their toes. I pray to god, we shock them.

Those Beasley screens in the Commanders may have been practice for exactly what you are recommending. Not that we knew we would play Lions, but for any playoff opponent .

 

[Tabascocat]

They know a run is coming for the first play, so go with play-action IMO. Air it out to Dez, it might catch them off guard. Then, stick with what got them there.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

No reason to come out with the spread. If you want to change things up a bit, throw a little more on 1st down and go under center more on second down. And don't be afraid to throw a trick play.





YR

 

[SDCowboy]

I just hope we can finally move on from running on almost every 1st down. It's beyond predictable and has essentially been just flushing the the 1st down right down the toilet lately. Every team knows it's coming.

 

[Eskimo]

I just hope we can finally move on from running on almost every 1st down. It's beyond predictable and has essentially been just flushing the the 1st down right down the toilet lately. Every team knows it's coming.

I agree - teams have been selling out to play the run on first down and we haven't been able to do it. If we want to run on first then we probably need to do it out of 22-personnel.

I think we should do what the 90s Cowboys did which is pass more in the first half to build up the lead and then run more in the second half against the tried DLs to eat the clock.

The problem about doing what we have done all season is it puts us in a lot of 3rd and 5-7s to go. In principle, those are tough to convert on a consistent basis. We are fooled that our run-first strategy has been the key to our success. The real key has been Romo's level of play on 3rd down to sustain this pattern of playcalling. Our key to victory in the playoffs is going to be offense so we can't handcuff the offense this much against the good defenses we will be playing. We need to pass more out of run looks and we need to pass more on first down if we want to be successful.

 

[SDCowboy]

I agree - teams have been selling out to play the run on first down and we haven't been able to do it. If we want to run on first then we probably need to do it out of 22-personnel.

I think we should do what the 90s Cowboys did which is pass more in the first half to build up the lead and then run more in the second half against the tried DLs to eat the clock.

The problem about doing what we have done all season is it puts us in a lot of 3rd and 5-7s to go. In principle, those are tough to convert on a consistent basis. We are fooled that our run-first strategy has been the key to our success. The real key has been Romo's level of play on 3rd down to sustain this pattern of playcalling. Our key to victory in the playoffs is going to be offense so we can't handcuff the offense this much against the good defenses we will be playing. We need to pass more out of run looks and we need to pass more on first down if we want to be successful.

The worst part is the constant running on 1st down also makes the next two play equally predictable. The running on 1st rarely nets anything anymore which tips off that we're likely going to have to pass on the next two down. There is absolutely no benefit to the constant running on 1st down and I don't get why we continue to do it.

 

[Doomsday101]

The worst part is the constant running on 1st down also makes the next two play equally predictable. The running on 1st rarely nets anything anymore which tips off that we're likely going to have to pass on the next two down. There is absolutely no benefit to the constant running on 1st down and I don't get why we continue to do it.

They don't, Dallas has hit some big TD plays on 1st down play action especially in recent weeks. They still will run on 1st down to continue to set the defense up if you start getting to much away from it then you could find yourself getting too much away from what got you to this point.

 

[Jenky]

The worst part is the constant running on 1st down also makes the next two play equally predictable. The running on 1st rarely nets anything anymore which tips off that we're likely going to have to pass on the next two down. There is absolutely no benefit to the constant running on 1st down and I don't get why we continue to do it.

Yep, said this a couple of games ago. Teams stacked the box heavily on 1st down and based on yards gained, they played accordingly on 2nd and 3rd down.

 

[SDCowboy]

They don't, Dallas has hit some big TD plays on 1st down play action especially in recent weeks. They still will run on 1st down to continue to set the defense up if you start getting to much away from it then you could find yourself getting too much away from what got you to this point.

I didn't say we never throw on 1st. We just run on a disturbing percentage of 1st downs and they largely have not been successful lately.

 

[Doomsday101]

Yep, said this a couple of games ago. Teams stacked the box heavily on 1st down and based on yards gained, they played accordingly on 2nd and 3rd down.

and yet in the past 4 games Dallas has put up 41, 38, 42 and 44 points. I think the coaches have them doing the right things

 

[SDCowboy]

and yet in the past 4 games Dallas has put up 41, 38, 42 and 44 points. I think the coaches have them doing the right things

Thankfully we have the players to overcome the often predictable offensive playcalling and a QB who is the best in the league in converting, often long, 3rd downs.

 

[Doomsday101]

I didn't say we never throw on 1st. We just run on a disturbing percentage of 1st downs and they largely have not been successful lately.

again 41, 38, 42 and 44 points in the last 4 games. I think they have a good plan and I expect them to continue to execute that plan. No one else is posting these numbers in a consecutive weeks. Matter of fact no team has posted Dec numbers like this ever. I was shocked to see that in the history of the league only 5 times has a team posted these kind of numbers in any month

 

[Doomsday101]

Thankfully we have the players to overcome the often predictable offensive playcalling.

Yeah well when you start leading a team you can come back and tell me how you would run the plays in the meantime I think Linehan knows what he is doing despite a message board coach's views. lol

 

[SDCowboy]

again 41, 38, 42 and 44 points in the last 4 games. I think they have a good plan and I expect them to continue to execute that plan. No one else is posting these numbers in a consecutive weeks. Matter of fact no team has posted Dec numbers like this ever. I was shocked to see that in the history of the league only 5 times has a team posted these kind of numbers in any month

Again, we have a QB who is the absolute best in the league in converting the constant 3rd downs the playcalling puts the offense in.

 

[Jenky]

They don't, Dallas has hit some big TD plays on 1st down play action especially in recent weeks. They still will run on 1st down to continue to set the defense up if you start getting to much away from it then you could find yourself getting too much away from what got you to this point.

Based on the % we run the ball, the defense will most likely guess right on 1st down and 3rd down. Sure, we did score a couple times. Someone posted the numbers and we made them pay with play action pass, but it was so lopsided.

If you call more play action pass on 1st down, the defense has to respect it and pull their safeties back. Sure, you probably won't get more of those big scoring plays. But Demarco doesn't have to run against a stacked box as much.

It's a trade off and honestly, I'd like to keep the defense on their heels and constantly guessing.

 

[SDCowboy]

Yeah well when you start leading a team you can come back and tell me how you would run the plays in the meantime I think Linehan knows what he is doing despite a message board coach's views. lol

When you have to revert to the old "you aren't in the NFL so you can't talk" garbage on a message board, you've lost the conversation You're a lot better than that Doom. Come on man.

 

[Doomsday101]

Based on the % we run the ball, the defense will most likely guess right on 1st down and 3rd down. Sure, we did score a couple times. Someone posted the numbers and we made them pay with play action pass, but it was so lopsided.

If you call more play action pass on 1st down, the defense has to respect it and pull their safeties back. Sure, you probably won't get more of those big scoring plays. But Demarco doesn't have to run against a stacked box as much.

It's a trade off and honestly, I'd like to keep the defense on their heels and constantly guessing.

I have no issue with throwing on 1st off play action I do not want to get far away from what we are doing, the things that have brought us to 12-4. I think that would be a mistake to walk away from the game knowing we did not continue doing then things that got us to that point.