What beats cover 2 shell?

[Portnoy1]

I agree but to be fair the run blocking is average at best

And that's what is some people don't understand here. OLine play is extremely important in the run game unless you have Barry Sanders (no TP is not Barry btw). If guys like McGovern or Tyler B miss there blocks it can blow up and entire play/plays. Instead of a 5yd+ gain, it turns into a 1yd or negative run. Then the tendency after that is to try and get ahead so naturally you throw it, especially if that bad run came on 1st/2nd down. When it works you can either keep running it posses the ball or you can hit them with play action and get to the end zone quicker. We you can't run , then the guys can pin there ears back and hunt.

 

[nalam]

This is hardly some brand new method of playing defense against an explosive offense.. It has been around forever.. So I had to take a step back and try to understand why it has been so effective against the Cowboys.. No matter how many times I looked I kept coming back to the same thing.. Patience.. Patience to keep running the ball even if the results are not spectacular. ……..

Problem solved... You're welcome..

True , if the OL can open running lanes in the middle or off tackle , the defenses will be forced to get out of cover 2 shell and attack LOS which will open up passing game, also Cooper being injured/not fit and absence of Jarwin is hurting I think, Dak is not looking at the middle at all , Ceedee is dropping some easy slants and WR screens which doesnt help.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Seam and corner routes.

 

[Mr_437]

Run it down their throats.

 

[Hadenough]

Patience to get the ball to the backs in the flat quickly and give them space to work.

This is an excellent point. I've notice Dak go through his progressions and Zeke has nobody within 10 yards and as he turns to Zeke the defender is already closing the gap and when the ball gets there so does the defender and Zeke gets slammed. The Cowboys just don't seem to have a good screen game like other teams.

 

[charron]

1st thing is we need to disguise our runs better. Defenses seem to know and run blitz when we try to run. Stop running in the same dam formation every time.
2nd is more outside runs.
3rd more fake handoffs along with the reverse, fake reverse
4th is pollard needs 13-15 carries a game
5th employ more FB and hulk packages
6th employ 2 back sets more, use this with some fakes to Zeke, screens to pollard, or Zeke playing fb for pollard.

Get creative with the run game. Make them fear the ground game like they used too.

 

[RonnieT24]

1st thing is we need to disguise our runs better. Defenses seem to know and run blitz when we try to run. Stop running in the same dam formation every time.
2nd is more outside runs.
3rd more fake handoffs along with the reverse, fake reverse
4th is pollard needs 13-15 carries a game
5th employ more FB and hulk packages
6th employ 2 back sets more, use this with some fakes to Zeke, screens to pollard, or Zeke playing fb for pollard.

Get creative with the run game. Make them fear the ground game like they used too.

While I agree in principle all the creativity in the world won't help if the guys up front don't block. Far and away the biggest problem with the running game is that at least one lineman gets completely blown up every play. Sometimes it's two or three. And even if they are not blown up the lack of cohesion up front has been allowing backside defenders to attack our run plays untouched so too many times Zeke and Pollard have a greeting party waiting for them by the time the take the handoff. Moore's running plays do not seem to be meshing well with Philbin's blocking schemes. We leave backside holes and then run slow developing plays. I think lining up and playing some smash mouth is what this team needs.. especially in the red zone. Quit getting cute down there.. There's not enough room for all these elaborate route combinations and our pass protection isn't holding up long enough for Dak to get through all the reads with any regularity. Back when the defense was giving up 30 ppg I could see playing Air Raid offense because we felt like he had to. With the defense ballin like it is we can now afford to be stubborn with the run game and get the whole offense back on track with it.

 

[RonnieT24]

This is an excellent point. I've notice Dak go through his progressions and Zeke has nobody within 10 yards and as he turns to Zeke the defender is already closing the gap and when the ball gets there so does the defender and Zeke gets slammed. The Cowboys just don't seem to have a good screen game like other teams.

I think this is important because I think we do the backs a disservice by only throwing them the ball as a last resort. Both Zeke and Pollard can do damage out in space and just need to get the ball with a chance to do it. Hit 2 or 3 of those and watch how that changes what defenses are doing. That will get the backers leaving the middle zones WIDE OPEN which in turn will enable Schultz and the receivers room to work the underneath stuff. It will also keep those backers from coming balls to the wall after Dak.. Again.. giving the defense MORE to worry about is always a good thing.

 

[charron]

While I agree in principle all the creativity in the world won't help if the guys up front don't block. Far and away the biggest problem with the running game is that at least one lineman gets completely blown up every play. Sometimes it's two or three. And even if they are not blown up the lack of cohesion up front has been allowing backside defenders to attack our run plays untouched so too many times Zeke and Pollard have a greeting party waiting for them by the time the take the handoff. Moore's running plays do not seem to be meshing well with Philbin's blocking schemes. We leave backside holes and then run slow developing plays. I think lining up and playing some smash mouth is what this team needs.. especially in the red zone. Quit getting cute down there.. There's not enough room for all these elaborate route combinations and our pass protection isn't holding up long enough for Dak to get through all the reads with any regularity. Back when the defense was giving up 30 ppg I could see playing Air Raid offense because we felt like he had to. With the defense ballin like it is we can now afford to be stubborn with the run game and get the whole offense back on track with it.

That's true too. Blocking has been bad at times. They seem to do alot of these complicated blocks, pulling guard or center and sometimes tackle. Maybe they need a simplified approach I don't know. That's why I like some of the misdirection stuff, let them tee of on Zeke and get the ball out quick to a TE in space or coop in space. A good run game makes everyone's job easier on offense and that should be our focus.

 

[doomsday9084]

As I said in a different thread: What is the difference between a WR dropping a 20 yard pass or Zeke getting a 0 yard run?

Ans: Nothing.

If you go back and look, a disturbing number of the drive killing set of downs includes a near 0 yard run. Its not the O line as Catch has said. The holes are there for Pollard. They just close before Zeke can make it there.

.....

Side note: The fact that the organization can't see that Zeke is totally washed right now is concerning. Rest the guy and hope the issue is his knee.

 

[CowboyRoy]

This is hardly some brand new method of playing defense against an explosive offense.. It has been around forever.. So I had to take a step back and try to understand why it has been so effective against the Cowboys.. No matter how many times I looked I kept coming back to the same thing.. Patience.. Patience to keep running the ball even if the results are not spectacular. Patience to keep taking the short throws over the middle that the two deep shell presents. Patience to get the ball to the backs in the flat quickly and give them space to work. All this stuff falls on Dak and Kellen Moore.. They need to pull their heads out and do what it takes to possess the ball, control the clock and punch it into the end zone. They need to quit being greedy and impatient.. Moore needs to instill in Dak the importance of not checking out of runs at certain times and Dak needs to be smart enough not to fall for the banana in the tailpipe every time the defense walks guys up to the line of scrimmage and try to show a run defense look on 2nd and 3rd down. They're trying to bait you into a pass call then they're going to drop 7 guys into coverage while the 4 remaining linemen completely disregard the run on the way to taking your head off. This is especially pronounced in the red zone where there is a lot less space to maneuver. Get under center.. run the damn ball off tackle, double at the point of attack and tell any TE who refuses to block that he's not going to play.

Problem solved... You're welcome..

Easy answer. Just pound the great Zeke for 3 yards per carry. Perfect way to make them pay for a two deep zone.

 

[Aviano90]

As I said in a different thread: What is the difference between a WR dropping a 20 yard pass or Zeke getting a 0 yard run?

Ans: Nothing.

If you go back and look, a disturbing number of the drive killing set of downs includes a near 0 yard run. Its not the O line as Catch has said. The holes are there for Pollard. They just close before Zeke can make it there.

.....

Side note: The fact that the organization can't see that Zeke is totally washed right now is concerning. Rest the guy and hope the issue is his knee.

Too much logic for the zone.

 

[adbutcher]

Seem routes, run the ball outside zones

 

[RonnieT24]

Seem routes, run the ball outside zones

Schultz does not appear to be as much of a weapon on those as Jarwin is. He's clearly a step slower so the linebackers are able to get into the passing lanes easier on him. Maybe getting Jarwin back in the lineup will help in that regard. But running outside more is something we've all been screaming for all year. Even when the offense was rolling we weren't doing enough of it. I just don't believe Moore thinks much about the running game.. Seems like he only has like 2 or 3 running plays that he always comes back to when he remembers that he hasn't run the ball in over an hour and it's the idiotic delay shotgun handoff up the middle. Which would be great if our line could block.. But they really don't so those plays seems to fail as often as they succeed..

 

[Clove]

And when you have an opportunity to catch the ball, do it. (I'm talking to you CD)

 

[MapleLeaf]

They're trying to bait you into a pass call then they're going to drop 7 guys into coverage while the 4 remaining linemen completely disregard the run on the way to taking your head off. This is especially pronounced in the red zone where there is a lot less space to maneuver. Get under center.. run the damn ball off tackle, double at the point of attack and tell any TE who refuses to block that he's not going to play.

Problem solved... You're welcome..

You beat cover 2 with:

1. Great o-line play. With run blocking if you can get past the d-line and the first wave of crashing attackers you can prevent the defenders from constantly dropping back. If you want to pass you need good pass protection to give your receivers time to drift into the soft zones in between the half coverage of the safeties and the quarters coverage of the LBs and CBs.

2. A stud TE who is fast. Really fast. TEs who can best prese coverage and threaten the middle between the two safeties make life miserable for C2 safeties. Kellen Winslow SR was a master at this as he was often the fastest receiver the Chargers put our besides Joiner.

3. WRs who can beat press coverage and gain the sideline route fast. CBs are taught to reroute WRs inside with leverage in C2. If you can beat the press and the leverage and your QB can drop dimes into the soft zone between the CB and Safety you can find opportunity there.

 

[Whirlwin]

This is hardly some brand new method of playing defense against an explosive offense.. It has been around forever.. So I had to take a step back and try to understand why it has been so effective against the Cowboys.. No matter how many times I looked I kept coming back to the same thing.. Patience.. Patience to keep running the ball even if the results are not spectacular. Patience to keep taking the short throws over the middle that the two deep shell presents. Patience to get the ball to the backs in the flat quickly and give them space to work. All this stuff falls on Dak and Kellen Moore.. They need to pull their heads out and do what it takes to possess the ball, control the clock and punch it into the end zone. They need to quit being greedy and impatient.. Moore needs to instill in Dak the importance of not checking out of runs at certain times and Dak needs to be smart enough not to fall for the banana in the tailpipe every time the defense walks guys up to the line of scrimmage and try to show a run defense look on 2nd and 3rd down. They're trying to bait you into a pass call then they're going to drop 7 guys into coverage while the 4 remaining linemen completely disregard the run on the way to taking your head off. This is especially pronounced in the red zone where there is a lot less space to maneuver. Get under center.. run the damn ball off tackle, double at the point of attack and tell any TE who refuses to block that he's not going to play.

Problem solved... You're welcome..

Thank you for understanding, merry Christmas

 

[3rdEyewarrior]

This is hardly some brand new method of playing defense against an explosive offense.. It has been around forever.. So I had to take a step back and try to understand why it has been so effective against the Cowboys.. No matter how many times I looked I kept coming back to the same thing.. Patience.. Patience to keep running the ball even if the results are not spectacular. Patience to keep taking the short throws over the middle that the two deep shell presents. Patience to get the ball to the backs in the flat quickly and give them space to work. All this stuff falls on Dak and Kellen Moore.. They need to pull their heads out and do what it takes to possess the ball, control the clock and punch it into the end zone. They need to quit being greedy and impatient.. Moore needs to instill in Dak the importance of not checking out of runs at certain times and Dak needs to be smart enough not to fall for the banana in the tailpipe every time the defense walks guys up to the line of scrimmage and try to show a run defense look on 2nd and 3rd down. They're trying to bait you into a pass call then they're going to drop 7 guys into coverage while the 4 remaining linemen completely disregard the run on the way to taking your head off. This is especially pronounced in the red zone where there is a lot less space to maneuver. Get under center.. run the damn ball off tackle, double at the point of attack and tell any TE who refuses to block that he's not going to play.

Problem solved... You're welcome..

A q b smart enough to feature cooper over lamb who’ also has pocket awareness.

 

[CowboysLegend365]

We used to hit Lamb up the seam with no problem. What the hell is the problem with doing that now?

 

[xwalker]

Easy answer. Just pound the great Zeke for 3 yards per carry. Perfect way to make them pay for a two deep zone.

If you can guarantee 3 yards on all of his carries, the Cowboys would never lose...they have 4 downs to get 10 yards...