What Defensive Coordinators Know About The Cowboys

[Reality]

The main reason that teams blitz more now is because Garrett has Romo stay in the pocket a lot more than in years past. Two years ago, at the first sign of pressure, Romo would roll outside the pocket and he was extremely successful when he did it. So much so that many teams openly admitted they wanted to keep Romo in the pocket as much as possible.

This year, for whatever reason, they want Romo to stay in the pocket so teams know that as long as they maintain outside containment, they can blitz with very little fear of giving up a touchdown.

-Reality

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

The main reason that teams blitz more now is because Garrett has Romo stay in the pocket a lot more than in years past. Two years ago, at the first sign of pressure, Romo would roll outside the pocket and he was extremely successful when he did it. So much so that many teams openly admitted they wanted to keep Romo in the pocket as much as possible.

This year, for whatever reason, they want Romo to stay in the pocket so teams know that as long as they maintain outside containment, they can blitz with very little fear of giving up a touchdown.

-Reality

I doesn't help that we also have a higher propensity to pass than run, and that there are only a small handful of formations that we always run out of and others that we always pass out of. So basically be advertise to defenses, based on our formations, if we're going to run or pass. And also, we're more likely to show pass, and when we line up that way and the defense decides to put an extra blitz man in the box, we either execute the pass play that was called, or we audible to yet another pass play targeting a WR. Hardly does that audibling involve screen passes to the backs, and we hardly ever audible to a misdirection run play. This is PREDICTABILITY at its finest! We have an offensive coordinator that not only invites the blitz, he does everything possible to ensure it suceeds against his offense.

 

[Doomsday101]

I doesn't help that we also have a higher propensity to pass than run, and that there are only a small handful of formations that we always run out of and others that we always pass out of. So basically be advertise to defenses, based on our formations, if we're going to run or pass. And also, we're more likely to show pass, and when we line up that way and the defense decides to put an extra blitz man in the box, we either execute the pass play that was called, or we audible to yet another pass play targeting a WR. Hardly does that audibling involve screen passes to the backs, and we hardly ever audible to a misdirection run play. This is PREDICTABILITY at its finest! We have an offensive coordinator that not only invites the blitz, he does everything possible to ensure it suceeds against his offense.

Yet the Pats run out of the shotgun formation more than any team out there. Dallas has to do a better job of picking up the blitz no doubt about it but our OC has this offense around the top in the leauge without a bunch of #1 draft choices. What we have Felix and RW as #1 the rest I don't think so. Garrett must be doing something right to have his offense ranked as high as it is.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

The main reason that teams blitz more now is because Garrett has Romo stay in the pocket a lot more than in years past. Two years ago, at the first sign of pressure, Romo would roll outside the pocket and he was extremely successful when he did it. So much so that many teams openly admitted they wanted to keep Romo in the pocket as much as possible.

This year, for whatever reason, they want Romo to stay in the pocket so teams know that as long as they maintain outside containment, they can blitz with very little fear of giving up a touchdown.

-Reality

Now THAT IS the Reality of the situation.

 

[btcutter]

Look at it from the opposite perspective.

We pretty much seen all the blitz out there (not that we are great at picking it up) but nevertheless how many more exotic blitzes can they come up with.

50% clip of being blitzed. How much more blitz can opposing D do? 75%? They will get burned eventually. When comes playoff time we are well verse in seeing blitzed and there will be no surprises to our O. Where as opposing O may start to see increase in blitzes and may not be used to it.

 

[WarDaddy]

It is sad that you believe that.

Sure. I believe it but I don't think it's sad to feel this way. We're using the same line but different coaches.

What else could explain such a drop off?

We're getting blitzed by non-blitzing teams. They have to see something on film that makes them want to include that in their schemes.



Think about this:

Special teams is better this year. I could venture a guess that the difference is the focus being put on it by the new coach.

If this post was about the Special Teams improvement would it be sad to believe that the difference lies in the focus being put on it?

I doubt it. You do too.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I think that's how defenses attack Romo, but it's not like they are wildly successful doing it. Romo is having a pretty good year so far and the Cowboys are 8-3. All this 'they've figured out the offense' doesn't explain Romo and the team's solid success so far this season.




YAKUZA

 

[Doomsday101]

I think that's how defenses attack Romo, but it's not like they are wildly successful doing it. Romo is having a pretty good year so far and the Cowboys are 8-3. All this 'they've figured out the offense' doesn't explain Romo and the team's solid success so far this season.




YAKUZA

I was thinking the same thing Romo is putting up the TD's 17 and has done a great job of not throwing many ints only 7. Maybe the fact Romo is not making many stupid throws in the face of these blitz has resulted in fewer turnovers by him

 

[DaBoys4Life]

8-3 and we don't make them pay?

My sig is for you.

 

[thisisepic]

A simple pitch to the right with Felix or Choice about 3 times a game can also cure the pressure from the left and the middle. I will say that I have seen a few passes to Felix in the flats get stuffed, they must be keying on him and our tells...

I have yet to see a play I can remember where Felix was in the game and the ball did NOT go to him. So it's obvious where the ball is going. He needs to be a decoy also from time to time to stop defenses from keying in on him.

 

[btcutter]

I have yet to see a play I can remember where Felix was in the game and the ball did NOT go to him. So it's obvious where the ball is going. He needs to be a decoy also from time to time to stop defenses from keying in on him.

Love to have a fake screen to Felix to one side and come back to run a screen to the other with Bennett.

Please stop running screens to Witten. I love him but he doesn't have the wheels.

 

[reddyuta]

Romo is pretty good against the blitz,its the supporting cast who are not holding up their end of the bargain.

 

[dbair1967]

Because teams know they can get away with it because we don't make them pay.

[/B]

While somewhat true, the ultimate reason teams do it is because we havent shown we can block it consistently. Every play against the blitz doesnt have to be a 50 yd TD to make teams quit doing it. But when teams look at film and constantly see guys with free shots into the backfield, they are doing what anybody with a half a brain would do.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

More screens and run plays to the opposite side of the blitz.

 

[Eskimo]

If Barber doesn't scare DCs, then why has Dallas had better success against the blitz in past years prior to Felix's arrival?

I don't think you have to scare DCs to be effective. Every play doesn't have to be a 50 yard TD play to keep a team from blitzing. Make the 5 yard to 10 yard conversions consistently when teams blitz and you will get them to back off.

Glenn was the guy who scared DCs before. Since he got injured, blitzes have become more effective.

In 2007, TO was still ripping apart defenses and so then defenses were still afraid to blitz.

In 2008, defenses could finally both cover TO and blitz us and noone else was able to step up in running or passing games to make plays.

In 2009, only Miles can make plays so they double him and then blitz us and again noone else makes plays - GB and Washington did this alot.

 

[Eskimo]

If Barber doesn't scare DCs, then why has Dallas had better success against the blitz in past years prior to Felix's arrival?

I don't think you have to scare DCs to be effective. Every play doesn't have to be a 50 yard TD play to keep a team from blitzing. Make the 5 yard to 10 yard conversions consistently when teams blitz and you will get them to back off.



That is exactly right. A ten yard slant backs 'em off as much as a 60 yard post.

Only Miles can run slants.

RW11 is covered most of the time when he is pressed if he tries to run a slant. The only times he is open is when they play far off of him.

 

[Eskimo]

The main reason that teams blitz more now is because Garrett has Romo stay in the pocket a lot more than in years past. Two years ago, at the first sign of pressure, Romo would roll outside the pocket and he was extremely successful when he did it. So much so that many teams openly admitted they wanted to keep Romo in the pocket as much as possible.

This year, for whatever reason, they want Romo to stay in the pocket so teams know that as long as they maintain outside containment, they can blitz with very little fear of giving up a touchdown.

-Reality

I don't recall us rolling Romo out much in the past - it was simply that he scrambled out of trouble and then made a great play.

With the blitzes he sees now there are often 6 people coming after him so it is harder to escape and defenses adjusted to Romo by making it a priority that the outside rushers not let Romo break containment. This is not a shift in strategy from Garrett but a shift in the way defenses attack us that really started late in the 2007 season.

This was continued to much success by the teams that could pull it off in 2008.

I think Romo can be very successful in the pocket when faced with the blitz if the OL and RB manage to know and execute their blocking assignments.

Romo still breaks containment when he can on those blitzes and makes his share of big plays in the process. If it only it were that easy as getting Romo to escape the blitz and then beat it repeatedly we wouldn't be having this discussion and defenses wouldn't be blitzing us anymore.

We'll have to go back to playing fundamental football against the blitz: shorter routes, quicker throws, pitches wide against unbalanced and up the middle blitzes, screens and most importantly blocking. We can't just rely on Romo outscrambling the blitzers repeatedly - it was not sustainable once the league learned his tendencies.

 

[tyke1doe]

The main reason that teams blitz more now is because Garrett has Romo stay in the pocket a lot more than in years past. Two years ago, at the first sign of pressure, Romo would roll outside the pocket and he was extremely successful when he did it. So much so that many teams openly admitted they wanted to keep Romo in the pocket as much as possible.

This year, for whatever reason, they want Romo to stay in the pocket so teams know that as long as they maintain outside containment, they can blitz with very little fear of giving up a touchdown.

-Reality

I remember Michael Strahan saying during is playing days the key to defeating Romo is keeping him in the pocket. If he rolls out, he's the most dangerous quarterback in the league, if I'm recalling correctly what Strahan said.

So you may be on to something.

 

[Eskimo]

I have yet to see a play I can remember where Felix was in the game and the ball did NOT go to him. So it's obvious where the ball is going. He needs to be a decoy also from time to time to stop defenses from keying in on him.

Felix does get the ball alot when he is in there, but he is hardly ever in there so it doesn't really matter in the end right now in terms of a defeat the blitz strategies.

 

[Eskimo]

Romo is pretty good against the blitz,its the supporting cast who are not holding up their end of the bargain.

This is 100% accurate.

The OL is bad at blitz pickups and all the WRs other than Austin can't beat press coverage.