What Makes Garrett's Offensive Approach Unique

[percyhoward]

There are six different teams that rank among the league's top ten defenses and have a running game which also ranks in the top ten. Those six teams are highlighted in each list:

Top 10 Defenses (yards per play)
1 Pit
2 Phi
3 Bal
4 Ten
5 Chi
6 Dal
7 Was
8 Min
9 NYG
10 Car

Top 10 Offensive Rushing (yards per carry)
1 NYG
2 KC
3 Car
4 NYJ
5 Den
6 Min
7 NE
8 Was
9T Dal
9T Hou
9T Sea
9T Ten

A strong defense, paired with a successful running game, should mean your number of pass attempts is low. And that is the case with 5 of the 6 teams. The Cowboys are the only exception. This next list says it all about how out of step our offensive philosophy actually is...

Team/Rush Att/Pass Att
NYG.....5th...22nd
Ten......4th...26th
Was......8th...17th
Min.......3rd...28th
Car.......7th...32nd
Dal......22nd...11th

The first ranking is total rushing attempts for the season so far. All the teams with good defenses who can also run the ball effectively rank among the top 1/4 of the NFL in rushing attempts. Except Dallas, which in one rushing attempt away from ranking in the bottom ten of the league. Conversely, all these teams with effective running attacks and good D's, don't throw the ball much, and rank in the bottom half of the league in pass attempts. Except the Cowboys, who are just 4 pass attempts away from the top ten.

Garrett is, in essence, the only fish trying to swim upstream. The Cowboys are the only team of the six to have attempted more than 500 passes this season. Dallas ranks 22nd in the league in rush attempts--behind the Saints, behind the Eagles. Any other team that runs the ball as little as we do, either can't run the ball well, or can't play good defense. And there are several teams about which both are true, that run the ball more than we do.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I can't believe we're behind even pass-happy Andy Reid.

What is going to wake up RJ? Seriously.

 

[WarDaddy]

What that equates to is a pissed off defense that's on the field too much. The goal of the offense is to not only score points but to control time of possession so that you can limit the other team's opportunities to score.

It's the job of the OC to work in tandem with the DC and Special Teams coach to put your team in the best position to win.

How can the Cowboys staff expect the team to be united and play together when the coaches don't come together with a solid game plan. The team lacks continuity and it shows in the playcalling.

Both sides, offense and defense, (and you can throw in Special Teams) hang each other out to dry every week and we're rooting for the talent to succeed inspite of the coaching.

 

[percyhoward]

What that equates to is a pissed off defense that's on the field too much. The goal of the offense is to not only score points but to control time of possession so that you can limit the other team's opportunities to score.

It's the job of the OC to work in tandem with the DC and Special Teams coach to put your team in the best position to win.

How can the Cowboys staff expect the team to be united and play together when the coaches don't come together with a solid game plan. The team lacks continuity and it shows in the playcalling.

You really boiled it down there. Well said.

 

[links18]

In Garrett's offense, the QB likes to punt? But then again Danny White did that too. :laugh2:

 

[links18]

What that equates to is a pissed off defense that's on the field too much. The goal of the offense is to not only score points but to control time of possession so that you can limit the other team's opportunities to score.

It's the job of the OC to work in tandem with the DC and Special Teams coach to put your team in the best position to win.

How can the Cowboys staff expect the team to be united and play together when the coaches don't come together with a solid game plan. The team lacks continuity and it shows in the playcalling.

Both sides, offense and defense, (and you can throw in Special Teams) hang each other out to dry every week and we're rooting for the talent to succeed inspite of the coaching.

Its pretty clear the offensive and defensive coaching staffs are not communicating.....

 

[percyhoward]

Its pretty clear the offensive and defensive coaching staffs are not communicating.....

What isn't so clear is why Garrett thinks we can have success this way.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

This is pure speculation, but I'm wondering if they are seeing more weapons on the outside with the ability to break the game open in one play, not someone in the backfield. If they are throwing more than running, they obviously think this is where the team's strenghth. But, if you look at the success all 3 RBs have had this year, I would say our strength is our backfield. Ugh!

 

[Eskimo]

To partially defend JG, the run offense has been horribly inconsistent this year - only a few games in which we consistently ran the ball effectively until the last 3 weeks with Choice. He has no excuse the last bit, though - he is stubborn with his deep passing attack. He seems to be more Zampese than Turner and that is not a good thing.

 

[28 Joker]

There are six different teams that rank among the league's top ten defenses and have a running game which also ranks in the top ten. Those six teams are highlighted in each list:

Top 10 Defenses (yards per play)
1 Pit
2 Phi
3 Bal
4 Ten
5 Chi
6 Dal
7 Was
8 Min
9 NYG
10 Car

Top 10 Offensive Rushing (yards per carry)
1 NYG
2 KC
3 Car
4 NYJ
5 Den
6 Min
7 NE
8 Was
9T Dal
9T Hou
9T Sea
9T Ten

A strong defense, paired with a successful running game, should mean your number of pass attempts is low. And that is the case with 5 of the 6 teams. The Cowboys are the only exception. This next list says it all about how out of step our offensive philosophy actually is...

Team/Rush Att/Pass Att
NYG.....5th...22nd
Ten......4th...26th
Was......8th...17th
Min.......3rd...28th
Car.......7th...32nd
Dal......22nd...11th

The first ranking is total rushing attempts for the season so far. All the teams with good defenses who can also run the ball effectively rank among the top 1/4 of the NFL in rushing attempts. Except Dallas, which in one rushing attempt away from ranking in the bottom ten of the league. Conversely, all these teams with effective running attacks and good D's, don't throw the ball much, and rank in the bottom half of the league in pass attempts. Except the Cowboys, who are just 4 pass attempts away from the top ten.

Garrett is, in essence, the only fish trying to swim upstream. The Cowboys are the only team of the six to have attempted more than 500 passes this season. Dallas ranks 22nd in the league in rush attempts--behind the Saints, behind the Eagles. Any other team that runs the ball as little as we do, either can't run the ball well, or can't play good defense. And there are several teams about which both are true, that run the ball more than we do.

That is a great post.

Marion Barber had a 4.6 YPC game in the loss to the Eagles at Texas Stadium last year. Barber carried the ball a lofty 7 times for 32 yards. Romo carried it once for 16 yards.

The score was 10-6 until the very end of the game.

Tony Romo threw the ball 36 times and completed only 13 passes. Plus, his finger was hurt very early in the game.

Dallas was 1-13 on third down and lost the game.

Dallas took 4 sacks which negated its defense's four sacks.

In the previous win at Philadelphia, Dallas rushed the ball 32 times for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Dallas won the game.

The team that runs the ball better will win this game.

 

[Kevinicus]

Those other teams also don't have very good QBs. And no, I don't consider Eli or Jake to be that good.

 

[theebs]

That is a great post.

Marion Barber had a 4.6 YPC game in the loss to the Eagles at Texas Stadium last year. Barber carried the ball a lofty 7 times for 32 yards. Romo carried it once for 16 yards.

The score was 10-6 until the very end of the game.

Tony Romo threw the ball 36 times and completed only 13 passes. Plus, his finger was hurt very early in the game.

Dallas was 1-13 on third down and lost the game.

Dallas took 4 sacks which negated its defense's four sacks.

In the previous win at Philadelphia, Dallas rushed the ball 32 times for 110 yards and 2 TDs. Dallas won the game.

The team that runs the ball better will win this game.

I do agree that barber has been the key. When he gets the ball alot we have played well against the eagles. That is why I had a really long winded post last year before the november eagles game about barber needing to get the ball against the eagles, because he was basically nonexistent in the eagles games in 06 also.

Here was my thread last year on this, and I still feel the same way!!!!! The more barber against the eagles the better. Hopefully choice will have a big day also.

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101399&highlight=Marion+Barber

and about that game last year in december, That is the game procter had to come in and play center and columbo was struggling with a right ankle issue. We could not run at all. We tried but we couldnt get off the line of scrimmage in the second half. IN the first half we had open wr and romo missed them or they dropped the ball. Plus he hit his thumb on a helmet in the second quarter.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

a huge indictment of Jason Garrett

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

Great post by the OP! I wish I could say I was surprised by those statistics but watching us week-to-week I'm not in the least. Not only is Garrett in love with the passing game, he's in love w/ the DEEP passing game! I'm still waiting for them to install some 3-step drops into the gameplan along w/ slants and other quick-strike plays to let TO, ROY, WITTEN & 'TELLUS MAKE SOME PLAYS! That, along w/ some sort of consistent commitment to the running game, should add some spark to our sputtering "O"! WAKE UP REDBALL....PULEEZE!!!!

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Great post by the OP! I wish I could say I was surprised by those statistics but watching us week-to-week I'm not in the least. Not only is Garrett in love with the passing game, he's in love w/ the DEEP passing game! I'm still waiting for them to install some 3-step drops into the gameplan along w/ slants and other quick-strike plays to let TO, ROY, WITTEN & 'TELLUS MAKE SOME PLAYS! That, along w/ some sort of consistent commitment to the running game, should add some spark to our sputtering "O"! WAKE UP REDBALL....PULEEZE!!!!

it's funny, because Wade has publicly claimed that our D has been victimized by 3-step drops ( last year )

yet, we don't run ANY

you would think seeing what they can do 1sthand, what that would make you do...

 

[links18]

To partially defend JG, the run offense has been horribly inconsistent this year - only a few games in which we consistently ran the ball effectively until the last 3 weeks with Choice. He has no excuse the last bit, though - he is stubborn with his deep passing attack. He seems to be more Zampese than Turner and that is not a good thing.

The running game has struggled in part because JG has been too impatient to let it get going. We may only gain a yard or two running it on 1st down, but instead of calling a short pass to get us to a manageable 3rd down on 2nd down, Garrett calls a deep pass that if not completed forces us into another pass on 3rd down when the defense knows its coming. A slant for 6 yards on 2nd and 8 is not a bad thing and gives you the option of run/pass on 3rd down.

Another reason the run game has struggled is because after an incompletion on 1st down, Garret almost always calls a run play, so much so that the defense knows its coming and stuffs it.....

 

[Bob Sacamano]

The running game has struggled in part because JG has been too impatient to let it get going. We may only gain a yard or two running it on 1st down, but instead of calling a short pass to get us to a manageable 3rd down on 2nd down, Garrett calls a deep pass that if not completed forces us into another pass on 3rd down when the defense knows its coming. A slant for 6 yards on 2nd and 8 is not a bad thing and gives you the option of run/pass on 3rd down.

Another reason the run game has struggled is because after an incompletion on 1st down, Garret almost always calls a run play, so much so that the defense knows its coming and stuffs it.....

or call a screen

that's basically a running play, although it's counted as a pass on the stat-sheet

 

[Idgit]

We're doing a lot of optioning into and out of runs based off of what the defense gives us, and there are plenty of formations we're just not going to run against. This last month, too, we've been playing teams that make offenses one-dimensional, so it's no mystery we've been passing against many of those formations.

The problem is that our passing game isn't making teams pay enough of a price for stopping our run. We're not converting third and longs the way we used to, and we're not connecting on big plays behind coverage as often as we could.

 

[links18]

it's funny, because Wade has publicly claimed that our D has been victimized by 3-step drops ( last year )

yet, we don't run ANY

you would think seeing what they can do 1sthand, what that would make you do...

Speaks to the lack of communication between the offensive and defensive coaching staffs.....

 

[links18]

We're doing a lot of optioning into and out of runs based off of what the defense gives us, and there are plenty of formations we're just not going to run against. This last month, too, we've been playing teams that make offenses one-dimensional, so it's no mystery we've been passing against many of those formations.

The problem is that our passing game isn't making teams pay enough of a price for stopping our run. We're not converting third and longs the way we used to, and we're not connecting on big plays behind coverage as often as we could.

When you go back and look at last year, its amazing how many 3rd and 15s. 3rd and 18s, etc. we were actually able to overcome and convert.