What would help our offense?

[jblaze2004]

I better kick returner or better blocking. Our offense has to constantly got 70-80 yards to score is why our offense is 2nd and yards and in the middle of the pack in points. Our defense does not help our offense and our special teams, other than when dez return punts, doesnt help our offense.

A better returner would work wonders in our games. And better kick coverage.

Next year we should either trade barber or choice and have a 3rd down back that not only can run the ball on offense but also is good at kick off returns. (rather have a chris johnson type back, someone who is quick, great lateral agility, and can fly. (wonder how teddy williams would look back there? but i would be scared he might fumble and hurt the team)

 

[bootyhunta]

Better starting field position
Better guards and center
Better play calling
Better execution

 

[Yakuza Rich]

We are last in the league in offensive drives per game and last in starting field position.

We need:

1) create more turnovers on defense, particularly INT's

2) better return game (although Dez is really good at PR, he just hasn't gotten the opportunities)

I think we need to find at least one suitable replacement on the O-Line, either somebody on the team, in FA or in the draft. At least one, probably more like two.

I would look to center.

We need smarter, more disciplined O-Lineman and our center doesn't make line calls and isn't the smartest O-Lineman on the planet.

Now, that doesn't mean we need to get rid of Gurode...we can do a couple of things:

1) Draft a college center or somebody who could play center in the NFL, get a smart, disciplined one with skill, and put them at right guard and cut Davis.

2) Draft a college center along those lines, put him in and move Gurode back to right guard.

We'll also need a right tackle. Not sure if Young can take over someday or not. Although they could draft a RT if they like what they see or get a Free Agent, release Colombo and maybe eventually move Young to guard because Gurode is a little long in the tooth

Houck I'm kind of torn on. He's got the credentials, but the O-Line hasn't been good in his tenure. However these guys are not really his guys. Free sort of is 'his guy', although he was drafted the year before. But that was definitely with the mind of making a bigger O-Line as Free isn't the typical Sparano type of O-Line guy and is more like Houck would like.

Houck also got to pick Brewster, who looked decent enough in preseason, but not 3rd round pick good. I think they cut him to help with special teams and to send a message of sorts to the younger guys. And truth be told, plenty of guys have been cut, put on Practice Squads, brought back and turned into really good players for teams around the league.

If I was Jerry and looking to hire a new head coach, I'd just explain that I'd want their thoughts on Houck and gauge who they want as an O-Line coach and if they are really adamant about somebody else, then I would go elsewhere. If not, then I'd stick with Houck.






YR

 

[dbair1967]

Several things would help, most notably better OL play (particularly with run blocking) and a defense that could come up with some big plays to shorten the field...not only do they almost never force turnovers, but alot of times when we flip the field on offense and the other team starts deep in theirs, they move the ball for a few first downs and then re-flip the field.

Lastly, Romo has to play more like he did last yr and less like the 2nd half of 2008.

 

[craig71]

but alot of times when we flip the field on offense and the other team starts deep in theirs, they move the ball for a few first downs and then re-flip the field.

That really bugs me to no end, pin them deep and keep them there.

Craig

 

[TheCoolFan]

We've had a BUNCH of kickoff returners over the last 4 years. At some point, you gotta think the problem is blocking and scheme instead of the returners. Seriously, we had Miles Austin, Tyson Thompson, Pacman Jones, Kevin Ogletree, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones, and now AOA.

 

[Hostile]

A shorter field to start from is top of my list. I don't care how we get it. Takeaways, 3 and outs, big returns.

Just give us the breaks other teams are getting against us.

 

[AdamJT13]

We are last in the league in offensive drives per game

First of all, that's not true. The Patriots are last in offensive drives per game. And secondly, you say that like it's a bad thing. It's not necessarily good or bad, but most of the top offenses typically have the fewest possessions because they sustain drives. The Colts always have one of the lowest number of possessions.

It doesn't matter whether you get a lot of possessions or few possesions, all that matters is what you do with them. We're fourth in series success percentage, second in yards per drive and 10th in points per drive -- but we're also 24th in turnovers per drive and 30th in interceptions per drive.

 

[speedkilz88]

More play action passes. A lot more play action passes.

 

[percyhoward]

We are last in the league in offensive drives per game.

This may sound like a contradiction to that statement, but our offense leads the league in time of possession. So we're obviously on a record pace for average duration of a drive. Of course, it's not because we're adept at eating up clock; it's because we have so far to go on an average drive.

The offense's two major problems in 2009 were red zone TD% and short-yardage conversion %. I think the latter was the main cause of the former, because so far this year we're 3rd in short-yardage conversion %, up from 26th last year, and we are also a Top 10 team in red zone TD percentage.

Other factors (defense and special teams causing poor field position) were blamed for our poor red zone performance last year, but those things are still happening despite our red zone improvement, so I don't think they were ever really to blame anyway. (At least not for the red zone part of it, but they are definitely factors in our not scoring more.)

The average starting field position for our offense, as has been noted, ranks 32nd (last). The average starting field position for our opponent's offense ranks 6th. We rank last in differential then, and it isn't even close.

Worst Average Starting Field Position
Differential--Offense vs. Defense
1. Dallas -8.02 yards
2. San Diego -5.83
3. Carolina -5.48
4. Buffalo -5.34

One big problem right now that gets overlooked is our pass defense. In addition to not creating turnovers (interceptions in this case), we're also giving up a high yards per attempt. This yardage isn't reflected in the "yards per game" stat, where our pass D appears to be one of the league's best, ranking 4th. That's a very misleading number though, because our defense faces fewer pass attempts per game than all but one team.

Cowboys' NFL Rank
Yards per Pass Att
Offense 8th
Defense 23rd

Passer Rating
Offense 10th
Defense 26th

TD/Interception Ratio
Offense 14th
Defense 29th

The pass defense could do a lot more to help out the offense.

 

[ThreeandOut]

The average starting field position for our offense, as has been noted, ranks 32nd (last). The average starting field position for our opponent's offense ranks 6th. We rank last in differential then, and it isn't even close.

Worst Average Starting Field Position
Differential--Offense vs. Defense
1. Dallas -8.02 yards
2. San Diego -5.83
3. Carolina -5.48
4. Buffalo -5.34

.

There was an article on Blogging the Boys recently about the most significant statistics resulting in wins and losses through the first four games of the year. Starting field position differential was the most statistically significant with a 0.75 correlation. The stats above probably help explain Dallas and San Diego's poor win-loss record despite their high rankings in total offense and defense.

There are two key factors in the starting field position differential. The first is turnover differential. Special teams (kick coverage and returns) is the second factor. Until those areas improve, this team is going to struggle to get wins.

 

[SharutoX]

Better blocking and less penalties

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Better blocking up front and a smarter QB...

 

[percyhoward]

There was an article on Blogging the Boys recently about the most significant statistics resulting in wins and losses through the first four games of the year. Starting field position differential was the most statistically significant with a 0.75 correlation. The stats above probably help explain Dallas and San Diego's poor win-loss record despite their high rankings in total offense and defense.

I agree, but I'd also add that year-in year-out, the stats with the highest correlation to winning are passer rating and yards per pass attempt, and right now, our defensive rankings are 26th and 23rd in those categories.

No team that finished Bottom 10 in both categories made the playoffs last year, or even had a winning record.

 

[Future]

Garret getting lost on the way to the air port.

 

[AdamJT13]

This may sound like a contradiction to that statement, but our offense leads the league in time of possession. So we're obviously on a record pace for average duration of a drive. Of course, it's not because we're adept at eating up clock; it's because we have so far to go on an average drive.

No, a lot of it is because we're adept at moving the ball and eating up the clock. We're by far No. 1 in time of possession per drive, No. 2 in yards per drive, No. 3 in yards per play and No. 4 in series success (getting another first down or touchdown on a series of downs). Just because you start with poor field position, that doesn't mean you'll be able to move the ball.

 

[percyhoward]

No, a lot of it is because we're adept at moving the ball and eating up the clock. We're by far No. 1 in time of possession per drive, No. 2 in yards per drive, No. 3 in yards per play and No. 4 in series success (getting another first down or touchdown on a series of downs). Just because you start with poor field position, that doesn't mean you'll be able to move the ball.

Right, we have so far to go on every drive, and we're obviously good enough to actually cover most of those distances.

We're 30th in INT's per drive, eh? It's ironic that we could improve that stat by going 3-and-out much more often.

 

[AdamJT13]

Right, we have so far to go on every drive, and we're obviously good enough to actually cover most of those distances.

We're 30th in INT's per drive, eh? It's ironic that we could improve that stat by going 3-and-out much more often.

No, we can only improve that stat by not throwing interceptions as often. If we double our three-and-out percentage but maintain our interception percentage, we won't improve it at all.

 

[percyhoward]

No.

Yes.

If Romo is throwing one interception for every 6 drives, and we go 1-2-3-punt three straight times on our next three drives, the interception percentage per drive drops. That's 3 drives with no INT's.

If we go on one 9-play drive without an INT, the interception percentage per drive still drops, but it doesn't drop as much. (It's only 1 drive with no INT's.)

That's ironic, because it rewards the poorer offensive performance.

 

[CATCH17]

Stop getting penalties that eventually lead to 3rd and long would be a nice start.

We gotta crawl before we can walk so just start with the basics.