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Without Dez Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys’ offense has been crippled
By Massimo Russo
In hopes to improve an offense that’s struggling, the Dallas Cowboys, who’ve been snake bitten with injuries, have made a change at quarterback. Without quarterback Tony Romo, their four-time Pro Bowler and all-time franchise leading passer, the Cowboys were forced to roll with the arm of backup Brandon Weeden, after Romo fractured his left clavicle against the Eagles in Week 2. In three starts, Weeden completed 71 of 98 attempts, completing 72.4 percent of his passes. That looks sexy on paper, but with Weeden under center, Dallas’ passing game didn’t generate plays beyond intermediate distances to stretch opposing defenses for big plays. The ground game produced 131 rushing yards in the first half against the Falcons in Week 3, but once Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith decided to stack the box in the second half, Dallas’ ground game went missing — putting the weight on Weeden’s shoulders to move the chains through the air without a true threat on the perimeter.
Weeden completed most of his passes on underneath concepts, losing all three of his starts, and after another dink and dunk passing performance last Sunday in the Cowboys 30-6 blowout loss to defending champion New England, the team has turned things over to 11-year veteran Matt Cassel, who the Cowboys acquired from the Buffalo Bills in a trade on Sep. 22. Cassel does have a couple of solid seasons on his resume. As a member of the Patriots in ‘08, Cassel stepped in for Tom Brady, who was injured for the season and threw 21 touchdown passes, winning 11 games. Cassel had two dynamic weapons to work with that season in slot specialist Wes Welker and arguably the most dangerous vertical threat to ever play the game in Randy Moss. The Weapons Cassel had around him were able to gain chunks of yards after the catch (mostly Welker, who caught 111 passes) while the threat of Moss on the perimeter forced defenses to play with a safety over the top to bracket the deep ball. The threat of Moss helped the Patriots’ offense produce over 2,000 team rushing yards and open up looks for Cassel on intermediate concepts with defenses playing with less loaded fronts.
In Cassel’s lone Pro Bowl season as the signal caller for the Kansas City Chiefs in ‘10, he threw 27 touchdown passes, winning 10 of his 15 starts. Cassel guided the Chiefs to a division title, operating behind an offensive line that featured Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters and skill position playmakers in all Pro running back Jamaal Charles and Pro Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs leaned on a thunder and lightning backfield, with Charles’ explosiveness as a runner and pass catcher and physical grinder Thomas Jones running between the tackles with violence...
Read more at http://cover32.com/cowboys/2015/10/...ffense-has-been-crippled/#3oIcMT5rCAv7Mkz2.99
By Massimo Russo
In hopes to improve an offense that’s struggling, the Dallas Cowboys, who’ve been snake bitten with injuries, have made a change at quarterback. Without quarterback Tony Romo, their four-time Pro Bowler and all-time franchise leading passer, the Cowboys were forced to roll with the arm of backup Brandon Weeden, after Romo fractured his left clavicle against the Eagles in Week 2. In three starts, Weeden completed 71 of 98 attempts, completing 72.4 percent of his passes. That looks sexy on paper, but with Weeden under center, Dallas’ passing game didn’t generate plays beyond intermediate distances to stretch opposing defenses for big plays. The ground game produced 131 rushing yards in the first half against the Falcons in Week 3, but once Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith decided to stack the box in the second half, Dallas’ ground game went missing — putting the weight on Weeden’s shoulders to move the chains through the air without a true threat on the perimeter.
Weeden completed most of his passes on underneath concepts, losing all three of his starts, and after another dink and dunk passing performance last Sunday in the Cowboys 30-6 blowout loss to defending champion New England, the team has turned things over to 11-year veteran Matt Cassel, who the Cowboys acquired from the Buffalo Bills in a trade on Sep. 22. Cassel does have a couple of solid seasons on his resume. As a member of the Patriots in ‘08, Cassel stepped in for Tom Brady, who was injured for the season and threw 21 touchdown passes, winning 11 games. Cassel had two dynamic weapons to work with that season in slot specialist Wes Welker and arguably the most dangerous vertical threat to ever play the game in Randy Moss. The Weapons Cassel had around him were able to gain chunks of yards after the catch (mostly Welker, who caught 111 passes) while the threat of Moss on the perimeter forced defenses to play with a safety over the top to bracket the deep ball. The threat of Moss helped the Patriots’ offense produce over 2,000 team rushing yards and open up looks for Cassel on intermediate concepts with defenses playing with less loaded fronts.
In Cassel’s lone Pro Bowl season as the signal caller for the Kansas City Chiefs in ‘10, he threw 27 touchdown passes, winning 10 of his 15 starts. Cassel guided the Chiefs to a division title, operating behind an offensive line that featured Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters and skill position playmakers in all Pro running back Jamaal Charles and Pro Bowl receiver Dwayne Bowe. The Chiefs leaned on a thunder and lightning backfield, with Charles’ explosiveness as a runner and pass catcher and physical grinder Thomas Jones running between the tackles with violence...
Read more at http://cover32.com/cowboys/2015/10/...ffense-has-been-crippled/#3oIcMT5rCAv7Mkz2.99
