Dallas Cowboys’ Offense May Have Figured It Out

Thanksgiving was great for Dallas Cowboys fans. Not just because the team posted another victory, but because a struggling offense found its way out of a slump.

Sure, it was against the lowly Oakland Raiders, but they do have a good secondary, and Tony Romo found a groove against them, hitting Jason Witten and Miles Austin consistently for big gains.

This is what we wanted to see from this offense. We knew the Cowboys’ defense would stop Oakland all day and force punts. We knew Romo and company would have several possessions to get clicking and score some points.

And they did. Twenty-four to be exact.

Now, 24 points may not seem like a whole lot (and I argue that Dallas could have scored 40), but it’s a big deal after the Cowboys only posted 14 total points over the previous two games. It’s an even bigger deal when the defense continues to hold teams to 17 or less.

However, my main point centers on how the Cowboys moved the football. The way the Cowboys executed on offense on Thanksgiving was the way I had envisioned it when the season started. They reverted back to plays that made them an electric offense in 2007, while adding in new wrinkles with their running backs.

I must give credit to Jason Garrett for going back to what made Romo an MVP candidate in 2007. That is, he took his best wide receiver (Miles Austin), moved him around, and, most importantly, had him running short/intermediate routes over the middle.

See folks, contrary to popular belief, the Cowboys were never a home run hitting team in the passing game when TO wore the star. They got lots of big plays, but only on a couple of occasions did they execute the 75-yard TD pass.

That offense centered on hitting TO 10-20 yards down the middle of the field and having him run for another 10-20 yards. The Cowboys got chunks of 20, 30, and 40 yards, and not necessarily 60, 70, and 80. Nevertheless, they still put lots of points on the board, being the second-best offensive team only to New England just two years ago.

Well, the Cowboys must have looked at the old tapes of TO.

On Thanksgiving, they had Austin running over the middle of the field and getting big chunks of yards. His line had receptions of 49, 11, 27, 20, 14, 9 (TD), and 15 yards (totaling 145).  

Austin made all of these plays working the middle of the field either on slants, crossing patterns, or bubble screens. He lined up in the slot on almost all of these connections.

This was different from the Kansas City and Atlanta games, where Austin made most of his catches near the sideline (with one exception being the long touchdown versus the Falcons running a deep cross), especially on that comeback pattern.

Having Austin work the middle of the field is about as Romo-friendly as you can get. Romo is more accurate in between the numbers, and is twice as dangerous when he is shuffling in and out of the pocket hitting guys running across the middle of the field.

This is exactly how the Cowboys piled on the points in 2007. I just looked at the tape of the blowout wins over the Bears and Eagles in that season, and Romo made a killing attacking the belly of the defense.

The Cowboys scored 34 points and 38 respectively in those games—against good defenses no less.

Romo had over 300 yards in both games.

TO against the Bears had eight catches for 145 yards with a long of 35.

In Philly, he had 10 for 174 with a long of 45 (TD).  

In those games, Owens was moved around and was working the middle of the field, mainly on crossing patterns. If you don’t believe me, go to the NFL.com video archives and watch for yourself.

There were no home run balls. It was catch and run all day long.

That, my friends, is the way Romo and this offense are suppose to operate. Tip your hat to Garrett for finally figuring this out just before December.

At the beginning of this season, everyone who was worried about not having a guy who could streak down the sideline for those sexy 70-yard touchdowns wasted a bunch of anxiety.

A) Because Austin can do this if the Cowboys ever need him to.

B) Because the Cowboys main worry should have been finding a guy who could work the middle of the field just like TO used to in order to confuse defenses, create mismatches, and run well after the catch (Austin is this guy too).

It should also be no coincidence that Jason Witten also had his best game of the 2009 season this Thanksgiving. Despite a bad foot, he caught five passes for 100 yards, including the return of that beautiful seam route that Romo and Witten have made a living on the past few years.

What made Thursday’s performance even better is that the Cowboys also added a good dose of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice into the mix. All three made plays, and they all got involved from the beginning of the game.

The Razorback run by Choice came at the right time in the game. Ditto for Jones’ 46-yard touchdown run.

Of course, it was all capped off by Barber grinding out the clock in the end.

I was satisfied with a 16-9-3 split of touches between the three backs. That’s perfect when Austin and Witten both catch 5+ passes for over 100 yards apiece.

On Thanksgiving the Cowboys had just the right portion. They had the right amount of turkey, sides, and pie, and didn’t overeat anything to their demise.

It was the epitome of a “Romo-friendly” offense in that they executed plays that tailored to his strengths, and coupled that with a ground game that featured three effective running backs.

If they follow this formula from here on out, the Cowboys might finally peak at the right time…in the playoffs.

We’ll see if they continue this at New York this Sunday.

 

 

 

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Dallas Cowboys Midseason Report Card

I meant to do a quarterly grading series, but since I had some laptop trouble back in October, I was unable to deliver. Instead, I will grade the Dallas Cowboys only twice this year. Behold, the midseason report card.

QB: A-

Tony Romo would have had a B- after the first four games, but his A over the last four have brought him up to an A-. I am seeing better decision making, and better protection of the football. The numbers are there too. He isn’t just being a bus driver. He’s making plays, and winning games. He has missed a few throws here, and there, but overall I am extremely pleased with his play.

RB: A

I think all running backs have played well. Only Felix Jones has lost a fumble. All have been good in blitz pick up, and all moved the chains. Most importantly, they’ve all hit pay dirt. I think Tashard Choice has been the best of them all, mainly because he hasn’t been hurt. Can’t really complain about what we’ve seen from the backs.

TE: B+

Witten has been great as a blocker, but his yards are down. Still, he has been getting open a lot, and making receptions. Martellus Bennett has been somewhat disappointing as a pass catcher. He’s screwed up a couple of routes, and may have lost the coaches’ trust. However, his blocking has been good. John Phillips’ name has only been called when committing penalties.

OL: B+

Outside the Denver game, the pass protection has been stellar. Run-blocking was great early on, but has slowed a little bit over the past few games. Penalties still plague this group, but for a line that’s supposedly “too old” according some “experts”, they’ve been one of the best in the league, and are one of the reasons the Cowboys have the league’s second best offense.

DL: A

They are definitely the most underrated unit on the team. You can’t overemphasize the production from Jay Ratliff. He is outstanding. Igor Olshansky has been a nice replacement for the departed Chris Canty, and Marcus Spears has improved.

I also like the backups. Jason Hatcher, Stephen Bowen, and Junior Siavii are disruptive situational players. They all play hungry whenever they get in the game. I was watching a replay of the fourth quarter debacle in the 2006 at Philadelphia on the NFL Network, and the defensive line was slow, passive, and could never get push. This six-man rotation they have now is light years better. I must give Wade credit for this.

LB: B

With DeMarcus Ware’s slow start in the sack department, and Anthony Spencer’s inability to finish what could be a great play, I can’t give these guys anything higher than a B. However, Ware has gotten back in a groove, and all four of the starters play the run well, which can’t be taken for granted.

I love Keith Brooking, and Bradie James has been solid. Victor Butler has been awesome in the limited amount of snaps he has played (three sacks), but Carpenter is still mediocre, at best. He’s coverage has been all right, which is his main job as a nickel LB, but man this guy is shy against the run (though against the Eagles he had a couple of nice tackles).

These guys have played better over the last month, but Spencer needs to start making some plays. Dallas didn’t make him a starter to only be a good run defender. The missed interceptions (see Denver game), and the “man Spencer almost had a sack” moments need to cease. If Butler can get there in limited opportunities, then Spencer has no excuse. Anthony needs to get these sacks. That’s really all that is lacking from this unit.

DB: B-

I will first give props to Gerald Sensabaugh, who has been a godsend for this secondary. He covers, tackles, is always in position, and makes interceptions with a cast on one arm.

Mike Jenkins is having an awesome season, and I said in August that either he, or Orlando Scandrick needs to make an impact for this defense to reach another level. Scandrick has been all right, but he needs to turn his head a little earlier as quarterbacks are picking on him with his back turned to the ball.

I give this unit a somewhat low grade, because I still don’t like what I see from Ken Hamlin (though against the Eagles he was decent). The “hammer” is hardly even a plastic mallet when it comes to tackling, and he seems to be late in breaking up passes. The square-in is still a route the secondary struggles with.

Terence Newman hasn’t had his best season, but his hitting has improved. He needs to stop dropping interceptions. The secondary has been better, but they were very bad against the Giants, and nearly blew the game in Kansas City. Nevertheless, I must credit them for doing a great job stopping DeSean Jackson.

K: A

I include Matt McBriar in this group. Buehler is a beast. McBriar is back to his old self, and the only thing that prevents an A+ is Nick Folk’s two misses. They’ve all been great.

 

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Romo To Austin Stew Boiling

After the Bronco game I was a bit concerned that Tony Romo lost some accuracy. He missed some open receivers, a couple over the middle of the field, an area where Romo throws some of his best balls.

We were four games into the season with Romo being bad in the two losses. I tried to look for some inconsistencies in his mechanics and couldn’t find many other than not stepping up in the pocket and other lazy footwork. I was worried that Romo was over-coached in the offseason, resulting in inconsistency from game to game due to a quarterback just thinking a little too much while dropping back to pass.

Well, after the Falcon game, my worries have been put aside. Just look at his connections with Miles Austin and you will be impressed. These throws were right on the money. They had the right velocity, the right touch, the right height, and most importantly the right timing.

We have just witnessed a game where Romo looked like the Romo of November of 2007, a month where just absolutely went off connecting with TO for touchdown after touchdown. Now, Romo has made Austin his new favorite target and this is great news for the Cowboys heading into the meat of the NFL season.

Here is a look at the big throws Romo delivered to Austin. At first glance, it almost looks too easy. But that’s how good Romo is. He can make tough throws look easy.

Play 1: Touchdown bomb to Austin

This play looked the easiest. It was a 7-step drop from under center. The pocket was absolutely perfect (thanks to the big men up front). Romo did something very subtle that allowed him to nail this pass.

Right after he finishes his 7th step he shuffles ever-so-slightly forward and to his left. This enables him to put the ball enough toward the sideline and away from the defender so Austin can get this ball in stride and go to the house.

Again, the timing was great. If Romo throws this ball too late, at best Austin makes a tip-toe catch on the sideline for a 30-gain. If it’s too early, then the defender might get a read on it and break up the pass. 

I also noticed how quick Romo’s feet are on this seven-step drop. If Romo was sluggish with his feet, then Austin may have been too close to the sideline by the time Romo got set to throw. If this was the case, there is no way they connect. 

Play 2: Pass to Austin during 2-minute drill

The Cowboys have the ball at the Atlanta 26 with less than 30 seconds. It’s 2nd-and-9. Again, we have another clean pocket. Patrick Crayton runs a simple five-yard stop route and Romo stares at him just long enough for the defender to freeze. Austin then sneaks behind this same Falcon defensive back and Romo drops a perfect pass at around the 12-yard line.

This was an NFL throw and the reason why you shouldn’t call for a Romo benching every time he makes a boneheaded decision. He dropped this pass right over the defender and high enough for Austin to make the grab to move the chains. Two plays later Romo goes Jedi on the Falcon pass rush and throws a touchdown to Crayton.

Play 3: 30-yard pass to Austin down the left sideline

Dallas ball, 1st-and-10 at their own 20 up 17-14.  Romo does a nice job faking the delayed handoff to Marion Barber. Again, the protection is unbelievable. Romo sets at about the 12 and launches a beautiful pass to Austin running a corner route.

This kind of accuracy is hard to find. These are the kinds of passes Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees make. Austin didn’t have much separation. In fact, the defender was flagged for pass interference so you have an idea how much contact there was between him and the defender.

In addition, this was a corner route, so there is only so much room for Romo to squeeze in this pass. Despite the difficulty, Romo throws a strike. Also give credit to Austin for tapping both feet in bounds.

Over the years I have noticed that Romo tends to lose accuracy when throwing balls more than 30 yards down the field and toward the sideline. Here he threw a perfect ball that traveled 37 yards in the air right at the sideline.  

Play 4: Austin’s 2nd Touchdown

This was the route Austin was supposed to run in Denver when Champ Bailey picked the pass off inside the red zone in the 3rd quarter of that game. Here, Romo and Austin were on the same page.

In the Denver game it looked like Romo just flung the ball before Austin came out of his break, which is bad on his part. If he waited for Austin, he would have seen that Miles would have been open for a touchdown despite running the wrong route, which is bad on the receiver’s part.  On this play against the Falcons there were no mistakes by the quarterback or the young receiver.

There was man-coverage on the right side and Romo read this well. He drops back, waits for Austin to make his break, and zings a strike to his target. This pass was perfection. The corner chucked Austin drawing a flag, but Romo had the right velocity and location on this pass where it didn’t matter. Austin makes the grab and walks in for six points.

Play 5: 3rd-and-8 co conversion

This play demonstrates why it can be ok to be a gunslinger. Cowboys have the ball at their own 45 and they are in shotgun formation. Romo had Jason Witten wide open in the flat five yards down the field. He could have easily checked down to Witten, who would have converted the first down after a simple five yard catch.

However, Romo again had great protection and didn’t give up on his first read. Austin comes out of his break quickly and Romo throws a dart right into the hands of his receiver, who was standing right on the numbers of the 40-yard line. That is timing, precision, and velocity all in one.

Austin got right to his spot 15 yards down the field and Romo slung a ball perfectly with three defenders in the area, trusting his guy to make the catch. Romo could have easily shied away and gone to Witten, who would have got a nice 10 or 12 yard gain. Instead, they get 28 with a catch and run.

The development in the rapport between Romo and Austin has been pleasant to watch over the last two games. They have connected on several different kinds of routes, with that intermediate comeback pattern becoming a routine after it won the game in Kansas City. 

It’s also appropriate that this Romo to Austin stew is boiling just in time for Halloween. I can see Jason Garrett in a witch costume stirring up new plays for this passing tandem in his pot.

 

 

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Debunking the Big Play Myth: Cowboys Will Be Fine on the Ground

After reading and hearing many pundits’ reactions to the Cowboys 21-7 victory over the Panthers, there is still a general concern that Dallas’ inability to stretch the field will prevent them from being a Super Bowl contender.

Well, I am here to tell you that there are two things wrong with this theory/myth.

First, the notion that Dallas cannot create big plays is not necessarily true. Seriously, was it not two weeks ago when the Cowboys had touchdown plays of 42, 66, and 80 yards? I know it was against a bad Tampa team, but facts are facts. Dallas got big plays from three different receivers and this actually forced the Giants to respect the aerial game and play two deep safeties for the majority of the week two contest.

Second, the Cowboys’ lack of big passing plays against the Giants was not the reason they lost, nor was it the reason they had trouble scoring against the Panthers. Allow me to elaborate.

I have heard a few quotes similar to the following: “It’s nice that Dallas can run the ball, but against the good defenses the Cowboys are going to need to stretch the field.” Well, didn’t Dallas prove that against a good defense (New York) they can easily win a game without getting big plays through the air?

I know the game resulted in a loss but believe me—there was never a point in the game where you felt that the Cowboys were a big passing play away from winning. Heck, if it wasn’t for the Cowboys trying to go deep once too many, they easily win that game in my opinion.

The point is this. The Cowboys running attack was dominant against a great Giants defense. Dallas was still a defensive stop away from winning a game against a good team behind the legs of Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Felix Jones. They did not need to stretch the field to win that game. The Cowboys were doing just fine grinding it out.

Against Carolina, Dallas had problems in the red zone—not between the twenties. I challenge anyone to explain to me the need to stretch the field inside the red zone, particularly inside the ten-yard line. How does throwing a 50-yard pass from the two-yard-line help your offense? Do you get extra points for completing a pass to a fan 30 rows up in the bleachers?

Sarcasm aside, I think you all should get the point. Dallas’ dominant running attack is good enough. With some better play-calling inside the five and with less penalties, the Cowboy offense puts up four touchdowns for the third straight week, which is excellent production despite not having those sexy 60-yard touchdown passes.

Surely, the Cowboys won’t get 200 yards a game on the ground every week, but there is no need to panic. First, they have proven once this year that can get big plays. Second, they have proven they can grind it against a great front seven. So even though they can’t expect 200 rushing yards a game a week they shouldn’t back down from trying against a stout opponent. And finally, this kind of success running the football will open bigger passing plays as the season goes on.

For now, the key for Dallas is to stay patient and hope Marion Barber and Felix Jones get healthy as soon as possible.

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Jason Garrett: Too Smart For Himself Sometimes

This article is not meant to throw Jason Garrett under the bus and solely blame him for Sunday night’s loss to the New York Giants. Believe me; Sunday’s loss was primarily on Tony Romo.

He flat-out stunk.

Those three interceptions were all costly and inexcusable because his protection was good and he had time to make the proper read. Romo just made horrible passes. 

This article is also not meant to let the secondary off the hook. Almost all of the defensive backs had at least one bad play. Terence Newman was burnt and Orlando Scandrick was caught out of position several times.

I completely agree that the quarterback and secondary wasted a great performance by the offensive line, special teams, and running backs. Dallas doesn’t have to be great in all areas but they certainly cannot be horrible in any one area.

Last night they were horrible in passing and defending the pass and therefore lost a game they should have won to a bitter rival.

I spent most of my Monday talking with friends about how disgusted I was with the performance of Romo and the secondary, and quite frankly there isn’t much more I can say about how poorly they played. I won’t write about that because it would be too easy and unoriginal.

This is why I am choosing to write about Jason’s Garrett’s tendencies to get too cute. Sometimes he just does things that are silly.

He does things that remind me of the coach from “The Waterboy.” You know? The man that said: “He doesn’t fake. He thinks about faking. He pretends to fake.”

I sometimes think that Garrett makes ridiculous statements like that in his head.

Here are four series that prove that Red Ball can lose his common sense and outsmart himself. Again, this isn’t why the Cowboys lost. These play calls didn’t help by any means but I invite you to read and ponder “why?” with me.

Also look for these cute gimmicks in the weeks to come.

 

The First Series of the Game

Cowboys have the ball with a 3rd-and-2. Marion Barber has two touches for eight yards. Offenses should be pleased with any 3rd-and-2 situation. Most defenses would be satisfied holding a RB to two yards, but on 3rd-and-2, a two yard run is good enough to move the chains.

This is why this situation is in the offense’s advantage. Defenses still have to think run or pass, and even if they think run and have enough guys to stop it, the ball carrier may still simply fall forward for a first down.

This conventional football knowledge sometimes escapes Garrett’s mind. When he has 3rd-and-2 in the first quarter and Barber has picked up eight yards on the first two plays, Garrett does the “logical” thing and empties the backfield.

What a break for the linebackers. They simply stay in coverage knowing it’s a throw and wouldn’t you know it, Romo looks left, looks right, looks middle…no one open. Series over.

 

Cowboys’ Third Series of the First Quarter

They lead 7-3 thanks to a healthy dose of the MB3 Playa. The running game looks smooth so Garrett wisely decides to shelf it for a series and come out throwing on first down.

He then decides to throw a quick screen to Jason Witten on second down and of course Roy Williams nearly runs into him. Not like the play would have worked anyways. I love Witten but shaking a defender in the flat is not in his skill set.

All of a sudden it’s 3rd-and-10 and there goes the lead as Romo makes a terrible pass for a pick six. Again, just ask yourself: why doesn’t a running back get a carry somewhere in this series? 

 

The Cowboys’ First of Two Two-minute Drill Possessions

This one occurred with the score 14-13, and with 1:47 left in the half, ball at the Dallas 10-yard line, and most importantly three timeouts. I don’t understand the need to throw on first down here. 

At this point of the game the Cowboys had been averaging over five yards a carry. Garrett inexplicably risks a sack, safety, or fumble by having Romo drop back to pass on first down, and naturally Flozell Adams commits a tripping foul putting Dallas at the five.

They risk another pass on the replayed down but thankfully Romo connects to Roy for a nice gain and a first down out of bounds to stop the clock. Cowboys are out of the hole and still have all their timeouts. They can still afford to run the ball. In fact, it would not hurt to chew up a little clock to ensure them the final possession of the half.

Do they run it?

Nope, they keep throwing and sure enough you have another turnover. Giants ball inside the Cowboy 30. Newman gets burned and the lead is blown.

 

The Killer Drive

Cowboys ball near midfield. Dallas clearly has the running game firing on all cylinders. Romo has been off but the Cowboys lead 24-20 anyways. They try a play-action kill shot, which generally is not a bad idea because the running game is working and midfield is the area where you try this.

However, the running game was working too well to even think about abandoning it. Plus, Romo clearly is off so no need to give him an option to just chuck it up. He of course does this and delivers a ridiculous interception.

I want to finish this piece by pointing out something even peculiar about this play: the personnel. Here are the Cowboys’ route runners on the play: Sam Hurd, Patrick Crayton, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, and Deon Anderson! I like all of these players but are any of these guys the ones you think of when Dallas dials up a bomb?

Where is Miles Austin? Where is Felix Jones? Most importantly, where is Roy, your No. 1 receiver? This seemed like a strange personnel grouping to connect on a 50-yard pass. Again I ask…why?

 

 

 

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Dallas Cowboys Week One Review/Week Two Preview: Run Defense

There is much to talk about following the Dallas Cowboys’ impressive 34-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tony Romo got hot and you can argue that he was simply the difference in the game.

Roy Williams and the receiving corps answered critics’ questions (for one week at least) that they can make big plays in the passing game.

The special teams for once did not cause anyone headaches and there were only a few dumb penalties.

However, going into week two the big question is whether the run defense can fix the wounds opened by the Bucs’ duo (Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward) of running backs.

It is well-documented how well the New York Giants run the football so I won’t bore you with stats to prove this very obvious point. For the Cowboys to open up Cowboys Stadium (or the Death Star as I like to call it) with a win, it is imperative that they shore up the run defense.

Here is a review of how Tampa succeeded in running the ball on Sunday against the Cowboy defense and a brief look at what Dallas needs to do stop the Giants ground game.

The Cowboys surrendered a total of 174 rushing yards on 31 running plays (5.6 per play). Unfortunately, this total was not inflated by one fluky 90-yard run. Tampa had an effective running attack all game with several gashes.

In fact, it was really the Cowboy passing game that stopped the Buccaneer rushing onslaught. A 13-point Cowboy lead with about four minutes to play forced Tampa to abandon the run.

Two of the Bucs’ final three rushing plays (which came early in the fourth quarter) were for a solid five and six yards respectively, a sign that if the score allowed them to, they may have been able to surpass the 200-yard mark on the ground.  

In total, Tampa had 13 runs for four yards or more, including spikes of 22 and 35 yards. Seven (including the longest two) of these runs went right, three went left, and three were right up the gut. Although Tampa favored running behind their right guard and tackle, they clearly had success running in all directions.

In fact, the runs up the middle that went for four-plus yards actually went for six, nine, and 12 yards. Overall, it was a great ground effort and the Buccaneer offensive line and wide receivers seemed to be winning all of the physical battles.

Ken Hamlin blitzing his way out of the play combined with Bobby Carpenter and Terence Newman getting manhandled by great downfield blocks propelled Cadillac’s 35-yard run.

On Ward’s 22-yard run, DeMarcus Ware could not shed his block to make the play in the backfield and Hatcher and the rest of the interior line were sealed off, leaving open a huge hole for the former Giant.

Bradie James also had a chance to make the play in the backfield as he shot through his gap but flattened the angle of his pursuit at the last second, taking himself out of the play.

The Cowboys were simply outmanned on Sunday when the Bucs chose to run the ball. Dallas defenders were not getting off their blocks often enough to hold the Tampa running backs to short yardage. There was not enough physical play by Dallas.

Sure, there were enough mental mistakes to go around like not staying in the proper gap and taking bad angles but overall the Cowboys were beat significantly in the one-on-one blocking situations. The Buccaneers were not really picking on anyone in particular as they had success running the ball in every direction and against different Dallas front 7 personnel.

This Sunday night, the Cowboys defense needs to win the one-on-ones and not get handled across the line of scrimmage like they were on Sunday. The linebackers and defensive backs need to shed more blocks and play nastier.

When they have a clean shot in the backfield they can’t afford to hesitate against Brandon Jacobs because we all know he is a train running downfield. Dallas needs to hustle more and stop guys in their tracks instead of letting ball carriers drag them for extra yards. We definitely need to see more wrapping up and gang tackling in week two.

Schematic wise I think Wade Phillips will probably load the box since the New York receiving crew is still unproven. The Redskins had success holding the Giant offense in check most of the game as they allowed only 16 offensive points.

Phillips and his defense can at least look at what Washington did and try to mimic their defensive game plan. I expect improvement and Sunday night we should see the return of a Dallas defense that has been solid against the run in recent years.

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