Learning to Crawl

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 11:45 AM CDT in Dallas Cowboys General

My first job out of college was as a news photographer for a TV station. I covered a lot of football during the fall and actually learned a thing or two about the game. One of my better lessons came from a gentlemen named Richard Flores, who coached Edinburg High of south Texas in the late '70s and early '80s. Flores built a powerhouse that won several district titles in the old system, when only one team per district made the playoffs, and went to the state quarterfinals a couple of times.

The lesson came when I was covering an Edinburg-McAllen High game. McAllen was a struggling team that would finish under .500, but on this fine Saturday afternoon they were surprising the big boys from Edinburg with their option attack, and had a 21-14 halftime lead. I caught Flores outside the locker room and asked if he planned any major adjustments for McAllen's wrinkles. Flores had a reputation as a strategic master, so I expected a serious X's-and-O's dissertation. His answer surprised me in its simplicity. "No," he said, "we don't have to make any changes. We just have to run our plays better." They did in the second half and pulled out a close win.

Flores' words came back to me when I watched the tape of last week's Cowboys-Raiders game. The Cowboys offensive staff has taken a lot of criticism for their lack of imagination, downright stupidity or (cue gloomy music) failing to understand that Julius Jones' skills have magically evaporated and that his career is doomed.

None of those things applied. What I saw was a team whose running game is still learning to crawl. A team that could probably use a true battering ram of a fullback. But more importantly one that needs to simply get better at what it does.

Where Have You Gone, Daryl Johnston?

The biggest culprit, if one can really be singled out is probably the least likely to observers. It's tight end Jason Witten. Dallas runs a lot of two tight end packages and motions one of its tight ends into the backfield to act as lead blocker for Jones. The Cowboys alternate using Dan Campbell and Witten as the mobile H-back, with each getting about half the plays on the line and half in the backfield.

Their production thus far, is far from even. Jones had much better success against Oakland running behind Campbell. In fact, I counted about half a dozen plays that fizzled because Witten failed to engage his man or failed to move him. Two plays come to mind. In the first quarter, the Cowboys overloaded the left side, with Witten and fullback Lousaka Polite lined up up alongside Flozell Adams and Larry Allen. The call was a stretch play, with Jones assigned to run off tackle. Wittenwas supposed to seal DE Tommy Kelly inside, to give Jones the corner. A statemate would have sufficed, since Witten was flanked outside Kelly and had a natural blocking angle inside. Witten engaged Kelly, but was walked backwards by the Raider, who slid off Witten's tepid block and stopped Jones for a one yard gain.

Another example came in the fourth quarter. Drew Bledsoe had just completed a 58 yard pass to Terry Glenn, putting Dallas at the Raiders' 27. Dallas was trailing Oakland 19 to 13 but appeared ready to snatch another late victory. The Raiders clearly expected Dallas to pass on the next play, as they lined up in a 4-2-5 package with both defensive tackles spread wide, on the outside shoulders of guards Larry Allen and Marco Rivera. Oakland had two linebackers stacked above the tackles. Dallas had seen this formation on tape and planned to challenge it with draws to Jones, since the Raiders were giving the guards natural run-blocking angles and opening up the middle of the field.

At the snap, both Cowboys' tackles and both guards locked up their men and turned them outside. Center Al Johnson ran four yards upfield and engaged one of the Raiders linebackers. A huge bubble was opened up in the middle of the line. Witten was lined up ahead of Jones in an I formation and if he could get a solid block on rookie LB Kirk Morrison, Jones would have room for a huge run.

But Witten didn't get a solid block on Morrison. He was slow to the line, so a charging Morrison met him right at the line of scrimmage. Witten also failed to drive Morrison, who was able to stand the tight end up, slide off of him, and corral Jones. What could have been a a seven or eight yard gain went for a single yard.

The Cowboys did much better with Dan Campbell leading the way. On first and ten from the eleven just a few plays later, Dallas ran an isolation play to its left. Adams and Allen beat their men. Campbell met an Oakland safety at the line, but planted him back-first onto the turf. Jones got a crease and took the ball eight yards to the Oakland three.

I'm sure you're wondering, so why doesn't Dallas use Campbell exclusively as the fullback? Because defensive coordinators are smart. If Dallas showed a tendency that clear, DCs league wide would tell their strong safeties to walk into the box every time they saw Campbell in the backfield because Dallas was going to run. If Witten was there, or the backfield was empty, they could assume that Dallas was going to pass most of the time. The defenses would have a key pre-snap read and moving the ball would be that much harder.

"Blocking", as an old college head coach put it, "is simply a matter of will." Witten is 265 lbs. He is fast. He has the size and can generate the momentum to beat linebackers who are 20 to 40 lbs. lighter. The Cowboys don't need to radically alter their blocking schemes. They need Witten to do his job better.

His most frequent partner in crime last Sunday was rookie Rob Petitti. Another missing element of the running game has been cutback lanes on stretch plays, especially those to the left. In the second quarter, Dallas handed the ball to Jones from an empty backfield. The Cowboys were in a two tight end set with Campbell left and Witten flanking Petitti on the right. The play was designed to go to the left. The Raiders were slanting their defense to that side, however. Dallas was in zone blocking and the linemen, from Adams to right guard Marco Rivera did what they were coached to do -- if the man across from you is in a hurry to go left, help him by pushing him harder left. The left and center section of the Cowboys line pushed the Raiders front towards the intended hole. Jones, who has the option of running where the crease occured, cut back right, where a huge cutback lane should have been -- had the blockers on the right side contained their men.

Petitti had Warren Sapp, who was again lined up wide. Had Petitti been able to cut Sapp, or at least engage him and ride him down the line, as he linemates were doing to their men, he could have created the cutback lane all by himself. However, Petitti let Sapp get on Dallas' side of the line. Sapp pushed Petitti into the backfield and into the cutting Jones. Jones was able to sidestep Sapp and might have been able to get a respectable three or four yards with a lunge. But Petitti was not alone in his backside failure. Witten locked onto DE Derrick Burgess but didn't stay with his block. Figuring the play was going away from him, Witten released Burgess after two seconds and ran upfield to go after a safety.

When Jones cut back and beat Sapp, Burgess was also waiting, unblocked, to make the tackle. What looked at first glance like a nicely blocked cut-back play for six or seven yards again degenerated into an ugly one yard scrum.

It would be easy to scapegoat Witten and Petitti for the running games' problems. In fact, it might be an easier problem to fix. If everyone else is doing well, but one guy is not, you replace him. But while Witten and Petitti had problems, they were not chronic. Petitti was not blowing assignments on every play. He rarely blew them at all. He and Witten happened to blow them just enough to short circuit promising runs.

And they were not alone. Flozell Adams had a good game on the left side. He was solid in his run blocking. He made only two mistakes the entire game, from what I can see. But one of them came on a key third and one play in the third quarter, where his man stopped Julius Jones for no gain on the Raiders 14. Dallas had to settle for a field goal instead of marching on towards a needed touchdown.

Larry Allen was the same. Most of the time he got his man. But his mistakes, rare though they were, killed. Late in the second quarter, Dallas ran Jones on a draw play from its own 30. The Raiders ran a corner blitz, with both slot corners running at Bledsoe. When Bledsoe handed the ball to Jones, they flew right past him. Adams had a seal on his man and Witten and Keyshawn Johnson had run their cover men far down field. The left side was open for a huge gain. But Allen let Sapp get across him to the outside and the wily old tackle made a lunging stop on Jones. Jones again settled for one yard on a play that could have gone for fifteen to 20 yards.

This is the definition of a struggling running game. All the linemen are doing a good job maybe 80 to 85% of the time, but they need to improve those numbers to 90 to 95% to really make the runs click. Mix in a struggling tight end who you cannot afford to take off the field (how can you bench Jason Witten and give up his receiving threat?) and two rookie running backs who can't figure out who to block and you have the recipe for mediocrity.

But what can you do? You know Bill Parcells is committed to a power running game. Everybody here is committed to a power running game. Go back and read the predictions. Most folks, if not all of them, counted on Jones' legs to carry this team while the defense and passing game got their respective houses in order. And I'm sure everyone from the coaching staff on down to the readers of this blog feel a power running game is necessary going forward.

What you don't do is cut back on the number of running plays. Dallas needs a modest improvement in its execution and there's only one way to get it -- keep running. The offensive line is the hardest unit to build because it relies on the entire unit to work in unison all the time. The unit is only as good as its weakest member. If one guy breaks down and five guys succeed, the play will fail. And if everybody takes turns being the weakest member, there is reason to believe that increased repetition will solve the issue in time. The line does not appear to lack talent.

The unanswerable question is how much time? It may take six games. It may take three. The running game might make a quantum leap this week. But all of you calling for Parcells to get less conservative will have to pound sand, because he won't. This is not a terrible running game. Like all other parts of the team, it's a work in progress. What's more, all of you looking to cast Julius Jones aside are not seeing the bigger picture. When he gets the holes, he makes the yards. But he's not seeing the holes on a regular basis.

The running game does not need to be radically remade. The linemen, backs and tight ends just have to run their plays better.

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Comments

Rafael: I think your very much on target with the evaluation of the line play. I think this can be somewhat attributed to the rotation on the line in the preseason where the starters never had a chance to gel. I’m still not sold on the rotation of Gurode and Johnson at center. The team would be better served with a fulltime center and at this point I would go with Gurode. His strength and mean streak is a better asset for this line than Johnson’s intelligent play. Johnson needs to be a “Denver” type blocking scheme to reach his potential.

by Sean on Oct 6, 2005 12:45 PM CDT reply actions

Thanks for taking the time to do the analysis.

I notice Witten’s weakness in the running game also and wonder what strategic advantage we are trying to create with him in the backfield. Is it dictating defensive personnel packages? match-ups in the passing game? can Witten ‘learn’ better blocking technique? he certainly seems like a Parcells type player – tough, hard-working, team-oriented.

Wouldn’t diversity in playcalling keep the defense off balance? I’m not advocating becoming too clever and out-witting ourselves, but mixing up the pass to set up the running game might help. Or do we have the talent to perfect and run a lead draw, a sweep, and an off-tackle dive like the teams in the mid 90’s could?

Whatever fixes are needed, I hope they are all in by 3:00 pm Sunday. The Eagles are pretty good at exploiting leaky offensive lines – we need a solid game in the trenches or this will get ugly.

by James H on Oct 6, 2005 1:33 PM CDT reply actions

Wow, Rafael, great analysis and unexpected. Witten a primary culprit in the running game? Who’d a thunk it!

One concern I do have that you did not directly address is this: some offensive linemen get labeled as good pass blockers who do not run block effectively due to limited push and/or mobility. Is this the case with anyone on our line now, particularly Petitti?

by Remnant on Oct 6, 2005 1:35 PM CDT reply actions

Petitti had some problems with Burgess’s speed rush. That concerns me because he’s facing Kearse this week. However, the Cowboys trusted him a lot more last week because he’s been solid the first three and gave him back help less. I’m guessing the chipping and back help for him intensifies this week. He’s been good on running plays to his side, but needs A LOT of work on backside blocking. If he can consistently cut his man, something big Erik Williams did very effectively, then Julius Jones should start to get a lot more cutback room.

It think the rest of the guys are good. Rivera has had trouble from time to time with blitzing linebackers, but you never see him get beaten twice and he’s sound in the running game.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 2:04 PM CDT reply actions

As usual you are on the mark. But, BP can pound sand if he thinks 2nd and 1 is not time for a shot downfield. Build a power running game so that if you miss on 2nd and 1, 3rd and 1 is automatic. Yeh, it’s as predictable as getting hit by a car if you step off the curb without looking. But the car still hurts and it’s still automatic. My frustration did not develop just last week. This has been going on now for over two years. BP needs to stop trying not to lose and instill a killer instinct in this team.

by steelyeyedmissle on Oct 6, 2005 2:09 PM CDT reply actions

What does a Photographer do for a TV station?

by AlanTdot on Oct 6, 2005 2:11 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,

You are right about exicution. A group that had a lot of problems was the RBs, as they failed to allow Bledsoe to find his WRs. .. Witten too had a bunch of problems. Parcells and Jerry should inquire about getting William Henderson from Green Bay. Henderson is a very good blocker, but is also a good receiver out of the back field. Considering the Pack’s start, and Henderson’s age, it may be wise for GB to get something for him. What do you think the price would be for him?

by EricR on Oct 6, 2005 2:14 PM CDT reply actions

AlanTdot,

Shoot and edit stories. And when it’s a football game, get interviews too.

Steelyeyedmissile,

I think you just proved my point. That’s what they’re TRYING to do. They’re not there yet. If you don’t have confidence you can convert on 3rd and 1, you run it on 2nd and 1. You’ll notice they didn’t convert on either 2nd and 1 or 3rd and 1 in the third quarter last week. Until they do, they’re not throwing deep. And that’s been a problem for those two years.

My guess is when the running game evolves, you’re frustration will lessen.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 2:17 PM CDT reply actions

Henderson also plays on special teams!!

by EricR on Oct 6, 2005 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

EricR,

William Henderson is older than dirt. He was drafted in ‘95, I believe, which makes him 110 in fullback years. I don’t know that I’d give anything to get him.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 2:19 PM CDT reply actions

Wow!! Lorenzo Neal is older than Henderson, have you seen him play recently? Just ask LT, how important a FB can be! Did you see the Giants – Chargers game? And like I said, with Henderson you get a receiving threat and a special teams player!

by EricR on Oct 6, 2005 2:24 PM CDT reply actions

Lorenzo Neal is good FB. But is Henderson still at that level? I think his playing time in GB has been reduced a lot in recent years. Just because Neal can do it doesn’t mean Henderson still can. I’m not being snarky here. I have not seen Green Bay this year. Does Henderson still have a game? Would he be any better than Lousaka Polite?

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 2:47 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,

2004 starting FB for the AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl teams. Can’t really evaluate him this year because Green Bay’ s O-line problems. From what I saw of him last season, he had some football left in the tank. I’d say he was very good. Good blocking instincts, and reliable on screens … God knows we can use help there. Definately better than what we have. .. I think a bruising FB would do a world of good for Julius. Just a suggestion, that should come at a small price.

by EricR on Oct 6, 2005 3:03 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael Vela
Are you saying the running game hasn’t taken off is not JJ fault? What part does he play into it? I’m not saying its his fault but some of it has to be….

by AW on Oct 6, 2005 3:04 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,

I am from McHi, and i will always remember that game as the best high school football game i have ever seen. McHi should have won that game. Damn Bobcats.

by Chris on Oct 6, 2005 3:29 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,
If your analysis is correct, then how come last year’s running game was such a success when JJ was healthy? Who was the fullback? Richie Anderson? Wasn’t he hurt also at the end?
I don’t have as much knowledge about the game as you probably have but this is my point of view:
Our running game stinks because everybody and their mother KNOWS that we will run on 1st and 2nd down always!!! and then try to pass on 3rd down. We lack surprise in our playcalling and that’s killing us. As a matter of fact that is exactly what Dave Wansted was doing in Miami (which pissed Ricky an made him retire, that’s another story and it’s pure theory)and the Dolphins were worse every year…everybody knew what to do against them.
We should try to throw long to Glenn at least 3 times pr game on 1st down, use Witten on 7 or 8 yards routs on 1st or 2nd down, run draws on 3 receiver sets…we’re way too predictable and it’s killing us.
We have to put th ball a bit more on Bledsoe’s hands, the guy has proven to use he can still throw, give him always a short route option so tha h doesn’t hold the ball forever, and let him put teams away in the 2nd and 3rd qtr…we should’vekilled washington right from the start…

by ManTab on Oct 6, 2005 4:35 PM CDT reply actions

ManTab,

You notice how many bad passes Dallas had last week?

Second drive: Dallas in 3rd and long. Bledsoe finds Keyshawn beyond the stipe, but he can’t get two feet in bounds;
Second drive: Bledsoe finds Crayton for a long gain on 3rd and long, but Crayton can’t hold on to the ball;

Later in the half — Bledsoe throws on 1st down, has Glenn open and short hops him.

Is this the fault of the running game? Or of the play calling? I don’t think so.

Who was calling the plays and putting together the game plans last year? Parcells and Payton. And this year? Parcells and Payton? Did they get stupid all of a sudden? Then why is the offense scoring more?

Last week was a team effort to lose on offense. The passing game was bad and the running game was bad. The primary reason, to my eyes, was bad execution. Norv Turner could switch sidelines and call his best, nastiest game, but if the Cowboys blow blocks and miss timing passes and drop them then it just doesn’t matter.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 5:02 PM CDT reply actions

AW,

You’ve been putting most of the fault on J.J.‘s head so far. I’d like to see some evidence.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 6, 2005 5:03 PM CDT reply actions

Excellent, excellent analysis. Thanks Rafael.

by GG on Oct 6, 2005 5:28 PM CDT reply actions

JJ will surprise us this week. Watch cause Washingtons DT is out.

by AlanTdot on Oct 6, 2005 5:31 PM CDT reply actions

Did BP call Philly’s MLB J. Trotter a “stand up NT”?

by AlanTdot on Oct 6, 2005 5:32 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael Vela
no I haven’t what I have done is ask questions about him, I never said its all his fault. But nobody answers my questions???? The only evidence I have is he has yet to have a good game against a good team with a good D. He hasn’t played 16 games yet. Do you think he is the answer and does he take any blame in what is going on? He get enough carries.

by AW on Oct 6, 2005 5:32 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,

You are right in the fact that the exicution was bad, but ManTab has a point. I think Parcells doesn’t trust his RBs enough in picking up blitzes, to play the verticle game. They are poor blockers! That is why Henderson would be a a nice fit here. Parcells obviously wants to give his young guys an opportunity, but a good blocking FB may be the shot in the arm they need. Polite isn’t getting it done! A boost of confidence for Julius, but a player like Henderson would bring so many “little things” to the table. Like: protecting Bledsoe, giving them a screen threat, getting to the next level of defenders, and playing good STs. He has been there and done that. A player like William Henderson will bridge the gap until Parcells can get a younger guy. … As you questioning his skills? You obviously didn’t see him play last season. WH was very good last year!! .. The addition of Henderson would also move Witten back to the line of scrimmage, of course where he is much more productive.

by EricR on Oct 6, 2005 6:42 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,
You said it yourself….both throws you mentioned were 3rd downs. Yes, we will have incompletios to Terry Glenn, but hell you’ll have better chances on first and second when they exepct you to run than on third when everyone knows you just have to pass.
I dont thing nobody is becoming stupid on this team, I think the team lacks confidence and they just look like the dolphins 2 years ago…the word is PREDICTABLE, that is the worse mistake you can make in football. If the other team knows what you’ll do, you’ll get smacked in the mouth.
It’s not fair to say we’re scoring more this year, everyone here knows Rivera, Bledose and JJ are a bit better and E. George, Vinny and the joke that was that right side of the line….if we were scoring the same as last year, Jerry Jones would’ve had a heart attack

by ManTab on Oct 6, 2005 8:16 PM CDT reply actions

at the end of the day, I hope they’ll surprise us all and bit the living crap out of McNabb, Owens and the Eagles, I hope JJ runs for a mile and we beat the eagles, because if we dont, this team’s confidence is goign to be so low we’ll be calling running plays on extra points against the giants……sorry, it’s just what I see here…

by ManTab on Oct 6, 2005 8:20 PM CDT reply actions

ManTab:

Jim Brown running up the gut.
Taylor on the Green Bay power sweep.
Czonka behind right guard.
Bleier running the inside trap.
Emmitt running iso plays between left guard and left tackle.

Dominating teams let you know what run is coming, and dare you to stop it. Good football is not always about deception. At its best, it is about execution, and daring the opponents to stop your bread and butter. Before they can become dominating, teams have to discover their bread and butter, then get so proficient at it they cannot be stopped, except by their own poor execution.

This is not yet such a team, but it strives to move in that direction. That is the plan.

by cowboy bert on Oct 6, 2005 8:35 PM CDT reply actions

Bert, I would rather see us running it up their gut when we know they can’t stop us. Otherwise, you’re killing the confidence of a second year tailback with huge potential and your offense in general. Same way the running game opens it up for the passes, the passes should open it up for the run. Teams are putting 8 guys on the line and we’re running right into it, sometimes with Barber as a rookie o Spears as a blocker….it won’t work. If hey put 8 in the front call an audible and send Keyshwan over the middle with a slant and make them pay for it, make them stay back so that Juluis can have some lanes….

by ManTab on Oct 6, 2005 8:53 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,
I don’t think you can pin all the blame on the o-line. JJ has to bear some of the blame. He seems almost like he’s running as if he’s paranoid about fumbling. He seems so worried about it, that it’s limiting his ability to cut and make the moves that come to him naturally. Now, for sure the o-line, including Witten, need to bear some of the blame, but not all.

by Obiru on Oct 6, 2005 9:55 PM CDT reply actions

Wouldn’t it be nice to win one going away? Man it has been awhile. Probably not going to happen this week. Nevertherless its fun to dream…
I don’t agree with bringing in Henderson or any other fullback. In football it takes so long to get comfortable, a new fullback wouldn’t neccessarily even have an impact until so late in the year….I think its “dance with who you brung” at this point and hope that Rafael is right, that we are a work in progress that will continue to “progress”….Thanks for taking the time to put together the astute analysis.

by dallas05 on Oct 6, 2005 9:59 PM CDT reply actions

ManTab,

You said it yourselfÃ¢â‚¬Â¦.both throws you mentioned were 3rd downs. Yes, we will have incompletios to Terry Glenn, but hell youÃ¢â‚¬â"¢ll have better chances on first and second when they exepct you to run than on third when everyone knows you just have to pass.

I fail to see how passing on first or second down would make Bledsoe more accurate, or his receivers have fewer drops. Those are execution problems, that have nothing to do with down and distance, or whether the defense anticipates the play or not. You can fool the defense completely, but if a key player fails to execute, it makes no difference.

That is what Rafael is driving at — It was poor execution, on both pass plays and run plays, that stopped the Cowboys against the Raiders, not poor play calling.

Faulty blitz pickups by the running backs, missed blocks by offensive linemen and tight ends, poorly thrown balls, dropped passes, a running back cutting outside when he should have toughed it out inside. [EVERYBODY got into the act!] We witnessed all of those errors in execution this past Sunday, and no changes in play calling would have corrected it.

by Mr. Bill on Oct 6, 2005 10:25 PM CDT reply actions

Mantab, who was it on the Cowboys of the early ‘90s who said, and I’m liberally paraphrasing here, “everyone knew we were going to run Emmitt hard on every play, they just couldn’t stop us.”
It has nothing to do with keeping the defense off balance, and everything to do with doing what you know you’re supposed to , and beating the man across from you.
You’re asking for the coaches’ play calling to anticipate a breakdown in the opposing defense. That’s impossible, it’s just guessing. The Cowboys play has to force breakdowns, and then it’s easier to exploit the defense and have them guessing.
“It’s 2nd and 1, we’ll throw it! They’ll never guess!” isn’t how Parcells won his super bowls and resurrected 3 franchises. It’s not fundamentally sound football.

by Joey2zs on Oct 6, 2005 11:11 PM CDT reply actions

I agree with Rafael. It all gets down to developing a power running game and slamming the ball down their throats…all of which requires every man executing at the highest level. This is the NFL, it is not too much to expect a Pro Bowl tight end to stay with his blocks and to aggressively engage his assigned defensive counterpart. Petitti can at least use the rookie excuse (although after 4 games in the NFL he better cut down on his lapses soon), but the rest of the offensive line should be executing flawlessly at this point in their respective careers. BP knows it all gets down to the play in the trenches, the rest of the game inevitably flows from our success or failure there.

It shouldn’t matter if opponents put 8 or even 9 guys in the box to stop the run. There are many different kinds of running plays, if they put 8 in the box we could always run a sweep, a pitch, or a reverse. I agree with Rafael that the heart of it all is a good fullback and good tight end play. This includes blocking and catching. Notice when we truly started our slide from the Super Bowl Dynasties was around the time Jay Novacek got injured and started missing time and when Daryl Johnston ceased to be able to perform at the level he had been because of injuries. We have the tight end, we just need him to play up to his potential. Now we really need a top-flight fullback.

by Sterling on Oct 7, 2005 1:34 AM CDT reply actions

Hi Rafael,

I do enjoy your analasys of this team. I think most times you are very accurate. Keep up the good job.

I have been a devouted football/Cowboy fan since 1970 when Staubach & Morton were sharing snaps. I guess we all know how that turned out!
Anyway back to now. Regardless of how far back you go football is two things & two things only. BLOCKING & TACKLING with these you will be effective running & passing even with mediocre players. Without you will not be able to do either even with great players. The Cowboys I have been watching this year need to do a better job with both. The rookies will learn & by week 10 they will do a much better job than they are doing now & will winn many of these games. Whats important is to be at least 5 & 5 by game 11.

by Jesse New York on Oct 7, 2005 12:12 PM CDT reply actions

For those who think the Cowboys have been playing too conservatively, in an article last night, Mickey Spagnola pointed out that the Cowboys have called more pass plays than run plays in each and every game this year, including the Raiders game.

http://lb.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?editorialAuthor=1&id=C8414324-FDD6-F011-15DF47CE571A9822

As for the choice of running plays, many have noted that the Cowboys never tried to run a sweep or toss against the Raiders. This seemed strange, even to me, since the Raiders’ outside linebackers are big and lumbering. Parcells explained this in one of this week’s press conferences. He claimed the Raiders were splitting their linebackers out wide. In other words, even if your linebackers are slow, they are going to beat you to the edge if they are already there.

This SHOULD have opened up the middle for the plays we called. Why didn’t it? I believe Rafael has explained this more than adequately — we had too many breakdowns in our blocking. However, the Raiders should also be credited with having some decent players in the middle. Personally, I think it was just one of those games, where things seem to go badly for even the good players. I think Bledsoe and Adams and Allen are much better players than they seemed to be last Sunday.

by Mr. Bill on Oct 7, 2005 12:19 PM CDT reply actions

Mr. Bill,

You got it. The Raiders were lined up a lot of the time in something that looked like a 5-3 or even a 6-1, in that they had five guys or six guys who could put their hands down and be ends (Brayton and Irons) standing up wide. They were funky looking fronts. Hey, when you’re 0-3 and people are talking about firing your coach, you do desperate stuff. The Raiders’ DC Rob Ryan reached deep into papa Buddy’s bag of tricks.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 7, 2005 12:42 PM CDT reply actions

Obiru,

You’re parroting that long post that was reposted here about Julius having his “natural ablity” being coached out of him by the staff.

Give me an example. I don’t see it. I think he might be running hurt and he was reaching for his groin in the Raiders game. But I see him grinding out yards on plays that are not that well blocked thus far. One reason he’s not getting big gains is that he’s not seeing holes he had last year.

And I love the request, “what role is he playing in the demise? He HAS to be.”
I’m not going to do your work for you, Cash and AW. If you’re convinced something
he’s screwing up, it’s your task to prove it, not mine.

by Rafael Vela on Oct 7, 2005 1:01 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael:
Yeah, those guys take too much value on stats, what they don’t see is the yardage that JJ doesn’t get for bad execution, as you said, on Sunday game there were several plays in which JJ could have gotten more yards than the one yard gains he was making, that’s yardage lost for execution. The same happened the week before, and I’ve been worried since then, I used to see the holes getting open and suddenly someone crumbled and Jones was stopped for minimum gain, Ulbrich and Young tooked the most advantage of those missed executions.

I hope that everyone on the front takes everything to another level, heard that Campbell talked to the team, execution could’ve been the topic. Right now all the parts involved in the running game need to forget past performances and do what they know they have to.

by Chandus on Oct 7, 2005 2:22 PM CDT reply actions

Mr. Bill,

Who would know more about play calling than Bledsoe and Keyshawn or Mickey Spagnola? … The players also want to “throw the first punch”, and I think that is what some bloggers are saying,“Be more agressive!” … But the problem isn’t Bledsoe or Keyshawn, its the protection … Parcells doesn’t trust his young RBs and his rookie OT in protection schemes, and doesn’t want to get his QB hurt. … Payton called a screen last week at the perfect time, and if executed properly it would have resulted in a huge gain, but Julius ran into Witten and never got into the flat. Not having a player like Richie Anderson is hurting the offense, and right now Polite isn’t cutting it, and trying to fill “Anderson’s roll” with Witten and Julius IS effecting their games. Dallas needs a true FB, one that is a receiving threat and a good blocker. … So I think everyone is a little right here, execution has cost the Boys, but also having a FB would allow Payton and Parcells to be more agressive and less predictable (that’s where they want to be).

by EricR on Oct 7, 2005 6:58 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael, very good analysis and writing! I look forward to your posts.

First, I want to say that for the most part, I’m optimistic. Think about it. Our pre-season concerns (RT, WR, QB) have turned out fine. WeÃ¢â‚¬â"¢ve been at least solid.

But I am als frustrated. The frustration is the running game, and who could have guessed we would have problems running the ball after last year?

ManTab posed a good question to the blog, and I donÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t think it was addressed. Here it is again.

Why was our running game so much stronger during the final 7 games of last season than it is today?

Is it our OLine? It shouldn’t be. We have Rivera and Campbell. And although we have a rookie RT, isn’t he at least as good as what he had last year?

Is it because JJ was fresh during the 2nd half of last season? Were opposing defenses really that worn down? You can’t tell me that fatigue accounted for 820 yards over 7 games. I just donÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t believe it.

Is it because JJ is no longer an unknown back? I don’t think so. I donÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t think defensive coordinators somehow overlooked the way JJ was tearing up the league last season. They were ready for him. After a couple of weeks, defenses knew that to stop Dallas, you had to control JJ. But they couldnÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t do it.

Is it because of the 8 man defenses we have been facing this year? Didn’t we see them last year too? Think about it. After TG went down last year, we had no passing threat except for our TE.

Has JJ lost his talen? Of course not. He’s probably 22 years old.

I post this question because I don’t know the answer. Rafael answered why we are struggling to run the ball, but so far, I havenÃ¢â‚¬â"¢t heard anyone explain how we were able to run it last year, but not this year. This is my frustration.

by Madcowboy on Oct 8, 2005 10:27 AM CDT reply actions

Execution, mad, last year from Johnson to Flozell, they executed as they were supposed to, we can also name Barnes, I think that he’s a better blocker than Polite, but Polite is a much better pass catcher. Campbell’s still Campbell. Witten’s also, he’s a pass catcher looking to round his game. Let’s see if something looks to be adressed by Sunday…

by Chandus on Oct 8, 2005 1:52 PM CDT reply actions

Rafael,

What a small world! I beleive the high school that almost beat Edinburg was McAllen Memorial High School. And as I recall the game ended on a Memorial missed field goal. It was exciting though, wasn’t it? I happened to be a junior at Memorial at the time! That’s a game I’ll never forget.

by Big Jim on Oct 8, 2005 7:16 PM CDT reply actions