It's Not the Play Calling

Rafael Vela
Good gob again, our offence is not that good period, so go ahead and blame the line. If the line is the problem lets just not play anymore games because its not going to get a whole lot better. The whole offence unit is a problem. The line is not a new problem its time to get over it and move on to something that can be changed this season. We can’t get a big time player this year either so the only thing that can change is adjustments to the game plans.

I completely disagree. I think the efficiency of the line depends on the improvement of Rob Petitti and improved play from the centers. And why would you think that they’re not going to improve?

The defense gave up seven long TD passes in the first four games. They’ve been money the last three. Did they throw up their hands and say, Keith Davis and Bradie James suck, he’s not going to get better, let’s work on some crazy blitz packages because that’s the only option open to us?

No, James has gone from a bust to one of the team leaders in three short weeks. Why would you think that a guy like Petitti or young guys like Tucker, Johnson and Gurode can’t do the same?

Damn,

Right on…glad someone is able to see that things arent so different as people make them out to be.

Although we may not be 6-1 or 7-0, at least i can say I am enjoying seeing the team grow week by week. It is such a big difference frm previous years but seems like everyone is so bent on rapid improvements. Unfortunately, life is perfect and neither are the Cowboys but part of being a fan is watching your team grow (or even go from a 1-15 season to super bowls to 6-10 seasons to whereever we are going now). I do, however, sometimes criticize them for their mistakes but sometiems it seems people take it so far. That whole Randy Galloway column……just wow…just makes me glad sometimes that these people arent in charge of the game…we would so be in for a rude awakening.

Anyways, great job on your analysis.

Rafael Vela

The D has had one bad game as a unit. Unlike some people I know the D will give up plays its just how it is. The offence has been up and down ( down the last two games) I just tired of hearing after every lost its the o line fault. When it is deeper then that. The line can improve this year but it wont get fix this year. The line is going to be a problem but after 7 games its time to adjust and look at other things. I’m not the one down on the o line or blame the line after a lost here……We don’t have the worst line or even close to the worst ling in the NFL so its has to be other things too.

Rafael-Why would you expect any quality analysis from Galloway? He sounds like he’s on the sauce every day(must be from the MNF school). As for the other folks that find the play calling too conservative maybe we should open it up like Houston does and see how durable Bledsoe is. I’m not of the school that they’ve called a perfect game or that I wouldn’t have opened it up but I’m not at Valley Ranch everyday in the to see how the players are developing and what they are doing well each week. This whole discussion reminds me of the Brett Favre commercial where he walks around second guessing everyday people on hairstyle, double bagging groceries etc. If these critics could do it any better they would be on the sidelines somewhere getting paid $4mil a year to do it. This isn’t Madden football; this is real life. Let’s see these people put their paycheck on the line and see how they call plays then.

I have questioned BP for constantly shuffling the O-line in preseason which prevented them from gelling and getting in sync; however, if I could do it better I wouldn’t be where I’m at.

Rapheal,

Once again you separate the wheat from the chaff and show – with factual proof – why the Cowboys are where they are. I wish I had half your techinical football expertise. You take apart a game lke you are a professional scout on the team payroll and I am glad that I found this site.

aw,

How come you have such a difficult time with the fact that our O line play – two rookies basically – is at the bottom of our offensive woes?

We have two rb’s – JJ and MBIII – who are NFL starter material. We have a above average WR core. Our TE’s are all world – blocking and/or pass catching – and our QB is a Vet who has proven that he will perform given a few seconds to throw.

What is the missing link here?? We have two very inexperienced tackles on the team and they are having growing pains and need help and that is why we aren’t 6-1 or 5-2.

I like your passion on Football matters, but this time I don’t get your angle.

Rafael

Do you have the same run/pass breakdown for the second half of those games?

“I just tired of hearing after every lost its the o line fault. When it is deeper then that. The line can improve this year but it wont get fix this year. The line is going to be a problem but after 7 games its time to adjust and look at other things.”

Prove it, aw. You say it over and over again. Offer some proof.

And yes, I did criticize the line after a loss. Because the Seattle game in on them, for the most part. But you’re projecting your damnation of them on me. Just because I said they sucked doesn’t mean I think they’re gonna stay that way. You’re the one making that terminal diagnosis.

ramac,

Not off the top of my head, but I’ll venture that the run/pass ratios in all three games are reversed, going to a 60/40 run mix. In the Eagles game to grind down the half and protect a lead, and in the Giants and especially the Seattle game to protect the QB from the seive-like protection.

I of course meant “going off the top of my head….”

If the O line does not do its job, the offense fails. simple as that.
I do not know why some just cannot figure that out.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE LINE.

Mr. Vela,
Nice job again. Your analysis is consistently more thorough and insightful than all of the Dallas-area sports writers combined. With that said, I would have liked to see 1st or 2nd down play-action passes after the two turnovers deep in Seattle territory. Also, more screens should slow down a pass rush if the screens are effective, but Dallas didnâ€â"¢t seem to want to run those anymore after a penalty killed a big gain.
Still, its hard to argue with your overall conclusions.

The more I hear from the likes of Galloway the less I listen.

If play calling was the answer, then the best computer geek would win each week. Ah, but the NFL is stocked with human beings, not video-game characters.

The powerhouse Cowboys of the mid 90’s ran the same plays over and over, very predictable, and beat the snot out of just about everyone because of execution. Seems like a guy named Lombardi stressed execution also.

Rafael, how would you rate the job offensive line coach Tony Sparano is doing developing our young guys? How much impact does veteren leadership from Allen and Rivera influence the younger players?

Rafael:

Great analysis, there’s another stat, but one that I can’t find and that’s QB pressures and I don’t need to be a PhD in Math to know that QB pressures tend to change schemes. And it really changed things, before Flozell we saw Bledsoe looking for Glenn or Crayton deep every once in a while, at Seattle I only saw that twice, if I’m wrong please correct me, but it really hasn’t changed the passing game, Parcells still wants the ball in the air and the stats you cited show that, but it’s more of 5 – 20 yard passes now.

And I guess that by now we should all quit giving this type of explanations, it’s obvious that we’ll always find guys that don’t understand stats and keep saying the same things over and over.

I think Parcells problem is not in conservative game plans (your numbers are solid evidence that they aren’t), but rather in going too conservative in specific situations. In both cases where the Cowboys had the ball in the red zone late in the Seattle game, they chose to run on first and second down. That lead to obvious passing situations on third down. If any one of those four running plays is a play action pass instead, I think the Cowboys would’ve had a much better chance of getting a touchdown, and putting the game out of Seattle’s reach.

James H:

As Rafael cited also in another post, the OLine might have been coached a lot at QB protection, taking some time off run blocking, that’s understandable seeing the type of running game Dallas had early in the season, now I think that the OLine is working a 50-50, as it should be, and it shows, the running lanes are getting bigger. Now pass protection’s having some problems, but you can also figure that Seattle had 18 sacks in 6 games and of the 5 sacks they made on Sunday 2 were allowed by Johnson and Rivera, the other 3 are expected, considering especially that Petitti was being left alone more that in previous times and Tucker playing for the 1st time at LT. We can expect that Petitti will have more problems, especially while being left alone, Tucker might gave up a sack every game, but we shouldn’t expect the same from the guys in the center of the line, with the exception of Allen, who’s solid, bu not great. Johnson and Rivera need to step up and show what they’ve shown in the past and what we know they’re capable of accomplishing.

Excellent breakdown Rafael! You can’t dispute the facts. I have (almost) no problem with the game plan so far. I have felt all year our execution is a direct reflection on how our offensive line plays. I have not felt like the line has played that great all year with the exception of the Eagles game.

The only problem I had with the play calling last week was I would have liked to see us be more agressive in the red zone utilizing playaction on 1st down and running on 2nd down, instead of run, run, pass. Bill has been known to try and make the other team pay after turnovers, but in this case he was ultra conservative. Then I thought it was unwise to suddenly be aggressive instead of conservative by throwing on third and long in our own territory with the clock running in the 4th Quarter. I felt thats the place to be conservative and run the ball and play for overtime.

Other than that I think our playcalling is fine and is effective when our offensive line plays a solid game.

We can only hope that those guys can get their act together soon, and all will be well. I hope!

Rafael

Was it the O-line fault Bledsoe had two picks??? Was it the o-line fault we didn’t put up more points against Washington? 0 sacks that game. Was it the o-lines fault we only put up 13 points against Oak? The O-line is not that bad and yes they can get better. We have a qb that can’t avoid sacks and buy extra time. We have a rb that has yet put up a good game against a good teams. And has looked avenge at best in all but three games he has played. I don’t want to hear what he was on this way to against Philly or what he would have done against Seattle. You can give me all his numbers but most of those number come from three great games. We don’t have a #1 WR not every team has one. Just like the D need the offence to put up more point or at least try to put a game away when the D give them a short field to work with. The line need needs help from the play calling and the other player until they start playing better.

AlanTdot
The poor play of the line is part of the problem but its been a problem from the jump so its time a find a way to help the line.

Great analysis Rapheal.

aw,

if you’re going to contend with rafael’s argument that the cowboy’s play calling over the last three weeks isn’t conservative then don’t bring up games that go beyond the past three weeks. out of those three games rafael is referring to, he washington or oakland isn’t included. after all of these quality statistical breakdowns rafael has provided, why do u still not understand our o-line is the peril to our game and not the play calling? what do you need to clear your judgement? cliffnotes for rafael’s blog? okay, i’ll try and break it down:

cliffnotes for rafael’s blog:
cause – cowboys lose to another nail biter. this time, it’s against seattle.
effect – popular perception especially voices who are quick to judge without accurately researching the matter, otherwise affectionately referred to as mediots say parcells has gone to conservative play calling.

cause – rafael researches the game combing each play with a reliable, professional football analysis machine, i.e. tivo or similar recording device.
effect – he learns the first three halves of our last three games (philadelphi, new york and seattle) are all fairly equally in proportion to pass vs. run including first down play calling.

cause – althoug popular perception isn’t privy to rafael’s blog, we privelaged ones saw rafael’s revelation, which quickly transformed our blame from play calling to our offensive line.
effect – contrary to the rest of us, you still adamently argue that the blame falls on parcell’s play calling and recite washington and oakland, both of which are outside the games in question.

but it’s okay because hopefully with these cliff notes, you can get it. either that or you just like to bash on parcells and you’re you’re really not who you say you are, but rather jimmy johnson and are just jelous that dallas as reemerging as a powerhouse again and doing it without you.

Raf,

What your analysis ignores is that while there may be the same mix of pass to run plays, not every reciever has been an option in every game. With the decline in Petitti’s play and the addition of Tucker as our LT, the RB’s and Witten have had to handle more blocking duties. That in and of itself makes it easier for defenses when they only have 1 or 3 WR to worry about.

*sorry meant to say 1 or 2 WR to worry about.

problem child
Did the line make Bledsoe throw two picks?? I haven’t bashed BP. The offence as a unit is not getting it done not just the line. We had four turnovers against NY the line didn’t turn the ball over. BP said it himself the snap wasn’t a problem until Bledsoe got here.

Did the O line throw two picks? If the QB has to throw before he wants to due to poor protection then yes the O line helped throw two INT’s.

Did you watch the replay of the snap that never hits Bledsoe’s hands? Yes the O line (center) helped with that too!

If the RB’s are not having great games is it because they don’t want to run or are there no holes?

Not protecting the QB = INT’s and turnovers.

Not opening holes = poor running.

aw,

What we do know about Bledsoe is that when he isn’t given time he
a) locks onto one reciever and.
b) tends to hold on to the ball and take a sack.

I am sure Raph had a stat that showed that Bledsoe has less than four or five seconds to throw the ball vs Seattle and against Philly, he had six seconds and more.

There are QB’s in the league who can remain unaffected by pass rush pressure and getting hit, but there aren’t many – Maybe Four and two of them are going to the HOF – and as BP says they don’t sell them at the 7 eleven.

Bledsoe is what he is, a vet QB leader who will blow you to pieces if he gets some reliable protection – 1 maybe 2 sacks a game.

a lot of good points made here, but the bottom line is, a four teams in the NFC east have 4 wins, we have one extra loss due to an extra game played. the other teams will beat each other up over the next few weeks and when the smoke clears, we will be on top.

We beat Philly, new york and pretty had our way with washington (all bet the W of course), so who’s to say we can’t take them again. Hell, we usually play all three teams better ON THEIR TURF!.

Funny thing about perception, it is only as bad or good as the last game played!

ENJOY THE RIDE GUYS

Oh, one more thing, The offense starting opening some big running lanes in philly, and have continuted to do so. Can’t wait to see what JJ will do with those holes….he didn’t have them the first few games.

I’m not disappointed in the way we played the last game. If we have a reliable FG kicker those games are wins.

rmac
If you dont want to throw it then dont throw it.
The snap, take it up with BP he said it.
There are holes.

The real goat last sunday isn’t bledsoe, it’s cortez. We’da beat Seattle if not for cortez. The O-line, rookies notwithstanding, is good, the D is great- and when Jones gets back in the game- hopefully vs Philly, then we’ll be on the way to a wild card or the division…

Brent,

Bledsoe gets a piece of the blame for locking into TGlenn and throwing into dbl coverage with 10 seconds left. Yeah he was happy foot Drew cause of the pressure, but that throw wasn’t what you expect from a vet.

Aw,
I agree with you. It’s not the OL fault, ok they might give a sack or two here and there. Drew is in his half season in play, and you can tell he’s beginning to slack off. The interception at the end of Seattle’s game is Drews fault. He will slowly start declining the second have of this year. Hey, when the Cowboys hired him, they knew he is not a mobile QB and he hangs on to the ball too much. BP has to start passing more and hope “Happy Feet” Drew can start off like he did the first 5 or 6 games and get his rythm back. Happy Sailing!

Dallas Dan,

Yes the int at the end of the game was Drews fault.

The rest of your post barely rises above conjecture.

I don’t see how you can agree with AW, as he always tries to back up what he says with more than

“He will slowly start declining the second have of this year.”

What is that? Why will he decline? Why bother to put untested supposition on this site? Shouldn’t you be out raking the leaves or something? Washing the car?

Really perhaps you need to stick to just reading the occasional post and then chip in with a GOOOOOOO COWBOYS!!!!!!! every other week or so.

the Randy Galloway suggestion that:
“I should have turned loose Sean Payton with the game plan” is right as I have repeatedly opined in this blog.

BP’s solution (which Rafael endorses) is “efficiency” — i.e. this is a player problem not a coaching problem. The fact is the play calling and player performance is a simbiotic relationship (each is dependant on the other) I happen to believe more can be changed from the coaching perspective than the player perspective.

I don’t think the pass / run percentage accurately captures the problem or identifies the play calling. I say that when BP asked his team about opening up the offense prior to the Eagles game, BP was really positing the question (albeit unspoken) “Do you guys want me to fully implement Sean Payton’s offense?” I believe Payton was given new inspiration and added incentive in the offensive game plan.
Maybe I’ll go with “efficiency” answer too but also apply it as between Bill Parcells and Sean Payton. Efficiency would be letting Sean — uh, how did Mr. Galloway say it - “turn loose Sean Payton with the game plan.” That would be “efficient” and not conservative - even if only from Bill Parcell’s point of view.

Did anyone see this?

Allen went after Cortez again?
from the dc.com website.

" Nearly lost in Seattle’s drizzle was Allen trying to pull a repeat, to say nothing of Cortez’ head from his shoulders. A study of the game tape on the fated missed field goal will show Allen making his block, raising his head after the kick to watch it sail wide, pounding the turf in anger and anguish and confronting Cortez again! In San Francisco, teammate Jason Witten intervened to pull Allen away. Sunday, a Seahawk happened to pass between Allen and Cortez, and maybe something everyone and no one wanted to see."

When the commentators in the booth laugh and joke and say’Watch,the Cowboys will run this play"(and they did) we have a predictability problem.The Philly game was like it was because Philly didn’t expect us to come out slinging like we did.Even Bledsoe said BP should open it up more this morning on 103.3,I feel that a more innovative(and less predictable) gameplan would help immensely.

AlanTdot
that was funny. lol

Look at this sad numbers our O-line is allowing our offence to put up…..

—Dallas has recorded at least 300 yards in six of its seven games this year. The Cowboys have recorded more than 350 yards in four of the last six games. —Dallas has made more trips into the opponents’ red zone (27) than any other NFC team. Only AFC clubs Cincinnati (29) and Indianapolis (27) have been inside the opposition 20-yard line as-much-or-more than Dallas. The Cowboys have scored touchdowns on 13 of their 27 trips inside the 20.

—The Dallas offense has turned the ball over 12 times in seven games. Seven NFC teams have committed fewer turnovers.

—Dallas is the only NFL team to have three running backs with at least 125 yards rushing on the year: Julius Jones (407), Tyson Thompson (161) and Marion Barber (126).

footballoutsiders.com (which does a bunch of really cool, nonstandard stats) has the Dal Oline ranked 21 (bottom 1/3). The overall offense ranks 16 (top 1/2). I wonder if the columns/complaints are because Dallas leads the league in # rushes?

At the press conf. BP was asked something like ‘why can’t you guys close this out’. meaning get further ahead rather than losing close games in the last two mins. And he replied ‘Maybe we’re not that good.’ I found that reply shocking but maybe he has a point that the team is young and still learning.

I was listening to a interview with Dan Campbell, in which he said there were “shots” in the game plan. They actually ran those plays, but there wasn’t enough protection from the line. While Flozell wasn’t playing up to expectations he is still better than Tucker. Also, they were able to offer backfield help to Petiti with Adams in the lineup. It’s hard to take a 5 yard drop with no protection.

Hi Everybody!

First of all, wow – Galloway, just turn in your press credentials. You just got schooled, and unless you want to go watch tape and can come back with a coutner argument, don’t say another word.

(was this the guy who showed up late at training camp eating hot dogs and wiping mustard from his mouth with press releases, or is Oiler Troll confused like he is liable to be?)

Back to the team and the matter at hand – let’s go into the way-back machine and consider Bledsoe as an outgoing Patriot. Billichick’s staff thought Tom Brady was a better keep because Brady saw more of the whole field and dumped the ball off more often than Bledsoe. Brady did not instinctively force things deep as Bledsoe allegedly does.

Question: is there a clear indication that when rushed, Bledsoe will heave it long and make mistakes more frequently (or is the answer so obvious that the question need not be asked)?

OT

sharkz

You hit it as a predictability issue. If we can identify why we are more predictable, then we can work towards solving the problem. Is “efficiency’ making us more predictable? No. In fact, the so-called efficiency answer thumbs its nose at predictability and says "here we come but you cant stop it” So if BP and Rafael are correct, this offense will stay in that same range of predictability but will prevail because the players will execute or execute better. We’ll see….

Random Thoughts:

Randy Galloway is an opinionated idiot, who is still mad because Jerry ran Jimmy off. He is a Jimmy loyalist, since Jimmy called his show to make his famous “brass ones” prediction before that San Fran playoff game. He is waiting for Parcells to fail, so he can run Jimmy’s proxy “I told you so” for him.

Randy’s job is to generate ratings and sell papers, and he succeeds if others talk about him. I move we ban everything he writes or says from the site, although with everything Skip Clueless writes or says. Only real, grounded opinions need be heeded, certainly not rantings.

It’s not either-or, between the line and coaching. Could the line’s woes be corrected or minimized through better coaching? Who knows, but the team personnel is not changing until next spring, so we should all hope for improvement due to better coaching. If not, this season could get bleak.

Is the play calling obvious at times? Yes. Should the Cowboys have beaten Seattle anyway? Absolutely. Whose fault is it? The whole team’s. Every one of them was capable of making one more play, and the game would never have come out like it did if any one of them had.

Football is won at the line of scrimmage. Good lines impose their will on the other team’s lines. I really don’t need statistics to tell me this line is not very tough, and hasn’t been all year. I haven’t seen a push yet when the other team knew it was coming, which is the mark of a great line and great team. This is currently neither, although some of the pieces are coming into place for one.

The Cowboys won the defensive line of scrimmage until the final two or three minutes, and lost the game. The defensive backs covered well until the last few minutes, then suddenly didn’t and lost the game. The offensive line won the line of scrimmage until they got into the red zone, then failed and lost the game. Bledsoe threw well enough to win until the last few seconds, then thrw a stupid pass and lost the game. The runners ran hard, but fumbled and lost the game. The deep snapper played well until it was action time, then didn’t, and lost the game. Special teams players left early on punt coverage, drew penalties, and lost the game. The kicker sailed a gimme wide left, and lost the game.

Have I forgotten anybody?

It was a team loss. By my reckoning, given the team’s makeup, they were due two in the first half to teams they should have beaten, and this was their second. If they quit losing to teams they should beat, they still go 10-6 and make the playoffs, as the consensus predicted.

Get over it.

I’m no expert, but it seems to me like we need to get a little creative in solving our problems at tackle, but leave those guys in so they get experience & get better.

It’s difficult to assist both tackles at once, in the same play. But, perhaps we should, at least sometimes, work with less of the field from L to R. For example, a few more outside runs and then help the tackle on the side we’re running to with the TE/H-Back or FB. An occasional screen to the left or right might be wise as well to slow down the rush a little. Bledsoe is not the most mobile QB in the world, but he can move … maybe some half-rolls to the side getting help might give another quarter/half second. Shovel pass in the interior as the defensive ends fly past our tackles? Something … we have to slow down the rush & we can’t do it on both sides at the same time.

We may just have to wait for the tackles to get better and Jones to come back – a good running game will slow it down a bit. But, my hope is Parcells & co. can get a little creative (no, I don’t mean trick plays).

Dylan

aw:
First off, those sad numbers you mentioned, aren’t sad, you know? But there’s a catch, efficiency in the red zone began to erode after the 3rd game, Dallas was the number 1 team at efficiency in the red zone in those first 3 games, then they began to crumble. Why? Bledsoe hasn’t thrown an interception in the red zone. So you take the answer of your liking, I’m sticking with the evidenced problem of the OLine.

On another subject, those lost exchanges from Johnson to Bledsoe, after looking replays of the exchanges, every one of them showed Johnson hitting with the ball his left thigh, twice the ball went rolling from there, the other one went into Bledsoe’s hands in a bad angle. But, of course, you can blame Bledsoe, objectivity is a subject exposed by the free speach one.

Dylan:
I think that Dallas can survive, and definitely play better, with the game plan followed in the last games. But they do need a better play from the center of the line, when your tackles allow sacks, you better not allow sacks from the middle, at Seattle Johnson and Rivera allowed 2. The 3 allowed by Tucker and Petitti are expected.

mmmm…interesting point. I’m sold

Well, as far as Tucker & Petitti, you also have to factor in the pressures & penalties, not just sacks ….. and the running back drops for a loss. It is significant … I’m about to rewatch the game to make sure I’m not misremembering (good George W. sounding phrase), but I believe there were a number of plays beyond the sacks that were stuffed in one way or another from misplay by the tackles. Previously, we were able to help Petitti consistently and we played well. Two is just too much to protect.

So, my point is, the tackles are the biggest problem and we should consider at least some play changes to compensate.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with the center of the line, Parcell needs to kick some ass on those guys as far as I can tell.

Dylan

Well, Al Johnson is technically a 2nd year player, because he missed his first year because of injury. So maybe he has the famous sophomore slump

Rafael really breaks it down. Who needs CowboysPlus!

Wasn’t much of a breakdown if you ask me. He glossed over some very obvious points to fluff Parcells.

I haven’t read the whole thread, so sorry if this is redundant but it looks to me like A Johnson is just getting pushed into the backfield too much. Alot of the pressure on Bledsoe that last few games has been right up the middle b/c of this.

Also it has been very frustrating the last few games because while it doesn’t seem like we’ve run the ball too badly in general, we haven’t been able to run in short yardage situations at all. Mick on DC.com pointed out the problem with rushing touchdowns but its the same deal with 3rd and 1, etc. Any thoughts on this?

Also, why not have Thompson run outside once in a while with that speed?

If anyone reads 1st and 10 with John Clayton, I like the points he makes. He says that although in the preseason our team looked worse, our team has flourished. Our D is playing great and our 3 losses are extremely winnable games.

ANyone have any updates on JJ?

jk,

running outside isn’t as easy as it may seem in the preseason against scrubs. NFL starting LB’s are very fast, and what you saw out of TT in the preseason doesn’t mean it will translate to what he can do against first team defenses.

Two things:
1. With their first pick in the first round, the Dallas Cowboys select 6’3" 215lb, Free Safety and Nickel Back from the great state of Virginia, former Virginia Tech Hokie, Jimmy Williams.
8 years later, football knowitalls will say this was the lynchpin move that concreted one of the greatest defenses in pro football history. Why on earth would you ever pass against that D? And how are you going to run?
2nd pick, also from God’s country and the great state of Virginia, OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson and a trade up to nab LB Ahmad Brooks. (these two are more wishful thinking)

2. AW, what’s your point? You spend a lot of space on these pages writing, but there are precious few specifics in your posts.
There’s something not right on offense – it’s not the offensive line – but there’s something wrong you just can’t put your finger on? You don’t know what it is. You’re not sure, but you’re sure that the ingredients are wrong – but it’s NOT the offensive line.
Try providing specifics when you endlessly counter sound arguments. Break down the elements of each play that you approve of, and you disprove of. Speaking in generalities and painting your opinions with a broad brush hint at you having only a meagre grasp of Xs and Os – not that any of us are Jim Walsh, especially me, and I don’t mean to badmouth your obvious enthusiasm for the game and the Cowboys. it’s just that every 4th post on this blog is your contrary opinion, and it’s not that i disprove of being contrary, it’s just that you’ve never provided anything other than a fan’s gut feeling and emotion from a perspective that’s 30,000 feet above the details. Which is more than Randy Galloway provided in his recent article, by the way. If you think of it, it’s hilarious that he’s criticizing Parcell’s game management ability. It’s like telling TS Eliot that his rhymes suck.

Joey,

Parcells is a nervous man. He’s constantly paranoid. I think his glass half empty approach sometimes is a detriment. To his credit I’ve seen him back off of that in public this year, and is trying hard to instill confidence in this team. Whether you think Parcells calls a good game or not, the truth is we have a first year starter at LT and one at RT and that’s not a good thing to have on your hands.

Rafael wants to say well if an ISLB can do it why not start offensive tackles? The “Mike” LB is a little less important than keeping you QB standing up, and a little easier to do.

On 3rd and 1, they should use the 5 linemen(Tucker, Allen, Johnson, Rivera, Petitti) both tight ends(Campbell and Witten), and use Spears and Gurode, as double fullbacks(or mobile guards), one back(Barber, Thompson, Thomas, or Jones) and Bledsoe. If one of the 5 interior offensive linemen is pushed back, or loses his block, Spears or Gurodel could aim at the loose defender. The defence could counter with 8 linemen and 3 linebackers, but a quick pass from Bledoe to Witten could spoil that counter move.
Or, Bledsoe could be replaced by a 3d fullback(maybe Noll), to add more mass in front of a single running quarterback(Barber apparently can pass, too)
I get to type down these crazy ideas, because I can’t be fired, and the media can’t criticize me.

I enjoy Randy Galloway’s writings, but we need to realize that he has an agenda here. He has been on Parcells over Bill’s ‘bus driver’ statement ever since he made it. Galloway misses no opportunity to play up the importance of the quarterback, irrespective of any circumstances regarding game situation or how the quarterback is actually playing.

Randy Galloway will always fault Bill Parcells if Parcells’ offense does not prominently feature the quarterback in every game, especially if they happen to lose it.

While the offensive line was certainly a major problem against Seattle, there are/were other factors — Bledsoe had an off game; Julius Jones was missing, allowing the Seahawks to play more deep zones, figuring that our running backs wouldn’t beat them by themselves. [I’m going to leave the kicker out of this discussion, since he is gone.]

When Jones was in the lineup, defenses concentrated on him, keeping 8 defenders in the box, which allowed Bledsoe and Glenn to return to Pro Bowl status. With Jones out, our opponents can back off the line. They will continue to do so, until either Jones returns or one of our other running backs begins to take advantage and really gouges a defense or two.

As much as I was impressed by the job Marion Barber did against Seattle, I doubt if he scares any teams yet. Certainly, no team worries about Anthony Thomas at all. With Tyson Thompson, you do have a threat with the ball. But the Cowboys don’t trust him at all in any pass-blocking situations. If I were the defensive coordinator for an opponent, I would put 9 on the line as soon as Tyson enters the game and tell everyone to go where he goes. In the last two games, Thompson has come in for one series in each. In each of those series, he carried the ball on every play, except one time when he was the primary receiver. If Thompson could only improve to acceptable in that (pass-blocking/blitz-pickup) area, he might be what we need to keep defenses honest.

As for Bledsoe, [I’ve said this before, so forgive me here] he needs protection. When he gets it, he is as good (or better) than any quarterback in the NFL. When he doesn’t get good protection, not only is he somewhat less mobile than Michael Vick (and maybe the Washington Monument), but he tends to make poor decisions with the ball. In this last game, it also looked like his accuracy was off. I don’t know if that was because he was feeling pressure, anticipating pressure, or just having an off day.

I believe that getting Julius Jones back will solve some of our problems. The coaches will also have to figure out the best way to implement protection schemes that give Bledsoe the time he needs to hit his receivers. That can be problematic, since giving more pass protection automatically reduces the number of receivers we can send out into patterns. We can also hope, as Rafael suggests, the these young linemen improve as the season progresses.

Some have asked why the Cowboys went away from their more open game plan in the second half. Well, duh!

Look! When a team loses a close game, everything gets doubly scrutinized. Everybody has an opinion as to why we lost, and who was to blame. Well, since we DID lose, they might be right. Maybe if we had kept the offense open, or even opened it up more, we would have won. That theory cannot be disproved, because it didn’t happen that way, and we lost.

However, I defy anyone to look at those first-half statistics, which the Cowboys coaching staff undoubtedly did, and argue logically (that is, without recourse to the final outcome) that with the offensive line getting whipped on a regular basis, with Bledsoe seemingly off his game, with the Seattle defense playing back, taking away most deep chances, with the Cowboys in the lead, in the rain, on the opponent’s field, with the defense having a great day; that the Cowboys should have called more pass plays (which hadn’t been working), instead of running plays (which had been working).

aw,

… BP said it himself the snap wasnâ€â"¢t a problem until Bledsoe got here.

You might have a point about the snaps prior to the Seahawks game. I really don’t know. But you can hardly blame Bledsoe for a snap which slipped out of Johnson’s hand and never had a chance to get back to the quarterback.

The snap, take it up with BP he said it.

Uh! Parcells said that BEFORE the Seattle game.

The ball was wet, and it slipped. After that play, Johnson asked for a new ball on every other play.

That one is on Johnson, and there is no way anyone can argue around it.

Ah, Cash and his fluffing.

Dude, aside from revealing a serious porn addiction, you really need to find some new material. Yours is lame.

Cash,

Who said I wasn’t taking receivers and routes into account? The packages they’ve given Petitti are no more severe than they were earlier in the season. He’s gotten chip help from Campbell or Witten or a back all season. The Cowboys have been able, most of the time, to send four out on routes. Sometimes, if it’s a three step drop, they send them all.

As with AW, prove it. Since it’s such an “obvious” point that I’m missing, I’m sure you can do it.

cash,

running outside isnâ€â"¢t as easy as it may seem in the preseason against scrubs. NFL starting LBâ€â"¢s are very fast, and what you saw out of TT in the preseason doesnâ€â"¢t mean it will translate to what he can do against first team defenses.

It’s not so much that those preseason defenders were slow scrubs. After all, not everyone who plays in the second half of a preseason game is slow. Actually, they could be faster than the starters, but lacking in other areas. It’s more that they were unprepared for Thompson’s speed. I don’t care how fast your linebackers are, when you have a player with Thompson’s speed, the defense has to split those linebackers out wider, or risk being turned.

There actually was a sweep called for Thompson this last game. It looked like the defender had the angle on him, but Thompson easily ran around him for a 10-yard gain.

Alantdot,
â€Å"He will slowly start declining the second have of this year.”

What is that? Why will he decline? Why bother to put untested supposition on this site? Shouldnâ€â"¢t you be out raking the leaves or something? Washing the car?

To answer your question why he will decline is because he’s known to do that. Haven’t you noticed he’s throwing more interceptions and he’s panicking more? Take a look at him all these years and you’ll find out why he will decline.

My maid rakes the leaves and washes my care for me, thank you!

You can’t tell me if i can put untested supposition or not. I’m just telling you that’s the way i think will happen, if you don’t like my post, move on to the next one. Happy Sailing!

Rafael,

Very nice breakdown of the play calling.

I think some of the worse execution has come on screen plays. Effective screen passes can deter a good pass rush, and its paramount that the O-linemen stop holding defensive linemen away from the play. The big plays are there with the screens!! The players just have to execute!! .. The screen mixed in with Julius’ draw play can cause opponent’s defensive linemen fits. A definate deterant to an aggressive pass rushing team.

But hey guys this team is very young. Lets hope they can fix some of these problems in their execution. They have been in every game, and beat up on the “best team the NFC has to offer”. Not bad for a group of rookies and second year players finding their places. If they can just keep improving, then this thing can be special … “SUPER” even!! … This is a huge game, coming off an upsetting loss. So lets show them we are behind them and blow the lid off Texas Stadium this weekend!!

LETS GO COWBOYS!!!!!

football is a crazy game in that it can get quite complicated if you want it to be…game plans are about exposing weaknesses and creating a favorable matchup…thats all it is…sometimes I think calling plays is overrated…like another guy said earlier Landry ran the same plays again and again and execution was the key…he forced his receivers to run strict patterns, coached line technique mercilessly etc…when Staubach was out of the pocket he’d have a heart attack!…points only meant everyone was doing exactly what they were supposed to do and the results reinforced his demand for perfection…when a receiver was out of position by 2 feet yet made a spectacular grab…he’d take that guy to task over the 2 feet!…in general I like Paytons game altho a few times a game it’s too conservative…for me I always want to attack the end zone…anyone remember how many times Aikman would go deep as soon as he got to mid field on the first possesion of the second half…anyway the coach has to feel out the game and see what works and for that reason alone I like an aggressive call…I like that busted half back option…it’s a killer when it works same for the old flea flicker…rolling pockets would help out Bledsoe…shovel pass…whatever…lowtech works…I just dont think 4 wideouts to run the ball fools too many people…it’s power and execution every time and thats on the O line no question…in the air I like to see them go to Witten sooner and more often…nobody can cover him for long…I liked crayton for the same reasons everyone else does…an Irvin like willingness to fight for the ball and open for him is just a few inches…our RBs are plenty good enough maybe even stars…Barber reminds me of a smaller Dickerson sometimes with speed and power and will punish the tackler…I’m not sure how much they miss Jones but I dont miss him at all!…it’s all on the line tho so to speak….and Cortez killed us…big leg but it flew all over the park…kickers control momentum…I’ll take numbers over distance any day…sorry I’m so windy

If the line blocks for Bledsoe he eats you up. If they do not he won’t. Simple as that.

Raf,

Your analysis is revealing and should put to bed any notion these guys are scared of calling risky plays. They simply understand the strengths and weaknesses of their own players and their opponents and devise plays to take advantage. Simple as that.

As BP has repeatedly stated, this is a game of execution. If the plays called had been executed we would have won every game — but what team cannot say that?

I think he really means – there are several plays (the best example being the missed field goals in Seattle and Washington) that should have been executed, no excuses. If they had we would not be having these discussions.

Our talent level is such that if we some reasonable level of execution, not perfect execution, we will fare very well this season. Not many teams can say that.

Sorry for the last paragraph, should have read:

Our talent level is such that with some reasonable level of execution, not perfect execution, we will fare very well this season. Not many teams can say that.

if we lose this one…we are officialy done.

“Wasnâ€â"¢t much of a breakdown if you ask me. He glossed over some very obvious points to fluff Parcells.”

Cash,

could you elaborate a little bit on this?

Dallas Dan,

My maid washes the car? My maid washes the car?

That’s what you come back with?

" He’s throwing more interceptions.."

Yes, I too can type NFL.com and get statistics, but WHY is he throwing more interceptions?

Your next point – “Take a look at him all these years and youâ€â"¢ll find out why he will decline..” – sounds like something I wrote when I didn’t do my homework and wrote an essay while walking to school in Grade Five.

Yes, you are right that I can’t tell you what to post, but I sure can tell you that your post is unsubstanciated supposition. And boring.

By the way, tell your mom/maid to give the pinto an extra coat of wax.

….my maid washes the car. meh…

Cash,

I agree, his analysis was black and white and I don’t see any patronizing of BP going on. Why don’t you explain what you mean?

Seems like Mr. Cash above is getting dogged quite alot for disagreeing with the BP / Rafael party line (sorry that may a bit inflammatory) that with his actual analysis
So now we go from analyzing the game to analyzing the analyzers? This blog is getting complicated…

linus,

I am not trying to dog Cash, I just want to know what he thinks has been overlooked. He makes good points and I want to see what this one is.

AW,

thanks for giving us some stats to chew on. Looking at those stats I understand your arguement. I don’t necessarily agree, but thats what makes this site fun.

EricR

Go Cowboys!!!
…that’s funny.

Joey2zs
Time and time again I have said the problem is the whole offence not just the line. Yes again read what I wrote the line is a problem but its not the only problem. The line is not that bad but when you have a qb that can’t avoid a sacks, so it looks worst. We don’t have a true playmaker that we can count on at the end of the game. We haven’t had a running game that can get the tough yards in a long time here. Was the line a problem last year or the year before that.

Rafael Vela
Question is play calling just about the number of pass/rushes or maybe can it be when you call those plays too? Numbers can be miss leading.
“As with AW, prove it.” Read my post we have be inside the 20 more then any other team in the nfc team we put up yards so does the line play bad at certain times??? The bottom line is the line is not a new problem, I expect to have problems with the line as does BP.

Mr. Bill
You are right about the bad snaps.

AlanTdot et al

My take: Cash was taking the angle that this blog isn’t about Rafael or being pro-Rafael / con-Rafael. I happen to think that Rafael or whoever gives his or her analysis should welcome a critique. They do. I just dont think we can expect every critique to be a term paper thesis. Mine sure aren’t.

My humble opinion is that, at least on these issues, Rafael is taking the BP party line — he is advocating the Bill Parcell’s analysis. And it is thorough and well thought out. I can’t touch the analysis BP and company may be right — I hope they are. But still, I do disagree. I think the offensive woes fall first on the coach — and then the relationship between the offensive coordinator and head coach.

Here’s the question that somebody can help me with (maybe you have but I don’t see it): What changed after BP had his pre-Eagle game revelation? Run / pass percentage? Apparently not according to Rafael’s and others stats. But yet there was a change — or was there? Was the supposed Eagle offensive change in name only? Was the reason we prevailed against the Eagles was not the offensive change in strategy but because of the early offensive success? i.e efficiency?

Wow! A loss to a playoff team and everyone gets testy. Me, too.

You want OLine stats? Our line has allowed the 9th most sacks. And the 6th worst yards per rush.

I agree with Rafael that the line is the main problem, but there ARE others:

• TT can’t be trusted to pass block, so when he’s in the game they have to run almost every play. That becomes predictable fast, but it’s TT’s fault. Or JJ, if you blame him for his injury. Or AT if you blame him for being old.

• TE Dan Campbell is now a great stud blocker but a poor receiver. He has 1 catch this year for 5 yards; last year he had just 2 for 16. So when he is in the game, defenses rarely respect him as a threat. One less thing to slow down their reads means everyone else is easier to defend.

• Bledsoe rarely throws to a single-covered Witten. Hope this changes, because it means defenses don’t have to spend an extra man doubling him. That would have taken one more man away from run support or deep coverage.

Here’s one that I expect to see over the next few games: Price’s blocking on running plays is not as good as Crayton’s, resulting in fewer successful runs outside the tackles to that side.

remnant……..

I think you are right on about Witten. Few LBs or Safeties match up well against Witten. If the Safety helps the LB than a WR should be open deep…….say uh Terry Glenn?

I don’t understand how the same guy that lit up Ben Coates isn’t utilizing Jason Witten. While he has catches and yards he is open more often than not. Maybe he needs to be an arrogant arse and write a book called…….Just give me the Damn Ball………or pick a fight with his QB.

Either way Jason Witten is not being utilized the way he should be, the way Parcells did last year……..or the way he did with Coates, Bavaro and others.

Witten like Novacek or Cosby is that guy that will get you first downs……..TDs……..and make the Defenses pay for doubling up a Glenn or a KJ or a Price. How many times did even old Vinny find Witten. Troy was loving Novacek back in the day. Novacek kept so many drives alive even on 3rd and 15 he seemed to find 16 yards for a first……….I don’t understand why Drew is not using Witten more. I mean I ain’t against hitting TG, KJ or PP but Witten is the guy that I see open or single covered the most and he has good hands and a big target……..

Hey Payton, Parcells and Bledsoe………..give Jason some more touches and watch the Defense start to double him……….like last year when he still had catches and yards……….then you can really open up TG or PP deep!

Patrick Crayton is a loss but not as big a loss as TG was last year. At least we got Price and I think Copper can play WR also. I do agree he was a good blocker and a great punt returner. I wonder if TNew would have gotten a chance this week if Henry was 100% any word on if he is playing or not. We need him Arizona has three of the best young WR in the league. They also have a very respectable passing attack. I hope the boys ain’t looking at them lightly cuz while we are all hoping to be 6-3 after the Eagles game Monday night………we best not be letting cards clip our plans. They always play Dallas tough.

First, kudos to Rafael and the rest of you guys a little – this is a great web site and I really appreciate the quality of the analysis. (I was going to say fluff Rafael, but I was afraid you’d all get the wrong idea – since I’m a cowboy fan from SF!)

Second, I think overall we all have to be pleased with the way the season is shaping up. We’re just frustrated because we’ve lost three ultra-close games for pretty obvious reasons – we never had a decent kicker, our best running back has missed three games, and we’re a very young team that has had a few execution problems.

That said, the O-line definitely needs to improve and if it can’t I think we need to go to more max protect pkgs on passing downs. However, do you think our WRs can get enough separation consistently in those situations. That is something else that has been bugging me. I would also like to see more play-action in running situations. And finally, could Bledsoe just look for friggen Witten everytime they are inside the 10!!!!!!

Hey Cowboy fans.

I agree with the play calling to a degree!
The packer in the late 60`s won three championships with a total of 16
offensive plays in the playbook. Now granted defensive schemes are much more complex today but it is really about execution. If every player executes thier role in an individual play it is almost impossible to stop.
If you have an excellent running game like Dallas in the 90`s on let`s say 3rd & 2, your going to run the ball. You know it, the other team knows it & everyone in the stands know it. But you still convert it, why , execution.
C`mon penalties have killed us. Poor line play & bad blocking have killed us. There are a lot of rookies & free agents on this team so what did we expect. They will grow & next year they will be dominate, especially on defense. As I said yesterday the NFC is waiting for one of these teams to step up this year. if the offense can start playing mistake free ball they have a great shot ! Like I said when you get a turnover on the other teams
9 yard line you cannot walk away with no points.The play calling did not cost them this game.Execution did. Have patience they will get better, maybe enough over the next few weeks to make a run at the playoffs.

AW,

You question Rafael’s analysis, but then prove his point. You state Dallas has been inside the “red zone” more than any other NFC team. Well when you can’t get rushing TDs inside the 20 yard line, especially when you have been there so many times .. that falls back on the offensive line. In the 1990s, when the Boys were dominating inside the “red zone”, most of the credit belonged to the O-line. Well if the O-line gets the credit for dominating inside the “red zone”, don’t you think they should also shoulder the blame for being so unproductive there too? .. Now I don’t think Rafael is saying ALL of the blame belongs to the offensive line, but bad QB/C exchanges, holding away from the action that killed nice big chunks of yards, not being able to run on short distance situations and inside the “red zone”, and allowing drive stopping sacks way too often … all adds up to poor line play. Again I’ll will go to something Troy Aikman often states, “You can have Joe Montana, Dan Marino, or Peyton Manning throwing the ball, but if the offensive line fails to give the QB time, he won’t be successful in the NFL.” .. Another point to consider is that the Cowboys’ offensive linemen have blown a number of screen plays this year. Being a good screen team will keep defensive linemen honest. There is no reason to hold on a screen pass!! If a team throws the kitchen sink at Bledsoe, and a little pass goes for a huge gain, teams are far less likely to keep blitzing the Boys. If Dallas could execute the screen play properly and consistantly, their opponents will be forced to respect that ability to make big plays off a little short pass. This type of play calling intends to deter defensive linemen to pinning back their ears and rushing the QB. Yet, the offensive linemen’s lack of execution of the screen has canceled out the good play calling.

Have you considered the formations and downs the passes are thrown on?

I’d be curious to know if we threw more long passes on first and second down, out of three reciever sets, in the Philly game than in all the others.

The numbers seem to match up but I wonder if that’s because in the other games we are throwing long passes because we have third and long after running conservative plays on first/second downs.

I don’t think we’ve been good at screens for years.

EricR
How do they get to the red zone so is the line only playing poor in the red zone? In the red zone there needs to be better line play, better play calling and someone needs to step up and make a play.

jk-sf
you are right.

EricR:
You forgot holding penalties as another of the OLine troubles in the red zone.

aw:
Define better play calling in the red zone.
Define the player that needs to step on in the red zone.

With the problems in the OLine and the short field, in the passing game the receivers and TE’s need to shake themselves of the shadows, that takes time and if the OLines doesn’t fulfill then play calling doesn’t work in passing plays. Now in the running game, again in the short field, Defenses stack from 6 to 7 guys at the line, if the OLine doesn’t give enough push, then the wall doesn’t open up, so play calling also fails.

About the players stepping up, well, JJ needs to step up, TT needs to learn to block, Barber and Thomas are what they are, but they also need the Line to open lanes and to keep them open for the RB to go through, if they open the lanes and they crumble when the RB is still there, as we’ve been seeing in several 1 and 2 yard runs, then that’s the OLine fault also. And what else can you ask from the receiving corps, Witten has been catching almost everything thrown his way, even with double coverages, Glenn and Keyshawn have facing double coverages at times too and the have some pretty good numbers, Crayton came down injured and Price is a good speedster which still is up to show us the money. You can’t ask much more.

But I would still like from you to amaze us with your thoughts. I know that you would like TO on our team, even when Glenn is over him in yards. I know that you would like to have Michael Vick, even when he’s been sacked 15 times, even with all the movility he has. So amaze us with your knowledge.

EricR
No, te line is not playing poor only in the Redzone, it’s just that when you’re closer to the Endzone you have less room to work with and the Defense has less room to cover, so the o-line has to give an extra effort to Run-block (Safeties and Lb closer to the line) or to Pass-Block (Safeties and LB closer to the WR)
That’s why you notice more the poor O-Line play in the RedZone.

Chandus
Yes I would take TO over glenn, TO is a number one glenn is not. TO makes the other WR better. Yes I would take Vick over Bledsoe and you would too. Vick is a playmaker. Who need to step up someone but we don’t have a playmaker that if we need a play can make a play. Not every team has a play maker so they have to find other ways to win. In the red zone I would like them to go for the kill not run it on 1st and 2nd down. Any player can make plays but a play maker can help others make plays too. and we don’t have that.

interesting Glover interview up on nfl.com

Damn….If i could pick a QB it sure as hell wouldnt be Vick, although he is a great player. Id rather have Peyton Manning or even has Eli to groom for the future, but im probably biased….(i met peyton once…well actually walked by and said hi heh)

although i totallt understand your point….and i think it would be interesting to see Vick in a different offense cuz I dnt like him at ATL. But then again I look at a team like Detroit and they have playmakers but the team isnt great either. Playmakers can only do so much.

Ricardo from TJ,

good point. Backed up Defenses are a lot harder to deal with.

Chandus,

about T.O., he might be a total jerk, but he is a better WR than TGlenn.

BUT, I am starting to lose my Vick fever. I watched that Monday nighter and it just seems like Vick keeps both teams in the game.

David Carr, 246
2. D. Culpepper, 164
3. Marc Bulger, 141
4. Drew Bledsoe, 115
5. Mark Brunell, 113
6. Anthony Wright, 110
7. Drew Brees, 109
8. M. Hasselbeck, 97
9. J. Delhomme, 88
10t. Brooks, Orton & Losman, 87
Quarterbacks sacked for most yards in 2005

Outkast
I wouldnt pick Vick either but he does make plays without him that team has not chance. Detroit has play makers but they are always hurt and there qb play is not good.

jk-sf,

Parcell’s teams have been good screen play teams. He has utalized the play to keep pass rushers off his QB.

AW,

Vick sucks!!! He can’t hit the barn door from 5 yards away.

You tell me, since I posed the question: If you give credit to the offensive line of the 90s for their “red zone” dominance, then how is this group not responsible for their inadequacy?

To answer your question … If the Cowboys start a drive from their 20 and Bledsoe completes 5-7 for 55 yards, and Barber rushes 4 times for 20 yards. Dallas is at the 5 yard line going in 1st and goal … but fail to get in. Who is MOST responcible for the “red zone” failure? Of course its the O-line! Now factor in botched snaps, critical holding calls, allowing unblocked defenders into rushing lanes on short yardage plays, and not giving Bledsoe enough time … that adds up to one thing … the offensive line is the MOST responsible for the Cowboys offensive woes.

Ricardo,

Regardless of having less room and more players in a consentrated area. The Cowboys are awful at running the ball inside the “red zone”, and are just as bad on short yardage plays from any where on the field. AW, says we have been in the “red zone” more than anyone in the NFC, yet only yielded 4 rushing TD’s. That is bad!!

most times in the “red zone” = 4 TDs = poor offensiveline play

Bottom line folks, every game will b close unless the boys somehow get big leads b4 half time & hold them. Otherwise, & as showin in ever game this yr., if that does not happen Parcell’s weak ass play calling will always allow for the other team the potential to come back & win. He relies 2 heavily on the “D” to make stops through an entire game & expects the “O” to make plays when called upon! The main problem with this view of thought is that it is only fool-proof if the boys play flawless football for 4 str8 quarters. Not that they r not capable of doing so, but the based on the possible out comes of any game in the NFL, the percentages r against the cowboys. So for Mr.B.P., the almighty himself likes to think he is in fact going into every game with the odds against him…..so he is actually a hypocrit & hard-headed, & at the end of this season I hope Jerry does the smart thing & fires him & brings in a more open-minded, “I could possibly be wrong from time to time, & need to re-think my approach” type of guy! Which clearly Bill is NOT!

EricR
Vick sucks is that right?? Vick is better than what we have. So with that line from the 90s you would put anybody at rb they would have done what smith done? Like I said before the line is a problem but has been a problem for a long time its not new. The line is going to give up sacks Bledsoe is going to give up sack to himself, not having a go to guy is going to create sacks and poor play calling is going to end drives and create sacks. We don’t have a good kicker that I think has missed kicks in all the games we lost. We have other problems question to you when did the poor play of the line start?

chris
I was with you until you said fire him. lol

Hmm…i guess i still dont understand why the “play calling” is still debated. We can say, for simplicity, that the O Line is not as good as we would like. THis can lead to sacks, fumbles, etc. So if thats the case, why would we even criticize the play calling….if the OLine isnt allowing opportunities, i can understand why some may feel why the play calling isnt “aggressive” because we risk giving the ball away (if, lets say, the OLine crumbles and bledsoe gets sacked and fumbles). Like it or not, it really wouldnt make sense to be “aggressive” with those problems…cuz it will lead to turnovers.
 
I forget which game it was? (sorry headache) and they attempted to do a flea flicker and I think it was Barber who almost lost the ball. If crap like this happens, can we really blame Parcells, Payton,etc for “poor play calling?” We may just as well be “passive.”

Yeah man, I get just a “tad” angry with him! But Bill needs to fess up to the fact that he is indeed not a robot, but human & could be wrong with the play calling! yet, it seems the more someone will ask him the more he will defend himself regardless if he is truely right or wrong! I want an openminded & a coach that does not punch his co-workers in the arm!

outkast
We got aggressive at the wrong time last week and we lost, we should have been aggressive when we was in the red zone to put the game away. That finally pick was on Bledsoe not the line.

Outkast
I don’t know why we debate the line play when every know its not the best and every knows we were going to have problems, this is nothing new to anyone including BP. The quickest thing they can chance is the game plan and play calling. KJ is not going to produce going deep all game like Glenn so you don’t send KJ deep. So adjust the game plan.

aw,

I am getting lost in this stuff.
Are you saying that BParcells needs to adjust to the fact that the OLine is not very good?
That he should tailor the offense to the level of play that his OLine can sustain?

Is that what your arguement is?

Chris,

to be fair that wasn’t much of a punch. More like a girlish slap.

And Vick is still something of an enigma in this league.

Maybe when he HAS to throw and he isn’t so far ahead athletically of his pursuers he will take pocket passing seriously, because he really doesn’t have to right now as his AA – athletic ability – gets him out of so many tight situations AND opens up so many holes in the opposition D for the RB’s.

Just some stats for fun from espn

Longest running play: Dallas ranks 31st (25yds), only GB is worse with 24 yds.
Yards per carry: Dallas 3.3 yds (only 4 teams worse).
No team in the NFL has more rushing attempts per game than Dallas 249/7 gms = 36/gm. Even with the most rushing attempts per game the Boys are #14 in rush yds/gm at 119 yds.

Passing yds per game the Boys #9 with 240 yds/gm (32 attempts per game).
Offensive plays per game the Boys 67/gm for #2 in NFL (only 1 team has more at 68) guess who? Answer at bottom
Dallas has given up 18 sacks so far for 2.6 per game.

team with highest passing percentage is 4-2 Phily at 72%
team with highest running percentage is 4-2 Pitts at 62%
team with most balance at 50% run/pass is 3-4 SD
go figure
Dallas is 53% running plays

Only 2 teams have fewer pts scored/gm than Dallas and have a winning record
TB which has the #1 defense
JAC which has the #5 defense and has HOU and TENN in their divison

Penalties hurt:
Rivera false start at WAS 10 yard line (the Boys get FG).
A Johnson holding brings back a TD
KJ in motion toward line of scrimage before snap brings back TD

With 68 offensive plays per game Washington leads the league (due to rounding above it looks like Dallas also has 68 per gm).

AW,

.. The point made is that the offensive line’s execution is MOST responsible for Cowboys drives abruptly ending. You seem to assurt that if the line plays well for 10 out of 15 plays, that they are doing OK and can’t be blamed for a failed drive. Well, what if Bledsoe goes 7 for 7, then on his 8th pass he throws a terrible pass that gets picked. With no pressure on him, and no Cowboy in the area, who is the MOST responcible for the drive ending? Of course it is Bledsoe. So, why can’t you see that a bad snap, a horrendus hold, or a missed blocking assignment would carry the bulk of the responcibility? … You can surely say “that final pick was on Bledsoe” … but can’t conclude that when there is pressure on him, its the line’s fault?

You don’t have to watch Vick for long to know that he is an awful passer. He can’t throw the football accurately at all. If you would build your hopes around a guy like that .. good luck!! Personally I feel that the Falcons are a better team with their back-up QB playing. Michael Vick was best when Dan Reeves coached him, because he never relied on his arm to win. It was play good defense, run the ball, and throw short passes. His 63.0 passer rating is pitiful!! .. Here is a question for ya .. If Atlanta falls behind in a game, what chance do they have of ever making a comeback? Without the threat of a pass, there is no 4 min. offense, there is no 2 min. offense. You can’t win against good teams only running the ball. I hope Dallas makes the playoffs and draws Atlanta, because Parcells is too good of a coach to allow a one demensional offense to beat him. So are a bunch of other coaches.

“We got aggressive at the wrong time last week and we lost”
14 seconds left in regulation time, 0 timeouts, and minimum 30 yards to a field goal attempt resulted in obviously misplaced aggression.
With an unknown kicker Sunday, I hope they limit field goal attempts to when they’re inside the 10. Outside the 10, they might as well try to keep driving. Also, those punts from inside the opposition 40 look crazy to me. If it’s 4th and 10 from the Arizona 40, they should just go for it, because a 1/3 chance to make that 1st down is at least as good as gaining 20 yards from a punt into the end zone.

Haha, glad Vick isnt reading this board at the moment heh. I dont think ‘aw’ really meant that Vick would be THE QB of his dreams, i think he was getting at the point that Vick is a playmaker and cowboys need a playmaker (afterall who can we rely on? i thought JJ was the answer but yea im worried seeing him missing these games)
Buttttttttttttttt who knows? I remember McNabb being somewhat of an enigma when he started to get his time in Philly and i remember how he first started to get booed when he didnt satisfy the philly fans. Granted McNabb may have matured quicker, I still have some hope for Vick to mature. Its great seeing him play but if he cant take command of his team (like somewhat of a McNabb) i dont see how teams would want to spend money on him, unless its just for puttin people in seats.

However, the season is far from over and hopefully good things will come with it. Hopefully, the O Line can gel and JJ finishes strong like last year, only better.

P.s. i dont mean JJ was THE answer but i had hopes he would be a playmaker.

Raf,

You can read Wittens own words about how his duties have changed over the course of the season because of our loss and lack of experience at LT. No analysis needed when it’s coming straight from the horses mouth. There were times in the Seattle game where we were running single reciever sets simply to hold up our pass protections. So while you want to trumpet the fact that you went back and watched the game tape and couted the number of pass plays to run plays that doesn’t mean they were the same type of pass plays with the same number of routes being run each play.

As far as the fluff comments, get over it and get a sense of humor. There are writers out there that cover the Cowboys that don’t like Parcells and forgive him of nothing, you on the other hand forgive him for everything. Whether that’s true or not its how I see it.

No doubt it was the play calling. If you think a 7 point lead in the NFL will take you home you might as well give it up. Any points would have won the game. When you hold your offense back it holds the players spirit back. At that point you are not playing win you are playing not to lose. I really can’t think of a nother team in the league that doesn’t try to score on every drive. I will say this. There were a number of plays and penalties that contributed to the loss but if you are putting points on the baord you can over come those plays. Everyone has them. Survival depends on what you have put in the bank on offense.

To Everyone,

My only intention in coming here is to challenge ourselves not to be blinded by our passion for this team. To say “Go Cowboys” or “Get R Done” is all fine and good, but through out this process I’m trying to learn as much about this game as I can and where the Cowboys actually are in the process of winning another title.

I do not proclaim to have the playing experience nor have I put the time in that Rafael has. Rafael, my point in challenging you is to get past your homerism to your true gut feelings of where the team actually is.

One experience on this site that left a bad taste in my mouth, is when last Summer I came on here and openly talked about how upset I was with our first two drafts under Parcells. Rafael and company laid into me for my cirtisicsm trumpeting the likes of Sean Ryan, Jacob Rogers, and Stephen Peterman. Where are they now Rafael? Parcells scored big in this last years draft and I’m very pleased but the man does do some wrong, Rafael and a few other choose not to see it.

The Cowboys are just suffering from the injury bug right now and adjustments have to be made and with these adjustments come some growing pains. While J.J. was not haveing a great year running the ball we are reduced to haveing haveing a couple of rookie running backs miss blocking assignments on passing situations. Defensive gameplans are going to be different when he is in there which is partly to blame for the drop in Offensive production starting in the second half of the Eagles game. You dont see the safety creeping up to the line of scrimage like you did when he was in there. I am not saying that we dont have issues with the O-line but you have to play with the best players that you have and i think the line play will improve.

I cant say I agree with all the play calling and I would like to see a little more play action on first down in the redzone but I have yet to recieve a penny as an offensive coordinator. I would also like to see a roll out or two to give Bledsoe a little more time to get rid of the ball. You dont have to be the most fleet of feet to complete a 10 yard bootleg pass to the tight end two to three times a game and it helps neutralize the blitz. This play was pretty succesful for Vinny last year and if he could do it at 120 yrs old then Drew should have no problem with it.

The defense is improving week by week and I think when J.J. gets back on the field you will see the offensive production pick up. Then we will have to find something else to criticize.

“…our first two drafts under Parcells. Rafael and company laid into me for my cirtisicsm trumpeting the likes of Sean Ryan, Jacob Rogers, and Stephen Peterman. Where are they now Rafael?”
I don’t know who Sean Ryan is.
Stephen Peterman is still listed at backup guard, apparently recovered from knee surgery last year. Jacob Rogers left during the 1st half of the 1st preseason game in Arizona, and his career may have ended then.
Flozell Adams was limping in that 1st Arizona game, too.
On the play calling, I’ve decided the Cowboys aren’t conservative enough. I want to see them run on EVERY play….no more passing, unless the passes are lateral pitchouts.
My new suggestion is Anthony Thomas at QB, with Thompson and Barber as the running backs. Leave Witten and Campbell in, replace Keyshawn and Glenn with a couple more big guys, like Gurode and Peterman(or Noll).
That could really spoil the day for Berry and Okeafor, because those guys won’t have a passer to rush at. Tucker and Petitti prefer to run block, so let them do it.

MOJO,

You from the Odessa Basin? I have alot of family up there.

………err Permian Basin.

Cash,
“There are writers out there that cover the Cowboys that donâ€â"¢t like Parcells and forgive him of nothing, you on the other hand forgive him for everything.”
Name me 1 writer in the press conferences that isn’t either afraid of Parcells or “enjoys his company”, as Jim Reeves does. Jen Floyd-Engel likes to show off new hair-do’s that remind him of one of his daughters’.
I never defend BP, but I really don’t know how some are blaming the play calling.
As for Raf, I’m not about to kiss anybody’s butt, but I think he calls it down the middle.
I wouldn’t wish it, but if Bledsoe this week throws a INT in the red zone instead of getting a FG while leading, there would be Gailey-type critics everywhere.

Mr T.,

Show me one post where Raf has ever been critical of a Parcells decision.

Lee,

exactly right, Peterman is a backup guard. Has he even registered a snap this season? We came away with one player out of Parcells second draft and he’s (Julius Jones) already missed about half the games.

I’m still waiting for you naming me 1 writer in the press conferences that isnâ€â"¢t either afraid of Parcells.

Cash:
Peterman hasn’t played at all since preseason, as far as I know, but maybe he can recover and play soon. Rogers’ return may be less likely.
At least they didn’t waste a 2004 1st round choice, and Tucker may become a very good undrafted lineman.

CASH,
 YES I AM FROM ODESSA AND I AM IN VIRGINIA NOW.

We’ve got an immobile quarterback, anemic running backs (with Jones out), and easily, easily the worst two tackles in the NFL. Not a recipe for an explosive offense.

Jones is the key to the season, folks.

chris,

… at the end of this season I hope Jerry does the smart thing & fires him & brings in a more open-minded, â€Å"I could possibly be wrong from time to time, & need to re-think my approach” type of guy! Which clearly Bill is NOT!

Well, I’m sure Dave Campo will be available. He would fit your requirements to a tee.

Ah, yes, if only we could bring the good old days back when we didn’t have to worry about playoffs and we could depend on 5-11 every year. This contending bit is much too stressful.

A couple of comments about Michael Vick.

While his QB rating is scraping the bottom of the list, his team seems to win when he is in there. So he must be doing something right.

However, unless Vick improves his passing efficiency, his longevity is likely to be more like that of a running back, than the typical quarterback. When his legs go, and all these constant nicks and bruises seem to be adding up, he won’t have QB skills to fall back on, unless he develops them a lot more than he has. He is liable to be done at 31.

Plus, all the extra pounding Vick takes when he takes off has to accumulate. McNabb is going through the same difficulties. He is nowhere near the running threat he was just a couple of years ago. At least he has developed his passing skills enough to where he can succeed without running. Still, his injuries are taking a toll.

Any bets on Michael Vick still being in the NFL at age 32?

Michael Vick seems to do things that are next to impossible at times but history does have a habbit of repeating itself. If you can remember back in the mid 80’s there was another QB by the name of Randall Cunningham and everything they say about Vick now was beeing said about him and Randall was a lot better passer but until you win that ring all you have is a bunch of highlight reals of plays waisted on a team that failed to win it all.

The Falcons already have a pretty good defense and a pretty good stable of RB’s with Dunn and Duckett. His receivers are not the greatest but if you compare them to New Englands receivers then you cant realy complain. On top of that you got one of the best TE’s in the league in Crumpler and a decent O-line to boot. A QB needs to be a QB and not another running back and that is the way he plays is like another extension of the running game. The tools are there for the Falcons and so far all of the expectations that you have for someone with so much hype should pan out at some point but all he has done so far is come up short.

So dallascowboys.com or espn or sportsline (can’t remember who) is running a short article about the tackles & the fact that they may be even more tested against Arizona than Seattle, due to the fact that the Arizona DE’s have a combined 11 sacks (I think, been drinking so I could be off on that). Regardless, it was more than Seattle.

So this should be an interesting game. We’ll see if Parcells & Co. adjust the offense to compensate for the weakness at both tackles or if we play our base set. Even if base set we should be able to beat Arizona, but that’s just the type of thinking that gets you into those games that you SHOULDA won, but didn’t. So, it should be interesting, we’ll see if they adjust the play calling and/or the blocking to compensate. I suspect they will, at least to some extent.

I would expect to see a significant amount of running in the first half if we get any traction. And, plays designed to slow down either end .. chip em with the back, then throw to the same back. Or screen it to that side, or some short delays up the middle. I’d be surprised to see my half-roll suggestion happen, but we’ll see… I don’t think the AZ defense is the caliber of the Seattle D, so adjustments may not be necessary.

It would be nice to see Price get involved in the offense to the extent Crayton was. And, for god’s sake, let’s get our new kicker some friggin practice (mainly extra points and kickoffs I hope).

Dylan

(SORRY for the following snippy post, guys, but becker got on me last thread, and I wasn’t around to defend myself. If your name ain’t becker, SKIP IT. It ain’t about football… which is what makes it so unfortunate.)

becker,

YOU and a bunch of others attacked Roy after the Washington game. I defended him, saying we lost cuz of the conservative play-calling and, yes, the missed field goals…. Both of which remained topics as the Cowboys have gone hot and cold. Havenâ€â"¢t heard Royâ€â"¢s name mentioned much lately. You say Jaws on espn agreed with YOU? Well, rest my case!

You say I sound like a 12 yr old boy? Huh. If I were, Iâ€â"¢d have been impressed by your juvenile language and mr. tâ€â"¢s jabs at Excowboyfan. I wasnâ€â"¢t, and I called yaâ€â"¢ll on it. So what? Personal attacks? Whatever. This is a BLOG, dude; Nothingâ€â"¢s personal. I donâ€â"¢t know you (and I donâ€â"¢t wanna).

And â€Å"Howâ€â"¢s your drinking poblem”? LOL!! That was a joke, right? What are you talking about, dude? Youâ€â"¢re the crude one who posts like heâ€â"¢s in a locker room, not me, bro.

So if I post something like â€Å"How are your panty hose?” does that suddenly make you a cross dresser?! You canâ€â"¢t just make up stuff to slander people, dude. If you have a problem with me, be man enough to take me on with real points. Maybe YOU should stick to football, and leave the cheap insults and lies to the imposters….

And finally, no, I donâ€â"¢t think Iâ€â"¢m something special- not any more special than the rest of yaâ€â"¢ll. So I ask myself, why the hell am I responding to your crap anyway?

Gotta go. See yaâ€â"¢ll Sunday. I know Dallas needs it, but Iâ€â"¢m already dreading the bye week.

Bye, becker.

Alantdot,
You would want TO to play for the Cowboys over Glenn? After the incident he did on our star a few years ago? And you call yourself a Cowboy fan? How pathetic you are. That’s a disgrace to the Dallas Cowboys and the fans!

An observation: reading this blog and listening to talk shows, one thing I notice about fan comments is that they almost invariably trend toward suggesting fixes that are immediate and immediately visible in effect. I think as fans it has a lot to do with the fact that we are relatively powerless compared to the actual coaches, players and front office. We’re not in the game — and at some level, we all naturally want to feel empowered. That’s why “change the quarterback” or “change the play-calling” are always such popular answers. People don’t want to accept what we have to work with is what we have to work with. Bledsoe is not as good as Tom Brady. He does not adjust within the pocket as well when pressured. He is not as good. But we have Bledsoe. He is probably the best quarterback we’ve had in years — and he’s the best we’re going to have at least for this year. Parcells has always tended toward a ball control, defense and special teams oriented formula. When he won Super Bowl XXV, do you think the defense didn’t have a pretty good idea after a while that he was going to run OJ Anderson? It didn’t matter. For that matter, when Jimmy won the second Super Bowl against Buffalo — 8 straight running plays to Emmitt on one drive. Not bad. Not particularly imaginative of old Norv but what matters is what works. Right? From what I’ve seen, Parcells has been villified for being too risky in his play calling — remember the hue and cry after the fake punt against the 49ers, and too conservative. Sometimes from one game to the next. But what I’ve noticed about him is that he is actually pretty flexible and will adjust to the talent he has. If he had Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and John Taylor — as well as the old 49er O-line, I think he’d pass a lot. He sure as hell did in the SB he coached with Bledsoe. If he had the Cowboys’ offense of the early 90’s, he’d probably do just what Jimmy and Norv did — run the ball with Emmitt and keep teams honest with occasional passes to Novacek or Irvin. The point is, we work with what we have to work with. Young players on offense and defense are still learning. Some key guys have been injured. This is an improving team that will take time to develop. Too many injuries and we won’t win much. That’s not a sexy, immediate fix answer, but it is essentially the answer that Rafael’s stats show. It’s the answer that doesn’t give us a sense of immediate empowerment to turn our team’s fortunes around in a talk-show minute. But it’s the grown-up answer. After the season, if you want to try a new qb and/or new coach, well that’s the time to try that. Doubt we’ll get better real quickly that way either — history says no — but at least you’ll get the immediate high of thinking there’s been a big change and the hope that brings.

GG do you really thinkk that anyone wants to read all of that crap you wrote. Keep it brief.

Side note: Ware is suffering from a case of blue balls and may not be able to play on Sunday.

Hey mojo…are you sure your handle shouldn’t be mofo? Keep it brief.

Cash,

You’re getting where I think the team is. I think they’re a team that’s young, and is making mistakes. It has a bad offensive linebut one that can get better. It had a QB who was money for a month and now is making mistakes and who concerns me.

 It’s better than last year. It’s moving in the right direction. If that’s homerism in your eyes, so be it. If you think I’m lying about what I think that and that I have some darker version of the team I keep to myself, your fooling only yourself.

This is the rebuilding phase. And I’ll repeat what I told somebody else back before the draft. I like this part more than any other. I like watching the young players develop. I like seeing the signs of improvement now, when a lot of other people are stomping and claiming its the end of the world. Because once this team starts winning again, and it will, then it’s too obvious. Everybody sees it.

Last year the team was already sub .500 It had just gotten it’s ass kicked in Green Bay. It looked like it had quit. Now, it’s 4-3 and there’s all this howling because it’s not undefeated.

It’s very rare for a team to go from 6-10 to 12-4 without having a phase where it’s unsettled. This is it.

I didn’t have a blog then but I was very bullish on Jimmy Johnson too. And at this point in year three, when his team was back and forth and going to go 6-5 in its first eleven games, I dealt with a lot of abuse from friends who were still mad Tom Landry had gotten fired. People who were still predicting he was going to get fired.

But I guess I was fluffing Jimmy too, huh.

Cash,

well said. I for one appreciate anyone who comes here and shows passion and a desire to learn.
I don’t have the same length of time here as you do so I can’t say I have seen any Homerism from Raf. I do like that you are able to give his his due in terms of what he brings here to all of us. I just want to learn more as well.

AW,

some people won’t ever look at Vick’s winning percentage so don’t waste your time.

Dallas Dan,

I’m done with you. Go away now. Go tell your maid to do something or whatever …….

To me…it is the playcalling because we’re far too predictable….it is easy to see what we’re doing….we make the op D’s job easier.

We have to throw short on fisrt down out of tight formations, run out three wide out sets, run a draw out of a shotgun, etc…plays they’re not expecting…that has been our sin….everytime we bring Keyshawn to the line, that linebacker start licking his chops…..they know its a run….it just happens every time..

The reality is this…Dallas Dan ain’t from Dallas, he’s from Ft Worth and they just ain’t the same no matter what the Fart Worthians think.

The End.

AlanTdot:

I’ll give you credit on Vick track record, he does have a pretty one, but don’t, even for a minute, take credit away from their running game, their OLine and last year D. Dunn is one of the best backs in today NFL, Vick is another one. Their OLine might not be even good in pass protection, but they’re really good in run blocking, some of the holes they make makes me remember the types of holes Dallas line made in the early 90’s. And last year, their D gave Atlanta the chance to win almost every game, they were the number 1 team in sacks with 48 and were really good against the run.

Last year Vick didn’t even had a chance against good passing teams, just like Philly (even without T.O.). So don’t come here saying that he can make plays out of nothing, because against good teams nothing is what you can get from him. He needs to be capable of throwing the ball better.

rich you should think about putting that disclaimer" this
is not about football" on all your posts……

Rich if theirs nothing personal here why did you
get your panthose all in a bunch over my comments
about holts style of play or Mr. T’s comments on Cortez???
As for vulgarity your no slouch either as your responses
show.Besides Martha or should i say rich i didn’t know
you are a blog moderator.

Anyway onto your boy roy and why we haven’t heard
about him blowing coverages maybe you have seen
the changes Dallas has made in coverages??
I don’t know maybe we should ask Shockey to see
what he thinks of the new improved Roy huh

But don’t fret your other “HERO”(i won’t use the term boy
since this has become a P.C. blog and you might get in
a tizzy) ANTONIO BRYANT stepped his game yet again
with a 1 for 15 yard performance last week……….he was
probably tired after his exhausting 4 for 34yard game
the week before!!!

hugs and kisses

One player that has been very disappointing so far is Marco Rivera,just not the pro-bowl player he was billed to be.

Chandus,

I think Vick needs to throw the ball better as well. He is getting by with his AA – athletic ability – not his pocket presence.

What I want to know is, how did it get to be ‘homerism’ to say that your team’s players are making mistakes? Is it, therefore, ‘objective thinking’ to whitewash the players’ performances and blame everything on the coaching staff? In what alternate universe?

gg,

… But itâ€â"¢s the grown-up answer. …

Hey! We’ll have none of that around here!

Seriously, nice post. But a word of advice. If you took a few seconds to break your post up into paragraphs, people might be more inclined to read through the thing. Many are intimidated by large blocks of uninterrupted words. Even great thoughts would be wasted, if they were not read.

Raf,

I’ve thought about it, and this is the last I will say on this subject, then I’ll move on. On one hand you defended the play calling of Parcells as not being any different than the previous games, based on run to pass play ratios. Yet you want to pacify the effect of our inexperience at OT. That was where I got confused. I’ve never seen a team lose a starting LT and win anything. Doesn’t happen. IMO that is the single most important position in the entire NFL. Left Tackle. There are two right now that are superior to anything else there is in the league, Walter Jones and Orlando Pace. If we agree that Adams getting hurt is a serious dent into our chances this year then we agree. I also hope that Tucker can prove to be a good LT in this league but to minimize that by saying, “Well if Brady James can become solid at LB then why not Tucker at Left Tackle? It doesn’t give the position the importance that it deserves”. Losing Adams was a huge loss.

Now that being said. If Parcells wants to defend the fact that he only kept 3 OT on the roster in order to preserve the plethora of defensive linemen we kept then fine. The Jacob Rogers pick is hurting really bad right now isn’t it? We should be far deepper at OT than we are, considering it’s importance on the field.

Raf,

Oh and I would have fluffed Jimmy Johnson myself. I’m miserable over the fact that he left the Boys when he did. Kept us from winning 4 super bowls in a row. My critisicm of you over Parcells does not translate to JJ. I think Parcells was lazy his first two years here and it showed. This year he picked his ass up and got the job done.

Mr. Bill,

The current coaching staff is responsible for the current player situition. So the answer to your quesiton is yes.

Rich,

By the way your boy Michael Irvin, is quoted as saying in the latest ESPN magazine that, “Terrel Owens is a bigger, faster, version of Michale Irvin”. So go blow it out your hole.

MOJO,

I have alot of family from Odessa. I went to a highschool playoff game there one year, it must have been about 10 degrees. There was a lady in a wheel chair on oxygen in the first row. Classic.

CASH,

LOL!! Seems like I’m not the only one who’s amused by your snippy little posts. It’s just funny cuz you try so hard… Thanks for the laughs.

And btw, YOU said “Irvin can’t hold Owen’s jock strap.” But I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY- Irvin is STILL the better receiver cuz he had the heart and leadership to go with his skills. Owens will NEVER be like that.

BECKER,

Funny how you fixate on AB and Roy. Let it GO already, dude. You’re so scared to be wrong about them, huh. But alright, you win: AB sux and Roy sux (or maybe our coaches finally figured out how to use him?). Happy now?

And as for Roy’s blown coverage on Shocky- Yep, he screwed up.

I know what we can do: Let’s GIVE him to Cleveland for ANOTHER no-name player who won’t make the team! You can never have too many of those! LOL. You rock, becker, really. At least AB actually made the team. Say hi to your boy, Morgan, for me, will ya?

Now don’t go all potty-mouth on me, dude.

Rich,

I’m telling you what Irvin said, has nothing to do with my opinion. I never disputed the heart of Irvin only said that physically Owens was superior as Irvin himself agrees.

Folks this is the difference between a fan, such as myself, that is intellectually honest with the situation at hand and a “ra ra” cheerleader type like Rich.

At the end of the day we both want the Boy’s to win, but we have to be grounded in what’s real.

One thing that Rafael said early on in the season that I’ve repeated many times over at other sites, is that for the Cowboys to dramatically improve over last season you are counting on significant contributions from 4 or more rookies. That’s very hard to count on. So far I’m impressed and excited about what’s in store for this team.

Cash,

You call everyone a homer or a fluffer. At least be original. .. Its getting old.

As far as the play calling. If you believe Raf is so wrong, and Parcells should shoulder the blame for poor play calling, then answer me one question. The score is 7-0 and Dallas was moving the ball, and the play was a screen. With all the momentum, and a PERFECTLY called screen, the Cowboys pick up 22 yards and move deep into Seahawk territory. NOT!! How is Parcells’ fault that Riveria held his guy? Your point of “bad play calling” is mute, because if Dallas converts on that drive we are probably looking at another W. Just like the chip shot FG. I am sure that a missed FG falls on the lap of the coaching staff as well. Execution my friend, and we are talking about 5-2 and sole possession of 1st place.

Look no one is perfect. Not me. Not you. And not Bill Parcells. He has made some mistakes. But you know what? You live with them!! Do you think Patriats fans crucify Bellichick for bad choices he makes? No, because he has proven his worth to them. Well, one thing I am quite sure of is the Dallas Cowboys are much better off than they were 4-5 years ago, and a lot of that credit belongs to Bill Parcells. Just like in his other jobs, he has had bad draft picks. So has Jimmy Johnson, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Chuck Noll, and any other great coach you can think of. In 1998, for the Jets, his first two draft picks were Dorian Boose (2) and Scot Frost (3). Despite making some bad decisions, he turned that perenial looser into a team that was 30 minutes and a huge Vinny Testaverde INT away from the Super Bowl. Also, a bunch of the players winning SBs for New England were drafted by or brought there by … Bill Parcells. He deserves a little slack, but hey maybe I am a “homer”, in your mind, for thinking so.

Me? I fully understand that I am coming to a forum of opinions, therefore there are many and all won’t agree with mine, but being respectful to others makes this expierence much more pleasant.

rich,
OLO
Come on can’t i have fun while its going good?
You know if AB was lighting it up you’d be all over
me……….As for Morgan he is on his way to greatness
didn’t you hearHe took the first step, he was cut by the
Cowboys!!!!!

That second line should be LOL

Cash,

The current coaching staff is responsible for the current player situition. So the answer to your quesiton is yes.

So, I guess the solution is to fire the coaching staff every time a player makes a mistake.

Good thinking!

Eric R,

Look you little nit wit. I never said Raf was wrong about his assessment of pass to run ratio only that it left some things out. I was the first one to call someone a fluffer on here, which was you, so I am being original. You are the OF, The Original Fluffer.

Mr. Bill,

How do you get, “fire the coaching staff….” out of what I said? All responsibility for the teams success and failures falls on management no matter what businesss you are in. Damn, it’s like I’m taling to 7 year olds.

*talking

Cash,

" Look you little nit wit…."

Ok. That’s funny.

Cash,

So original. What’s next, calling someone an “idiot”? Why don’t you try an educated responce?

When you say Raf is fluffing Parcells, you are not putting blame on the play calling? Get real!! BTW, I not once mention the run to pass ratio. And YOU STILL didn’t answer my question. Too difficult for you? Or all you want to do is call names?

“Fluffer” this … “homer” that … “you act like a child” that … and never listening to what people say … real original. A bunch of insults with absolutely no support for your statements. Sure guy, you are a football genius, and we all are just peasants in your great big world! .. Since you act like a “football God” (which your knowledge is minimal), at least give an educated responce!!

….. I know Cash.

Cash’s next post:

EricR,

You’re an idiot and a fluffer. ….. yada yada yada!!

HOW ORIGINAL!!

Eric R,

I bet you wear pink.

Cash,

… All responsibility for the teams success and failures falls on management no matter what businesss you are in. …

This sweeping generality hardly addresses any problem whatsoever.

Tell me what this means as a practical application. I asked you if you would ‘whitewash’ all player mistakes and lay them all on the coaching staff. Your answer was a resounding ‘yes’, which you have just reaffirmed.

So, what happens when an All Pro player throws an interception, or drops a pass, or jumps offside, or slips and falls in coverage, or misses an easy kick, etc, etc, etc? What should the coach (upon whom you place the entire blame) do about it? Release the player immediately? Spend 8 hours a day in individual training with the offending player? Flog him with a ‘cat’ until he promises to do better? Resign at once, so that a better coach can do the job properly?

Just exactly how would you go about coaching a team so that no one made a mistake?

And, at what point did the concept of individual responsibility disappear from your life? Or, did you never subscribe to that silly notion?

Mr. Bill,

I assume you picked that name because you are attracted to Parcells fat “woman like "physique”. I’ve said not one of those things you’ve accused me of as far as what the players responsibilities are.

Do you understand what a good personell man means to an organization? If you’ve been around here for any length of time at all, then you would know that my major disappointment in Parcells is the job he did last year. He took the year off plain and simple. He didn’t even go to the combine before last years draft. What did we end up with? A RB in the 2nd round who has already missed 11 games over his career and two back up CB’s carrying the last two spots at the position on our roster.

I’ve given credit to Parcells for a very nice draft to shore up our defense this past year, but had Parcells not just sent his sounding board buddies to scout players then we would be far deeper than we are at some positions that he says he’s very concerned about.

I think by the commitment you’ve seen from Parcells over the last year, that you know too that he felt his performance last year was sub par. Unlike you and a few others I don’t think I need to gloss over that fact when looking at some of the flaws on the team.

Cash,

Mr. Bill,

I assume you picked that name because you are attracted to Parcells fat â€Å"woman like â€Å"physique”.

Actually, I didn’t pick that name. My parents did. I have used it as my login to all forums and blogs since I became connected to the internet in 1998.

Whatever the merits of your discussion of personnel men, you are avoiding the issue — which is that at long last the players are responsible for their own play — just as you are responsible for your own work on your own job. If you screw up badly enough and often enough, you get fired, not your boss! You have faithfully refused to acknowledge this basic truth which is recognized by the overwhelming majority of all peoples. I hardly see how your ‘red herring’ issue of Parcells’ performance in 2003 relates at all. Sooner or later you are going to realize that trying to change the subject doesn’t work with me.

My original question was how Rafael could be labeled a ‘homer’ for pointing out the mistakes of the players. You have not even attempted to answer that one. I also asked if it was being objective to ‘whitewash’ the players and blame all on the coaches. In other words, whether players are responsible for their mistakes. You have consistently refused to acknowledge ANY responsibility by ANY players at ANY time. Good luck defending that position. You certainly haven’t done it yet.