Cowboys Should Stay Away From The Wildcat
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Aug 6, 2009 5:00 AM CDT
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PrintWith the NFL being the copycat league that it is, the Wildcat formation became a league-wide craze last season when the Miami Dolphins used it to inject a little juice into an otherwise less than special offense. I, like many other Cowboy fans, have had my fair share of daydreams about Isaiah Stanback or Patrick Crayton lining up behind center. But the more I think about this whole Wildcat thing, the more I personally would prefer the Cowboys leave it alone entirely.
Of course the Wildcat sounds like a ton of fun, especially considering the Cowboys personnel. But one quote from an owner who has had a great deal of success began to sway my opinion. When asked if his team may have interest in signing Michael Vick to run a little Wildcat, Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a ton of sense in one sentence:
"Why would we ever want to do anything to take Tom Brady off the field?" Tony Romo isn't Tom Brady, but if you have a top level quarterback, why would you want to take the ball out of his hands? The Miami Dolphins had to be creative because they had marginal talent at the quarterback position (and on the perimeter). Even in the midst of a Wildcat tidal wave last season, it seemed that the good and secure offenses denied temptation, and just continued to do what they do. We didn’t see any Wildcat from the Colts, Patriots, or Giants. The Eagles whipped it out once, and scrapped it after a Desean Jackson red-zone interception. When you are efficient, and confident in what you do, you are best served to go with what got you there. A lot of people make the argument that the Wildcat is worth having in the playbook because it forces opposing defenses to spend valuable practice time preparing for it. Sure, but doesn’t running the Wildcat take away from your practice time as well? I’m just not a fan of taking reps away from standard personnel, in favor of putting in a gimmick offense that we may not even see once a game. Washington Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn on the Wildcat: "…the next time you run it it’s a two-yard gain. And for as much work as you’ve had to do in practice to get your running back to catch the direct snap, to fake an option and run…you could have just run a regular play." I know that the majority Wildcat plays are runs, but you have to throw it some to keep the defense honest. I definitely have no interest in seeing anyone else chucking the pigskin except Romo. Ever. I don’t have a problem with taking the pressure off of Romo, but with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice on board, conventional running plays should be enough to keep from hanging the entire game on Romo’s arm. I think that the Wildcat is a phase and like all phases, it will soon pass. Everyone will copycat it to death, and the formation will quickly lose it’s mystique and surprise quality. After last season, do you think you are going to catch anybody off guard with the wildcat? Playoff caliber defenses were smothering the Dolphins wildcat in the latter part of last season. Former Super Bowl winning head coach Brian Billick on the Wildcat: "I don’t think there’s any future for that in the NFL…It was fun. It was a great changeup. I give them (Miami) credit for doing those types of things. But against a really good team, it got stuffed." If the Cowboys had gotten into this Wildcat business last season when teams were still figuring out how to defend it, it would have probably been beneficial. But now that everyone is ready for it, I really don’t see the point of offensive plays that do not involve Tony Romo. Ultimately, I think that the Wildcat formation will quickly go by the way of slap bracelets, Tommy Hilfiger overalls, and Chia Pets. If the Cowboys install the Wildcat this season, they would be getting on the bus a bit late.
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1st
time we listen to Zorn for advice I will puke.
2nd year for the wildcat may be bumpy
… but 3rd time’s a charm?
I think you’ll see some teams use variations on it this year. And I think you’ll see an evolution of the wildcat over time, to a version that sticks.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
4 example, whoever does pick up a Michael Vick ... or any "slash" type player...
Can put him in the backfield, and treat him similar to a Felix Jones-type option.
He could take a hand-off from the QB, provide a chip-block en-route to being a release option…
OR, you could snap him the ball and let him do his magic. Having Vick as the 3rd string QB would allow you to take more risks in designing running plays for him. I’m not sure if his game slipped, but in his prime he’s a talent (+speed) to be reckoned with.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
High - 5 to any team that makes it work this year.
Carl’s got a point, it might get stuffed early and often… but I’m guessing about
6 or 7 teams will try it.
eh?
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Number 8 didn't use it (if memory serves me right)
and he got three rings without it, why should Number 9 use it?
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 6, 2009 5:56 AM CDT up reply actions
Instead of 10 players contributing to a running play
All 11 contribute.
That is why the Wildcat works. It is a power running formation that seeks to outnumber defenses on the playside. The only time you should ever pass from it is when a defense doesn’t play honest with the outside receiver (i.e. your QB).
Carl is right
By week 12 of last season, when the Dolphins played the Pats again the wildcat offense had been solved. For example in week 13, the longest run out of the formation for the dolphins was 7 yards. That game, the dolphins and the rams averaged only 14 points. Not exactly tearing it up…
FJI10XBTBW
by aussie_cowboy on Aug 6, 2009 6:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Take the Lions, though
If i had 15 losses last year, i’d be inclined to try it at first…if not all 16 weeks this year
Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake. - Napoleon
You guys make me proud to be a part of BTB.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
No way you can get off with that weak stuff
I am sooooo intimidated.
by StillHateTheGiants on Aug 6, 2009 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Only way it works
is if we use it to put TC (probably as QB), MBIII, and Felix on the field at the same time. There are also the standard reasons: it gets the ball into the hands of your running back much faster; and, because your QB isn’t wasted on a running play, it is easy to outnumber the defense on the playside (especially in a 2 TE set with our TE’s). Not that we would ever want to throw to him, but Romo is athletic enough that the defense would have to put somebody (if only their slowest safety) on him on the outside (Stalk block, Tony!).
I don’t like the idea of special personel packages for it – like stanback, or putting a non-runner (like Crayton) in as a QB. That defeats the purpose.
Stanback would work really well for it but...
the dude can’t stay healthy. He has the throwing and running skills or at least had them at Washington but the guy cant even make it onto the practice field. If camp keeps going the way it has for him this year I think we need to cut him.
Choice may be a viable option but then you really telegraph run. Crayton does not have good enough running skills.
IMO unless Stanback turns it around fast and significantly, we should forget about the formation.
That's why it failed in Miami
at the end of the season. They got too cute with Ronnie Brown looking to pass. It works as a run formation. You should telegraph the run and take advantage of 6 men blocking 4-5 on one side of the defense and/or get Felix to the edge really fast while maintaining a threat that choice will hit an inside gap. If the D sells out for the run 100%, then you throw a short pass.
I think the whole wildcat phenom
is sort of funny. If you ever wanted to validate that the NFL is a copy-cat league, behold the wildcat.
That said, I ran it on my Electric Football set last night and the I got the little felt ball farther with the wildcat than the dive play. But my son also spilled spagehetti on the board which is unlikely to happen under NFL game conditions…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Electric Football
That’s a blast from the past. What a horribly conceived game idea.
Are you kidding? That game was AWESOME!
Show my age: first version I had was Cowboys-Packers, the “newer” one (a few years later) was Cowboys – Dolphins. Who remembers the Landry – Shula battles?
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
Maybe you are more skillful than me
But my men run away from each other. And my QB launches the football way beyond the board.
It combined football,
noise, and the possibility of electrocution. What could be better?
My first set was the Giants-Browns. I repainted every freakin’ little guy to Cowboys-Rams.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
I had 5 little brothers, they did what I told 'em...
So I told them to organize each player according to which way his stand when … if it hooked left or right hard… those were my linemen… if it sprinted, fade right, it was my left flanker … etc… I remember having epic battles… the only BS was the passing… we used a nurf… if you hit a door across the room, it was complete!
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
That's because you didn't have them tackle in training camp
What were you thinking??
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Hilarious post
Although with the hole in your stadium roof, it technically could be possible for a freight plane carrying Ragu to have a drop door malfunction and accidently drop some sauce on your field. For the record my first set was Bills (old school blue-white unis) and the Browns, ’cause they were his favorite teams.
Homer: Aw, twenty dollars! I wanted a peanut!
Homer's Brain: Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts!
Homer: Explain how!
Homer's Brain: Money can be exchanged for goods and services!
Homer: Woo-hoo!
by bigbluethruandthru on Aug 6, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
anyone ever have Pro-Foto Football?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/14567
“One player chooses an offense (a card with a jagged line), inserts it in a holder and pegs it in one of five positions. The other chooses a defense (a transparent card with tackles, etc.) and places it above. As the holder is pulled away the play unfolds.”
this I played with many times when I was like 10
And don't forget
The little kicker-man could knock balls across the room.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
I think
A big reason they’re working on it is more for the defenses benefit. I’ll bet we see our offense in that formation less than a dozen times the entire season if at all.
I agree Carl
Anything that takes the ball out of Romo’s hands or takes him off the field is foolish. Keep your best players on the field and put the ball in their hands.
In Romo we Trust
+1
Way to much talent offense to run a gimmick offense. A trick play or two is always good, but no thanks to the gimmicks. I am still not sure how all of our players get the necessary touches.
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
Twitter Account
+2
I wouldn’t mind seeing Romo catch a pass like Flaaaaacccco did last year.
The season begins in 3...2...
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Aug 7, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions
I could see wildcat-like direct snaps
to a running back or wide reciever in motion. But I agree that anything that takes away from your standard personnel telegraphs the gimmick.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
Not a gimmick
I don’t see it as a gimmick. If used sparingly, I see it as a way to knock the defense off balance and allow Romo to take a mental breather while still moving the ball up the field. I stress sparingly, you can’t use it as a crutch. It’s not meant as an every set play. But…
Direct snap to Felix, Barber lead blocking, some misdirection and after the whole appears, the only thing linebackers will see is the back of a Cowboys jersey!
"If it isn't the Braves, it isn't baseball!"
As far as the Cowboys go, I gotta agree with Carl: don't mess with a good thing.
Doomsday returns... Wade Phillips style.
It's a situational offense
Anticipate using it against teams susceptible to misdirection. Slow or inexperienced linebackers are susceptible, i.e. Patriots against Miami. But Miami shows it can be gameplanned against with enough film.
Crayton under center, fake toss left to Felix, fake handoff to Marion right, 2 steps to the right and then a screen left to Felix, assuming we trust our O-line to allow this to develop. I want it, I need it
Great Point, Shelton
The short answer is why use it when you have a three-headed monster in the backfield? Sure other teams will use it because they HAVE to. good one.
"The Most Dangerous Man in the world is the one with nothing to lose"
Don' underestimate it...
I would never put the ball into the throwing hand of one of our running backs, but a direct snap to felix and a full O-line outnumbering the defensive front and we’ll watch him run away with it.
Don’t forget that all this “Wildcat” package started with something called the “Wild Hog” in Arkansas with none other than Felix Jones in the mix. Yes, it mostly involved Darren McFadden throwing the ball, but the times Felix did get to run from the direct snap, it was glorious!
With his speed and field-reading ability, those extra seconds will make a huge difference and allow Romo a much needed break while causing the defense some confusion.
Just saying…
"If it isn't the Braves, it isn't baseball!"
From another Razorback alum
It would help to have someone like Felix who has experience running it, if only to add to the touches he gets
We're not running the wildcat
We’re running the “razorback”
"Where's Woody? - We need another Darren Woodson
Is that so bad???
Like I said in an earlier post; Felix has the speed, the ability and the experience to make it work! Him being a former Razorback is just a bonus for me! LOL!
"If it isn't the Braves, it isn't baseball!"
I'm not trying to turn this into a Hog Forum, but it is what it is...
"If it isn't the Braves, it isn't baseball!"
i'd rather
see us do more trick plays like halfback option , or a reverse were crayton isdoing the reverse with an option of passing .
I agree.......sort of
I would spend whatever time would have been on the wildcat perfecting trick plays with our best players on the field. That would include Romo and Felix of course.
by StillHateTheGiants on Aug 6, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
The QB doesn't come off the field in the Wildcat.
That’s what makes it effective, they can’t determine that it’s about to come from your personnel set, so they have to adjust when you’re already on the line.
by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 6, 2009 10:52 AM CDT reply actions
but they line up out wide
which is effectively taking them off the field and out of the play.
In Romo we Trust
as long as Romo's on the field
I’m ok with it. taking him off would be just dumb. I’m not sure how effective it woudl continue to be, but you get the feeling Crayton and Felix (I’ll ignore stanback) are two players just meant to run a couple wildcat plays a game
What if he's on the field at WR?
Are you still okay with it? Because that’s where he would be.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
unless its a flea flicker
and you are planning on getting it back to romo … but then hell you mine as well just audible to shotgun … unless their defense is soft and you got the time
if i was the defense and saw that
id take my biggest hitter and line him in front of the qb and just lay the qb out. I wouldnt care if we gave up 6.
What the French?! Toast!
That's my whole fear of the Wildcat......
somebody lays out the QB for the season.
i don't see the danger
out of 20 wildcat plays, how many times is the qb gonna get TOUCHED? 2 or 3?
and with the way the nfl protects qbs in this league, i really doubt they’d let anyone get away with anything excessive.
Do you mean in terms of health? or essentially losing a position on the field?
I don’t see how his health will be negatively affected.
It really depends on how we run it. If Felix is as good as we think he is, having the possibility of moving Romo away and putting felix behind center would absolutely change the defenses alignment…there are Ds that are just not gonna be able to handle that in this league.
not saying we should consider it for our general offense,
cause a running qb whose innacurate will only get you so far, but i think there are teams we could use it against. If we’re in the wildcat and felix is back there and teams blitz, they could get burned. It makes us slightly more unpredictable.
Again, not saying this should be a staple of the O. Just that we should consider it.
The Wildcat is great...
…if your QB and perimeter guys are average, and if Ronnie Brown is your RB.
Brown’s a unique and very talented player. Not many teams have a guy with his versatile skill set at RB.
When you say “It worked for them, let’s run the Wildcat!” but you’re running it with Patrick Crayton at QB, it’s kinda like saying “Hey, the 46 defense worked for the Cowboys, let’s run it!” except instead of Jay Raitliff on the nose you’ve got Remi Ayodele. You’re probably not going to see the same results.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
I think it's mostly a ruse anyway.
Let’s get other teams thinking we’re going to run it, and maybe shift in and out of it a couple of times in random games, but never actually have to run it.
by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 6, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
+1
This seed was planted by Jerry months ago when he made the statement about trying to incorporate the Wildcat or Razorback in 2009. I always thought he was setting up a way to force opposing defenses to waste time preparing for it.
Now the direct snap to Felix, that might be a nice bit a trickeration (providing Gurode can get him the snap)
Training Camp '09 = Mega Thunder Dome....80 men enter, 53 men leave.
by APerfectStar on Aug 7, 2009 12:45 AM CDT up reply actions
It'll happen
Gurode is going to launch one of those “WTF Snaps” and Felix is going to turn it into a highlight reel TD…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Soooo.....
Does this mean I can’t wear Tommy Hilfiger overalls anymore?
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
Gurode
Another thing to consider is that Gurode, while a very good blocker, has serious problems with snaps. I don’t know that I want him trying to snap directly to a back on an angle or even to a player other than Romo who lines up under center; seems like it’s just asking for a fumble.
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
On the contrary
it increases the element of surprise. For everyone!
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Hilarious.
You owe me a new keyboard.
by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 6, 2009 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions
as if Gurode and Romo don't provide enough surprise for us already
These two top the league in the “WTF was that” category. Romo both good and bad. Gurode always bad.
Wonder if you can "fair catch" a center snap???
Several of the snaps last year were so slow getting back we’d have been better off just downing the play where Romo caught the ball rather than letting him get pounded by charging D linemen.
Garrett needs to get a clue!
" a serious problem with snaps"???? What the........
Come on man, he will on occasion surprise Romo; but a serious problem? If that were the case I know the Cowboys would have made a better effort to get better talent at the position, and he would have never made the Pro Bowl.
Anyway, I do agree with you. I don’t want him or the Cowboys doing it either. You just know the other team would go out of there way to put a wack on Romo.
1. Linemen making the Pro-Bowl rarely has much to do with their individual accomplishments that season. It usually has as much to do with the popularity of the team as it does with anything else. Hence teams like the ‘07 Cowboys and Patriots will send most of their o-linemen. I’m not saying that Gurode isn’t a good center, I really like him a lot. Note that he made the pro-bowl despite being one of the few centers in the league who forgets the snap count once a game.
2. He’s had some trouble with traditional snaps, but when the team goes to shotgun…it’s not pretty. We’ve been lucky to have Romo’s magic back there, because he’s often turned a high snap into a positive play with his uncanny abilities, but Gurode’s snaps have been pretty bad for a Pro-Bowl center. If you disagree, you must’ve gotten up for a beer/bathroom break when the O lines up in the shotgun.
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
I second that, thank god for Romo, with some of those shotgun snaps, imagine
them with a statue QB: disaster waiting to happen
Dolphins this season?
Anyone expect the dolphins to have a winning season again this year?
I feel like they’re the perfect example of a team that takes advantage of a weak schedule, coaching change and qb change (making it difficult to game plan against them).
They snuck away with a few wins, but got destroyed in the playoffs.
They can wildcat their way to 7-9 all they want.
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
Their division is tough.
I think they’re looking at at least 4 losses right there. Plus they play Indy, San Diego, Carolina, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Tennessee. And New Orleans and Houston aren’t pushovers, either. I think 7-9 will be tough for them. If they do make the playoffs, then we will know they are very, very good.
by Baked Potato Soup on Aug 6, 2009 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
That is a tough schedule
maybe I was generous with 7-9
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
0-9
they are gonna get beat so badly they wont even play the other games.
but in all seriousness … they should be able to pull out a few shiners.
they have some strong running backs and pennington is accurate for the short game with bess and camarilo. i think they can wear down a few defenses like buffalo and maybe the jets. houston is winnable too. 5-11
Little known stat about the Dolphins in 08
Last season, Miami had a 7-2 record in games decide by 7 points or less, second only to the ‘mighty’ Colts (8-1) in the whole NFL. That ‘luck’ may not hold.
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 6, 2009 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
they get screwed with their schedule this year
like the browns last year. I don’t see them doing well
which brings up a good point.......
the Patriots, even though they always have a very good record, always end up getting a pretty soft schedule. Has anyone else noticed this? Every other team, after a winning schedule, always has a fairly tough schedule.
Alot of that is because...
The division has sucked it up generally. It seems like there is one dominant team(Pats) one good team, and two crappy teams.
by The Immortal Iron Fist AKA AFB on Aug 6, 2009 10:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Two things that would ruin my love for dallas
1) Signing a piece of garbage dog killer like Vick.
2) Resigning Pacman. Apparently JJ and Stephen are battling over it still.
I can’t wait for the day JJ steps down and Stephen takes over. A
by GhostofGaryHogeboom on Aug 6, 2009 1:33 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Terry could tell us for sure
But I think signing Vick AND Pacman is an automatic RICO violation…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
why would we need Pacman? Just cant comprehend even the thought
we have 3 good corners and bunch of promising youngsters that eventually will develop. What is Pacman gonna play NT? OL?
why are you wishing for JJ's death??
JJ will never step down as GM while he is alive. The best we can hope for is that Stephen will be allowed to exert more influence over JJ.
In Romo we Trust
And I think he already is
which seems to be a good thing.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
here is why i'm for it
- we could actually validate keeping stanback on the roster (if he can get/stay healthy)
- it could really take advantage of tchoice and felix on the field at the same time, getting our young backs a few more carries
- just because its new/being brought back, doesn’t mean its a gimmick offense… its a running/misdirection.make your read offense…
- felix jones makes this offense
- imagine a set with 3 te’s, tchoice and felix… i would think it would be automatic on 2nd/3rd and short??
do i think it should be used more than a few times a game? no… only on short yardage with the big set, and a series or two a agame to get felix the ball
It's not going to happen
I just heard that Romo already called “All Time Quarterback”. So the experiment is over before it could officially begin…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
But there was a "Jinx" from the pressbox and
now Romo has to buy Babe Laufenburg a coke.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
if ANYTHING to "mix things up"
I would say go towards a more spread offense approach.
utilize ALL our offense players ….. but that would mean alot more studying and that redball guy to draw a few things up
I will never...
..for the life of me, understand the deep love that BTB nation has for Stanback. They guy has shown me nohting. Ever.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
That seductive thing called "upside"
It’s much more exciting to speculate over a guy with tremendous physical potential and what he COULD be, than to look at a guy like Donald Driver or Derrick Mason who has maxed out his talent and is a reliable (but boring) midlevel player. Fans will always be more excited by that mysterious future potential (me included, I might add). It’s an easy trap to fall into. And it can make for fun offseason speculation, so what’s the harm.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
I understand this...
…which is why I was so excited about their drafting of Felix last year. Heck, I fall victim to this when thinking of Austin’s potential but I’ve never seen anything form Stanback that indicated to me that he could ever be an NFL level wide out.
The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls; oddly none of those have come courtesy of the Eagles.
stanback
was an electric college qb… he made the change to wr, which takes a few years… he has the size and the speed… players and coaches alike have said he was “unstoppable” at times during practice… if (albeit a big IF) he can stay healthy, its only a matter of time before he starts making plays… i’m getting tired of him being injured, but i will still give him another year before i give up on him, its not like he’s hurting the team in my mind
by CowboysFan4Life on Aug 6, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions
it's because he's an athletic freak gee-roj
fans tend to excited about players with potential thats off the charts.
In Romo we Trust
Are you kidding?
One time he ran really fast on another guy’s kickoff TD!
I mean, doesn’t that sell him for you?
by Realist Larry on Aug 6, 2009 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions
if
flacco can catch a pass for a TD, so can Romo. Now someone like Pennington lining up at WR is just a waste and only there so they can’t tell from the package that Wildcat is coming.
And I think these misdirections can work. For example, take Ware. You think you want Ware rushing the passer at ALL times. But if the O is fooled into thinking Ware is rushing and they try to double team him or something and he drops back into coverage, then you should have a mismatch on the other side if someone is rushing in Ware’s place.
Used sparingly, I think these can really work.
If you had a really great O-line
you might able to wait for Pennington to walk to the endzone. It could happen.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
But wouldn't you have a mismatch
on the other side anyway? Ware demands the double at all times. If someone on the other side would demand the double then, your trick play might be worth looking at.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
F. Jones
Just get the ball to F. Jones – PLEASE!
I live and die with the Dallas Cowboys
Innovation not Duplication
If you’re not first, you’re just a cheap imitation. The Cowboys became America’s Team because they (namely Tom Landry) were innovators instead of imitators.
Give Sparano credit for finding a way to make his team relevant. It was a surprise attack, a ‘WTF’? What will he do this year? How about the Statue of Liberty play?
A genius can be recognized by his innovative approach to the problem. Garrett is called the Red Headed Genius, can he come up with something new?
I think we should show our defense some ‘Wildcat’ looks to aid in recognition and assignments, but it’s an innovation that has lost most of it’s utility. It’s no longer unique and it’s no longer a surprise.
"He has a peculiar felicity of expression." John Adams
What happens when
you line Romo up at wide receiver and a safety lays him out? Then what? If you’re going to run the Wild Cat, Romo should always just fake handling the snap and roll out of the pocket. The QB doesn’t have to stand in as a wide receiver in the package and Romo never should! I’m still for using Wid Cat sparingly, but never at the expense of making Romo vulnerable.
We had enough problems protecting him in the pocket, let’s not throw him to the wolves!!
"If it isn't the Braves, it isn't baseball!"
It's not like Pennington is a model of invincibility in Miami
He’s one of the league’s most fragile QBs, and they protected him there decently well.
You never throw to the QB if there’s anyone covering him at all. But it makes them put a man out there so the offense doesn’t have a player running downfield totally uncovered.
Larry Allen benched 700 pounds. That is Leonard Davis times two.
Beat me to it...
I was thinking the same thing… Sending Romo out for a pass exposes him to all kinds of bad situations. Defenders going for the head or knees while he is concentrating on the incoming ball.
I’d hate to depend on a non-QB trying to determine whether he is covered or not. The corner could lay off him giving the appearance of ignoring him and then break toward him as soon as the ball leaves the hand of Crayton or Stanback or whoever. Many a good NFL QB has been “baited” by a clever corner.
Garrett needs to get a clue!
Great article Carl
I don’t have time to go through all of the comments, but I have to say that I agree with this post completely!
Stanback out again per DC.com via Twitter
There saying he said its not him. Everything I’m hearing the 5th WR is between Jefferson and Ogletree with Jefferson having the edge because he knows the system better. I’m thinking there getting ready to cut or trade Stanback if this is true. They are giving Jefferson and Ogletree all his reps knowing he won’t be part of the team much longer…….see ya Stanback!!
by Boyzfan94 on Aug 6, 2009 3:04 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Interesting quote attributed to Kitna on Romo
by way of a Prince Albert Breer tweet. Was that complicated enough for you???
Kitna on Romo: “He plays like Brett Favre, who I think is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. … Tough, competitive, fiery.”
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
tough, competitive, fiery and plays like Favre
I can remember when I first watched Romo play a preseason game in 2003, I thought to myself, this dude reminds me exactly of a very young Favre, mannerisms, throwing motion, size and the competitive, tough, fiery style.
In Romo we Trust
Great,
we’ll win a Superbowl with him, then sit back and watch BSPN day after day when he’s finally released to see if he signs with Miami for a season and then maybe an Eli-less Giants team.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
That's pretty funny
but now that you mention it, I’d take that…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
I might be misremembering this, but didn't the Cowboys have a few direct snap plays to Herschel Walker while Tom Landry was coach?
Lifetime Cowboys Fan from the Swamps of Jersey
I once had a tomcat
who liked other tomcats. I suppose that’s wild, in a “what is my f***ing cat doing?” sort of way…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
LOL I'll bet the other tomcat
was thinking the exact same thing.
"Everybody wants something but nobody wants to pay the price" - Michael Irvin
Oh yeah
Good thing he a few lives left…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
And no DalaiLuke
You can’t have him.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
I'm buying one of these for my Pit
http://www.buzzfeed.com/buzz/Michael_Vick_Chew_Toy
So pardon my disposition; why should I listen to a system that never listened to me?
NE Acquires Derrick Burgess.....
Geez….NE doesn’t stop stockpiling talent…. WTF!!..
After an offseason worth of rumors indicating a deal might happen, the Patriots acquired Derrick Burgess from the Raiders Thursday. (In a sign of the times, they announced it via their Twitter feed.)
New England will give up “undisclosed draft considerations” in the move. Oakland was believed to be looking for two mid-round picks in the deal, but it’s unclear if they got them.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/08/06/patriots-acquire-derrick-burgess/
here
Michael Lombardi reports that the Patriots gave up their third and fifth round picks in 2011 in the deal
I think that is a steal for his talent (I live in NCal and he's known as a good player on the Raiders' D)
But I don’t think Oakland plays 3-4 and not sure how he fits in there.
by Realist Larry on Aug 6, 2009 7:14 PM CDT up reply actions
It's new england
They could put Leonard Davis at safety and make it work.
by Musiccitynorm on Aug 6, 2009 7:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Look at it this way
We won’t play them unless we go to the SB which would be awesome, and at least they kept Philly from getting the guy…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
what are the chances you Crabtree re-enters the draft
And we select him…..would be sweet as hell…dreaming I know..lol
by Boyzfan94 on Aug 6, 2009 8:22 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
He's a great talent
but i wouldn’t want him unless he ditched his advisors/agent. The dude is making all the classic blunders…
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Wildcat should be used...for one key reason!!!
I’m not saying the Wildcat should be used as a mainstream offensive formation, but I am saying that the Cowboys should utilize it at some strategic practice sessions, and perhaps once or twice in the Pre-Season or even once or twice in the regular season.
What this would do is force other teams to prepare for it. In other words, opposing teams would spend hours planning on the ’What If scenerio" Any time that these teams take away from planning on the real game plan is time wasted.
So there it is, use the Wildcat for one reason only, a decoy that will eat up prep time from opposing teams.
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