Dallas Cowboys TD Drive Killers (Pt. 1) - Third downs
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 10:40 AM CDT
in Dallas Cowboys General
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PrintFor those of you who think this post is about Roy Williams because you just read 'drive killer', relax and think happy thoughts, this post is not about Roy Williams.
With two pre-season games in the books, I was struck by a blinding flash of the obvious: The Cowboys have not had a single touchdown drive so far. Now, I'll be the first to say that we shouldn't read too much into the stats of pre-season games, particularly since the first team offense has only been on the field for all of three drives.
But it did bring back to mind an aspect of the Cowboys game that our own Rafael Vela has repeatedly written about: The fast break or big play offense that defines the Dallas Cowboys - as well as the flipside of the coin, the Cowboys' seeming inability to sustain long, controlled drives.
Nowhere is this big play offense more evident than on touchdown drives. Last year, the Cowboys scored 40 offensive touchdowns. Only five of those touchdowns (12.5%) were preceded by drives of ten plays or more. Those 12.5% were the third lowest total in the league last year, just barely above the 49ers (11.4%) and the Packers (12.0%). The league average was 25% in 2009. The kings of the long TD drives were the Bengals (50%), Dolphins (45.9%) and Falcons (43.9%). A full table of all teams is attached at the bottom of this post.
The question is, of course, is this by choice or by default? This is part one of a three part series in which we'll look at drive killers on TD drives and how the Cowboys compared with other teams last year. After the break we start with the first drive killer: Third downs.
Plays per touchdown drive
I've limited the analysis of drive killers to TD drives only. This may not necessarily be representative of a team's full offensive game plan, but it is indicative of what led to success for each team. Also, it is a question of limiting the sheer volume of data I have to work through. The league combined for 1,139 offensive TDs last year, which by my count were preceded by 8,020 plays on the preceding drives.
This may sound like a lot (and it certainly is a lot of data) but it isn't really that much. Consider that teams like the Rams and Raiders only had 16 and 17 offensive TDs respectively and the sample size becomes fairly thin. The most offensive TDs were scored by the Saints and Vikings with 55 and 53 each, which is a little more robust in terms of sample size, but not that much. Keep this in mind as we walk through the numbers.
Example: The Eagles scored 13 of their 41 offensive TDs (31.7%) on drives with three play or less. That ranks them second in the league, and you'd get little argument from anybody if you'd describe the Eagles as a quick strike offense. But leading the league in percentage at 34.8% are the Buffalo Bills. The Bills? I didn't see a single Bills game last year, but I'd be very surprised to hear them referred to as a quick strike offense (but I may be wrong). The Bills scored eight of their meager 23 offensive touchdowns on drives of three or less plays. A couple of 'lucky' plays here may disproportionately effect the percentage due to the low overall number of TDs.
Back to the Cowboys. With only five touchdowns on drives of ten or more plays, it figures that the average number of plays per TD drive would be fairly low, and it is. With an average of 6.6 plays per TD drive, the Cowboys rank 22nd in the league in terms of drive length. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because you could argue equally convincingly that the Cowboys rank 11th in the lowest average amount of plays needed to score a TD.
Third downs per touchdown drive
Last season, the Cowboys offense converted 40.6% of their third downs and ranked 14th in the league in this category. So how well did they convert third downs on their 40 TD drives?
Granted, this is somewhat of a trick question. Since they scored a TD at the end of the drive they obviously converted every single third down en route to the TD. What's more interesting is how many third down situations they faced. The numbers here are 15-16-9. On 15 TD drives the Cowboys offense did not face a single single third down, on 16 TD drives they only had to convert one third down and the offense was able to convert two third downs on nine TD drives. Every single time the Cowboys faced more than two third downs, the drive ended without a TD.
At first glance, these numbers may look a little scary, but when put into context with the rest of the league, they may actually make some sense: 38% of Dallas' TD drives last year did not have a 3rd down play (Rank: 9th). 78% of the team's TD drives had just one or no 3rd down plays (Rank: T 2nd).
As Raf is wont to say: "That's the definition of a fast break offense, ladies and gentlemen."
And the Cowboys are in good company: Leading the league in one or no 3rd down TD drives are the Cardinals (81%), followed by the Eagles, Packers and Bills (yeah, those guys again, see above), all with 78%. That is not the worst peer group imaginable. What may be a little disconcerting is that the Cowboys tied for last place with zero TD drives with three or more third downs converted. For what it's worth, they tied with the Eagles (and the Lions).
The Cowboys aren’t the type of team that can sustain multiple long drives throughout a game. An average third down conversion rate (as well as a couple of other factors we'll look at in the following two posts) is forcing Jason Garrett's hand. The trick is to gameplan around these limitations, and it appears that Garrett is doing everything he can to avoid third down situations alltogether:
"I think the biggest thing is being efficient, particularly on early downs, and continue to stay in some reasonable down-and-distance situations where you can run your offense."
Garrett likes to attack down field early and often, and despite being ranked only 14th in 3rd down conversions, the Cowboys are ranked 6th in total first downs - an indication that 2nd down conversions play a big role in Garrett's offense. Knowing your own limitations is half the battle. The Cowboys know that third downs are their personal TD drive killers - and plan for it.
So as you watch the next pre-season games, focus on the first team drives - not on whether they score or not, but on whether they are able to string together a couple of long drives despite a troubling O-line, third downs, penalties or sacks.
TD Drive Breakdown by NFL team, 2009 (click column header to sort)
| Team | TDs | Plays per TD drive | 3rd downs per TD drive | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. plays per TD drive | TD drives with 10+ plays | TD drives with 0-3 plays | Zero | 0-1 | 2+ | ||
| ARI | 43 | 6.6 | 14% | 19% | 44% | 81% | 2% |
| ATL | 41 | 8.4 | 44% | 20% | 27% | 61% | 22% |
| BAL | 43 | 6.6 | 16% | 14% | 35% | 77% | 9% |
| BUF | 23 | 5.4 | 13% | 35% | 61% | 78% | 4% |
| CAR | 34 | 6.9 | 21% | 21% | 35% | 71% | 9% |
| CHI | 33 | 6.6 | 21% | 15% | 33% | 73% | 3% |
| CIN | 30 | 9.0 | 50% | 7% | 27% | 50% | 23% |
| CLE | 21 | 7.1 | 24% | 19% | 24% | 57% | 5% |
| DAL | 40 | 6.6 | 13% | 20% | 38% | 78% | 0% |
| DEN | 30 | 6.4 | 23% | 27% | 40% | 70% | 7% |
| DET | 25 | 7.1 | 28% | 16% | 32% | 68% | 0% |
| GB | 50 | 6.1 | 12% | 20% | 30% | 78% | 6% |
| HOU | 42 | 7.5 | 31% | 14% | 33% | 67% | 10% |
| IND | 50 | 7.8 | 30% | 8% | 26% | 68% | 10% |
| JAC | 34 | 7.9 | 41% | 15% | 15% | 56% | 9% |
| KC | 26 | 6.7 | 19% | 15% | 38% | 65% | 8% |
| MIA | 37 | 8.9 | 46% | 16% | 22% | 43% | 27% |
| MIN | 53 | 7.6 | 30% | 8% | 26% | 64% | 11% |
| NE | 47 | 7.1 | 26% | 17% | 43% | 74% | 2% |
| NO | 55 | 7.0 | 24% | 20% | 44% | 69% | 13% |
| NYG | 42 | 6.8 | 21% | 19% | 29% | 67% | 5% |
| NYJ | 33 | 6.0 | 24% | 18% | 33% | 70% | 6% |
| OAK | 17 | 7.5 | 35% | 18% | 18% | 65% | 6% |
| PHI | 41 | 5.5 | 15% | 32% | 41% | 78% | 0% |
| PIT | 38 | 7.2 | 26% | 11% | 37% | 71% | 8% |
| SD | 46 | 7.3 | 22% | 15% | 37% | 67% | 13% |
| SEA | 27 | 6.9 | 22% | 15% | 30% | 74% | 7% |
| SF | 35 | 5.9 | 11% | 20% | 31% | 77% | 3% |
| STL | 16 | 8.3 | 31% | 0% | 19% | 56% | 6% |
| TB | 23 | 6.5 | 30% | 30% | 43% | 61% | 17% |
| TEN | 35 | 7.1 | 23% | 17% | 17% | 60% | 11% |
| WAS | 29 | 7.6 | 28% | 14% | 24% | 59% | 21% |
| NFL Avg | 35.6 | 7.0 | 25.0% | 17.1% | 32.7% | 68.0% | 9.0% |
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Well if 3rd downs are a weakness, why are they a weakness? Will this be covered in either part 2 or 3?
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
you asked two of the three burning questions I have
Well, sort of. The first is identical (why are 3rd downs such a problem?), the 2nd is actually how many parts are there to this series?
And for the third: where are the cheerleaders OCC? (-;
Why are they weakness? See the definition of 'Offensive Line".
Let’s be clear, this offensive line is not our 90’s Cowboys. While they may be big, they lack in certain aspects at each position.
Leonard Davis can be out-quicked very easy and has problems with DL that have good technique. He’s big, but not very agile. He can’t make it to the second level on most plays.
Kyle Kosair is a technique guy, but doesn’t have the strength in the run game that Dallas typically likes. He can get on his man, but can’t really get a push. Despite his skill in technique though, he was susceptible to being out-smarted in the pass rush game with Minnesota doing feints at zone coverage by his man, then charging through the hole he left when he helped someone else.
Andre Gurode is a strength guy with decent agility. He can get to the second level, but has issues maintaining any of his blocks. He has issues with DL and LB with good technique in block shedding. He rarely gets out muscled, but we’ve seen some DL use the swim move effectively against him.
Mark Columbo is someone you love to have, but his knees are starting to pull his talent down to a very low level. He has the smarts and the skill, but his body is betraying him. If he can get healthy, truly healthy, you can plug him in and forget worrying about right tackle. As it is though, he lacks the lateral mobility to handle quick rushers. He’s strong enough for the bull rush and can deal with good technique guys usually well, but his knees are starting to erode this ability.
Doug Free might actually be our best lineman. He still has some issues with good strong bull rushers and people who can combine good technique and speed, but there are only so many D Wares out there, so this isn’t a major concern. Initially I was worried about his run blocking not being strong enough, but after watching his preseason, his run blocking is just fine. He might still have issues with real strong linemen, but from what I hear, he handles Igor pretty well most times. His best asset is his health and still being able to stay agile.
With Mark Columbo going down, this gets a bit scary. Robert Brewster will get a chance at it, but his inexperience shows constantly. Experienced DLs will out technique him to death. My guess is that Alex Barron will have to hold down the spot. Don’t be surprised if Columbo has a hard time getting back into the lineup because of this. Barron has his issues, but he’s healthy and talented and has a coach who should be able to get the best out of him. I still worry about him taking certain plays off, but I’m hoping coaching can solve this.
Bottom line is: Our weakest link in this football team is the Offensive Line. I’m not sure we’ve addressed it adequately enough and could eventually be what keeps the Cowboys from the Super Bowl.
by calmyron on Aug 16, 2010 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
did you look at the data before jumping to that conclusion?
The NYJ and NYG are mediocre at 3rd down conversions, and they supposedly have great O-Lines. I’m struggling to see a clear connection between 3rd down conversions and O-Lines.
This is a tricky question. I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions.
I would offer one hypothesis / comment though. Hypothesis: There is a trade-off between going for quick strikes on early downs and 3rd down conversion rate. For example, an OC who calls deep passes on early downs will have more quick strike TDs and a lower 3rd down conversion rate (because the average 3rd downs will be longer). Note, the 3rd down conversion rate is not adjusted for distance. My guess is that Dallas’ 3rd down attempts were longer on average than teams that converted at a higher rate.
I’d be careful here as well.
An average third down conversion rate (as well as a couple of other factors we’ll look at in the following two posts) is forcing Jason Garrett’s hand
again, it can be that the play calls on early downs lead to longer distance 3rd down attempts, not the other way around.
One rough test of this hypothesis is to look at a team’s rank in quick strike TDs to the 3rd down conversion rate. If the hypothesis is correct, one would expect to see a negative correlation (i.e. the better a team is at quick strike TDs, the worse they are at 3rd down conversions). This is in fact the case at the correlation coefficient is a negative 0.16 (an admittedly weak correlation, correct sign though). See work in the spreadsheet linked below (data extracted from OCC’s post above and ESPN.com)
Another test is to look at a team’s rank in quick strike TDs and compare that to average 3rd down distance. If the hypothesis is correct, one would expect to see the same negative correlation (i.e. going for quick strikes is resulting in more long 3rd downs). While I have the data for average 3rd down length, it’s a slightly laborious exercise to extract it. I’ll see if I can get to that today.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 16, 2010 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Ok, here’s the 3rd down distance data.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aq_pzudn-VEDdFp2Sm44RllpbFNwRUFvNXU2b1VTYWc&hl=en
Dallas was 32 in the league in 3rd down distance (i.e. Dallas had longer 3rd downs to convert than all but KC). I think that explains the mediocre 3rd down conversion rate.
The correlation is weak, negative 0.10, for Quick Strike rank to 3rd Down Distance rank.
As you would expect, there is a strong positive correlation between 3rd down conversion rate and 3rd down distance. The R-Squared is 0.56.
This is also suggests that Dallas is not being forced to stay out of 3rd down situations because of a poor ability to convert 3rd downs. Dallas was 31st in 3rd down distance but was tied for 13th in 3rd down conversion rate. Taking into account the distance of the 3rd down attempts, it appears that Dallas is doing a good job of converting 3rd downs. Dallas is just faced with a lot of long 3rd downs which drives down their conversion rate.
That is also a possible explanation for the low correlation between the Quick Strike rank to 3rd Down Distance rank. 3rd down conversion rate is determined both by the distance and by the skill of the team. Teams like GB, MIN, and Dallas are able to convert 3rd downs in spite of the relatively long distance they face (unlike KC which is 32 in distance and 31st in conversion %).
A quick perusal of 3rd down distance vs. 3rd down conversion rate turns up some anecdotal evidence that supports the hypothesis. Miami for example, was 4th best in 3rd down distance (i.e. shortest 3rd down attempts) and 2nd best in 3rd down conversion rate. This is consistent with the Parcells philosophy of running and staying out of long 3rd downs. Jacksonville was 7th is 3rd down distance and 4th in 3rd down conversion rate.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 16, 2010 6:25 PM CDT up reply actions
correction
Dallas was 31 in the league in 3rd down distance
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 16, 2010 6:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice find
I wonder if you could isolate the reasons for the long third downs, i.e. is it more the result of bad plays (2 incompletes, and incomplete and a short run etc.) or is it due to penalties and sacks?
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 17, 2010 1:50 AM CDT up reply actions
I'll take a crack at it
I’ll look at the obvious.
Correlation between:
-penalties & 3rd down distance
-sacks & 3rd down distance
extacting the ratio of passes on 1st & 2nd might be a little trickier. I think it’s doable though.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 17, 2010 7:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Short Yardage
3rd downs are short yardage usually, and our o-line sucks at getting a push. Barber isn’t a league leading short yardage back anymore. Our possession reciever Roy can’t catch quick passes.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 16, 2010 1:55 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm not trying to be abrasive, but
3rd downs are not usually short yardage for the Cowboys. Third and short is probably defined by two yards or less to go for a first down (but even if you include 3rd down and 3 yards to go) they still do not equal 50% of the 3rd down plays. The percentage of 3rd and short for Dallas is less than a third of the total.
I think the only problem is Red Zone Packages
We need to be able to execute better.
Although I'm not a Jets fan, and most certainly not a USC fan, I'll root for any team that Mark Sanchez plays for. Mark Sanchez for Superbowl MVP and President 2012. The change that only I can believe in.
EXACTLY!!!
IMO it is all about the execution,or lack there of!!! COWBOYS RULE!!!
Wade Phillips first Super Bowl win is as the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys!!!
by NVCowboy4Life on Aug 16, 2010 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes it does
If you score early in a drive, you can’t get the ball back and score again. I don’t argue with the difficulty Dallas had in the red zone but 100% of TD drives can only be divided into parts that add up to 100%. A higher % of short drive scores has to reduce the % of sustained drives.
by StillHateTheGiants on Aug 16, 2010 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions
It's playing to your strengths
and trying to downplay your weaknesses.
great post OCC
it seems to me on 3rd downs with teams blitzing,our o-line is more likely to have false starts or holding penalties..
just my impression but sure you have the stats to show whats happening..
Davie Wilson
how bout them cowboys!!!
by scotscowboyfan on Aug 16, 2010 12:23 PM CDT reply actions
Your memory may be playing tricks on you
Here’s what I have. 63 total offensive penalties excl. penalties on kickoffs and punts in 2009, split by down, offensive line, total team and O-line by holding and false start penalties.
Down: …..1…..2….3…..4
OL………15…17…4…0
Total……27…24…10..2
OL Hold…7….5….0….0
OL FS……7….7….3….0
On third downs, the O-line had three false start penalties and one face mask penalty in the regular season. This is based on the play by play records, and barring transcription errors, the data should be correct.
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions
thanks again OCC
my memory is in error :(
Davie Wilson
how bout them cowboys!!!
by scotscowboyfan on Aug 16, 2010 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
This jives with...
all of the 1st & 20’s, 2nd & 15-20’s and 3rd & longs I remember seeing.
Penalties and sacks getting us in deep holes on the early downs and hoping for a miracle to pull us back out before 4th down. Good for getting the blood pressure and beer consumption levels up.
Rabid and luvin' it
See above post!!!
Wade Phillips first Super Bowl win is as the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys!!!
by NVCowboy4Life on Aug 16, 2010 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions
OOPS!!!
See above post!!! It is execution,or the lack there of!!!
Wade Phillips first Super Bowl win is as the Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys!!!
by NVCowboy4Life on Aug 16, 2010 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions
I remember a few years ago when Jacksonville beat Pittsburg in Pittsburg
I remember them, every game, having 20 play drives ending in TDs
by AustonianAggie on Aug 16, 2010 12:32 PM CDT reply actions
they did that with flawless execution. The next year, with a guard suffering a season ending gun shot wounds, flawed execution returned. Their lack of big plays then led to their offense falling apart. So big plays, I’d conjecture, are more reliable than flawless execution
by AustonianAggie on Aug 16, 2010 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I think you're referring to week 15 in 2007: JAC 29 @ PIT 22
Jacksonville had 12 drives in that game.
Drive 1 – 8 plays (Field Goal)
Drive 2 – 5 plays and punt
Drive 3 – 3 plays and punt
Drive 4 – 5 plays and punt
Drive 5 – 3 plays and punt
Drive 6 – 10 plays (Touchdown)
Drive 7 – 20 plays (Touchdown)
Drive 8 – 1 play (Touchdown)
Drive 9 – 5 plays and intercepted
Drive 10 – 6 plays and punt
Drive 11 – 8 plays (Touchdown)
Drive 12 – 2 plays and end of game
they beat them in the Wild Card Play Off game as well
and they had more than just that one 20 drive play
by AustonianAggie on Aug 16, 2010 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions
this is the box score for that game, I don’t know how you got a list of their drive-length by number of plays
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2008010501/2007/POST18/jaguars@steelers#tab:analyze
by AustonianAggie on Aug 16, 2010 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
counting by hand, I may have over stated that, though I blame the announcers who talked about 20 play drives as if the Jaguars did that a lot that year
by AustonianAggie on Aug 16, 2010 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions
No need to count by hand
here’s the drive summary for that game.
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions
In that playoff game at the end of the 2007 season, JAC defeated PIT in PIT by a score of 31 to 29
They had 13 Drives, but none longer than 9 plays
Like others, my guess is
that the defense needs to be tricked to some extent because the line isn’t able to dominate most opponents. Third down reduces the play-calling mystery to a large extent. So Garrett prefers to not rely on consistent line play to move up the field. Same reason they run so many draws and delays, as well as play-action and bubble screens. They are hiding the team’s biggest offensive liability. Blitzing on thrid down is a bad concept if the offense is good at picking up the rush.
FREE THE OGLETREE!!!
OCC
I’m sure you’ve got the stats already. How many times last year did the Cowboys have drives that included 3 or more 3rd downs?
As far as I can tell, 6 drives with three 3rd downs, one with four
This is based off play by play data and I had to manually input the drives, so I may not be 100% accurate, but here goes:
1. TB: 1st Quarter (drive starts at 6:33)
2. CAR: 3rd Q (3:20)
3. ATL: 3rd Q (0:51, cont. in 4th)
4. GB: 4th Q (10:44)
5. 2nd NYG game, 1st Q (0:57, cont. in 2nd)
6. NO: 1st Q (3:12, cont. in 2nd)
Four 3rd downs: 2nd WAS game, 3rd Q (14:53)
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Thanks
4 of those games we won: TB, CAR, ATL, NO
Of the 2 games that we loss (GB, and 2nd NYG) do you feel that it was Dallas’ lack of ability to sustain long drives that led to the loss?
In the NYG game, although Dallas did NOT get a TD during that drive, they did get a FG and led the game at that point 3 to zero.
In the GB game, Dallas was already down 17 to zero, by the time they got to that long drive. It didn’t end on a third down mishap, but on a Romo INT in the endzone on first and goal from the one.
I guess my question is, “Did the lack of sustaining long drives cost the Cowboys some games?”
How can big plays develop when the offensive line can't keep defenders off Romos back for 5 seconds?
Romo is getting killed so far…. This OL scares me! You’re going to see more “dink and dunk” crap offense this year, because Romo won’t be able to stay upright very long, it seems like! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great work, OCC!
And this (and the remaining posts in the series?) suggests why Garrett didn’t “just run the ball” against Green Bay. This is a talented offense made up of players—even strong technicians like Witten—who are highly prone to misfires, assignment breakdowns, etc. Running the ball is just as likely to result in a 2nd and 19 as it is in a 2nd and 2. If I were Garrett, I’d try to create big plays, too; its the only chance they have of avoiding 7-6 games every week.
indeed
that’s one of the main reasons why BTB is always my first click when I’m on the lookout for Cowboys news. I just get so tired of the standard myopic narratives that I often feel compelled to speak out against them, even in a forum like this in which those narratives are repeatedly interrogated.
a complicated offense with many reads makes room for misreads and mistakes
I think we could simplify and change our offense an have longer, more sustained drives. But, the cost would be less points overall.
I can live with a few sacks here and there and some 2nd and 20s.
What I can’t stand is settling for chip-shot FGs in the RZ. This is the only area of the offense that truly needs fixing.
Ich bin ein Berliner--JFK
Well our offense has been described by other defenses as
“simple” or “easy to read”
by Musiccitynorm on Aug 16, 2010 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Thank you Jason Garrett....
Exactly — Good defensive players know what our plays are as soon as we line up… How is that possible unless we’re using simple schemes?
Also — Have you ever noticed that when Romo hikes the ball, he’ll say something like “Oklahoma hut hut” right before he hikes it? By the 3rd time he does this, I know exactly when the ball will be snapped from my lounger here at home, so you better believe the defense does also!
They need to make more of an effort to disguise the play call, and the snap!
Miles Austin and Patrick Crayton
Seem to do a fine job making their reads. Tony Romo seems to do a good job making his reads.
There only ever seems to be one name that always seems to be in the discussion for wrong reads… do you change an entire offense because one person can’t get it right or do you change that one person?
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 16, 2010 4:30 PM CDT up reply actions
A new guy comes in gets his ribs busted
and poof you have a loser by our own standards.
Big things this year, big things.
by Musiccitynorm on Aug 16, 2010 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions
the 'we should have just run' in Green Bay argument kills me. I'll just repost ...
http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/6/2/1497034/old-moose-wine-in-new-cowboys
I don’t think Dallas ran the ball very well that game which I think was due to Columbo leaving with an injury in the first series.
Look at the play-by-play.
Prior to the Columbo injury, Dallas had 2 rushes to Barber on the first series of 13 & 19 yards, for 32 yards.
Dallas has 12 rushes for 29 yards the rest of the day (for a 2.4 YPC average).
Maybe Garrett didn’t call more rushes because they were producing 2 yards an attempt.
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 16, 2010 4:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Our running game has suffered the last couple years because of the O-Line.....
As this OL has gotten worse, so has our running game…. There have only been a couple of big breakout runs to speak of the last couple of years…. A team like Tennessee has them EVERY WEEK! With the players we have, we should be posting huge runs every week also, but it’s not happening….. I hate to say it, but I’ve been calling for OL upgrades for 5 years now — ever since Bledsoe used to get killed every week.
there is only one place left to go OCC
How many of those drives of 2+ 3rd downs ENDED because of RW? :)
18
27 attempts, 9 receptions on 3rd down. 33% completion rate.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Aug 16, 2010 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions
9 receptions, 8 of which converted to 1st downs (per Bob Sturm)
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions
I think your stats include ALL 3rd down opportunities
NOT just the drives with multiple 3rd down opportunities
Ending drives with multiple 3rd downs is an equal opportunity endeavor
I misunderstood the initial question, here are the targeted players on the last play of each of the seven drives outlined above:
1. Run by Choice, 2. Incomplete to Crayton, 3. Inc. to Bennett, 4. Inc. to Witten 5. Sack, 6. Sack. 7. Run by Barber
by One.Cool.Customer on Aug 16, 2010 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Swayze Waters (see picture above)
You think that guys parents were that big a fans, or maybe he was conceived at the drive in while Point Break was playing.
On a side note, that would be a great porn name. Sorry Buck Naked, you just got replaced.
Thank you #22, for everything you did for the Cowboys. There will never be another one like you.
on a scale of 1-10 how mad will you be if I post the bengals fans comments on AJ?
by Fan in Thick and Thin on Aug 16, 2010 6:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Only 1 on the madness scale, but a 10 on the amazement of your obsession with Pacman scale
I think you might be the only blogger left here who still cares about that guy, knock yourself out
Thank you #22, for everything you did for the Cowboys. There will never be another one like you.
by APerfectStar on Aug 16, 2010 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions
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- Detroit Lions DT Nick Fairley arrested again; now has more NFL arrests than NFL sacks
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
