Cowboys Power Formation Proves Tricky On Their Lone Touchdown

by Dave Halprin on Oct 19, 2011 9:00 PM CDT in Dallas Cowboys General

We've noted how the Dallas Cowboys redzone woes doomed them against the New England Patriots this past Sunday. One thing you want to do is run the ball effectively in the redzone. The Cowboys haven't been able to do that. So what's the next best thing? Line up in your super-heavy-jumbo-power package, and throw the ball.

On second and one at the Patriots one-yard line, the Cowboys lined up with three tight ends and brought in nose tackle Josh Brent as a blocking fullback. John Phillips and Martellus Bennett are covering the offensive tackles and Jason Witten is lined up in a wing position.

More...

Another view that shows Tashard Choice as the tailback and the Patriots with eight defenders on the line. For all intents and purposes this definitely feels like a power run with Brent leading Choice to the right side.

At the snap of the ball, Tony Romo drops back, Choice starts his release to the endzone on a pass pattern while Phillips does the same on the left-side of the line. Witten is actually motioning across the line and averts a near disaster. Tyron Smith has given up ground to his defender and is pushed back into Witten's path. Witten has to put his hand on Smith's back and does a mini-hurdle to get past him on the way to his route. This play almost collapsed before Romo could make a passing read.

Good thing Witten is an athlete because he does make his way across the line for a short dump-off from Romo, but even then the touchdown isn't assured. The Patriots did a great job of committing to the run while simultaneously not forgetting about pass coverage. Witten got the pass but still had to power his way into the endzone.

All's well that ends well, as Witten converts the Cowboys only touchdown on the day.

I like the design of this play, but it's pretty symbolic of the Cowboys vote of no-confidence in their running game, especially the power game in the redzone. It's troublesome when a team doesn't think it can convert one yard by busting it up the gut. I commend Garrett for at least finding a way to get it in the endzone on this occasion, but from above you can see how close these plays can come to blowing up.

Perhaps the presence of DeMarco Murray will pump up the running game. I was fairly impressed with the hard running he did in the Patriots game. I'm looking forward to seeing if his style will prove successful. I know the NFL is a passing game now, but there's something to be said for a team that can get the key yard when they need it, and not resort to trickery.

Tweet Comment 47 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

use Witten in the redzone, ive been saying it for years

it aint rocket science Jason

Bruce Carter+Sean Lee=BRUCE LEE!!!!

Follow me at my blog
http://chiacrackscowboysblog.wordpress.com/

by Archie Barberio on Oct 19, 2011 9:07 PM CDT reply actions

Jason Witten AND Dez Bryant

"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."

by Rohpuri on Oct 19, 2011 11:12 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Too Bad

Martellus turned out to be ineffective as a receiver . . .

by Iowacowboy on Oct 20, 2011 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions

Perfect picture of the ball breaking the plane

Thanks, Dave. But, there have got to be better ways to score touchdowns whenever we have First-and-Goal.

Some of these Rube Goldberg plays work (that play to Witten), but some don’t (shovel pass that got blown up). And, as you illustrated, the margin for error is small. That one was close to getting blown up as well.

I love seeing the Cowboys move the ball down the field. But, when they break a big play and get down close to the goal line (but not into the end zone), I sigh and get ready for the inevitable field goal attempt.

First and goal = three points. Not good.

Cowboys and Longhorns - getting up off the turf to win another day.
Spurs? It's football season!

by hookerhome on Oct 19, 2011 9:13 PM CDT reply actions

+1

Hate seeing them pushed outta bounds at the 3 or closer!

Roger: Hey, with this mortar launcher, we can get back at the kid who went all Tom Sizemore on your eye!
Steve: Oh, I wish I could get back at him. I'm gonna dress up as a girl and get him to have sex with me and then say "Ha! I'm not a girl! You just had sex with a boy that hates you!"
Roger: Yes, let's leave that plan between you, me, and the string of therapists who won't be able to help you.
American Dad

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 19, 2011 9:17 PM CDT up reply actions

is it just me or have the cowboys developed

a few bad habits that haven’t really changed or been overcome in recent years?

poor short yardage running
playing smart/tough/successful D 98% of the time, only to give up easy yards in critical moments(end of halves)
ultra conservative/hyper-agressive play calling at the worst times

sigh. this is the team i love, but man they make it so predictable sometimes.

Pirates Vs. Ninjas? Psh......Cowboys, baby.

by oneinsider on Oct 19, 2011 9:22 PM CDT up reply actions

The hardest one for me is the Short yardage.

It kills me in the redzone or on 3rd down. We simply can’t convert without a pass to Witten it seems! Yet our 3rd and longs are second nature to us how does that work? We desprately need help during short yardage my solution is a beast FB that can pound it out for that tough 3 or less yards, or take a simple dump off pass for the same.

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 19, 2011 9:31 PM CDT up reply actions

The bad habits that stick out like a sore thumb to me

1) Being more likely to convert 3rd and forever than 3rd and short (unless we play scared against the Patriots).

2) The defense not being able to get off the field on 3rd down.

"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."

by Rohpuri on Oct 20, 2011 12:34 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

and drive killing penalties forgot to mentoin that one in mine

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 20, 2011 3:17 AM CDT up reply actions

I loved what I saw from both

Jones before injury and Murray after, both fought hard for yards on plays that shoulda been for a loss. This line is driving me nuts as far as the run game goes! So many times we see our backs met in the backfield and must wiggle their way for a 3 or 4 yard gain after contact. It’s nice to see they can break a tackle but I’d much rather see that broken tackle in the secondary going for a TD run. BTW when was the last big TD run I just can’t seem to remember any help would be appreciated.

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 19, 2011 9:20 PM CDT reply actions

Absolutely agree...

about the toughness of the backs under the circumstances, but still missing the big play. I’d say that Jones and Murray have had to fight so hard in the backfield that all they’ve had left is get anywhere from 3-4 to 7-9 yds typically.

The good news is that if Montrae can stay on the field, we should see a little improvement with the push and perhaps a few breakout runs. And I hope we get our 1st real look at Tanner on a few plays.

by ChuckCowboy on Oct 20, 2011 12:20 AM CDT up reply actions

Definatly wanna see Tanner and Murray

The last time Choice fumbled on Garret we didnt see him much at all for the rest of the season wonder if it will be the same this year. Murray is living up to my expectations and would love to see Tanner get some touches too for progressions sake.

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 20, 2011 12:27 AM CDT up reply actions

Why did Romo throw to Witten?

It looked to me like Phillips was even more wide open in the endzone; the dump-off to Witten resulted in him needing to fight for the TD

by oznog22 on Oct 19, 2011 9:33 PM CDT reply actions

True...

Though at some point there has to be a credible threat to run for a TD

Hopefully some softer opposition will give them a chance to work it out without dropping games.

by redandy on Oct 19, 2011 9:39 PM CDT reply actions

every time dallas

or any team that i need to win is down by the goal line, i always say, “play action”. one reason philly is 2-4 is due to their blunders down by the goal line. andy reid has personally cost them 2 wins with his idiotic play calling. good for dallas, bad for my pool.

by qbfannn on Oct 19, 2011 10:02 PM CDT reply actions

A E I O U and sometimes Y

Free, Kosier, Costa, Nagy, blocking backs and sometimes Ty

The alpha and the omega of this team’s offensive troubles has to do with blocking.

Is it youth? Is it merely bad players? Is it poor technique/position coaching? Dunno.
All the whining about play calling, Garrett, Romo and running backs from fans or casual observers doesn’t change the cause of the team’s consistent inability to assert itself in the run game or grind out a drive.

I only show up to mock other posters, jeer at the writing here, and make strange complaints about internet culture.

by Joey2zs on Oct 19, 2011 10:10 PM CDT reply actions

yep and the cowboys ignore it in the draft by filling holes in the OL with 6th round picks or UDFA

thats why the 49’s and other rebuild teams are showing up now..they got smart and fixed the OL well enough to save the QB and RB’s and create some offense in short down an distance situations
and the cowboys better pick a money guard next year or it will be more of the same

by 0k on Oct 19, 2011 11:25 PM CDT up reply actions

Every great HOF back

thanks his FB. Our RB’s are not HOF caliber. So you would think they need a FB too.

by cowboy north on Oct 19, 2011 10:26 PM CDT reply actions

I absolutely love this play!

This isn’t gimmickry or gadgetry, this is good ol’ fashioned chess playing in which Garrett came out on top. Simply go with a run heavy look and throw it. And maybe more importantly….visa versa. A pass look with a run play. OCC did a column about this some time back that was excellent and worth looking in to. The fact of the matter is that we are not a blow out the middle run team. Why force the issue? Sure…practice it, don’t give up on it, but don’t force it til you can actually be successful with that type of attack. It’s a better option to capitalize on the things you already know you have. A big part of our problem with the run game is the “tells” that Garrett can’t seem to minimize. not to absolve the Oline of their poor run blocking, but Garrett can implement more of this deception to help the line out in various ways.

by stargazer33 on Oct 19, 2011 10:40 PM CDT reply actions

problem with that

is that if we do not at least occasionally show that we can run and make it from that formation, teams will overload to prevent the pass completions.

by burmafrd1944 on Oct 20, 2011 7:27 AM CDT up reply actions

One thing I can't stand about the running game

In short yardage we take our WRs out of the game. Since we can’t go jumbo package on teams, I would just leave our WRs, and Witten out there, and run a draw play, or go play action.

"The tone is business," Garrett said. "Let's get to work. The Giants are going to be at the Meadowlands on Sunday at 4:15. They're an awfully good football team. We have to get ready for them."

by Rohpuri on Oct 19, 2011 11:52 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

i agree 100%

when you can run the ball 4 yards a play hell even 23 yards a play on the 50 one would think you could on the 5. On the known run plays there gonna give you the smallest holes to get through (stacking the box as they call it) every time. When you have you TEs out wide a TE in Wingback slot two wide outs on the outside you force them to take guys out of said box to cover the potental quick out pass. Just plain common sense if ya ask me run out of pass set and you get 3 yards 3 X 3 = 9 yards should have gotten it in in that situation…….

by Sado44 on Oct 20, 2011 12:35 AM CDT reply actions

ugh, just watched inside the nfl

showed how dez had 1 on 1 at least twice in the second half in the redzone and when the cowboys talked about it on the sideline romo said “i didnt want to turn it over” SMH his ego is wrecked right now.

also dez was saying how they cant keep settling for FG’s and everyone just nonchalantly nodded their heads. Witten was pretty pumped after his TD and everyone seemed psyched except Marty B.

if only they had film from the field/sidelines with on-field audio available.

The realist keepin it real amongst the surrealists

R.I.P. Big Homey Nate Dogg: "Cuz Iiiiiiiiii have ne-evv-ver met a giiiiiiiiiirrrrrrllllllllllllllllllll tha-at I loved in the whole wide wooorrrlllllddddddd"

by starbury_to_s-jaxci2000 on Oct 20, 2011 1:26 AM CDT reply actions

*sigh

Man thats aweful! Punch a guy in the gut enough times…. Well Romo I hope you can get your confidence back both in your WRs and in yourself.

his ego is wrecked right now

Man I hate this poor guys hurting right now. I sure wish there was a way to let him know how proud I am of him as my teams QB, wouldnt have it any other way. Keep your chin up Tony we know you got what it takes

by Cowboys_Attack on Oct 20, 2011 3:23 AM CDT up reply actions

Dez is his own worst enemy

between his antics off the field and his misplays on it, Romo has little confidence in him when the situation is extreme.

by burmafrd1944 on Oct 20, 2011 7:28 AM CDT up reply actions

How was the pocket on those plays?

What were those plays? What had happened on the play before? What happened the previous times Dez ran the same route?

It’s easy to look at 4 seconds of film out of context and declare something, but the truth of what you’re looking at is potentially far more complex.

Also, Romo’s injured.

I only show up to mock other posters, jeer at the writing here, and make strange complaints about internet culture.

by Joey2zs on Oct 20, 2011 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

Not to mention the obvious.

Every WR thinks they are open all the time.

by Dosresolvedalotofignorantviews on Oct 20, 2011 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Can't mock, jeer or complain about common sense.

Cry 'Havoc!'

by tanstaafl on Oct 21, 2011 9:04 AM CDT up reply actions

i don't mind trickery....as long as it works

good call by JG

"They need security in the world, Craig!"

by Tuna Helper on Oct 20, 2011 3:53 AM CDT reply actions

I found photo 3 most disturbing

I first like to point out #77 Tyron’s stance. I believe he has to much stagger and that it causes him to take a false steps which is why he’s getting owned as you see in the 3rd photo. Also that large of a stagger causes him to engage his block being over-extended which effects his balance, pad level, and leverage quite possibly Nagy as well but obviously on this play he was to seal off weak side. But across the board we are being pushed around up front..Just look at everyones helmet. If they are all above their defenders helmet then thats a classic case of getting beat and them them trying to use upper body strength to beat the man in front of them.

by @Tonekupone on Oct 20, 2011 7:45 AM CDT reply actions

Since Marion "The Barbarian" got paid...

he kept getting hurt and that was the initial downfall of our 3rd/4th and short failings. Our FB’s the last few years haven’t been able to do what we think the FB should do. I truly believe that Philips is a better FB than Anderson and Gronkowski. No complaints about those waivers.

I think we should line up in that formation every short yardage down. Fake to the FB (Josh Brent?!?!? Not as big as “The Fridge,” but surely he’d be a bit more spry) to the strong side and pitch to the weak side. Fake to the FB to the right, and let him lead the RB right. Fake to the FB right, let the RB start to the left and counter right, following the FB. Hell, hand it off to the FB and fake the weak-side pitch.

I’m sorry, but we have to be able to figure out how we can simply hammer our way in. Line Rat and D-Ware up as FB’s on either side of the QB and have our RB follow those 2 through the hole.

Overload one side with an extra tackle. (TE-T-G-C-G-T-T-TE). If the whole D shifts to the overload side, run some type of counter or weak-side pitch. If they don’t shift, run strong-side.

Set up a RB in a “wildcat” formation with Philips and Witten as split FB’s. That leaves us 8 spots for OLinemen on the line. If we can’t hammer it in with that much bulk, we may not deserve to get the TD.

by Northern Cowboy on Oct 20, 2011 8:15 AM CDT reply actions

The way to fix this problem is to draft Trent Richardson in 2012

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability."
-John Wooden

by eightball on Oct 20, 2011 8:39 AM CDT reply actions

we'd have to lose our remaining games to have a shot at him

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Oct 20, 2011 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions

If we cannot score TDs from inside the 5 yrd line

and can’t get 1 yrd to move the chains, we may be in position. :-)

"Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but what you should have accomplished with your ability."
-John Wooden

by eightball on Oct 20, 2011 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions

no way, will never. ever happen

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Oct 20, 2011 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions

So....

Draft an unproven running back behind a mediocre offensive line and hope for the best?

Is that the plan?

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.

by Nickthegrip on Oct 20, 2011 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions

OK

I’m down for that. I bet he goes in the mid-teens, perhaps early 20s.

Lots of big time players in this draft. Will drop Trent Richardson.

I don’t care if next year he doesn’t have blocking. The Cowboys can get free agents or wait until the following year. I just want to watch Trent Richardson every weekend.

I only show up to mock other posters, jeer at the writing here, and make strange complaints about internet culture.

by Joey2zs on Oct 20, 2011 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions

The play action pass is absolutely unstoppable at the goal line

as the defense always has to sell out to stop the run.

I think it should be called every time we’re inside the 5.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Oct 20, 2011 9:02 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs

I think any offense is at it's best when the defense is off balance

Meaning that you need to run and pass out of that power formation at a high enough percentage and in various situations to keep the defense from selling out.

At times, JG has done a good job of this in the past. But every now and then he starts to get a little vanilla concerning what plays are runs in a given situation or formation.

Don’t confuse this with me accusing him of being a bad play caller because I don’t think any of us have enough information to make that claim. We tend to just decide it was a bad play call because of a bad result.

by staubachfan on Oct 20, 2011 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions

my point is that a defense always has to sell out stopping the run at the goal line

They have no other choice because the offense is so close to the end zone and there isn’t much to pass defend.

I rarely in my 35+ years of watching football have seen that play fail inside the 5.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Oct 20, 2011 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions

Absolute BS

No play is absolutely unstoppable.
Sheesh.

Cry 'Havoc!'

by tanstaafl on Oct 21, 2011 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

You're right and you sound like my Dad. lol.

27 time Champions...Yea you're jealous.

by DCyanks21 on Oct 23, 2011 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions

Toss, Sweep?

I thought the point of going with the youth movement on the O line was to get rid of the slow unmoveables and get guys in that could get to the edge and zone block. Yet everytime we run a running play it is right up the middle or maybe off tackle. When is the last time any of you saw a sweep or toss? With smaller faster RB’s wouldn’ t that make more sense as well. Nope we are gonna run it right up the middle at one of the biggest NT’s in the game. Dumb dumb dumb, and 0 screens, there is a great play call for first down on our last drive, how bout a screen or even play action roll out giving Romo the option to throw to a few short routes or run with it to keep the clock moving. Nope run right at wilfork, lose a yard, that didn’t work let’s run that again. Reminded me of the Chargers game in 09 when we ran it three staight times from the one yrd line right side off center and stopped 3 times.

by COWBOYS DIE HARD SON on Oct 20, 2011 12:51 PM CDT reply actions

Where are these screen grabs from and have they been cropped?

Reason I ask, I’m actually in the picture of Witten two yards shy of the goaline. If you enlarge it, and look towards the across from the ten yard line I’m pictured from the neck down, blue sweatshirt and yellow lettering, hands wrapped already the railing, standing up. My head has been cut off of the picture, so if someone cropped this picture, is it possible to send me the original? Thanks!

Founder & Editor of SouthOrangeJuice.Com
Bye, Bye, Bobby!
Follow @SOrangeJuice

by GonzoBallSHU on Oct 20, 2011 12:55 PM CDT reply actions

Bad news, I just reviewed that sequence on NFL Rewind. That is the best shot of you in that sequence. The screenshot is from the very start of that replay sequence using the sideline camera. The camera pans down as it follows the action and all spectators are out of the picture as the action continues.

by One.Cool.Customer on Oct 20, 2011 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions