my commentary is going to diminish. I'm going to present that data. Smart people will figure it out for themselves and I won't getting sucked into discussions like 'are sacks the same as TFL'. 

Net Pass YPA

The table below summarizes Dallas’s net pass YPA for the period from 2007-2010. 

As a basis for comparison, summarized in the table below are the maximum, median, average, and minimum net pass YPA for the NFL 2010 season

The Cowboys results through week 12 are summarized in the table below.

The Darkos results through week 12 are summarized in the table below.

The offense produced a net pass YPA of 6.2 y/a which is almost perfectly average. I’ve clearly been spoiled because I’ve grown to expect better than average every game. Truth is if your worst games are average and your best games are 10 y/a, that’s a pretty good offense. Arizona is another one of these modestly below average pass defenses. Hopefully this week will be an above average game.

The defense allowed a net pass YPA of 7.3 y/a which is bad outright, even worse that it was to Matt Moore and a passing offense that hasn’t been very good. That makes it 4 out of the last 5 that the defensive net pass YPA has been below average.

Net pass YPA ranks for the remaining offenses Dallas will play: ARI (24), NYG (3), TB (19), PHI (11).

Here are net pass YPA ranks for the whole league

No heart attack here

Unlike a lot of fans that wasn’t a heart attack game for me. Why? Because MIA has a below average pass D and I was confident that Dallas would be able to move down the field at will if they’d just stop ‘establishing the run’. So it was mostly aggravating to watch drive after drive stall as Garrett made sure to stay balanced.

BTW, here’s the final drive

1-10-DAL 36 (2:59) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete deep left to 81-L.Robinson. Pass incomplete on a Go pattern.

2-10-DAL 36 (2:54) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short middle to 82-J.Witten pushed ob at MIA 41 for 23 yards (37-Y.Bell).

1-10-MIA 41 (2:45) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short left to 82-J.Witten pushed ob at MIA 35 for 6 yards (56-K.Burnett). Pass complete on a Square Out.

2-4-MIA 35 (2:41) (Shotgun) 29-D.Murray up the middle to MIA 29 for 6 yards (94-R.Starks).

Two-Minute Warning

1-10-MIA 29 (2:00) (Shotgun) 29-D.Murray left end to MIA 20 for 9 yards (56-K.Burnett).

Timeout #2 by MIA at 01:52.

2-1-MIA 20 (1:52) 29-D.Murray up the middle to MIA 17 for 3 yards (56-K.Burnett; 96-P.Soliai).

1-10-MIA 17 (1:09) 29-D.Murray right tackle to MIA 13 for 4 yards (70-K.Langford).

Even though everyone in the stadium knew Dallas was going to be passing, MIA still couldn’t pressure Romo or stop Dallas’s passing game. Can’t help but think they could have done that earlier in the game if they wanted (BTW, MIA’s defensive success rate against the run is 4th in the league).

Same scheme, different players, totally different result

One of the frequent explanations offered for why the DL and #93 don’t get pressure is that it’s the scheme. Luckily Wade Phillips went straight from Dallas to Houston so we’ve got a pretty good apples-to-apples comparison.

We’re only 11 games in but the results are already telling.

DL:

Dallas 2010: Bowen (1.5), Spears (0), Hatcher (1), Igor (0). 2.5

Houston 2011 (11 games): Watt (6), Smith (4.5): 10.5

OLB (Mario Williams was injured in the 5th game):

Dallas 2010: Ware (15.5), Spencer (5): 20.5

Houston 2011 (11 games): Williams (5)/Reed (6), Barwin (8.5): 19.5

It’s – the – players

Game notes

#80 is the Mush