Blogging The Boys: FanPosts

Zone Read Part 2: Defending the Zone Read

2013-06-19T21:18:15Z

In Part 2 we will learn what could have saved Rob Ryan's job if only he'd been a BTB reader, how to defend the zone read.

In Part 1 we analyzed what the zone read was. The zone read is a play that uses 2 running threats, each going a different way, and then then quarterback either hands the ball off or runs it himself depending on what the unblocked defensive end does.

So in the above example everyone is blocked except the defensive end who will have to choose to go after the RB or the QB. As soon as the DE takes a step to his left or right, the ball will be run by the other player and around the defensive end for a big gain.

So what does a defensive coordinator do against this? Well, at first college defensive coordinators did the same thing that NFL defensive coordiantors did last year - they crapped their pants. Teams like Florida and Oregon put up 50+ points a game. But then a new idea started being developed at the highschool level that made its way to some of the smarter defensive minds in college, a defensive idea called the "scrape exchange"

Just as the zone read is literally named, so is the "scrape exchange" a very literal title. Instead of a defense reading and reacting, the scrape exchange is an aggressive defensive posture. The defensive end "scrapes" down the line, attacking the running back while the linebacker "exchanges" with the DE, taking the outside contain responsibility a DE normally has. An example of the play is below.

As you can see, the defensive end is now not staying in outside contain waiting to be read, he's agressively shooting down the line, "scraping" and trying to penetrate into the backfield. In the zone read he's not supposed to be blocked and might get a free run at the RB in the back-field for a big loss. Most often, though, he draws one or even two blockers who aren't "supposed" to be blocking the defensive end, clogging up the running lanes and freeing up other players to knife into the back-field.

So the quarterback, seeing the DE crashing down on the RB makes his read and keeps the ball. He reads that the defensive end is going right so he's going to run left. However, the linebacker anticipates this by running to the edge in his "exchange". With the defensive end drawing blockers there's no offensive lineman free to block the linebacker. So now an athletic linebacker with a head of steam is there to take down the quarterback on the edge.

Here is an example of the scrape exchange in action against another zone read play, the inverted veer.

This principle can be used with multiple personnel sets. Most often a linebacker is exchanging as you see here, other times teams use a strong safety who rotates down into the "exchange" position. Rarely, teams might even use a particularly athletic defensive tackle who executes what is basically a twist stunt with the defensive end.

This is how the best defenses have shut down the zone read in college. They recruit excellent defensive ends that can aggressively shoot gaps and get into the back-field who must draw blockers. Then they recruit athletic linebackers who are physically the equal of any running QB and tackle flawlessly.

One defensive coordinator who is quite familiar with the scrape exchange is former USC Torjans defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. As he brings this play to Dallas the personnel lines up quite well. Everyone in the league knows what DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer can "scrape", attacking into the backfield. And when you have talents in Sean Lee and Bruce Carter running with a full head of steam as they "exchange" to get free shots on a running QB, well, let's just say I hope Mike Vick is wearing his kevlar vest!

The scrape exchange is a very effective way at stopping zone read plays and you can look forward to seeing this play in action every Sunday in the NFL this season. Now that we've examined what the zone read is and how to defend it, in Part 3 we'll get a preview of what we are in for in the NFC East with Chip Kelly vs. Monte Kiffin as we look at how those two titans made strategic use of these concepts when Oregon and USC faced each-other.

(Fair warning, it may take me a while to write Part 3)

In Part 2 we will learn what could have saved Rob Ryan's job if only he'd been a BTB reader, how to defend the zone read.

Here is an example of the scrape exchange in action against another zone read play, the inverted veer.

(Fair warning, it may take me a while to write Part 3)

4 Point Stance: Just Win(s) Baby!

2013-06-19T15:39:55Z

Last time, I wrote something pretty provocative that may have flown under the radar. In case you missed it, "Do you know how many fourth quarter leads this team gave up during the Rob Ryan era? 7. I said 7! Wow. So instead of being 16-16 over the last 2 years we could have been 23-9? 2011: Jets (17), Lions (17), Pats (Game winning TD Drive), Cards (Game tying drive), Giants (14). 2012: Giants (6), Atl (13)."

Don’t belittle that point. What is in parenthesis are the points scored by that team in the 4th quarter. To me, as a fan, there is nothing more devastating than a blown fourth quarter lead. Sitting there, watching the team implode score after score, drive and drive. Mind numbing. But look at the inverse. Leading by that much means the Cowboys offense was clicking, putting up enough points to win! That means that Romo may not be that bad of a QB as the media pundits have led us to believe. But I digress…

I’d like you guys to hear my case on Why Transitioning to a 4-3 defense and new DC will lead fewer blown 4th quarter leads and more wins using (4) points that lead me to a single conclusion, a metaphorical "4 point stance":

"Blue 80": Pretty obvious, but more bodies at the line of scrimmage. It may seem that in the 3-4 there were 7 bodies at the LOS but remember that often (1) of the OLB’s had coverage responsibilities. And Rob Ryan, bless his heart, and despite public perception was very conservative in the 4th quarter often rushing (3) with an exotic coverage scheme on the backend. When instead he should have been aggressive and put pressure on the QB. Speaking of which…

"Yellow 80": …There will be fewer ill timed 4th quarter blitzes. It always perplexed me how on one drive he just rushes (3) and then the next he blitzes with reckless abandon! Where is the strategy? I was often left feeling like he had no goal with the blitz. In fact, during the Jets game, he blitzed on 2nd and long from the Jets 13 yard line only to watch Sanchez complete a 30 yard pass to Santonio Holmes! Why blitz!! Up by 14!!! Sigh… so there’s got to be better…

"White 80": …Organization with Kiffin and Marnelli, right? A goal. A strategy. Its 3rd and short. Stop the run and play press coverage on the outside. This 4-3 defense of theirs is famous for situation football and timely turnovers. You know how many turnover we had under Ryan? 24. The Bears had 44. Last year. Alone. But the biggest difference should be…

"Go": … Longer drives. Which means less clock remaining. Which hopefully helps the team run out the clock to hold onto the lead. Hear me on this: If you leading by less than a TD and have the ball that one thing, but if you’re up by more than 7, your defense you strive for a 3 and out but at the least force the opponent to matriculate down the field before they score. Not like the fast :52 drive Ryan gave up to Brady! Man…

… this guy killed me at time! My point is this, this is a more experience staff on D that should be more organized and strategic that will have fewer blown leads. Not turning wins into losses in the 4th quarter. And this is season it’s all about wins baby!

Thoughts?

Training Camp Battles 2013

2013-06-19T12:20:37Z

Below is a review of the roster battles to watch in training camp. As I began writing this I was pleased to think of the competition that will be taking place for positions of great impact. Hopefully this will make the whole team better, after all competition on the roster is a key part of "the process".

1. Safety

The contenders: Matt Johnson, Will Allen, and JJ Wilcox appear to be the prime candidates with a darkhorse of Jakari Hamilton. Allen is the wily old vet, he has seen a thing or two and won’t fall for the old banana in the tailpipe trick. Johnson is the mystery man from last year, he is a guy who made the roster after being available for two or three practices. I don’t know what he did in those practices but it must have been really impressive. Wilcox is the guy who has played safety for one year, but seems to have a nose for the ball, according to early reports. Hamilton is the free agent from SC state. I wonder if he might have a little Michael Downs in him.

The pick: I will go with Johnson to start the season. They think they have something magical in this guy, I hope they are right. Wilcox will get some time somewhere before the year is out also.

2. Guard

The contenders: Livings, Bernie Mac, Killer K, Leary, and the C competition loser. We saw what Livings had to offer last year, the definition of mediocre, at his age he is not going to get better. Bernie Mac may get better if he can stay healthy. He can bench press a house, but appears to have the same dancing skills as me (i.e.- his feet are both of the southpaw variety). Medical issues may have limited him more last year early he seemed to get a little better late. I am not sure what we have in the Killer, but we will see. Leary is also a mystery, but perhaps the most intriguing one on the interior line. Early reports are good, but really how much can you tell about o-line without pads. I think if Freddy loses the Center battle he ends up here at guard, I don’t think the same is true of Costa.

The picks: Bernie Mac and Leary, just a hunch.

3. Center

The contenders: Frederick vs Costa. Freddy is the first rounder, Costa the free agent. Beard quality is not even close, Freddy by a mile. On the field it may be closer, but I still think Freddy gets it.

The pick: Freddy, 1st rounders play.

4. 3rd WR

The contenders: Williams vs Harris. This one is a good one. We have a couple of guys who brings some different traits to the table. Williams has height and good speed, Harris has quickness and is entering the magical third year. I think they want Williams to get it as he offers more long term.

The pick: They both will play a lot. My guess is Williams gets his shots but Harris ends up being more dependable this year.

5. Right Tackle

The contenders: Free and Parnell. I think the weight of the big contract was too much for Free. The reduction in contract and accompanying expectations may be just the ticket to get him going again. He showed he could play prior to getting the big bucks, hopefully he still can. Parnell is intriguing, he has some great athletic ability, but not a lot of experience.

The pick: I think Free gets first shot here, but if he falters, they will be quick to make a change.

6. 2nd TE

The contenders: Hanna and Escobar. Hanna has more experience and much better speed. Escobar has outstanding hands and great size. I think there is something really special in both of these guys, just different in each. I think they find ways to use both.

The pick: They both play, but Hanna gets more time. I think Hanna gets some time in the backfield as the default fullback as they won’t keep a real one.

7. SAM LB

The contenders: Durant, Albright, Sims, and Holloman. Durant is the FA signee, he has some athleticism and is happy to have escaped Detroit. Albright is the man of many trades, likely master of none. Sims is the street FA from last year, he played well under the circumstances. Holloman is the former college safety who got too big and became a LB.

The pick: Durant has the experience and skills to take this spot and make it his.

Well those are the ones I will be watching closely as training camp kicks off. Most of these positions have some skill to choose from and I feel like the team is not just settling for the least likely to suck out loud. I am sure there are other battles to watch, nickle CB comes to mind, with OTA standout Webb vs Scandrick. Comments are always appreciated.

1. Safety

The pick: I will go with Johnson to start the season. They think they have something magical in this guy, I hope they are right. Wilcox will get some time somewhere before the year is out also.

2. Guard

The picks: Bernie Mac and Leary, just a hunch.

3. Center

The pick: Freddy, 1st rounders play.

4. 3rd WR

The pick: They both will play a lot. My guess is Williams gets his shots but Harris ends up being more dependable this year.

5. Right Tackle

The pick: I think Free gets first shot here, but if he falters, they will be quick to make a change.

6. 2nd TE

The pick: They both play, but Hanna gets more time. I think Hanna gets some time in the backfield as the default fullback as they won’t keep a real one.

7. SAM LB

The pick: Durant has the experience and skills to take this spot and make it his.

The Playoff Picture and the Cowboys (Part III- NFC South)

2013-06-19T05:15:08Z

While the NFC West and NFC North look like the divisions most likely to produce a playoff opponent for the Dallas Cowboys, the NFC South appears to be headed for a down year despite the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers off-season improvements.

The Saints are still recovering on defense from the bounty scandal and losing out on a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft. New Orleans appears to have a problem at one of their tackle spots even if small school stud Terron Armstead starts for them.

The Panthers, meanwhile, have problems in their secondary and an aging offensive line that struggled to open holes in 2012 for a running game that excelled in 2011. It isn't clear if Ted Ginn Jr. and the other receivers can pick up the slack for a declining Steve Smith in Carolina. Making matters worse is that the Panthers have a very tough schedule to look forward to this season. Until the Panthers can improve their secondary and offensive line, they're likely to struggle. Only Cam Newton playing absolutely lights out gives them a shot at making some noise.

The Bucs meanwhile, have put together the best secondary in the division through the draft and by trading for All-Pro cornerback Darrel Revis. While the Bucs' have an excellent running game featuring Doug Martin, their primary problems are uncertainty along the offensive line and quarterback Josh Freeman's turnover-prone ways. In any case Freedman has Mike Glennon pushing him this season so he may perform better than last year.

ATLANTA FALCONS 12-4 NFC South winner, 1st round bye

Season summary:

Atlanta appears to have the easiest path to the Super Bowl of any contender -- but that’s why they play the games. The Falcons still have a few depth issues in their secondary and a pass rush that could stand to improve. Nonetheless it’s a passing league and the Ryan-White-Jones combo combined with Stephen Jackson closing out games should propel them into the playoffs once again. The question is will they have the toughness to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. My guess is they lose in the playoffs again, without a return to the NFC title game. Out of all the teams the Cowboys match up well against in the playoffs taking on Atlanta in the Dome would be my preference.

1 09/08 SUN @NO W 34 - 30 1-0
Dirty Birds beat their biggest division rivals
2 09/15 SUN STL W 31 - 24 2-0
Feisty Rams put up a fight, pressure Ryan until late
3 09/22 SUN @MIA L 27 - 26 2-1
Fins pressure Ryan, hand Falcons first loss of the season
4 09/29 SUN NE L 30 - 27 2-2
Super Bowl preview? Maybe not
5 10/07 MON* NYJ W 33 - 17 3-2
The Jets begin their 'suck for Clowney' campaign
6 10/13 SUN BYE
7 10/20 SUN TB W 26 - 13 4-2
Falcons beat down Bucs, pick off Freeman often
8 10/27 SUN @ARI W 24 - 23 5-2
Peterson battling Julio Jones all day. Get your popcorn ready
9 11/04 MON* @CAR L 36 - 31 5-3
Kitties pull off biggest upset of their season. Falcons stumble
10 11/10 SUN SEA W 33 - 28 7-3
Seahawks pressure Ryan in this playoff game preview
11 11/17 SUN @TB W 27 - 17 8-3
Bucs just lack the weapons to keep up with Atlanta
12 11/24 SUN NO L 31 - 30 8-4
Saints edge Falcons in a barn burner
13 12/01 SUN @BUF W 37 - 23 9-4
The Bills suck, badly need more pass rush and E.J. Manuel to develop fast
14 12/08 SUN @GB W 36 - 31 10-4
Packers top Dirty Birds in NFC title game preview?
15 12/15 SUN WAS W 29 - 17 11-4
Falcons hand Skins a late season loss that hurts their playoff hopes
16 12/23 MON @SF W 34 - 30 11-4
Falcons motivated for this one after last year's NFC title loss
17 12/29 SUN CAR W 30 - 26 12-4
Panthers are pretty much done by this point with Rivera on his way out the door

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 8-8 2nd place finish, miss playoffs for second consecutive season

Season summary: Rob Ryan's 'confusing' defense is the biggest question mark for this team, along with some turnover along the offensive line. The offense should keep humming and in fact might be better in the running game this year. I do foresee a few embarassing losses though, possibly to the Rams or even the Bucs. If the Saints stay healthy on D and Ryan's defense actually works than perhaps we'll know that it was our personnel all along that did Ryan in here in Dallas.

1 09/08 SUN ATL L 34 - 30 0-1
The Dirty Birds grudge match. I think Atlanta takes this one.
2 09/15 SUN @TB W 30 - 27 1-1
Freeman has best game of the year but Bucs still fall
3 09/22 SUN ARI W 33 - 27 2-1
Saints outscore Cards at home
4 09/29 SUN MIA L 27 - 23 2-2
This is where the toughest part of the schedule bites
5 10/06 SUN @CHI W 34 - 23 3-2
Da Bears don't have firepower to keep up with Saints
6 10/13 SUN @NE L 37 - 30 3-3
High scoring shootout of a game, but Brady tops Brees
7 10/20 SUN BYE
8 10/27 SUN BUF W 41 - 23 4-3
Saints win in a blowout over hapless Bills
9 11/03 SUN @NYJ W 38 - 20 5-3
NOLA outscores everyone in this two week mid-season peak
10 11/10 SUN DAL L 30 -27 5-4
Saints come into Dallas game cocky. Romo torches Rob's new mob
11 11/17 SUN SF L 36 - 27 5-5
Niners D has this one circled on the calendar, you can be sure
12 11/24 SUN @ATL W 31 - 30 6-5
Saints get one back against their high scoring rivals
13 12/02 MON* @SEA L 32 - 24 6-6
Seahawks D sacks/pressures Brees all day
14 12/08 SUN CAR W 32 - 29 7-6
Kitties continue their swoon as Saints outscore them
15 12/15 SUN @STL L 34 - 33 7-7
Stunning loss demoralizes Saints locker room
16 12/22 SUN @CAR W 36 - 33 8-7
Kitties lose another shootout
17 12/29 SUN TB L 29 - 27 8-8
Saints come out listless and have their playoff hopes buried

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 6-10 3rd place in division

1 09/08 SUN @NYJ W 27 - 17 1-0
The Jets suck, and the Bucs handily win the Revis bowl
2 09/15 SUN NO L 30 - 27 1-1
Bucs lose one that sets tone for more disappointment
3 09/22 SUN @NE L 33 - 20 1-2
Pats go 4-0 against NFC South this year
4 09/29 SUN ARI L 27 -23 1-3
Cards pressure Freeman into too many mistakes
5 10/06 SUN BYE
6 10/13 SUN PHI L 23 - 20 1-4
Eagles are still better than the Bucs at this point
7 10/20 SUN @ATL 26 - 13 1-5
Dirty Birds deliver a beat down, Freeman a TO machine again
8 10/27 SUN CAR W 30 - 26 2-5
Bucs rally to beat Kitties in Florida
9 11/03 SUN @SEA L 23 - 9 2-6
the game when Josh Freeman finally gets benched
10 11/11 MON* @MIA L 27 - 23 2-7
Fins take the Florida AFC-NFC bowl
11 11/17 SUN ATL L 27 - 17 2-8
Bucs hit low point of the season as Glennon struggles
12 11/24 SUN @DET W 24 - 23 3-8
Lions are even worse than the Bucs at this point
13 12/01 SUN @CAR W 27 - 24 4-8
Bucs shut down Newton's receivers, sweep the Panthers
14 12/08 SUN BUF W 27 - 19 5-8
Bills suck almost as bad as the Jets, bring on E.J. Manuel
15 12/15 SUN SF L 24 - 13 5-9
Niners shut down Bucs run game, pressure Glennon all day
16 12/22 SUN @ STL L 25 - 23 5-10
Fisher wills his team to a late season victory
17 12/29 SUN @ NO W 29 - 27 6-10
Bucs stun the Saints to split the series

CAROLINA PANTHERS 4-12 last place in NFC South, coach Ron Rivera fired

1 09/08 SUN @SEA L 30 - 27 0-1
Battle of two mobile QBs, but Seagulls the better D
2 09/15 SUN @BUF W 38 - 24 1-1
Kevin Kolb stinks it up, fans chant we want E.J. Manuel
3 09/22 SUN NYG L 34 - 16 1-2
Giants roll over Panthers again, surrender big plays to Eli
4 09/29 SUN BYE
5 10/06 SUN @ARI L 32 - 30 1-3
Cards outrush and outpass rush Panthers in the desert
6 10/13 SUN @MIN L 25 - 17 1-4
Vikings pass rushers in Newton's face all day
7 10/20 SUN STL L 27 - 23 1-5
The abysmal protection continues as Newton sacked often
8 10/27 SUN @TB L 30 - 26 1-6
Bucs' Martin finally gets going in 2nd half against tired Panthers D
9 11/03 SUN ATL W 36 - 31 2-6
Falcons outscore Newton despite his best game of the year
10 11/10 SUN @SF L 27 - 17 2-7
Carolina fans once again groan about their offensive line
11 11/17 SUN NE L 33 - 27 2-8
Pats offense too much for Carolina secondary in this one
12 11/24 SUN @MIA W 27 - 23 2-9
Protection is better but defense gives up late Tannehill strike
13 12/02 MON TB W 27 - 26 3-9
Bucs steal one in Carolina when kicker shanks late FG
14 12/08 SUN @NO L 32 - 29 3-10
Panthers still can't get enough pressure on Brees
15 12/15 SUN NYJ W 31 - 17 4-10
Jets' 'suck for Clowney' campaign in full swing
16 12/22 SUN NO L 36 -33 4-11
Saints enter late season swoon
17 12/29 SUN @ATL L 30 - 26 4-12
Falcons complete the sweep

So to summarize:

Atlanta 12-4 NFC 2nd seed first round bye -- but still because they're a dome team the squad I think we could match up with best in the playoffs if our D is healthy (perhaps Minnesota too, if they beat out the Bears for a playoff spot). Going on the road to Chicago, Green Bay or Seattle in January is probably a recipe for being one and done.

New Orleans 8-8 another disappointing year in the Big Easy. I just don't see Rob Ryan's D coming together well enough to put this team in the playoffs and their depth along the offensive line is not what it used to be.

Tampa Bay 6-10 bad QB play ruins a solid season for this impressive defense and rushing attack.

Carolina 4-12 What happened here? Don't blame Cam Newton, the secondary still needs safety help, and Newton needs a stud no. 1 WR to replace Steve Smith

ATLANTA FALCONS 12-4 NFC South winner, 1st round bye

Poll

Which NFC South team has the best chance to make the playoffs besides the Falcons?

New Orleans

0 votes

Tampa Bay

0 votes

Carolina

0 votes

0 votes | Poll has closed

NEWS FROM CAMP #1: Super Bowl Bound

2013-06-18T20:39:28Z

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends!

Yes indeed, it’s that time of year. Time for your humble narrator, ol’ Jed, to once again give you the real news of what is going on with our beloved Cowboys and the rest of the NFL. I have been scouring my sources for information these last few weeks and have the following nuggets of the "inside scoop" to share with my fine friends at Blogging the Boys. My sources have to remain anonymous and confidential, of course, for obvious reasons. However, I can assure all of you that I will only post what I can verify with a high degree of certainty and stand behind my reports with the highest level of journalistic integrity.

Many of you were surprised to see that Jerry Jones employs a "Personal Eyeglasses Cleaner." However, what most of you don’t know is that Jerry also has a "Personal Toilet Man" who is part of the entourage serving Jones. Jerry has not wiped or shaken for himself in more than a decade (After learning that Dan Snyder of the Redskins had a similar functionary in his employ, Jones hired ex-Cowboy Rafael Septien for the position.).

Jason Garrett was seen putting a pair of brass "Truck Nutz" on the back of his Volvo station wagon just to piss off Calvin Watkins.

In thinking about the ways in which groups of animals are classified (such as a "Pride of Lions," a "Parliament of Owls," a "Gaggle of Geese," etc.) Roger Goodell and the NFL offices have decided to begin experimenting with "classifying" NFL teams in similar fashion for marketing purposes. The NFC East is the first Division to garner team-specific classification by the NFL marketing gurus and it will be as follows: a "Prison of Eagles," for Philadelphia, a "Sewer of Giants" for the NYG, and a "Klan of Redskins" for the Washington Indigenous Peoples. The League is considering a "Champion of Cowboys" for Dallas but has yet to finalize the details.

Eagle fan and BtB troll JimmyK of Blogging The BEast is apparently hiding from Philadelphia mobsters after betting his life savings (492 dollars) on the Eagles winning the Super Bowl last year and not paying up on his bet with his bookie. Details as they emerge.

Travis Frederick got off to a bit of a rocky start in his first OTA when he mistook Phil Costa as the team punter. Fredbeard promptly apologized for his error to the baby-armed Costa and all was forgiven.

Anthony Spencer was reportedly giggling with joy upon learning he would be facing Alex Barron in the Thanksgiving game against the Raiders. He asked his new Line coach, Rod Marinelli, what the single-game sack record currently was and who held the record.

Monte Kiffin attended his High School reunion this past weekend and discovered he was the only one there.

Dez Bryant has been locked in Tony Romo’s basement ever since the end of minicamp in an effort to keep Bryant away from the bad influences that plagued him last year at this time. Dez has a treadmill, weight benches, JUGS machine, playbook, and a continuous-loop tape of Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin playing on the lone tv in the room. Romo told sources he expects Bryant to catch 35 touchdowns this season.

KD Drummond donated his hair to Locks of Love this past week, and in Montclair, New Jersey today a 10 year-old Jewish boy undergoing chemo became the most popular kid in his neighborhood by sporting shoulder-length dreads.

After being convicted on a litany of charges and sentenced to 45 years in Huntsville prison, Tom Ryle escaped yesterday and is currently the subject of a statewide manhunt. Upon hearing that Ryle was on the loose, Jerry Jones handcuffed his grandson Spaulding to his pet monkey Fred and told Spaulding to protect Fred with his own life. It appears that Tom is once again seeking cheerleaders at camp and needs Fred to be the "brains" of the operation and help him with his nefarious goals. Details as they emerge.

That’s most of the info I currently have but I will post more reports as I gather stories from my sources. Until then, keep on keepin’ on and GO COWBOYS!

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends!

Jason Garrett was seen putting a pair of brass "Truck Nutz" on the back of his Volvo station wagon just to piss off Calvin Watkins.

Monte Kiffin attended his High School reunion this past weekend and discovered he was the only one there.

That’s most of the info I currently have but I will post more reports as I gather stories from my sources. Until then, keep on keepin’ on and GO COWBOYS!

Should The Cowboys Add Vince Young?

2013-06-18T06:49:47Z

A few days ago, BTB member DawnMacelli wrote a great post about Vince Young and why a relation with the Cowboys is not the best idea. It offers good insight, and you can take a look at her article here. While Dawn is a fellow Cowboys lover, therefore making her friend and brethren, I had to take a different side than she did. I have nothing against Dawn and agree that she did a great job with her article, but I also thought that I should add my own thought to it.

“With the, uh, third choice in the 2006 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans select Vince Young, quarterback, University of Texas.” These were the exact words that turned one-time hot sensation Vince Young from a college football superstar to a rookie looking to take the Titans to the next level. Fast forward seven years later, and Vince Young is a free agent quarterback that is broke and looking at an outside chance just to be on an NFL roster. With the Cowboys in a division that features not one but two running threats under center, could the Cowboys consider adding the washed-up veteran? Nick Eatman and Bryan Broaddus think it could be a good idea, and so do I. The Dallas Cowboys should add Vince Young not only to add a few more plays to the playbook featuring a running quarterback, but to improve the play on scout teams when they prepare to take on the double-headed players such as Robert Griffin and Michael Vick.

While the Cowboys are set at quarterback with star Tony Romo and top tier backup Kyle Orton, the Cowboys have no clear option at their third quarterback spot. It is not a huge need for Dallas, but Nick Eatman comes up with a few good reasons to have Vince Young added to the roster, and I find it hard to disagree. One of the biggest selling points he lists is the versatility Dallas can add to the offense in two point conversions or short yardage situations with a player like Vince Young to come in for a couple plays. Eatman cites the Cowboys struggles in the red zone as a prime example.

“How bad have the Cowboys been in the red zone lately? The problem has been running the ball. I’m not saying take Romo out all the time, but just the threat of having Vince out there is something else teams have to worry about,” Eatman explains.

It makes sense though. The New York Jets tried it last season with Tim Tebow. Obviously that marriage didn’t pan out, but that’s because Tim Tebow sucks and the Jets failed to use him properly. With Bill Callahan and his offensive mind calling the shots, Young could become a good weapon for Dallas. On a 3rd and goal from the 3 yard line with Young on the field, the defense would likely have a hard time deciding to defend the run or against a short pass. Young isn’t a great passer anymore, but in the right system he has the ability to hold his own on a short pass or two every game and help this offense, while confusing defenses and being able to catch them for big gains on the ground.

However, a couple trick plays isn’t all Young brings to the table. The biggest advantage Dallas would have with Young on the roster is the ability to play against a running quarterback in practice and better prepare for when they see those sorts of QB’s in real game time. Eatman clarifies that the defensive transition is a lot about these running quarterbacks that are beginning to get very annoying lately, stating

“If you think the 4-3 switch didn’t have something to do with the mobile quarterbacks they’re facing, then you’re not paying attention.”

It’s a valid point, and with some big changes for the Cowboys regarding defense these past two years, such as the new wave of read option offense and the 4-3 implementation, the Cowboys will need all the practice they can get. Looking at the free agent market, Young is one of the best quarterbacks still available, especially so considering quarterbacks that pose a threat to take off. “What better person to run the scout team than Vince Young?” Eatman asks. The answer is no one. Young would make a great player for Dallas, Kiffin, and the new defense to play against to be as ready as possible when they face the Redskins and Eagles this season.

Lastly, the Cowboys would not really be investing much into Young, and if he doesn’t work out, the project will end up costing them very little. Young is not in a good financial situation, and it’s not like he’s a hotly pursued commodity. No team is really very interested, despite his successful pro day. If he does work out, Dallas might end up with a bargain. The point is that Dallas doesn’t have much to lose with bringing in Young, who is desperate to play at all, and with over nine million dollars in cap space, it’s a move they can easily afford and luck out on if he helps this team in 2013.

Of course there are arguments against the move. Even though Dallas has lots of cap space to work with, it may be needed in the future to resign guys like Sean Lee, Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter and Dez Bryant. I agree with all of that, but Young’s cost would be very small. Eatman lays it out perfectly,

“You don’t have to pay Vince Young like he’s the No. 3 pick in the draft from 2006. You pay him like he’s a guy on the street who needs another shot and should be willing to work for it.”

That sort of money on a low risk gamble is definitely worth it, and would leave plenty of cap room in the coming years to maneuver a little here and there and still keep the players they need. There is also the concern of him not having played in a long while, and his already bad habit of making costly decisions. But an advantage the Cowboys have this year is an extra pre-season game. Romo only needs a few snaps of football that doesn’t count, and it should be the same story for Orton. With 5 games and plenty of quarterback snaps to go around, Young should have all the time he needs to get back into shape and regain some NFL form.

So should the Cowboys add Vince Young? If you ask me, the the answer would be "yes". All in all, he is a low risk player that wouldn’t cost the Cowboys much but could have valuable returns. As Bryan Broaddus puts it, “There is a reason they tried to claim Mike Kafka off waivers.” While I am not making the decisions for Dallas and they likely won’t end up giving Vince Young a star to wear, I am hopeful it happens and would not mind seeing Vince Young get a shot to play for America’s Team.

“How bad have the Cowboys been in the red zone lately? The problem has been running the ball. I’m not saying take Romo out all the time, but just the threat of having Vince out there is something else teams have to worry about,” Eatman explains.

“If you think the 4-3 switch didn’t have something to do with the mobile quarterbacks they’re facing, then you’re not paying attention.”

“You don’t have to pay Vince Young like he’s the No. 3 pick in the draft from 2006. You pay him like he’s a guy on the street who needs another shot and should be willing to work for it.”

Zone Read Part 1: What is the Zone Read

2013-06-17T23:23:04Z

There has been a lot of off-season talk about the zone read's impending takeover of the NFL. The zone read was part of how the 49ers ended up in the Superbowl, Robert Griffin III became a national star, and a 3rd round QB took the Seahawks almost all the way. More close to home, the Eagles signed one of the biggest proponents of the spread offense and the zone read to their head coaching position. But what is the zone read and is it an unstoppable force of nature that will result in touchdowns any time a running QB takes a snap?

To talk about the zone read we need to reach back to our football fundamentals. In football the offense can block with every player except the one holding the ball, who needs to advance the football. This means that the defense always has one player unblocked, the counterpart to the ball carrier. In a pro-style offense where the QB doesn't run or block, like you see every Sunday in the NFL, the defense has two men unblcoked - the counterpart to the ball carrier and the counterpart to the quarterback. So no matter how well you draw up a play there's always going to be one, if not two defenders, free to tackle your ball carrier.

A 2 man advantage that's almost unfair isn't it! Well that's what offensive coordinators said when they created the zone read. So what do you do with those two guys, how do you even the playing field? Well, if you make your QB a running threat you can cut that advantage in half by eliminating the QB's defensive counterpart.

As with most football terms the name itself is quite literal. A zone read is a play with a "zone" blocking scheme where the QB "reads" one of the players. Below is a very typical zone-read play.

In a pro-style offense the quarterback would hand off the running back who is running right but the left-side defensive end (circled) would be unblocked, giving him a chance to make the tackle. Now notice that while running back is going to the right the quarterback also has an arrow going left. What this means is that the defensive end can't know who to go after, should he be the counter-part of the RB or the counter-part of the QB?

Here is a slowed-down example of the QB giving the ball to the RB because the left-side defensive end stays home to defend the QB.

The offensive coordinators thought this is good, but it's not quite diabolical enough. You see, even if the offense presents both a running back threat and a running QB threat the defensive end could guess correct by going after the right player. Half the time he might just go after the RB, the other half he might just go after the QB and even though he'd guess wrong sometimes, other times he's guess right and tackle the ball carrier. So how do you solve the problem of the defensive end guessing correctly?

Here's a video of the identical play above but with the unblocked defensive end guessing correctly

Well, that's where the "read" in "zone read" comes from. The QB watches the defensive end, he reads him. If the defensive end goes after the QB then the QB hands the ball off to the RB going the other way. But if the defensive end crashes down on the RB then the QB keeps the ball and runs the opposite direction. This is the genius of the zone read, the defensive end can't guess because he always guesses wrong. If he goes left the ball goes right, if he goes right the ball goes left. No matter who the defensive end goes after the ball will always go the other way.

This is all scheme and it doesn't matter how smart or fast the defensive end is. Not even one of the most intelligent and athletic DEs in the league in Demarcus Ware could overcome the paradox of the zone read alone.

So that's what the zone read is. It's a way of using the QB as a running threat to reduce the defense's arithmetic advantage of 2 unblocked players. It does this by presenting the unblocked defender with a running play that makes him choose to go after one player, reading who that defender chooses, and then sending the ball the other way. In this manner the defensive end is always going the wrong way and the ball carrier is always running free.

The zone read may appear unstoppable now but in part 2 we'll examine what even Rob Ryan didn't know, how to defend the zone read.

As with most football terms the name itself is quite literal. A zone read is a play with a "zone" blocking scheme where the QB "reads" one of the players. Below is a very typical zone-read play.

Here is a slowed-down example of the QB giving the ball to the RB because the left-side defensive end stays home to defend the QB.

Here's a video of the identical play above but with the unblocked defensive end guessing correctly

The zone read may appear unstoppable now but in part 2 we'll examine what even Rob Ryan didn't know, how to defend the zone read.

Shutting down the zone-read: thoughts from Big Blue View

2013-06-17T20:40:28Z

Over at Big Blue View, the SB Nation fan blog for our rivals the New York Giants, there's a lively discussion underway on how to stop the read option that will be run by the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. As the Cowboys are switching to Monte Kiffin's 4-3 scheme with some similarities to what Perry Fewell runs in New York, I thought I'd re-post a few enlightening excerpts about the scheme and how to stuff it:

The biggest thing with the read-option is that it attacks aggression. I like to think of it as a matador holding out the red cape, getting the bull to charge it, then sidestepping and sticking the blade in. With the Option, they present an easy target for the rushers, then when they attack, the QB lets the ball go where the defender isn’t.

The best way to counter that is to curb aggression, play disciplined, and keep the play in front of you and prolong the mesh point for as long as possible. That’s what the [Giants defense - CiC] did against Carolina and San Fran[cisco], and they were remarkably successful.

Against Washington (1) the D was overly aggressive and undisciplined. We saw Tuck, Osi, and JPP all charging forward like bulls and they got burned for it.

The key is discipline. They need to keep the play in front of them and stick to their assignments no matter HOW juicy the target in front of them looks. The breakdowns happen when guys start trying to do too much and neglect their actual jobs.

Schematically, I’d like to see them incorporate some hybrid 43 Over/Under looks (either in a base 43 set, or in the Buffalo Nickel [the 3 safety looks the Giants like to run, notably against the Patriots 12 offense in the Super Bowl, and that Dallas can expect to see when they put Witten and Hannah/Escobar on the field - CiC]). The 3rd playing close to the line gives them somebody to account for the RB and the QB. They have some great personnel for it with [Matthias] Kiwi [Kiwanuka], [Adrian] Tracy, [Aaron] Curry, and DaMonster [Damontre Moore?].

Alternatively, an idea I’ve been toying with is a 6-2-3 set with the normal 4 man front, and both OLBs [the SAM and the WILL] playing close to the line. Then, whichever side the play doesn’t go to, the LB can drop back in shallow coverage on any crossing routes, or to assist on a cutback, while the other OLB and DE can account for possible ball carriers.

Finally, and while this goes without saying I’m going to say it anyway, I’d like to see them play tighter coverage. The D NEEDS to shut down quick passes and keep the ball in the QB’s hands longer so the pass rush has time to work.

by Raptor22 on Jun 15, 2013 | 11:18 AM

However while this is an optimistic take if you're a Giants fan, the dialogue gets more interesting when the deficiencies of the Giants against RG3 are discussed: as several commenters point out, their cornerbacks couldn't consistently shut down or jam receivers one on one on the outside, preventing the safeties from being free to crash down into the box and stop Alfred Morris or lay the wood on RG3 when he took off.

However, one interesting idea our friend Invictus proposes is using two safeties in the box (perhaps with a single high look, as Kiffin often deploys). That way instead of being free to survey the field for the long ball after faking the handoff while freezing the DE who has to set the edge, RG3 or Vick still has to account for a human guided missile coming at him on the blitz. If nothing else, dialing up two of those a game will make Shanahan or Kelly hesitate to call the play action bomb that killed Dallas in the Thanksgiving game last year. As Cowboys fans we remember that in the last two openers at New York (Jets and Giants) Danny McCray got credited with a partial sack on Rob Ryan's safety blitzes...producing perhaps the best defensive coordinator gif of all time.

I like the 6-2-3

I don’t think I’d like our LBs to be on the edges though. Both Will Hill and Cooper Taylor have shown ability to rush the passer. Those guys are much more adept at backpedaling than someone like JWill or Rivers. Having one or both of them crash, or having one or both of them drop will create havoc. I like that.

Have two athletes like Rivers and Williams as the LBs covering laterally, and I think that’s an awesome idea.

by Invictus XI on Jun 15, 2013 | 1:31 PM

This is where having five talented safeties on the roster comes into play -- the Giants drafted Cooper Taylor, who's basically an undersized linebacker with good ball skills, in the 5th round. They're already developing Will Hill, they have ex-Raider Stevie Brown who picked off Romo twice last season, and the veteran converted cornerback Antrel Rolle as their defensive quarterback.

The Cowboys have their box safety in Barry Church who's shown surprising range and so far in OTAs and shows few signs of lingering effects from his Achilles tear in September 2012. Meanwhile Dallas has brought in the veteran Will Allen for insurance and hopes Matt Johnson can grab the starting job, while J.J. Wilcox and Jakar Hamilton develop in the 4th and 5th safety spots. Having Church as the third 'backer matching up with the Skins or Eagles TEs while Lee and Carter roam the zones with superior overall athleticism [in terms of size to speed ratio] to what the Giants have at LB gives me some hope that Rod Marinelli's 'rushmen' can do even better than Fewell's bunch against the zone read.

While we have to be wary about the DTs we have being smaller than the Giants and thus being pushed around, they might make up for it with quickness with the likes of Jay Ratliff, Ben Bass and Tyrone Crawford regularly getting into the opposing backfield. No matter how great a zone read or pistol play is it's hard to execute with DTs in the QB’s face or blowing the offensive lineman back just as the ball is handed off. But by the same token, if your DTs get pushed around you can’t maintain outside contain, as the Giants found out when they (admittedly) had several defensive tackles among the walking wounded last year and as Dallas found out without Jay Ratliff. This is why I’m wondering if the free agent the Boys just picked up from the Jaguars (Jeris Pendleton) doesn’t work out whether the Cowboys will add one more big bodied 1-technique at final preseason cuts in September. Losing Rob Callaway at that rotational anchor spot still gives me doubts about how well our d-line will hold up in the trenches.

The biggest thing with the read-option is that it attacks aggression. I like to think of it as a matador holding out the red cape, getting the bull to charge it, then sidestepping and sticking the blade in. With the Option, they present an easy target for the rushers, then when they attack, the QB lets the ball go where the defender isn’t.

The best way to counter that is to curb aggression, play disciplined, and keep the play in front of you and prolong the mesh point for as long as possible. That’s what the [Giants defense - CiC] did against Carolina and San Fran[cisco], and they were remarkably successful.

Against Washington (1) the D was overly aggressive and undisciplined. We saw Tuck, Osi, and JPP all charging forward like bulls and they got burned for it.

The key is discipline. They need to keep the play in front of them and stick to their assignments no matter HOW juicy the target in front of them looks. The breakdowns happen when guys start trying to do too much and neglect their actual jobs.

Schematically, I’d like to see them incorporate some hybrid 43 Over/Under looks (either in a base 43 set, or in the Buffalo Nickel [the 3 safety looks the Giants like to run, notably against the Patriots 12 offense in the Super Bowl, and that Dallas can expect to see when they put Witten and Hannah/Escobar on the field - CiC]). The 3rd playing close to the line gives them somebody to account for the RB and the QB. They have some great personnel for it with [Matthias] Kiwi [Kiwanuka], [Adrian] Tracy, [Aaron] Curry, and DaMonster [Damontre Moore?].

Alternatively, an idea I’ve been toying with is a 6-2-3 set with the normal 4 man front, and both OLBs [the SAM and the WILL] playing close to the line. Then, whichever side the play doesn’t go to, the LB can drop back in shallow coverage on any crossing routes, or to assist on a cutback, while the other OLB and DE can account for possible ball carriers.

Finally, and while this goes without saying I’m going to say it anyway, I’d like to see them play tighter coverage. The D NEEDS to shut down quick passes and keep the ball in the QB’s hands longer so the pass rush has time to work.

by Raptor22 on Jun 15, 2013 | 11:18 AM

I like the 6-2-3

I don’t think I’d like our LBs to be on the edges though. Both Will Hill and Cooper Taylor have shown ability to rush the passer. Those guys are much more adept at backpedaling than someone like JWill or Rivers. Having one or both of them crash, or having one or both of them drop will create havoc. I like that.

Have two athletes like Rivers and Williams as the LBs covering laterally, and I think that’s an awesome idea.

by Invictus XI on Jun 15, 2013 | 1:31 PM

America's Team is not Denmark's Team

2013-06-17T19:24:16Z

Hello everyone on this wonderful website!

For some time I've been thinking about writing a FanPost to all of you fellow fans of the Dallas Cowboys. In the same time, I haven't been able to come up with a subject I would like to write about. I didn't want it to be too complicated because, as you can see in the headline, I'm from Denmark and English is therefore not my first language (I don't think writing this in Danish would make any sense to you).

In Denmark the NFL is not that big. Maybe that's because of the size of the country, I don't know. It's growing but there's still a long way to go for it to compete with other sports that's way more popular here. I feel like we are pretty lucky compared to other counties when we look at how many games we get televised every weekend. We have the Thursday Night Football, three games on Sundays (one early, one after that and then of course Sunday Night Football) and lastly we also have Monday Night Football.

The Dallas Cowboys is by many known as "America's Team". That's not the case here in Denmark. I don't know exactly how many fans there is in Denmark, but I have the feeling that it's not the most popular team here. That's just like America. You either love or hate the team. That's just how it is, I guess.

The big time difference makes it difficult for me to watch all the games of course. I'm not talking about the games involving the Dallas Cowboys. I watch all of them on GamePass, which I buy for every single season. I won't miss another game of the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of my life. I can tell you that much.

When did you become a fan and why? Well, for me it all started back in 2007. I know it's kinda late, but then again, the sport is not that huge over here. We have one name that might be known to you. His name is Morten Andersen and he was a kicker in the NFL. He's the all-time leading scorer and that makes me pretty proud to be a Dane to be honest.

Back to the question. I'm not exactly sure why I became a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Maybe it was the smile on Tony Romos face, I don't know. Back then I loved to see explosive offenses and the Cowboys certainly fit that bill. Maybe that was it. Later on my love has fallen on defensive games. All the different strategies and so on. I love to see a game end 9-6 or whatever. I don't know if I'm the only one to enjoy those kind of games?

One of my biggest dreams is to come over and watch a game live on Cowboys Stadium. I really hope that I'll be able to do that in the future. It's pretty expensive so I have to start saving some money, which I will do, no doubt. I want to experience the atmosphere before, during and after a game. I want to experience all of that. I don't think I will be able to live with myself, if I don't get to go to the Cowboys Stadium at least once.

I actually have quite the expectations for the upcoming season. I really feel like we have a team in place to make some noise in the playoffs. Maybe not go all the way but at least be in there and put up a fight against the best of them like the 49ers, the Seahawks and so on in the NFC. I want that to happen. I won't ever forget my feelings after the game against the Redskins in Week 17 of last season. The game ended around 6AM. Worst feeling ever. I couldn't even fall asleep despite it being that late.

I want the team and Tony Romo to go out and prove everybody wrong. I know they're capable of doing just that. I hope you have that kind of feeling as well. We believe!

I don't know what else I can write in this post? Oh, I know. I'm sorry if my English sucks or whatever. You should try and write a post in Danish. I would be happy to read it! Also, sorry if there's any typos.

Hello everyone on this wonderful website!

I want the team and Tony Romo to go out and prove everybody wrong. I know they're capable of doing just that. I hope you have that kind of feeling as well. We believe!

KITTI'S KORNER: John Dutton (1979-1987)

2013-06-17T15:30:07Z

John Dutton grew up in that is not generally considered a hot bed of athletic talent; South Dakota. During his prep career he was a two sport high school All American and was more highly recruited for his basketball skills. His first love however was football, and he eventually chose to play his college ball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. During his first varsity season as a sophomore John Dutton played in what was perhaps the greatest college football game ever played, the 1971 match up between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Huskers. His team went on to earn a National Championship at the conclusion of that season. By the time John's final season rolled around, the young defensive tackle was one of the most highly regarded linemen in the nation and he was named All Big-8 and All American for his efforts. Dutton was destined to be a first round draft pick in the NFL, and soon the Baltimore Colts would use the fifth overall pick to secure the services of the outstanding defensive lineman.

At 267 pounds, John Dutton wouldn't be considered a beast by todays standards, but don't tell that to the offensive linemen who were tasked with blocking him. In Baltimore, John was primarily a defensive end, where he was named All Rookie in 1974 and went on to become a Pro Bowl player each of the next three years. He was considered at that time to be one of the most dominant defensive linemen in pro football and was the leader of the Colts' "Sack Pack". Even though he was a key piece of the Baltimore defense, the Bob "Sneak Off in the Middle of the Night" Irsay did not seem to think that he was worthy of a decent salary so John Dutton refused to play football. Looking to salvage something out of the man who insisted he would never put on a Colts uniform again, Irsay reached out to the Dallas Cowboys.

Faced with replacing legendary lineman Jethro Pugh , who had retired, and "Too Tall" Jones, who took a hiatus to pursue a career as a boxer; the Cowboys gave up their first and second round pick the following year to obtain Dutton. While in Dallas John Dutton continued to be a stellar player for the team, although he never achieved the status he did in Baltimore. With the return of Jones for the 1980 season, he changed positions again, moving back inside to play defensive tackle for the Cowboys. Along with Jones, Randy White, and Harvey Martin; John Dutton helped to form the dominate defensive front four of the era. During the 1985 season, the quartet combined to sack opposing quarterback a team record 62 times. During the first four seasons that Dutton played in Dallas, the team reached the NFC Championship three times, yet never made it to a Super Bowl. He is widely regarded as the greatest Cowboys defensive lineman without a ring.

Judging Coverage

2013-06-17T01:43:19Z

For years, media talking heads have only discussed and judged Defensive backs based off interceptions. Obviously, interceptions don't tell us much about a DB outside of playmaking ability. It's like debating wide receivers based off just touchdowns, in that it can be correlative, or show a nose for something, but not the whole picture. For example we know that touchdown king James Jones is good, but not better than the touchdown deprived Calvin Johnson. Likewise, we know that despite having more picks, NYG S Stevie Brown isn't nearly as good as Jairus Byrd. With that being said, I see two stats as telling the entire story for DBs- Yards per Coverage Snap, and target percentage.

Let's start with YPCS, a PFF stat that is pretty intuitive. You take total Yards allowed for a DB, and then divide it by total Coverage Snaps (i.e. every passing play that the DB is on the field). The lower the YPCS, the better. Elite YPCS are generally around .9. The league leaders in the past two years have been Brent Grimes in '11 at .58, and Champ Bailey in '12 at .82. Guys like Revis, Cromartie, Sherman, and Tillman are some of the next guys in line in case you are doubting the stat. YPCS really takes into account everything about coverage, and allows a corner to demonstrate his coverage worth in multiple ways, by rewarding Corners for not being targeted, or for preventing completions when targeted. Take the Cowboy corners, for example. Both are quality corners. Brandon Carr allowed a YPCS of 1.17, which is decent. Throughout the season he was targeted more than Claiborne, but at the same time had more pass breakups and interceptions. Conversely, the less targeted Claiborne had a YPCS of 1.21, which rewarded him for not being targeted that much, but also noting his lower INT and PB stats. If anything, YPCS is best as a comparative stat when judging DBs who play the same position. Comparing YPCS across positions might not be that useful. A FS would likely have wild fluctuations in YPCS due to deep coverage responsibilities (in today's nfl, probably a very high YPCS), while 3rd corners tend to have steady, low YPCS (Mike Jenkins had the 15th best YPCS last year).

Next, we have target percentage, which is just the percentage of throws that go a certain DB's way (or defender) when he's on the field. Target percentage is entirely comparative within a secondary. Based off the rational assumption that QBs target the weaker links in a secondary (the guy who allows his man to be open, or cannot maintain his zone), a lower target percentage is better. Unfortunately, I could not really find much on target percentages for the Dallas DBs (I would imagine Claiborne's was lower than Carr's), but the Oakland Raiders of a few years back is a good example. Nmandi Asomwagh (sp?) was good enough to be significantly better than anybody else in their secondary. As a result, QBs ignored Nmandi's side and just went after the other DBs in the Oakland Secondary. While he has proven that he is not a world beater at CB (Eagles Dream team secondary), he was comparatively better than the rest of the Oakland Secondary.

There you have it. When you compare DBs at the same position, use YPCS. When you compare guys within a secondary, use target percentage. The stats are near perfect, and have two drawbacks. The first drawback is that neither statistic really takes into account how much pass rush affects coverage quality/success. The second is that it does not take into account INTs, or Pass Defense penalties. But hey, you can't have everything, and these two stats are pretty damn good. What do you guys think? Tell me in the comments below!

What does Blogging the Boys think of Jason Garrett?

2013-06-15T22:27:18Z

Though I have zero love for the Cowboys, I do promise to be fair. From the few times I've read BTB posts, I've found the posters to be well informed. Input is much appreciated.

Hello. I am ak4niner, a die-hard 49er fan. I am going to be posting this over all 32 SBN NFL sites to try to answer a question that I have had for the past year or so.

How do coaches rank among fans?

I’m going to do a little twist on this though. I am not going to set up a ranking system (like I think Harbaugh is #1, blah blah blah), or have you discuss any coaches other than your own. I want to know what the fans of your team think of your coach. After a week or two (timing based off of when I can sneak away to work on this) I am going to look over all 32 fanposts I have made and use the comments to make an “expert” analysis of what fans think of their coach. (Expert meaning I use my 3 synapses to write it, and the monkeys do the editing.)

There are only two things I ask.

One, be honest. I don’t care what direction the posts take us down, but be honest. If you think your coach is the greatest of all time, say so! If you think he doesn’t even deserve to be a dog catcher, then let us know. I am going to try to not let any personal bias creep in when doing the final document.

Two, please only fans of this team comment here. I want to do this ranking based off of each team’s opinion of their own coach. I only ask this so I can save myself time generating the final document. I will filter the comments as necessary.

Thank you for your help in this.

Though I have zero love for the Cowboys, I do promise to be fair. From the few times I've read BTB posts, I've found the posters to be well informed. Input is much appreciated.

Hello. I am ak4niner, a die-hard 49er fan. I am going to be posting this over all 32 SBN NFL sites to try to answer a question that I have had for the past year or so.

How do coaches rank among fans?

There are only two things I ask.

Thank you for your help in this.

Thoughts heading into Training Camp. Pfft, who needs the draft?

2013-06-14T17:03:09Z

via ww4.hdnux.com

Ok just kidding about the draft dont leave just yet. Mini camp just wrapped up, training camp begins here in a few weeks, yet I find myself reverting back to draft day in April.

Heading into the draft there were a few positions highlighted by fans and analyst alike that most thought were needs or would be helpful to the team. In particular Guard, Defensive Tackle and Linebacker. We all know the uproar after day one highlighted by passing on Floyd (DT), and missing out on the elite Guards.

Come day two there was still gripe over "why no DT, and why no Guard?". There were even disappointments on missing out on a LB to play aside Sean Lee and Bruce Carter. At the time it was fair to ask these questions, but heading into Training Camp have we found our answers?

Underlined by 2 highly touted UDFA's and a pleasantly surprising UDFA the Dallas brass headed by Garrett is either smarter than we are, or lucky (probably both). Ron Leary, Ben Bass and Brandon Magee have opened eyes in a big way as they get set for training camp.

Ron Leary

via espn.go.com

Before Magee was the prized UDFA receiving big guaranteed money, Leary was the big catch post draft in 2012. The story behind Leary is well known around these parts, a mid round rated lineman dropping out of the draft due to degenerated knees. Knees Dallas wasn't scared away by evident in his $200,000+ signing bonus per say after the draft.

As a rookie he didnt catch on mentally as quick as the staff would have liked apparent in him being on the practice squad majority of the season. But notice I said mentally, physical prowess is no worry when it comes to Leary. At 6'3 in the 320 lb range Leary's power and punch have been showing up in OTA's and mini camp albeit without pads. In his 2nd off season hes showing a more mentally sharp edge to his game and piecing it together with his talent.

"I learned a lot from Coach Callahan, learned a lot from a lot of players on the team about just being a professional, that this is your job," he said. "I think I’ve grown as a person." - Leary

In Cowboys writer Bryan Broaddus latest piece he extensively breaks down Leary and thinks he will give a legit push for one of the starting guard positions. A few highlights:

"There is no question of the ability of Leary to play with power"
"He looks more confident in what he has to accomplish assignment wise"
"He is making quality reach and cut off blocks while also getting to the second level."
"Leary looks like a completely different player than the one we saw last season...and how sharp he was mentally to pick up the offense."

If Leary can continue to improve and earn a starting spot it will only benefit the offense now and for the future. Along with Tyron and Frederick he would give Dallas a young core of under 25 to build around. Maybe he is the reason Guards were passed on in the draft after the elite ones were taken?

Ben Bass

via a.espncdn.com

Following suit Bass was also an UDFA in 2012. While not the big name as Ron Leary was he was someone Dallas thought could make noise. Bass only saw 2 games of action before an injury put him on IR to end his season, but his patience seems to be paying off.

His name has popped up throughout the entire off season in an encouraging way. The 6'5 283 lb former Aggie may be one of the many players benefiting from the switch to a 4-3 defense. So far in practices he has played at the 1 and 3 tech wrecking havoc. It seems he has been showing nice power and a "quick twitch" to beat his man. It has been hard to read updates on OTA's and mini camp without Bass being mentioned. He held true to that on the final day of camp according to reports by ESPN's Todd Archer.

The most dominant defensive player in the workout? How about DT Benn Bass?.The second-year defensive lineman was all over the field, penetrating, getting to the quarterback for a sack, blowing up running plays and even forcing an interception. - Archer

Bass's emergence is something to keep your eye on heading into Training Camp and in the pre season games. If he can be counted on to be a key rotational guy with guys like Crawford, Lissemore and Wilber it could be a huge lift in bridging the gap from this season to next in what is expected to be a draft where Dallas addresses the D line. Im rooting for him to emerge if for nothing more than the fun we will have coming up nicknames for him. 'Big Ben Bass'? No? 'Bass is going to get your a-, ok I'll leave that up to you guys.

Brandon Magee

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Magee may be my favorite UDFA brought in this season. Honeslty I'm not even sure how he wasn't drafted, apparently Dallas was ecstatic that he wasn't after passing on him for Devante Hollowman. Ironically Dallas put a higher grade on Magee (4th rounder) than Hollowman but felt he would fall out of the draft once the 6th round came.

Their feeling came true and according to reports once Dallas finished with their last pick immediately raced to the phones to get ahold of Magee to let them know he was their guy if he was available. After seeing Magee in action I saw why. This guy is a tackling machine having posted 133 tackles his final year at Arizona State. He also is a head hunter, not literally but in the sense that he is looking to hit you every chance he gets.

Brandon Magee Highlight reel

Broaddus had some interesting notes from OTA's regarding Magee. There was a part in there that I got a kick out of but also secretly was saying yesss we got a missle:

What I have also noticed about Magee is when there is some accidental contact and the ball carrier ends up on the ground, it’s Magee standing there with hands in the air like he didn’t do it. I believe where Magee will really shine is when the pads come on in Oxnard but until then, he is catching my eye with more consistency.- BB

Magee baring injury probably wont be asked to be on the field a lot this year but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Personally I think he has the skills to play the Mike, Will and Sam backer positions. With Durant signed as a FA to play the SAM LB spot it leaves young guys like Hollowman and Magee to battle him to get on the field. But Durant isnt a future signing hes a right now guy, a gap player for guys like the rookies. If Magee can make noise on special teams and in his opportunities he does get this season , maybe he joins Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee Magee?

In any rate these are 3 UDFA's the Cowboys brass hope can play their way into the now and future for this team. While Dallas has a recent history of hitting on UDFA's, hitting on 3 would probably require some luck. In reality if just one of these guys eventually stand out as a Romo, Austin type guy that would be plenty for me.

via ww4.hdnux.com

Ok just kidding about the draft dont leave just yet. Mini camp just wrapped up, training camp begins here in a few weeks, yet I find myself reverting back to draft day in April.

Ron Leary

via espn.go.com

"I learned a lot from Coach Callahan, learned a lot from a lot of players on the team about just being a professional, that this is your job," he said. "I think I’ve grown as a person." - Leary

In Cowboys writer Bryan Broaddus latest piece he extensively breaks down Leary and thinks he will give a legit push for one of the starting guard positions. A few highlights:

"There is no question of the ability of Leary to play with power"
"He looks more confident in what he has to accomplish assignment wise"
"He is making quality reach and cut off blocks while also getting to the second level."
"Leary looks like a completely different player than the one we saw last season...and how sharp he was mentally to pick up the offense."

Ben Bass

via a.espncdn.com

The most dominant defensive player in the workout? How about DT Benn Bass?.The second-year defensive lineman was all over the field, penetrating, getting to the quarterback for a sack, blowing up running plays and even forcing an interception. - Archer

Brandon Magee

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Brandon Magee Highlight reel

Broaddus had some interesting notes from OTA's regarding Magee. There was a part in there that I got a kick out of but also secretly was saying yesss we got a missle:

What I have also noticed about Magee is when there is some accidental contact and the ball carrier ends up on the ground, it’s Magee standing there with hands in the air like he didn’t do it. I believe where Magee will really shine is when the pads come on in Oxnard but until then, he is catching my eye with more consistency.- BB

Poll

Which UDFA will surprise the most in 2012?

The Texas Native who the DC should look at as a possibility.

2013-06-14T16:39:04Z

I was happy to see the DC picked up Randle to help secure a bigger back, but is it enough to get us through the season? I would argue, no. Lance Dunbar and Kendial Lawrence are far to small to even think of them as a viable starting running back if Murray goes down again. And Phillip Tanner though he has the size is not someone any DC fan sees doing any better than Jones did last year when Murray went down. Randle is a rookie.

So who can we bring in to help us secure that second string running back position? Cedric Benson. Forget the Vince Young path, we need someone to challenge Murray for touches. Even Dez fights for catches! And look how it helped him. Murray has never had a threat to his number 1 spot other than his health. Nor has he had a vet come in and show him the ropes. Thats where Benson comes in.

Benson is 5'11 220 and recovering for a Lisfranc Injury last year with GB Packers. He signed with GB a 1 year 825,000. Why cant the cowboys do that? Sign him one year let him come in for goal line and third down giving Murray 1) a reason to step up his game 2) Giving him a break every now and then 3) giving the team a quality RB to flex.

Murray needs help or at least a swift kick in the ass. He has been feed nothing but sweet honey and wine since Day one and its time for a wake up call. Either Murray steps up or we know what we need to draft next year... a reliable back.

Poll

Should we sign a free agent QB or RB?

Ups and Downs of a Cowboy Fan

2013-06-14T05:30:57Z

Kitti's posts on the players from Cowboys teams of the past have inspired me to review and reflect on some on some of the most exciting and disappointing games in Cowboys history. I'll start with one of the lowest points in my 50+ years as a Cowboys fan. In those years I've experienced some excruciating lows and exhilarating highs (some even in the same game). As a result I have developed an "it's not over until it's over" approach to the season and even some games. As a case in point, one of the lowest lows for me and the Cowboys occurred in 1970.

In the previous 4 seasons, Dallas had lost to Green Bay in consecutive championship games, followed by consecutive first round losses to the Cleveland Browns. Fans and the media were getting impatient.

On November 16, 1970 Dallas faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the Cotton Bowl in the first Monday Night Football Game for both teams. Dallas is without Don Meredith and Don Perkins who have retired but Meredith is in the booth as a member of the MNF broadcast team. Craig Morton is the quarterback over Roger Staubach, who Landry felt lacked experience. Running backs are Calvin Hill and Walt Garrison. In the first quarter, the Cardinals' Johnny Roland returns a punt 74 yards for a touchdown. After half-time Dallas is down 17-0 and the crowd begins to chant, "We want Meredith, we want Meredith." On TV Meredith says " I ain't going back down there. I tell you that folks." Morton completes only 8 of 26 passes and is intercepted 3 times and Staubach is 2 of 8 and one interception. Morton and Staubach gain 44 yards rushing to add to 49 yards gained by Hill, Garrison, and Reeves. St. Louis outplays Dallas in every aspect of the game and Dallas loses 38-0 and falls to 5-4 and third place in the 5 team NFC East. The fans feel that a team with so many pro bowl players should be playing better and many call for Tom Landry to be fired.

(A bit of trivia) During the game, Play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson's pants caught on fire when a discarded cigarette ignited papers on the floor and then the cuff of his pants.

In a meeting following the game players feel the fans, the media, and the coaches had given up on them and decided they would play the rest of the season for themselves. Bob Lilly supposedly tells his teammates "we have them where we want them." Landry loosens up the practices and meetings, They win the five remaining games in dominating fashion as St. Louis and Washington falter and Dallas finishes in first place in the East. The following week they beat Detroit 5-0 in what some describe as one of the hardest hitting games of all time. After beating San Francisco on the road they face the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl (the first time that it is called that) and lose 16-13 on a field goal with 5 seconds remaining. The game is known as the blunder bowl due to the 11 turnovers (7 by Baltimore), 13 penalties by Dallas, and a controversial fumble recovered by Baltimore even though Dave Manders came up with the ball. Chuck Howley becomes the first defensive player and the only one from a losing team to be named MVP (announced at the 2 minute warning). One year later in Tulane Stadium, Dallas claims the first of 5 Super Bowl victories.

(A bit of trivia) During the game, Play-by-play announcer Keith Jackson's pants caught on fire when a discarded cigarette ignited papers on the floor and then the cuff of his pants.