BTB: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

[marionbarberthe4th]

Honey badger would've had 9 turnovers last night

 

[lons]

I said the INTs and the wayward punt were gifts, not all of the turnovers. It's okay to admit we're not perfect.

Oh I agree, we aren't perfect, but everything out there last night that I saw was correctable. Having Escobar AND Williams out there to have to throw to against the Giants was stupid. Harris should have started the game, he deserves to have the starting job until it is taken from him. Hanna had that penalty and then we didn't see him again til the 2nd half because they pulled him and put in Escobar.

We were running the ball fine off the left side, yet every freaking run we did for most the game went off of the right, why?

But all correctable.

The guady stats that Eli put up resulted in them losing, the same way Romo's gaudy stats resulted in the Cowboys losing last fall. You rack up those kind of stats playing from behind. Like a whole lotta you folks have been fast to point out about Romo's stat line.

We didn't need Romo to be the Savior last night, the ball club and fans are not used to that, but Romo didn't have to and thank God for that. Because he didn't have it last night and never got a chance to find it thanks to that spear to the ribs he took. Bernie cannot lose that starting job fast enough.

 

[Midswat]

Every INT Eli threw was a gift which required no defensive playmaking other than catching a ball that came right to you, and another turnover transpired thanks to a fluke bounce after a punt, so calm down.

In the 2011 season finale against the Giants - a win and you're in game, mind you - Eli Manning threw a pass that was a gift wrapped pick 6 right to Terrence Newman. Bounced off Newmans hands.

The team made plays this time.

The DWare pick was great play recognition and athletic ability.

Each fumble was great awareness, intelligent strips of the ball, and great hustle to make the recovery.

And the Allen interception required quite a bit of effort as well.

 

[bbgun]

totally disagree. aside from the strips, they were all unforced errors. we won't get that lucky every week.

 

[Midswat]

Yeah, shouldn't expect 6 turnover every week. Duh.

 

[Midswat]

When Romo throws interceptions "OMG WE SUCK!!!"

When Eli throws interceptions "OMG WE SUCK BUT WE GOT SO LUCKY"

 

[lons]

When Romo throws interceptions "OMG WE SUCK!!!"

When Eli throws interceptions "OMG WE SUCK BUT WE GOT SO LUCKY"

Exactly what I'm seeing here.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

I said the INTs and the wayward punt were gifts, not all of the turnovers. It's okay to admit we're not perfect.

And you're wrong. Ware's INT wasn't a gift, and neither was Carr's.

 

[bbgun]

And you're wrong. Ware's INT wasn't a gift, and neither was Carr's.

Get your eyes checked, Magoo. I'm not the one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but we were undeniably the beneficiaries of the Giants' carelessness. Ware had to move as much as Larry Brown did in SB XXX.

 

[Midswat]

You're right bbgun.

ATTENTION EVERYONE THE COWBOYS ARE 0-1.

BOOOO COWBOYS

 

[cmd34(work)]

bbgun is so negative.

we should ban negative type posts.

 

[lons]

bbgun is so negative.

we should ban negative type posts.

Negative is fine for the most part. It's when you find reasons to high light the negative and by pass all that was good that really drives me insane. Was last night a show of force by a team that was a well oiled machine? No, not really. But to call getting 6 turn overs "lucky" when the Bears, who we now have as a line coach for the D and we have his teacher as the DC, had 44 freaking turn overs last year. I don't think it's fucking luck. It think it's the scheme. That said, I don't see us getting 6 every flippin week, but I'm not gonna call it lucky for damn sure when this D, that hasn't see 44 turn overs in 3 years combined starts acting like how the DC wanted them to.

 

[bbgun]

You're right bbgun.

ATTENTION EVERYONE THE COWBOYS ARE 0-1.

BOOOO COWBOYS

You're in the Zone.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Negative is fine for the most part. It's when you find reasons to high light the negative and by pass all that was good that really drives me insane. Was last night a show of force by a team that was a well oiled machine? No, not really. But to call getting 6 turn overs "lucky" when the Bears, who we now have as a line coach for the D and we have his teacher as the DC, had 44 freaking turn overs last year. I don't think it's fucking luck. It think it's the scheme. That said, I don't see us getting 6 every flippin week, but I'm not gonna call it lucky for damn sure when this D, that hasn't see 44 turn overs in 3 years combined starts acting like how the DC wanted them to.

Weren't we getting turnovers during the preseason, and people remark as to how good that was?

 

[Omegasupreme]

In the 2011 season finale against the Giants - a win and you're in game, mind you - Eli Manning threw a pass that was a gift wrapped pick 6 right to Terrence Newman. Bounced off Newmans hands.

The team made plays this time.

The DWare pick was great play recognition and athletic ability.

Each fumble was great awareness, intelligent strips of the ball, and great hustle to make the recovery.

And the Allen interception required quite a bit of effort as well.

Right. The difference is that the defense as a whole is attacking the ball at all times, whether in the air or in the grasp.

 

[cmd34(work)]

Allen's and Carr's INTs were gifts but teams have to find a way to capitalize on those. In the past, our two safeties were usually 20 yards away from the play, covering each other, and the ball would fall harmlessly to the ground. Carr made a big play when we needed one. Newman disappeared when we needed him most.

We have a long way to go but the defense is remarkedly improved if nothing but attitude alone. Church was huge on both fumbles.

 

[Omegasupreme]

The Good

1. The offensive line. For most of the game, Tony Romo had plenty of time to throw the ball. While he was hit quite a few times, some of those where the result of Romo holding the ball until the last possible moment. He was only sacked twice in the game. Thinking back on the game, at no time was it a case where the prevailing sentiment was "If only Romo had some time to throw". And don't look now, but the Cowboys actually had a semblance of a running game. It wasn't great but it was enough. Which leads us to point two...

2. The running game. It wasn't dynamic, it wasn't scary, but it was enough to keep the offense somewhat balanced. Enough to keep Romo from having to drop back to pass on every play and risk further injury. It was just enough to say we will run the ball. DeMarco Murray carried the ball 20 times for 86 yards, an average of 4.3 yards per carry. Not bad, and Murray ran with determination. Also, Bill Callahan refused to give up on the running game, he's trying to build on it. This wasn't a great rushing attack, but coming from where we were last year, it's at least a good start.

There's one question that has not been answered. Romo had plenty of time to throw several times but as soon as he went into the seven step drop, no one was open. How is that possible? (Rhetorical).

When Dallas was running the ball or using the short pass, the Giants were a step behind the speed of the play as they diagnosed. When Dallas moved into "an obvious Dallas typical passing play" the Giants were step for step or even a step ahead of WRs, but not Murray. How can Dez be bracketed, which takes 2 DBs out of coverage and no one else really wide open...unless the Giants just know where Dallas is going to go with their patterns.

If Parcells, or Belichick, or Landry or Sean Payton saw that their best WR was being shut down, they would attack the secondary in its obvious weak pont (where the other safety was attending to Dez) or they would move their WR around in the slot, in motion, set picks, trips, etc to get him free. But that is not this offensive scheme and Jason does not want to change.

So pass patterns remain the same and formations fairly remain fairly similar week to week because the theory behind Jason's scheme is unchanged. Last night still had quite a bit of Garrett. When you run for 3-4 yards on first down, there is no urgency to grind forward to reduce the number of yards to the first. Third and short is a better goal than third and long; but even more than a logical probability, third and long means a shotgun formation and the threadbare route trees that are just not fooling anyone anymore. It can also mean pressure and sacks to Romo. Remember last year's Redskin finale? Jim Haslett ran the same blitz and pressure stunt in the same place and Jason did nothing to adjust.

The running game was fine last night but it needed to be a consistent and frequent force. Methodically moving the chains 4-5 yards at a time wears down the opposing defense and preserves Dallas's defense. But running for 7 yards and then trying to pass twice just wasted the opportunity to intelligently manage the players on both offense and defense and the clock for the whole game.

The "unpredictable" pass plays on 2nd down and short yardage just smacked of Jason's idiotic logic.

 

[jnday]

I don't care if the turnovers were gift wrapped or not. I was impressed with the hustle of the D.

More swarming type defense than I have seen in many years for a Cowboys team. It was impressive. If the pass defense is not corrected, they will be lucky to win five games. Claibourne stunk it up.

 

[lons]

Weren't we getting turnovers during the preseason, and people remark as to how good that was?

Yup and I went to the stats page from the last two times we've played the Giants. Last nights game and last years pinky game. You'll notice that our stat line from the loss last year looks incredibly close to the stat line the Giants had last night. We had 5 turn overs in that game last year, the Giants had 6 last night, but to be fair, it's not when you get the turn over, but where. Last year was bad, but we battled back and if not for the pinky we win, period. The Giants this year were looking at the same thing, only we got the 6th and never had to worry about the "Hail Mary" that Dallas did last year. To me that's the only difference besides the two teams swapping who lost and the stat line.

I call it perspective. Most fans are not actually gleaming that right now. Romo didn't have to be perfect last night. Just a bus driver and it's driving everyone insane that the offense never really got off and going. Simply put. It didn't have to. Besides, we had so many short fields that even had we gained the 3 other touch downs, the stat line would not have changed by much.

 

[dbair1967]

There's one question that has not been answered. Romo had plenty of time to throw several times but as soon as he went into the seven step drop, no one was open. How is that possible? (Rhetorical).

When Dallas was running the ball or using the short pass, the Giants were a step behind the speed of the play as they diagnosed. When Dallas moved into "an obvious Dallas typical passing play" the Giants were step for step or even a step ahead of WRs, but not Murray. How can Dez be bracketed, which takes 2 DBs out of coverage and no one else really wide open...unless the Giants just know where Dallas is going to go with their patterns.

If Parcells, or Belichick, or Landry or Sean Payton saw that their best WR was being shut down, they would attack the secondary in its obvious weak pont (where the other safety was attending to Dez) or they would move their WR around in the slot, in motion, set picks, trips, etc to get him free. But that is not this offensive scheme and Jason does not want to change.

So pass patterns remain the same and formations fairly remain fairly similar week to week because the theory behind Jason's scheme is unchanged. Last night still had quite a bit of Garrett. When you run for 3-4 yards on first down, there is no urgency to grind forward to reduce the number of yards to the first. Third and short is a better goal than third and long; but even more than a logical probability, third and long means a shotgun formation and the threadbare route trees that are just not fooling anyone anymore. It can also mean pressure and sacks to Romo. Remember last year's Redskin finale? Jim Haslett ran the same blitz and pressure stunt in the same place and Jason did nothing to adjust.

The running game was fine last night but it needed to be a consistent and frequent force. Methodically moving the chains 4-5 yards at a time wears down the opposing defense and preserves Dallas's defense. But running for 7 yards and then trying to pass twice just wasted the opportunity to intelligently manage the players on both offense and defense and the clock for the whole game.

The "unpredictable" pass plays on 2nd down and short yardage just smacked of Jason's idiotic logic.

Wait a sec, didn't you tell us how having Romo more involved, calling the plays and running the no huddle would solve everything?