Day After Thoughts: Giants beat us again

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Darius Jackson got cut. Not Dunbar not Whitehead.

Of course.

 

[dbair1967]

dbair you're seriously completely dismissing the role play calling has on execution? Especially in the cold? You won't even give us a bone, like maybe it's a 60-40 thing with execution being the 60 and the lousy play calling being the 40?

Yep.

Go look at some of the pics posted at CZ showing a number of plays with wide open guys. Get back to me.

 

[dbair1967]

The way Bryant shuts the pieholes of "haters" such as myself is by just doing his fucking JOB on a consistent basis. He didn't do his JOB Sunday.

No he didn't. The fumble though is just downright inexcusable. Like I said it wasn't even a great hit or anything. It just squirted out.

We might not have won or tied the game anyway, but that play was a killer.

 

[dbair1967]

We all know that and no one here has ever claimed there are "magic plays." What you need to do is explain this to the Dallas coaching staff, because they think they have a "package" of magic plays, for Dumb-bar. That's the ONLY reason Dumb-bar is in there, because they want to CALL THE PLAYS THAT REQUIRE HIM.

Again, you cannot have it both ways - if you believe it's dumb having Dumb-bar in there then you ALSO have to say the play calling that puts him in there is dumb.

Dunbar is a waste of time. Apparently everyone can see it except this coaching staff.

I'm speechless as to why he plays. Like I said I really wish some of the local guys would start badgering Garrett and Linehan about it because I'd like to hear their explanation.

 

[dbair1967]

Darius Jackson got cut. Not Dunbar not Whitehead.

Also mind boggling.

 

[dbair1967]

Taking Zeke out, and putting Dumbar in, is telling the opposing defense that it's a pass. So much for the fucking deception, which Garrett tries to employ!

I actually don't even care about that part. If he was really good, really explosive or brought another dimension to the offense it'd be fine.

But he isn't. He is slow as molasses.

 

[Doomsday]

Yep.

Go look at some of the pics posted at CZ showing a number of plays with wide open guys. Get back to me.

Wet ball, cold weather. Harried QB trying to force throws to Dez.. The play calling contributed to the execution issues. You think the play calling wasn't horrendous.

 

[dbair1967]

Wet ball, cold weather. Harried QB trying to force throws to Dez.. The play calling contributed to the execution issues. You think the play calling wasn't horrendous.

The ball didn't appear to be wet. It stopped snowing hours before kickoff and I don't remember seeing any precip coming down. There was some shiny look on the field early on from the snow earlier in the day but it looked like it went away as the game wore on to me.

No, I don't think the playcalling was horrendous. I think missing too many open guys , along with struggling to get anything going on the ground the 2nd half (9 carries, 21 yards) were by far the bigger issues.

And as I keep saying, I think putting Dunbar on the field in place of Elliott those last two drives was especially stupid. I don't understand and there is absolutely ZERO rationale the coaches could have to convince me otherwise.

You keep acting like they threw it 50+ times and had 10 running plays or something. The final tally was 40 pass plays (3 of which were sacks) and 25 rush plays. The last 7 plays of the game were passes because of the time left and field position. I also posted the run/pass mix from the first down plays, which was virtually 50/50.

 

[Doomsday]

The ball didn't appear to be wet.

But yet the commentators both on TV and the Cowboys radio network kept talking about the wet footballs.

No, I don't think the playcalling was horrendous. I think missing too many open guys , along with struggling to get anything going on the ground the 2nd half (9 carries, 21 yards) were by far the bigger issues.

Only 9 carries for us while NY kept pounding the ball regardless of success doesn't ring alarm bells for you? We should have ran the ball a lot more. WE stopped our running game, NY did not.

You keep acting like they threw it 50+ times and had 10 running plays or something.

No, I don't. I "act" like we gave up on the run in the second half, which we did.

I said the issue was 60-40 with execution being the 60 and bad play calling being the 40. You can't see that as reasonable? Hell even calling one play that's meant for Dunbar is a bad play call. Stop pretending that player execution was the only issue. There's no excuse with this o-line and this stable of backs we have, that we only run 9 running plays the whole second half.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

USA Today

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Where’s Zeke?

With the Dallas Cowboys needing one good drive to extend or win the game on Sunday night, it was baffling that their most dynamic playmaker this season – Ezekiel Elliott -- watched from the sideline.

Elliott wasn’t injured. Yet the Cowboys subbed Elliott for third-down back Lance Dunbar for both of their final two possessions before flaming out with a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.

Go figure. The game was on the line. Elliott was on the bench for Dallas’ final seven plays.

“Lance Dunbar has been in some of those two-minute situations for us and that’s been a role that he’s played,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett explained. “Zeke has done that as well, but we just felt that Lance, in those situations was pretty good so we gave him those opportunities.”

Not good. And totally bizarre.

Sure, it was a pure passing game in the final three minutes, with the Cowboys starting one drive at their 24-yard line and the final one at their 3. Yet with a game to be won, there’s something to be said for having your best players on the field.

It’s not like Elliott – the NFL rushing leader who ran for another 107 yards against the Giants -- hasn’t been in on some third-down passing situations. He has.

It’s not like Elliott isn’t the team’s best pass-blocking back. He is.

It’s not like Elliott hasn’t sometimes provided a big play in the passing game. He has. See the 83-yard catch-and-run TD at Pittsburgh.

Dunbar’s a decent back, but he’s no Elliott – a frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and arguably the best running back in the league.

The Cowboys want to incorporate Dunbar in the offense while allowing Elliott with occasional breaks. The final minutes of a tight game is not that time.

On Sunday night, Dunbar had three catches for 12 yards. Not exactly game-winning impact.

Maybe Elliott could have provided a difference-making play at the end – if only he had been on the field.

Ah, situational football. Sometimes, coaches outthink themselves. The Cowboys, winners of 11 in a row until Sunday night, haven’t been in too many situations at the end of games where they needed a drive to win at the end. But maybe next time they’ll know better.

If he’s healthy, Elliott is not the one to have on the bench.

Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell

 

[UVAwahoos]

Like I said I really wish some of the local guys would start badgering Garrett and Linehan about it because I'd like to hear their explanation.

The local guys get to report on practices and watch games from two of the nicest sports facilities in the world. They aint asking shit that'll rock the boat.

 

[CompoundFracture]

Everyone talking about play calling not being innovative enough, no running for Dak, no throwing to Zeke, putting Dunbar in for the last few plays and taking Zeke out, etc. etc.

In my experience, if you see something that makes no sense, there are normally reasons for it that nobody wants to talk about.

Could in be that the Cowboys simply did not want to risk injury to Zeke or anyone else for that matter in a game played on the road, in sketchy weather conditions, where Dak and Dez were struggling anyway? The bottom line is the Cowboys really didn't need to win that Giants game. They didn't have to have it. Not like the Giants did.

Moreover, if you can, why not clinch the NFCE in front of the home fans? Instead of going all out to beat the Giants and come home to present to the fans 3 meaningless games?

I'm just saying. It may come back to bite them. But, again, looking at it from the above perspective, it does make sense the way they approached that game just in general. Not saying they tried to lose. Just that it seemed obvious to me they didn't go all out to win. Just speaking for me only.

 

[dbair1967]

USA Today

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Where’s Zeke?

With the Dallas Cowboys needing one good drive to extend or win the game on Sunday night, it was baffling that their most dynamic playmaker this season – Ezekiel Elliott -- watched from the sideline.

Elliott wasn’t injured. Yet the Cowboys subbed Elliott for third-down back Lance Dunbar for both of their final two possessions before flaming out with a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.

Go figure. The game was on the line. Elliott was on the bench for Dallas’ final seven plays.

“Lance Dunbar has been in some of those two-minute situations for us and that’s been a role that he’s played,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett explained. “Zeke has done that as well, but we just felt that Lance, in those situations was pretty good so we gave him those opportunities.”

Not good. And totally bizarre.

Sure, it was a pure passing game in the final three minutes, with the Cowboys starting one drive at their 24-yard line and the final one at their 3. Yet with a game to be won, there’s something to be said for having your best players on the field.

It’s not like Elliott – the NFL rushing leader who ran for another 107 yards against the Giants -- hasn’t been in on some third-down passing situations. He has.

It’s not like Elliott isn’t the team’s best pass-blocking back. He is.

It’s not like Elliott hasn’t sometimes provided a big play in the passing game. He has. See the 83-yard catch-and-run TD at Pittsburgh.

Dunbar’s a decent back, but he’s no Elliott – a frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and arguably the best running back in the league.

The Cowboys want to incorporate Dunbar in the offense while allowing Elliott with occasional breaks. The final minutes of a tight game is not that time.

On Sunday night, Dunbar had three catches for 12 yards. Not exactly game-winning impact.

Maybe Elliott could have provided a difference-making play at the end – if only he had been on the field.

Ah, situational football. Sometimes, coaches outthink themselves. The Cowboys, winners of 11 in a row until Sunday night, haven’t been in too many situations at the end of games where they needed a drive to win at the end. But maybe next time they’ll know better.

If he’s healthy, Elliott is not the one to have on the bench.

Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell

Somebody send this to those ****** local Dallas media guys.

This really is beyond fucking stupid.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Go figure. The game was on the line. Elliott was on the bench for Dallas’ final seven plays.

THIS IS THE MOST DAMNING THING. You cannot convince me that this was Linehan's decision. This is vintage Garrett, thinking that he's outsmarting the opposing coach. There are 31 teams, and with a game like this and at stake, I'm certain not a single one would have had Zeke on the bench the last 7 plays.

Zeke is the best player on this team. Bar none. It is indefensible that he was on the bench for those last plays and as close the game was.

Imagine if Zeke was benched --- because that's what this was, for the last seven plays of the Steelers' game?

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

“Lance Dunbar has been in some of those two-minute situations for us and that’s been a role that he’s played,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett explained. “Zeke has done that as well, but we just felt that Lance, in those situations was pretty good so we gave him those opportunities.”

Not good. And totally bizarre.

Wow. Just wow. Then why not put Dunbar in for the Steelers' game the last few minutes? Why waste a 4th overall pick on him?

What this asshole IS saying is that he literally thought/thinks that Dunbar is better than Zeke in those situations. This isn't hyperbole, because it's backed up with action.

 

[yimyammer]

Its really mind boggling

 

[dbair1967]

Bob Sturm
✔ ‎@SportsSturm

Finally got the All-22s. Wow. The running game was so whipped on Sunday after halftime. Might want to 86 that 13 Personnel.

 

[yimyammer]

Thats encouraging

 

[theoneandonly]

Linehan is the one who is in love with the 13 personnel. Problem is Beasley couldnt block me. When you have Beasley and Dunbar on the field at the same time, you have two guys that cant block to save their life.

 

[SixisBetter]

“Lance Dunbar has been in some of those two-minute situations for us and that’s been a role that he’s played,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett explained. “Zeke has done that as well, but we just felt that Lance, in those situations was pretty good so we gave him those opportunities.”

An exploding head gif would be good right about here, if anyone has one laying around.
By this reasoning, shouldn't Romo have been in the line-up as well?
Garrett's gonna Garrett, I guess.