- Messages
- 2,329
- Reaction score
- 11
Steve Dennis commented yesterday that all the criticism of the Dallas offense by the media about the short pass or lack of downfield routes is ridiculous because "that's how Tom Brady plays". Such an interesting statement because on one hand, yes, Brady's first few years were all high percentage passes - so much so that Steve Young said that the "Patriots were basically running a West Coast Offense". But Jason Garrett became enamored with the Patriot offense during the Moss years where the threat of the long ball pushed defenders back and it was during that time that Belichick had the infamous press conference where he spoke about throwing the ball when you have the lead as "being aggressive" (which Garrett uses quite a bit and does not mean mismanaging the clock which he ends up doing). Turning from an elusive and mobile QB to a pocket QB is what Romo modeled after Tom Brady. I saw the interview where Romo said that he read a book on Brady's style of pocket passing. The problem is that the EP offense that the Patriots use is much more flexible than the Coryell and the way the Patriots use the EP offense is game planned specifically for their opponent whereas Garrett prefers using his system unilaterally and trying to adjust run options and the same 9 pass routes based on per play position of safeties and coverage. The WRs do not cause each other routes to be successful rather they each play their own route to the open space. Belichick then used the JerryJones coveted "pick plays" that Edelman and Amendola were using successfully last year to get open. Jones obviously doesn't understand Garrett's "beat the guy across you" system of non-plays. So the contrast of Dennis's observation is striking.
When Linehan uses motion, formation changes, short passes and misdirection to manufacture first downs and keep Dak safe, it is similar to the thinking of Brady and the Patriots. When Linehan knows that Zeke has to run the ball and runs counters off and stretch play (remember that against the Packers?), or threatens a defense with Lucky jet sweep or runs read options all of which to ensure that Zeke's attempts to run the ball are exhausted, then that is very Patriots-like because from Corey Dillon to Randy Moss to Welker to Gronk the offense should change to match the talent.
But when the team abandons the running game after very few attempts (6) and thinks that somehow Dez has Randy Moss speed and TWilly who is only half a WR and runs a 40 the same as Sean Lee can "stretch the field" and is "aggressive" in its passing, that is the losing, detrimental, and agonizingly recognizable Garrett system. Witten said in an article in the Star Telegram in October that the offense will continue to run or pass based on what the defense shows.
Yes, that is still the Garrett pass option system and it's terrible but Linehan was calling definitive plays that were complex orchestrations that couldn't be conceived of right at the line of scrimmage (i.e. Romos adjustments). In other words, Linehan planned actual plays that dictated and were not adjustments or reactions.
Is it still Garrett's playbook and his system? According to Linehan it is. But Garrett's system is not the running plays (confirmed by Linehan) and his system are not the plays that are intentionally designed to isolate high percentage pass plays because they require definite precision preset choreography that frankly we would have seen for years now and also is not the spirit of "beat the guy across from you".
I'm sure that Linehan has been given carte Blanche for much of the offense but there is a specific passing philosophy that he is not apparently allowed to change. Watch the Redskin game and you will see it. The Redskin defense will see it first and overload one side of the O-line and collapse on Dak. There might be a RB kept in to block (which makes no sense because Zeke is faster than any WR except Butler) but Dak will look desperate and he will get hammered. The Linehan plays may not work perfectly every time but they are rarely a risk to the down and distance and the health of the QB.
During games now you can see the difference
