Okay Dez, now that you have your contract...

[dbair1967]

FFS you act like Romo doesn't make any reads before the snap. He didn't look to throw anywhere else because his pre-snap reads showed Dez in one-on-one with no safety over the top and the coverage sagging towards the short routes.

Exactly.

And the results of doing that speak for themselves. They're exceptional.

Can you imagine the outrage of dumbsday had Romo chosen to throw to Beasley or T Williams (or whomever else) and the ball would have been dropped or incomplete? People act like it was some sort of certain formality that had Romo thrown the ball ANYWHERE else the results would have been positive.

dumbsday "Dez is supposed to be a franchise WR and had single coverage, what a stupid decision by (insert Romo and/or coaches) for not going to our best player in the games biggest play"

 

[dbair1967]

View attachment 2972

Dunbar and Beasley were open. I think i would have looked for Beasley, he always wins one on one match ups. .

He doesn't win them more than Bryant

 

[Everlastingxxx]

a slant or a comeback route would seem a safer option than a bomb. throwing deep in that situation certainly had the element of surprise, but I would have preferred a higher percentage pass.

Romo says they were taking away the slant. I also didn’t think he had time for a comeback route.

In that situation, you're dying to get Dez one-on-one with a press corner. He was up on top, pressing him, trying to take away a slant, something quick. You have to be aggressive. That's how you win those games, and that's how you win championships.”

Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo breaks down pass to Dez Bryant - NFL Nation - ESPN

 

[Doomsday]

Can you imagine the outrage of dumbsday had Romo chosen to throw to Beasley or T Williams (or whomever else) and the ball would have been dropped or incomplete?

I would be yelling at the receiver CATCH THE FUCKING BALLLLLLL but would have no gripe about the call. See? You're not even keeping up with the actual issue. You're trying to make it something it's not.

It's about the odds. Look at the pictures. They double covered Witten, so that tells you Witten is who they were most worried about. GB obviously liked the odds of singling up Dez on that play.

"Dez is supposed to be a franchise WR and had single coverage, what a stupid decision by (insert Romo and/or coaches) for not going to our best player in the games biggest play"

I wouldn't have complained at all if Tony had thrown underneath on that play. It is 4th fucking down, 2 yards to go and with 4:41 left in a playoff game.

Throwing deep is a low percentage play compared to what you see as options in those pictures, and GB knew that. Ever wonder what at least the threat of Murray and maybe even a play action to him there does to their coverage? I bet not. 4th and 2 and no threat of having the NFL rushing leader getting the ball. GB says Double Witten and like the odds against a deep throw if it comes.

And they won.

 

[Doomsday]

"In that situation, you're dying to get Dez one-on-one with a press corner. He was up on top, pressing him, trying to take away a slant, something quick. You have to be aggressive. That's how you win those games, and that's how you win championships.”

That's how you lose when it predictably, doesn't work. Take the fucking 2 yards. Live to fight another play. It's 4th down.

In that situation

4th and 2? 4 minutes left in the game while trailing?

 

[Statman]

Last season the Cowboys had 17 plays that were 3rd or 4th and 2.

When they ran the ball they made a 1st down 100% of the time, averaging 5 yards a carry.

The majority of the runs happened late in the 4th quarter with less than 6 minutes to play.

Every completion they made in this situation came from a short pass.

The throw to Dez Bryant against the Packers was the one and only time they threw the ball deep on 3rd or 4th and 2.

It was a stupid decision. There are too many things that can go wrong and you would have to be extremely naïve as a coordinator not to consider a referee decision to be one of them.

 

[Doomsday]

The throw to Dez Bryant against the Packers was the one and only time they threw the ball deep on 3rd or 4th and 2.

The little worshippers will say "Yeah but that's what made it such a brilliant caaaalll! No one was expecting it!"

Yeah, no one was expecting anything that stupid, on 4th and 2, 4 minutes left in a playoff game. We really surprised 'em.

 

[peplaw06]

View attachment 2968

For those paying attention, that's 11 defenders within 6 yards of the LOS. It's 4th and 2 and 10 of the defenders are on or inside the line to gain. The one safety 6 yards back is on the other side of the field from Dez.

Exactly.

And the results of doing that speak for themselves. They're exceptional.

Can you imagine the outrage of dumbsday had Romo chosen to throw to Beasley or T Williams (or whomever else) and the ball would have been dropped or incomplete? People act like it was some sort of certain formality that had Romo thrown the ball ANYWHERE else the results would have been positive.

dumbsday "Dez is supposed to be a franchise WR and had single coverage, what a stupid decision by (insert Romo and/or coaches) for not going to our best player in the games biggest play"

Yep. When you see Dez lined up against a press man CB, that's like going with an Aroldis Chapman fastball. You have to go with it, even if they know it's coming. Go to your best guy's best pitch when the game is on the line. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, and you tip your cap to the other team for beating your best.

 

[peplaw06]

Last season the Cowboys had 17 plays that were 3rd or 4th and 2.

When they ran the ball they made a 1st down 100% of the time, averaging 5 yards a carry.

The majority of the runs happened late in the 4th quarter with less than 6 minutes to play.

Every completion they made in this situation came from a short pass.

The throw to Dez Bryant against the Packers was the one and only time they threw the ball deep on 3rd or 4th and 2.

It was a stupid decision. There are too many things that can go wrong and you would have to be extremely naïve as a coordinator not to consider a referee decision to be one of them.

Is there some reason you're excluding plays that were 3rd or 4th and 1? Let me guess, the stats don't fit the point you're trying to make if you do that?

Oh, hell I'll do the work myself. There were 42 plays last year that were 3rd or 4th down with 2 yards or fewer to go. If you include the runs that were 1 yard to gain, there were 9 times we ran the ball and didn't get a first down.

There was also a deep pass to James Hanna on a 3rd and 1 against the Giants. And a deep pass to Beasley on a 3rd and 3 against the Bears that ended up as a TD.

Also, it seems a little ridiculous to claim the short passes on 3rd or 4th and short that ended up in TDs because we were inside the other teams' 5 yard line are some kind of evidence that we shouldn't go long on 3rd or 4th in short yardage.

 

[Statman]

Is there some reason you're excluding plays that were 3rd or 4th and 1? Let me guess, the stats don't fit the point you're trying to make if you do that?

Oh, hell I'll do the work myself. There were 42 plays last year that were 3rd or 4th down with 2 yards or fewer to go. If you include the runs that were 1 yard to gain, there were 9 times we ran the ball and didn't get a first down.

There was also a deep pass to James Hanna on a 3rd and 1 against the Giants. And a deep pass to Beasley on a 3rd and 3 against the Bears that ended up as a TD.

Also, it seems a little ridiculous to claim the short passes on 3rd or 4th and short that ended up in TDs because we were inside the other teams' 5 yard line are some kind of evidence that we shouldn't go long on 3rd or 4th in short yardage.

Well, yes, I'm excluding plays that were for 1 yard because it was a play fort 2 yards. I'm also excluding plays for 3 yards. And only 5 of those plays were in the red zone. Those were not all successful, Romo was sacked on 3rd and 2 on the Philadelphia 5.

It was bad enough to throw the long ball but for Demarco to be on the sidelines? He was also their third leading receiver over the past 4 seasons.

Jason Garrett is roasted for his playcalling, everyone cheers the perception that Jerry Jones took away his playcalling and gave it to the other guy who was praised for sticking with the run late in the game..........only to call a passing play?

Tony Romo has been criticized by the entire NFL and unfairly labeled a "choker" because elimination games are consistently put squarely in his hands. Opponent defenses correctly surmise that he has limited options with a poor running game.....this is the opportunity to take the outcome of the game entirely out of his hands, give him help....and they throw long?

How can this decision be characterized in any other way than stupid?

 

[Doomsday]

How can this decision be characterized in any other way than stupid?

Because it was like, surprise and stuff.

 

[peplaw06]

Well, yes, I'm excluding plays that were for 1 yard because it was a play fort 2 yards.

You don't see how dumb it sounds to exclude failed running plays with less yardage to gain? You're essentially saying we don't fail when we run the ball with 2 yards to gain... except we did fail on some plays where we had fewer yards to gain. That's called distorting the stats to fit an agenda.

I'm also excluding plays for 3 yards.

That at least makes a little sense, given it's harder to convert a 3rd or 4th and 3 than it is a 3rd or 4th and 2.

Jason Garrett is roasted for his playcalling, everyone cheers the perception that Jerry Jones took away his playcalling and gave it to the other guy who was praised for sticking with the run late in the game..........only to call a passing play?

And if he had called a run and failed, the play call would have been ripped as well, regardless of what the conversion rate of 4th and 2 runs was. A play call is only questioned when it's unsuccessful.

Tony Romo has been criticized by the entire NFL and unfairly labeled a "choker" because elimination games are consistently put squarely in his hands. Opponent defenses correctly surmise that he has limited options with a poor running game.....this is the opportunity to take the outcome of the game entirely out of his hands, give him help....and they throw long?

How can this decision be characterized in any other way than stupid?

Oh, I don't know... maybe because there were 10 defenders in the box?

 

[Statman]

Okay, this is a fact. If you doubt it then I'll find the data.

1 yard to go is extremely different than 2 yards to go. The probability it will be a run increases dramatically. A run is almost a given.

If it had been a 1 yard play then Murray would have been there, it would have been a run.

2 yards to go is different. Statistically the probability of a short pass play is significant. Defenses must respect that.

But a deep pass? No. Why? Because too many other things happen, its low percentage, the probability favors failure and why gamble at a point where the entire season is at stake, just get the 1st.

 

[NoShame]

I have no problem with the call. I like the fact that we were aggressive and I like the ballsy calls that were made at the end of last season. Whether they worked or not. I do believe it set a tone for our team and helped with our success.

So yea when it doesn't work I'm not gonna sit here and bash it. I love being aggressive in that situation and hope it continues this season.

 

[NoShame]

It was a stupid decision. There are too many things that can go wrong and you would have to be extremely naïve as a coordinator not to consider a referee decision to be one of them.

Romo and Dez are one of the top QB/WR tandems in the league. The box was stacked and we had Dez in a very favorable matchup.

You may disagree with the decision but to call it stupid proves a lack of football sense. At the very least a pass to Dez in that situation absolutely needs to be considered.

 

[Doomsday]

I have no problem with the call. I like the fact that we were aggressive and I like the ballsy calls that were made at the end of last season. Whether they worked or not. I do believe it set a tone for our team and helped with our success.

So yea when it doesn't work I'm not gonna sit here and bash it. I love being aggressive in that situation and hope it continues this season.

But see, wouldn't you much rather see a bomb on 2nd and 1 or 2, out of a play action? (Which they hardly ever do) Rather than on 4th and 2 with 5 wide no back, that if it doesn't work, you're done for that series?

Uncorking the bomb on 2nd and short out of play action is aggressive and does set a tone and scares the shit out of DCs when they see it in your film. Whether it works or not, it sends a message that we WILL come after you.

I'm not "bashing" the call necessarily, just questioning it. Especially in light of the magnitude of it, being 4th down and short, and all. 4th down is the beef I have with it. You GOTTA get the first down! We needed a score there and we needed to eat clock. It was a all or nothing thing in the wrong place, wrong time IMO.

They figured I guess, with 4 minutes left that if it didn't work we would get the ball back and then score. Well guess what, we never did. GB ate the rest of the clock on us.

Did they figure if we did score, we would somehow magically stop the GB offense with 4 minutes to work with, when we hadn't shown any real ability to stop them in the 2nd half?

It was a bad gamble. And unnecessary.

 

[Doomsday]

The box was stacked

Well, they sure weren't playing run. With no RB they had no reason to. The "stacked box" was ostensibly to be able to stop a short pass, and as we saw they doubled Witten - obviously liking their chances one on one for the 2 wideouts but not liking their chances with Witten at all. It is clear they wanted Witten out of the picture, that's where they thought the ball was probably going.

 

[Statman]

When you double team a player you are telling the quarterback "not here, go somewhere else."

And Doomsday is absolutely correct when you consider the clock. Our defense is going to stop Aaron Rodgers? He had already passed for 300 yards and 3 TD's.

All season long the Cowboys have won by controlling the clock, long drives, keeping the opponent off the field. Murray had 25 carries for 123 yards.

The Cowboys didn't just need to score, they needed to eat up the rest of the clock. You do that by taking your offensive line and wearing out their defense.

This wasn't a game our WR's were dominating. Only 7 of Romo's 15 receptions went to receivers. Dez had 3 for 38. He wasn't doubled all game long.

 

[Doomsday]

Add to all this, what if Dez does score there? You are giving Rodgers four minutes to get only a field goal. How does that have "Dallas Win" anywhere in it? It doesn't, it has a GB 29-28 win in it.

Where exactly was the fucking upside to this?

 

[dbair1967]

Where exactly was the fucking upside to this?

Gee I don't know genius, taking the fucking lead maybe?

Garrett and Romo to rest of offense: "Hey lets not take that TD if they give it to us, its too early"