Aikman calls Cowboys’ play calling “mind-boggling” and “bizarre”

[boozeman]

Aikman calls Cowboys’ play calling “mind-boggling” and “bizarre”


Michael David Smith
updated 8:38 am. EST Dec. 20, 2013




Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Dallas turned away from its running game in the second half of Sunday’s loss to Green Bay.

Aikman said on KTCK-AM that the Cowboys’ running game was working well in the first half as Dallas built up a 23-3 lead, so he figured the Cowboys would keep running the ball in the second half to protect that lead. Instead, the Cowboys passed more than they ran in the second half and blew their lead.

“They were about to run Green Bay right out of the stadium,” Aikman said, via the Dallas Morning News. “The philosophy has always been you throw the ball early in games to build the lead, you run the ball late to win games. And I believe in that. That’s the way we did it in the ’90s. I think, by and large, that’s the way Jason Garrett would prefer to do it. But if there was ever a time that DeMarco Murray should have had 25 carries in a game, that was it. You’ve got a 23-point lead. And as it turns out, Eddie Lacy ran the ball almost twice as much as DeMarco Murray in the second half of that ballgame, which is pretty mind-boggling. It was as bizarre a loss as I’ve ever witnessed.”

Asked if he thinks the faith of owner and General Manager Jerry Jones is shaken, Aikman said he thinks the whole team is shaken.

“I would think not only with Jerry Jones, but the entire locker room,” Aikman said. “You can’t lose games the way this team has lost games and then lose them here in December and feel great about your football team. I can’t imagine defensively they go out and take the field at any time and feel real good about their ability to slow anybody down. And then that permeates throughout the team and it certainly affects what your game plan might be on the offensive side.”

The good news for the Cowboys is they’re still in a position where if they win their last two games, they win the NFC East. You can bet that if they build up any 20-point halftime leads on the next two Sundays, the Cowboys won’t forget their running game.

 

[Simpleton]

I'd call it the product of mental retardation.

 

[chevycowboys]

Aikman calls Cowboys’ play calling “mind-boggling” and “bizarre”


Michael David Smith
updated 8:38 am. EST Dec. 20, 2013




Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Dallas turned away from its running game in the second half of Sunday’s loss to Green Bay.

Aikman said on KTCK-AM that the Cowboys’ running game was working well in the first half as Dallas built up a 23-3 lead, so he figured the Cowboys would keep running the ball in the second half to protect that lead. Instead, the Cowboys passed more than they ran in the second half and blew their lead.

“They were about to run Green Bay right out of the stadium,” Aikman said, via the Dallas Morning News. “The philosophy has always been you throw the ball early in games to build the lead, you run the ball late to win games. And I believe in that. That’s the way we did it in the ’90s. I think, by and large, that’s the way Jason Garrett would prefer to do it. But if there was ever a time that DeMarco Murray should have had 25 carries in a game, that was it. You’ve got a 23-point lead. And as it turns out, Eddie Lacy ran the ball almost twice as much as DeMarco Murray in the second half of that ballgame, which is pretty mind-boggling. It was as bizarre a loss as I’ve ever witnessed.”

Asked if he thinks the faith of owner and General Manager Jerry Jones is shaken, Aikman said he thinks the whole team is shaken.

“I would think not only with Jerry Jones, but the entire locker room,” Aikman said. “You can’t lose games the way this team has lost games and then lose them here in December and feel great about your football team. I can’t imagine defensively they go out and take the field at any time and feel real good about their ability to slow anybody down. And then that permeates throughout the team and it certainly affects what your game plan might be on the offensive side.”

The good news for the Cowboys is they’re still in a position where if they win their last two games, they win the NFC East. You can bet that if they build up any 20-point halftime leads on the next two Sundays, the Cowboys won’t forget their running game.

Oh I bet you anything the same shit will happen. They don't learn from one game to the next, Garrett stubbornly does the same shit on purpose!

 

[skidadl]

I honestly think that the game is a fireable offense.

 

[p1_]

I honestly think that the game is a fireable offense.

Right on.

 

[Genghis Khan]

“The philosophy has always been you throw the ball early in games to build the lead, you run the ball late to win games. And I believe in that. That’s the way we did it in the ’90s.

Correct. That's an excellent formula for winning.

I think, by and large, that’s the way Jason Garrett would prefer to do it.

 

[p1_]

Aikman was openly critical while he was calling the game on screen. It was great.

 

[boozeman]

I think, by and large, that’s the way Jason Garrett would prefer to do it.

So if he prefers this...why isn't he doing it? Is he suggesting someone, maybe some owner, is demanding more of his million dollar QB and more "excitement"?

 

[ravidubey]

So if he prefers this...why isn't he doing it? Is he suggesting someone, maybe some owner, is demanding more of his million dollar QB and more "excitement"?

And if Aikman's shilling for Garrett and RHG would have preferred to run and RHG is filtering every offensive snap, then why in Hell didn't he change the calls?

Aikman's suggestion about Red implies he knew they were wrong and was either powerless to stop it or he let them fail so Jerry would give him the play calling reigns back.

That's a stretch though, given the same shit happened vs Detroit with Garrett calling the plays. I think Aikman is just wrong, and is giving Garrett a benefit of a doubt he really hasn't earned.

 

[Cotton]

Garrett has been quoted more than once as saying "Gosh darnit, looking back we should have run the ball more" and then he turns around and does the exact same thing the next game.

So, he is either not being geniune when he says that, or he has no control over what the game plan looks like.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Garrett has been quoted more than once as saying "Gosh darnit, looking back we should have run the ball more" and then he turns around and does the exact same thing the next game.

So, he is either not being geniune when he says that, or he has no control over what the game plan looks like.

These grassy noll theories are nice and everything, but if Jerry wanted more of a passing offense we'd be running a more passing offense from the beginning. Setting the goals and overall plan for the season is something that is a GM tends to be involved with (because of his involvement with the roster and hiring assistant coaches) so if he wanted more passing and excitement he wouldn't have elevated Callahan and rubber stamped this project to create an effective zone running scheme in the first place. We'd have been drafting WRs instead of TEs and going 3 or 4 wide every play.

Garrett's just an ex QB who can't shake his tunnel vision, same as a lot of offensive coordinators only he happens to be the worst one because he gained a special arrogance from being handed a job he didn't deserve and has been bulletproof since then.

 

[Cotton]

These grassy noll theories are nice and everything, but if Jerry wanted more of a passing offense we'd be running a more passing offense from the beginning. Setting the goals and overall plan for the season is something that is a GM tends to be involved with (because of his involvement with the roster and hiring assistant coaches) so if he wanted more passing and excitement he wouldn't have elevated Callahan and rubber stamped this project to create an effective zone running scheme in the first place. We'd have been drafting WRs instead of TEs and going 3 or 4 wide every play.

Garrett's just an ex QB who can't shake his tunnel vision, same as a lot of offensive coordinators only he happens to be the worst one because he gained a special arrogance from being handed a job he didn't deserve and has been bulletproof since then.

Have we not been pass heavy all season?

 

[Clay_Allison]

Have we not been pass heavy all season?

We've been pass heavy since 2008, but that's never been what we set out to do in the beginning, that's just how the play caller ends up calling it.

Look at the pattern in games. We do most of our running in the first quarter and get more pass heavy as the game goes on, as the play caller goes off the reservation and starts succumbing to his own tendencies. Before 2008, we used to have this whole "closer" role for Marion Barber where he would be a very poor man's Emmitt Smith, helping us put away the game if we had a lead. Where was Jerry, demanding we pass the ball with a commanding lead, before Garrett took over the offense?

 

[L.T. Fan]

We've been pass heavy since 2008, but that's never been what we set out to do in the beginning, that's just how the play caller ends up calling it.

Look at the pattern in games. We do most of our running in the first quarter and get more pass heavy as the game goes on, as the play caller goes off the reservation and starts succumbing to his own tendencies. Before 2008, we used to have this whole "closer" role for Marion Barber where he would be a very poor man's Emmitt Smith, helping us put away the game if we had a lead. Where was Jerry, demanding we pass the ball with a commanding lead, before Garrett took over the offense?

Garrett cannot help himself. It is the system he learned via Norv and he apparently hasn't absorbed enough of other systems to utilize them for adjustments or playbook schemes. He is in prison mentally when it comes to making decisions on the fly simply because he is short on football smarts.

 

[Clay_Allison]

Garrett cannot help himself. It is the system he learned via Norv and he apparently hasn't absorbed enough of ather systems to utilize them for adjustments or playbook schemes. He is in prison mentally when it comes to making decisions on the fly simply because he is short on football smarts.

Sad thing is he uses Norv's system but Norv has always had a feel for play calling that Garrett just doesn't have.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Sad thing is he uses Norv's system but Norv has always had a feel for play calling that Garrett just doesn't have.

Norv had enough exposure and experience to change on the fly. I am not a fan of his head coaching skills but as an OC he was pretty good. That is probably the highest level he can function at proficiency but Garrett is not even close to being a good OC.

 

[ravidubey]

Garrett cannot help himself. It is the system he learned via Norv and he apparently hasn't absorbed enough of other systems to utilize them for adjustments or playbook schemes. He is in prison mentally when it comes to making decisions on the fly simply because he is short on football smarts.

Norv knew enough to run Emmitt until the opponent either stops it or shits themselves trying. In 1994 Troy Aikman went to the NFC Championship game in a season where he threw 13 touchdowns total. He won it the year before throwing 15 and the year after throwing 16. From 93 to 95 Emmitt rushed for 9, 21, and 25 touchdowns.

The team had a balanced offense that threw to set up the run and then ran to destroy all hope of a comeback.

This team calls plays based on down and distance statistics.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Norv knew enough to run Emmitt until the opponent either stops it or shits themselves trying. In 1994 Troy Aikman went to the NFC Championship game in a season where he threw 13 touchdowns total. He won it the year before throwing 15 and the year after throwing 16. From 93 to 95 Emmitt rushed for 9, 21, and 25 touchdowns.

The team had a balanced offense that threw to set up the run and then ran to destroy all hope of a comeback.

This team calls plays based on down and distance statistics.

Yes Norv did but Garrett didn't blossom. He grew just so much and has been stunted if his behavior is an indication of his expertise.

 

[ravidubey]

Yes Norv did but Garrett didn't blossom. He grew just so much and has been stunted if his behavior is an indication of his expertise.

Couldn't agree more. Garrett's ceiling as a coach in Dallas was 2007 when he had a lot of help from a real football guy in Sparano.

 

[boozeman]

Couldn't agree more. Garrett's ceiling as a coach in Dallas was 2007 when he had a lot of help from a real football guy in Sparano.

I think Garrett is a "football guy".

I do think he understands the game on some levels, it would be impossible for him not to.

I just think he's arrogant. He has probably been told he is smart for so long that he actually believes it and it bleeds over to the way he coaches football games.

He is constantly trying to be clever and this honestly is not that complicated of a game for someone to do that as a practice.

It is a simple game played by simple guys most of the time. He does not get the brutal simple truths of what it takes to win a game based on those principles.