2020 Season | Week 8 | Gameday Chatter | Cowboys @ Eagles| 11/1/2020

[boozeman]

Play action is one of the most basic and effective offensive strategies, teams like the Rams and 49ers have literally built their offense around a diverse set of play action packages, and yet despite the fact that we have had one of the best running games over the NFL over the last several years we barely use it, maybe only 4-6 plays a game if I had to guess.

The situation we're in now, with defenses 100% keyed in on Elliott, is the perfect time to go heavy play-action on early downs, simplify the reads for our QB's and let them take some downfield shots, and yet we barely ever do it.

I mean, I'm not surprised considering Moore is basically a Garrett disciple, but you'd hope McCarthy would be more pragmatic.

We ran 7 PA plays. DiNucci completed 1.

 

[Simpleton]

We ran 7 PA plays. DiNucci completed 1.

Yea, he barely completed anything. My point is that we've failed to use it effectively for years despite our running game when teams like the Rams are running it about 10-15 times a game.

 

[Genghis Khan]

...

 

[ravidubey]

We could sign a 1T type in Dalvin Tomlinson, DJ Jones or a cheaper Alualu or Corey Peters, but there isn't a Cox or Donald out there in free agency or the draft.

It starts with a shift in organizational thinking. You get the talented 1T in the draft. With a high pick, 1st or 2nd.

Maybe Hill or Gallimore emerges at 3.

Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Short instantly rebuilt what had been a pathetic Carolina defense into a Superbowl team. Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly went from getting blown off the ball to making plays.

That's the kind of foundational shift I'm referring to. Lawrence, LVE, and Gregory can't be effective without that interior presence. Once you have it, everything else changes.

Pittsburgh lost guys up front this last week. It didn't matter because they are built to be deep (and Baltimore lost OL, too, but still).

 

[jsmith6919]

No one else watching tonight?

 

[Bipo]

Well, so much for my hope that Ben DiNucci would be the next Terry Romo.

 

[jsmith6919]

Giants actually have the lead

 

[DontCryWolfe]

Well, so much for my hope that Ben DiNucci would be the next Terry Romo.

Romo at least had the benefit of sitting for a while, and was even on the cusp of being cut during his 2nd pre-season if I recall.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Romo at least had the benefit of sitting for a while, and was even on the cusp of being cut during his 2nd pre-season if I recall.

Yeah but he is no Dak Prescott. A QB who came in and killed it as a rookie QB.

 

[shoop]

Romo at least had the benefit of sitting for a while, and was even on the cusp of being cut during his 2nd pre-season if I recall.

Was that the Hutchinson or Henson year?

 

[DontCryWolfe]

Was that the Hutchinson or Henson year?

I think that was the Henson year. The story eludes me, but Romo was about to be cut and then he led a GW drive in the 3rd preseason game.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Well, so much for my hope that Ben DiNucci would be the next Terry Romo.

Romo was a maracle....

 

[data]

How we doin’, guys?

 

[ravidubey]

Quick screen on 3rd and 11 in the red zone

Good old Garrett

 

[data]

We be rooting for the Giants, right?

 

[data]

The Giants throwbacks look sharp

 

[bbgun]

Danny Dimes fucks up

 

[DontCryWolfe]

People can talk all the shit on Brady they want, but at 43 he has as much zip on his passes as anyone not named Mahomes.

 

[lostxn]

The box score is one thing and the eye test is another. The run defense in general was much more cohesive and you didn't have these gaping holes all over the field for guys to run through. That could've been partially because of Poe being gone as well, or just the defense playing generally inspired, but my first impression was that he was involved in almost everything in the middle of the field and the front 7 looked as cohesive as they have all year.

The sack/FF was great but there is one play that typifies what LVE is and what he brings to our defense that they sorely lack when he's out. It was in the 3rd quarter I believe, he was positioned near the hash against a run, stepped up into the hole a bit without vacating the middle, forced the RB to bounce it out then exploded out towards the sideline and completely cut off his angle, allowing Lawrence to recover and force a fumble. As I was watching the play live I remember thinking in real time, oh, there's a massive amount of space and the RB is about to be 1 on 1 with a DB with pretty much everybody else blocked up, this is at least 7-8 yards and maybe 10-15. Instead LVE showed the discipline to force the RB to bounce it without overpursuing or overcomitting, then the athleticism to go make a play that ultimately resulted in a loss.

It's the type of assignment sound gap discipline/patience Jaylon doesn't have, and I personally believe that his lack of gap discipline and inability to work through traffic in tight spaces is one of the biggest issues with our run defense. That play right there is the type of play that sent LVE to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and if he can stay on the field and keep flashing like that I'll feel really good about him going forward.

LVE has a ways to go still to get back to his rookie level.

When we had Eberflus, LVE and Jaylon were both playing PB level and were consistently 1/2 in tackles on the team. I still think Jaylon can be rehabilitated but I'm afraid he's just not listening to coaching (bad though it may be) and it may take getting cut to get him to start listening.

 

[ravidubey]

Bullshit call. Should be on the offense if anything