Sherrington: Clueless Dallas Cowboys can’t even talk a good game

boozeman

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Sherrington: Clueless Dallas Cowboys can’t even talk a good game

Kevin Sherrington



ksherrington@dallasnews.com

Published: 17 December 2013 11:50 PM

Updated: 18 December 2013 12:42 AM


No sooner had Cowboys fans endured one of the dumbest defeats in Jerry Jones’ box set, along comes an even greater insult, this time straight from the top.

Worried about fans turning apathetic, Jerry Jones?

“Not with games like the other day,” he said on his radio show Tuesday.

“That’s a show, if you want to look at it that way.”

Jerry probably would have said the same from a lifeboat off the Titanic.

Let’s be clear: Despite the owner’s P.T. Barnum-worthy comments only two days after a humiliating 37-36 loss to the Packers, I don’t doubt for a moment that Jerry wants to win. He needs a Lombardi Trophy to prove he can do it without Jimmy Johnson. Otherwise, he’s only the bag man.

But Jerry’s not helping his cause with a public that increasingly sees him as a huckster. The rest of his circus isn’t doing him any favors, either.

What fans wanted to hear after the Cowboys gave away a 23-point halftime lead and blew a home game against the Packers was that it was inexcusable. Tell them something they didn’t know, an explanation for what went so wrong, so fast. Maybe that something was lost in the translation from the coaches’ box to head coach to quarterback. Or it was just plain stupid, and it’ll never, ever happen again.

Not a chance. What fans got Sunday afternoon was dumb, and it’s been dumber ever since.

First we hear from Jason Garrett and Tony Romo that, sure, running with a 23-point lead and burning some second-half clock was an option, just like it is for every team from the NFL to Pop Warner. As evidence of their good intentions, Garrett revealed that they’d actually called a run on one of Romo’s interceptions. Only Romo checked out of it because Green Bay packed so many players in the box, and Lord knows you can’t run into the teeth of that.

Of course, the Cowboys don’t need any excuses to give up on the run, either.

Consider the reaction of the Packers after their early Christmas gift from the Cowboys. According to nose tackle Ryan Pickett, the Cowboys have the best zone blocking scheme in the league. Imagine that. The Cowboys, tops at something other than mileage allowed.

“The last four weeks, nobody could stop it — their zone scheme,” Pickett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “and they gave up on it. We’re just happy they did.

“We were, like, ‘OK, we’ll take it.’”

Added Tramon Williams, a Green Bay cornerback: “That’s just who they are.”

Yes, we’re well aware of that by now. Just last week, I wrote that the Bears game got away from the Cowboys when they deserted the run at the end of the half and in the third quarter. The rest of the game, they plowed through Chicago’s awful run defense and kept pace. Not to mention that every minute the offense burns is a lifetime the Cowboys’ defense isn’t on the field.

Bill Callahan admitted before Sunday’s loss to the Packers that they should have run more against the Bears. Cowboys coaches always say that after the fact. They seem to think it’ll placate the second-guessers. Then they go out and do what they did against the Packers.

Explaining their second-half philosophy, Garrett said that, with their defense, they have to remain “aggressive,” meaning they have to pass to protect a lead. He apparently doesn’t have the same respect for his running game that Ryan Pickett does.

Mike McCarthy, the Packers’ head coach, believes you don’t have to pass to score. Down 23 points, he kept giving the ball to Eddie Lacy, who ran for 105 yards in the second half. And with all those old-school runs clogging up their play-calling, the Packers still managed to score 34 points.

Here’s what I’d really like to hear from Garrett and Callahan and Romo:

We’re not going to run the ball when it counts, and you can’t make us.

While he’s at it, Garrett needs to work on some of his other lines, too. Like his speech to the players after the game, when he said they were in the same shape as they were when they woke up Sunday. He should have saved that salve for Monday. If they’re going to lose a game like they did Sunday, they should have to wallow in it awhile. Maybe they’ll be less inclined to make the same mistakes.

Garrett cites the 24-hour rule when it comes to dwelling on any game, win or lose. He didn’t even give it 20 minutes Sunday.

As for what he said to Dez Bryant, who left the field before the game was over because he said he didn’t want to cry in public? Whatever it was, there’s no punishment coming.

Garrett missed a public relations opportunity by going easy on Dez. Cowboys fans might like to see someone pay besides the victims in the seats. Only when they stop will this show ever end.
 

L.T. Fan

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How about a coach and OC that simply takes what a defense allows. That is what the intelligent ones do. Garrett treats the offense like a quota issue where you use a running play to meet the specified requirement to fulfill a quota. Get the run out of the way then we can pass all we want. He does not have the head for game planning or game management. He will never be a winning coach because he thinks like a pass happy QB. I wouldn't even want him for an OC.
 

boozeman

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How about a coach and OC that simply takes what a defense allows. That is what the intelligent ones do. Garrett treats the offense like a quota issue where you use a running play to meet the specified requirement to fulfill a quota. Get the run out of the way then we can pass all we want. He does not have the head for game planning or game management. He will never be a winning coach because he thinks like a pass happy QB. I wouldn't even want him for an OC.
I think that is what we are doing....take what the defense "allows" or shows.

He doesn't or won't trust the run game. Romo doesn't or won't trust the run game.

OMG...THEY ARE STACKING THE BOX. PASS!

While I think they believe they are being aggressive, that is pretty much passive.

It is allowing the defense to tell you what you are going to do because they know your tendencies.

They dare us, we eventually blink because it is who were are. They know it will happen and just like the Packers said, are relieved when it does.
 

jsmith6919

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I wouldn't even want him as qb coach
 

Genghis Khan

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I think that is what we are doing....take what the defense "allows" or shows.

He doesn't or won't trust the run game. Romo doesn't or won't trust the run game.

OMG...THEY ARE STACKING THE BOX. PASS!

While I think they believe they are being aggressive, that is pretty much passive.

It is allowing the defense to tell you what you are going to do because they know your tendencies.

They dare us, we eventually blink because it is who were are. They know it will happen and just like the Packers said, are relieved when it does.

Yep exactly. And it is piss poor strategy because it allows opposing defenses to dictate to us what they want us to do. It's to the point that we will go away from plays that are working because of looks that the defense shows.
 

BipolarFuk

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Seriously, if Dave Campo could have gotten a 23 point lead, I don't even think he would have been stupid enough to blow it by not using a running game that was dominating.
 

L.T. Fan

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I think that is what we are doing....take what the defense "allows" or shows.

He doesn't or won't trust the run game. Romo doesn't or won't trust the run game.

OMG...THEY ARE STACKING THE BOX. PASS!

While I think they believe they are being aggressive, that is pretty much passive.

It is allowing the defense to tell you what you are going to do because they know your tendencies.

They dare us, we eventually blink because it is who were are. They know it will happen and just like the Packers said, are relieved when it does.
To a degree I agree with you but the running game comes in clusters. Primarily in the first half. When the defensive schemes stack a smart coach will pass for that circumstance maybe but will still keep the running game going to try to lossen up the secondary. Garrett doesn't' do this he continues to pass no matter what. There is no balance to his methodology. Run in the first half and in the second half use it sparingly.
 

boozeman

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To a degree I agree with you but the running game comes in clusters. Primarily in the first half. When the defensive schemes stack a smart coach will pass for that circumstance maybe but will still keep the running game going to try to lossen up the secondary. Garrett doesn't' do this he continues to pass no matter what. There is no balance to his methodology. Run in the first half and in the second half use it sparingly.
And even if the idea is to pass, why not play action? Why spread?
 

Bob Roberts

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I'd rather have been blown out because we're just not good enough than lose just because we're too stupid.

But then, I realize we're stupid AND not good enough
 

UncleMilti

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Let’s be clear: Despite the owner’s P.T. Barnum-worthy comments only two days after a humiliating 37-36 loss to the Packers, I don’t doubt for a moment that Jerry wants to win. He needs a Lombardi Trophy to prove he can do it without Jimmy Johnson. Otherwise, he’s only the bag man.

But Jerry’s not helping his cause with a public that increasingly sees him as a huckster
Jerry is showing everyone!!!!!!!
 

Bob Roberts

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So Jerry steps down as GM but Garrett is given a lifetime contract

Or Jerry stays GM until he dies but you get to hire your dream coach

What do you do, rookie?
 

Cotton

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I don't like this line of questioning.
 

NoDak

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So Jerry steps down as GM but Garrett is given a lifetime contract

Or Jerry stays GM until he dies but you get to hire your dream coach

What do you do, rookie?
I take the 2nd scenario. We get a good coach, and Jerry could kick off any time.

I certainly wouldn't want a lifetime contract handed to the Princeton fraud. He'll more than likely live a hell of a lot longer Jones will.
 

UncleMilti

This seemed like a good idea at the time.
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So Jerry steps down as GM but Garrett is given a lifetime contract

Or Jerry stays GM until he dies but you get to hire your dream coach

What do you do, rookie?
Masturbate?
 
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