Mendez: Witten spells out what Cowboys offense wants out of Saturday night...

[Cotton]

Witten spells out what Cowboys offense wants out of Saturday night against Bengals

Jason Witten laid out what he hopes the Cowboys offense can accomplish Saturday night against the Bengals.

“We need to protect the football,” he said Thursday night after the Cowboys’ public practice at AT&T Stadium, their first action of the summer at their home field. “We didn’t do a very good job of that. It’s something we’ve talked about all off-season doing. Hopefully we’ll move the ball, get in the end zone, be productive and put more than one drive together. That’s what we want to do.”

He said it won’t be easy against Mike Zimmer’s Bengals defense, which also figures to play its first-teamers the majority of the game.

“Good defense up there in Cincinnati with Coach Zimmer,” he said. “It’ll be tough for us, but this will be the time to get everything tuned up and get some confidence going into the Giants game.”

Witten, entering his 11th season, said the Silver and Blue Debut always reminds him that the season is near.

“You always know it’s just right around the corner when you’re here,” he said. “To see the excitement and the fans and the alumni, you get that feeling. Every year, as a player, it’s always that time you know you’re getting close. This is kind of the kickoff for that.”

-- Carlos Mendez

 

[Genghis Khan]

How about a touchdown? That would be nice.

 

[boozeman]

How about a touchdown? That would be nice.

No shit. Outside of the OL mess, that's the one thing that is troubling me. It is that despite our kick ass 2-TE offense and Garrett getting to be a walk around coach, it looks like the same offense. Gobs of yards, small in the red zone.

 

[Smitty]

No shit. Outside of the OL mess, that's the one thing that is troubling me. It is that despite our kick ass 2-TE offense and Garrett getting to be a walk around coach, it looks like the same offense. Gobs of yards, small in the red zone.

That's what happens when you don't have an OL.

Maybe one day the light will go on.

 

[boozeman]

That's what happens when you don't have an OL.

Maybe one day the light will go on.

The red zone issues aren't just confined to the bad OL. It is a huge factor, but not the only thing like you keep on and on and on about.

 

[UncleMilti]

STFU Witten.

 

[boozeman]

STFU Witten.

I would agree with you, but he is still working on his spleen cred from last year's opener.

 

[Plan9Misfit]

No shit. Outside of the OL mess, that's the one thing that is troubling me. It is that despite our kick ass 2-TE offense and Garrett getting to be a walk around coach, it looks like the same offense. Gobs of yards, small in the red zone.

It's also because we have the same mental midget under Center.

 

[ravidubey]

The red zone issues aren't just confined to the bad OL. It is a huge factor, but not the only thing like you keep on and on and on about.

Our biggest problem for a while now is our RB's are no threat to score from inside the 10 yard line. Garrett's formations telegraph run and this OL gets blown up each and every time.

You also need receivers who gain separation in short spaces, like TO could, because Romo has a hard time with fades and lacks the arm strength to gun the ball into a tight window. Endzone fades where the receiver leaps (like the shot to Bryant on Cromartie in the 2011 vs the Jets) give Romo a window to throw to. On that play Bryant pushed off to create separation, so it's a penalty waiting to happen but the high pass can't be intercepted easily.

Tony Gonzalez scored a million TDs running drags along the back of the endzone and leaping for the ball. Leaving his feet is not Witten's thing, but I think he's coachable enough to learn anything even now. Redzone scoring also has to be a big reason why they drafted Escobar.