Sturm: Decoding Linehan Examines The Troubling 3rd Down Issues

[ravidubey]

Have we EVER done that in Garrett's tenure here?

Never. Linehan's the closest we've come to an imaginative approach.

Garretts approach had had always been aggressive and pass-heavy, unless he felt the QB needed to be protected. Then he ran the ball with a balanced attack.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Never. Linehan's the closest we've come to an imaginative approach.

Garretts approach had had always been aggressive and pass-heavy, unless he felt the QB needed to be protected. Then he ran the ball with a balanced attack.

That was because he had a quarterback who could read and execute. (Romo). When the backups took over he or someone pulled back on everything. Apparently he feels that Dak can read and execute but he isn’t there yet and that’s why the game plan is failing. Dak still needs max protection but the OL isn’t what it was before. The strategy is there but some the personnel are not quite ready and the receivers are not being used that can execute. Witten and Beasley have almost disappeared and Dez can’t seperate on down the field patterns. He is best coming across the field. The verticle pattern is not reliable with Williams and Butler is used sparingly.

In a nutshell Garrett is using the Romo game plan but key personnel can’t pull it off yet. Hopefully they will step it up.

 

[Texas Ace]

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[FONT=&]Every 3rd down has a different story to tell. Here is 3rd and 7 at 5:25 of the 3Q. The Rams are bringing a 6 man blitz and the Cowboys have to get it blocked up - Zeke does a nice job. So, now, as the pressure closes in, can Dak pick out the right target. Looks like Witten will be the guy who opens up at the sticks, but he tries to set up Beasley on the option route. But, Beasley does not go inside and instead has no angle and is pushed out at the boundary. Close, but not close enough. Punt.
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Here we go again. 3rd and 6 at 1:42 of the 3rd. He thinks he has Dez for a back shoulder fade, but I don't really see much up there. The throw is safely out of bounds. Instead, Witten again looks like an option underneath. It just seems he doesn't have the patience on Witten sometimes. The Rams are blitzing, so they are betting that Prescott will unload the ball and concede the punt in situations like this. They appear right.

Just wanted to rehash something I talked about yesterday.

Witten isn't the guy he used to be, but he's not washed up as some are claiming. Just watch what he did to a good Giants D in week 1 and how bad he made All-Pro Landon Collins look on a few routes.

Well, look above. In 1 on 1, he's getting open. Dak just isn't showing the patience nor awareness necessary to hit him.

Both of those 3rd downs should have been easy completions to Witten, but Dak just didn't make it happen.

On the 1st one, Witten beats his man inside and even had room to gain some yards after the catch. This would likely have been a 20 yard gain.

On the 2nd, he beats his man so badly that he causes him to stumble, but Dak appeared to have made up his mind on where he wanted to go.

The point is, those aren't the types of play as washed up guy who can't get open is going to make.

Witten is fine, but Dak needs to do a lot of film study.

 

[lostxn]

I actually feel better about Dak's play after reading this. It looks like many of the accuracy issues may just have been pressure. In the stadium that 3rd-10 overthrow to Dez looked just terrible. I missed that there was a DE in his face. He didn't have a chance there. You can argue he should have gone to Williams but he had no chance to go through his progressions. The DT was on him immediately. He did the best he could.

 

[ravidubey]

I actually feel better about Dak's play after reading this. It looks like many of the accuracy issues may just have been pressure. In the stadium that 3rd-10 overthrow to Dez looked just terrible. I missed that there was a DE in his face. He didn't have a chance there. You can argue he should have gone to Williams but he had no chance to go through his progressions. The DT was on him immediately. He did the best he could.

Pressure has definitely increased. For the most part Dak was pressure free last year outside of certain long passing downs.

I think defenses have schemed and Leary's absence is being felt. Collins has been better than Free, but we are getting increased pressure regardless.

We use too many plays to drive downfield. Defenses know they just have to knock us a bit off-kilter and our drives will stall.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Pressure has definitely increased. For the most part Dak was pressure free last year outside of certain long passing downs.

I think defenses have schemed and Leary's absence is being felt. Collins has been better than Free, but we are getting increased pressure regardless.

We use too many plays to drive downfield. Defenses know they just have to knock us a bit off-kilter and our drives will stall.

I don’t know why it’s a surprise that Dak is being pressured more. Said in the off season he would be and it would affect his production. The other teams have been researching and finding ways to deal with him . It was inevitable.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Just wanted to rehash something I talked about yesterday.

Witten isn't the guy he used to be, but he's not washed up as some are claiming. Just watch what he did to a good Giants D in week 1 and how bad he made All-Pro Landon Collins look on a few routes.

Well, look above. In 1 on 1, he's getting open. Dak just isn't showing the patience nor awareness necessary to hit him.

Both of those 3rd downs should have been easy completions to Witten, but Dak just didn't make it happen.

On the 1st one, Witten beats his man inside and even had room to gain some yards after the catch. This would likely have been a 20 yard gain.

On the 2nd, he beats his man so badly that he causes him to stumble, but Dak appeared to have made up his mind on where he wanted to go.

The point is, those aren't the types of play as washed up guy who can't get open is going to make.

Witten is fine, but Dak needs to do a lot of film study.

Yep and it's unfortunate because any time the defense blitzes LBers the first place I would look to go is over the middle of the field. That's usually a wide open area and it's an easier throw to make. I agree, that's one that you just have to trust Witten to get enough separation on and let it rip.