Super Bowl LI Gameday Chatter | Patriots v. Falcons | 2/5/17

[Texas Ace]

I wonder how much of it is due to the fact that Beasley and Witten are purely middle of the field/slot threats and don't have the ability to line up outside and threaten vertically. A TE like Evan Engram could really help change that, although I don't have much faith in the coaching staff's offensive creativity.

I think that's a good point and it probably is a reason why we don't see more of that from Dez.

Both Beasley and Witten are very limited as route runners, so it's not like we can ask them to stretch the field at all. Because of that, I'm sure it very much limits the space they can create for Dez in the middle of the field.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Giants' Janoris Jenkins explains how he shut down predictable Cowboys WR Dez Bryant

Janoris Jenkins
Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins shut down Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant in two matchups last season. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Dan Duggan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Dan Duggan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on February 09, 2017 at 12:21 PM, updated February 09, 2017 at 12:39 PM
44
shares comments

Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins completely shut down Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant in two matchups last season. And the reason wasn't very complicated.

"I played better than he played," Jenkins told Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan last week. "For real, though, to be honest, when you look at film and you break down your opponents and the receivers that you're facing, you notice what they like to do. Take away the slant and the dig, and when they get in 21 personnel and Dez is inside the numbers, you take away the corner post. He doesn't have nothing else."


Giants running back overview
Jenkins made it look that simple last season. Bryant had one catch for eight yards in the Giants' 20-19 win in the season opener. Bryant then had one catch for 10 yards, which Jenkins promptly stripped for a crucial fumble, in the Giants' 10-7 win over the Cowboys in Week 14.

Revealing more than defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would probably like, Jenkins provided a detailed breakdown of how he covered Bryant.

Jenkins said he was primarily concerned with a slant route when the Cowboys had third-and-medium. If the Cowboys had third-and-long, Jenkins knew a dig route was coming. If Jenkins pressed Bryant in man-coverage, a fade route was typically the response.

"Everything's got to be a double move to get him open because he's not fast," Jenkins said.

Jenkins wasn't talking trash as much as it may seem. He just has a very blunt, confident way of saying things. He was similarly dismissive of DeSean Jackson, saying the Redskins receiver was "kind of fast" before their Week 3 meeting. Jenkins was much more outspoken about Terrelle Pryor, saying the Browns receiver "sucks" and calling him a "s---eater" after their matchup in Week 12.

"I'm going to put it my way," Jenkins said of his candor with the media. "Sometimes you have to be the fake you. And I don't ever want to be the fake you. I don't want to have to go talk to ESPN and I've got somebody telling me what I've got to say. I don't rock like that."

How Jenkins shut down Dez
How Jenkins shut down Dez

Jenkins also said that veteran Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo would have more dangerous than rookie Dak Prescott. Prescott completed just 17-of-37 passes for 165 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions (one by Jenkins) in Week 14 when the rookie appeared confused by the Giants' coverages.

"(Romo) would have picked that up immediately," Jenkins said. "Guys like Romo and Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers and Big Ben (Roethlisberger) -- guys like that see that. They know that. (Romo) would have made some throws that Dak didn't make."

As for Bryant, Jenkins said the three-time Pro Bowler isn't overhyped. But there are some limitations to Bryant's game that Jenkins hopes to continue to exploit.

"I've got to play Dez two times a year for the next five years so out of those five years, I'm not always going to have a lock-down game against Dez," Jenkins said. "I understand that. When he does get the best of me, he got the best of me. I can't be mad. But I'm going to see him again."

 

[Simpleton]

Whether it's true or not it's pretty dumb of Jenkins to just come out and say all this, it makes it that much easier for the coaching staff to change things up and catch him totally off guard.

 

[data]

Whether it's true or not it's pretty dumb of Jenkins to just come out and say all this, it makes it that much easier for the coaching staff to change things up and catch him totally off guard.

That's all our Coach of the Year needs. Taking candy from a baby now.

 

[data]

POSITIVE 25+ yard plays (and let's say 23 yards is close enough). Not misses or throwaway attempts.

It takes accuracy, confidence, downfield talent and mostly PRACTICE to make them work.

Dallas connected deep 400% more vs Detroit than they did GB (3/3 and a drawn PI for 4/21 and a 19% success rate vs 1/38 < 3% vs GB).

You connect on deep plays, you'll score. To connect, you have to practice and make the attempts for real. Not try and turn it on in the 11th hour.

Before you were saying a healthy dose of 25+ yard passes to keep defenses honest. Now it's successful deep plays. Well, shit, if it were that easy, our offensive scheme should be 00 personnel 9-routes every play. If we're successful enough, we'll win!

Hey, I'll add the caveat that a championship offense needs to score 42+ points-per-game. Cuz multiple POSITIVE 25+ yard plays coupled with turnovers still equals zero points.

What does this have anything to do with Dak Prescott vs Tony Romo now?

 

[L.T. Fan]

I'd like to see more slants run for him.

I think he would be effective from the slot at intraverals.

 

[Cotton]

I'd like to see more slants run for him.

I agree, and more specifically, the straight slants right off the line that Irvin used to run.

 

[data]

I agree, and more specifically, the straight slants right off the line that Irvin used to run.

These slants are 25+ yards, right?

 

[Cotton]

These slants are 25+ yards, right?

Generally between 5 and 10 yards. I know, no way we were ever actually going to win a SB back then employing that scheme.

 

[Rev]

These slants are 25+ yards, right?

Only if they are successful.

 

[Cotton]

 

[ravidubey]

Before you were saying a healthy dose of 25+ yard passes to keep defenses honest.

The pass chart includes deep shots that are throwaways.

To get to the 4 (give or take) big plays championship offenses make you have to at least make the attempts, but Dallas didn't make many honest attempts this year.

Don't care how you set them up or what it takes to make them successful, but you need to manufacture big plays.

With Elliott able to beat defenses to death, this passing game can be much more dangerous.

Not talking net yards, but big plays that lead to scoring drives and change the way defenses think about you.

Dak has the accuracy to lead slants, crosses, or skinny posts into open areas for YAC. It's like we don't try. We're content with the 15 yard gain.

What does this have anything to do with Dak Prescott vs Tony Romo now?

?? Not talking Romo. At all.

We're talking big pass plays. I really thought we were turning it loose vs. Detroit. Detroit played their safeties up, and Dak was determined to make them pay for it.

To get to where you are succeeding on your big plays you have to be practicing them. The 90's Cowboys always managed to do this multiple times a game. Hell they could do it with their TE.

 

[ravidubey]

Only if they are successful.

And around 4 per game. We don't make those plays we are wasting our talent. The OL won't be this good for long. It will end all at once, and we'll have squandered it.

 

[data]

The pass chart includes deep shots that are throwaways.

There were no throwaway deep shots in the GB playoff game.

To get to the 4 (give or take) big plays championship offenses make you have to at least make the attempts, but Dallas didn't make many honest attempts this year.

Don't care how you set them up or what it takes to make them successful, but you need to manufacture big plays.

With Elliott able to beat defenses to death, this passing game can be much more dangerous.

Not talking net yards, but big plays that lead to scoring drives and change the way defenses think about you.

Dak has the accuracy to lead slants, crosses, or skinny posts into open areas for YAC. It's like we don't try. We're content with the 15 yard gain.

So the 80-yard Zeke TD screen pass vs Pittsburgh qualifies as one of your 25+ yard passes?

?? Not talking Romo. At all.

OMG. Your whole argument originated from you wanting Romo mid-season, claiming Romo led this big-time, deep-passing offense while coining the term dink-and-Dak...you didn't call it dink-and-Linehan.

Then you harped on this 25+ pass yards stat that Romo supposedly is far superior at achieving.

This is all about Romo vs Dak.

 

[ravidubey]

There were no throwaway deep shots in the GB playoff game.

If you say so. Hard to believe Dak just missed them all wild.

So the 80-yard Zeke TD screen pass vs Pittsburgh qualifies as one of your 25+ yard passes?

You haven't read any of my posts. I've talked about this one play a million times. Like why in Hell the coordinators don't ever call it.

It's a major reason we beat Pittsburgh and damned straight it counts as a 25+ play. You have to generate big plays from the passing game. That 50 harder to Dez was another huge play. Without them we don't beat Pittsburgh that day. Like Whiteheads play in Green Bay or the deep shot to Butler when the DB fell down. Those plays were difference-makers.

OMG. Your whole argument originated from you wanting Romo mid-season, claiming Romo led this big-time, deep-passing offense while coining the term dink-and-Dak...you didn't call it dink-and-Linehan.

You haven't read anything I've said since the whole Romo argument. Look at the top offenses. They attack.

I constantly said it's unfair to Dak, but you have to practice and call more deep shots. We just wasted a Super Bowl contending season because the coaches were content to go with the slow and steady approach that beats most teams but fails against the best.

Dak is doing what the coaches ask him to do, and Dak's name sounds a lot more like "dunk" than Linehan does. No this team was so giddy they had their QB of the future that they failed to step up their game when they needed to most.

Thats why Detroit had me so fired up. They finally got it and put their foot on the accelerator.

They were just fooling us.

 

[data]

A 2-yard screen to Elliott counts as a big play towards your championship caliber offense. You even express passionately for more 2-yard screens. Check.

Per your definition, the 2016 Dink-and-Dak offense had 24 passing plays of 25+ yards. Romo's 2014 offense had 26.

So we wasted a 'Super Bowl contending season' by going with Dak Prescott because Romo provided 0.125 more big plays per game 2 years ago.

To make sure I understand your argument, the difference between Dink-and-Dak and 'championship caliber offense' is actually razor thin. But, hey, I won't disagree as this is a game of inches and makes all the difference in a 34-31 game with a walk-off GW FG. I'm impressed that you can recognize such a granular difference of 0.125 plays-per-game. Bravo.

 

[ravidubey]

A 2-yard screen to Elliott counts as a big play towards your championship caliber offense. You even express passionately for more 2-yard screens. Check.

Per your definition, the 2016 Dink-and-Dak offense had 24 passing plays of 25+ yards. Romo's 2014 offense had 26.

So we wasted a 'Super Bowl contending season' by going with Dak Prescott because Romo provided 0.125 more big plays per game 2 years ago.

To make sure I understand your argument, the difference between Dink-and-Dak and 'championship caliber offense' is actually razor thin. But, hey, I won't disagree as this is a game of inches and makes all the difference in a 34-31 game with a walk-off GW FG. I'm impressed that you can recognize such a granular difference of 0.125 plays-per-game. Bravo.

I'm familiar with Romo's big plays from 2014, and I don't think that team had a championship caliber offense for several games, mainly because of Romo's injuries. But in the end it was right there. In spite of those whacked games, Romo still had a 113 rating that year.

But this isn't about Romo. It's about not keeping what we were doing vs. Detroit going, or frankly not trying it sooner.

Like I said, it wasn't fair to Dak since he's still learning, but championship offenses put more pressure on the defense. Our 2016 offense didn't grow much after Pittsburgh. Tampa was a perfect example of how dink and Dak can almost get you beat. Perfect efficiency between the 20's and very little scoring for the effort.

If the defense knows that any given play is going for 15-18 yards max, they can keep it all in front of them with a deep safety and a penalty or sack ends our drive.

And yes, if we ran more screens it would have made up for some of our hesitance to go downfield. Landry used to do this all the time to take advantage of Dorsett's speed.

 

[BipolarFuk]