DMN: 5 thoughts from the Cowboys' stunning loss to Colts

Ragnar said:

The Cowboys redzone offense sucks because our QB cannot go down the middle of the field.

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I posted the other day, Dak has a 36 QBR over 25 yards, that aint gonna cut it. Cooper isnt gonna break one every week either as we just saw. Not having to worry about the deep ball keeps more defenders closer to LOS. Not a good recipe for scoring points. This is all the besides the red zone issues which is a whole other story.

theoneandonly said:

I posted the other day, Dak has a 36 QBR over 25 yards, that aint gonna cut it. Cooper isnt gonna break one every week either as we just saw. Not having to worry about the deep ball keeps more defenders closer to LOS. Not a good recipe for scoring points. This is all the besides the red zone issues which is a whole other story.

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You're right. I was just talking to someone about exactly that. We can't count on Cooper to break 75 yard TDs to bail us out every week. We have to have some consistency besides dumb luck. The redzone issues are just a result of our limited attack on offense. The closer you get to the endzone the harder it becomes.

Ragnar said:

The redzone issues are just a result of our limited attack on offense. The closer you get to the endzone the harder it becomes.

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We comment on it every week. We get inside the 20 and, no more Zeke.

Our "red area" problems are mostly the result of idiotic play calling.

Doomsday said:

Our problems are mostly the result of idiotic play calling.

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FYP

Garrett during the Indy game: Why is Matt on the Colts sideline?

dbair1967 said:

Now sometimes coaches do that purposely because they fear the QB throwing into traffic too much, but there are some systems that just don't use the middle of the field much for whatever reason. Chan Gailey was like that when he was HC here and Aikman/Irvin and others called him out for it.

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Um....no dbair. Gailey was called out because he took Irvin off the field for some scrub (Jeff Ogden) in some BS attempt to extend Irvin's career or something like that. And they revolted.

Ragnar said:

The Cowboys redzone offense sucks because our QB cannot go down the middle of the field. It's run plays swing passes or quick outs. By now it is no surprise that defensive coordinators are picking up on this.

This extends to the rest of the field as well. Nothing to challenge defenses down the middle, everything is sideline based. The sad part is this looks like it's by design. No way can Dallas move forward with this quarterback.

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Think about all the pro-throws you don't see him make or attempt. No fades, no back shoulder, and nothing in the middle of the field. He's got to be the easiest QB to defend int he red zone.

SixisBetter said:

Garrett during the Indy game: Why is Matt on the Colts sideline?

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Garrett:

Dodger12 said:

Think about all the pro-throws you don't see him make or attempt. No fades, no back shoulder, and nothing in the middle of the field. He's got to be the easiest QB to defend int he red zone.

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Right. But in 2016 he did throw fades and back shoulder passes, I forget if he went down the middle or not. Why have they been removed? Our entire offense is Zeke running the ball or getting a quick pass from the backfield. Passing is mostly short passes, curls, comebacks, stop routes, outs, all sideline based. I don't get it.

theoneandonly said:

I posted the other day, Dak has a 36 QBR over 25 yards, that aint gonna cut it. Cooper isnt gonna break one every week either as we just saw. Not having to worry about the deep ball keeps more defenders closer to LOS. Not a good recipe for scoring points. This is all the besides the red zone issues which is a whole other story.

Keep reading...

Didn't help that last week, they essentially took the 2nd best WR (Gallup) out of the offense entirely.

I realize the QB thing is up in the air, but I cant help but think if we get a real HC and staff here, they are going to walk in and think "geez, look at all this talent"...and "how could those other guys not get 28-30pts a week with this?"

Doomsday said:

We comment on it every week. We get inside the 20 and, no more Zeke.

Our "red area" problems are mostly the result of idiotic play calling.

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Linehan is every opposing defensive team's best friend.

One day when I have absolutely nothing thing to do I am going to do the research and see what the % of time Zeke actually gets the ball inside the 20 has been for his career. I am virtually certain the number is going to be mind numbingly stupid low.

Dodger12 said:

Um....no dbair. Gailey was called out because he took Irvin off the field for some scrub (Jeff Ogden) in some BS attempt to extend Irvin's career or something like that. And they revolted.

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Yes, he did that too. He thought guys like Jeff Oden and Billy Davis were quality players. He infamously was quoted as "we want WR's who can block first"

But his offensive system did ignore the middle of the field and Aikman, Irvin and others did call him out on it. Even media back then wondered why a coach would have a HoF type throwing talent in Aikman and not take advantage of one of his major strengths.

Gailey was a fucktard.

Ragnar said:

Right. But in 2016 he did throw fades and back shoulder passes, I forget if he went down the middle or not. Why have they been removed? Our entire offense is Zeke running the ball or getting a quick pass from the backfield. Passing is mostly short passes, curls, comebacks, stop routes, outs, all sideline based. I don't get it.

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Anyone remember the last time a Cowboy WR ran a true deep post route? Anyone remember the last TE deep seam route?

dbair1967 said:

Anyone remember the last time a Cowboy WR ran a true deep post route? Anyone remember the last TE deep seam route?

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It's like... "We don't really want to attack you, but might resort to that if we absolutely have to. Rather than have you dodging haymakers all day we'd much rather just sort of play it safe and sort of tap jabs at you a little but overall just take what you give us. Not dictate to you but rather, follow your lead and hope you maybe make some big mistakes along the way and hope we don't. But overall we just sort of.... hope. Hope we ya know, maybe win and stuff but mostly we want to be kind of friendly and nice about it but definitely don't want anyone hurt or upset at all."

Pretty sure this sums up the Jason Carrot "approach."

"I mean we kinda want to win and stuff it's kind of nice and all but not at the cost of taking any chances or beating anyone up and having them feel bad about themselves, there's much more important things in life besides a football game ya know? If a loss was the worst thing to happen to us we have a great life ya know what I mean? Football doesn't have to be an all or nothing zero sum equation. We can go out there and get moral victories and still feel good about ourselves at the end of the day."

"I mean even Vince Lombardi said winning isn't everything and he got his name on the super bowl trophy and stuff. But he knew what was more important in life than winning some football game. We approach everything that way every day."

Doomsday said:

"I mean even Vince Lombardi said winning isn't everything and he got his name on the super bowl trophy and stuff. But he knew what was more important in life than winning some football game. We approach everything that way every day."

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Woody Hayes said winning isnt everything, its the ONLY thing. And he also said he'd rather die a winner than live a loser.

"I mean you might remember I was around here in the early 90s when we had Jimmy Johnson who was a 'win at all cost' kind of guy who let his competitiveness take over his life I mean it cost him his family and his friendship with Jerry he was willing to sell his soul and for what? More rings to add to his college one? He fired a bunch of nice people and cut or traded good guys who were players and made them feel bad when they left heck he even made one of them feel bad about his asthma when people ask me about those years it pains me to even talk about it because it's just not a good workplace environment when everything you do say think or feel is geared towards winning and it's such a small thing in the overall picture of your life because life goes on after football you know? We think it's important to focus on that each and every day when you go out there and just try to get better. When I had to play for Troy I was so afraid of failure and what Jimmy might do if I messed it up that I found myself out there hitting impossible passes and taking big chances and it really left me with a bad taste in my mouth every time. I just can't live that way ya know and I don't want to live in a world where winning is so important that you kind of feel ill when you lose kind of feel sick to your stomache and might even throw up it's not worth the stress and headache ya know?"

NoMoRedJ said:

Woody Hayes said winning isnt everything, its the ONLY thing.

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That was Vince.

And he also said he'd rather die a winner than live a loser.

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THAT was Woody

Doomsday said:

That was Vince.THAT was Woody

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I wondered about that after I posted it. I think ur right