Bill Callahan on Jon Gruden’s comments: ‘I wouldn’t make that statement’

By Jon Machota
jmachota@dallasnews.com
3:52 pm on September 19, 2013 | Permalink

IRVING – During Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, former Raiders and Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden explained how Bill Callahan became fond of the passing game in Oakland after Gruden left.

“I don’t think he ran the ball one time,” said Gruden, an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. “He says, ‘Gruden, why do you want me to run it?’ He says, ‘Everything is a two or one yard gain. Let’s throw it every snap.’”

Callahan, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive play-caller, said Thursday that he doesn’t agree with those comments.

“I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t make that statement,” Callahan said. “I’m never going to make that statement. We want to run the football. We want to do that. We are just saying that [there] is another way to do it. A lot of people throw bubble screens, throw quick screens on the perimeter. That’s very much run-like in a lot of different ways.

“There are all types of ways to move the ball and the more you can do, the more you put pressure on the defense. It gives them more things to defend. We are moving in that area in our game, trying to mix it up and use all those aspects and elements.”

Callahan also denied that the Raiders were “pass-happy” when he was in Oakland. Callahan was the offensive coordinator from 1998-2001 and head coach in 2002 and 2003. Gruden called pass plays when he was head coach and Marc Trestman held that responsibility when Callahan was head coach. Callahan was always in charge of calling run plays.

“We led the league in rushing in 2000,” Callahan said. “We weren’t pass-happy. Even the year we went to the Super Bowl, we threw it over 60 times [in a game]. But we ran it over 60 times in a game [too].”

The Cowboys are averaging 62 yards per game on the ground this season, ranking them 26th in the NFL in that category.

Callahan said the team is working diligently to establish a run game, but that doesn’t mean the Cowboys plan on forcing run plays if opponents are giving them favorable matchups in other areas.

“It may take 40 passes, it may take 40 runs,” Callahan said. “We’ll do whatever we have to do to win the game.”

Do whatever works. And stop repeating what doesn't.

The second one seems to be impeding the progress of the first.

Sooooo Callahan won't be retained when Gruden gets here next year?

cmd34(work) said:

Sooooo Callahan won't be retained when Gruden gets here next year?

Keep reading...

I was thinking the same.

I think Callahan said it. He is under a little heat now and don't want to admit it.

Just own up to it you weasel.

Fuck bubble screens. Throw a screen at these blitzing mfers once in a while.

Its like teams are daring them to and they refuse.

Cowboysrule122 said:

By Jon Machota
jmachota@dallasnews.com
3:52 pm on September 19, 2013 | Permalink

IRVING – During Monday night’s game between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, former Raiders and Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden explained how Bill Callahan became fond of the passing game in Oakland after Gruden left.

“I don’t think he ran the ball one time,” said Gruden, an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. “He says, ‘Gruden, why do you want me to run it?’ He says, ‘Everything is a two or one yard gain. Let’s throw it every snap.’”

Callahan, the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive play-caller, said Thursday that he doesn’t agree with those comments.

“I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t make that statement,” Callahan said. “I’m never going to make that statement. We want to run the football. We want to do that. We are just saying that [there] is another way to do it. A lot of people throw bubble screens, throw quick screens on the perimeter. That’s very much run-like in a lot of different ways.

“There are all types of ways to move the ball and the more you can do, the more you put pressure on the defense. It gives them more things to defend. We are moving in that area in our game, trying to mix it up and use all those aspects and elements.”

Callahan also denied that the Raiders were “pass-happy” when he was in Oakland. Callahan was the offensive coordinator from 1998-2001 and head coach in 2002 and 2003. Gruden called pass plays when he was head coach and Marc Trestman held that responsibility when Callahan was head coach. Callahan was always in charge of calling run plays.

“We led the league in rushing in 2000,” Callahan said. “We weren’t pass-happy. Even the year we went to the Super Bowl, we threw it over 60 times [in a game]. But we ran it over 60 times in a game [too].”

The Cowboys are averaging 62 yards per game on the ground this season, ranking them 26th in the NFL in that category.

Callahan said the team is working diligently to establish a run game, but that doesn’t mean the Cowboys plan on forcing run plays if opponents are giving them favorable matchups in other areas.

“It may take 40 passes, it may take 40 runs,” Callahan said. “We’ll do whatever we have to do to win the game.”

Keep reading...

We ran 120 offensive plays per week, don't you guys remember?

Ran it 60 times a game? Yeah ok.

Sheik said:

Fuck bubble screens. Throw a screen at these blitzing mfers once in a while.

Its like teams are daring them to and they refuse.

Keep reading...

Aren't we doing zone blocking scheme? At least that's what we've been told. Becuase if we are... then why aren't we running more screens? The Cowboys have not been a screen-running team since Dorsett, but with the switch to a zone blocking, I thought there we would see more screens.

If you look at Gruden's time in Oakland he was about a 48% rushing guy through his 4 years there.

2001 was his most pass happy year at 55%. In 2000, they actually ran more than they passed at 52% rushing.

The year Callahan took over, the team went 60% passing.

Each of Guden's 4 years in Oakland has more rushing attempts than either of Callahan's 2 coaching seasons.

Callahan's seasons were 2 of the highest 3 passing attempt seasons for the 6 year span.

Doesn't validate Gruden's claim but they do appear to have differences of opinion in running the ball.

LAZARUS_LOGAN said:

Aren't we doing zone blocking scheme? At least that's what we've been told. Becuase if we are... then why aren't we running more screens? The Cowboys have not been a screen-running team since Dorsett, but with the switch to a zone blocking, I thought there we would see more screens.

Keep reading...

It's actually kind of funny how to see how committed to stupid shit the team is like the bubble screen. I remember 1 good play and that was basically Dez making it happen. Now that I think of it, I think Austin had a TD in the redzone on one some time ago. But that's fucking it.

That play has to be, on average, one of the least productive plays for this team. And yet the run that shit every fucking week.

Meanwhile, a screen pass which is usually good for positive yard provided the pass is completed has every bit as much potential as that play, is easier to execute, and doesn't require a backward pass at times..........and they don't fucking do it.

It's just arrogance because the simple shit is just beneath this staff. Screen pass, not having it. Doesn't make the defense think enough.

Perhaps if Garrett and Ventrilohan would stop trying to fucking make the defense pass the boards on each and every down they would actually make things easier for their own team to execute.

I read somewhere where Callahan was supposedly next-level smart and that was part of the problem. He's smart but can't fucking communicate with people who aren't.

Guessing this might be Callahan's last stand as playcaller this week.

dbair1967 said:

Guessing this might be Callahan's last stand as playcaller this week.

Keep reading...

Probably.

Jason gets 6 years, forces someone to call from his insufficient book and then revokes privileges after 3 weeks.

Sounds totally like a group decision by the way.

Hoofbite said:

Probably.

Jason gets 6 years, forces someone to call from his insufficient book and then revokes privileges after 3 weeks.

Sounds totally like a group decision by the way.

Keep reading...

Eh. Not really buying that Callahan is simply calling all the same plays from the old playbook. Almost none of this stuff (run or ass) looks like what we had been doing so he has clearly altered or added a lot of stuff of his own.

Hoofbite said:

It's actually kind of funny how to see how committed to stupid shit the team is like the bubble screen. I remember 1 good play and that was basically Dez making it happen. Now that I think of it, I think Austin had a TD in the redzone on one some time ago. But that's fucking it.

That play has to be, on average, one of the least productive plays for this team. And yet the run that shit every fucking week.

Meanwhile, a screen pass which is usually good for positive yard provided the pass is completed has every bit as much potential as that play, is easier to execute, and doesn't require a backward pass at times..........and they don't fucking do it.

It's just arrogance because the simple shit is just beneath this staff. Screen pass, not having it. Doesn't make the defense think enough.

Perhaps if Garrett and Ventrilohan would stop trying to fucking make the defense pass the boards on each and every down they would actually make things easier for their own team to execute.

I read somewhere where Callahan was supposedly next-level smart and that was part of the problem. He's smart but can't fucking communicate with people who aren't.

Keep reading...

THIS! We've have geniuses on board. Last year... I kept yelling at the tv during the Cardinals, game, "RUN A FUCKING SCREEN!" When you have a fucking aggressive 3-4 defense, especially as the Cardinals were running, run some screens to neutralize them. But the sad and funny thing is that in overtime, that is exactly what the Cardinals, and they scored the game-winning TD as a result.

. Both games last year, the Redskins fucking screened us to death, yet we still kept the game close. Imagine if we had done the same?