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DC.com | Eatman: Old "Back-Shoulder" Play Gets New Emphasis
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Email | Follow nickeatman on Twitter
OXNARD, Calif. - In five weeks of watching the same stuff over and over, you start to notice a few things. At least you're supposed to.
Then again, when the five weeks feels more like three months, you have a tendency to forget as you much as you've seen. Fortunately, this camp is winding down and the real season is almost upon us.
But one thing that has stood out more than a few times this year, even dating back to the OTA and minicamps over the summer, is the use of a certain play or route. Now typically, you probably wouldn't want to write a story about, or even highlight a particular play, that the Cowboys are running more this year and putting more emphasis on.
However, it really doesn't matter.
Because from what I've been told, as long as the offense runs the back-shoulder throw to perfection, there's nothing the defense can do about it.
And this year, the Cowboys have emphasized the back-shoulder throw more in practice and it should be more of a fixture in the games.
"If it's thrown right, they can't stop it," said receiver Patrick Crayton. "If it's ran right and thrown perfect ... it doesn't even have to be a perfect ball. We're catching it and able to spin and keep going."
If you're not familiar with the back-shoulder throw, it's really nothing out of the ordinary. It's when the receiver is running straight ahead and instead of the quarterback leading him down the field with the pass, he actually throws it behind the receiver's back shoulder. It forces the receiver to open up his body and make a tough adjustment on the run. However, if the cornerback is running stride for stride with a receiver, there's no way he'll be able to stop in time to make the play. Even if he does guess right, he'll be out of position to get the ball.
Of course, this isn't a new concept. It's not a new route. In fact, teams have been running it for years, including the Cowboys.
But this year, the offense is simply doing it more. In fact, the Cowboys' first touchdown of the preseason occurred on a back-shoulder fade. Tony Romo's 9-yard scoring strike to Miles Austin last week in San Diego might have been an example of the hard work the team has put in to perfecting the play.
"Well, it's something we've done in the past," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "But we have made it more part of our everyday core work. We throw it over the top. We throw the back-shoulder. We're kind of working on that and understand that it's hard for a guy to play you both ways. If he plays over the top of the route, it gives you a chance to make a play. We have some playmaking-type guys who can do that type of stuff, but I still believe you have to practice it."
The Cowboys run a simple "pat-and-go" drill at the beginning of practice. It's basically the football version of a layup line. There are two rows of players running about 25 yards down the field, catching passes from the quarterback.
This year, the Cowboys have even added the back-shoulder pass to the pat-and-go session.
"We've done it more this year," Tony Romo said of the back-shoulder. "It's been emphasized a little more, for sure."
But, with anything different, you always wonder why. So, why are the Cowboys doing it more this year?
"It's really just a play that if you execute it correctly, it's very difficult to stop," Garrett said. "Hopefully we can get good at it."
However, a lot of comes down to the type of receivers on the roster. If you've got a team full of track stars, then running back-shoulder fades probably won't be the priority. Speed kills, we know that. And teams are always looking for some home-run plays. That will always be the case.
But if you look at this group of Cowboys receivers, the track-speed isn't there. Sure, they've got guys who can and will get deep and behind the secondary. But consistently, this looks more like a group that's fast, but more skilled in route running. In today's game, where the cornerbacks are faster and quicker than ever before, getting separation isn't easy.
And with teams always guarding for the deep ball, these cornerbacks are making sure nothing gets by them.
That's when you drop the back-shoulder.
"Yeah, if you can't get separation, that's when it's a high-percentage throw," Romo said. "If a guy is right on top of the receiver and you can't get it over the top on them, it's a good call for it."
Garrett said the Cowboys will call a back-shoulder pass in the huddle at times. But more than often, the play occurs on the fly with the quarterback and receiver adjusting to the coverage.
"It's more during the route," Garrett said of the improvisation. "How the corner is playing you. The challenge is, the receiver can't just say I want a back-shoulder, he has to try to beat the guy. But if he doesn't beat him, then react to it."
On the flip side, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick doesn't really have a different opinion. Like Crayton, he agrees there isn't much he can do on a perfectly-executed back-shoulder route.
"The reason it's so difficult is because as a corner you're taught to stay outside. And it's behind them," Scandrick said. "They can see the ball and you're trying to stay on top and protect the deep ball."
Then again, when it comes to giving up medium-range routes, as opposed to the bombs, that's something cornerbacks like Scandrick will often concede.
"Sometimes when they catch those, you're not too upset because it's got to be a perfect throw and a perfect catch," Scandrick said. "As a corner and a defense, we'd much rather them throw a back-shoulder fade than a deep ball."
And he's right about that. Because it takes perfect execution, and great instincts between the quarterback and the receiver to recognize the coverage in the middle of the route, it's not the simplest play to run. And it's especially not that easy to do five or six times in one drive.
That is unless you've got a quarterback and group of receivers that can effectively pull it off. And with that, it takes practice - something the Cowboys are definitely doing more of in this training camp.
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Email | Follow nickeatman on Twitter
OXNARD, Calif. - In five weeks of watching the same stuff over and over, you start to notice a few things. At least you're supposed to.
Then again, when the five weeks feels more like three months, you have a tendency to forget as you much as you've seen. Fortunately, this camp is winding down and the real season is almost upon us.
But one thing that has stood out more than a few times this year, even dating back to the OTA and minicamps over the summer, is the use of a certain play or route. Now typically, you probably wouldn't want to write a story about, or even highlight a particular play, that the Cowboys are running more this year and putting more emphasis on.
However, it really doesn't matter.
Because from what I've been told, as long as the offense runs the back-shoulder throw to perfection, there's nothing the defense can do about it.
And this year, the Cowboys have emphasized the back-shoulder throw more in practice and it should be more of a fixture in the games.
"If it's thrown right, they can't stop it," said receiver Patrick Crayton. "If it's ran right and thrown perfect ... it doesn't even have to be a perfect ball. We're catching it and able to spin and keep going."
If you're not familiar with the back-shoulder throw, it's really nothing out of the ordinary. It's when the receiver is running straight ahead and instead of the quarterback leading him down the field with the pass, he actually throws it behind the receiver's back shoulder. It forces the receiver to open up his body and make a tough adjustment on the run. However, if the cornerback is running stride for stride with a receiver, there's no way he'll be able to stop in time to make the play. Even if he does guess right, he'll be out of position to get the ball.
Of course, this isn't a new concept. It's not a new route. In fact, teams have been running it for years, including the Cowboys.
But this year, the offense is simply doing it more. In fact, the Cowboys' first touchdown of the preseason occurred on a back-shoulder fade. Tony Romo's 9-yard scoring strike to Miles Austin last week in San Diego might have been an example of the hard work the team has put in to perfecting the play.
"Well, it's something we've done in the past," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "But we have made it more part of our everyday core work. We throw it over the top. We throw the back-shoulder. We're kind of working on that and understand that it's hard for a guy to play you both ways. If he plays over the top of the route, it gives you a chance to make a play. We have some playmaking-type guys who can do that type of stuff, but I still believe you have to practice it."
The Cowboys run a simple "pat-and-go" drill at the beginning of practice. It's basically the football version of a layup line. There are two rows of players running about 25 yards down the field, catching passes from the quarterback.
This year, the Cowboys have even added the back-shoulder pass to the pat-and-go session.
"We've done it more this year," Tony Romo said of the back-shoulder. "It's been emphasized a little more, for sure."
But, with anything different, you always wonder why. So, why are the Cowboys doing it more this year?
"It's really just a play that if you execute it correctly, it's very difficult to stop," Garrett said. "Hopefully we can get good at it."
However, a lot of comes down to the type of receivers on the roster. If you've got a team full of track stars, then running back-shoulder fades probably won't be the priority. Speed kills, we know that. And teams are always looking for some home-run plays. That will always be the case.
But if you look at this group of Cowboys receivers, the track-speed isn't there. Sure, they've got guys who can and will get deep and behind the secondary. But consistently, this looks more like a group that's fast, but more skilled in route running. In today's game, where the cornerbacks are faster and quicker than ever before, getting separation isn't easy.
And with teams always guarding for the deep ball, these cornerbacks are making sure nothing gets by them.
That's when you drop the back-shoulder.
"Yeah, if you can't get separation, that's when it's a high-percentage throw," Romo said. "If a guy is right on top of the receiver and you can't get it over the top on them, it's a good call for it."
Garrett said the Cowboys will call a back-shoulder pass in the huddle at times. But more than often, the play occurs on the fly with the quarterback and receiver adjusting to the coverage.
"It's more during the route," Garrett said of the improvisation. "How the corner is playing you. The challenge is, the receiver can't just say I want a back-shoulder, he has to try to beat the guy. But if he doesn't beat him, then react to it."
On the flip side, Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick doesn't really have a different opinion. Like Crayton, he agrees there isn't much he can do on a perfectly-executed back-shoulder route.
"The reason it's so difficult is because as a corner you're taught to stay outside. And it's behind them," Scandrick said. "They can see the ball and you're trying to stay on top and protect the deep ball."
Then again, when it comes to giving up medium-range routes, as opposed to the bombs, that's something cornerbacks like Scandrick will often concede.
"Sometimes when they catch those, you're not too upset because it's got to be a perfect throw and a perfect catch," Scandrick said. "As a corner and a defense, we'd much rather them throw a back-shoulder fade than a deep ball."
And he's right about that. Because it takes perfect execution, and great instincts between the quarterback and the receiver to recognize the coverage in the middle of the route, it's not the simplest play to run. And it's especially not that easy to do five or six times in one drive.
That is unless you've got a quarterback and group of receivers that can effectively pull it off. And with that, it takes practice - something the Cowboys are definitely doing more of in this training camp.