Morning After: Preseason - Cowboys 24, Bengals 18

If you can read anything from the preseason (and we all know it is dangerous to think you can), then you attempt to carefully read the one time in the exhibition season where both teams admit they are running out the starters for an elongated amount of time.  And when that "dress rehearsal" week is against a team that has been in the playoffs in 2011 and 2012 and is attempting to accomplish plenty as well, then you like to see the results go your way.

And on Saturday, against the Cincinnati Bengals side that is a strong candidate to represent the AFC again in the postseason, the Cowboys held up pretty well all night, and clearly got the better of the battle of the 1's as Tony Romo and his crew produced and went to halftime with a 14-7 lead.  The #1 offense hit its stride in the 2nd Quarter and while it certainly is not without negatives, they looked very strong as Dez Bryant dominated the Bengals secondary with the ease that confirms the prediction of the entire offseason that has projected Bryant to have his way with just about anyone who dares to line up across from him.

Bryant, entering his 4th season as a pro, has looked the part since about October of 2012 as the unstoppable force that Jerry Jones thought was going to be worth the trouble when he went out of his way to secure him in the 2010 draft.  Amidst the nonsense and warning signs of headaches that waited ahead, was a player that looked to have as much talent as anyone.  However, those stories are everywhere in professional sports.  The rarity is to see someone become what optimistic projections hope for.  But here is Bryant, almost without warning, becoming a top player in all of the NFL and showing signs that if things go right, he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants.

His physical handling of another 1st Round pick, Dre Kirkpatrick on Saturday Night demonstrated another chapter in that developing story.

And that story, puts the Cowboys offensive strategy in an interesting spot.  One in which the mantle of "go-to" guy for Tony Romo will not be Jason Witten anymore.  Witten will certainly catch his share and work near the chains over and over again with his sit-downs in the zones, but the offense should be designed with the idea that nobody will be able to handle Bryant 1-on-1.  If they try, they should be punished, and if they roll coverage over to assist (which will be the norm), then Witten, Miles Austin, and whoever the 4th receiver will be - a 3rd WR or a 2nd TE - will all have advantageous coverage opportunities.

This continues the discussion about personnel groupings and what we have seen in the first month of camp and preseason as it pertains to the initiative from draft day to utilize multiple tight ends as the base offense.  First, I would like to point out that the training camp media talk has nothing to do with the actual play-calling on the 16 Sundays that matter in the fall.  Just because beat writers work "12 personnel is the Cowboys offense" in their stories doesn't mean it is true and it doesn't mean that many of those same writers have any idea what that means.

How much does an offense utilize its base grouping?  If "12" is the base grouping, should we expect it 30% of the time or 80% of the time?  Does anyone know?

Well, here is what we know from what we wrote on the topic back in June.

 It simply sets a baseline for this idea that "12" is going to be the base offense in 2013.  At its high water mark to this point, with a rather large amount of conviction, the most they ever ran "12" personnel was 31% of snaps back in 2011. 

In the end, as long as Jason Garrett is this team's offensive architect - and regardless of who is actually calling the plays, we are led to believe that it still will follow the blueprints that have been installed back in 2007 by Garrett, we should assume that they will always be rotating personnel groupings every snap.    Therefore, how much does the "base offense" play?  33%?  50%?  It is very difficult to conceive it being higher than that.  If it did, why would you spend a premium pick on a 3rd WR if he is not going to play? 

The Cowboys have not run an offense that has had a "base" personnel group since Troy Aikman ran the huddle.  There was a time, when the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls, that they had 2 basic personnel groups - "21" was the base, and then on 3rd Downs, they might roll out "11".  But, the idea was that the team was so good and frankly the game had not evolved too much with specialization, that the team may not substitute from Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston, Jay Novacek, Michael Irvin, and Alvin Harper the entire drive.

But, with Garrett, aside from the 2-minute drill, there are times where he will go an entire game without running the same personnel grouping for 2 plays in a row.  Seriously.  I have seen it a number of times.

So, let's get back to the question at hand:  Have the Cowboys demonstrated any proficiency in "12" in the preseason to make us believe that they are really going down this road as its default offense.  And the more important topic, which is never covered in the media it seems, is whether the Cowboys have made enough progress to actually try to run the traditional, balanced offense that Jason Garrett has said he desires - you know, the one that Norv Turner ran back in the glory days (where Aikman was never in shotgun, the pass set up an easy run, and the run set up an easy pass).  Can they run an offense from "under center"?  Because, if they are in shotgun, most defenses will not alter their personnel or strategy too much from "11" to "12".

Let's remember:  the whole point of changing personnel is to put the defense in a bind.  If you don't make them rethink their strategy, then anything you do is simply spinning your wheels.  But, if you take Terrence Williams off and replace him with Gavin Escobar, you would like to think there is no defender in the league that can cover both well.  If he is quick enough to stick with Williams, then he is not strong enough to handle Escobar (or tall enough) and the other way around should also be true.  However, the real beauty of "12" personnel is making the defense understand that depending on how they defend, the offense will change their plays at the line to capitalize on your shortfall.

And this bind is only properly hit if you can run your offense from under-center.  Under center is where the linebackers and safeties must respect your running game (if you have one) and move up.  This creates more space in the secondary and makes a QB's job easy.  This is why play-action passing is such a vital part of NFL offenses.  But, your Dallas Cowboys ranked 32nd in the NFL (dead last) in their use of play-action passing in 2012.  Why?  Because play-action doesn't work if the running game is non-threatening.  The linebackers snicker and drop into the passing lanes because they know they won't be needed to stop a run - the defensive line has it all by themselves.

So, let's bring this all together.  Is Gavin Escobar proving he was worth all of the trouble?  Not yet.  We have yet to see him put on a show downfield that makes this all click into place.  If he had, we may not ask ourselves tough questions, but so far, he is slow to show his quality.  And unfortunately, he is not a great run blocker.  And that is where the shortfall might put the Cowboys right back in the same place they were trying to avoid.  They want to get their running game going.  But, the offensive line has not progressed much and the negative runs were still all around on Saturday. Geno Atkins was still destroying your guards and putting the Cowboys in spots where they were allowing negative plays to lead to punts.  And Escobar cannot help balance the offense out at this point as he is still be taught how to run block on the fly.  But, more importantly, they cannot get the same 2 guards around Travis Frederick for more than a few moments.

It was Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau.  Then, Ron Leary and Bernadeau.  Then, David Arkin and Bernadeau.  Then, Bernadeau and Doug Free.  And, of course, during this time, Brandon Moore and Brian Waters were being courted to replace all of the above.  Free, by the way, looked an awful lot like Arkin in his debut inside.  When he was uncovered, he could help and get to the 2nd level with strong efficiency.  But, when he was challenged at the snap, he was outmatched.  Honestly, how did anyone think that a guy who has strength issues against 260 lb defensive ends think that he would be an option against 300 lb defensive tackles?  I understand having a plan for emergencies, but Free makes almost no sense at guard for precisely the reasons that he struggles at tackle.  It isn't the feet as much as it is the strength.  And guards have to play low and be strong.  Free is not very good at either.

The Cowboys know they have once again over-estimated their guard situation and now are trying to rally on the fly.  But, let's be realistic.  This is not likely to fall perfectly into place.  Despite improving the center position, it still appears that running the ball is going to be difficult with the guard issues that appear to be multiple.

So, why did they want to go to 12 in the first place?  To balance the offense.  To run the ball.  And to create matchup issues down the field with players who are tough to cover.

But, if they can't balance the offense and run the ball, what is the point?  And who creates better issues, the size of Escobar or the speed of Terrence Williams outside?

My conclusion after watching the 1st half on Saturday is that while things can still develop, it seems pretty clear that on August 26th, their best offense in 2013 is the same one that was their only offense in 2012.    That is putting Tony Romo in shotgun, line up 3 wide receivers and Witten and let Romo go to work.  In other words, not 12 personnel.

It is not ideal by any stretch as defenses will then make the nickel their base defense and challenge the Cowboys to run the ball, but at some point you have to make that choice that coaches discuss constantly and the media never discusses enough:  When a coach puts down his playbook and simply accepts what his offense is capable of and more importantly, not capable of, what plays and personnel groupings does he install to play the Giants in 13 days?

If the offense cannot physically compete in the interior of the offensive line, you have to make logical choices that give you the best chance to win.  Ideally, they want to do a number of things, but there is nothing ideal about demoralizing your team and stadium by running into your guards who are being pushed back into the running lanes because they are not strong enough to hold up.  So, you stop running - which defeats the entire scheme of "12 personnel".  Not to say you won't see it, but if you think that they are rolling this out 40-50% of their snaps, we will disagree strongly.

You have a major personnel advantage - but it is not in "12".  Rather, "11" personnel, as we saw Saturday and in 2012, is still where you have a chance to put up yards, points, and wins.  It is not fundamentally ideal, but it is realistic.

In April-August, you can talk ideal views and hopeful projections.  But, as September approaches, the coaching staff is starting to see what most of us feared all along.  Unless Escobar blows people away as an un-coverable force, then spending a 2nd round pick on a 2nd tight end might seem like a superfluous use of resources when he isn't even part of your best grouping.  And while it is early, Escobar having a chance might be tightly linked to your guards allowing you to run the ball.

It is time to get realistic - so expect this offense to use much more Terrence Williams than Escobar in September.  I know I am.

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Camp Blog: Concerns for Leary's Knee and For Cowboys Depth

Reports in cyberspace over the last 24 hours give us considerable concerns with regards to Ronald Leary's knee issues and by extension, the makeup of the entire offensive line as we look ahead to the season opener on September 8 against the Giants.

Leary was an undrafted free agent after the 2012 draft where the Cowboys invested an extraordinary amount of cash for a player that was passed over again and again in the draft itself.  The Cowboys liked him and decided to live with his medical checks that surely knocked him off of many team's lists - including any pick the Cowboys might spend on Caleb McSurdy.

Leary has been a top performer in Oxnard and has given me tremendous optimism about his level of play - his bad knee pending.  But, as we have said a number of times here and everywhere, the trouble with injury prone players is that they spend a considerable amount of time injured.  And when he leaves the team on August 13 - rather than mid November - we are reminded how far the squad has to go in terms of depth.

This is particularly true on both the offensive and defensive line and it is a stark reminder to many of the    hole that this team is trying to dig out of during the present tense to fix the problems of the past tense.

As I have said for several years, the Cowboys top talent is comparable and competitive with those who are in the playoffs every year.  If you'd like, we can say that 1-10 or even 1-15, the Cowboys roster is very good.  It could be better, but it is more than passable with elite talent on its roster.  But, this league is about the ability to show your resolve and ability over the course of 6 months.  And during that time there are a number of physical challenges that result in attrition and subtraction to your resources.  It happens every year as in 2012 when we saw the Cowboys repeatedly sign street free agents who had to not only jump right onto the game-day roster, but many times right onto the field as a starter or key reserve.

Where the Cowboys run into major issues is when they are asked to matchup the bottom 30 on their roster with the bottom 30 elsewhere in the league.  For it is spots 16-45 on game-day that end up winning and losing many seasons.  And often times, during a year, someone in that group will have to elevate and replace someone who is lost from your elite.  If there is a significant drop-off in performance, you are then up a creek without a paddle.  But, if they can supply an adequate replacement, then you can survive.  That is why teams win in this league.  Nobody avoids attrition altogether.  Not all injury totals or injury victims are created equal, but championship teams are built to sustain a certain amount of damage.

So, a team that has little depth has certain spots where it simply cannot afford a hit.  And on this team, for a long, long time, it has been the interior of both the offensive line and the defensive line in total.  Do they have enough players to fill holes with some amount of excellence to survive and play on?  Or, because of the presence of a fringe NFL player who is elevated to start, is the squad no longer able to protect their QB and run their offense.  Are they no longer able to run the Tampa 2 as it is designed?

Rob Ryan will tell you that in 2012, his defense was never seen.  Rather, it was the defense that he was able to run with guys being plugged in every week as brand new players.  Nobody is here to argue that he did a fantastic job as defensive coordinator last year, but if somebody believes that another coordinator could have done more with Dan Connor, Brady Poppinga, and Ernie Sims playing linebacker and Eric Frampton and Charlie Peprah splitting safety duties in Week 17 at Washington, they are likely delusional.

The best teams in this league - as in the deepest - have reserves that are often draft picks that they are developing for just this moment.  San Francisco last season is a great example as their top 2 picks were not even used until December when injuries hit.  But, when they did, they plugged in AJ Jenkins and LaMichael James for the first time in Week 14.  That, is the complete opposite of signing Brady Poppinga off his couch and playing him that Sunday.

Now, that is an extreme example, but when this team now sees Brian Waters as a savior - a guy who hasn't played since 2011 and who is 36 years and is also on his couch right now, it does serve as a reminder that the roster has been greatly improved, but there is a long ways to go.  Waters, of course, is the savior this time, since Brandon Moore wants to retire instead of start at right guard.  And, Waters was the first choice in 2011 (he opted for New England), when the Cowboys ended up keeping another old guard Derrick Dockery from retirement - although his performance was amazingly forgettable.

These are your choices when Stephen Peterman, Pat McQuistan, Robert Brewster, Sam Young, and David Arkin don't pan out.

It is the treadmill of the NFL.  You make a mistake and you now have to make up for it.  You can sit there and say all teams make mistakes, because they do.  But, that doesn't help when Kevin Kowalski is  joining Phil Costa and Dockery trying to block Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre Paul in Week 17 of 2011.

If you want to know why Tony Romo and the Cowboys get killed for their December records, look no further than spots 16-45 on the roster.  When your ship leaves port at Labor Day each year, it can not resupply during the season.  Every player you lose is either replaced by somebody on board or you are grasping at the couch crews.  By December, you have lost 8 pieces of your group and have to plug them internally with picks and prospects.  But, what if you have a hole in your roster the size of 2008 and 2009?

Then, you are hoping Nate Living and Ron Leary hold up health-wise.  And that says nothing about Jay Ratliff playing and playing well for 16 Sundays.  And what if either Ratliff or Jason Hatcher are lost to injury?  What defensive tackle depth have they built?  So little that veteran free agent Nick Hayden and undrafted free agent Ben Bass look to be right with Sean Lissemore as your best options.  Yikes.  Not a ton of rotation players there.

This is a good team.  But, they remain paper thin in spots.  And although everyone is thin at certain spots, there are fewer spots to be thin at than on the line of scrimmage in both directions.  Which leads us back to the question of, "if you have 4 picks in the Top 80, can you afford to take luxury items like a tight end and another wide receiver?"

I was bothered by it in April, but I think we will all be bothered by it in November when we are seeing that the draft priorities in 2014 will be the same as what they should have been in 2012 and 2013; Getting as many 300 pound quality bodies in here as possible.

It is still quite possible that Leary will be able to stay healthy and give this team plenty of quality for the next bunch of years, but David Arkin is starting on Saturday in Arizona and I am still pretty convinced that he is a fringe roster player and certainly not a starter.  Costa remains undersized and out-powered as well, and Livings seems to have a way to go health-wise.

The Cowboys have been drafting better, I believe, but have been operating at a deficit for years and will need several more Bruce Carter home runs before they are back in the black.  In the meantime, cross your fingers and hold your breath.  It is August and the offensive line looks beat up and patched together already.

That is generally not a great sign.

Hope for the best on those medical updates over the next 3 weeks.

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Oxnard Blog: Brandon Moore Edition

Perhaps in many respects, what we have seen in the last 12 hours is simply how life in the NFL works.

A rookie emerges.  A veteran blows out his knee.  A prospect retires.  A signing changes his mind.  It is a roller coaster of emotions surrounding a series of practice sessions.

For it was around 10pm Central time last night when word started circulating that a deal with Brandon Moore was close for the Cowboys.  Then, within the hour, word broke from a number of reliable sources that, in fact, the deal was done.  They had signed a right guard who had played 11 seasons in the same New York Jets uniform, starting most of those 11 seasons and playing at a very high level with impressive health.

I watched about 200 of his snaps last night to break down his ability from 2012 on this blog and I will tell you that although I would not consider him to be Carl Nicks or Mike Iupati when it comes to All-Pro Guards, he would have easily been the best guard the Cowboys had in their lineup since Leonard Davis in 2007 or so.

Watching Moore play a strong game for a Jets team that was a squad that had no choice but to play a strong and powerful run game made you understand how strength is a real factor in running zone stretch plays, but more importantly, inside runs and pulling guard opportunities.  He was stout and almost never turned back (Vince Wilfork could do it) and when he got on the move - which the Jets featured often - he was a very impressive player who would seek and physically dominate guys around the corner as he opened a path for his running back.

In pass protection, he hardly had anything to criticize.  He was confident and strong and generally not challenged on pass rushes and looked like he had seen everything 1,000 times.  Most likely, because he had.

If you have read my work for a week, you know my feelings about the offensive line.  And therefore you likely realize that I was pretty excited about the prospect of adding a guy like this who almost nobody in the NFL circles have anything bad to say about the guy.  He would have filled out that 3rd interior spot with a level of play that was beyond my expectations since the Cowboys neglected to upgrade their guard situation in the spring when it is best addressed.

Brandon Moore would easily walk from the street to being perhaps the offensive lineman you would rate behind Tyron Smith as the guy you least have to worry about in 2013.  And, he verbally agreed to terms last night and was going to fly in, and medicals pending, sign today.

Well, that changed at sunrise.

Moore decided that he second thoughts and instead has decided to retire.  He had played from his house for 11 years and with his family had settled in nicely.  To change all of that and leave them all to move to Dallas for 1 more year (most likely) was something that he tried to sleep on and couldn't.

He also told Sirius NFL Radio that the time to prepare was critical as well, as he had no desire to show up in August and not play at his normal level.  Had this been in March or April, he could have confidently prepared as he normally does, but now just 1 month from the opener was not enough time for him to feel good about where he would be in Week 1.   He wanted to do this because of his personal regard for Bill Callahan, but between family and preparation time, he had cold feet this morning.

Now, that leaves us with a number of questions that you have presented me with:

1) - If he is so great, why was he available on August 6th?

Well, this is the CBA these days.  Many players make a ton of money.  But, the long-time veterans get to a spot where when their contract expires, they find that multi-level deals are not offered to 33 year old guards who play at a solid level.  1-year deals for the veteran minimum are everywhere, but they are accustomed to long term details at $4m a season, they are not dying to jump across the desk to sign in May.  So, they sit out, waiting for something better.  As July arrives, they start to ponder whether they still want to play if the money is only at that level.  And that is where many vets over 30 sit right now.  If they have managed their money well, each day comes closer to them pondering if they really are that committed anymore.  Obviously, Moore decided that whatever the deal (thought to be around $2m) was not worth his trouble.  And given that he made very solid money for the last decade, you can understand that he didn't feel he had to leave his setup for a 5 month work detail in the NFL trenches.

2) - Were the Cowboys telling us that they are in big trouble on the Offensive Line?

I think that this verifies that the first 2 weeks have not told them good things about their starters from 2012 - Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau.  Both have had poor health summers after mediocre seasons and the combination of the 2 has many wondering if either were going to start on Opening Night.  This, combined with Travis Frederick at center and Ronald Leary at Left Guard playing so well has put the OL in a different spot altogether from where it was 12 months ago. The premise that they were ready to cut Bernadeau if they got Moore done is not a difficult idea to wrap your head around.  David Arkin is not a starter, Phil Costa doesn't appear to be, either.  So, with Livings out the next month, and Bernadeau is what he is, you can see that they could go with Leary-Frederick-Bernadeau if they had to, but who would argue that Leary-Frederick-Moore is a major upgrade from that and anything they have run out in 5 years?

3) - So What Do They Do Now?

Everyone is discussing Brian Waters, but he hasn't played since 2011 and I think the football department is not nearly as interested as the fan-base.  I think they saw Moore as unique opportunity because of his friendship with Callahan and saw that as an easy chance to upgrade with a guy who understood the system.  That doesn't mean that they were panicked and had to make a move and now sign the next guy.  I don't love Bernadeau starting for me, but I do think he can be ok there for now and the real idea is to get Leary and Frederick to prove their merits to see if they are truly as good as they look at this moment in time.

Either way, I feel better about the line.  But, for about 10 hours, I felt great about the upgrades when it looked like Moore was in the fold.  Now, we must return to the reality that they have plenty of work to do and plenty of "ifs" that they are going to try to prove as realities.

As teams across the NFL find out every day, there is no telling what the next 24 hours might have in store for a team preparing for a season.

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The Morning After: HOF Game - Dallas 24, Miami 20

I am always up for over-analyzing something that might not require over-analyzing, but I will attempt to slow my roll given that it is a preseason game that preceded all other preseason games by a full week.

In other words, it is really early, folks.

However, entering training camp, there are 2 departments on this team that needed to prove that they were better than they have been in the recent past.  Safeties and offensive line.  Player availability and opposition efforts preclude us from reading too much into the safety play - other than JJ Wilcox is an impressive physical presence and that Matt Johnson remains a durability concern (to say the very, very least).  Other than that, I think we must wait a week or two before we talk much on the safeties based on preseason game work.  However, you can already see that they need plenty of work getting the proper depth so they don't play too shallow and risk plays over the top, but also not too deep leaving very easy 20 yard gains on digs that are beyond the linebackers and in a huge gulf short of the too deep, 2 deep safeties.

But, offensive line?  Well, that is where I spent most of my Sunday night and Monday morning on analyzing a few spots in particular.

First, some brief background - because if you need more than brief, I would encourage you to read the archives of this blog as I have spent somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 words documenting the issues of the offense in general and the offensive line in specific on why this unit on the team controls pretty much everything (regardless of what the NFL Network or ESPN try to put on the Quarterback).

In 2010, the offensive line was very poor and needed a change in many regards if they were ever going to run the football effectively.  They did change, and for a while, we were left to believe that undersized kids like Phil Costa and Bill Nagy, and retreads like Montrae Holland and Tony Fiammetta made all of the difference in the world in 2011.  However, by the end, they were exposed by the Giants (among others) and they knew that to get better in 2012, it would have to start with the OL.  But, in 2012, the "upgrades" were actually discards from other teams looking to get their own upgrades (Bengals and Panthers) and before long we saw that change doesn't always mean improvement.  For most of 2012, they couldn't run a normal, balanced offense.  It was actually worse than 2011 in many respects,  and 2011 was at times, worse than 2010.  They had 3 drastically different OL ideas in 3 consecutive seasons, but for the most part, they were limited by the negative play of the OL all 3 seasons.  Change never helped.

So, there you have a brief history of the achilles heel of Jason Garrett, Tony Romo, and pretty much the entire Cowboys offense since they last played in the post-season.

And that brings us to preseason 2013.

If you are not familiar with my training camp policies, it is basically to not read too much into practices in Oxnard for decision making.  I know many of my media colleagues disagree with this (based on the daily updates on who is winning the starting job at guard based on a Tuesday practice) but I like to treat practices and walk throughs like someone studying for their tests in college.  It is great that you studied well, son, but we are only interested if you can answer the test questions when we give you the test.  Playing at practice speed should prepare you for game speed, but practicing against other Cowboys doesn't help me very much.  I like to see them trying to deal with what another team is running out there and against players that don't know all of your tricks (or you, theirs) and therefore it seems like a more fair fight and something that should actually matter.

With that in mind, Sunday night in Canton was our first look at the 3 interior spots which to varying levels, all seem like open spots in the starting lineup and on the roster.

Here is what I saw:

RONALD LEARY - Let's start with the exciting news.  Consistent with those practice reports, we are seeing Leary look like a guy who is ready to contribute in this league at a reasonably high level.  And by that, it is fair to see him in the mix as a starter at left guard - especially if these whispers of Nate Livings knee issues are correct.  In many regards, he is very similar to Livings, which means he is strong at the point of attack, and big enough that you aren't going to go past him in pass rushing very often.  Unlike Livings, Leary actually looks comfortable on the move and getting to the 2nd level to dig guys out and they certainly enjoy pulling him on some "G Power" plays to the right.  He played a ton and I saw almost nothing that bothered me at all about his performance.  He looks way better than he did technique-wise in 2012.  Long ways to go, but they have to be very happy about what he has shown so far.

TRAVIS FREDERICK - They played him for most of the 1st half at center and then most of the 2nd half at guard.  I thought his center play was terrific, where he is basically directing traffic well and then handling his own business with ease.  He is just a really strong center (especially when compared with the Cowboys other option at center, Phil Costa) who seems to know where he is going and what he is doing already - a skill not to be overlooked for a rookie.  When they moved him to guard, he struggled a bit more and at times looked so/so.  It appears he is of average strength for a guard.  I can see that they are hoping that he could be the solution at right guard, but I think that might weaken them at both center and right guard.  Play him at his best position and figure the rest out around him, in my opinion.  Of course, his true test at center is going to be shotgun offense with live ammo and Romo changing a play, but so far, so good.

DAVID ARKIN - This is Arkin's 3rd year and he is still hoping to take his first NFL snap, but it does appear that he is noticeably better.  However, the projections that say he is ready to play 70 snaps in a game seem absurd to me, as he again really struggles when a DL threat is lined up on his head.  When uncovered, he has great feet and mobility, but when he is challenged off the snap, his strength issues come to the front quite quickly.  On those zone stretch plays, if you have a lineman who cannot hold his line, he can get pushed back into the path of the RB which leads to a tackle for loss most times.  Arkin is guilty of this a few times against the Dolphins and it wasn't like Miami had their 1s out against him very much.  I think he might be a reserve option, but this starting idea is not close for me.  Let's see his work for a few more weeks.

PHIL COSTA - Like Arkin, the issue with Costa has always been strength for me.  In 2011, he was comically over-matched against the premium nose tackles and interior men in the league and then missed 2012 almost entirely with back issues which never seem to be the recipe for getting stronger.  He replaced Frederick late in the 2nd Quarter at center and played the rest of the way and was fine in most situations, but there were about 3 different times where he was fork lifted backwards beyond the rest of the line which seems to indicate that he is still getting pushed around at the point of attack.  This can be hid a bit better than Arkin because if Costa is at center, then you have 2 strong guards protecting him, but I still don't like the idea of him at center with Frederick available.  And Arkin or Costa at guard is just not idea with your intentions to establish run and play-action passing in 2013.

Beyond that, they were surrounded by tackles that really are not candidates to make the team for most of the night, but the running game did well and there was very little inside pass protecting issues.

Overall, just seeing Leary and Frederick out there shows you that they have way better options than they have had from the youth ranks, and assuming that Livings and Bernadeau will be able to compete soon make you think that they are going to have a chance to be better.

There are 4 more preseason games to continue to work these guys and health issues can emerge at any moment, but I left the Hall of Fame Game night with some better feelings about this pivotal position on the roster that will really affect the potential of the 2013 Cowboys.

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Oxnard Blog: Competition Spots On Offensive Line

As we speed towards the first preseason contest of 2013, you are hearing every day about guys like David Arkin and Ron Leary pushing through and having a legitimate shot at a starting spot along the offensive line.

Forgive me, but I won't take any of these reports seriously for another several weeks.  And perhaps, even then.

We all need to remember a few things about the first few weeks of camp.  1) there isn't much along the lines of real news - meaning, with a multitude of reporters and a daily opportunity to talk with the coach at his press briefing, everything you hear will not constitute an actual story.  Rather, what the media either perceives to be a potential story or in most cases, nothing at all.

And more importantly, 2) Late July and August is a time to take it very slow with veterans.  This allows younger players a chance to "run with the 1s" and that allows for them to be noticed.  If they do well, then people project their ideas in the media of how this could materialize.  But, coaches don't always feel this way.  They just know they have practices to run while Jay Ratliff is getting healthy and need bodies to make practice even possible.  But, lining up for a team practice on a Tuesday in July and lining up against the Giants on September 8th is a completely different animal.

Training camp is often for experimenting with options and possibilities, but most of what you read is not real.  Most of what you read is true only in the sense that we need "22 starters" in this practice and as of July 30, this is our 22.  That does not have any bearing on September 8th.  When push comes to shove, and when the games truly matter, then and only then will you see the spots which are actually open to competition.

So, is David Arkin a real possibility to even make the roster? - something which would be a great accomplishment for a guy still hoping to play his 1st snap in the NFL in what would be his 3rd season.  Maybe.  But, I don't buy for one second that he is actually in the mix to start. Remember, this is the guy who the Cowboys were routinely scratching last season when Derrick Dockery was playing, despite having almost nothing left.  Then, Nate Livings did a very solid job at left guard in 2012 and I see him as an easy starter in Week 1 if all things are equal health-wise.  He had his moments, but overall, Livings is the least of their issues on the offensive line.  Could he be upgraded?  Sure.  Could he be upgraded by anything on their roster?  I don't see it in 2013.

Now, right guard is another story.  I have no issues at all with figuring out an alternative to Mackenzy Bernadeau there, and that is where one might project some solution from Ronald Leary (who I want to see in preseason action prove that he has developed mentally to the NFL game), Phil Costa, or Arkin.   Bernadeau is nothing special from what 2012 taught us, and represents a spot where the Cowboys need better along the offensive line.  So, as you are watching the preseason, key in that Livings is likely a starter if his body is holding up and that they need to figure out who the best of the rest of that group is to handle the other guard spot.  The outside chance that Travis Frederick plays guard and Costa handles center is still on the board, but it sure seems that Frederick is already taking to the center responsibilities which will use his mental upside to make line calls and to make sure the Cowboys are picking up their blitzes properly.

Looking back at 2012, there is no question that in pass protection the achilles heel came from 2 spots that both could be pointed back to the mental aspect of line play.  They were blitz pickup and stunt pickups.  In particular, when teams decided to run stunts and games at the Cowboys, the offensive line could just not make sure that each player was switching in an easy and timely fashion.  We saw this again and again and with players developing better continuity this can go away.  But, this is the time of year to solve that issue and that is why you want everyone available.

But, where we should really focus - hamstring willing - is the battle at right tackle.  Here, the frustrating Doug Free and Jermey Parnell should be locked in a real tussle to determine who will join Tyron Smith as bookends for the Cowboys line.  Trouble is, we are still waiting for Parnell to be available due to his hamstring and this is not helping his chances.

Last December, Parnell was allowed to basically rotate at right tackle with Free after the incumbent had a disastrous night against the Eagles in which he surrendered 2 sacks to Brandon Graham and 2 penalties for good measure.  This was one of his worst performances in a season that had several games Free would like to forget - Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Chicago come quickly to mind as well.

He committed 17 penalties, which led the NFL at his position, and also conceded 6 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 41 QB hurries.  It was clear that he lost confidence and when a tackle loses confidence, he then becomes reactive rather than proactive.  Free also lacks some of the top level strength which you would prefer, and was never able to drop his anchor against stronger pass rushers and would get into trouble there.

And that is why Parnell is so interesting.  Parnell only played 267 snaps last year (compared with Free over 1,000), but when he played he demonstrated superior strength and had very few issues.  He first was thrust into action when Smith was hurt in the Cleveland game and was inserted into a game where the Cowboys OL was already under siege.  That game was not his best work, but as he got acclimated, he became a real candidate to overtake Free.

In the final 4 games, they rotated the right tackle spot where Parnell was given the 2nd and 4th possessions in each half of those games.  They stuck to the recipe, save for late in games where they altered the plan one time and left Free in there.  Honestly, Parnell did very well, but Free also picked up his game quite a bit. It makes you wonder about rotations - something defensive lines always do, but offensive lines never do.  The freshness late in the game always is given as a distinct advantage for the defense, so why wouldn't the offense try to counter it with the same tactic?  Maybe this is a development for the sport in the next decade.

In watching all of Parnell's snaps recently, I felt very optimistic about his 2013 prospects.  The Cowboys made a very wise signing of Parnell in 2012 for 3 years for $4 million and have him at a wonderful salary.  This also put them in a fine leverage position with Doug Free and now you can better understand how they were so relaxed with the issue last spring.  They liked Parnell to start at right tackle over Free, but that would require Parnell showing up healthy and ready in Oxnard, something they are still waiting for.

When they are both healthy, it seems that this is a very close battle.  Parnell is so big and strong that getting around his edge is very difficult.  He is also quite strong in run blocking as long as the player he is assigned to is close to him.  Where Parnell gets into trouble is when he needs to get to he 2nd level and get his mitts on a smaller, quicker player.  There, he resembles Frankenstein a bit, and this is a department where Free has a distinct advantage.  But, for me, that is not enough to compensate for pass protection and Parnell's ability to stay out of penalty troubles.

But, you cannot have a competition without 2 players showing up for it, and that leads us back to the Parnell hamstring.  He is supposedly a week away, and we will see about that.  But, if you want thoughts on the opening day offensive line, it is Smith-Livings-Frederick and then, the battle at right guard and Free, until Parnell proves he has taken the spot.

But, as far as I can tell from 2012 tape, Parnell is the better right tackle.  He simply has to show it.

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Xs and Os - Breaking Down The TFLs

Until further notice, the Cowboys main concern for their offense is to solve their issue in running the ball out of base-offense situations.  That means, with a QB under center, can they run the ball on 1st and 10 and 2nd and 5-9 to a point where they are not "falling behind the chains" as the coach likes to say.

It is vital to figure this issue out, and since so many of you seemed to enjoy the Tampa Bay report for the running plays that were destroyed, I thought I would continue to try to identify what is going wrong.

The Cowboys feel like they have an elite RB, and frankly, I agree with them based on what we saw in 2011 and even opening night of 2012.  However, DeMarco Murray is not having any success in these last 3 weeks, and finally the inevitable is starting to happen - it is affecting his performance in that he is not the same confident running back who knew where to run and how quickly to make his decisions.  In other words, he is now becoming part of the problem on some plays.

Offensive line coach Bill Callahan has stated repeatedly that he is looking to eliminate the "TFL's" or the tackles for loss.  They are willing to live with anything that gains even a little.  They just have to stop having running plays that result in 0 yards or less.  Those are not only drive-killers, but now, because of the high volume of such plays, they are morale-killers.  From Murray to Tony Romo to the offensive line, you can tell frustration is beginning to boil over.  Negative runs are absolutely zapping this team of any momentum and good vibes.

This situation must be sorted immediately, and their next test in Baltimore is where they want it to start.

Last week, we looked at 7 runs against Tampa and attempted to review each of them and find out who "busted" on the play to see if we can see trends or players who are dragging down the group.  The larger our sample size grows, the more we will be able to see who is not part of the solution.

Sadly, we have 6 more runs to digest one week later - after Dallas had talked the talk all week before playing the Bears, they were unable to do any better on game day.  Because of the 5 interceptions, this isn't getting a whole lot of coverage, but let's look at these anyway.

I have heard all sorts of theories of what they might try next.  I have heard that they are possibly considering eliminating most, if not all, fullback groupings as the Larwence Vickers era is not going that well.  I have heard they might consider just not running the ball at all, and the idea of staying in a shotgun offense at all times.  But, that causes even more issues, including the elimination of your fine, young runner, Murray.

The truth is that if they wish to salvage 2012, they need to run well.  Let's take a look at the 6 TFL's from last Monday night.


 RUN #1

This first run is likely the ugliest of them all, so at least they got it out of the way on their 4th play from scrimmage.  This follows up 2 runs for 14 yards to start the game, so this is right when they are starting to wonder if they have things a bit more figured out this week.

The play is all based on a combo block on the inside tackle that shades over the center.  The combo block will be Nate Livings and Ryan Cook on big 92-Stephen Paea.  Then from there, Cook is supposed to get the MLB 54-Urlacher, while the FB is needing to find the WLB, 55-Briggs.  This assumes that the RG Bernadeau is on the 3-technique 91-Okoye, and the RT Free has 71-Idonije.

This all goes to Hades in a hand-basket as the Bears are running an inside slant to their right.  As you can see in the picture above, Idonije and Okoye are lined up to the outside shoulder of the tackle and guard, but at the snap they head to the inside shoulder gap.

This causes all manner of chaos, and both Bernadeau and Free lose their blocks horribly.  In fact, as you see below, Murray doesn't even have the ball from Romo and both 91 and 71 have completely lost their blocks are are home free.  The FB Vickers is supposed to be finding 55-Briggs, but he quickly sees that he has more pressing matters as two giant defensive lineman are getting ready to ruin his moment.

To their credit, both Bernadeau and Free recovered to push both of their men past the ball path of the ball and kept Murray from being crushed initially.  However, Vickers finding Briggs doesn't happen either as the path of Free and Bernadeau with their men easily throw Vickers off his path.

Also, please look above at the double team block we discussed at the start of this.  It is Cook and Livings on 92-Paea.  The play is for Cook to get the block and then to release to go get a piece of 54-Urlacher.  Occasionally, depending on leverage, Livings would be the guy to release, but this time it is surely Cook.  However, you see that Paea is not letting Cook release by extending his left arm and possibly even holding Cook.  That is what any double-teamed lineman wants to do; to occupy both players and let his linebacker run free.  If Cook doesn't get Urlacher, nobody will.

So, below, if Vickers is supposed to get to Briggs and Cook is supposed to get to Urlacher, it is easy to identify that neither of those assignments were kept, and Murray is cooked for a 3-yard loss.

BUSTS:  On Run #1, you could identify as many as 4 of the blockers.  Free and Bernadeau losing so quickly did not doom the play, but it certainly didn't help.  Vickers missed his guy and Cook never came close to Urlacher.  If you wish to look at plays where nobody won, thus giving Murray no chance, this is a good example of that.


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RUN #2

Now, 4 plays later, the Cowboys go back to a similar play.  Although, despite the formation looking like Run #1, this play is designed to be a stretch play to the right (side opposite the double tight-ends).

This looks to be a good example of your running back losing faith in your blockers.  When this happens, he doesn't trust or run what's blocked, but rather he is looking for an early cut-back lane that is just not there.

Check below, as you imagine his path wide to the right.  Vickers, his fullback, is right in front of him with nobody to block, where Witten (who came over in motion) as well as Free have done their job.  Bernadeau, again, is less than impressive and you can see that Murray is getting a bit spooked by 69-Melton who is getting some penetration.  But, because this is a stretch run, they are looking to simply out-number the Bears to the flank and then the rest is on Murray.

I have looked at this play several times and I am convinced if Murray goes for the Corner, he gets there and perhaps has a big gain.

Here, below, is the view from the end zone camera, and you can see Urlacher waiting on Murray to cut back.  He does, and Urlacher welcomes him into his outstretched arms for a 1-yard loss.  

Beyond, Urlacher sitting in the cutback lane, it honestly seems like everyone is accounted for if he just stays on the path.  

BUSTS:  Everyone certainly acknowledges that the cutback is a huge part of the zone blocking offense.  But, there are rare occasions where the initial path of the blocks open up an alley to the flank and no cut-back is needed.  I put this on Murray, while understanding what is going on in his head, he still has to try to forget all of the blocking problems and keep running the play that he is asked to run.  If he goes off on his own very often, this thing is really in trouble.

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RUN #3

2nd drive, 2nd snap.  It is the old, FB lead, run/pass option that we see multiple times every week.

Let's review responsibilities again for the FB and the Center.  The DT that shades the center must be doubled by Cook and Livings, and then Cook must get to Urlacher.  Just like in Run #1, this is the only way this play can work or Urlacher is running free.

Meanwhile, Briggs is again the responsibility of Vickers.  If both get their man, then this play has gone for a touchdown in the past, because Murray versus a safety is a dream scenario for the Cowboys.

In the frame below, we see Romo still selling his pass fake, keeping everyone at home.  The C-LG have their combo-block on Paea, and Cook is getting ready to go the 2nd level.  Bernadeau vs Melton is an issue again, but Vickers reads the hole based on how that is going and picks the RG/RT hole for his path to find Briggs and for Murray to follow.

And below, in the moment of truth, we see Cook does not get to Urlacher.  I don't mean to make that sound easy, because Urlacher is a player of great regard and certainly studies film long enough to know who is coming to get him and where the play is headed, etc.  But, nevertheless, Cook doesn't come close to cutting off the MLB and Lawrence Vickers arrives at the line of scrimmage staring at #54 and #55.  He can only block one of them, and the other linebacker is going to have Murray in a real bind.

He decides to take his assignment, Briggs, which leaves Urlacher to clean up the play and wait for Julius Peppers to arrive and put the Cowboys in another 2nd and 10.

BUSTS:  This one is on Ryan Cook.  Nobody said combo-blocks are easy, but, the play depends on you cutting off the MLB.  If you don't even make contact with him, then the play is doomed.

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RUN #4

I will give the Cowboys this much:  they are not giving up on calling plays that are giving them problems.  They realize with 12 games to go, the only way to fix this is to fix this.

Here is another FB lead with the fake end around to hopefully distract a player or two on defense.

On this particular TFL, I think the bust is going to be a bit more difficult to assign.  It appears that we have another combo block with Bernadeau and Cook on the big, strong Paea, but since Bernadeau runs right past Paea to appear to block Urlacher, I am guessing here.

But, if Bernadeau wasn't trying to get a piece of Paea, then this is a real bad concept from your coaches.  Your center is not strong enough to win a 1-on-1 with a guy who benched 225 48 times at the rookie combine 2 years ago.  If he was, and if Vickers could win a head on collision with SLB Nick Roach, then this could have been a big play.

Unfortunately, that is not the case.  As you see below, Vickers and Cook are losing, and Roach and Paea are pinching the hole on Murray and eventually closing it right off for a loss of 1 yard.  Look how nicely the rest of the play has been blocked.

BUSTS:  Again, I am assuming everyone did their job - that Bernadeau was not supposed to help Cook.  Under that assumption, the busts go to Cook (again) and Vickers for both losing their blocks so badly that Murray's path was destroyed.

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RUN #5

Here is a shotgun run that went for a TFL.  This one surely lives in the nightmares of the coaching staff.

This will be a quick pitch left with the outside flanker (85-Ogletree), Witten, and Tyron Smith all setting the left edge and trapping everyone inside but the corner.  The corner will be following Ogletree inside and if he is not paying attention, Murray will run right past him.

And look below!  It worked perfectly.  Ogletree is getting the safety 47-Conte, while the corner is completely out to lunch.

Tyron Smith, Jason Witten, and Nate Livings have all got their seals.  Ryan Cook is free on Urlacher.

Everything is been sprung perfectly.  This could be a huge run....

Until Murray fumbles the pitch.  And the whole play crumbles into a 4 yard loss.  Not sure it goes all the way, but it sure has a chance when no Bears are unblocked and Murray has everything from the numbers out with which to work with.

BUSTS:  Again, as we make excuses for a running back who has had no chance this year, we see how his eyes could have become pretty big with excitement as the ball is headed his way.  This is on Murray and this might be the way football is going right now.  Even when you run the play right, something bad happens.

It should be noted that the very next play - now 3rd and 9 - was the pick 6 to Tillman.  These are problems that create bigger problems.

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RUN #6

Finally, the naked pitch where all the blocking is going right and you send a naked to the left.  This is either a great change-up idea or a full fledged desperation call, depending on the perspective of the observer.

What you are hoping for is that the SAM LB, 53-Roach, will follow the play and get sucked inside.  Of course, the Bears are such a strong defense that they don't need guys "eating the cheese" and anticipating plays.  Rather, they are great at staying home and doing their job.

Roach's job on this play is to have outside contain and spill everything back inside.  Meanwhile, since this is a naked pitch, Murray is on his own to get outside the contain man in a simple foot-race.

As you can see below, Roach never let's that happen.  What a fantastic job by a LB who never gets mentioned with Briggs and Urlacher in his position group, but he showed in this game that he is no weak link.  In the picture above and below, you see Miles Austin who had position to block Roach, but then seemed to know that he was supposed to go get the safety.

This is where we should discuss the concept of "1st threat".  This usually applies to a full back or lineman, but in this case it is Austin who has an assignment, but now that the play is being run you see that your assignment is not going to destroy the play like the threat that is in your path.

They expected Roach to run himself out of the play, but he didn't.  When that happens, if Miles can at least throw a shoulder into that guy, maybe it gives Murray a chance, but when Austin runs past him and down field to get his responsibility, he ignored the "1st threat" and the play lost 2 yards as Roach devoured Murray.

BUSTS:  More than anything, the bust was that Roach didn't buy what you were selling him.  But, you can see how Austin might have helped this play get positive yardage.

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Overall, another humbling run experience day.  6 TFLs and again by the 2nd half they just stopped trying to do this and decided to go Shotgun the rest of the way with "11" personnel.

The role of the FB and the 2nd Tight End appears to be in jeopardy.  Also, interior spots seem to be up for grabs as Cook did not nail down center nor has Bernadeau solidified Right Guard.  If the team wants to try Costa and Dockery or something similar to that idea soon, it would be difficult to argue changing things up.

Baltimore is not what they once were, but it is hard to imagine getting your running game healthy in that spot on Sunday at noon.

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X's and O's Breakdown: Who Busted Sunday?

This week, on the Xs and Os breakdown in the film room, I have decided to get to the bottom of the demoralizing moments that happened over and over again on Sunday - the negative plays.

And, I had to narrow that down, since there were so many negative plays in the game. In fact, if you can believe this number, 31 of the 63 offensive plays resulted in 1 yard or LESS. That is shockingly and amazingly pitiful.

However, I didn't want to look at 31 plays, so I boiled it down to just focus on what was going on with the running game. Yes, there were 4 sacks, and that is a major concern, but I wanted to know why 1st and 10 was quickly becoming 2nd and 12 so often on simple, high-percentage run plays. So, these are the 7 - yes, 7 - negative runs that were from under center to DeMarco Murray that resulted in a loss of yardage. These 7 runs went for a total of negative 13 yards.

 We will identify the play and then try to see from looking from the end zone angle who got beat on the play. It will appear quickly that there is plenty of blame to go around. This can happen once or twice a game, but to see it 7 times (with 6 before halftime) tells us that the chemistry and continuity is just not there right now in 2012.

 Let's begin:

 RUN #1

1Q - 8:58 - 1/10/28 - 21 Personnel

This first play has been the bread and butter of the Cowboys running game for years.  It is an inside zone, FB lead run/pass option that has worked as a pass for a TD in Houston in 2010 and a 91-yard TD run versus St Louis in 2011 for DeMarco Murray.  The Cowboys run this play over and over again - especially against 4-3 defenses where they get a double team block (Center and LG, who is #76 Dockery here) on the DT who is shading over the center, and then Ryan Cook must then release to get the WLB #54 David while #47 Vickers the FB will get MLB #59 Foster.

You will see rather quickly below that the play blows up for 2 major reasons.

1) -  RG Bernadeau loses his block on 93-Gerald McCoy pretty badly and pretty quickly and collapses the middle.  Dockery gets 90-Roy Miller, but the chaos from McCoy is causing Miller to wiggle free.

2) - C Cook runs past 54 as you can see below.

When Cook leaves him untouched, Dockery tries to clean up that mess, causing 90 to run free.  Now, Murray has to bounce it outside, but the play has totally collapsed.

BUSTS:  Cook and Bernadeau both affected this play, and when both the C and RG struggle on an inside run, the play is going for a 3 yard loss.

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RUN #2

1Q - 6:08 - 2/12/37 - 12 Personnel

This 2nd play is another favorite of the Cowboys, the outside zone stretch.  What you want here is for everyone blocking to get their left gap, and for Murray to decide between a cutback lane or just taking the play all the way to the left sideline if the blocks are sustained but the defense keeps its gap integrity.

The play breaks down when Adrian Clayborn gets outside of his blocker, Tyron Smith.  Basically, on the outside zone stretch, once that happens, then the runner cannot proceed down his path and must cut back - but usually there is no lane with which to cutback and the play is dead.

As you will see below, with Michael Bennett closing down and unblocked from the backside, Murray is in big trouble once Tyron loses to Clayborn.

BUSTS: Tyron Smith - otherwise, this play may find some space out on the edge.

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RUN #3

1Q - 3:23 - 1/10/23 - 12 Personnel

Here is yet another run from the 1st Quarter that went nowhere fast.  Here is essentially the same play, but from the opposite side.  With the arrows above, I attempted to show you each man's assignment to make this work, but you cannot see Witten's man who is off the screen, but once again it is #54-David, the rookie from Nebraska.  Bernadeau is going to get the DE 71-Bennett and Cook is going to try to get 93-McCoy.

Below, it is a bit blurry, but Bennett jacks up Bernadeau so quickly at the snap that big Mac is almost knocked on his back.  Anytime you see a Right Guard with his arms flailing in the air on a running play, something has gone horribly wrong.





Now, you run into another problem, not that the play isn't already doomed with Bennett running down Murray without anyone left to slow him down.  You also have Witten being driven back into the running lane by the LB-David.

In the picture below, you can see Bennett about to destroy Murray, with Witten prohibiting Murray from bouncing to the outside because that path is now closed off by David's win over the Cowboys TE.

This, again, is a clear example of how looking at Running Back stats and judging his work is about as foolish an exercise as their is in football.  Murray is trying to run plays where blockers are being tossed aside and players are getting to the RB completely unimpeded.

BUSTS:  Bernadeau busted badly, Witten busted less, but still affected the play negatively.

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RUN #4

 2Q - 11:54 - 1/10/11 - 12 Personnel

This 4th run is a bit more tricky, but I think we have this figured out now.

This play is just another of the countless outside zone stretch runs, but it comes with a wrinkle that is designed to hold the opposite defensive end.  The wrinkle is the fake end around to Dez Bryant.  He is the ghost on the play and the design is to make the DE (71-Bennett) have to "stay home" rather than crashing down on Murray from behind.  One false step is all that it takes to take Bennett out of the play, but the Cowboys did not come close to fooling Tampa on this play.

When looking at the play several times, I think we have to blame Tony Romo and Dez Bryant on this one.  Without being in the coaching room, we will not know which one is truly to blame, but the reason this didn't work is that the motion did not happen early enough to have a chance to work.

Above, notice how Bennett doesn't fall for the motion fake because he doesn't even see it.  Timing is so important on a concept like this because if Dez doesn't arrive in the peripheral vision of Bennett.  In other words, if Bennett never sees your fake, then he can't fall for it.  And if the fake doesn't get there in time, did Romo not wait on his snap count for the motion to arrive or did Dez take too long in going in motion?

Again, above, you see that the OL has everyone blocked, but the design is not for the backside DE to have a man on him.  They are trying to get him with the motion and you can see he is crashing down hard on Bennett and not even considering the end around fake.



And finally, Murray has no place to cut back and Bennett has the play destroyed.

BUSTS:  Most likely, this is on Tony Romo for not orchestrating the motion properly.

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RUN #5

2Q - 6:16 - 1/10/24 - 12 Personnel

As you can see, all 7 of these plays are from under center, and 6 of the 7 happen with multiple tight ends.  And, the concepts of the zone blocking plays are repeated often enough that if you are Tampa Bay, you certainly are starting to anticipate what the plan here is.

That is why this play is one in which Ryan Cook is the one that we will point at here, but we also concede that this might be as much on the coaching staff as it is on Cook himself.

In a perfect scenario, Cook would get the DT Roy Miller who is right on top of him, and Nate Livings would try to reach Mason Foster the MLB.  But, they are actually at the mercy of Miller and read his actions off the snap.  When Miller shoots across the face of Livings, then Cook has to figure out how to get around those two, and beat Foster to the edge.  It is 2 on 2, and somehow, they have to get the DT and the MLB.  And this is the worst possible match-up.

Mason Foster is not the fastest linebacker on the planet - not even close.  His 4.75 40 time at the combine did not turn too many heads.  However, Ryan Cook ran one of the slowest recorded times at the combine with a 5.47.  This is a footrace to the edge, and Cook is not going to get there.

Below, you see the choice Cook has.  Reach out and hold or Murray gets clocked by a LB who is untouched.



Look at the running lane for Murray if they can get to Foster.  This might be a touchdown if Murray can make Foster miss.

BUSTS:  This is technically on Cook, but asking him to win a footrace with Foster is just a poor idea.  I imagine this is a case of Tampa sitting on this play since the Cowboys keep running it and figuring out how to scheme the play so that the Cowboys cannot block Foster.  I might haul off and say the coaching staff lost the chess match on this play.

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RUN #6

2Q - 4:18 - 1/10/12 - 22 Personnel

22 Personnel is on right here, and the Cowboys are looking for points.  The beauty of "22" is that your lone WR, if a dangerous player like Dez, will attract 2 DBs and therefore, the double coverage should leave the defense out-numbered in the box.  There should be room to run.

On this play, it looks like Vickers, the lead-blocking FB, is trying to consider his options and is quickly shown that outside of RT Doug Free is just not going to happen as Free loses and is pushed right back by Michael Bennett again.

So, Vickers heads back inside, where he runs Murray is about to find even more resistance because Nate Livings is losing badly to 90-Roy Miller.

This is all supposed to happen quickly, but the Cowboys cannot get this play going at all.  By the time the two backs re-route from RT to "up the middle", Livings has been discarded by Miller and the play is completely swallowed up.

By the end of this play, Murray had 10 carries for 11 yards, which included a TD run of 11 yards.  There was plenty of head-shaking on the way back to the huddle as frustration had set in.

BUSTS:  Doug Free, Nate Livings both were defeated.

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RUN #7

4Q - 9:57 - 1/10/48 - 12 Personnel

The Cowboys pretty much stopped trying to run the ball until the 4th Quarter, where they tried again on a 1st Down to run a simply inside run out of 12 personnel.

Keep in mind, this is at a moment in the game where the Bucs are just overwhelming the Cowboys front with the pass rushes, as the Cowboys have been sacked 4 times in the game and most of them had just happened.

McCoy, Miller, Clayborn, and Bennett have flat-out worn down the Cowboys OL to a point where nothing is working out very well and Romo looks like he is one more hit from being knocked out of the game.

So, here, the Bucs are just running stunts and games and having a grand time.  And the Cowboys ran a play right into the teeth of a stunt.

Above, you can see that Miller goes to the "B gap" between Livings and Smith, and Foster will attack the opposite "A gap" between Cook and Bernadeau.  This leaves a giant hole where Lavonte David will dive in and meet a running back without a lead blocker right in the hole.

As you can see, Tyron sees what is happening, but again, this is not a speed match-up that the Cowboys can win.  He is close enough to witness David sprinting into the hole and charging down Murray at the point of the handoff.



David trips Murray up and another demoralizing running play is destroyed.

BUSTS:  Honestly, this is just running a play into a buzz-saw.  Nobody lost their battle, Tampa just had a perfect stunt on that was going to make any middle run quite a task.  Perhaps, we must look to the Tampa play-calling on defense as the big winner here against an offense that has no confidence whatsoever.

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In the end, after looking at these 7 plays, I think we named everyone at least once.  Bill Callahan talked at length about all of the issues they have and they are focusing on working things out.  But, we are starting to see that the overall quality of the line is not very good and it seems like quite a chore for everyone to hold together on the same play.  In particular, the interior continues to be over-matched on running plays, and the tackles are no great security on passing plays.  We could have looked at the sacks (I did) and assign blame on those as well.  Pretty much everyone was over-run by the Tampa pass rush.

The most disconcerting element of all of this is the lack of regard that the league has for the Buccaneers front.  Either the Cowboys made them all look fantastic or they are better than the league is crediting them for.

Either way, this will have to improve quickly.

What do you think?  Leave your thoughts below.

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