Post by ccboy on Nov 22, 2009 2:24:54 GMT -7
Dallas Cowboys' Garrett needs to work on balancing act
09:43 PM CST on Saturday, November 21, 2009
Column by JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News | jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
Jean-Jacques Taylor
IRVING – Jason Garrett wants to throw the ball, and the Cowboys' offense doesn't give him any reason not to do what he loves.
Yes, the Cowboys lead the NFC East, and they should thump Washington today, but these Cowboys aren't good enough to win important games in December and the postseason with a one-dimensional offense.
Tony Romo is good, but he's not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Romo, like most quarterbacks, needs a running game.
In Garrett's first two full seasons as coordinator, the Cowboys have never run it more than 43 percent of the time. After nine games this season, they're running it 41 percent of the time.
No surprise there. After all, there's yet to be a coordinator labeled a guru because of his dynamic running game.
The problem, of course, is that because Garrett prefers throwing the ball – all former quarterbacks do – he's easily discouraged when the running game isn't working.
That's what happened against Green Bay, when 26 of the last 27 plays were passes.
No one is suggesting the Cowboys need a 50-50 balance, but this team doesn't have the receivers to make the running game an afterthought. There's hope, because when the Cowboys have success running, Garrett sticks with it.
That's why the Cowboys have had three games with more than 150 yards rushing this season.
But the running game hasn't worked lately.
Maybe Marion Barber (quadriceps) and Felix Jones (knee) are still hurt. Perhaps the inconsistency on first down has frustrated Garrett.
Garrett has called 137 first-down running plays and 59 of them (43 percent) have gone for 2 yards or fewer, including 14 for negative yardage. Thus, Garrett finds himself in long-yardage passing situations on second down.
Then there are the penalties.
Dallas' offense leads the NFL in yards penalized (286) and is tied for second with 37 penalties. Those are the types of errors that turn running downs into passing downs.
Running the ball is all about establishing a physical mentality, which shouldn't be too hard with one of pro football's biggest offensive lines.
What Garrett must realize is that it's not always about the yards per carry or even the total yardage. It's really about the carries and the cumulative effect they have on the opposing defense.
Short gains in the first quarter become long gains in the fourth quarter, when the defense grows weary of tackling Barber, Jones and Tashard Choice. The trio must be more productive to persuade Garrett to call more running plays.
The Cowboys' trio is good, but all three are role players. There's no Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson or Maurice Jones-Drew whose talent demands that he touches the ball 20 times a game.
Each of the Cowboys' running backs is in and out of the game so often that it's easy for Garrett to ignore them.
Barber carried four times for 27 yards in the first quarter against Green Bay. He carried one time for minus-1 in the final three quarters.
Ridiculous.
"If a team is going to consistently put eight guys in the box, you'd be dumb to consistently run the ball 34 times into it," Romo said. "It's all different. You want to be able to do everything well so that when the game calls for 45 passes, you do that well. When the game calls for 45 runs, you do that well."
It's not always about taking what the defense gives you; sometimes, it's about taking what you want. Sometimes, it's about forcing the defense to adapt.
Garrett and Wade Phillips are the ones who talked during the off-season about having a more balanced offense.
It hasn't happened.
While Garrett is in charge of the offense, Phillips can't be absolved of blame. He's the head coach. He's on the headset.
If Phillips wants a more balanced offense, he must demand that Garrett provide it.
ALL OR NOTHING
Of the team's 137 first-down runs this season, 59 have gone for 2 yards or fewer, creating passing situations on second down.
Yards Total
Negative 14
0-2 45
3-5 29
6-plus 49
PASSING FRENZY
The Cowboys haven't run the ball more than 43 percent of the time in a season with Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator, an indication he prefers to throw.
Year Rushing plays (pct.) Passing plays (pct.)
2007 419 (43.0) 556 (57.0)
2008 401 (41.0) 578 (59.0)
2009 230 (41.4) 325 (58.6)
09:43 PM CST on Saturday, November 21, 2009
Column by JEAN-JACQUES TAYLOR / The Dallas Morning News | jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
Jean-Jacques Taylor
IRVING – Jason Garrett wants to throw the ball, and the Cowboys' offense doesn't give him any reason not to do what he loves.
Yes, the Cowboys lead the NFC East, and they should thump Washington today, but these Cowboys aren't good enough to win important games in December and the postseason with a one-dimensional offense.
Tony Romo is good, but he's not Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Romo, like most quarterbacks, needs a running game.
In Garrett's first two full seasons as coordinator, the Cowboys have never run it more than 43 percent of the time. After nine games this season, they're running it 41 percent of the time.
No surprise there. After all, there's yet to be a coordinator labeled a guru because of his dynamic running game.
The problem, of course, is that because Garrett prefers throwing the ball – all former quarterbacks do – he's easily discouraged when the running game isn't working.
That's what happened against Green Bay, when 26 of the last 27 plays were passes.
No one is suggesting the Cowboys need a 50-50 balance, but this team doesn't have the receivers to make the running game an afterthought. There's hope, because when the Cowboys have success running, Garrett sticks with it.
That's why the Cowboys have had three games with more than 150 yards rushing this season.
But the running game hasn't worked lately.
Maybe Marion Barber (quadriceps) and Felix Jones (knee) are still hurt. Perhaps the inconsistency on first down has frustrated Garrett.
Garrett has called 137 first-down running plays and 59 of them (43 percent) have gone for 2 yards or fewer, including 14 for negative yardage. Thus, Garrett finds himself in long-yardage passing situations on second down.
Then there are the penalties.
Dallas' offense leads the NFL in yards penalized (286) and is tied for second with 37 penalties. Those are the types of errors that turn running downs into passing downs.
Running the ball is all about establishing a physical mentality, which shouldn't be too hard with one of pro football's biggest offensive lines.
What Garrett must realize is that it's not always about the yards per carry or even the total yardage. It's really about the carries and the cumulative effect they have on the opposing defense.
Short gains in the first quarter become long gains in the fourth quarter, when the defense grows weary of tackling Barber, Jones and Tashard Choice. The trio must be more productive to persuade Garrett to call more running plays.
The Cowboys' trio is good, but all three are role players. There's no Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson or Maurice Jones-Drew whose talent demands that he touches the ball 20 times a game.
Each of the Cowboys' running backs is in and out of the game so often that it's easy for Garrett to ignore them.
Barber carried four times for 27 yards in the first quarter against Green Bay. He carried one time for minus-1 in the final three quarters.
Ridiculous.
"If a team is going to consistently put eight guys in the box, you'd be dumb to consistently run the ball 34 times into it," Romo said. "It's all different. You want to be able to do everything well so that when the game calls for 45 passes, you do that well. When the game calls for 45 runs, you do that well."
It's not always about taking what the defense gives you; sometimes, it's about taking what you want. Sometimes, it's about forcing the defense to adapt.
Garrett and Wade Phillips are the ones who talked during the off-season about having a more balanced offense.
It hasn't happened.
While Garrett is in charge of the offense, Phillips can't be absolved of blame. He's the head coach. He's on the headset.
If Phillips wants a more balanced offense, he must demand that Garrett provide it.
ALL OR NOTHING
Of the team's 137 first-down runs this season, 59 have gone for 2 yards or fewer, creating passing situations on second down.
Yards Total
Negative 14
0-2 45
3-5 29
6-plus 49
PASSING FRENZY
The Cowboys haven't run the ball more than 43 percent of the time in a season with Jason Garrett as offensive coordinator, an indication he prefers to throw.
Year Rushing plays (pct.) Passing plays (pct.)
2007 419 (43.0) 556 (57.0)
2008 401 (41.0) 578 (59.0)
2009 230 (41.4) 325 (58.6)