Coach's Halftime Thoughts - Week 5

[Dallas94Ware]

As usual I will add more post game, and try to limit opinion while sticking to the Xs, the Os, techniques, play designs etc

1. Is there a better tackling rookie corner than Kevin King? He uses good form even when going for big hits, and is always in good position to hold ground. Personally, I really wanted him over Taco.

2. Cowboys line on the first three plays cant hold up on the attack. Zeke with no room, Dak under fire, and a big part of that on Collins and Martin on the right side folding under the power of the Packers strong side of the D. On that initial third and short, Martin and Fredrick blew the proper assignment. Cannot have that from two of this teams centerpieces. The fourth down conversion was on Zeke, with Fredrick again blowing the assignment and misreading the push direction.

3. Underrated star: Clay Matthews. He can play any linebacker position in either odd or even fronts. Great read on the -4 loss tackle of Zeke, and hes a hell of a pass rusher too. Collins has his hands full.

4. Touchdown pass to Beasley was a very collegiate play design. Dak did not have to make any read whatsoever. A simple roll out away from a push protection blocking design in the same direction as a quick out route from Beasley. A waggle concept. Dak simply had to decide when to deliver it to Beasley or, if unavailable, run it himself and in.worst case scenario, drop it off safely out of bounds. Simple design but tough to defend. Very Sarkisian-esque.

5. Aaron Jones has outstanding vision and patience for a rookie runner. Not the best fit for the Packs typical blocking system, but a few adjustments to playcalling and design lets him work the stretch and wide angle runs his skillset is made for.

6. Rodgers created the hole zone coverage on the big throw in drive 1 with a very veteran stare at his Z, forcing the inexperienced Jaylon Smith to pass off his man and retain what he assumed would be proper positioning to chase a pass completion in the opposite direction. Very tough to defend without the experience to realize that should have been his man further up the field.

7. Lawrence lacking the jump off the snap that has made him the sack leader so far. Rodgers snap counts could be playing a part in that.

8. Dez has run good routes so far. A good thing to see after the last few weeks. He made King bite on a simple head turn twice, and he is cutting into separation very well. 

9. Zekes runs have been all on him. The line is continually struggling for push. Blake Martinez shifting around has caused confusion it seems, with the line misidentifying his role several times and allowing him to either disrupt Dak or create a wrong lane situation for Zeke where Martinez's role caused a missed assignment.

10. Second score to Beasley was a blown read by Packers DL and a good inside move by Beasley. The pack DL  mushed and hesitated expecting run, reading the formation Dallas has run a inside zone from when inside the 5 in ebery game so far; Dak went unpressured and had a clean pocket and an easy throw to Beasley, who's turn of the hips baited Rollins a half step out of position, allowing Beasley to separate with quickness. Good play.

11. Good attack by Irving on his sack. Jahri Evans could not recover fast enough when Irving beat him on the snap. Irving capitalized with great hand placement to split the blocks and finished with the short distance explosion that Marinelli is known for seeking out of his linemen. 

12. Fredrick and Collins have been pushed into Elliotts path twice. These guys are not known for their power on the block, but they cannot be manhandled in space like that to be shifted out of position and into the runners lane. Where has this teams line gone?

13. Dez's score was great timing by Dak with the throw. Play design was a clear corner end zone shot, with the trips split left all falling into protection and taking coverage away from the play side. Dak had a decision to make however - a 50/50 corner fade if the coverage won the release, or a drop in mid-endzone if Dez won the release. Dez won the release and Dak dropped it in perfect timing. Good job by the cover guy to retain positioning despite being beat on the release, and he almost caused the bobble and drop. 

14. Green Bay has started running more tight ace to counter the speed of Dallas' rushers beating their weak tackles off the snap. It has worked, so far, but is going to limit the pass route options that McCarthy prefers to call and Rodgers has a track record of big play sucess with. Will be nice to see if this has an effect on how Dallas plays their defense - could this become that cover 3, 3 man rush, money 44 game in the second half that would make it tough to pass with two tights? And if so, will McCarthy risk opening the offense back up and allowing the speed rushers to beat the weak OTs again? Because they just opened it again and Irving cleaned up for his second sack of the game.

15. Bulaga isolated on Lawrence is working fairly well, that allowed the inside check run by Aaron Jones to develop for the TD. Jahri Evans timed his push well, and Jones ran with patience to let it develop. Although Heath had a chance and took a poor angle, give credit to the blocking which was well coordinated and, when combined with patience from Jones, was an easy run for a score.

 

 

[Dallas94Ware]

Post game additions:

1. Nice job by Martin on the pulls in the second half, allowing Elliott to have a better outing than he began the afternoon. I particularly liked the 25 yard dash when Martin hit the linebacker, took him off his feet, then went up field to shield Zeke from the safety. That is the Martin we know.

2. Brady has the better resume. Brees and Manning have the career long statlines. But there has never been a better football playing QB in this generation than Rodgers. He did it again by just playing football.

3. Jourdan Lewis played quite well in man coverage this game. He continues to improve week by week, showing great ball awareness in man assignments. Tough luck on an outstanding throw on that game winner. Good coverage. Good positioning. Perfection on the throw.

4. Two minute coverage gave Rodgers the chance he needed. Marinelli utilized typical soft zone and 3 deep assignments, with some man zone mixed in. But no spy, no flat coverage, allowed both the run by Jones and Rodgers to take too bignof a chunk off the remaining field position. If he had to do it differently, I bet Marinelli would have run something more flat and let his secondary take their chances on 50/50 shots and safety splits.

6. Anthony Brown continues to whiff man assignments. In one play design, all the routes were designed to take assistance away from.Browns side. The pack knew Brown in man on the outside was a liability, and they used that to their advantage. He needs to stick to firm zones. Good player, especially for the spot he was drafted at, but you cant keep putting him in situations that expose his weaknesses.

7. The pack took the risk opening their formation as Inthought would decide the game. It paid off, with Lawrence, Crawford and Mayowa struggling to have the same penetration on the open ends they had in the first half.

Ill add more as the week goes on.

[resilient part 2]

2 hours ago, Dallas94Ware said:

Post game additions:

1. Nice job by Martin on the pulls in the second half, allowing Elliott to have a better outing than he began the afternoon. I particularly liked the 25 yard dash when Martin hit the linebacker, took him off his feet, then went up field to shield Zeke from the safety. That is the Martin we know.

2. Brady has the better resume. Brees and Manning have the career long statlines. But there has never been a better football playing QB in this generation than Rodgers. He did it again by just playing football.

3. Jourdan Lewis played quite well in man coverage this game. He continues to improve week by week, showing great ball awareness in man assignments. Tough luck on an outstanding throw on that game winner. Good coverage. Good positioning. Perfection on the throw.

4. Two minute coverage gave Rodgers the chance he needed. Marinelli utilized typical soft zone and 3 deep assignments, with some man zone mixed in. But no spy, no flat coverage, allowed both the run by Jones and Rodgers to take too bignof a chunk off the remaining field position. If he had to do it differently, I bet Marinelli would have run something more flat and let his secondary take their chances on 50/50 shots and safety splits.

6. Anthony Brown continues to whiff man assignments. In one play design, all the routes were designed to take assistance away from.Browns side. The pack knew Brown in man on the outside was a liability, and they used that to their advantage. He needs to stick to firm zones. Good player, especially for the spot he was drafted at, but you cant keep putting him in situations that expose his weaknesses.

7. The pack took the risk opening their formation as Inthought would decide the game. It paid off, with Lawrence, Crawford and Mayowa struggling to have the same penetration on the open ends they had in the first half.

Ill add more as the week goes on.

I agree with Brown. Not so good at man, but much better in Zone

[Dirk Gently]

I thought this was a good write up.

I would like to see more of Awuzie and Woods in the game.

It seems to me the LBs just flat look lost without Lee.. all of them. Hoping he's back soon... don't like lingering hamstring issues,

[Dallas94Ware]

21 hours ago, Dirk Gently said:

I thought this was a good write up.

I would like to see more of Awuzie and Woods in the game.

It seems to me the LBs just flat look lost without Lee.. all of them. Hoping he's back soon... don't like lingering hamstring issues,

Linebackers looked pretty flat with Lee out there, too. Lee himself has looked flat.

I think the real boost comes from Hitchens in the middle. He is a real missile, always around the ball, always near the play. He has a nose for the football, a meanstreak with his tackling, and plays with pretty good, albeit not great, coverage ability. He has come a long way from that scrappy mistake prone high effort rookie and sophmore player. He made a big leap last year and in limited action this year he has looked even better. Inserting him in full time with Lee back healthy, and cycling between Smith and Durant on the other side will be very helpful in shutting down the run.

Smiths mised tackles, poor angles, lack of drive on the ball and what I call "spin tackling" has cost this team a lot of rushing yards given up. Hitch wont allow that.

[Calvert28]

On 10/10/2017 at 1:57 PM, Dirk Gently said:

I thought this was a good write up.

I would like to see more of Awuzie and Woods in the game.

It seems to me the LBs just flat look lost without Lee.. all of them. Hoping he's back soon... don't like lingering hamstring issues,

I think it's clear we need to find our next defensive playcaller in this coming draft. Whether LB or Safety. But it needs to be someone intelligent who can make adjustments and put our defensive players in a good position to exceed. Aaron Rodgers himself even said Lee was one of the best players in the NFL. So finding someone who can fill that role would be unbelievably valuable to us. 

Woodson was that for us in the 90's, we didn't really have a stud defender who was both consistent on the field for play as well as calling plays after that until Lee came along.

[D82]

2 hours ago, Calvert28 said:

I think it's clear we need to find our next defensive playcaller in this coming draft. Whether LB or Safety. But it needs to be someone intelligent who can make adjustments and put our defensive players in a good position to exceed. Aaron Rodgers himself even said Lee was one of the best players in the NFL. So finding someone who can fill that role would be unbelievably valuable to us. 

Woodson was that for us in the 90's, we didn't really have a stud defender who was both consistent on the field for play as well as calling plays after that until Lee came along.

Nick DeLuca would be an interesting prospect...

[MaryTsraining3s]

13 hours ago, Desperado82 said:

Nick DeLuca would be an interesting prospect...

He's been a stud, some bad luck with the injury bug lately.