Coach's Halftime Thoughts - Week 12 (Turkey dinner edition)

[Dallas94Ware]

Ill keep this one a bit shorter because of..well, Thanksgiving!

1. Sacks taken by Dak to this point were more due to coverage than the rush. The playcall defensively was perfect to neutralize the first two options, and shadowed the inside short option. On the second one it looked like Witten would have space but the inside linebacker was sneakily creeping underneath. Good decision by Dak to not throw that and to eat the sack. Fight another day and dont turn it over.

2. On a Bosa great jump off the snap, Collins used some powerful technique and landed both hands into Bosa's chest to neutralize the good jump he had gotten. Amazing.punch to stop a powerful DE in his tracks. Good play by Collins.

3. Several long passes by Rivers were clear misreads defensively. It looked like on one play Jeff Heath was anticipating a seam route, and misjudged how far to the corner the man in his zone had broken off from him. On another, Byron Jones was baited shallow to double up on a deep dig, while the receiver then went uncovered into the vacated area. Need to do a better job understanding zone responsibility.

4. Great job by the unit to tighten up in the end zone several times now. The play calling has been simple and the execution perfect, with a hawkeye zone in the middle and the safeties holding the intermediate hashes. You dont see this zone call very often anymore but it has had a track record of success in the red zone against teams known to play spread out in that 10-15 yard to goal range.

5. Inside push on the run has twice taken a second effort for a minimal gain of 2-4 yards. This was to be expected against this front seven, but I also expected more wide area runs. I think the inside will open up when the edges have proven effective run game territory. As it stands now, Liuget and co. is taking all that Fredrick and the interior can dish out and theyre fighting them off pretty well. Second effort blocks are good high energy plays but this is not typical of a successful run game.

6. Dez has not found any open space and has struggled to separate at the top of his route. They used Cole to break outward and try to chokepoint some freedom for Dez, and Dez ran directly into the cover guy anyway. This isnt the Dez Im used to seeing.

7. Dak is taking the quick drop off options each time he throws. But this is not because of anything other than the coverage down field. The Chargers are coveting very well and giving a lot of space at shallow area. I wonder if they just arent afraid of anyone on this team beating them from underneath? Witten isnt slipping guys anymore. Dez has been an empty set of pads all year. And cole, while a threat for yac, isnt going to run through linebacker zones and catch the ball consistently without needing an ambulance to come get him. Need Zeke out there to catch a short one and burn em...or .. McFadden?

 

[WizardHawk]

I have a thought....this team sucks. Period. End of discussion. 

[resilient part 2]

8 minutes ago, WizardHawk said:

I have a thought....this team sucks. Period. End of discussion. 

this.^ But I will one up this.

We suck for believing this year AGAIN.

[Northland]

Come on guys don't you trust the process?  All together now clap hands and say RKG, RKG!

[Dallas94Ware]

See I tend to avoid this forum after any loss, let alone 3 in a row, because then immediately its "fire everyone, trade everyone, tank the rest of the way, this team sucks" over and over again. Classic over reactions. We witness the same thing even after wins over lowly 1 win and 0 win teams like SF, where everyones so sure the team is the best thing ever in existance because they put up 28 points on a team that will likely go winless.

But. And heres a big but.

This team does not suck.

This is the same team that outfought the Steelers last year in that amazing shootout. The same team that beat up on the Chiefs, and held the Eagles practically yardless in  the first half last year. Among many other amazing feats, games and wins in the last calendar year or longer.

The difference? For one, the schedule, sure, plays a part. But digging deeper -

Inconsistency.

When your 14 mil a year receiver runs directly into the coverage guy on three plays, a guy hes supposed to run AWAY FROM let alone not run directly into him, theres a problem.

When defenses no longer respect your ability to break tackles for gains and leave the short area wide open and are willing to let you run freely, theres a problem.

When your QB has no lane and no opening to throw to at the sticks and beyond because a defense no longer cares if you run the ball, theres a problem.

When your defense cannot cover repeated vertical throws, theres a problem.

When you double up a receiver and he still outfights your players for the ball, theres a problem.

When three separate defenders miss a tackle on the same player, theres a problem.

And you know what this problem is? Again, inconsistency. Lack of execution.

Time after time the right playcall is clearly called. The design perfect to take advantage of what the Chargers or Eagles did best. Doubleup on Jeffery. Bracket zone over Allen. Rub route to free Dez. Bubble screen on an off man coverage. Inside zone against a nickel package. And regardless of this, the team didnt execute.

I dont care why. Tyron was missing, sucks. Zeke is missing, sucks. Lee is missing, that sucks too. But the rest of these players must execute. Dez has to break that shoe string tackle attempt and score. Jeffery cannot bring that ball in, on the goal line no less, with two defenders on him. Brown cannot drop a clear pick six with no time left in the half. Morris has to break a tackle when the line makes such great space to put him alone on the safety like that. Hitch has to drive through Ajayi when he squares up like that. 

Too many bad plays and lack of execution.

But I will not say the team sucks. Because we have seen how good this team can be when they play well. There is talent all over the place. Dak is an excellent young QB. Dez was once a top 5 wideout. Irving and Lawrence have become fearsome. Lewis, Scandrick and Jones are pretty good cover guys, and Brown was once.considered a steal of a pick at his draft slot by, well, all of you now saying he sucks. Maybe thats why Bill always said dont take out the annointing oils just yet, and to avoid drinking the kool-aid?

Any case.

These are the same players you guys were drooling over when they were winning games. They are not executing well, but they dont suck. There are holes that need filling, lessons that need to be learned, and depth slots that sorely need upgrading. But the team does not "suck" - because just a few weeks ago and even a few months ago, you same people now saying they suck, were the same people saying how great they are. And for a reason. Dont forget that.

[plan9misfit]

19 hours ago, Northland said:

Come on guys don't you trust the process?  All together now clap hands and say RKG, RKG!

Exactly. It’s a process. It’s hard to win in this league. These guys work hard. They play hard. We have the right kinds of guys here. We’ll watch the film and improve. We have to improve. It’s about accountability. These guys know what they need to do. They trust the process.

Did I miss anything?

[Dallas94Ware]

Just now, plan9misfit said:

Exactly. It’s a process. It’s hard to win in this league. These guys work hard. They play hard. We have the right kinds of guys here. We’ll watch the film and improve. We have to improve. It’s about accountability. These guys know what they need to do. They trust the process.

Did I miss anything?

What would you rather he say and do - act like you guys apparently would and cut half the team and go into next Sunday with the practice squad starting at most positions? 

[plan9misfit]

2 hours ago, Dallas94Ware said:

See I tend to avoid this forum after any loss, let alone 3 in a row, because then immediately its "fire everyone, trade everyone, tank the rest of the way, this team sucks" over and over again. Classic over reactions. We witness the same thing even after wins over lowly 1 win and 0 win teams like SF, where everyones so sure the team is the best thing ever in existance because they put up 28 points on a team that will likely go winless.

But. And heres a big but.

This team does not suck.

This is the same team that outfought the Steelers last year in that amazing shootout. The same team that beat up on the Chiefs, and held the Eagles practically yardless in  the first half last year. Among many other amazing feats, games and wins in the last calendar year or longer.

The difference? For one, the schedule, sure, plays a part. But digging deeper -

Inconsistency.

When your 14 mil a year receiver runs directly into the coverage guy on three plays, a guy hes supposed to run AWAY FROM let alone not run directly into him, theres a problem.

When defenses no longer respect your ability to break tackles for gains and leave the short area wide open and are willing to let you run freely, theres a problem.

When your QB has no lane and no opening to throw to at the sticks and beyond because a defense no longer cares if you run the ball, theres a problem.

When your defense cannot cover repeated vertical throws, theres a problem.

When you double up a receiver and he still outfights your players for the ball, theres a problem.

When three separate defenders miss a tackle on the same player, theres a problem.

And you know what this problem is? Again, inconsistency. Lack of execution.

Time after time the right playcall is clearly called. The design perfect to take advantage of what the Chargers or Eagles did best. Doubleup on Jeffery. Bracket zone over Allen. Rub route to free Dez. Bubble screen on an off man coverage. Inside zone against a nickel package. And regardless of this, the team didnt execute.

I dont care why. Tyron was missing, sucks. Zeke is missing, sucks. Lee is missing, that sucks too. But the rest of these players must execute. Dez has to break that shoe string tackle attempt and score. Jeffery cannot bring that ball in, on the goal line no less, with two defenders on him. Brown cannot drop a clear pick six with no time left in the half. Morris has to break a tackle when the line makes such great space to put him alone on the safety like that. Hitch has to drive through Ajayi when he squares up like that. 

Too many bad plays and lack of execution.

But I will not say the team sucks. Because we have seen how good this team can be when they play well. There is talent all over the place. Dak is an excellent young QB. Dez was once a top 5 wideout. Irving and Lawrence have become fearsome. Lewis, Scandrick and Jones are pretty good cover guys, and Brown was once.considered a steal of a pick at his draft slot by, well, all of you now saying he sucks. Maybe thats why Bill always said dont take out the annointing oils just yet, and to avoid drinking the kool-aid?

Any case.

These are the same players you guys were drooling over when they were winning games. They are not executing well, but they dont suck. There are holes that need filling, lessons that need to be learned, and depth slots that sorely need upgrading. But the team does not "suck" - because just a few weeks ago and even a few months ago, you same people now saying they suck, were the same people saying how great they are. And for a reason. Dont forget that.

The team quit in second half of three straight games. Apologize for it all you want, but it’s inexcusable. I also saw three gutless efforts from a collection of incompetent coaches.

[plan9misfit]

1 minute ago, Dallas94Ware said:

What would you rather he say and do - act like you guys apparently would and cut half the team and go into next Sunday with the practice squad starting at most positions? 

How about holding himself accountable for a change? All the idiot does is give the same collection of empty, canned responses without ever taking action to make improvements. We’ve listened to that verbal diarrhea for 8 years now. Isn’t that enough?

[Dallas94Ware]

I havent excused anything. But I also did not see any quit. I saw bad play and a complete lack of execution. 

I will not say a defensive unit that held an opponent to 3 points and barely any first downs quit in the second half. Why would they quit...because they didnt care after doing good in the first half? Be realistic here man. They got out played and didnt execute but why would they quit when they had played so well just 15 minutes earlier?

Fact is, the holes are too abundant and the inexperience too great a hurdle. They didnt execute. Not one, not two, not even three but FOUR missed tackles due to bad angles on Keenan Allen in the same play is inexperience and lack of execution. They all tried. By comparison, watch Landon Collins and co. in Ny not even try to tackle Hill. Less than an arms.length away and no one even tries. THAT is quit.

[plan9misfit]

1 minute ago, Dallas94Ware said:

I havent excused anything. But I also did not see any quit. I saw bad play and a complete lack of execution. 

I will not say a defensive unit that held an opponent to 3 points and barely any first downs quit in the second half. Why would they quit...because they didnt care after doing good in the first half? Be realistic here man. They got out played and didnt execute but why would they quit when they had played so well just 15 minutes earlier?

Fact is, the holes are too abundant and the inexperience too great a hurdle. They didnt execute. Not one, not two, not even three but FOUR missed tackles due to bad angles on Keenan Allen in the same play is inexperience and lack of execution. They all tried. By comparison, watch Landon Collins and co. in Ny not even try to tackle Hill. Less than an arms.length away and no one even tries. THAT is quit.

When the announce team is saying that they quit, it’s pretty damning. And they said it at least twice yesterday.

[Dallas94Ware]

7 minutes ago, plan9misfit said:

How about holding himself accountable for a change? All the idiot does is give the same collection of empty, canned responses without ever taking action to make improvements. We’ve listened to that verbal diarrhea for 8 years now. Isn’t that enough?

"Everyone plays a part is failure and success starting from the top on down" - Jason Garrett

"If players are not prepared then I did not do my job. I would hope they paid attention enough to be prepared" - Also Jason Garrett

"Everyone needs to go out there and do their job better, including myself" - Also Garrett

See, He holds himself accountable as well. But you want more than that. You want him to fire himself and blame.himself and never show his face again because he lost 3 straight. As usual, nothing is good enough, and you dont see the unrealistic nature of your expectations

[WizardHawk]

Just now, plan9misfit said:

When the announce team is saying that they quit, it’s pretty damning. And they said it at least twice yesterday.

Haven't heard yesterday's comments, but did hear them after Philly game.  

[Dallas94Ware]

1 minute ago, WizardHawk said:

Haven't heard yesterday's comments, but did hear them after Philly game.  

I dont see any quit. Maybe at the every end when the game clearly is lost. Pretty sure everyones just looking to hit the showers when youre down by 4 scores with 5 minutes to go.

But I dont see any quit from the start of the second half in any of these losses like implied. I see a team fighting and failing, and getting disheartened as it grows out of hand. Any team would be looking for the showers when its clearly over before the final gun. Any player, even. But they arent just coming out carefree and quitting from the start of the second half, that notion is nonsense. Look at the attempts and the hustle. Same as in the first half. Only difference is the execution. 

[WizardHawk]

1 hour ago, Dallas94Ware said:

I dont see any quit. 

- Maybe not quit, but you do see an effort issue...

"When your 14 mil a year receiver runs directly into the coverage guy on three plays, a guy hes supposed to run AWAY FROM let alone not run directly into him, theres a problem."  Lazy?
"When you double up a receiver and he still outfights your players for the ball, theres a problem." Effort?
"When three separate defenders miss a tackle on the same player, theres a problem." Lazy, dumb, unprepared?

But I dont see any quit from the start of the second half in any of these losses like implied. I see a team fighting and failing, and getting disheartened as it grows out of hand. Any team would be looking for the showers when its clearly over before the final gun.

- Disheartened = nice way of saying quit or lacking in effort. Neither speaks well. Obviously, there is a point in which game is lost. For Dallas, that is the 4th qtr  despite being down 10, 13, and 16 respectively in last 3. Game isn't out of hand, they've managed 6 pts and given up 35. I call that folding up. 

Only difference is the execution. 

It goes beyond an execution thing, which I agree is subpar btw...it's a coaching thing. An adjustment thing. 72 - 6. That's what the last 3 games have been after halftime. That doesn't speak well of coaching . Down 10 - 7 vs ATL...up 9 - 7 vs Philly...down 3 - 0 vs LAC. Results...blown out in 2nd half. I find it hard to believe this team can consistently execute in 1st half and completely forget how to do their jobs at halftime.