The Dallas Cowboys last week apparently took the advice that was given by former head man Jimmy Johnson, “KISS Keep It Simple Stupid” and unfortunately some of us do not like this plan!
After going back and watching the Monday night game against the Panthers for the second time, it became crystal clear to me what was happening.
People will call it a lack of confidence in Tony Romo or that Jason Garrett is an egomaniac out to prove how innovative he can be, but what I saw was a completely different picture all together.
The game plan of that game on the offensive side of the ball was one of the most vanilla I have ever seen this team take. It appeared to me that Garrett did an outstanding job of simplifying things and letting the players concentrate on just doing there jobs.
The Cowboys have relied so dearly on the play of Tony Romo and on his decision making that they simply put too much pressure onto his shoulders. Jimmy Johnson stated last week that the true way to build a players confidence (Tony Romo) was in big games to simplify things and let him focus on the nuts and bolts of things instead of trying to create things that simply are not there.
While Romo’s stat line was as average as average gets it’s what does not show up on the stat line that was so great. He was composed. He had a purpose. He did not get too high or too low. Tony Romo simply played within the confines of the plan.
People! This is a gigantic move in the right direction for this team and Tony Romo do not ruin it by failing to see what happened.
I am by no means trying to tell you that everyone did everything perfect on Monday night. I am trying to tell you that this performance was more about building confidence, a confidence that can carry this unit to all the places we aspire for them to go.
Do you all remember the 90’s? and how everyone in the stadium would know what play was about to be run, but it did not matter because the Cowboys could execute that play better than anyone could defend it.
The Cowboys made there first step towards trying to become that executing machine that they once were. The Cowboys running game is extremely good right now and that is due simply because of execution! They ran the same delayed draw at least 15 times the other night, with two different backs and each time was as successful as the time before.
Now I have read in several different places Cowboy fans highly upset with the play calls by Garrett in that one sequence down at the goal line, where the Boys through two fades in succession.
At first I like you could not understand the play call, but after listening to Romo after the game and then watching the film again I understood the calls.
Garrett saw that the Panthers had there “Big” unit in the game (the Panthers were committed to stop the run) it was at that point that Garrett and the gang decided to attack the point of least resistance. More importantly on the first fade to Roy Williams he had the preferred match up, he also got a perfectly thrown ball by Romo, but Roy could not hold on to it.
The second play designed for Marty B was an even greater mismatch but Romo simply over threw him. I will take those match ups every time! They tried to punch the thing in on first down and could not get enough push against an overloaded line.
I would love for this team to be able to just over power folks, but we are just not that team. So why beat a dead horse? TAKE WHAT THE DEFENSE GIVES YOU! That is our motto, and that is what will win games for this team!
It is time to put our egos away, we cannot continue to just cuss this team every moment of everyday. It is not there responsibility to inform us of how they plan to attack teams, but rather ours to become smarter fans of the game and recognize what is taking place.
I challenge all of you to question not only the team but yourself as well. For the most part we have some of the smartest fans in the league, it is time to put that smarts to use.
