THE KEY TO THE DALLAS OFFENSE:
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The Dallas offense is built around the "Power Running Game". This means that the Middle of the Offensive line must be dominant. Capable of "blowing people off the ball". Well, this was not the case in 1997 and this was THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT REASON for the decline of the Cowboys this year. The Cowobys started a new "undersized" Center, an "out of shape and injured" Left Guard, (Nate Newton), who had his worst year ever. And a Left Tackle, ( Mark Tuinei ), who was never healthy or 100%. This makes up 3/5's of the Offensive Line.
It is the MAIN reason that the "TRIPLETS" ALL had bad years. Let's examine why:
First, the power running game keeps the defense honest. They are not so adpt to blitz if they are worried about stopping the run, this is why Aikman had a sub-par year. He was pressured more this year than any I can remember.
Second, the power runnig game allows the split-end, (Irvin), to have a clearer view to the Q.B., especially on play-action passes, because the weak-side linebacker must play up to the line for run support, instead of dropping back into the slant zone, and with the Offensive line struggling the linebackers were able to drop back more. Even still, for those that said Irvin was terrible this year...consider this:
Antonio Freeman of Green Bay was third in the league in TD's with 12. Irvin had 9. Freeman had 1243 yards receiving, Irvin had just 63 less with 1180, good enough for 5th in the NFC. Not bad for a guy who is "washed-up"!
Some say that Irvin was worse this year in that he had a much lower ratio of catches per attempt. Well, many of Troys throws weren't as good because Troy had much more pressure and also the best corners in the NFL happen to be in the NFC East. With Seahorn and Sparks in NY, Taylor and Vincent in Philly, Green and Dishman in Washington, no wonder Irvin had a lower percentage this year. Who are the Saints corners? The Falcons corners? The Panthers corners? It's no wonder that with the 2 to 4 yard passes that Steve Young throws in the West Coast Offense and the worst corners in the NFL in the NFC Worst (er, WEST), division that he always has a high QB rating and his receivers always have good stats too!
Third, the power running game allows a very good back, ( Emmitt Smith ), to have 1500+ yard seasons. I fully believe that if Emmitt had the same line as three years ago, he would have had at lest a 1500+ yard season, with out a doubt in my mind. Not bad for a back that is supposedly "washed-up". Emmitt never did have the break-away speed of a Barry Sanders, his greatest asset was, and is, his ability to make linebackers miss and/or grab their reaching arms and move them away. He still can do this, but he first has to have an Offensive line that can give him a hole to break into the secondary. When teams started blitzing up the middle, it threw off the blocking schemes of the line and coupled with the injuries and "out-of-shape" lineman Emmitt could not find a hole. Not even Barry Sanders would have done much better.
WHAT DOES DALLAS NEED TO DO IN THE OFF-SEASON? ==============================================
First, from what I have outlined above, it is clear that the Cowboys need to move Newton and Tuinei to a backup role at best and go after two outstanding Guards in Free Agency. Shiver needs to step it up in the off-season and learn more techniques to become a better finese blocker.
Second, the Cowboys need to seriously consider going to the West Coast Offense, with perhaps Emmitt as the single back on some plays to bring Sualua or Moose into the flow gradually. This would mean firing Zampese and replacing him with someone like John Gruden from Philadelphia or keeping Zampese and getting a very strong Offensive minded Coach like Steve Spurrier or Sherm Lewis of Green Bay.
But not Seifert! His game time decisions are terrible! I remember in the Green Bay Game in 1996 when S.F. had the ball in the Red Zone with a first down. With a touchdown the Niners could have gone into the lead, but Seifert ran the ball three times and kicked a field goal to tie. With the ball on the 14 or 15 most good coaches would have ordered at least two shots into the end zone and then kick a field goal only if they failed to score a TD. I personally think this poor play calling under pressure in the Green Bay game is what cost him his job and rightfully so!
Dallas should keep Barry as the "Director of Pro Player Personell" or some other title that allows him to use his ability to spot and evaluate talent if they don't keep him as coach. I think that this is what you will see, because Troy and some other players feel a stronger handed coach is needed to ride rough shod over some of the players on the team. Maybe Joe Gibbs? But my favorite choices again are Spurrier or Sherm Lewis.
Third, the Cowboys need to shore up the flanker position. Denver knew what it was donig when it let go Anthony Miller. Miller has lost a step, (or two), and could never run the precise routes that are required in the Dallas Offense. Signing Robert Brooks would be perfect. If Miller will play for minimum plus incentives as a backup...all the better. Then he would be more motivated to stay after practice and get the routes down pat.
Forth, the Cowboys need to get a legimate pass rusher like Andre Waddsworth in the Draft. Waddsworth should go between 4th and 8th in the up-comming draft and having a "Haley-type" defensive end would do wonders for the defense that had to continue to use the best Strong Saftey in the league in run-support instead of leading the league in take-aways/interceptions as they should have been able to do with the Secondary they have. Dallas should trade up from 8th to 4th to insure they get him if possible.
Fifth, while the Cowboys are considering going to a 3-4 defense to allow Leon Lett to be moved to an end spot, this would be a big mistake unless Chad Hennings can suddenly become a "Gilbert Brown" run stopper as the Nose-Tackle. And this is the final piece to the puzzle....a real run stopper. If Lett isn't it then get someone who is. In this league, a teams success begins with running the ball on Offense and stopping the run on Defense.
CONCLUSION:
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When Jerry says this team is not very far away from contending. I agree completely. What most people fail to realize is the "2% factor". The "2% factor" says that the difference in professional sports between the teams/people that acheive the finals or playoffs and the teams/people that don't is only 2%. Let me give you an example:
In golf if you take the winning scores of all the golfers that finished in the top ten in prize money and the scores of the pros that didn't...the difference in the scores very often will be only 2%.
In the NFL only one or two more "play-making" type plays per game and Dallas could have easily been 10-6 instead of 6-10. Just get those two big "pounding" type Offensive Linemen and a run stopping Defensive Lineman and Dallas is right back to being there for Super Bowl contention.
In years past, Dallas could make one or two mistakes and have the one or two big plays needed to over come them. The last two years they haven't. But again, it only takes one or two more big plays to do it. Just maybe a couple of good Offensive Guards to make the 2% difference. And then throw in a couple more players like an Andre Waddsworth and bang....a dominant team again!
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Gary W. Morris
Sr. Software Engineer
ASC Inc.
mailto:garywm@jps.net homepage: "http://www.earthlink.net/~garywm"