motife
12-08-2007, 02:26 PM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/football/cowboys/stories/120307dnspoarcher.2c52a0e.html
just one example :
Thursday's First 15 split – scripted or not – was eight runs and seven passes against Green Bay. Sometimes, the First 15 will involve more passing. Sometimes, the First 15 is scripted simply to set up the rest of the game.
"I think more than anything, he [Garrett] wants to get calls early in a game so he can set stuff up," Witten said. "It's not that it's just some plays or probably the favorite 15 plays. But there are plays you want to see how they're going to play, because we might have 15 plays off of one formation."
Take the Packers game for example. Throughout the course of the season, the Cowboys have used a three-tight end formation a handful of times and mostly in short-yardage situations.
In the first quarter against the Packers, Garrett used a three-tight end formation on play Nos. 7, 12 and 14. All three were runs with Marion Barber or Julius Jones plowing their way up the middle for a combined 11 yards.
On play No. 19 – a second-and-8 from the Green Bay 26 in the second quarter – Garrett had Jason Witten, Tony Curtis and Anthony Fasano on the field once again – this time, with a variation. On the previous three plays, Witten went in motion and ended up in a fullback spot. On this play, he held his ground.
At the snap, Romo faked a handoff to Julius Jones, temporarily freezing the linebackers. As Witten ran down the middle of the field, Romo kept his eyes on the Pro Bowler, forcing safety Atari Bigby to commit that way. Cornerback Jarrett Bush, playing zone coverage, was expecting Bigby to help deep on his side. But with Bigby inching toward Witten, Fasano got deep behind Bigby to grab the first touchdown pass of his career.
"Hopefully, you're practicing things you want to run in a game and guys get an understanding of that," Garrett said. "But the first 15 plays are an indicator of things we want to get to and things you're going to see in the game."
just one example :
Thursday's First 15 split – scripted or not – was eight runs and seven passes against Green Bay. Sometimes, the First 15 will involve more passing. Sometimes, the First 15 is scripted simply to set up the rest of the game.
"I think more than anything, he [Garrett] wants to get calls early in a game so he can set stuff up," Witten said. "It's not that it's just some plays or probably the favorite 15 plays. But there are plays you want to see how they're going to play, because we might have 15 plays off of one formation."
Take the Packers game for example. Throughout the course of the season, the Cowboys have used a three-tight end formation a handful of times and mostly in short-yardage situations.
In the first quarter against the Packers, Garrett used a three-tight end formation on play Nos. 7, 12 and 14. All three were runs with Marion Barber or Julius Jones plowing their way up the middle for a combined 11 yards.
On play No. 19 – a second-and-8 from the Green Bay 26 in the second quarter – Garrett had Jason Witten, Tony Curtis and Anthony Fasano on the field once again – this time, with a variation. On the previous three plays, Witten went in motion and ended up in a fullback spot. On this play, he held his ground.
At the snap, Romo faked a handoff to Julius Jones, temporarily freezing the linebackers. As Witten ran down the middle of the field, Romo kept his eyes on the Pro Bowler, forcing safety Atari Bigby to commit that way. Cornerback Jarrett Bush, playing zone coverage, was expecting Bigby to help deep on his side. But with Bigby inching toward Witten, Fasano got deep behind Bigby to grab the first touchdown pass of his career.
"Hopefully, you're practicing things you want to run in a game and guys get an understanding of that," Garrett said. "But the first 15 plays are an indicator of things we want to get to and things you're going to see in the game."