Decoding Garrett - Week 16 - Data - At New York

The Cowboys seasons have ended in somewhat similar fashion over the last several years. Admittedly, the records have been different and the details do vary some, but it seems that invariably, when the season does end, it ends in a way that is reminiscent
of Cowboys' failures past.

Since Tony Romo's bobbled hold in Seattle, each subsequent season ender was decided with the Cowboys offense looking at its lineman as a major culprit and what should be a major objective moving forward.

In 2007, it was an offensive line that did not hold up in the 4th Quarter against a strong Giants' front. Most damaging indictment was on the game's final play that the go-to receiver, Jason Witten, was forced to stay in and help block so Tony Romo was not sacked to end the season. In the aftermath, concerns of the offensive line were everywhere.

In 2008, losing 3 out of 4 in the month of December ended a tumultuous year. Down the stretch, with losses in Pittsburgh, at home against Baltimore, and at Philadelphia, the line crumbled again. Before December, the Cowboys allowed the 8th fewest sacks in the league. But after December 1, no team in the NFL allowed more sacks than the Cowboys did (13). The concerns with the offensive line where there for all to see.

IN 2009, the Cowboys had a wonderful year along the offensive line. Without question, it was the finest year of pass protection and run production the organization has had in the last decade. All went according to plan until they advanced to play the strong front of the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome in the divisional round of the playoffs. 6 sacks later, the Cowboys were bruised, beaten, and eliminated. Anyone who watched that game would be hard pressed to suggest the Cowboys line did their job very well.

In 2010, the breakdown happened earlier in the season, with Tennessee sacking Romo 6 times as once again Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis looked old and slow. 2 weeks later, Romo was lost for the season as the Giants were able to slam him to the turn and break his collarbone. Any doubt about the OL's pass protection ability was difficult to confirm with sack totals, because they only allowed 31 the whole season. But, observers started to see that Jason Garrett was continuing to alter these totals with play calling. Short passes, many behind the line of scrimmage, were his best remedy for pass protection breakdowns. If Romo (or his healthy QB) could get rid of the ball before his OL was beaten, they could keep any stretchers from being needed.

And in 2011, with the season on the line, the season collapsed again in December. The team was 7-4 entering the final month of the year and had allowed only 20 sacks in 11 games. At times, it was preventive play calling and at other times, the offensive line started to show that it was getting better with many new, young components. Tyron Smith, Phil Costa, and Bill Nagy were now starters and team put an incredible amount of faith and belief in their ability to protect and form holes for the running game.

But, then came December, where only the Chicago Bears allowed more sacks to their QBs than the Cowboys allowed. 19 sacks in 5 games (and countless others escaped by Romo), and a running game that plummeted to 25th in the league due to an injury to DeMarco Murray and the line unable to get a push against the tough lines in New York and Arizona.

It is the same old situation at the moment of truth. An offensive line that does not protect and serve, but rather an offensive line that prevents the offense from having enough time and space to get the ball to its difference makers. One shudders to think what Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith would have been able to accomplish if Tony Romo's offensive lines were to replace the fabulous lines of the 1990s.

Nowhere is this more apparent than against familiar divisional foes, especially on the road. In 8 home games, the Cowboys allowed 11 sacks. In 8 road games, they suffered 28. And now that we established the problems in December and the problems on the road, we understand how tough it is going to be when they have to play a December game on the road against the New York Giants.

A few weeks ago, we discussed at great length the "game plan for road games" that Jason Garrett has used. I encourage you to review that piece that originally ran after the game at Arizona. Since 2008, when the Cowboys face a road test against an opponent with a notable defensive front, Garrett enters the game with very little faith in his line (for obvious reasons). He then attempts to protect them by calling almost no run plays (save for shotgun runs on 3rd and long to get his punter some space) and no pass plays that require time and protection. It is a series of quick outs, screens, dump downs, and a passing offense that cannot stretch the field.

This actually can work, but only if the team stays on schedule. If it ever gets into a 2nd or 3rd and long (which will happen often), then he has no choice but to ask his protection to hold up so that the Cowboys can move the chains. This risks his QB to taking another beating and invites blitzes and stunts to expose the line yet again. The Cowboys switch to almost exclusively shotgun, and the defense can then replace its run stoppers with more cover guys and Romo's job gets even more difficult.

Garrett tried 5 traditional runs on Sunday from under center in the entire game. Five. And then, because the score had tilted against him at 14-0, the only other run play from under center tried for the remaining 3 quarters was the horrible QB sneak in the 4th Quarter that never had a chance. Basically, the Cowboys OL never fired forward the entire night. They backed up in retreat as they attempted to keep the crumbling pocket alive for another second.

So, given the cycle of repetition we are seeing year after year, where the offense can go as far as the line can take them, we can debate whether Garrett should show more faith in his offensive line or if he is just doing what should be done with his play calling. But, what can't be argued (I wouldn't think) is that the Cowboys must continue to make the OL its top priority. They are wasting the prime of a difficult to find QB who can play at a very high level by not providing him the protection in key moments like many of the successful QBs in this league enjoy.

Put another way, it appears you can have all of the skill players in the world assembled, but unless you can figure out a way to protect your QB, it won't matter.

Data from Week 16 at New York

Run-Pass	15-44
1st Down Run-Pass	7-21
2nd Down Avg Distance to Go	7.88
2nd Down Run-Pass	5-13
3rd Down Avg Distance to Go	7.58
3rd Down Run-Pass	2-10
3rd Down Conversions	4-12, 33%

HTML Tables

From a play calling standpoint, despite wanting balance in the offense of run/pass, it is clear that in similar road settings (at New England, at Philadelphia, at Arizona, at New York) the Cowboys abandon the run in the 1st Quarter. Regardless of score, there is no reason a team cannot stick to their game plan better unless they realize they have no chance to run the ball in running situations.

Drive Starters - 1st play of each drive can often reveal the intent of a coach to establish his game plan.

Wk 1-At New York Jets: 13 Drives - 5 Run/8 Pass
Wk 2-At San Francisco: 10 Drives - 4 Run/6 Pass
Wk 3-Washington: 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 4-Detroit: 14 Drives - 7 Run/7 Pass
Wk 5-At New England: 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 6-St Louis: 11 Drives - 8 Run/3 Pass
Wk 7-At Philadelphia - 9 Drives - 2 Run/7 Pass
Wk 8-Seattle - 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 9-Buffalo - 10 Drives - 7 Run/3 Pass
Wk 10-At Washington - 14 Drives - 4 Run/10 Pass
Wk 11-Miami - 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 12-At Arizona - 11 Drives - 3 Run/8 Pass
Wk 13-New York - 12 Drives - 7 Run/5 Pass
Wk 14-At Tampa - 10 Drives - 5 Run/5 Pass
Wk 15-Philadelphia - 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 16-At New York - 12 Drives - 4 Run/8 Pass
Total: 181 Drives - 79 Run/102 Pass 44% Run


Here is the breakdown by groupings:

Before you study the data below, I would recommend that if the numbers for the groupings are unfamiliar, that you spend some time reading a more expanded definition of the Personnel Groupings here.

Totals by Personnel Groups:

Package	Plays Run	Yards	Run	Pass
11	1	0	1-0	0-0
12	4	13	1-1	3-12
13	0	0	0-0	0-0
21	3	2	1--1	2-3
22	3	9	3-9	0-0
23	0	0	0-0	0-0
S01	0	0	0-0	0-0
S02	2	4	0-0	2-4
S11	45	259	9-44	36-215
S12	1	8	0-0	1-8
Knee	0	0	0-0	0-0
Totals	59	295	15-53	44-242

Table Tutorial

Totals by Personnel Groups on 3rd/4th Down:

Package	Plays	Yards	Run	Pass	FD/TD
11	1	0	1-0	0-0	0/0
12	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
13	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
21	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
22	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
23	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
S01	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
S02	1	-8	0-0	1--8	0/0
S11	11	38	2-14	9-24	4/0
S12	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
Totals	13	30	3-14	10-16	4/0

Table Tutorial

Just look at how bad the offense was on 3rd Down when the pass protection is most vital. 10 passes for a total of 16 yards is horrendous. If you want one explanation, it is because Tony Romo knows he will not have a chance to go through his reads without a large defensive end trying to put him in the hospital. His eye level is down making sure he doesn't get blindsided instead of seeing his receivers down field. And it is tough to blame him too much.

SHOTGUN SNAPS-

Shotgun snaps are fine on 3rd Down and in the 2 minute drill. But, we track this stat from week to week to make sure the Cowboys aren't getting too lazy in using it. They are not efficient enough to run it as their base, and with a 15%/85% run/pass split across the league, there is no way the defense respects your running game.

Wk 1 - NYJ: 24/66
Wk 2 - SF: 32/66
Wk 3 - Wash: 27/62
Wk 4 - Det: 29/75
Wk 5 - NE 31/67
Wk 6 - StL 10/60
Wk 7 - Phi 39/49
Wk 8 - Sea 19/59
Wk 9 - Buf 15/61
Wk 10-Was 24/73
Wk 11-Mia 25/58
Wk 12-Arz 29/67
Wk 13-NYG 28/58
Wk 14-TB 26/67
Wk 15-Phi 39/66
Wk 16-NYG 48/59

Total - 445/1012 43.9%


As you can see, the Cowboys were as one dimensional as it gets. Lots of shotgun is never good for a team. It usually says it is the final chance and they are well behind in the game. Last time the Cowboys ran so much shotgun? When Jacksonville crushed them in 2010.

==================

Next week, we will publish the season totals and look at things from a larger perspective for the 2011 campaign.

And please email me at Sturm1310@aol.com if you have questions that I may clarify in an upcoming email blog.

The Morning After: Giants 31, Cowboys 14 (8-8)

Anytime there is a full and complete collapse - such as going 1-4 to finish the season - it would be much too simplistic to single one portion of an organization for ridicule and public identification.

Rather, for the 2011 Dallas Cowboys, we must look in all sorts of directions. And we must wonder, after a very disappointing 8-8 campaign, how long things will continue in this general direction before the Cowboys can break out of this franchise-worst drought of playoff futility and return to its formerly usual spot with the heavyweights of the NFL.

Once upon a time, the Cowboys organization set the pace for excellence in the league. Playoff regulars and a team that amassed division titles, playoff wins, and Super Bowls for much of the first 35 years of its existence has now hit such a drastic wall that nearly every fan of the team can recite the horrible facts:

In 15 years, the Cowboys have 1 wildcard playoff victory. One. That's one more than the Muncie Flyers and the Canton Bulldogs, but given that those teams folded shortly after World War 1, that would clearly not be a very large consolation.

The Cowboys have hit the wall of resistance nearly every season at a similar time. Usually right around the holidays is where the Cowboys take a promising start and wither under the bright lights of the holiday season, as it did in 2011. Dallas was 7-4 after Thanksgiving and looking ahead at a December that included 2 games against very poor teams (Arizona and Tampa Bay) and 3 divisional wars, with 2 of those games on their home field in Arlington.

And yet, a 1-4 finish has the fan base as frustrated as ever that once again their team cannot put together results at the time of year where teams either load up for a title run or go home with tears streaming down their face. This Cowboys team is going to need a lot of tissue.

So, where does one properly place the blame? One could easily suggest the better question is where does one NOT place the blame?

The Dallas Cowboys organization has not passed the test yet again for a myriad of reasons. And, with all due respect to Emmitt Smith, mental toughness is well down the line. Emmitt might think that mental toughness is the sole explanation for a team not rising to the occasion in a place like New York like he did in 1993, but, Emmitt played on a team that had many Hall of Fame caliber players and depth that amazed any observer. Mental toughness is a great tie-breaker when talent is equal, but in this space, the premise is that the Cowboys have some very impressive top end talent, but not nearly enough strength on their roster to win a game like the contest that was asked of them on Sunday Night in New York.

There is a theory around these parts that Tony Romo has a bad December record. This would make sense if he was playing tennis or golf, but in football it doesn't compute. Yet, he will deal with the blame again. The reason for this is that it is an easy narrative that allows people (even national "experts") to simplify an extremely complex conversation down to one talking point that can be easily shared at a water cooler with coworkers. In football, that usually means that one either blames the coach, the quarterback, or both. And while they should certainly share the blame for another failure, there is no way that they should bear full responsibility for yet another Cowboys mess. Not even close.

This team fails in December for one primary and simple reason: The roster doesn't contain the quality personnel that is required to sustain the assaults of a 16-game campaign in the NFL.

Think about it: When does the team fail? December. In a 4-month season, which month would best reveal your depth and quality down the roster that can compensate for fatigue and injuries? December. The truth is that the Cowboys have enough talent on the top of their roster to compete with some of the best teams in the league. Romo, Ware, Witten, Austin, Ratliff are a very solid "Top 5". Bryant, Lee, Murray, Smith, and Jenkins are a reasonable 6-10 on a roster. But, then the drop-off begins on the roster. And if the season was just 8-10 games long, they would likely be able to hang in there. Any Cowboys historian will confirm that the team certainly gets to Thanksgiving in great shape nearly every season. So, what changes? Is it really that turning the calendar to the month of December is what makes a magical spell fall over Romo and the team where they can no longer compete?

Good teams in the NFL have quality from 1-10, but also from 11-53, too. When fatigue strikes Jay Ratliff, they have a player behind him who can bridge the gap. If Ware is being double-teamed, someone else can rise up. When the line is under siege, a solid veteran can do a reasonable job and protect his QB. The good teams have enough quality on their roster that they can construct a solid team effort for the regular season. Sure, they count on their stars to perform, but beyond that, there are starters and reserves that never find a magazine cover that do their job admirably.

December is when we find an offensive line that cannot allow Romo time to throw. Last night, the Giants drove the Cowboys OL back into their QB again and again. And why would this surprise anyone? The Eagles did, too. So did the Cardinals. And the Giants 3 weeks ago. As a unit, the Cowboys OL failed again. And to show you their contributions as attrition took its toll, the Cowboys allowed 6 sacks in September, 9 in October, 5 in November, and 19 in December.

6 sacks last night in the biggest game of the season matches all of the sacks allowed in 2 other months of the season. Simple explanations will smirk at another Romo failure, but anyone who follows the NFL knows that teams don't win if they get sacked 6 times. The league is 8-49 in the last 3 seasons when a QB is sacked that often. 14% win percentage says all you need to know.

It would sure be great to blame injuries for the OL breaking down, but that would be difficult to do. The team had perfect health at tackle this season, and the interior of the line was ignored by the GM all season. Most NFL observers would suggest that the Cowboys OL was exactly what they thought it would be. Poor. It offered the team an inconsistent running game and horrendous pass protection as the season built to its climax.

And, then there is the defense. A change of coordinators and schemes disguised the truth for a period of time. But in the end, we see the truth again: The personnel on the defense has some top-side talent (Ware, Ratliff, and Lee) but not enough to compensate for a unit that has weaknesses in many other spots. Putting tape on a shot-gun wound will cause many to blame Rob Ryan, but I would love to see what coordinator could make sense of what he was given. No offseason. No upgrades. No help from the draft. No expenditures. Just take the worst defense in franchise history and fix it with your magical formula. Good luck, Rob.

The truth appears to be this: The Cowboys have relied on those trusted top end players for years and have seen the same results - good seasons, but generally no years that have been good enough. The premise that Romo, Ware, Ratliff, and Witten can drag this team up and down the field with so many passengers is just nonsense. The title contenders in this league are not 5-strong. They are 53-strong.

Look at this history of Cowboys draft picks sometime. You will see the horrible truth that Bill Parcells and his crew put the top of this roster in place. And the rest of the roster is a product of his last draft (his worst) and every draft since. The sum total of the 2006-2011 drafts right now on this roster is minimal. The should be the spine of the roster. Instead, here is what the last 6 drafts have yielded that were present and accounted for last night in New York:

2006: Jason Hatcher (edit 1/3)
2007: Anthony Spencer, Doug Free, Alan Ball
2008: Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, Martellus Bennett, Orlando Scandrick
2009: Stephen McGee, Victor Butler, John Phillips
2010: Dez Bryant, Sean Lee, Sean Lissemore
2011: Tyron Smith

48 picks. And I just put a list together of 7 starters and 7 reserves. Many are disappointments and have never come close to reaching their potential. But, when you have 53 players on your roster and 22 "starters" you simply must do better than this. None of these 48 picks have threatened to knock Ratliff, Ware, Romo, Witten, or Austin out of their perches at the top of the roster yet. Lee, Smith, and Bryant may soon. DeMarco Murray shouldn't be forgotten. But, Spencer, Jones, Jenkins, and Bennett are all disappointments from where they were taken in the draft.

This is not a Tony Romo, Jason Garrett, or Rob Ryan issue. They should share in the blame, but this largely remains a Jerry Jones issue. He has built a stadium that can host a Super Bowl. But he sure hasn't built a roster that can play in one.

Players play. Coaches coach. And the General Manager is fully responsible to make sure his team is 53-strong. Playing a Giants team in a winner-take-all scenario on Sunday Night revealed a similar result that a showdown with the Eagles in 2008 and the Vikings in 2009 demonstrated: This organization is a long way from being where their fans are used to being back in the glory days.

The GM thought that Phil Costa and Derrick Dockery could hold off the Giants front after believing that Bill Nagy and Montrae Holland were the answers. The GM thought that Keith Brooking and Bradie James could patrol the middle of the field and that Anthony Spencer could get to the QB in a game that mattered. The GM thought Terence Newman still had it and that no real personnel upgrades were required on that defense in the offseason.

And he was wrong again.

Are you tired of hearing that Jerry the owner should fire Jerry the GM and overhaul how this team selects its players? You should be. Despite a few respites when Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells selected players (neither of which were perfect, but check their batting averages), Jerry and his crew have failed to assemble anything more than a team that rides its few star players right into the ground as they try to navigate around the replacement-level players that Jerry has assembled at every other spot on the roster.

He is banking on you blaming Ryan, Romo, and Garrett again. And he is banking on you buying $340 tickets again next season.

It will be interesting to see if or when the public will have had enough of his fantasy camp routine. Yes, it is his toy. But, much like a restaurant owner that wants to be chef, he will still need people to eat his meals.

This franchise is broken and it is not getting better. Another showdown against a beatable division rival showed you all you should need to see. Assuming the last 15 years didn't already provide enough evidence.

2011 BaD Radio Podcasts

12/30/2011 - Episode #140

 The Christmas Tradition - the Air Jordans Reports, The voice of the Bruins' Jack Edwards interview, Steve Ott responds to the Jack Edwards interview, and the final screenless of 2011.


12/9/2011 - Episode #139

White Elephant Day coverage,  Donovan's awesome tickers, a Corby  prank about TC not being able to use the new parking garage , adult film star Rachel Starr, and personal life talk with Corby, Bob, Norm, and Sean Bass - then, screen less.


12/2/2011 - Episode #138

Bob Costas and the Sandusky interview (Slap, Slap, Slapping Sound), Newy and Terrell Owens fight on Twitter, the story of TC being sent to drug school.


11/25/2011 - Episode #137

The barbershop solves the JFK mystery, Dan's Thanksgiving, new Stars owner Tom Gagliardi, and an interview with Gary Bettman that proved quite attitudinal and controversial.


11/18/2011 - Episode #136

George defends his honor and the honor of the Musers guest bookings, Bob talks about the safety of Lewisville and apartment living, and a very odd amount of Tim Tebow talk.


11/11/2011 - Episode #135

he scandal at Penn State, News of feet washing ashore in Vancouver and Rick Perry/Barack Obama audio, and Magic Johnson HIV barbershop conspiracies.


11/4/2011 - Episode #134

 8 Billion People live on Earth, Craig Rosengarden Audio (again), and the boys discuss the episode about Tom Landry - A Football Life.

10/28/11 - Episode #133

Derek Holland interview from dugout after his near shutout -  George Dunham call's into BaD Radio - talks about being in St. Louis and Rangers being in World Series - CJ Wilson audio/bragging montage -  Brett Hull interview talks about being at World Series game 5


10/21/11 - Episode #132

Rangers win ALCS - I told you so's - Derek Holland's great game - Josh Hamilton talk - ALCS montage World series preview - Audio from ALCS - McCarver "Moneyball" and BaD World Series songs


10/14/11 - Episode #131

 Bob is back! - Honduras story #1 - 40 days there - beard talk - getting back in the swing of things - Coming to America for Justin Bob's Honduras story #2 - Things learned on the trip - Justin not knowing his own age - Power/government of Honduras Bob Honduras story #3 - Process of getting a passport/immigration visa for Justin - Justin getting a shot at the Doctor in Tegucigalpa.



10/07/11 - Episode #130

  Reaction to the Rangers ALDS win - Tampa organization talk - Napoli and Beltre, audio from the broadcast about Matt Harrison - JD talk - So good to see how the franchise has grown - Talk about the Tom Seaver interview - the awkward liner to end the interview - screenless


9/30/11 - Episode #129

 Rhads cries over Mike Modano's speech - Modano thanks all the media except for Rhadigan;  GBL pay off - green man suits at the Rangers game - Bob calls in from Honduras - talks about the long process and trying to kill time - screenless


9/23/11 - Episode #128

  Moneyball talk - Thoughts on the film - Dan thinks there are some serious inaccuracies - compare movie to the book Mark Followill filling in for Bob - station history - The Ticket Full Disclosure book - Mike Modano retires - audio when Modano was first drafted - Cowboy's talk Bob calls in from Honduras - talks about being in Honduras - flight being cancelled - a lot of bugs


9/16/11 - Episode #127 

 Funny banter - Dan needs a handy man to help do things around the house - Dan got a flat on the way to a dinner and had to changed a tire with help from Donovan Gibby Haynes interview - talks about his dad - plays a song clip of gibby singing dancing queen - talks about being in a band with Jonny Depp - TC ask about nude tennis;  Moneyball talk - get to see movie before it opens - audio from movie trailer Bob calls in from Honduras - His crazy week in Honduras


9/09/11 - Episode #126

  Ed Bark interview, Audio from Cowboys game - Michael Irvin in broadcast for color commentary (sounds like he's doing an 8:40 bit) - funny Irvin audio Mark Followill's play-by-play practice while basketball is in a lockout - doing play-by-play - Screenless - Bob calls in from Honduras - update on how the adoption process is going


9/02/11 - Episode #125

 Troy Aikman interview  GBL - Daniel Johnston - The devil in Daniel Johnston Documentary - TC wins Ebrake for the awkward end to the interview/asked Daniel Johnston to sing and he ends the interview Bob calls in from Honduras -


8/26/2011 - Episode #124

   Quick hit on Little League World Series - Dan's big news story - Kindergarten teacher in Murphy - Bob is leaving to go adopt a child from the Honduras - should be gone 4 to 6 weeks - talks about the some of the process of the adoption - talk a little bit about fight night


8/19/2011 - Episode #123

Most Eligible Dallas new tv show - talks about the different people on the show - Matt Nordgren was a UT quarterback - World Class Tragedy: Story of the Von Erichs - audio from the documentary - talk about the family and all the siblings that have passed - WWF Youtube video - audio of Knox City football - caller about Jerry Jones - Bob gives TC a hard time for having to do the weekly podcast the same night as top ten -


8/12/2011 - Episode #122

  Deion Sanders make the Hall of Fame - Story about what happened when Dan tried leaving San Antonio - Dan's car would start - Kid's wanted overhead light on - Triple A sent a truck to Houston instead of Houston Street - Couldn't get the part until the next morning - Next day audio Dan recaps story Bob's secret project - Bob wrote a book - About the 2011 Dallas Mavericks -  Screenless - Audio of Sean from Diamond Talk (taking calls goes bad/technical chaos on the board)


8/05/2011 - Episode #121

Cowboys training camp pop culture quiz - pop culturally bias quiz for the players - Dan has Jake and TC write white young questions and Donovan used black questions - LOL Comedy Club - Dan, Donovan, and Rhyner went to open mic night - audio from Donovan's stand-up (hurricane joke series) - Dan's stand - up (gay not bad, unless on youporn) Screenless - getting ready for fight night - thoughts on cowboys camp


7/29/2011 - Episode #120 

  The ticket Softball game against women's college softball team - beat the college girls - dan planking/owling at quiktrip park - dan bought a pitcher of beers for the softball girls - kid's begging for hat/shirt/towel - the way the ticket hats/shirts fit - jake doesn't think owling/planking is cool - $1 beer Audio bag - Spot during Rangers game that is driving Dan crazy (uverse commercial) - Rontina audio sent in from p1 (bad pronunciation of andre gurode) - NASCAR prayer auto-tuned (thanks God for his smokin' hot wife) Mike Modano interview - grass is always greener (big hockey city and media vs. media not bothering you) - talk about surgery - tv shows - golf Screenless - old 800 line - party pass at cowboy's game


7/22/2011 - Episode #119

Ralph Strangis - Stars play-by-play guy - wrestling announcer before stars - was on the TV show Press Your Luck 1983 - PYL Strangis audio Review of Breaking Bad - - Jake/TC about It's Just Banter - breaking down the GBL - 12 mins in still haven't broken down one guest - two hour long podcast - audio from podcast Trey Channey - Poot from the wire


7/15/2011 - Episode #118 Part 2

 Each and Every Dirk Nowitzki's visits with Bob and Dan - Part 2: All of the Dirk interviews from 2007-08 until 2010-2011.


7/15/2011 - Episode #118 Part 1 

TC uses a vacation week to offer this: Each and Every Dirk Nowitzki interview from over the years with Bob and Dan - Part 1 - All of the Dirk interviews from  the very first one way back in 1999-2000 until 2006-2007.


7/8/2011 - Episode #117

TC gets kicked out of the Rangers clubhouse, Emily Jones does a bit with Mike Napoli, and the GBL season blasts off with the draft for the 2011 season.


7/1/2011 - Episode #116 

 Game of Thrones Talk, Bob's Birthday offers his H.S. basketball coach visiting the show, and a great game show at the Nice Look Barbershop.


6/24/2011 - Episode #115

the Tom Grieve batting challenge, the boys explain the origins of drops, Jim Knox joins us at the ballpark, and Ask Sports Sturm.


6/17/2011 - Episode #114

The Mavericks Win the NBA Title!  Stories from the bowels of the arena, talk of the game, and celebration talk.


6/10/2011 - Episode #113

NBA Finals 2011 featured a media guy vs LeBron battle, Some writer in Houston takes on Bob, and Bob makes a sports media power ranking list.


6/3/2011 - Episode #112 

 Lisa Miller - some chick who worked for Cumulus Miami, Game 2 of the NBA Finals talk and sound, and interviews with Heat fans.


5/27/2011 - Episode #111

 Mavs win the Western Conference Finals, Oprah does her last self-indulgent show, and Donovan talks to the locals of Oklahoma City - trailers vs apartments.


5/20/2011 - Episode #110

 The world's most interesting man is in studio, Jimmy Goldstein, Twiggy talks bull fights in Spain, and Aqua Man talk as a preacher falsely claimed he was a Navy Seal.


5/13/2011 - Episode #109 

 Scoops Callahan visits Phil Jackson at the legendary coach's last ever press conference, tons of follow-up on the controversy Scoops caused, Donnie Nelson is in studio (including the awkward Robert Traylor incident), and Dan has 2 emails - rehab talk and BaD Radio curse.


5/6/2011 - Episode #108

 Death of Osama Bin Laden, Bob does Mike Doocy's show on the night of the story breaking,  we have a real Navy Seal in studio - Clint Bruce, and screenless.


4/29/2011 - Episode #107

Dan sees Petty theft, Dan attempts to predict Norm's plays and does the name game, and the kid who catches home runs at the Rangers games.


4/22/2011 - Episode #106

  Steve-O joins us in studio, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski joins us at the SMU Athletic Luncheon, Dan orders parfaits in Cleveland, and audio of the week including Donovan on a roller coaster.


4/15/2011 - Episode #105

One legged Stars fan, a review of Norm McDonald's sports show, and the guy who sings a Cowboys song.


4/8/2011 - Episode #104

Calling South Bend after the Aggies take down the Irish for the Women's Basketball title, a Steve Ott contest goes all wrong, Quick Magazine, and screenless.


4/1/2011 - Episode #103

  Quite possibly the first BaD Radio Sports Movie Review as they examine the movie Hoosiers, Ralph Strangis wants to review the movie Surviving the Game, and on Opening Day, Donovan sings the 2011 song and we are joined by Rangers expert Emily Jones.  Also a Twitter discussion about the accounts of George Dunham and Dan McDowell.


3/25/2011 - Episode #102

Bill Simmons joins us from the SMU Athletic Luncheon, Deion Sanders is on our phone, and the Musers Campout 2011.


3/18/2011 - Episode #101

 St Patrick's Day Call to Ireland, Bracket Dan 2011, and Bob gets all fired up about the 30 for 30 on Michigan's Fab 5.


3/11/2011 - Episode #100

Bob Knight says crazy things on the same day that Pat Knight got fired, Killer Kellison makes his own podcast, and Donnie follows through on a claim that he can eat an entire box of Captain Crunch, and audio on Bob's powers of predictions.


3/4/2011 - Episode #99 

  Dan's Birthday Guests - Jamey Newberg and Carl Big Daddy Hairston and another amazing edition of Ghetto Jeopardy.


2/25/2011 - Episode #98 

  The awesome conclusion of another year of Homer Call of the Year as Homer Bowl XI goes down, more audio from Dwaine Caraway, a nice Ticketstock visit with Craig Luwdig including his amazing ability to consume beer, and screen less.


2/18/2011 - Episode #97

 Shawn Ryan from the Shield, Stars Roadtrip 2011 has Razor joining us live in Edmonton, and plenty of bits from Canada including Tom talking to cabbies about very inappropriate subject matter and the Gabby Urinator.


2/11/2011 - Episode #96 

  the controversy as the Prince Super Bowl party goes south on Chris Arnold, Audio from Dwaine Caraway on the Musers as Richard Hunter advocates for Michael Vick's dog, the Packers win the Super Bowl and screen less.


2/04/2011 -  Episode #95

  BaD Radio broadcasts from Radio Row at the Super Bowl in Dallas at Super Bowl 45, interviewing Miles Austin, the Wayans brothers, Herschel Walker with Alistar Overeem and Joe Montana. Plus Intern James.


1/28/2011 - Episode #94 

 The boys do the show from Mavericks practice and have a double-dip with Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki, then Dan finds tapes of old station stuff on the 17th anniversary of the station with historical Ticket audio and special guest Mike Rhyner.


1/21/2011 - Episode #93

 a long and fascinating visit with Charles Haley, the MLK twitter controversy which includes a battle with Sean Bass, and BaD Radio's visit with an Aaron Rodgers expert who happens to call into the show.


1/14/2011 - Episode #92 

 BaD Radio reviews a big Dan bit involving the suit bet and the potential return of the Crow line, has a programming meeting and says what's on their TiVo with regards to placing all of their favorite shows into historical tiers.


1/07/2011 -  Episode #91

BaD Radio reviews Dick Clark's performance New Year's Eve, goes through the first wildcard round of the Homer Call playoffs, and talks about the Capitols v Penguins HBO series 24-7.

X's and O's Breakdown - The Twist Stunt

According to NFL Statistics, the Dallas Cowboys are right about at the league average when it comes to preventing sacks. This season, the Cowboys have allowed 33 sacks on their QB, with the league average being 35 for the season. As a point of reference, Buffalo and Tennessee lead the league with just 21 sacks against, and St Louis and Arizona are the league worst, allowing their poor QBs to be sacked 52 times each. It has not been fun to be Sam Bradford.

But, there are so many reasons to ignore this statistic as a rule. I hear people all the time trying to suggest the Cowboys are a strong team in pass protection because they don't allow that many sacks. But that doesn't account for many items that cause sacks allowed to be misleading.

Such as, how many sacks is the QB saving with his mobility? How many 3 and 5 step drops are being called by offensive coordinator because he doesn't trust protection? How many RBs and TEs are staying in to help out OL because of fear of the OL's ability to be able to hold the pocket?

None of these considerations are found when we discuss sack totals, but all of them affect the number. If the object of the game is to prevent sacks, it would be easy for a coach to avoid almost all of them. But, the object of the game is to score as many points as possible, and that can usually only be done by risking your QB on occasion. Max protection can often keep your QB clean, but it dramatically reduces the chances for your receivers to cause coverage issues for the defense. Only 2 players in route? Way to easy to bracket with corners and safeties over the top. A truly difficult offense to handle has 4-5 targets out in route on most passing plays. They spread you out, invite a blitz, and then burn you quickly.

Which brings us to our breakdown from the Philadelphia game - a play that on the official game sheet reads like this, "(9:57) (Shotgun) T.Romo pass incomplete short middle to M.Austin [J.Babin]. Pass incomplete on crossing pattern; Hughes closest defender at the Philadelphia 45."

That's right. What could have been the most pivotal play of the season for the Dallas Cowboys has almost no statistical bearing whatsoever.

It reminds you of this play from 2010: "(12:20) T.Romo pass short left to M.Austin to NYG 29 for 14 yards (T.Thomas) [M.Boley]. DAL-T.Romo was injured during the play. His return is Questionable. Pass complete on comeback curl.

That, of course, was the play where Tony Romo was lost for the year due to Chris Gronkowski not reading and picking up a blitz from Michael Boley. Romo's collarbone was broken, and 2010 was completely gone down the tubes.

This demonstrates 2 important truths. 1) Sacks only cover a fraction of pass protection and 2) The Season can be rocked from its foundation on any play of the season if you get your QB hit too hard.



Click Here to see full video of this play.

Let's analyze this play from the perspective of the Philadelphia Eagles. First, they realize that Sammy Morris is in charge of blitz pickup on 3rd Downs. This is a far cry from Felix Jones or DeMarco Murray. They have been in Dallas since training camp and getting familiar with all of Dallas' protection concepts since installation. Morris was signed off the street a few weeks ago, and while most running plays are easy for him to comprehend, complex protection situations will be the last to come along.

Next, the Eagles surely have studied how Arizona sacked Tony Romo 5 times. Those sacks came off multiple attacks of Phil Costa and the interior of the Dallas OL. Not necessarily his anchor issues (which are substantial), but rather his awareness and ability to see something in pre-snap, but then adjust at the last second to an ambush blitz. Stunts and blitzes are starting to overwhelm him, and the Eagles are smart enough to see that trend and mimic it.

So, look at the picture at the top of the blog. The Eagles are showing Jason Babin-93 out wide of Tyron Smith at RT again in his "wide 9" technique. The possibilities of them taking a player this wide and stunting him all the way to the opposite "A" gap (between Costa and LG Holland) seems so remote and ridiculous that I highly doubt the Cowboys even considered it a concern.

Then, look at the safety 26-Jarrett start deep and then creep to the outside of Babin. This will be the focus of Sammy Morris on blitz pick up, and will occupy all of his attention. Thus, now the Eagles have a 3 on 3 situation. They will take 50-Matthews (MLB) and 98-Patterson (DT) and send them both away from center. Matthews will attack the RG (Kosier) and Patterson will attack the RT (Smith). This occupies them and leaves Babin to swing all the way around their backs. But, he won't dive inside Costa to his right shoulder, because Costa is already headed that way to get Matthews.

Instead, as the 2nd picture clearly reveals, Babin shows his insane athleticism and heads to the left side of Costa. Costa must hear Kosier or Smith call out this stunt and then slide over to Babin. If it is covered correctly, Costa slides to Babin, Kosier slides to Matthews, and Smith still has Patterson.

That same picture shows Kosier is falling backwards, so if Costa does leave Matthews, then Casey will get to Romo, but it won't be with as much speed or size as Babin. Costa has to leave his guy and get the unblocked sack leader. It is highly possible the blame falls to Smith for not calling out what is going on, but you can understand at the NFL game, audio alerts are certainly not fool-proof in loud stadiums.

And now, below, you see the horrible result. How Romo stays relatively healthy after this hit is truly a smile from the football gods.



And there you see the issues involved with pass protection. You tip your cap to the Eagles for finding a concept that gets a free run on Romo, and you try to make sure it doesn't happen again. Trouble is, a few plays later, with McGee in the game, a similar stunt from Trent Cole runs right by Costa and hits McGee in the mouth, too. Teams are attacking the middle with great regularity now that they see it is a tough spot for the Cowboys to defend.

And today, in a dark room, the Giants are looking at this play and taking careful notes.

Decoding Garrett - Week 15 - Data - Philadelphia

When a team decides to throw its game-plan in a trash can and allow its 3rd string QB and 5th string RB to play the rest of the game against a divisional opponent that appears to be playing hard, well, there is just very little we can draw from it in terms of learning about the Dallas Cowboys offense.

Instead, it allows us once again to reflect on the importance of the Quarterback position in the National Football League. We all know how important it is to have one of the good QBs in the league, but perhaps we again saw it come into focus on Saturday. One twist stunt blitz from the Eagles defense and Tony Romo was knocked out of the game by Jason Babin.

That speaks about 2 things: 1) that teams are attacking the interior of the Cowboys offensive line and we should expect more and more of that until Phil Costa and whoever is playing guard next to him demonstrate an ability to sort through the confusion quick enough to pick up the right guy (and at the very least don't let one of the best pass rushers in the sport hit your QB untouched). And 2) how fragile this whole house of cards is for every team in the league. You might be rolling along nicely in your season and one snap later it is laying in a pile on the turf and your year is in the trash bin.

A team must find a QB it can get production from and then use all of its resources to keep it upright. And the Cowboys flirted with disaster in a giant way against the Eagles and it looks like they may have lived to talk about it. We shall see if Romo can be effective on Sunday night at Met Life Stadium in New York.

Meanwhile, let us reflect for just a moment on what we were forced to breakdown from Saturday. Here is a list of games in the "Romo Era" (2006 to present) where the Cowboys had fewer than 240 total yards in a game and the results. Please pay special attention to the QB who was on the job in each situation:

Date	Opponent	Total Yards	QB
12/24/11	L Phil	238	McGee
11/07/10	L GB	205	Kitna
11/02/08	L NY	183	Johnson
10/26/08	W TB	172	Johnson
12/30/07	L Wash	147	Johnson
12/25/06	L Phil	201	Romo

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As a point of comparison, there were 20 such games between December, 2000 and 2006 (or between Aikman's last game and Romo's first). So, the fact that there have only been 6 games in the last 6 seasons and 5 of them was when Romo was hurt does again speak volumes about the importance of having a QB and then having an offensive line that allows him to do what he does.

I have always had optimism about Stephen McGee as a prospect for the squad. Part of it is founded in being amazed at his toughness and magnetism as a QB in the college ranks and part of it is hoping the Cowboys did not waste another premium draft pick when they took him as the top pick of the 4th Round in the 2009 draft.

But, aside from demonstrating arm strength for the NFL level, it has been hard to see reasons why the Cowboys should stop shopping for an understudy and potential successor to Romo in Dallas. McGee plays a very conservative style of QB with constant check downs and allows the defense to creep closer and closer to the line of scrimmage which makes his check downs even less productive. A theory would be that he has been coached to not show aggression when he is called into a game but rather drive the bus carefully between the curbs and just don't throw interceptions. If that is how he is being coached, then he is doing that well, but that is not helping his stock around the league as a QB prospect of note.

I assume the Cowboys know what they have there, and either they will make him a clear #2 in 2012 or they will cut him loose and begin the process again. Because McGee's contract will come due soon and at that point you will have to have a clear feeling on what you have this many years into his career. It did speak volumes that the Cowboys left camp feeling they still needed Jon Kitna in 2011, despite Kitna having lost his ability to throw the ball down the field and to the sidelines years ago.

Anyway, 238 yards will seldom win anything in the NFL and the Cowboys can thank the injury gods for having mercy on Romo's hand.

Here is the data from Week 15:

First, the Quarterback throw chart. Blue shows completions, red are incompletions, and yellow touchdowns. This week's chart is a bit different, because we have a few Romo throws (black) and everything else will be Stephen McGee throws. Also, I left last week's chart below for anyone that has a hard time appreciating the starting QB around here, they can compare back and forth.

QB vs Philadelphia


QB at Tampa Bay


As you can see, the depth of the throws may not be as different as you might think. It is the accuracy and the quick decision making. McGee still really struggles to pull the trigger when he is in the middle of the play, whereas a veteran QB knows what he wants to do as he is dropping back. Way too many red throws that close the line of scrimmage for McGee against the Eagles.

Data from Week 15 vs Philadelphia

Run-Pass	23-43
1st Down Run-Pass	12-14
2nd Down Avg Distance to Go	8.95
2nd Down Run-Pass	9-12
3rd Down Avg Distance to Go	8.82
3rd Down Run-Pass	2-15
3rd Down Conversions	6-17, 35%

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This shows you how bad the Cowboys offense can do when it gets behind schedule. Not since Week 7 at Philadelphia have the Cowboys done such a poor job on 1st Down where they faced 8.95 yards to go on their 21 2nd down situations. Then, they barely improved their spot by 3rd Down where they had to deal with 8.82 in 17 3rd Down situations. This makes you 1-dimensional, predictable, and highly susceptible to blitz situations. A very poor combination.

Drive Starters - 1st play of each drive can often reveal the intent of a coach to establish his game plan.

Not much can be learned from Saturday's data here, either. The Cowboys started their 1st 2 drives with runs to Felix Jones, but after that, there is no discernible pattern about their intentions.

Wk 1-At New York Jets: 13 Drives - 5 Run/8 Pass
Wk 2-At San Francisco: 10 Drives - 4 Run/6 Pass
Wk 3-Washington: 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 4-Detroit: 14 Drives - 7 Run/7 Pass
Wk 5-At New England: 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 6-St Louis: 11 Drives - 8 Run/3 Pass
Wk 7-At Philadelphia - 9 Drives - 2 Run/7 Pass
Wk 8-Seattle - 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 9-Buffalo - 10 Drives - 7 Run/3 Pass
Wk 10-At Washington - 14 Drives - 4 Run/10 Pass
Wk 11-Miami - 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 12-At Arizona - 11 Drives - 3 Run/8 Pass
Wk 13-New York - 12 Drives - 7 Run/5 Pass
Wk 14-At Tampa - 10 Drives - 5 Run/5 Pass
Wk 15-Philadelphia - 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Total: 169 Drives - 75 Run/94 Pass 44% Run


Here is the breakdown by groupings:

Before you study the data below, I would recommend that if the numbers for the groupings are unfamiliar, that you spend some time reading a more expanded definition of the Personnel Groupings here.


Totals by Personnel Groups:

Package	Plays Run	Yards	Run	Pass
11	1	-8	1--8	0-0
12	9	38	6-15	3-23
13	2	8	1-4	1-4
21	6	-1	4-8	2--9
22	9	50	8-37	1-13
23	0	0	0-0	0-0
S01	0	0	0-0	0-0
S02	8	32	0-0	8-32
S11	26	108	3-24	23-84
S12	5	11	0-0	5-11
Knee	0	0	0-0	0-0
Totals	66	238	23-80	43-158

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Some amazingly unproductive results from the "under center" offense in this game. I have to believe the Giants will not even look at this film as the Cowboys had all of the conviction that they would in a game in mid-August.

Totals by Personnel Groups on 3rd/4th Down:

Package	Plays	Yards	Run	Pass	FD/TD
11	1	-8	1--8	0-0	0/0
12	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
13	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
21	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
22	1	0	1-0	0-0	0/0
23	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
S01	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
S02	4	21	0-0	4-21	1/0
S11	8	63	0-0	8-63	3/0
S12	3	11	0-0	3-11	1/0
Totals	17	87	2--8	15-95	5/0

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SHOTGUN SNAPS-

Shotgun snaps are fine on 3rd Down and in the 2 minute drill. But, we track this stat from week to week to make sure the Cowboys aren't getting too lazy in using it. They are not efficient enough to run it as their base, and with a 15%/85% run/pass split across the league, there is no way the defense respects your running game.

Wk 1 - NYJ: 24/66
Wk 2 - SF: 32/66
Wk 3 - Wash: 27/62
Wk 4 - Det: 29/75
Wk 5 - NE 31/67
Wk 6 - StL 10/60
Wk 7 - Phi 39/49
Wk 8 - Sea 19/59
Wk 9 - Buf 15/61
Wk 10-Was 24/73
Wk 11-Mia 25/58
Wk 12-Arz 29/67
Wk 13-NYG 28/58
Wk 14-TB 26/67
Wk 15-Phi 39/66

Total - 397/953 41.6%


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Overall a very difficult game to look at, but the Cowboys clearly did not have any regard for the game, so we shouldn't either. It is all or nothing in Game #16.

And please email me at Sturm1310@aol.com if you have questions that I may clarify in an upcoming email blog.

The Shaky Lines Again Determine Fate Of Cowboys

With Week 17 upon them, the Cowboys are left to nurse their wounds and prepare for the game that will determine their narrative for 2011. After 15 games, some of them of the most excruciating variety, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves at a fork in the road that could take memories of this season in either direction when we look back at it.

It could include a divisional crown - albeit in a rather flimsy division this year - that will also be rewarded with a home playoff game against an opponent that will be beatable and from there who knows? Or, it will be a season in which the Cowboys lose the division by losing 4 of the final 5 games of the season and flunking the test by every metric available in their first full season under head coach Jason Garrett.

And while some will fixate on Tony Romo's role in determining this outcome (and his cumulative record in the month of December) or the obvious ability for the secondary to show they can at least slow down Eli Manning, in this spot, let's consider another alternative determining factor in this game and the season as a whole.

The offensive and defensive lines will once again decide whether the Cowboys have made adequate progress from where they have been to where they want to go.

And while that is not tantalizing enough to stimulate the networks to even discuss it - surely, there is another Romo or Jerry Jones debate we can run into the ground, right? - the fact remains that the Cowboys once won championships because they were the superior team at the line of scrimmage. And here, for years, this organization has not properly built an offensive or defensive line that requires an inordinate amount of concern for their opponents from week to week.

With one game to play, we are left to review the job of the team to assemble these units and we find that once again the organization seems to undervalue the "big uglies".

Why else would they leave camp with the idea that Phil Costa, an undrafted center entering his 2nd year, and Bill Nagy, a 7th round rookie, were capable of starting in the NFL? Nobody would debate the wisdom of turning over the offensive line as last year's crew was far below a passable grade for a line that had so much salary invested, but to replace them with unregarded and untested kids who never "won" a job rather than simply being handed it is certainly befuddling. The responses are always that Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis needed to be replaced. And that is absolutely true. But, only if you have a proper understudy who is ready. And while Colombo has been switched out for a rookie in Tyron Smith who looks the part of a regular for the next decade, he is the only young lineman who has demonstrated the ability to play at even an "average" level of performance.

The rest of the kids; Costa, Nagy, Kevin Kowalski, and David Arkin are not ready to provide anything above replacement level performance. Costa is the regular from the group, and profootballfocus.com has him rated as the 31st best regular center in the NFL. Overall, his performance level has been unacceptable all year, and much of that can be attributed to the Cowboys putting way too much on his young plate before he was ready. Nagy's unfortunate leg injury in New England resulted in the Cowboys signing Montrae Holland - a player they had cut a month earlier - from off the street and he immediately improved the overall play of the offensive line. Kowalski seems to be a reasonable reserve option, but as another un-drafted free agent rookie, needs time in the weight room to grow to evaluate whether he can make a living at this level. And that leaves Arkin, who the Cowboys invested a 4th Round pick in this past April (which makes him easily the most regarded of the 4). The rookie guard has yet to even be active for a game in his 1st year in the league. Given the needs at guard this year, that reality seems to speak rather loudly about his current state of performance.

So, when the OL is being tossed around by New England, Philadelphia, New York, or even Arizona, one must recognize that the Cowboys did much of this to themselves. Did they need a shakeup from the 2010 crew? Yes. Did they need to try to replace 3 of the 5 starters at the same time with nothing available but a batch of rookies who were almost completely unregarded besides Smith? And now, with the season hanging in the balance, they must face the formidable Giants front with Holland now out. This brings on Derrick Dockery, who the Cowboys opted for over Brian Waters back in September, to save the day at Left Guard.

Basically, they took a unit that was substandard in 2010 and did not add a single veteran until the regular season had started at which they signed two older players who were on the street. They cut 4 veterans and replaced them with undrafted free agents. And we wonder why the unit is in shambles in late December?

The defensive line took a group that last year looked to Jay Ratliff to make most of their plays and as a unit also needed an injection of change. They lost Stephen Bowen to Washington and beyond that brought back almost the exact same group. They did change out one spare part in Igor Olshansky for a low investment in the veteran Kenyon Coleman. It is a group of bodies that occasionally make a play, but more than anything they lean hard on Ratliff week after week for any real impact.

And when Eli Manning goes back to pass 50 times in a game, the Cowboys often look to DeMarcus Ware to provide any and all of their sacks. They certainly have the right to ask more of Anthony Spencer, but from the investment in their defensive line, they are receiving roughly what they invested in it. Very little.

That is the point to this all. As the networks will discuss Romo and Garrett, and as the Cowboys offer another long-term contract to a defensive back or wide receiver, the franchise seems to pay too little attention to what most football lifers will tell you is the most important department on a team - the lines.

And now, in the most important game of the year, they will enter a division battle against a beatable team, but one that will be more likely to run the ball and protect their QB. Also, the Giants will be more likely to get sacks and plug holes on defense, too.

Win or lose, for the advancement of the franchise, perhaps we should spend less time on the lazy narratives and focus more on the guys that matter up front. For this team to truly return to the top of the league, they will need to get their lines fixed. And that will take both time and money.

We return you now to the previously scheduled discussion about the QB's record in December.

Time to Start Anew

It was properly pointed out to me yesterday that the Rangers and Mavericks, while both having the most successful years in their franchise's history, look at the upcoming "Opening Days" in their respective sports with entirely different viewpoints.

From a Rangers' viewpoint, they aspire to get 2012 going as soon as possible in an effort to go get what they feel is rightfully theirs. However large the odds are, you can understand the premise of thinking 2010 and 2011 need to be avenged and the only way to do that is to actually WIN the World Series this summer. Pretty high bar, but I already know baseball fans who are chomping at the bit to get after it. That is what finishing 2nd for 2 consecutive years will do to a fan.

But, the Mavericks view seems a bit different. At least from a fan perspective on the radio airwaves, it seems that the new season is not wildly anticipated. You wonder, in the minds of those fans who so badly wanted the NBA title last season, if given a choice Mavericks fans might vote to have the offseason go even longer before having to put that heavyweight title belt back in play.

It is fun being champion, but while the defense of that cherished crown officially begins on Sunday, many can't help but grimace at the thought of the title being somewhat conceded when the Mavericks brass decided to pass on the Tyson Chandler sweepstakes.

I know, I know. Lamar Odom is here. Vince Carter (gulp) is here. Heck, even Delonte West is here (you cannot write this stuff). But, if I am going to trumpet the title being largely due to dynamic attributes that Chandler brought to the table and his undeniable fingerprints on the Larry O'Brien trophy, then I think it would be beyond foolish to then argue that his exit will not be felt at the very core of what made this team special.

And that is why statistics cannot fully be trusted when you try to articulate what he meant to the Mavericks title. 10 points and 9 rebounds? Nice, but hardly irreplaceable. And yet, as the Mavericks enter the new year, I am convinced that the team is trying to find a plug for a irreplaceable hole. He was that important.

Protecting the rim. Attacking the rim. Calling a team meeting. Picking up a teammate. Sticking up for another. Giving everyone in his team's jersey muscles they didn't have when he wasn't around. Maybe the best example of how great he was here was on full display in the NBA Finals. Brendan Haywood left the finals in Game 2 with an injured hip. He did not play in Game 3, 5, or 6, and played just 3 minutes in Game 4. This put the team in an enormous pickle, especially given the number of times that Wade and Lebron attack the rim. No backup center? Chandler had to remain aggressive in his defense of the paint, but he also had to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor. That was a very tall order as guys who are trying to avoid foul trouble seldom can maintain their aggressive style. Tyson did it on the biggest stage and did it very, very well. Certainly he did not get the headlines from that series that some of his mates did, but his impact was clear to all around the series.

I don't believe Mark Cuban or Donnie Nelson would debate Chandler's impact to the title. Everyone knows what he meant to the squad, especially them. But, when it came time to marry their 2011 championship roster through 2015 or "keep the powder dry" under the new collective bargaining agreement, they opted for the latter. We will only know if they made the right call in a few years. Actually, maybe we will never truly know, because we can only guess what the 2011 Mavericks would have been able to do in defense of their own crown. Instead, Chandler is in New York. JJ Barea is in Minnesota (also not offered a long-term deal). And DeShawn Stevenson is off to New Jersey.

But, they are banking on having all of the cap space in the world available and thus will be able to go shopping at the finest stores in free agency this summer. One can only hope that the stores aren't all sold out of franchise players when the Mavericks arrive with a full wallet on July 1st. That is the gamble they are willing to take, so it is certainly a reasonable plan to let them prove they were correct to follow their guts. They certainly did not take the easy path at this fork in the road. I can't imagine anyone would have questioned them for bringing Chandler and Barea back. But, not bringing them back sets them up for 2nd guessing for at least 7 months and possibly years and years.

Meanwhile, the franchise embarks on one of the remaining years of Dirk Nowitzki's prime with a team that can be anywhere between pretty good and really good. Anyone who can project what losing Chandler, Stevenson, and Barea and adding Carter, Odom, and West can look like before we see it on Sunday is smarter than I am. I wonder if there is enough defense, rebounding, rim protecting, leadership, and of course, with Carter, are there even enough basketballs to go around?

The team certainly looks versatile and exciting. But, last year when the squad needed a stop, they could put a very impressive defensive 5 on the floor at the same time. Now, they are missing that last, and most vital piece of the mix. The guy who can protect the paint. Haywood will no doubt be sold as a suitable stand-in, and only time will tell. To this juncture of his Mavericks career, one might suggest that those flashes of paint domination have been rare and without regularity.

One of the other notes of interest is how the Mavericks squad that certainly has experience and age in abundant amounts can deal with the very unique circumstances of 2011-12. Usually, a champion must deal with the "short summer" and tired legs because of all of the playoff miles. That is completely taken off the table here with well over 2 months added to the summer vacation due to the lockout.

A 66 game schedule should help an aging team. But, compacting those games in a much tighter window should hurt. 20 back-to-backs will test depth and health, and that is why one should be pleased with how much depth they have assembled.

So, how good will the Mavericks be? Great question. The West is as competitive as ever, but the top end might be a bit lighter than usual. The Lakers and Spurs both appear to be flawed as well. The Clippers have to show their quality on the court, and that leaves upstarts like Memphis and Oklahoma City to prove that they can take that next step. All of these facts may argue that maybe the band should have been kept together, but as they used to say, "there is no point crying over spilled milk".

The Mavericks are ready to bravely defend their title with an all-new group. What makes it particularly odd is that this group may all just be passing through before the new, new group assembles for 2012-13. This is the new NBA, and we should all get used to it. Shorter contracts and less roster continuity seems to be one of the effects of the new CBA.

Whatever. The banner goes up on Sunday. And an irate Wade and LeBron will be watching and preparing to try to make a bold statement with the basketball world watching.

How good will the Mavericks be?

As someone who said "Portland in 6", my predicting rights have been revoked.

We shall all find out together on Sunday.

How I spent my summer vacation

This Year Is Different is a new ebook about the 2011 Dallas Mavericks World Championship from Diversion Books. A free sample of the book is available at their website, and the ebook can be downloaded on any e-reader instantly. The book is currently #1 on Amazon.com for basketball books.

The last year has been a truly memorable 12 months for many of us in the sports world. And for me, it was absolutely highlighted by the NBA title won by the Dallas Mavericks in June. The story itself was more than any one team winning a championship, as there are many teams who have won titles and several who have won many titles. Winning it all is special, but it certainly doesn't make it rare.

What made it rare was the way they won it. Against all odds. Against any logic from the experts. They figured out a way to win the trophy while ignoring any available templates. They really did it their way.

That is why the idea occurred to me on the airplane returning from Miami in June to write a book about the Mavericks championship. I had never written anything close to that length (the book spans roughly 100,000 words) and the idea to write the book may demonstrate my general naivety about how books are supposed to be written. Accomplished authors are no doubt supposed to take on these gigantic projects, not newbies like me. Nevertheless, this idea in my head kept talking to me, and therefore, a few days after the title was won, I started writing.

Before long, I reached out to Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban about his interest in such an idea. I did this partly because I knew he could appreciate the idea of making sure there was some sort of historical record and partly because I had no idea how to get a book published. He has a knack for getting things done, so I thought he was the one unique guy in the world to make it all happen. He told me, "Go for it. And do it fast." Without fully knowing what "fast" meant for a book, I did just that. Popped open my laptop at the kitchen table and attempted to document what I thought was one of the best sports seasons a fan could ever hope to enjoy.

Without knowing for sure how much time it took to write this book, I feel rather confident to say that it required every waking hour from the time the parade ended until early August, I was writing and writing and reading and watching and doing everything to write this record of an amazing year with an outstanding team that we may never see again. I knew that every day we removed ourselves from June 2011, that memories were going to become weaker.

The motivation was simply this - I wanted to try to preserve that feeling of elation on the page as well as humanly possible. To a sports fan, when you are in the moment of a championship that you never thought you would actually enjoy, you go out of your mind with happiness, but you slowly lose perspective. You lose the idea of what is normal and what is rare. You buy your championship t-shirt and you take pictures at the parade, but some setting in your head instantly moves to whether or not you can repeat as champions and what it would take to re-sign this guy (Tyson Chandler) or acquire this free agent (Dwight Howard) or that one (Chris Paul). As rare as the moment was, it then vanishes into thin air and sports continues on whether we are ready or not.

Years later, the details fade from your memory and the specialness of it all sometimes escapes your mind. Maybe Tyson Chandler signs in New York and suddenly your mind attempts to rationalize that losing him won't be so bad. Before long, you have talked yourself into forgetting how important Chandler was to the entire operation. It doesn't matter how true it is. The fact is that as fans we all have a coping mechanism when we lose players that we really loved to watch.

That is why I wanted to take on this massive project. One could make the case that surely someone else, who has written a book before and was embedded with the team all season, would be far more qualified to write this record. But, I wasn't going to wait around and hope that they wrote it. I also wasn't going to hope that they would remember it like i did. I had to do it myself.

So, the process for my project was likely different from others. I talked to everyone that I could think of on the team and around the team as soon as possible. Some of the members of the story literally spent hours with me. Their generosity with their precious free time made it possible to capture in the book the perspective from the inside. Trainers, equipment guys, P.R. staff, coaches, broadcasters, and of course, the players.

Now, the player-interview process was a bit complex because of the NBA lockout that started at midnight on July 1. This meant that any communication with players after that date would not be assisted by the team. Usually, when you wish to visit with a player, a member of the media relations team with the Mavericks will coordinate the conversation according to the insane schedule of the player in question. For instance, I visited with Jason Kidd while he was grocery shopping in Phoenix. He had an hour to talk as he stocked up on food and pushed a shopping cart.

But, by July 1st, I had not been able to get with the main character of the book, Dirk Nowitzki, to find an opening in his schedule. If you recall, his late June schedule was nothing short of fast and furious, as he celebrated on late night television, parades (on 2 continents), and just living his "life achievement" as you hoped he would. Selfishly, I hoped he would work me in before the lockout, but it didn't happen. I then pondered the prospect of writing a book without visiting with the main character. I didn't like that reality, but, I was too far down the road with the book to stop now. I would have to figure something out perhaps without talking to Dirk.

And then, I was hit with a stroke of good fortune as someone close to me found Holger Geschwindner's email address. Holger, of course, is Dirk's personal coach and agent and is headquartered back in Germany. I took a shot, and he advised me that Dirk would be back in town before heading to the ESPY awards around July 10. He even offered me Dirk's email, and before long I was able to spend 90 minutes with Nowitzki that pushed the book from strong to quite strong. He is the reason why this story is so phenomenal. It is a story about a lot of people, but in the end, if there was no Dirk in this story, it would be just another title.

The reason I wanted to write this book was because it proved that sometimes the boyhood sports dream can come true. He showed up as just a boy, and those of us who have followed his career in Dallas know that we saw him grow up over the course of the last 13 years into a grizzled veteran who learned that all of the points and dollars would not take away his burning desire to be a champion. That day in July he told stories of every step along the way that I asked him about. I tried to put every last morsel in the book in some way shape or form. He put himself out there for all to see on the road to victory which took him through prolonged trips in agony and defeat. And now that he stood atop the mountain, if only for a short time, I wanted to make sure that those who want to would always remember that moment in time as he saw it.

I have no idea if I will ever write another book. It seems a lot like running a marathon in the "bucket list" category of life. When you are done, you are proud of what you showed yourself you could do, but you also realize how many hundreds of hours you just spent doing it. I suspect, if I do, that I will need my editor, Ken Daley, right next to me. For it was Ken that helped a blogger look like an actual author. His work was phenomenal and now I see how vital the right guy in that spot can truly be.

Right now, the book is only available in "E-book" form. That means anyone with a Kindle, Nook, IPad, PC, or Mac can read it, but those who desire a physical copy will have to wait a bit longer. But, my dream is that it becomes a keepsake or memento for those who lived one of their happiest sports moments last spring with Dirk and the boys. The links above will even take you to a free sample where you may read the first few chapters at no obligation.

But regardless of which medium you use to read it, if you loved the story, I really hope you will have a chance to read it. This season is here, and it will bring its own excitement and headaches, victories and defeats, but I am willing to bet you will never see another season like the Mavericks year in 2011. A year that was truly different.

Decoding Garrett - Week 14 - Data - Tampa Bay

As a big fan of the English Premiership (Soccer), I am reminded of a certain fan song that comes to mind when the Cowboys get healthy against an opponent of Tampa Bay's caliber. The lyrics go something like this:

"Can we play you? Can we play you? Can we play you every week?"

Clearly, football would be a lot easier if you only played teams that had almost no offense or defense in terms of talent or resolve. And we should give the Cowboys credit for realizing this opportunity and being able to put Tampa out of its misery rather early in the contest. This allowed for time on the sidelines for key figures of the team and a relatively easy night on the injury front.

Philadelphia and New York stand ahead on the road to the playoffs and it would be foolish to expect anything similar from those two rivals, but this was a good opportunity to demonstrate the vast improvement that the Cowboys have enjoyed offensively since the half-way point of the year.

Back on November 10, we spent a fair amount of time focusing on the Cowboys offensive metrics from the 1st half of the season.

Despite some reasonable personal performances, as an offense, the Cowboys had very little team efficiency. That simply means that for all of the yardage they would accumulate, there would not be a proper amount of corresponding points from that hard work.

In that story, we detailed the 3 things that make an offense inefficient: Turnovers, 3rd Down conversions, and Red Zone efficiency (how many Touchdowns are you scoring from your red zone trips).

Well, in the 2nd half of the season, the Cowboys have really picked up the pace in those categories. The giveaways from the offense have been under proper control, as Romo has 4 Interceptions in the last 10 games.

But, let's look at the other two that are seldom talked about, but so very important.

On 3rd Downs, the Cowboys through 8 weeks were well below the NFL average on the "money down". At 35.4%, they were down in the bottom third of the league with some of the least productive and talented offenses in all of football. This is an especially frustrating truth as we believe the Cowboys have elite talent at many of the skill positions and should not be underachieving in this department. With all of the weapons on the field at the same time, you would like to think that Garrett and his troops could convert as they should - well above the league average of 38%.

Now, in weeks 9-14, the Cowboys have dominated the money down. Romo threw all 3 of his touchdowns on 3rd Down on Saturday night in Tampa Bay, and after going 34-96 in the first half of the year, the offense has converted 34-73 in the last 6 games. That percentage sits at 47% and has raised the season mark to #11 in the league and at 40%, is now above the league average.

And now, let's update that all-important "red zone efficiency". Back before the Buffalo game, we marveled at the Bills start, but also cautioned people about falling in love with Buffalo because they were converting almost every red zone chance in to 7 points. This stat can cover a large number of faults if every time you make it inside the opposing 20, you leave with 7 points. However, if that well ever dries up, the team's wins will, too.

The Cowboys had a 4-4 record and many of their problems were linked to many yards but then red zone bog-downs at the most important point of the field. Leaving with a field goal will cost you games.

So, let's look at the improvement: Through 8 games, the Cowboys sat at 38% (10-26) in converting those drives into Touchdowns. Given that the league average is 52%, this was maybe the most disconcerting statistic of them all. The Cowboys ranked 31st in the league - higher than only Tampa Bay. Unacceptable.

But, weeks 9-14 have been great in this regard. The Cowboys have been to the red zone 21 times in the 2nd half of the season and have found the end zone 13 times (59%). That type of conversion rate for the entire season would rank them in the Top 5 of the league. They are finally punching in these plays and once again it comes back to the play of Romo in these tight spots, because only 1 team in all of football has fewer rushing TDs from inside the red zone than the Cowboys. Dallas has 4, and Cleveland has just 3.

I do think it is fair to point out that while we do laud Romo's hot streak and the idea that getting all 3 Top WR options on the field at the same time is stressing secondaries, one thing we are not looking at is how the offensive line has improved. They are still a long way from being a strong OL, but they are much improved. In my personal opinion, the replacement of Bill Nagy with Montrae Holland has been one of the more underrated upgrades of the year. Nagy broke his leg in the New England game, and the overall performance of the offensive line has shot up in almost every category since the veteran castaway was plugged in before Game #6.

Now, let's look at the Tampa Bay numbers.

First, the Tony Romo throw chart. Blue shows completions, red are incompletions, and yellow are his 3 touchdowns. As you can see, here, the Touchdowns were all almost identical in the roll right throws.



Data from Week 14 at Tampa Bay

Run-Pass	35-32
1st Down Run-Pass	18-10
2nd Down Avg Distance to Go	6.47
2nd Down Run-Pass	15-6
3rd Down Avg Distance to Go	7.61
3rd Down Run-Pass	2-11
3rd Down Conversions	7-13, 54%

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The numbers that jump out at you are the phenomenal jobs on 1st and 3rd Down. Facing an average of 6.47 on 2nd Down is off the charts. Also, the Run/Pass splits are impressive, but those are quite affected by the score at halftime. They did run plenty, but most of it was in the 2nd half, so don't be deceived by that 18-10 run/pass on 1st Down.

Drive Starters - 1st play of each drive can often reveal the intent of a coach to establish his game plan.

The Cowboys were 5 run and 5 pass on their drive starters in Tampa, but started with passes on 4 of the first 5. Again, the score affected the balance for the full game. But make no mistake, Jason Garrett came out with great aggression against Tampa - something we have challenged him to do more on the road games where he is usually quite conservative. This was not careful passing, this was downfield passing with attack as the intent.

Wk 1-At New York Jets: 13 Drives - 5 Run/8 Pass
Wk 2-At San Francisco: 10 Drives - 4 Run/6 Pass
Wk 3-Washington: 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 4-Detroit: 14 Drives - 7 Run/7 Pass
Wk 5-At New England: 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 6-St Louis: 11 Drives - 8 Run/3 Pass
Wk 7-At Philadelphia - 9 Drives - 2 Run/7 Pass
Wk 8-Seattle - 11 Drives - 4 Run/7 Pass
Wk 9-Buffalo - 10 Drives - 7 Run/3 Pass
Wk 10-At Washington - 14 Drives - 4 Run/10 Pass
Wk 11-Miami - 11 Drives - 5 Run/6 Pass
Wk 12-At Arizona - 11 Drives - 3 Run/8 Pass
Wk 13-New York - 12 Drives - 7 Run/5 Pass
Wk 14-At Tampa - 10 Drives - 5 Run/5 Pass
Total: 158 Drives - 70 Run/88 Pass 44% Run


Here is the breakdown by groupings:

Before you study the data below, I would recommend that if the numbers for the groupings are unfamiliar, that you spend some time reading a more expanded definition of the Personnel Groupings here.


Totals by Personnel Groups:

Package	Plays Run	Yards	Run	Pass
11	1	1	1-1	0-0
12	10	95	7-69	3-26
13	1	2	0-0	1-2
21	10	33	5-18	5-15
22	19	78	17-67	2-11
23	0	0	0-0	0-0
S01	3	14	1-1	2-13
S02	1	7	0-0	1-7
S11	22	169	4-6	18-163
S12	0	0	0-0	0-0
Knee	1	0	1-0	0-0
Totals	67	399	35-162	32-267

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Totals by Personnel Groups on 3rd/4th Down:

Package	Plays	Yards	Run	Pass	FD/TD
11	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
12	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
13	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
21	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
22	1	0	1-0	0-0	1/0
23	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
S01	2	13	0-0	2-13	1/1
S02	1	7	0-0	1-7	0/1
S11	9	58	1-1	8-57	3/1
S12	0	0	0-0	0-0	0/0
Totals	13	78	2-1	11-77	4/3

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3 Touchdowns on 3rd Down? There are not many games during a season where that will happen. Those 3 plays in particular were a thing of beauty from Romo and the offense.

SHOTGUN SNAPS-

Shotgun snaps are fine on 3rd Down and in the 2 minute drill. But, we track this stat from week to week to make sure the Cowboys aren't getting too lazy in using it. They are not efficient enough to run it as their base, and with a 15%/85% run/pass split across the league, there is no way the defense respects your running game.

Wk 1 - NYJ: 24/66
Wk 2 - SF: 32/66
Wk 3 - Wash: 27/62
Wk 4 - Det: 29/75
Wk 5 - NE 31/67
Wk 6 - StL 10/60
Wk 7 - Phi 39/49
Wk 8 - Sea 19/59
Wk 9 - Buf 15/61
Wk 10-Was 24/73
Wk 11-Mia 25/58
Wk 12-Arz 29/67
Wk 13-NYG 28/58
Wk 14-TB 26/67

Total - 358/887 40.3%


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Overall, the offense appears to have found its game again in the last 2 performances. The scoring and yardage are both at levels that tell us they are finally seeming to come together.

As we said, the true tests will be ahead, but from a confidence standpoint, it is easy to practice this week knowing that they are locked in pretty well and capable of being efficient and productive.

These are very good signs from the 2nd half of 2011.

And please email me at Sturm1310@aol.com if you have questions that I may clarify in an upcoming email blog.