The Cowboys offense I picture with Dan Campbell and Tony Romo would make a defense pay for crowding the line.
I want a running game that makes defenders commit, and then watch as Romo goes after the space left behind. With Sean Lee running the defense, that’s the team I see us getting from the coaching staff I picked in my last article.
Campbell is the reason I would go with that approach. Having him in charge, we should expect Dallas to be able to spread a defense out and still run the ball, protect the ball long enough to take a shot and stay aggressive getting the first down.
Romo would choose the calls, but Campbell would have a say in what this team spends its week getting good at.
Run It Back to Cowboys 2014
Romo had DeMarco Murray behind in 2014 and an offense that ran the ball early and often. Scott Linehan said Jason Garrett made restoring the ground game a priority when he hired him.
I doubt Romo has forgotten how easy his job was when a defense had to take Murray seriously.
Bill Parcells and Sean Payton were part of his development before Garrett and Linehan. Payton praised Romo’s understanding of where to go before the snap. To me, that points toward an offense that gives the quarterback room to recognize a favorable matchup and change the play.
With Campbell and Marc Colombo involved, I see Dallas getting good at a few runs and using different formations to keep coming back to them. I want Romo to abandon a play because he’s called it four times. Make somebody stop it first.
Once a linebacker starts leaning towards that run, Romo can use the same backfield action and throw it behind him.
I like Jason Witten helping design a tight end route through that opening, with Miles Austin working out how the receivers give enough room in that area or give the quarterback another option if the coverage changes.
Romo and Campbell Don’t Have to Substitute
Two tight ends would be a regular part of my offense, if we have two tight ends worth putting on the field.
I like moving a tight end from beside the tackle into the slot to give the quarterback a chance to see how the defense moves. Most of us know a linebacker following him gives clues about the coverage and a possible matchup. If the defense spreads out, run it down their throat.
Will Grier could work through the reads with him between possessions while Romo prepares the next series, and if Colombo sees a tackle struggling, it should affect the next call.
I would rather keep a tight end to help or get the ball out quicker than waste time with another play while watching the same blocker get beat.
Campbell’s fourth-down approach gives Romo more to work with. He’s talked about situations in Detroit where he already planned to go for it on fourth. That means a four-yard completion on third-and-6 has value when Romo knows he’s got another play.
I want to hear that those types of plays were planned together, with Campbell making the decision early enough for Romo to use it.
Don’t Give Away First Down
Sean Lee played in Rob Ryan’s 3-4, moved into Monte Kiffen’s 4-3 and spent years under Rod Marinelli.
My starting point is a four-man front that can hold up against the run. Greg Ellis and Ernie Sims would need the defensive line and linebackers working from the same mindset of where the ball should go.
A lineman getting penetration doesn’t help much if he leaves a gap open and the linebacker expects him to be there.
That is what I’d take from Marinelli: players handling their assignments and finishing tackles. If Dallas keeps allowing five yards on first down, Lee has to account for everything in the offensive playbook on the next play. A two-yard gain lets the pass rushers play.
Lee also lived through a difficult adjustment to Kiffin’s defense. Even as a player as intelligent as Lee, he still needed time. I think the experience of adjusting would matter when he’s teaching a linebacker who hasn’t picked something up as quickly as expected.
Make the Quarterback Look Twice
Terence Newman played for Mike Zimmer with three different teams before joining his staff. Zimmer valued coverage knowledge and the details he noticed on tape.
I like when teams show both linebackers near the line because it makes the protection pay attention to pressure that may never come. Threatening the gaps by the center can move the protection in and leave the edge rusher one-on-one.
That gives DeMarcus Ware something to work with when he and Lee put the rush plan together.
Lee could bring both linebackers, drop them into coverage, or send pressure from a totally different place. Newman’s job would be to take away the quick throw a quarterback wants against that look. The coverage just has to buy enough time for the rush to get home.
My preference would be to force that extra look while rushing four. Keeping seven defenders in coverage gives Lee more help taking away the first throw. This would also let Lee have an extra rusher when the matchup looks good.
With Campbell in charge, I’d expect Dallas to stay aggressive with a fourth-quarter lead. If the defense crowds the line, let Romo throw for the first down. I’m tired of watching an offense spend three quarters trying to score and the fourth trying to survive.
Dan Campbell and this coaching staff would be fun to watch. Seeing what kind of product we would get on the field would just be half the fun. Watching a Cowboys team be as aggressive as Campbell’s Detroit Lions would be a nice change of pace for fans.
Was this helpful?
Comments