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February 2008
Categories
Movers and Shakers Pre-season Texas Stadium dallasnews.com
Sports Blogs |
Here's a look at how the Cowboys deployed their offensive personnel in Sunday's win over the Vikings: 1 RB/1 TE/3 WR ('11' personnel): 28 of 71 snaps (18 first half/10 second half) WHAT IT MEANT: Faced with the best run defense in the league, the Cowboys' coaches seemed to have a pretty good idea that lining up man for man and trying to bang it up in there would be an exercise in futility. And that's why you saw so many three-receiver sets, and they weren't just to throw the ball. Twenty-five percent of the Cowboys' 28 called running plays were out of '11' personnel. The results? Seven carries, 58 yards. The reason why is because by putting three receivers out there, Dallas forced the Vikings into a nickel defense, in effect creating a "light box" with just six linemen/linebackers in there. So basically, the three-receiver sets worked not only to give Romo an extra threat on the outside, but also open things in the running game against a stout front. In all other personnel combinations, by the way, the Cowboys rushed for just 66 yards on 21 carries. |
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Comments
Posted by JR @ 4:09 PM Tue, Oct 23, 2007
I've never understood why more teams don't run out of the 11 formation, especially inside the 5 yard line. Then again, why would you have Anquan Boldin behind center on the most important play of the game?
Posted by Kevin @ 4:50 PM Tue, Oct 23, 2007
Do you think WHEN Terry Glenn gets back that wecould seesome 4 wide with Witten as a 5th receiver at TE...I could see T.O, Glenn, Crayton, Hurd, and Witten being a powerful pass offense.
Posted by AdamJT13 @ 9:40 PM Tue, Oct 23, 2007
Albert,
I'm assuming that these are personnel groupings only, not formations, correct? In other words, if Jason Witten is split wide, you still counted him as a tight end, right?
Any chance you could break it down by personnel AND formation next time? For example, how many times in the 12 personnel did we have one or both tight ends lined up wide?