Rams need to play smart and angry. Playoffs are not like a regular season game. Refs let them play with intensity.
What Cowboys Fans Are Saying
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I noticed there is a general feeling among opposing fans that if you stop Gurley you stop the Rams. Of if you let Gurley go off the Rams will score at will. That isn't always the case.
Remember that Monday night game against the Chiefs. Gurley was hurt early and became pretty much a non factor. Rams scored 54 points.
On the flip side against Denver Gurley rushed for over 200 yards. The Broncos seemed determined not to let Goff beat them even at the expense of Gurley going off on them. They score 23 points which matches their second lowest scoring output and lowest in the first 12 games.
You can go all out to contain Gurley. But the Rams have two solid receivers in Cooks and Woods. An improving receiver in Reynolds who has some size to go with his athletic ability. Then you have a very athletic tight end in Everett who tends to get overlooked. I wouldn't be surprised if he sees more touches in this game.
Gurley is definitely a major piece to the offense but they are very capable of making plays if you take him out of the equation. And taking him out of the equation puts you at risk of sacrificing other areas.
We know the defense has looked bad at times. But there is one thing they do well. They create turnovers. And we all know what usually happens to the team that loses the turnover battle. And how do we know they won't turn it on in the postseason? They have plenty of talent to do that. Sometimes the cream rises to the top.
That guy who broke down the offense and defense focused on the bad. Every team has some bad to them. But like one poster said, they were 13-3 not 3-13.
There's usually a reason for a team to win that many games. That reason is because they are good.
Remember that Monday night game against the Chiefs. Gurley was hurt early and became pretty much a non factor. Rams scored 54 points.
On the flip side against Denver Gurley rushed for over 200 yards. The Broncos seemed determined not to let Goff beat them even at the expense of Gurley going off on them. They score 23 points which matches their second lowest scoring output and lowest in the first 12 games.
You can go all out to contain Gurley. But the Rams have two solid receivers in Cooks and Woods. An improving receiver in Reynolds who has some size to go with his athletic ability. Then you have a very athletic tight end in Everett who tends to get overlooked. I wouldn't be surprised if he sees more touches in this game.
Gurley is definitely a major piece to the offense but they are very capable of making plays if you take him out of the equation. And taking him out of the equation puts you at risk of sacrificing other areas.
We know the defense has looked bad at times. But there is one thing they do well. They create turnovers. And we all know what usually happens to the team that loses the turnover battle. And how do we know they won't turn it on in the postseason? They have plenty of talent to do that. Sometimes the cream rises to the top.
That guy who broke down the offense and defense focused on the bad. Every team has some bad to them. But like one poster said, they were 13-3 not 3-13.
There's usually a reason for a team to win that many games. That reason is because they are good.
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From what I hear there is also that ridiculous idea that taking Gurley out of the game is just a matter of deciding to. People have a very short memory, go watch some Gurley tape and tell me that he has nothing on Dallas. Don't get me wrong, they have very good linebackers, but they haven't won that match up just yet. Now the Cowboys might manage to limit Gurley, but that will probably imply leaving more open space in the backfield and if Goff has cleaned his act and I trust he has, that's a big risk to take.
Also I read that we might not get to Prescott all game. I doubt that, because one thing is certain, Donald does not intend to watch the NFC championship on TV and he will come at full speed.
The Rams are judged based on performances they had after they clinched the division title. I think that makes a big difference and that they had trouble managing the pressure going down. The pressure is now up again, and while they don't have crazy momentum, they are rested and ready.
Also the new superbowl favorite cowboys who just beat the unstoppable Seahawks by 2 pt at home also lost 23-0 to the Colts on December 16th, you can bet McVay can name every single snap of that game with the time and the personnel on the field for each. Every team has weaknesses.
Last thing : McVay has been kinda vanilla in his play calling recently and I think that's because he has a lot of new stuff that he kept just for the playoffs. That should be interesting.
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https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/201...d-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Nine reasons to be ridiculously excited for the Cowboys playoff game in Los Angeles
We’re looking ahead to the Cowboys trip to La La Land.
By RJ Ochoa
Maybe this year’s title will ultimately belong to the Rams but in order for that to happen they’ll have to get through the Cowboys first. This game is going to be massive, and here are nine reasons why.
The Cowboys in Los Angeles
Jerry Jones is perhaps the biggest reason for the NFL’s return to Hollywood. It was the cherry on top of his Hall of Fame résumé.
Dallas played in the first game back in LA and you’ll remember that they even returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Shout out to Lucky Whitehead!
Jerry Jones once compared the Cowboys to the Rams, kind of
Remember back in September when Jerry Jones wanted the Cowboys to be like the Rams? We now get a chance to see these two squads up against one another. That’s delicious.
View: https://twitter.com/therealmarklane/status/1045707673063239681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1045707673063239681&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Tavon Austin revenge game
When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Tavon Austin during the draft they did so with none other than the Rams.
Tavon’s coming home.
Wade Phillips revenge game
The defensive coordinator of the Rams just so happens to be Wade Phillips. This is the very same Wade Phillips who just so happens to be Jason Garrett’s predecessor as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Buckle up.
Dak Prescott is returning to where it all began
The Cowboys believe in Dak Prescott as their leader and who he is really all began in the Coliseum.
During his very first preseason game, the aforementioned one with the Lucky Whitehead kickoff return, Dak impressed and gave life to the notion that Dallas might have a future quarterback on its hands.
Of course the future started a lot sooner than later.
Dak Prescott vs. Jared Goff
He’s so often compared specifically to Carson Wentz, but Dak Prescott also shares a draft class with Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Obviously, Goff was the draft’s first overall pick.
It would be quite the statement if Dak could take down Goff given everything that’s happened to them throughout the course of their young careers.
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Todd Gurley
Zeke was named as a second-team All-Pro last week as the first-team running back was Todd Gurley.
Elliott led the league in rushing yards and has done so in two of his three seasons in the NFL. These are perhaps the two best backs in the game and it will be quite the treat to see them square off against each other’s defenses.
Who would you take?
Zack Martin vs. Aaron Donald
You’ll remember during the 2014 Senior Bowl that there was one person who Zack Martinstruggled with... Aaron Donald.
View: https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/915925468334915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E915925468334915584&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Zack will have hope in taking on Aaron in Joe Looney and Connor Williams, but Aaron will have a friend in Ndamukong Suh working next to him. The Cowboys have already defeated Suh in a playoff game before, this matchup is going to be huge.
Jason Garrett is returning to the scene of the crime
During the Cowboys bye week Jason Garrett took his talents west and attended the longest game in World Series history. He even sat next to Brad Paisley.
Garrett was ridiculed for this, including by Jimmy Johnson, and things didn’t get much better for him when the Cowboys lost their first game back against the Tennessee Titans.
View: https://twitter.com/rjochoa/status/1082126216835055621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1082126216835055621&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Ever since then the Cowboys have won eight of their last nine, including their playoff victory over the Seahawks. Brad must have had some good advice.
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LOTS to be excited about.... BUT
We have also seen what happens when we get a "stupid swagger" and get our asses handed to us!
That shutout in the Colts game was as bad as I can remember the team playing, even though we had that 44-0 blowout to the Mike Ditka Chicago Bears. That was the first time I ever saw Tom Landry swear on camera when Danny White attempted his own idea to fake a punt.
Jason Garrett said that and A LOT MORE in disbelief of the new invented calls the officials have come up with in the last game.
We still have two more games to win and three more to be the Champions. Its been a LOOOOOONG time.
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There had better be plans to move the pocket around.
Donald and Suh can wreck an offense all by themselves. Dak under pressure is not a pretty thing. We need to use the Ram’s interior DL push against them or make it irrelevant in some way.
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In addition to moving the pocket I think we need to run the defense, meaning wide plays like quick outs to the wide receivers, jet sweeps, etc.!
Try to wear them out and let Zeke get a running drive block on them, like he did the linebacker in the Seahawks game near the endzone.
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Relying upon Linehan to move off of his preference early and often?
Call me skeptical
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I think that the Cowboys will beat the Rams by more than 2 points.
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No doubt they're better
Best RB in the league.
Solid OL.
No. 1 pick on rookie contract at QB.
Arguably the 2 best DTs in football.
All-pro to pro-bowl corners.
McVay.
Then they threw money at everything else…
This game scares me.
Dak tends to feast on awful secondaries and weak links. Rookie DB in Car, BW Webb, Eli Apple, broken Philly, etc. Don’t believe me? Look harder.
So, that’s when he’s strongest. Unfortunately, they have legit cover guys at all positions.
He’s weak with pressure in his face. Suh and Donald will be in his face. Count on that.
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I always hate the Dal is weak with pressure in his face.
Every QB sucks with pressure in his face. I’m waiting for the guy to come along that wants defenders rushing him up the middle so he can play better.
As far as this game goes. LAR sucks defending the run and we run the ball well so of course we come out passing because they won’t be expecting it. That’s what scares me about this game.
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I had not noticed that of late. He has been dealing with pressure a lot better and he has been making better and quicker decisions with the ball of late.
Say what you will, but the past is the past until it starts becoming an issue again. He still has accuracy issues and timing/leading the WR issues, but I think you can see in his play where he is actually working on those things.
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You’re making this defense out to be something elite and it’s far from it.
This is a team that ranked 19th in total defense and 20th in scoring defense.
A team that got to play Arizona twice this year and San francisco, both of whom finished in the bottom half of offense in the league. The Rams might very well beat Dallas, but man are you overrating their defensive backs.
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Let's take a look
27 to 3 at half
34 to 13 in the 3rd
23 to 0 at half
48 to 10 in 3rd
30 to 7 in the 3rd
34 to 0 at half
27 to 6 in the 3rd
So…
All I’m suggesting is that these massive leads played a part in the overall performance of the defense; in turn, their defensive ranking. Pair that up with a handful of shootout type games to pad the stats even more? You’ve got a recipe for fake macro stats.
Compare that to our situation?
We’ve been fighting all year long. No breaks. Close games. Low scoring games.
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5 of those 7 games you just mentioned ended in blowouts where there was not very much scoring done in the second half. The Rams actually held their opponent to 3 points or less in the 4th quarter 7 times this season.
And most of those games you just listed were against teams like the Raiders, Lions, Arizona (twice), and SNF (twice).
So while you bring up a valid point (I have made the same argument that the Chiefs defense is not as bad as they are on paper), I’m not entirely buying what you are trying to sell.
The truth is, the vast majority of points the Rams gave up this year were to quality opponents in close games.
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Suh is horribly overrated and isnt anywhere near the player he used to be
He had what 4 sacks this year? With Donald playing next to him? He more than likely wont even touch Dak. Donald is a force no doubt, but they have give up a ton of points. Talib has been hurt all year and has looked a bit washed up,
Peters gambles a lot much like Asante Samuel, and aside from those 3, who are the other great players there? Not much, thats why teams have been able to put up big numbers. And no its not just form Garbage time the Eagles and Saints lit them up both in losses.
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I have doubts. Lots of them and here's why.
I wouldn’t be so sure that Gurley is hands down the best RB in the league. Zeke is at points better and at worst just as good. Gurley is more dangerous as a WR but Zeke can have a similar impact if he is asked to and if you ask me Zeke is a better all around RB. He’s a better blocker, and he gets the tough dirty yards that Gurley I don’t think has the same ability to do so.
Solid OL. That’s true. But its not like we don’t have an equally as solid offensive line as of late.
No. 1 pick on rookie contract at QB. How does that play into this particular game? Goff has been scary bad lately against top defenses. What is he going up against on Saturday? A top five defense. Also he has a ton of warts but they are being covered up by McVay and his schemes. The kid can’t handle pressure at all. Dak is unquestionably better at handling pressure than Goff.
The two best DTs in football. I would say one of the best DTs in football in Aaron Donald who is an absolute monster but Suh is not what he once was and is not even remotely close to being on the same level. That being said he’s still a load to handle. That match up against our interior offfensive line is what scares me the most about this game other than McVay scheming a way to break our defense.
And that brings me to McVay. He’s an up and coming head coaching talent. He’s smart. He’s decisive. But he has yet to have a playoff win under his belt and he is going up against two DCs that know his tendencies and what he likes to do.
He better not even think about trying to do the same thing again like Seattle did or his offense is going to be in trouble. He has to break away from his tendencies in this game. If not, there will be blood.
And as for Dak feasting on awful secondaries…What solid QB doesn’t do that? Jared Goff hasn’t been playing that many good let alone great secondaries this season if you haven’t noticed. And when he faces a secondary that isn’t awful and gets pressure in his face he’s weaker than Dak is. As for the secondary in L.A. it is talented but it has also been roasted by plenty of QBs this season. It hasn’t really put everything together yet.
And speaking of Dak being weak with pressure in his face, what QB isn’t? And despite that Dak has improved significantly in that area. He had pressured a lot against the Saints and was sacked six times. And he handled all of that fairly well considering the circumstances. Jared Goff is not going to do the same thing. If he gets sacked six times in a game his head is out of it and he gets rattled and makes mistakes.
Then you factor in how truly terrible they are at stopping our biggest strength in the run game and you have a game where Dallas has a good chance of beating the odds again and knocking out L.A. on their own home turf. The Rams should be just as scared of us as we should be of them.
Our defense is going to be arguably one of the best if not the best they will face in the playoffs. The running game will be one of the most dominant that they will face as well and if we get that going, watch out. Zeke can just feast and gobble up yards and time of possession leaving that explosive Rams offense with less snaps and less margin for error coming off a long rest.
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I like our chances. And the reason why is that our strength matches up with their weakness.
They cannot stop the run. We also have coaches on our staff that know their staff really well. Garrett and company know what Wade likes to do. He won’t be coming up with that much surprises. Kris and Rod also have a lot of experience with McVay. That is an advantage we have that is being overlooked if you ask me.
If we get the running game going, dominate TOP, limit the snaps for the Rams offense, get TDs early and force FGs, turnovers or three and outs and force the Rams to try to get back into this game with a relentless pass rush in Goff’s face, our chances of winning are very high.
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This will never happen...
Zack Martin vs. Aaron Donald
Last year, Aaron Donald did not have even one snap against Zack Martin. They fear that Martin will neutralize their best player on the D-Line and everything revolves around that. Either Connor Williams or Xavier Sua-Filo will have their hands full. Don’t be surprised if they have the Joe Looney or Tyron Smith do combo blocks on him, with the TE helping on the outside for the Tyron.
Keeping Donald off of Dak and Zeke will be key, but this might cause issues with being unable to get to the linebackers. This could hurt our running game, but the Rams have been very mediocre defending the run.
But there will be no battle between Zack Martin and Aaron Donald.
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I mentioned in a fanpost that Aaron Donald is a big reason we drafted Zmart in the first place. He was the only player who could effectively block him at the Senior Bowl in 2014. It was why we took him over Johnny Football. So in an indirect way we owe Donald a big thank you !!!
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Quick slants, screens, and trap plays will neutralize the Rams front on defense.
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Can Dak connect with Gallup on the double move this weekend ?
Peter’s will take the bait, that is a big play waiting to happen.
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Worried about play action.
We have been bad against it and the Rams are probably the best at it.
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One thing I've noticed about the Rams
Is that they do a TON of motion and fake jet sweeps. I know this is "no crap" territory, but the key to this game will probably rely on Dallas’s ability to keep them to small amounts on first down.
Jared Goff tends to have a ton of success on play action, when rolls out to the right side. We can only hope that Tank will be there waiting for him.
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The Rams have some smurf receivers. We need to bully them at the line of scrimmage.
No free releases and throw off their timing routes.
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We have been bad against it due to the secondary taking time to gel early in the season, inflating those bad stats.
And a high amount of fluke plays that happened on play action. How many times did this secondary get beat by some circus catch by the WR? A lot. That goes on our stat sheet and makes our play action pass defense looks a lot worse. So does when teams are using PA to play catch up in a game they are losing. It is all about context. I don’t truly feel we are the worst at it.
It showed against the Saints who are also really good at play action passes and they didn’t do much against us at all.
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Zack Martin is a brick wall 99% of the time. Looney, while he is no Travis Frederick, has been very good for the Cowboys at center imo. The weakest link is the 2nd round pick Connor Williams and he is no slouch but he also is a rookie who hasn’t gone through the S & C program that he needs to have gone through to handle some of the more powerful DT’s he faces.
He struggles with power more than anything but he is athletic for a man his size and can get to the 2nd level fairly well. The interior battle is the one that scares me the most for the Cowboys offense.
Nine reasons to be ridiculously excited for the Cowboys playoff game in Los Angeles
We’re looking ahead to the Cowboys trip to La La Land.
By RJ Ochoa
Maybe this year’s title will ultimately belong to the Rams but in order for that to happen they’ll have to get through the Cowboys first. This game is going to be massive, and here are nine reasons why.
The Cowboys in Los Angeles
Jerry Jones is perhaps the biggest reason for the NFL’s return to Hollywood. It was the cherry on top of his Hall of Fame résumé.
Dallas played in the first game back in LA and you’ll remember that they even returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown. Shout out to Lucky Whitehead!
Jerry Jones once compared the Cowboys to the Rams, kind of
Remember back in September when Jerry Jones wanted the Cowboys to be like the Rams? We now get a chance to see these two squads up against one another. That’s delicious.
View: https://twitter.com/therealmarklane/status/1045707673063239681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1045707673063239681&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Tavon Austin revenge game
When the Dallas Cowboys traded for Tavon Austin during the draft they did so with none other than the Rams.
Tavon’s coming home.
Wade Phillips revenge game
The defensive coordinator of the Rams just so happens to be Wade Phillips. This is the very same Wade Phillips who just so happens to be Jason Garrett’s predecessor as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Buckle up.
Dak Prescott is returning to where it all began
The Cowboys believe in Dak Prescott as their leader and who he is really all began in the Coliseum.
During his very first preseason game, the aforementioned one with the Lucky Whitehead kickoff return, Dak impressed and gave life to the notion that Dallas might have a future quarterback on its hands.
Of course the future started a lot sooner than later.
Dak Prescott vs. Jared Goff
He’s so often compared specifically to Carson Wentz, but Dak Prescott also shares a draft class with Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Obviously, Goff was the draft’s first overall pick.
It would be quite the statement if Dak could take down Goff given everything that’s happened to them throughout the course of their young careers.
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Todd Gurley
Zeke was named as a second-team All-Pro last week as the first-team running back was Todd Gurley.
Elliott led the league in rushing yards and has done so in two of his three seasons in the NFL. These are perhaps the two best backs in the game and it will be quite the treat to see them square off against each other’s defenses.
Who would you take?
Zack Martin vs. Aaron Donald
You’ll remember during the 2014 Senior Bowl that there was one person who Zack Martinstruggled with... Aaron Donald.
View: https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/915925468334915584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E915925468334915584&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Zack will have hope in taking on Aaron in Joe Looney and Connor Williams, but Aaron will have a friend in Ndamukong Suh working next to him. The Cowboys have already defeated Suh in a playoff game before, this matchup is going to be huge.
Jason Garrett is returning to the scene of the crime
During the Cowboys bye week Jason Garrett took his talents west and attended the longest game in World Series history. He even sat next to Brad Paisley.
Garrett was ridiculed for this, including by Jimmy Johnson, and things didn’t get much better for him when the Cowboys lost their first game back against the Tennessee Titans.
View: https://twitter.com/rjochoa/status/1082126216835055621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1082126216835055621&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F8%2F18171375%2Fnine-reasons-to-be-ridiculously-excited-for-the-cowboys-playoff-game-in-los-angeles
Ever since then the Cowboys have won eight of their last nine, including their playoff victory over the Seahawks. Brad must have had some good advice.
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LOTS to be excited about.... BUT
We have also seen what happens when we get a "stupid swagger" and get our asses handed to us!
That shutout in the Colts game was as bad as I can remember the team playing, even though we had that 44-0 blowout to the Mike Ditka Chicago Bears. That was the first time I ever saw Tom Landry swear on camera when Danny White attempted his own idea to fake a punt.
Jason Garrett said that and A LOT MORE in disbelief of the new invented calls the officials have come up with in the last game.
We still have two more games to win and three more to be the Champions. Its been a LOOOOOONG time.
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There had better be plans to move the pocket around.
Donald and Suh can wreck an offense all by themselves. Dak under pressure is not a pretty thing. We need to use the Ram’s interior DL push against them or make it irrelevant in some way.
--------------
In addition to moving the pocket I think we need to run the defense, meaning wide plays like quick outs to the wide receivers, jet sweeps, etc.!
Try to wear them out and let Zeke get a running drive block on them, like he did the linebacker in the Seahawks game near the endzone.
-----------
Relying upon Linehan to move off of his preference early and often?
Call me skeptical
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I think that the Cowboys will beat the Rams by more than 2 points.
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No doubt they're better
Best RB in the league.
Solid OL.
No. 1 pick on rookie contract at QB.
Arguably the 2 best DTs in football.
All-pro to pro-bowl corners.
McVay.
Then they threw money at everything else…
This game scares me.
Dak tends to feast on awful secondaries and weak links. Rookie DB in Car, BW Webb, Eli Apple, broken Philly, etc. Don’t believe me? Look harder.
So, that’s when he’s strongest. Unfortunately, they have legit cover guys at all positions.
He’s weak with pressure in his face. Suh and Donald will be in his face. Count on that.
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I always hate the Dal is weak with pressure in his face.
Every QB sucks with pressure in his face. I’m waiting for the guy to come along that wants defenders rushing him up the middle so he can play better.
As far as this game goes. LAR sucks defending the run and we run the ball well so of course we come out passing because they won’t be expecting it. That’s what scares me about this game.
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I had not noticed that of late. He has been dealing with pressure a lot better and he has been making better and quicker decisions with the ball of late.
Say what you will, but the past is the past until it starts becoming an issue again. He still has accuracy issues and timing/leading the WR issues, but I think you can see in his play where he is actually working on those things.
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You’re making this defense out to be something elite and it’s far from it.
This is a team that ranked 19th in total defense and 20th in scoring defense.
A team that got to play Arizona twice this year and San francisco, both of whom finished in the bottom half of offense in the league. The Rams might very well beat Dallas, but man are you overrating their defensive backs.
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Let's take a look
27 to 3 at half
34 to 13 in the 3rd
23 to 0 at half
48 to 10 in 3rd
30 to 7 in the 3rd
34 to 0 at half
27 to 6 in the 3rd
So…
All I’m suggesting is that these massive leads played a part in the overall performance of the defense; in turn, their defensive ranking. Pair that up with a handful of shootout type games to pad the stats even more? You’ve got a recipe for fake macro stats.
Compare that to our situation?
We’ve been fighting all year long. No breaks. Close games. Low scoring games.
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5 of those 7 games you just mentioned ended in blowouts where there was not very much scoring done in the second half. The Rams actually held their opponent to 3 points or less in the 4th quarter 7 times this season.
And most of those games you just listed were against teams like the Raiders, Lions, Arizona (twice), and SNF (twice).
So while you bring up a valid point (I have made the same argument that the Chiefs defense is not as bad as they are on paper), I’m not entirely buying what you are trying to sell.
The truth is, the vast majority of points the Rams gave up this year were to quality opponents in close games.
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Suh is horribly overrated and isnt anywhere near the player he used to be
He had what 4 sacks this year? With Donald playing next to him? He more than likely wont even touch Dak. Donald is a force no doubt, but they have give up a ton of points. Talib has been hurt all year and has looked a bit washed up,
Peters gambles a lot much like Asante Samuel, and aside from those 3, who are the other great players there? Not much, thats why teams have been able to put up big numbers. And no its not just form Garbage time the Eagles and Saints lit them up both in losses.
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I have doubts. Lots of them and here's why.
I wouldn’t be so sure that Gurley is hands down the best RB in the league. Zeke is at points better and at worst just as good. Gurley is more dangerous as a WR but Zeke can have a similar impact if he is asked to and if you ask me Zeke is a better all around RB. He’s a better blocker, and he gets the tough dirty yards that Gurley I don’t think has the same ability to do so.
Solid OL. That’s true. But its not like we don’t have an equally as solid offensive line as of late.
No. 1 pick on rookie contract at QB. How does that play into this particular game? Goff has been scary bad lately against top defenses. What is he going up against on Saturday? A top five defense. Also he has a ton of warts but they are being covered up by McVay and his schemes. The kid can’t handle pressure at all. Dak is unquestionably better at handling pressure than Goff.
The two best DTs in football. I would say one of the best DTs in football in Aaron Donald who is an absolute monster but Suh is not what he once was and is not even remotely close to being on the same level. That being said he’s still a load to handle. That match up against our interior offfensive line is what scares me the most about this game other than McVay scheming a way to break our defense.
And that brings me to McVay. He’s an up and coming head coaching talent. He’s smart. He’s decisive. But he has yet to have a playoff win under his belt and he is going up against two DCs that know his tendencies and what he likes to do.
He better not even think about trying to do the same thing again like Seattle did or his offense is going to be in trouble. He has to break away from his tendencies in this game. If not, there will be blood.
And as for Dak feasting on awful secondaries…What solid QB doesn’t do that? Jared Goff hasn’t been playing that many good let alone great secondaries this season if you haven’t noticed. And when he faces a secondary that isn’t awful and gets pressure in his face he’s weaker than Dak is. As for the secondary in L.A. it is talented but it has also been roasted by plenty of QBs this season. It hasn’t really put everything together yet.
And speaking of Dak being weak with pressure in his face, what QB isn’t? And despite that Dak has improved significantly in that area. He had pressured a lot against the Saints and was sacked six times. And he handled all of that fairly well considering the circumstances. Jared Goff is not going to do the same thing. If he gets sacked six times in a game his head is out of it and he gets rattled and makes mistakes.
Then you factor in how truly terrible they are at stopping our biggest strength in the run game and you have a game where Dallas has a good chance of beating the odds again and knocking out L.A. on their own home turf. The Rams should be just as scared of us as we should be of them.
Our defense is going to be arguably one of the best if not the best they will face in the playoffs. The running game will be one of the most dominant that they will face as well and if we get that going, watch out. Zeke can just feast and gobble up yards and time of possession leaving that explosive Rams offense with less snaps and less margin for error coming off a long rest.
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I like our chances. And the reason why is that our strength matches up with their weakness.
They cannot stop the run. We also have coaches on our staff that know their staff really well. Garrett and company know what Wade likes to do. He won’t be coming up with that much surprises. Kris and Rod also have a lot of experience with McVay. That is an advantage we have that is being overlooked if you ask me.
If we get the running game going, dominate TOP, limit the snaps for the Rams offense, get TDs early and force FGs, turnovers or three and outs and force the Rams to try to get back into this game with a relentless pass rush in Goff’s face, our chances of winning are very high.
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This will never happen...
Zack Martin vs. Aaron Donald
Last year, Aaron Donald did not have even one snap against Zack Martin. They fear that Martin will neutralize their best player on the D-Line and everything revolves around that. Either Connor Williams or Xavier Sua-Filo will have their hands full. Don’t be surprised if they have the Joe Looney or Tyron Smith do combo blocks on him, with the TE helping on the outside for the Tyron.
Keeping Donald off of Dak and Zeke will be key, but this might cause issues with being unable to get to the linebackers. This could hurt our running game, but the Rams have been very mediocre defending the run.
But there will be no battle between Zack Martin and Aaron Donald.
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I mentioned in a fanpost that Aaron Donald is a big reason we drafted Zmart in the first place. He was the only player who could effectively block him at the Senior Bowl in 2014. It was why we took him over Johnny Football. So in an indirect way we owe Donald a big thank you !!!
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Quick slants, screens, and trap plays will neutralize the Rams front on defense.
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Can Dak connect with Gallup on the double move this weekend ?
Peter’s will take the bait, that is a big play waiting to happen.
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Worried about play action.
We have been bad against it and the Rams are probably the best at it.
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One thing I've noticed about the Rams
Is that they do a TON of motion and fake jet sweeps. I know this is "no crap" territory, but the key to this game will probably rely on Dallas’s ability to keep them to small amounts on first down.
Jared Goff tends to have a ton of success on play action, when rolls out to the right side. We can only hope that Tank will be there waiting for him.
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The Rams have some smurf receivers. We need to bully them at the line of scrimmage.
No free releases and throw off their timing routes.
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We have been bad against it due to the secondary taking time to gel early in the season, inflating those bad stats.
And a high amount of fluke plays that happened on play action. How many times did this secondary get beat by some circus catch by the WR? A lot. That goes on our stat sheet and makes our play action pass defense looks a lot worse. So does when teams are using PA to play catch up in a game they are losing. It is all about context. I don’t truly feel we are the worst at it.
It showed against the Saints who are also really good at play action passes and they didn’t do much against us at all.
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Zack Martin is a brick wall 99% of the time. Looney, while he is no Travis Frederick, has been very good for the Cowboys at center imo. The weakest link is the 2nd round pick Connor Williams and he is no slouch but he also is a rookie who hasn’t gone through the S & C program that he needs to have gone through to handle some of the more powerful DT’s he faces.
He struggles with power more than anything but he is athletic for a man his size and can get to the 2nd level fairly well. The interior battle is the one that scares me the most for the Cowboys offense.
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It's hard not to laugh at fans who run their mouths as if they know a team and say shit that is completely off the mark. Rather than break down all of the ignorance, I'll just pick one comment that spoke volumes. Talib has looked washed up? Well, that's news to me.
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There is reason to be excited, unless your a cowgirls fan. O is not their strength, so where do they get the idea that their strengths matchup with our weakness? The cowgirls strength is their D and it will have to keep the Rams O from scoring both on the ground and through the air. The Rams coaching and O are both in a league well above the cowgirls, and the Rams D has faced better O than the cowgirls O and made plays to get the wins. It could be a close game but I would not be surprised if dallas gets beat by double digits. AD may not have broken the single season sack record, but he may settle for the single post season sack record, not sure what it is, but I know AD is capable of breaking it.
1maGoh
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I hate to do this to you a second time, but seriously? They certainly didn't play this hard last year. Or the year before. He's been the real head coach since 2011. How long have they been playing the hardest you've ever seen for a coach? It really makes you sound like you've been watching for a year. That along with your statement about Prescott having all these amazing leadership skills and will to win (I believe you said he had a "win to succeed" but I know what you mean), world class hyperbole... or your trying to fool yourself.
Unrelated:
Also, this guy's an idiot. There's a clip on Twitter in this thread with Donald wrecking Martin (assist from Ogletree inadvertantly).
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I first liked some of the comments, but you are right. The ignorance of our team is stunning, and they assert confidently what they don't know. Saturday Night is the time to shut these stupid MOFO's up.
Karate61
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These Cowboy fans have short memories. Just last season, in Dallas, Rams won 35-30. Gurley ran for 123 yards (5.3 avg per rush) and added another 94 yards receiving.
Basically same teams. Them Cowboy fans should be worried about Gurley, but they don't seem to be.
Elliott only had 85 yards (4.0 avg per rush) and 54 receiving yards.
Go Gurley (and C.J.)!
Basically same teams. Them Cowboy fans should be worried about Gurley, but they don't seem to be.
Elliott only had 85 yards (4.0 avg per rush) and 54 receiving yards.
Go Gurley (and C.J.)!
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https://www.profootballfocus.com/ne...ush-will-be-vital-to-cowboys-playoff-survival
Prescott’s ability to handle the Rams’ pass rush will be vital to Cowboys’ playoff survival
BY MARK CHICHESTER
Things have gone from great to middle-of-the-pack for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott since his triumphant entrance to the NFL stage.
Back in his rookie year, a year in which the Dallas Cowboys secured the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 2007, Prescott helped his team to a 13-3 record – tied for the best record in team history – on his way to an overall grade of 83.7, the eighth-best grade among quarterbacks that year, and at the time (before Baker Mayfield came along), the third-best grade ever earned by a rookie quarterback.
That year, Prescott ranked ninth among the league’s quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in passing grade (79.7), fourth in yards per attempt (8.0) and 11th in adjusted completion percentage (75.4%), while his passer rating of 118.0 on throws from a clean pocket was good for third among quarterbacks, trailing only the eventual Super Bowl contenders in Matt Ryan(128.9) and Tom Brady (123.0).
Secondary to all that was Prescott’s impressively efficient play when he was pressured, which is a facet of play that usually trips up first-year players at the position. When he was moved off his spot during his rookie year, Prescott completed 75-of-142 attempts for 791 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception.
His passer rating of 75.8 on those throws ranked 10th among the 37 quarterbacks with at least 50 pressured dropbacks, and his adjusted completion percentage of 69.5% on those throws ranked sixth.
It was far from perfect, as he logged nearly as many turnover-worthy passes (4) as big-time throws (5), but his play under pressure was made all the more impressive by the fact that he was sacked on only 14.1% of his pressured dropbacks, which was tied for the tenth-best rate among signal-callers.
Unfortunately for Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, that special ability to evade sacks has all but disappeared in his third NFL season, which could be a real problem for the team as they get ready to face the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Through 17 weeks of the 2018 regular season, Prescott managed to complete 82-of-156 attempts for 1022 yards, nine touchdowns, and just two interceptions, and while the box score numbers paint him in a positive light, upon closer inspection we can see that 17.8% of his total attempts were negatively graded, which is the sixth-worst rate among quarterbacks in the league. However, while his play-by-play grading under pressure is underwhelming, it’s nothing compared to the sheer amount of sacks that he’s taking.
This year, Prescott was sacked 56 times after the defense managed to register pressure, and only Houston’s Deshaun Watson was sacked more (61). All told, Prescott took a sack on a whopping 24.8% of his pressured dropbacks, which is the league’s sixth-highest rate and almost double the rate of that oh so impressive rookie year.
Making matters worse, 44 of those sacks came from a regular rush, as opposed to the defense sending an extra man, and 15 of those sacks were the result of Prescott holding onto the ball too long – both of which lead the league’s quarterbacks.
If the Cowboys are going to reach the Conference Championship for the first time since 1995, Prescott and the Cowboys will have to overcome one significant obstacle; the Los Angles Rams‘ star interior defender, Aaron Donald.
Donald ended the regular season with his fourth straight pass-rushing grade of at least 93.0 and a colossal 106 players next to his name. As Senior Analyst Mike Renner wrote, 53 pressures make you an elite defensive tackle in the NFL. Only six interior defenders had more this year. Donald doubled that output this year on his way to the league’s best pass-rush win rate (25.9%) and the league’s best pass-rushing productivity (23.0).
As the Cowboys prepare to take on the Rams in the Divisional Round, they simply need their quarterback to make good decisions and get the ball out quickly before he faces the pressure that will inevitably be coming. If he continues to hold onto the ball and take the hits under duress, things will quickly get away from America’s team in their second playoff game of the year.
Prescott’s ability to handle the Rams’ pass rush will be vital to Cowboys’ playoff survival
BY MARK CHICHESTER
Things have gone from great to middle-of-the-pack for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott since his triumphant entrance to the NFL stage.
Back in his rookie year, a year in which the Dallas Cowboys secured the top seed in the NFC and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time since 2007, Prescott helped his team to a 13-3 record – tied for the best record in team history – on his way to an overall grade of 83.7, the eighth-best grade among quarterbacks that year, and at the time (before Baker Mayfield came along), the third-best grade ever earned by a rookie quarterback.
That year, Prescott ranked ninth among the league’s quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks in passing grade (79.7), fourth in yards per attempt (8.0) and 11th in adjusted completion percentage (75.4%), while his passer rating of 118.0 on throws from a clean pocket was good for third among quarterbacks, trailing only the eventual Super Bowl contenders in Matt Ryan(128.9) and Tom Brady (123.0).
Secondary to all that was Prescott’s impressively efficient play when he was pressured, which is a facet of play that usually trips up first-year players at the position. When he was moved off his spot during his rookie year, Prescott completed 75-of-142 attempts for 791 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception.
His passer rating of 75.8 on those throws ranked 10th among the 37 quarterbacks with at least 50 pressured dropbacks, and his adjusted completion percentage of 69.5% on those throws ranked sixth.
It was far from perfect, as he logged nearly as many turnover-worthy passes (4) as big-time throws (5), but his play under pressure was made all the more impressive by the fact that he was sacked on only 14.1% of his pressured dropbacks, which was tied for the tenth-best rate among signal-callers.
Unfortunately for Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, that special ability to evade sacks has all but disappeared in his third NFL season, which could be a real problem for the team as they get ready to face the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Through 17 weeks of the 2018 regular season, Prescott managed to complete 82-of-156 attempts for 1022 yards, nine touchdowns, and just two interceptions, and while the box score numbers paint him in a positive light, upon closer inspection we can see that 17.8% of his total attempts were negatively graded, which is the sixth-worst rate among quarterbacks in the league. However, while his play-by-play grading under pressure is underwhelming, it’s nothing compared to the sheer amount of sacks that he’s taking.
This year, Prescott was sacked 56 times after the defense managed to register pressure, and only Houston’s Deshaun Watson was sacked more (61). All told, Prescott took a sack on a whopping 24.8% of his pressured dropbacks, which is the league’s sixth-highest rate and almost double the rate of that oh so impressive rookie year.
Making matters worse, 44 of those sacks came from a regular rush, as opposed to the defense sending an extra man, and 15 of those sacks were the result of Prescott holding onto the ball too long – both of which lead the league’s quarterbacks.
If the Cowboys are going to reach the Conference Championship for the first time since 1995, Prescott and the Cowboys will have to overcome one significant obstacle; the Los Angles Rams‘ star interior defender, Aaron Donald.
Donald ended the regular season with his fourth straight pass-rushing grade of at least 93.0 and a colossal 106 players next to his name. As Senior Analyst Mike Renner wrote, 53 pressures make you an elite defensive tackle in the NFL. Only six interior defenders had more this year. Donald doubled that output this year on his way to the league’s best pass-rush win rate (25.9%) and the league’s best pass-rushing productivity (23.0).
As the Cowboys prepare to take on the Rams in the Divisional Round, they simply need their quarterback to make good decisions and get the ball out quickly before he faces the pressure that will inevitably be coming. If he continues to hold onto the ball and take the hits under duress, things will quickly get away from America’s team in their second playoff game of the year.
jacktheripper85
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dang
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Up tempo offense...spread the ball around...win the turnover battle. If this happens I believe the Rams can score their 32 pt average. The Cowboys have averaged 23 pts/game over the last 8 games and I don't see them scoring more than 32 pts against the Rams defense. They are too reliant on the run to score more.
johneric8
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You really should stop while you're ahead I was actually right. Jason Garrett has one of the highest win percentage and one of the longest tenured coaches. I speak for a lot of cowboy fans when I say that this team plays incredibly hard for Garrett and always has it's almost unbelievable. in fact, it's been one of our gripes because we know the team is going to play hard enough to get enough wins avoid getting fired. I've watched every game is Garrett's career every play every minute you can't argue with me on this. Having a lack of talent and or coaching skills is not the argument I'm having here, the cowboys haven't had a lot of success in the playoffs for a long time but that's not only Garrett.
Karate61
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1maGoh
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johneric8
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Technically you're wrong because they beat the Lions a few years back with Romo.