Why spike the ball

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

I cant recall if holding was called on the Pack O-Line at all yesterday but they held on a ton of plays

No flag for holding and there should have been.

 

[jarntt]

Right,

There is no defense for what was nothing less than surgical strikes. Not all of them of course but there were so many passes that our guys were all over the receivers but the ball placement was perfect.

And how do you defend against a 56 yarder?


My only issues is this ...

Heath had to go for the arm chop first as he is making that sack. I'm no defensive coach but in the scenario when it's a bling side ...I'm sure the coaches are teaching you to chop that arm first.

Even so, how the hell did he still held onto that ball, I'll never know.

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Agree, but he is a safety, not a DE. I don't think there is a lot of coaching on that kind of thing with your safeties. Plus it's not as much coaching and being told as it is instinct or repetition. When you are a DB that gets 2 or 3 shots on a QB all year, you are getting tunnel vision and just seeing him and hoping you are getting there. The coach could have told you the day before what to do and you just may not remember it. I just don't think it's like a DE that knows what to "look for" in those situations. Didn't we have a similar one with Scandrick a while back where we were shocked the QB didn't fumble? I can't remember which game though.

 

[ArlingtonCowboys100]

I didn't like the spike there, but that's not why we lost. The offense was totally dominant. The TWill drop killed what was a promising drive, and penalties killed two serious threats. Clean up a couple of costly mistakes, and we might have hung 45-50, as crazy as that sounds. What cost this game was the Cowboys inability to create pressure without blitzing. On downs we didn't send an LB or DB on a blitz, Rodgers could have taken a nap in the pocket. Give this team 1-2 legit pass rushers and you have a Super Bowl Champion

The Cowboys were destined to lose. A combination of a hot rodgers who was aided by an OL that was allowed to hold the entire game with no penalty. A one sided game of officiating. Yes we got one non call on the blatant PI, but the ref more than made up for that in packers favor.

You can lay blame on lack of pass rush but who exactly of our starters made a play on the ball in the secondary? Tyrone Crawford should take a paycut or get cut. 10 million a year for what?

 

[jarntt]

Rodgers not fumbling there and the attempted hand off to Ty Montgomery that was fumbled and somehow ended up just falling into his arms, while his head was turned around the other direction, just showed me the Packers were getting every bounce. Cant bet good fortune and the officiating, especially w a defensive scheme in the first half that was extremely suspect

Holy Shit was that lucky. I was actually pissed off and wished I hadn't seen the replay. Rodgers bobbles it and it just ends up near Montgomery and somehow without even seeing it it just goes right to him and he squeezes it.

 

[Bmurph]

Holy Shit was that lucky. I was actually pissed off and wished I hadn't seen the replay. Rodgers bobbles it and it just ends up near Montgomery and somehow without even seeing it it just goes right to him and he squeezes it.

Yeah that was meant to say "beat" good fortune, but yeah that was lucky as fuck and pissed me off too. That could probably happen 100 times and would result with the ball on the ground 99 of those times

 

[Earl Stevens]

Packers got literally every break in this game. Makes the loss even more bullshit. I'll never get over this shit.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

That was 100% PI.

Nah, uncatchable and very little contact for such a pivotal play.

 

[PhoenixEagles1]

Packers got literally every break in this game. Makes the loss even more bullshit. I'll never get over this shit.

They did. The sack Rodgers miraculously didn't fumble. The bomb that went right between Lee's arms. The big break Dallas got was on Daks pick. If dudes shirt is tucked in it was a pick 6.

 

[Bmurph]

Jason Garrett defends questionable decision to spike ball on Cowboys' final drive
The Cowboys could've called a timeout instead, but didn't

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett definitely isn't regretting his decision to have Dak Prescott spike

the ball late in the fourth quarter

of Green Bay's thrilling, walk-off 34-31 victory at Dallas on Sunday.

If the Cowboys had let time run off the clock instead of spiking it, it's possible that Dan Bailey's late field goal could've forced overtime. Instead, Bailey's field goal came with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, which was enough for Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers downfield for Mason Crosby's winning kick.

Garrett's decision to spike ball was questionable because it came at a point when the Cowboys had the Packers defense on their heels. After taking over on their own 25-yard line with 1:33 left in the game, Prescott immediately completed two passes that took Dallas down to Green Bay's 40-yard line.

At that point, the Cowboys could've kept pushing against a worn-out Packers defense, but Garrett called for the spike, which stopped the clock AND gave the Packers defense 40 seconds to rest.

"We just felt that was the right thing to do at that time," Garrett said of the spike, via NFL.com. "Keeping the timeout to be able to kick a field goal is really important if you can do it. So in those situations when you make a first down, we believe clock it there so you keep the timeout in your back pocket."

Did Jason Garrett's in-game decision making cost the Cowboys? USATSI
The irony of the situation is that the Cowboys didn't end up using their timeout on that drive.


Setting up a field goal wasn't the only reason Garrett called for a spike, he also had another explanation.

"Obviously, in that situation we're trying to go down there and score a touchdown, so you want to keep as much time on the clock as you can," Garrett said. "If the clock is going and you need a timeout to get yourself in field goal range, you have that one still available to you."

The problem with Garrett's strategy is that the Cowboys left Rodgers 35 seconds to work with after Bailey hit a 51-yard field goal to tie the game. If the Cowboys hadn't spiked the ball, Rodgers would've likely had no time to work with and the game likely would've gone to overtime assuming Bailey could've hit a last-second kick.

Even Rodgers was surprised at the Cowboys late game strategizing. The Packers quarterback said the Cowboys left him "a little too much time on theclock," after their late field goal.

The spike also cost the Cowboys a down, which proved to be a problem. If Dallas had run one extra play, it's possible they could've given themselves a chance to score a touchdown. Even if they didn't score a touchdown, though, they still could have run time off the clock and kept Rodgers off the field -- perhaps for the rest of the game.

It was one of the decisions that Cowboys fans will likely be talking about all offseason.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Agree, but he is a safety, not a DE. I don't think there is a lot of coaching on that kind of thing with your safeties. Plus it's not as much coaching and being told as it is instinct or repetition. When you are a DB that gets 2 or 3 shots on a QB all year, you are getting tunnel vision and just seeing him and hoping you are getting there. The coach could have told you the day before what to do and you just may not remember it. I just don't think it's like a DE that knows what to "look for" in those situations. Didn't we have a similar one with Scandrick a while back where we were shocked the QB didn't fumble? I can't remember which game though.

Good point,

For a safety to get a blind side shot at a QB ...I guess it's more about getting the sack and not trying to do anything cute.

 

[Scapegoat]

just out of curiosity who would you bring in ?

Garrett has his flaws as do all coaches but he can function in the Circus that Jerry sometimes brings to town

I honestly think the list is pretty short

Jerry would have to be out for any good coach to even look seriously at the job.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Jason Garrett defends questionable decision to spike ball on Cowboys' final drive
The Cowboys could've called a timeout instead, but didn't

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett definitely isn't regretting his decision to have Dak Prescott spike

the ball late in the fourth quarter

of Green Bay's thrilling, walk-off 34-31 victory at Dallas on Sunday.

If the Cowboys had let time run off the clock instead of spiking it, it's possible that Dan Bailey's late field goal could've forced overtime. Instead, Bailey's field goal came with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, which was enough for Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers downfield for Mason Crosby's winning kick.

Garrett's decision to spike ball was questionable because it came at a point when the Cowboys had the Packers defense on their heels. After taking over on their own 25-yard line with 1:33 left in the game, Prescott immediately completed two passes that took Dallas down to Green Bay's 40-yard line.

At that point, the Cowboys could've kept pushing against a worn-out Packers defense, but Garrett called for the spike, which stopped the clock AND gave the Packers defense 40 seconds to rest.

"We just felt that was the right thing to do at that time," Garrett said of the spike, via NFL.com. "Keeping the timeout to be able to kick a field goal is really important if you can do it. So in those situations when you make a first down, we believe clock it there so you keep the timeout in your back pocket."

Did Jason Garrett's in-game decision making cost the Cowboys? USATSI
The irony of the situation is that the Cowboys didn't end up using their timeout on that drive.


Setting up a field goal wasn't the only reason Garrett called for a spike, he also had another explanation.

"Obviously, in that situation we're trying to go down there and score a touchdown, so you want to keep as much time on the clock as you can," Garrett said. "If the clock is going and you need a timeout to get yourself in field goal range, you have that one still available to you."

The problem with Garrett's strategy is that the Cowboys left Rodgers 35 seconds to work with after Bailey hit a 51-yard field goal to tie the game. If the Cowboys hadn't spiked the ball, Rodgers would've likely had no time to work with and the game likely would've gone to overtime assuming Bailey could've hit a last-second kick.

Even Rodgers was surprised at the Cowboys late game strategizing. The Packers quarterback said the Cowboys left him "a little too much time on theclock," after their late field goal.

The spike also cost the Cowboys a down, which proved to be a problem. If Dallas had run one extra play, it's possible they could've given themselves a chance to score a touchdown. Even if they didn't score a touchdown, though, they still could have run time off the clock and kept Rodgers off the field -- perhaps for the rest of the game.

It was one of the decisions that Cowboys fans will likely be talking about all offseason.

We tied the game with 35 seconds left on the clock and lost because of a pass and a kick that will become part of playoff lore ....

So not, this Cowboys fan will not be talking about that decision all off-season.


Go Cowboys!
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