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Mailbag: Use More Slants For Steeler Blitzes?

DallasCowboys.com Report
December 2, 2008 4:10 PM
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 OTHER RECENT NEWS

Off-Season Program Begins Tuesday For Injured Rookies  2/8
Rob Phillips: Saints' Rise Should Lend Some Perspective  2/8
Mailbag: Monday, February 8, 2010
As Expected, Smith Gets First-Ballot Hall of Fame Call  2/7
Spagnola: Payton's Aggressive Nature Has Super Results  2/7
A Look Back At Emmitt's Hall of Fame Career  2/7
Notes: Committee Denies Haley For HOF Once Again  2/6
What Great RBs - Past & Present Are Saying About Smith  2/6
Haley Has Strong Canton Credentials  2/5
Barry Sanders On Emmitt's Legacy, Records & Felix  2/5
 MORE MAILBAG

Mailbag: What Made Emmitt Special?  2/8
Mailbag: Any One Player The Cowboys Have To Get?  2/5
Mailbag: Your Take On The Anderson Situation?  2/4
Mailbag: How Can The Offense Score More Points?  2/3
Mailbag: Could The Cowboys Get Julius Peppers?  2/2

(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)

CHRIS KING, CALLAWAY, MD: It's obvious that no one has run the ball very well against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With their constant blitzing, do you think Dallas may use a lot of slants and fades to keep them down from crowding the line while trying to beat them with the pass?

Nick: Against the blitz, you're going to have to mix it up with several approaches. It won't be a specific one thing. It'll be important to use the running backs out of the backfield on screens and dump-off passes. And then down the field, you're right, T.O. and Roy will have to get open early on quick routes. The problem with that, for whatever reason, the Cowboys have been bad at slants this year. Either the pass isn't there or it gets dropped. But against the blitz, it's going to have to be short, quick passes, and that includes all of the receivers and backs.

Josh: You're right in a sense. I think the Cowboys will lean on the passing game Sunday - for one it's the thing they do best, and two, as Wade Phillips explained Monday, poor field condition reduce the impact of pass rushing. If Pittsburgh wants to blitz the Cowboys will gladly pick them apart, and remember, blitzing often leaves man coverage against the wide receivers. They'll test the Steelers downfield for sure, but as for the slants, remember that Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau basically invented the zone blitz, so the short passing game may be covered.

Mickey: Balance against them will be the key. You have to be able to run the ball some against them to keep them honest, because once you become one-dimensional, you are toast. The Cowboys must keep Troy Polamalu occupied, and I'm guessing their two-tight end sets will be very valuable in this game, one to help widen out the Steelers pass rush and two to keep either linebackers or safeties occupied. But when throwing, the shorter routes will be the thing to do to try to loosen them up.

WARREN BURRIS, NEW CARROLLTON, MD: Do you find it odd that Roy Williams, with all his skills and physical attributes, only has 28 receptions for 369 yards (11 for 131 in Dallas) this year? What do you think the Cowboys can do to get him more involved, as he has been one of the premiere receivers in the NFL for the past five years? I think he is needed these next four games.

Nick: What the Cowboys can do to get him more involved is give him an entire off-season and training camp to learn the offense. Since that's impossible right now, then they're going to have to do the best they can. And so far, I think Williams has made steady progress in the offense. In fact, I think he was the big difference in last week's win over Seattle. You're starting to see that defenses can't just double T.O. and leave Williams alone. They're not doing that. As a result, T.O. had a huge game two weeks ago. Jason Witten was big last week. I bet Roy gets his turn before too long.

Josh: What, you don't remember what happened when the Cowboys went after Peerless Price in 2005? He played in seven games and had only six catches for 96 yards. It just goes to show how hard it is to bring in guys right before or in the middle of the season. As he told us when he first arrived, he needs a training camp to be fully integrated. But with all the weapons the Cowboys have, there's going to be someone who doesn't have many catches in each game. Just know that Williams has affected defenses and opened things up for Terrell Owens. Whenever the Cowboys have thrown the ball his way I think he has looked good.

Mickey: Well, let's see, he's played six games with the Cowboys, and three of them he might as well have been non-existent with Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger at quarterback. And a fourth, Tony Romo was playing for the first time in more than a month, and for the first time with that splint on his little finger. So really, he's had two full games with Romo comfortable with the splint. What can they do to get him more involved? Quit throwing so many passes at Terrell Owens and Jason Witten.
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