Quote:
Originally Posted by jthig32
I don't understand why they were exclusively working the sidelines on the last drive when they had two timeouts. Finishing a game in that situation with two unspent timeouts is pretty terrible.
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Yeah, that was definitely puzzling to me, as well. There were at least three consecutive plays on that last drive where the Saints brought a safety or corner on a blitz from the edge. A skinny post or hitch-and-go would have put a corner or safety in man coverage on Miles, Dez, or Roy. I like those match-ups.
The tempo of that possession was also absolutely terrible. Kitna kept moving receivers across the formation play after play, consuming at least 30 seconds in the process... and all with timeouts left. That's just awful clock management. Unless, of course, you are playing to tie. And if you are, that is highly questionable to me.
I also found the decision to punt the ball instead of kicking a field goal pretty dubious. Buehler had already connected on a 53-yard field goal, so why not give it a shot? They only netted 19 yards of field position with that ridiculous punt attempt. The coaches clearly don't trust Buehler, so why is he on the roster? If you're going to draft a kicker, at least make sure that he is accurate enough to trust in a time of need. If he isn't, you've just shown that we can add yet one more player to the list of what is, quite possibly, the worst draft in Cowboys history.
I really like what I am seeing from Garrett, but, like I stated before, the roster decisions made by this organization have brought about this lost season. The lack of depth in the secondary, combined with poor execution, was very evident on the Saints' final scoring drive. Newman was hurt, but gave a huge cushion. Yet he was still absolutely toasted on a simple go route. There wasn't even a pump-fake or double move involved. He just waited too long to start his backpedal, even though he had help underneath. His sole responsibility on that play was not letting the receiver get past him. I understand that he is playing hurt, but he shouldn't even be on the field. There should be two or three quality players available to replace him.
It seems like every gamble Jerry made in the preseason, wishing and hoping that his old line and thin secondary would hold up, praying his kicker would do something he has never done in his life, has bitten him right in the ass.