What is ailing the Cowboy offense?
Published: September 16, 2009 by Jenni Carlson
Leave a comment
Something is wrong with the Oklahoma State offense.
Everyone can see it, but no one can explain it.
Maybe the short answer is that this offense just isn’t everything it was thought to be. But you know what? I don’t buy that. These guys have talent, probably as much individual talent as anyone in the country.
Maybe it’s time to use that talent differently. The Cowboys need to throw the ball. Do it early. Do it often.
Listen, I know that the prevailing attitude in football is that an offense needs to first establish the running game, then go to the passing game. And from the looks of the first two games, that’s what the Cowboys are trying to do. But you know what? It’s not working.
That was painfully evident against Houston. The Cougars brought in an inexperienced defensive line, highlighted by a pair of freshmen defensive ends. No doubt the Cowboys thought they could dominate the line of scrimmage and pound the ball. That didn’t happen.
The Cowboys scored just one touchdown in the first half. One. Against Houston. It’s one thing to score a touchdown before halftime against Georgia, but against Houston? That’s inexcusable.
The Cowboys need to come out and pop opponents with their passing game. If they’d have come out and hit Dez Bryant with a couple big, early plays last Saturday, it would’ve put Houston on its heels. Bryant, after all, had a huge game against the Cougars last year. They would’ve been thinking, “Oh, here we go again.”
Zac Robinson had a couple throws to Bryant go incomplete in the early going. But you know what I would’ve done had that happened? I’d have thrown it to him again.
Make defenses stop your most powerful weapon.
by Jenni Carlson
Columnist
Jenni Carlson, a sports columnist at The Oklahoman since 1999, came by her love of sports honestly. She grew up in a sports-loving family in Kansas. Her dad coached baseball and did color commentary on the radio for the high school football...
Advertisement
Next Story