Question about the Dallas offensive line... (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Any of you old guys like me will remember how the Cowboys O-lineman would all come up to the line of scrimmage, get in a two-point stance (with their forearms on their thighs). Then on Roger Staubach's cue, they would rise up in sync, almost standing straight up, then get back down into their 3-point stances. When you're a little kid watching it, I gotta admit that it looked really cool.

I wish I could find a video of this. My description probably didn't do it justice. Anyway, I had always heard that Landry's reason for having his lineman do this was to make the defensive linemen jump offsides when the O-line bucked upwards. The defensive player comes into the neutral zone, and the O-lineman across from him fires off the ball, drawing a defensive penalty.

I dunno.... I think it was more for flash. I can't see that working more than twice a year, if that. You'd have to be the dumbest person on the planet to jump offsides because of that movement. Okay, maybe they get you to jump on the Cowboys very first offensive snap of the game, but if you jump at any point after that, you should immediately be cut from the team.

First off, does anyone have confirmation as to exactly why Landry had his linemen do this?

Secondly, can anyone locate video of it? It was during the Rayfield Wright era.

TIA

 

[BigTex]

I have some of those games, I don't know how I would get them to you. Maybe too large to e-mail. I'll see how large they are first. I believe it was to draw the other team off sides, to be in unity, and to try and confuse the opposing defense as they would change positions.

 

[redman]

I have some of those games, I don't know how I would get them to you. Maybe too large to e-mail. I'll see how large they are first. I believe it was to draw the other team off sides, to be in unity, and to try and confuse the opposing defense as they would change positions.

I remember watching that as a 'Skins fan and thinking that it was basically just their signature on their offense. I will add that not once did I ever see an offsides when they popped up in the air, only after they got in their three-point stances. If it was to draw people offsides, how tricky could it really be given that they do it on every play? Oddly, I never (IIRC) saw them try to pull a quick snap before they did that move either.